Cullen Family

THIS ONE IS FULL!

2011-12-12T19:09:00.007-06:00

This website is full. Check us out at the link below

http://prjpcullen2.blogspot.com/

Thanksgiving and Bday!

2011-12-04T14:59:00.010-06:00

(I apologized for the wonky order, i have tried three times to make it work and now i give up. Maybe make it a game and pick the picture that fits the words!)

Thanksgiving was spent up at the brand new cabin! Peter asked if he can live there until he realized that he would have to change schools. Then it wasn't such a good idea.

I brought along a bunch a toys that the boys have not played with in a while. It was like Christmas! Maybe Santa wont come because the boys have enough toys.

We went tree hunting up in Green Bay, no more red-neck christmas' for the Cullen's, we paid big money for this one.

Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit more than a rainy day...but we had a good time and picked out a perfect tree.

The boys made a wish on the wishbone, but no one wins, it broke in three equal pieces.

We celebrated Pat's bday when we got home. Chinese food and cupcakes! Happy Birthday! You ever wonder what you look like when you blow out candles??

This year the boys were excited to decorate the tree! Yay! But I think they were more excited about unpacking their ornaments.(my favorite job too). I cant wait til they get a little taller, they we will have ornaments on the top half of the tree!

Basketball and Ski Brule

2011-11-20T08:12:00.006-06:00

Last weekend Coworker Eric gave us tickets to see a Badger basketball game. Grownups flipped a coin, mom won, boys flipped a coin and Peter won, so away we went. The Badgers were playing the Owls. We figured that the Owls might have a good chance to win since they are an excellent bird of prey but after the 1st half, they only had 12 points we figured it was going to be a blow out! Peter had fun trying to capture action shots. This one was pretty good! Badgers won 85-31. I felt bad for the Owls and would cheer them on once in a while, but YAY Badgers! Cousin Lisa asked if the boys wanted to help out with the Ski Brule float in the Green Bay Holiday Parade. The boys have never been in a parade. Jamison was excited...Peter nervous and claimed that he didn't want to do it. I told him he was and he would have fun!. (and I thought it would be fun to get the cousin's kids together...heck...get the cousins together outside of a funeral.) What we didn't know was if the boys were 2nd cousins or first cousins once removed? How does that work?Some floats hand out candy....this one hands out SNOWBALLS! The boys jobs....make snowballs. The grownup jobs, hand out snow balls. We couldn't throw them...but a gentle toss was ok. Behind us were the alpacas, better in back instead of in front of us. The kids had a great time and were able to keep up with the demand. Before the parade was over Jamison asked if he could do it again next year! Peter was being camera shy but we eventually caught him on camera. The parade was being televised so hopefully they got on camera! After the parade we went to Aunt Diane's house to dump the remaining snow....and then a snow ball fight! Couple ice chunks were thrown...they hurt....so after a few penalties we had the ice ball toss. Thanks for inviting us! You can count on us again for next year!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

2011-11-10T08:06:00.004-06:00

Peter has lost another one!

Now he has that classic"missing two front teeth" look. I love it when food comes flying out of the large gaping hole! He now has some things on his Chirstmas list! This weekend was leaves, leaves and more leaves. Peter claimed that this one was the largest one ever! With a status of being the largest we needed to keep it around for a while! Some pictures you just have to make sure you get each year! We are dog sitting Peter's most favorite dog in the world while his owners are in Florida. Bosco! Bosco is a good dog, doesn't bark much, doesn't steal food, enjoys to hang out outside, likes going for walks (although pulls a little too hard). He does however have one MAJOR flaw....oh no! you just didn't do that!!!! Bosco has been busted sleeping on the boys beds so we have kept their door closed. I never thought he could get up on my bed! but he did. Sorry Bosco, not at this house.

Pat has been working really hard and successfully passed a series of really hard geek exams so he treated himself to a new toy! A new JD snow blower!. Look at it, all shiny and new. And he is even reading the manual!

We didn't know that he was going to be able to use it so soon! Yup, a few inches of super heavy wet s, s, sn, snowwwww! ewe. I am so confused. We still have loads of leaves to rake. Hopefully it will all melt by this weekend so we can clear out the rest of the yard.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T08:46:00.006-05:00

The boys costumes turned out great! Here they are getting ready to go out trick-or-treating! Kai, Ninja of Fire and Cole, Ninja of Earth.Here are the boys outside ready to go! You cant tell the difference between the LEGO guys and the boys. The will be able to be quick and move through the night to fill up that bag! Peter and his pumpkin, the scary, scary pumpkin!

And Jamison with his happy pumpkin with his pumpkin minions.

The Ninjas in their battle stance, hopefully they don not run into Lord Garmadon.

Kai, is nimble and quick!

Cole is stealth and sneaky! except when your camera has a flash....you can catch even the most sly of ninja!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween preparations

2011-10-29T10:44:00.008-05:00

The paras at school signed up to bring Halloween treats for treat day. I am going up against creative people that work with kids everyday. I needed something fun. So from my go-to online magazine...Family Fun...we picked the hairy spiders. The boys helped put on the legs and eyes. Unfortunately the meringue ghosts looked ok but tasted terrible, we had to scrap those.

They we a hit! I insisted that the spiders needed 8 legs, but the boys got creative making the rare one-eyed spiders and the even more rare and dangerous 4-eyed spider (that they ate themselves)The boys did not have school on friday so pumpkin carving we go!

We were all smiles in the beginning, thinking and drawing what they would like the pumpkin to look like.

Peter was determined to make a angry/scary pumpkin and had a definite idea what the eyes should look like but could no get them right.

Things got out of hand when I told the boys that they each had to stick their hand in and grab one handful of guts. Jamison was not so much smiling but on the verge of crying. Once he did it he said that it wasn't all that bad, not his favorite but ok.

Peter on the other hand was in hysterics. He told me that he was only going to reach in and grab one seed, but that means that his big mean mother would push is hand in to because extracting 1 seed would not cut it. Ooohh, he was not happy with me! Why did the boys get Pats irrational fear of pumpkin guts? Bummer.

We are almost ready with the costumes, Meet Cole DX, the ninja of Earth. Having learned Spinjitzu, and conquering his fear of dragons, he and his mighty Earth Dragon are as tough as a mountain. Together they will knock down the Skullkins like an Earthquake. Cole is the team leader and a good friend. He is strong, dependable and solid like a big, heavy rock.

Meet Kai, ninja of fire. (Kai still needs his mother to make a red head covering). Kai is like fire, wild and dangerous. He is quick to act, quick to attack and quick to get into big trouble. He is good at finding trouble also. Kai can't wait for anything. He jumps headfirst into a pool before checking to see if there's sire in it. He hopes there is, he wants to fight it. Final pictures to come.

National Jamison Day

2011-10-20T08:06:00.003-05:00

October 19, Jamison Day. Rated one of the best days of the year by Jamison right after his birthday, Christmas, and maybe Halloween, Easter or any other day they get presents and treats. On Jamison day, you get a special treat in your lunch, your dinner choice (frozen pizza) and dessert choice (drumsticks)and a present from mom and dad. AND since I am working at the boys school he got a love note on his desk and a hand delivered cookie in his lunch. For his gift we gave him the Miami Dolphin watch that he has been talking about for months and a sweatshirt. He is in heaven. I wish they would win a game so they wouldn't be the worst team in the league. Jamison is most excited about the watch....and this is how the conversation went the rest of the night....."Mom, it is 7:15, 15 more minutes until it is 7:30. Now it is 7:40" "no Jamison the big hand is pointed to the 4, remember that is every 5 minutes, so it is 7:20." "5,10,15,20, yup you are right mom, it is 7:20" "Now it is 7:25....etc etc etc" He slept with the watch on, and is wearing it to school. I am sure Mrs. Seymour is going to love that he has a watch. Happy Jamison Day!

Jamison's First Packer Game

2011-10-19T07:52:00.003-05:00

The day has finally come. A coming of age. Jamison's first Packer game. He has clearly told everyone that he does not like the Packers and will cheer on the Rams and he did. I don't know whose child this is, I hope he comes to his senses soon. He wore his Miami Dolpins hat. We were going to make a sign to see if we could get him on TV (who could pass up a cute kid at his first game) but decided not to because there were only green and gold markers at Lambeau, no Dolphin colors. Not sure why Jamison did not want to sit next to Big City Ray. Instead he sat next to a pretty chatty guy on the other side who thought it was cool that this was his first game. I explained that the fly by was going to be super loud and that he will see the planes before he sees them. Jamison did not believe me and then it happen and scared him a bit....but it was still cool. Packer games are all about the snacks, huge sodas and even larger popcorn buckets. Jamison was a happy camper. All in all he had a great time even though the Pack was not playing the Dolphins. Hopefully some day the boys will be come Packer fans. The Pack smoked the Rams. Perfect day for football. In the mean time Peter and Pat were up north fishing, fishing and more fishing. Reports were that is was cold, real cold but they did catch a couple fish! The tooth fairy gets to come to our house again! Jamison is a happy boy. I think the tooth fairy is going to earn many frequent flyer miles the next few months. I think she is going to be making many more trips here. I was able to join Jamison's class on the fire station field trip. The kids had a good time, learned a lot and luckily were able to stay dry on the walk there and back.

Family Time

2011-10-09T09:46:00.003-05:00

Flag football season has come to a close. I am glad that the boys had fun, learned a little about football and did not get hurt. The downside is that both boys still do not like the Packers and will not cheer them on but will at least watch a game with me. Beggars can not be choosers.

Jamison hikes the ball to Sam.

Towards the end of the season Peter started wearing his hat to hold his hair back instead of the headband. Peter is going for a long throw...the coaches liked the Paul ->Peter combination. Peter and Paul practiced a lot during recess. (how many "mary" jokes can you think of?)

Saturday morning we walked out of our back door to a terrible smell, like something died under our back porch...well something really did. Some how a red fox got under the deck and either could not get out or thought that that would be a nice place for his final moments. At any rate it SMELLED real bad!. Pat has been studying like a crazy man for his Microsoft Cert. Geek Exams and has completed 3 of his 4 needed exams. He decided to take part of the weekend off for a well deserved break and needed family time.

So we headed back to the most awesome corn maze in the state AND they had all of their other fun activities up and running. The Jacobs Ladder climb.

Jamison gave his best effort and came real close. Pat thought we could build one of these at home so they could practice.

We also tried the pumpkin launch. Peter got the closest to wining the pumpkin.

In the corn maze the boys took turns planning routes through to the next mailbox. We were hopeful to find the extra hole punches to win a tshirt but we soon got turned around, confused and tired. No free tshirt for us but we made it out alive!

Jamison took this picture of us right after coming out of the maze! Great photo...now we need to get him in it!. Sunday will be filled with outside chores and then Pat goes right back to studying!

Bear vs Vikings and a whole lot of veggies

2011-09-27T09:07:00.006-05:00

The boys have been playing flag football and the day has come when the Vikings play the Bears. Since I will not and can not play favorites and I said that I would wear my Packer Jersey. It becomes difficult when brother is matched with brother....who do I cheer for now? Peter is handed the ball, and Jamison chased him down and pulled his flag. This is the only picture I got be cause I was too busy cheering on both of them. Technically Jamison tackled Peter but Peter refuses to admit it. Good thing they dont play each other again. Over the weekend we had some fort building. Who knew that the vacuum can me a nice head rest. While Pat studied for his geek exam the boys and I went to my favorite farm to pick tomatoes and potatoes. We came home with 68lbs of tomatoes (only half shown here) and 15 lbs of potatoes. I needed help slicing and dicing the tomatoes for the many batches of stewed and frozen tomatoes and the many many batches of spaghetti sauce. No fingers were lost in the processing of tomatoes. Sunday we went apple picking. I forgot the camera in the orchard so I had to get the post picking pictures. The boys were thrilled. We had an awesome (rainy) weekend. now I have to get back to more tomatoes.

Treinen Farm

2011-09-23T16:18:00.006-05:00

The boys had over some friends (another set of 7yo boy twins) for the day as their parents were out of town. I thought it would be a good idea to tire them out for their grandparents.

So we headed to the Treinen Farm with the largest corn maze in the area. Last year the theme was a large lizard...this year Icarus and a Minotaur. The boys did a great job with the map and we only got lost once! The best part is that I left with the same number of 7yo boys as I came with. Success!

Many trips up and down the slide really would tire them out! Xander and Jamison land gracefully in the sand.

Ben and Peter enjoyed the tires to climb on. We will have to come back later this year to partake in the pumpkin launching and hay rides!

week in review

2011-09-12T07:50:00.005-05:00

Labor Day weekend we headed up north to see the progress of the cabin. It is coming along quickly! and is looking awesome! The builders say it will be ready in about a month. Boy they work fast! While we were getting a tour the boys decided that they would play on the waters edge.....which led to IN the water. It was all fun until someone got hurt or cold. MAN they are filthy! They were cleaning out stuff from their ears the rest of the weekend!. I immediately made them go take showers. Fishing was a must while we were there. Peter caught his first walleye. It gave a good fight but they managed to get it in the boat. He insisted that he eats it for breakfast the next day...and we did. Jamison came up empty "netted" but still was happy to be out there. He even tried the walleye again...still not his favorite. The rest of the weekend was hot tubing and flee market shopping. The boys were amazing shoppers and found some good deals on lures. The boys had their first flag football game. Bears (Peter) vs 49ers and Viking (Jamison) vs Steelers. Peter is a really good , and fast running back. He made two touchdowns! but one was really close because he kept looking down at his flags to make sure no one pulled one. Jamison knows what is going on and can see where the play is going...he just needs to be a little more aggressive in getting that flag. He will run up to the ball carrier and then slow down when he gets close...having the kid fly right past him. The key was that they have fun....and they all did! Christmas in September?? The Mothers of Multiple sale comes twice a year and to the boys it feels like Chirstmas. This year I came home with a couple games, one of which is Animalopoly- a knock off of Monopoly. It was declared the best game ever and had to be played over the course of 2 days. I also came home with a painting craft where the boys got to paint their own plate. Jamison said that I can put all of our other plates away because he is only going to use his. Final products will be posted when complete.

First Day of 2nd grade!

2011-09-01T10:43:00.003-05:00

Awe, look at my second graders. We had to get the standard picture. For the first day of school Jamison had to go with the standard red shirt and was very excited to wear the new shoes. Peter...had planned this outfit for months. He sure knows how to make a unique first impression and yes you are seeing that correctly...plaid shirt and plaid shorts. I think if he had plaid socks he would have thought that they "match" also. He was also happy to go with the new smile and long hair. He is pretty cute! Jamison admitted that he was a little nervous because they are going to a new building but I am sure they will do fine! We should really make marks in that tree for every "1st day of school" photo. Happy 1st day of school boys!

My worst nightmare

2011-09-01T10:22:00.005-05:00

Brace yourself....this is going to be hard to look at.

That's right, Bear and Viking jerseys...on MY boys. Flag football season has started and Peter is on the Bears and Jamison is on the Vikings. The other team options were Packers Lions 49ers and Steelers. I would have taken any of the other teams besides the Bears and Vikings. Ugh. The boys are so excited because they know this bothers me. I want to know who are the lucky kids that got the Packers???

Practice started and I think the kids were most excited about the mouth guards and the "flag/belts"

Peter is quick and has a good arm.

Jamison has a good defensive eye and can see where the play is headed. It will be interesting when the games start and the Bears play the Vikings. I already told the boys I am showing up with my Packer Jersey.

Peter has a new smile...just in time for school. The tooth next to it is pretty loose as well so it wont be long before he can use a straw without even opening his mouth!. One more day before they start 2nd grade and to celebrate we treated ourselves (boys choice) to lunch at the Chinese buffet, tv time and a playdate with some friends. The boys wont admit it but they are excited to start school again and to see their friends. I am excited for a few hours of peace and quiet and part time work at the school. Stay posted for 1st day of school pictures!

Council Grounds Family Camping

2011-08-29T08:16:00.002-05:00

Council Grounds State Park...watch out the families of womens weekend took over. This year week reserved the Group Campsite and we all agreed it was a good idea. I think we would be considered a group. With 17 kids and 6 families...we could probably populate our own small town. The older girls brought a friend otherwise the boys would beat out the girls. The Campsite had the largest grill I have ever seen at a campground. The men gathered and prepared the feast for dinner. The girls chatted and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The children.....made the Indy 500 look like a drive in the park with scooters and bikes making laps around the campsite and played hours of many variations of 500 pickup.

Corey was enjoying some "boy" time. He doesn't get much of that at home as he has 4 girls.

Kids were really tired saturday night(as well as adults) so we told them they could have "breakfast smores." Jamison did not believe us at first...but enjoyed his morning sugar rush.

Eva skipped the chocolate and graham crackers and went right to the marshmallows.

The little girls really took a liking to Wini, and in her old age she surprisingly let them give her all the love. Thanks everyone for a great weekend!!

Dog Days of Summer.....

2011-08-24T13:58:00.006-05:00

Summer is coming to an end and so are the activities.

The last swim lesson....Peter went off the diving board with minimal assistance. So did Jamison....and then he added "flare" in the form of a belly flop.

There still seems like there is a lot of time before school starts and we have done a lot of fun things around here. It is time to take it on the road for some distraction. So off to RiverFalls! and on our way we stopped at Big Falls County Park. There were some crazy parties here while I was in college but I figured school is not in session so it should be families...and it was. The boys enjoyed the rock climbing!

We also found this redbelly snake....he was cute.

Then off to Beaver Creek Nature Center (no pictures) and then to EauClaire. The Chippewa River is beautiful yet dangerous. No swimming but we can throw as many rocks as you want and collect mussel shells.

It is hard to see them on the rocks but they found loads!

Since we were by the campus I had to show the boys the building where I spent many long hours and we checked out the bird museum that was also there!

Then off to River Falls for a visit with Lily and Lucy. We headed to The MN Zoo, they have added many more critters including the penguins. Boy are they cute.

The boys were getting tired but a couple more pictures were needed.

I thought this was funny...all the camels hanging out in the pond but the pond was covered in duck weed. They are going to be covered in that stuff until winter! Thanks Lily Lucy Stacey and Shelby for a fun relaxing weekend!.

Then over to Green Bay for some fun!. Gpa Van pulled out the croquet game and the boys loved it.

We hopped a plane and flew to the coast of Mexico to play in the beautiful sand and surf.

Ok....it wasnt an ocean or Mexico but Manitowoc along Lake Michigan but just as fun playing in the sand and water.

The boys were getting good at the Frisbee, we had to keep it on the beach. There was one time where Peter had to go out pretty far to get it...he was proud of himself for going out as deep as he did....i was plain nervous and ready to run in after him.

The next day (and after about 30 games of croquet) we took to the courses...mini golf. Jamison took a class over the summer and did really well...or at least took the time to set his feet and line up the shot.

Peter took more of the "hit is as hard as you can" approach and was entertained when the ball bounced off the rocks and water features.

And when he was told he has had enough mulligans he was not happy.

In the afternoon Gpa planned a project in the shop for the boys. I have a feeling that Gpa did most of the work but they were quiet, excited about the end result and came out with all of their fingers. Gpa also came out with all of his hair...so it was a success.

We know the perfect spot for them at home!

Come on over little birdies! Thanks Gma and Gpa for a nice mini vacation! 7 more days still school starts.

Mexico vs England

2011-08-10T11:33:00.007-05:00

Mexico vs England, the game where the Cullen Brothers face off. Coming from the mixed family Pat and I needed to sit right in the middle and cheer for both teams!.Jamison played forward for most of the game but needs to be a little more aggressive and take the ball all the way to the goal. Peter on the other had plays a fantastic defensive game...that kid has no problem getting in the middle and giving the ball a nice hard long kick!...except for this picture where he felt a need to rest. The score was 3-1, with Peter making two of the goals. Jamison's team was super excited because that was the first goal they made so far!. Way to go teams! After seeing Peter play and being told my a number of parents that Peter has a fantastic kick, we may have to look at the local soccer club. The boys are getting a little squirrelly as the summer winds down so we need to keep things active through the day. So off to Gov Dodge State Park for a dip in the lake! Every year I forget about this nice resource and then when I remember I wish that I remembered earlier in the year!. Engineers hard at work!A good roll in sand is a great activity! But when the boys get cold the party is over!

more summer fun

2011-08-04T18:14:00.006-05:00

Thanks Heike for the birthday package! The boys started right away digging their gems out of the rock. And I am really glad we did it outside....boy was that messy! But each guy has 5 new gems for their collection!

More Summer fun! Swim lessonsThis year they successfully passed level 2! and had celebratory fun off the diving board. But I guess Jamison did not pay attention when the teacher said " dont jump on top of me"Peter did a little better about not jumping on the teacher but ended up kicking the poor guy in the face. Oh the troubles of a swim teacher. Next week we are onto Level 3!

Jamison took a week of golf, now he wants clubs, and fancy shorts.

We also tested some parachutes! They work! and Chippy and Dolphin (which is really an orca) survived the fall! Thanks Heike!

Only 26 more days til school starts! Not that I am counting. Dont get me wrong, we are having lots of fun but I think over the course of the summer the boys ears have stopped working and they seem to have fun bugging their brother....which in turns drives me a little bonkers!

Birthday Fun

2011-07-23T11:14:00.004-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMISON AND PETER! I can not believe they are 7! We enjoyed ice cream cake and presents on their bday. Peter requested a Beyblade stadium cake for his, with beyblades included of course. It was very clear that each boy get one of the beyblades from the cake....very clear. Jamison wanted a beaver on a log with a branch coming up. Ask and then you will receive! The beaver was a little challenging but Jamison was pleased...it was his idea for the carrots for the teeth!. You'all know the challenge of having a summer birthday...all your friends are either on vacation or have something going on. So I thought maybe a week-night party some kids would be able to make it. The plan worked too well and most everyone was able to make it! The boys were happy to see all of their buddies...but it was a little crazy!. The heat was predicted to be 99°...so we had a backyard water-fun party. Fun was had by all! and the water kept the kids cool. Unfortunately we had one mouth to head collision that required a call to a dad for an early pick up and a couple stitches. I felt terrible but we visited him the next day and he was feeling good and back to normal with no complaints. Happy Birthday Boys!

Custer State Park

2011-07-19T15:27:00.012-05:00

Vacation time! This year we are headed west...first stop South Dakota! Great Places Great Faces! Aren't these two faces the greatest ones ever! I guess it was pretty sunny, that would explain the squinting.Then a quick stop at The Falls, that would be Sioux Falls. At a gas station we saw loads of wildlife! Bears, mountain lions!This bear smiled for the camera. This mountain lion was having a Peter bacon sandwich. Heading into Custer State Park we had a close animal encounter...had to break pretty hard to avoid these guys! I was super excited...during my time in the Big Horns I only saw bighorn sheep from a far distance...never this close!Meet Excessive Edwardo...aka Pat's cot. It took up a third of the tent...but he was comfortable so that is all that mattered. Once camp was set up we headed to Mount Rushmore! Had a little history lesson...When did Wisconsin become a state? (the sun was in their eyes again in this picture too!) And then off to Crazy Horse! Cant believe they are almost done with it....wait, no they aren't. It is going to take many more years! But once it is done it will be cool! The boys really enjoyed the campsite, lots of rocks and a big hill. We also picked up a bison...meet Horny, the Bison! Horny likes to play bison-ball. We headed to Jewel Cave and learned that their elevator was broken and the only tour was the candlelight tour. "A strenuous tour with lots of stairs" Sounds good to us! The boys really like the crawling around. I think I have to cavers on my hands. We took the scenic 'needles highway' in which the boys complained about, until they saw all the rocks! They love to climb on the rocks. So maybe I will have some rock climbers on my hands.....wait....cavers or rock climbers? It is going to be a tough decision. I wonder why this highway gets its name? Leave it up to strangers to take a nice family photo...except they did not get the nice scenery in the back. bummer. A little R&R at Stockard Lake. The boys could spend all day here! Next day we went to Wind cave...their elevator was working. The ranger was explaining that most people can fit in a place that is the width of their two hands touching at the thumbs. Ya, not me! Wind cave got its name from the wind coming in and out of this hole...I would like to meet the person who said...i wonder what it looks like if I go down in that hole?. This cave is pretty cool but less adventurous than the tour we did a Jewel Cave, so this was not the boys favorite but it was really cool to see! And then off to the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, the sink hole where there are about 50 mammoths! I thought it was cool, and they were actively digging on the site. Boys...not all that impressed. Guess they have more fun climbing hundreds of feet below the ground. As promised but the ranger...Bison. He was really close to the road. And Ass, I mean donkeys. These guys were even closer but when the car ahead of you is hanging out of their car feeding them crackers I would see why they are in the road. They have hooves....and teeth that can eat your fingers...not my favorite. Hey look, here is the ass of an ass!. The boys thought it was fun that they could say the "A" word and not get into trouble, as long as they were referring to the donkey. Then we went on a hunt for gold! And hit it rich! The boys treated us to dinner and an early retirement! Or not...but some cool gold and pyrite for their collections!

Bighorn Mtns part 1

2011-07-19T15:20:00.005-05:00

Off to the Big Horn Mountains. I have not been back since I spent the summer out their after college. After a successful camp strike at Custer...we all earned ice cream! So we stopped in Buffalo. Buffalo is not just a one horse town!. There are four here! We made our way up the southern pass of the Big Horns. And to our surprise they still have SNOW! the boys were excited to see snow in July...not excited enough to make snow angels but we had to get our feet in there! Awe..me and my boys. I had to get some photos of one of my favorite flowers...forget-me-nots. A round-about way...we made it to Shells Canyon and Falls. One of the major roads through the mountains was washed out...but was repaired by our trip.We made our way to Lovell, WY where we stayed at a FANTASTIC vacation rental. The family had a 7yo that the boys had a great time with. The place was super cool so if you find yourself in western WY i would highly recommend Fort Causeway.

Bighorn Mtns part 2

2011-07-19T08:00:00.014-05:00

After our stay where we enjoyed showers, comfy beds and washed some clothes we headed up the north route of the Big Horns.

You would think Jamison was enjoying Big Horn Basin...but no, he was pouting or complaining about something. I will tell myself it was the former.Peter released some energy at this stop...Jamison LOVES this picture because if you look close Peter's hair is standing up...looking like a harpy eagle. First stop, Medicine Wheel, except when we got there the ranger HIGHLY recommend that we do not do the mile and a half hike to see it. Something about 40 feet snow drifts. Bummer. This is the second time Pat has been to the BigHorns and have not made it there. Maybe the next time. Usually this route is cleared out by the 4th of July. Not this year! We camped at Bald Mountain. The boys and I were going to hike to the top...but we did not have enough time. Camp was nice...not many people there. (a reoccurring theme)..Because of the high snow/run off the water here was not cleared for drinking...so we had to go a ways to get clean water. The boys were pretty excited to play by the "stream" next to our campsite...until I busted them floating their crocks down it. Who knows where they would end up. Again...another road closure dues to snow or washout...but we found another trail to hike on! The one to Porcupine Falls!. The boys were troopers on this pretty steep hike! and the end result was pretty cool! The boys are the little dots on the left. We even found pasque flowers...the earliest of "spring" flowers. There was a fire here a couple years ago...and we found this log. It was really cool and we attempted to break off a chunk but we had no luck...so the picture will have to do. Jamison called out "DEER, um wait, i mean MOOSE!"Mornings at elevation were a little chilly, i caught the boys sunning themselves on rocks to warm up. Now a little reminiscing from my youth....Black Mountain. I spent a lot of time up there on that mountain. My main camp site was just beyond those forest service trucks. Spent a lot of time looking at those buttes...or as the boys giggled and wiggled...butts.

Now for a nice picture of my twins in front of the Twin Buttes.

And Sibley Lake.

Finally The Bear Lodge where I would get beer, a game of pool and contact with the happenings around the world. Good Times! Now for more of what the boys like to do!

Rock climbing!

and more rocks.

I gave up my sleeping bag to keep the boys warm, this is how Peter was sleeping, doesnt he look warm. Me, not so much.

One more photo in front of the Fallen City, I dont think I can get the boys to pose in front of any more places. Peter was showing off his war wound, feeling pretty proud that he has the worst injury of the vacation.

Down from the mtn we stopped in Sheridan, the town where once a week we would make the trek, do our laundry, call home and catch a movie. We were on a mission to find ice cream but found ourselves in the middle of rodeo weekend. The main drag was super busy so we found the first place with ice cream, snatched a picture of the Mint Bar (another place I went with the crew) and got the heck out of there!

the way home...Devils Tower, Badlands and Wall

2011-07-19T07:50:00.005-05:00

Last major stop on the trip, Devil Tower and Keyhole State Park. You can call it a volcano plug or magma burp it is just pretty cool. The sky was clear...you just could not get enough of the post card quality pictures. Pat and the boys like the Corvette convention that must be happening somewhere because how else can you explain a parking lot full of the things. They all picked out their favorites-Pats was an orange one, Jamison like the one with the cool paint job and Peter like the older style blue one. Hey! remember we are here to learn about the nations first designated national monument? The boys are tiny compared to it! They signed up to be junior rangers...so we were looking at lichen, smelling ponderosa pine trees and watching for rock doves and and mule deer. Again for the cool picture with super blue sky. We saw a number of climbers going up the tower and when asked the boys said that they will try doing that when they are old, like 18 or 25. Back at the camp site we enjoyed beautiful sunsets to then be woken up to crazy winds that rattled the tent for many hours. We still woke up in WY so all was good. Peter thought he was funny when he said he looked like me because he was wearing my hat. If it helps to keep his hair out of his eyes then he can wear it all of the time! You can tell we were getting close to the end of the vacation because mornings were getting more difficult. We cleared out the tent and removed Jamison from the tent still on his cot without waking up. When he did wake up he was really confused.... "Hey guess what, tonight we are going to a hotel that has showers and a pool!" We all were pretty ripe and were longing for the comforts of home...or at least a hotel. But before we got there...we had to stop at Wall Drug and the Badlands. It was about 102° so we only stopped for a photo or two and enjoyed the scenic drive from the comforts of our air conditioned car. Despite the sign, i was hoping to see one...from a safe distance of course. At Wall, you had to enjoy the free ice cold water (which was not all that cold), ride the jackalope and stock up on all your kitsch items. and to think i forgot to get my "____miles from Wall Drug" bumper sticker. rats. We are headed to a cool hotel with pool!!! Vacation was good, no major mishaps and we hope to get back to the Mtns again soon. Now for some rest....oh wait we have some birthdays to celebrate.

when it rains it pours

2011-07-07T21:43:00.004-05:00

I told him that when his teeth start falling out they will fall out at the same time!

The tooth fairy gets to stop by again! Two times in two nights! The top two are also loose, at this rate i think he will be going back to school with no teeth!

The boys have been earning "library smackers" or dollars for every library activity they do. Today they cashed some in and Jamison picked out a Japan button and asked me to take a picture of him for Keiko's parents. I thought that was sweet. He also picked out a wonder (noisy) flute and some candy. Peter picked out some candy and appears to be saving his for something big

THE DAY HAS COME!

2011-07-06T21:50:00.003-05:00

The day has come where Peter can join the ranks with every other kid on this planet....his first lost tooth!He didnt really believe that it was out until his mouth filled with blood, then it was not all that fun. I am really happy that one finally came out....I promised him one would come out before school. He stated that if he had all of his teeth when he went back to school I would have to give him all my money and credit cards. And I said sure! Whew! now I can keep all two dollars that I have. There are three more loose ones....Eating corn on the cob is going to get harder and harder and....

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-05T10:53:00.006-05:00

This year the Cullen cabin hosted the Van Family Summer Weekend! The Super Secret Chipmunk club reconvened to see how much food they can steal. They did come out of their hide out for the 1st Annual Big Bear Skin Fisherie! Unfortunately these chipmunks came up empty. We hung around a lot...Zachary got a kick out of Uncle Rob, we all do really. Later in the day the kids went out fishing again and this time they hit the jackpot! Jamison caught his first, second, third, fourth and fifth fish! Boy was he excited! Gma Jill gave them a tackle box with lots of lures for an early bday gift and boy were they excited!! The boys caught a total of 13 fish that time around! Groovy baby! Aunt Katie and Kim went out on a tour of the lake. The men convened to discuss the rules of ladder ball...is it 1 pt for the blue or 1 point for the white. Directions were even read! Carolyn voted that she knew the red was 2 points! Sparklers and assorted fireworks were set off. I was surprised that Peter tried the sparklers...i was sure he would think they were too hot for him. Love the lips...pucker up! The last time we had photos of the whole Van Family Jamison and Peter were 6 months old...so Gma requested new ones be taken. Here are all their grandboys...i would say grandkids...but there is no girl to be seen.Do you think they are all nice boys! why yes, they are! Thank you Don and Jill and Dianna for letting us use your cabins! All 16 Vans had a great time! This was the last hoorah for the Cabin as we know it. The whole thing is coming down and a new bigger and better version is on its way up! Cant wait! Happy 4th of July.

Tennis and Trolls

2011-07-05T10:11:00.005-05:00

Tennis group shot!

Kids line up, parents line up and let the photo shoot begin! I like this better then the profession shots that cost way too much!

Peter entered this years Lego contest at the library. Two years ago he won 2nd place in the 4-6yo category. Since he is still technically still 6 he decided to compete in this age group so he would "have a better chance to win." And win he did! 1st place! The theme was to build something that you would see on vacation....i guess he wants to go to the rain forest because he built a rain forest with harpy eagle eggs, flowers, ponds rivers etc. Way to go Peter!

On our way back from the library we passed the newest trolls. The boys thought this activity was for toddlers but I insisted..that is why they do not look all that thrilled in the photos.

We Capture you!

This and That

2011-06-26T20:34:00.008-05:00

As promised, action shots of Jamison at tennis practice.

I think he likes it, but I think he spends more time walking around picking up balls or chasing balls than actually practicing the skills.

Peter at his first game....the stance is good and he got a decent hit! Watch out for this lefty!

Saturday I came outside and saw this! watch out! So Jamison would not drive the pink barbie jeep because "it was too hard" but give him a garden tractor and he feels right at home?

Pat had some time to work on the zip line and ALMOST has it done. Done "enough" to give it some test runs. This is Jamison right before his first run. I told him on his first run that I would hold onto the rope and walk him down. At first he was upset that I would not let go...but as he was going he was screaming "dont let go, dont let go!" at the bottom he then yelled at me saying "mom, why didnt you let go? I wanted to go fast, can I go again?!" So he went again, and again and again. He thought we were being mean because we would not let him go full speed but as he was going down he had this look of terror on his face. I think we are going to have an adrenaline junky on our hands. We promised that we would let him go full speed when we have a kid-sized harness and have the break/platform figured out. Which leads us to the video below...enjoy. This is Pat's first run....i stopped the video a little short for you to see that he ran into the platform, knocking it over completely upside down leaving him hanging with no way to get down.

I had to drag him to a lower point so he could get off.

We invited the neighbors for a couple trials (teresa crashed into the tree) and I took a couple runs (caught my legs on the bungy cord). No one was seriously injured....but we have a little testing before we call it "open for business".

Isaac even gave it a try (with Joe walking him down). His brothers are going to be jealous that he got to ride it first.

Sunday we took to the tennis courts for some practice and fun. Great reach Peter, still a little too high.

Jamison asked to take his shirt off because he was hot. He was surprise we said yes, and spent some time admiring his muscles and "six pack abs." I was a little distracted by his glaring white skin, maybe he should spend more time with out his shirt on.

Whitewater camping with the ladies

2011-06-20T11:55:00.013-05:00

First camping trip of the season! Whitewater State Park with the ladies!

Tradition dictates that Peter makes a tent for his cuddle friends...and this year is no different!

First thing on the list of things to do....S'MORES! and boy were they tasty!

Another camping tradition - glow sticks. One broke in Jamison's hand and fortunately i learned from the Hansen family that they are not toxic, even if your daughter broke it in their mouth. Knowing that, and being super interested in his glowing hand we took a picture but would not leave it that way as Jamison hoped.

Saturday morning we were all up for a hike to Chimney Rock and Inspiration Point.

Chimney Rock is always a favorite!

Why is it the kids have to climb on the one big rock that is super close to a HUGE drop off? But for a cute picture i would risk it.

Peter made it out a little farther than he did in years previous, but still not out all the way.

The kids are going to hate us soon for making them pose together but this is a good one!

See, i did it again, and this time I am even going to compare it to the first get-together.

I cant wait to embarrass them when they are older! Here they were ages 3 and 2.

In the afternoon we had some fun beach time! They can run like the energizer bunny...and when the lips turn blue, they are done!

Presents!all kid crack- squinkies for the girls and beyblades for the boys!

Storms held out until after we ate dinner and had birthday treats. We ran for the shelter to play some card games and color.

The storms didn't last long so we got another short hike in before bed.....and then bigger storms came later. Fortunately we all stayed relatively dry.

Sunday....another hike! don't the kids look excited! I think we have succeeded in tiring them out!

Earlier in the week we watched the original Karate Kid. Jamison was inspired by Daniel-san. Wipe on, wipe off!

On this hike we went through some meadows that were great to catch critters. Lucy won my heart...her love for all things creepy crawly is awesome! but is sure made for a slow hike.

Thanks Stacey, Shelby, Lily and Lucy for a great weekend!

Summertime fun!

2011-06-15T15:22:00.010-05:00

Summer time madness begins!

It started with the celebratory ice cream treat on the last day of school.Then a day at Stewart Lake Beach! The weather was not super warm but the sand and sand toys were a lot of fun! There was some algae growth but there was a nice county worker doing his best to move it out of the way. The kids were able to get in the water and get nice and sandy! Some swing time fun that led to............crazy tricks that scared me as well as Peter. Some rain was predicted so we met up with some class mate for some free bowling. Things got a little out of hand and even with the bumpers up Jamison managed to get a real gutterball....the ball rolled on top of the bumpers. Peter got his highest score ever! 107! including three spares and a strike! So if three strikes in a row you earn a turkey...would three spares earn you a chicken?? Peter signed up for basketball camp...we was happy to get some hoop time. Future Vikings Basketball team! Jamison signed up for tennis. I will get some more action shots...wed we had a rain day. We also signed up for the library's book club. We cant forget how to read over the summer.Peter also signed up for coach pitch baseball. He has a good arm but we have to work on getting under some high balls and catching it. The floppy hair might be getting in the way but I think I thought of a way to get around that. headbands and hats! Concentration and force will get you that facial expression. Bummer that he just missed the ball. Uncle Sam wants you! ok, Jamison wants me to stop taking pictures.

Faux Fathers Day

2011-06-15T07:19:00.005-05:00

So I thought Fathers Day was on the 12th. Not sure why I thought that. But we had a weekend free so once we learned it was not until next weekend we pretended that it was!

We took a hike through Natural Bridge State Park, not a big park but it has a cool natural feature.The boys and I have been here before but it was fun to do more exploring on the trails. Fun, until we saw how much poison ivy was along the trails, we were not dresses appropriately for that. So when we got home we scrubbed up and washed all of our clothes just in case.

On Sunday we took the boys to Wisconsin Dells to ride the Ducks. The boys thought is was pretty cool but Pat reported that Peter had a death grip on his leg the whole time.

The tour guide was nice and had some really bad cheesy jokes. I was a little bummed that the boys did not get a chance to drive it. I remember getting a certificate. My, how times have changed.

They had to get up close to see how it worked. Happy Fathers Day!

And then there were none......

2011-06-09T19:56:00.004-05:00

no more days of school. The boys are super excited to start their summer vacation and although I am a little sad that I do not have any more peace and quiet I am very excited to have loads of fun with my now 2nd graders. This is Peter's class, Ms B. She was a great teacher and had a great sense of humor. Thanks Ms B. I did not get a picture of Jamison with his class but I will have another chance as he is in a looping class and will have Mrs. Seymour one more year! Give Peter a challenge and he will break the record! This is his number scroll. Last year the record was 3200, Peter smoked that with 3520! and he says that he is going to work on it more over the summer! That boy loves his numbers! Now that summer has begun the boys need to find things to do. They have this great idea of "brick crawling" Hopfully they will not get the idea to go up! Maybe after the zip line and tree house we need to build a rock climbing wall. Now, 83 days until school starts!

Frolic and the End of the School BBQ

2011-06-06T08:00:00.009-05:00

Summer is coming! Frolic is here! and the Cullen Family hosts the class of 2022 for a BBQ! Peter SO did not want to go to the parade. I dont know why really...there are only a handful of clowns, tiny horses, large machinery, and you can see trucks and JohnDeere tractors modified to suit all your "needs." Pat was impressed with Grandpa's Little "dear" tractor. Looks very home made. It had two car seats (kid on the right of the picture is fast asleep and very sweaty) and a hay bayler type thing that dropped candy! Pat was like a kid at a parade! I think we have 10 pictures and 1 movie of that thing. After the frolic parade we prepared for the BBQ. We buried money and marbles in the sandbox (that is the only way i can get kids to play in the thing) and filled about 400 water balloons. The camera was put away for that....i think I was the one that got the most wet. I love getting to see the kids have fun and meet the parents! One teacher even showed up...but she stayed on the deck for the water balloon...she sent her daughter in as a decoy. Hopefully the kids can keep in touch over the summer with playdates and park/rec activities! They are a great group of kids! After a very needed shower, Jamison felt he had another tooth ready! and sure enough. Come on down tooth fairy! Peter still has all of his teeth BUT one is super loose and should be out soon. Only 4 more days of school left....boooo.

Field trips and Memorial Day weekend at the cabin

2011-05-31T16:50:00.007-05:00

First grade research project-pick an animal that lives in the rainforest, do a report/presentation including a diorama/game/poster. Peter picked poison dart frogs, yeah! He did a great job with the reseach and his best penmanship on his report and I was happy to help out with the hot glue gun. Look carefully, how many frogs can you find? Jamison picked the harpy eagle and wanted to make a statue....so out comes my paper mache skills! He wanted it life size! Those things can be up to 3ft tall! "Jake" was escorted to school on presentation day...didnt think it would have survived a bus ride with 50 students!. Harpy eagles eat sloths and monkeys....maybe he might gobble up a kindergartener! I was planning to go to school and bring him home after Jamison's presentation but as I watched the boys get off the bus....Jake was in Jamison's hands! Jamison assured me that it did not eat any kindergarteners. The boys got ahold of the camera...there are some wonderful shots of Jamison! I chaperoned Jamison's class to Olbrich Garden and Aldo Leopold Nature center. At the gardens we had to find a word for every letter of the alphabet...it took us a while to find the Zinnias. For lunch they stopped at a park...had to make the kids sit for 15min before they overtook the playground! I didnt know you could fit 5 kids on a tire swing! At the nature center we went hunting for life under the water! Dragon fly nymphs and water scorpions! I am in my element. I think the leader was surprised by Jamison...he knew all the answers to her questions! A few days later I chaperoned Peters class to the Henry Vilas Zoo! First stop the herpatarium....thats my boy! Memorial Day we headed up north. We thought the boys were old enough to try real fishing...with hooks, bait and everything! They LOVED it! Peter caught his first fish and has a story about a 18" walleye that got away. I wonder if it was 18"...maybe 8", you know how fishing stories are. Jamison had some good bites but was not able to land the darn thing. So he posed with the one that Gpa caught. Better luck next time! Jamison was curious about the lake and wondered if he could jump in. We said go for it!....Unfortunately, right after this photo he freaked out, forgot how his life jacket worked and started screaming thinking he was going to drown. After we calmed him down we talked about how he was never in danger of drowning and he has to trust the life jacket. We convinced him to ease back in the water and feel how it makes him float. I dont think he is all that convinced....we will have to try it again. The boys tried to get Pat to tip over....no luck. We had a blast up at the cabin! Thanks Gma and Gpa.

Work and Play

2011-05-21T16:05:00.004-05:00

Not much much happening around here these days. I think it is the calm before the storm, and by storm I mean summer vacation. There are only 13 more days of school left, two of which are field trips!. I have mixed feelings about summer vacation.....So many fun things to do but yet the boys are home every day! German chocolates! A package from Heike. We love presents! Thanks Heike! the boys have enough sugar to last them a good long while. Jamison has been focused on extra jobs around the house to earn a couple bucks. He really wants to buy another beyblade so he offers to do extra jobs. Here he is trimming the grass that the lawmmower misses. This is what Peter does while Jamison is working. He is playing with his beyblade. He is going to be one sad boy the day that Jamison earns enough money and he didnt. This weekend we tackled another tree. We are hoping to thin out some of the pines behind the barn. There are a lot of dead branches back there...and it will free up some space for the boys to mess around in the "woods" with out getting lost in Stewart Park. Jamison is an awesome worker. He spent three hours hauling branches on the trailer and then off the trailer at the compost pile. He earned enough money for his toy and wanted to go to Target right away, mud and all! Peter did eventually start to work and did a great job cleaning out the garage. He unfortunately did not have enough money for the toy he wanted and had to borrow money from me.....now he is my slave!

Fishing widow and Mother's Day

2011-05-09T07:58:00.007-05:00

Who plans Fishing Opener the same weekend as Mother's Day? Not sure but it worked out really well this year! Pat went up north fishing and I hung out with the boys all weekend!As a kid we would ask my dad what he wanted as a gift and he ALWAYS replied "good kids". Rarely were we able to deliver. I was pleasantly surprised by the boys as they were fun, happy and all around great kids! and I didnt have to ask! It was awesome. They played well with each other and did not fight and were helpful around the house! It was the best present ever! I also loved their cards and presents made from school! Happy Mother's Day to my mom and all the moms out there!
The weather has been trying to turn around. It was nice enough on saturday to have a picnic dinner outside. We sat outside to enjoy the sun. I just wished the boys would finish eating before they laid down. The latest obsession.....beyblades. Basically tops that would "battle". Last one standing is the winner. They can battle for hours! and there is no trickery or manipulation....which means no fighting or complaining that someone is not being fair. Of all the crazy kid crap for collecting, I think this might be my favorite one.On Sunday we went hiking at a state park that we have never been to before. It was Jamison's turn to take some photos with my camera. He stuck to more trees and plants. Peter did see some rocks that he needed to take pictures of. I am so glad we have a digital camera. We have A LOT of pictures of rocks. This one had a lake where the boys could get their feet wet...and eventually their bottoms. The water was pretty cold but that did not seem to bother the boys. Man, Peter's hair is getting long. it will be interesting how summer goes, it is getting to that length where it is in his eyes all the time. The 16th annual Womens Weekend in Minneapolis at the end of April. WW is like fight club, 1st rule is you do not talk about what is said at WW. 2nd rule, you do not repeat what is said at WW. #3 someone has to bring the Oreos and #4 there has to be booze. Thanks ladies, it was nice to see you all!. Start thinking about the 20th! it has to involve a plane, at least 4 nights and maybe a beach or the use of my passport!

Happy Easter

2011-04-26T08:21:00.007-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! The boys had off of school on friday which gave us a great opportunity to color eggs! The was the best year ever! declared by mom. The boys listened well to instructions, no eggs were damaged in the process and they all turned out really well!! Cant wait til that raskily wabbit comes and gets these! Friday night we thought it was fitting to play poker with dad's psycho rabbit chips. Nothing says Happy Easter more than a crazy rabbit skull and crossbones. Jamison reluctantly played. He is a pretty sore looser as well as a sore winner. I set all the baskets and eggs out for EBunny to come and pick up. Well he came and got them...but seemed to be in a hurry to get out that he scattered eggs all over the yard. We think he remembers that we have a beagle. They had a run in a couple years ago and I dont think EBunny has forgot. We even kenneled Wini for the night. Still didnt work, eggs everywhere! Look at the cheeks on that kid. He could not stuff the candy in fast enough! There was even money in some of them! Woohoo! and now that I look closely at this picture...Jamison's cheeks are puffed out also! Peter remembers that EBunny usually puts a basket in the shower. So Sunday morning the shower was the first place he went to and this is what he found! EBunny took the sign Peter made from the fridge telling Ebunny where the real eggs were and wrote his own little message to the boys. I guess EBunny is a lot like Santa, all knowing and all hearing! Happy Easter Everyone! (this is Peter and his first experience with Poprocks!) Now only if the weather would get on board.....it is suppose to be spring!

Peter Day.....April?

2011-04-19T19:09:00.005-05:00

April 19th, or as we know it around here...Peter day! I went to the Cave of the Mounds and saw that they had a geode splitter. I asked if they would split ones that we bring in and they said sure! So as a Peter day activity he picked out 5 of his to get split! There were not many people there at the time so he got to turn the crank himself! It takes a lot of muscle to break open rocks! They were all solid but still really cool to see the patterns inside! For Peter day meal we had homemade waffles, bacon and strawberries. Yum! and for dessert pink and green mint icecream! For his special gift I picked out some treasures from Cave of the Mound to add to his ever growing rock collection -green calcite, smoky quartz and aragonite. Aragonite is even florescent under ultraviolet light! We will have to set something up to check that out!And the final touch...doughnuts for breakfast! Breakfast of champions! Overall a pretty fantastic Peter day with exception of the weather. Isnt this nasty. Snow in April. Fortunately we are getting ice and slush....just north of here they are getting 6-9inches of snow. Yes you read the correct. Hey Keiko, so you miss WI now????

Happy Peter DAy! gosh, we love that kid!

5° Black Belt

2011-04-17T19:27:00.005-05:00

Mr Tracy, Jamison's martial arts instructor, was testing for his 5°black belt with three others. We went to cheer him on and see some serious martial arts! They were tested in a number of martial arts styles including muay thai, taekwondo, jui jitsu just to name a few. Enjoy some of the videos.

At one point I thought I was watching some baton twirling routines...but without some of the strikes. I can do some of the twirling moves, but not that fast and not with the flips. Not sure why they put them to music, but it was entertaining.
At the end they broke some concrete pavers. Jamison tried it at home on the dining room table....it hurt.....and luckily did not break my table. I wonder if this is going to inspire Jamison to continue? Right now he wants to try everything, which is great! but he is having a hard time learning that you cant do it all. He came home from school on thursday wanting to take on flute lessons and perform for his class on tuesday. Sorry to say that cant happen.

There is a new troll in town

2011-04-13T19:15:00.005-05:00

There is a new troll in town. The Mayor. The last mayor was run out of town by vandals so we welcome him with open arms! (as long as he is not in support of our evil govenor). The family had to go and capture him....but the boys thought this activity was for toddlers and were not all that excited to do so. Even when I said we could get an icecream cone. I guess the bribe of icecream doesnt work for them anymore. It still works for me! Earlier in the day we went on a hike at Blue Mounds. Another activity the boys were not all that excited about and complained about most of the time. Come on guys, the sun is out, and it is warm. Lets get out and enjoy it! Peter showed interest in taking pictures so I gave him the camera and he proceeded to take 95 pictures of rocks. no exaggeration. He wants to print them out and make a photo book out of it. Good idea, but that is a lot of rocks. Some examples of Peter's photography. And a future senior picture. Peter liked the moss pattern on this one. After the hike the boys pretended to be dogs and played "fetch" with each other. Pretty entertaining! All of Peter's free time has been spent outside playing basketball or tossing the baseball. Hey Uncle Matt- heads up Peter has a nice arm! you might get a baseball player in the family!I love this picture as it shows how shaggy Peter is getting! Man I want to cut that hair!

Goals accomplished!!

2011-04-09T18:00:00.007-05:00

The nails have been growing and both boys have made their goals (consecutive days with no chewing on nails). Peter picked out a DS game and Jamison requested an MP3 player. I am proud of both boys and their hard work to kick the nasty habit. I even had to file and trim their nails! I was so excited. Lets see if we can keep it up! Earlier this week we had a few spring storms roll into town, hail the size of golf balls. I have never seen it this big! Fortunatley no major damage....but we have received many calls from roofers. We received a package from Sweden! Shirts and underware from my favorite boy underware store!!!! H&M. THANKS RIKA! They look great! Peter took his off before I could get the picture but I had to post it because he is sporting the shaggy hair-do so nicely. And finally the big day came. American Cancer Society 5K run. Katie and I rocked the event with our best 5K times ever. We both ran the whole thing and did not come in last! Thank you to all that donated, I really appreciate your support. And to my Aunt Lori and neighbor Isaac....keep fighting and stay strong!

Super Fun Spring Break

2011-04-04T08:08:00.012-05:00

We had a superfun spring break. I dont think we could have fit anymore fun in than what we did!! First stop was Lego Land at MOA. Helicopter, robot, sabertooth tiger OHMY! Jamison bets there are at least 1000 legos in one of those things! Unfortunately Peter was still battling the remains of the flu. He would have spurts of energy and then feel miserable. Poor guy, we did what we could! Do you think an Icee would make you feel better?This moose was made out of all single legos. As Jamison even points out, even his bugers. Dinner was at the Rainforest Cafe, the coolest restaruant ever, declared by Jamison. He had to watch out to make sure the toucan did not steel his fries. We made it to the Target Center for our first professional basketball game- Timberwolves/Bulls game. The Timberwolves do not have a great record this year but we still cheered them on against the team that Michael Jordon was on. You know he sells underware now. MaryAnn recorded the game at home so we were able to watch the last quarter in the morning. They lost 91/108. It was still fun to see! (and get icecream and popcorn)Crunch was a busy guy by our section, handing out carmel corn, spraying sillystring on a Bulls fan and making a guy into a pizza. What would you do for a year's worth of Klondike bars? It was late and we had a really long day! The boys were troopers. On the way out we got to measure ourselves against some of the players. I dont know what I will do if Peter has size 19 feet like Kevin Love. Jamison only comes up to these guys' belly buttons! Next day, Science Museum! Say "HI" Izzy the Iguana. Again today, Peter would have spurts of energy and then have to rest but he did what he could! Hello? I hear there is King Tut around here! No pictures were allowed in the King Tut exhibit but it was pretty cool. Harrison Ford narrated some of the video and I told the boys to listen carefully, that voice is Hans Solo and Indiana Jones....they were really confused. And as a final treat we went to the Onmitheater's presentation of Mummies. The boys were pretty impressed with the ginormous movie screen and I was pretty impressed that Peter did not throw up (sometimes those movies make you a little woosie...and Peter is prone to that)We also had to take a look at those zebra mussels...my contribution to science! The boys also spent plenty of time in the gift shop. Peter was proud of himself not spending his money all in one day (legoland). Instead it was all gone on the second day. Way to show retraint! MN still had snow....even in April! We are happy we live way more south! We had to get a picture buy a bronze Charlie Brown...it is StPaul after all! Thursday night we invited ourselves to Uncle Rob's house for dinner. We were able to see our cousins, aunts and uncles and reunite the Super Secret Chipmunk Club which evolved to jumping on beds in the dark. Then the chipmunks practiced their egyptian dance routine!Friday was a lazy morning, stalking the pink house, enjoying caribou coffee, playing cards (and finally beating Peter) and having a burger at Snuffy's Malt Shop. When Pat learned we went there he was super jealous. Although I was wishing we went to Keys Cafe across the street. yum. In the afternoon we met our friends at the SeaLife Aquarium at MOA. We also went on the behind the scenes tour where we got to get up close and personal with a giant sea turtles, see baby sharks and learn what they feed all of the animals. It was really cool! Thanks Larsons!! Here Peter is playing "hiding Nemo", a lot more difficult than "finding Nemo" . I like it when the animals are nice enough to smile for the camera. Saturday we met more friends for breakfast and then headed to the Walker Art Museum Kid's Day. We enjoyed a play, made some art and took in the sculptures. The art task was to spin two wheels, one with an action and one with a thing. We needed to create a PlayThingy of the thing doing the action. There were a lot of "things"Here is Jamison's "sniffing fork" Here is Peter's "eating sink". The boys got to spend some of their bottled up energy in the sculture garden, doesnt this look like an opening to a sitcom? What a beautiful day! Had to get the classic Mpls picture!"The cummulative effect of this sculture recalls all of visual and emotive force I attach to the atomic world" says Jamison

"I know, the sculpture is redhot, powerful and strangely elegant" says Joe

"I wonder how deep this mud puddle is?" says Peter Smile boys! or the fish is going to slap you in the face! Who would have thought that a pool of water would be so inviting to boys. Who do you think is going to fall in or get really wet? The winner.....Peter. He claims the sleeve of his shirt slid down when he was trying to touch a fish.

"Arikidea" a gigantic steel structure, artfully balanced in such a way that a cool breeze or gentle touch will cause the structure to sway OR have 3 boys jump and swing on the wood platform to try to get it to move while the 4th boy is still trying to read the map. "Really mom, this is art?. It looks like a bridge over the highway". Thanks Woessners for coming with us to the Walker! We had loads of Fun!. Final stretch....some relaxation with the ladies. Some backyard fun, campfire and smores. Go LONG! Peter can play catch all day! At night, a sleep over with movie. Reluctantly the boys agreed to watch Tangled. They were convinced that it was only about kissing. They happily reported that there were only two times there was kissing and Jamison admitted that he first closed his eyes...but then opened them and it wasnt all that bad. At home.....at last. Dad made his famous waffles and bacon for dinner, and Jamison prepared his plate in the most genious way! Bacon sprinkles! It might be a new trend.

Spring break was awesome! BUT I now have two very tired boys who are not so interested in going back to school. The morning came too fast....but once they see their friends and teachers I am sure they will be happy. Thank you to everyone we saw for a fantastic trip! I sure do miss the city, all the fun things to do there and all of our friends but I do not miss the potholes and stops signs.

Spring Break (part1) and Belt Graduation

2011-03-29T19:31:00.009-05:00

I can not take it any longer. I have to get the boys to kick the nasty habit. So I ordered a number of different products to help them in their journey as well as an incentive, yes a bribes. They have been working really hard and I am proud of them. I will make sure to take pictures of the luscious long nails when we get there! It is spring break this week and boy do we have a load of fun planned! First we started with using the oil pastels, something I never let them use because of my fear of a terrible mess. It was anti-climatic when we realized they were too much like crayons. I remember them way more messy. I wonder if they have changed. Sadly Peter came down with a fever and flu-like symptoms so monday was a tv/videogame/nap taking kind of day. Tuesday was some errands and a trip to the UW Geology Museum. The museum also has fossils, meteorites and some bones! This is a mastadon that was found here in WI and a duck billed creature! Watch out boys, that T-Rex is going to eat you! Jamison wanted to take a picture...he thought this was cool. Peter's turn for the picture. He was in heaven! calcite, Thomsonite, geodes, amethyst oh my! My favorite was when we were in the Illuminating rock room and pushed the button for the black light to come on. Peter was so excited and leaned into take a closer look at the super cool glowing rocks that he wacked his head on the glass. He was totally embarrassed even though there was no one else there. Poor guy, I think he could have spent the whole morning there! I am sure we will be going there again and again!Tonight was another big night for Jamison. Belt graduation! He gets to show off some of his skills he has been working on. Too bad his mother could not catch a kick in action....darn delay in the camera. This the the front leg round kick. And then the end of the back leg wheel kick.Way to Go Jamison!!! Look at that smile from ear to ear! We have decided to take a break from the martial arts to enjoy and take advantage of all the park and rec summer activities. Jamison would have signed up for everything in the catalog if he could. But he is learning that you cant do it all! Now some videos catching some of the action!
Here Jamison has to keep his position with out Phoenix rolling him over.
I guess Jamison thinks the stiff arm to the face is the best tactic.
Jamison was then matched up with Dixion, a little guy, Listen carefully to what sounds like a baby lion growling, that would be Dixon.
Jamison was then matched up with a blackbelt older kid, but I was sidetracked watching Mr. Tracey take on Dixon. More fun to come!

American Cancer Society-Madison 5K Run

2011-03-25T08:46:00.002-05:00

In January I started the Couch to 5K running program as a way to stay active through the cold winter months. I signed up the the ACS Madison 5K run as a goal to complete. Since then we learned that my 3rd grade neighbor boy's cancer returned and my aunt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. So now it is no longer a personal goal of mine, I am running in honor of the battle Isaac and Lori now have to undergo. If you can, please go the website below to make a pledge.

Thank you in advance!

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/rebeccalcullen

March madness

2011-03-21T10:32:00.005-05:00

Not basketball madness....spring fever madness. We need green grass, warmer temperatures! Saturday was a really nice day so we took to the woods at Govenor Dodge State Park. Hiking to Stephen's Falls was a little treacherous but we made it. The water was cold! and even colder when it is in your shoe!"Hey Peter, lets climb the rocks" You dont have to ask the boys twice if they want to climb rocks. It was actually safer to climb up this way then it was to take the path! I am confused....i have a sweatshirt and there is still snow....please let spring come soon! We were not planning on doing this but we ended up shopping for bikes. Those darn boys grew too much over the winter and looked just plan silly on their old bikes. I think the boys found their perfect bike...cool colors, a little extra bling (hand break and what ever those things are that stick out of the front wheel) and oddly not as heavy as their old ones. It took Jamison a little longer to find his but the red Nascar with yellow tires seem to be the "fastest" Field testing....in the parking lots where you can make all the circles you want! Cant wait to hit the trails (which are sadly still snow covered and super muddy)

Not much grooven' except Jamison

2011-03-14T07:58:00.005-05:00

Not much is going on lately. A couple birthday parties, some spring cleaning and a lot of fighting. I dont know if it is a boy thing but lately the boys cant look at each other with out hitting/punching/kicking etc. I am hoping it is a little spring fever because otherwise it might make for a long summer. Snow is melting...and the boys wanted to get outside...great! AND all on their own the dug out the baseball gloves and baseball and started tossing it back and forth. I was amazed! They were getting along, they started a game and they were not breaking anything. We had to capture that rare event on "film". Three minutes after this picture Jamison came in crying saying that Peter bent his fingers backwards and Peter yelled "well you slammed the door on me". So I think I was dreaming. Friday nights are game night around here! and boy do they get exciting! Imagine....a nice family game evolving to this....Oh, ya. When you dance all crazy you have to take your shirt off! I cant wait for spring when we can get outside and burn off some of this energy!

Right of Passage

2011-03-02T08:13:00.007-06:00

Can you believe it. I have the last two first graders in the whole world that have not lost a tooth and life is unfair, or so I am told. Well, I think Jamison has been working on one of his a lot recently and I told him that I could probably yank that thing out of there. With a twinkle in his eye he said, "really?!" So I told him to think about it for a day and let me know. Well, he was ready to give it a try. He gathered all of his cuddle friends on his bed for support. The before picture. I gave it a couple tugs and it was not coming. I did not want to pull too hard or hurt it too much. So I said that we could try in a couple more days unless he want to try it. So he gave it a try, it did not come out but he reported that he heard a crack. Upon examination....something did give way so i gave it one more try and POP goes the tooth!Man, he was excited and happy! He can now join the ranks of all of his other classmates and is no longer the last 1st grader to not have lost a tooth, that would be Peter. Peter does not contain his jealousy well. In tears he admitted to hitting his teeth on the edge of his dresser in hopes that is will loosen some of his. We had to have a little talk. We assured him that his teeth will come out and that it will happen soon. And for him when it does, they will probably come out at the same time and he wont be able to eat corn on the cob. He still did not care and cried himself to sleep. poor guy. The tooth fairy now knows where we live and will probably be a frequent visitor over the next year. There are a lot of teeth to come out! She better stock up on those dollar coins!

Cullen boys and boys and more boys

2011-02-28T08:23:00.011-06:00

The east coast Cullen boys were at Gma Jills for the week so we had to go visit.The first thing they had to do....gogo poker! I guess its in their genes. Gpa cleared off an area on the lake for skating, hockey and broomball. The boys did much better on the skates this year.....surprising well. I hope they dont want to play real hockey. Jamison looks pretty natural on those skates! He started off wearing the bike helmut but then took it off and surprisingly no one bonked their heads! With out skates Pat fell, we all laughed....and then I did it. The difference was that I had the camera so there was no proof that I fell. Did I say that I fell..of course i didnt. After some crazy fun everyone needs a nap, it could be on a couch, or a bed or in Gpa's closet. you can choose. Day two, more skating! or falling. Depends if you look at the glass half full or half empty. Hockey anyone?? Gpa was out fishing and caught this guy....his name is "Swimmy" Swimmy tasted good. and so did the rootbeer floats. I wonder if Tim felt like momma bird feeding all of her baby chicks? Version 2 of the cullen couch picture. It has been about two years since the last one. How many Cullen boys can you fit in a hottub?You know this kid is a Cullen.....that is brick cheese. Peter smelled like dirty socks for the rest of the day! peeyew! Gma borrowed a death mobile...i mean snowmobile for the day. Man I am nervous around machines like that. Pat promised to be smart and stay safe. Jamison came off with a giant smile and a thumbs up. Peter wasnt thrilled and has no desire to ride again. That reconfirms my thoughts that although Peter is a spitting image of his dad....he is more like me! Gpa is sporting the Grizzly Adams beard while giving Finn a ride on the 4 wheeler. Did anyone say peanuts! Watch the stampede out to the fishing shack. Thanks gma and gpa for a great weekend and thanks to the east coast cullens for their visit!

It's a three ringed CIRCUS out there

2011-02-20T08:13:00.003-06:00

We now can protect our Ben&Jerry's icecream! Now we just have to remember the combination! It has been super warm around here and the snow has been seriously melting! The boys were able to get outside and launch their sling shot rockets that they got for christmas. And boy! can they go far! Cant wait until one lands on the roof! The boys have never been to a circus, and the Shriners are in town...So "Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls....!" There were tigers and elephants, jumping dogs, BMX bikes, motorcross bike tricks, a human cannon ball and much much more!. I was a little disappointed that there was not a small car with 20 clowns, but I was ok with that. I am not a fan of clowns. The boys were also excited that there were snow cones and cotton candy! Excited until Jamison started to feel sick and said that the cotton candy tastes like sugary fur. I dont think he is going to have cotton candy anymore. The boys thought that it was funny that the announcer lady changed clothes like 6 times during the whole show. That was a lot of work! Fun was had by all! Thank you Shriners for putting on a good show!

Wilderness Weekend of WOW

2011-02-14T12:23:00.010-06:00

Our annual trip to the Wilderness with the ladies. We get so excited for it each and every year. The kids are old enough now where the parents are not worried that they will run off but not old enough for the parents to sit at the table and drink their bud light. So off to the lazy river and large slides we go! Peter brought the cards and gogos for a friendly round of Texas Hold'm. In a clever played slow-play hand Peter walked away with the whole gogo gang! After dinner we headed back to the indoor portion of crazy fun. We stayed about 10 minutes too long, as all kids were melting down and had no interest in posing for the bear picture. With a good night rest we were ready for some more! The girls thought Jamison was so nice and dreamy they had to be close to him at all times. In a couple years they are all going to be too big for this picture. Grandma Jill made some aprons for the girls and their dolls. They were so excited to see the kitty patterns because they just got a new kitty! And Shelby pointed out that Lily can not go anywhere with out "Tigy", Keiko, does that look familiar! Day 2 at the water park! Jamison was so excited that he was tall enough to go down the body slide! Peter seemed excited but when he landed on the bottom he reported that he hit his head, almost cried and then never went down it again. We will try it again next year. I think all kids were tired, and sadly Peter had a bad ear ache so no fun was to be had until the motrin kicked in. Jamison, i still think you are dreamy! We tried one more bear picture...this one at least has all the kiddos. We had so much fun with the Hansons! Cant wait for next year! Woohoo!

SUPERBOWL BABY!!!

2011-02-08T07:57:00.005-06:00

Oh YA! Superbowl XLV champs. WOOHOO!The boys wore their Superbowl tshirts...only because it had a Steelers helmet on. I came to the understanding that my children will experiement and if I push them to like the Packers they may become real Dolphin and Viking fans. So they can cheer for who they like but they know I will always cheer for the Pack!! and if they get mean about it they wont get..........all of this. Oh ya....green and gold chips and the official cookie of the NCAA(basketball)...football shaped oreos. I see the natural progression. Ha. The cookies were used as a good behavior bribe. I promised the boys that they could see the BlackEyedPeas for the half time show as long as they had good behavior. Well the oreos were gone by the half just in time and the boys went to bed all sugared up!. Man I wish i was at the Superbowl....maybe next year! Friday the boys had a field trip to the Overture Center in Madison for a play. Popovich's Pet. The entire theater was filled with school age children watching cats dogs and birds dressed in silly costumes doing tricks. Fun for the kids....a little loud for the chaperones. Jamison and his buddies were ready for the show! No kids were lost in transport and the bathrooms survived the massive bathroom break before the bus ride home. I cant wait to chaperone Peter's class when they go to the zoo in May! That will be a little more relaxed......bah!

Snow Day!

2011-02-03T10:56:00.007-06:00

They warned a blizzard was a'comin. And they did not lie. 16+ inches of snow.Tuesday the boys had a 2 hour delay and then were sent home 45 minutes early...which makes me think why go at all? Then Wed school was cancelled and then Thur they had another 2 hour delay. Friday they have a field trip....so this week was full of learning! At least the sun came out for a little while so we could trick ourselves into thinking it was warmer.. Why does a large mound of snow inspire boys to jump?

Over and over and over again? At least this event gave us another opportunity to recreate another childhood picture of Pat's. I guess it was not as much as this time, but sadly I know we are not done getting snow. I suggested to the boys that they make a snow fort and they both dismissed saying that that would be no fun. I went about my business shoveling. 10 minutes later I hear "Mom, we are making our own rooms!" So I guess they are just like every man out there...once it becomes their idea it is the best one ever!

View from across the street. Drifts were up over 7 feet! Poor Mrs Bakken is not getting out for a while! When is spring? According to Punxsutawney Phil, spring is early! Lets hope he is right, otherwise I might be on a ship along the Mexican coast!

Boy weekend

2011-02-01T09:04:00.007-06:00

Pat is away ice fishing with co-workers. An activity I will never understand. I dont have the patience to fish in a boat, let alone sit on the ice, cold, staring at a hole, but whatever. So the boys and I decided to go sledding! A little windy but a lot of fun! Hot chocolate and mint tea are in store when we get home!

We cracked open our new german game, the Magical Labyrith. It was really fun! but I had a sad realization that my memory is not as sharp as it use to be. We sadly had to cheat and peak at the hidden labyrinth to finish. Thanks Heike! This is a good one! After all that sledding we needed a rest. I guess Peter was nice and toasty, ie sweaty, from his nap. If Peter is going to grow his hair long he will have to be introduced to a comb. V-Day is coming so we have to get started on our valentine cards! This was a great activity for a weekend with out dad. (and we can sneak a couple candies into our own bellies!) Googly eyes are always a nice touch to a valentine! For movie night the boys and I watched Karate Kid, the newer one with Jayden Smith. Although I am not a fan of remakes...this one was visually beautiful as it was filmed in China, and not southern California. Jamison was inspired by Dre's (Jayden Smith) well defined six-pack abs. He has decided that he is going to work out everyday so he too can have them. If push-ups weren't enough....you have to have your feet on a chair!

GO PACK GO!

2011-01-24T08:51:00.008-06:00

!!!!!GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!We are going to party all night and sleep all day! or atleast I am. My boys have declared that they HATE the Packers and are not going to cheer for them. I cant believe my offspring can think like that. Maybe they dont eat enough cheese....or drink enough beer. Hopefully one day they will come to their senses. In the mean time...woohooo SuperBowl here we come! The boys have been making projects out of paper. This one is some sort of weapon. I did not ask more. Jamison has one too and they battle. I guess that is what boys do. I went to the upstairs of the barn and this is what I found, it looks like a snowman pooped up there. No windows were open, there was no sign of leaks...but yet a pile of snow. Interesting. Pat has an exam to take for work so he has been studying and studying. He will not let himself play poker on the computer or watch any movies. Now that is dedication! I think he took the camoflage approach and hoped that noone would see him. It didnt work, somehow Peter made him move over.! It has been seriously cold around here the past few days (high of 5 degrees!) and we are needing a way to burn off some energy. So off to Madtowne Twisters it is! Balance beams, trampolines, bounce houses and foam pits will tire out a boy or two pretty well!

If you know of how i can convert to anti-packer fans let me know! The next two weeks to the superbowl are going to be long ones!!!!

Yippee! Go PACK GO!!

Basketball!

2011-01-17T08:37:00.005-06:00

Basketball season started at the Primary Center! Peter is very excited and happy for it to be his turn (he has been a little jealous of Jamison and his martial arts).He is on the blue team, also known as the Knicks. On the last day of the program they get to play the parents. He has already started to "talk the talk"! Look at his moves! Watch out Koby...PC is the new up and coming hot shot! (you can also call him "rock". His words, not mine). Pat's company holiday party was the night of the Packer game so it slowing became a Packer Party with TVs in every room. People were encouraged to enter the dessert contest...prizes would be awarded! Pat wanted to do my NewYork Style cheesecake in the shape of a cheesehead! Marbles were used to make the dents, not fingers. The trick was to get the color of a cheese head but not loose the taste of the sour cream topping. So a little experimenting it looked like this. Sadly, he did not win the prize....I dont think people appreciated the "cheese head cheese cake" But it was real tasty. The winner was a cheesecake filled chocoate cup with pecans and carmel. I will admit the chocolate cup was tasty, but I still think our was better. Maybe next year! I guess we have to work more on the presentation.
We reciprocated the boy sleepover with the Moore Family! Caleb, Isaac, Peter and Jamison get along so well! Everyone had a blast. Sledding, pizza making, craft building and movie watching! It was a hit! Pizza making became a pizza eating contest...i think I saw pizza coming out their ears! So much pizza, no one asked for popcorn during the movie! I made the mistake or renting Alpha and Omega, a nice looking film about wolf packs. I did not realize that the gentle "love story" between Kate, the alpa, and Humphrey, the omega, would gross out 4 boys as much as it did!

"ewe, they are going to kiss!!!! That is what nose rubbing is, kissing!! ewe!"
"I am going to have bad dreams tonight!" It was not really a good movie, I would not recommend it, but it was fun for me to listen to the "boy" comments. After 20 minutes of "talking" light were out and boys were fast asleep! Thanks Moore Family for a great weekend!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-11T08:32:00.003-06:00

I know I am 11 days late, but Happy New Year! We were at the cabin enjoying some peace and quiet. So quiet and relaxed I did not take any pictures. No pictures until the boys said to Grandma "mom hasnt taken any pictures this weekend!" So when I heard that I had to sneak up and get one of each! And the boys ran! but i was able to get one of each! The boys are back to school and now I am going room by room cleaning, purging and organizing. Old toys become new and exciting when stored in a new location. Unfortantely this masterpiece is in the middle of the living room. Cars are launched through the tunnel and are now back under the couch where I just pulled them out from. Good grief!

Iron Chef Cullen

2010-12-31T07:51:00.011-06:00

Welcome to Iron Chef Cullen. A delectable Japanese tradition has taken root on American soil. We have been graced with our own kitchen stadium where our mother has brought together the pugnent flavors of east and west. It is here where the best of the best meet for the ultimate challenge. Today's secret ingredient is........Oyster Crackers! And now America, in an open heart and empty stomach, I say onto you in the words of my Uncle (or of the chairman in tv's Iron chef)......ALE CUISINE! The boys have 60 minutes to prepare a main course and a dessert. I have been asked to act as a sous chef for both teams....Team Jamison and Team Peter. The battle got off to a good start.....slicing and dicing. Jamison prepared a coconut chicken soup with peas, carrots and oyster crackers. He is also assisted but the dark side....a Darth Vadar apron and flipper. Peter sped through the main course and was ready for dessert. A side-by-side comparison of main courses.For the main course Peter chose hamburgers with provalone, lettuce pepperoni and oyster crackers. For dessert he went family style with icecream sprinkles, hersey kisses, M&M, skittles and oyster crackers. Pat commented that the ooyster crackers did actually taste good with the icecream, the good mixture of salty and sweet. The skittles however would crack a tooth if you were not careful.Jamison seemed to share the same inspiration and went family style for dessert also. The judging categories are-Taste, Originality, Plating and a new 4th category of cleanliness. It was a super close battle. And the winner is...... Jamison, with 90pts. Peter had 86 pts. The boys were tied for cleanliness, plating and taste, but Jamison edged Peter out with originality. What a close battle! Maybe it was the dark side that helped Jamison in the long run? One more package arrived in the mail, from Lily and Lucy! Robots. We are all very excited! Jamison's was made out of a beer can which Pat was happy to help out in the raw materials department. Peters has some serious gears that needed a little extra sodering but we got up and running! Thanks Lily and Lucy. Wini has been having a hard time following the rules of the house.....no dogs on couches. She feels that if there is a blanket on the couch that that is an invitation to bury herself in them. So, no blankets on the couch. That means this is where she goes. I would like to think that a nice dog bed would remedy this but sadly I know that it wont. Darn old dog!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T16:56:00.007-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! We know winter is here when we see the Massey's snowman. This year the tree, eyes and smile light up at night. I think the boys are getting tired of me taking pictures of them as they did not want to pose in front of it this year. Christmas eve we opened presents from each other as well as our friends and family from around the country and over seas. All four Santas from Germany arrived in one piece! and are surveying wether or not the boys have been good or bad. The day of Christmas Eve they were definitly on the "bad"list. Thanks Heike for all the gifts! we cant wait to play the game! From Japan the boys received a box full of Keiko treats! And a fun book on how to write Japanese words. Jamison started right away! and Peter loved the Pokeman magazine! Thanks Keiko! The boys found an investment with the greatest return.....for only $2.99 you can buy a 1 million dollar bill! Each boy gave Pat one.....he is rich!! Peter gave Jamison a nerf shot gun. Not my favorite idea but he came up with it all on his own and Jamison is very excited. Now we need to talk about some basic hunting saftey rules....#1 no shooting your brother mother father or pets. Jamison gave Peter a Koby Bryant statue that went up to Peter's book shelf of treasures. Pat and I gave the boys sa DS. (excellent finds on craigslist and Pats old one but they dont know that. How else can anyone afford that stuff!?) And this his how the boys look most of the time. According to the boys "This is the best Christmas EVER"...and Santa has not even come yet. The boys were fascinated with watching NORAD's santa tracker. He was getting closer and closer so you better get to bed little boys!And boy did Santa come! We have a tree in the up-up stairs and the boys did not know which tree he was going to drop the load so they devised a plan. Who ever wakes up first goes and wakes up the other. Then one boys runs up-up stairs and the other runs downstairs and they will call to each other about what they found. It was super cute to listen to. Santa did make it to the up-up stairs because the lights were mysteriously on....I know I did not leave them on. But all the presents were downstairs. Jamison declared that they must have been better than what he was thinking because Santa brought all of these presents! Jamison was besides himself when he opened "World of Zoo" a DS game that he has been wanting for almost 2 years. I told him that I contacted Santa to let him know that we were giving him a DS so hopefully he would bring a game. And he did! I dont know whose kid this is....I thought we lived in Packer country! Peter was decked out in all basketball clothes...a Lakers hat and a Portland Jersey! I dont think Santa thought it was a good idea to bring Viking clothes to WI.....and he is a smart man! The boys have been wearing the hats every day! I keep my house cool, but a hat is not required. I guess it is cool to wear them ALL of the time. After all of the gift opening the boys wanted to get started on the Lego building....and they got a lot of Legos! So we had a lego building party! Pat has been miserably sick for weeks....so we headed up to Green Bay with out him. (he ended going the the doctor...something that NEVER happens and was given some meds for a serious sinus infection. He is now on an upward trend). We picked names and opened presents from grandma/pa and aunts and uncles. Instead of going the normal "by age" order, we played a game of picking out names from a hat. The boys were real sports as they were the second and third to last to open. poor guys! They were real good helpers for their younger cousins! The siblings did a $5 limit game. Pat bought $5 worth of scratch off lotter tickets that seemed to be sought out by many. One card even won $2! Video games are loved by all ages!

We are having a fantastic holiday. Thank you everyone from your warm holiday wished and gifts. We hope everyone has a safe, healthy 2011!

belt graduation

2010-12-20T17:17:00.015-06:00

Jamison was so excited for this day to come. Belt graduation. He even told his teacher that he was not going to be in school because he was graduating. She was a little confised until she realized it was martial arts graduation.He has earned his white/yellow belt and I have never seen him more proud and excited. Mr Tracey tested for all of the needed skills and then had the kids demonstrate their skills. (video of the mountianeers sweep and muay thai punch combinations below). "Jamison has demonstrated a black belt attitude, a real can do attitude." says Mr Tracey. and now he cant wait to put the belt on! He was glowing from ear to ear! Great work Jamison!

see how Jamison keeps his guard when he is throwing his punches. Mr Tracey announced that Jamison did the best job keeping his hands up! WAY TO GO! (btw, if you put your hands down Mr Tacey bonks you in the head)

For the boys holiday party we made these crazy snowmen.

I like manipulating food into fun things. I have to say they dont look as good as the picture on the website, so I can say my career in food styling will be a short one. They were still a hit with the first graders and their teachers. Even cats love christmas. This is Indy's favorite hang out. I think he is on the look out for the man in red.

NewYork City

2010-12-15T18:36:00.008-06:00

Yup! That is the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Pat was so kind to let me and MA head out to NYC for a big weekend. Only goal for the weekend......see Matt Lauer. And we did. We also got on TV, i was so proud. Can you see us? We are the two people to the right of the screen. I am so proud. We didnt get to chat with any of the hosts, but we didnt have a silly sign. We tried to get on the Jimmy Fallon show but they did not take as many standby as we had hoped. I hear the show was not that funny and Maroon 5 played off key. (ok i dont know that but that is what we are telling ourselves to make us feel better)The rest of the time we checked out all the super cool stores, markets and christmas displays. This is the big piano from the Tom Hanks Movie "Big" at FAO Shwartz. I had to hit the NBA store for Peter....look how tall these guys are! I am ready to take them on! We also ate at fantastic restaurants and none of them had a kids menu! I love how NewYorkers park! I made Katie pick out a christmas tree. I wanted to see someone carry a tree down the road with light snow falling from the sky. Unfortunately (or fortunatley for us) all the snow was falling in the midwest so I had to settle for just the tree. Katie was so excited to have a real tree!The trip was great! Time away, good food and drinks and I finished my holiday shopping! Thanks KT for letting us stay and for showing us around town! And thanks MA for coming with me!

six pack

2010-12-07T20:57:00.005-06:00

Pat and I went to the packer game. It was too cold for Jamison to go, sorry buddy you will have to wait until next year. I am not a fan of the old time uniforms they were wearing, it was really hard to see the player numbers and I would get confused as to who I was cheering for.Pat spotted a Wookie, i guess they are packer fans! We told Peter this in hopes that he would change his mind and start cheering on the pack...instead of that other team. Peter loves StarWars, and if wookies are packer fans then he should too. I am all for peer pressure. Have to prepare him for middle school. Jamison has been getting some great excersize at his martial arts class. We told him if he is doing all of his crunches he is going to have six-pack-abs like his teacher Mr Tracey. So after dinner he says......"mom, can you see my 'six something?" I am still trying to get our cute holiday photo, but have had no luck. (not sure why blogger flipped this photo, it was suppose to be horizontal) This is the best one so far. Peter was really mad....but if you use your imagination he could be squinting in the sun.....i am not convinced.

Emergency!

2010-11-30T19:34:00.014-06:00

I neglected to add on the Thanksgiving post what the boys said that they were thankful for...so I thought I would start there. Jamison said that he is thankful for the American Flag and his cat, Indy. I never knew that he was that patriotic but I did know he loves his cat! He mauls him everyday. Peter said that he was thankful for life, I thought that was really special.
Pat's received a birthday present from Heike. It is always fun to try new things. This year was some tasty sweets and these little bottles of interesting booze. Pat described is as a cross between goldslagger and Jagermister. He had a cold, so he thought it would help him sleep and get better, and it did.Jamison's friend Austin is already questioning whether or not santa exists, I knew there would be bad influences at school. "Mom, have you even seen the sleigh and "reindeer" (he uses the quotation marks like reindeer antlers). I responded that I have seen some questionable lights in the sky, I have seen reindeer (caribou) and they make a fantastic coffee and how else could you explain the presents under the tree? After a long discussion he is now convinced that Santa lives in outer space on a snowy rock and comes down in a rocket. His beard provides the oxygen that he needs. How else could he make it to everyones house in one night.

The boys decided to skip talking to the man in red at the library and they have chosen to write letters, If they dont they will be only getting socks and underware from christmas. Do you think they have been good boys? Only time will tell. They look innocent.....dont let that fool you. I tried to get the holiday photo...a creative shot with the freshly fallen snow and snow angels...and there were tears and protests. Man, if Santa saw them now there is no way they would even get the underware!

Lets talk about emergencies. What qualifies an event to "emergency"status.

1-significant blood loss

2-loss of consciousness

3-eminent danger

Not my light saber broke. Even Shmi Skywalker would not get out of a nice relaxing shower to repair Annikan's light saber. I guess Annikan would think that it is an emergency if he was fighting the Sith and it broke...but I would call that occupational hazard, not an emergency. Let's just say I did not immediately respond to the young padawans plight.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T15:10:00.009-06:00

Thanksgiving up north at Gma Jill and Gpa Don. The boys and I headed out of town before the yucky weather started, Pat had to work and unfortunately drove through the sleet and snow. He made it safely!The boys were a little squirrelly and thought it would be fun to make each other fly. Surprisingly no one got hurt! (The camera was out in the car and was a little frosty but you can still see that Peter is in the air while Jamison is launching him). The time at Grandma's was full of poker! And Grandpa had real poker chips, no legos or GoGos! Jamison was introduced to Chess. He said that he wanted to learn, sadly I had to learn first. Man...there is a lot of of stuff to remember. Pat found an online tutorial for him to play. I better practice too, I have a feeling that he is going to beat me every time. Back home it was time for our second "red-neck" christmas tree cutting. This year's choice was a little, for lack of a better word, rustic. Lets just say it will give Charlie Brown's christmas tree a run for the money. To add insult to injury, Pat took out the chain saw. Nothing says "happy holidays" more than the sound of the chain saw and the smell of gasoline. Let's just say I was able to trim the base of the tree with a hand saw faster than pat was able to get chain saw started. I tried to get a nice picture of the boys in front of the tree but we were loosing light and the boys were not cooperative. I got a nice one of Peter. Jamison was acting weird. Then Peter tried to make Jamison smile, that went over well. I will have to get the christmas card photo at a later date. After Pat's fancy birthday dinner (at Culvers) we decorated the tree. I am happy to have to helpers! They were careful and respectful of all the ornaments. None were broken, yet.I had to rearrange a couple.....I think 3 ornaments in a 3inch section of 1 branch is a little too many. The tree turned out pretty good, a little wild but nice. I think we are going to start planting trees in the woods to cut. I think the remaining three pines in the front yard are too big. The holiday fun has started with a package from friends from Germany! Heike's mom and dad, Christine and Lutz, sent a package! Inside was a fun challenging game of Triominos (triangle dominos). We like our games around here! There was also a stollen which we shared with Gma and Gpa Van when they came down for another holiday meal and the packer game! Thank you Lutz and Christine!!!!! (the packers lost btw...a very sad loss.) With the up-up stairs complete we are able to have another tree up there adorned with all of the StarWars ornaments and remaining balls. Nothing says happy holidays more than the Death Star, Tie-Fighter, R2D2 and Darth Vadar! This tree came from a box and is flame retardant....

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

bad blogger

2010-11-22T19:37:00.004-06:00

I have not updated the blog lately. Partly because I am tired and partly because our lives have not been all that exciting.Jamison and Pat walked to Walgreens to return movies and we got a call to come pick them up. We have had some unseasonable warm weather but the rain was a little cold. They look pretty miserable.The boys have made great progress in reading, I am very proud of them. We even took out the dictionary and started reading that! See, I told you that we have not been all that exciting. (although reading the dictionary was pretty fun, one word led to another which led to another). Breakfast of pancakes...half with peanut butter and other half nutella. Packer Viking Game. Jamison likes a team if they are a bird (ravens, cardinals, eagles, seahawks, falcons), the coolest mammal (Dolphins) or have red or blue uniforms. Peter swears he likes the Vikings, I thought we moved in time, but I guess not. Oddly he will go to another game at Lambeau in a heart beat, band wagon jumper just like all other Viking "fans". Jamison can be bought off apparently with a piece of candy. This is a note that he wrote before the Packer/Viking Game. I gave him that candy, and the Pack totally beat the Vikings. So maybe he is my good luck charm. I think the most exciting news is my new dryer! We held out as long as we could and luckily the nice weather has allowed me to hang the laundry outside until lastweek, I guess clothes freeze when the sun goes down at 4:30. I spent the weekend doing laundry, amazed that clothes can dry in like 30 minutes when the heat element works. Now who is going to pair and fold socks, I hate folding socks.

Boys first sleepover....boy free night!

2010-11-07T18:00:00.008-06:00

The boys had their first sleepover (without parents) with their good friends Caleb and Isaac and Pat and I headed to Minneapolis for a night out in the big city!. Polish food, beers, shopping and hang out with some friends.

With only a small mishap of my brother getting locked out of his own house, the weekend went off without a hitch!. oh, and the insane amount of people at MOA for the Kelly Clarkson concert that if I had any idea that was happening I would have never gone.....oh and that Lego land was under construction and only had a tiny store in the Park that I had to work my way through the Kelly Clarkson crowd to get to. Other than that......i guess what I meant was the boys had a hitch-free weekend. They had fun, and no separation issues and are asking when they can do it again! YEAH! Maybe Pat and I can go on a week long vacation......i can dream! Pat started teaching the boys how to play Texas Hold'em. Peter really likes card games and is getting pretty good. I will see your GoGos, and raise you two! Show me the river!Then one night, Pat introduced Peter to computer poker. Man, if they start skipping out to Ho-Chunk I am going to get really concerned.

Jamison started a new project, writing Japanese letters. First he was making up his own, then he took his Animals and Plants of Japan book and copied the words. He then added some flags. I am curious to see what he actually wrote. Hey Keiko! Can you read any of this?

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T08:50:00.011-05:00

Happy Halloween! The boys have been waiting for this night! Partly for wearing their costumes, but mostly for the candy! But first we had to tackle the pumpkins. Not Pat's favorite part, he gets a little squimish. I would say like a girl, but that would offend all the women i know that stuck their hands in pumpkins! I cleaned all of them! I think all five heads look great!

Now for the costumes. Meet ObiWan. Check out those boots, about 3 inches, knee high boots. Curtesy of Savers. How can you pass them up for $3. Jamison loved them, until he had walk all around the neighborhood.Meet Luke Skywalker, not Annikan as many people thought. I thought the Tatooine sand boots would have been the dead give away. The Jedis are prepared to meet Darth Vader on the streets. The boys also realized that they could use their light sabers for any zombies that may scare them along the way.

The boys made a candy haul, they even went to the house they refused to go last year. And they are willing to share! Sweet! They also started talking about what they are going to be next year....i think they have some time.Weekend chores. We had some serious yard work to do this weekend. The boys had a monetary incentive, a nickle for every stick they bring from the back 40 to the road. So to keep track of the money, Peter came up with this idea. They worked super hard!

The boys did fabulous! and even worked together! Earlier in the week, Jamison decided to dress Foxy up like ObiWan, even with a light saber. Peter declared that he was old enough to make his own breakfast. So I let him. I came downstairs to see this. At least the cereal was not all over the floor. Now once they learn how to make me some coffee I could sleep til noon!

Pumpkin fun

2010-10-25T16:29:00.005-05:00

We were in GreenBay for pumpkin fun. We tried out a different pumpkin patch and it has some fun different things. Love the giant pumpkins, for only $350 it could be yours! Jamison made his "witches brew" with snakes, bats and brains. I passed on the opportunity to taste it. We played pumpkin bowling. It was a little rainy, so unfortunatley we did not play a whole set. Peter got some air on his! This was the bowling ball graveyard. only 1 or 2 smashed pumkins. We were close to having a nice family photo....and then there is Peter's expression. They even had a corn maze. Not as big as the other one...but we did not have a map and we got turned around a couple times! Maybe we should have had a map. At Gma's house we spent time painting the mini pumpkins and gourds. I have to say, we have some spooky ones! Earlier in the week I went with Peter's class to help rake leaves at a retired teacher/neighbor's house. Found out that it was Pat's 3rd grade teacher. She remebers him as a good listener. When I told Pat that he asked..."Did she know I was deaf?" Oh, you have to love the Mount Horeb moments. These kindergarteners and 1st graders are sure fast rakers. I think I need to rent them to help with my house. But then again, with the wind we have been having we might not have to rake at all! Here's to hoping!

Happy Jamison Day!

2010-10-19T16:13:00.009-05:00

Oct 19, Jamison's 1/4 birthday. Or as we call it Jamison Day! Jamison has picked tacos for dinner and for dessert...mint chocolate chip ice cream in colored cones. The green cones were a little disturbing, but tasted fine. We willl have to remember these for St. Patrick's Day. For his special day present he got Star Wars Droid Ship and tickets to the movie Legend of the Guardians, to be seen on their day off of school next week. We like Jamison Day.....Peter wishes for Peter Day.Pat thought is was ok for Jamison to ride around outside in his underware. Good Grief! I am a little worried what he will do in college.

This past weekend we spent up north. Unlce Culley, Aunt Donna, Uncle Gary and Aunt Meri were all up for a very relaxing weekend. It was so relaxing, i did not take many pictures. Pat was going to "teach" the boys how to shoot the crossbow, but it ended up that all the men were shooting and the boys got bored. We will have to recreate the "pat with knobby knees and braces" picture when the boys are a little older, and with less complicated bows. As a "thankyou" for watching Bosco, our friends brought back some ToyStory legos. We spent the night racing who could put it together faster....not to brag, Jamison and mom won, but it was not a race...but we still won. Halloween is coming fast, and we are getting our costumes ready. We scored some boot and belts from the local Savers to make the ObiWan and Luke Skywalker costumes complete. Now I have to finish sewing a few other parts. In the mean time, ObiWan and Luke are training to be Jedi. Jamison really likes the boots and was outside riding his bike with them. He thought is was crazy fun until he crashed. .

Corn Maze

2010-10-10T15:50:00.007-05:00

We have had a special guest this past week. Peter's best friend, Bosco. The moment Peter came home from school he rushed over to Bosco and told me to take a picture. He is going to add it to his picture collection of his favorite dogs. Bosco made himself at home and slept in Peter's room, he was so happy! It will be sad when he has to go home. The weather has been really warm and we even had to break out some shorts. This Jamison's best Urkle impression. Saturday we went to the Treinen Farm, a place where they boast having the largest corn maze in Wisconsin. The farm is pretty cool. This years pattern is filled with tesselations (Escher's mathematical concept of infinitley repeating designs that interlock, filling a page), Penrose Tilings (infinitley non-repeating patterns) and Fibonacci numbers (a series of numbers where the next number is the sum of the prior two). Now I am not that smart, i had to look up the definitions. Pat, on the other hand, was pretty excited, telling the boys all about the mathematical concepts. We did really well, and only got lost once. We were able to find each map and make our way all the way through! My picture isnt as cool as the overhead photo above. it was a lot of corn!

The Farm also had bunnies, goats, chicken, lions and tigers oh my! Jamison took a liking to the bunnies. He said he would like a rabbit. I reminded him that that is not possible, Wini is a beagle, beagles are bread to hunt rabbits.The slides were bumpy and there were tractor tires all over to climb on. They had a pretty awesome set up. Jamison is making corn angels. We will have to hit this place up next year, it was a lot of fun! even though it felt like summer. The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning out the garage, car, back yard and barn attic preparing for winter. It is still hard to think that winter is right around the corner. At 80 it is hard to imagine. Instead of cleaning, Peter set up an obstacle course for is scooter. Pat gave Jamison a piece of tubing, he spent a long time jump roping and swinging it. Like an earlier post, who needs fancy toys when you have tubing!

Weekend up north

2010-09-30T18:36:00.005-05:00

Last weekend we were up at the cabin to enjoy the fall colors. Gma noticed a tree partially down, so the men came to the rescue. The cabin was not damaged and no one was hurt, so it was a very successful completed task! Torrie loves sticks. Peter loves dogs. A great combination for some fun! Momma water torture! Now it looks like Jamison is scared...but that is not at all the case! It started out as a playful threat in hopes to ward off the upcoming water fight but then is seemed exciting and fun. If you dont believe me, check out the smile afterwards! Another sign that the boys are growing up. I looked out the window and this is what I saw. Take notice, Pats hands are not on the steering wheel. Look at that smile on Jamison...and I think at that same time Pat is saying "TURN!"

Now Peter's turn. Good think he had a lot of practice with the pink jeep. Also this week, Jamison started his martial arts class again. He is VERY excited to get his gear package including his muay thai clothes and assorted pads. he started class with leg lifts, push ups and laps with a heavy ball. That kid is going to have a 6-pack in no time. Dear Santa, The boys do not need fancy toys for Christmas, just send them the boxes from all the other kids toys and they will have a blast. Sincerly, Mom

GO-PACK-GO

2010-09-20T17:12:00.008-05:00

A coming of age. A right of passage. In some cultures the young male goes out and kills something. In the land of cheese, they go to their first Packer game in Lambeau. So earlier in the week i asked the boys who wanted to go to the game. Both said no. Then when I explained to them what happens at a game, and it usually involves soda, popcorn and a brat they both wanted to go. So I left it up to chance, a coin toss. Peter won the toss. I assured Jamison that he and dad would have a great time together doing really fun things at home. Peter's behavior was very quiet and reserved. I think he was WAY overwhelmed by all that was going on, or a little scared, I am not sure.I was happy to see Big City Ray in his seats (the guy by Peter). There were also a lot of kids at the game, including an 11yo chatty boy who it was also his first game too. Even 4-F16's flew by! That was really cool and really loud!There was a lot of action on our end of the field, I could not ask for more! This was the Lambeau Leap for one of the touchdowns on our end. And as promised, a bowl of popcorn...... And a soda. He picked out rootbeer, i dont like rootbeer. So i did not sneak any sips. While walking back down to our seats a man asked Peter if he could have some of his popcorn. And in a very loud voice (for even Lambeau) Peter shouted "no!" The man was a little startled and then assured him that he was only joking....Peter hovered over his popcorn not convinced. Final score 34-7. Packers came away with a victory! and Peter had a good time! He asked when he could go to another one. Hopefully I have steered him clear of the "purple side" Earlier in the weekend we went out to the farm! A little muddy but we were able to pick some yummy tomatoes, potatoes and broccoli!!! Jamison is ready for the new season of Survivor!!!! He has been wearing his buff every day since the first show! I am telling ya, he will be on season 42!

STARWARS

2010-09-14T08:24:00.007-05:00

The day has come. The couch finally arrived and that means only one thing. StarWars. (I was actually amazed that the couch actually made it up there. There were a couple times where we really had to scratch our head to figure out how it was going to get up there. Thanks to the neighbor and an extra set of hands and muscles! I dont think he will say "sure"to any favor we ask of him ever again. We did feed his family that night! Pizzas all around!)Pat promised the boys that when we got the couch and the tv our first movie we would watch would be StarWars IV, which is really the first. A little confusing for the 6yo but they are catching on. There was no talk of the CloneWars, JarJar Binks. This was the real thing. I guess we are featuring one a month so in six months they will be up to speed and know it all! Let the force be with you. The rest of the weekend was spent with our cousins Grayson and Zachary...oh, and their parents too. Jamison actually took a liking to little baby Zachary, fed him and was pretty proud that he was able to get him to stop crying at times. Couldnt get him to change a diaper. Peter, still not into babies. While Matt is off taking pictures at a wedding, we took the kids to the apple orchard. I was told that they had a bad pollination year...bummer because I am all ready to make apple sauce, apple cake, apple muffins and apple pie! There were enough to fill a couple bags and snack on a few but that was about it but we still had fun!, Zachary had so much fun he fell asleep. A trip to the apple farm would not be complete without carmel apples, cider and apple doughnuts. After a well needed rest we took the Van boys to Stewart Park. It was a little chilly and i THOUGHT that bringing buckets and shovels would distract the boys from the lake and just play in the sand. I thought wrong. Rain boots were filled with water....pants were soaked...so we took it all off! Then we had to take it really all off! They were not getting into my car as sandy as they were. The IronMan event was on sunday so we spent some time on the front porch cheering the riders on!.They had the most beautiful day for this event, but I still think they are all crazy to swim 2miles, ride 112 miles and run a marathon. Good Gravy! The kids picked their favorite color and cheered for the riders with that color bike and/or jerseys. I felt bad for the riders in pink, so that was the color I chose. On sunday we took the whole crew on a hike through Blue Mounds State Park. Matt and Kim decided that they can shoot for the medium hike...i think Matt would have reconsidered if he know he was going to have Grayson on his sholders for half of it. We made it to the tower! And we all climbed up top! Peter was still a little nervous about the heights but he made it to the top! I dont know, which way did he go??? Thanks Matt Kim Grayson and Zachary for coming we had a great time!

Labor Day-Devil's Lake

2010-09-08T07:26:00.005-05:00

Labor Day weekend we decided that we needed some well deserved family time. So off to Devil's Lake state park for a hike along the west bluff. As you can see the boys were not all that excited about the climb up (500ft elevation). They either needed a cup of coffee or a kick in the pants. We ignored the complaints and pushed forward to make it to the top. Peter was initially scared about going to the top. He is convinced that he is scared of heights. But when we reached the top he was brave enought to stand near the edge for the photo. The boys were pretty excited to be above the turkey vultures. Say "Devils LAke!" School has been going really well. Last year when the boys got off the bus, ate a snack they immediately asked for a TV show. So far this year they have asked for time on Animal Jam or Webkins. Peter enjoys earning "gems" to quickly spend on swag for his den and making friends. Jamison enjoys changing the looks of his creations "Little Goofy Monster" and "Fuzzy SmartyGhost". I have to admit, i am a little addicted to some of the games too. Phil, our son, has declared that he like Uncle Tim's pancake recipe. Pancakes with peanut butter and syrup. Sounds a bit too sweet for me! You think this is Jamison? well, last night be told us that he wished we named him Phil, he likes the name Phil. So we called him Phil for the rest of the night. Peter decided that he wanted to be called "Cinnamon roll".

The last day, the first day and the second first day

2010-09-02T07:53:00.008-05:00

We wanted to do something fun for the last day of summer vacation so we headed to Milwaukee Childrens Museum. The boys had a lot of fun. They spent a long time in the golf ball rolling area. The Loop the loop would be the favorite. The next favorite was the eco-friendly constuction project. Surprisingly Peter took to the plumbing area. Pat thought Jamison would have been the plumber. Jamison actually stepped into the manager roll, instructing all the other kids what they need to do. A sign of a good manager is when he gets his hands dirty himself. Jamison picked up the slack working with the insulation, roofing and brick laying. Next, mechanic. Although they gave their best effort, they could not find the place where the muffler goes. I guess those swedish cars are hard to work on. At the news station they provided an entertaining news program. My favorite was when Jamison was doing the weather in front of the green screen, Peter replaced the map with a picture of a giant cow. The Milwaukee Art Museum was designed by Santiago Calatrava. Impressed that I know that? I learned that when my sister took me to MOMA to see a whole Calatrava exhibit! The Art Museum was right across the street from the childrens museum so we had to stop for a photo. Inside was really cool...Katie could go on about the structure....but i did not retain most of the stuff that she told me. I am pretty excited that I remembered who made it. Jamison really liked the blown glass structure that looked like "an octopus with thousands of legs". Well, there it is was, the last day of summer vacation! Or was it? The boys picked out their school clothes, packed their backpacks and stood for the obligatory first day photo.! Waited for the bus to arrive. And when it did, the bus driver said that there was a fire at the Primary Center (1st and 2nd grades) and that they closed the school. No school. 2 VERY SAD boys, in tears and one sad mom because I was looking forward to a day off. We ran some errands that I needed to do and then stopped at the grocery store for the makings of Tony's meatball subs and ice cream. Ice cream makes everything better. We watched a movie, played some video games and relaxed. The boys were still sad. The 5th and 8th grader that we share the bus stop with did not understand why the boys were sad, they would have loved that their school would burn. So, we learned that a fan in one of the storage rooms stopped working but the electrical current was still flowing, and ignited a cart of books/instructional materials that were close by. Later in the day it was announced that the school would open 2 Sept, but 2 offices and 1 classroom would not be open until later in the week. That one classroom was Peter's, so it will be interesting to hear where he will spend his day. So this morning....we picked out our clothes, packed our backpacks and took the "second-first day" of school picture. And I pushed them onto the bus. Please take them.! I havent received a call...so they must be there! Now it is time for some coffee!

Camping with the offspring of WW

2010-08-30T09:35:00.009-05:00

The second annual WW Family camping trip went down at Gov Dodge State Park. 13 kids 10 adults. You would think that was a recipe for disaster but the kids immediately clicked.The razor scooters came out and the party began! Saturday the caravan of minivans and honda pilots made its way to Stephens' Falls for a hike. It was tough to get all the kids to look the same direction, or we lost a couple in the woods, we are not sure.
The 5-7 yo group of boys stuck together. When you are outnumbered by the girls you have to stick together. Parents had a great time catching up, while cautiously watching the kids by the water. They all had their chance behind the waterfalls. Surprisingly no one fell in or twisted their ankle. This group shot turned out a little better, but we are still missing Joe's face. The group kind of took up the whole trail but we flanked the kids with atleast 1 or two adults. It was a perfect weekend, sunny and warm so after lunch we were off to the beach. The kids decided to bury Jamison. Sand is still coming out of his ears. Once the kids were in bed, we broke out the fresh peach pudgy pies....mmmmm. If you looked up the word for "perfection" you would see this picture. I think a new must for any camping trip. The Razor Posse. I hope our camping neighbors did not mind the back and forth and back again racing the kids were doing. Most of the kids were pretty crash free, except for Issac, he had a couple crazy crashes. The boys resting inbetween the races. Thanks to all of the families for coming. The kids all really got along and had a lot of fun! I enjoyed catching up with the grown ups. We are already looking forward to next year!BTW, Naps were required when we got home. We had some serious "over tired" issues. I guess that was a really good sign of great fun.

Busy week!

2010-08-25T12:30:00.010-05:00

Our week started with the last soccer game of the season. USA (blue) vs Mexico (green). Sadly USA lost 2vs3 and one of Team USA's goal was made by a green jersey. Better luck next year year guys! Ulrika came from Sweden for her 20 year highschool reunion. Last time she visited, she and Indy did not hit it off. Or I should say that she was deathly afraid of Indy as he would stalk her and when he found her he would hiss and growl. This time they became friends and there was no hissing. He did, however, pee in Tim's suitcase. I guess that is how he directed his frustrations. We took Rika to Stewart Lake for a dip to cool down. She was a little warm, a guess it does not get to 85° in Sweden. I was pleasantly surpised how nice and clean Stewart lake is. A great place to take the kids to cool down. The lake is spring fed....and that water is super cold. So Peter decided to see how cold Jamison could get. Tim also was in town for the same reunion and had a nice time catching up with Pat and Rika. I love Rika's expression....oh dear....goofy american brothers. "What is Uncle Tim doing?" says Jamison. That is an iron. Watch closely boys, you will never see your mother doing that. Or atleast i hope to never have to do that.

In all of the crainess Wini busted into my container of camping rations. I came home to see Wini rolling and snorting the powder from the deck. Never thought my dog would eat powdered pancake mix. This picture is VERY disturbing. After the reunion events we took Rika up to the cabing for some north woods fun. Bike riding, boat riding, pug riding rock hunting and the list goes on. We even got the F-16 kite flying from behind the boat. all was good until we hear "mayday mayday" calls from the pilot right before he took a nose dive into the water. The pilot was able to eject from the seat, dry off and try again. Sadly, he had the same fate. Nose dive into the water. Maybe he needs more training. The boys really liked grandma's new waterfall. They had a good time looking for the amethyst and other fun rocks. A weekend cant be complete without a dip in the hot tub. Thanks Rika, we had a blast! Thanks for the visit!

The rooster lost his plumage

2010-08-17T13:43:00.002-05:00

Peter knew the day was coming. The day where his mohawk needed to be cut. You could not really tell that there was a mohawk there anymore. it was way overgrown. I gave him the option of going to a barber shop or getting a #2 all around (I can do that) He chose the #2 all around from me.He was not pleased with the results."Mom, I can not go anywhere looking like this!"
"Like what " I ask
"with this hair" Peter says.
"then wear a baseball cap, now get in the car so we can go grocery shopping"
So he wore a baseball cap.
Good grief!
Wini has her day at the dentist. Poor puppy. One extracted tooth and some antibiotics but she is as good as new. She was back to stealing waffles in no time. We trimmed the willow tree and some strange weed monsters came out of the woods. The boys are highly motivated by jobs that pay...this one was for a dollar! there were a lot of trimmed branches! I wonder if I can get them to clean the bathroom?

Lake Wissota Camping

2010-08-15T19:38:00.008-05:00

This weekend we were camping with Gma Jill and Gpa Don at Lake Wissota. Rain was pouring when we arrived but soon ended and we were able to set up camp. This weekend was a rough one for Jamison. We brought scooters along and I think Jamison brought his two left feet. This photo was taken after the second fall.....he screamed "not again!" He is showing his belly because he had a bad case of road rash across his chest. At this point of the weekend he had both palms and elbows scraped up. Good thing I had a well stocked first aid kit. Wini, the princess. She has been a pretty good camper, but she does need her comforts. The ground was muddy, so we did not want to get the kennel dirty. There was a crazy amount of dogs camping there this weekend. We even had a beagle in the campsite across the road. When the beagles got a barking the whole campground started. Have to get a good rest in! esp if we want to make it to smore time. Pat and Grandpa were in charge of the pizza pudgy pies! Say "pudgy pie!"

The park had an owl presentation of 7. Jamison had to go!! All day long he asked when was it going to be 7....,and then 7 finally arrived. Peter had no interest in going so he stayed back at camp and rode his scooter around the camp ground with his new buddy Collin from Pewaukee.We arrived a little early and were surprised to see.....Ruth, the naturalist at Beaver Creek Nature Reserve, the place I worked at when I was in college. Jamison listened really well and even was called on 2 times to answer questions, both times he was correct! At one point I was called out to help her...."once and intern, always an intern!" she says. She tells the crowd how she knew me but told them it was 10 years ago....sorry Ruth it was more like 17.

She brought out the star of the show....Ebenezer, the screech owl. He was not around when I was there....so that was a fun surprise. He is a tiny little thing! It was nice to see Ruth, Thanks Ruth for the great presentation!Back at camp....Peter Gpa and Pat made sure the campdire was ready for smores! i melted some of our german chocolate and made squares that were perfect for smores. Those were the best smores ever! No Hershey bars for us!

It even tasted good when we licked it from our faces! Sunday we went for hikes along the lake. The humidity finally broke and the breeze was cool and refreshing. It actually was a little too breezy, there were only 2 boats on the lake. Back to Jamison....note the increased bandages. ya, that boy could not stay on the scooter. I think the trouble was he was trying to keep up with the little boy on the bike (Collin from Pewaukee) and would loose control. He is a mess. Once at home we took showers, cleaned up the cuts and bruises. Jamison wanted a count of how many ow-eys he has. 26, yup, 26 cuts scrapes or bruises. I think we will be headed to Target to get from biking gloves so if he falls he wont rip all of the skin off. Good Grief!

Thanks gma gpa for a great camping weekend!

River Museum

2010-08-13T12:25:00.004-05:00

It is hot. Summer is almost over. the boys have been getting on each others' nerves (and mine).

So a day trip to Dubuque was in order to visit the Mississippi River Museum. To our surprise a new building opened so there was new stuff for everyone to look at. Here we are on the top of the steam boat....."iceburg right ahead!" opps, wrong quote. It took all of Jamison's weight and strength to lift the cargo. The new building had a "waterworks" area where the boys could learn first hand locks and damn....and of course get wet. Say Mississippi River!I was then serenaded but a lovely chorus of hand farts!. "Jamison, that one was awesome!" says Peter with a Beevis and Butthead tone in his voice. The attic guard rain is up! woohoo. I think that took every ounce of Pat's patience and to think, the way the contractor suggested work! whod'athunkit. A bit more trim, a door and a handrail and we will be ready play and sit our behinds down and watch StarWars (The boys were told that the first movie we can watch up there would be StarWars IV, which is the first. a little confusing for a 6yo) Woohoo we are almost there!

Biking Fun

2010-08-08T16:19:00.008-05:00

Sparta Elroy Bike Trail. Lily and Lucy have new bikes and the boys are 2 wheel experts so our plan this year for birthday fun was to meet in the middle in the town of Wilton and go for a ride! Stacey and Shelby were the crazy ladies that rode with us as part of the Piney Q MacDougal MS Bike Team. So now that the kiddos are older we are training them for the insanity! We started with a 4 mile (round trip) ride to the old train tunnel on the Sparta Elroy Trail. With every cute picture the boys asked for a crazy photo. And they are off! the boys took off and left the girls in the dust. You wait til next year boys when we have our training wheels off! The kids rocked on the ride, occasionally we needed a rest, but everyone does!Stacey, sporting the new rode bike took off pulling the Burley. There was no kids in the trailer but a 4mo puppy, Sunshine Tinkerbell. We made it to the train tunnel where we got off the bikes and walked. Everyone have their lights?Walk towards the light! The kids thought it was super cool to walk in the dark! We made it through...now to head back. Sunny was a fantastic dog in the burley...there is no way that Wini would tolerate that non-sense. Future Piney Q team! Maybe next year we will make it to the super long tunnel! Back at home it was time for some belated birthday fun! A tower of cupcakes with candles for all of the kids years. (5+5+6+6)Sunny and Wini met and became....well, not the best of friends. Watching a young puppy made us realize how much of an old lady Wini has become. Slow moving, grey hair and no patience at all for the silly things that Sunny wanted to do. Our first co-ed slumber party. Dont think this will be a thing we do in about 10 years. The girls thought this was fun until Lily came down and said that Peter was sticking his stinky feet on her. So they went to the other room.Thanks ladies for coming down! We had a blast.!

Van Camping Weekend

2010-08-02T20:48:00.010-05:00

Van Family Camping!Katie was in charge of breakfast. Although she explained to Pat that she never cooks, the breakfast was great! She taught the nephews how to eat pigs in the blanket. The boys were not convinced of the breakfast fun but still enjoyed the pancakes and porkies.

With Nikolas, Jamison and Peter's birthdays so near we had a little birthday fun. I ran out of time to wrap Nikolas' present so we had a little scavenger hunt. The boys asked that some of their presents could be hidden. Katie took the boys to the stream that went through the campground and she was the one that fell in! To her defense she was trying to help Jamison across some rocks...and splash! Welcome the newest Van boy, Zachary. He was an awesome camper....man, he packed away the smores!With all the fun, we needed some rest time, even Gpa. He chose to rest in the car. My boys fell asleep and Nikolas did not. Every once in a while he would walk past the tent and peek in to see if they were awake. The boys created a super secret chipmunk society. The chipmunks would hide in the woods and one chipmunk would act as lookout. When an adult was spotted and "ALERT" was sent to all chipmunks to scatter. I was able to catch one on film but he ran so fast i just caught a foot. Here is a rare sighting of the chipmunks at the watering hole. They were discussing welcoming a the new youngest chipmunk (Grayson) into the secret society. From what I understand, there is a secret handshake and a secret code of conduct but I was not able to torture them enough for them to give me details. Grayson loves his new baby brother! Dinner time! and for dinner Turtle Burgers. Rob sent me a link to some crazy recipe with bacon, cheese, hot dogs. You then shape it to a turtle and bake. What i did not do was take the time to read the recipe and learn that this would not necessarily work on the grill. So we abondoned the turtles and they became regular hamburgers with bacon. Everything is better with bacon.The boys were a bit worried when I told them we were having turtle burgers for dinner. " How could you be eating one of your favorite animals!" Glow Sticks! a camping weekend can not be complete without them! And for once my boys stayed awake long enought to actually use them. I also tried those JUMBO marshmallows.....it is like having 5 regular marshmallows on one graham crackers. The chocolate/graham cracker/marshmallow ratio was way off but it was fun to give them a try! Jamison actually tried roasting his own marshmallow. Usually he asks to have it lightly warmed and them put on the graham cracker. This picture was taken right before Peter decided to move the propane lantern out of his way, with his hand, on the glass. At 10pm we had a screaming boy with bad burns on his fingers screaming that he will never be able to write his name or play basketball. We also learned that all urgent cares in the Rochester MN area close at 4pm.....i guess they can help you when your urgent matter happens before 4pm. So instead of an ER, we headed to Walmart to stock up on all pain meds, burn creams and gauze to patch him up until we can get home. It was amazing how many people, with kids, were shopping at Walmart at 11:30 pm on a saturday night! GO HOME and put your kids to bed. At least my kid was still crying and upset about his blistered fingers. Peter is ok, fingers are badly blistered but we are watching them carefully and keeping them dry and clean. He will write his name again and will even play basketball again but in the mean time we make sure he has elastic waist pants on (so he doesnt have to try to button them) and I help him brush his teeth (which i still do on occasion because the teeth never look all clean when he is done). Lesson learned....not all lanterns are battery opperated with light bulbs.

All in all, a good trip. Gpa requested a house next year.