Here, fishie fishie.

Did our annual fishing day with Babci, on Friday.  We left our house at 5:45am. It was rainy and cool when we left the dock, but the rain stopped and it ended up being cool and lovely.  This was our first time mackerel fishing as a group- and it was way more fun/busy.  There isn't even any bait! We just use a "jig" which is a hook, and jig the pole up and down in the water to attract the fish, and catch them.  The jig only goes down a few feet into the water, too, so even though mackerel fight and swim side to side to break free, reeling them in is fun but not too hard.

Mackerel swim in schools, too, so all of a sudden everyone will be catching and reeling one in, and it's a flurry of activity trying to get the flopping fish off the hook and into your cooler, without getting a hook stuck anywhere.  Between the six of us, we must have caught 75 or more.  Some were small (and we had more than enough), so we ended up donating a ton to the boat for bait for another trip, and we also tossed some back overboard.  Our coolers were overflowing.  

We had the crew take the heads, tails and guts out, and Mark and I ended up spending hours when we got home, grilling and then trying to de-bone them all, which was a painstaking process.  We quit on a lot of the fish because they just had too many tiny slivers of bone that were impossible to get rid of.  I peeled and boiled a bag of potatoes and sauteed onions and made a ginormous pot of fish stew, half of which is frozen for later. 

Beach Day

We had our first family beach day on Mark's bday.  It was low-key and lovely.  And ended in eating lots, and lots, and lots of salt-water taffy.

Graduates!

I am so behind on updates.  The boys all completed their school year and did a super job.  All A's for Logan for both semesters of his VLACS courses.  All As and B's for Elijah's VLACS, and a solid A for his online writing course.  All 3 of them did fantastically on their other schoolwork, and all 3 did amazingly well on their end-of-the-year standardized testing.  When their test results came back, we all whooped with glee.  :)  The co-op classes, and longggggg list of extra-curricular activities, workshops, and field trips they attended, plus sports and music stuff, all made for a full year.
The 7th year of homeschooling is complete and I love my little graduates.

Yay

E has played keys for the youth group band for a couple of years now, but he just auditioned for and made the regular worship team, at church.  I'm still not attending but I will go occasionally, just to hear him play.  The church has so many talented musicians and they do a lovely job. E has been at one campus now, the smallest one, for a few Sundays in a row.  He will be at one of the larger campuses coming up soon, and if he ends up getting to play at our "home campus" then he could be playing in front of up to 800 people, each service.  Music is an important part of how many feel close to God, and I know that playing keys is something that makes E closer to God, so I am happy.

Annual fun ~

Our town's annual 5K was another great one.  We usually volunteer (this year I did registration and Mark just helped by biking with the lead runner for the kids 1 mile run), and usually we all run, but this year I just cheered on.  It's always a great time for the boys and their buds, and having new runners do their first 5K is always awesome.  Cam came in 3rd for his age group, Logan had a PR (we think) and Elijah was 4th for his age group - a lot of kids run this, so it's some great competition!  Can't wait for another fun race next year.

Bravo

The boys have finished their weekly music lessons for the summer! All 3 of them are improving every day, and E and C's piano recitals were wonderful.  E was at 2 recitals, and he played a different piece that he composed, at each of them.  For the first recital, a bunch of folks stood up at the end for him, while applauding.  We've had recitals for I think about 6-7 years now, and I don't remember that happening, ever.  It made me tear up, big time.  Logan's playing is going from "yeah, Logan, that sounded...better..." to, "Wow, Logan, that really sounded good!!"  Proud of all three of them.  I wish I could play an instrument, but I am glad my boys can, at least!

For my boys

Been reflecting on how cool our boys are turning out to be.  What awesome little humans they are! Thinking about the friends they've been blessed with during their lifetimes, and what their futures might hold for them.  Been thinking about my own life, too, and how comfortable I am in my own skin.  The boys are, too.  It's not necessarily, "self-confidence" that we have, but I'd say it's more of a confidence in knowing who we are/how we were made/that we are loved despite our imperfections. 

Boys- down the road, if you look back at these blog posts, I hope you treasure these memories that were made and photos that were collected.  Maybe even have glimpses at things about me that you may not have known before.  It has been so fun watching you mature.  I am super independent and have raised you boys to be so as well; not needy and not overly dependent on your parents.  My goal has been to encourage and enable you to be strong and to do things for yourselves; to empower you.  In watching how you act and interact and function, even amidst peers that are the same age as(or even older than) you, I am confident that that goal has been met.  Even at ages of 13, 11.5, and 10, the 3 of you are responsible, kind-hearted, bent towards truth and good decision-making, careful, and trustworthy; yet you are fun-loving and great kids to be around.  Kids like you.  Adults like you.  You are good influences on other kids.  You are as imperfect as all of the other kids in the world, and your imperfect mother is pretty darn proud of who you are.

A few tid-bits, for the future, that you probably already know but might need a reminder of, as you get older.
-A true friend celebrates you for you, despite being different.  Just like you do that with other kids who are different from you- you still enjoy their company, and applaud things friends do well in, even if they are different than what you do, it should go the other way, too.  If you play piano well, and play a piece in front of a group, or if you win an award for something you worked hard it, a true friend will be the first on their feet to clap and cheer you on.  The friend who sits with their arms crossed and mutters, "Show off" as you walk back to your seat?  You can still hang out with them, but consider them an aquaintance. Don't wager too much on that friendship, because it probably isn't a true one. A true friend will not try to compete in life with you; they will walk alongside of you as you live life together, cheering each-other on.

-Same goes for your appearance.  Good friends might razz each-other occasionally, especially if they are young men.  But in general, if you are around someone who is always telling you that your hat is not cool enough or who points out a pimple, they are the person who has self-image problems and will always point "flaws" out in you to make themselves feel better.  It's human nature. But, there are people who you will find to be true friends who are not scanning your appearance to point flaws out, and they are the better ones to spend time with.  Trust me.  Even as a grown woman, women do this- I could be very dressed up and my true friends might genuinely compliment my appearance, but some other women will squint their eyes and say in a fake tone, "Don't YOU look nice."  And maybe point out a bruise on my leg and ask, "Ugh! What happened THERE?"  ha!  Same goes with other stuff.  When you get an apartment or house one day, spend less time with the buds who come over and find something negative to point out about your house; the rust on your grill, a water stain on your wall, weeds in your garden, whatever.  There will be plenty of guys who will be your true friends, who when you have them over, are not giving your house a once-over to judge it or be jealous of it.  Those are the people you will really want to invest in.

-If you find a friend who emails you links to events to things they know you might like, keep them and treasure them.  If you have a friend who attends an event that they later say they thought you might like but forgot to tell you about it, find a better friend.  They exist. Also, be that friend- it doesn't take but a minute to make someone feel special and thought about and included.

-Keep remembering that the world does not revolve around you.  Try to keep being empathetic and imagine what it's like to be in another's shoes.  It will keep you being a good person.

-Don't take yourself too seriously.  You are not perfect.  You are not good at everything.  So what.  Laugh.  When you suck badly at something, laugh.  Who cares?  You have other strengths.  Don't be haughty and angry and embarrassed when you can't do something.  I hate when people act like that, so don't.  Laughing at yourself is good for the soul.

-If you cruise the strip at Hampton Beach, with friends, and meet a girl who is walking the strip, who agrees to hang out with you all and gets into the vehicle, that is not the kind of girl you want to be with, and actually, you shouldn't be doing that, anyway.  (I write this as we were just at Hampton, and Dad and I recalled our teenaged years there.)

-You can call us, day or night. No matter what mistakes you've made or where you are, or what trouble you've gotten into or bad decisions you've made.  Depending on the situation, Dad and I will likely come get you and help you out.  We also might just allow you to pay natural consequences.  ha

-Keep saying, "Please" and "Thank You" and keep making eye contact with people.

-Keep standing up for what is right, even if you are the only one.  You will regret it if you cave under pressure and do something you think is wrong, or worse, do nothing when you see something that is wrong.  Live with integrity and "do the right thing, even if nobody is looking."

-If I ever find out, even when you are grown men, that you stood up for a friend over one of your brothers, I will show up in person wherever you are living at that time and I will likely embarrass you in my anger.  Your brothers come before any friends.  When you get married, your wife will come before them, though, and before me, and Dad.  And actually, if I find out that you are consulting me about something before your wife, I will be turning you around to talk to her first.

-Speaking of marriage- choose well.  It's for a lifetime, for better or for worse.  For fun times and for boring.  For times when you're rolling in the dough and for times when you managed to rack up $20K on your Amex.  For times when there are rainbows and unicorns and for times when the dog is sick, the baby is crying, the house is falling apart, you've both gained weight and life seems bleak.  It's a contract, so make sure you choose a spouse who is on board with keeping that contract for life.  Divorce sucks, plain and simple.

-Keep worshipping God and having the faith that has been displayed and taught to you to be your own.  I can not have a relationship with God for you.  That journey is your own.  I do know that when my faith has been the strongest, is when I've been the most at peace.  So try not to walk away from God, and keep your relationship with Him strong.  When things crumble, you'll have an Anchor to hold onto.

-Don't let electronics take you away from music-playing time.  Make instrument-time a priority.  The world needs more music.  Music crosses all boundaries, religions, cultures.  Music makes people cry and smile.  Keep playing it.  It makes the world better and your home will always have a happy sound if music is being played in it.

I could not be more thankful to be your mother.  That will never change.

Precious.

Questions About Mom.

June 2015; Elijah, age 13; Logan, age 11.5; Camden, age 10.

Wrote down their exact answers.

1.     What is something your mom always says to you?

E: “How many times do I have to tell you something more than once?”

L:  “I love you, Logie Balogey. And then I say, ‘You set my soul on fire!”

C: “I love you.”

     2.  What makes Mom happy?

E: “Hummingbirds.  When I do something the first time you ask.  And- one word: initiative.”

L: “When you don’t have to say things twice, when we play music, birdwatching, and…seeing us happy.”

C: “Hugs.”

3.     What makes Mom sad?

E: “When baby birds get run over.”

L: “When we get hurt.  That’s the first thing that comes to my mind.  When we don’t listen, even after you’ve said something a million times.”

C: “Lying.  And when we don’t listen to what you say.”

4.     What does your mom do to make you laugh?

E: “She stinks at video games.  It’s hilarious.”

L: “When she laughs.  When she sneezes.  When…you…give me that face.” 

C: “When she tries to make us laugh, she succeeds.” 

5.     What was your mom like as a child?

E: “Sad. Sad. Sad.”

L: “Awesome.  But had a bad life.  Very pretty.”

C: “You were always walking. Miserable.”

6.     How old is your mom?

E: “37.”

L: “16. 24. Fine, 25. I know for real.  29. (giggling) You’re 37.  It feels like I’m lying when I say that, because you don’t look like it.”

C: “20 (said with a smile and and then a wink). 37.”

7.     How tall is your mom?

E:” 5 foot 7?”

L: “Stand up, please. (makes hand gestures for feet measurement.) 1, 2, 3, 4 feet…5 feet.  5 feet.  That’s my guess.  How tall are you, really?”

C: “5 foot 5?”

(They all did well- I am 5’6’’)

8.     What is her favorite thing to do?

E: “Garden. Birdwatch…”

L: “Garden, listen to us play music.”

C: “Listen to our music, garden, …sit down on the couch and fall asleep??” (laughing)

9.     What does your mom do when you’re not around?

E: “Sit and enjoy the silence?”

L:  “Try to get some rest for once. Garden. Cleaning. Do more stuff for us.  Not watch TV.”

C: “Gardens.  Goes outside. Checks bird houses. Gets a cup of coffee.”

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

E:  “Cooking, landscaping…”

L: “Nothing, because she doesn’t want to be famous.  Natural beauty.  Gardening.

C: “Being beautiful.  Being a model.”

11. What is your mom really good at?

E:  “Cooking.  Gardening.  Saying no when you need to.  Putting limits on your kids when you need to.”

L.  “Being awesome.  Being her.  Gardening.  Everything.”

C:  “She’s good at looking good.”  

12. What is your mom not very good at?

E: “Coding.  Anything with gadgets.”

L: “Sitting down on the couch watching TV for a long period of time. Not very good at not being awesome.”

C: “Video games.  Gadgets.”

13. What does your mom do for a job?

E: “She gardens and cooks.”

L: “She works at a gardening place.  Parenting.”

C: “She is a mom.  It is the hardest job on the planet.”

14. What is your mom’s favorite food?

E: “Chocolate.  Anything chocolate.”

L: “Salad. (giggles) Bass?”

C: “Salad?  COFFEE.”

15. What makes you proud of your  mom?

E: “She’s not weird.  Too weird.”

L: “When she works hard and because she’s an awesome mom.  Almost everything makes me proud of you.”

C: “That she takes care of us.”

16. If your mom were a character, who would she be?

E: “Wonder Woman.”

L: “Superman.”

C: “The Beautiful Person.  Aphrodite?  I dunno.  The goddess of beautifulness, if there was one.”

17. What do you and your mom do together?

E: “We fish.  We go on hikes.”

L: “Fish.  Snuggle. Have fun. Live life to the fullest.”

C: “We sit around doing this.  We go to the beach and field trips together.”

18. How are you and your mom the same?

E:  “We like similar food and we have a similar sense of humor.”

L:  “We’re both awesome.” (laughs)

C:  “We look alike.”

19. How are you and your mom different?

E:  “Technology is the boundary!”

L:  “I’m not as smart as her. “
C:  “You’re beautiful.  I’m not.”

20. How do you know your Mom loves you?

E:  “Waking up early, at like 5 in the morning, to take us places.  Making food for us.”

L: “Because she shows it by her actions.”

C: “She says it to us, she drives us everywhere, she takes care of us, everything like that.”

21. What does your Mom like most about your Dad?

E:  “Budgeting skills.  ‘Cuz you might need them.”

L:  (laughing)”He’s got big guns.  You nag him a lot, and you like to nag?” (laughing)

C: “I have no clue.  I have no. stinking. Clue.  Arrrhhh.  I can’t pick.  I don’t know.  Seriously!”

22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?

E: “Home.”

L: “Her bed.  I’m serious, too.”

C: “Ditto Elijah.”

23. How old was your Mom when you were born?

E: “Pffftt…5.  I know- 22?  No, 24.”

L: “”Um, let me think.  She is 18 now, so, hmmmm…9?” (laughing)

C:  “Ummm, 18.  Wait.  If I’m 10 and you’re 37 you were 27 when I was born.  Am I right?”

Summertime...

...and the livin' is easy. :)

OK, more like busy, and chaotic, but, overall summer is off to a great start, just one day in.  I am so behind on some things- laundry, for starters, plus journaling, and blogging, and weeding, and... Ha! What happens is that I get a bad case of what I call, "Nice Weather A.D.D." which makes me want to sit outside at lakes, beaches, parks, mountains, doing all-things-outdoorsy, like biking, running, hiking, and sitting on my keister enjoying the view.

I tend to step away from the phone and the computer more, when it's amazing outside.  I tend to be more selective with my time, since it is precious and summer flies by too fast! 

I will have to do my best to stay on track with some household and online tasks(like emptying the email folders)...but...I can't promise anything!

Welcome, friend-time, extra family-time, and extra Vitamin D. :)