Starting to wrap things up.....

 The academic year is starting to wrap up.  The older two are done for the school year; Sophia moved into her new and likely final college house over the weekend and I loaded up Ella and brought trailer full of stuff back home.  Golf is all done for Merrick and finished up his last meet taking 3rd on his team.  Grace has her last regular season Lacrosse game tonight and Shelley has been in town and will get to see her play too.  She will get a playoff schedule soon, her team is second seed so there should be a couple of home games.  Her basketball traveling team played in Appleton area over the weekend and she even found time to sneak a band concert into calendar....she has been running pretty hard and a summer "slowish" down will be good for her.  Both her and Merrick and gearing up for summer jobs at the pool and getting their orientations and certifications taken care of.  The weather is warming up and we are trying to get outside when we can find the time to enjoy a fire or work on the yards plantings and gardening.

Three for Four

The weekend brought us guests.  Bob and Nancy came to watch Grace's lacrosse tournament and brought Ella back for a surprise as well.  With her birthday upon us we worked in a meal at 1919 as we have done for the past several years.  Admittedly she picks that place because she can't think of another place to go. Either way it was perfect and we scored some ice cream cake on the way home.  Merrick had a golf tournament earlier in the week and found time to veg and warm up after our unseasonably cool temps that included rain and snow.  He was second on his team and happy with those results.  He passed on a few other tournaments this upcoming week due to tests and also that he wasn't that interested in playing in tournaments.   Grace has kept us running between lacrosse and basketball.  She often has overlapping practices and is finding ways to split time between them.  She is force to be reckoned with on the LaCrosse pitch and picked up several goals during the four games on Saturday.  Sunday we headed down to Appleton for three basketball games and she added several points to the board as well.  The last game came down to a double overtime and hers was the only game left playing in an empty gymnasium of 7 other courts.  The extra time was only required because the refs wanted to play too....leaving confusion and sourness in everyone's mouths.  This week will be more of the same, although less Ella and more band as Grace puts on the spring concert on Thursday.  Merrick past on to his next karate level. Driving himself over to test out....as I wasn't yet prepared.

 

Gettin' Down and Climbing Up!

 

Last weekend we made trip to EC to celebrate with Grandma (and Great Grandma) Irene on Saturday for her 90th birthday party.  Grace had 6 Lacrosse games and couldn't make it but we picked up Ella in our way into town and Sophia drove up from LaX to spend some time with a very extended family.  It was a nice turn out and filled with cousins and they kids that I hadn't seen, in some cases, 20+ years.  It was a wonderful way to honor Grandma Irene.

Early in the week Grace had a crazy late La Crosse game delayed by lighting, but still a great game to watch. This most recent weekend we spent Saturday at concert series north of town and watched several bands including TLR.  Grace came joined us, as she has wanted to see them for a few years now...I think really ever since we sang their tunes on the early mornings and curvy roads of the White mountains in NH.  At any rate it was a great show, although she was pretty sure we took her to a hippie fest...the lady in the bathroom talking about edibles didn't help our argument much.  She won some band swag and a bucket to rest her feet in the silent auctions.  The night went late but was plenty of fun.  

Sunday she was taking a day off from various practices and working on Driver's ed while Merrick and I went to tryout the new Climbing gym.  It as was harder than we expected and our hands became sore pretty quick, but it was really fun and Merrick climbs exactly the way you would expect a young athletic person to climb.  He was intuitive and bendy and quickly scaled a few routes on the bouldering walls that I was struggling to even get a second hold or a few feet off the ground.  Pretty sure we will do it again

An Age Appropriate April All Around

Only two weeks into April but it seems like plenty has been done.  Merrick and Grace had Spring

break, but the weather was still March-gross...Grace didn't really notice because she was in Florida marching with the band through Disney World and park hopping all around Kissimmee.  They both spent some time in Madison to watch the boy's basketball team complete a historic 30-0 season with a championship win.  Merrick had big plans of driving around for most of his break but his DMV test didn't go as planned, and there was great debate across the state about whether a driver should establish themselves in the intersection or not...No worries he easily passed the following week and is taking great pride in storing his golf and karate gear (as well as a few sports drink bottles) in his car.  Grace played her first Lacrosse game as a Varsity Midfielder.  The other Freshmen cheer when when she has the ball and her sophomore team mate says she is a Queen on the field.  We hosted Easter weekend and Grace dyed some eggs and still wanted to search for them on Easter morning...although not as early as in the past.  Both of them have had birthdays come and go, some in better locations than others and some bigger milestones than others.

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.