Enough Rain!

Okay so seriously stop with the rain already! This week M-F we were to have a total of 10 home games. Well today is Thursday and we have not played a game yet! And good news it is over cast and starting to sprinkle again. We had big plans to go on a over night trip to D.L. this weekend but that is looking like a bust because all these games are going to be Friday and Saturday. The area schools are going to have a meeting next Tuesday to decide what we can do to get all these kids back out on the diamonds and tracks. Today , Tanner is going to Maple River for track and Bubba & Dalton are at home vs. Maple River.

Lucas’ first 6 weeks

Logan Draws!

We have two magna doodles.  One in the car and one in the house.  Logan LOVES to draw on them.  He will draw for hours and tell me little stories about the pictures he draws.  I find it quite adorable as you can imagine.  Here are a few of my personal favorites:

“Dis an Easter egg.  The dots are de jelly beans in the middle”

“Dis a scared monster!”

“Slug Monster.  See dos big teeth?  Dey gonna bite you!”

“Dis a ‘Bri-Nation’.  It eats hot lava, humans, and hair!”

The Dish Gala

Papa Cargill called on Tuesday and requested Darin attend the the Second Harvest "Dish Gala" in St. Paul. I thought "OH wonderful a evening out~ Yahoo" then reality set in when we hear it was a formal event. (Yikes, new suit here we come)
Well it turned out to be a wonderful evening. Cargill sponsor the entertainment so we sat front and center for Comedian Tom Papa {host of Marriage Ref & various movies} Hilarious is the only word to describe him. Cargill had three tables for the event with different business units being represented for their work with Second Harvest Food Self.
We sampled foods from 12 executive chefs from the cities. All types of great food from braised short ribs over polenta to crepes with salmon. On each end of the ballroom were ice sculptures that they poured either pomegranate martini's or lemon drop martini's.
Interesting group of people at the Gala and naturally it was fun to people watch. Ladies the small evening handbags are no longer in at these formal events............everyone needs to get huge loud colored bags to go with their little black dresses. They also had a live auction that had 10 items on it and they received $5,000.00 for 2 (yes only 2) tickets to see Tim McGraw in concert with a meet & greet. Once again very lucky to work for Cargill and I hope I remember that the next time the Mill calls at 3 am........... Have a blessed Good Friday!

Sunday at the Lake!

Well we took the plunge......no the water is still too cold! We took the boyz to see our new lake place on Ballintyne Lake we leased. 20 miles for door step to door step and a great view with a large sand beach. Ballintyne Lake is about 12 miles from Mankato. When we were there we saw just one boat out fishing. This week they will get the dock & fire pit set up. Once the dock is in we will be able to take the boat out. It's hard to believe these trailers come with AC /Satellite/Showers and Bedrooms. Long cry from the old pop up camper we use to have! With graduation coming we probably won't get to the lake too much before the 1st of June. But enough times the boyz can figure out where the fish are biting before the Grandparents come to check it out.

My new favorite book

This book is adorable!  I am tempted to tell you all about it but it is almost better if I tell you nothing and let you get it for yourself (I hope your library has it!).  Very simple and very subtle.  Pro homebirth.  Love it!

Back to the fun stuff…

Adding the fun back in a day at a time.  Today it was our bento lunches.  How the kids have missed them!  Cheese and crackers on the bottom, carrots, dip and a few graham cracker goldfish on top.  They so enjoyed going to the spring party today and bringing their little lunch boxes and water bottles.  Even Alex said he liked it, although I had to pack a fruit bar on top of a double portion of lunch for his ever growing appetite.  (He is now 5’10” and wears a 13 shoe!)

I lead a butterfly craft at the spring party today.  I got to learn a few things about being a mama of a newborn and a teacher.  The baby woke up just before I started and so I had him on my lap the entire time.  It made teaching really difficult and I was flustered and hard to follow most of the time.  When I got done and we were all sitting down to lunch I had the grand idea of putting Luke in the sling (which he prefers to being on my lap anyhow, the cuddler that he is) and then thought how helpful that would have been had I thought of that while I was trying to teach the craft!!!  I will know for next time. 

My babymoon being nearly over (7 weeks old today!), I am excited that I am starting to get my grove enough to want to do things like lead a craft table or pack a bento lunch. I have loved taking the time off to love on my sweet new babe, but I am guessing I will love living my life with him along with us even more.

Some more images from Dad's auction last week. Not often you can go to a water front auction and purchase high quality farm equipment. Can you believe the old basketball hop from the farm could only bring 2 bucks and a car caddy with some misc tools made in China could bring $15. They obviously didn't realize the Elliott boys used that basket ball rim. The top was worn, but the paint on the inside of the rim (where the ball should wear the paint as it goes through) looked brand new.

Baseball Season got into FULL swing last Thursday with Tabor and the varsity hanging 15 runs on LeCenter/Cleveland and Dalton and the 8th grade team hanging on in the last inning for a 6 to 5 victory. Tabor wears double zero and will be patrolling the outfield for the Raiders this spring. Tabor was 2 for 3 in the opener with a walk, 2 RBI's and 3 runs scored. He was lifted int he 4th inning so the freshman could get some varsity playing time (with no JV game coach brought the freshmen/sophomore with).

Dalton wears #7, just like his favorite baseball player (Joe Mauer) and plays catcher. Dalton will be playing with the 8th grade team and the JV this year, there are seven 8th graders that will be playing up to help fill out the JV along with the 3 freshmen and 1 sophomore, needless to say they will take a few lumps this year on the JV squad, but with 8 seniors on the varsity, these 8th graders will need that JV experience as they will be called upon to play varsity next year.

Tanner has 2 track meets in so far this season and he is enjoying himself. He runs the 800 and what ever relay the coaches ask him to. He ran in the 4X400 relay on Friday and declares anyone that enjoys the 400 as crazy (After telling him his grandpa and uncle John both ran the 400 he was sure he was correct) but it may have had something to do with running the 800 10 minutes before the relay and missing a week of practice due to the Chicago trip and the auction. Looking forward to outdoor track meets as Tanner has been practicing for the pole vault and has been waiting to unleash his new skills after getting some outdoor practice in a real pole vault pit.

My BOLD Boy!

Friday was twin day at the Jr. High. Deacon and his best friend decided they wanted to do something a little different. Sooooo...here is how they went. He said they had lots of positive feedback, from the principal, to school teachers and students. Many asked to take their pictures. One non member asked "where's your bikes?" I was impressed with his ability to not be ashamed or embarrassed but instead shine as an example of the believers. Almost got me choked up to see what a good looking missionary he is. Can't believe it will all be reality in as little as 6 years! LOVE this kid!!!

Live Eagle Cam

For the last three days we have been keeping up on the live eagle cam that is showing the hatching eggs from a nest in Iowa. (Link) It has been SUCH a cool experience!  The last time we were watching a cam of baby birds none of the eggs hatched.  So I was thrilled to see that ALL THREE of these eggs are now hatched and healthy! 

We have captured these bald eagle parents feeding their new eaglets, bringing in fish and dead critters for the attending parent to eat, sleeping, flying off… we even have seen both mama and papa eagle there at the same time and were able (for a brief time) to figure out which was which.  It is so neat!

However, there have been many times we have checked and seen nothing but black feathers… so my 4 yr old has nicknamed the channel “Eagle Butt TV”.

All morning long all three kids  have been making ‘eagle nests’ and taking care of ‘eagle eggs’ (although Alex would NOT pose for a picture). 

Later we are making ‘eagle nest’ cupcakes (with jelly beans on top) and perhaps even some ‘eagle food’ (fish, although it means a trip to the market)… 

Fun day in Unschooling land!

A beautiful homeschooling moment

Grandpa Elliott's Auction!

Today Grandpa Elliott had his auction sale in Grandin, ND. The weather warmed up to 45* and the people came out!

Darin got the last registered number#220. It will be nice to have Grandpa enjoy retirement! We will post more photos later! Congratulations Grandpa!

Lake Shore property!

Lake shore view.......... okay probably for another week or two. The snow is almost gone and the low spot in the back yard has turned into a lake. Today we got up to 57* but as the day went on it quickly got over cast and windy.

We have added to our hunting family as you can see. Can't wait for the boyz to get home to help name her. Her papered dam name is Bella. But the males in this house think that it is not a good hunting name when we are out in the field. Pete is just tickled to have a friend to chase around. She is a silver weimarnier and has to learn how to be a outside dog in a kennel. She came from a home where they let her sit in on your lap. She gets a bit irritated that every time she sets her rawhide down Pete chows it down. But she's learning and she loves to sit on the deck and watch all the Canadian geese fly by.

History class

SOTW class went on for Cyan while I was on maternity leave.  My wonderful friends found a new place to have class and did the first 6 chapters of SOTW Level 3 with Cyan still able to attend.

This last two weeks we have been back to doing history class here and I am completely impressed with what the class has been doing without me.

Chapter 7: They learned about the spread of slavery in the American collonies, and made patterned stamp art like Adinkra stamped cloth.

 

Chapter 8: (Happily back in my homeschool room!)  We learned all about how many groups of people took over the land that is now modern day Iraq.  For craft we built the bridge of 33 arches.

Chapter 9: We learned about the Thirty Years War in Germany and made paper lanterns to share in the festival of lights.

More fun with Dry Ice!

Ok, so after my dramatic disclaimer yesterday I feel the need to say that doing experiments with dry ice is fun.  Just not while breathing it!  It gave both my big kids a stomach ache that night that they were playing with it. 

Yesterday we tried a safer dry ice experiment… Singing spoons!

This is one I will have to get video of for the full effect, but basically it makes the spoon ‘sing’ with the below zero temperature.  We were very careful and used chop sticks to pick up the dry ice and put it on the spoon… then of course, after we were done, we dropped it into hot water in a bowl:

That is always a crowd pleaser, as long as no one is sticking their face in it.