Elser Family Blog

OK, everyone who asked “what the heck is that”
It’s a cicada.
Wikipedia:Cicada
I have fond memories of the 17 year variety (Magicicada) coming out in ~1971 and ~1988 In Chicago. The first time they came out I connect the year with the summer Dad got that huge load of bowling pins from the bowling alley for burning in the fire place. Darn those things burn well.
Cicadas are harmless to people and trees, They wont hurt but the youngest trees, and only then when they emerge en masse. They are not disease carriers in any way. They make nice fun pets! They dont bite, sting, or pinch. (their feet sure do grab on to your finger quite well though!!)
The second time I remember them was the year I got the Pinball machine for Dad, the one Stephanie and Elden have/had. I got it from the basement of a house on the south side of Chicago that used to have an illegal still in the basement, behind a fake brick wall.. (I distinctly remember them showing me that wall.. Very cool.) It was in a classic southside basement bar, that you could just imagine the good times had in there in past years.
Yet everyone had grown, and no more parties were being thrown, so they were selling off the bar items, the pinball machine being one of the items.

I need to look up the next nearby place/year “Brood X” as they are called is going to emerge, and maybe take the kids to see it.

Melinda found a friend on the porch this morning. (actually, its the same one that came down our chimney into our fireplace last night! yikes!)

TRooper (TR=TreeRat) is starting to get hairy. Kath has invested much energy into this guy.. I hope he appreciates it. (as if)

[parental boasting on] Hannah must be competing with someone in class. This year in their Grade, the reading challenge is called “pagemaster”. Third Graders must read 3000 pages by the end of the school year.
Hannah has read 800 pages (chapter books, no pictures) in the last 10 days.[/parental boasting off]

Kath found a baby squirrel in our back yard.. Now she is mothering it.
Lucky squirrel.

A picture from earlier this summer.. I just found it on the local memory of the camera.

Yay! Today is the first day of school! Melinda’s in Kindergarten this year.. A big step! She said she loved it, and even made a new friend already.

It’s nice to see the kids excited about going back.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. LOTS has gone on. My Dad Passed, Hannah went to her first “youth” event at church (a bowling night) We came back from the beach, we visited Kath’s Brother Bobby and his wife Robyn and their new baby boy Troy, and a couple other important events I cant even remember right now. Part of why the lack of posts is.. For some reason, I don’t like posting when I cant post pictures, and my computer was in a million pieces because we were having the room it was in painted while we were on vacation.
Enough of the excuses. I will post more often.
Before I get to the pictures, I want to mention something that is very special about Melinda. She is a dyed in the wool saver. verging on miser? I don’t know. She might be able to put me to shame when she grows up.
Some examples.
Candy. She hoards candy. She will eat a piece or two, and then put the rest in a special box that she has just for candy she is “keeping”. The M&M’s Mom gave all the kids for a snack on the long ride home? She still has half of them. From a 900 mile trip can you imagine? This afternoon, I gave them all a swizzler stick (red licorice) an hour later, she still has a piece of it in her mouth. She is just sucking on it. Its amazing. Money? It all goes in her bank. She gets ME to buy something for her when we walk to the gas station, or she goes without. I don’t know where she learned this, but Hannah wanted to borrow 5$ from her while on vacation.. She said, sure, but you have to pay me 6$ back… Wha..?
She has patience, that is for sure.

OK. Some pictures are in order.
Introducing Kathi’s Brothers son, and our kids cousin, Troy Sideikas. That makes Bob Sideikas’s fourth grandson. First was Christopher, then Rockwell, then Lars, Now Troy.
Interesting names are not at a shortage in this family. First, the professional photo.

Now the questionable family photo.

Melinda is entering Kindergarten this year! Here she shows she can spell her name.

Hannah and Melinda decided that they would have some fun with Melinda’s hair.

Silly children.