The last RTT of May...

It's that time of the week again! Random Thought Thursday is so freeing. I love not having to organize my thoughts!

1. I leave for quilt camp in a few hours. QUILT CAMP! Huzzah! I hope to work on lots of projects and take lots of pictures.

2. I'm declaring the official start to summer. I received my first mosquito bite this week.

3. Why do travel booking websites offer you the option of indicating an arrival/departure flight time when they have no intention of using it? If I click that I need to leave San Francisco in the EVENING, please don't show me fights that leave in the AM. It means I have to sift through a bunch of flights listed during times I can't consider. And then I get angry. And then I start looking up flights on individual airline websites. And then I've wasted an hour just trying to gather information. (Maybe this is part of Travelocty's/Expedia's/etc. evil plot against folks who purchase directly through Northwest/US Air/American/etc.)

4. I really dislike hand dryers in public restrooms. I'm convinced people don't use them. Many either wash their hands and leave with them still wet or worse yet, they DON'T WASH at all. I know hand dryers are environmentally better but does that really matter when people are walking around with dirty hands, spreading their germs?

5. After returning home from a weekend at the Lake, Seeger has decided he wants to dig a big hole in the back yard so he can make his own lake.

6. Yesterday I work, I was walking by the vending machine when I noticed there was a $1.00 credit. So I punched the code for peanut M&M's and also got back 20 cents. Score!

7. Thomas the Turtle has returned to our front yard so Nicklas finally got to see him. I'm seriously considering taking him in as a pet. But since I have no clue what the needs of a turtle are, I probably won't. Instead, I've been sprinking spinach leaves around him.

8. I'm addicted to the bejeweled application on facebook. So. Addicted.

9. Two day work weeks are awesome! Why can't every week be a two day work week?

10. Hmmmm.... I'm all RTT'd out. And I'm sleepy. But excited. EXCITED ABOUT QUILT CAMP!

The Lake

Sometime in the 1940's, my great grandparents bought some lakeside property a few counties away from their home. I think they paid something like $50 a lot for five lots. (Or maybe it was $25/lot?) They spent their weekends camping on that property and eventually built a small cottage. My grandparents used to take their kids - my dad and his siblings - to the Lake where the seven of them, along with my great grandparents, slept in that one room cottage on couches, in sleeping bags, and sometimes outside in tents. My dad and aunts and uncles grew older and many got married. Soon that one room cottage became even more full of family visitors. I think I was about five when the cottage was taken down and new home was built. A nice four bedroom house, right along the Lake, that my grandparents could retire to. And the tradition continued once my aunts and uncles started having children.

I have grand memories of the weekends I spent growing up at my grandparents lake house. We went nearly every weekend in the summer until I was in high school and became consumed with cheerleading and marching band (oh, and work - I worked a lot in high school). There is nothing like the feeling of being at the Lake where your worries and troubles seemed to disappear. I spent my days playing with my cousins - we would swim, play cards, ride bikes, and take walks to buy candy at the local butcher shop. I would beg my dad and uncles to take me skiing or to go on pontoon rides. I lived in my swim suit.

My grandmother still lives at the Lake. My aunts and uncles, my dad, many of my cousins visit as often as they can. Some are there nearly every weekend. Others only make it a few times a year. Unfortunately, my weekends at the Lake are few and far between nowadays. My life revolves around the kids' activities and instead of a 30 minute drive, it takes three hours to get there. I try to get the family there a few times a summer but our lives are just too busy and we usually end up making only one or two trips.

Fortunately, we were able to spend the Memorial Day weekend there this year. We had a great time and the boys really enjoyed it. They especially enjoyed riding the wave runner and fishing with Papa Bob. I should have taken more pictures but I was too lazy!

Nicklas caught several fish on his own. (Well, not completely - he still needs someone to hook his worms. But he can cast and reel them in on his own.) His had the biggest catch, a perch that was about 10 inches.

Seeger also caught a few fish....

I can't believe those are the only photo's I took. I'll be better next time! Instead of taking a family vacation this summer, we're going to stay at the Lake for a week in July. I love that the boys had a great time there this weekend. I hope to create some wonderful memories for them - just like I have from my youth.

Prior to going to the Lake, I discovered a turtle in our front yard. The neighborhood boys were so excited. (Unfortunately, Nicklas was at baseball practice and missed out on the fun.)

Seeger wouldn't hold it at first but one of the boys finally convinced him. They named him Thomas the Turtle in honor of Seeger.

Fractured Fairy Tales

This week at school, Nicklas's class put on a performance of Fractured Fairy Tales. It was fun watching the groups of his classmates act out their stores. Nicklas starred in Slurping Beauty. He played the part of Prince Alarming who had a funny, high pitched laugh and lived happily ever after with the Princess who loved to slurp her soup.

It's Friday - yay! And a three day weekend - double yay! The Polack coached his last freshmen baseball game of the season on Wednesday. Tomorrow he starts running the Shetland games for the local youth baseball league. He enjoys interacting with the 5 and 6 year olds. And it will especially be fun with Seeger starting the league this year. After the games on Saturday we're making our way to the Lake for some much needed family time. Nicklas is VERY excited about his first outdoor swim of the year.

Random Thought Thursday

I can't believe how much everyone loves RTT! I never realized it would be so popular but I'm glad to hear you all enjoy it.

1. Now that people are starting to tell me how much they enjoy RTT, I'm feeling a little pressure. Like I need to write some fascinating, thought provoking entries. But I don't usually feel particularly fascinating, nor thought provoking. Yikes!

2. I am very annoyed that the Snow Bear ice cream sandwiches we buy come in a box of six vanilla sandwiches or a box of three vanilla and three chocolate sandwiches. Why no box of just chocolate? I always end up eating the three chocolate and I'm left waiting for the Polack to eat the three vanilla so I can open the next box. Grrr....

3. It looks like I might be making a trip to San Francisco in June for work. Woo hoo! I have two trips to Austin and a trip to Chicago this summer so I'm sure I will get tired of traveling but since I've never been to San Fran, I'm really excited.

4. Almost every day since Seeger's last day of Pre-K, he asks me when it's going to be time for him to start riding the bus to Kindergarten. Man, is that kid ready. I keep telling him it won't be until after summer so now he's telling people that he's ready for summer to be over.

5. Speaking of summer, I'm determined to teach the boys how to ride their bikes this summer. I think a little bribery is in order....

6. And another thing about summer... my sister-in-law and I were looking at days when we might be able to plan our next Sunday Night Dinner (which is traditionally held on Sunday's but lately they seem to be whenever we can fit them in.) Well, guess what... We can't find a weekend until after school starts in August. It's pretty sad that we're all that busy. But it's true. The Polack and I have something scheduled every weekend this summer. Aye-yi-yi! I'm not complaining - most of the weekends are filled with fun stuff like vacations and family gatherings and social outings. But still, I'm already tired and the summer hasn't officially started yet.

7. Season finale of Grey's Anatomy? A-double E-S-O-M-E. Totally. I haven't been a fan of this season (blech to the whole bringing Denny back - I like me some Jeffrey Dean Morgan but please, show a little respect to the character). And all the drama about who's staying and who's leaving? No, thanks. And I hated seeing Hahn leave. (Although Arizona is cute!) Plus, I don't think I'll ever like Meredith's character. So I wasn't really that excited about the finale. In fact, I think it was a few weeks after it aired before I actually got around to watching it. But OH. MY. GOSH. 007? I didn't see that one coming!

8. As I was getting the kids ready and out the door so I could drive Nicklas to school this morning, it suddenly hit me. I'm a MOM. These kids depend on me. I am their world. I wondered to myself, "When did I grow up? When did I get so old?" It was a strange thought, especially since I've never wondered this before. I relish being a wife and mother. But this morning, it just seemed so odd to me.

9. I have an infection in my left eye today that is driving me crazy. I had to miss work to go to the eye doctor. I could barely drive because light bothers it and it's so sunny out today. I'm on an antibiotic right now that should take care of it. The eye doctor said it was caused by my contact. Stupid contacts. They've done nothing but cause me problems since I started wearing them three years ago.

10. I have a facebook friend (you all know what I mean, right? The person you're friendly with but probably wouldn't stay in touch with except through facebook.) Anyway, she was pregnant with her fourth child and was planning her second home/water birth. Her contractions started coming pretty quickly so she called her midwife and made her way home. (She had been visiting her husband at the hospital.) The birthing pool was only half full when she gave birth to her daughter - BY HERSELF. Her husband was at the hospital, trying to get discharged so he could make it home for the birth. Her midwife was on her way. My friend's mother and mother-in-law were there, as were her three children. One mom was holding the phone so her husband could hear everything, the other mom was taking pictures. They were able to help but still, she pretty much did it all on her own. And the pictures were amazing. She looked so calm and relaxed. I would have been freaking out, people.

There! I don't think I can top that randomness. Until next week...

Take me out to the ball game...

Nicklas is having his best season yet of baseball. He's really into the game itself and loves to think strategically. The Polack is enjoying the opportunity to help coach the team and the rest of us love cheering him on.

Nicklas usually plays outfield....


But sometimes he gets to play infield. (He chose 56 as his number because he doesn't know anyone with that number. It's funny how many people ask us about that!)

He sure has an interesting batting stance....

But it seems to work for him!

Seeger loves the baseball games too. It means he gets to play on the playground. He has his first baseball game Saturday. I wonder how he'll do actually participating instead of sitting on the sidelines?

I'll do anything for a free dinner...

A few weeks ago, my mom called for a favor. She had agreed to attend an employee recognition dinner at work and she was being honored for her years of service. She needed a date and really wanted me to come with her. She had others that she could ask but I was her top pick. Normally, I'd jump at the chance but the dinner was in the middle of the week. Which meant a two and a half hour drive there and back. Which mean missing part of work. And Nick's baseball game. And finding someone to watch Seeger. And not getting home until midnight.

Normally my mom doesn't ask my for favors (she's very self-sufficient and prides herself on her independence). Usually, I'm the one asking her for favors. She is always willing to come spend the weekend with us and watch the kids when the Polack and I want have a tailgate/wedding/vacation/etc. And while she drives me crazy when she leaves her Kleenex's all around the house (seriously, I always find them tucked in couch cushions, under the bed, or in the dirty clothes pile), we really appreciate it when she comes to help us out.

So of course, I wanted to do this favor for her.

My mom is nurse. She's worked for her hospital system for 35 years. THIRTY-FIVE YEARS. That's amazing to me. Much of it was spent working in ICU. You have to be a pretty tough nurse to handle ICU for that many years. And my mom is tough. And she's awesome.

Thirty-five years.

Wow.

I'm so proud of you mom!

(And even though you haven't figured out how to leave comments on my blog, I know you're my biggest fan!)

Cousin time

My nephew Ben spent the night with us Saturday. This kid is awesome. So funny and always an entertainer. Ben and Seeger are 4 months apart in age and the best of friends. It's so much fun to see them play together. And Nicklas always enjoy being the big brother when Ben is around.

(When Ben isn't staying with us? Well, that's sometimes a different story!)

Pre-K graduation

Seeger went through his Pre-K graduation this week. And I did an excellent job of not breaking down into tears! His class performed several songs for us.

Then they put on their caps and gowns and marched around. They were all so cute!

Next, they received their diplomas. After announcing each name, a teacher would say a little bit about each child.

I was so proud of him!

I know he'll miss his friends but he's really looking forward to kindergarten next year!

Since the Polack couldn't be there for the event, I recorded one of the songs they performed.

Another Random Thought Thursday

It's that time of the week again folks. You've all been waiting on the edge of your seats for my third RTT, right?

1. Now that I've finished the Sex in the City series, I need a new series to watch while I'm quilting. Any suggestions?

2. Final exams are finished so campus seems so deserted right now. It will be nice for awhile but by July, I'll be ready for the students to return.

3. I have two trips to Austin, Texas this summer. If I'm going to visit Texas in the summer, at least its Austin!

4. Nicklas and the Polack only have 9 more days of school left. Nine days! Yay summer.

5. I hate Cancer. Cancer sucks. I want to do more to support Cancer research and help find a cure. I gave to a friend who did a 3 day Cancer Walk and I'm walking on June 13 for my cousin's 3 year old son who has Cancer. But it's not enough. I need to do more.

6. I hate it when people don't r.s.v.p. to events so I feel especially guilty that I was four days late in sending my response for a friend's wedding. (It's all because I'm carrying a really cute purse that happens to be much smaller than my last purse. This means it can't hold the bills/documents/paperwork that I'm used to carrying around so I don't go through that stuff as often as I'm used to. Oh! - maybe I should by a new purse? Brilliant idea!!)

7. It's been several months since my last trip to Bloomington, Indiana and that makes me sad. I think a trip should be scheduled soon.

8. Is anyone else having trouble getting Facebook to load lately? Sometimes it pops up all pretty and happy to see me. Other times it takes forever to load and then I get that dreaded Internet Explorer "page not found" message. Super. Annoying.

9. Does anyone else get freaked out by the live traffic feeds that some blogs have? You know, the ones that say someone from Lafayette, Indiana just arrived from such-and-such blog. They list information about everyone who has visited that particular blog. I don't WANT to know that information. I don't NEED to know that information. And I don't want others to know MY information.

10. I'm the only person in my house that knows how to change the toilet paper roll. This seems like a pretty easy task that anyone over the age of five should be able to do. But apparently, that's not the case. I've always been particularly sensitive to this topic. When I was about 8 years old, I was sitting on the toilet, doing my business when I reached over for the toilet paper. The roll was empty and a new roll was out of my reach. I called out to my mom and dad for help, asking them to get me a new roll. I was told to get it myself. So I did and when I was finished, I put the roll back in the cabinet. I figured, if no one wants to help me out, than let them see what it feels like. Of course, the plan backfired when my dad went to use the bathroom later that day. I believe he grounded me for a week. Twenty-six years later and I still think I was right.

It's probably the only time I'll get to walk on a red carpet

WTTS fm in Indianapolis is awesome. Since becoming a VIP member in December, I've won tickets to a traveling Broadway show and was invited to a red carpet event/concert. The Polack has won tickets to see a comedian and a CD. Come to think of it, I've always had good luck winning things from radio stations. When I was in elementary school, I won (twice in one day!) tickets to the movie premiere of Hoosiers and a Pizza Hut pizza and I've also won restaurant gift cards, tickets to the Purdue Grand Prix, and tickets to another traveling Broadway show.

I need to start playing the lottery more!

Anyway, back to the promotional event. A few weeks ago, WTTS sent an email to their listeners inviting everyone to attend the 10th Anniversary party for the Indianapolis Hard Rock Cafe. It was an exclusive event with free appetizers and a private concert with Serena Ryder. I rsvp'd yes for the Polack and I and within a few hours, I was contacted and told they were upgrading us to the VIP list. We weren't sure what this meant but it ended up being a really cool thing and an exciting night for us.

When we arrived at the Hard Rock, I was excited to walk down the red carpet. (I wanted the Polack to take a bunch of pictures of me so it felt like I was surrounded by the paparazzi.)

When we checked in, we were given special wristbands which indicated that we were VIP's.

We quickly found out this meant we had access to the VIP patio which included an open bar. Score!

We weren't the only VIP's there. Out on the patio we spotted Kristi Lee from the Bob and Tom Show. She was super nice and very gracious when I asked if we could get a picture with her.

The concert was great. Serena Ryder knows how to rock! And since we were VIP's, we got to meet her after the show.

Thanks, WTTS!

MVP

I'm declaring Nicklas the MVP of his soccer team.

(Yes, I realize I don't have the power or authority in reality but this is my own made up bloggy world where I am queen and ruler of all things Kubatski.)

Back to Nicklas.... His soccer team is good. Very, very good. They usually score several goals in the first few periods of a game and spend the second half setting up the less skilled players to also score. I love how the coaches make each player feel like an important part of the team. But their last game was a different story. The two teams were pretty evenly matched and by the third quarter, it was still 0-0. Nicklas was on defense and when his teams goalie got into a bit a defending trouble, the other team went to score when out of nowhere, Nicklas jumped into goalie position and blocked their shot. TWO TIMES. It was awesome. Everyone was cheering! He's not the most aggressive player and he's never, ever scored a goal but defense is just as important, right?

His team went on to get a goal in the fourth quarter and they ended up winning 1-0. Yay, Nicklas!!

Quilty projects

Not much time to write and darn it, our home computer isn't working which means I can't post any of the pictures saved on there. I may never get caught up on the posts I have swirling in my head. Luckily, some of my photos are still on the camera - including these.

What do you think? I'm participating in a black and white quilt challenge. There are 10 participants and everyone has to make 10 each of two different blocks measuring 12.5 inches. The first pattern is the Bento Box. I'm not sure if the second has a name. I made it up based on some leftover pieces I had.

The second photo includes some of the blocks I'm making for the Polack's quilt. He wanted something with greens and blues and since I loved the improvisational nature of my Starburst quilt, I decided to do it again. It's so freeing to not worry about measuring or precise quarter inch seams. I may never go back to traditional quilting again!

Random Thought Thursday

Here it is again, folks! My second RTT...

1. I have a student who looks just like my youngest brother. It's a nice feeling every week to be reminded of Jake.

2. It only took 5 days for weeds to start popping up through my newly mulched landscaping. At least my landscaping looked good for 5 days.

3. Sometimes I wonder if I should change careers. I picture the Polack and I selling our house and moving far away so I can attend graduate school/law school/business school. We'd live off his teacher's salary in a cozy apartment and frugal lifestyle. Then I realize cozy means small and frugal means peanut butter and jelly every night for dinner. Teacher's salary means no vacations or nice cars. Still, it's somewhat freeing to think of a major lifestyle change. It would certainly help us appreciate what we have a little bit more.

4. It's finals week on campus. I can almost feel the anxiety palpitating off the students I interact with. Then there are the other students who are beyond anxious. After countless hours of studying and several all nighters, they are too far gone to feel anything but exhaustion.

5. I just finished watching the Sex and the City series a few days ago. (It's my background noise when I'm quilting.) I'd seen the series before and I knew the last season was good but daaaaamn..... I'd forgotten how good. So many networks rush to cancel a series without ever giving it the proper goodbye. And those that do often fail (hello, Girlmore Girls?) at it. But not SATC. They rocked with with their finale. And for the record, it was waaaaaay better than the finale of The Sopranos.

6. Nicklas has been exercising a little more independence lately. He asked to wait in the car while Seeger and I went to the grocery store the other day. The next day, I had to leave for about 45 minutes to take Freddie to the vet and he asked if he could stay home alone during that time. Some parents would freak out about this but I'm proud of his desire to take care of himself.

7. I have a friend who is currently in China, adopting a daughter. Another couple has been traveling with her family as they too are adopting. When the other couple received their child a few days ago, they quickly realized she was very, very delayed both physically and mentally. With heavy hearts, they gave her back to the agency. I can't imagine having to make that decision! The agency offered them another child and at first, they weren't sure they wanted to go through it. But they did and their new daughter was completely different, very alert and active.

8. At Seeger's spring program, it took everything I had to keep it together and not start bawling. He's going to be in kindergarten next year. He's growing up! Next week is his last week in Pre-K and to me, that means the door is closing on the baby phase of my life. I don't feel old enough to be past that stage, especially when so many of my friends are just entering it. Clearly, it's very emotional for me and I need to figure out how to deal.

9. Cancer sucks. It really, really sucks. I hate Cancer.

10. I have too many Facebook friends. As a result, I miss updates on people I really want to connect with. I think it's time to purge my friend list.

The Lemonade Award

So I'm minding my own business, catching up on my reading, lurking on some blogs when I see Heather's post at Comparative Childhood. She gave me the Lemonade Award! Super cool! I always enjoy Heather's posts as she navigates parenting a teenager. And since she's expecting, I can't wait to read all about the arrival of the baby and witness her starting over again. Thanks for the award, Heather! And thanks for always being willing to share your thoughts and opinions with me. I always appreciate your advise.

As a recipient of the Lemonade Award, I must nominate other fellow bloggers who show great attitude or great gratitude.

For great attitude, I nominate Suburban Correspondent. Her humorous approach to motherhood always brings a smile to my face. For great gratitude, I nominate Smirking Cat. She reminds me to appreciate the little things in life. Go check out their blogs!

To Suburban Correspondent and Smirking Cat, thank you for your contributions to the blogging world. Feel free to pass the award on. You won't offend me if you don't but if you do, here are the guidelines:

1. Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate blogs that show great attitude or gratitude

3. Link to your nominees within your post

4. Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog

5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award

Poor old Michael Finnigan, begin again...

This week was Seeger's spring show at Pre-K.

The theme was It's a Small World and many of the songs were from other countries or sung in different languages. We were excited when Seeger's class sang a Polish song. The Polack even commented that he remembered his grandmother singing that song to him. The class also sang an Irish song about Michael Finnigan.

To go along with the theme of the program, the students were sent home with long pieces of paper. We were asked to draw an outline of our students body and help him decorate it while giving consideration to our nationality. I came up with the theme for Seeger's shirt (the Polish flag and an outline of Poland) and let Seeger decorate the pants. He put Thomas the Train and Spongebob stickers all over.



Here is Seeger with his finished project. It was fun to see what the other kids came up with.

Since Seeger has been walking around the house singing Michael Finnigan for the past two weeks, I'll leave you with this video....

The end is near

The end is near. The end of Nicklas in second grade, that is. And it can't come fast enought for me. If you've been reading this blog for the past few months, you know that things haven't been the smooth sailing for Nicklas at school. The Polack and I have attended numerous meetings and appointments to try an determine why he's been struggling with his grades this semester. So what have we found out? Not a whole heck of a lot. He's seen his pediatrician, his optometrist, and a child psychologist. Many tests later, everything checks out. He's healthy with perfect vision and no evidence of behavioral problems. This is great news.

And the even better news? His grades are back to where they were at the beginning of the year. The Polack and I are very happy and proud of him. We've had many conversations about trying hard, doing his best work, taking his time, rechecking everything. We stressed the importance of his NWEA tests and he did well. Actually, he did awesome. He's a great kid who wants to succeed. He wants to do his best and make us proud of him. With all this focus on his performance, the meetings with his teacher and principal, the testing; I think it's worried him and freaked him out a little bit. I think he's learning that he can't always coast through his classwork. I think he understands that sometimes he has to work a little harder at some of his assignments. And what a great lesson for a second grader. (How old were you before you figured that out??) Did I mention we're proud of him?

Throughout these past few months, I've forgotten to consider Nicklas' feelings. I've tried to walk the line of letting him know this is serious stuff while being supportive and encouraging. But we've never really TALKED about everything. Nicklas went with the Polack and I to meet with the the child psychologist to get the results of his ADD testing. I wanted to include him and make him a part of the process. The doctor went on and on about how he's a great kid who is super smart, off the charts in math and she didn't see evidence of any ADD. All great things to hear. And at the end of the meeting, he said, "So you guys still don't know what's wrong with me?" My heart broke right then and there and I realized just how much Nicklas has been affected by all these meetings and tests. And the next day at school, he had a meltdown about a seemingly trivial matter.

All that pride, all the encouragement and rewards for doing well, the high-fives and way-to-go's, I know they helped. But they didn't go far enough to ward off his concern and anxiety. So we're done for now. No more tests, no more meetings. We'll keep talking about reviewing his work, rechecking his answers, taking his time and trying his best. That's it for now. I don't expect issues to magically go away in third grade. I understand that we'll still be there for Nicklas, reminding him about what it takes to succeed and encouraging him to do his best.

But I can't help but believe that a long break, fresh start, and new teacher is just what the doctor ordered.

Lucy the dog

I'm waaaaaaaaayyyy-ayyyyyy behind in posts. I have many to write - updates on school stuff for Nicklas, silly things that Seeger has been doing lately, quilting projects, and my prize for the homemade/handmade challenge. But spring is officially here and we've been spending our time outside (in between baseball/soccer/tennis/swimming, that is.)

(I also recently switched purses. I'm now carrying one that is smaller and there is no room for my camera cord. I have pictures to accompany all those posts but I still need to get them uploaded. You can't fault me though... it's a really cute purse.)

Anyway, enough excuses. I do have a quick post to share about Seeger. I took a vacation day yesterday because Uncle Mike was in Memphis for the Beale Street Music Festival and wasn't free to watch Seeger. It was nice to pretend to be a stay-at-home-mom for the day. I got Nicklas off on the bus, dropped Seeger off at pre-K and then went home to do laundry. (I might have also caught up on some tv watching. Maybe.)

When I picked Seeger up later that morning, I was first stopped by one teacher who had to share a story about Seeger offering her a dandelion during play time. She went to accept it but he stopped her first and told her it would cost a dollar. Yes, that's my Seeger, always looking for a way to make some money. (The other day, he tried to sell me a penny for a dollar. He's quite the entrepreneur!) When I made it to his room, he came crawling over to me. He had decided to be a dog for the day. Apparently, he crawled around during play time panting at the teachers. (This must have been after he struck out in his dandelion sales.) His other teacher said, "Is your name Freddie the puppy?" He shook his head no. "Is your name Seeger?" He shook his head no. "Is your name Charlie?" He shook his head no. Then one of the girls in his class asked, "Is your name Lucy?" He shook his head yes. Lucy the dog was born.

Seeger proceeded to crawl on his hands in knees all through the school as we made our way to the parking lot. I finally picked him up and carried him to the car but once we were home, crawled around the house and played with Freddie's toys. He even took a "nap" under the kitchen table. The kid was quite convincing, he didn't speak for two hours. I asked him if he wanted to take a walk with Freddie. I thought he might make me put a leash on him but he didn't. As we slowly made our way down the street, he continued crawling on his hands and knees. Finally, at the end of the street he stood up and announced he was a boy again. He had gone at least 200 yards from house though. I was quite impressed.

Lucy hasn't made an appearance since then but last night at Nick's baseball game, he told the woman at the concession stand that he wants to be called Rocky instead of Seeger. It's because he "really likes rocks."

Nope, never a dull moment with Seeger.