5th, (I think), annual Cane Fest!

Mike and his friends got together this year again and made molasses. This, is Dawson's thing, all the way. He was SOOO pumped to get to do this. You know, use his machete to chop down cane. When you think about a 5 year old and his own machete, you this, tad unsafe? But then you set the scene, Koeltztown, cane field, Friday Night, dad is there, it all seems, normal, almost. Dawson got home about 10 pm that night and Mike said he barely made it to bed before he fell asleep, he was beat! The next day though, he was up, bright and early ready, for the cane cook! Him and Mike headed to grandpa Kenny's for the Johnny popper. I had to bring him a snack at 9 am because he had been working hard stripping and pressing cane. Hunter missed all this as he was spending the night with Grandma Jean. He earned 20 green dots for good behavior and this was the reward as Grandma's house, WITHOUT Dawson, is like a trip to Disney World. At 10 am I had to pick Dawson up to go to soccer, he was not happy about this at all! However, his and Hunter's game overlapped, I was able to watch both of them at the same time on two different fields. It entailed me jogging, some cell phones and probably standing up in front of people watching the games, but no one ever said being a mom would be easy!

So, two games down, we headed back to Koelztown from Belle to cook the cane. I sat and talked with my friends Amy and Sara and the boys ran from stirring the cane to running with the other boys. Once the cane was ready to jar, the boys were there to help in no time. Everyone was ready with a jar or a lid and having a hard time remembering that the jars were SUPER hot. However, once it was all jarred, the men ended up with 7 gallons. We then headed out for a hay ride and some corn stalk chopping, yep, the return of the machete. After that the boys were tired, hungry, and DIRTY! We headed home, after a lot of disagreement from the boys. So, what did we do the next night, well we made molasses cookies of course! I find it hard to believe, but the kids LOVE them. Dawson brought some to school to share. I told him to not be hurt if the other kids didn't like them, as I would think, most kids wouldn't like them. Well, much to my amazement, Dawson said, "mom, everyone loved them and wanted seconds and we were out!!"

Mom, get the camera, we graveled a squirrel!

Mike and Dawson went squirrel hunting after supper last night. Dawson was siked, 'they graveled a squirrel!'. Dawson thinks his Dad is IT, the ONE, the CHOSEN, the BEST, the most AWESOME Dad ever! When they got home Dawson came running up the steps and I knew, get the camera as I am the official picture taker of all dead stuff that rolls in here. It doesn't pay well but we all have our jobs in life. So Dawson said, 'mom, get the camera, we graveled a squirrel!'. So, he jumps right up there and holds it up like him and his dad saved the world, and I cheered them on just like any good mom would do........but there is no way I'm eating that little rat. But, the boys like em, so it saves me from cooking one night out of the year at least! However, sometimes Mike forgets to talk to me before he talks to the kids. So, as I put Dawson to bed that night he told me, 'Dad said if I'm good I can get a toy guy, you know a BB gun, so I can start shooting my own squirrels'. Awesome, a 5 year old with a gun, Merry Christmas to all, enter our driveway at your own risk:-)

First Grade, really, already, he just started walking, 6 years ago!!??

First Grade, how did this happen? At times it seems like Hunter has been big forever and the day I brought him home from the hospital, a dream. And now he already has 12 days of school in. He is now studying for test and recycling and feeding his dog on his own. Where did my little, crazy, uncontrollable Hunter go off too. When I look at him now, probably eye to eye in a year, he seems almost old enough to move out! Sure, he still has melt downs, fights with his brother about being first, leaves doors open, forgets his backpack, but all in all, he is slowing preparing to live life without me one day, sad. But, lucky, he is not moving far. He is going to get some friends to help him and will be moving across the road to build a house next to Grandma Cece and Grandpa Kenny, whew! Dawson however is moving to California, the STATE! Hopefully he changes his mind in the next 13 years.

At school Hunter gets green dots for being good, yellow for not so good, and red for 'oh my things are bad and you better start praying'. So far, we have only had one yellow dot, on the 4th day of school!! But, we've learned from it and have been walking the walking since then. Perhaps the promise of spending the night at Grandma Jeans, WITHOUT DAWSON, after each 20 green dots earned is helping. Hopefully it lasts this year..........and until he graduates from say, medical school or law school, its his choice really.

Still working on the swing....

My friend Melissa and I took the boys to go minature golfing the day before Hunter and Carter started 1st grade. The argument at each hole was who was going first, but it was still fun. Dawson at times, as you may be able to tell, hits the ball a little hard. But he'll get it:-)

Dawson and I were working on the Our Father the other day and he said, 'mom, I got it listen.......Our Father, who works in heaven......funny stuff!!!!

One last summer trip.......

Mom and I took the boys to the Magic House and the Zoo at the end of July. One last trip before school started. We took the GPS along and that makes the boys ask, how many minutes now, how about now, and now, how about now? Whoo, but hey, I guess it passes the time. On the way to St. Louis we had to stop at the shoe store in Linn, I love that place. It reminds me of Pohls shoe store in JC, back in the 80's! Anyways, Hunter needed new shoes for school, I think he has uncle Chris's feet, size 2 1/2 in 1st grade, crazy. So you know what happened, Dawson said, "I need new shoes too!". No you don't, I just bought you new shoes in May when we went to St. Louis and you've barely worn them, all you wear is summer shoes. Well, they are too tight and they hurt my feet....oh they do not. I tell you what, we'll have the lady measure your foot and if its bigger, than we'll get some. Long story short, size 11 1/2 in May, 13 in July...what!? Budgeted $30 for shoes, spent $60...I guess its good their getting bigger and not smaller! So, off to St. Louis. About half way there, there is this goat farm of sorts, a sad looking sort of place. Last year when we went to the Zoo Hunter said, 'is that the zoo?!', mom and I about rolled off our seats. So when we passed it again this year, mom and me had a little chuckle, memories. Well, we made it to the Magic House and stayed for about 4 hours, got our money's worth for sure. The construction part was the favorite. The boys climbed these stairs and layed brick for hours. However climbing the stairs to their room to put their clothes away, very far and stressful for them, odd. The boys also worked relentlessly on catching magnet fish and fixing the race car. By the time we left, they still weren't ready to go. But, the place was getting packed and I wanted to go to the zoo. (Note, go to the Magic House when it opens, it gets crowed around 2 pm).

So, we hope in the car and one wants to go to the zoo and one doesn't. I want to go to the zoo, and I'm driving, so we're going. What's funny about that is my dad always wanted to go to the zoo and I didn't, some things just always come back to haunt you. Well, it had rained all day while we were at the magic house so the zoo was pretty cleared out, very nice. The big hit of the day was the hippos, they were swimming everywhere and the boys were running from one side of the tank to the other. And then for the big show ender, the hippo pooped right in front of the glass, big hit with the crowd and the boys!

Once again, when we got in the car Dawson said, 'did we miss nap time? I don't want to take a nap'. 5 minutes later, Dawson is snoozing...lost another battle to the nap gods. We ended the day with a trip to Sonic, mom offered to pay, but I told her, 'mom, I'll get this, I like to take you out to nice placed every once in a while:-)'

So, another great trip for me and the boys and mom. It is so much easier to take trips the older the get. Hard to beleive another summer is coming to a end.....

Happy Birthday Grandpa Rick!

Today would have been my dad's 60th birthday. If he were still here, he would not have wanted to have anything big....only a trip to the river boat! So, off mom and Glenn and Jane went to the boat this morning. They had a great time AND left their money for the next person. Me and boys went to Gerbes to get some balloons for Grandpa to send to heaven. Hunter wrote him a note, 'grandpa, I really miss you. I hope you always remember me. Happy Birthday! Hunter'. Dawson however didn't want to write a note, 'because its a birthday balloon mom', apparently that says it all and there is no need for extra letters and such!. I thought the boys wouldn't care to much but kids are surprising. We took the boys out and they let the balloons go. And you know what, they watched the balloons until they were out of site, they wanted to make sure they made it all the way to heaven. What was also neat is that the balloons stayed right with each other, like they were on the same mission. We thought with Hunter's having the note on it that it would fall behind, but nope, right on up they went. And what was also special, is that there went right towards this big puffy cloud with a hole in it, and right through that hole they went. Now Hunter the worrier was concerned that they wouldn't make it to heaven, I however reassured him that because they had grandpa's name on it, it would go right to his mailbox. The boys thought it was neat he had a mailbox:-) Now Dawson the thinker was concerned that someone with a parachute could jump out of the plane and grab the balloons and take them. I however reassured him that that would not happen since we put grandpa's name on them.

Now tonight before bed Dawson asked if Grandpa Rick slept on the clouds. I said I'm sure he does. He said, 'ya, and I bet he covers up with a little angel blanket, just like baby Mathew'. Yep, I'm sure Heaven is the best place to be if you can't be here with your family. Happy Birthday Dad, we miss you........

Pics of the party, I LOVE having people over!