Summer Sports

This group of 2nd and 3rd grade baseball players look extremely tough. Love it!

Riley and her U6 soccer team.

 

 

Noah's basketball team. I realize this was a winter sport; however,
it was necessary and important to inlcude with the sports photos.

Checking In

Kids ate breakfast, check!

Kitchen is cleaned up, check!

Next chore on my list for the day is …

“Hey, look! It is a cardinal.” Dean says, interrupting my train of thought.

I respond, while moving to the kitchen window, “Where?”

“No, look out the slider. The cardinal is on one of the deck chairs.” States Dean.

Shuffling over to the slider, I am completely surprised by what I see. “Oh my goodness! I don’t think I have ever had the opportunity to see a cardinal. It is so red. Beautiful!” I respond.

Both Dean and I watch the cardinal as it looks in every direction, including through the slider door into the house. I am in awe of the bold red feathers, the stunning beauty of this bird. Additionally, I am stunned by the bird’s curiosity about what is going on inside our house.

Dean quietly states, “When I see a unique bird like that, I feel like it is your mom checking in on us.”

Tears begin forming in my eyes, “Really?” I am speechless. The cardinal, my mom, checking in on us? “We are doing well, Mom. Thanks for checking.”

And, the cardinal is off, as quick as it arrived; leaving me emotionally raw. We miss you, Mom.

Strawberry Picking at Glendale Farms, Clintonville, WI

My kids loved picking strawberries. Noah probably picked 10 pounds of berries. He picked berries, ate berries and picked some more. Riley picked a few berries, but lost interest in the berry picking process quickly. She was more interested in carrying the orange flag up and down the aisle of the strawberry patch. I don’t think an official strawberry farmer would call the soil between rows of strawberry plants an aisle, but visually, the word aisle works for me. Forgive me for my lack of knowledge when it comes to strawberry patch vocabulary. Anyways, the work with strawberries continues at home. Twenty pounds of strawberries equates to lots of strawberry jam, strawberry desserts and strawberry smoothies. Yum!

Emily, Bonnie, Riley, Alissa, Hunter, & Bria picking berries.

 

Glendale Farms, Clintonville, Wisconsin



Noah beginning the process of picking 10 pounds of berries.

Emily was the only other person who overheard the kid yelling, "Stop throwing strawberries at me."

Noah and Hunter debating whether to eat the berries of place them on the flat.

The tractor ride is one of the best parts about strawberry picking at Glendale Farms.

Success! Although, I think Riley is still debating if the trip was successful.

 

Modern day phone technology in the middle of the strawberry patch.

Stop Throwing Strawberries

“Stop throwing strawberries at me!”

You don’t hear that every day; however, I was fortunate enough to witness this odd statement of frustration while picking strawberries over the weekend. Luckily, my children were not throwing strawberries at each other. This statement of frustration and rage prompted my brain to visualize the many frustrating moments my children have with each other.

“That was my seat on the couch!” squeals Riley.

“You got up, so now it is my seat.” States a very smug Noah. Another moment in time where my kids are purposely throwing strawberries to irritate each other, as well as everybody within ear shot.

 

“I was playing with that toy.”  Yells Noah.

“I had the pink puppy dog first. You took it while I was in the bathroom.” Cries Riley. Mind you, the pink puppy had been neglected for weeks on end. If I am willing to accept the reality of the situation, Riley was making the choice to figuratively throw some strawberries at Noah.

 

Why do siblings love to taunt each other relentlessly? It causes anger and tears, as well as a massive amount of frustration for parents. My brother and I are terribly guilty of taunting each other. In my perfect world, I remember my brother taunted me, and I was a perfect angel. I know that is not true because I am guilty of irritating my brother on purpose. I just wasn't very good at it.

As kids, do we learn problem solving skills by overcoming these moments of frustration? Do we gain a “thick skin” so when strangers throw strawberries we are protected emotionally? I don’t have the answers, but realize Dean and I are not the only parents who struggle through these frustrating and pointless sibling conflicts. Hopefully my kids are stronger emotionally, socially and physically because they have each other to sort out some of these problem solving skills.