1st day for Cal and Karrick

Karrick's 1st day of 1st grade collage

Callahan had his 1st day of middle school today from 8-9am. He also took the bus for the 1st time. 5 kids from his elementary school are in his homeroom...including the triplets, minus the boy (Christopher). What are the odds of that? 6 schools feed into our 1 middle school....destiny 

Patrick stood guard and watched as Cal walked down the street to the bus stop

My baby that just had a big growth spurt...3 inches to 47 1/2 inches or "3 feet 11 1/2 inches" as Karrick says. This kid can multiply 12x4 and subtract a 1/2 inch is record time! Anyway, Karrick had his 1 st day of 1st grade. His hour was from 11-12 which is wonderful for working parents....NOT! Oh,well, I took the day off.

Parents stayed while the kids followed a list directions on what to do with all the school supplies. Karrick is a task master, once that was complete he opened a welcome bag of goodies from Mrs Heim.

He put the treats aside to jump right in on tackling the maze.

 OMG, Karrick is obsessed with mazes...loves 'em!

Karrick's 2 best buds are in his class! Nick and Nico

Below are just some cute shots of Karrick...nothing fancy, just my little boy

and my big boy

Callahan

It doesn't seem like Callahan is represented enough on our family blog. This summer cal attended IMSA for the 3rd year in a row. IMSA is his passion and escape, a place where he can be engaged and challenged. It is a place where he can be with kids like himself, kids that are 11 and 12, but have the intellectual brain of a young adult. This year I noticed a change in the student dynamic...in previous years there were a lot of white kids (screw being politically correct, it is what it is) This year, Callahan was definitely was the minority. Why is that?  Maybe different work ethics? I don't know, I just found it interesting

Callahan like always glowed the entire week. Next year he will be in the residential program, staying there a week at a time for each course. It will give him a small taste of high school life, as IMSA is a residential high school.

fuzzy pictures due to camera phone..blahhhhhh

Callahan is only 11 and entering the 6th grade, but is already studying for the SAT test. He will need high SAT scores for admission at IMSA. 

fun with water in the backyard

Today we reclaimed our outside. While Tim cut the 18 inch grass, sprayed weeds, trimmed overgrown bushes (I actually trimmed the backyard bushes) and cleaned up all the tossed flood crap in the driveway; I snapped some super cool shots of water. I used different lens with different settings. The end result was beauty after disaster

Enlarge pictures to see lovely water drops

I finally tackled Cal's long overdue room. I had to chisel melted candy off the floor along with some unidentifiable matter. The room is only half painted, hence the swatches of paint on the white walls. Nothing was hung on the walls before and I put his dresser in his closet for more space.

It is still a work in progress, but it's clean

The fathead on the wall is 2 years old and I just hung it today. It is removable  for when Tim finishes the paint.
(It's called a fat head...I'm not calling Callahan a fat head)

Happy Birthday TJ

TJ age 2

On Tuesday August 17, 2010 my sweet first born son turned 14 years old. I don't know where the years went, as it seems like yesterday...

TJ has been a delight since birth, always a happy child. He is now entering his freshman year of High School and I want him to experience all the great things high school has to offer. These next 4 years will be the years he'll always remember and refer back to.

football cake decorated by Callahan

 What do you get a 14 year old? ...weights of course

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

little buddy, go forth and make your mark on the world

Love, 

mom, dad, callahan and karrick

Family picnic and baseball party

Team Mcginty

Sunday was the annual Connell family picnic held in Long grove. Tim's mom is a Connell and one of 8 kids of Ed and Marge Connell. They all have multiple kids which make up about 40 first cousins for Tim. Well add another 40 or so great-grand kids for Grandma and Grandpa Connell and WOW...you have a giant family party

Stay in the circle and pop the balloon while protecting your own balloon

The final 4....The winner is...

 Karrick!!!!

holding his beach ball prize

there may have been whispers in the crowd that Karrick has pointy bones sticking out of his body

(is it wrong to withhold food for 2 weeks prior to the games?) I don't think so.

My motto "if you come to play...Play to Win or don't come at all"

A win's a win

lots-o-swimming and games

Callahan hitting orange with potato filled panty-hose around waist

Team Budnick came in matching orange t-shirts

fill cup with sponge water

balloon and egg toss....not accusing any foul play....but, someone's egg and tiny water balloon couldn't be broken...just sayin....

note to self "pack hard boiled egg for 2011"

Shoe toss...TJ won!!!

must be his new football skills

tug-o-war...Team McGinty...not so much

Team Budnick...game on next year

Karrick and Wes

Karrick sat in this raft singing   "I sit this waaaaaaaaay, cause thats how I roll, roooolllll...oh yeah, oh yeah"

I need to steal her...now!

It was a great picnic and wonderful to see all the kids playing together. Thank-You Mom McGinty for hosting this years event

TJ, Callahan and myself had to leave the picnic and attend his Thunder final party. Which included great people, food, swimming, football and the baseball pinata

Never too old for candy...holy smokes

My boy is a Ram!...a Glenbard East Ram

TJ survived his first week of High School football and he LOVES IT!

He practices 6 days a week (mon-sat) from 7:40-1:30 outside in this God awful heat. Today I got to pick him up and catch a glimpse of him in full pads....just as I thought...freakin adorable!

I was so proud to see my boy walking across the field carrying one of the teams water coolers in addition to all his crap. He just lights up when talking about the days grueling workout. Next week is the same mon-sat schedule, then I believe he goes to afternoons when classes start

Sweet Jesus!.....My boy is in High School

Do I even need to mention the hair?

Seriously?!

I do believe that larger person is one of the coaches