In like a Lion

March is dumping massive snows into the middle of the month.  Knee deep drifts in the yard still cover the garden and we have another 8-10 forecasted for the next two days.  It will be tough to find the leprechauns this year.  We are shifting gears regardless of the weather.  Merrick is still hitting the simulator links a few times a week to prep for golf tryouts. He is also running his own basketball team for a high school bracket and practicing at the Y.  He is sneaking in some mid week snowboarding at Granite peak, working around Karate times, so he is staying busy for sure.  Grace wrapped up her basketball season with an end of the year banquet...although we were a little late as we had to come from her summer basketball team's practice in Appleton.  We had a proud parent moment when she won the most improved award, given to dedicated, positive, team leader.  She will continue to prep for her summer league as well as play Lacrosse as a midfielder this spring.  Amy and I did put them both to work a few nights ago telling them it was their job to figure out what to make for dinner and make it.  Hand cut fries, chicken tenders and homemade BBQ sauce meant that we ate late and great.  Merrick completed his driving prep and is set to take his test during his spring break in a few weeks.  Then I suspect, with wheels, he will be on the go.  Until then we still sneak in small moments, like everyone working on a puzzle...not by force of guilt but just because they wanted to.  Plans are in the works for most every weekend in April so I assume the snow will melt as March turns toward a lamb and the fourth month will breeze by in short order. 

 

Slippery Slopes

A full weekend indeed!  Sophia made a quick stop on Friday to say hello to Bob and Nancy.  She was in town to get a new computer after watering hers and they were in town to watch Grace's final basketball game of the year and her music ensemble. Thursday's bball game was cancelled due to nasty weather to the south preventing the opposing team from driving up for the game.  Bob and Nance were already on route but turned around and had a fun detour at the Riplinger bar that Walt/Dee used to own.  They made the trek back on Friday and spent the night with us.  Grace played for the SNC professor that gave her ensemble some tips on brass work and then it was tip off time on the hardwoods.  She easily defeated the other basketball team and now will shift gears and gear for Lacrosse.  Merrick filled the back of my stuff like he was heading off for a guys weekend, snowboards, ice fishing gear and golf clubs.  He spent Saturday on the ice, fishing and playing pond hockey.  For her part, Grace spent Saturday at the Snowball dance.  We started at the Stadium for pictures and then her and a gaggle of friends went out to dinner and then back to the high school for the dance. Sunday Grace, Merrick and one of Grace's friends all drove to the UP to downhill ski for the day.  The conditions were great in the morning but slowly clouded, cooled and iced up as the day went on.  Still a great day on the slopes.  Amy did send a text with the family tracking app that Grace was skiing too fast (37 mph)...funny stuff that technology.  But to be fair Grace does pretty much just point the skis down the hill and giver!  Merrick was getting some great air and is really graceful on his board, but no photos exist because I can barely ski let alone ski and play photographer at the same time.  The kids each racked up at least one good spill so we know they were pushing it the edge, but I stayed old and vertical all day.  Merrick needs his clubs today for the simulator golf league/early season prep work so we will rearrange the karate schedule a bit but still find time to fit everything in!

 

Another Month on the Books

A month has past since the last update and we have been consistently busy.  Grace's Bball season is coming to an end and they are heading into a possible first place finish.  She has been getting a ton of playing time and becoming something of a crowd favorite.  Merrick is still kicking away a few times a week in karate and now the simulator golf season has started up to starting getting the muscle memory back into his arms.  He also scored a second round of CoVid and had to quarantine in the basement surviving only on frozen pizzas and x-box...so pretty much living his best life.  He did have to cancel a snowboard trip but is heading out later this week to hit the UP snow again.  Ella is back from her amazing north/west quartersphere tour and back at school with the second semester ramping up.  We reminded her a few times to put her coat on, having grown unaccustomed to wearing one on her nearly months long cruise.  I drove her back to campus and we stocked up on some groceries that she has to 'cook' which will also be a change after constant meal service on the ship.  Sophia finished up her winter short term and went back to second semester courses a week before Ella.  She is toying with the idea of employment and we are heading down to see her next weekend.  Looking forward to the lunch place she has picked out for us and doing a little grocery shopping too.  Grandprize and Granda came over to catch a 'rain-check" game of Grace's, the initial trip being postponed due to Merrick getting the nasal swab double line.  It was a good game and a great weekend with some trash talk around the poker table.

 

Holiday time

The Holidays have all come and went and overall we kept it pretty low key.  The older girls had their final exams moved online because of polar bomb cyclone that was going to impact the entire upper midwest (ended up burying buffalo, NY in about 6 feet of snow), so they were home earlier than expect much to our delight.  We made the traditional spaghetti on Christmas eve and headed to the Chatterbox for some pool and pull tabs. Sugar cookies were glazed and luckily we refound the great recipe from the previous year for the cut outs, even though I was eating too many and not leaving enough for frosting.  Christmas day we headed to TR and everyone was able to make it down there. In the week between the holiday there was a little basketball practice, some gaming and lot of couch time reading.  Amy picked up the CoVid later in the week and hung out by herself in her bedroom.  Grace and I headed to a hockey game on New Year's eve.  Sophia started a winter class online right away on the third but is still hanging around town a little while with plans of heading 'home' early next week.  I took Ella back 'home' so she could get ready to circumnavigate the southern boundary of the northwest semisphere via the Panama canal.  She will be traveling until the end of the month.

Bonfires and babies

It was time for a Christmas in Eau Claire.  Mother nature cooperated in part with a massive snow storm the days before and a continuation of fresh powder all weekend long.  Grace had a Friday night basketball game in Manty so her and Amy started their drive later and farther east than Merrick and I.  Sophia and Ella both came on Saturday. Amy's drive was a 'hyperspace' type drive across the state with blowing snow and black tunnel of headlights.  They made it to EC about 11:30 but everyone had committed to waiting up to great them. Well not Finn...Amy had to wait a little longer to meet him. The kids are all older now and hang out at the big people's table for the most part. Merrick kept Grandma laughing with his jabs at peoples questionable logic and his general quick wit.  Saturday was a the normal slow morning and then we rousted the kids to start visiting the great grandparents.  We picked up Ella at her dorm and had a lunch at the Thirsty Badger, were grandma Nancy meet us too and then all headed back to 'the big house.'  Sophia was there when we arrived having driven up from LaX.  It was pretty great to have the whole family together.  The girls actually stayed in the house while we had a big bond fire just chatting, it would eventually go early into the morning for them.  The bonfire was a bit tough to light, but Grandprize didn't relent and eventually we had the 20 foot flames that only a pallet fire and deep snow will allow.  Sunday morning Sophia headed back home opting to drive rather than join us for a breakfast on Water St.  Amy dropped off Ella and her and Grace trailed us down 29 back to GB.  A week to go yet before the official holiday and the older girls come home for a bit. Family time is good time.

Gumdrops and Dribbles

Grace has been running the maple boards like a rebounding beast.  Basketball is now a 6 day a week event in the HS but she is enjoying it.  That type of schedule does create some time conflicts or at least overlaps.  Fortunately the Holiday band recital and the basketball game were both at "home" and the director told Grace he would move things around if she was running a little late.  Unfortunately the game went into overtime and she was even later than planned....She made the performance, but didn't have time to change into her formal wear.  It was like an ensemble solo.  She is getting some social time too, mostly watching other basketball games but also working in some sleep overs and baking.

 

Thankfullness

 

The time overlap was small but we had all the kids under one roof again for awhile.  Ella came home on Tuesday night and was able to take in Grace's Bball game in Appleton.  Sophia made her way back on Friday after spending some time in EC with the Grandparents.  Shelly was intown and able to see Ella and take in Grace's Bball game too. We headed south for pulled pork in TR for the Tday meal and then were able to go to our new favorite tree site (the corner church on Chicago St.) to pick out the emblem of the changing seasons.  We decorated a live tree in the living room and an artificial one in the front room.  The front room is often called the adult tree with all of its Victorianesque decorations while the living room gets to house the collection of ornaments from preschool handprints to various art class creations with wonky eyes and missing antlers.  I like the living room tree best, it is a walk down memory lane and let's me remember how fast time keeps chugging along.  With the trees decorated, and both dogs, we gathered for a rare homemade spaghetti meal before the older two headed off to find 'cooler' people to hang out with.  It is part of the marching of time, natural, normal and expected.  We forgot to capture all four kids in a single picture for this year's Christmas card and annual ornament.  Time passes and all aspects continue to evolve.