Kindergarten Graduation

Carolyn with her teacher.

Walking in.... AKA "The Grand March"
Passing out the ABC cards.

Carolyn dashed off before I could snap the photo. She also forgot her certificate.

Waiting to go back to their spots.


Today was Kindergarten graduation and the school had a very nice program for the parents and relatives. The kids sang a few songs, the teachers read poems, and everyone got to get a "diploma". As part of the program, each child was asked what he or she wanted to be when they grew up. No surprise, Carolyn wanted to be a zookeeper.

She is already telling me that in a few weeks she gets to go to 1st Grade. I keep reminding her that she has to wait until August to go.

Crash Test Dummy

The loving husband has been taking Hapkido classes for the past two years. Later this month he will be testing for his black belt. Because the instructor lives in another state and only holds classes a few times a month, he has been faithfully driving up to Brookings for a 1 or 2 hour session, depending on the day. Friday nights are combo Tae Kwan Do and Hapkido nights and Saturday mornings are Hapkido.

I mention this because for the past 2 years, I have been playing the part of the opponent for the loving husband to practice on....AKA crash test dummy. Now before anyone gets the wrong idea, he has an incredible amount of control so even though it hurts, I do not get hurt.

As the loyal crash test dummy, it is my job to "attack" the loving husband so that he can practice his techniques. Some of the moves require the attacker have advance knowledge and proficiency of falling, landing, and flipping correctly. Because I do not have said proficiency, he is careful to either do the technique at half speed or stop before the opponent (me) is thrown or swept to the ground. I do have one not so found memory of the loving husband practicing a technique that involved a sweep/body slam and he didn't quite do it correctly and yours truly went head first on the floor.

Anyway, other than that one mistake, it hasn't been so bad. Since I have been his practice partner and training companion for several years, he is much more familiar with how much force or pressure he can use. It also helps that we like each other so there is a lot of laughter involved. I get a kick out of the nicknames for some of these techniques. A few would be, Backfist Colonel Sanders, Psycho Chiropractor, Pretzel, Mary Jane, Filipino Handcuffs, Butterflies, Faucet. All innocent sounding names for vicious painful moves.

I also have gained a new appreciation for these skills as they are very difficult to do correctly without causing injury. I truly have to trust the loving husband not to hurt me and he has to be comfortable with me to do the techniques correctly without fear of hurting me.

As he gets closer to testing, I am needed more and more. I don't mind the occasional bruise or sore body part though. I'm just happy to help out. I know in a few weeks he will be doing all this stuff for real and I couldn't be prouder.

Go Sweetie Pie!!

You gotta read these

Recently, I've been frequenting our local library. I will admit it is much cheaper than going to the local Barns and Nobles or Target and plunking down a wad of cash for a book, however good it may be. I'm also lucky that we have a very good local library that is full of current and recently published books. They can also get books from nearby Sioux Falls so if I want a particular title I can request it.

A few months ago I came across a series by the author Nora Roberts. She is a prolific writer and has lots of books out. This particular series is called the Bride Quartet and consists of four books : Vision in White, Bed of Roses, Savor the Moment, and Happy ever After. The series is about four longtime best friends who run a wedding planning business. Each woman has her own story and of course finds Mr. Right and falls head over heels in love. Vision in White is about Mackensie, who is the photographer, and how she meets and falls in love with Carter, an English teacher. Bed of Roses has Emma, the florist and hopeless romantic finding her white knight Jack, an architect. Laural, the pastry chef, is the subject of Savor the Moment. She finds love with Delaney, lawyer and brother of her best friend Parker. The series ends with Happy ever After, Parker's story. Parker is the wedding planner and CEO of the business, who's carefully laid out plans for life have been turned upside down by Malcolm, the mechanic.

Each book is stand alone good and you don't have to read them in number order to figure out what is going on. What I really enjoyed about this series is the way each character is written. The dialog between the women is witty and fun. You can believe they would talk and interact this way. They talk like girlfriends so nothing is off limits. She has a way of putting a sassy tone in her dialogs that makes you the reader feel like you are a fly on the wall when they start discussing their love lives (or lack of). The other refreshing thing is that each woman is a totally different type of person dealing with their own personal issues. Because each character has a different personality, the friendship between them feels real. Each person may have her own book and story but all of the women are a crucial part of that book. Even the males in these books are treated with respect. Unlike some books where the guy is nothing more than a big stud with attitude and looks, the men in these stories are all very different and much more modern. They have thoughts and feelings and very likable.

Another aspect that is enjoyable is the amount of time the author puts in describing each woman's profession. Instead of just putting a camera or flower or rolling pin in the story as a way to skip from sex scene to fight scene to sex scene, she invests time and energy to make the character real. There are passages in the book that really go into details about the photography sessions or the floral arrangements or even the wedding cakes themselves. She also manages to sprinkle in the numerous weddings and events that take place. You get those wacky and chaotic moments that really would happen in a wedding, crazy brides, drunk guests, and feuding wedding party members.

The only criticisms I would have is the time frame of the romances is a little short for my tastes, I don't know if it is just me but I would want to date more than a few months before deciding that I want to spend the rest of my life with this person. Also, the living arrangements of these ladies are a little too perfect but she does make it seem believable.

Overall, if you want a fun read that makes you laugh and cry, then read these books.

World Autism Day 2011

1 in 110 individuals will be diagnosed with Autism.

1 in 70 is the statistic for boys.

Siblings of a child diagnosed with Autism have a higher percentage of receiving an Autism diagnosis.

Matthew, Carolyn, Andrew,

I loved you the day I found out I was pregnant with you, I fell in love with you the moment I met you, and I will never stop loving you no matter what. After each diagnosis, I grieved the loss of what you could have been and accepted the promise of what you will be. Never for a moment have I ever lost the love I have for you. I am so very blessed to have you as my children and I'm proud of all your hard work and accomplishments.

Love,

Mom

Favorite food to bake with

My friend Jackie just did a great post on her blog (Shake My Soul) about one of her favorite things. I was a bit surprised she chose to blog about lunch meat but after I read her post I was craving a stinky chicken sandwich too. She asked us fellow bloggers to write about one of our favorite things so in the spirit of food (and a sandwich) I decided to go with the favorite food idea and chose...


Jules Gluten Free Flour

(Sorry no Photo)

Anyway, this is the brand of flour I use whenever I bake or cook. I was first introduced to it almost a year ago after finding out that I could no longer eat products containing gluten. I went to my local Hy-Vee grocery store and met with the dietitian to find out which products were safe for me to buy. She was very excited to show me this particluar product since it was a fairly recent addition to the market and was the only GF flour that had xanthum gum added to it so it could be used in recipes just like "regular" flour. For those that don't know, gluten is the sticky substance in wheat or other grains that hold things together. Items made with gluten free ingredients will fall apart if some sort of binder isn't added to the recipe.

So far I have been able to make pretty much any baked item I want to using this flour. My first try at GF baking was banana bread and it was a delicious success. It was almost impossible to tell the difference between my GF banana bread and regular banana bread. I have also had luck with snickerdoodle cookies, muffins, and cakes. Sometimes I have to tinker with the recipe since wheat flour does things differently than the GF flour. I'm still working on my chocolate chip cookies. They taste great but don't look as good as the ones I make with regular flour. I have also been able to make bread. Very important tip...make sure to cut the bread BEFORE putting it in the freezer.

So there you have it, my favorite food to bake with. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm getting the urge to bake something right now.


I have not received any type of compensation nor do I expect to receive any type of compensation for mentioning this product in my blog.

Rapid City

Andrew just loved the big pirate ship slides.


Carolyn shows off her fantastic swimming moves.



Ok Mathew, I dare you to run under that mushroom.



Check out those big tusks on that Mammoth skull.

Really big fish type dinosaur skeleton.

Isn't she just the cutest thing?

Andrew practicing to be a talk show host.

Birthday boy enjoying his cake.

Rezin family 2011




Well this past weekend we traveled across the state of South Dakota to Rapid City. We decided to use the vacation days the kids got off from school and visit my parents and siblings. Of course last week that area had beautiful weather and record high temps. This week when we decided to come out for a visit we ended up with freezing cold wind chills and a big snowstorm that dumped over nine inches on the area. Go figure.

We got into town Friday night and spent some time over at my parents house before coming back to the hotel. I decided to get a room at one of the hotels that had a water park so the kids would have something to do. Unlike last summer when I tried the hotel with water park thing I made sure this hotel did include the water park in the room rate. Everyone was pretty tired so we skipped the water and headed for bed.

The next day started off with snow so instead of doing something outdoors or up in the Black Hills (we are not skiers) we headed over to the Museum of Geology on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The kids had fun looking at all the rocks and bones they had on display. We also walked across campus and looked at the updates that have been done since the loving husband graduated. Mom had to work that morning so we called and had Dad meet us there. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the outing as much as the kids did.

Later that afternoon we invited my sister and her family over for cake and swimming. The kids had a blast going down the huge water slides and splashing in the water park area. After swimming for a bit we went up to our room and had cake and Matthew opened his presents.

Because the kids had this great water park to keep them busy, I asked Mom if her and Dad would mind watching them that evening while hubby and I grabbed some kid-free time together. The plan was to eat at the restaurant in the hotel but there was a 30 min wait to get a table and it was looking like the service would not be on the speedy side so we decided on plan B....a local BBQ place that had great food and was a whole lot cheaper than the first place. The reason we were wanting something on the fast side was the water park was quite busy and both hubby and I didn't want to leave the kids too long. My sister and her family also returned that night so I wanted to spend some time with her too.

The predicted snowstorm hit during the night and no travel was advised so we spent Sunday swimming and hanging out at the hotel. It was also Dad's birthday so we headed over to Target to buy him a card. Mom had called earlier in the day to let us know there would be a delicious pot roast supper to look forward to.

After heading back to the hotel and letting the kids take monster naps we went over and celebrated Dad's birthday. The highlight of the night was Matthew winning the Yahtzee game. Either he's really good at this game or he's really lucky. After the game was over we returned to the hotel and I took Carolyn and Andrew to the water park for one last swim.

Thankfully Monday morning was bright and clear. We said good-bye to Mom and Dad at a local fast food restaurant and headed for home. I now have a new love and appreciation for technology. Thanks to the DSI's and portable DVD player, we were able to drive from Rapid City to Chamberlain (3+ hrs) without fights, whining, or having to stop and take a break. Unfortunately, when we got to our lunch stop in Chamberlain it was packed with travelers so we just did potty breaks and kept going. We ate in Mitchell instead.

The roads for the most part were pretty good for travel except for a 30+ mile stretch that was really really icy. If not for that then I think we might have set a new travel record for the trip back. Once again, thank goodness for modern technology that kept the kids occupied and not fighting with each other. We got home and the cat was really glad to see us. I spent the rest of the evening doing laundry and catching up on e-mails.

It really is the thought that counts

Valentine's Day, the one holiday I really can't stand. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not against love or anything. I'm just not in favor of Corporate America telling me I have to spend a boatload of money just to let everyone know that I love my spouse. However, there are those who celebrate this day, some with reluctance, others with boundless enthusiasm, that might be reading this post and wonder what my point is...

Well to be truthful it is about giving the special someone in your life a Valentines Day gift.

Hey wait, didn't I just write about my dislike of the whole spending money for this stupid holiday? Why yes, yes I did. This post isn't about the commercial or monetary meaning of this holiday. It's about celebrating the meaning behind the holiday which of course honors St. Valentine the Patron Saint of lovers, martyred in AD 269 for giving aid to Christians
(not allowed) and supposedly trying to convert the Emperor (gutsy but not too wise).

Anyway, back to the 21st century..and what has now become an excuse to drain your bank account in the name of love (or stupidity). The giving of a Valentine's Day gift should be a thoughtful and careful one, it should reflect both a part of yourself and a part of the person who is to receive it. A gift which is given freely from the heart out of love will always be cherished as opposed to something thought of and bought at the last minute.

Commercials on the TV and radio try to paint a perfect picture of what true love is supposed to look like, especially if you use or give their product to that special someone. However, those are not real people (with exception to the dating sites) and this isn't always what love looks like. Yes a diamond lasts forever but if the relationship is not on a solid foundation then what good is buying "a symbol of your love" ? Flowers are pretty but if they are bought just because that's what you do on Valentine's Day, why spend the money?

Well here it is, the point of this post. When giving a gift on this day, it really is the thought that counts. Seriously, we women want you guys to actually put time and effort into our gift. Run to the store in a panic the night before or day of and you are setting yourself up for disaster. The best gifts don't always come in a box or vase or insert store name here. Be creative, be bold, go sappy, it doesn't matter as long as whatever gift you give has a significant meaning behind it.

What I'm trying to say is that if you are going to spend money and celebrate this holiday then do it because you love your significant other and for no other reason. I realize there are some people out there who are very self-centered and shallow and want only things and attention. For them it's all about the how much are you gonna spend on me and how much can I brag to my friends about this. I truly feel sorry for them because this is not what the holiday is about. They are so caught up in the marketing and social expectations of this day that they fail to appreciate the blessings they have.

So there you have it, my annual Valentine's Day post. The funny thing about Valentine's Day is it always finds a way to creep into my life and shower me with love. This year it was in the form of the word's cutest 6 year old handing me a home made colored and cut out heart with I (heart) you on it. This accompanied by a big hug and "I love you Mommy".

See, it really is the thought that counts.