tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91602248183240548322024-02-21T10:07:25.418-08:00The Can-Am YoungsNorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-13496679346591408932017-10-06T09:59:00.000-07:002017-10-06T09:59:06.983-07:00Bienvenue a Montreal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, anyone checking in on this blog knows that Spencer has been studying law at McGill in Montreal over the past 2 years and that the boys and I have been living in West Bend, WI where I commuted to Milwaukee to work full time and help off-set law school costs. As of last month, however, we are all under the same roof again up here in Montreal.<br />
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It has been a season of change, settling into our new home, forming new routines and bringing out books, toys and other home comforts that we have not been face to face with since we saw them packed up back in Perth, Australia.<br />
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It is also a chance for me to get back to my poor neglected blog. I'd like to do so by updating those checking in on what our family has been up to.<br />
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Spencer is sinking his teeth into his last year of law school and looking forward to seeing it in the rear-view mirror. Busy as he is we're still happy to be able to see him every day rather than every 3-4 months.<br />
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I am cruising along on my visitor visa here in Montreal and have been spending my days getting our home organized and acquainting myself with the city. I have met some lovely people here so far and am hoping to get a book club going soon.<br />
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Eliot started 3rd grade and really likes his teacher. We're still in the process of accessing all of the resources he will need but he's a trooper. He is in love with the metro system and every week we take at least 2 "metro adventures." He has gotten into Minecraft but still enjoys getting outside and riding his bike, reading and being read to and playing all sorts of imaginary games with Peter.<br />
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Peter is loving 1st grade and comes home with a smile every day. He also loves the metro system and is pretty good at reading the metro map. When we're riding the train he will study the map and let me know how many stops there are before we get off. He also enjoys Minecraft, playing outside (he and Eliot recently got a soccer ball and love going into the alley behind our house and kicking it around, he has also discovered the game of catch with Dad and thinks it's pretty great), he loves to read and be read to.<br />
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Finally there's Bella the Cat. She is a sweet, elderly kitty I adopted out of Toronto on my drive up here and she has been settling in nicely. She loves affection and has discovered that the boys, though loud and rowdy at times, give really good back rubs.<br />
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Recently I've been reading "Charlotte's Web" to both of them and since Peter goes to bed about 20 minutes before Eliot, Spencer and I have been reading "A Series of Unfortunate Events" to Eliot. He's anxiously awaiting book 5 from the library.<br />
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No family is perfect and without challenges, but as Eliot said the other day as he was waiting for some cookies to come out of the oven "I just love our family."Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-39871993948950550112017-08-14T14:14:00.001-07:002017-08-14T14:14:19.005-07:00Looking back: The Schows' summer visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had a great time visiting with Schow cousins this summer. We started it all off with ice cream.</div>
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Beach time!</div>
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All of the children enjoyed flexing their green thumbs in the garden.</div>
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Peter and Lucy giving us an impromptu dance performance.</div>
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Eliot and James pottering in the garden and shooting the breeze.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-56644423761666925802017-01-29T12:22:00.002-08:002017-07-01T05:34:55.274-07:00Looking Back: Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christmas seems like an eternity away. It's not even February yet and it feels like we've lived a decade or two. It's nice to be able to sit down and reflect back.</div>
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The boys were very excited for Spencer's visit. I had warned them not to go dashing past airport security in their enthusiasm to see him. They were very good and remained in place when they spotted him. But as you can see from Peter's position in mid-air they found other ways to express their delight.</div>
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It was a very happy reunion for us all.</div>
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Before Spencer arrived the boys had helped select and decorate the Christmas tree. When the work was done they each brought out their stuffed animals to pose in the tree's warm glow.</div>
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Decorating gingerbread cookies.</div>
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All in all it was a very nice Christmas.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-55950146428606622762016-11-18T17:21:00.002-08:002016-11-18T17:24:16.801-08:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year I thought I was going to get off easy. Both Eliot and Peter were determined to dress up in the same costumes they'd used last year. As fate would have it, early in October they discovered a Nickelodeon show called "Paw Patrol" and became obsessed with it. Both chose a character from the show. Peter chose Chase (some people thought he was a mouse, but he's a German Shepherd puppy, thank you very much) and Eliot chose Zuma. It was fun to make their costumes but it was also a lot of work. The night they were finished (just in time for our first Halloween party) the boys were delighted and Peter kept saying "dis is incwedible! I feel like a weel dog!" which was a huge pay-off.</div>
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Now that we had costumes it was time to get down to business, and get down to it we did to the tune of 3 trick or treating events in a 24 hour period.</div>
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First it was off to the Harvest Festival at church. The Halloween Party at school was on the same night but the boys' chose the church party, much to my relief. The school's party is a good-faith effort--we went last year--but what I remember most about it was standing around in a crowded echoing lunch hall waiting for things to get started and when things finally did get started they consisted of a costume parade, trunk or treat and good night. At the church party there were crafts, games, a costume parade, trunk or treating, a chili cook-off, pot-luck desserts and a train ride. So it really was no contest.</div>
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The next morning we were back in business, joining Aunt Rissie at the Milwaukee Public Museum for a special members' only trick or treating event. Trick or Treating while looking at dinosaurs and listening to a Ghost Buster explain the intricacies of the human skeleton? Yes please!</div>
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And finally there was Trick or Treating in the neighborhood. The boys were ready to really take this seriously and we went much farther afield than we had last year.</div>
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Trick or Treating is hard work for a pair of little legs...</div>
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...but so worth it.</div>
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Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-8851996957482280862016-09-12T20:01:00.000-07:002016-09-12T20:01:34.088-07:00The Summer in Recap: Dad's Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While Spencer was here this summer we took advantage of our week with him. I took time off work and the boys took a hiatus from YMCA day camp. It was fun to just hang out as a family but we were also able to fit in some family outings. One was to a Brewers game (the boys' first Major League ball game) and as a special highlight Spencer caught a foul ball. We had been sitting Spencer-Peter-myself-Eliot at the time and when Spencer caught the ball he flopped it over into Peter's lap. Eliot and Peter both instantly recognized this as a sign of possession and Eliot shouted "I want the next one!" I quickly explained that the ball was Dad's, as he had caught it, but that he was happy to share with his two boys. Eliot got a turn to hold it and look is over which satisfied him.</div>
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There were all kinds of wonders at the ball park. Ice cream served in little plastic batting helmets, Dippin' Dots--though the boys opted for the ice cream as, in Peter's words, "we can get Dippin's Dots anywhere but we can't get ice cream in helmets anywhere!"--nachos, pretzels, I could go on.</div>
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The boys had fun at the game and sat surprisingly well through all nine innings. They watched the score board to help keep track of the game and loved jumping to their feet to cheer, even when they didn't know what they were cheering about.</div>
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Spencer explained some of the finer points of the game.</div>
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Though the game didn't capture their rapt attention from start to finish, I'd say the fact that they lasted through through to the end and left feeling happy and excited is a mark of success.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-54380578885727273632016-09-01T19:07:00.002-07:002016-09-01T19:07:41.155-07:00Back to School!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was able to take off work yesterday and today to help the boys celebrate their final day of summer vacation (we had breakfast out and went for an "epic" bike ride) and to get them off to their first day of school. Both Eliot and Peter have been looking forward to this school year as it will be the first time they attend school together.</div>
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Eliot is going into 2nd grade and is looking forward to his new adventures there. He still loves math and science as well as anything mechanical. Eliot's 2nd grade teacher comes highly recommended by other teachers at his school and in my brief conversations with her so far she seems like a really nice, down-to-earth lady. I think he's going to have a great year.</div>
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Peter is starting Kindergarten and is very excited to be going to Greentree with Eliot. Greentree was the primary venue for their YMCA summer day camp so he's feeling like it's a pretty familiar space. He also has the same teacher that Eliot had for K-5 so we're all enjoying that comfortable feeling of The Known.</div>
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Eliot and I got Peter to his classroom and left him standing in line to enter the room before heading off to Eliot's class. Eliot got his things into his locker and then I asked if I could take his picture, smiling in front of his locker. "No Mom. I have to get in there," he replied very importantly. And off he slipped into 2nd grade. There was too much going on for me to feel a twinge for very long. On my way out of the building I happened to pass Peter's classroom again where he still stood patiently in line with the other children. This was the last look I got from him as I waved goodbye and walked past.</div>
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When I went to pick them up at the end of the day Eliot's class came out first and I saw him looking around with a worried expression on his face. Assuming it was because he hadn't noticed me yet I waved and called his name. He saw me, waved back in a "yes, yes, I see you" kind of way and continued to search the crowd of children pouring out of the building. It was then that I realized that mine was not the face he was looking for. Finally Peter's class exited the school and together my two boys joined me with exuberant smiles for the walk home.</div>
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As we walked home they chatted about their day. I seriously love these guys.</div>
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Today wasn't just the first day of school, it was also Dad's birthday!! Though Spencer was not here to physically join in the festivities the boys were happy to blow out the candles for him and have a slice of lemon rosemary yogurt cake in his honor.</div>
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It was simply a great day.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-27550338827584783542016-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:002016-07-25T16:01:21.111-07:00A week in Edmonton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier this month the boys and I flew to Edmonton where we met up with Spencer to visit with his family. On the way to our gate the boys found these cheese items. The expressions on their faces not only reflect their delight with their accessories but also with the prospect of seeing Dad.</div>
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We wound up in First Class on our short flight from Milwaukee to Minneapolis (long story) and Peter settled right in to his solo seat by the window.</div>
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It was a busy week seeing family and friends. It was great to be able to see everyone (if only briefly) and to catch up.</div>
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Toward the end of our visit Peter wrenched his neck in the wee small hours of the morning. After a trip to the ER (before we knew it was a wrenched neck) Peter started his recovery off on the right foot with a batch of watermelon cookies. He spent most of the rest of the day with a make-shift neck brace.</div>
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Though Henry was otherwise engaged Eliot and Peter enjoyed getting an update from Auntie Patti and Uncle Aaron and watching videos of leaping into water to fetch.</div>
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Making watermelon cookies (the one chock-a-block seeds was Peter's and he wasn't letting anyone forget it)</div>
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Meeting the pilot and making sure everything is ship shape.</div>
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Like any siblings Eliot and Peter have their moments of strife, but at the end of the day they're buddies. On the plane ride home Eliot's nose started to bleed just as we started to taxi and the flight attendant provided us with a wad of napkins and a bag of ice. Peter was charged with holding the ice pack against Eliot's neck (to help him cool down) and was happy to help his brother--though it didn't slow him down on the iPad.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-12970324004769166522016-05-30T19:19:00.001-07:002016-05-30T19:19:47.301-07:00Our Little Graduate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past Thursday we attended a very special event. Peter and his classmates at the YMCA's Early Learning Center were being honored as they finish up the year. A graduation ceremony was held for those who will be moving into Kindergarten next year. Peter has loved the days he has spent with his teachers and friends. He was very excited to have his picture taken with his teacher, Ms Becca. He has learned a lot and is looking forward to starting a new chapter in his education next fall.</div>
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Peter was the first to take the stand and accept his certificate. The teachers gave a little blurb about each child and in Peter's case they talked about how he had started out as the quietest child in the class but had blossomed into quite the chatter-box and that they were very proud of him. </div>
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We are proud of him too. He is such a fun, surprising little guy. When he saw us in the audience his face lit up with totally uninhibited delight. He has the best laugh and very expressive hand gestures which he uses to emphasize almost everything he says. His imagination is boundless. The other day he told me that the night before he had had a nightmare that a monster was chasing him a trying to eat him but that he had somehow realized that the monster only wanted to play and be friends. So now they're great friends and meet up every night in Dreamland to play. The monster's name is Max.</div>
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Peter and Eliot are excited to be attending the same school next year. I'm sure that Peter will continue to blossom there are well. </div>
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Congratulations Peter!!</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-15026046904635846532016-05-10T18:30:00.000-07:002016-05-11T14:44:30.649-07:00A hard afternoon's work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My parents are adding a garden to their backyard and in these parts that means a garden fence to protect the harvest from roving herds of deer. My parents hired a crew led by the boys' personal hero--Jim Anderson--to build a fence with a gate. The gate required a frame, which required cement, which required a shortened school-day for Eliot and Peter so that they could watch, help and scavenge cool things like blocks of scrap wood and globs of wet cement. I mean, this was the real deal.</div>
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Eliot helps dump cement mix into the wheelbarrow. Peter watches and waits for his chance to add a dandelion to the mix because, well, why not.</div>
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Eliot and Peter took turns adding water.</div>
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Working together to blend the water with the cement.</div>
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Scoop.</div>
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And plop. </div>
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Eliot did a pretty good job maneuvering his shovel and Peter got in on the action too.</div>
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Peter kicking back with some apple juice and some Winnie the Pooh tunes. A well earned rest.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-23054746980663141582016-03-23T15:55:00.000-07:002016-04-07T05:21:32.478-07:00Peter is 5!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week Peter transformed from his former 4-year-old self to a brand new 5-year-old self! He's just as sweet and feisty as he always was but now it's takes a <i>whole hand-full of fingers</i> to show someone his age. This is pretty exciting.</div>
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Eliot wasn't sure what kind of cake he wanted though he knew that he wanted chocolate involved. I'd found a cake recipe on Pinterest that I was wanting to try I Peter is my banana bread junkie, so I made a Brown Butter Banana Cake with Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache. It was a hit.</div>
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Making wishes and blowing out candles is big work but Peter paused in his candle-snuffing to pose for a couple of shots.</div>
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Eliot was eager to help Peter open his presents. Peter was an excellent sport. Peter's no push-over and it's always fun to see them getting along well.</div>
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Peter was delighted with his gifts and cards. His reading skills are coming along and he was able to sound out a lot of the birthday messages.</div>
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Peter loves books. If you're going on a long drive and you need Peter to be quiet and good in the car, just hand him a copy of "Lunch Lady" or "Elephant and Piggie" or "Gollie and Bink" or any book that's new to him, and you're looking at a good 30 minutes of peace and quiet while he pours over the pages. I was home from work today and with Eliot attending his last day of school before Spring break Peter and I had the day to spend together. It was a yucky/sleety/snowy/rainy day so Peter I headed to the library. While we're their he likes to play with the Thomas train table and other toys but when we got home it was time to snuggle down with some of the books we brought home and have a good read.</div>
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Peter has also been working on expanding his List of Foods He's Willing to Eat. He's caught on to an idea that Eliot picked up from school that if he tries something 8 times he'll like it. This morning he announced that he likes everything, except casserole. Then he added that he has tasted casserole once so if he takes 7 more bites he'll like it! Did mention he also really likes numbers?</div>
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He's a sweet, fun little guy and we love him so much!</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-20499782259835300762016-03-13T19:56:00.000-07:002016-03-17T21:18:51.088-07:00Eliot is 7!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Eliot has been looking forward to his birthday for some time now. His birthday landed on a Saturday this year so as a treat to him we stuck around the house where he could have the day to play and imagine with Peter. He loved it.</div>
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For his birthday dinner Eliot requested tacos and a lemon meringue cake. He still loves sushi (still pronounces is "shushi") and will gobble down just about anything you put in front of him.</div>
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This was taken at a dinner out that we had when Spencer was in town at the end of February. It was an outing to celebrate what a good job Eliot and Peter had been doing with following directions and cooperating. Just before I took the picture I asked Eliot how he was doing. He gave me the thumbs up and said "good"--which accounts for the funny half-smile.</div>
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The restaurant included a small arcade where most of the games cost 25-50 cents. Each boy was given six dollars to play with. Both boys left with more rubber balls then they know what to do with. Here Eliot is trying his skills at the pinball machine. Dad was on hand to coach and his cheek is filled with a gobstopper.</div>
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While Spencer was in town he took Eliot to a Bucks game. It was Eliot's first pro basketball game and he had a great time hanging out with Dad and staying up <i>way</i> past his bed time. From what I understand the giant floating bucks blimp was a major highlight.</div>
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Eliot loves to be involved in any handy work around the house. Recently the toilet seat in the half-bath needed changing and Eliot got to help Grandad switch it out. Since then he has asked me several times when the seat in the full bathroom needs to be changed.</div>
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Eliot has a thriving imagination and he and Peter will lose themselves in imaginary games in which they act out stories from TV shows or books, or come up with their own. Melting ice in the Regner Park parking lot became a water slide for sticks.</div>
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This past week they had crazy hair day at school and Eliot was very pleased to be sporting his school colors on top of his head. He's a fun, thoughtful little guy and we love him so much!</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-3340277948118583282016-02-13T11:57:00.001-08:002016-02-13T11:57:22.883-08:00How they're going<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that I have a week to relax up here in Montreal and re-group, I thought I would settle in and catch up on my blog with a little update about the boys.</div>
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Eliot and Peter are a riot. They have a hard time going to sleep in the same room together so we've worked out a system where Peter goes to bed in his own bed and Eliot goes to sleep in my bed. After everyone is asleep, we move Eliot to his bed in the boys' room and everyone gets a good night's sleep. Occasionally we'll let the boys try going to sleep in the same room on a Friday night but so far we've still had to revert to our present set up. It has been smooth sailing although recently Peter has taken to sneaking out of his bed and into the room with Eliot to chat and play. The other night I found them with a book open with Eliot reading a story to Peter. I let them finish the story before taking Peter back to his bed.</div>
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The boys are getting a full dose of winter. Aunt Rissie has started a hiking club for students at the school where she teaches. A few weeks ago she invited the boys and I to join them on a candlelit hike through Horicon Marsh. Sounded like a great idea, and it was, except that we didn't realize that during the drive out to the marsh the temperature had dropped precipitously. We were grateful for the bonfires and the lodge filled with cozy activities but the boys also braved a shorter version of the hike with me. During the hike the boys took turns walking next to me so that I could cover their face with my gloved hand.</div>
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Both Eliot and Peter are taking basketball lessons at the YMCA this winter. At both levels they're working on basic skills like dribbling, passing, shooting, blocking and guarding. It will be great to have Dad in town later this month to practice with!</div>
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Last month Eliot's school put on their Winter Program which was themed "Welcome to Holiday Inn." Because I was a classic film junkie growing up I was already familiar with this Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film. Each grade sang songs from a different holiday (Eliot sang songs about Thanksgiving with his fellow first graders) and then all of the students sang Christmas songs. The children were asked to dress in their best with the boys specifically asked to where a collared shirt with a tie. Eliot looked very sharp and quite grown up and his face beamed as he joined his friends before the show started.</div>
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I also bought a tie for Peter and both boys have been wearing their ties to church. Eliot will take his tie off as soon as he's home (or sooner) but Peter will keep his on the entire day. In fact the first day he wore it he wanted to still wear it with his pajamas when the time came to get ready for bed. Looking like a real Odd Squad agent was just too cool to give up.</div>
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Peter digging in with chop sticks. It took some convincing to get him to try the fried rice but then he gobbled it up and he declared, "Dees scwambood eggs aw deewissess!"</div>
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We went to the Domes (botanical gardens) down in Milwaukee a couple of weekends ago and the boys were delighted to find an elaborate model train system running around the center of the Show Dome. They sat for what seemed like hours and watched the trains coming and going.</div>
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We've started making smoothies with the boys and I usually make one that has blueberries, banana, spinach, oatmeal, yogurt and milk. Both boys like it but Peter in particular is a big fan. Here he's sporting his smoothie mustache.</div>
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Both Eliot and Peter love being read to. Up until recently Eliot has a hard time working up the motivation to sit down and work on reading. Being able to read stories to Peter has proven to be an effective motivator. Nothing pulls them in and calms them down quite like reading. This picture was taken at the Public Library in downtown Milwaukee. We took the boys there after the Domes visit to do some reading and pick up some books. Some of their favorites right now are "Bink and Gollie," "Frankie Pickle," and "Galaxy Zack." On the long drive home to West Bend they each sat with a book open in their lap, pouring over the words and pictures.</div>
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I love these two feisty little guys so much.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-32815866959309143842016-01-30T13:30:00.000-08:002016-01-30T13:30:32.409-08:00Hit the ground running.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. The boys and I were very happy to have Spencer join us. There's just no substitute for Storytime with Daddy.</div>
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Christmas morning each boy received their own personal panettone loaf and were pretty impressed.</div>
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The spy gear from Aunty Patti and Uncle Aaron went into action as quickly as we could get batteries into them. Here Peter is using the spy camera to peer around the corner and see what Daddy is up to.</div>
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Breakfast out as a family is always a special treat, especially when chocolate chip pancakes are on offer.</div>
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Learning to play a new computer game from Uncle Doug. This provided some nice quiet time for Spencer and the boys--which of course meant some nice quiet time for me :).</div>
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New Year's Eve was spent at home eating treats and donning fun glowing glasses in the dark.</div>
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Though we were all in bed by 9:30 pm it was fun thinking that 2016 was fast approaching.</div>
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Eliot read himself, and Yellow Bear, to sleep.</div>
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2016 is already off to a great start.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-57744963581516738882015-12-23T20:01:00.002-08:002015-12-23T20:01:55.269-08:00I Spy Something Christmasy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Advent Calendar chocolates are almost gone and Christmas is nearly here. The other day I found that Eliot had been using my phone to capture some fun pictures of the Christmas tree. There were easily 20 or so nearly identical pictures. He and Peter can hardly contain their excitement.</div>
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Eliot has been re-arranging the Nativity figurines in the stable that my mother's father built out of one of their Christmas trees when she was a child. They are the same figurines that we used when I was a child. It's amazing to me that none of the pieces are lost or broken.</div>
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Several weeks ago my mother and I took the boys out to a Christmas tree farm where we cut down our Christmas tree. It's a cute little family-run farm that included a wagon ride through the woods and a bonfire. We decided that we would have to return one evening after nightfall to enjoy the lights.</div>
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Handmade snacks were on offer along with hot apple cider and hot chocolate.</div>
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Eliot brought Freckles the Dog along. Freckles was a little listless that evening, but he didn't make a peep of complaint.</div>
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The workers were pretty good sports as well.</div>
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After the wagon ride we settled in around the bonfire. Eliot and Peter ran back and forth gathering fallen pine boughs to toss into the flames to hear them crackle and pop.</div>
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Peter tries on the stockings for size and cries out "HO HO HO!"</div>
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At school Eliot's class got a fun surprise for all the good work they've been doing. They got to decorate Graham cracker "gingerbread" houses. Eliot had positioned a licorice dog in the backyard of his little house and informed me that it was supposed to be Henry.</div>
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They had extra houses and supplies so Eliot brought one home for Peter.</div>
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This is another photo from a series taken by Eliot. Peter with a smile on his face and jingle bells in his hand. It says it all.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-58735762356459753992015-11-28T19:33:00.000-08:002015-11-28T19:33:49.352-08:00Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Thanksgiving morning the boys and I made a paper chain with things and people that we are thankful for. Alongside the names of our family, more workaday blessings cropped up like Eliot's "toilet plunger." Peter came up with "love" and the chain also included snow, books, snuggles, and buses.</div>
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For breakfast we made Grandma's granola.</div>
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It was the perfect recipe for the boys to help chop, scoop, pour, and mix.</div>
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Enjoying an eclectic holiday breakfast. We were off to a good start.</div>
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Eliot helped get the turkey prepped for the oven and was fascinated with all of the different bits and pieces that involved.</div>
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To help the boys pass the time between putting the turkey into the oven and eating it, Rissie and I took them for a walk. It was a rainy day but that didn't hold us back. Along the way we found little signs of preparation for the next big holiday.</div>
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The best part of the walk, by far, was when we reached the little stream running through Regner Park. </div>
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It was the perfect day to return to a cozy house filled with the smells of a roasting turkey. I'm so thankful for these sweet boys. They brighten every part of my life.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-31607319813411676852015-11-22T19:44:00.000-08:002015-11-22T19:44:22.331-08:00"It's Chwissmas!!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend Spencer surprised the boys with a short visit. Spencer pulled in to West Bend on Friday afternoon and since Peter spends Fridays at home he was the first of the two to see him.</div>
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After the initial greetings were over Peter said, "I'm so happy! It's Chwissmas!" As far as he and Eliot knew, Christmas was the next time they were going to see Daddy. So for Peter it followed: Daddy was here so it was Christmas. Tears were shed when we explained that wouldn't be Christmas for another month.</div>
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He recovered though and was happy to show Daddy some of the new things he has learned with reading and numbers.</div>
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Peter has recently become very interested in reading and math. He loves being given addition problems to solve so long as it's adding 0 or 1 to another number. His imagination has also blossomed into a force of nature and he spends most of his energy pretending to be characters from his and Eliot's new favorite show "The Odd Squad." This usually involves him approaching us and saying, "what's your odd problem?" and then fixing the problem with some kind of -inator. As in fun-inator or de-pumpkin-inator.</div>
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We surprised Eliot by picking him up at school. He and Spencer chatted all the way back to the car. Eliot's conversational skills continue to expand and he and Spencer had some interesting discussions during his visit about black holes and other topics that six-year-old boys are apt to find interesting. He loves playing Uno right now and will sit down anytime, anywhere, with anyone. He's a gracious winner and loser and is able to hold his own, though still working on holding a hand of cards.</div>
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While Spencer was here we took the boys out, with my parents, for some Hibachi. It was a first for the boys and they were pretty impressed.</div>
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Peter wasn't so sure about having food thrown into his mouth, thank you very much.</div>
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Both boys were willing to catch a jet of water though.</div>
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They both did really well.</div>
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They had a wonderful time with Daddy. We took him swimming at the YMCA, and hiking of the Ice Age trail. We visited the library and got in some good story reading time. We're all looking forward to seeing him again in December.</div>
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Now jump ahead to this weekend. Saturday morning Peter came running in to wake me up. "Mummy! Come quick! There's a surprise!" I followed him to the kitchen where he threw up his arms at the window--through which we could see the backyard blanketed in snowy white with large flakes continuing to fall fast--and declared, "Look! It's Chwissmas!!"</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-31216570663857737152015-11-01T19:53:00.000-08:002015-11-01T19:58:54.910-08:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The boys were very excited about Halloween this year. This was first year that Eliot really took pumpkin carving into his own hands (literally). Though supervised the creations on the right and left were his very own work. The one in the middle was commissioned and supervised by Peter.</div>
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Last week we went to Sendiks (a local grocery store) where they had all sorts of harvest/Halloween activities going on including face painting.</div>
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Peter wanted to be a blue cat and was very pleased with the results. When I take pictures with my phone he's never sure where to look, which is why he seems to be staring off into space.</div>
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Eliot wanted to be a cheetah. Though "cheetah" was not part of the face painter's official repetoire she very obligingly adapted her tiger face to come up with a close approximation. He asked for "the lines down the face" but when she didn't seem to know what he meant he was a good sport and thanked her anyway. </div>
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The night before Halloween we attended the Harvest Festival at church which of course included costumes and Trunk-or-Treating. After Eliot's face painting was done he painted Yellow Bear's face so she wouldn't feel left out.</div>
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While Eliot chose to be a cheetah, Peter chose to be an Australian redback spider (which was a costume that I'd made for him last Halloween). The two of them had a great time crawling around and really getting into character. Eliot kept telling Peter that cheetahs eat redback spiders and that Peter should give him a "venomous bite."</div>
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They both won on the cake walk (thank goodness!!) and were very pleased.</div>
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They each won a doughnut in the bean bag toss.</div>
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They settled in for spooky story telling.</div>
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The spooky stories included the standard grapes for eyeballs, spaghetti for guts, wet sponge for brain etc. They thought it was delightfully yucky.</div>
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Saturday was Trick-or-Treating in the neighborhood and Eliot donned his cheetah outfit again, it's fun to be able to use your costume more than just once.</div>
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Fifteen minutes before Trick-or-Treating was to begin Peter announced that he wanted to go as a black cat instead of a spider. This seemed simple enough--and what's the point of all this anyway if it's not to have fun?--so I whipped together some ears and a tail with the boys' "help" (which eventually meant their being shut out of the sewing room so that I could get it done without also sewing pieces of elastic to scraps of fabric for Yellow Bear). Peter didn't want me to take his picture so this one was taken on the sly while he was describing how full he was. All the last-minute costume making meant that we had only one of the two hours allotted to Trick-or-Treat. This was just as well since their patience could only stand going down one street and back up the other side.</div>
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Once they were done they settled down on my parents' porch and stuffed themselves with candy while passing out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters that came along.</div>
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Peter dumped his candy onto the table to sort through it. In the picture I asked him to say "Happy Halloween" in order to get a good smile but he wanted it to look like he was just beginning to say "Halloween" so he froze in the midst of saying the first syllable. He's certainly one for doing things his own way.</div>
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Eliot was over the moon. His dream of being a "real" cheetah had come true as far as he was concerned and on top of it all he had a bucket of candy.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-87724115886719577462015-10-16T17:21:00.000-07:002015-10-16T17:21:41.659-07:00Apple time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier this month we took the boys to the apple farm to pick apples. There was hail earlier in the summer (remember the siding?) and so many of the apple were damaged, though still edible. Eliot found this little apple that was just perfect.</div>
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Every time Peter picked an apple he wanted me to take a picture of it. This was one of the few pictures where the apple was not obscuring his face.</div>
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Peter carried the bag of apples, at least for as long as it took to take the picture, then he handed it back to me. Ten dollars worth of apples is pretty heavy for one little boy to carry on his own.</div>
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Picking out some pre-Halloween pumpkins to decorate the house with. Eliot was very good at pulling it all on one of their little carts. He took the job very seriously.</div>
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Peter picked out the perfect Peter-sized pumpkin.</div>
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The farm is a great place to make new friends. </div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-70337879807809227582015-09-30T20:19:00.000-07:002015-09-30T20:19:26.266-07:00Home repairs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier in the summer we had a hail storm come through the area. It damaged my parent's roof and siding and they had to be replaced (thank goodness for insurance). The roof was replaced first and it was a major event. The boys saw the roofers come early in the morning before they left for school and then they were picked up early from school later in the afternoon to watch them finish their work. Peter kept telling people that he would be a "woofer" when he grew up, until he saw them walking precariously along the eves, then he decided that being a "woofer" was a little too dangerous. Then, last week, the men came with the siding. Again the boys watched, starry-eyed, as the old siding was stripped away and the new siding put into place. Eliot was especially impressed with the calking gun. The men left some of their scraps for the boys to use in their own building projects and then I took Eliot out to get him his very own calking gun. He spent the rest of afternoon calking and creating.</div>
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It didn't take him long to get the hang of it. He informed me that the next time the siding needed to be replaced we wouldn't have to call in the professionals because he was ready and willing to do the job himself. So that's a relief.</div>
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Smoothing the calking with his finger just as he had seen the craftsmen doing. He's a quick learner.</div>
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Peter got in the action too. Though the calking gun required a little more squeezing power than Peter could muster, he got busy with the hammer and drove several nails into the end of a fire log that had been purchased for that very purpose. I love my little handy-men.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-6392276882023624972015-09-13T14:05:00.000-07:002015-09-14T19:44:09.349-07:00Serb Fest 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here in Wisconsin summer-time means church parking lot carnivals. I remember Spencer mentioning it once long ago when we were living in Wauwatosa, that every church seemed to have its weekend to hire some carnival rides and games and throw a party in their parking lot. The Serbian Cultural Center, which is in my parents' old neighborhood on the south side of Milwaukee, also joins in the fun. We drove down with the boys a couple of weekends ago for Serb Fest.</div>
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The cultural hall (which was similar to halls of the same name in our own church, complete with basketball hoops tucked up out of the way and a stage at the far end for theatrical productions) was set up with round tables for people to sit and eat the food purchased from the tables along the wall. It was delightfully intimate with a dessert table that looked like a bake sale. Plates of baked goods crowded in together and had that unmistakable made-in-the-kitchen-of-some-goodly-stern-faced-grandmother-who's-love-language-consists-of-discipline-and-good-food look to it. And indeed, many such grandmothers were seated along the wall behind, over-seeing the proceedings and gossiping together in Serbian. The food was delicious and our meal was accompanied by a traditional band strumming and singing on the unlit stage. It was great.</div>
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And then came the rides. Eliot was very shy of the rides at first. It took three failed attempts to get him onto the ferris wheel. Once on board he kept giggling and saying how fun it was. Words belied by the vice-like grip he had on my arm the whole time, flapping his hand away for a milisecond to wave at Rissie and Peter as we went past. Eventually, however, he softened to it and wanted to go on the ferris wheel again and again. The Tilt-a-Whirl was another one that he wasn't certain of at first. He was excited to get on the ride, which helped him last through the long line, but once it came to sitting down inside the shell-like seat and getting clamped in, he balked. Knowing that he would like it once it got going I pulled him in beside me and pulled down the bar. Sure enough, as we started to spin and laugh, he had a great time. The Tilt-a-Whirl was another that he wanted to go on a second time</div>
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Standing in line is tough work for little guys.</div>
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It's tough work for big-little guys too.</div>
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Eliot wasn't too sure about the roller coaster when it was discovered that no adults were allowed. The attendant was really great about it and boomed, "That's okay! You go on, I'll still be here when you get your nerve up!" Peter, however, decided that he was going to ride it even if it meant going alone. He looked about himself with an expression of happy expectation while the buckling-up was going on. And then it started to move.</div>
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The roller coaster was not wild by any means (attached as it was to an electrical cable that stretched from a pole in the center of the circuit) but there was a lot of rumbling and jolting about. The expression of happy expectation was immediately replaced by one of fierce concentration, as though Peter was trying, by shear force of will, not to be tossed into the dirt. As he passed by us we would shout and cheer his name and a self-concious grin would tug at the corners of his mouth, but not enough to break his concentration. Sometimes he would glance about quickly, but always just too late, and he would wind up catching a glimpse of the people just beyond us. When the ride finally came to a stop he climbed down from the platform with a big smile on his face and announced that he would be going on the roller coaster only once because, "it was not fun."</div>
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What's a carnival without cotton candy? I was going to get the boys each their own, until I saw the person ahead of me in line handed a wad of blue fluff that was easily twice the size of their head. Then I decided that we could all share.</div>
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The boys did a pretty good job of sharing it too. They would take turns holding it and tearing chunks off.</div>
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The only trouble with cotton candy is that it's terribly sticky, and in the humid summer evening it began to drip a bit and I started finding it stuck to all sorts of strange places: my purse, my hair, my arm. So after we'd all had our fill, the bit that remained on the stick was made to disappear while I took the boys on one more Tilt a Whirl ride.</div>
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At the end of the evening Eliot decided that he wanted to try out the roller coaster after all. When Peter saw that Eliot was going, he decided that he needed to go as well.</div>
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When the roller coaster jerked forward, the same look of concentration came over Peter's face and for a moment I thought that he might be saying to himself, "Oh shoot, what have I done?" But then Eliot started laughing. And suddenly all of the jolting and rumbling and going up and down became hilariously fun and both Peter and Eliot thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the ride. Later, when Peter was asked what his favorite ride was he said it was the roller coaster, "but not the first time, just the second time, because the first time I was not with my friends." Having your brother by your side can turn even a scary ride into a fun adventure.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-16640004119682378572015-09-01T19:03:00.001-07:002015-09-01T19:03:44.050-07:00Beginnings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was Eliot's first day of 1st grade. It was also the first day that Peter would be in the "Giraffe" class at the YMCA. He had previously been in the "Koala" class. As far as I can tell, the greatest difference between the two classes (besides the ages of the children) is their level of security--the Giraffes are evidently now old enough to understand some of their boundaries.</div>
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The morning got off to a bit of a rocky start. I had arranged to go in to work late so that I could drop them off and having me around in the morning threw Peter off his groove a bit. He was very unhappy to find that we weren't going to spend the whole day eating pancakes and watching Toy Story 2. Eventually I sent him off to the YMCA with my dad, per their usual routine, and was told later that he went happily to his new class.</div>
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Once they'd gone I was able to focus on Eliot a little more who, after all, was going through a greater transition today. First grade is a big deal.</div>
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We snuggled and talked about what school would be like until it was time to go. When we got to the school we lined up with the other children and parents and waited for the doors to open. One of the school administrators was out taking pictures for the school year book and as she moved along towards us she called out for people to smile. The girl standing behind us with her mother mutter, "Well <i>I'm </i>not going to smile." So we weren't the only ones dealing with some first day jitters. It turned out that the girl was a 3rd grader whose family had just moved into town.</div>
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When the doors finally opened we worked our way in and Eliot started to look interested. The theme for the year has something to do with building, and all of the decorations had something to do with Lego, including two cubical balloons on either side of the front door. So far, Eliot was impressed.</div>
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We knew where he classroom and locker were because we had attended an open house last week where we had met his new teacher, Mrs. Core. We got his backpack put away, and got him settled at his desk, all while he held onto my hand as though he were dangling from it over a precipice. Finally it was time for me to go. He was distressed to see me go but soon settled in as some of his little friends from Kindergarten gathered in around him.</div>
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When I got home from work (later than usual, because I'd gone in late) I found both he and Peter smiling. "School was great!" Eliot announced, and he can't wait for his second day of 1st grade tomorrow.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-75271773821034777402015-08-25T18:45:00.001-07:002015-08-25T18:45:38.706-07:00Mount Rushmore and Co.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A little over a week ago Spencer and I took the boys out to Mount Rushmore to go camping and see what the area had to offer. I had been there once before about half my life ago so it was a trip of discovery for us all.</div>
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Peter's favorite President was Teddy Roosevelt (because his bear has the same first name) and Eliot said that Teddy Roosevelt was his favorite as well (because he's going through a phase where everything Peter has/does, Eliot must have/do as well). This was a couple of days into our trip and, I'm not going to lie, it was a little rough. Both boys were exhausted (both parents were a little tired as well) and let's just say I photographed whatever smiles I could.</div>
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On the way out we stopped for the night in Sioux Falls. The falls were fun to explore and the hotel had a swimming pool so the boys could burn off the pent-up energy from the day's drive.</div>
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We also stopped at the Corn Palace to have a look. I felt a brief pang of childish disappointment to find that it really wasn't <i>made</i> of corn so much as <i>decorated </i>with corn (I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting) but it was still fun to have a look around.</div>
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The boys were a little creeped out by "Cornelius" at first but eventually opted for a photo. It didn't help that he was first ever costumed figure to <i>speak</i> to us.</div>
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And finally, the Black Hills!</div>
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Peter was still a little small for some of the hiking, though he did give it his best shot when he was in the mood. Eliot really got into it and enjoyed exploring some of the hikes. It would be fun to do this trip with them again when they're a bit older.</div>
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Our campsite, situated on Horsethief Lake within the Black Hills National Forest, was a cozy little spot which looked better in close-ups.</div>
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I crossed the little road to take a picture to give a better sense of the close proximity of our neighbors. It was still fun though and we had some really nice neighbors. The neighbors to our right had two children a few years older than our boys and one night I could hear the mother reading "Mary Poppins" to them. To our left, on the last evening there, a nice family showed up with one teenage daughter and a little dog named Rocky. They introduced Rocky to the boys and let them give him each a treat (they didn't realize what they could have been starting) and later brought some S'mores over to share.</div>
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We ate all of our evening meals at the campsite and everyone was a good sport. Our first night we had hot dogs (a favorite of Eliot's) and baked beans (a favorite of Peter's) cooked over the fire.</div>
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In the evening the bats would come out and swoop over the lake and above our heads, eating up bugs. The boys would take a walk around the lake every day with one or both of us and enjoyed seeing our little campsite from across the water.</div>
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The sign said that you had to be at least six years old to ride. It was as though Eliot and I had exchanged places. I was the little kid, "Let's go for a ride! Don't you want to go for a ride?" and he was the collected adult, "No. I don't." Oh well, maybe next time. He was taking baby steps. Patting them on the nose and feeding them hay was enough for him this time around.</div>
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Peter got in on the action too, which was impressive since huge animals haven't really been his thing up to this point. I suppose it helped that they were penned in.</div>
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We visited a wildlife park called Bear Country to get our animal fix. It was one of those drive-through parks where the animals wander free all around you. Pretty up close and personal, but again, I think Spencer and I were the more enthusiastic participants.</div>
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We visited a cave which the boys really enjoyed. They were delighted that there were sections in which the grown-ups had to crouch down while they could walk through up-right.</div>
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We took a ride on an 1880's train that took us from the town of Keystone to Hill City and back. It was a half-hour ride each way (in theory) but when you're riding behind a steam engine on a hot summer's afternoon you have to be prepared to roll with the punches, or at least that's what the tour guide reminded us each time we stopped to let the engine cool down. We didn't mind, there was a lot to look at.</div>
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Peter was exhausted before we even boarded, and the breezy rocking of the train was a little too much for him.</div>
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On the ride back both boys had been refreshed by a soft pretzels purchased in Hill City and we had a nice ride back to Keystone.</div>
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Saying good-bye to the train.</div>
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What's a vacation without a few souvenirs? And what better place to find a souvenir than a quaint shop own and run by a local? This little place was called "Earth Treasures" and we discovered it when we stopped at a small grocery store to buy some water. Not only did it sport a really cool fence made up of tools and farm implements, it also sold rocks most of which were from South Dakota and neighboring Wyoming. </div>
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We gave the boys each a dollar to buy something with and they both left with two rocks each. Eliot chose a chunk of petrified wood while Peter found a rock from Australia with the fun-sounding name of mookite. The shop keeper was a local woman who added up all of the prices and tax by hand and was full of information. For example, the piece of serpentine that I purchased apparently contains asbestos. Never fear, though, it won't do you any harm unless you try to cut or polish it, in which case you'd need special protective equipment. It was a fun little shop, and I thought well worth the stop.</div>
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On the way home we drove through the Bad Lands National Park. The boys got out at the first stop and took a look around. But as we continued to snake our way through the park they were just as happy to stay in the back seat and play. So when we came to a spot that was worth having a look at Spencer and I would take turns running up and taking it in before moving on.</div>
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During the trip Peter decided that he was going to be a rock climber when he grew up. He even came up with things that he would need for his climbs (a jug of water and a jug of milk). Here he's doing his best rock climber pose.</div>
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We spent the night in Sioux Falls again before the long drive across Minnesota and most of Wisconsin. We took the boys for a swim and then rented a movie on demand to watch with them and help them wind down. I had assumed that they would fall asleep in the middle of the movie but they hung on until the end. When they finally did fall asleep they slept like a couple of little mookite rocks. I wonder what they were dreaming about.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-80158002657259546242015-07-28T19:05:00.000-07:002015-07-28T19:05:38.532-07:00To Canada We Go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two weeks ago the boys and I flew up to Edmonton. It was first time in months that we had seen Spencer and we had all missed him. It had also been nearly a year since the boys had been in Edmonton and they were delighted to discover how much they remembered. Upon entering any house they would point out the things that they remembered from their last visit.</div>
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Eliot also had a recently re-aquired skill to show off. Grandpa and Nana kindly bought bikes for the boys to use and they spent a lot of the time honing their skills.</div>
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Peter liked to make engine sounds for his bike--hence the funny face.</div>
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Peter was very taken with his helmet and would often wear it around just for the heck of it. In fact, he wore it later on a nature walk.</div>
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During the nature walk the boys picked saskatoon berries with the help of Uncle Aaron and Auntie Patti. Eliot would spot the berries and pull a branch down to pick them.</div>
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Aaron and Patti's new puppy Henry also joined us on the walk, much to Eliot's delight and Peter's chagrin (Eliot ran and played with Henry while Peter kept reminding us that he really aught to be on a leash). Eliot took a real shine to Henry and kept asking me when we were going to get a dog.</div>
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It wasn't all fun and games either. Eliot took his dog-owner-in-training role very seriously.</div>
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<i>Very </i>seriously.</div>
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I mean, honestly...</div>
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Eliot could get a little crazy and could be a little too liberal with the treats to both Henry and Grandpa and Grandma Bennett's dog Daisy. But his heart was in it, there's no doubting it.</div>
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Peter's interactions with Henry were a little less tender. Henry didn't mind Peter in the least, but let's just say that Peter wasn't asking me when we would be getting a dog. There's still time to work on him though :) He did seem a lot less nervous with Daisy (who is a much smaller dog) than he had been at our last visit. Perhaps he just prefers dogs that aren't able to look him straight in the face at eye-level. Fair enough.</div>
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You just can't beat mid-summer days in Edmonton. Long, sunny, perfectly warm. Nothing says "summer" quiet like spending a whole afternoon outside in nothing but a swimsuit and bicycle helmet with popsicle stains on your face.</div>
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A visit to Edmonton would not be complete without a visit to Gigi and Bapa's for breakfast. Fluffy pancakes heralded us along with a chance to slide down the basement steps. Peter has recently learned for whom he was named, and though he was a little shy he thought it was pretty neat to see "the first Peter Young" again.</div>
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We spent one of the days taking the boys to Drumheller to visit the dinosaur museum. It was pretty impressive.</div>
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Drumheller was a three hour drive one-way from Edmonton and let's just say that the boys were not well prepared for it. They discovered this little door that opened into the trunk of the car and that kept them busy for a while, but peace was not long-lived. Both there and back, I started out in the front seat, and ended up in the back separating them. </div>
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Toward the end of my stay (the boys were visiting for three weeks and I was only able to stay for the first week) we went to park nearby Grandma and Grandpa Bennett's home for a picnic. Eliot learned to play fetch with Henry and Peter played in the sand with his Mighty Machines.</div>
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It was sad to leave them at the end of the week and I look forward to seeing them again soon. But I know they're having fun, creating memories, and forming bonds. Love these guys!</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-27106569321677609882015-07-07T19:51:00.000-07:002015-07-07T20:05:03.701-07:00Cousin Outing #2: Camping in Door County<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The weekend before last we took the children up to Sister Bay in Door County to go camping. It was a first for Eliot and Peter and a first two-night trip for the cousins. We camped in an old canvas tent that my parents had purchased from a friend when I was a girl. It has to be at least 50 years old but still worked really well. It's one of those old cabin tents in which an adult can stand fully upright all throughout, so no crouching down, which made up for the fact that we all slept on the ground. I'd thought about bringing an air mattress, but I knew that all of the children wouldn't be able to fit on it. If some are on the ground, all are on the ground. Rissie fared a bit better. The pack n' play we'd brought for Nora didn't really leave much room in the tent for anyone else, so she and Rissie slept in Rissie's car with the windows cracked and Janet and I slept on the ground in the tent with our respective children snuggled around us. A poor night's sleep is all part of the fun, though, right?</div>
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There's nothing quite like camping for cousin bonding time and conversations around the campfire.</div>
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While we got the campsite set up the children explored. Even little Nora got in on the action.</div>
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Peter had insisted on bringing along his truck, Crayon. None of us we're especially enthusiastic about the idea of Crayon coming along and taking up precious trunk space, but we managed to squeeze him in. And as it turned out, he was the perfect camp chair for Peter.</div>
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By this time Peter and Nora had become buddies. He loves to make her laugh and she loves to laugh, so it works out perfectly.</div>
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Roasting starbursts over an open fire and planning the day's shenanigans.</div>
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The children all had a great time. There were moments of stress for the "grown-ups." Putting up this screen house, for example, just about put me over the edge. But in spite of it all the little ones couldn't stop smiling. After all, we were camping!</div>
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The next day we headed for Newport Beach State Park to have a paddle in Lake Michigan.</div>
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It was so fun to watch the cousins play. Moments after hitting the beach Eliot started a collection of rocks and sticks (in the foreground) and the other children quickly joined in. Here they're busily constructing a home for a little frog that they had found.</div>
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Peter asked what "that line" was in the distance. He was pretty impressed to discover that it was the horizon.</div>
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Everybody loves a lake on a hot summer's day! Lucy had come down with a cold and she was a little droopy-eyed that day, but it didn't stop her from enjoying the water.</div>
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Here's Maddie (our resident snake-charmer) with Flower, the patient--and ill-fated--frog. Flower was generally happy to sit quietly in the palm of Maddie's hand.</div>
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Upon returning from the beach we found GranDad, Noni, and little Nora enjoying the shade of a tree. Peter tried to entertain her with his go-to owl noises and the others joined in as well.</div>
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For dinner on our last evening we attended a Fish Boil. We gathered with other vacationers on wooden benches that formed a horseshoe in the middle of which a large caldron bubbled over a fire. The man at the center tended the fire and gradually added things to the caldron (potatoes, onions, then fish) all the while telling us about the Fish Boil. It is a traditional Scandinavian cooking method for feeding large groups of people and something that nowadays you can only see demonstrated in Door County, Wisconsin (or so the man told us). This is how it works: Potatoes, onions, and fish are cooked in a caldron of boiling water. As they cook, scales, fish scum, and other refuse rise to the top.</div>
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<a href="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0091_zpszhvrez0b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0091_zpszhvrez0b.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></div>
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At just the right moment, kerosene is tossed onto the flames and a fire ball engulfs the caldron, consuming the scales, fish scum, and refuse--not something to try at the next block party.</div>
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<a href="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0092_zpskrdsoldf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0092_zpskrdsoldf.jpg" height="278" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here were the reactions of the children to the fireball. It was quite the show.</div>
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<a href="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0103_zps19zzmrjk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0103_zps19zzmrjk.jpg" height="277" width="400" /></a></div>
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The fish was served up with the potatoes and onions, along with a side of cole slaw and assorted breads. James, who had gone fishing during his last visit to Wisconsin, was delighted.</div>
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<a href="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0106_zpsl5djs2fj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0106_zpsl5djs2fj.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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After the meal Eliot could not stop talking about how much he had loved the fish. He told me, more than once, that it had been his favorite part of the meal. This was really saying something since the meal was finished off with a slice of cherry pie.</div>
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<a href="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0101_zpsjlv51eij.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/June%202015/DSC_0101_zpsjlv51eij.jpg" height="640" width="474" /></a></div>
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All in all, Door County was a hit.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9160224818324054832.post-56234669881481348822015-07-06T09:45:00.000-07:002015-07-06T09:46:41.235-07:00Bubble Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/July%202015/DSC_0057_zps2bwor1jt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s557/norayoung/July%202015/DSC_0057_zps2bwor1jt.jpg" height="640" width="472" /></a></div>
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A couple of Sundays ago we had a hot afternoon and six children to keep busy. So I pulled out my never-fail "Time to Play" Pinterest board and made some bubble solution. I had made some a month or so ago with Eliot and Peter so they knew what was coming and Eliot jumped right in with his hands and started blowing bubbles.</div>
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After waiting patiently have a few brief demonstrations from me Maddie caught right on and started making giant bubbles. The boys tried hard to let the bubbles fully form before popping them, but sometimes it was too much to resist.</div>
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All of the children ended up covered in bubble solution by the end of the day (here Peter is trying to show me his bubbly hands.) It was a great afternoon.</div>
Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516462035190492808noreply@blogger.com0