So Long, Summer...

Labor Day weekend again... what a contrast to last year's, which we spent sleeping on the floor of our new apartment, hoping and praying that the moving truck would get here on time!

Luckily it did, and here we are a year later, wrapping up the summer with a quiet day of housecleaning (well, not too much), playing, and just the usual getting ready for the coming week. School started for Nick on Aug. 20th, and Pete started his first MBA class at OSU on the 19th, so even though it's 90 degrees outside it really does feel like the end of summer! A few recent events of note:

FISHIN' TIME: A few weekends ago we went to a church event at a lodge in Jenks, and Nick caught his first fish! It was only about a 4" bluegill, but he was very proud of himself, and now he's a true Oklahoman. I still think fishing is gross, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to get used to it.

VACATION TIME: A full week's vacation was out of the picture this year, but we did take a weekend trip to Kansas City last weekend, and it was such a wonderful break. We met up with Paul, who was on an extended road trip on his motorcycle. Pete and Paul went on a brewery tour while the kids and I checked out the interactive science museum at Union Station (way cool!), and we all went to the Royals game Saturday night. They lost to the Tigers 4-0, but we all had a great time anyway. Pictures will be forthcoming as soon as I finish off the roll of film -- I miss my digital camera! Hoping to get a new one around Christmas, maybe.

PARTY TIME: Due to our trip last weekend, we held Nick's birthday party this past Saturday at Chuck E. Cheese. Next year he will probably be "too old" for Chuck E.'s, but this year he sure had a blast. As someone who usually enjoys holding homemade birthday parties, but didn't have the time or the space needed this year, I have to admit that the Chuck E. party experience does make it a lot easier!

TIME FOR TROUBLE: And now, for the story we'll be telling for years to come:
A couple of weeks ago, part of the grassy area in front of our building, where the kids like to play, was dug up to access an underground line. They covered it back up, but of course now there's a patch of exposed dirt and rocks just calling out to be played with. Well, one day, our little angelic 3-year-old -- who likes to throw rocks and has been reminded many times of where it's appropriate to throw them and where it's not -- found a really big rock and decided to throw it. At one of the cars in the parking lot (that faces the lawn). Several times. Enough, in fact, to cause $500 worth of damage to the car's hood. Funny thing is, the owners of the car had just moved into our building a week earlier, and they have a son who is in Nick's class. I told them, welcome to the neighborhood -- and we really aren't all that bad!