4th Grader in the House!

I do not have a picture of Jacob getting on the bus for his first day of 4th grade because he didn't want his mother walking him down to the bus stop. He did permit this one shot before he ran out the door. He didn't even finish his pancakes.

After school no one was happier than Jake to eat the traditional warm chocolate chip cookies and cold milk. MMMmmmm!

High School Here We Come!

The first day of school was threatened in the wee hours of the night when the power went off. Luckily I was up reading and able to reset the clocks before going to sleep. I got up early with great effort and made the requisite First Day of Shool Pancakes. Dani is a freshman this year and was the first one up.

Kirk, the senior, was in no hurry to go running off to school, although he did make an unscheduled trip to the mall with buddies (he never goes to the mall if he can help it) for a first day of school outfit last night.

In a move totally designed to irk Kirk, Dani waited to see what Kirk as wearing to school and then matched him. Kirk didn't figure it out until I took their picture together on their way out the door. I took it as a good omen for the day that he didn't run back upstairs and change his shirt. Maybe he'll actually acknowledge her in the halls and not drop her at the corner while he parks his car.

Helmet Night

Tonight was another one of those old Loveland High School traditions. Each year the helmets are cleaned and readied for the next season. That means that each year decorative decals have to be reapplied. This happens at Helmet Night..
In addition to the pot luck dinner, the seniors are recognized
and get to paint their names on the Tiger Trail leading up to the football stadium.
Kirk made an addition to his, putting the letters A, U, R, and A in the toes of his paw print. As a sophomore, Coach Marlatt gave him the nickname "Aura" meaning others should beware the "Aura of Morra". He's so fast, that's all that's left behind in his wake.

The End of the Beginning

Today was the last day of Two-a-Days. In a long standing Loveland High School tradition, the seniors were carried off the field by the underclassmen. I think Kirk went out of his way to pick some of the smaller players. The royal carry was followed by a grill out in the parking lot. The entire coaching staff and their wives will be grilling out at our house tonight...assuming it stops raining!

I'm a Mean Mom

Danielle got a beatiful, white iron bed today. She was more than over due, having spent the last fourteen years in the bed that was Brian's growing up. It stopped being nostalgic everytime we repainted it and in recent years, hammered it back together. It was literally falling apart.



Of course making room for the new bed meant taking apart the old one. And there it was in green magic marker on the wooden slats that supported the old bed; proof that I'm a mean mom.

It says, "I hate you mom when you make me clean under my bed."

That was quickly followed by the next slat which says, "My stupid mom" June 29, 2003 (Dani would have been nine years old) although I apparently redeemed myelf because "stupid" is crossed out and "good" is filled in.