Monopoly!

The boys were excited to learn the game of Monopoly and we've played it quite a bit lately. Toby likes to be the banker. Jonah likes to buy up the cheap properties and build hotels, and they love playing with money. I am not sure how I feel about unleashing their inner capitalists, but it's been lots of fun! And there's much more math involved than I ever realized before becoming a parent!

Halloween 2009

The boys recovered from their flu bugs (Toby literally willed himself well) in time to fully enjoy the holiday. Our tradition for the past several years is to gather with friends for dinner and fun at their house and the kids trick-or-treat in their neighborhood. Toby was a vampire and was super-excited to have his face painted. He decided he didn't like the way the fangs felt in his mouth, so he was a fangless vampire. Jonah was a pirate and had lots of fun putting his costume together. I kept thinking all evening of an editorial in yesterday's Star-Tribune: the writer commented that Halloween is a time of celebrating the beauty of darkness and where children can trust in the treats behind closed doors and the kindness given by strangers.

Fall

Here are a few photos from recent fall weeks. The boys watched the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly, releasing the butterfly so it could fly south for winter. One Saturday my friend Tracey and I harvested and canned 30 quarts of tomatoes and made and canned a large batch of pizza/spaghetti sauce. Jonah and Toby have played lots and lots of soccer too!

Nine Years Old

Nine years ago I had no idea what you would be like on August 28, 2009, your halfway mark to adulthood. All I knew was that my due date had come and gone nearly 2 weeks before. While we could hardly wait to meet you, you apparently weren't in a hurry to meet the world. It took us awhile to figure out that this was part of your personality: you do things on your own timeline and you're not about to be pushed into something you're not ready for.

You are warm, sensitive, bright, active and fun-loving. You love music, reading, and climbing. As an introvert, you need and value your quiet time alone, but you love to be with your family and friends as well. You and Toby love to play together and your laughter is a comforting soundtrack to our days.

Just a few years ago you were extremely shy and it was difficult for you to talk to adults. Today, it is easy to see you connect with others. You make friends easily. You will talk to just about anyone, and although the subject is often whatever is on your mind at the moment, you are comfortable and confident talking to grownups.

Watching you move your body has always been seeing distilled pure joy; whether it's your laughter as you swing up high in a swing (and lately, fly off the swing onto the ground), your cartwheels across the lawn, your abandon as you flip off the trampoline or careen off the vault in gymnastics. It is wonderful to witness and I hope you always keep that freedom of movement: it is a gift. This year, you have developed a love for soccer and you have fun on the field!

That you would develop a love of reading was my wish for you when you were born. I've enjoyed the journey that began with my reading picture books to my baby Jonah to helping you learning to sound out words and reading chapter books together to your now independent reading.

You are sensitive and thoughtful. You have always had BIG feelings and equally big reactions to your feelings. Your sensitivity is a wonderful trait, and allows you to empathize with others and feel great joy when all is right in your world. It is when all is not right in the world that leads to problems. You have matured a great deal in the last year and are learning to work through some of the frustration and disappointment that you feel so deeply.

I was so proud of you when you began giving your money to Simpson Housing Services and your face lights up when you talk about wanting to be a hero by helping others.

This past year, you have started to stretch your wings a bit and are expressing a wish for more independence. You have begun taking Zoey on short walks and sometimes opt to stay home alone for five minutes if we're out walking around the block. I can see you chafing for more independence; I feel our struggles with how much and when to let go and when to hold tight. I know that this will be a dance that we'll have plenty of time to perfect over the next nine years as the transition from dependent child to independent adult occurs. Your new room is one step in this transition: you seem to love having a space that you can call your own and I'm glad we could give you a birthday gift that you will enjoy for years to come.

Jonah, I am so proud of the boy you've become and the wonderful unique combination of traits that you possess. I could not have imagined you nine years ago; and yet, today, I cannot imagine NOT having you in my life.

Step confidently into this bright new tenth year; embrace each day and all it offers!

Happy birthday, Jonah! I love you!

Summer's Last Days. . .

Last weekend we celebrated summer by camping at Mille Lacs- Kathio State Park on a perfect summer weekend.
Days were warm and we fished, swam, hiked, and climbed a fire tower. Well, Jonah and Ken climbed while Toby and I stayed below and watched the tower sway.
Nights were cool so we bundled up in sweatshirts and roasted hotdogs and s'mores over our campfire.
We donated lots of blood to the Minnesota Mosquito Donation Project despite the layers of bug repellent we had to chisel off our skin when we got home.
Being outdoors and being together on one of the last weekends of summer was good for the soul!

Toby's 6th Birthday Celebration(s)

Toby celebrated his special day with his best buddies: seeing the new movie "G-Force," a pinata, backyard fun, and a special soccer ball birthday cake (thanks, Deb)! For his "family birthday," Toby had a special dinner of macaroni and cheese with strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Happy Birthday, Toby!

~thank you, Christiane, for giving me the idea to write birthday letters to my children~

Toby, I remember clearly that Thursday morning when you were born.

Six years later I can’t imagine our lives without my sunny, sweet and loving Toby!

You love to cuddle, ride bikes, play trains and soccer … You love music, books, and board games ... You’re my kitchen helper, specializing in blueberry muffins and dishwasher duty.

We’ve learned (the hard way!) that you are proud of your schoolwork and like to save your projects. You take care of your things and feel deeply hurt if one of your treasures or toys breaks.

You process by talking, and although shy, you are an extravert. You may someday feel like a stranger in a strange land with this family of introverts. You share many stories about your day and it is delightful to gain this insight into your world.

In the last year, you have grown and developed tremendously. School is part of this growth and I remind myself that one year ago we were not entirely sure you were ready for kindergarten. Your teachers loved you and it was wonderful to watch you come out of your shell this year. You take great pride in your good behavior and try so hard to do everything well. My heart ached seeing your frustration at not being “perfect” at cutting paper or coloring a picture. After many teary days, the sun re-emerged as you announced “It doesn’t have to be perfect, Mommy; I just have to do my best.”

Your confidence has also soared: reading aloud in school, starting piano lessons, and climbing in the Badlands with Jonah are all things you would not have done just one year ago.

You’re our resident worrybug; this year we have been through fear of fires, floods, tornados, bees, bears, and boats. As your vocabulary grows, you are able to clearly articulate your anxieties; talking about them seems to help (as does your thumb). You’ve demonstrated remarkable will power by giving up thumb-sucking (twice!). Although the thumb is back this summer, I know one day soon you will give it up for good.

You love and admire your brother and it is a joy to watch the closeness between you. You parrot Jonah’s words and actions, and while some of the attitude you adopt drives me crazy, the love and admiration behind your behavior is endearing. You and Jonah know how to push each others’ buttons, but you also genuinely love playing together. I am glad you will always have each other.

I cherish the special times we share early on weekend mornings when you and I wake up early. I treasure our books before bedtime (that sounds like a “Magic Tree House” book title, doesn’t it?!) I enjoy your running commentary about whatever is on your mind. I love the way you catch my hand and say “Mommy!” and the way your face lights up when you see me.

I am so proud of the wonderful little person that you’ve become

and so honored to be your mom.

I love you, Toby!

Black Hills Vacation 2009

We spent a wonderful July week in the South Dakota Black Hills with my blended family. My Dad and Annette celebrated their anniversary by renting a house on Terry Peak and inviting all their 6 children and 5 grandchildren along.

We spent a night in the Badlands on the way out, where the boys had great fun climbing rocks. In the Black Hills, the boys met their Montana (step)cousins Zoey and Mia for the first time and spent time with my brother Liam who we don't see very often. We all spent time together and separately seeing various attractions in the Hills. We toured a cave, visited a petrified forest, visited Ken's brother Dave and his wife Celia, who cooked us a wonderful meal! We explored the Needles: giant stone monoliths perfect for climbing, and spent a couple of hours at Custer State Park where we petted burros and spotted bison, prairie dogs, and pronghorn. Mount Rushmore and the Alpine Slide near the monument were both highlights for the boys.

We took a side trip to Wyoming to see Devil's Tower and a "Bison Jump," a sinkhole which was used by at least 6 Native American tribes between 1500 and 1800 a.d. to trap and hunt bison. The boys were excited to witness a reenacted gunfight in the old west town of Deadwood. The entire family spent a day on a pontoon on Lake Pactola, and on our last day in the Hills, we rode a real 1880's steam engine- a dream-come-true for Toby.

We watched deer graze in our backyard, took turns cooking dinner for the group, played board games, relaxed on the porch and in the hot tub. One evening, Ken, Liam and I biked around the mountain neighborhood - the downhill runs were great fun but trying to get up the hills in the thin air of 6000 feet made us feel VERY out of shape! We returned with many photos and happy memories of our vacation!

Beetles and Nail Polish

Early summer evenings bring these ferocious looking beetles to our yard. Our kids delight in catching them every year. They rear up on their hind legs and show off their pincers if you get close! By July, there don't seem to be as many of them. This year, we decided to be scientifical about our observations.


We decided to count them. But how can you tell the ones you counted last night from the ones you didn't count tonight? Answer: Nail polish!


We put a dab of finger-nail polish on the back of each beetle we saw in our yard. Eleven beetles got a yellow dab on June 14th and six got an orange dab the next night. We've been too busy/ out of town/ raining to count any more beetles after that.

So, will we see beetles with yellow or orange dabs on their backs next year? How many? What color should we dab beetles with next year? Stay tuned to find out!

(Jonah and I discovered via the internet that these are stag beetles. They are feeding off of rotting wood under ground. Indeed, we find a lot of them in the part of the yard where the previous owner had a garden and rose bush.)

Camping at Pilgrim Point

Some of our favorite memories from our 2009 Father's Day weekend retreat at Pilgrim Point...

catching frogs - canoeing - glow sticks - roasting hot dogs - campfires - swimming at the beach - the slide into the water - kickball - tents - the 1000-piece puzzle - games - listening to loons - vespers - dinner at the camp dining hall - staying up late - walking on the Point - kayaking - s'mores - camping snacks - kids, kids, everywhere - singing - laughing - the biggest spider we've ever seen - flashlights - ghost stories... we can't wait for next time!

Soccer

Neither Sheri nor I played soccer in our youth but our kids are sure enjoying it! In fact, I've been coaching youth soccer for 3 years now. I'm currently Toby's coach. The problem is that since I'm coaching, I don't get to take pictures of Toby's game! Sheri's taken some pictures of Toby's games but her digital camera has been acting up lately.




Jonah's game has progressed quite a bit. He's very aware of the game and plays great defense. His approach is still pretty basic - kick the ball when it gets to you. We're working on getting him to dribble the ball down the field before kicking it.

















In this particular game (the team's first for the season), Jonah started out as goalie. He did quite well but didn't get many opportunities to make saves.













Toby enjoyed watching the game but got a little bored.

When does summer start?

We've been having an ongoing discussion over the dinner table and short car trips lately. The topic is, "When does summer start for you?"

For me, being a school teacher, my seasons have always been a bit off of those defined by science and the tilt of the earth. My summer starts on the student's last day of school (Tuesday 6/9/09 this year). Fall starts when students return to school. Winter starts over Thanksgiving break. Spring starts over spring break.

For Toby, summer starts 6/1/09.

For Jonah, summer starts when he can wear a tank-top and go barefoot in the back yard.

For Sheri, summer starts over Memorial Day.

Regardless of what day it starts, our summer is shaping up to be a busy one. I won't bore you with details, but we've got soccer Mon - Thu nights, a week in the Black Hills with Sheri's family, piano lessons, golf lessons, German Camp, a week in TX for training (me only), throw in some teacher workshops in August, a trip to Mitchell to see my brother, bike rides, trampoline, swimming pool, and a weekend camping and you've got our summer!

That's it for this entry. I'm going to spend the next few days going through photos and updating our blog again with some good ones.

Spring Break in Aberdeen

One of the benefits of being a teacher in the same district as your children is that you share vacation days. This spring break (Apr 6 - 10) I decided to take the boys to Aberdeen, SD, to see both Gramma Kasey and Gramma and Grampa Cook. I knew the grandparents would love seeing the boys, I would enjoy spending time with them, and Sheri would get a quiet week at home.

The first thing we did was to visit Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge to see the migrating snow geese. The sight of so many birds was almost as breathtaking as the amount of water on the ground. The photos I took are in my 35mm camera and have yet to be developed. I'll post them later. (And no, I do not want a digital camera. I love my 35 mm.) We had a great time. Both Jonah and tried to climb the observation tower but only got about half way. We just couldn't make it too the top -- too windy and cold and you can see all the way to the bottom!

Another huge hit was our visit to the local used book store in Aberdeen. Jonah discovered his love of the Deltora Quest series there. He read this book in about two days! We had to go back to get another one.




The boys enjoyed playing with the blocks that Gramma and Grampa Cook keep in their house. Toby and Jonah each made a robot with their share of the blocks.





We got a chance to fly a kite while we were there! It was cold and the field was wet but the kite flew really well.












Other memories of the trip include the great meals that both Gramma Beck and Gramma Cook made, playing at a park with snow still on the ground, watching "Bolt" and "Star Wars" with Gramma Kasey, and having a pine cone war in a park with Daddy on the way home.

Thanks to Gramma Cook for taking these photos!

Suess-ical Silliness!

Their shirts say it all! Today they are wild things creating chaos throughout the house. (There must be a storm coming!) At dinner they were full of giggles and snorts and every time Jonah had to leave the table to "find his table manners," Toby struggled in vain to cover his mouth and suppress his giggles while watching his brother out of the corner of his eye. It was a little difficult to try to remain the parent- keeping a straight face was nearly impossible. I finally gave up and realized that their T-shirt choices today were NO COINCIDENCE!

Oh, well, The Cat in The Hat came back to clean up the house after Thing 1 and Thing 2, right? Right?

Remembering Spring!

We've had our first "warm" days since November in Minnesota and we've braved the mud puddles and wind for our first taste of spring! We remember... birds, bikes, walks, playgrounds, sleeping with the windows open, playing in our shirtsleeves... there may be more snow and cold in store for us yet this year, but Spring is coming!

Yes . . . he wants the "girl" toy!

Back in our child-free days, Ken and I had many conversations about raising kids "gender-neutrally." We’ve tried to practice this: Jonah and Toby have both had dolls and love all their stuffed animals along with their cars, trains, and balls. They love to paint their toenails, and the boys will proudly say, “Any girl can wear pink but it takes a strong boy to wear pink!”

Sometimes, however, popular culture thwarts our best efforts… usually it’s a snide comment about a pink swim towel or favorite animal...

…at other times it comes from an unlikely source…

Recently the boys each brought home reading rewards from school: certificates for free McDonald’s Happy Meals. (Let’s not delve too deeply into this reward philosophy here.) On the way to McDonald’s to claim the rewards, Toby announced, “I want a kitty watch” because a girl in his class had one that she had gotten from McDonalds. McDonalds is, after all, ALL about the toys.

Once inside, Toby ran over to the toy display rack, where the “Hello, Kitty” watches were displayed along with the mini video game toys. Toby was unfazed by Jonah’s comment that “Hello, Kitty” is a girl thing and admired the display, wondering which one would be his.

The boys skipped to the counter where the very nice woman was ready to take their orders.

Toby said, “I’d like chicken nuggets and a kitty watch, please.”

The woman asked him, “Are you a girl or a boy?”

Toby’s prompt response: “boy!”

She paused and said, “The watch is for girls and for boys we have video games.”

He said, “But I want a kitty watch.”

“But you’re a boy.”

“Yes.”

She looked at him again and said, “Are you sure you want a girl toy?”

He again said he was sure.

So she slid a pink watch across the counter to him and said, “It’s pink . . . is this ok?” oblivious to the happy grin plastered to his face.

In the end, she gave him a “boy toy” along with the coveted watch – I guess this helped make it ok in her mind to deliver a “girl toy” to a boy.

Does it have to be so difficult? And does this look like a boy who’s worried about having the “wrong” toy?!

For the love of . . . reading!

Watching a child learn to read is so amazing! Toby has just joined the ranks of "readers" and these past few months have reminded me how awesome is the process of learning to decode letters and sounds and make meaning.

Jonah and Toby have both loved books since they were babies and anyone who has been in our house (or helped us move) can attest to the size of our book collections. Books have always been favorite gifts and read and re-read until memorized. Before they knew the alphabet, both boys would correct us if we misread words.

Jonah had a wonderful preschool teacher who taught him to read and I still remember the day I got the joyful call from Jonah at preschool announcing, "Mommy, I read my first book!" About a year ago, Jonah and I started reading chapter books aloud together and it has become a special part of our days.

Toby loves to be read to but also enjoys paging through books on his own. He has always been fascinated with rhymes and Dr. Seuss is high on his list of favorite authors. Until recently, he has been hesitant to actually read words aloud although he has known all the letters and their sounds for months. Toby's kindergarten teachers make learning to read fun and interactive and help the kids build a solid base, gain confidence, and master reading skills. In the past month, Toby's confidence has soared and he is reading easy readers and sounding out unfamiliar words.

Last night Toby read a new book out loud to his brother. Jonah completely made Toby's day when he announced to us at dinner, "Toby read the whole book perfectly and didn't make any mistakes!"

Reading a good book is at the top of my list of favorite activities, and one of my hopes for Jonah and Toby is that they will also enjoy a life-long love of reading. Reading to and with the boys and watching them grow into readers will be something I will always treasure!

Winter fun!

Jumpin' Monkeys

This story describes how I got totally spanked by a 5-year-old at a game called "Jumpin' Monkeys."

The object of the game is to catapult your four plastic monkeys onto a plastic tree. The monkeys have to be hanging from their hands, not lying flat on top of the tree. You win the round if you're the first to get your moneys to land in the tree hanging from their hands. The winner of the round gets all of the bananas in the banana pile. In the end, the person with the most bananas in his or her banana pile wins the game.

So I'm playing this game with a 5-year old, right? I'm taking it easy, trying not to win too quickly and damage his fragile, developing ego. Well, in very little time, this 5-year old (Toby's classmate and our friend) has successfully landed three of his monkeys in the tree and I've only got 1. I apply some strategy -- I've decided to aim for his monkeys. That's right, folks, I was gotta knock out his monkeys to save my neck. I'm not sure what happened to my "don't damage his fragile developing ego" bit from the beginning of the game but those thoughts were long gone - like a plastic monkey launched from a plastic catapult. I'm takin' out his monkeys!

I missed. His turn. I watched him catapult his last monkey into the tree. I could feel my own ego getting smashed up like a mushy banana as it landed perfectly in the tree. His four monkeys were hanging there, mocking me. Smiling at me with those eyes. I'm sure they were laughing at me. He won. He shouted gleefully, arms raised in victory. The bananas in the banana pile were his.

My ego was quickly repaired, however, since I won the next round.

We never got to finish the game. By the time we were ready for round three, more kids had come upstairs, drawn zombie-like to the victorious laughter of a happy 5-year old catapulting plastic monkeys in the living room. These kids wanted to play too.

The game quickly deteriorated as Jonah discovered that the ceiling fan was within range of his plastic monkeys. They also discovered that they could hit their own heads with their own plastic monkeys. They discovered that each others' heads were within range. Toby discovered that it was way more fun to catapult your monkey OVER the tree and into the lap of the friend sitting opposite you than it was to get it to hang in the tree.

Monkeys were flyin' everywhere. Kids were shrieking with laughter.

I discovered the joy of hosting our baby-siting co-op.