Homeschool: Art Class

Draw what you see,  take 28 seconds or 28 minutes, ready, go!

After much study and careful consideration of the balance of the piece, Eli captured the flowers' chaos quite nicely.

Hand crafted with Shelly's special reserve pencils, saved for personal projects.

Let's be honest, the plant looks like it's on its last leg.

So detailed and carefully crafted, beautiful!

See? Doesn't have to take long at all! Cranked out in a few seconds between work emails.

 That sums up Art Class, we'll see what tomorrow's homeschool day brings 🙂

Longest Post Ever (Sorry)

I think it’s about time that I get this all down on paper for posterity, or something. Before I forget all the gory details. I’ve been holding off, waiting for the Happy Ending and that’s now in sight, so here we go.

I tried out a new thing in May last year and I loved it – roller skating. I loved it more for the people than my natural skill at skating. Because honestly, we all know I’m not athletic, coordinated, any of it. But it was still fun, I had more fun every time I’d go to another practice. I’d leave practice on the natural high that comes from hanging out with great people while we work hard, sweat, fall down (so much falling!), jump back up and try harder. Somehow, I managed to fit in one or two practices a week, all while also juggling the rest of the family activities we always have going on.

All was well, I only got hurt once, minor thing that bruised up my back but I ONLY missed one day of work for it. For the record, my back thing was when I fell backwards and landed on someone else’s skate wheels. Right below my ribs, but maybe kind of on my lowest rib? It hurt to breathe for a couple of days after that. It’s ok, I already had my injury, I’ll be fine going forward. Plus I’m a better skater now than 6 months ago! All the while, skaters around me dropping like flies. Broken hand. Knee is acting up again. Shoulder issues tonight. More knee problems. You can see where this is going.

 

Six months. I’d been skating for six months. Loving it more every week. Monday night practice rolls around, we get all geared up and off we go. Skating on the oval, round and round, drills to practice this and learn that. Super simple drill. No contact. Meaning, we’re not hip checking each other or doing hip whips or blocking, no one is touching anyone else. We’re practicing going around each other, with half the skaters standing still and the other half skating up to someone, circling around them and then moving onto the next stationary skater. No contact. Totally safe. Low key.

I do the circling around thing a couple times and then skate up to Bulldog, she’s standing still, watching me coming. I circle around her and as I get behind her, my skate tangles up with hers and in slow motion I go down HARD. I curl up on my side with my arms in front of my face, I was convinced she was going to come down on top of me. On my head. By some miracle of athletic prowess, she somehow threw herself a different direction and landed nowhere near me. But I couldn’t process that. I just laid there in a ball. I may have said a few words not suitable for children. And there I laid. I couldn’t get off the track, I couldn’t move. My ankle had been wrenched around so badly that I was surprised, when I looked down at my leg, that my foot wasn’t facing the wrong direction. This is probably around the time that I started crying pretty hard. Good news, though! We have a sports medicine specialist on our team!! She was at my side right away. I begged for an ice pack but she knew better. She helped me turn onto my back and stretch out my legs. She wrapped me up in a splint and as she felt my ankle and leg, I started to calm down. My ankle hurt terribly, but I felt something shifting in my leg as she was testing out my condition. I called David and asked for a ride. He arranged for the kids to get a ride home from the current Scout event and showed up within a few minutes. My skater friends helped me into his car and off we went to the ER.

 

Of course you know how this goes. Hours of waiting. In total, we spent about 5 hours there. I cycled between being able to hold it together, and crying in agony as we did yet another x-ray and just turn your leg this way, just bend your foot that way… So much swelling around my ankle. And what about that thing with my leg? It hurts there too, and you haven’t looked at that at all! More x-rays. Yes. Broken. Broken leg, dislocated ankle. Ugly all around. Here are some crutches, go see a doctor tomorrow.

Tomorrow rolls around. I call in sick to work. David takes me to the surgeon. I sit there, looking at the x-rays, listening to him explain what I did to wreck my ankle and the surgeon’s voice starts to fade out. I can’t understand what he’s saying at all, he sounds like static. I’m getting so warm. Pay attention Amy, this is important! But I’m so hot. I can’t follow him, what is he even talking about? I’m so hot. I interrupt him. I’m so hot – the nurse helps me lay down on the exam table where I have a complete meltdown. I don’t want surgery. I don’t want to go under general anesthesia. I don’t want to go under. I don’t want to do it. The nurse gives me a drink of water. She explains that I won’t be able to walk normally ever again if I don’t have this fixed. It’s all very safe. You have to do this. It’s so safe. She calms me down, I ask 100 questions, we schedule the surgery, we leave.

The non-sciencey explanation is that I twisted my ankle around so badly that it caused my fibula to break. The stress on the ankle and the tendon that connects my ankle to my knee was released when the tendon snapped my bone. My ankle was dislocated, all the pieces were separated from each other.

Now we wait. I lay on the couch with my leg up for a few days, Friday I go in for the surgery. I cry some more, there’s so much talking, the surgeon puts his initials on my left leg, smiles and abandons me. A few minutes later there’s a mask on my face and I’m being rolled into a room with a LOT of people. I see the people for about half a second before I’m out.

I wake up in recovery, lay there for a while and then I’m taken to my own room where David is waiting for me. I still don’t really understand what’s going on, there are instructions not to take the boot off, don’t put any weight on my foot, and we’re sent home again. With a folder with instructions. 

What follows is many days of a strict medicine schedule, so much sleeping, hobbling around on crutches. Friends coming to visit and bringing gifts and company, and it’s all a blur. In the meantime, my family continued on their regular lives. School, catch the bus, do homework, chores, working, making dinner, etc. etc. It all feels like a fog when I look back on it now. I was so out of it. I slept so much. I missed two weeks of work.

Fast forward five months. Skip over the time that I fell down and skinned my knee in the laundry room. Skip the other time when I got a little too brave on my crutches going down two steps and nearly gave Mary a heart attack as I launched myself past the step off her porch and LANDED! (How did I not fall flat on my face??) Forget about the time that I bent my crutch (and almost my leg, thank goodness for the boot) between the ottoman and the couch.

Remember with fondness the times that friends pushed me around in wheelchairs (skate practice, Chicago, everywhere!) or we scooted around the grocery store at top speed while going on a brownie run.

Right here let's talk about how AMAZING my family was. They brought stuff to me, constantly asked what they could do to help, listened to me cry over not being able to walk, not being able to carry anything, not being able to DO ANYTHING. And helped me some more. Those four people that I live with are so compassionate, generous, patient. I couldn't ask for a better family. And, my husband and parents drove me around in those first days, taking me for appointments and medicines and all of it. Everyone made the very best out of a very difficult situation. Thank you thank you thank you!

Physical therapy, more x-rays, off the crutches (six weeks I think?), finally out of the boot (two months? three? felt like forever!) and then. Skates. Skates!!! I get the ok to skate. I go back, and it was better than expected. I was steadier on my feet than I expected to be but I took it easy for a couple of weeks – no contact, then a LITTLE contact, go easy on me. And now, last night, my first time with full contact in our practice. I got to be a jammer for the first time ever and I know you probably don’t know derby but this was my chance to skate fast, ram into people, shove past people and sneak through the pack to score points. I know everyone was going easy on me but it was SO MUCH FUN! Mayhem’s back!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Now that I'm getting older, I've started branching out a bit with the foods I eat. Just admitting it right up front. Cause, you know, I've not always been a fan of veggies. Whatever you do, don't tell the kids. I think they might already know.

Anyway, is it cause I'm so old now? I'm not old. Not even 40 yet, not for a few more months. I have no idea what's happening to me, but in the last couple of months, I finally got brave enough to try the feared Broccoli Cheese Soup. I gotta say. It's still not my favorite, but I do sort of like it. So here we go with a recipe.

Original Velveeta recipe is here, but it's seen some improvement in our house, the first time it was made by David and I followed his lead when I took a turn at making it.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter
1/4 chopped onion
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 pound Velveeta, cut up
1/4 to 1/2 pound other kinds of cheese
8 to 12 ounces broccoli, cut up into tiny little bits (no stems! who even likes stems? this may or may not be a slight controversy in our house)
a little pepper, or a lot

Instructions

1. After cutting up broccoli, put into saucepan with a little water and steam until bright green. Set aside.
2. In large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, add onion and cook until it's soft. Add the butter and stir constantly until bubbling.
3. Stir in milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, constantly stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 minute.
4. Add cheese, broccoli and pepper. Stir constantly until all the cheese is evenly melted.
5. Simmer for about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Why we like it

Warm, creamy, cheesy (we're Wisconsinites! we love cheese!) and we can pretend that it's healthy because there are a couple of veggies in it. The warm creamy cheesy doesn't quite overcome the fact of BROCCOLI for two of us, so just 3 stars for now.

P.S. I suspect it would be improved by adding a little bit of red pepper flakes when the cheese is added, but I haven't had the opportunity to implement that yet. Maybe someday.

  

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?

Christmas Season

Its right around November 15^th every year that we start seeing the “Countdown to Christmas” messages everywhere. The stores have already pulled out all the Christmas stuff and by the time we get to Thanksgiving, we’re hearing the music everywhere. I don’t think it’s a huge secret that I’m not a big fan of Christmas, I don’t like the pressure to make my house look a certain way and spend a bunch of money on stuff we don’t need. But. Mostly I try to keep my sentiments to myself. Last year, the five of us all finally officially gave up on celebrating with Santa. The youngest kid knows. We (the parents) can stop trying so hard to hide everything (we were never very good at that) and we can just be up front about the packages that keep arriving at our doorstep leading up to the big day. So that was a step towards making Christmas all around better this year.

David and the kids worked SO HARD to get everything ready. Many dozens of cookies made (thanks Eli, Shelly, David). Dishes and more dishes (thank  you Faithful Dishwasher for all your hard work!). Vacuum the living room, again and again (thanks Archer J). All the windows washed (Wow! David!!!). Laundry, more dishes, more vacuuming, dusting.

Now on to the real joy of Christmas, what we all know we’re supposed to be enjoying, but it gets lost in the stress… Family Time. Time Together.

It happened this year – we really had a chance to ENJOY each other. Nana came on Christmas Eve, along with Bampa and Grandma Shell and we had a wonderful evening together. The stories, the silliness, so many hugs for everyone. Archer snuggled up next to Nana for an hour or two while we watched a show, then everyone headed off to bed.

Then on Christmas Day, it was the Fortiers’ turn to take over the house – little by little they trickled in and the house warmed up. We were missing only 2 of the entire clan and with a group that large, I’d say that was an amazing accomplishment. To have just about everyone there was amazing. Christmas has changed so much over the years that I’ve been a part of this family. All of the grandchildren are growing up, there’s not so much screaming (with joy) and crying. Not so much of all the kids mobbing Christopher’s legs and wrestling him to the ground to pile on top of the oldest cousin. There’s more talk of dating (bleh!! I don’t wanna know!!), jobs, travelling and the BIG topic this year is who is newly driving, or about to be driving, or could be driving by now but isn’t… 

After food and presents, the kids found a game to play together and this is where I have to say, I could not have pictured this 15 years ago. I probably would not have said, “It’s great that they’re all playing video games!” We always hear about kids and “too much screen time.” But Christopher told his cousins that he wanted to spend some time with them and they ALL (that’s 9 kids aged 9 through 25) piled into the boys’ bedroom for a game on their phones/tablets/computers. They found a game that all of them could play together. Screen time, yes. FUN TIME with cousins, DEFINITELY. We had such a great time, I was sorry to kick everyone out at 9:00 because some of us had to work the next day.

I would say it was definitely one of the best Christmases yet – so much wonderful family time connecting with everyone. Thanks to all who came over, brought stuff and just hung out. And most of all, thank you to Elijah, Shelly, Archer and David for ALL of your hard work keeping the house clean and ready to entertain. My wonderful children never complained even once. Not when I  interrupted their playtime to do more chores, not when we asked Shelly to give up her room while Nana stays with us, not when I asked someone to come to the grocery store with me AGAIN. I have the most wonderful family.

The Great F5 Baking Day

Shelly watches The Great British Baking Show. David just received the stand mixer that he's wanted forever. Shelly's been bringing home cookie recipe books from the library and used book sales. Eli has been perusing Shelly's books. And Christmas is rapidly approaching.

All of these things have joined to form the perfect cookie baking storm and it came together yesterday. Five or 8 different kinds of cookies, 3 bakers working in shifts to bake 80 or 100 cookies in 10 hours. Even more impressive, they cleaned as they went and the kitchen was in better shape when the whole event has concluded, than before they had started. Way to go Bakers!!

Past & Future

7/24/15

Last night I decided I might want to do a triathalon. Sprint triathalon, not a whole thing. Not yet anyway.

And today I think I for sure want to do one next fall. So the half marathon next month is my stepping stone, and I think I'll really do the Iron Girl event next year, August 2016. So WHAT IS THERE TO STOP ME?? NOTHING!

Maybe along the way my kids will get inspired or even just interested in keeping fit, stepping outside their comfort zone to try something that looks scary but also like it could be fun. Maybe they won't even care. Maybe I'll do it for them but maybe it will just be for me, to prove to myself that I CAN. I WANT TO PROVE IT. I CAN. And I WILL.

12/18/19

I originally wrote the above stuff 4 years ago. Not sure what else I was planning on adding to it, because I never posted it. But here's the news...

Since then, I DID the triathlon. Shelly got inspired and did one (BEFORE I did mine!). Immediately after doing my first Tri, I did another the next week. This past summer, 2019, I did another. Somewhere in there, I did a half marathon. Also, I started working full time, running fell by the wayside. But last spring I did join a Roller Derby team.

Next year I'm going to turn 40. I know a lot of people dread this. But I'm looking forward to it. I've had so much fun so far, I know I have more fun in the future, whatever it looks like. I'm not as active as I should be, but I like knowing that there's really nothing stopping me from chasing more fun experiences as we go forward. What's gonna be next? Another Tri? Half Marathon? Or just skating my heart out? Stay tuned for more...

Songs and Silly Stuff

When did you say your first curse word?

What’s your favorite song?

What’s the silliest thing you did as a kid, that you remember still today?

Is Eli going to remember the time (this morning) I caught him eating a candy cane for breakfast?

Mom “WHAT… never mind, just make sure you brush your teeth.”

Sneaky sister “Eli, DON’T TELL MOM I’m the one that gave it to you!”

I NEVER got caught eating powdered sugar by the spoonful in the closet with my sister. Kids these days, they don’t even TRY to hide their sugar habits!

I don’t know about FAVORITE, but I’ve been listening to some older music lately. I cringe as I write “older” cause of all the implications that go along with that (how old am I anyway???). I went through a Country Music phase a few years ago. Memories keep flashing in my mind as these songs pop up. Siblings and cousins all dancing together in the upstairs bedroom at Mom and Dad’s house. Learning Line Dancing at our cousins’ house when we went to stay with them. Blasting Billy Ray “Don’t Break My Heart” as we played out by the pool in the summer. We wore our swimsuits ALL summer long. I can picture the sunshiny day, crazy hot but we stayed out there. I can even see Mom with her typewriter on the picnic table working away on her correspondence.

My first? I was pretty young. It was at Grandpa Shorty’s house, where the men all swore all the time, and a 5 year old girl was expected to NOT pick up that habit. Jump forward to having kids. I’d never swear in front of them, just like I’d never yell, I’d never let them drink soda, or EAT CANDY for breakfast! I’ll just say – my kids know they’re not supposed to curse in front of me, but as for school or anywhere else, who knows? That’s for them to say. J

Life goes on, whether it looks like we thought it would, or takes a few twists and turns we never expected. As Grandma Shell says, “Que será será!” 

December News

Well. Life just keeps rolling on by. I have first day of school pics are finally here. Things to note – all the kids are taller than the year before. No one was really too excited to go back to school. We have a new bus company this year and the first few days of school were TOUGH. They were working out the kinks. The kids were left waiting for their busses to pick them up, sometimes more than an hour. Thankfully, it’s all running smoothly now.

Other developments in life…

Archer’s a Sophomore. I continue to be bewildered at the way schools are run now. Choose your Pathway (think – College Major) when you’re a Freshman in high school and spend the next 3 years on that path. Seems kinda young to make that kind of big decision, but he handled it like a pro and made a good choice. He’s a School Ambassador, in charge of representing his school to the community at various events. They have a uniform! He’s so handsome!! (I’m being an embarrassing Mom, I know.) He’s cruising along with High School and Scouts and all the stuff. Camping, cookouts, more camping, so much camping.

Shelly’s in Seventh Grade. She’s in Swing Choir, Band, Judo (yay judo!!), and Piano. She was signed up for Student Council as well but I haven’t heard much about that lately, not sure if that’s still going on? She signed up for a computer programming thing called Girls Who Code. There was a rumor that she did the coding thing so she could get out of a different class that she didn’t like much, but in the end I think she did enjoy it. Or enjoyed the extra time with her friends every week. After school, she’s getting tougher every week as she learns new holds and throws in Judo. She doesn’t let ANYONE push her around! There’s a new, tougher dynamic in the home wrestling matches between the 3 kids. Look out world!

(I feel like I’m writing an annual Christmas letter that I’m going to stuff into 100 envelopes and mail to everyone I know. Lucky for all of us, I’m not committed enough to do that AT ALL.)

Eli’s in Third Grade. When Shelly found out what teacher he was going to have, she seemed extremely jealous. Apparently he’s the best of the 3^rd Grade teachers, according to EVERYONE. I’m on board with the positive review – he’s got Eli pushing to higher and higher achievements with math and reading. Eli has a few close friends in his class, they compete to see who’s going to finish the next math challenge first, and help each other out when one of them is stuck on something. This month Eli is in Dodgeball on Sunday afternoons and WOW! That kid can PLAY! He runs, dodges, throws balls for 2 hours straight and is still going strong when it’s time to go home. I never knew that old Gym Class game could be so much fun! P.S. Did I mention that he’s started reading Harry Potter? That’s a competition with his friends too – who’s going to finish the next book first?

David is working from home, with occasional trips down to Chicagoland for a day or two. He built an AMAZING butcher block style desk for his home office and he’s got plans for more furniture in the not too distant future. Also – Scouting. He’s a leader again this year for Cub Scouts and it’s going well – he started with a pretty small group at the beginning of the year but over the last few months, more kids have trickled in. Even Eli decided he would get back into the group when it was time to start building things and learning how to use pocket knives. How could he resist all that fun??

And me. (Seriously getting the Xmas letter vibe.) I did a triathlon over the summer, maybe next time I’ll prepare a little more. J Anyway, I crossed the finish line and earned my medal, so that was fun. In bigger news - I joined a Roller Derby Team in May and haven’t looked back. It is the most wonderful group of women, I look forward to practice every single week. We work hard, play hard, laugh, cry, and come back again a week later for more.

Now. I’m going to try to stay more on top of this, I really miss writing about everything we’re up to, and this quick update thing doesn’t come close to keeping up with what’s going on!

And now, as if I’m wrapping up my Christmas Letter, I’m sending well wishes to you and yours for the upcoming year.

Stay awake people, life’s flying past, you don’t want to miss a thing!!

So it is, life is not short but we make it so. Nor is there any lack of it, but are wasteful of it.

                ~Seneca

Seven Mile Saturday Adventure

Tried out something today that was a new experience for all of us. For the record, YES there were puppies YES we petted them and adored them and NO we did not take one home with us. But the boys REALLY enjoyed the arcade!