Best field trip ever

Yesterday I went on the best field trip ever!  (It was even better than the time my high school Physics class went to Magic Mountain.)

I think I've mentioned that I CANNOT STOP SIGNING UP FOR THINGS AT DAVID'S SCHOOL.  (Help!)  So, when I found out David and his class were going on a little field trip, guess who was first to volunteer as a chaperon.  Yours truly.

And I'm so glad I did!

I loved being with David!  And he loved being with me!

Kindergartners still think their moms are cool.  David was proud that I was there.  He was excited to share with me the THRILL of riding the school bus.  He even held my hand the whole way.  My heart was melting and soaring at the same time, a giant warm ice cream cone flying through the sky.  I am even more infatuated with that kid now than I was on the day he was born or the moment he took his first steps or the first time he told me he loved me.  He has captured my heart and holding it tight.

The field trip was a brief visit to the forest behind the high school.  Small groups of kindergartners were paired with small groups of high school Earth Science students.  The high school students took the children into the woods to explore and, most specifically, investigate the trees.

The high school students were infinitely more nervous than the five-year-olds.  But the kindergartners sweetly (and literally) took those tall teenagers by the hand and led them into the forest...where the uneasy, apathetic seniors were SCHOOLED by the six and under crowd.  The kindergartners enthusiastically collected leaves, all the while pointing out conifers and broad leaf trees and pine cones and leaves that no longer produce energy and needles and mushrooms and dead trees and live trees and caterpillar bites and tiny red berries.  The high school students grew wide-eyed at the knowledge and happiness possessed by the little ones, and they softened towards their new small friends.  It was an amazing thing to watch.

Soon the high school students had to return to class.  One sweet boy in David's class looked up at his tall senior friend, whose hand he had been grasping for thirty minutes, and said, "I go to a different school.  I'm sorry, but we won't be able to play together again."  Despite his gruff exterior, the young man was clearly touched.

The field trip ended with a guided tour through the forest, led by David's wonderful teacher.  Those kids were fascinated.  (Their favorite investigation was determining if broken branches had been felled by the wind or chainsaw.)  David still talks about the tree that grows in the shape of a rainbow so that its leaves might better reach the sunlight.  I love how much these children love to learn!

On the bus ride home, David thoughtfully insisted that I take the window seat.  (Isn't he sweet?)  And he cuddled with me all the way back to his classroom.

Yes, it was the best field trip ever.

Mystery of life

David informed us that someone kissed him at school.  A quick series of questions and answers revealed that the kiss was

--on the playground
--from a girl in a different class whose name is unknown
--on the ear

When I asked David why she kissed him, he responded:  "I have no idea!  Me and the boys are trying to figure it out."

David and his friends, trying to figure out girls...

Welcome to the rest of your life, son.

Our family miracle

It was a miracle!

We went on a nature walk!

And no one cried!

And it was more than two (yes, TWO) miles long!

And no one cried!

And Mom did not complain about the humidity because it was a crisp fall day! And David only asked how-much-farther a hundred times, which is much better than asking a thousand times! And Mary didn't have to go potty in the middle of it! And Greg could feel like he didn't come home from Honduras to a bunch of whining losers!

And no one got eaten by a bear!

A miracle!!

Greg had earlier in the week discovered that the beautiful Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs behind our neighborhood, and he decided that after swimming lessons on Saturday, we all should take a walk along it. I think he was shocked when I agreed. (I'm sure Greg expected that I would veto such an idea because I HATE the mosquitoes, I HATE bug spray, and I HATE listening to our high-maintenance kids whine. But the mosquitoes are dying, and my children are quickly turning into humongous wimps so some serious intervention is in order.) Greg got the Mom on board.

Then Fortune smiled upon us in the form of a kindergarten homework assignment: "Go on a nature walk and collect 6-8 interesting leaves that you can share with the class." Perfect! David was on board.

And Mary likes whatever David likes. (David gave her strict instructions that she could absolutely positively NOT collect any leaves--she could only collect flowers. Geez, he's so bossy! I wonder where he gets that from......hmmm, I bet my little brothers can tell you.)

Of course I brought my camera to document this momentous 57 minutes in our family's life.

All ready to collect leaves (or flowers, if you're Mary):

And they are off.

The collecting begins.

David stops to point out an interesting tree. (I was amazed by David's powers of observation! He spotted a camouflaged toad, mushrooms, conifers, pine needles, caterpillar bites on leaves, roots, dying trees, and much more. He really is a little scientist.)

Look! Happy walkers!

David even gave me a grin for the camera.

So Mary did too.

It was a beautiful day. Hooray!

Oh, lest you think my children actually walked on their own feet for two miles, I include this picture.

Our walk began in the trees and ended on the lovely prairie.

Lovely, lovely.

David's Primary talk presented here for my mom's benefit and enjoyment

My mom had surgery on her shoulder last week.  Ouch.  I was trying to think of something to post that would cheer her up (that didn't involve taking and uploading more picture of my kids because they are feeling uncooperative and I am feeling lazy).  A quick glance into my recent picture folder, and--ah ha!--the answer was revealed...

Last Sunday (or, as David would say, "yesterday Sunday"), David was asked to do a short presentation for the other children at church on John 14:15.  I thought I would share David's little talk here.  

Here it is, David's interpretation of "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

ME:  David, what are some of the things you do to obey Jesus Christ?

DAVID:  Pay my tithing.

DAVID:  Read the scriptures.

DAVID:  Pray.

DAVID:  Be kind.

ME:  David, how do you feel when you obey Jesus Christ?


DAVID:  Happy!

ME:  David, why do you choose to obey Jesus Christ?


DAVID:  Because I love him!

Ta-duh!  Do I have a sweet boy, or what?


Preparing for things like this isn't easy for David, but he did a super job.  He came up with the ideas (with a framework and some prompting, of course), and he even agreed to practice a few times.  David and I (and Mary) worked together on the visual aids.  Miraculously, David agreed--albeit reluctantly--to change out of his paint-stained super-dooper-fire-breathing-monster-motorcycle T-shirt, though he insisted on posing in front of his Legos pictures for the happiness shot (lest you be confused about what really makes him happy).


David was especially excited about using the microphone.  As luck would have it, the microphone was broken that day.  Bummer.  But David was a trooper, and he spoke loudly so everyone could hear him.  He did a great job.  Hooray for David!  I'm so proud of him.


I hope you enjoyed it, Mom.

First impressions

This is a new part of the country for me.  Wisconsin is not somewhere I'd ever thought about (which is why it took us so long to figure out this is where we should move).  During our first few weeks here, there are a number of things that struck me.

1. The summer weather is very nice.
2. The mosquitoes are monstrous, meaning you can't enjoy #1 lest your entire circulatory system be sucked dry in three minutes flat.
3. People here drink Diet Mountain Dew the way people in Texas drink Diet Dr. Pepper.
4. People here drive the speed limit.
5. There are more Obama bumper stickers in Madison than there are in the entire state of Texas (including Austin).
6. The cheese aisle at the grocery store is bigger than the deep-fat-fried food section of the Texas State Fair.  
7. Bicyclists galore.
8. The accent.  It's real.  "Wisconsin" is a very nasal "Wis-KAHN-sin."  And you hear what sounds to me like Canadian vowel raising (though I'm sure to the trained ear it's totally different, but to me, the population sounds like a bunch of Canadian curlers).
9. People are happy.  Really happy.  So happy that for the first few weeks I was a little weirded out, and then that feeling turned into sheer paranoia.  Why was everyone so happy???  What was the conspiracy??  Why wasn't I in on it?  What did everyone know that I didn't?  Was I the butt of a huge joke that involved everyone acting happy?  I still don't know why everyone is so dang happy.  Perhaps it has to do with #3 and #6.  Or perhaps it brings a person profound joy to raise one's diphthongs.  Whatever the cause, I'm glad for the effect.
10. Every little town, including ours, has a Culver's.
11. Small prosperous-looking red-barned dairy farms dot the landscape.  (Figures.  That cheese has to come from somewhere!)
12. It is beautiful!  In the soul-inspiring way!  Yes, and this is the Midwest!  What a happy surprise.  (I'm still trying to figure out what makes Wisconsin so much more beautiful than the other midwestern states I've lived in, namely Missouri and Ohio.  I suspect it has something to do with the lakes, the freshly painted red barns, the restored prairie grasses, and the hilly topography left behind by the glaciers.)

Like many first impressions, I could be wrong.  But, then again, I could be right.

Speed demon

Mary was inspired by the bike race in front of our house.  

She loves riding her bike.  She is dang fast!  Those feet whirl around at the speed of light.  And she's got the endurance of a regular Ironwoman.  She can ride that little tricycle for miles.

I love this little girl.

Except that she's not so very little anymore.

I loved her tiny, and I'll love her big, and I love her in between.

Hold the mayo

Time for some serious ketchup on this blog!

Besides unpacking, putting nail holes in our walls, and trying to shake off our clingy children, we've squeezed in a few other things since we moved here six weeks ago.

Like a trip (or two) to the zoo. Where my favorite animal was this little bear.

Isn't she cute? (She's a Mary-Beary.)

No trip to the zoo is complete without a ride on a train. (Why is that?) Our kids are the orphans in the picture. Greg and I are mean and made our kids ride on the train by themselves. As COZY and COMFORTABLE as those other parents look, Greg and I were too cheap to buy ourselves tickets.

***

We also had some time for a home improvement project. Actually, we didn't have time for it, but we did it anyway. (Correction: GREG did it.)

I believe we have been fully initiated into home ownership, as most of the month of August was spent at Home Depot. My children have spent HOURS on these riding lawn mowers.

When I think of our first month in Wisconsin, it is the above image that comes into my mind.

Here is another lovely picture from Home Depot.

Is that an awesome picture, or what? My daughter in a soccer jersey, a tutu, Princess underpants, purple Crocs, with two pink purses, and sitting on a giant riding lawn mower. So very Mary!

(The underpants are a big deal, as we also re-potty-trained Mary while trying to unpack. A summer of traveling equals a summer of Pull-Ups. So some retraining was in order...especially as we had Mary's first day of school looming large in the future. Nothing like a deadline to get me off my derriere to get my kid's derriere out of diapers.)

***

We also spent plenty of time in August rediscovering year-long forgotten treasures. (The joys of unpacking--especially when much of your things have been in storage for a year. It was Christmas in August!)

***

Our month was shaping up to be really boring for the kids, so in an effort to find something for David to do, I signed him up for swimming lessons at the community natatorium.

Yippee!!

He had a great time.

They turned out to be great lessons! David ended the summer as quite a strong swimmer. Much of that is due to the many evenings Greg took the kids swimming at the Jewish community center while I unpacked ever more boxes.

***

One day we took a quick jaunt to suburban Chicago to check out three important things: The temple, the Ikea, and the Legoland Discovery Center. I think we will be making this two-and-a-half hour drive rather regularly during our tenure here in Wisconsin. (We also hope to occasionally venture all the way into the city center--we have great memories of Chicago!)

Mary and the temple.

David and the temple.

***

We (barely, it felt) managed to get ready for the BIG DAY. The first day of school! I cheated a little, and earlier I posted a picture that was actually taken on kindergarten orientation day, which was the day before the first full day. So this is the real picture of my boy on his first day of kindergarten.

I love this kid.

It was also the BIG DAY for Greg. It was his first day of school too! So this is Greg's official first day of school picture.

(As you can see, he was going for a run before heading up to campus. You can also see how Mary spends her time--begging her dad to carry her around.)

***

On a lovely September Saturday afternoon we drove to Greg's fancy (expensive!) parking spot, which is close to the fun spots in downtown Madison (good for our family outings) but not very close to the engineering building (not so good for Student Greg).

We walked over to the Memorial Union on campus.

Once inside we treated ourselves to some super fresh ice cream (yummy!) and headed out back to enjoy it on the lake.

Greg fulfilled his fatherly duty of eating all the quickly melting ice cream that the kids and I couldn't consume fast enough. (By the way, super fresh ice cream melts much faster than Culver's frozen custard, to which we are of late more accustomed.)

David was inspired to dance with the waves of Lake Mendota.

And Mary adeptly climbed up and down the railing sporting her new flip-flops (which are her most recent obsession).

After the ice cream, David and Daddy walked out onto the lake, while Mary hung back with me.

Beautiful!

We concluded our outing with a little walk up State Street. This is a picture of Greg pushing the stroller up State Street towards the Capitol, and he is about to get run over by a bicyclist. Very Madison.

***

My birthday happened somewhere in there. Mary enjoyed making (eating) the frosting.

And I enjoyed my cake. I was informed it was a Hello Kitty slash Lego Hero Factory cake. We have big imaginations in this family.

On my birthday (coincidentally) David and Mary were finally inducted into to world of Webkinz. (Thank you, Eliza, Luke, and Evan!...I think.) It was very exciting.

I have one more picture that was taken on my birthday that has nothing to do with my birthday.

Yes, that is Mary eating a granola bar and trapped in the chair while David's Webkinz chews her bum. Just what you always wanted to see. Next year I will try to take pictures of BIRTHDAY things on my birthday.

***

This is a weekly sight in our life again.

Greg hasn't mowed a lawn since Ohio.

He has a little helper again. But this time it's Mary.

***

One week after the FIRST first-day-of-school in this family, Mary had HER first day of school! Yay, Mary! (We are so proud of her for rising to the occasion with potty-training! And for WOWing her teacher with her brilliance!)

Mary chose very carefully where she wanted her first day of school picture taken. (She's standing in front of--and blocking-- pictures of her responsibilities, of which she is quite proud.)

***

Just a few weeks ago we were treated with a visit from Grandma Evie! Hooray! She spent a lot of time on the floor playing with the kids. Because of a home football game (Go, Badgers!) and pre-race Ironman events, we didn't do the usual Madison sightseeing downtown. (She'll have to come back for that. Hint, hint.) But we did drive through the lovely rural countryside to the House on the Rock. (I cannot explain the House on the Rock. It is too weird for words and too weird for camera. I refer you to the Internet. But I did take a few pictures.)

***

My mom was here the weekend of the Ironman. The biking portion goes right by our house. Literally. This is the view out of my bedroom window.

I am in awe of people who run marathons. These people swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and THEN run a marathon. I was in physical pain just THINKING about it.

Credit for this picture goes to Mary!

After church and after naps we headed outside to cheer on the racers and ring our cow bell.

Mary enjoyed riding her bike beside the race route.

Yes, we're startin' her early--she'll be an Ironwoman in no time!

***

Phew! Is that enough ketchup for you? It is for me!

Let's hope for a little less catch up and a little more regular blogging.

Good night.