Back to School 2023-2024

I feel like we've had a really great, long summer, and it felt like more than three months. We managed to get a ton of concerts, two road trips, a county fair, swimming in our pool, and lots of yard play. It was a pretty great summer, but like every year, school has begun. 

Olivia is a senior this year and I'm not even ready for it. She's ready for it though and it is so exciting to see all of her hard work all of these years coming to an end. She's gearing up for new adventures, but I hope she enjoys this year to the absolute fullest. Jackson is a sophomore and he's going to be learning how to drive this year and that feels weird to me. I'm actually excited about that because that kid needs freedom and that's the gateway to freedom. 

Penelope is in third grade and she is READY. Multiplication and division is her biggest challenges this year but if anyone is up for it, it is most definitely her. Lucy is in second grade this year and she's nervous about it. It's so hard seeing her grow because I want her to stay little but it is also exciting seeing her hit new milestones. Now if she could just learn how to tie her shoes, we'd be set. 

It's exciting because Jackson is trying a new sport, Olivia is going to continue with dance, same with Lucy, and we might get Penelope into swimming. She needs to find an activity she feels fits her, we just haven't found it yet. 

I am hoping to get into good routines again now that everyone is in school. I need to get back into my weight loss routines, I need work on positive self talk, I need to get back into being mindful, and I really need to get back into doing kind things for others. I always due, but I think I need to do more, more often. I'm trying to make goals for each month and really work towards them, including budgeting. I'm doing well with that but you know, we can always do better. 

But fall is here, and I'm here for it. It's going to be a good fall. I'm trying to not let mental health get the best of me like it usually does, so stay tuned. It'll be OK. 

'Tis the damn season

Halloween is done, Thanksgiving is done, and it is officially the damn Christmas season. I am going to fully enjoy this month, that's all there is to it. I feel like I haven't really loved the last few years of the holidays and I think it is stress and being broke. I mean, I still have stress and I am still broke, but I feel  so much more organized this year. I wish I could share with you the gift tracking system I came up with this year but alas.... I'm not trying to spoil anyone's gifts. Obviously. 

I can share that we are fully decorated! All of our trees are up this year, we have the kid artwork tree in our front porch, the red/white/green tree in the dining room, our big tree, and then the tree in my office. Which, honestly, I think I might keep it up. All year. Is that crazy? It kind of feels crazy but I also kind of love it. 

Isn't she a beaut? It's just so cozy and happy when its really the only lights on in here, and it's just happy. 

Also, can I brag on my son? If you know Jackson, you know that he really got into crocheting last year but he's really gotten good at it. He keeps trying new projects and after some encouragement (and harrassment), he finally made me a Yip Yip Alien. Honestly, if you don't know who the Yip Yip Aliens were, I don't know that we can even be friends, because there were the hit of Sesame Street in the 80s and I don't care what anyone says. #yipyips4life But isn't it the freaking cutest?! 

Let's talk about our family's new ornaments! If you're new here, every year we have new ornaments join our hod podge big tree in our living room and they have to be related to something to that year. 

We actually had quite a few this year, so that was fun. First one was the gondola from Lutsen Mountain, where Matt and I went to this fall to see the fall colors. It was a fun date for us, definitely a highlight of the year for me. 

OK, this one technically isn't a memory of the year, but it's an acrylic cutout of Lake Superior, which is basically our backyard. It's just super pretty that it only seemed right we have it on our tree. 

This summer we took a quick summer trip with our friends to Brainerd, MN and we went to Paul Bunyan Land, which was a fun weekend away. 

Way back in March, Olivia and I went on a fantastic trip so I picked up ornaments on all of our major stops, so here was Ellis Island, 

the Empire State Building, 

Mount Vernon (George Washington's house), 

the Statue of Liberty, 

and just the monuments in Washington, D.C. I will have to find new ones because I'm going on the same trip with Jackson this spring, but I'm excited for it. 

Olivia went to a Van Gogh art experience this year and she got me an ornament for my birthday, and it's so pretty. 

Oh yes, and we didn't get to go into the 9/11 Memorial (sadly, I really wanted to go through it and see all of the things and learn more), but we did get to see the exterior and the memorial fountain. 

Earlier in the year Olivia went to Boston to compete for Harvard Model U.N. and she brought home an ornament. 

Isn't it so fun? Each of the kids has their own box that has the ornament they pick out themselves each year, which can be anything they choose. We always have a good time picking them out but even more fun unpacking them each year and trying to remember why they picked it. Someday though, they will grow up and move away but they'll have an entire box of special ornaments to take with them to their homes. I will be sad to not see these year after year though, I can't lie. 

Also, has anyone had experience with a cat who had pink eye? What about a cat who has pink eye in both eyes? I have had cats almost my entire life and never once have I had one with pink eye, but our newest cat, Pickles, has somehow gotten pink eye in both eyes. He's a hot damn mess and I feel like him having pink eye is the most logical way to end the year for us. It just seems pretty on brand for the Strands. 

Fall traditions: Burch Barn and Boo at the Zoo

Every fall we have two things we like to do, go to Burch Barn in Spooner, Wisconsin and then Boo at the Zoo. We have done Boo at the Zoo every year since Olivia was just a month old.  

I honestly wasn't sure if we would make it to Burch Barn this year but we went a week or two ago and we lucked out because it was warmer there than it was where we live. It ended up being a really nice day. The kids had a good time, but I think maybe the older two are less excited to do stuff like this anymore. 

Matt and I are generally always exhausted and I know I'm having a hard time keeping up with the kids anymore. I feel like it takes so much more effort to do things lately, and motivation is non-existent. I'm not even sure if this is a mental health thing or just life in general. It all kind of runs together lately, I guess. 

I did manage to get one good photo of all of the kids. Lucy is of course hamming it up as usual. It was kind of funny though, Penelope and Lucy were so bummed they couldn't milk the pretend cows. There was a line of kids and people just not taking turns and I wasn't going to stand there for an hour and wait. Of all the things to get upset about, the pretend cow milking station was it. 

I'll share better pictures after Halloween of their costumes, but this year Penelope is Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas (she loves that movie so much) and Lucy is a giraffe. Her costumes always crack me up and this year her head keeps sliding down her eyes because her actual head is smaller than normal, I guess. It's hilarious because she randomly says, "I can't see" and just keeps walking in the hopes one of us will fix it while she continues on. These two are such a fun duo, you can't help but laugh when you're with them. 

We've still got Scarium at the Aquarium to go to and then it's basically Christmas. Well, that's not totally true. As of right now our plan is to go to Florida around Thanksgiving to see family again and assuming nothing crazy happens before then, we're banking on that. I haven't gotten dates figured out or anything because we'll be driving so it'll be a much different trip than last year. It would be so nice to see my parents though, I really miss them. 

Life just keeps happening in October.

I keep saying it feels like October just started but honestly, we're in the last week and I'm so overwhelmed with life. To think by the end of the week we only have two months left of 2021 is just crazy to me. So much has happened this year and I'm trying to close out 2021 on a happy note, so we're made some changes to how our family functions and how we are going to do things going forward. More on that later. 

I started the month out by getting my hair cut and colored. I was sick of hating my hair and I had money from my birthday in March so I figured, fuck it, I'm getting my hair done. Somehow though, it doesn't seem as dark as when I first got it but that's alright. I'm just happy it's not a weird golden orange anymore. 

Olivia is learning to drive and she can test for her license right before Christmas. Matt has been taking her because my anxiety has been so bad lately but also my own vision hasn't been great so I wouldn't be a good teacher for her. We let her drive out to her grandparents' with Matt so I followed behind with the other kids, it's such a weird experience to follow your kid in a car they are in control of. 

We've spent a few Friday nights freezing our asses off in the stands to watch Olivia play in the band. They did really great and I'm glad she is enjoying it. I think Jackson is looking forward to being out there next year. 

Penelope and Lucy have been super involved with recent book reviews but I even got a quick picture of Jackson and Penelope sitting nicely together without bickering. 

I'm trying to not share much about the kids in general on here anymore but I can't resist showing you Olivia before her first Fall Ball. They didn't get to do any high school dances last year so this was just extra fun. She went with a group of friends and they all seemed to have a fun time. She's such a beautiful young woman. 

I can't even remember if I mentioned it or not but Matt and the kids built me a Little Free Library for Mother's Day this year. Over the summer he put that up for me and we've kept our library stocked with mostly all new releases (if you live near to me sometimes I put some review books in there!) and every once in awhile I get a real doozy that makes me laugh. Last week this one showed up and I had to take a picture of it. 

Both Lucy and Penelope went to their first dental cleaning a week or two ago and apparently between the both of them there are seven wiggly teeth on their way out. Penelope wasted no time just yanking one right out like the first two she lost. She got her $1 from the Tooth Fairy and she's eagerly working on losing more teeth because she really likes money. Don't we all, girl. 

Oh yes, I got my first Christmas gift wrapped with help from Jackson and George. George was more about ribbon control and supervision, though. I've already started ordering things and getting myself organized. I am SO on the ball this year though, I've been saving cash for the better part of five months (next year I'm doing Christmas saving challenges so it'll be even better) and I'm chasing deals to keep costs down low. So far I've only spent $350ish and I am mostly done with the kids, so I can't be mad at that. The rest I have money for, I'm just waiting for the best price before I commit. What am I getting Matt? I have no idea. Literally not one idea. Well, I had one idea, which is what I wrapped but other than that..... I've got nothing. 

So that's how most of October has gone. My office Christmas tree is going to go up on Monday. I might hold out a little longer for our big tree, I'm not that ready yet. 

Things look a little different around here.

I've been thinking about this for awhile, but now that the kids are back in school and I had some time to sit down and just do it, you'll notice things look kind of different. Or maybe not unless you're looking for old posts or something specific. 

Banana just hangs on the chair like this- he's weird. 

I have taken most of the posts that have pictures of my kids in them. Not all, you'll still find a few, but I think going forward I likely won't post photos of them so much. It's not because I don't want to share the hell out of them, but I think I'm changing as a person in general. Does that make sense? 

Banana and George like to wrestle at night. It's so bizarre to watch. 

If you have been around here for years (I started in 2008!), you know that my writing over time has changed drastically. I still have the posts, so I could bring them back, or at least go back and read them for myself. I started this blog as a mechanism to share photos of my kids for family who were all far away. While that could still be the reason to keep photos, pretty much everyone is on Facebook and/or Instagram, so I guess it's not needed that I share them here. Over time, I evolved into a more... snarky blogger, you could say? I think when I look back at my life then, I was in a much different space than I am now and certainly I was a totally different person. 

Can we just admire my older cat, Batman? He's actually playing!

Not to say I'm lame as hell now, but I'm lame as hell. I'm moving my blog to be more book centered but I also am going to keep my medical updates, vacations, and book reviews, of course, but I likely won't be blogging a whole lot about my home life. Between horribly disgusting spam comments I end up deleting and just thinking about my older kids' getting older and wanting less out there, it just seemed like the time to do it. I'll give updates here and there, but not much more. 

Don't get me wrong, I want to, and god knows I have SO MANY THINGS to write about because my life is a tragic comedy. I have so much on my plate and happening to me and around me that most days I just sit inside of my closet, on the floor, and scream into a pillow while simultaneously crying my eyes out. It's just too much and frankly, I don't know how this much just keeps happening to one person. It's certainly not fair, that's for sure. My blog used to be an online journal of sorts, where I would write out my feelings on things that were happening, and I guess it still could be that, but it just doesn't feel the same, you know? I think a lot of bloggers are feeling this way as well because I see so many changing, it isn't just me. 

Summer winding down with or without us

The worst part of summer is watching the end come so quickly. I feel like it flew by this year, and that we hardly did anything, and that's definitely our fault. We just let work and other things get ahead of us doing fun things. I've been trying to squeeze the last bit of fun into this last two weeks as I can. I know that fall, winter, and spring doesn't really get packed with fun things, not to say we're sitting at home bored though. We always seem to be on the go, but it isn't the kind of go you look forward to doing, you know? It's just stuff you do, places you're kind of obligated to be.  

Already our calendar is filling up with dance, swim lessons, driver's ed, band performances, school commitments, doctor appointments, etc, but not much room for fun. Summer has always been our fun season, so the fact we haven't done a whole lot of fun is really bumming me out. Next year? Next year I'm planning fun all over the place. Just you wait. 

The week we came back from Iowa we still had a couple of days to put some fun into, so we decided to go to the Como Zoo in St. Paul, MN. It's a free zoo, we like to go at least once during the summer and we haven't gone since 2019 because of the pandemic. You have to make reservations though so it's a bit harder to plan since we're a solid 2.5 hours away, so it isn't like we can go on a whim- it's a whole day of planning. 

I'm so glad we did it though because we had a great day. I'll be honest, the zoo isn't as nice as we remember it, and it is probably because of the pandemic. Lack of visitors = lack of donations = not as many funds for aesthetic upkeep. The animals all look well and cared for, I will say that. The other bummer? No Como Town (a small amusement park area), no animal shows (the little girls were hoping to see the seals), and of course we go on a day it's tremendously warm so the majority of animals were hanging lazily in the shade. 

Lucy was living her best life though because during our entire trip to Iowa, all Lucy wanted was a giraffe. I have no idea where the love of giraffes has come from, but it's intense and no matter where we went, she asked about a giraffe. Of course, we couldn't find a giraffe anywhere, including the zoo we went to in Iowa! One of the first areas of Como Zoo that we went into opens back up to the outdoors and there's a small gift area with, bum bum bum..... a GIRAFFE. Matt beelined it to the store, purchased a giraffe, and that my friends, is the face of a very happy girl. 

Penelope really liked this gorilla. She was pretty interested in his feet and how similar (but also different) they were to hers and she kept hoping he'd wake up and interact, but he was far more interested in his nap and honestly, I was wishing I could take a nap, myself. 

After the zoo we went to an outlet shopping center called Albertville, spent the rest of the money we had on school clothes for four kids (that isn't cheap and that outlet mall is far bigger than it looked from the road). I was exhausted by the time we were done but I managed to rally so we could go to a weird space/alien restaurant with a small arcade. The kids had a fun time, but Matt and I sat there like overtired vegetables. 

The next day we took a drive to Port Wing, Wisconsin, which is where Matt went to school. He showed the kids his old school (which was very tiny, especially considered the high school here or even just the middle school), we went to Twin Falls, and got back into the car. 

We ate lunch in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, and I managed to find a scrapbook store (I haven't been inside of an actual scrapbook store in 10 years!!) and I remembered how much I loved scrapbooking and how I really need to get back into it. Another summer bucket list item was a sunflower field. Last year was the year of dead sunflowers, so this year I told the kids I'll get it together for us to go when they are still alive. 

We barely made it but you know what? They were alive! We went to a different maze this year and it wasn't nearly as nice as last year's. At least last year there were props to take photos on and then a look out area... this place.... nothing. Literally nothing. Also, we were the only people there so it felt very horror movie-ish. The field was in Sarona, Wisconsin and if you have younger kids and need a five minute activity to stretch your legs? This is probably the stop for you. If you want more of a leisurely stroll with pretty views and fun photo areas? Go to the one we did last year for sure. I'd send us there again but then the flowers would for sure be dead. Maybe that should be our tradition. HA! 

I'm trying to decide if we do something this weekend or not, but I do have our corn maze/pumpkin patch weekend marked off already! It felt like fall the other day here and oy... I'm just not ready. 

The Strand Six: Iowa Vacation

I know I normally break our vacation wrap up posts with a couple so they aren't so long, but for the sake of time and the ridiculous list of things I have one week to get done... you're getting it all now. 

Before I go further though, everyone has asked us, "why Iowa?" and the simplest answer is..... we needed to cross it off our map. We have a goal of seeing as many states together as we can and we've done a bunch around MN/WI where we live, except Iowa. It's always the drive-through-it state but you guys- we need to collectively stop dissing Iowa. Iowa is fun and Iowa isn't getting the respect it deserves. 

We took off on Friday and I was so damn sick. No, I wasn't Covid sick, I was adrenaline crash sick. The night before was ROUGH and I won't get into that, but just know that as parents, Matt and I are dealing with a lot and it's a constant barrage of stuff and frankly, that Thursday was just really almost too much for me. Well, I guess it was because that Friday my body was like, "girl- you're done". I was on the verge of throwing up the entire day (and the next), I was in and out of consciousness, I felt like it took everything in me just to sit up straight in the car, my stomach hurt so bad and I had the worst headache. I was awful and I very much do not recommend going on a road trip in these conditions. Anyways. The show goes on, as they say. 

We stopped at Minnesota's Largest Candy Store in Jordan, Minnesota. If you've never been, it's worth the stop, the kids absolutely loved it. 

We then hauled it to Blue Earth, Minnesota to see the Jolly Green Giant Statue Park, and this was so pretty. Not only is this little town really pretty, but they have little Sprout statues all over and you can do a little scavenger hunt to find them all. I'm sad we didn't have enough time to do that. We had to hustle to get to Des Moines, Iowa because that was where we were exploring first. 

We ended up getting to our hotel late (for Pep and Lu) and our hotel was just the worst. It really was. It literally smelled like garlic bread and not even good garlic bread. Ugh. 

The next day we went to Blank Park Zoo, which was a really great little zoo. We saw a ton of animals, the zoo was incredibly well laid out and clean. It wasn't the biggest zoo we've gone to but it was worth our trip. 

After the zoo we decided to go on a train ride, mostly because Penelope asked for one. We drove to Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum because we had tickets for the Fraser Train. We got there a little early, so we explored the museum and got to climb onto a train. The museum isn't near as cool as the one we have local to us, but what they had was a little bit different so it wasn't a total waste. The train ride though? Beautiful. 

We went over a bridge and I'm not kidding, in the fall this would be STUNNING. The views are beautiful but I can say that is the highest up off the ground I've ever been while in a train!

For dinner, we took a chance on the Drake Diner (which Jackson later discovered was home to a couple of murders and I'm telling you, knowing that know makes me feel strange). The food was great and the decor/restaurant was beautiful. It's a cool little gem in the middle of a neighborhood. 

That's how we ended our first full day in Des Moines. We were exhausted but got to hear a dance party in the hotel parking lot for three hours in the middle of the night. Loved that. :/ 

The very next day we had to get up super early because we had tickets for the 9-12 slot at the Science Center of Iowa. This was a pick from the big kids because they really get into science things, but it turned out being a huge hit for all four kids. I can't hate that. Easily the best areas were the Build It area (you can make a building and see if it withstands an earthquake) and the area with circuits. Penelope really enjoyed circuits and making things turn on/off. 

We ended up getting through the entire science center in about two hours so we had some time to kill before we would need to eat lunch so..... we decided to check out a local bookstore! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do in a new town, and this one did not disappoint. 

Storyhouse Bookpub was the cutest little shop I've been in. We spent quite a bit of time (and money) here and I just wanted to hang out all day. The owner and her employer were literally the sweetest people, and gave us a little scavenger hunt around this up and coming neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday so lots of shops weren't open, but Penelope was determined! She had to find a specific book in each store and have her sheet marked off. She went right up to store employees to ask questions, get her sheet signed, etc. You have NO IDEA how proud she was to get her sticker at the end showing she's a super reader. For real, you guys- this store is amazing. 

Also? Iowa has these awesome murals all over and I could have spent entire days just looking for these. But I love this picture because it's everyone's personality and there's Pep with her scavenger hunt sheet! 

Also? I got so many pictures of our family, of Matt and I, the kids, etc. I really wanted this vacation to count. 

After wandering around, we had about an hour-ish drive to Columbus Junction to see the Swinging Bridge Park, home of the Lover's Leap Bridge. We found it easily enough, had some disagreements on how to get to the bridge, finally deciding to take this weird little path which wasn't a fun one to walk. 

We did get a view of the bridge and doesn't that look like a fun one? This one definitely counts as our adventure card of this trip. 

When I tell you this was a swinging bridge? I am not lying to you. This damn thing swung side to side but also up and down and was the scariest bridge I have ever been on. It didn't help that the people behind us started being complete assholes, knowing full well that we had four kids on this bridge. So that was fun. 

We saw this at the end. Fun. 

We were on the way to city #2, Dubuque. I need to pause though and tell you that Des Moines was maybe the prettiest city I've ever been in. Everything was so clean, everyone was so nice and helpful, I really was sad we had to go, but it made me excited for Dubuque. 

We only had one full day in Dubuque so I knew we had to make it count! I knew during my research of Dubuque that I wanted to find some of these murals and we only got photos of a couple but there were SO MANY. If you are traveling through Dubuque, I so highly recommend you drive around and find them. 

I mean, how bad ass is that? I wish more cities had things like that, tap into the artists of your city! 

First up for Dubuque was the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. It's similar to the aquarium we have where we live (though that is solely focused on the Great Lakes), so I know going in that we would really love this and we did. 

We ended up getting there a little early, so we found a little walkway and decided to just watch the morning wake up over the water. It was really beautiful. 

The museum/aquarium was absolutely worth our time and money. We did everything this place had to offer and the kids were bummed by the time we were done. 

Afterwards we were going to get lunch, and I had found Shot Tower Inn online, and it was SO GOOD. It wasn't without drama though, I wanted to take the kids to take a picture of the mural and some guy, presumably picking up an employee from work, started screaming at me he was going to tow our vehicle away. I yelled at him for being an asshole and then, because I can be petty, proceeded to stand there within his view until the place opened for lunch (we had gotten there like 7 minutes early). We said something to our waitress, who made sure we weren't actually towed, and tipped her really well. She was the nicest and this place was pretty great. 

Next up? The Fenelon Place Elevator! I'm all about an inexpensive, quirky thing to do and for $4 a person, you too can ride on the world's shortest and steepest railroad! 

It goes incredibly slow, has a great view at the top, and the neighborhood at the bottom is full of fun little shops. 

We also found a Little Free Library! We didn't find anything for us that day, but it was cool to visit anyways. 

I inadvertently found a bookstore I had wanted to go to while in this neighborhood, too. When we road the elevator back up, we drove to the bottom and found some parking right out front and went in. 

River Lights Bookstore is beautiful. Again, Olivia and I bought a stack of books we don't need but you know.... buy local, am I right? 

We were going to try to go see some caves but in the end decided maybe the kids were wearing out. Our last stop for the whole trip was always meant to be Effigy Mounds National Monument. 

We literally had no idea what it was before we went and I'll be honest, we only saw three. The three at the start of the trail. 

This was something that Jackson had wanted to see and we realized it was one of the "special sights" places on our map that you cross off as you see, so it was a double bonus. What they don't tell you is the trail to see these? 

ALL UPHILL. 

Sure, there are two trails, a two-miler and a four-miler meant for a more "rugged" experience. The two-miler? Is not for out of shape folk. It's not for anyone with a bizarre leg malady we're still getting worked out, and it's not for a toddler who also seemingly has the same thing but the beginning stages. 

To sum it up? We made it .7 of a mile up the mountain before saying screw it and going back down. 

Looking at this it freaks me out because that is a straight down drop off behind Olivia and her legs kept giving out (it's a whole thing, we don't know what it is, we're in the middle of trying to figure it all out). Lucy had to be carried for awhile because her leg was giving out and she was in pain. Jackson had to hold me up. Only Penelope was ready to climb the mountain, and she let us all know repeatedly that SHE is just fine and SHE could do the whole thing, no problem. 

Penelope is not the motivational coach anyone needs. Unless being shamed by a six year old is what drives you, of course. 

We then drove like 5.5 hours home. It was late when we got home, the last two hours were ROUGH. The kids were all asleep, Matt and I had the music cranked so loud and nobody heard a thing. It was crazy. Was our summer vacation over? Nope! Tomorrow? We play local-ish tourists.