Ok, so southern Minnesota didn't get us out of the 30's temperature-wise, but it did my heart (and my attitude) a lot of good. The SPAM museum was actually quite informative (there are 12 varieties of spam, did you know that?) and entertaining, the poolside rooms at the Holiday Inn were comfortable (enough) and the poool warm, but the company was what made the trip. My boys run as a pack with their NeskeMoen compatriots. The five of them span the ages of 6 to 11, none of them in the same grade, but they adore each other and play together incredibly well- never pairing off- the dynamics change throughout the day, but they are always positive. And all five of those boys adore the older Nielsen kids. While we were hanging out before a lovely dinner at Wally's house, I walked through the living room to find all of our kids literally kneeling at 14 year old Pete's feet. He was discoursing on some topic and they were lapping it up. Then they quit being so serious, outfitted themselves with Pete's nerf arsenal and had a battle royale.
I do believe the highlight of the trip for me was when we surprised Pete and Kara on their return from an overnight Speech Team event. You see, our three families have been going to DuNord together for years. And it has been a tradition that whenever we get off of the little shuttle that takes us from our tents over to the main part of camp, we form up a 'bridge' of bodies and cheer everyone off. It can get a bit raucous. So when Jen mentioned that their BUS was due back in the high school parking lot in 15 minutes, it was only natural that we should round up all 13 of us to go pick them up, DuNord style. I loved that when we hustled Ildar into the car he asked what we were doing and when I said, "We are going to completely embarass two high school kids" he was totally game. Didn't need any more info.
So three caroads of us pulled into the lot with a few minutes to spare. Other parents were already waiting in cars, and more drifted in before the bus arrived. As the bus pulled into the lot, the 13 of us piled out of the cars, ran to the door of the bus and formed up our 'bridge'- two rows facing each other, hands in the air, wild screaming- and several parents jumped right out to join us. I like how the Fairmont speech parents roll. The coaches were trying to have give some closing comments to their team, but all eyes were peeled out the windows, trying to figure out just what in the hell was going on. I heard later that when kids were asking, "WHO are those people? Does anyone know them???" Kara denied us, but Pete, after some hesitation, claimed us proudly. Kara only hid her face for a few moments, then decided to make the best of it. The team started piling off, initially a bit cowed, but you could see the smiles growing, see them walking tall, walking proud. And when Pete and Kara came off they did as they should be getting to the end of the line and then joining right in. Good kids, those Nielsons.
I love that all of our kids had absolutely no qualms about making a scene in a random parking lot. Even our exchange students- this had to be one of the more international bridges we have ever formed with representatives from both Russia and Hong Kong. As soon as the whole team got off the bus, all of our kids ran back to the warm cars and jumped in, as if nothing unusual had happened. We then sped back to the Neilson house while Wally and Jen delayed Pete and Kara a bit, so our kids could take up their positions with Nerf weapons on the roof of the garage. On to round two of the welcome party- the attack.
It was no glamorous beach escape, but it did my spirit wonders to be around good pals and have some deep belly laughs over the weekend.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Loving a little satire
This past weekend at our friends' house, Eli stumbled upon a coffee table book of stories from The Onion. He was chortling with laughter. Of course, there are any number of stories that are not so appropriate for an 11 year old, but he spots those early and turns the page. I think. At the library last night we found some MAD magazines. He was lazing on the couch reading yesterday and could not stop giggling. Finally he had to read the story about the Free Amish Fireplace Mantle aloud. This is a topic that has caused us some mirth in the past. He tried to read, but he absolutely dissolved into laughter. He couldn't get more than 2-3 words before the giggles would take over, his eyes tearing up. It was lovely.
Happy 69th birthday to a great pops!
Yesterday was my dad's 69th birthday. And he's looking great. Today I got an email from a friend from my childhood. I had not heard from her since the day we graduated. She recently found me on facebook and wanted to just write and let me know how much time spent at the Sage house when she was growing up meant to her. Apparently we came across as normal. And loving, and accepting, and fun. And it's true- the Sage household was a great place to spend time back in the 70's and 80's. In honor of my dad's big day, I want to just highlight the role he had in creating that space. Mom. This does not diminish your role in anyway. Your turn will come. I have lots of great things to say about you as well.
Here's what I love about my dad: He believed in me 100%. He still does, too! I was a girl growing up in the early stages of Title IX- my first sports experiences were as 'the girl' on boys' teams. Soon enough we got all girls teams (which my mom was sweet enough to volunteer to coach). I was never very good at any of them, decent, passable, but surely not a lot of fun to watch. But he would be at every game, cheering away. Thankfully he was one of the good fans, enthusiastic, but not getting in trouble with the refs or jeering the other team. There were parents in that camp and I was so glad they were not mine. 14 years of basketball games too watch. Wow. That's dedication.
He also was always available to help with homework. I remember getting a little frustrated with his math help when he actually had to take 15-20 minutes to read the chapter before helping me figure things out. Now that my oldest is tackling algebra I understand why you need the little refresher. I mean, I know that stuff, I just don't know it in a place in my brain that is easily accessible. But Rodg always found it. He'd sit with the texts puzzing it out and then translate for me. Even when I was getting testy and frustrated, he'd figure it out, work me through it, and help me get it done. He was an ideal tutor.
Rodg was also willing to teach me other things. I was always fascinated by the things he could churn out in the basement workshop. And I wanted to do it to, only I didn't have the best attention to detail, or follow through. But he'd take me down and lead me through whatever crazy project I had in mind. I remember back when I wanted to make a wooden puzzle for my soon to be spouse. He took me to the woodshop in the basement and on the first cut I nearly took off half a finger. He got a little pale, the forehead started sweating, but then he cracked some joke, got me a bandage and walked me through the rest of the project.
Our weekends and summers were chock full of parent-led adventures. They got us out on bikes, canoes, skies, our feet. We toured the US by van, camping our way through state and national parks. We backpacked in the Beartooth mountains, drove dune buggies and skied in the rockies, sailed through the bahamas, and met up with distant relatives in Switzerland. I was not always the easiest to travel with- sometimes refusing to get out of the car because my book was too good- but they only left me behind twice. But those were mistakes. Or so they say!
Now Rodg does all these things with my own kids. He's been hanging with my boys once a week since the day Eli was born. He and my mom get them out and about, but also spend crucial hours on the ground with them- talking, laughing, playing, loving. What a gift for my family. I'm hoping that his math skills are still accessible in that lovely brain of his, because I think I will need some help helping my boys very soon.
So. There's my little tribute to my lovely fabulous 69 year old pops. I love you dad! You're the best! Thanks for helping create the space in my childhood where I could grow and stretch and dream and be wonderfully happy! And for continuing to do it through all of these years.
Here's what I love about my dad: He believed in me 100%. He still does, too! I was a girl growing up in the early stages of Title IX- my first sports experiences were as 'the girl' on boys' teams. Soon enough we got all girls teams (which my mom was sweet enough to volunteer to coach). I was never very good at any of them, decent, passable, but surely not a lot of fun to watch. But he would be at every game, cheering away. Thankfully he was one of the good fans, enthusiastic, but not getting in trouble with the refs or jeering the other team. There were parents in that camp and I was so glad they were not mine. 14 years of basketball games too watch. Wow. That's dedication.
He also was always available to help with homework. I remember getting a little frustrated with his math help when he actually had to take 15-20 minutes to read the chapter before helping me figure things out. Now that my oldest is tackling algebra I understand why you need the little refresher. I mean, I know that stuff, I just don't know it in a place in my brain that is easily accessible. But Rodg always found it. He'd sit with the texts puzzing it out and then translate for me. Even when I was getting testy and frustrated, he'd figure it out, work me through it, and help me get it done. He was an ideal tutor.
Rodg was also willing to teach me other things. I was always fascinated by the things he could churn out in the basement workshop. And I wanted to do it to, only I didn't have the best attention to detail, or follow through. But he'd take me down and lead me through whatever crazy project I had in mind. I remember back when I wanted to make a wooden puzzle for my soon to be spouse. He took me to the woodshop in the basement and on the first cut I nearly took off half a finger. He got a little pale, the forehead started sweating, but then he cracked some joke, got me a bandage and walked me through the rest of the project.
Our weekends and summers were chock full of parent-led adventures. They got us out on bikes, canoes, skies, our feet. We toured the US by van, camping our way through state and national parks. We backpacked in the Beartooth mountains, drove dune buggies and skied in the rockies, sailed through the bahamas, and met up with distant relatives in Switzerland. I was not always the easiest to travel with- sometimes refusing to get out of the car because my book was too good- but they only left me behind twice. But those were mistakes. Or so they say!
Now Rodg does all these things with my own kids. He's been hanging with my boys once a week since the day Eli was born. He and my mom get them out and about, but also spend crucial hours on the ground with them- talking, laughing, playing, loving. What a gift for my family. I'm hoping that his math skills are still accessible in that lovely brain of his, because I think I will need some help helping my boys very soon.
So. There's my little tribute to my lovely fabulous 69 year old pops. I love you dad! You're the best! Thanks for helping create the space in my childhood where I could grow and stretch and dream and be wonderfully happy! And for continuing to do it through all of these years.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A funny little Max story
Earlier this week, my boys spent the night at their grandparents with their cousins from Prior Lake. The next day the plan was for me to collect my 3 year old nephew Max and then meet the pack at Como Zoo for an outing. I was lucky enough to get Max a few hours before the zoo roundevouz so I got some one-on-one Max time. This is hard to come by. Usually my Max time has to be shared with my boys, or my parents, or his dads, and the kid has NO time for me. I am so clearly second or third or fourth fiddle.
But Wednesday morning he was mine. We went up to the boys room and took all of their toys down from the baskets on the bookshelves. I was planning to combine some good sorting/organizing time with my Max watching stint. Although organizing anything as Max moves through the toys is a challenge. At one point I was de-tangling a bunch of Theo's necklaces and one caught Max's eye. It had a glass pendant on it with a small scorpion inside the glass. We had a long talk about if the scorpion was dead or fake- Max had quite a few scientific theories about how you could tell. And then he looked up at me with excitement in his eyes and said, "I know another place where you can find bugs in glass! In your lights! Come on! I'll show you!" He then took me on a tour of our overhead light fixtures. He pointed to the one in the hallway and said, "This one has lots!" then dramatically flipped on the light for the big reveal. Sure enough. Lots of dead flies. Then on to the light on the landing. "Only two here!" Then the flip and the reveal...and so on around the house. He's apparently been keeping a running total of our bug 'collection' on his weekly visits to our house. At one point during the tour he said over his shoulder, kind of conspiratorially, "You know, Grandma Jean does say that there are ways to clean these out."
But Wednesday morning he was mine. We went up to the boys room and took all of their toys down from the baskets on the bookshelves. I was planning to combine some good sorting/organizing time with my Max watching stint. Although organizing anything as Max moves through the toys is a challenge. At one point I was de-tangling a bunch of Theo's necklaces and one caught Max's eye. It had a glass pendant on it with a small scorpion inside the glass. We had a long talk about if the scorpion was dead or fake- Max had quite a few scientific theories about how you could tell. And then he looked up at me with excitement in his eyes and said, "I know another place where you can find bugs in glass! In your lights! Come on! I'll show you!" He then took me on a tour of our overhead light fixtures. He pointed to the one in the hallway and said, "This one has lots!" then dramatically flipped on the light for the big reveal. Sure enough. Lots of dead flies. Then on to the light on the landing. "Only two here!" Then the flip and the reveal...and so on around the house. He's apparently been keeping a running total of our bug 'collection' on his weekly visits to our house. At one point during the tour he said over his shoulder, kind of conspiratorially, "You know, Grandma Jean does say that there are ways to clean these out."
Spring Break '11
This year we decided to have a quiet spring break at home. The week started with some promise with temps around 50. I got each boy out on their bike for a lap around the 'hood as I ran. But it wasn't warm. We were fooling ourselves. The wind was raw and their hands were freezing. And then it started to rain. And then the snow. And it's been real hard watching so many friends and relatives bail out to warmer climates. So we had to do something. Hence our soon to happen Spring Break '11 trip to the south. We leave soon from departure gate Brimhall with the NeskeMoens and head directly south to a spring break mecca: The SPAM museum in Austin. Minnesota. Not Texas. The website promises meetings with SPAMbassadors, free samples, and interactive museum exhibits where you can try your hand at packing SPAM. Can't wait! The free samples may even lure me away from 20 years of vegetarianism. I mean, my only fond childhood meat memories are of boxcars- those campfire delights were you take a slab of SPAM, sprinkle it with brown sugar, throw on a pineapple ring, wrap it in tinfoil, and throw it into the coals. Loved those.
After SPAMville, we'll head west, with perhaps a stop at the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth and then on to poolside rooms at the Holiday Inn in Fairmont, where some good pals reside. Not in the Holiday Inn. In Fairmont. They promise to join us poolside with coolers and games and some good laughs. I'm hoping I can find myself one of those styrofoam can holder things and my flipflops before we go so I really feel like I'm on vacation. We splurged and are spending two whole nights in the hotel, thus maximizing our exposure to chlorine.
Throw in free kids meals at the attached GreenMill, and we've just about hit vacation paradise for Eli. Noodles, swimming with friends, and a promised epic nerf gun battle back at the home of our Fairmont friends. I dare say that my boys are just as excited for this little weekend getaway as they were for our spring break trip to Peru last year. I'm not kidding.
After SPAMville, we'll head west, with perhaps a stop at the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth and then on to poolside rooms at the Holiday Inn in Fairmont, where some good pals reside. Not in the Holiday Inn. In Fairmont. They promise to join us poolside with coolers and games and some good laughs. I'm hoping I can find myself one of those styrofoam can holder things and my flipflops before we go so I really feel like I'm on vacation. We splurged and are spending two whole nights in the hotel, thus maximizing our exposure to chlorine.
Throw in free kids meals at the attached GreenMill, and we've just about hit vacation paradise for Eli. Noodles, swimming with friends, and a promised epic nerf gun battle back at the home of our Fairmont friends. I dare say that my boys are just as excited for this little weekend getaway as they were for our spring break trip to Peru last year. I'm not kidding.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Summer is shaping up
A friend mentioned the other day that she felt like she needed the help of an air traffic controller in order to make her family's summer plans. I agree. Once you start trying to match up with several different families, who are all coordinating with 6 other familes, who need to allign their trips with the waxing of the moon, it gets complicated. But I think we've got the backbone figured out here. As I looked over the scribbled calendar, I realized that we have a lot of little camping trips planned. But they all have their own unique style.
We'll be hitting the southwestern part of the state on our annual tour de state parks with pals Leone-Gettens. We are hoping to make reservations to stay in both a tipi and a covered wagon. Who knew MN state parks could get so wild? (Ok- the covered wagon is in South Dakota).
Our second camping trip will bring us up across the border into Canada, to a little A-frame cabin on an island that can only be reached by boat. We do stay in a cabin, but the lack of electricity, running water, or any hope of finding a roaming cell phone signal, qualify it as camping in my book.
We will then trade Lake Namakon for the Namakagon River- canoing for 3-4 days down it's crystal waters with pals from the boys' school.
The summer will be rounded out by the annual pilgrimage to DuNord where we will move back into the trusty 'cabin tents' for our ninth summer of sharing a week with old pals, family, and gigantic wolf spiders.
Eli also gets to jet off to Bryce and Zion National Parks with his grandparents, and the boys are once again returning to Camp St. Croix for a week.
So tipis, covered wagons, cabins via motorboat, tenting via canoe, our trusty faux cabin/glorified tent on the lip of the BWCA- all hopefully separated by trips to berry patches, afternoon floats in the highland pool, and plenty of time in the back hammock reading great books- the summer of 2011 is shaping right up.
We'll be hitting the southwestern part of the state on our annual tour de state parks with pals Leone-Gettens. We are hoping to make reservations to stay in both a tipi and a covered wagon. Who knew MN state parks could get so wild? (Ok- the covered wagon is in South Dakota).
Our second camping trip will bring us up across the border into Canada, to a little A-frame cabin on an island that can only be reached by boat. We do stay in a cabin, but the lack of electricity, running water, or any hope of finding a roaming cell phone signal, qualify it as camping in my book.
We will then trade Lake Namakon for the Namakagon River- canoing for 3-4 days down it's crystal waters with pals from the boys' school.
The summer will be rounded out by the annual pilgrimage to DuNord where we will move back into the trusty 'cabin tents' for our ninth summer of sharing a week with old pals, family, and gigantic wolf spiders.
Eli also gets to jet off to Bryce and Zion National Parks with his grandparents, and the boys are once again returning to Camp St. Croix for a week.
So tipis, covered wagons, cabins via motorboat, tenting via canoe, our trusty faux cabin/glorified tent on the lip of the BWCA- all hopefully separated by trips to berry patches, afternoon floats in the highland pool, and plenty of time in the back hammock reading great books- the summer of 2011 is shaping right up.
Mr. Vocab
Eli has put the writing of his novel on the back burner, in favor of comic book reading, model painting, and taunting his younger brother, but his penchant for using just the right word for every situation has not weakened. I just found out from a friend that he answered the phone this morning while I was gone and assured her that I would be home 'within a span of 30 minutes'. And the other night at dinner, while we were working our way through a pizza, I cut off the tip of one of the pie shaped pieces. Later, Jon asked if anyone wanted the piece that mom had 'stunted'. Eli said, "I'm not eating that truncated thing." Me either.
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