"King Clown" -- Votes Needed!

We were blessed to receive a clown kit in the mail (thanks Grandma O.)! The boys had fun seeing who was the best clown. I know who I think fits the bill...but we need your votes to crown "King Clown" of the Ortler Home.

Contestant #1: Name - Ryan, Alias "Rookie". Loves to laugh, giggle, color, ride skooters, break whatever the boys are doing, eat, and watch Caillou, Bearenstein Bears & Handy Manny.

Contestant #2: Name - Dylan, Alias "McMillin". Especially good at art, building forts, projects, cooking and finding a way to escape jobs.

Contestant #3: Name - Jake, Alias "Snake". Excellent piano player, loves all things sports, learning to skateboard, plays Bakugan, good at jobs when privileges are attached.

Contestant #4: Name - Melanie, Alias "Queen". Just trying to find time to laugh while still holding it all together ;)

Ryan found another use for the clown nose....I know it's a bit early for this, but Ryan seems to have that uncanny ability to make anything cute any time of the year!

Summer is going, going....

....almost gone!

One last week of summer, and then it's back to getting up early, catching the bus, school, homework, routines, routines, routines, get to bed early. It exhausts me just thinking about it.

We have been making the most of our end of summer. We joined the Flower Mound Community Activity Center for a few weeks in July and visited the water park several times each week. The boys thought this was a blast.
We also enjoyed a BBQ last weekend at my sister's and the boys caught big air on the diving board! Ahhhh...summmer.

A Hot New Look!

Jake & Dylan are sporting a hot new look. They saved up and bought skateboards this summer and have had a blast trying to learn all the moves. John surprised all of us by demonstrating that he still retains all his skateboarding moves from his youth. I have to keep reminding him that we really need him to get up & go to work each day....so keep it cool ;)

I've already received requests to go to the skate park, but I think they need to improve their skills a bit before skating with the big dogs. Ryan is wondering when he can get a skateboard too (for now I think we'll stick with a scooter, two sets of stitches in one year is enought - right?)