The Kassel Family Project Life 365

Laura is all ready for school picture day!  She was so excited that it is a bit chilly out because she could wear her new, long sleeve butterfly shirt with glittery speckles.

While making dinner last night, John and Laura started singing the ABCs.  For Laura, this is a regular thing, but it isn’t for John.  In fact, it was the first time I have ever heard him sing it.  I thought it was quite awesome, but I also wasn’t completely sure if he actually *knew* the song because he was more or less repeating after Laura.  Well, this morning that question was answered!  While getting him dressed, he sang the entire song by himself unprompted!  Yay John!

Apparently, Kindergarten is wearing Laura out.  While driving to pick up John today, I asked her a question two or three times.  After no response, I glanced in the backseat to find….

I was dropping Andy off at work on September 11, 2001 when the radio announcer said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.  My first thought was, “Somebody piloted their small plane right into a tower.”  It didn’t occur to me that it was something much, much more.  After dropping Andy off and saying goodbye to him, I drove to the parking garage.  As I was parking the car, I heard that another plane had hit the other tower.  It was then that I thought, “This is not some mistake.”  I ran to work and immediately logged into my computer only to discover that all major news websites were down.  Too much traffic trying to figure out what was going on.  Americans from all over the country searching for every ounce of information they could find.  I was so stunned.  I had no words.  Work was horrifyingly quiet all day.  About mid-morning, I walked to the University Bookstore because I had to pick up a book that my office had ordered.  Normally, the MU campus is bustling – chatter, laughter, etc.  It was completely silent.  Every person I passed was silent.  No words at all.  In the bookstore, screens were set up with projectors running the news.  That was the first time I saw the news footage of the planes crashing into the towers.  Tears started to stream down my face.  In that moment, I knew that life would never be the same.  Never.  It was in that moment that the world stopped turning for me for minutes.  I will truly never forget.  9/11/01 changed us all.  May God Bless those lost and everyone affected by that horrifying day.  Today, I especially think of the men and women of the Armed Forces who stood up and said, “You will never do this to us again.”   Please watch over them and return them home safely to their families.

We went to the circus today!  The kids had a blast!  The Lowery Family went with us too.

For a small travelling circus, it was a surprisingly long show – nearly 2 hours.  Laura’s favorite part was the trapeze act.  She also enjoyed seeing the elephants, the dog act and the pygmy hippo.  John’s favorite part was the elephants.  A great time was had by all!

Tonight we went to the Dothage house to watch the Missouri vs. Arizona State Game on the outdoor big screen.

It was such a fun time that unfortunately had to end at halftime of the game because it was already 11:15 pm and the kids were EXHAUSTED.  The kids played hard and had so much fun.  It was an evening of go, go, go for the kids and relax, relax, relax for the adults!  Great food, great drinks, awesome people, and a beautiful evening were more than we could have asked for.

In the mornings before school, Laura has been watching “The Fresh Beat Band.”  It is a show on Nickelodeon about a band of four members that sing and dance.  Today’s episode was all about tap dancing.  On the way to the bus stop, Laura was tap dancing her little heart out.  It was so cute!  This was her “big finish!”