Happy Winter Solstice!

Things have been busy!  We are in our last few days before winter break, and we are trying to finish up a lot of projects...today we made gift-bags for the presents we are making tomorrow- decorating them with sponge paint, and put our names on some ornaments to take home.  Last week we made our own ornaments, and there is still plenty of glitter around the room to prove it! Today I managed to get outside pictures of all the kids to use for their presents we are making tomorrow- making frames around them, and putting magnets on them to stick on the fridge. I will post some pictures later....the upload is just really slow and I am tired =)  My kids sure are cute though!  2 more days of school and then I get a little break.  I stayed a couple hours late today trying to get things ready, finished some Christmas shopping, then went for my first ski of the year (cross country).  It felt WONDERFUL! I love getting out skiing, even in the dark.
I had my last surgery last week- where I got my implants.  I am really glad to be done with the going under!  Just one more step and I will be finished!  Though, I do have to wait 4 months until then, and I am on a soft food diet until then....mashed potatoes, yogurt, etc....I have found 13 things I can eat- any suggestions are more than welcome!  I am sure this will get really old!  But, it is better than the liquid diets I have been on this year!  Just hard to go to a Christmas party and see everyone eating wonderful looking food and only be able to eat one thing and just have to look at it....at least I got a bunch of great goodies last week at the White Elephant party- I ate plenty then, and I ate a bunch of fudge out of my fridge last week in preparation for a dreary diet this Christmas. =) My swelling is down a lot though, and I am feeling a lot better today- and finally getting some energy back....though my kids are taking it right away again- ha ha!

More paddling pictures

 

 

 

Last weekend I took my last kayaking trip of the year. I was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to get out, as more ice had formed than I had originally thought, and one of the places I thought about launching was locked in with ice, but one of the campsites at Merrick was ice free by the shore, so a friend and I put in there.  It was a little chilly, but it was a lot of fun- we saw a muskrat, eagles, and lots of evidence of beavers in the area- they have been really busy since August when I last paddled there!

Paddling up onto the ice a little bit =) 

a muskrat busy eating

I saw a lot of interesting ice formations

busy beavers..... this is just one spot we noticed

Having trouble uploading more pictures, so will have to upload more later!

Leonid Meteor Shower

My legs actually feel worn out today! I stayed at work until 7:30 tonight for our potluck/ Thanksgiving program- and then I hiked up the bluff- on the Hixon trails, to go view the Leonid meteor shower. I found a nice lookout there and lay back on the big flat rock enjoying the stars and listening to music for awhile. It took me awhile to realize that the meteors were lower in the sky, and I was better off sitting up to watch them- but laying on the rock for awhile was really peaceful and relaxing. I have been trying to find a better balance between work and play lately, and I have to say, I have been MUCH happier!! I have been getting out and seeing more of my friends, getting more fresh air, and have just generally been enjoying my life more. The last couple months I have felt like a lump on a log- working late, and then coming home and working on more stuff until I had no more energy left- then maybe going out and trying to do something, but being too worn out to even really enjoy myself..... I have decided I would rather be worn out later at night and try to work on things then. After work now I am trying to get outside and do some of the things that just make me happy- and the difference is really noticable in my whole day. Now if I can just figure out which direction I want to go with my life- I still feel like I am trying to refigure things out after this last year.....for now I think I have decided to just go with the flow and see what comes along- as I am too indecisive about what I want to do anyways, and I think I need some time to just relax and sort some other things out. I have been getting back into reading my books, sorted through most of my things and actually have what feels like a home again, and finally feel settled at my new job- now to finish up my surgeries, sort through things on my land, and enjoy my friends and family again!

September Hike with Christopher

Hiking in Hixon Forest
A cave that we found...
I almost didn't notice these beady little eyes watching me!
A view from the top.

I was a little nervous about the one year anniversary of Gary's death, and didn't want to spend it alone....even if I have been doing fine....I guess I was afraid all the memories would come back to me. Christopher came to La Crosse that day and spent the day with me hiking....the thing that relaxes me the most. I enjoyed getting out in the sun and seeing all the fall colors....this is the first fall I have seen with big colorful trees in quite a few years!

Oktoberfest!

For two weekends, and a couple days in between, I celebrated in La Crosse's Oktoberfest- with lots of beer and live music! The first night of festing, I made the mistake of bringing some vodka with me....forgetting about that extra kick it can give you, long after you stop drinking it!! After a bike ride home that lasted much longer than needed, I decided beer was good enough for me for the rest of the festivities! My favorite was definitely the Jim Busta polka band- but the other bands were a lot of fun as well. I have never participated in a real Oktoberfest before, but it was definitely a lot of fun!


This little 2 year old is going to be a future polka star....
The festmaster!
The last night of festivities.....




Yep, we closed it down the last night...
While waiting for a certain person that uses the bathroom a lot, I noticed the festmaster and the whole "royal family" outside the tent. I took a picture of them, and was called over by the festmaster to get a picture with them...I also got an "honorary festmaster" button =)

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

A couple weeks ago I took both my morning and afternoon classes on a field trip to "Grandpa's Garden". With 18 kids in the morning and 16 in the afternoon, it was a full day. The kids each got to pick out their own pumpkin, and the next few days we used them in class to measure how many pumpkins long we were, weighed our pumpkins, and used them in our dramatic play center to sell. We had used the week before to talk about how pumpkins grew, and the different parts of the plant, so the kids were pretty excited to go.
With 4 classes going in the morning, the people running the patch came up with some different activities for the kids to do while the kids waited for their turn on the hayride around the farm (definitely the favorite part!). Here is one of the kids trying out the "balloon lunch"....a giant sling for water balloons...none of the kids got very close to the actual target....but some got closer than others =)






The hayride!!!
Here, "Grandpa" showed us a Native American carving tool that he found on his land....most likely used for scraping skins.

Having our snack....here is one of the little girls with her little sister. Some parents came with for the trip, and a few brought younger siblings along,.

Pumpkin pictures to color...one of the things they had there for kids to do.

Overall, this was a pretty tiring day, but the kids had a lot of fun, and I did too! It was nice that at the patch they talked about how the pumpkins grew, reinforcing what we had been learning that week.
As a school, West Salem does not really celebrate Halloween, so I haven't been doing a lot of Halloween stuff with my kids- but they are pretty excited about it- so we have been doing a lot with pumpkins, spiders and monsters, and the kids have been talking a lot about what they are going to be. I have to admit I am pretty disappointed that I am not in a village, and I won't get to see my kids in their Halloween costumes this year!....one disadvantage to being in a larger community.