U of L vs UK

The game was last weekend. VERY big game around here.  My parents came to watch the kids for us (LOVE you all so much could not raise this crazy crew wo you!!!).  John and I took off about 11 to tailgate for the game.  The only problem was that it was raining.  Ugh but rain or shine we were going to do it.  So we stood in the rain for 3 hours. heheheh It was a blast though.  It stopped raining for the game so that was nice.

Trying to rig up the tent and tarp to keep us somewhat dry.  

Worst day EVER!!!!!!

Wednesday started out great.  It is our only day we get to be lazy and do not have to be anywhere right away (other than getting Av to the bus).  Every other day we go go go in the am and usually when I leave at 845 we are not home till after 1 so that means a lot of packing of bags and stuff to make sure we have lunch and dance stuff and workout stuff and pool stuff and any other stuff we could need.  So we took it easy Wed and I even decided to let Av sleep in and drive her to school.  We cuddled on the couch.  It was so nice.  After dropping her off I was going to clean and then take the other 2 to the pool.  I was about half way done and getting ready to vacuum.  I always start in the laundry room and that is when it all turned bad.  I started to notice black things that after a few things put it together that they were mouse droppings.  OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!  I do not do well with stuff like that.  We live right by woods so I guess we will have to deal with stuff like that.   I called J but could not get ahold of him.  I was ready to die so instead of getting with J to figure out how we were going to handle it I called a pest company and decided that for $120 with 100% money back guarantee I would let them deal with it.  They couldn't come until till 3 so we just got out of the house and still went to the pool.  When we got home the guy was here to do his thing.   As the mouse guy was taking care of us he fell through our attic ceiling.  His whole leg went though.  Poor guy.  I was downstairs and didn't know this had happened.  I heard a big noise but I thought he was just closing the attic pull down door. When he came down and told me I thought he was joking.  When I realized he wasn't I wanted to cry.  I thought I was in the twilight zone.

 I now had another big mess on my hands.  He was hurt and couldn't finish the job.  So another guy came out.  It was almost 4 at this point and a big storm was coming in.  The second guy was trying to get it done by the time the storm hit.  He got the outside sprayed (for bugs) and then came inside to finish up where the other guy left off.  As he was finishing it started storming and raining so hard.  It was about the time that I needed to head to the bus stop to get Av.  Oh no what to do there.  Would she be there on time?  Should I be in the basement with the other 2?  Is Av on a bus somewhere in the city in a storm?  They let her off if I am not there but will they let her off in the pouring rain?  Will they keep her on and make her stay on the bus till the end and come back???  The phone lines were down couldn't call the school.  Just then the pest guy was leaving and told me they would have to come back to spray bc of the rain.  NO!!!!!!!!!!  Finally got through to the school.  They had held the buses.  All the kids were still there and safe!!!  Yay.   We got Av home safely and J came home and we cleaned cleaned cleaned.  Ugh.  Still not happy that these stupid little critters have invaded my space but trying to get over it.  We seem to be mouse free now so that's good!!

school update

Wow it's been along time.  Been a VERY busy start of the school year.  Both girls have started dance (2 different days), C has started soccer (which is twice a week) and Av has horse still and she will be starting Girls Scouts with her bff Caroline.  So it's fun but almost every night of the week is filled with activities.  I have also been thrown right in to the PTA.  I joined the board and I had to be there 2 nights last week and 2 this week.  Along with every am after preschool drop off to help with the upcoming walk-a-thon.  So we are busy busy busy but it's great.

School is going well for Av.  She loves it!!!  She got a teacher this year we were not so pleased that we got.  She is just known to be "mean."  That's her reputation among the kids and parents of the school.  I was sooooo mad when we got her.  So far it's been pretty okay though.  Av is happy.  What more can I ask for?  She says they sing and they have made 2 puppets out of paper bags that they are using for a poem.  So sounds okay to me.  My few dealings with the teacher have been positive.  The more I hear about her I learn that the kids are kind of scared of her but end up really liking her.  She is not great with the parents but that's okay with me.  The kids coming out of her classroom have very strong acidemics so I guess it's all good.  Av's school bff is not coping well in the classroom so she might be moved out of it which is sad but life.  They have gotten really close and we have vowed to get them together weekly out of school.  Last week we had dinner with them on Sunday and this week Noelle is here playing as we speak.  She got a 100% on her first spelling test and her work is coming home looking good.  I wrote a quick note the other day saying, "How is Avery doing?"  The note I got back said, "She is trying very hard and doing her best."  At first I was a little put off.  Well okay but is her best good or bad or what?  But after thinking on it I realized that all I want from Av is that she is trying hard and all I can ask is that she does her best.  If her teacher is seeing that out of her then I am happy!!!!  She is getting help daily from a resource teacher in her classroom as are others in her room.  So far we are really happy.  Av is riding the bus both ways and is on the bus for about 25 min in am and 25 in pm.  MUCH better than last year.  She has really gotten to know the neighborhood kids and most Fridays they run the neighborhood together.  It is really fun.  We LOVE the new house.

C is loving school.  No more fights about going like last year.  She loves her new friends and talks about them all the time.  She can't wait to invite them to her party.  She seems to be doing very well too.

E is doing better.  Still cries at drop off but seems to settle down and let himself have fun.

This makes me so happy

I love Sparty, love the shots of the MSU campus and this song is huge in the Hoekstra house right now.  Even E says from the back seat, "call me maybe."  The girls love it, I love it and even J gets dancing to it.  Makes us all happy and now I get to see Sparty dancing to it!!!  Love whoever made it.  We listened to it over and over at our pool dance parties on vacation.  Brings back very good memories.


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Brew at the Zoo!!

first day of first grade

I was BEYOND nervous for her.  I held it together though until she got on the bus.  Then I LOST it.  Her bus was late and instead of the bus driver making her feel comfortable and telling her where to sit he just told us "I'm late, call the compound."  The last word I heard from her was, "mommy."  I said, "just sit Avery" and she was gone.  OMG I wanted to die.  I cried the whole walk home, all the way to Friends, through Friends where E was screaming and I could hear him all the way down the hall (my friend Melissa peeked in on him and she said, "yea he's pissed.")  I was crying for Av though not him.  I had to go to a dentist apt who happens to be my friend.  I cried to her.  I had 2 cavities filled and then rushed to a MD apt bc I have another UTI.  So it was the worst am EVER!!!  But this post is supposed to be about Avery right?  So all day I worried about her.  We walked to the bus stop and although only one other family had kids on the bus we had the whole neighborhood waiting with us.  It was soooo sweet.  She ran off that bus with her new neighborhood friends soooo happy.  She loved it.  Had a great day.  Told me all about it and how her desk is with her friends and how she had a popicle and how, "Ms. Cunningham didn't yell at all."  hehehheh She was so excited.  It totally boosted her confidence right back up. I could not ask for a better first day for her.  She told me before bed, "I can't wait to go back to school tomorrow!"  It was music to my ears.  I can't tell you how proud of her I am.  She is so strong and brave.  My big girl!!!!

Walking Av to the bus stop

first day of preschool

The pics I took at home before we left.