Football has arrived!

 1st K-State football game tonight!  (26 weeks-even a big t-shirt still shows the belly.)

 As you can tell, we're pretty pumped up.  I'm loving my preschool coworkers, as they are as dedicated K-State fans as I am.  All 3 of us showed up with K-State shirts and jewelry on.

Even the hubs is appropriately attired, deep in the heart of Texas.  Probably a little dangerous in Friday Night Lights territory, but we fly our colors with pride anyway.

Eat 'em up, eat 'em up, K-S-U!

Whirlwind

 A few days before we left Texas, Phil found this toad.  It looks different from our toads, rather fancy with it's little frill going around it's sides.

 That same weekend we test drove a truck that Phil wanted to get.  Not just a truck, his DREAM truck.  I have to admit I fell for it like a 15 year old girl with a big crush.  I kindof wanted to drive it home.  But that would have been stealing, so I didn't.

 The boys giving the backseat a test run.  Matthew fell in love with the back window, which completely rolls down.  A week later, Phil became the proud owner.  A week after that, someone else became the proud owner of the Celica.  Ahhh, life is good.  No more itty bitty car for me! 

 The real whirlwind started in when we'd almost made it home.  I wish I'd taken a photo, of the clouds, of the storm we ran into.  It was the scariest storm I've ever driven in and I've driven in plenty, in quite a few states across the western half of the country.  It was like being in a car wash, then clouds so low you could watch the lighting go from cloud to ground within feet of you.  After that the winds would blow the water literally off the ground like some huge industrial fan one way, to suddenly change to the other side and try to blow you off the road.  The weather report confirmed winds that were 60 miles an hour in there with me.  The way the 4-Runner was rocking, I thought we'd go over.  And then it would cycle through again.  Thank goodness we weren't in the Celica.  I don't think things would have had a happy ending.  I was sure a tornado was trying to form above us once I hit a calm eye of the storm only to plunge back into it again.  Again, the weather confirmed that is what it tried to do.  By time I made it to the next town, I was a wreck.  After consulting with people that had TVs, I decided to take an alternate route home, which meant I ran into serious flash flooding and turned around.  What a welcome home!

 Auntie brought a bouncy horse for the boys.  Matthew immediately became a Texas Ranger with his "rifle," taking care of the bad guys.

 Another day he used his pistols.  Can you tell that Poppa and him watch westerns together?

 Remember the creek Matthew I safaried in?  Well that won't happen for awhile.  We got so much rain for awhile that we almost flooded 2 different times.

 We were lucky.  People to the south of us have had major flooding problems.

 The last day the brand new pool was open, we went.  Matthew went down both slides.

 But the fast one hurt on impact, so he only likes the curvy one.

 Rain, rain, and more rain has been the story for the last 2 weeks or so.  Puddles were begging for his new boots to come stomp in.

 Although since he fills his boots with water and takes them off, I'm not quite sure why I bought a new pair.  (The old pair has a crack in them and leaks.  How would he know?)

But it's worth it to see him have a good time.

Back to School and 24 weeks

 1st grade!  Already!  Back to School night was Tues. the 13th and Matthew was very excited to go meet his new teacher that plays guitar.

 Matthew with Mr. England.  I'd say he was very lucky to get in his class, not that all the 1st grade teachers aren't great, but male teachers aren't plentiful in our district.

 Thursday the 15th was the first day for both of us.  Well, I'd been to meetings, but still first day of school.  The first day photo the Momma way.  Last year's photo here.

 And the Matthew way.  A side note, Matthew got my Mom to sew the fringe on his jeans so he could look like a real cowboy.  I saw him and thought rodeo cowboy.  Except with tennis shoes.  Gotta get him some new boots!

 Matthew took one of me the Matthew way.  *photo by Matthew

 It was also 24 weeks for the baby.  So us and the baby front...

...and sideways!  Matthew is already the best big brother, always looking for something his baby brother needs.  Today we went to 2 yard sales and he picked out a pair of tiny crocs, cowboy overalls, and a t-shirt that the baby really needed.  So of course I took his expert advice and bought the $1 worth of must haves.

So far, so good.  Matthew is loving 1st grade.  He rides the bus home.  First time ever.  He was very excited and then accidently got confused and tried to go around the bus the wrong way.  It made him not want to ride anymore, but he has little friends to sit with, which has made it more fun.  His teacher has a lending library in the room, so he's brought a book home both days.  Both days, Mr. England played the guitar.  Last night was the Back to School concert and Mr. England's band played.  We all enjoyed it. 

As for me, I'm tickled pink that since I have 8 bus riders this year to drop off at 2 different locations (3 that all went to the same location last yr.) I get back too late to do the 1st MIRP group I was assigned.  This means I only have one to deal with and I'm feeling optimistic that this year with go better with the middle schoolers and me.  I have a new preschool teacher and a whole new curriculum we are introducing.  (So far every teacher I've been an aide for has retired at the end of the year.  I wonder if it's me...)  It is very very hectic, but I think it will be great.  Afterschool is marching along like it always does.  I expect it to be the same.  Sometimes that's a good thing.  So far my energy is keeping up with the pace.  Next week being a full week will be the real test.  I may be totally fried by Friday and I can't have coffee to cope!

23 weeks

 Pretty big for me! 

And while I'm getting bigger, Matthew is working on new projects.  The red object is a needle case, the orange a wallet, and the white and blue is a pin cushion with an adorable Holstein on the front.  And he sewed them all by himself.  One of his stuffed animals sprung a leak the other day.  He didn't wait for Mamaw to have time to sew, he just got his needle and thread out and patched the hole himself.  I'm so proud of him!  He's much handier then his momma.