Getting to Know Us

Everyone is always telling me I should write a book, but I don’t have time because I’m too busy with my family, church, and work. Maybe someday. .. for now, I’ll try blogging and see how that goes. I figure it’s kind of like journaling and scrapping combined and online.

Spring classes ended a few weeks ago and summer ones don’t start for a couple of weeks, so I have a short lull. I love everything about my job. It makes all those years of going to school, and there were a lot of years, worth the effort. While I miss my students from Runnels and False River Academy, I feel like I’m finally in the right place. I feel like I belong at the University. It’s just comfortable for me. I don’t know if UNK is the perfect place for me, but I enjoy teaching and I seem to be doing ok. Not too many complaints yet.

My family is my pride and joy. Everything in life revolves around them. If I didn’t have Leonard and the kids, I wouldn’t be me. I have always wanted a large family and we have been blessed with a large, healthy, happy family. I wouldn’t mind having another girl or two, but I’m not complaining. Who knows what the future will hold. Right now we just enjoy life and see what each day brings us. We have 6 wonderful and healthy children and we wouldn’t change a single thing – except maybe to have 7 or 8 or so.

Dancer is 13 and a dancer, among other things. She just finished 7 th grade at the top of her class. She participated in the Duke TIP program this past year and took the ACT. At age 12, she earned a 21 composite – we’re pretty proud of her. She also finished her 10 th year of dancing, her 8 th year of Girl Scouts, 2 nd year of 4-H, and 3 rd year of violin. She played the best of ABBA for school this year and now she is working independently on her violin this summer (no parental nagging required). Her grandmother bought her a new book of music (130 popular songs) and she is working her way through it. She is an avid reader, going through about 50,000 pages a week. Of course, she is obsessed with Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight series. She favors Jacob over Edward thoughJ We volunteer at the Humane Society together as much as we can. We walk dogs and clean cat cages (so we can play with the cats of course). It’s something we both really enjoy doing. We fold their laundry too, but we’d much rather be with the critters.

PokerBoy will turn 7 on June 26, and just finished first grade. He loves school and learning. He’s anxious to start 2 nd grade. His first grade teacher, Mrs. W was wonderful. Because of her, PokerBoy wants to teach 1 st grade and his Daddy and I think that’s wonderful. He would make a great teacher. Of course, he is only 7, but we’ll see what the future holds for him. He also wants to write his dissertation on players facial expressions during poker competitions (thus his nickname). He is learning to play baseball with Mom and Dad this summer and enjoys that – he actually hits the ball! As with all of his siblings, he loves church and Sunday School. Mrs. W told me on several occasions that she heard him singing hymns quietly to himself while working on assignments. This was his first year of 4-H and he enjoyed it, but he’s very much a homebody. Aside from school and church, he really doesn’t care to go anywhere else. He will be going to Vacation Bible School next week though.

Dennis the Menace is 5 going on 6 (August 27). He finished Kindergarten last week and will start 1 st grade in the fall. For now, he’s enjoying summer. He will attend a reading camp this summer in hopes of getting a little ahead (or maybe just caught up). He’s very excited to be a Tiger Scout next year. He got do watch PokerBoy as one this year and is ready for his turn. He and PokerBoy helped a nursing home retire their flag yesterday in a formal flag ceremony. Both boys were pretty impressed with that. It was Dennis’ first official Scout activity though. Tractor is his best friend and they can’t wait to play baseball and go to school together. I hope they are never in a multi-grade, combined class. There teacher will run screaming and never come back. Neither are bad, but they are little boys and very busy. They have lot s of questions and want to understand the world. Dennis is very Earth conscious. He recycles everything, turns off lights, and tries to take care of the environment.

Tractor is 4 and will be 5 on September 7. He is scheduled to start Kindergarten this fall (Nebraska has one of the latest cutoffs in the country with October 15). He is very much looking forward to that. He will be attending a reading and science camp for incoming Kindergarteners this summer and we think he’ll enjoy that. His (current) life goal is grow up and drive a ‘Mater truck (tow truck – think Cars). After work, he’s going to sit on his tractor by the river and fish while drinking root beer. He has it all planned out. He only wants a John Deere, because those are the best. Not bad for a city boy. His favorite song is “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts. He also knows he’s going to have kids because then he’ll be the Daddy and Dennis the Menace will be the Uncle. He hasn’t picked out the Mommy yet, but he really like ‘Akenzie in False River last year. He still talks about her. Tractor and Dennis the Menace are best friends. All of the boys are close, but these two are especially so. As with the other kids, he also loves going to church. All of the boys love wearing their ‘church shoes’ (loafers) and their crosses. They only wear them to church. He likes to watch Arthur, Clifford, and Curious George on PBS. This was his first year in 4-H and he enjoyed making and eating fresh bread. He likes cooking anything though – all of the kids do. Especially, chocolate chip cookies (we eat the dough).

Elmo is three and ‘not a baby!’ He will tell you that any chance he gets. Sometimes he’ll settle for being a little boy, but he usually wants to be a big boy like his brothers. He idolizes Tractor and tries to emulate everything he does. He has laid claim to Baby Bear; that’s ‘his’ baby. I guess Lani is my baby. He has been potty training himself and is making good progress. He did 4-H this year as well and is looking forward to school, Scouts, and baseball. He loves going to church, but is too young for Vacation Bible School this year. He loves to play outside with the brothers (our boys) and balls of any kind are always good. He’s also pretty fond of Elmo. He is very interested in helping Mom scrapbook. I try to do this after the kids go to sleep, but he must have a 6 th sense, because he’s always right there. He loves to help place photos and look at who’s doing what on each page.

Baby Bear will turn 2 on October 2. He walks all over the place and recently learned to wave bye-bye. He almost always smiles. His favorite things to do are eat, play, eat, and play – a pretty consistent guy. He loves to play with Elmo, they run around the house giggling. He likes playing in the church nursery as well. There is a toy vacuum cleaner in the toy refrigerator and that is his favorite toy. He has learned to pick toys up and put them in the bucket or put trash in the garbage can. He’s such a cute, little, round ball of boy.

Mr. Mom is still a wonderful husband and partner after 15 years together. Why he puts up with me, I’m not always sure. Actually I am sure – he loves me more than I ever thought anyone could. That’s the best gift God has given me. That and our children. Mr. Mom stays home with our children and they love it (he does too). He was home with the 3 little boys this year and that kept him pretty busy. He also proofreads a lot of my writing and makes me spreadsheets when I need them. He also does lots of dinner and laundry duty. What more could a mom ask for? Baby #7 would be good…