This OId House

Today I am determined to get somewhere in the upkeep of this old house. When we bought it, I was strictly against living in a trailer. Mike didn't mind because he had once lived in a very tiny one in the outskirts of Menominee. The only positive thing about this one was that it has a very large addition on the backside. So plenty of room for growing boys. The price was right and it came with a nice chunk of land. We bought it. Nine months later, our exceptional addition was exceptionally wet! The previous owner had no idea how to build an addition obviously. So after much work and more work, 3 roofs and 8 years later, we still can't use the addition for anything more than storage. Last spring we still had leaking around the doors. Hopefully, that was fixed when they put up the flashing that the contractor FORGOT! So...now I'm on my way down there to clean up. It's not pretty and it's cold but I'm determined to have it decent before snow flies. I figure I have a couple hours! =) LOL

Wish me luck and send in spelunkers if you don't hear from me in 24!

THAT picture.....

My previous blog has a picture of Mikey on the shoulders of our friend Tim, who is on the shoulders of our friend Erik. Bryan is gallantly spotting them for any mishaps. Well, they actually had a mishap! I'm not sure if it started on the bottom, middle or top...but someone lost balance and in their quest for the perfect balance, Tim and Mikey fell from Erik's shoulders. Now, Erik is not a small man by any means. He is big and he is TALL. And Tim's got some height on him as well. To put it into perspective, Bryan is 6'4". Mikey is WAY up there. I just watched horrified as they headed for the ground...it seemed to happen in slow motion. And as Tim hit the dirt and Mikey's face was just inches from the ground, Bryan dove under him (this is what they tell me as I had covered my face by that point) and saved him from kissing the dirt. Everyone told me I could look, that he was okay. So as I looked for myself and saw that my baby was indeed in one piece without any disfigurements to his lovely visage, I broke into great sobs of pent up horrification! It took me a few minutes to regain my composure. Erik, Bryan and Tim felt horrible that it scared me so badly but I did not blame them for it at all. I allowed Mikey to get up there...I was party to the fun! So, although Mikey was fine, Tim did suffer a wrenched back from rolling off Erik's shoulders with a 100 lb brick on his shoulders as he hit the ground. All for the sake of my baby's safety. Awwww. So he bought a stick. That's another story for another time!

Michael, Michael, Motorcycle!

This is my 'big' baby, Michael (up on top). He's my rough and tumble, 100% boy, boy. But don't let him fool you. He is VERY sensitive. VERY. He likes to dish the teasing but don't you get too close to his tender areas. He's quick to help a need (as long as it's not mine or his brothers'), has a mind full of 11yo thoughts and dreams, and a mouth that can't keep up with it all.

Michael is a reader. When I homeschooled, that was like my key subject. You learn to read, you can do ANYTHING! Well, he reads. In the car, in the school bus, at bedtime-under his blankets with a book light til all hours, at Gr'mas and at church (if he can get away with it). And he isn't content with elementary library books. He's into the 'more mature' reading now. Like the Alex Rider series, Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr from the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. He eyes my books and I have to hide them. I taught him the joys of Reader's Digest just recently while he waited to see the chiropractor. His all-time favorite books that he has with him all the time and almost everywhere he goes are The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden from which he gets his ideas for forts and learned how to make a smelting net, and Biggest Ever Book of Questions and Answers by Parragon Publishing. Now if I could just get him that excited about his Bible, he'd have all the tools a growing boy needs.

Michael also plays clarinet. Now, he's been teased at school by the sax and trumpet players that clarinets are for girls. But we went on the internet and showed him how the clarinet is a key jazz instrument and lots of well-known jazz musicians (MEN) play the clarinet. He takes pride in his musical abilities though that doesn't necessarily mean he likes to practice. This year his school had to do some downsizing because of finances so the Superintendant ended up taking up the band classes. At the beginning of October he called and asked if we'd mind Mikey playing with the high schoolers this year. His school has 3 lvls for band--4th graders, 5th and 6th, and High School (7th-12th). He said Michael was bored and needed a challenge. So that's what Michael is doing. And he really enjoys the challenge. He went from 2 practices a week to 4 and lots of new music that entails more skill and talent. I'm really excited to hear him play at the Christmas concert.

Michael's hero right now happens to be a tree climber, much to our chagrine. So that's where you'll find him if there's a good climbing tree around--up amongst the squirrels. As you can see, he's not afraid of heights, though we would prefer that he was!

Swimming Pool?

So, have you wondered about the swimming pool in my picture? Heh,heh. Well, if you have let me tell you, it is not there anymore! I love this picture. It was a random shot. I was out with my camera for a whole week trying to get pictures of our fall colors, which, by the way, are LONG GONE! So one morning right after a rain shower I ran out while the sun was shining and snapped a few. This is one of the beauties! I love the way the clouds and trees turned out. But there is that ugly, eye-sore, swimming pool in the picture. The next week the side blew in during a wind storm that also stripped most of our trees. So, Mike took it down, used the metal to roof a new shed and put the rest in a heap to wait for Spring Clean-Up '09. Yah. (note the lack of enthusiasm) #1. I hate mounds of trash in our yard. It never fails, we get rid of one, another rises in it's place, usually bigger. Kind of like dandelions.
#2. That was supposed to be my lap pool. Of course, I'd let the kids use it but I wanted it to do laps. But after we put it up, bought a few new pieces and priced new liners, Mike tells me that the filter has a crack and he won't buy a new one. So that's that. But I am determined to have a pool next year. Deep enough to do something good for my butt, hips and waist! I may not be able to do laps but water aerobics/walking sounds fun!

My Followers

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Riley--my Sunshine

Riley is my sunshine. He is my cuddle bug and my little man. God knew exactly what I needed when he gave me Riley. Wednesday night Riley slept with me since Mike was in Covington to deer hunt. He got his favorite frog pillow, a stuffed animal and some books. I tucked him in and he settled right down to look at his books before he drifted off. When I went to bed, he was smack in the middle and I didn't want to disturb him so I just squished under the covers next to him and cuddled with him to warm up. What could be better than that? This morning I was able to sleep in since the boys don't go to school on Halloween. He was the first of them to roll out of bed and he came right in to cuddle before he started his busy morning. All the boys were behaving really well this morning. (note the past tense-WERE) The few times there was a squabble I was able to help them resolve it. Riley started to get pretty bent out of shape over the Legos. He sat out for awhile and when he would have thrown a tantrum, I just reminded him that "crabby boys" have to take naps after lunch. That did the trick and he was ready to go back to sharing. Why did it take 4 boys to finally learn how to handle them? I know, they are all different. But I've changed the way I deal with them since Mikey was born almost 12 years ago. In the past, I tended to take their behaviors personally. Now it's easier to step back and look at it objectively and come up with solutions that actually work. =)
Anyway....lately Riley has really been into dressing up and pretending. He is quite adorable. Some days its a fire man-jacket, hat, boots and a back pack that looks like a fire truck! This picture is his cowboy get-up. He has green, rubber, frog boots that work for any outfit but this day were his cowboy boots. He now has a chef hat and apron and will go to the fridge to get me a drink when he plays "cooker". I love it! I think he pretends he's a dog the most though. He pants, licks, barks and runs circles around the living room.
Right now he's outside enjoying one of the last beautiful days of fall before snow flies and that's what I want to do, too. So, au revoir!

updates

Today I am taking a breather. I've been at Head Start all week (twice to volunteer and once to work) thus far and I'm ready for a break. The kids are so precious but even precious can wear on a person after 3 days!
I'm trying to get all my pictures organized....online and the boxes and boxes of photos that should have been put in albums years ago. I get frustrated with the internet though so I'm only about 10% through those pics. Isn't it funny that after only 11 1/2 years of parenting, I am already having problems telling who is who in the photos in our albums. I've given up on putting them in chronological order. Now the goal is just to put them all in there. I think I need some more picture pages though. I have to get it done before Thanksgiving...that is the deadline I've given myself. Not to mention Mike might have an issue with my craft table being up in the middle of the living room any longer than that. =)
Ok...now that I've brought up the whole holiday thing in mentioning Thanksgiving...lets talk about that awhile....
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving...my little sister is planning a trip up here with her 2 cutie-pie daughters. I am so excited. This will be our first Thanksgiving at home in 13 years! The last time we cooked Thanksgiving dinner at home, we were living with my brother and his family (Tracy and Cinnamon) in my dad's old farm house. The turkey took way longer than we expected and dinner wasn't ready until REALLY late (so late that I'm embarrassed to say!). But it was delicious. Then we hopped in our car and went to Marquette to see Mike's parents. We got there sometime 'round midnight. Does that say anything? LOL So, this year I'm planning a delicious but simple affair. Maybe my mom and Jason's family will come too. I have a few new recipes I'd like to try out. Just a spin on the traditional. I'll let you know how that works out.
Next, Christmas.... Ugh. I don't even like to think about all Christmas entails in today's society. Basically, we don't know what my family is doing for Christmas... There was talks of skipping a get-together and gifts for a family vacation later in 2009. Mike's family is pretty simple. He has his parents and one sister's family to worry about. And they LOVE our goodie baskets. So that is what we will do for them this year. Simple and fun to do with lots of love put into it. The boys....I don't know. Mike plans on buying a four wheeler in the spring and that will be their combined gift. They will get their helmets on Christmas. I don't know how I feel about that....I'm not totally thrilled. But to tell the truth....I don't enjoy that part of Christmas. I hate shopping during this time and I don't want my kids to grow up thinking Christmas is only about the presents. I have a hard time with this holiday. I spend a lot of time with them, reading the account of Jesus birth in the Bible and story books I've accumulated over the years. Yet every year there's so much stress on what we're getting them for gifts. Yesterday, my MIL called and wanted ideas for the boys while she's in Green Bay. I couldn't come up with anything. There are always a few things the boys are interested in but they already have SO much! I look forward to sending out cards or a newsletter though. Hopefully, this year they will get out on time! I'm thinking I'll let the boys help me--it will be a nice project for the weekends that Mike works.
Ok....I think that's all for now. Until next time, GOD BLESS!