Culture Camp 2011

Jacob, Matthew and I attended culture camp for the first time this year. The camp, Ethiopian American Culture camp, was held in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. There were about 300 attendees and everyone had a great time.

We were originally going to camp but after arriving decided it wasn't the best set up for our family. The area the families were setting up tents were right on the edge of the area where the kids were playing and the music and dancing would be until 10:30 at night. I felt our family needed more privacy and a place to go if anyone got overwhelmed. Matthew had a little trouble Saturday so it was actually a good move.

We were lucky to be able to move into 1 of 2 cabins where people had cancelled their reservations. The cabins had 4 bunk beds (8 beds), a table with chairs, a ceiling fan, lights and electricity. Much nicer than the tent near the campfire.

The camp was a lot of fun. Jacob and Matthew learned how to write their names in Amharic as well as some new facts about Ethiopia and Africa. They met people who grew up in Ethiopia and even a couple that stil live there now and were just here visiting. There were Ethiopian American families and teenagers and there were many families that looked similar to ours. Matthew's favorite part of the camp was learning how to do traditional Ethiopian dancing. It was fun watching him dancing and even more fun watching him really enjoy spending time with an Ethiopian grandmother.

Jacob and Matthew both came home with lots of fun stories and even more importantly a new sense of pride. Jacob was proud of his Ethiopian heritage and culture and Matthew was proud to have an Ethiopian born brother. They are already looking foward to next year's camp and I am hopeful we will be able to attend again.

Camping

I have not been camping in about 4 years. I thought about going last year but couldn't find a weekend to go. I was also very nervous about taking the children by myself. Jacob went camping with me and some of my friends when he was 1 but Matthew has never gone. This year I have weekends off work so I really didn't have an excuse not to go.

The kids and I had a great time. Matthew was a little overexcited the first night which led to only about 6 hours of sleep and a very overly tired kid today. The good news is that tired and bad days for Matthew are nothing like they were even just 6 months ago so things went pretty well.

Matthew and Jacob slept really well in the tent last night and even Friday night after they calmed down enough to go to sleep. They even slept until almost 8 this morning which is really unheard of in our house. There were two pretty big storms that rolled through last night and Matthew slept through both of them. Jacob woke up a little but quickly went back to sleep after being reassured that everything was okay. I got a little nervous at one point and considered moving us to the shelter but I checked the radar on my blackberry and saw the storm was almost past.

The best part of the weekend was really just having fun with some amazing people from church. There were 8 kids there ranging from 6 months to almost 6 years old. The kids played together very well and Jacob was a great help with the younger children. Matthew is really good with babies and prides himself in always being gentle with them. He was gentle with the younger kids this weekend as well. All of the kids (except the baby) enjoyed swimming in the lake and jumping off the pier.

I enjoyed a weekend outside without TV. We don't watch much TV but we also don't just stop and enjoy nature very often either. It was amazing watching the kids explore nature. Matthew wouldn't go to sleep last night until he got a chance to say good night to the daddy longlegs spiders by the bathroom. He said they were his new friends. Jacob loved the huge and beautiful spider webs that can only be found in the woods. The kids also found a very large and wooly caterpillar which Matthew really wanted to keep. With a very sad face, he returned the caterpillar to a nearby tree after we talked about how the caterpillar would die if he kept it and it probably really missed it's family.

Now that the fun part of camping is done the not so fun part begins. The very tired kids are in bed early tonight. The van is mostly unpacked except a few odds and ends. The clothes are being washed and the tarp is drying. The tent finished drying out this afternoon and is now resting in the garage. I will set it up and clean it out later this week so it is ready to go next weekend.

Yes, I said next weekend. This weekend was camping with friends from church. Next weekend is Ethiopian American culture camp where I hope we meet new friends and have a great time. This weekend we cooked over an open campfire. Next weekend the food will be prepared for us, our days very busy and the tent really only used for sleeping. It will be a great time even if it isn't very relaxing. Hopefully, we will be able to go camping one or two more times this year. I would love to take the kids some weekend this fall when it is a little cooler but still a lot of fun.

Another Weekend of Swimming

This weekend is another weekend of swimming. We have gone swimming almost every weekend so far this summer. Last weekend was Devil's Lake and this weekend was Gov. Nelson State Park. Gov. Nelson isn't nearly as nice as Devil's Lake but it's still a beautiful park where the kids can swim and get full of sand. I love it because they are cheap day trips that are still a lot of fun.

Along with the state parks, we have also been taking advantage of our Y membership. We are in the swimming pool there almost every weekend. Again another free activity since we have a Y membership.

I am very excited this year that I am going to finally be able to do almost everything on my summer wish list. Sure there are a lot of things I should do and haven't like cleaning out my house and the kids toys but I am slowly working on those things. Mostly I am just enjoying having a summer with every weekend off work.

This is the first year I have had a job that was strictly Monday through Friday. For the past ten years I worked 3 out of 4 weekends a month. Now, I get to enjoy all of those weekend activities I have wanted to do for a long time. Our summer has been full of fun activities like a Clinic At A Time fundraiser, swimming and short hikes, walks around the block, swimming outside, t-ball, soccer, birthday parties and inside and visiting sprinkler parks. There are still more things I am looking forward to such as our first family church camp and our first Ethiopian American culture camp.

I am also really enjoying having a set schedule with days off that I can plan on every week. No more telling my children we can't go to a birthday party or other event because I am working. No more telling Jacob he can't play a sport because Mom has to work. We now have a set routine and busy and full weekends.

Changing careers was a great move that has been wonderful for my family. While I lost some flexibility in my evenings, I gained flexiblity during the weekends and even during the week. I can now flex my hours to be able to go to appointments instead of using time from my leave balances. I can enjoy my children every weekend instead of paying someone else to spend that time with them. It has been a great summer in part because I have a new job.

Blessed To Be American

People have been lining up to try to come to America since 1776. During the past 235 years America has changed and I believe mostly for the best. Change is a slow process and America continues to evolve and work to find ways to make life better for all of us. People continue to line up at our embassies around the world hoping and praying for a chance to "win the lottery" and be able to come here. Refugees come here somewhat unwillingly to begin to make a new life for their families. We are becoming more diverse every year and there are some experts who believe people of white European decent will no longer be in the majority in the future. Some people have concerns about our increasing diversity but I see it as an asset. By learning about all of the different culutures in this country, we are able to become a better and more diverse America. We are able to learn from each other, enjoy new and different foods, music and lifestyles and learn how to be more accepting and tolerant as a result.

Here are some of the other wonderful blessings we have and should be thankful for.

1) Plenty of food. Yes there are people who are hungry in this country. I have worked with many food insecure families in the past few months but the truth is food is available for most of us. Those who are food insecure are able to visit food pantries and free community meals as well as receive food from the governmen. We have private and government programs to help people who don't have a way to find food. Not all countries have these programs.

2) Free education. My children will go to school for free. I don't have to worry about finding a school uniform so my children can attend. I don't have to worry about paying high private school tuitions if I don't want to. I get the luxury of spending way too much time worrying about which public or private school to send my children to not if they will be able to attend.

3) A great higher education system. I realize some people have trouble paying for college and it's very important that higher education remain affordable for Americans. Yet we also have a college system that allows most people to attend even if it means borrowing money. I recently spoke to a young woman who had the grades but not the test scores to attend college. She was able to enroll in a public university where she is taking college courses this summer as a "bridge program" to help her prepare for college in the fall. As long as she passes the classes they have asked her to take this summer she will be able to attend college in the fall. There are grant and loan programs to help people pay for college. There are many different colleges to choose from and people can pursue any degree their talent and interst is in.

4) Health care. No matter where you stand on the public health care issue, we are all blessed to live in a country where health care is easy to obtain. Anyone can show up in an emergency room and receive care. For those of us lucky enough to have health insurance or wealthy enough to pay for it, we have great health care availble. Vaccines are routinely given out and it is rare to find a child who has not been immunized. We have enough doctors and clinics to care for all of our sick and injured.

5) Clean water.

6) Paved highways and roads.

7) Electricity

8) The ability to pursue our dreams, decide we no longer have the same dreams, return to school or move and pursue new dreams.

9) Travel freely throughout the country to visit family and friends without stopping at government check points or having to explain where we are going and why.

10) State and national parks that we can enjoy for cheap or free.

There are many more blessings than just the ones I have listed here. Everyone has there favorite activities. Just remember none of these things came to us for free. Our soldiers lost their lives. Our citizens worked hard in the private and public sector. Our children have studied hard. Yes, we have a ways to go. We have a lot to work on. But we have a good start. Together we will contine to evolve and grow as individual communities and a country.

Politics in Wisconsin has shown us all how far we have to go. My hope is that the ugly policies of the recent months will soon be a thing of the past but until then it's important to remember that even with our current administration we are very blessed to live here. We need to continue to stand united and all work together to continue to make this country great for all of her people.

1/3 finished

Can you believe summer is almost 1/3 over? I can't. Once again summer is going way too fast but it has been one of our best summers so far. I love hot weather and we have had some hot days and some not so great days but even with that this past month has been great. Yes I know I did some whining on my last post but life always has ups and downs and right now I'm focusing on the ups.

A big part of why this summer has been so much fun is that the boys have really grown up a lot since last year. Matthew has really grown and matured including in his social skills. Remember he is only 4 so social skills are something all children his age are still trying to master. Last night at softball I was playing catcher and taking occassional peaks at my kids between plays. I realized how nice it was that I didn't have to hire a babysitter this year. I could trust the kids to play nicely with the other children from our church and not worry that they would be hurting them or running off. Of course, I still kept a close eye on them but I knew the other adults could handle anything big and I didn't need someone assigned just to them.

We are also enjoying swimming more this year. Matthew started swimming lessons last fall and has progressed to a point that he is okay in water up to his chest without me worrying that he will fall and not be able to stand up. He can swim 3 to 4 feet without stopping which is far enough if he accidentally goes out to far. Jacob can now swim the length of the pool so I really only have to keep a super close eye on Matthew if he doesn't have a life jacket on. We checked out the city outdoor pool on Sunday and loved it.

This is also the first year that I have a set schedule with every weekend off. I can't even begin to describe how nice that is. To be able to choose which free or cheap weekend events we want to attend and not have to worry about trying to get time off work to do things with my kids is nice. My job has kept me very busy this month but that is fine. It makes my wonderful weekends come that much faster.

I also have holidays off now and that is putting a lot less stress on me. I always hated asking my family to watch my kids on holidays. I also hated missing the holidays with my kids. Now I get holidays off and can do fun things with the kids. Like watch the Memorial Day parade and watch the fireworks next Monday. Even when I do want an extra day off work for something it is much easier to get it off now. I flexed my hours last week so I could take yesterday morning off to take the kids to the dairy farm on their day care field trip. I plan on taking half a day off when we go to church family camp and Ethiopian American Culture Camp later in July.

There is still 2 months of summer left before Jacob starts kindergarten and the weather begins to cool down. 2 months of summer fun. I plan to enjoy as much of it as I can.

More Ups and Downs

Life around here has been full of ups and downs the past few weeks. It's also kept me way to busy to blog on here even though I really wanted to.

So here's a quick wrap up of some of the more major events.

Matthew changed class rooms at day care. He is now back with the kids he was getting in trouble with last fall. As I suspected, he has had a few moments where he has been in trouble for being too silly and loud. He really feeds off the other boys in the room who are also always in trouble for being too silly and loud.

Matthew had a little regression in behavior at home as well as he transitioned away from his favorite teacher. He had Ms. Callie longer than any other teacher by about 9 months. He really loved her and it was hard for him to only see her a few times a day and not all day. He has come out of it pretty well though and the transition was much smoother and faster than previous transitions. It is great to see him maturing and feeling safer faster in new settings.

Jacob graduated 4K and is ready for kindergarten. His teacher told me he is ahead of the other children in his room and she has caught him reading a few times. The assistant director also stated she has noticed he is ahead of his peers. I only hope it continues this fall when he starts "real school."

Jacob has enjoyed playing t-ball but after 2 months he is starting to burn out. The season is just a little too long for these young kids. It's 2 games a week for about 10 weeks. I gave in today and told him he could skip it today. He agreed he wants to play in his last 2 games of the season.

I am playing softball and coaching this year. I enjoy it although it is a lot more work coaching than I thought it would be. I am having fun though and might volunteer to coach again next year depending on what is going on in our busy lives.

Work has been going well. I really do like my job. The past 3 weeks have been very busy and I am really hoping it slows down a little so I can get caught up. I like that it's normally busy though and I don't have a lot of down time. I also love working with all of the families and children and helping them to find resources to meet their needs. Of course, the current political climate in Wisconsin makes it very difficult to help people in need but I won't go there today. Just know I am fully on board to try to recall the current governor in about 7 months.

Besides just being way too busy my car needs about $200 in maintenance and my washing machine isn't working. I lost day care funding when I adopted Matthew so money has been tight without these new expenses. Hopefully I can get the washing machine repaired for fairly cheap and as soon as I have some extra time. There is no way around the car issue. I just have to take it in and pay the money. Jacob goes to kindergarten in the fall so his day care bill will be cut in half and money will be easier to find then.

Today we are planning to go pick strawberries at a local farm and then have a picnic lunch at a park. It should be a lot of fun. And of course we will enjoy eating some of the strawberries for lunch.

We have been swimming almost every weekend and will probably go swimming again tomorrow. Our neighbors are having a gathering in the morning that we will probably attend and then hit the pool in the afternoon. The kids are very excited to see the new Cars 2 movie but it will probably have to wait a week. I am trying hard not to be quite as rushed or overscheduled as I was during the school year. It's nice to just have time to sit at home and relax.

Soccer Surprise

I always knew I would be a sports mom but I never dreamed I would be a soccer mom. I love watching my children play sports but I always thought I would leave the coaching to the "other parent" preferably someone who could be a good male role model. That has all changed now.

The soccer season began in April. At the first game, the parents on Jacob's team quickly realized no one there was the coach. That means in the rec league world a parent would need to step up. I decided to give it a try for a game and see how it went. I loved it. 6 games later I have now volunteered to coach again next season. I really hope I am allowed to coach.

I have seen a variety of coaches on the field. Most of them great with the same attitude I have. Others have left me to raise my eyebrows. Sure I believe the children should be encouraged to play but I also remember that they are 5 and 6 years old. None of these children will most likely grow up to be the next professional soccer star. Some might decide to play high school or even college soccer and the rest will move on to other things as they grow older. At this time, the children are too young to predict which children will fall into what category.

My philosophy coaching is to allow all children equal playing time. If I see that my team is overpowering the other team, I will try to have some of my less skilled (usually younger) players play together to give a few more opportunities for the other team to catch up. If I see that my players are being overpowered, I try to make sure I always have one of my older players on the field with the younger ones and then cheer them on no matter how close they get to scoring the goal.

I also try to treat each child as an individual. There are some children who struggle just kicking the ball where they want to kick it or running and kicking at the same time. I cheer for those children anytime they kick the ball whether they kick where they intended to or not. Then there are the more skilled players who hear me most when they do score a goal or make a great play. I also try to make sure each child kicks the ball even if that means he or she kicks off or completes more corner and goal kicks than another player. My goal is for the kids to have fun and learn not to become pros.

Today I watched a coach scold a child for not running fast enough. He told another child if he didn't start kicking the ball harder he would have to sit out. My thought was that these are young children. If they need an extra break, give it to them. If they run a little slower because they are hot and tired, so be it. As long as they are having fun and learning the game, I don't care if they score a goal. This coach was frustrated that his kids weren't scoring against ours and stated "they don't have a chance." That annoyed me as well. Yes my kids were dominating but his kids were playing hard and having fun. There is a reason we don't keep score at this age. Because the score doesn't matter. What matters is that the children have fun, learn sportsmanship, get exercise and possibly learn some good life lessons (like how to be a good friend to everyone on and off the field) not that they score the winning goal.

Enough said. We now have 2 months until the next season. I am hoping to get to coach again. I officially volunteered and will attend the coach training sessions if I am invited and able to make them. Until then, it is time to enjoy the last few weeks of swimming lessons and concentrate on being a t-ball mom. From the sidelines this time.

Thinking About Spring

It's hard to believe spring is here and has been for awhile. The weather outside is a very cold rain and there is even some talk of snow showers later today. Yuck! Not the 50s and 60s it is suppose to be this time of year. Tomorrow is suppose to be back in the 50s so I am focusing on the positive. Spring is here and last couple of weeks prove it. It just took a two day vacation.

Two weeks ago Jacob had his first t-ball practice. He was suppose to get his uniform today but it's really not baseball weather today. Soccer started last week for Jacob and M. I ended up coaching Jacob's team which I really enjoyed. I would prefer he had a coach who knows more about soccer but I really did have a lot of fun.

Last Saturday Jacob, M, P and I went to the zoo. It was a nice day with a high in the upper 50s and the animals were really enjoying it. The bears were more active than I have seen them in a long time. The baby lion hasn't made his debut yet so we will have to return soon for that.

The weather is suppose to be nice again tomorrow (or at least nicer) so I will be heading to the soccer field again. I love this part of parenting. When I dreamed of being a mom it was always watching my kids play sports and reading to them at night. I love that I get to do both now.

A Look Back and Forward

Last year I made a post about what I was looking foward to in 2010. Of course, many things happened that I would never have predicted and we had challenges and blessings. I wanted to look back and see how I did on my predictions though. So here they are.

1) Finish 2 semesters of grad school. I did this although I decided to only attend part-time this year. A decision that I am glad I made although I do wish I was graduating in August. Oh, well. One more year isn't bad.

2) Finish my internship. I can check that one off. It went well and I miss it.

3) Find a new job. Nope. Not yet. I'm getting closer but haven't been offered one yet. I am still hoping it will happen soon. I printed off another job application today and will apply for the same eligibility list I'm on now.

4) Obtain social work certification. I did this.

5) Complete another adoption home study. Check this one off also.

6) Jacob in 4K. Check. He's doing great.

7) M in 3 year old preschool. Check. He's also doing great at the new daycare.

8) No more diapers. Check. We only use pull-ups at night.

9) Camping. Didn't quite get to this one. I did buy a tent on clearance for cheap so we are getting closer.

10) Passing swimming lessons. Jacob is really close but not quite there yet.

11) Culture camp. Nope but it is on my list of things to do someday.

12) Watching Jacob and M bond as brothers. Check. They are definitelly there.

So here is a look at what I hope 2011 will bring.

1) M's adoption should be finalized sometime very soon. Hopefully this winter or spring. I can't imagine it won't be final by the end of this year.

2) Kindergarten. Jacob will start in the fall.

3) 4K. Hopefully, M will be part of the first 4K class in our district. Otherwise he will be in 4K at the day care he currently attends. It's expensive but very worth every penny. I wish I had taken him there much earlier.

4) Sports. M will be playing soccer and t-ball. Jacob will be playing soccer, basketball, t-ball and football. I guess you can call me a soccer mom now. And I'm proud of it.

5) School and church performances. Jacob has been in them for awhile but he really seems to enjoy them and look forward to them now. It's fun to watch him get so excited and really work hard.

6) Reading. Jacob is very close to being able to read. He can recognize all of the letters and is just starting to sound out words. By the end of this year I am sure I will have a reader on my hands.

7) A new job. I hope this one comes true this year. Right now I am only applying at the county I currently work for so I don't lose seniority and benefits. I am hoping to get a transfer soon but if not I may start to look outside the county.

8) Camping. We will do this one. No excuses. We have a tent now. Jacob is big enough to help me put up the tent and M is big enough to be trusted not to wander away or fall into a campfire (as long as he is supervised). I have friends who have said they will go with us so we really better make our way to the campground.

9) Mehaber. I was able to get off work to go to Mehaber again this year. It should be fun.

10) A party! If M's adoption is finalized we will finally be able to celebrate. I already have the party invitiations picked out and ready to order. I just need a date.

Life is good. Sure there have been challenges such as a very bad day care (the state substantiated my complaint), adoption delays and job seeking disappointments. There will be challenges next year as well (I am pretty sure one of our cats will pass away). Yet overall we are very blessed. We are a family and love each other. We work together, help each other and enjoy each other. I know we are very blessed and hope that 2011 brings even more blessings to my family and yours.

Busy But Great Weekend

This past weekend was very busy but a great time. Not exactly relaxing but stress relieving in that we had fun and just enjoyed life.

Saturday was the opening day for the new children's museum. Words cannot explain how wonderful this place is going to be for families. The museum had over 1500 visitors on Saturday and 500 attended the ribbon cuting. We were in that group of 500 people. One of the things I love about the museum is they offer low cost memberships and admissions to lower income families and families involved in certain programs such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters and foster care. Since we are involved in both programs we qualify for a membership for $8 a year. I know we will be attending a lot this year. The museum is a wonderful opportunity for the kids to be creative and learn about the world around them. Even the adults were having fun.

Sunday we attended a church festival with some friends. It was a lot of fun but two things really impressed me. The first was when a total stranger walked up and offered me two free passes that included meals. He stated he had extra tickets his family couldn't use and thought I would like them. He was right. Money is tight right now and even that little bit of money will help.

The second thing that really impressed me was when we were helping to take a tent down at the end of the day. Not only did Jacob want to help but he did a great job. He moved folding chairs, took down poles and was a huge help. I couldn't believe how big he is getting. He is no longer a little boy and is becoming a responsible young man.

All Stars

I was honored and shocked yesterday. I received an email stating I was chosen to play in my church softball all-star game. Each team got to choose two women and two men to play. I really didn't expect to be chosen and have never been chosen for anything like this before. I am very excited and ready to play. The game is next Monday night. Women play at 6:30 and men play at 7:30. I plan to stay for both games and cheer my friends and teammates on. It should be a fun evening.

Week Recap

My internet is out at home again. Ugh! This time I know I can only blame myself. The cable company told me several weeks ago to exchange my old modem for a new one. I just never seem to get around to actually making the time to go over and do it. Now it is out again and I still haven't found the motivation to fix it. The problem is that I really only use it for blogging and entertainment during the summer. I would probably get rid of it at home and just use the library computer and my parents if it wasn't for the school year. I'll have to get the modem replaced before September, I'm just not sure when.

Here is a recap of the events around our house during the past few days:

- I spent the first part of the week fighting what I thought was just a little virus. Now it has turned into an actual cold and I really had very little energy last night. Actually, a lot of the week was spent sitting rather than doing things. They boys have not been happy that I haven't been my usual energetic self. They have been bouncing off the walls and a little less patient with my desire to just sit the past couple of days. Hopefully, I will get over this cold quickly and we can go back to jam packed days again.

- I played softball again Monday and the kids played with a bunch of other kids from the church. They had a great time playing baseball and playing on the playground. M and Jacob have been fighting with each other a lot lately so they did both get in trouble for that but mostly just had fun.

- Tuesday was a day off work so I took the boys out of day care and we went to the zoo. It was fun and we enjoyed the animals and playground. M seemed to be having a bad day again mostly because he was starting fights with Jacob and constantly in trouble. He also was whiny which makes me think he may have had a touch of whatever I am fighting. His cold symptoms are much milder though so hopefully he isn't getting it quite as bad as I did.

- Wednesday was the day I really wasn't feeling well. I was mostly just tired and cranky in the morning. I decided M needed a break from the boredom of hanging out with Jacob and me. He asked to go to school and I thought it would really help if he got away from Jacob for a few hours. With the exception of 3 hours Monday morning, the boys had spent all of their time together since Saturday.

- While M was at school, I took Jacob to visit a woman I have not seen since high school. She has a son M's age and an infant daughter. It was fun reconnecting and I hope to see her again soon.

- I was right about just separating M and Jacob for awhile. By the time I picked M up after naps yesterday, he and Jacob were ready to be best friends again. I was really beginning to feel poorly and decided I just couldn't handle sitting in the heat. M and Jacob were very disappointed we weren't going for our usual bike ride/walk but quickly got over it. We stayed inside and the boys played together well for the most part. The plus side of the evening was that everyone went to bed on time for once since I wasn't feeling well and we didn't get involved in any fun projects/activities. I am hoping that translates to a good day for both kids today.

Jacob was upset that we did not have time to go window shopping yesterday. He loves to shop and just look around even if we don't buy anything. I promised him we would go later this week or next week on my days off.

This morning I woke up feeling slightly better than yesterday. Hopefully, I am on the mend. I am still tired but hoping that the worst is behind me. I have a trauma informed parenting class (for foster care and social work training) tonight that will keep me up a little bit later. I am hoping we can get back to our energetic and fast paced lives tomorrow.

A Summer Of Fun

I can't believe July is 2/3 over already! This summer has been one of the most fun we have had in a very long time. We have spent a lot of time outside just enjoying ourselves. One of the things I love about Summer is that there are a lot of very cheap activities I can do with the boys that we all love and enjoy. Here are some of the highlights so far.

- We have received a personal tour of fire station as well as been able to climb in fire trucks at two local events. For my children, there is nothing more special than sitting in a fire truck and talking to our local heros.

- We made it to the Memorial Day parade and the Fourth of July fireworks. With my work schedule, I wasn't sure we would see either. We did though and they both were a lot of fun.

- We have been swimming A LOT. We have swam in three different swimming pools and often have a tough time deciding which pool to visit. Our favorites are still the YMCA pools. That is one membership we really use a lot and really enjoy.

- We have visited a state park about an hour from here once as a family. The boys also went once with their grandparents. We have another trip scheduled for 2 weeks from now but I may have to try to get there again before that.

- Jacob began learning to ride a 2-wheeler. He asked to have his training wheels put back on a few days later but at least he tried. I will take them off again when he is ready.

- M has just been a complete joy this summer. He found the courage to swim with a life jacket without holding onto me. He was soon jumping in by himself and keeps talking about taking swimming lessons this fall.

- M went on his first field trip on a school bus. He loved it! He goes on another one tomorrow to a local children's amusement park. I hope to join him on a field trip next month.

- We have walked to the park a few times, taken numerous walks around the neighborhood and spent hours outside playing and grilling. I have gone through more charcoal this summer than I usually go through in 2 years. We still have a lot more grilling to do before the season ends.

- We took a weekend trip to Mehaber in Minnesota and enjoyed the trip greatly.

- We attended the local county fair last week. The boys were both tall enough for rides and really enjoyed it.

- Jacob and I enjoyed going on a scavenger hunt and seeing butterflies at the local gardens. We ate ice cream for lunch afterwards. Yum!

Not too bad for two months. Now to figure out a way to cram in as much fun as possible for the next month. If the weather stays nice, we should have a lot of fun!

Double Header

I played in my first double header softball game yesterday. The games went well and I had a lot of fun. I played all of the first game and half of the second game including making a pretty good catch on a pop up foul ball at catcher in the first game. We didn't win either game and the second game was pretty ugly but it was fun none the less. I am a little sore since I am defintitelly not use to playing that much catcher today but it is a good sore. One that I will gald take after a fun night with friends and a chance to just take a break for awhile.

The softball team I am on is bilingual. It is a church team and about half the members are from the English speaking services and half from the Spanish speaking services. It has taken awhile for everyone to get to know each other but the friendships are building and the team spirit is definitely there now. As an added benefit, I am getting a lot of practice listening to Spanish and my skills appear to be improving. Or at least, I didn't have to concentrate as hard to understand what was being said around me.

It has been a fun season. We have one month left and I am looking forward to it.

Lemonade, Root Beer and Fireworks

What was going to be a simple evening with my two wonderful boys turned into a fun evening with teenagers and lot of friends. I love the Fourth Of July celebration.

Every year people flock to our church lawn to watch the fireworks. About seventeen years ago, when I was a member of the youth group, I suggested that the church sell lemonade to the people on the lawn. After all, we have to clean up after them so we might as well make some money also. The lemonade stand was a hit and has now grown to popcorn, root beer floats and other items. I look forward to eating root beer floats on the church lawn every year and supporting the Senior High Youth Group at the same time.

This year I decided to invite our teenage friend, J. J asked if her cousin and cousin's nephew could also come. The nephew is 4 years old and just as cute as can be. I gladly told them yes and everyone piled into our van. It was now me with 3 young children and 2 teenagers all on our way to a fun evening.

I bought everyone root beer floats and the teenagers quickly went off to do teenage girl things while they waited for the show to start. Jacob and M played with some kids that we see every year and managed to talk me into buying glow necklaces and lemonade also. What I thought would be a five dollar evening was quickly twenty dollars and worth every cent. I spent the evening talking to adults from the church and just relaxing and watching my children play.

When the fireworks started, the teenagers and all of the kids climbed onto our blanket. We settled in and watched a nice demonstration with the rest of the crowd. After the show, I escorted everyone back to the car and we began driving away. The rain came about ten minutes later and we were all grateful we were able to see the show before the rain started.

I really enjoyed having my house and car full of kids. It was fun to watch them all enjoy each other and just spend time together relaxing. No pressures and no worries. Just fun. It takes a long time for children who have suffered abuse or neglect to settle down but we are finally making it. We are finally able to just have fun as a family.

Lake Fun!

I really wish I hadn't forgotten my camera today. The kids and I went to a nearby state park for the day and had a great time. We started with some swimming and building sand castles. It was in the low to mid 70s and a perfect day for sitting on the beach watching kids play. Jacob spent about half an hour in a fruitless attempt to catch minnows. He probably would have had more luck with a net.

M wanted me to build a "super huge" sand castle. I built a medium sized sand castle and explained that was all I knew how to do. He was disappointed his mom isn't a master sand castle builder but that was the best I can do.

There is a ferry that takes cars across a river between our house and the park. We rode it there and back. On the way back, M fell asleep before we left the park so Jacob and I were the only ones awake on the ferry trip home. We bought ice cream cones at a stand by the dock and enjoyed the nice cold treat while we stood outside the car and watched the river. Then it was a short half hour drive home.

M woke up just as we pulled up to the house and Jacob never did sleep. The boys seem to still be full of energy. Unfortunately, I am completely out of energy and very content sitting around the living room doing nothing.

Tomorrow I start a new work week and I need to start preparing for our trip to Mehaber next weekend. For now, I will just try to relax and maybe even get a little laundry done tonight.

Zoo Trip

I took both boys out of day care today and decided to go to the zoo. The zoo near our home is free and while it is smaller than the Milwaukee zoo, it still has a lot of fun animals and exhibits. The boys really like the lions and bears. I like the apes and chimpanzees. I made a pledge to go to the zoo often this year. I was surprised to find new sculputures and benches there today. Below are some pictures from our time there today.





M receives state daycare funding and has to attend at least 3 days a week so that we will have full-time funding. I work six days in a row and then have three days off so I need to have funding for Monday through Friday so it is available on weeks when I work 4 to 5 days. I always feel bad taking him to day care when I am not working and would much better keep him home but I can't afford to lose the day care funding. Tomorrow M has swim day and Jacob has bike day so I decided it is a good day for them to go to day care so we keep our attendance at three days. I plan to spend the morning doing yard work and the afternoon doing paperwork I have been putting off. Thursday we have tentatively decided to spend the day at a nearby state park so I want to get all of the chores around the house done before then.

T-Ball, Fire Fighters and Parties

Today was a great day and one that was totally exhausting. Those people that know us well know that we are rarely home and today was no busy. I would much rather be out in the community experiencing life and trying new things than sitting at home. This doesn't mean we never sit at home and relax. We do it just isn't as often as some other families.

Today was a busier day than most and one that was full of fun. We started the day by getting up early and going to Jacob's t-ball game. Jacob really loved fielding the ball as well as hitting. ally loved fielding the ball as well as hitting. He has come a very long way since his first few games wehre he wspent more time playing in the dirt or chasing his teammates around the dugout than he did actually participating in the game. He still gets distracted from time to time but spends most of the game paying attention and actually playing. We have about 5 games left and I am actually sad to see the season coming to an end. He has done so well and I have really had fun watching him play. Next year I will be watching Jacob play Little League t-ball and M play YMCA t-ball. I am already looking forward to it.

After we left the t-ball game, we went downtown for safety day. Local agencies set up demonstrations for parents and kids to enjoy. My favorite demonstrations were the car that showed what happens if you don't wear a seatbelt and are involved in a roll-over accident. Let's just say everyone really needs to wear a seat belt. I also liked watching Medflight land and seeing inside of the helicopter. Jacob enjoyed all of the fire trucks and putting out a fire with a fire extinguisher. M really enjoyed watching a police officer get dunked in the dunk tank and seeing inside of an ambulance.

I was actually really impressed with how well the kids did. I have decided that they are old enough to start walking. I have parked the strollers in the garage and leave them there most of the time. Jacob, M and I walked several blocks downtown today as well as to a resteraunt for lunch. M complained a little bit towards the end but we were all getting really tired. He also had trouble paying attention and keeping up. There was just too much stuff going on and he would get distracted and fall behind. For the most part though, both boys did great and we had a lot of fun.

We came home to take short naps before going to a party at a friend's house this evening. Our friend has a large gathering every summer where he grills large amounts of pork ribs and we all enjoy some wonderful food. This year was even better than last year and just wonderful. The kids had fun playing and I enjoyed some nice conversation with other adults.
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Jacob, M and I are exhausted after a very long day. It is a good exhaustion. Yes, we are all a little crankier and shorter with each other than normal but that is to be expected. M is asleep now and Jacob is doing his best to lay awake for as long as possible. He is losing the battle though.

I have tomorrow off work also and plan to actually spend a day relaxing. Well, at least a day at home. I really don't get to just sit around and relax much. I plan to go to church, mow the lawn, work on laundry, buy sunscreen and bug spray for the kids to take to school and fix a nice dinner for everyone. In the middle of all of that I would love to go for a walk to the park. Somehow, I don't anticipate having much time to just sit and think. Maybe when the kids are older....

My Little Catcher

It seems like we can't have a day without some kind of drama or emergency. Yesterday was no different. Jacob had a t-ball game which he seems to really enjoy. I watched the coach help him get on the field and then turned my attention to M who was exploring another child's toy truck. I turned back to the field only to find that Jacob was gone. No one seemed to know where he was. I began asking other parents if they saw where he went and no one had. It's not like Jacob to just disappear so I was getting a little worried.

I waited for the half-inning to finish and then asked Jacob's coach where he was. His coach stated he didn't know. He had told him where to stand on the field and then turned around and Jacob was gone. He was hoping I knew where he had gone. Now, I was really worried.

I began frantically looking around when a parent walked up. He had just spotted Jacob looking scared down by the concession stand. I walked over and sure enough, Jacob was chewing on his glove and anxiously looking around. I called him over and asked what he was doing. Apparently, I had changed bleachers and he hadn't noticed. While he was on the field, he looked over and couldn't find me. He became frightened and decided to leave the game to see where I was. He seemed truly frightened so I took his hand and walked him back to the game.

I showed Jacob where I was sitting and sent him back to the field. He told him coach he wanted to play cathcher and did a great job. He caught the ball when kids threw it to him and paid attention to the game. He really had a great time and this time I didn't leave the stands. He looked over several times giving me a thumbs up after a good catch and grinning ear to ear.

After the game, Jacob and I discussed safety. He promised to always ask his coach if he knew where I was. He also promised to never just leave to look for me again. He will tell his coach and then try to find me. I told him if nothing else, the coach's fiancee can always help him look but an adult needs to know where he is.

I was proud of how well Jacob did playing catcher. Maybe he finally found his niche in baseball.

Pool Pictures

Jacob and M got a new pool last week. They have been begging to swim in it every day since then. Here are some pictures from the first time.