A houseful of critters

Hard conversations....

2010-08-29T08:47:00.003-05:00

Elise came out of her room last night around 10pm very sad. She crawled up in my lap and said, "I miss my China mommy." We talked, she cried and my heart broke for my little girl.

I know she's always going to carry this hole in her heart and have to deal with the emotions that accompany knowing her birth parents gave her up. The fact that she knows nothing about her birth family and little about the realities of what life might have been like in China just add to the hurt.

This is not the first time we've had this conversation. She'll go in phases. But clearly this has been on her mind lately. She said she has a hard time not crying in school because she thinks about her China mommy all day.

We pray for her China mommy and I assure Elise that her China mommy did love her because she left her in a safe place (we don't even know this for sure). We talk about other friends of hers that don't live with the mommy who gave birth to them. We talk about how some mommies can't take care of their babies.

I know my joy at parenting this child comes at the expense of heartache for others. I celebrate her in my life but she grieves the loss of her first family.

So, for those of you who have walked this path, what words of wisdom do you have? What comforting words do you share with your child? How do you try to ease that heartache they carry?

River shots

2010-08-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

A few more pictures from our camping trip. Just shots of the river.

Camping Recap!

2010-08-02T18:36:00.019-05:00

I don't really fancy myself much of a camper. Perry has talked about camping for years. But, for 20 years, I've managed to dodge that camping bullet. Until now. Some friends convinced me to go camping.

Here's our home away from home. We drove to the campsite in pouring rain, had a brief window of clear skies to set up the tent, only to have it pour again. I wasn't convinced this whole camping thing was going to be much fun!

Fortunately, the rain stopped after that first night and we were able to do some really fun things! The campground was right on the Black River in Missouri. The river was very shallow, with a few deep spots with rope swings. The kids had a blast playing in the river.

We went camping with 2 other families from our neighborhood. The boys are all the same age and the girls are a year apart. It was so nice having friends along! (I did steal this picture from my friend's FB page because it turned out way better than mine - Carson looked like he was smelling his armpit in my picture.)

This beautiful spot is Elephant Rock park. HUGE boulders. Amazing to see in person and fun to climb around. (We intended to go to a swimming spot first, then change to hike in this park...but the swimming spot was full so we hiked in our swimsuits - like true rednecks!)

Elise and Carson at the top of one boulder.

Do you spot the tiny girl in the HUGE rocks?!?

The girls!

Striking a pose - 'cuz everyone should go hiking in swim gear!

Either Carson has really grown, or this is a dwarf tree.

Carson! :)

And - because I have no problem poking fun at myself - I'm including this picture (again "borrowed" from my friend's FB). Hiking off trail in your swimsuit with knee surgery scheduled for the following week and having broken an ankle within the last 6 months probably wasn't the smartest idea. Well, that and being a clumsy person with no balance leaves one a little scared of what might break or tear next. I honestly think I tore skin off my bum sliding down a few of these boulders when everyone else just jumped. Of course, shorts might have also been a good idea.

We then headed over to the swimming hole - Johnson Shut In's. Can you see Perry and the kids in there?!?

Look closely!

Our friends relaxing in a calm, less crowded spot. This was the site of a devasting dam break several years back and there were very prominent evacuation signs. That really freaked Carson out. Plus it was super crowded and slightly dangerous. So, he and I sat out and enjoyed the beautiful view.

The last day, we embarked on a 9 mile canoe ride.

Elise all ready to go.

Carson - all ready to go!

Proof that I was in a canoe!

Elise taking in the sights.

One of the other families. I laughed so hard this weekend!

Playing in the river during a break.

We found a great spot to hang out for a bit. Shallow enough to play around but with a current that the kids could ride.

What a great way to spend the day!

We kept finding fun little spots for breaks. This one involved a great rope swing.

But all good things must come to an end and off we rowed down the river. We had a GREAT weekend and I'm looking forward to trying my hand at camping again. But, I really need to work on a better list of things to pack next time so I'm more prepared!

Cucumbers anyone?!?

2010-07-17T12:21:00.002-05:00

I received a call from Perry while I was heading out to the grocery store. He told me that if I had cucumbers on my shopping list, I probably didn't need to buy any.

This is what I found on my counter when I returned. YUMMO! Not sure when they got this big and yummy (maybe it's been too long since I checked on the garden!). Carson's idea for the cucumbers - sell them on the internet. Sigh.

Truth be told, the cucumbers are taking over this bed. I planted twice as many as I usually do since we love cucumbers so much. I tried them in the boxes Perry made last year for the tomatoes, but they've gone EVERYWHERE.

And there are a lot of junior cucumbers just waiting to ripen!

And since I'm actually posting an entry and playing with my new camera still, here's a picture of the asparagus bed we put in this year. Not too exciting this year. We can do a small harvest next year, then a full harvest the following year. CAN NOT wait for that year. (We REALLY love asparagus.)

Any Perry put in a new bed this year which houses the tomatoes and peppers. Lots of flowers and teeny-tiny tomatoes but nothing harvested yet. Nothing better than a simple tomato and cucumber salad.

If you have any cucumber recipes, please share!

Trying out a new camera

2010-07-13T20:18:00.005-05:00

Is it possible that our summer is already halfway over?!? Wow, the summer is flying by. No big vacations this year but lots of camps, projects around the house, friend time, family time and fun. For some insane reason, I've agreed to a camping trip. Tent camping. On a river.

To make this worth my while, I decided it was time to try a waterproof, durable camera that I could bring on this trip (without worrying about my nice camera). It helps take the sting out of the thought of sleeping in a tent...outdoors...

So, we tried out the new camera in the pool tonight. You can literally dunk it underwater to take pictures! How cool is that?!? I will admit to being a nervous Nelly that first (and 200th) dunk into the water. But, it really does work.

GREAT camera to have near water - no fear that water will ruin it. (Except I did learn to dry off the lens or you get funky water spots on subsequent pictures.)

Here's my little kid who seems to be all arms and legs these days. When I took Carson in for his school physical, I learned that he's gained 27 pounds in the past year and a half (with 7 inches). Looking at this picture, I have no idea where he's packin' those pounds. He eats NON-STOP these days.

Elise, not to be outdone by her brother, but in a cranky mood for pictures, wanted me to take a picture of her floating...can you see her under those googles?

This is our hill-billy water slide. An old slide from an old playground (from our old house even) bolted to the steps with a hose positioned at the top. We're full of class around here, I tell ya!

Hillbilly Haven

2010-06-27T20:02:00.004-05:00

One never knows what to expect in our yard. I give credit to Carson and his best buddy for finding ways to entertain themselves in creative ways that don't (always) involve sitting in front of the TV or Xbox. So, I wasn't too surprised when Carson called home to ask if he could bring home a slip n slide.

Except this wasn't your typical slip n slide. His buddy's family is replacing their pool liner and the boys thought up a great new use for the old liner. And, conveniently, his buddy's famly doesn't have any hills and the boys felt the slip n slide would work better if set up on a slight hill.

And it's not just one piece of pool liner, it's multiple sections pieced together.

The kids had a blast and it was a new way to cool down in the summer heat. One can only guess what will show up next in our yard....

...there is a video posted on FB....I'm just too tired to repost it here.

Golf Camp

2010-06-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

Summer is here and camps are in full swing. You could spend a small fortune enrolling your kids in summer camps and go crazy making sure each kid is in the right location at the right time. Then, if your kids don't like the camps, you have to deal with cranky kids. As a parent, I find summer camp selection and season stressful!!!

We'd heard about a golf camp this year for Carson. He has several friends who've done this camp for years. He was agreeable to trying it, so we signed him up. He's never played golf in his life - outside of mini-golf. In fact, his golf set was picked up at a garage sale for kicks. We really didn't know what to expect. Perry used to enjoy golfing but hasn't golfed much since we left Chicago (and his golfing buddies).

Turns out the golf course is hidden away and located less than 10 minutes from us. Who knew!?! There are several country club courses in our town but this is a lovely public course, which means less of a financial outlay for a beginner. Very nice! :)

Carson loved it! He learned quite a bit and enjoyed spending time on the golf course with friends. He even asked if he could continue on with a 6 week league to learn more. Given we usually have to pry this kid out of the house to try new things, I'd say this was one successful summer camp!

Babies!!!

2010-06-11T07:18:00.000-05:00

Last month, my brother and sister-in-law had their 3rd baby boy within 3 years. There is an awful lot of cuteness going on at their house!!! My sister decided an "Auntie" visit was in order and we headed up to visit them, leaving our husbands, kids and critters at home.

Here is P (19 months) and I (3 years).

Daddy (aka my brother) playing a matching game with P.

My sister and I working on a sticker book.

Daddy giving tummy raspberries. I love the way P is holding onto his daddy's shirt.

He's ready for some raspberries on his belly!

High Energy are two words that we used often to describe the activity in their house!

And "Adorable."

Here is the newest one...just adding to the adorableness and energy of the household!

Visit with Omi and Opi

2010-05-27T07:10:00.002-05:00

Omi and Opi came to help with Elise's party. (Omi and Opi are the German words for grandparents, Elise loves to point out that only Omi, Opi and she were born in another country.)

We discovered on this visit that Carson is now taller than Omi.

His next goal (after passing up his mom), is to be taller than Opi. I love this picture of father, son and grandson!

Spa Party

2010-05-23T11:42:00.015-05:00

Settle in if you intend on reading this entire post. If I don't record the details here, I'm afraid I won't do it anywhere!

For Elise's 8th birthday party, she wanted a Spa party. She actually wanted a Spa Sleepover party but I didn't think my nerves could handle a full night of spa fun ~and~ 8 year old girls. So, we settled on a Spa party with the agreement she could invite each guest over for a sleepover during the summer.

I took on the alter ego of "Fancy Franny" who was going to lead the girls through their spa experience and ensure they had no tension or stress at the end. (BTW, I hate pictures of me but I've realized I have so few pictures of me that I threw this in so my kids don't forget what I looked like!)

The guests were all very interested in what Elise's crazy mom, or "Fancy Franny", had in store for them.

We started with oatmeal masks and cucumbers for their eyes. The girls thought this was downright gross. I'm sure a few questioned if they wanted to continue or go home!

But it did make for some funny pictures! (On a side note, we tried the mask on Carson and he promptly ate it off his face...proof that the boy will eat ANYTHING these days!)

We then handed out these cute mesh drawstring backpacks for them to carry from station to station so they could keep track of their belongings.

We broke the girls into groups and rotated them through the stations. The first was "Fancy Nails" where they got to have their nails painted with sparkly colorful nail polish. (Thanks, Mom!)

They then went to "Soaky Feet" station where they soaked their tired feet and caught up on the latest American Girl news. After soaking, Elise's dad rubbed invigorating lotion on their feet.

They then got to visit a "Glamour Shot" station. They could pick flowers for their hair and pick out some fancy accessories.

This was Elise's group at the Glamour Shot station. I just ADORE her friends!!!

And here is a dolled up guest looking just marvelous!

What party of Elise's would be complete without crafts?!? They next visited a "Fanciful Frames" station where they decorated flip-flop frames.

Which would soon hold the picture from their Glamour Shot. (Thanks, Carol!)

The last, and most popular, station was "Fancy Flips" where they got to design and make their own pair of flip flops.

They had a ball picking out just the right colors and making their designs.

Aren't they colorful and pretty?!? They LOVED this station and wore their flip flops the entire party.

They next headed in for a nourishing feast. Each girl got a strawberry cupcake and a yummy chocolate covered strawberry (thank you, Opi!), along with a fancy glass of sparkly fancy juice.

The girls had a great time of chatting and eating, while feeling pampered.

I learned several parties ago that you need to call in reinforcements when doing these kid parties to save your sanity. So, these lovely girls were my saving grace. They each had a sister who was attending and are Carson's age. They helped with the stations and kept the kids in tow. (Ironically, Carson and his friend stuck around during the girly-girl party....I think it might have more to do with the helpers than his sister and her guests....hmmmm....)

We ended the party with "Pin the Cucumber On Taylor Swift" which the girls enjoyed. We also opened presents using a musical gift idea I found. Each girl starts by holding their gift and sitting in a circle. As the music plays, you pass the gifts to the right. When the music stops, whatever gift the birthday girl was holding was the one she got to open. That worked really well.

All in all, Elise had a great party! I had lots of folks helping, which made the party go off without a hitch! (Thank you Mom, Dad, Carol, Opi, Omi and Eileen!)

Now I have 12 months to recover before we do this again.

Surprise!

2010-04-22T21:52:00.003-05:00

A post!!! No, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. In case you hadn't heard, the State of Illinois is basically broke and not paying any bills. And, being a State of Illinois employee whose paycheck is in jeopardy month to month, things have been painfully stressful and just a tad hectic lately. After the stress at work, sometimes the last thing I want to do at home is sit in front of another computer.
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But the guilt trip from multiple sources worked and here are a few pictures.

In the "grass is always greener" category, my little girl with beautiful straight silky hair ALWAYS wants me to find a way to curl her hair. So, one night after her bath, we sat down to a braiding session and did 14 braids. She slept in them and ta-da....
"Curly" hair for a day. She was THRILLED.

And Carson? He's literally a few inches taller than my last post. Growing like a weed has taken on a new meaning. I just can't keep up with this kid. He had his first band concert this week. He cleans up rather nicely, doesn't he?

My folks came over to the concert. I think my mom is in denial that Carson is taller than she is now. She's still claiming to have 1/2 inch on him. (I think she's standing on her tippy toes.)

So, maybe it won't be another 3 months until I post again.

A lesson in NOT being in control

2010-01-31T13:27:00.003-06:00

As I was rushing out of my office on Thursday to get in a quick lunch with Carson, I managed a completely ungraceful fall...in a crowded hallway full of college students. Several students stopped to make sure I was OK. I picked up myself up, said "Of course, I'm fine," dusted myself off and walked (a little stiffly) to my car. Once in my car, I couldn't make it out of the parking lot before tears of pain starting running down my face. Great...stuck in my car with an ankle that probably shouldn't be driving. I decided to skip lunch with Carson (figured the tears and limping might embarrass him) and drove home. By then, I could barely walk and managed to shuffle myself inside and did what any responsible, grown adult would do...I called my mommy!!!

I don't do well with pain...or not being in control. I figured when the throbbing stopped, I'd drive right back to work and no one would be the wiser to my inglorious fall (except for the 50 or so students who witnessed it). Well, the throbbing didn't stop and finally Perry came home and took me to an urgent care. Verdict - one broken ankle.

My first question - can I drive with this thing on? Nope. So, I've been stuck at home hobbling around on crutches and relying on others to attend to my every wish and chore. It's been humbling being in a position where I have to rely on others. I'm just not used to that. And I don't like seeing my house becoming cluttered because no one else seems to "see" the clutter. And I don't like having to rely on fast food because I can't stand in the kitchen to cook something healthier. This just bites!

And, did I mention that Friday was my birthday? Yes, I spent my birthday (let's just say my 29th birthday) in pain, at home by myself, on crutches. Elise offered to make Chex Mix for me, until she realized you have to bake it to get the yummy flavor. Perry worked late so the kids had to fend for themselves for dinner (that was my gift to them...snacks for dinner!).
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But, all belly aching aside, I do have some wonderful friends who have offered to help drive and fix meals. Our church service this morning (finally got OUT of the house!) was on service and serving others. After church, I came home and started making calls to find rides for the week to get to work, kids to school, etc. Making those calls was one of the most humbling and difficult things I've done. Don't get me wrong, no one turned me down and everyone was more than willing to help. But it was painful to have to ASK for help. And when friends have called me for help in the past, I've always been happy to help. That experience, combined with our church service, left me challenged to find new ways to help friends in need.
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Now, I just need to accept that I'm not in control. I hope this ankle heals quickly and I can back to driving soon.
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The other lesson I've learned is that one should shave more often in winter. You never know when strangers will be looking at one's horribly UNshaved, winter white legs (hypothetically speaking, of course).

Year in Review, Part 2

2010-01-10T13:40:00.013-06:00

Finally, part 2 of my walk down memory lane from the past year.

~~ July 2009 ~~

Big trip for Carson. He attended a 2 week camp in the wilderness of Upstate New York. His 3 cousins all came down with H1N1, and we think he had it as well, which put a damper on the trip. It was hard having him so far from him but the trip was a lifechanging one for him.

The kids were glad to be back together, for a very short instant!

While Carson was in NY, Elise and I went to see Annie with her Brownie troop. She loved it!

~~ August 2009 ~~

Love this kid! I've already told him he can't start dating until he's 35.

Elise got to visit with her GIRL cousins! It was great having them visit.

First day of school, 2nd grade. It's been a fantastic year for Elise so far. Fantastic teacher, great progress, strong desire to do well academically.

First day of 5th grade for Carson. He's also having a much better year this year. We've made some changes to eliminate some of the drama with the child he had such problems with last year and that has helped tremendously. He has a great teacher and continues to do well academically.

~~ September 2009 ~~

Father and son. Carson's goal is to be as tall as his dad...and he's quickly catching up!

Carson's love for turtles continues and he often brings them home (and they are quickly "re-homed").

Elise loves her games!

And spends lots of time playing her beloved games.

~~ October 2009 ~~

Another visit from one of her GIRL cousins! Happy day!

Carson had a "Favorite team" day at school....think he likes the Bears?

~~ November 2009 ~~

We started our holiday baking right after Thanksgiving. Elise LOVES to help roll out the dough and make cut out cookies.

Carson even got in on the fun...although I think his motivation had to do with eating cookie dough.

And our football season FINALLY came to an end...WITH THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! :)

~~ December 2009 ~~

Elise opening presents on Christmas Eve.

Elise playing with her cousin, Isaiah. He just adores her and loves to play with her. Well, he loves to play with all the big kids when he comes to visit.

I have to end this post with a picture of my kids getting along...so I remember that they actuallyt DO get along from time to time. In fact, I think I captured EVERY time they got along in these past 2 posts! :)

Year in Review, Part 1

2010-01-05T11:57:00.014-06:00

I'm shamelessly copying my friend Sandra's usual yearly review in pictures. Sorry I've been so absent lately. Life just gets busier and busier and I find myself competing for computer time (my pictures are on the main family computer...I need to move them to my laptop, although the kids keep using my laptop as well!)

~~ January 2009 ~~

Measuring snow. Elise loved, loved, loved the snow. Unfortunately, we don't get alot around here.

Right before Elise's first drama club performance. My shy girl loves being a part of the drama club at school.

Not the best picture of us, but what is striking is how much taller Carson has grown during the year. The top of his head now reaches my eyes (that's like a 5-6" growth!!!). Is it any wonder he is constantly outgrowing his pants?

~~ February 2009 ~~

Celebrating Chinese New Year.

Showing some love on Valentine's Day. It didn't last long. :)

Carson's Pinewood Derby from 2009.

~~ March 2009 ~~

Elise and her BFF "V" holding their Young Author books. They both wrote and illustrated a book about China.

Carson during another Cub Scout ceremony when he moved up to the Weebolos.

And we can't forget the 2nd broken wrist. Here's hoping we don't have a 3rd broken bone in 2010 (did I just jinx myself?!?).

And the saddest part of 2009 was losing my Grandmother. This is the last picture I have of her with my kids. Still greatly missed.

~~ April 2009 ~~

Elise's new hair do! She got to the point where she hated having her hair brushed so she decided to have it cut off. She's not had her hair cut since this picture and has decided to try to grow it out for locks of love this year. We'll see if the snarls get the best of that intention.

And soccer started again for the spring. Elise's skills are really improving.

Carson's skills are also really taking off in soccer. He discovered he really enjoyed playing goalie.

But really enjoys all aspects of soccer.

~~ May 2009 ~~

Hmmm...did someone have a birthday in May?!? Oh, yeah, Elise! She reminded us every day from January to May!

Perry got a new tool...or toy? Not sure if the fun factor outweighs the functional factor, but the boys have fun with their new toy.

OK, did my son just age instantly?!? All I see in this picture is the beginning of a teenager. And to be honest, I don't think I like it! I want my cute little boy back! Not that this one isn't cute, but he's bigger, smellier and crabbier!

~~ June 2009 ~~

Elise's bridging ceremony into Brownies. She has the best group of girlfriends in her Brownie troop and amazing leaders.
Again, mini teenager?!?

At some point in the hopefully near future, I'll post part 2 of the year in review!

Happy 2010!

Football marches on...

2009-11-28T21:09:00.006-06:00

I'm going to blame football for my inability to post anything lately. Yes, football has still been ruling our lives. Perry's team once again moved on to post season play, culminating in a trip to the state championship game.

The championship game took place last night at the Edward Jones Dome (where the St. Louis Rams play). We have lots of football fans in our family, always up for watching a good high school game. This is Carson and my nephews Spencer and Cliff. The boys wanted to sit as close as possible and we literally got front row seats.

Others in our group decided not to sit so close to the action and found seats with a higher view of the field. This is my sister, her husband and her mother in law. Shawn is either not a waver or really into his nachos.

My brother, sister in law and dad sat behind us. We all raided Perry's closet for shirts. Good thing he had a lot of team t-shirts!

I have to admit, it was exciting being so close to the players in such a big stadium. These kids have worked so hard this season and this championship game was so deserved. Both teams had a 12-1 record for the season. Our team, however, was predicted to lose by 20 points. We played the other team in the championship game in '06 and lost 53-0 (B.R.U.T.A.L. game to watch).

This was an EXCITING game. I think Spencer was about to have a heart attack at many points! As soon as the other team (Blue Springs) scored, we would score right away on our next possession. The score was 7-7, then 14-14, then 21-21 until Blue Springs jumped to 24-21. Emotions were high as we waited for the predictable TD when we got the ball back. Not only did they score 1 TD, but they scored another one right away bringing the score to 35-24. The fight was on! So much for being 20 point underdogs!

The Hawk had a busy night cheering with the crowd.

There's my hubby! The team doctor (in the black suit), kept getting x-rays sent to him on his iPhone (he was on call). Is that not so cool?!? Fortunately, our team didn't have any serious injuries that required Perry and the doc to run out on the field.

And we finally reached the point where it was clear the game was ours. The kids were sooooo excited! It's the first time a team has won back to back state championships in Missouri (Perry's team won the championship last year as well).

It was a great end to the season. They have some great kids on the team and they so deserve this title.

But, I'll be happy to have my husband home on Saturdays now that football is FINALLY over. Oh wait, we're heading smack into basketball and wrestling season. Ugh.

Ghosts and Goblins

2009-11-01T00:51:00.000-05:00

Or something like that....

Here are the kids before heading out to Trick or Treat on Friday night (our town has a parade on Halloween so the kids trick or treat the night before.)

Elise is very protective and proud of her pumpkins. She picked out the two little ones and gave creative input on the carved design.

And I'm not entirely sure what Carson is dressed up as this year. This is actually Costume #3. Costume #1 was ditched at 8:45 the night before his school party in favor of Costume #2. Costume #2 was worn to school but ditched the moment he came home. Some friends called to invite him to join them trick or treating and that's when Costume #3 materialized. Turns out the mask got too steamy during the actual treak or treating so he basically went as a 10 year kid. At least he's still interested in trick or treating...I know we may not have too many of those left in the future.

Elise's Halloween party

2009-10-31T12:15:00.003-05:00

Let the party begin! For the record, Elise was a wizard this year. She was more about the outfit than the character, though, as it involved a sparkly cape, sparkly hat and sparkly boa scarf.

Elise's school has this great Halloween tradition of walking through the historic, part of town past some amazing historic houses, to our district's main office (in a renovated old Victorian house). It's a great walk and the kids have fun showing off their costumes. An added benefit - they get a little tired out to offset all the sugar of Halloween! :)

Because of the insane amount of rain this year, the parade was moved inside. Wasn't quite the same, but fun nonetheless. (This is our last year in that school, none of the other schools in the district do this walk, so I was looking forward to one last time before Elise moves on....sigh.)

Elise did this during the parade. She was very intent on watching each kid. I asked her afterwards what she was doing...she was counting the number of kids in each class. OK...

Next came the class party time. Elise loved the craft and I put my camera away and chatted with the other moms.

It was a fun time. We quickly sped across town and caught the last 5 minutes of Carson's party but I didn't even time to whip out the camera to embarrass him.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This is what happens when you give 10 year olds a video camera....

2009-10-27T12:09:00.004-05:00

Carson and his friend have these new cars they enjoy racing but they wanted to take it to a new level and make a video. I let them borrow my Flip camera and this is the result.

Please note that I'd asked them NOT to run the car through high water as I didn't want to hear any belly-aching if it didn't work afterwards (even though they are billed as being waterproof and running them through creeks seems to be one of the big selling points).

Nice to know they listen, huh?

If you want to give the boys a thrill, please give the video a rating. They are getting a kick out of seeing how many times it's been viewed and how it's been rating (that 1-star rating didn't sit well!)

Here is the direct link (for rating purposes).

Happy Birthday Spencer!!!

2009-10-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

My nephew Spencer turns 10 today!!! Happy Birthday, Spencer!

Think word is out that he likes football?

His party was at one of those giant trampoline places.

Carson was pretty pooped afterwards!

My sister and brother-in-law who are doing a fantastic job parenting 4 amazing boys.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-18T19:59:00.005-05:00

First, I'm a lousy blogger these days. Lousy at putting up posts and lousy at commenting on the blogs I follow. I'm reading, just not commenting much.

We had company this weekend! Perry's folks, his sister and our niece came to visit. Elise only has a handful of girl cousins (and nothing but boy cousins on my side of the family) so she was pretty excited to have Jennifer to play with all weekend!

Believe it or not, this was a sunny day for us. We've had nothing but grey skies, rain and chilly weather lately. OK, it was downright chilly when we went pumpkin picking but not raining.

I love pumpkins. Love the warty ones.

Love the brightly colored ones.

Love the colorful (and warty!) ones.

Carson was determined to get a huge pumpkin. The rule was he had to lift it by himself into the cart (and I wasn't paying over $20!).

The kids spent lots of time searching for just the perfect pumpkin.

And a better mom would have dressed her child in a cuter outfit for pumpkin picking. (In all fairness, the kids both had soccer games earlier in the day and Elise's team is pink...hence the pink shirt and pink pants. The purple sweatshirt was an afterthought so she wouldn't freeze....she really needed a MUCH warmer outfit, though!)

And...a better mom would have taken a picture of the pumpkins that were picked out. Sigh...Perhaps that will be another post.

Games

2009-09-29T20:03:00.001-05:00

We've discovered a great new company that makes family games. The company is called Simply Fun and if you are ever invited to a party, I strongly encourage you to attend. (One of my good friends just signed up as an consultant so if you want anything, let me know and I'll hook you up.)

This game has become one of Elise's new favorites. Perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon with no friends able to come play.

This game is called Walk the Dogs and involves setting up and collecting various breeds of doggies.

And Elise takes the game very seriously.

After many rounds of Walk the Dogs, we moved onto Picky Sticks (or the porcupine game as Elise calls it).

Be warned, if you come to my house, my girlie might just rope you into a round of Walk the Dogs!

A special day for my boys.

2009-09-28T19:48:00.002-05:00

They made the decision to be baptised yesterday. Not only did they make the decision to be baptised, they decided to do it together. I didn't even think of pulling out my camera at church, but this was taken as soon as we got home (yes, we attend a very casual church). I thought they'd go one after each other, but a 2nd pastor got into the baptismal and they went under together. What a special day for our family.

And I would have posted this yesterday but I discovered what happens when you play basketball with longish nails. You risk attempting to rip them off your fingers. This is how I spent my night...nursing my poor fingers. Did you know it hurts like the dickens? And I just about passed out when I saw my nails sticking up a 90 degree angle. I'm really hoping I don't lose the nails.
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And my engagement ring always falls towards my palm. What's up with that? It looks like I'm wearing 2 wedding bands. Really, I'm only married to one man.

It's that time of year again...

2009-09-19T14:14:00.002-05:00

And I don't have much time to think, let alone sit down at the computer for anything other than work related. Sigh...busy busy days but every mom I talk with this time of year is feeling the same way. Here's a quick recap of what's consuming our lives right now (other than the BIGGIE of school and homework).

It's SOCCER time again! My kids play both fall and spring soccer and love it. At this point, they've been on the same time with the same kids for several years now. Elise used to hang back and only kick the ball if it came towards her. She'd run towards the ball, but only following the other kids. This year, she looks like a different kid out there! She's going after the ball, staying in the pack, kicking the ball. Several moms have commented on it as well, so it's not just my momma pride seeing these changes. She did get kicked pretty hard last week and I had to carry her off the field in tears. I wasn't sure if that would ding her confidence, but she was right in there again this week. And, for the 3rd straight year, she's on the PINK team.

Carson is playing on a co-ed team this year. For some odd reason, his team is 5-7 grade boys and 8th grade girls. Guess they didn't have enough girls sign up to have enough teams. The girls are really good and they are serving as good mentors for the boys. Carson wasn't too sure he liked having girls on his team, but it's not so bad when they help the team win. :)

Carson is also doing a swim team this year for the first time. He hates it, except when he's in the water swimming. Sheeshh, bitter complaining before and after practice. We're struggling with "forcing" him to do another sport versus letting him decide. Swim team will go on through the winter until early spring (when soccer will start up again). He's getting to the age that he needs to be involved with something all year. He gets too lazy without the routine and discipline of a sport. So, we'll see how this works out. But, needless to say, I wasn't sure I'd live to post any pictures I might have taken at his practices. :)

Perry's football team continues to do well. They are ranked #1 in Missouri right now with high hopes for another state championship. Exciting for the kids, but I'm already dreading the long post season.

Games

2009-09-16T20:39:00.000-05:00

Elise loves to play games.

She'll give you this cute and innocent look while asking if you want to play a game with her. Who could resist?

Yeah, don't let that cute look fool you...she plays to win! And she has mancala figured out so much better than I do that she easily beats me. Every.single.time.

Even when she "helps" me out by telling what to move, she still always beats me.

And thens he gloats in the win. Watch out for this one! :)

Teeth

2009-09-14T20:32:00.002-05:00

Dental Appointments

Those 2 words sum up a good chunk of last week. Carson could go weeks without brushing his teeth and have no cavities. Elise just needs to look at candy and she gets ones. Bummer.
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Last week she had to have 2 cavaties filled and 2 new molars sealed (in the hopes of keeping them cavity free). She's now had so much dental work done, including root canal and crown on a baby tooth (who knew they did that?), she doesn't even flinch. In fact, after the last appointment, I made a comment about the shot and she was surprised to learn she had gotten a shot in the mouth. The dentist does a great job with kids...so good that he gave her 2 shots in her mouth last visit and she didn't even realize it. :)
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And, sadly, as her adult teeth start coming in, it's pretty clear the dental work is going to continue in the form of braces. We'd better start saving our pennies.

Two weeks in...

2009-09-05T19:36:00.004-05:00

Wow, I'm getting really bad about posting.

We're two weeks into school and all is going well. Both kids love their teachers.

Elise had her first "real" test last week in Social Studies and she was quite proud of the 100% she brought home. Her class is apparently a bit rowdy and having difficulty following the rules. One day last week, she announced that she'd had a horrible rotten day! It turns out the entire class lost a recess period. That was the first time EVER she'd lost a recess period and she was ticked.

Carson had a little relapse of the bus drama that followed him all last year and really trashed a friendship (both at the kid and adult levels). I'm really proud of the way he handled it this year. We made some changes to our morning and afternoon routines and thanks to the help of a wonderful neighbor, the problem seems to have been solved. Thank you to a great neighbor!!!

Carson also really likes his teacher this year. She has done some fun things and he's really motivated to do well. He's playing the trumpet this year in band. I pray I still have ear drums at the end of the school year.

The kids are both back into fall soccer and looking forward to a fun season. Carson is doing a swim team this year for the first time as well. He's not so thrilled with the 4 practices a week, but I think he'll enjoy being in the pool and meeting new friends.

Perry's football (last year's state champs!) are already 2-0. I love seeing the kids do well, but I hate the thought of the lengthy post-season play.

I hope everyone else is having a smooth "getting back into the school routine" season as well!

Family Photos

2009-08-28T17:29:00.004-05:00

We finally got around to having some family photos taken recently. I discovered a family friend was starting her own business. If you are in the St. Louis area, I highly recommend Danyll Epps.

We lucked out with a gorgeous summer day (always risky with our hot and humid summer weather) and a beautiful setting. I stressed over what we'd all wear and almost went matchy-matchy until Danyll said to wear something that looked like it went together but stay away from matchy-matchy. Matchy-matchy was out and I put together new outfits....quickly.

This is one of my favs of Carson. Let's be honest, it's hard to get a good picture of a pre-teen boy. They are just awkward at tines. But, she took him off on his own and he really had a good time with it.

And there are about a bazillion good ones of Elise (so many it was hard to order). But I just love this one. She lost her top front tooth the very next day. I'm so glad we captured this little girl look. She looks older missing her top front teeth now.

Danyll had some fun and creative picture ideas. There are so many that capture the fun times of the day. Thanks, Danyll, for some great pictures!

More Hummingbirds

2009-08-24T20:48:00.005-05:00

OK, so you might start to think I'm a bit obsessed myself with these hummingbirds. I'm always amazed at how many we get. I'd love to see a nest.

I love sitting on our front porch and just watching these creatures. It's my newest form of relaxation.

School is off to a good start for both kids. They both like their teachers. We go for orientation this week and will learn more about the teachers and their expectations.

The semester finally started for me and it's been crazy busy but I just love this time of year. I love the excitement of a new school year. I love the anticipation of the year to come. I love getting to know a new group of students. It's an affirmation that I'm in the right career.

First day of school

2009-08-18T20:59:00.003-05:00

School started yesterday! Phew...I felt like I ran a half marathon just getting my kids to school the first day!
Carson is going into 5th grade and, in our district, this is his last year in elementary school. He's now in the oldest grade in his school building (3-5 grades). On the first day of school, I gave the kids the option of driving them or letting them take the bus. Elise decided to take the bus while Carson wanted me to drive him. Then he asked if I'd take him to the donut place before school. No problem. Then he asked if he could bring a friend. No problem. Then he asked if he could bring another friend. Yikes! So, after getting Elise on the bus and gathering up his friends, we headed to the donut place for a pre-school treat. I wanted to take pictures but was told in no uncertain terms that NO PICTURES WERE ALLOWED. The above picture is all I get this year.

Elise is now in 2nd grade! Her school is K-2 but she did pre-K in the same building, so this is her 4th year in the same building and she's feeling pretty comfy. I love her school and it makes me a little sad that she moves up the to the bigger kid (Carson's) school next year.

She got a little nervous the morning of school and decided she wanted me there...but she also wanted to ride the bus and did not want to go for donuts with the boys. So, I had to sprint around town and get back to her school in time for their morning opening. Her school was not built for the current enrollment and the parking S.T.I.N.K.S. So, I ended up parking about a mile away and hiking her supplies in. Phew, I was exhausted by the time school started for the day! You can tell she's pulled into her shell in the above picture.

Yeah, a little smile! She's starting to get into her groove. She's waving to a few friends and keeping a close eye on me.

And off she goes to her 2nd grade classroom. Every year, she's clung to me and gotten teary when it came to time to say good bye to the parents. Not this year, she just picked up her bag of supplies, lined up and headed out to her classroom. She's so excited about her teacher this year even though none of her BFF's are in the same class.

I do admit to getting a bit teary eyed when I realized this was my last "first" day of school at this school.
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Here's hoping for a good school year for all the kids and teachers!

Last Day of Summer

2009-08-17T20:10:00.003-05:00

Today was the last day of summer break for my kiddos. I have pictures of the preparations but I'm on my laptop and am too pooped to walk upstairs. The kids each have their supplies packed and ready. New outfits are picked out and ready to be worn.

Tomorrow, I leave my kids in the hands of their new teachers and pray for a good year for each of them.

The summer has been good. The kids have had a good break. We've enjoyed some good family time. We're all renewed and ready to start a new school yar.

Elise started each and every day of the summer by asking "Can I invite a friend over today?" We're so blessed that she has such a good circle of little girls and we're enjoying getting to know their families. None of Elise's really close friends are in her class this coming year, but she was assigned to the teacher she's wanted since kindergarten. Mr. E was Carson's teacher in 1st grade (Mr. E has since moved up to 2nd grade) and he's an excellent teacher. We're thrilled to have another school year with him.

Carson is starting the school year with another new teacher. His teacher taught at one of the middle schools in the district for a few years before moving to 5th grade this year. I can't believe my son goes to middle school next year...yikes! I think it'll be a good thing to have a teacher with such fresh middle school experience to help prepare the class for the expectations of the coming years. Some good friends from his soccer team are in his class this coming year.

We're looking forward to the new experiences and opportunities that will come this year for each child.

GIRL Power!

2009-08-10T21:07:00.006-05:00

Elise has lots of boy cousins. All boy cousins on my side of the family, in fact. Except for one girl who is a 2nd cousin (and lots more boy 2nd cousins). So, she was very excited about a visit from her 2 GIRL cousins from Chicago. Since they are so much older, she wasn't sure what to expect.

She had a BLAST! Who knew two college age cousins would enjoy so many of the same things as Elise! :)

We had a great visit with Perry's sister and her 2 daughters. Aren't they beautiful?!? Stephanie (in the blue) and Jennifer (in the pink) were 2 and 4 when I first met Perry. I can't believe Jennifer can now legally drink alcohol!!! (Which I'm sure she doesn't do, but she's old enough!)

We packed a lot of fun into one HOT weekend. They wanted to go up to the top of the St. Louis Arch. My kids wanted to go up, too. (Yes, we did take along an extra friend for Carson...that's not some random kid we had pose with our group.)

This is the view from the top of the Arch....see those little benches at the base of the Arch...that's where I waited. Once you've been up in the Arch, there is no reason to go back up. At least not as far as I'm concerned.

Here's the crew getting ready to cram their bodies into small capsules to slllooowwwllly lift them to the top of the Arch. Packed in like sardines. Enclosed cages that travel up the leg of the Arch. Not for someone who doesn't like small, confined spaces (did I mention I waited OUTside?!?)

And after successfully making it to the top, you get to look out these teeny-tiny windows at the top. Now, really, who didn't think to make BIGGER windows at the top?!?

After the excitement of the Arch, we wandered by the riverfront of the Mississippi River for a bit.

I love this picture of Elise wandering the shore.

The kids completed the weekend by playing soccer...

...basketball....

...and lots of swimming....

...and jumping! And tons and tons of cousin fun!

Elise and her Chinese Bling...

2009-08-09T17:39:00.002-05:00

Elise goes to Chinese lessons every Sunday afternoon. One of our neighbors is Chinese and very graciously asked if Elise would like to join the lessons she was starting with her own children. Elise LOVES it.

Before today's lesson, she wanted me to get out the "Chinese bracelets" that she got when she was a baby. I never let her wear these out and about for fear of her losing them. But, I decided it was OK today. I dropped her off for her lesson and she very proudly showed her teacher. Makes me wish I had picked up more of these trinkets when we were in China.

Happy Birthday, Grandma! You are missed!

2009-08-07T07:00:00.005-05:00

Today is my Grandma's birthday. She's been gone 4-1/2 months now and still deeply missed. There are so many times I started a letter to her with a cute kid story...only to remember she was no longer with us in person.

My aunt went through old slides of my grandparents and digitized them. What a wonderful treasure...THANK YOU Aunt Carol!

I'd never seen this picture of my grandmother before. She grew up in a world that I often thought was so old fashioned but I now realize was so rich in history.

She grew up in a large family in West Virginia. I believe she's the little girl in the front row in the plaid skirt. She was the youngest daughter with 9 siblings.

She met her husband when he was in her hometown working as an engineer on the Bluestone Dam. They had a 50 year marriage!

She had a great laugh! That's my Aunt Carol behind her. :)

Next to God, family was the most important thing in her life.

She loved it as her family grew. My sister is the baby on Grandma's lap and I'm the little girl in front. I think I was jealous that Kristin got to sit on Grandma's lap!

Here she is at my parent's wedding. My dad's parents had both died by this point and my grandmother took my dad in as her own. They had such a great mother-in-law/son-in-law relationship. And, wasn't my mom a beautiful bride?

Holding me! :)

My grandmother made so many outfits for us when we were little. I'm in the yellow dress and Kristin is in the blue. Kristin went through a phase where she would LITERALLY look UP when someone said "Look up for the picture!" Isn't she cute!?

And a little less cute with those 80's hair and XXXL sweaters! Grandma lived with my parents for years after I graduated from college. I loved coming home to not just my parents, but my grandmother was well. She took such good care of us...care packages at college, our favorites foods when we came home to visit, always a craft project on which she wanted our help. And see Eric poking his there in back. He was her ONLY grandson. And did she ever dote on him. She lived with my family during his teenage years and they had an amazingly special relationship. The only time I've ever seen him cry was at her funeral when he got up to talk about his special grandmother.

This is my favorite picture of my grandparents. This is how they look in my mind. A few years after this picture was taken, my grandfather got sick and his health went downhill for 8 years. My grandmother had a tough road during those years as she struggled to keep him at home and maintain his care.

And speaking of my grandfather, I just love this picture! (Yup, me again!) My grandfather was so insanely smart that he could have been very intimidating. He taught college phyics in his spare time and was an electrical engineer at GE working on the first generation of color TV. I was smart enough to never even TAKE college physics! :)

This is my mom's graduation from Wheaton College. My grandmother watched 2 of her kids and 3 of her grandkids graduate from this same college. I believe the story was that she wanted to go to college but her father saw no need to educate girls beyond high school. Education was very important to her and she was so very proud of all the various degrees her kids and grandkids earned.

And how could I mention my grandma without thinking of SNOW....lots and lots and lots of SNOW!

Christmas was her favorite time of year. I still have this dollhouse in my house. It's now 30 years old (gulp!) and in pretty rough shape, but I can't bear to part with it! My grandparents put it together by hand and I remember my grandmother's willingness to get down on the floor and play with us. Christmas was a magical time with emormous amounts of food, gifts and laughter.
Thanks, Carol, for unearthing these awesome pictures!!! What a great walk down memory lane! My grandmother is missed but my faith tells me I will see her again. Our family is so fortunate to have had such a strong foundation.

The lucky find...

2009-08-06T20:48:00.002-05:00

The other day, while sitting on my front porch and watching hummingbirds fight over the feeder, I decided we really needed to get a 2nd hummingbird feeder. We'll often have 20 hummers fighting for one of 8 holes on our current feeder.

Also while sitting on the porch, with 2 chairs propped together so I could lazily read a book, I commented to Perry that a wicker loveseat would be the perfect addition.

Imagne my delight when I found this loveseat right by the hummingbird feeders at our local wallyworld?!? And better yet, it was marked down 50% AND they were willing to give me an additional 10% because they only had the floor model remaining. How lucky could I be...finding exactly what I wanted when I wanted it at a price I was willing to pay?!?

And better yet, it was a set that included these 2 chairs and the table between them (hiding behind the overgrown bush). Again, for a price I was willing to pay (read: cheap! Perry and I had just had our monthly "frugal" talk.)

The front porch has been pretty blah and I think this set really adds some color and some great reading places.

And we now have much comfier hummingbird watching chairs.

Or horse-cornfield-deer watching chairs...whatever your pleasure.

Tooth Fairy

2009-08-05T20:40:00.000-05:00

After several weeks of tugging, twisting and pulling, Elise finally lost her two front teeth.

She was worried she'd be the only 2nd grader who hadn't lost their top teeth. And man, she worked those toothies. To the point of making her mom come close to fainting several times. Phew, glad that drama is over for now. As I recall, from here on out teeth just pop out at random intervals but the tooth race is mostly over.

The difference between men and boys....

2009-08-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

...is the price of their shoes. Ouch.

Carson's now officially in men's shoe sizes and the prices just about doubled. Sadly, I couldn't convince him to curl up his toes for a few more months in his old shoes (just kidding!). And even more sadly, this new pair will probably only fit for a matter of weeks the way this child is growing.

Hummingbirds

2009-08-03T20:51:00.000-05:00

I always tease my husband during the summer that he has a harem. A harem of hummingbirds! He is so conscientious to keep the hummingbird feeder full. (Please ignore the mold buildup, he cleans that out every time we fill it.)

There are times we have upwards of 20 hummingbirds fighting for a spot at the feeder. And if I make the mistake of standing in front of it talking to someone for too long, they will start to dive bomb me until I move along.

I sat out on the porch yesterday afternoon reading (it was BEAUTIFUL day!) and kept my camera close by.
Can you see the one hiding in the tree?

Here he/she is!

We do have some jeweled colored hummingbirds but the only ones poising for pictures were the plainer variety.

Perry loved this picture as you see all the tiny bones in this bird's wing.

Eventually the hummingbirds caught on to my picture-taking and stayed away when the camera was out. So, I took a picture of my neighbor's horse.

Needless to say, I didn't get much reading done.

Pumpkins

2009-08-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

Can you keep a secret? We have pumpkins growing....but we didn't plant any pumpkins this year.

I suspect we put our old pumpkins in this very space last fall and let them sit too long.
And now we have pumpkins growing on our driveway. What better place, huh?!? :) Since we never have any luck growing them in our garden, so we figured why not let these go and see if they do any better on the driveway.

Right now they are these teeny-tiny greenish white pumpkins. But TONS of them.

Hmmm...maybe we won't have to actually buy any pumpkins this fall! As long as Perry doesn't pull his car too far forward....

Elise and her dollies

2009-08-01T12:58:00.004-05:00

I've been so bad about blogging this summer. This post is the most obvious proof.

Elise got this beautiful dress for her birthday (waaaay back in May). Her grandma made it for her.

While the dress in and of itself would have been a wonderful gift, it was extra special because Grandma made her 2 dolls matching dresses. (The only thing that could have topped tihs gift in Elise's mind was if ~I~ had received a matching dress but my mom knows I don't wear dresses so she didn't waste her time and energy!)

Here's my beautiful girl modeling her special dress.

I love it when she giggles and throws her head back in laughter.

Thanks, Grandma, for making such beautiful outfits for these beautiful girls!

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Teehee...I'm not going to tell Grandma I ~finally~ posted these because I want her to be totally surprised! :)

Pool Time

2009-07-26T20:50:00.002-05:00

Elise has mastered a new skill...

Swimming without her floaty. Snif... It makes her seem like such a big girl.

Not only does she swim without her floaty, she jumps...or launchs....into the pool. She isn't quite airborn in the picture but note her tongue....?!?

SPLASH!!!! This is when I say a quick prayer that she'll surface...which she always does.

My own little fish.

Another project

2009-07-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel like home ownership is a series of unfinished projects?!? Some days, renting looks like a much better option.

This project has been an ongoing project for the past 3 years. When we have the time, the weather never really cooperates. We've had an amazing break of cooler weather and we decided to finally tackle this project again. It involves replacing the above with this...

Much cleaner and neat looking, don't ya think?

And here's why this project has taken so long. Have I mentioned our rather large deck? I couldn't even get it all in one picture. And it wraps around and continues on the other side. And there is section between the deck and pool. And....and...and.... (can you get the feel of how overwhelming this seems?)

The other unintended project? Killing TONS and TONS of wasps as we open up each new section. Who knew so many of those little buggers would create such large nests under a deck? We've gone through about 8 of these cans (and we're only about halfway done).

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Sigh.....if the weather turns hot or the wasps start attacking, this might take another 3 years to finish.

Carson's room

2009-07-21T18:17:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm finally posting some pictures of Carson's revamped room. Nothing fancy, we rearranged some furniture and slapped on a new coat of paint. I actually love the new color. It's a greyish blue. It went on asphalt grey and I was sure it was a huge mistake, but the blue came out as it dried.

The hammer in the wall picture from when Carson was at camp created this...

This was all dead space in Carson's closet and it had turned into the black hole of junk. With all the critters in his room, it was all getting way too crowded. Perry came up with the idea of using this dead space for some drawers and storage/display. It allowed us to move out his dresser, freeing up some floor space.

Carson really likes it. He has more room to spread out.

And he's been keeping it clean. Yes, I'm SHOCKED!

My newest pastime

2009-07-20T17:58:00.006-05:00

Welcome to my newest pastime...

This is where you'll find me in the evenings during the weekends. Just hanging out enjoying a nice fire. (And surprisingly, the weather has cooperated with some nice cool evenings...in July!)

Since we have a big ol' WOOD deck, I've been very leary of having a fire pit, but we managed to turn a back corner of our yard into party central by putting in a fire pit (using old landscaping bricks and a bag of play sand that we had around so it was a FREE fire pit!)

The dogs weren't so sure about the fire the first night, but they've warmed up (tee hee) to the idea!

Especially if it means someone mindlessly scratching behind their ears.

Or the possibility of food.

Lots of s'mores have been devoured since we put in the fire pit. My son likes his marshmallows really toasty brown.
And I had to include a picture of my sister's new dog, Cami. She's ALMOST as cute as my dogs (shhhh....just don't tell my dogs.)

Cami was pretty comfy by the fire. (Or maybe Cliff was making sure I didn't hide her away so they'd forget to take her home!)

The fire pit is a great place to curl up and make girlie plans with Aunt Kristin.

I just love hanging out by the fire with my family.

Of course, I'm not sure my brother-in-law was enjoying the family quite as much! :)

Kids with cameras

2009-07-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

I think I've created a few photog monsters!

The kids kept clammoring to take pictures.

Which, on one hand, was nice because we actually got some pictures of Perry and me. Not a bad picture with the falls and Canada behind us and viewing dude looking over my shoulder.

Of course, there were a few where our heads were cut off. If nothing else, they've learned my lesson of take LOTS of pictures in the hopes you get one decent shot.

Not my favorite picture (I don't like any picture that includes me) because we were hot and sweaty from hiking. I also believe Perry is a little stressed about what he's seeing...which would be the child holding the camera and doing something that might endanger either the child or the camera.

This would have been a great shot...had my husband smiled. I think we both need to learn to relax a bit when the kids have the cameras. They've proven to be responsible and careful when using the cameras.

Although, sometimes you end up with odd pictures like the above. It's a picture of the dress I wore to my Grandmother's memorial service. Nice shot.

Or you end up with pictures of pictures. Guess the kids didn't realize that I actually have an original of this picture. But it was sweet that they thought to take a picture of it (and every picture that included them in the photo albums at her service...more pictures than I'll post here!)

It may be time to invest in an indestructible camera for each kid.

Hiking

2009-07-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Being in such a beautiful place, we all had the itch to get outside and explore. These are in no order!

We found so many interesting spots for pictures, like this tree with an interesting exposed root structure.

I love the variety and size of the trees in this area. I particularly enjoy looking UP through the trees.

There are so many unexpected waterfalls and streams.

This is just a beautiful part of the country!

And provided some great spots to grab a few pictures of the kids.

Even some goofy pictures of the kids (but these are the ones I really, really like!)

Elise stole my hate and sunglasses at one point. I have to say she wears them better than I do!

Another sweet shot of the kids. Elise is fighting the urge to make her bunny face in this picture.

Carson and Perry at the top of Panther Mountain. The next time I looked over, Perry had Carson hanging over the edge by his ankles. I did NOT take a picture of that (I had my eyes clenched closed!)

I love the rolling mountains. Such a beautiful sight. We live in Illinois...FLAT Illinois so this is such a welcome sight.

Some of the hiking paths were a bit more rugged than others. This one was covered in wet mud and much of it over rocks so it was a bit slippery. We sure did get a workout in.

I love the rockiness of this area. You see these gigantic rocks all over the place. You'd pay a fortune for something like this in Illinois, but these are everywhere in this area.

Carson sitting (again) a little too close to the edge filming Auger Falls.

Elise and her daddy. I was surprised he didn't end up carrying her on his shoulders on our hikes, but she was able to do the hikes all by herself.

Just to put the rocks in perspective, here's Carson standing in front of one. HUGE!

We loved these little streams that you could explore by walking out on the rocks.

Some of us went much further out on the rocks than their mother's would have liked.

Niagara Falls

2009-07-12T15:35:00.005-05:00

I'm just finding a quiet moment to go through some more pictures of our trip. I go back to work tomorrow after a week and a half of vacation. It's a dreary rainy day here so I don't feel quilty about being inside, doing laundry, baking cookies, grabbing a few moments to read a good book and catch up on some blogging.

We spent some time at Niagara Falls on our way back home. Having grown up in New York, I'd visited the times several time as a child. It was fun taking the kids there for their first visit.

I've always loved going to the Canadian side to see the falls but we decided too late in the game to visit and I didn't have time to get passports for the kids. What a bummer. I'm getting on that now so we don't have that problem in the future. We decided to do the Maid of the Mist boat tour so they could see the Horseshoe Falls from the water.

They didn't know what to expect when we were handed these lovely blue ponchos and neither kid was very excited about going!

I love the look on Elise's face when she realizes that something fun was about to happen!

Love, love, love seeing the falls from the water. There is something so magical about it. Such natural beauty and force beyond anything that human hands could create.

We then hiked up the access point to view the falls up close and personal! Now that I have 2 kids clamoring to take pictures, we often end up with a good one of Perry and me.

Kids - with poncho (Carson still has his in his room...what IS he going to do with THAT?!?)

Kids - without ponchos.

We then had to walk along the river leading up to the falls. Again, it was amazing to see from the top. Elise had to give us her "fabulous" pose.

Both kids enjoyed the visit after their initial hesitation. They thought it was "cool" and worth the time. If you haven't visited, it's well worth your time.

More Pictures

2009-07-09T21:06:00.004-05:00

I'm taking an online Photoshop course and decided to play with a picture from the Adirondacks and Carson's cabin Bible verse from camp. I'm thinking of order this in a poster print for his newly revamped room.

We found these great falls near the mountain house we stayed in. It was so beautiful!

I love this picture of the kids. They got along for about an hour before the bickering started. :)

Carson climbed and ran over these wet rocks like they were nothing. I was too afraid of falling and do some serious damage to my bones!

What a trooper Elise was on this trip. So many things were about her brother, but she handled it well and had a great time.

I think my son grew a few more inches while he was gone. When do you think he'll finally be taller than me? Hopefully not this year.

Enjoying some male time. Mostly because I was too scared to climb up there and refused to let Elise try.

Camp - from mom's perspective

2009-07-08T10:08:00.006-05:00

Both of my kids are finally back at home. A 2 week camp sounded like a great idea during the long Christmas break when we sent in the registration but it was a long 2 weeks for this momma!

Arriving at camp, we were warned of an outbreak of H1N1 virus (swine flu). We knew about this outbreak thanks to regular e-mail updates from the camp. Oh, and the fact that my sister's 3 boys all came down with the flu. We weren't sure what to expect with Carson. He had bunked with his cousin, who had gotten sick. We had planned on staying with my brother's family in their lake house for 2 nights after picking up Carson but didn't want to risk exposing their little boys (2 and 8 mos) to the flu. Kristin ended up picking up her boys early and leaving town; leaving us the use of their rented mountain house for the remainder of our stay.

This pig rock stands at the entrance to the camp. Someone from town had draped a sheet over to look like a face mask - poking fun at the swine flu outbreak! The camp director did not find the humor in it and had the mask taken down before more families arrived! :) There was another camp in town that would not allow any visitors who had spent time at Deerfoot. It was all very reminiscent of SARS when we traveled to China.

And when I say "entrance" to the camp, I use that term very loosely. You have to drive a mile or two down a one lane, heavily wooded, dirt road to actually arrive at camp. You truly feel like you are stepping into another world.

The final morning devos (devotionals...not somber at all like the word might imply...150 energetic boys were pretty loud and boisterous about these devos!) were still going on when we arrived, so I walked around taking some pictures. Who knew there were so many shapes and sizes of paddles?

The boys were packed up and ready to leave. There were piles like this all over. Unfortunately, it rained before the families left camp so everything was soaked. I couldn't tell clean from dirty in Carson's bag (he didn't realize the purpose of the laundry bag I'd packed was to store his DIRTY laundry and just dumped it all back into his luggage.) Because everything was wet, I just washed it all. Can't honestly tell how many pairs of underwear were actually worn (more than I care to admit were still folded suspiciously like I fold his underwear).

Safety first. Now, this is a BOYS camp. Notice the pink life vest?!?

Carson passed his rowing test so was allowed to take out a rowboat all by himself. Gulp. Glad I didn't know that beforehand. He tells this funny story of rowing out by himself to Skull Island (nice name), laying back in the boat and falling asleep. He said he woke up and had drifted all the way back to camp.

My brother was the original Deerfoot camper in the family (he spent 9 summers there) and joined us when we picked up Carson. He enjoyed his time back at camp. He and Perry wandered while I took pictures and waited on Carson.

Looks like Perry could become quite comfortable here as well!

Eric finding names of old camp-mates, friends, and campers. By this time, I was getting a little worried that we hadn't found Carson. Eric kept telling me not to worry. But, seriously, I hadn't seen any other families still looking for their son. We finally decided to check the nurse's cabin and that's where we found our son. We were a little worried he'd have the flu but he hadn't spiked the tell tale fever at that point.

It was so good to have him back in my arms, but he was one pooped puppy! I remember my brother getting home from camp and sleeping for HOURS. Between Carson's nasty cough (one flu sympton), major tiredness and lack of any energy, I admit to being a bit worried that we were going down the swine flu road.

It was amazing how a little ice cream could perk him up enough to give us a tour of camp.

Eric and Carson pose by Carson's cabin. Eric had been a counselor in this cabin back in the day.

Carson made sure to pick up his woodburning craft. It's HUUUGGGEEE. You can't see it, but there is some woodburning on this hunk of wood.

Camp ends each session with a circle of friendship. All past and present camps circle around and sing the main camp song. The main chief sends them off. It was actually a very emotional moment.

Carson spent much of the first day sacked out in front of a TV (he hadn't had any electricity for 2 weeks!). His energy slowly returned and got bits and pieces of his time at camp. It was unfortunate that Kristin's boys had left early because I would have loved to hear the 4 boys all compare notes about their experiences. For the record, Carson did not end up with the flu (at least I don't think so). He had a slight head cold when he left and I think the damp cool weather made that worse. He never ran a fever, which seemed to hit all the boys with the flu.

He had a great time and I believe it was a life changing experience for him.

The grossest part - he couldn't find the toothbrust I packed so he didn't brush his teeth for 2 weeks. You had to hold your breath a bit when we first hugged him, but it was worth it! :)

Camp - from Carson's point of view

2009-07-08T09:40:00.003-05:00

Carson is home!!! I'll recap his experience in another post but wanted to put up some of the pictures from his camera. We sent him with 2 disposable cameras and couldn't wait to see his pictures. He filled both cameras and was disappointed there were no one hour developing places in the mountains where we were staying.

Here is his entire cabin. This was the only "nice" shirt I sent, which was supposed to be worn on banquet night. This picture wasn't taken on banquet night. Carson's cousin Spencer is in the middle between the 2 counselors. Spence ended up getting swine flu, spent much of his time in isolation and left a day early. More on that in my post later.

The campers got to choose a hike and Carson selected Peak Mountain Pond as his hike of choice. It was a 2 day hike covering 8 miles. They camped overnight and experienced a bear raiding their food supply at camp. They actually left camp and came back for their supplies once the bear left the area. The above picture shows the "pond" and the view from the top of the mountain. Their campsite was right on the lake.

Here is another view from the top showing the multiple rolling mountains in the area.

Another view from the top. Carson just loved the area and the natural beauty.

Here is Carson at the top. Just a side note: he was wearing that shirt when Perry dropped him off and was wearing it again when we picked him up. How many times in between do you think he wore that shirt? It was stiff with nastiness and went right into a washing machine shortly after we picked him up. Yuck!

Annie and the Garden

2009-07-01T18:06:00.004-05:00

The two subjects of the title have nothing to do with the other. Just too lazy to post twice.

Elise's girl scout troop went to see Annie last night at the MUNY (an outdoor theater in St. Louis). Very fun, but we didn't get home until midnight. Elise has made some very strong friendships through her troop and it was fun to see some of the girls (and moms!) for a fun night out.

We're gearing up to head out to pick up Carson (yeah!!!). I decided to walk down and check on the garden before leaving town. Perry made these tomato cages this year to replace the ratty metal cages we'd used for years. We'd lose plants every year when they'd just topple over. My uncle had built some like this and Perry copied his design. So far, they've held up nicely. I don't think we'll have any toppled over plants this year. And they certainly look better than what I had been using. :)

I was amazed to see some really green tomatoes! Hopefully they'll be ready when we get home. The tags are long gone but I believe these are the Romas.

And I think this is a miniture bad-boy variety. Again, I have no idea. I plant little tiny ones, medium ones and big ones. I ~think~ this should be a big one when it grows up and lands on my plate.

Tee hee...Molly keeping watch over the garden.

Hey Mom, whatcha doing?!? Look, the peas are ready!!! Nothing like a break from swimming to eat a snack right out of the garden.

Molly is now watching for fallen treasures that she can eat!

Yummy! These are a few that made it into the house. I've actually never been able to use the sugar snap peas for anything because they get eaten so quickly right out of the garden.

And Elise just had to count the peas. Not only the pea pods, but the "bumps" in each pod. She's such my little student!

And....2.5 MORE DAYS UNTIL WE GET CARSON!!! Boy, I've missed that kid. Alot!

One week of camp done

2009-06-27T21:23:00.004-05:00

Carson is halfway through his 2 week camp. It's so quiet around here!

So, what are we doing while Carson is away? Elise is getting lots of pool time. She has learned to swim with her face in the water this week. She's turning into a regular little fish! And, yes, that IS a duck decoy in the pool. I have no explanation. It's one of those "pick your battle" things.

And Carson has a big surprise waiting for him when he gets back. Never fear, WE did this to his room.

And the project involved some demo work, which Elise was THRILLED to lend a hand!

We're also going to paint his room but I can't decide on a color. He has blue carpet and did have vivid blue walls. Not sure what the wall color will be and we'll tackle that after he gets home so he can provide some input.

Videos of camp

2009-06-23T11:13:00.006-05:00

Video from camp! Carson appears wet in the videos because he had just taken his swim test. I was a little worried it was greasy hair already but was assured it's just wet. :)

Deerfoot quick overview:

Tyler's cabin area:

Carson and Spencer's cabin area:

Cliff's teepee area:

Pictures from NY!!!

2009-06-23T10:34:00.006-05:00

Part of the boy crew returned home today and I was able to snatch up their cameras and download some pictures. Sadly, my dad (who took TONS of pictures) had a bad memory card and the majority of pictures were lost. He was bummed.

Here's the camping crew on the famous pig stone which announces the entrance to Deerfoot. Wonder how many cans of grey paint have covered it over the years!

My brother is the original Deerfoot camper in our family. His wife's family has a summer house near the camp and they are vacationing up there the entire time our boys are at camp. It is reassuring to know that if something terrible happens, Aunt Merry is close by and can offer some motherly comfort (Eric would just tell them to suck it up, I'm banking on Merry for the caring role!). Eric has already calculated the years his boys can start camping at Deerfoot.

And this was the big draw for my dad and Perry. Fly fishing in the Adirondecks. This made the 1000 mile drive with 4 boys worth it.

After dropping the boys off at camp, they stayed a few extra days in the area and fished to their hearts' content. My dad was in Heaven. Dad grew up in upstate NY and knows this area like the back of his hand.

This is how they celebrated Father's Day, knee deep in water with a fishing rod. And they loved it. No schedule, no one reminding them of a "to-do" list, just fishing. All day.

And in this beautiful setting. It was perfect NY weather. While our heat index hovered around 100, they enjoyed temps in the 70's. I miss that type of summer day.

And fish, well, let's assume there were pictures on the disk that was damaged because I never actually saw a picture of a fish (but I was assured plenty were caught). Perry did "catch" this branch. Yum, tasty!

I'd say it was the perfect Father's Day. And, I'm glad they made it home safely. We missed them!

Too hot!

2009-06-22T09:51:00.002-05:00

Ugh, I hate the hot humid weather we get in the summer here. I love being outdoors but this sticky heat just drives me inside.

It's been so hot that we haven't even wanted to venture to the pool. How sad is that?!? We needed some new pool floats (thanks to some boys cannonballing on the floats we had and popping them all). By the time I got this one blown up, I was too pooped to face the sticky weather. Elise decided it made a pretty good movie watching lounger for her in the cool air conditioning of the house.

Yes, we finally did venture out and the float is now in its new home in the pool. It didn't really match my decor anyway.

Deerfoot

2009-06-21T15:42:00.003-05:00

Remember, way back in January when I filled out the paperwork to send Carson to Deerfoot Camp this summer? Seemed like such a great idea at the time. Two full weeks at a deep woods wilderness camp in the heart of the Adirondeck Mountains in NY. Three cousins going with him. How could that possibly NOT be a good thing?

It's not a good thing when Mom realizes her son has been handed off to strangers almost 1000 miles from home and will have no contact with him for 2 weeks. Unless he writes (hand writes!) an actual letter home. Which he'll be required to do next weekend. Sniff. Not seeming like such a grand idea now. Sniff, Sniff!

We did finally get him all packed. I shudder when I think about what it all might look like (or how it will all smell) when we pick him up.

There was some concern that it might not all fit in the van. Perry drove my sister's 3 boys out as well. My Dad also went along to get in some fly fishing in the Adirondeck mountain rivers.

Here's the gang ready for the long drive ahead of them. Did I mention electronics are not allowed at this camp? Seriously. The cabins don't even have electricity. So, the boys got their fill on the drive out. They watched non-stop movies and played their portable electronic games. Perry reports that the ride out was pretty darn peaceful.

And they are off (well, were off last week...I'm a little late in posting this).

I sure hope my son writes home soon. This has been a little harder on me than I expected! :)

Finally...

2009-06-18T15:00:00.005-05:00

We've been wanting to put a basketball hoop for a while but just never got around to it. Well, we FINALLY did and the kids love it. I think it will provide many hours of entertainment for the entire family.

Dad showing off some moves.

Having a tall daddy can be a real advantage! (Yikes...her pants are too big and falling down!)

Carson wanted a turn as well. Phew, dad was winded after trying this!

Carson is going to have the height for basketball and hopefully he has his dad's athletic ability and not his mom's!

Elise loves basketball as well, althought I'm sure playing in blue sparkly high heeled flip flops probably wasn't the smartest choice.

And how many dads can talk on their phone while making a shot with his daughter's pink ball?!?

And the real impetus behind the basketball hoop was the kids discovery of their dad's NCAA championship ring from his college days. His college team won the division 3 championship back in 1987. He doesn't even wear a wedding ring so this ring sits hidden away never seen. The kids were pretty impressed and have new reason to hone their basketball skills.

Undies...

2009-06-13T15:00:00.004-05:00

You might be wondering where I'm going with that title. Let me explain. I'm getting Carson ready to send off to camp. I had to chuckle when I started packing his undies. (Yes, he's a boxer-type dude and probably greatly appreciates the fact that his undies are now posted on my blog.) Here's a sampling...

Hmmm....camo, frogs and spiders. And the camp he's going to is a deep woods wilderness camp. While I didn't pick out his undies to match the camp environment (I'm not THAT vain!), I did feel a little more assured that this was the right camp for him I saw the assortment of undies set out ready to go. So him. And I think he'll love this camp even though I'm getting very anxious at the thought of sending my 10 year old to a 2 week sleepaway camp 16 hours and 5 states away from home. Shudder.

Want to join our bet? While I'm packing 14 pairs of clean underwear, how many pairs will return home....clean and unworn. Perry guesses 13 will come home clean, I'm going a little more optimistic at 10. What's your guess?!? Remember, mom won't be around to remind him to put on clean underwear daily!

Raspberries

2009-06-09T16:15:00.002-05:00

Guess what's in season in our neck of the woods!!!

Yummy, delicious, packed with nutrition, can't get enough RASPBERRIES! And my favorite store has had them on sale for $1/half pint. A buck!!!

Here's my fridge earlier in the week.

And here's my fridge today. I was so excited to find they still a healthy supply so I picked up another 10 pints. I think we've gone through 30 of these half pints in the last week! (I did freeze about 10 those.)

We just can't get enough. The kids will eat an entire clamshell by themselves. So will I. Each clamshell is 78 calories and 11 grams of fiber! Can't beat that for a healthy snack!

The difference between men and boys...

2009-06-07T14:30:00.004-05:00

...is the size and price of their toys. Meet Perry's new BFF. We call him John and he moved in with us this week.

I should point out that Perry grew up in an apartment so he never had the joy of HAVING to mow the yard growing up. My sister and I remember having to mow the lawn when we were 6. OK, maybe 10, but today that seems pretty young to let a kid loose with a machine with giant rotating knife blades! And I remember our yard growing up as being HUGE! (It probably wasn't, but it sure seemed that way when you had to waste a perfectly good summer day doing yardwork.)

In all our years of home ownership, Perry has let me mow the grass all of 2 times. Once in our old house when he was out of town and once at this house just recently when his schedule was crazy and we were worried our neighbors were going to report the high grass! That arrangement is fine with me since I spent a good deal of my childhood mowing the yard.

In the first house we owned, we had a double lot so a fairly large yard for that neighborhood. I remember how excited Perry was to buy his first push lawnmower. By the time we left, he had upgraded to a used riding lawnmower. We currently have 2 acres and quickly discovered our used rider wasn't going to cut it, so we bought a more powerful (yet still affordable so not super powerful) rider within a few weeks of living here. Even with that, it would still take him the better part of a day to mow the grass.

All it took was for me to give up a day to mow the lawn to suggest he look at a more powerful mower. I set a budget and he promptly doubled it. :(

So this bad boy can knock out the lawn in half the time as the old mower. Time he can better spend with his family and that's priceless, right? (Have to keep telling myself that and I choke over the actual cost.)

Carson looks pretty excited to be playing on it, doesn't he? Wait a minute, isn't he 10?!? Isn't that age I was when I had to mow our HUGE lawn?!? Hmmm.... He might not be so excited when he's given the chore of mowing the lawn! I think we need to drag out that ol' push mower to show him what it was like the "olden" days!

And at the very least, it can serve as a hill-billy amusement ride!

Elise's turn - 1st grade in review

2009-06-03T21:39:00.006-05:00

Where Carson had a rough year, Elise has had a fantastic year in 1st grade! She has come out of her shell in so many ways this year. Where to begin?

Her teacher, Mrs. J, was AMAZING! True proof that the right teacher makes a world of difference. My biggest worry about Elise in school is that she'll get lost in the crowd. She's every teacher's dream student in that she follows the rules, HATES getting in trouble, loves to learn new things and is highly motivated. That said, with her speech issues and shyness, I'm always worried she'll get quickly overlooked in a roomful of other 6-7 year olds demanding attention in their own unique ways.

Mrs. J did not let that happen at all! She has the amazing ability to draw out the best of each child in her class...all 20 of them! She called me in early in the school because she had some specific academic concerns. Because of that early intervention on her behalf (she was noticing things we hadn't noticed when going over homework at home), we were able to work with the school to get Elise some extra support and she's made great progress.

Academically, she's done very well this year. She brought home one U (her school uses the Excellent, Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory grading system) and she was in tears. That was the only U she brought home all year. Her handwriting is beautiful, she has a new confidence in her reading abilities and she loves math. She would consistently get the highest level spelling list each week. She's a "nose to the grindstone" kind of kid who is motivated by earning high grades and will put in the work and effort for those grades.

Socially, she's just blossomed! From being a painfully shy kid at the beginning of the school year, she has BURST out of her shell this year. At the beginning of the school year, she was constantly coming home telling of new groups and activities she wanted to join. We agreed to drama club, soccer and Daisy Scouts. She looks forward to the activities and loves being involved. She's made some good new friends and is becoming quite the social butterfly.

She just loves school and loves learning. It's such a delight to have a child so excited about school. She even had perfect attendance this year! While I consider myself to be fairly organized, she was always reminding me of what she needed on which days and made sure she was all set for the day ahead.

Her speech is still progressing. I remember her excitement a few weeks ago because she'd been able to make the SH sound with her speech therapist! This was a HUGE deal! As she comes out of her shell and wants to be more involved, her speech still frustrates her. She really wants a speaking role in drama club next year. She still complains that friends just can't understand her and will ignore her when that happens. We continue to see progress and think her speech is so much more clearer now than at the beginning of the school year.

We've seen from Day 1 that she really seems to focus her energies on one area at a time. Once she masters that area, she moves onto a new area. We keep expecting that to happen with the speech. She was able to drop PT services this past year and now that she's on target academically, she'll have more energies to focus on her speech. The good news is that she's continually making progress and for that we are grateful.

Elise also played soccer this year and seems to have developed a love for basketball and bike riding. Dad is putting up a basketball net this year and we're looking forward to some long family bike rides now that Elise has her own "big girl" bike and no longer needs the tag-along (although she'll make a strong argument for still using the tag-along bike!).

Elise, we're so proud of the hard work you've put in this year. You've done great work and have learned so much this year! I'll sit down with you anytime to have you read me a book, sweetie!

4th grade in review

2009-06-03T20:41:00.006-05:00

Now that the summer is here, I wanted to take a few minutes and reflect on the past year in 4th grade for Carson. This year has been the roughest so far for him. But, as his teacher wrote in his report card, "We made it!"

Academically, he just never found the right connection with his teacher (nor did we) and spent a good deal of time bored in class. While he brought home all A's and B's on his final report card, his grades represent very little effort on his behalf. As a parent, it's frustrating to know how well he could do if he just applied himself a teeny, tiny bit. It's frustrating seeing that love of learning dwindle (especially considering that we're both in the field of education!). We're hoping for a strong teacher next year who will re-ignite that fire of knowledge.

He's made some new friends and drifted away from one particular old friend. He's redefined what a friend means to him and it's been a painful process. He's learned that friends don't always treat one another so nicely (himself included there) and that trust is a big issue that can break up a friendship. Again, as a parent, it's been hard watching this process unfold and there have been times I've wanted to jump in and fight the fight for him. I've had a steep learning curve as I've realized he's growing up and needs to learn to fight his own battles. Unfortunately, the issue has driven the moms apart as well, something we swore we'd never let happen. But, I've also learned that the friends your kids surround themselves with are vitally important to the character they develop. Through this whole painful process, he's learned (as have I) to really value those good friendships. He's starting to make several good friendships through our church and I'm happy about that. I'm still hopeful that he and this other boy can find a way to be friends without hurting one another. Maybe in time.

Soccer continues to be his sport of choice. He joined a new team this past spring and really excelled. The coach was great and we're looking forward to being a part of that team again in the fall. Through that new team, Carson has managed to jump start some old friendships from the past with some really good kids.

Oh my goodness, he's noticing girls now! I've caught him changing his clothes and making sure he looks nice if he knows there is a chance he might run into certain girls. And I'm noticing sly looks from girls in his direction. Scary!

And growth has been a constant theme this year. He continues to shoot up. Comes up to my chin now and I know it's only a matter of time before he's taller than me. That height is a blessing and a curse. When you see him in a group of his peers, people assume he's older and expect him to act older than 10. (Let's be honest, 10 year old boys can be a tad bit immature!) He eats just non-stop, but is willing to try new foods! He's discovered some very healthy foods that he really likes this past year (like tilapia, salmon and sweet potatoes).

We're looking forward to a summer of down time and renewal so we're ready to hit the ground running come 5th grade this fall. Yikes...5th grade?!?

And just hours after school got out for the summer, the phone started ringing with calls from his friends. He's already sleeping over a friend's house the first night of summer break. I think this might just be the theme of the summer. And, you know what, I'm OK with that. :)

Girl Scout!

2009-06-01T20:30:00.003-05:00

Elise's Daisy Troop had their bridging ceremony tonight. My baby has crossed the bridge to Girl Scouts!

They did it in a local park with a great (real!) bridge!

Elise was pretty excited when her turn came to cross.

She's officially a Girl Scout now! (And, yes, I'll try and buy a size that fits her next time!)

And that was it for the pictures. I do believe I heard "Quick, hide before my mom takes our picture" come from her mouth right as I walked up to the girlies!

And Carson? He wasn't so thrilled to be at a gathering of 1st grade girls so he quickly found a creek full of rocks that needed to be moved all around.

He did agree yesterday at noon to get his hair cut. Unfortunately, the place he likes to go is closed on Sunday and we didn't have time to get in a haircut before the ceremony tonight. I've learned to strike while the iron is hot. Hopefully he'll still be in the mood to get it cut tomorrow. I'm not sure I can stand many more days of this sweaty mop on his head!

And could someone tell me WHO replaced my 10 year old son with this old looking kid?!?

Last Field Trip of the School Year

2009-05-29T21:10:00.004-05:00

Carson's class had their last field trip of the year this week. This was actually only their 2nd field trip and I wasn't able to go on the first. This trip was to an historic house in town where tour guides dress in period costumes. I love roaming through history so I was looking forward to the trip.
(Yup..."Dozer 18" is my son!) I know, I know, the flat screen TV doesn't really fit into the theme of the house, but it shows a movie put together about the former occupants. And, the lady in blue was Carson's 2nd grade teacher. She retired the year she had him in class. She's one of those amazing teachers who really ignite the fire of learning. And, she treats each and every kid like they are her all time favorite former student. (She even had one of the dads along in her class waaaaay back when he was in 2nd grade!) I'm sad that Elise won't get the chance to have her as a teacher.

Carson's teacher had to divide his class into 2 groups for the tour. For some unknown reason, he broke them right down the line by gender. Boys in one group, girls in the other. And he went with the girl group. Yeah, imagine a group of 10 year old boys in a setting where they can't touch anything and antsy because it's the end of the school year. I almost ran away when I realized they were going to give the boys a chance to play with pretend guns!

I just love the historical outfits. I wanted to get up close and look at how they were made.

It was a fun day stepping back into history. Since I didn't grow up in Illinois, I don't really know much about the history.

Photo dump from the past week

2009-05-26T19:42:00.006-05:00

Another packed week. Here are a few highlights...

Elise's drama performace:

We'd been listening to a CD of music since January of 30-40 second snippets from music from the 70's, 80's and 90's. We had no idea how that soundtrack was going to evolve into a drama performance, but it did and the kids did a great job. Elise's big part was being the "sign holder" for the 90's.

Carson surprised her with flowers after the performance and she was THRILLED.

Visit with Cousin Tyler:
Even though Tyler just turned 13 this week, he's still willing to spend lots of time playing with Elise.

Carson's Cub Scout graduation was held at a park in town on a bee-you-ti-ful day and the kids had a blast playing.

And every time I turned around, another little boy from school would be yelling for Elise's attention. She was in her glory (and I'm already worried about the amount of attention she got from the boys!!)

Visit with dear friends:

One of my bestest friends from college spent the night with her family. This is her son, who is about to go into high school! Oh my goodness, I remember when he was born and there is no way possible enough years have gone by for him to now be going into high school!!! Age aside, he's a great kid!

Elise discovered two new friends in her daughter's. Her girls are 7 and 8 and they quickly became good friends!

Field Days at Elise's School:

Elise's school has a yearly field days for the kids. It's a fun day that the kids look forward to all year long. This year it was on one of the first really hot days in our area and the kids were melting by the time I dropped by in the afternoon. I caught her class in a game of tug-o-war.

The PTO surprised the kids with these cool bags full of lots of goodies! (Hmmm...I'm wondering how I might "borrow" this for myself!)

And try as I might, my daughter would NOT let me get a picture of her eating her ice cream.

I was too pooped to care about taking pictures at the pool party we hosted for Carson's soccer team and the family birthday to celebrate Elise and Tyler's birthday. Sigh...

.....
And the countdown is in serious summer mode around here. Hubs has 3 days of school left and the kids have 6 days. The days are getting longer, the weather nicer, the calendar full of fun outdoor activities...I'd say we're ready for summer!

Birthday Party!!!

2009-05-17T09:21:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was Elise's birthday party. You should know that she is HEAVILY involved in the planning of her parties, down to every little detail. Her party this year was an American Girl doll party and each guest was asked to bring their favorite doll or stuff animal.

Elise was dressed and ready hours before her party. She even dressed up her dolls in matching outfits that her Omi made. (The fabric Omi used for the doll dresses was the same fabric she used to make the flower girl outfits for our wedding...how cool is that?!? I feel like I'm looking at my nieces ready to spread flowers at my wedding again...and they are now both in college!)

The excitement level ramped up when Grandma brought over the cake she'd made! Elise could not believe this beautiful doll was really a cake!

We had all the crafts and projects ready to go, just waiting for little girl hands to complete!

The girls finally arrived and we got down to some serious crafting. Each girl made a cozy sleeping bag for their doll or stuffed animal.

That's my sister who joined us for the party. My sister has 4 sons and has never attended a little girl party! :)

I don't know what we found so funny, but I never like pictures of myself and I thought this one was decent. I'm sure we were laughing at something goofy a friend said! There was a lot of laughter because these girls were silly!

Here are 2 of the finished products. The tiger and dolly were all warm and cozy!

We then moved on to make necklaces for the girls and their buddies.

It took a lot of precision and a great deal of concentration! But they created some beautiful bling for themselves and their dolls and stuffed animals.

Cake and lemonade (Elise's choice of drink...yellow, not pink as you might suspect!) were next. The girls all helped blow out the candles on the cupcakes. We couldn't figure out a way to put the candles on the beautiful doll cake...

Then it was time for presents! Wowza, did Elise get some great gifts. (This is one big difference between boy and girl parties, in my experience....boys could care less what they give one another so Moms usually either pick out the gift and/or get a gift card, girls REALLY get involved in the picking out of gifts and were just as excited about Elise when she opened their carefully selected gift!)

We finished the festivities by playing a few rounds of American Girl bingo. For a quick and easy game, the girls all really enjoyed it!

Here's the girlie gang. Most of the girls are in Elise's class this year. I'm so thankful she has such a good group of friends. The girls all have fun with each other and are very supportive. One little girl (non-Chinese) had even written out Happy Birthday in Chinese in her birthday card to Elise. I'm sure we'll be seeing many of these little girls over many times throughout the summer!

And what did the boys do during the party? They went to see the Star Trek movie then played with some tool Perry picked up (his Father's day gift that conveniently went on sale the week of Mother's day.) Some really expensive hammer thingy. And in my mind, that means he needs a new project to try out his new tool, right?!? Hmmm...party out of the way, new tool in hand...the possibilities are endless!!!

Random pics from the week...

2009-05-15T12:05:00.004-05:00

Did someone wind up the clock of life lately?!? I have no idea where the past week went, other than I know it flew by in what seems like seconds.

A belated HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms out there. We had a great day and Carson presented me with this lovely cupcake (among other gifts but this one "took the cake" so to speak!)

Elise wanted to open her presents before everyone left for the day, so we opened birthday gifts at 6:00 AM. Fun, fun, fun!

She has wanted a new bike for some time and got her wish. I don't think the training wheels are going to last long.

Carson picked out the perfect Littlest Pet Shop play set and Elise was thrilled!

When I look at her, I'm just amazed at how grown up she is looking these days. She had a great birthday. Her class had a field trip to the Library and a favorite ice cream place in town. I took the day off to join the class. It was fun to catch up with some of the other moms. Elise has such great friends in her class this year and it's been fun getting to know the families of those good friends. She also got to bring in treats for her birthday. Her poor teacher, the kids were pretty sugared up after the ice cream and they then had birthday cake waiting for them in the classroom! (I didn't stick around for that part!)

She asked to go to Red Robin for her birthday dinner. She LOVES Red Robin but got a little freaked out when they came out singing Happy Birthday to her. :)

Better go clean the house since we're having a birthday party here tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, baby girl

2009-05-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

My baby girl turns 7 years old today. I so wish we could freeze time for a bit because she's just growing up so fast.

Her birthday party is this weekend and it'll be a girly crafty party right up her alley.

Happy birthday, my sweet Princess.

Standing up for herself

2009-05-08T13:04:00.002-05:00

Anyone else's kids have a million field trips in May?!? I think Elise has a field trip a week until the end of school! Needless to say, I can't volunteer for every one. My mom agreed to go with Elise's class to the zoo yesterday. They had great weather and Elise was THRILLED to have her Grandma along.

Elise's teacher called me at home earlier this week to talk about some concerns. This is actually the 2nd time in a month that she's taken time out of her evening to call us at home. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this teacher?

Elise is doing so well in school this year, socially and academically. She was overwhelmed last year and did OK but has really come out of her shell much more so this year. I love seeing pictures like the one above with her friends.

One of the things her teacher wanted to talk about was a situation with a fellow classmate where Elise has been "picked" on. A little boy has been making negative comments about China around Elise and her friend V (who is half Chinese). The teacher wanted to let me know how the school was handling it.

It makes me sad that she's having to deal with these types of comments in school. She had a situation where she was picked on for being Chinese 2 years ago on her soccer team. The little boys involved go to her school, but it's another little boy who has made the most recent comments. You know when kids make these types of comments that they have heard it from adults.

While it makes me sad that my daughter has to put up with these types of ignorant comments, I'm glad she's becoming more self confident. Her friend V is VERY self confident and I'm glad that Elise has a buddy in these situations. I'm so proud of how Elise is handling the situation. She's standing up for herself (with V's help) and just staying away from this little boy.

But, when are we going to see a world when people are judged by their character and not their skin color or cultural background?

Those Crazy Critters

2009-05-05T21:23:00.005-05:00

The 1st grade classes at Elise's school put on an adorable musical tonight.

Apparently it was put together within just the past few weeks (I only learned about it last week and I'm the type to have things on my calendar MONTHS in advance.)

Here is Elise with her BFF. Now that Elise got her hair cut, folks can tell them apart (I didn't think they looked all that much alike before but I guess the whole Chinese thing threw people off.)

Carson had a soccer game right before the school show. He was hot, sweaty, still wearing his soccer gear, hungry and not so thrilled to be sitting through a 1st grade performance. You can't tell that from his face, though, can you?

I was going to crop this picture, but check out the kid in the GAP shirt...too cute!!! :)

For putting the show together in just a few weeks, the teachers did a terrific job. The songs were fun and the kids did a great job.

I have a confession....

2009-05-02T15:57:00.005-05:00

I'm green with envy over my Dad's new camera. Sigh....

The kids had games this morning at the exact same time on two adjoining fields (yeah for us...we were able to sit in the middle and watch both games!) My folks joined us and my Dad brought along his new camera. I love his new camera. It's much like mine, except his doesn't have interchangeable lenses. As much I love being able to put on different lenses, it's bulky and the zoom can get pretty unstable.

I love the zoom on this camera. Do you think Carson is paying more attention to the girls on the sideline or the goal he is guarding?

Elise is really improving in her skills this year. She gets into the game and stays with the pack of girls trying to kick the ball.

I think the girls on the other team were a little jealous that Elise's team got the pink shirts (or maybe it's because her team sponsor is the favorite ice cream joint in town). Check out the stink eye on the girl behind her!

Carson on the sideline watching the game. At least he's not screwing around on the sideline!

Hmmm....Dad is pretty engaged in the game, think he'd notice if I walked away with his new camera?!?

Maybe if Carson sees how his hair looks when he's running, he'll consider a haircut? Probably not but it's worth trying!

Wrong way, Carson!

Whack!

Elise on the sidelines (taken from quite some distance away...I LOVE this camera!)

Elise and her 3rd BFF. Not her 1st, that'd be Vivian. Can't remember who she said was her 2nd BFF but Abby (above) is her 3rd BFF. Elise and Abby are about the same size (much smaller than most of their classmates) and were both convinced they'd be the only 1st graders to not lose any teeth. Elise's first tooth fell out some time back and Abby's first tooth just fell out a few weeks ago. Phew!

Besides his fashion sense (yes, he's wearing a red Cards shirt with blue plaid shorts), Elise's coach is great this year! Although I think Elise was trying to convince him she was still tired and needed to stay on the sidelines a little longer.

And, darn it, my dad remembered to take that lovely new camera home with him. I was really, really hoping he'd forget it and I'd get to play with it a little longer.

Kindness

2009-04-30T10:41:00.006-05:00

I'm ending the week with these quotes about kindness. The world would be much better place if we could all remember to be kind to one another.

The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid.

~Author Unknown

Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances.

~Saint Vincent de Paul

The best way to knock the chip off your neighbor's shoulder is to pat him on the back.

~Author Unknown

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

~Og Mandino

One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.

~Booker T. Washington

Love someone who doesn't deserve it.

~Author Unknown

Here's to practicing kindness!

Conversations with Elise and Kissing Boys

2009-04-29T11:58:00.002-05:00

For the last few months, Elise REFUSES to kiss anyone on the lips. No one. And don't try it 'cuz you risk losing all kissing privileges. She'll literally cover her lips with her hands if she thinks you are going to try and trick her.

I don't know what the deal is with that, but as long as I can cover the rest of her face with kisses, I'm OK with avoiding the lips.

So, we had this conversation the other day:

Me (joking around): Are you ever going to kiss a boy on the lips?

Elise: Maybe when I get married.

Me: OK! That sounds perfect! Your daddy will like that answer!

Elise (giving it some more thought): Or maybe when I'm in college.

I guess that'd be OK, just don't stop giving your momma lovin' along the way. I really need it! Lots of it on a daily basis, please.

Swine Flu, SARS, Pandemic

2009-04-27T20:03:00.004-05:00

Remember SARS? SARS hit 6 years ago, exactly this time of year. I remember because I had this picture of a beautiful little girl waiting for me half a world away and the panic surrounding SARS was threatening my ability to go get her. Here are some of my thoughts from that time:

Our pediatrician advised us not to travel. To me, that was like telling a woman in labor to NOT go to the hospital.
I remember our yahoo group tracking the disease by province in China and watching it creep closer and closer to our daughters.
I remember having to add surgical masks to our packing list.
I remember landing in China and feeling unsure what to do or how to wear the goofy looking mask.
We had to make some last minute flight changes to get into China before the country closed down to international adoption. We watched some families have to wait an extra three heartbreaking months to meet their daughter.
I remember seeing all types of masks in China, including recycled bras.
No one in our group would admit to not feeling well for fear of being suspected of having SARS.
The hotel in Nanchang had sent most of their staff home so many services weren't available. The a/c was off and there were no screens in the open windows (we were on the 14th floor, I think!).
We couldn't do any sightseeing because of SARS. (That was the most disappointing aspect.)
Our pediatrician wouldn't see us until we'd be sequestered for 3 weeks upon our return to the states.
And, the news cameras that met us at the airport. Not to report on the wonderful world of adoption, but on the brave families that faced SARS (yes, that's how it was reported). Nothing quite as humbling as arriving home after a 14 hour overseas flight, a sleepless night in LA, another flight to St. Louis that involved a child puking through all the remaining clean clothes and having said child TERRIFIED at all the people at the airport to meet her (including this giant of a man calling himself Dad and another little boy who was suddenly clinging just as tightly to HER new mom!) Add to that scene having a TV camera crew stick a camera in your face and want to conduct an interview. Proud moment, indeed. I looked and sounded idiotic. :)

SARS definitely affected our trip and left a lasting impression. And, as quickly as it burst into the news, it slowly died down and went away. Yes, people got sick and some people died. Yes, the precautions help prevent many others didn't became ill. But there was a great deal of unnecessary panic.

So, the newest scare is Swine Flu. One of my co-workers was sent in to be tested for Swine Flu today. I do hope she's feeling better, but I doubt it's swine flu.

I trust that common sense prevails over hysteria this time around.

Hair, Hair....Everywhere!

2009-04-25T06:45:00.003-05:00

Elise loves having long hair...

Loves, loves, loves having long hair...

And her hair is just BEE-YOOO-TE-FUL! I just love it. Love running my fingers through it. Love looking at the various brown and reddish highlights. Just love it.

But about once a year, she gets tired of the morning struggles to de-tangle her hair. And, I think all of her sweat exits her body through her head, so it ends up a sweaty mess in hot weather. So, she'll decide suddenly to get it cut. Folks have tried to talk her into growing it to the required length for Locks of Love, but she has no interest in going through a summer with long hair. Maybe when she's older.

She'll tell the hairdresser EXACTLY how short she wants it and watches intently as it is cut. She never has any regrets.

And then she spends the next few days just flipping her new, shorter hair this way and that...

I think she likes her new 'do! :)

Good morning...

2009-04-25T06:29:00.007-05:00

In a very unusual twist, I was the first one up and around this morning (hubs is an early morning person, I'm not!)

When I headed to the kitchen for my morning caffiene, I found this comic laying on the counter (you may need to double click on it to read it)! As moms, how many times have you found yourself in a similar situation! You try and teach your kids some respect and rules and it comes back to bite you in the arse! :)

And I got to enjoy a wonderful sunrise. We have the promise of a beautiful day ahead! Our church is doing a series called 30 Days to Live and I was able to read through the daily journal while watching the sunrise and reflecting on how I might live my differently if I knew I only had 30 days to live. What a terrific start to the weekend.

....

Here's sending thoughts of beautiful weather and meaningful family time your way for the weekend.....

Just a little vent...

2009-04-21T20:54:00.002-05:00

The hubs and I have started a 10 pound challenge. First one go lose 10 pounds and keep them off for a week wins. The loser serves as the chore slave to the winner (get your minds out of the gutter, the kids are involved with this...they are our "trainers"!)

Two days in and my husband has lost 3 pounds! What is it with men that all they have to do is THINK about losing weight and it comes off?!? Are you kidding me?!?

I've gained 5 pounds just in the 2 months that my knee has been out of commission. I tried to go for a short (ended up being VERY short...like 10 feet short) run last night and my knee has ached all day long again.

AAARRRRGGGGHHHH.....

I ~don't~ want to be the chore slave and have to clean the garage!

Even worse, I'd really like to lose these pesky 10 pounds!

I warned him that IF he does win, he'd be best to wait until a non-PMS week to announce his victory, otherwise he may be sleeping in the pigpen of a garage.

Admiration!

2009-04-20T19:31:00.004-05:00

My brother has an odd hobby; he runs marathons. He pushes his body to run solidly for 26.2 miles. And he does this roughly once a year. In order to run a marathon, he trains for months and probably runs 1000's of miles in that training process.

I just don't get it, but I'll do my best to cheer him on.

Even at the crack of dawn on a cold rainy morning.

I think my sister-in-law Merry is the only one looking happy in this picture. I don't think it's the thought of cheering on her hubby that is causing the smile, I think it has more to do with the fact that grandma and grandpa are watching her kids all.morning.long!

I didn't bring my good camera because I didn't want to trash it in the weather. Hey, I'll support my brother but not at the expense of ruining my "good" camera! I marked him above so you tell which one is him.

Note the spectators with their rain gear and umbrellas. We were all soaked to the skin by the end.

Finally, a dry spot in an underpass to wait for Eric. This is the first time he's run the St. Louis marathon and we were still figuring out the best spots to cheer him on (and how to get to those spots before he would pass!) Eric has run the Chicago marathon several times and we have a good route mapped out to see him several times during that course. We were unsure how it would work in St. Louis, but we all agree that we enjoyed this one.

At this point (about half way), I'd have been thinking "boy, this was a really stupid idea and I'm tired of running in wet shoes and wet clothes." Not Eric, he ran by with a smile (which I didn't capture because I had my crappy camera.)

And while I don't GET the whole marathon addiction, I'm so proud of my brother for running 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 9 minutes. A time that qualifies him to run in the Boston marathon.

It took forever to warm up my bones after standing in the rain all 3 hours and 9 minutes of his race, but it was all worth it to have these 2 little boys in town for the weekend!

Wow, I got to spend time with my nephews TWO times in a month and I loved every second.

Congratulations, Eric, on a race well run! Now, can we offer to babysit these boys while you are in Boston?!? I think you and your wife need a good couples weekend; albeit a year from now.

Easter

2009-04-14T20:30:00.004-05:00

Easter has passed and I'm very late with this post. The nasty cold that has affected everyone in my family decided to pay me a visit.

We hosted the family dinner this year. I loved the way the table looked when it was all set. The lace overlay is one of my grandmother's. Someone commented that my crystal and silverware was very similar to a set my grandmother used often. I had never really noticed that before, but it is very similar!

I only got a nice Easter picture of Elise this year. She ~loved~ her dress! Carson spent the night with his cousin and attended church with them. By the time he got home, he was a little rumpled and by the time I thought about getting a nice picture, he was already out of his nice Easter clothes. Sigh....

We did our usual Easter egg hunt outside. Notice Elise directing her cousin to his eggs! So typical! (and don't pay any attention to the deck railing that is half painted....we've been working on painting that for 2 years now!)

Carson was consulting with Trixie on the location of his eggs?!? (See, he really did clean up nicely, at least from the back....I guess tucking the shirt in was just too much to ask.)

My dad took my camera and was taking pictures of the egg hunt. And this picture of the horse from next door. (?!?!?) I did get a chuckle out of the pictures I discovered when I downloaded them off the camera.

Like this one of my brother-in-law. What the heck is he doing?!? Kissing that chocolate egg?!? Guess we all now know he likes chocolate!

After the extended family left, Elise and I settled down to a few games of Connect 4. This girl is a whiz at this game!

And I just love her look of concentration.

Do you see that gleam in her eyes that says "I found a way to beat the pants off mom...again?!?" She does manage to keep a poker face and she does win most of the time.

After she'd exhausted my mental capabilities, she moved on to play with Dad. I love the way the dogs joined in on the game!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter celebration.

The day in the 'burbs

2009-04-10T19:11:00.003-05:00

The last day of our Spring Break - Chicago trip was spent in the suburbs with my sister-in-law and my 2 adorable nephews.

We played with a very smiley and happy Peter (who wasn't so happy earlier in the visit as he wasn't sleeping too well.)

We then boarded the Metra trains and headed in a few stops to a train restaurant. This is Isaiah and he was THRILLED to be on the train. You can't see it in this picture but he is wearing a Thomas the Train shirt. He actually wanted to wear 2 Thomas shirts but his mom opted to just go with one at a time. :)

The restaurant was a hit with Isaiah. The tables are all around a train track and your order actually comes out on the train and it stops at your table. Lots of train memorabilia! This is my adorable sister-in-law with her 2 kids. Remember that my brother is 10 years younger and his wife is even younger (gasp...she's still in her 20's!)

We were also so fortunate to meet up with Becki and Addie! Elise and Addie are from the same orphanage and Becki and I discovered we attended the same college. It's been fun getting to know her online and it was great to actually meet her and Addie in person. It was also interesting to see the similarities between the girls.

Becki and I drove over to our alma matter for a chilly walk on campus. We had to take the classic picture by the main sign on the front lawn. It provided the kids a chance to run off some energy!

Carson was determined to climb to the top of the sign and finally made it. I told him that if he made it to the top, he'd have to attend Wheaton, regardless of what his father says. (Dad attended a rival college.)

After saying goodbye to Becki and Addie, the kids and I hit the Popcorn Store. It's a penny-candy store located literally in the space between 2 store fronts. Carson got a kick out of the address - 1114 1/4. 1/4?!? The kids stocked up for the train ride back to Aunt Merry's house. I was impressed with Elise's math skills. I told them they could each spend a dollar. Her bag came in right at a dollar; Carson's came in at $1.35. Sigh....better re-hire that math tutor!

It was a great trip but we're all glad to be home.

American Girl Place

2009-04-09T08:45:00.003-05:00

The highlight of our trip for Elise was The American Girl Place. Since getting her first American Girl doll at Christmas, she's been looking forward to going to the store.

She was adorable in the store! She took Ivy with her and carried her through the store with her. She just kept finding new areas that she hadn't explored yet.

She was hoping to buy some accessories for Ivy, but she kept being drawn to the display of Just Like Me dolls and examined them very closely to find one that most matched herself. When we first floated the idea of a doll for Christmas, she wasn't very interested in the Just Like Me dolls so I was surprised at her obsession.

We really didn't intend to buy another doll and talked about putting the Just Like Me doll on her birthday wish list. But, Carson realized she was just $20 short of the cost of the new doll and offered to give her some of his money so she could get the doll.

She was over the moon to be able to walk out with a new doll! And I was so proud of Carson for helping her purchase the doll.

After the trip downtown, we returned to Omi and Opi's house to show off the new addition to the family. She was quite the proud mama!

And has already started MAJOR hints to her Omi that some twin outfits would be a great birthday present. (Have I mentioned my mother-in-law is an amazing seamstress?!?)

It was a great purchase. She liked Ivy but she's in love with her new doll whom she's named Elise. Perry checked on her last night and she had falled asleep with "Elise" cuddled in her arms.

She will remember this trip for years!

Downtown Chicago

2009-04-08T19:16:00.004-05:00

After celebrating with the in-laws, the kids and I headed downtown on Monday for a day of exploring, shopping and eating.

My sister-in-law was also on Spring Break and joined us. It was nice having some time to catch up with her and hear about her kids. Her kids were 2 and 4 when Perry and I first started dating. They are now both in college...yikes does that make me feel old! The kids enjoyed riding the "el" and a subway.

Betcha you'll never guess our first stop? Right on the tip of your tongue, isn't it?!? Yes, Elise experienced the American Girl Place (more on that in a future post).

After spending quite a bit of time in AG, we headed down Michigan Avenue to the Lego Store to satisify Carson. He is in awe of this Darth Vadar (made entirely of Legos).

Carson is just fascinated by the Lego creations. This was a replica of the Michigan Ave. block where the Lego store is located.

And we had to get a picture with Lego-man! I wish I knew how many Legos went into creating him!

On to lunch at Gino's East for pizza. You are allowed to write on the walls at Gino's and it's a Chicago institution. Carson was embarrassed by this point and wanted NO MORE PICTURES.

After leaving downtown, we headed out to the 'burbs to stay with my brother. On the way out of the city, we drove by Perry's alma mater and just had to stop and get a picture of the kids by the sign. (OK, not the main sign but we would have had to walk too far to the main sign and we were pretty pooped by that point!)

We had a great time, even though it was a bit chillier than we were expecting! The kids had a good time. I love just being in Chicago.

Happy Anniversary

2009-04-08T17:20:00.004-05:00

Happy anniversary to my in-laws! They celebrated 50 years of marriage over the weekend.

We celebrated by going out to a German restaurant and Elise was thrilled to get a chance to wear her Easter dress one weekend early for this celebration!

We had a great time with Perry's family and enjoyed some authentic German food. Thankfully Perry was there to order for me since I couldn't pronounce anything on the menu! :)

More pictures of our trip to come. Off to change yet another load of laundry....

Cuteness

2009-04-05T08:27:00.004-05:00

We're in Chicago this week for spring break (the kids).

Can you stand this cuteness?!? (His baby brother ranks just as high in the cuteness dept but was sleeping each time I had the camera out.

Carson sat down and read to Isaiah. They are reading Mouse Mess, a book that their Aunt Kristin has given to all the kids and was Carson's favorite book when he was about Isaiah's age!

And, boy, it sure is cold in Chicago! I think someone forget to let this area know that it is SPRINGTIME! :)

Old pics

2009-04-03T19:10:00.002-05:00

When I was going through old pictures looking for ones of my grandmother last weekend, I stumbled upon these old favorites.

Elise looks a little terrified of Carson!

This was her favorite pink dress of the time and her favorite pink pig.

This is just a few days of being home.

I love walking down memory lane with pictures of my kids.

Well-nourished

2009-04-02T19:43:00.002-05:00

Decided to get a 2nd opinion on my knee and picked up my medical records from Doc #1 today. In his written reports, he describes me as "well-nourished." Do you think that's fancy doc talk for "FAT!"?

Speaking of FAT, that's what I getting since I can barely walk these days. Grrrr... I love this weather and want to be outside walking (and getting back to running one of these days!). It's so frustrating to see the pounds creep up but not be able to do any exercise to prevent that weight creep.

You don't think I'm too sensitive about my weight, do you?!?

"New Doc" is actually Perry's team doc, who he wanted me to see in the first place, but convenience trumped reputation. After x-rays, an MRI, a cortisone shot (that did nothing), PT and drugs with Doc #1 with no results, New Doc really impressed me right from the start. Now, in truth, Doc #1 could have narrowed down the options for New Doc, but the attention he gave to the x-rays and mri plus the tests he did on my leg lead me to believe he would have come to the same conclusion early on. So, we finally have a diagnosis (sprained MCL) and a plan that I can life with that does not include surgery. Doc #1 keeps telling me PT, drugs and let's do exploratory surgery.

It's a good thing I finally got into New Doc today. My homemade cocktail of Rx drugs was no longer taking the edge off the pain. New Doc has me on some new drugs. EXCEPT he told me not to take them before any big meetings just to make sure they don't make me loopy. Guess what I have tomorrow...a BIG OL' MEETING with my Dean. Too bad so sad, the idea of numbing this pain far outweighs the possiblity of being loopy AND I'M TAKING THE DRUGS! Besides, I'm not sure if anyone would really notice. I can be pretty loopy without the aid of drugs. :)

I have a really low threshold for pain. And I get a tad bit crabby when I'm in pain. My family would pretty beg to differ on the "tad bit" part and would probably put "extremely" instead.

It was a virtual love fest with New Doc telling me how great my hubs is and how much he enjoys working with him. Awwww....now that set the appt off to a great start. :)

Wow...I've had to correct A LOT of mistakes in this post. Perhaps the drugs are already making me a bit loopy? And, WOW, am I tired all of a sudden....

Referral Day!

2009-03-31T18:55:00.005-05:00

It's amazing that 6 years have passed since we first saw this picture. I wrote about that day in this post. Given my grandmother's passing, I am reminded of my phone call with her. I called her on the way to the agency and she was so excited!!!

I love watching the blogs of families who are just receiving their referrals. It is so exciting watching a family form in this amazing way.

Here was Elise in China. She looks a bit shell shocked in this photo (she wore that look for a good year!)

I'm so proud of the wonderful little girl my baby has grown into. Elise, I'm proud to be your mommy and I fell in love at first sight 6 years ago today.

Book review

2009-03-29T14:04:00.002-05:00

Before leaving for Maine, I grabbed a few books for the plane rides. I always have a stack of books that I want to read and wasn't sure what I'd be in the mood for given the reason for our trip. I brought a comedy and a more serious book. I ended up finishing up the book this morning. As many of you are adoptive parents, I wanted to share the book title with you.

Silent Tears, A Journey of Hope in A Chinese Orphanage was the book I read. I was hoping Amazon would have the prologue available to be read online, but no such luck. The prologue is written from the perspective of a Chinese mother who abandons her baby girl. Very powerful. Towards the end of the book is a section written from the perspective of someone who had found many abandoned children and is also very moving.

The book is written by an American whose husband is transferred to China for several years. In looking for a way to fill her time, she volunteers at an orphanage in China and the book is basically her diary from that time period.

Be warned, the author doesn't paint a pretty picture of life for the babies and it tough realizing your baby might have endured such a difficult life during those first months of her life. It does help explain some of the initial behavior of our children when they are first handed to us and how difficult the transition from orphanage to loving home might have been for them. The reactions from the babies in our travel group ranged from being completely withdrawn (to the point the parents wondered if there was neurological damage) to keeping a death grip on one of her new parents. For the record, Elise just cried and cried and cried the first few days we had her.

I have a collection of books on China and/or adoption that I'll let Elise read when she's older, if she's interested. I'll keep this book but will have to determine the appropriate time to let her read it. It contains a lot of information that may be difficult for her to process.

I would recommend this book to anyone in the process of adopting or having completed an adoption from China.

Goodbye to Grandma Carson

2009-03-27T20:00:00.005-05:00

Grandma's funeral was today in Maine. I'm exhausted from the emotions and logistics of flying out and back. It was great to see my Maine relatives and the service was truly a celebration of her life.

Back in 1995 I sat down with Grandma and a grandmother remembers type of book. I turned on the video camera, asked questions and simply recorded her responses. The book provided the structure of the interview and the actual questions. I then took the video and transcribed it to provide each relative a taped and written copy. I loved the history of my grandmother's life and enjoyed doing that project. Now, 14 years, 3 moves and 2 kids later, I had all but forgotten it. Someone in Maine pulled it out, we printed it up and have been pouring over her story all week. In it, she was asked about her favorite hymns, scripture passages, advice she'd leave for family members, etc. What was a simple project so many years ago meant to satisify my curiousity over her history turned into a treasured resource today (to me at least!) If any of you have older relatives, I'd encourage you to consider such a project. There are so many memories that fade over time and this helps record some of those precious times.

Another project that turned into a treasure this week was a project my cousins and I worked on a few years back for Grandma's Christmas gift. We all wrote down memories of our grandparents and sent her a memory box containing 365 slips of paper. She was to read one a day for the year so she'd know how much she had impacted our lives. It was so fun to read back through those memories.

Lots of good memories, lots of pouring over photos, lots of time with beloved cousins and aunts and an uncle. I'm tired. I'm emotionally spent. The service was rough; really rough. I witnessed my brother cry for the first time in my life (and he's 31). But it was such a wonderful tribute to a woman who affected so many lives.

And apparently she's celebrating a little too much in Heaven right now and not paying attention to cheering on the 'Cuse....cuz they are losing badly!!!

Basketball Star

2009-03-25T06:36:00.006-05:00

You might assume that the biological child of parents who are 6'8" and 5'10" might be the basketball to whom I refer...but you'd be dead wrong. Perry played basketball all through high school and college and has high hopes that at least one of his children will enjoy the game.

As the weather has warmed up, Elise is the one who we find outside bouncing the basketball!

She's got the dribbling down...

And it always helps to play in a skirt with your hair hanging in your face (the one ponytail is her current favorite hairstyle and by the end of the day she ends with more hair hanging in her face than in the actual ponytail!)....

Whoops....mom caught me looking at the camera....dang it....

Here she is perfecting a "twist" dribble...

Time for a rest....but I WILL NOT LOOK AT MOM WITH HER CAMERA! :)

SIDENOTE: Look at her little bum on that ball...my bum would squish that ball flatter'n a pancake!

Sadness...much celebration...a bit of laughter....

2009-03-21T22:31:00.009-05:00

Sadness:

My beloved grandmother passed away tonight. She was 92 years old and it wasn't unexpected, but it was still a shock. My grandparents were a big part of my childhood and I will greatly miss her on this earth. Heaven is rejoicing while we come to terms with waiting to see her again.

Much Celebration:

My grandmother had a love for her family that was unmatched. After every family outing, she'd love to stop by Friendly's (restaurant in upstate NY) and get ice cream. My sister and I decided to honor that memory and met for ice cream late this evening. We cried some tears but laughed at so many memories involving Grandma. She was an amazing woman who taught me so much about faith and caring for others.

My grandmother LOVED Perry and I knew he was a keeper when I brought him home to meet my parents and he fell in love with Grandma. One of her greatest enjoyments was watching sports on TV (and attending the Syracuse-West Virginia games in person). Perry, being a sports nut himself, would watch the games with her...and, unlike me, actually be able to hold an intelligent conversation with her about any game, any sport.

My brother Eric was her only grandson and years younger than most of the other grandkids. Grandma moved in with my parents during the years that my sister and I moved out to college. Eric and Grandma developed such a tight bond. His long hair in high school drove her nuts (she got him a hair trimming kit for Christmas one year and only she could have gotten away with that!); but, short of cutting his mophead, he would have done anything for her and she would have done anything for him.

This picture was taken at my brother's wedding. We were all interested in getting a picture of her with all her great-grandchildren. She was more interested in hearing what the kids had to say. I remember being frustrated at not getting a better picture, but now, this is one of my favorite pictures of her (Carson is the kiddo in the yellow/blue plaid vest).

For only having one grandson, Grandma ended up with mostly all boys in the next generation of grandkids. Up until Elise came along, Darcy was her only great-granddaughter. Darcy was fortunate enough to live near Grandma for many years and they have a very special relationship.

I'm so glad we spent time with Grandma in Maine last summer. Having lived near her during my childhood, it was really hard to not see her as often in my adult years. I missed her terribly and often let life get in the way of keeping in touch with her better than I should have. We all really enjoyed our time with her last summer.

The kids really developed some very strong memories of their Great-Grandma Carson on this visit. They were both so saddened to hear of her passing because they knew what an amazing Grandma she was; they loved the time the spent with her last summer.

A bit of laughter:

Elise saw my tear stained face at one point this evening and asked why my nose was all red. I told her it was because I'd been crying. She asked, "So, are you going to look like Rudolph every time someone dies?!?" It was just the thing to turn my tears into laughter.

I will hug my loved ones a bit closer today as I remember that each day is a gift.

Suddenly Camera Shy?!?

2009-03-19T14:42:00.004-05:00

Anyone else facing this pecular situation? My former camera hog of a daughter now does this whenever I come near with a camera.

She'll pop her head out for her beloved Trixie (although being careful to NOT look in my direction).

Then does the 6-year-old equivalent of flipping me the bird!

What happened to my adorable camera loving daughter?!?

Daylight Savings Time

2009-03-16T19:20:00.004-05:00

I *LOVE* daylight savings time! It was 7:09 when I took this picture (it was lighter outside than it actually appears in the picture).

Combine the longer days with the beautiful weather we've been having and I'm practically in Heaven!

Our newest obsession

2009-03-15T19:11:00.003-05:00

Elise has discovered friendship bracelets.

I read about this "loom" in a Family Fun magazine and finally tracked them down in our local Michael's store. She picked up the technique very quickly. In fact, she had a babysitter on Saturday who showed her how to make the bracelets WITHOUT the loom!

After moving the thread on the top in the right pattern, the bracelet emerges from the back.

Here is one of Elise's creations (please ignore the ink spots all over her hands, I cannot keep this child out of the markers!)

Updates

2009-03-13T17:19:00.003-05:00

A few quick updates:

The loved one that I mentioned in my previous post is not YOU! (Perry was a little concerned about that and asked what he did!) The person involved is a smaller version of myself who doesn't regularly read my blog.

Would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to hear some discipline strategies that you've used for older kiddos (in the 10 year old range).

No surgery today. The MRI did not show that anything had torn so the doc wants me to do PT and consider a cortisone shot first (shudder). That was good news, but frustrating as my knee continues to act up. Some days are better so I'm taking that as a good sign that some healing is happening.

If you read the news about the pastor being shot during Sunday morning service, that happened in the next town over from us. In fact, the church we attend hosted the prayer vigil the night it happened. The two churches are very similar and not too far apart in distance. It's shaken me to think that this type of violence has now encroached on what should be a sanctuary for worship and renewal.

Warning...I'm going in a vent a bit....they are already going down the mental illness defense route with the shooter. Please know that I think mental illiness is a very serious matter and my gripe is not about his mental illiness or how that will play in a defense. The shooter was featured in a recent newspaper series about how Lyme Disease had caused his mental illness. So, it was a well known fact that this man had some mental issues (whether or not you buy the Lyme Disease twist or not). But, will someone tell me WHY WHERE THERE GUNS IN THE HOUSE (multiple guns were removed from the house, not counting the weapons he used in the attack)?!? If you know someone has a mental illness, behaves oddly, is known for outburts, WHY PUT ANYONE AT DANGER?!? I'm really struggling with this.

But, I'm so impressed with how the church family is dealing with this tragedy. With all the local media coverage, they've been able to spread a very positive message about this tragedy. They are reaching out to the shooter and his family and encouraging people to not cast judgement but to pray (clearly, I'm struggling with that lesson!)

Please keep the family of Pastor Winters in your prayers. He leaves behind 2 young daughters and a wife. The road ahead will not be an easy one, although they have the knowledge they will see be united again some day. Also pray for the church family. I cannot imagine going back into the sanctuary where this happened.