June Highlights

It's hard to believe that June is nearly over. It hardly even feels like summer, with the clouds and rain almost every day. But we have had a fabulous month so far. Here are some of the exciting moments:
On June 1st, Matt and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. With the 3 years we were together before we got married, that's 12 years!
On June 4th, we participated in our first Twin Cities Heart Walk at Target Field. It was our first visit to Target Field, and although it was not for a Twins game, it was still a lot of fun.
On June 7th, Austin finished 1st grade. He loves school, and is really looking forward to 2nd grade, but for now, it's all about SUMMER! Also, I finished my 9th year of teaching.
On June 8th-10th, the kids and I spent a few days at my parents' house with my nephews, Alex and Nathan. Bounce Depot, the playground, garage sales, Great-Grandma's, you name it, we did it.
On June 19th, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. Enough said. We also celebrated the amazing fathers in our lives, my dad Don, Matt's dad Richard, and of course, the fabulous father of my own children, my wonderful husband.
On June 24th-26th, we spent another great weekend at my parents' house. Kaylie and Austin had fun watching the Granite City Days parade, and we spent some time at the playground and at Great-Grandma's house.
Of course, there has been plenty of trips to the playground, bike riding, scootering, sidewalk chalking, trips to the beach, and afternoons in the pool. We have not seen Cars 2 yet, but are looking forward to seeing it soon, as well as the new Winnie the Pooh movie in July. We are also looking forward to a family trip to Duluth, as well as many more lazy summer days!

At Target Field


Kaylie's new princess bubbles

Looking good!

My little princess

Rollerblading man

LEGO-MANIA!

What can you build with Legos? ANYTHING!

My Future Musicians

Music is such an important part of life for so many reasons. It's a wonderful way for me to express myself, I love playing the clarinet, and just getting lost in the music. Matt and I met while playing the SCSU Wind Ensemble, and I believe that it is a love for music that brought us together. We already have had conversations about what instruments Austin and Kaylie may play when they are ready (for the record, I vote for french horn and oboe respectively, don't listen to Matt!). Now that they are older and can sit through a concert, it is a lot of fun to take them to Matt's concerts. He plays trombone with the North Suburban Community Band, and he is really enjoying the experience. They recently performed a pops concert, and the kids and I enjoyed spending the time listening to the music together. Austin especially loved the jazz band, who knows, maybe he will play trombone someday?

Top Ten Children's Books

Today while I was reading with Kaylie, I started thinking about how many books I have read in my life. I have always loved to read. I also have always loved children's books. I have been collecting books for a long time, long before I even was pregnant with Austin. I have always enjoyed reading to my children, and try to make some special time to do that whenever I can. I was cleaning and rearranging the kids' bookshelves today (moving some of Austin's old books to Kaylie's room, etc.), and I started to think about some of my favorite children's stories. There are too many to list here of course, but here are a few of my faves. Feel free to add your own!

10. The Feel Good Book by Todd Parr

9. Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton (my favorite book as a kid!)

8. Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks

7. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems (hilarious!)

6. The Lorax by Dr. Suess

5. I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse (I bought this for Austin right before Kaylie was born - great story for new siblings!)

4. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (I still tear up when the boy leaves)

3. Old Turtle by Doug Wood (wonderful story)

2. The Way I Feel by Janan Cain (great for teaching kids about feelings)

And my all time favorite.....

1. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be)

Lessons in Life

Over the past 3 days, I have had to have several conversations with Austin about a topic that is difficult for many to understand - death. On Saturday afternoon, one of his classmates lost her mom after a 2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 32 years old, the same age as me. When I told him about her, he was quiet and not really sure what to say. He was a little nervous about going to school today. I wasn't sure what to make of his reaction.

When I picked him up at Renae's today, the first thing he said when we got in the car was, "Mom, we talked about Allie's mom at school today, so I don't want to talk about it anymore". Although, I wanted to talk about it, I took my cue from him. I kept quiet about it for awhile, then asked him what Mrs. Buntrock had said to them. She had read them a couple of children's stories about death and dying, and they had talked about the stages of grief that Allie may be experiencing. They talked about things that they could say to her, and as a class, decided that they would make cards for her.

Then he really opened up, and we had a great conversation. Austin and I talked about the fact that even though Allie's mom isn't here on earth with her anymore, she will always be watching over her, just like Grandma Clemen is watching over him. We talked about cancer, and how anybody can get it, there are medications and surgeries to help, but sometimes those things don't work. Then the questions began:

"Will Allie ever see her mom again?"

"Will she forget about her?"

"Is she sad?"

"What about her brother and sister, are they sad?"

"Mommy....what if.....?"

Luckily, he never finished that last question. I did my best to answer the others in words he could understand. As we sat together and cried for Allie and her family, I was reminded how precious life is. At any moment, things could happen that could turn our entire world upside down. Enjoy every moment, live every day like it may be your last.