Protected: Greetings from the Schulte’s!

January 2011...Now March 2011 Happy New Year!  We’ve been on a 2-year hiatus from holiday letters / pictures – we hope we are finally back on track.  We actually wrote a letter last January but never got it printed, let alone a picture selected for cards.  As some of you know, we’ve had a lot of changes in the past 1-2 years, which is partly why we never found the time to do cards. We are all happy and healthy. We are pleased to report we sold our house in North Branch after just over a year on the market.  We are happily settled in North Oaks, MN now, having moved here in September 2009. Being homeowners for 2 houses was not fun, but we survived. We are thankful for the “extra” time we now have maintaining only one home.  That doesn’t mean we have much down time, but we aren’t spread quite so thin. Getting to where we are now would not have been possible without the support of our family and we are truly grateful for all their help (hours of time from Darrell’s mom, Jackie, ranging from helping to get our house decluttered and “staged” for going on the market, boxes packed for our move, helping unpack, and countless hours watching our children as well.  Aleta’s parents for taking the boys for a week or two each summer so we could prep the house, paint, etc as well as their help with moving and unpacking). Darrell:  Continues to work for UW-Madison as an information processing consultant / web guy / techie.  He is blessed to be able to telecommute from home with the occasional trip to Madison, WI. He’s been as happy has a lark since moving back to his “old stomping grounds” – he’s always been a happy kind of guy, but his level of contentment I don’t recall seeing before and it has been to notice since we’ve moved here.  He’s thrilled that his boys will grow up in the attend school in the same district as he once did (Mounds View Schools).  He’s taken up hockey for himself again, playing in 1-2 “old man” leagues. He is also coaching Zack’s and Nick’s mite teams as well as getting outside on the rink for fun with the boys as much as possible.  I think he’s more at home on ice than he is on solid ground. He gets to be the “runner” to/from preschool for Sam as well as “treat Dad” in the classroom when it is his turn on the rotation to be parent helper.  Darrell played a little softball this summer on a league as well.  He has discovered the older you get, the easier you get injured and the longer it takes to heal.  But, he’s proud to say that a broken pinky, crooked back, and pulled hamstring did not stop him from getting on the rink or the field this summer. Aleta:  Now in my second year as a school psychologist in White Bear Lake Schools.  I work at Willow Lane Elementary, which is a K-5 school (with a lot of cultural and social-economic diversity).  It’s been an interesting transition for me. I miss my friends / colleagues at North Branch, but have made new ones here.  My job roles here are a little different than in North Branch.  I do fewer assessments, but my time is filled in other ways, like case managing students on IEPs – mostly students on the autism spectrum or with emotional-behavior difficulties.  That means I’m trouble-shooting problems a lot!  I do have some interesting days though! I also get to have small groups and classroom lessons.  In terms of professional development, I’ve learned a lot this past year and a half! The most challenging part for me, I think, is just juggling the workload and feeling like I never get any uninterrupted work time to keep my head above water – with paperwork or lesson planning.  Aside from work, the most enjoyable parts of my days are with my boys and Darrell – doing things together or watching them do things.  I do enjoy being a “hockey / baseball mom.” I still try to stay in shape – my kickboxing days ended in October and I have yet to find a replacement for that, but I did start running again and it’s been wonderful to get out in scenic North Oaks for a run 2-3 days a week.  I have tried skating with the boys but they already skate faster and better than I do. Zack: Currently in 2^nd grade – just turned 8 (where does time go?) and loving life!  He’s still the kid that lights up a room – jumps into anything that grabs his interest with both feet and gives it his all and then some.  He’s doing well in school –- loves to be challenged. He has found reading good books absolutely enticing and can devour a thick chapter book in 1-2 days. He enjoys athletics -– currently hockey (pretty much all year) and baseball in spring and summer.  He has visions of football this fall (mom and dad not so excited about that though…tackle at 3^rd grade – really?). Zack still loves to play and use his imagination – Legos and star wars are among the common amusements for him. He has become a history buff and enjoys reading nonfiction books and exploring maps. He’s continued with chess club this year and enjoys a challenge from any willing opponent. Zack has started learning to play the piano – if you stop by, he’ll give you a mini-concert (or a free lesson). For the most part he is a wonderful big brother – but he can’t resist teasing and bossing them from time to time. Nick: Started kindergarten this year and loves it!  In fact, one of the best quotes of the year from him was when I asked him what he thought about school as the new year was just beginning – his response, “4 thumbs up including my big toes!”  What fun to be his parents.  He’s our more cautious, observant and reflective child. He strives to give his best at everything he does. Our challenge is to help him learn that best doesn’t mean perfect.  He loves to think of “experiments” and has an unquenchable curiosity to learn. Nick has taken a break from Tae Kwon Do (but says he wants to get back to it again sometime). Like his older role models, Nick has found a love for the ice –- he’s skating well and enjoys being on a team and scoring goals. He was in t-ball last spring / summer but will venture into coach pitch this year (ah… “real” baseball). He was about the only t-baller last year that hit into the outfield and actually paid attention while fielding. He’s ready for the big leagues, right? He’s joined chess club and loves to beat papa when they play. Nick also has a passion for Legos and Star Wars and has glommed on to the Pokémon fad. Nick has also started tickling the ivories this winter and is doing well – he has many favorite songs already and seems to have a nice feel for playing. There are hints of great-grandpa Tony and Nana Jeannie in Nick, as he loves to nurture a garden. Sam: Also known as “Sammy Sunshine” –- he’s still our happy-go-lucky, smiley kid. Thankfully, he still loves to snuggle and shares “I love you” in such a sweet voice that it melts your heart. He started preschool this fall and beams with pride to show us the projects he makes. He has become Daddy’s shadow on the ice and loves to strap on the skates. He wishes he was old enough to be on a mite team and looks forward to next fall when his dream will come true.  He enjoys being a tag-a-long little brother and gets his nose into whatever Nick and Zack are doing. He’s nearly 4 years old but going on 10. He loves to get the family to play knee hockey in the basement and when Nana, Papa, or Grandma Jackie are here he tries to talk them into it by saying, “let’s play hockey – I’ll be easy on you.” He learned to ride his bike this past summer and can zoom down the road looking for the rush that only newfound freedom on two wheels can provide.  I can still chase him down and rein him in as he has yet to learn to be wary of traffic. He was thrilled to take swimming lessons last summer and loves to jump in the lake. He joined the “big boys” this summer at the lake and was included on several fishing outings. We hope you all are well and having a good start to 2011! Love, The Schulte’s (Darrell, Aleta, Zack, Nick & Sam) 28 Pheasant Lane, North Oaks, MN 55127 651-705-6257