High Five for Friday (8.9.19)

One
It took close to 10 days - two full weekends with a week in between - but we are finally settled back in at home. We reconnected with our friends first, and then I unpacked all of our bags, cleaned the house from top to bottom, returned all pieces of furniture to their correct locations, cleaned and restocked the refrigerator and pantry, caught up on the laundry, cleaned and vacuumed up Tux's messes and hair, bagged up all of the clothing and shoes the kids outgrew over the summer (?!), and struggled through (but survived) my first few workouts back at the gym. Oh, and my mom mailed back to us all of the things we forgot at my parents' house (thanks, Mom!). The only post-vacation project left on that to-do list is vacuuming out my car, which will have to wait until the temperature outside is not 100 degrees.

The kids start school next Thursday (?!) so I've now moved on to wrapping up that to-do list!

Two
Last week Hallie attended her first truly intense ballet intensive, held at her dance studio and taught by the incredible Ashley Laracey. Ms. Ashley could be considered a celebrity in the eyes of ballerinas everywhere - she is a soloist with the New York City Ballet - but she holds a special place in the hearts of local dancers, as she has multiple times danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ballet Brazos' production of The Nutcracker.

Hallie arrived on Monday morning a bundle of tic-ing nerves, but as the week went on she settled in and ended up having a marvelous time, which is more than I could have asked for. Hallie LOVED Ms. Ashley, and it brought such peace to my heart to watch Hallie dance ballet with a smile on her face for the first time in quite a while.

The video above is of the Bluebird Variation from Sleeping Beauty. The girls worked on the dance throughout week - in between their technique and strength and conditioning classes - and then performed it in pairs on the final day of the intensive.

Three
(3a) My sweet friend Nuria, who moved away a couple of months ago, returned to town for a week so her daughter (Will and Hallie's friend, Paloma) could attend the same ballet intensive as Hallie. It was wonderful to spend time and catch up with her - we fit in pedicures on Monday, lunch and swimming on Wednesday, dinner on Thursday, and swimming again on Sunday - during their visit "home".

(3b) Speaking of dinner on Thursday, happy birthday to my fellow Wisconsinite-turned-Texan, Casey! We celebrated, appropriately, at Mo's Irish Pub, which has Wisconsin roots and serves Wisconsin cheese curds.

Casey's party was actually twice this big, but we forgot to take a picture
until the last six of us were walking out. Sorry to the friends we missed!

The birthday girl and her birthday apple pie!

Four
I mentioned a few weeks ago that one of Hallie's best friends - Tessa - moved away at the beginning of June. The girls have missed each other tremendously throughout the summer, so on Monday, Tessa's mom and I met halfway between our homes and I passed Hallie off for the day. I didn't tell Hallie why we were driving all the way to Cypress that morning, so she was shocked when we pulled into the outlet mall parking lot and Tessa's car pulled up next to ours.

The girls had a great day together, and Will and I enjoyed a few hours of mother-son time while they played and caught up. (I decided to spend the day in Cypress, rather than drive back to College Station, so Will and I shopped a few outlet mall stores, went out for lunch, watched Spiderman in the theater, and then browsed Academy.) I truly hope we can continue carving out little windows of time for the girls to get together and maintain their friendship throughout the year.

Tessa and Hallie 😍

Tessa's little sister, Morgan (Tessa has three sisters), adores
Hallie and wanted her own picture with just the two of them.

What a great day!

Five
Happiness Highlights

Learning how to make flower crowns.

Living his best summer life: chillin'
by the pool with a cherry snow cone.

First 100 degree day = Spoons. Though Will forgot to wear a shirt (?!)
so I had to leave him in the car and make his frozen yogurt for him... 

Will bought and installed (with a little help) this
handlebar attachment. Apparently this will make
biking home from his gym more enjoyable?

I think he's still a little small, but hopefully he'll grow into them!

This girl NEVER wants to play disc golf, but she actually gave it
a try last week. Maybe she felt buoyed by her new tie-dyed socks.

Learning how to do french twists thanks to Ms. Ashley!

Soccer practice started Monday night and this kid was
so excited to get back on the pitch after a few weeks away.

Schedule pick-up #1, done! Now all that's left is for
 them to actually start 7th grade...and for that, I'm not ready.

Happy Friday, friends!

Wisconsin Bucket List...Times Three

On our most recent trip to Wisconsin I crossed three experiences off of my Wisconsin Bucket List. Sometimes I struggle to figure out how it's taken me so long to visit - or return to - these places...but when I remind myself how challenging it is to go anywhere when my parents, my sister and her family, and my family of four are all together, it's not so hard to figure out anymore. 😂

Devil's Lake State Park
I visited Devil's Lake State Park as a child but have wanted to return for years, as I have no memory of that first excursion. The park is located about 35 miles northwest of Madison, just south of a small town called Baraboo. It holds the title of biggest state park in Wisconsin, and is known for is quartzite bluffs and beautiful lake, which is nestled in the Baraboo Hills and was created thousands of years ago when glacial deposits permanently blocked the open ends of a gap between the bluffs.

We started our day with a "hike". I use quotations because the way up felt a heck of a lot more like rock climbing than hiking. Shockingly, the youngest member of our group - six-year-old Carter (whose whiny declaration, "I'm not a fan of walking", has become one of the most famous and repeated in our family) - led the way, never slowing unless we yelled for him to do so. The rest of us followed steadily, wanting to take breaks but knowing we couldn't because Carter would leave us behind. The climb was challenging as well as fun, and the views as we neared the top made every bead of sweat that ran into my eyes and ears worth it. The actual hike down included lots of singing, laughing, and talking within our group, as well as with those heading up the side of the mountain on which we traveled down. Multiple people stopped us to ask 1) about Hallie and Lily's matching hiking attire (otherwise known as patriotic swimsuits) and/or 2) how much farther until they would reach the top.

Um, yeah. Sure we can climb up that.

Gramps and his four kiddos.

An obstructed but gorgeous
view of the lake on our way up.

About two-thirds of the way to the top!

If you look really closely, you can see
our little leader at the front of the pack!

Will was the only kid we trusted enough to let approach the
edge and take a picture with this incredible rock formation.

SO hot and sweaty. We had a great time though!

After finishing our exercise, we had hamburgers and french fries for lunch in the Chateau and shopped the park gift shop before heading out to the lake. The kids played for hours in the sand and in the water, which was crystal clear, warm(ish), and offered a zero entry "built" by Mother Nature more perfectly than those in most swimming pools.

My parents at lunch in the Chateau, which
sits on pillars out over the shore of the lake.

My attempts to capture a picture of Will and Hallie
for our annual photo book were thwarted multiple
times by this master photobomber.

This is how they each chose to pose for
their group picture. It's not at all awkward...

Sometimes he seems old and big. Sometimes he seems
young and small. I wish I could have bottled up the little
boy who played in the sand at the beach that day.

Visiting Devil's Lake State Park comes with a fun perk: riding the Merrimac Ferry. Faster routes to the park are available, but as the kids had never taken a ferry before, we opted for a scenic ferry ride across the Wisconsin River instead. Another perk: the ice cream shops conveniently located on land at both ends of the ferry's route.

I don't know that our family will visit Devil's Lake every year, but as Tom and Jeff missed the hike - er, rock climbing - we might have to plan a return trip. The park would be STUNNING in the fall, if we only had the time to travel to Wisconsin between late September and early November.

Mad-City Water Ski Team Summer Show
I watched the Mad-City Water Ski Team's summer show as a young child, but as is the case with Devil's Lake State Park, I don't remember the experience. For years I have tried to make it to Madison's Law Park on a Sunday evening to see the group perform, but for some reason it took until this summer for the stars to align.

For those unfamiliar, water ski shows - at least those that teams enter into competitions - involve more than just waterski tricks and stunts. They generally follow a storyline (the Mad-City team did Wizard of Oz this year, which was perfect for my Dorothy) and include 13 acts which are judged on skiing, boat driving, land performances, and announcing. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Mad-City team performs this show once a week in Madison but also takes the show on the road to both regional and national competitions. Mad-City Water Ski has won the National Championship 10 times since 1975, and has brought home first place from the Wisconsin State Show Ski Tournament - the largest of its kind in the world - in 2012, 2015, and 2017.  

Members of the team range in age from six to 60, and all participate as volunteers. The team trains year-round, spending the winter months perfecting their lifts and turns in local gyms. The skill and athleticism on display when the skiers step out onto the water - human pyramids, swivelers, jumpers, and ballet - are nothing short of impressive, and the land acts, while not quite Broadway quality, keep the show moving and fill the gaps while skiers and drivers are setting up for the next stunt.

Will, waiting for the show to start.

That shark boat - and its three massive motors - is pulling 32 skiers.

doubles lifts

If you look carefully, you can see the jumper - who
happens to be just nine-years-old - flying over the ramp.

An impressive three-tiered pyramid.

AMAZING!

A second three-tiered pyramid.

The ski-team's ballet line.

Some of the Wizard of Oz cast members. They performed their
parts on land, and then joined different ski stunts in between acts.

I enjoyed the show as much if not more than I thought I would, and the kids - even Will, who was EXHAUSTED having come straight from four days of soccer camp and fell asleep in the grass before the show started - loved it. The water ski show might move from the Wisconsin Bucket List to a Wisconsin tradition!

Wollersheim Winery
After my sister and I reached the age of 21, we started enjoying an occasional glass of wine with our parents when we came back to Wisconsin to visit them. We stumbled upon one of Wisconsin's finest and favorites - Prairie Fumé- and found that despite our differing preferences, we all enjoyed this wine. As it turns out, this was the winemakers' goal 30 years ago: to create something new and different...something "vibrant, young, and bright" that could be enjoyed by nearly everyone as opposed to just experienced wine drinkers. I Philippe Coquard and Bob Wollersheim achieved their goal!

Prairie Fumé is made and bottled at the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie due Sac (hence the "Prairie" Fumé). I had long wanted to visit the winery to sample their other wines and beverages and to see the vineyards, and on this trip my mom and I managed to slip away - leaving three or four kids with my dad (thanks, Dad!) - to do just that.

We tasted six different varieties, and ended up buying bottles of most of them...along with quite a few more bottles for ourselves and friends. When we finished shopping, we went outside and admired the vineyards. We would have stayed longer - and perhaps enjoyed a glass outside on the hillside patio or in the wine garden - but the temperature outside that day reached almost 100 degrees. (For about a week in the middle of our trip, Wisconsin set daily heat records.)

Inside the historic hillside cave, which
was built in the 1840s and restored in 2012.

Just like Devil's Lake State Park, Wollersheim Winery would be spectacular in the fall.

I highly recommend all three of these Wisconsin Bucket List activities should you ever travel to Madison or the surrounding area - or if you live near Madison but have never given them a try. Especially in the fall! 😉

Monthly Medley: July 2019

Writing
I finished up my Ferris Wheel article and can't wait for it to make its way into print. I don't have any writing goals for August - I want to spend all of my free time soaking up my kiddos before they head back to school and catching up with my friends after a month away - but in September my plan is to start drafting pitches. Time to map out the next few months!

Reading
This month I read No Exit, an interesting tale of mystery, suspense, action, and, to put it bluntly, revenge. The novel included more violence than I expected and would have liked, but (and this sounds like a strange compliment) the violence was incredibly well-written in that 1) I could picture exactly what was happening, and 2) it invoked in me the emotions - anger, disgust, and the desire for revenge - I assume the author wanted me to feel. The plot twisted and turned more times than I had anticipated, and from the halfway point on, I couldn't put it down.

I have regularly read theSkimm, a daily news summary email, for about three years. It arrives in my inbox every morning, and at some point later in the day I read its abbreviated news articles, feel slightly downtrodden about the state of our country and the world, click delete, and head to YouTube for a funny cat video to make me feel better. This month, however, I discovered something to replace (who am I kidding - to read after watching) my funny daily cat video: CNN's the Good stuff. "the Good stuff: Good news, Good deeds, Good karma, Good ideas, Good people. A newsletter for the good in life." Check it out, friends. It arrives once a week on Saturday and I promise it'll lift your spirits.

Watching
Every Single Game of the World Cup. When the World Cup wrapped, we watched the ticker tape parade and all of the daytime, primetime, and late night interviews. When the hullaballoo surrounding soccer died down, Will switched over to the Tour de France, while I returned to Friends. I really need to branch out when it comes to what I watch on Netflix, but I feel the need to make it through Friends one more time before Netflix drops the series at the end of 2019.

We caught quite a few movies throughout the month. In the DVD category, we watched the 2006 remake of The Shaggy Dog starring Tim Allen. All four kiddos in the house - two boys and two girls ranging from six-years-old to almost 13-years-old - enjoyed it, and I admit to laughing out loud a few times myself.

In the streaming category, my sis-in-law and I watched Wine Country, which follows the funny ladies from SNL (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachael Dratch, and Ana Gastyer, as well as a couple of others who have historically done more writing than acting but should definitely do more acting) on a birthday party weekend to...yep, Wine Country. I love these actors and their brand of comedy, and I found the movie particularly relevant given the stage of life in which I find myself.

In the theater category, my parents, the kids, and I saw The Lion King, which did not disappoint. I appreciated that the writers, voice actors, and musicians remained true to the original story, script, and songs while adding a few touches to make the film feel updated and current.

Listening To
A quick update. I gave both Unexplained and Terrible, Thanks for Asking a fair shake - two or three episodes - but eventually decided neither was for me. I couldn't get into Unexplained, and while I found Terrible, Thanks for Asking interesting and well-done, it just didn't offer what I was looking for in a podcast.

Instead, and on our road trip north (when Tom was asleep), Will and I listened to season one of Breakdown. This Atlanta Journal-Constitution podcast breaks down true crime cases and investigates breakdowns in the legal system; the first season delved into the case of a man - Justin Chapman - accused of setting a fire (in his own house) that killed his elderly next-door neighbor. Chapman's first attorney believed he was innocent, so when she failed to acquit him during their trial, she continued fighting to clear his name.

When Tom was awake, he and I listened to Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey. At times I had trouble making sense of Clarke's world, but eventually I allowed myself to just enjoy the story and stop worrying about whether or not I caught all of the details. Has anyone seen the movie? Should I watch it?

Wearing
After (what feels like and might actually have been) decades of searching, I have found my perfect athletic shorts: the Mesh Racer Run Short with a 4" inseam from Athleta. I took a chance and ordered my first pair online because a less popular print went on sale and I had both a coupon and a reward, but after falling in love with that pair, I visited the Athleta store while in Madison and picked up three more pairs for myself and two pairs for my sister. (Y'all, my sister despises shorts even more than I do - she hasn't worn shorts of any kind in at least 15 years - and she actually kept both pairs.) They have a no-slip, wide waistband, the top of which hits just below my bellybutton; the materials are soft, light, and breathable; and they have two hidden, flat pockets. I bought black, black olive camo, and tanzanite blue for myself (the first pair I bought - white with brightly colored wildflowers - is no longer available) and black olive camo and violet blush for my sister. Coastal teal is on sale now though, so I might have to add one more pair...

Trying/Using
The college-aged daughter of a friend recently started Turner Letter Co., a paper goods business - she does beautiful hand-lettering and calligraphy - "dedicated to finding joy in the little things + celebrating the season of life that you're in". My dad and I hired her to paint this picture of my parents' house as a gift for my mom.

Hannah does lovely work, and truly cares about creating a product that will please her clients. She does custom cards, paintings, and wood signs, as well as quite a few clever greeting card sets and stickers (for laptops, water bottles, etc.) that are available in her Etsy shop (and you can see more pictures of her work on her Facebook page). I highly recommend her!

Eating/Drinking
July was all about enjoying - perhaps indulging in - my Wisconsin favorites: Spotted Cow beer, Wollersheim Winery wine, Bucky Badger pretzels and honey mustard pretzel dip, cheese curds, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream, Babcock ice cream, The Village burgers, Rocky Rococo pizza, Greenbush Bakery donuts, Michael's Frozen Custard banana shakes, Noodles mac & cheese, Bagel's Forever bagels, and of course, Friday night fish frys. I make none of this food myself, so I can't share recipes. I can, however, encourage you to visit the Madison area to work your way through this lengthy list of dining establishments and must-have beverages, snacks, entrees, and treats. Oh, and if you ever drive through Washington, Illinois, Michael's spaghetti and garlic bread cannot be missed.

In August I usually stick to tried-and-true, freezer-friendly recipes; I make double batches, one of which we have for dinner that night and the other of which I freeze for a future dinner. In September I'll start trying some of the delicious-sounding recipes I bookmarked this month, and I'm considering purchasing an air fryer at the recommendation of a friend - any air fryer fans out there?

Feeling Good About

• Last month I shared a video of the sweetest conversation EVER, between a daddy and his baby boy. Now these two stellar conversationalists have their own Denny's commercial, which I have watched almost as many times as I've watched the original video. 
• I have explained to Will that, for a variety of reasons, not everyone has high opinions of tweens and teenagers. I have also explained to Will that when he goes out in public - to the park with his friends, for example - his "job" is to prove those people wrong. These three kids, who pushed a woman's broken-down car five miles to her home, have certainly done their part to give teenagers a good name.
• The Tails of Redemption program matches incarcerated individuals with dogs at risk for euthanization. The detainees are taught ahead of time how to train their animals so that they will become more adoptable - gentler, more obedient - and the loving relationships developed between the detainees and the dogs benefit both.   
• TAMU is preparing to launch Aggie ACHIEVE (Academic Courses in Higher Inclusive Education and Vocational Experiences) - an inclusive, postsecondary education program for adults with disabilities - this fall. The program will fully integrate these students into the broader campus community while preparing them for employment in a field that matches their interests and strengths. 

What new and exciting in your world this month?