The not really a new year's post

I had intentions of starting the new year with one of those boring posts about all the great things that happened last year and then set up some goals for the coming year. But I realize most people don't care how many miles or races I ran, or how many scarves or quilts I plan to start AND finish this year. All those things will just be my little secrets.

The kids had a snow day today and one that couldn't have come at a better time. It has been a frustrating school year and already I find myself biding the time until it will be over. Which brings about one of the biggest issues we will face in the next six months: how our children will obtain an education next year. I'm tired of thinking about this issue and looking and reconsidering every available option because none of them are viable for the group as a whole.

When I was young we lived two houses away from the K-6 elementary school and I attended kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary knowing by mid-year that the doors would close in June for good and we would be bussed to Buchanan after that. Nobody threw a fit, enrollment was down and it just made sense to consolidate. We visited the new elementary school at some point during my kindergarten year and then spent the next six years in a building that I fondly remember and could accurately draw a map of if asked. We lived in a great school district that was well-funded with programs for students of all abilities.

Unfortunately, that is not the case where I live with my children and I have found myself in the position where I must select their educational environment and not just accept it. This decision is tougher than the breast vs. bottle discussion or the cloth vs. paper diaper dilemma. And what makes it so difficult is the lack of options, I'm capable of selecting and supporting a program but when there is only one to choose from it isn't really a choice.

So today I found myself shoveling the driveway and as I was tossing the snow out of the way I glanced up to see St. Francis shrouded in snow. Sometimes there are little surprises out there and just maybe 2010 will bring me a few more.

A Merry Christmas to All

We love Zingo!

I'm not much of a product promoter, I have a lot of brand loyalties and things that work for me but I don't usually waste my words convincing others to try things I like. But Zingo! is different, my family adores this game. The first thing my four year old does in the morning is ask his dad to play a round with him, which inevitably turns into 10 with each successive child joining in as they wake up. It is madness. The game personally drives me nuts and I conveniently find myself busy in kitchen while all this is going on but the excitement and togetherness it promotes is worth it.
There is even a Spanish version and we discovered yesterday a Super Hero one as well.

This game is so much fun that even Fergie the wonder dog plays. Here they are playing the green card side and Fergie has found a matching tile.

Fergie is proud of her good start.

Resting after a serious series of Zingo!

Full circle

We've been Building Big lately and if you haven't been you should be. For someone that doesn't comprehend physics or engineering these documentaries are captivating. The above photo is of the Firth of Forth Bridge in Scotland that was built over the Firth of Tay after the first bridge collapsed. It took 54,000 tons of steel; 194,000 cubic yards of granite, stone, and concrete; 21,000 tons of cement; and almost seven million rivets to build the bridge.

Yesterday, we had a field trip planned to Sloan Museum for some hands on activities involving canals and Michigan pioneers. Little did I know that all we had been doing previously would be reinforced at Sloan. I'm an accidental homeschooler, I've always got big plans and ideas and then I let my child lead. He watches, he does, he learns. Often times more than I realize.


The arched bridges and tunnels in the Building Big series were especially confounding because of the way the weight is distributed.

"Arch bridges are one of the oldest types of bridges and have great natural strength. Instead of pushing straight down, the weight of an arch bridge is carried outward along the curve of the arch to the supports at each end. These supports, called the abutments, carry the load and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading out." NOVA

If you don't have it all just right your bridge is not going to remain intact for long. Below is the finished structure before the supports are removed.

The supports are removed and it appears that his bridge is ready for traffic!

The other exhibits were just as compelling and of course educational but the second best part to building the arched bridge was that the gift shop had a replica of the Back to the Future DeLorean complete with a flux capacitor.


(And yes, that is Back to the Future on the t.v. in the background.)

DNA

I don't believe in reincarnation but I do believe in DNA. A year ago today Buchta died and we spent the next 8 months without a vizsla in our lives. Then Fergie, Buchta's great-niece, appeared and we felt whole again. Whole in a way that makes other people think we are crazy, these dogs are demanding with a capital "D" but they love you in a way that can't be described.

Buchta
January 10, 1999-November 12, 2008

Fergie
May 7, 2009

Buchta

Fergie

Trotting with the turkeys

*10,000 runners
*Course Christmas carolers
*Christmas cookie and candy cane stations
*Costume prizes
*Eight packet pick-up locations (aka "a reason to go to Playmakers")
*Really cool long sleeve tech shirts

It's Turkey Trot time again! I can't remember the last time I ran this race but I've got a crew of us headed there for 09'. This used to be a family tradition when I was in college; us kids would come home from where ever we were living and drag ourselves out of bed very early to head downtown (thankfully my mom lived in Livonia at the time so we didn't have to get up THAT early-it only seemed like it). Often times we had a friend or two with us and mom was always nice enough to let our "friends without families" join us for a hard earned turkey dinner after the race.

I'm sure it has been at least 10 years since I ran through the finish line in Cobo Hall but my memory is sketchy and I think, quite possibly, that I ran in 1999 while pregnant with my daughter. It appears that it has become bigger, better and more organized. There is pre-paid guaranteed parking now and I better hurry and register so I can get a spot! Parking used to be interesting to say the least, you would find a parking lot where someone unofficial would take a $20 from you only to find out that the person didn't even own the spaces.

I have extremely fond memories of prior Thanksgiving mornings spent in downtown Detroit. To me it was part of what the holidays were all about and this was the kick-off. Back in those days Christmas music didn't start until the day after Thanksgiving and Target wasn't shoving Halloween decorations aside to fill in the shelves with Christmas items. This race brings about the true spirit of the season, post-race candy cane and all.


*I hope Vinnie can figure out how to get the turkey in the oven while I'm gone! (Or maybe I better see if our favoite Chinese restuarant is open that day.)

Maiden voyage

Vinnie finally got me a gift for our 10 year anniversary. (We don't usually do the gift the thing but he had to justify the purchase somehow and it was only 2 months late!) Anyway, the kids love to fish and be near water so he had been looking for a flat-bottom aluminum boat with a reasonable price tag on it. Fortunately he didn't have to look any further than New Lothrop and it came with a trailer and sticker good until 2012.

After running the combine all night to harvest beans, Vinnie decided to sacrifice precious bean-time with a trip to the beautiful Shiawassee River.

The crew and captain (Vinnie or Fergie, you decide) were pleased to be on the water.

A bit of rowing for upper body strength.
(I'll turn her into a runner yet!)

Fergie is debating how badly she wants that peanut shell.

Ollie was pleased with his find-a nice wet leaf.