Dishes

I just finished doing the dishes.  Let me say that I loathe doing dishes.  It's probably the worst household type job for me.  I also don't enjoy cleaning the bathroom or doing laundry, but for some reason the dishes really get to me.  We don't have a dishwasher so it's a pretty time consuming activity...especially when I wait until we have no forks or knives left to wash everything up LOL!  Also, our sink doesn't have a garbage disposal, so the joy of getting all the food pieces taken care off falls to me. YUCK!! Dishes stink :-( The above picture isn't my actual sink, but it might as well be.

Christmas Joy

Whew!! What a fun-filled Christmas! We started off our Christmas celebrations with a party at my Grandma Pare's house the week before Christmas. It was nice to visit with all my aunts, uncles and cousins, especially my cousin Alex who has been in Florida doing his Army training/school.  The Lion's winning that night was a bonus! Here is a pic with Ben and his Great-Grandpa.

The following week the kids still had school which was a bit of change for us.  I wasn't thrilled with them being in class right up until Christmas Eve, but now that we have two full weeks off I'm liking the new schedule a bit more!  Ben's swim team the Sea Monsters hosted a swim meet at the Downriver YMCA and my mom was able to see him compete for the first time.  Here's Ben in the 50 M Freestyle Race.

Christmas Eve we have always spent at Ken's dad's house with his sister and her family before going to church.  This year was no different but we were afraid Ben wasn't going to make it due to being under the weather.  He was able to make it to Grandpa Altizer's, and we had a great visit and meal with the Altizer side of the family, but Zach and I dropped Ken and Ben at home before heading to church. Zach did the Advent reading and lighting of the candles and I was in charge of the children's program for our Christmas Eve Service. Our hard work and preparation paid off and both went very well.  All the kids spoke their parts clearly and after we were all done I was relieved!

  

Thanksgiving 2011

Another Thanksgiving under our belts! Ken, the boys and I all went to my Grandma's house for Thanksgiving Dinner this year.  It was a small gathering for us (only 14 people), but it was nice to visit and catch up with everyone.  Unfortunately my mom was sick, so she wasn't there, and my dad, brother and sister-in-law to be were at the Lion's Game, so they weren't there either :-(

We had a pretty traditional dinner menu with: Turkey, Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Broccoli Casserole, Salad, Buttered Noodles, Meatballs, Pumpkin Pie, and probably some stuff I'm forgetting! I thought it was funny that at dinner both of my boys had rolls...that's it just rolls.  Now, you may be horrified that this is all they ate, but I was also a picky eater at their age (and still am, my plate consisted of salad, rolls, and meatballs).  I had already prepped the boys before we left that there may not be many things they liked at dinner, and to be polite about saying "no thank you" if they were offered items they didn't want.  Of course I had also told them they would get hot dogs back at home, so they were fine with having only rolls. 

Each holiday when I was growing up I would usually eat: bread & butter, mashed potatoes, and pickles...and if we were at my Gawlik side of the family Kielbasa.  I can totally relate to my kids not liking certain food.  I think they will grow out of it.  As an adult my food choices have expanded exponentially. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  I hope everyone had a HAPPY THANKSGIVING...with or without the turkey and trimmings!

 Aunt Mary and Ben before dinner.

Fall Happenings

Well, it's been about a month since my last post...and many things have been happening!  Halloween has come and gone,

our Christmas tree is up,

Soccer has ended, Basketball has begun, Swimming is continuing in full force with three meets in the next couple of months, First trimester is almost over for the boys, and we are well on our way to colder weather.  Our conferences went well for both boys this week, we couldn't be happier with their progress :-) It's always nice to hear good things about your kids from people you trust and respect.  We are finishing up our school Book Fair this week at the boys' school.  I was chairperson for this event and am really excited with how well received the Book Fair has been. Staff, students and parents have been very complimentary through the entire process. Reading is my FAVORITE thing to do, so of course it makes me so happy to see the multitude of books going home with Allen students.

“We read to know we are not alone.”

- C.S. Lewis

Fall Already?!?

                                            Our Family at the lake.

                                     Ben running the bases at the Tiger Game.

                            Ben and Mom and the 1st Pack Meeting of the year, go Weblos!

                       Zach watching practice at the Tiger Game w/dad.

 I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! Things have been super busy here as always :-)  Both boys are in the swing of school and we've already had a few "melt-downs" over homework and grades.  Since this is the first year Zach is getting letter grades on assignments he has been adjusting to not always getting 100 percent on things and what a score of 85 means versus a 92, etc... 
  Zach's soccer season is 1/2 over and so far he has been having so much fun.  We have an awesome coach this year and all the kids on Team Storm are really great.  At the games though I don't find it easy to cheer for Storm, I end up just yelling kids names or saying let's go Yellow (the color of their shirts!) Ben has his first swim meet of the season tomorrow and he is competing in two events, backstroke and freestyle. I'm so proud of Ben for sticking with swimming. It's so great to see how much he has improved and how much faster and more accurate he is with the various strokes.  
  Last weekend we were Halloween Camping (Brrr, it was cold in our tent!) and next weekend we'll be going to Halloween at Greenfield Village for the first time. Usually this time of year we try to do lots of outside fall activities so maybe it won't be so long 'till my next post!

Sleep Routines

On my last post a few weeks ago I said it was time to get back into better sleep routines...well, we still haven't achieved that yet!  :-/  Ken and I really do have the best intentions, but when it comes down to it, we like to stay up late (and so do the kids). This week I REALLY must start a better sleep cycle or there will be hell to pay the first week of school.

August Already!

It's been a little while since I posted, and now as I look at the date I can't believe we're almost into the second week of August!  Summer vacation is ending quickly and I feel like there was so much more I wanted to do this summer. Ben and Zach just finished Cub Scout Camp today, it was cut short a bit by a rainstorm.  This year both boys' dens (scout age groups) tried a different camp location and it worked out pretty well.  Both boys participated in lots of activities such as: Archery, BB Guns, Nature Crafts, Skits, Panning for Gold, Sports, and First Aid readiness.  Ben and Zach originally said they didn't want to go to Scout Camp this year, but Ken talked them into it and they were glad! 

Ben really did well at Archery and BB Guns this 

                                                                              year, guess he doesn't need glasses yet :-) 

Zach had a great time playing Baseball today.

With the start of school looming on the horizon, it's probably time to start getting back into better bedtime routines and sleep schedules.  We are pretty prepared supply-wise for 3rd and 4th grade due to my minor obsession with office supplies (wink, wink).  I'm thinking we'll do some more trips to Splash Park, Greenfield Village, Geocaching, a trip to the movies, and some sleep-overs in the last weeks of summer. Gotta go fit some more fun into summer before it ends!!

Summer Fun!

We have been keeping busy this summer!  The boys and I have slept in late a bunch (yeah!) along with: playdates with friends, trips to Greenfield Village, tennis lessons, movies, fireworks, family picnics, Farmer's Market, and most recently a camping trip to Indiana where both boys were able to participate in the Pokemon National Video Game Tournament! 

This trip was just the boys and I since Ken couldn't really take any extra days off coming back from the 4th of July long weekend.  He was bothered by this, but I was excited to have an adventure with the boys on my own.  I was a little nervous about setting up camp by myself (the only adult present).  We ended up taking our smaller tent since you need two adults to set up our large one.  I found a KOA about 20 mins. outside Indianapolis where the tournament was being held and we were off. We were able to visit the Children's Museum of Indianapolis after we set up camp, and it was spectacular.  I am a museum person for sure, I love going to any museums in any town I happen to visit, and this really ranked at the top of my list!  The variety of exhibits and in depth information really excited the educator in me! The dinosuar exhibit alone is worth a visit. 

Day two of our trip was spent at the convention center in downtown Indy.  10 hours of all Pokemon!! Both boys made it into the first round of video game competition with Pokemon Black and White.  Unfortunately it was a single elimination event, so after Ben and Zach lost their battles they were out of the tournament.  I could tell both kids were upset after they lost, but they composed themselves like champs and I was able to get some great pictures. Eventhough the tournament play was over for them there were still many activities to take part in.  There was video game and card trading along with side battles for anyone who wished to participate.  What was so gratifying to me was the instant acceptance of my kids by others and vice versa.  Both boys played all day long with kids they had just met, and it was like they had been friends forever!  Everyone involved with the tournament was so wonderful, it was overall an awesome experience.  We will be back next year for sure!

Day three of the trip found us staying at the campground, lots of swimming and roasting marshmallows, and of course a bonfire (that I barely got started with my wet wood).  Sunday, we packed up and headed home.  While we had a great time on our adventure, we missed Ken, our dog Rocket, and our house (free of bugs and rain).

I am looking forward to more fun times this summer and am happy we have so many more days before school starts (eventhough I've already started to see sales in the paper :-/).

Last Day of School!

Today was the last day of school, and I am relieved!! This year my kids have grown so much, physically, emotionally, and academically.

Below are pics from the first day of school Sept. 2010 and the last day June 2011:


First Day

 Last Day

Probably part of my relief stemmed from the fact I worked the last two weeks of the school year.  As a Sub-Teacher I usually don't work everyday, and have the luxury of setting my own schedule.  Having slacked off a bit on accepting jobs the last couple of months I felt I should take this opportunity to work before summer break. It was however very hard for me to have to miss some great end of the year events like: Fun Day, 2nd Grade Olympics, and The Last Day of School.  Now, I know many working parents aren't able to make all these extra events during the day at school, but for me this was the first time I couldn't be there and it was difficult!

We are ready for trips to the zoo, Greenfield Village, strawberry picking, Splash Park, playdates and camping!! TGIS (Thank Goodness It's Summer!)

Camping

Our new tent that will be returned this week since two parts broke the first time putting it together!

My boys waiting for dinner to cook on our 1st night.

Our family went camping this last weekend.  Overall it was a success, but we did learn some important lessons about tent camping.  I wanted to write down some of the funny things that happened before I forgot them, so here it goes: 1) Before setting up the tent, it may be prudent to rake/sweep the said area so large sticks don't make walking in the tent uncomfortable. 2) Decide where you want your tent to go before putting it together.  Usually you won't break pieces if you don't have to move the tent after it's assembled. 3) Don't forget your pump for the air mattresses...it's less embarassing than asking to borrow someone else's. 

Now after reading the above tips you may question whether or not we've been camping before...we have (many times)!  I think we were so excited to go on the first trip of the year and stay at the campground for three nights, that we just weren't thinking clearly! 

The first night we were pretty much alone in the campground, which was GREAT!  The kids weren't as happy because they really didn't have anyone else to play with. This was the first time we took our dog Rocket camping, and I was really nervous about how he would react.  He ended up doing extremely well and the fact that the campground wasn't packed with families (and other dogs) worked in our favor.  The only time he barked, was if another dog walked by our campsite.  The campground has an awesome dog walk park which he enjoyed going to a couple times a day.

Some Scout friends came up to camp for the remainder of the weekend on Friday and we all had a blast.  The campground had a variety of planned activities for the kids like a scavenger hunt, amazing race, marshmallow roasting, and dodgeball.  The kids loved being able to ride bikes all around the campground (as long as they had a buddy) and the sense of freedom that came from this.  We went swimming in the lake several times and on Sunday morning the boys went fishing and caught a few bites. What a trip, can't wait for the next one!

Spring Break

I am sooooo happy Spring Break is here!  This last week was crazy, and I am glad to finally be able to rest, well almost rest.  I have one more class meeting Monday, a project to submit and then start studying for my final exam...but no swim team practice to go to, no soccer games, no committee meetings or cub scout stuff...so, you get the idea, just fun stuff this week :-) I could use some of that!

BUSY!!

    This past week has been so busy, but when I sit down and think about what made it feel that way I can't seem to articulate individual items.  I actually am pulling my calendar off the wall (*gasp*, yes I really still have a paper calendar hanging in the kitchen).  I also have a day planner that I keep in my purse and a calendar on my iPad...the problems come when all three don't say the same things LOL!  So, It looks like we had multiple days of soccer practice & swim team practice, class for me, cub scout meetings for the boys & adults, meetings at school, playdates and then of course all the things I don't write on my calendar like: dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the house...Whew, looking at it all in print I can say I WAS busy! 

    I think the next week is going to feel long, it's the kids last week of school before Spring Break.  All week long the kids will be counting down 'till vacation and getting increasingly fidgetly in class.  I am also winding down the winter semester with my class, I have three more class meetings before my final!! I am excited that class is ending, but anxious about finishing my last project and studying for the final.

Great Trimester!

  The boys' elementary school just ended the second trimester so that means REPORT CARDS and CONFERENCES!! This is an anxious time for parents, whether your student is having trouble with some aspect of school life or not.  Fortunately, we are the people with students not having trouble.  Third grade is the first year our school district assigns letter grades.  Zach, being in the second grade, receives numbers 1-4 with 4 being the highest possible rating. 
  Ken and I are very proud of the boys' report cards with Zach receiving all 3's and 4's (meets or exceeds grade level standards) and Ben receiving all A's!! I always struggle at conference time with not wanting to be that parent thinking my child "walks on water", but being able to effectively communicate to the teacher my child's academic and social needs.  As a future teacher (eventually), I try to think about how I would want the conference to go if I was in their shoes.  I think that has helped in the last few years since my children have started school, it also helps that both boys have had some fantastic teachers along the way!  
  It's really amazing to think about how much of what happens at home translates to school performance.  In my kids' case, it appears we are doing the "right" things at home, but many times I still doubt myself and worry if I'm "messing up" the boys forever.  I guess I'm safe to continue our no electronic days, our reading times, our game nights, our Discovery Channel T.V. habit, and our Cash Cab in the car...along with Wii time, Suite Life on Deck nights, and Slurpees before dinner...everything in moderation!

Pinewood Derby Weekend

Well, our annual Pinewood Derby for the boy's Cub Scout Pack has come and gone! 

 For those of you that don't know, Pinewood Derby is when each boy gets a block of pine wood to carve a vehicle out of.  These cars cannot be powered by motors and have to follow specific weight, height, and length specs.  Each boy competes agains the other boys in their den (grade level). Medals are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers.  Then, the top three cars in each den compete against each other for the top three spots in the Pack.  Ben and Zach both finished 1st place in their dens!! So both of them raced in the Pack final and Zach won first place there!  What a great finish for all their hard work. The boys both used Ken's bandsaw to cut out the initial shape of their cars, then there were many nights of sanding.  Next came the painting, then the wheels and axles had to be prepared, along with adding graphite powder for speed.

We had a great turn out at the Derby this year and Uncle Ed, Uncle Bryan, Aunt Sarah, and Lucas came to cheer our boys on.  Since both Ben and Zach placed 1st in their Dens they qualify for the District Pinewood Derby in April, so I guess all the sandpaper and graphite powder can't be put away yet!!

Birthday Sleepover

Whew!  What a night...Ben had 4 of his buddies over last night (minus one who got sick after school) for a belated birthday sleepover.  All I can say is I'm glad Zach's birthday is not until June LOL!  Really it was a fun time, but I learned some things about myself last night: 

1. We really do have a quiet house, even with a 7 and 9 year old living here. 
2. I am not as patient as I thought.
3. If I hear the word "crap" today I will scream!
4. Sleepovers make you appreciate your own kids more.

Now in regards to number 4 on my list, I am being totally honest when I say all the boys here last nice were very well behaved.  They had good manners and listened.  Everyone has their own quirks, even kids, and that is highlighted when you have them over your house for the night :-) Ken and I were tired this morning, but the house is in pretty good shape (those well mannered boys know how to clean up after themselves too) and I have the rest of this rainy day to relax around the house, maybe I'll even scrapbook! 



Our Family at the Winter Blast Downtown Detroit



My First Blog Post

Well, I decided to start a Blog.  I'm not really sure how often I'll be updating or if anyone will even follow this...Most likely my posts will center around my family's day to day activities, which may or may not be exciting to others :-)