Spanish "lesson"

Bug was giving us a "Spanish lesson" tonight, showing off all his rolled "r"s (and rolled various other letters).  The best part, I didn't catch on the video, which was when he said, "You know how you say 'goal' in Spanish?" "How?" "Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A new blog

G-bear, who is home sick today, has decided to start a blog all about her beloved Chocolate Chip.  If you'd like to read it, please visit: http://chocolatechip5.blogspot.com/

Decade

The word feels like an eternity. But, as is typical of our friend, Time, it is both an eternity and nothing.  10 years ago feels like it just happened, but it also feels like it's been a long journey.  I'm so proud of who this girl is.  As she moves her way gracefully through life, I feel like I can take less and less credit for who she is.  Watching her is full of moments where I fall in love with who she is.  At those same moments, I am astonished by where she came from.  She is, without a doubt, the most effortlessly kind person I have known, and I am honored to be called her Mama.

Election high

If there is one thing you watch about the election, let it be this.  Watching it made me so proud that we were able to pull through and honor compassion and honesty in this election.

Ironman Wisconsin, 2012

It is a beautiful city, Madison is.  It was an exhausting day on many levels.  It was also an inspiring day on many levels.  Congrats to our Mark, for his determination and fiercely positive attitude.  We are so proud of you!!!

  

Rockin'

These two are often playing "Rock Band."  I will hear Bug say to G-bear, "Hey, ya wanna work on your rock band?"  This was a pretty exciting combo: the piccolo trumpet and the "Uncle Lady," as Bug calls that pink thing.

Mothers and Daughters

I'm so pleased to be developing a community of mothers and daughters with a fine little crew.  We are hoping to build relationships and support for these girls as they make their way through the coming-of-age years and beyond.  We have had a couple of really nice gatherings.  The camping night out was really great, even though it was just a few of us.  I look forward to much more.

Nature and Risk

First, I wanted to report that we braved the heat to go to the River festival, and had a great time!  We all took a pedal boat ride and saw the hugest snapping turtle I have ever seen.  Seriously, shell the size of a medium pizza, and head the size of a softball!  It's head was emerged for air in front of us, and it ducked under our boat as we came upon it, so we got a good look at it.  I described it to the people at the turtle booth at the festival, and they said that it was most likely a snapper.  Yikes!  Right after that, we saw people who were trying out those paddle boats that you stand on, sitting on their boards with their legs dangling in the water.  The kids had fun trying out fishing, though unfortunately, no one caught anything.

As we were walking to the island for fishing, we came upon a fallen tree that made a fine jungle gym for the kids.  I couldn't help but notice that other parents passing by had down-cast eyes, and were saying, "No" to their kids.  The kids saw my kids enjoying the tree, but their parents would not let them climb it.  It left me wondering what we have come to.  It seems our society has a hard time trusting children lately, and we have a hard time letting them take risks.  We are saturated with helicopter parents, and fear Child Protective Services, who may be called if we let our 8-year-olds go to the park down the street unattended.  (Yes, that was a real story).

Luckily, a week or so later, I came upon the perfect article, without looking for it.  It spoke just to what I was upset about.  That day at the river fest, I felt like an outcast, or a radical parent (with a little twinge of pride, I must say).  But in the end, it only encouraged me to say "yes" more than "no," especially when it comes to my children wanting to try something that involves a risk.

Laundry

I just had to document this, because it is something to remember.  Summer 2012, the year our washer and dryer quit, then we had a plumbing issue (which resulted in some serious laundry needs), and then we had our first ever case of head lice (also resulting in serious laundry needs).  Oh, and all this happened just during the visit from the relatives (7 of them, who had travelled internationally, and probably were really wanting a shower and some clean clothes, but were VERY patient and understanding).  For a couple weeks, we washed our laundry by hand out on the deck.  The kids had fun with it.  We did it in these tubs, and part of the process included them getting in the tub and jumping on the laundry.  These were hot days, so a splash in the cold water was welcome.

I'm happy to report that we finally have our new machines!  Plumbing is also fixed, and head lice gone (thank you Pinterest, for alerting us to the Listerine trick).

Graduation

We are so very proud of our niece, who graduated this year and heads off to the next stage of life with such grace.  She is a super-star in so many ways, and so humble.  She has a shine about her, and my greatest hope for her is that she keeps that shine.  We love you, Han!!!!

Dance recital

Dance recitals have become a regular part of our lives, thanks to this beautiful dancer.  One of my favorite things in the world is to watch her dance.  Not usually at the recital, but in her spontaneous, graceful way of moving her body in dance-like gestures.  I love it most when it's unintentional.  This year, Moo tried modern dance instead of ballet.  She enjoyed it, but still has a special affection for the beauty of ballet.  

She's got some pretty proud fans as well.

Up North

There are many rejuvenating things about heading up north.  The quiet, the connection with nature, the days and days spent at a slow, easy pace.  One thing we are learning more and more is that it's also fulfilling to bring a friend along.  The sharing of these things deepens the bond.  This sacred place is one of the reasons we love living here.