New Favorite Lunch

A package arrived from Arizona with a new sandwich product enclosed in it.

Katie loves it.

Thanks AZ-Allards!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

X-mas Eve in MN

We woke up to another snowstorm and by noon we had another 6" of fresh fluffy powder.

First we needed to shovel out.
We then picked up Katie's friends Lydia and Gussy for a walk to the park.





Afterwards we went to the Grulke-Reed house for refreshing cup of minty hot chocolate.

Overdue Fall Photos

Although a Minnesota fall is not the same as that in New England, I always look forward to taking my students on the annual fall field trips to western and northern Minnesota. Here are a few shots of my students hard at work on one of these field trips.
(I believe a click will enlarge them if you so desire)

Here my students are beginning their death march as I lost my way and a 5 minute hike to the Morton Gneiss quarry took about 1/2 hour of circling and backtracking in the brush.

Below are the students mapping basalt dikes that intrude into the Saint Cloud Pink Granite at Stearns County Quarry Park near St. Cloud, MN.

My TA Nicole looking at them from across the quarry wondering if they will every make it to the other side where the really cool stuff is before they run out of time?
















Here's a photo of a quiet stream near Cold Springs, MN. I was taking a break while the students wrestled with identifying carlsbad twins in 2 inch long feldspars. (sorry a little geo-geeky there for a moment)



Below are my students are taking a break after lunch near Redwood Falls, MN.















Here the students investigate a fault in a gabbro near Granite Falls, MN.












This is a group photo taken at the University Quarry east of St. Cloud. The rock they are sitting on is known locally as the Reformatory Granite because it was quarried from this location during construction of the reformatory that is literally a stone throw away from where they are sitting.

Dear Santa, 2008

Katie Allard

Age 7

(click on image to enlarge)

Hockey=no, Figure Skating=yes

Well I lost, Katie switched from hockey to figure skating. I guess she is better suited and happier so I will have to accept my child as she is. They say folks are born this way, even with hockey in their parents genes they can still “turn” figure. :)


Enjoy these 2 short videos of her basic skills practice.

Thanksgiving Day

Living so far away from family, Thanksgiving can be a somewhat melancholy time. We know that our loved ones are gathered elsewhere and we can't be with them. It makes for a difficult holiday.

This year we decided to begin a new tradition. The focus is not on the meal, which was small this year, but rather on the three of us. We started the day with a lovely hike in the woods and bluffs behind St. Mary's University.

Katie loves to explore and hike. I think that she is one of those kids who is always thinking. That constant roll of thoughts can be overwhelming at times. She loves the quiet of hiking in the woods.

Of course, Sadie loves it too

Katie cracked us up during this hike when we had the following conversation:

Katie: "Mom and Dad, I know that right now you have to hike with me because I am little, but When I am a teenager, can I go hiking alone?"

Steve: "Most likely, if you are familiar with these woods, I think your mom and I wouldn't mind if you came out here alone. Why?"

Katie: "I think that walking in the woods alone lets you think about all the important stuff in life."

Sheila: "Are there important things you are thinking about now?"

Katie: "Well, not really, but I think when I am a teenager, I will have lots of important things to think about. Stuff like.....What am I going to be when I grow up? ..... Who am I going to marry?... You know, all those important things."

Geez, I'm not sure I was worrying about things like that when I was seven! She is definately a deep thinker.

Ice Princess

Katie made the switch from Hockey to figure skating this year. I think it suits her better, but I must say that the hockey drills certainly prepared her for figure skating. This drill cracks me up, the kids have to put a beany baby on their heads and skate without letting it fall. It really does help them to kinesthetically get the proper balance and posture.

I think Katie feels that skating is fun, but I wonder if what she really loves is the fancy dresses and costumes. Who could really blame her if that is a driving factor?

Halloween

It is amazing how buzy life gets. I know that once I begin collecting research papers from my students, life as I know it ceases. Things that take a bit more time tend to fall by the wayside. That includes all creative projects - sewing, painting, writing, and ... blogging.

I am going to attempt to get you up to speed on the Allard household. I've got some Halloween pictures to post. For the past few years, we have celebrated Halloween with our good friends Julie and Kyle and their two delightful daughters Lydia, and Augusta. Julie and Kyle's neighborhood really knows how to celebrate Halloween, and the girls love to see the neighbor's decorations.

Katie started out wearing her witch costume however, once she saw some of Lydia's great new dress up clothes, she switched costumes

Who would want to dress as a witch when you could be a cowgirl princess? Especially if you could wear such cool boots!

The girls get ready to head out and gather sweet loot.

Julie and I like to walk with the gals, Steve and Kyle get the firepit going and make sure the beer is okay for consumption. They may think that they have the better deal, but Julie and I would beg to disagree!
I especially love the decor on the houses. Our neighborhood has mostly "older" folks living in it. We don't see many decorations and lights around Halloween. Note the "OZ Crossing" on the door above!
Pass through if you dare. Bwahhhhhhhaa ha ha ha!

This portal is equipted with spooky sounds and screams. One two year old walking near us refused to pass through. I can certainly understand!

After trick or treating, we joined the guys by the fire and counted loot. Another great evening!