Pell Yeah!

More Hockey

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

What did you expect? I got a new video camera for Christmas and I just figured out how to upload it to the blog. And for two more weeks, hockey is our life. When my parents were here, they had their names and numbers screen printed onto the back of their jerseys. Luke is number 54 and Jack is 11.

Hockey Country

2012-02-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here in Grand Forks, hockey is a big deal. The parks department doesn't offer much else besides it during these winter months. Even though basketball is a winter sport, it has to wait until hockey season is over. I'm amazed at how much the boys have learned. Their practices are efficient and well organized. And the competition is pretty tough during games because these Kinders are practicing constantly in their backyards or in the flooded and iced over parks.

The Master

2012-02-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

I am the only one in our house who can change Autobots and Decepticons from robots to vehicles and back again. I have mad transforming skills, thank you very much. Do you think I can put that on my resume? The first few times I do need the animated directions, but after that, I'm good. My love of puzzles and rule following come in handy.

Since I am a highly sought after commodity here, I demand a few things of my own. The boys are required to ask me politely and nicely to change said Transformer. I need my physical and mental space while working. No crowding and don't even THINK of asking what step I'm on. Lastly, once the transformation has occurred, a "Thank you, Transforming Master!" must be heard before the toy is placed into his hands.

Early Risers

2012-02-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Last night, I drank a Venti latte at 9pm. Tim and I were on a date and decided to cut it shorter than planned. Getting snacks and renting a movie sounded way better than watching a movie we really didn't want to watch at the theater. Getting a babysitter is fairly rare, but the couch won out last night. For some reason a combo of Twix, cinnamon bears and a latte turned out to be my movie-watching cravings.

All my life I have been given a hard time for falling asleep anywhere if the sun has gone down. I've fallen asleep while having guests over, at friends' houses, at parties. It's actually quite embarrassing. And don't even think of starting a movie after 10pm. I'll be snoozing about ten minutes in. In college my friends used to call me Narc.

One benefit is that I can have a larger than life caffeinated drink at night and then two hours later, fall asleep. It's actually quite awesome. Take that naysayers.

This morning I woke up early, fully rested. Guess who also was up? Luke. He got my early rising genes. He may look nothing like me, but I'm inside him somewhere. While the other half of our family is sleeping, we get to hang out. I love it. It's time just for us. We know how to live up these early mornings. Cheerios and cartoons for him. Coffee and blogging for me. I'm looking forward to many more mornings with my husband's mini-me. Sunrises belong to us early risers.

Oh, and guess what? This Morning Glory has to count his years on a new hand!!

Healthy Conversation

2012-02-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Luke: Can you make this again, because I LOOOOOOOOVE it. (We were having roasted broccoli and cauliflower with fresh garlic and ginger).

Me: Of course. It's good for you to eat because it's healthy.

Jack: Aww man, I wish Coke was healthy.

Me: Yeah, me too bud.

Jack: Is eggnog healthy?

Me: No, not really. It has tons of sugar and bad fats in it.

Luke: That's probably why Santa is so big.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T17:26:00.001-07:00

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

An Uncontrollable Christmas

2011-12-09T09:52:00.001-07:00

I have a pretty important announcement:

I am a control freak.

Yup, I admitted it. Subconsciously I've known it for a long time, it's just taken me a while to verbalize it. Sometimes my family and I benefit from it. Think: meal calendars, organized toy bins, and extensively organized file cabinets. Most of the time though, it is a sharp, dagger-like thorn in my side. When the craziness starts to trickle down and touch Tim and the boys, it's not pretty. For a long time, I was in denial. Because Tim is so laid back, I fooled myself into thinking I was too. Actually, that's just one of the reasons why we are perfect for each other. Balance is a good thing and we even each other out. But when things are out of my control, I fu-reak out!

So, now that I have actually come out and said it, I should probably start working on it. In the long run, it will be good because I will be able to let the boys do laundry, clean the toilets and do the dishes. I will have to learn how to not care if the dishwasher isn't stacked to optimum capacity or if the shirts are not hung with the hanger hook pointing left. In the long run, it will be less work and stress for me. After all, I'm trying to raise them to be men who know how to cook, clean and maybe even sew a bit. Your welcome, future daughters-in-law.

Currently, this Christmas season, my therapy is focused on a single type of decoration. Tinsel. So far, I'm not doing so well. These metallic demons are invading every nook and cranny of my house. One morning I rolled out of bed and found that I had been sleeping with a few pieces. They hang off Clementine's jowls and Ping can't stay away from it, but Luke and Jack LOVE it. I have to remind myself to relax and not spend every minute of the day picking the pieces up. After all, Christmas is not about us being perfect; it's about realizing our imperfection and celebrating the birth of THE ONE who heals it.

I've made some other good steps so far. I smiled and nodded when the total of our Christmas tree came up to $72! Darn this non-evergreen state. I laughed when the morning dog walk produced sparkly poop. I've still got some work to do because I didn't have the optimum reaction when Jack kicked over and shattered a snow globe. Pray for me please. And pray that the tinsel magically stays on the tree branches. It should, since each branch cost about a dollar each.

The Annual Package

2011-12-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Every Spring, my dad digs a hole in his and my mom's vegetable garden and drops a few seeds in. He covers them over and waits. Most of the produce gets eaten up as quickly as it ripens. Not this plant. It's meant for something else. It's leaves and blossoms sprout. It's vines spread and curl around anything it can reach. The fruit starts out dark green but doesn't stay that way for long. When it's ready, he cuts it off the vine, wraps it in bubble wrap and gently tapes it up in a box. The USPS ends up taking it where it was meant to go. Every year, even if they live in Bellingham, Charleston, Meridian or Grand Forks, Luke and Jack get to open a package of apples, squash and PUMPKINS grown in Papa's garden.

Side note: Luke is becoming an awesome reader. Here Tim is helping him figure out who the package is from.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of these pumpkins carved up because we never got the chance. We put them out on our front porch, just to have them stolen and never seen again. Some of my old youth group leaders heard about the pumpkin thievery and felt so bad for my depressed boys, they sent ice cream gift certificates to cheer them up. Ice cream does wonders. Luckily, the runt of the bunch was still left in the garden so my dad quickly packaged it up and sent it off. We got to carve that one! And me, being the slacker that I am, didn't take a photo of it. Sorry.

Hopefully it won't be too many more Octobers until we can drive over to Nana and Papa's house to get the boys' pumpkins. Until then, we'll wait impatiently for our October package.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Wrong holiday. At least I didn't let this one end before catching up on the last one, right?

Batman and Ironhide went trick or treating in our awesome neighborhood. The sidewalks were a zoo and I couldn't even close the door in between costumed crazies.

Some of our neighbors went all out with lights, decorations and hidden speakers.

Yep, I caught some "orbs" on film. Do you think there are spirits floating around this abandoned house?

I'm thankful for a fun Halloween.

Hockey

2011-11-22T15:15:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back, Luke and Jack started hockey. For their first practice we didn't get them shoulder pads or breezers because the info sheet said those were optional. Whelp, I guess people here take their gear seriously. Every kid had all of the required AND optional gear on, so we had to head to the store. It was better in the long run though because they fall...a lot. The breezers are especially good for keeping their bums bruise-free. Just for your enjoyment here is the gear list:

skates

skate guards

shin guards

hockey socks

breezers

shoulder pads

elbow pads

gloves

practice jersey

neck guard

helmet and mask

stick

Needless to say, it is an art getting them ready for practice. We've shaved off about 20 minutes since the very first pre-practice prep. I'm pretty proud of that.

Jack had a rough time the first practice but since then, he's gotten the hang of skating and doing all the drills. He quit the first practice about 10 minutes before it ended but has since finished every other practice. At the end of each time, they come off the ice drenched in sweat and say they had tons of fun. Entertainment, physical activity and two very tired out boys. Score.

Terra, Lilah and Collin came to cheer the boys on. What good friends.

We've made it a Saturday morning tradition of grabbing coffee and heading out to hockey practice. We are loving this winter tradition, all four of us.

Overheard

2011-11-21T17:23:00.001-07:00

All this was said within 2 minutes while the boys and I were eating dinner tonight before hockey practice.

Luke: (holding his one arm out and the other curled on the side) "Do I look like a watering can?"

Jack: "When can we get a pet with antlers and hooves?"

Luke: "Mom, you make excellent dinners."

Jack: "Mom, look how fast I can run" He then proceeded to race down the hallway and back, all between spoonfuls of soup.

Luke: "I think I have a daddy long leg in my soup. Hehe."

Flattery, randomness and ridiculousness. Dinner is never boring.

The River and the Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

We got to show Meemaw and Papa all around the Red River. At one point, Jack found a t-rex footprint and got all excited. The weather was so nice and warm!

Then we went to the pumpkin patch. It definitely wasn't like this pumpkin patch, but it was still really fun. We took a stroll in the haunted woods, got lost in the corn maze and fed the animals.

Good times had by all.

Turkey Bingo

2011-11-17T20:49:00.001-07:00

Before we even signed Luke up for Kindergarten, we heard about Phoenix Elementary's annual PTO fundraiser. Turkey Bingo. Dun dun dun.

I heard from several people that the parents and kids alike go crazy for the coveted turkey prizes. The day the announcement came out with the details, I was waiting with Terra outside the kindergarten wing (as we do every day). Collin came bounding out the door after the bell rang with a bright yellow, oh, sorry, goldenrod flier.

"MOM!!!! TURKEY BINGO!!!!"

After perusing the flier, she told me all about it. The craziness and...the...prizes! 9 Frozen turkeys and three 50 dollar bills were up for grabs for a mere 4 bucks. In addition to that, a night of family fun and raising money for the PTO, who wouldn't love that?

The build up was big, and let me tell you, the Phoenix Elementary PTO did not disappoint. We got there early for a pizza dinner and made sure we had our bingo cards and pens poised and ready. The Phelps' and the Pell's were out to win a turkey.

Some of my favorite entertainment of the night was Lilah's intensity: "ALL I NEED IS B5, N34 and O71....oh and G47......Come ON!"

About 10 games in, Jack pulled out a win. Tim helped his timid "bingo" be heard and he bounded up to the stage. Someone else had gotten a bingo too so Jack had to participate in a tie breaker. The highest card pulled out of a deck won. Jack pulled out an ace. He struggled off the stage with his ten pound turkey and an even bigger smile.

Turkey Bingo was all we ever hoped it would be.

A Field Trip and a Visit

2011-11-17T10:02:00.002-07:00

A few weeks back Meemaw and Papa came for a visit. We had so much fun with them and showed them all around town. During their visit, Jack had a field trip to the fire station with his preschool so they got to come with him. He was so excited, the whole week before he told anybody who would listen all about it.

I can't tell you enough how much I love our co-op preschool. I wish I would have thought to start one a few years back. I'm sad this will be the only year we get to do it.

More pictures to come from Meemaw and Papa's visit. I didn't carry my camera around as much as I wanted to though. I need to break that bad habit.

Fall

2011-11-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

As beautiful as it was, it's already gone.

The first snow to stick on the ground came yesterday so these seem like they were taken so long ago.

In our backyard, this is how you do it:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Last: Pose patiently for pictures for Mommy when all you really want to do is have Daddy throw leaves all over you.

I got some good ones!

Framers.

Changes

2011-11-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Summer to Fall

Carefree to alarm clocks

Water fights to football

Barefeet to muddy socks

AC to testing out the fireplace

Coloring books to homework

New to settled

I'm liking these changes, but now I'm kind of ready for some snow.

We've got to see what North Dakota is made out of.

Clogged Up

2011-11-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Where to start?

I think my calendar is going to fall off the wall if I add anything more. Don't get me wrong, I like that it's full, rather than empty. It means we aren't new anymore. Hallelujah! We've got school functions, church functions, parties, practices, get-togethers, and meetings clogging up the days. Almost all of these are fun but I've got to schedule it in if I want to pick my nose.

Even though, we're busy, we make weekly appointments with the couch to watch football.

Most Sundays our friends' schedules match up with ours and we take turns feeding crazy kids.

Every night we crash.

And then we get up the next day and do it all again.

His love comes from the deep

2011-10-02T20:26:00.000-06:00

Jack doesn't know how to do anything half-hearted. When he loves you, you know it. His love is intensely loyal and intensely intense. We have made some friends here who have quickly become like family. We love them so much, but Jack is the one who shows it the most. When they leave, there is an almost guaranteed crying fit.

One evening I was putting him to bed after they left and he was moping. He was too distraught to put on his jammies or brush his teeth. He dramatically plopped himself down onto his pillow and declared, "I'm going to be sad forever."

And in his little heart, he really felt like that. He already knew we would see them in the next day or two, but that wasn't where he was focused. His here and now was tainted because his friends weren't near.

I don't know how his heart fits into his little body. Somehow he manages. And we get to feel the outpouring of his love every minute of every day. Awesome.

Stop, Luke and Listen

2011-09-29T13:11:00.000-06:00

We were walking home from school yesterday and the wind picked up. As the yellow and orange leaves detached from their branches, Luke stopped.

"Oooooh, this is my favorite part!"

When the leaves finally ended their swirls on the ground, he started back up his trek home.

"That was AWESOME! I love fall."

But here's the thing. He would say that about every season, every sunset, every storm. He notices and appreciates it all. Luke will wake up early and instead of stealing a few more minutes of sleep, he'll watch the sun come up. He takes those extra seconds to stop and smell the flowers. I already love him so much, but this makes me love him even more. Because of Luke, I don't miss the way the crickets chirp in the middle of the day here. I don't miss the smell of thunderstorm rain. I don't miss the the crunch of leaves under my feet.

He notices it all. And I get to be one of the lucky ones he shares it with. For that, I'm thankful.

My heart overflows.

My Life

2011-09-12T17:20:00.000-06:00

It will never be boring.

Here's why:

Guess who they got it from?

I love my life.

I love all three of them even more.

New Friends

2011-09-02T08:25:00.000-06:00

We haven't been here that long and we've already been blessed with some new friends.

And they're awesome.

So awesome that Jack told me he wants to live at their house.

And both boys cry when they leave or when we leave their house.

Parker is a good sport and puts up with the little kids very graciously.

Plus he gets to read Tim's old comics when they come over.

The kids get along so well.

And so do the parents.

It's a perfect combo.

Just Jack

2011-08-25T15:08:00.000-06:00

Jack has done very few things without his big brother. I knew that yesterday was not only going to be rough on Tim and I, Jack would feel the loss too. So that we wouldn't have to think about missing Luke, I planned a special day for just Jack and I. After dropping Luke off, we headed over to a breakfast party with some of the moms and kids from the co-op preschool we are joining. Several of the other moms and siblings had just dropped their firstborns off at kindergarten too. It was a perfect distraction, for all of us.

After the party, we headed over to the indoor water park. It was so much fun. We pretty much stuck to one tube slide the whole time, but we went down it 532 times. Jack started yelling, "This one's for Daddy!!!" and "This one's for Luke!!!" as we would go down each time. At one point we flipped over backwards and went underwater at the pool at the bottom of the slide. We both had a bit of a freak out moment. Jack is terrified of his head going under. I was freaking out because I knew Jack would be freaking out. I thought this would be the end of that slide so I asked him what he wanted to do next. His reply, "Let's do it AGAIN!!"

I was so proud of him. He's making such leaps and bounds and it's only the first day. I'm so excited to be home with just Jack. We've never had regular time just the two of us. Before Jack was born, Luke and I got to hang out, now it's Jack's turn. I have a feeling he's going to grow up right before my eyes. I love that he and Luke are so close but sometimes I wonder if Luke overshadows him a bit, in normal big brother fashion. This is his chance to figure out who he is as an individual. I'm going to make sure I cherish this time with just the two of us.

The First First Day

2011-08-24T15:53:00.000-06:00

Change was in the air as we walked down the sunny sidewalk. The cool breeze whispered that a tide was turning. I held onto both Luke and Jack's hands as we walked Luke to his first day of Kindergarten. Other families were snapping front door pictures of their backpacked, lunch box toting kids. A family biked around the corner. This was a fresh start for many. A new beginning.

Halfway there, the hand holding privilege changed to Tim. He looked down to Luke and told him, "You don't have to hold my hand if you don't want to. You can walk beside me like a big boy." Luke let go and started walking a little taller. Tim told Jack the same thing. Jack pondered it for a quick second and decided he'd rather hold his Daddy's hand.

Two different stages. One beginning and one almost done.

As we stepped onto the school grounds, we could see squeaky new shoes, friends reuniting and apprehensive parents. Behind door number six was Luke's classroom. After a moment of sensory overstimulation on the playground we beelined for his classroom.

With his head held high and a quiet confidence he said hello to Mrs. Rood. Her sunny yellow dress and warm smile were welcoming and comforting. Her presence set the tone. Before Luke was about to disappear into his classroom, she bent down and whispered in his ear, "Do you want to say goodbye to your family?" He turned around, waved and said, "Bye Mom." She nudged him closer so he could give us a farewell hug.

That's when I lost it. There was something about squeezing him and physically sending him off. He hugged Jack and then Tim and then darted into the classroom. We had properly sent him off, he was ready to go so we quickly turned and walked out. He did it. We did it. I survived the send off.

Tim and I held each other for a quick minute out on the playground. We still had some consoling to do. Then we both grabbed Jack's hands and trekked home. That same breeze flowed past. It tickled our ears and now spoke of hurdles overcome, pride in parenting and newness to come.

The Last Day

2011-08-23T20:38:00.001-06:00

Today is it. The last day of Luke's little boyhood is over.

Just yesterday I was rocking my brown eyed baby and watching his eyes droop to sleep. Then I blinked. Now he's packing his lunch and picking out his first day outfit. How did that happen?

I distinctively remember my first day of kindergarten. I remember who sat at my table. I remember circle time. I remember the pure, unadulterated excitement. I don't remember much about the night before but my dad does. He told me that as he was going to bed a few hours after he and my mom had tucked me in. He went in to check on me and tuck up the covers. Instead of being asleep, like I normally was at that hour, I was wide awake with a huge smile on my face. He asked me what I was doing still awake. "Excited, excited, excited!" was my reply. In my five year old brain, this was better than Christmas. It was school!

Now Luke will remember what the weather was like on the walk to school. He'll remember how the classroom looked and who sat at his table. He'll remember the sounds and smells of his first day.

It may not seem like it to him, but today was monumental to me. It was the last day it will be just me and the boys during the day. Now I have to trust others to take care of him, teach him and keep him safe from the hours of 8:15am to 3:00pm. It's hard to give him up and send him off into the world. I know the whole process is necessary in forming who he is as an individual, but that doesn't mean it's not frickin hard. I'm going to bawl like a baby tomorrow. I probably should stay away from the mascara.

My emotions are so mixed. I'm so excited for all the things he will learn and experience but I'm mourning the end of carefree days. I can't wait to see who his friends will be and what he will become passionate about but I'm sad that I won't be there to watch him navigate his day. I'm going to love watching him grow into a man, but I already miss my little boy.

Fun with Nana and Papa

2011-08-16T11:14:00.000-06:00

A little over a week ago my parents came for a WHOLE week visit! We were so busy having fun we didn't have time to do everything. I also forgot to carry along my camera for most of their stay except the day we went to Turtle River State Park to go fishing.

We weren't catching much at first but then Papa felt a tug on the line and strategically handed the pole to Luke. He pulled out a bass!

Then about an hour later he felt another tug on the line and handed the pole to Jack. Jack reeled in a catfish!

Then Tim and my Dad got the catfish fever. They tried all their tricks but to no avail. We even stayed through the most awesome downpour and thunderstorm. They ditched their poles and ran for cover. We waited out the storm in a park shelter and attempted to dry off. We heard the better place to find catfish is actually the Red River, which is a 2 minute walk from our house. The next day it was pouring down rain but they got all decked out in rain gear and tried again. No luck this time but I have a feeling this isn't the end of their pursuit. I told them next time they need to try noodling. Next on the list: Ice fishing in January.

As per usual, the boys got spoiled rotten and so did we. That's what grandparents do.

The days were filled with bike rides, sidewalk chalk, shooting off rockets, coloring, cookie making, Swedish pancake eating, walks around the neighborhood, backyard baseball and popcicle licking. The boys thought it was the coolest thing to run errands with Papa and be tucked in each night by Nana.

One night, Nana and Papa gave us a date night! We rode our bikes across town to a delicious hole-in-the wall. We burned off maybe half of the calories we consumed there by biking all the way back across town and over the bridge into Minnesota to see a movie. It was perfect.

The other evenings we had great conversations and even got to teach them how to play Pinochle. It was a great visit and now we are counting down the days til their next one.