Jaxon time!
03 Jun 2012 Leave a Comment
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: life guard training, Old McDonald
A short report from Jamestown. We left the South Dakota Annual meeting on Saturday before the final banquet so that we could get to Jamestown. Paulina was there for the lifeguard training so she can work at the Wishek swimming pool this summer. We are truly a family that goes anywhere.
We got to Jamestown around 6 p.m., which was just in time to hang out with Jaxon at Nate and Victoria’s place. Paulina was still finishing up the final tests of her swimming class. It was really great that she made it through considering that on Friday night and even Saturday at 6 a.m., she was ready to quit. It was also funny that on Saturday night when she was finished and we were out eating, she couldn’t even feel her feet or hands because she was so tired. Loved that one.
Finally picking a toy.
Right now we are sitting at Nate and Vic’s place watching Jaxon wrestle everything from Grandpa James to Jessica to a box sitting on the floor. Raja is running around trying to get into the middle of everything. Both James and I are more than a little tired from the round trip. We should make Paulina drive home, but she hates the Interstate. Photo above was taken in his room, where he is currently taking a nap.
Right now he is dancing to Old MacDonald as James and Paulina are singing. He is also showing off all of his toys. Quite a zoo right now.
We were in church this morning, which was quite a treat. Jaxon was helping Nate and Victoria be greeters. As we were leaving, James was invited to be the door opener for the month of June. Well fun though it might be, maybe not so much. We will try to set a date that we can return on June to help Jessica with her bathroom project. She started that last winter but hasn’t gotten to the end yet.
Jaxon checking out some toys.
Well, so much for the pictures of Jaxon thing. First the camera wasn’t taking decent pictures, now I can’t get them to down load. This is so frustrating. I have used this same program for nearly a year, and today it choses not to work. I wonder what I did to cause problems. I will try one last time to restart the computer, and hopefully it works. So it worked with a restart of the computer… here are the photos. Also not leaving here until James finishes his nap, seems we are all just a bit tired from the past week.
Finally picking a toy.
Day Camp
02 Jun 2012 Leave a Comment
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: teamwork, Day Camp, cooperative games, Emmons County Farmers Union
Youngsters learning in the K-1-2 room at Day Camp.
So, I only have a few pictures and I will post them. I think it is only fair since I have been having this total cow fit about how this Day Camp thing will turn out. It was good. I won’t say great because we dropped attendance from last year, but it was much better than I had thought it would be. Silly me, when you surround yourself with good, no great, people you really can’t fail.
Number one there were good teachers with experience. Terri took the middle group, Kristen had the youngest and largest group, and the high school students worked semi independently. I floated, on hot air mainly. No really, what happened is the middle school group was virtually none existent. Terri put the oldest with the high school group and the youngest with her group and she basically worked them together.
Students in the middle age group prepare to sell the popcorn they made in their cooperative.
Terri’s group formed a cooperative, and the older group did the marketing plan for them. It was great how the two groups worked together. Considering the whole theme was team work, this was a wonderful idea.
Kristen had so many activities for those younger ones that it was amazing. They worked right through the presenters, which was a good idea because they wouldn’t have been able to sit through the presentations. Not taking anything away from the presenter. I loved the info from BEK communications, but k-1 and 2 just do not have attention spans for a long discussion.
Day Camper prepare to participate in cooperative games with the National Guard.
The other thing that everyone loved was the National Guard games. They kept the young ones separate from the older ones and it was fantastic. I loved watching some of their games. I can’t wait to use a couple of them at some of the family Fourth of July celebration.
All in all, the Camp Day added to the parade was really a treat for me. I have truly enjoyed getting to know the people who serve on the Emmons County board and all of the great people who work with it. It was also great to get to know Darius and his wife Sherry. Super neat people. I know that I sound like I am gushing etc… now, but I was sooooo super nervous about that day, and when all went well, I was even more relieved. I even got a hug from little Jonathan before the parade started, and he gave me a pack of the sunflower seeds they were passing out. Of course Jonathan hugged everyone, but that really didn’t count for me.
Thanks for listening to me rant about my great day. Hope there will be more to report in the future.
Happy Birthday Aunt Glenda!!!
01 Jun 2012 7 Comments
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: Happy Birthday aunt, outdoors, shopping, vacation
So today (June 1) is my Aunt Glenda’s birthday. I didn’t even call her and say Happy Birthday yet. I wanted to this morning and then I ended up at the parade thing. By the time it was over, I was soaked, and we were headed for the meal at the school. Great! When that was over, we were sitting in the gym, at the far end, and they were starting the ceremony for the big dairy and ag day awards.
James had to leave to participate in a squirt the coaches’ tank, Paulina wanted to stay to see who won. There I was, I should have gone to James’ room to write the Happy Birthday story, but he was gone and there were no keys by the time I thought of it. So I stayed with Paulina and watched.
As soon as it was over and we had walked home, we were loading the car and heading for Wishek. There Paulina caught a ride to Jamestown with the rest of the Wishek lifeguards so they could take the training test. Ya. James and I got back to Linton just in time to down load the pictures from Thursday at the Day Camp and get them to the newspaper. I still need to write-up a story for that.
By the time I had that finished, we were in the van chasing over to Napoleon to the Relay for Life event. I swear there isn’t any grass growing under our feet anytime soon. The Relay thing was good. I didn’t feel very useful there, but I guess that is how it goes. If we had stayed longer we would have done more. I was a bit disgruntled that we brought chairs and they were taken by older people from there who weren’t on our team and weren’t’ even frequenting our booth. Grrrr!
Anyway this was supposed to be a blog about the Aunt not about me. I could talk about the good old days when we used to drive around town on fumes listening to the radio. Or I could mention all the great things she has done for me and my siblings, such as ski trips, shopping trips, hanging out, going to the cemetery together, talking each other off the proverbial wall so to speak, and I could go on and on.
Anyway, I will just say, I am looking forward to a few days this summer when we can chill out on my porch or sit on her step watching the cars go by. Maybe we can even sit on my new cement inside the privacy of my hollyhocks later this summer or next fall in the evening and listen as cars go by without anyone seeing us. It will be great if we can just get past these teeth on Tuesday….
And finally, hope it was a great birthday, sorry that I wasn’t there and didn’t call this morning. We will have to drink a few coffees with cream next week to make up for it.
What is that yellow orb in the sky?
31 May 2012 2 Comments
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: cooperatives, coordination, outdoors
The sun is shining, the sun is shining. Get it, sort of like the Henny Penny announcement about the sky falling. Well, it is a wonderful day in the neighborhood as both the sun is shining and the Day Camp went off fairly well. I learned a few things from this first year. I will have to do a few things better next year. I also learned that it is a good idea to have several good teachers in line, and you spend the day coordinating.
I did that coordinating thing fairly well when I chaired the Centennial Reunion in Herreid, why have I tucked those ideas in the background of my mind? Who knows. I guess my mother was right when she used the saying about, “she forgot more than…” Now as I am getting older, I am realizing that I have forgotten too many good ideas that I used or followed in my younger days. Maybe the real saying should be sux to get old. On the other hand, I prefer aging to the alternative.
Luckily I have good relatives right now. We were back and forth to Herreid two nights in a row because of the cold weather and the frost advisory. Today the tarps and blankets need to come off the plants and put into the shed. I really don’t want to make another trip as we will have to go there on Friday. Well, as I said, good relatives, Aunt Glenda is heading to the garden to take off said tarps, etc… I imagine I will need to repay her with a few peppers and tomatoes. Although, I don’t know why she doesn’t just go and get what she needs when she needs it. It is not like we will starve if she eats a few things from that garden every now and then, especially onions. In fact, I didn’t even plant many onions this year because we rarely use them all.
I see the time is nearing 5 p.m. and the library closes at that time, so I will have to close for now. Hopefully I find the time to check in on Friday. I don’t have much hope for getting to the internet this weekend, so if I don’t see ya tomorrow, it might be a few days. In the meantime take care and happy gardening and happy trails. I will be on the road and will tell you about it when I return.
When will it warm up again?
30 May 2012 4 Comments
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: Dairy Days, Day Camp, garden, rain, softball
Temperature last night was 37. We went to Herreid to cover the garden. Sorry no pictures. I have them on the camera, but can’t get them to the internet while in the library. Today we have been unable to get to Herreid because Paulina has been helping at a volleyball camp for 3rd-5th graders. Also I have been working on that Day Camp, which may be the end of me yet. Luckily I double checked with my presenters. I didn’t have some of the forms in that were needed, so that was a panic and last-minute scramble. I guess it is a good idea to always, always call and confirm.
I had a couple of ideas for the post today, but I am at the library, and they are at home on the kitchen table. Plan ahead and then it rains. I mean literally it rains. We were headed for Mobridge because Paulina’s softball team, well Adie and Melissa’s team too, were playing there. Not so much. It is raining and raining and cold and colder. I even turned on the heater in the house. Not the big furnace, but the space heater type thing.
Last night it was tomato soup and rhubarb cake for supper then run to Herreid to cover plants. Tonight I might just have to boil up a pot of knepfla soup. I should be making some cookies for tomorrow for treats. I don’t know how that fits into cooperation, unless I bring in some frosting and have the students frost them and decorate them as a group. Hmmmm, I think that I am on to something here.
I better close nad get out of the library as I am about out of minutes. There still isn’t any internet at the school, so I am left with whatever I can use out of the library. Just think in 30 hours from now we should be cleaned up and finished. After that it is just the float for the Dairy Days. Oh ya, I nearly forgot then it is Annual meeting for church in Aberdeen. When will this crazy summer be over????
Too much spam!
29 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: cooperatives, Day Camp, spam
So not much to report on today, but I will cover a few statistical issues. I have been dumping quite a bit of spam off my comment pages in the past two weeks. Most of it has come through from my post on “grammar…off of.” Good grief, if I had known it would cause such an issue, I might have thought twice about posting it.
I am actually sort of out of sorts today. It is Tuesday and on Thursday of this week is the big Farmers Union Day Camp here in Emmons County. I am supposedly in charge. I have never felt less in charge of something than this event. Well, I take a little of that back. I have received the phone calls from the parents RSVPing their children. I also just picked up the key for the Linton Community Center where the even will be held. Yipee. I still can’t say that I am confident about what I am doing.
I have tried a few internet searches on cooperatives in this county. So far I have found two with websites. One has a history on its website, which will be quite helpful in talking about it. The other has no history, but interestingly, that is the cooperative that is coming to do a presentation for the students. YA! At least that was a good call on my part. I know there is at least one elevator coop in the county, but apparently there is no website. I will have to do a little more digging. On the other hand, I could look up the resources mentioned in the curriculum. When all else fails go to the main source. Duh!
To continue my statistics report. Last week Thursday before we left for the State Track Meet, I spent a little time at the local library where I was able to access my Yahoo email account. I found 482 emails that I needed to dump in the trash. Most were related to this blog. It was all about telling me that I had decided to follow a blog or that someone has made a comment on something that I said. Let’s just say it took nearly an hour to flush that all out.
On that same day, I started trying to catch up on the Sudoku calendar that Jessica gave me for Christmas. There was a time that I was caught up to the day and looking for more to do. My sister Kathy gave me some copies that she had made in school, which really helped for a time, then I started to sub on the long-term. Yikes, when we left for the State Meet, I was on April 30. I am still about 10 days behind. I figure that after the Day Camp, I should be caught up.
James informed me one day last week that our youngsters here go to camp in Valley City the same week that he is at the big coaches clinic in Fargo. This year North Dakota is hosting the National Coaches Clinic so he intends to go for the whole week and suck it all in. Personally…well I won’t go there. I used to love attending those things.
The first time we went it was in West Fargo and our girls were fairly young. We stayed at the hotel where the flowers are in bloom and there was a huuuugee water slide. Horrible parents that we were, we left the girls in the room alone. I think they were about 11, 9 and 2. By the time we returned to the room, they had been in the pool. Horrible parents. Now days, I would have a fit if one of them did that with their family. Of course being the old bitchy grandmother, I would probably insist on taking the kid(s) the whole time.
Speaking of grandchildren, it might be time for one to come and visit bitchy grandmother. Jessica sent us a picture of Jaxon when she was trying to babysit. He refused to eat until she gave him his “papa’s” cup to drink from. What a little poop! I actually think that I agreed to watch him some time this summer, but for the life of me, I don’t really know when that is. I might need to make a call here soon.
Well, I best be going and trying to figure out the rest of this Day Camp/Class stuff….Who signed me up for this anyway?????
Day two and it’s over
28 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Life in the Dakotas Tags: good-bye, state track meet
I wanted to blog after the track meet on Saturday, but as life works one doesn’t always get what you want. We had a semi-successful day. We didn’t have an athlete in an event until 2 p.m., so James decided to let them sleep in. Besides all of that, it was cold. No need to have them sitting out in the elements longer than necessary. He and Coach Sailer went to the Class B Coaches meeting. He invited me about 10 minutes before they were going to leave. I stayed back incase the team needed something. Besides my pillow was calling my name.
After they came back, we hoped in the vehicle and headed for McDonald’s and some breakfast. COFFEE!! Anyone who wanted to attend was invited. Most of the athletes decided to sleep a little longer. By the time we made it to the meet, it was cold and damp. The athletes headed for the tent, which was a good shelter from the wind. Paulina and I decided to cuddle up on the bleachers straight across from the finish line. It was easier on the arthritic knees than trying to jam in between a bunch of other people, but it was cold.
We stayed long enough to watch Tanner place in the 110 hurdles. After he made the award stand, we took a hike to the bus. There we grabbed a little food and snuggled up out of the wind. We could have gone to the tent, but just didn’t feel the need to interfere with the others there. Earlier, I watched the boys running the 3200 meters. I wanted to hear Corey’s name called for the record. It wasn’t broken this year. It was too cold and windy. Do you hear this as a theme?
Our girls were in the final race of the day, the Class B girls’ 1600 meter relay. They were not in the final race as they made it to heat two but not the ultimate, heat three. We were third in our heat and ninth overall. The top eight place. They did well, but it was hard to see the two seniors fall short of a place on their final try. Most of the athletes were cold and tired and ready to head straight home.
The senior girls were not. They wanted to eat. We stopped for them. They took their time eating; we waited. James did make them grab their bags, and we all snuggled into one bus. Mr. Sailer took Tayler, and we didn’t have to stop in Hazelton to switch busses. It was over.
When we got back to Linton, the senior girls took their time getting off the bus. I should have pulled out the video camera, but instead I decided to keep this picture in my mind. Both Kayln and Robin took their time saying good-bye for the last time to James. He had been their coach for six years. They shared a whole lot of good times, and it was hard for all three when it came time to say that last good-bye.
When it was over, Paulina and I kicked into gear. We had to unpack the bus and get everything packed up for the year, well sort of. Here is the part that no one realizes about a coach’s life. Everyone thinks that coaches have all the glory. Well, head coaches also have the piddly work. The tent was wet. It had been packed as needed to bring it home, but it couldn’t stay packed. We drug, literally, everything into the building, took it apart in his class room and set it up. The water ran off the top onto the floor. Paulina was mopping up the water with a towel as James and I were clearing off tables to drape the tent sides on so everything could dry over the weekend.
It is now Monday, and we are back checking on everything. The tent dried nicely, and it is now safely tucked away in its summer wrapper. The sides are dry, folded and in their bag ready for next year. The banners that go on the sides are also in storage. The only thing that wasn’t dry, and that was because we had run out of floor space, is the tarp. It is currently stretched out on the floor to dry until tomorrow. The uniforms are stacked in the corner to be washed tomorrow. Hopefully that will be the end of all of that and summer can start in earnest. Good night!!
