WeekEnd Review

Spring came to the Valley the ornery way it usually does.  A few days in the 40s, maybe 50 followed by a few days below freezing again.  The kids have shed their coats for good - regardless of the temperature.  The sun is glorious when it's out, the wind is brutal from the north.  I saw lots of snow geese headed back north this week though, so I'm sure warmer weather isn't far away.


The river (Red River of the North) crested last Sunday about a foot lower than the earlier forecasts.  A cooler first few days of spring helped slow the melt.  Flood preparation seemed to go so smoothly this year on both the Moorhead (MN) and Fargo (ND) sides.  City leaders and citizens alike learned so many lessons with last year floods and then both cities have made some critical changes since last year so everyone seemed to take this high water in stride.  Jeff and I joined the other sightseers on the Main Avenue bridge to look at the water.  I've lived here long enough to have seen a few major floods on the Red, but it's still an awesome sight.  See more pics on my facebook.

The River usually only runs through that center section of the train trestle.  

Alex planned a "Miller Theater" night last Sunday, complete with popcorn and snacks.  The basement family room had been tidied up and everyone had their own seat with special trays and tables set up for the goodies.  We watched "Mission Impossible 3" from our augmented movie library (Jeff had some good ones he brought with him!) and it was a very nice family night.  Alex is good at Event Planning.  Anytime I can't quite figure out how we're going to get it all done in a day, I just hand the list to Alex and he plans it out for us.

Nate spent last Friday night at his friend, Caleb's house.  They live in far North Fargo and while their home is not threatened by flood water, they live near a golf course that pretty much goes under when the water gets this high.  I believe the boys enjoyed a lot of video game time together and some outdoor boy bonding activities.  :-)  

Jeff and the boys are really into their xBox games.  They have several action/army type games that I'm not particularly crazy about, but Jeff assures me that they develop important leadership skills.  (yeah.  right.)  When they take off for the basement, Jamie and I just go upstairs to try to find a chick flick on TV.  We can usually still hear them even two floors up!  Not sure, but I think Nate is the player to beat on most of these games.  He's pretty darn good with strategy and really good with the controllers.  (I don't get it.)

Jamie and I have been filling out forms this week - starting with her FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  That one is all online, but we have writer's cramp from several others.  She has done such a good job getting all her stuff together and taking care of college business.  She's pretty set on attending Northwestern College in St Paul.  She'll apply to MSUM here in Moorhead as a backup, but her plan is to head to the Cities in August.  We need to go down there May 27 for some info about registering, etc.  We have New Student Orientation August 20 - 24 (with events for parents over the weekend!) and her classes begin Aug 25.  She will be leaving for Pine Haven right after graduation the first weekend in June to work for the summer.  She's been assigned to split her time between indoor and outdoor crew.  She's very excited.  Her mama feels the time slipping away!  

This was also haircut week for us.  Everyone got a haircut - Jamie got hers colored adding some pretty red highlights, I got a couple inches cut off mine and added some bangs.  Alex got his cut against his will.  We could no longer see his eyes as his bangs were down over his nose when he wasn't doing that thing where he swings his head over and swoops the hair to one side.  It's still pretty darn long in my opinion - longer than Jamie's! - but I think our stylist found a pretty good compromise between mom and son. It's a very in style cut with boys right now.  If you've seen teen heart throb, Justin Bieber, you've seen Alex's hair. (but don't tell him so - he's not a Justin Bieber fan!) Jeff's is a "caesar cut" which he got last time.  (HE pretty much looks like George Clooney - with George's gray and all - now that's more like it as far as I'm concerned!)  And Nate is getting "the usual" from his barber this afternoon.  He's the easiest - very little variation and no "stylists," thank you very much.

Tomorrow evening we're celebrating Earth Hour - turning off our lights from 8:30 - 9:30 pm (CST).  At this point we don't have much of a plan for what we'll do.  But we're doing our part to conserve and recognize our power usage - join us and let us know what you did or learned!  

Be cool and stay warm,

<3

~L 

weekEnd

weather report:  gray, rainy, drizzly, wet.  And the river is on the rise.  The weather service is predicting a 10' rise on the Red in the next week - a pretty fast rise that will take us to "moderate" flooding.  Both cities have been preparing for pretty serious flood fights for the second year in a row.  Jeff is planning to take the boys to help fill sandbags tomorrow.


jamie left on her Symphony Orchestra trip yesterday afternoon.  The schedule was a pretty busy one but I did get a text msg this morning:  "I JUST WATCHED BALLERINAS AT THE ORCHESTRA CONCERT. Ask me about the animals and hula hoops when I get back..."  Can't wait to hear all about it!  I'll see if I can't get her to post her own blog post. 


With Jamie gone and Jeff to work early this morning, Nate "overslept" and didn't have to take the bus to school!  :-)  He's been pretty spoiled having his sister drive him to school every day.  He's very motivated to get his license this summer!  He & I practiced driving a couple afternoons this week.  He is going to be a very good driver.  Poor Nate had to deliver his papers in steady rain this week.  He was pretty soaked by the time he was done.  Of course, he's happy anytime it's above freezing.  Nate helped me prepare "Minestrone Hotdish" for supper Thursday night.  Nice mama/son time - he has always been so good at helping.  Even when he was very small.  I've always enjoyed anything I get to do side by side with Nathanael.  He is finished at school early this quarter - he doesn't have a last period class so he's done at 2.  Most days he finishes up his homework in the library and rides home with Jamie, but occasionally I get to pick him up early and enjoy a little time for just the two of us.  


Alex has diligently been staying after school this trimester for some extra help with Algebra (meh!).  He's making extra effort to stay organized and get assignments turned in on time, if you know what I mean.  I wish you could hear the song he has been composing on the laptop!  He has a program that allows him to layer multiple instruments.  He's been working on it for weeks now - and it's really quite impressive.  He is taking the Standard Gift to a birthday party tomorrow - Hollywood Video gift card & theater candy in a very cool microwave popcorn bucket.  It has been his "standard" for several years now - his friends actually look forward to receiving it and it has certainly made my life easier!  


Entertainment this week:  Jeff and I watched "Glee" online and found it so addicting we watched all of the available episodes and are looking forward to the show's return this spring!  Cute show - and of course we LOVE the music.  


We saw quite a few of the Academy award nominees before the Oscars, but we definitely renewed the "to see" list during the show Sunday night.  First on the list was "Precious," which we watched one rainy afternoon this week.  Devastating poverty, powerful redemption.  Gabourey Sidibe was really wonderful - can you imagine being nominated in the same category as Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren for your first role?  I'm looking forward to seeing her again.  As far as I'm concerned Mo'nique earned every bit of her Oscar - I haven't seen a character that has moved me so much in a very long time.  A warning (mom):  this is not a movie for sissies.  ;-)  


All kinds of birthdays this week!  We celebrated my mom, Ashlee, my dad and my niece.  I can't wait till Madeline gets our card!  hee.


What an absurdly long post - I'm so grateful to have so much to write about. Life is so brief and so remarkable.


<3

view outside my front door

these are gray, gray, melty days.  the roads and sidewalks were completely covered with ice and snow and more ice and snow most of the winter around here.


even on the darker, drizzlier days - we are encouraged by the melting snow sculptures to begin to look for signs of spring.

the still bare trees reflected in icy puddle at the end of our driveway

still an awful lot of snow hanging around the driveway and parking lots and piled up by the side of the roads. we're still peeking around the corner at intersections before we pull out - just in case

but just LOOK at that awesome driveway!  we haven't seen the concrete since, oh, sometime in early december.  there are at least 2 inches of solid ice & snow up by the doorway.  we chopped some and left some to the sun and then chopped some more


are we just about done with these for the season?? that's a real confidence about spring...when we move these inside the garage and then eventually to the back of the garage onto their hooks to rest for the summer





still, this is one of my most favorite early signs of spring.  the grass appearing around the base of trees.  i love the sight of grass - even the gray, brown kind - in my yard!