At the pumpkin patch

Not the REAL pumpkin patch mind you. Actually it was a real pumpkin patch but not in my mind. You see, Seeger's class had a field trip to the pumpkin patch. We all got to pick out pumpkins. That's great and all but since the Kubatski makes a trip to the pumpkin patch every year, I didn't consider the field trip with Seeger's class to be the real deal. We're going to pick out our pumpkins - the carving kind - this weekend or next. But in the meantime, Seeger and I got to practice.

After driving 90 minutes - yes, 90 minutes - we finally made it. Seriously, who plans a field trip with three busses of kindergardners that lasts 90 minutes? ONE WAY? When there are perfectly good patchs IN THIS COUNTY?? Anyway, by the time we made it there, the kids were definitely ready to get off the bus and make their way to the hayride. Here's the tractor that pulled us out to the patch.



Everyone searched for the biggest pumpkin they could find. Except Seeger. He searched for the smallest pumpkin. The kid marches to the beat of his own drum, I tell ya.


After the hayride, we ate lunch and enjoyed assorted activities like a haunted bouncy house, a very large caterpillar (too hard to explain), a haystack mountain, and a maze.

Just when we'd nearly finished all the activities, it was time to get back on the bus. Right after I took a picture of my group, though. This chaperoning opportunity was quite an experience. The kids were, uh, spirited. Let's just say I'm used to Nicklas classmates.

Scene's from the feast

We took the family + neice and nephew to the Feast of the Hunter's Moon. This is an annual local event that re-creates the gathering of the Native American and French fur traders in the 1700's. I wish I had more photos but it was just too stinkin' cold to really enjoy. The kids were miserable which made me miserable - especially after shelling out $80 for tickets, food, and parking, only to hear complaining about cold fingers and too much walking. We stayed about an hour before I took the little ones back to the car so the older ones could enjoy the festival.

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This picture is of the opening ceremony and flag raising.

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Here's a quick shot of the little ones.

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I should point out that once the kids were back home, they ran outside to play WITHOUT jackets or shoes. Sheesh. I made them come in to get properly dressed and amazingly, they were outside for hours and weren't cold and their feet didn't hurt. It must have been a Feast thing. :)

Random Thought Thursday

Hey, hey, everyone. It my favorite day of the week. Let's get this party started.

1. Fall has finally arrived and the leaves are beautiful. Too bad the rain won't seem to stop. It's been really cold this week - around the mid 40's - and I was starting to get all grumpy about it. But then I realized that if I actually wear a coat and thrown on some mittens, I can stay warm and be happy again. Duh.

2. The Halloween costumes are coming along very nicely. I was able to find some stick on jewels so I no longer need a bedazzler. After bidding $15 on an ebay Thighmaster, I was outbid. Seriously. I didn't realize the demand was so great. BUT all is saved as I found one for $1.99 at my local Goodwill. Quel luck!

3. Whatever happened to Brian Dunkleman? I don't know why but this question has popped into my head a lot lately.

4. I wonder how many people actually know who I'm referring to? Brian Dunkleman co-hosted American Idol with Ryan Seacrest during the first season. He quit after the first season. Oops.

5. One number - 229,450. What do you think of that, Heather?

6. I'm super excited about Christmas this year. I have no idea why. I usually don't get into the Christmas spirit until after Thanksgiving. But I'm finding myself thinking of gifts to buy, browsing the Christmas section at Joann Fabrics, and watching for the chocolate to go on sale so I can make Kubatski's Turtles.

7. Is it sad that the only store I browse at is Joann Fabrics? Any other store I go to I'm in and out. But Joann's? I could spend hours going up and down the aisles.

8. Tonight is my last flag football game. Overall, I've enjoyed the experience however I could do without the games. We always lose. Really, really badly. It's quite embarrassing.

9. Next week is Fall break for the Polack and the kids. They get one whole day off from school. One whole day! How generous of the school corporation. I'm taking the day off too and thought we could plan a long weekend trip to somewhere. But instead we've decided to spend a long weekend at home. I keep telling myself it will be a rare treat. (One that I'm pretty sure I'll fill with house cleaning, leaf raking, closet organizing, and laundry. Maybe. Probably.)

10. Should I or shouldn't I brave the rain and 40 degree weather to make a quick jaunt across the street for a 74 cent Polar Pop filled with Diet Pepsi? Hmmmm... decisions, decisions.

Two Moms and a Norwegian Girl

Facebook exchange between me and Mia's mother....

Hallo Natalie.

I just want to say hi and ask how you all are doing.... It`seams as if everything still goes wery well. Are you still in the "Honeymoon-stage"???Atleast it sounds as if my daugheter are haveing a wonderful time , thought hectic -:).Hope the boy`s still "loves" Mia and that she have some time for them. Frome the pictures it seams as if the enjoy eachother. You have to wonderful boys. I really hope Mia have/take time to do her school-work properly , and that her grades are good.

Here in Kristiansand we have sort of adjusted to the fact that Mia Elisabeth lives with U and I`m starting to getting used to just haveing one child at home.BUT - it helps to look at the storries and pictures on your blogg ore Facebook , and Mia`s Facebook , to "see" that she and you are doing fine.Take care please give my love to Mia and best wishes for you all

Vibeke

ps hope you don`t mind me not useing the Dictioanry to write English , I have over the years , writing to my Sisterinlaw , stoped useing it because I stoped writing because of the time it took to look up the spelling of english words.




Hi Vibeke – Thank you for writing! Things are great with Mia. She is doing very, very well. I don’t mind that you aren’t using a dictionary when you write. I’ve been able to understand you so please don’t worry about your spelling.

You’re correct – Mia’s schedule has been very hectic! I’m not sure I can say we ever experienced a honeymoon stage. Our family is very casual and laid back and we haven’t gone out of our way to act as “hosts” to Mia. We treat her like a family member and she’s fit in very well so I don’t think Mike and I have felt like our life has changed that much since having Mia. We do a bit more driving and shuttling back and forth to activities but that’s about it. Her grades at school are good. She has homework almost every day but she is usually able to complete it at school. She’s taking seven classes and has A’s and B’s (the highest grade is an A) in all of them except one. She has a C in fashion/sewing. She is a little surprised about this so she is planning to ask her teacher why.

Mia’s schedule has been very busy with soccer but her season ended yesterday. She’s taking a few days off and on Monday, she starts swimming. Although swimming will last for several months I don’t think it will be as time consuming as soccer. Her soccer practices were every day (except Sunday) from 5:30-7:30 – right in the middle of dinner. Swim practices are either before school or right after school so she’ll be home earlier than usual. I’m hoping we’ll have more family dinners together.

Her social life has really taken off in the last couple of weeks. She’s done a lot of activities and shopping lately. Most have been with girls from the soccer team so it will be interesting to see if activities will still be planned now that soccer has ended. She’ll meet a whole new group of girls now that she’s joined the swim team.

Mia had a fun weekend. On Saturday, she got her hair done and then went shopping at the mall with a friend. She took the bus from the hair salon to the mall. It was her first time using the public bus and I think she enjoyed the independence. Usually she has to rely on Mike or me to drive her places, although she has a friend that takes her to school every morning. Saturday night, Mia and the rest of the soccer team spent the night at a teammate’s house. They went teepeeing. This means they took rolls of toilet paper and threw them over trees, draping and covering the branches. They did this at houses belonging to members of the boys soccer team. It’s a fun thing that teenagers do and I think Mia enjoying participating. Sunday we went as a family to the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. It’s an annual celebration re-creating the fall festival started by French settlers and Native Americans in the 1700’s. It’s held in Lafayette once a year. Sunday evening, we went to my in-laws home for dinner.

This Saturday we’re going to another Indiana University football game. I don’t think Mia is going to go though. She received an invitation to go shopping in Indianapolis with some friends. Hopefully, Sunday will be a day we can relax and sleep in.

The boys LOVE having Mia around. They will be devastated when it’s time for her to return to Norway. I don’t even want to think about the tears we’ll all have. There will be many, for sure.

I know I haven’t been posting as many pictures on facebook or on my blog. We’ve been so busy! But I’ll try to do better. I know Mia’s been on facebook a bit more so hopefully she’s writing you. I do know she was wondering if you’ve received her recent phone bill. Tonje got hers and I guess it was quite expensive. Mia is worried. We downloaded Skype onto our computer so she can talk that way and not use her phone.

I think that’s all for now. Thanks again for writing and for sharing your wonderful daughter with us!

Best,
Natalie

The hair cut

Freddie got a hair cut. Not surprisingly, I hate it. Not as much as the haircutting fiasco of 2009, but pretty darn close. At least HIS hair will grow back pretty fast.

Where is Tim Gunn when you need him?

Seeger decided he wanted to dress pretty - "like a girl" - the other day. I told him to help himself to my clothes and put on whatever he wanted. This is what he came up with. (I do want to point out the shirt is his, not mine!)

Hmmmmm.... Although I like the jewelry....

I'm not impressed with his choice of a slip and slippers. It seems he chose the UGLIEST things I own to assemble his outfit.

I totally thought he'd put on some high heels so I asked him why he chose the slippers. He said they're his favorite because they're so soft.

I can't argue with that. This comes from the boy who hates wearing jeans because they're too scratchy and insists on always wearing "soft pants."

Welcome sign

I had some business in the other half of the state a few weeks ago. and used the opportunity to visit a friend from college. She, her husband, and her two beautiful daughters graciously hosted me for over the overnight trip. I especially loved the welcome sign they made me.

It was so much fun hanging out with the girls. They are ADORABLE. And they LOVED me. And I LOVED them right back. I can't wait for our next visit!

The one with all the capitals...

1. It's ridiculous how excited I am about Facebook FINALLY releasing the new Bejeweled. As if my addiction could get any worse.

2. In my last check of status updates, the word monsoon was mentioned four times. Apparently we're expecting a lot of rain today?

3. I'm really concerned about having a blah autumn. As I grow older, I appreciate the change of colors more. Last year's temps were so hot and cold all fall that the trees never really changed. They just went from green to brown. I've been really paying attention this year and so far, nothing that exciting has happened. Still lots of green with some brown and other bare trees. I'm catches glimpses of reds, yellows, and oranges but not enough.

4. Mia's soccer season is almost over. She's joining the swim team but fortunately, their practices are before or right after school. It will be nice to finally see her in the evenings.

5. Today Mia and I are meeting her school counselor to talk about US colleges. She thinks she might want to attend school in the US so I suggested she do some campus visits. She wants a public school in an urban area and she's interested in working with children. Hopefully Mrs. C. can help us focus our efforts.

6. This weekend is quilt camp. Sadly, I didn't sign up so my mom and I have decided to have our own quilt camp. We'll be sewing all night Friday and all day Saturday. I can't wait to finish some projects. Have you visited my quilting blog? You should take a look, if only to feel sorry about the lack of progress I've made over the past few months.

7. So this morning starts out as any other morning. Nicklas gets up, showers, and gets dressed. I wake up Seeger, help him get dressed (which he can do on his own but not before 9am), meet everyone downstairs and get them breakfast. They're halfway through their bowls of cereal when I realize - OH MY GOD, IT'S PICTURE DAY!! I had totally forgotten all about it. With less than 10 minutes before the bus is due to arrive, I had them scarf down their cereal, change their clothes and I attempted to at least "do" their hair. We made it okay but WHEW, did I have a scare.

8. I started writing this post a few hours ago and as I was typing #6, I realized OH MY GOD, I FORGOT TO PACK SEEGER'S LUNCH! I usually do that during breakfast and with the craziness of remembering about pictures, I didn't do it this morning. With less than 30 minutes before my class starts, I decide to run out, buy him something, and drop it off at the Y. NOT enough time. Luckily, the AWESOME Polack was able to push a school meeting back a half hour and take care of dropping lunch off for Seeger so I didn't have to. Of course, I'd already walked to my car - in the MONSOON - and started driving before I realized he could do it for me. I was able to turn around, park, walk back to my building - in the MONSOON - and get back to my building with five minutes to spare before class. There is no way I would have been on time had I actually had to complete the task. I totally owe my husband. BIG TIME.

9. Monsoon is probably a bit of an exaggeration but it's definitely raining pretty hard right now.

10. Is my overuse of capital letters annoying at all? I'm definitely trying to make a point - in an entertaining sort of way!

Hanging out with the team

How lucky is this kid? When we were in Bloomington a few weeks ago for the IU football game, he and his Papa ventured in to Assembly Hall and came upon an open practice for the IU basketball team. After watching for awhile, they were about to leave when he was called onto the court. By TOM CREAN. He was walking on air for days. (No photo though.)

And at the last football game, he went out on the court AGAIN to shoot baskets.

We keep reminding him that he's incredibly lucky and no one else we know has gotten to shoot baskets on Assembly Hall floor, ESPECIALLY TWO TIMES!!

Nothing exciting in the video below but figured there are a few of you who might watch it. I think he actually makes a basket or two. (And in case you're wondering, the guy in red is actually an Ohio State fan. I think he truly appreciated the moment, probably more than Nicklas.)

Mia's Bucket List

Things Mia wants to do while living in the US. Eat donuts. The girl eats very healthy but apparently in her eyes, donut eating is a US thing. They have donuts in Norway but she's never had one.

Along those lines, she also wants to experience a big American breakfast. We promised we would take her to IHOP. Stuffed French toast…. Yum…..

And the third thing Mia wants to experience – which cracks me up – is go to a garage sale. She’s asked me a few times if we could do this. I’m not much of a garage saler but I promised we’d hit some up during the prime time spring season.

She’s excited about Halloween which they celebrate in Norway however most of the kids buy cheap looking costumes from the store. She loves the idea of mom’s making costumes for kids. (Now I feel pressure to make a kickass Patrick the Starfish costume for Seeger!) In Norway, they don’t really do pumpkins. So we’ll definitely go to a pumpkin farm and let Mia experience picking and carving her own pumpkin.

I think she’ll love Thanksgiving too. She’s really bummed she won’t be here for the Fourth of July. I told her she could come back and visit any time.

One American activity Mia has really enjoyed is tailgating. She has vowed to take this practice back to Norway and can’t wait to make all her friends do it with her. She’ll get plenty of practice in the upcoming few months.

Random Thought Thursday - Thoughts around the World

1. Flag football? Not going so well. Our team lost 37-0 last week. Supposedly tonight we're playing a team that's more at our level. In other words, they're also 0-2. I would feel better about our chances if there was more than one girl on the team that could catch the ball while running. I certainly can't. If I'm standing there waiting, I'm good to go. But if I have to run and catch? Not so good. I think retirement will be calling me after the season ends.

2. After thinking I was getting off easily regarding Halloween costumes this year, Seeger up and changed his mind. First he said he wanted to be a ghost. I was super excited - that's about the easiest costume to make. Now he's decided he wants to be Patrick the Starfish. I'm against store bought costumes but I'm SO NOT a seamstress. So my children's costumes have to be easy or end up looking like they made their own. At least Nicklas is sticking with a hockey goalie. It will be easy to assemble everything he needs.

3. Items needed to complete the adult costumes include a bedazzler and thighmaster. If anyone can help with this, please let me know.

4. I'm back to loving Glee after the hiccup of the Acafellas in episode 3.

5. Anyone heard the Noisettes? I'm anxious to download a few of their songs. They'll be in Paris on October 29. Maybe I should go see them?

6. Thanks to my friend, Christy, I've taken my addiction to Bejeweled up a level. you owe me now, Christy, for sucking me in even further. I'll take more Owl City music, please.

7. Owl City will be in Tokyo on November 24. Maybe I can check out his show after I recover from my trip to Paris.

8. Who am I kidding, I'm not going to Paris. Or Tokyo. I don't even have a passport. Yes, you read that correctly. My passport expired oh... EIGHT YEARS ago. I'm too lazy and cheap to buy a new one until it's absolutely needed.

9. This week is the county fair in my hometown. Many of my friends are meeting up with their kids to enjoy the food and festivities. (In that order, I'm sure.) No Mouse Game for me this year. Hopefully I can make next year.

10. I wonder if anyone will click on any of the links I've provided? Or am I wasting my time? Feedback please.

Chicago Weekend

We had a great weekend in Chicago.

A visit to the Museum of Science & Industry...

A stop at the Briar Street Theater to see a certain group of blue men...

A Tigers/White Sox game on a gorgeous day...

We're one lucky family.

(For those that are waiting in anticipation... Parking at the museum was $16. Parking at Briar Street was $12. Parking at US Cellular Field was $23. Combined, that's just $6 more than what we were being charged to park at Soldier Field.)

It's extortion I tell ya!

The Polack and I recently went to a U2 concert. It was a fun date night, although we had quite an adventure trying to park in Chicago. The concert was being held at Soldier Field. As we entered the parking area by the stadium (and several museums) we were in line when we saw a sign that said, PARKING $45. Surely they didn't mean it was $45 for the concert parking, we thought. Yep, that's what it meant. Ridiculous! Even more so when we got to the actual lot and went to pay. Cash only. WHAT?!? You're charging $45 and you only take CASH??!! We only had $40 on us and tried to talk the lady into letting us in. No luck, she said we'd have to back out of the line and go to an ATM. They even hire people to help direct cars so you can back out. There were at least guys helping us. I commented that maybe instead of hiring people to direct cars, they should just fork over the money to install credit card machines. I don't think they appreciated my suggestion.

Once we were out of the line, we went to search for an ATM. The Polack spotted one right between the Field Museum and Soldier Field. Score! He dropped me off (because lord knows, we couldn't actually PARK) and I jogged over to the machine (in heels, no less). I wait in line behind all the other idiots who didn't have enough cash to park. And guess what? The ATM was out of order! HAHAHAHA! That's so funny.

I head back to the car to tell the Polack the bad news. I suggest we make our way across Michigan Avenue to either find a working ATM or another place to park. It was a smart move - there was a garage with plenty of parking and they only charged $15. And guess what? They took credit cards! They didn't even have to pay someone to monitor everything. We were happy to be in the 21st Century again. I was so excited about avoiding the $45 parking fee, I didn't even mind walking 1.4 miles in my heels. (Yes, I mapped it to get that distance!)

The concert was great. I was hoping to see Black Eyed Peas for the opening act but they're only doing the last few U2 shows. Snow Patrol was good though. Here are some not-so-good pictures. They were taken with my iPhone. Not bad considering we were in section 439.

The stage was really cool. It was circular and went around part of the crowd. Bono was running all over the place and did a great job of getting people pumped up.

Here's the view of the pretty Chicago night. It was fun being sorta outdoors and the weather was perfect.

Come to think of it, the last time we were in Chicago, we had trouble on the tollway because they didn't take credit cards either. We'd used up all our cash and didn't have enough to get through our last toll booth. We ended up going through the IPass lane without paying. I'm sure I'll be getting that bill sometime.

We're headed back to Chicago with Mia this weekend. We're going to check out the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry, see the Blue Man Group and then we're watching the Tigers play the White Sox. Note to self: don't forget to stop at the ATM.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

1. We've finally received some much needed rain. It's the perfect day to curl up on the couch in sweat pants and read a book. Or watch a movie. Or take a nap.

2. What's up with everyone's obsession with pumpkin spiced lattes? Admittedly, I'm not a coffee drinker but I just don't get it. Everyone on facebook and bloggy land has been going on and on about special trips to Starbucks for this drink.

3. I wish the US had an autobahn.

4. And universal health care.

5. Tonight's my very first flag football game. E-VER. I missed the teams first game last week because I was out of town. They lost by the mercy rule. Somehow, I don't think my participation will help at all. Lord help us.

6. Ugh, I just realized that I'll be playing flag football on a wet, muddy field.

7. I wish I was quilting right now.

8. I'm in love Zumba. I signed up for a class at my local YMCA and it's so much fun. The nice thing about working out at the Y? I'm usually one of the skinniest and most coordinated. It's a real ego booster.

9. The leaves are starting to change colors. I love autumn.

10. I'm still way behind in tv watching. I don't know how I'll ever catch up. I guess it's kind of a good thing because it must mean I'm doing more important things, right?

Sorry to end with such a boring thought. I'm not feeling that clever today. Hmmm... oh, I know... Did you realize that this post has a word that starts with every letter of alphabet? Except X - X is always that hard one! I suppose I could have talked about the facebook friend I unfriended because she wouldn't stop sending my solicitations for her Xocai chocolate. WBut then this wouldn't be so random, would it?

Knot Hole Park

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I meant to include this in yesterday's post. Here are some photo's I took at the last IU home game. The stadium was recently renovated and the north end zone is now enclosed. The photos are the view from Knot Hole Park. Nicklas was excited to run around a bit during the game.

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Here's a bird's eye view. I got to watch a field goal from here. It was actually kicked into Knot Hole Park so it was fun for the kids to try and catch it. ~
Video footage for the big screen. Nicklas is in the #1 shirt. He was on the scoreboard briefly.

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The rest of the family was somewhere in the crowd.

Dear Santa

Seeger is already thinking about Christmas. He used to ask for toys everytime we went to the store but soon learned my common answer was always, "you should ask for that for your birthday" or "you should tell Santa Claus that's what you want for Christmas." Eventually he gave up and now he's thinking ahead. Here are his most recent letters to Santa Claus:

Senior Night

Mia is playing soccer this fall and last weekend's game was Senior Night. Senior Night is one game each season where the senior students are honored for their participation in the sport. Between the JV and Varisty games, the seniors and their parents are introduced and have to walk on the field for recognition. Does everyone do this or is it just an Indiana thing?

It was so nice of the school to recognize the exchange students too. The girls made t-shrits for each other and posters were hung to recognize the seniors. Everyone got flowers.

I had to ask Mia if it was okay to post this picture. We've been teasing her because we post photos of her on facebook and she ends up untagging herself in half of them because she doesn't like the way she looks. If she doesn't have her mascara on, she likely won't let us tag her. So since this photo was taken after her game, I asked if it was okay to post. She thought about it for a few seconds and then decided it was okay because it's a picture her Norwegian friend will enjoy seeing.

Scenes from IU

Our second tailgate of the season included the entire Polish family, plus my mom. I tried to get a picture with everyone. I gathered up the troops and took a couple practice shots which turned out good. Then I handed the camera over to a very nice gentleman who somehow took two very blurry pictures. Truly bummed. Anyway, here are some photos from our day in Bloomington. (By the way, a day in Bloomington means leaving Lafayette at 6am, tailgating starting at 8am, a campus tour, the game, more tailgating, and finally packing things up to arrive back home around 9pm. It's exhausting, I tell ya!)

The band is up almost as early as us

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As always, the Kubatski kids enjoy hanging out and playing with each other.

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Getting ready to start cooking breakfast on the grill. Omelette's and pancakes - yummo!

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"We didn't start the fire."
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Mia's campus tour - at the arboretum.

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The fountain in front of the Auditorium

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Sample gates, the start of Kirkwood Ave.

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Tailgating after the game - chicken and steak burritos with a little cornhole thrown in.

Random Thought Thursday

I've been mean to post all week. I have photos to upload, stories to share, and of course my general humor to bestow upon you. (Just kidding on that last one. Sort of.) Anyway, I just haven't had the TIME to do it all. To much to do! Things will be better after Monday so I promise to catch up then. But in the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with a little randomness...

1. I missed Glee last night. So. Bummed. Have you seen the show? It's incredibly funny and very well written. I love how it pokes fun of the characters yet you still love them.

2. I also missed Melrose Place on Monday and tonight I'll be missing Project Runway and the season premier of Survivor. And I haven't started watching the latest cycle of America's Next Top Model. I'm going to have some catching up to do. After Monday.

3. I don't watch that much tv. Honestly. The above mentioned shows are the only ones. I promise. Until The Office and Grey's Anatomy returns. And then that's it. I swear!

4. I have to give a 60 minute presentation to faculty this afternoon to convince them why they should implement my program into their curriculum. Sixty minutes in front of faculty! Ick. I HATE presenting and I don't particularly enjoy faculty meetings. Oh and after I do the presentation today, I get to do ANOTHER one tomorrow. yippee.

5. I'm traveling around the state for said presentations which means I get to spend some time with my college roommate and her family tonight. YIPPEE!

6. She lives by a casino boat.

7. But who am I kidding? I'll be too exhausted and traumatized by the faculty meeting to gamble. Plus she doesn't gamble so she wouldn't go and I'd feel like a loser going gambling on my own. (But I'd still do it though. Under the right circumstance.)

8. Yesterday I ate a perfectly made junior bacon cheeseburger from Wendy's. Grilled well, cheese slightly melted, it had the right combination of mayo, tomato, and lettuce.

9. I worked at Wendy's in high school and I'm very picky about my food from there. In fact, I rarely eat at Wendy's because I'm always disappointed. I wish they'd let me behind the counter to make my own sandwiches. Oh, and I'd love to cook my own french fries!

10. The school fundraising season is upon us. We're getting hit up right and left from the kids in the area. And Nicklas brought home his popcorn info from Boy Scouts. Here we go again.

Random Thought Thursday

1. I'm wearing some really cute shoes right now. Seriously cute. I wish y'all could see them.

2. I'm already thinking about Halloween. Usually I don't think about it until October. But this year, I've been getting excited about the decorations and party store advertisements.

3. I was invited to participate on a fairly high profile committee at work. I should be thrilled but really I'm annoyed with the amount of work involved. And I was given three books to read as background for the process portion of the committee work. THREE BOOKS! Not happening.

4. My love of Mexican food is being replaced by Thai food. Although I get the same thing when I eat Thai so maybe I should say my love of Mexican food is being replaced by pad thai?

Mmmmmm.... pad thai....

5. Seeger informed the family that he never, ever wants to cut his hair again. And he wants to start wearing dresses. The Polack and I certainly don't want to squash his creativity so we're playing this out to see what happens. (I still feel guilty about steering him away from the pink Hello Kitty backpack he wanted for school last year.)

6. Apparently Jon Gosselin is in discussions to participate in the next Celebrity Apprentice. I can't stand that man but sadly, I'd watch while rooting for him to fail miserably. I can't imagine he'll last long. The man is an idiot.

7. Tonight is my first practice for the flag football team I signed up for. What was I thinking?

8. I've been having some really great conversations with Nicklas lately. We've been talking about his future and college and school and his friends and even more importantly, he's sharing his FEELINGS with me. He's such a private person. I think he usually doesn't even know what his feelings are so its hard for him to verbalize when I start probing. I want to change that. I want him to be expressive.

9. We're taking Mia to Chicago in two weeks. We're going to see the Blue Man Group and a Tigers/White Sox game.

10. Do you type with one or two spaces between sentences? Do you put the toilet paper roll flipped over or flipped under? Why do men's and women's shirts place their buttons differently?

Holiday Weekend

We spent Labor Day Weekend at the Lake this year. It was the first time Mia got to meet my dad's side of the family. It was a fun weekend! We took a couple of boat rides and did some tubing. Mia went shopping at the outlet mall. And of course, we ate. A lot.

I love this picture of Mia and the boys!

Sunday night, many houses did luminaries along the lake in honor of the holiday - a tradition I remember as a child.

Tailgating

We took Mia tailgating for the first time.

Chill-axin'

This random shot of the kids just melts my heart. One of the few times in the past few weeks where we are all chillin' at home.

Some Thursday Randomness

It's RTT, everyone!! Let's get this party started right. Let's get this party started quickly. (Like my use of old school 80's lyrics??) Anyway...

1. As much as I love RTT posts, I never know what to put for the title and I hate coming up with an intro and ending. Take the above intro for example. LAME-O!

2. Tonight we're taking Mia to her first tailgate. I don't think she has a clue what this means. Her opinion of us could drastically change.

3. I'm having my first mammogram today. Can you believe it? It makes me feel so old!! But given my family history, my doctor suggested it. My first mammogram. Whoa. I'm old.

4. Is talking about a mammogram on my blog appropriate? I sorta feel like I should be censoring myself.

Hey, this is my blog and I can write whatever I want, right? RIGHT?

5. Why do people talk on their cell phones when they're using a public restroom? I mean really, who wants to be the person on the other end, hearing all the flushing and other bathroom business. Gross.

6. I haven't talked to my mom since this weekend. I've been too busy to call her and she knows I'm busy so she hasn't called me. I'm a bad a daughter. Sorry, mom! I call soon!

7. Speaking of family, my brother had his car towed to a mechanic back in April. They called me the other day and asked for his phone number because his car is still sitting there and they want him to come get it. He doesn't have the $1300 needed to fix it.

8. Labor Day Weekend = the Lake. Woo woo! Mia asked me what Labor Day was and I DIDN'T KNOW!! What sort of American am I? I had to wikipedia it!

9. Speaking of Mia, she gets excited every time she sees a squirrel. Apparently they aren't common in Norway and she's always surprised to see them running around. I want to take her to Auburn (my home town) to see the black squirrels.

10. And since I bring up Auburn, I need to give tribute to the towns biggest weekend of the year - the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. The ACD Festival includes the biggest classic car auction in the world and people from all around come to check it out. I wish we were going but since none of us have an interest in classic cars and none of my family live in Auburn anymore, it doesn't really make sense. (Actually, I only want to go so I can hang out at Cricket's with people I know.)

That's it and since I hate writing the conclusion, I'm not going to. So there. :-)

Aspect family get together

One of the requirements for being a host family through the Aspect Foundation is a monthly get together with other Aspect families in the area. The Polack and I hosted the first one. During the get together we had a formal meeting with our International Coordinators - the parents met with one coordinator and the students met with another one. After the meetings, we had dinner and hung out for awhile.
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The four Aspect students in our area are girls - Mia from Norway, two are from Germany, and one is from Thailand. Two of the girls live with the same family and between the four, they go to three different high schools. I think the girls enjoyed getting know each other and talking about their different experiences. One student came from a city of 28M and is now living out in the country. Another is from Berlin and now lives on a farm. Some have experienced culture shock, for sure.
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I think Mia has had the easiest transition. Her home town is about the same size as Lafayette. And her Norwegian high school is about the same size as the high school she's attending. She's visited the US several times so there hasn't been anything that's really surprised her.
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During the get together, we all had to introduce ourselves and talk about something we learned as a result of being part of the exchange program. I said that I learned that the cheese slicer was invented in Norway. The Polack said he learned that sparkling water is much more prevalent in Norway. (Poor Mia - it's been hard for her find sparkling water anywhere. We bought some to keep at our house but she's out of luck at most restaurants we go to.) Mia said she learned how to make macaroni and cheese. (I think the powdered cheese made her a bit nervous at first but she must have liked the dish since she made it for herself for lunch one day.)
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It seems like everyone is well matched for their families and there haven't been any major issues to be concerned about. A few people had questions on how to handle money. According to Aspect, families are responsible for providing their students with a bed, a place to study, and all meals eaten at home. Everything else is supposed to be up to the student, including buying lunch as school, travel expenses for vacations, restaurant meals, toiletries, etc. Personally, I would feel a little strange asking Mia to pay for her own meal when we go out to eat. So we cover this for her as well as her cell phone since it's an extra one we happen to have. But she does pay for her own school lunch.

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After the get together, Mia and I were talking about the questions we were asked and how we answered them. We both feel fortunate for our placement. Mia fits right into our family and we treat her like a family member. She really appreciates that and commented that she feels really lucky to be with us. We haven't had any problems communicating or sharing our concerns with the arrangement. In fact, we really haven't had any concerns. Everything up to this point has been really easy and comfortable. We both wonder what sort of conflicts could arise in the next 9 months. We're trying to be practical in understanding that this wonderful honeymoon won't last. But regardless of what happens, I think we've established a good basis for working through anything that might arise. Hopefully I won't look back at this post someday and snicker at my naivete!

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Mia seems to be doing really well in school. The school has an online grading program that allows parents to access their students real time grades. So essentially we can check up on them to see how they're doing and whether they're missing assignments or struggling in a class. This all seems a little Big Brotherish to me but I'm sure there will be a time when I appreciate this tool. The Polack has checked Mia's grades once and so far she's getting A's in all her classes. She did drop her French class because she found out the high school offers Fashion. She's excited about being able to make her own clothes although she's a bit bummed that she won't be making a dress until next semester.

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I've been trying to update Mia's mom on everything that's happening. Mia has talked to her once since arriving (she called Vibeke on her birthday). I think she likes to hear from us and see the photos I've posted on Facebook. She commented that Mia seems so happy. So far Mia hasn't been homesick - she's been too busy! - but I do think she recognizes how much her family misses her. She's off on this grand adventure while they are all in Norway, experiencing their regular day-to-day activities. Mia is very special and I certainly appreciate that they're sharing her with us for the year. (Thank you, Vibeke!)

Let the games begin

With the start of school and autumn approaching, our days have been filled with fall sports. Mia is on the high school "football" (aka soccer) team. She has practice or games six days a week. Here's a shot of the boys at the play ground while we were waiting for practice to end.
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She had to practice 10 times with the team before she was allowed to play. This weekend, she finally played in her first game. She plays defense and was on the field for most of the time. Although her team lost, she did a great job.
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This weekend we also went to Indianapolis to watch a high school football game that was being played in Lucas Oil Stadium. I hadn't been to the new stadium so it was really cool to check it out and watch the game under the retractable roof. My cousin is a coach for the team, the Brebeuf Braves.

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Several family members were there to cheer on the team.

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Nicklas is all about football right now.

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Seeger is all about snacks at the football games.
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This is only the beginning. Mia has soccer games tonight and tomorrow, Thursday we're headed to Bloomington for the first IU tailgate, Friday evening we'll be attending the local high school football game, and Saturday Mia has another game.