Great Lakes Summer, Part 6: Grammy and Gramps

My parents were good parents. Actually they were very good parents, all things considered. But they are EXCEPTIONAL grandparents.

My kids were under the impression all summer that after Grammy and Gramps had finished their morning coffee and newspaper, they existed only to please them. For the most part, it was true.

He's taught them to fish, of course.

She took em pickin'.

He taught him how to grill dinner.

She taught her how to knit.

They took em camping.

In the RV, of course.

He let him drive the boat.

She let her help with the pies.

He made them laugh.

She listened to their stories.

They took em to see the sights (and connect with their Dutch roots).

He carried their stuff down the beach.

So they could watch them have a good time.

They aren't afraid to have a good time themselves.

I loooooove my parents.

Great Lakes Summer, Part 5: Watching the bobber

Why do I love fishing?

I love cooking because it's working with my hands (and it has to be done anyway). I love writing because it's like building with blocks - an enormous pile of blocks of all colors and shapes and sizes, and the possibilities are endless. I love playing soccer because while the rest of the world throbs with chaos, the soccer game, in all of its fury and zeal, is carried out within clear boundary lines, in a definite amount of time, and the ball either goes into the net or it doesn't.

But what about fishing? 

I think I love it so much because, when done in its simplest form, with a rod and reel, a sinker, a bobber, and the ripped-in-half end of a wriggling crawler on a hook, it is an exercise in giving up control. There is no way to make that bobber go down. There is no way to control the actions of the fish. All I can do is sit and wait in the breeze and the sun and the call of a nearby loon. 

When I am fishing, I am truly calm. I have my own permission, and the permission of sportsmen everywhere, to sit still (and say nothing) for hours on end. 

Great Lakes Summer, Part 4: The Big Lake

Where I'm from, the school system makes sure every kid knows how to swim. There is just too much water around. Water is everywhere, and where there is water, there is fun...especially at the big lake.

Zion wears prescription goggles to keep that lazy eye in check.

This is my happy place. 

So we always make sure they take swimming lessons when we are in Michigan. Love this picture of my four little swimmers.

Great Lakes Summer, Part 3: Cousins!

There is no place like home, and there are no people like your own people.

Cousins.

They call the same people Grandma and Grandpa. Their parents are perfectly comfortable with each other. They have the same nose and the same laugh, or at the very least they like the same casseroles (passed down from the same great aunts). They compete and tease like siblings, but with a little bit of extra thoughtfulness thrown in.

Me, Daniel, Dad, Mom, Jack Sr., Melissa, Carrie, Kody, Brave, Gene, Jubilee, Zion, Jack Jr., and Sharlet

Second cousins! Missing Karter, of course. Not pictured: Hunter, Jack, and Sharlet

Rademaker cousins! Not everybody could make it, but we sure had fun.

I may not have sisters, but I've got my two girl cousins on my mother's side! Katy and Abbey. We LOVE to laugh. 

Great Lakes Summer, Part 2: All things American

They're expat kids, and they love that about themselves. But they are also very proud of their citizenship, and they love learning about their home country.

So this summer in Michigan, we bought them the quintessential American snacks: Chex Mix, Combos, Cracker Jack, and Corn Nuts.

And we made SURE they tried apple cider.

Nothing says "America" like sectional plates, au gratin potatoes, checkered table cloths, and oversized hair bows. Fourth of July as it should be!

And let's not forget about our country's fine art of taxidermy.

Queen Anne's Lace and Black Eyed Susan. These are to Michigan as bamboo is to China.

Sand between chubby toes. Sand running through chubby fingers. Sand clinging to the skin of six-year-old knees. This is Michigan.

Nothing is more American than veterans. Except maybe veterans at a Fourth of July parade. God bless America.

Great Lakes Summer, Part 1

Back in late June, our blue Lands End bags were filled, weighed, and stacked for the journey.

(We bought those bags before moving overseas in '08, using the $700 we earned from selling everything we owned in a yard sale under a shade tree across from the football field).

One last look at our Chinese way of life, before heading Stateside until Christmas!

Then we were off, flying American Airlines to Shanghai and finally to Chicago. A long journey, to be sure, but easier than in previous years when the kids were too young to eat from their own food trays. This trip was surprisingly uneventful.

The time had come at last to enjoy a Michigan summer! But first things first. If the kids were going to stay in the basement bedroom, Grandpa had to be sure they knew what to do in case of a fire.

Once we were settled in, with all those blue bags unpacked and our jetlag under control, it was time to embrace America, the land of opportunity!

The land of...sausages.

The land of bike riding!

And playgrounds made of wood! (The same playground I played on when I was their age). Wood is a rare resource in China and hardly ever do you see it.

Sweet America, where there are treasures in the trees

and the skies wear robes of linen.

Gathered together we stood at the starting line of Summer 2015, and oh what a summer it would be.