Little Triumphs Among the Failures

I had BIG hopes for this summer. I always have big hopes. And that is the triumph of hope over pessimism in me.

My husband always urges me to only project doing what I can actually accomplish. But where is the challenge in that?

This summer I set out with a number of goals for the family. Among them was teaching the older two to make a meal each week. This would take methodical instruction in different cooking methods. I had the book, I had the drive. We would work on breakfast, lunch, desserts, dinner. But while my time became more and more limited, my son took up my passion and sought new instructors. 

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We have also worked for the past several summers on teaching Ben to ride a bike. (I use "we" in the sense of our marital union; we being the other half of me.) He has stubbornly resisted. This year did not start out promisingly with Ben declaring as usual that accidents happen on bikes and there is no need to be able to ride one. But a trip to Mackinac Island in May where bikes are the norm of transportation (the alternative being horses and feet) and a decision to come back in July and bike the island, did the trick. Once he decided it was a worthy reason, he learned in no time, and in our elation, his dad took him to "look" at bikes. And came home with a new one. He biked 8 miles without incident on our trip to the Island.

My last goal, to teach the kids to do more chores, feels like it has stalled. They did work on learning to clean the bathrooms with me early on, and Kyrie took on some of the weeding yesterday to earn a little money. It turns out Evie loves to husk corn. But the basement is still a pit and the girls room is actually starting to smell a little and it has me feeling a little stymied. But still there is the bathroom.

So maybe all my expectations weren't met. I still call this summer:

The Triumph of Hope.

The Birthday Celebration

$10 for the 10-year old!

Pumpkin pie was the requested birthday dessert!

Homeschool Field Trip - D.C.

Detroit Airport Tram

Mike had a short business trip to D.C. at the beginning of the month. When it came up, I realized that my mom would still be here. So I randomly checked to see if our frequent flier tickets would work. They did, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever because we flew on the 2nd of January on such a full flight that Ben and I were not assigned seats until we arrived at the gate and Mike's purchased flight was at a premium. A small miracle.

We gave Ben the trip as his Christmas gift and he was thrilled. He loves art and has long told me he wanted to go to the National Gallery of Art. He was especially excited about seeing the only Da Vinci painting in N. America (which we did). I was most excited to take him to Mt. Vernon, one of my favorite places. We are going to be studying the Revolutionary War and Washington shortly, so he will connect it more in a few weeks.

View from our hotel window

Weds: We landed in the afternoon, re-oriented to the Metro, and made it to our hotel. Then I took a few minutes to go shop at my favorite consignment store on the East side of the Mississippi: Secondi. (I have a favorite in Oregon too.) I found a Benetton sweater and a Coach bag at a fraction of their normal cost and had a quick green tea at my favorite tea spot: Teaism.

I came back in time for Mike to head to his meetings and Ben and I took the Metro to Bethesda to meet my aunt and uncle for dinner. Thankfully they drove us back to the hotel and we had enough time to get in a swim at the hotel pool.

Outside the Embassy Suites

Thursday: Ben and I made the trip to Mt. Vernon on public transportation, a first for me. It took over an hour by Metro and bus but was a very fun trip. Since my last trip to Mt. Vernon, a new orientation center, and an education center and museum had been added. All were amazing. Ben's favorite was a movie on the Revolutionary War that included special effects such as our seats shaking when the cannons went off, and actual snowflakes falling made by a snow machine during the Crossing of the Delaware.

Because we visited on one of the least busy days of the year, we were able to tour the 3rd floor of the mansion and we also met Aladdin, the Camel, who was visiting Mt. Vernon for the holidays.

Ben and The Washingtons (that's the grandchildren, Washy and Nelly Custis)

Ben is overlooking the Potomac outside Washington's residence

Aladdin was very friendly

Ben and I walked all over the grounds, to the Wharf, to the barns, through the Forest Walk, and to the outlying buildings.  He was ready to go, and his legs were tired but he was a trooper when I reminded him we weren't going to be back for several years and this was our chance to see it all.

The front lawn

We also stopped in to view the table where Mike and I ate dinner on the night he proposed to me. (We ate at the Mt. Vernon Inn, but he proposed by the Lincoln Memorial.)

As we made our hour-long trek back to D.C. on the bus and Metro, Ben originally said he wanted to go to the National Gallery of Art for awhile. By the time we were back in the district, he decided that a Starbucks hot chocolate and a rest at the hotel were more his speed.

Our good friends the Mehrens drove in and joined us at our hotel for a take out dinner.

Our current president should pay a visit and learn a little.

Friday: We visited the National Gallery of Art with friend Kristen Sabella. Ben was happy to see a lot of the paintings he has viewed in books. He took photos of a few of his favorites.

Mike's meetings ended in time to join us for lunch and then a walk to the Lincoln Memorial and then down the National Mall past the World War II Memorial. It was a beautiful sunny day and I could have kept going but Mike and Ben were stopping at every other bench to rest. So we headed back to get our luggage at the front desk of the hotel and then metroed it to Reagan National for our quick flight home.

The Potomac River

Ben took this photo of me outside the residence...yes, that's his finger.

My boy and with the Lincoln Memorial and WWII Memorial in the distant background

Washington Monument viewed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

Remembering my favorite WWII veteran, my Grandpa Bigger, at the WWII Memorial.

He liked this one...I was distracted and didn't get who painted it

Ben LOVES Degas and his dancers

I tried to get the name plate below but can't read it now.

Happy Birthday Ben!

January 10, 2004

Ben at Mt. Vernon, 2013

Seahawks vs. Lions

Look at that joyful glow

 

When we talked to the kids about the move to Michigan in the summer, one boy was very sad to leave behind what he knew and his favorite football team. We promised him a chance to watch the Seahawks in person and last Sunday, he and Mike watched the Seahawks narrowly lose to the Lions in a very exciting game. Ben LOVED the whole experience and even took the loss in stride (he is an optimist about these things; there is always next game!). He went up to a fellow Hawks fan who was about his age and  introduced himself and talked a little football. The Lions fan sitting next to him made the mistake of asking him if he knew anything about football and Ben probably taught him a little bit before the day was over. 

Other than the loss, the biggest disappointment was that the stadium security prohibited him from bringing his football in to be signed. But he had a great day and hopes to go again soon.

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Ben lost his 3rd tooth last night. It was explained to him that the Tooth Fairy was facing a budget crisis and had run out of money because of all the children who had lost teeth recently and the poor government planning that did not budget or account for variances in the workforce and age of the population.

Ben said, "Huh?"

The Tooth Fairy then may have robbed from the young to keep up its entitlement program. The said Tooth Fairy is grateful to the industrious youth of the household.

Easter

Ready for church

Easter basket

Decorating eggs

First outdoor egg hunt

Ev called it "Hide and seek eggs"

Snow Progression

Snow Day 1 (Light snow)

Snow Day 2 (Really, it isn't Minnesota):

Our driveway

Day 3 (Ice, Ice Baby):

The first casualty but just a beginning.

And then the power went out while I'd been neglecting laundry. And then it got cold and dark and there were no more photos.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Ben! You've Come Along Way in 8 Years!

All I Want for Christmas....

Last night while I was off grocery shopping, Ben asked his dad to pull his tooth.

The Tooth Fairy brought a Northern Mariana Isl quarter and Ben's collection is complete.

D.C. Part 2

Their dad always had a thing for Eleanor

Joining the bread line

We returned to the D.C. area the day before we flew home. Just before we caught our flight, we had the chance to walk around by a few of the memorials on a beautiful sunny fall day. We saw the new MLK Memorial and went to the Jefferson, Roosevelt (FDR), and George Mason memorials.

I'm grateful the kids are great on planes. Both ways we were told now great the kids did; we have to fly without someone commending them.