First Snow of Season

We had our first snow of the 2011 winter season. Not much-just a trace. Brock said, "I think I know why it started snowing. The sun was taking over and the snow didn't like it."

Senior!

We've got a Senior!! Dillon had his senior pictures taken Wednesday. He suffered through it so graciously! Back in August, he texted me from when I was out of town, asking if I'd give his baseball team mohawks AND dye their hair black for their state baseball tournament! We went round and round because I was worried that his hair wouldn't grow out by picture time.

Dillon was not worried about how he looked for his pictures! But we waited until his hair grew out and when I trimmed up the sides Monday night, he even said, "I don't care. It's YOUR pictures!"

We chose a gal that is not a professional photographer but had worked with a photographer (so I hoped she knew what she was doing!) Dad bought Dillon a 2000 Ford - jacked-up truck -with flames on it! So we took that to meet the photographer. 

She jumped in with us and we drove around town. Dillon had to change outside, back and forth between the outfits we picked out (numerous times)! He did so without complaining! I could tell his smile was strained and I commented on it and he said, "I'm trying, Mom!"

We were out for almost 2 hours! I hope we got some good shots!!

Cold as nuts!

We were going into our little backyard pool (maybe one last time before the end of summer) and the water seemed cooler than it was in the heat of the summer. As he was getting in, Brock said, "It's cold as nuts!" I told him that nuts aren't cold. He replied, "Yes! MINE are!" 

I pray he forgets his "summer, teenage-inspired" language before when he gets to 1st grade!

Please bring summer!

It's been a cold, snowy winter this year.

Brock saw the first star of the night and he wished upon it:

"Star, please bring summer!"

Christmas Gifts 2010

I bought 3 Christmas gifts this year that have been a hit with our family!
1. Ping Pong net that attaches to any table. It's on our dining room table, and someone is playing someone every night! I used to be able to beat Dillon (he's the only one - Brock doesn't count!) Now, I lose to everyone - but I do put up a good fight! Cole beat Donnie for the 1st time last night! Dillon and Cole go back and forth.

2. Tingle Head Massager (from Amazon.com) It cost me $4 (+ $4 s/h!) But everyone loves to have their head massaged!

3. Just Dance 2 for Wii. It's so fun to see Dillon & Cole doing something like that!

Choices

I have tried to give Brock choices so that he has control. I think he has it figured out. Today, when I was watching a television he wanted he said to me, "Mom here are your choices. You can watch me play XBox, or turn off the tv. You choose."

What am I gonna do with that boy?!

What do ya say?

Dad & I took Brock fishing @ Lake Darling. On the drive back, Brock says to us, "What do ya say, do you guys wanna stop and have a beer?"

Dad said to me, "He and I are going to be GOOD buds!"

New House

Brock was looking in a snack cupboard and said, "I want a new house. This one is boring. There is no good food in this one." I guess he thought the food came with the house!!

Boy I wished for

Brock says some things that sure are cute. A few times, lately, he says,
"When you were wishing for me, was I the kind of boy you were wishing for?"

Florida Vacation

Dad decided that we should use our Frequent Flyer Miles and take a trip to get away from the ND weather. So he booked tickets to Florida!

After researching a little, he found out that staying in Florida is quite expensive. And it wasn't anymore expensive to take a little cruise, than it was to stay in Florida. So, we went on a 3 day Carnival Cruise.
We had one day in Nassau, Bahamas - where we shopped a little (Cole and Dillon got sunglasses and some $5 movies:Avatar, 2012, The Hangover and for Brock: Alvin & The Chipmunks Squeakel, Mom got a Tiffany necklace, and Brock got a couple toys made by the natives. Dad also got a necklace). We walked along the beach, but it was a cool day, so only Cole and Brock waded in. Little did I know that the water there was the bluest, turquoise color of the trip.
3rd day was at the ocean. It was a warmer day, so we laid out by the unheated pool. C & D got in, but it was too cold for the rest of us.

We then went to Key Largo and had a nice hotel on the bay side. No waves but lots of sea life: clams, crabs, starfish, jellyfish. We drove down to Key West and caught a little bit of the acts and life on the southernmost point of USA.

We went up the coast to Ft. Lauderdale to find some waves. We got there in the evening and spent a little bit of time before the sun set. The next day was cool, so we just searched for seashells. We found them - and LOTS of Portuguese Man of War Jellyfish! So many that we didn't dare wade in the ocean much!

It was a fun trip, nice to get away from the Winter Blues.

busy boys

Long time no see

It's been awhile since I've been here. Christmas is a busy time of year. Here's a short update...
Dillon has been busy with Sophomore BB season. He worked at Broadway Used Furniture after school Tuesdays-Fridays 3:15-6 up until BB started. He didn't have much time for practice but is practicing hard these days. He often goes from BB practice to the YMCA. He's on the B Team this year and every game he seems to get better.

Cole recovered well from H1N1. He dropped down to 93 lbs. and just the other day hit a milestone 100 lbs.! He's been enjoying his iPod Touch and loves his down time after school. He's been hitting the YMCA a little more lately-getting ready for his BB season starting in January.

Brock has been enjoying Dad's time at home...that often means he gets to stay home when he's not in Preschool MWF mornings. He is completely addicted to XBox - Halo and Call of Duty 6. He often gets in trouble from his brothers for playing when they want to play and playing Live!

Christmas came and went and it's soon time to go back to school. We had 24 inches of snow that started Christmas Eve. We had some fun driving our snowmobiles around Minot city streets!

Our 2007 snowblower broke down again, and Donnie spent many hours on the phone trying to get something from Sears/Craftsman. He does not really enjoy the Christmas Season. He never thinks we need gifts/have too much stuff already, does not like the mess of the gifts in the house or the added decorations that clutter up our home, does not like putting up lights and then having to take them down when the snow piles up on the roof so that he can shovel off the roof. I know he'd rather take a trip somewhere than have to deal with Christmas.

We did have a good Christmas. Dillon got pickup stuff, Cole got Patriots and Duke and other sweatshirts, and a nice Duke blanket (also his iPod Touch), Brock got a Nerf Shotgun and RC Monster Truck and DS games.

Cole is sick

It's been a rough 6 days for Cole. Last Tuesday afternoon he got a headache and started to feel sick. He then stayed home for the rest of the week with a fever, sore throat, cough, headache. He thought he was feeling better Saturday - still weak and tired, but by evening he was declining and had a fever again. His fever has been up to 103*.

Today, Dad took him and Dillon to the doctor. Dillon was put on Prednisone for having stuff in his lungs. Cole was tested for all sorts of stuff (dr. didn't think he had H1N1). She thought it was mono or strep, but not. It's some sort of virus that his body is fighting off. His short-term iron count is depleted so he's supposed to take a vitamin with iron.

I hope he getsbetter soon.

Notebook Quizzes

Cole and I were looking at his grades online today. Cole said, "I hate notebook quizzes." I asked him why - because the answers should all be in the notes. He said, "Because I can't read my writing!" Isn't that sad?!

XCountry

Cole ran in the largest Cross Country race in the US on Saturday. The 8th Grade Jim Hill team placed 1st! Cole placed 52/300 runners! Great job, Cole!

Another Motorcycle rider

We have another motorcycle rider! Brock can now ride the Suzuki 50 motorcycle at the age of 4!! He loves it and does quite well. Dad had him going over the little ramp even!

Hunting

Dad took Dillon and Brock goose and duck hunting. They had to get up at 4:30 - in the night as Brock would say. Brock did really well, for his first time hunting. Dad said that he could see the ducks coming before anyone else saw them. After a little while, he got bored with it and then was playing with decoys and not lieing still. This went on for about 10 minutes and then he lied down and fell asleep! He slept for about an hour - through all of the shooting that went on!

When they got home, we took some pictures. Brock didn't want to touch the ducks (no geese came) for awhile, but he eventually did and then he wanted a picture of everyone that wasn't bloody!

Dillon learned how to flick an empty shotgun shell from Collin. He was standing at the garage door when he flicked one. I was standing on the steps to the house and the shell hit me in the lip. I got a fat, bloody and eventually black lip!

Geometry

Dillon said, last night, that he thinks Geometry is easier than Algebra was last year!

Dillon deer hunting

Dillon went with Dad to Grassy Butte for youth deer hunting. They hunted in hot weather so it wasn't much fun walking. They left on Thursday night and Sunday afternoon, Dillon shot a nice deer.

Dillon sick again in less than a week

Dillon threw up again, this time all over his bedroom floor and on his XBox! He stayed home from school, so I went to Central Campus to grab a book. He told me the combination to his locker, and I repeated it. He said that was right. When I couldn't get it to work, Collen Hodenfield tried a couple of times then grabbed a custodian. As the custodian was trying I called Dillon back and he said that was the combination. Just after I hung up, Dillon calls me back to say, "The first number is 45 NOT 49"! That makes a big difference!