School is now in session! No More Shenanigans*

Schools in Minneapolis started on Monday, with kindergarteners starting on Wednesday.  It has been the hottest week of the year so far. Many schools including ours have no AC. Many kids are just stuck. Our kids go to a great school. Two days of school, Adrian has already been on two field trips to a local park with a wading pool.

Walter was not deterred by the heat on his first day of school. He knew the day would have some time playing in the sprinkler and end with a trip to the wading pool. He was not to apprehensive since he was used to coming here with me and his brother of the last few years. 

This is Walter trying not to let me get a picture of him in his classroom. 

This is how most people feel about the bittersweat reality of their youngest starting school. 

Our kids on the other hand were having a pillow fight style battle in the back of the car with their towels for the pool. It was crazy. Clemma looks over and goes, "I don't think this is going to be a tearful drop off for us." 

 Instead its worthy of a celebration with a Minnesota breakfast.

We are so excited and proud of our kids. I am not sure they could be in better hands than the loving folks at SSFS. Cheers! 

Extra End of Summer Shenanigans

Walter didn't start school until today. A post about that will arrive a little later. Since he had two days more of summer than his brother I decided to take him for a quick fishing trip to the cabin in Wisconsin.  It was so hot... How hot was it, that we decided only to stay for one night instead of two. Its funny he's such an easy kid to negotiate with as long as you know how to do it and are willing to let him make some choices. I guess most kids are like that. The difference with Walter is that you (the adult) have to think through the implications of the choices. He's not much of a last minute change the plans, sorry we said we would do this, but now we ran out of time, kind of kid. You said we will do this and we will. Thinking about this made our negotiations work well. For example, he wanted to stop at the donut shop in Lindstrom on the way back. Not possible with his desired departure time of after supper. So we decided to leave after lunch instead.
Anyway here's the good stuff.

I caught this Largy on Walter's rig with a big chunk of night crawler. My photographer was carefully cradling the iPhone.

 This wish you were here picture made the little photographer want to go for a swim.

If you look carefully you can see Walter is about eight feet from my bobber. "Hey Walter, Tell some of those fish to jump on my hook!"

 It worked!

 Can't have enough pictures of the sun setting on the prairie. 

The next morning we tried to fish, but our worms had perished in the heat wave. I suggested going to the store for some leeches, but Walter wanted to head home. 

 He wanted to take one last dip in the lake, but I protested. The wind had blown all of the algae to our side of the lake.

Since we came back early, yesterday I took W to lunch at the mecca of board games and old school video games, Chatterbox Pub. We had tasty lunch, frosty brews, (Walter's was the root variety), and played the heck out of the original NES Super Mario Bros.

Last Week of Summer Break Shenanigans II

After lunch we went to the area at Minnehaha Park downstream of the falls known as the deer pen. The kids love playing there. This is the best summer play spot in the Twin Cities. 
Adrian is in the blue swim shirt and Walter is in the white. 

 In the previous two pictures they were doing what they love most. Building a dam with the river stones to divert the water. On our previous visit we completed a gap in a dam that went clear across this half of the creek. (As I am typing this I am having to change damn to dam. I guess I haven't typed the word dam much.)

Then the cousins show up. Calvin helps Walter ford the swifter parts of the creek. 

 Walter, Adrian, and Everett at the deep part of the creek upstream from the bridge. 

 Snack Time!

 This week of Shenanigans just keeps getting better. When we got home I noticed the boys did not follow me into the house, but were squealing outside. They were in Lisa's backyard (Happy 50th Lisa!) playing with water balloons. 

 Adrian had figured out that being fast can be helpful. You can run up to your brothers balloon and squeeze it so it pops all over him. 

 Lisa's turn!

 Special Trick works again!

 I'm gonna get you sucka!

If that wasn't enough excitement. On the walk back from the creek, (yes for those of you out of town, there is a creek with a massive 40ft water fall a 10 minute walk from my house!)their Grandpa Bruce called and offered to take them to the Cabin. They are out for two nights of cabin craziness! May the last week of Summer Break Shenanigans continue in this vein. I know that mine will with the kids gone...

Last Week before School Shenanigans

    Me: You need to pick up your room so I can vacuum in there.

    W: How do we pick up our room. Its attached to the house. 

I can hear noises of large toys being lifted and moved only to find this...

I am not sure what this game is called, but "Pile the toys on big brother" is a contender. Good news is there are fewer toys to pick up in their room. 

W then proceeded to write all over his brother's legs. For the record A did not protest. 

Hey wait a minute that looks good. I wonder...

 W: Take a picture of my face. 

W: Hey! That looks good, I am gonna do some more. 

Now they are making Lego ziplines all through the house. 

Next, Lunch and the Library and the Creek. 

Daddy Cool

I was recently made aware of this song. I hadn't heard it since I was a kid.

Check out the video.

About the video, I am not sure which show this was shot for, but I don't think the audience was expecting this. They seem to not care that there is a man stripping down and getting down with his mic stand. They are also unimpressed with the woman whose dress is topped with the doctors reflective head thingy. Will.i.am fans now know where he got the idea for his hear. Please see the singer in the middle. I gotta say this is pretty much what I expect from a band named Boney M.
After this video aired on German TV, the song went to number 1 (in Germany).

Turns out, not a surprise that the people are all lip-synching. This is an early Millie Vanilli. The male vocals were all recorded by the German Producer, singer song writer Fred Farian. I thought it was funny that a guy from Aruba had such a thick german accent. Still for me the accent makes it.
Peace.

PS totally worth 99 cents on iTunes.

Another pic for the kids at home.

Laying Low on FB

alright facebookies. As I told you before I am getting tired of FB, which is a temporary thing. I am not going to cancel my account, but I will not be on as much. I am keeping it primarily for those of you that I adore but maintain contact with through FB. This is mostly bama and wash folks. If you need me but aren't getting a quick enough response. You can hit me on Twitter @sachamuller or at my struggling blog site http://ramblindad.blogspot.com
My original intent was to have my tweets link to Facebook, but that is not possible if you have deleted your facebook account once already.