Saige likes to help with the kitty.  She likes to feed him.  I am not sure how much help this really is, but at least she tries to clean up when she spills, right?

 Saige and Adolf have a love/hate going on.  If she is trying to play, he jumps on her feet and tackles her....she screams like a banshee.  If he is napping, she often grabs him up and tries to make him be her baby....rocking him and singing to him.  He is pretty patient with her, and even sometimes allows her to push him around in her baby stroller!

It has been a wild week around these parts.  Mallory bought a car.  It is a nice car....a convertible.  The kids have had a lot of fun begging for rides with the top down!  She is excited about it.  I am happy for her, and so is State Farm! :)

The boys have played a lot of football this week....in the rain.  We watched Colin's team get torn apart at Holton while sitting in the rain.  Thursday night's games got cancelled due to lightening.  I like to watch football, but I always remember the reason I look forward to winter sports and sitting indoors!

We are on the cusp of a weekend that isn't relaxing.  Quincy starts soccer games, the girls are getting senior photos taken, and Colin has a bunch of fundraisers for his CWF trip that we have to work.  I think this will be one of those weekends where we are awfully happy to see Monday!

"Fun" Fest

 The band marched in the Carbondale Fun Fest parade last night.  I took the little guys (and Cam) over to watch the parade and look around the fun fest.  The band sounded really good in the parade....from what we could hear of them.  Unfortunately, they were behind some very loud (obnoxiously loud) muscle cars, and in front of some extremely loud and rude motorcycle and 4 wheeler riders.  I think the girls were a little disgruntled with the parade line up!

 The kids were a little disgruntled at the rudeness of the parade goers - and I am always surprised when people act so rude.  One little girl literally shoved Saige to get a sucker.  Saige wasn't really even trying to get the sucker. .  Unfortunately, I could understand where they got their manners after 2 minutes of standing beside their parents.  The people also just kept walking forward until they were literally standing in the street.  I kept waiting for someone to get run over by a parade float

 We decided that the parade was a bust, but being the genius I am, I allowed the kids to each buy a can of silly string.  Yes, they were obnoxious with it, spraying each other and some of their friends, but it sort of redeemed the trip by adding in a little fun!

Senior Year

 It is Mallory and Madison's last year in high school band.  I got called a nerd because Colin wasn't playing last night so I told a friend that I came to the game just to watch the band.  The football team had a disappointing night, the band did not!  :)

 Marching band photos remind me that it is time to start my annual quest to beg Jim for a new camera.

 I liked how the band let the drum line take over, while they broke out in to some wild dancing, and then they just started playing again like nothing had happened!

Great job SFT band!  You rock!

Thoughts from Friday

 Best Friends!

 Someone found Colin's lost goggles!

 The kitten is really growing.  We have had a couple of potty issues, but overall, he is a good kitty.  Well, except for when he was climbing on our bed and when I went to push him off, I got a monster cramp in my leg.  I didn't think he was a good kitty then!  Poor Adolf just sat there staring at me!

 Quincy has a loose tooth.  It is driving her (and me) crazy.  I wish she would stop wiggling it!  Hands in the mouth all the time!

 A couple of weeks ago, I was completely freaking out because I saw some squirrels eating my green tomatoes.  I was so worried they were going to destroy my 'crop.'  After making 37 pints of salsa, and today making 8 pints plus 2 quarts of spaghetti sauce, I am begging the squirrels to put me out of my tomato misery!  We are having spaghetti for dinner....the kids will be thrilled!  On the up side, my house smells wonderful - almost like a 5 star Italian restaurant!

first and second

 Quincy attended her first meeting as an official member of 4-H last night.  She was pumped!  She got to vote in the election, and even ran for an office - and was elected.  She is one of a handful of recreation leaders!  Her big goal - showing some pigs, goats, rabbits, cooking, and she wants to get a dog and do the dog obedience classes.  She has a lot of ideas for a kid with no job!  :)  

 Cameron ran for a lot of offices last night, and was elected to be the club song leader.  He had high aspirations, perhaps next year will work better!

 Cameron and Mallory ran against each other for club treasurer, Cameron threw Mallory under the bus by telling the club that he is actually good at math...

Mallory won.

 All six of the kids who are members walked away last night with some office.  This was after all of them told me that they were not running this year.  Yea, I haven't figured that one out either.

I didn't get to go to Colin's first game, but we did go out before the 4-H meeting last night to watch Colin's second game.  He played a lot on offense, and a little bit on defense.  Jim had a great view since he is helping on the chain gang.  Preston took photos for me, and was a little upset because he forgot to turn on the camera and missed some great shots.  I am sure there will be plenty more chances!

A long short week

 Colin and Cameron both played in their first season games this week.  Cam had a great game, despite getting called for clipping which was actually not him.  Cam (#75) was super excited that his team beat Holton.  It was not a sound kick in the pants, but a win is a win, right?

 I went to Holton to watch Cam, while Jim and some of the kids went to the high school and watched Colin's game.  I was told he made some tremendous plays.  His team won as well.

 We are off to a good start!

 Saige was terrified of the kitten for a few days after we brought him home.....as you can see they are great friends now.  Ok, maybe the tables have turned and it is now Adolf who is terrified!

 Today Colin helped run a concession stand during a large auction for fundraiser for his CWF trip.  We had a pretty busy day.  While we were there, Jim and the other kids attended the annual Overbrook Kid's Fishing Derby.  I was told they had much better luck than last year, when they reeled in absolutely no fish.  This year, each kid caught some.  I would like to take credit because I bought the right hooks yesterday, but I guess I will let Jim have this one!  :)  

 Harper was super excited that she caught some fish, and she was even more impressed because her daddy taught her that to get the fish smell off, you wash your hands with toothpaste.  While this might be effective, I do not highly recommend telling such a thing to a 3 year old.....I see a lot of toothpaste purchases in my near future.

 Quincy wore her lucky fish earrings, and reeled in quite a few big guys.....she even won a tackle box full of lures, which made her entire weekend!  Preston told me that this was a "perfect day,"

After standing around working in the 100 degree heat, I was more than happy to see that the day with daddy made the kids tired and we are now just hanging out around the house.  I am looking forward to a night of sleep!