Mmm...brownies!

The boys were pretending to cook the other night so we told them that we would make brownies together tonight.  Tasted pretty yummy on a cool, gloomy evening like tonight.  There was a little fighting in the beginning whose turn it was to dump stuff in.  I was very surprised.  They actually each cracked an egg with little help.  I was picturing a mess and a whole lot of egg shell.  Here are a few pictures.
 

Ooo..and the best part of baking.  

Had to add this one.  I couldn't stop laughing at it.  

The taste test.  I think Tyler ate 3.  

Living amongst the wild

The boys have been loving the National Geographic's Big Cat show and a few others like it on Netflix.  I tried to discourage watching these since I myself don't like watching things be attacked, killed and eaten.  I guess it is mother nature and I they after all are boys.  What else can I say.  Well at lunch today they decided they were going to be some wild cats of some sort, which continued later after lunch.  I was getting sick of being mauled and scratched.  Oh and the poor dog got attached a few times.  They were tigers, lions, leopards and not to forget ligars (sp?).  Here are the crazy animals eating their brunch.  It started off with the bacon and went on to the eggs.  They were eating their meat and skin and showing some mean faces along the way.  Dee-lish!!

Here is a much less wild animal out in the back yard.  I haven't seen one like this big yellow guy before.  

I wonder what he will be?

Fishing...finally!

I tell ya, we have hardly got out in the boat this summer.  Shane has been so busy with work that he hasn't had time to take himself fishing, let alone us.  The poor guy might be going through withdrawals.  We finally got to go out Labor Day evening for a bit before sunset.  We armed ourselves with pop, treats and more treats, minnows (boys request) and leaches and we were off.  Oh and the most important for Collin, a fully charged cell phone to watch Netflix movies on, Nintendo DS and Leapster.  As usual once the fun of playing with/killing minnows wore off he said he wanted to go home.  He usually is done after 20-30 min in the boat.  This time we were prepared and made him stay out longer.  We got out there around 5:00  and headed back in around 7:30, just as the walleyes were really starting to bite.  The boys caught 2 small mouth basses early and then we started catching the walleyes around 7:00.  They were all actually keepers.  That doesn't happen on Mille Lacs much.  By then Collin was pretty much done and 4 (maybe it was 5, I don't remember) walleyes was a plenty good meal for us.  Plus Tyler had to get to bed for school.  We must have had the touch.  I felt like we kept reeling them in for a that little bit and no one else around us was catching anything.  Too bad we had to go in when they were just turning on.  I decided to bring my camera this time so I can get some picture of the boys this year fishing for their scrapbooks.  I always have this fear of dropping it in the lake, so I don't bring it often.  I also and finishing up a 4 week photography class and got to put some skills to use with the great evening light.  I am learning more about sunflare, haze, halos, backlighting, star bursts, reflections, shadows and silhouettes.  So in the down time I got out my camera, but once the walleyes started to hit I put it away.  The boys didn't want to hold the walleyes so I didn't get any pictures with them.  I did get some great sunset pictures though.   Now a big picture share, sorry!!

First Day of Kindergarten

Well it was an exciting day as it was Tyler's first day of Kindergarten.   I am happy to say we got all of our tears out at Kinder Camp and there were no tears today.  Maybe a few from his daycare provider Angie.  I was a bit nervous tho as Shane and I walked him up the driveway at daycare to get him on the bus. He had lots of questions about getting on the bus, like who the driver was, who would he sit with and if there were big kids on the bus.  He got right on with no hesitation.  Shane and I walked across the street to the school and got him off the bus and to his classmates waiting outside.  He sat down next to his buddy Holly and later his best bud Chase joined.  I followed as they lined up outside to go to class.  I wanted to get a picture of Tyler by his locker, but they all went into the classroom to sit down right away at their desks.
Tyler said school was fun and he can't wait to go back tomorrow.  He liked the fact that he was able to see some of his daycare pals in 1st grade in the hallway and at recess.  His favorites of the day were going into the computer lab and picking out books at the library.
I thought Tyler would be wiped out after school, but he wasn't.  He was pretty wired all evening and couldn't get him in bed.  Not sure what they fed him at school, but maybe he got too much red dye #5.  lol  He was sure a character tonight.  Hopefully his excitement will continue for most of the year.  Here are a few pictures of his first day of school.

Hand Shadows

Our crazy night of hand shadows.  I haven't done that in years.   started simply with me making a bunny and crocodile and it turned into Tyler trying to make dinosaurs.  I bet you couldn't pick out which ones are dinosaurs?