Encounters with the Outside World.

Found another great online book site via the WTM boards yesterday. Printed off a short story by P.G. Wodehouse, and enjoyed a lovely evening curled up in bed to read. After the day I had yesterday, this was just what the doctor ordered. Enjoy!
Classic Reader

Yesterday at the ball field was miserable. It was only 43 degrees when we got there, with winds 12-16mph. Zorak is TDY this week, so it's just me and the little guys. Otherwise, I'd have stayed home with the three smallest! I tried to stay in the snack shack with the littles, but got tired of being the only adult in a room full of unwatched children. You know, parents might want to touch base with their little girls, and keep an idea of what's going on. Too much unsupervised down-time with other kids is one time-honored way for good kids to find the wrong path, and boy are those paths abundant and appealing when you're 12 years old, no matter how bright, sweet, and smart you are. They're still just kids, and they're pretty susceptible to visits from the Bad Idea Fairy. *sigh*

One little boy in particular, though, just about found himself yanked up by the nape of his neck and hung from the coat rack. He walked in and immediately began interrupting our conversations to interject ugly things about random children, kicked his sister repeatedly (and I mean *kicked* - he wasn't playing, he was out to hurt her, and when she tried to walk away, he'd follow her and trip her), and rounded the whole performance off by swearing at anyone who would listen, complaining about his horrible mother and how, "The woman won't give me another freakin' dollar!" He started there, and ramped up to the Big Words in no time. James' game had already begun, but John and Smidge were with me, and they were just floored by the way this kid behaved.

I'll admit it, I stepped in. The interrupting, I could handle. He's five. Kids interrupt and need gentle reminders that it's not okay. So, I gently reminded. It didn't do much good, but I kept reminding and he did eventually wait for me to stop talking before he mouthed off. It was the kicking that put me over the edge, though, and I told him in no uncertain terms that it was not okay, that I have a serious problem with it, and that he had to stop. right. now. or get out. He left for a little, then came back in and began the swearing session. At least he kept his feet to himself. After only two minutes of the swearing, though, I had to say something, again. And again, when he sassed back. "The swearing isn't going to help you get what you want, you're smart enough to think of other ways to express your displeasure, and the rest of us do not need to be held captive by this venom. Period. Come on, kiddo, you can do better. I believe in you. Give it a try." He did finally realize a few things: I'm serious, I'm not backing down, I won't be cowed by a five-year-old child, and I'm right. He stopped! Glory, hallelujah! His sister's eyes were enormous, and her mouth hung open as she stood there, watching the exchange. Gah, does nobody tell this child "no"? He's still little. He doesn't have to be a bully or a demon-kid. There's a sweet little boy under all that ugly crust. But you know, by that point I was just raw around the edges and it was clear that I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Smidge and Em and keep Jason comforted, while trying to prevent the inmates from setting the asylum on fire. So we went out into the cold. Yuck. When James' game ended, I told John's coach that I couldn't hang with the big dogs anymore and had to leave early. He was good about it.

We came home, had banana bread and hot chocolate, and the kids were very helpful in getting everybody rounded up and into bed. John helped Smidge with his toothbrushing. Smidge let him. WOOHOO! James read bedtime stories to Emily. He fell for the "one more story" fillibuster several times, then bolted down the hallway, panting, "I had to run before she could ask for one more!" They make me laugh. Jason, bless him, went to sleep at ten and stayed asleep until four, and I took full advantage of that little reprieve to get some rest, myself!

We have to be there again today. This time, I'm taking the sleeping bag, a thermos of hot chocolate, a big batch of these awesome turnovers from Chris' blog, and plenty of things for the kids to do. We'll take Set and Quiddler, some crayons and activity books, some stories, and some drawing pads. It'll be okay. And it'll be available to anyone who wants to join us. It's all good. I was just caught off-guard yesterday. But that's okay. We all learn as we go, right?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Mexican Food and Pictures

Thursday, we tried a new Mexican restaurant in town. I'm always hesitant to do this, as it's a sure bet the food we find will not be "New Mexican" food. That, we can handle, being 1200 miles from New Mexico and all. Unfortunately, it's often not even actually "Mexican", but rather more El Salvadorian or Guatemalan influenced.

(Not that those are bad, but they aren't Mexican, either, and yet they bill themselves as Mexican. I don't get it. Of course, if I were opening a restaurant, I wouldn't immediately decide that a Mexican-Chinese Buffet is the thing to do, either. Yet there are quite a few of those around the area. They all seem to be doing well, too. So, I'm guessing there are forces at work that are beyond my understanding.)

However, we were hungry and didn't want to eat in the car (the *best* Mexican food in Decatur has only drive-thru service, but it's worth eating in the car if you don't have a herd of tired children with you!) The food at this new place was different. Mostly good. The boys *loved* their enchiladas and tamales. We've never seen tamales served like this before...

The enchiladas looked identical. We could only tell the difference by eating a bite of each first.

Smidge chickened out at the last minute and ordered chicken nuggets. Normally, we don't go that route, but as you can see, he was feelin' the love...

EmBaby missed all the excitement. She woke up in time to get a Peppermint Patty at the register, though, so she wasn't too bummed about the whole thing. (And the nap did wonders for her general outlook!)

But this... this took us off guard... do you know what this is?

This is, at the new restaurant, a "chile relleno". It's in a BOWL, people! It's soupy! It has that white, floaty thing on top of it! This is so. incredibly. wrong. If you aren't familiar with chile rellenos, allow me to walk you through it. "chile", according to Dictionary.com, is -noun 2. very hot and finely tapering pepper of special pungency [syn: chili] and "relleno", –adjective 1. stuffed, esp. filled with cheese: chilis rellenos.

Or, better yet - –noun 2. a chili relleno. (Which, following this thought logically, would be "a tapering pepper stuffed with cheese". Or, something loosely resembling such.) Does anything in that bowl look like what I've just described? Other than that there is, clearly, cheese? No.

I kept waiting for Zorak to try some, and when I finally couldn't take it any longer and asked him when he was going to eat it, he laughed and said he was waiting for me to try it first. We ended up bringing it home. It didn't look any more appealing after the ride. I think he ate it last night, but he hasn't said anything, so I have no idea how it tasted.

And this last one wasn't taken at the restaurant (obviously). But this is how little JT spends most of his late afternoon naps - sprawled across my thighs, out cold, while EmBaby hovers over him, sticking things to his head and my pantlegs. Good stuff, that. Bonding time and all, you know. (Have I mentioned how incredibly patient this child is? One day, he will grow up, move out, and realize that nobody else has people hovering over them, in their faces, all. the. time. I hope he doesn't hold that against us...)

We didn't get any of the piers poured on the balcony, but we've got some snazzy batter boards up, the forms made, and the concrete ready for... next weekend. Zorak's going to be too busy with work this week to get anything done on it, and I'm just not up for trying to pour concrete with the littles tweaking the difficulty factor. I've neither the skill nor the patience for that one. But that's okay. It'll be there when we get to it.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Sugar Daddy!

Well, that was awkward. I didn't mean to publish this post without any words!

What I *meant* to add to the title and the picture is this:

Give me a Sugar Daddy (the candy - the tooth-removing, plaque-causing, hard-caramel-on-a-stick, not some wealthy guy with a penchant for spoiled females), a sleeping bag, and a sibling to share the body heat, and we can handle any chilly, early-morning game the league wants to throw at us! Batter up!

Actually watching the game, however... Well, that's best left to the grown-ups. There's too much else to see.

"OK, you watch that side. I'll watch this side. Let me know if anything interesting happens!"

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

We Made It!

Another Thursday and no blood, no lost children, no foul. WOOHOO! But first, gratuitous JT photo:
Piano went well. I did notice today that John doesn't play as fluidly for his teacher as he does at home. He seems much more timid and cautious. The entire time we're there, he is quiet and reserved. I spoke with his teacher about this, and we are hoping that as he gets more comfortable with her, he'll find that groove. I hope that's all it is. James, who is completely in his element with music and with this teacher, had a fabulous time, got extra work, and would. not. stop. talking. He was begging for new chords and more music even as I shoved him out the door. (I wasn't being curt, it's just that Zorak was already at the car with Em and Smidge.) Once we leave the studio, however, both boys instantly revert to their feral, squirrel-like state and start goofing with each other all the way back to the car. They are such a funny pair, those two.

Then it was on to the baseball games. It seems James has a "fail-proof" batting strategy he's decided to employ. I was unaware of it, but Zorak filled me in during the game. The discussion went something like this:

Me: (watching James at bat) His elbows aren't up.
Zorak: He's not going to swing.
Me: Well, *snort* yeah, he can't from that position.
Zorak: (totally deadpanning it, for my benefit) That is his position.
Me: What? Why isn't he-- (ball whizzes by, James leans waaayyyy back, doesn't swing) What was that?
Zorak: Told you he wouldn't swing.
Me: How'd you know? (ball whizzes by, James leans waaayyy back, doesn't swing) Well, if he'd put his ELBOWS up...
Zorak: Statistically speaking, the odds of a 10-year-old, first-time pitcher getting the ball within the strike zone are much lower than James' odds of making a hit when he swings. So.
Me: Are you making this up?
Zorak: (shooting me a look that says, "you know the stuff he makes up is far stranger than anything *I* make up") No. But he did. If he just doesn't swing, he won't strike out because there'll be enough balls that they'll walk him. (ball whizzes past... again)
Me: Really? And his coach is okay with this?
Zorak: No. But (ball whizzes past, James gets to walk to first base)... evidently, James doesn't realize that yet.
Me: I can't believe it worked.
Zorak: Creepy, huh?
Me: Yeah...

James' team won. That makes it a little more challenging to point out that perhaps James might want to change his strategy... but we'll work on it.

John's team took quite a spanking tonight, but it was a fantastic game. John's team gave it a good shot, and they've improved quite a bit this season. However, the team they played truly had their act together. I can't believe the difference in the level of play, the competence of the players, (the attention spans of the players!) between last year's 5-6 year-olds and this year's teams of 7-8 year-olds. Wow! John's getting the feel of strategy, making a play, and working together. It. Is. So. Fun.

Really, it's all good stuff. This is why we just puckered up a bit, but went through with this Spring's schedule. Both of the older boys are learning new skills, both within their comfort zones and without those zones. They're really able to work and grow on their own merits, in different ways. Good stuff, this. This is why I whine *here* about Thursdays, instead of to the kids.

They both missed Scouts, since James' game didn't end until 7:30, and John's didn't start until 7:00. But I think it was a fine day, in general, and we'll be able to catch up on Scout stuff this week, in time for the Pack meeting next week. So, all-in-all, WOOHOO!

Ok, I've pushed my envelope, and JT has realized I'm not back there. Time to go!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Thursday, again?

Wasn't it just Thursday, only a few days ago? Well, *sigh* that's okay. It's 8:30. I've got laundry going, dishwasher running, kids have hot chocolate, and banana bread is queued up to be made. (I'm not being Donna Reed. It's just that with J's evening exile and that whole nursing-coma thing, all my evening chores are now morning chores. I awake to a trashed kitchen, dirty dishes, scrubby dining table, no clean socks, and no coffee. Gah. It's a good thing I'm a morning person. Or that I can fake it.)

Smidge is working in his new activity book (thanks, Jess! The kids loved the box, and it was a Life Saver Extraordinaire at practice yesterday!) John is, ostensibly, looking for his Scout handbook, although he's been back there for a while, and I suspect he got distracted by the gears the kids left out last night. Em, James and BabyJ are all still sound asleep.

We've got a busy day (yes, I know, morning blogging = to-do lists. Y'all must be thrilled with the immense joy of reading this blog at times like this!) We've got to refill the bird feeder, because we have ravenous birds who evidently refuse to forage on their own and are now perching ON the porch, yelling at me through the open door. Considering I'm just a wee bit terrified of birds, I'm not sure why I thought it would be neat to encourage them to hang around. (Oh, yes, I do. The boys love watching them, and I would raise cockroaches for domestication if one of my children really wanted to do it. I'm a sucker, and I know it.) But now, I'd really like for the wee pterodactyls to back off my porch. I've watched Alfred Hitchcock movies. I know this won't go well for us when they turn...

We've got piano. James is taking off with his lessons, flying through books and impressing the snot out of his teacher. John, well, not so much. He's enjoying it, but not really excelling at it the way James is. He learns differently, he processes differently. He also clutches up when his brother gets near him while he's practicing. So when his teacher asked me what's up with him, I could only smile sheepishly and explain that my genetic input surfaces in strange ways... poor kid. I've been trying to give John more time without James hovering and making him twitchy. It would be easier if Thursdays didn't come every three or four days, though, don't you think? ;-) (Lie to me, if you must, but tell me the days will slow back down again at some point.)

Two games. I have no idea where one of them is going to be played. Guess I ought to find that out, huh?

Den meeting. Sweet reprieve, I can be home with the small ones for that. Ahhhh.

Oh, and then, because sometimes I'm really quite bad at being the Grown Up, I have to go to the DMV and get our tags. Yeah, since I didn't realize they expired the end of March. (And to be honest, I wasn't paying attention to much of anything the last couple weeks of March.) So, as I pointed out to the boys, this is what happens when you don't pay attention! Lesson learned the hard way. I'm a dork.

OK, they've all awoken now and seem to be hungry or something... better get going on that Grown Up Thing. :-)

Kiss those babies!

~Dy

Balcony O' Death Pictures

OK, so the Forever Home has what may have been, at one point, a lovely balcony. It is not now, as you can see. But the issues weren't simply aesthetic. Not something you could slap a little Cabot stain on and call it good. Let me show you a few highlights...

Well, first, we have the security features... compliments of Georgia Pacific. This came with the house when we bought it. The basic dimensions of the balcony are 12'x27'. It's large and spacious. It also swayed a good 8" at the top level if you walked on it. When you're ten feet up, with no net to catch you, that's a bad thing. Note the spacing between pickets. Smidge and Em could both fit through there, side-by-side. Great, tandem toddler tossing. Not such a selling point, we know.

The columns holding up the deck are 4x4's. 15' tall 4x4 beams, set way too far apart to support the structure. *sigh* They are set in concrete piers, which is good. But the concrete is below grade (aka - buried in moist dirt) on every one of them, which is, well, useless. So, naturally, every column is rotted to the core and ready to shear off in a high wind, or if someone actually leans on one of them at just the right angle. Weee!

Here, you can see a better view of the toddler take-off points. Yes, paneling. Lovely, no? (NO. But, better than losing a child or two. We only joke about some of them being spares.) The deck boards are 1/2" boards. This is not so great. It transitions to Very Bad after 30-some-odd years with no protective measures to compensate. Some of the boards don't even make it all the way onto the joists. Nothing says "Better videotape this for Jackass" quite like watching the decking bow beneath your feet. Don't do this if you build a deck, okay? Thicker boards don't cost that much more, and they are well worth the investment. Thanks.

Ooooo, this is one of my favorites shots! Not only were my knees tingly the whole time (which made it hard to focus on composition, okay?), but it shows a little more detail of the craftsmanship in our balcony. What you see here is a 12' span supported by 2"x8" joists! Does the fun never stop? Did these people just hate their friends and hope for a spectacular flaming death at a Fourth of July BBQ? Why? Why did they do this? (General rule of thumb: 2x8 - 8' span, 2x10 - 10' span, 2x12 - 12' span... we're runnin' a wee bit shy on the spinal supports, here. The rotted, puny support columns were also spaced way too far apart, so it's not like there was any help on that side, either.)

And here, it's down. Love the ghetto action look, don't you? (I keep reminding myself that things often look worse before they look better.) Note the lovely ginormous holes in the brick. They're huge - three bricks high by 3/4 of a brick wide. They knocked those out to put in the bolts to support the ledger board. And while I do appreciate that the ledger board was actually bolted TO the house, I just don't understand the need to leave such enormous holes. It's a theme with these people. We've spent more on mortar patch and expanding foam than we have on flooring. We suspect this may be one area where the various snakes, lizards, squirrels, and other critters-that-ought-not-be-indoors entered the house.

Let's not even discuss the discoloration... you know what that is. We don't need to say it. *shudder*

Now, the overall plan is to put up a new deck using 6x6 colums set in piers that will remain above grade, with wet-set anchor bolts and galvanized fasteners and all that good stuff. (Because we like our children and our friends, and have no desire to recreate the Titanic on land, thanks.) We're moving the columns in two feet, with a two-foot cantilever (which is totally not scary or dangerous) so we can retain the 12' depth of the deck and not have to use 2x12 joists (because, let's face it, we only have so much money, and most of it goes to food and library late fees). We're extending the steps out another couple of feet so that each step isn't a full 11" high. (If I need a cardio-step workout, I can just walk from the barn to the house, anyway.) You won't even be able to stuff a newborn between the pickets on the new railings.

AND, we're wrapping the deck around the back so that the kitchen-door-that-we-cannot-use can finally be unwired and used without fear of bodily injury. We've always wanted a wrap-around deck. *smile* And since we've got the back yard fenced in, now, we've also wanted a way to get into the back yard that doesn't involve traipsing through our bedroom. This will meet both needs beautifully. And, that's what we've been up to!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

That went quickly.

I'm in bed with the baby by nine each night, and that pretty much kills my normal computer time. So the next time I sit down to write, *poof*, it's three days later!

The balcony o' death is down. The pictures are amazing. I'll post them later on today. For now, however, I promised LB I'd post more BabyJ photos. (Twist my arm, right?) But seriously, I'm all about being a good friend, and a good friend doesn't leave her friend jonesing for baby shots. So, BabyJ's big event this weekend was His First Bath! He tolerated it far better than any of the others ever did. What a patient little guy.

Not to mention, he had to endure his bath with EmBaby hovering over the edge of the tub, making waves and "splooshes", squeaking with delight, and trying to "help". Yep, he's a lot more calm than I would've been in the same situation.

However, either the activity wore him out completely, or he's a wily one and figured out how to play 'possum so we'll leave him alone...


The rest of the weekend was rain, baseball games, more rain, more practice, and a sick Smidge. He's got a ten o'clock appointment with the pediatrician today. Weee! Zorak was going back to work today, but the ped's office is a den of festering contagion and if we can avoid taking everybody down there (because you know they'd all contract something different to bring home and share), well, that'd be grand. So he's home this morning. Yay!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

So Vulnerable

No, not the baby. Me. One of the drawbacks to being up at three in the morning and not having cable is that you're limited to infomercials for entertainment.

Normally, I'm able to think about these things rationally. I wouldn't ever actually use the Total Gym, and they have yet to convince me that having one lying on my bedroom floor would help me look more like Christie Brinkley (or, heaven help me, Chuck Norris).

I do start to break down a bit when Ron comes on (dear, familiar Ron, a true infomercial pioneer) to tell me all about his latest do-dad for the kitchen. "Set It and Forget It" sounds so... handy, so nice, doesn't it? But, isn't that what crockpots are for? And doesn't that require remembering the "set it" portion at some point *before* you've got to be out the door? Yeah... meh. I'll just keep my crockpot and the guilt that accompanies never using it. At least that's paid for.

But at three in the morning, my defenses break down. I'm not thinking rationally. After half an hour, I. Want. One. Of. These. Never mind that I've never paid $80 for anything to clean my floors (not even my beloved RIDGID Shop Vac - which we got on sale, and was not a paid advertisement purchase, anyway). Never mind that I might mop, oh, um, whenever someone who cleans more than I do is going to come over (and we pick our friends wisely - the few we have who do clean more than I do, are worth mopping for!) Forget, for the moment, that we have water hard enough to cut diamonds, and the thing would probably die a painful, calcified death in less than a year (a month, if you use the thing like normal people - but we pro-rate our cleaning deaths, here). None of that matters. I want one. It even does grout. And I've been avoiding the grout issue for a while...

Fortunately, I don't have my debit card number memorized, and I'm too lazy to go find it, or we'd have a slew of strange purchases I'd have to explain to Zorak in the light of day, winging their way to us right now. Thank heaven for small mercies, huh?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

So, what else are you not telling me?

I have just begun to realize that you (and you know who you are... those of you with more than four...) have not been completely forthcoming with some pretty darned pertinent information! *ahem* And so I'm just going to come right out and say it, WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY WARN ME?!?!?

"But Dy," you ask, all wide-eyed and innocent, "Warn you about what?"

Oh, about a few things:

...warn me that five children gathered around a grocery cart looks like a WHOLE lot more children than just one less than that did.

...warn me that it takes the flexibility of a 21-year-old contortionist to nurse an infant, wipe a potty-training toddler, and turn off the bathroom faucet with your big toe all at the same time.

...or that I'd even have to DO something like that!

Andie, when questioned about this little oversight, mentioned something vague about a code. Well, I did it. I'm in. I'm in the club. Give. me. the. manual. And I hope it has pictures, because I think I did something wrong on the toe-faucet maneuver, and we're out of Ben-Gay.

Jess, when also questioned, decided to share a lovely anecdote about the lady who told her, "Oh, yes, five is when you lose your mobility." GAH! Like I'm not already crippled enough by my navigational impairment and general inability to get anywhere on time?

Now, mind you, I am *not* complaining. And there's no way I'm parting with this precious little bundle that's landed me in this situation. No-way, no-how. :-D I'm just, well, I like to be prepared. I like to have some idea what's coming, and how much it's going to eat, you know? So spill it, ladies. What other quirky new things do we have in store with five children? I know you've got anecdotes galore, and you've been holding out! But it's time to break the silence. It's okay, you can tell me... I won't tell anyone.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Random Thoughts

- We got the game schedules for two of the boys... and in spite of how much I've enjoyed *not* running around, I am really looking forward to making it to their games.

- Six o'clock is way too early to have to be on the road for an 8:30 appointment... but it's worth it for a good pediatrician.

- I keep getting spam in my inbox, offering me "guaranteed quantities of viagra"... Considering we've had five children in nine years, is this really a concern for us?

- You might be tempted to argue with Mom's counting... But you really can't argue with a metronome.

- I *heart* the metronome!

- There is nothing cuter than a four-year-old in his first baseball uniform... except, perhaps, pictures of a four-year-old in his first baseball uniform. But I was too busy oogling him and squeezing him and watching him beam with pride. Sorry.

- Waiting to see if your fifth child is going to be the fifth one to have colick, too, is like waiting for the other shoe to drop... when you wear anvils for shoes.

- Good friends... are really good.

- Nice weather... is always appreciated.

-

- It's a good life.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Balcony O' Death

*breathe in* *breathe out*

This is my new plan. I'm going to stick to it, no matter how hard it (or parts of it) may be. Remind me of this over the next month, will ya?

Today, Zorak began work on the preliminary portion of the balcony demolition, erm, rehabilitation. OK, no, demolition is the correct term. We were going to just shore it up a bit, make reinforcements here and there, and try to do this with as little expense as possible. Unfortunately, the closer we looked, the wider we realized the gap is between "possible" and... well, we pretty much had to redefine "possible" just to get started. Every. Little. Thing. Needs to be yanked and re-done. So, that's what we're going to do.

First, we banished the children to the Upper Meadow and the Back Yard. Only. Ever. Under penalty of having to live in the Scary Room until this project is completed if they so much as set a foot in the lower portion of the drive, or anywhere near the balcony. Obviously, they happily obliged.

We (the Royal We - I stayed inside and hummed loudly to myself - Zorak did all the work and the scary stuff) started with removing a limb that's been threatening to increase our insurance premiums ever since we bought the place.

The limb starts out from the tree about 20' off the ground, and extends straight up and out, extending over the balcony for a good 15'-20', ending in a gangly mass of dead weight, just waiting for a tornado, a heavy rain, or possibly just more than two migratory birds at one time to land on it. Zorak climbed up on the roof and started by removing the smaller pieces. Since the balcony is coming down, we didn't have to sweat it out any longer as to whether it would survive another limb-dive.

It mostly did. The hole on the left is from the first limb-dive, oh, a little over a year or so ago. The hole on the right is from the impact of the branch you see lying there. The balcony, itself, however, although now significantly more reminiscent of a foundering-ship-at-sea, did not collapse. So, armed with fresh determination, and an unyielding belief that I'd remember to call 9-1-1 if something horrible happened, Zorak took off a huge portion of the remaining limb. This is what it looks like, now. (Standing at the far, far end of the balcony, looking up.)

And this, is where the limb landed. I should have had Zorak go stand by it, to give you some perspective. Hmmm, perhaps I can use the debris to help? The camera is a good fifteen feet up, and 12 feet back. Those are five gal. buckets, there to the left of it. Cinder blocks comprise the two grey squares between the limb and the balcony. I'd guess the limb is a good 8" diameter where it broke off.

And so, the first of the many puckering phases of this project is complete. The rest of the limb looks solid, and should clear the balcony easily. It will come down this week. And then, so will the balcony. And then, the New Balcony, the one that will not shimmy, shake, or make anybody seasick, will rise from the rubble like a... like a non-flaming, not terribly magical Phoenix. Yup. That pretty much sums it up.

Tomorrow, more pictures, and I'll highlight some of the Hideous Contracting Decisions that make this deck oh, so special. But for now, BabyJ is up and so is my blogging time.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The View From Here...

... is a nice one.



Kiss those babies!

~Dy

About that hat!

Emily asked where we found the beautiful little hat Jason's wearing in the pictures. I'm so glad you asked, because I want to just gush and gush about this little hat! It's actually a set: hat and booties. They were a gift. Now, I know the rule is not to knit things for non-knitters, because they seldom appreciate what goes into knitting a garment. I promise you I am the exception to the rule: I am a non-knitter because I've tried. I know *exactly* what goes into it, and also that I am supremely incapable of knitting anything other than what essentially amounts to a yarn-based "anxiety read out". (Oh, here she was stressed, and here's where she got sleepy, and oh, boy, something made her mad, here - it's nearly waterproof for four inches!)

So, this beautiful gift was given to BabyJ from the incredibly talented Miss KathyJo, who can put up with goats, raise chickens, pop out exquisitely beautiful children (and photographs of said children), write up Latin answer books, make me laugh no matter how crappy my day has been, and, as you can see here... knit cool baby stuff!


The hat is so sweet, and so soft, but what really makes me act like I've got some kind of fetish is these booties. Oh. My. Word. Are they not the cutest, sweetest, most beautiful little things in the world? Only baby feet would be worthy of such beautiful little coverings, don't you think?
Oh, they just make me smile, smile, smile. My plan is to find her weakness and bribe her with it for the Next Size Up, in perpetuity. Basically until one of my kids figures out how to knit, or KathyJo gives up and tells me to take a hike.

I got a pair of socks, too, but have yet to either remove them from my feet longer than it takes to wash them and get them back on, or at least prop my feet up somewhere with good lighting so I can take a picture. They're fantastic. They're way too nice to put on my big ol' land yachts. Pearls before swine, I tell you, but I'm not giving them up.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Good, Old-Fashioned Fun

Man, we had a great time today! Ben and Claudia came over with their crew - we had a picnic in the newly fenced-in back yard. (Roast pork, roast chicken, Claudia's Super-Secret-To-Kill-For-Potato-Thing, and Zorak's-Super-Rice. Yes, the children may develop scurvy, but sometimes nothing beats a beautiful afternoon with friends and a pile of comfort food.)

The guys played ball. The littles wandered here and there. Claudia held BabyJ and I got to eat Peeps and Marshmallow Eggs with no heartburn and nobody in my lap.

Then, before it got too dark to see properly and risk losing not only eggs, but the smaller children, we hid the eggs in the meadow and had another Tractor-Themed Easter Egg Hunt. (The first tractor that lived in our meadow for a year or so is gone, now, and in it's place is a working one we borrowed from a friend. Someday, we're going to have to break down and actually buy one - working or not. It's just not Easter without a tractor.)

The kids had a blast. The guys got to visit. Claudia and I got to eat the candy that didn't make it into the eggs.

Just look at that precious little doll! Does she not just radiate cuteness from every pore on her being? Gah. She's only a couple months younger than EmBaby, and they are so. stinkin'. adorable together. Zorak and I turn into gooey morons who'll do anything for one of those wee little smiles. *gush*

I managed to take a couple of great pictures, a few kinda creepy ones (still working on action shots - my action setting seems to be impaired), and some really sweet ones. Then, as the children began to show signs of weakening, we brought them in and let them OD on sugar and chocolate while they vegged over Season 1 of Jonny Quest. YAY NETFLIX!

In all, you really can't ask for a nicer belated holiday get-together.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Riding the Vomit Comet

I know. Ew.

Monday night, Zorak took the kids for the pilgrimage to the ball fields. After Smidge and John's practices ended and James' began, he brought the three littlest home and returned to watch James and his magic cleats do their thing. (All three of the kids have magic cleats - evidently they do really amazing things, like make you dance and spin and leap up on your toes, when you're standing on the baseline in the dirt. We don't know if it's just our kids, or if there are other magic cleats out there - feel free to chime in.)

John got sick and couldn't finish supper. He went to bed.

I'd just tucked him in and settled down with BabyJ when Smidge came running down the hall, yelling, "Alert! Alert! Ernh-ernh-ernh! Alert! Emily puked!" (Not sure why he thought the sirens and such were needed, but he was pretty alarmed.) I got up, got her cleaned up, cleared the mess, rolled up the table cloth, and went back to bed.

Ten minutes later, Smidge was sick from both ends. He actually made it to the bathroom. He immdediately became Officially My Favorite Child.

Once more from EmBaby. She gets the Official Second Favorite Child slot for knowing to step back out of the way after she throws up. Good instincts on that one.

Then Zorak got home. I filled him in, told him I was clocking off vomit patrol and headed back to bed.

He got the two Littles down and snuggled in, when only ten minutes later, EmBaby called from her room, "Oh, Dad! Mess! BIG mess! Mess, Dad!" Sure 'nuff, the poor thing was just covered from head to toe. Into the bath, into the laundry, fresh linens and jammies and back to bed.

Today (Tuesday) wasn't much better. The two big boys alternated curling up in bed and skipping meals, although thankfully neither of them threw up today. The two little ones took turns being sick. We've gone through a lot of laundry soap and toilet paper today, folks. Wowsa.

BabyJ and I plan to remain in hiding until the plague passes. It should pass quickly. There's no fever, no aches, no lethargy. We can't figure out what only the kids have eaten that could cause it (Zorak suspected the Easter candy, but I had to admit that, um, I've been nibbling out of the stash pretty regularly, and I'm fine, *grin*) I guess it could be viral, in which case, it's got to be fairly mild. No problems keeping everyone hydrated, at least.

But still... ew, you know? Just. Ew.

And so, back to bed before somebody senses that I'm up and decides to be sick! G'night!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

About Saturday's Game(s)

Well, y'all remember Saturday's game/practice schedule... Boy, did that turn out differently than we'd expected! The boys all managed to get up, dressed, geared-up, and out the door on time.

(I took a few pictures, but couldn't get any that really worked in the lighting. It was bright enough, but just not clicking... and it wasn't until just now that I realized what the problem was with the lighting -- it's back there, on the other side, the *morning side*, of the house. We're never up and outside to take pictures with the sun over there!

The boys, however, didn't care at all. They were stoked! They were even willing to mug for me and play it up a bit. This is their "cool" pose:

(Yeah, I have no idea. I was never a little boy.) Anyway, these photos were taken Saturday morning, around eight. And that was the last I saw of two of them... until SIX O'CLOCK THAT NIGHT! James had not one game, but two. Zorak dropped a very worn-out Smidge and EmBaby Duo around 12:30, after James' games ended. Then he and James went on to watch John play, thinking they'd be back shortly.

Well, John had not one game, not two games, but FOUR games. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back. GAH! Turns out, it was an official tournament, tied over from the games the night before (yet nobody thought to mention this, at any point). If you win, you keep playing. All. Day. Long. I didn't send him with food! I had breakfast burritos planned for when he got back! Thankfully, he'd had a high-protein breakfast, and some blessed soul bought team burgers and drinks after game two.

The poor kid played until a quarter to six that night. That's nine hours of playing ball, folks. He's *tough*. And in the end, his team came in second. He's so proud. That medal was enough to keep him awake for the drive home, and if I'd thought to take a picture that night, it would have looked much like the ones posted above, except perhaps his smile's a little bigger. Zorak and James were slightly burnt from nine hours in the sun, and Zorak was just about dead on his feet.

I was right - I so got the better deal on that one! The littles and I stayed on the couch, watching Johnny Quest, episode 1 (over and over - toddler OCD kicks in at the strangest times), singing spider songs, playing with the dog, and calling Daddy to make sure nobody had been taken to the hospital, abducted to Guatemala, or struck by lightning (in other words, to find out why they were gone so long!)

Yeah, it is a good thing they're cute. ;-)
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Easter Baby

Welcome, Jason Thomas!! (Far better than Heinrich, I know. *grin*)

Just a short two hours after I posted this morning, our sweet Easter Baby joined the family. After such a long lead-in, he made a quick and easy (relatively speaking, of course) arrival. Zorak and I weren't remotely ready, thinking we still had several hours of labor ahead of us. He was making sausage and biscuits, and I was wondering if he'd put an egg on mine. But you will never, ever hear us complain!)

So here's the pertinent stuff:
* 21" long (which explains how one can bury his head and still have a foot stuffed up Mom's spleen)
* 7lbs. 4 oz. (we took bets on the weight, and we were all off, except Zorak - James swore he couldn't weigh more than three, maybe four pounds - they do look SO tiny!)
* APGARs, 9, 10 (the water was a little cool, so he got docked a point for his color at the start - you'll notice in the pool shots that he is a little blue - but he was not "purple", which is what James told Granny on the phone - I'm hoping Zorak corrected that and didn't leave her thinking we'd nearly lost the little guy.)
* And, of course, his name: Jason Thomas. Not Heinrich. (Sorry, Melora - I thought you knew we were joking!) The boys immediately took a poll, though, just in case, and were all quite relieved to hear the official verdict.He's alert, turns to the sounds of his siblings' voices, nurses like a champ, squeaks like a mouse, cries like a kitten, and does all the wonderful, endearing things newborns do. (Like sleep... he slept beautifully this afternoon, and let me crash like a flaming jumbo jet, as well.)Me-Wa and Me-Tae came down to help with the little ones and be here for the big arrival. Actually, just as Me-Wa walked in, I yelled to the boys, "He's here!" I could hear James ask John, "How did she know?" Well, *I* meant your brother! :-) They were so gracious and so sweet. Their presence really made the whole rest of the day much nicer and easier, both freeing up Zorak to take such good care of me, and letting the kids wallow in being loved. *happy sigh*

I'm sorry to have taken so long to get these posted. I couldn't leave the room without being swarmed (does four count as a "swarm"? Well, it feels like a swarm after the morning we had.) So I stayed holed up in bed, where they could swarm without knocking me over. It was really nice. And I slept. And Zorak made me sauteed shrimp with garlic, roasted turkey, baked potatoes and mixed veggies. You just can't get that anywhere but home. We didn't get a chance to make the chile rellenos, so we'll make those sometime this week, and on the upside, since I won't be, erm, otherwise engaged, I'll be able to take pictures and post the recipe.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Guess What the Easter Bunny Brought?

No, not a baby. (Though that would've been rather handy.) He brought baskets for the kids and contractions for Mommy! Big, ugly, healthy ones. (The contractions, not the baskets. The baskets are actually rather pretty.) YAY! Looks like we'll be having an Easter baby.

I'm pretty sure I jinxed the past three days by showering, doing my hair and makeup, and putting on shoes. Yup. Got up this morning, look like death warmed over, and of course that's the day to take a million photographs for posterity: "our haggard mother". It'll be a lovely album. Hmpf.

Have to share a funny, and then I'm going to go crawl under the bed and wait to see if there's another bunny lurking somewhere who'll bring us the baby, or I'm going to have to actually work for it.

I got up this morning around two with massive heartburn. Made the normal third-trimester laps (bathroom, kitchen, bathroom, back to bed), grabbed my papaya tablets and set the pillows up so I could recline a bit. I fell asleep sucking on papaya tablets, and had the strangest dream. I dreamt I was holding one of the kids' plastic cups and there were jelly beans in it. But I couldn't get them out because the cup had a lid on it. But that cup doesn't have a lid. The discrepancy woke me up, only for me to realize it wasn't a cup, it was the bottle of tablets I was holding and trying to get into. And yes, the lid was on.

I never did get my jelly beans. Maybe the kids will share with me later?

Hopefully the next time I blog, it'll be with an actual baby and an actual name for the baby!

Kiss those babies! And have a blessed Easter!
~Dy

No Fear

It's a good thing they're cute.

Tomorrow's schedule:

8:30AM (AM?!?! *whimper*) - James to the field 10 miles west of us for a 9:00 game

9:00AM (SO not much better than 8:30...) - John to the field 15 miles east of us for a 9:30 game

10:00AM (WHY, rec. association? WHY? Do you people not sleep in?) - Smidge has practice at a different field, but at the same park at James' game

Heh. I get to stay home and labor.

Somehow, I think I'm getting off easy. (Although I do hate missing the kids' games. This will be James' first game, ever. *sniff*)

Fortunately, John's going to get a ride in with one of his team mates. It's really nice to have lived here long enough that we know the other families. It's also really nice of them to call and offer to haul our children, in addition to their own, to the games. It's... well, I'm feeling very blessed about our Forever Home Community right now. We're gathering Our People. People are getting to know us, and to like us, and to look out for us. You can't legislate that kind of community. You have to build it.

So, hideously early timeframe aside, Zorak just has to hold the fort between Smidge and EmBaby (oh, I hope he plans to take EmBaby...) while James' game gets started.

John had a tournament game tonight. James had practice. Smidge was pretty upset to discover he'd been left behind. Well, he'd been sleeping. You couldn't have paid one of us to wake him up to haul him around for that!

Same progress on the labor. Consistent, small contractions. All. Day. Long. Five to seven minutes apart, but still not long. Nothing beyond uncomfortable and irritating. By the time this thing kicks off, we're probably (hopefully?) looking at 30 minutes, tops. Boy, wouldn't that be fantastic?

The boys' uniforms are in the dryer, and I'm going to go wrestle my body pillow from Zorak and catch some shuteye!

Kiss those babies!

~Dy

What Is This Beauty?

I thought last year it was apple, because of the blossoms. But then, that's why I have to post here for help. Obviously, I don't know an apple blossom from a horse apple. Soooo... Help me out, here.

This is the tree. I circled it in red, and marked the 3' height on the cedar stave in the fence beside it, just to give you an idea of how Eiffel Tower-ish this thing is. I imagine it's either something that grows wild, or, if it's a domesticated plant, it's been neglected for a long, long time. It does bear fruit - there was some left on it from last year's late frost - but I didn't get a good photo of those. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

The bark is tight - would this be called "tight scales"?

The leaves - oh, look at that vibrant green of new leaves! They grow in clusters, as you can see here...

And these are the blossoms. Such a brilliant white, and in large clusters of many blooms. They're not terribly hardy, and when the wind kicks up, it looks like it's snowing.

So, fellow readers, any ideas what this tree may be?

I think this is going to be another long one.

My initial post was that "nothing is happening," and that's how it feels. I slept a good part of the day. I wandered from room to room, looking for something to read, to eat, to do... nothing looks interesting. Very restless. But then Zorak asked me to let him know so we could time contractions.

Huh. Whaddya know? They're very regular, 7-10 minutes apart. They're just short in duration. This means two things: it's gonna be a while, and at least they're probably semi-productive. (Wee!) From what I can remember of EmBaby's birth, there was only about 30 minutes of active pushing (although I'd have sworn at the time that it was hours! LOL!)

So. I found a mystery plant and got pictures. I'm going to edit them and beg y'all to help us identify the mystery tree. :-) And then, perhaps we'll watch a movie. Zorak made cookie bars. I'll probably eat the rest of those.

Oh, funny. I just went back to read Em's story, and read this:

I'm anxious for things to pick up the pace a bit. Threw in some laundry, snacked on breakfast leftovers... roaming around looking for something to do. I might go down to the basement and see if I can find a book I haven't read yet (you'd think, considering 3/4 of what we own is books, that wouldn't be a difficult task, eh?)

Sound familiar? Heh. At least this time, all our books are upstairs and I don't have any walls to texture. Pretty cushy, if you ask me.

Thank you for your prayers and cheerleading and general sweet, encouraging words. I really do have the best blog community in the world, you know that?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

GAH!

Well, I slept soundly enough, for which I am thankful. But this morning, things are... still moving... slowly...

This could end up being an irritating few days. At least on my end. ;-) Zorak is home, and that is a great comfort to me. Not that I worry about suddenly being disabled by pitocin-like contractions, stuck at the barn or under a persimmon tree. He's just comforting and soothing to me, and makes me feel that, no matter what comes (or how long it takes...) it'll be okay.

Our pear tree is in bloom. So are two other unidentified fruit-ish looking trees. We found the other apple tree, which doesn't look as degenrate as the first one, and Zorak says he remembers picking an apple from it the first time we looked at the Forever Home. Too bad we couldn't find it back when we were pruning, but maybe it's not too late to nudge it along this year?

I'm going go hike the property and take pictures. Maybe that'll move things along? And if not, we can play a few more rounds of Lazy Man's Plant Identification Guide! (I love playing that - you all are so helpful and share such interesting tidbits!)

At least it's not dull to be in labor in the springtime in the South!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

And So It Begins...

Well, folks, it looks like we'll have a new "finished project" to blog sometime this weekend. I was sure hoping to hold out 'til Friday, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. (Part of me thinks it would be really nice, because there is still SO MUCH TO DO, but the cramping and the ache in my back has me thinking we really need to hurry this up and get it over with! Yeouch, I. Am. Such. A. Wuss.)

Fortunately, we slogged through the Health Department's self-perpetuating onslaught and got our Verification of Pregnancy affidavit this afternoon (required to obtain a birth certificate in the State of Alabama). Hopefully, we won't have much trouble getting a birth certificate or SS# this time around! But man, oh, man, getting out of there without signing up for WIC, Medicaid, Food Stamps... I don't know how many times I had to repeat, "No, we just want a verification of pregnancy letter. That is all I want, and I only want that because of this state's legislation. We neither qualify for, nor desire, enrollment in any of these programs, thank you." James beat me to the punch and said it for me at one point. He was respectful to the nurse, but I think he was surprised by how incredibly pushy they were down there. (Although probably not as surprised as every employee there, who kept up the sales pitch and simply couldn't understand *why* we wouldn't want to sign up for their "free" services.) The funniest part was that they actually made me take a u/a to verify pregnancy. The most exhausting part was that it took an HOUR to get out of there.

We stopped at Sonic and bought three bags of ice. I don't have to leave the house for a week, now! WOOHOO!

We bought groceries for Easter supper (which, if you're planning to come, will be prepared entirely by Zorak this year - thankfully, he loves to cook, and he's good at it!) And my sweet Zorak asked me to pick up some Anaheim chiles and jack cheese. Guess who's gettin' rellenos again! SCORE! I feel so LOVED! (I am so loved.)

Meanwhile, Zorak's been doing a little nesting of his own. The fence pickets are all up now, and it looks spectacular. All we're missing is the front gate and the stain. Talk about exciting stuff!

I'm gonna go beg one last back rub and lay down for a bit. As much as I'd love to blog this, I'm really hoping and praying we aren't looking at another two and a half day labor! (Not that I don't love y'all, but a girl can only take so much of this stuff. *grin*) However, I'll check in later, anyway.

Can't wait to kiss my baby!
~Dy

Woops.

I had a sweet, poignant post all made up in my head, but it has a picture that needed to go with it. I just spent ten minutes looking for the camera so I could upload it and regale you with Smidge's utter Cuteness on the field today... turns out, it's still in the car. And it's dark out there. And to be honest, I get all stiff and hobbly when I walk. So that's just going to have to wait for tomorrow.

We picked up the dog. He's lost weight and he smells like the mudholes elk rut in. It's disgusting. But he's otherwise just fine, and was very happy to see his children. He even shed all over the car on the ride home, just to share his joy with us. The car now smells like something died in it, right after servicing the herd. *shudder* This wasn't the best trip for the ol' pregnant olfactory functions.

The retrieving of the dog pretty much threw the rest of my nicely laid plans right out the window, and we spent the rest of the morning playing with him (mostly in the form of trying to keep him downwind from us while still being affectionate), airing out the car, and then... off to the fields. Tonight was a snap - two practices, same park, same start time. WOOHOO! I could go year-round if it was always like that!

EmBaby has been out of diapers for three days. She's still striking out on the Big Jobs, but for your basic functions, she's 100% dry. Even after naptime. Even at the ball field. (And you'll be glad to know I'm keeping in shape by making the trek to and from the bathrooms every twenty minutes. Considering it takes us five to get there, five to get back, and five to hang out and touch. every. single. thing. in the stall, that gives me a five minute rest between laps! Not a bad cardio plan, really.) And the best part is that it's of her own volition! I just ask if she's still dry, give her a High-Five for being dry, and call it good. Success. Can't ask for an easier job than that!

The balcony project still has not begun. The pickets we thought we could use on the front panels of the fence, we can't. Rats. The fence is still lingering, waiting for a row of pickets before we can move on to the balcony. Everything else is done on it, though, and it's really nice! The wire is strung along the back, stretched nice and tight. The Plan for the backyard is starting to take shape, too, now that we have visible parameters. Just as I lamented that we're three weeks behind schedule, a friend suggested I look at it more positively. She said we aren't three weeks behind, we're "a full week ahead of being a month late". Well, heh, when you put it that way, right... (well, actually, when you put it that way, I have to wonder if she's been into the rum. But she makes me smile, and she's wonderfully supportive, and I'd share my rum with her, any day.)

Our addition of typing and piano to the curriculum is a huge hit so far. That's my happy spot for right now: the children's sweet smiles, total enthusiasm, and warm hugs. Happy Spot, indeed. And now, it's a little late, so I'm going to meander back to my other Happy Spot and drift off to dream of dogs in baseball suits chasing children through open fences while some lopsided freak plays piano tunes on the balcony-o-death. Er, something like that. (Sometimes it's best that we don't always remember our dreams.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

How ya doin?

Me? Well, it seems I've gone mildly insane the past couple of days. Just when I was beginning to worry that this might necessitate medication (or, preferably for all involved, forced isolation and a regular supply of crushed ice), Erin mentioned that this might possibly be "nesting". These are the symptoms:

* Irrationally irate response to clutter in any form.
* Sudden desire to sort every. piece. of. clothing. we. own.
* Absolute inability to think about things like "preparing food" when there is cleaning to be done.
* Delusional fantasies that involve me wanting to do things like help stretch fencing and pour concrete... yeah, now. Riiiight.

Oh. That nesting.

Yeah.

I'm really, really hoping to go this weekend. Friday would be nice. Not that we have a say in these things, really, but that would give me a couple more days to finish terrorizing everyone in the house with my Susan Powder-meets-Martha Stewart tirades, and one more Thursday to tweak how that day goes, and then we have a nice, long three-day weekend with Zorak, anyway.

My family is probably praying I'll go into labor tonight and just end the roller coaster ride. I wouldn't put it past them to spike my Cherry Lemon Sun Drop with castor oil, just to buffer the odds.

The stoopid dog jumped the fence earlier in the week, and I've got to say that while I've worried about him, I haven't missed him. At all. The kids have. I think Zorak has. I was kind of hoping someone would just fall in love with his furry little ears and big brown eyes and KEEP HIM. But no, we got a call this morning from a gentleman who has him. So as soon as I post this, we're going to load up and go retrieve the non-repentant little Prodigal and bring him home. But seriously, what am I going to do with an 80-pound fence jumper? Oh, I know, keep him and love him and keep working with him on it. I know. It's good.

See, we're not that weird!

I just checked Amazon to see if they have the inflatable aquarium pool we love so much for birthing in, and they do. But not only that, the bundle "offer" that came up with it was this:

Better Together

Buy this item with Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin today!

So obviously it's a pretty popular birthing purchase. That made me laugh.
Nice to know we're not "entirely" weird! :-D
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A Joke From James

What would the Seven Dwarfs sing on their way to work in today's world?

IO, IO, it's off to work we go!

(When he first told me this joke, I thought he was saying, "I owe", which I've heard before, but then he smiled his impish smile and said, "You know, binary, ones and zeroes?" Oh! Gah, who wakes up thinking these things up? He always makes me smile.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A New Thursday Plan

Traditionally, our school week has run Mondays through Thursdays, year-round, with Fridays off for errands, appointments, and hanging out with Dad. After today, I realized that is not going to work this year. For some reason, the planets, stars and traffic lights have all aligned to make Thursdays our new Activity Days. (If I didn't know I'd be getting out of it here in a couple of weeks, I might have a more colorful moniker for it, but we'll use this. For now. Zorak may voluntarily rename it himself after the baby is born.)

The two big boys have piano on Thursdays. This made sense to me when I scheduled their lessons, as it requires a drive into town and we could hit the market on the way home. It wouldn't interfere with Zorak's alternate days off, or with any spontaneous long weekend plans we might want to make. Boy, did I feel smart! (S-M-R-T...)

But then, I'd forgotten about Scouts. The boys' pack meets Thursday evenings. Well, okay, I thought, that's not too bad. It still gives us most of the afternoon to finish up projects and lessons, and we can still have supper together as a family before they have to go.

But THEN (and all you well-seasoned baseball families started laughing at me two paragraphs ago, didn't you?) I'd forgotten about baseball. Specifically, about how three teams' worth of children might muddy the scheduling waters.

As it turns out, two out of three have practices Every. Stinkin'. Thursday. Smidge probably will, too. I'll find out more on Monday. I'm afraid to find out more.

My beautifully orchestrated Thursday brainchild has suddenly morphed into scheduling hell, erm, "Activity Thursdays". We have to be somewhere, or en route to somewhere, from one in the afternoon until NINE THIRTY at night! Kill me now. Please.

The boys handled the stress quite well today. I am beyond proud of them. EmBaby held it together very well, also. Can't complain about the success of our indoctrination plan: "Flexibility, Grace, and A Can-Do Teamwork Attitude" (or, as I call it in my lesser moments, "Just work with me here, will ya?") By six o'clock, though, I knew something would have give.

*cue drum roll* *angels sing* *light shines in a very conspicuous manner from above*

What we have here is another beautiful point for the Homeschooling Flexibility Plan (HFP). For the rest of Spring Term (and possibly Every Spring Term Hereafter), we'll implement the HFP. We'll now have school on alternate Fridays, with Thursdays reserved for Music, PE, and Group Study. Yay. (I was going to say "Thursdays off", but Zorak pointed out that it's not like we're all sitting around on beanbags, eatin' Cheetos, watchin' TV. Yet another reason I love this man.)

We'll spend Thursday mornings in preparation for the Activity Gauntlet, instead. My hope is that by enacting the HFP, we can attempt to make at least 80% of our obligations under the following conditions:
1. Nobody's out of breath from bolting across three parking lots.
2. Nobody's crying because Mommy lost it and threatened to move to The Mosquito Coast.
3. Nobody has to starve during one of the many Long Periods At The Field.
4. We don't go broke at the Snack Shack in order to meet condition #3.
5. All gear is, if not actually ON the correct child, as least IN the correct vehicle.
6. We can come out of the season without major scarring, an automobile accident, or having left someone at home (at piano, at Scouts, etc.) inadvertently.

If we can keep our focus on the fact that each of the activities they're in, when taken separately (and preferably on different days), are high-quality, life-enriching activities, each chosen for a clear purpose and in order to provide specific benefits, and that all of the above activities are those which the children enjoy and from which they learn a great deal... (breathe in, breathe out)... then I think we're all good.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

No matter how you look at it,

It's no fun to be sick.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Quick Update

Em's napping and the boys are supposed to be reading quietly in their room. I've got to wake her here in a bit and throw the two Littles in the tub, so I'm taking a water break and trying to bolster myself for the Rest Of The Day. We have to be at the field at four, and won't be done til eight, so I figured I'd blog now because I don't think I'll have time to blog tonight.

Forever Home Update:
We're about two weeks behind on the big projects. What's coming along, however, is coming along nicely. I think the only thing we won't get to by Zorak's birthday is installing the new kitchen window. That's okay, though. It'll come.

I was mistaken when I said the creek "nearly" overflowed its banks the other day. It did flow over - straight over the driveway! Washed away eight inches of top soil/gravel and two rows of cinder blocks! It nearly dislodged the railroad timbers that form the skeletal structure of the drive over the culvert. YIKES! We've got to do some major shoring up of the drive or we'll find ourselves having to park at the courthouse and hoofing it two miles to the house. ;-)

Zorak's picking up t-posts and a driver this afternoon, and then we'll buy the pickets and the wire on Thursday. The back yard will be completed, and, weather permitting, stained and lovely by the end of this weekend! WOOHOO!

School Update:
Gem, you'd asked about Smidge's work. I'll write up -- *hang on, have to go threaten, erm, remind the children what "reading quietly" means* -- *ok, I'm back* -- anyhow, I'll write up an general list of the things we use for his 'schooling' sometime this week and get it posted.

The two older children have just about finished their spring term. They've done quite well, and are looking forward to doing things a little differently for a month or two.

The new keyboard should be delivered Wednesday, which is good, because the boys have lessons on Thursday and I'd feel more than a bit sheepish if they hadn't touched a key all week. They're both thrilled about the lessons, though, and have done all their theory work for the week already. I think this will be a good addition to our routine.

General Update:
Today, the boys are a bit flighty. I am a bit cranky. There's still much to be done. What an ugly combination! Sheesh. You'd think we'd have a better plan in place than "wing it til something either clicks or falls apart". But, no. No, that is the plan, at least for today. Fortunately, once the Littles are bathed and the wash is put away, all we'll have to do is make up burritos to take to the field, load the wagon and go. I'm actually looking forward to the afternoon spent on the grass. :-)

Ok, timer beeped. Time to rouse the sleeping beauty and see if I can squeegee enough dirt off her to take her out in public.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Time To Slow It Down A Bit

(A post in which it seems I've decided to abuse quotation marks and hypenation. You've been warned.)

I've been feeling a bit punky the past couple of days, and I think it's time to slow down. Not slow-down-relatively-speaking, but honest-to-goodness-slow-the-heck-down.

We had a prenatal appointment Friday, and while there is nothing "wrong", things weren't quite as "spot on" as I'd like them to be. The swelling's getting worse - up to my knees now, and leaves imprints if I lean on something (ew - but not to the point of having to worry, as it's not in my hands or face, and there are no other concerns on that end), my blood pressure (while not even close to being considered "high") is high-for-me, I'm throwing a little protein (again, not enough to raise the flag of alarm, but a little, which I've never done before), and little Heiney is now measuring smaller than the last visit (which we think is b/c he's snugged in so tightly and so far down that the midwife could only feel the nape of his neck - that's a good thing, generally speaking, although not-comfortable-in-the-least from my perspective).

Then yesterday, I was out of breath and crampy all morning. Finally, in the midst of fixing breakfast, I did something I've never done before. I fixed myself a plate, asked Zorak to feed everyone else, and hid in my room. Well, "hid" is a relative term. I went to my room, whereupon everybody followed me. But still, at least I was holed up in bed with a high-protein plate of food and all the water Smidge could bring me in many, many trips with a 3oz. cup. I think he covered a good mile with all the trips he made. (He's so good to me. gush-gush) And then, I napped. Sweet, blissful, guilt-free napping from mid-morning til after noon. Felt much better.

But it still took a few hours for me to realize that *this* is exactly what I need to be doing more of.

So, I'm going to do more of it.

Which means that unless I can come up with some way to make the inside of my eyelids into an interesting blog post, or regale you all with detailed analysis of the thread count on my sheets, the next week's worth of blogging may be a bit... um, incoherent? Boring? I don't know. Maybe I can get Zorak to guest blog once in a while or something, right?

And so, early-to-bed, it's 10:37 and I'm off for a nap!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Oh, we had fun!

Our Wonderful Neighbors arrived Wednesday night. The kids picked up like it hasn't actually been three years since they've seen one another. Erin came in. The kids disappeared on the property. We have no photos from Wed, other than this one, which Zorak couldn't resist taking at bedtime. That's a pile. of. children. Doesn't it look like fun?

 

Thursday morning, all the kids were up by SIX-THIRTY! ACK! No time to lose, right? They ate and headed out to play. They played all day. Erin and I spent most of the day standing at the window, oogling the children, ooohing and ahhhing over how much they've grown and how totally fantastic they are.

The boys had their first piano lessons Thursday, so I ran them in for that while Erin stayed with the littles. Then, due to the freakish weather we've been having, the coaches all decided to schedule impromptu practices Thursday evening. I ran John to practice, made several parts runs (the compressor on the Suburban died last week, so Zorak worked on that for us), and then Zorak tagged me out so I could stay and visit with Erin while he took James to his practice at six. I was exhausted. Erin and I sat and visited and had a really nice time. More child-watching, more oohing. Definitely more ahhing. We didn't realize until Friday morning that there are NO photos from Thursday, at all. We're losers.

Friday was also good. The weather turned cold-cold, but Zorak fired up the plough disk and a little fire so the kids could have a cook-out and play outside. HUGE hit with the kids.

 

I'll tell you, these kids make having seven look like a cake walk. They are all. such. great. kids. We tried to convince her to leave them here, but she didn't figure she'd get such a great reception with the Grandparents if she arrived without them.

And, here's a picture of the two preggo women after they lumbered down to the fire. Yes, it looks like we've been camping for a week straight. I love friends who don't care if you wear make up or do your hair. :-)

 

Beauty is...

Definitely in the eye of the beholder.

This is the ex-Zen waterfall back in the Scary Room. The tar paper funnel? Unnecessary now. (Well, and partially useless to begin with, but that's what we had at the time.) There is a bit of dampness (Amy, I won't use the "m" word in this post, just because you're still recovering and I adore you - but it is "m" down there.) What there is not, however, is actual FLOW, conveyance, or white water rapids.

It rained harder last night than it has in over a year. The creek nearly flooded. There is debris along the edge of the drive, it came up that high. Zorak actually called to ask that I keep the kids away from the creek today because it was so full and moving so quickly. That's a LOT. Of. Rain, folks.

Until now, this basement has flooded in the kind of light rains that Bert and Mary Poppins dance in. Normally, you can hear the water flowing when you go into the basement. This morning? Silence. Sweet, semi-dry silence. And after I screwed up the courage to open the door and look I was quite delighted to find it THIS dry. Also, up top, there are usually small pools (filled with some kind of aquatic life, I'm sure, something like Smeagol), but as far as I could tell - not that I scampered up that embankment - there aren't any!

And all we did (well, all Zorak did - I stood there and pretended to be able to eyeball the slope) was the dirt work from the last couple of weekends! WOOHOO!

So, now...

A french drain...

Some foliage...

It'll soon be dry and snug under there. (Not that I'll want to hang out in it, even then, but, you know, it'll be progress.)

And yes, it's still an ugly room. But that nearly dry corner? Beautiful!

~Dy

*for the record, Zorak objects to the use of the phrase "screwed up the courage" - he says it sounds like I messed it up somehow. But you know, I really, truly didn't want to open that door, and I can't think of a better way to phrase it!*

A Work Day

First, we worked. We dug post holes. Emily drove the tractor. Emily found the cement water. Ack! We washed Emily off and put her back on the tractor. She didn't seem to mind.

We dug some more. Cleaned off the back porch. The front porch. The muddy shoes from the front porch (so that's where all the shoes have been!)

And then, having earned our keep for the morning, we settled in to enjoy the fruits of our labor with a picnic on the back porch!


The boys thought this was a pretty great way to start the morning. Me, too.


Kiss those babies!
~Dy