Back to School

It's that time again, school! Katelyn was so excited to go back, even with a new school and new teacher. Raytown changed their boundries last year, so we are now at Norfleet Elementary in Miss Schnakenberg's class. They've been back for two weeks now and are already bringing homework home every night. Did I mention this is the first grade?! She is reading more, spelling more, mathing more and just getting smarter every day. She amazes me. Here are some pictures from her first day of school.



Yes, she picked her outfit all by herself.





Outside her classroom.


Brett has decided he doesn't need to go to school. He knows everything he needs to for kindergarten (according to him). So he is going to spend this first semester of school just hanging with Mommy & Daddy (who is now laid off) and going to visit CoCo & Poppa (who is now retired). He said that would be better for him than going to school. He is missing his playmates though. At least five times a day he asks where Sarah (neighbor in Kindergarten) and Kate are. We've been doing lots of bike riding and play dates to keep the boredom at bay.



Oh yes, and playing Super Hero.

Way too long...

It has been way too long since my last post. If I was planning on keeping this blog as a journal of our family life, I am failing. You'd think we fell off the face of the earth! But instead, we were living life, enjoying summer and now we're back into a school routine. I'm going to try to improve on my journaling by blog and even try to get some of these gazillion pictures compiled - in scrapbooks or photobooks. So here's what we've been up to since last post...

This summer we spent LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of time at the pool. Is there anything better than hanging out in the sun and water when it's hot outside? We have a great pool here in town called SuperSplash. It is our community pool, but also a little water park. Both kids transformed into fish for the summer.



I swear I saw gills!

Katelyn even surprised everyone when she decided she needed to jump off the high dive at the Marceline pool - YIKES!!






Katelyn played tball again this summer and had a great season.



This year they found a rule that is a ball was hit to the grass, it counted as a double & the batter could run all the way to 2nd base, not just one base at a time. Well, our little slugger hit 2 out of 3 doubles at every game! She was awesome!!



She had the same coach as last year who was wonderful with the girls. Coach Connie Rocks!



We spent the week before 4th of July in Marceline with the Klingsmiths. Camping out on the new screened porch, visiting in KV,




swimming at the Disney pool, eating lots of ice cream, fishing and of course, carnivaling in the park!





We spent time with our YaYas and Petit YaYas and had a genuinely great time.

We came back to nightly play practices for our little Munchkin. Katelyn participated in the Raytown Arts Council's performance of the Wizard of Oz. They put on five wonderful shows for the public.



She loved every minute of it! She may have changed her career goal though, from actress to director!!


We took a mini vacation to Branson for some family fun - go karts, mini golf, Silver Dollar City. But I think their favorite part of the trip was just staying in the hotel!







In the mix of all this, we also fit in Vacation Bible school, trips to Deanna Rose, lots of play dates and of course, work. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty great summer. My only complaint would be that it just flew by way too fast.

My big First Grader

Friday marked Katelyn's last day as a kindergartener.



I can't believe you are going to be a "Big First Grader" as Mrs. Alverson called you! I think I feel the same way about this stepping stone - excited, but a little sad. So excited at all the things you have learned, the leaps and bounds you have covered in such a short time. You are already much smarter than I was at this age. You are reading, writing, compiling sentences. You can add and subtract and "predict". I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished - especially the citizenship award you won. Nothing in life is more important than being nice and considerate of other people. No matter how smart, rich, prosperous you become in life, nothing matters if aren't a good person on the inside.



I'm also a little sad. You are growing up way to fast and I would really like time to slow down, even just a little. Kindergarten is such a wonderous time. You are able to straddle that line of little kid/big kid. I'm sad that that time is over for you and for me as your mommy. I know very soon I will just be "mom" and you won't want to snuggle with me like you do now. My baby is growing up and I know I'm not ready. I hope this summer we get to do lots of fun things together, but mostly just get to spend time together. I realized toward the end of the year how much I miss you while you are in school all day and just want to get a little Kate & Mommy time back, especially while you still enjoy it. I love you Katie-bear and I am so proud of you!

My Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I got the most wonderful gifts. First, there was the gift of uninterrupted sleep until 3pm. Being that Saturday I only was allowed 5 frequently interrupted hours, then had to stay up all night working, I was most appreciative of this gift! Next, I was awoken to breakfast in bed (yes, at 3pm). It included some of my favorites - Steve's famous (at least at our house) cheesy eggs, mini pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, bacon and oj. I got to eat about half of it. I guess making breakfast in bed makes you very hungry and you must taste your own goods too. My most favorite gift was presented next. A canvas painted and handprinted by the kids.



Isn't it beautiful!? I just love it!! I now have to decide where to hang it - for all to see or mostly for me? I think in my room for me to see every day will be the decision. After the breakfast was eaten and "family hugs" were shared, they asked, "now can we go play?" I had to smile and say "of course". I then got up and did all my "mom" stuff. Some people might say, "but it was Mother's Day, why didn't you take it off?" But after all the love I got, I really didn't mind. Maybe it just reminded me of a saying I've seen about how you should be thankful for your messes - if you have dirty dishes, it means you have food to eat; dirty laundry, you have clothes to wear; etc. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I curse it all, but today wasn't one of those. Today, I was just thankful for these blessings that call me Mommy.



Aren't they just the sweetest?

Only You

My friend Dana has turned me on to the whole "playlist" thing. Yes, I knew about them. Yes, I'd seen them on other people's myspace and blogs. But I love, love, love Dana's playlist! It inspires me, mellows me and moves me. One of my favorites right now is "Only You". It's mellow, sweet and I just love it. So I've changed my playlist again and I did copy some, okay quite a few off of hers. "Only You" has become "our song" for Brett and me. He likes to listen to our playlists with me - yes, he has his own list.

The sweetest thing happened the other day while we were listening. He was sitting at the computer while I was cleaning the kitchen - talking away, as usual. "Only You" came on and I said, "shhh, let's listen. I really like this one." He stopped talking, listened for a little bit and then said to me, "wanna dance with me". I scooped him right up out of that chair and we held each other tight and danced. I hadn't "danced around" with him in so long and it was wonderful. He hugged my neck tight while it played and even gave me a little kiss on the cheek. Tear bobs (a Meissen family term) came to my eyes and I said a little thank you to God for such a sweet, sweet boy - my sweet, sweet boy.



Hope you enjoy my new playlist as much as I am!

Rock Stars

You might wonder why "Use your Love" is the first song on my new playlist.
Two reasons:
1. It IS an all time great song
2. It is currently Brett's favorite song.
He goes around the house singing it over and over and over. He has to hear it or watch it (thank you YouTube) at least every other day. When we ride in the car, he wants me to find it on the radio. It has become the family song. Brett even had my mom convinced that Steve wrote the song. I know, she isn't very hip or knowledgeable on pop music. Here we thought Katelyn would be the Rock Star, but I think she has some competition...

Learning Life Lessons

Sunday was the big day. The day Katelyn decided she was ready to get the training wheels off her bike. I know, I had been thinking the same thing, she's six years old - time to ride like a big girl. But I was also worried. See, we live at the bottom of a rather steep hill. A person can pick up a lot of speed just by going two houses up. I personally had a nice flat street and very patient parents that ran along behind me for I don't know how long while I learned to ride with only two wheels. Not really the same scenario for Kate. Although I am walking much better and mostly without the boot, I am in no condition to run. So Steve was up for two-wheel training. He went about it a whole different way than I would - a much better way it turns out. Yes, sometimes his skills and ideas are better than mine. He taught her how to "walk the bike" with her feet on the sides, not on the pedals. It got her used to balancing and the speed.



She spent about an hour walking her bike up and then coasting down to our driveway where she eventually started putting her feet on the pedals and "riding"! We weren't even paying attention when she really did it the first time.



After her first big fall, she came over crying to me and we had to have the "get back on and try, try again" talk. As I was telling her this, it came to me that this was one of those "important life lessons". As I got a little nervous realizing my big "parent moment", I also notice how it was just another "consoling by mommy" moment for her. She didn't realize at all that it was a life lesson moment. It struck me then how such a momentous occasion for one is not always for others. I guess it's the repetition that eventually teaches us these great life lessons - just like riding a bike. So congratulations Katelyn -- You are a two wheeler, who unbeknownst to you, are learning that when you fall, you have to get back on and try, try again. Mommy is so proud of you!!