Amélie is about to lose her first tooth. She is very proud and showing everyone.

Oliver is doing great in Soccer so far this year. I’m looking forward to attending as many games as I can.

The school year is also off to a great start. Awesome teachers all around. God, I love good public education and educators.

I’m almost finished reading Elfquest to Oliver and Amélie at bedtime. Mostly, they sit there quietly enraptured as I read through and do all the voices. In chapter 15 when One-Eye is suddenly killed by a surprise attack of trolls, Oliver finally spoke up,” Aww,” he said,” He was my favorite.”

Near Oliver’s soccer field is a small path that leads to this blackberry bush. This photo does not do it justice. There must have been ten thousand berries on this thing. The bush was over twenty feet tall. I’ve never seen anything like it.

A quick visual survey of the drivers immediately around me this morning had one reading a newspaper, one picking his nose, one drinking coffee and one putting on her makeup. I hope everyone got to work okay.

I would like to let everyone know that my long time friend Tim Kern of Waukee, Iowa, is, in fact, the funniest man in the universe. So now you know.

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