LAST DAY...

Can you believe it? I'm kinda shell shocked. I've finished the shrinky dink medals for completion of kindergarten and 1st grade. These are placed in frames to be handed out when Daddy gets home after lunch. Little girl is finishing her math chapter test and the boys are playing crazy 8s card game peacefully. The boys have vacuumed and cleaned off their desks. I'm putting away my stuff for August 4th.

Daddy is taking them to see Prince Caspian movie and maybe a baseball game (in the rain) for fireworks after. I'm going to do something else. I need a break.

Hawk Hollow Nature Hike

Our favorite parts of this nature hike lead by Ranger Kev of the Dupage Forest Preserve was the log bridge crossing over this creek, the beautiful purple shade-loving native flowers and the smokey the bear hollowed tree. Just another beautiful day in Chicagoland (if you take away sounds of the planes approaching O'Hare over head).

G3 & the Great Salt Lake at Antelope Park

We were instructed to stay out of site once we arrived in SLC last Thursday, and that's what we did. I drove the kids to Antelope Island to explore a habitat that I'm still struggling to know. Lizards sunning themselves, desert flowers, plants and animals surround us and we still can see mountains! It was truly awesome! God makes all things - I have no doubts in that. I'll post pictures later, but for the real reason we headed to SLC last weekend... We surprised our most favorite people out that way for their 70th birthdays and a spectacular accomplishment of 45 years of marriage. I shake my head in utter disbelief that they can work through that many years and challenges along the way and still stay married. That's something my 3 Gs need to see and remember. We definitely made some memories. I taught them some lessons too. The questions kept coming like, "why didn't Grampa meet us at the gate?" "why can't we go to their home?" "why why Why WHY MOM!!!" Well, at 6 & 7 years old, they are beginning to understand about surprises. It was a joy to see the true surprise on our favorite couple's faces and to know that we do love them enough to interupt their lives (although gardening tasks are important) and ours to recognize God working through them and in them for so many years!

So, it is beginning to sink in how incredible raising these 3 Gs is in this life and how spectacular it is to be married to my partner in this effort. I can't do it alone and don't have to, because God and a hard working husband carry me when I'm not able to do it.

First time fishing, Soccer & Travel

I certainly did surprise my kids when the Friday night family outing began with a stop at Subway for sandwiches on the go. They couldn't handle the suspense. Daddy drove to Churchill Forest Preserve for a beginners fishing clinic with bait, hooks and live fish for the catching. When I opened the back of the van in the parking lot for them to collect what was there for them - their fishing poles that they've had for 2 years from the helmet store that starts with a W after we saw Uncle Jack ice fishing on the pond - the idea of fishing slowly dawned on their faces. We saw deers eating in the forest on the short walk to the lake and some native forest plants that I've just learned about. But the kicker was Ranger Marty who took the plastic fun weights off their kid poles and placed hooks, bobbers and weights AND then bait. Well, needless to say, we all had a good time, I even touched a fish and took one off the hook. Each G caught at least 5 itty bitty sunfish each. Reeled them in by themselves even! There were no mosquitoes and the May evening was perfect in Chicagoland.

Saturday, we rushed from big brother's soccer to little brother's soccer and still had time to stop by the house for lunch before heading out to ORD for the half-empty flight to OMA. My folks picked the four of us up in the rain. We got the kids mud sloshing galoshes for the summer and nature hikes (might keep some nasty itch weed from messing with them some) and then introduced my kids to Chinese food cooked in front of them by white guys yelling like Mongolian warriors. It was fun to watch the kids' reactions to making their own combinations. Perfect! We got to go to church where I grew up and had beef roast, mashed potatoes, perfect gravy, cream peas, frozen garden corn and Gramma's homemade crescent roles for Sunday dinner. Yeah, she had to work pretty hard for her Mother's day feast, but I tried to help and stay out from under her bum knee traffic as not to make it worse. I think that Dad cleaned up, maybe. The boys got summer haircuts high and tight from their Afghanistan war veteran uncle. IT was a wonderful visit, but couldn't get out of Omaha on Monday for nothing. And got a very good visit with some friends who rescued us for the night only to deliver us to a early morning departure on Tuesday. We finally got back and I fed my brave airport warriors MacD's inside the airport waiting for the work shuttle to our van.

Now, it's Wednesday. We're moving very slow today. Boynton's songs and stories are enjoyed, breakfast is lasting until after weather time. We need to send our drawings of the robin's nest and egg we found yesterday afternoon to Grampa in SLC yet, but it's a good day to stay in pjs and not get rained on in Chicagoland. There are some happenings on the weekend front, but can't get into right now. Now is time for some pictures...

Three Different Learning Styles!?!?!?!?!?

I'm beginning to discover my three Gs have different learning styles. Girl must hear it out loud = auditory. Her twin brother must feel it with his body parts = tactile. Their older brother can see it = visual. WOW!

We're planning a huge weekend! More about it once we get back. For now, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

WOW! It's spring in Chicagoland

We've just got back from a day of church and a forest preserve visit. As always, I'm grateful for the community of believers at bloomingdale church. Daddy and I got a date Saturday nite to enjoy a dinner theatre held at church. It was dear to me. My children were able to enjoy some time with their friends in the kids' corner of church while we were enjoying our evening. It had been a long week with Daddy training smart people in Denver all week.

Then we drove, with the bikes packed in the back, to Fullersburg Woods for Mommy to enjoy a discussion on landscaping with native plants. Daddy and the kids got to bike the 3+ miles around the forest preserve. We all got to tour the gristmill right there in Oak Brook on the Salt Creek. Beautiful weather and wonderful early spring flowers (red bud trees abloom) were such a memory maker for us all.

It's been a few weeks since I shared about G3 school activities. Girly girl is loving gymnastics. Boys are running Mommy all over the place for 3 soccer practices a week and 2 games on Saturday. Reading books are approaching the 100 lesson goal. Grammar and phonics are on-going and may pick up in the fall where ever we leave it. Writing will continue all summer, because there is always something to write about. History is pressing on through the summer only because there is no better time to learn about ancient China as the Olympics tries to hold the summer games in August. Science is wonderful! We've covered all the main questions for plants in the last few weeks that are out there for 1st grade and kindergarten. Our first grader is doing well to listen and follow along in the Julie of the Wolves book. He enjoyed several non-fiction books about the Inuit and wants to know more about living in Barrow and my trips to Alaska. Math is going well in that the 1st grader is completing his subtraction table for single digits only after finishing the addition table for single digits. Kindergartners are doing well to survive some sections of the addition table until the end of the month. Then we turn off the math lessons and practice.

I'm planning for next fall, but not buying anything yet. Need to be prudent about the budget. As the children get older, the option to home school may be cloudier for us all. Right now, it's good. I'm making lists of things to buy and organize (namely art and music lessons). I've registered to attend the Illinois home school conference in Naperville. I've got the trip to a quarry scheduled for the summer and I hope that my memories of childhood trips to rock quarries will be as fun for the children. VBS at church is scheduled to include us. We've suggested that a summer trip to Buffalo/ Toronto is very desirable. A thanksgiving trip to Munich is very appetizing! A fall trip to San Antonio is very possible. Otherwise, we plan to travel to MCI, OMA, DEN and CID some this summer. Come see us soon too.

BTW, I'm considering how this blog would change. I'm not sure if I'd like to share a bit more from me, but pray that whatever you catch here is a blessing and not a burden to anyone.