Mn Wild Ice Time

The Hastings u10 A/B teams earned a free hour of ice at the Xcel Centre. The girls were thrilled! Although a bit sad they couldn't use the Wild's locker room to get dressed. Instead they used the visitors which was still better than any locker room I've been in. There was even carpet to cut out all the high pitched voices and echoing that is experienced by the locker moms.

They took turns posing outside the Wild's locker room. 

Another picture under Herb Brooks quote on the way to the ice. 

Followed by tons of pictures on the ice. Sam played center and was at face-off of the first puck drop for the night.

It was such a large place that the parents had a hard time hearing their voices echo. I hollared "Go Sam Brown" before the puck drop. Later I was given a talkin to about how she hates when I pressure her with saying score a goal or skate hard. I guess my words on encouragement is taken more of pressure. Good to know.

They divided up the A and B team to make two new teams. It was so fun watching them play.

Sam's wearing her grumpy face wearing the white jersey in front left row.

At least she smiled when hugging Zack Parise. 

Earlier in the day, Sam joined me at work where she was given her own private office. 

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Adelynn and Noah stayed with their Great Aunt Julie for a weekend. They love spending time with her. There is always fun things they do together. This weekend they went to a birthday party and built a snowman. 

Excuse me, can you little girl sleep over?

Sam had a hockey tournament in Stillwater this weekend. On Saturday there was a nine hour gap between games so we decided to go visit my Aunt Laura and Uncle Keith in Somerset. My cousin's wife, Quinn, and kids, Leyton and Isla were there, as well as my cousin Katie's daughter Riley. They stated in playing together right away. We went camping with them July 2015 so it had been months since they saw each other last.

Sam needed to get back to the rink so we were packing up to leave when Leyton came up to me ever so quietly and whispered "excuse me, can your little girl sleep over?"

She stayed and came to watch Sam's hockey game. After the game we all went to Culver's to eat. Adelynn ride with them and once inside she saw me walk in.

"Umm, what are you doing here?!" She exclaimed. Worried that I was taking her home. Or, maybe that I was impeding on her fun night away.

The next morning Keith, Laura, Leyton, Riley and Adelynn came to watch Sam's consolation championship game.

More get togethers like this will be happening. They all had a great time. 

Left, Right, or Straight

On out ride home from dinner I told Adelynn that she could guide us home. Which way? Left, Right, or Straight.

She quickly learned that three lefts bring you right back to where you just were. She's doing pretty good mixing up her lefts.

We wiggled our way out of Northfield onto the country roads. 

The headlights on the plow point too close in front of us which makes driving at a decent speed a little unsafe.

She brought us along side the cliff just south of Stanton. Once she saw Syngenta glowing in the dark she had to turn right on Hwy 19, and left on Hwy 56. From here she needed to guide us home by recognizing landmarks. 

Ya, we're almost home! As we drive right by Woody's. "Straight!" She says. As we pass the church she said "Daddy, you passed the house!" Chuckling away. She turned around and told her siblings "I'm getting us lost!"

I don't eat cat food

I asked Adelynn if she wanted to help me make tuna fish sandwiches. She turned and looked at me, but said nothing.

"What?!" I asked

"I don't eat cat food!" She says

Apparently Grandma Loken tainted Adelynn's perspective of what tuna fish is.

"Grandma feeds her cat this."

She hopped off the couch and joined me in the kitchen. Not to help, but to grab the empty can to give to Squirt. 

That lucky cat!

Adelynn ate four bites and excused herself from the table. 

Science Can Be Fun

Seth and I were waiting for Sam's hockey practice to end. We couldn't go inside to watch because Adelynn fell asleep on the drive to the rink and would have been cranky had she been woken up. Noah sat in his car seat patiently for the 30 minutes she had left. The temperature outside was -9°. I told Seth to go inside the rink and ask the kids running the concession stand for some water from the coffee maker for a little science experiment. Once outside Seth spun around throwing the hot water into the air. I wasn't fast enough to catch him in action. The aftermath still lingered. Seth ran back inside for more but they wouldn't give him more water. They said it would make the sidewalk all icy. He came outside, grabbed my phone and showed them this picture. 

"Tossing some hot water into the frigid air at sunrise this morning in Buffalo, Minn. (-15°F with a windchill of -31°F) More #stupidcold photos: fox9.com/news/76266242-gallery"

Soon he came running back out with more hot water.

T(een) minus 365

Today starts the count down to my very first teenager. Yikes! This last year has been full of challenges and growth. Not only for Seth, but the family as a whole. Seth struggled with getting bullied at school, getting left out in fair play during school sports and taking on washing dishes. The last probably being the hardest for him. "If you wash it right the first time you won't have to wash it a second time."

Seth was a top seller in Boy Scouts. He attended his first week of Boy Scout Camp without having Nick or Dave with him. Nick joined for the last two nights. 

He also started working at the Hallcock Farm doing chores around the yard and helping to repair tractors. He was even taught how to drive a truck on the farm without an adult riding along.

He started driving a tractor in parades and is eager to help Nick restore Great Grandpa Adelmann's Farmall.

Seth began shooting league archery and did great. Even better than some boys who have been shooting longer.

Seth finally earned his own shotgun after a two year delay. He saved up his money from working at the Hallcock farm to pay for half of the gun. We paid the rest. He'll just need to learn all there is about the gun and pass Grandpa Schiller's quiz before he can begin using it.

Seth began volunteering at This Old Horse. He loves being around the horses but he's really there for hauling hay and doing manual labor. With every 12 hours of volunteer work, we earn one free hour long riding lesson.

Seth continues being great friends with Josh and Jojo. He's developed friendships with Alex Ott and Colin Wittenberg.

Seth measured 4'10" last January and is now 4'11.5". I'm happy with him being shorter than me still. Five more inches and he'll pass Nick and I. He is now 99.6 lbs which is up from 99.8 lbs.

Grandpa Williams handed down his Browning Bow to Seth which was such an amazing present in Seth's eyes.