family tree project

We've been busy with school stuff the last few weeks.  Michael has had 3 or 4 projects already, including putting together a power point, a big poster, a presentation from notecards...bleh.  He's currently working on a genealogy assignment.  He made a family tree going back to his great-grandparents and interviewed great grandma Esther last night.  She grew up in a home without electricity or plumbing and walked 2 miles to school and back everyday.  She also remembers the advent of battery-operated radios, which Michael thought was cool.  He'll be researching Germany, where half or more of his ancestors came from.  I found this map of European ethnicities yesterday:

I thought it interesting that Germans and Scandinavians are in the same ethnic group, though I guess it makes sense.  I'm half Finnish from my dad's side, which is in a different group (Finland is the northernmost lime green country).  Anyway, I'm a nerd and find this kind of stuff fascinating.

Zach turns the big 0-3

greasy pizza supper and arcade games (check)

Mario, Spongebob, and Star Wars type gifts (check)

big cheeks while blowing out candles (check)

feelin' the love

Last night during supper the kids were talking about what they think they'd like to do when they're grown up.  Michael said he might live in a big city like Chicago when he's finished college.  Adrienne piped up "I'm going to live close to home so I can take care of Mommy and Daddy!" to which Michael replied "Good, then I don't have to do it.  Hooray for Adrienne!"  Pffft.  Ha.  But we did have to set them straight that we won't quite be old enough for adult diapers & walkers when they're in their 20's.

Labor Day & Bak two Skool

We spent some time staining the deck on Labor Day.  Nate had already worked on it a few times while I stealthily stayed away, but I ran out of excuses.  My folks came over and my dad helped us stain while my mom kept the kids occupied.  Turns out it's as tedious and monotonous as I imagined it would be and it's still not done.

Yesterday was the 1st day of school.  Michael gets on the bus at 7 am 'cuz middle school begins around 7:30.  Elementary school starts at 8:30 so Adrienne and Nicky get to sleep in later.  They're in 6th, 4th, and 1st grades.

Zach is in a 'playgroup' for speech/articulation that meets Weds. & Thurs. a.m. so he headed off this morning for the very first time.

It seemed a bit wrong to send off someone in a little Elmo/Cookie Monster jacket all by himself.  And it was a weird feeling to walk back into an eerily quiet house.  I've done this 3 times before but always had someone younger at home.  Transitions, sniff.  I heard from the speech teacher already and she said Zach is having a fun time, so that's good...that he's doing just fine...without me...

I bet they'll never call when they go to college...

last single digit b-day

Adrienne turned 9 last week.  She demanded a cookie cake like Daddy and Nicky had for their b-days.

Lots of other exciting things happened recently too.  Nate power washed the deck.  It turned out to be a heck of a lot of work, but it made a big difference.   Now for the staining.

Nicky lost his first tooth (if you don't count the upper one he knocked out years ago).

Nate and I camped kid-less at Lake Byllesby Regional Park.  It was freaky windy all night which was spooky and had me contemplating our defenseless position.  I was a little worried we wouldn't hear it in time if a crazed murderer snuck up on us.  Not that it would have helped to see an ax murderer advancing our way, come to think of it.  What would we have done, thrown marshmallows at him? 

A swan mooned us.

A Zach pic just 'cuz.