A recycled post for Good Friday.

Good Friday...well now it is.
(originally posted on 4.22.2011)

No school today so the kid and I slept in.  That would be me and Sophia-who much like me, is a gifted sleeper.  Poor Owen has other less useful gifts, like reading at a high-school level and a photographic memory.

So when Sophia and I finally rolled out of bed at 9 o'clock, I was feeling great.  Another beautiful day filled with cloud cover, misty drizzle and cold temperatures.

(I just have to say something here ...who ever pissed Mother Nature off, could you please just apologize to her, I mean it's Earth Day for God's sake.  Make amends so she will stop torturing the rest of us with this weird weather.  I'm guessing it was some moron who was all like, "I don't believe in Global Warming"- but that's just a hunch I have.)

I go downstairs ready to dive into a fun day of laundry and playing Memory until I want to blow my brains out. First things first though, I go to the counter and open the egg basket cookie jar, where I keep my coffee making supplies, and guess what?  No frickin' filters....SERIOUSLY!

Well, here is one of the great things about living in The Compound, I can make my kids run to Grandma's house and bat their eyes for things like eggs, milk, chicken gumbo soup, and babysitters. Since Owen had been dressed since like 5:40 this morning and was dying to do something I asked him to go, and this is the reaction I got from him.

I'm not kidding!  So I gently placed my camera in a safe spot and wrestled the gun from his puny fingers and asked him sweetly (at gun point) to go to Grandma's General Store for a coffee filter. Which he did without hesitation (at gun point).

Tah-dah!  Not just one filter, but a couple of weeks worth. Thanks Grandma Margie, and thank you Dunkin' Donuts Hazelnut for making this a Good Friday after all.

Wishing Away Wisconsin

It's about the time of the year when I start daydreaming about warmer weather. Here in Wisconsin the fun holidays are over, our damp snow pants are smelly, my flaky skin is itchier than ever, and the only predictable thing about the weather is that it's totally unpredictable. I bet February & March in Wisconsin are similar to climbing the last leg of Mt. Everest. The end doesn't seem to be getting any closer, your lips are chapped beyond repair, and you fantasize about leaving your annoying tent-mates for dead in a snowdrift.

As proof the internet makes small, non-problem problems seem completely unbearable - two of my favorite photo life bloggers, Kelle Hampton & Rachel Devine, constantly share the most amazing photos of their adorably tanned children, playing on beaches and picking oranges straight from the tree, while swinging from a hammock in the middle of flipping January. It's more than I can handle. I want summer, I want it now, and I want it for 51 weeks a year. Christmas Eve to New Years Eve is all yours, Mother Nature.

Then I go outside.  I turn my pale face toward the sun and breathe in the cold air and remember there is a reason for this season. The long-drawn-out winter is a necessary part of the journey. The payoff comes in the spring when you make it through. And I realize that if I focus only on the itchy, smelly, unpredictable parts of the journey - I'll miss these...

Ice skating on the patio

Snowshoeing with Busta

Warming up inside


Happy Monday from the summit.

Freckle Friday :: I Gotta Ask, "Why?"

It's been a busy week here in The Compound. Lots of puppy potty-clean-up & Wisconsin-winter-weather rescheduling. One of those weeks where you feel a bit pulled in every direction. Amid the daily nuttiness, I spent a lot of time reflecting on what I heard at the State School Board Convention last week. I reread and typed all of my notes in the hope that most of the knowledge with sink deep into an open space in my brain and make me a satisfied board member. One who is patient, thoughtful and synergistic, yet effective, accountable and tenacious....but most of all, happy. (Good Lord - I'm having a comma meltdown right now.) I want to be happy with my decision to spend time away from my kids and real life to be a school board member.  I want to be content not cynical. I want to be fulfilled not frustrated. I want to believe we are all in this together.

There were no scheduled board or committee meetings this week. So, lucky for me, I didn't formally have much school board work to do. This was what my 'easy' school board week looked like:

1. Spent time reviewing convention notes, looking at handouts, & considering how I can present the information to other board members.
2. Observed & participated in the MS/HS lunch process.
3. Visited other districts websites as research for a policy I'm responsible for finishing by Wednesday.
4. Chatted about take aways from the convention with another board member.
5. Read & responded to emails.
6. Followed two education-related Twitter chats.
7. Listened to (and hopefully reassured) a frustrated community member.
8. Wrote 3 school board related thank you notes.

I'm not writing about this for a pat on the back or to challenge other board members. I blog because it's how I deal with challenges that emerge in my life. I like to lay it all out on the table, examine the information, and get a feeling in my gut. Once I know the how or why - I try to release the negative, embrace the positive, and Let Go! I truly believe there's a good reason why I'm on this school board during this time & space, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. Blogging thoughts is part of my process as I try to wrap my head around why I became a school board member and how my time on the board is going to be spent. Safe bet this will not be my last school board related post...

Speaking of wrapping heads around things: It's FRECKLE FRIDAY & my goofy kids used the iPad to make about 200 crazy head wrapping photos. We all pretty much laugh the whole time they create these creepy gems! I think it's obvious why...

Do you like my new school board head shot? I'm thinking this will help achieve my "One Term & Done" goal. What do you think? 

Not So Productive.

I have lots of work to get done early this week before I head east for a couple of days to attend the Wisconsin Association of School Board's State Convention in Milwaukee. I'm torn between really looking forward to the convention and dreading the hell out of it. Which is my typical sentiment when it comes to the school board. It's a love hate relationship. It's getting to be less hate all the time so I think I'm making progress. I will try to post more of my thoughts on school board as I work through the newness and become more confident with my role as a member.

Tomorrow I will be announcing an exciting new element to the blog - because today got completely away from me. And by 'away from me' I mean, I spent a lot of my time with the newest member of our family. Hours of comforting and entertaining Owen's new best friend, Buster. We sat with piles of blankets on top of us snuggling to warm each other after our frequent trips outside to deal with the arctic temperatures & a tiny puppy bladder. I forced enthusiasm with about 400 excited & foggy breathed 'go potties.' He forced enthusiasm with his tail a swingin' as he cautiously stepped across our frozen gravel driveway with his soft-padded paws. Together we faked liking the weather, but there was no need to force the affection. It's hard to not love something this crazy adorable... I think I found a new muse.

Freckle Friday:: Family Photos

I don't think it's a secret that I love taking photos of my kids. I'm constantly snap, snap, snapping pics of them. I have thousands of photos of these guys. But like most momtographers, I only have a handful of great photos documenting that I am, in fact, the person who brought these two humans into the world. As I look back at photos I sometimes get the feeling that I'm their hired in-house photographer rather than their mom. There's not much photographic evidence that I even exist. 

I'm sure they'll remember me by the ass indent on the couch cushion. 

This fall I decided to practice what I've been preaching on my photography website for years-

Schedule a professional family photo shoot. You will never regret having great family photos! 

Almost immediately after scheduling with Dani Stephenson Photography I wanted to cancelled the shoot because the fool-proof 5 step plan I concocted for looking great in the photos failed. Literally about 37 minutes after the plan was hatched I ate dinner and screwed the pooch. 

5 Step Plan for Looking Great In Family Photos

1. Schedule a photo shoot 

2. Don't eat for 60 days

3. Look crazy hot for the photo shoot

4. Pass out due to malnutrition & exhaustion 2 seconds after the shutter closes for the last time

5. Scar my kids for life (because the EMTs have to revive me in front of them all because I wanted to look hot instead of looking like their mom) but hey the photos look amazing

Because my brain likes to torture me in ways I have trouble even explaining - here's how the 2 months between scheduling and shooting went in my head:

 The shame of failing at such a rock solid plan kept me eating constantly. I was also too ashamed to type an email to Dani to cancel because I didn't want her to think I was a total nutjob. So while I'm brutally attacking myself for being a worthless piece of crap, who is going to look like a worthless piece of crap in the family photos - I'm obsessively planning our outfits like a ADHD queen on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and binge eating to deal with the shame of overspending on clothes that probably won't fit in 2 months because I can't make myself not eat. I don't get outside to get fresh air & exercise that would help me look & feel better because I'm painstakingly searching Etsy for just the right teal tights for Sophia. This cycle continued for 60 days...I swear to god! And the whole time I'm silently praying for a huge December 2nd blizzard so I can pretend to be devastated that our family photos had to be canceled. 

Literally. This is what my brain does and I know it's crazy. Shame is my crazy and I'm learning to deal with it. Shame = attaching my own self-worth to things like weight, perfect teal tights and adorable holiday cards. I'm working through it. This post is part of that. 

Even though in the back of my head I knew was going to hate the photos because I hate how I look, we went to the photo shoot. December 2nd was a great day. It was warm (like 50 freakin' degrees) with hazy cloud cover that made the afternoon sun a nonissue. The setting was lovely. The outfits came together. Trevor wore a sweater...with the tags on because he said he'll never wear it again. Dani Stephenson worked her magic. When the disc arrived in the mail 10 days later, I nervously popped it into the computer to see the damage - I started crying...like a lot!

I cried because look like their mom. I cried because we all look happy and real. I cried because I was relieved. I cried because the outfits worked. I cried because I love the photos. 

I cried because I spent 2 months in Crazytown trying to avoid looking like this person... 

I know, I know Freckle Friday is supposed to be focused on these guys....not my crazy shit. 

Here are some of my favorites of them!

Have a shamefree weekend, folks. Oh, and schedule a family photo shoot. You won't regret it!

10 on 10: Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous Edition

Remember Robin Leach & Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous? I couldn't remember his name until I googled it, but I could always hear his annoying voice signing off with "champagne wishes & caviar dreams." When I closed my eyes to try to remember the show, I would always hear his voice say the famous closing, but I visualized a episode of CRIBS with a basketball star and his garages full of undriven cars or a rock superstar with his bedrooms full of over-ridden women. 

Anyway, I've had champagne wishes & caviar dreams in my head for a couple of weeks since received one of the most memorable New Year's gift ever...A Lobster Gram!

 Now the story behind the gift is too long to get into but here's the gist: two really sweet people thought our family might enjoy receiving 2 live lobsters and all the ingredients for a fresh New England style meal. They were right - we loved it! Unfortunately, the lobsters arrived as we were heading out the door to the ultra-fab Pizza Hut for a little dinner with Owen's friend Cameron who recently moved to California. He was back for the holidays and wanted to hang out with his pals back here in Wisconsin. Although I'm not sure why...these boys are like a pack of wild animals when they are together! 

We decided we'd cook the lobsters when we got home and have a lobster lunch the next day. It was fun to watch the kids thoroughly examine the prehistoric looking creatures.  Although they were extremely gentle, their lack of confidence in handling crustaceans, led to one lobster heading to the stockpot a couple of minutes post live. 

We were all fascinated by the fresh to cooked color change.

After uttering "lobster lunch" on December 28th, I've been thinking "lobster lunches & caviar dreams" in my head (in Robin Leach's voice) every day around noon. Sometimes I even say out loud "Jeeves, I'm getting a bit hungry. Perhaps a lobster lunch before you go polish the Bentley?" I'm very sophisticated you know. 

Later when I'm eating bear sausage with cheese & crackers for lunch as I drive my Dodge Ram to Goodwill, I'm reminded that I'm about a sophisticated as Larry the Cable Guy's pregnant teenage sister.

Whatever....because I have photographic evidence of our fancy lobster lunch-where my lovely daughter is wearing camo & licking the lobster ravioli sauce off her fingers and where my son is wearing his blaze orange long underwear because he'd just got home from hunting pheasants with his dad...the plumber. 

Stay classy, Compound! 

Hello, Wisconsin!

Weather in Mineral Point, Wisconsin today: 38 degrees with clear & sunny skies. 

The gorgeous weather coaxed me into taking a walk on lovely High Street this afternoon. I cheerfully greeted everyone I met on the sidewalk with, "Hi. Beautiful day huh?" Everyone other stroller was equally as thrilled with the weather. It wasn't until I got home and started getting ready for dinner that I realized how crazy it is that we are giddy about 38 degrees....

our refrigerator is set only 2 degrees colder than the temps outside right now!
You know you are hard core Wisconsinites when you are happy about living in an Sub Zero. 

But really it was an amazing day. I even went back out to spent some time with the kids right after school. We soaked up the January sun & celebrated the wonderful sight of grass peeking through the thick white carpet of snow.  

Not a creature was stirring...

This is the tail from the squirrel that Owen shot.

This is the tail that Uncle Mark skinned for Owen's collection.

This is the tail that sat on Owen's dresser for 2 weeks.

This is the tail that eluded Trevor & me for 2 days while we searched Owen's room for the source of the rotting animal smell.

This is the tail that sat rotting in our house for 14 days because Uncle Mark did not take the time to actually skin it!

This is the tail I plan to wrap up to give to stupid Uncle Mark for Christmas....moron.

No One On The Corner Has Swagga Like Us

I grew up in a small town just down the road from Mineral Point.  At the time, I thought the display of school swagga and town pride during homecoming was due to our winning football team. You know, when the football team is winning everyone in town is winning, right?

But Mineral Point’s football team -- which thus far has had a challenging season -- has caused me to reconsider the meaning of Homecoming.  Not unlike the Grinch when he learns that Christmas isn’t about the presents, I’ve learned that Homecoming isn’t really about football.

  

Homecoming in any small town is full of excessive spirit whether your team is winning or not. Why? Because it gives everyone in town permission for a couple of days to blatantly display just how much they adore their school, their teams, and their town. For two days in the fall the whole community puts aside political views, social status and any other superficial labels in order to rally together.  We are united by our appreciation for the place we call HOME.

This post was featured on High Street Beat. A blog where I, along with a number of other contributors, share love for beautiful Mineral Point, Wisconsin.