The Kassel Family Project Life 365

Laura and John made me necklaces for Mother’s Day!  The one I’m wearing in the picture is the one that Laura made me.

Laura painted a flower pot for me at Sunday School.

Love these kids and the presents!

I had a very nice Mother’s Day!  We woke up in Illinois since I was up for my 20th High School Reunion, meaning that I got to spend at least a little bit of time with my Mom on Mother’s Day!  That was something I haven’t been able to do since we moved to Columbia, so it was quite a nice thing.

While we were waiting for my Dad to return because he had Lion’s Club, I checked Facebook and Andy’s Facebook status said the following:  “Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, but especially to my wife.  Her becoming a mom was the best thing to ever happen to me.”  It made me a little teary-eyed.  It was really a very sweet thing to say.

When Dad got home, he made us Sunday breakfast – pancakes, eggs, and bacon.  He did that all the time as we were growing up and, while I didn’t appreciate it then, I certainly do now.  It was yummy!  I think the kids liked it too since both of them ate FOUR pancakes each and also had bacon.  After breakfast, it was time to head back to Missouri.  The kids were really disappointed, because they just wanted to play with cousin Thomas some more.  As you can see from below, they *might* have been a little tired so leaving when we did was a good thing!

The kids and I stopped in Hannibal, MO, for lunch at McDonald’s.  It was a nice lunch during which Laura began to talk about my Mother’s Day surprise that she made at Sunday School last week.  She also told me she had another Mother’s Day surprise from daycare, but they hadn’t made them yet because they all napped too long on Friday.  After lunch, it was back on the road for home.  We arrived there about 1:30 pm and I walked in the door to find flowers and Chocolate Covered Strawberries from the Candy Factory!  They were Andy’s gift to me on Mother’s Day.  I immediately ate two of the strawberries….hey, there is NO reason to wait because those things are way too good to waste!

After that, it was largely a typical Sunday.  We worked on laundry, the kids played outside, and we relaxed.  Andy did grill an awesome dinner for us all.  Steak, Baked Potatoes, and Grilled Tomatoes were on the menu.  After dinner, it was bath time and early bed for the kids.  John hadn’t had a nap in two days and really he still needs them.  He can go one day, but two days in a row can be a little much.  It was just a great Mother’s day and very relaxing.  Exactly what I needed.  Thanks to my great husband and kids for making the day just right!

What a fun night!  It was so great to see some of my high school classmates.  Only 6 people attended the actual Alumni Banquet (since I had 24 in my graduating class that makes 25% in attendance), but we saw a few more at the local bar after the banquet.

It was great to catch up with those that were there.  I forget because I’m not there what small town life means to people and it’s nice to go back to it from time to time.  I’ve really missed some of them because they were always people who would tell you exactly what they thought.  You grow up with 24 kids in your graduating class and everyone knows everyone else so well.  You can’t really avoid the “truth” factor.  Growing up, I resented it….now I miss it.

It was a really great night!  I wish I could have stayed out much later, but I was tired and had to get up early to head home.  Thanks Class of 1991 for the fun!  Looking forward to the next one!

These are the Mother’s Day cards that the kids made for me at daycare.  🙂

Every day at daycare Laura works on her “words.”  Cheryl made flash cards for Laura and continually adds to them.  Laura brings them home every day and we work on them with her here.  Andy was working with her tonight.  While Laura was less than enthusiastic to work on them, she did at least read a few.  🙂

Every month I get together with a group of Moms from our church.  It’s a time of food and fellowship.  We eat, exchange stories, and have a short devotional.  I wasn’t sure that I would really enjoy this.  After the first one,  I very much look forward to it.  Tonight, we were given a poem called “When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking” in honor of Mother’s Day.  I can say that now that I’m a Mom this poem holds a much more special meaning.  You truly realize the things that you noticed in your own mother and the things you do just like her.  I appreciate everything this poem says.  Today, I just wanted to say thanks to my Great Mom for all those things you did when you thought *I* wasn’t looking.

We went to a parent meeting at Ridgeway Elementary School tonight.  It was a great meeting and I’m very much looking forward to Laura going there.  She will be in a “Unit A” classroom, which will be a combination of approximately 11 kindergarteners and 11 first graders.  It was even more impressive to see several parents there that have had multiple children that attended Ridgeway.  All of them said what an awesome experience this school is.  The meeting tonight was more of an orientation to the school.  There will be an open house in August and then a curriculum meeting in September.  Next week, Laura gets to go to “choice time” to just play in one of the classrooms, a sort of “get to know your surroundings” visit.  It should be a fun time!