School started here last Wednesday. What a quiet day that was for me. Chuck was working all day and the kids in school all day so I actually felt like I could get something done once without any interruptions and what a great feeling it was. Charlie is in the 3rd grade this year and his teacher is Mrs. Barthel. Sydney is in the 1st grade and her teacher is Miss Miller. Here’s a picture of Charlie and Sydney from the first day:

Sydney and Charlie on the First Day of School

Eric wouldn’t hear of me taking his picture and I tried to get one anyway but it didn’t work out well. He is a junior this year. Time goes fast.

Eric's Latest Look... This was not taken the first day of school but very recently.

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Eric looks so handsome with short hair. (Wish he would have smiled for this picture though.) He didn’t want a haircut but we told him if he was going to drive our car and test for his drivers license, he would have to get his hair cut so he went super short, his idea, not ours but we are all happy with it. And he took his drivers test on Friday and passed with flying colors!

School is out for the summer already. The last day was on the 28th. They were out at 1:00 pm. We haven’t seen Eric’s report card yet because they mail them out but Charlie and Sydney did great! Charlie’s 3rd grade teacher will be Mrs. Barthel and Sydney’s 1st grade teacher will be Mrs. Lund.

Chuck and I celebrated our 9th anniversary on May 27th. I can’t believe how fast 9 years has gone by. But all we have to do is look at how the kids have grown.

Dawson County High School Drama Department performed the musical “West Side Story” on March 20th and 21st. The kids worked very hard getting ready for it and did a great job in the performance as well. Eric was Juan, one of the Sharks gang. Here are a couple of pictures to share.

The Sharks after the show...

There are three kindergarten classes at Jefferson Elementary School. The Christmas program was held in the gymnasium on December 18th. It was so much fun seeing all the kids singing their hearts out and looking so nice. Sydney kept waving at us throughout the whole program. The Ranger-Review took pictures that day. Sydney is in the front row toward the middle. If you can’t tell which one is her, look for glasses, long hair and a white shirt.

Eric’s concert was held that night at the high school too. Very entertaining. There are so many talented students in the choir.

Charlie’s elementary school Christmas program was on Thursday night.

Chuck was trying to teach Charlie how to blow a bubble (before the program)...

I love watching the kids sing. Charlie always tries so hard to snap his fingers. He’s great at tapping his toes too. It’s very entertaining, every year.

Sydney’s Christmas program will be next Thursday afternoon and Eric has a Christmas concert Thursday night so we have two more to attend.

It’s been awhile since I posted here but things have been busy but not exciting in any way. I have been busy working on a weight loss challenge and busy walking lots.

Tuesday after Sydney’s dance class we stopped by to see Nila and her son Matt. Matt has recently gotten a new puppy. Toby is a 4 week old Pitt Bull puppy. Here’s a picture of Sydney holding the puppy. Toby still has his days and nights turned around so he is asleep in her lap. She just loves any kind of baby and animal alike.

Sydney and Toby

This week is homecoming week too. Tomorrow the kids are out of school early so that they can go to the homecoming parade at 3 PM. Then tomorrow is the game and the dance and all the events that go with it. I am not sure how much of it Eric wants to attend at this time but the kids all want to see the parade for sure. And the weather will be really nice for this year’s parade too.

Today, my 2nd grader came home telling me someone found a dead mountain lion on the other side of the tree row behind Jefferson School. I wasn’t sure how much of a rumor it was or if it was true. Well, then I went through the kids papers from their backpacks after school. Both Sydney and Charlie had the following note from the school in their backpack:

September 12, 2008

TO: Jefferson School Parents

FROM: Mr. Idso

REGARDING: Mountain lion sightings

We have been notified of the sighting of a mountain lion around the Jefferson School area. At home, please exercise caution with children and pets outside, particularly at dawn and dusk. I would like to remind everyone of some safety tips when encountering a “big cat”.

• travel in groups
• Stay calm
• Do not make sudden movements.
• Do not run. Move slowly.
• Do not turn your back. Face the animal and remain in an upright position.
• Do all you can to enlarge your image. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
• If necessary, speak loud and firm. Arm yourself with a large stick and throw rocks.

The objective is to convince the animal that you’re not prey, but are a danger to the animal.

Below are some precautions that will be taken at Jefferson School when sightings are reported.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

JEFFERSON SCHOOL

(Mountain Lions)

Assure students that they will be safe and that precautions are being taken. We must tell them that there have been mountain lion sightings in the area. Yet, we can assure them that…

1. Any lion would probably be following its source of food – deer
2. a lion probably wouldn’t come near a place where there was noise and a crowd
3. The tree line by the 2nd-4th playgrounds will be patrolled at 7:45 A.M. and again at 9:50, just before mid-morning recess.

In the event of a sighting, playground supervisors:

1. Blow your whistle, gather students into a crowd, and walk them to the door and into the building. Students should not run, and they’ll be safer in a crowd.
2. Radio the office.
3. The office will call 911.
4. Students should go to their classrooms and quick attendance taken. Report to the office the names of any unaccounted for students.

Supervision of

the playground

begins at 7:55

each morning.

Students should not arrive earlier.

As a parent, this is not the type of note I want to receive in my child’s backpack. Especially when one of my children is in the 2nd grade and the playground he plays on is at a greater risk. A little scarier for me as his mother. This is not the first time they have mentioned mountain lions in this area but this is the first time it has been so close to my family.