I've Got Sunshine!

Eli!

My little man is now 11 years old.
How time flies.

For his birthday party, we rented the Covington Twp Hall at the Ski Hill and had Jack's pizzas, chips, fruit, cake, pop and sledding. Eli shares his birth date with our friend Nan so we decided to surprise her and invited everyone from church to the party and celebrated the two birthdays together. She was very surprised....never suspected a thing!

It was definitely a day to remember. I had taken the day off from BHK so I could get stuff done that morning but still had to teach art up in Hancock. Ended up running late ALL day. I had made plans to pick Eli's friends up and since we were running late parents were calling wondering what was up. So I was stressing and had trouble finding one kid's home. I finally figured out where I was going and as I'm just about to the turn off to his house some dogs ran out in front of me. Not wanting to tramatize myself or the kids by hitting a pack of dogs I braked hard and lost control of the van on the slippery back road. We fishtailed for a bit then spun off into the tree line. Thankfully, we missed a stand of pine trees and just buried the van up to the front doors in the ditch. Yah! NOT. I was distraught. And that is a HUGE understatement. We did get lots of help. Thank you to the strangers that dug us out and Mr. Toumi for pulling us out. I was now running VERY late. I tearfully called Nan's mom to ask if she'd pick up a cake for Eli since I would now not have time to decorate one myself. And then we were on our way. We ended up being an hour late to the hall and unable to preset or decorate anything. We had to come up with a way to surprise Nan now that she was already there and we did pull it off pretty well. The boys didn't care that we were late or about the spin out and didn't have a clue as to why I was so stressed. All the kids LOVED the sledding -- we had a hard time getting them to come in for pizza, cake or icecream. The parents had a good time as well but I ended the evening in tears with a blistering headache. Then it was back home with four extra kids to spend the night. They were well behaved and had a great time but at 12:40 in the morning I finally begged Mike to make them be quiet so I could go to sleep.

So Eli had a great party and a fun story to tell about his mom putting the van in the ditch, again.

It's hard to think of Eli as 11. Yesterday I picked him up early from school. He went to the eye doctor with me for my appointment. Then I took him to his Well Child appointment with his doctor. He was being so silly and goofy all afternoon but we had a great time. I felt bad that he was bored out of his mind at the Vision Clinic but he behaved himself and I was so proud to admit he was mine! The doctor's office was a whole other story though. He kept up his silliness and you know how you can just tell when people are infuriated with something but trying to be patient...that was our doctor yesterday. Eli would not answer any questions directly and I was getting upset and the doctor kept sighing. Not rude but real quiet and I give him kudos. I was ready to rip my hair out and just leave! Or insist on the shots that Eli really doesn't need until next year. But we made it through maintaining our cool and our smiles.

Eli is fun to be with. We raced to the car each time we left a place yesterday and he has such a great imagination. But that imagination gets him in trouble sometimes. He tends to exaggerate and embellish and sometimes just plain fib about things he's done. His smile and giggle make me smile even when I'm impatient with him--a common occurance in the morning as I'm trying to get him up and ready for school. Though he's a normal child and gets into his share of trouble he admits his faults readily and is quick to straighten up his act when in hot water. He's my outdoorsman. Eli loves camo and binoculars, bb guns and spends countless hours playing "hunter" or "soldier". Eli is also sensitive, loving and friendly. He can play quietly by himself or spend an afternoon reading or doing puzzles.

I'm really proud of Eli. He spent two years in the 3rd grade so that he wouldn't fall behind as he got older and this year in 4th grade he is maintaining a C+ average. He hasn't fallen in love with school but he's taking it more seriously.

My little man is definitely growing up. But we're not rushing him. He still plays "Tickle Monster" and asks for hugs and kisses. How long can this last? I cherish every one!

Eli is my Sunshine!

Happy New Year! 2010

Hello and Happy New Year 2010!

First, an apology: It has been 5 months since my last post. Shame on me.

So here is a quick recap of the last months of 2009:

I am working 2 jobs within the same company. I am now a lunch aid at Head Start and I am a GE (Great Explorations) Instructor after school. I find both jobs rewarding as I'm working with kids all day--ages 3-11.

Mike has finished up his first semester of the nursing program at Finlandia on the Dean's List. Woot! Woot! Mike. Way to go!

Our Grand Caravan has seen 200,000 miles and she's still going. Hallelujah!

God blesses us greatly this holiday season. Thanks to all the secret givers. Your generosity is appreciated so, so much!

The boys are growing like weeds. I miss them as little boys but I'm so excited to see what they will become as young men.

(Michael - almost 13)

(Samuel - almost 9)

(Eli - almost 11)

(Riley - 5 1/2)

I haven't been cooking very many home cooked meals the past four months. By the time I get home at 6:30pm it is hard to get anything on the table before 7:00 and I'm always forgetting to thaw something before hand. I'm sure my husband and boys have enjoyed all the pizza and fast food but I feel SO guilty. So while on vacation I've tried to make some good meals to remind them what I'm capable of making.

Last night we went to a New Year's Eve party at my pastor's home and we all brought ethnic dishes from our heritage. I made sauerkraut and sausage since I'm German and it is easy to do. But I really wanted to make something else. So in researching my heritage I found something that spanned the Irish, German, Russian, Swede and Jew in me:

Potato Pancakes!

I didn't get them made for last night but the boys and I enjoyed them for dinner tonight. I served them with sugar, syrup or apple jelly. My favorite was the apple jelly. Samuel and Riley doubled up and used sugar and syrup (ewww!) and Eli ate them plain. I remember eating these as kids and they are just as good today as back then. Yum-O!

So the last thing I want to catch up on is my book list. I've updated, though not in time to qualify for my challenge.....I didn't make it anyway. But I was a reading fiend this past year and I've decided that no one with four kids needs to read 100 books to have a fulfilled life. I did find some new authors that I'm interested in exploring further and I've weeded out a few that I'm not really interested in. I've read children's books, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2 thumbs up!); the rave of the moment, The Twilight Series (great story, writing could be better); mysteries, Easy to Kill (Agatha is still a favorite!), and classics, The Chronicles of Narnia (I could read these over and over!). Check out my list on the left--see one you'd like to know more about, just ask.

Happy 2010

Life is what you make it!

March On!

Today Michael marched in his first parade with the CHS band.

(Michael, second from right, 3rd row, playing clarinet)

He looked so very handsome in his uniform and the whole band was way classier than the other bands that marched in t-shirts and shorts.

The entire Strawberry Festival Parade was very good. Lots of candy for the little ones and the floats were both nicely done and well thought out. The only drawback was that we only saw Michael for a moment and then he was on to perform for others and he didn't get to see much of the parade himself.

Patience is a Virtue

Of which I'm lacking.

Sorely lacking.

But I hope you have more than I do!

My boys are all home for summer break. I love my boys. They are my sunshine! But they test my patience daily. Some days I lose it. I totally lose it and I have to give myself a timeout. I give them timeouts, too. But I think it's safe to say that I'm the one that needs it the most, because as I remind Mikey often, I'm older and I should know better.

Right now, my living room is cluttered. Not just a few toys, books and papers randomly scattered. No, it's a mountain of clutter that I moved from my bedroom to the livingroom, knowing that it can't stay that way and I will be forced to deal with it. While it was ensconced in the bedroom, I could ignore it. At least until I went to bed each night. Then I tossed and turned wishing I had the energy to do something about it.

I'm glad to say my bedroom has not looked this good in 8 years. It's peaceful and relaxing. I think I'll spend my weekend in there.

Or not.

I have to get this pile taken care of.

Anyway, I said all that because I know I haven't been posting regularly and I feel bad for my readers. I'm sorry. I may not have much of anything important to impart to you folks on a daily basis, but I know that when I do post, it gives you an excuse to put off the dreaded housework, homework, errands, etc. a few minutes more. I understand this.

But it will be worth your while to keep following. I'm working up to my 100th post and in celebration of that I will be posting about 10 of my favorite things for posts 90-100. And I would like to have a giveaway for each post. So stay tuned. Hopefully, we'll reach that 100 post together before snow flies. *fingers crossed*

Remember:

Patience is a virtue

Virtue is a grace

Grace is a little girl

Who wouldn't wash her face!

I'm too old for this!

Tonight I took Eli and Samuel for a bike ride. It sounded like such a good idea. I've been needing to incorporate more exercise into my daily routine and they need an outlet for all their energy.

So we took off and decided to only go as far as the Post Office. That's probably just over a 3 mile bike ride. Not bad.

The ride there was great and exhilirating. It was Samuel's first foray past our road. And we had a great big hill to coast down and feel the wind in our faces and he loved it.

When we got to the Post Office we got drinks of water from the natural spring behind the building and then headed back home.

I taught the boys the rules of biking.....follow all rules of the road, signaling, staying on the right side, riding in single file, etc. They did great except for Samuel swerving off the road onto the gravel shoulder and then back straight into the road, almost cutting me off, forcing me into the road to avoid a collision (thank goodness there were no cars in sight).

Then we turned back onto our road and started up the hill.

Oh, boy! It was a ride. About half way. Then we got off the bikes and walked most of the way up. We got back on the bikes as soon as we were to a spot flat enough to start off from.

I am ashamed to say that it was too hard. Way too hard. I was in so much pain. My legs were tired but that's not the bad part. I couldn't catch my breath. I stopped for a last rest right before a friend's house (didn't want anyone to know I couldn't do it). Then I forced myself to ride the rest of the way to the side road we live on. As soon as I passed the neighbor's house, I stopped again to take a breather before making it the rest of the way home. Then I flopped down on the couch for 10 minutes to catch my breath and will my heart to not explode.

The sad thing is, I used to ride my bike to school everyday, until the snow flew, which was about 10 miles from our home.

I guess I must be getting old. I don't like how it feels. Not one bit!

Hot Time in the UP

Yesterday we had some very unseasonably warm weather. Very.

At 8:00am it was 38*F. At 2:30pm it was 94*F. Yowsah!

It was a very dry heat.

And there was a LOT of wind.

Know what that means?

Very extreme fire hazard. That's what it means.

And we found out all about that fire hazard last night.

On our way to church we spied a cloud of smoke to the east and all I didn't know was where the fire had originated. A fire had started just east of L'Anse and quickly spread with the wind gusting up to 50-60mph.

Mike was on the golf course and I gave him a call to see what he knew. All he knew was that the fire was a big 'un and he wasn't responding to any calls til his 18 holes were played. (Ninny!) Baraga was called to assist L'Anse around 6:30pm and the kids watched as the fire engines raced past the church. Pelkie Fire Department was put on standby later that evening (Mike was finished with his golf and ready to respond--finally!) but they were never called out.

Now, the news last night was that certain residents (one lady from our church included) were asked to evacuate just in case, but as we left L'Anse at 9:00pm we could see that it was mostly under control.

The info I heard from our local gossip is that it was sparked off by someone welding. I'm sure Mike will get the whole scoop today and I will pass it on.

That's the closest I've ever been to a forest fire and I hope it stays that way. I was really nervous yesterday....we live in the middle of the woods (literally surrounded on all sides by trees--lots of deadfall) and when I was going to get the kids from the bus I got spooked by the smoke from my neighbor's wood furnace. It was more than normal and I did notice that their chimney needs repair. You notice these things when the danger is so high. Normally, I'd just be irritated with the heavy smoke blowing into our yard. *cough*

Here is the report as of 5/21/09 on the Pinery Lake Fire in L'Anse.

Go here to see pictures of the Pinery Lake Fire.

There was also a fire in the Ishpeming area Wednesday. Go here to see pictures and get reports on the Black River Falls Fire.

Vision Forum Giveaway.....

over at Five Little Arrows. Check out Laura's blog and enter to win a DVD from the Reclaiming the Culture set recently released by Vision Forum. Laura has the link to the descriptions of each of the 5 titles offered:

You May Not Take Our Guns
The Devolution of Law
Top Ten Questions About Genesis and Creation
The State of Parental Rights in America
Christianity and Science Fiction: Reclaiming the Genre for Christ