September

Luke's rhyme from kindergarten: We will always remember all of the fun that we had in the month of September.

Near completion of the kitchen (painted, flooring, cabinets, granite, lighting)

Getaway weekend to Door County to celebrate Matt's 40th birthday and our 15th anniversary. Stayed in a room next door to porn stars.

Julia's second sinus surgery for September 27 cancelled (clear sinus CT in early September got her off the hook for now)

Decided to keep Julia out of school for a while to see if we can give her a chance to avoid some illnesses and stay healthier

Alex's sets up spy network to make sure Luke gets away with nothing at school

Alex is very independent with school. Usually does his homework first thing when he gets home from school. Reads at bedtime. Seems to be developing a liking for reading. No complaints about his teacher (Mrs. Wierzbicki). Overall seems to be a good school year so far.

Alex rides his bike to school for the first time (with Austin and Sam).

Best friends still Jacob Amidon and Matthew Benedum, but spending lots of time with Austin after school.

Alex took Cooper to the dog park with Matthew and his family.

Luke shows us he is quite an artist, taking time to make all of his coloring superneat

At the start of the second full week of school, Luke said, "I can't wait for Christmas vacation. I need a break that is longer than two days."

Erica successfully becomes a "Kool Kid" - the night before her first day in Kool Kids, she said, "I am a little scared to be a Kool Kid because one of the girls going to Kool Kids was crying today. But, I won't cry." She hasn't had any problems.

Her first 4K friend - Kyle Slavik. Nearly every day she comes home on the 4K bus, she is in the front seat behind the driver sitting with Kyle and Heather. Even with a nearly empty bus, they sit three in a seat, and Erica is usually by the window or in the middle even though she's the first one off.

Added Julie to Julia's nursing team.

January Round-Up

- Making eggnog pound cake and eggnog muffins in an attempt to use up lots and lots of leftover eggnog.
- Alex brought home a C on his Social Studies test (first C I can remember him getting), and was quite upset about it.
- Julia had some sporatic attendance at school. Although she has been relatively healthy, she has lots and lots of sinus congestion. It takes the whole morning to get things moving and cleared out. She saw a new pediatrician who said she is not contagious. Nice thought, but everyone but Luke has the same sinus junk and cough, so if it's not contagious, how did we all get it at the same time??
- Cooper is still chewing - latest casualty is the Super Mario Brothers DS game.

December Round-Up

All in all, not a bad month:

- Julia returned to school on December 23, just in time for some holiday celebrations. She had a great day. She had been absent for just over two months.
- We took two trips to the Enchantment in the Park light display at Fair Park. The outdoor courtyard with the light display sychronized to music was my favorite part. I even found a new holiday song I LOVE - Snowflake.
- Lots and lots of gifts for the kids - highlight was Luke's new Nintendo DS. In his words, he got the grand prize.
- Tubing at Sunburst with my boys. It was packed, but we had a good time.
- A very white Christmas - I'm not sure what the stats say, but it seems like we're getting a lot of snow this season. It did make for an eventful drive to and from Matt's parents on the 26th.
- After waiting until nearly the last minute, we pulled off another year of cookie trays.
- Going with Erica, Luke and Alex to see "The Squeakquel" - after dinner at Noodles, we still had room for soda, popcorn and M'n'Ms at the movie. Yummy. The movie was good, but I did like the first one a little bit better.

Wardrobe Management

I have spent the last three days doing laundry. But, it's really more than just doing laundry - it's more wardrobe management. Sorting, washing, folding, hanging and putting away clothes for six people is a huge job. On top of that, I have a complete system for processing hand-me-downs and advance-purchase clothes. The system is pretty straighforward for the boys - Alex outgrows his clothes, they go into storage tubs in the basement,they come out when they fit Luke. The system for girls is a little more complicated, but in a good way. We are lucky to get lots and lots of hand-me-downs. Sources include: the Hoxworth girls, the McLaughlin girls, and now the Christiansen girls. Some of the hand-me-downs fit Julia, some fit Erica, and some are in-between. By the time all of the clothes get to Erica, she has about three complete wardrobes, complete with shoes and accessories. A perfect situation for my little style diva.

Merry Christmas from the Rosners

Sometimes, God makes it a little more challenging to count your blessings. For us, this has been one of those years. We've had what seemed to be more than our share of heartbreak and anxiety. In June, Michele's Grandma Maddie passed away. In October, her Grandma Ertl died. Later in October, Julia got the H1N1 virus, and she's been sick ever since, fighting back-to-back illesses. Over the last few months, our dishwasher started on fire, our washing machine started spraying water on the floor and the transmission on our relatively new van had to be replaced. Matt's had four weeks of work furloughs, with one more coming over the holidays. There have been days when we've wanted to pull the covers back over our heads and just hide out for a while.

But, there's the other side of the story - the wonderful blessings that far outweigh the difficulties. Although they are very much missed, both grandmas lived long, full, happy lives. As sick as Julia has been, she has not needed to be hospitalized and she's on the road to recovery. The new dishwasher works great, Matt fixed the washing machine and our van should run for many more years. And, while Matt's been on furlough, Michele is able to work as many hours as she can.

We are so lucky. Four kids that fill our lives with laughter and love. Erica is headstrong and sweet. Luke is lovable and happy. Julia is strong and easy-going. Alex is smart and thoughtful. They make us laugh every single day. And, we have a new furry addition - a teddy bear puppy named Cooper joined our family in August. We may be biased, but he's the cutest little guy on four legs we've ever seen. He's also a little stinker, but we can't help but love him.

Happy holidays to our family and friends. We hope that your blessings far outnumber the challenges you face.

Wishing you peace, love and hope -
The Rosners

Kid Funnies

Luke wanted to use Alex's DS. Alex told him, "Luke, sterilize your hands before you use it." Luke said, "What does that mean? I have to stare at my hands?"

Erica had to pick up her kitchen toys that were all over the living room. She said she needed help, but we told her she could do it on her own. She said, "Hello! I am not an octopus-girl here. I can't pick up eight things at once." Then she said, "I have to pick up so a little pumpkin named Cooper doesn't get my toys."

October Round-Up

This month might have passed by more quickly than any month I can remember. In many ways, that is a good thing because it was not a stellar month:

• Grandma Ertl died (Oct 7). Uncle Andy died just five days later.
• Sick, sick and sick - Erica and Luke ran fevers off and on for days (each missed a few days of school, may or may not have been a mild case of H1N1), I had a sinus infection (finally got antibiotics after weeks of trying to tough it out), Alex got H1N1 (missed the three days of school during the 3-day teacher convention week), Julia got probable H1N1 (treated with Tamiflu) followed by pneumonia (treated with Zithromax). The ironic part is we did everything we could think of to protect Julia from the swine flu. We kept her home as soon as we heard rumor of an outbreak at her school, we got her immunized at the first opportunity (along with Luke, Erica, me and Matt), we kept her home after the immunization to give it time to fully protect her. The upside - maybe the immunization provided some protection so she didn't get even sicker. The other upside - we don't have to worry about getting it anymore because now we've had it.
• Julia's impact reaches further than we sometimes realize. My co-worker's daughter (Brianna) started a prayer chain with her friends as soon as she heard Julia had H1N1. That's one cool 8th grader. Jill brought us brownies and banana bread. Many others prayed and sent get well wishes.
• Julia has a team of three nurses (soon to be four). Maggie is here three days a week (T, W, R), Christa is here Mondays, Christine is here Fridays. We have been so grateful for their help with getting Julia well again. She is a full-time job!
• Furlough week - Matt was on furlough the week the kids were all sick - not so lucky for him. And, I didn't make a lot of progress on my work projects because I was so tired and worried, I could not function all that well.
• Halloween - Alex (Spider-Man), Luke (dinosaur) and Erica (princess) were well enough to trick or treat at my work on Friday. And, in spite of cold, windy weather, we did trick-or-treat around our neighborhood on Saturday. The boys wore winter coats under their costumes and Erica was a pink poodle instead of a princess. True to form, Erica started complaining about five houses from home. She wanted to trick or treat at my work instead of outside - not an option. Luke soon was asking for water - also not an option. We were with the McLaughlins, so Erica rode in the stroller with Ally and Luke was busy running with Ryan, so he mostly forgot how thirsty he was. We made it for 1 1/4 hours of trick-or-treating, and we now have LOTS of candy.
• Had Julia's IEP meeting - Let's just say it didn't go all that well, and I now have a newfound dislike for plastic apples. I'm not sure when Julia's team gave up on her, but they seem to have lost faith in her ability to do anything. So discouraging, but we're going to keep exploring our alternatives because Julia deserves a team that believes in her as much as we do! We did have an evaluation for private physical therapy, and that should be getting started soon.
• Luke started swimming lessons. We both had a great time. Luke loved the shower after swimming almost as much as the lesson itself. It was a great chance to have some one-on-one time with my little guy who seems to be growing up way too quickly lately.
• Alex was extremely busy with Cub Scouts. He earned a couple of badges and belt loops this month. Scout outings included a trip to Horicon Marsh (Matt also liked that one) and a trip to Pike Lake to learn from one of the rangers. Alex left a really good impression with his intelligent answers, and the ranger tracked him down after the session to compliment him and tell him about a ranger shadowing program for high school kids in case Alex develops an interest in being a ranger.

Siblings

One of the most rewarding and fascinating parts about having a larger family – sibling dynamics. Watching each of the kids develop their own unique personality, and then watching how those personalities mesh together into one family…it’s remarkable. I can give a quick summary of what the relationships look like on the surface: Alex and Luke fight as often as they got along, Luke and Erica are great buddies, Erica and Julia share a special sister bond, Alex is very protective of Erica. But, that doesn’t come anywhere near describing the depth of the relationship the kids have with one another. There are the subtle ways that Erica copies the things her brothers do; how Alex seems to ignore Julia, but listens and processes everything that’s happening with her; the bond that’s growing stronger between the boys now that Luke’s growing up and they are in the same school; the way they all accept Julia’s limitations without question or complaint (most of the time); the teamwork between them as they work for a common cause (usually in a team-up against mom and dad); the way Erica tries to boss the boys around even though she’s just a little peanut – so many nuances that make their relationships impossible to understand completely. But, there is one thing that is crystal clear to me. As my kids get older, one of my greatest wishes for them is to develop, nurture and keep a strong bond and lots of love between all of them. They sure do make a dynamic team, and I hope the sibling bonds keep getting stronger.

A Member of the Family

One might expect this post to be about our newest member of the family, little Cooper. He arrived just a couple of days ago, and he is cute, and we are completely in love already. But, this post is about a furry guy that has been a part of this family for much longer - Beebe.



Alex recieved this little guy for a baby present from my Colorado friend, Lynn Cranston. He arrived packaged with other goodies in a little red Radio Flyer wagon. By the time Alex was five or six months old, Beebe was already a favorite friend. Since Alex was too young to name him, I came up with the name Beebe (B.B. for blue bear - Matt says that the little rattles inside Beebe sound like little beebees, so the name fits that way, too.)

Alex became more and more attached to Beebe. Of course, he slept with the furry blue guy every night. But, that wasn't enough. By the time Alex was two, Beebe seemed to go everywhere with us, including: family vacation to Chicago, state fair, school, zoo, train festival at Lamm's, HarleyFest, parades and many more places.

Two outings deserve special attention. Those were the times that Beebe got lost. The first time was at the movie theater (Polar Express). Once we realized Beebe had stayed behind, we made franic phone calls to the theater. The first two times, the staff weren't able to find him. On the third call, we begged to come search the seats ourselves (since Matt had a pretty good idea where he was hiding). Finally, he was located, picked up and home before morning.

The second time Beebe was abandoned was at Quarry Quest. In fact, Beebe was left in the PortaPotty. Once again, as soon as we realized that Beebe didn't return home with the guys, frantic phone calls ensued. At nine o'clock at night, we were able to track down the woman who coordinated the event. She was already home, but she thought she remembered seeing Beebe at the lost and found. And, sure enough, we talked to her on Monday, and Beebe was sent home in a padded envelope. Luck was on our side once again.

Two notes about losing Beebe. First, both happened on outings with Matt. And, after the second time, Beebe was grounded to the car on all family trips. Second, it is amazing just how awful I felt when Beebe went missing. I know he is just a stuffed animal, but it gave me a pit in my stomach to think he might be gone for good. After all, Alex loved him like a living, breathing buddy (in fact, Alex once wished out loud for Beebe to come to life when he threw a coin into the wishing pool at the Domes). And, the little guy had somehow taken on a personality...he had nicknames (Beebs, Beebmeister), we made him costumes at Halloween (matching Alex, of course), he was included in the annual Christmas picture. He just seemed to be a part of the goings on around here.

Now that Alex is nine, Beebe does not join our family outings. And last year he was not in the Christmas picture. Alex still keeps him in his bed, but he does not clutch him tightly every night while he sleeps anymore. But, Beebe still holds an honorary spot in the family.

Puzzle Masters

Last week, we were all working on a USA map puzzle at Grandma and Poppa's house. I showed Luke Wisconsin and told him that's where we live. And, he asked, "Where's the new carwash that they're building?" I think an explanation about perspective is required.

In related puzzle news, this week while by Grandma and Poppa, Erica noticed that there was a puzzle piece missing. She studied it over and said, "How strange!" Alex found that hilarious.

Obsession

I have an addiction. I need to have things to read. Books, magazines, the back of a cereal box, newsletters, emails, blogs...I consume words. For many years, my addiction was tamed - fours kids in six years left little time for the luxury of reading. And, when I did read, it was about kids. But, the book fast has ended, and I have been glutting myself on books. I suck them down at the rate of about one novel a day, 2-4 times a week. Shortly after I renewed myself with the consumption of books, I started having mild vision problems. My depth perception was off once in a while. At first, I didn't connect it with all of the extra work my eyes were doing. Turns out my eyes needed time to adjust to all of this extra exercise. Now, they are often tired and burning, but that's because I do most of my reading after the kids go to bed, making for many late nights.

My addiction is fed by the local library, along with the 40 libraries that it's connected to through an online system. Search, find, request, pick-up - it's not unusual for me to have 10+ books in the 'on hold' queue. It's like Christmas morning going to pick up a stack of 'my' books from the library.

Luke and Erica seem to share my problem. The library is a weekly destination for us at a minimum, but we try not to stop there daily for risk of being considered stalkers. And the kids have a whole new field of possibilities - CDs and DVDs. Music and movies to borrow and absorb and enjoy.

Julia also loves to be read to, and we work to track down colorful books and happy music for her each week. Alex still claims that he doesn't like to read, but frankly I think it's growing on him. And, I've hunted down a few treasures for him as well. Last year it was Captain Underpants, now we've moved to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We're not far away from Harry Potter.

So, the fact that my library card now has 80 checkouts cannot be blamed wholly on me. Strawberry Shortcake videos and Bob and Wendy puppets and Barney music and train books and Lawnmower Boy are all in that count.

What can I say - at least my addiction is fairly cost effective because except for the occasional lost book or video, it doesn't cost anything but time.

Routines and Sleep

Number one lesson learned during Week 1 of summer vacation - do not stray from routine bedtimes for more than a day or two. If you do, you run the risk of crazy, crabby kids. Last week was busy, especially for Alex. Monday - Great America, Tuesday - Sleepover by Grandma and Grandpa, Wednesday - Ducky's Birthday, Thursday - Start of summer school and Complete Meltdown, Saturday - Another Complete Meltdown and Sleepover at Jacob's, Sunday - Yet Another Complete Meltdown. Poor kid was so out of whack, we made him take a nap on Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday might be the worst day in my parenting history. Alex and Luke were at each other even worse than usual, the lawn service came so we couldn't go outside and Julia had a monster seizure in the middle of it all. Deep breath in, slow breath out, repeat. I thought Aubrey was going to make a run for it. But, she held on, the boys were bribed into a little bit of peace with a promise of a trip to visit the Hanus boys, Julia stopped seizing and went to dozing...we made it. Matt came home, got the vibe of the house and gave the kids bathes before dinner so we could put them all in bed by 7pm.

We did have fun at the Hanus', though. They have a four-wheeler (I rode with Alex after Cheryl did), a golf cart, baby chicks, a big play center...we definitely need to go back on a day when the kids are not crazy-tired.

Moral of the story - kids need sleep. You can skip sleep to have more fun for a little while, but if you do that too often, you ruin all the fun.

Girl Stories

Julia has really been 'discovering' the right side of her body. Over the last few days, I've really noticed her looking towards her right. I love when she looks at me as I come to get her out of bed in the morning. And, she's looked to her right side to check things out in other positions, too.

And, tonight she spent some time grasping and even shaking a maraca. She gave it some big shakes with her left hand and some little shakes with her right hand. And, I must add it was hilarious to watch Erica try to put the maraca back into Julia's hand after she dropped it. Finally, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at jamming it into Julia's fist, she announced, "Julia done." That Erica is quite the mother hen. It is absolutely heartwarming to see her love on Julia. As often as I think of how nice it would be if each of the kids could have their own room, I always end up more grateful for how close the girls are, due in part I'm sure to the special bond that comes from sharing sleeping space. Even the boys will typically turn off their fighting once they're in bed for the night. Turns out this house is just the right size.

My Boys - The Wheels are Always Turning

Alex - Still gives me a hug and a kiss every night when I tuck him in. I hope he never gets 'too old' for that. But, that's not the story that fits this post. Here's that story. Within the last couple of days, I've had to pull over for emergency vehicles twice while Alex as in the car. So, Alex asks me how many times I've had to pull over in my life so far. While I'm thinking about it, he guesses 50. I say, "Hmm, probably more like 20." His immediate reply, "Oh, that would be about once a year." Umm, yep, that's exactly right. And, after further review, I think his guess of 50 is closer - after all, one per year isn't all that often. Especially if you consider two in the last two days. And, let's not mention the two times I pulled over for an emergency vehicle and it pulled over right behind me...yes, speeding tickets, and no, there were no kids in the car with me, and yes, I obey the speed limit now (and least MOST of the time). On a related note, Luke calls officers 'police cops'.

Luke - Has strep. It must be a mild case because he doesn't seem to feel all that bad, and there's none of the terrible whining we saw the last time he was sick. And, he was a very brave boy when they did his throat culture. Funny story from our visit to see Dr. Griswold - while we're in the exam room waiting for the doctor (just Luke and me because the rest of the gang stayed by my parents), Luke tells me to sit in the chair without arm rests. I told him I wanted to sit in the chair with arm rests. So, he crawls on my lap, points to the armless chair and says, "That chair is for people without hands." What made him think of that? And, why does it make me crack up every time I think about it?

Kids - A Snapshot in Time

Little things - important to remember. Slip your mind so quickly if you don't write them down. So, here is a look at the little things that really tell you who they are right now.

Alex -

• Checking out on school. The boy is just ready for summer vacation. It's hard to push for him to plug away at his homework, especially when the weather's nice. He's done such a great job this year that I don't think we need to worry if he slacks off a bit during these last couple of weeks.
• He's loving the Nintendo DS he got for his birthday; although, thankfully, he's not as totally obsessed with it as I thought he would be.
• He make up jokes (at least he claims he made them up): Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence. Pete fell off. Who was left? Repeat... InchMe and PinchMe were in a boat. InchMe fell out. Who was left?
• Fights with his brother nearly constantly. Those boys have some fierce sibling rivalry.
• As much as he fights with Luke, he is so sweet and loving with Erica. He just adores that girl. I guess it's easier to get along with her because he doesn't see her as direct competition like he sees Luke.
• Gets along great with other kids, but also content to do his own thing. For a while we were worried that he was too much of a loner, but I don't think that's the case. He's the kind of kid that doesn't mind playing alone sometimes - he'd rather do what he wants by himself than do something he's not interested in with someone else. His teacher said he is a leader that won't do stupid things just because other kids are.
• Is very mechanically inclined. He understands Matt's machines better than some of the operators do.
• Still a hard worker. Happier to be doing a project than playing. Begs Matt to let him cut the grass (he can start the mower and mow some of the more open flat areas).
• Gives me hugs and kisses when I tuck him in at night. As much as I felt really sad and worried when we found out that he was missing several permanent teeth, it did start a wonderful nightly ritual. We brush and floss our teeth together almost every night, and then I tuck him in. It's just 5-10 minutes of one-on-one time, but it has been a true blessing.

Julia

• Still getting back to healthy. Ear infections followed by pneumonia followed by a mystery bug...it's been a rough couple of months for her. It sure does make us appreciate her personality and good spirits when it's been a while without having her really shine. It is a true blessing that she is such a strong little girl and that she is so easy going. She rarely fusses, never cries and just keeps plugging along, sick or not. So many lessons to learn from that girl.

Luke -

• So full of life that he sometimes sucks it right out of the rest of us. It's nearly impossible to keep up with him, so the best we can do is try to keep his energy focused. Because otherwise, you will have: melted popsicles behind the couch (or a half-finished yogurt drink or Cheerios or crumbs from a granola bar) - a boy needs his snacks along with a nail clipper or two - a boy needs to be well-groomed and take care of his 'nail problems' (nails that snag or are too sharp); dish soap smeared on the window sill and furniture - a boy needs to help his mom clean; books with the pages 'glued' together with toothpaste - a boy needs to do his craft projects; Luke and Erica sneaking out of the house - a boy needs to show his sister how to escape to the sandbox - there really is never a dull moment with that boy!
• Most trouble is followed by an explanation that begins "I just..."
• So full of love and so happy that it's easy to forgot how much trouble he can get into.
• Does not take a daily nap, but he should. He gave them up back in April or so when we moved him out of his crib. Once he was free, it became nearly impossible to keep him still enough to take a nap. He does make up for it at night though and usually sleeps from 7pm to 6:30am.
• Recently overheard him talking to himself saying, "I don't know everything. Someday I hope to know everything."
• Also said, "Erica doesn't know everything. I'm going to teach her everything I know."
• Makes friends so easily. It's not unusual for Luke to know more people than the rest of us. He doesn't just tag along to his big brother's stuff, but makes them his own - he's got friends at Alex's soccer, friends at Cub Scouts, etc. Not to mention his friends from school, neighbors, grocery store clerks...you get the idea. He's a true charmer.
• Uses big words...like "The mail has arrived," and "I need my helmet to fit properly." He was an early talker, and he still has really good verbal skills.

Okay, early to bed for a change. I need to add more to this list (didn't even get to Erica yet). Maybe tomorrow...or the next day.

Art Fair - Times Two

Sometimes it is not so easy to have kids attending two different elementary schools. Two sets of teachers and staff to figure out, two Christmas concerts, parent/teacher conferences in two places...just some logistical challenges.

Tonight was one of those duplicating nights - both Alex and Julia had their science and art fairs. We weren't sure what or if Julia would have any art projects on display because we're not sure how much time she spends in art class with the rest of her 5K friends. And, she couldn't point out her work or scope out the school in advance to find where her things were displayed. But, we the visit was a success. We found two of Julia's projects and several others done by her friends. We also ran into her classmate Caitlyn and her family - in fact, Julia is invited to her birthday party in a couple of weeks. After Julia's show, we went to Alex's. He had four projects in the show, and he's very proud of his work. He had a really neat picture of Pooh and Tigger, a banner, a name drawing and a googly eye picture (one character had a Pokemon tail...he is obsessed with Pokemon). Alex is always so excited to serve as the tour guide. We saw where Mrs. McCudden's room is (where he goes for his reading enrichment group). And, Alex took Luke to the bathroom - a success except Alex said he was so busy watching Luke to make sure he was okay, he peed on his shoes. Oh, my.

Even if it was a duplicating night, it was worth the double effort...now, what's going to happen when Luke and Erica hit the circuit?

Easter

We had a nice Easter. Finally, it was a Sunday where we were all healthy, so we began the morning with 7:30 mass. The kids were well-behaved (at least as good as it gets for them). I was especially proud of Alex since he was really excited to find his basket. The Easter Bunny left him a treasure hunt, and the first clue was under Mom's pillow for him to get only after church.

Best memory of each kid:

Julia - Looked so grown up in her Easter dress and headband (she slept most of the day, and we were grateful that she was just resting rather than having the sleepiness be the lead-in to some kind of bug)

Erica - OOOooooh - what she said about every item in her basket.

Luke - Kept telling us the "Easter Beagle" had been here. Also told us over and over that Jesus died on the cross to take away our bad choices.

Alex - Thought Mom was the Easter Bunny until he discovered that was impossible - the Easter Bunny came back while we were in church and hid Alex's basket in his bed. He's at that age where the Easter Bunny and Santa just don't make sense to his logical brain, but he still wants to believe.

All four - they all got "Crocs" in their baskets. It will make me happy all summer to see those cute shoes on their feet.

As always, Easter brings special memories of the days that Alex and Julia were born. It's still amazing to think that we've been given two of our very own Easter miracles.

Thank you, Jesus!

MER

Winter Camp

Last weekend (Leap Day Weekend), Alex and I went to Camp Rokolio in Kiel for Winter Camp. We 'power hiked' through knee high snow, we went sledding, we slept in really uncomfortable bunks (Mom shared a room with three other ladies, one of whom was a very loud snorer), we played games, we shot mini marshmallows with a shooter made from PVC piping...we had a blast! Alex is now claiming it was just 'okay', but it was really a lot of fun. I really enjoyed spending time with Alex, and it was also rewarding to spend time with other adults (we played games after the kids went to bed).

Sign me up for Winter Camp 2009!

MER