Snow Day

Hot chocolate...fireplace...movie...sledding...Balderdash...present-wrapping...cookie-baking...husband home...snow day...HOORAY!

Thanksgiving

I was struck over and over again this year by the simplicity of Thanksgiving. It seems to me that Thanksgiving might be the only holiday without a bunch of hoopla surrounding it. It's just about being thankful, spending time with family, and eating some really good food (at least for us it is anyway). Sure, you could go crazy if you wanted to - get a turkey centerpiece for your table, put out the pilgrim salt and pepper shakers, designer placemats for everyone, autumn-colored streamers over the doorways - but I think for the most part, people stick to just trying out a new recipe or two and watching a little football while coming out of your turkey coma.


We spent Thanksgiving in Rushmore with Nedra'a family - no extra guests this year - just Mom, Dad, Dana, Nedra, Martha, Hal, and kiddos. The thing I was most thankful for on Thanksgiving day was lack of drama - not that we ever really have a whole lot of drama in our family, but I was just thankful for peace. In a world where siblings don't speak to one another, divorces abound, and grudges are nursed for decades, I'm thankful that our family fully enjoys spending time together. It truly is a rare gift - and this not of ourselves, but a gift of God and only by His grace. Dennis and Phyllis, Dana and Nedra, Hal and Martha - husbands and wives are still madly in love with each other! The cousins ADORE each other. In our relationships, communication isn't strained and forgiveness reigns. Don't get me wrong - it's not like we're "eating rainbows and pooping butterflies" (I love that quote from Horton Hears a Who) - it's just ... comfortable.


As our children get a little older, I ponder what "traditions" they are going to remember from their childhood. Even though Mom and Dad say it was only maybe 3 or 4 years that we did it, I remember Thanksgiving at my Aunt Ardith's up north. We'd get to leave school a little bit early and it seemed like we always traveled in a blizzard. So what will my children remember? I really think the most cherished traditions are those traditions that are not intentional - the things that just sort of fall into place because they work so you just keep doing it that way. Mom carves the turkey (with assistance from one of the son-in-laws), with white meat on one half of the plate and dark on the other.

Dad makes the gravy, usually at the last minute as he's coming inside from some project he's been doing out in the shop.


Nedra sets the table and is the "gopher". Martha mashes the potatoes. We share something we're thankful for over dinner. Someone makes a comment about the sweet potatoes or cranberries - get 'em! - (it's an inside joke). Meal consists of old faithfuls like turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole (Ethan's favorite - for him, it ranks right up there with pizza!). After dinner, Grandma announces, "I'm done in the kitchen. You guys are in charge of clean up." Pumpkin pie later in the afternoon. Leftovers for supper. Those are the things I hope never change...


Will there be new traditions? This year we watched a Christmas movie and put a puzzle together over the weekend.

Ethan, John, and Grandpa were out in the shop working on a "project" for Christmas.

The kids made the traditional visit to "the farm" to see the kittens and horses. We made Christmas cookies.

We watched some football and the boys played a little football on Nintendo.

I love Thanksgiving. It's like the calm before the storm of the holiday season. Black Friday Schmack Friday...I could take it or leave it (we did brave the crowds for an hour or two this year, but in Worthington, MN you can hardly call it a crowd...and we did get a couple of sweet deals). I'll close with a wonderful picture of my hilarious husband who had a blast playing "redneck" all weekend. He chipped his tooth in 4th grade. It was recently re-repaired, but apparently not well. We got that fixed as soon as we got back to Mankato :o) Love you honey!

Swimmers

Essential gear for a swim meet:

• swim team swim suit
• goggles and extra goggles
• swim cap and extra swim cap
• 2-3 towels per swimmer
• sleeping bag to "crash" on (this marks their area to keep their stuff and hang out between events)
• books and games to keep you entertained between events
• snacks and extra snacks plus a little $ to spend on snacks (no big meals when swimming)
• cozy robe
• cozy PJ pants (the wilder the better)
• flip flops or slippers
• shampoo and conditioner
• lotion for after swimming
• brush
• clothes to wear when done swimming (don't forget the undies)
• laundry basket to haul all this stuff in
• camera
• stop watch
• pen and notebook to record times
• take most of these things times 3 for Ethan, Hannah, and Sarah

Hannah, Megan, and Claire during warm-ups; we usually arrive at home meets around 7:45am and warm-ups begin by 8:15 or so with the meet starting around 9:15. Lots of waiting around so Dana and I volunteer to write numbers on arms. Each swimmer gets their events written in permanent marker on their arm so they don't need a program to know what they are swimming. It looks something like:

7
100 Med Rel (3)
2/4

This means Event #7 is the 100 yd. Medley Relay and this swimmer swims 3rd (which is the butterfly). She'll compete in Heat 2 in Lane 4. Each of 4 swimmers will swim 25 yards (backstroke is first, then breast stroke, butterfly, and freestyle) for a total of 100 yards. In each meet a swimmer usually swims in 5 events (3 individual and 2 relays)

Ethan playing Rush Hour with a couple friends between events; favorite activities while waiting include cards, iPods, reading, games, cheering for your friends, snacking, coloring, and goofing off with friends.

Sarah and Laney; As you can see, the friendships are just as important as the swimming...

Sarah just learned to dive this week; up until now she'd get up on the block and look like she was going to dive, but would then do a leap frog move into the water...it was cute, but not efficient. We should see some faster times now!!!

Now that the high school girls swim season is over, many of those girls are helping to coach at the YMCA. Sarah LOVES these girls!!!

...maybe a little TOO much!!!

Don't forget the Moms! Dana and Nedra usually time at home meets. It's a great way to have a perfect view of the action and it makes the the time pass quickly (plus this year timers get free pizza :o)

Hannah and Kirsten

We try to encourage the kids not to worry about what place they finish in - just try to better their own times. This year, we're offering a quarter for every second they shave off their times. So far, it's been quite motivating, but they've been swimming in a lot of different events so we haven't had many times to compare. Nedra and Dana can't keep quiet when our children are swimming so we can be heard cheering them on. Some people see this as intensity, but mainly we're just excited (and really proud). Hannah listens for Dana's whistle during the breaststroke.

Hannah's specialty has been the butterfly this year. That's mom and dad's favorite event to watch her in. She looks so strong! Her favorite stroke to swim in practice is the breaststroke; she says it's relaxing!

5 short whistle blows means "Get ready for the next event"
One long blow means step up onto the starting block (or get into the water on back stroke)

Swimmers, take your mark...

Buzzer sounds and they're off! Ethan does very well at the relays. His friends and the crowd cheering him on really motivates him to do his best. Just look at that spectacular dive!

Next up: St. Cloud on December 19th
Good luck kiddos!
Go Marlins!

Sheeps

All you Patenaudes out there should appreciate this one...

We were playing Cities and Knights a couple weeks back (all 5 of us - yes, our children all play - Sarah with some assistance). Sarah was collecting a ton of sheep when she exclaimed, "Hey Mama, I got the sheeps!!"