Well, it's the beginning of a new school year. Eric started third grade yesterday. He seemed to enjoy his class, his favorite part of school was that he got to pick his own desk! He picked one in the back corner of the class, right next to the door. Does that say anything about his personality? If not how about this... He got a new backpack this year, it is green. He picked out a lunch box, also green. His choice for a homework folder, you guessed it green.

I hope this year will be better than last. It's already looking good. The first thing he said to me when I picked him up was he got a green ticket!

If you don't know the school has a system that is suppose to reinforce positive behavior. You start the day with a green ticket, if you break a rule you pull the green ticket behind it is a yellow, then orange, then red ticket. If you get to red you see the principal.

Last year the only time he had a green ticket is when there was a substitute teacher. He had to pull tickets for all sorts of ridiculous things last year. Like holding his pencil while the teacher was giving instructions, or laughing when she dropped a lid that made a big noise, or taking a drink of water out of his desk water bottle at the wrong time. I think he got 10 green tickets the whole year.

This year his teacher is Ms. Mickelsen, kids that had her last year say she is very nice. Hopefully little behavior won't be such a huge deal in her classroom. Hopefully I won't get a phone call from Eric saying he is in trouble for flushing the toilet three times in a row. (Who has time to sit and listen for the toilet flush?)

Onto a happier note, we have the Labor Day weekend coming up, a four day weekend for the kids. (sorry Janae about the word labor:) ) Does anyone have a good idea of what to do? I wanted to go to Dinosaur National Monument but it appears that the visitor center, where you can see the archaeologists digging bones out of the mountain (it is so cool) is closed because it is falling down. (you should see the pictures, really bad engineering). Anyway... I don't have any great ideas yet. Sometimes we go to Swiss Days but it is so crowded, or we can go to Park Valley for the Pugsley reunion but that is a long drive to sit around a hot bowery talking. I don't know, Grandma and Mom have a better time, they know more people. It's always the same "He's eight... no just the one... no I stay home..." I am so boring. (sigh) I would much rather do something else, but what?

Robert would say lets go on a family bike ride, but he won't buy me the bike I want. You know a tandem. Then he could never leave me behind, of course he claims that he would be doing all the pedaling. That is so not true, very much, only up hill, or well, maybe sometimes, occasionally...

Maybe well go to the Drive-in if there is anything worth seeing. Mmmm movie theater popcorn.