VOTE!

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~ Cythia Ozick


I am thankful for the right to vote.  I am proud to have attended Iowa State University, the college of women's voter activist Carrie Chapman Catt and I am proud that the education of my parents and the education of my school helped to develop me into the educated, independent, informed voter I am today.  Men and women have long strived for the right and privilege to vote and I did so today in their honor.  Thank you.

Christopher: I am thankful it took two minutes to vote today.

Harrison: I am thankful and excited for my first indoor soccer game tonight.

Bennett: I am thankful I got to vote with Mom today.  I wish she would have filled out ALL of the ovals.  (I predict great Iowa Tests of Basic Skills for him!)

Miles: I am thankful that my dad picks me up after lunch and takes me to school.  I just like him. :)

Annabelle: I am thankful for my shoes.  I love them.  (The girl loves shoes!)

Rocco is thankful for toys, i.e. ~ the ottoman, the dining room chairs, the tv stand, random shoes lying around.  Toys.

Eleanor is thankful for the exer~saucer.  She loves that thing!



One year ago

Monday, Monday. La, laaa. La, la, la, laaaa.

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. ~ Charles Dickens

Today I am thankful for for Bennett's wave.  When I come around the corner to pick them up for school, I just melt every time I see Bennett wave at me.  He smiles with the happiest smiles and waves the tiniest, happiest wave.  It makes me feel so warm and loved.  Don't get me wrong, Harrison waves too.  But, unfortunately, it is one of those waves that says 'I am a little too cool to be waving at my mom, but I missed her so I will give her a quick show of recognition.'

Christopher: I am thankful for beef stew.  I sure hope Beth turns the leftovers into Shepherd's Pie...

Harrison: I am thankful for my new shoes and that I learned how to tie them.

Bennett: I am thankful for this bag of candy.  (BTW ~ If your child got too much candy trick-or-treating, it is rotten to send that excess candy to school in cute little candy bags for the other kids to take home.  We have ENOUGH candy!!!)  :)

Miles: I am thankful that I get to go to Little Ninja's tonight.  Caden will be there.

Annabelle:  I am thankful for my mommy.  I love my mommy so much. (If only you could have heard her say this.  So sweet and with such adoration!)

Rocco is thankful for bananas.  He loooooves bananas.

Eleanor is thankful for her daddy.  I know she missed him this past week!




One year ago

Thankful day 4

All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot. ~ Dr. Suess

I am thankful for my alone time the past 2 days.  The boys packed up for a trip to Davenport to see Gpa and Gma and Uncle Ryan and Aunt Kaylee.  Chris got to attend a surprise birthday outing for his friend, Scott and because I had to work this morning, I choose to stay home.  While I missed seeing everyone, I was glad to get out of the house and run some errands by myself and I was elated for some quiet, uninterrupted time to read!!  But now, it's 6:15 and the house is still empty and quiet and I am ready for a little noise (they should be home any minute).  I will probably regret saying that by 7:30 when we start getting ready for bed... but I miss my boys!

Christopher: I am thankful for a fun-filled evening with friends at Jersey Grill.

Harrison:  I am thankful that I got to see Uncle Ryan and Aunt Kaylee.

Bennett: I am thankful for my two day weekend.


One year ago

Thanks

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.  ~ Woody Allen

Today I am also thankful for laughter, just like Woody Allen.  I have a wonderfully funny family and they make me laugh on a daily basis.  From my mom and he inability to tell jokes (A giraffe walks into a bar and says ~ I've got the high balls!  NOOOOOO!!  Mom, it's 'The high balls are on me!') to my dad and my brother's ability to remember every line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  My own boys are becoming comic genius' themselves.  Bennett likes to lock doors and watch people run into them and Harrison loves to tickle my feet and laughs uncontrollably that I HATE THIS!!  Laughter makes for a happy life and that is all I want for myself and my family.  To be happy.

Christopher: I am thankful that I am going to see my mom and dad.

Harrison: I am thankful that we are going to Davenport.

Bennett: I am thankful that we are going to Grandma and Grandpa's.



Thankfulness one year ago

Thankful take 2

The children have been a wonderful gift to me, and I'm thankful to have once again seen our world through their eyes.  They restore my faith in the family's future.  ~ Jackie Kennedy

Me: I am thankful for Harrison.  He is caring, kind, GREAT with the babies and loves to learn.  I couldn't be more proud of my fantastic boy.

Christopher: I am thankful for a 3 day work week.

Harrison: I am thankful that we did blog writing today. (Nothing new today, but here is a link to the classroom blog ~ http://cappercrew.blogspot.com)

Bennett: I am thankful for slides.  I can go fast.

Miles: I am thankful for Legos because I like them.

Annabelle: I am thankful for my new coat.  It has flowers and purple on it.

Rocco is thankful for the French.  His own kissing style is modeled after theirs.

Eleanor is thankful for jumping boys.  Bennett and Harrison like to jump up and down in front of her and she giggles every time!

Thankful

It's that time of year again and I couldn't be happier.  I love the thankful season.  It feels good to be grateful for something on a daily basis.  I feel overall that I am grateful for what I have and I look forward to having a great excuse for documenting what my family is grateful for as well.

Me: I am thankful for my love of cooking.  And the Pioneer Woman.  Maybe.  Butter...

Christopher: I am thankful for a Dunkin' Donuts in Des Moines.

Harrison: I am thankful to be studying maps in school.  I love learning all of the states.

Bennett: I am thankful for recess.  I will probably be thankful for recess tomorrow, too!

Miles: I am thankful for Barack Obama.

Annabelle: I am thankful for Barack Obama signs.  Mommy has one, you have one, I like them.

Rocco is thankful for Eleanor's forehead.  He must think that it tastes REAL good!

Eleanor is thankful for rolling over.  Today I set her on her tummy to go get Rocco and I when I came back she was on her back!



Past thankfulnesss

Poet

Harrison 'wrote' a poem in the car yesterday.  He was in the back and he exclaimed "I wrote a poem!"  He then recited it for me and I wrote it down in my phone.  He also wrote on his educational profile at school that he likes non-fiction and fiction books and poetry.  What an intellectual I am raising?!?!

The leaves blow
The pumpkins grow
The jack-o-laterns glow
It's fall! It's fall!

Set for the day

My child is my child.  It's really amazing to step back and look at all his mannerisms and quirks.  They are his, but they are not his alone.  Case in point ~

Me: I am going to jump into the shower and get ready for Bennett's soccer game.  Your clothes are laid out on the couch.

Harrison:  Uggggggggg...  Maaaaaaannnn...

Me: What?

Harrison:  I pulled up the ottoman, got the iPad, I have my book and the remote.  I have all my pillows and a cozy blanket!

Me: Is that where you expected to spend your day

Harrison:  YES!  I'm all cozy.  They Hawkeye's play and I've got my book!  I forgot about Bennett's game!

Me:  Sorry bud.

Harrison is a planner.  He will go with the flow most times, but when he makes a good lounging day plan, he wants to stick with his lounging day plan!

State Fair 2012

It was State Fair time again.  We strapped on our feed bags and headed on over.  First stop - CORN DOGS!!!  I know that not everyone is a fan of corn dogs, but there has never been a better tasting corn dog than at 9:30 in the morning, just minutes after arriving at the fair.  Good eats!

The first Saturday of the fair is usually the busiest, but it was the only day we could work into all of our schedules.  It was also Drake University Day so we got to see Spike and get some cool Bulldog swag.  One thing that helped being in all of those crowds of people was the weather.  Gorgeous!!  82 and sunny.  What a perfect day.

This is an annual picture that I take every year.  It is a fun spot outside of the Ag Building.  They are seriously cute!

The fair is not the most fun for everyone.  But I love it!  The food, the photographs, the CRAZY people watching.  I just love it.

Here the boys are learning about planting food.  I can't believe I am raising city kids.  Never did I dream this is how they would learn about farming.  I do my best with my gardening and taking them back to the farm, but the fair does offer some great inter-actives when is comes to agriculture.

We decided to do the Sky Ride this year.  We always let the kids do the Giant Slide and NEVER let them do the midway, but the Sky Ride is always a maybe.  It's expensive, a tad scary and it takes planning on to do a round trip ticket or a one-way ticket.  Oh, the decisions!

Happy Iowa State Fair!!!!  Thanks Greg and Pam for a great time!

Morning Person

Harrison gets up in the morning.  Every morning.  EARLY.  He is usually up sometime between 5:45 am and 6:30 am.  I have to be careful when I get up so as not to 'draw' him out of bed.

This morning - Memorial Day - he slept in!  7:22 am was the wake up time.  This was after staying up past 9:00 pm the last 3 nights.  He could have slept in a lot longer!  So this morning I asked 'Couldn't sleep-in anymore?' and he responded 'It's 7:22!'  I commented that I didn't think that was really sleeping in and he came back with 'Well, Dad does.'

Poor Christopher.  Poor, poor Christopher.