Jack and Josiah at long last....

Finally, after a couple of misfires, the long awaited weekend to spend with Jack actually arrived!! Last weekend, we had not only Hagen visitors but also Sisson visitors. Michael and Josiah picked up Jack and Steve at the airport and drove over to Bryan/College Station, watched a couple of football games, went to Shipley's, played at the Aggie Fan zone and then came home. Then Jack got to spend the night and play and play and play! I always get amazed at how much Jack and Josiah love each other. I don't think either one of them stopped smiling all weekend long. Or stopped throwing balls and tackling each other either!! What fun!



Jack and Josiah at the park near my mom and dad's house.

J&J at Wings and More.

At the Bryan High football game.

At the Allen Academy six man football game

Dagerath Academy "Class Favorites"

Doesn't this title bring back horrible memories?!?! I mean, what were people thinking when we had to pick class favorites? Like we didn't know WHO the popular kids were? Like they needed to be reminded that they were the most popular? What about the other 99.9% of your "class"…did they need to be reminded that they WEREN'T the most popular? Do I have a chip on my shoulder about this? No, not really. Really I don't. But I will say that it's pointless things like "Class Favorites" and "Mr. and Ms. Dagerath Academy" that make me never want to subject my beloved off-spring to such meaningless drivel. That being said….. Don't these pictures look like a yearbook photo for class favorites??!!

We had so much fun with the Hagens last weekend! We were soooo glad they went to so much time and trouble to navigate flights to come down and see us on their fall break! Thanks, Hagens!!!! Here are more photos from the park.

Crawfish in all their "beauty"

For Classical Conversations last Monday, Jeffrey had to prepare a presentation about either a science fact, owls or crawfish (aka crayfish, crawdads). Although I tried to persuade him otherwise, he chose crawfish. He prepared a nice report about them, but to him that wasn't enough. He wanted HANDS ON! He begged to go to HEB (where Here is Everything Begworthy) and get some crawfish to take and show his class. Michael picked up two and brought them home to Jeffrey. It was then he told me that he wanted to take ONE to class and dissect the other one. Flashbacks to Junior High and all those crazy things that kids get to mutilate-I mean dissect. So I dug out my dissection kit and let him have at it. He tried to set up shop on the kitchen counters, but I quickly sent him outside!! Jonathan went along as the photojournalist.



Of course, the first thing he did was pull off the claws! Isn't that a boy for you!!

Here I had to show him that you don't cut the crawfish in half straight across. You have to make a long cut from head to tail and just under the shell.

Snip, snip....

I've never eaten a crawfish before, and now the deal is sealed....I'll NEVER eat one! Jeffrey did a wonderful job on his presentation in class. It was entitled "Crawfish: The Roaches of the Sea". Doesn't that make you want to rush out and head to a crawfish boil!! :-)

Holy Downpours, Batman!

Rain...wonderful rain!!! We've been so thankful to have some falling in this dry land! Everything is turning green and pretty and we've actually had to MOW our yard....twice! Last Thursday evening was one such wonderful night when we had a lovely rain storm. It's so nice to be at home (and not camping!) when it's raining. Michael and I had even commented on how nice it was. Well, guess what. On Friday morning, Josiah went out to Michael's car (it was still raining a little even then) to put a football in the back. He came in and very innocently told Michael (who stayed home from work that day) "Dad, the back door was opened, so I closed it for you". Instantly the wheels started turning in Michael's mind..."Back door??? Opened??? Had it been opened all night during that lovely long rainstorm???" Yep, to all three. He had inches of water standing in the back of his car. Here's all the stuff we took out of the back....

And put on racks and in the oven to dry....

He'd been saying he wanted to clean out the back of his car! We got him a gift certificate for his birthday for a car detail and he wanted the car decluttered before he cashed it in. Decluttering...check!

Not too long after we started all the heaters and fans on the back of the car, the boys noticed the chickens eating something strange. Jeremy first thought it was a black plastic bag. Turns out it was....


A BAT!!!! Yep our little chickies stumbled upon this guy! We talked to the boys about how bats don't really drink human blood and that they are actually good to have around because they eat mosquitos. And now that we have had rain, we've also had mosquitos. So, bring on the bats!!

Campouts and clean houses

Last Saturday was another busy day around our house. The Patriots "B" team, on which Jeremy is playing until his ankle is back to full (or fuller) strength, had a game in the morning. They lost, bummer. There's a post coming in the next day or two about football stats, so I'll leave game details for that post. The day started off cool and rainy and we weren't sure how the game would go. But the rain stopped in time for the game and picked back up for the next event of the day. A scout campout! Wow! Camping in the chilly rain......makes me glad it's BOY scouts and not GIRL scouts! Lots easier for me to bow out of that one! We weren't sure who would be making the trip for the campout. Jonathan and Jeffrey were both a 100% for sure because they had been practicing some things to move up another rank and wanted them "checked off" by a scout leader. Jeremy and Josiah couldn't decide. So, I pulled out all the stops...it was the "Do you want to go camping with daddy and have fun and play outside and all that fun stuff??!!! or Do you want to stay with me and ALL you'll be able to do is help me clean the house....it's going to take hours and you won't be able to play on the computer or watch TV or play outside....you'll just help me clean the house and do any schoolwork you've not finished for the week." Can you tell I was a little hoping for a weekend of some peace and quiet?? :-) Well, believe it or not, Jeremy and Josiah chose NOT to go camping. I know, it's a little (I mean ALOT) crazy! I was almost ready to go camping after my speech! So, right after lunch with the team after the game, Michael, Jonathan and Jeffrey headed north to somewhere for a messy muddy camping adventure. We'd heard on the radio that the chance of rain was 100%. I guess no one told the Scout troop that we are fair weather campers. I mean we camp only in April and October (not too cool, not too hot), we never go far from home, have been known to just turn around and head home when we've forgotten our pillows and couldn't get a fire started, and NEVER camp in the rain!! I guess that's what Scouting is about, right. Try things you never have before.

So, Jeremy and Josiah and I head home to start our afternoon of blessing our home and my husband (isn't that a nice way to say cleaning the house! :0) Then, we get a call from Michael. I'm sure there were tears (of joy) in his eyes when he told me that because of the chance of severe weather, the scouts WEREN'T spending the night. They were just going to do the activities that were planned and then come home. No tent-pitching in the mud. No soaking wet clothes. No sleeping on an air mattress!!!
Here's the troop that showed up for the campout.

Doesn't he look GLAD to not have to spend the night in the rain?!?!?!

So, it turns out I DID get a weekend of peace and quiet. The house really is so much more peaceful when it's clean and it was so nice to have Michael and everyone at home. We didn't watch a lot of tv or play on the computer. It was just a wonderful weekend of sitting INSIDE and listening to the rain!!

Taking cakes to a whole new level....

Jeffrey and Josiah have been learning about ancient history in Classical Conversations this year. Jeffrey had a *brilliant* idea to make a cake that looks like a ziggurat. Are you smarter than a 3rd grader?? Do you know what a ziggurant is? It is a temple that was used for worship in the ancient city of Sumer (and all around Mesopotamia). Ok, history class is over. Let art begin.... When Jeffrey first mentioned his idea after CC one Monday,I thought the idea would pass. But, nope. He never gave up the idea, so on Sunday night, he and Michael made the cake and then Jeffrey and I put the shape and frosting to it...

and added Kit Kat stairs! I had just picked up the Kit Kats on the cheap at Walgreens, and I'm so glad that I did. They were PERFECT for stairs.

What we forgot to get a picture of was the finished product on Monday. He had created a little paper replica of the "Moon god", Nana on top, like a true ziggurat would have had on top. He shared the cake with his class and then with whoever else wanted some during lunch at CC. Way to go, Jeffrey!!

Happy Birthday to Michael

Sept 25 was a big day at our house! My sweet heart celebrated birthday number....

Michael's dad ,AKA Grandpa, came into town for the weekend! We had a wonderful tinme. Opening presents, eating cake (chocolate sheet cake, at birthday boy's request)...

And then we went and had lunch at Carrabbas...

Look at that GIANT bowl of tomato basil soup!! I thought I'd asked for the cup. Michael wanted to get a picture of it!

And here my sweet man with his Carrabba's birthday dessert.

And the boys with Grandpa.

Happy Birthday Michael. I can't wait to celebrate 80 more with you! :-) I love you!!!