Jacob is very concerned about doing what NFL players do breast cancer awareness.

 My mom is obsessed with buying ponchos.  No no knows why.  She also loves remote control cars, paddle balls, and buying random crap on clearance.  In this particular situation, the poncho obsession came in handy (and probably the buying of random crap on clearance)...

 #14...He looks so tall....

 So I bought a Groupon to go to the Corn Maze.  A 4 pack for 1/2 price. Score, right? Well, we decided to use it on a haunted night, and guess what? That fine print says "Not to be used on haunted nights."  So there I was with 4 boys.  I asked if I could just pay the extra and she said, "sure, $5."  I handed her $10 and then a person started talking to her and we both got distracted.  As we were walking away I realized I hadn't gotten my change.  I said so out loud and started to turn around, and my friend who I dragged with me lovingly joined me grabbed me and said, "No, keep walking. She meant $5 per kid."  So there you have it.  I managed to rip off the corn maze people.  Then, as we were waiting on the boys to finish, the guy taking the tickets convinced us to go in also, without asking for our tickets (which we had not bought).  Yep.  I'm living a life of crime.  

 In the line to get in the maze. UGH

 Jacob and Alex.  They are like an old married couple.  As I type this they are in his room happily playing XBox.  But any minute now I will hear them arguing.  It's because they are the same person:  dominate in the same areas, bossy in the same areas, etc.  His mom and I have totally learned to ignore them both (she was the friend who lovingly came with me :)  

***Update.  I just finished typing the caption for the 14th pic below this, without getting up and leaving or anything, and I can hear them arguing upstairs.  What is that? 10 minutes?

 Yes I did bring them up to Sonic for free food-where they did not cooperate for a pic.

 This is Ms. Pelynio, the interim for Jacob's homeroom teacher this year (who left the 3rd week of school for maternity leave, but is back now).  This field trip was her last day in his class.  She was really sweet, but apparently Jacob's class is really difficult.  I actually hear about it from a lot of people.   So I got the feeling she was pretty glad to be done with them. Anyway, the night before Jacob said, "I'm sad tomorrow is her last day.  I really like her."  At the field trip I told her this and she said, "Really?!  That's funny because I sure do- JACOB! STOP CLIMBING THAT TREE!- get on to him alot..."  Yep.

 They are giving her a card they all signed and, you guessed it, Sonic gift cards.

This is a video of the kids telling Ms. Pelynio goodbye.  Except that they forgot that was what they were supposed to be saying and they smiled and said "field trip" like I was just trying to take a group pic.  Even though we had just discussed what we were going to do.  If that isn't the perfect 4th grade send off from a class who has given you nothing but stress for the last 6 weeks, I don't know what is. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfmcq9pGK8k&list=UUlEiBflpzVOnuPlwMTh3iCQ

 Doing some goofy nature art project.  As you can see the boys were really into it.  Not.

 Petting a baby snake.  Sitting next to Jacob is Beau, a good friend from football, who walks to school with us also.

 Jacob's class.

 Jacob is on the left, Julian on the right.  Julian has been in Jacob's class every other grade:  Kindergarten, 2nd, and now 4th.  His grandparents live around the corner too so we get to see him a lot. He also walks to school with us in the morning.  They look alot alike.

 The class listening the volunteers.  In the above pic Jacob is in the bottom right corner.

 Jacob is in the very back.  I'm pretty sure he is on the tree...

 Ok, I love my child, and I of course think he is brilliant.  But this opinion of mine isn't exactly reflected in his grades.  In fact, this particular day we had just finished going over spelling words that he had been studying/doing various activities with (like writing sentences, putting in ABC order, etc.) for 2 weeks due to an assembly or something the week before.  TWO WEEKS, ok?  And while we were going over them for the umpteenth time, he missed 4.  So then I open his folder and see this.  Um, what?  Was someone absent that day?  Well, the actual Bee is Dec. 1 so more to come on this...

 It was "Walk to School" day.  I already walk with a group of 6 kids and seriously, with every few steps we picked up more. 

I needed to get on the school website one night and saw this-a pic of Jacob's class.  On the website.  I have no doubt they selected this pic because of my adorable, brilliant-in-spelling child (who is in the bottom right corner).