Updates on Life in General

Many things have been happening with the family as we transition from our winter activities into spring sports.  Two boys will be running track for their schools.  High school has already begun practices and middle school will start this week, however the first couple meets have already been rescheduled because it is still too cold and snow has not completely melted.

Benjamin my 8th grader has been quite a handful lately, he is all attitude lately, addicted to video games, and we've had some grade issues.  (How's that for transparent)  Discipline measures have been put into place and limits on the gaming but it has made for another challenge in an already trying season.  Soccer is starting soon and with that regular physical activity back in his routine he'll start to chill out a bit, not to mention just getting over our severe cases of cabin fever.

Ethan has been sticking with Forensics.  He changed his piece and category.  His 3 Wizard Poems did not achieve any recognition but his second time presenting his Storytelling piece "The Three Little Javelinas" by Susan Lowell earned him 3rd Place at the MSCI Middle School Tournament in Novi this past weekend.  He received some great comments from the judges and is excited to continue to refine it for the spring finals coming up at Wayne State University next month.  He will again be playing rec baseball this year in addition to running track.  Rock band practices are going well and he is becoming more confident singing leads. Today he also turned in his application to attend Space Camp like his brother did last summer.  He had three great recommendation letters submitted on his behalf and wrote a decent essay, we'll see what happens.  In June he is going to MSU for their Exploration Days event spending three days, two nights on campus taking part in a Flash Animation workshop and another called Improved Life Skills Using Duct Tape which should be interesting. 

Fox is kicking it into high gear getting ready for his senior year and investigating choices regarding college.  He is done with Model U.N. events for this year but is planning to participate again next year.  An even better experience than the school events was a trip he made to Lansing to participate in the 4H Extension's Capital Experience.  For three days they met senators and representatives in the Capitol, discussed various issues, composed bills, and worked to get them passed before the House.  The kids from our county were treated to a personal tour of the House floor by Senator Kevin Daly which was a real treat.  Since he was a part of the Education committee for this event his group got to meet with members of the State Board of Education.  They were all very personable and helpful.  It fact all the representatives and house members that they ran into around the Capital were extremely nice and accommodating.  Fox thought it was an amazing program and is looking forward to going again next year.  MSU is definitely on the top of his list for college choices.  He really likes the idea of having the resource of all our local government being so close by.  He met some kids at the conference that already do internships with the reps in their counties.  In other news he is enrolled in his first online class this trimester Intro to Computer Programming I: Visual Basic.  He likes the way the class is set up online and has been able to get through the first couple weeks of lessons fairly quickly.  We are still waiting to find out if he made it into the LAB: Free Enterprise Camp at Northwood University this summer.

My dear husband is recovering nicely but still taking things slow.  He will be taking a trip to California next week for a job but details are still being worked out.  Most of the winter he spent working on his new company website, conducting paid phone consultations, selling parts online and trying not to go completely stir crazy.

Me?  I've been getting my runs back into the weekly schedule, going out less but running farther distances when I do get out.  I've also been writing and editing regularly.  Sometimes just random thoughts, sometimes on my novels, some times articles for possible submission, or just journaling.  My goal is to keep it part of my routine as much as possible.   I also signed up to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo next month which is very similar to the event that runs in November.  Will do a combination of continued development of my third novel and editing my second. 

Lately I've come to the point again where I feel it necessary to scrutinize my volunteer activities.  While in the past I operated under the idea that if I loved something so much that I was willing to do it for free eventually the fates would make way for me to gain income from those passions.  However lately some of the programs I've been involved with have been creating more stress and confusion than joy which makes me feel that maybe it's time to let those things go in order to put my time and energy towards other goals.  Don't want to make any rash decisions so I'll let it simmer before making my final choice.

..... to be continued.

Education Remorse and Recovery

I have been having a very hard time with the state of my children's public school education for a variety of reasons.  Part of it is just a winter slump I'm sure but more and more I hear of things that are done or more accurately NOT done and the students are suffering for it. If I did have any more kids I would surely work with them at home for the early years again and I'm grateful I did that.  Alexandra homeschooled up until 9th grade and it was her idea to enter the public school arena, looking back now I regret not getting involved with co-ops and homeschool groups earlier but we covered a lot of territory on our own and she learned through field trips and activities in a way that she didn't even realize we were "doing school."  The best compliment I could get during the first and second round of conferences was "I didn't know she was homeschooled."  She hit the ground running and loved getting involved with extra-curricular activities and it was nice not to have to pay and travel for her to participate in various enrichment.  When it came to academics I did my best to let her administrate herself.  She wasn't the most organized student but she did well and for the most part liked her teachers and her classes.

circa 2004 - the sheep & lamb days

 

Fox was home until middle school and when he entered the public school he was very eager to learn and did well with his assignments however over time it seems like he's less and less impressed with the academic status of our public system.  It's not that the material is difficult but as he explains it is presented in a very "lack-luster manner."  We've just received the new Student Handbook and info for scheduling next year, his senior year, the one that you should finally get to take all those classes that you've took prerequisites for and now get to do the fun classes, challenging classes in the area you're considering to pursue in college.  However, there are no classes beyond the basics offered really.  I'm totally disgusted and discouraged.  He is going to have to take some classes online because I'm not putting him in blow off classes just to fill his schedule and he'd rather be doing something more productive too.  Since my daughter started they have dropped so many elective classes it is pathetic!  No Creative Writing, no genre classes, no mythology, no playwriting, there's hardly any extra history classes, no advanced level art classes, the business class offerings are a joke, beyond Biology and Chemistry the only other science is Environmental Science.

Benjamin is going to be a Freshman next year and the schedule is pretty much set with all required classes so there is little room for explorative classes.  The biggest "required" class I have issue with is Health, which is totally stupid and could be covered in about 2 weeks of science, an entire 12-weeks is completely unnecessary.  I honestly believe it just gives them information about some things I'd rather they not be presented with.  Ben has only done pre-school, Kindergarten, 2nd and most of 3rd grade at home.  He did better having someone other than Mom as the educational authority but I see his attitude becoming more jaded as time goes on.  His particular class has a pretty bad reputation and I'm not really keen on him getting lumped in with that group.  Normally he's an all A student but this year his grades are slipping a bit and I think it is because of boredom and lack of challenging subject matter not to mention influence of associates.  He'll be in seated classes for 9th grade but we may investigate some other options for sophomore year.  This one is my all attitude boy and time will tell if he decides to explore other learning options.  The other challenge is the new requirement starting with the class of 2016 that students need two credits of a foreign language to graduate.  Our Spanish and French classes are pretty weak and not what they really want to pursue.  I'm going to hold off on the language classes until his junior year so he can get his prerequisities done to do the CAD and design classes which is what he'll need for the engineering track.

Ethan has already committed to jumping off the seated class roster and working with me to plan an alternative schedule for his 8th grade year.  We're deciding on which classes to register for online, which we'll develop our own curriculum for, and which he'll go into the building for.  It was my intention for Ben and Ethan to work entirely online for the 2nd trimester this year but I kept getting talked out of it.  With as much school as we've missed I wish I would have stuck to my guns.  Next time around I will.  E has also become remise of the attitudes and behavior of many guys in his class that he thought of as friends.  This is a time for some serious character development, hope I can help him make good choices, or at least make sure he knows options are available.  He also thinks he could get through material much quicker if he worked on his own without so many distractions.

We're exploring summer camp options as well, need to keep sane during these snow days.  Thinking about summer helps.  Fox applied for a program in Midland at Northwood University called LAB (Learning About Business) Free-Enterprise Camp.  They except 40 students.  He also applied and interviewed for the Capitol Experience trip through 4H and attended another Model U.N. event at Saginaw Valley State University as the Canada delegate.  There is one more coming up at Hope College, wherein he'll represent the Netherlands.  I got to attend the Wayne State event, it was very interesting to see how things are run and the work the students do from different schools.  Very eye-opening.  Meet your college-bound competition.  Speaking of college I've been getting Fox registered for campus visits.  So far we've booked Oakland University in March, Grand Valley in April, and Central Michigan in May. Ben would like to go to the Lake Superior State University Engineering Camp that Fox attended in 2010 but I also found another program at Michigan Tech!

Both Fox and Ben made the decision to withdraw from robotics.  While I am normally a don't-quit-and-see-it-through kind of parent in this particular case I felt it would be better for all involved if that choice was honored.  There were many factors in play but sometimes it says more to set a limit and step away when things are not progressing well.  I'll leave it at that. 

circa 2014 - fun with forensics

 

Last weekend was our big Broncos BullYard Forensics Tournament.  Alex came and judged along with some other former NB forensicators and drama kids.  I also got to judge for the first time and checked out some categories I had never seen before during my stand-by rounds.  Judged a round of DI (Dramatic Interpretation), DUOs, and Storytelling.  The presenters were amazing it was so hard to rank them!  Ethan took his Wizard Collection of Poems piece again but added another poem.  He didn't break semis but had a great time watching his friends who did.  He was inspired to try Impromptu Sales and in high school Broadcasting.  For the Spring Season he's going to work up a Storytelling piece, we're currently researching material.

iBid Farewell

Outside my Window:  Cold, windy, several inches of snow on the ground and everything looking like crystals.  We had an ice storm earlier this week and are currently without power.  I am blogging from a remote location.  It looks beautiful but the rustic living is getting a bit old.  People are beginning to get power back so hopefully we'll be restored by the weekend.

What's on my Mind:  Making choices about which organizations and activities to stay involved in both personally and with/for the kids.  There comes a point when you can't do everything and you need to prioritize.

Had a fun outing a while back with my choir buddies to Columbiaville.  We went to lunch then shopped at a new choir supporter, Inspired, a really cool repurpose shop, then went on a tour of the William Peters Mansion, who was a lumber baron.  Very cool place, wonderfully renovated, they do parties and murder mystery dinners there plus it is a bed and breakfast.

Thankful for: Two wonderful concerts with an amazing group of singers.  Very impressed with how our sound is developing.  The Friday performance was packed out and we had a great turnout on Sunday as well.  Looking forward to "All Creation Sings" in the Spring. 

Creative Endeavors: Working on a poster design for the 2nd Annual North Branch Cross Country Spring Fitness 5K.  Almost complete and will be distributed about town after the new year.  Also lighting the fire under the Lapeer County Concert Choir board of directors to expand our educational outreach, more info to follow.

My Latest Project:  Setting up attendance at National Honor Society meetings in schools around the area to go in a recruit kids for 4H camp counselor training.  Rob and I have also become involved with the FRC Robotics team for Ed-Tech and North Branch.  The kick off is at Kettering on January 4th then the real excitment begins!

My 3 Sons:  Ben's experience at the First Tech Robotics challenge was a bit of a frustrating day but he kept it together and came in 10th out of 21 teams which isn't bad considering he never got to drive the robot before the competition due to technical difficulties.

Ethan made it to finals at his first middle school forensics tournament at Hartland and finished 6th in his category (Poetry).  The state competition at Central Michigan University was pretty fierce and he did not receive any awards there.  He is going to use his 3 Wizard poems by Jack Prelutsky piece one more time in January then begin working on a duo with his buddy Noah for the spring tournaments.  

Fox did his first Model U.N. event and is looking forward to the new topice of World Economics which he feels will be more interesting for him.  He is also waiting to do an interview for National Honor Society to be a buddy to an elementary student and has started attending meetings for the high school robotics team, they are pursuing him to be their "money man" and keep track of their financials as well as acting as a team manager. 

The First Born:  Single again.  Down to one job but that's good.  Judged her first Forensic Tourny at Central and is planning to do more and try and come help mentor the middle school team.

Employment News: I worked at Honeyflow filling holiday orders and have been subbing.  Rob is at the end of his unemployment and we just got the account for his new business, Kings Mill Technical Services, set up at a bank in town.  The calls have been coming in pretty steady and hopefully will continue.  Since we've been down this road of self-employment before we have a little bit better plan going into it so I believing this will a succesfully move.

Hoping to Improve:  Making time to write.  Running schedule has been messed up because of the icy conditions.  Looking forwarding to running my first 8K on Jan 31st regardless of training.  Below is the HSXC team at the Fall Sports Banquet.

Food for Thought: I've been reading a great book called Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollen that really enforces the thought behind the food choices we make.  It helps me stay true to the cause of fresh eating especially when the schedule gets busy and "fast food" gets tempting.  My friend who battles with arthrtis has adopted a no wheat and no sugar routine over the past few months and has noticed a remarkable difference in her condition, basically no inflamation and very little pain/discomfort.  What you eat matters and heals if we just give it time for the body to accept the change.  Taking a pill just covers symptoms for a time but doesn't really heal anything.....just saying.

Last Words:  Here is my mantra for the new year ....
 

   

iGive

Outside my Window: Beautiful sunshine but crispy air temp.

What's on my Mind: How to parent teenage boys.  Mine have been a real treat lately.  And trust me, I know they are tame in their rebellions compared to what I understand some people have dealt with.  It's a delicate dance.  You know what they say, "teeangers are God's way of helping us let go." 

Thankful for: Opportunity.   And keeping the bills paid.

My Latest Project has been taken advantage of my employer's generosity and picking batches of grapes for jelly and juice which has also become my Creative Endeavors as well.  My friend Sarah offered her kitchen and we spent a day making several batches of jelly.  She stuck with the traditional Concord jelly recipe while I used some Canadice and Cayuga grapes with natural sugar, honey, and regular sugar (in various batches). 

She made two batches of Concord that turned out fabulous plus had juice to spare for another batch the next day.  I did four different batches with the two varieties, only one set of the Cayuga set, but it IS tasty!  The rest I'm using for a juice base and in granola bars.  Last night I juiced up some Stuebens, they are very similar to the Concord but slightly mellower.  The boys taste tested it and said it didn't even need sugar added.  Next batch is NO sugar, followed by a LOW Sugar, and one HONEY batch.  Fun times.  Also working on a round of Canadice juice.  Yummo!

My 3 Sons: The boys have started to push the boundaries a bit as would be expected with teenagers which has caused some tense days.  Not to mention their poor choices creating much unwarrented distress.  We had a week where it felt everyone lost their bloody mind and now after penanance and discipline measures have taken place we seem to be back on an even keel once again.

Fox recently subbmitted his application for National Honor Society.  Ethan has checked in with the middle school Forensics supervisors and is in the process of selecting a piece to work on.  Ben's soccer experience has been challenging with the rec program again this year but we're sticking it out and making the best of it.

The first Born: Still vegan.  Still working 2 jobs.  May help with some Forensics events with the North Branch School team since little bro is going to be competing.  Alex did in high school and really enjoyed it.

Employment News: Didn't get the position I interviewed for but found out I was second choice.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Probably going to continue working at the farm part-time helping fill online orders.  Still subbing as well, been in the middle school a few times already and high school special ed.

Hoping to Improve: My attitude.  Feeling very crabby and complaintive lately....could be hormonal.  Or that I'm a pink drowning in a blue world if you know what I mean.  Being the only female in the house can push your limits of grace to the brink.

Food for Thought:  Recipes made with love can never be fattening!  (Smile)

Last Words:

Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.

~Mark Twain

Much Ado About the Willows

Well, we're still waiting for spring to kick in for good around here, we've had a couple teases but still the winter wants to linger. First photo is Benny's latest putt-putt golf creation, indoors of course using K'nex, pillows, and a putting practice set.

Next is a quick snap of Fox getting ready for the North Branch Broncos Invitational meet. He did pretty well and since he was the only entry in the Sales category he actually medaled. Still some polishing to do before state meet at Wayne State University the last weekend of the month. He's also officially set to run the 1 Mile, 2 Mile and 4 by 800 race for this year's track season. Coach Friend said we'll have to clear a seat on the bus for the ride home from meets so Fox can 'pass out.' He's really not phazed by the task and is excited to really show the endurance he's worked up from keeping in shape and running all winter long. His mile is at 6:13 right now which is good.


This week I got to go with Ben's 5th grade team to The Willows in Lapeer for a great ecology unit. All the lessons were designed to get the kids to think about our relationship with nature. It was a bleary morning as we started out to our first class (Spear throwing) we were getting snowed on, it let up fairly quickly however and the rest of the day was just cold and wet.

DAY 1

Arrival meeting and splitting into groups.

Spear Throwing Class.

Ben Man makes fire!

Learning about the Flint Watershed and playing 'Pooh sticks' to judge how fast the water is moving.

Last class, the basics of orienteering, or how to use a compass 101.

DAY 2

First class was in the Wigwam talking about Native American culture and habitats. Then they used their spear throwing skills to play the Chucky game and also try some other organic tools.

Next they made mud and worked on a native structure..... ew, yucky!

Orienteering Part Two, out on the trails with map and compass to find the flags and punch your cards.

Last class was Mud Oven! Learned about the technology then went inside, ground some wheat for flour, rolled out dough and made thin crust pizza that we cooked in the mud oven and they also churned up some ice cream! As you can see from the pictures day two was much more pleasant weather-wise than day one.

Yummy! This is all right in the backyard of Chatfield School, as our group was getting ready to leave for the day the students were coming in for their Ecology and Lego Robotics classes. Ben really liked this experience and is rather interested in becoming a Chatfield student now that he's seen some of the cool things they get to do as part of their regular studies.

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.