Monday, July 27, 2009

Another tree bites the dust

Another tree has to come down. This jumbo ash tree did not leaf out this year and we believe that it is pretty much dead. Patrick recruited help from co-worker Sean to help. (Thanks Sean) for some of the two man work. I think I need to put a call into my insurance agent! Pat busted his chops all weekend long, the tree looks a lot bigger when all of the branches are on the ground. Neighbor Joe came later in the afternoon for some more 2 man work. THANKS JOE! The truck provided some more horse power to help move the big logs. See the men at work, Pat claimed, after the fact, that some of the branches came down a little too close for his comfort. Now for the next few days will be be cutting, hauling and stacking logs and brush. Anyone need firewood?

First Soccer team

Soccer season is upon us and with the boys it's all about the apparel. I am not sure if the boys have big feet or short legs, the feet fit in the socks but I would call them thigh highs. It was a good thing we had the bright soccer socks, we could easily pick out the boys in the sea of 5yos! The boys said they had fun, that is what is important. I know the coaches are volunteers and i should not be judgmental, but our coaches need to explain things a little better. We will see how next week goes. They had no clue what to do during the scrimmage.

vacation videos





A couple videos from vacation. Enjoy

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Mohawk

So on our vacation Peter saw a boy with a mohawk. He asked what that style was and when I told him he said that he wanted his hair to look like that. So we did it! Although I am handy with a razor, i wanted Peter to tell the stylist exactly what he wanted and if he did not like it i was not the one to blame.

Cindy, the stylist, even put product in it to make it spikey. When it was all done there was a smile from ear to ear! Peter asked if I had product to make it spikey...i am sure I can find something!. He was a little upset tonight when it came to shower time...he wanted to make sure that it was not flat. Can you imagine, I am putting gel in my 5yo hair. I dont do that to my own hair.Peter also knows that when school comes around he will be getting another haircut.

Home Bday and cake

In Van Nelson tradition birthday kids get to pick out their cakes. This year, Jamison chose a chocolate missile and Peter chose a lemon army tank. Basically they are over-manipulated cake with icing as the glue. Despite every ounce of moral judgement....i broke my rule and bought army men....they needed to be purchase to decorate the cake. Do you realize in the bag of 50 army men only 5 did not have a gun in their hand. I used the 5.

The boys were then able to open a few more gifts including one from their brother....solely picked out by the boy, ones from us and our cousins out in Boston. Robots, airplanes, transformers, legos, markers and bakugan what more can a 5yo want. All a hit! Man! it is fun to be 5. Happy Birthday Jamison and Peter.

Monday, July 20, 2009

a realization---

i blogged all of this in the order that is happened...so to read it all you would have to go backward.

To start from the beginning....click here

http://prjpcullen.blogspot.com/2009/07/first-family-vacation-beginsstop1.html

Vacation Stop 5 (and final)- Green Bay

Final Stop! Green Bay! and its still vacation so we had to stop at Bay Beach. The boys were tall enough to go on the bumper cars, a new favorite. There was a lot of smack talking to be had...but in the end....Dad/Jamison combo and the Mom/Peter combo bumped into each other a good number of times.Then onto the Tilt-a-whirl. A ride I will never go on again. Pat likes that his boys love this ride.Got to have a pony ride on your birthday. Jamison rode Willie.
and then a red horse on the merry-go-round.
Peter had to go on the bumper cars one more time, this time with DAD at the wheel. They bumped someone so hard Peter lost his hat! it was retrieved when the race was over.
Grandpa Van treated us to a DQ icecream cake with 5 candles for each birthday boy. Trick to this method is to not get spit on by your brother. Spit or no spit....we love DQ cakes!
THANKS GRANDMA AND GRANDPA! got to love blue icing.
Overall the boys did a great job sleeping in tents, hiking, swimming and riding in the car. I think we might have to do this again sometime.

Vacation Stop 4- Tahquamenon Falls

Ahhh, Tahquamenon Upper Falls. One of the largest falls east of the Mississippi with a maximum flow of more than 50,000 gallons of water per second. We even learned something on this trip.um, yes kids. That sign says "DANGER keep with in fence" I guess to a kids that means that you can climb as high as long as you can on the fence. Another great family photo opp...wish we would have gotton more of the falls behind us, could have been this years christmas card.
Back at camp it was all about the smores. Peter getting Smores 101....stay close to the white coals...not the flames and slowly rotate. He claimed the fire was too hot and that we needed to roast all of them.
We took a ride up to the Shipwreck Museum. Dont know why I am fascinated with shipwrecks but I am. Jamison was in awe and decided that he wanted to be a scuba diver and go look for the "gerald" (the Edmund Fitzgerald) Gordon Lightfoot was in my brain for the rest of the day....bummer...here it is again. "The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down from the big lake they call Gitchee Gumee"More rock throwing...they are getting really good at it.

This a a boat rudder from one of the sunken ships off the point of Whitefish Bay.
We stopped for lunch along Whitefish Bay. There were a number of ring-billed gulls just hanging out in the water. I told the boys that when I was a kid I would feed the gulls corn chips. In spirit of re-living my childhood, I brought along the extra pancakes from breakfast and the boys had a blast feeding them. AND no one got pooped on. (a problem my mom always seems to have)
I can say that we have been to Paradise and back. And do you know what Paradise has....
creepy snowman statues and a couple motels. The doctor clinic is also the post office and gift shop, lets just call it a one stop shop.
Finally, our next and last, waterfall....Tahquamenon Lower Falls. The mosquitos were so bad we needed to be doused in DEET and all have hoods. I was not going to take the hood off even for a cute picture with the boys.We were getting pretty tired at the end. Jamison would take every opportunity to rest when he could.

Almost done...just a couple more days to highlight.

"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of November turn gloomy"
(i know it is in your head....ok, i have to look the whole thing up again)

by Gordon Lightfoot

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy.

With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconson
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ships bell rang
Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling.

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,
T'was the witch of November come stealing.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane West Wind

When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the ruins of her ice water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams,
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.

Vacation Spot 3-Picture Rock

Next Stop- Picture Rock National Seashore. Fewer waterfalls, more sand. This is Miner's Castle. It was pretty difficult explaining to the boys that it is not a real castle and miners dont live there. Beautiful views all around! Maybe next time we can rent some kayaks and check out the rocks closer. I am thinking we will have to head back when they are 10. (not 8...everything else seems to be happening when they are 8) THen more beach time and swimming. We gathered enough stones to write names
"My sensors indicate that there are waterfalls straight ahead!" Goto love cartoons. Peter's tool was very helpful to indicate a lot of things! We never got lost.
This was my attempt to do a timed photo...guess the flash did not go off.
Now the SAND DUNES! Lots of sand. Pat's worst nightmare. He hates sand.
Dont JUMP! I need someone to take care of me when i am old!
Since the boys were not allowed to collect rocks here...we had to take a piture of them.
Their muscles were getting bigger over the week. I am surprised that no one broke a toe!.
Thses dunes were about 400-500ft in height! They were awesome!
So there was this sign along a trail that said "DANGER DANGER 500ft drop. Only takes a minute to go down, over an hour to get back up" So what do you think idiots do.....go down. See those two little spots in the middle of the picture....let me zoom in for you........
yup, those two chose to go down....and I think are regretting it. I would maybe go down if I was 20 years younger or maybe not have my kids along. Just as we were heading back to the car, a nice family (2 kids maybe 10 and 8 and dad) chose to go down. The mom was the smart one and went back to the car to read her book. She was going to be there for a while.
More fun beach time. Rocks, sand water boys.....lots of fun!
Inspired but the Mount Horeb Trolls...when ever the boys find a tree stump they pretend they are trolls....here we have tongue out-peanut grabbing troll and swimmers take your mark troll.
Now that is what I call a successful day, two boys completely wiped out!