Back to School Crazies

We have been busy this week.  Busy as in the back to school crazies.  This week we got Charlie and Evan squared away on uniforms and school supplies.  Having two kids to get ready for school this year was a LOT more work that just one.  Charlie is super excited about Kindergarten though, so it was fun to see all of the preparations through his eyes.  He just shone with excitement when he saw himself in his uniform for the first time.  He had a blast picking out every green school supply he could find.  (Apparently green is his new favorite color).

It never fails that every summer around this time I start my back to school nightmares.  Dreams where I am trying to set up my classroom, and my class suddenly appears out of nowhere and the room is a disaster.  Or sometimes I dream I get lost on the way to school the first day.  Or that I make it to school but can't seem to find my classroom.  I think I have anxiety dreams about going back to school because I have such a hard time saying good bye to summer.  I absolutely love being home with my kids.  I love having the time I need to focus on our home and daily chores.  I love not having a frantic schedule.  Besides our financial need for me to work, teaching for me is more than a job.  I truly feel like it is a calling from God.  I know I wouldn't be fulfilling my mission here on earth if I wasn't teaching kids to read.

Monday and Tuesday I will be setting up my classroom, and I know I will feel better after that.  Having that monumental task under my belt always makes me feel better.  I wonder if the students and parents realize that most teachers are just as nervous as the kids on the first day of school ? :)

Splish Splash

I am sad it took me half the summer to accomplish this, but I am so glad this is ready for us to enjoy!

It's just one of those above ground pools, but we have wanted one for years.  It took Evan and I 3 1/2 hours to put it together, and at several points it took all the patience I possessed to not swear a blue streak in front of Evan's young ears.  The pool box boasted it would be "Easy as 1, 2, 3!" to put together.  WRONG!  But I had a bee in my bonnet, and I was determined to do try to complete it myself.  I hate having to wait for other people to help me do things.  Jeff and I aren't the handiest of people with tools and projects, and I have to ask my brother for help quite a bit.  I don't want to overburden him, so I am always tickled with myself when I can do things without help.  I proudly texted this picture to my brother and let him know he was off the hook tomorrow.

The boys took their maiden swim this afternoon and loved it.  We are expecting temps this week over 100 degrees, so hopefully this will help us stay cool.

Finished!

This took me 6 days last week, but I am SO glad that I can cross this off my summer to do list.   I was even more glad I painted when Charlie announced, "This is the best room I have ever seen in my whole entire life!"  Here is the finished product:

I learned that perfectionists like me should not paint stripes.  I could have stood there and fiddled with the tape making these stripes perfect for days!  There are a few places where the edges aren't as crisp as I would like, but as my husband keeps telling me, "It doesn't have to be perfect!"

I got rid of their book case and a toy shelf I didn't like in favor of this shelf shown above.  I love the fabric drawers and how they match the stripes.  It seems to work for the boys too, as it has been a lot easier for them to keep their room clean with this system.

I am taking a break this week, and then on to the master bathroom next week!

Wow...

Just popping in for a minute to share this great site with you:

About One

Have you heard of About One?  If there's one thing I love, it's organization, and this offers a new amazing way to help organized your life.  I am IMPRESSED!

Check it out!

Birthday Fun

I had a great day yesterday...I couldn't ask for a better birthday.  We made progress on the patio:

I got three walls painted with a double coat in Charlie and Sammy's room, and (miracle of miracles!) my dryer is fixed and working.  I also got to spend time with my family, which is the best gift of all.  My Mom took Charlie and Sammy to a movie in the afternoon to keep them out of the paint in their bedroom, so I got to visit with her for awhile.  For dinner, I made all my favorites (totally unhealthy): fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and homemade rolls.

I love making a feast for my crew.  It was a fun dinner.  Jeff brought home an ice cream cake, so we had a great desert as well!

Not a bad start to 34.

Today is my Birthday!

One of my favorite parts about me is that my birthday is 7-7-77.  There just isn't a cooler birthday.  My Mom wanted me to be born on the 4th of July.  Not me!  I LOVE my birthday date.

I am celebrating today with home improvement projects.  A repair man is coming to repair the dryer (thank the Lord!!!), men are digging out my patio in the backyard as we speak, and I am painting the boys room. 

I am going to make some time in the afternoon to make myself a fried chicken dinner...mmmmm!  Hopefully tonight, there will also be time for a glass of wine, and maybe an episode of Big Love (I have become addicted to this silly show!)

Here's to a great year of being 34!

Good-Bye Nursery

In November 2006, just before I delivered Sam, my Dad painted and wall papered the baby's room with adorable little frog princes and a calming light green color.  You can see our newly finished nursery with double cribs here.   (Gosh this brings back memories...seeing those two cribs together.  It was so surreal to tuck in my two tiny babies, only 10 months and 10 days apart.  Having Irish twins is not for the faint of heart.)

A couple of months ago, I noticed a small hole had appeared in the wallpaper.  As the hole got bigger over the coming weeks, I knew it was a sign that it was time to update Charlie and Sammy's room.  It made my heart hurt.  I'm sad to say goodbye to the nursery, small toddler stage.  My boys are growing up, and ready for something a little more "boyish" instead of babyish in their bedroom.  I was also dreading having to redo something in the house that my Dad had done for me.  Having that wallpaper in the room was a visual reminder of his love for me and for his grandchildren.

Yesterday I bit the bullet.  I took pictures beforehand to remember the room by, and then I told myself that my Dad's love wasn't just put on the walls, it was poured into my heart.  And no matter how the walls look, my Dad still loves me.  I also reminded myself that a hole in the wallpaper would have driven him nuts, and he would have wanted me to get this makeover on the road.

Over the years the room has changed a bit...like Charlie's addition of his "art wall".  He loves to color, and insists on decorating our walls with his creations.

We added bunk beds in 2008.  You may notice that on these two walls the border is missing.  Putting Charlie in the top bunk allowed him access to the border as a toddler, and one day while having a temper tantrum, he ripped the whole thing off.  One of the times as a mother I have been most angry.

Yesterday I took down all the wallpaper, scrubbed the glue off the walls, and repaired wall dings.  We are off to get paint today, and soon we will start the transformation.  But there is one thing I won't change.  Whenever my dad would wallpaper or put up a border in a room, he would take a small square and put it on the light switch.  It added a creative touch to the room, and one that said "Dad" to me.  And so, even though it won't match, this will be staying just the way it is in their room.  A little piece of Poppo to hold on to.

 
I'll post some pictures when I'm done.  I hope the boys like it!

Pine Beach

We spent a beautiful week in the North Woods of Minnesota last week.  It's my favorite place on Earth, and a week of heaven for me.  The weather there is gorgeous, and it usually isn't here in Nebraska.  Omaha summers include many days over 90 with LOTS of high humidity.  Northern Minnesota offers days pleasantly warm enough for swimming, but cool evenings and nights, and rarely any humidity.

We stay at a resort right on the lake called Pine Beach.  This year, we took my Mom and brother, as well as my Aunt Connie and Uncle Dave.  We all stayed in one big cabin, which was really nice.  It was fun to be together in the evenings after dinner.  I love having no electronics.  It makes it easy to spend time as a family.  After dinner each night we played Canasta, and talked and talked.  There is something healing and wonderful about having long talks with the women in your family.  It grounds you, and gives you a perspective of where you came from.

Uncle Dave was the boat captain this year.  He did a great job taking us around the lake, and Charlie and Sammy even got a turn to drive.

Jeff's favorite part is the swimming.  I love that the deck on each cabin leads to your own stretch of beach and the water.

 

On Tuesday, Mom and Connie and I headed out for a girls day.  We visited a winery, had lunch in Park Rapids, and had pedicures.  It was so relaxing.   Even though we have been there four times now, we always find something new to do in the area.

 

Mom brought along her "Sorry!" game (which Sammy and Charlie have just mastered) and they spent time playing with Grandma each afternoon.  It's so important to me that my kids have opportunities to spend extended time with their grandparents.  I am so glad that I made an effort for my kids to be with my Dad before he died.  

 

One thing we didn't do this year was play Shuffleboard.  My Dad and I loved playing this game together last year, and it just didn't feel right to play.  Maybe someday, but  not yet.  In fact, I didn't even walk over to that part of the resort.  I didn't even want to see it.  (Aunt Connie took this picture).

The trip was so relaxing, and healing in many ways.  We had a chance to talk and to remember my Dad.  I'm so glad we went, spent time together, and had fun with the kids. 

**All pictures used in this post were taken by my Aunt Connie Bridges (who is a much better photographer than I am :)

Brotherly Love

The best part of my 4th of July was this:

Could they be any cuter?!  I love that these two love each other.  They melt my heart!

The View from My Deck

...is not about fireworks this weekend :) Instead, it looks like this:

We returned on Saturday from a wonderful week long vacation at a lake in my favorite state, Minnesota.  We had a fabulous time, and enjoyed scenes like this:

right from our deck.  (More about our trip tomorrow!)  Unfortunately, I came home to a broken dryer, and piles and piles of wet, smelly lake laundry.  I knew I couldn't let it sit, so we've been drying on the deck.  Even more unfortunately, it's a holiday weekend so it will be late in the week before the dryer is fixed, and our neighborhood doesn't allow clothes lines.  So we improvised.  Luckily, our laundry is no match for the hot Nebraska sun and heat.  Clothes are dry in no time!

Also, don't forget, our next session of Bible in 90 Days starts on Monday, July 11th.  Follow this link to sign up!  I would love to have you join me!  I am reading through for the 3rd time, and am also serving as a mentor.

Happy 4th of July!  I hope yours is filled with fireworks and fun, instead of laundry like mine!

Summer session registration is now OPEN!

I would highly encourage you to do this program!  Registration is now open at Mom's Toolbox for the next session of the Bible in 90 Days program.  I am going to be serving as a mentor for my second time, and I will be reading through the Bible, cover to cover, for the third time.  I can't WAIT to get started!  I hope you will prayerfully choose to join me!

http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/2011/06/21/bible-in-90-days-sign-up/

Happy Father's Day

I am so blessed to call this man my Father.  I miss him every single day.  I wish he was here so that I could tell him in person, but I am sending lots of love and appreciation to heaven today.  I love you to the moon and back Daddy, and I always will.  I am the luckiest girl to be able to say I am your daughter.

Daddy walking me down the aisle at my wedding

Dad with the grand kids on Christmas Eve

Elusive Weightloss

At the beginning of the summer, I set a goal for myself.  I was really going to amp up my exercise routine, and watch carefully what I ate.  My main goals were to raise my HDL cholesterol level through cardiac exercise, and to slowly start loosing weight.

My plan?  I have been running 3 miles a day, 5 days a week.  I have been doing some light weight lifting.  I have been really limiting my calories and fat intake.

The results?  I have GAINED 3.5 pounds.

That's right.   I GAINED WEIGHT.  It is really difficult to keep up such a strenuous routine when it has absolutely no results.  Do you suppose there is something wrong with me?

The only positive has been that I do feel stronger, and my endurance is getting much better.  However, I really don't want to gain more weight.  I am going to keep it up for a couple more weeks to see if I might be the only person on earth who actually gains weight from exercising.

Rhubarb!

This year we joined a CSA for the first time.  (CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture~for about $20 a week we get to go to a local delivery spot and pickup a huge sack full of eggs, bread, cheese, fruit, and vegetables straight from the farm, all grown organically.)  Yesterday, was our first delivery, and BOY! were we excited!  It was full of delicious things, and one perplexing thing...rhubarb.  I've never been a rhubarb fan.  I've only had it in pie though, and I think it was the texture that bothered me more than the taste.   I was determined to turn our pile of rhubarb into something my family would like.  I searched online and found a recipe for rhubarb muffins. 

These are absolutely delicious...even my boys love them and had 2 apiece for breakfast this morning (and they can be pretty picky!)

Cinnamon Topped Rhubarb Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup butter
1 (8oz) cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tea baking soda
1/2 tea cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tea cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F. in large bowl combine brown sugar and butter. beat at medium speed until well mixed (1-2 min). Add sour cream and eggs; continue beating ; scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1-2 min) in medium bowl. stir together flour baking soda and 1/2 tea cinnamon. By hand, stir flour mixture into sour cream mixture just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon into greased muffin pans. in small bowl stir together 1 tbs sugar and 1/2 tea cinnamon, sprinkle onto each muffin. bake for 25 to 30 min or until lightly browned. cool 10 min; remove from pans.

Recipe from: http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/recipes

My Dad's Legacy, in the Form of a Sink

My Dad was always helping people.  He helped his brothers and sisters to paint their houses, move into new houses, and do home/car repair.  He helped his friends with the same.  He helped his department at work build frames for their entry into the Sand in the City competition.  Anything anybody needed, he would do.  He built me shelves in my storage room, painted my living room and kitchen, and he put in our wood floor.  When his parents were still alive, he did their bills and went to their house every Saturday to mow the grass and give my Grandpa a shower.

He taught us through his example.  He taught his children to always serve others, and put others first.

I see so much of my Dad in my brother Creighton.  I saw it this Friday when Creighton and my brother in law Luke came over and installed this beauty in my kitchen:

I am sure I have complained about my old kitchen sink here before...it was only 6 inches deep, and did not include a sprayer.  I lived for FIVE STINKIN' YEARS without a sprayer in my kitchen!!  Have you ever tried to clean up after Thanksgiving dinner with a 6 inch sink and no sprayer?  IT IS NOT FUN.  So now, I am loving doing dishes with my 9 1/2 inch deep sink, and it's beautiful, wonderful sprayer.  Best of all though, I got to see a piece of my Dad when Creighton volunteered to help me with this project after hearing me curse the old one.  I love that my parents worked hard to create a family that loves and helps each other.

And fittingly for Memorial Day weekend, yesterday at church we saw that this plaque had been installed at the foot of a tree planted in memorial to my dad:

 It's comforting to know there is this piece of comfort at a place that is so important to us.

Charlie: Class of 2011

Yesterday afternoon, my baby Charlie graduated from preschool.  My baby who has somehow morphed into a precocious five and a half year old.

He was adorable and proud as he received his diploma.  But I think occasions and rights of passage such as these are always bitter sweet for us mothers.  I love watching him grow and develop into the person God created him to be.  At the same time, I yearn for the small chubby baby I rocked to sleep in the wee hours of the morning.

There were only 4 graduates in his class.  I am anxious and excited to see how he will make the transition to 90 Kindergarten classmates.

I am beyond thankful for the women who nurtured my baby the past 5 years during the times when I had to be away.  They have been a gift!

And now?  We are off to enjoy the magical days of summer.

Oh blog...how I've missed you!

This spring has been crazy busy for us.  It's meant I have been kept busy keeping my family going, with precious little time to sit at the computer and record my thoughts.  I am excited to see summer at my doorstep (we have our last day of school this Wednesday!!  WOOOHOO!!) when I will have time to catch up here at the Sole Woman, on the house, and with my kids.

April was a month of drastic changes for my family.  On April 2nd, my wonderful Grandma Rose passed away.  She was just short of 90 years young.  She was miserable at the end, and was dealing with congestive heart failure, so in some ways her passing was a blessing.  I am filled with happiness to know she is once again with my Grandpa, her parents, and her brothers and sisters.  After loosing my Dad, I have a different perspective on death.  Death is so hard on those of us left behind, but I have a new respect for the joy they must be feeling in heaven with Jesus.  In many ways, I don't know if I've been truly able to process her death.  I am still feeling pretty numb from Dad's death.  Her funeral and the events around it were a little too much to deal with at the time.

Two weeks later, on April 16th, my little brother Creighton married the love of his life, Lindsey.

It was a perfect day and a perfect ceremony.  I love them both beyond measure, and I am so excited Lindsey is my official sister.  I've felt that she has been for awhile, so it was nice to make it official formally true.

The combined effect of the funeral and wedding plus Easter the next weekend all made us feel like we were a bit bipolar and having massive mood swings.  We are all looking forward to a little down time, and some recovery time.

Looking forward to seeing my blog on a regular basis!

Some news..

Hello everyone! It has been WAY too long since my last post, and I have so much news to tell you!  For now though, I have to tell you about a new project I am working on.

On May 21, I will be walking in the American Heart Associations Heart Walk to honor the life of my Dad, and also for one of my students Abby.  Abby is actually the Heart Child of the year, and will be starting both the children's walk and the adult walk.  Abby has overcome multiple heart defects to become on of the most amazing young ladies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting!

I would be so honored if you would visit here:
http://omahaheartwalk.kintera.org/christykleffman
to help me make my dream a reality, and to help make a difference in the lives of those dealing with heart problems.

It makes me feel happy to know that there is something I can do to honor my father, and to help make sure other families don't have to experience the pain of loosing a loved one to heart disease.

Spring

I am not usually one who is depressed by winter.  I mean, what teacher doesn't love a good snow day, right?  I don't mind snow much, mostly because I don't often have to drive to work in it.  Instead it usually means cozy days snuggled under blankets, a fire in the fireplace, and baking cookies with my boys.  Most years I don't mind waiting patiently for spring.  As a Nebraskan, this serves me well, as spring can often take it's own sweet time in arriving.

This year feels different.  I am very anxious for warm weather and sunny skies.  The stark snow and barren landscapes of winter have seemed too close to my own emotional outlook this year, and have felt  oppressive.  I think I am hoping that the cheery sound of chirping birds, sunny skies, and warm breezes can help transport me out of this season of grief.

I am learning that grief doesn't go away.  I thought at first it might.  The sharpness of it will dull with time, but it never leaves.  We are all adjusting to our new roles in life, the altered picture of our family.  I don't know if it will ever feel normal, or okay, but it is becoming less "new".  I am learning to deal with it, but it was somewhat of a surprise to me that everyday still brings tears.  Every single day.  I don't know if that will ever change.  And I guess if it doesn't, you just learn to keep going.

I am hoping the arrival of a new season, the season of new life, will help breathe new life into my heart.  I am feeling ready for some happy and some sunshine.  I know my Dad wants that for us to.

My Girls

We had a wedding shower on Saturday for my brother Creighton's fiance Lindsey.  It was so much fun to spoil her and see family and friends!  My Aunt Connie took this awesome picture of my sister Sarah, me, and Lindsey.  I love it!  I also love that Lindsey is now an official member of the family.  I tell Creighton all the time that if I could choose anyone to join our family, it would be Lindsey.  She is wonderful, and we are so lucky.

My niece Brooke is in the corner.  Besides my Mom, we are the ONLY girls in our family!  Can you believe it?  Sarah is currently pregnant with the 6th grandson for my parents. 

I hope Lindsey's future includes some girl babies for us to love!