Sunday, August 12, 2007

Camp-A-Lot



While the grime...oh, I mean the memories are still fresh I want to write about our camping expedition, truly an expedition like no other. Picture three unsuspecting adults and seven extremely enthusiastic kids ready for the over night camping experience they have been asking for all summer. Well, being the pleaser that I am, I was glad to be able to come through on my promise and lucky enough to have great neighbors who are fully equipped with gear.

The Scene: Lake Maria State Park, Monticello, MN - thankfully only 20 minutes from home

The Landscape: Hike-In Campsite, .75 miles from the parking lot - primitive I would come to find about after arriving to the site.

The Weather: 95 degrees and 70+ % humidity (deep in the dense forest, it felt like 107 degrees)

The List: 3 full coolers, 3 boxes of food/supplies, 1 wagon to haul our stuff, 2 tents, 4 chairs, firewood (2 bundles), 2 Dogs, 10 sleeping bags, 10 pillows

LOL - I am laughing aloud while I am writing this, it bring a smile to my face just picturing what we all looked like lugging our laundry list of gear. We made a pact when we set out on our journey, NO WHINING, or be on the mandatory return trip list for round 2 of "gettin' gear". With 7 kids, that was no small feat and the only one who complained was Morgan, although I never had to hear him because I was the second to the last person from the end of the conga line. Touting the wagon, loaded with wood, coolers, sleeping bags, pillows and the tent. Plus, I had our overnight clothes strapped to my back and another sleeping bag attached via a bungee cord on my front. While the children, adequately loaded with gear danced ahead, Tom and I held up the rear. Eventually finding our way to a very dense and primitive site -- trees, trees and no people. Oh yeah, there was a latrine.

The nearest bathroom with a flush toilet and running water, .75 miles from our site. We initially picked Lake Maria because we knew it would be hot and hence, LAKE -- so the big leap was made that Lake = swimming beach. That we found out to be simply not true. Although after a good 2 + mile hike we found that swimming at the boat landing near lily pads and what felt like quick sand wasn't so bad....even though the lake was so murky we couldn't see our toes.

Ahh, finally, at least we were cool, then we trekked back and made dinner, all the while the thunder clamored above us. We did luck out, no big thunderstorms or lightening, just some rain drops post dinner and clean-up. After a beer to take the edge off and the three littles kids sound asleep (9:15 pm I'd like to add) we cozied up by the fire and played games...thanks to Tom's daughter Sam for enlightening us on some games we'd never played before!

By 10:30 we were all tucked in, 8 in one tent, 2 in the other.....nothing between us and the owls, coyotes and stars but a thin sheath....I laid awake for what felt like half the night, evidently I should have had more liquor in order to get the rest that I needed.....after the longest night of my life, we all were awake and starting to stir by 6:30, our over night expedition came to a close quickly. After a delicious breakfast of sausage, eggs, donuts and OJ it was time to pack up.

Scroll all the way to the bottom for another great picture of the camping site.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Soccer Mom


As I reflect back on summer, realizing that the majority of it has passed my thoughts gravitate to the many nights we spend on the soccer field -- 4 per week to be exact for the first 8 weeks of the summer season.

This was Morgan's first year and clearly he has natural athletic ability and besides one of his teammates, Ty, he towered over the other kids by at least 6-10 inches. It was so fun to see him race up and down the field and score goals....many goals, success is such a thrill at that age. "The Wildcats" ended their season strong and enjoyed every minute of play!

This was Clare's second year of soccer and again, she was very lucky to play with a great group of talented and driven girls. The "Breakers" really learned how to work together as a team and play off of each others strengths. Clare is a small power house, she easily can weave in and around her opponents and is quick, although she did not score this year, she did have a part in many assists and shared the teams success.

Brendan found his passion in the pool, he took level 4 swimming this year and really enjoyed learning a variety of new strokes and basic diving techniques. He is interested in joining the St. Michael swim team, which will be a great esteem building activity and one that I think he will thrive on.
All the kids gained a great amount of confidence in the water this year, both Brendan and Clare learned how to water ski and Morgan and Liam gained comfort in jumping and swimming with their life jackets. I will save the suspense about Liam for the next entry!!

Mother's Day 2007

A highlight of early Spring was the second annual girls trip to Florida -- my mom, aunts and Grandma spent 2 great days on the beach sharing stories, playing Blockus, drinking wine and relaxing.

One evening we gathered at the beach at sunset, arranged all of the beach chairs in a circle around one another and talked about the legacy of the families and women of our past. Stories of being strong and persevering through challenging times, marriages and moments that test our ability to with stand more than we thought we were capable of.

Mostly the trip was about taking care of Grandma -- a time for her to be herself at her most favorite spot in the world, the beach. The 5 of us being there together was a rare and wonderful treat that I hope we repeat over and over again.

Where does time go?


It is difficult to fathom that 2 full months have passed since my last entry, I thought it would be simple to find the time to blog! But, unfortunately, it has fallen to the bottom of the list of daily/weekly tasks that need attention.

So, I will attempt to recap the wonderful events that have happened since May!

Monday, May 28, 2007

A FISH STORY


Grandpa Gary fared the waters of Serpent Lake to take all of his grandkids out fishing. As time passed I started to wonder if the fishing could possibly be THAT GOOD or if someone had fallen in the lake! But sure enough, after about an hour and a half, they came home beaming and telling tall tales, Liam claims the sunfish he caught was about 16" long!

Brendan carried the net filled with 11 fish up to the deck like he'd just won the lottery. A mix of sunfish and rock bass, which after some negotiating Brendan convinced Grandpa to cook one up. The other 4 rock bass were thrown back and the rest of the catch ended up as lunch.

Each of the kids caught at least one fish, Clare caught 5, Brendan caught 1, Morgan caught 3, Liam 2. Sweet success (and no injuries).

Elvis has left the building.....


We said goodbye to our family pet this weekend, a tragic loss for all of us and certainly one that is difficult to explain or comprehend. While we all went out for an evening treat and a drive, Elvis, locked in the garage pushed through the screen door and escaped; he wandered to close to the road and was hit by oncoming traffic. Although we did not arrive home in time to accompany him during his last breath, he was not alone -- our neighbors son held him until he passed, then placed him on the edge of the woods and covered him with a blanket.

For some reason, Elvis dying hit me hard, I don't even know that I can explain why, I just like having a pet around, it is comforting for me -- even though he was a stubborn coon hound and sometimes naughty (his first Christmas with us, he ate a whole pan of fudge), but he was always gentle and kind. The kind of dog that you know will always be there to greet you at the door wagging his tail. Elvis spent most of his last 2 years with us curled up in a sunny spot, or in the kids beds cuddling. I like to think he was soaking up the love of our family and healing his heart after being in the Buffalo animal shelter prior to Saturday, October 29th, 2005. We all fell in love with him at the apple orchard that Saturday and by Monday night he was home with us.

Elvis did almost everything with us, last summer he even rode in the kayak on Serpent Lake, he was becoming a good running partner too. On Saturday, Elvis took his first ride in the back of a truck, the wind blowing in his face seemed liberating. The next day he paraded around the yard, checked out the fish the kids had caught, laid in the sun and slept on the dock, he even got a little piece of steak after dinner. Little did any of us know what was to come. Maybe if we did, we would have given him a proper farewell, full of big hugs and kisses.

Elvis and Morgan were inseparable, Morgan referred to Elvis as "his dog". The napped together, ate together, slept and played together. Truly, a man's best friend. The first words out of Morgan's mouth after the news was, next time I am getting a cat, they can't open doors, and this evening after dinner sang a tune to the effect..."My special dog is gone".

Thursday, May 10, 2007

The saga continues....


We reached a major milestone this week on the basement project, Mike completed laying the wood floors!!! Yippeee!

Brendan is extremely happy, this means he is one step closer to the freedom of having his own room and leaving the clutch of his little brothers. Morgan will go through withdrawls once Brendan moves to the basement, they snuggle up to each other every night, even though the top bunk is almost always vacant!

What Tree Did You Fall From?

I highlighted mine in RED! : ) it is actually pretty close!


Find your birthday, then find your tree, and read the personality profile.


Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 -Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree

YOUR TREE (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh

Monday, May 7, 2007

Rollercoasters.........


Since I can't sleep, I might as well write! I laid in bed tonight wondering if the stars were aligned, but cocked to the side or if I made someone mad...what is the message? Slow down, take note of all that motherhood is teaching you? or hey! YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL over the events that dictate your life, so the best I (or any of us can do) is:

Be resilient
Be flexible
Laugh
Cry

After picking up the little boys from daycare after work we played in the warm rain...it was fabulous! Morgan grabbed the saucer sled from the garage to use as an umbrella and Liam stood with his mouth open and tongue out catching the rain. Finally, once Mo put down the sled Liam grabbed it and hopped on, letting out a WEEEEEEEEE...only to find out sleds don't work the same in rain as they do on the snow.

Once we were all good and soaked, we made our way inside to start dinner, Liam had a quick pre-dinner snack (Mom's homeade cookies) and I started the macaronni and cheese, to go with the left over hot dog's, yummmy .... Morgan's special request. I made a quick phone call over to our neighbor's house where Brendan and Clare were playing with their friends, while at the same time tried to mitigate a cookie stealing catastrophe from occuring...Elvis was stealing Liam's cookie and I (in turn) crushed the dog's toenail and made him cry, or howl as I have never heard him howl before....

Elvis literally let you 5 or 6 good cries and then blood started to drip from his left paw, as I knelt down to give him the love and attention he needed Liam said, "Mom, you naughty, no hurting my doggie, naughty Mommy..." Just after getting Elvis cleaned up, the phone rings....

Bill, our neighbor from across the street calls to inform me that Clare has just thrown up in their basement and he needs my help. Bill (bless his heart) tried to race behind Clare to help her make it to the bathroom and slipped in the bile that hit the floor....not sure if I should laugh, cry or grab beers for Bill and I, I run upstairs, quickly change clothes and grab pj's for Clare....

The phone rings again, it's Bill...."we don't have a mop, do you?" Sure, now he needs me there to clean up the puke with my own mop! I have to laugh as I run out the door with an injured dog, two wet kids and a mop.

Tonight I am thankful for such great friends and great neighbors and for the gentle nudge reminding me that I am not in control of the roller coaster this ride around the park.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Shining Star

If a person could physically GLOW Brendan would indeed be glowing, or something shiny and dazzling! Today he brought home his last mid-term for the 2006-2007 school year and something amazing was revealed..... [drum roll] STRAIGHT A's!!

Language Arts = A-
Math = A-
Science = A-
Social Studies = A

For real, the grades that in the beginning of the year were hovering in the C and B range and now unarguably A's!!!!! However, the stakes are high, Brendan's reward for bringing his grades up to straight A's for the end of the year is that he will get a Play Station or X-Box...just for the record, he had many options to pick from, night at a waterpark, trip to the movie theatre, new bike...anyway, he is set on a Play Station.

I am basking in the glow of a proud moment right now.....

Ode to a wonderful man....Gordon Culhane


This week we said goodbye to Grandpa Culhane...although the sun was shining down from the heavens, my heart was heavy with a feeling of loss mixed with nostalgia.

Realizing that Grandpa Culhane's passing marks the first of our grandparents to leave the physical realm is difficult to swallow. Grandparents to me signify a close connection to years gone by and stories that are the fabric of our existence.

My selfish side will miss his laughter and humor at family gatherings, I will also miss seeing his silk socks on a hot summer day....the twinkle in his eye when he held our children on his lap or pulled a dollar bill our of his pocket and quietly slipped it into their hands. The whisper in my ear when we'd part, "be a good girl and a good mom to those little ones...." still rings in my ear.

Where to start!?!?!?


So, where is a good place to start when there are some many 'blanks' from the last several years, months and weeks!

We have had several new babies born in our neighborhood in the last 6 months, this is beautiful Olivia Belle Giessler, the daughter of our good friends Tom & Jennifer.

Clare is absolutely enamored with her, her ability and will to mother is very evident. A few weeks back, Jennifer and I enjoyed a glass of wine and a game of scrabble while Clare meticulously cared for 'Lily'...it was amazingly sweet to watch and listen to her comforting words.

Literally, comforting is the right word....Olivia was fussy, but Clare diligently walked her around, layed on the couch with her, read to her, played with her, nothing really worked, but the next day Jennifer found out that Olivia had a bladder infection....go figure.

Inaugural Blog

In effort to attain my New Year's Resolution I am pleased to publish the first Culhane Family blog site....to get to the resolution part, I committed to myself that I would do a better job of communicating to my family what happens in the life of the Culhane Kids on a regular basis. The Blog site seems to be the best place/way to do it and I can babble on about anything that crosses my mind.

My resolution is really two-fold, I also committed to myself that I would get back to writing more often, it is a passion and a gift that I possess, but don't ofter practice. So, no better time than the present!

My final words....enjoy the blog, view often, post comments and share your stories too!