to stave off boredom.

I just realized that I never thanked you guys for all the congratulations and well wishes you bestowed upon me after I announced that we had another baby on the way.  how entirely forgetful of me! (read: early onset old timer's disease.)  so anyway, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!  I was touched by your kind words.

I also just realized that ever since that post, I've barely heard from you guys.  it's like you all just vanished off the face of the earth or something.  well hello?  where did you go?  on vacation?  was I THAT boring?  was it my Minnesota accent?  oh please come back!  I'm starting to get a complex.  besides, I really don't like talking to myself.  oh be quiet already, Jessica.  no, you be quiet.  no, you.  ?

well, enough about me.  how are you?  okay, back to me.

so I was staring out the living room window Monday evening, lost in my own thoughts, when suddenly something appeared in my line of vision.  it was Sawyer, and he was frantically waving a piece of paper.  "mom, mom, " he begins excitedly.  "on this paper are some important dates."  "what?  you have a date?" I teased as I grabbed the paper from him.  I began reading through it: field trip on this date, award assembly on that date, no school on these dates, early release on this date, end of year party on that date, and so on.  apparently they were done teaching for the year, I thought.    

as my gaze shifted back to the top of the paper, my eyes came to rest on these words, printed in bold letters: BBQ- May 24th.  hey, that's tomorrow!  I looked over at Gary.  "should we go?" I asked.  "it'll give me something to do besides giggle into balled up fists."  "sure," he says.  "I'll just head over there on my lunch break."
           
turns out that the school's idea of a "BBQ" was to simply boil the hotdogs in water.  and I'm not sure if the hamburgers consisted of real meat or not, judging by their pale coloring.  but alas, I'm still alive, lucky for you guys.  no?

fake hamburgers or not, the kids were more than thrilled that we came.  and that's what counts, right?

Rowan decided that the styrofoam tray tasted better than the pile of cow clunk, I mean cherry cobbler.  my bad.

after we ate, Myra gave us a little tour, showing us her classroom and proudly pointing out her horse drawing, pictured above.

then we headed out to the playground for a spell.  talk about being overcome by a wave of nostalgia, as memories of recess came flooding back.  after all, it had been my favorite subject.  following lunch, of course.

Phoebe loved it.  in fact as we were leaving, she tried to talk us into letting her stay.  "but can't I just go to Ella's class?  I promise I'll listen to the teacher."  what a girl.  I actually just called about getting her tested to see if she would qualify to start kindergarten this fall-- with an early September b-day, she misses the cut-off by three days.  the screening for early entrance takes place in July, so we'll see.  personally, I think she's more than ready.  have any of you sent a child early?  if so, what are your thoughts on that?

I always feel old after visiting the elementary school, not sure why.  maybe it's because I can still vividly remember those days, right down to the teacher who used to spit while he talked.  does anybody else feel that way?  and are you wearing adult diapers like I am?

-jessica