Tuesday DayLook: October 28, 2014

Picture:  Greg after the ND 9-man football playoff game -   LaMoure Loboes vs. Northstar Bearcats.  The Loboes came out on top 56 – 12.  It’s been an unexpectedly great season for the team and a lot of fun to watch.

Looking out my back porch... the day started out cloudy and it rained a bit.  It cleared for a while in the afternoon, but it’s cloudy once again.

I am thankful for... being able to be home!

I am reading… I’ve started to read a few other blogs.  I mentioned last week that I’d started to read Walking in Grace & Beauty, but I’ve also been reading 31 Days to a Clutter-Free Life.  The e-book is available on kindle, but the worksheets for each area are available for printing on each blog post.  Some can be skipped, but others have great tips.  I’ve actually saved a couple on specific topics, including digital photos and craft rooms.

I am praying for... a great outcome on the ballot measures which our state’s people will be voting on in the election this coming week.  GO VOTE…it matters!  Also praying that all the players on my son’s football team remain healthy and play with good sportsmanship in the quarterfinals this coming Saturday…win or lose.

A random thought… Make sure you vote next week.

I am hearing... the bubbling of the aquarium.

From the sewing/craft room… absolutely nothing has been started or finished!  However, I have been ‘pinning’ ideas for 4-H, Christmas and crocheting.

From the School Room... some days are good, some days stink. 

From the Kitchen...  before the home football game this past Saturday, we tailgated!  I made Mulled apple juice, Carol’s Caramel Corn, and Mom’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Chex Mix.

From the FarmYard… we STILL need to merge the two flocks of chickens.  There has just not been time to get the job done; it’s best done in the evening.

A successful moment…

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Tuesday: ortho & dance for Angelina, football practice for Greg (all week)

Wednesday: pumpkin carving

Thursday: dance for Angelina

Friday: It’s All Hallows Eve.  We typically don’t ‘celebrate’ this holiday, but I’ve become more ambivalent in the last few years.

Saturday/Sunday: ND 9-man quarterfinal football game, Bison home football game (we hope to watch the second half at home), annual Buffalo Supper at church

A picture memory...

Louis – June 2010

Tuesday DayLook: February 25, 2014

 

Looking out from my back porch... it looks crisp, cool and slightly windy.  I really don’t want to stick an arm out to see if the temp predictions are accurate!

I am thankful for... warmth and a solid home – who in these northern climes isn’t thankful for those two at this time of year?  Also thankful that in February I can start to see the end of some homeschooling subjects…lighter days are ahead.

I am reading… newspapers and blogs.

I am praying for... a good friend’s father who is in the hospital with pneumonia.  Graham, who is preparing to receive his first Reconciliation this coming Sunday.

I am hearing... the water trickling through the filter of our aquarium.  It’s a peaceful sound.

I am wearing… black knit pants (kinda like leggings, but heavier material), a purple knit top with a green/aqua cami underneath.  I needed color today.

From the School Room... as I mentioned earlier, we are seeing the end nearing in some subjects.  It’s a great feeling and makes the kids want to work ahead even more.

From the Kitchen... over the weekend, I made up meatloaf and meatballs to ‘base’ our meals for the week.  We look forward to spaghetti and meatballs today.

From the Garden… if I’m going to start seeds, it will happen in March.  Will I have the gumption?

From the FarmYard… a friend in Fargo sells eggs for me, thank goodness!  Last year, Angelina was interested in Polish chickens, so we purchased 10.  There were quite a few cockerels, so not all are laying hens.  However, between them they produce about 2 dozen small eggs each week.  I don’t sell these, but they’re great for egg dishes like omelets, french toast, scrambled eggs or boiled eggs.

A successful moment… the boys (Graham and Zeke) wrestled in their first tournament last Friday and each placed third in their group.  They were happy and we thought it was fun to watch.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Tuesday: Little Loboe wrestling practice for Zeke & Graham, Greg will help with practice

Wednesday: Eric and I plan to attend a sponsored talk on ‘technology’ – free meal with the deal – is it a date?

Thursday: Little Loboe wrestling practice for Zeke & Graham, Greg will help with practice, Ballet Academy for Angelina

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Well baby check for Marcus, bulk shopping in Fargo, First Reconciliation Retreat & First Reconciliation for Graham, Scrap quilt workshop for Angelina, Crop Judging for Zeke & Angelina, Possible Wrestling Tourney for Zeke & Graham

A picture memory...

Zeke above and Graham below in 2009.  Zeke would have been six and Graham three.  My how they change over the years…the interest in Legos and building, however, has NOT changed!

35&36/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

Prepped a LOT of corn for freezing.

Magic show from the resident 5yo Awesome Magician (I’ll post a bigger display on this later!). 

The packaged corn is ready to freeze.

Cleaned my desk for the new school year.

 

Kids on the first day of school in 2011!

Everyone has a comedian, right??

Dash in his first, and so far only, JV football game.  He’s on the lower right – #66.  They won 22-0.

First day well done!

 

The first day of school has come and gone.  The notebooks, books, and binders are back on the shelves and ready for tomorrow …thank goodness all is corrected! 

And I didn’t even raise my voice today -- at all.  A few tense morning moments occurred when the busy toddler rode his noisy musical zebra into the schoolroom, but after a couple times I remembered ‘the toddler boxes’.  Louis played with elbow macaroni noodles, a measuring spoon and a cup the rest of the morning.

Pictures taken the night before.

As I’m a planner, I did lay out a plan for today.  The difference is that this year Eric and I talked to the kids about the plan last night.  This helped very much!

We’d all eaten breakfast, dressed, and had time for reading the paper and doing a few chores before our 7:40am rosary time.  The rosary went well.  Louis played quietly, and Graham has really grown up a lot over the past year because he’s now able to sit quietly.  I actually had the hardest time because my head and thinking are fuzzied up by allergies right now.  This has just been a nasty year and nothing seems to help for long.

By 8am, we were ready for pictures, Schultutes, and measuring (height and weight).  I saved the poster-board schultutes from last year and just used new tissue.  Easy – peasy.  The kids loved getting new school supplies, a few rare fruit treats, and one snack-sized candy bar.

We officially started lessons at 9am.  Everyone, but the high-schooler finished by noon (we expected this outcome and I had prepared Dash for more work). 

The Freshman:

The Sixth grader:

The Third grader:

The Kindergartener:

The Toddler:

Other photos from today:

---

We ended the day with a JV football home game.  The Loboes won 22-0.  Dash now plays guard and is #66.

He’s at the right edge of the bottom photo.

BISON!!

It’s NDSU Bison Football time!  The opening game of the season is Saturday; we plan to attend.

This pic is from 2004.  We’ve been in the same seats for years and have made friends of the couple who sit behind us.  Good thing, too, because we keep getting larger and noisier with the passing years!  It’s a good section because it’s been very family friendly.  NO obnoxious people around us … only one year we were a little worried, but the young man either learned to tone it down or moved his ‘party’ mouth and behavior to another section.

As we’ve been in the same seats for so long, we’ve also added family to the section.  Three of my brothers and my parents have season tickets, too.  Makes for a very fun time when we are all able to make the games (for sure at Homecoming).  This is our family time in the Fall months.

Go Bison!!

Still…

 

Yes, friends, we here at this household are still Vikings fans.  This pic of Zeke was taken this morning – loyal little fan, isn’t he??

 

Football Practice

This morning was Dash's first day of football practice. The team practices in LaMoure, but he's 'registered' through Marion. Dash will meet the Marion suburban at about 6:20a a couple miles from our farm to get a ride into town for practice. He'll be dropped off at the same spot at about 11:30a.

His dad took him to town on Tuesday for equipment handout, and he was excited to already know some of the boys. While in Fargo earlier this week, I shopped for the 'equipment/clothing' we need to provide: cleats, chin strap (apparently the school chin straps rub badly), and compression clothing. If he needs anything else ... that'll be left to he and his dad!

I'm excited for him, in a way, and unsure in other ways. Obviously I don't want him to get hurt, but he's definitely NOT small for his age right now and the likely-hood is slim. - St. Christopher protect him, please. I think this will be a good way for him to get in better shape; that will remain to be seen. More on this as it develops ...

A visit

... with the local public school superintendant went well yesterday. Eric and I had considered a meeting last year to talk about instrument lessons and band, but it was just too much too fast after just moving (and not really feeling settled or able to take on something else). But, apparently being pregnant and due in November makes me ready and settled, now!!

I actually called yesterday, late in the morning, to see if I could set up a meeting. I wasn't expecting to speak to the superintendant himself ... and I wasn't expecting that he'd be ready and willing to meet right after lunch.

So, I asked Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres to watch Graham while I went to a brief meeting. I asked about football, instrument/band and speech club for Dash. He'll be in seventh grade and is eligible to participate in all, if we so desire. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I came away from the meeting with a really calm feeling.

Dash is at the age where he needs more than I can give him in the physical activity department. I have tried, but I'm 'not enough' to motivate him. So, we're hoping a little competition and someone else encouraging activity will be good for him. Do I worry about 'all the other stuff' that might go on?? YES, but I plan to implore the protection of St. Christopher.

As for instrument lessons and band, that depends upon the teacher's schedule. He hasn't learned how to play a band instrument, yet. So, lessons would be necessary to catch up to band-playing level.

I am really excited for him to participate in speech. All the kids have great memorization and projection skills. Dash has the potential to really be able to develop and use this skill we've been working on since kindergarten during Poetry memorization and recitation. We haven't talked to Dash about all of this, yet, so I hope some of it is interesting or motivating.