Nursery Rhyme Day at preschool~

Is he not the cutest and happiest blind mouse you've ever seen?

What a great day.

I can't tell you how many times I grew weepy watching all the inauguration coverage. I loved it and was pretty much glued to the TV. Here's a great Langston Hughes poem for you.

I, Too

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

Guess where our parents went to college?

And for that matter, so did Kate's mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather. Yes, that makes us bleed black and gold. But even more astounding is that the college lineage goes even FURTHER back. My great-grandmother graduated from Drake (in Des Moines, IA) and her mother went to college as well (I think graduating from the U of Illinois). Is that right, Grandpa?

So, starting this semester I too will be back on campus, books in tow. I'll be earning a masters in education over the next two years. I am a bundle of excitement as I wear my new reading classes (with a current prescription).

Happy Birthday Son! We love you.

Nobody knows what a boy is worth,

and the world must wait and see;

for every man in an honored place, is a boy that used to be.

-Phillips Brooks

Happy 2009!

On New Year's Eve, Casey and I thought through some possible resolutions for 2009. We have quite the list going, with multiple categories (Family, Academic, Financial, Personal). Just another step towards making 2009 our 'best year ever'. And we'll gladly admit, this is usually in the eye of the beholder.

Christmas Photos Galore

Max is very proud of his 'alien snowman' cookie that he decorated and put it on Santa's plate Christmas Eve. Here's my Grandpa and his Jane.
Mistletoe!

Emma and Maddy

Yes, this picture sums up their personalities (Max, Claire, Emma, and Maggie).

You're looking at...

... one of the "best kids in the class", said his pre-school teacher. I know, you're mouth just dropped open like mine did when Casey told me the details of the parent-teacher conference. Much to our amazement, we're actually raising a son who listens well, is very happy and enthusistic, is a friend to everyone (and easily befriends the lonely kid), wants to please the teacher and does what she says. Academically he's totally on par.

Now, you may think this teacher 'went easy on us' (as this was my initial thought), but NO- she then started to spill her heart out that this is one of her hardest years of teaching cause the class has so many 'problem kids' and that she has some really hard parent/teacher conferences ahead of her. And sit down for this, "Max is a model of good behavior for the others!!!"

If you couldn't guess, I'm glowing.

Note: Picture above is from his pre-school ice cream social, where clearly he decided to turn over a new leaf and become a little school angel. His wings are kept in his backpack.