First Baseball Game as a Family: Cards vs. Cubs

Montana, Part Three: The Trek Home

After a wonderful week with my cousin and her family, it was time to head home and make the long journey 1700 miles east.  We decided instead of taking two days to get back, we would split it up into three days, eight hours long.  I think the kids were just not ready to be in the car that long again.  So...the first night we stayed in Sheridan, WY, home of Buffalo Bill and the Big Horn Mountains.  It really was quite pretty there, but rained a lot and was cold.  Unfortunately, we got in too late to head over to Little Big Horn battlefield, so we had to miss that attraction.  I'm sure the kids really wouldn't get the significance of a giant open field.  Next time.  Our next stop was to get to Sioux Falls, SD for the night and we decided to check out Devils Tower National Monument on our way there.  This is a place that I thought I would never in my life get to see, so I was all for the two hour detour to get there.  It is known as the 'first national monument' because it is so old being made out of volcanic rock.  Just like with Mount Rushmore, the sheer enormity of it makes you stop and look.  You just don't expect to see this 1200 foot rock formation to pop out of the prairie.  The kids were utterly in shock to see it as well, they couldn't believe their eyes.  When we told them the Lakota Indian legend of how the rock was formed, I think they were blown away.  The legend goes that a hunting party was in the woods nearby and seven girls were lost looking for berries.  At that moment, huge bear started to chase the girls and they prayed to the rock they were on to save them. That's when the rock started to rise up to the heavens.  The striations on the side of the tower is where the bear's claws tried to reach the girls.  They were fated to stay forever and the constellation Pleiades (the Seven Sisters) is their spot in the heavens.  Isn't that a neat story?  Here are the pictures to prove we were there:

 Did you see this last pic? Those little dots in the middle are people climbing the tower! Unbelievable.

Montana, Part Two: The Visit

Getting to see my cousin and her family was awesome for me and the kids, considering we don't get to see much extended family on my side.  Missoula is a very cool town with lots of outdoorsy things to do.  We got to visit my cousin's store on the square downtown. I was blown away by how much work she has to put into this place, but she does a wonderful job doing so.  We also got to visit Big Dipper Ice Cream, not once, but twice and it seriously is a haven for those addicted to ice cream like I am.  Amazing stuff indeed, I could have eaten there every day!  All in this same day, the kids got to ride a vintage carousel and play on the best play ground ever. Whew...talk about amazing stuff and that was just the first day! 

Following the many hours of playing in the yard, playing xbox with the kids, coloring, etc., etc., we also got to witness Matthew moving on from 8th grade. I cannot believe he is going to be in high school this fall.  It seemed like just yesterday he was so little! Both him and Makenna are getting so big.  These are the times when I wish I could just slow down time for a little while :-(  



We also visited a ghost mining town about an hour outside of Missoula called Garnet Ghost Town which the kids absolutely loved! Once you arrived, you went to the visitor's center to grab a scavenger hunt list and they were super excited to find all the old items on their list.  Things like Log Cabin syrup tins, boots, a giant bellows, barrels, old washing machines, etc.  When the kids had seen everything their job was to take the list back to the gift shop where they received a coloring book about Garnet. I can't imagine living back then when life was so much harder.  The town wasn't so big though, one hotel, one store, the blacksmith, a jail and most appropriately, thirteen saloons.  HA! It was such a great way to show the girls that life hasn't always been easy and give them a little perspective on how some people still live today.  Here are some shots of the day:

 

 On our last full day with Selena and the fam, we decided to take the kids fishing for the first time.  This had to be the highlight of their visit.  It was the hottest day of our trip, which reached into the low eighties, so they were happy to be outside in the sun.  We ended up going about half an hour to Frenchtown Pond State Park which was perfect for the kids because they could fish from the shore and also swim down by the beach if they wanted.  We brought snacks and hung out in one of the many pavilions around the park.  Amazingly, no one got snagged by a hook! The girls were actually really good casters! I wasn't too bad myself after not really fishing since I was a girl too.  We spent a good two hours lounging around the park and spending time with each other.  It was perfect.  We then went back into town and took the kids swimming at one of the local aquatic centers until everyone was ready for dinner.

I couldn't have asked for a more fitting way to close out our trip, just spending time all together.  I'm only hoping that we will be able to come back and visit before Matthew graduates high school!  Cannot wait to take Josh next time.  A HUGE thanks to Shane & Selena for letting us crash and take over their house for the week, I know its an adjustment having little one in your house :-) 

Montana, Part One: The Journey

We made the long trip Northwest to see my cousin and her family for my godson's 8th grade promotion.  It was supposed to be our family vacation for the summer, but turned out that Josh couldn't accompany us...so it was a Thomas Family Vacation! My parents, Kayleigh, Stephani, Kaya & Kellen all came along for the ride and it was amazing to have the kids see a different part of the country.  The weather was really nasty heading out on our first day and very cold for the end of May.  Roughly 60 degrees with horrible winds, especially through Wyoming.  We drove 14 hours the first day and stopped for the night in Sioux Falls, SD.  Thankfully, we had a patch of sunlight the next morning for our trip to Mount Rushmore.  What an amazing place to visit!! The little town of Keystone outside of the park was so cute, I think I could have spent a little time there, but we just drove through on our way up the mountain.  Pulling into the park grounds was just breathtaking.  The scenery was gorgeous and then four massive heads sticking out of the rock.  The kids were floored! They have never seen anything like it in their lives.  We went for a couple hours and took pictures, walked the President's Trail and checked out the Sculptor's Studio.  Then on the gift shop, where I think bought out the place.  Really neat books, rocks and post card souvenirs to commemorate our trek out there.  

The Only thing that would have made this visit to the park would have been if Daddy had been with us :-(  We missed him so much this trip, but so glad the girls got to see this amazing symbol of our country.  We'll have to go back and take him! 

From there we kept driving until our little hearts couldn't take it anymore and we finally pulled into Missoula, MT around 10:30pm MST.  

The Last Day of School * 2013

I cannot believe that another school year has passed. Kindergarten and one year of pre-school is behind us and the girls did wonderfully! Em had a fun year of learning in Mrs. Shipman's class with many parent parties and field trips to Purina Farms and The Magic House.  They enjoyed their first of many Spring Carnivals at the elementary school and also met new and exciting friends. Piper had a great first year of pre-school with Ms. Julie, Ms. Jaime & Ms. Twanna and also met some really great friends.   Now we are looking forward to an awesome summer filled with travel, swim team, gymnastics, camps, Six Flags, pool time and fun with family and friends.  Bring it on! 

Final Bell @ Marquette High School!

 Unbeknownst to myself, Marquette High School has a tradition called The Final Bell every May for their graduating seniors.  All the elementary schools that are in the boundries for MHS select two kindergarteners, a girl and a boy, to represent their school.  These kids then go to the graduation practice the Friday before the ceremony and line up and ring bells as a signal that the seniors are done with their educational journey and the kindergarteners are beginning theirs.  It is apparently quite an honor to be chosen and my Emaline was picked to represent her school :-) Also, a little boy named Dylan was her partner in crime from the afternoon kindergarten class.  

So, Emaline, Piper and myself headed to MHS in the morning yesterday.  When we arrived we had to wait for a while for all the seniors to fill up the auditorium, so the kindergarteners started to handout their homemade cards that each of their classes made for the seniors. I never realized that Emaline had such great confidence, she was handing them out and making sure the seniors knew where to go! Afterwards, the kids lined up and were handed a bell and told what they needed to do in the auditorium.  Each child would get the microphone handed to them and they would need to say their name, which school they were from and a congratulations of some sort for the seniors.  Emaline was fourth to do this and all the kids before her were a little soft spoken, but not my little one.  She practically yelled out, "I'm Emaline Little and I'm from Elementary! GOOD LUCK SENIORS!" and the crowd of seniors all yelled and clapped and cheered for her.  She was so proud!! I teared up a little knowing that one day my little girl(s) would also clap and cheer for those kindergarteners taking part in this tradition.  She had such a great time, it really made her feel important! Afterward, we walked out and everyone had cookies and water for a "job well done" snack.  :-) I'm so glad to see that Emaline is not afraid to be involved with school activities and I truly hope that it never ends. 

Girl Scouts at The Painting Paw

This year Emaline joined our local Daisy Scouts troop and I couldn't be prouder of her achievements with the 10 other girls she has been introduced to and formed new friendships with. These are the girls that she will go to school with for quite some time and I'm so glad that they have these fun activities in common.  This was a meeting for a Painting Paw patch specifically for the Girl Scouts.  The Painting Paw is a ceramics workshop that you can choose items to paint.  All our girls got a tile to decorate as they liked and it would end up with their initial on it.  I think it built a little bit of sisterhood and bonding time, the girls had to share their supplies and worked with each other to come with an idea of what they wanted.  They all did a great job! We are all looking forward to the fall when we resume our meetings! 

Farming in West County

Today I had the pleasure of accompanying Emaline on a field trip with her CCL class to the Wildwood Community Farms.  There we learned about sustainable urban gardening and composting.  It was very interesting and Emaline was really into it, asking questions the whole time we were there.  The kids got to see the various stages of composting and what the end result was and how the soil was used again.  After touring the beds and learning what was planted there, they got to fill a pot with soil and plant radishes provided by the farm.  They had a little scavenger hunt and then it was back to school.  Such a great learning experience for all of them! Now to build and tend our own herb garden...or so I hope.  My thumbs aren't exactly green, so we will see if me and Dad can put a box together this summer for the kiddos.  

Mother's Day

Who's got two thumbs and did not get one SINGLE picture of me and my girls on Mother's Day? This lady.  After getting home and realizing that I didn't take any pictures, I was super bummed.  So I dragged out an oldie, but goodie of my babies from a few years ago. 

We had a wonderful brunch with my family where we stuffed our faces and ran around after the kiddos.  Then headed over to my in-laws where we proceeded to stuff our faces AGAIN and run around the yard with the kiddos there.  Piper even roasted her own weenie.  I was a proud Mama watching her take care of her own food needs.  She's self sufficient now, right? :-) 

All joking aside, my Emaline and Piper are the light of my life.  All the whining, fighting (with each other) and dramatic wardrobe changes are overshadowed by the enormous amount of unconditional love they pour over me every day.  I'm constantly amazed that after numerous times of telling them over and over again to use manners and have compassion that they do listen.  They are really good kids and it makes me feel like I'm doing something right when they show empathy and ask questions on how to make themselves better.  Them, along with Josh, make me want to be the best Mom and Wife I can be always.  I cannot fathom a different life than what we have made and I am grateful every minute of every day that we are happy and healthy.  Love my Stinkyfaces!!

Now, I didn't just know this stuff automatically when my kids popped out of me.  It was a learning process my whole life.  Watching my Mom was the best learning opportunity I could have ever had.  She taught me that love and family support was a foundation of having a happy childhood.  Even when I didn't want her to be involved she was and I will forever be grateful for that.  It's one thing to say you care and quite another to show it.  Thanks Mom, love you always.

First Grade Watch Out!!

Today was Emaline's Kindergarten celebration where she has officially been graduated to first grade! I cannot believe this year has gone by so quickly already and she is moving on the big kid school for real.  Full day schedule, CCL (at a different campus), riding the bus and many extracurricular activities are in our future this fall. We have had a fantastic introduction to school this past year and there is a reason that her teacher, Mrs. Shipman, does what she does.  She is so patient and attentive to all the kids in the class, I just don't know how she does it. I'm just so glad Emaline is so happy to learn and be around her friends to experience everything that school has to offer these days. We will definitely miss Mrs. Shipman in the classroom, but I'm sure we'll visit with her often. :-) Here are a few snapshots from the presentation the kids put on for us.

My Budding Ecologist

Today Piper and I went to Emaline's gifted school see her and her classmates give their Kindergarten Presentations and be a part of the Ecology Festival they put together.  I could not believe the fantastic work they did putting their projects together!  You would have no idea these nine kids were kindergartners and not high school students with the amount of research and preparation they did.  

First was an awesome skit they participated in to show what we can do to reduce, reuse and recycle.  Emaline played a flower and butterfly to show what happens when we take care of the Earth.  The second part of the festival was seeing the artwork that they had made about Air, Land and Water.  Great pictures and paintings of land and sea animals and plant life.  The also make dream catchers and totem poles as part of their art projects.  Such vivid imaginations!  Finally we were ushered into their classroom to hear their presentations on their specific part of the environment they researched and how to better that portion of the Earth.  Emaline and her friend Sophia had Air, Land & Water.  They made posters of how to lessen the amount of pollution we put into these areas.  The also made an aquifer and were testing it to see how ground and water pollution takes place.  Em did a great talk on air pollutants and how we could stop burning fossil fuels.  She also wore her Pocahontas costume to convey that Native Americans used everything they found or caught and never wasted.  Yeah, I don't know how she came from this uterus.

Her classmates did equally thorough projects on Food Chains and Helpful Insects.  It truly was amazing to see how excited they were to do these things on their own!  The gifted program in our school district is absolutely fantastic and Emaline loves it there.  I can only hope that Piper can have a chance to learn there too. 

 

Ok, so let's see if I can get my *bleep* together...First Trip to the Arch!

So...I know I have said this before and I'm sure I will say this again.  I'm starting over.  This web log, or as you tech savvy kids call it, "blog", will have to be revisited.  I've missed quite a number of things over the past couple of years, but with my avid Facebooking I've let our beloved Little Brass Tacks go by the wayside.  Josh constantly goes to look at and says, "Why haven't you updated the blog?", "Where are your new blog posts?".  I know, I really am a slacker.

On to fresh starts!  We have a big summer planned ahead of us and this is just the start. Above picture is the girls' first visit to the Gateway Arch! I really can't believe we haven't been there before this, but quite honestly  now is the time when they will enjoy it.  We went down on a Tues afternoon at 3pm and it was perfect. No lines, no crowds, etc. The girls and I decided to do this for a friend of ours who needed some Flat Stanley pictures taken and sent back to California, so I think I got those two birds with one stone.

The girls loved every minute of it! Granted, we were there for a total of 45 minutes. We went up to the very top and got to look down on beautiful downtown St. Louis and also see the Mighty Mississippi!  I think they got a kick out of the river, "Mom, its so dirty! We won't ever swim there, will we?". Um, no thank you.  Piper was a little leery of the "pod" ride up, but she worked it out and thoroughly enjoyed the ride down.  They were dancing and singing at 630 ft up in the air! We proceeded to get our fun pictures of Flat Stanley and head down to the Jefferson Memorial Expansion Museum where they saw everything from a Bison to a wheel from a steamboat. It was so great seeing them learn all about this area that we live in and how different things are today and I'm sure will be very different in the years to come for them.  Can't wait to go back and take Daddy with us.  There are quite a few pictures we took of the museum and you can see them by clicking here.

Here's to future entries!!