Owen turns 7

For the past couple of years, I've written a birthday post on my kids' birthdays. This year, well, let's just say I'm not going to make this deadline.

If there's one thing I've learned over the past year, it's that some deadlines you have to make, and others -- usually the self-imposed ones -- you don't. So, this weekend, I spent my time preparing for and hosting Owen's birthday party, baking cookies for him to share with his classmates (all 37 of them, sheesh!), preparing photos for his "star of the week" board at school and even sneaking in a little bit of downtime on my own birthday.

In other words, I didn't have time to gather my thoughts this week to sum up all the ways he has grown up this year. And there were many. My goodness there were many. So I'm going to take my time, and probably cry as I write about my little baby who's getting all grown up, because that's what mothers do.

Until then, I'll leave you with this list, which is his All About Me quiz, completed today, the day he turned 7 years old. How did that happen? Wasn't his first birthday just yesterday?

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite book: The Cat in the Hat

Favorite TV show: SpongeBob Squarepants

Favorite sport: Baseball

When I grow up, I want to be: A dad who makes movies

I'm special because: I'm nice and I'm funny

Place I'd most like to visit: Florida

Favorite food: Hot dogs and mac n cheese

One thing I really want to learn: Math

Best thing about me: I'm really weird

The people in my family are: my mom, my dad, my sister. They are nice people.

Pets: Loki and Freya

Best friends: Matthew and Aidan

Person I admire most: My dad

Favorite subject in school: Gym

Global Economy: A First-Grader's Take

So over the past week, Owen has been noticing the "made in" tags and stamps that exist on just about everything. And, in the process, has become keenly aware of a certain locale that pops up over and over again. Here's a sampling of a conversation over breakfast this morning:

Owen: (Slamming his Nemo cup down on the table): Made in China! Everything is made in China!

Me: Yes, a lot of things are made in China.

Owen: I want something made in a different state...Hey, do you know how many states I've been to?

And just like that, we start discussing the places he has traveled. Because he is, after all, a first-grader and isn't yet concerned with the ramifications of Americans' appetite for cheap crap. Though from time to time, he does talk about wanting to go to a factory to see stuff being made (he's fascinated by this concept of factories that make stuff), and short of breweries and Harley, I have to rack my brain to think of other factories we could visit.

23, 40, 66, 72, 77, 84

Earlier this year, I came to own a duplicate set of my grandmother's recipe cards. My cousin had them, and I asked to make copies. Spending an hour at the self-serve copier was a good chance to scan over this treasure trove as I waited to feed in the next cards.

Each card is written in my grandma's neat script, and many have notations in the corners, things like "from Grandma Manchester" or "very good." In fact, I noticed there are a lot of "very good" recipes, which befits my grandmother's tactful style. (Though it does make me think she was saying volumes about the quality of the recipes not labeled with this assessment.) There also are recipes clipped from magazines -- including a few obviously cut out of ads for Crisco or Borden condensed milk.

As I stood there, I thought, wouldn't it be cool to cook a recipe from Grandma once a week and blog about it? (before Amy Adams went and made this idea so yesterday). Well, that was January, so you see how far that idea got. But I was reminded of them again this week and thought I really should try some of her recipes.

That brings me to the numbers, because, of course, she numbered her cards. With the numbers you've given me (between this spot and my duplicate blog over at livejournal), you've helped select the first recipes to try.

And they are:

23 Cherry Dessert

40 Peanut Brittle

66 Lemon Pie

72 Loaf Cookies

77 Bar-b-que Sauce

84 Frozen Fruit Salad

Shit, people, I'm sorta trying to diet here and the first four are all desserts!? Well, please know that I won't be doing them in order, and to any co-workers reading this, get ready for leftovers.

So, if you haven't suggested a number and want to, or want to try another, go ahead. Though I hearby reserve the right to not make anything that just sounds too, well, yucky. (I'm lookin' at you, Poor Man's Chop Suey!)

Though I hear the Cherry Dessert is very good...

What's Your Number

Could you help me out with something? Pick a number between 1 and 190 and leave it in the comment section.

Reasons will be revealed soon.

It'll be fun, I promise.

Goodbye Summer, Hello First Grade

Owen started first grade today. It's funny how different the first day of school is now compared to two years ago, or even last year. This year, he knows the routine, knows his classmates.  He's a big first-grader, after all. Kindergarten is so last year. We took the obligatory front porch photo, then headed out. But not before he directed what he wanted in his lunch and talked to Nora about how he wouldn't be joining her at daycare today. "I'll be OK, Owen," she responded.

When we got to school, it was a bit chaotic. The first day is always a crush of parents, many of us armed with cameras. So, we did what all good parents do, lined 'em up and coaxed out a few choruses of "cheese."

Owen is in class with a couple of his best buds, Aidan and Matthew, this year. That will be fun -- and hopefully not result in too many rowdy behavior reports. Oh, and there are seven, yes, seven teachers for his class. Three teachers and four teaching assistants to juggle 37 kids between two rooms. Math every day, reading every day. Homework. This is where I insert a comment that first grade isn't how it used to be. It really isn't.

By Request

Grandpa camping.

I feel the need to explain that Saturday is kilt night at camping and that's also the night we typically go on a hay ride through the woods at sunset and... aw, nevermind. Here's Owen enjoying the absolute uniqueness that is my family's annual Great Camp.

Summer - First Half

So, what have I been doing so far this summer, you ask? Here's an answer, told mostly in pictures...

We started off with a Memorial weekend visit to see relatives in western Wisconsin, which meant (Owen's version of events) swimming at the hotel, playing with cousins, swimming at the hotel, being fed by grandmas, swimming at the hotel... Owen also took a ride on an adult-sized Gator, driven by his 7-year-old cousin.

Meanwhile, Nora petted a calf.

The next weekend, we thought we'd hit the Scottish Highland Games, since they were being held in a park close to our neighborhood. Course, it was cold and rainy and we had to don fleeces and gloves. In early June. Yah. But, Jon got to throw some axes at a target, Owen participated in the kiddie log throw and both kids came away with new swords, so all in all, it was an afternoon well spent.

We've been raising monarchs again this year. Here's Owen finding the eggs. Sorry, no day-by-day diary of the process this year, but we did successfully release three monarch butterflies in the last two weeks.

Just a random picture, pre-summer haircuts. And also a visual demonstration of the reason why t-shirt summer dresses look great on little girls, but wouldn't exactly flatter a woman's figure. (You're adorable sweetie, the bulbous belly look just isn't so cute on grown-ups.)

With their swords, post-summer haircuts. And post-ice cream, too, by the look of the smears on Nora's face.

On a free weekend, we decided to finally paint the kitchen. And guess who's on the ladder doing finish work while someone else takes an artful photo of a bottle of Point. Hint: Do you think Jon owns purple painting sweatpants?

We went camping with my family, an annual event. Owen got his fill of playing in the fire, and I got my fill of s'mores. This year we bought new sleeping bags for the kids since we are done dragging the Pack n Play into the tent and it was time to Owen to have a real sleeping bag instead of piles of blankets. They had a blast with them. They even went to sleep well. Bonus! (And aren't they so cute playing in the tent the next morning?!)

Isn't this just the cutest picture of my brother hanging with two of his daughters?

We also moved Nora into a "big girl bed." The first weeks were no fun, since she would not go to sleep at night, but then we moved this little pull-out couch into her room. Most nights she sleeps on that, and someone else sometimes sleeps in her new bed...

Well, that's a quick look of what we've been up to so far this summer. Next post will have to include t-ball, since that's been two nights a week, and some pictures from our Fourth of July weekend in Illinois, plus our upcoming family vacation week. Until then (hopefully it won't be September)!