B2S 6-8 p.m.

That means back to school night for Reagan... written in pink, her color, on our calendar. Specific colors for each of us means we know right away who is where and when!! Just the facts ma'am.

Ok, so being in a high school again makes you feel like you're going to high school again. By third period I could tell what each of these adults must have been like when they were freshmen, juniors, whatever. This one dude came flying by me with his plaid shirt tucked into his jean shorts, cranked to his chin with a belt strapped tight and was seriously on a mission. I thought, nerd! Sorry, but really, it is back to school night you don't have to be on time, there is no grade buddy. Then there was Scott and I. When I stopped to say hi to a friend he's standing there like, Come on Kissel, let's go! I'm thinking, We have time!  I can guarantee you he never ditched a high school class... not a one. Again, I'm pretty sure this was who we were in high school.

I wrote a not about each teacher during the night as we went from class to class. Here is the break down on her teachers without using their names, listed in class order:

1. Rock Star, looks like Pat Benatar. Reagan said she told the kids she used to dress punk rock, "I think she still does because she wears black eyeliner all around her eyes." She told my fellow mom-friend, "Love ya" on the way out of class. Ugh.
2. No Show! She had her own B2S to attend. I know I would have loved her, I loved her room. Art teacher! I asked Reagan if I could volunteer in the class for free art lessons. She'd rather poke her eyes out than have me volunteer. I was only (slightly) kidding!
3. Miss Outdoorsy Lovin' Her Job! I mean really, you get to teach photography all day to kids who actually want to be there!! That is the life. I was so pumped when Reagan said they have a dark room, get to use film cameras, and develop their film. That was such a highlight to my junior high experience. The smell brought me right back!
4. Happy Pappy! She came bustin' in the room like she was ready to sell us some Pampered Chef items. Loved the enthusiasm. She went from being a chemist at a pharmaceutical company to teaching high school biology - God bless her!!
5. Give me an "E", give me an "N"...! I couldn't decide if we were in flight attendant school or in cheer leading practice. SHE LOOKED 12!!! I'm sure she'll teach 'em sum good englush. But my, oh my, how did I get to be this much older than my kids teachers?
6. Hmmm... that is all I can say! The other thing I can say is, Praise God I don't have to take history again... and especially from him. Sadly, his last name practically mirrors ours.
7. Dig the curtains! Mr. French Teacher had some slammin' decor. The homemade curtains with happy fabric made me chuckle. Funnier yet? The dude was a fellow bagel employee with Scott. So glad he didn't do anything illegal while we knew him :) Oh, he's also from France. Could that be even cooler?
8. Miss Perfect, prim and proper ready to go. She may have been 12 and a half, still super young. She is the Advisory teacher. This is a class where they have 25 fellow freshmen they travel with over their 4 years in high school. They'll get to know each other through team building, college prep, and other things I can't remember. But what I do remember is that this is the group she'll sit with at graduation. Too cool.

There you have it. I now have faces with names and humor to go along with it. When I hear about the punk rocker I'll know exactly who she's talking about and secretly wonder if she really does "love ya" when she says it. And when she's in French I'll smile thinking about his accent and his curtains.

Happy B2S night everyone!!!

Week of Change

This week has been full of change for sure. Not only did school start for our kids, Reagan is trying out the bus ("they are all slightly scary with a few exceptions"), Whitney did softball try-outs all week, and Tennison has a lot going on with school and recess and football and friends... and slept in until 7:50 when I woke him up this morning!!

Scott turned 41... happy forty-oneth!!

All said and done, I think I had the most change this week... well, physically at least. I had another basal cell removed last week and asked for this bump on my arm to be taken off too. It was something that started growing in May and my dermatologist had a name for it, but no concern. When I was there last week I said, "It's buggin' me, can you get this too?" He took it off, a big hole was left behind like a bullet wound - it got smaller as it healed. I got a call Monday, "Hi, I have your biopsy results, give me a call." That is never good. Called back and this is the first time I've been told I have a melanoma...

mel·a·no·ma/ˌmeləˈnōmə/

Noun:

A tumor of melanin-forming cells, typically a malignant tumor associated with skin cancer.

After a few tears we made an appointment for Thursday to have it taken out completely. My doctor came in looking baffled at me, they never show up like this did - no color, no mole, no nothin'!! Looked like a zit almost. He said it was my persistence that allowed us to catch it in the superficial stage - meaning not deep. So glad. Brace your self, here is the result of my being persistent...

My view! What I look down at, behind my left arm, on my tricep.

He needed a 1 centimeter border to remove a clean border.

He drew a 2 centimeter circle around my "bullet wound"

to make sure he could then close it up well. Ugh!

Scott's legs made it into this shot...

Talk about a good husband. He watched the whole thing, never got sick, even took pics and videos if you are the kind of wing-nut who wants to see!! He was getting ready to bandage it back up. I was scared to leave it exposed.

Count 'em baby!! 25 ever lovin' stitches!

Persistence got me those!!!

That is my arm straight by my back...

really hoping that spot fills in!!

 

My soapbox just got bigger and I'm warning you now: If you don't wear sunscreen in my presence I will tell you to wear it and proceed to point to all my spots! Then I'll leave you alone and give you my dermatologists name if you need him.

 

So glad the week is over!! I hope you had a wonderful week of change too!!

Sunset and the Tree

Today was the first day of 7th grade...

   and 3rd grade....

They both had a great first day. Tennison came to the car saying, "Best teacher ever!" Whitney started softball tryouts so she came to the car saying, "I'm so ready for bed!"

And so the sun sets on our summer vacation. Say good-bye tree...

Good-bye!

How did this happen?

One day you decide it is time to have kids. Then one day you have a baby. This baby is your world and you fall in love faster than you ever thought possible.

~ Reagan Grace with the Pretty Face ~

One day your baby goes to kindergarten...

... and then the next day, she goes to high school. How did this happen? I mean, how is it that she could even leave me? Doesn't she want to home school and be near me all day? No? I don't want that either. Don't get me wrong, I love her and I'll miss her while she is in that big ol' high school, but this is the best for her. It is her next big chance to spread her wings even further. We know the next step is even further from me. I mean at this rate it will be tomorrow that she goes to college.

Reagan Grace with the Pretty Face

on her first day of high school.

Looking back making sure she is doing ok

& her nerves are in check.

Bye sweet girl... sure you want to leave me?

I went on a walk and thought about her wondering what she was doing and if she was ok. I got all choked up when Katy Perry's Firework came on my iPod... "You're original you cannot be replaced, If you only knew what the future holds...Baby, you're a firework, Come on, let your colors burst." Ugh, I clinched my hand picturing me holding hers, letting her know I was thinking of her.



She did great and she had a good day!

Here is to four great years in high school!

I can't wait to see what God has in store for her.

* To my friends with kids starting kindergarten this week, brace yourselves... it flies by!

Our Technicolor Summer

Reagan discovered a feature on our camera... you can choose to highlight a single color! Here is a glimpse of our summer in technicolor!

 7-Eleven will go down as a big ol' highlight of our summer!

We need a pitcher, not a belly itcher!

Throw him some heat Ten.

 

Same plant, different highlight.

Our neighbors flowers.

Happy summer ~ add a little color to your day!!

Balloons & Boats

Dreams came true for us this summer! I have always wanted to go to a balloon festival and got my chance. The Larimer County Fair had two mornings of balloon launches, I was in heaven. The kids weren't overly thrilled with the time we had to get up and go, but we all decided in the end it was worth it. There were about 15 balloons that made the launch so special.

 

Reagan used our other camera and highlighted the reds only, too cool.

Off to do some boating after balloons and bagels! This has been a Reagan wish-list-item for some time! Thanks to our good friends Jon & Nicole we were able to do it.

The kids took up the entire front of the boat.

I'd love a repeat picture of this in about 10 years!!

A great day was had by all!

"A good mom must be an explorer. When we take on the explorer mindset we start seeing the world, and our children, in a new way. We take the time to look beyond the surface, to what could lie underneath." I've learned that the time I take to make their summer days extra special really pays off. The thank yous (authentic or prompted) are so appreciated. I have one week left to cram in the fun we have all looked forward to this summer. I hope your summer comes to an end making even more memories!

Celebrating 19 Years

Last week Scott and I were able to spend some time celebrating our anniversary. I found an Italian restaurant in Berthoud in a dining guide and was excited to try something new. With reservations made, we dropped the kids off for the night and drove into Berthoud. It was a pretty night so we sat in the patio. They had a water feature I remembered seeing online, three horses "running" with water coming out of their mouths. It was really pretty. We looked at our menus and then our server came up.

He looked a little wobbly and said, "15 years?" Hmm... Oh, he is trying to guess the year we're celebrating. It took a few more words and I thought, The dude is drunk. He takes our drink order, clearly disappointed we weren't getting shnonkered along with him, and heads to the fountain. He starts cramming his grimy little fingers into the horses mouths, when I notice spaghetti sauce up his arm. Eww. Scott and I look at each other confused and say nothing. I stood up and said to Scott, "I need to use the restroom." All the while I was thinking, I gotta come up with an escape plan. On my way back through I'm mouthing and pointing, Let's go! He tells me to head through the adjacent parking lot when our server walks out. Busted. "Um, we're just going to head out. Thanks!" I wave and pick up my speed walking pace. We found a new restaurant and the night was rescued.

The next morning we drove to Boulder to for a beautiful view over breakfast at Chautauqua Park. I tell ya, the views are breathtaking and it is well worth the drive to sit outside on the patio in my hometown. Afterwards we went downtown to the Farmer's Market. I took my camera and here is what we saw...

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. This dude just screams Boulder.

Oh my, the colors.

I grew up close to this farm.

The crazy thing was I had just told Scott about getting the best corn off a truck at

a family farm as a kid... no butter needed. Then we walk up to their stand, too cool.

Bins full of amazing pastas. We bought sweet potato pasta and was it divine!

A little hard to see, but notice the tiny cupcakes nestled in

the half dozen egg carton above. So cute.

I think I'll keep him!!

Here is to another 19 Kissel!!

I can't wait for our 20th celebration next summer.