racing through the weekend

This weekend was one of those weekends that just wipes you out. There was so much planned, activities with our family...as well as things unplanned that I just feel so grateful for today, Monday, so I can stop.  Don't get me wrong, I had a fantastic time with my family this weekend, but I am really wiped out from racing through it all!

Starting with Friday: The kids had no school due to a Teacher Institute Day. I decided to take them to the zoo! It was such an odd experience to be at Brookfield during winter weather without other people there. We usually go at night for the Holiday Lights at Christmas, but this was amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone. We parked the van and I was car number 12. Yep, that's it. 12 cars in the parking lot!  There were times we just didn't see ANYONE else and walked through exhibit houses without anyone else except zookeepers who were only too happy to talk to my kids and I about the animals. We were also able to observe animals playing in the snow, wrestling with each other, and chasing prey through their environment. Watching the wolves run together as a pack was downright creepy and amazing!   We were able to take our time and never once got pushed, shoved, or had to wait in line to see something we wanted to see. And we took all the time we wanted at each exhibit. The QUIET was so strange and very good. We were also able to spend time with a newborn giraffe and wait quietly for another to have her  baby. No baby came yet, but was expected to deliver by yesterday. Watch the news!

Saturday brought Adam's STEM class at NIU. He spent the morning constructing a Popsicle stick bridge with a team. Next time, they will break the bridges to find out how  much weight each can support. They had to use a variety of engineering skills to build the strongest bridge. He's so excited to see what happens to it!

Late that afternoon, Mark took us to Johnson's Mound in Elburn to join a forest preserve program. They showed us how to tap maple trees using a spiel to collect the sap used to make maple syrup  It was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed spending it outside. But we really enjoyed watching them cook the sap over the campfire and then sampling the syrup! Yum! The newspaper was there. Here's the article from the Chronicle and picture about the whole program. You can see Adam's coat sleeve! :)

Saturday came to a close with delivering Girl Scout Cookies (which means a chance to catch up with the neighbors) and finding that our oven has finally bit the dust! So our yummy dinner get put into the fridge and a pizza was order quickly.

Sunday was  Adam's big District Pinewood Derby race in Oswego. He was Grand Champion from our pack, beating over 140 cars. Sunday's race wasn't as successful and he didn't place at all. But he had a great time and it was exciting to participate in a different race. He did get a participation trophy because going to district is a big deal! AND it all took place in my old junior high building...Traughber Junior High. Very surreal for me!

We wrapped up our Sunday by shopping for a new stove. And a miracle happened...we fell into a deal! Not just a good sale, but a ridiculous, once in a lifetime, too good to be true, can't pass it up, "make you an offer you can't refuse" deal. So we took it. And now my kitchen will feel like a new one. Can't wait to bake!  But for now, I need to rest a little. It's been a busy weekend and I need to slow down from the race.

play dates--the big switcheroo

This week both of my kids have had friends over to play after school.  On Thursday  Lucy was able to bring two little girls home on the bus with her, twins in fact. I enjoyed having them over and everyone had a great time the whole visit.  Friday, Adam had a friend from class come home on the bus too. He stayed the afternoon, had dinner with us, then we took him home. Everyone had a great time on this visit as well. All the kids gave me a great insight to my own children and  how they "play" at different ages. I just completely had an incorrect vision as to how each of these days were going to go!

I thought for sure the three little 5 year olds would be quietly playing dolls or dress up and doing what they do. I thought the boys would be out of control wildness, aggressively enacting some sort of military operation. ABSOLUTELY NOT. :)   I couldn't have been more wrong. Let me repeat that I enjoyed having ALL of these kids together and I will have them over again in a heart beat! But....such a different experience than I had anticipated.

The girls DID play dress up and dolls and kitchen, but they did it with absolutely every single piece of dress up taken out of the closet for close inspection first. They chose every single doll and put them into families laid out on the bed and floor. They took out every single stuffed animal and toy horse and led them into a giant animal toy parade. ALL AT THE SAME TIME. This all took place in her bedroom, then continued on into the playroom where a full on 7 course meal of plastic food was created and served in the toy kitchen. In between these activities, there was My Little Pony video watching and a game of "catch the cat". All done while singing of course. It was beautiful bedlam.

The boys were a different story. They came in and went straight to Adam's room where they discuss the finer points of Minecraft and what they needed to do to create the best world. They came down for cookies, ate them quickly and quietly-all business- then retreated for some Tom and Jerry on TV while talking about how they can set up "chat" on their iPods with each other. (not that I was listening in...)  Moving on---Legos, Furby, general silliness and laughter, but all in his room,  the family room or the playroom. There were no battles, shooting sounds or even ONE farting armpit!!  (do I sound disappointed?)  At dinner, they took a booth by themselves and invited Lucy to sit with them at the "kids table". They ate while they played and laughed and talked more about the best apps and homework. (Minecraft and Angry Bird BTW, and homework stinks-they have it now that the the big Immigration research project is done) And then moved on to planning the next time they could get together, but this time a sleep over so they would have more time.

I enjoyed ALL of these friends and loved how these siblings included each other and were kind to each other while they each had their own friends over. I loved that they all cleaned up after and were polite to the parents! What a great week these kids have had together. Can't wait to have them all over again!!

the world according to jimmy john's

Mark and I were having lunch awhile ago and I saw this sign on the Jimmy John's wall. (I know, I know...who gets sentimental and thoughtful about JJ's wisdom??  Me I guess.)

 The three parts of proper apologies. 1. What I did was wrong. 2. I feel badly that I hurt you. 3. How can I make this better.

I'm sure JJ's is referring to their customer service goals, but I took out my phone to take a picture of this because I think it's a nice rule for life. Apologies take self-reflection. It takes looking inside yourself and admitting that YOU caused a problem or hurt feelings and that YOU made someone else feel badly. That you were in the wrong. Of course, I feel the first two parts are the easiest. The last part is what I struggle with and I'm sure others do too. The third part is the when we need to fess up to the wrong sincerely. Just saying "I'm sorry." and going about your day doesn't seem sincere. Words only, not a vision that you really WERE wrong. Saying "I'm sorry." with sincerity seems to require remorse, problem solving, love, internalization of some kind.

Unless it's just a sandwich apology. Then it's only lunch.

pinning with purpose

Like many millions of others, I've gotten on the Pinterest bandwagon. I admit, it's the biggest danger to losing time. I can sit down in my kitchen in front of my computer and "just check for one thing" on Pinterest. Two hours later I've realized I've lost the morning "pinning" great ideas. Many of you know that I have a leave of absence from school this year when my Dad came to live with us. Dad passed in November and I have some free time now. It's a GIFT! --and another blog topic---

    I've decided to use part of my time to actually "pin with purpose".  When I'm on Pinterest I am choosing to actually (gasp) use the pins and try them out. I started with Christmas. Before the holiday, I invited the local ladies in my family to bring a Pinterest Christmas ornament idea and supplies. I had cocktails and snacks and we each created about 5 different ornaments for our family trees, all inspired from an idea we found on Pinterest. Here's some of mine....

   I'm a bit sick of the "quick and easy" meals I've had to prepare during the week while working and getting kids to after school activities on time. So Pinterest to the rescue! So far I've tried:  mashed cauliflower, Olive Garden Toscana soup, honey roasted carrots, Philly Cheesteak sloppy joes, cranberry BBQ meatballs, peanut butter and apple crescents, Paula Dean potato soup and tonight I am trying Pizza Casserole.   I've linked to all of these sources so if you want to try them you can find 'em! Now I have the luxury of time to actually plan, shop, and prepare new meals for my family. Most of them have actually been successful!! 

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe, I skipped the sauce and just used a thin slice of Provolone cheese...YUM!

   I've also started planning our summer travel plans using Pinterest, as well as projects in my garden and home reno. With purpose, not random "oooh I like this" feelings. I ask myself if I could actually do this in my own home...if the answer is "yes" or "possibly" then I Pin it. 

    My son recently turned 9  and begged for a science party. Pinterest and STEM of NIU to the rescue! What a fun party for these guys!!!

    So I've enjoyed using Pinterest lately but it's also proved to me that I really was just ready to try new things with my new time. This is just one area that I've had fun with lately. This time that I have right now is definitely a luxury, a gift and something I never thought I would have. Earlier in the week, I was volunteering in my daughter's kindergarten class with her amazing teacher (yet another blog) and she said it to me just perfectly..."You know you're are finally getting to be one of the moms you've been jealous of all the years you were teaaching. All that time you watched someone else take care of your kids after school, and now you get to have those glimpses into their school day, and be there for them when they get home.  Now I AM jealous of YOU!"  Wow. I think I'll "pin" that quote!!!

faith and fathers

These past couple of weeks have been very hard for me. Since my dad died in November, there have been finances to deal with, bills, phone calls, and family issues. I'm sure my experience isn't a whole lot different than what other people who lose a close family member deal with. It just feels different. Because it's MY family. I've experienced so many different kinds of hurt that I don't quite no which end is up right now. My heart is aching for my dad. I miss him terribly. Relationships within my own extended family have become strained after his passing. Why? Money issues mainly. But along with that came trust issues. And faith in each other. I've felt hurt by some coworkers that I thought were really good friends, but have felt disappointed in their absence while I've struggled. Some of that is my fault...I didn't TELL them how I felt. Maybe they didn't know what to say, or thought I wanted to be left alone. Sometimes I DID want to be left alone. I've felt hurt that the law seems to support what is wrong rather than what is right. I've felt hurt by my dad for leaving things undone and now I'm left to take care of a big mess. Then guilty of course. I've felt hurt by some who are just being plain dishonest and selfish. Just talking about hurt today. And thinking about faith. And my fathers.
I need to feel my faith. I need my father. And My Father. And that's all I know right now.