UNI BASKETBALL CAMP
Jake went to basketball camp in the Dome on Friday night. The camp was run by the UNI players & coaches. After learning lots of new things about basketball, he was able to get autographs of all of his favorite players.
Jake & Paul at camp
Jake has Coach Jacobsen sign his ball.
Player Eric Coleman signs Jake's shirt.

COURTNEY & NICK'S WEDDING
My cousin Courtney got married on Saturday. It was a pretty ceremony & a fun reception. Jake was on Cloud 9 because the reception was held in the Kinnick Stadium press box. It was nice spending time with my immediate & extended family.

Courtney & Nick lighting the unity candle.
Jake getting ready to go into the reception at Kinnick...he was SO excited
Allie & my cousin Allison at the reception
Miss Maddie...isn't she beautiful??

Ben, Jake, Maddie & Allie
Jake with the Iowa scoreboard in the background
Our family at the reception
My mom & her siblings (front Julie, Toni, Mom back Liz, Joe & Joni)
Michael & Allie dance at the reception

SCOUTS

Jake had a Cub Scout meeting on Sunday night at the bowling alley. The kids bowled & then we had a short meeting after. They really enjoyed themselves.

The Scouts after bowling (front Paul, Nicholas, Aidan, back Will, Jake & Sam)

THIS WEEK

It is a short week of school. Conferences are this week, so we have Thursday & Friday off. We have a busy week though...Allie has dance, both kids have swimming 2 times this week, I am working at the Book Fair at Hansen, I have conferences for both kids, Jake has religion, I have a root canal, Allie has her winter recital and Allie & I are going to see Annie on stage.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Whew, another Halloween has come & gone & we survived!

Jake went trick or treating at the local hospital this morning with his class. I lucked out & was able to join him when my one on one student didn't show up for school today. After his class was done trick or treating, we went back to school & I was able to have lunch with Allie. She was delighted that I surprised her!

The kids both had their school parties today. They enjoyed a parade, snacks & a few games. It was FUN!

We went trick or treating this afternoon downtown. The merchants always give out candy & it is fun bumping into the kid's friends there. We went trick or treating tonight in our neighborhood & we are all exhausted.



Allie at her class party (she is a bride).
Jake at his party (he is an Iowa football player)
Mr. Wagner (Waldo) & Miss Pins (a clown). Mr. Wagner HATES clowns so all of the staff dressed up as clowns & carried signs around saying "Wagner's Clown Show".
Jake & his best friend Paul (Harry Potter)
Allie & her best friend Jordyn (a spider fairy)
A group of the kid's friends (Allie, Jordyn, Sophie, Makenna, Jake & Paul)
Another group of the kid's friends (Allie, Jordyn, Sophie, Carter, Makenna, Jake & Paul)
The neighbor kids (Lauren, Paul, Claire, Ellie, Dane, Ben, Jake, Emma, Allie & Kayla)
The kids trick or treating
Jake & Allie with their candy & pumpkins.

Jake's class (not a great pic, I got this from a friend)

Allie's class.

FALL SOCCER ENDS
On Monday night Jake's soccer team ended the fall season with a win. I believe that the score was 20-1. That takes our record to 5-1 for the Fall. Soccer will pick up again in the Spring.

VOLUNTEERING
I've been volunteering in Allie's classroom helping the teacher get ready for conferences in a couple of weeks. Allie is delighted to have me there. Jake is a bit miffed that I haven't been able to help in his room yet.

PAUL'S BIRTHDAY
We celebrated Paul's birthday twice this week. Once on Monday night after soccer at Texas Roadhouse and again on Saturday at the movie theater. He had lot of boys join him to see Game Plan & then we had cake in the party room adjacent to the theater. The kids had a fantastic time.

Jake & his friend's at Paul's party. Front row: Will B, Caleb H, Nicholas N, Nicholas C, Mason B, Ben G, Nick B, Jake, Paul, Dylan E & Adam W

CHEERLEADING
Allie got to put her cheerleading skills to use at the Tiger's game on Friday night. She got to cheer at halftime of the Sophomore game at the Dome! She looked adorable!!
Allie is on the far left side of the picture doing her cheer on the Dome turf.
The kids after Allie's cheerleading debut!


NEW JOB
I applied for a transfer to the kid's school and I got the job! I am not sure when I'll make the move, probably once they fill my job. The kids can't wait & neither can I. I will be an associate in the K-3 resource room.

PUMPKIN FARM
We took the kids to the pumpkin farm today to pick out their pumpkins. They enjoyed the corn maze, haunted house, hay slides and many other fun things. The bought huge pumpkins and Scott was able to carve them tonight (pictures will come on Halloween).
Pumpkins anyone??
Allie hanging out by one of my favorite signs at the patch! Jake has grown SO much since we started going to the pumpkin patch!
The kids in the corn maze.
Allie picks out her pumpkin.
Paul, Allie, Jake & Will at the pumpkin patch.



NEXT WEEK
Next week we have Allie's dance class, school Halloween parties, trick or treating, Allie has a birthday party to attend, both kids start swimming, Jake has basketball camp, my cousin gets married, 3 days of volunteering in Allie's classroom and a Cub Scout meeting.

HANSEN DAIRY FARM

On Wednesday afternoon, we took our Cub Scout den to Hansen Dairy Farm outside of town. The kids got to tour the barns, feed calves, milk cows, make butter and eat some ice cream. It was a fascinating tour & I think that they all enjoyed themselves.

Jake with his giant bottle to feed a calf.
Our group is ready to feed! Note my friend Kristin with the kids...I believe this North Carolina gal had never been to a farm before!
Allie feeding her calf.

DAISY MEETING

On Thursday afternoon, Allie had her first Daisy meeting. The girls learned the Girl Scout Promise, made a craft, had a snack & learned a new song. Allie was SO excited to be a Daisy.

The Daisy troop...Madison, Krisha, Riley, Madison, Allie, Taylor & Chloe.
Madison, Allie & Jordyn. Jordyn is a Brownie that came to teach the girls some songs! She is also Allie's best friend.

SOCCER
Jake had a soccer game on Saturday. His team won 19-0! Our final game, which is a make up game will be Monday night.

CAMPING
Jake's Cub Scout den went camping last night. Since Scott had to work, I took Jake & Allie alone. Needless to say, camping isn't my thing & I was SO ready for morning to hit so that we could pack up and go home! The kids had a ball & so it was worth it. They got to hike, ride go carts, roast hot dogs/marshmallows, play games, tell ghost stories, make home made ice cream & sleep in the world's smallest cabin.

For those that know me well, know that I am NOT into the great outdoors...here are some of my issues with this camping trip...there were mouse dropping outside my front door, the bathroom facilities were worse than a port a potty, the bunks were quite possibly the most uncomfortable beds in the world and best of all of the cabins were to have electricity...ours didn't work...everyone else's did. Will I go again...of course...how can I tell my kid that he doesn't get to go camping this Spring with his den???

Allie making homemade ice cream.
Jake & Sam by the fire listening to a ghost story.
The Scouts outside of the cabin...yes...they call that a cabin that sleeps 6!!
Our flag ceremony.

Jake on one of the carts.

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY PARTY

Jake went to his friend Will's birthday party this afternoon. It was at the Rec Center and he said that all of his best friends were there. I made Scott take him over...I was beat & needed a shower to get the wilderness off of me!

THIS WEEK

This week brings dance class, Jake's last soccer game, a Tiger game that Allie gets to cheer at, another birthday party for Jake to attend, a PTA budget meeting, volunteering in Allie's classroom, no school on Wednesday...dentist appts. instead...UGH!!

UNI HOMECOMING
We went to the UNI Homecoming game on Saturday afternoon. It was a great game and the Panthers won!! Yeah! We met up with some friends prior to the game for some tailgating. Jake & his buddies played football in the grass, Allie & her friends messed around & munched on snacks while the adults hung out & talked. After the game, we came back to our house & ordered pizza with our friends.
Allie got to meet a real UNI cheerleader!

UNDEFEATED!
Jake's football team played their last game of the season on Saturday morning. They beat the Cardinals 48-2. They ended up their season undefeated (6-0 record). Jake scored an extra point and pulled a couple of flags. He had a surprise fan show up at his game, Uncle Michael!! Jake was thrilled! He always loves to see extra people at his games to support him!
Jake is ready for the handoff!

CHEERLEADING CAMP
Allie went to cheerleading camp on Saturday morning. She learned some new "Tiger" cheers & chants. She received the "jumps" award for her great jumps in practice. She will get to perform at a CF game in a couple of weeks.

Allie's friends waiting for cheer camp to start, Kylie, Sam, Allie, Jordyn, Katie & Lexi.
Allie's group showing the parents their new moves!
Allie with her new t-shirt & ribbon.

JR. JAZZERCISE

Allie went to a Jr. Jazzercise class with her friend Jordyn on Friday night. She absolutely loved it & wants to go every Friday night. There were several of her friends there & there was lots of dancing to fun music...what little girl wouldn't love that??

A VISIT FROM AN OLD FRIEND

My dear friend from college, Cris came to visit on Thursday night. She brought her mom & 2 boys along. Conner is just a couple of months old (was born on Allie's b-day) & Caiden will be 2 in January. Allie loved playing the mother hen role to the boys while Cris and I caught up. It had been over 2 years since I had seen Cris & we just picked up right where we left off. It is funny how there are certain friends that you can do that with no matter how long it has been since you've seen them...Cris is definitely one of those friends.

RAINGUTTER REGATTA

Jake participated in the Raingutter Regatta race for Scouts the other night. He did really well and advanced to the very end. He was pretty excited that his boat did great!

OTHER STUFF

I had a PTA meeting on Tuesday night. Our superintendent came and spoke about the possible redistricting that could be happening next year. There were a lot of upset people in attendance!

I went to a Taste of Home party on Friday night with a group of my girlfriends. We did lots of laughing & talking while the party was going on. I ordered a really cool bowl set.

I had to take my BD kids to a play on Friday morning. We saw "Tomas & the Library Lady", which was really good. There were 4 adults to the 6 kids that we took! We needed that ratio! My job is still up in the air. There is potentially a new job open in the district that I might be interested in, we'll have to see how that plays out.

This week brings ballet, 2 soccer practices, 2 soccer games, Daisy Scouts, Wolf Scouts, a camp out for Wolf Scouts, religion class & round 2 of my Hepatitis shots (since I work at a school, I had to get the series).

ALLIE HAS A SLEEPOVER
Allie went to her friend Jordyn's Friday night for a sleepover. She got to ride the bus after school to Jordyn's house. They played, watched movies, ate snacks & had tons of fun. I picked her up in the morning & she was beat!! She did say that she missed me though.

Scott & I took Jake to dinner Friday night after he was done with soccer & football practices. We went to Tokyo, a Japenese steak house. He LOVED it. He thought that the noodles & the steak were great. He loved the chef cooking at our table. He was SO excited.


PACKERS VS. DOLPHINS
Jake's football team played ball again this weekend. They beat the Dolphins 35-0. Jake had a great game. He ran all the way down the field for a TD & then caught the extra point in the end zone. He also pulled lots of flags to stop the other team from scoring. The Packers are still undefeated for the season & the boys are determined to keep it that way going into next weekend's final game!

SOCCER
Jake's team won 16-3 on Saturday. He scored a goal, blocked numerous goals as goalie & had some great passes. He looked good!
BIRTHDAY PARTY
Jake went to his buddy Ben's birthday party at the Rec Center on Saturday night. They got to play basketball & football in the gym & use the Rec room for pool, ping pong & video games. They had pizza & it sounds like they had an AWESOME time! Allie & I shopped while Jake partied!

THIS WEEK

This week we have dance, 2 football practices, 2 soccer practices, a PTA meeting, a Cub Scout meeting, the UNI Homecoming game, cheerleading camp, a soccer game & a football game! We are all excited about the week!

VISITORS
We had visitors this weekend. Mandy, Ben & Maddie came up to watch Jake's football & soccer games this weekend. Ben & Allie played & played together, they get along really well. Miss Maddie is getting so old. She absolutely LOVES Uncle Scott & grins ear to ear when he's around...she doesn't do that with me, which pleases Scott! We had such a nice time visiting with them!

PACKERS VS. PATRIOTS
Jake's football team remains undefeated. They played the Patriots on Saturday & won 42-12! Our boys looked really good in spite of the rain during the game. Jake was able to pull a lot of flags & had some nice runs too. We play the Dolphins on Saturday.

SOCCER

Jake's team won their 3rd soccer game on Saturday afternoon. They won 11-0. Jake scored another goal & the extremely windy conditions almost cost him the goal! They looked good!

BUILDING BIRDHOUSES

Jake's Scout troop met on Sunday night to build birdhouses & have a cookout. The host family had all of the wood precut so the dads & Scouts just had to nail the pieces together. The boys did well & the dads had some pretty sore thumbs by the end of the night from being accidentally hit with the hammer.

BALLET CLASS

Allie had Parent's Day at dance on Monday. Her class was able to show us their routine for their first performance at Festival of Trees in November. They don't look too bad! After class, the owner of Allie's dance studio told me that Allie has come a long way over the summer & has emerged as the leader in the class...I was quite shocked since Allie is about as graceful as I am! Allie beamed as Miss Renee told me that!

OTHER NEWS

Allie played her final soccer game on Thursday night. She did really well this season & will start up again in the Spring.

Jake got 2nd place out of all of the 2nd graders in the mile run. His friend Dylan beat him again. They were 1 & 2 last year!! His time was better than the fastest 3rd grader though.

Allie had her chicken pox booster on Friday & had a reaction to it on Sunday. It was red & swollen all up her thigh. She says it doesn't hurt or itch so I'm just keeping an eye on it (I did consult with Kim & our school nurse too).

My cousin Katie & her husband Mike welcomed their first child into the world last week. Harrison Michael is doing great & we can't wait to meet him. That brings our extended family up to 37 people with another baby on the way in November (we gained 2 by marriage & 2 by birth this year alone).

My job is still interesting. My hours keeping changing & I'm not sure day to day what I'm going to be doing. My student is a bit more BD than they thought & may have switch schools again. I won't go with him if he goes, but have been assured that there is a job waiting for me (my understanding is that there are several open jobs).

We have soccer & football games this weekend. Scott & Jake have to make a boat for the Raingutter Regatta on Monday night for Scouts. Allie is going to a sleepover on Friday night & Jake has a birthday party on Saturday night.