Spooky School

Dr. Toxic and Count Dracula gobbled down their breakfasts this morning and headed to school for the annual Halloween parade and classroom parties where they had a creepy time with all the other ghosts and goblins.

Scary second graders before Mom kicked off the party which included make your own green slime with borax, glue, water and food coloring and learning all about 'Dem Bones.

Fourth grade frieks warming up for a dance and karaoke contest headlined by Eye of the Tiger... don't ask me, I was downstairs with the little kids....
WARNING: The mad scientist and the vampire were scheduled for one-day-only appearances this year. They are now secluded in the eerie basement lab, preparing for a dramatic midnight transformation into their REAL Halloween personas... check back tomorrow... if you dare!

Happy Birthday to My Blog!

It's been one year since Jennie set up Bringing Up Boys! Thanks again for the sweet present. I would have missed sharing so many great (and not-so-great) family events if I weren't blogging with y'all. Now I can not only name all the cousins in birth order, I even know what makes them each tick... and why all of us moms have a tick! Peter, the boys and I are also very grateful for the outpouring of love and support we received from our friends by being able to share news about Connor's accident through the blog. It's the gift that keeps on giving.... along with the gorgeous cake Peter ordered all on his own, and the yoga mat the kids tried out for me last night!

This can't be happening to me!

It is a BAD day when the laundry equipment fails in a house with five boys, especially after a weekend of unending rain and muddy soccer games. HELP! Peter and the boys all sat down and watched a YouTube video on how to repair a broken dryer belt and now we're just waiting for the part they ordered to arrive.

In the meantime, Pierce and I packed the van full of filthy clothes and headed to the laundromat yesterday when everyone went to school. As I was lugging in basket after basket of laundry, I was very grateful the laundromat had an automatic sliding door. I was also grateful for the 55 lb. load washer. I was grateful there was a quarter machine on site, which I forgot to think about until after the sliding door thing and all the stuff was in.

But... by the time my five giant loads were done washing and drying, I felt wrung out myself after chasing Pierce all over the very DIRTY store, repeatedly dragging him out of the industrial dryers he would hide in, pulling him down off the folding counters he climbed onto, chasing him and back and forth through the automatic sliding door I was no longer very grateful for, and bending down 10,000 times to pick up quarter after quarter that he was having a blast throwing around the place. WHEW! Why can't that boy sit down and watch some "Price is Right" like everybody else? And WHEN is that replacement part coming....?

Building Friendships

Everyone enjoyed working on a castle together one rainy evening... and a whole half hour went by without use of a BALL, although Pierce did try throwing the blocks. Thanks Grandpa Joyce for the wonderful homemade toys!

Play
Like
a
Raven!

An amazing perk came our way as a result of Connor's hard work organizing the NJHS/Safeway 10% Back to School grocery rebate program! The regional Safeway marketing coordinator was so impressed with SRMS students' hard work and enthusiasm for the program that he offered us a unique school-wide incentive program to increase receipt donations. We were able to offer a random receipt drawing where Connor and 10 lucky winners from our school (Yeah Graeme!) received an awesome NFL Ravens prize package including (we still can't believe it).... a tour of the Ravens' locker room with your own name on a locker stocked with a t-shirt, football, yearbook and lots of Heinz products and pre-game snacks (an official sponsor), a trip through the game-day tunnel and on to the field to participate in a fun pass, punt, throw and kick competition, topped off with a buffet dinner (more Heinz products) on the club level of the stadium. It was incredible! Now Connor can say he kicked an extra point on the Ravens field and Graeme can say he nailed a 30 yard pass down the sideline. It was definitely a night to remember!

Meeting Poe in the locker room

Running through the tunnel
and imagining you are Ray Lewis doing his dance

Taking a photo because we were really in the RED ZONE!
OK... the PURPLE zone!

Taking a knee: Connor and Nathan

In the end zone: Graeme and SRMS 7th grade winners

...and it was ALL good!

Feed the Sharks!

... so we've quickly learned that the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is not all about candlelit pats on the back in suit coats! As part of his membership obligation this year, Connor has to perform at least 24 hours of service to his school and community. His first project was spearheading a grocery store receipt collection program to earn rebate money for his school PTSO. He and I organized 20 other students who worked for more than 70 hours over a three-week period collecting 1,000+ grocery receipts and entering their promotional 20-digit codes into a special website. We offered a pizza party to the homeroom that collected the most coded receipts and Connor et al stood in the local Safeway store lobby night after night with the cool shark mascot collection box. In total, Connor and his NJHS recruits raised more than $2,700 for SRMS! Great project, Connor (and Mom)!

Connor's
National Junior Honor Society Induction

In recognition of their contributions to Severn River Middle School and their community in the areas of scholarship, leadership, character, service and citizenship, Connor and 49 of of his 8th grade classmates were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society at a special ceremony this month after a rigorous application process. I have to admit I pretty much take this type of thing for granted mothering a great kid like Connor, but even I was amazed and inspired by what all of these kids have already accomplished in life, inside and outside the classroom. Not only are they all honor roll students, they are all also great examples to others as very busy athletes, musicians, artists, scouts, church members, volunteers, and family members. It was a night to sit back, take a break and notice not only how fast it is going, but, for a change, to also see how much is being accomplished. Congratulations, Connor; we are so proud of you.
This photo is just for Jennie so she can see that he really did fit into the size 16 suit jacket (required attire)! Thanks for the hand-me-around!