Christmas Spirit

I like, many other teen/tweener moms, waffle between loving my tween son and at other times wondering why the heck I ever bore this child. Well here is why.
Big Fry, who at the age of 5 or so wanted to make a talking cane for a blind man at the grocery store
Who at a little older age, cried and asked me to bring home the homeless man he saw while riding home on the bus
At the present age charms everyone BUT us...and I wonder if he will ever get back a charitable bone again...
Is participating in a counselor-in -training program at the local Yand had the opportunity to spend the afternoon making huge gift baskets for adopted families and delivered them last weekend. Upon being picked up, I carefully asked "How was it?"-this is usually the question that is met with a "Fine".
I was met with, "Great, it was a really cool thing, this one lady almost cried when we dropped off the stuff. I made me feel really good."
There it is, the kind heart I love ,showing just a little bit.It was hidden again a few hours later, but for now its enough to know its there.

The apple and the tree

It is good to know the apple does not fall far from the tree, or at this time of year should I say pine cone. I have to admit I have done a little lamenting this Christmas time. As I planned and wrapped and planned again and tried to relish in the spirit, I noticed my elder son had little. The usual Christmas events that the boys loved when they were younger have gone a little to the way side, especially the older child. So who would have thought that my younger son, who has very little of my dna, would come shining through.

Small fry was bound and determined that we needed to have a Santa Tree, downstairs and it had to be cut, from the woods. I hate to admit when this last Sunday rolled around, and I felt frenzied, I came close to offering a round of video games if we could save time and run to the Boys Club to buy one. One look at his face when I started to open my mouth and he says, "can I pick it out all by myself", caused me to shut up very quickly.

We drove, and drove, and drove some more. I promised everyone in the truck I JUST knew this place had the right trees, not the pine, but the spruce. He was adamant about the spruce. And, just as we got discouraged there it was, the perfect little valley. That still had snow (I am like Carey-I really love a white Christmas), and oodles of spruce, and we walked from tree to tree to find just the right one he liked.

He cut it, dragged it, and tagged it. We decorated it together. I don't have after pictures just yet, it goes against my artistic nature, but it is the perfect small fry tree. But good to know I am not the only Tree Nazi in the house.

Funny thing, Big Fry asked if he could get a tag...

Alone Time

Here it is, honest and selfish me. Alone time, I am having some RIGHT NOW. When I say I never get alone time I am really not exaggerating (even though I am good at that). I have been alone since 6:00 AM this morning and will be for the next two nights. There is no homework to follow up on, music practice, dog to walk or remind others to walk and feed. No feeling bad about being late at work or on the computer for work. Or guilt about not being AT work.
Dont' get me wrong, I LOVE my family, I LOVE my job. But sometimes this busy, crazy life I have made for myself deserves just a little break.

I drove in the car with Christmas music no one wants to hear when they ride with me. I saw a beautiful sunrise, which I am sure was just for me. Texted a friend some morning love. Texted lots of people when I shouldn't have been. Til the deer raced across the front of my 80 mph car. But you know what no one knew but ME!

So yes I will be selfish these next two nights, feel a little alone and guilty by tomorrow night, be racing home on Friday for, Christmas music program, Christmas tree decorating, instrument practice for recitals, indoor soccer, boot camp, evaluations to type, work that will need to be caught up on (without going TO work, I vowed not to step one foot into work on any weekend in December), travel cancellations and phone calls, and clothes shopping. For. Boys.

See with all this crazy life I happened to look at my children as they went to school in ripped pants, too short pants, too short sleeves and big fry wearing the same 4 long sleeve shirts week after week and realized my kids look like ragamuffins. I knew it was bad when I casually mentioned, "Looks like you need some new clothes and they both, said "WE KNOW, you need to take us."

I can't wait, because you know the next best thing to being alone is shopping! Ok well in my selfish little world right now that is!

December-Already?

Where the heck did November go? Oh I remember now, it was the month I didn't put a single fall decoration, or Halloween one for that matter. It was the month that was consumed with so many naughty children each day (at school), that I couldn't even think straight. It was the month I might have told my OWN blood children. DO NOT act up tonight, I have had ENOUGH naughty children for today. After three years of this line, they have come to take it seriously. So yes November was a huge blur, except for Thanksgiving, which was absolutely perfect.

So this December needs to be better...has to be about SOMETHING else, anything else. I am waiting for the Christmas spirit to nab me. Grab me by the shirt and say "Guess what, this a FUN month. This is your FAVORITE time of the year. Start acting like it"

OK, lets get started.

Hunting with boys...

...at 5:00 in the morning

Snacks: cheeze its, cold pop tarts, pioneer woman iced coffee, blue rasberry slushy

Gear: camera, guns, cartridges, orange (see later quote), calvin and hobbes books

Dialogue:

There's one! Get your orange on! (Hubby)

Dang, there it goes, we should have just dropped the backpack, went prone, and shot it (Hubby)

My stomach hurts, I think I am getting car sick (Small Fry)

Holy crap did you see those two bull elks, I almost peed my pants! (Small Fry)

Look, somebody got something, there's the entrails (Big Fry)

You could have drove the truck up to us you know. (hubby, pointedly to me)

And the winning conversation of the day:

Me: Look how the litte ice crystals blink on the grasses (it was really cool)

Big Fry: Yeah and think of how the blood is going to look on when I shoot my deer.

Living with an over thinker

I am not posting this to create a debate (Karen and I pondered last night that pondering is good when one knows that the thought isn't right or wrong).

Small Fry is an over thinker (not sure where that comes from genetically), so at the dinner table he says, "So I am wondering about the truth about Santa". Silence from the other 3 family members at the table. Big Fry says nothing as he was threatened with death years ago to not spill the beans.

I of course answer a questions with a question, "Well, what do you thing?". This perplexes my small black and white thinker. "Mom, I am wondering if he is real or do you do it?" I respond with "Do you really want to know?'. Silence. As he gets into bed he brings it up again, how he just can't stop thinking about it. "Mom, what do you think?"
I look him straight in the eye...and for one of the few times...lie. I say, "I believe". He swallows hard, faces the wall and goes to bed.
A few minutes later I hear loud sobbing and go to check it out. He is beside himself. "Ijust don't KNOWWWWWW?", "I love Christmas, and I just don't know what I want to believe...., you copied that from the polar express"
I reasssure him I did not copy, I tell him I had that same question and my mom told me the same thing, "Well, it is all about what you believe"

He sobs more, reads some Diary of Wimpy Kid and when I go back to tuck him in he says "Thanks for calming me down mom"

As I walked away I felt a little ashamed and a little selfish. My mom's heart says he just wasn't READY for the truth-really, he knew it and I knew it-the truth that is. At the same time, there are some things you need to just BELIEVE in, have FAITH in, whatever they are for whomever you are.

You all may deep down disagree with me and my actions on many levels but that's ok, blogging is as much for ourselves as it is for those who read it. It reminded me immediately though of a texting conversation with a good friend last night, and a wonderful future wine date (even if it is just a wish right now) to ponder about beliefs without judgement or persuasion, just to love each other love what makes us all tick.

Another challenge

Ok, so not only has a friend asked me to ride across Iowa with her in July (60+miles per day), but another friend, whom I work with and attend boot camp together has "invited" hubby and I to create a team to do this crazy thing called Tough Mudder race.

I am not sure about this one...

http://toughmudder.com/events/twincities/

Still here

I am still here, was away from the computer for a little while.

Here are some happenings...
Went to Vegas for a conference-that's right Vegas. I have seen enough of Vegas to last me another 15 years-the last time I was there. Apparently when you you are from the midwest people will ask you if your are from Canada, multiple times. We finally said "yes", which was easier than explaining or looking at the glazed eyes of people who had no idea where South Dakota was.

Power shopping-I did love the power shopping, especially when you have a power shopping partner-one can do ALOT of damage in just 3 hours.

Work-I was sooooo glad to get away from work, I am hoping when I go back tomorrow it is with a fresh start, the last weeks have had me rethinking my career choice.

On a happy note, hubby and I celebrated 17 years of wedded bliss last night. Well I wouldn't use the word bliss-that is for fairy tales. But I really can't complain. What hubby waits on their wife when her friends come over for girls nights? Makes sushi and his famous popcorn for them. Not many I can bet. There are countless reasons, too many to list here. I do think in this day and age of quitting when the going gets tough, instant happiness being over rated, and huge divorce rates, we are not a statistic.

Life is good

A Perfect 10

DO NOT let the title fool you, a 10 today was not a good thing.
By 1:00 I had seen 7 of my most frequent fliers (code for consistently naughty children that I am good friends with)
By 2:00 I was up to 9.
At 2:30 I hit a perfect 10 when my son's middle school assistant principal called me to tell me he had to serve detention for flicking plastic back and forth with a friend during a guest speaker.

All I could think of as I hung up the phone was "Thank goodness he didn't throw a chair and scream at her, like #2 did at me"
There is always a bright side, right?

The Good, The Bad, and" The Gross

The Good
Big Fry was able to get his tooth pulled-a few days earlier then expected, he was miserable!
I was able to enjoy a day at home with Big Fry and make homemade cookies, a rare treat for a weekday
Halloween was a lovely night, perfect for trick or treating
Session two of dog obedience-we made it through without being asked to leave OR being too embarassed to come back (as some other unfortunate souls have done)

The Bad
Having to tell people they are not good at what they do
Hubby's grandma finally consenting to move to a nursing home, but it isn't even in her home town
Small Fry's parent teacher conference, the first not-so-good-one EVER. That is a whole other story
My work schedule, naughty kids, my lack of good wife and parenting skills

The Gross
"Mom, the cat puked in your room" (Big Fry)
"Well get some paper towels and clean it up" (Me)
"NO WAY, I am not doing that" (Big Fry)
A half hour later...when I go to the room and find no puke
"Gee thanks for cleaning the carpet, it looks good" (Me)
"Ummm I didn't" (Big Fry)
"Well where was it?" (Me)
"Right here...uh oh" (Big Fry)
Both of us "Ewwww, LUNA!

Masher!

Here is the story of spinner or masher-it is short. Bobbi was the closest. I was explaining to hubby that my biking partner made reference to that once I get used to my bike I will change gears more efficiently (I must not have been), and that "you use a really high gear". Hubby said well you must be a "masher". A what? He explains there are two types of riders spinners and mashers, those who spin fast and do LOTS of rotations are spinners. Then there are those who like to do less rotations but still go fast with harder pedaling.
Yep that was it, I am officially a masher.
By the way 20 miles Friday night, and a great reason to order some WARM clothes from Athleta.

Really?

Did you ever see a toddler in high chair take their cup, or bowl,or toy and drop it? Just for the fun of it? Then cry because they need someone to get it?
Did you know dogs do the same darn thing?

It is called a kong, and it is rubbery, bouncy, curvy hours of fun. Especially when one Luna May drops it (on purpose I know) on the wood floor, RIGHT next to furniture, and then it rolls under said furniture.

This game is delightful to a dog. Can't see it, can't reach, but it IS there. Scratching begins
In trying to save the wood floor one human person (you know who) comes running, gets on hands and knees, considerabley big hiney in the air and reaches, and stretches to find the lovely kong under the furniture. All the while one lovely dog watches with perky ears and waits...

To do it ALL OVER AGAIN

Our kong, is of course, a cool tie-dye aquamarine teal

masher or spinner?

Which one do you think?

litter mates

I am a believe in dogs and the "pack" mentality and how dogs apply that to their two legged family. Luna May has it figured out. The female two legged creaturs is her "person". NOT to be messed with, but yet takes care of everything. The bigger two legged boy is next and then the big two legged guy-who is a little standoffish so she messes with him just to get his attention. The small, loud, quick two legged creature (known as smal fry) is another story. This is a true equal. This is the one she runs from, nips at when playing and looks at like "Really, YOU are going to give ME a direction". But she loves him and here is how I know and I just noticed it this morning. Small Fry ALWAYS comes to the breakfast bar in each morning with his fuzzy blanket. He wears it around his shoulders and it drags across the floor. Each morning after I take Luna out she hangs out and paces waiting for the frys to wake up. I see Small Fry come out blanket in tow. All of sudden I see Luna with her blanket from her crate in tow dragging across the floor and sets it in front of the breakfast bar or sometimes tosses it around (secretly waiting for two legged child to pull and drag on it-which is forbidden-and both small fry and the dog both know it).

Yes, there is something about that pack hierarchy-they are true litter mates.

The joys of fishing

Luna became a little bored of posing for me, this was our resting time when we weren't scrounging for dead fish

The first one all by himself. We were explicitly told we were NOT leaving until he caught one all by himself

The hill that had to be climbed to get to the car. Which Luna and I did: once to get the tackle box, once to get the camera, and once to bring down the cooler.

Here is the cooler which was also a gazillion steps away, because it is way fun to carry stinky, catfish all that way!

We ventured to Pierre to fish. Just so you know we are the worst fisher people ever. So we were taking a big risk, but everyone kept telling us it is the best fishing in YEARS. So we pack the kids, gear (new gear that hubby just had to have), and one dog.

We started the trip with one carsick dog, because someone named me, forgot and fed her before we left. And thus the motions sickness pill kept getting, um not where it was supposed to be.

We arrived in Pierre ready to fish, with no beginner's luck. We watch with just a litte jealousy as some guy throws in a BARE hook and pulls out a whopper walleye on the first cast. You could tell Hubby was about throw the guy over the dam.

We get to our hotel and are sweetly asked, "Do you know about our water situation? We have none that is hot"

We stay til late in the evening with one small walleye to show for our fun. We head to a very nice Italian restuarant-yes in Pierre, to find the snot-nosed high schoolers who work there had shut the kitchen down five minutes early.

We get up very early the next day knowing our fortunes will change. Well they did, we became the best catfish fisher people in the world. Now if you are from Swamp People or watch Swamp People you know there is no shame in catfish. So I manned up and consented to let the boys (all 3 of them) start keeping them vowing "We will eat them!"

So Luna and I meandered around the area, fetched things from the car, and practiced our "drop it", "leave it" skils with the gazillion dead fish carcasses from the flood.

A good time was had by all, so much that hubby thinks we are should go again this weekend

Please, please let us be walleye fishers this time!

Just a few more...

Ephiphanies...
Blogging is a great way to avoid a hubby who is annyong you
45 surveys filled out about YOU and your ability to lead others AND completed annonymously by people you work with is both uplifting and a little sad. It is that one outlier that will be the one that sits on your mind EVERYTIME. Not all the wonderful feedback.
My shell needs to be a little thicker, but I am a good "fake it til you make it"
Pineapple Upside down cake is delightful
A small bag of doritos when you are down in the dumps is even more delightful.
The "pie" chart on Livestrong calorie counter that showed a the wedge of the days calories that amounted in 50% fat is not delightful. I think it really is an oxymoron having a PIE chart show daily calorie intake.

Ok, I am so enlightened I can hardly stand it!

Wow, more epiphanies

First, I hope I spelled that right. I get a little paranoid when my blogger/auther/grammar queen Karen reads my stuff.

We have this blogger friend named Karen who is infamous for meeting new people and LOVING people. I am not so much. So imagine my surprise (well not really, I always knew this) when Big Fry comes home and tells Luna met a new friend, Bill. Bill from down the street, he's lived there about a year. You know mom, Bill, down the street, he is nice I stop and chat while I walk Luna sometimes. It is one thing to be a 39+ woman (he he) and be social with new people, another to be 12 and talk to total strangers. So the epiphany is maybe we need to teach Stranger Danger AGAIN.

Epiphany 2-I have my own Marlboro Man, who is actually, secretly a Pioneer Woman. Hubby baked a from-scratch, in-the-skillet pineapple upside down cake. Eat your heart out Pioneer Woman.

Epiphany 3-Which was not realized BEFORE the pinapple upside down cake, otherwise I would have never have ate any. It is way easy to eat LOTS of calories in a day and not even realize it. I am not one to count calories but a good friend of mine suggested it after sharing my frustration with exercise and NO weight loss. So I found livestrong.com, which has t.he easiest calorie counter ever. Who else actually has mini reeses pbc on their calorie counter? Anyway, I just gotta say, a humbling experience. I think it will be my new addiction. The calorie count and maybe less of the mini pbc's.

Epiphany 4-Work is hard, I forgot how hard over the summer. It is like temporary amnesia that I always get. But then I remember how much I LOVE it, each year is a new challenge and fun.

Well there it is, hope you have some new light bulb moments of your own

New discoveries

When hubby talks to Luna May while playing, he sounds like Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live-Really I kid you not.

Just when I thought I saw it all at school, and could wait out ANY kid with my superior patience and ignore anything, I find out I can not.

A sick 12 year old needs his mom just like he did when he was two.

Dishwashers are NOT all built the same, trust me on this.

Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes really are the BEST ever, in small doses or else your butt will look like mashed potatoes.

If you work in the field of education you can still be a dead beat mom. Classic example: call the middle school office, ask for homework for your sick 12 year old and then get so caught up dealing with someone else's kid that when you show up to the get the homework at said middle school, everyone is long gone and the building is locked.

This and That

School and work are off and running, and one of my goals has been to not get on the computer while children are still awake, which means my contact with my blogger friends has been lacking, I apologize. My lack of posts does not mean we are lacking for good stories though. The adventure of life is always there.
I love my Luna May. I love to come home and pet her ears and have her wag her tail and grunt a little because she is so HAPPY. I love that she is SMART. 3 days of training with the wireless fence and she gets that going past the track in the long grass is NOT good. Ahhh, more outside time makes a happy dog.
The boys are not quite giving up the last benefits of summer or warm weather. I was informed last night to wake Big Fry up promptly at 6 for frog hunting BEFORE school. Anything with the word frog and hunting BEFORE school is not going to be good. I reminded him of breakfast which was met with "I can grab a pear and eat when I get back". When they returned with school clothes muddy and a muddy dog and where promptly ordered to clean the dog, I was met with, " I need to eat or I will starve!" in a true tweener wail. AND it was not his job to clean the dog as he was ONLY helping Small Fry.
I also enjoyed watching hubby try to repair a remote control helicopter. I strongly advised Small Fry from ordering it. NOTHING good ever comes from a remote control anything. And of course the first time it took off on a full battery and crashed into a wall a wing was smashed. We order wings which come in the mail when adults are not home. This leads to big fry "helping" again and trying to take off said wing with a knife (because any screwdivers we once had are long lost). Which in turns leads to stripped screws with hubby trying to figure out how to get wing A1 off. We then find one of the wings we ordered is lost in the frenzy of brothers doing their own repair work. Like I said remote control anything is not good.
I am sure there are other this and thats, like how right now my really smart dog, is smart enough to drop her kong toy by the couch, knock it under the couch with causes her to scratch endlessly at floor and couch to get it. Then whines at me, like it is my fault. Yep just another day in the journey.

sigh, just not our weekend

In the yellow, coming out strong, Small Fry was leading the pack
Big Fry with th corn-fed-east-river-super-fast-riders

PEDAL!!

We made the annual trek to Aberdeen. This year was different than others, we had raced and practiced more. Big Fry turned intermediate, he had wins, confidence, and a desire to do good, more than he has ever had in previous years. Small Fry was fired up, ready to at least place with the huge group of 18 other 9 year olds he has to compete with.

Friday and Saturday were not bad, they both made the main races, pulling through when it really mattered. Sunday came-big trophy day and the time to earn points for a number plate for the whole state. Turned out to be not their day. Small Fry made his main and let his mind get the beter of him when he had an outside gate. Last. Big Fry didn't even make his main.

I persuaded everyone to stay for the award ceremony, which we have never done before. I was hoping beyond hope that the calculatios would turn out that one or both would get a number plate award. I knew they were VERY close. Small Fry sat on the metal fence hanging on the announcer's words as they got to the 9-year old group. His name wasn't called, I could see him blinking quickly and swallowing, trying not to cry. We got to the 12 year old group and I knew as soon as the other kid Big Fry races name was called that he had been bumped out, they had been tied. If Big Fry had made the main race he would have had it.

We headed out to the parking lot, with Big Fry condeming me with "I told you we should have just left, I knew I wasn't going to make it." We get in the car, and the sounds of a 12 year old holding back tears fills the car.

I.felt.awful. I cry and Big Fry tells me it is not my fault, he says, "I just wasn't fast enough today mom". When I apologize to Small Fry for making them stay he says, "It's ok, I am going to get them next year."

I know the disappointment will wear off for them, we have work to do!

Shopping with a tweener

I had offered big fry a pre-school shopping trip a week ago. On the weekend BEFORE school so we wouldn't be rushed and tired. I pointed out the ragged too small shoes. I pointed out the worn, holy, too short jeans. I was given a flat out, "No, I'm good".

Well now it is day 2 of school and while ridng his bike and getting it caught in the chain, he rips his jeans beyond repair. And after finding some weird cut in his favorite Fox racing shirt, he turns to me and says, "Can you take me shopping, my toe is about to come out of my shoes and I I just ripped my jeans."

Luckily I am a SHOPPER, so any excuse to go works, tired or not. We try on jeans, his favorite pair is a goth-like skinny type-black. I convince him to try on others. He is adamant. I may be a little on the edge but I just couldn't let him walk out of the store with those, I just couldn't. So we get some other pairs and move on to shoes. We, I mean he, was looking for a specific kind, they were no where to be found. While looking for shoes though we find a Fox Monste jacket-a very expensive kind. The type of jacket that looks very similar to the one that was misplaced after one month ownership last spring.

He tries it on, he slowly puts it back and says "It's ok mom, I don't need it, its a lot of money, BUT I promise not to wear it to school".

I am immediately sent back in time to a scrawny, poofy-hair girl with glasses who lovingly would look at the OP (Ocean Pacific) shirts in the store. See THAT was the shirt everyone had or was supposed to have. It didn't matter that no one wore OP on the coasts anymore, it mattered that at Dakota Middle School all the cool kids had OP shirts. I remember getting one for Christmas, a white, long sleeve one and I LOVED it. I don't know if anyone wore them anymore-you know how fads are, but I loved t anyway.

So I caved and bought the expensive Monster/Fox hoody-zippered so one can "unzip it like the eighth graders do mom, and still have it on and look cool". It was that or the skinny boy black jeans. Yep, an easy choice.

Off and Running

Well here it is year 3-year 3, of the "new" job. I guess I can't really be a "newbie" anymore. Big changes with how our building runs, the general feel is excitement but with murkiness. The staff I work with don't like murky. We took a peronsality quiz a few years back and over 80% came back "gold". Perfectionstic, high expectations, like clarity, people pleasers. They are all like ME. You put us all together and it makes taking a journey of change a little challenging, we all want things to go WELL.

Which leads me to my distress, because my typical "gold" colored small fry is leading me to fits! I am not sure what is going on but the trend of NOT following directions, FORGETFULLNESS, running around in endless circles, tormenting the dog, and lamenting at how STRICT his new teacher is, is driving me crazy. Because this is NOT the norm, and my lovely people pleaser child is NOT pleasing me. I already know my answer, every child has phases, needs to stretch and grow, I was hoping for shorter phases and LESS stretching. sigh

What a 12 and 9 year old do with a camera...

When unattended...

Not bad for a big fry

He may just have a little artistic genetic material in him.

Or not... she looks quite insulted.

Definitely not artistic viewpoint, strictly middle school humor all the way.

Back to insulting.

I am guessing she was done looking.

Here is what I AM needed for

This has become my new role. Monitoring what little tidbits of non edible items a 5 month old teething dog put in her mouth, CONSTANTLY. It is worse than a two year old who keeps trying to get up the stairs, or go where they shouldn't.
It is quite a chore. There are two ways to go about it. Notice her missing, hunt her down and find her with the off limits object or she comes running from somwhere with her mouth tightly closed trying to pretend she is invisible. Either way I approach her carefully and slowly. Sometimes I pretend I AM invisible and like I am not going her way. Of course the command of drop it works, sometimes, with much better results with a treat in my hand.
This is as thankless chore, but entertaining, and I am always needed!

Boys are boys

My last official day of summer vacation with the boys-just the 3 of us was Friday. SIGH. I don't know if it was one of our best summers. I felt it was a little cut short with weather and other stuff that came up, but focus on how we have MORE time than most families do so can't complain. I also had weird pangs of being a spectator. With the frys being 9 nd 12 I am not necessarily needed for every outing, and don't always feel like I am as engaged as I could be. You wait to be the mom at the pool who gets to sit and READ and then when you do that for awhile you look around and miss being the mom that HAS to be in the water. It is a transition for sure.

I have to say our last day was just as it should be. They chose Horse Thief Lake of course, they turtle and crawdad hunted to their content. Mucked around in the lake til they were muddy and exhausted. As the day ended and we hiked back to the car I came upon wild rasberries, a rare find. They were in awe, we picked small wild rasberries. I sat there listening to the "mmmmm" and chewing, and the "oh look at this one". I wish I had not neglected to bring my camera! As I stood there with the sun glinting off their hair-big fry's that gets darker every summer and tan backs-despite all the sunscreen I use, and listened to their carefree conversation and laughter I relished in being the mom of boys. Real outdoor boys. Boys who when given the choice will pick OUTSIDE over a movie anytime. Boys who can name the plants, find trails, catch animals with their hands, not squirm at eating raspberries off a bush.

Happy summer boys, I hope it was as good for you as it was for me, and in the years to come I hope you still include me.

I have been challenged

I have been challenged...by a coworker

http://ragbrai.com

I don't think I have ever been to Iowa

dogs vs cats

I was out of commission for a few days with a nasty bug, leaving my family to fend for itself. As I laid there listening to my household members carry on without me (which they can) I was able to observe and reflect on cats and dogs. See some people are cat people, some people are dog people. I have both. I love both but they are two very separate creatures.
I learned that my cat is LAZY. She did not move from the bed I laid upon once. I have no idea if she ate or not. From her perch ON the bed she watched as the big yellow beast (which is what I know she calls the dog) would barge into the room whenever the door was open. Luna was perplexed as to why the person who does EVERYTHING is doing nothing. On the other hand the cat could have cared less. Luna LOVES the bedroom, it off limits which the cat knows. So when the cat gets accidently trapped under the bed and the large yellow beast charges in I hear sudden quiet. I hear shuffling under the bed. I hear what eerily sounds like the alligators on Swamp People, a low terrifying rumble-that is not coming from the dog. Then I hear excited whining. See this is the difference, my cat is solitary-a loner if you will. Dogs by nature are not. Luna is always delighted when the small furred thing ventures out. She hopes it will play, she hopes it will bounce,she hope it will be her partner in crime of all things NOT to put in her mouth. She thinks whining and yelping at it under the bed will somehow magically get it to move. It never does. Luna eventually has to be dragged out before the cat has a nervous breakdown and the cat back on the bed as only she is allowed to do.

Two very different creatures indeed. I would post a picture of the two of them together, but well you know, I don't thing that is going to happen.

Surviving Camping

A camping essay in pictures and captions, in no particular order...

"Swamp People" Black Hills style...

Stalking the elusive baby turtle

A tin pot full of.....crawdads....Big Fry was challenged that if he got at least 15 he could boil them as the campers across the spot from us told him. He was on it...

"It's like this mom, I reach slowly under a rock, wiggle my fingers til I feel something pinch me and I pull it out, and then I grab it."

And here we are mini lobsters.

A nice glass of reisling and "Life is Good" t picked put by small fry. The same t-shirt I promptly splattered grease on and didn't notice until I got home.

The STARCRAFT-the name makes it sound like some exotice spaceship. It isn't. The curtains remind me of the dishes I got for my wedding, country blue and pink.

Comfy chair for hubby, I don't think he moved the whole time.

And there we are.

Wish us Luck

Tomorrow we are going camping. I love camping, hubby does not. He does it for the fam. Needless to say it is a balancing act of keeping everyone happy without me going over the edge. AGAIN it is the hottest weekend of summer so far that we chose to go on, it always turns out that way. We are debating taking the dog or not, not sure how the heat is going to go.
The most exciting part is the FOOD, I am thinking of the list now. I basically survive on cheetos, smores, grapes, hard boiled eggs, and sangria. The boys love the KIDS cereal in the min-boxes.

On a side not Big Fry had an older girl-around 14-don't quote I am not accurate with tweener/teen age estimation, tell him during the races that he had nice eyes. When he told me and pointed her out I told him that was nice and to never talk to a girl in short shorts again til he was 40. Or I may have to direct him to Karen's other blog. He can get some straight talk from her:)

Not a bratwurst

Ok, so I didn't make brats but I did make this, all you need to do is add the bread to your individual salad, otherwise any leftovers were soggy. It was yummmyyyyy.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-panzanella-salad-recipe/index.html

Finishes, falls, and bittersweet wins

Small Fry-A man with a plan

Big Fry and Gate Buddy-warning story below may cause lump in your throat.

We ended our 4 day marathon of racing. It was an overall great weekend, no rain, a little too much heat and sun, but we all survived. Small Fry had all his tough Aberdeen competition make the trek over. He struggled but made it to the main races and on Sunday kicked it into gear, which meant taking a fall in the final race and getting some serious track/road rush and disappointment. When this kid makes a "goal" and visualizes what he is going to do, he can hardly stand it when he doesn't.

Big Fry is finally after 5 years of racing moving up from Novice to Intermediate. This change usually takes most kids one summer-even Small Fry is an intermediate already. The kid is RACING. Handle bar to handle bar, and pedaling hard. It has been wonderful. He racked up his 8th and final win to move on at the Saturday evening race. It didn't come without a lump in the throat.

Before the Saturday races we had a moment of silence for an out of state racer, aged 13, who passed away 3 weeks ago, his brother was there racing. As the day goes on Big Fry introduces me to a kid he met the night before, they become gate buddies. Somehow I come to find out he is the brother of the 13 year old. The first race they come flying and he wrecks, the second race he heads out and falls again. Each time he comes back to his family crying. I can hardly stand it. I remind Alec to be a good sport. We finish the morning race and Big Fry gets his second to last win needed and we head to the other track. We are talking about his new gate buddy and how sad it is etc. Silence fills the truck, I can hear him thinking. He says, "I really want that last win tonight.", I already know what he is going to say, "But I almost want him to have it more." That my friends is sportmanship and true emapathy. I would like to say Big Fry DIDN'T get that last win-He did. I could tell it weighed on him heavily. This morning his friend said, "Thanks for moving up, I can get that other guy today, now that you are gone!"

He did.

Just a quick post

We are vegging out and regrouping ourselves for one more big race today. We are coming off a 5 race extravaganza, more on that later. Here are a few tidbits from the last few days, and strangely they are all connected.

Carey's Little J cannot WAIT for his bday present, when I read what it was I laughed my butt off. I opened my email this morning to find that my lovely 12 year old had AGAIN ordered something off of Amazon-I am hoping accidently-and guess what it was? Yep, a lovely airsoft gone. He has big plans for it. This "accidental" one-click-ordering reminded me of the time he ordered swords. Remember this? See pic above...

And I joked about how I could use them for an Elektra costume? Well we watched Elektra the other night ( A tweener's favorite) and I jokingly told Small Fry that my goal was to someday look like Elektra. You should have seen his face, shock mixed with a little bit of sympathy, and he flat out said, "Well it is good to dream big mom". Yeah, and this leads me to Karen, posting about her pants being to tight...

Every summer I think this is IT, the summer I will look like Elektra because I have time to work out, time to plan and eat healthy meals, to be stress free. And I have FINALLY figured it out. This thought is BOGUS. Summer is a time to enjoy. The ice cream, the margaritas on the deck, the NOT DOING time. Still good cooking but with actual desserts one or twice. Getting together with friends, having extra foofoo coffee because I have TIME. Camping and pool food galore that comes in little baggies and packages. FINGER FOOD. I kind of feel like Templeton from Charlotte's Web and why the heck not. Enjoy without REMORSE-pants are pants! These guilty pleasure thoughts led me to Bobbi's post about brats...

LOVE them, think I will make some tonight, AFTER we spend one more day in the sweltering heat watching cool skull helmets, frilly helmets, colorful jerseys, and parents screaming at children. Falls, finishes, and bittersweet wins, which I will share tomorrow.

Sounds That Intrigue Luna May

Dishwasher door opening-the contents in the dishwasher are intriguing and yummy if she actually gets her tongue on it. (Yes, you can say "eewwww")

Pantry Door opening-this closet holds lovely treats

M&M's hitting the floor-these must be gifts from heaven (I had to race her to get them all before she did)

Freezer door-the box from which lovely cubes of very cold water come from

Door bell-Pavlov's rule of "cause and effect" is a human and canine basic skill. The doorbell rings and a multitude of guests, tall and small, arrive. This creates opportunities for jumping and barking.

What a 9 year old packs for running away

I almost forgot about this story until I scrolled down to my other posts. I remembered I HAD written a post on the day blogger was doing weird things. The best thing about recollecting on this WAY later is I am hoping the the trauma of the day is as quickly forgotten by the children as it was by me, and the won't have me on the Dr. Phil show later in life.

Story in a nutshell-Small Fry locked Big Fry out of the house while I was gone, no biggie, I come home they are both NOW getting along and playing in garage. This is until surprise the garage door know if locked, does not automatically unlock itself. So when small fry came out to make up it locked behind him. Our front door sticks and MY key didn't work (another story about hubby coming home and HIS worked-he was pleased).

No tempers were lost, we actually handled the whole situation well. Small Fry did not, he went immediately to his room and cried and sulked. I went to him later found him under his loft bed favorite blue blanket over his head and his sleepover bag in the middle of the floor. We have a conversation through the blanket and I nonchalantly ask, "What's in the bag?'. Luckily, or coincidently, we had just watched Beezus and Ramona (a must see) and channeled the cool funky aunt. He shoots out under the blanket and grabs the bag. "I was running away", ahhhh I say, and what does a nine year old pack to run away I ask him. He enthusiastically shows me:
1 spider man wallet with all his money
favorite blanket
stuffed cheetah
Calvin and Hobbes Book
Binoculars
And lastly his marine camoflauge shirt-he tells me so he can't be seen

I tell him he is a good packer and that silly locked doors are not run away from, there are way worse things kids can do. He agrees, and we agree to leave it packed just in case. As we all know this won't be the first or last time ONE Of us wants to run away:)

Road Trips vs. Vacations

I came to a glaring realization this weekend, as I pondered riding 6 hours across the state of SD with 4 males, that a road trip and a vacation are two very different things. Now, don't get me wrong, I love road trips, but they differ from vacations in a few key areas.

A vacation is a relaxing, no deadline type, of time period. A road trip, especially a sporting one-is no such thing. There are deadlines, registrations, and instead of people waiting on me, I wait on everyone else.

Vacation food-if you do your research is usually YUMMY. NOw I don't mean healthy-but yummy. I packed health snacks, noone including me, at them. In a car across the praire pringles, jerky, m&m's an grapes are your friend. On a vacation we I hope it is a margarita, which leads me...

Beverage on a road trip consists of tolerable WHITE merlot in a mini bar bottle-I wisely bought my own corkscrew to hide in the car for future emergencies.

Driving, driving, driving...with stinky, stinky, stinky boys. After a vacation, usually everyone smells of sand, or camping, or lake. After hours in full bike gear, helmet, and hot muggy weather, boys smell. BAD.

Vacation photos are treasured, snapped, the camera carried everywhere. I took 3 pictures with my PHONE at the END as my camera lay there at my feet while I yelled my fool head off at people to "pedal", "go faster", "stay in there", and "get the snap". I then spent after time, consoling, reassuring, and telling people to "stop asking for treats and cowboy up".

At the end of it there were some similarities-no one got hurt, we all stayed together and came home together. A little frazzled, dreading the unpacking and cleaning, but prepared to go again, wether it be road trip or vacation.

Road Trip

I say goodbye for a few days-we are heading on a family road trip for BMX. You could almost call us our own traveling team. We head to Abedeen for their state qualifying races. Hubby, myself, Big and Small and one extra child for good measure. I have all the necessary materials packed. Clip shoes, knee pads, colorful jerseys, helmets, pringles, cookies, and lots of gatorade. The boys are excited, they spent three hours tonight at a camp and are ready to roll. Big Fry got his first win in THREE years last night so he is feeling good. I hope the rain holds off there-I guess it always rains.I hope our extra family member doesn't get hurt, the dog is good for her babysitter, and everyone stays on two pedals. I left you with a few back to back posts, mostly pictures. So enjoy and have a good weekend. When I get back remind me to tell you about what small fry packs for running away.

pic link

The link won't work but you can go to
Gallery O Photography under Recently Added

Lord of the Flies in PIcs

Lord of the flies-neighborhood style

I can't help but write about this as I hear the war and words waging outside my house as I sit on the computer. For better and for worse I live in a neighborhood full of boys. 8 in a three house area, and two tom girls. It would be great if ALL these testoterone filled children lived together amicably. They don't. As a school adminstrator I know they won't anything, over 3rd grade and a threesome never works. Well, it will work for awhile but then goes south fast. So we have a neighborhood of "factions". And they are now currently enthralled in a water gun battle. As I am typing I see 3 from the "other side" sneaking through the tall grass of my back hill. I am sure stalking the children from "my side". Soon water will fly, feelings will be hurt, words (I don't want to know) will be flung. I am always torn between going out and monitoring and being like ALL the other moms and hiding in my house-even though most of these battles occur in MY yard.


As Karen posted very prophetically today, I think I will bury my head. I will let my belief that my children will play fair, and take the high road. Then again if I was really listening to her, I am not going to sweat it. War is war after all-now where is my water gun...

Just had to

Friendship

The sun came out

I think she thought she would be the one to tire us out. I could have warned her that fry's, big or small, are exhausting.

The sun came out to play and so did we! Luna experienced her first fishing expedidition. She enjoyed it and is now sleeping heavily. She was a rock star. The fresh air did us all good-and that is all I have to say about that ENJOY the pics. I LOVED taking them.

Fine Print

I performed my annual dishwasher maintenance. This involves taking all the pieces that actually come off, off. My very expensive appliance tends to get build-up of nasty grit and food that makes clean dishes impossible. I don't mind though, it keeps my mind off my mamo "screening". I can't tell you how much "cancer" and "screening" vocabulary together ruins my day. My best friend tells me to get over the "fear" but until they tell me OK, I am always a wreck. Anyway cleaning the appliance was also therapuetic for another reason.
Hubby had this brilliant idea to go over our finances-DAILY-to see where all the money goes. As he is doing this he asks me about some monthly payments that aren't very specific and always the same amount. They have no meaning for me so he investigates. He finds out that in my frenzy of online shopping that I have not once but TWICE clicked a coupon code the website offered-or some pop up offered. In doing so I have been getting charged since then for monthly fees for "discounts" that I have never flippin used. Yes your Dave Ramsey fan hubbies would be having a stroke right now. Apparently these places have very FINE PRINT at the bottom of the pop up that tells you the fee is ongoing until you cancel it. NOW here is the kicker-I don't do FINE PRINT-case in point we are paying for Martial Classes that nobody goes to (for 18 months). Hubby is working on calling the Better Business Bureau for the one for 800.00 plus dollars, yes that's right!
So I am thinking about fine print as I am frenzily (I don't think that is a real word) rearranging the dishwasher parts, hoping they all fit together. And hope that my bosses never read my blog. I hope they never find out that I, in all my leadership responsiblities and their trust, find out I don't read the "fine print".

Life is just too short

Family

I have a lovely teacher coworker who is a not-so-secret-artist (like with actually gallery work) who makes money during her free time doing photos. I loved her stuff and even though we only do family pics (real ones that are not by me and INCLUDE me) only 3 years, I just knew she would be perfect to do ours. I had a special request that I knew I could afford if she did them. She loves old barns and machinery and I told her my in-laws homestead had all of that and if she was willing to ride with us she could take all the pics of all the stuff she wanted to. So we all gussied up, bribed children with the promise of ice cream, and battled billions-I mean billions of bugs to snap 500 pics, yes 500. This was one she sent to me right away while she edits the others-she knew I needed instant gratification obviously. I took one look and I loved it. I took more looks at it. I sent it to hubby, it was were he grew up after all and holds many memories, not all good.
I asked him if he got it, he said "Yeah it was good" and in the next breath says, "It is just so depressing, there is nothing left".
Hubby grew up in this huge open space with a family very different from mine-not much needs to be said there. His grandma-his rock through all the chaos still lives in a falling down house, with iffy plumbing and refuses to leave the land she became a wife and mother on. I know it is hard for him to see it, to see her age.
I then went to a conference today with some of my favorite women coworkers, strong, professional tough women. Some of them whose family lives are falling apart. They are torn, torn between working their asses off and alientating or robbing their spouses and children of time. Living with husbands who are threatened by their drive and tenaciousness. Torn between wanting to be happy and yet afraid to change because of children involved.
I then thought of my own family-not the one I created, but the one I was born to. I think of the strained relationship with my mom (of my own making I know). And I think of Karen and her mommy and her desire to just see her one more time. I then feel like the worst daughter in the world. I think of Carey and her mom-we both know why.
This family thing is complicated, and I think of the picture, and the farm, and the four of us and that moment time pictured there. And I think of how LUCKY I am to be standing with a hubby who supports me and is proud of me, pushes me to do what I NEED and WANT. I think of my parents who got me there, they deserve credit for sure. I think of hubby and for better or for worse how his family had a role in the person who he is now. I think of Big and Small Fry and how they have NO idea how UNCOMPLICATED it all is in that one moment of time.

This aging thing is a tough gig, I really hope I am up to it. This family thing is a tough gig to but I wouldn't change it for the world-past, present, or future.

Smart dog or what

Our new puppy counts ME as her PERSON. I know this cuz Suree told me.
She is a pretty smart dog I think...
She has learned to give the cat a wide distance
To drop the shoe back in the mud room when I catch her, she then looks up at me like "What?"
She goes to the door to bark when she wants out
She can get through the barricade to get downstairs
She has figured out that if humans are not in the room then the couch is open and all hers-she NEVER tries when we are in the room. I know this because hubby and I have both caught her relaxed and sleeping on it.
In fact I was texting while on the couch, with her looking at me with those big eyes and perky ears and wanting attention. I left for SECONDS to the kitchen and hear a clunk. I arrive in the living room with dog on couch and phone on floor.

Yep smart or sneaky-maybe both.

Road Trip # 1 Part 2

Ahh a semi-serious pose...


For every "nice" picture I asked for I had to allow a goofy one, here is the goofy one...

Now that is better, hmm no maybe the first one is better

Like I said, I think 4th grade and middle school humor will only allow "moose ears", I better just go with it.

I may be partial, but a little handsome I think:)

Road Trip #1 and Endless Blue Sky

There it is......BLUE

This is one of the many prairie dog pictures the Fry's practiced taking, I didn't think I would bore you with all of them!

Ahhhhhh the tweener and his mom are happy!

Georgia O'Keefe inspired
Ok, so this one is weird, but the pattern the shadows was awesome because there was a field of them that spread forever.