My Kindergartener!

Eden, my first Kindergartener!

Eden has gone off to Kindergarten now. Day three today. A full day. And I'm pretty sure she really doesn't need me anymore.

The first day was a half day last Thursday, and wasn't half bad. Kind of quiet here, but nice. Daddy got her off alright and brought her home all in one piece. She wasn't worse for wear when she got home. In fact, she had a smile on her face. And lots to talk about. She sits at table #1 with Gabe, her buddy from Head start last year. And she had stuff to show me. And papers for me to sign (LOTS!) and send back in her backpack. She told me how she ate her lunch with the other kids, but ran out of time before the Peanut Butter Sandwich. Was it OK that she ate the cookie first? I told her it was, but just this once.

We then spent the weekend doing our normal stuff; Race track on Friday night with our yellow shirted #66 friends, watching The Rev take the plaque for quick time, the trophy for the trophy dash, the checkered flag for the heat, and 2nd in the Main event. I usually fill up on peanuts during the race, but had enjoyed a couple tacos from my now favorite taco joint in Scottsbluff, Taco De Oro, aka TDO, before we arrived, so I spent the majority of the night digesting, only to go home and gorge on a mudslide with homemade vanilla ice cream. Man, there's no better.

Saturday was Bridgeport's Motor-cross race at the fairgrounds, as well as Safe Kids Day in Gering. Al took his race-car to Gering and I took the ambulance to the fairgrounds for the day. It was HOT, nearly 100 all day, with a slight breeze and lots of dust flying around. By the end of the day, I'd passed out 2 ice packs, 3 band-aids, a piece of tape and some Neosporin. The rest of the time, I napped on our new cot, took a walk and enjoyed a chocolate milkshake, all while 'working'. That was the extent of it, really. Hope to do it again next year, if only for the nap!

Sunday afternoon was a Girl Scout Rally to Register at the pool here in town, so Eden & I biked up in another 100 degree day to enjoy an afternoon of swimming and paddling in the pool with almost the entire community population of Bridgeport. I'm pretty sure Allen and the two little ones were the only people NOT at the pool. I'm glad to see that it's a well used place, however. Once she was signed up, she was telling everybody that she was a Daisy now and could eat GS cookies anytime she wanted to. We celebrated this newly acquired (her first, really) extra curricular activity with ice cream cones from the Karette. "Let the activities begin" said her Daddy. "Right-e-o" says I!

Today, the first Monday (all day) of a full week of school, I sit with my phone in my pocket, waiting for the teacher (our across-the-street neighbor, what a blessing!!) to call and tell me Eden is crying & homesick and that she needs me to come pick her up. Of course, school is over in 15 minutes and I'm not thinking the phone is going to ring anytime in those next few minutes. But I hold onto hope, at any rate.

I guess I can still hope that she needs me for something, albeit minimal, tonight.

Happy 6th Birthday Eden!

Happy Birthday Eden!

Yesterday my oldest baby turned six. And yes, I know exactly where the time has gone. Partly to joy and partly to work, but always with thanksgiving to God for her life and the tears and smiles that have come along with her.

We celebrated with a family gathering in Michigan (a pool party at Uncle Chad's house!) and again with our Nebraska family on Sunday evening here at home. It was nice to be back into the swing of things here, and have friends to gather with and play catch up on all the late summer activities.

Our end of vacation events revolved mostly around the cousins being together, which was so fun to watch. I enjoyed friends that stopped by (thanks, Mickey for helping with laundry!), and Allen & Lars went to fell some trees with Dad, Chad & Josh in Marlette for firewood. We took the kids to Grandpa and Grandma Strawn's house in Auburn for a family and friend gathering there one afternoon, stopping in Birch Run to shop along the way. Spent another couple evenings in Uncle Chad's swimming pool.

The weekend included my 15 year high school reunion, where I learned that the old barriers that come with teenagers and hormones had been replaced with laid back conversation, both with old buddies, band-mates & sports-mates, and with those I never thought I had much to talk about with back in the day. Some people, I found out, had not left the teenage lifestyle, and instead were 33 year old seniors who needed to find a job and throw away their beer bottles. Others had grown up, straightened out, stayed out of the pen, and were extremely pleasant to have conversation with. Yet a few others were simply the same sweet and caring people they were when I knew them 15 years ago.

Naturally, the obligatory 15 pounds had found most and I realized that I'm not the only one feeling a mid life crisis coming on...

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend of events, and I'm so glad we made the long trip. Allen, who was unsure about the doing this whole thing from the start, came along and stuck by me, making friends with mine and by the end of the night was dolling out invitations for people to stay in our guest room here in Western Nebraska. Maybe it was the alcohol? Or maybe he really had a good time with my old mates? I know I did.

Now I must keep up my end of the deal and strap on a fire suit and helmet for a ride in his race car. I need another martini, please!!

Eden woke up on Monday morning and said in a whisper, "Mommy, am I six now??"

My now 6-year old will start Kindergarten later this week and we will officially have school aged children to contend with. Scissors & glue sticks & crayons, Oh My! Does this mean lunch boxes or school menus? I'm not sure yet. Since we are only a few blocks from the school house, Daddy will drive her every morning on his way to work. All day Kindergarten here means that Mommy and little siblings will be walking to pick her up in the middle of nap time...which could be a good routine, at best, or a transitioning nightmare, at worst. Time will tell.

But, for the next two days, I'm going to enjoy my 3 little rugrats immensely here at home!

Michigan part 1

Coming to you from Michigan this day, I am happy to announce our vacation is in full swing now and everybody is having a great time at Grandma and Grandpa Kenny's house. Our time has been full of cousins, aunts & uncles, food, food and more food, swimming at Uncle Chad's house, and a few friends thrown in for the heck of it.

The train ride east took a bit of creative thinking when we got into Chicago 5 hours late and missed both connecting trains to Michigan. I had to wait in line another hour to get return tickets and that went badly when I got to the agent and didn't have a photo ID on me. Things quickly went south, my freedom was threatened with a security guard and I had flashbacks of being in Frankfurt, Germany some years ago with the Green Police and a tiny interrogation room....

Mom and Dad drove across the state to pick us up, borrowing Chad's van on an instant notice. We arrived in Lapeer at 0300 Wednesday morning, 36 hours after setting off from Bridgeport, and decided to sleep in.

All toll, we have toured Chad & Marie's new place, went swimming in their pool, tried the kids' feet at walking on stilts, spent a day at my grandma's house in Marlette, went on an all day shopping spree with Meegan in Romeo, purchasing, among many other things, a rain barrel that Allen is in town putting together for her. I also found a pair of shoes to wear with my dress tonight, thanks to Allen's keen eye! Meegan and I went to town this morning to get our nails done. Let's hope after 2 hours in a chair, I can keep them looking fabulous for the next 12 hours! Not an easy task for me. I was told, "No tree climbing this afternoon and no random hikes in the woods"..... what fun is that??

Last night was a get together at Louie's bar before our class reunion tonight and I have to say, I had a great time. Allen & Jonathan (yes, I brought two dates) hung out in the corner, snapping photos and chatting the night away, while I mingled with my increasingly drunk friends and caught up on 15 years of lost time. I didn't know I had so many friends, then or now. We are all a bit older and some of us wiser and I was glad to get to be a part of it. Looking forward to another great evening with even more past friends.

More to come from this trip....

Bound for Michigan!

T minus 2 days and counting until we leave for the train bound for Michigan.

That's all Eden & Lars have talked about today. The snacks they're going to eat on the train (goldfish, mostly), the movie they're going to watch on the ride to the station at Ft. Morgan (Cars), the blankets and pillows they're going to use to sleep on the train floor, the fact that Daddy is coming this time and, since neither of them remember ever traveling with him by train, all the things he's going to see out the window for the first time. They are excited to show him the lobby car, where you "can bring crayons and coloring books and use the tables to color on and look out the big windows!" Both are concerned with the loud whistle while we wait for the train on the platform and have asked for their race track ear muffs again. Eden will not forgive me for forgetting hers on the last trip.

Thanks to loveable Kalli, they have a new used CD player and case to hold CDs. I picked up two pair of headphones at Wal-mart Thursday and they've been lying on Eden's bed, listening to music for 2 days. Which I'd have discovered something like that at the beginning of the summer! But this is perfect timing, and it's already packed in the kids backpack.

I pulled out the suitcase yesterday and opened it up on the guest bed. Within an hour, Lars packed all his John Deere tractors, John Deere books, Cars stuff, Little Tigger and a large rock in it. Eden, feeling left out, came in with her array of items to go to Grandma's house, along with a few toys & diapers for Elia.

Though I'm not fluent in Yiddish, I can say "Oy vey"!

After UNPACKING the suitcase and kicking the kids out of the room, I managed to fit all three kids clothes in it, with room to spare. The Girl Scout in me said, "Bring an empty suitcase, always be prepared". So, I'm bringing along another suitcase so I can go cloths shopping with my sisters while I'm there.

Though it's going to be a short trip home, it'll be packed with fun times and filled with memories. We've got a couple family parties planned, and two nights at a B&B. I've got a few restaurants on the radar that I like to hit every time I'm home. I'm anxious to see 50 of my high school classmates, most of whom I've not seen in 15 years. I'm excited to have my kids home with their cousins, romping around and getting to know each other. Elia will be walking all over the place by the time we get there. I'm looking forward to spending time sitting on the couch, talking to Mom about nothing important, or being outside in the garden with Dad. It's going to be a good time and a perfect way to end our summer.

T minus 2 days and counting....