Mystery Reader

One of the fun things in kindergarten are Mystery Readers. There is a sign up sheet at the beginning of the year where you can pick any given Wednesday to come and read. (Although, if another day works better...Mrs. B just makes it work!) On your reading day, you come into the office and tell them what you are there for. You have a seat and wait for Mrs. B to call the office. (It's sort of like waiting in the Green Room, except no snacks!) Mrs. B calls the office and tells the ladies there "We're ready for our Mystery Reader!" While you walk down the hall, she gets them all primed and excited. "Who do you think it is?" "Who do you think knows this person?" When the Mystery Reader walks in the person that knows them stands up and introduces them to the class. It is SO much fun to see their faces when you walk in! There have been Moms, Dads, Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, and Friends.

Well, last Friday, the Mystery Readers were a brother and a daughter! Mrs. B's daughter (Maddie) and Cale are in the same 6th. grade class. Arrangements were made for me to pick up Cale and Maddie and bring them over to the elementary school. I went down with them and peeked in Mrs. B's back door so I could see what the kids thought. When they walked in Mrs. B stood up and Trevor was so shocked that it took him awhile to get up. I couldn't see his face but Cale said that his jaw just dropped. Then, I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He was in such disbelief yet, that he looked at me and gasped "Oh, you, too?!" It was so much fun to be a part of such a great surprise!

Cale and Maddie did a great job of reading to the class, and the class were on their absolute best behavior and listened so well. I couldn't believe how quiet 21 kindergartners could be but I was told that they are always like that when Mystery Readers come in.

Cale and I even stayed and had lunch with Trevor and his friends which is always an adventure in itself! (Maddie ate in the teacher's lounge with her mom.)

Then it was back to the Middle School for Cale and Maddie...and they only missed about 10 minutes of science. (I think they were hoping to miss more then that!)

Doughnuts With Dad

Last Friday, Trevor's kindergarten class hosted "Doughnuts With Dad." The Dads were all invited to school for a little breakfast and they did a packet with their kindergartner. They drew a picture of themselves and their Daddy. Trevor said that his favorite food is a doughnut and he likes all sorts of colors. He said that Keith likes pizza and the color red. I would say he knows his Daddy pretty well!

Mrs. B. asked the kids what their Dad's did while they were at school. Well, when you are 6...how do you explain that your Dad is a CPA and the Treasurer of United Suppliers? Well....you don't! :)

Keith got a cool magnet, too! It is hanging on the refrigerator, right next to the one I got during Muffins With Mom.

The kids love it when Daddy gets to spend some time with them at school. Keith had taken the whole day off and even went back at lunch time. He sat with Jared while he had lunch and even surprised him with a cookie from Casey's for dessert. He ate lunch with Trevor after that. And Cale? Well....since he's at the middle school, he's just a little too cool to eat with his parents!

Field Trip to the Farm

I was able to go on a field trip to the farm last Monday with Trevor and his kindergarten class. There was so much for them to see! One of the first things we were told was that the Momma Sheep had just had a baby so we shouldn't yell around them. "If you yell around the Momma, she'll take you down!" Hmmm......I thought that sounded like home! :)

When we got home that night, Keith asked Trevor if there were lots of animals. Trevor started to name off all of them: "Cows, Sheep, Chickens, a Rooster, a Bossy Duck (yes, that's how he described it!), a Pony, a Donkey, a Dog and 3-4 Cats and a Gator." Keith's eyes just about popped out of his head..."A WHAT?!" I had to clear that up...it was a JOHN DEERE gator...the type that you RIDE!

I TOLD you that they all LOVE Mrs. B!

This is one of my new favorite pictures!

In 2007, I went on this same field trip with Jared and Trevor got to come along. I had to get those pictures out so I could compare them.

Here is a picture of Trevor checking out the hay-bale horse....

He had to check it out 3 years ago, too!

I just had to take a picture of Trevor with the pitch fork! Looking very American Gothic-like...

And here is Jared, 2007, doing the pitch fork thing! As you can see, with 3 boys, we get a lot of use out of our clothes. I love the missing tooth!

Back on My Feet Again! (OK, I'm Back on my FOOT again!)

On April 12, I had bunion surgery on my right foot. I had a very similar surgery on both feet when I was 21....I'm now 42, so I'm right on schedule! ;) They shaved some of the bone off of the side and then moved 2 small bones and a tendon under the big toe. That will help the big toe straighten up. I was having pain and also had blisters on the side of my foot whenever I wore shoes. I love flip-flops!! I was first told this surgery was in my future about 5 1/2 years ago. I kept putting it off, and then once I had all of the kids in school, I decided it was time. This pre-surgery picture was actually taken because I was standing in green grass in Palm Springs during February. It was a long winter in Iowa, and that grass felt GREAT!!!

This was the view the night of my surgery. Yes, there is a baseball game on TV. It was the home opener for the Cardinals, after all! ;) Jared thought that we needed a picture of the bottom of my foot, too, so thank him for that one!

Just a few pictures of me and THE BOOT! Ended up wearing it for a month and another week off and on, depending on what I was doing. (I wore it on a couple of field trips just to protect it from little hooligans!) It really wasn't too bad. I sort of got use to wearing a constant ankle weight!

My collection of left shoes! These were the ones that I wore the whole time. They were about the same height as my boot so I wouldn't limp. Keith even commented one night that he was tired of finding just 1 shoe all of the time! Umm....I can only wear one, remember? "Oh, that's right!"

This is what my foot looked like about 3 weeks ago. The dots are marking where my bone is, and there is some swelling. The smudge in the middle of the foot is where the doctor wrote "Yes!!" (It's important to operate on the correct foot!) My big toe will now be shorter then the next toe. And yes,...I know I have long, skinny toes! And I need a pedicure, too!

I am wearing both of my walking shoes most of the time now. (Except I have been known to wear both flip-flops for short periods in the house. My feet just get too hot in shoes all the time!) Here was my view the other night while I was watching TV after the kids went to bed. I already knew that tennis shoes and jammies weren't the best looking combination, but Keith confirmed that when he walked in and laughed at me! Thanks, Honey.

I just can't wait until I'm up and running again! OK...so I don't run....but I am looking forward to being good as new again, but I'm trying to be patient!

We've come a long way, Baby!

Cale and Jared have each had 2 baseball games in the last 3 days. (Yes, the math figures out to 4 games in 3 days!) We've been to games in Gilbert, Jewell and Ellsworth. We've figured out who has the best concession stands. (Gilbert HANDS DOWN! Where else can you get a walking taco and a hot dog for only $2.50! I can't afford to feed everyone at home for that!) We've figured out who has the best bathrooms, and the best parking. We're getting it all figured out!

As a little bit of history, baseball has never been a natural thing for Cale. He has to work at it, and frankly, it's been painful as his mother to watch. He went all through 3rd. and 4th. grade without a hit. 5th. grade rolled around and he DID NOT want to play. Keith made him. I was ready to let him throw in the towel, because it was no longer fun for him. Success =Fun. He got a few hits in 5th. grade and suddenly it was fun. Fast forward to 6th. grade and he's having a GREAT time!! Last night he went 2 for 3 with an RBI and he scored a run. Defensively, he caught a line drive while playing 2nd (Mom swears that it was traveling at the speed of light!) He didn't miss a beat, and threw it to 1st. for the double play. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! I couldn't have been more proud!! He got another hit today and is currently riding a 5 game hitting streak! WAY-TO-GO!!

Now, Jared is in 3rd. grade. He's afraid of getting hit by a pitch and I cringe whenever he's up to bat. He's yet to get a hit this year. He acts just like Cale did. I've been down this road before, and I just want him to have some success. Remember Success = Fun! He, too, is ready to throw in the towel, but Keith won't let him. Today, I was sitting at his game...1 out left in the game, 1 runner on and here comes my Jared to the plate. I know he's got it in him and I'm about to barf from my nerves. He's got a count of 2 balls and no strikes and here comes the ball down the pipe and my Jared TOOK THAT BALL FOR A RIDE!!! I jumped out of my seat (bad foot and all!) and was screaming and jumping up and down! Ask our friends who were behind us...they're still talking about Jared's Mom but I don't care! Jared was in with a stand up double and one run had scored! I couldn't have been more happy for him or more proud!! I nearly cried on the spot! Today he had FUN!!

I haven't had my camera at any of the games this year, but they are not over, so I will. Be patient! We went out for Mexican tonight and then we decided that a stop at Dairy Queen was in order. This is one happy and proud Mama tonight!

We've come a long way, Baby!

Big Ticket Purchases

I hate big ticket purchases that aren't any "fun." This is our most recent big ticket purchase....a new washer and dryer. Big deal. You can't wear them. You can't decorate them. And you can't eat them. They just sit there and make you work. I suppose that it does, in the long run, make work a little easier for me. It is easier to use them then to beat our clothes on a rock, so I guess I should be grateful for them. It's also better then the laundry mat. So...thank you for OUR new washer and dryer, Keith! ;)

Keith and I watched the first load through the clear top...laughing at how crazy we must look! Keith (and the kids) are amused by the music that plays when you open the lid to the washing machine or when you turn either the washer or dryer on OR off. After a couple of loads, the novelty has worn off. Reality is that laundry still isn't fun.

This was our big ticket purchase last fall....shingles. I still don't, nor did I ever, consider that a very fun purchase. Nobody really notices your shingles or compliments you on how they look, like they do with a new pair of shoes!

We do have a big ticket project in the works for this spring.....I'll keep you posted!....

Muffins With Mom

Monday morning, I had the pleasure of joining Trevor's class and their Moms for "Muffins with Mom." (You like his shirt?) We got to sit at the table with our kindergartner and enjoy muffins and juice and of coarse great conversations. The kids had packets to work on that talked about their favorite foods. (He chose clam chowder.) And Moms favorite foods. (He said chocolate! Smart boy!) It was so much fun to see them all with their Moms, and the Moms all enjoyed seeing the little faces of the names that they hear at home. They also gave the Moms one of these cool magnets that they had made. Mine immediately found a prominent spot on my fridge....

Last week, Mrs. B had asked the kids what their Moms do while they are at school. You can see for yourself what Trevor thinks I do! I have to admit that I was a little relieved that it didn't say "Takes a nap" or "Sits at the computer blogging or doing Facebook."

I also learned that we may need to work on some charm skills, too! While we were standing in line waiting for our muffins, Trevor looked up at a very pregnant friend of mine who also has a daughter in kindergarten and says "Your baby in there?" And she told him that it was. He answered "Oh, good. I just wanted to make sure you weren't eating too much junk food!" Nice. She told him that was the funniest pregnant thing she'd heard yet!

Good Morning, Trevor!

Trevor stumbled into my room this morning with his barely opened eyes and said:

"Oh, my! My eyes are blizzardy this morning!"

He rubbed them a little and sighed...

"Oh, now that's better. It's clear now."

Being the youngest of 3 boys it seems like he's always being picked on or teased about something. Without missing a beat, one of the others chimed in from their room: "BLIZZARDY is NOT a word!"

He informed them: "You know... it's Trevor Language!!"

This Mommy is going to be sad when Trevor Language ceases to exist!

State Middle School Track Meet

My 13 year old nephew, Luke, ran in the 4x800 relay this morning at the state middle school track meet. Lucky for Aunt Heidi, it was held right here in Gilbert! The temps this morning were in the 40's with pretty strong winds. Not exactly the most ideal track conditions. Cale, Jared and I went to watch him run while Keith took Trevor into Ames for his soccer game. Luke and his teamates from Grinnell came in 5th. and frankly I thought they looked great! I'm pretty certain I would've barfed half way around the track the first time, let alone 2 times around! Nice job, guys! I'm so happy when Luke and his sister have activities close by so we can watch them! (For the record, the 7th. graders from Gilbert came in first.) Luke is the one in orange in these pictures.....

Kindergarten Funnies

Trevor only has one month left of kindergarten. His teacher's name is Mrs. Bonthuis. All 3 of the boys have been lucky enough to have Mrs. B. A little backround is that Mrs. B is from Coon Rapids....just like Keith. Mrs. B and Keith have known each other since they were kids. The Jensen's have been very blessed to pull off the "triple crown" of having all 3 boys in her class. She loves her kids like they were her very own. She keeps us all very informed with not only what is happening in her room, but also the funny things that she over hears during the the day. Here are a few of the bits of emails I've gotten recently. They are too good not to share!

*The rumor today (after lots of money discussions in math) is that Bella's dad has a THOUSAND dollars in his bank account. I've had several kids come up and say "do you think that is really true?" Just passing it along in case anyone needs a loan. :)

*There is a certain shade of marker they call "Lazor Lemon" (it looks like yellow to me) If you happen to get that marker, you are the luckiest person ever. Everyone looks at it longingly and if you brag about it too much, Mrs. B throws it in the garbage:)

*In the block area, when they are building castles...the inhabitants of the castle often have "two hour delays" before they can start "castle-ing" (That email came during the height of the snow this winter...can you tell?)

*Everyone cheers for math like I'm announcing a party or something.

*When they get their milk at snack, there is a letter "r" or "c" somewhere hidden on the carton, and they all spend the first 5 minutes of snack finding that letter and saying "I'm a cop!" (for c) or "I'm a robber!" (for r) It would last longer, but it makes Mrs. B's head hurt after awhile and I tell them to stop and eat their snack.

*I always hear the best discussions while kids are painting or playing playdough. Today's conversation (and I'm not naming names!)..."My dad can fix a computer!"......"MY dad can fix a car!"...."MY dad can fix ANYTHING!"......"My dad can fix...um...a sandwich." :)

*(An email sent the day before Thanksgiving)...When we sit around our table at my Dad's tomorrow and say what we are thankful for...you all will be at the top of my list. Thanks for such a great class and everything you all do to make my job so much easier. I Love My Job!

We can tell, Mrs. B! And all your kids, and their families love you too!

Here We Go!

Well, at the urging of several friends, I have decided to start my own blog. Hang on! I'm not sure how this is going to go! I still feel like I've missed my golden opportunity by not doing this when the boys were little, but they still prove to be quite entertaining!

We are into the spring sports season with full force! Within the last month, Cale and Jared have started baseball and Trevor has started soccer. Trevor will also start baseball within the next few weeks. Keeping everyone's practices and games straight has resulted in a color coded calendar and creative meals. Who knew I'd be so excited last night to cook a real sit down meal that we ALL enjoyed together AT THE SAME TIME! I keep reminding Keith that we're going to miss this some day because when we aren't busy, it will mean they are gone.

This is a picture from last year...and it is one of my favorites....