2010 Update

Alas, we are not cut out to be bloggers, but it is nice to store pictures somewhere, so I will now attempt to upload some highlights from 2010. :o)

Aedan's 6th grade graduation

It was a little bit of a tear-jerker, though I managed to maintain control during most of the ceremony. :o) The worst part was when they were doing the slide show, including lots of pictures of the students when they were in the early grades, and playing a song that was way too appropriate. Once we got through that song and a more upbeat one started, I pulled it together. Aedan is looking forward to junior high!

Aedan's 2010 Spring cello recital

6th grade spring concert--Aedan

Aedan and Emmett at the Talent Show

Wisconsin Dells

The kids like this big gnome, or whatever it is! He was talking to them, but then fell asleep and started snoring. :o)

The boys enjoyed hunting for gems. Amara decided she would do it the clean and easy way and just select her favorite polished rocks instead of "mining".










Amara wasn't too crazy about go-karting, but she was a bumper car fanatic!




Amara was very nimble at crossing these wobbly lilly pads, or whatever they were. She showed up piles of kids far bigger than her. Being little probably is the key, though.
Aedan and Emmett preferred the lazy river and invented all kinds of imaginary games to play while they floated around in circles...

We actually had a spring break this year! St Louis Park (the kids' school), Shakopee (where I'm teaching), and Capella (where I'm taking courses) all aligned and we could actually relax! Well, mentally anyways. Besides that we were running from one ride to the next for four days straight!

Amara wanted a picture with "Cyclops", though she preferred the faster and steeper "Zeus" rollercoaster. I went on each one time, and that was enough for me...I would wait in line with her and then send her on her merry way!

The boys spend much time on the go-karts (Brian too!), though it was often a 30-60 minute wait in line for a 5-10 minute ride. They enjoyed learning how to "drive", though. I went a couple of times with them, then decided they were a little too extreme for me...driving up to the sky, then careening down in circles with limited brakes...The boys were more concerned about taking first place to worry about the height or speed!

Building the Annual Snow House

Every year we try to take all the snow from our driveway and build a huge mound of snow that we later dig out. We use sticks that are just over a foot long that we push into the sides so we know how much to dig out on the inside. Several years ago we had one that we were able to get4 adults and 5 kids inside. This one could have been larger but the kids started out building two piles so we didn't get all the snow onto this one. We haven't started to dig this one out yet but it is now cold enough to dig it out and maybe one night we will sleep out there when it is -10 or lower. It will stay about 35° on the inside even when it is colder outside.

2009 Montana/Yellowstone Vacation--Wildlife/Firestone River Canyon

We decided this would be the perfect time to see Yellowstone since we were finally there in the summertime. It was also the perfect time age-wise. The kids really enjoyed seeing all of the wildlife, scenery, and odd thermal stuff.

We saw LOTS of wildlife. Our first find was a little grizzly bear. We saw 5 other bears over the course of 3 days (luckily none at our campsite!). We saw a few elk, lots of buffalo (I mean bison, Brian would say), a few marmots, piles of prairie dogs (or some similar rodent--way too prevalent at our campsite), and lots of the usual stuff, like birds and chipmunks.
Brian likes it when other people take pictures of flowers (Joel and Alayna), so he thought he'd give it a try. Nice work!

Don't ask me why Brian is sitting there holding sunscreen. Usually I'm begging him to put it on! He must be wrapped up in watching the lovely Firestone River. Our first outing in Yellowstone was to take a side road to see the Firestone River Canyon. It was beautiful and turned out to be Amara's favorite place...or maybe she just wasn't tired out yet!

We all hiked down to the base of the Firestone River Falls...I wouldn't do it again. The rock is all crumbly and you could slide all the way down the hill. I attempted it, holding a video camera and Amara's hand...not such a great idea. Our main goal at Yellowstone was to get off the beaten path and to get away from the crowds. That we did! Doesn't take much, actually. A few steps away from the main trail and you're all alone. I think most people just drive to the next parking lot, get out, take a picture, and hop back in the car again!

2009 Montana/Yellowstone Vacation--Manhattan

After traveling to Montana several times for weddings and winter vacations, we decided quite last minute to go in the summer for a change. Our main reason was to be able to go to a church convention in Manhattan, where Joel and Alayna would be, as well as Vern and Lorene. It was wonderful to feel the same spirit and fellowship even though we hardly knew anyone there.

Joel and Alayna were in charge of the water pourers, which mostly involved keeping a whole bunch of kids calm, collected, and quiet while the servers got the meal on the table. I thought it was great!

It was nice to have a little family time afterwards since we were all pretty busy at convention. We went out for pizza with Vern and Lorene, Joel and Alayna, and friends Nicole and Mike. We kind of had to eat and run since we still had a drive to get to Yellowstone and a campsite to set up.

Annual Update of 2008

Hi friends!

This is my virtual annual letter that I'm posting here instead of sending it out. You can just read this post to get an idea of what's been going on in the Foner household in 2008, or you can browse through the rest of the mishmash of postings. I'm not so good at updating this blog very often. First of all I'm anti-technological, second of all our computers are pieced together as only an engineer would enjoy having it, and I haven't quite figured out the easiest process for loading pictures frequently. SOOO...maybe every once in a while I'll put a whole bunch on at one time...but you certainly don't need to check THIS blog every day! :o)

Usually I start out with the kids...Life revolves around them, right? Or so they think! Aedan is definitely growing up and has reached the double digit stage. That apparently means he no longer has the same bedtime as everyone else. He loves to stay up late reading, and I'm pretty sure he's often reading even when the light is off and we think he's asleep. That would explain why he loves to sleep in when he gets a chance, when he used to be up at 7:00 sharp, no matter when he went to bed. Aedan used to be game for ANYTHING active and fun. Now he's picking and choosing a little more carefully. He's decided soccer is his one and only sport, and there's no reason to even mention trying anything else. So there's no reason to shoot hoops at the park (I don't like basketball) or to go skating at our favorite outdoor rink (I'm not a hockey player). He does tend to fall apart, though, if he doesn't get plenty of exercise, so luckily he's still an outdoor kid--loves playing in the snow, for example. Another favorite activity is Cub Scouts. He will soon "graduate" and move into Boy Scouts. That's a big event in the scouting world, so he's excited about that. (Some close relatives in town may get an invitation for the "Blue and Gold ceremony"!) Fifth grade has been a big challenge for Aedan (and Mom) this year. PSI is an excellent school, but a little heavy on the projects. We've been working on breaking them down into manageable pieces every day, but it is a constant battle to stay on top of it all! Luckily, while writing the rough drafts is VERY laborious, he loves to type and edit them and make them look nice, and he LOVES to present in front of the class. Otherwise, it could be even more challenging. Somehow or another my least social kid doesn't mind public speaking. :o) He always jumps at the opportunity to be in the school's theater club during the winter, too. Right now he's in the process of rehearsing for his third play. Last year he got one of the main parts and was thrilled about that. Lastly, Aedan has also been continuing with piano and cello. Seems like we don't have enough time in our lives for daily practice, so progress is slower, but it's still progress, so that's good.

Then there's Emmett. He used to be my mellow, easy-going kid, the middle kid, the one who could resolve any conflict between the older and the younger, the one who got along with everyone, the happy kid, the one who hardly needed any discipline...(?) I don't know what happened to him this year. He's only 7, so I can't blame it on being a teenager or anything like that. Anyways, let's just say that no matter where he is...school, book club, the bus, home, etc....well, he might need a time out. He is a BUNDLE of energy, and while his mom and dad are pretty good at harnessing it, other adults in charge get a little frustrated by it. So...dealing with disciplinary issues at school is a new chapter in our life! He's also always been a highly "kinesthetic" kid--needs to be touching interesting surfaces ALL the time, and he's definitely not growing out of that. We have a strip of sandpaper stuck to the bottom of his desk at school, so he has something appropriate to touch, in an attempt to keep him seated. He'd probably be a good candidate for one of those big balls they let some kids sit on. At home, he is happiest when he's doing some project with his dad--woodwork, pullups on the pullup bar, fixing anything. He'll play if there's nothing else going on, but he loves to stay busy, even if most would consider it work. He's also fine with cleaning projects--emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom, etc. So that's how mom and dad keep this boy busy, but I guess the teachers haven't figured that out yet! Hockey has been great for his kinesthetic senses--biting on the mouthguard, being covered from head to toe with gear, holding a stick, moving, falling, and, best of all, coming home absolutely drenched in sweat. We've decided the time and the money for this sport are worth it...for Emmett. His other activities he enjoys are soccer, baseball, tennis, swimming, and Cub Scouts. Emmett is continuing in piano lessons with his mom, too. He continues to stump me in that department, as well. He is extremely poor at tracking with his eyes the notes on the page, and mainly does it if he's following my finger, which obviously I can't always do. On the other hand, he is exceptionally skilled with listening and memorizing. If he hears me a play a song, and he plows his way through the notes a few times, then he no longer needs the written notes, and just plays away. I'm having a hard time teaching to his skills that are complete opposites of mine. I'm thinking I might try to capitalize on that ability and put him in Suzuki violin lessons. Anyone know a good (and affordable) teacher?

And we have one princess in our house: Amara. Let's just say she might not follow in her athletic mom's footsteps. Amara is all about artsy stuff, dolls, and teddy bears. Every day she needs to stay fairly quiet during the babies' nap time for two plus hours in the afternoon. That is not a problem. She can sit at the kitchen table the whole time--drawing, painting, cutting and pasting, etc. I don't need to come up with projects for her. She has plenty of ideas! Amara started kindergarten this year, and is thriving, she just wishes she were there all day instead of just in the mornings! The best thing about it for Amara is her friends. She comes home talking about who her new friend is, who she sat by on the bus, who she wants to invite over for a playdate. I have a hard time keeping up with her requests, since I'm busy taking care of five other kids :o) I started teaching her the piano this year, like her brothers. Find the time for getting three kids to practice every day is next to impossible, but I think it's worth the effort, especially since I'm not paying for it! Amara is more like her mom in the music department (unlike Emmett). She's doing pretty well at learning the notes, and is progressing nicely. Amara has also done a little gymnastics, a little soccer, some swimming lessons, but she still mostly just enjoys playing "mommy and daddy" with all of her dolls and animals, getting dressed up in her princess outfits, and dancing around the house to music. One thing she loves to do with her mom is to go shopping, and she's VERY good at talking me into things. Oh, oh...That could be a problem when she's a teenager!

We have four favorite family activities that all of us enjoy doing together: boating and biking in the summer, downhill skiing in the winter, biking, and going on road trips whenever we can find the time. With our old boat, we love to go around to different lakes to spend the day. Brian, Kris, and Aedan like to waterski, and all of the kids like to go on the innertube. Biking as many miles as we can on our wonderful urban bike trail is a favorite way to spend the day in the summer, too. Amara used to ride in the carrier, but she just learned to ride her two-wheeler this summer, so hopefully she'll enjoy putting on the miles next summer as much as the rest of us! We enjoyed a 4-day stint of skiing at Lutsen this winter, and we plan to go to Bozeman in the spring...not only to ski, but also to visit Brian's favorite brother and sister-in-law. :o) Aedan and Emmett are now flying down the black diamonds, while their mom continues to yell in vain, "Slow down!", which often they can't hear because I'm so far behind. Amara is content on the bunny hill for now. She's just along for the ride as far as skiing is concerned. And road trips...I guess they've mostly revolved around Bozeman this past year, since we got to go there in the "warm" weather for a change for Joel and Alayna's wedding! Actually it wasn't too warm there in the end of May--it rained and snowed! We also get to Alexandria quite frequently to visit Brian's family, and this year we got to be in on a wedding there, too--Annie and Len's. We were thrilled to gain both a new sister-in-law and brother-in-law in the same year! Also I hate to mention all of these favorite activities without any mention of our faith and the overall importance that has for our family. It's what brings us stability and peace, instead of fear, in a troubled world. :o) The kids look forward to our conventions more than anything else during the year. This year we got to go to one in North Dakota and part of one in Minnesota. They keep asking if we can go to one in Mexico or another Spanish-speaking country...wow...I'd love to, but I don't even know where to begin!

Workwise, we're quite status-quo. Brian continues as a research and development engineer at Parker Hannifin. He's been there almost twelve years. I am still running a "Spanish immersion" day care in my home. As families expand in number, so has my business. I have three families, but now with new siblings being born, that means I have five kids--two-2 1/2-year-olds, one 1 1/2-year-old, and two babies. I started teaching an after-school Spanish class for kindergartners, which Amara also sometimes attends with me when she's in the mood. I'm also taking a few classes to work on renewing my teaching license, which is long expired. Not sure if I want to actually go back down that road, though...

Now you know why I wrote this letter in a blog instead of on paper. Not because I wanted it to be even more impersonal :o) but because I probably couldn't have gotten it to fit on just one page! I'm not the most concise writer in the world. We think about many of you often, our family and friends in many different parts of the world. Wish it were possible to see everyone more frequently! Drop by anytime you're near Mpls. We'd love to have you come and stay with us, too. Our guest bedroom is finally carpeted and ready to roll...

Take care, everyone, and have a great rest of 2009!
--Brian, Kris, Aedan, Emmett, and Amara

Tallest Lincoln Log Tower at the Foners

Ok, Now it is as tall as we can go.

After several tries this was our tallest tower.

Not quite to the ceiling.