visiting Hotel Transylvania 2

The two youngest and I headed to Hudson Theater on Sunday afternoon after prepping the classroom for another week. We watched Mavis, her husband, and her son, Dennis navigate the world. It was clever and cute and O giggled for the last five minutes of the movie due to monster fights--he loves ACTION. Nice date with the kids at the theater!

busy Saturday

We had a busy day today--all 3 kids had different places to be at 10am. O had mini-kicks, K had soccer for team France and A had his first marching band experience at the UW River Falls Homecoming parade. He thinks he might try marching band in the future.

Here is a photo of A (near center with baritone) and K and O in their soccer photos

Katie Olsen and Katie Olson team France

GO KGO

go OJO

happy 17th Evan Lee!

in 1998, three beautiful Blomgren babies were born. First came Ross Isaac, next came Liana Marie and last of all was a sweet little brown eyed boy named Evan Lee. With much love and admiration, we celebrate you and wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.

this photo collage made Momma Joan Lee

hello October

The morning was very brisk, but the beautiful sun warmed the earth to make a glorious afternoon. My walk home after school was getting a bit chilly again, but it quicken my pulse and made me very thankful for the coming of fall. One of my dear classroom parents stopped to offer me a ride home but I politely declined because of all the things I saw on my walk home. Thanks though, Sara!

so long September

At the beginning of the month, I would have never guessed that I would need to wear a winter scarf and gloves to school on the 30th. It happened.

Today, my lovely neighbor teacher and friend, Michelle and I took our classes out to the river for gym class. Two toads were found and the children had a wonderful time exploring just a little bit of nature. These days are just magical and fleeting.

it's a small world after all

This past Saturday, I attended a conference on the UW River Falls campus called Nature: The First and Essential Prepared Environment. It was a Montessori teacher who has an outdoor classroom near Milwaukee who was presenting things that he does with his school and things that we can take back to our own classrooms.

We had a lovely lunch and a woman who was not in our group sat near us. She was wearing a New England Public Radio t-shirt. I asked about her shirt and she said her son was the host of Morning Edition which as very impressive. When I asked what his name was, she replied "Henry Epp". I told her that I grew up with Epps and she asked me where I grew up. I told her the Epps were from Mountain Lake. It turns out that the Epps I know are cousins of her husband. My friend Susie is a cousin by marriage to the woman I met at the workshop. When I told her that my Mom taught was Becky, Susie's Mom, it made the world even smaller.

I wonder how many people we see and don't even have the time to make that connection. Our world is so large, but yet so small.

super lunar event

bleary eyed children in class today--many were up late watching the super moon. This series was taken by super photographer friend Carrie H. of River Falls.

 It was really pretty incredible and I got an opportunity to watch it with all of my children, my husband and my Mom (while on the phone). It was fun to look at the beautiful stars and airplanes that also shared the beautiful sky.

ren fest

Our family left River Falls early this morning, foregoing church and Sunday School to attend the 2015 Renaissance Festival.

Highlights according to the family:
the two shows--Danger Brothers and Puke and Snot
the elephant ride
the mermaids
Jacob's Ladder
leaving

It was a really beautiful weather day and as O was heading to bed, he asked if we could go see the Mermaids again ;). I think he took quite a shining.

happy 19th birthday dear Thomas Matthew!

Thomas, the strong, intelligent and talented is now 19. Happy birthday to you.

a photo of the now 19 year old at his Senior Prom

o and Momma

Just a day after I posted K's 4th grade photo, the two photos were delivered to River Falls Public Montessori Elementary. Here they are. No tears this year!

He's in Kindergarten

year 3 of 1-3rd grade

beata 2015

Here she is...a bona fide 4th grader