Swimming Lessons

Our swimming lessons came to an end last week.  Katie and Will had each been taking lessons since September.  Will and I did a parent/child class on Monday mornings and Katie did Level 1 on Tuesdays after school. 

Halfway through it seemed that Katie would be forever stuck in Level 1.  She'd MAYBE put her face in the water one time, but that was it.  She liked going, but never seemed to improve on the skills. 

Then we got her goggles.  Not just any goggles - we went to Foss Swim School (whose lessons are too expensive for us to rationalize).  They do, however, have a swim store and fit Katie's goggles for her.  They look more like a small scuba mask than swim goggles - less pressure on the eyes.  AND when the band developed a small tear in them after 2 uses, Foss replaced them for free!

Wow - swimming lessons are a lot different now!  Katie is going underwater 25+ times a lesson!  She can front float, almost backfloat and loves to dive for rings.  She's still at Level 1, but I'm pretty sure that when we do lessons again in the spring - she'll move up to Level 2 by the end.

At least I hope she moves up....I'd hate to have Will blow past her.  He loves the water, doesn't mind going underwater too much.  At least he'll do it a few times each lesson.  In the spring he'll do a class for 4-5 year olds.  I don't hav any pictures of him swimming cuz I had to be in the water with him this time!

And overnight, it's winter

This is what we woke up to this morning.....

5 1/2 inches so far, but it's only 9:30 and this is expected to go through tonight.

Computer Help

Will now has a friend to help him on the computer.  Molly loves to watch the pointer move around and around.

Na Na Na Na Na Na...They Say It's Your Birthday.....

Since I've exposed everyone else's pictures on their birthdays....here's some to show you I'm a good sport.

My favorite animals - Muskie and Gizmo

Picture, courtesy of Katie

Lunchtime!

We're a couple months into 1st grade now, and I think we're getting the hang of the whole thing.  The day doesn't seem to be too long for Katie - she's not overly cranky. (Except on the weekends when the schedule is nonexistent)

Katie has a field trip this Friday - just as the weather is about to turn on us, of course.  Her and her class are visiting a farm in the area that is part of the park district and offers tours, classes, etc.  They'll be there all morning...outside.  So let's hope that it isn't snowing and blowing.

She has to take a lunch with her because they won't make it back in time to eat at school.  She's taken her lunch one other day as well, and I'm hoping to get into the habit of 1-2 times a week, but haven't been organized enough for that yet.  Eating at school is certainly less work, but as I write the 3rd lunch check for $43.00, I'm wondering if it's worth it.  In about 20-25 years the lunch price has about doubled.  I remember being able to take a $10 bill, and that would buy me a 10 punch lunch ticket.  Now, it's $2.15 a day, I guess the increase isn't that bad.

As I've been thinking about things to pack for Katie's lunch I've been thinking about my own school lunching experience.  When I was in 1st grade, I took my lunch every day.  I didn't eat a school lunch til sometime in 2nd grade, I believe.  I was worried they would force me to eat things that I didn't like.  Honestly, I didn't like much of anything. 

I had a ritual every morning...same thing every day.  Dad wakes me up.  I get dressed, have a bowl of Captain Crunch while I watch Bozo The Clown.  Finished getting ready for school, and Dad and I would load into the car because I got a ride to school....even though my brother had to walk.  Hey - I'm the baby, remember?

I still needed stuff for lunch.  I would make a peanut butter sandwich at home.  No, not PB&J, just PB.  I didn't like mixing the two.  At that time, it was still ok to take peanut butter to school.  Now, it's much different.  Before we go to school, Dad and I would drive down to Kwik Trip where Mom was at work.  In those days she had to open the store at 5, or some God awful hour, so we'd pop in so I could say hi and grab some much needed lunch necessities.  Here's my list that I picked up every day....

1. Peanut butter sandwich (from home)
2.  A bag of cheese balls
3.  A Twix bar
4.  A bottle of orange juice

I'd cram all these things into my stylish red Kwik Trip insulated lunch bag, and I'd be off.  Mom and Dad never pointed out that eating lunch at school would be much cheaper than my current menu, not to mention healthier. :)  However, in those days they were happy to see me eat anything....  Plus, I'd save half of my cheese balls and one Twix bar for after school snacking.  See, how I budget?

Now that I've made you all sick...see if you can eat my school lunch menu for a week straight.  I know I couldn't.

Take the time to read this - very powerful

Another mom wrote a wonderful blog entry about her son titled "My son is gay".  Here is the link to the full story - and GREAT picture of her adorable son.  For those of you with slower internet connection - I've copied and pasted her entry below.  PLEASE take the time to read - it's worth it.

http://nerdyapplebottom.com/2010/11/02/my-son-is-gay/


Or he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t want to know you.

I have gone back and forth on whether I wanted to post something more in-depth about my sweet boy and his choice of Halloween costume. Or more specifically, the reactions to it. I figure if I’m still irked by it a few days later, I may as well go ahead and post my thoughts.
Here are the facts that lead up to my rant:

1. My son is 5 and goes to a church preschool.
2. He has loved Scooby Doo since developing the ability and attention span to sit still long enough to watch it.
3. Halloween is a holiday and its main focus is wearing a costume.
4. My son’s school had the kids dress up, do a little parade, and then change out of costumes for the rest of the party.
5. Boo’s best friend is a little girl
6. Boo has an older sister
7. Boo spends most of his time with me.
8. I am a woman.
9. I am Boo’s mother, not you.

So a few weeks before Halloween, Boo decides he wants to be Daphne from Scooby Doo, along with his best friend E. He had dressed as Scooby a couple of years ago.  I was hesitant to make the purchase, not because it was a cross gendered situation, but because 5 year olds have a tendency to change their minds. After requesting a couple of more times, I said sure and placed the order. He flipped out when it arrived. It was perfect.

Then as we got closer to the actual day, he stared to hem and haw about it. After some discussion it comes out that he is afraid people will laugh at him. I pointed out that some people will because it is a cute and clever costume. He insists their laughter would be of the ‘making fun’ kind. I blow it off. Seriously, who would make fun of a child in costume?

And then the big day arrives. We get dressed up. We drop Squirt at his preschool and head over to his. Boo doesn’t want to get out of the car. He’s afraid of what people will say and do to him. I convince him to go inside. He halts at the door. He’s visibly nervous. I chalk it up to him being a bit of a worrier in general. Seriously, WHO WOULD MAKE FUN OF A CHILD IN A  COSTUME ON HALLOWEEN? So he walks in. And there were several friends of mine that knew what he was wearing that smiled and waved and gave him high-fives. We walk down the hall to where his classroom is.

And that’s where things went wrong. Two mothers went wide-eyed and made faces as if they smelled decomp. And I realize that my son is seeing the same thing I am. So I say, “Doesn’t he look great?” And Mom A says in disgust, “Did he ask to be that?!” I say that he sure did as Halloween is the time of year that you can be whatever it is that you want to be. They continue with their nosy, probing questions as to how that was an option and didn’t I try to talk him out of it. Mom B mostly just stood there in shock  and dismay.
And then Mom C approaches. She had been in the main room, saw us walk in, and followed us down the hall to let me know her thoughts. And they were that I should never have ‘allowed’ this and thank God it wasn’t next year when he was in Kindergarten since I would have had to put my foot down and ‘forbidden’ it. To which I calmly replied that I would do no such thing and couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. She continued on and on about how mean children could be and how he would be ridiculed.
My response to that: The only people that seem to have a problem with it is their mothers.

Another mom pointed out that high schools often have Spirit Days where girls dress like boys and vice versa. I mentioned Powderpuff Games where football players dress like cheerleaders and vice versa. Or every frat boy ever in college (Mom A said that her husband was a frat boy and NEVER dressed like a woman.)
But here’s the point, it is none of your damn business.

If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off.
If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one.

But it also was heartbreaking to me that my sweet, kind-hearted five year old was right to be worried. He knew that there were people like A, B, and C. And he, at 5, was concerned about how they would perceive him and what would happen to him.

Just as it was heartbreaking to those parents that have lost their children recently due to bullying. IT IS NOT OK TO BULLY. Even if you wrap it up in a bow and call it ‘concern.’  Those women were trying to bully me. And my son. MY son.

It is obvious that I neither abuse nor neglect my children. They are not perfect, but they are learning how to navigate this big, and sometimes cruel, world. I hate that my son had to learn this lesson while standing in front of allegedly Christian women. I hate that those women thought those thoughts, and worse felt comfortable saying them out loud. I hate that ‘pink’ is still called a girl color and that my baby has to be so brave if he wants to be Daphne for Halloween.

And all I hope for my kids, and yours, and those of Moms ABC, are that they are happy. If a set of purple sparkly tights and a velvety dress is what makes my baby happy one night, then so be it. If he wants to carry a purse, or marry a man, or paint fingernails with his best girlfriend, then ok. My job as his mother is not to stifle that man that he will be, but to help him along his way. Mine is not to dictate what is ‘normal’ and what is not, but to help him become a good person.

I hope I am doing that.

And my little man worked that costume like no other. He rocked that wig, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

30 days - continued

Ok - let's take another crack at this. 

I'm thankful for...

20.  The Internet.  Yes, I like the option of being connected. 

21.  Music - I've even branched out lately.  Not everything is Pearl Jam.

22.  PBS (especially kid's programming) - Right now, they are the reason I'm able to work on this post. :)

23.  Coffee - some morning, (like this one), it hits the spot.

24.  Netflix - ok, maybe a silly thing to be thankful for in the giant scheme of things, BUT I still am.  Almost finished with The Tudors (I'll post about that another time)....

25.  my dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, all modern household appliances.

26.  clean sheets.  (Not that I change sheets very often, but when I do - I like it.)  I read online one day that it's recommended you should change sheets, at the very least, once a week.  And all these people posted that they do it way more often than that.  Let's just say I don't do it once a week....and leave it at that.

27.  Family time.  On those days/nights when we are all together at home and are able to play games or make something together.  A favorite of ours is hide and seek...although Thursday night John had the kids playing tackle football...

28.  Craigslist/Free Cycle/Ebay etc. - Anywhere I can find something I need/want cheaper than what I'd pay in the store.  So far, I'm not having any luck finding stuff on our Christmas list....but I'm optimistic.  Two years ago - I managed to get all the kid's Christmas presents at one of these outlets.  It's harder now that they are older and more specific about what they want.

29.  Hugs and kisses.  Ok - this is an easy one, but it's getting hard!

30.  Blog post ideas.  This idea took up 2 days worth of posts, and if you read them all - well, you deserve something I guess. 

30 of Thanks

November seems to be the month everyone posts 1 thing a day that they are thankful for.  Well, I don't have the discipline to do it every day, so I thought that I would do 30 all at once....here goes....

I'm thankful for....
1.  My husband, John.  He is wonderful!  Thanks to John's hard work and easy-going lifestyle, he's the reason I've been able to stay home with the kids for 6+ years.  He's usually pretty easy to please and has no temper whatsoever, and patience that goes on and on.  Seriously, his fuse is miles long!

2.  My 2 kids....Katie and Will.  A no brainer, right?  These 2 are great, and I can't remember life without them.

3.  My parents.  Married for 48 years, they provided a safe and loving home for our family, instilled a powerful work ethic, and spoiled me - the baby.

4.  My brother and sisters.  (Yes, even my brother.)  As we've all gotten older, we've grown even closer. 

5.  My in-laws.  My husband's family is terrific!  They've always treated me like one of the family.

6.  Our neighborhood.  It became evident while trick-or-treating how many great neighbors we have.  So many made such a fuss over Katie and Will, knowing that they are the two "little" ones in the neighborhood.  We even had people bring things over to the house for our kids because they weren't going to be home for Halloween, but still wanted to make sure the kids felt special. 

7.  Our church.  It took me a while to find a church I really felt comfortable in.  The first Sunday we attended church here - I knew we'd found our spot.  The bulk of their ministry is about helping to provide for those in need.  So, our church doesn't have the biggest kitchen or the fanciest instruments, but they sponsor schools in El Salvador, help provide weekly meals for members of the community, buy Christmas gifts for shelter kids, etc. 

8.  Our schools.  Living in the midwest, we really are spoiled by having such great teachers and school systems.  Katie's 1st grade teacher is very warm, compassionate, caring, organized - seriously, my favorite teacher of hers, so far.  Will's preschool teacher is so energetic, creative, and caring.  He blushes whenever we talk about her.

9.  Our home.  (even messy) I'm glad to have a roof over our head and warm beds everynight.

10.  Sunny days.  If it's going to get cold, which (odds are) it will, I'm happier as long as the sun is out.

11.  Books. Now that Katie is reading, books have taken on a new meaning for her.  I'm thankful that I have time in the day to read when I want.  (Even if it's fluff)

12.  Friends.  Again, seems like a no-brainer.  I'm thankful that I have a few friends from high school and college that won't ever disappear.  Conversations pick up right where they left off.   I'm thankful for the new-er friends I've made as well.  These "mommy" friends are priceless when you need someone to lean on and remember you are not alone.

13.  My body.  I can still move, bend, stretch, etc.  (Even though I've been SOOO sore the last 2 days...)  I can run, walk, breathe.  Usually you don't know how long you'll get to do these things, so each day you can is good.  :)

14.  The cat.  Ok - there I said it.  I'm glad we have a pet you can actually touch.  Although it gets harder to love her when she is constantly dumping over the garbage can....

15.  My nieces and nephews.  (Not that I intended for you to come after the cat....)  It's been such a joy watching you all grow up, make decisions on your own.  Remembering when you were all born and what an excitement you were...

16.  Our country.  Seems like one of the better places to live.

17.  Family members who have died.  Some I'd only gotten to know briefly, others played a big role in raising me.  I'm thankful I had a chance to spend time with them.

18.  Having an opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom.  I've been able to do lots of volunteer work in the last year or so - at school and with non-profits.  I'm thankful I've had this time...and also thankful that I'll get to go back to work outside the home someday too. :)

19.  Beer.  (It's Friday, ok.??)

Getting a little harder now.....I'm going to post this 1-19....and get back to you with 20-30.  Is that cheating?  No.  It's my blog - I make the rules.

Happy Birthday Big Brother!

Today is my big brother's birthday....he turns 42....(but acts like he's 24, if that.) :)

I figured it's a good excuse to post some pictures.....

Brief run as high school basketball player...guess we'll never know if he actually made the shot. 

Jeff with Kevin, Donny and baby Joey. 

Post Halloween Candy Fog

We are solidly in the post-Halloween candy fog.  The kids haven't been too candy crazy.  There's probably something to be said for not banning it completely.  There's less taboo around candy as a whole, and so the fact that they can have a few pieces isn't a big deal to them.

I did, however, donate a big bag of candy.  There's a woman in a neighboring town who makes a meal once a week for those in need.  She feeds about 100 people a week - from infants and toddlers on up to the elderly.  For some, it's their biggest meal all week - and only home cooked one.  It may even be the only time they have to speak with other people.  I thought it was a great idea, and she survives only off donations.  She said everyone loves homemade cookies and treats.  So I dropped off a bag of our assorted candy, along with 5-6 cans of soup. (There had to be SOMETHING healthy in there.)  The next time I make cookies, I will double the recipe and drop them off as well.   

Halloween morning we had a birthday party to go to for our friend, Noah!  Noah turned 4 and had a Buzz Lightyear Yoga Party.  It was a BIG hit. :)

Hmmmm.....

Something tells me I'm going to have trouble keeping plastic on our windows this year.  I have a feeling this will be the first year I have holes.

Happy Halloween Week!

It's Halloween week - and yes, it seems that Halloween is a week long celebration anymore.

 - Today is Trick-or-Treating at the grocery store.  It's usually crazy, but they give great treats. :)  Usually no candy.  Instead - granola bars, bags of chips, bags of crackers, juice boxes, cartons of milk, fruit snacks, fruit, decorated cookies, etc. 

- Thursday is Katie's Fall Party at school.  She gets to wear her costume and play games and have snacks at the party - which starts at 8:45!!!  (Thank you to John for taking Will to school so I can help out!)

-  Friday (I think) Trick-or-Treating at the nursing home.  We've done this the last 3 years and I REALLY enjoy it.  The patients there get so happy to see the little kids all dressed up, and Katie and Will like making the rounds more than once.  We'll have to see how Katie's cough is....if she still has a cough I'm hesitant to do this because I don't want to bring in any unwanted bugs.

- Saturday morning, Fall party at church.  No costumes, but games, crafts and cookie decorating.

- Saturday night, Halloween party at friend's house.

- Sunday morning - Birthday party for an awesome 4 year old!  It's going to be a "Buzz Lightyear Yoga Party" - I'm SOO excited to see what THAT is like. ;)

- Sunday night - Trick-or-Treating....as if you needed more. 

Stay tuned for pictures!

Firehouse Visit

On Wednesday, Will and I took a tour of a local firehouse. The community center was offering a bus ride and tour for 3-5 year olds and it seemed right up our alley. Will got to climb onto of the ladder truck, which he said was his favorite part.

The fire house also came equipped with an authentic fire pole, which our fireman tour guide tested for the kids numerous times. He said the younger guys still use it. No one sleeps at the fire house and it's all volunteer as well.

October is Fire Safety months so check your fire detectors and plan your routes out of your home. I told the kids we'd try to have 2 fire drills at home next week. We'll see....

We have TWO 3 year olds.

Surprisingly, Will and Molly are pretty good friends. They both like to run and jump....at each other. Here's proof.

(Note Katie reading quietly to herself! Oh, and be prepared...Will turns into a monster out of nowhere!)

Pumpkin Carving

I wanted to get our pumpkin carved last weekend, but we didn't get to it. It was nicer to lay around and not do anything. Well, we were busy with yard work too - had our last fire of the season to burn up brush and sticks that had been cut down. This time, no mosquitoes!!

On Wednesday afternoon, the kids and I gutted the poor pumpkin and cleaned it out so that it would be ready for John to carve when he got home. Again, Will would NOT stick his hand in, but Katie dove right in. John carved a happy face and a scary face into the pumpkin. Then the lights were shut off, pumpkin was lit, music turned on and the kids danced and danced. (I guess Katie remembers last year we turned the lights off and her and Will danced and sang in the dark. It's a tradition she was bent on keeping.)

The only way Will would help was with his LOOONG spoon.

Molly seemed to like the pumpkin as she managed to get hersolf into every picture taken.

Hula Hoop Hoopla

Katie is getting pretty good at the hula hoop....she's trying to teach John a thing to two. She wanted to do a video of her "skills". I could post one of her just hula hooping with one, but it's seriously over 3 minutes long....so here's one of her hooping with 3 hoops and Will trying his best with one.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. In 1988 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

"When a child loses his parents he is called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them. This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States and around the world. It is also meant to inform and provide resources for parents who have lost children due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, stillbirth, SIDS, and so many other causes."

Founders of www.october15.com chose a day in the middle of the month to honor and remember lost children. They ask everyone to light a candle tonight at 7:00 pm to reflect on the loss shared by so many parents and embrace the love and support of family and friends around them.

I have two sisters who have each lost a child, as well as many, many friends who have lost their own. Please take a moment to remember them in your thoughts today.

Fire Station

On Sunday, the fire station had their annual open house. It turned out to be a really nice day, so while John painted the back porch, the kids and I went to check it out. We got to ride around town on a fire truck, pet a police horse, spray fire hoses, and eat hot dogs and ice cream.

Oh, did I mention that we also got to meet Sparky, the Fire Dog? Will literally RAN up to him and gave him a big hug. I think this would be the first time he wasn't scared of a costumed character!

Our own caped crusader

Here is our trusty Caped Crusader being chased by the Evil Feline.

Can you tell that we just picked up Will's Halloween costume?

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary today to my sister and brother-in-law! Let me see....I was 6 when I was the flower girl at their wedding...so that means they have been married for 26 years? Oh hell, 26, 27 - at this point does it make a difference? :)


Just kidding. It's a wonderful example of a happy marriage and a pretty cool couple.

Congratulations Denise and Wally!

We all look pretty pure in our outfits-O-white.

Thursday Reading Groups

Today was my first morning volunteering with Katie's class. Every Tuesday - Friday morning a parent volunteer comes in to help with reading groups. I am on every other Thursday, since Will has preschool those days. There are 5 levels and each group has 4 kids in it.

I worked with Level 2 and Level 4 today, and I think it'll pretty much stay that way. I was a bit surprised by how vast the reading levels differ. Before we got to the books I went through some flash cards with the kids. All in Level 2 were having trouble with words like "in", "is", "we", "can", etc. And 2 had trouble just identifying the letters that the words started with. For example, I'd show them the word "DO" and they wounldn't be able to tell me what the first letter was. I am really excited to keep working with them because I just know we can make progress this year and they'll show a lot of improvement by springtime.

Then there were the kids in Level 4 - that's a whole other situation. They did some different flashcards and got totally bored with words like "look", "that", "this", "with", etc. Their book had 2 paragraphs on each page! The teacher and I talked about how difficult it is to find books for them that aren't too hard, yet aren't too easy. The key here will be keeping them interested in reading.

Katie was in the Level 4 reading group. She was a rockstar, and not too embarrassed that Mom was helping kids in her class. Her teacher said that next month she'll probably be ready for the accelerated reader program they have in 1st grade. (Whatever that means!)

Rochester Running

A couple weekends ago there was a 5k in Rochester, MN for pancreatic cancer research. My friend, Shelley was volunteering with it, so I joined her team. Her dad and mother-in-law also joined in. Too keep it a family affair, my mother-in-law, Mary, also took part. It was a great day - sunny, cool, and a very flat course. :)

Not that any of you would question this, but....

I read an interesting column in the Washington Post. Well, more funny and honest than interesting. I thought I'd share.


TELL ME ABOUT IT ®

By Carolyn Hax
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Dear Carolyn:
Best friend has child.
Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc.
Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today?
Her: Park, play group . . .
Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions. Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.
Or you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
Internet searches?
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.
So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201554.html.

It makes me tired just re-reading it. But, for the most part, I'd say that about sums it up nicely. Oh, and I also painted more of the living room today and mowed the lawn. :) I say that knowing I don't have to justify my computer time tonight. :)

Will's spotlight

Now that Will can sing his own songs, he really likes to be captured on film. Here's one that is pretty darn cute....

Happy Birthday!

My oldest nephew, Justin, is 21 today. Wow.

I remember the day he was born, I "pretended" to be a little under the weather so that I could stay home and wait to hear news, go visit them, etc. And now he's old enough to drink and gamble.

BBEHAVE yourself, Justin! Maybe I shouldn't tell you that for my 21st birthday, Grandma, Grandpa, your Mom and Dad took me to the boat and then your parents took me dancing and partying in downtown Prairie du Chein. Come to think of it, they took me downtown BEFORE I turned 21 too. :)

A year later

This...

was a year ago.

This...

is now.

A Confession

I have my third and final 5k of the season on Sunday. Up until this week, I'd been running 2-3 times a week. Since the sun doesn't rise til around 7:00 am now, my body is revolting against getting up at 6:15 to run. It's just not natural. Will has preschool on Thursday mornings and for the past few weeks I've been able to get a run in at 9:30 - but I think it's going to rain tomorrow. So....I'm going to go at this 5k without having run in 8 days, and really who cares. :)

Ok, ok, if it's nice I'll go for a walk Friday night.

I've been looking at used treadmills for this winter. Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into me. A year ago, I'd rather eat worms than run. Now, I think it'd be nice to have the option to jump on the treadmill in the dead of winter and get 2 miles or so done. (Yes, only 2-3 miles. No more than that at a time - I'm not totally insane.)

Feel free to place bets on how long this will last. But I'm warning you - I like the fact that the rear end has a "bounce" instead of a "jiggle".

Suck It Up

Oooohhhh, I bought a new vacuum cleaner on Monday. It's blue. Two weeks ago I vacuumed and it started to smoke. Last week I got it out and there was no suction, the brushes weren't spinning and I knew the bag wasn't full. John and I figured it was time. After all, the things was probably close to 13 years old.

The new one is a Hoover, and has all the attachments most vacuums have, but they seem to be more accessible. I'm really happy to have gotten a new one - I know, it may be a little pathetic. Don't judge me! :)

Nice picture

Maybe the Christmas card picture will be easier this year. I like this one.

Molly is getting bigger. I suggested to Katie that we stop feeding her so that she'll stay little. Katie thought that was a good idea. Molly loves to be outside. When she hears the garage open, she waits at the door for us to come in, and tries to scoot out into the garage between our legs. I've let her play in the garage for a while when the door is shut. She's wrestled a few bugs to their surrender. And if you choose not to wear socks - your toes will have to be on guard.

School is going pretty well for both kids. Katie started a bit of homework this week - but we are trying to just keep it to 15 minutes a night. Problem is, she wants to do more. And I have to create work for Will to do as well.

I painted last week too! I have been wanting to get the living room painted for a few months now, and since Katie is in school all day it makes it a bit easier to get done. I love, love, love the color - it's much "warmer" than our big white walls. I'm sick of white walls. I had white walls in my first apartment that I couldn't change, white walls in our first house that we just never thought or had time to change, and white walls in our townhome which we couldn't change. So I knew when we bought this house 2 1/2 years ago - I would paint.

You can see the new color on the far big wall. I think it makes the vaulted ceilings stand out more and goes nicely with our rug.

I'm not quite done yet, I still have one full wall to do, the hallway, and a precarious spot above the stairway. I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of reaching this spot shown below.

Sunday baseball

We took the kids to the Twins game yesterday against the Oakland A's. It was the first time they had been to the new Target Field. It took Katie a while to realize that we were going to be sitting outside for the whole game - she remembers being inside. The high was going to be around 62, with "considerable cloudiness". So, to avoid complaints of being cold I layered the kids up. Long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, coats, and mittens....just in case. Turns out all we needed was a t-shirt. It was beautiful! Almost hot, even.

The twins lost - thanks to a rotten fist inning. But, more importantly, we ate hot dogs, dippin' dots, nachos, and wild rice soup. (Yummy)

After games on Sundays, kids can run around the bases. There were a LOT of kids (and parents) who wanted to go down onto the field - including us. So John ran with Will around the bases while Katie managed to beat both of them. And, after a 30 second heart attack of not being able to find her afterwards, we headed home.

While walking behind John and Katie for most of the day - I'd been trying to get a picture of the two of them. They looked so cute in their baseball jerseys and hats, hand in hand. (Side note....I picked up Katie's jersey at a garage sale this summer for $1.50!!)

There goes John and Will...Katie is ahead of them on fist base.

Sitting on the golden glove outside the stadium.

Will walked inside, flopped himself down just like this, and stayed there for an hour....until he fell off and then slept on the floor for a bit.

Friday Funny - a late night one

Sometimes the funny things don't happen until Friday night.

Tonight the kids and I went to "Barnyard Boogie" at the Rec Center here in town. It's an annual party for preschoolers with a petting zoo, crafts, snacks, and dancing. Of course, the dancing was Katie and Will's favorite. Here is a little video of them getting down together.

*A side note - the song they are dancing to is "Macarena" - I flashed back to all the weddings I've been to and danced to this song - as well as all the drinks I'd had in me at the time. Ahh, how Friday nights have changed. The music hasn't. One more thing that hasn't changed? Boys who try to do the Macarena....case in point: Will. You'll notice that his moves pretty much sum up how ALL males do this one. :)

Cuddle time

Molly is still hanging around. I think she's even won John over, so she's here to stay. It's cute because the kids can pretty much do anything to her and she's still following them around for more. She likes to be in the same room with them, and even though they've each gotten one little scratch so far - they are crazy about her too.

Running like the wind

Ok - maybe I don't run like the wind, but I don't fall over and trip. Given that this is my first summer of really running - ever, I'm happy I haven't given up yet. Now I know why I never ran in high school - it pretty much sucks and it's hard! Way more of a mental sport than I initially thought. It's hard to get past your mind telling you to "Stop, stop, stop, stop, walk, walk walk, just stop, why don't you stop?" Also - I'm a bit of a loud breather so I'm sure I bugging those around me. I curse the hills, and I mouth the words to all of my songs that I listen to. :)

Last weekend I did a 5k here in town. It was my second one, and my time improved about a minute. So, that's something, I guess. After I got done with my run, it was time for the kid's run. Katie and Will both ran .25 miles and got a medal for finishing. I was very proud of both - they sure ran their best!

School Days

Last week marked our first days of school for both Katie and Will. Katie has started 1st grade, so she goes every day, all day. Will attends preschool one day a week for just a few hours. I KNOW Will would gladly go every day, all day.

Of course Will thought he'd get to ride a bus to school, but once he saw his building - he couldn't wait for me to leave. Once I picked him up, he said he wanted to go back right away. I take that as a good sign. :)

Katie likes eating lunch at school. It's a big change for us at home not to have her chatter at the table. So far, she has liked every meal they've had, but she's excited to take her lunch sometime too. I helped out in the lunchroom last Friday and it was so fun to see all the kids learning how to manage their trays, milk, napkins, etc. Only had 2 dropped trays. There are about 100 1st graders in Katie's school.

Katie's first day of school. As you can see, Will is a bit offended.

Ok - Now it's Will's first day of school. He had to wear his backpack out to the bus stop when Katie got on the bus...even though his school didn't start for another hour.

Will's first pit stop in his classroom. He thought the chairs were pretty neat.

Party Night

So Katie had a good time watching Camp Rock 2 on the Disney Channel the other night. She really got into it. :) Oh yeah - at one point, the cat got into her popcorn. We found out Molly loves popcorn!

Countdown to 1st grade

Last week, Katie's new elementary school had an open house for incoming students. We took all of her school supplies and set up her new desk. There are about 21 kids in Katie's class, including a Kaitlynn, a Cate, and of course a Katie. So far, we know there are 2 girls in her class from our neighborhood.

Also - you'll notice that Katie has on her "Quality Chick" T-shirt, from Decorah. We came to the open house right after our day at the fair. (Big day) Anyway, while we were at the fair, one of the helpers in the library tent saw Katie's t-shirt and asked if we were from Decorah. I said, no - but I grew up in a town near there. I never say "Waukon" because usually people don't know what I'm talking about. This lady goes on to say "Oh, well my husband and I go repelling near a little town called Waukon, and we camp in Yellow River Forest." I explained that Waukon was indeed my hometown and she remarks how much she loves the area and that it has great spots for repelling.

So there you go. Looking for something to do this weekend? Go repelling in Waukon.