What Have You Learned?

What have you learned?
Can you remember?
What would you like for me to do?
Everything you need from me is in your hands
And everything else is up to you

You’re like a butterfly on a windy day
You use directions in a roundabout way

What have you learned?
Now that you’ve been burned
By the guy who used to be
The center of your eye?
And you’re blown away
By your own hurricane
And you wonder why

Castaway and you’re looking
Through the wreckage for your pride
But you can’t salvage what you don’t supply

What have you learned?
Now that you’ve been burned
By the girl who used to be the center
Of your world?
Who used to be your center of gravity
And now you’re so unsure

You’re like a squirrel
Out in the middle of the road
You’re halfway there
But don’t know which way to go

What have you learned
Now that you’ve been burned
By the one who used to be
The One and Only if you could see
Your sinking dignity

You’re like the waves
Beating on the sandy shore
You swear you’ve been there once or twice before
What have you learned?

What have you learned? Can you remember?
Now that they don’t know what to do?
Now that they miss your heart of gold so badly
This is what I’d say if I were you-

It’s in a treasure chest
That’s buried in the sand
But the “x” does not mark the spot
And I do not need a hand
And if I burst out into flames
Without your guidance anymore
Just scatter me across the sea
And you can kiss my ashes from the shore

-Carbon Leaf, Nothing Rhymes With Woman

School Days!

11......5.......2 The Grades they're entering this school year!

I gotta say...14 weeks is tooooo long for summer break! I think even they were excited to go back!

This year, they all live far enough from their respective schools to ride buses. This is a MUCH welcomed happening especially with me working out of town. Can be a hassle getting off work in inclement weather to grab a kid who's not on a bussing route. Now...no worries...

Or so we think...the first day the Middle School bus didn't come to our stop. So I ended up driving Becca and a couple boys from the stop to school! Thankfully the stope is across the street from our house AND Todd and I were home. First day kinks, I guess.

I'm sure this year will go fast. Which will be good since it's gonna be hard with me being gone a lot of the time. I hate to think all the stuff I'm gonna miss. But I know we'll all step up to the plate and come out on top!

Even though I KNOW they are leaving their home chores until the 11th hour on the day I come home :) Way to go, Gang!

Purple People Eater?

Naaaaaaaaaaaa! Here's Boog's back to school 'do! I was glad she added the bangs back in. She has a LOT of hair (Like me) so it's good she cut some and we're able to see her a bit better now :)

I allow the kids pretty much free riegn over their hair styles. I figure hair experimentation is the least of my worries and rather harmless. So...black and purple it is!

Beccs' Bday!

Miss Becca turned 11 on the 4th!! Again, hard to believe. I got home around dinner time that day from work in the Cities. We had a small celebration at home with her friend, Cheyenne. Her Dad is coming for a visit soon and we'll whoop it up then.

I always feel bad for the girls as their bdays are either side of the start of school week. Things in a $ sense always seem to go wrong around this time with school shopping, doctors' appt etc in prep for school. One day...hopefully next year...we'll be able to do them up right!

She started MIDDLE SCHOOL this week! WOW! She seems to be loving it! And is enjoying that fact that she gets to ride the bus to and from school this year!

A Dog's Life

On my way home from my job interview I was traveling along 212 and 23 and followed this motorcycle a bit. I just laughed... this dog has a VERY GOOD life indeed!

I gotta job! I gotta job! No, really.. a REAL job!

A couple weeks ago I got a note on Facebook from a former classmate about a FT job opportunity in North Minneapolis. I had already been working PT in the Cities over summer, and have been looking for FT work for 2+ years. So I applied, went for an interview.. AND .... was offered the job on the spot!!! And yes, I accepted on the spot!

I was SO excited when I walked out that day that it took all my energy to walk in a composed manner to my car. THANK YOU, Megan!!

My new Dr. and his staff are fantastic! It's a new practice, so many of us are new to the staff and we seem to all be a good fit with one another. Which is a hard thing to find in this field. Mostly, it's great to work for a nice doctor who's very cool and laid back. There is a learning curve here with new software and being completely paperless, but am sure it'll all fall into place over the next couple weeks. Every day gets a bit better.

The hard part is that I live in the Cities during the week and am home only on weekends. I got the job just 2 weeks before the start of school so it was too soon to move the kids. These next 9 months will be trying. Now that school has started, that will help the Smalls keep occupied. I feel bad...not being there...the things I am going to miss out on.. but will all be for the best in the long run. Parenting from 150 miles away is not easy and leaves Todd with the brunt of the mess unfortunately. I worry for them all, but know they'll work it out together! TEAM WORK! My thanks to them for their understanding!

I want to especially thank my kids, friends (Kim, Jer & Matt K) and fellow hygiene associates for your uncurbed enthusiasm at my news. It really means a lot.. A LOT! Thanks to those who should have been excited, but weren't. It's good to know where we lie in this grand, short-lived scheme.

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet! She's SIXTEEN!

Wow, can ya believe my baby is SIXTEEN? She's definitely changed, well, grown up, a lot in the last year. We're not looking forward to getting a driver's license in October. Well...I don't think she's too thrilled, but I sure am!

She's just started her Junior year of High School...WHOA! We've already started looking at colleges, discussing senior pics and thinking about grad parties..

I was about her age when her father and I started dating; maybe a smidge younger. It all seems a blur now. I can say I am proud of who she's growing into as a person. Which is a major accomplishment/wish/desire for any parent! Lucky me!

They're baaaaaaaaaaaaaack.....

Our favorite summer bug, the Cicada, is back! The hatch has been lighter than last year's, probably due to the mild summer weather. Alex just LOVES these things. Here he is allowing one to crawl all over himself. I have to admit, they are pretty interesting; and even I like watching them emerge from their casings. But I am not about to let them crawl on me!

Up near Lake Mille Lacs

A few photos from near the Lake Mille Lacs area. I love the photo I took of the tower before I climbed it. Neat perspective. Was a 175 stair climb to the top. Was worth the climb. Was so neat to be above the trees and see the area...the trees that span out to the lake ...Got some neat shots of the graffiti etched into the stairs and the walls of the look-out. My fav: "Don't give up! It's worth it...once you get there!"

Toys 4 Tots Ride

Did our annual Toys 4 Tots ride in Mid-July. Always good to see the friends and spend the day on the bike. Only..this year was BRUTAL. It was overcast and the wind blew a solid 30mph most of the day. We were SO wind burnt...tired..ugh! If it weren't for such a good cause...I'd have given that up!

Girls' Night Out

Of course.. GNO(Girls' Night Out) is always a welcome event! I think we started out doing this like once a month. Now...it's sometimes more than that and we also incorporate "Thirsty Thursday" on a regular basis. This group is awesome! And we do allow the hubbies along...and have a few single pals that are dubbed the 'token males'.

I'm not really sure how many are actually on the 'list' of people contacted...I'm sure it must be over 30. We have several regulars...the main 15 I would guess.. that show up to most events.

Just got done attending Belgian American Days the first weekend of August over in Ghent. We love Dueling Pianos ;)

It's good to have an outlet...a place to go...people to hang with.

Summer...ahhhh summer...

Summer is nearly over. Odd. We still have 3 weeks until the lil' yellow buses begin making their pick-ups. But ...we are all ready! 14 weeks is TOO LONG of a break.

Been a good summer. The kids have had many fun activities. Michaela has just recently returned from her annual dino dig volunteer gig in ND. She and Ray had a great time! Then she got SEVERLY burnt at the beach in SC. SIGH! Apparently she was quite distracted by some clams and forgot to REAPPLY the sunscreen!

The Smalls just returned a couple days ago from Spokane. They had a great week with their dad and visiting friends. And a nice visit with our favs the Shawleys.

We've had friends over...lots of play dates...late nights..

Michaela had her wisdom teeth out last week. She's doing well thought still a bit swollen. But she did awesome! Next week she turns 16. ZOINKS! And we're looking at the calendar and seeing when we can fit her driver's exam in....hard to believe!

Went to the HS today and picked up her school schedule for the year and get the audition info for the fall play: Seussical the Musical.

Rebecca is getting excited to start band practice. She's chosen the flute.

Still need to tackle those daunting school supply lists. This year's boggler: Why does a 5th grader need 48 pencils?? Really??

Sherburne Nature Preserve

While spending a lot of time in the Cities over the past few months doing some hygiene subbing, I've been partaking of the many parks etc around the Twin Cities areas.

These are a few shots from Sherburne Nature Preserve at the north end of the Cities near Elk River.

I never did this when I lived there. I dunno why. There are HEAPS and they are fantastic. I love getting out, hiking, taking in the peace and just...being..alone. Alone with my thoughts, feelings and well...me.

Just last week I was offered a permanent position with an office in Apple Valley. It's very PT, but at least it allows me to scrape teeth! And will keep me afloat while I keep searching for a permanent FT position.

Kitchen Experiments

The cool weather the past few days makes me wanna bake. Mmmmmmmmmm! So we whipped up a batch of one of my childhood favs: Waffle Cookies. They are the sole reason I own a waffle iron.

Then in this month's issue of Family Fun Magazine, they had a recipe for PB cookies you shape into Guinnea Pigs in honor of the new movie G-Force. They are cute, but the dough needs a bit of tweaking.. Tasty nonetheless!

How does your garden grow?

I took a few snap shots of some of my favorite garden lovlies this year. Unfortunately, for some of my plants, it's not been a hot summer here. Particularly so for the tropical trees which have yet to sprout a bud much less bloom. SIGH! I personally do not mind the lack of humidity, but this weekend's temps were in the 60s and that was excessively cool!

I was in Elk River on Thursday to see the Tim Mahoney Band perform at an outdoor venue. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! OMG! But so worth it! I hadn't seen the band (one of my MN favs) in over two yrs. Good times! They still rock!

GS go to Horse Camp!!

Becca and the rest of her GS Troop spent 4 days at Camp Elk River, near the Twin Cities, enjoying Horse Camp. They had a blast! They quickly became attached to their horses. Rebecca's horse is named Sampson. It was very fun and very tiring! I went along as one of the transporters/chaperones. My only complaint was that I got SO SORE sleeping in the bunk beds. OMG! Yup, I'm O.L.D! I took over 300 pics of the girls; there were 15 total. But I thought this one was particularly cute!

They girls are already requesting doing another Horse Camp next summer. OI! They are old enough to attend alone without Leaders now and do resident camp. We'll see how it goes...

Next week Michaela leaves for her annual trip to Marmarth, ND, with Ray where they dig dinos. She'll be gone 2 weeks. The smalls will also spend a week in Spokane with Doug visiting with friends there. Then ..the mad rush of school will begin with visits to dentists, eye doctors and the family physician. School shopping... saying that actually puts a smile on my face. LOL

Down Under 2009

The smalls have just returned from their trip Down Under with Doug. For those of you who aren't up up to speed: Doug is a Kiwi and the kids are "Duelies": citizens of both the US and NZ. So they go there as often as they can manage to visit the relatives and friends and to get to one of the coolest places on Earth.

They stopped first in Australia for a holiday with Aunt Mary-Jane. They had a blast! Then off to NZ for 2 more weeks. They visited the Australia Zoo (of Steve Irwin Fame - he died on Becca's 8th bday BTW), went to Rotorua (NZ's version of Yellowstone), and a lot of other great touristy places. They were spoiled by relatives and the whole lot.

Everyone had a great time! And as luck would have it, they get to go back for 2 weeks in December for Aunt Louise's 50th Bday Bash!! WOOO HOO... nothing better than Christmas in Summer :)

For me, that three weeks went FAST. SO FAST I gotta admit, I didn't get much chance to miss them. I didn't get anything done that I had hoped to get done; i.e. painting Becca's room. Oh well..

Washing the MT off

Actually...not just MT, but the last 8 mos of MN, WY, MN and MT. It was time. It had to be washed and cleaned out a bit. The car was GROSS. Was in Eagan the other day, and even though it's raining today, it still had to be washed. It looks a lot better thanks to the folks at the rockin'-ist carwash: Paradise. Yeah, it's a bit pricey. But the vacuum it, wash the dash, wash the car (with all the coatings), hand dry it, polish rims and tires, wash windows...in ten minutes. Saving me 60+ minutes: priceless!

GHS: 20 Years Later

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=276148&id=818600719&l=dbe1b0cbfb

If you wanna see photos from the reunion, copy and pasts the link to see my Facebook Album of the weekend.

So..20 years. TWENTY YEARS. Where did that go? I tell you, I remember my graduation like it was yesterday. Apparently, there are a few more days in there.

The night before leaving for the reunion, I was in Minneapolis attending the Blue October Concert. FREAKING AMAZING! Got back to Teri's at 2am..we left at 3am-ish. We drove 15.5 hrs to Montana, making it JUST IN TIME for the social hour that night at the K-Bar. We got to bed around..oh say 2am. LONG ASS DAY.

I cannot tell you how great it was to see everyone. Some were total surprise! I was saddened by how many of the local GHSers didn't come when so many of us had traveled across the country to be there. ?? I had a great time, lots of laughs, plenty of tears come Sunday morning.

Oddly, being one voted into the "Most Likely To Succeed" category in HS, I have severly failed that office. I think my most successful thing was getting out of Gardiner and having my kids. Though I love Montana, and my hometown, you all know that, but glad I got out and saw the world and lived it. My life definitely has not gone according to plan. My major pisser of late is that 5 years ago I decide to "grow up" , go back to school and now I sit with a large student loan, no job and a very dark brain cloud. Somehow, I think I am forever screwed. No matter what I do; it just doesn't happen. Maybe in the next 20 years I'll be more impressive.

It was good to see how many people had changed for the better! I may not be one, but I sure noticed the ones that have! Going to school in a very small town is a unique experience. One we all identify with. It's nice being 'close-knit', but sucks equally that EVERYONE knows your business ALL THE TIME. You can't really be yourself in that environment. You're too busy fitting in to keep the chit-chat and ridicule at bay. And if you don't play sports, well, you pretty much don't exist there. Because sports rule. Those things haven't changed. And really, our bond hasn't either. It's just aged to perfection.

Father's Day

Doug, Rebecca and Alex heading to New Zealand - 06/20/2009


Happy Father's Day to all those dads out there. In particular to my own father. It's a special one for him since Carol and Gianna are visiting him for the first time in MT. A blessed event indeed. Enjoy guys!

Dad - Thanks..even if I didn't always show it, or you didn't think so... you are an awesome dad. I know it's not always easy. But it is always appreciated. I know I would not have gotten this far without you. And while it's embarrassing to me how I, even as an adult of nearly 40, have and still do lean on you at times, I know that you don't even think twice about it. I love you heaps!

Ray and Doug - If nothing else, I can say I am totally blessed with exes that are great dads. And having been around friends with less than friendly outcomes to their marriages, not only are our kids blessed, but so am I. Even though we are far apart, you have always been and continue to be a very important part of our lives. Thanks for all you do.

Todd - Thanks, from all of us. You took on a lot when we got together. Something that you didn't have to do, but have done a great job. I know it's frustrating, annoying, sometimes funny, often unbelievable..it's parenthood.