Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Sept Blog

We headed to the library for a free craft. The kids got a personal pencil holder that they got to color.

Alex is the only one that is actually old enough to do this craft session, but we are friends with so many of the staff a the library they are kind of enough to make an exception for the other two. 

Evan decided that his telescope mirror needed to be cleaned before our Astronomy in the Park event. So we got to work on removing the end of the tube and cleaning the super delicate mirror. It was scary, but all was well. 


We all headed up to Keego Harbor for the Oakland Astronomy club to give a presentation and we had a few other telescopes to look through that evening. 

Evan was the only non-digital telescope there. So even the other older people with telescopes were coming over to look through Evan's to see things with their own eyes rather than on their phone. Funny thing, we were trying to get Evan's telescope to work and we could not get it to focus no matter what we did, and I was soooooo worried we messed up something cleaning the mirror... turns out he didn't have the lens extension on so he put it on and all was well. Gave me a heart attack though.

Alex and Mike worked hard on going through the Atari games we got from Oma's house. They were so excited to play all these games. 

I had a giant spider that lived in my garden, it kept making a web from my garden door over to the other fence, so every morning I would break it. After about a week or two I moved it one day and he was happy over by the peppers, but I think a bird got him or he just moved on.

Rock tumbler was a success. The kids were very happy with their rocks. 

My dad came to visit for a few days. He enjoyed going through his Mom's albums that I have. He pointed out family members and told me stories about them. It was nice.

He also helped me put my onions away for winter storage. 

He was very impressed with our turkey herd. We have about 14 wild turkeys wandering our sub right now.

We got to see Nana and have lunch with her and Aunt Jamie and Uncle Dave. Alex is taller than Nana now but not Evan or Eliza, but it's close. 

I'm reading the City of Ember series with the younger two and after we finish reading for the night they ask to watch funny cat videos on my phone. Alex comes running down the hall to join us.

Evan has started playing Trumpet at school. The boys love their half mile walk in the morning to the bus stop with their instruments. I love that I'll have some people to play music with soon.

Eliza made a wreathe from a broken branch off a neighbor's tree and flowers from my garden.  

Eliza's backpack is as big and heavy as she is. I usually carry it to the bus for her in the mornings. 

Carrot harvest, not bad.

No idea what I did different but it worked. 

Our church had their annual October Fest, so we invited some of our favorite people to join us. Good food and good company.

Alex is loving Robotics this year. He's on the build team and the Code team this year. He is very busy, but loving it. 

The kids had the day off for Rosh Hashanah so we headed to Greenfield Village. No one was there and we got to ride all the rides and even got to ride in a "Woody" Model T. I asked them if we could tour some of the gardens and they enjoyed it as much as I did, no joke. They were asking me what kinds of plants things were, and I had no idea. It was a lovely day for the village. Alex and I are now thinking about where we can put a new garden bed just for flowers next year.

Eliza at her FUNd run that I volunteered at.

Evan and his FUNd run I volunteered at. They both did great and had beautiful days to be outside. 

We had 12 wild turkeys in our yard this weekend, and we had a vulture on our playset hunting a groundhog. Rosie was very entertained. 

What do you get when you have kids that can't play electronics... fun! Alex and Evan attached Alex's Radio Flier wagon to a bike and off they went.

Evan is in "relaxed mode" being pulled by Eliza on our walk around the block. 

Evan took over and Eliza was not relaxed at all. He was going too fast for her.

Alex was honored at the board meeting last night along with the other top 36 readers in the district. We love our library!

This is Alex's third year getting the award. He dressed up for the event as well. Good job Alex! He read 120hrs this summer. He's reading currently the Wheel of Time Series (14 books) and the Narnia Series for school and is going to start a book club through school next week.
 

Monday, August 25, 2025

All good things come to an end....

 

Mike took a half day of work on Monday to come home and go bowling with us. However, the $1 lanes were under maintenance (little did we know), and we tried the other bowling place with a Groupon... but it was for a place in Texas... so $70 later... we had a lovely afternoon bowling. 


I saw a praying mantes coming out of Meijer. I might not have seen it if it wasn't pouring. I was hiding out in the vestibule area waiting for it to pass.


The rock tumbler has been hard at work. Changing the grit. I know the kids want more grit for Christmas so they can do more rocks.

Rocks are looking pretty good.

Eliza and Rosie enjoying some time in the window.

Evan found a three sided tree helicopter, it did not fly well. 


Eliza and I finally finished her jewel art unicorn. 

We headed to Evan and Eliza's Popsicles with the Principal events on Wed. and met their teachers and dropped off supplies.

3rd Grader at Scotch. Three kids, three schools, three buses.

After popsicles we went to dinner with the Douglass family and I got an offer to jump in the electric hummer, I of course accepted. I was surprised at how a 10,000lb car can get up and go as quick as it did. Evan was sad he didn't get a ride, so Mr. Douglass let him get in the hummer and raise it, turn on the three wipers, etc. Evan and I also measured the tires to see if my tire could fit in his tire as a rim... it could not.  

We enjoyed a sweet treat at the DQ in Keego, our first time this summer. 

Alex and I finally got to split a banana split. It was delicious, and Alex is an ice cream hog.

My cute Evan.

My garlic is all cured and ready for use.

Eliza and Evan made a pretty nice fort on the couch this week.

Rosie was hanging out with them.

The side view of the fort. 

We tried Applebee's for the first time and it was good. The waiter offered to buy the kids a dessert if they could figure out the riddle. The first one we knew, but the second we had to do some guessing, but we got it and they enjoyed their maple butter blondie. 

We had some good storms Sat. evening and we ended up seeing a really bright double rainbow right before bed.

On Sunday after church we headed to Sheiko to draw on the sidewalk for the first day of school. Eliza wrote "Teachers are the best!"

Evan wrote "Welcome back"

I wrote "Have the best year" and drew an apple.

We got a picture by the sign of Evan.

My 5th grader

First day of school. Ready to go.


Evan wanted to take a picture of Mike and I on the first day.


Rosie enjoying the wild turkeys in the yard this morning while Mike and I did a puzzle. 


Our puzzle. Looks easier than it was. 

Thank you for joining us this year. It was been fun and I hope to catch up with you from time to time this year. Take care for now.


Sept Blog

We headed to the library for a free craft. The kids got a personal pencil holder that they got to color. Alex is the only one that is actual...