Went to my oldest son's new Jr. High curriculum night last night. I must stay that was really, really impressed with the school and the teachers Alex has this year. It started with a general announcement to parents sitting in the gymnasium bleachers by the 2nd year principle. He seemed pretty cool and approachable; he even admitted to being a numbers guy and threw out some really great stats on the state of Washington vs. the nation and how the Jr. High stacks up in the state. Sitting in those bleachers brought back memories of school assemblies in the gym, the smell of old sweat, the hard bleacher seats, those funky gym lights which illuminated an eerie orange glow before they heated up, the inevitable kathunk, kathunk, kathunk of folks tromping down the bleachers...

The rest of the night was spent in 15-minute sessions in different classrooms meeting teachers, curricula and teaching styles which I dually noted in my PDA to share with Lisa and Alex upon returning home. Through all of this, I was very keen to identify the fun and cool teachers which Alex might work a little harder for in his school work. To my great relief, I found none which I disliked and only two who seemed a little on the less energetic side though their enthusiasm was still quite evident. I even had a little surprise from the math teacher - found out he was a UW grad from the same department I graduated from, and he remembers me from a class we both took. Based on the way he comports himself in class, I'm calling him Captain Kirk.

Teacher list is as follows: Wendell, Abero, Smith, Daughtery, Strong, Rusk

Oh yeah, wanted to add that I found it super techno-cool that some of the teachers are using a shareable calendar system to list out assignments. Although I wish it was Microsoft who made it this easy, I'm still quite happy that I was able to go to a teacher's Google calendar from the school web site, hit 'Add Calendar' and BAM! It pops into our family's Google calendar - now that is sweet!

Based on current hobbies, interests and actions.

ALEX - self-described nature guy & sports enthusiast.  Camp counselor?  Scout leader?  White-water rafter?  MLB star?  Or night shift video game tester eating chips & drinking Dr. Pepper?

TUCKER - engineer, most likely in the department of transportation (street signs) and consulting on the side for city water. (hydrant placement and color)

QUINN - Shoe designer (only if she is also the shoe tester).  Alternatively, professional copy cat and hissy thrower. (there must be a market for this somewhere?)

CLEO - She gave up a lucrative career in fashion due to her kleptomania (which began at the age of 2 when she took 2 giant flowers from Pottery Barn Kids and a stuffed bear from the candy store).

Stumbled upon an interesting preschooler show called Hopla browsing Netflix's 'Watch Now' feature. It's pretty basic CG made up of small and very basic skits or puzzles lasting no more than a minute or so, but Tucker, Quinn and Cleo all seem to dig it... and, it's getting us out of the Baby Einstein zone. (I swear if I have to see another Baby Einstein again, it will be too soon.) The thing that always cracks me up about the opening sequence which shows a bunny hopping into a house trailed by a hopping potted plant, trumpet, spinning top and clock is that all the kids starting jumping as well shouting, 'Hop, hop, hop!'

I also found a full length film which seems to get them thinking about story elements and plotting a series of events together - Milo and Otis. Pretty cute little story of an orange tabby cat and his pug dog friend. Tucker fondly recalls this film as the one with the cat swimming in the box and going down the waterfall (Milo is stuck in a crate floating downstream).

Tucker turned four years-old today, and he got the cooooolest knit hat from his grandparents in Denver. Check out the dragon on Tucker's head:

Thank you grandma SuAnn and grandpa Patrick!

Side-note to mark one of Tucker's interests now: He LOVES watching Pink Panther cartoons (though Lisa is not much of a fan). I can't wait for him to start humming the theme... well, maybe not.

This must be how the mother of a serial killer feels. 

It started on Labor Day.  I caught her in the act, baby bunny dangling helplessly from her jaws of death.  At the very least, I hoped to see some remorse, some guilt on her furry face.  None.  Next I hoped she thought she was ridding the yard of a terrible menace (like how 'bout those flying ants, Allie, can you get on those, HUH?!?).  But no, she did not even drop the bunny at my feet to gain my approval.  The truth hurts - my cat is a serial maimer.

I rushed in the yard (in nightgown), hoping it wasn't too late.  She dropped the bunny and ambled into the house, cool as a cucumber.  The bunny began crawling away, dragging its back feet, a gaping slash in its side.  I kept my head, I grabbed a capri sun box and placed it near the bunny.  She (he?) crawled in and huddled, panting at the back.  I placed the box in a secure location, and researched wildlife rescue.  The closest was PAWS in Lynnwood, which was open on Labor Day. (because injured wildlife don't take a holiday!)  I packed up the bunny and Tucker, and we ran the bunny up to "the bunny doctor" (as I told Tucker).  As of yesterday, the bunny is still on a course of antibiotics and doing "okay" (not great).  He (she?) is not completely out of the woods.  I'll check again soon & give an update.

But that is not the end of the tale.  Today, Tucker made up a sing-song about squirrels while playing in the back yard.  I thought "How cute, he must've seen a squirrel on the fence".  When he pointed to the ground and asked, "Mommy, is that a squirrel?" my heart filled with dread.  Sure enough, it was another baby bunny.  This one didn't escape Allie's "Krueger claws", and it's fate involved a plastic bag and a trash can.

Yes, I saw the mommy bunny hopping around our front yard, wondering "where did my children go?"  I couldn't even tell her.  I threw her a chunk of apple and closed the door.  That's all I could do.  And Allie?  She'll be locked up at nights from now on (until her excessive yowling exceeds our tolerance, and then she's back on the prowl).  So lock up your children while you still can!  You don't want the last thing they see to be these cold, cruel eyes.....