End of Summer

Summer is, for all practical purposes, over.

I realize that the calendar says summer lasts until September 23.

And yes, we may sneak in one more quick camping trip, an afternoon at the lake, and a Friday night campfire.

But, in reality, summer is over.


School starts tomorrow.

Football started on Sunday.

Volleyball started on Monday.


I've spent much of this week driving.


And waiting.

And we haven't even left Bismarck.

But there's a bright side to all this driving and waiting.

I've finally had time catch up on some reading (even finished one book already!). I've also had time to think about what a great summer we had, despite a rocky start.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Cousin Time - Jake, Lizzy and Morgan spent ten days with the Brist cousins. Ok, it was because of the flooding in Bismarck and my crazy work hours, but on the bright side, they got away from the sandbagging and got to spend time with their cousins. Jenn spoiled them with trips to the pool, Storybook Land, and the zoo.
• Fast Pitch Softball - This was Lexi's first season of fast pitch. It was a difficult season - the weather did not cooperate, which meant most games were cancelled. But she still had fun and learned she likes more sports than just basketball. She even promised to play again next year, in exchange for a pair of cleats!
• Minnesota - We made several trips to Minnesota throughout the summer. The kids and I headed east in June to escape the flood for a weekend. We spent a night with Kileigh in Fargo (we visited Fargo's zoo for the first time ever and the big kids got to go to a Redhawks game) then a night with Chrissy in Minnesota. We played in the lake, built sand castles, road four wheeler and fell in love with their puppies (but did NOT bring one home!). Lizzy went back a few weeks later for another fun day with Chrissy and Shane and Lexi spent a few days with the "fun" cousin in August. We love spending time with Chrissy and Shane, and wish they lived closer, but we would definitely miss their lake if they moved!
• The Black Hills - Some people called me crazy. They may be right. But sometimes it's good to be crazy. I took all four kids to the Black Hills for four days and three nights of camping. In a tent.  We had a blast. Really. I think it was the best part of the summer for all of us. We did the tourist thing - visited Bear Country, Mt. Marshmallow (aka Mt. Rushmore), Dinosaur Park, Storybook Island, spent a day at the waterslides and drove on a windy road through the Hills for a picnic. We swam every night at the campground, cooked supper over the campfire, and enjoyed each other's company in the great outdoors. We got sunburned. We lost our shampoo and conditioner (all five of us had to use Morgan's baby shampoo after the first day). We packed only bubblegum toothpaste (which actually isn't that bad.. I might even prefer it to mint flavor). We also made some amazing memories. I truly believe this will be one of those experiences my kids talk about well into their old age.
• Garrison Dam - We had to do it. We had to witness history. Brad and I went with friends (on the Harley!) on July 4th. When I realized how impressive it really was to see the spillway completely open, I knew I had to take the kids. They were totally unimpressed, except for the restaurant in Riverdale - THAT impressed them. Still, someday, they'll be glad I took them. And they've got the pictures to prove they were there, witnessing history.
• Kerzman Mini-Reunion - The kids make fun of how small my family is, especially after a Kerzman family event. This summer we attended a "mini" reunion of the Kerzmans - just the 15 brothers and sisters and their families. Not everyone was there, but the farm was still hoppin'. We had a blast spending time with relatives we don't see very often, and those we see everyday too!
• McDowell Dam - With the river off limits, we decided to check out McDowell Dam, just east of Bismarck. It had been years since I had been there. But we were pleasantly surprised. The kids, Tess and cousin Madi and I spent a beautiful July day in the water. Ducky Mo-Mo and Ducky Stupid were born... and those floaties (and that joke) carried us through the rest of the summer.
• Harmon Lake - We also decided to explore Harmon Lake, north of Mandan. The kids and I, and Lexi's friend Taylor, camped one night, and despite not being able to get the campfire started, locking the keys in the van, Morgan not going to sleep, and the tent pole breaking in the middle of the night, it was a great night. We spent the next day at the beach. Taylor left, but Tess joined us and the kids made an amazing sand castle. Bad weather forced us to pack up camp that nigh, but we returned the next day, with Tess' parents and the Kaludts and spent one more night in our tent. There's nothing better than cooking over a campfire, visiting with good friends and sleeping on an air mattress. Seriously. I love camping.

There are so many other things we did this summer that made it so special. I wish I would have kept track of the miles I put on.... we were constantly driving somewhere. And when we were home, we had backyard campfires, lots of smores and laughs. Lexi discovered duct tape, and started her own duct tape business. She played basketball all summer long too. She also got a little addicted to daytime television. Jake, meantime, got a little addicted to staying up late and sleeping in until 10:00. He spent ten days at my parent's farm, and even learned to drive! The little girls were good about tagging along and keeping up with the big kids. 


The pictures really do tell the story, and to me, the pictures from this summer are worth more than any words.

Vacation in the Black Hills with my favorite kids





Our first visit to Fargo's zoo



Fast Pitch



Jake and Morgan at Harmon Lake

One of the hundreds of smores we made this summer

Lizzy and Ducky Mo-Mo

The most amazing sand castle ever

Jake and Ducky Stupid

Soaking up the sun at Chrissy's

Garrison Dam - This is history, kids

But there are so many other things we didn't do.

We didn't go to the Y very much.

We didn't go on a single family bike ride.

We only went to the libray twice.

I kinda want a couple more weeks of summer vacation, just to squeeze it all in.

But it doesn't matter what I want. School starts tomorrow, whether I'm ready or not. 

And the more I think about that, the more I'm ok with it. In fact, I'm kinda excited about it.

Because while Jake and Lexi are at school, the little girls and I will play.

We'll go to the park, the library, the Y.

We'll have at least two hours everyday, after I'm done with work and before the big kids are done with school, to do whatever we want.

So while summer may be over, the fun is far from over for the little girls and me.

And so I say, bring on fall!

Birth Order of Children

A co-worker of mine gave this to me. It's hilarious, and so true.... but I can't help but wonder... what about baby number four?? Forgotten, again? Poor Morgan :(
*******************
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

1st baby: At the first sign of distress -- a whimper, a frown -- you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

1st baby: You change your baby's diaper every hour, whether she needs it or not.
2nd baby: You change your baby's diaper every two or three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change her diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to her knees.

1st baby: You take your baby to baby gymnastics, baby swing and baby story hour.
2nd baby: You take your baby to bab gymnastic.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarkert and the dry cleaner.

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby:  You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

1st baby:  You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

1st baby: When first child swallows a coin, you rush her to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd baby: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd baby: When the third child swallows a coin, you deduct it from her allowance.
***It is worth noting that none of my first three children swallowed a coin... Morgan holds that claim to fame. And I have to admit, I kind wished the penny she swallowed would have come out a quarter! Paying for four kids gets expensive! :)

Helping Others

Every once in awhile my kids do something worth bragging about.

Today, we had two "bragg-able" moments.

The first happened while standing in line at Wal-Mart. There was a sweet old lady ahead of us in line. She was sitting on one of those riding-cart things. The basket was full, plus she had two hanging baskets of flowers on the front. I heard the cashier ask her how she was going to get everything outside. I gave Jake a "look", and my sweet son walked up to the lady and said "I can help you carry your stuff out."

The lady seemed shocked, but took him up on his offer. He came back inside just as I was paying. He had a big smile on his face, a dollar in his hand, and a story to tell:

Jake: "She paid me a dollar!"
Me: "Did you tell her she didn't have to pay you?"
Jake "Yes! I told her that wasn't necessary.. I think I'm turning into Dad. But she insisted."

He's right. Brad is always doing things for others, just because. He never expects to be paid. That's one of the things I love about him the most... that he is just a really nice guy. I'm so proud that Jake is following in his footsteps.

Jake and the lady had quite a conversation while walking to her car. She told him she lives on a farm, and Jake told her how much he'd love to live on a farm, but his sister won't let us move. I would have loved to hear their conversation. By the way, the dollar didn't last long... Jake splurged on a bag of M&M's, which were gone before we even got out of the parking lot. That's my "not-so-proud" moment!

But back to my proud mom moments...

Proud Mom Moment #2: As we were leaving Wal-Mart, we noticed a couple sitting at the edge of the parking lot. They were holding a sign saying they are disabled, and begging for cash. It caught Lexi's eye (even though we see them all the time, for some reason today, she noticed them).

Lexi: "What are they doing?"
Me: "Their sign says they're disabled. I suppose they're hoping people give them money."
Lexi: "Oh, that's sad."
Me: "Yes, it is. I don't have any cash, but we could give them an ice cream cone." (we had just bought a box of drumsticks for a treat and there were two left)
Lexi: "We should do that!"

So I turned around, and my sweet, not-so-shy Lexi hopped out of the van, ran across the street, and asked if they would like an ice cream cone. They smiled at her, took the cones and said "God bless you."

I have no idea if that couple really is disabled, or if they're running a scam. But what I do know, is they made my daughter's day. Lexi had a big smile on her face when she got back from her ice cream delivery.

And that reminded me how good it feels to help others.  tt can be something as simple as visiting with an elderly person, or giving someone an ice cream cone. Sometimes it's nice to do things just to be nice, not because you want recognition or money. We adults tend to forget that.

Thanks to my big kids for reminding me of the importance of being nice, and of helping others. And thanks to my big kids for giving me two "bragg-able" moments today!

Perspective

This flood sucks.

It has affected each one of us in some way or another.

Some have left their homes. Many will never get to go home again.

Some have moved their belongings to higher ground, just in case.

Some haven't slept in weeks, because it's their job to figure out how to save our city.

All of us are praying. And hoping. And watching the radar as if we are meteorologists. We all now know "cfs" is short for "cubic feet per second", and it's directly related to how much water could flood our city.

If you think about it too much, it will bring you to tears. It's all so overwhelming. Who would have ever guessed we would live to see the 500 year flood?

Yet, I can't help but think it's all about perspective. And that is what keeps me from complaining.

Yes, it sucks havng the entire contents of my basement squeezed into the main floor of my house. I'm not too keen on the volleyball that has found a new home on my living room shelf either, or the fact that my oldest child's bed has been crammed into my bedroom. 

But just when I want to complain, I read something, or see pictures, or talk to someone else who has it so much worse.

My inconveniences are just that: inconveniences.

In reality, my south Bismarck home should be just fine. There are no sandbags surrounding our house -  the dikes are supposed to protect us. We've moved things out of the basement, because there is a chance we may have some groundwater (although so far, so good). At any rate, that's minor. I can deal with that.

What I'm not sure I can deal with is the destruction this flood has already caused for so many, and the destruction that is still coming.

My heart breaks for those who have moved out of their homes, for those who have lost their homes.. in Bismarck and in Minot.

This flood just plain sucks.

But, remember, it's all about perspective.

As hard as it is to imagine, it could be worse. Right?

Back on TV

It must have been a slow news day.

But for those of you who wondered what exactly I was doing for 14 hours a day the past few weeks:

http://kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=49797

Dorothy Moses Kids

Lexi was so sad about leaving Dorothy Moses elementary.

It is the only school she's ever attended.

Middle school is exciting, but scary at the same time. Her friends, and her life, have revolved around Dorothy Moses for the past seven years. She had a little melt down the night before the last day of school (it probably didn't help that I was working 14 hour days and the flood had everyone totally stressed out).

Lexi leaves Moses with memories she will treasure forever. And as she reminded me, she'll be back... in fact, she'll be attending events at Moses until she's in college (Lexi will be a junior in high school when Morgan starts kindergarten!)

One of the most treasured memories, is this video. Lexi, Tess and Taylor wrote the lyrics at a sleepover last fall. Their plan was to perform it for the sixth grade talent show, but they chickened out. So we came up with the video idea. Thanks to Dwayne Walker, the sixth grade teachers, and all the sixth grade students who stayed late to be in the video.. it turned out great and will be an awesome reminder of how much fun they had in sixth grade.

It will also be an awesome video to show at their graduations and weddings :)

Best. Pictures. Ever.

There are no words to explain how  much I love these pictures. Jen and Jessi did an amazing job of capturing my childrens' personalities, each of them so different and special.

Love them all.. the pictures and the kids!