A Picture A Day: October 26, 2012

AH (Right) and a friend at AH's sister's wedding.  AH was a groomsman!  He loved wearing the tux!

A Picture A Day: August 17, 2012

AH and Amma enjoying a family bonfire!  (Amma is the Icelandic word for Grandmother)

A Picture A Day: October 23, 2011

 AN and AN's fiance, MB, were over to celebrate their 26th birthdays at our house!  Of course they each got their own brownie pan!

A Picture A Day: October 2, 2011

Our dear friend and Godmother to my husband turned 90 this year.  Our family threw her a party at my Father-in-law's home.  The birthday girl is the one with the cake! AH was a sharp dressed man in his white suit!

Our Great Western Adventure

Part 1: Texas, continued

A movie on a hot day.  This is the biggest movie theater complex I have ever seen!

The following sequence is for DEN:

Even the dogs are in on the fun!

playing torpedo

My Last Teenager

On December 4th, 2010, AH became a teenager!

AH celebrated with friends by hosting a sleep-over

The next day we celebrated as a family with a dinner chosen by the birthday boy.

Big brother made the trip home to celebrate!

Big Sis and MB watch as AH tries to blow out his candles.

Happy 13th Birthday, AH!

Changes

My son, AH,  and I entered our 4th year of homeschooling on November 1st.  I cannot believe my youngest is a 7th grader!  He is also our only child living in the house.  Lots of changes this year.  Our 19 year old, AD,  is off to college this fall and I know AH misses him.  Little brother had a hard time when his big sis, AN, moved to college and I'm seeing some of the same things this time around even though AH is 6 years older.  Dinner time is when he seemed to feel the loss of his sister the most and I'm finding this to be true this time around.  Dinner is a very different affair without AD.  I guess I never realized how AD would lead the conversation each night because we have much quieter dinners these days.  He was home a couple of weekends ago and it was wonderful to hear these words again: "So, Dad, how was your day today?" and "Mom, guess what?"
 There is a big hole in our lives.  We will figure it out, but change is tough.
 We make our way through this change by forming new traditions and looking forward to the times when big sister and big brother are here.   One such change is to watch a movie or documentary together each night.  We started out watching each of the Harry Potter movies in anticipation of the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1, but it has been so much fun that we save the documentaries we watch for school until dad gets home.  Last week it was Luther (happy belated Reformation Day!)
Another way to cope is to keep busy and we have had one of the busiest falls of our lives! It seems we are averaging 2 to 3 field trips, clubs or park days per week! Here is a sampling of our adventures so far this fall:

Got the new Lego Minotaur Game and played it A LOT

Took a class at Como Zoo: Life Through Time

A Millipede, one of the many examples of life shown to us during the 8 week Life Through Time class

Art Club

Searched for fossils at a fossil class

Found one!

Found some of Dad's childhood toys while helping Grandpa clean out storage...

AH and Dad try out the boxing gloves found.

Harvest Fest.  And that is the worlds heaviest pumpkin and it did weigh 1,820.5 lbs!

Another monster pumpkin at Harvest Fest

A Harry Potter Halloween party

Carving a pumpkin

Draco Malfoy

Celebrated Big Brother's birthday

A Tradition Continues

My kids were quite little when the first Harry Potter book came on the scene. We were enthralled by the adventures of that little orphan and his friends. Each afternoon we would pile on the couch in the living room and read the books out loud together. Even when my daughter became a teen she wanted to continue. She and AN would take turns reading. It's what we did together. AH was too young to remember reading all of them, but he would play in the living room while we read. We all participated. We enjoyed the books so much that we eventually made it a tradition to attend each midnight release party of the books. We really enjoyed these times together and when the series of books became movies it was a natural transition to attend the midnight showings of the movies. My older kids attended public school and I always allowed them to miss the next day of school when we did these activities.

Well, I am truly thankful that our tradition has continued. Last night, AH, AN, AD, MB and I went to the opening of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Even though my daughter is in her early twenties and lives in her own apartment she joined us last night at the 3 am showing of the movie on the "Ultra Screen." I thought that my 17 year old would ditch us for his friends, but he also chose to watch with his mom, brother, and sister. What makes this even more fun is that my daughter's boyfriend, MB, has joined us for the last two movies. And so it continues!

And the movie? It was great!

School in the Waiting Room

AH and I have been sitting in this waiting area of a local hospital for 6 hours today. My father is having a procedure done to destroy prostate cancer cells they discovered 3 weeks ago. The nice thing about our homeschooling is that we can take school with us wherever we go. The bad thing about homeschooling is that we can take school with us wherever we go!! AH isn't able to move around as much as he does at home and it really shows in his attitude and his ability to process new information (and his patience...and, for that matter, mine, is nil!!!) So he isn't really a poster child for homeschooling today. We've gotten some strange looks, but overall, we've had a good day. We've done some fluffy stuff (more than usual): origami, Hans Christian Andersen author study, and logic puzzles along with the meatier subjects, but those went by the wayside fast. I now know how important his exersize ball is to his learning. He explained to me that he gets sleepy and lethargic when he can't move around! I'll post later about his ball...we are off to lunch!

Spring Break Time!

Ahhh. Spring break came at just the right time for me this year. I was feeling overwhelmed, agitated, frustrated, and tired when we walked onto the airplane that was to take us south. It seemed that the minute we walked out into the steamy night, my worries dissolved into the heat. We were to be in Florida for one blessed week. No schedules, no worries, no cooking, and no laundry!!! Funny how we managed to learn A LOT in that one week...just by having fun! AH and AN saw the shuttle from their window seats on the plane shortly after its launch!

We visited the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

We chased waves in Madiera Beach.

We challenged the waves on Cocoa Beach!

We fed Giraffes!

We watched a very brave (or very stupid) man feed alligators.

We fed baby alligators! We found shells.

We visited the Kennedy Space Center with an old college friend.

We read on the beach,

we tasted new seafood, we learned to get along with each other again!

My daughter spent time with our friends (who are also baseball parents) and told us she really likes our little group.

And we remembered why we love each other and why we can also drive one another crazy!!! I learned not to text my 17 year old son too much. This was after being lectured by my 23 year old daughter. I learned how big a hole there is in our family when one isn't there with you!

AD, our 17 year old son, went on his own vacation with his high school baseball team. They went to Cocoa Beach, Florida to practice and scrimmage with teams from all over the United States.

AD pitching

AD batting

Of course we managed to get over to that side of the Florida peninsula to watch him play. But I missed him being with us. I missed his humour, his wit, and his ability to get me to believe just about anything he says!!!

Lucky for me, his sister, AN, joined us on our vacation, so the hole wasn't gaping wide. It was nice to spend time with my oldest, who is on her own now. She actually made it through the week without having to go to a psychotherapist during the week (I can't claim she hasn't gone since we got back!!!). I got to rediscover the beautiful person she is! She made me laugh, got me to do some girly things with her (Shopping...then more shopping), and joined me in a cocktail or two. (yes, she is legally able to drink, she just looks young!) AH enjoyed having her around. I'm pretty sure she enjoyed spending time with her littlest brother. He was only 6 when she left home to go off to college. She and her dad, my husband, are completely nuts together and the jokes and sarcastic comments flowed freely. I haven't laughed so much in a long time.

So here I sit, now at home. I have a new perspective on life, school, and my family. Breaks are a very good thing!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Stop by Peggy's blog to see other daybooks

FOR TODAY, March 9th, 2009

Outside my window...it is a typical March day in Minnesota, grey and cold.

I am thinking...I really shouldn't take a break today to do this since I have a TON of things on my to do list this week!!

I am thankful for...my family

From the learning rooms...Math, Reading, History, Grammar, Writing

From the kitchen...what should I make for dinner?

I am wearing...jeans and a Vikings sweatshirt

I am creating...chaos by being sick...not much is getting done around here!

I am going...to a play tomorrow with AH!

I am reading...nothing at the moment.

I am hoping...I am better before we leave for Florida next week!

I am hearing...AH playing with a light saber and saving our home from lots of Empire bad guys!

Around the house...Are lots of reminders of last weeks scramble to find pictures of my late mother-in-law for her funeral.

One of my favorite things...A unexpected dinner alone with AD, my 17 year old son.

A few plans for the rest of the week:Packing, packing, packing!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

In loving memory of Mary Jane N.
March 2nd, 1934 - March 1st, 2009

The Best Christmas Present...EVER!

My husband and I agreed that this year we were not going to exchange expensive gifts. But making things was okay. I once received a beautiful poem from him when we were young and poor and I mentioned to him this year that I would love another one. Doug loves to tease me about my fascination with the Twilight series of books. He often comments that he is my Edward and is always on the look out to save my life. Not much call for that here in central Minnesota. So when I opened up the card that came with my present and it said, "A love story Greater than Edward and Bella..." I expected a love poem about Doug and me, but what I received was much different. He wrote a love story about our youngest, AH, and me, his mother. By writing this poem, I get to see my relationship with our youngest through Doug's eyes. I debated whether I should show you a picture of the gift because it contains our son's name, but decided that it was worth it. It is entitled, Austen's Song, and Austen (or AH, as you have come to know him) decorated it.

Austen's Song

By Doug

She saved his soul

his self esteem

She made him whole

with eyes that gleam

a broken boy

now restored

Her rescue ship

to climb aboard

Her arms outreach

they search and find

She loves to teach

She sculpts his mind

A boy of length

his wondrous ball

He gains strength

She'll catch his fall

She gives every care

She ensures the fun

Journeys everywhere

She sees each run

Her gentle touch

His tender disposition

They love very much

their own tradition

from the very start

their love so pure

joined at the heart

the perfect cure

She loves his smile

and his frowns

Her love for him

knows no bounds

For him,

there is no other

no better friend

Only his mother

His song

sung for you

His love

forever true