A down economy and winter are looming, but there is still so much to be thankful for. The whole family is joining in on this post.
Good health. Reliable vehicles. A fireplace. Good neighbors. Playmates on the street. Reading time. Little Britches. Ballet lessons. Toddlers. Carman’s early morning routine. Good food to eat. Extended Family nearby. A roof that appears will hold up for another winter. Drawer organizers. A great room big enough to play in. A good summer camp experience. A new tent. Family camping. “Woggles and snuggles.” “Throw me on the couch.”
Thanks to Flickr’s Old Shoe Woman for the pecan photo. We eat pecans all year long. But they remind me of Thanksgiving.
Playing as a family is a great way to make memories, but playing with children of different ages at the same time poses its challenges. It’s usually too rough for the little ones or dreadfully boring for the older ones. We’ve come up with a way to involve all the kids (except 1 year old Rosebud) in a fun-for-all game of family soccer.
We generally break the 4 oldest - mom, dad, Carman (age 11) & Sudoku (age 9) - into 2 teams. Those teams play a regular game of soccer with sawhorses set up for goals.
Our drive to Asheville, NC was just beautiful with the leaves at their peak. We went to celebrate the marriage of a dear college friend. The wedding was held in a Greek Orthodox Church, so we heard Greek, ate Greek, and danced Greek! It was wonderful.
It is beautiful to see an old tradition like that alive and well. (more…)
A couple of weekends ago, we spent the day at Chickamauga Battlefield riding bikes, climbing the stone tower, throwing the aerobi, picnicing, and horsing around. We all enjoyed the biking, Rosebud and Doodle were unsure about climbing the stairs inside the dark tower, and Carman saw how easily an aerobi can get stuck in a tree when throwing from a high tower. Here are some pictures from our day. (more…)
There’s a large hill on the other side of the river where we went last sping with some flattened out cardboard boxes. The older kids and Marathon went sledding while Rosebud and I strolled around. Here are some pictures we captured that day. It looks like we’re on top of the city. (more…)
Doodle recently learned to ride a 2 wheeler. He’s the 3rd child Marathon has taught to ride, and his method has changed and improved since teaching Carman & Sudoku years ago.
Marathon used training wheels to help teach the older 2 kids, and they developed the bad habit of not leaning into turns. Instead they would actually lean in the opposite direction in an effort to keep the training wheels grounded.
So this time Marathon was determined to not use training wheels at all. (more…)
2 family camping trips. Both ended early. Stomach virus. Sinus infection. Car camping. Primitive camping. Traveled with a loaded van pulling a small trailer with a pile of bikes on it. Took forever to pack the first time. Got better at it the 2nd time. (more…)
We’ve had a good week for swimming. The afternoon thunderstorms have stayed away, and we’ve had so much fun in the water! Doodle is experimenting and getting a little stronger every few days. It has been fun to see the older kids getting excited about his progress.
On Monday, Doodle was swimming with one pad in his vest. I was planning to take it out soon, so when Sudoku asked if she could try to secretly remove it, I told her to go for it. (more…)
We’ve been enjoying the neighbor’s pool again this summer. Doodle has been wearing his little swimmer vest with 4 of the styrofoam pads in it. Then we accidently left the vest at my parents’ house a few weekends ago.
When we went swimming, I wanted him to try to swim without the vest. (more…)
We’ve had this rope swing up in the yard for a couple of years now. Recently Marathon challenged Carman and Sudoku to climb up to the stump in the picture. They’ve both done it. Here’s Sudoku in the tree. She’ll often climb the rope multiple times a day.
A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to spend a week in the North Carolina mountains in the Bear Paw community outside Murphy. Marathon had some work there, so the rest of the family tagged along and rented a house in the community. The weather and Marathon’s work weren’t very cooperative, but the house (and its view) was wonderful. (more…)
Marathon picked up our latest game, Super Blockhead, at a consignment sale a couple of weeks ago when he was killing time before a meeting. The game’s object is the opposite of Jenga’s. You take turns adding blocks - most of which are irregularly shaped - to build a structure. The one who topples the structure loses.
It is a game we all (except Rosebud) can play. Fun! Here are some photos from our first game.
A friend recently commented on the playfulness of our family. I must say — the family fun is mostly attributable to Marathon. He has always been playful. He was the smarty-pants class clown in school (from what I’ve gathered) and that spirit is still in him today.
Playing and goofing off is one of his ways of unwinding. (more…)
Today was a beautiful day — felt just right in the sunshine with a sweater on. We did school and house tending in the morning, had lunch, and then headed out to meet some friends at a park.
We’ve had a lot of cold weather lately, and that has posed a problem for our regular morning long run time. On a few occasions, we waited until later in the day when the temperature was at least in the 40s before venturing out to run. But that presents the problem of interrupting the flow of our day. (I hate having to change clothes in the middle of the day.)
Have you seen (or better yet, heard) the music that is available at download.com? There is a lot of music from many different artists that is free for the listening. From folk to pop to contemporary Christian to alternative rap to kids music to ska revival to other genres that I didn’t know existed, there is a lot of music to explore.
Well, not quite 12 days, but about a week of celebrating and visiting with family. Stretching the excitement out was nice for me because I was able to pace the gift wrapping, baking, visiting, and gift opening out so that no one day felt overwhelming. It hasn’t always been that way.
For the last few years we have had Marathon’s parents over for brunch - usually on the morning that we open our own family’s gifts. We didn’t do the two on the same day this year, and both mornings were so much more relaxing.
[Sudoku took the following shot a few weeks ago. Not until I saw it did I realize how few photos we have of just the two of us since having children.]
We’ve had our traditional new year journaling time. Marathon and I list the significant events of the year and rank them. (more…)
There is a beautiful Episcopal church downtown that has short 30-60 minute concerts each Wednesday of Advent at the noon hour. The kids and I attended one a couple of days ago. (more…)
A gracious family of our church hosts a costume party each fall for the children (and some of the adults) in the church. This year we took Rosebud, a clown, a woodsman, and a lolli-popping 50’s girl to the event.
Marathon and I manned the “Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin” game. Unfortunately, he and I didn’t have time to dress up. We were barely able to get the kids ready and arrive on time since we had been away from home most of the day.
In spite of the weather being gray and rainy, my birthday was such a happy one for me. Carman & Sudoku were sneakily doing a lot of writing in the day or 2 before my birthday. When the day arrived, I was flooded with some homemade cards and about 60 coupons from the kids.
What kind of coupons? They are mostly for chores the kids will do around the house for me. Things like ( in their own spelling):
vacume the house
Read 10 books to Doodle
trim front bushs
clean all cobwebs
work in garden for 10 minits
fold laundry
dust base boards
give mama 8 kises
I will be quiit for 20 m.
I will make skrambld eags
What could be a better gift for a busy mother? I feel so loved that they took so much time to think of and write these things down. They are eager for me to cash in these coupons but have graciously given them an expiration date of one year from my birthday.
Yesterday the soccer league had a season finale - a round robin of sorts. It was a refreshingly cool morning, so Sudoku and Doodle huddled under a blanket during Carman’s first game. Both kids made one final goal as they bid the season farewell.
We left the fields satisfied that we had put a lot into the season and got a lot in return.
Thanks, Marathon dear, for instigating the practice drills, going to practices, being the coach/encourager the kids needed, and for making the evening family soccer games happen. Good, good memories were made. - milkmaid
Now that cool morning weather has arrived, the older kids (and I too) have started running about a mile 3 mornings a week. On Fridays, we typically do a time trial of a shorter distance (about 1/4 mile) where we try to beat our personal record. Yesterday morning all 3 of us broke our records!
As a reward, we took off school for the day (a benefit of schooling year-round) and decided to go see the UT Marching Band. They were stopping at Miller Park on their way to Tuscaloosa for today’s game. The weather was perfect.
It was a nice change of pace for us, and Doodle loved watching the mascot.
We’ve been spoiled by Mimi lately. She’s been making frequent trips for kids’ birthdays and to see how Rosebud is growing. For this most recent visit, she brought Granny with her so that she could (finally) meet her namesake. We had a relaxed day of visiting, and Sudoku and I snapped a lot of pictures.
From the first game of the season, we were surprised and impressed by the ball-handling skills some of the boys in this community soccer league. This was serious ball - no standing around chewing the fat on the field in this age group. Carman worked hard, and by the end of the season, was really enjoying playing on the team, initiating soccer time with the family, doing drills in the backyard….but it wasn’t always that way. He didn’t really mind playing before, but it was hot, hard work, and he knew he had a lot to learn. He did learn - and quick.
But some of the boys had been playing for years. A few of them played year-round. So, we didn’t know that Carman would ever get to a point (i.e. score, give an assist, etc.) where he could know that he was a factor on the field.
But that moment did come. Here’s how I heard about it. (more…)
In our decade of parenting, we’ve sometimes struggled with the role of sports in our children’s lives. They require time and money commitments, and while they certainly have value, it is easy for their importance to get blown out of proportion - for parents and children alike. So, while we play a lot as a family (badminton, backyard baseball, Frisbee, soccer), we were a bit hesitant to enter them in competitive team sports.
This fall Carman & Sudoku played soccer for the first time. Because of when their birthdays fall, they were among the oldest in their age groups.
Sudoku’s league was pretty congenial. There were a few good players, but it was mostly girls having a good time. Sometimes two girls would start talking on the field and the ball would roll right past them in the middle of a game. It was that sort of climate early in the season. (more…)
3 of our 4 children have birthdays that fall within a 5 week period that straddles summer and autumn. We’re in that period now with Carman & Sudoku’s birthdays days behind us and just Doodle’s left to go.
Both Carman and Sudoku expressed disappointment after their birthdays. The big day just didn’t meet expectations. Not enough gifts, not enough excitement, not enough surprise.
We have some regular birthday traditions: a few gifts, cake and ice cream, candles, birthday spankings, the story of their birth. And each year has had it’s own surprises. Usually family or friends join us to celebrate, but the company varies from year to year. This year was no different, really.
This year, though, didn’t pass muster for either of the older kids. (more…)
We enjoyed a visit from High Trail and his family, Planner and Bright Eyes. Talks, eats, backyard baseball, a downtown walk… We had a nice visit. Thanks, dear ones, for making the trip to see us and to meet Rosebud. It was fun seeing Doodle and Bright Eyes interact and play - even if it did get possessive at times. And (sshh….) we’ve all been sneaking turns with Doodle’s new drum! - milkmaid
We had the pleasure of attending a wedding in Nashville over the weekend. We thought about leaving some of the older kids with grandparents, but they all wanted to go. I’m so glad they went too. We all had a wonderful time.
The ceremony took place in historic Downtown Presbyterian church, which is one of the best-preserved examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in the US. (more…)
Maybe Sudoku won’t be much of a photographer (or maybe she will!) one day, but she’s sure having a lot of fun. And she’s at least learning some basic photography skills.
When Uncle D comes to town, it usually means something exciting is going to happen. This last visit was especially packed with excitement. This post focuses on climbing.
This picture is of the big kids (Carman & Sudoku) in the pool. But the post is about Doodle’s progress.
Somewhere along the way, Doodle has gained some independence. For most of the swimming season, he’s been pretty clingy with me. I think my venturing in the water with Rosebud was when Doodle started playing more without me. With water wings on (he’s not wild about the Little Swimmer right now — it doesn’t hold him up very well), he’s been puttering around the pool.
Then yesterday - out of nowhere - he jumped (he said “dove”) off the top rung of the ladder. Thinking it was an accident, I asked him to do it again. (more…)
It’s a long, long way to the sun. 93 million miles. If you wanted to go there by our current means of space travel, how long would it take?
The manned-spacecraft speed record stands at about 11,000 meters per second, which is 6.83 miles per second, which is about 25,000 miles per hour.
So that means that you could travel the distance to the sun in 155 days. But what if you had to go to the sun and then an equal distance beyond it? Then we’re looking at 310 days or about 10 months.
You’re wondering: why would we care about the “equal distance beyond it” part?
Last year at about this time, we had the privilege of watching caterpillars grow, spin cocoons, and then hatch into butterflies, thanks to a wonderful gift Sudoku received from my brother and his wife. The gift included a butterfly cage (which is great for holding all sorts of bugs after the butterflies leave), caterpillars, and instructions on how to care for and feed them.
The most exciting part for Sudoku was when she released the 5 butterflies a few days after they had hatched. The first 4 either flew out on their own or flew away when lifted out of the cage. The 5th, though, linger for the longest time - several minutes - on Sudoku’s hand, as if it was saying a long good-bye. It made her day! (more…)
If you own the Cariboo game and have misplaced a ball or two, I noticed that Amazon sells replacement balls, but you have to get 12 of them. You can get 6 replacement balls (at a more reasonable price) when purchased directly through Cranium. fyi.
A few months ago, Marathon’s brother gave Doodle a fun, educational game called Cariboo. He loves it, and is learning to identify numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. The object of the game is to use a key and 6 colorful rubbery balls to open a treasure chest. Great fun for a toddler!
The Cariboo balls are essential to the game. They are just the right size to roll down the chute that leads to the treasure chest. Without them the game would be rendered useless. So, not wanting those precious balls to get mixed up with the stash of regular ‘ol bouncy balls, I’ve been quite meticulous about making sure they stayed with the game…until my husband, Marathon, got hold of them. (more…)
I never would have thought that I would camp with a 3-week old baby, but I did, and things went quite smoothly.
Since we wanted to camp with the older kids while the weather was still nice, and since the wee one has been pretty easy so far, we decided to go for it. We’re so glad we did. I slept on my back on a foam pad with Rosebud on my chest. She always sleeps well that way, and I wanted to make sure she would be warm enough since we were expecting temperatures in the mid 40’s for the night. It didn’t get that cold, though, and I had her overdressed. By morning she was sweating! But we both slept well, and that’s what mattered.
We had a wonderful time together as a family. The older kids just can’t get enough of camping! Marathon took Carman, Sudoku, and Doodle biking and playing by the Ocoee River. He and the older 2 pitched the tent. The kids handled gathering firewood and kindling, and we all pitched in with meal preparation and clean up. I sat in a chair most of the time with a baby in my lap and sometimes a book in my hand. It was a wonderful change of pace for all of us.
It is beautiful to see an old tradition like that alive and well. 
Last year at about this time, we had the privilege of watching caterpillars grow, spin cocoons, and then hatch into butterflies, thanks to a wonderful gift Sudoku received from my brother and his wife. The gift included a butterfly cage (which is great for holding all sorts of bugs after the butterflies leave), caterpillars, and instructions on how to care for and feed them.