Underwater Adventure photos

Matthew "petting" a horseshoe crab

Carolyn liked the seahorse exhibit.

The kids and daddy look for sharks.

Wow, I wonder what these things are.

Silly shark, Andrew is for hugging, not eating.

Minnesota fun

Sorry for the lapse in blogs, it gets very busy around here and time to sit and blog is hard to find. Anyway we got back from a quick weekend trip to Minnesota and I thought I'd share a few details.

The loving husband is an avid target shooter. I say this because he was the reason for the MN trip. He found a 1 day match in St. Francis that sounded like fun (to him) so he decided that maybe we could make a family trip out of it. We had been wanting to take the kids up to the aquarium at the Mall of America for some time so that was going to be the "family" part of this vacation.

We left Friday morning for the adventure with three kids and a new DVD player to keep them amused. It is one thing to drive across the state of SD without the digital babysitter ( I mean if you need to stop and let the kids out to run you can pick a small town or rest area) but quite another to have fighting and boredom in the middle of a traffic jam or during a time when the map reader is trying to figure out which exit to take. That being said, our purchase was well worth the money. We decided to stop in Mankato for lunch. I was hoping to see my uncle or cousin at the KFC but they were out but lunch was still good. Unfortunately, we hit the cities at about the wrong time in the afternoon. It's been quite a few years since I have driven up there so my memory of how to get to places is a little fuzzy. I of course was the navigator so was in charge of reading the map and plotting the route was my job. Take the blue road to the red road and turn on the dotted yellow line road...oh wait what are these numbers for??? The traffic was of course bumper to bumper to bumper. Oh yeah, this is why I like to live in smaller towns. It took awhile but we managed to make it to the Mall of America. Thankfully I had been there several times before so I knew what to look for when it came time to exit off the freeway and navigate the parking areas. We totally lucked out and got a great spot on the East side of the mall near Sears. I say great spot because it was the side of the mall that the aquarium entrance was located on. For those who have never experienced MOA....it is HUGE. The aquarium is located in the basement level and is hands down one of the best I have ever been to. The kids were a little on the tired side but really enjoyed themselves.

When we finished we went back upstairs and explored the rest of the place. Once again for those who don't know MOA, there are 4 levels to this mall and hundreds of stores to visit. We managed to get past the Build a Bear store and Carolyn has no idea what American Girl is so no worries about visiting that store. Matthew wanted to do the Nickelodeon Amusement Park or whatever it is called but the rides were a little too big (and expensive) for him to go on. Side note...last time I was there the park was called Camp Snoopy There is a LEGO store on the first floor that not only sells everything LEGO but has bins of LEGO'S for kids to play with free of charge. During this time Andrew sacked out on Daddy for a quick nap and Carolyn also joined in. After everyone woke up we wandered back out to the car and set out to locate the hotel.

Our hotel was about an hour or so north of the Cities (Princeton) so we had to drive through the get out of town traffic. As usual we hit the bumper to bumper to bumper stuff and I was sure that once we turned north and west towards St. Cloud it would thin out..NOT!! I'm not sure why but I think everyone in the Twin Cities takes that route out of town on Friday afternoons. Anyway we did manage to find both the rifle range (that was a little tricky) and our hotel (very easy) and walked over to Pizza Hut for supper followed up by a refreshing swim in the pool.

The next morning we were up and out the door pretty early to get Jim over to the range in time for his match. After dropping hubby off me and the kids headed back to the hotel for breakfast and relaxation. I decided against swimming, opting instead to let the kids watch TV and shower. After checking out I took the kids and we went to the local farmer's market and we bought some yummy blueberry syrup and baked goods. It was quite rainy so we didn't get to do the park like I wanted to but the kids did manage to get some outdoor time in. Later that afternoon we picked hubby up. He shot very well and took 3rd place overall. We had decided to not stay another night and just drive back to SD so we headed back towards the Cities and MOA for one more aquarium trip.

Traffic was much better this time around and we totally lucked out and got a primo megga super duper parking spot about 100 feet from the entrance of the Sears merchandise pick-up door. Hubby had bought a family membership to the aquarium the day before so all we had to do was give our names and walk right in. The kids were once again thrilled and had even more fun than the day before. I got some nice photos of the fish and kids too. When we finished we walked back upstairs and this time I let the kids go into the Build a Bear store. Matthew and Carolyn had fun making a new best friend for themselves. Andrew wasn't too interested so he got a cool glitter ball with fish in it instead. Done with shopping we went back to the van and headed on home. Long ride but totally worth the trip. I thought about buying lottery tickets but decided we had used our good luck up in the fact we made it through the Cities twice without any traffic accidents or getting lost and got awesome parking at the MOA.

My newest 5 year old

OK, I'll admit, I'm a bad mother. Yesterday was Carolyn's 5th birthday and I was going to blog about it. I was even on the computer yesterday morning and thought "I should do a blog post" but did I?? Of course not. I'm really good at the should part of should do but when it comes to the do part I can get a little off task. That being said, I did not actually waste the day and do nothing.

After spending time on the computer I decided that what we needed to do to celebrate the day was go out and about. Carolyn had told me she wanted a unicorn for her birthday and of course that is something every 5 year old girl has to have (in my world at least) so failing to find the magical creature the night before--whole other story there--we set out to the one place I knew unicorns lived.....Toys R Us. Now I tend to avoid said store like a vampire avoids bright sunny days but Carolyn did not want to go to Target and I knew Wal-Mart did not have the item needed. Matthew had started a summer program this past week so it was just me Carolyn and Andrew. I'm not sure why but only taking two kids in a Toys R Us isn't quite as bad as taking three but maybe it's just me. Also, going to this store in the middle of the week during the late morning hours is a lot less chaotic than trying it on a weekend or during a shopping season. We had fun wandering the aisles and looking at toys. Carolyn did find her unicorn so "George" came home with us. After unicorn hunting it was time to head across the road and go play at the Mall play area. The kids like playing there but once again it is better to do midweek than weekend. Both kids enjoyed running around and jumping and playing with the other kids there. By then it was lunch time and I asked Carolyn if she wanted to get a birthday crown and of course she said yes. There is a Burger King in the mall but I really did not want to walk down and do the food court at lunch so I told Carolyn we would do the one outside the mall. My other reason for doing that one was due to the drive through option. One of my favorite tips for fast food restaurants, especially those with play areas or busy lunch lines is to first go through drive thru and get the food. Trust me, it is worth the extra step. You walk into the place with your food so all you have to do is find a spot to sit and presto, you are eating. After lunch was finished then it was over to the Hy-Vee next door to get the cake. My kids really like Hy-Vee cakes so they always get on on their birthday. I make a cake for them when we do the family party. The Hy-Vee I usually go to did not have the princess cake I wanted so I used a different one instead. As we were getting ready to pay for the cake the cashier saw that this was a birthday cake and he went and got a balloon for Carolyn. I love Hy-Vee. Bonus--fourteen cent per gallon gas discount.

All this activity had worn poor Andrew out and he was asleep before we made it home. The Birthday Fairy (hey, it got her to go to sleep the night before) had brought Carolyn a special coloring book and markers so she spent her time coloring. Hubby got off work early and picked Matthew up and came home so we could grill hamburgers and steak for supper. After supper came the cake and presents. Carolyn got some very nice clothes and a few toys... not too bad for a five year old. After that we got ready and headed off to class. The staff at the Wellness Center all wished Carolyn happy birthday and she got to pick a prize out of the birthday bucket. By the time we got home and ready for bed, Birthday Girl was tired.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart

I'm back now

Well I really wanted to do a birthday blog post and put a photo of my new ipod nano and the really cute photo holder I got as gifts from the loving husband and kids but our computer had a few issues so it didn't happen. I wanted to do a blog about the random goings on the next week but the new antivirus software hubby installed refused to acknowledge the existence of my server so it was a few more days of waiting. But now everything seems to be in working order so I'm gonna try and do a catch up post on the past few weeks.

Skipping past the whole turning another year older (which is way overrated) the month of May ended on a positive note. I really didn't expect a gift from the husband since I did get my diamond replaced earlier this year so the ipod was a surprise. For Christmas I had gotten a new stereo system installed in the van and there was an ipod attachment included. The shuffles that both of us have do work but do not go through the car radio (they use an attachment cord) but any other ipod can be hooked up and controlled by the radio controls. It's really nice to be able to push a button and get commercial-free music.

The kids also ended school that last week of May so they have been home with me. Of course no summer vacation would be complete without someone getting sick and that was Andrew. He woke up with croup last Monday. Needless to say that day was a lot of fun. The weather has been so so with last week being very outside friendly but this week has been cool and rainy. Matthew will be starting a 3 day a week summer program tomorrow and Carolyn starts her summer school next week. I am so looking forward to having them out of the house and occupied. Don't get me wrong, I do love my kids but having three kids all day every day is enough to make me want to relocate to the nearest Arctic outpost.

Last Thursday I got to have a little "me time" and took a 24 hour trip across the state to visit my parents in Rapid City. After 37 years teaching Middle School, my dad was finally retiring. The teachers at the school were having a party for the retirees and their families. Since this was not a kid-friendly event and my parents both had to work that weekend (Dad works part time maintenance at the mall), I decided to go out for the party and return the next day. I gave hubby the option of using vacation time and staying home with the kids or working at the office and I would find childcare. He opted for working and the kids had a ton of fun at the Brandon Mini Lynx Daycare. I totally love my ipod and stereo system as I had something to listen to as I drove across the very big state of South Dakota. There is not much in the way of radio stations when you get out in the middle of the state. Such a far cry from the college days of past when I tootled across the state in my little Lynx with no air or cruise control with my trusty cassette player radio for company. I also love the fact I can go 75 instead of 55 like I did back then.

My trip across the state would not be complete unless something happened to me at some point in my travels. Much to my dismay I found out the Taco John's in Chamberlain was closed so I had to do Arby's instead. I had gotten a lovely Mountain Dew and thoroughly enjoyed it as I drove the endless miles. I swear they do road construction on the same spots. I wonder if the powers to be just open up a map and say "yep, we did that stretch last year. Let's go down about a mile or so and rip up the next 20 miles" Anyway I had been driving several hours without a break and my bladder was telling me it was time to stop. Seeing the sign for the Belvidere rest stop I thought "what the heck, I'll just stop in the town and get gas too instead of stopping now and then driving another 15 miles to Kadoka" I had never actually stopped in this town since the rest stop is a few miles outside of town and I usually fill up in other towns. I took the exit and turned into town and as I was doing so I noticed flashing lights. They were coming from the parking lot of one of the two stations in town. There was an ambulance and two state patrol cars. Driving by I noticed about 4 or 5 cops and one not too happy guy standing with his hands behind his back. OK, I guess I'll go to the station across the street and avoid all this mess. I turned into the other gas station and it was then I noticed that almost all of the pumps had bags on them. There were no cars anywhere and I was not sure the station was even in business. Plan B.. try the other place. (Did I mention that this is a really small podunk town?) I pulled up and as I was getting out of the car the owner greeted me warmly. I asked her if they were open and could I buy gas. She said they were open and yes I could. She apologised to me and said she only had one type of gas which was regular (no ethanol) but gave a discount for paying cash. I told her I would buy $10 worth. The pump was at least 40 years old. I had to lift up the nozzle and flip a lever to turn the pump on and then it was the kind where the numbers turn (not electronic). There was a pickup parked at the pump on the other side and there were a few beer bottles sitting on the top of the bed. According to the owner the occupant of the truck was being arrested for drunk driving and resisting arrest. She was quite excited to tell me that I just missed the action and if I looked closely I could still see the blood. I'm sure it was probably a local yokel who drank a little too much at the bar down the road and picked a fight with someone at the station--but I was not about to ask. I really didn't want to hear the latest county gossip. I will say they did have one of the cleanest restrooms I have been in for a gas station. As I was driving away another highway patrol car pulled up to the scene. Seeing three state cars there all I could think of was "pedal to the metal baby no cops for miles around!!" Realistically knowing the gas station was between two state patrol posts there was a very good chance that all cops in a 50 mile radius were there so unless I hit a sheriffs patrol car on the interstate I was good for about 80 miles. I did not speed but I also didn't see any more patrol cars. After arriving in Rapid City I had a wonderful time with my family and spend a heavenly night sleeping all by myself in a bed without having to share it with any one or any animal. My return trip was pretty uneventful.

There is much more I could write about but I think I've written enough. I now have to wait until Andrew gets up from nap and run to the store for whipping cream. I'm trying yet another cake and frosting recipe and forgot to buy the whip cream. I hope this one turns out.

My little graduate

Matthew and his teacher Mrs. Van Den Over

All 3 classes of Kindergarten sing a song

Yesterday was Kindergarten graduation at Matthew's school. Parents and grandparents were invited to a very nice program. I arrived shortly after 10 forgetting of course that many other proud parents and family members would also want to see their little darlings move on to the first grade so the lot was packed and I had to be creative in finding a place to park. I did get a good seat though. There were three classes of Kindergartners and each class was assigned a riser. Mathew was in the second row. The kids sang some really cute songs and the teachers read some poems and each child was asked what he or she wanted to be when they grew up and those answers were read by each child's teacher. Matthew said he wanted to be a Veterinarian. Strange, he never mentioned it to me--oh well. At the end the principal read the names and handed each child their diploma. Matthew walked away too fast so my photo of that moment is of him walking away. After the program was finished I got to go over to the classroom and pick him up and take him home with me. Matthew was actually upset that he could not ride the bus home--go figure. I will admit to getting a little misty-eyed during the program. My little guy is growing up and graduating. However, when the principal reminded us that this was the class of 2021 I did feel a little better, and a lot old.

It's not just another holiday

It's Memorial Day weekend. That 3-day fun time known as the unofficial start of summer and home to all those "Huge Blowout Sales" at most retailers most notably furniture stores and car dealerships. Depending on the day of the week my birthday falls I also get to celebrate one more year of life. Of course every holiday has a reason for it's existence whether it is religious such as Easter or Christmas, political such as Election Day and Presidents Day, or Military in nature such as Veteran's Day or Memorial Day. For those who don't know, Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day due to the practice of placing or leaving decorations on the graves of Civil War solders. Over time the name was changed to Memorial Day to honor all fallen solders in whatever war or conflict they served and the date was moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May. The moving the date part was due to Congress wanting a 3-day weekend.
I will confess that I do love the 3-day weekend, the food, the fun activities that are planned and yes, even the sales. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the "spirit" of the holiday but not the meaning of it. I will end this blog with a Memorial Day thank you. It's because of these people, many who I have never met or will never meet that I enjoy the freedom to write my blog.

Thank you to those grandparents who put their lives on hold to go fight a world war so terrible that it threatened all of humanity. Thank you to those who gave their lives in the hopes Korea would be communist free. Thank you to our parents and aunts and uncles who decided to honor their draft number and duty to country to fight an unpopular war instead of joining the protests or fleeing to Canada. Thank you to my fellow classmates both high school and college. You went over to fight a desert war and came back heroes. And finally, thank you to all of those who heard the call to duty after September 11. You were the future of our country and you gave your life to keep us safe.

Random chit chat

As the days get nicer it gets even harder to find the few minutes (or hours) it takes to do a post. So much is going on and I seem to have a million things to do with no time to do them. I'm sure it sounds pretty familiar to many of you who read this blog. I just happy that you all take the time to read my writings and ramblings.

School is soon out here with next week being the last week of classes. The kids are very excited for summer to be here but they really like school--except Matthew every morning when I have to wake his crabby butt up to get ready. Matthew is excited at the thought of 1st grade and the fact he gets to go all day to school. Carolyn has talked non stop about her new Kindergarten school and asks on a constant basis when she gets to go. On Monday she had her class field trip. It was a walk to a nearby park with a "picnic". Matthew goes next week to the zoo for his field trip. This week was his last show and tell. He had to bring something in that started with the letter of his first name and the class had to guess what it was. He brought some magnates. I had planned on giving Pansy's to both Matthew's and Carolyn's teachers as a gift since I had a couple of extra plants left over from my flower pots. Sadly, the plants selected look like something Charlie Brown would grow. The one has yet to bloom a flower and the other one has a scraggly flower and looks like it is almost at death's door. I went to Wal-Mart today and bought geraniums in the hopes that when I put them in the pretty pots they will look like an acceptable gift. As for the other flowers, I have an extra pot and I'll stick them there and hope they live.

Andrew has also had a busy few weeks too. Last week I had his follow up appointment with the ENT about the ongoing ear and adenoid/tonsil problems. The good news is that the little guy tested negative for allergies. Of course this means that the acid reflux is probably the problem so I was told to bump the medication up and not feed the kid acid triggering foods or feed him late night snacks, including sippy cups of soy milk. So far it has helped and I'm hopeful in a few months I won't have to either share the bed with the midnight wanderer or spend hours sitting in the chair waiting for the Motrin to kick in so the kid can lay down without pain. Later that week Andrew had a 6 month review with the Birth to 3 people. They like to do progress meetings and re-evaluate the goals in his plan. The week before this meeting my speech therapist gave Andrew a quick screen to see how he would compare to other 30 month olds. There were a few areas of concern so he asked for an OT to be present. We had the meeting at my house--I love the fact that this program is home based so I don't have to run all over the place just for meetings and evaluations. Because Andrew is 6 months away from his 3rd birthday a representative from the school also was there. Matthew's preschool teacher had been promoted this past year to the job of Early Childhood/Birth to 3 Coordinator so it was nice to have her there. After meeting with everyone it was decided that Andrew was having some problems with his fine motor skills and would benefit from Occupational Therapy. He starts working with Carrie the OT tomorrow morning. It was also suggested that I have his vision checked to rule out any sight problems that would make some of these tasks difficult such as stringing beads or drawing lines and circles. I made an appointment for this Friday. I'm hoping everything checks out normal. Glasses can be expensive as I have found out with Matthew. I should probably get Andrew's hearing checked again but that is a sometime this summer project.

One last tidbit before I sign off for the day. Hubby ran his second 5K race this past Friday. Unlike the previous race, the weather was cold and very very windy. He made good time and came close to what he ran the week before. He has said he is done with the racing. Of course we still have that mile and a half to run this August for our black belt test. He's not too worried. I of course still have yet to run a full mile so I'm still working on that goal. Did I ever mention that I hate running???