Happy Birthday Lianne!

Here are some birthday greetings for our American-African cousin Lianne.

We hope you had a great day! Braden has a song for you too.

Happy Birthday, 7-year old!

In a Nutshell

One can hardly be called a blogger when so much time elapses between posts, but sometime around Halloween the world inexplicably started moving faster. Here's a photo review of the missing months.

During a high school football game, Anna was a cheerleader. Needless to say, she loved it.

Halloween was crazy fun!

One of the three trees in our yard finally produced enough leaves for autumnal pictures.

Seventy shots later, we managed to get a picture of almost everyone looking at the camera.

The neighbors had a new baby.

Braden commandeered Anna's baby dolls.

Anna and one of her best buds sang in their school Christmas program. In total, our family members had 9 musical Christmas events in December.

We said a sad goodbye to my Great Uncle Carl.

Christmas was quiet but nice.

As always, the boxes were the best presents.

Jonathan had a scary bike accident, but is doing well 15 stitches later.

Tom and I had a great trip to Chicago, sans kids.

And it snowed, and snowed, and snowed!

I'll Stop the World and Melt With You

Before having children, I subconsciously assumed that my children would share most of my characteristics, both in appearance and temperament. Then Anna was born. Fair skinned, with blue eyes that stuck around past the 6-month mark, I was surprised that someone looking like her came from me. We joked that she must have been switched at birth, as Tom's eyes are green and mine are brown, but agreed that if that had really happened, we got the better end of the deal. She was a sweet, easy baby.

As Anna gets older, I'm finding that we differ in more than appearance. My boys, so far, are pretty easy for me to understand. Jonathan responds to situations pretty much as I would. Braden requires regular feeding, naps, books, diaper changes, and cuddling and he's set. With Anna, I have to work hard to figure out what is going on inside that little person.

I like this picture because it captures many aspects of her personality. Creative and whimsical, she is her own person. She's smart and articulate, correctly telling my speech-therapist mom which kids in her kindergarten class need speech therapy and which sounds they need to work on. She is brave when faced with new situations. On her first day of 3-year old preschool, she walked away from me without a goodbye and has hardly looked back. She is friendly and happy. My neighbor has described Anna as "flitting through life". She thinks that "Anna is all love."

Right now, one of Anna's more overwhelming characteristics is that she is VERY EMOTIONAL. Unfortunately, she finds herself born into a family of analytical thinkers, whose emotions, although present, are easily overruled by logic most of the time. Anna is 5 1/2, so I'm not expecting Dr. Spock, but having hung out with lots of other 5-year olds recently, I still believe Anna falls on the VERY EMOTIONAL end of the spectrum. Just today I can think of 5 separate crying incidents, not to mention episodes of unbridled anger, silliness, and joy.

My first inclination when faced with these sob fests is to tell her to pull herself together immediately. I want the drama to end quickly, especially when we're in public. But after the heat of the moment, I realize that this response is typically based on my own anger or embarrassment. So I pray for the wisdom to deal with this in a way that won't send her to counseling 20 years from now. I still haven't found a great response. Sympathy and empathy evoke more and more tears. Consequences evoke more and more tears. The only thing that seems to work is giving her the time she needs to fall apart.

I can already tell that this complex little girl is going to stretch me way beyond my comfort zone and bring me to my knees. She's one of the the best things that have ever happened to me.

The Braden Show

And now, ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure we have "The Braden Show". In our first act, Braden will be joining the family in a mealtime prayer.

Our show continues with Braden hurling himself toward his mom's stomach at death defying speeds! Finally, we conclude with Braden's amazing rendition of The Animal Sounds. Note: No toddlers were injured during the making of this film. Not too badly anyway.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

We're Number Two!

Anna and Jonathan are over half way through soccer season so it's time for the scouting report. 

Coincidentally, both kids wear the same color and number this season, allowing us to address them collectively as in "Hey, number twos, put on your shin guards and get out to the car! We're late!"

Anna loves playing and is occasionally aware that there is a soccer game going on around her. During one game she perfected her "Sound of Music" twirl. Fortunately, the competition part is very low-key at her age. They don't use goalies or keep score. And she loves her friends.

Jonathan is a homebody and complains before every game, but inevitably enjoys it once he's there. He has improved immensely since last season when he almost never touched the ball. Taking after his mom, he has not necessarily shown signs of being a natural athlete, but most of the time he works hard and does his best which are great life lessons.

Once, chatting on the sidelines, I learned that a couple of moms from Jonathan's team each had two engineering degrees and an MBA. Boy did I feel like a slacker with one measly engineering degree! The coach is also an engineer. I think these engineering-type parents contribute to the intensity of the boys on the team, making their games really fun to watch.  The boys also love it.

During last Saturday's game Jonathan scored his first goal ever. Afterward he acted completely unfazed by this accomplishment, unlike his parents.  We were the ones jumping up and down on the sidelines, handing out cigars and yelling, "That's my boy!"

Tonight with a 4-2 lead, he played goalie for the first time, making the 4th quarter very nerve-wracking. Again, he seemed unfazed, even when one ball got past him.

One of his best friends was on the other team, so Jonathan told us afterward that he was never very sad when the other team scored. And when Jonathan's team won, he told his friend that he thought both teams were equally good. We've been working on the whole boasting thing recently and we're thankful that the right thing came out of his mouth this time.

However, if he scores any more goals, I may need some anti-boasting lessons myself!

Back to School

Well, we've almost made it through 3 days of school and it seems like everyone has adjusted remarkably.  The big kids are tired but happy in their classes.  On the first day, Jonathan reported that his teacher was, "as grumpy as an old grizzly bear."  It took us a moment to realize that he was joking.

The first morning was rough for me.  Upon arrival at Jonathan's new school, it became clear that I would not easily find a parking spot, particularly one that would give me enough time to walk him to his class, walk back to the car with Anna and Braden, and get to Anna's school on time.  So I ended up dropping Jonathan off with the parking lot attendant.  As I drove away, I was really sad about how things had unfolded and after about a mile made the decision that Anna would be a little late on her first day so that we could send Jonathan off properly.  We went back to his school and found him all alone on a bench outside the first grade doorway:

His class was lining up right around the corner, but he didn't know.  We were able to unite him with his class and best friend who is providentially in his class. After that it was all good.

I'm glad to have been able to put aside my rule/clock following tendencies for once and do what needed to be done.

Anna was only 15 minutes late, and things were just getting stated when she arrived.  Responsible Lutherans that they are, we did have a message inquiring after her on the answering machine at home.  Anna returns to a loving kindergarten teacher whom she also enjoyed for preschool.

Now my mornings are full of this goofy guy, who is not much of a conversationalist yet.  It is strange to think that he won't be in kindergarten for 4 more years.  Yet I don't dare wish that time away, because I know it is just around the corner.

I Don't Got Rhythm

The kids and I were recently watching some excerpts from "The Muppet Show" on youtube. This one makes me laugh every time I see it, particularly because I've been on both ends of this situation myself, as the one trying to accompany a person who "don't got" rhythm and the one standing out in front trying to find some rhythm.

The Rest of the Summer

Today marks Tom's second day back to school. It's always an adjustment for those of us left behind, especially because I've enjoyed lots of kid-free gallivanting around this summer. Next week marks the beginning of crazy school driving season, so it seems like a good time to wrap up the summer review.

August began with my cousin Peter's wedding. Jonathan just looked at these pictures over my shoulder and said, "I had a great day at that wedding. I like them and they were happy. Everything looked good." That about sums it up for me too.

Here are some more cousin pictures for my African friends.




And of course no wedding is complete without Julius Caesar on the guest list.

The following Monday began 2 weeks of intensive swim lessons.

We've been putting these off for awhile, feeling that our kids' water fears would hold them back, but it was perfect timing for Jonathan, who went from being able to dog paddle 2 meters to swimming across the pool using something that kind of resembles the front crawl stroke. He loved every minute of it and the peer pressure helped with any remaining fears.

During the second week of swim lessons, we enjoyed the fair.

Anna won some photography ribbons. Normally the kids have a lot of help with their fair pictures. I stand next to them and suggest subjects, then check their picture, suggest they take a second one more centered, check their picture again, suggest a third one more focused, etc., etc. They are sometimes patient with this process and sometimes we just move on.

However, Anna and her cousin took this ribbon winner all by themselves!

I was also proud of Jonathan's entries, especially the Lego dinosaur. From it we learned that even if you think your child is a Lego prodigy, one would do well to follow the age recommendations. The project took a long time and it was incredibly hard for him to work so much before it actually started to look like a dinosaur. Overall, it was a good lesson in delayed gratification, but almost too hard.

In addition to all the other fair excitement, what kid could resist the Emerald Ash Borer Tattoo? Great fun for invasive-species lovers everywhere.

Finally, last weekend, I took the train to Chicago to meet my great childhood friend Anna. There we mostly walked and talked, just as we spent our time many years ago - always refreshing for the soul.

June Revisited

Somehow in my June and July months-in-review, I forgot to blog about two significant events.

First we had a surprise 60th birthday party at our house for my dad.

My dad's sister and part of her family were there, as well as his 3 kids and their associated children. Managing to surprise my dad with so many little ones "in the know" was quite an accomplishment.

Next, Tara planned a pre-Africa camping trip for herself, me, and my parents.We went to Wilderness State Park, which is in Michigan's lower peninsula near the Mackinaw Bridge and stayed in a rustic cabin for two nights.

Camping with my sister always reminds me of her great perseverance, a character trait which I lack, at least to the extent which she has it. Her perseverance is always apparent in her hiking, particularly when things get tough. This time as we signed the hiker's log near one trail head, we noticed that the previous hikers' comments had become increasingly ominous over the past month, starting with "Beautiful hike, a few mosquitoes." and moving toward something like "MOSQUITOES ATE MY DOG!!!!! TURN BACK NOW IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE!"

Some people, seeing messages like that might say, "Wow, the beach we passed a few minutes ago was looking mighty good today." My sister (and dad) however, having once set a goal, saw the messages and thought, "We won't let a few mosquitoes drive us away." So, we lathered up with our carcinogenic DEET and hit the trail. As promised, we had not gone far before we were met by swarms of mosquitoes, rising up from either side of the path like clouds of gnats. I actually had to breathe through my teeth so as not to swallow them. The DEET worked quite well, and my little mosquito friends helpfully pointed out any areas which had been missed.

Not only did Tara persevere through those mosquitoes for 1.5 miles, but she was her normal fun self during the entire journey, which encouraged the rest of us and made us think we were actually doing something fun. We finally made it to the top of a dune, miraculously mosquito-free, ate lunch as planned, enjoyed the view and then we all decided that enough of our goal had been reached to turn around.

I see that kind of perseverance and determination in Tara in other aspects of her life as well. My parents have a video of her running hurdles in high school where she falls down in the middle of the race, gets back up and somehow beats at least one of her competitors (maybe all, I can't remember). This quality has pushed her to follow God in radical and hard ways, including homeschooling her kids and ultimately moving to Africa last month.

Back to the camping trip: Tara and I had another adventure when we came up with a harebrained scheme to kayak across a large-ish Lake Michigan bay to our cabin. The waves were about 4-6 feet tall. My parents, not in favor of our plan, sucessfully resisted their instincts to tell their 30-something kids they weren't allowed to do something.


To make a long story short, the trip was really fun until we reached the other side of the bay and learned the limits of our entry-level kayaks. The waves, going over a sandbar, became smaller, faster and more powerful. My boat was the first to repeatedly fill and capsize. Tara was doing fine until she came closer to shore to help me. We were never in grave danger, but after awhile we were tired, cold, our feet were hurting from the rocks, and we didn't know exactly how much longer we had to go to get our cabin. It wasn't a feeling I had experienced very often in my comfortable life. Even at that time, I saw in Tara her perserverance and unwillingness to quit. At one point we stood next to our boats in the water and prayed for the adventure to end.

Shortly after that, we saw the welcome sight of my dad walking toward us through a marshy area at the water's edge. He had spotted us through a new friend's binoculars. Once he reached the shore, he kept walking, hiking boots and all, right into the water to grab my kayak. His new friend had no choice but to similarly sacrifice his own shoes to help my sister. When I saw my dad coming toward me through the water, I was reminded on some level of how the father of the prodigal son greeted his boy, running, ignoring all dignity, joyful that his wayward son had returned.

"Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found"

A Conversation With Jonathan

Jonathan is no stranger to long distance loved ones and has a heart that is very loyal to those who are far away. He is also no stranger to the difficulties and heartache caused by distance so his cousins have been on his mind quite a bit this week. The other day while working on his Lego dinosaur together, I was touched when his thoughts turned to trying to figure out why I miss Tara.

Jonathan: Do you miss Tara?

Me: Very much.

Jonathan: Well, what do you do together, like just talk and stuff?

Me: That's pretty much what adults like to do.

Jonathan: Do you at least talk about funny stuff?

Me: Yes, sometimes.

Jonathan: Ohhh, I see.

July

Whew! Time flies in the summer! Here's another month-in review, if I can remember what happened.

Near the beginning of the month I attended the String Academy of Wisconsin's workshop for teachers of young children. I went because the assistant orchestra director at school recommended it and, lacking any kind of music degree, I knew that pretty much any training would improve my teaching of the 6th grade cherubs. As people were introducing themselves, I realized that some had come quite far to hear the wonderful Mimi Zwieg. I found out why!

She is a violin pedagogy expert from Indiana University. In addition to providing tons of information and conducting master classes, she and her colleague, Darcy Drexler, spent time demonstrating their techniques on us. With a few minutes of coaching they gave me many ways to improve my playing. And I definitely feel more prepared for my 6th graders. I'm thankful for the experience.

The view from my 15th-floor dorm room with Lake Michigan in the background

With a one-day stop at home, we then journeyed to northern Michigan with Tom's parents. First we stopped in Charlevoix, where the kids were the first to play in the new interactive fountain.

Until the end, they didn't notice the men sitting behind a one-way window controlling each spray and splash. Upon meeting these guys and seeing them in action, Jonathan added a new career path to his home building aspirations: Fountain Programmer.

We then immersed ourselves in some Upper Peninsula waterfalls:

At Munising, unless we were this close to the pictured rocks, we had a great view of the fog:

but it was still fun

We found our favorite driftwood beach:

And made great memories with the grandparents.

After separating from them, we visited Milwaukee and Chicago before returning home.

In the times between the trips, we've spent a lot of time with the cousins while their parents packed....

and packed....

and packed for Tanzania.

We were reminded that going anywhere with 7 kids age 8 and under is CRAZY even when they're good kids! At the county fair, we had 9 kids. Thankfully, we only lost a couple.

We also celebrated two cousin birthdays.

My sister is (hopefully) almost finished packing and will be leaving for Tanzania tomorrow. And while I know that the work they are doing there will benefit many people, I am personally very, very sad, as we probably won't be seeing them for 3 or 4 years.

It's always nice to walk along the road of life with your sister by your side.