8.23.12   Festival week
This morning after taking Joe to school, Dan and I left to haul a van load of items to school for Em.  She drove on her own.  The campus was already bustling when we arrived.  Moving in was easier this year. Emily brought less things, but Dan brought a dolly and that helped a lot.  Bed, fridge, microwave, lamps, chairs, and tv/dvd were all connected before we left.  We enjoyed lunch at KFC, and Em had most of her things put away.  It was sad saying goodbye, but also, i am happy knowing Emily is at a school that is a good fit for her.  Maybe she will resume her blog, so we can see photos when her room is in order.
Meanwhile, at home, Katie picked up Joe from daycare and took him downtown to the carnival.  This photo is them on a bench in front of one of Joe's favorites, a hall of mirrors/climbing maze that ends with a slide down to the ground.

A new and exciting this year are these giant Hampster balls!  Joe chose the ball in the water, but there is also a set on land. It was challenging!  The water made for soft landings when kids face planted inside the ball.

After 3 hours of fun, it was time to head home.  Joe needed to practice for his spelling test, have a bath and a snack.  Our bedtime story tonight was a National Geographic for Kids book about Penguins.

More news to share....Matt called last night to tell us he had completed his first lecture!  He is responsible for teaching a class to master's degree students, and also responsible for overseeing the lab.  We are looking forward to hearing more about Matt's new ventures, and Mauri's clinical work in the dental lab.  Here is a photo of them from Mauri's "white coat ceremony" in May.  We attended, as did Mauri's family.  This ceremony signals the end of their academic coursework, and the focus for the rest of the program on actual clinical work.

That's all for today.  We got a lot accomplished.  We miss having Emily here already.