Adventures in Mommyhood

GARDEN UPDATE! Whew! We have been busy around here! We had a garage sale on Friday and Saturday. What a lot of work, for well, not a ton of money. We made a couple hundred dollars that will be tucked away and used for a little basement remodeling project this winter. It is nice to have all of the extra "stuff" out of our house, and it was kind of fun to see Fisher's old clothes go to new homes to adorn other adorable children. I've been getting quite a few tomatoes, and have been enjoying BLTS pretty much every day :) My jalapeno pepper plant actually produced quite a few peppers, so tonight I made fresh salsa for a pot luck. It was SOOOO good! Homegrown tomatoes can't be beat.

First Day of School Fisher is having a great first week of school. He is enrolled in a Spanish-Immersion program, and will be taught a regular kindergarten curriculum in Spanish. His teacher is from Columbia (I think), and this is her 3rd Kindergarten class in Sioux Falls. He also has a full-time intern in his classroom that is her from a Spanish-speaking country as well (but I can't remember which one). We are so excited about this program! By the end of 5th grade, he will be fluent in Spanish. Starting in 3rd grade he will have English classes, but prior to that, there is no English reading or writing in school for him. Studies show that by the 5th grade, immersion students are caught up with their peers, though. Her are some pics that tell the story of his first day of school: Fisher with his teacher, Senora Jobs Fisher with Lance (can you see him starting to well up?) There are the tears. Lance told him "Just hold on to me until you are ready to let go." Th

Tomorrow I send my first born to kindergarten. He is so excited. So ready. He is 6 years old after all; there is no more putting this off. It is time for him to move on to life's next adventure. How is it possible that this time has come? How can he be so big, when my arms so clearly remember holding him as a newborn, a toddler, a chubby little boy? Just tonight as I held him, his tired hands found and tugged on my hair, just as they have done ever since I nursed him. He is not little anymore. He is tall; more muscle than pudge, and so curious about being grown up. What will this next chapter hold for him? How much joy, and how much pain? Will he make good friends? Will he get his feelings hurt? Will he be kind and remember the Golden Rule? How much of his innocence and passion will get trampled on? Will he still love me best? Will he still want me to hold him close and to run my fingers through his hair and up and down his back? Will he still pull on my hair when h

My Grandma Turns 90! A couple weeks ago, my wonderful Grandma Ver Steeg turned 90 years old. The photo below is my Grandma with all 11 of her grandchildren. It is amazing for me to see this picture of all of us together on such a happy occasion. We all wrote my grandma a letter and put them all together in a book for her. My grandma has been amazing grandma to all of us. Below is the letter I wrote to her: Happy Birthday, Grandma! I am so thankful to have over 30 years of memories of times with memories with you. Of course most of my memories are of times spent with you on the farm. I remember sitting at your kitchen table and enjoying molasses crisps and milk, or root beer floats with you. I was amazed that you always had ice cream AND root beer at your house. I felt special when you made them for me. Most of the times I pick up the phone and give you a call are when I am in the middle of making Molasses Crisps. I can’t make them with out remembering you and want