8th Grade Music Contest

Typically, the music festival/concert is held about an hour away.   This year, we were lucky enough for it to be at Connor's middle school!
It was a very well-organized event this year.

Connor played with the entire band in the morning and then played an accompanied solo piece right after lunch.   I was told that we weren't supposed to take pictures or videos (so I didn't!), but one of our friends took one anyhow!   I'm so glad that she did!

Oddly, her son Jared (who has been one of Connor's best friends since Kindergarten - they go to different schools now) also plays the French horn and he played just shortly after Connor.

Connor scored a 2+.   He did a great job (he hit his high G).  We are so proud of him!

Mr. Personality

This kid definitely has personality.   He'll be a handful!

Head-bangin' to a favorite YouTube Vlogger (Super Smash Brothers song):

And, my personal favorite... Ramsey wanting to duel Daddy with light sabers:

Minecraft... a Great Place to Run Over Cows

Connor recently got back into Minecraft recently again; the craze continues!  In the video below, he has Ramsey on his lap while playing the popular game.   They're laughing and having some good brotherly time.

Apparently running over cattle in the land of Minecraft is quite entertaining!

Success at Location X

Knowing that Wednesday was going to be the ONLY non-windy and warm day for the next ten days (or so said Mr. Weatherman), Connor and Eric took off for their fishing hole after Connor got out of school.

Success!  Here are the rewards after only a few hours of fishing (aside, of course, of spending "quality time" together!):

They didn't keep the northern, only the walleye.

Eric said that when Connor was reeling in the big northern, he was smiling like a Cheshire cat ("when most fisherman just smile on the inside").   He then noted that it's the same smile Connor wears when he is at the dump, unloading garbage!!  lol  (No joke, he thinks that is fun!!!)

{The Attempt to} Fish at Location X

The boys took off for the big walleye slough on Sunday.   It was slightly breezy when they left.   However, the south wind picked up substantially.

Waders on and daring the elements, this is what they were up against:

White caps!  That's Eric's fishing pole in the top pic, from the place they cast.  Let's just say after an hour or two, they quit.  Actually, Connor quit after a short while and played video games in the nice warm truck and Eric stuck it out for a bit longer.

They called me on the way home because they had a "big surprise".   I guess the surprise was that there really wasn't a surprise!    Bummer.

Multi-Tasking at Its Finest

Ramsey has proven to be a great multi-tasker already.   He's very good at playing Star Wars guys while watching Star Wars cartoons on TV, using multiple electronic devices at once (sometimes one just isn't enough!), playing chase with the dog while wearing a bucket on his head and a light saber in hand, etc.   The other day, I found him rocking on his cop motorcycle rider, watching videos on his Kindle!

I had a ton of pictures of him riding the motorcycle with his Kindle, rocking wildly and laughing his butt off, but they all came out blurry.  :-(    I guess I should have taken a video instead!

Eric, the Great Fisherman

Eric has tried fishing our lake a few times this spring, only to come up with a LOT of walleye that are an inch or half an inch shy of the 15" minimum requirements to count as keepers here.  He grumbles that if they were caught on a different lake, they'd be supper!

He ventured off yesterday to his "secret spot" about an hour away - we'll call this one "Location X"- a little slough that is chock full of large walleye.

He came home with a nice stringer of fat walleye..... and a really sore back from being in his waders, maneuvering around large rocks and such all day.

We'll have a tasty supper tonight!