Fun with the kids

So yesterday was the last day of Kiddo's first year of preschool...thinking back to the crying and yelling and tantrums of that first day, we've come a long way!

And Kiddo's come a long way too. =)

They had an end of the year program last night with singing, awards, and ice cream. Each child received an award from the teachers, ranging from "The Bear Hug Award" to "The Mother Hen Award" and everything in-between (whatever that may be). Kiddo received "The Little Lamb Award," because he enjoyed the Jesus Time they had each day and was a good listener.

The kids were absolutely adorable singing and doing their actions to each song. Here's a clip of one of the songs they sang...pay attention about 58 seconds in where the teacher has to reprimand a couple of the other kids for goofing off. =)

Pumpkin is 12 weeks old now, and has really started to babble a lot lately. Makes me nervous for when she's old enough to want a cell phone. =) Here's a video clip from just last night:

And here's some other fun pictures from the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Kiddo riding the zoo train with Mommy on Mothers' Day

Kiddo posing with the big show-off at the zoo

Pumpkin's scratching her head in wonder at her big brother. We think he might be channeling Spider Man...

Meanwhile, Pumpkin is channeling Obi Wan Kenobi. "Use the Force, Luke..."

LH

P.S. Be sure to check out the post below this one for some AWESOME news in the LutheranHusker household today!!!! =)

Quick update...

Things have been busy both at work and personally, which means basically that I've got a ton to write about and no time to actually DO the writing. C'est la vie. =)

A quick look at the highlights, with hopefully more complete postings to come:

• This past weekend I took a group of high school kids to a choral festival in the Twin Cities called Sounds Like Love. Amazing experience--500 high schoolers singing and doing choreography to Christian choral music is hard to describe, but an incredible sight to behold...and as a result I have 23 kids VOLUNTARILY singing and doing choreography for two songs in church this coming Sunday. I just love these kids. I really do. I was telling a parent about this on the way back from Minnesota late on Sunday and she said "you sound just like a proud parent." And I suppose I do...I couldn't be more proud of them if they were my kids.
• Took the minivan in to repair some minor damage caused by a renegade stop sign...while it was in the shop there was some sort of a short in the alternator, causing a strange smell as the wires and casing to the alternator melted and the alternator itself went bad. The guy at the garage told me it was a good thing it happened when people were around, otherwise it could have burned down the shop. So I've been driving a rental for the past week. Except the insurance company just told me today that since the accident repairs were done last Thursday (they've been working on the alternator stuff since then), as of last Friday they're no longer covering the cost of my rental. Makes sense from where they stand...but methinks I'm gonna have to raise some hell with Chrysler to see if they'll cover the cost, since it was their alternator that went out after 13,000 miles. **sigh** I don't have time for drama right now.
• My dad and I drove to Lawrence to watch Nebraska get pummeled by Kansas. Yet, strangely, it was a really great day.
• Sweetie and I went to our first "parent-teacher conference" for Kiddo. It's only preschool, but it gives parents a chance to check in and see how their child's acclimating to the preschool environment, see some journaling the teachers do on each student, hear who they're playing with, etc. His teacher said that she's not supposed to have favorites, but Kiddo's a favorite of hers. He's a favorite of ours, too. =)

There's probably more going on right now, but those are the biggies off the top of my head. As things start to slow down, hopefully there will be more time for reflection.

It'll be soon. Just not now. =)

LH

Looking Back, Part 2: Preschool

As we continue our trip down the amnesia lane that was mid-August until mid-September (hereafter referred to as "the lost blogging month"), we come to another big day for Kiddo and his parents:

The first day of preschool.

Kiddo's enrolled in a preschool at a Lutheran church about 7 blocks from the church I'm at. The main teacher has a master's in early childhood development, and is a really nice lady to boot. There's two assistants who are also very qualified...and great with young kids. We had gone to an open house in the spring and had been talking it up all summer...the teacher had made a home visit the week before and had done some activities with Kiddo...there was a picture of him hanging up in the preschool room, he had made his own bag and t-shirt...and now it was the day after Labor Day, the first day of class, and he was all ready to go.

Except he didn't wanna.

And oh boy didn't he wanna. Sweetie took that morning off from work to help see him off, and actually at first he was okay with it all. He posed for pictures at home, got into the van, and even talked about it on the way there.

But when the time came to get out of the van and walk inside, neither hell nor high water would tear him from his carseat. And the pitiful wailing could be heard for miles:

“MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

We pried him loose from his seat: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

We dragged him inside the building: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

Down the hallway, church secretaries looking on with bemused acknowledgement: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

Past other parents who had already calmly dropped off their children, trying not to make eye contact: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

And into the classroom, where Kiddo promptly latched himself on to Sweetie's leg: “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

It was not pretty.

He wasn't too fond of being there, but was willing to deal with it as long as we stayed. After about ten minutes of him following us everywhere, though, it became obvious that sooner or later we were just going to have to pull off the bandaid and leave.

Mrs. H, one of the assistants, came over and held Kiddo back as we walked out the door, the sounds of “MOM-my!!! DAD-dy!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” echoing down the hallway chasing us as we left.

Wanna hear something funny?

According to the teachers, five minutes after we left, Kiddo was back to normal. And he had a great morning. In fact, the first thing he said when I came to pick him up 3 hours later was "I had fun, Daddy!!!"

It took a few days, but the last 3 times I've brought him I've been able to drop him off without incident. Which is good. He's growing up. He's not as dependent on Mommy and Daddy.

Honestly, it makes me a little sad, though. He's not even 4 and we're already beginning the long process of letting go of our baby.

A side note: last week, Kiddo learned a song to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine" that teaches the days of the week. "There are seven days, there are seven days, there are seven days in a week...Sunday Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday Friday, Sa-tur-day." Over the weekend we had a Beatles CD on the stereo, and the song "8 Days a Week" came on. We didn't say anything, but somewhere in the middle of the song, Kiddo turns to Sweetie with a puzzled look and says "8 days?!?!?!?!" We've decided that the Beatles were pretty silly guys.

We'll wait a few years to discuss the various causes of their silliness.

Pictures? You say you want pictures? Well, why didn't you say so earlier?!?! =)

Outside the house, ready to go!!! (As long as I'm with Mom and Dad, that is...)



"I had fun, Daddy!"

Fear Not...

I'm still around, and I'm still planning on blogging...this pregnancy has just been kicking Sweetie's and my collective butts (whatever a "collective butt" is) the past month.

No serious health issues or anything--just lots of nausea, lots of migraine-type headaches, and lots of lethargy.

And that's just me. =)

No, Sweetie's been through the wringer. And I've tried to be as much of a support to her and Kiddo as I can through it all. Which has left me with little free time, and the incredible desire to spend the free time I do have sleeping instead of blogging.

We've also been incredibly busy as well, what with weddings and travels and work and the beginning of the school year and the fall church programs that come with it and classes and such. So, my dear readers, there are plenty of stories with which to regale you once the time is right.

For today though, I at least wanted to explain my sudden and consistent disappearance from the blogosphere lately.

I'm still around. And soon I'll be posting more regularly.

I'll leave you with my recent "brush with celebrity" from Saturday's Nebraska vs. USC game: quite possibly the worst actor of all time who's actually famous: Keanu Reeves.



LH

Sunday updates, and an unveiling of sorts

A few things to update y'all on today:

Update #1: I wrote last week about our experience with "Spike," one of the Omaha Royals mascots. I ended up writing an email to let the powers-that-be know what happened, and received an almost immediate phone call back from a senior vice president. We had a nice conversation which ended with him offering to give us free tickets to any remaining home game this season. That's not why I said something in the first place, but it was a nice gesture on his part. The Royals are at home for most of August--I think we're gonna take him up on his offer.

Update #2: On a whim, I emailed Marty Haugen a link to the video of Kiddo singing Now The Feast and Celebration. I didn't expect anything back...maybe, at the very most a quick reply email saying "thanks." But kudos to the man--what did he do but create a BlogSpot ID for the sole purpose of leaving a comment on my blog! Marty, thanks for making a Lutheran dad's day! Someday, Kiddo will understand how cool this is...

Update #3: I have never had a job where I've had as much fun as I'm having with this one! I almost feel guilty getting paid to do what I do (not that I'm complaining, mind you...please keep the paychecks coming!). I'm blessed to be in a congregation with cool kids, amazing parents, a wonderful staff, and a congregation as a whole that's forward-thinking and out-reaching. We've begun a 7 week Bible study series--The Gospel According to the Simpsons, we've been to a baseball game and dinner and a movie, we've got our first high school lock-in coming up in a month, and I've started making appointments to visit families of middle-and-high school aged kids in their homes. I've got about 75 families that fit that description, and my goal is to see them all. It's such a blessing to wake up every morning and to be excited about going to work. And the congregation has been so welcoming to both me and my family. The more time that goes by, the more solidified I am in my conviction that God has led us to the right place for us.

The "unveiling" of sorts: Lastly, I've decided that it's time for me to formally introduce myself to the blogosphere. I wasn't sure at first what sort of form this blog would take, so I made the decision early on to remain at least semi-anonymous. My family and many of my friends have known for quite some time that I'm the author, and there's really no reason for anyone else not to know as well. So blogging world, hi! My name is Matt Schur, and I'm the Director of Youth Discipleship at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE.

So there you have it. Anonymous no longer. I don't know why, but I almost feel a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I think I'll still generally sign off with my pseudonym (I have grown rather attached to it), but not necessarily always. There may be some posts that will ring more genuine coming from Matt rather than LutheranHusker. We'll see.

But for now, take care and God bless,

(for the first time) Matt