Basketball with the Badgers

Abby's basketball season in the Rice Lake League is coming to a close. Her team, the Badgers, has been having an average year, at best. Although they may not be on the winning end of the scoreboard every week, the girls are having fun together, and I am enjoying the climate-controlled atmosphere of a gymnasium instead of the unpredictable weather we encountered at the boy's soccer games! Next Saturday marks the start of the "playoffs", and a loss will mean the end of the season for the Badgers.

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Our little Squirrel, the "number one" Badger (her jersey number is #1), has been having a fun time playing with her teammates, and this league play has been great in getting her warmed up for her Barron League of Basketball! Here are a few pictures of Abz in Action for your viewing enjoyment...

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At the top of the key, looking for the open teammate...

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Scoping out her options...
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The Badgers in the huddle...

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Number One looking to pass inside!

Even though the Rice Lake League is nearing its end, our Barron team is just beginning our practices, so basketball season is just beginning at our house!

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Yeah for Basketball!

Halloween Hoe-Down at the Breidungs

**Revised with corrections from Morgan!!! My apologies to Morgan and Jeremy for incorrectly identifying their characters in the original blog post--the direct result of posting a blog at 1 am!!!

Two weeks ago (yes, I am behind on my blogging!), Aunt Con hosted a FANTABULOUS Halloween Bash at her house to celebrate some October birthdays--because everyone knows that all of the cool people were born in October.

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A fun time was had by all, and it was especially fun to see all of the little ones...

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Boo-Boo Chicken made an appearance:

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Two girl cousins had a BLAST playing together all night long... ~~~
This little cutie modeled hats for us at a special showing!~~~
The Boo-Boo Chicken was very snugly in his Chicky costume!~~~
So snugly, that he fell asleep while I was holding him and took a good nap on the couch during the party!~~~
Olivia, Shrek Princess!~~~
Allie in her angel wings...~~~
A sweet little Dorothy...~~~

Aunt Con surprised us all by putting together COSTUMES for everyone at the party to wear! We all picked numbers, and when our number came up, we went into the back room and put on our costume, then came back out and modeled it for all to see! What a fun idea (and what a lot of work for Con!) We all had a lot of laughs as we saw who or what walked through the curtain after discovering what Con had in store for them!

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Somebody liked his chicken outfit better--he must have remembered Auntie Sheri was allergic to bees!

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Brett's grandma must know this little guy has a future in football, just like his dad did. Unfortunately, Brett isn't too fond of the helmet!~~~
"There, that's better!"~~~
Abby and Morgan rockin' the neon masks while they wait their turn to get their costumes on... ~~~
...and, of course, there were masks for the little girls, too! Shrek Princesses!~~~
Here is our hostess, Aunt Con, and Gram observing the festivities.~~~
Our first two guests to transform were Olivia "Dorothy" and Allie "The Fairy Princess"... ~~~
And Morgan "the Fortune Teller" and Corrine as "Little Red Riding Hood"!~~~
"Hawaiian" Heather and "Angelic" Gail made their appearance next....~~~
Then, we saw Amber, the "Pig in a Blanket" and Pat the "Mouse"! ~~~
One of the lost "Beach Boys", Mike, appeared next, with Kara the "Bumble Bee"...

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Even Ozzy Osbourne made a brief appearance at our party! (although you may think he bears a striking resemblance to Jeremy in this picture...) ~~~
Abby the "Cute little Clown" came out next, along with Brett Favre--still unsure of where he wants to play! He was sporting the purple shirt, but had on the green mask and still was carrying the Packer football! Poor guy was so confused, that his Number 4 on his jersey is even upside down! I wonder what Zac would say about that???~~~
And here comes "Amish Bob" and "Sheriff" Denny!

(Don't you think Bob looks like Bernie from "Weekend at Bernie's?!?!) ~~~
And what is an Amish man without his Amish woman?

"Amish Bon" made her appearance next, along with Sheri the "Leopard"! ~~~
Here is the lovely couple, reunited at last! ~~~
Next, we had appearances by Cory, the "Champion Hunter", and Kermit the Frog! His mustache might remind you of Al, but don't be fooled--"it isn't easy being green!"~~~
And then, it was time for the most charming two guests of the night to make their appearance: (hey, it's MY blog!)

Grandma Bonnie, A.K.A. Grandma Peep the "Sunflower", complete with her own watering can, and Shana the "Cow"! ~~~
There was but one more person to change into a costume--our lovely hostess--but where did she go???

Here she is--

MISS PIGGY!!! ~~~
Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog reunited... ~~~
The October Birthday Gang and their "Scary" cake...~~~
Thanks, Con, for a "MOOOORY" fun night!Happy Halloween!

The Pumpkin Patch 2009

Tradition is what memories are made of. Our family has made a tradition of going every fall to the Pumpkin Patch in Rice Lake to enjoy the sights of autumn. Picking out our pumpkins, ambling through the corn mazes, browsing in the petting zoo (in our younger years), and, the best part of all, eating the delicious treats the Pumpkin Patch has to offer!

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Here are the Klimie Kids this year at the Pumpkin Patch...

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Part of our tradition for many years has included Carter, and later, Bradley, joining us for a fun day with the cousins. Due to the Dorwin Family Move earlier this fall, we didn't think the Pumpkin Patch Tradition would be one we would be continuing with our Dorwin Cousins. Were we ever surprised and pleased when the Cousins told us they were planning on making the 5+ hour trip north for our annual Pumpkin Patch Trip! Here are our two little buddies that traveled a long way to join us...
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Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the third boy of the Dorwin Family that also tagged along on our adventure. Toby hopped in Abby's "puppy purse" and was carried around the whole pumpkin patch for all of the fun. Jack and Sophie, however, would not have been quite as easy to "smuggle" onto the grounds, and they stayed home for the day!

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We saw many beautiful pumpkins and had a great day for our outdoor activities!

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Of course, the Klimie Kids didn't get by without posing for a few pictures for mom's camera....

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All five cousins together--

Andrew, Austin, Abby, Carter, and Bradley

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The cutest Pumpkin in the Patch!

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I picked out these three "pumpkins" to take home with me--I hope they aren't rotten...

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And, of course, the traditional Mommsen's Produce Patch Truck photo!

(see the post below for a trip down memory lane...)

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The Dorwin Cousins take their turn with the Produce Patch Truck--look who is in the first pumpkin "hole"!!!

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Some of us had a lot of fun choosing the perfect pumpkin!

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Take a good look at my birthday present from the Dorwin Family!

(and wipe the drool from your chin!)

They were DELICIOUS! Mine was the one with nuts--thanks, Dorwins!
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Was little Bradley lost in the corn?

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No... These "Children of the Corn" toured the entire corn maze--with Toby!

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Another fun day at the pumpkin patch!

Happy Fall from the Klimek Family!

Driving the Mommsen's Produce Patch Truck--Eleven Years and Counting!

The Klimek Kids have been "driving" the Mommsen's Produce Patch truck for eleven years! Since 1998, the Klimie Kids have been "delivering" pumpkins in the truck with smiling faces. In fact, Abby has been "riding along" since she has been born!

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1998

Andrew (3), Abby (4 mos), Austin (5)

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1999

Andrew (4), Abby (1), Austin (6)
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2000
Abby (2), Austin (7), Andrew (5)

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2001
Andrew (6), Austin (8), Abby (3)

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2002
Andrew (7), Austin (9), Abby (4)

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2003
Andrew (8), Austin (10), Abby (5)

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2004
Austin (11), Abby (6), Andrew (9)

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2005

Andrew (10), Abby (7), Austin (12)

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2006

Carter (5), Andrew (11), Austin (13), Abby (8)

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2007

Austin (14), Andrew (12), Abby (9)

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2008

Abby (10), Austin (15), Andrew (13)

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2009

Andrew (14), Austin (16), Abby (11)

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Isn't it great to have an obsessive mother who takes the exact same picture every year!
:-)
Happy Halloween!

A REGIONAL SOCCER WIN!!!

Tonight, Tuesday, October 13, the BHS Boy's Soccer Team traveled to Marshfield to take on Columbus Catholic in the first round of WIAA Regional play. Columbus Catholic was seeded 4th in our division, and we were seeded 5th.

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Our Golden Bears scored a goal in the first half when David Kaus lofted a long kick over the goalie's head and just out of his reach. Due to our tough defense, Columbus never scored a point, and BHS ended up winning 1 - 0!

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Our win tonight was really a team effort, both on offense and defense, but excuse me while I brag a bit about these two Golden Bears who had STELLAR games!
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Austin playing tough!

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Andrew on a slide tackle!

Congratulations, Golden Bears, on a Regional Playoff Victory! Next game is on Thursday at 4pm in Washburn where we will take on the number one seed in our Division.

Rivalry and the Siblings

Why do these purple-clad Klimies look so sad???

Because they know that tonight at 8:00 central time, their team will have their butts handed to them on a platter by the green and gold!

GO PACK GO!
(It must be a mutation in their DNA...)

Happy Birthday, Grandma Pat!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Pat, on Thursday, October 1!!!!

We love you and hope you are having a fantabulous day!

love,

Jamie, Shana,

Austin, Andrew, and Abby

Powder Puff Princes (or Princesses?)

With BHS Homecoming being last week, the Klimie boys found themselves as part of the celebration festivites. Austin has had the pleasure of participating in the Powder Puff Football game in the past years as a cheerleader, but, as Andrew is a Freshman, this was his first year to enjoy making a fool of himself show off his cheering skills.

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First, we will highlight the Junior class of 2011. They were the winners of the cheer-off! The Junior class always sports purple for the powder puff game, and these boys followed the dress code and supported their team! David Sloan pulled off a stunning "Joe Dirt" look, making us all hope and pray that the mullet never makes a come-back...

R to L: Levi, Austin, Mitch, Tino, and David

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Heading onto the field for their team cheer, the boys showed their team unity by joining hands. Tino didn't get the message...~~~
Their cheer started out with the five of them hiding behind their class flag...
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Employing multiple manuvers--the mount, the flag run, and the, umm, whatever Tino is doing.~~~
And the Finale! Go Juniors!~~~
The Freshman Cheer Squad, Class of 2013, gathered at our house before the powder puff game to "make" their uniforms. Freshman are always assigned the color brown--turd brown, that is. Well, apparently these guys found brown a little too hard to write on with Sharpie markers, so they used white as their main background color. Andrew came to me before the "uniform production" and asked for a bra to borrow. Chalk that up to "Conversations I Never Thought I Would Have With My Son". I asked him if it was for under his shirt--he assured me, though, that they would be wearing the bras on top of their shirts! Good grief! Which bra that I owned did I want half of the student body to see? Did I want everyone to know my small bra size??? Well, after much debate, I found one for him, only to discover that he decided at the last minute not to wear it--Thank GOODNESS!!!!

Front: Carson, Andrew, Neil, Kianna

Middle: Tim, Macky, Isaiah

Back: Elliott, Jacob, Keenan(thanks to Linda M. for sharing her picture!)
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Striking a pose for the end of their cheer--the Freshman cheer wasn't quite as organized as the Juniors, but it did win them a third place recognition! I will say that with "Foghorn" Klimek on the squad, they could be heard throughout the field! (another thanks to Linda for this pic!)
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The Class of 2013 celebrating their cheer--take note of Macky's boosoms on his back--sexy leopard-print bra, Macky!

(note: that is NOT his mother's bra!) ~~~

The Freshman Squad discussing cheer strategy...

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The Freshman Girls lined up to receive the kick.~~~
Cheering on their Freshman team!~~~
We had a fun night of flag football!

The freshman played the seniors first and the freshman lost.

Then, the juniors played the sophomores and the juniors won.

The final game was the juniors vs the seniors. It was a close game, but the seniors came out the winners. Perhaps we should sign up some of those girls for our Varsity football team!

Check Out This New Grill!

Another Klimie has gotten a new look!

Just this morning, he looked like this....

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...and by noon, he was a whole new man with a whole new look!
Andrew will be sporting his new grill for about 2 years--
Good thing he looks so stunning with them!

Back on the Hardwood

Abby is back on the court! Basketball season has begun once again, and Abby is playing now in the Rice Lake Girls Basketball City League. She had her first game on Saturday. Her team, the Badgers, won by a score of 28 to 14!

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Here is Abz playing tough defense...

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Movin' so fast at point-guard, she is just a blur!
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D-ing up!

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Abby will be playing in the Rice Lake League for 6 more weeks, and then will be going strong with her Barron Basketball League.

Gotta' Love Basketball!

Happy Second Birthday, Princess Diamond Sophia!

On Tuesday, September 22, Sophie celebrated her SECOND birthday, or her 14th birthday--depending on if you count in human years or in dog years. We count in human years around here.

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Here are the Klimie Kids with Jack and Sophie to celebrate Sophie's Big Day...

(Sophie is the smiley one--Jack was jealous of all of the attention she got!) ~~~
A trip down Memory Lane...

Sophie at 8 weeks--isn't she sweet?!~~~
Sophie's First Birthday Party ~~~
Of course, Abz made Sophie one of her famous doggie birthday cakes to celebrate Sophie's Big Day. Sophie LOVED her cake!

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Somebody else eyed Sophie eating her cake with GREEN-EYED JEALOUSY. He looked VERY pathetic while Sophie was enjoying her birthday delights...

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...so Sophie invited him to help her eat her cake! What a good daughter!

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After the cake, it was time for presents. This was Sophie's FAVORITE present (and Abby's, too). The "Chuck-it" is a big hit at our house with the two girls. Abby throws the ball with the Chuck-it, Sophie fetches the ball and brings it back, Abby taps the ground and Sophie drops the ball for Abz, and they repeat, and repeat, and repeat. You get the picture!

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Sophie had a great time at her birthday party, but "Jealous Jack" just couldn't stomach all of the special treatment Sophie received for her Special Day. Just look at the expression of disgust on his face when Sophie got yet another present...

He comes by his nickname of "JJ" (Jealous Jack) honestly!
~~~

Happy Second Birthday, Princess Diamond Sophia!

Soccer Star Pics

I am once again behind in posting soccer pics on the Chronicles. So, if you have been following the BHS Soccer team on http://shanassportsshots.blogspot.com, you will probably recognize these action shots of the boys. If not, enjoy!

:-)

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Andrew (9-8 vs McRegis)

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Andrew (9-8 vs McRegis)
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Austin (9-8 vs McRegis)

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Austin (9-8 vs. McRegis)

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Andrew (9-10 vs. Somerset)

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Andrew (9-10 vs Somerset)

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Austin (9-10 vs Somerset)

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Austin (9-10 vs Somerset)

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Austin and Andrew (9-15 vs New Richmond)

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Andrew (9-15 vs New Richmond)

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Austin (9-15 vs New Richmond)

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Austin (9-15 vs New Richmond)

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Andrew--shot on goal (9-17 vs Cumberland)

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Andrew, David K, Tino, and Austin--Start of second half

(9-17 vs Cumberland)

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Austin and Andrew (9-17 vs Cumberland)

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Austin (9-17 vs Cumberland)

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Andrew (9-21 vs Baldwin-Woodville)

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Andrew (9-21 vs Baldwin-Woodville)

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Austin (9-21 vs Baldwin-Woodville)

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Austin (9-21 vs Baldwin-Woodville)

What's Up With THAT?!?!?

As you all know, I try to look for something funny wherever I go. Sometimes those funny things find ME!

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The other night when I was downloading pictures from the soccer game against Cumberland, I found something funny in this picture I took of Austin...

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When I went back and looked at the uncropped photo, I saw these four sidelined Cumberland players in various stages of "adjustment".
Austin and I had a good laugh over that one!
(Faces and numbers have been concealed to protect anonymity of scratchers...)
:-)

The Thimble-Sized Bladder Strikes Again!

The Legend of the Thimble-Sized Bladder continues...

To update those of you who may be just tuning in, the Thimble-Sized Bladder has struck at the most inopportune moments throughout time. For example, on the playground at recess in kindergarten. So, the answer was to just empty The Bladder right there on the playground! Or, that time on the cross-country trail when The Bladder was full-to-bursting and had to be emptied while running in the woods. Or, during the MANY basketball games in the huddles when a certain someone made a mad-dash for the hallway to empty the Thimble-Sized Bladder during a time-out. Or the time in the car when The Bladder couldn't wait until the next stop and had to be emptied into a discarded beverage bottle. I could go on and on and on....

But I won't.

Instead, I will share with you, photographic evidence that The Thimble-Sized Bladder has struck once again. This time, in the middle of an intense soccer game...

Thank goodness for porta-potties!
:-)

Squirrel Sightings

The Squirrel.

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A busy, industrious creature.

She made a "Family Basketball Cake" for us to enjoy...

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Complete with all of our basketball jersey numbers!
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The Squirrel is adept at camouflaging itself in many different surroundings.

She has engaged in the many different dress-up days for Homecoming week. Here is a sampling...

"Superhero Day"
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"Nerd Day"

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She's a busy Squirrel!

The Councilwoman

Introducing, the newly elected Councilwoman on the Riverview Middle School Student Council...

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Last week, on the way to one of brother's soccer games in Somerset, Abby composed her speech for her campaign for RVMS Fifth Grade Student Council Representative. It was very motivating. Full of promises and hope, it could rival a Presidential Speech!

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Today, Abz delivered her speech in front of the entire RVMS Fifth Grade Class. Evidently, the fifth graders were intrigued by her promises of trying to get cell phones approved for use at lunch time and trying to get one longer recess a month, because this girl is now one of four fifth grade representatives!

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"How?" you wonder. "How did Abby do it? How did she charm all of those kids into voting for her?"

Well, the answer is quite clear.

She poured on her natural charm and struck the poses below to win the student's votes...

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Is RVMS ready for this girl?!?!? Congratulations, Abby!

Soccer Photos--The Season in Pics

Because I had exceeded my storage quota on picasa and was unable to post photos to my blogger accounts without deleating old photos, I was very limited with the pics that I posted. Therefore, the soccer pictures I posted were only on my other blog, http://shanassportsshots.blogspot.com.

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I have had some complaints.

The boys don't like that I haven't posted their soccer pics on the Klimek Chronicles!

So, this post is a catch-up post of past pictures from this season's soccer games. If you have been following our soccer season on http://shanassportsshots.blogspot.com, then you have seen these pics before. If not, enjoy!

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Austin moving the ball past the defense...

(Hayward 9-3)

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Austin dribbling up the field
(Hayward 9-3)~~~
Austin out-hustling his defender
(Hayward 9-3)

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Andrew racing for the ball
(Hayward 9-3)

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Austin showing off his ball-handling!

(Osceola 9-1)

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Austin's power-kick

(Osceola 9-1)

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Austin moving thru the defense
(Osceola 9-1)

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Andrew kicking the ball up the field
(Osceola 9-1)

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Andrew passing past a defender
(Osceola 9-1)

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Andrew dribbling up the field
(Osceola 9-1)

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Andrew in a show-down with the defense
(Osceola 9-1)

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Austin stripping the ball from the offense
(Cumberland 8-28)

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Midfield
Andrew, Landan, and Austin

(Cumberland 8-28)

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Midfield Kickoff
Landan #3, Austin #2, Andrew #13

(Cumberland 8-28)

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Austin and Landan working together

(Cumberland 8-28)

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Andrew on offense
(Cumberland 8-28)

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Austin battling the ball toward the goal

(Amery 8-26)

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Austin corner kick
(Amery 8-26)

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Andrew's stellar ball-handling
(Amery 8-26)

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Andrew's fancy footwork
(Amery 8-26)

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The Barron Bears Boys Soccer team has a 1 and 5 record so far this season:

8-18 at New Richmond (L) 0-8

8-25 vs. Baldwin/Woodville (W) 4-1

8-26 vs. Amery (L) 1-4

8-28 at Cumberland - double OT - (L) 0-1

9-1 vs. Osceola (L) 0-4

9-3 at Hayward (L) 2-5

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Both Austin and Andrew are playing really well! It is so much fun to watch them play together on the same team! Jamie and I are really enjoying the soccer season this year!

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GO BEARS!

Child Stars of the '80s--Where Are They Now?

We have all heard the stories of the former child stars from the '70s and '80s. Children who were wildly famous in their younger years and had unlimited flow of cash, alcohol, and drugs at their fingertips, but were not at an age to make good choices. These children, sadly, were often forgotten by the public as they aged and their "cuteness" wore off, but the ill-effects of their fame stayed with them. Some child stars were able to rise above the alcohol and drugs and continue their careers, some fell into the pit of despair and lost their fortune they spent their childhood earning, and, tragically, some even lost their lives in their downward spiral.

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But what happened to this rising, little-known childhood star that was featured on the cover of this special issue of "Video Rock Stars" magazine?

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After much research and investigative work, we have discovered the former *Nicky "The Princess of Pop" K.* has changed her name (to Mrs. Dorwin), moved to southern Wisconsin (Lake Geneva, as it turns out), and is posing as a F.A.C.E. teacher in a thriving school district (Badger High School).
Ahhh... A happy ending for one Child Star of the '80s.

And They're Off! (to a new school year, that is...)

Today marked the first day of the 2009-2010 school year for the Klimie Kids.

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Backpacks were packed, clothes were chosen, bedtimes were before midnight (gasp!), and locker combinations were memorized.

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Everyone was ready.

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Can you FEEL their Excitement? They can't wait for another year to absorb knowledge and wisdom--they are like little sponges, thirsty for the liquid of education!

Feel that excitement?!

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Of course, no new school year would be complete without the obglitory "sign picture" that mom makes them do each year. No one--not even Abz--would do their sign picture on the first day of school this year. We went yesterday to "sneak" our pics when no one was around the schools...

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Abby is starting her first year of MIDDLE SCHOOL this year as a fifth grader! This is the first time in 12 years that there won't be a Klimie in Woodland Elementary--kind of sad for this mom. Abz, however, is thrilled to be at the middle school!

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Andrew is starting his first year of HIGH SCHOOL! As a FRESHMAN this year, Andrew gets to experience High School with his big brother leading the way for him. He already knows his way around the school, and I don't think he will have much of a problem figuring out where to go and what to do at BHS.
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Austin is returning to BHS this year as a JUNIOR! UGH! I hate that he is getting that old and only has two more years of high school left! We are exploring possible career choices for him and will be doing some college visits this year in order to get him ready for college in two years.

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And I had to include this picture of Austin...

It is totally him!

:-)

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(Credit to Andrew for taking the pic of Abz)

(Credit to Abz for taking the pics of the boys)

Soccer Updates

I have been putting our soccer updates on my other blog...

http://shanassportsshots.blogspot.com/

Hop on over there to see pictures like this...

Both of my boys, together, on the same field!

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I am trying to take a few pictures for our newspaper here in town, The Barron NewsShield, so I thought it would just be easier to post my pics on my sports blog and let the editor pick which photos he wanted to run for the week.

:-)