This past weekend there were two stress creating activities going on. One was the DuNord Lottery. I was the one to take the call for our team this year, and let me tell you, I got a little sweaty when the phone had not rung and 11am had come and gone. But in the end, I was able to squeeze all four families into one week, which was the goal.
As soon as I showered off my lottery stress, I headed out to the St. Paul School district Lego League competition. This is not just about building things out of Legos. They do, but what they build is a robot, that then they program and send on missions. And it's timed and scored and there's loud music and cheering. It's crazy. It's like the conference championship for nerdom. And Eli and Theo drink it up. Eli did not have the most successful day- his team finished 6th in their division. Behind his little brother's team. But I think they learned some important things and the judges voted them first in programming, which was Eli's forte. He is taking the blame for his team's loss, and really quite glum about it, but he'll rebound. Theo's team had everything go right. They completed their missions, worked well together during the secret team challenge, and presented their research professionally. They were rewarded with a second place finish and a trip to the state meet in February. He is in heaven. Not only did his team to well, but the first place team was also from Expo and full of his friends. And he beat his brother. He has tried not to be too obnoxious about this, and has really done a lovely job. But dang, the younger brother needs to gloat whenever he can!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Tree stump battle
About two years ago, Jon and I decided it was time to have our crumbling front steps redone. The new steps were larger and we thought it would be a good time to cut down the gigantic overgrown shaggy Arborvitae that were dominating the front of our house. So we chopped them down. And left the gigantic stumps in place for another day. Much to the chagrin of our neighbor across the street, that other day didn't come for over a year. Our 'landscaping' out front included two giant stumps and empty spots where the trees used to be. The trouble was, those stumps proved a problem for removal. One day Jon wrestled the north stump free, but ran out of time for the other. So it sat for at least another half year.
Then there was a day this summer where both boys became occupied so I headed out for some gardening. I started by releasing the garden from its cloak of weeds which had developed while we were out of town and then had grown unchecked for weeks. I was surprised to find live veggies still producing under the cover of vines and nettles. It inspired me enough to grab some tools and head to the stump. I swear the humidity that day was 101%. After weeding, I was soaked, so there was nothing to lose when I started whacking away at the stump. I dug, I whacked, I pulled, I prodded. I got minimal movement for my efforts. But there was movement. The only trouble is that I was hemmed in by the new steps. There was no way to get any good leverage. After over an hour I considered throwing in the sweat drenched towel. I was going to let Jon take over when he had a free moment. But my pride wouldn't let me. I needed to finish this job. And let me tell you about the finishing move- it was grand. I got my shovel under the stump and shoved with all my strength. With a surprising snap, the last roots broke free, the root ball was released, and I was thrown off my feet. But what a glorious moment. I lay back on the cement of the sidewalk completely content.
Then there was a day this summer where both boys became occupied so I headed out for some gardening. I started by releasing the garden from its cloak of weeds which had developed while we were out of town and then had grown unchecked for weeks. I was surprised to find live veggies still producing under the cover of vines and nettles. It inspired me enough to grab some tools and head to the stump. I swear the humidity that day was 101%. After weeding, I was soaked, so there was nothing to lose when I started whacking away at the stump. I dug, I whacked, I pulled, I prodded. I got minimal movement for my efforts. But there was movement. The only trouble is that I was hemmed in by the new steps. There was no way to get any good leverage. After over an hour I considered throwing in the sweat drenched towel. I was going to let Jon take over when he had a free moment. But my pride wouldn't let me. I needed to finish this job. And let me tell you about the finishing move- it was grand. I got my shovel under the stump and shoved with all my strength. With a surprising snap, the last roots broke free, the root ball was released, and I was thrown off my feet. But what a glorious moment. I lay back on the cement of the sidewalk completely content.
Unplugged
In 2012 we have made our way up to Camp DuNord a record 4 times. We went for a board retreat, two work weekends, and a glorious (but buggy) summer week. Every trip was a delight. It has clearly become a second home to the boys. As soon as the car is parked, the boys tumble out, their electronic devices forgotten on the seats. They spill into the woods and down to the beach while we unpack. We have never made the rule that DuNord is going to be 'device free', the boys just do it naturally. It's beautiful. Over the 10 years we have been going up to DuNord, phones have become more powerful, and coverage has crept ever closer to this northwoods hideaway. I happen to know that now, if you stand in just the right spot in many of the cabins, you can connect yourself to that other world. But why? It's so nice to take a few days off, jump off the data treadmill and just be in the moment. I know that within the year, perhaps even by the time we venture back up there in February, there could be a cell tower giving us complete connectivity. I hope we have the power to deny it. It's lovely to have one corner of the world where you simply can not be bothered.
Moving into the stern
This summer, Eli did a fair bit of canoeing. Not only did we get out and about on rivers several times, but he took a three day Namakagon trip with Camp St. Croix, and a seven day BWCAW trip with Camp Widjiwagan. During both of these trips he volunteered to stern a canoe. This is a great responsibility and honor during a Y trip. Sterning is most often done by the counselors. But Eli was up for the task, and after some initial circling and weaving, got his canoe on the straight and narrow. He is now a regular in the back seat. Pushing me to the bow. I have seen this coming over the past few years, but I didn't expect the change would come quite so soon, and quite so permanently. The kid has decided he wants some control over where his canoe is headed, and we're not just talking about on a river. So far he's shown quite good instincts and has kept everything running smoothly downriver. But full on adolescence approaches and we know there are hidden obstacles in those waters- rapids ahead! Here's hoping he continues to have a steady hand as he paddles through this stretch, and that he stays open to advice from those around him.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Last three East Coast Roadtripping memories
Here are three more tales from our summer trip that I think bear repeating.
AT Thru Hiker
On our way to Boston, we listned to a CD of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" about his experiences on the Appalacian Trail. Mostly it was entertaining for the whole family, although next time we will try to time it so that the part about the bears in campgrounds will not be playing as we pull into a campground in the dark, in the rain, and are greeted by the sign "WARNING: Bear activity last night!". Or atleast we will hit pause before Bill gets into a history of bear maulings in the Eastern United States. None of us slept overly well that evening.
Other than that, the book was quite entertaining, and on the day (after the sleepless bear-fearing night) that we were going to hike a little on the AT, we were all kind of hoping that we'd run into a thru hiker. Bryson had made his encounters with this unique breed of hiker seem so colorful and exciting, we wanted a piece of that action.
We got our wish. After hiking up a lovely river for about an hour, we were just about to turn around when a man called to us from the river's other bank. Wanted to know if we were on the AT. We weren't quite there, but we knew where the paths connected. He dashed across the stream to have a look at our map with Jon. The boys and I stayed around a bend, chatting. I admit, I was a little nervous when neither Jon nor the man appeared for a while. But then Jon joined us, and so did the stranger. Even though the AT was further up the trail, he had decided to walk down the way were going in hopes of finding a ride to town for some breakfast. A ha! We had heard about this from Bryson. Here it was, happening to us. Only we weren't going to the town he was aiming for, which brought us all much relief, as he had not showered for awhile.
The hike down was entertaining indeed. Despite his large pack, he was more than able to keep up with us and had enough breath to spare to tell us some tales. This man had been in the woods for months and was not entirely 'politically correct'. When he told us that he knew he was getting close to a trailhead parking lot when he found 'fat people' on the path, the boys looked at me with startled eyes. Were we the fat people he spoke of? I mean, we had been sitting in a car for days, eating not well, but fat? Not yet. Then we got closer to the trail head and came amongst larger groups of people out for short hikes. Larger in numbers and size. Our new pal appraised the 'hikers' around us, chortled and said loudly, "Now we are getting really really close!!". Theo had to turn away and giggle to himself. Once at the parking lot, our friend kept talking, and talking and talking. Stories about staying in people's houses, getting rides, and about the general friendliness of strangers. Clearly he was hinting. Kept saying "I haven't gotten killed yet!" as he looked longingly at the car keys in Jon's hands. We made it a point of talking loudly about how we were going to go squeeze into our little sedan and drive off in the opposite direction that he had said he wanted to go. Then another story would start. Eventually we made our get away.
Once in the car, one of the boys said, "Do you suppose that he hasn't been killed yet because maybe he's been doing the killing?" I don't think so, but I'm glad we didn't find out, one way or the other.
TIPI!
One night we camped at a lovely state park in Vermont. After setting up our tent, Eli went off to the bathroom. When he came back, his eyes were large, and he stage whispered, "There's a man setting up a tipi next door." Hmmm. Shortly I had to go to the bathroom. Sure enough, in the spot next door, there was a man setting up a tipi. Looks like he had brought his lodge poles on a rack on top of their pickup. He was utilizing a large ladder to put on the finishing touches. I always go camping with a ladder, myself. On my way back from the bathroom I had to chuckle. The tipi was up, the man, who earlier had looked like he had stepped out of LL Bean had ducked into the tipi and changed into a loin cloth. That's right. Took off his shirt too. Had some leather strap tied around a bicep and some sort of leather pouch around his next. Then he walked over, started up his GENERATOR and pumped up his deluxe queen sized air mattress.
I returned to our site to give an update. A little later Eli started stage whispering again. "RIGHT THERE. Look! He's coming....coming- look over behind you mom!" All of this was plenty loud for both me and the coming attraction to here. But I think he liked it. He was out for an evening stroll. He seemed to have family with him, a wife and maybe two grown children. But they were hanging back, and dressed in street clothes. He was strutting out ahead in the loin cloth. He took several laps around the campground, surely giving everyone a chance to see him.
Walden Pond
One day during our Boston stay we decided to head out to Lexington and Concord. We stopped at several different historical sites and all of us found all of them quite interesting. But strangely sapping of all energy. Museum fatique to an expotential power. So we decided to try to find Walden Pond on our way back to town, as we heard you could swim there. Now, I've read the book by Thoreau and I always pictured it as a small pond. Filled with reeds and brackish water, like the pond behind the house I grew up in. Color us surprised when we pulled into a large parking lot across from a lake. We stopped in the replica of his small cabin and read some historical data, but I was already fatiqued, and this lake had me chagining my opinion of the whole deal. Thoreau was basically vacationing next to a lovely lake. Now, his cabin was small, and he built it himself, but seriously, this was not what I had expected. I was much more eager to swim now that pond had been redefined as lake.
So we passed a hot afternoon doing some water ballet and then trying to dunk each other in Walden Pond. I'm not sure that's how Thoreau passed his days there, but I'd recommend it!
One last note
Niagara falls did not dissapoint. Either in the shlock factor of the surrounding town, or in the majesty of the falls themselves.
AT Thru Hiker
On our way to Boston, we listned to a CD of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" about his experiences on the Appalacian Trail. Mostly it was entertaining for the whole family, although next time we will try to time it so that the part about the bears in campgrounds will not be playing as we pull into a campground in the dark, in the rain, and are greeted by the sign "WARNING: Bear activity last night!". Or atleast we will hit pause before Bill gets into a history of bear maulings in the Eastern United States. None of us slept overly well that evening.
Other than that, the book was quite entertaining, and on the day (after the sleepless bear-fearing night) that we were going to hike a little on the AT, we were all kind of hoping that we'd run into a thru hiker. Bryson had made his encounters with this unique breed of hiker seem so colorful and exciting, we wanted a piece of that action.
We got our wish. After hiking up a lovely river for about an hour, we were just about to turn around when a man called to us from the river's other bank. Wanted to know if we were on the AT. We weren't quite there, but we knew where the paths connected. He dashed across the stream to have a look at our map with Jon. The boys and I stayed around a bend, chatting. I admit, I was a little nervous when neither Jon nor the man appeared for a while. But then Jon joined us, and so did the stranger. Even though the AT was further up the trail, he had decided to walk down the way were going in hopes of finding a ride to town for some breakfast. A ha! We had heard about this from Bryson. Here it was, happening to us. Only we weren't going to the town he was aiming for, which brought us all much relief, as he had not showered for awhile.
Once in the car, one of the boys said, "Do you suppose that he hasn't been killed yet because maybe he's been doing the killing?" I don't think so, but I'm glad we didn't find out, one way or the other.
TIPI!
One night we camped at a lovely state park in Vermont. After setting up our tent, Eli went off to the bathroom. When he came back, his eyes were large, and he stage whispered, "There's a man setting up a tipi next door." Hmmm. Shortly I had to go to the bathroom. Sure enough, in the spot next door, there was a man setting up a tipi. Looks like he had brought his lodge poles on a rack on top of their pickup. He was utilizing a large ladder to put on the finishing touches. I always go camping with a ladder, myself. On my way back from the bathroom I had to chuckle. The tipi was up, the man, who earlier had looked like he had stepped out of LL Bean had ducked into the tipi and changed into a loin cloth. That's right. Took off his shirt too. Had some leather strap tied around a bicep and some sort of leather pouch around his next. Then he walked over, started up his GENERATOR and pumped up his deluxe queen sized air mattress.
I returned to our site to give an update. A little later Eli started stage whispering again. "RIGHT THERE. Look! He's coming....coming- look over behind you mom!" All of this was plenty loud for both me and the coming attraction to here. But I think he liked it. He was out for an evening stroll. He seemed to have family with him, a wife and maybe two grown children. But they were hanging back, and dressed in street clothes. He was strutting out ahead in the loin cloth. He took several laps around the campground, surely giving everyone a chance to see him.
Walden Pond
One day during our Boston stay we decided to head out to Lexington and Concord. We stopped at several different historical sites and all of us found all of them quite interesting. But strangely sapping of all energy. Museum fatique to an expotential power. So we decided to try to find Walden Pond on our way back to town, as we heard you could swim there. Now, I've read the book by Thoreau and I always pictured it as a small pond. Filled with reeds and brackish water, like the pond behind the house I grew up in. Color us surprised when we pulled into a large parking lot across from a lake. We stopped in the replica of his small cabin and read some historical data, but I was already fatiqued, and this lake had me chagining my opinion of the whole deal. Thoreau was basically vacationing next to a lovely lake. Now, his cabin was small, and he built it himself, but seriously, this was not what I had expected. I was much more eager to swim now that pond had been redefined as lake. So we passed a hot afternoon doing some water ballet and then trying to dunk each other in Walden Pond. I'm not sure that's how Thoreau passed his days there, but I'd recommend it!
One last note
Niagara falls did not dissapoint. Either in the shlock factor of the surrounding town, or in the majesty of the falls themselves.
School dance
A couple of weeks ago, Eli had his first school dance. I like that they eased the kids into it by having it during the day, and offering a movie down the hall, in case the dance proved too overwhelming. Eli's 'crew' (homeroom on steroids) practiced for the dance by learning the electric slide. The crew is a very safe space, I can tell because Eli learned the electric slide. Kind of. There's work to be done, but I can tell he was on his feet and trying, in front of others, which is lovely.
The day of the dance came and Eli showed uncharacteristic care in choosing his clothes that morning at 6am. It was a 'Sadie Hawkins' theme and Eli could not remember if he was supposed to wear plaid or flannel. I suggested a plaid flannel and he was grateful. I thought his cute plaid shirt was a better idea, as the plaid flannel we had was Theo's and a touch short, but he wanted to cover his bases, if not his forearms.
I asked him if he was going to ask anyone to dance, and he said he could not. It was Sadie Hawkins, and the girls were in charge. Of course they were. Smart girls.
The dance was the last two hours of the school day. I admit I was very curious to hear how it had gone. He came in the door from the bus, put down his bag, and said, "Well, I got asked to the dance." A quick shy smile was flashed my way before he started rummaging for snacks. Then: "I am exhausted!". No doubt. I asked him to show me how he danced, but he wasn't game for that. I was just doing some anthropological research. Wanted to know if they still did the shoulder shuffle like we did in junior high- reaching out and touching our partners lightly on the shoulders, while keeping arms unbent so as to maximize the distance between you and your 'date'. I demonstrated, but he gave me nothing.
For the record, I asked him how a student would feel if he or she wanted to ask someone of the same gender, given the Sadie Hawkins theme. Seemed a to lean heavily hetero to me. He said, "It'd be fine mom. No one would get teased. Open school is not like that." Phew.
The day of the dance came and Eli showed uncharacteristic care in choosing his clothes that morning at 6am. It was a 'Sadie Hawkins' theme and Eli could not remember if he was supposed to wear plaid or flannel. I suggested a plaid flannel and he was grateful. I thought his cute plaid shirt was a better idea, as the plaid flannel we had was Theo's and a touch short, but he wanted to cover his bases, if not his forearms.
I asked him if he was going to ask anyone to dance, and he said he could not. It was Sadie Hawkins, and the girls were in charge. Of course they were. Smart girls.
The dance was the last two hours of the school day. I admit I was very curious to hear how it had gone. He came in the door from the bus, put down his bag, and said, "Well, I got asked to the dance." A quick shy smile was flashed my way before he started rummaging for snacks. Then: "I am exhausted!". No doubt. I asked him to show me how he danced, but he wasn't game for that. I was just doing some anthropological research. Wanted to know if they still did the shoulder shuffle like we did in junior high- reaching out and touching our partners lightly on the shoulders, while keeping arms unbent so as to maximize the distance between you and your 'date'. I demonstrated, but he gave me nothing.
For the record, I asked him how a student would feel if he or she wanted to ask someone of the same gender, given the Sadie Hawkins theme. Seemed a to lean heavily hetero to me. He said, "It'd be fine mom. No one would get teased. Open school is not like that." Phew.
We are the survivors
After driving for many many hours through this country's midwest, we pulled into Waterloo, Iowa last Sunday afternoon to try to find some lunch. We got of the freeway and drove into the downtown area. When the car stopped, the boys looked up from their devices, dazed. But we herded them out the door and up to the Subway. Which was locked. Closed. We tried another restaurant nearby. Also closed. Theo then looked up and down the deserted street and then said, "It appears as if we may be the only survivors of the apocolypse." Then he got back in the car and plugged back into his ipod, unconcerned.
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