Update

I've needed  to do an update, but this one is especially for my parents. They were supposed to visit this weekend. But mom fell and cracked a rib. I love you mom.  Here's some pictures to make you feel more present.

Our friend Laura works at a furniture store. If we visit her, and there are no customers in the store, she lets the girls run across all the mattresses. It's a dream come true for my girls and a great rainy day activity.

Sometimes I feel guilty. When Hadley learned to ride a two wheeler, we announced it to everyone we met and sent out pictures. Kassy put all the skills together and truly learned this April. But the accomplishment passed without much hurrah. Sorry love.

Tom did celebrate the bike accomplishment with the girls by riding bikes to school with them. Nobody does this at their school. There isn't even a bike rack; Hadley had to hide her bike in the receiving room. Kassy rode the trail-a-bike because it's hard to take a new rider across busy streets safely and without unnecessary panic on Kassy's part. We hope to do this often in the remaining three weeks, but you know what the weather did this past week.

Kassy had a birthday, almost a month ago (April 14).  She is now 6. We choose birthday menus and she chose grilled cheese for breakfast, gluten-free man and cheese for lunch and grilled cheese again for dinner. Catch the theme there? She got lots of cool gifts including a Padme Star Wars gun from her sister ( in the picture they are all sweaty from soccer), a sewing kit, a knitting spool, a fancy new scooter, and a remote control r2d2. She took ice cream cups to school.

The Saturday following her birthday, we had a party. This was Kassy's first friend party. And while I struggle with friend parties (it feels counter-productive to our values to let her invite friends when really she is just dreaming of gifts). But I let the parties happen occassionally (not every year), especially since there is no extended family around to celebrate with. I was worried at first because Kassy seemed unable to imagine anything but a party following the same theme as her sister's the year before. And then, she settled on Star Wars. I am not well-versed in Star Wars vocabulary nor have I have met another little girl who wanted a Star Wars party, still I searched the Internet and came up with a plan. And like Hadley's party last year, I let her invite a few extra kids thinking a couple kids wouldn't come, but they all did!

We had 12 kids (counting my girls). I made them all light sabers (out of mini flashlights, clear plastic tubing that was really a cover for long flourescent ligth bulbs, and permenant markers to make the light appear green or blue). The saber and a self-produced Star Wars activity book (made from word searches, mazes and coloring pages off the Internet) were the party favors. We started off with the activity books while we waited for everyone to arrive. Like most of this spring, it was a cold rainy Saturday, which hampered a few of our plans but we preceded anyway. We held Jedi training.
Tom had created an obstacle course in the backyard to build their Jedi endurance and speed. (The course was comical with the little kids in winter coats and then watching them shout "Cheater" at Tom. When he did the obstacle course, he was too big to crawl under one of tunnels so he jumped over it!)

Then, using water balloons they to erase the chalk-drawn death stars on the driveway (yes we used water balloons while wearing winter coats!). Finally, they were awarded their light sabers and taken into the basement. Balloons were hanging from the ceiling, and inside each balloon was a star wars character from the dark side. The winner was the one who rescued Princess Leia or Queen Amidalya from the balloon. This meant lots of balloon popping noise. Next the plan, included cake and present opening. We had Ewok cake (gluten free cake with pink frosting, decorated with gummy bears and marshmellows, per Kassy's request) and Yoda soda (lemon-lime pop with green sherber).

And after the present-opening, much to my dismay, we still had 30 minutes and no plan. We did impromptu thinking. Back outside we went, and suddenly Darth Vader showed up, looking strangely like the much-loved Cody. Each child fought Vader, but it was Kassy who finally finished him off.  Then we took the kids downstairs and tried to teach them sword fighting moves. I was thankful when it was all over as I was exhausted. And I couldn't have pulled it off without the last minute rescue efforts of Cody, Laura, and Jordan. They filled water balloons, finished decorating, drew death stars, cleaned up, remembered to take pictures for me, dressed up as Vader, and countless other things that made the party possible when I hadn't prepared so well. Thanks friends.

In other news, Hadley had her art displayed at the Saginaw County Art Exhibit at the mall. Each area school picks student work to display and Hadley was one of the second graders chosen (hers is the Starry Night imitation).

Meanwhile, soccer has started again. Tom is coaching both girls' teams again. He loves it. There is a girl on Tom's U8 team who is really good. She has impressive foot work and scores every game ( 3 goals in the first 4 minutes once) even though she is one of the smaller girls out there. Her name is Hadley, but I don't think she is my daughter because my daughter has never been a great player.  I'll try to post some even soon.

Mother's Day brought goofy girls sneaking around to make breakfast in bed. Kassy was so excited that she woke up at 4 am (she doesn't even do this at Christmas). I made her go back to bed. Both girls got up at 6 am and made my breakfast (Cheerios and milk, a hard boiled egg, a hershey's kiss and hug, water). They poured the milk on the cereal at 6:15 and didn't serve it until 7....wasn't the yummiest bowl of cereal but certainly the sweetest. My parents sent cool chalk board placements for Mother's Day. We've been having fun with those.

There Mom. Now you are all caught up. Love you.

Compromise

Many days as a mother I feel inadequate. I don't know how to solve sibling arguments. I make a threat I know I won't follow through with. I say the completely wrong thing in the completely wrong tone. Sometimes though, I have great mommy moments.

We've been having homework problems. Homework is getting done and its quality is good, but no one is happy. Really, we all just want to play outside. It's hard to make the girls do their homework when the sun is shining and warm. So we compromise. Above, you see Hadley practicing her spelling words....

The Meet was fun, now what...

... a famous coach saw her talent, offered to pay for her lessons and we are on a new journey. Just kidding. I shouldn't mess with you like that.

The meet was fun; we're glad we did it. For now we will keep up with the recreational class, and hope for another opportunity to compete next spring. I'm thinking of this meet as a ballet recital.

The meet was fun, long and draining.  Each event is awarded a blue, red, or yellow ribbon. Hadley got a red ribbon on all her events. She made no major mistakes and didn't seemed to be bothered by nerves. I was impressed that performing didn't cause her lose her balance or forget her moves. The now familiar gym was rearranged, bleaches were jammed into every corner for the parents, and there were well over 100 girls there. Hadley was anxious and uncertain until she found her coach and her team. Her best friend was competing too. The other girls on the team have been practicing each element of their routines for months, and Hadley just learned them in the last three weeks.  She did great. I surprised myself with a new appreciation for learning the routines. I like the discipline and attention-to-detail required in a routine. Routines take the individual skills and string them together in a way that requires the gymnast to think about timing, execution, and in-between elements (like leaps and pointed toes) that bring fluidity to the routine.

The entry fees for our family and for Hadley equalled a whole month of lessons. With that in mind, I had trouble justifying participation in  the next meet on April 25. I did however tell Hadley she could do the next meet if she paid for half the entry fee. She has the money saved up (though she is saving it for a Star Wars costume!).  She wants the costume more and refused my offer. For now, I think she is content with what God provided and excited to keep learning.

Here are videos of some  of the events. I missed videotaping the vault completely because she was first and it happens so fast. And I turned the camera funny in one thinking I could reorient it later like I do with pictures. And I missed the opening handstand on the floor routine. But, these videos should give you a sense of the meet and a chance to marvel and how tall my Hadley is getting.

Note: These videos are on YouTube and I am just learning how to edit the HTML code to embad the videos directly into my blog. I tinkered enough with the code to make most of the screen visible in my blog, but don't feel like making it perfect. If you click on the little arrows in the corner of the video box, the video will fill your whole computer screen; to escape full screen mode, press ESC.








Coming soon: Kassy's birthday , which is today, and her Star Wars birthday party, which is Saturday...

Answered Prayers

Sunday at 7:30 am won't find any of us in bed. Generally, I treasure Sunday mornings. We don't need to hurry anywhere (a church start time of 10:15 is positively late). No leisure this Sunday. We are off to a gymnastics meet. If you've followed Hadley and her love of this sport, you must wonder how we arrived at this point.

I've struggled since the beginning of last summer with gymnastics. Clearly my oldest is smitten, bitten by the uninvited bug of gymnastic passion. The sport is pricey and dangerous. But what sport, done intensively, doesn't have a long list of risks? If her ambition was modeling, I would worry and fret about that. I can't stomach the fees  or  letting gymanstics destroy two or three family dinners a week, not yet. I can't let a sport take my girl away at such a young age. Yet, anyone who studies any sport or art to the point of recognizable success (be it a commerical, a title, a performance) gives many things up, is there a balance?  I still don't know, but for now, God changed the course I thought we were on, at least temporarily.

I watched Hadley all fall and ached. Her flipping, balancing, upside-down passion didn't wane. There were many nights of tears. Hadley wondered why God wouldn't let her compete. She knew He could change her parents hearts and provide the money. She knew multiple girls whose parents let them compete. Every night, since this summer, Hadley ended prayer time with a request that God would let her compete. I listened and winced --doubting there was any competition in her future. Sometimes in my daydreams I would get a job so she could compete, or money would come from somewhere and I could hand her, her dream. But even if the money came, I wasn't convinced that amount of time (6-12 hours a week) was healthy. And then there were stories I'd stumble upon in magazines, about girls who quit gymnastics only to worry about the lack of time working out and turn to eating disorders as an answer. I never found answers to my questions, but I found contentment, because regardless of the other issues, the money wasn't there. By December, I think both Hads and I had peace. God was in control. Even if she never competed, this passion and skill had a purpose we couldn't see.

In March, I stopped the coach to let him know Hadley loved his class. He's a good teacher and I wanted to encourage him. He's thoughtful too, passing down his daughter's used grips (for bar) so we wouldn't need to buy new ones. Coach responded with, "Maybe Hadley would like to do a fun meet?" Fun meets are what kids do in the early stages of competition. They perform routines, get judged but there isn't a state-wide ranking and coaches can be right next to them, helping them stay calm and remember the moves. Generally only kids enrolled in the team programs we had avoided could participate. Hadley heard him and her whole body started springing up and down while her eyes welled up with happy tears. Hesitant and uncertain, I asked questions. He thought she could learn the routines during her regular training hours. Perhaps she could participate in one meet without much extra cost to us. Almost crying myself, I said thank you and that we would check with Tom.

To my surprise, Tom gave a green light. Was it wise to let her compete in one meet? Would it just make her more upset in the long haul? The momentum was too strong now, Hadley believed God had answered her prayers. There was no turning back.

Weeks went by. Hadley learned no routines, but she was planning on this meet. Questions were flying through my mind. I finally stopped coach, asking him about his plans and timidly expressed my hope that this meet wouldn't be an emotional disaster. He explained the unanticipated difficulty of finding time to instruct Hads one on one with nine other girls in the class. But his plan far exceeded any of my imagined solutions. Hads has now received over five hours of free one-on-one or one two private instruction time. I feel indebted to the two coaches who have helped her. I don't really understand why we are receiving so much generosity. Sometimes I go to dark places wondering about alterior motives, but then I remember a big God who heard a little girl and a big God who heard a mother plead with him to make her daughter's faith real, and I know this is one step on the journey. And in truth, I am in no way obligated to this gym, though I do sing their praises regularly.

So think of us Sunday. Pray for us. I will be sitting in the audience, tensing my back and forgetting to breath when the hardest parts of a routine happen. This faith wave leaves me unable to plan or anticipate, grateful to know a God who can provide glorious riches beyond what we can imagine.

Girly Girls Meet Star Wars

Gathering together on couch for a family movie night a few weeks ago, I felt sorry for Tom. Here we all were, girls decked in pink with layers of silver tulle for a skirt, and he was telling him about the Millenium Falcon Spaceship he had as a boy. The show for the night was the original Star Wars, still an influential film. Tom moved on now to telling the girls about his Star Wars action figures. Poor Guy. These girly girls might not even tolerate the whole movie, but I didn't have the heart to say anything.

I fell asleep. Yup. Even with squirmy on my lap, I dozed. And the girls? They watched the whole movie, asking questions throughout. And the next day, they acted out the movie. And the next day they went to school and discovered a storm-trooper-army worth of kids who already knew about Jedi knights and told the girls Leia wasn't the only girl in the movies.

Then came the begging to see more Star Wars movies. The next weekend we showed them the Phantom Menace (movie #1). Immediately afterward, Kassy wanted to take her own money and buy a light saber (and she's my child who never wants new toys). Now, my sweet, youngest daughter has abandoned the girls in her class and spends recess playing Star Wars with the boys. No joke. She's having a Star Wars birthday party. She loves R2D2. Both girls are saving their money for Leia and Padme Halloween costumes. They bought Star Wars books at the recent book fair.

I should have known their interests were about to expand when they started complaining that they only had one pair of jeans each. (Why would a mother, whose girls only like skirts and dresses, buy more than one pair of jeans?)

Parenthood, and life, is a full of seasons. But our seasons don't begin and end with a date on the calendar and the signs of change aren't as obvious as falling leaves or blooming crocus. And so officially, I welcome the end of the princess fascination and wonder where this new force will lead.

My 8-year-old

Hadley turned 8 last Friday. It isn't her year to have a friend party so she had a play date with two close friends Friday night. They made sundaes and played. No invitations, no decorations, no piles of cheap-soon-to-be-forgotten toys. Her current BFFs, Kaylee and Alexis came. She got a cool drawing book and some craft projects.

As always, the birthday girl gets to choose the menu for the day, within reason. Hadley picked pancakes, with strawberries and whip cream for breakfast, daddy's spaghetti for lunch (love that thermos), and pancakes with syrup (and spinach to make it healthy!) for dinner.

We celebrated Hadley's birthday as a family on Sunday. Since we don't have have family in town, we invited our Saginaw family (aka our Bible study). Again, we made sundaes with Hadley's favorite flavor: neopolitan. Then we watched Hadley open gifts. Her sister gave her a Furr-Real Pet bird (a stuffed bird that chirps and flaps). We gave her roller skates, a pair of shoes and a swimsuit. Beau and Teagan brought a mini-stamper and lip gloss! Grandma and Grandpa Wells bought an adorable dress that she wore to school on her birthday and the other Grandma and Grandpa gave her money to buy a dress for her doll at the American Girl store in Chicago (where she went on a father/daughter trip at the beginning of the month and I yet to write about...).

All those great gifts, and as usual, it was Tom who won the prize for most memorable gift. Tom is more into creating memories and fun than into picking a gift off a list of desires. Somehow, he had teased Hadley enough that she thought he was giving her a tarantula (which intrigued and terrified her). The rest of us played along, since Hadley clearly enjoyed guessing what was in daddy's box.

"Well, Daddy wouldn't give you something that would hurt you, so if it is a spider, it must be tame."

"Maybe it's a bunch of little spiders..."

Hadley was bursting by the time present-opening began. She wanted to open daddy's gift first. I videotaped this gift opening. None of us noticed Tom during the process, but watch him fidgeting in the background. Click here to see the video of what ensued.

Thanks to our friends who help make our girl feel loved--all-year--long.

Hadley wouldn't hold the snake for a long time, but Kassy liked it. She named the snake Ashley! (Kassy is wearing a shirt on top of her leotard. )

With the Furr-Real friend, whose name is Apple ("because she is red, yellow, and green--like apples."

The guy is Jordan. He lives with us. I haven't written about that either....I know I am behind.  

Hadley and her doll, in the official horseback riding outfit of the colonial period, at the American Girl restaurant....more about that trip later. 

Scarves to Treasure

My grandmother knits. Knit isn't really the right word. I knit. After Hadley was born, I needed a new hobby so I took a knitting class. And for about two years, I knit standards like dishcloths. Truthfully? It was drudgery. And the results screamed, "New, impatient knitter."(Though I did teach who my sister-in-law to knit and she is quite talented.)

My Grandma though, she creates art through knitting. Growing up I remember watching her. She tore beautiful fabric into giant balls of "yarn" and then knit with that. Her work was creative. The clothes she knit were different and beautiful, but too daring for a peer-concerned tween to wear. And when she knit with real yarn, it wasn't standard, from-the-sale-rack-at-Joanne's yarn. It was always luxuriously soft fiber knit into a one-of-kind blanket or table cover, the kind you proudly point out to guests.

I remember the transformation of my mom's childhood bedroom at the farmhouse. ( I must confess that I don't know if my memory is very accurate.) It was a gorgeous room with huge windows, lots of natural light, and on sunny days, delightful rainbows from the prisms in the pane glass.  Grandma transformed that room into her studio. She painted the ceiling turquoise (at a time I remember walls as being either white or wall-papered) and then put lattice all over it. And the walls were a warm shade of orange. Light, color, and knitted art. It was a room to escape to. I remember lingering with all the pretty things: newly knit outfits, soft balls of yarn, gleaming, colorful knitting needles and displays of personal treasures. An artist's studio.

For several years now, my otherwise healthy Grandma has been losing her sight. Doctors can't stop the loss. It just is. Like diabetes or Parkinson's. I don't know what it's like to slowly have the world darken and to lose the ability to do things you love like read and make things pretty (or make pretty things). I don't know what's like to not be able to drive or to see your own writing clearly. I imagine it's lonely, especially when added to the constant loss of friends and family experienced by all octogenarians. Even as I grieve for Grandma,  I still don't call or write enough. Even so, despite a distance of almost 800 miles and a lack of face to face time, Grandma remembers us often and recently sent us a new, silken treasure.

Last week, a package of Christmas presents arrived in the mail. Wrapped in tissue paper were two scarves. Christmas presents for the girls in March. Warm scarves in time for spring. Beautiful, silken scarves. Knit by my grandma. Made with determination and sacrifice. She couldn't strain her eyes to do the knitting for more than five or ten minutes a day. And she had to wait for her friend to visit to tie knots and do some finishing work. And all winter it snowed and snowed and snowed some more so the friend couldn't come often. So December came and went, but Grandma kept working and eventually those scarves arrived, unanticipated, in my foyer.

Grandma's note said the girls were to use the scarves in their creative play (she knows they dress up and pretend to be all sorts of things). I struggled with the note. I wanted the girls to love the scarves and play with them. But that meant some level of scarf abuse, which horrified me. I wanted to snatch up those scarves and make the girls understand the effort involved in their creation. Admist all their sparkly, cheap things, I wanted them to see that the scarves are truly beautiful. I did speak to the girls about the effort the scarves required. But I let them play as they wish (No leaving the scarves on the ground though).  I know that some of the creative spirit in my girls comes from Grandma and it is fitting for these girls to use her creativity to foster their own.

A million thanks Grandma. You blessed my heart. The thank you notes are coming. Love you.

Mom and Grandma, 2007













In 2006, in Montana

Reading to Kassy, Montana, 2005

Kassy

Before any more time passes, Kassy deserves her post. It's been over a year. My youngest will be six next month. On her report card, Ms. Adair called Kassy, “Quiet, observant, and capable.” Kassy, you are slow to speak, slow to warm up, but loyal to the core. Once someone wins your trust and affection it would be difficult to lose. You are forgiving, tender, and sweet.

You are slow, leisurely. Even when a situation calls for hurrying, you dawdle. I am quite sure you use  your slowness to gain the upperhand.

You are observant and thoughtful. You ask deep questions about the spiritual world. Today you wanted to know if a demon possessed person was around, who would get the demon out since Jesus is no longer present. (Guess what story the Bible lesson was about this morning?)

Kass, you like to back peddle. You will execute a devious, almost naughty behavior and then when confronted, claim you changed your mind or didn't understand. You never, well almost never, claim to be at fault for anything. People think you are calm and sweet and innocent. They would be shocked to know that you are the loudest of my two children, frequently the one directing the games with Hadley, and generally looking for sneaky ways to get back at Hadley when you don't like how her older sister is acting. You are rarely sorry, just hopeful that you will get away with things. 

You are quiet at school and always do exactly what the teacher asks. Sometimes you take your obedience to ridiculousness. One day you came home and complained that during nap time  a little girl was biting your pants. You didn't raise your hand to tell the teacher because you aren't allowed to talk during rest time! At the beginning of the school year, you would sob if you had to be different (other than the food you eat) or to draw attention to yourself. You would sob if you forgot something like a library book that was due or your homework folder. Asking a question or getting clarification on directions is nearly impossible for you for you. If there are visitors to our house, you will only present your requests by whispering in my ear. You've worked hard to over come some of your shyness and now generally can return greetings and answer questions that unfamiliar adults ask. 

Kassy, you are still a whiner. Not everyday, the frequency has decreased and sometimes you make obvious efforts to squelch your complaints. You are a picky food eater. You worry about what you will eat and only like a few foods: fruits, spinach, grains ( a tough, expensive one since you don't eat gluten), cheese and yogurts (yes you are eating these again), highly processed meats (you hate most meat unless it is breaded, or a concoction meat like salami, sausage or hot dogs). You worry early in the day about what each meal will bring and rejoice if it is too your liking. I wish I knew if this was just your personality or if the food issues have made you this way.

You do worry and  worry and worry. You worry about new things, about not following procedures, about having to ask someone a question. At school, you wouldn't ask kids to play with you on the playground (and later, when you did, you claimed they didn't answer. I suspect you were so quiet and unassertive that they didn't hear you). It took you most the first semester to make friends at school. For a while, your favorite friend was a little girl named Areesha, she is a triplet. For much of Kindergarten you would fret and worry about not having friends and you would cry if you didn't see Hadley often enough or if you didn't pass her in the hallway at the usual time. Finally, you seem to be relaxing a bit. Now, since daddy introduced you to Star Wars, you've been playing all kinds of Star Wars games at school with many different kids(mostly boys). I think you finally feel comfortable at school, though Ms. Adair said you had many friends before but just didn't know it. She says the kids like you and pick you for partnering activities or games. 

 You love soft, comfy clothes like PJs with feet, fleece pants and tops,  fuzzy, soft sweaters. You also like skirts and dresses. You love to play on the computer, watch movies, and to listen to music with your daddy. You are still my little snuggler. You love soccer, gardening and cooking with mom. You take gymnastics, and don't mind it. You can ride a 2-wheeler around a parking lot, but are terrified to do it on the sidewalk. Bugs, especially bees, terrify you. You like sweets, but only in moderation (I think you would almost always prefer cheese). You are generous, always thinking of Hadley or other friends and sharing with them. You aren't particularly impressed by or attached to toys. You do still love your pillowcase. It is torn, down it last threads, but you love and take it anywhere I permit. You smell it. You want to learn to read and can now read simple books like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish (85% on your own). 

Love you sweet cakes. 

Dr. Seuss, Rock band party, old friends, and wings

Last week I think every elementary school in the country celebrated Dr. Seuss. The more adventurous ones ate green eggs and ham and libraries were pillaged for these classics. Kassy surprised me by actually reading (not memorizing) about 75% of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Reading astounds me. One day it's just there. A mystery solved and all that remains is practice. Above she models her Cat in the Hat hat.

Those of you who are local probably received this promotional material for the girls' school in the mail. I've been impressed with how many people looked at it long enough to recognize my oldest. Hadley is embarrassed by the photo, saying things like, "I wish people would just stop talking about it."The little blond boy lives just down the street so our block was a bit over-represented. 

My best friend from high school, Prashant, had an interview in Ann Arbor for a medical fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology (whew what a mouthful) last week. Then he drove up here to pitch his tent for the night (just kidding). I hadn't seen him in over five years. And my first thought was, "Wow, he looks like his brother." We had a good evening catching up. Looking at this picture now, I can't help but thinking that both of us look old (er).

   This is a bug wing I found on a book shelf in the house. No idea where it came from, but isn't it beautiful? Plus, I was playing around with my new camera. 

Kassy went to a rocker girl birthday party this weekend. They did her hair, her nails, and her makeup. She loved it.

For the grandparents: Who are all further away than they wish

I've recently changed one of my email account. From some of my relatives responses, I've gathered that you enjoyed the intimate peaks at family life and miss the more regular posts. Thanks for the encouragement, I needed that.

Kassy's Kindergarten play was Wednesday night. She was a mail carrier in a play about community helpers. I couldn't tell if she liked being in the play or not. She doesn't wear her emotions like another little girl I know. After too many dissappointments or tears she just dissolves into a puddle of helplessness. I hope I can help her to identify and deal with emotions as she grows. Until then, we had a puddle last night. Inexplicably, the life-size community helper (a veterinarian) we made to decorate the auditorium's walls for the play disappeared. No one hung it up and no one can find it now. She thinks she was the only mail carrier who had to tuck in her shirt, which she hates. Other than mom, dad and sister, none of the the other supportive friends or family we have could come to her play. Kaylee was bossing her around. Quinn said he didn't want to be her friend.

She took it all in stride, falling silent, until I asked her to do something that required thinking. Then, in the safety of her home, the idea of carrying her gloves, her apple and her lunchbox into the house, from the car, was too much. And she melted into helpless sobs. It broke my heart even as I tried to hold in my laughs.

Dear sweet Kassy. You did a great job singing. It was a pleasure to watch you. I included two play pictures and links to some videos so scroll all the way down.

There's Kassy in the middle. The grocers are in front of her and the yellow vests of the crossing guards are headless in the very back. Ahhh. Good ol' community helpers.

Singing, "We carry the mail, through wind and run, sleet and hail."

This picture is just for fun. I was experimenting with my new camera. I took it on Monday.
Follow this link to see Kassy at gymnastics.
Follow this link to see Kassy sing in the play.

Something to read

Sorry to disappoint, but no personal news here. As if you need more to do, I am sharing a blog post by someone I don't even know. I love this post. So I will share it with you. It's called, " I Don't Want My Children to be Happy."
http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

The Grand Canyon was Created in Less Than Two Weeks and Other Stories From our Recent Life

Tonight, February 12. There is a almost a foot of snow on the ground. Well, not in our yard as almost every spot has been trampled down by two girls who finally love playing in the snow and do so for hours at a time. The low temp is supposed to be 17 degrees. I sat in solitude at 9 pm watching the parade of nations for the Winter Olympics, inwardly hoping those nations that have never won a medal could win and wondering if the sports of luge and bobsledding are really just adrenaline rushes rather than sports. Tom, Hadley, and Kassy were outside. Sort of. They camped out in the tree house. The little house on stilts is so well insulated that the $15 box heater from Aldi's makes it too hot.

A few other updates, for my dear relatives who are starved for glimpses into our lives that they got used to reading over the past two years:

Hadley's second grade play was early this month. Geology Rocks! was full of mountains, ferns, rocks, and volcanos. I marvel at the creativity of the song writers who manage to pack so much educational information into an elementary school musical. Hadley auditioned for and got one of the lead parts, which this year consisted of about 20 lines including whoppers like, "There they are?" and "I don't think they are going to be much help." Still, she was thrilled and kept saying, "I can't believe they choose me." Hadley played a school girl searching for her lost Geology teacher: Professor Rock. He was kidnapped by shady ferns who didn't like him because he was promoting alternative energy sources and the ferns dreamed of becoming fossil fuels. I'm not making any of this up. Hadley did a great job and had a grand time. Grandma Kohnne managed to make it for the play and several of our friends came too, making Hadley feel extra special. Thanks! Kassy's play about community helpers will be on the 24th. She will be a mail person.

Above: Hadley and friend were school girls looking for 
a missing professor.  Below: Another good friend, one of the shady ferns, poses with Kassy

A week before the play Hadley also got photographed with five other kids for promotional material about her school. Look for her on a billboard somewhere around time. The longer I live here, the more convinced I am that Handley has the best education in the area and it's free. They have an open house on March 11. Let me know if you want details or call the school yourself. (Yes, I am blatantly advertising for my children's school on my blog!)

I guess Hadley gets most of the news this month. She just finished making a 3-D replica of a landform as part her geology unit. Well, the assignment actually said the project was PG (Parental guidance suggested). I turned the project over to Tom (his first project manager job ever). So really, the large grand canyon model Hadley made, was the brainchild of Tom. And the work of Tom and .....I was embarrassed to be one of those parents, the kind who help too much. But honestly I think Hadley learned a ton (she had to write a three paragraph report too), I think the teachers expected the excessive help, and
I think the time spent as father and daughter was worth the excessive time (and money!) Tom poured into this project. Check the bottom of this post for step by step pictures.

On a final note, we just got a new computer. It's an Apple (less viruses!) and sadly, a desktop. But I'm so impressed with it I doubt we will ever own a PC again. The actual computer is completely silent and the size of CD case, only 2 inches tall instead. Amazing. Even the packaging the computer arrived in was brilliant with a minimal earth footprint and an absolutely efficient use of space. And cool looking too. I saved enough money from my article writing to buy a new camera, which I don't like and hope to take back and exchange. But I have used the camera, so I might be stuck. Do you have a favorite digital camera?


Grand Canyon creation photos.

Step 1: Create layers of cardboard and drape with chicken wire.

 

Step 2: Use plaster cloth to create canyon.

 Step 3(not pictured): cover with a coat of regular plaster of paris. Step 4: paint and step 5: decorate with trees

Tom is back from China, safe and healthy. School has started again and so has the snow. And the sun decided to come out today after a long absence. Our trip to visit family and Tom's absence exhausted me so I indulged myself last week. I read a work of fiction, Water for Elephants. It was a good story, a completely different world and one I knew nothing about. The 1930 circus trains. While I love a good book, I rarely allow myself to read fiction. It's like a drug. If I find a good story I can't ration my reading time. I carry my book everywhere and when there is five spare minutes, I read for ten. And thus nothing gets done. Nothing. One morning I even crawled back into bed after the girls left for school and read for an hour. Oh my life is luxurious. Thanks for the book, mom.