A Christmouse reflection

Life was good at the Rooney house. I went undetected for some time. Food was plentiful at the base of the bird feeder. I would get my dinner and settle in under a bookcase in the garage. But you know what they say...the grass is always greener. So I decided to start venturing into warmer recesses. I found a way into the house (the Rooneys are still trying to find my entry point) and the wonders there! Children playing with toys under the tree, leftover food abound, a warm stove to hunker down underneath. This is Nirvana, baby! And I can poo wherever I want and they clean it up! But alas, all good things must come to an end. The peanut butter on the trap was just too enticing, and I fell into my death. It was good while it lasted.

Rest in peace, Christmouse! And don't haunt your friends and tell them about our house!

'The Elf on the Shelf'

A few years ago I helped Nolan make a video for his first grade holiday tradition presentation. Now it's Thomas' turn.

Thomas wanted talk about Eddie, the elf who hides in our house to watch him and then report back to Santa. There is a book that tells Eddie's story titled "The Elf on the Shelf." So he read it for his video. Here's what we came up with...

Dyken Pond Photos

Chester was pooped at the end of our hike.

Advent

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, the pink candle which stands for the joy and anticipation of Christmas. It's a nice breath of fresh air, really. A lot of the readings for Advent are about making sure we are ready for Christ's coming - they can be a little heavy. Advent is supposed to be a time when we get in touch with our emptiness and longings and accept them for what they are. We are more than that. It's okay to be unfinished and not have it all figured out. See...heavy stuff! So the pink candle reminds us to rejoice in the good stuff...and not to sweat the small stuff. We did that today.

Today we went to find the Yule Log at a magical place called Dyken Pond. The tradition is that people would hide a yule log on the winter solstice and celebrate the shortest day to the year by finding it and burning it throughout the night. Dyken Pond is a great preserve in Rensselaer county with educational programs and 6 miles of trails through woods, swamps and streams. The yule log is hidden somewhere in the preserve and we're given a few hints. The hunt was on! Of course, a group of teenagers found it before we did, but at least we were on the right trail. We dragged the sled with us so Thomas could ride whenever he got tired. Chester enjoyed all the smells. We were all bundled warm and it was a beautiful, snowy day to be out in the woods. Breathing that cold fresh air instead of being in the hubbub at the stuffy mall wins in my book, any day of the week.

So, I think we are as ready as we'll ever be for Christmas to come. Chris and I went to his station's holiday party this week. The Christmas cards are out and I'm half-way through wrapping. The house smells like cookies and fir tree. The kids are counting the days, although they still haven't really said what they want for Christmas. As long as there are some kind of presents, I guess they are happy! So come on Christmas, bring it on!

Christmas prep

We got our Christmas tree on Sunday at a little farm in Milton. The trees were small but that's what we wanted anyway. It was the first time we showed up, saw a tree right away that we agreed on, cut it and left. All under an hour-wow! So we are all decorated and the shopping is done. We still have cards, wrapping and baking to do.

Thomas is about to get off the bus. Nolan is staying late at school because he's going to working at being in a spelling bee. We pick him up, have swim lessons and then we hit the books. Chris and Nolan are going to the library tonight to see a man acting as Teddy Roosevelt. All a day in the life of the Rooneys!

Thomas the Pitchman

Thomas built a big marble thingamajig. In the process of showing it off for the camera he soon broke into his Billy Mays impression.

Thanksgiving is coming...

and I am so excited to host this year for my whole family. I have had my parents before, but never my sister's family too. So I went grocery shopping today to get all the Thanksgiving fixin's, and I already put up some Christmas decorations so it will be festive. The turkey is in the refrigerator thawing. It will be great for all of us to be together, crammed in our little dining room, but together.

So what's new with us. Nolan is doing great in the advanced math class. He's learning to multiply and divide double digits now. He asked me the other day if they had exponents when I went to school (yes, I'm not that old!). He's been devouring The 39 Clues series. He won a drawing contest at the orthodontist's office and got a $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble, so he plans to buy the next books in the series. He has his first reconciliation retreat this weekend. I'm amazed at how much he is learning and growing this year. Especially today. I went to visit a friend who just had a baby at St. Peter's Hospital today. I haven't been there since Nolan was born. It brought back so many memories of when I was on bed rest, and those days in the NICU. He's our miracle baby! He's doing great on the violin and is starting to learn Jingle Bells. He's in chorus too, and playing basketball on Saturdays. He came home really proud this week that he made a touchdown playing football at recess. Okay, ehough bragging about Nolan. Time to brag about Thomas.

Thomas finished his session of swim lessons and like it so much that we're doing the next session now too! This is such a change from when he wouldn't even get in the water. He's been loving school, learning how to add and subtract and reading new words every day. He told me he won the race at gym today. He is still getting pulled out of class for speech twice a week, but he's really improving and I'm thinking he may not need it anymore after this year. He has a new friend Craig that we're having over this weekend. His favorite job is ushering at church! About once a month, he is in charge of passing the basket around and passing out the bulletins at the end. He LOVES it, and everybody loves seeing him do it. I think he likes the attention and being able to get up during church, but that's fine by me!

The Thanksgiving Parade is in Schenectady this Saturday night and we have to deliver popcorn this weekend too.

That's all the boring, simple stuff we're up to lately. It's great! I am so grateful for my family and the wonderful life we get to live together. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cub Scouts is taking over our lives...

and is showing no mercy! Ha! Actually, it's great and we're all loving it. But it is a lot. We have 5 things we have to do this week for Cub Scouts: 2 den meetings, a TV station tour, an environmental service project (which we haven't even figured out yet) and helping at the Food Bank. Wow! But there are benefits to Chris and I being the den leaders. Like tonight, for example. We were both going to have our den meetings tonight back to back. But, Thomas has been home sick with the flu (We think the swine flu, but he no longer has a fever so back to school tomorrow). So I'm home with Thomas and Chris is running both meetings. What a guy! I can't wait to hear how they went. I'll be handing him a beer as soon as he walks in the door.

Happy Halloween!

He's some pics of our fall adventures. Everybody had a great time at the Scout Campout. The highlight for Thomas was the rocket shooting, but I also taught him how to whittle. He kept showing everyone his knife, which I think is Grandpa's. Nolan had to learn a lot of outdoor skills for an achievement, one of which was building a fire. This was no small feat since it poured all day! Nothing that a little firestarter couldn't fix!

We are ready and excited for Halloween. I'll post pictures of their costumes soon. Today they have their parties at school and a parade.

In school, Nolan has been bumped up to the advanced math class which we're all excited about. And Thomas has started reading chapter books!

Rocket Man

Here's Thomas launching the model rocket he built (with some help from mom and dad) at the Cub Scout camp out...

Teacher Conferences and a wet Campout

Chris and I met with the kids' teachers this week and they are doing great! Thomas seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. He's going to school and coming home with a happy face every day. He is already reading at a level that is usually half way through 1st grade. Nolan is reading at a level that is half way through 5th grade. Both are improving in their writing and math. Math still isn't a strong point for Nolan, but he knows his facts really well. He loves social studies. I'm proud of them both.

Baseball is over for Nolan and Thomas has 4 more swim lessons to go. I think I'm going to sign him up for another session. Nolan will start basketball in a couple weeks. Both kids had a Cub Scout Pack Meeting this week. We are finishing up the popcorn sales and have a camp out at a local Boy Scout camp this weekend. It is supposed to be pouring rain and cold...so I am NOT AT ALL looking forward to it. Nolan is spending the night and Thomas and I are only spending the afternoon. We hope to find a way to use tarps to keep dry. Wish us luck!

Next week we have 2 half days because of continuing parent-teacher conferences. I finally go to traffic court to settle on the ticket I got in August. And we finalize the week with Halloween! Nolan is going to be a knight and Thomas is going to be SpongeBob. Chris and I are celebrating Halloween by doing a 5K race together...Chris' first race since we started running together and my first race since I did the marathon 6 years ago. Chester will celebrate by laying on the couch!

Cub Scouts and Baseball

Over Columbus Day weekend, Nolan played against Wilton in baseball and won 19 to 14. Thomas had his first Den outing at Camp Boyhaven. They had great activities for all the Tiger Cubs in the area, and Thomas had a blast. Today Nolan had his expanders put in for his lower jaw. He has a lisp now!

Tomorrow, the cook can't be at the Bethesda House (respite for the homeless) so I'm cooking for 100 people...wish me luck! This weekend's activities include selling popcorn at the Co-Op for Scouts, Fright Fest at the Great Escape and our final baseball game (against North Colonie).

Mud, mud and more mud

We hiked up Kane Mountain on Saturday with Nolan's Den, and it was like walking up a running stream! I've never hiked with so much mud. It was a short hike with not much view, but it was a lot of fun going with a bunch of people and going up the fire tower. It was really cloudy but at least it didn't rain. The sun came out as soon as we finished! We scrubbed the boys sneakers and set them under a fan all night so they would be dry for school today.

We are are settling in to the school routine now, especially Thomas. He was having trouble with the morning rush and the long school day. But he's getting on the bus great now, and talking a lot about his classmates. He came home one day last week and told me one girl in his class gets to watch R rated movies! It was like she was his hero or something! I told him to find out what movies she's watching because I'm not buying it! He's even doing better with sitting still in church and participating in his religion class. The first week of religion he ran out the door into the parking lot, and the second week he hid in the closet the whole time. This week, we told him he could hang out with Gaba afterward if he did a good job. It worked! He even did a skit in the classroom. So he's really growing up and getting past his little fears.

Nolan had a good baseball game yesterday, though they lost 7-6. He hit a double but they got 3 outs before he made it home. He just loves to play. We have a few weeks left before fall ball is over. Then 2 weeks break before basketball starts.

I decided against the book club...I didn't even make the first meeting before quitting! It wasn't for me. I've been saying no to a lot of commitments lately, it seems. I can be such a hermit.

So this week Thomas is having a friend over, swim lessons, baseball practice and I get to babysit the 2 little girls down the street again. I have an all day workshop on Saturday so Chris will have the boys. Sunday we split up and I take Thomas to a Cub Scout event while Chris takes Nolan to his baseball game. And Wednesday Chris and I will have been married for 14 years! Wow! Time flies when you are having fun.

Apples and Potatoes

We had lots of different activities this week that were fun and exciting. First off, we had our first pack meeting on Monday with both kids in uniform. Actually, we were all in our uniforms, feeling very official. I really have to bite my tongue at these meetings because they consist of a swarm of boys running around in chaos and grown-ups talking but no one able to hear anything and it's maddening! But they love it and it seems to work and since I'm the only female den leader, I go with it. We are beginning popcorn sales right off the bat, so start counting your pennies for when we hit you up.

Tuesday, Nolan had his second orthodontia appointment where they took molds of his teeth. We go back in 3 weeks to have the lower expander put in. Thomas had his swim lesson that day too and did AWESOME! He swam a few feet like a pro. He just has to figure out that he can turn his head to the side to get air instead of stopping and treading to breathe. He seems to be very proud of himself and so are we. It's great to see him do something that he likes and be good at it.

Wednesday Nolan had baseball practice. They are having them earlier in the evening now because it's getting dark earlier. There was a baseball game yesterday but we didn't go. It was a choice between the game and his best friend's birthday party and we gave him the choice. I think most people would have chosen the game, or pushed it. But I was proud of Nolan that he chose friendship and being with his friend. He just doesn't have that competitive edge, at least not yet.

Thursday Thomas' class went on a field trip to a local apple orchard and I got to help chaperone. We saw a bee hive, rode on a hay wagon, picked apples and got a pumpkin. It was fun getting to know the kids in Thomas' class and reminisce when I did the same trip with Nolan 3 years ago.









And today, we went to Service Day at our parish. We met with other people, had lunch and then went to the Food Bank to work. The job for today was sorting potatoes and packing them into smaller boxes for food pantries. It was pretty cool having all these people of various ages and walks of life working together to help people in need. There were SO MANY potatoes. We figured out as a group that we re-packaged 2 tons of potatoes into 84 boxes for distribution. And the boys had fun because they had friends there and they would play games like finding the smallest or weirdest potato. And then there would be a mushy rotten potato once in a while, so everyone would go "EW!" Everyone would laugh. It was a great, simple way to spend the afternoon.

We have no school tomorrow because of Yom Kippur, so we are bowling with the Brownells. I'm going to try to being a part of a book group that starts Tuesday night. The vote is still out on whether I'll stick with it or not. We'll see what books we pick and how successful I am at reading them before the next meeting. And next weekend we have a Cub Scout hike up Kane Mtn. and a baseball game. So stay tuned!

Adjusting to school

We still are not in the routine of school yet, but we're hoping to be. Nolan is, but he doesn't count! He's always ready for anything! Thomas is very tired and doesn't like the get-up-an-go in the morning, but he'll get there. And I never seem to be home with all the errands, meetings, etc. But we're not complaining...just getting used to it being fall. Change is hard for everyone, but it seems to happen whether we like it or not.

Nolan's baseball team has won one and lost one. In the last game, Nolan pitched an inning and did strike one kid out. He has another game tomorrow afternoon. Thomas went to his first swim lesson and liked it! The water temp is in the 80s so that helps. Nolan started his orthodontic appointments this week too. He had spacers put in between his back molars to help make the space for his bands to be put in this coming week. Three weeks after that, his expanders will be put in and (I think) front braces. Tomorrow we start religion classes and Monday starts Cub Scouts! So we'll be in full swing by the end of the week.

Today Aunt Kimmy came to visit. We had a great visit, lunch and trip to an apple orchard. It's a good year for apples but they were damaged from the hail storm in the spring. We had to pick them over, but we found some good ones. Kim also got to enjoy the wonders of the Wii! She was probably happy to escape our loud, crazy house by the end of her visit...but we loved having her!

Hope to take some pics of Nolan playing baseball and will post soon.

And they're off!

Both boys are back to school and so far the transition has been pretty easy! They are tired (me too!) but no major complaints. Thomas is adjusting to getting up early to go to school and not having a lot of his friends in his class. But he loves going to the cafeteria. Judging from what he brings back in his lunch, I think he's doing more talking than eating. Typical! Nolan has his best friend in his class, so he is loving life. His teacher this year seems quiet and low key, which is great for Nolan too. I think he likes helping Thomas on the bus and being a good big brother.

Nolan has started fall baseball. His first game is this weekend. Thomas starts swim lessons next week. And I've been swamped catching up on everything I put off all summer! So life is good. It sure is a rapid change from the lazy days of summer, though.

Back to School

Day trips are easy and fun!

With 3 weeks of summer left, we are trying to squeeze every bit of fun that there is to be had. Today we are hanging out at home with a friend. There is a big thunderstorm going on, so this blog entry may end up getting lost to mother nature. And then I will have to entertain 3 boys with no power. We are dog-sitting little Dexter while our friends the Reeds are off to New York City for a few days. We seem to be attached at the hip since they left this morning, or should I say ankle? He's a dachshund so he can't reach my hip.

Last weekend we ended up not going to Moira because of health complications with my aunt and my parents needing to concentrate on that. I think we'll try again next weekend, or at least just me because I'm getting a little homesick. So we did a lot of day trips that were fun for the kids. Last Friday, we went to Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville, NY. It's a little walk that includes going over a large, natural stone bridge with a river that runs underground under it. There are several caves to explore and rock formations. The boys loved it. Last Saturday we went to Great Escape at night because the boys wanted to see it with the lights. That was hot and stinky, but of course a blast for them. And Sunday we took Chris' mom to an outdoor concert of Hair of the Dog (local Irish group). So all these day trips really make me appreciate where we live and all the fun things there are to do within an hour away.

This weekend we are supposed to go to a cookout at a friend's camp on Sacandaga Lake, though I'm wondering if the weather will permit it. And Sunday we are having friends for dinner. I feel like we've really paid attention to our friendships this summer. We've reconnected with college and high school friends, and made time to see all of our local friends too. It's what summer is all about...being with family and friends.

So school is right around the corner, and I think I'm beginning to look forward to it (though I would love to get one more camping trip in!). We got all of our school supplies and finished most of the summer work that needed to get done. The boys could use some sneakers and clothes, but I think I might wait until later September when fall stuff goes on sale. I'm hoping the summer weather is going to last longer since it got a late start, so they won't need long sleeved stuff for a while yet, or at least I hope! A lot of people are asking me what I'm going to do now that both kids are in school all day. As if being home isn't work enough! Chris says I should tell them I'm going to start growing pot! But I guess there is a curiousity to what stay-at-home moms do when working moms seem to get it all done while maintaining an outside job. Well, I like to think I do work but don't get paid. I will most likely spend 3 or 4 days volunteering at different places and spend the other 2 doing chores and errands. I'll get all that stuff done during the day so I can focus on helping the kids with their stuff when they are home. I think Chris and I really feel a peace in our family living this way, keeping it simple.

So that's what's new in a nutshell. Also August 19th was our Gotcha Day--celebrating 6 years that our family was made complete with Thomas! Well, we haven't actually celebrated yet but hope to this weekend. The boys want to go to a McDonald's Playstation and get the new Lego racers. Sounds simple to me!

Fun in the yard

The boys and I have spent a lot of our summer playing at home. I've been playing in the garden.








Green peppers and 1 lone cucumber plant with no cucumbers yet. Corn and zucchini. My sad attempt at a scarecrow has been successful in keeping the rabbits and birds away! I have some little cobs and zucchini. The peas already finished and weren't very plentiful. The basil and lavender I have in the front yard are doing well, and my new perennial bed is looking awesome! The coreopsis just started blooming. What pleases me most with the perennial bed is that I grew most everything from seed. Other plants in there were gifts. The whole garden cost me about $5.00 to do. Most people spend more on that with just one plant! So I'm proving you don't need a lot of money to garden. I'm thinking of filling in the sandbox next year with dirt and expanding my veggies. Although it is a little sad that the boys have outgrown it.

The boys have come up with all sorts of creative things to do at home. We've rigged a hose on the slide to make a cool and fast slide. Thomas did that with his friend Leo yesterday and it was hard to get a picture...they went so fast! And they've re-discovered their skateboards. In the photo, Thomas is pretending to be a bowling ball!








They have both had some friends over, Thomas more than Nolan. When I asked Nolan if he wanted a friend over, he said, "No, I'm not a people person." I thought that was the funniest thing, the way he said it! But he is a quieter person than Thomas. He seems to have just a few friends that mean a lot to him, as opposed to Thomas who seems to know everyone. But what's been great this summer is that they really enjoy playing with each other. Of course there's the fighting too, but mostly they love to be goofy and play together. It's great.

So camp ends this week and then we're off to Moira and the Franklin County Fair. We're hoping to go to the Newcomb Interpretive Center on the way there to check it out. We'll be using our new GPS to find the place, thanks to mom and dad! I will never get lost again!

You just won...a new car!

OK, so it's not new and I didn't win it. But I am striking a "Price is Right" pose! After a LLLOOONNNGGG pause of me not having a vehicle and all the headaches dealing with the garage and the insurance, we now have 2 cars in our driveway again. The garage declared the Subaru totaled on Saturday, so we went camping and came back to car shop with a vengeance! We found this lovely 2003 Pontiac Vibe and it fit the bill. It even has some perks...it came with a CD changer and a remote car starter! So Mathew...what should I name it??

I won't blog much about the camping trip since Chris did. I will post this one picture of Mike and I because it is just the EPITOMY of our relationship and I love it. I'm always the happy, flaky one and he's the "oh, please, give me a break" one! Of course, I think that cup has wine in it so that could be part of the reason for being happy, but I digress. Mike, you're the best. It was a great weekend, despite the rainy outcome. I hope it becomes an annual event.

So we going to continue sucking the life out of this summer and ignoring the back-to-school ads. Not having a car, I got a lot of homey projects done and now having a car, I'll start doing all the errands that didn't. The kids are still in camp in the morning this week and next. We have a blissful weekend at home coming up, and then it's off to Moira and the Franklin County Fair (Almanzo Wilder went to the same fair!).

Adirondack Vacation Photos

My heart is in the ADK's

Nolan at Owen Pond, off Rte. 86. Chris says it looks like his foot is touching the sky.










This tree was also near Owen Pond. It's amazing how resilient nature is. Life finds a way.










We went to a magic show in Lake Placid and Nolan got called on stage. Chris did too! They have no inhibitions, these men of mine!








We went for a walk around the Wilmington Flume.








Here we all are at the top of Mount Jo. A beautiful view for not a lot of effort. We also hiked Mount Baker in Saranac Lake.








We had a terrific vacation getting away from it all in Silver Lake. We are just so thankful that my uncle lets us stay at his camp for a week every year, so we can be in such beauty. It was cool and rainy most of the time while we were there, but it didn't deter us! In addition to all these hikes, we got to visit with my uncle and my folks too. We also took a trip into Plattsburgh and walked around the campus. We tried to hike at the VIC in Paul Smith's but it started to thunder and lightning. We got ice cream at Donnelly's instead--much better choice anyway! Although they are getting commercial with everyone else--$2.50 for a baby cone! We hiked the Brewster Peninsula while in Lake Placid too. I love doing that hike because most tourists are blowing their money in all the shops there, but not us. We opt for the woods. What was fun about our Silver Lake trip this year was that the boys are getting older and easier. They could explore outside without us for bits of time. We swam some towards the end, but it wasn't the best swimming weather. It was just nice to be away, just us as a family, and be reminded again that our cup overfloweth.

So it's back to reality this week. We will still be 2 more weeks without a car, but we're keeping busy. Yesterday, Nolan turned 9 ...wow! Half way to being an adult! We celebrated with Gaba and Louis Saturday night, and then he, Chris and a friend went to see a ValleyCats game. Nolan told me he didn't want me to go because it was guy's night! I guess he is getting older (sob!). Thomas is at Vacation Bible School this week and Nolan is at the town camp. Nolan has some practices and a game this week. So life is back to normal in Niskayuna. Whoever is reading this should let me know how their summer is going too!

Chance of showers

Here's a video from a recent trip to the Great Escape, where Nolan and Thomas wait for the water to spill from Paul Bunyon's Bucket Brigade.

There was an earlier one where they took a much more direct hit. Thomas actually got knocked down by the force of the water!

This time they stayed out on the edge a little more. Watch for Nolan in the green swim trunks and Thomas next to him the blue and white Hawaiian-style suit.

Summer is here...with a crash!

Our first lemonade stand...made more than $8 in 2 hours!







A makeshift sprinkler







So our summer vacation didn't start out that great, but we're making the most of it and taking it on as a challenge. We literally are turning lemons into lemonade!

I took the kids to Troy to meet Chris for dinner, got lost, ran through an intersection and a car broadsided us. Everyone is okay...just got a ticket and the car is in the shop for a month. And of course, I am still humbled by my act of stupidity and the fear of what could have happened to my kids. But it's also making me realize again how dependent we get on our cars. I mean, 50 years ago, most families only had 1 car.

We have been trying to figure out what we're going to do with a trip to Silver Lake coming up and kids going to camps, baseball games, etc... But fortunately, we live in a place where a lot is walking/biking distance. We can get to several playgrounds, church, store, post office and library all within 15 minutes by bike. Not to mention the fun that can be had in our own backyard (see the pics to prove it!). So we're sucking it up and having a true "staycation" this week. Next week we get to attempt packing Chris' little 2 door Honda Civic for a week in Hawkeye. It's a challenge we plan to conquer! We Rooneys are hardy folk!

Kindergarten Greatest Hits

Here are a couple of the songs from Thomas' end of the year kindergarten concert...

Our Kindergarten Graduate

Thomas' End of the Year Show was yesterday...so cute! Chris has some video footage that he'll post soon. We were all there, including Nolan who got out of class, Gaba and Aunt Annie. They sang some songs, including a rendition of Days of the Week, sung to the Adams family tune. They were all trying to snap and not really getting it--too funny! Thomas was nervous up there and kept looking at his friend Will. But he stayed up there and managed to sing a little and do some of the movements. There was a slide show afterward and cake. He still has school today and Monday. Monday he finds out his first grade teacher and Nolan finds out his 4th grade teacher. Wow! I can't beleive how fast they grow.

Nolan didn't make the All-Star team, but apparently a lot of kids didn't. On Saturday, there is another tryout for a "B" team that he wants to go for again. This team includes 3rd and 4th graders, mainly 4th graders. So luck is not on our side, but Nolan has a great attitude. He figures he has nothing to lose. He doesn't care what kind of team he's on as long as he gets to play ball. He's getting so much taller too, coming up to my chin now! He's becoming a real athlete.

So everything is winding down thankfully. Today Nolan has his end of the year pizza party. Tomorrow they both play their last baseball games. And Father's Day is Sunday! We were going to go to Great Escape again but we aren't sure about the weather. The National Park Service is waiving their fees this weekend, so we may check out Saratoga Battlefield again. Thomas is done school on Monday and Nolan on Tuesday.

As soon as school is over, we get to explore the world of orthodontia! Woohoo (not)! Nolan has a wicked overbite and overcrowding of teeth. So we see an orthodontist on Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to that at all. But our first camping trip is to Moreau next week, and an awesome summer begins!

More pics

Here's some of Thomas' trip to his teacher's farm:






I'm very happy that the big church event I helped plan is over. Over 90 people came and seemed to like it. Here's a picture from that:


The boys both had good games this weekend. Thomas is really practicing his hitting and getting a lot stronger. Nolan's team still hasn't won, but they tied with a team on Saturday! He got a triple, a single and drove in a runner. We're told that he's going to be nominated to try out for the All Star team. We're anxious to find this out. Even the chance to try out is really good. But, it may change our summer plans if he makes the team. There are 5 practices and 2 games a week! But he just loves it, and it gets more competitive the older he gets.

Nolan's alarm is going off...my day begins!

The countdown begins

Over the past couple weeks, we've had a trip to NH to visit the Reeds, visits to the classroom, and a day at the Great Escape. We saw the Reeds over Memorial Day weekend and had a blast, as usual. This time, Chester came with us so he could play with their dog, Dexter. We played, ate outside and went to a parade. The picture at the parade is with Thomas and Ava, holding hands. They are becoming quite amorous with each other. They even went to her room at the end of the visit so they could have a private hug! Yikes! Nolan did a report for school on England that he presented in a booklet and on Powerpoint. We got to go in and have him share it with us. And last weekend, we took a break from baseball and headed up to Great Escape for the day, our first trip of the summer. Chris got to go on the new ride, the Sasquatch (and there's the pic with him and the actual Sasquatch). We saw the pirate show...AGAIN. I loved the Blizzard (a scrambler). It was chilly but Nolan wanted to do the Desperado Plunge. It was a nice break from all the craziness we've been having. We needed it.

Thomas has been hard to manage lately, and so we weren't sure it was a good idea to go to Great Escape. But we seemed to be yelling a lot lately, and I felt like we all could use a break from reality and a little fun! It seemed to do the trick, because he has been less naughty lately. Well, that and taking away his video games until he can be more kind. He is definately getting older. He's been asking a lot about his adoption lately, but seems satified with our answers. I think he gets comforted when we tell the same story over and over. We never hide anything. We always give him as much information as he asks for. Today we went on a trip to his teacher's farm. He got to feed the horse and ducks. I got to throw a chicken out of the barn! It was fun...I'll post the pics soon.

Also since I wrote last, my friend Mathew from high school came to visit, an avid fan of our family blog! I got to see his pics for a change and I tried to guilt him into getting on Facebook (no such luck). I just loved our chat and hope we get to have them more often.

So June is here and 13 more days of school. Nolan has 5 more games and Thomas has three. Nolan's team still hasn't won a game, but they had a really exciting game on Monday. Nolan drove in a runner and got a triple. That triple was almost a hit out of the park; it dropped right when it got to the fence...so exciting. I hope they win soon. They've really progressed since they started. We're anxious to find out when All Star tryouts are for this summer. For school, next week we have an informational night to see what instrument Nolan may play in school next year. He's interested in the violin and viola. The week after is Thomas' Kindergarten Graduation and the end of the year parties. I can't beleive I won't have a kindergartener anymore.

This weekend is the big church event I've been planning forever now. I'll be the happiest woman on the planet when it is over! I won't bore you with all the details, but there has been one problem after another. But to look at it positively, I think it has helped me see that I'm not interested in working with adults in a church anymore. Maybe kids, but not teaching. I'm just not that good at it. But I have learned some leadership skills and gotten to know the ins and outs of church business (and it's not always pretty!). And I'm really glad to have met some wonderful people that really give of themselves to help.

Sorry so long...I didn't know I had so much to say!

Staking a tree

Pic#1 The cutest chipmunk taking a snooze on the stump at my neighbor's house.
Pic#2 Nolan marching in the Niska Day parade with Cub Scouts.
Pic#3 Thomas' adoring fans.

Forgive me for getting a little deep here. Have you ever noticed that some people put bands and stakes around trees they have newly planted? I think they are trying to protect the tree and let it get strong against the wind. Of course, eventually they have to take the bands off and let it stand on its own, against the wind and storms. Do you think the tree has a hard time once the stakes are removed? Some people don't use these stakes. They plant the sapling and let it withstand whatever comes. I think they must believe that this too makes the tree strong, rather than protecting it. They let the tree experience life as it is, hoping for the best.

I think parenting is like this. Some people protect their children and shelter them from certain things in life. Others just try to teach them right, put them out there and hope for the best. In both cases, I think parents are just trying to do their best. But I wonder if sheltering them in the beginning from things that happen in life is really helping them in the long run. What happens when the realities of life happen and there is no protection? It's hard to teach your children, let go and then simply have faith in them. But I'm thinking no stakes is better. I hope I can be that kind of parent...and gardener.