Just say no!

As most parents know, children love to show them their talents and skills. Lately, my boys like to ask me "Do you think I can do X?" followed quickly by "Say no! Just say no!" This is then followed by doing the talent/skill successfully with an enormous smile.

Halloween was a huge success. The boys gathered all sorts of candy and then let me buy a good chunk of it from them for $5 each. They still had plenty of treats, but we saved a few cavities from forming!

We celebrated our 9 year anniversary last month. Jer & I spent the morning together, then brought the boys out for dinner and a walk around the site of our reception. It was a beautiful day, much like the day of our wedding.

Friday was conferences at school and we left beaming. Both boys' teachers mentioned what a joy each boy was to have in their classroom. Owen is thriving in his new elementary classroom and seems to be particularly fond of researching and writing reports. His most recent report was on endangered species. He also is enjoying math worksheets and Chinese. Walter is loving being an older child this year and helping out the new children. He is working on his cursive letters and sounds and will be starting golden bead math work soon. He is also working hard on tying a bow and has a goal of being a master by Thanksgiving. My pride continues to grow.

Nature Journaling

One of Owen's teachers sent me some photos of him today. When I showed him, he said it was from his day trip to Hidden Falls. He was writing and drawing in his nature journal. Isn't he so precious.

Humungo Jumbo

Awe, Indian Summer, please stay as long as you want!

You can call me Ninja Master.

The Hipps family has split up for the weekend. Jeremy and Owen left this morning for a fishing trip up on Leech Lake while Walter and I stayed back for a special weekend together. Owen has been waiting for this day for quite a while, he bought the special fishing trip food in July (salted nut rolls) in anticipation of this day. He also declared he planned on eating pizza for breakfast on the fishing trip. Regardless, I'm sure he will have a blast and be spoiled rotten by his daddy!

Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to spoil Walter. We rented a movie at the library yesterday and as soon as Jer & Owen left, he asked if we could watch it. I obliged, of course. Then we went to a park and I endured two hours of ninja training. Jeremy often puts the boys through ninja courses around the neighborhood and Walter realized I have never done one. So he put me through 10 levels of ninja training today. At one point as we were crawling under the playground equipment, he told me "You can call me Ninja Master." As we left the park, the Ninja Master told me he has more ninja training on tap for tomorrow. Here's to a good night sleep!

And I'm already on chapter 2!

I was greeted by Owen today without a hi or hello, but instead "Guess what Mom? I started reading my own chapter book in school and I'm already on chapter 2!" Pretty awesome, right?!

School officially started on Tuesday and it is going wonderfully. Both boys are happy to be going to school and happy when I pick them up. I've been particularly anxious to hear about Owen's days as this is a whole new world for us. He has been happily sharing so much with us it is great. He has talked about doing fractions, playing capture the flag and identifying different species of bugs. Today he received one of the 'great lessons' about our universe, during which he got to see a volcano explode in class when his teacher lit it...with REAL fire! He talked about the speed of light over and over with me this evening. Its going to be such an exciting year. Here are a few photos from the start to it all.

When your six, you'll just be a little scared.

Walter asked me to come downstairs with him yesterday. When I asked why, he told me he was scared. We talked through how our house is safe, etc., and Owen chimed in to tell him this. I started thinking about it, and I was always afraid of my basement as a child, too. I wonder what it is.

We've been doing our best to enjoy the last few days of summer. Last weekend we went away to a friends cabin. While yesterday, we joined some friends at the Mall of America for some rides. Tonight the boys are sleeping over at Grandma Joanne's, before we get serious about settling in to a schedule. Fall is in the air, but we're not quite letting go of summer yet.

Work Journal, Decanomial & Nature Journaling

Owen has had orientation the past three days for his big move up to elementary. Three years ago, I never would have thought we would be staying at Sunny Hollow for elementary. I thought for sure we would be entering the public schools now. I know I often rave about the boys' school, but it is honestly so amazing I can't stop. I feel like with all this concern and buzz about the failure of public schools, the documentaries Waiting for Superman and Road to Nowhere, the answer is so obvious to me...Montessori. It is truly a beautiful education.

I will step off my high horse now and tell you these are the works Owen has talked about doing in his shortened days of orientation. He has been bolting into his classroom with barely a good bye and has been pure smiles when I pick him up. He is so happy and engaged when I pick him up, it makes me so excited to see what the school year brings.

Here is the pure smile...and one from his first day back in 2008!

I have big news.

I came home at 9:30 last night from my first Sunny Hollow board meeting. (I feel so fancy.) I had items that we had discussed going through my head, so didn't even ask how Jer & the boys' night went. I suddenly looked up to see Jer looking at me, rather proudly. He smiled and said "I have big news. Your little boy can ride a two wheel bike now!"

Walter woke up this morning and quickly showed me his new skill! I am one proud mama, but I think Jeremy tops me in pride on this one! He told me it felt so great to be able to teach both his boys how to ride a bike.

Come on, what are you waiting for?!

The boys attending YMCA camp at Camp Streefland last week and had such a great time. Owen's counselors were Mark & Lindsay, while Walter had Chris and another helper that he could never remember the name of. They started and ended their days with bus rides, which may have been nearly as exciting as camp, as they don't get to ride them to school. Owen loved all the games he learned, particularly Ga-Ga-Ga. Walter loved canoeing to French Fry Island. They came home filthy and exhausted every night.

Thursday was family night at camp, so the boys toured me around the grounds and I was able to see their forts, archery, the lake, where they did arts & crafts and all of the secret passage ways around camp. At one point as we were going from one place to another, Owen said to me "Come on, what are you waiting for?! We run EVERYWHERE at camp!" They are still talking about it and teaching me songs they learned.

You're almost a square!

Walter's 4 year old well child exam was last week. He is a healthy little guy, weighing 42 lbs and measuring 42.5 inches, to which the nurse told him this. He is in the 87% for weight and 88% for height. We measure the boys on a piece of trim on both of their birthdays and I can attest to the fact that Walter is definitely taller than Owen was at 4, as Walter's line is a healthy inch above Owen's 4 year old measurement.

We just returned from a whirlwind of fun. On Wednesday at 10pm, we started our fun with a drive to Steven's Point. On Thursday the boys & I swam all day long while Jer worked. After work, Jer picked us up and we joined Jer's team on a boat cruise. The boys were in heaven being a part of all the games, which included Bingo, Hula Hoop contests and some trivia. They also loved getting completely spoiled with full size chocolate bars, gigantic coloring books and brand new crayons. The highlight of it all, though, was Owen winning a game of Bingo, with the prize being a Amex gift card. He is now ready to enter tournaments...seriously, he wants to. I see a VFW in our future.

After a couple nights in Steven's Point, we joined my parents in Wabasha, WI for some camping. We enjoyed lots of fishing, biking and s'mores. On Saturday we ferried to Madeline Island and rented bikes. We covered 9 miles, with Owen leading the way most frequently. It was lots of fun, particularly on the down hills, which we didn't catch many of. We certainly enjoyed splashing in the beautiful, clear water of Superior.

Yesterday, Jeremy and I returned to Minneapolis while the boys stay with my parents for the week. I am doing design work these days, so am taking advantage of the quiet to get a few things done. Additionally, as you may remember, I turned 35 this year...this means it is time for my girlfriends and I to get away together again. We are going to Mexico on Wednesday for a little R&R. It will be such fun, but I would be lying if I told you I don't miss my boys like crazy already! They are such wonderful people.

Chilly Willy

I have a ten year old cousin, William, who the boys adore...how could they not when he does crazy jumps like this? He is a bit of a legend in our house and even has his own song we sing about him, Chilly Willy. We got to spend some time with him and other wonderful family when we were up north for my Grandma's funeral. The silver lining is always having the time to be with family. Here are some more photos from our time celebrating Bea-Bea (as my Grandpa always called her).

She's not going to pick me, though, right?

My cousin, Katie, got married at the beginning of July. On the way to the wedding I was explaining weddings and marriage to Walter. When I told him they will now live together forever, Walter asked me this...thinking Katie was just going to randomly pick someone to marry and live with for the rest of her life! Thankfully she thought it over and found a wonderful man, Richard Daley (no, not Chicago's mayor) to marry. We had a fun night dancing and celebrating with family!

Grandma

My Grandma passed away two weeks ago. She passed away at home, overlooking Rainy Lake with some of my family close by caring for her. Last weekend we up north to remember her and celebrate the amazing life she led. I was lucky to share some thoughts about her during the service and will share that with you now:

"My Grandma was a mother of 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, along with countless other neighborhood children, and she made us all feel special.

Growing up, I was the youngest in the first handful of grandkids - my wild older cousins Frank, Bobby and Jason and my older sister, Kindi. We would go to Grandma's house weekend mornings to find her making her buttermilk pancakes and those wild 3 boys already sitting at the table 'calling' the next pancake from the griddle as theirs. Even though I was hungry, I wouldn't care about trying to get my name on one of the pancakes because Grandma always had something special just for me...in the lazy susan of her kitchen was a tin full of saltine crackers, just for me.

A few months ago, a friend of mine was describing my family to a woman at my sons' school. The woman asked "Oh, is that the family that smiles all the time?" My friend said "Yes! That is them!" Through my life I've often been called 'smiley' and asked why I smile so much. I never really thought much about it until recently as I watched my Grandma go through this terrible disease, ALS. I started to notice that through all the pain and discomfort, there was always a smile. Eventually, as she lost her ability to speak, there was still that smile. Sometimes, it overtook her and I could only see that beautiful smile.

Now that she is gone, I am so thankful for the smile she gave me and taught me to share with the world."

And, I will say Spiderman.

Walter and I were discussing what he will be like as an adult. I suggested kind, responsible, peaceful, strong and confident. He added this, concentrating heavily on the 'S'.

We had a very full weekend, busy with friends and summer fun. We started the weekend with a fun bbq with the Petit's...Colin is pretty much Jeremy's 3rd brother while Maggie is a fellow 'Babe' in my mom's group.

On Saturday we headed to Big Eagle Lake for a night at Owen's buddy's family cabin. We enjoyed swimming, boating and all sorts of fishing. The boys were catching fish left and right off the dock. They had a great time swapping fish stories and were so excited to all sleep in the loft together.

After heading home on Sunday, we went to a friend's house to gather and say good bye to an old Augsburg friend who was home visiting from Russia. It was great to spend some time with him and his family and is always so fun to see Jeremy with his college buddies and all the bantering and laughing that goes along with it.

Today we are home, recouping and prepping for the week to come.

I only want to go kayaking.

We spent a night with my mom's group and all the wee ones last week at our friend Sarah's cabin. She so graciously hosted 'Pine Lake Camp' for us all where there were crafts, child written, directed and acted plays, bike rides, marshmallow roasts, movies, swimming, fishing and boating. It was such a treat to be with all of the Babes and reminisce of the days when we all met nearly six years ago. Owen tried kayaking for the first time and realized he loved the freedom of exploring the lake in a boat. It took him a good 4 days to stop saying he wanted to go kayaking every five minutes or so.

At the very beginning of summer, we all met up at our friend Annie's farm near Stillwater. The kids loved feeding the sheep and exploring their beautiful garden and land. Its been a bit since we have all been together as most of our eldest children are now in school. We are really enjoying having these opportunities to reconnect with our first friends!

Because I always love to share the before photo...here is a photo from one of our first ever playgroup's together...when the majority of us only had one kid (and I had really dark hair)!