I didn't mean for this to look so dark!
I'll work on it!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Anyone who ever needs cheering up really should attend a dance class of three year-olds. It leaves me in stitches each time I watch!
Today I saw how little it takes to mold the thinking of a few little people. Three weeks ago when we started dance, it was pure chaos. No one knew where to stand. Today, each child dutifully went to her tape mark on the floor. The first week, my Abby didn't understand how to make her little body recline on her elbows so that she could free her feet to pedal in the air. Today...a pro.
These kids are so trusting and malleable at this age. They soak up every tiny bit of information. I'm used to watching that in a more academic sense, but it was neat to observe that in a physical way. Their brains and their bodies are so eager.
A few years ago, LeAnn Womack and Sons of the Desert had a huge crossover hit with "I Hope You'll Dance." It echoes in my ears today...
"When you have the choice
to sit it out or dance,
I hope you'll dance..."
Literally and figuratively, I hope my kids always choose to dance.
Today I saw how little it takes to mold the thinking of a few little people. Three weeks ago when we started dance, it was pure chaos. No one knew where to stand. Today, each child dutifully went to her tape mark on the floor. The first week, my Abby didn't understand how to make her little body recline on her elbows so that she could free her feet to pedal in the air. Today...a pro.
These kids are so trusting and malleable at this age. They soak up every tiny bit of information. I'm used to watching that in a more academic sense, but it was neat to observe that in a physical way. Their brains and their bodies are so eager.
A few years ago, LeAnn Womack and Sons of the Desert had a huge crossover hit with "I Hope You'll Dance." It echoes in my ears today...
"When you have the choice
to sit it out or dance,
I hope you'll dance..."
Literally and figuratively, I hope my kids always choose to dance.
Thank you, Scott!
I was just visiting a friend's family blog for the first time and he had these cool slideshows. I simply had to figure out how to make that happen here. Turns out, it is very simple...Picasa is super easy and the uploads are quick. Wow! And I'm not easy to impress.
Unfortunately, it also prompted me to while away an hour "redecorating" my blog.
Unfortunately, it also prompted me to while away an hour "redecorating" my blog.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Locks of Love
One day last spring, Katie came home and told me she wanted to, '"I don't know, it sounds like 'dominate'," her hair! I cracked up. So we let it grow and grow. Thankfully it was fairly long when she got the idea because her hair doesn't grow that fast. Every fight over hair-brushing that we have had while she got ready for school was just another little bit of the gift!
Today is the big day! We researched the requirements...at least ten inches in a ponytail...and off we go! I cut the ponytail at home and now we will go to the salon for her finishing cut. She'll have a neat little stacked bob when the day is done. This girl is generous to the core!
Friday, October 3, 2008
The End of An Era
Yesterday afternoon, my 12 year-old black lab, Chance, crawled under the deck, layed down and breathed his last. He was born on June 1, 1996 at my folks' house in Int'l Falls. At first, I spoke for Maki...the little female runt. She came to live with me when I got settled in my house in July.(I was still living in Chicago when they were born.) She was sweet and cute, but at thirteen weeks she had an episode that brought us into the vet immediately and she didn't get to go home with me. She had had a congenital defect and her little body had poisoned her blood. Jeesh. It had been a short time since I had put down my sick kitten, Garibaldi. I was so bummed out that I really struggled over getting another dog ...or... not putting myself through that again! After a bit of time spent with the remaining two puppies of the litter, I decided to try again. The family had been calling the pup "Remington," but I called him "Chance." My second chance. My last chance!
For twelve years, he was a faithful, guileless, lovey, rock-headed, half-blind friend. Back when I was dating, he helped me pick up guys. I don't think Mark would have had me if I hadn't been a "dog person." Then we ruined his life by getting Cobe, who immediately stepped up as the alpha male and bossed Chance around. Mind you, this started when Cobe weighed 10 pounds and Chance weighed 85. But they were brothers...playing and fighting, just like you would expect. Eventually, Cobe got them banished when he went bonkers on Katie. To the basement! They split their time between the back yard band their room for quite a few years. It wasn't a great quality of life, but Chance always stayed his dumb, happy self. Last winter, Chance started struggling with the stairs. A big old dog was bound to have trouble with his hips... Once it became a concern whether or not I could get him upstais in time to go to the bathroom, he came upstairs again and rejoined the family, so to speak. Owen had been very frightened of the dogs and he started to warm up to Chance. It was so cute. Katie had always been awesome with him and Abby was a real natural handler, too. All through the winter, spring and summer, Chance had his run of the house, lots of pets and cuddles and even a love affair with our bunny, Padme. It was a sweet time with lots of great photo ops! Those months reminded us of all the reasons you have a dog!
In July, he got sick...diarrhea and eventually not eating. I thought that was it for him. We talked at length with the kids about what might happen and just put off what we thought the inevitable decision would be until after Katie's birthday. Lo and behold, he perked up and got back to "full strength." Yeah, he had slowed down a lot and had dropped enough weight for it to be noticeable, but he was o.k. Life went on. Last week, he and Cobe went to the vet for their rabies and booster shots because I needed to get new city licenses for them. Doc was concered about Chance's weight loss, but there were no other signs of problems (to her obvious surprise.) On Wednesday night, Katie called to me and complained that Chance was making weird noises. She thought he had thrown up, but there was no mess. The next morning, he kind of did it again while we were eating breakfast (gross) so I let him outside in case he was going to be sick. It was a gorgeous fall day, so I left him out to enjoy it. At 5:00 or so, I put down his dish full of dinner and expected him to come prancing like always. He didn't. I called to him and he didn't answer. I checked the girls'room to make sure he wasn't shut in there, but there was no sign of him. I went out to the back yard and looked more thoroughly and that's when I spotten him. He just found a depression in the black dirt that kept him cool on hot days and called it quits.
Even in dying, my pooch was a sweet man. I had dreaded having to decide to have him euthanized and fully expected that the day would come. He made it as easy for us as he possibly could. He will be bittersweetly missed.
For twelve years, he was a faithful, guileless, lovey, rock-headed, half-blind friend. Back when I was dating, he helped me pick up guys. I don't think Mark would have had me if I hadn't been a "dog person." Then we ruined his life by getting Cobe, who immediately stepped up as the alpha male and bossed Chance around. Mind you, this started when Cobe weighed 10 pounds and Chance weighed 85. But they were brothers...playing and fighting, just like you would expect. Eventually, Cobe got them banished when he went bonkers on Katie. To the basement! They split their time between the back yard band their room for quite a few years. It wasn't a great quality of life, but Chance always stayed his dumb, happy self. Last winter, Chance started struggling with the stairs. A big old dog was bound to have trouble with his hips... Once it became a concern whether or not I could get him upstais in time to go to the bathroom, he came upstairs again and rejoined the family, so to speak. Owen had been very frightened of the dogs and he started to warm up to Chance. It was so cute. Katie had always been awesome with him and Abby was a real natural handler, too. All through the winter, spring and summer, Chance had his run of the house, lots of pets and cuddles and even a love affair with our bunny, Padme. It was a sweet time with lots of great photo ops! Those months reminded us of all the reasons you have a dog!
In July, he got sick...diarrhea and eventually not eating. I thought that was it for him. We talked at length with the kids about what might happen and just put off what we thought the inevitable decision would be until after Katie's birthday. Lo and behold, he perked up and got back to "full strength." Yeah, he had slowed down a lot and had dropped enough weight for it to be noticeable, but he was o.k. Life went on. Last week, he and Cobe went to the vet for their rabies and booster shots because I needed to get new city licenses for them. Doc was concered about Chance's weight loss, but there were no other signs of problems (to her obvious surprise.) On Wednesday night, Katie called to me and complained that Chance was making weird noises. She thought he had thrown up, but there was no mess. The next morning, he kind of did it again while we were eating breakfast (gross) so I let him outside in case he was going to be sick. It was a gorgeous fall day, so I left him out to enjoy it. At 5:00 or so, I put down his dish full of dinner and expected him to come prancing like always. He didn't. I called to him and he didn't answer. I checked the girls'room to make sure he wasn't shut in there, but there was no sign of him. I went out to the back yard and looked more thoroughly and that's when I spotten him. He just found a depression in the black dirt that kept him cool on hot days and called it quits.
Even in dying, my pooch was a sweet man. I had dreaded having to decide to have him euthanized and fully expected that the day would come. He made it as easy for us as he possibly could. He will be bittersweetly missed.
Chance (Remington) Bradseth Christiansen
June 1, 1996-October 2, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Clone Wars and Other Battles
It feels like we just got beyond "back-to-school" and that things should settle down, but NO. This year, we had all three kids starting school (a great milestone for a stay-at-home mom!) We also started piano lessons, swimming lessons, and dance class. Pfwew, mom and dad are tired! Next, Mark played a benefit gig up north for a high school classmate who developed colon cancer. It was a good evening (and Grandma and Grandpa watched the kids!) and I was so proud of my guy...not only is he still a rock star, but he has an amazing heart. These guys (and Jenni, too) gave a lot of their time over the last few months to learn and relearn music, rehearse and be ready to play for Julie. Our prayers remain with her, but we celebrate that she is currently cancer-free!
That brings us to the CLONE WARS!
We celebrated Owen's birthday this weekend and he chose "Clone Wars" as his theme. (This goes to show how heavily influenced he is by marketing genius...we had never seen the cartoons and we still haven't seen the movie.) Seven boys, ages 5 and 6, make for a loud and crazy party. It cracked me up to see them make their way through their Jedi Training Course with Yoda in a backpack! They loved the twisty baloons which stood in for real light sabers until they all popped. I clocked it. 3 minutes for about 20 balloons. Everything was just right...we ran out of activities right as the parents arrived to pick up their newly knighted Jedi Masters. We have another 40 pounds of Legos around the house now, too...just a bonus.
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