Mary, Reprised

The big church choir pageant was Sunday - it was a beautiful event and all the choirs were amazing!

Getting ready to go

The Carol Choir, grades 3-6

Elbow on the left singing away

Mary (Bobo) and Joseph

Looking quite the proud parent

And check this out: Bobo as Mary quite a few years back with preschool buddy Jack B. Not sure about that headdress - a little Dutch girl for me - but so fun to take a trip down memory lane...  (Also note the Dora tattoo Mary sported on her baby carrying arm)

This and That

The girls finished their standardized testing today and have officially graduated from 2nd and 4th grades! We went out for decaf mochas (full proof for the moms) with a few of their girl friends after testing today to celebrate. Hubby's mom and aunt have been in town to watch over the boys while the girls test, so there's also lots of going out to movies, dinner, and game playing going on in the afternoons and evenings.

My softball team is now 2-0, with very little help from me. My glory days are definitely over.

On a happier note, I now own an iPhone which almost makes up for the vanishing athletic ability mentioned above.

The girls are headed to an overnight stay with some of their best buddies on Friday at the host family's camp. There will be archery, row boating, trail blazing, and lots of shenanigans I'm sure. Everyone is very excited. (Except Toddzilla who wishes he was in too. Hubby has some special plans for the boys and his mom and aunt tomorrow involving caverns and other such cool, boy stuff.)

Have a happy weekend...

The Mummy in the Middle...

... is Toddzilla.  

We're back in Egypt after several years away from the Ancients. Our first cycle of history started with Story of the World; we did volumes one, two, and half of three.  When we hit the Age of Exploration, we stayed in the Americas and switched over to Sonlight Core 3 and 4 American History.  

For Egypt: We're reading lots of picture books to include Toddzilla and Crockett.  Elbow is reading Songbird of the Nile, Bobo's doing The Golden Goblet, and Hubby is reading The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt to the girls in the evenings. Henty is another one of those authors we hear so much about and are just now discovering for ourselves. This is no light read: lots of dictionary help is needed when I take over. Hubby was dubbed "The Walking Dictionary" by the girls when we stumbled with all the nautical terms in Carry on, Mr. Bowditch. His expertise obviously translates to ancient Egypt as well. Not that I'm annoyed or anything.

Nana teaching the girls about early writing 

while they use hieroglyphic stamps.

Crockett getting ready to sculpt 

(and embedding said hieroglypic stamps in his clay)

Elbow and Toddzilla working on clay tablets

Bobo making bricks for a pyramid

I showed everyone this post and picture of our first time through Egypt. They were so little! When Elbow read Bobo's remark about the Hebrew slaves doing all the work on the pyramids, she retorted, "Actually, they weren't slaves, they were paid in bread and beer - that's what the research says." To which older sister huffed, "The BIBLE says they were slaves."  

Happy Anniversary and Christmas Recap

Hubby and I are celebrating our 12th anniversary today. It's a bright, sunny-shiny day, just like it was 12 years ago. Only the thermometer registers about sixty degrees warmer. (We were married in twenty below weather in Minnesota). 

Christmas continues of course - liturgically and stuffily speaking - there is evidence of it everywhere. New toys strewn about, new dolls freshly dressed and sleeping in strange nooks and crannies, new books left open on couches. It's everywhere! But it's also Sunday, so that can wait...

We continue the tradition my parents started, of posing with a "number of Christmases together sign." This is usually taken at the worst possible moment, with all of us grumpy and underdressed and not wanting to be photographed. But I love having an album with these less than perfect pictures. This year, for the first time, no one is screaming or hiding their faces. Instead it's the chubby, I'm-almost-30-weeks-pregnant-and-about-to-fall-over-face of yours truly.

Toddzilla hasn't stopped playing with his new construction set.

Sharing french toast in new Disney themed pajamas.

Modeling more Disney themed attire... Do you see a pattern emerging? 

Mickey called Christmas morning to let them know a big trip is in the works! 

"Gramma loves the funky clothes!" 

So said the girls upon receiving these new outfits. 

Obviously, so do they!

Liberty Girls Club

The first meeting of our brand new American Girl Doll book club was a big success! There's nothing cuter than a gaggle of girls carrying dolls to a party.  We discussed Meet Samantha and the historical time surrounding the story, made gingerbread (Samantha and Nellie's favorite treat), worked on samplers, and had a prim and proper tea party on my grandmother's china.

My mom was with us over the weekend (and then, surprise! so was my dad)* so she got to join in the fun as master gingerbread baker.  

The rest of the weekend was a blur: a great mother-daughter bonding time for me and my mom and a not-so-great-no-holds-barred-weekend-long-tantrum by one of my dear children (who of course will remain anonymous).  Just keeping it real.

*My dad is famous for his surprise visits. When I played hockey for Dartmouth, he'd just magically appear at various games all over the East Coast.  He hid behind a newspaper during warm-ups at Harvard my freshman year, popping out just in time to see the first goal of my college career.  

Wednesday's Thoughts

• Gearing up for the big debate tonight. Jennifer's got some ideas for an election night party.
  
• We're studying conjunctions in Latin, which of course led to, "Can we get Conjunction, Junction from iTunes?" Which of course was yes. Between Latin and Schoolhouse Rock, I think we've got grammar covered.
• Haircuts for the boys today. There's nothing cuter than seeing your children's eyes again after a long absence. Which reminds me of my freshman history teacher, Mr. Fure. We had a particularly interesting speaker one day; after which, my teacher said, "Michelle, it's the first time I've seen your eyes all semester." I guess I was tired that year.
• The host family of our science club next week is offering to send any interested child home with an African Dwarf tadpole. Is this a good thing? Experiences?

Girls Weekend

I've been in denial about how much I miss my friends after our recent move, so it was so much fun to have my two best buddies fly in for a long weekend. All ten of our combined children are best friends too, so it was hard not having the whole gang together, but that will come soon enough. Plans are in the works already.

Hubby took the big three camping for some of it so we could have some girl time (plus Crockett). We definitely wined and dined (without Crockett of course), eating outside and enjoying the warm weather. They went home to six inches of snow. That's North Dakota for you. Can't say I miss that.

But I do miss you both already. Thanks for a great time!

Now Back To Our Previously Scheduled Holy Week

Pictures are finished. I got to skip the haircut part, because Toddzilla took a serious digger and has a nice purplish-yellow welt on his forehead. I needed those bangs to stay put.

Now that we've got some Easter pictures, I can actually concentrate on Holy Week. Pressure's off! I won't mind a bit when the girls stroll down the steps come Easter morning in some version of Fancy Nancy meets Anne of Green Gables. Honest, I won't. There's just something about preserving a few memories that aren't quite so... "How do I look, Mom?!!" Know what I mean?

The build up to Easter is far and away one of my favorite times of year. All the solemnity and darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday just waiting to be overcome by the Light on Easter morning. There's nothing that says "Jesus is Risen" like a brass quartet belting out "Christ the Lord is Risen Today, A-a-a-a-a-le-e-lu-u-ia!"

I spent many an Easter Sunday during college at the home of dear friends in Wellesley, MA. We'd worship at the historic Park Street Church and then be treated to a true resurrection celebration. This always included lots of guests -- many of us college students -- lots of food, and most memorably, great conversations.

Most recently, we've been the guests at another great Easter party at the home of some of our best friends in Fargo. We'll miss you this year!

Come to think of it, I've never hosted Easter. This year Hubby's side of the family will be with us. Off to come up with something... fast!

Knit Together

When I was a newly married grad student at Yale, a friend taught me to knit. I remember the other twenty-something women, looking at us with part condescension, part nostalgic longing, as we pulled out our needles and poured over patterns. Whether they thought we were quaint or queer, I'll never know, but no one else was asking for instruction.

When I was pregnant with my first born, I knit her a baby sweater, fully intending to do so for any subsequent children. That, as you may well have guessed, was the only sweater that got done. I still have the front piece of her sister's sweater on needles waiting to be finished.

Bobo has been wanting to knit forever. After countless finger knitting chains, I decided it was high time she try the needles. She's off and running now, with the basic knit stitch down pat. She's working on a scarf for Nellie, her doll. When she finishes, we'll move on to a project from Kids Knitting. There's a few things I've been waiting to tackle in this book myself.

I've got a knitting partner again!

Dad Daughter Dates

When I was growing up, my Dad and I had special times together we called DDDs, short for Dad Daughter Dates. We went to the Boundary Waters on canoe trips, took a great trip to Norway when I was in fifth grade, went out for dinner and shopping (he was a softie... I remember convincing him to buy me an entirely wool outfit from Benetton. It was this great sweater and stretch pant ensemble, beautiful and expensive. And itchy. Very itchy. To this day I don't wear wool. My husband splurged one Christmas and bought me a Dale of Norway sweater. I wore it long enough to get a family Christmas picture and then promptly returned it. Life's too short to be that uncomfortable, for that much money).

My mom and I had our own traditions: an annual ski trip with other mothers and daughters (we always got snowed in at a hotel and got to miss extra school: bonus!) and nights out at Chi-Chis Mexican restaurant. My mom would have one strawberry Margarita and talk in funny voices on the car drive home. It was all for show - I'm sure she wasn't driving while tipsy - but I remember it made me laugh a lot.

I'm so thankful that Hubby has taken up the tradition with the girls. They went to a Dad Daughter Dance at our health club on Friday night. The girls were so excited - all giggles and bounciness. I even let them wear some lipstick! You'd of thought they won the lottery. The came home with new dance moves to show off (Did I mention Hubby once won a James Brown Dance Contest in New Orleans?) and memories of a night out with Dad.

In Which She Tries To Relive The Past

In a land far away and a time long ago, this was me: a Division I hockey player. I played all sorts of competitive athletics growing up so I'm no stranger to training, practicing and working out.

Then came baby number one... I haven't even broken a sweat since October 4, 2000. I take that back, I did run a 5K with my dad in his short-lived running career sometime after Bobo was born. But that was it. Nothing since then. Seriously.

One of the perks of our move, though, has been that there's a nice health club right down the street. It's got all the amenities for children, including a great pool, so we've been spending a considerable amount of time there in the afternoons. I've gotten back on the treadmill.

It was all fine and good until I got my free "body age" consultation. The good news is that my body age is actually only one year older than I really am. Great! Then came the bad news. According to Ms. Personal Trainer, I'll need three sessions a week with her to achieve my stated goal of getting rid of the baby bulge. Three times a week. At $872 a month. Are you kidding me?

Looks like it's me and the treadmill for the long haul (let's hope!).

Happy Anniversary!

I still do...

Going for the Gold

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” Colossians 3:17.

Back in the glory days, I swung for the fences. That paid off in high school; I made the All State team. But in college – with some faster and better pitchers – swinging for the fences quite often meant striking out. I only played college ball one year, partly because of hockey, but mostly because my ‘all or nothing’ attitude at the plate was not paying off.

It’s easy to go for the gold when the stakes are high. When you’ve got a performance to put on, a presentation to give, a race to run. In other words, when others are watching. But when the task at hand is a little more modest – like making dinner, taking care of the children, or cleaning the house – we don’t always give it our best shot. We don’t swing for the fences when there are no cheering fans.

God wants us to put it all on the line all the time. He wants everything we do, to be in his name, for his glory. Even the most mundane tasks take on new meaning when you know you’re doing it all for the Lord.