Calvin started Kindergarten this morning.  I don't know if "excited" would describe his attitude this morning, but it was definitely a pleasant and positive outlook, combined with curiosity and determination.  We saw our next-door neighbors while waiting in the hallway, and they asked Calvin if he was going to like Kindergarten.  His reply:  "Kindergarten is the best ever."  He seemed to be eager to get started and see what this school thing was all about.

We managed to get around so early that we were one of the first two families waiting in the hallway.  I'm pretty sure that won't be the trend for the rest of the year, but hopefully we'll never be late.  I plan to drive him to school in the morning and have him ride the bus home, as the morning bus trolls the roads for close to an hour, which is a long time for a young one to sit, not to mention the early 7:10 departure time from our house.

Looking good for only being awake for the past 15 minutes.

This is his usual smile.  I have to get him to say something to the camera to get a less squinchy face.

This is his initial walk down to his classroom.  We also walked down the next hall to see where other classrooms were located, and to see where the speech rooms are where I may or may not sub this year, depending on when they may need me and the baby's needs this school year.

Calvin standing outside the "yellow room", his classroom.  Yellow was his favorite color until a few weeks ago, and now it's red.  But yellow is still his second favorite color.

Calvin was excited to put away his backpack, and then hung around the locker area to help some other kids put away theirs.

Two pictures of Calvin at his desk.  I was hanging around to see if I could get a picture of Calvin with his teacher, but the teacher was busy with a two students who needed help as they hadn't made it to orientation or put away their supplies in the classroom yet.

Calvin was showing me how he could count by 10s on the number board.  I think he'll like morning meeting quite a bit, just like he did in Preschool.

While Calvin is effectively surrounded by girls, there are in fact two boys at Calvin's table, Drayden and Braiden.  I reminded Calvin that Drayden is to his left, Braiden to the right, and Hayden is across the room.  There are also two Meg(h)ans, spelled differently, but otherwise all unique names.  Calvin's teacher is standing behind him.  I have heard nothing but good things about her, and she seems to have a very positive attitude coupled with patience.  I appreciated the long conversation we had at Kindergarten screening.

So, we'll find out at the end of the morning how the first half day went!  I'm feeling pretty positive myself.

the heat in August has been brutal, but we've been doing our best to stay cool.  Usually, that just means playing in the basement and finding creative things to do with the toys down there.  But, we have made it out of the house a few times:

Look how happy they are to be waiting outside while Daddy checks out a new audiobook from the library!  Actually, they are happy because I'm playing their favorite silly songs from CDs in the car.

The local barber has great toys as they wait for Isaac to get a haircut.  I do the haircuts for Jason and Calvin at home almost all of the time, but Isaac's style takes a little more bravery than I have just yet.  Plus, he *loves* getting his hair cut in the big chair at the shop.

A Typical August Sunday afternoon:

Calvin and Isaac always manage to find enough energy after church and Sunday dinner to swim in the pool at G&G Woody's.  This Sunday was a particular treat because Grandpa W was there to play "sea monster" or "shark" or the like with them.  Lots of giggling and squealing ensued.

"Augh!  Here he comes!  Splash'im!"

"What did you say?  We have to stop the fun to go to Kohl's on tax free weekend for a blazer for Candace's wedding?  Sea monsters don't wear blazers!"

The Magic House:

On the final Friday of summer before Kindergarten starts, we went to the Magic House with Grandma R.:

Water play was a hit, not surprisingly.

Fishing using magnets to attract "fish".

Calvin's favorite area was the Electricity room.  Isaac's was the auto repair shop (not pictured), where he could have changed play tires all day long had we not taken him by the hand to see other things.  Isaac is a gearhead, big time.

More exploration in the electricity room.  Calvin watches the amp meter measuring how much electricity he is conducting.

More experimentation in the electricity room.

Ringing up the total in the grocery store area.

Ah, the bubble room.  So much fun!  Here Calvin is attempting to create a large bubble with a hose that blows air into a shallow tray of solution.

More fun with magnets.

The day was capped off with a trip down the three story slide.

This is Baby 3 belly at 33 weeks.  I'm 35 weeks now, though:

Wake up Isaac!  There is more to be said of the month of July.

Isaac chats with Aunt Verity at Amarillo Tex's.  We had never eaten there before, and I learned that if you order the steak soup, don't plan on having room to eat anything else.

Calvin needed to have an eye examination for Kindergarten.  He passed for now, but odds are he'll probably need glasses by the time he's 9 or 10, based on his genetics.

The Walmart Optical Center; what fun!

Jason celebrated his 31st Birthday with chicken and dumplings served by his mother on Monday night, a Butterfinger pie on his actual birthday (Thursday),


...and a special cake with strawberry filling for Jason from my parents, made by Creating Memories, the cake shop next door to my mom's workplace.  My mom told the cake lady that Jason liked to play board games, and this is what she came up with.

Of course, the best birthday celebration was on Wednesday night that week, where all of these people showed up at the Cooper's house to celebrate...

...Verity's baptism!

Happy Day!  (Or evening, if you want to be technical about it.)

The previous weekend in July marked a much harder milestone for so many, as our friend and brother in Christ, Clint, finished his life here on earth at the age of 19 as the result of an automobile accident.  This isn't something I would usually blog about, but looking back, I want a reminder of the thoughts that came to mind as we contemplated our purpose here on earth during this difficult time.  We continue to pray for his family, and we thank God for all the memories shared of Clint's life that were so encouraging to us as we strive all the more to walk in the path of righteousness.

We were only able to make it down to the lake once this summer, due to a few factors, including June weather/vacations, camp, Jason's Grandma's health, and my reluctance to tackle the trip past 32 weeks pregnant.  So, we made the most of it the one time we could make it down in July!

Swimming on the dock:

Isaac, for better or worse, has very little fear of the water.  He would jump in whether anyone was ready to catch him or even looking his way.

Calvin is refining his swimming moves.  He is getting pretty good at kicking and moving his arms, as well as putting his face in the water for longer periods of time.  He still refuses to jump off the dock without someone right there catching him, and even then is hesitant.

Enjoying the swim.

More goofiness on the dock.

Finally, the boat!  This is what Isaac had reeeallly been looking forward to doing.  Calvin was excited to go tubing, and Isaac was all about driving the boat.

Here's Calvin, ready to take off!  More Calvin tubing pictures:

And, Isaac tubing:

(It's hard to see Isaac's head above the tube with how low he sits)

Now, who wants to go waterskiing?

"We'll let Daddy go first."

Then, Grandma skied:

Driving the boat.  Pure bliss for this little man.

A couple more lake pictures:

Jurassic Dark at the Missouri Botanical Gardens:

From the spring until October of this year, there is an exhibit called DinoQuest at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  The exhibit is comprised of "lifesize" dinosaur figures hiding in the foliage of the Climatron and an exploration area for children at the end of the path with activities related to paleontology.  Jurassic Dark is what they call the exhibit on Thursday nights, where they use special dramatic lighting on the dinosaurs.   Reduced admission includes the Children's Garden.

I only took a few pictures:


Isaac contemplates the summer heat, and decides to join his brother in the waterplay area at the Children's Garden, despite not wearing swimming gear that evening.

Jumping to make the water come out of this device.

More waterplay.

Look who found a T-Rex in the Climatron!

Let's get right to it!

Eating at the Apple Barrel in Winona before Eminence.  Get there early or you won't get your first choice of pie.  The roast pork special was very, very tasty.  The cell phone reception was also excellent.
 
Helping Grandpa Woody put up the Kiddie Corral.

Guess who else arrived at camp on Thursday?  Avaryn!  (and her family)
 
New at camp this year:  Megan Martin.  Pretty girl with pretty curls.
 
"Hey, I'm new at camp this year, too!"  It's okay that you don't have curls, Silas.  I think your look suits you very well.

Grandma Woody attends her meal and snack tent even before the tent is officially set up.

Quinn enthusiastically tried to teach Calvin to ride a bike without training wheels.  They made pretty good progress, too!  I was impressed.

Emerald naps in luxury on Grandma's bed.  Well, she attempted to nap, anyway.  I can't remember whether she slept or not that time.  It was pretty hot.

Fun in the camp pool.  Our older kids get a little more independent every year!

The following pictures were taken while waiting for our food at the Eminence pizza establishment, the name of which escapes me at the moment.  Typical of most Eminence eating establishments, the food arrival time allows for plenty of visiting to take place prior to receiving the meal.  So, here are a bunch of pictures of kids waiting for pizza:

Ah, done eating now!  The pizzas here were *huge*, as a warning to those thinking about eating here in the future.  Very rich, greasy, and large.  So, order less, because it will be more than you thought!

Walking by the grocery store, and then in the car.  Isaac donning a fun hat as he tours town.

This mole was a study in futility as it tried to dig a burrow in the rocky ground at camp.  Unable to make a burrow, it was trying to subtly burrow under piles of leaves.  It made us wonder how it arrived in this part of the world to begin with.
 
Calvin spent pretty much every spare moment at camp digging in dust or dirt, finding dust or dirt to dig in, or thinking about the next time he would be able to be in the dirt.  Needless to say, his immune system was in top shape after camp this year.  I'm not sure if that's why they didn't get sick exactly, but it probably helped!

Bike lesson.

Settling down for the evening in the camper on Friday.
  

Saturday:  Finally, the river!  Isaac's first glimpse this year.
 
Calvin and Moses preferred playing around this pile of brush.

Dairy Shack:
 

I don't think I took any pictures on Sunday.  Here are some pictures from Monday:
 

Olivia, another new baby at camp this year.  I think the flower on her head serves as a hat brim for extra shade.

Avaryn and friends, playing on the stump in the Cooper camp.

Uncle Kevin and Grandpa Woody had straw hats, which were favorites of Isaac and Moses especially.

Morning meeting on Monday.

More river fun!  The boys went to the river 4 times this year, and I went with them 3 of those times:

Blake and Calvin find their own adventures.

Isaac loved to run, jump in, declare "that was fun!" and then float down to Mommy, where he'd get back on the rocky bank and start the fun all over again.

Alexandria enjoys her purple float with the help of lots of attendants.

Naptime!  I like taking pictures of the boys while they are sleeping:

Pot luck time:


Well, those were boring pictures.  It's hard to juggle all the stuff that goes along with feeding kids while in lawnchairs while also juggling utensils and drinks and napkins and trash.  One of those things that someone is going to tell me I'm going to miss someday when they grow up, but I think this might be something I won't miss.

That lump on Jason's back is Isaac's head.  Isaac had crawled into Jason's bed, preferring it to sleeping with his brother.

The boys practice leading songs one night at the podium.

Wednesday at the river (just one picture):

Waking up Thursday morning/what I walked in the camper to see when returning from my shower:

Thursday morning:

Isaac was enamored with my cousin Ariel.  He would follow her around, behave perfectly, set up his lawnchair right beside hers and put his chair away when she did, and otherwise did what it took to be closeby, imitating her.  This meant a couple of times where he sat perfectly still, listening during the lessons.  I was mystified, but impressed!

Alexandria hydrates before class.

Pictures from the Age 3-Going into Kindergarten class:

More Thursday morning:

Travis brought trucks, and Isaac couldn't stay away.

Baby Reese, another baby new to camp this year, sweetly sleeping.

Moses models the prized straw hat.

Goofing around in the camper:

The kids wait for their dinner prior to Sharing Night:

Sharing Night:

I told Calvin to find a seat for himself prior to Sharing Night.  He picked his chair up and scooted it through the crowd, trying out different places to sit before finally settling on this seat.  I had to laugh; good thing he is still small and can get by with such things.  He really, really enjoyed the show, much to my surprise.  I kept catching him belly-laughing, content with his entertainment and snacks.  If you like Sharing Night that much, I guess you deserve a front row seat!

The boys "help" Grandpa W. announce a couple of the acts.

The final act of Sharing Night, and my final campout picture.

Calvin's last t-ball game was well-attended by both sets of grandparents and Aunt Verity.

 
Grandma and Grandpa Woody take in the game.

The "good game" post-game greetings.

Daddy, Calvin, and Auggie head up the hill.  The red sunglasses were gifts from their coach.



Calvin "Dustyface" with his participation trophy, soon to be followed by a celebration popsicle.

June happenings at Papa and Grandma R's house:

Calvin and Isaac help get the corn ready for dinner.

Playing in the inflatable pool.  The boys enjoy running and jumping in the pool.  Calvin likes when Grandma plays diving contest with him, where they make up silly names for new dives in the pool, and then Grandma rates his jump from 1-10.

Josh and his girlfriend Amanda came to visit from Texas, and we got to meet her dog, Athena.  You can see Athena running with Isaac in the background.  She is a very well-behaved dog, and the boys had a good time with her.  Athena needed a break from them sometimes, though, as they liked to chase her and not give her much downtime.

One last pre-camp picture:

Blake is helping his dad with the Sunday deacon duties.  He is taking his job very seriously.

This entry is probably not going to differ from previous years' zoo entries except for 4 points:  a) we saw the Sea Lion show, b) the kids are bigger, c)the boys got a close look at petrified elephant dung, and d) the baby elephants were out and playing, much to our delight. 

Here is a photo run-down, with a video of the elephants playing at the end:

 

That post was easy!  Not the most captioned photos, but the boys enjoyed their visit, and that's the important thing.

By the time June rolled around, it was definitely warm enough for the Slip N Slide.  I think my camera was low on battery at the time, so pardon any blurriness:

     
You get the idea of the fun had here.  Calvin did the Slip N Slide on his belly, back, knees, etc.; any way that he pleased.  Isaac still didn't quite have the hang of it, but he liked the idea of running really fast and then falling down in water.

Also on the water fun front, we took several trips to Hurricane Harbor as part of our Six Flags summer passes:

The boys' favorite place to play is at the pirate ship.  Isaac's 2nd favorite is the wave pool for deeper water (he likes being able to swim), and Calvin's 2nd favorite is the Lazy River, because even though he is still not crazy about showers, he loves getting pounded by the waterfalls while in his tube.  We thought Calvin would like the waterslides as he had in Branson, but for now he is very particular about how deep the water is at the bottom of the slide.

Safety Town:

Calvin attended Safety Town the third week of June.  Safety Town is a weeklong summer camp for kids going into K and 1st Grade that takes place in the mornings.  It is run by the police department with help from local volunteers and community sponsors/organizations.  While at Safety Town, the kids learn about safety when it comes to strangers, crossing the street, poisons, fire, swimming, guns/tasers, electricity, first aid, riding their bikes, and riding in cars and on the bus.  The grade school gym is transformed into a tricycle training course to practice rules of the road.  A local pediatrician fits kids' helmets to their heads.  Louie the Lightning Bug from Ameren visits to talk about electricity.  They tour an ambulance, have their blood pressure taken, tour a fire engine, and practice escaping from a smoke house.  Calvin had a great time, and he enjoyed sharing what he'd learned each day.

Detective Heine and Sergeant Donjon run the program.  Here they are helping Calvin escape from the "smoky" trailer.  The next few photos are also from a CD of pictures taken throughout the week by volunteers at camp.



At the end of the week, Safety Town held a graduation ceremony:

Calvin the graduate waits for his name to be called.  I anticipate taking a picture as he walks past me like all the previous kids have done.

Calvin went past me at a little faster than a walk, however.  I told people it was like he had heard his name called on "The Price is Right".

Singing the safety song with his classmates.  The boy on his right is our next-door neighbor, Jackson.

Enjoying the Dilly Bars and cookies at the graduation reception.

A video of Calvin singing along to the safety song at graduation:

I believe we left off with Chad and Candace's wedding, or marriage ceremony, if you call the upcoming September event the wedding.  Or vice versa.  Anyway, I need to start putting up pictures!

I'm hoping I get this in order.  This blog is, after all, my "official historical document", as they say on Galaxy Quest.

The beginning of June saw the arrival of our newest baby at church, Isaiah Allen Cooper.  The boys were full of energy, so our visit to the hospital only lasted about 15 minutes.  It was plenty of time to see Isaiah, as it turned out, as he could provide a lot of entertainment in a short amount of time, considering he was only 2 days old:

Making faces.

Chatting with the boys.

Having some lunch.

Saying goodbye for now, see you at church in a week or so!