I've got it all figured out!

Today, somehow it all came together and I feel like Success. It's so hard to see it sometimes but today, today it worked and three of us had a nice day together with zero complaining and lots of accomplishments.

David's in Texas for work, Archer's working and I'm on crutches (long story) but I was able to share this recap with David about all we got done today. And it made me feel like I've got this Mom thing figured out.

Keep Chuggin' Along

We're well into Work From Home, School From Home, Facemasks Everywhere mode.

It has become so normal to see facemasks on everyone that when we're watching TV, I'm surprised to see people not wearing them. Before we walk out the door from home - do you have a mask? Maybe we have an extra in the car. With really no end in sight. The school district just announced students will stay home "until further notice." The teachers are doing "daily check-ins" where students are supposed to put happy or sad faces into a chart or something - is this supposed to be how they take care of the kids' emotional health? Jumping jacks in the bedroom for gym class. These are strange times.

We've gotten into a new groove. No Scouts and no Skating but we've got other stuff now. I go for a walk every day after work and sometimes a kid or two will join me. Archer's got a job that gets him out of the house. Shelly and Eli are D&D gaming with some other kids. David has started repainting the inside of our house, one section at a time. Grandma & Grandpa show up with lunch for the kids every once in awhile, a nice diversion from the school schedule. More family time, for better or for worse, more family time. So much family time.

Can you believe...

Can you believe we're surviving a summer of EVERYTHING IS CANCELLED and still having fun? Me neither. It's been tough. I'm going to try REALLY HARD to gloss over the garbage that we're going through, still sort of quarantined but not really, still hearing on the news that everyone's going to die and also that almost no one is dying so everyone calm down. Who even knows about school in the fall. Nothing's for sure anymore.

Ok, I didn't succeed at glossing over the garbage BUT let's try again. Take two. Despite some setbacks, we're managing to Get Stuff Done.

1. We're working on the deck. Still. Hardware Store has back ordered the last of the materials we need to finish.

2. I started a project of re-painting my wooden chairs and that's been going really well. Then Epic Storm rolled through last week and blew one of my chairs away like it was a little feather blowing in the wind. It was damaged beyond repair (thankfully it wasn't one of the chairs I had just finished painting). Silver Lining: Eli had the time of his life using a hammer to smash the broken chair to bits. He loved it. What more can you ask for entertainment for a 9 year old with a desire to destroy everything???

3. Epic Storm could NOT defeat our new windows (victory!!) but our back door had a tough time - the rain was blowing in at the TOP of the door!!!!!!!!!!! There are not enough !!! to express what that storm did in our neighborhood. I swear there were waves of ocean smashing up against our windows. The back of the house wasn't the only one taking a beating, the tree in the front of our house lost another very large limb. It had already lost a very large limb a couple of years ago in a snowstorm. Now our sad little tree was just done. I met someone while I was out for a walk and asked him if he could cut down our tree. I left to go to the hardware store and when I came home, the tree was in pieces by the curb. And then two days later, it was picked up by the Village Highway Cleanup Crew. So, the tree we've had for 12 years is now just a stump in the middle of our yard. Sad. Moving on...

4. Roller skating is back! We can't practice together inside, but we've been getting together in pairs and small groups to skate and walk and exercise. It's so good to see my friends again. I'm just resigned that I'll forever look like Bambi on ice when I skate and fall down all the time, but I haven't had any new major injuries so I forge ahead. Sometimes one of the kids will go for a bike ride with me while I skate, that's nice.

5. We had a 4th of July celebration. Actually, three events at our house in six days. So much cleaning and shopping for more food but it was so worth it. Tuesday we had dinner with our Scout friends, they're such great company and it was nice to get caught up on what everyone has been up to all summer. Then.

Usually we go to the lakefront for fireworks but that was out so we invited our friends over for a campfire and food on the fourth. Also, my parents. So everyone shows up (including my parents! yay! I love you guys :) ) and we have a great time and we're wishing there were fireworks but this is so great, we don't even have to use the outhouse by the fish cleaning station at the lakefront, we have actual bathrooms and air conditioning if we need it AND the campfire. So many friends that we haven't seen in so long. And right around dusk, this is when it began. The Show.

People have been shooting off fireworks in our neighborhood for months. This started when lockdown started back in March - a couple are shot off every night. But this was NOTHING like that. The rockets started and didn't let up for an hour at least. We're watching to the south, now east, there's some over there in the west and if you run to the front of the house, you can see the ones to the north. They surrounded us, they were everywhere and they were BIG. Huge bangs, huge flashes of sparkling lights wherever you look. I have never experienced anything like that. My measly little cell phone pictures cannot do it justice. The community rejected the cancelling of the Fourth of July and responded with better shows than we've ever seen before.



{Disclaimer: Yes I know it's illegal. People get hurt. My children only did safe stuff like smoke bombs. Please be safe everyone and make good decisions.}

Alright, ANOTHER Fourth party, this time on the Fifth with all the Fortiers. We hadn't seen each other since CHRISTMAS!! We needed this, we needed to check in with each other and the cousins needed to see who's driving and who's working and what's up on social media. Mamaw and Bampa showed up AGAIN! Bonus visit! It was such a sweet time, we enjoyed each other's company so much. We tried to keep the food simple without too much grilling or prep required so that we didn't have to spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen. It worked out well and we had a very nice time.

And let's not forget. Smooshed in between all those other things was our traditional Fourth of July Pool Party in HC. A wonderful day as always - snacks, pool time, good conversation, all the stuff.

Probably the best Fourth of July of my life. Because absence makes the heart grow fonder and we've all been absent from everything for too long.

6. David and our friend Mary talked Tom (a guest at the party on Saturday the 4th) into giving them some tips. A couple days later we all met up at the local driving range for golfing lessons and lunch. He's a pro. (Literally. Also teaches golf, for a living.) What a pleasure to enjoy the sunshine and get to see the improvements as Tom patiently guided them through their posture, swing, all the stuff.

7. I'm training for a triathlon which I switched to a duathlon so I won't have to swim and Mary's signed up for the same event. Oh the stuff we talk each other into, when will we learn? We did a little mini duathlon with walking, biking and walk/running last weekend. It was nice to have a partner in the moaning over not liking running and it's too hot and I live in the Caledonia Desert (???) and people are jerks and WHAT did we get ourselves into AGAIN????

Anyway, if you've made it this far, nice work. I just spit out everything that's been building up in my brain for the last two months. Every one of these pictures is a story and if I told them all it would be a novel.

No Shoes Shelly
Mandy & Amy, bank parking lot, hoping we don't get kicked out
Friends!
Machete & Mahem after Mayhem wiped out after only 10 seconds on the track
Mary & Amy, post mini duathlon
Golf lesson!
Tom & Mandy, Fourth
Eli & Amy, sometime
More friends!
Everyone who happened to be sitting around outside when we decided to take a pic :) (Kim, Bampa, DavidAmy, Kim, Mamaw, Grandma)
Eli. Hiding.
Friends!
Dance party on the deck w/ Mary & Heather
David. Stoic as always, or something :P
Bampa & Mamaw
Mayhem & Hella

Corona Quarantine - All the Stuff

A week ago I wrote a very very long thing about the news and all that's happening. I kept it to myself, maybe I'll put it out there sometime but for now, I think it's best I keep my chaos to myself.

So, here's the shakedown. Schools closed on March 13 and my kids spent a week at home pretending it was an extra long spring break. They'd go back on April 6. A week later, the governor issued the "Safer at Home" order and everyone who could possibly stay home was stuck there. For a month. Ok, fine, I'll work from home. And here I am, working from home. Today the Stay Home instructions were extended through to May 26. So we'll all stay home a little longer.

Now, number one, I have to say, I am SO IMPRESSED with us. There have been NO major blowouts, meltdowns, freaking out about the world today. Of course we have our snippy moments here and there but SERIOUSLY. I have the awesomest family ever. The kids do some school work, take care of their chores, go for walks with me when I make them. David and I are taking turns cooking WONDERFUL meals now that we have time because we don't have All The Things every day of the week. These are such strange times but so very wonderful in a way that I couldn't have imagine - no going out? No visiting friends or going to the library? How's that going to be good? But we have Family Time. Every Minute of the Day Family Time.

So, here's a tiny little picture of Life Today.

My tea has been evicted from the cupboard and now sits shamefully in a paper bag on the floor in a corner. Make way for canned foods in the cupboard.

In addition to no room for tea, there's also apparently no room for soy sauce because I keep finding it in various cupboards. Someone finds it, puts it some other random place.

And best of all - my desk (a little folding table with just one monitor) sits between our dining room and living room, giving me a view of our backyard. I have discovered that my yard is very busy every day with visitors from all over the neighborhood. Even while we're stuck inside our cozy hide-away, the birds are venturing out of their nests, the bunnies (babies even!!) are exploring their world. Makes me smile every time I see someone new venture within sight.

Last night we broke the rules and went to HC because Bampa asked to borrow some tools and when it came down to it, none of the 5 of us could resist going for a drive. It was a very big deal. We were Road Tripping and singing songs on the way. It's like we were on our way to a big vacation! And we got there and I hugged my parents for the first time in month and it made my whole week better. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I guess? I just needed to see my parents so much, it was the very best thing.

And so we continue on to do our everyday things while the world is all shut down and everyone's afraid of everyone else's germs. Here in our little fortress, we're doing just fine.

Family Field Trip

I woke up this morning feeling unhappy about not having anything fun to look forward to. I mean, besides laundry and watching tv and greeting my family members as we passed in the kitchen, etc. etc. So... Everybody up, we're going to a museum today. And you're going to have fun! Shelly was excused from the mandatory fun because she already had plans to go ice skating with her friends. We left her behind, and we were off!

Would you have guessed? The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has the world's largest collection of these whimsical toys, and it is only 20 minutes from where we live! Off we go! We first stopped at the Scout store, then ventured to downtown Milwaukee. Some features of the museum - we learned the song which is now stuck in our heads and Eli has been merrily singing it for the last several hours. We saw the great diversity of athletes, presidents, and tv stars that have been honored by memorialization via Bobblehead. Eli completed a scavenger hunt and was rewarded with a sticker. Archer found a Roller Derby player from a local team. David was guide and photographer for our expedition. A nice little diversion on our afternoon.

After much discussion of what a Public Market is, and trying to explain it to Eli  without succeeding, I decided we should visit Milwaukee's market, since I'd been there only once a LONG LONG time ago and the rest of my family hadn't been there at all. Well, Archer was with me many years ago, but he was too young to remember. Anyway, it's only 3 blocks that way, we'll just walk over there. And we start walking. And it's REALLY REALLY cold out and none of us are quite dressed for the weather. And I may have led the crew off in the wrong direction but walk faster! We'll be there in a couple of minutes! David went back for the van, the boys and I hiked on until finally it was in sight and we crossed another street and another and then finally we were inside the market. Whew! There was a huge crowd, and so much food and everything! It was nothing like I remembered - definitely more crowded and more vendors and so much food!!! Mexican, Italian, Avocado, Seafood (raw and cooked), Bakery, Butcher (raw and cooked), Florist, more Bakery, Wedding Cakes and Brownies and everything! We walked around a bit, met back up with David who had brought the van closer to the market so we wouldn't have to walk 3 or 10 blocks when we were done shopping. We didn't shop, but instead decided to come back later for food and treats.

Next stop Milwaukee Trolley. I pictured something red. Like Mr. Rogers had? I don't know, but I've definitely heard a lot of hype over this trolley over the last couple of years. The politics, mostly. Anyway. We go stand outside at the trolley stop, realize we have 16 minutes before it's going to come and we are SO COLD so we go stand back inside for 13 minutes. Come out, freeze for 2 more minutes and then hop aboard the trolley. Which looks like a city bus, except it runs on tracks, and the seats in  the back face backwards. I join David in the back, facing backwards, and we ride for a little while, till the end of the line. The trolley (feels like a city bus) stops. The driver (is he called an engineer on a trolley?) opens the door of the little room that was at the front of the bus, and walks the length of the trolley, greeting everyone as he passed, then opened up a door to a little room at the back of the bus. Which is now the front. Because after a moment or two, we started going back the way we had come from. "We're going the other way now," Archer said to Eli, and this was the moment I quit fooling around on my phone and decided to actually pay attention to what was going on around me. Sure enough, now David and I were at the front of the trolley, facing forwards. We had a nice little ride through Milwaukee, we passed City Hall and Cathedral Square. We got to the other end of the line, the driver walked back to the room at the other end of the trolley and we started back where we had come from. We got off in the same place we had started. All very cozy and warm, thanks to being a closed bus and not an open red trolley like Mr. Rogers had. Just saying...

We crossed a street and went to lunch at a nice little restaurant. I'd definitely go back there again, if we found ourselves in the neighborhood. We crossed the street, went into the Market to pick out some desserts, and we were off.

We arrived home about 20 minutes before Shelly got home from her Ice Skating field trip with friends, and now we're all snuggled safely into our separate corners of the house. Which is ok, I guess, since we DID end up having some Quality Time Together for a few hours today. It's just... What's the plan going to be for next weekend? Plan something, or see where the wind blows us?

How Was Your Day?

So... How are you? How was your day?

That's what starts so many of our conversations. With David, Archer, Shelly, Eli, Nana. Ever since April, I talk to Nana almost every day, mostly on my way home from work. How was your day? Same as usual. Or, this unusual thing happened, a pumpkin showed up in the mail for me today, was it you? Same as usual, except today this (totally normal but interesting/annoying/upsetting/happy) thing happened. We talk for ten or twenty minutes, catch up, tell each other funny stuff, I love you, we'll talk tomorrow...

Our days are so mundane. Family Life, scrambling to eat dinner, run to Scouts, Piano Lesson, Special Event. And somehow it's all so the same, and also so special. Archer making his lunch for tomorrow while listening to music on his earbuds and the only part I can hear is Archer singing "Summer of 69" in the kitchen. With a few dance moves thrown in. Shelly curled in my lap cuddling up like a cat. Eli brushing his teeth. Eli telling me about the Scout meeting where the most important thing was the choice of snacks they had. Shelly still curled in my lap like a cat as I scratch her head. Archer telling me some funny thing that he saw online when chatting with friends who live on the other side of the globe. Tonight I sang the same bedtime song to Eli that I've sang to him almost every night for the last so many years. Doesn't he ever want a new song? At the end, I kiss his kissable cheeks and he kisses me, getting in the last kiss. Goodnight, I love you. It all repeats again tomorrow at 6 a.m. when I make sure Archer's out of bed and we start again. Have a good day, I love you.

I don't remember much of kindergarten, high school, all of that. Twenty, thirty years from now, what will I remember of this? I have flashes of those times long gone, I wonder what the flashes of memories will be in the future. But, I know this - I'm enjoying it now. When Archer was born, they said, cherish this time, it will go so fast. I blinked, and he's in high school. I'm trying to cherish it. The subdivision of box houses that currently resides in my living room (yes, several houses made of boxes have been built - in my living room), the strong friendships my kids are making (Archer has been friends with L for 10 years now!!!), all of these life things. When are they too old to crawl around on their knees everywhere they go, too old to pretend to be a puppy or a kitty, too old to any of it? I try not to let any of it slide away without noticing, without seeing it. I marvel at the wonderful family in front of me and try to enjoy every moment of it. This wonderful life.

Piano Recital / Birthday Bash / Fantastic Fun!

May 6 was a day that will go down in history... It was the day that my firstborn, Archer of many names (I won't list them all here, to preserve his integrity and avoid embarrassing him to death) came into this world and I proclaimed to everyone who would listen, "Isn't he the most perfect thing you've ever seen?"

May 6 will ALSO go down in history because it was the day that great Piano Concertist (is that a word?) Shelly debuted on stage (actually the front of the church)... Shelly performed beautifully in her first Piano Recital.

These kids never cease to amaze and impress me.

Archer. Yes, I gave up pretending that you haven't outgrown me. You're taller than me, you weigh more than I did when I graduated high school, you're wearing Grandpa's running shoes. I say you have Ski Feet. Eli calls you Big Foot. Sometimes you look like you have jelly legs, how are you so floppy and scrawny and tall? Hey Mr. Tall Guy, you're growing up into someone I'm proud to call my son. Normally I don't like to brag about this stuff publicly, except for this blog is pretty private now so mostly I'm just bragging to myself. You were on the High Honor roll last quarter! Not just the regular one, the HIGH one! With your name in the paper! Also you were the champion of the school Geography Bee! Also you're a track star!! Ok, I know you say you're only doing track because I'm making you, and I know you pretend to not like it, but you look like you're having a great time with the other kids on your team. And I see you out there, running HARD and taking pride in your finishes and I'm so proud of you. Keep it up, keep up all the hard work, keep up the antics, keep being you. I'm proud of you, Kid!

Shelly Anna, my love. You decided to try something new this year and WOW have you ever flourished! Every week we go to piano lessons and you speak with Ms. Heather in some other language that I don't understand. From the very first week you seemed to know exactly what she was saying to you, and I sat there having no clue what the two of you were talking about. Every week it gets a little more foreign to me, and you settle further into the music and the notes flow from your fingers. I love when you practice and our house is filled with your music. Beautiful.

We invited family and friends over to celebrate Archer's birthday after Shelly's recital and we had a crowd in the house from early afternoon to late into the night. If 9:00 is considered late. I guess it is for me, I'm getting too old to stay out too late. ;) Anyway it was a wonderful day. Moments of kids chasing each other with weapons, lots of shouting and laughing, some games and accusations of cheating, etc. etc. etc. The perfect kind of fun.

Wrestles & Cuddles

Quite often the days look like this...


And at night, they end like this...

Ah, sweet family

Nutcracker + Christmas + Family

We've had a whirlwind couple of weeks and I've taken about a million pictures...

Start waayyyyy back with Nutcracker Rehearsal at the Theater on Thursday night. Grandma and Grandpa were very kind to get Shelly picked up from school and to the theater on time since I was at work. Friday I took the day off so I could get her to the theater on time (again) for dress rehearsal. Grandma and Grandpa weren't left out of the fun, though, they took Eli for the weekend. Let's not forget Archer - he packed himself up and took off with the scouts for a weekend of camping. And. A beautiful dress rehearsal kicked off the weekend of performances.



Saturday and Sunday. Three performances, so many compliments to the dancers and of course the best dancer of all was Shelly. She had a new role this year, as a Sheep. She was the cutest one.

Archer made it home Sunday morning after a weekend with an entire Scout camp for their small group of five people. Did I mention that the Blizzard of the Century blew through on Friday night? The Scout camp was covered in 40 feet of snow so the boys spent the weekend sledding and snowball fighting and whatever else Scouts do when camping in the snow.

We had a little Christmas gathering with Grandma and Grandpa after the final performance on Sunday. We all breathed a sigh of relief that another Nutcracker season was closed. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for assisting with the taxi duties, and for hanging onto E for the whole weekend so he didn't have to see the Nutcracker four times. You two always come through for us!

Fast forward six days, Hello Christmas!

Remember when Archer was the same height as these Nutcrackers?

We enjoyed our traditional visit to the campground for the light show, a visit from Santa, and Christmas with the cousins. This was the year of Nerf and RC toys. I tried to tally it up. The addition to the F5 Arsenal is something like 120 Nerf darts, 4 Nerf guns, 4 quadcopters, 2 cars, 1 helicopter and a whole lot of Cracker Jack. There might also be somewhere around 1,000 new Lego? And who gave Elijah Graham 110 marbles?

This is what I know - the rule of "no small parts" is 100% broken because for the last three days I've barely been able to walk without stepping on a weapon or some kind of ammo. I also know this. There has been a lot of running around, screaming with delight, laughing as the kids and quadcopters chase each other around corners. All around, a happy Christmas season for all.

Quality Time

Once upon a time, I wanted to have kids. Once upon a time I knew that I would be a mom who would never yell, a mom who would be perfectly patient with my lovely angels all the time. And oh, the angels. My children would be polite and kind, they'd never argue, they'd never have dirt under their nails, eat too much candy....

Are your rolling your eyes and laughing at me yet? When was that Once Upon a Time? Obviously, it was before I had children. Anyway, as part of my little fantasy land, I believed we'd have a healthy, homemade meal together every night. Go ahead and laugh some more. I don't cook, I hate it, and I'm not very good. When I'm do cook, it's not unusual for something to go wrong and for me to say, "ok everybody, pizza tonight!" after there's an awful taste to whatever it was I just pulled out of the oven. And don't forget the smoke. Usually there's a lot of smoke.

Alright, where was I going with all that? I thought we'd have Family Dinners. Here's reality. We don't have family dinners. Our schedules don't match up quite enough for everyone to eat at the same time. Our culinary preferences almost never match up. So most nights now sound like this...

Ok everyone, it's time to eat. Are you hungry? Come to the kitchen and find some food. Then I list the leftovers or the stuff that I'm willing to make tonight, do you want mac and cheese or grilled cheese or spaghetti? Everyone grabs something, eats as quickly as they can and rushes back to some other activity. It's enough to make you feel really disconnected and depressed about how we don't spend time together. But here's the secret success, here's our Quality Time. Once we're all home for the night, after Scouts, Ballet, Work, we all settle down on the couches in the living room. We talk about homework, we play the piano, we talk about anything and everything. And that's where the best part of our day sneaks in. We're in the same room together, not arguing for the moment, snuggling and reading and I can't even list all the good stuff that happens. But those moments are the glue that keeps us all together.

I know it looks like they're all busy playing with electronics. But they really are enjoying each other's company, laughing and playing games together. For real. They are. 

Cute Little Story - I walk in the door and say "You can see Orion really clearly tonight." Archer knows exactly what this means and runs outside to gaze up at the stars. Shelly and Eli follow him out, but everyone realizes its too cold and runs back into the dining room. Archer tries to point out Orion while Shelly and Eli crowd around him and they're all standing inside but leaning outside and it's too crowded there in the doorway but it's too cold and WHERE is Orion's belt? And that's why I don't worry about Family Dinner, we're stargazing.

Thanks For Everything Day

I ran. I am so thankful that I can run - that I'm healthy enough to go out and run 3.1 miles. I'm super slow but I can run. And I'm thankful for that. And bonus - my phone app said I ran the race in 37 minutes. Official results say 30 minutes. I'll take it!

I came home and cooked only a little, saw some friends and family. I feel so blessed that I have people in my life who will accept soup, salad, cheese and crackers as a Thanksgiving Day meal. Because I'm just not up to the big Turkey Feast. Rachel and her boys, along with Bampa and Mamma joined us for a nice afternoon gathering.

Once everyone left, we all packed up and went to Uncle Todd's for the final event of the day. All the cousins were there and we were able to enjoy how old all the kids are getting - the holidays are getting quieter as the years go by and the kids get older and learn to stop screaming quite so much. It's a slow process, but we're making progress.  :)  I'm very fortunate to be a part of TWO wonderful families who are welcoming and caring. What an incredible thing to have.

A couple of the kids traded places and we ended up bringing home one of the boys and leaving our girl behind. I guess the cousins needed some more bonding time together...

I don't have many pics, I'm not sharing funny stories about the latest thing the kids did, I just have such a sense of peace and love over the last two days. This morning I sat on the couch while the kids played and I read a book for a couple of hours. I haven't read a book in way too long. And it was the perfect way to spend time with the kids on our day off. Thanks kids, thanks families, the last two days were just about as perfect as they could possibly be.

Birthday Weekend

Happy Birthday Husband!
To a wonderful guy, from the family, we're glad we could spend it with you. For better or for worse.

David took Eli to Scout Camp for the afternoon, an event designed to give new scouts of all ages an idea of what Scouting is all about. And boy did they EVER give the kids an idea. The Scouts are now allowing boys as young as 5 to join so Eli's getting a head start on the fun. Kindergartners are Lions. So. Introducing you to our little Lion Cub, Elijah Graham!

They let everyone try archery. And BB guns. Seriously???? Once again, what kind of mom sends her kid.... (See the January Archives for a previous moment with this same thought.)

Bows and arrows and guns. I think they did other stuff too, but that was pretty much all I heard about. Oh yeah, and the rockets. Good thing there were lots of dads there to help every step of the way. Go dads! Go David!

But that was just the start of the fun, once the boys got home, the Fortier Five plus Two Grandparents trekked to the China Lights show at the same garden where David and I were married. When we were able to make our way to the Exact Spot where we stood to get married, there was a 1,000 foot long dragon facing us. I told E that the dragon was there when we got married. And I spent the entire ceremony worried that the dragon was going to CHOMP me! Do you believe me? He nodded, he looked a little scared. Sorry, E, I was just kidding. Anyway, beautiful show.

When we had seen almost everything and taken almost a million pictures we braved the crowds again and tried to swim against the stream to get out. Whew. Poor Dad, his birthday fun light show turned into a bit of a struggle as he tried to corral E and find the van. Eli had way too much energy. The grandparents and mom were way behind and weren't offering any help with the rambunctious Lion Cub. Happy Birthday Dad, you get to spend time with your family. Nothing but sunshine and rainbows, right? ;-)

Now for the little surprise - we took Mamaw and Bampa home and all the kids jumped out of the van to stay in HC for the night. Happy Night!

David and I enjoyed a dinner that didn't include kids menus. We didn't have to tuck anyone in, remind them to stay in bed, tell them to quit talking, etc. Nice evening, thanks to Mamaw and Bampa. I hear they had their own fun movie marathon and such.

Next morning, time to get the kids home in time to finish school projects and get to ballet rehearsal on time. And funny thing, for the first time ever, E insisted on driving. How kind! He asked me about 30 times if he could drive, then he quit asking and just told me, "I'm driving!" There wasn't much arguing with him. Thanks for being the chauffeur for the day Graham.

Ok, outa time, gotta move on to the next activity. Keep moving, everybody!

Tri Again

Shelly had so much fun with her first triathlon in May that she decided to try again in September. We didn't train quite as much the second time around, but she spent so much time in the water all summer, her swimming definitely improved. And with the new gear (speedy green bike), she would have to be faster, right? That heavy pink bike from May was history, now she has a light road bike with gears and she's done some practicing with finding the best gear for every situation.

Cue the Big Day!

We recruited a couple of cousins to join the cheering squad, and a friend of Archer's decided to try out the tri as well. Here's the gang before the race.

We knew what to expect. We're practically experts this time around. She even has a tri kit. Here we go!

Swim. They call the names, Shelly goes to the end of her lane, they blow the horn and they're off! I stood at the end of her lane cheering her on. The rest of our crew was in the bleachers up above and all was going wonderfully.

Her swim was 2:47 faster this time around (yay for swimming!). She finished up, went out for her bike and I went out to get ready also. She had asked me to join her for the bike but planned to run alone. She was doing well, handling the hills better than last time (thanks bike!) and we were cruising along. Then we got to the turnaround. And that's when everything changed.

Suddenly the wind picked up and I thought, the next two miles are going to be tough... The leaves were whipping across the road and hitting our legs as we pushed into the wind. I tried to shout encouragement to Shelly, in front of me, but she couldn't hear anything. This is going to be a long two miles, I kept thinking. It was hard. Then the rain. Torrential. Pouring out of the sky and across the road, it was being blown horizontal so that it was hitting our legs and arms and faces, stinging with every drop. It felt like hail, it felt like being pricked with pins with every raindrop. I wondered if this was what a hurricane felt like. We couldn't see in front of us and all we could do was keep pedaling, stay on the road and try to keep moving forward. The road where there had been no traffic was suddenly busy with vans and trucks moving slowly through the rain to try to find their children and pull them in out of the storm. I shouted as loud as I could to Shelly, keep your head down and keep pedaling! Keep your head down and just keep going!! "I'm trying" she screamed back at me. We turned down a couple of offers for rides, but then the lightening and thunder seemed as if it were right over our heads and all around us. We couldn't hear unless we yelled, we couldn't see anything, I heard what I thought sounded like crying. This was not a fun adventure anymore.

Finally, with less than a half mile to go until we were back to the campus and safety, a kind stranger invited us into her van and we accepted the ride. We were drenched. She took Shelly and our bikes back to the building and I tried to track down David. I didn't have my phone with me and it seemed like it took forever but eventually we all ended up back where we had started, inside at the pool. I found Shelly, the brothers and cousins, and surprise! Grandma and Grandpa had shown up sometime while Shelly and I were out on our bikes.

Once we knew that we had everyone, and David was back with the van (he had gone out looking for us), we were able to say all of our hellos and goodbyes. There were so many stories from such a brief time, stories of where everyone was when the storm descended on us and who got more wet than whom and whatever happened to our bikes? Wow.

We gathered all our stuff. Shelly's towel that had been outside in Transition and David said there was a river running through the area when he picked everything up. There was nothing dry. Time to go home. Guess what? As we gathered all the equipment and crew, the sun had come out. Beautiful sunny weather, just in time for us to pack everything up.

The bike ride was cut short and the run didn't happen at all. Disappointing. But the Best Tri Adventure Ever! Shelly's misery over the Hurricane Bike Ride became laughter and storytelling on the way home.

So, are we going to try the tri again next year?



Early Bird Tri - May 2016      September 2016
   Swim                 9:00               6:13
   T1                      4:07               3:13
   Bike                   36:39
   T2                      1:05
   Run                   18:25

Firecracker Four & Fireworks

Once again, our accidental tradition.

Sunshine, not too hot and not too cool, great company, we couldn't ask for a better Fourth of July.

Firecracker Four - Bampa and Mamaw ran the four miles. Shelly and Archer ran one point something miles and I stuck with the kids. Afterwards was lunch and a little pool time, followed by the trek down to Racine.

Pack up a bunch of snacks, blankets, chairs and cousins. Fireworks by the lake, spectacular as usual.

Another great year of celebrating Independence Day together with family!

2015 Year in Review

Exactly one year ago today, I planned to run the Lighthouse Run. I did not know that I would follow it with the Half Marathon just a few weeks later. One year ago I thought that I would probably spend a few miles running with Dad. I had no idea it would total over 200 miles by the year's end. I didn't think that my miles with kids by my side on their bikes would total 50. (Don't tell them the number, they'll probably complain about how far they had to go. In the heat. Up hill both ways...) I didn't think I'd be the crazy person running laps in the parking lot in the dark in the middle of winter while we were at ballet class. I never imagined that my son would join the cross country team after listening to his grandpa and mom obsesss over running for months and months.

This year I saw many things I didn't expect. The running was a big part of it, but also...

Archer finished up six years at his elementary school. He started middle school. This was a huge one for him. Switching classes, locker, gym uniform, a whole new category of classes, a whole new group of kids. I was nervous for him, he was nervous, but here we are - everything is fine.

Shelly chose to continue with ballet, but took a break from it over the summer and spent a couple weeks in art classes and soccer camp. The art classes were something completely new to her, but by the second day she was already telling me not to walk in with her. She's GOT this!

Eli finished his 3K school and then started in a new school in the fall for 4K. He now rides the bus. He's met some great new friends. He's adjusted SO well and continues to surprise me with everything he knows. Plus. Now he RIDES A BIKE! This will make our upcoming summer runs/rides SO much better. Right? Cause what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

David worked on some computer programming/building projects with the kids. They like to talk about the robots they're going to build someday. What? I never imagined that would be a thing in my house. But there it is. Go for it!

So. What does 2016 bring? Who knows. I can't even guess. I know this - I'll be training for a Sprint Triathlon with my friend Mary. I hope I'll get to put in miles out on the road with her, my kids and Dad. I want to smile more, and complain less. And beyond all of that, I just really can't guess. I'm looking forward to the adventure!

First Wonderful Snow

Today is our first snow of the season. It started last night, actually and its a full-out blizzard with wind whistling through the door and snow whipping around outside. Last night Shelly and I went grocery shopping and OF COURSE the ENTIRE CITY was at that one grocery store. Big storm looming, holiday approaching... I'm surprised we even found a place to park! When we left, I told Shelly it was like Disney. "What? Disney is a grocery store?"  Everywhere you walk is crowded, can't move around without bumping into someone, waiting in long lines for hours on end. I don't think she believed me.

Anyway, today there is this beautiful storm blowing around outside, and here we are inside, all on our own activities and it seems sublime. Perfect. Kids are playing at their own stuff, I'm cozy on the couch reading a book and enjoying some warm tea. Shelly's writing on her blog. Archer and Eli are playing Monopoly and I hear Archer explaining the nuances of trading properties as they go through the game together. The ELECTRONIC version of this game is a LIFESAVER! I may have to permanantly hide/retire the "actual board and colored paper money" version of this game. When the thousands of dollars of collered bills come out there's always some disaster in store.

So why am I making a point to tell you about this? It seems like so often, in this perfect little house of ours (which is plenty big for five people), someone is always under foot or getting on someone's nerves. There are so many reasons to argue. But today. ALL DAY so far (and we're already past lunchtime!), there has been NO arguing. On a day when we're stuck inside, I haven't made up any rules about what rooms each person has to stay in/out to avoid the other person who also needs to... Whatever. We're enjoying each other's company. And that makes it a perfectly PERFECT snowy day!

Badgerland Striders HALF MARATHON!! Our FIRST!!!

4:04

Tried to go to bed early last night. Fell asleep around 10:30?

Woke up at 2. No going back, laid there for two hours. Considering I don't feel nervous about today's activities, my sleeplessness sure says otherwise. 

I'm giving up on bedtime and moving on. By the time I cross the start line I'll be ready for lunch...

And now for the good news: Looks like it's going to be a wet start to the day!

Bring it on!

5:19

Kids awake and dressed, kind of. 

Promises of granola bars later mean they can skip breakfast now.

5:39 

Roll out

5:45

U-turn for for forgotten water bottle. Doh!

6:15 

Meet up with the rest of the team

6:48

Arrived on location. Monsoon in full force.

6:50-7:50

3 trips to the porta potty, start feeling nervous. Check the weather app 100 times to see when the rain will stop. Change into dry socks, running shoes on, ready to go. REALLY feeling nervous. Rain has slowed to a mist. Re-tie laces. Join the crowd at the start line. Did I mention I was feeling a bit nervous at this point?

I don't even know why I was nervous, I KNEW we would be fine, we would cross the finish line together. We had trained and talked and prepped all we could. We were READY.

8:00 GO!

Everything now is based on miles and not the clock. The trail was crowded for what felt like a long time. At least the first mile? Just before we saw the 1 Mile sign Shelly was waiting. "You've done the whole half marathon! You're about to cross the finish line!" She made all of us crazy runners smile and Bampa proudly proclaimed,"that's my granddaughter!"

She was right - around the bend we crossed the finish line. We looped around the park and over the finish line again before turning to the long stretch south.

Everyone around us was so happy! Maybe that's why we flock to these events, all of us in this club of runners. We run on our own most of the time and it makes us feel good so we keep doing it. Today, we got to be in a crowd of happy, smiling people who encouraged each other. Shouted positive stuff at strangers and then turned our eyes forward again to continue on our journeys.

I think it was about 4 miles in when we headed south. This was a long stretch of paved trail where we occasionally dodged puddles and mud. Mostly, though, it was clear. 

The first runner in the pack passed us somewhere along here, going back the opposite direction. He finished an hour before us and I'm guessing he was running twice as fast. Just stay out of his way. ;)

There were some small hills but nothing too major. Every time we were going down someone would buzz past us. There were a few walkers going up. I kept my stride short to control the descent, and we didn't walk up.

I had come up with a list of things to talk about with Bampa and as we ran, I started going through. Wrote the initials on my arm so I wouldn't forget the list...

(VSBIM. Secret code. Supposed to end with an N, but it was late and I was delirious when I wrote it.)

Each thing took a mile or two as we stretched out every possible angle on the topic. This took us all the way to 11.5 miles when I asked if he wanted the next topic on my list. (Next one was "I" in case  you were wondering.) "I just want to see the Mile 12 sign," he said, and that was it. Our only focus was the finish line. There was a lot of self talk - Pick your feet up! I can DO this! I WANT this!

And then, Mile 13, "We're right there! We're THERE!" And we finished together, and I went through the finish, had a medal hung around my neck, stepped off to the grass and turned to Dad. We grabbed each other in a giant hug and I just kept saying, "We did it! We did it!"

And that was one of the best days of my life.  Not possible without the incredible support of David (our chaperoini).

Thanks to all.

13.1 miles

2:37:41

Love that I get to proudly display my mileage acheivement. Not so sure about what to do with the shirt, though... It'll be hard to wear that and feel proud of myself!

Aftermath of wet socks and shoes from the wet road and grass. Everyone's feet were white and wrinkly by the time we got back to the van to head home.

Noon

Home in time for lunch, quiet time while the kids play games, my first ice bath (only really bad for the first 5 minutes, then just kinda bad till your toes are frozen), then maybe a nap. Bliss.

Museum

Just a little afternoon trip to the musseum, thanks to the summer reading program and some free tickets the kids earned with all their time reading. Good job kids!

We learned new things (did you know that the mamoth skeleton in the museum was found just 20 miles from where we live??). We visited old favorites (Streets of Milwaukee/Villages of Europe). Some of us got a little more up close and personal with the exhibits than we may have wanted...

See that butterfly with wings the size of David's hand? Imagine how big that thing really is... We visited the butterfly exhibit where we could walk among hundreds of butterflies, see them up close and personal and maybe one would even land on your hand! How exciting! Until... until one lands on your FACE! That giant butterfly flew right up to me and landed on my MOUTH! Keep in mind, we'd been warned not to touch the butterflies because we could so easily damage their fragile wings and legs. Do I brush it off? I can't really talk - if I open my mouth what will happen? Don't panic, there are 50 other people in the room that will witness me having a meltdown, including my kids... HELP! I could feel its feet grabbing on tight. I could feel its tongue (that's a "proboscis" for those you who want the technical term) touching my lip. (Butterfly kisses?) It WOULD NOT GET OFF. David suggested I blow on it, he tried, I tried, it hung on tighter. Finally he used the museum map, snuck the paper under each of its legs until it was on the map and off my face. Whew!

Favorite Exhibits

Shelly - Villages of Europe, what would it have been like to live there?

David - Dinosaur Fossils

Archer - Butterfly Room

Elijah - Butterfly Room. And the Escalator. We took every possible opportunity to ride the escalator. We talked a lot about the escalator on the way home, and at dinner, and the next day... David and Eli drew diagrams of the escalator and talked about how it works... Everything's an adventure!

Beach Day

We met up with some friends for a beach day, and when we got there, there were MORE friends, bonus! 

We had planned on just staying for the mornng because the weather elves in my phone said there would be stoms in the afternoon. But then... the elves were wrong, the storms never came, we stayed too long and all ended up sunburned. 

I hadn't brought much food because, you know, we were only going to stay a little while. So... My starving children stood with their sad puppy eyes in front of Willie's mom until she offered up some chips - Shelly snatched them up and retreated with her friend Sarah down the beach. Once those were gone, Sarah must have turned her sad puppy eyes on her own mom because the next thing I know, the two girls are sharing some other treat with some other family... Does that qualify as "beach bum"? Begging food off the next family down the line? 

Anyway, we finally went home where I decided we should ge a picture of the four of us together and we broke out the selfie stick. Seriously, why do I even own one of these things? And if I'm going to own it, I should probably practice a little more... I don't think you're supposed to SEE the selfie stick in the selfie picture. Oh well, we had fun with it!

Other notes:

1. The water was like ICE which didn't stop the kids but I mostly sat on the beach and roasted rather than freeze my feet off in the water.

2. We saw a BALD EAGLE! WOW! Pretty rare and unexpected for our neck of the woods. Except there are no woods here - our neck of the city?