Merry Christmas, One Week Late!!

I tell ya' what. I have to choose to either enjoy Christmas or be completely prepared and have everyone looking great for each event. This year I chose to enjoy, so a few things slipped through the cracks. But for the most part we arrived places at approximately the appropriate time, and most of us were wearing clothing (or a tutu...). And it was great.

Here's our Christmas Letter in website form. CJ is our techie genius.

whoa! what happened there??!

Happy Birthday Annika, and now it's almost time for Christmas. yikes!

The kids are giggling in the tub. Nothing spells F-U-N like bubbles, a snorkel and mask, and a bucket. They are really getting along nicely these days...they're best buds and I just love it.

We had a terrific Halloween as a family, and didn't even let illness get us down. Poor Eric missed TWO harvest parties: the one at his Nana's school and the one at his own school. But he was well in time to go to church and we all went as a family unit: Mary Poppins and friends. Annika LOVED her long blonde wig (as a matter of fact she was wearing it just today!) and Eric just loved collecting candy and wearing something that didn't require constant re-shifting.

Today our favorite thing in the world is this video:
we've watched it several times, and I believe you will, too.

Well I promised myself that I would just do an "easy post" to break the spell. I've been feeling too busy to post because I have it built up to be this big requirement and if I have that much time then I should tackle the laundry or the dishes or...bum BUM BUMMMM! my DESK!

So I'll go put a load in the washer and clear off the table now. the desk is gonna have to wait a little longer. I told the kids we'd watch the video again after they get out of the tub.

Happy Birthday Annika!

Miss Laura knows how to give a birthday blessing!

Annika had her Birthday Blessing today at preschool...

She was calendar helper, then she sat in the special chair and wore her birthday hat while they sang to her and looked at her special poster. Then (and this was her favorite part) they sprinkled glitter on her head and sang a special Jesus blessing song to her.

It's raining today...hence the boots. I sent her real shoes in her backpack but she apparently prefers the boots. :)

my kitchen is jellified

Annika and I made jelly! Our back-door neighbors grow grapes (in addition to being 70-year-old superhero bike racers), and were kind enough to share.
Annika got tired of all the boiling so after a while she watched a movie.

I only started the kitchen on fire one time. Not too shabby!!





Who's hungry for some toast?

Captain Hammer

This is why my husband is a perfect high school teacher.

























This week is homecoming week; today was "dress like a superhero day".

CJ chose to dress like Captain Hammer from Dr Horrible's Singalong Blog.

Jumping Into a New Era!

Well, I did it. I sent my babies off to school. I was a puddle most of last night and half of this morning.










































My verse, which I recited all day and asked my family to pray for me:
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice! (yes I did clap-clap)
Let your gentleness be evident to all; the Lord is near. To not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition, and with thankfulness, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

I rearranged Eric's room while he was gone. A new room for the new era. His bed is lofted now. It's pretty cool. I found some precious things to weep over while cleaning out under his bed. It was an appropriately cathartic project to tackle. He loves his new room! He loves his new class! God is Good! All the time!!

How old is he??

You might think this post is going to be about Eric and the milestone he is soon to cross.

But it's not.

It's about the fact that Cj and I just went for a 23 mile bike ride with our back-yard neighbor, who is 70 years old and has several vertebrae of his spine fused.

I am drenched with sweat after struggling to keep up with the men for two hours. INSANE!!

It was a gorgeous day for biking or just being outside in general. Everyone and their neighbor (in our case, literally!!) was out. But I spent most of my time gritting my teeth and looking at my front tire as I dug deep to pedal faster. woo! That man is a machine.

The kids were absolutely hilarious in the back of the burley; I truly didn't mind being way way WAY behind the guys because I think it was more enjoyable to listen in on the shenanigans than try to engage in boy talk.

The leaves are changing color already. This is the best weather I've seen all summer. And the best, best, BEST part? Cj is picking up Outback To Go. Dinner is on its way!!

Who needs a gym?

When I was at the cabin I needed a workout but didn't want to go on a long run. I used some tricks I had learned from my personal trainer, Mary. It turned out to be a really fun workout and I did it again with CJ and the kids when they arrived. CJ added one special component to the workout... only a man would think of something so wonderfully absurd.

He documented the whole thing so I'll be lazy and send you there to see it.

The best part about exercising with CJ was the positive energy we got from each other and our nutty children. The kids were running to and fro, trying to lift various things and racing and cheering. It was really great. Sometimes I think I should be sad about my kids getting "too old to cuddle", but there are so many new and fun things to experience as a family. They are charming and interesting, and we have a lot to look forward to. And we'll be healthy together! :)

Summer time, time time...child...and the livin is easy...

We had a restful and refreshing time at the cabin. My parents generously allowed me to host a Sorensen Girl Retreat last week. We mostly relaxed, with a bit of hiking, boating, shopping, and eating thrown in. Okay, lots of eating. We did mendi henna tattoos and played singstar and board games. Mostly we sat and watched the baby and the little girl...they are so adorable!

We had a blast doing this photo shoot.

2009July20CabinTrip

Children are endlessly amusing!

Here's a video that CJ took last night and put on his blog. Sorry to make you blog-hop but I don't think you'll mind.

The funny thing is that Nana had given Papa a Bop-It for Father's Day and Eric HATED it! H-A-T-E-D it. He tried so hard not to cry but he was clearly WAY anxious, chewing his shirt and looking at it nervously. When Papa "lost" and it went AAAWWWOAH! then Eric lost his cool and wanted nothing to do with it, couldn't even be in the room when others were playing it...we had a long gentle session of showing him that it was not a malicious toy. So yesterday when he came up to me making the "sss, stch, stch...puh puh" percussion sounds of the bop it game, I was a bit puzzled. But then he did a perfect "Bop It! AAAAWWWOAH!" and I laughed out loud. Let's go to the video, shall we?

Stillwater is VERY FAR AWAY.

...at least it seems far when we're riding bikes there.

On Monday night we packed the kiddoes and a snack in the Burley and took off for a long-distance bike trek to Stillwater's Teddy Bear Park. Most of the journey was on the Gateway Trail, which is lovely. Some of it was on a bike path along a county road, which was Super Steep Hills. Ugh. CJ towed the burley most of the way...70 pounds of cuteness gets mighty heavy after a while.
The Teddy Bear Park is a darling place to bring kids, and it was the perfect night for it. The weather was mild and the park wasn't too crowded.

OOPS Bee uploaded pictures to CJ's profile

Listening to the kids converse in the Burley was educational and entertaining. I'm glad I got to tow them for half the homeward bound trip. Just the right amount, and CJ tackled most of the hills!

When we got home I mapped it on Mapmyrun.com and found that we had biked 27.8 miles. wowzers. That counts as a workout.

We're going BUGGY around here!

Our Super Cool School Theme this month is BUGS.
Since we had a rainy day, we dug up some worms and watched them wriggle.

We colored and used lots of bug stamps to make Big Bug Pictures. We also did lacing cards with pictures of bugs, which Nana had found at a garage sale and are absolutely GORGEOUS.

Our work time activities were matching patterns on a butterfly, sequencing shapes to make a long long worm, and matching the name with a picture of different kinds of bugs.

For lunch we ate "caterpillars" (macaroni noodles) and "ladybugs" (carrot bodies and pepperoni wings).

We sang some buggy songs (beehive song, itsy bitsy spider) and made bug houses. As much fun as the bug activities were, I'm Very Ready for Summer Weather to Stay. We want to play outside!!!

Minnesota May Be Beautiful

We had a lovely time in the yard at Bridle Ridge today...Eric, Annika, and Irene played in the beautiful spring breeze.










Baby Ice Cream loved laughing at Nana.
















Annika loved playing outside with her cousin.
















Irene teasing Annika
















Eric The Camel (watch out, he spits.)

May has been a busy busy month. With the warm weather we've been able to play outside and even tried planting some seeds. We got to see a few of our favorite cousins and are looking forward to a Very Memorable Memorial Weekend.

Here's some more pictures of our fun.

May 2009

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself.

CJ's Grandma Irene passed away on Wednesday Morning. She enjoyed a long and meaningful life and had recently told us that she was "ready to go home to see Jesus and Chet" (her husband). We will miss her and mourn with her kids, but are so glad to have known her and love the idea of her being in HEAVEN!! It has already been a blessing to gather with extended family and share stories about the wise and feisty matriarch of this clan. We anticipate a poignant celebration full of laughter, tears, hugs, and frozen Snickers bars.

We had just been to visit her on Monday evening. She was clearly uncomfortable and confused, but rallied her spirits and was absolutely charming for her great-grandchildren. They hugged her and sang songs and told her stories, and she was able to impart some wisdom in her own way. It was a perfect chance to tell her we love her. And Annika also told her, "Grandma, you're old." Only a tiny girl with a mullet could get away with reporting such blunt news. Grandma replied, "Yes. I'm old. And someday you will...vote."

CJ told the kids about her passing away on Wednesday. As they pondered his news thoughtfully, he asserted, "...we can be sad because we will miss her, but we can be happy because we know she is in heaven!"

Annika excitedly replied, "And she is ALL NEW! And she will never die again."

Amen.

Stand Still or I'll squeeze your arm.

I heard some rude words (see title) from my son's mouth this morning...
and tuned in to learn what the kids were up to in Annika's room.
I had to wonder whether Eric has heard me talk like this. Of course I wouldn't threaten to squeeze arms, but I probably use that ugly tone. I cringed at the thought. What do they learn from me when I'm being crabby??! oh.
All was quiet, until I heard a sweet singsong voice cajole, "This would be so much easier if you would stand still..."
I had to figure out what they were doing.

this is what I found:

Eric informed me that he was doing Annika's hair and would leave them in while her hair got longer.
Since he appeared to have things well in hand, I returned to the kitchen with a smile in my heart.

Sit down and read your book until I call your name.

Picasa Web Albums - Bee - portraits stowe sorensen

Today we played Photo Studio...
The kids each filled out their "form" (various versions of their name) and stood in line to come into the "studio" where I had the camera on a tripod and some lamps with the shades off. Then later they got to come back one at a time for the "consultation" and see their pictures on the laptop. I was amazed that they all sat in the "waiting room" calmly reading books until I called their name.

Oh what we must do to get through a rainy day...

Today at Super Cool School...

We talked about SPRING! We played a guessing game with barnyard animals, played with lemon-scented playdough and spring cookie cutters, practiced moving like different spring creatures (flutter like a butterfly...creep like a turtle...hop like a bunny...etc), used tweezers to find bugs in birdseed, counted bugs to match the number, and sorted barnyard animals into family groups (put all the mamas and daddies and babies together). For craft we glued a big humongous flower and poured birdseed onto the middle. It's amazing that I don't have birdseed throughout my entire house...I swept four times during the course of the morning. :)

Finding bugs in birdseed...

counting bugs...

sorting barnyard animals...

Annika's humongous flower...


...and Eli. Just happy to eat jelly on bread.

Picasa Web Albums - Bee - Shan and Baby Ice Cream's Visit

Picasa Web Albums - Bee - Shan and Baby Ice Cream's Visit

Picasa Web Albums - Bee - BBQ and farewell

Picasa Web Albums - Bee - BBQ and farewell

We miss them already...

Shannon and Irene came to visit from "stupid Memphis" last week. They stayed in Eagan but came to Hearts at Home and then we went shopping at the cutie shoppes in downtown White Bear Lake. We spent a lot of time together had a crazy fun time! Annika loves her Auntie Shannon more than life itself. And she simply adores her cousin Irene. I don't have a sister of my own and it's nice to borrow CJ's. (BTW-I'm blessed to have a variety of sisters-in-law and they are each dear to me. But this blog is about Shannon's visit.) Shan and I inevitably find ourselves doubled over in laughter and unable to even explain to bystanders what is so dang hilarious. The kiddoes are a hoot and I only wish they lived closer so the cousins can grow up together. I'll keep praying. Till then, here's some photos of the visit.
...okay I guess they're above this blurb. Oh. I'll figure out the blogging thing someday.

Princess Jasmine has a belly button

We went to see Central Middle School's Production of Aladdin Jr on Friday. Annika wanted to dress up like Princess Jasmine, so she wore this beautiful hanbok (is it a hanbok?) that Auntie Shannon brought her from Hong Kong. She also had a scarf belt and a scarf headband...and wanted to make sure her belly button showed, because "Princess Jasmine has a belly button". As I was helping her with her belt, a scary thought occcurred to me and I asked my daughter, "Annika, you know that you aren't IN the play, right? You will sit and watch it but not go on stage." She thought about that for a moment and it seemed to suit her fine. "I don't want to sing the Whole New World Song". Okee dokee. good to go.

well phooey

I tried to post some pictures to go along with my new thing about Super Cool School...But somehow the pictures are seperated from the post.

I'm done trying to fix it. Three people will see it. Who cares. Good night!

stringing rainbow necklaces...

signing "rainbow" while Eli looks on...

our rainbow lunch...with marshmallow clouds!

I guess I blog about races.

Okay I truly do lots of other things besides running races. I just realized that I hadn't entered anything since the last race so it prompted me to post a new one. That and Fawnda was on my case about it. :) I ran a 10k with my dear friend Amy O...it was the first time we had ever run together, after 5 years of friendship and an equally long agreement that "we should really run together sometime." Finally we ran together...and we have the ugly shirts to prove it.

Super Cool School

This month we didn't have a theme for Super Cool School, so we've done a bunch of "one-shot deals". We started on Theodore Geisel's birthday with a Dr Seuss Party, complete with Green Eggs and Ham for lunch. Then we had a rainbow day, when we painted and strung and sang about and danced and even ATE rainbows. Then we had a "race car" day, with matchbox cars on a mini race track, counting and matching race cars for work time, and a big vroom vroom race in the back yard. We also built a race car out of chicken nuggets and carrot sticks for lunch. I was amazed at how many cognitive activities we could do with the matchbox cars, and excited about how much more attentive and engaged they were, even with challenging concepts.

Annika and Grandma celebrate their first race

Picasa Web Albums - Colleen - Eichenjoggers

Picasa Web Albums - Colleen - Eichenjoggers

Okay I'm a blogger now,,,I guess

I decided that facebook is too lame to waste my time on anymore. I like the idea of connecting with friends but it's not the forum on which to share the goings-on of our life. I'm tired of the quizzes and the random requests. I'm not interested in which 90210 character I most resemble, even if it is SCARILY accurate!

Today we ran a 5k. It was a family affair... Go Team Eichenjogger! Even the kids got in on the fun. Eric and Annika ran their first official race. It was a 1/4 mile kids run. They both were awesome. Annika announced herself the winner and will not give up her title despite repeated reminders by Eric that he actually came in before her.

I ran my race in 26 minutes, which is a Personal Record for me. Brian beat us all, finishing in 24 minutes. CJ and Rebecca stayed together for most of the race, crossing around 30 minutes. Mom surprised us all by finishing way before her estimated time. It was her first race EVER and she did amazing.