Maple Syrup Times at Deep River

Spring is springing and apparently that means it is maple syrup time around here.  We spent the day with new neighbors at Deep River Park learning about Maple Syrup and sugar.  Bridget and her daughter, Audrey (Eden's age) spent the day with us while her husband (I forget his name all of a sudden) and their son, Nathan (Levi's age) stayed at home.

The kids got to see a re-enactment of how Maple Syrup was boiled down ("back in the day") to make maple sugar.

They listened rather intently to the men boiling the syrup, then they got to taste some sugar.  It was different, but good!

Levi is showing Eden how he made an arrowhead out of bark, I think it is.  His creativity always captivates me!

This little guy was pretty good the entire time! 

They did well on posing for this picture because I told them they could jump from the ledge after I got a good one, and the ledge was 8 feet off the ground or so.

Posing for this picture almost killed them all...so it seemed!

The girls were getting crabby as evidenced by Eden's face.  Good grief, all I want is a few smiling faces.

This log was Micah's "baby."  Of course.

This guy is a friend of my new neighbor's and Titus was having a pouting moment.  This guy stayed behind to try and console a pouty Titus, which is quite hard to do and most men would run from...especially a strange kid.  It was very sweet.

Somehow he managed to get Titus to stand up and walk toward us.  I wonder what he said.

Ah, but he wasn't out of his funk yet...

And he was absolutely not going to take any part of mommy's photography!!!  I did eventually find out what the problem was, had to apologize to the poor guy and all was right with the universe again...just like that.

Chillin' in the gazebo.  Many weddings are held in this gazebo every summer.  It is a beautiful place by then!

Brothers...if only it would last...but sure enough, after I shot the picture, someone was upset with someone about something.  I guess that is enough fresh air for one Spring day!  We went back to my neighbor's house and had hot dogs, apple slices, carrots and celery for lunch and then played out in their yard until 4:00 that evening.  Hockey, basketball, football, soccer and even rode bikes.  It was such a full and fun day, and I got to know my neighbor while we were at it. 

Field Museum

Well, it has actually been a while since we went to the museum, but my pictures were all stuck on a memory card that just would not cooperate with me.  Good to know it isn't just kids and dogs that do that!

Tim had been working a lot in the days leading up to the "need" for some family time, and we thought it would be really cool to take them to a museum, and at that, the "Night at the Museum" museum.  Leave it to us to have just missed the free day and not be able to go when the next one comes around. 

With five kids you can hardly expect everything to always go as planned, nor can you assume that just because it's cold outside, and just because everyone knows they should, that everyone actually wore a coat when they went to the truck.  Clearly Micah was one of those darlings.

In case you didn't know, the parking for the Field Museum is the same parking for Soldier Field and being the devoted Bears fans that we are, we had to stop for pictures.

These were huge and cool and that's really all I can say about them...oh, and I am fairly sure they are man made.  Boy has God ever gifted the artist!  There is NO way these look fabricated. 
Oh, and I should make note that this day was primarily kid led.  What I mean by that is, my nature would insist that we visit every exhibit in the museum, making everyone simply "drive by" and look.  The kids determined what we went to see.  They determined how long we stayed at each exhibit.  Elijah had the map and was leading us around (we only had 1 wrong turn that I recall) and he even took most of the pictures.  The day was all about them and they liked that a lot!  What kid wouldn't?!?

This is Sue.  When we left for the day to go downtown, the kids had no idea and thought we were taking them to school, late.  Once they figured out they weren't going to school (marked by a stop at Starbucks) we told them we were going to go visit Sue.  Naturally they didn't have a clue.

Evolution is shrinking us apparently. 

I suppose I should document this some time, so why not now.  Look at the hand Titus has in his mouth.  Do you see anything odd?  Say, something wrapped around his thumb or his other fingers?  Well, if you do, it is supposed to be there.  Why?  I don't know for the life of me.  Nurses?  Amy, if you read this you can post potential reasons for this...Titus has, since infancy, sucked his thumb with a hair on it.  A purposefully sought out, preferably long to wrap around the thumb, disgusting and could be ANYBODY'S piece of hair.  It doesn't matter where we are.  He will pick up his blankie and search it for hairs.  He will go find a hairbrush and take one off of it.  He will find them on the floor...at the grocery store.  I am not kidding you.  OK, I'm getting nauseous. 

This was taken in part of the kids play area.  The corn cobs can be placed up and down all the stalks, allowing you to harvest the corn.  It was neat.  It was also something to majorly fight over.  "He has more corn than I do."  "Stop taking all the corn until I say 'Go!'"  "They're not letting me pick the corn."  And so on and so forth.  Corn picking was officially done.

All that sweetness from such darling little beings all because these two people fell in love!

When other kids were looking at fossils and other provided items under the microscope, our kids were doing this.  It was actually quite fun, and even funny!   I tried to get a good view down their throats and even up their noses, but for whatever reason, it didn't work out so well.

This is the dinosaur drawing competition that Elijah started.  This is #1.

We will then call this #2.

So naturally this one is C.  Figure out which one was drawn by Elijah, Tim and then me.  The answer will be at the end.

I had no idea whatsoever that a Giraffe had such a long tongue.  They don't lick your face to say "hello" do they?  I am certain there will be no one left to say hi to once this guy is done greeting you.  Sheesh.

We are were on our way out and had to stop here in front of the presidential head (not pictured) just like in the movie.  The kids had been great most of the day and were all so tired.  When Eden gets tired, she gets uncooperative.  See?

We let the kids chose to eat at Gino's pizza where you can write on any surface you see, or at Ed's where the waiters are rude to you.  They chose Eds.  Next time, we will chose a pizza joint where we can afford the pizza.  Holy.  Cow.  That's all I have to say about that.  For now.

These were the sundaes they ate for desert.  No, they were not on the dollar menu.  This is downtown.  We are so ignorant.  It was somewhat comical by this time.  The kids, however, had an absolute blast!

Just as we were leaving, it was time for all the wait staff to stop and sing and dance for everyone.  At the moment the song that they sang slips my mind, but they were up on the counter dancing, in the window areas and on tables...it was great.  Somehow I managed to snap this shot and then we were out the door walking a few blocks down the street to Moody where Tim parked the car.  Free parking saved our tails, let me tell you.

It didn't take long for these little ladies to pass out, and I was glad about that, even though it was quite early still.

 

When we got home, many of us got changed into pj's and we sat together to look at all the pictures and video we took from the day and we talked about what a fun day we had.  There is a reason we don't do things like this all the time...we'd be broke...but if Tim and I didn't pay attention to that small detail, we couldn't have planned a better time, short of a Disney vacation.  It was great.  I think it should become a yearly event that we do...the Downtown Ditch Day.  Oh, and Levi?  Well, he loves the fact that if he sucks his stomach in, people call him an alien he is so stinking skinny.  I think I can put my fingers around his waist.  

#1.  me (mommy, Michelle, Shelly)

#2.  Tim (daddy)

C.  Elijah...his is so much better!!!

Cheer Camp 2011

This was Eden's second year to do the Cheer Camp at school which is basically 2 weeks of practicing after school to be able to cheer for the annual Powder Puff Basketball game at school.  Friday morning I picked up her shirt and headed straight to JoAnn Fabrics for ribbon to make a coordinating pony tail holder thing.  I can't think of what you call them.  Anyways, I ended up making one for each girl in her group.  Everyone who was able to came to the game to watch her few minutes of fame. 

 Sometimes I think she was concentrating so hard on the actual cheering that she didn't look like she was having fun.  I know Eden better than that and I know she loved it all!

Eden is one of the smaller girls and has, for both years now, been one of the girls to be lifted like this.  The funny thing about this year was that the other girls holding her weren't paying attention to when to put her down, so it was a good 15-20 seconds that she was being held after the other groups were done.  That doesn't seem like a long time until you are sitting there, watching her make faces like "Am I done yet?" and seeing that the girls weren't planning on letting her down any time soon.  Cute!

She stood just like this the entire time...it really made me laugh because she would also bend her knees every time she clapped.  She was so in to what she was doing that her whole body moved in her own rhythm.  I loved it!!!

Looks well organized, doesn't it?!? 

Last year they got a trophy and this year it's a plaque.  She didn't care...she loved the whole thing and the plaque was just icing on an already perfect cake.

I think this is it

As in all house projects, there are bits and pieces in the house yet to be done, but if you all recall the disaster we were met with, you would think this to be fine.  Just fine.  I do too, but being the blood, sweat and tears (and a lot of tears, mind you) of this project, to see 95% is frustrating.  Don't get me wrong now.  I am so blessed and grateful to have been able to do as much as we have, but I want to park this thing.  Once and for all.

While Tim was gone, the kitchen had a couple of small things done to it and now only needs the backsplash installed (which is in my garage) and trim kits on the lights.  Oh, and a toekick vent cover.  Otherwise, kitchen is complete.  Yay!  Much thanks to my sister-in-law for the design of the kitchen.  I love it!

This is the dining room.  Isn't it obvious?  We do not have dining room furniture and to find a set that will seat 8 is difficult in our price range, so I made it into a much more needed TV room.  Now that we have a "new" couch in our Living Room, this hand-me-down couch from JP's college days has made to fill a nice spot in the room.  We do not have TV.  We have movies, Hulu and eventually, the wii, so this couch is perfect!

It has turned out to be one of my favorite rooms.

This monstrous TV has been in our bedroom since we moved in and believe you me, I am glad to have it, and the inevitable kids playing in our room, gone.  My room stays so much cleaner without all the toys lying around.  I do, however, miss the kids hanging out in there.  I guess I can't have it all.

I may have posted this room once before, but this space is where the piano will go once we drag it out of mom and dad's basement.

This is Tim's office where the piano will go, and as you can see, it is a touch cluttered.  I really want for him to have a real desk and not a table.  He does so much work here and he is cramped for space and I guess I just can't wait to hit the garage sales.  Or the thrift stores.  I should be able to find an executive looking desk that won't break the bank.  Right?

Last but not least is the "as done as it's going to get" picture of our bedroom.  This is the area to the right as you walk in our room and this is where the TV used to sit.  It would block my access to my closets, and I am glad for the expanse now.

This is the far left of our room...rather boring, I know, but until the other day, there was junk all over the dresser, still from the move in.  Mom helped me to just finish the space off, again, while Tim was away.  I wanted to surprise him with a clean, uncluttered, relaxing house.  A cluttered dresser does not make a calm house.  That is why I did not take a picture of his dresser.  I didn't get to that one yet.  It's NOT decluttered.

Finally, here is the bed and all...the only thing this room needs is for me to recover the bench at the end of the bed (I found a cream suede fabric that has cream stitched circles all over it at the thrift store.  I just can't find my upholstery staples), paint all the closet doors, put the vent cover back on and put trim kits on all the can lights.  I am so glad to have the room decluttered and becoming more like the retreat that I have always wanted it to be.  It really feels nice to retreat there at the end of the night, though anymore I don't really retreat...I get in that bed and am snoring in less than 5 minutes...isn't that right, Tim?

Titus is 5

OK, this is not news at all.  Sadly, as with all things, I am more than a day late and a dollar short on this one, but it deserves my attention nonetheless.  Titus Cain Svoboda turned five on Sunday, February 13th. 

Did I ever think I would make it this many years with him?  NO.

Did I ever think he would make it with us this many years? NO.

Do I think I will make it another 5 years with him?  Who really knows.  I mean, we named him "Cain" for pete's sake.  What did we expect?  ;-)

Some days I just want to eat him up, he's so sweet.

Other days I just want to wring his little blonde-headed neck, he's so difficult. 

 

You know the saying that marriage isn't for your happiness; it's for your holiness?  That person never had Titus as one of his children.  Parenting must be for your holiness, and while I don't know what the future holds for this little guy with all his dynamics both great and small,  I am so grateful to be his mommy and cannot wait to find out how God has Titus' life planned.  He is destined for greatness he is.  Then again, aren't they all?  I love you Titus, my cutie-boy!