New Year

This is the time for resolutions. I could resolve to write more, but if you've read my blog, I'm not exactly thriving where that's concerned (it's been five years since my last post). I could resolve to eat better, workout more, be an all around better human being but that's pretty much a daily resolution that I think I fail at by 9 a.m. each day. Instead, I think I'll tell you about my resolutions from last winter, December 2018. I'll take you into the mental and emotional space I was functioning in and try to capture for you how stuck I felt, how bitter my inner voice was sounding, how frustrated I was in pretty much all things personally and professionally. I knew I needed change and was pretty resolute to make some big moves. I made a list of goals in a pretty notebook I had purchased thinking it would make me write more. Here were the two big goals: NEW HOUSE NEW JOB NEW LIFE was basically what I was preparing for, one where I got to take the kids, the husband, and the dog with me (the new dog that is- Griffin; we lost our precious Bruiser in May 2015). And I/we did it. We sold our home and bought a new one that gave us more space and the possibility of quiet. I applied for and got a new job as an instructional coach in my district. The changes have been good but I'll be honest, they've been really hard too. Reflecting on it, I think change is so difficult because there's so much loss even in the midst of good solid gains. It's been nineteen years since I was a newbie at something and I don't like being a newbie all that much. I'm learning, which is good but I don't feel all that impactful in my role just yet. In the long run, this will be good for me; it will make me a more marketable administrator (I went back to school and got my Ed Specialist degree) and/or it will make me a better teacher if I go back into the classroom. But I've lost my people, my colleagues and friends, at least in the day-to-day sense, and that's been hard. I've missed interacting with students and supporting them in developing thoughtful ideas and becoming more confident writers. I do miss my teacher self. I don't know my coach self and that's unnerving. ANYWAY.... As for my sons. Hunter is a 15 year old sophomore. He is an accomplished ninja warrior. He has his Driver's permit and is doing well in school. He can have real attitude but all in all, he's in a very good place personally and academically. Mason is a 12 year old sixth grader who wears size 10 1/2 shoes. He plays travel basketball and is very good at art. He just got an I-phone which is already creating some challenges for us. He is enjoying being connected to his friends through text and FaceTime. So there's my post. I hope that another five years DOESN'T go by before my next post because that will mean Hunter is 20 and Mason is 17. I can't even wrap my mind around that.

Um.... it's 2014

In one of my last posts I admitted how uncommitted I was to blogging in, I think, 2012, and that I'd do much better in 2013. Laugh out loud moment. I am pretty sure I didn't write a single post in 2013. So 2014 is bound to be better, as I'm typing one up right now. I'm not sure what to say. I guess I will start with kid updates. Hunter is closing in on 10-years-old. This morning, he noticed a small blemish on his upper lip and was mortified. He has vowed to begin washing his face everyday. He may have gotten this idea from a film he watched at school about PUBERTY! My head just exploded typing that word in the context of writing about my child. Anyway... I told him he could use my face soap if he wanted. He thought that was a good idea. He has also requested gel for his hair. I've noticed him looking at himself in the mirror. I don't know what to do with that. I don't know what to do with a boy who will be a teenager in the very near future. So on a lighter note, some other things about Hunter. He agreed to play soccer this spring. Next week he gets to decide what instrument he'll play in orchestra (he says the violin). He's struggling with reading. He plays Just Dance nonstop and loves to practice "pop and lock" dancing. He likes techno music. He thinks his dad is the absolute best but still needs his mom to put him to bed at night. Thank God!!!!! Mason is, to use his words, six and a half. He keeps asking me what I'm getting him for his birthday....which is in September. We have three birthdays before his to celebrate so I really don't know what to do with his question. He talks nonstop. He loves kindergarten. Reading is a breeze. In contrast to his brother (who will only read to the dictated 20 minutes), Mason asks "can we read five books tonight?" He has admitted to feeling "left out" sometimes at school, but I think it's more for dramatic impact than it is about telling the truth. I've seen him with his classmates. He is not wanting for friends. He is also going to play soccer this spring. He and I have date night on Friday nights while his brother and dad go racing. Our date night fits this pattern most of the time: drive to Byerlys and buy sushi, a special drink, and a cupcake. Then we typically watch a movie and hang out. He has developed an interest in space and so we are reading a book about space each night before he goes to bed. He has a girlfriend named Sophia. I've met Sophia's parents. According to Sophia's parents, Sophia is "sweet" on Mason. I do think Mason asked Sophia to marry him ("Frozen" style- for those of you who've seen the movie), so there's that. As for us- the mom and the dad- we're still alive. He's almost 38. I'm almost 37. Beyond that, there's nothing more to say. We're doing our best.

Broken Bones and the Future Tom Brady

Mason- WE CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY WITH MY FAMILY. AND IT ISN'T JUST A DAY. THIS PAST CELEBRATION LASTED FROM JULY 3RD THROUGH JULY 10TH. AND IN THE MIDST OF THIS CELEBRATION, MASON SUFFERED A FALL- ALBEIT A SHORT ONE- THAT RESULTED IN A BROKEN ARM. WE WERE AT MY SISTER'S HOUSE AND THE KIDS WERE PLAYING IN THE KIDDIE POOL OUTSIDE. AT ONE POINT, SOMEONE PULLED THE KIDDIE SLIDE OVER TO THE KIDDIE POOL AND THE KIDS WERE USING IT TO SLIDE INTO THE POOL. A GREAT IDEA UNTIL MASON STOOD AT THE VERY TOP AND LOST HIS FOOTING. HE FELL BACKWARDS, LANDING ON HIS RIGHT ARM. HE WAILED OF COURSE AND HIS WRIST SWELLED UP. I'VE NEVER BROKEN ANY BONES, SO I WASN'T SURE HOW TO RESPOND. MASON IMMEDIATELY WANTED TO LIE DOWN ON A TOWEL AND BASICALLY REFUSED TO MOVE. I THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE SPRAINED IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE DISTANCE HE FELL WAS VERY SMALL. HE REFUSED TO EAT DINNER BUT WAS ABLE TO SHOVE A CUPCAKE DOWN. :) WHEN MITCH ARRIVED, HE IMMEDIATELY KNEW WE NEEDED TO TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL. WE DROVE TO TRIA, WHERE THERE WAS A SHORT WAIT. PROBABLY TWENTY MINUTES AFTER ADMITTANCE, WE KNEW MASON HAD BROKEN HIS ARM. WHEN HE FOUND IT HIS ARM WAS BROKEN, HE BECAME HYSTERICAL. HE TOLD US LATER THAT HE THOUGHT THAT MEANT THEY'D CHOP OFF HIS ARM. HE CALMED DOWN AS THE ARM WAS CASTED. WE TRIED TO GET HIM TO CHOOSE THE COLOR OF HIS CAST, BUT HE REFUSED. WE MADE THE SMART DECISION AND SELECTED RED- SO HIS CAST WOULD MATCH HIS RED AND BLACK CLOTHES. ONCE THE CAST WAS ON, HE FELT GREAT AND RESUMED LIFE AS PRETTY MUCH NORMAL. THOUGH I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M GOING TO LAST THREE WEEKS IN THIS HEAT WITHOUT GOING TO THE POOL. MY BOYS HAVE ENDLESS ENERGY AND FIGHT CONSTANTLY. OH WHAT WILL WE DO NOW THAT THE POOL ISN'T AN OPTION?!?! ALSO, MASON APOLOGIZED FOR NOT LISTENING TO MY WARNING JUST BEFORE HE STOOD AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE. HE SAID HE'LL LISTEN THE NEXT TIME I TELL HIM NOT TO DO SOMETHING. AND HE TOLD ME THIS ALL ON HIS OWN. I DID NOT HAVE TO PROMPT HIM :). HUNTER- I THINK WE FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING HUNTER WON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT! THAT MIGHT BE WISHFUL THINKING ON MY PART, SINCE HUNTER IS KNOWN TO COMPLAIN WHEN YOU GIVE HIM CANDY, BUT I'M FEELING HOPEFUL RIGHT NOW. HUNTER IS TOTALLY EXCITED ABOUT FOOTBALL AND WAS OPEN TO US SIGNING HIM UP FOR A FOOTBALL CAMP, WHICH STARTS TONIGHT. WE HAD INVEST IN ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT- HELMET, SHOULDER PADS, MOUTH GUARD, JOCK STRAP! THAT LAST ONE THREW ME FOR A LOOP. HOW CAN I HAVE A CHILD WHO NOW NEEDS TO PROTECT THAT AREA???? I'M SOMETIMES SHOCKED AT HOW QUICKLY HE IS GROWING UP. TACKLE FOOTBALL BEGINS IN FOURTH GRADE AT EDINA AND IT'S WAY EXPENSIVE. I THOUGHT THE ENTRANCE FEE WOULD INCLUDE THE EQUIPMENT. IT DIDN'T. SIGH. ANYWAY, HUNTER SAID THAT FOOTBALL IS "PRETTY MUCH HIS THING" WHICH HE HAS NEVER SAID BEFORE. HE CAN BE VERY RESISTANT TO LOTS OF THINGS SO I WAS SO HAPPY TO HEAR SOMETHING POSITIVE COME OUT OF HIS MOUTH. WE SHALL SEE.

"Time in a Bottle"- Mason and the Fireman

If I could save time in a bottle: I would save the moment I witnessed this morning as I dropped Mason off at daycare. Today was "dress like a firefighter" day. And of course we had nothing for Mason, so we dressed him in red and that was that. Another mother, however, was more prepared than I as one little boy was decked out, head to toe, in firefighter gear. Mason's reaction to this little boy's costume was so precious, so genuine, so full of appreciation: "Whoa----- that is so cool!" Mason proceeded to circle the boy and then sit right next to him and stare. To Mason, this little firefighter was a celebrity. Mason was completely awestruck! My reaction to his reaction was also "Whoa-----that is so cool" but of course, I didn't show it the way my beautiful little son did. As adults, we are so good at remaining unaffected or looking like we are unaffected. Today I appreciate that both of my sons still cry freely, still stare at super-cool things, and still express their amazement at the little things in life!

The Boys Predict The Future

I did a terrible job keeping track of our life in 2011. I don't know what's changed but I feel busier and more distracted than I ever have as a mother, wife, and teacher. I am going to be better about writing in 2012- I have to be, because the older I get, the worse my short-term and long-term memory gets. Here's what I have to share about the boys and the Mohs family right now:

- Hunter wants to be a gymnast when he grows up and plans to live in California where he can be close to the American Ninja Warrior tryout course and his favorite ninja warriors. Hunter loves to wear all Under Armour clothing. He has a friend at school, Aidan J., who wears all black Under Amour and Hunter wants to follow suit. Santa bought Hunter a brand new Under Armour football sweatshirt this Christmas. He can pair that with his t-shirt and black pants. Monday is the day of the week that Hunter wears all black Under Armour. In regards to Hunter's future, he does plan to get married. His reason: he doesn't want to live alone. However, talking about future spouses upsets him greatly. There is a lot of blushing and very little information divulged.

- Mason wants to be three things when he grows up: president, a builder (we talked about the word architect), and airplane driver (another vocab lesson- pilot). Mason wants to have ten babies when he grows up. The names: Lucas and Bowser. Nine Lucases and 1 Bowser. He wants to marry Lillian from schoool. Mason is a big kid. He is able to wear clothes that Hunter stopped wearing a little over a year ago. I bet he could pass for a six year old. Right now he finds life with his brother incredibly frustrating. I have spent about half of this break breaking up fights between the two brothers. They enjoy the same things and are always trying to "one up" the other.

- As for me- I swear that the act of my sitting down sets off an alarm in my boys' heads (yes, that includes my husband). The second I sit down, someone finds me and asks me or tells me to do something. Get me a glass of milk. Take me potty. Can you go to the store? Get me. Can you? Get me. Can you? That's pretty much my day at home with these three men.

- As for Mitch- he is playing a lot of Madden on his new Playstation 3. He is also obsessing about trucks and, as always, his I-phone. He also came up with a new show for he and I to watch together- "How I Met Your Mother." We tend to find shows and then watch anywhere from three to seven episodes in an evening. It's kind of our thing :).

Here's hoping that I can continue to update "You" on our life! :)

All I Have Time For- Post #1

Excerpt from breakfast conversation this morning- Monday, October 17th, 2011:

After asking me where his heart is located, Mason said, "Broken hearts.... those aren't such a good idea."

A little later, Hunter shared this profound insight: "God must be really short because he's so old."

Yes, we get pretty deep in our morning conversations. I might not be able to remember how we got from Mason's insight to Hunter's, but I think it's most important that I remember the most memorable parts.

Summer 2011

Because it's really all I have time for, here is a list showcasing the "best of" our summer:

(12) We love the penguin exhibit at the zoo. We enjoy spending whole days at the zoo.

(11) Hunter attended an enrichment class at the Fair School in downtown Minneapolis. Bus picked him up at our house and dropped him off at the end of the program. I watched my boy grow up before my eyes! Mason enjoyed a lot of mommy time.

(10) Fantasy Football draft party #1 and #2 (#3 is happening next weekend)

(9) YMCA Preschool soccer (Mason earned his first medal) and 1st grade soccer (Hunter scored two goals during the season)

(8) St. Louis Park Pool (Hunter, determined to conquer what we call the Wipeout zone, taught himself to swim for the sole purpose of conquering the Wipeout zone; Mason grew a bit braver every time we swam this summer)

(7) We spent 4th of July with my parents and then Hunter and Mason stayed for a few days. They went fishing and went to the pool. They had an all round good time and completely exhausted my parents. They also had so much fun with cousin Hudson.

(6) The Mohs reunion at a YMCA campsite in northern Minnesota. A trampoline on the water and we had our own cabin. Cousins are awesome!

(5) Edina Aquatic Center- this year, the waterslide was a hit. And Hunter almost jumped off the high dive. I'm guessing that will be next year.

(4) The Splash Pad in St. Louis Park. Great park and great water fun! (We basically visited a new park every few days. I like to vary our activities so no one grows bored)

(3) Ninja Warrior. The boys will re-enact this show in my living room, at any park.... basically anywhere.

(2) The Wilderness Hotel- Wisconsin Dells. We love the Wild West side of that world.

(1) The Twins game against the Yankees. I know he is the enemy, but I think Derek Jeter is smokin' hot. And you can't beat the Legends level at Target Field. It is luxurious.

Ultimate #1- Lots of time with family and friends! So much fun! Memorable.

Sleepless Nights

I slept exactly one hour last night. I will blame it on the book I'm reading, one that was recommended to me by my mom. The title of the book is Sarah's Key, which has its backdrop the Vel D'Hiv, a massive roundup of Jewish people, mostly children, by the French police in France in 1942. It has been a very moving read, but I think I was so troubled by the true brutality suffered that I couldn't get my mind relaxed enough to sleep. So, I slept from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. Then got up for a technology class that I had put off taking until now. By the time I came home, I was not functioning to say the least. Thankfully my husband moved some clients around so he could be with the boys while I rested. I was able to tack another hour on. I guess I won't read before bed tonight and I guess I'll medicate myself to ensure that I fall asleep.

Funny thing- I had intended this post to be about the fun summer we've had. I guess you'll have to stay tuned for that. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day.

Gems

Hunter and Mason wanted to talk about college tonight. What did Hunter want to know? He asked me if college is hard and if you have school on Fridays. His best question- "Will wives be at college? Will the wives have my birthday?" Mason said that he will go to college when he grows up and that he's going to play with Jack. Up until now, I've thought that Jack was a friend from school, but according to Mason, Jack is from his imagination. So I guess we have ourselves an imaginary friend :).

Flashback: Hunter 2004

A Snowy Evening Update

Mitch arrived home safe and sound after a weekend at the farm (one of his last as his mother recently sold it). He came home with a lot of stuff, some sentimental and some that went immediately into the trash (he knew it even before he brought it home). We had a lot of fun going through the stuff. Some of the treasures we kept: 5 Mason jars that have taglines, all featuring the name Mason; Mitch's wrestling pins; his yearbooks (with love notes from lots of girls- more on that later); Mitch's tractor/truck set (the boys went wild). We also sat down this evening to look at the pictures his sister-in-law took this weekend, all of the farm- outside and in. Even though I didn't grow up there, I still feel a sense of loss. All of the picture remind me of Mitch's father and my thirteen years as a part of the family have imprinted the farm on my heart and in my mind. We intend to make one more trip to the farm in the next few weeks so we can take a farm picture of Mason and Clare (the two youngest grandchildren in the family). All of the grandchildren have a farm picture, so we need to make sure to include the last two little ones in the mix. Missi, Mitch's oldest sister, has an idea to have Mason and Clare dragging the "For Sale" sign behind them. I think it's a cute idea.

So these girls.... hmmm. It was fun to read the notes former girlfriends and potential girlfriends wrote in Mitch's yearbook. So idealistic in tone. So carefree (but so much drama along with that). I was able to determine a number of threads that held all the notes together. These girls all liked having long talks with my husband; they all had crushes on him; they all wanted to "party with him some time"; they all told him to "never change." Oh, and so many of them had mentioned memories the girls predicted he and they would never forget. Funny thing is, we do forget those high school moments we claim we will never forget. I've noticed that in some of my high school memorabilia. I can no longer recall a lot of what was so incredibly important to me between the ages of sixteen and eighteen.

Mitch and I have been together since 1997. I told him that he and I should write letters to each other. What I would write now, I have no idea, but it's really pretty fun to think about what I could write and then save to read years from now....

Greetings 2011

We put our Christmas tree and stuff away today, much to the boys' dismay. So, in honor of our Christmas season, here's a little pic of the boys with their stockings. As Hunter says, "Christmas will come again when I'm seven and you're four Mason!"

Free Stuff (that no one will take)

I now know where Hunter gets it- his persistence, insistence, stubborness, etc. Mitch! After weeks (months?) of talking incessantly about buying a new TV (and researching it and dropping constant hints about it) I finally broke down and said, "Whatever! Buy one!" He, of course, was already at the store when he called me to "ask" if he could buy it. Anyway, he now has a 50-inch flat screen plasma in what he has named his "Man Room." He moved the other clunker of a TV (huge, weighs a ton) out to the curb and posted an ad on Craig's List in their free stuff category. So many e-mails later from people promising to come pick it up, it still sits on our curb making our house look very classy. Why will no one take our free stuff? Rewind to the Dining Room Table debacle of this past summer. Someone came and picked it up and then brought the damn thing back. Seriously. Anyone else could put a pile of newspapers out on their curb and someone would be there in an instant, probably fighting off hundreds of others who are just desperate for some old paper. Now we are going to have to pay our waste collecting company to pick up the TV- forty-five bucks. I wonder what would happen if I posted this ad on Craigslist- "We will pay YOU to pick up this TV"? I really think it would continue to sit. That's just the way things go for our free treasures!

Merry Christmas and All That Jazz

Hi, my name is Bethany, and it's been nearly two months since my last post. Why so long? Well, I have two small children who really don't give me a lot of free time to work with. Even now, Mason is doing cannonball jumps off the computer chair I'm sitting on in our office. Things go terribly awry when I'm not paying attention to them.

So here goes a quick update:

1. I ran the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Half-marathon. Very little training this time= no injuries and a very solid run. People ask my official time. Officially they clocked me at 2:32. I have to say though that I waited in a portapotty (spelling?) line for 10 minutes and then had to stop a couple times so Jodi could fix her race number (2-3 minutes total probably). We ran the entire 13.1 and if you subtract all the wait time, etc. I'd say we officially ran it in 2:20 or less, which is consistent with what we typically run that distance in. The trip overall was quite fun. I would do it again, though I'd say that being gone for four days was hard on the boys and did me no favors professionally.

2. According to our measurements, Hunter grew a 1/2 inch in 10 days. Mason grew a 1/4 inch in 10 days. They eat constantly and I guess it's not just "eating out of boredom." They eat because they are growing like weeds (cliche yes, but so very true).

3. Mitch purchased a 50 inch TV for what he's calling the "man" room downstairs. If you want a free TV, you're welcome to our old one. It's quite large. You will need to find transport for it. But again, it's FREE!

4. My sister Shannon welcomed a baby boy on December 13th! Welcome Chanceler James! Sarah will welcome a baby boy in April. I'm done having kids (why I'm choosing to share that, I'm not sure).

5. I'm tired of training for things. What does 2011 hold for me regarding races: don't know. Shorter races. Maybe a marathon. Can you see the inconsistencies in this item?

6. I'm tired of teaching- burned out right now. I want to go to culinary school.

I guess the theme of this entry is: TIRED!

Argh, etc.

Mason does the best imitation of a pirate. The best part is how his chubby little cheek crunches up when he shuts one of his eyes.

Hunter has a double-dutch jumproping talent!

Mason and Hunter now demand what they've termed "Family Read." We cuddle up in Hunter's bed at bedtime--mommy in the middle, of course--and read all sorts of good books. We are currently reading Halloween-themed literature :)

Mason will be Superman this Halloween. Hunter is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Mommy made her first presentation to the School Board after eleven years working in the district. I can now mark that off my Life's To-Do list.

Mommy finished her second half-marathon yesterday. This year's race tally- 6. The goal was 10 in 10, but various injuries have gotten into the way.

Hunter's artwork is on disply at the District office. I'm so proud!

Mason's cute new saying- "I don't live here." He says that everytime we visit a new place.

Hunter LOVES "Iron Chef America." His favorite chef: Michael Symon. Hunter really wants me to sign him up for some cooking classes.

Mason can sing the following songs- "A B C D's" (Mason includes the D's when he requests that particular song), "Twinkle Twinkle," "Baby Mine" (He has created his own lyrics- "Baby mine stay alive"), and a Duffy song (I guess he listens when I'm cleaning dishes in the evening)

Steelers are doing awesome this year! Go D!

Family Pic 2010

Here is a recent photo of our family, taken at Mason's birthday party on October 2nd:

A Wonderful Autumn Day in the City

While Mitch is away, mommy and the boys will play! Here is a list that details out Super-fun and super-tiring Saturday:
1. Wild Rumpus Books in Linden Hills: They have live chickens running around the store. While I would have been happy to curl up with a good book, the boys were much happier chasing the poor chicken through the store.
2. Rose gardens at Lake Harriet: This was the boys' idea. We parked by the gardens and they thought it would be the perfect place to run! They were right. The picture above is at a fountain in the rose garden.
3. Brueggers Bagels for Lunch: The boys ate cinnamon sugar bagels and I ate a breakfast sandwich and enjoyed a pumpkin spice coffee. You may not think cinnamon sugar makes for a good lunch, but my boys would beg to differ.
4. Lake Harriet Park: Lots of running and climbing and sliding and reminders about treats. Each boy was rewarded with an ice cream treat. Mason's was so messy I finally couldn't take it anymore and took it away from him. Bad mommy, I know. But we all have our moments.
5. Life Time Fitness: After all that fun, I needed a little quiet time. The only place I can get it is LTF. I can check the boys into the Kid Center and get my workout on. The boys got even more exercise there and were looking pretty rosy-cheeked and tired on the way home.
6. The boys set up a "Wipeout" inspired obstacle course in our living room. Cushions and pillows off the couch. Lots of jumping, falling, flying through the air, etc.

Summer 2010: an overview

Summer 2010 is starting to come to an end. I will be spending Monday and Tuesday of this week training student writing coaches to work in the writing center. I officially head back to work on Monday, August 30th for the start of workshop week. This summer has been incredibly fun--and very busy. I think the one downside of summer is how often I have to clean my house because we're doing what you're meant to do in a house- LIVE. I think if I could spend the day with my boys in someone else's house, I'd be all good.

I'd like to share with you some of the highlights of our summer:

1. The summer was event-full. Mitch competed in a number of mountain bike races, many of which he won first. I competed in two triathlons and one 5K during the summer months. I won nothing, except an increased level of fitness (which is disapearing because of an achilles tendon injury). Mitch and I do love to participate in these events though. I love the atmosphere and comraderie. He loves winning.

2. The summer was active. I took the boys to a number of parks and pools this summer. I think our favorite pool is the LTF Savage pool. While it lacks the pizzazz of the Edina Pool, it's more fun for swimming, relaxing, and socializing. Mason recently realized the joys of lifejackets and floaties and now insists that he swim by himself. He is gleeful as he spins and moves through the water. And he loves to jump in (as long as someone is holding his hands). Hunter took one session of swimming lessons this summer and is slowly learning to swim. Yesterday we practiced and he was able to swim a much greater length than he has been doing. He has no fear of the water, however (at least when we're just playing at the pool). He jumps in and goes underwater if he knows he can touch the bottom. Some other parks we enjoyed: Bryant Lake, St. Louis Park's Splash Pad, the Apple Valley park comparable to the Splash Pad, Washburn Elementary's play park (which Hunter named the Wishy-Washy park), and numerous others in the surrounding area.

3. The summer was memorable. We took three family vacations this summer, one more memorable than any other. Our first was to Red Wing. Now, that might not sound like a vacation, but it was for us-- because we stayed in a hotel and played in a pool and ate out at restaurants and watched Mitch compete in a mountain bike race. Our second was to my parents' place in N.D. I drove by myself with the boys to Beulah, which is eight hours west of where we live. Hunter is a champion traveler. Mason- not so much. We did, however, have a great time visiting. We spent a couple nights with my sister and her family in Bismarck and stayed a few nights with my parents in Beulah. My father took the boys fishing. We went to the pool. Our third and final (and best) vacation was to Wisconsin Dells where we stayed at the Wilderness Resort. This vacation deserves a blogpost all its own (coming soon).

4. The summer was water-parky. (Wisconsin Dells post coming soon!)

5. The summer was color-full. With paint. Since we moved into our home, over six years ago, we have been making improvements- slowly but surely. This summer has been devoted to making better use of all the space we have. Our house isn't enormous but I'd like to think we have a pretty good amount of space. So, we decided to finally give Mason a big-boy room and a big-boy bed. We moved him downstairs with Hunter. So the guest room (which is only used a few times a year) became Batman's bedroom. Mason's old room became the new home office/guest bedroom, which increased the amount of space we have in our basement and our kitchen (which is where we were keeping our computer). Now we're using two more rooms in the house that typically go unused and have more space in others. Now we're looking at our bedroom as the next room to paint, but I'm perplexed by color. I don't know. We just painted our office Eqyptian Green (what makes it Egyptian is a mystery) and Cottage white. Mason's bedroom is blue and blue (two different kinds). Hunter's room is blue. Our bathroom is purple. Our kitchen is blue. Cottage white is everywhere. I don't want to paint the room yellow. So what does that leave me? Perplexed I tell you!

6. The summer was brain-stimulating. Hunter took a three week reading class at Cornelia. We made many trips to the library and picked out some very fun books. I think Hunter's favorite is "Super Hero School." We also got some encyclopedia's focused on the U.S. Presidents. Hunter is fascinated by the presidents but wasn't real interested in knowing much more than their names, what number they were, and if they were still alive. Mason pretty much follows Hunter's lead and loves books about super heroes and the like. If you didn't know, his favorite character is Batman, so we checked out some books that are all words and no pictures. There aren't many Toddler Batman books.

Well, I'm tired, so that's all for now. I'll add more as I think of more. Sorry about all the parentheses. A stylistic choice that's often overused. Count em. I overused them!

Welcome to the Batcave

We decided it's finally time to let our little Batman grow up. It all started by emptying the guest room closet of all the clothes I've been saving for the last six years. Then we moved everything out, including the Queen size bed (now sitting against our treadmill). We painted the cave in Batman colors- light blue, dark blue. We ordered a pretty cool wall decal and a new comforter. My sister-in-law gave us a twin bed (so no more crib- which in some ways is liberating and in other ways sad). We moved everything out of Mason's old room, which was once Hunter's room and will be the new office. While Mason's batcave is still a work in progress, he's very pleased with the results.

Now I have to start working on the office. So much to do before I go back to work.

Don't Shake it

Mason found me out! Because he is such a juice-"diva" (what is the masculine equivalent for "diva"?), I secretly add water to his juice so he's not taking in too many liquid calories. Well, for the last few days, this has been a conversation happening in our household:

"Mommy, I want some ja."

"Mason, say all your words."

"Mommy, I want some juice."

"What's the magic word?"

"Ple-ease..... and don't shake it mommy, okay? Don't shake my juice, okay?"

So, he saw me shake the juice/water to mix it together and now knows that I've been depriving him of the full juice experience!