Enjoying the Beautiful Fall Weather

Samantha: 64 Months, Week 1
Aedan: 28 Months, Week 3

Tuesday turned out to be a nice day this past week, so Aedan and I spent the whole morning outside. My first task of the day was to mow the lawn because it has grown a lot more lately with all the rain we've gotten. Mowing the lawn is an easy job I can do during the week to save Ben time from having to do it on the weekend. Plus, Aedan loves to push his lawnmower along with you and really just loves to spend as much time outside as possible. After finishing mowing, I thought about doing some other yard work with the weed whacker and spraying weeds, but it was just too nice outside, and just because Aedan is a compliant, easygoing child, doesn't mean we need to spend all our time doing work around the house. Instead, we stopped what we were doing, I packed a picnic lunch for us, and we went to Sherman Park to eat lunch together, play on the playground, and dig in the sand on the beach. Who knows how many more nice days we will have like this, and I want to take advantage of them while we can. When we first got there, we sat at a picnic table to eat. I asked if he would take a picture with me, and we got this wonderful picture of the two of us together. Man, I love this little guy. He has a great smile, and he is a joy to spend my days with.

There were no other kids on the playground, but Aedan didn't mind. He thought it was pretty cool to be able to go wherever he wanted and play with whatever he wanted, rather than following Samantha around and doing what she tells him to do. We climbed up in the rocket ship and pretended to take off. I pushed him on the swing, "faster, faster" as he likes to say. Then, once he had his fill of the playground, we went down to play on the beach. I brought some sand toys with us as well as a soccer ball, and we had a great time building sand castles together. He actually let me build quite a few before he started knocking them all down. I do give him credit for how he knocked them down. He took the soccer ball and very carefully dropped it on top of each castle to smash it to the ground.

Aedan really enjoyed having the ball at the beach, and for awhile he and I just ran around kicking the ball on the beach. He also thought it was fun to roll the ball down the hill and run after it, trying to catch it before it rolled into the water. We stayed at Sherman Park until 1:00, and he was still having such a fun time, but it was getting close to nap time, and I knew we had to get home so he could get some rest. We had such a fun morning together. I thought it might be kind of strange having these days with just Aedan, but I am really enjoying getting to know him better, not having to divide my attention, (and not having to referee arguments and fights all day long). Aedan is a sweet boy, and I love his energy and excitement for life.

Wednesday morning was a bit of a crazy morning because Ben remembered at the last minute that he had a meeting at 8:00, so I had to take the kids in the car to drop Samantha off at school. Then, I had to head back to school to help out in Samantha's classroom at 9:00. Sometimes I feel like Ben and I have just been swapping childcare duties back and forth with all the meetings and appointments we've had lately. However, I can't complain, because Ben's schedule is flexible enough to be able to stay home with Aedan while I go volunteer at Samantha's school. I was excited to be able to help Ms. Cornwell and get a glimpse into what goes on in the classroom.

Right when I arrived at the school, Samantha's class was headed to the library for their special, so I went to the classroom to see how I could help out. She explained a little about the class, showed me where the teacher workroom was, and gave me some schedule cards that I could cut out to use in the classroom. Once the class got back, they had time to look at their library books and switch books with a friend, and then I read a book to the class before they did some work at their seats. The kids thought it was interesting that I was Samantha's mom, and she was really excited to have me in her classroom. It was fun to be able to see the different personalities of the kids in her class, and there are a few that are quite a handful. I can't imagine teaching kindergarten, having kids in your class that may have never been in a structured environment before. There were several boys that had a hard time even sitting in their seat. Then, there's Samantha who is always so respectful and wants to please. In fact, she has been extra sensitive lately to any kind of correction, and sometimes she will burst into tears for no real reason.  I was glad to be able to help, but it was also hard for me to see the class so wild at times and to see the teacher have to deal with so many kids not listening. I've had classes like this before, and it's so difficult. I know it's just the beginning of the year still and the kids have a lot to learn in getting used to a school environment, but in this kind of a situation, I always feel bad for the kids like Samantha who have above average intelligence and are compliant and respectful in the classroom. These are the kids that get overlooked so often because they don't require the extra attention that misbehaving kids need. I know that being in a school environment is right for Samantha, and I know that it is still the beginning of the year and that I was only there for a small chunk of time, but it was hard for me to resist the urge to just take Samantha out and teach her at home where she could get more one-on-one attention and not have as much of her day taken up just waiting for other kids to do the right thing. This is a learning process for me just as much as it is for Samantha. I need to learn how to let go of my control, to trust others, and most of all, to trust that God will take care of her and that we are making the right decisions for her education and future.

On Thursday Ben just worked from home in the morning since I had my pelvic ultrasound scheduled for 10:00, meaning he had to be home with Aedan while I went to my appointment. Thursday mornings are usually mornings we don't have anything going on, so it's a good time to get stuff done around the house. Aedan helped me do laundry and change sheets on the beds that morning. My pelvic ultrasound went well, but since it wasn't my doctor doing it, she didn't really tell me anything except for what she was measuring and taking pictures of. Now, I have one more test to go next Tuesday to rule out any potential problems with me.

That afternoon I checked quite a few things off my seemingly never-ending to-do list and felt pretty good about all that I accomplished. Since I registered the kids for ice skating lessons, I needed to be sure to get them fitted and buy skates for them before their lesson. So on Thursday afternoon, once Samantha got home from school, we went over the to pro shop in the Norris Center to get them some used ice skates. The man who helped us was very knowledgeable and was sure to get them the right size, with a little extra room to grow into them. The other benefit to buying them used at the pro shop is that we can trade them in and get some money towards the next size once they grow out of these skates. When Samantha had her skates on, she stood up and walked around right away with no problem. Aedan, on the other hand, tried to stand and immediately his little ankles gave way and he tipped over. It will be interesting to see how he does when he's on the ice. I'm sure it won't be easy at first, but he is pretty comfortable physically, so I'm sure he'll pick it up quickly. Samantha can't wait for ice skating lessons to start, and it will be so fun to see how much she remembers from her skating lessons in Oxford. I'm so glad we were able to find lessons at the same time and same place for both Samantha and Aedan to participate in.

The kids and I always look forward to Thursday evenings because Ben gets home at 6:00 rather than 8:00, meaning we all get to eat dinner together. Plus, Ben doesn't teach on Fridays, so it's kind of like the beginning of the weekend in some ways, especially since he doesn't go in to campus since I sub on Fridays. The kids love to play jail with Daddy in the evening. They look forward to this special time with him. Here's a funny interaction between Aedan and Ben from Thursday: They were talking about his pacifier and wrap that he sleeps with. Ben said, "Some day you will be a big boy and get rid of them, right?" What was Aedan's response? He said, "Get rid of Daddy." When he told me that story, it was just too good not to share. Our kids come up with some pretty good responses, and this one was pretty priceless.

Friday, September 23, I accepted another substitute teaching position as a paraprofessional at Lincoln Elementary. Again, I didn't know until I got to the school that I was going to be in the special ed classroom. They handed me an hourly schedule to look over, and then it was time to get the kids from the bus, bring them back to the classroom, and help them eat breakfast. The classroom was pretty laid back, and there was the main teacher and another paraprofessional in the room. We had about 7 kids in the room, and I helped out in any way I could as the day progressed. They had an art teacher come in to teach an art lesson, they did calendar time, we went outside for recess, and then had individual work time in the classroom before lunch. I helped take the kids down to lunch, and the day was going pretty well. The afternoon was a little more relaxed because the kids were able to watch a movie and go outside for recess. I enjoyed my time at the school, but I found myself wishing I could do more. They didn't have many tasks that I could help with, and the day seems to feel longer when I don't have much going on. Plus, it didn't help that Samantha had a half day, so I knew that the rest of my family was at home hanging out without me. It is definitely an experience being in different classrooms, and I will certainly take what I can get, but I really would prefer to be a substitute for a regular classroom teacher. I hope that I can eventually find a job like that for a Friday. It would be even nicer if I could sub at Samantha's school!

While I was gone subbing for the day, Ben took this great video of Aedan running out to the bus to greet Sissy. We attempted this same video two weeks ago, but as I recorded it, Aedan actually tripped, fell, and started crying hard, which didn't make for a good video. However, this one was so precious. I love the excitement he has every time she comes home on the bus. He loves it when he's up from his nap in time to run out and see her. As Ben commented, "He loves her something fierce."

That evening we decided to go out for dinner at the West Pier Drive-In. We heard several good things about it from various people, and some teachers at school recommended that we go because it was closing for the season on Saturday. It's in a fun location because it's right by the river that leads to the locks, and you can see the International Bridge as well. We ordered our food, and then let the kids play around in the grass and look at the freighters passing by. They wanted to pose on the rock together. Don't you just love Aedan's cheesy smile?

It was probably longer than a half an hour before our food was ready, but the kids were doing a good job being patient. Eventually, we took the kids back to the car to sit in the back of the car while we waited for our food. We got a cheeseburger, a sub, some pretzel bites, and the kids split a grilled cheese and a hot dog. The food was good, and we could definitely see why this place was a pretty popular local place to go.

On Saturday it was going to be a pretty nice morning, so we decided to stay around the house so that we could get some work done. I got some weed eating done around the back and front yard, Ben cleaned out the rest of the gutters along the side and front of the house, and he even tried to use the power washer to clean some of the dirt and peeling paint off the under hang. However, the power washer we borrowed was not quite strong enough, so that was a task for another day. Then, we were able to take all our grass and brush over to the compost pile since it was one of the last times it was open for the season. We felt pretty good and got a lot accomplished for our morning. The kids were in good moods and did a great job just playing outside in the backyard or front yard while we worked. They aren't always this compliant when both of us are wanting to work, so we appreciated it.

That afternoon Ben had to go man a booth on campus for visiting parents and students, so I got the kids down for their naps on my own. We decided to have Samantha nap that Saturday because we had plans to go to Sherman Park that evening. Ben had a cook-out for the Political Science club that afternoon, and he went over around 4:00 when it started with plans to come pick us up once the kids woke up from their naps. Samantha woke up shortly after he left, and Aedan took a long nap, sleeping until around 5:00. There weren't many students there, all the pizza was already gone, and it was wrapping up, so we decided it would be silly to take everyone over there. However, when I told Samantha that we would just eat at home without Daddy, she got really sad, started crying, and said she just wanted to be with Daddy. She didn't want to have another night where we would have dinner without Daddy. As evidenced by this comment, I think she is really missing Daddy during the week when he is gone at late classes two of the weeknights. It was hard for him to have more work functions to go to on Saturday, so hopefully that doesn't have too often. The kids were really looking forward to going to the park, and they both took good naps that afternoon, so we decided to go to Pizza Hut and pick up a pizza and some wings as part of the 2 for $10 deal so that we could still have our own picnic at the park. We sat at a picnic table overlooking the water, had a good meal, and then we played on the playground with the kids. It was a really fun family night, even though it had a hectic beginning. We were leaving the park just as the sun was setting and took these beautiful pictures of the sun setting over the water. We live in a beautiful place. :)

On Sunday we had a fun day planned out as a family. There was a fall festival down at Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs. It was about an hour and a half from our house, but I heard good things about it from locals, and it was really the closest thing like it around. So we went to the 9:00 service at church before heading out for the festival. We ate our packed lunches when we got there, and then we got busy enjoying our afternoon. Now normally, we don't plan on going out places for afternoon excursions because of nap time issues, but Samantha doesn't need to nap and we figured Aedan could crash in the car on the way back home. It's nice that they are getting to the age where they are more flexible and can handle doing things like this. They had a playground area with this play house for kids. We let the kids play around there while waiting for the pig race to start.

Seeing the pigs race around the track was definitely a sight to see. Samantha thought it was hilarious as the pigs ran by us. (Aedan was too busy standing in the little house. He wouldn't come out because he was trying to poop, and he's getting to the phase where he has to go off by himself when he's trying to poop. However, regardless of this sign that he is about to go, he doesn't show much interest in going on the potty yet.) Anyways, here are some videos of the pig racing. Apparently it was their first race of the season, so they hadn't had much time to practice yet.

From the pig racing, we tried to shoot some potatoes with a giant slingshot, but neither kid could figure out how to pull it back and let go of it quick enough to send the potato flying, rather than having it just fall out onto the ground. So, we moved on to some free face painting and donuts, as we made our way up to the barn. Samantha was able to feed some goats, and the kids just had fun climbing around inside the barn.

We purchased tickets for the hay ride earlier in the day, so after seeing the animals, we decided to get in line for the hay ride. The whole thing was about half an hour long. In fact, the man driving the tractor asked if any kids wanted to come up and help him drive. Samantha volunteered, so she and another little boy got to go sit up in the front with him. They took turns "driving" the tractor, and Samantha thought that was a pretty cool experience and couldn't wait to tell Upland Grandma all about it.

After awhile, the tractor stopped so that everyone could get out and feed the fish. We bought each kid 50 cents of fish food, and they were able to throw it into the water for the rainbow trout. It was definitely a fun little experience for the kids.

Then, we rode a few more minutes on the hay ride, back to where we started. I was able to get a few good pictures of the four of us while on our way. :)

No fall festival would be complete without a pumpkin patch, but at this point, our kids were already losing it because it was late in the afternoon, and they were tired, so I didn't get any pictures of them sitting in the pumpkin patch. We each picked out a pumpkin, went into the store to pay, and then Ben pulled the car up so we didn't have to carry the pumpkins back over the bumpy field. While we waited, the kids posed for pictures a few more times.

We didn't get on the road until after 3:00 that afternoon, but we had a really fun afternoon together. I would definitely recommend checking out Pond Hill Farm if you have young kids. Aedan fell asleep right away with his paci. Samantha took a bit longer, but we told her she couldn't play with anything or do anything, she would just have to sit quietly or rest her eyes. Eventually she gave in and fell fast asleep until we got to the tollbooth on the other side of the Mackinac Bridge. Samantha has such a serious, somewhat grumpy face when she sleeps. I just had to take a picture of it. The corners of her mouth hang down and you can tell every muscle in her body is relaxed. I also love how Aedan's hand is up near his paci. He still falls asleep rubbing his little fingers back and forth.

Sunday evening was low key after having a busy day out, so we had an early dinner, gave the kids baths, and got them in bed early so we could have a good start to the week come Monday morning.

Monday was kind of a crazy day. I signed up to help with the book fair at Samantha's school and arranged for a babysitter for Aedan so I could volunteer. So I dropped her off at school, took Aedan to the house of the lady that was going to watch him for the morning, and then went back to Samantha's school for my 8:30-11:30 shift. It was pretty easy working the book fair because all the kids were just browsing and making up their wish lists. I even got the chance to eat lunch with Samantha before I left, which she was thrilled about. She loved having me sit next to her in the cafeteria and kept hugging me over and over again. It was fun watching all the kids interact with each other, and I couldn't believe how little some of the kids ate of their lunch. Now I know why Samantha comes home from school hungry a lot. They don't have much time to eat in the first place (especially for a slow eater like Samantha), and there are so many distractions around them in the cafeteria.

From there I went back to pick up Aedan and got a great report about him. I'm glad that he did well and was a good listener. His favorite thing was playing with their toy vacuum cleaner. The little girl and he were riding these little push cars around the driveway when I came to pick him up. We got home in time for lunch and nap time for Aedan.

Then, as I was getting stuff done that afternoon, I got a phone call from the people that were going to clean our pellet stove for us. They said they would be over shortly and stayed for a little over an hour. They cleaned up the stove and made a few loud noises with tools and vacuums, but none of it seemed to bother Aedan upstairs in his room, which I was glad for. They had to replace the control panel on our pellet stove as well because it was not adjusting according the temperature properly, but now it is is total working order. They showed me how to use it properly and helped me know how many bags of pellets we are looking to use throughout the winter. We really have no idea what is in store for us in a winter in the UP. We hear from a lot of people that we are due for a bad one, so we will see. However, compared to the little amount of snow we got while living in Oxford, anything will seem like a lot to us. I'm sure experiencing winter will be a learning curve for us in how to best heat our house in the most economical way possible, how to manage the snow outside, and how to enjoy ourselves outside in the snow so that we don't feel like we're stuck inside all the time. I must confess that I am a little apprehensive about the coming of winter, but I'm glad that we have our chimney, fireplace, and pellet stove cleaned and ready for when we need to use them. I will definitely post pictures of our first snowfall of the year!

(Blog about September 20-26, 2016)