One of THOSE Days

I wish every day could be like last Saturday.

To begin with the weather, it was sunny and hot.

D. woke me a bit too early as he was taking Solomon out to breakfast and to a few jobs. I have a love/hate relationship with getting up early. At the time, I hate doing it but after that first cup of black, unsweetened java, I relish the quiet time I have before anyone or anything bombards me. Then, after that 2nd cup, I LOVE waking my children and being the one who is singing the wake up song, laughing, chatting, and AWAKE. I then feel that I'm one step ahead.

By 8:30 a.m. I had flipped 2 loads of laundry, watered all my growing things on the front porch, taken the pup for a long walk, tested the soil in the vegetable garden and had the sprinkler running for a long soak.

The warm, quiet beginning to the day had me feeling so full of possibilities, but was it just the coffee or what is it about sunshine and being in flip-flops and a tank top that brings with it true optimism and genuine gratefulness?

I even had a rare opportunity to catch the naughty puppy and his twin (cat) in action and caught it all on film (digital) but more on that in the next blog.

Sometimes (more often than not) the simple brings such satisfaction.

The soil test revealed such results that I am unsure how ANYTHING is growing in The Garden. And I already returned all those organic gardening books to the library.

Even the wind didn't agitate me that day, it felt more like a friendy, warm summer breeze rather than an opponent to be stopped or at least challenged. An amazing homegrown lunch, some poolside time in my fav green zero gravity chair with the puppy on my lap and an evening of mowing the fragrant grass readied me for a cool shower, my book and my bed.

Chicken Burger

Solomon has always been a meat eater, the only one of the children that actually eats beef. He and his Daddy have been enjoying ground sirloin on the grill this summer, with Sol adding only lots of ketchup and of course a bun.

He only recently made the real "connection" when AJ told him that he was literally eating cow meat. Feeling confident with his food choices, he was quick to reply very firmly "Adrianna, this is NOT cow meat. This is a CHICKEN BURGER!" He was quieter though after that.

Firstfruits

The garden is producing! (I had my doubts until I saw those first few flowers and the tiny beginnings of zuchini.

Ours is what I've coined a "grand finale garden", when all the others have stopped and been tilled under, we'll be reaping the delicious harvest (if it isn't first killed off by the frost). Because we had to install the fence this first year, read 4 books on how to prepare a garden, find the plants after Memorial Day and wade through all the muck in early June, our planting season ran a bit behind more traditional Michigan gardeners (all but my Dad who never plants before the last weekend in May).

Aside from some minor glitches, I'm fairly pleased with this first try. I've yet to test the soil, which I'm sure needs lots of amending considering it was virgin until we added some compost. The tomatoes were planted in the wrong spot and have been suffering from too little early morning sun and too much rain! The broccolli looked gorgeous until the unknown intruder began it's munching. The perimeter of the fence is still secure and all evidence points to an insect. The bean and cukes have begun their climb, peppers and squash have been flowering and have immature versions of what will someday be a tasty treat for a very fussy 8 yr. old girl.

The farmers market is bursting with color and variety right now, (lucky for me) if you get there early enough in the day. If not, you settle for watermelon with seeds, only jumbo sized yellow squash and no colored peppers. The old adage claims "The Early Bird Catches the Worm" which is true for the market but wait until late August and our harvest will just begin. (Hopefully)

Dog Days of Summer

A subtle hint from Lily: NO MORE MATH!


Yes we have work to do, even during summer, lest we forget everything.

But we also have time for fun

Camo Birthday

Solomon recently celebrated a triple birthday with a camoflauge birthday party. Solomon was born on June 10, Josh on June 11 and Luke on June 12. Yes, the same year. We were all in the hospital at the same time. I didn't know Luke's Mom that well at the time but we went to the same church. She was not due yet, I think she just couldn't stand the thought of us being in the hospital while she had 2-3 weeks to wait. Josh's mom was a good friend who was not due yet either but walked all day and did squats trying to induce labor as she knew Dr. Jurgens would have the weekend off. Since their birth though we've all become great friends and we all meet weekly as a group with husbands to share faith, food, struggles and fun. The boys enjoyed lots of sugar including candy, icecream and an amzing cake decorated as the Candy Land board, done by a very creative Mom/friend. They shared gifts, had water balloon fights and battled the Slip and Slide ( head first, against cautionary statements printed on the plastic). It was a fun, hot afternoon. Nothing is sweeter than a tired out 6 year old pumped up on lots of sugar.

A Farewell To Baseball

The loss last night in Comstock Park brought the 2008 baseball season to an end for the Mariners. It's always sad to see the kids have to turn in their jerseys. The game ended 5-3 but our kids surely didn't give it their all. Perhaps everyone is just ready to call it a season.

Next year Nathan moves up to the next age bracket. The whole game changes for him then. The field gets bigger, the rules change and bring on the steel cleats.



Solomon is always prepared should they need him to take the field.

Photos courtesy of AJ

We Found Our Pot of Gold!

Adrianna loves taking pictures, especially in non-traditional settings. After our last baseball game we stopped in Hamilton for gas at Farm Bureau. Suddenly she yelled "Quick, give me the camera". She jumped out of the van and ran to where she caught this photo of a rainbow:



The kids observed that since it appears that the rainbow ends in the silo behind the building, our great (material) fortune must be in agriculture and surely if we have room for crops we must have room for ponies...

She also captured this one, she followed a bird for days before finally discovering where she hid her well secluded nest.


With her sense of adventure, lack of fear and love of animals I could see a future in photojournalism.

Breakin' the Birthday Rules

(I know, I know, I forgot to buy birthday candles)


We 've had a rule in our family that you need to be 9 before getting a dirt bike. We felt that was when the motor skills, dexterity and quick thinking that are necessary would be present. Until now.

Solomon has been athletic from birth. He mastered a two wheeled scooter at the age of 3 and a bike at 4. He's just a natural. He has also had a few years of co-riding with Doug during what is known as "The Dirt Bike Game" when Doug and Solomon "chase" the other kids through the woods, acting like a grumpy old man who is chasing the neighborhood kids off of his property. This may sound dangerous but really he never gets very close at all, just stirs up the adrenaline in everyone and they think it's cool that they can outrun a motorized vehicle. So, Solomon understands the steering, leaning, etc...Well, he's been "saving" for a dirtbike for sometime but often breaks into his stash (change from pockets) and buys himself something nifty from Sandcastle. He has been saying for months that all he wanted for his birthday was $$ for a dirtbike someday. Based on his savings/spending habits, we figured he would have enough to possibly buy one and ride it to his first real job.

Yesterday was his 6th birthday. Boy did those years go quickly. He was presented with his own real dirtbike helmet, goggles, gloves and chest protector. Feigning going out to play The Game, he was led to come across a bright orange KTM 50 CC just for him. In my excitement, I totally left the video camera on the porch. Boy would his reaction been worth a million bucks on film. I didn't see it myself but it was truely speechless and on the verge of tears.

Some last minute instructions before the test drive...

I considered borrowing training wheels until he had some hours in but I felt silly after I saw him take off. Within 5 minutes he was standing up for apparant jumps and whizzing through our lakes of water left by Storms 2008.

Some felt he would need to run completely out of gas before getting off. Doug coaxed him though into spraying it off to keep it looking good and honestly he was quite red in the face by this time. What a perfect gift.

Around 10:30 last night when we thought he was asleep he yelled out in his emergency voice, simply wanting to know when it would be time to wake up.

He got up today at 6:30. Between him and the puppy it looks like some long summer days beginning early and ending late.

The Corkscrew: Realtime

The 3 younger children and I were cooking ravioli on Sunday when the phone rang and we were ushered into the world Michigan Adventur via Nextel. The Scout troop was spending the day there and Doug was kind enough to share the experience with us while on speakerphone.

He gave us the play by play, that clikity clack produced by the initial climb in the background. He gave us a final word before going over the top and then all we heard was...is there a word for rushing air amidst screamingand yelling mixed with laughter and whooping? Then he came back on the phone to tell us the ride was over and he would call later-which he did several times; all from the Corkscrew.

A Puppy, 3 Kids and a Twister

I was home last Saturday night with the 3 younger children amidst the torrential rainstorms. They had all fallen asleep (Adrianna in bed with me, the puppy in her crate and Franchesca and Solomon having a sleep-over in her room) when I heard the news that indeed we should take shelter in the basement. Remaining calm while rousing 3 kids, grabbing flashlights and the puppy crate was challenging. They kept thinking of things they wanted to bring down in the basement with them including a backpack (filled w/?), pillows, blankets, and the cat. We couldn't find Oliver (cat) right away and I really felt that risking our lives to get him wasn't in order.

We sat in the cold basement (compared to our very warm upstairs) and watched the water drip off of the pipes above due to condensation. We watched the lightning and discussed how far away it was and wondered how Doug and Nathan were doing in tents. They suggested going up for snacks and I realized that I must have done ok in playing down the situation-perhaps too much.

We returned up to MY bedroom after 25 minutes and all piled in. Between the constant lightning followed by thunder, wind and worry about the guys and the cat, we slept very little. 4 people in a queen size bed is a bit tight.

ADOPTING AGAIN?!!!

I recently put someone straight into orbit when I emailed her and asked to put her down on our adoption application. I guess most people thought we were "done". A blog seems a bit impersonal to be sharing such big news but it seems that's how things are done now. It's not as though we just now thought of doing this. Yes, it is a big move but we feel that the children are the right ages now and even in this economy, feel that we can provide the love, security, socialization (and food) necessary.


There were so many decisions to make...where to adopt from....what age...boy or girl...how far were we willing to travel...This has actually been in in the making for some time, lots of applications filled out and much frustration with the timeliness of the process.




Most everything has been finalized...we've picked out a name for our new little girl and here is some of her first photos





INTRODUCING: LILY JAMES

Here she is sleeping on AJ's lap

Blogging can be a good way to share news.

A Spring Piano Recital

SHE DID IT!

Our annual spring recital was last night. Franchesca has only played in 1 ever even though she has been learning the piano since she was 5. It could be labeled "Extreme Performance Anxiety". I began working on her early this spring, offering lots of encouragement (and bribes). I REALLY wanted her to have this success under her belt. She finally agreed to the agreement that we go horseback riding and that she and Doug can soon watch "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", something lots of people have seen but we feel has been way too intense and complicated for all but the oldest in our family.

I didn't intentionally invite anyone as this makes her much more nervous, she has always been this way-even on her birthday. I waited all day for the tummy ache to start and the withdrawn spirit but it never came. She said she wasn't even nervous. We even took the day off of all lesson work to have fun and get some energy out (planting garden) but she seemed fine all day. The drive there could have been trecherous but still, just smiles. We arrived WAY early, practiced, sat in the FRONT row (her request-boy that is brave too; probably so we didn't see just how many people were behind us) and patiently waited 6:30 to arrive.

Franchesca played a duet with her teacher, Mrs. Koeman. Nathan offered to play with her but she felt more secure with a more mature person. She also requested that they go FIRST. Apparantly Mrs. Koeman doesn't get many requests to go first, was pleasantly surprised and they opened with fanfare playing "Stars and Stripes Forever".

I was so glad for her. This felt great, not to negate Nathan and Adrianna's performance which were equally great, but didn't require quite so much courage. Nathan accompanied AJ on "Chopsticks" and then went on to later play a beautiful rendition of "Beauty and The Beast".

Now-to find that place to ride horses!

Spring Fling

I'm the type that once I've let something go awhile, it gets really difficult to get back to it. My baby books and photos are in that catagory now, so is my basement! Blogging has also sat on the back burner, ideas always abounding but time always lacking.

We've been super busy doing springish things around the place. Memorial Day weekend was spent weeding, barking and moving lots of green things. I had an entire lily garden that hadn't been divided in years and I single handidly moved it to create a nice landscape around the girls playhouse. We've decided to call it "The Lily Pad". I did all this from the stuff we already had an added some chives from my moms garden. The kids think these taste fantastic and feel at one with nature when they can walk by and pick them and let them hang from their mouths chewing on them. My sister passed this abode on to us when her girls grew too big for it. It even has wood floors! (Thanks Tina. Stop by and see it).

After the basic spring cleanup we began to move on to this years big project: The Vegetable Garden. This was intended to be a family project. Adrianna and Solomon tired of the hard work quickly and found a much more suitable way to spend a gorgeous day. This next week will be busy finishing the fence which is badly needed to keep all the wildlife from feasting and getting it planted! I'll get some pics up soon of the amazing job Doug did on the "penitentiary wall" around it.

I insisted that Solomon turn the frog toward him incase of a quick leap.

Fifth Third Ballpark

Last Saturday Nathan took the field, 3rd base to be exact, at the 5/3 park! Our team had been chosen to be the "baseball buddies" with the Whitecaps that day. What a very neat experience and a beautiful day to top it off. Nathan got a free ride that day that included a new waterbottle and great seats. The rest of the family had to pay. The price for his free seat didn't even offset the price of cotton candy for everyone but sometimes a situation calls for a splurge.


The boys did pre-game down at the dugout while watching warm-ups.
Then they were each announced with the player at their position, and took the field.
They chatted while everyone else was announced (don't you think they should listen and applaud?) Nathan took the field with #23 Ronnie Bourqiun, who bats left and throws right.


and then saluted the flag while a chourus of children sang the National Anthem. (Nathan on far right)


Solomon, always fashion minded, dressed the part.


Thanks to Steve Davage for making this possible!

Your Tea, Madam

Nathan really likes working in the kitchen and we can now just turn him loose in there without any oversight. One night I was up late working on my computer as he was finishing up the pumpkin muffins he was working on. I had been complaining (again) about how COLD I was. This is what brought to warm me up.

Analogies

Lately at Nathan's baseball games, Adrianna brings her book and reads. She started out a slow and very reluctant reader at the age of 6 but my fears were put to rest this last year as books changed from something to avoid to her favorite way to spend her time. Whew. She has taken to reading The Boxcar Children lately and can read 2 books a day. These are small print, over 100 pages each. So this last game, she was engrosed in her latest saga and I was commenting to Franchesca that #1, a tiny little guy but one who can really run, was up to bat and we really needed a hit. Adrianna entered back into reality and said "He's just like jackknives, she smaller they are, the sharper".

Future Engineer

Solomon is following in his big brother's footsteps and really enjoys building, although his deepest dream for when he "grows up" is to ride a dirt bike all day (and get paid). Yesterday he had been very busy with his Legos and when I asked what he was working on he replied: " I am designing a Super Duper, Jet Propulsion, Shocked Vehicle right now". Nicely put.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Baseball Season has arrived!

It never fails, my sister once told me, that you will always have snow once during baseball season. Don't put the winter coats away!

Being the warm weather hound that I am, and also a bit naive, I took the clues from last week that it was definitely time to pack away the down and get out the Teva's. This was working well for us until Saturday morning when Little League officially kicked off the 2008 season. We were fortunate enough to have a noon game and by then it had warmed up to 45 degrees but with the stiff, biting north wind it felt as though it would snow any minute. The children and I watched from the van while Doug kept stats while protected from the elements by his down surround and fleece hat. Older sisters are usually right.

The side show was watching the boys chase their baseball caps around the field as each gust of wind passed, the umps stopping the game each time until each blue cap was righted. We were down by 3 but came back in the last inning to tie it up. It was an exciting game.

Goose Poop

Every year during the spring we have geese that land here, probably due to the pond. Lately there has been a duo that have been landing up on our roof then will make their way to the pond. The first time they were sighted on the roof, Solomon really wanted to go check it out and joined his brother outside. As I was pulling velcro rollers from my hair, he marched up and announced loudly "MAMA, I PHINK I HAVE GOOSE POOP ON ME". Sure enough, I stripped him down and prodded him into the shower. Living in the country is such a rich experience for children, don't you agree?

Exploring The Eastern Hemisphere

We have been learing about different cultures, right now we are spending 4 weeks on China. A friend whose husband has traveled there has graciously loaned us bags filled with goods brought back, lots of which are made from bamboo, even super soft beautiful blankets. The kids were eager to give the chopsticks a try and now eat every meal with them. I tried preparing several stir-frys in different sauces and with both rice and couscous but to no avail- they still "can't" eat Chineese food.

Everyone decided AJ should compete as she is quite proficient though her form is lacking. I suggested that she race Doug using ice cream, woudn't that be fun?

Franchesca was baffled...she can do amazing things with crochet and knitting needles but...

As for me, I prefer Solomon's technique.

40 (and Beyond)

Boy that birthday took it out of me! It's taken me 2 weeks to get back to the blog (smile).

Actually I'm feeling younger than ever thanks to some new clothes, new makeup and the Springtime assurance that the sun will shine, temps will climb and that we will handle what comes our way.

Here's my amazing family on my Big Day. I had Key Lime pie but tradition has established that no birthday go celebrated without the Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake.

Guess who picked out the frosting color?!

(Solomon did his own hair for the special occasion.)

April 2, 1968

On this, the eve of my 40th Birthday,
I have this to say:

"You are as young as your faith,
as old as your doubt;
as young as your self confidence,
as old as your fear;
as young as your hope,
as old as your despair."
Gen. Douglas MacArthur

I Want My Babies Back!!!

This Baby Blues cartoon I saw recently comes to mind, it read:

The Days are Long-

The Years are Short

American Girlies

Adrianna is now included in the ranks of millions of young ladies who own American Girl dolls. Here she is opening Elizabeth (sometimes called Emily). She looks a lot like AJ.


If only she came with a blue dress!

Sleep-overs just got a little more crowded

Spring Birthdays

Today, we just pick up as though we never left off...


Lots of people we know and/or are related to have spring birthdays, including Adrianna. You'll never guess what color cake she decided upon

Or what color she wore that day....

She really ate this entire plate full of cake and Blue Moon ice cream too!

Overgrown Tadpole

Part of the fun at Great Wolf Lodge is a separate area for frogs, or people with great balance, who enjoy leaping from one giant lilly pad to another without falling in the water. The lilly pads are anchored to the bottom of the pool but are still able to float around, based on the movement of the frog upon it. For tadpoles or anyone new to the game, there is also a rope ladder hung up above to grab onto if one should lose their balance or need to regain composure after leaping.

Doug, who is always couragous in the face of a something new and dangerous, took the challenge and stepped into the line of kids under the age of 12 and all under 5' tall. Upon studying the video, his greatest disadvantage was his height as he had to hunch over enought to avoid getting tangled in the rope ladder thus throwing off his weight distribution to such a degree that by the 3rd lilly pad, he was upside down or sideways and quickly underwater. So desperate was he for success that he spent much time observing and interviewing all the smallish tadpoles who would hop flawlessly across the pond in virtual seconds. Unfortunately, all the advise in the world couldn't offset his God given physical virtues. He held up well under the scrutiny of casual observers and even began to feel like somewhat of a celebrity when the lifeguards spent most of their time watching him trying to master the impossible. (Aren't they supposed to be watching for drowning kids?)

I so long for pictures of the event to post but I was always laughing so hard that I couldn't focus.

Here's a few of my frogs at rest.

Great Wolf Lodge

We finally managed to make our Christmas trip to Traverse. We stopped for lunch at Pietro's where Franchesca and I stayed in the van due to nausea and we had moment's of thinking we would again have to cancel. Motion sickness runs in our family and after sitting still, not reading and finally entering the restaurant, she began to feel better.

The ride felt long, even with the portable dvd player. Do you think that had anything to do with me driving while my husband slept with the mp3 player on, never hearing any of those questions from the children i.e. "When ARE we going to be there? I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom, I'm hungry, are we driving all the way to Florida?"



Waiting until February to go was a wonderful idea. Most children must have been in school because it was not busy at all. This is a place that can make even the sanest person feel dizzy but with so few people, the the kids are at an age now that they can go off by themselves (with a buddy) and meet up with us. Doug was of course, in hot demand as the chilren are all able to go down the slides and were trying to throw him off the tube.

Solomon was so young last time we were there that he really couldn't understand or picture in his mind where we were going and the magnitude of fun that was awaiting him. He slept very well each night!

The staff at the lodge was well prepared for the grown-ups too. The Super Bowl was right there, with the big screen attached right where the kiddy pool was in view. With the Aveda spa, Starbucks and lots of goodies in the store, a person could stay for years (according to Solomon). The water was even "blue" for Adrianna. We had a relaxing 2-1/2 days but were all ready to sleep in our own beds by Tuesday night. After a "real" lunch in town at the Dish cafe, we began our long trek homeward.

"Are we there yet"?

BLOGGING: Burden or Blessing?

Finding time to blog has felt (lately) like one more thing that I just can't fit into the daily whirwind. Life with 4 kids at home is full! Something has to give. When I simplify the day into what HAS to be done it looks something like A. Keep them fed (in more ways than one), keep them alive and keep the environment somewhat peaceful (this is totally for me). Then we have "discretionary" time to spend which encompasses everything from education, laundry, recreation, dishes, thinking ahead, exercise, looking back, playing games, reading, serving others and watching the world go round; wondering where the next stop is. Outside activities include lessons, outings, escort services for all the library books not to mention the highlight of the week: getting groceries.

Where does the time for blogging come from I ask?

My options are: A. get up early B. Stay up late C. Hand the blogging over to the kids. I'm seriously considering option C. I've offered it to them as a bonus-a reward for some great feat they handled well lately. Much to my disappointment, they quickly declined. Blogging should be on any student's list of accomplishments, I'm sure of it:)

Part of my hesitation to begin blogging was my fear of being unable to keep up (with who or what I'm not sure). I know how I enjoy clicking on my favorite blogs and see that new title (slowly) pop up, alerting me of the news and photos to come, allowing me to share a small part of anothers time and space.

I've noticed myself in the past few weeks stating "I just can't do it all". Is it just me or does everyone feel this way?

Natural Talent

So the holidays are over and with birthdays being in short supply, Franchesca was struggling to find recipients for her Hand Made Goods from Saugatuck. She turned to her faithful, always available and ever so appretiative American Girl Dolls.

I don't know how she makes these, honestly. I taught her a basic stitch when she was 6 but after that it becomes a mystery, literally because she always hides away in her fortress of a bed, canopy pulled closed with her MP3 on.

These are for Adrianna's baby doll. Snowpants and hat (the bracelet she threw in no extra charge. One must have accessories, even outdoors) for sledding.