A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Ben lost his first tooth last night! It was very exciting for all of us. The tooth has been wiggly for weeks. The first time he felt it wiggle, he got out the pliers and asked me to pull it out. So he has been patiently waiting for the tooth to come out. The tooth fairy did find our new house and left him $2. Exciting times for a 5 year old!!

Halloween, A Strange Time to Miss WI

Ben as Anakin Skywalker

Jack as Dracula

Chase as a vampire

We have had a nice week. My parents were in town for a visit from Monday unitl today. We had lots of fun. They got to meet the boys teachers and see their schools. They got to see the daily routines of our lives. We had great meals, great conversation and a great field trip to Philadelphia. My dad is a huge history buff. He loves US history. He had never been to Philly. We took him there to see all the historical sites of Philly. I think he had fun. It is hard to see them leave. It makes us all realize that we do not live 15 minutes away anymore. Ben called and left a message on my mom's voicemail. It went something like this. " Hi Grandma and Grandpa. We miss you already. We wish you could have stayed longer. We can't wait to see you soon." It was not prompted by me or Mark. It came from his heart. So cute and so true.

Halloween was a new and different experience for us. Ever since I can remember, we have gone trick or treating with friends. We also ususally ended up having dinner together or going to a party. This year, that was not the case. We went for a while with my parents. When they got tired we droped them off at home and went to more houses. This was one of the many times that I really MISSED being in WI. I missed being with our friends. I missed seeing people we know. I missed the weather of Halloween in WI (it was 72 and humid here yesterday!) I was not alone in these feelings. We all missed Halloween in WI. We are still experiencing the newness of moving. Sometimes I am surprised by those feelings. We will keep moving forward, creating new memories and traditions for our family.

A Sense of Relief

I met with Chase's teacher, Mrs. Deputy, on Friday. I have been thinking about this meeting since school started. I was inspired to initiate the meeting when we were back in WI. So many people asked me about school and when I heard my response over and over again, I realized I was not being the best parent I could be. I had my list of items I wanted to discuss and off I went. She was open to what I had to say, she did not get defensive or close up. She told me that she is just not a warm, fuzzy kind of person. I get the impression that she is feeling very stressed and overwhelmed. She has 29 students. The curriculum in 4th grade is very agressive. Also, the new principle added 4 more requirments to all the teachers. I get how she can feel overwhelmed. It causes me to feel stressed for her. I am by no means making excuses for her, but at least we are on the same page. She is a good educator, just not real warm and fuzzy. I sent her an email on Friday, offering to help her in any way. I would love to take some of the burden off of her. (She is working everynight at home to keep caught up.) I know how crabby I get when I have no down time. I am hoping to hear from her early next week.

Chase sang this morning at the high school. It is homecomming here today. The school district hosted a community event/fair. The songs were really cute. He was so happy he could participate.
Jack and Ben are doing well. Ben told me he has a "best friend in Delaware"-Griffin. It is so cute to see him enjoy spending time with a friend.

We are officially unpacked today. The basement is done.

Have a great weekend-
Lisa

Lehman Family Field Trip: Lancaster County, PA

Did I die and go to heaven?

The boys getting ready to "work in the factory"

Ben keeping an eye on his product in the "factory"


Jack and Ben getting ready to send their products to packaging.


Chase sitting with me on the "ride"

Sunday, we went on another field trip. We headed about two hours northwest to Lancaster, PA. This area is heavily populated by the Amish community. It was cool to see lots of buggies traveling on the roads. The boys were counting, but I think lost count after a while. Our first stop was Hershey, PA. We went to Hershey's Chocolate World. What more could you ask for in a field trip. A place dedicated to chocolate. YUM!! I was surprised how packed the place was. We let the boys "work in the factory". It was cute to see them on the assembly line. Mark was a slave drive, making sure the chocolate got into the containers!! It actually was a little overwhelming to decide what chocolate treats we wanted to take home. From Kisses, to Recese's Peanut Butter cups, it was tough. We decided on 5 different bags of Kisses. The taste testing was the best part. My favorite was the almond kissed followed by the dark chocolate Kisses. The boys liked the melt away Kisses and Mark like the Dark Chocolate. We tried the Candy Corn Kisses and they were not good. Do not buy them if you see them in the store. They were a waste of money. Too sweet!! They have a educational/historical "ride" (like Pirates of the Carribean at Disney, the ones you sit and it takes you around on a track) That was neat. All the boys liked it alot. We all got a little item to take home. It was a fun place to be.

On the way home we drove through the city of Lancaster. We decided to stop and have family craft time. Have you ever done a craft with three boys and a husband? Sounds good in theory, but the excution of the task can be a little hairy. We stopped at the Gem Den. You make your own jewelry and can decorate your own pottery pieces. No choice here, we decorated a piece of pottery. It was difficult to choose the colors and which pottery piece. We decided on a giant bowl. The boys put their hand prints and wrote thier names. It will be a "one of a kind". I actually think it would be a fun place to go with girlfriends. A great way to relax and a great chance to be creative. When found out that Kate Gosselin and her girls were in the same shop and decorated the same bowl. We thought she must have great taste!!

It was a fun afternoon. I am planning our next family field trip. I am open for suggestions. If you know of a great place on the East Coast, let me know. It could be the place of our next adventure.

Thanks for checking in.

Love
Lisa

Doing the right thing

We had a great trip back to WI last weekend. Jack got to spend the day at Cushing with his former classmates. They were all so excited to see each other. He was treated like a rock star while at Cushing. You should have seen him, Jack could not stop smiling. It warmed my heart. Chase spent Friday with his closest friend, Payton. They had a grand time. So much was packed into one day, Monkey Joe's, Barnes and Noble, movies, sleepover. Chase had a blast.
Ben got to spend Friday at All God's Children for lunch bunch and stay and play. He saw his good buddy Cade. Then after school had a playdate with his other good buddy Simon. I loved seeing my boys so happy. They have not smiled that much in a long time. I had a nice weekend as well. I got to see friends, a new baby, planned my 20 year high school reunion and participated in the event that brought us back in the first place. Our Church hosted an event to raise money for the Kindergarten in Tanzania. Funds we sent has built the foundation of the school. They ran out of money so the building stopped. Our hearts desire is to see the school built. We had a run/walk. It was a great event. I was impressed by the participation. Last I heard, we were close to raising $3000. That is a lot of money in Tanzania. I am sure it will go far in building the school.

There has been more drama in Chase's 4th grade class. There is punishment without proper cause. There is not much, if any, recognition of good behavior. Still, yelling is a daily occurance. I met with the principle today. It was not planned, but went well. I have a meeting with Chase's teacher on Tuesday to try to help the situation. I know Mrs. Deputy is a good educator, but is lacking in some people skills. We are trying to navigate unknown territory here. This is the first time any of my children has had a teacher that has not been a good match. Chase needs more than she is giving. I will try, in a very positive and not threating way, to have her understand Chase's needs. Say some prayers on Tuesday morning. I know that I will need them.

When will it get eaiser?

We are coming up on two months pretty soon. Time has gone pretty fast, I must say. I still feel like this is not my home. I read in a book last week this perfect quote, "this is the place I live, not where I belong." I am trying. I am introducing myself to everyone I meet. I am trying to make conversation, trying to make a connection. But I have not been very successful. I am getting frustrated and a little sad. I have been volunteering in Jack's class which has been fun. I have not been in Chase's class yet, something I need to work on. Ben, my heart is breaking for him. He does not like his school. He is really missing All God's Children. He told me today, he wants to go to a school with a log cabin inside (there was a log cabin in his classroom last year). He has been "sick" two times this week, not wanting to go to school. I have let him stay home, but I know that is not the solution. It is hard to see your children struggle. We are looking forward to a visit to Wisconsin next weekend. It will be great for the boys and for me too. Please pray for my kids. My heart is breaking that they are missing WI so much.

A field trip and a new school

This past weekend we traveled to Philadelphia for a family field trip. We had a great time. It was facinating to read about the history of the birth of our great nation. I learned how much I have forgotten since I last took American history. We stopped and had cheesesteaks at the famous Pat's and Geno's. Our family was split. Chase and Mark liked Geno's better. Ben, Jack and I opted for Pat's. Maybe it was the "wiz" for me that pushed the taste over the top. The cheese fries were also great, not healthy by any stretch, but delicious. We were in heaven to find a Starbucks. I guess I have been going through withdrawls from good lattes and mochas. (There in only one in the Dover area and it is not real convient to get to). We also went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It's claim to fame is the movie Rocky. The stairs Rocky ran up are at the PMA. So, being the tourist that we are, we all ran up the stairs. It was fun. But we did not yell "Adrian!!" when we got to the top. I thought that would be too much :)!!

On the carriage ride.

Ben and I at the Liberty Bell

Indpendence Hall

Ben with "Ben"

Running the same stairs as Rocky. Notice who is in the lead. Are you surprised?
Ben started school onMonday. He seems to be enjoying it. Although, he does not like to go everyday. We made such a great decision in not sending him to Kindergarten. If he does not like half day, I can't imagine what he would have thought of full day!! Here are some photos of Ben and his new school.