Plan B?

Plan A for me is to work as a 7th grade English teacher.  In the past seven years there have been many highs and lows, but overall I have loved my job and career choice.  

However, lately I have been thinking about other options or my Plan B.  What else could I do? For some reason being a secretary sounds very appealing.  I think I could do a splendid job of answering phones, dealing with customers and keeping the office organized and running smoothly.

What would it be like to be a professional dog walker or the Captain Morgan who goes around visiting bars and promoting the beverage?  How about a train conductor, movie reviewer or personal shopper?  

Have you ever thought of your Plan B?  

Please share!  

Hello. My name is Tonja

and I'm addicted to ice cream.  (Well, blogging too, but I'm trying to keep that one in check and be a bit more balanced with my time.)

Labor Day weekend is here.  No amount of wishing or hoping can turn back the clocks or fast forward to the always wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  That glorious three day weekend marks the beginning of summer and a conclusion to another year of teaching.  Its cousin, Labor Day weekend, does just the opposite.  It's the weekend to squeeze in anything that may have been overlooked during the summer or just have one more weekend of freedom and fun.

Speaking of squeezing, let me go back to my original point regarding ice cream.

I am going to admit to myself and everyone out there that I love, L-O-V-E ice cream.  During the summertime it actually feels like another food group.  It's very natural to swing through DQ for a small - I seriously do get a small - Oreo blizzard.  There's always coupons for ice cream in the Cub ad, which basically means I HAVE TO purchase it because it's on sale.  Right?!  And what a nice family outing to go for an ice cream cone walk after supper.  

While shopping for Anthony's birthday party I thought it was necessary to pick up the huge bucket of ice cream.  No, I didn't have a Cub coupon, but I rationalized it by saying our guests would want heaping amounts of ice cream to go with the Elmo cake.  Did they?  Well, not exactly.  More than half of the ice cream remained after everyone left.  Therefore, I have been taking it upon myself to make root beer floats, chocolate/Oreo malts, and to sneak bites out of the container during various times of the day.  (I cannot believe I just actually admitted to doing that!  However, an addict must share all of their habits, right?)

So even though I'm bummed that summer is ending I think it will be a good thing for my waistline.  I have tried on work clothes that fit me last school year and now I find myself squeezing into them with no luck.  In the past I could always blame that darn colon issue or the amount of pills I'm currently taking.  Unfortunately, this time around I only have myself to blame and my addiction to ice cream.

One Last Day

Today was my last day of summer break.  Tomorrow teacher workshop days begin and next Tuesday students will be filling the halls of BMS.  The summer and the past six months with Anthony have gone by really fast, which is no surprise.  Ever since graduating life seems to fly by at an amazing pace.  

That's why today was so nice.  We didn't have any plans or anywhere to be.  We just stayed at home.  The day started off with a yummy breakfast and saying goodbye to family members. In the afternoon after nap time A and I sat out on the deck and did some art.  (Granted it wasn't as cool as the finger painting he did with Joni!  I don't think anything could beat that!) Then we played in the jumper and he drove his Raptor.   The day was topped off with grilling some steaks - what a surprise to find in our freezer, Carol!; playing with new cars - thanks, Feierabends!; having bath time and then trying a new, earlier bedtime.  It was a great way to spend our last day of summer together.

WARNING: The Hanson Hattrick might not be pumping out stories as fast as it has in the past.  I'm going to have to learn how to juggle life - family, career, responsibilities - like all of you mommies out there.  Who knows how well it will go.  So if you don't hear from us in awhile you can assume that life is being lived and I'll update whenever there is a break in the action.  

Got to love the look, huh?   

The Garden

Even though Mark would blow it off as no big deal he really does have a green thumb and likes to be outside working on the lawn and with his flower garden.  He does a great job and the outside of our house always looks nice.

Just this week the mammoth sunflowers started to bloom beside the morning glories, zinnias and marigolds.  I've been waiting all summer to see them and am excited to see the bright yellow flower.   

The Yamaha Raptor

I should have known from past experience that Auntie Manda and Uncle Damon couldn't let a birthday go by without making a BANG!  

I knew something was up because Manda had called a couple of times to talk to her brother-in-law instead of me this past week.  When does that ever happen?  Also, the first two gifts from them was a helmet and a shirt that stated - Born to be Wild.  So it really wasn't a shock when Uncle Damon came around the corner with a shiny, new Yamaha Raptor.  I don't know who was happier - Anthony or his uncle.  

The test drive started in the garage and moved to the backyard shortly after.  With a little help from his uncle Anthony quickly picked up on how to drive.

Uncle Damon showing him how to run his new, cool machine.

CJ was extremely excited about the four-wheeler as soon as he saw it.  He's a pro and drives his convertible around his house all of the time.  His immediate, first question was if he could take it for a spin.  I told him that he could, but he needed to be patient and let Anthony drive it around first.  I'm sure that was killing this four year old.  FINALLY he was able to hop on back.  YIPPEE!

IT'S ABOUT TIME!  CJ eventually got to take his spin around and around and around the yard until the battery finally went dead.

Thanks auntie and uncle for getting him a gift he loves as well as his friends!  This seems much safer than the originally planned snowmobile.  We spent the afternoon outside enjoying the beautiful weather and practicing steering.  I'm sure he'll have it down in no time.

Check out these cuties!

CJ was the first little guest to arrive and he got right into the jumper with Anthony.  They had fun testing it out.  (The highlight was when Charlie decided to be Hercules and catapult CJ over the top.)  It's amazing how much he's grown since the last time we got together in June.  

Nicholas is so mellow and such a great baby; he didn't make a fuss all night.  And his outfit? TOO CUTE!  I love the crab.

Rylan - aka Mr. Moose - was checking out the jumper as well as playing with balls.  He's definitely the quiet guy, but looked like he was having fun all night long.

CAM-A-ROO!  I swear he keeps getting cuter and cuter.  The highlight for me was I got my second kiss from him as he was leaving last night.  Nothing beats Cam's fully open mouth with tongue sticking out kiss. Gotta love it!

The cute factor was definitely at an all time high with all of these boys hanging out and having fun!

A's Mommies

We were very excited that Cynthia and Jim would be able to attend Anthony's birthday party. The last time we were able to get together was back in June, which seems like such a long time ago now.  Even though Anthony was completely over stimulated and there were a lot of people at his house he still recognized Cynthia and took time out to be with her. It definitely is nice to know that he remembers his birthmommy and that she holds a very special place in his heart as well as ours.  Once again, there are so many wonderful moments and opportunities that come from an open adoption. Cynthia is so loved by us and she truly does feel like family.

This is my favorite photo of the two of them.  He kept looking back and smiling.  I know he, too, was happy she could be there for his big day.

Anthony's mommies!  It's not the best photo, but I believe we are slowly getting there! Hopefully one of these days we will have a great photo of the three of us that will be frame worthy.

Again, not the best photo, but it does capture the day and our time spent together.  I'm glad they were able to make the trek to our house to celebrate and was bummed when they had to leave.  We talked and our next get together will be in December when we celebrate Christmas together.  I have to admit that I'm a bit sad.  Even though I know Cynthia and I will talk often between now and then I also know that I will miss her.  She is such a wonderful person who gave us the tremendous gift of becoming parents.  The love I have for her is so strong and the connection we have made is definitely lifelong.  It just feels so natural and easy when we're together.  The exciting part is that there will be more gatherings and that Anthony will always know his story as well as his birthmommy.  That's what really matters.    

Elmo Party

Yesterday was a whirlwind of FUN!  As soon as Anthony got up from his nap he was greeted with his surprise in the backyard and shortly after his friends started coming so they could play, jump, laugh and have fun together.

I'm glad we bought instead of renting the jumper for Anthony.  He loved it and had a great time playing in it.  It really was more fun with friends so hopefully we'll be able to have more get togethers in the near future before it turns too cold.  (I guess then Mark is going to set it up inside the house.  I'm sure that will be interesting and blog worthy...)  Just remember: The Hansons have a jumper and will travel!  Hope to see you in your backyard or ours soon!

I'm definitely not a Martha or Rachel when it comes to cooking and hosting an event.  I've decided I would much rather go to a party rather than have one at our house.  Unfortunately, it all boils down to my lack of skills in the kitchen.  

However, I was very excited for Anthony's party and wanted to do something fun and special.  I got the crazy idea to do everything in sand buckets all because I wanted to make a dirt cake, which actually turned out really yummy! - with worms sticking out of it and a shovel/blade to scoop out the "dirt".  

Yesterday was a beautiful August day - not too hot or too cold with just a touch of fall in the air. We decided to open presents in the garage partly due to space and to enjoy the beautiful weather.  

Anthony wasn't completely interested in opening all of the gifts.  Once he saw one he would want to linger and play with that one instead of moving onto the next gift.  (Actually, that's probably the polite and PC way of doing things.)  Luckily, he had his pals CJ and Rylan to help him out with the remaining presents that needed to be opened.  

We were super excited that Ed, Sally and Ben made time to come to the party.  Anthony lived with them for a short period of time before he was adopted.  This family breaks down all stereotypes or horror stories  you hear about foster parents/foster homes.  They are wonderful and completely genuine in their love and character.  Hopefully we will stay in contact throughout the years so Anthony can always know who loved and cared for him the first 18 months of his life.  

(On a completely different note, it would be fabulous if future children of our could have the Ed and Sally "experience" before coming to live with us.  It would be a complete joy to interact with them again and know that our child was in loving hands before he or she came home to us.  And on another completely different note, how exciting to even be thinking about baby number two!)

Once again, it was a beautiful day.  It was great to be surrounded by our loved ones celebrating a little life that has brought such joy to Mark and I.  We are blessed.

The Countdown

Anthony's big day is finally here!  Today friends and family will be coming to his house to celebrate in Sesame Street fashion his second birthday.  I'm excited for him and the fun he will have seeing everyone.  He loves the happy birthday song and always says more when we finish. We've also been working on saying how old he is with his fingers - one and now TWO!  (That one is still a work in progress.)  Auntie Manda made him a cake he is going to love and I cannot wait for him to see the gift we got him to play on with all of his friends.  The best part will be the people here celebrating with him.  I'm very excited that his birthmom is coming as well as Ed, Sally and Ben - the family he lived with in foster care for awhile.  

As I look at the lilypie counter this morning I'm amazed that it already says 1 year, 11 months, and 4 weeks old.  How is it that our "baby" who we've only had for six months has already turned into a little boy?  Maybe that's a typical mom reaction - a mixture of happiness with a little sadness.

Messy Fun

Joni has now been elevated to the coolest person EVER in Anthony's eyes.  He's always enjoyed her visits and has fun playing when she comes over.  However, today he was able to get messy and have fun, which is always the best combination for little boys!  I couldn't help but smile and then quickly grab my camera when I came home to this sight.

Finger paints!  He was a bit messy and had paint just about everywhere by the time he got done, but the look on his face says it all.  He was having a blast exploring the colors, texture and the goo between his fingers.  How fun!

Clapping was a lot of fun too!  Especially since the paint started to splatter on his body as well as the wall behind him.  Can you see the joy in his face?

Thank you so much Joni for not just watching Anthony today, but using your gifts and talents to teach him how to finger paint.  You certainly are brave and completely loved by us!

A True Potluck

On Tuesday night Michael and Laura hosted a "true potluck" at their house.  The surprising part is that we had a good assortment of food - nothing was doubled up - and lots of dessert, which never seems to be a big problem!  The food was good, but the conversation and just being able to get together was even better.  It was nice to see everyone again as the summer winds down and the school year starts up.  

Just hanging out and having fun in the backyard with games and kids.  

Baby Emerson is such a cutie and did a great job visiting with everyone.  On a side note, he has the best blog in Monticello!  You should check it out.  He always makes me laugh with his funny videos and clever writing.

CJ and AJ playing their version of cowboy golf with Mark.

The Daniels made it too!  It was great to see the ever positive and thoughtful Gina.  We'll have to make a trek to Buffalo some day to check out their Minnesota Twins room.  I'm sure Mark would be totally in love and start cooking up a plan to redo a room in our house...
The highlight of the evening was the Zimmer family news.  Charlie, April, Mason and Clara will be adding to their family in February.  Congratulations!

The days of summer are certainly ticking away.  Only twelve more days and the school year will officially start up once again.  I'm looking forward to fall, our favorite season, as well as Friday night football games and spending more time with these awesome co-workers and friends. 

Sneak Peek

I couldn't resist!  My sister posted a few photos from Anthony's two year photo shoot with her this past Sunday.  I haven't seen all of them yet, but I'm super excited now and can't wait until they are done!  

The amazing part is that he looks so big.  Where did our little baby go?  He's definitely, without a doubt a toddler now.  

Anyway, CHECK IT OUT!  

What do you think?

Hopefully he doesn't start licking himself...

Who really needs a sippy cup when the pool with lots of water is just sitting in the backyard? Apparently, if it's good enough for Zoey it is good enough for Anthony.  This has now become his main source of water when we play outside.

I just hope he doesn't start to pick up on other Zoey/dog-like behaviors - chasing cars and whining while in the car, constant licking and "nibbling", sleeping the day away, etc.

It could be something way worse than this, right?

I did it...

I finally got signed up for a Facebook account today.  I really don't need any more to manage than our family blog, but I keep hearing friends talk about their Facebook accounts.  I'm always being told to check out Facebook for updated photos and blah, blah, blah...  

So I did it.

I guess peer pressure and the desire to fit in still happens at the age of 31. 

What are the Chances?

In the past seven years I have taught over 800 middle schoolers.  There have been so many wonderful students who were a joy to have in class and helped to make teaching a career I love. 

Every year, though, there are certain students that stand out for various reasons.  

Saturday night at a completely packed grandstand full of derby watchers Mark finds and points out a former student.  This student is remarkable and one I will never forget.  He was the only student I have ever had that would eat a handout before I could get back to the front of the classroom or eat half of his comb on picture day while standing outside for a fire drill. He even went so far as to lay on the floor and seductively lick his desk in another class.  (I don't think I have ever laughed so hard at a reenactment!)

What are the chances that I would run into any former student let alone this one way up in GR? 

Bizarre.

Demolition Derby

It wouldn't be fair time without going to the Demolition Derbies, which was exactly what we did!  Growing up we would always spend time at the Grand Rapids Speedway watching the derbies as well as the races.  (My sister would be screaming and waving her beloved checkered flag like crazy.  "GO, DON SMITH!  I LOVE YOU!")

Anyway, we thought we would take the little guy to his first smash-em-up, waiting for the last car running derby.  The result?  He loved it!  Unfortunately, he only took a 45 minute nap earlier that day so he didn't last as long as we hoped.  

Anthony was excited to see his second cousin Carly waiting for him in the stands.  He really liked playing with her; however, he had some problems sharing his mama, papa and grandma with the cutie.  

As the first heat was lining up and being announced he was pretty serious and not quite sure what was going to happen with all of those cars.

After the countdown and the action started he really started to have a good time.  He loved watching the cars smash and hearing the engine noises.  He kept clapping and laughing throughout all of it and wanting more.  Well that is until he was done.  Then he was kicking, squirming and giving us every possible clue that he wanted to go home and head to bed.

Next year Uncle Damon is hoping he can have his "Big Willie" car in the derby too.  We are looking forward to helping decorate the car and then LOUDLY cheering him on.  :)

The Itasca County Fair

The main reason for heading up north was giving Anthony the chance to experience his first fair in Grand Rapids with our families.  I've decided that the fair experience is much better now that we are parents.  (Even better than being a teenager and purposely going there to check out the guys.  Seriously.  Did we have a one track mind, Erin?)  It's fun walking through the barns watching A get so excited over the animals and seeing him be so serious as he "drives" the rides.  

Got to a love an animal that can pull off a bonnet like this one!

BOO!  Cows are still a favorite with Anthony for whatever reason.  He loves saying boo, making boo noises and, the very latest, saying the boo jumped over the moon.  He even knows that C stands for boo.  (I'm not exactly sure why he doesn't just say cow...)

More rides!  I'm sure he's going to wonder why we're not going to a fair this week so he can go on "more".  That was his famous words as he got off every ride - more, more, more, more, more...  I'm glad, though, that he enjoyed the fair experience and had a good time.

Da Range

This weekend we headed up north for our last summer get away before school/daycare starts up yet again.  Saturday morning we headed over to Chisholm for a visit with Grandma Jean. Anthony loved Grandma's walker as well as the yummy cookies.  We were glad he did a great job "visiting" and not cause too much havoc in her house.  Before leaving "da range" we visited a park with lots of fun things to play on.  The highlight was the huge, mine tires.  It was hard to get him away from them and back into the car.  Eventually we did and we were off to our next adventure...

Our Visitor

Last week we had a late night visitor who was looking for a little boy to play with. Unfortunately, his mean parents put him to bed so they weren't able to hang out together. Bummer.  Anthony would have loved this big, daring frog.  Maybe he'll stop in some other time.

Friend-tastic

We certainly had a friend-tastic past three days!  It's been a great weekend of visiting with friends, catching up and getting the kids together to play.  

On Friday night we were invited to the Feierabends for supper, playtime, and a combination of the Vikings first pre-season game and the opening ceremony of the Olympics.  Luke and Jenn have had a busy, but wonderful July and it was nice to finally get our families together. Anthony enjoyed playing with Ry and Cam and all of their exciting toys. I loved having an opportunity to talk with Jenn as well as give lots of lovin' to my favorite Mr. Moose and Cam-a-roo.

On Saturday we traveled to Medina to finally spend time with the Hartmans.  Matt, my former BSU roommate, and I have been emailing back and forth since March trying to find a weekend to get together that would work out for everyone.  Again, it was great to catch up with Matt and Heidi, eat some delicious food and get the boys together.  (This was their first time meeting A and only our second time seeing Luke in a year.)  Time certainly has a way of flying by...

After dinner the boys enjoyed playing in the backyard.  The pool was a lot of fun; however, Anthony really loved the playhouse that's full of toys and doors to go in and out of.  

Today we joined up with the Gundersons - Eric, Amy, Ella and Will - and went to the Benton County Fair.  Right away we checked out the barns and animals then the tractors and finally we headed for the rides.  Anthony had a lot of fun and did really well in spite of being tired and falling asleep towards the end.

The tractors were definitely a highlight of the day.  The kids enjoyed climbing up in all that were open and "driving".  

Even though he looks pretty serious he really loved the merry-go-round and riding the horse.  

Will, Anthony and Ella take the motorcycles out for a Sunday drive.

The daring Gunderson family takes a spin on the Tilt-a-Whirl.

Goofy Boy!

While helping me in his room Anthony found a new pair of glasses he just had to wear the whole morning.  They are quite goofy looking and had me giggling each time I took a look at him.  It was hard to take him seriously with the bright orange glaring back at me.  He, however, loved the cool look and didn't take them off until lunch/nap time.

Pretty cool, huh?

I think this look is a good one for Mark too!  

He even wore them up town when he went to get a paper with daddy.  (One a side note, the roller blades made a comeback too!  This would be the second time they have been used after the must have purchase two years ago.  At least Anthony was a bit easier on Mark than Zoey was last year...) 

Neglect-O-Blog

The Lefebvre Party of 4 coined it best!  When one is busy with living life and puts the updates for blog-land on hold you get some serious neglect-o-blog.  There has been plenty to blog about lately for The Hanson Hat Trick; however, not enough time in the day to do everything.  I'm sure this will become the status quo as back-to-school approaches and reality sinks in for this teacher who would love to just be a mommy.  

Here's some highlights of what's been going on in our world:

Manda was a bit bummed that "the best photo" didn't make it onto the blog.  Of course she left a comment and also had to mention it during a phone conversation or two.  So to appease her and show all just how goofy she can be,  as if you didn't already know, here it is.  I like to label it, "Hey, Mom!  My first day at Hired Hands went swell today!"

Speaking of Manda, my little sister is a complete rock star!  She has been doing double duty for over three weeks now. She works her day job in Grand Rapids and then heads up to mom and dad's house almost every night to help with demo and keep up the spirits of our parents.  I've really appreciated all that she's done and wish that I lived closer so I could help out as well as share in the hard work and family bonding/family moments.  

Be sure to check out Team Tuttle to see the latest photos.  The house has certainly gone through many different stages and now it just looks completely bare.  The good news is that every day of work gets them closer to getting out of their temporary housing situation and back into their home.  I know it will feel good to get past this exhaustive process.  

Even though I had mixed emotions about leaving up north, it did feel good to be home and get back into a normal groove.  It was especially nice to get some meaningful time with friends who stopped by to visit.  Their visits were just what I needed.  I appreciated their concern as well as hearing about what's been going on in their world since we were together last.  Thank you Jenn, Alexis and Laura for stopping by.  

In the last week I've watched three movies, which is quite amazing these days.  

Last Friday Mark and I went out on a "date" while Anthony had the pleasure of hanging out with Lauren all night.  (On Saturday afternoon we went to get A some pickles - only two remained.  I'm convinced they just ate pickles and played. No wonder why he loves his babysitter so much!)  Mark was super pumped to see The Dark Knight.  Even though I really enjoyed the last Batman movie I had my reservations about paying $16 to see this one.  Good thing he talked me into it!  I thought it was so well done - the acting, story line, etc. I actually left the theater contemplating character and what would I do faced with something horrific.  Would I stick to my values and morals or become something I'm not.  (Yes, I'm being serious!  I know.  I've turned a great comic flick into something deep and philosophical.  What's wrong with me?)

Thanks to the Tuttles we were able to watch the movie Cars as a family.  (Okay, Anthony lasted maybe 30 minutes tops before yanking on Zoey's tail and running around.  This little boy definitely doesn't like to sit still.  Mark and I finished it after he went to bed.)  Now I know what the hype was all about a few years ago when it first came out.  There are so many lovable characters and a great story line with the big life lesson at the end.  (It made me miss the days of watching shows like Andy Griffith where there was always something important to learn regarding life and your character.) Once again Mark was rolling his eyes at me while I contemplated the meaning behind Pixar's masterpiece.

Just tonight I went to Mamma Mia! with my mom.  (She so graciously came down for the week to watch Anthony while I taught the second session of summer school.  Hopefully being here away from the chaos and harsh reality of life in DR is a good thing for her.)  Before we went I did some investigating on how well the movie was being received by the critics.  Roger Ebert and many others didn't like it; however, they stated it would be popular for a "certain" audience.  I guess mom and I are that "certain" audience.  I'm sure we were the loudest of the eight movie goers tonight -- yes, I said E-I-G-H-T -- with our laughing and need to sing or at least hum along to the music.  There really isn't anything to contemplate because the story line is too whimsical for that.  However, the moment wasn't lost on me.  I give thanks for having another opportunity to spend time with my own Mamma; things could have been very different.

Last Saturday we took a drive up to Little Falls for a nerdy family outing.  I have always wanted to go to the Charles Lindbergh museum.  (Yes, you've heard me correctly.)  I've taught a unit on the baby Lindbergh kidnapping for years now and thought it would be neat/beneficial to get some more background for myself and my classroom.  Through a bit of research Mark found it was children's day so my day had finally come.  Yippee! 

Well, sort of.  To say I was a bit disappointment would be an understatement.  It wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be, but it was still an adventure to say the least.  The best part of the day was just spending time together.

Anthony is really loving his sunglasses that he got as a gift earlier this summer and needed to wear them most of last week.  Sometimes he puts them on upside down, but doesn't seem too bothered by it.  

I thought if Sanjaya could pull off a frohawk on national television that A could definitely do the look.  Mark just shook his head at me, but I thought it was rather fitting for our little rock star!

The highlight of the museum tour was the simulated Spirit of St. Louis that Anthony was able to become a pilot on.  It made noise and there were a bunch of buttons and levers to push.  He was in heaven!

The most interesting part of our nerd outing came as we were driving home.  Mark stopped at a local SA to buy some beef sticks for Anthony who loves them and was getting kind of hungry.  I decided to have one too and quickly discovered it was too hot for my taste.  Because I think everything that isn't bland is too hot or spicy I didn't think much of it.  We didn't even make it out of Little Falls and onto Highway 10 before Anthony started saying hot and sticking out his tongue trying to cool it down.  Then he started crying and rubbing his eyes with his hands that were just holding the stick.  I shouldn't say the situation was funny, but we did have to chuckle in spite of his tongue being on fire. Luckily, some cold water and listening to his favorite moo tunes helped to calm him down a bit.  

In other blog news:

My pal and cutest four year old boyfriend EVER, CJ, certainly has made me laugh this week with his antics.  His ability to mess up lyrics and stating he's not a deer still makes me crack up. I look forward to the day A will be talking up a storm and coming up with interesting stories and reasoning behind things.  I hope you enjoy the CJ stories as much as I did.

I have to agree with the Bain Blabber on this one.  I, too, am excited that New Kids on the Block are back together and touring.  (October concert anyone with me by your side?  I promise not to get too emotional at this concert and cry because Joey didn't see me.  Any takers?  You know the concert will totally ROCK!)  Anyway, I will not be jumping ship on this new/old fashion trend.  AND if it starts happening with students I'm teaching I might need to die of laughter/cry because I'm truly old.  Old enough for an old fad to come around once again.

I might be bragging, but I love these photos Manda took of her godson and the flower girl from their wedding.  Aren't they great?!  I love that she captures kids being kids.  No frilly dresses or stuffy outfits.  It's all about having fun.  

Lastly, dear Alexis, I officially hate your Face Book account for what it has done to BeadsOnOneString.  Your last update was June 18th.  

Now that's some serious neglect-o-blog!