Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Random Pics Monday
Random picture download! And bonus dancing video...
Boys sledding together...mom just puts on Yak Trax and runs, pulling them in circles. They love it.
Connor helping Haley put on socks. Haley is his little girlfriend from the neighborhood and they run at each other to hug every time they're separated more than few days.
Connor loves to do puzzles and patterns. See his awesome train made of different shapes?
A fine attempt at Connor's name!
Boys sledding together...mom just puts on Yak Trax and runs, pulling them in circles. They love it.
Connor helping Haley put on socks. Haley is his little girlfriend from the neighborhood and they run at each other to hug every time they're separated more than few days.
Connor loves to do puzzles and patterns. See his awesome train made of different shapes?
A fine attempt at Connor's name!
Alaskan Living Tidbits
Want to know a few things unique to Alaskan living? Of course you do!
- It's rude to wear your shoes inside anyone's house without express permission to do so. Most people have a tiled or wood entryway or mud room that is closed off from the house or at least set aside to control snow and gravel tracking into the house. Of course an independently heated mud room like we have is really a luxury...it helps control heat loss from the house.
- Why is controlling heat loss important? Some houses here are heated with fuel oil, some with hot water piping and some with wood fires...or a combo of those. We have long heat radiators on the exterior walls of the house that continuously pipe hot water to heat the rooms. Each floor has its own temperature control and it's a fine art to get the heat set just right...I have to fiddle with them often and we leave all the doors open at night to help equalize temps. Connor's room gets atrociously cold unless we have all the doors open and ceiling fans on to help distribute heat evenly upstairs. The base has its own heat plant for water, which means I never have to worry about losing hot water for washing and baths. We could run both showers, the dishwasher and the washer at once and never feel the difference until...
- It gets COLD here. I just glanced out my window and it's about -16 F. That's not cold by December, where temps are regularly more between -20 and -40 F. The beauty of hot water heating is that it doesn't take nearly as much energy to heat but it depends a lot on houses being well insulated and the temperature being relatively static; dramatic swings leave the system panting to catch up. Which is why we can get in thumb-screws kind of trouble for opening the window below zero...the heat gets rapidly sucked out and the pipes freeze quickly, and burst. If it has a dramatic temperature swing you lose heat quickly and it's hard to get it back. Last year we had the hot water main on our street burst and boiling water was pouring down the street. They thought they would have to evacuate everyone to billeting -- after only half an hour without hot water, our house dropped to 50. Granted it was -45 outside so it was still positively balmy inside, but I was not pleased to be worried about baby popsicles. If the temp plunges dramatically, which is rare, the heat can have a hard time keeping up. You know it got cold when you go to open the shade and the condensation from the evening's sleep is frozen solid on the windows! All you can do then is close blinds to help retain heat, put everyone in a couple sweaters and crank the heat, particularly in the entryway between the garage and house.
- No one with any sense in Alaska goes anywhere without emergency kits and extra clothes. Everyone has heard a horror story about a woman veering off the road and not being found for three days, or a family forced to walk through snow drifts until they're finally found naked and partially eaten by wolves. I'm not sure how often that happens, but I had a scary experience of my own our first winter here. I slid off the road at a hairpin curve about 1/3 of a mile from our temp apartment (we had to wait til April for a house). It was about -7...cold, but not insanely so. I had no cell phone coverage. So I bundled Connor up as best as I could, put wool socks on my hands because I forgot my gloves, and started to walk to the apartment. I was four months pregnant with Timmy and had to carry Connor a good bit because the snow drifts were too much for a two year old. We were exhausted, shaky and numb with cold by the time we got home. I vowed then and there that I would never go anywhere without better supplies and we would invest in snow tires within the week. Done and done. It was a dangerous mistake.
- There are so many COOL things about this state. I love the ubiquitous coffee huts everywhere. It seems like everywhere there's a bare patch of dirt, one springs up as if coffee hut seeds had been sown. People are also extremely friendly -- once you're accepted as part of the Fairbanks milieu, you've never met a stranger. Of course the measure is usually how many winters you've spent up here. :-) There's a very neat counterculture "Just because America does it doesn't mean we do" vibe; I admire individuality and pure cussedness. I could do without Daylight Savings, because let's face it, it's useless here. Alaska could have stood a little "screw you guys!" spirit on that, but eh. I adore the fact that calling my son's school and telling them that a stuffed musk ox fell off a truck and is blocking traffic is not only a perfect valid excuse for being late, it's accepted without comment. I think the fact that my children call any large animal - cow, deer, etc -- a moose is neat, and that they know what a moose mating call sounds like is cooler still. I like that you can enter into a spirited debate about the relative merits of snow tires, boot brands, and wool vs bamboo socks with virtually anyone and each person leaves perfectly happy, convinced their conviction that Sorels beat Baffins hands down is still intact. I love that we treasure every moment of summer in a way no temperate climate could ever do, and live outdoors. I love ravens. I love red sassy squirrels. And while I may never want to settle here (did I mention the cold?) I can appreciate the amazing spirit of this place.
- It's rude to wear your shoes inside anyone's house without express permission to do so. Most people have a tiled or wood entryway or mud room that is closed off from the house or at least set aside to control snow and gravel tracking into the house. Of course an independently heated mud room like we have is really a luxury...it helps control heat loss from the house.
- Why is controlling heat loss important? Some houses here are heated with fuel oil, some with hot water piping and some with wood fires...or a combo of those. We have long heat radiators on the exterior walls of the house that continuously pipe hot water to heat the rooms. Each floor has its own temperature control and it's a fine art to get the heat set just right...I have to fiddle with them often and we leave all the doors open at night to help equalize temps. Connor's room gets atrociously cold unless we have all the doors open and ceiling fans on to help distribute heat evenly upstairs. The base has its own heat plant for water, which means I never have to worry about losing hot water for washing and baths. We could run both showers, the dishwasher and the washer at once and never feel the difference until...
- It gets COLD here. I just glanced out my window and it's about -16 F. That's not cold by December, where temps are regularly more between -20 and -40 F. The beauty of hot water heating is that it doesn't take nearly as much energy to heat but it depends a lot on houses being well insulated and the temperature being relatively static; dramatic swings leave the system panting to catch up. Which is why we can get in thumb-screws kind of trouble for opening the window below zero...the heat gets rapidly sucked out and the pipes freeze quickly, and burst. If it has a dramatic temperature swing you lose heat quickly and it's hard to get it back. Last year we had the hot water main on our street burst and boiling water was pouring down the street. They thought they would have to evacuate everyone to billeting -- after only half an hour without hot water, our house dropped to 50. Granted it was -45 outside so it was still positively balmy inside, but I was not pleased to be worried about baby popsicles. If the temp plunges dramatically, which is rare, the heat can have a hard time keeping up. You know it got cold when you go to open the shade and the condensation from the evening's sleep is frozen solid on the windows! All you can do then is close blinds to help retain heat, put everyone in a couple sweaters and crank the heat, particularly in the entryway between the garage and house.
- No one with any sense in Alaska goes anywhere without emergency kits and extra clothes. Everyone has heard a horror story about a woman veering off the road and not being found for three days, or a family forced to walk through snow drifts until they're finally found naked and partially eaten by wolves. I'm not sure how often that happens, but I had a scary experience of my own our first winter here. I slid off the road at a hairpin curve about 1/3 of a mile from our temp apartment (we had to wait til April for a house). It was about -7...cold, but not insanely so. I had no cell phone coverage. So I bundled Connor up as best as I could, put wool socks on my hands because I forgot my gloves, and started to walk to the apartment. I was four months pregnant with Timmy and had to carry Connor a good bit because the snow drifts were too much for a two year old. We were exhausted, shaky and numb with cold by the time we got home. I vowed then and there that I would never go anywhere without better supplies and we would invest in snow tires within the week. Done and done. It was a dangerous mistake.
- There are so many COOL things about this state. I love the ubiquitous coffee huts everywhere. It seems like everywhere there's a bare patch of dirt, one springs up as if coffee hut seeds had been sown. People are also extremely friendly -- once you're accepted as part of the Fairbanks milieu, you've never met a stranger. Of course the measure is usually how many winters you've spent up here. :-) There's a very neat counterculture "Just because America does it doesn't mean we do" vibe; I admire individuality and pure cussedness. I could do without Daylight Savings, because let's face it, it's useless here. Alaska could have stood a little "screw you guys!" spirit on that, but eh. I adore the fact that calling my son's school and telling them that a stuffed musk ox fell off a truck and is blocking traffic is not only a perfect valid excuse for being late, it's accepted without comment. I think the fact that my children call any large animal - cow, deer, etc -- a moose is neat, and that they know what a moose mating call sounds like is cooler still. I like that you can enter into a spirited debate about the relative merits of snow tires, boot brands, and wool vs bamboo socks with virtually anyone and each person leaves perfectly happy, convinced their conviction that Sorels beat Baffins hands down is still intact. I love that we treasure every moment of summer in a way no temperate climate could ever do, and live outdoors. I love ravens. I love red sassy squirrels. And while I may never want to settle here (did I mention the cold?) I can appreciate the amazing spirit of this place.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
What the kids are doing
I thought I might give you a quick snapshot of what the kids have been doing developmentally lately...big changes in the boys lately!
We think Connor has been revving up for another growth spurt. Hard to believe since the child already towers over most children his age, but he's 42 1/4 inches tall as of 45 months old. But he's been eating like a teen boy and you can't keep him filled up over the past few weeks. He just joined league bowling and LOVES it. He actually does really well and is one of the few children in his league to actually hold the ball properly. His speed is improving slightly, and he managed to bowl a 70 yesterday! He asks several times a day to go "roll balls" and whenever he sees Aunt Angela's picture, he says, "Aunt Angela take me to roll balls TODAY!" Amazing that he remembers that from a year ago. His speech is getting better and better but he's still a little confused with some syntax issues, like tenses and pronouns. When he's on the phone he likes to talk about the things he can immediately see which confuses people on the other side of the conversation! He's really into maps, puzzles, painting, and reading. I'm not sure everyone would understand him when he names his continents - Antica (Antarctica), Africaca (Africa), Nort Carica (North America)...but he knows them pat! He's going to be moving to a new school class in the morning next Monday and has his first parent teacher conference on Friday.
Timmy is evolving into a little boy overnight. He decided about nine days ago that he would walk. As simple as that. He took his first steps long ago and experimented with it a bit, but mostly decided crawling was the safe and speedy way to go. Then last week, a switch flipped and he took off. Apparently the talking switch flipped too and he's picking up signs and words at a phenomenal rate. He's now attacking my computer like a Trojan Horse, so I'll have to cut this short...sigh.
We think Connor has been revving up for another growth spurt. Hard to believe since the child already towers over most children his age, but he's 42 1/4 inches tall as of 45 months old. But he's been eating like a teen boy and you can't keep him filled up over the past few weeks. He just joined league bowling and LOVES it. He actually does really well and is one of the few children in his league to actually hold the ball properly. His speed is improving slightly, and he managed to bowl a 70 yesterday! He asks several times a day to go "roll balls" and whenever he sees Aunt Angela's picture, he says, "Aunt Angela take me to roll balls TODAY!" Amazing that he remembers that from a year ago. His speech is getting better and better but he's still a little confused with some syntax issues, like tenses and pronouns. When he's on the phone he likes to talk about the things he can immediately see which confuses people on the other side of the conversation! He's really into maps, puzzles, painting, and reading. I'm not sure everyone would understand him when he names his continents - Antica (Antarctica), Africaca (Africa), Nort Carica (North America)...but he knows them pat! He's going to be moving to a new school class in the morning next Monday and has his first parent teacher conference on Friday.
Timmy is evolving into a little boy overnight. He decided about nine days ago that he would walk. As simple as that. He took his first steps long ago and experimented with it a bit, but mostly decided crawling was the safe and speedy way to go. Then last week, a switch flipped and he took off. Apparently the talking switch flipped too and he's picking up signs and words at a phenomenal rate. He's now attacking my computer like a Trojan Horse, so I'll have to cut this short...sigh.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Something to think about...
I stay up a lot at night worrying about various things, and I'm doing my best to stop. I uncovered an old Erma Bombeck book earlier, and the page fortuitously opened to this essay:
If I Had My Life to Live Over...
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV - and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous"...more "I'm sorrys"...
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...live it...and never give it back.
I hope I remember this more often.
If I Had My Life to Live Over...
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV - and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous"...more "I'm sorrys"...
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...live it...and never give it back.
I hope I remember this more often.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fall at the Freels
Well, first of all, it finally snowed. Really snowed. Lots of wrecks today. But no Alaskan Halloween would be complete without snow suits, so there you go!
We carved pumpkins tonight, which really means Mom and Dad carved pumpkins. Connor has a positive aversion to stickiness and goopiness -- he will wash his hands four times in the course of a waffle and syrup breakfast -- so he provided direction and vector. Timmy limited his help to stepping in pumpking innards and shrieking gleefully as he toddled through the kitchen.
Here's daddy and Connor examining the autopsy. Connor picked a 35 lb pumpkin. Ahem. Mommy got the stink eye from dad on that choice.
Here's Timmy "helping". Daddy LOVES it. Just ask him. Wait til he stops twitching though.
And here's the finished results! TA DA!!!!!! Come on Halloween, we're ready!!!
We carved pumpkins tonight, which really means Mom and Dad carved pumpkins. Connor has a positive aversion to stickiness and goopiness -- he will wash his hands four times in the course of a waffle and syrup breakfast -- so he provided direction and vector. Timmy limited his help to stepping in pumpking innards and shrieking gleefully as he toddled through the kitchen.
Here's daddy and Connor examining the autopsy. Connor picked a 35 lb pumpkin. Ahem. Mommy got the stink eye from dad on that choice.
Here's Timmy "helping". Daddy LOVES it. Just ask him. Wait til he stops twitching though.
And here's the finished results! TA DA!!!!!! Come on Halloween, we're ready!!!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
School Halloween Carnival!
We hied ourselves off to the school Halloween carnival yesterday, and had a blast! I had dropped off decorations earlier in the week, and then ended up baking like a madwoman Friday night for the silent auction and cupcake walk. When the kids have to be gluten free, you can't assume there's anything safe for them to eat! So we made some gluten free brownies and Connor chose to frost them with green buttercream and decorate with M&Ms. We also made some chocolate cupcakes that he decorated with icing and nonpareils. He could actually have a cupcake then if he won the cake walk.
Timmy dressed as the world's most adorable pumpkin, and Connor was SIR Connor as a knight. I found this awesome knight costume at the base thrift store. I volunteer there every Tues night and always snap up great deals. I snagged it for $3 and then spent another $2.50 on materials for a beautiful sparkling cape. We were a little afraid of kid fracas though so he didn't wear that yesterday.
I had volunteered to run the Spider Ring Toss for an hour and had lots of fun watching 50 or so children get so excited about winning a prize. I think I made an excellent carnival barker, and had several return visitors looking for me to draw them another spider on their game card -- I ran the spider ring toss, what else would I do but draw a spider? Of course a few fairy princesses balked and I had to come up with variations. I'm afraid the "pink pincess farry" was disappointed in my unicorn rendition, but spiders were already taxing my limited artistic abilities.
Timmy got a little sensory overloaded and had to take a break outside with dad -- I don't think Charlie was disappointed to escape the five rooms of screaming stampeding preschoolers and their hovering parents. He came back in around 530, and watched Connor play in the castle maze til it was time to go home. We were so tired by then that we stopped at Wendy's to let the boys have plain hamburgers and oranges for dinner.
We don't know if it was excitement or being overtired (Timmy hasn't been sleeping well) or being overfull but Timmy ended up projectile vomiting all over me, Charlie and the bed last night when we put him down. So we had a fairly exciting 45 minutes getting everyone bathed and the bed cleaned up. Awesome news though...Connor finally stayed in his room a full three nights and earned a trip to the toy store! Okay, so solution is run the kid into the ground! Check!
Connor getting a tattoo from Mrs Campbell. Oh, Grandma Freel, this one washes off! :D
Connor playing in the bouncy castle with his best friend Carrington.
Timmy running - yes, you read that right -- running in Wendy's. I'm tired, in case you were wondering.
Timmy at the fortune telling table. I was glad I wasn't manning that one, it was tough! What do you say? "Tomorrow your parents will take you to the store and buy you anything you want"...
You KNOW Connor needed his face painted. Spiders are our favorite lately.
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