We got back from the cabin Sunday night (we had to leave early because we didn't take enough of Josh's medicine up there). For dinner Sunday night we had breakfast and I had the kids help me make it. Daniel and Matthew were on toast duty. How would you like some toast with that butter (margarine)?

Monday to celebrate Labor Day we took the kids for lunch and then out bowling. We didn't do so well this time around. No one even broke 100. Josh likes to help his game by doing a running start. He gets clear back by the chairs and runs up to the lane with his ball and launches it down the lane. He decided to try it out to help his game when he ran right out of his shoe and ended up launching the ball down the gutter outside of the bumpers.

It was hard not to laugh because he was so embarrassed. Sarah was the little cheerleader from the stroller. She was strapped in the stroller for containment purposes. I love her T-shirt that says, "Dad answers to me!" Quite appropriate I think.

For school this year the boys picked out their own school shoes. As luck would have it they all wanted the same shoe. I tried to talk them out of it, but they of course didn't listen to me. When we brought them home I had to mark everyone's shoes some how so we could tell the difference. I got out the marker and Josh told me I can't mark them. I asked why and then he pointed to the sticker on the bottom of the shoe.

I laughed and told him it was ok and proceeded to write their initials on the side of the shoes. I thought this would be easy to tell them apart. Not so much. Josh got up early Wednesday morning for his star appearance on TV. He got dressed and left before the other kids even woke up. When everyone else got up and going for the day Matthew got out of the shower and went to get dressed. It was then he realized that Josh had worn Matthew's shoes and had left his own at home. I tried to get Matthew to squeeze his feet into Josh's shoes, but it just wasn't going to happen. I desperately tried to find some shoes to fit him before his bus came. We only had a few minutes to find some. I had thrown away his shoes from last year because they had huge holes in the soles. I finally found some too small sandals, but he still wore them because desperate times call for desperate measures. It all worked out, but now I make everyone check their shoes before they get them on. Also next time someone needs to get up early I need to remember to turn off their alarm. Josh's alarm went off the next morning at 5:25 am again. It was even worse because Josh had turned it to the very LOUD beeper instead of the radio. It has been a long time since I have been jarred awake like that and I hope it's another really long time before it happens again.
Josh is my animal lover, but the animals really don't love him--he is so allergic to them. At soccer Wednesday night he just couldn't resist petting his coaches dog. Unfortunately, by the time we got home his eyes were about swollen shut. I gave him some Benadryl and sent him to bed.

He still looked pretty rough the next morning, but I sent him to school anyway. I was half expecting a call from his teacher about it, but luckily I didn't hear anything.

Thursday was Daniel's first day of preschool. He was so excited. He got dressed along with everyone else in the morning even though his preschool doesn't start until the afternoon. He was so excited he pulled out his shoes, but had to leave them out while he went and took a shower. Sarah seized the opportunity and slipped them on. Daniel wasn't too happy about it and Sarah was even less happy about taking them off.

Every 10 minutes Daniel asked me if it was time to go yet. Then he would say, "Hey Mom, let me know when it's time, ok?" Finally it was time to go and I have never seen Daniel hop in the car and get buckled in so fast. Here's Daniel right before we left for school showing off his Iron Man backpack. Have I mentioned he was so excited to go?

When we got to school I dropped him off and he ran inside and didn't even look back. His teacher had to tell him to come and tell me goodbye. He must have had a lot of fun because he was like this about 30 minutes after he got home:

Sarah's brothers really take care of her. This morning at breakfast they even did her hair for her. Yes it is in her eyes, but at least they got the pretty flower in it. She didn't mind.