Willow's Way

Many good things happening, I'll begin with Fox first, this past Friday was a very cold Lapeer County Meet in which I made my debut as a timer.  The photos are the set up for the 2-mile and all the runners were freezing and jumping around to keep warm so the snaps are sort of blurry, you can see the spectators all bundled up in the background.  Needless to say the kids got some great times because they REALLY wanted to be done, go home, and get warm!  In addition to running and school work, my oldest boy is now an official stock trader.  Opened his custodial account at Scottrade and he made his first official purchases, four different dividend stocks which he intends to leave in long term.  Also, got him signed up for driver's training which will begin in June.  Little bit of yikes there!  Plus we just completed and sent in his application for a 4H Discovery Camp at MSU in July which focuses on biofuels, biodiesel, research and development.  They get to tour the labs and power plant and learn about the technology. 

Ben and Ethan have been having a stellar soccer season so far, they are undefeated with one tie game.  Last Tuesday's game Ethan got two goals in and the game before that earned a point on a sweet goal kick.  Benny has gotten a goal a game, except for this one last Saturday which was against their best matched team.  Both sides played fairly and fiercely ending in a 6-6 tie.  Although neither Parton brother scored they did their part in getting the ball away from the opposing team who all stood at least a head taller then themselves.  Below are the Parton brothers in motion, a snap of the Tuesday game fan club, Mr. Jake so happy to be taking our soccer practice walks again and a beautiful pine in bloom.

Spent four days helping at the Ruth Fox 5th Grade field trip to the Willows and had a blast!  The collage below starting top left and going clockwise is Ethan using a native wood and stone tool to break up the garden, final notes from Mr. McCreedy in the ampitheater, spear throwing (Ethan has his Red Wings jacket on in the center), Ethan and his buddy Preston working on starting a fire, and a bunch of the boys up in the treehouse during break.  It's hard to see in the group picture but in the background is a wind turbine they install last year, thanks to a generous grant, that supplies power to the ecology center and the Chatfield School.

Making all natural ice cream with ingredients you can pronounce: milk, cream, sugar, and REAL vanilla, put in curner, add ice and rock salt, then crank, crank, crank, til YUMMY!

Along with the ice cream they made pizzas and cooked them in the mud oven, they ground the flour, rolled out the dough, grated the cheese, the sauce was canned but organic, put it all together to bake in a mud oven, and then partake.  While that was going on they also worked together to add to the wood pile using a furrow tool and hand saws.  I helped keep things organized and moving along in the kitchen while Mr. McCreedy worked on the outside projects.  I loved how he directed the discussion at the end of this class asking for their thoughts and comments about what they worked on, made, or felt.  Every group thought it was awesome that they worked together to create their "snack" and believed it tasted better than anything they could buy at the store.  Mr. M always complimented their teamwork stating that he never had to tell anyone to be doing something because they all got right to work and kept at it.  Although our pizzas were vegetarian, he made a comment that it would be great to have some locally grown bacon to put on them.  So I'm going to mention it to our Project Clover group to donate some to the ecology center for next year.  I think another cool add on would be fresh grown basil or mushrooms (which could be grown in boxes at the center).

The other two days I assisted with the mud hut mostly keeping kids focused on the task and helping them get their feet washed up afterwards.  They mix the compound of 2 parts sand, one part clay, a little water, then some straw, with their feet, stomping across until it is of the correct consistency. Next they take it over to the structure and add it to the wall that is in progress.  Prior to working outside they learn about the Kahokian structure found in Pennsylvania that led them to understand this building technology.  This was another fun class although many of the kids always want to try and slide across the mud which we quickly put a stop to.  It will be cool to see the structure once it's finally finished.  This is the same technique used to make the mud oven.

Project Clover, by the way, is from our educational focus for the North Branch Finish Line Swine Club.  They are learning about entrepreneurship and borrowing from the Armanda 4H we've started Project Clover a non-profit company that is raising funds to purchase a lower priced pig at the 4H auction to have processed and then donated to charitable organizations in the area such as a food bank or soup kitchen.  Ethan has also been working on getting trophy sponser for fair as well in the hopes of winning his own Kindle Fire or iPod for selling the most.

In other news Alexandra will be taking her Winter semester exams this week and then waiting to have transcripts sent the the colleges she applied to for Fall.  She also needs to have her ACT results sent in.  There's been a few bumps in her assistant manager duties and pay status but she seems to be working things out.  Having an older teen continues to be a learning process for me, you have to know when to push and when to back off.  No matter what you hope they'll do or think they should do, ultimately they do what they're gonna do and you just have to live with it.  Disconcerting does not even begin to describe it.

Lastly, I found out our numbers in the Chatfield School "lottery" and they are not as encouraging as I had hoped.  Ethan is #11 out of 18 for 6th grade and Benjamin is #5 out of 8 on the list for 7th grade.  The secretary couldn't tell me how many openings there would be if any, or when she would know more.  It is a very vague process.  So the boys and I have been under negotiations as to how to proceed next year.  Although my heart's desire is to have the chance to educate them at home again they are not so inclined to the idea.  Plus part of me feels like I've gotten some good things started in the district with the running club and choir and such so maybe the fates are telling me my work is not done here.  However I did plan to keep things happening here even if they do get into Chatfield but in all honesty it would be quite challenging.  Both boys agreed though that if a spot opened up once school did start they would be fine to make the transfer.  I'll let you know how the debate on other topics such as classes, sports, etc. pans out, in a future post.

Looks like we're in for some April showers as we begin our Michigan May...so be sure to run between the raindrops! 

Small Wonder

Our babies are finally here! Sunday we picked up our three piglets from a breeder in Columbiaville. Benjamin and I went and made the selections while Ethan was at baseball practice. We ended up going with the Duracks, which are a light brown color and don't show marks as easily as the traditional pink ones. Chose two girls and one boy. They weighed in a little lighter than I was hoping for but they have good composition over all. Ben's pig is the boy, Rocky, starting out at 45#, Ethan picked the 47 pounder and named her Chewbacca, or Chewy for short because she's nibbler, and mine is 50 Cent (say it street) who hit the scale at 50# on the dot. She is the friendliest of the trio, always the first to come up to you when you enter the pen. They have all adjusted well, eating good, drinking regularly, playing around in the pen, grunting happily, and frolicking about. Today we even started to work with them a bit on getting them to walk next to us using a stick to direct them....long way to go but the earlier you start the better. B & E have been very good about getting up and taking care them before they get on the bus, I go out and do a second check, then they do afterschool duty and nighttime lock up. They seem bigger already and it's only been four days!

Fox has been off to a great start for his Freshman track season. His training has been very consistent, he even runs on the weekends to keep up his endurance. The Shaklee vitamins, Physique Shakes, and Performance Drink really make a difference, he hasn't been as sore or fatigued. He has improved his times at every meet, the best so far being a 5:39 in the 1-mile and a 12:04 in the 2-mile. He's also been invited to the first two TVC (Tri-Valley Conference) Meets which is pretty awesome as a freshman because each school can only bring the top 2 or 3 runners in each event. The picture on the right is the start of the 1-mile at the Brown City Invitational last week, the runner from Cass City is blind, the guy in the gray shirt is his tether. It is always amazing to see athletics with physical challenges perservere, everyone always claps and cheers them through the finish line, very heart-warming.

Ben and Ethan had a whirlwind start to soccer. First practice was canceled due to sleet, second practice was at an earlier time and several players didn't make it, then they had their first game last Saturday and skunked 'em 8-0. After getting 5 goals in the first quarter coach pulled back her best players for the second and third, Benny put another goal in during the third. For the fourth quarter she put a couple back in their regular spots and two more goals went in. A parent from the other team started getting beligerent and made all the kids feel bad from both teams. Our kids weren't playing aggressive at all, but if the ball is there and the other team ain't bringin' it, goals get made. There are a couple team that skunk us, that's just how it goes. Ethan had his first baseball practice on Sunday too but had to miss Tuesday's because of soccer practice. We'll have a couple weeks of overlap but the schedule should work out fine overall.

Little bit of backtracking now. I rushed off to Chicago the day after the drama production and never did post pictures or an update. It went really well, the one actress I was concerned about with memorizing came prepared and presented lines strongly, they were a couple line jumps with the older group but they moved right along and got themselves back on track easily. The younger group did well too, "Tea Party in Wonderland" had a minor line skip and I had to give them a feed to put them back on track because it really threw them for a loop but other than that they did awesome. Top left picture is from "Tea Party in Wonderland," top right is "Fish School," lower photos are from "While Shakespeare Slept," then the group shot to the left is me with the older crew. Last is a quick collage of some photos Rob took in Germany, they weren't the greatest because one, he was using his iPhone, and two he's just not that great a photog (sorry honey, but you can fix anything, I know :). Bottom left is the little town they stayed in, above that some street artists in Cologne, middle is at the Cologne Cathedral with street actors behind him in the white outfits, lower left bulk Legos (sadly no purchase was made).

What else is new? I have become involved with the committee for Wild Lapeer, an annual event that takes place at the Chatfield School and Mott CC-Lapeer Campus, to highlight organic processes and businesses. This year there will be a woman demonstrating how to process wild rice, a falconer, a presentation from the Cranbrook Science Center (OBC) on bats, bluebird house making, hikes through the Oakland Cemetary, alpacas, and more! This week I am helping with some field trips at the Willows, update in my next post. Keep it real people.

Ethan and the Mom

Day 1 - Ethan and I rode the Blue Line from Lapeer into Chicago after a bit of a false start (I realized a couple miles from the house I left my purse sitting on the kitchen table!) we doubled back for essentials left behind and still made it to Starbucks for a Peppermint Mocha before boarding a slightly late arriving and soon-to-be-very-full train. Read mags/books, played cards together, I listened to a great message called "Faith is a Verb" from Pastor Andrew Kluck, Ethan did some DS games, I napped and before you knew it we were pulling into Union Station. My friend Gidget's owners picked us up (see her at the top of the collage!?) and drove us to Schaumburg to check out Lego Discoveryland after first enjoying a fantastic lunch at Big Bowl. Gasped over the displays, took the Factory Tour, rode the Lego Train, did a Lego Workshop, explored the Test Area, and shopped. Toward the end of our visit Ethan was complaining of a terrible headache (probably too much excitement and a very early morning). Headed back to Gidget's house where 'E' tucked in for a refreshing nap with a cool compress while dinner was prepared. He awoke miraculously recovered and ate all his steak, veggies, and brownie with ice cream dessert before snuggling back in to read some "Hunger Games" before lights out.

Day 2 - Started off the day with an expertly prepared breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and fruit. Ethan had a little time to play some guitar while I got ready, then we got dropped off at the Metra Station in Prairie Crossings by Gidget's owner and rode down with the regular commuters to Union Station. Realized I forgot to bring my city map with me, although I had the Garmin it was having difficulty finding the satellite and reconfiguring to Chicago (it was still in California mode from my trip with Rob). Finally got things in order, walking through the city along the river, found a Walgreen's which sells maps, got our bearings and made our way to Ohio Street & LaSalle, checked into the Best Western and took a few minutes to chill, unpack the heavy books and electronics from the backpack then repacked with the essentials for our day's adventure.

Today was bus day. I bought a 1-day pass from CVS and kids ride for $1 so transportation expenses were very reasonable. Got on the #156 at LaSalle which took us right up to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a beautiful day for it and they had some wonderful animal houses, the primate house in particular was really cool - even caught a snap of a true zoo keeper's life....cage cleaning! Didn't see many of the big cats, I think they were behind-the-scenes being fed when we got there but the polar bear was hilarious to watch, a real character, giving everyone a great show from above ground and below tank. The African Safari house was also impressive, and we took a moment to talk with a keeper at an open exhibit of spiders which I found a very unusual way to display them but he explained that when there's only two or three out, they find their little niche, make a web and stay in place. Purchased some items in the gift shop, a beanie cougar for Ethan, a ring-tailed hand-puppet, and a sale book "Puppet Play: 20 Puppet Projects Made with Recycled Mittens, Towels, Socks and More" by Diana Schoenbrun (can you say enrichment class!). Hopped on the #151 bus to head back down to the John Hancock building but totally missed our stop, doubled back but decided to reassess the situation.

Decided to skip the John Hancock Observatory because the wait would have killed the rest of the day, good call. Instead we got a few hours in at the Children's Hands-On Museum where Ethan had fun building with the giant beams, nuts, and bolts. Got silly in the Circus Zirkus area hanging on the trapeze, spinning in the hoop, walking the tightrope, and of course doing some weight lifting. Before they called for closing time he had some serious fun in the water area using "wave blocks" (small plastic dividers) to control the flow of current down a long river. There were also levers and buckets to lift and pour water plus things to pump and squirt water. Awesome. The kids museum is right at Navy Pier so we stood in line at the ONE ticket booth that was open to get a 3-Ride Pass for each of us, then rode the giant swings (in a double seat), played 18-holes of putt putt (Ethan got a hole-in-one on #17), and made the slow round above the city on the Ferris Wheel. Caught the #65 back to LaSalle, made an 8pm reservation (first available) at the Rainforest Cafe across the street, chilled for a bit watching the new 'Bones' episode then walked across for a late dinner. Had time to hit the pool before it closed then crashed for the night!

Day 3 - Walked up Ohio Street a couple blocks to Starbucks for breakfast then took a cab to Shedd Aquarium arriving almost a half hour before opening time and there was already a line past the awning! Got longer as we waited but thankfully it didn't take long to get our tickets once the doors opened. Last February when Ben and I went we walked right in at opening! First thing on the agenda was the Aquatic Show, this time featuring the Beluga Whales, then the 4D Planet Earth movie, and a little time to relax and investigate the regular exhibits. Ethan was most interested in tracking down the Japanese King Crab and the Pirahnas - mission accomplished! Next, lunch at the Soundings Cafe, Fish Slider for Ethan (as recommended by brother Ben) and the Chicken Florentine Panini with a delightful fresh greens salad for me. Perused around the Great Lakes tanks before checking in for our behind-the-scenes Penguin Encounter! It was absolutely amazing to be up close to a penguin and get to observe it waddle around an area at our feet. The trainer Naomi was very personable and answered all our questions about the Magellantic penguins and #409 in particular, we all got a chance to pet the penguin and get a picture taken with her. There were 8 in our group, four moms with their sons, two were 9 y.o. and two were 10 y.o. Lastly we went downstairs to the Wild Reef to stare into the shark tank then cruise though the Jellies exhibit which in comparison to our adventures thus far was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the displays were videos and there wasn't much variety in the jellyfish. Picked up our Penguin Encounter photos, got our backpack and coats out of the locker and said farewell.

Following our fantastic aquarium experience we jumped on an overcrowded #146 bus that headed up State Street to the Magnificent Mile area, popped out on Randolph and walked the couple blocks up to Millennium Park to check out the Bean and have some fun taking pictures. When we were done exploring the park we hoofed it back down Ohio Street stopping at a grocery store a couple blocks from the hotel to pick up some dinner: salmon rolls, tuna rolls, Pringles, Wild Cherry Pepsi, and Ben & Jerry's Late Night Snack ice cream. Ate, watched some Big Bang Theory, hit the pool, then lights out!

Day 4 - Woke up on our own, watched an Arthur episode on PBS then headed up to the pool for a quick morning swim. After showering, packing up, and checking out we took a lovely walking tour down Grand making our way to Yolk for breakfast. Ethan tried something new...crepes, but was more a fan of the sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs. I again enjoyed the Irish Benny (Eggs Benedict with a grilled tomato on an English Muffin with corned beef hash, homestyle hash browns on the side and some fabulous fresh fruit). Grabbed a cab and headed over to the Field Museum to use the free pass Gidget gave us. It was crazy! We only went through Development of Planet Earth, Dinosaur Hall, Restoring the Earth, the Maori Village, and the Gems exhibits before retrieving our items from coat check and taking a cab to a Gino's East for pizza! Made it to the train station with little time to wait and thoroughly enjoyed our cushy business class seats for the ride back. Ethan did all the scenes in a sticker book we bought at the Shedd Aquarium, played some DS and read a little bit more of "Hunger Games" while I enjoyed a great teaching from Pastor Jeff Wells and listened to some tunes. We also had time to fit in a round of the card game 'Garbage' before he finally fell asleep for the last hour and a half of the trip. Thankfully the weather was good, we arrived to Lapeer on time, the car started, and we made it home safely to our comfy beds, snoring family, and loyal pets. All in all a successful trip but for the record I will never do Chicago during Spring Break week again! It's off-season only for this traveling mom.