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As August comes to a close and September whips up the fall atmosphere into a scheduled frenzy, I find myself trying to squeeze every last drop out of summer. In this spring, I finished my degree and took the summer off to regroup and enjoy some time away from the constant studying that occupied my life for 2 years. So, this summer was a gift to myself and my family in more ways than one.
Now, with school approaching for my oldest and homeschooling approaching for my second child, I see the scheduling and the craziness that fall inevitably brings. In addition, I will be going back to college on September 29th.
*sigh*
So, this weekend has been a little scattered and definitely very spontaneous. We spent the weekend as a family. Today we decided to go to Duluth for a day trip. As we came back, I was tired but very satisfied. Our family adventures are so much fun.
I have many stories to write... but for now I sit enjoying the cool breeze. Summer is almost over and school will soon be here. I can feel the change before me and I'm satisfied with the anticipation that these changes bring. It is without regrets that I see this beautiful summer become a memory.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Simple Treasures
When we arrived at my friend's lake home on Tuesday afternoon, we quickly got our grand tour and put our bags in the bedrooms. Soon, we had decided to walk to the local grocery store and purchase a couple of small items for the evening's meal. As we walked along and talked, my friend and I joyed in our reconnection. It was a beautiful day and the kids were happy to skip along the path and note all the beautiful wildflowers that bloomed nearby.
As we rounded the corner, we came upon a little boy's paradise: train tracks. Now, we have train tracks near our home, but these were train tracks with piles of stakes and logs down the track. In addition, there was a hustle and bustle surrounding this track and this excited everyone. Jack who is 2.5 and at the perfect age to simply sit and watch the men doing their "man" jobs was positively jumping with excitement. My friend asked if we'd like to put pennies on the tracks and see what might happen.
So, the kids each picked out a penny and placed it on the tracks with excitement.
The following day in the afternoon, I took the kids on a walk into town. As we approached the train tracks, the kids scanned the tracks for their pennies. They all had ideas about what would have happened with the pennies, but had not as of yet seen anything. I quickly pointed them in the right direction and they found their prize. The flattened pieces of metal were beautiful. They each picked up their treasure and jumped for joy, examining each one. Some were completely smashed so that no one could see any markings. Some had a faint marking from the tails end of the penny, but for the most part all four were simply a flattened piece of metal.
As we walked back to the home, they exclaimed: "We will trick daddy! He will never figure out what these are!!!!"
Friday, August 28, 2009
Beautiful Friendship
There is something wonderful about a friendship that seemlessly falls into place whenever you are together. This week, I went to visit my girlfriend at her lake home. (I cannot call it a cabin- as it is a magnificent home.) As we sat on the deck after putting my kids to sleep on Tuesday evening, the sunset was brilliant and the conversation absolutely free. Sometimes the most refreshing friendships are the ones where it is never difficult to discuss life freely. It has always been this way with her. Both of us share openly and it is somehow easy to simply be together and enjoy the moments as the night slips slowly by us. Soon, it is midnight and we are both feeling the weight of our own exhaustion.
It was such a gift to be with her over the last couple of days and we vowed to keep up more than we have in the past year or so. How wonderful to have a friend that you might not see or talk to often, but with whom you can enjoy relaxation and comforting conversation without reservation. It is with these friends that you find yourself picking up where you left off, as if the months and years were only a blip on the screen of life.
I'm blessed.
It was such a gift to be with her over the last couple of days and we vowed to keep up more than we have in the past year or so. How wonderful to have a friend that you might not see or talk to often, but with whom you can enjoy relaxation and comforting conversation without reservation. It is with these friends that you find yourself picking up where you left off, as if the months and years were only a blip on the screen of life.
I'm blessed.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sometimes They Don't Listen
Sometimes I wonder if the kids actually listen to me and just sometimes, they don't.
As I pulled out of Starbucks with my latte yesterday morning in between an oil change and a grocery trip to Cub, Bella noticed that there was two holes in the cap. She asked why there was two holes when you only need to drink out of one. I proceeded to go into a scientific explanation with details about pressure and volumes of latte... etc. As I added examples to my explanation, I noticed that the follow-up questions were not reflecting any new information that might have been gleaned from our conversation.
We pulled into the Cub parking lot and I stopped with my explanation, assuming that the kids had lost interest and quite honestly not knowing where to go with it. Then, Bella said: "It's just like when Nate had a popcorn sucked up his nose and it went down to his mouth. He bit it a couple of times and then swallowed it."
Clearly, whatever I had just said- went right over their heads. lol
Sometimes they don't listen or (more likely) I need to dumb it down or simply hand the whole conversation off to my husband. He always knows how to explain things like that in a way that the kids can understand.
As I pulled out of Starbucks with my latte yesterday morning in between an oil change and a grocery trip to Cub, Bella noticed that there was two holes in the cap. She asked why there was two holes when you only need to drink out of one. I proceeded to go into a scientific explanation with details about pressure and volumes of latte... etc. As I added examples to my explanation, I noticed that the follow-up questions were not reflecting any new information that might have been gleaned from our conversation.
We pulled into the Cub parking lot and I stopped with my explanation, assuming that the kids had lost interest and quite honestly not knowing where to go with it. Then, Bella said: "It's just like when Nate had a popcorn sucked up his nose and it went down to his mouth. He bit it a couple of times and then swallowed it."
Clearly, whatever I had just said- went right over their heads. lol
Sometimes they don't listen or (more likely) I need to dumb it down or simply hand the whole conversation off to my husband. He always knows how to explain things like that in a way that the kids can understand.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Taking an Opportunity
I got a call from an old friend last week out of the blue. She invited our family to come up to her cabin. I told her that I would call her the following day with confirmation once I figured out what our week looked like. When my husband came home, I told him of her offer and he immediately told me to jump at it. Of course, he knew that with work being as scarce as it sometimes is, he needed to work. In addition, when you own your own business, you are a slave to work because when it comes- you need to take it!
Honestly, the thought of taking all four kids out to a cabin in WI is both exciting and scary. I'm not too worried about the drive out, nor even how they will behave. It will be good for them to swim, play, boat, and generally just have fun in the sun. However, I realized that part of my worry stemed from the fact that I haven't seen this woman in so long. In fact, we haven't really kept up over the past 2 years. Our friendship sprung out of difficulty and we held each other up through some very tough times. However, the distance between us is nearly an hour (one way) and that does tend to put a damper in how often we would see each other. Thoughts flew through my mind: Will she still like me? Do we still have something in common? Will there be all those awkward silences?
Going with my gut, I called and left a message asking for details.
She's poor at returning phone calls or emails and it took another 5 days to recieve confirmation that she indeed did want us to come. She sent me the address and the phone number to the cabin yesterday and then it was somewhat official.
This morning over a cup of coffee I told my husband that I was a little worried about it. He asked "why" and I explained how it had been so long and I wondered if we still would like each other. Then I said: "What will you do while we are all gone for a couple of days?" He smiled and said: "I know how to feed myself! I will be fine for 2 days... really... I'm not incapable!" I laughed at his chiding and he continued: "She needs you right now. Just have fun- it'll be good for all of you to get out."
He was completely right. Why not take this opportunity?! She needs me right now. In fact, I would venture to say that this might be the precise reason why she called me. Possibly she needs a shoulder to cry on or simply someone to sip coffee with as we watch the sun go down. I cannot be so worried about what we have in common or even if she will still like me (I know- stupid insecurity- but seriously I do worry about that).
So, at 6am this morning, I made the decision to leave (as previously planned) on Wednesday morning at dawn. That leaves me with exactly 2 days to clean the house, do all the errands, stock the fridge with all the necessary food for my husband, and pack.
What I've done already: grocery shopping, oil-change, bank-run, and payroll.
You don't even want to see my to-do list :) I will mow the lawn this afternoon and hopefully get the laundry completed.
It'll be a good end of summer vacation (even if it's just me and the kids).
Honestly, the thought of taking all four kids out to a cabin in WI is both exciting and scary. I'm not too worried about the drive out, nor even how they will behave. It will be good for them to swim, play, boat, and generally just have fun in the sun. However, I realized that part of my worry stemed from the fact that I haven't seen this woman in so long. In fact, we haven't really kept up over the past 2 years. Our friendship sprung out of difficulty and we held each other up through some very tough times. However, the distance between us is nearly an hour (one way) and that does tend to put a damper in how often we would see each other. Thoughts flew through my mind: Will she still like me? Do we still have something in common? Will there be all those awkward silences?
Going with my gut, I called and left a message asking for details.
She's poor at returning phone calls or emails and it took another 5 days to recieve confirmation that she indeed did want us to come. She sent me the address and the phone number to the cabin yesterday and then it was somewhat official.
This morning over a cup of coffee I told my husband that I was a little worried about it. He asked "why" and I explained how it had been so long and I wondered if we still would like each other. Then I said: "What will you do while we are all gone for a couple of days?" He smiled and said: "I know how to feed myself! I will be fine for 2 days... really... I'm not incapable!" I laughed at his chiding and he continued: "She needs you right now. Just have fun- it'll be good for all of you to get out."
He was completely right. Why not take this opportunity?! She needs me right now. In fact, I would venture to say that this might be the precise reason why she called me. Possibly she needs a shoulder to cry on or simply someone to sip coffee with as we watch the sun go down. I cannot be so worried about what we have in common or even if she will still like me (I know- stupid insecurity- but seriously I do worry about that).
So, at 6am this morning, I made the decision to leave (as previously planned) on Wednesday morning at dawn. That leaves me with exactly 2 days to clean the house, do all the errands, stock the fridge with all the necessary food for my husband, and pack.
What I've done already: grocery shopping, oil-change, bank-run, and payroll.
You don't even want to see my to-do list :) I will mow the lawn this afternoon and hopefully get the laundry completed.
It'll be a good end of summer vacation (even if it's just me and the kids).
Sunday, August 23, 2009
river play
It's interesting to see life through my son's eyes. His perspective is completely different than mine or any of the girls. Yesterday, we were walking along the Mississippi flipping over rocks and generally wading into the river until our shoes were soaked and our spirits refreshed. My son, however, bounded down the rocky hill and jumped into the river with no fear or reservation. Upon hitting the water, he slipped and bounced to the bottom with the water coming up to his shoulders. He looked at me with a glint of mischief and said: "Mom- I wet!"
He continued to roll around until he was not only completely soaked, but also covered in sand. Then, he saw an awesome rock downriver and started trudging toward it as his hands danced in the water. The rock was about 2 feet from the shore and nice and flat. He first climbed up on it and exclaimed: "Look at me!" Then, he jumped off the rock with a large splash and giggled at his genius. Of course, the fun was definitely not over as he again and again climbed up and then jumped into the river. His giggles signaling to all of us that he was joying in his play.
At one point, he noticed a very sandy shoreline, which soon became a place to roll around and around until he was covered in sandy paste.
I wish that sometimes I could simply delve into this playful freedom. What a gift.
He continued to roll around until he was not only completely soaked, but also covered in sand. Then, he saw an awesome rock downriver and started trudging toward it as his hands danced in the water. The rock was about 2 feet from the shore and nice and flat. He first climbed up on it and exclaimed: "Look at me!" Then, he jumped off the rock with a large splash and giggled at his genius. Of course, the fun was definitely not over as he again and again climbed up and then jumped into the river. His giggles signaling to all of us that he was joying in his play.
At one point, he noticed a very sandy shoreline, which soon became a place to roll around and around until he was covered in sandy paste.
I wish that sometimes I could simply delve into this playful freedom. What a gift.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Crayfish Adventure
Today our adventures lead us to the Minnehaha Falls. This is a place I have fond memories of. I kissed my husband for the first time whilst looking at the waterfall. My summers revolved around our hikes into this park as my childhood home was nearby. Introducing my children to this beloved Minneapolis treasure was quite a pleasure for me last year.
The plan is to meet my husband at the falls after he is finished with work. Then, we will hike down to where the Minnehaha Creek meets the river where he will try to trap crayfish. Why crayfish you might ask? Well, my dad decided a couple weeks ago that he would like to have a crayfish boil for some reason. Therefore, my husband who is always up for an adventure started researching for the family and creating traps. He worked tirelessly after work on his creations and soon we were giving our traps a try at all the local streams and ponds.
After a little more research, we realized that fish guts and heads are the best bait. I put in a call to my girlfriend who works at a nice seafood restaurant. However, I won’t receive the fish-heads from their chef until sometime next week. I called Byerly’s and other local grocery stores to find that no one has left-over fish heads. In fact, most of these locales say that the fish often come ready to sell. I guess this makes sense as you have to clean the fish out soon after the catch and put it on ice before shipping it in order to maintain freshness. However, this does not help my cause.
Being the stubborn sort of stock that does not give up easily, my husband came up with another idea for bait: dead minnows. Therefore, I’m going to go to the local bait shop to ask for all the dead fish-bait. Soon, I should have a bag of smelly-dead minnows. We’ll see how it works, but I’m ready to give it a try.
The kids are finishing their Saturday chores; I am packing water, dinner, books, and bug spray. It should be a fun afternoon/evening.
No doubt, Bella will be standing in the water with her daddy as they pick up crayfish from under rocks. Jack will roll around in the sand and Cecelia and Sophia will play “house”.
It is these moments that I cherish. My life is good… truly good.
Note: has anyone had crayfish? Are they like lobster or do they taste different?
The plan is to meet my husband at the falls after he is finished with work. Then, we will hike down to where the Minnehaha Creek meets the river where he will try to trap crayfish. Why crayfish you might ask? Well, my dad decided a couple weeks ago that he would like to have a crayfish boil for some reason. Therefore, my husband who is always up for an adventure started researching for the family and creating traps. He worked tirelessly after work on his creations and soon we were giving our traps a try at all the local streams and ponds.
After a little more research, we realized that fish guts and heads are the best bait. I put in a call to my girlfriend who works at a nice seafood restaurant. However, I won’t receive the fish-heads from their chef until sometime next week. I called Byerly’s and other local grocery stores to find that no one has left-over fish heads. In fact, most of these locales say that the fish often come ready to sell. I guess this makes sense as you have to clean the fish out soon after the catch and put it on ice before shipping it in order to maintain freshness. However, this does not help my cause.
Being the stubborn sort of stock that does not give up easily, my husband came up with another idea for bait: dead minnows. Therefore, I’m going to go to the local bait shop to ask for all the dead fish-bait. Soon, I should have a bag of smelly-dead minnows. We’ll see how it works, but I’m ready to give it a try.
The kids are finishing their Saturday chores; I am packing water, dinner, books, and bug spray. It should be a fun afternoon/evening.
No doubt, Bella will be standing in the water with her daddy as they pick up crayfish from under rocks. Jack will roll around in the sand and Cecelia and Sophia will play “house”.
It is these moments that I cherish. My life is good… truly good.
Note: has anyone had crayfish? Are they like lobster or do they taste different?
Welcome to my Blog
A little background….
Not so long ago in a different forum where bloggers and readers alike congregated and discussed most any issue, a young woman embarked on a journey. She did not quite know where this path led as this was new and uncharted territory for this mother of four. The journey began with hand to keyboard (very similar to this moment) as she wrote a blog about the end of summer. She looked upon the future where her oldest daughter would begin her kindergarten year and thus life as she knew it would change forever. It was not necessarily a spectacular blog, nor especially interesting to anyone but herself. However, the comments started streaming in and this encouraged her. Women from all walks of life responded to what she had written, and this both thrilled and encouraged further writing adventures.
As the days went by, she began to write stories more often. The stories were sometimes thoughts placed together in a hap-hazard way and sometimes the moments of struggle were the fodder for her blogs. Anything and everything was written and often this complete honesty was rewarded with encouragement from people she was only beginning to know.
Within the span of a year, she wrote hundreds of blogs, met many people, organized events, and began to build friendships with a diverse and amazing group of people.
Then, it all stopped.
It’s not that she didn’t want to write. However, life got complicated, she was sick, and blogging became a chore. Then, whenever the words flew onto the computer, the reread would result in a complete deletion of the thought. Sometimes it was simply because it’s quite difficult to reveal oneself and become vulnerable. In addition, there are always those readers who are simply seeking to find the fault in any story or comment. This might be the poorest excuse for stopping, but as it stands she was simply not strong enough to battle her health issues and manage her family in addition to combat those who always seemed to become offended by what she wrote.
My decision…
Today, I’ve decided to start a blog- a different kind of blog than the last. Once again, the future is unknown and slightly exciting. I vow to be honest. After all, truth is oddly refreshing and sometimes what we really crave is to delve into the real. In addition, I see the value of writing as I do miss the daily interaction with people who quite often became my friends. So, here is my commitment to you, I will write without reservation (or try at least). I will continue my journey and mark each step with stories. If you know me, please be kind and not post any comment concerning my blog in a public forum like facebook. I would prefer to remain semi-anonymous. In addition, I want to thank a friend that I haven’t seen in quite awhile. She was the one who believed in my writing so completely as to suggest writing a book. She encouraged me to take this step and start a blog and I am only now seeing the value in her words. Guess I’m not a very good life-coach student- ehh? Regardless, I give her the credit for introducing the thought. In addition, I’d like to thank my friends who have loved me through so many challenges and encouraged me in a variety of ways to stand up and be the woman that I am today.
Introduction…
I am a young mother of four children, ages 7, 6, 4, and 2. I am married to a wonderful man who has encouraged me to not only write this blog, but embark on all of my newest adventures. I got my degree in the spring and now am going back to school at the end of September to attain a bachelor in Marketing. My oldest daughter will be entering second grade in a couple of weeks, my second daughter will be home schooled, the third will attend a part-time preschool, and my son will do his best to make life interesting [read: challenging] everyday. I’m scared, excited, and completely jumbled as September looms around the corner. This new chapter will be interesting. I fully expect home schooling whilst trying to study for my own school to be especially challenging. In addition, there is a part of me that is ready to launch into September with both arms, ready to embrace each new opportunity.
Oh and as if I could forget another deadline…. I am going to launch an art show at Dunn Bros. I still need to finish the art-tags and get two frames for a couple of paintings, but for the most part I’m ready. Note: I haven’t actually gotten around to marketing this yet either, so might I add more to my list?
With all these changes standing before me, the fear somehow subsides and I feel ready to face the challenges.
Are you ready to walk this journey with me?
Not so long ago in a different forum where bloggers and readers alike congregated and discussed most any issue, a young woman embarked on a journey. She did not quite know where this path led as this was new and uncharted territory for this mother of four. The journey began with hand to keyboard (very similar to this moment) as she wrote a blog about the end of summer. She looked upon the future where her oldest daughter would begin her kindergarten year and thus life as she knew it would change forever. It was not necessarily a spectacular blog, nor especially interesting to anyone but herself. However, the comments started streaming in and this encouraged her. Women from all walks of life responded to what she had written, and this both thrilled and encouraged further writing adventures.
As the days went by, she began to write stories more often. The stories were sometimes thoughts placed together in a hap-hazard way and sometimes the moments of struggle were the fodder for her blogs. Anything and everything was written and often this complete honesty was rewarded with encouragement from people she was only beginning to know.
Within the span of a year, she wrote hundreds of blogs, met many people, organized events, and began to build friendships with a diverse and amazing group of people.
Then, it all stopped.
It’s not that she didn’t want to write. However, life got complicated, she was sick, and blogging became a chore. Then, whenever the words flew onto the computer, the reread would result in a complete deletion of the thought. Sometimes it was simply because it’s quite difficult to reveal oneself and become vulnerable. In addition, there are always those readers who are simply seeking to find the fault in any story or comment. This might be the poorest excuse for stopping, but as it stands she was simply not strong enough to battle her health issues and manage her family in addition to combat those who always seemed to become offended by what she wrote.
My decision…
Today, I’ve decided to start a blog- a different kind of blog than the last. Once again, the future is unknown and slightly exciting. I vow to be honest. After all, truth is oddly refreshing and sometimes what we really crave is to delve into the real. In addition, I see the value of writing as I do miss the daily interaction with people who quite often became my friends. So, here is my commitment to you, I will write without reservation (or try at least). I will continue my journey and mark each step with stories. If you know me, please be kind and not post any comment concerning my blog in a public forum like facebook. I would prefer to remain semi-anonymous. In addition, I want to thank a friend that I haven’t seen in quite awhile. She was the one who believed in my writing so completely as to suggest writing a book. She encouraged me to take this step and start a blog and I am only now seeing the value in her words. Guess I’m not a very good life-coach student- ehh? Regardless, I give her the credit for introducing the thought. In addition, I’d like to thank my friends who have loved me through so many challenges and encouraged me in a variety of ways to stand up and be the woman that I am today.
Introduction…
I am a young mother of four children, ages 7, 6, 4, and 2. I am married to a wonderful man who has encouraged me to not only write this blog, but embark on all of my newest adventures. I got my degree in the spring and now am going back to school at the end of September to attain a bachelor in Marketing. My oldest daughter will be entering second grade in a couple of weeks, my second daughter will be home schooled, the third will attend a part-time preschool, and my son will do his best to make life interesting [read: challenging] everyday. I’m scared, excited, and completely jumbled as September looms around the corner. This new chapter will be interesting. I fully expect home schooling whilst trying to study for my own school to be especially challenging. In addition, there is a part of me that is ready to launch into September with both arms, ready to embrace each new opportunity.
Oh and as if I could forget another deadline…. I am going to launch an art show at Dunn Bros. I still need to finish the art-tags and get two frames for a couple of paintings, but for the most part I’m ready. Note: I haven’t actually gotten around to marketing this yet either, so might I add more to my list?
With all these changes standing before me, the fear somehow subsides and I feel ready to face the challenges.
Are you ready to walk this journey with me?
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