Grand Island Paddle Trip

Aaron and I just got back from our belated anniversary trip, which we attempt to take every year to remind ourselves that we still know how to have fun. We did a paddle trip to Grand Island, near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Lake Superior. We had been saving, and Aaron got a deal on some kayaks that we have been wanting for a long time, a couple of Current Designs sea touring kayaks. So we loaded them up and drove up to Munising, MI, then paddled across to Grand Island for a wet and cold weekend. It was the first weekend in October, in the U.P., so I wasn't expecting 70s, but I also didn't expect it to rain on and off the entire 4 days we were there. Thank goodness we have good gear, otherwise we would have been miserable. As it was, despite the rain, the winds were blowing (or not blowing, really,) in our favor, and we were able to paddle a good portion of the coastline, which is marked by 200-foot cliffs, waterfalls, sea caves and sea arches. It was beautiful! I gripe about the rain, but it really was a great trip, and already has me planning our next destination, which will probably be the Les Cheneaux Islands, near Drummond Island in the U.P. Although with the possibility of snow in the forecast this weekend, that trip may have to wait until next year.

Birthday fun

We had the boys' birthday party at Greater Kalamazoo World of Gymnastics. This was the first year we invited school friends and not just family, and the boys had a blast! Aside from the gym being in a warehouse in an industrial park area of town, it was really cool. A coach led them though a whole bunch of gym activities: rings, trampoline, vault, and something she referred to as "big blue." For two boys who like to run and climb all over everything, it was a dream come true!













After the gymnastics party and cake, we had another gathering at our house, with family and more friends, and a couple of Darth Vader pinatas. I was a little disappointed that the dark lords of the Sith didn't put up a better fight. A few whacks with a bat and they spilled their candy guts all over the place!

Bakers baking

This is the boys decorating the gluten-free birthday cakes we made for their party. I made them both gluten-free so that Aaron could partake. Everyone deserves cake, right? Can we say sprinkles? I was actually worried that the kids wouldn't like the cakes because they were gluten-free. But then I realized if you put sugary vanilla or strawberry-flavored frosting on a dog turd, a kid would eat it. ;) And these cakes tasted waaaaay better than dog turds, so I had nothing to worry about!

Crazy creekin'

This is what happens when you leave random camping gear in the boys room after you put them to bed. This is a Crazy Creek camping chair the Riley decided would be a good addition to his bed.

School transitions

After a great first week of school, reality must have set in, because every morning when we dropped the boys off at school, there was a hysterical screaming or crying fit by one or both of the boys. Connor seemed especially sensitive, and last Friday he clamped onto my neck so hard I had a difficult time prying him off. Their teacher didn't seem to understand that all she had to do was take him by the hand and distract him for a minute so I could get away, since as soon as I leave they almost always stop crying immediately. I was finally rescued by the art teacher, Mrs. Murphy, who led both the boys into the art room to "help out." I am not quite sure I am sold on their kindergarten teacher, but maybe it's because I was used to the smaller class size and rapport they had with their teachers at the preschool, because they had been going there since they were babies, (literally, at 11 weeks old!). I guess we all need a little adjustment.
This week though, I had a talk with the boys, and let them know the screaming crying fits weren't allowed, and I gave them an incentive. On Tuesday, I told them that if they had a good drop off with no tears or tantrums, that we would go swimming that night. There were very excited and when I dropped them off they seemed fine, until I was getting ready to make my exit and looked over at Connor's seat, and he wasn't in it. I went over there and he was bent over, basically hiding under the desk, because he had started to cry and didn't want me to see! I gave him a big hug and told him he did a good job, and that it was okay to be sad, just not okay to have a fit about it. After that he seemed okay, and I managed to get out of the room without any hysterics. Today I instituted a sticker chart. For every good drop-off they get a sticker, and if they get stickers today, Thursday and Friday, we get to go see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. It worked like a charm! I dropped them off and said goodbye at the door to their classroom, and there wasn't a tear in sight! Hopefully Because I don't know how long I can keep topping the awesome bribes, I mean, incentives!

First day fun

So here are the long-awaited first day of school pics, only a week after the fact. I am still so excited for the boys and can't wait to hear everything they did every day, even though it is already like pulling teeth. "How was your day?" I ask. "Good," they say. "Well, what did you learn today?" I ask. "I don't know, and can you please stop asking?" They already have the whole teenager thing down.
The first day went smoothly, Aaron and I both drove them to school since the bus doesn't go to our house, we waited with them in the gym as everyone got organized and checked off the list, then we marches as a group down the the classroom. They looked small and a little tired and lost as they got settled in, but as soon as the teacher sat them down "cris-cross-apple-sauce-hands-are-in-our-laps" and started reading "The Kissing Hand"
by Audrey Penn, they were just fine. I thought I would cry at some point, but I was so proud and excited for them that none of us even shed a tear! I can't believe how big they are getting. In fact, they seemed to have gotten older by the time we picked them up from their first day of school. We went to the Kalamazoo Nature Center on Sunday, and they have some birds on display; a kestrel and some owls, among others, and Connor asked me to get out a piece of paper and write notes about his observations about the birds; i.e, "The American Kestrel has a sharp beak for stabbing into the meat that it eats." I don't have the paper in front of me, but that was the gist. I love it that he gets it that writing things down can help you remember, and that he found the things that he learned that interesting.
Here are some pictures from our first day of school. Click on the slideshow to see them bigger...

Elementary eve

Its ten p.m. The new school clothes are in the dryer. Backpacks on the hook. Kids in bed, ready for a big day tomorrow. Me, trying to think of something profound to write on this day before the first day of kindergarten. I don't know quite how to feel. Mostly I am SO excited for them to start this next chapter. There are so many fun and interesting opportunities out there, and I can't wait to for the boys to experience them all. I always thought I would be a "slacker mom," because I hate the idea of the boys being over-scheduled, but now I am thinking of all these activities that they can sign up for: swim lessons (done), soccer, baseball, karate, gymnastics, climbing camp, the list goes on and on!
Meagan is now living with us full time, and we just got her registered for high school at Kalamazoo Central today, and I was reminded of the anticipation of a new school year, and all the new and exciting things that came with it. It's a big switch for her, transferring in 10th grade, but she seems excited. Almost as excited as I am for her. Honors english, college readiness, journalism, and geometry. Helping her with her homework might be my one real chance to put my rusty math skills to work!
Well, off to bed now, having a high schooler who catches the bus at 6:50 a.m. means our house will be waking up pretty early from now on. Well, at least Meagan will be!

Stay tuned for the obligatory "first day of school" pictures.