6 in the Sticks

This time of the year has alaways confused me since I moved up north. Almost every year, the snow melts, we get maybe a day or two of weather almost near 60 degrees, I start to get antsy to do yard work and even start thinking about what I can do to the yard to make it a little more pretty. And I get it in my head, spring is here! And then the wind picks up and it I go to sleep and wake up the next morning to this! So confusing and depressing. I just talked to my brother the other day and he said that the grass was green by him already. But I'm not alone, as usual, my tulips come early every year as well, see pic below. Is it winter or is it spring?! Mother nature can't make up her mind. Typical.

And yesterday we were all out the yard for a few hours playing softball, basketball, and Jeromy and the little ones filled their bike tires up with air and Jackson was riding his bike in the driveway for a very long time. With training wheels still. He fell a few times but was a trooper about jumping back on and taking off again. I told him he was doing such a great job and I bet that he'll be able to ride without his training wheels by the end of summer. And he told me, " Yes, and I can't wait to get a skateboard too!" Boys. My little man makes my cup runith over.

Ashley's thinking that she would maybe like to try out for softball next spring. Years ago, when Ashley was in the early years of elementary school, I signed she and Jessica up for softball. And the first day of practice was right after school. At that point in time, I think I was still doing the payroll for Fortune Bay and couldn't leave early to make it back to town to meet them so I had them go after school and I would meet up with them. At that time, Ashley was extremely shy. Jessica walked with her to the school yard and told her that her age was right there and pointed to home base where her coach and kids were standing, and that she was going to go to the next field over to where her age group was. Later I found out, that Ash was too chicken and played on the play area until Jessica was done. Needless to say, Jessica stuck with it, until this year. And if Ash makes the team next year she will be joining a lot of those same girls that have been playing for the past seven years.

So I was giving her pointers and throwing the ball with her and teaching her to be brutal! Urghhh! Like Hans and Frans would say, " I'm going to pump.... you up!" I'm a little rusty myself, Ash hit me in the ankle pretty good with the ball, made me limp a little. She said, "Oh my gosh mom, are you okay?", as she was trying not to laugh because let's face it, it's funny when people get hurt. I told her if I had my eye on the ball like I was supposed to and caught the ball right, that wouldn't have happened. And when I was telling her to never drop the ball, and how "it may be hard sometimes, and sometimes you'll be plowed over and hurt, but never drop that ball. And if you have limbs being severed off, you never drop the ball." She was busting a gut, but she got the point. So we had a good time goofing around. I saw Jeromy chuckling a few times at us as he was pushing Charly high on the tire swing and throwing a baseball back and forth with Jackson.

I finished my class this last Saturday. I was so happy with all of the info and resources they gave. It was a class well worth going to. So yesterday, Jeromy and I were going over a few goals. A lot of work ahead of us. It's nice too, because our experiences and strong points are diffirent but together we can do pretty good. So hopefully in 2-5 years we will have our business in Ely up and running, and successfully!

Let's see, what else happened this weekend. Oh yeah, Jackson said, "We are having pretty crappy weather." That's what Grandma Flom told him anyway. Hehe. That's okay Gramma, probably not a good thing, but he's heard worse. We love you!!

This was a bat that the girls got from one of the Twins games that you get something if you're one of the first 1,000 people to enter the dome. Jackson wanted to try batting using that. He didn't do too bad either.

She loves Jackson's tractor so much. I could do without the two of them fighting over the same tractor but kids will be kids. She does pretty good peddling around too. She was making sound effects everytime she stopped like she was moving controls and switches.

This was yesterday, several hours after the snow pictures I took. The snow melted as the day went on and we were able to get out for a bit. They had such a blast. And then we colored Easter eggs. What is it with kids and hard boiled eggs? Yikes. Anyway, guess I'll have to make some more because as of noon today, all 36 were gone. Hope nobody stops by tonight or they'll be sorry!

I took the little ones to school at 9am this morning and it had just started to rain and snow. Now, I think I have about six inches in the front yard. The roads were really bad. Hope this was the last storm this year. I will try to be patient.

Another giant step for mom this week.

Jessica's boyfriend is closing on a house next month and Jessica wants to shack up when school is out. I am yet again, exhausted. If I had a million dollars I would treat my parents to a get away of their dreams, seperate of course because a trip together wouldn't be dreamy as they've been divorced since I was 18, as a late gift for all of the bullshit I put them through as a teenager.

Occasionally I grow my roots in a little longer just to check on the grey hair situation. You'd think I'd be completely white from all of the worrying I do over my children. Thank you god for giving me strength so I won't end up in looney bin!

It's kind of funny though, because Jeromy has been discovering a new grey hair about once a week or so. I told him not to fret because he can just color his hair as he gets older. He didn't like that idea. Anyway, our rollarcoaster ride with Jess will be continued..

Ash has a friend sleeping over tonight and then tomorrow I am taking them shopping for post prom dresses. I hope Jackson can keep it together tonight, as the last time Ash had a friend sleep over he grabbed her breast. I will try and do my best to keep him from growing up and becoming a sick freak, no matter how proud daddy is. I'll have to plan a very constructive activity for him tonight and hope he leaves Ashley and her friend alone.

We still have a lot of snow and doesn't look like we will have weather up to the thirties until Monday. Charly is so fascinated with icsicles hanging from the house. We had one so big that last storm before all of the snow melted, it must have been about five feet long. It was right in front of our livingroom window and Charly was so sad when it fell and melted away. So this morning, she saw the little ones hanging from the kitchen window and said in a very high pitched voice, "Ohhh, so cuuute, there is baby icsicles hanging out there.."

But what takes the cake with kids say the darndest things, is Jackson. Yesterday morning Jackson went into Jessica's room as she was getting ready for school. She was standing in front of her full lengthed mirror fixing her hair and her stomach was showing. Jackson was standing in front of the mirror watching her and started to squint and moved closer to the mirror as he looked at her belly and said, "That's so weird Jessica, your belly button looks like a small penis." She wasn't sure what to say because he was so serious.

I need to start carrying a small notebook and log things as I hear them because stuff like that comes out of his mouth and then I forget what he said by the time I get a chance to hop on the computer to type.

Kids. They crack me up so much!

I slightly remember something like this happening to my mom and her telling me, just you wait until you are my age.

I was on the road to Duluth with Ashley and a friend yesterday to shop for post prom dresses and they were listening to all kinds of music while chatting away and a Bon Jovi song came on the radio and I hear them, "I like this song. Who is this?" I said, "It's Bon Jovi." and one of them says, " I like classic rock!" It. sank. in. As I'm thinking to myself, Bon Jovi isn't classic rock this song just came out. then it clicks in. It came out twenty years ago! I tried to pipe up immediately how classic rock is Led Zepplin, Steve Miller, Rolling Stones but I don't think that mattered to a couple of 14 year olds as I'm still thinking, oh my gosh, I am officially an old lady, or "old hag" as my "little" brother in law would call me. That has always cracked me up Bud!

Anyway, it reminded me of a time when I was that age.

Today we had our Easter egg hunt. First hunt was for Ashley.
Jeromy stocks one egg with goodies and hides it in the yard. Then puts hand written clues in the others for her. This shot is of her coming outside and seeing her fist egg with her first clue. Which was the $.39 will make this go bye bye. Her next egg was in the mail box with her next clue in it. His clues were pretty funny this year. One read two -lips, that egg was in the tulips. Another clue read Jap-Crap, that egg was hiding on his old Toyota. One clue read Alcis Virginiana which meant deer in a foreign language, that egg was hidden on top of our deer feeder. Another clue was Tweedle deedle dee- wa ho or something, basically rock in the tree top song. Her egg was in the bird feeder.
You have to keep the older ones on their toes you know. Jessica worked today and said she didn't want to do the hunt this time.

Then the little ones had their hunt. In order to make it fair, all of Jackson's eggs were marked with a J, and all of Charly's eggs were marked with a C. They had such a good time. This years eggs were filled with a couple of jelly beans but mostly pennies, lizards,snakes,bunnies, and gum. We were trying to get little things to stuff in there instead of all that candy. They get so much as it is.

Tomorrow we will go to my uncle and aunt's (Bruce and Jacque) in Orr.

Happy Easter!

Oh my goodness do I need a mental swift kick in the..or at least a boost. I am struggling today, it totally feels like a gloomy Monday.

The little ones didn't have school today so I had signed them up for a music class but Charly woke up feeling sick again and had a little fever so I figured we better not chance it.

Jessica wasn't feeling good either. I took Jess to Virginia yesterday to get her a couple pairs of jeans. We had a fun time together, I tried to make the most of it because I think this was proabably our last time doing this together before she moves out. She's always been a breeze to shop with, she doesn't mess around. She knows how to find a bargain. We were laughing because we were reminiscing about how she was a bargain shopper even when she was little. I told her how I remembered a time, I think she was 6yr or something and we went to the grocery store and as we were waiting in line for the cashier, Jessica turned to me and handed me a stack of cut out coupons and said, "Here you go mom, maybe you can use some of these" and when I had asked her where she got them, she told me that she had cut them out from the newspaper at home and put them in her pocket. I remember thinking how sweet of her, and in the same sense, what a typical single parent child. She asked me yesterday if I was able to even use any of those coupons. I told I didn't think so but how cute of her to do that.

So when everything is going smooth on the Jess note, Ash has to get my heart rate up again. It's kind of funny though. She is trying to debate us on reasons why she should be able to have a co-ed sleepover. A few days ago she was telling me that sweet sixteen parties are so overrated and that she was thinking about having a sweet fifteen party. I remember telling her that I wasn't sure, and have to talk to Jeromy and we'd discuss it another time. Well, I come home from shopping with Jess last night and Ashley approaches me with this very detailed wish list for her sweet fifteen party. She has all of her guests written down, a layout of how we are going to reorganize the house so people can do different things in different rooms. For example, move all of the furniture out of Jessica's room and all of the furniture out of Ashley's room and make one room a dancing room and one room a movie/game room. She has a big list of decorations, supplies and then said that it wouldn't be right having 15yr boys leave and transporting home so late at night so she thought a sleepover would be better, with girls in one room and boys in the other.

Oh man, was I tired. I look at her after reading this list and say, "I hope you realize that something like this would probably never happen." She's got it all figured out and her response was "that we could rent a banquet room at the Grand Ely Lodge for the party and a couple of guest rooms and that, mom, you could sleep in one room with the girls, and Jeromy could sleep in one room with the boys." As I'm looking at her trying to keep a straight face, I can see over her shoulder and see Jeromy sitting at the kitchen table bouncing around from snickering to himself and trying not to have Ashley hear him. I said, " I am telling you right now, I am getting old and there is no way I would be able to handle something like that." She looked at me dumbfounded. I don't think she gets it. But our party plans will have to be continued another time.

I am off to an identity theft awareness class tonight. Should be interesting, but man am I dragging today.

Another beautiful day outside. These kind of days always start out with a race to what I can get done in the house before the kids go outside. Once they are outside, that's it. They are out there all day.

We have new neighbors around the block. I think they are twins the same age as Jackson. The kids were just staring at eachother through the fence. I was taking the kitchen heaters apart to take outside and paint a touch up coat. Jeromy said he'd watch the kids. I peeked out my window as I often do when he's out there with them because they can be so cute and funny sometimes.

That's when I saw the kids mezmorized with eachother. After Charly was done telling them that it's okay and that they can come on over, I called out to Jeromy to have them ask their parents if they could come over and play. The little kid ran to his house and asked his parents. I assume the boy came out and told his sister that they have to stay in the yard as he ran over to her afterwards and they just kind of walked along the fence line.

Jeromy was working on the car in our yard so our kids had to stay in their yard as well. So all of them basically stood at the fence and hesitantly talked to one another. It was kind of funny to watch them. Sucks to be 4yr and under! hehe

The Identity Theft class last week was a good eye opener. Although we've been pretty good for the most part. The spokesperson was a lady from a small town in Indiana who had her social security number stolen from a job application in the early '90s. So all of those people that think this city girl is paranoid regarding safety, in your face! It CAN happen anywhere! But I guess I really can't call myself a city girl anymore, as some of my friends remind me. Next year will be my tenth anniversary of converting to a hick. And "I'm gett'n purty gud ad it!"

We bought Em and John's "old blue" mini van yesterday. It is so beautiful and purrs as it runs! So refreshing to drive something so solid and smooth! Jeromy has been working on a couple of things and I'm waiting freakishly excited to take it to the car wash. YAY! Thank you sooo much guys, we love our new ride so much!

Ashley is going to the cast party tonight after school for the 6th grade play, Annie. The show was last Friday night and it was probably my favorite out of all of the elementary plays I've been to. There was some serious acting and singing talent in the 6th grade class this year! Words cannot even descibe. We had a good time. Or I should say, I had a good time. Jeromy got stuck running in the hallway with miss Charly, and eventually both of them. It's final now, we will no longer attend school functions at night with them. We'll trade off with who stays and who goes.

Anyway, I'm off to take Jackson to the bike path. He's feeling pretty confident at bikeriding now so we'll get going. I'll bring the camera for some pics.

Jeromy decided to meet us on the bike path when he found out we were heading there. I always laugh at him whenever he is bikeriding. It's like he turns into a thirteen year old boy again jumping off of rocks, and racing through the pine trees. I find myself humming the tune from George of the Jungle movie, "Watch out for that tree!"

Jackson was so happy. He's been riding in circles in the driveway for a couple of weeks now anticipating the snow being gone on the bike path. This was the first time he really had a chance to book on his bike.

He'd try to catch up to Jeromy and then realize he was going kind of fast and didn't really have the brakes down so he'd put one of his feet down and it would drag. He almost wiped out a couple of times and I found myself getting the heebie jeebies and calling out a little too much, "watch where you are going, use your brake peddles, be careful." I knew I had to shut my mouth when Jackson hollared out, " Mom! I'm fine!" Jeromy looked at me and smiled. Yeah, yeah, I got the point.

It's funny how in some ways, I was stronger at stuff like this when I was in my twenties, teaching Jessica and Ashley how to ride a bike, and now that I'm doing it all over again in my thirties, my hormones are so wacked with worry at times.

By the end of our walk Jackson had the brakes down. Then my worries transfered to Charly who was on the go. She wanted to walk and ended up running along Jackson while looking behind her and all around. Little miss spacey came close a couple of times as well.

It was so cool to see Jackson master riding his bike though, I told him that I bet in no time, we'd be able to take the training wheels off. He said, "No, you need to leave my wheels on!" Baby steps I guess.

The kids rented the Shrek movie from the library a couple of weeks ago. It had been a while since they saw it because our movie had broke some time back.

Anyway, Jackson and Charly have really been mimicking songs they hear lately. But the main song from the Shrek movie has been in their heads the majority of the time for the past couple weeks. So much, that we will be at the store and Jackson will pipe up, "Somebody once told me, I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed..." and then Charly will say, " with a finger and a finger in the shape of an L on my forehead..." then Jackson, "Are they come'n, then they're come'n, then everyone starts come'n, hey now!"

It's funny because it has gotten to the point that it doesn't matter where we are, they will start singing when they feel like it. We were at school getting jackets on in the coat room and Jackson yells out, "Some. Body. Once. Told me." I had to shush him and tell him to save it for later as I'm laughing to myself. And another funny thing is that the majority of the public that is so fortunate for a free concert, hears "Somebody once told me, I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed." God only knows what the people who don't know that song are thinking.

Another song they sing is one from one of Ashley's cd's. We'll sometimes let her pop it in on the ride home from Ely. Ash likes listening to the NOW cd's. I'm not sure what the actual name of the song is but I hear it on the radio all of the time. I'll call it 1985. It's also on the Now 23 or 24 cd. Anyway, the little ones were playing with playdough and Jackson starts singing to himself, "There was Springstien, Madonna, way before Nirvana, 19. 19", and then Charly sings, "1985..." That cracked me up!

Charly using her, "Knock-u-lators". Which means binoculars.

Jeromy and I had a "date" last night. We went to Adventures Inn for dinner and then we were off to the movie, Blades of Glory. We didn't realize at the time that we were at the restaurant during their "2 for 1" special on drinks. So we were a little surprised when the waitress brought us two cocktails each. Jeromy had ordered a Long Island, so when the waitress brought him two, I thought, this is going to be interesting. But four drinks later, he managed to behave himself at the movie, even if he was the loudest one at times.

Anyway, Jeromy took the kids for a walk in the woods while I was getting ready. I had him take the camera and he managed to get some funny shots. The kids had fun scouting deer rubs, wolf poop, a mangled bird that was eaten by a hawk. They had such a good time.

I was standing and watching some of my friends take pictures of the kids before they were off to their dinner and dance. This shot was really the highlight for me, because one of the ladies is probably THE NICEST lady I had ever met. Not once said anything bad about someone else, and always makes time to say hello, how are you and so forth. She has three teenage girls, the youngest is Jessica's age. Two of them were at prom last night. As they were getting their pictures taken, I could hear her, "I LOVE THIS ONE! Okay, okay, this is going to be my favorite one! Okay, okay, another one!" She was so cute, I just had to snap them taking pics when they weren't watching. It must of been a good idea because the Ely Echo photographer came over and started snapping shot of them too. Anyway, she is just one of those people that when you see, you instantly want to run over and give a big squeeze.

It's official, Jessica missed her Junior year prom. I feel bad about it but who knows, maybe she'll never care. I'm thinking about when I was that age and talking to ladies that blew off their school dances and how they always regreted not going. I always felt, it doesn't matter if you have a date or not, just go, because you'll never be able to do that again. Oh well, maybe that's just me. Jessica cares more about the house she plans on moving into this summer with her boyfriend.
She had been working hard to save money to go towards moving out, she said she just wasn't going to be able to go to prom because she wouldn't be able to come up with the money for it. Mind you she wanted to get a $400.00 dress. Rediculous! We had intended on helping her pay for a dress but in a more resonable price range. But her mind was set, $400.00 or nothing.

Ashley went with me to the Grand March. One shot is of the decorations on stage, which I liked better than last year's. And the entertainment was better too. Last year, they had three different ways of singing one song...it got old. And the last shot is Ashley with a couple of friends of hers. Ashley's Post Prom is next weekend, she is looking forward to it.

He really can't wait to go fishing. The tackle box has been out everyday since before the snow melted. Yesterday is was raining and he wanted to play with the one minnow we had in the bucket and said he needed an umbrella to put over his tackle box.
The other day he told me, "Mom, I have to tell you something. I stoled something from Ashley's tackle box. I stoled some rubber worms, it's okay though, because she still has more." Thanks for telling me Jack. And then Charly pipes up, "But I don't have a tackle box." Her bottom lip out for that sentence alone. I told her we'd get her one soon. Even though it was no big deal, a part of me was thinking, Ohh, I forgot to get her a tackle box. She is so deprived. :)

Jackson got to buy minnows on Friday. We had what we call Minnow Money. He chose shiners.They are in the ice cream pail.
He's kept me on my toes as far as trying to find rewards for him to work towards. He'll have a chore chart, and good behavior will be a bonus as he struggles with the "just chill" attitude. Minnow money will be one of the rewards. He has been doing better with going with the flow, it's nice to see him grow out of his anxiety a little bit. I really don't know where he got it from either. The girls never went through that. I'm guessing some genes floated through the family tree from my grandpa's side, as stubborness and tempers flaring would be a regular thing. Anyway, what's been the hardest thing for me through this is worrying about other people's thoughts about it. I cringe everytime I hear, "Where does he get that from?" and all of the advice that gets flooded to me on what I should do as I'm sitting there thinking, (yeah, thanks, never thought of that before. DUH!) But don't say out loud.
Going to the ECFE classes has helped a lot. For both of us. The spring classes have been so refreshing to see other little boys more hyper and louder than my little guy. And it is so wonderful to be surrounded by adults that act as if it's no big deal, it happens attitude when he does have a bad day.
Last week, Jackson told me that I can go into the grown up room all of the time now. The grownups stay for the first 45minutes and then leave to another room for the last 45minutes of class. Jackson never wanted me to leave before so this was a milestone, my little guy is growing up! Next Wednesday, we go to the school and officially enroll him into preschool for next year. I am excited for him, he is going to love it.

Maybe it would have worked if you were more than two feet from shore honey!

Can you see the walleye tail between the froth from the river and the edge of the rock? His head was all the way to the rock at the bottom of the picture. I'll shoot a guess and say that it is about a 4lb walleye. It would be so cool to have an underwater camera and catch all of these fish coming into the river in the springtime. Maybe some day.

You might recognize this spot from our Christmas card from 2005. We love this spot. And it is so nice that it is just down the trail from our house.

Oh my goodness! What a close call, Jeromy almost fell through the ice into the lake!..................2 feet from shore! Jeromy thought this would be kind of funny, it might have worked if we didn't have the shrubs from shore in the shot.

Yesterday we went down the trail to the Dunka river. Our neighbor told us the walleyes are in, and it's been pretty obvious because the traffic we have had of townspeople driving into the woods in front of our house has seemed like they opened a coffee shop back there. It was so cool though. We took the green machine (Brians' international), down the trail and splashed through the "Muddles" as Charly called them. They were giant mud puddles alright, very fun for 4-wheel'n. We laughed so hard at Charly because she was so excited to ride in the truck and splash through the mud. She'd say, "Oh no! Here comes another one...aahhhhhh, here comes the big muddle!" And she'd giggle so hard.

"Here comes a big muddle!"

My picture taking doesn't really do this justice but I thought it was still kind of cool. We have had rain on and off and woke up yesterday to a very foggy morning that cleared up to be a bright and sunny day.

One more month until school is out. Aaghhhhhhhhhhh! Just kidding, but it is kind of funny when you miss your kids so much when they are at school and can't wait for them to get home when they are little. And then when they are big, you're wondering when school is going to be in session again. Hehe.

Jessica is gearing up and planing on moving out the end of May. It is so hard for me, so many mixed emotions. It is really hard to keep my mouth shut and try to support her even though I worry about the move she is about to make. I know that I need to let go and let her figure things out but I still have the reflex of the feeling to flap her upside her pretty little head. I hope all works out in the long run.

Jeromy is taking the little ones to school for the first time today. When he told the kids he'd come and see their school, I said great. Then I will take a break figuring I can get more done if I don't have to worry about what they are doing. Jeromy looked at me and said that he thought I was going to come with. This should be good for him, the kids are so excited too. As they were leaving I told Jeromy to make sure when it's circle time to sit facing the dry-erase board so he can read the words to the songs they were going to sing. The look on his face was priceless as he rolled his eyes. I'm sure he was thinking, "What?? We are going to sing songs???I hope we don't have to dance too!!" I can't wait to hear about Daddy's trip to school. What a good daddy.

We saw a dead crayfish on the edge of the dock, probably from a seagull.