News and noteworthy items

This post will not be very exciting. Well I guess that depends on your view of "excitement".  I figure it's been a while since I've had a family-centric post so it was time for an update.

Jason and I just returned from a quick trip to Tucson.  Grandpa Ash passed away so we attended the funeral service and got to spend some time with family. It was nice to get away, even if the reason isn't a "fun" one.

Bailley is getting busier as the year rolls on. She has band twice a week and choir twice a week. I will post her choir schedule below. They have a variety of Christmas appearances around town so if you want to catch the choir in action feel free to stop by! Volleyball will be starting in January with practices twice a week and tournaments on Saturdays.This is Bailley's first year with JO volleyball and she made one of three traveling teams.  Thankfully she only has 9 weekend tournaments from January - March but that still seems like a lot. She is very excited for volleyball to start.

Preston has been busy with school and basketball. We have practice onThursday nights and practice/games on Saturday mornings at 8 AM.  He has been improving every week and it is hard to believe this is only his first year of organized basketball. I say "we have practice" because I'm an assitant coach- one of 5 coaches with the team. There are roughly 36 4th grade boys playing ball so it gets to be a little wild but it is still fun. Preston really enjoys it and has made some new friends too. He started playing the recorder for music class as well and seems to like it. He will have to decide in the coming year whether he wants to play in the orchestra (5th grade) or wait for band (6th grade).

We had parent teacher conferences a few weeks back. Both kids are doing very well and have places they need to improve, but all in all doing very well.

Harvey is getting so big. It is hard to believe he turns 1 on the 15th.  :(  He is walking around things like crazy - between the couch and the chairs in the living room. But he will not walk without holding onto something. He will crawl from the couch to the dining room table -stand up and walk around the table and chairs while looking up at whomever is sitting at the table.  He is also starting to get frustrated because we can't read his mind.  He has figured out "more" in sign language -but he won't tell us what he wants more of. :S  Oh well - that will come with time.  He has 6 teeth now and had his hair cut on December 3rd for the first time. 

Jason is busy with work and parenting while I'm off helping with basketball. I've been asked to help with the nursery at church and be a subsitute teacher for the 4th grade at Sunday School - both things I have never done before but figured I would give it a whirl. We like the church we have been attending. Both older kids have attended Sunday School a few times and know some of the kids.We found out that the pastor is 2 years older than I am and went to my rival high school...and we STILL keep going back. :)

I am looking at the calendar of events over the next few weeks and it just looks like chaos. However, it is that time of year so we will get thru it all and have January to recover...I think.  As I noted above- I am including Bailley's schedule for her choir events. She has a band "concert" as well - and that date is listed too.  Preston is done with basketball in January so if you would like to come out at watch -I've included his schedule too.  Once we know Bailley's volleyball tournament schedule- I will post that. As always check out the shutterfly site for more pictures. 

If we don't see you or talk to you before-the Peterson family wishes you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Choir Schedule -
12/11/12          2:45-3:45          Caroling at Bethany Home
12/16/12          3:30 and/5:00    Concert at Jefferson High School - $6 to get in
12/19/12          6:00-7:30          Caroling at Life Right Outreach in Alex 1906 6th Ave East

Band Concert -
12/19/12          7:50-8:20 AM   Discovery Middle School - Band Room

Basketball Schedule -
http://lakesarearecreation.com/lar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=75
Check this website for updates but tentative dates and times are as follows
12/13         7:30 PM                Half time performance at Jefferson High School
12/15         8:00-9:15 AM       Saturday practice/games- Discovery Middle School
12/20         7:00-8:30 PM        Practice- Woodland Elementary Gym
01/03         7:00-8:30 PM        Practice- Woodland Elementary Gym
01/05         8:00-9:15 AM       Saturday practice/games- Discovery Middle School
01/10         7:00-8:30 PM        Practice- Woodland Elementary Gym
01/11         7:30 PM                Youth Basketball Appreciation Night - Jefferson High School
01/12         8:00-9:15 AM       Saturday practice/games- Lakes Area Recreation Gym

365 Blessings

So- I had a thought. For the last few weeks I have been reading posts on Facebook about what people are thankful for.  I had asked one of my friends what the deal was and she noted that its a "thing" where people post what they are thankful for in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. I thought "cool!" what a neat idea...but why should we only be thankful for things in the days leading up to Thanksgiving? So I am starting something with my own spin on it. That "something" is  -

365 Blessings

It is its own page on Facebook where people can post their daily blessings.  It can be something as small as "I woke up" to as large as "my parent survived cancer."  I firmly believe we are blessed every day, but we may not see it.  By starting this page, I think it will be a way to remind people of the small blessings we receive every day (and even some of the bigger ones.) It is my "goal" to post a blessing every day. I put goal in quotes because its a goal -whether I accomplish it or not will remain to be seen -but its a goal none-the-less. I already have a few ideas lined up, some small and some a little bigger. If you are interested- I encourage you to read along and add in your own blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

http://www.facebook.com/365Blessings?ref=hl

The Death of Fall

Ahh – fall. The brisk chill in the air embraces my kids as they meet the school bus in the morning. The leaves have turned their vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and even brown to signify a time when summer is fading and our long, cold winter days are close at hand. Even in early November, fall feels more alive than ever. I suppose this blog post is long overdue considering we in MN have had some snow already. That being said, I still feel its still worth posting.

I often wonder, what happened to the fall holidays? I remember growing up and walking thru various retail stores seeing Halloween, Thanksgiving and general fall decorations out for weeks before Christmas took over. Now, depending on the store, they have two seasons; lawn and garden and Christmas (Thank you Menards!). Why are we so eager to bypass this seasonal transition stage? It’s almost like trying to skip past the teen years and head directly into adult hood; it seems like a good idea but how will we fare on the other end if we skip it? We lose out on the “incubation” period where we really learn things, make mistakes and get to have fun, right?

Remember the years when Mother Nature simply shortchanged us and we did not get a “fall” season? If your memory is like mine (and some days I wonder if I have a memory at all), you remember LONG winters and feelings of being shut in and stir crazy by late January. Maybe we need to enjoy the brown and drab of fall knowing it is only prolonging that first snow flake. I work with a gal that despises fall. To her, it is too depressing to see brown everywhere. I agree. Brown is just so yucky. However, no amount of “pretty white stuff” can outweigh dealing with blizzards, cold, ice, storm days and winter crud any longer that we have to.

The sad part about all if this, is that as a society we are bringing Christmas further and further forward. I read an article the other day that said 60% of respondents were going to start their holiday shopping in early October- OCTOBER! I am all for planning, but does that give retailers the right to ignore fall holidays all together?  Why should we as consumers have to subject ourselves and our families to this blatant disregard for transition. And why should we feel like we HAVE to participate in this extreme holiday bonanza?

All that being said, I have made a decision. This year I have decided to spend less time worrying about what I’m giving as a gift and more time giving my time to my family. November has two very important holidays in it that I plan to recognize in their own right. Veterans Day is a time to reflect on the freedoms we have thanks to those who choose to serve this country. My grandfathers, my great uncle, my uncle and husband are all veterans. I thank God every day for their dedication to our country and the time they spent away from their families to do their duty for this country. They are/were strong, courageous men who I look up to because I know they do what I could never do. Over the years I have met several young men and women (and one old, stubborn Norwegian) who for whatever reason, made the same choice to volunteer and defend this great nation of ours. They deserve our love, praise and respect. In my humble opinion, one day is not enough to honor these people, but it’s a start. The other holiday, Thanksgiving,  is a wonderful time to spend being thankful for the blessings we have in our life; our families, friends, freedoms (OK well anything that starts with an F apparently.) But why should we wait for Thanksgiving to be thankful? Why not do it every day?  

So if you are family, and you are reading this, will you get a present to open at Christmas? Sure. Will I agonize over getting you just the “right one”. Nope. I am spending my time helping to coach both kids in basketball, volunteering to help with Bailley’s choir, spending time being a mom, a wife, a friend and being thankful for the many freedoms and blessings in my life instead of shopping for the "perfect gift". If you don’t understand that…well, here’s your lump of coal.

The older I get the more I am like my....

No - not my mother. Although I'm sure there are some very striking resemblances.

I've decided that I'm becoming more like my Grandpa Hohncke. Let me explain.

Some of my best memories about Grandpa revolve around his constant quest for the flawless garden and the perfect hostas. His roses were to die for and he loved working with them. However, the hosta plants, were (from what I remember) the bain of his existence. He had zero patience when it came to the hostas. He would buy new plants, put them in the ground and if they were not performing to his expectations, they were transplanted. He was constantly splitting them and moving them around his back yard. It really was a never-ending process. When he died, his backyard looked like a hosta farm- they were everywhere and they were breathtaking.

I find myself doing the same thing – not with my garden vegetation, but with my fantasy football team. If someone is not performing as I expect them to they either sit the bench or get dropped. Typically once this decision is made, I get burned – that player ALWAYS scores points the week I do not start them. For you football fans out there let me provide some detail.  I picked up Shonn Greene from the Jets in my draft - he was supposed to be a sleeper pick; someone that no one else would think to pick up and someone that is supposed to have a good year.  Rrrriiiiiiigggghhhhhtttttt....Week 1 - awesome - 15 points.  However, the next 5 weeks - no more than 5 points on any given day.  What the heck?  So - like Grandpa, I lost patience and I benched him.  Over the course of those 5 weeks I picked up and dropped 3 different running backs - all of whom did not perform either.  Of course - week 6- is his break out week - 34 massive points, and he was on my bench. I've done the same thing with my wide receivers.  All that being said, I have decided on a new strategy.  Draft players and play them regardless of how they do.  No more dropping and adding to my lineup. I will treat it more like poker; play the cards I've been dealt and not go fishing for new ones. I may not win, but it will sure be a lot less stressful!

I figure this is a good philosophy for life - play the hand you are dealt. Why should people be so concerned with upgrading their cards when what they have will win the hand? Why should we as a society feel entitled to a better hand, when what we have is good enough to be healthy and happy?  Its a hard attitude change but one I think more people need to explore...including myself. 

WOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!

Did you hear that?  Yeah - that wooshing sound?  THAT was summer....it has offically flown by my head and is no longer in view. All I can say is that the older I get the faster time goes.  I have been thinking that I need to get a new post out here but I did not realize its been over a month since my last post!  I have had a few ideas, but some had a political undertone so I decided against those.  That being said, I have decided to rely heavily on my mute button until November 7th and refrain from any political commentary here.

September was beyond busy as was the end of August.  Jason and I took the older kids to the cities to see the Pirates exhibit a the science museum and a Twins game (check out the pictures out on the Shutterfly site!)  School started - and not a moment too soon.  Then football started for Preston and then volleyball for Bailley and now we are into October. 

Its hard to believe this time last year, we were neck deep in moving. We had closed on the house in Glenwood and bought our house in Alexandria. We took the first few weeks in October to paint, clean and move in shifts.  As Jason reminds me we will NEVER move when I am 7 months pregnant  - no worries there...we won't be moving anytime soon. :P

2012 is starting the downward swing.  I can't help but think about the things that we never accomplished; new windows never got installed, the deck still isn't stained and we didn't spend nearly enough time in the pool.  On the flip side - we did accomplish a lot.  All three kids are growing like weeds.  Bailley is now in the 6th grade- participating in band and choir and enjoying volleyball. Preston is in the 4th grade and loving football.  Both are doing well in school and are making more friends this year. Harvey - well - he is almost 10 months old. He is crawling and exploring everywhere.  He has FOUR teeth coming in. He smiles and laughs and has a fun personality.  I still miss my little baby but I love the toddler he is becoming. We are also looking to take a trip to Arizona to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ash in the coming weeks.  Then its time for Thanksgiving, our celebrate our second wedding anniversary, Harvey's birthday, our other second anniversary and then Christmas.  Someone reminded me today that it is only "6 paychecks until Christmas" - *shudder*.

As I write this I am also trying to figure out what on my "to do list" I should just give up on and transition to the 2013 list. Win my fantasty football league? um yea- maybe next year. Finsh Harvey's baby book - possibly. Start running again and exercising as a family - maybe. Provide more blog entries, pictures and videos of the kids- absolutely. :)  That last one is the easy one- I think.   We need to get back to basics - family time, less screen time (for the entire family) and more fun time. That is probably easier said than done given we are a full month into school already, but it is worth a shot. So - here it is - my late year resolution to turn the TV off more, worry less and enjoy the fall before snow flies and we are stuck inside for 9 long months.  Anyone else in for the adventure?

Battle of the Song Lyrics

I find myself torn. There are two songs that always make me cry and now that I have kids, they make me cry even more.  Both seem so very relevant to the life of a parent and seem to get more relevant as I get older.  Trace Adkins "You're Gonna Miss This" and Darius Rucker "It Won't Be Like This for Long" both seem to strike a cord for me. 

"You're Gonna Miss This" is the story of a girl growing up and during various points in her life her parents and a complete stranger tell her to slow down, relax and enjoy it because there will come a time when she will miss it.  The main chorus states -
But you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this
On the same side of that coin, you have Darius Rucker singing about how the bad times of parenting (if there are any) go by so fast so hang in there because it "won't be like this for long" . Even though he sings about his little girl, it is not hard to substitute a "he" for "she". The main chorus goes -
It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
And this phase is gonna fly by
So he's trying to hold on
It won't be like this for long

I find myself trying to keep these lyrics in the back of my mind as Harvey is hell bent to grow up faster than I want him to.  July 9th - he started to army crawl. The week after, he started to sit up on his own and shortly after he started to get his legs under him and really crawl.  Last Tuesday (August 7) he figured out how to pull himself up.  :S  I really think the kid will be walking before Christmas. I find myself missing my little baby. I miss being able to put him down and know he will be in the same spot when I get back. Don't get me wrong- I love his personality.  I love how he can talk to us and how he interacts with everyone in the family.  He is learning so much every day it is simply amazing how he can take it all in.  He is eating solid foods, he is getting into anything and everything he can find...and when we tell him "no" he stops, looks at us, gives us the "what? I'm cute, right? I don't have to listen, right?" look and goes right back to what he wasn't supposed to be doing.   Dang kid. 

I guess all I can do is sit back and know that it isn't going to be like this for long so I need to enjoy every moment - because someday I am gonna miss this...and part of me already misses it.

I have included some video of Harvey and his major milestones.  The one thing I do not have yet is a picture of his tooth - the one and only he has so far...but I hope to get a picture of that as soon as I can.

Harvey Scoots/Crawls!

Harvey Sits Up!

Harvey Sneezes and Claps

Attack of the Killer Baby!

Here Comes Harvey!

Preston Entertains Harvey

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Yes- those are ZZZZzzzz that are quickly running past us…just like summer.  Oye. It is hard to believe that summer is half over already.  Where does the time go! I am sure the kids are asking the same question. Speaking of kids…

Bailley and I had a fantastic time in Philadelphia, Washington DC and New York City. Its hard to believe we have been home over a month already! She was busy with band and instrument (clarinet) lessons the first two weeks we were home. Bailley also had to play catch up with the softball team. It is our first year with Lakes Area Rec sports in Alexandria and we are all trying to keep an open mind. It is a very different experience than we are used to, but she is having fun and meeting new girls from other schools in Alex. We have 1-2 weeks left of the season then we need to start looking forward to volleyball – I think. We were in Target yesterday and they have their school supplies out already- Bailley was not impressed.

Preston has been busy with baseball two days a week since the beginning of May and seems to really enjoy it.  He too is meeting kids from other schools in the Alexandria school district and his team is doing very well.  So well in fact they clinched the division title! Playoffs start this week. He has been able to get time playing infield, outfield and even pitching! His hitting has really improved throughout the season. He has been out golfing a few times with Jason and I believe he’s even gotten to use his new golf clubs (his reward for meeting his AR reading goal!) Preston has also been able to get some quality fishing time in with Grandpa Larry – something I know they both really enjoy.

Harvey is growing up so fast. He rolls everywhere he wants to go these days and is sitting up all on his own.  We started him on solids last month and he has not found a favorite food yet (we’ve tried peas, green beans, carrots and squash) but he hasn’t hated any of them either. It is always fun to see who winds up wearing more- Harvey, the high chair or the person feeding him. He had his first pool experience the other week and seemed to really like it. He smiles most of the time and has figured out how to clap his hands and “flap” his arms in excitement…which seems to be all the time.  Grandma Connie came over to watch him this last weekend and her comment was “I get tired just watching him!”  Yes, Jason and I do too.  He has also started to crawl a little bit and has been sitting up on his own once or twice.  It was priceless - the other night we put him in his crib but he was NOT happy to be there. Jason went to pick him up and he was sitting up in his crib.  Oye.

Speaking of Jason and Connie – we hosted his side of the family for a family reunion last Saturday.  We had around 40 people at the house!!  His grandparents from Arizona made the trip to MN and we were happy to have them and the rest of the family over.  We also had Harvey baptized on Sunday. Nothing like cramming everything into one weekend, but I think it worked well. Nicholas was even able to fly home for the festivities! 

 Jason has been busy taking care of the pool. We have had all kinds of good learning experiences with the pool this year and now we know what NOT to do next year.  I think he still enjoys the riding lawn mower – and thanks to the HOT weather the last week or two we have not had to mow as often.  Jason is golfing as often as he is able. I even surprised him with a trip out with 3 of his friends on the 4^th of July- although I’m sure they all would have been happier if the weather would have been 20 degrees cooler!

Then there is me.  I've been feeling a LOT better since we returned from our trip out east. I have been busy with various work projects, attending baseball and softball games and golfing on the weeks that Jason does not. I am secretly awaiting the start of school. :)  We have a few more things we want to do this summer, but we will see if we can make them happen.

There are a few new albums on the Shuttefly site- one for the reunion, one for the baptism and one for each city Bailley and I visited.  Enjoy the pictures. We did not post all 1700+ pictures we took so if you want to see all of them, let us know and we can arrange something.  Enjoy what time is left of summer. It seems like we finally got "summer" and it will be over before we know it. That is the one thing I have noticed about getting older -time just seems to be flying by. Take care - and until next time - happy reading!

With apologies….

           

Yes- I know- it has been a long time since I had a post. And I am sorry. I have been sick since the middle of April (2 ear infections, 2 sinus infections, lots of doctor visits and trips to the pharmacy.) Bailley and Preston were busy with end of year school activities and Bailley and I were busy most weekends with Girl Scout fundraisers (or as busy as I could be based on how I was feeling.) Both kids had AR programs we attended and we were able to catch Bailley’s track and field day. Preston started baseball the end of April and has had practices or games at least twice a week since. Jason and I started golf league in May and we also switched day care providers for Harvey. Bailley started band lessons and softball this week…even though both activities technically started last week (she missed due to vacation.) Harvey moved from a center to a home daycare last week. AND of course- we had Bailley’s Girl Scout trip out east June 6-13 (which we both enjoyed.)

That being said we are quickly getting ready for various trips to visit friends and family, or prepare for people to come visit us. I am hoping summer eventually settles into some kind of routine (both kids are playing summer ball until middle of July or so). However I am a realist and know the only routine you can be guaranteed with summer is that there is no routine. J

I do promise to write more regularly now that I am finally feeling better. We keep thinking Harvey’s first tooth is right around the corner…but it has yet to pop thru. He isn’t crawling yet, but he has mastered rolling over and can “flop” his way to anything. Time to baby proof the house. Do take a moment and check out the pictures from his first cereal experience.  It hasn't gotten much better and I do think he is ready for veggies - cereal is just to blah.  We have over 1700 pictures to go thru from the Girl Scout trip (and that's just from my camera, the camera Bailley used and her iPod.)  I hope to get a few up yet this week.

Oh and I also hope everyone had a fantastic Father's Day.  Give your dad a hug and a call - I'm sure he still worries about you even if you haven't lived at home in a few years. :)

Tribute to Mothers

Merriam Webster has five – yes 5- definitions for the word mother.

1a: a female parent b (1): a woman in authority; specifically: the superior of a religious community of women (2): an old or elderly woman

2: source, origin <necessity is the mother of invention>

3: maternal tenderness or affection

4 [short for motherf***er]sometimes vulgar: motherf***er

5: something that is an extreme or ultimate example of its kind especially in terms of scale <the mother of all construction projects>

In all honesty I couldn’t believe #4. Really? We have to put vulgar uses for words in the dictionary? I digress. 

The reason I put the definition in my blog is simple- nowhere does it state that you have to give birth to someone to be their mother. Nor should you have to birth someone to be their mother; prime examples, adoptive moms, step-moms and foster moms.  This select group of women work hard to raise someone else’s child or children and in all honesty its probably a lot harder to do than it is to raise your own..but again I digress.

There is another group of “mom’s” that we should not forget about either. It’s the extended family – the aunts, grandmas, neighbors, daycare providers, good friends –any person who shows “maternal tenderness or affection” toward your child is some sort of a mother.

Why do I take the time to define mother? Because I think some of these women get forgotten on Mother’s Day.  Just because a woman may not have a child of her own does not make her less of a mother and less worthy of receiving recognition and praise for being a mom on Mother’s Day.  But let us take this a step further. In a previous blog I noted that we shouldn’t wait to celebrate the people in our lives so why should we wait until Mother’s Day to celebrate the fantastic women in our lives??  We shouldn’t.  J But I am a realist- I know how busy we all are with our jobs, families, friends, etc…and its hard to make the time do celebrate the people we love as often as we want.  That being said please take some time this weekend to thank ALL the women in your life –not just the one that gave birth to you.  They all deserve it.

And to ALL the fantastic women in MY life – my daycare ladies (the names I can’t ever remember), Harvey’s doctor and my midwife (Dr. Elwine and Chillon) my friends in and out of work, both near and far (the Heathers, Sandi, the Jens, Mindy, and others who will remain nameless), my sisters-in-law (Steph, Amanda, Rachele, Rene and Laura), mothers-in-law (Connie and Linda) and especially my mom, Linda– THANK YOU!!!  You all helped shape me into the mom I am today.

Why Wait -Part 2

As I mentioned in my previous post- Harvey has started rolling over. First, he rolled from his tummy to his back.  Then later he figured out how to roll over onto his tummy from his back while in his crib.  Here I thought I had more time before he figured that rolling thing out but I guess not. Now, he does it all the time; on the floor, on the bed, in his crib. That being said, he is very quick to learn from his experiences. It took one day and night of waking up on his tummy for Harvey to realize he probably does not want to roll in his sleep. Since then, very rarely does he wake up as soon as he rolls over; he has either learned to accept sleeping on his stomach or the act of rolling over does not wake him up anymore.

This got me thinking.  In the first year of life there are SO MANY milestones that we celebrate- smiles, talking, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking – why do we stop celebrating when we get older?  And why do we only celebrate big stuff? Why not celebrate the medium and small things every once and a while?

How fun would it be to buy donuts for the people you work with because someone got a small project done or the simple fact it is a Friday? Or take the kids out to dinner because they finished a book they were reading. 

The celebrations do not have to be big and elaborate.  Heck- when Harvey rolls over we smile, clap and tell him good job.  Do we do these things enough in our everyday lives?  I am guessing we do not.  Next time someone at work does something unexpected (gets a project done early or on time, is surprisingly helpful, etc.) why not celebrate with a thank you, a smile or a clap.  Sure people might think you are off your rocker, but maybe the next time you do something like that for someone else- they might celebrate your accomplishment.

As a new week starts- take time to sit back, appreciate and celebrate the small milestones.  Pick a flower and give it to your spouse to celebrate your life together. Make some cookies with the kids to celebrate surviving one more week of school. Or go outside and play in a park to celebrate the somewhat timid arrival of spring. However you do it – celebrate something small!

PS- Here's the video of Harvey rolling over- its not the best since it came from my cell phone, but I think you get the idea. :) Enjoy!

Why wait?

I know I have not posted in a while. Life has been pretty busy. We have been selling Girl Scout cookies left and right. We mowed the yard and the kids raked the leaves. We traveled home to Hunter for Easter and Harvey rolled over from his stomach to his back last night. However, with all that going on, that is not what I really want to write about.

Last week, Jason and I lost a friend. Krista Stock, wife of Jeremy, died of a heart attack at age 32. Yes, a heart attack at 32. Even though I had not seen or actually talked to Krista in a few years, I still considered her a friend. She was there for me during a hard time in my life and I had hoped to be there for her in the same way. I never got the chance. Krista was one of those people that always spoke her mind and I respected her for it. It was who she was.  I loved her smile and laugh – both were so contagious – and both I miss and will miss severely. I considered myself very lucky to have known Krista.

The thing of it is –when tragedy like this happens, so many people use it as a reason to do one of two things; make changes in their lives or reconnect with people they haven’t talked to. People are notorious for saying things like “wow- I am going to spend more time with my kids,” “I am going to take better care of myself” or “I am going to work less and relax more.” Why do we have to wait for something tragic? Why can’t we be the person we want to be on a daily basis? Why can’t we just pick up the phone, type up an email, write a letter or even send a text message when we feel the want and or desire to talk to someone? Do we really need the wakeup call of our own mortality to look around and see who is missing or what we want to change? I know I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to this. “Tomorrow I will go for a walk.” “The laundry can wait.” “Oh I will email her tomorrow.” “I should really call him- I don’t remember the last time I talked to him.” “Facebook keeps me updated.”Ugh –Facebook. Facebook is not a voice. Facebook is a webpage and sometimes it never tells the full story. The only way to get the full story is to reach out and say hello.

Each one of us knows the things we could do better and don’t. We know that we need to relax more, spend more time with our families and less time with work or even take better care of ourselves. If you want, start by making a small change and only one change at a time. If you choose to spend more time with your kids –leave work early one day a week to spend an extra 30 minutes with them at home. Even the smallest gestures can have big rewards.

If you want one more thing to think about, I challenge each of you to reach out to one person you haven’t connected with in the last year – really connected with (Facebook does not count). Everyone has at least one person like this - maybe it’s a family member or college friend. It does not matter. By the end of the week – make a call, send an email, write a letter, or just stop by and say HI to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. I bet it will make your week and their week just a little brighter.

Remind me again what month it is

As temps climb into the high 70s and flirt with the 80s I have a hard time reminding myself it is only the middle of March.  Heck, the first day of Spring was last week and we've already had summer like weather.  It makes me wonder what "gotch'ya" weather Mother Nature has in store for us. 

Last weekend we had lunch with my Aunt Mary Meier and Aunt Joan Hohncke -both ventured to Alex to come see the house and the kids. Even Grandpa Butch drove down to join us for lunch.  After the meal we wound up back at the house and just hung out- but after everyone left the house just got warmer and warmer. I refuse to turn on the AC this early.  However, if it stays this warm,we my have to -or Harvey will become a permanent naked baby.

I had told Bailley and Preston "no shorts until the ice is off the lake" but the house was so warm, I caved.  Of course, the little girl in the house behind us has impeccable timing- and rang the door bell just as they got changed. So yes, I caved again and let them go outside and play in shorts. I also snapped a few shots of them hanging out on the deck before dinner.  I have a feeling we will be  enjoying more than one meal out there this summer.

Enjoy the pictures!

Bailley and Preston out on the deck - enjoying the nice weather.

Harvey finally fell asleep for a nap...amid a pile of his clothes mom and I were sorting through.

Peterson Kids Shine at Student Showcase 2012

This year Bailley and Preston had an opportunity to participate at the Student Showcase in Alexandria. This event brought students from all of the public elementary schools (there are 6) and the junior high school together to display their talents in music, art, drama, and technology. They had an area where you could go and see the different projects the kids could participate in.  For my brother- it was like Odyssey of the Mind when we were kids (they even had some of the balsa wood creations!)  I have pictures of a few other entries and groups below- I will explain as the pictures are presented.

Bailley submitted a picture she took after one of the few snow storms we had.  She printed it and got it matted mostly by herself. She did not win an award but I think it was fun for her to participate.  She has  a real eye for photography and it will be fun to see what other kinds of projects she comes up with in the years to come.

Preston was asked to talk about a technology his classroom is using called a NEO2.  Its like a computer and whiteboard/smart board rolled into one device. For those of you who do not know what a smart board is - think of an electric white board. His teacher and another teacher had applied for and received a grant to purchase these items and I guess the kids love them! I have a video below of Preston explaining to Jason how they work. He said his favorite part is taking AR tests on it. 

We had all the grandmas, Grandpa Larry and Amanda come over for the fun.  I think next year we will have to explore more of the entries and stay a little longer. 

Bailley's entry!

Bailley next to her entry - Smile!!!

Bailley with the Grandmas - SAY CHEESE!

Preston in front of the booth with the NEO2 (its the little keyboard looking thing next to him)

Here is a video of Preston telling his dad what they use the NEO2 for and how it works.

And here are some pictures of the other things we saw -Enjoy!

The Jefferson High School Robotics team had their robot on display

This picture was close to Bailley's - it took first place and the title was "What happens when you aren't looking."

Some ceramic artwork  - I liked the hot dog on a bun!

This picture and the next one are from the Lego League team and their competition piece.  It is too hard to explain how it all works, but Preston took one of the Lego classes this last fall and I can see why he liked it!  Again- think Odyssey of the Mind! :)

Harvey talks...kind of

Little man is starting to make all kinds of fun sounds. I really wonder what he is trying to say.  I figure he is just testing out his voice; trying to understand what certain sounds mean and what our reactions are to them.  He has started to suck on his hands and fingers as well. Sometimes you can hear it thru the baby monitor at night. 


He smiles daily and at this point we KNOW it is not due to gas. He is even starting to laugh a bit.  Granted we have to tickle him, but its laughter none-the-less.  I am attaching a video of his chatter and laughter.  The quality isn't the best and I'm sure you can hear my voice as much as his, but you get the point. Make sure you turn up the volume on your speakers.


He has his  four month checkup in April (the 16th to be exact).  I am guessing by then he will be well into the 14-15 pound range.  He eats like a champ and has even started to sleep in blocks of 6+ hours a night. That doesn't happen every night, but the nights we do have those blocks make for a well rested morning. :)

**Note- As I am trying to get the videos to work my preview feature on the blog is not working.  I have tried to upload the videos to this site and if only one appears, I am sorry.  If you want to see the others i have them on youtube but they are not public videos. I can send you the links.  Thanks!

The first video was taken on a Friday night while Harvey and Jason were spending some quality time together.

The next set of videos I took the next morning. I certainly think the camera likes daylight better.

Things I learned on maternity leave

Below you will find a list of things I learned over the last 12 weeks.  Some are common sense and  some are just my simple observations. Enjoy!

Naps are awesome.  It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, a nap is a wonderful thing and something we should be allowed to do while at work.

12 weeks of leave isn’t quite enough – so I think I need to start playing the lottery…or move to Europe. I love being at home.  I thought I would have gotten bored by now, but I didn’t accomplish as much as I wanted; I was too busy playing with Harvey, cooking, cleaning and getting my shopping done during the day.

Speaking of shopping, after being home for 12 weeks I have decided the best time to go to a grocery store in Alex is after 8:00 PM.  Target is perfect around 10 AM or 1:30/2:00 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Walmart is always a zoo.

I have the best family. Period. I have two smart, caring and wonderful older kids that work hard at school and love to have fun.  I have a spectacular husband who is a night owl; which allows me to get some sleep.

The DVR is the best invention ever…and soap operas are the devil (yet highly addicting.) But the best part about a soap is that even after not seeing it for years, you can quickly catch up after a few days. Good-Bye Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives- I will see you again on a sick day! (Or on SoapNet at night.)  J

I am glad I waited to have a baby.  It allows me the comfort to know that sometimes babies just cry and there’s nothing I can do to help him.  I am more content with life in general. I don’t have to have something brand new or name brand. I can live with having hand me downs, hand me ups or hand me overs.  Harvey doesn’t know the difference. And I have the sense to know that we do not need every toy or gadget for our baby. 

Every day I get dressed knowing by the end of it I will fall victim to the 3Ps – pee, puke or poop.  I will be wearing one or all by the time I get my jammies on. I find it fun to look in the mirror as I get undressed to see just where it all landed and think “hmmm…just HOW did it get there?”

I’m glad we don’t have an actual video camera.  I am content with the videos my cell phone takes and if I play around with the other cameras I am sure I can figure out how to record video with them.  I just think if we had a video camera Harvey would grow up thinking this black box looking thing in front of my face was normal.

I have become “one of those” annoying parents.  I have a picture of my son as the wallpaper on my cell phone. I have lots of pictures of him on my phone as well as video.  I have a website and blog.   And any conversation usually winds up going back to baby.  I always found that annoying, but now that I am one, I understand how it happens.   And I am certainly ok being one. His picture will go up on my desk next to the art work and pictures of the other kids.  My desk is turning into “mommy’s brag zone”.

I am glad I stuck with breast feeding.  I enjoy our “mother and son” time and we have had some good conversations while he’s been nursing. I’m not sure how much longer this will last, but I am going to continue to enjoy it while I can.

I am sure there are other things I am forgetting but these are the high points.  I am including a few videos of Harvey so you can see how he is learning to talk.  He certainly has something to say!!  And as always, check out the shutterfly site for more pictures.  Poor kid will probably grow up to be camera shy.  However I have to throw in a picture of two - just for good measure. I have video on my phone and I am working to add that - I can't get the audio to work just yet. Grrrr!

 Took this one while he was in his car seat..and we were waiting to go meet Jason for lunch. I guess he was really excited to see his dad. I simply LOVE his smile.

This is what Harvey wore to church on Sunday. Jason said I am not allowed to pick out his clothes when he starts school. I thought he looked cute and "studious" - Jason said he would get beat up in a sweater.  Oh well - better dress him up in stuff like this now!

Good thing Leap Year only comes every 4 years!

The kids got to enjoy some hot chocolate already this morning. It's their reward for shoveling the driveway.  Alex got anywhere from 9-14 INCHES of heavy snow last night.  There is no school today and Jason is even working from home...for a while.  I dressed Harvey up in his makeshift snow suit and took him out in his car seat for a few pictures and to watch the kids shovel.  Its been a crazy 12 hours of weather. And it finally stopped here around noon. 

I am surprised that I haven't heard more snowmobiles or 4 wheelers zipping down our street.  There is a calm in our neighborhood. In fact we were the only people out shoveling before noon.  The people across the street just finished blowing their snow.  Its fun to watch them out on their riding lawn mower with a snow blower on the front.  That is what we want to have for next year.  The nice thing about our driveway is that with the black top surface it melts REALLY fast!

We had a shrub loose a branch due to to much snow.  I was very happy to wake up and find that we didn't loose power.  I thought for sure with the weight and quantity of the snow, we would have lost power.

There is a new album out on the Shutterfly site "Leap Year Blizzard 2012" - enjoy the time lapse pictures!!!  And happy shoveling! :)   (But I did add a few pictures below for you to enjoy!)  :)

 Jason and the kids shoveling this morning - he takes the first swipe - they follow and get whatever he doesn't get.

Here's the shrub/tree off the porch that lost a few branches.  I guess Bailley measured the snow under it and it was 17 inches or so.

A little out of order - this is a picture from Tuesday night out the front door.  Time stamp was 6:50 PM and it had only been snowing for an hour or so.

Little man outside in his snow suit and car seat.  He really didn't know what to think of the snow and the weather in general. But we figured this was his introduction to MN winter!

Blast from the Past

OK so Friday I decided to take all the kids up to see Grandpa Butch and Grandma Linda for the day.  The older kids didn't have school so what the heck.  The weather and roads were great for traveling and Harvey slept the whole way up there and Preston finished yet another book.

We met at the bank where Grandpa Butch still works.  I dropped the kids off and went to get grandma. When I got back- I heard the kids talking and they asked "what is THIS thing?" Grandma just about passed out.  The kids were referring to the typewriter Grandpa still had in his office.  They had never seen a typewriter before and thought it was the coolest thing ever.  Both kids got to play around on Grandpa's machine and Bailley made herself at home in the bank and started a "letter" on one of the machines in the front of the bank.  Bailley and Preston were trying to figure out where we could get a typewriter for the house (even though we have two computers already.) 

The kids got the tour of the bank and got to see the vault "where the big money is kept" or so they refer to it.  We went to lunch at the cafe then hung out with both grandma and grandpa at the house before heading home.  It was a great day and the kids can't wait to go back.  They were so disappointed that we had to leave, but we are already planning another trip back to ND. 

As if the typewriter isn't enough - we are watching "Short Circuit" with the kids. If you've never seen Short Circuit or know nothing about it -just look it up.  Its a classic!  :)

Simply Awesome

This week marks the end of the second trimester for Bailley and Preston. This also means parent teacher conferences.  The school sent home report cards last week so we could prepare ourselves and the kids for conferences.

As expected things went very well. Both teachers were very happy to have the kids in their classes. Mr. Witt, Bailley's teacher, was quick to point out how well she has adjusted to life in a new school. She's made lots of new friends and had found a rhythm with all the assignments and course work. She set some good goals for the last trimester (one of which is an AR goal with a reward attached -more on this at the end.) 

Ms. Hatelstad, Preston's teacher, simply raved about his positive attitude; "he comes in with a smile on his face and leaves with a smile on his face and that is just wonderful!"  Preston is going to be starting speech therapy to work on his "r" sounds but we had discussed this at the last conference.  He too is making lots of new friends and is just excelling in his coursework (reading at almost a 6th grade level!)  He set some goals as well - including a very ambitious AR goal but his teacher felt he could get it.  She had him put together a power point to go over what he did this last trimester as well as his goals and things to be aware of.  Points to note:
Wax Museum - The class has the opportunity to select a famous historical figure. They will get to dress up like this person then at a wax museum event (date and time to be posted at a later date), people will walk up, hit a "button" and the kids will recite things about their person!
Preston also has a field trip to Como Zoo in May, a field trip back to the Prairie Wetlands in Fergus Falls in late May and two rounds of standardized testing (one in March and one in April.)

Both kids have the opportunity to participate in the Student Showcase where they can highlight speech, visual arts, music and other skills. The event will be at Discovery Middle School (March 15th - 5:30-8 PM) but I will post more when I know more. At this time Bailley is looking to submit a picture to display and maybe do a poem with a girl in her class. 

Back to the goals.  For those of you who don't know what AR is it is a reading program that takes each book, assigns it a grade level and a point value. When the child finishes the book, they take an online test regarding the book.  They receive points based on how many questions they get right.  To date- Bailley has 60 points and Preston has 142.  Preston is averaging 25 points per month.  He set his end of year AR goal to be 215 points and Bailley is shooting for 100 points.  If both kids get to their goals, they get new golf clubs.  The kids created a contract and they signed it and Jason and I signed the contract.  Jason added a stipulation tonight for extra incentive - if they don't get to their goals, they don't get to use the pool in the back yard this summer! How's THAT for motivation!

On top of all that- Harvey took a nap from 9:45 to 1:45 today!!  We had him sleep in his crib last night for the first time.  We had hoped he would sleep a little better in there, but he was still up at 2, 4 and 6. Oh well he is only 10 weeks old.  Crap that means I go back to work in two weeks. :(   As the nurse said when Harvey got his first set of shots -it is a necessary evil. HA!

End of an Era

February 2012 marks the end of an era. Grandpa Larry Slack officially retires from Rainbow Inc Bridge Painting.  Larry has spent quite a few years traveling the country to complete various jobs for Rainbow.  He felt it was time to stay home and enjoy time at home with family and friends.  The family decided to send him off into retirement with a party; inviting friends and family as well as folks from Rainbow.  We had a great turn out and I think Larry had a fun time. 

Linda, Rachelle, Rene and Debbie cooked the food and did most of the bars the day before.  Laura did the cake and the picture boards. A good time was has by all attendees, but especially the guest of honor.  Below are a few pictures from the day, but for the full collection check out the Shutterfly page at the top of this blog.

Thanks Larry for all your hard work at Rainbow and we wish you the best as you begin your new adventure.

 Grandpa Larry standing next to one of the picture boards, his cake and some other decorations.



The cake. The pictures/frames (L-R) - Larry holding his first pension check, Larry under a Cozumel sign (first day of retirement) and a Certificate of Appreciation from the International Union of Operating Engineers.



Larry next to his picture board.

Larry with full family

Larry with all the grand kids.

7 Minutes

According to the pediatric nurses who gave Harvey his 2 month shots, babies only remember the last 7 minutes.  Thankfully, they were right.  Little Man got his immunizations today- three shots and one orally. He didn't know what to think of the oral one. Apparently it was refrigerated and he's never had anything that cold before.  Then on to the shots. Oye - a first time mom's nightmare.  The kind nurses asked me to hold his hands so he did not swat at the needles. I cried as much as he did but sure enough after 5 minutes or so, he was fine (see pictures below.) They did one shot, then two at the same time but its all over and as the nurse in OB called them "a necessary evil."  The rest of the day was spent sleeping and cuddling - just the way I like it.
Othert vital info - Harvey now weighs 12 pounds 5 ounces and is 21 inches long!

At 5 minutes after injections - still a little cranky - but he's always cranky once he gets into his car seat.

7 minutes after his immunizations - and he's all ready to go - no worse for the wear.

Lost then found!

OK so the whole point of having a blog is to make posts, right? Well its a little hard to make posts if you can't find your blog! I logged in and nothing appeared.  Oye - technology - what a "blessing". So for the longest time my blog was lost.  I had been putting off recreating it in hopes it would just reappear. For some reason my blog is back so I won't question it, I will just roll with it.

Since my last post:
Bailley has been busy with school and friends. She is selling Girl Scouts Cookies again this year - if you are interested let us know. :)  We are willing to ship cookies to you if needed. She has started to experiment in photography and is thinking of putting a picture in a school showcase in March. She also made valentines for both Jason and I.

Preston competed in the spelling bee at his school. He did not make it past the written round, but had a good experience. We also celebrated his 9th birthday. He had 4 friends over after school. We took all the boys to dinner and then out bowling. 

Jason is busy with work and helping with Harvey at night which allows me time to sleep - what a blessing!  He also went out of his way to spoil me on Valentines Day - a plant AND flowers! He has been bowling with the league every so often and is eager for golf season to start

Harvey is growing like crazy. It seems like he changes over night.  He has his 2 month checkup tomorrow and that means shots.  I am not looking forward to seeing that, but it has to be done. He is starting to smile and interact with us more which makes him a real treat to have around. He is a very good sleeper as well as eater which is probably evident by his weight; 11 lbs 3 oz two weeks ago. I predict he will be over 12 lbs at his next visit, but maybe not.

There are pictures of Harvey and Valentine's Day stuff on our Shutterfly site (the link is at the top of the page.) 

Take care and I will try to be more consistent with our postings. :)

Peterson Family
Monica, Jason, Bailley, Preston and Harvey