Saturday, August 28, 2010

Charlie's First Day at Spring Ave Kindergarten!




Charlie with neighbor Lillian Pendergast (brown curls) before walking into class

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Are You Ready For Some School?




Not For School But We Are Definitely ready for some College Football. Our mission for this year ... letting the big 10 know that some Huskers are in the house. Yes we may not be officially part of the Big 10 until next year but let's do a little rabble raising and let them know that we are on our way. Thanks to Missouri (pronounced Missoure ... unless you are from the state ... then it's MissourA ... but actually there is an I on the end of Missouri which may stand for "idiot" or "I ... as in me ... as in I am most important ... so important I'm going to screw up a really good conference". So because of the "I" in Missouri ... Nebraska (ending with an "A" as in "all encompassing" ... is now a part of the big 10 .... participating next year in some awesome football in our own backyard. So you Huskers ... we encourage you to make the 7 hour voyage across the vast wasteland known as Iowa (soon to be one of the Husker downtrodden ... to Chicago-land where great Big 10 football is just a stones throw away: Northwestern, Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State ... if we want to travel farther than 3 hours ... there's Minnesota, Ohio State, Pennsylvania, Michigan and if we venture into the land of Catholics ... a mere 2 hours to Notre Dame. GO HUSKERS!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Picture worth a thousand words


At breakfast this morning,
Mom: Jet school starts tomorrow, are you excited?







Finally a break from the heat! We can sit outside at the sidewalk cafes!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Go Blue!



I admit it, I was a skeptic when Jet tried out for the traveling soccer team and made it. I was super skeptical when I learned about the cost and then became a really grouchy skeptic when I learned that this last weekend would be spent about an hour away from home at a soccer tournament. 4 games and not one of them within 3 hours of the next.

So in my crabby state we headed up to the first game. Then I saw the team and coaches in action. Not only is it about soccer skills, it's about discipline. Shirts are tucked & uniforms pristine, no goofing on the bench, benched players wear a netted jersey which gets passed off as they go in and out of the game, bags lined up orderly, players (not parents) are to keep up with their stuff. even the march to the trophy presentation was orderly.

This was the teams first outing together and they faired pretty well. Even with all the offsides calls, we ended up in second place (not bad for only 3 weeks of play).

On Jet's team are two other friends from his school. They really do have fun together. Even Charlie enjoyed the games. It was hot so he and the cutest 6 yr old girl (jet's teammates little sister) huddled under a tent and played gogo's, ate ice cream and drank soda. Kinda thinkin that Charlie may be the smartest of the group!


Monday, August 16, 2010

Who Needs Stinkin Disney!




Our boys do not ... thus our latest vacation theory proved out. Our vacation this summer was back to Omaha Nebraska to see Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Aunt Anne (my sista) and her brew from Texas were visiting. Zoe, Matt and Gracie are close in age to Jet and Charlie. They get together once a year for a seriously good romp, usually at the expense of Grandpa's sanity and Grandma's basement. I knew it was a good time when Jet leaned over to me at the movie theatre and whispered in my ear, "Mom this is so much fun!". Well we'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

These pictures are from the Union Pacific History museum where the kids were danced around the bonfire and goofed around in a TeePee ... totally defiling any shred of dignity and pride that the Omaha Indian tribe was trying to establish with this exhibit!

Well touche' pussycat ... we (as in Anne and I) have pictures of Jet and Matt (leaders in the Omaha Indian Tribe defiling) with their pants hiked up 5" above their belly buttons (see the second picture). Let me tell you boys ... these will be trotted out at the first wedding rehearsal dinner. Chief Blackhawk will have his revenge!

One funny Fred (grandpa) moment:
Charlie (in the middle of everyone in earshot): Mom, what's that on Grandpa (pointing to his oxygen tank)
Mom: Charlie, that helps Grandpa breath.
Charlie: Why does Grandpa need help to breath?
Mom (thinking this is a great teaching moment): Well Charlie, Grandpa smoked cigarettes and that's what happens when you smoke.
Charlie (totally not comprehending what I just said replies): No (thinking about it)I just think he's old.

Mind you ... this whole conversation (including the pointing) is taking place in front of Grandpa who has total denial that he needs a hearing aid.
Grandpa: What ?? What is he saying???
Mom: That you look great dad!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn

That's what I couldn't get out of my mind on our latest adventure. How did we get here? It started with the ripping out of a very aggressive english ivy on our side yard. I kept finding worms ... big beautiful earthworms. Well next thing we know Charlie is digging up the worms for his 'pets' and putting them in a coffee tin. We talked him into not bringing his new 'pets' into the house by telling him that these were great to fish with. OK .... NOW you know how we got to the flooded fishing hole on a hot buggy Sunday. We first had to locate a spot to cast in. Since it was obvious that this river in a local forest preserve had also flooded last week(swampy banks, smelly odors and washed up trash were our first clues), it was tough to find a spot to cast in. We finally wound our way to the bridge. One side trash build up from the flood creating a dam and the other side (the side we opted to cast in on) brown muddy swirling water. No way a fish could see even 1/2" in front of him much less spot our worms from a distance.

Charlie had a "special" pole. It has a green plastic fish on the end that we were told is really good fish bait. Charlie can be a bit impulsive ... we didn't want any eyeballs poked out on this adventure!
So Jet cast in 4 times before his reel froze up. Charlie was fishing for fish and salmon. He was going to bring the fish home as pets. Somehow we don't think salmon is spawning in our local flooded creek.















We ended up packing up our bait and tackle, headed for the car and decided that we'd find a hole to cast in on our trip to Omaha where the floods hadn't effected the good fishing.

I guess for now Charlie's new 'pets' will be the big beautiful earthworms who reside in their very own home on our front stoop.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Culture Camp Week!















This is our favorite week of the whole summer! We went to our third
year of Korean Culture Camp in Itasca Il called Camp Pride. It's a fun filled week full of Korean food, Tae Kwon Do, Crafts, Korean Songs, Korean story telling and friends. The boys managed to get in Bakugans, Crazy Bone Go-Go's in addition to the Korean stuff. If that last sentence made absolutely no sense ... it's because you do not have boys in second grade ... the latest fade. The best part of camp is seeing old friends. Jet and Charlie got reacquainted with friends they made over the last two years. Jet's special friend Andrew was there again this year and Charlie developed a close friendship with a boy named Joey. I volunteered by working the lunchroom all 5 days. It's the best job! I get to watch the kids come in for Tae Kwon Do or on the playground. I get to visit the market each day to shop for Korean Antiques and items. I get to eat with my boys all the yummy Korean food. But best is seeing my friends - the other parent volunteers - with whom I've developed friendships with over the last three year.