6 in the Sticks

It's official. It doesn't matter how many kids you have, or how old you get, at least for me. Can't help and cry when my babes go off to kindergarten. Today was Jackson's first day. Yesterday was Ashley's first day.

Jackson was so excited he just couldn't settle down last night. We went to the school yesterday afternoon for an orientation and his happiness just grew as the night grew later. He had a great first day. He got to ride the bus with Ashley to school. I picked him up from class and he was so happy that he gets his own locker now instead of a coat hook in the coat room. He said to me in the car on the way home, " I am so happy that I grew up now and I get to do the things I want to do."

After orientation yesterday I walked him around the school grounds and showed him where he was going to be when Ashley dropped him off and where the bathroom is and so forth. When I showed him the bathroom I said, "Here's the boy's restroom where you will go when you have to use the bathroom." His reply with a huge grin was, " You Mean I Can Go All By Myself?!" And after our little tour/ run through I asked him if he had any questions about anything or if he was worried about anything that was going to happen. He said, "No, I can handle it all by myself."  It was a fabulous day.

Before school this morning. Ready for the bus stop.

Above was just another shot before Daddy takes you to the bus.

This one Ashley told Jeromy to hurry up and take the picture already.  Notice her hair? She got a perm about a week ago.  Muy bonita seniorita! See below for before shots.

Can't take a picture of the goof without taking quite a few silly ones in the process.

Issues.

And a picture of Charly running to her orientation. She's been ready for preschool for two years now. She can't wait. She's been counting the days. Monday it is official.

I have no clue whose fault it is but school was scheduled this year on the same week as bear hunting opener, I mean really. What the heck is the world coming to? Do Mommies that hunt have no rights? Just kidding. I did have quite a bit of anxiety this week though.

Bear hunting. Still no bears. This is the third night of hunting, I am home helping kids with school stuff and Jeromy, Bob, and Brian are out there now working on bringing home a bear. We will post some pictures when it happens of course.

Uncle Brian brought Charly and Jackson's 4-wheeler back home and after some time of searching and tinkering managed to get the little thing running. They are so excited. Here are pictures of them riding it.

We only had to use the parental remote twice, and that was when the day they first started out.

Goodbye grass.

Happy 6th Birthday Jackson!

Things Jackson likes to do.

Ride on his 4-wheeler

FISH

Hunt with his toy bow and home made arrow

Read books, especially if it involves fish or animals

Play with play doh

Star Wars anything, it's cool.

Play with hot wheels or matchbox cars, trucks, etc

Pretend to bear hunt

Ride the bus to school

Go to class all by himself

Pretend to be some kind of animal pet for Charly as she plays house

Annoy and poke at his older sisters :)

We love you Jack! Can't believe you are six already!

Jack was waiting for Jeromy to bring in his gift from us. It was the bike that he's been wanting.

He opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa F and Uncle Bud, Aunt Abbie, and cousin Zabe. He was so excited about all of them.

All of his sisters gave him Star Wars stuff. Ashley and Charly gave him R2-D2 and Jessica got him a light saber and a trooper helmet that makes your voice sound like the troopers in the movie.

Grandma and Grandpa have always bought the kids John Deere toys every birthday and the kids love it. Jackson and Charly played for quite some time with his new equipment in his room loading things and dumping them around his room.

Ice cream cake from DQ was Jackson's final choice. He had his mind made up after a trip for a treat on a day that Charly had some very painful shots. Jackson spotted the cake cooler and it was all done for.

Lighting his own candles. As he tells me, you can do everything on your own when you are six.

Maybe with a little help from time to time.

Typical pose during the birthday song. I don't know if his ears are sensitive or if he's just plain rude. :)

Bear hunting still continues as nobody has had a chance to shoot a bear, hopefully soon. Jeromy's dad came last weekend and he's the one we really rooted for because he hasn't shot one yet. Darn bears. We hope he's able to have another chance. Anyway, Jeromy, Bud, and Les went out hunting while I took Jackson fishing like I had promised. We didn't catch anything but a hack saw from the bottom of the lake but we had fun.

Happy Birthday Jessica! Wow, nineteen, can't believe it. We love you honey and hope that all of your birthday wishes come true!

Jack can't believe you're nineteen either.

Charly's second day of school.

I forgot all about taking a picture of her on her first day like I said I would. I'm afraid she's falling into the pattern, or maybe taking over the position of the forgotten child by mistake like Ashley's had through the years. One example from Ashley's upbringing: The Toothfairy forgot her not once, not twice, but too many times to count! And for days in a row! On the nights she forgot, I would tell Ashley how busy and forgetful the Toothfairy could be and to keep her tooth under her pillow and she'd come the next night. Next night came. Nothing. She did eventually come though, and Ashley always had tearful good spirits about it even if it never happened to her older sister. Let's cross our fingers for Charly anyway.

Charly LOVES clothes and shoes. So much so, that in a conversation about what's new at school, she mainly liked to talk about what outfits some of the other kids were wearing and her biggest weakness, SHOES. As I drove to school and looked at her in my rear view mirror while she's talked about the clothes she suddenly lifted both feet up past her ears and very loudly said, "And SHOES! My friend has a pair of shoes, just like mine! They are so beautiful!" Oh. My. Goodness. Can you imagine? What are the odds. Seriously though, my cup runneth over on that conversation.

Weird. Never a dull moment with these two silly "gooses". I took this picture after I came upstairs to see them happy as can be. Half naked. They pretty much wear clothes all of the time now, not like the toddler years when they were only happy to be naked, or as they used to call it, " I wanna looka naked." Just to be safe, we'll keep a good distance from any nudist colonies in years to come.

So, I'm still struggling with the fact that my little boy is in kindergarten. The worries are easing but only after a little freak out session. I lost track of time one day last week when it was around the time that I was supposed to leave and pick Jackson up from the bus stop. I left ten minutes later than the time before but thought I would still make it on time as I have always been at the bus stop fifteen minutes before his estimated arrival time in the afternoon.

So, after frantically speeding to the bus stop, I parked thinking we made it. Waited ten to twenty minutes. Okay, where's Jack? Did the bus come already? Hmm. So I pull out to look down the highway, nothing. So decided that it was possible that they headed back to the school as that's what the rule is if the parents aren't waiting at the stops. I have no cell service by the way. Not for another twenty miles from my home. Yes, Cell One/ AT&T, you suck. But that's another story.

Anyhoo, once I had service again, I call the school to let them know that I must have missed the van and I was heading to the school unless I see the van on my way as I've done on occasion with the school bus. The office connects me through to the teacher who tells me to sit tight because the van should've been there or was on the way. I panicked not realizing the van schedule in afternoons is completely different from the regular bus stop route.

I tell the teacher, "The van never came! I have been driving to town and I never saw it, and I've been watching the whole way. Where's my son?!" She gets my number, calls the head of the bus drivers, finds that they've called the school because they were waiting for me, calls me back and tells me to sit tight and wait by the bus garage.

When Jackson hopped into our van, safe and sound. We talked about how I didn't realize they turn off the road and how I thought I was late and missed them and so forth. My big boy tells me that when they got to the bus stop and didn't see me, Jackson told the bus driver our phone number and told the bus driver I was home. When the driver got the answer machine, he somehow got the impression from Jackson that I was waiting at home. So Jackson directed him back to our place. The driver pulled into the driveway and asked Jackson to go see if I was home. Jackson's reply was, "No, the vans not here so my mom isn't home." That's when the driver called the school.

So after all of this, I find out the van came early and somewhere between our home and the bus stop we passed each other. I couldn't believe Jackson knew the way home either. If you've ever taken the route to the bus stop seven miles away, you'd understand how impressed we were.

Not sure if I've got a permanent label now of the pain in the rump mom with the kindergarten teacher that never smiles yet or not but I still felt bad thinking they thought I over reacted as my husband always tells me I do. But oh well, life goes on. And even better with words of encouragement from a dear friend who understood and told me she's the mom that calls the school demanding to find out where her child is, only to find out it was day light savings and her child has another hour left of school.

Love your mother.

We had a couple of hours to kill on Monday so Jeromy and I loaded the kids up and went grouse hunting. These shots are from one of the trails we took that we haven't taken before. Didn't see one grouse but it was fun to get out and about. The beaver was swimming around gathering wood I guess.

This was Jessica's birthday cake. The Mok Duk cake that she personally requested this year. Jess told me last Friday she'd come over on Tuesday so we could sing Happy Birthday to her. She never showed, unless my psychic abilities didn't catch her telepathic presence as we all sat around waiting. Kidding. But really, love your mother people! Below is a picture of Jackson and Charly giving the thumbs up for Jessica's birthday cake.

Today, we ate it all gone. You snooze, you loose.

Tomorrow is the big day of the 3 day cancer walk! My good friend is tightening her laces as we speak/type/read.

Any amount is a wonderful gift to the organization and Kelle has not had her goal fulfilled yet. Please help.

Go to www.the3day.org

Click Donate now.

Enter Kelle Derbis

Home state: Minnesota

Find participant, scroll down and click on Kelle's name.

Click Donate to Kelle! And donate any amount your heart desires and wish her luck if you'd like.

Good Luck Kelle!

Jackson has put fishing as a priority on the side for a bit and has been hunting every day ever since his Uncle Bud came up and made him a bow out of a branch, with some string, tad of electrical tape, and an inch of rope. His uncle gave him two arrows but shaved a couple of stick ends and stuck it into the tip. They're not too sharp but strong enough to hit and stick through a cardboard target. Jack left the first bow on a wood pile in the woods one day and thought it was lost for good. Uncle Bud came up again and made him another one. Uncle Brian, and adopted Uncle Bob came up too and managed to find Jackson's bow while grouse hunting. Oh the excitement. Jackson said he'd give the first one to Charly.

So, every day after school, they've been loading their wagons up behind their tractors, and heading out to hunt whatever animal they can hunt in our yard. No success yet.

Jack wanted to buy some peanut butter with his job money so on a quick trip to the grocery store, he purchased two small jars of peanut butter. He carried them up to the clerk. Placed them onto the counter and stood by the edge while his head laid on his hands as he watched the peanut butter get rung up. The clerk said, "Hello Jackson". Keep in mind she's known him since the day he was born and never got a hello back out of him since he was two. Only people who saw him on a daily basis were privileged for a conversation or a full fledged smile pretty much. Glad he's out of that stage.

So, the clerk proceeded to ask him if he was in school now and and he said yes very quietly. She rang up the peanut butter, and he grabbed it right away. I told her that he was purchasing the peanut butter with his job money.

She asked him, " Watch ya gonna do with all of that peanut butter?"

Jackson's face lit up as he replied. "I'm bait'n squirrels!"

Her reply, "What are you going to do if one comes in?"

Jackson said, "I'm gonna shoot it with my bow. I'm squirrel hunting!"

She said, " Do you think you'll get one?" she looked at me and winked.

Jackson shook his head yes and had a look on his face like how silly of her to ask such a question.

Deep Thought By Jack Handey:

I'm not afraid of insects taking over the world, and you know why? It would take about a billion ants just to aim a gun at me, let alone fire it. And you know what I'm doing while they're aiming a gun at me? I just sort of slip off to the side, and suddenly run up and kick the gun right out of their hands.

Survived Jackson's first birthday party with school friends that is. Just had to break up a physical fight or two, and Jeromy managed to dodge a couple of golf balls that flew near his head but it all ended up to be a wonderful time. Jackson's party was only two hours long and we were worried that we didn't give ourselves enough time to go miniature golfing and then walk to Dairy Queen for lunch. Nope. Two hours is plenty of time for a party for a group of six year olds. PLEnty. Ashley invited a good friend of hers and that was a huge help, especially when it came time to escort a bunch of  kindergartners and crossing the street a couple of times. Jackson was so happy. He said later that night, " I had a really good party today."

Waiting for the fun to begin, it was little chilly in the shade.

The birthday boy got a golf visor from the golf course.

And a Freddy Fish T-shirt from DQ.

No bears yet either.

Jackson couldn't be happier than running around in his camo clothes shooting his bow. Meanwhile, Charly was pretty happy that I unpacked all of the Barbie stuff. By the end of the day, Jackson and Charly combined the two together and played. Hunter Ann and Hunter Dan had a pretty sweet hunting shack. Hunter Ann kicked this rock star Barbie out and drove off to her hunting site in this sporty Barbie jeep. Hunter Dan was styling in a white Bratz doll Cadillac with a real pump'n stereo. The dolls had more luck hunting than us grown ups have these days as they came home with a nice sized buck and a buffalo.

My dad is 60yrs old today! Happy Birthday Dad!! Love you.

Charly had her first ballet class yesterday. She really wanted to do a dance class and we thought it would be fun as it always is for us girls, usually, and Charly has always had a natural gift for using actual dance moves when she dances. As much as Daddy tries to get her to sway her hips from side to side while pushing her pointer fingers in the air up and down.

Earlier in the day, she decided that there was no way she was going to dance class. I had talked to her about what was going to happen in hopes to relieve some worries or shyness but she was not having it. After some more talking her response was, "Fine. I'm only going one time!" And then complained the whole time I tried to pull her hair back, not matter how gentle I was and how much hair I missed because of her grumpy "Ouch, that hurts, that hurts"

After the protest she settled down and we had fun talking on the ride there. We were the first ones to arrive and we greeted the teacher as we missed the very first class last week. Other girls started to arrive and Charly recognized about four of them as they have kindergarten with Jackson. But it wasn't enough for the familiar faces telling her, "C'mon Charly, sit by me, come here." Again, she wasn't having it. So the teacher decided to let me join their circle. And in order to get Charly to participate, I had to participate. For 40 minutes of the 45 minutes of class. Yep, I was a tad out of place. I really hate those darn mirrors. But through all of my painful humiliation as all the parents and grandparents watched as I gracefully tried to "chasse" across the floor, do you remember the hippos in Fantasia? Yeah, oh God, I can't stop laughing. Anyway, bottom line, it worked, and she did it, and she was awesome.

Afterwards, we went to the library and she wanted to take off her jacket so everyone could see her leotard. Charly was so proud to tell the librarian yes when she asked Charly if she was a dancer.

Then we went home and she danced around the yard for about an hour or two. Seriously, we would talk or watch Jack play and there would go Charly back and forth in the distance. And doing more moves than the few she learned in class. I think she likes it. This morning she wanted to know if today she had dance class. Huge cup runneth over day for mommy yesterday though. I think daddy had a tear when we got home too. Don't tell the guys.

There she goes again.

At least an hour or two. She wants to join figure skating class this winter too. I'm sure she'll be great at it all.