Killin' Clutter

The days have slipped away quickly and I didn't realize how much time had passed since I blogged last. Having less stuff has been my main focus lately as I've decluttered several areas of the house and taken a couple loads to the Thrift Shop and a lucative trip to the dump with truckful of scrap metal. But the end unfortunately is not as near as I'd like, there is much more to go through and donate, sell, or scrap as we prepare to dive into some massive house projects. Along with the decluttering I've begun to slowly implement some of the Feng Shui concepts into arrangements of some rooms. The entire process has been very refreshing and I'm looking forward to having even less!

The boys and I checked out Farmology, an educational program about agriculture which is funded by The 100 Mile Meal, a fantastic concept that entailed collecting donations of food, herbs, and cooking materials from within 100 miles of Lapeer county. Our 4H club donated the pork, and there was a collection of winter veggies (rutabaga, parsnips, carrots and potatoes), a fantastic coleslaw, squash, biscuits, apple cobbler and blueberry cobbler for dessert! Delish. After we ate we made our way through the exhibits that were hosted by local farms and kids from FFA (Future Farmers of America). I would have joined FFA just to get one of their awesome blue corduroy jackets. The best part was when we got home and I tried on my new, cozy, alpaca wool socks.....aaaahhhh.

In between days of decluttering I also did some subbing in the middle school (science & math) and the elementary (begindergarten, art and special ed.). I don't know which is more challenging the youngest kids or 8th graders, probably the older kids because they know better but they don't really care. This past Saturday the Lapeer County Concert Choir had a retreat at the Chatfield School to prepare for our Spring Concert, it was a fun time and we got a lot accomplished. During our break I had a moment to wander around the school which now goes up to 8th grade and I was really impressed with some of the projects they were working on in the upper grades. I'm seriously considering putting Ben and Ethan in for the lottery draw to attend there for middle school. I know North Branch is doing the best they can with what they have to work with but I'm really concerned about some of the things I've seen in the middle school and think Ben may do better in a different atomosphere. We'll see if they get drawn and then decide from there. For the 2011-12 year we'll stick with where we're at cause they'll both be in the upper elementary together and Fox will shift to the high school so I won't really have to deal with middle school.

As I was be-bopping through the house the other day I noticed this sign on an empty cupboard, not sure exactly what the game was the boys were playing but it must have been pretty intense to need a 'panic room.' This made me chuckle. The cabin fever has been pretty severe this year and their imaginations seem to be a bit foggy as they more and more opt for tv, computer, or 'battling' (fake fighting) which drives me crazy! Since the weather has eased up I've been kicking them outside more but they never seem to stay out for long, although Ethan has been heading out on his own with his BB gun to shoot birds, which I'm a little torn about.

Yesterday's pig club meeting was the most informative yet, we learned about what to look for in selecting a pig, how to set up their housing, and the proper way to feed them. We've decided not to buy a pig this year but work on getting an adequate set-up in place first and participate in fair as observers so we'll know better what to expect. The leader said this is fine to do. Update on the Space Camp contest, Ben did not make it to the interview round but will definately try for it again next year.

Fox participated in his first forensics meet at Anchor Bay High School this past Saturday, he scored better than I thought he would have since he was extremely unprepared in my eyes but he seemed to pull it together enough to get some positive feedback. He was pretty resistant to doing it in the first place but when Rob picked him up at the end of the day Fox's first comment was "well, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I was going to." His next chance will be after the break at our North Branch home meet, hopefully he can step it up a notch for that one. He's also starting track this week.

Next week the boys will be on their spring break, originally we planned to go down to Florida to visit Rob's parents but then decided against it because of the gas and distance. Instead Rob and I will continue the 'have less stuff' movement and a few small projects, hoping to even get started on some outside tasks if the weather cooperates. Plus Rob was in Idaho for far longer than he had anticipated on a work project and is happy just to be home, thankfully he did figure things out with some help from the techs in Italy and left Idaho with everyone at the shop much happier.

Less is more......

Jeepers!

Starting out with a hopeful "Spring Mandala" however our weather here in Michigan has not been cooperating. This weekend Rob and I went out to dinner for our anniversary which was not very well timed as a consistent snow fell throughout Saturday evening while we mucked our way to The Melting Pot and back. Good food though. The week was pretty mellow, I worked pulling some video entries, got a few areas organized in the house, took Ben and Fox for haircuts (Fox even got some highlights), fit a couple workouts in, and subbed in the middle school one day.
Friday I picked up the older boys from school at 2:35pm and we stopped by the Thrift Shop before heading over to the elementary school so I could be the Mystery Reader in Ethan's class room and then do baseball sign-up afterward. What did I delightfully spy there?! This fantastic coffee table, in terrific shape, minimal scratches, legs all tight, couldn't pass it up....guess how much....$30, sweet! Ben grabbed a Wheel of Fortune game for $.50 and Fox some jeans and a flannel shirt, $.50 each.

For Ethan's class I read two large Golden Books that I had from my childhood, "The Big Tidy-Up," and "The Pink Elephant with Golden Spots." The kids enjoyed them both; afterward I had some time to chat with Ethan's teacher and several of my 'kid buddies' as they got ready to dismiss for the day. After school we got Ethan signed up for baseball...he'll finally be in kid pitch this year. Plus Fox talked to one of the coordinators about training and working as an umpire. He was told they will be posting a notice about the one-day clinic coming up soon, so be on the lookout. The guy who's in charge is also Fox's track coach, which will be ramping up on the 23rd of this month.

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Fox has also been putting the final touches on his first Sales Pitch for forensics, selecting New Balance running shoes as his product. He still needs to gather his props together and I purchased a couple pairs of NB shoes off ebay for cheap that he can use and wear.

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Benjamin is also working on a project, applying to go to Space Camp. He wrote an essay, collected the required three recommendations, and hopefully will make it to step 2, a personal interview; four students will be selected to attend camp in Huntsville, Alabama this summer, on complete scholarship. This is a huge step out of his comfort zone, first off being away from home by himself, and also flying, but he is determined to get there so I hope his efforts are favorable.

After months in a culinary slump I've had a resurge thanks to this fabulous book. I've tried several recipies, some I'd adjust a few things if I made them again but others are terrific as-is. Last night I made the Saucy Skirt Steak with Orange-Spice Sweet Potatoes, used a nice cut of venison backstrap in place of steak and was very pleased with how the sauce turned out with my long-neglected food processor. I've really got to use it more often. Plus I made steamed asparagus with it. Yum!

Alex is enjoying her spring break this week after performing well on all her midterm exams. The boys will have a half-day Thursday and no school Friday due to trimester break. But we'll keep busy helping a friend move into their new house. I leave you with an intriguing concept from the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the 'Hug Shirt'. Interesting idea but I'd rather get mine the old-fashion way, from the ones I love.

In Memory of

The past week I've been relating in a different way to the saying "forever and a day". This past Sunday was the one-year anniversary of my mother's death. It is still a surreal feeling, the past year has felt like forever and at the same time like only a day has past.

I've been having the oddest memories of our life together. I remember when I was very small (like preschool), living in Detroit, we would walk over to the library which was maybe a couple blocks away, then to the grocery store, we'd bring the grocery cart right back to the house with everything in it then run it back later. I always loved the library and remember the day I got my first library card. The house she moved into in Grosse Pointe was conveniently located a block away from the Kroger and she did the same thing there.

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I remember one Christmas I got two new dolls and she made an entire wardrobe of clothes for them on her sewing machine. I still have the dolls and many of the clothes. She used to make outfits for special occasions for my brother and I too. There was one Halloween when we were still in Detroit, I was in first grade, she made the most darling witch costume for me to wear but I was mortified to have to walk all the way to school in it....by myself. I don't know why but after much crying and begging she still refused to walk me to school.

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Being able to go and hang out in her classroom when I had a day off of school was always great. I loved helping her get things ready for the day or running an errand in the building for her. Her class was filled with cool stuff and I liked helping her students. The students were always in some type of awe about me being Mrs. Quatrine's daughter. Alex got to come hang out too a few times, and get a chance to see how public school would be when we were homeschooling during those early years. She was probably about third grade when she spent three days with gramma and got to be in a fellow teacher's room. Alex thought is was fine for a 'try' but it wasn't the routine she wanted day in and day out.

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I recall a vacation out west where mother made an anxiety-filled climb up the 20-foot ladder that was the start of the Mesa Verde tour. She was terrified of heights and even more so of the water. I also recall being at various swim classes mother did over the years, public pools, private pools, she never gave up trying to get over that fear. It got better over time but she never became an avid fan of water.

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The image of she and Alexandra sitting in amazement as they witnessed Fox Robert being born is forever etched in my mind. And I can hear mom saying "how's my honey girl!?" to Alex, which how she always greeted her when she was little. That brings me to think that she almost missed out on having a relationship with her grandkids altogether after she decided to boycott my wedding (super ouch). Rob and I called, begged, pleaded for weeks but she wouldn't come. I was 26 years old at the time, not saying I did it right and I don't recommend it, but we got engaged in October, and in December we found out we were pregnant, so instead of a June wedding we moved it up to March. If you weren't told I was expecting you would have never known but apparently this was too much for her to handle. Finally six weeks before I was due I made contact with her and said this is all ridiculous, I want my child to know her grandmother. Mom deep down really didn't want to miss out on the gramma-experience either and I think it took more out of her to stand against the wedding than she realized it would. We made amends and that was the beginning of a huge turn in our relationship. I can't imagine her not being a part of their lives.

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For a season we got to sing together in the Fraser Chorale, a community choir; that was fun. I also remember when I was taking ballet and other dance lessons like crazy that mom took an adult ballet class and the ladies even performed at the recital. Mom did a nice job, she was very graceful albeit petrified.

Over the last seven or more years of her life mother had a multitude of medical procedures, some necessary, some cosmetic I was there in the waiting room for many and on recovery duty as well. I remember after her shoulder surgery both of us falling into hysterics over helping her go to the bathroom, she couldn't get her pants on or off herself so it was quite the process. Thank goodness she could still use the one hand to wipe with! Of course I got to make up for that in the final days, guess that's part of the circle of life...they wipe your butt and eventually you have to wipe theirs.

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Judi was incredibly organized and methodical about things, a gene I only got in part. She was really obsessive in the later years when she lived on her own but as I look back she was like that all while I was growing up. I wish I could get a place for everything in my house and everything in its place, but until the kids are all out of the house I figure the effort is futile.

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Dogs ruled and cats did too in her empty nesting years. We had some great pets growing up but the animals she got on her own always ended up to by some type of psycho....she loved them anyway. Her one poodle Lucky was greeted like the Newman character on Seinfeld, whenever we'd go over or she'd bring him to the house it'd be like....(with clenched teeth and sarcastic tone) oh, hello Lucky, just like Jerry would say to Newman.

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As I wrestled with the decision of putting all the kids in public school I spoke with my mom about it. Being an educator she was surprisingly supportive about our homeschooling endeavors and never overbearing with her opinions, except for insisting Benjamin go to speech therapy (which was ultimately a good thing). She was a good barometer to help keep me on track and was well aware the kids were thriving and performing beyond their peers. Anyway, her final word on the subject was, "if you're going to do it, then just do it, and shut up about it!" That might have been some medication talking but she was right, once I definitively made the choice there was no looking back.

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I polled the kids for some of their memories and got some interesting comments.

Ben: she made great biscuits, and liked to give a Christmas gift 'to all the boys,' everything in her house was breakable, she never went in the public pool, and she had a NO SNORTING rule.

Fox: she liked to travel but was a questionable driver and they got lost a lot around Philadelphia on their trip, she really liked to teach.

Ethan: she always had ice cream and she loved hugs from her Ethan boy.

Alex: a long night hanging out in the E.R. after gramma fell on the stairs in Mammoth Cave and hurt her shoulder, playing house in gramma's basement at the Moravian Mansion, her psycho pets.

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Rob really misses their debates. She and he could banter back and forth on subjects with vigor but it never actually became argumentative. They both held their ground and neither one ever gave up the fight but they did concede to points well made.

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My dad and brother are working on getting all our family slides scanned into the computer and put on discs. When I get my copy I'll post a few and take y'all on a trip in my way-back machine. Hoping some warm weather will arrive soon to help lift my spirits, things are pretty melancholy after our big Chicago trip, looking forward to the upcoming bustle of our spring sports trifecta, soccer-baseball-track oh, yeah!

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Miss you, Mom and .... sorry.