sowing seeds of life, laughter, and love...

Summery: Part 1

Clarence again, providing a quick wrap on our very busy summer.  It seems crazy that the kids are already in school -- I guess that's what happens when you blink.  Enjoy "Part 1."

We kicked it off in style, with Levi taking a header at the park...right onto a stone wall.  Fortunately, school had all but wound down, so the teachers were too exhausted to summon Family Services. As is the custom, we journeyed north, and the Syracuse crew travelled southwest for the annual Millanza Family weekend in Cleveland... ...which always spawns the summer baseball classic.  As the adults quickly learned, pitching and fielding become more challenging as the kids get bigger and stronger.  Uncle Mike must have logged 5 miles chasing balls, and Clarence was nearly injured by several near-miss line drives. The joy of rounding third... ...is surpassed only by crossing the plate... ...unless there is a controversial call at home. Another summer brings season passes to Kings Island, where everyone grew enough to move up the ladder for a new allowance of rides.  It brought out the best in our two youngest thrill seekers, who not only ride the biggest stuff they can find, but crave the front seats. Our beautiful little pianist had her first recital...goosebumps. For the 8th year in a row, we spent a week on Lake Huron at Trelawny.  Decompression at it's best. Summer means morning laps at the Miller household, with all four of the kids swimming for the Landen Stingrays. And then there was baseball...lots of it.  Isaac's Warthogs wone their division and the SWOL Tournament.  But 40 games over 3 months...not sure how we did that. Sophie tore it up on the field as well, with a big bat, and that patented sparkle. | Reblog (0)

This is Clarence on Christine's blog.  Go get some coffee.  Sit down.  Relax.

Let's flash back 16 years ago...

Bill was inagurated...yeah, I voted for him the second time, and I've been trending Democrat ever since, even though my insightful wife STILL thinks I'm faking it. Scottish scientists cloned a sheep named Dolly...people went crazy because we'd surely begin cloning human beings in no time (maybe I could get a second Bean.  I think that would be a win). Steve Jobs returns to Apple Computer.  An amazing American success story.  A man who never stopped giving back. Princess Diana dies in a car accident.  I'll never forget it -- Christine and I were watching it all unfold on the sofa in our basement at 2044 Bever Avenue...compassionate woman, sad day. The McCaughey Septuplets are born in Des Moines, IA.  I'm 99% Sure that those stretchmarks never went away.  Here are the Septuplets at 15 from earlier this year. And then there was music.  I had to dig deep into the 1997 Billboard Top 100 to find acceptable songs.  Grunge and garage bands (which we enjoyed) were fading, and bubblegum-pop was starting to weigh down the charts.  Cassette tapes had faded, and CD's were the rage.  From our perspective while hanging out at Gabe's, Gunner's or The Cue in 1997, only the following were truely noteworthy:

1. Bitch   by Merideth Brooks

2. Semi-Charmed Life    by Third Eye Blind

3. The Freshman    by The Verve Pipe

4. Sunny Came Home    by Shawn Colvin (chilled to this a lot, but man, was it ever an angry song!)

5. Where Have all The Cowboys Gone?    by Paula Cole (P.S. I'm right here, baby)

6. If it Makes You Happy & Every Day is a Winding Road    by Sheryl Crow (yeah Bean, if I hadn't married you, I would have married Sheryl.  I know you realize this.  I'm sorry.)

7. Building a Mystery    by Sarah McLachlan (how many nights did we fall asleep to this?)

8. When You're Gone    by Cranberries

In 1997, the top selling car was a truck, the Ford F150...for the 12th year in a row.  Bean drove #13, a sweet little Honda Civic EX. And on this day in 1997, she got in that car and drove to a church in Iowa City to meet the girls, and I went out for an early round of golf with the guys, and then to the jewelers to pick-up her ring.

And then I went to that church, and I took that ring, and I married that girl, and that was 16 years ago. Happy Anniversary Bean.  I will always love you.

As will this crazy little crew... school daze

How can I possibly post our first days of school when I haven't even made note of one summer event???  (or the mention of any spring escapades, for that matter!)  I'm beginning to understand (or accept) that it's just the way my brain functions:  catch up, then lapse... catch up, then lapse again... all the while mentally beating myself up for not staying current.  Oh well, it is what it is.  And what it is now:  is SCHOOL!!!  for all 4 of my crew members... which has been quite an adjustment for this mom.

My beautiful 6th grader (halfway to senior year... gulp): My talented 4th grader: My sparkly 2nd grader: My spunky kindergartener (already??!!): And all the different combinations of team members (including Blu, who needs school training more than any of them): Bitter sweet.  Bittersweet because the time does go so fast.  Bittersweet because I don't have any sidekicks left at home.  Bittersweet because as much as I've wished for a moment's peace, the peace is deafening to my ears.  Bittersweet because I do miss them when they're gone.  Bittersweet, but in a good way.  They are right where they need to be and I am learning my own new schedule... which is just as crazy as ever when their school days are done.

lucky number 43

Those of us who are keeping track will know an obvious reason to celebrate #43 this year:  Clarence's birthday.  And celebrate we did:  (or as much as you can on any random Tuesday in the middle of a work week):  fish tacos with all the extras and homemade key lime pie (do you have any idea how many of those little key limes it takes to make one pie???... I probably squeezed at least 15 of those babies).  Well worth the effort, I'd say-- both for the yummy treat and that big old sweetie of mine! Here's to you, Clarence... Happy Birthday!  We all love you so much!!!

Perhaps a little less obvious #43 celebration would be the time 43.49 seconds... which happens to be the qualifying time in 50 yard breaststroke for AA championships... which also happens to be Bella's time (to the hundreth second) in her most recent swim meet.  Yep, that little fish of ours is headed to Miami University in a few weeks to compete in her favorite event with other super speedy regional swimmers. You go, girl!  Congratulations!!!!

picture this: a year in review

So many happenings and so little time to play catch-up, so... before this new year completely sweeps me off my feet, I must make note of some of our special moments in 2011:

Bird Watching:

A feathered family nesting right outside our window... better than TV and so fascinating to see the babies hatch, feed, grow and eventually fly (we hoped).  One of the more adventurous little birds skipped the test flight phase and jumped directly down to the deck... let's just say this:  a dog, more jumpers, and an empty nest... hopefully they were quick learners in aviation. The king cobras strike again and a young, soon-to-be cobra awaits his turn next season. Flips, twists, bends and splits-- Sophie can do it all. Syracuse Cousins:

An action-packed weekend in May and a fun time for all. The Cabin:

A slice of heaven on Thunder Bay and the best way to kick off our summer. 4th of July:

Steaming hot weather for the stars and stripes celebration... wagon rides are free of charge-- just check with Isaac for your reservation. Swim Team:

Soon to be a summer tradition for all Team Miller kids... Captain Isabella is our seasoned veteran. Summer visitors:

The Iowa crowd is never too far away-- love it! First day of school:

5th, 3rd, 1st and pre-k, oh my. A season I dreaded before it began and ended up loving... the team, the coach, the parents, the sport, and that super cool kid who plays it. Our Nonna... and some ducks:

Whenever Nonna is around, she makes fun happen... and she's always up for anything that comes (or waddles) her way. the. best. cat. ever.  He will be missed. a cat, 2 sports guys, and a school of fish... although I can't take one bit of credit for the fish costumes, I can still admire how totally awesome they are! Hay Straw Rides at the Black Barn:

Super yummy apples sold with a smile by our Auntie Fran look-alike. My custom-made kitchen island for my not-so-custom kitchen:

That amish guy really knows his stuff... and he's cute to look at-- Bonus. Pre-K happenings:

A Thanksgiving feast with friends and family, a visit to the zoo, and a Christmas art show. Christmas Elves:

Those donut-delivering daredevils had an entire week home alone while we traveled to Iowa before Christmas.  Just enough time for shenanigans with the angry birds and pigs. Whew...  now I think I'm ready for 2012.

love: grandma's sweet rolls

What better way to celebrate a day of love than to do so with a pan (or 5) of sweet rolls.  Not just any out-of-the-can variety cinnamon rolls, mind you, but the world famous (at least in our world), incredibly awesome, ooey-gooey sticky, super-duper yummy: "grandma sweet rolls".

I've known about these treats since Clarence and I started dating and have indulged in my fair share of them... always perfectly delicious.  This is one of those wonderful recipes that has been part of a family history but never officially documented on paper.  You know those recipes that only one person is able to make because their are no specific measurements... it's mixed just until the dough "feels right" and then sprinkled with this and that until there's "enough".  Magical and maddening at the same time!  This winter break I had the pleasure of sharing the day with my talented mother-in-law while she made her sweet rolls-- only this time she measured every ingredient (for my benefit) while I quickly scribbled notes to get all the details on paper.

This recipe (and by that, I mean chicken scratch notes on a crumpled sheet of paper) would be a true test of culinary skills.  With my trusty baking partner at my side (and his gaggle of penguins), Levi and I set out to make this delicious treat as a valentine surprise for the rest of our crew. My dough runneth over!  I think my yeast worked quite well... although, I may need a larger bowl next time... add that to my growing list of desperately needed kitchen supplies!  Norma has a huge bowl that accommodates this massive amount of dough, and Clarence recalls her using the same one for as long as he can remember. After a morning of letting the dough rise, punching it down, and letting is rise again... it was time to roll, sprinkle, and roll. Slice and dice:  into the pan to let the dough rise one more time... now I know why these were often served as that night's supper and then the next day's breakfast!! Freshly baked and out of the oven to cool.  True to grandma's tradition:  we made one pan of "heels", which are the end pieces of each roll that aren't as neat as the middle slices-- this pan can be "tested" (i.e.:  "eaten") immediately... and it was! Mixing the frosting:  we slathered it on THICK and probably made at least 3 batches of that sweet confection for our pans. The finished product:  incredibly scrumptious and almost as good as grandma's... Levi gave it a "second place", for which I am quite proud! YUM... Happy Valentine's Day!

and thank you, grandma, for sharing your love!

half past 9

I know, I know, I know... another birthday post far overdue; but, on the other hand, very fun to revisit the moment (and a much warmer moment, at that!).

Nine years old on July 9th, 2011.  Even Kings Island commemorated the official date and was the location of choice for Isaac's celebration.  Lucky dog.  I like to remind him how fortunate he is to have a summer birthday-- especially when he's feeling left out during our string of spring birthdays celebrated in varying degrees of questionable weather.  And... no school.  Ever.  Like I said-- lucky. We had such a great time with friends at the park:  rides, treats, fireworks, more rides... it was a late night with little time left for his candles and "cake".  So, like any reasonable mother would do... we had ice cream sundaes for the next morning's breakfast! So here we are now at half past 9, or...  halfway to 10 (I much prefer the first way of thinking in my own little world of mental time lines) and this guy continues to make me smile and always makes me proud to be his mom.  From his early morning sports stats check-ins, to his midday tabasco-added snacks, to his late night angry birds bedroom battles... from his determination on the football field to his quiet patience in helping others learn a new skill, Isaac is the brother, son, nephew, cousin, grandson and friend that we all want in our lives.  Happy (half) Birthday, Isaac!  We love you so much. quarter to 7

Time keeps passing and I keep thinking about all the time that keeps passing... it's a vicious cycle, really, and I'm afraid I need to play a little big game of catch up with all those months that have flown by!  What better place to start than with this little cupcake of ours who turned 6 last April (and is now a quarter to 7!!) For the first time, Sophie chose to have a friends party.  Not just any friends party:  the I-don't-want-to-leave-anyone-out-so-invite-the-entire-kindergarten-class friends party.  And so we did. Complete with piñta and the ridiculous amount of candy that flies out of it.  A good time for all.

Turning six also brought a visit from the toothfairy... FINALLY!!!  The toothfairy had been on standby for weeks waiting on very wiggly teeth to come out. Whew... no more shark teeth for Sophie (and a toothfairy who rests a bit easier these days). Of course, the countdown to the next birthday began immediately....  But I'm not one to rush things (obviously), and so I'll gladly take our sweet time until we celebrate 7 for this girl who adds sparkle to our family, who always tries to keep the peace, who has a tender heart for anything furry, fluffy, and soft, and who gives the best squeezes ever.  Happy birthday (and three quarters), Sophie!!

Posted at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

march of the penguins

Based on the consistency of recent posts to this blog (or lack thereof), it may seem like I have taken a sabbatical to Antarctica, but sadly, my excuses for not writing are not nearly that exciting or adventurous. Recently, however, my littlest guy and I have had many adventures with a crew of imaginary penguins that make a daily visit, usually arriving (as announced by Levi) while we are in the car on our trips to and from everywhere.  These little characters are sweet, funny and mischievous (strikingly similar to someone I know).  There are 4:  Pickles, Peng, Lovey and Rob.  While they are not the best drivers, they do like to practice their skills during our outings:  Peng prefers steering and is in charge of navigation, instructing Rob to gun the gas peddle at regular intervals, regardless of the traffic ahead.  Lovey is the snugglebug that her name implies and is at my side when Levi and I cook in the kitchen (typically blamed for the mess that ensues but continually deivering hugs and squeezes).  Pickles is rather elusive, but always seems to be at the scene of the crime:  lowering windows at 45 mph in the middle of winter, secretly adding his favorite treat to the grocery cart, pilfering the snack bag in the trunk....

I wouldn't trade these escapades (real or imagined) for anything.  Soon enough these penguins will march on, but I will treasure the memories they left with us... and our little crew of 4 will continue our own adventures. freezing our ears off

Not something I would expect to say in the middle of a 90-plus-degree heat wave, but that's just what we did one fine Sunday evening at the end of July.  I'm talking corn, of course, and I had the pleasure of learning a simple and delicious method for freezing those fresh kernals from my dear mother-in-law.

This little project was a family affair that began at a local farm where the boys picked up the freshest corn and brought it home to schuck immediately.  Everyone was in on the action... Once all the husks and silk are removed from the cobs, it was time to cut off the kernals. The cut kernals are then measured into ziploc bags:  I used 4 cups corn per quart-size bag and added 1 cup ice water, 2 TBSP sugar and 1 tsp salt. Seal and freeze flat.  We ended up with 28 quart-size bags and 4 very happy children... I've been hearing for years now that Grandma's corn is the best (and it is), and now I will never have an excuse to serve the store-bought variety again.   For me, the sweetest part of this memory is being included in a tradition that has been passed down for generations... and will continue to be.

Completely unrelated to corn, but equally noteworthy was the sewing project Norma and Bella embarked on that same weekend.  Bella was given the pattern and fabric as a birthday gift back in March... sadly, Bella and I both needed assistance for this acitivity, and we decided to wait for our favorite instructor to help complete it. Not one, but two fabulous skirts... and two very pleased girls to wear them.  Thank you, Grandma!
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