iAm What I Am

Outside my Window:  Bright skies but rain forecasted for later.  Ponds are the highest we've ever seen them since moving in, swamp pond has drifted halfway up the back lawn and the swimming pond edge is nearly 3 feet higher than normal.  Sun has been making more regular appearances lately though and it is supposed to be nice for most of the week.

What's on my Mind:  Just getting through all the end of the school year activities and our sports commitments.  Contemplating how different it is dealing with teenage boys than teenage girls (sons vs. daughter).  We had an emotional weekend, many tears, surprisingly not from me but from my men.  They too have their breaking point emotionally, it just seems to take more to crack them than it does women.  Fear not, all is well, life is unfolding as it should.

Thankful for: A wonderful day out with friends this past week.  First stop was the Flint Crepe Company for brunch, everything on their menu is organic and locally grown, made right there while you wait and tastes fantastic.  Love, love, love this concept - wish there were more establishments like it.  Next we popped into the Flint Public Library then over to the Flint Institute of Arts.  Unfortunately I can not post photos from the gallery since I signed an agreement but we all enjoyed the eclectic mix of exhibits, met a featured artist [David Maxim] that was on sight that day, and got a private tour of the ceramics area, from classrooms to kilm room, which was very cool.

Creative Endeavors:  Zippo.

Latest Project:  The pig pen is almost complete, just a few last things to secure.  We got a great deal on some used items (feeder, fencing, gate, water nipplers) which means the project will come in well under budget.   Working to get some press going for the spring choir concert but not having much success.....sent out press releases but some of the papers did not use them which is a drag.  Posters are going up all around town thanks to choir members, hoping we'll have a decent turnout this weekend.

My 3 Sons: Ethan ran the North Branch Area Schools Spring Fitness 5K with me yesterday. He and his buddy came through the shoot together, first in their age group with a time of 28:21 on a very challenging and extremely cross-country route.  I finished as well, running the whole squishy course in 39:18.  Baseball is going well, opener will be next weekend.  He also got out to collect sponsors for the Swine Department again visiting those that gave last year, nearly everyone gave again.  It would be cool if he won the incentive for a second year but he expressed he's just happy to help and it's not about winning so much this time.  First prize is $100 cash, second is a $50 gift certificate to Tractor Supply Company.

Benjamin is really enjoying being on a soccer team with all his school buddies.  At first he was giving me grief about not doing AYSO again but it all worked out for the best.  I like that he will have a couple years of rec play with the kids that he will eventually end up on the high school team with, first game will be this week.  Coach was very excited to have him and commented that he had some great skills and is a real 'team' player.  Cool.  Pigs have been saved at the breeders and will be picked up this coming weekend.

Fox is experiencing a definite sophomore slump.  Track season has not gone the way he hoped, for all his hard work he is not getting the results he aims for and it has him a bit discouraged.  I know it will all click in for him if he doesn't let it mess with him mentally, each meet, each race, is a fresh start and as long as he can not dwell on his 'bad' runs and keep a positive attitude for the next run he'll be fine.  Next month he will take the AP Psych and AP World History exam, here's hoping for a 3 or 4 score!  We've also been discussing the idea of him going to Cross Country camp at Grand Valley State University this summer to get another campus experience and some new running influences.

The first Born:  Car is all better, tires and brake line dealt with.  Haven't seen her much lately but we keep in text....miss her!

Employment News: Nothing new to report at this time just doing some substitute teaching when I can.  May be helping Rob with some administrative things for his company as they get the machine selling aspect in place.  Open House went well and they had a nibble on a machine purchase.  A fellow employee is out of the picture due to some personal issues so Rob is going to be doing quadruple duty .... praying all will work out for the best but it may be a bumpy go for a bit.

Hoping to Improve: Food sources.  Our brunch at Flint Crepe Company sparked my desire to scale down my grocery purchases at big chain stores and begin to focus again on growing my own and buying locally.  We are fortunate to live in a farming area so it is readily available, just have to purpose to buy that way and not just run to Meijer when we need things.  In this grabable, eat-on-the-go, world it can be very challenging but it is possible.  Planted some spinach and peas this week, looking forward to getting the rest of the garden planted soon.

Food for Thought: Savoring is an art that can enhance your entire life. The practice of slowing down, appreciating small things, and immersing yourself in the present increases your ability to derive satisfaction from every life experience, including the experience of eating.  ~Ten Habit of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

Green Acres

What a week we had at the Eastern Michigan STATE Fair!  Our first time raising and showing pigs turned out to be a satisfying and successful endeavor and although we talked about taking the next summer off the boys are gung-ho to get at it again with a new strategy to improve on what they've already accomplished.  While I knew that the chance of winning in the market categories was pretty slim I put out an incentive to the boys that if they both placed in Showmanship I would purchase their ride tickets for them.  They both had money saved to buy their own ride bands.  Benjamin placed 6th for Showmanship in the Pre-Junior class up against some very good showman who already had a few years under their belt.  His barrow (Rocky) took 5th in his market class and his pair came in 3rd, he also got 2nd Place for his Record Book.

Ethan really surprised me by receiving the Champion Beginner Showman award.  He had great energy in the ring, stayed by his pig and kept her off the fence, and what the judge like most when he spoke with him in the holding pen was his confidence.  Great job, buddy!  His gilt did not receive any recognition in market class but she was great to work with for showmanship and the friendliest of all three hogs.  Ethan also won an iPod Touch for getting the most trophy sponsors and ads for the program book, which probably meant more to him than any other ribbons he could have won.  Auction was the other unknown going into this adventure.  The day was rainy and they started earlier than they had in past years so the buyers trickled in.  Ben went up 11th and was lucky to get $2 a pound, more buyers came in by the time Ethan, who was 68th, got up there and his went for $2.40 a pound.  These are both legit prices and from what I'm told our county is very blessed by the support of families, farms, and businesses in the area; at many other fair auctions the kids are lucky to get $1 per pound for their animals.

There was a bit of disorientation in the indoor open project area this year due to new people being in charge of various categories.  I honestly think my paper articles and plastic articles didn't even get judged.  They didn't get ribbons and yet I saw no other projects in those categories.  One of my photos from the capitol building got 2nd Place and a wildflower arangement got 3rd.  Besides watching my own boys show I always enjoy watching some of the dairy and beef showmanship, this year I watched the Cloverbuds who are all kids under 9 years old that work with mostly dairy calves.  The woman who oversees this program deserves super kudos for her time, patience, expertise, and the fact that all the kids did great.  Happy, confident and so proud to be in the show ring was the vibe they exuded.  Silly to some, but my other Fair week highlight is always watching the elephants get washed.  This year I chatted with some tough, burly guys that help run the fairgrounds, who were just as fascinated with the task as I was.  Ethan enjoyed watching the Super 8 race Wednesday evening too.  Four calves were born in the FFA tent and a very uncomfortable sow finally began to deliver on the last day, two piglets were out this morning but more were still to come as they carefully relocated her in the farrowing crate back to the Ed-Tech Center.

It is so fun to see everyone at load up time heading out with new animals, we came home with 6 chicks, another family from our club brought home a goat to be a buddy for their mini-horse, I saw lots of chickens, geeseand rabbits being put into trailers and they didn't even have enough quails for all the people who wanted some.  We were hoping to add another rabbit to our menagerie but I didn't win one in the silent auction, however, in selling off some of our rabbit cages I hit it off with a family that is breeding Holland Lops and will stay in touch to purchase a baby when they're ready.  Ethan wants to show rabbits next year in addition to swine and we found a club to join for that.  Benjamin is VERY interested in working with cows so we're seriously discussing him getting involved with FFA (Future Farmers of America) to learn about them at their facilities without having to have them on our property yet.  I told him if he continues to raise hogs and sell them he can have a beef steer when he has enough money to purchase it himself and gets a set-up on our property that is adequate to take care of it properly.  We'll see how it goes.

As soon as the pigs were trailered off to Fair I got busy and rototilled the field area. My three sons helped me get it raked out and put down boards for paths and I planted a late season garden on Monday.  Just went back to check things out once I got the van unloaded and chicks settled in.  After several days of rain followed by warmth I already have beans, peas, rutabaga, spinach, and lettuce popping up!

So Robert is still in Chile for work, the boys are off for a week of camping in Port Crescent State Park with their grandparents, and I am going to tackle some more house projects and enjoy the quiet.

Hope you're enjoying your August days as much as we are!

7th Heaven

Zoomania Day Camp turned out to be a big hit. Fox did a nice job with the young kids and had one boy who was a huge Fox fan.  The second day we had Thumb Reptile in for a presentation and I was lucky enough to go down and see it.  I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to see how comfortable Fox was with the large Burmese Python they had brought in.  He held it and carried it around for the kids to see.  I even held a few snakes myself, the presenters made everyone feel very at ease around the animals and were glad to let the kids hold them, pet them and pass them around.  Another highlight was storytime, I chose Animal Action ABC by Karen Pandell and Art Wolfe, however as opposed to having the kids sit down and me reading it, I used it more as a creative movement exercise and we got active!  From arching, to growling, to pouncing, and kicking, they had a blast!  Great way to end our time together.

Next up was overnight camp. Although Benjamin didn't attend as a camper he did come with me Wednesday evening when I dropped Ethan off and got clearance to stay for the Whispering Pines presentation which included bullfrogs, hedgehog, sloth, a ferrel fox, and a huge lizard to name a few.  My first day in science we made plaster casts of animal prints which went better than I could have expected. We then discussed five groups of vertebrates (mammal, reptile, amphibian, birds, and fish) and played animal scategories where they had to come with an animal for each category that started with a particular letter that was chosen by rolling the alphabet die from my Scategories game.  It was quite a challenge at first, then I let them use some animal books that I had brought for reference and the game really picked up from there.  My second day of Science didn't go as well as I had hoped, my idea to use some multimedia ie: websites sort of backfired so I went with plan B which was making part of a lapbook that focused on four invertebrate groups.  This was not so well received but they muddled through.  Wish I would have gone with something more active.  Live and learn.  Ethan had a great time although I sort of regret putting him in a cabin with two of his buddies because he didn't really branch out and make new friends like he did the year before, but no biggie, just mental note to self.

The Sunday before 4H camp week was our second weigh-in for the piggies. Rob, Fox and I rattled up the road in my new beater truck to pick up the scale then Ben and Ethan helped me hustle them on and off.  Happily we are back on track for making weight at Fair.  The smallest was Chew-porka at 190lbs, next was Rocky Hogowa at an even 200, then 50 Cent still livin' the largest at 210lb.  We're hoping to enter Rocky and 50 Cent as a pair so they need to be within 10 pounds of each other, which it looks like they will be.  We put about 50 pounds on each one in 3 weeks so if we can do a repeat of that gain we will be looking good!  Since it has been unusually hot in Michigan this summer it has been very time consuming to make sure the hogs are watered down regularly, have plenty of mud holes, and still continue to eat.  They are more social than one would expect and like to have someone come back and visit often which always prompts them to get up and take a turn at the feeder.  We've had a few crazy escapes too, when they start to feel neglected they take it upon themselves to find some way to occupy their time, which usually means, scooching under a fence and heading down to the pond for a dip.  One night they got out and really went exploring, ending up in the neighbors yard.  Thankfully Fox was still at home and noticed they got out or our investments may have been long gone by the time the younger boys and I had returned.

We had our final Pig Club meeting before Fair this past weekend which was the annual showmanship clinic.  They had a great presenter in from MSU that was raised on a pig farm and has been very successful in showing and judging.  The kids really learned a lot, hopefully they can put it all together come show time.  Just 11 more days to go and the three not-so-little pigs will be moving along to Fair.  Hoping Ben and Ethan both get a decent price at auction plus looking forward to having a freezer full of good meats to eat ourselves and share with friends and family.

Tomorrow is a day out with some choir friends. We're heading to Midland to tour the Dow house and gardens.  Then I'll spend the next week getting my indoor projects together for Fair.  Ben and Ethan will be finishing up their swimming lessons.  AND I just found out I am going to be going to ITALY!!!  Rob has a business trip coming up and I get to tag along.  More details to follow......

May life always continue to amaze you.  It pretty much blows my mind everyday!  :D

Clue Club

This past week Fox was on the Michigan State University campus for 4H Discovery Camp. The main focus was biodiesel technology but they also visited the Invision House and learned about a variety of sustainable and energy efficient technology, Wind Turbines, the MBI Lab, and the MSU Test Fields where they grow switch grass, poppy trees, and mycanthis for experimentation. During the recreational outings they went on a private tour of the Basketball Stadium and explored the bird sanctuary.  He reported it was a great camp and everyone he met was very cool.  There was a diverse representation of kids that were selected from all over the state.  Unlike the LSSU Engineering camp where everyone was what would probably be catagorized as "geeky" (high academic acheivers), this group was from a range of "acheivement" levels but they were a very fun group, that came up with unique ways to solve problems and think outside box. Through the magic of Facebook he will more than likely keep in touch with many of them.  When I inquired if he thought MSU was the type of campus situation he could see himself in, he thought.....possibly.  Kudos to Jake DeDekker and staff for organizing a fabulous program.

Monday after we got Fox situated Ben, Ethan, and I headed over to the Potter Park Zoo again, this time heading directly back to the tiger house to see the now-rather-large baby tigers which were sooooo cool to watch.  Also inside were two female lions that I don't remember from last time.  There was a group of young ladies in the Feline House when we were, one of them had a toddler, as we were all watching, one of the female tigers jumped up when it saw the baby and came right up to the glass to check it out.  Wherever the kid moved the lion moved with it, watching intently.  It was very bizarre and we commented back and forth whether the feline was in protection mode or had vicious intent.  It's rare that you see zoo animals really react to observers, usually they could care less.  Very interesting.

Ethan and I also took a camel ride, first ever for us both.  It was similar to riding a horse but with much more up and down motion.  Ben declined the adventure and opted to act as photographer only. While we were in line Ethan commented about the price to ride and I explained that this money helps them cover expenses to take care of the animals, you have to look at it like a fundraiser.  The gal from the zoo heard me explain this and said "you're the only one who realizes that, most people just complain about the cost. It is expensive to care for a lot of these animals."

I get it, and can't even imagine what it must cost to run a zoo.  Just the expense of raising three pigs for a few months is blowing my mind!  Speaking of pigs, we were fortunate to be offered the use of an outdoor feeder with four doors so we could put the trio on free feed and they are really starting to look big now.  This weekend I'm going to pick up the scale and get them weighed again.  While Fox was gone I worked with the boys on their buyer letters and we got our first batch delivered.  It's challenging coming up with different businesses for them to invite although they did both give a letter to the bank where they have their accounts.  Ethan has had a bit of an advantage because he already broke the ice with a lot of people when he went out getting sponsors.  I would send the boys in on their own to talk with people and a few places it took 10-15 minutes before he came back out because he was chatting it up with people.  Several made a point to come out, give me a wave in the van and say "he did a really good job!"  Awesome.  Although Ben is not the social butterfly type that his younger brother is, he did his best to speak up, state his business, look people in the eye, and not be shy.  The more he does it, the easier it will get I keep telling him.  We're planning to do another round in a couple weeks, they both need to come up with three more people to invite.

Well, I haven't relayed any information about my oldest lately, maybe because I've been trying to block it out.  You know when you think about having kids you have these romantic notions of babies, baby stuff, baby cuddles, and cute cuddly feelings, but you never consider the teenage, young adult phase of that cute little baby's life.  Well think about it folks and beware!  Let me try and phrase this as kindly as I can.  After a series of financial missteps, mainly stemming from not paying a balance owed to the community college (even though she kept insisting to me that she did), her idea to transfer to a university in the fall is now on hold. She wants to take a semester off because she dosen't really know what she wants to do.

**edit gory details**

But in the meantime she plans on moving into an apartment with her boyfriend and continuing to work as an assistant manager at BK.  (Please picture me throwing up my hands and pulling my hair out.)  Love you, be safe, be happy, give me a call and let me know what's up.  Good luck.  Honestly, it's fine whatever you decide to do, just don't BS me.  I honestly don't know what to think and keep fighting the impulse to beat myself up about it.  She made her choices and she'll have to live with them, but as a parent the whole situation really sucks however, it's out of my control.

Moving on to more pleasant topics.  Next week is 4H Zoomania Camp which I am very excited to be a part of.  We have lots of great guests coming in with a variety of animals and tons of fun activities planned.  I will be presenting the science section, storytime, and some games for daycamp and working on an Animal Classification lapbook with the overnight group.  The younger boys are also finishing up their swim lessons and even got promoted up a class after the third lesson.  Woot!

Hope all is well in your part of the world and remember "don't sweat the small stuff."

What's My Line?

Wow. I really had intended to do one more post in June but time just slipped away from me.  The week after school got out Fox started his Segment 1 Driver's Training which lasted three weeks. Every morning we were up to town at 8am, then off an running from there.  He still has 3 driving sessions this week then we're done until Winter when he'll do Segment 2.  Finally received his last report card. Intro Business, Intro Macrobiology, and Geometry he got an A- in, AP US History a solid B, and sadly Intro Chemistry ended with a C+. Ew. That was his last class of the day and they had to leave early many times to get to track meets so it became difficult to keep up at times.  Interestingly he did better in the 10th grade science class but I think it was more the circumstances, although he did comment that chem just wasn't really "his thing."  Still waiting for the results of his AP US History Exam, hoping for a 4 at least so it can count as college credit.  Fingers crossed.  If he's not playing Age of Empire on the computer or checking his investments, you can usually find him walking or running the trails.  Yesterday he participated in the Freedom Run 5K in North Branch, finishing 5th overall and 3rd for his age group with a time of 18:55, his best yet.  We've had a couple meetings with the new cross country coach and they have been getting together for group runs two mornings a week but because of DT he couldn't run with them yet.  The coach and several XC members and hopefuls ran yesterday too which was a pleasant surprise to see the comraderie beginning already before the season has begun.  Coach took 1st in his age class and one of our freshmen girls placed 2nd as well. 

Ben and Ethan have also been running a bit themselves in preparation for a few open races.  Ethan really looks up to Fox and his exercise dedication and even does a weight workout with big brother from time to time.  B & E also tried the Pedal Pull yesterday for the first time, since Ben was the only 12 y.o. he got a trophy but it was very challenging to pedal the semi because his legs were too short.

All Ben's paperwork is turned in for Chatfield so he is officially transfered. He will hopefully play soccer for the school team if they have a parent volunteer to manage it but if not I ran into the gentleman who runs the North Branch Rec Soccer at the Freedom Run and found out there is a 7th and 8th grade team through that program that does some traveling but the games are much closer than the AYSO games which would make things easier.  Benny is now an all-out roller-coaster fanatic and got to go to Cedar Point with his aunt last week much to his delight.  They practically shut the place done cuz Ben just didn't want to leave, by the end he was riding by himself because his aunt and cousin where exhausted and didn't want to ride any more!  I'm glad he enjoyed himself, next on his list.....Six Flags-Chicago!

Pigs are doing well but when we weighed them last week they were significantly under where they should be by now.  200lbs would be ideal but ours were 140, 140 and 160.  However we still have time to push them, feed is now doubled, and we're adding eggs, milk, and extra scraps to their diet.  The heat is a challenge and we need to go out several times a day to water them down and make sure they have mud holes to lay in and keep cool.  They really are hilarious to watch, like three big, stocky, dogs.  I kid you not, they even have a bark.  Was fortunate to purchase an old pick-up truck from a farmer up the road that still has plenty of get-up-and-go left in it and got it for a great price.  Now I don't have to borrow a truck to go scrap or pick up mulch, or even building supplies.  yeehaw.  I'm a true North Branchian now!

Ethan has been quite the animal hunter as he's been the past few summers.  He's always out by the pond with a net catching things. Mostly frogs and turtles.  He even discovered a turtle laying eggs and took a picture.  In another couple weeks we'll probably see the little shells popping up.  Snakes are always a good find too.  After requesting one for nearly a year he finally got his wish as I responded to a email for a rabbit relocation.  Ethan is now the proud owner of a very sweet Netherland Dwarf bunny who is very lucky to have an inside 'apartment' especially in this heat!

With all the discombobulation Alexandra has been having with her higher education choices Fox and I have been having many conversations about education in general, both from the aspect of what he'd like to have under his belt at the end of high school, what he'd like to pursure as a career, and where he wants to attend college.  He's open to making sure he has a well rounded experience that will result in a strong college application, ie: good grades, athletics, volunteer work, involvement in some type of school club, as many AP classes as he can achieve, and hopefully some type of work experience or internship.  After having his Intro Business class last trimester he is very disappointed in the teacher who unfortunately is the only faculty that teaches the business classes and there aren't many of them that our District high school offers.  I sent him the link of online classes available and he is looking for some that might fit into his plans.  If he finds any that are worthwhile I told him I go to bat with the principal and superintendent to see that he can work it into his high school credits.

My thoughts on education have been in an upheaval lately. I see the benefits of homeschool and public school but neither are the perfect fit.  This new experience with the charter school will be an interesting addition to my sociological experiment.....but will it be the absolute answer?  Time will tell.

On the agenda for the near future..... swimming lessons for Ben and Ethan, Discovery Camp for Fox, 4H Day Camp for Fox and I (he a counselor, me a teacher), 4H Overnight Camp for Ethan and I (he a camper, me a teacher), initial meeting to begin setting up the Lapeer County 4H Citizenship Academy (a paid gig!), and hopefully getting more work done on my stagnating kitchen project. 

Kicking up the AC....they're talking 100 degrees for the 4th of July.  What!?

Electric Company

Another school year has ended and we're all glad of it.  I got to go on the 5th grade TREK field trip, a "team building" adventure.  Ethan and I both took a go on the zip line.  The climb up was a bit hairy, but the zip is a blast!  It was fun and all but not my favorite field trip by any means.  The Art & History school day got cancelled due to rain unfortunately.

The boys and I did get out there for the reenactment on Saturday however and had a chance to look around then.  It was pretty quiet in the afternoon, the weather was perfect.  We all had fun wandering around looking for things that looked interesting to us.

Fox finished the year on an up note receiving Rookie of the Year again for Track (he also got it for CC) and this time got a Scholar Athlete certificate as well.  Haven't got his final grades yet but he assures me all will be fine.  This week he started driver's training which will go until the end of the month.  Then I'll have to get the guts to let him drive me around, not sure how I feel about that yet.  :)   He is also shocked and somewhat excited to have a new cross-country coach for next year but expecting the change to be a good one.  Nutrition and diet are a focus for him lately as he continues to run, lift weights, walk, and bike regularly.  Looking forward to seeing all his dedication and hard work pay off.

 

 Ben and Ethan did get their final report cards on the last day of school.  Ben got two As, four A-s, and a B.  Ethan brought in satisfactories in all electives, two Bs, three B+s, and an A-.  Excellent job, although I'm concered that I am seeing less and less of Ethan's completed work come home during the school year.  Ben is pretty good about showing me things regularly.  Ethan, not so much.  I realized how not-so-much when he brought home all his stuff after desk and locker clean-out.  Hmm.

The pigs are doing well.  I take them out for walks around the trail a few times a week now.  This is recommended to help them build up stamina for show day so they don't poop out on you and refuse to do anything.  They know their route now and with a little help from Sunny puppy they move right along.  You can see in the photo what good rototillers they are, the area between the barn and wood fence was all thick grass like in the foreground, now it is all turned over.  Currently they are working on the new field area, and occasionally making their escape to go plunk in the pond! 

New developments include a job change for Rob.  He went back to the company he was working for and is much happier for it.  There have been new business opportunities that have allowed his old boss to bring him back on doing what he used to do and also a few new tasks, some of which will entail commission which could be cool.  Unfortunately the academic enrichment classes I put together did not go due to lack of pre-enrollment.  I did get some but not enough to meet my minimums, sort of a bummer but I can definately use that time to work on other projects around the house.  A never ending work-in-progress.  The gramma garden extension is coming along nicely, need to get another batch of mulch to finish it off.  Enrichment classes will be part of my upcoming future for sure but things are coming together a little differently than I expected, but it will all be fine.  Plus, we got a call from Chatfield.....Ben got in for 7th grade.  Picked up the packet today and his summer reading assignment.  I also spoke with the Director about substitute teaching there and got the forms I need to fill out for that.  He was happy to have me on the "call list."  So, this will completely change the dynamic of our next academic year but I am truely looking forward to the adventure!

CHiPs

Last weekend was counselor training out at Camp Lael and camper Open House.  It was a little soggy but stopped raining enough to take people on tours without much discomfort.  Ethan is signed up as a camper but Benjamin has chosen to sit this one out.  He could still change his mind, but he really wasn't into the cabin sleeping situation, although he enjoyed all the activities.  Fox will most likely be a counselor for the day camp but final placements haven't been made yet.

The goose couple has returned with four goslings again.  They are making themselves quite at home venturing up very near the house and settling in on the backyard grass during the day while it's quiet.  When the boys are all back home they hit the pond for a while then chill out "on the far end."  I don't mind having them other than the goose poop everywhere!  They'll move on soon enough.

The boys helped out Mother's Day to get up fencing for another field area the pigs can root about in.  They've pretty much demolished  it up near the barn.  I may even plant some late crops there once they head off to fair.  Next year I'll plant the whole area with veggies again.  I've taken about four years off from major gardening but it's time to get back into it and have some fresh foods more readily available plus extras to store for the cold months.  I'm starting to feel a resurge in my Earth connections.

Both Ben and Ethan have been good about getting out and taking care of the pigs although I do have to remind them.  There is a lot going on right now with school wrapping up, sports going on, and everyone having to be in different places almost every night.  Once school lets out in a couple weeks they will be spending more time "hanging out" with the hogs and training them more so they can handle them during showmanship.  Oddly the pigs are all very personable and I swear they even know their names.... 

Fox has seemed to hit a freshman plateau in his running.  He's holding on to the times he improved to but hasn't been able to break under into ther under 12 minute 2-mile.  Since the team is so young overall Fox has been invited to all the invitational meets, is at regionals as I type this, and has enough points for his track letter.  I doubt if he'll go to states, but there's one more invitational at Birch Run next week then he's done.

We've talked about him working with a trainer in the off season and he is definately interested. One of the girls that runs for North Branch knows a college runner on team at her school that is willing to work out with them during the summer.  The boys from cross country have also talked about getting together to run the water tower park or through Oakdale ponds and prairies during the summer too.  Found a couple cross country camps too, one at Grand Valley and another at Central but I'm not sure if we can work that in this summer with driver's training and the 4H Discovery Camp already in play.

Still didn't meet his goal of an under 12 minute 2-mile, close (12:03) but not quite there, maybe tonight at Regionals. Pictures got a little crazy once the sun went down a bit and the exposures started going weird on me but I thought effects were kinda fun.  So, no, it's not your eyes going bad... lol

Benjamin came with me to the Bad Axe meet and was curious about the different events and how it all worked since he is going to be running middle school track.  We've had many heated discussions about next school year.  Although it has yet to be put in print and signed by the both of us, the way it looks now is I'm going to let him continue on into NBMS but if a spot opens at Chatfield he'll shift immediately.  He is adament about not being in band again and is willing to DO ANYTHING if I let him not be in band!  Over this I am completely torn.  He's very good at it and it comes easily to him. On this point I've remained uncommitted until I see what other electives are being offered.  We also had a choice to make about soccer for next year.  Thankfully I've been asked to teach some classes at a local theater however, the days I need to teach will greatly conflict with the U14 game schedule, plus all games are an hour East, on the same days where cross country meets are an hour North. At little too much divide to conquer.  Ethan is not interested in playing next year and is going to concentrate on baseball and golf.  At this point it's agreed to let soccer go for the fall and all the boys will concentrate on cross country.  Depending on where things are at with track we'll look at doing a late add-in for spring.

Since the meet was taking so long, Ben and I, took a breather and went exploring the old cemetary across from the school.  One of the oldest stones we found was Born 1877- died 1906.

Ethan has been a real go-getter with his trophy, pen, and arena sponsorships, raising close to $800 with a few businesses still to confirm by early next week. Many people commented about his sales skills and presentation.  When I would take him to meet people he would wear a dress shirt and tie and most times his suit coat as well.  He's learned to open and close the conversation with a hand shake, explain his mission clearly, offer to leave the material for them and check back, ask who he should talk to when he comes back, follow up with people in person or by phone, stop back in to personally thank those that contributed if something was left for him.  It would be cool if next year he remember enough to keep track of the routine himself, he's seems to be understanding the concept and has no problem talking with people.  Plus he's still got that young boy cute factor working for him!  I should have took a picture with him in his suit, out selling.  Oh well, can't snap everything.

Last soccer game Saturday, with a team we're playing for the third time and already creamed the first two.....seriously? Who made the schedule?  Next week is the Lapeer Virtual Learning Center Open House which I've agreed to help with in some capacity although I'm not sure yet exactly what I'll be doing when I get there.  I have no idea what to expect as far as turnout.  I've been doing more subbing the last few months as well, just don't blog about it so much, mostly I've been in special ed rooms and some regular high school.  Next Thursday the boys are I will be heading out on the 6:45a Blue Water to Lansing for a capitol adventure with Grandpa Q.  We're going to do a capitol tour, check out Impressions Five Hands-On Museum, and peruse the Potter Park Zoo! After a yummy dinner we'll hop back on the 9:35p Blue Water back to Lapeer.  Then we'll all chill with a 4-day weekend!