little stutz

February 2021 Rec-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 23:01:00 +0000

We continue to learn from home, spend as much time outside as possible, and do our best to keep our bubble small. As Spring draws closer, we are encouraged by signs of normalcy up ahead.

The highlight of our month has been being allowed to be with both sets of grandparents without regulations and rules standing in the way! There have been lots of hugs and cuddles to make up for all the months this year where we have been hesitant to be affectionate with the ones we love.

Another sign of progress: we took our first "trip" in a year!

Destination: Wallace, ID where we skied, swam in the empty hotel pool, and relished in the long forgotten treat of sleeping in a hotel bed!

Change is coming, friends! And we are so excited!

January 2021 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 19:08:00 +0000

Another month has come and gone and our stats are still the same:

We are still healthy

We are still safe

We are still grateful

We are still anxious

We are still restless

We are still thoughtful

We are still hopeful

We are still hunkering down, doing our part, waiting things out, and doing it together!

Family reading hour- everyone in one big bed

Book Title: Daddy Is Awesome
By: Lizzie (age 6)
Chapter 1: Dad's Beard- I love dad's beard because he can give me a scratch with it.
I never want him to shave again!
Chapter 2: Dad's Hug- I like dad's hug because when he hugs me then he cuddles me.

Family hike

Alice's first swim meet: She did awesome, especially with big brother to expert tips and advice!

Homemade comfort food is a great way to get through this pandemic!
Pictured: Eric's famous sushi

Alice's chicken noodle soup (an after-ski imperative), Lizzie's curried beef buns

Jonas' project: rebuilding and updating an old computer with a new hard drive!

Family ski time is the best- and it's COVID friendly! Hooray!

December 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 21:30:00 +0000

COVID has stolen a lot from us this year, but not everything. Not the most important things.

For example, Alice celebrated another year around the sun this month- can you believe she's nine?

COVID stole traditional Birthday parties with lots of friends and family members gathered from far and wide....but it did not steal cakes, presents, decorations and banners, Birthday dinners, singing, and special girls who don't need a party to know that they are awesome. This magical human made of pure light and joy has not been deterred by this virus. She continues to brighten our lives every day.

Yes, COVID stole our opportunities for socializing regularly with friends, but it didn't steal our ability to leave the house for long hikes on sunny afternoons with family.

COVID stole our yearly tradition of trekking downtown to visit with Santa, but we figured out a work-around. Santa came to us this year....and he reminded us of someone we know.....

It's true: COVID stole cookie exchange parties with friends, but it didn't steal our creativity. We still decorated those cookies, by golly. We just kept them to ourselves this year!

Fact: COVID prevented us from attending the Nutcracker Ballet live this year- one of our favorite holiday traditions. But it didn't stop us from getting gussied up and streaming the Pittsburg Ballet rendition of the Nutcracker in our own living room.

It's true, we didn't get to have those huge family gatherings around the Christmas tree with a room full of aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents, but we did get to have a quiet Christmas Eve with Grammy and Pop and that felt like a balm. Christmas morning at home was downright peaceful- the most relaxed Christmas Eric and I can recall- and we spent the rest of the day hiking and soaking up the fleeting sunshine we receive on these short but glorious winter days.

And, yes. COVID has kept us away from loved ones near and far, but we were able to sneak up to the lake with Grammy and Pop, Erin, Brad and the twins for a long overdue reunion.

Take that, COVID! You may have robbed us of so much, but you can't take our Christmas spirit!

November 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 02:34:00 +0000

Friends. Family. Neighbors.

We're hanging in there. We're staying home (with a few exceptions). We're doing the hard work of keeping each other safe. We're appreciating our health, our warm home, our full bellies and our beautiful surroundings. We cherish the love that you all send to us.

We are grateful.

October 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 18:38:00 +0000

When I look back on this time in history, I'll remember it as the time of choices. As a family, we've chosen to keep our circle of people relatively small. On a whole, we have foregone social gatherings and playdates so that we can continue to be with our family members. This small circle of grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins has been our true village. As a result, we continue to spend any spare time we have at the lake with Eric's parents and at the Montana cabin with my family. We are getting to be pretty darn creative about finding ways to be together outside; Outdoor movies, hikes through the mountains, fly fishing, bonfires, paddle board yoga, river floats- you name it! If it can be shared outside, we're on it!

To be certain, this pandemic has been a nightmare, but one thing it has gifted us is clarity about who truly matters (family) and lifestyle choices that make us ALL healthier!

Happy Halloween!
Jonas- plague doctor; Alice- Hermione; Lizzie- mad scientist

September 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 17:13:00 +0000

Folks, there's not a whole lot to report. September has been a month of hunkering back down, getting back into a routine, and remembering that we still need to be safe, thoughtful, responsible and intentional as we all navigate this strange time in history together. Fully aware that as the weather cools and our opportunities to be together with loved ones decrease, we spent as much time as we could at the lake with Grammy and Pop. Each sunny, glorious day was a new gift, but a gift that we knew would soon be taken away. So we tried our best to soak it all up, to store up and save the feeling of sun on our cheeks and of giggles around the card table and of meals shared together around the patio table. These days of reprieve are fleeting.....

School started for the kiddos. They're all doing distance learning this year and I am consistently impressed with their ability to flex and change with these strange times. We adults are asking a lot of them, and they're answering the call in a way that makes me so very proud! And while this pandemic is certainly a difficult time for all of us, it is offering my children an opportunity to learn about community, team-work, making sacrifices, and resilience. I can't help but think that this generation of kids will grow up to be healers and peace makers and powerful leaders as a result of what they've seen and heard and experienced at such a formative age. So what I'm saying, friend, is that there is hope!

August 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 20:00:00 +0000

This month Jonas turned 11 years old, we spent lots of time with family at the lake and the Montana cabin, we explored the forests and the waters, Jonas mastered wake boarding, Essie worked on mastering paddleboard yoga, and Eric and Essie celebrated 15 years married! Time keeps ticking, and we continue to be grateful for all that we have!

July 2020 Re-cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 18:59:00 +0000

Major highlights:

Lizzie turned 6 and lost her first tooth

We celebrated the 4th of July at the Lake for the first time ever!

Alice and Lizzie both got their own ukeleles, Jonas got his own chainsaw

The yearly family camping trip happened in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard

We went to both the lake cabin and the Montana cabin and got lots of quality time in nature!

June 2020 Re-cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 18:51:00 +0000

As one does during pandemic, we spent as much time outside as we could. Take a look:

May 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 17:10:00 +0000

To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die

A time to plant, a time to reap

A time to kill, a time to heal

A time to laugh, a time to weep

A time to build up, a time to break down

A time to dance, a time to mourn

A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

In this last month, Eric and I both turned 40 which was a bit of an anticlimactic milestone.

We don't feel much older, but I suppose that our feelings don't matter since we are- in fact- officially old!

The kids spent much of this month playing and exploring and learning and creating. They also spent some time mourning, as Eric's beloved grandmother passed away at the age of 90. This circle of life stuff is hard, but also natural and necessary. We spent lots of time talking about loss and gratitude and honoring Big Bebe with our memories. We planted a lovely and fragrant flowering shrub in her memory, and I often see my kids sitting next to it and "talking to Big Bebe" about what they're doing that day or how they're feeling or how they miss her.

Grateful for our visit to Florida last October

The kids and I spend most of our time either in the classroom, our in the great outdoors.

The first is essential for our minds. The second is essential for our hearts and bodies.

Lizzie assisted a wounded hummingbird

Honesty as only a frustrated 5 year old during lockdown can deliver it!

April 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 May 2020 03:04:00 +0000

There's a lot of things I have to teach my kids from home during these strange and frustrating times: fractions on number lines, sight words, adjectives & adverbs, ecosystems and habitats, zoom online etiquette, life cycles of butterflies and frogs and plants, telling time, graphing data, cursive, Greek and Latin roots, converting JPGs into PDFs, converting decimals to fractions, subtraction with regrouping, times tables, CVC words, 3D shapes, place value, area and perimeter, non-fiction text structures, venn diagrams, mapping skills, elements of a story, letter writing, haiku poetry..... you get the idea.

We've settled into a groove that works just great for this family of ours. Every morning I wake, read the news and sip a cup of coffee while the kids make their own breakfast (that's NEW since Covid and I love it). Then I prepare their school day. I gather suggestions from the kids' teachers. I consult the state learning standards for each of their grade levels. I cruise educator resource sites for the most hands-on lessons and the most powerful learning opportunities, I dig through my old teaching bins- I knew I saved all that for a reason- and I create a learning day that covers the "3 Rs" and then some. And then, by 10:30am when the kids start "school", I'm PRETTY EXHAUSTED.

And guess what ya'll.....I've got a masters in teaching!

New pet tadpoles!

New veggie starts for this year's garden

A typical morning set-up

Command central

Can we all just pause for a moment and pick up our phones or pull out a piece of paper & pencil or hop on our computers and reach out to ONE PARENT who is teaching school-aged kids at home during this Covid crisis? They need your support and encouragement. Like. For real. Do it. Now.

Did you do it? No? GO DO IT!

Did it? Read on.......

I've spoken to dozens- yes multiples dozens- of parents of school-aged children who are anxious, tired, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Some of them are juggling home-school and a job. Some of them are single parents with no support. Some of them have special needs kids who need more than they are equipped to offer. Many are out of their element. The thing I hear over and over again is "what if we just don't do school?" To which I answer: Yep. That's totally OK!

The thing is, I've been studying child development and social-emotional development in depth for the past 2 years and this I know is true: it is far more important for our children to be emotionally healthy than academically advanced. When this is all said and done, nearly every child in America will be "behind" on benchmark learning. Those gaps can be filled in with time and patience and practice. They'll get caught up in no time. What can not be as easily "filled in" is the damage that anxiety and fear can do to the developing mind. Therefore. My mama focus is on keeping my kids up to date in school- yes- but more importantly on keeping them up to date on healthy body and mind practices. As a result we talk a lot about how to lift others up in this time of stress. We talk about empathy for others who don't have as much as we do right now. We talk about how it's OK to be scared or nervous or sad. We talk about how this will not last forever. We talk about how important it is that we are part of a community that needs us. We talk about how it's important to be resilient and keep moving forward despite our feelings. We talk about how some of the most amazing ideas and advances and changes in history have sprouted from struggle.

We channel our inner Dollly Parton and remind ourselves that wild flowers don't care where they grow!

And also, we focus on just being kids.

They build forts, they dance in the rain, they read books on the couch, they climb trees, they play catch in the field, they go hunting for snails, they build bike jumps, they perfect their skin-a-cat on the playground bars, they sing Disney songs on the karaoke machine, they tromp through our stream and try their darndest to catch the ever-elusive frogs that live there, they weed my garden, they cuddle cats in the sun, they pick flowers, they write letters, they make music, they bang on drums, they paint & color & stamp & cut & glue, they watch Star Wars, they build with lego, they gather fallen branches to feed the spring burn pile, they sew on the sewing machine, they dance to Elvis, they help me bake and they video chat with their grandparents.

This WILL all be over eventually. We WILL all emerge from this time wondering how we let it beat us and how we let it make us stronger. My goals is that my kids will look back on this time in history and remember that their mom was cool, calm, honest, productive, safe, loving, and supportive.

Shouldn't we all hope for the same?

March 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 22:07:00 +0000

The last time we checked in with you, life was clipping along at a pretty regular pace. The kids were in school. I was volunteering a ton and ramping up for an Internship at a local children's hospital. Afternoons were crammed full of music classes and dance lessons and swim team. We had regular family dinner nights with my parents and my brothers. We took road trips so we could ski and cheer wildly at swim meets. On weekends we went to museums and playgrounds and restaurants. There was joy and beauty in the chaos and all was right with the world.

How quickly things have changed.

In the last month, school has shut down. My volunteering at the hospitals have come to a screeching halt. My internship is on an indefinite hold. Now the kids do dance classes and music lessons online from our living room- Lizzie shuffle-steps on the bathroom tile floor and Alice pirouettes on our long wooden hallway. Jonas hasn't been to swim team in three weeks, so instead he jogs up and down our hill and does burpees and sit-ups and jumping jacks on the back deck. We haven't had a family dinner night in ages. Our latest ski trip was canceled, and all the museums and restaurants are closed.

There is still joy and beauty, but we have to look harder to find it.

And, sadly, all is not right in the world.

But inside these four walls, we are well.

The kids are learning- I'm teaching.

They're spending lots of time outside in the sunshine and I'm spending time in the yard.

Eric is working from a make-shift office in the basement.

We try to be patient, gracious, forgiving, calm, joyful, grateful, focused and resilient as we all do our best to navigate these strange days.

And amidst all this uncertainty, after being forced to whittle life down to just the essentials, we see so clearly who and what matters most.

Worry is like a delicate little sprout. I know from experience that when I tend to my worries and feed them all day long, they grow deep roots and their stem become thick and my worry can grow so large that it climbs into the sky and towers over me. My own personal beanstalk. I've learned to purposefully neglect my worry. Like an unwanted weed, I deprive my worry sprouts. I do not nurture them. I deprive them of all attention. I aim to let them wither and die and shrivel back into the ground.

And when I am tempted to feed my feelings- overwhelmed with the new learning curve, afraid of the unknown, worried about what I can't control, mad at the unfairness, or annoyed at the obligation- I force my brain to be distracted by other things. Being distracted is my best way to neglect.

I dig in the dirt and cook dinners with extra pads of butter and walk to the mailbox and clean out the garage and clear new pieces of ground to plant new seeds and clean the winter off the windows and air out the house. All these things give me a sense of control. They steady me. They take my mind off of my worries.

It is my true hope that you, dear reader, are also finding ways to prevent the the worry roots from taking hold. You may not have three busy, curious, restless kids to distract you, but maybe you've got a quilt to finish, a garden to plant, a book to read, a picture to paint, a letter to write, a piece of furniture to build, or a song to play.

Busy at school

Listening to "The Little House in the Big Woods" while building log cabins

PE class today: online yoga

Water color

Art Class

Reading & science

Writing & PE

Writing & Science

Math & writing

Reading & Social Studies

Tech Time

PE & Social Studies

Lots of couch cuddles

Oodles of time in the fresh, clean air!

February 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 06:40:00 +0000

You guys. I know global warming's not great. I know it has lots of negative consequences for human life and the environment that sustains us. But can I just be real for a second here: I LOVE this warming trend. It's selfish of me, I know, but I can't help it. This is the sunniest February I can remember.... and since I have a terrible memory I looked back in my photos and confirmed that this is the first snow-less February we've had since living here in Spokane.

And I like it. No- I love it!

Can you see why?

And on the off chance that we miss the frigid cold snow for a minute, well then VOILA! We go to the snow!

We drove to Wenatchee and skied our hearts out. We also played lots of games, watched lots of movies, sat for long times in hot tubs, and ate lots of junk food.

February was the month of road trips! The weekend after Wenatchee we drove to Moses Lake and watched Jonas make all his hard work come to fruition at his first ever Junior Champs qualifying meet. He dropped oodles of time on all his events and qualified to go to the Junior Olympics in March! Wowza!

Sometimes when all you do is leave, all you need is to stick around.

So the following weekend we spent lots of time in our own city. The Children's Museum and the gondola were just the ticket! Look at those faces!

March brings more swim meets, spirit week at school, and more adventures outside!

Stay tuned!

January 2020 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 21:42:00 +0000

We've been spending all our time in the snow....not that we have a choice!

But really: when life gives you snow, you make snow memories.

All. January. Long.

And when we aren't out in the elements, we are mostly spending time with family:

A surprise 70th Birthday party for Grandpa, a visit from Uncle Matt, trips to the book store and the skating rink, cooking comfort food on cold nights, building ballerina music boxes, and swim meets.

Life here is full. And we are blessed.

December 2019 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 18:34:00 +0000

This December was filled with tradition, family, and gratitude.

Grammy and Pop helped us set up our tree.

The girls and I saw the Nutrcracker- as we have done for the last 4 years.

All three kiddos performed in their school's Christmas program.

We spent Christmas Eve with Grammy and Pop.
Steak dinner. Mrs. Right. Lots of presents. Old family movies. Cuddles on the couch.
These are a few of our favorite Christmas things.

Christmas evening was spent at the family cabin in Montana.
The cabin buzzed with the sounds of a large, happy, healthy family. The best gift of all!

Good Fortune

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 23:53:00 +0000

This little gal of ours went ahead and made another journey around the sun!

Another year of adventures, learning, growing, changing, and being adored by her mom and dad.

On the Saturday before her Birthday, 5 of Alice's friends came over for an Art Party. The girls painted unicorns and Christmas ornaments and jumped in the bouncy house and ate Ice Cream Cake.

The next day- Sunday- the whole family descended upon the house. What started as a backyard bonfire with aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents turned into lasagna dinner around the kitchen island...and even more presents. And even more ice cream.

And on Monday, Alice's ACTUAL Birthday, she had a pretty typical day. We took her to Panda Express after dance class and she slurped down noodles and chomped on broccoli and delighted in her fortune: "Your life will be peaceful & fulfilling".

It's all I've ever wanted for her.

Happy Birthday, beloved Alice Juel.

You are on the most wonderful journey!

May you continue to love others, love yourself, create good and spread joy!

And always remember that you are forever and deeply loved!

November 2019 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 23:35:00 +0000

We started the month off in my favorite fall place: the Yaak Valley. As always, we gallivanted around the woods like little elves. We hunted for bear sign and traipsed down well-worn trails and imagined what it was like to be explorers in an unknown territory. When the days grew dark and nights grew cold, we cuddled on couches under blankets and played board games and ate hearty soups and crusty breads.

Back at home, life continues as usual. The kiddos attended Roller Skating Night, hosted by their new (and beloved) school. They zipped around the rink and wobbled and toddled and tried their best to look cool while at the same time graceful. No easy task, it turns out!

A few days later, all three kiddos performed at the school's Veteran's Day Assembly. Each one had been practicing for weeks, and my heart danced a little each time I heard the sweet voices of my children practicing their patriotic songs as they built legos or did chores or munched on morning bowls of cereal. They each did a great job and I, for one, was brought to tears many times at the performance. God bless our troops.

For the first time ever, Eric and I left all three kids behind and escaped for a long overdue weekend getaway to New York. That meant that these kiddos got to have 4 night sleepovers with their beloved Grandparents- a rare treat indeed!

This year, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house and each kiddo was responsible for one food item. Alice chose to make individual apple pies (even some gluten free ones for the boys!), Lizzie helped with the pumpkin cheesecakes, and Jonas was the mashed potato king! Everything was scrumptious!

The month was highlighted by good books, lots of after school activities, stellar parent-teacher conferences, cuddles with kitties, dance parties, and movie nights!

November left us with much to be grateful for!

October 2019 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 04:05:00 +0000

We kicked off our October with a swim meet (Jonas PR'd in all of his events! Wahoo!), followed by a train adventure with Grammy and Pop along the Pend Orielle River. The colors were breathtaking and the company was too!

But sometimes, when you can feel winter coming in your bones, you've just gotta grab the last hope of warmth you can get. So we jetted off to Florida for a quick get-away! A whirlwind tour of Universal Studios, adventures in the ocean surf, shell hunting, sushi-eating, swimming and card games with Big Bebe highlighted our trip. Did I mention the Hurricane- force winds? Yep. We did those too! This group is always up for adventure!

Then we reverse-migrated and headed north for the winter, and proceeded to do jump head-first into all the "Fall-ish things" that families do in the Pacific Northwest: rake endless amounts of leaves and meet up with friends at Green Bluff, and carve pumpkins, and brave the brutal cold so we can trick or treat.

A fox, a raccoon, and a zombie football player

Happy October everyone!

Every day is a gift- and we're grateful for each one!

Big Fun with Big Bebe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:18:00 +0000

The main purpose of our visit to Florida was to see Eric's grandmother, whom we affectionately call "Big Bebe"! We utilized some days off of school to squeeze in a quick visit.

Upon our arrival, the kiddos made themselves at home trying out Big Bebe's electronic chair, playing with her various odds and ends that she's collected over the years, eating sushi, TRYING to catch lizards, making art, playing Oregon Trail and Uno, and visiting for hours. It was just the ticket for my kiddos & my hubby, who had been missing their Big Bebe terribly.

Thanks for your southern hospitality Granny! We can't wait until our next visit!

See a resemblance? Lizzie and Big Bebe- both roughly age 5

September 2019 Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 20:13:00 +0000

You guys. It's not that I'm being neglectful, or lazy, or indifferent. It's not that my camera has malfunctioned, or that I've encountered writer's block. The reason I haven't posted anything in weeks is pretty straightforward: now that all three kiddos are in school my home is devoid of any and all kids for 6 whole hours a day. And when I do finally get to gather them up at the end of a school day- like a mama duck beckoning all her chicks back under her wing- we spend our precious few hours together driving around town attending all the after school activities we can squeeze into a week without busting the week entirely. It's a busy little life we lead. But it's a meaningful one. Because this is the phase of life that we're in, you'll probably be getting once monthly "re-caps" full of the highlights of the month. So brace yourself, because here comes September! Time is passing quickly, so let's get caught up:

Annual trip to the Spokane County Fair- cut short due to a boy with a previously undetected fever and imminent sinus infection.

The kids started at a brand new school this year, and so far things are progressing OK. We are all still adjusting to the new place, the new teachers, the new rules, the new friends, the new routine. But new is OK and these kiddos of mine are making me so proud as they wake up each morning with a smile on their faces and a positive attitude. They inspire me!

All three kiddos are taking music lessons this year. Jonas is learning piano AND drums ("lord, help me"). The piano in our living room was originally purchased by my grandfather, was recently gifted to me by my mom, and is the piano I learned to play on as a kiddo. The drum set that now resides in our basement used to be Pop's set which he purchased as a kid. He lugged this thing around to show after show where pop was a drummer and singer for his band "The Shades of Country". Jonas is pretty excited that he gets to learn to make music on these family heirlooms.

Meanwhile both girls are taking piano lessons as well, and are both diligent about practicing each day so that they can improve.

I couldn't ask for more!

Meanwhile, the girls dance (ballet and tap), and Jonas swims (he got moved up to the next, more advanced team) and I continue to volunteer at the kids' school, Shriners Hospital, and Sacred Heart.

Road trip to Yaak, MT where we got our first snow (in September?!?!?) and experienced our first ever bear sighting!

Hard Work, But Someone's Gotta Do It

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 22:07:00 +0000

She comes home each day and she's hot, happy, and exhausted.

Being a kindergartner is tough, but this girl is thoroughly nailing it!

The End of an Era

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 23:53:00 +0000

Tomorrow Lizzie starts her first day of Kindergarten.

We spent much of the morning driving around town checking items off of my ever evolving to-do list. They weren't terribly crucial items, but they were the kind that build up if you don't clear them off the list quickly. As always, Lizzie was initially an eager participant and as always, she bored of the plan rather quickly. As we waited in line to return an item to the grocery store Lizzie whined and moaned. "I'd rather be having a picnic than standing here like this!"

My knee-jerk response was to try to think of a carrot I could dangle. How could I get her to "buy in" to this day? After all we had three more stops to make! And then the light bulb went off above my head. The ah-ha! moment! The exciting but devastating realization hit me like a ton of bricks that this was my last day to have Lizzie all to myself. This was my last day. Why was I squandering it?

We went ahead and returned our item. But then as Lizzie buckled into her seat belt, I asked her if it would be OK with her if we scrapped our errands and went on a picnic at Moose Park instead? She could pick the food and we'd sit in the shade and I'd watch her swing and run and slide. And would she like that?

Her huge grin was all I needed. Within 30 minutes we were there.

Scout

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 00:18:00 +0000

For Jonas' Birthday, we drove out to the wheat fields and picked up a sweet little mouser for Jonas. You'll recall that he previously had an orange kitty named Charles, but alas Charles "went on walkabout" shortly after he joined our family and Jonas has been pining for a new kitty of his own to love on ever since. So we obliged. After all, the more barn cats we have running around the property, the fewer pests we have to deal with. What could it hurt?

We brought Jonas' kitty home on the 2nd of August, but it has taken him an entire month to settle on a proper name.

At first he just called her "Whiney" because- let's face it- she's a real whiner. But I gently nudged him to think of a kinder name and so he moved on.

Next on the list was "Annabeth", after his favorite girl character in the Percy Jackson book series he'd been devouring. Annabeth is the daughter of the Greek goddess Athena and a real cool chick, according to Jonas. But it still wasn't the right fit.

Next up: "Nightshade" and since this little kitty is dark as night this name seemed fitting, but it also felt like a mouth full and was quickly discarded.

Then last week Jonas finished reading To Kill A Mockingbird (impressive, right?) and narrowed his choices down to "Boo Radley" and "Scout.

Today, with a sense of assuredness and determination, he's made official declaration.

Henceforth and for ever more, his little black girl kitty shall be called Scout!

Stair-steps

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 23:36:00 +0000

Today Jonas and Alice embarked upon their first day at a new school. Tummy jitters were at an all-time high this morning as my kiddos prepared for this new adventure. After we hugged our two brave kids and nudged them towards the entrance, they walked slowly towards the door, as if their lethargic steps would somehow stop time. But time stops for no one, not even these amazing kids.

Lizzie will be joining Jonas and Alice on Friday, the first day of Kindergarten! And then I'll officially be the proud owner of a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and a kindergartner! How time flies!

Kind Of A Big Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 22:06:00 +0000

Guess what, guys! All three kiddos got up on water skis this weekend....with just hours to spare before summer was over.

To clarify: Alice and Lizzie used a trainer ski that is situated on an inflatable. But still.

Eric and I were so proud each kiddo NOT because we think water skiing is important, but because our kids did a hard thing. A scary thing. They kept trying. They didn't let butterflies stop them. They showed up and they did something big and something scary and something new.

Yes. Indeed. We were proud!