Minnesota Mayhem with the Reid Family

Halloween x 2

2010-11-01T17:19:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the party planning of the Brennan and Reid kids, we were able to enjoy Beggars' Night in Des Moines and Trick-or-Treat night in Minneapolis. Before the evening's festivities, we enjoyed a gorgeous 70 degree day in Des Moines. I have to say, Des Moines is definitely a cooler place than when I was a small friend. We went to a fabulous French cafe for lunch, the Pappajohn Sculpture Garden downtown, and to a very hip shop called RAYGUN. Sadly, Shawn was not with us on this trip, but I scored him some cool t-shirts. Watch for him sporting one that says, "America: Only the Insured Survive" and "Clear Lake: The Hamptons of Mason City." I know that he can't wait to wear that one in Forest City where its humor will be thoroughly appreciated.

We carved pumpkins with the Brennans using their ample array of Pumpkin Wizard tools. The boys had also had another cousin carving party with Freddy, so we have sharpened these skills...what else can we carve before Halloween 2011?

Enjoy the photos of Lachen and Joe as Legolaf and Aksel and Lexi as hobbits, Frodo and Sam, respectively. Thank you Grandma Hemberger for turning out these Lord of the Rings costumes so quickly! I went to a surprise party for Jonathon. Vampires were sucking blood all night long. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Shawn's birthday is on Halloween, and once again, his day was trumped by pagan celebration and costuming. We'll celebrate you soon, Shawn!

Morning: Front Porch: Coffee=Evening:Back Yard: Surly

2010-10-10T06:34:00.001-05:00

Saturday began bright and sunny. I eeked out an hour on the front porch in my poufy rocking chair with a cup of coffee and the newspaper online cradled in my lap. Glory!

Lachen and Aksel had an hour of hockey, and since their dad led the clinic, I felt perfectly fine leaving the ice rink, and walking across the street to school to organize my crazy mountain of mayhem, a.k.a. my desk in my classroom. I haven't had a desk at other schools, and it has a been a pain. However, my filing system of P.I.L.E.S. which I inherited from my father is now on full display for all students and administrators to see. Alas. Chink in my armor #27.

Literally traipsing across the street back to Parade Ice Arena, I had to peel off my trusty Adidas jacket. "Too hot!" (A rare utterance from the glacial ALR.) Lachen and Aksel's soccer team had a game soon after the hockey clinic, so we dashed home, changed gear, and we walked over to the soccer field while they ate sandwiches. Of course, both boys scored, and self-esteem soared. Lachen was asked to play in another game in the afternoon with older kids, and that too was a scoring event for him.

By now, it was 3:30, and still a glorious sunny day. Lachen could barely walk from fatigue, and Aksel's food crabbies were looming large. Even after a 2 hour respite at home, I conceded my hope that a art gallery opening for the evening's event was dead.

To ease my dissed self, I set myself up in the backyard Adirondack with a Surly beer, a new knitting project (because I know this warm weather isn't eternal), and the Prairie Home Companion. Musical guests: Storyhill.

Don't think for a moment everyday is that blissful, but Saturday was. And now, Sunday is here, so I rose at 5:00 to grade papers. So many, many papers...It's grand to have two-day weekends after three years of 1/2 day weekends at St. Mark's.

Wishing you a moment in your favorite chair, with your favorite beverage, doing whatever brings you joy.

Quilt in an Art Show

2010-10-01T23:07:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite quilt creations is being featured in a gallery at the Blake School. Click through the photo gallery to see the quilt.

Proper display really does showcase something that I would generally just curl up with on my couch. Now, the question is, will I feel guilty tucking it in around my toes after it has had its moment of glory in an art gallery?

Nope. Not a bit. Quilts are meant to be admired at lap level too.

Festivals!

2010-09-12T07:59:00.003-05:00

Lachen, Aksel, and I went to this festival on the shores of Lake Nokomis
yesterday. We biked over, joined in some dancing lessons taught by two
Native American dancers. The boys planted milkweed seeds, and we
learned about the monarch's migration from Minnesota to Mexico through
a game sort of like musical chairs. It was a short bike ride from our house,
and a beautiful way to start a busy day of soccer, hockey, and a perfect
late summer meal near Cedar Lake at one of Shawn's coach's house. It
was a picture perfect fall day.

Lest you think that's the only festival we attended this weekend, we also
went to the inaugural Kramczuk's Kielbasa Festival in Northeast
Minneapolis. The sheer quantity of festivals in this city is downright
dizzying. Of course, I loved that festival because the entrance fee
brought with it a commemorative stein. Lithuanian culture abounded
including a organ grinder and some women dressed up as enormous felt
Baltic Easter eggs.

Lachen's New Blog

2010-09-06T10:50:00.001-05:00

Lachen has started a blog, so if you'd like to know what's going on in his world, check out www.lachenslife.blogspot.com

A Public Service Announcement

2010-08-28T00:38:00.003-05:00

Public service announcement #437: Practice what you'll say when you hear a racist, homophobic, sexist, or insensitive comment. You'll need to pull out that little spiel when you least expect it.

I watched this video at a faculty workshop today. It's about 3 minutes long, concise, and pragmatic. It'll make you chuckle. It's called "How to Tell People They Sound Racist."

Also, here's another video that is worth a look. I'm increasingly concerned about anti-immigrant sentiments towards Latino/as and Muslim people. It's entitled "The Green War on Immigrants."

I also just read Zeitoun which I would love to loan to anyone looking for a good read. It's by David Eggers about one man's journey during and after Hurricane Katrina. It starts as the fulfillment of the American Dream, then suddenly shifts. Read it! Shawn and I both read it in just a few days. Let me know, and I'll lend you my copy.

I can't stop thinking about Japanese internment camps lately. Is that where we're headed? Decimation of Native Americans was grounded in (twisted) Christian theology. Slavery was also frequently justified using Bible passages. So, are all Christians terrorists too?

The dumbing down of American consciousness is stupifying, but don't let your incredulous reactions immobilize you. Why isn't there more uproar about Islamophobia and anti-immigration racism? Why isn't there more of an uproar? Maddening.

Blake!

2010-08-19T00:16:00.000-05:00

I'm officially starting my new job at the Blake School tomorrow. However, I've been plugging away on several projects already. One of these projects is being the new adviser of the school newspaper. I went to a fabulous conference put on by the National Scholastic Press Association, and I learned how to post the paper. I'm going to link it here. I had nothing to do with this issue, but it will give you a sense of what I'll be working with this school year.Spectrum June 2010

I also just received a message from a woman who lived next door to me my first year at Gustavus. She also teaches at Blake, so it will be delightful to reconnect with her. I am seriously pinching myself because this gig seems too good to be true. I have a comically huge classroom, the curriculum is stellar, and the faculty are so positive, brilliant, and have such interesting life stories. I know it's going to be a mountain of work, but that's why someone is paying me. Cheers to tomorrow!

Hotdish from the Midwest with Love

2010-08-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

I love Adam Turman. His whimsical, edgy prints decorated my kitchen in Massachusetts. He connected me to my roots when I began to feel squelched by New England life. I have this one hanging in my kitchen. I'm on a quest to find one for my grandmother's kitchen in Anguilla.

After reading about the combination of white beans and collard greens on my sister's blog, I found this article and recipe. Click on this article, "How to Trash a Great Recipe" and feel the hotdish love!

August! Dog days? No way!

2010-08-02T20:12:00.001-05:00

August. While August conjures images of green algae stagnating on too-warm lake water for some, August is a glorious month that I am sure to be warm, moist, and steamed like a perfect artichoke. Green, like the word "august" can be a fresh, grassy meadow or a canned, cold pea. So, like its greenish hue, August's connotations are many.

August means summer is starting to wind down. Summer projects have to be revved up if they are to be finished before school starts. Only a few more weekends to squeeze a weekend trip onto the mixed tape of Summer Road Trips of 2010.

The best flowers bloom in August: black-eyed susans, purple coneflowers, and sedum. These are hardy flowers, not afraid of hot, searing sun. The pansies have long since shriveled, dried up, and gone home. August means "marked by majestic dignity or grandeur " according to Webster's Dictionary. Well, of course! Only the robust, chest-thrust forward, dignified few can stand proudly with pitted-out arm pits and delirious heat headaches.Violets? Not-so-much. Shrinking.

And, the most robust expression of summer: tomatoes! Ah, at long last, the tomatoes! I'm catapulted back to a Sicilian patio after dusk with a hunk of crusty bread in my hand, dripping with olive oil and tomato innards that have been crushed into the spongy, holey bread.

Remember the sweat that's sitting on your upper lip as you wake up in the morning, as you wash dishes, as you exert yourself in the smallest of ways during the day. The sweaty back of your dress shirt, the healthy shine on the apples of children's cheeks. Remember this salty, sweaty month this winter. Once winter comes, I'll be shivering in five layers, with white fingers, flush faced from my niacin pills, and dreaming of this august day.
http://web.mac.com/peterhemberger/iWeb/august/photos_files/slideshow.html?slideIndex=73

Baltimore & D.C.

2010-07-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

So, first let me acknowledge that I need to change the title of this blog. However, the address will stay the same. It's convenient that the change of state does not prevent me from the alliterative revelry of the M's. Love that literary device. Wow, am I a dorky English teacher...

One week before we moved, we squeezed a trip into the chaos that is life. My cousin Lexi is spending the summer in Baltimore to lengthen one of her legs so that both of her limbs are the same length. It's a dreadful, painful, and lengthy process involving the breaking of her femur and slow pulling apart of the bone so that the bone tissues literally grows in to fill the void. Lexi is a very beloved cousin verging on celebrity status in the eyes of Lachen and Aksel. So, it was without question that we would go to visit her and her mom, Liz. And, since it's a mere 40 minute train ride to D.C., we'd go there too.

BALTIMORE

We took the overnight train from Boston, arriving in Baltimore shortly after 6:00 a.m. We stayed close to the Inner Harbor, visited the National Aquarium and the USS Torsk submarine. Shawn tried out one of the beds. Tiny!

Lexi was in a wheelchair, so we were able to experience the multi-leveled museum using many elevators, ramps, and even a secret passageway. Lachen had been researching sharks, so he was beyond delighted to see so many species of sharks. I'm always a fan of the jellyfish, and Aksel loves the dolphin show. He does love a performance!

We sampled several crab dishes, and my favorite was the Maryland crab soup. Once again, we had the argument with Aksel about why he can't have lobster even if it is on the menu. Shawn found an awesome Italian spot that played 1950s movies and TV shows on a ginormous screen behind the bar complimented by smarmy lounge music. FYI: Maryland fish and chips are cornmeal crusted, not battered like the New England variety that we know and love. Both perfect unions of fish and grease.

WASHINGTON D.C.

"One single day in the nation's capital?!?" you ask? It's clearly too short, but it's what we had. And, this was a reconnaissance tour to plan a longer trip with Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger in another year or two. So, we scoped out the places we wanted to spend more time next time. However, in one day, we did manage to see the Capitol, the entire Mall, the American Indian Museum, Air & Space, Natural History, the sculpture garden, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the White House. The photo is from the flight simulator. Aksel, the man of no fear, wanted "More! More! More!"

We also saw two political demonstrations. Since it was Father's Day, there was a father's rights rally. Also, we watched literally hundreds of skateboards careen down the hill of a city street and make a 90 degree turn towards the Capitol. When one boarder was nearly hit by a car, he hopped off his board. Shawn seized the moment without motion to ask what the event was. The boarder said, "Skateboarding for freedom, man." It was classic! And these guys (really not a girl in sight) really did take over the entire street, stopping traffic, and making a point. I saw a sign banning skateboarding on the sidewalk later that day. Of course I did a subversive "Rock on!" fist pump at that silly sign.

Lachen and Aksel LOVED the day, and somehow their little legs managed the miles of walking. Next time, we want to go INTO the Capitol and White House, and spend a whole day at each museum, plus the Folger Shakespeare Library, the art gallery, and Washington Capitals ice arena. And, we learned that the best place to eat on the mall is in the American Indian museum. Lachen's busily planning the trip!

First Date Night

2010-07-03T01:45:00.001-05:00

After spending a few days moving into our new house, Shawn and I went out on the town tonight. There's nothing like leaving the boys for an evening knowing that they'll have a fun time and it won't cost us $50 in babysitter fees. Wa-hoo! We went see Man som hatar kvinnor (incorrectly translated The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) at 50th & France and then we headed downtown to The Local for a drink on the patio. It was 81 degrees at 11:15 tonight. Gloriously steamy and breezy. Tons of people out on the town, free parking, cheap drinks. Dreamy!

I'm typing this on my mom's iPad. As I said at dinner tonight, I think Shawn has fallen in love with this contraption...someday, Shawn :)

"We'll get by with a little help from our friends"

2010-06-26T06:23:00.000-05:00

This blog post is dedicated to our friends Will and Paul who helped us tremendously over the last two days. We'll miss their friendship (and strong backs) dearly.

We spent two days loading and packing our Penske truck. Will, our friend and my colleague in the English Department, magically appeared on Thursday morning. He helped us get into gear and he helped Shawn carry our heaviest things--including the piano. The piano was slightly wider than the ramp into the truck, and because our driveway is on a hill, the ramp was also at a slant. The piano teetered at one point, I saw Will's eyes get larger than I thought possible, and we all made a major heave to get the piano in. Little did I know that had the teeter been successful, I would have been crushed by it. So, thanks for saving me, Will! Our neighbor Brian also stopped by and took a few loads for us. Every little bit helps.

On Friday, Shawn and I awoke expecting to finish the job ourselves. Lachen is getting stronger and he has Shawn's work ethic. Aksel is still easily distracted by a pile of cushions on the floor or re-discovering an old toy. So, the Reid Family Moving Company is not quite ready for hire. But, for this day, we were it. Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, we bucked up and starting hauling. An hour into the morning, another moving angel appeared in the form of Paul Secrist, a.k.a. our Iowan friend, who has been so much a part of our sports life, family life, and our general juggling of life, I feel like the boys should call him Uncle Paul. Paul boosted our spirits, not to mention boosting dozens of boxes, dressers, and some really dusty, neglected old speakers. For the last two years, an extended family of dust bunnies have been procreating behind our TV armoire. Truly gross.

The big yellow rig took up the entire driveway, and somehow we fit everything we own into it. Everything, that is, except the yellow chair. I discovered this 1960s chair in the basement of the dorm, recovered it in a sunny yellow fabric, and in the end, there just wasn't room for it. It was either that or my loom, and I chose to keep my loom. So, I put it back in the basement so that some other crafty, quirky woman can discover it and give it a place of honor in her home.

We are packed into every inch of the truck and our car. We'll take three days to drive to Minnesota where I here there are flash floods. Luckily, my parents have checked on our house, and we are pleasantly perched atop of a hill--no trash bins floating down our alley. Ah, I like the sound of that: our alley. I'm so excited about city living, urban closeness, walkability. Living in the leafy suburb of Southborough has been an adventure, and we made lifelong friends and a myriad of memories. And now, the adventure continues! Westward ho! to the urban cabin... (I'll post better pictures when we arrive.)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

Aksel made this tie for his daddy for Father's Day. Inside of the artfully patterned tie is a stack of coupons for things like "A coupon to play hockey with me" and "A coupon to read stories together." Aksel gave it to his daddy at his end-of-year portfolio party at school. Aksel sang a song with his class called "Big, Big Dreams." Aksel has lots of big dreams! Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the whole world!

Lachen's Author Day

2010-06-18T12:26:00.000-05:00

Lachen's Author Day was a major event with songs, portfolio sharing, many flowers and gifts, and most importantly, a reading by each student in the class. Some students read stories, others biographies, and some read personal reflective essay on what they do in different seasons of the year. At the end, Lachen read two poems. He says with a shrug, "Writing poems is easy. I just do it." So, not only does Lachen write spy novels and funny stories with wacky characters, now he has discovered poetry. Here is my personal favorite:

"The Strange Pastries"

by Lachen

The croissants are poisonous.

The cannolis are attacking.

The bread has command over Asia.

Cookies have made a wall around

China, so they can't get out.

You are not safe.

Lachen read two other poems for his classmates and their parents. His poem about the number pi is a shape poem so you have to see it to appreciate it. The other, "Green Anaconda," was a crowd favorite.

"Green Anaconda"

by Lachen

I looked up.

A green rope was falling.

One second later

550 pounds of anaconda

Crushed

And ate me.

I'm having a great time

Being digested.

Water Park at St. Mark's

2010-06-05T17:48:00.001-05:00

As part of the end of the school year celebration, the JV lacrosse field turned into a waterpark one Saturday afternoon. Lachen and Aksel had loads of fun with their big St. Mark's friends. Splashing, running, and sneak-attacking with super squirters. Good times!cheese is good

Easter 2010

2010-04-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

Easter was on a warm, sunny day in Southborough. While we missed being with our cousins, it was fun to know that Jonah and Freddy were coloring Easter eggs at the exact same time that we were dipping our eggs. Lachen and Aksel are standing in front of a huge hedge of forsythia that bloomed two days before Easter. It is such a splash of yellow flowers that it looks like fall foliage!

Aksel said, "I miss the egg hunts when Uncle Peter plays the bunny." :( NEXT YEAR!

Feature on Lachen

2010-04-11T13:10:00.001-05:00

My iPhoto has not been working for months, but with the help of an Apple Store genius (or 3), I'm back in business. So, here is a photo montage of the recent events in our family. Easter, a Bruins game, Lachen climbing the rock face near our house, and Lachen's heritage project.

2010-03-10T09:22:00.000-06:00

I'm at The Angry Catfish Coffee & Bike Shop reveling in their WiFi. I just overheard that Adam Turman has a show opening this weekend in Uptown. I love Minneapolis. Here's one of his posters below. I have a Hotdish Mama poster in my kitchen. It's tater-tot hotdish in art form.

I also need to use my blog to host an image from a student for my wiki.

Reflections on my Career Path

2010-02-24T22:26:00.000-06:00

Last night, a 2003 St. Mark's alumnus challenged the student body to let their career paths meander and wander. He encouraged them not to be too quick to climb the corporate ladder or take the "right" internship. As he listed his unusual list of employment over the last several years, I mused about what a winding stream my working life has become--sometimes a raging river, sometimes a trickle, but always flowing. I'm nowhere near ready to say I've hit my Gulf of Mexico, but I do think it's been an interesting ride. Here are some things people have paid me to do:
Landscape and grounds crew
Cheerleading coach
Golf instructor
Farmer's Market Vendor selling focaccia and breadsticks
Painter, Holden Village, Washington
Pastry chef at St. Mary's Resort, Glacier Park, Montana
Barista, New French Bakery, Minneapolis
Costume shop seamstress
Quilt designer
Quilt shop sales clerk
Editorial assistant
Website manager
Knitting instructor
Writing tutor
Research assistant for Scandinavian Studies professor
Teaching assistant in English and Classics departments
AFS Intercultural Programs Lead Phone Family Recruiter
ESL teacher
Community organizer for early childhood initiatives
Freelance editor and writer
English teacher
Dormhead

A lot of words, food, fabric, and children. A little dirt and paint. Actually, it does describe me.

I've never had a job that I didn't learn something valuable. It's definitely not a logical path, but it does actually make some good sense. I wonder what my list will be like in another decade or two. Hopefully some international locales, some more of the same elements, and some turns that I cannot fathom yet. I'm certainly not an expert in anything. But, yesterday, I helped mend costumes for the theater department, and I had nearly forgotten that I worked in the Gustavus costume shop. I wonder what wacky jobs I've left off my list. Hmmm...

February Vacation=Grandparents Galore!

2010-02-21T01:36:00.000-06:00

Since Lachen and Aksel had the week off--and Shawn and I did not--the grandparents came to the rescue. G & G Hemberger came in just in time for Valentine's Day to take the boys to hockey, attend their art show opening, play with them when we had to work, and generally give them the grandparent attention that was on "E" since their Christmas fueling.

We also found Freddy Farkel's Fabric in Watertown. I found an abandoned chair with excellent bones. I'll post photos of the finished product. Luckily, my mom re-upholstered other furniture gems with her mom, Jeanne. The skills are trickling down the generations, and now Aksel is my apprentice.

G & G Reid arrived on Friday. They were able to see Shawn coach a game, and tonight they are staying in "The Castle" with Lachen and Aksel. "The Castle" is a Sheraton Hotel that really does look like a castle, complete with turrets, that is just down the road in Framingham. Tomorrow there will be much hockey to take in, followed by a concert, and more G&G time. I have an all-day Photoshop class, so they'll be busy following the life and times of two young boys.

In the middle of the visits, I successfully hosted Taylor Mali, spoken word artist, for two days. After much promotion, cajoling, daring, and prodding, over 200 people came to see him at the poetry reading. It was a joy to behold: students bought all of the books he brought, they clamored for his autograph, and they were buzzing about "how cool" he is, and "can we have him back next year?" It was a grand success. Event planning is exhausting, but when it's successful, it makes it all worth it. Wheh.

Archaeologist Lecture

2010-02-08T19:23:00.001-06:00

After skating on the pond with the high school hockey players, our family went to a lecture by Dr. Koloski-Ostrow from Brandeis University. She has not only dug in Pompeii, North Africa, and all over the world, but she is the world's leading expert on ancient Roman plumbing and toilets. Quite a specialty! So, I knew that my boy would like this talk: archaeology and scatology!

Both boys listened with wide eyes as she gave background information about Pompeii, its people, customs, bathing, and yes, its toilets. While Shawn had to get out of his chair to wake up some dozing high schoolers, Lachen and Aksel were totally into it. (If anything, Lachen was giving a running commentary about which Greek gods correlated to the Roman ones the professor was discussing.) When the professor opened for questions from audience of over 100, guess who raised their hands first. Lachen took the microphone and asked the first question, closely followed by questioner number two, Aksel. I was bursting with pride. My two little classicists!!!

In honor of their impressive showing tonight, Lachen has given me permission to post a quiz on Greek mythology he wrote for us tonight. He wanted me to write the quiz for him to answer, but I reminded him that he knows more about the subject than I do. After tonight, we're clearly going to have to do some reading on Pompeii. The Head of School caught us after the talk and asked when the Reids were going to take a trip to Pompeii. Had I been thinking quicker, I might have asked when he would like to fund one! Okay, here's the quiz. Answers will be posted below.
Lachen is anxious to hear how you do.

1. How many tasks did Hercules have?
a. 11 b. 12 c. 5

2. How was Athena born?

3. What did the Hydra do after you cut off one of its heads?
a. die b. grow two more c. nothing

4. How did Hercules kill the Hydra?

5. Who is the god of healing?
a. Hermes b. Zeus c. Apollo

6. Who are the big three? What are their names?

7. Who invented the chariot?

8. If there is a party, which god comes?
a. Zeus b. Dionysus c. Apollo

9. What did Poseidon make a horse out of?
a. sea foam b. coral c. water

ANSWERS
1. b (12)
2. She was born from Zues's head in full battle armor
3. b (grown two more heads)
4. He cut off all the heads and put fire on them before they could re-grow.
5. c (Apollo)
6. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades
7. Poseidon
8. b (Dionysus--who is Bacchus in Roman mythology)
9. a (sea foam)

Let us know how you do in the comments section! Lachen wrote this quiz from 7:45 until 8:00 tonight. All I did was put a mask on my face and pluck my eyebrows. Clearly, I'm going to have to be a more serious academic if I'm going to keep up in this house!

Ali Baba & the 4T Thieves

2010-01-28T19:38:00.001-06:00

Lachen and Aksel were phenomenal in their production last night. There were lots of audience members in the Black Box to see the first and only production of Ali Baba and the 4T Thieves. Lachen had a major role as Ali's wealthy brother, Cassim. He had several funny lines and he did an excellent job making the crowd laugh with his body language. "What was it again? Was it 'Open Barley?' 'Open Oats?' 'Open Millet?' 'Open Sesame!'" Aksel was one of the four thieves and he played a very fierce robber indeed. In reply to Ali Baba's, "You're a menace to the town," Aksel growled, "We're a menace to you, all right!" After weekly rehearsals since late September, the 8-member cast came together for a fabulous performance. Everyone remembered his or her lines, and none of the props tumbled mid-show. BRAVO! We'll see if there is an encore performance or another production in the future. For now, Aksel is glad to wear his satin Arabian pants around the house, and Lachen went to school today with the remnants of his curly moustache on his left cheek.

Eveleth Home of Hockey Tournament

2009-12-30T00:31:00.000-06:00

Shawn and I are chaperoning a St. Mark's hockey team trip to Minnesota. Currently, the team has played two games (1 win and 1 loss in overtime), we've visited the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, dined in some fine establishments in Eveleth and Virginia, taken in a few good saunas, and squeezed in a great visit with the Sundquists. Tomorrow, the team plays one more game, and we head back to the Twin Cities to go to a Wild game on New Year's Eve. Shawn also arranged a tour of the the arena and passes to watch the team's morning practice--good ol' Wild connections. Lachen and Aksel will meet us at the Xcel Center after a undoubtedly fun time at both grandparents' houses.

Shawn's snoring on the bed...I think I'll join him.

Lille Jul Aften

2009-12-24T00:16:00.000-06:00

Aksel and Lachen were both at Lille Jul Aften, but Aksel positioned himself in front of the camera more often. Lachen was a shepherd this year, and Aksel was Joseph. We had four wise men this year offering gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh, and jar of body butter. It's what every baby really needs. (Double-click on the photos to enlarge them.)

We arrived early to avoid the snow storm, we enjoyed the batch of Guinness Clone Shawn and the boys made at Thanksgiving as well as some hard cider pressed from Dad's apple trees. Soooo delicious. Good times dancing around the tree, the pageant, Christmas carols, and great food. I know that I ate 3 dozen cookies...and that is no exaggeration.

2009-12-14T10:10:00.001-06:00

Christmas is coming!

2009-12-14T09:57:00.000-06:00

My computer and camera are not speaking to each other right now. I'm not sure if this is some sort of holiday tiff or if one of them have contracted a virus. In any case, I can't post the Christmas Pageant videos right now. I can tell you that Lachen did an excellent job as a speaker up at the big pulpit with a microphone. He spoke clearly and flawlessly. What a relief that he takes after his father and not his warbly-voiced mother! I didn't tell him, but I had a wretched gut ache all morning. Apparently his butterflies were in my stomach instead of him.

Aksel was decked out as a shepherd and he belted out his choir's songs with gusto. This is definitely his forte. His favorite was "Go Tell it on the Mountain." We had watched our Lille Jul Aften friend, Sofie Stern, sing at her church http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLzOSczFchA and then we watch a couple episodes of Glee to inspire showmanship and projection. The research definitely paid off!

The boys have their piano recital on Thursday at 7:00. Aksel's wearing a red vest that Grandma knit for Peter, and Lachen and I have our horns locked over his attire. Stay tuned for videos of these performances.

Playmobil Forever

2009-11-11T19:23:00.000-06:00

Lachen and Aksel combined efforts and the Rock Castle bad guys have made a truce with the Good Guy Castle. The two kings are sitting side by side in the throne room below. If only all wars could be settled this way...I do have to wonder why the queen has been moved off the pedestal. A lesson in feminism will be another day. Oh, wait. Lachen, my over-the-shoulder editor has just informed me that the only reason the queen was de-throned was because there wasn't enough space. She's still the queen, and she retains all of her powers. Aksel adds, "She's still in control of EVERYONE." Oh, I guess I have raised two feminists!

Halloween!

2009-11-01T07:14:00.001-06:00

It was a dark and stormy night...no, it really wasn't. It was about 70 degrees, with a warm wind, and a bright full moon. It was oddly warm, but it made for a pleasant trick-or-treating stroll. Since Aksel is getting over a cold, I was glad to send him out in mild weather. No snowsuits under the costumes this year! Davy Crockett quickly filled his side pouches with candy, and then moved on to filling the traditional plastic pumpkin bucket. There's a new version of the Davy Crockett song by They Might Be Giants. Take a listen.
Note Davy's shoes: Minnetonka Moccasins--perfect to complete the King of the Wild Frontier's costume.
Harry Potter made another appearance to the delight of all the boarding school students . Harry really fits in here!
And, after the annual faculty children photo opportunity, the birthday boy relaxed on a neighbor's rock wall while the boys gathered their goodies. Happy Halloween to all!

A snapshot of our yard at 4:00 on a weekday

2009-10-27T14:55:00.000-05:00

Apparently, Aksel's getting ready to pose for his senior pictures, ...until you see how high up in a tree he is! He knows no fear of heights. I literally walked out my front door the other day, and this is what I see: my older son patrolling with a Star Wars weapon, my younger son hanging out in a tree. Moments later, Shawn walked out of the woods from a path you can't see. It was all very surreal. The leaves are just now changing colors. The photos with no boys dangling in them were taking on October 29th. I have to admit the colors out our front door are amazing. The brilliant yellow-leafed tree is the same one Aksel was in.

Harry Potter Dinner at St. Mark's

2009-10-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

No one can accuse the Reid Family of being humbugs. St. Mark's hosted a Hogwart's-style evening meal, and we all dressed up. Shawn was Slughorn, I was Madam Hooch, Aksel was Harry Potter, and Lachen was a Gryffindor student. The whole dining hall was set up like Hogwart's, and each form dressed up in house colors. It was quite a hoot!

Gorgeous Fall Day

2009-10-11T14:47:00.000-05:00

Aksel and I just went on a glorious autumn walk with Reilly. The colors are stupendous, and so it seems the perfect moment to enjoy an Oktoberfest beer and send a note out to my world. I made a batch of Byerly's Wild Rice Soup which is just waiting for Shawn and Lachen to return from the rink to be devoured. I bought the rice at the pow-wow this year, so I am especially excited about this pot o' soup.

We carved pumpkins outside on the patio because it was so sunny and warm. Of course, I have to enter grades and progress reports before 8:00 a.m. tomorrow for 20 students, but that's what nightfall is for, right? Yes, I am ever the procrastinator. But, really, isn't it equally as scandalous to squander a glorious fall day?

I just cleaned, peeled, and sliced at least ten pounds of carrots from my garden. It's the never-ending supply. I wish carrots were as easy to mail as garlic. I don't think they would fare well. I am thoroughly enjoying the garlic cloves my mom sent me via the postal service. In a cardboard box that lets them breathe, they are highly sendable, and they make quite an odiferous entrance into any mailroom.

Finally, I have been reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and it has gotten me thinking about so many different parts of my childhood, American society, parenting, and so many more things. One thing that I feel so intensely living in New England is what an agrarian lifestyle I am used to, even though I certainly didn't grow up on a farm. Gladwell juxtaposes the culture of herders versus farmers and how herders have to protect their flock and always be on the defensive. Sheep are relatively easy to steal or kill, right? Conversely, farmers have to work together to produce a successful crop, and the notion of someone stealing a harvest seems comical: "By moonlight, the neighboring jealous farmer stole a whole year's harvest of potatoes." Sheayh! Right! The cut-throat, suspicious herding mentality isn't really necessary. Compare the violent threat of a wolf versus that of a grazing deer, or imagine the wrath of a jealous neighbor whose flock is overgrazing the sweetest clover. Granted, tempermental weather can be an evil foe as well, but in that case, all the farmers suffer a drought, a flood, or an early frost with equanimity.

This isn't to say that I'm surrounded by herders here in Massachusetts. The metaphor doesn't follow that seamlessly. Rather, I think that the distended link between food producer and food consumer strains--if not obliterates--those agrarian cultural roots that are apparently part of this place as well. Yes, there are apple orchards around. Hugely commercial, with apple pies made in a factory and apple-flavored candy made in China. We can go and pick apples...for $24 a bag.

Today, I'm really yearning for a harvest gathering. Crock pots of steaming, hearty food. Peter's home brewed beer. Pies made with lard. A firebowl or fireplace that forces everyone to gather around closely to stay warm. I remember gathering on a farm the first September that I wasn't a student. It was the year I was in LVC. I had gone to a conference and learned about Hmong families and their urban garden plots; I learned about reviving a nearly-lost language and the symbolism of the four seasons, directions, and elements from a Lakota woman. And then, I returned to the city to join my roommates on a to trek out to our CSA for a harvest party. I posed for a picture on a mountain of brilliant orange, bulbous pumpkins. Then I cupped my hands around a mug of steaming lentil-potato-chard stew in a barn sitting on a metal folding chair. All of my cheeks were numb with cold, but my palms, belly, and soul were toasty warm.

Please tell me that somebody is doing that this Sunday afternoon.

Drying Herbs

2009-09-28T15:05:00.001-05:00

My carrots are plentiful and sweet, and the herbs did famously this year. One thing I love about growing my own food is that I never really know what the harvest will hold. Volunteer tomatoes were the hardiest of all this year, although I did harvest more tomatoes than anyone in Massachusetts, I think. I've always wanted enough herbs to hang and dry. Finally!

Lachen's 8th birthday party

2009-09-20T22:02:00.001-05:00

Aksel's latest song

2009-09-16T14:48:00.000-05:00

Back to School

2009-09-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

First Day of School! Every year, these are my favorite photos. The boys are all spruced up with new school shoes, tentative smiles, eagerness to see what this day will hold...I love it! Lachen rode his bike to school on the first day (with a Daddy escort), and Aksel was one of 7 children to get on at the St. Mark's stop at the top of our hill. It's a very short bus ride, but I know that I'll still drive them to school so we can have those great 10 minute car chats on the way.

The school year has started smoothly for all of us. I am teaching two classes again, and it looks like my Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons will be teh times when I'll be doing Mom Things. This week, I'm preparing for Lachen's birthday party. He's having a street hockey party this year, and I need to figure out how to make a Stanley Cup birthday cake and black puck cookies. We found other party supplies at the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto --yes, I was actually shopping for his party months in advance--stop chortling. We're looking forward to having 8 friends over for his 8th birthday.
Do you like Aksel's red shoes? What's better than new red school shoes, right? These are Kangaroos with the hidden zipper pocket on the side. I had a pair in 3rd grade. Mine were pink, purple, and yellow. They were nothing short of perfection. Aksel wanted these for months after seeing them in a little shoe store in Boston, across from Mike's Pastry. He got them for his 6th birthday. He's always had the best taste in shoes.
These are my boys! They've started taking piano lessons, and Lachen is determined to catch up with his little brother. This has only driven Aksel to play and memorize the hardest song in his book. There's no shortage of competitive spirit in our house!

Tonight, Lachen will be starting a bookclub tonight with other 2nd and 3rd graders at the library. He's ready for the 4th Percy Jackson book, so that will be my charge while he is eating pizza and talking about books with his peers. My book club is meeting next week, too, so I'd better start my book, Twilight. At least it's a light, quick read! I'm reading God's Mercy by Kerstin Ekman. She's a Swedish author whom I highly recommend. Shawn's reading Mean Spirit, a Native American novel which he read ten years ago, and now he's going to lead a student discussion about it at St. Mark's. What's everyone else reading?

2009-09-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

For immediate release September 12, 2009

Framingham signee pays dividends in first game
Reid's four points lead the way in Flyers victory

Approaching a summer of free agency, ex-Triboro Titan Lachen Reid knew he had to end the season on a strong note to appeal to other programs. Luckily, his hot streak led to the Framingham Flyer organization bidding for his services. The Flyers’ decision to sign Reid to a one-year contract looks like they knew what to expect from the hard working player.

Saturday afternoon at North Star Rink in Westboro, the Flyers got off to a slow start against the Demons and were losing 1-0 before Reid got his team going. Playing defense for the first game of the year, Reid picked up the puck to the right of Flyer goalie Connor Angus and went around his net. Two Demon players converged on Reid but he sped up and split the players. A third Demon bit on Reid’s dipped-shouldered move and he was off to the races. As Reid sped into the Demon zone being chased by the defenseman, he let rip a shot from the left side. The rebound trickled through the crease for a Flyer teammate to punch home for a 1-1 tie going into the second period. The Demons had a strong second period as they put three past Angus.

The third period was all Framingham. After the opening face-off, Reid powered the puck into the Demon zone which led to a goal just 30 seconds into the period. Then Reid provided a highlight-reel goal of his own, his first of the year. He picked up the puck in the offensive corner, went around three total players and let another hard shot go from the top of the slot. The Demon goalie never saw it but it hit his stick, deflected off the inside of the far post and slid over the goal line to bring the Flyers within a goal. The Flyers tied it up one minute later as Connor’s twin brother Nolan threw the puck at the net and it deflected over the Demon goalie.

Midway through the final period Reid’s dazzling effort led to the winning goal. After a face off in the Flyer zone, Reid eluded a Demon and shot the puck out of the zone. Jake Despres raced after the puck, shot and put the Flyers up by a goal. Mia LaPlante finished the scoring for the Flyers for a final of 6-4.

If this game is any indication of the season to come, look for a big season from Lachen Reid for Framingham!

Fast August!

2009-08-26T06:42:00.000-05:00

Wheh! August has flown by. Yesterday, we celebrated Aksel's 6th birthday with a Pirate Pool Party. After a 40 minute serious fret session because the chlorine levels were "off" in the pool and swimming was not permitted, we finally opened the floodgates and the many bodies leapt in squealing with glee. We had to entertain 14 small sweaty bodies on the pool deck, and I've never been so happy that I overpurchased for a birthday party. I bought a pirate pinata, and that filled a good 25 minutes.

Today the boys are taking their second piano lesson with Mr. Perez. He's a great teacher: encouraging Lachen's diligent work ethic and managing Aksel's exuberance. And, we inherited an old St. Mark's piano, so now the boys can actually learn a thing or two about dynamics.

Our friends from Minnesota Mike and Amy are coming into town tonight. Shawn's charge today is to find a good restaurant in Boston--no easy task because there are so many to choose from. Signe Jordet came for a visit last weekend. She blended right into our family and before the first day was over, the boys had hauled her upstairs to see their latest set-ups. Shawn and I enjoyed an amazing meal in south Boston with John and Christine: Shawn had seared tuna and I relished a blackened salmon. Ah, the seafood! Still, it may be time for school to start to keep us out of the restaurants. 'Taint free!

Shawn closed out his softball season with a dignified 2nd place finish. The best part of the game is the after-game time. The sons of the players have had endless fun running the bases and racing around the outfield with all the other little boys while the Gravediggers enjoy their 10th inning in a cool can. It's a good crew of people: some who have lived in Southborough for generations, others transplants from the Midwest.

Along with the pool party pictures, I added a shot of the boys at Grandma and Grandpa Reid's house where they had a joint birthday party with their Reid cousins and family. Fun times!

A Glorious Steamy Summer Night Under the Covers

2009-08-05T20:39:00.001-05:00

If you read the title of this post and expect some sultry tale, I'm sorry to disappoint. Instead, let me explain. Today was a glorious, humid, HOT summer day. My favorite. Just working in the kitchen and lazy hand weeding my garden produced rivulets of sweat. Now this is summer. I love it. I went on a long run while my boys played baseball. I took a shower, and tossed a flowy sundress over my head. Still sweating, but who cares?!? It's summer! Glory! And then, my boys came home.

Finding it WAY too hot and sticky in the house, on went the air conditioners. We have two window units: one in the living room and one in our bedroom. Now, with Lachen and Aksel on pallets on our floor, a fan blowing, and the AC on full blast, I'M FREEZING! So, I'm literally under the down comforter while the three boys around me are laying shirtless on top of their covers. They're all hot. I just don't get it. All winter long, my extremities are frozen and numb, and for once the world around me is warm and moist, and I'm still cold. Maybe I should go and sleep on the couch. The hot, scratchy couch. Ahhh...

Except, I can't. Today was Aksel's 6th birthday, and I promised him that I'd nuzzle him tonight. He had a great day full of foods of his choosing (hotdogs, sauerkraut, soft buns--that is, not Mama's homemade crusty rolls--and carrots from our garden for dinner, lemon meringue pie and cookies & cream ice cream for dessert). His best friend came over to play all afternoon, and we wrote out the invitations to his Pirate Pool Party to be held later this month. It's good to be 6.

Excuse me while I find my wool socks.

Meandering through the Midwest

2009-07-11T01:29:00.001-05:00

We left the endless rain of Massachusetts at the end of June, and now we're crashing at a long litany of homes. We're squatters, except that the homeowners know we're staying, so I guess not so much squatters as family members who show up on the doorstep with bags in hand.

We've had time at the cabin, time at both grandparents, a trip to Como Park Zoo, 4th of July with the toddler cousins, I co-hosted a shower with Jessa for our cousin Lindsay in Des Moines, and I quilted a quilt top. We've been eating endless quantities of fresh food from everyone's garden and CSA's. This black dirt does do a fine job with the veggies. Broccoli cones, anyone? Lachen and Aksel like to cut broccoli and chomp it down right in the garden. It is my bliss! I'm still luxuriating in a radish, mint, orange, and red onion salad from the Mittmans. Wow.

Constanza goes back to Argentina next Thursday, so Pops gave her an airplane ride today. She was ecstatic. Hopefully I can get one last Yerba Mate session in with her before we part ways :(

Lots of biking, lots of swimming, lots of visiting new babies (and their parents). So many great times! These are mostly cabin photos, but I'll post some urban ones eventually too.

Upcoming events include the Honor the Earth Pow-Wow, a Reid family picnic, great grandparent visits, a trip to St. Peter, Midtown Market and Mai Village in the Cities, moving Jessa and Eric into their new castle--I mean, house--and the arrival of Mary and Patrick's baby (due on July 4th. I was so hoping she'd deliver on my birthday, but no such luck.)

I hope you're all enjoying your July as much as we are! I just love summer.

A Visit with Gramma, Jac, and Brian

2009-06-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Less than two hours from our house, we can drive to the Connecticut coast to Auntie Jac and Uncle Brian's house. The boys displayed their competitive vigor in endless games of Sorry! and backyard games. We took a private tour of the Thimble Islands. Fun facts: The late 17th century pirate Captain Kidd buried treasure on these islands and they are names for thimbleberries (black raspberries). Lachen and Aksel scored great pirate hats and an "official" pirate map. Gramma Margie and Shawn scored authentic pirate beer. Despite a bit of drizzle, it was a great tour and the boys' favorite part of the trip.

We also sampled carnival rides at the Branford Festival. Shawn and I are now both too old for carnival rides. Aksel loves them, Lachen in his youthful wisdom already knows better. A seafood feast at Lenny's rounded out our evening, and with bellies full of clams, crab legs, and Maine salmon, we all slept soundly amidst the myriad of antique treasures at Jac and Brian's.

We strolled down the street to the ocean Sunday morning, and the boys each found shells to treasure. Then, well armed with maps and well fed with homemade baked goods (Thanks, Brian!) we explored the Yale University campus in New Haven. The ice rink is shaped like a whale, but its under renovation, so we'll have to tour it later in the year. After strolling around turreted buildings, grabbing some New York-style slices, and soaking up some erudite air, we headed home for a couple days before the trek westward for our Midwestern July.

We're so glad that we didn't take off for Wisconsin before Gramma arrived on the East Coast. I know of no other little boys with such a jet-setting great-grandmother. Lots of great memories made and no less than 10,000 calories consumed. We Hembergers do know how to eat!

Top of the Order: Laaaachhhhen Reeeeeid!

2009-06-11T21:04:00.001-05:00

Lachen's on the home stretch of his baseball season. Enjoy these summertime shots!

Summer Bliss

2009-06-09T21:07:00.001-05:00

So it's only the first day of summer vacation, and already I have started two new projects, found a new book to read (Free Range Kids), and I've baked my family's favorite chocolate chip banana bread, harvested lettuce and basil for a dinner salad, and caught tadpoles and crayfish with my boys. Here's the pattern. Mine will have some gathering and piping, so it's a bit fancier than the one shown here. It'll be a diaper bag for Mary.
Mary, her bun in the oven, and I went to Crafty Planet in Northeast Minneapolis over the weekend. I'm currently sporting their t-shirt. Seriously, how can there not be funky textile stores in my nearby vicinity? It's craziness. I am on the verge of opening my own store because there's such a blight of fabric stores and yarn shops in Massachusetts. I am going on a pilgrimage to the Stitch House in Dorchester later this week. It's my only hope. If not, it's time to replenish my stash at the Tangled Skein.

An exciting morning with the local wildlife

2009-06-02T23:54:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have visited us, you know that we live near two ponds and we're surrounded by some serious wooded areas. It's great for exploring, finding wildflowers, crayfish, and tadpoles. We have mallards and Canadian geese. My neighbor was really worried about the fisher cat prowling in her trees. (They have inwardly turned teeth, like a shark. They're know to be vicious.) Basically, there 's just a lot of wildlife. So, it should not have surprised us when we can upon a HUGE turtle in the garden this morning on the way to the bus stop. (The photo with Aksel's profile in deceptive. This is a big turtle.) It had traveled through my garden crushing corn, upturning Swiss chard, burying lettuce, wreaking havoc on my burgeoning beets. Admittedly, I was concerned about my vegetables. When a huge turtle travels through, he does not tread lightly. And, from our many trips to the Minnesota Zoo, we all know that they feed the turtles salad. Loose leaf lettuce to be precise.
So, I indignantly grabbed Shawn's big work gloves, and I did pause for a moment looking at the gigantic crocodile-like tail, the huge head, and claws. During that pause, one of the trusty St. Mark's maintentance guys came by. "Oh yeah! She lays her eggs right there every year!"

WHAT? She's laying eggs?!? Suddenly, I'm feeling maternal solidarity with this heaving beast who traveled up a long and steep hill to lay her eggs. And look at the great lettuce just waiting for the babies when they hatch! What a good turtle mom. The shuddering, eye-rolling repulsion left. I left her there. She destroyed my garden. But, this is what mothers do.

This next part I only tell you because it is in the past and danger was indeed averted. This is a snapping turtle, and they are known to be very fast. They can snap at anything touching any part of their bodies except the tail. Aksel needed to pet the turtle on the shell and tail before school... I'M SORRY! He survived, but seriously. We narrowly avoid a turtle bite?!?

Signing off from Animal Kingdom,
Anna

Mother's Day

2009-05-20T18:20:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day in our house is a day when the whole family does what I want to do--with no complaints. So, after going to church where Lachen and Aksel sang with the children's choir, we drove 90 miles northwest to Northampton, a small city that is nestled among 5 colleges: Smith, U-Mass Amherst, Williams, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire. We ate lunch at a great noodle shop where I had curry, Shawn had sweet-and-sour something, and the boys reveled in dumplings and edamame. We wandered on college campuses, bookstores, and finished the day with a walk through the Dr. Suess Sculpture Garden in nearby Springfield, MA. We cut the day a bit short because Shawn eardrum ruptured. We were in the Berkshire Mountains, after all, and the higher elevation (along with a hefty sneeze) were more than his ear infection could withstand. He's better now, but the pain was, well, painful.

Aksel is so proud!

2009-05-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Reid Bring Hot Weather to Southborough!

2009-05-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Sid and Carol brought with some great weather from Minnesota. We went to the Minute Man State Park (our 5th visit!), to the Boston Aquarium, and had a great time just hanging around our house. After the boys went to bed, we looked at our wedding album--can you believe that this summer will be our 10th anniversary?!? Crazy.

Aksel was a great counter and physical trainer for Carol and her shoulder. And the boys showed off their baseball skills at a practice. Since the team was short on coaches, Sid got to play catcher for a while.

Sid also figured out that Reilly is quite a chick magnet. EVERYONE stops to talk about Reilly, and whoever is holding the leash gets a lot of attention.

The visit was too short, but it was enough to get us through for a couple months until we're back in the Midwest. Thanks for coming, Grandma and Grandpa!

Easter

2009-05-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

A Beautiful Easter Morning

Here are some photos from Easter at our house. We joined an Easter Egg Hunt with the other faculty kids at St. Mark's. Despite my coaching to "hold back," Lachen and Aksel came away with dozens and dozens of eggs. They were some of the older kids there, and their competitive spirit just got the best of them!

2009-04-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring! We just had a fun visit with cousin Cory. He hopped into the Boston Marathon, and hung out with us here in Southborough.

Lachen and Aksel are on April vacation: yet another week off of school to ensure that their school year does not end on time.

We're going to see the Red Sox play the Twins tomorrow night. Whomever shall we cheer for? What a quandry.

It's late late. Signing off. Anna

Ridiculous Fun Fact

2009-04-07T18:20:00.000-05:00

Aksel's Writing Workshop teacher is a wonderful spunky lady. She loves Aksel's stories, and she makes the kids all feel like super stars. She was also Marcia Cross's acting coach. (She's the red-headed Bree of Desperate Housewives. She was born in Marlborough, the next town over from Southborough.) Now, that is a ridiculous bit of trivia that you can all use at Aksel's wedding.
Have a marvelous day!

Spring Seedlings

2009-04-04T16:50:00.001-05:00

Some daffodils are pushing up in what will eventually be my tomato patch.

Nearby, chives and parsley are coming up. Aksel ate a handful of garlic chives this morning, and he's been odiferous ever since!

These marigolds are from seeds from last year's marigolds. The inspirational pictures on the right are Iowa Highway Department Roadside Flowers.

Okay, I know. I planted the tomatoes and corn WAY too early.

Here's a zinnia and marigold will grow up to be great friends.

Tomorrow morning, we'll plant peas outside! How do I know it's time? Well...here's some of the phenology advice I've come across:
When crocuses bloom, it's time to plant peas.
When red winged blackbird females return it is time to plant peas.
When the chickadees build their nests, plant peas and spinach.
When dandelions are blooming plant potatoes, beets, lettuce, spinach and carrots.
When the iris bloom, plant the peppers and eggplants outside.
Plant beets, lettuce, spinach when lilac is in first leaf.
When lilac blooms, plant beans, cukes and squash.
Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of squirrels ears.
Plant your corn when apple blossoms start to fall.

Grandma Grandpa and Constanza Visit

2009-04-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa have an exchange student from Argentina staying with them this spring. Her name is Constanza, and her English is superb. We also learned that she likes Dad's sense of humor, she's a fan of meat and potatoes, and she likes dogs. She seems to be the perfect fit for the Hemberger house!

During their visit, Constanza went to St. Mark's for two days to get a taste of a different sort of high school. She's going to FCHS where I went to high school, so I knew a couple days at St. Mark's would give her a well-rounded experience of American secondary school.

We also went to Louisa May Alcott's home, Orchard House, where she wrote Little Women. That was Grandma's choice. Grandpa's choice was going to the U.S.S. Constitution maritime museum. His other pick was to eat in the St. Mark's dining hall, but that adventure will have to wait until another trip. Lachen and Aksel wanted to go fishing, so Grandpa's birthday present was a short-term Massachusetts fishing license. Lachen declared that "the fishing in Wisconsin is a lot better," but at least they now have fishing poles and tackle in Wisconsin, Minnesota (at G&G Reid's), and Massachusetts. They are nothing if not well equipped.

In the fishing theme, we went to a fishing village north of Boston called Newburyport where we had the best mussels of all time. The boys devoured them, and we all had seafood aplenty: clam chowder, seafood stew, shrimp, scallops, mmmm...

Other memories:
Lachen: "The best part of learning to read is that bedtime stories never have to end."
Three foods we must have when the G&G Hemberger are in town: pineapple, cornnuts, and Cherry Garcia ice cream.
All 7 of us riding illegally in a car built for 5.
Constanza and I learned that Harvard is so famous that they don't have a sign ANYWHERE!

What's New in My Sewing Room

2009-03-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

Here are some shots from my studio. I'm making the flower quilt for our living room. The stack of fabric is the next palette waiting to happen. The still life fruit is one of Lachen's paintings from art class. They were studying Matisse.

Boredom...

2009-03-20T11:03:00.000-05:00

I am now on day 12 of sickness. Two Sundays ago Lachen, Aksel and I went over to my friend's Scott's house to watch E.T. When we got home I told Anna that I was feeling like I might get the flu. The next day was the day the Admission Office sent out acceptance letters. So I mustered through the day with chills and sweats. Then it went downhill very fast that night. So I was absolutely miserable for three days and then went to the doctor. I got a chest x-ray which was inconclusive but showed that I have an enlarged heart unrelated to being sick. After not getting better for a couple of days a CT scan was ordered. That showed that I have pneumonia and two nodules. The nodules are benign so no big deal there. I now have new medication for pneumonia and I am experiencing some of the side effects like not wanting to shower or shave for three days (maybe that's just because we are on spring break though). On Monday I have an EKG for my heart. Again, it's probably nothing but good to get it checked. My blood pressure is fine so I'm not worried about heart disease. The enlargement is probably just due to something minor.

So that is the latest with me feeling the crummies. I'm bored as hell just sitting in bed or on the couch. I'm not sure whether I get exhausted walking up the stairs because of being sick or because I have not exercised in about three weeks. Probably a combination.

And now back to more exciting blog entries; just thought I should give a brief health update.

St. Marks' Lions and a Tiger, too!

2009-03-08T23:54:00.000-05:00

Spring Break is here. Well, for me, at least. Lachen and Aksel are still in school, and Shawn is buried in Admission work. But, I have 2 1/2 weeks to be a full-time mama, or my latest favorite way of saying that: "primary caregiver."

On Day 1 of this break, we went to the cheer for the St. Mark's basketball team at the New England Championships, filled 84 peat pots with seeds, playing badminton with the boys, vacuumed out the car, did "big shopping" at Whole Foods, and knit a flower. Wa-hoo! Also, I just realized that Shawn and my first date was 11 years ago today. We didn't really celebrate that. But, we did go a party last night, so that was a celebratory nod to good times with my Shawn Reid. We're also going to Boston to see a play on Saturday night: Two Men from Verona. It's about Galileo and Michelangelo. I love that going to at least one play every winter and a concert in the summer is a tradition for us. Any suggestions for this summer's concert? We saw Brandi Carlisle at an ampitheater last summer in Lowell, MA. There we were with two kids and a puppy. Fabulous!

Last week, Aksel became a saber-tooth tiger during the St. Mark's Winter Carnival. Raaaar!

My Techno-Steeped Classroom

2009-03-08T23:39:00.000-05:00

Once in a while, the centerpiece of this blog shifts from the mighty Lachen and Aksel. Here are a couple of sites that tell you about what I've been doing at St. Mark's. The student body recently hosted social networking guru, Matt Chamberlin, for an assembly about using social networking sites. Matt also visited my classroom, and we had an invigorating discussion about podcasts, wikis, social networking, and all sorts of web-based communication. His blog post about the St. Mark's visit can be found at http://blog.clearcastdigitalmedia.com/. And, my students' wiki can be found at http://reidenglish.wikispaces.com. It's all about Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. There are articles, podcasts, video podcasts, and even a rap written and recorded by 9th graders in my class. Who knew Shakespeare could be so 21st century!

On an entirely different note, the whole school recently broke from regularly-scheduled classes and took buses out into the community for a day of service. The 37 boys in our dorm went to a public housing complex in the nearby city of Worcester to clean hallways, common spaces, and playgrounds. I found myself talking about LVC a lot that day, and it reminded me how much the service trips to Colorado with Habitat for Humanity, a trip to Caring and Sharing Hands in Minneapolis, delivering Meals-on-Wheels in Forest City, and all the other service has formed me into who I am today. Good stuff!

TOMB!

2009-02-23T12:06:00.000-06:00

We went to a real Egyptian tomb on Sunday. It was unbelievable. Lachen, Aksel, Shawn, and I were real archaeologists solving puzzles and riddles, deciphering codes, and using our strength, wit, and bravery to get to the ancient pharaoh's tomb. It was like being Indiana Jones! More info at: http://www.5-wits.com/shows/ The whole thing probably was too scary for Aksel, but he is the bravest 5-year old I've ever known.

Before we left, Lachen, our resident Egyptologist, gave us a lesson about King Tut. He does know quite a lot! Watch his lesson, and you might learn something as well.

February Vacation

2009-02-20T14:13:00.000-06:00

Here in Massachusetts, the public schools have a week off in February. So, this week was filled with a hockey tournament for Lachen, lots of time playing outside in the warm-ish air, Shawn working from home more often to cover my classes, and some extra time on the piano for Aksel. I'll add Aksel's latest concert. I also put a new valance in Aksel's room. His room gets lots of light with that great big window. (Do you like the color scheme built from a Minnesota license plate?)

2009-02-09T08:10:00.000-06:00

It’s not often I write on the blog but yesterday was an absolutely terrific day. As a matter of fact, since Anna and the boys have been back from Florida, there is so much positive energy in the house. Aksel has been an incredible helper and Lachen has been smiling so much. Sunday’s events really bring the emotions in the house to light. We planned on going to 9:00 church but decided to let the boys sleep as long as they wanted (and Anna). Lachen woke up at 6:20! But Aksel and Anna did sleep until about 8:15 or so. We had a quiet couple of hours with Aksel working on his Valentines and Lachen reading. We went to church at 10:45 and both boys decided to stay in church instead of Sunday School. Lachen kept himself occupied with drawing pictures in the bulletin (I did make him stand up at the right times!) and Aksel looked at every page in the hymnal. Therefore, Anna and I could listen to the message and the readings in peace. After church we had to a bit of time to kill so we bought Lachen new skates. Aksel hoped for a new pair of rollerblades. When I said “No, we’ll get them later,” he didn’t get upset!

Then it was time for Lachen’s game. The boy scored not only his first career goal but the boy scored two goals! It was like a light bulb went on in the first period for him. Lachen played center and had a couple of rushes. Then in the second period he had several shots on net after skating around the opponents. His first goal was a shot from the left circle that was deflected and went top shelf. He was very , very pumped! To start the third period, he took the face-off, went around the center, went to the right of the first D, then bulled his way into a breakaway and went five hole for the second goal. He did the same bullrush at the end of the game with 10 seconds left hoping for goal #3, but was tripped up at the last second. It was VERY exciting. All of the parents were so happy for Lachen!

The temperature was about 55 yesterday so much snow melted. Since I did absolutely nothing when Anna and the boys were in Florida, there was much compacted snow and ice in our driveway. Anna and I decided to hack away at it to make our place look a bit more welcoming. Without being asked, the boys came outside and helped us for about an hour! We then had a great dinner. Finally, to end the night, Aksel and I played Canasta! That five year old is incredible with his math skills and card playing abilities. It took me much longer to understand Canasta but Jeanne taught Aksel in a very short amount of time. Now I have a card playing partner. Pretty soon I am going to teach Aksel Pfeffer and take on some St. Mark's boys!

Florida Pics

2009-02-08T16:06:00.000-06:00

Here are a few moments from our trip to Florida.
Shawn had to stay home to work and coach. :(

Lots of fun, lots of sun, and definitely too many oysters for Jim. (He was feeling pretty queasy as he trudged through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.)

This is Lachen on the night of arrival: pale, but happy to have jumped into the pool within 5 minutes of arrival.
Aksel braved Space Mountain, a roller coaster I had been wanting to ride since 7th grade when I went to Magic Kingdom and it was under repair. So, I was the accommodating mother, and I took Aksel on the roller coaster. We thought it might settle my dad's stomach. Not so much.

"Cheers, Great Grandson Aksel!"

Dueling in front of the masses.

Four generations!

My Jeanne and me.

Pops and two of his four great-grandsons. I wonder when his other two great-grandsons will go to Pops' high house...

Friday night in February

2009-02-06T19:34:00.000-06:00

It's Friday night here in the Reid house. We just heard that Mary and Patrick are having a baby BOY! We're so, so excited for them and all the fun that awaits them. Yea!

Shawn is away at a hockey game tonight. We haven't had dinner together since before our trip to Florida, but Sunday night is looking good for a full dinner of four Reids. First time in 2 weeks. Not very impressive.

But, the boys and I have been having some quality time. A week in Florida with Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger, plus Jeanne and Pops. A day at Disney World and a day at Epcot Center, then some time in Naples at the beach, at the pool, and in the sauna on an uncharacteristically cool, windy day. With the swords the boys acquired in the Pirates of the Caribbean shop, life has been one big sword fight for the last week. If my boys do one thing well, it's costuming. If I had my camera battery charged, I could show you what they're wearing now: clip-on gold earrings, tri-corner hats, gold beads, rolled up sailor pants, and bare-chests. They're ready for the high seas.

In theme, tonight we dined on octopus that Aksel insisted that we buy at Whole Foods. In fact, he put on quite a show begging and pleading for the unlikely dinnertime option. Lest you think we're living high on the hog, two small octopi cost a whole 58 cents. The olives in the sauce cost more. But, it's a bit o' protein for the laddies.

Tomorrow morning after I teach the second act of Henry IV, Part One, I'm taking the boys to the Framingham Library to hear the author of Three Cups of Tea speak. I haven't read it, but so many people have told me that I should, I'm excited to hear him. Plus, since we have over $20 in overdue fines at our local library, I'm hoping we can get a new card at this library and Lachen can check out some books on CD. I know, it's more excitement than one family should experience! Of course, these morning activities will be bookended by Lachen's hockey at 7:00 a.m. and Aksel's at 12:20. Shawn has a hockey game in the afternoon, and then I am on dorm duty tomorrow night.

Hope your weekend is restful. I actually came back from Florida well-rested. Shawn, however, is running on very little fuel. He just called and said he had to take a player to the hospital to get stictches in his chin. He won't be home for hours. So much for bedtime stories with Daddy.

Aksel's Rainstick

2009-01-23T19:25:00.000-06:00

While Lachen slumbered off a fever, Aksel sat chomping on his after-school snack. He lamented how he hadn't made any instruments this year. You see, the school music teacher invites students to make instruments and bring them to music class. Lachen made several shakers last year, as well as a great shoebox and rubber band guitar. Aksel said he wanted to make a rainstick. We used to have a real one from Mary, but at some point it broke and slowly littered our house with little stones. Before putting it in the compost bin (it was made out of a certain tree trunk), I examined its structure. Toothpicks had been tapped in all over the place, and the sound of the rainstick is made by the rocks hitting the sticks.

Lo and behold, I had stashed away the cardboard tube that some drapery fabric had been wrapped around. Sometimes my pack-ratting tendencies come in handy! Here is Aksel's creation. We used aluminum nails and rice to make the tinkling noise.

Tae Kwon Do Belt Promotion

2009-01-19T20:01:00.001-06:00

Once a week after school, Lachen and Aksel go to Tae Kwon Do lessons. Their instructor is from South Africa, and she can get Aksel to stand still longer than I ever thought possible. Lachen's board had a big knot in it, but he still manages to conquer it with a fierce "ki-ya!"

Watch the blue bag in the middle.
Lachen and Aksel are in the same line next to each other. Aksel was a bystander last year, and how he gets to do all the moves Lachen knows. They tell everyone about their legendary cousin, Joe, and his astounding TKD skills. Thanks for the inspiration, Joe!

Pond Hockey

2009-01-19T19:37:00.000-06:00

Much of the last week has been spent on the pond. Shoveling, skating, boot hockey, cocoa in the warming house. Good times. Shawn did have to give his team a tutorial in pond ice management. Their high school brains thought they could be human zambonis, and they pour water onto the ice. No so much. And, they needed to learn proper shoveling. They're learning a lot more that just hockey skills. Maybe not resume worthy, but these are life skills, right? Check out www.stmarksschool.org for more great photos.

Only at this wacky boarding school would we have leather chairs and oriental rugs in the warming house. No gas logs in the fireplace. If we build a fire, we do it old school.

I am reminded of a story of Nanny, my great-grandmother, shoveling her own walk for years and years. It is amazing exercise and when I have Lachen and Aksel begging for more playing surface, I'm highly motivated. No treadmills for me on days like this!

Cousins = FUN!

2009-01-14T21:30:00.000-06:00

What's better than lots of fluffy, fresh snow? Fluffy fresh snow with your cousins, of course! The four cousins built a snowman on Grandma and Grandpa Reid's lake on a beautiful Minnesota morning. And...Uncle Blaine ROCKS! He gave the four cousins passes to the amusement park in the Mall of America. It's always fun to be with our Reid cousins!

Grandpa's Retirement Party

2009-01-14T21:22:00.001-06:00

While in Iowa for the Christmas Tour, we went to Grandpa Hemberger's Iowa Department of Transportation Retirement Party. There were lots of co-workers there, and Lachen, Aksel, and Shawn did a fine job documenting the event. They had great fun pretending to be "workers" in Grandpa's office. And, there was a hard-to-resist, mysterious ladder in the breakroom that they both had to climb. It started halfway up the wall, and it led to a secret hatch! What's up there, Grandpa?!?
Now that Grandpa's retired, we're looking forward to seeing both Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger in Florida in a few weeks. Jeanne and Pops will be in on the party as well. But, Daddy has to stay home and work :( Hopefully, he works harder than he did during his time at the IDOT.

Gold and Black Jerseys

2009-01-14T21:17:00.000-06:00

By now, I'm sure you're getting tired of seeing Lachen and Aksel in gold and black jerseys. But, since the Bruins, Lachen's Triboro Team, and the Framingham Learn-to-Skate team all share these colors, these are the colors the boys are sporting most everyday. These are from a recent trip to a Bruins game with Lachen's hockey team. Later, the popcorn bucket became a rally hat. It worked: the Bruins pulled ahead in a tie game to win: 6-3.

Wintertime

2009-01-14T21:12:00.001-06:00

Now all of your Midwestern readers know that zero degrees is no reason to go into full freak-out nation mode. But, here in Massachusetts where the thermometer has not read 0 degrees in four years, it's the topic of EVERY conversation. This is a region where children do not have outdoor recess if the windchill is below 20 degrees. It's also a place where Aksel has to ask, "Why do we have rain days here instead of snow days?" because the two school cancellations are because it's raining, and the temperature MIGHT drop to freezing. Seriously. What a bunch of pansies.

So, in full Midwestern vigor, my boys played outside today after school for over an hour--probably to the horror of all who saw them out their windows. C'mon. I'm just glad the pond near our house is finally frozen for skating. It never froze last year. Now it's wintertime. Wa-hoo!

SNOW!!!

2008-12-19T14:37:00.000-06:00

Finally, finally, we are in the midst of a nice, fluffy snowfall. We're expecting at least 12 inches of snow. The boys left school at noon, Shawn's hockey tournament is canceled, and the holiday party we have scheduled for tonight is at our neighbors' house, so we can just walk there! It's great! Here are some shots as the snow began. The boys are elated and Shawn just returned from a last-minute-before-the-snowfall errand trip to the post office and bank. Clearly, he had to stop for one more essential item: a 6-pack of Sam Adams Winter Ale!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-07T20:40:00.000-06:00

This morning, we finally woke up to our first dusting of snow. Finally! This kicked us into the Christmas spirit and after church and hockey practice, we found a great lil' Christmas tree at the Southborough Fire Station. For all of $25! Not bad, and not too scraggly or Charlie Brown-esque. It came all the way from Nova Scotia.

Aksel's excited about re-discovering some of his past Christmas crafts. He's also excited to see his Jeanne, although he won't see her until late January. Still, that's not too far away. So, here's a video just for his great grandmother Jeanne in Florida :)

Also, Reilly has successfully co-existed with the Christmas tree for a full 6 hours now without any destruction. I know he'll eventually topple it over, but I'm pleased that he's not terribly interested in it. He's more interested in the table scraps in his food bowl. Now that he's gotten a haircut (a la the Reid bathroom salon), he doesn't he look so much like a black bear in my kitchen.

Aksel's First Piano Recital

2008-11-16T14:17:00.000-06:00

He did it! Master Aksel is a Maestro!

Hamburger Cookies

2008-11-16T14:12:00.000-06:00

These are not organic, not healthy, and not really anything I would otherwise approve. BUT. They are hamburger cookies made of thin mints, Nilla wafers, and colored frosting for cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and sesame seeds. A student's mom makes them every year for his birthday. He shared some with us this year.

November: Blustery or Invigorating?

2008-11-16T10:17:00.001-06:00

It's a brisk windy day today, and leaves are swirling out my big 4 foot square office window. After two solid days of rain, the grass is oddly green. The boys are out playing catch and trying to keep Reilly from stealing their ball. Shawn is hauling our outdoor furniture into our basement. I just saw him pass the window carrying an Adirondack chair over his head. Who else would think to carry big heavy bulky things that way?! That's my Shawn Reid. He's also packing up the Target table, umbrella, and 4 chair set (Target 90% discount to 20 bones.) I must say, the Target selection is better in Minnesota, for obvious reason. But, TJ Maxx is headquartered a few miles from here, and they keep the good stuff close to home as well.

So, we've done it again: we have gotten ourselves into so many, many great things that we too busy. It seems to be a chronic ailment in the Reid family. There are still only 24 hours in the day, yet we schedule and plan for about 30. So, I am again trying to pare back on the commitments and let some things go. That said, it's hard to decide what should go. Here's the latest on us, and maybe you my faithful readers can help us pare down for the winter season.
* Aksel's first piano recital is this afternoon. Stay tuned for a posting on that one.
* Aksel's doing a Learn to Skate hockey program. He only has a few games a year. Yesterday was the first one, and guess who scored two goals.
* Lachen's earned three stars on his helmet for being a great defenseman on his team. He nearly scored yesterday in a Triboro game. He also scored two goals in his Learn to Skate half-ice game.
* Shawn starts his first season as a head boys' hockey coach tomorrow. He's so excited, he can't sleep, and he's constantly writing down motiviation phrases, new ideas for drills, and I find little slips of paper all over the place.
* I started a yoga class 4 weeks ago. St. Mark's brings an instructor onto campus, and it's free. Really, it could not be convenient. And, the stress relief of 1 hour of yoga sustains me for days.
* I also started going to an accupuncturist about my migraines. After telling her my health history, she said, "So you've been suffering from headaches for 22 years--that's a long time." 22 years?! I can still remember standing in 4th grade feeling a migraine come on, seeing stars, and thinking, "Oh no, not again." Enough already! I really hope the accupunture works. It heartens me to learn that the migraines are linked to circulation, and hopefully my Reynaud's (numb, white fingers and toes), varicose veins, and acne will be positively affected as well. I know I'm dreaming big here. If I only get rid of headaches, I'll be full of bliss.
* I'm going to see my nephew Fredrik, Peter, and Katy later this week. I'm finally going to be able to start paying Katy back for watching my boys on short notice. I tried to pay her, and she wrote me a note saying, "You'll return the favor to me someday." Well, here I come! November 20-23, I'll be in St. Paul. Wa-hoo!
* We found a church we really like, and after 6 years of looking for a church like Afton, we found one. It's a great spot, lots of kids, and we knew it was a good fit when Aksel wanted to sit in the front row to be closer to the music. In fact, Shawn, Lachen, and I were content lurking in one of the back pews, so Aksel strutted up to the front and sat by the worship band alone--for most of the service. That's our shy Aksel!
* Lachen and Aksel broke their first boards in Tae Kwon Do two weeks ago. It freaked me out, but they both did it with no bruised hands. On to the next level! They do TKD right at their elementary school on Fridays. So, I don't chaufeur them, and they get a dose of something that I don't really understand.
* We had a little Sunday party last week with the family that lived in our house before us. It was great to see them and all the other people that live in the houses on West Campus with us. Good food & good friends.

So if anyone has an extra hour that they could send our way, we'd definitely put it to good use. :)

2008-10-31T22:38:00.000-05:00

Good times with Grandma and Grandpa

Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:53:00.000-05:00

All of the components for a grand Halloween. Pumpkin carving, scooping, and gooping. Don't worry, Shawn's just out of the frame. We didn't just hand them knives and tell them to have at it. Both Shawn and I agreed that we like carving pumpkins at Pat & Blaine's more that doing it on our own. The camaraderie, the mess in someone else's house, the beverages in hand...we can't decide what we missed most... In any case, we all reminisced about those great Halloween parties in St. Paul.

We went trick-or-treating with a big crew of St. Mark's faculty families. Lachen is here with his good buddy Nicolas (Abe Lincoln). We all get together in the dining hall for dinner, then out to the quad for a crazy attempt at a group photo. Then, just as it's starting to get dark, we head out to gather loot. One family of four dressed as the Jolly Green Giant, a cob of corn, and two Lil' Sprouts. I told them how flattered we felt that they were honoring the Minnesota River Valley!

I volunteered in Aksel's classroom to help out with the Halloween party and parade. Aksel and his red-headed friend Shannon, a.k.a. Cleopatra, are so darling. They both have that endearing mix of speaking like grown-ups and then goofy babble. I can barely contain my love of that duo. He has a great kindergarten class. He is young for his grade, and I fret about that sometimes. He's a follower, rather than a leader, and that sort of thing. But, he has made friends, and I can't imagine him in another year of preschool. There's the same sort of thing happening here as in St. Peter with kindergartners being 6 going on 7 instead of 5 going on 6. Aksel is in the right class, but there are lots of older kids. Still, he can tie his shoes, so I'll gloat about that one.

Lachen's First Chapter Book

2008-10-27T20:18:00.001-05:00

On our way to school today, Lachen said, "Well, Mom, I finished that one." Then he flung this substantial library book into the front seat of the car. "Whhhaaaat??? A chapter book?! That's blog-worthy!" I exclaimed.

Suddenly, Lachen is reading like crazy and his teacher is amazed at his story-writing, reading, and general brilliance. That's our Lachen!

Hockey Time!

2008-10-13T16:07:00.000-05:00

Favorite Family Fun Time

2008-10-13T13:14:00.001-05:00

So Sunday I was in a bit of a funk. I was weary after Shawn's being away for several days recruiting. A great chat with Katy had gotten me through a couple days, but I was cranky for really no tangible reason. Sun was shining, leaving are nearing their peak in color, nobody had to go to work.

So, instead of wallowing in ha-rumph, we decided it was
time to bust out a big basket of Favorite Family Fun Time.

Ah, my favorite family fun time! Not only did I win a poster contest in 3rd grade with this title for my drawing of my family picking apples at a farm in Iowa, but really, this is my favorite family fun time. Wagon ride, endless juicy apples, the smell of a few rotting apples gives a vinegar-y sense to the air. Fresh air, fall foliage. Bug are mostly dead, or at least dormant. My allergies have subsided for the year. EVERYONE at an orchard is happy. Seriously. It's glory. No wonder my parents are slowly turning their backyard into an apple orchard. My current favorite is the Macoun. Shawn and Lachen are all into the Gala, and Aksel reached high into the trees to get the last three Honeycrisps in the orchard. At Tougas Farms, after you've eaten and picked your fill of apples, there's a playground for all Indiana Jones, Jr.'s--note Aksel's t-shirt.

On the way home, we stopped at my favorite cheese shop to get some cheddar. Apple pie with a hefty slice of sharp cheddar. Mmmm...

Aksel's First Piano Concert

2008-10-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

Here's a movie clip that we made for Grandma Hemberger. We're in the market for a piano, but for now, Aksel loves his keyboard in his room. The curriculum, Kids on Keyboards, is from Wisconsin. Each key has a name, and there are little rings Aksel gets to wear. So far, he's mastered "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Hot Cross Buns." Next: "Rain, Rain, Go Away." His love of music makes me cry on a near daily basis. I think he feels the music in his spine, Peter.

Crispy Fall Update

2008-10-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

Today was our last CSA box. After reading of the August Earth final box on babyhemberger.blogspot.com, I have to say, our box was a bit light. Still, it's lovely to have a final bunch of kale, a cabbage, two red bell peppers, a bag of potatoes, two sunshine squash, two eggplants, and a bag of apples. We haven't had tomatoes for weeks. They must have had a frost on the farm. Stillman's is the name of our CSA. I do love that they include fruit. We usually devour the cartons of blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches, and apples before we even get home. This week, we scored a dozen apples. So, we will have enough for the boys' school lunches tomorrow.

It's lovely and crisp here. But, since we haven't had a frost yet, I'm still harvesting baby Swiss chard, tomatoes of two kinds, green beans, green onions, rosemary, basil, dill, and parsley from our garden. We also have pumpkins on now whithered vines. There's nothing like making dinner and sending one of my boys out for some herbs. And, the green beans have never made it in the house. They're a great snack for roaming Minute Men out on patrol.

The countdown is on! Twelve days until Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger arrive for a fall-time visit. We heard another exciting countdown: Grandpa has only 30 days left working for the IDOT! That's hardly any time at all. Will there be a retirement party, or will Dad be getting right to work for his new employer--my mom. The boys are hopelessly excited about the Kids' Cabin, so we're hoping that that is high on the priority list.

When the Hembergers are here, we're planning a trip to Sturbridge Village. It seems only appropriate considering our family's current obsession with Colonial times. And, I have fond and vivid memories of visiting Sturbridge with my Gramma and Gramps when I was 6. I just realized that I, too, went dressed in a sort of costume: a grey wool with black velvet trim frock coat and bonnet. I wonder where my boys get their love of the dress-ups...

Tonight, the boys have hockey practice, I'm looking forward to doing some sewing, Shawn's away at a college fair, and Reilly is his jovial self. Lachen's 1st grade field trip is on Wednesday. Only near Boston would a class trip go to Fenway Park and call it an historic venue. It is, I know. But, seriously?!? Then, Thursday the boys don't have school in honor of Yom Kippur. It's not going to be a very rough week!

It's a beautiful time to visit New England. We're hoping Peter, Katy, and Fredrik will be here during Spring Break. Any other takers? The invitation is always open.

Lachen 7th Birthday

2008-09-29T13:02:00.000-05:00

Lachen celebrated his 7th birthday with a party entirely of his own inception. He wanted three friends to come, Conor, Jeffrey, and Henry, and his brother. He wanted to go to the Minute Man National Historic Site which chronicles the fateful day of April 19, 1775 when Paul Revere did his midnight ride, the minutemen came out from their homes to stand up against the British regulars, and the battles of Lexington and Concord were fought. Now, that battle road where the fighting occurred is a popular biking route, and there are lots of bikers pedaling along. There are plaques every few 100 feet marking the time of day and night the British soldiers marched through, where the skirmishes happened, and that sort of things. The interpretive center features an exciting presentation about the battle with cannon sounds, flashing lights like musket fire, and storytelling by people in period dress. Lachen LOVES this place. To be truthful, he also loves the gift shop where a boy can find all manner of compasses, quill pens, tricorner hats, Revolutionary War plastic figurines, and endless commemorative regalia.

Following the trip to the interpretive center, we took the boys back to our house, and they feasted on what Lachen determined to be war camp food: meat (beef jerky & hotdogs--all organic, but still :( ewww), cornbread, apple cider, caramel apples, and a fabulous recipe for a Colonial era cake a la Aunt Lizzard which we made into cupcakes. Lachen permitted no balloons, ice cream, or frosting as those things would not have been in the war camp. Snakes, however, were allowed, compliments of Jeffrey's dad, Paul. He hails from a farm in Anamosa, Iowa, and while he and I have many things in common, an interest in snakes in certainly not one of them. You'll be glad to know I had the pleasure of seeing the snake again the next day, dead, in the street, about 200 feet from our house. Again, ewwww.

Back to the party...Shawn and the boys had set up a tent for battle planning and strategizing, which also worked well as a locale for eating meat on a stick. The boys, I mean Minutemen, headed out into the woods around our house and rooted out all lingering bloody backs (a.k.a. Redcoats--Lachen knows several synonyms for them.) Shawn read the book about the early presidents of the U.S. from the Mittmans, and Lachen opened his gifts of geology kits and Legos. This was also on his order, because kids don't open presents at their parties in Massachusetts. They wait until all the kids have gone home. But, I let the birthday boy rule the day; Massachusetts social norms be damned.

Lachen had what may go down as the birthday party of his dreams. The parents came at dusk to fetch their minutemen, and everyone stayed well past dark. So, I think everyone was having a fun time. Lots of grass stain by the end of the evening, but no blood. And really, in my book of parenting, that equals success.

Here's the link for more information for all burgeoning historians like Lachen: http://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm And, for your listening pleasure, here's a bit of the annual Birthday Storybook Reading by Daddy. And, yes, that's Reilly you hear who is feeling left out after snitching a caramel apple.

First Day of School

2008-09-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

Wow! Both of our boys are in school now! Lachen is the part of the upper class at Mary Finn School. Since the school is preschool-1st grade, he is living large as the king of the hill. His teacher, Miss Perry, seems to be all right. He's being a bit aloof about the whole scene. But, there's a rumor that there is homework in 1st grade, and Lachen is not quite sure what to think of that. I think he's all too aware that the St. Mark's students are silently studying for 2 hours every night. "Might that be my fate?" he wonders. He'd much rather listen to Harry Potter on audio CD or build yet another Revolutionary War set-up with Legos, wooden blocks, and playmobil figurines.

As for Aksel, he LOVES school. He gives the full play-by-play report after school, he gleefully skips of to school, sings the transition song the class sings when they're lining up to go into the hallway, "Stand up straight, eyyyyyyyes forward, arms at your side, (and now staccato) when we're walking, we're not talking, when we're walking, we're not talking." Aksel is ecstatic about his very own mailbox, his very own coathook, oh, it's all too much joy for one five-year-old. He is in absolute raptures about the music class, and the music teacher recommended a group piano studio. Aksel starts in mid-September. We'll report back on that scene.

Most days the boys will be chauffeured to and from school, but sometimes they'll take the bus. They already know lots of friends on the bus, and theirs is the last stop, so they aren't on the bus long at all. Here they are waiting with their buddies, Alex and Nicolas, who also live at St. Mark's. Little sister Rebecca is NOT happy that she is not welcome on the big yellow school bus. Shortly after this picture, the four boys started chanting, "Where's our bus!?! Where's our bus?!?" which was quite reminiscent of the "Move that bus!" mantra of Extreme Makeover Home Addition.

Happy Back-to-School to you all!

New York, New York

2008-08-30T05:50:00.001-05:00

Our summer of travel culminated with a weekend trip to NYC. We celebrated Sid and Carol's 40th wedding anniversary and 60th birthdays with Pat, Blaine, Tony and Lisa (and of course Sid and Carol). We stayed at the Desmond Tutu Convention Center which had incredible architectural features like 150 foot ceilings! At least that's what Aksel thought. When we arrived on Saturday afternoon, this Reid family was, of course, starving. So we found a little Italian pizzeria just down the street and had a brick-oven pizza. Then the rest of the family showed up.

The next stop was the Chelsea Market which really reminded me of downtown St. Paul...back when downtown St. Paul had activity past 4:00. While most of the extended family wanted to walk to the Hudson, this Reid family and Blaine decided to go to the American Museum of Natural History! We saw Dum-Dum who wanted some gum-gum but never saw Atilla the Hun Hun. A stroll through Central Park provided music and dance entertainment in the forms of random singing and roller skating exhibitions. The "best" skater was this 75 year-old man who decided that a shirt was optional. He talked smack to the bystanders about his skills and proceeded to shimmy around a bit, dropped his cane, cursed, and then he decided to go to a different area to showcase his skills.

Our six-hour drive home (which should be only three) allowed us to reminisce about Lachen and Aksel driving the horse-drawn carriage through Central Park, taking in the first morning session of the US Open, eating at Carmine's, taking a long tour through Manhattan and the continual neck strain of trying to see the top of all of the skyscrapers. The best part of the trip for me was a nice walk through NYU, then stopping for appetizers and drinks at Slane's. I think it is wise to expose the boys to the pub scene at an early age, particularly when it's open to the street with loads of interesting people milling around. The bartender made Aksel a juice concoction while Lachen scarfed down chicken fingers. While us three boys watched the Mets on TV, Anna found the bag she has always wanted at a little boutique a few doors door. We topped off our time on Bleecker and Macdougal at a creperie: nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream, anyone?

So, summer is over and now the school year begins. Our fall athletes arrived a couple of days ago. We had three full days of faculty meetings and are back in the swing of things.

New House

2008-08-18T08:45:00.001-05:00

Some folks have been asking for some images of our new pad. Here are some shots so you can envision us going about our days and nights. And, don't worry, Dad, about the chimney. There are workers outside the house right now repairing it.

Lachen and Aksel have taken charge in decorating their own rooms, and thus their personalities shine. Lachen's is orderly and every last paper clip has a special and precise spot. Aksel still has some boxes to unpack and he already has piles amassing in the corners. They also have a guest room/playroom where they are currently building a cardboard brick castle. Cardboard bricks: best present ever! They took Shawn and I much of an evening to assemble, but that was an evening now over 4 years ago. Time well spent, dollars well spent. And, glory of all glories, when they do finally destoy them, they're recyclable! I have also commandeered a little room for my sewing room. I made some outdoor cushions for some chairs I found roadside. I would take a picture of them, except the workers are currently taking a Dunkin' Donuts break and sitting on them. I'm trying not to care that even my own family has not sat upon the cushions before the chimney workers.

Great Spruce Head Island

2008-08-16T04:38:00.001-05:00

We spent a glorious five days with our friends, the Porters, on Will's family's island. Just a four hour drive north and a 30 minute boat ride east from Camden, and we arrived in a magical place. It is the stuff dreams are made of. Drawings of lobsters, battleship rocks, seals, and secret private islands are already filling the dining room table, and we've been home a few hours. I don't think the boys would have been remotely surprised to see Goblinnea roll out of the woods. She would have fit right into the world of wild blueberries, mussels attached to rocks later to be seen on dinner plates, lobsters turn from brown speckles to bright red, a treasure hunt with a real message in a bottle buried deep in the sand. Dragon murals were painted on the walls of the Big House where we stayed, and the world of Monopoly was revealed to Lachen and Aksel by Will on a rainy day. Magic and wonderment at every turn!

We learned so much about island life in Maine. We saw seals sunning themselves, learned all about the history of the island. See http://www.kennealy.com/Galleries/GSHI/ for more. We even visited Iza Trapani and her husband on their miniature island. She is a children's book author and illustrator. Her tongue twisters are a real workout. Lachen loved her books, and Aksel loved her 150-pound Mastiff puppy.

So, aside from Aksel's dozens of barnacle scrapes, Will's bloodied lip from a lightsaber duel with local accoutrements (a heavy spruce stick), and some lessons about respecting dogs' personal space, it was completely perfect. Thank you Porters!

Aksel's Golden Birthday

2008-08-16T04:10:00.001-05:00

Aksel turned 5 on August 5th. Hence, his golden birthday commenced. We spread out the celebration (my favorite way of making a single day less crammed full and making the day after less of a letdown) and Aksel had a party in Minnesota several days before his birthday, a family blotkake on his birthday, and a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's with his friends 5 days after the 5th...The party was at 5:00 and yes, he had 5 friends there (Robby, Henry, Libby, Quinn, and Lachen, of course.)

Shawn and I are still getting over the shock that we actually allowed a party at the crazy pizza kiddie arcade. It seems to be opposite of all things we espouse: pre-packaged, processed, commercialized, overstimulating, and so it goes. Yes, it is the same venue that we knew as children. I went to Showbiz Pizza, but the companies has now merged, so actually we also were supporting a conglomerate. Agghhh!!! So, scruples were tossed aside--or at least they were tossed down the skeeball ramp to earn a few tickets. It was our boy's golden birthday, and the eco-conscious, Montessori-trained, organically-raised, socialist-leaning, fresh-air cured ways of the Reid family were put on <pause> for a few hours.

In the attempt to follow the Monty Python tune, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," we've added a new verse:
When a party's held at Chuck E.'s, just smile and listen
To Aksel's squeals of glee and endless grins.
There's diversity within, languages throughout, and
It's just one afternoon of Aksel's 1825 so far. (365 x 5, btw)
<whistling ensues>

Aksel may never know his parents' philosophical struggles on fulfilling his dreams. To our relief, Lachen is planning a Revolutionary War-themed party. He either wants to camp out as if he and his men were on the banks of the Delaware River, or take a trip to the Minute Man Museum for the historical media presentation. Hopefully, his three best buddies are free to put on the Minute Man garb and go all late 18th century on us. I'm already researching colonial cake recipes...

Minnesota Zoo with Olivia and Kayla

2008-08-06T03:29:00.000-05:00

The new Grizzlies exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo brought us for a visit. It was a hot day for bears and boys alike. Luckily, there were misters for the boys strategically placed along the trail to cool them off. The bears had their own pools to wallow in. Check out the wingspan on Olivia and Lachen!

After the zoo, it was time to head to the lake at Grandma and Grandpa Reid's house. The shoreline drops off extremely quickly. It's 10 feet deep at the end of the short dock. Good thing we have so many strong swimmers!

Time at the Cabin

2008-08-06T03:10:00.000-05:00

We've been traveling a lot this summer: to Maine, to Cape Cod, to the beaches, to Iowa, Minnesota, and to the cabin in Wisconsin. Since Shawn and I missed going to the cabin last summer (the boys went with G'ma and G'pa), we spent almost a full week this year. The weather was endlessly perfect. Jeanne and Pops and Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger joined us for a perfect week in the Northwoods. Lachen and Aksel attended their first pow-wow, and they even danced to a song just for boys about catching fish. Jeanne taught Aksel some of her famous songs. Shawn and Roz beat Jeanne and me in Canasta. The boys caught 45(!) fish one day, and we had a HUGE fish fry of sunfish. Pops and I had a great chat about micro-lending and the banking industry. And everyone left well-fed, relaxed, and sun-kissed. The conversion of the boathouse to the Kids' Cabin is underway. Lachen is already designing a locker system for the cousins (Lachen, Aksel, Jonah, Fredrik, Lexi, and Joe :) Aksel has been officially declared half fish, half dog, and half boy. You do the math. That's right: he really is more than one little body can contain!

St. Mark's

2008-08-06T02:59:00.000-05:00

This is the school where we live. St. Mark's has 330 students in grades 9-12. Most of them are boarding students, so they live here during the school year. Our house is attached to a boys' dorm called Marr-Coolidge. It's surrounded by woods, 2 ponds, a softball field, a cross country trail, and lots of wildlife. My favorite are the tiny, bright green tree frogs. Each one could easily fit onto the head of a dime. The bullfrogs croak in the evening, the cardinals swoop from tree to tree. Lachen and Aksel have a swingset again, not to mention lots of great hallways inside and paths outside to explore. Uncle Peter and Auntie Katy's walkie-talkies are getting a serious work-out. Whenever the boys leave the house, we use walkie-talkies. That way, I can actually get some work done, and the boys can explore. Don't worry, grandmas and other worriers. They can be gone long, they can't go far, and they don't cross the street to Main Campus shown here in the photos.

Beaching It

2008-08-06T02:51:00.000-05:00

Lexi and I agree that this is not the Florida beach at Jeanne and Pops' place in Naples.

Still, a beach is a beach. We bravely waded into the brisk water and winced at the occasional sharp rock at Sandy Neck Beach near Sandwich on Cape Cod. The warmth of the tidal pools was luxurious by contrast, and the kids found some truly awesome rocks.

This was not the crowded craziness for which Cape Cod is sometimes known. In fact, this beach is a nature preserve for the Piping Plover. As we looked overhead for the swooping wings of the Plover, Scott informed us that we were contributing to the plight of a mollusk, not a bird. Not the most educated of naturalists, are we?

The Brennans are here! The Brennans are here!

2008-08-06T02:34:00.000-05:00

Aunt Lizzard, Uncle Scott, Lexi, and Joe came to New England for their summer vacation, and we hopped on the tourist wagon with them for a few days. We had a grand time, and we were quite an entourage, complete with small Reilly on a leash for the entire Freedom Trail in Boston--a mere 4 mile stroll for an almost 4-month-old puppy. Great sights. Great eats. Great times. We love those Brennans.

Here we are at one of the new parks installed in Boston thanks to the Big Dig.

After a full year

2008-08-06T02:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, okay. So after a full year of living in far-flung Massachusetts, I am finally starting a blog. Of course, I just need the proper motivation. It's 3:27 in the morning, I have my first meeting of the school year tomorrow which I am woefully underprepared to lead, an online summer reading assignment to post, and a house to finish unpacking. With two sleeping boys, a sleeping dog, and a ShawnReid away coaching a hockey camp on Cape Cod, now really seems like the perfect time to establish a blog. Don't you agree?

<--Here's Reilly, our new puppy. Aksel had been waiting for his pet for most of his five years of life. So, with the coming of his birthday, we found this adorable Golden Doodle. He's just a little ball of fluffy black curls, but he's someday be a 90 pounder!