Most of Nicky's orchestra's portion of the November MYS concert played on Minnesota Public Radio yesterday. We forgot to listen live, but found the link: click here Scroll under the ornament picture and click listen. Some choral music plays first, then the orchestra starts at 12:27. It didn't work for me in Firefox or Chrome, only Internet Explorer.
full link:
http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/12/10/home-grown-for-the-holidays-ii
Friday, December 11, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
November concerts
More of the kids tootin' their own horns. Last month Nicky had his first MYS concert on the Bethel University campus. They played in the hall that Nana Doreen's graduation ceremony was held in, so that was kind of neat. But no photos or video allowed during the concert.
And band and jazz concerts. Michael didn't want me to fuss with his tie to try to straighten it.
And band and jazz concerts. Michael didn't want me to fuss with his tie to try to straighten it.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
Halloween 2015 and other junk
So last year after Halloween, Adrienne said never again to trick-or-treating, but that resolve dissolved (see what I did there?) when her friends all wanted to go this year. Given they were all gonna dress up, I said okay, what the hay. I only get annoyed when the older young-ins show up sans costumes and want my candy just for ringing the doorbell. She revisited the butterfly/fairy wings from a few years ago 'cuz we're all about being cheap recycling.
And more costume recycling, with wolfman Nicky and Dracula Zach. Zachula?
We won a scarecrow making contest at the church fall festival in September. We had showed up with little time remaining, and hardly any supplies were left. That 'shirt' is a pair of red pants that Nate refashioned. The head is pantyhose that Nicky colored a rabbit face on, but it washed off in the rain. Oh well. A few trick-or-treaters were freaked out by it.
Michael had his first concert of the year over the weekend as a member of the Wind Ensemble. The boys wear swanky tuxes and the girls wear pretty black dresses.
Had to snap a pic of Skippy after Nicky stuck him in his dragon hat the other day. Dunno why Nicky wanted dogbutt in anything he sticks on his head, but it made for a cute little green doggy burrito.
And more costume recycling, with wolfman Nicky and Dracula Zach. Zachula?
We won a scarecrow making contest at the church fall festival in September. We had showed up with little time remaining, and hardly any supplies were left. That 'shirt' is a pair of red pants that Nate refashioned. The head is pantyhose that Nicky colored a rabbit face on, but it washed off in the rain. Oh well. A few trick-or-treaters were freaked out by it.
Michael had his first concert of the year over the weekend as a member of the Wind Ensemble. The boys wear swanky tuxes and the girls wear pretty black dresses.
Had to snap a pic of Skippy after Nicky stuck him in his dragon hat the other day. Dunno why Nicky wanted dogbutt in anything he sticks on his head, but it made for a cute little green doggy burrito.
Monday, October 19, 2015
fall goin' ons
Zach turned 8 last month. Makes me feel old that my baby is in second grade. As do my sore knees and the gray hairs I keep finding. Here he is, bein' a goofball before opening his gifts...
Ooo, more fodder for the storm drain...
And when asked to pose for one last picture...
Michael and Adrienne wrap up the 2015 marching band season pretty soon. We went to the last home football game recently to catch their final halftime field show.
Won't miss dragging them back and forth to all those practices, but it is definitely satisfying to see the kids perform. There's a special sort of tear-inducing wistful proud nausea that grips parents at these sorts of things. Or maybe that's just me.
And one last one...a Skippy close-up.
Ooo, more fodder for the storm drain...
And when asked to pose for one last picture...
Michael and Adrienne wrap up the 2015 marching band season pretty soon. We went to the last home football game recently to catch their final halftime field show.
Won't miss dragging them back and forth to all those practices, but it is definitely satisfying to see the kids perform. There's a special sort of tear-inducing wistful proud nausea that grips parents at these sorts of things. Or maybe that's just me.
And one last one...a Skippy close-up.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
2015-16 school year!
Michael's a junior! Yeah, scary.
Adrienne had a great first day of 9th grade. When she came home, she said "I love high school!!" Not sure where she gets that from. I was never that weirdly enthusiastic about school. But to be fair, she mostly meant that atmosphere-wise, high school is better than cliquey, constricting middle school.
6th grade for Nicky, the start of his middle school career. Hopefully that cliquey stuff isn't as bad for boys. Getting up at 6:00 is a bummer, but he beats everyone else home. Skippy needed one last snuggle.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Little Bro takes a Wife
Almost 7 years ago, when this blog was spankin' fresh and new, I posted that my big bro Andrew married Monica, making our family a bit bigger and much better. On August 15, Chris married his beautiful bride Jenny at the Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis...
Special moment alert! My handsome firstborn ushered me into the church. He took his ushering duties very seriously.
Sadly, my mom was unable to attend the ceremony, having just gotten out of the hospital after a nearly week-long stay to treat a pulmonary embolism (scary as heck!). She has recovered to a mostly normal state now. So here's Jenny and Chris with dad...
Not sure how, but my lucky bros and I all managed to marry up. It is wonderful to welcome Jenny into our family. Isn't the church lovely? It had just been repainted and renovated.
Rounding out August, Adrienne turned 14 a few days ago...yikes! She'll be a freshman this year. Like last year, she picked out most of her gifts herself at the mall. Some make-up, hair junk, and clothes, including t-shirts for Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. We redid her bedroom earlier this summer by way of a fresh coat of paint and new furniture. She was tired of the pale pink walls, so it's now a bluish-purple room with a white daybed and dresser. Fancy schmancy!
Saturday, August 8, 2015
more about vegetables
Because, could there be a more exciting topic? In this week's farm share were these crayziee things:
So I thought, a weird white carrot? They do come in other colors, says the internet. Parsnips maybe? Most pics of those have them fatter on the top, though. My guess is skinny slightly under ripe parsnips. Dunno how I can figure out how to cook them if I don't know for sure what they are.
Also in the box was a giant yam. A really big one, almost football sized. Almost...more like Tom Brady sized. I followed a recipe for some baked yam fries. At dinner I told the kids how that one yam made a whole pizza pan of fries. Michael said he thought this is a vegetable? I said "It is a vegetable... uh, are you thinking of a yak?" He said "So what's a yam?" When I'd been saying yam, he was thinking meat, and yet the yam fries looked decidedly un-meatlike. That's how strange the kids find this experience - if we're eating such peculiar vegetables, why not Himalayan cows?
*note that the internet says us ignorant North Americans often actually mean sweet potato when we say yam. Wiki proclaims "Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae family. Sweet Potatoes are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea family. They are therefore about as distant as two flowering plants can be."
Emphasis mine. For shame America!
So I thought, a weird white carrot? They do come in other colors, says the internet. Parsnips maybe? Most pics of those have them fatter on the top, though. My guess is skinny slightly under ripe parsnips. Dunno how I can figure out how to cook them if I don't know for sure what they are.
Also in the box was a giant yam. A really big one, almost football sized. Almost...more like Tom Brady sized. I followed a recipe for some baked yam fries. At dinner I told the kids how that one yam made a whole pizza pan of fries. Michael said he thought this is a vegetable? I said "It is a vegetable... uh, are you thinking of a yak?" He said "So what's a yam?" When I'd been saying yam, he was thinking meat, and yet the yam fries looked decidedly un-meatlike. That's how strange the kids find this experience - if we're eating such peculiar vegetables, why not Himalayan cows?
*note that the internet says us ignorant North Americans often actually mean sweet potato when we say yam. Wiki proclaims "Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae family. Sweet Potatoes are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea family. They are therefore about as distant as two flowering plants can be."
Emphasis mine. For shame America!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Walking Dead withdrawal
Nate and I started watching The Walking Dead on Netflix several months ago, and finished a while back. Haven't yet figured out what will take it's place at 9:00 p.m. when the kids are safely banished to their rooms. We don't have cable, so have to wait for the new season to hit Netflix near the release of the next one. Except for things like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which was released on Netflix, so there ya go. UKS was pretty good, but we liked The IT Crowd even better (from across the pond) which I don't recall how we stumbled upon...but we finished all three shows recently and are suffering the first world problem of TV show limbo. Oh the horror. Life is so bleak when there are no new gory zombie episodes awaiting you at the close of the day.
And you know what else is horrible? Zucchini. And summer squash. At least to our poor kids, who are forced to eat lots of veggies this summer, 'cuz we bought a CSA share from our local garden center thing. A half bushel every week of a variety of healthy grub. Some of the stuff gets soft in the fridge while I'm trying to figure out what the sam hill to do with it. A couple times I've ended up letting the kids chuck stuff like dirty old beets off the deck. Life is too short to eat beets.
Anyhoo, I scrounge around Pinterest for recipe ideas, but that gets old. I just want the recipe, not 12 paragraphs interspersed with scads of photos of food in various stages of preparation. Sure, some things are tricky to make so photos & details are fine then, but, it's usually overboard. I'm gonna go ahead and scroll over that story of how you came to post that snickerdoodle cream cheese bar recipe 'cuz you happened upon kangaroos at the zoo the other day and their charming shade of hair color reminded you of that delicious cinnamon-y treat you haven't made in a while blah de blah. Blah. And the commenters can be just as bad. Roughly 56 consecutive versions of "Oh this looks divine! Can't wait to try it!!!" Well maybe that strokes the ego of the blog author a bit, but I want hard data. Did it turn out? Did you make changes? Get back to me when you've actually made the darn thing and can post some useful information! Okay, I'm not actually super bitter about it, but I don't think my sarcasm is entirely unwarranted.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
lots 'o summer stuff
We headed to Branson MO at the end of June/early July to celebrate my in-laws 50th (!!) wedding anniversary. Stormy Point Village was cool, and nearby Table Rock Lake was beautiful.
Duane and Doreen were married July 10th, 1965. Here they are 50 years, 4 kids, 14 grandkids, and 2 great-grandkids later. Plus 4 kids-in-law and a granddaughter-in-law makes 27, and everyone was able to be there to celebrate. We have all been blessed by their loving, lasting, faithful marriage. Congratulations to the happy couple, whose 'baby' is my amazing husband.
On our way back from Branson, we stopped at the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, MO. The Wilders spent 60 years there, and it's where her books were written.
But there's no place like home, as the saying goes...
We got home in time for the 4th. Had some fun with sparklers on the deck while watching the illegal fireworks show our neighors put on all around us.
But we didn't stick around long. Between Nate's and the kid's schedules, we had to take our only opportunity for a little family getaway and headed to the Brainerd Lakes area later in the week.
We didn't tell the kids what our first stop would be. It wasn't exactly the right direction (Jordan, MN), but something like this deserves a few extra miles:
Yum - lots of variety, but a little pricey. We spent 36 bucks for a bagful of goodies.
First stop going the right direction was the Lindbergh House in Little Falls.
We stayed at a hotel in Baxter that had a cool little indoor waterpark, so the kids couldn't wait to get back at night to take advantage of it.
We went to a few more historical-type things. These are not the kids' favorite activities, but way cheaper than, say, the little roadside zoo that would've blown $80.
I got a kick out of the mannequins in the Nisswa Pioneer Village. The girl looks like she spent time in a Sears circa 1991, and the dude is sporting a Pedro wig. I don't think Ma and Pa would approve. How would the girl even achieve that look in 1885? Lard?
We wore out other area attractions like mini-golf and go-karts -
Whew! That was a lot of stuff. And man, these kids are getting big.
Duane and Doreen were married July 10th, 1965. Here they are 50 years, 4 kids, 14 grandkids, and 2 great-grandkids later. Plus 4 kids-in-law and a granddaughter-in-law makes 27, and everyone was able to be there to celebrate. We have all been blessed by their loving, lasting, faithful marriage. Congratulations to the happy couple, whose 'baby' is my amazing husband.
On our way back from Branson, we stopped at the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, MO. The Wilders spent 60 years there, and it's where her books were written.
But there's no place like home, as the saying goes...
We got home in time for the 4th. Had some fun with sparklers on the deck while watching the illegal fireworks show our neighors put on all around us.
But we didn't stick around long. Between Nate's and the kid's schedules, we had to take our only opportunity for a little family getaway and headed to the Brainerd Lakes area later in the week.
We didn't tell the kids what our first stop would be. It wasn't exactly the right direction (Jordan, MN), but something like this deserves a few extra miles:
Yum - lots of variety, but a little pricey. We spent 36 bucks for a bagful of goodies.
First stop going the right direction was the Lindbergh House in Little Falls.
We stayed at a hotel in Baxter that had a cool little indoor waterpark, so the kids couldn't wait to get back at night to take advantage of it.
We went to a few more historical-type things. These are not the kids' favorite activities, but way cheaper than, say, the little roadside zoo that would've blown $80.
I got a kick out of the mannequins in the Nisswa Pioneer Village. The girl looks like she spent time in a Sears circa 1991, and the dude is sporting a Pedro wig. I don't think Ma and Pa would approve. How would the girl even achieve that look in 1885? Lard?
We wore out other area attractions like mini-golf and go-karts -
Whew! That was a lot of stuff. And man, these kids are getting big.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
yet more musical news
Michael and Adrienne are both in marching band now. They had their first and only official parade last Saturday during our city's yearly celebration. Now they'll learn the music for the fall season, and later this summer they'll bust their behinds learning the field routine.
It was a bit humid, so M & A were glad to get out of those toasty uniforms. The theme for this season's show honors our longtime head music director, Mr. Gottwig, who is set to retire after the 2015-16 year. They designed t-shirts with his image...
Right after the parade we buzzed up to the northern 'burbs so the kids could play with uncle Andrew's band at his backyard summer solstice party. Low Rider was a big hit.
And last but not least, Saturday morning Nicky received the letter we'd been waiting for. He'd auditioned for Minnesota Youth Symphonies on June 12th, and the letter offered him a spot in their String Orchestra. Though it's the lowest of their 4 orchestras, it's an intermediate level and we weren't sure he was ready for it with his 3 years of violin lessons. But, we're gonna be spending our Saturday mornings at rehearsals in St. Paul this coming school year!
It was a bit humid, so M & A were glad to get out of those toasty uniforms. The theme for this season's show honors our longtime head music director, Mr. Gottwig, who is set to retire after the 2015-16 year. They designed t-shirts with his image...
Right after the parade we buzzed up to the northern 'burbs so the kids could play with uncle Andrew's band at his backyard summer solstice party. Low Rider was a big hit.
And last but not least, Saturday morning Nicky received the letter we'd been waiting for. He'd auditioned for Minnesota Youth Symphonies on June 12th, and the letter offered him a spot in their String Orchestra. Though it's the lowest of their 4 orchestras, it's an intermediate level and we weren't sure he was ready for it with his 3 years of violin lessons. But, we're gonna be spending our Saturday mornings at rehearsals in St. Paul this coming school year!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Heron poop?
Stop right now if you have a weak stomach. I've warned readers of this blog not to eat before reading Crayziee Life, and today is no exception. Since I'm not too easily grossed out, and somewhere in my psyche lives an 8 year old boy (ask Nate about the Whoopee Cushion), I'm starting off with giant bird poop.
The suspected culprits are Great Blue Heron(s) or Great Egret(s)
Guess I'll be scrubbing this off later today. Oh, the unexpected joys of living by a pond. Actually, it's not the first time it's happened, though I think last time there were only huge puddles of bird dung on the deck. This is more in-your-face. I wonder what we did to deserve this? I haven't fried any of their chicken cousins on the grill yet this year, only cows and pigs.
But enough about bird feces. It's the end of the school year around here. Nicky and Zach finished yesterday, Adrienne's at Valleyfair today, and after a half day tomorrow, she and Michael are finished. May was full of year end events. Camp Pepin for Nicky, field trips, numerous concerts and recitals...
Trumpet solo? Nicky killed it at his 5th grade spring band concert, and again at the Music Academy recital.
Michael worked hard at his audition for next year's band placement, and scored a spot in the top band, Wind Ensemble. Yee haw! Though it'll mean even more required concerts and contests. The number of incoming freshman band kids this fall is quite large, so Adrienne's 8th grade class was given the option to audition for placement outside of 9th grade band next year. She did, and was placed in Concert Band. We are so proud of our musicians!
Seems like I just posted those 'first day of school' pics from last fall, and here the younger two are on their last day. Yesterday was the last time Zach and Nicky went off to the same school together. Except for the year Nicky's a freshman when Adrienne's a senior, both of them will be going it alone from here.
Happy summer! It'll fly by like it always does.
The suspected culprits are Great Blue Heron(s) or Great Egret(s)
Guess I'll be scrubbing this off later today. Oh, the unexpected joys of living by a pond. Actually, it's not the first time it's happened, though I think last time there were only huge puddles of bird dung on the deck. This is more in-your-face. I wonder what we did to deserve this? I haven't fried any of their chicken cousins on the grill yet this year, only cows and pigs.
But enough about bird feces. It's the end of the school year around here. Nicky and Zach finished yesterday, Adrienne's at Valleyfair today, and after a half day tomorrow, she and Michael are finished. May was full of year end events. Camp Pepin for Nicky, field trips, numerous concerts and recitals...
Trumpet solo? Nicky killed it at his 5th grade spring band concert, and again at the Music Academy recital.
Michael worked hard at his audition for next year's band placement, and scored a spot in the top band, Wind Ensemble. Yee haw! Though it'll mean even more required concerts and contests. The number of incoming freshman band kids this fall is quite large, so Adrienne's 8th grade class was given the option to audition for placement outside of 9th grade band next year. She did, and was placed in Concert Band. We are so proud of our musicians!
Seems like I just posted those 'first day of school' pics from last fall, and here the younger two are on their last day. Yesterday was the last time Zach and Nicky went off to the same school together. Except for the year Nicky's a freshman when Adrienne's a senior, both of them will be going it alone from here.
Happy summer! It'll fly by like it always does.
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