On Changes, Food

Ok, so Emily and Mere wanted to know more about the nutritional changes we're making. (But y'all need to share yours, too! Learning is more fun, together!)

I'll be upfront: I hate change. Really, I do. Sometimes, it's necessary, and good. Then, I can handle, at times, even embrace it. Most of the time, people want change for the sake of change, with no regard to whether it's a change for the better. When that gets foisted upon me, I loathe it even more. That's what re-arranging the furniture, or coloring your hair, is for. Not for major life changes.

So, when we do decide to change things up around here, it's usually done with a fair amount of thought, research and planning before hand. That's not to say we have all the answers. We're pretty sure we don't even have most of the questions yet. It just means we've taken stock and decided that, for this house, and this family, at this point, this is what we're going to do. And sometimes, in case those aren't enough qualifiers, we don't end up able or willing to pull it off at all. Yep, just drop your pocket change in the therapy jar as you enter the foyer.

One last caveat, so that nobody confuses me with a "professional" in any sense of the word, I'm a gleaner. Gleaning has saved people from dying off, and from making poor choices whole hog, for centuries. Any process that provides that much consistent return is worth looking into. So, when I say I get a lot of insight from Nourishing Traditions, (and I do!) that doesn't mean you'll be able to pry the pressure cooker from my cold, dead (and potentially malnourished, since I keep using the danged thing) hands. I still believe the pressure cooker is the procrastinator's crock pot, a little technological gift from God so that we don't have to choose between eating our food raw and not eating at all. (Yeah, I know, Jess, but I will probably always cook at least some of my food. Love me where I'm at, right? *grin*) Gleaning means that I get why that's not the best way to go about getting food on the table, and I'm willing to work toward an ideal. Or to incorporate those bits that seem to mesh with the above mentioned legwork, meow meow, study, meow family. Meow. (tried to find a link to Daniel Striped Tiger's talking, inserting "meows" in, here and there, but, um... wow. the word "meow" has been taken to an HNL in the past few years. no video for you!)

So, the nutritional changes, we've actually been making slowly over the last year or so. It began with raw milk, spread to soaked grains, moved on to my quirky affair with kefir, and so on. Then, due to logistics, we let the raw milk slide. Life has a way of not letting things slide, however, even when you think it'd be easier to do so. And this was no exception.

John's had a bit of health trouble the last six months or so. We got most of it ironed out, except one: stomach pain. We checked the wheat, we tracked his diet, we flipped his mattress, upped his water, tested eighty gallons of blood, blah-blah-blah. The kid's been a tough little lab rat the past six months, lemme tell ya. Then, one day, while a friend lovingly let me freak out to her about scheduling a visit with a neurologist, it hit me: in John's nine years on earth, the ONLY time he's been free of stomach pain has been when he was on raw milk. That includes the wheat-free years. He's never been free of stomach pain. He had a lovely reprieve last spring, and then, *bam* it was back. Right when we went back to store-bought milk. Hmmm.

So, we found a closer source. We got him spooled back up last week, and within 72 hours, the stomach pains diminished significantly. Within another 24 after that, gone. From 3-4 episodes a day, to nothing, in a week. Guess what's going on our regular grocery list, now? We've made some other changes, too - not all at once, but bit-by-bit.

~ We're pretty much a juice-free home, now. Zorak occasionally buys orange juice. But I don't schedule it into our regular diet. The kids eat fresh fruit several times a day, and they drink water both at meals and throughout the day. They have access to the milk whenever they want, as well.

~ I've cut my coffee consumption exponentially (not exaggerating), replacing that with water, as well.

~ We've moved our Big Meal of the day to an earlier spot in the day, and added in a few smaller, but more intentional meals.

~ We eat breakfast and lunch outside, whenever possible. The atmosphere can't be beat!

~ Oat groats, instead of rolled oats, go farther, are more filling, and have more nutrition. Larger upfront investment, if you buy through a co-op, but an enormous savings, overall - not just financially, but in health benefits, too.

The savings from eliminating juice (and other peripheral beverages), and reducing the coffee consumption, alone, freed up money to spend on local, free-range chicken eggs and fresh, thick, clean milk.

And some changes aren't changes. They're things we've always done, and still feel are the best choice for our home. We still use lard. We still eat meat - red meat, white meat, wild game, you name it. We still have pintos (or some kind of bean) available every day. I've got the boys convinced lentils are cool, but they're relegated to lunchtime only because Zorak thinks they're puny and lacking in body, much preferring the noble pinto. We skimp on junk food and keep a good supply of veggies in the fridge.

The boys are cooking with us more, too. Now that Jase can get up onto the counter and back down, he's pretty, erm, "involved". Em dons her fairy wings and mixes or pours. James made a fantastic guacamole to go with lunch, today. They made a dutch baby (new recipe) and a recipe for German pancakes the other day for breakfast (they did a comparison - and the verdict is, it's the same thing. We ate it all.) Jacob's venturing into the kitchen for a little one-on-one, and learning the ropes as he goes. These are always excellent kitchen happenings!

I'm sure there's more we can do. Probably more we will do. But right now, for this home, and this family, at this point, this is a good place to be.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Life with the JakeRabbit

A quick catch-up on the kids, starting with Jacob. Since he vetoed "Smidge", we've taken to calling him JakeRabbit - no, he doesn't have big ears, or fleas, or a pink nose. He does, however, have an astounding ability to zip around with boundless energy, amazing (if occasionally selective) hearing, and a pretty powerful bounce. It doesn't seem possible, but there he is, reading nutrition labels and bedtime stories to EmBaby, hanging at the ball fields like he knows what he's doing, cracking funny jokes, and cleaning up - when necessary - like he's not being raised by wolves. This is our third time through having a six-year-old, and I think we're finally able to enjoy it, quirks and all. (Reminder to self: thank James and John for breaking us in fairly gently, and loving us through the learning curve.) JakeRabbit, however, is a riot.

He rocked the Hot Dog Sale for Cub Scouts this year. We don't even pretend to sell popcorn, so the boys work both of the weekday shifts of the sale, the Pack's only other fund raiser, to make up for that. Another perk of homeschooling - flexible days! He hung with his brothers, putting in two 7-hr days without so much as a whimper or a faked injury. His domain was the hot dog machine, itself. Yep, heavy equipment operator meets gourmet chef! Looking at this picture, I find myself wondering at what point a hair net is required?

You see, he's trying to grow out his hair, because all (er, well, one or two) of the boys he looks up to have long hair. I'm having a hard time keeping a straight face about it. See, he feels Big, doing this. And, really, it's not a hill I want to die on. He's still polite and sweet, and clean (or, at least when we go into town, he is clean). But his hair... it's curly... and thick... and there's a LOT of it. And, I'm sorry, but when left to its own devices, he looks an awful like like a very young Albert Brooks. The guy who cut his hair last actually recommended we use "product". On a six-year-old. And the sad part? We tried it. It kind of worked, but by the end of the day, the entire back of his head had begun to grow, like those sponge animals in gelatin capsules. Thank God it wasn't humid that day! Also thankful for baseball caps...

He's playing ball again this year. He's enjoying it. He's actually pretty good at it, too. He can run. He can catch. He can throw pretty well. He's figuring out how to hit (it's coach pitch this year, rather than machine pitch). But you know what? He says he's not playing again next year. There's a certain sad irony in knowing that the only one of our kids they're going to *want* to continue playing really just isn't that into it. He does, however, give it his all when he's out there! Can't ask for more than that. He encourages EmBaby in her efforts, too, which is adorable and endearing, and buys him a certain latitude, I'm sure.

So, all-in-all, it's shaping up to be a Great Year for Smidge, er, JakeRabbit. He's winding up first grade. He'll eat pintos, now, without needing too much extra cheese. He's got a dog he loves. And a family that loves him. Not a bad way to spend the year. We're so lucky to have a JakeRabbit.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Back to Basics

A few changes in the works, here. First, I'm abandoning Photoshop. It may be a fantastic program, but it requires time, patience, and an uninterruptedness that I simply haven't got at the moment. My feelings on this are along the same lines as on curriculum choices - The best program in the world won't matter if it sits on the shelf. So, back to Picasa, which has pretty much everything I need. (And what I need is to get pics available to Granny more often, for one thing! And to blog more often, for another.) So, here we are...

 
The weather is gorgeous, and it looks like we might actually make a little headway on the land, this year! So far, we've put in a blueberry stick (bush, eventually, but right now, shyeah, it's a stick), two raspberries, a blackberry (all sticks), and two cherry trees (actual trees - they make the sticks look even more pathetic). There are two fig sticks awaiting transplant, and Zorak did a little tilling in the garden, too!

 

EmBaby is still in charge of major defoliation projects, but she's agreed to stick to things that won't bear fruit, eventually. And, the apple and pear trees seem to be up and running for this year. We're hoping to avoid the June drop with proper thinning on the pears, and really just tossing Hail Marys at the apples. Not much else we can do, with them.

Some other changes we're making around the the Old Shack are educational - back to basics; nutritional - again, back to basics; philosophical - back to... hey, do you see a pattern here?

 

And so far, we're enjoying the changes!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Morning Comes Early

Jase got up incredibly early this morning. He came in and climbed all over us. We chased him out. He came back with a cookie and climbed all over us. Zorak chased him out. He came back a third time, with a cup, and climbed all over us. From under a pillow, I heard Zorak mumble, "He's an aggravating little cuss, isn't he?"

We had a busy, wonderful, fantastic Easter weekend. There just wasn't enough Sleep. There are pictures, but they're on the upstairs computer. (Zorak and I take turns on the Siberian exile station, down here in the basement - this computer is terribly slow, but I suspect come August, we'll be elbowing one another down the stairs, vying for time in the coolest spot in the whole house!)

We're enjoying a somewhat freakish warm, dry spell this week. Of course, I use "enjoy" in its loosest manner. Mainly, we're willing to take any temperature, as long as the humidity stays fairly low. After that, all bets are off and I'll be counting down the days to November.

And now, I must either get to work on some Velcro footie pajamas for Jason, or get to bed so Morning doesn't feel like it comes quite so early tomorrow!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Fashion Friday... again?

Zorak brought home a movie, but we live in the house that Playmobil built, and have to wait for everyone to be sound asleep or the sounds of Somebody Doing Something Interesting will lure the small ones from their caves. So, I have a few minutes, here, and if I'm not going to blog about politics, economics, religion, or diapers, it looks like we have "fashion".

I should just call mine "Shirttail Fashion" because I have NO original ideas in this area, and offer just the rambling things that came to mind when I read others' posts.

LIPS:

Bare Escentuals Buxom lipstick? Awesome. Tingly. Lovely color. I do love this, although, to be perfectly honest, I don't know why. I am not even convinced it has any plumping factor, at all. But then, I get the Blunt Trauma Via Baby Head treatment at least twice a week so, for all I know, my lips are actually even thinner than I think they are.

Anyway, one warning with this stuff: if you have long hair, be sure to wear this lipstick only if you are going to be inside the entire time, or if you're pulling your hair back that day. It's like having a wee tar pit on your face, and any stray lightweight thing that comes near it will stick. Mercilessly. Hair. Gnats. Paper napkins. You name it. Not only is that irritating, it's embarrassing six hours into the day, when you assume it's just another damned hair and it does, in fact, turn out to be a gnat.

The moral of the story: sometimes Carmex is just fine.

But, being quite lazy, and forgetful, when it comes to personal appearance, I much prefer to put on something and then... just trust that it'll be there, later, when that would be helpful. For that, I like Maybelline's Superstay lip color. They have plenty of fun colors, just be willing to run with it once it's on, because it will stay. Plus, you can put your Carmex over that without removing or smearing the color.

One word of warning (why do all my tips come with more warnings than a table saw? What am I doing wrong?) - Anyway, the directions say to put it on and let it sit for one minute, without blotting it. One minute is a very long time to stand with your lips apart on purpose, but if they touch, they'll stick. It's the weirdest sensation. So, put it on, and then pay. attention. But, once it's on, like I said, it's on, and you don't have to wonder if you have a gnat stuck to your face at the baseball games.

PERIPHERALS:

(That sounds better than "FEET".) I've got nothing for nail polish. I'm usually good if I can actually say that my nails are clean, and don't have jagged, dangerous edges. However, the feet. It's Sandal Season, according to those who ascribe to such things. (Down here, we just call it Spring, and we go barefoot as much as possible. The following applies to us, as well. Possibly even moreso.)

Buy yourself a PedEgg. Spend the ten bucks, and don't look back. It will do in five minutes what you cannot accomplish with a pumice stone and a fifth of whiskey. When you're done, your feet look and feel as if you've been maintaining a high level of grooming all your life.

And yes, of course there's a word of warning: do this in very, very private. Do it when everyone else is gone, or asleep, or running power tools. This isn't something you can do casually, on the side of the tub while everybody's getting ready in the morning. This isn't really even something you want to do in your own closet, if anyone else is IN the house. Nobody else will tell you this, but I will, because I love you and I want you to not traumatize the people you live with. It makes a horrible noise. The kind of noise that makes people's eyes water, that brings children running because they just *know* something gross is going on, that will, should your significant other ever hear it, bar you from foot rubs for months.

And that's it. I think EmBaby's asleep, and we can go watch a movie now!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Famous Last Words

Remember when I said, just last Tuesday, "Really must remember to take the pocket calendar with me into town, and never do that, again"? It was too late. I'd somehow planned the same. exact. schedule for last Thursday, as well. Friday wasn't much better. By Saturday, I was so excited to be able to not move, I slept right through Jacob's practice that morning! Thankfully, Zorak took him. I got up when they called to say they were on their way back. Then, in a show of solidarity (and appreciation), I took the afternoon practice, and Zorak got the PM nap. Lovely weekend. Not horribly productive, but lovely.

And that was the end of Spring, maybe? Sunday we had rain, all day. Today we had snow. Spring is a little gun shy in the South. It teases us every year, like this. Three of the kids are down with colds, though, and I was so thankful Em's practice today was canceled because I'd have felt compelled to take her. She's not sick, but it's hard to play ball when you're slathered in hand sanitizer and tea tree oil. Plus, it makes you smell funny. Nobody wants to be the smelly kid, no matter how healthy you are.

Hopefully, the wonderful average temperatures will soon return, and we'll be back out and about, puttering in the gardens. The kids are starting to climb the walls, just a bit.
Yeah, it's cute until somebody drops on an unsuspecting sibling... Come on, nice weather!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Well, Hello!

The weekend flew by with an unbelievably busy schedule, but it was so thoroughly enjoyable. We had company, company, and more company. Ate a lot of food, shot a lot of rounds, and shared a lot of laughs. Can't ask for much more than that.

Thanks to the rain, baseball was canceled both Friday and Saturday, which gave me not only a bit of a reprieve, but a false sense of security, as well. Then it didn't rain yesterday, and we paid for it, today, with three different doctor's appointments, two baseball practices, and Cub Scouts. (Really must remember to take the pocket calendar with me into town, and never do that, again.)

On the upside, I did manage to get the crockpot cranking before we left. Yes, I'm now 2-for-70 on that, and Rockin' the Domesticity. (It wouldn't be nearly as exciting if I pulled it off all the time, now, would it?)

We're getting settled in with the new doctor for the kids. I really like him. The kids seem to like him. And, joy of joys, he hasn't pulled the Voice of God act on us, when it comes to some of our less-than-mainstream lifestyle choices. If I had any ability, at all, I'd sing, or burst into dance. But, like I said, I really like him, so I'll refrain and just smile and nod a lot.

Me-Wa found a chiropractor he trusts, and recommended him to us. I went first, to check him out. (Nothing says "Mommy loves you" quite like taking point, right?) I like his method and philosophy quite a bit. Now, after going for almost three weeks, I also like being able to hold my children without my legs going dead numb on me. Haven't been able to do that for the last three babies. This is the first time in over six years, too, that I haven't had constant lower back pain. Wow. John's been seeing him for a week, now, for a few issues. Mainly, he's been having headaches, which the adjustments have nearly eradicated. This is *huge*, and makes a big difference in John's overall outlook on things. It'll also, hopefully, make it easier to pin down the other concerns. Good stuff.

And really, although that doesn't sound like much, it's all I've got, for now. I promised myself I would make a few changes this month: drink more water (still trying to figure out how to do that without giving up the coffee -- I've been tempted to take up drinking soda so I could have something to switch out for the water and still feel like I'm making progress, but that plan, appealing as it is, didn't pass scrutiny); get more rest (this is more an ongoing pursuit than a tangible goal, I get that); live more intentionally (this has been a habit for a while, but sometimes it's good to get back to the basics); and... I've forgotten the rest. Oh! Yes. Be on time more often (yeah). So, with that in mind, I'm going to turn in before it is midnight. It's still close enough to the time change, that my body thinks it's eleven, and I'm hoping to kind of feint a punt and knock it out of the ball park, then come in under par.

Perhaps in April, I'll spend a little time working on my sports metaphors. Until then, Kiss Those Babies!
~Dy

Fashion Friday

The fact that I wrote that title as "Fishin Friday" not once, but three times should tell you something. In fact, it tells you that you need to go talk to Laney about fashion fun - because she actually watches fashion shows and uses words like "kicky" in their proper context. The last thing I had that was "kicky" turns two this month.

Then go talk to Melissa, who actually wrote,

"You could TOTALLY catch a darting kid in these."

Yes, she did. I love her, not least because she survived this particular stage with both her figure and her sense of humor intact.

I've tried to become fashion savvy. I really have. I've culled a number of items from my stash (including the one sweater I loved, but inevitably had the awkward experience of not being the only woman in the room wearing the exact same sweater, just the only woman under 75 wearing it). And also seem to have found some kind of ballpark size range (one that doesn't include anything with flaps, slits, or knit tummy panels) with which to gauge whether it's now safe to buy clothing. Yet I still find myself drawing a complete blank when it comes to fashion.

It doesn't help that Zorak is pretty easy going. I can walk in wearing his jeans, that 75 year-old's sweater, and a pair of wool socks, and he'd hit on me. But I *really* appreciate that about him. And as such, I do try to avoid actually wearing that particular ensemble.

I have boots, but they're not the boots Melissa linked. They're just *boots*. The closest image I can find is this boot, but mine are tan/burgundy. (And yes, I realize that's a picture of men's boots. I'm not sure what that means.) Anyway, I live in them, and it shows. But you really can wear them with anything. Except shorts. Or, I guess one *could* wear them with shorts, but considering I'm only a year or two out from wearing geriatric clothing, it's safe to say I'm not going to do that.

I finally found a pair of jeans that fits *and* is long enough to wear with my one favorite pair of boots. Naturally, now, my therapists, er, sources tell me that cuffing your pants (to MAKE them shorter?!?!?) is the way to go. But... I JUST found pants that are long enough! (I have some freakish deformity that causes me to need the inseam of a small giantess, while only standing 5'6", and yet I still need longer torso'd tops. Still tracking down what went wrong, there.)

And finally, the military-themed piece seems to be making a resurgence. Cargo pants, OD green, a little worn and ragged (paired with something feminine... *shrug*) I, however, married a Navy Vet, not an Army vet and, though I love both my old Sailor and comfortable dungarees, I just don't think that's the theme our fashionistas had in mind...



I'll see you at Laney's and Melissa's!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Wordless Wednesday

Kiss those babies!

Dead in the Water

Well, I had the calendar all color-coded, and then... they changed the practice schedules... then I forgot to transfer some appointments from my little planner to the wall calendar... and now, I'm lucky to know it's Tuesday. Which particular Tuesday is still up in the air, but I do know it's Tuesday. And, it's above freezing, which is great, because I found this photo on the camera last night --



It's a "lint snail". Yeah. I think the kids are getting a bit restless.

Wednesday, I hope we can make it to the Space and Rocket Center, or maybe the Botanical Gardens, if it's not raining. Beyond that, and the regularly scheduled programming, though, I'm at a total loss. We've already missed a function I'd hoped to go to (a sort of poly-partisan protest of Parker Griffith - a man equally despised by pretty much everybody in Alabama - sort of a Kumbaya moment in politics, if you will). Today, I need to get back in the saddle and figure out what on earth we're supposed to be doing the rest of the week. So we don't end up walking the earth, like Cain.



Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Generally March

We've been here five years this month! Wow. Five years. That seems to have slipped right on by. One of the nice things about being in the same place for five years is learning to spot the rhythms and routines in that area. For example, it's March. This means several things, here:

We had temps in the teens not two weeks ago, but everything is budding out now. En masse. Happens every year and it still blows me away. It's like Mother Nature's hosting a foot race. (And we're going to lose. We do every year. But it's fun, now that we know what's going on.)

We still have no clear idea when the proper time is for pruning. We really hope it wasn't back when everything was still frozen, because it's hard to prune from inside your home.

When the weather changes from winter to spring temperatures, it seems to do so overnight. You sit through practice Friday evening, buffeted by cold, biting winds, surrounded by others with cold-induced runny noses, watching the kids through squinty, tear-filled eyes. Saturday, you can stand in the sunny spots with just a windbreaker, and as long as the shadows don't catch you, it's a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

There's *always* practice in the Spring. Always.

There will be one more cold snap. It won't come until we've put away the winter coats, but it will come. Out of nowhere. And it'll be COLD.

The Auburn v. Alabama game is played in the first week of April. I learned this, not because we watch the game, but because that's the signal to get your garden in the ground.

Poison Ivy leafs out last. I suspect that's so it's more difficult to spot it from a distance and have any hope of eradicating it.

The compost pile is about to really kick into high gear. We'll be glad we kept feeding it all winter, because this is the only time we'll be able to keep up with it.

Kids have no concept of weather patterns. They spend all winter outside, in the fairly cold weather, then spend most of April complaining about how hot it is. How they forget August is beyond me, but they do. It makes me laugh (as I throw them outside).

March is a very difficult time to stick to the lesson plans. It's gorgeous. The kids aren't complaining about the "heat" yet. There are robins and cardinals busily getting down to business. The sunshine through the branches makes an inviting path in the woods. The grass is still low enough not to lose anybody, and the days are so calm you can hear the creek burble quietly through the woods. It's a good time to take advantage of all that Springtime in the South has to offer.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Derby Days!

Well, the Pack Derby has come and gone. The boys had a great time. It's fun to watch their approaches change from year to year, their focus, and their plans. Smidge (OK, Jacob, although technically, it's still Tuesday) got it in his head that he wanted a police car. God bless Google images. He pulled it off, with a few variations because he really wanted the windows a certain color, so he flipped the color scheme. He's a mad man with the Dremel and a file! It was awesome, and he was tickled. He came in First in the Tigers' Den. Here's one of his races, courtesy of Uncle Wil, who came and caught some of the action on video:



This year, John wanted to make something really *fast*. Forget about style, forget about flair, he just wanted the fastest car he could make. He came up with "The Bullet", which was a crowd favorite (turn up the volume on the video and you can hear the kids cheering). John also took First in the Webelos Den, and took Third for the Pack.



I have no pictures, because I sent Zorak ahead with the camera while I stayed home to PanicClean, pack up things for Baseball practice (which fell right on the heels of the Derby), and locate Smidge's kerchief slide. He was busy herding children, and when I arrived, the boys were already dissolving into Full Boy Mode. We'll try to get pictures of the boys with their cars when we have another nice day.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Wow, it's March!

We had a wonderfully full weekend, and thankfully beautiful weather (relatively speaking - the wind was pretty bitter, at some points) in which to enjoy it. Pinewood Derby Saturday morning, company for lunch, baseball practice Saturday afternoon, more company for supper. It was a truly fantastic day, but I think I'm fighting something off, because I slept until NOON on Sunday. Dead. To. The. World. God bless cold cereal and good books, or the kids would have been in a world of hurt when they got up (at the crack of ten). We spent the remainder of Sunday finishing up projects and planning for Spring.

EmBaby is getting so big! And so funny, out on the swing, in her pink helmet and fairy wings. Me-Wa is convinced she should wear them to games. I'm afraid she'll overhear him and actually try it.

John's glad to be back in baseball, even though practices have all been in held in the bitter cold. And now that he's a Big Kid, his team gets the late practice slots. 7PM at the beginning of March is pretty dark. Last night, it was cold and dark. Zorak took pity on me and took him, since he had to have James at Scouts, just up the road.

Jacob can... actually field a ball! We have no clue when he learned to do that, but it was pretty cool to see at practice yesterday. He is, however, still completely entranced with his cleats and what they can do to the infield dirt. So, there's that.

We have more snow. Again. Cold, cold, cold. I've decided I need to have all my wood for the winter gathered by August, and split by September. With any luck at all, I won't have to wield an axe at all next winter. When I get a little stash going on the porch, all production comes to a standstill (because we *have* wood, see?), and nobody picks up the pace to keep the pile going. So then, there I am, next morning, splitting wood and muttering grouchy mutterings under my frozen breath. What a dumb way to spend the winter!

And lest anyone feel the need to point out that I have young men to help, they do help. They help tremendously. But have you *seen* James? He has no lumberjack blood anywhere in his DNA. He goes out there and spends four hours, working his tail off, to split four pieces of wood. I appreciate his fortitude, but we'd freeze to death if we had to wait for him. John has a little Mountain Man DNA, and he can swing an axe like a mad man, but he's nine... do you have any idea how easily distracted a 9yo is? So, they load, they haul, they move. They're very helpful, but they don't get me out of splitting duty on cold winter mornings, when we've run low on wood. I just need to get better about planning and prepping. It'll come. We've figured out so much, already, I know we'll get the hang of this, too.

And on that note, today is a blissfully uneventful day. The snow makes it pretty, and we have some catching up to do on school. The wood's split. Breakfast dishes are clean, and it's time to make some tea and cookies and settle in with some good books.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Out of the Gate

Aren't the baseball pros still down in Florida for their training? (Or preparing to head to Florida, once it warms up down there...) It was *below freezing* when we left practice tonight. That's just too cold to be sitting on metal bleachers, I don't care where you live, or how Viking your ancestors were. (And mine were not. My family seems to hail from some semi-arid region, and is of a culture that does not engage in outdoor activity beyond certain very comfortable parameters.)

But the boys? Happy as frozen clams. "Did you see how I was catching tonight, Mom?" "Did you see that throw, Mom?" "Did you remember to blink often so your eyeballs didn't freeze open, Mom?" Yes, honey, yes, I did.

I also remembered coats, scarves, and hot chocolate. (That's right, folks! I'm not the neglectful mother, this year! Let me know where to forward the Banner of Shame.) Yet three hours later, my pinky toes are still so cold, they burn. How embarrassing would it be to get frostbite from sitting on my butt at the park!

Tomorrow is JakeRabbit's first practice. Supposed to be just as cold. I wonder how awkward it would be to take a couch cushion, since I don't have a stadium chair?

At least Zorak will be home, so the Littlest Ones don't have to go, too. And tonight, we came home to fresh chili and a fire! Really, it all evens out quite nicely. Happy kids, full bellies, and eventually, warm toes.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Blame it on Lent

Well, maybe not. I'm not sure how God is with the whole Striking With Lightning bit these days.

However, I did decide to stop vying for time *alone* in the evenings. Something had to give, but what? Reading time with the boys? No. We're not giving that up, and we can't really shorten it. (They keep adding to the stack, anyway. I'll be reading to them from my death bed if I shorten our nighttime reading.) Time spent tidying the kitchen? No, that one is a sanity-saver come sun up. Time with Zorak, alone, together, speaking in full sentences? Somehow, I don't think sacrificing that is the best thing in the world for a marriage. And I like Zorak. I want to keep him, always.

The only thing left was my late night foray to stay up and blog. It wasn't working, anyway. The Bigs' read-aloud time lasts longer than the Littles' does, so Zorak gets done first and beats me to the computer. (My grand plan to hook up the old computer in the basement fell tragically short because I can't get it to connect to the internet. I seem to have misplaced... the modem. Yeah, not sure how that happened.) Zorak and I are both night owls, so in order to get time alone and on the computer, I'd have to stay up until well past two in the morning. Even then, there was no guarantee. After falling asleep on the couch several nights in a row, waiting for the computer, I realized I was being silly. Very Silly, Indeed. *sigh* That's always embarrassing.

Lent just happened to be an excellent opportunity to quit being Silly. So far, I've been a'bed by eleven six nights out of seven. The extra rest helps. I'm more productive in the morning, able to spend time in study more often. I'm a much nicer mother before noon, too. But boy, does it make for a dull blog. And no photo editing time, either. I'm not sure why I feel pressure to include photos with blog entries, anyway. (Yet I do! Just a peek into my weirdness, I guess.)

So here's a quick recap of the last week or so:

~ We fed a stray. Turns out my Mother was right. They do stay if you do that.
~ Jase is LOUD. I mean, unbelievably LOUD. ALWAYS.
~ Baseball kicks off today. (*whimper*) It will be in the low-low 30's at practice tonight. One kid has practice, another, a meeting.
~ James is anxious (both excited-anxious and fretting-anxious) about taking golf lessons this Spring. No clue what's up with that.
~ The Pinewood Derby is this Saturday. The boys have done amazing things this year. It's not unusual to go to the basement and see a boy with a torch, melting weights, or a boy with a drill press, making holes. They may not win, but they will have learned a great deal, and had a lot of fun, and that is, for us, the point.
~ Netflix really needs to get Season 4 of Big Love on DVD. Seriously. This is important.
~ EmBaby knows where to find, and how to use, the shut-off valve on the toilet! I don't think I've ever been so proud of the sense and composure of a four-year-old in my life.
~ We've had company every Saturday for the last month. As of Monday, the boys have officially petitioned that we re-define "Company Clean". They say this pace is killing them, and that someone will figure out The Truth, eventually, so why not just use that to help weed out the weak ones. (Yes, I'm both proud and horrified at the same time. Parenthood will do that.)

And, I think that's it.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Mid-Winter Curriculum Yearning

It's the middle of the winter. The middle of the school term. The middle of the same books we've been looking at for months. Not a thing wrong with what we're using. Except that... it's the same. old. stuff.

I really need to remember this point, and schedule in some Radically Interesting And Different program for us to use in February and March. That would probably eliminate at least a few late nights bouncing between Project Gutenberg, Veritas Press, Amazon, and Myriad Booklists.

Or maybe not. Sometimes it's just fun.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Classic Winter Weirdness

Happy Survival of Valentine's Day! We made chocolate covered strawberries. They were ugly, but oh, so delicious. That was pretty much the extent of our celebration. James filled us in on trivia he'd picked up about the holiday. And the boys enjoyed Fun With The Camera. Yeah, that was about it. We're high rollers, here.

Awoke to yet more snow this morning. All together, I think we've had about four inches this year! It's like living in Alaska, compared to our regular winters! The boys are in heaven. I don't know what they'll do if-or-when we ever go skiing somewhere with Real Snow. But we can't do that until we can convince Jase that he will be MUCH happier if he'll leave the gloves ON. So, we've got time.

And in the meantime, we're going just a little bit stir crazy. The kids get out, then in, then out, then in, then out. Then I threaten to lock the doors and they decide if I'm going to do that, they'd rather be in. So in they stay, to have more Fun With the Camera and Physics!

How are you staying sane this winter?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Today, we hide!

We've been out of the house every day this week. For homebodies like us, that is wrong on so many levels. Not to mention, leaving the house dinks with our mojo and then we get *nothing* else done around the house aside from... getting ready to leave the house.

I'm sure there are those who would say homeschooling is to blame, but in all honesty, I've been like this my whole life, and I've got almost two decades of institutional education under my belt. I was late for most of it, too. Some of us just aren't meant to be corporate go-getters. We know who we are. It's okay. You're safe, here.

So today, we plan to hide. We'll clean the house and have it ready for the weekend activities (whimper...) We'll bake bread to keep the living room warm (love that!) We'll catch up on our reading and spend time together. We've missed that. It's amazing how relatively cranky we all get when we can't just *be* together, at least a little bit, each day.

On other Domestic Miscellany fronts, I got my oils in yesterday! Grapeseed Oil and Squalene Oil. It's for making facial oil, but I told the boys I've decided to become a mad scientist. Then they learned where the Squalene comes from, and asked if, perhaps, I wasn't referring, instead, to alchemy. Goofballs. Hopefully, I'll get a batch mixed up today. I do hope KathyJo knows I'll be calling, begging for help, and that she'll be on speaker phone because there's likely to be oil *everywhere* and I won't be able to hold the phone. It's a good thing I don't want to make soap, isn't it?

And, that's about it, on the homefront! Well, there's a titch more, but I can't blog about it, just yet. (Not pregnant. Not moving. Nothing *big*. Well, not *big-big*.)

We're off to read!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

It's over!

I was afraid to say anything until I awoke this morning to verify it, but yes, it's true; yesterday is OVER! It was one of those amazing days, where one bizarre thing after another piles on your back, clutching at your neck, sticking a clingy little foot into your spine, pulling your hair. You blink and rub your eyes, wondering if you've developed vertigo.

And there were tortillas everywhere.

My saving grace is that once I could breathe, and quit foaming at the mouth, I could sit down with the big boys and tell them a story -- how the morning was going, from my perspective -- and they got it. They sat there, wide-eyed, trying not to laugh, shaking their heads sympathetically. When I was done, they intoned quietly that they were pretty sure the day was salvageable. And then we laughed. We laughed like nervous people at a funeral, but at least we laughed.

We never quite got on the ball. We missed music lessons entirely, standing in the checkout line at the grocery for a full 30 minutes longer than even the most pessimistic shopper could have foreseen. But you can't just leave, at that point. Not with that much food in your basket. Not unless you want the produce guys to take you DOWN the next time you enter their domain.

We didn't clean the car. We didn't go to the museum. We didn't make it to Bible study. We didn't even really stay on top of the kitchen.

But we did do lessons, and we did eat supper as a family. We did laugh, and we did read. And in the end, we got through it. Although, I forgot to get more tortillas at the store.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Appointment Week

(With apologies to Bill Cosby and Picture Pages)

Appointment week, appointment week
So much to do appointment week!
Time to see the chiro and the dentist!

Everybody had dental appointments Monday, which was fantastic, as we could just nail it and not have to do that again for another six months. A two-hour block is a small price to pay for not having to go in waves, or, worse yet, one. at. a. time. The kids don't think so, but they're kids. They aren't in on the logistics.

John needed to have one sealant redone, and one little cavity that needed some attention. And that was the only problem! Everybody else looks great! (Considering our past history, even the kids were high-fiving people at random.) We were told to back off on the flossing, which nearly caused Smidge to fall right off the table. Zorak and I have been quite the floss-drivers the past year, it seems.

I had my three-month follow up with the periodontist yesterday. The bone scan looks great - the grafts have taken beautifully, and everything is in excellent shape! I didn't realize how anxious I was about that until I got home and collapsed, exhausted, on the couch. The kids thoughtfully let me lie there while we watched the Reduced Shakespeare Company. They even brought snacks and Snuggies. These kids are born nurturers, aren't they?

Oh! And, not appointment-related, but makes me happy: I've finally found a carpet stain remover that may cause me to quit inflicting curses on various members of my family and that lying Olefin spec sheet. So, that's kind of exciting. I'll let you know how that works out. (Because you're dying to know, aren't you?)

We have at least two more appointments scheduled this week, and then, I think we're done. Until next week.

[closing] "You can schedule Appointments,
Fill your day with Doctor Visits,
'Till it's time to have another Appointment for you!"

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Scout Sunday

Or, so I heard. Tonight. After the fact. *sigh* This whole schtick about putting the boys in charge of things is really not panning out well, here. I keep telling myself it's because he's new to it... but there's not a lot of conviction behind this particular mantra, to be honest.

As it was, we at least nearly made it to our church on time. We're meeting in the fellowship hall right now, because it's easier to heat. I have to admit I kind of like it. Even if we have to sit "in the back", we're not that far from the pulpit, so the kids can still pay attention. Plus, the bathrooms are right there, and there's no trekking across the breezeway in the cold to get to them. Of course, there's also nowhere to take Jason when he gets loud(er), except outside. That's not so much fun.

Me-Wa and Me-Tae showed up today. The kids absolutely lit up when they saw them walk in. EmBaby scurried up to sit with them, and she was as quiet and attentive as you could ever hope (in those wild, crazy daydreams mothers have, where their children are suspiciously quiet, but nothing's actually being damaged... yeah, she was *that* quiet!) Smidge was a little appalled that he didn't get to go sit with them, but I didn't want to just dump all the kids on them unexpectedly. I did warn them that next time they'll probably be buried in the deluge of migrating children as soon as they sit down. (They didn't seem phased. They are so cool.)

We had grand plans for the afternoon, too. But our Netflix had arrived. And there was caramel corn to make. And once we got the fire going, everything was so cozy. Not to mention, I think lunch was laced with a sleeping drug. (The smoked venison, sliced thin, served on fresh whole wheat bread with horseradish, cheese, onions, mustard... baby carrots, and green olives on the side... pintos with cheese... mmmm...) Everybody was somewhat lethargic after lunch. (Imagine that!) What's a family to do, right?

Tomorrow's a marathon day - dental checkups, follow-up visit with the chiropractor for John, and back to the grind for school! Guess I should catch up with Chuck or Modern Family and get to bed!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Derby Day

We had an unofficial Derby prep day today. (Because it's that season!) First, the boys went bowling with their Pack. Zorak took EmBaby and James, too, which left me free to clean and declutter to my heart's content. Mostly. There was Jase... and Buddy... but you'd be amazed how much time a movie, a couple of milk bones, and a bowl of frosted mini wheats can buy you!


Shortly after the crew got home, our guests filtered in. It was just a few boys from a couple of packs who needed access to tools, and some dedicated time to work on their cars. And food. There's always food. Today, we smoked the hind quarter from a deer. ~drool~ I honestly think that I could eat some form of red meat for every meal, every day. But I digress.

The nice thing about Children Who Listen, and being able to select your group based heavily upon that criteria, is that you can *do* things like this that you wouldn't even think of trying with a random group of children who may be likely to chase one another with power tools, or pull the mat out from under each other while making a cut. (And they are out there. Oh, yes.) These are great kids, though, and they listened. They learned. They got to work the drills, learn how to chuck things into the drill in order to file them or polish them, how to use a band saw and jigs and such... without actually endangering limb. (Life or limb, but limb's the most likely thing to go, if you're not careful.)

It was a small group - about six kids, which allowed us to take the kids through in waves, giving each child instruction and guidance and one-on-one time so they could do their own work, while the others worked at the drafting table, or the axle station, or ran in the back yard with Buddy.

Their parents had a good time. The kids had a good time. We know we've done our job when the children bounce up and down, asking when they can come back again.

New...Theme?

I was JOKING about the theme for this year being a better filing system! I didn't WANT a new theme! I was happy with,

"Oh, hey, look, it's 2010... how'd that happen?"

That was a perfectly acceptable theme, to my way of thinking.

God, however, being the God of life... and humor... had another plan. His plan is that we WILL learn exceptional time management and resource allocation skills. Or die in the attempt.

You see, so far, this year, we've only had one Really Busy day each week: Wednesday. That's our grocery, car wash, stray errand, music lesson, Bible study day. It starts at noon, for Pete's sake! It's not like we're good at this.

But, starting tomorrow, when we sign away the next four months of our lives, it's all going to be a nightmarish jumble of Things We Do For Our Children (or, more aptly called, Crap We Couldn't Talk Our Way Out of, Although Don't Think We Didn't Try).

John wants to play ball again this year. He'll be in kid pitch.

Smidge then decided that yes, he'd definitely like to play (since John is playing). All attempts to remind him that he wasn't all that fond of baseball last year fell on deaf ears. "I'll like it this year."

And, of course, EmBaby's been counting on playing the split second she turned four. Some of you recall her attempts last year to convince us she was "three AND four", just so she could play last Spring.

Our weeks are now shaping up a bit frighteningly:
Monday - baseball, and Cub Scouts
Tuesday - baseball, and Boy Scouts
Wednesday - grocery, car wash, stray errand, music lessons, Bible study, and Baseball
Thursday - baseball
Friday - baseball
Saturday - all baseball, all flippin day -- heaven help us on the weekends Zorak is away at Scouting Stuff with James! (I cannot physically be in three places at once, and I guarantee we'll never have three games at the same field on the same day.)
Sunday - restock the cooler and the Shout stash, and try not to sleep through church

If I don't blog until June, it's because I'm drinking beneath the bleachers. Send burritos.

And, as always-always-always, Kiss Those Babies!
~Dy

Quick Check-in.

The basement's coming along. It is very, very yellow. This is good, in that we meant to paint it yellow. It's just that it's... well, there's a lot of yellow down there, now. I'm hoping some furniture will help disperse the visual before the children start having nightmares about hanging Sesame Street hides on the wall. It does look great, though, in general. Very clean. That won't last, but for now, there's that.

Unfortunately, as with any (every) project, the finished portions only highlight (and not in a good way) the Rest of the Stuff. And so, we either need to buy the stuff for acid etching the floor and hanging a dropped ceiling, or we need to remind someone (me) that we're still saving up for the kitchen window and the range vent. We want the window, and we need the range vent (the ceiling above the stove is in danger of looking much like we must cook over a peat fire).

So, it's true that, at some point (or every point), the project list is just a titch bigger than the project budget. But it's all good, because we will never (ever) be bored.

The boys are completely on board with the work, though. They got the grand idea that it would make a *fantastic* playroom. Then I mentioned that I'd like to get some hanging chairs. "Like the ones at IKEA?" They asked. The very ones. That was all it took. Although, mixed in with their help, they've logged a lot of time on "joist appraisal", so they'll have located Just The Right Spots picked out for hanging the chairs, when the time comes.

Yeah, this is good.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

It's February?

Wow. Didn't see that coming.

I've given in to the fact that although I crave time ALONE, I function better and am a much more civil human being if I actually get some sleep. So far, I haven't convinced myself that time asleep counts as time alone, so we're still hashing that out, my inner Introvert and I. Also, no blogging. No picture editing. No writing. No building-of-interesting-things. Something's gotta give, or there'll be a mutiny of bizarre proportions. Unfortunately, it seems winter is the time that it's hardest for me to carve out that time to myself.

February bring daffodils and buds on the dogwoods. It brings pruning time and planning time. And, eventually, the sun will rise before noon, which will help. The master bedroom only gets the very early morning sun, and that only comes through the window in the door. So, when the sun comes up later, it's a lovely little cave. A sensual hidey-hole, perhaps? Well, not with five kids. With children stealing the covers and emitting body heat in exchange, I open my eyes just long enough to peek at the window and tell myself it's still two in the morning, then roll over and go back to sleep, never quite registering the digital display that proves my sense of time to be so poorly calibrated.

So, it's a season of life, and all that jazz. I get it. Still, there's got to be a way to get sleep, tend to the needs of the Zorak (this week, he needs me to paint the new wall in the basement -- quit being dirty-minded), keep the kids fed and relatively tick-free, the house below DefCon 3, the education going, and still be left alone long enough to write, think, read. Don't have a *clue* what it is, yet, but it's got to exist. That's what keeps me going, sometimes.

But most of the time, what keeps me going is this:



And if I blink, let alone wander off too much, I'll miss it!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

So, we made stew tonight.

Oh, and I cleaned my coffee pot. I mean harsh chemicals and scrubby pads and scalding water and a hazmat team, cleaned it. Yep, it's been that exciting around here, these days.

I've been busily blowing right past deadlines so far, in 2010: NLE registrations, *fwoosh*, gone; Candidate Open House for a lady planning to run for Governor *zooooom* sailed right past me. Thank God my dentist calls the day before to remind me of appointments, and is kind enough to call early in the day so I can remind Zorak that he'll have the kids! Because, yes, we are the Eternally Late leading the Perpetually Behind.

Oh, and today, when I got through to someone at Farmer's (23 minutes on hold) so I could beg them to take our money (they didn't want it online, or in the office - I tried - but today was the deadline, and that's just one you shouldn't blow, right?), the lady laughed and laughed at/with (ahhh, we'll say "with"...) me over the fact that we somehow only owed $12 for our insurance. See, that's what happens when you just wing the payment. Best we could figure from the forensic recreation is that I'd made a payment, forgot, and then made another one (thus, paying this month's bill last month), but just pulled a number out of thin air (not having any actual paperwork in front of me at the time) and called it good. She stayed on the phone with me while I jotted down February's due date on the calendar. Hey, I was going to get my customer service, after that wait! So, we're all set, and we both had a good laugh.

Perhaps 2010 should be my Year of Better Filing? Or maybe when Wells Fargo called to offer me my own Personal Assistant, as a "Thank you for being a valued customer," I should have taken them up on that instead of telling them that if they'd like to thank me and enjoy my appreciation, they can just lower my interest rate, instead, thanks.

Hmm.

No. No, I'm good with that one. I guess we'll focus on the filing system, instead.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Classically Four

EmBaby asks, "Why did God give you an Emily?" Her favorite answer? "He knew we really, really needed one." She always smiles and says, "That's right!" I think she's got a good grip on the situation.

Sunday, she turned four, and so did all her dolls, and all the girls in her favorite stories, and her little ponies. It's a houseful of four-year-olds, if you ask her.


The timing wasn't that hot, on our part. (Not the birth, itself - we all know there wasn't much say we had in that!) But, it was a Sunday, which is a busy day for us. And then someone from work offered Zorak a deer, so there was a drive to pick it up - yes, that day. She had a birthday party/deer butchering party. Bit unorthodox, I suppose, if you don't live in the more remote parts of Russia. We were all busy, getting things done and visiting in between, so that's the best shot we have of the cake.


EmBaby went with Zorak and Smidge to pick up the deer, so I made her wear warm clothes that morning. She compromised by layering. A girl doesn't have to sacrifice feeling pretty just to stay warm, you know! Particularly not on her birthday!


There were stickers, which we are still finding in weird places on Jason. He has got to be the most patient little brother, ever. And there were the People We Love, who came to spend the afternoon with us, and help celebrate her into her new stage with love and cheer.


The felted jackal was fantastic with all the guests and activity. He stayed in the living room, of his own volition, while everybody ate. He didn't terrorize even the smallest guest. He had a lovely time. And when everyone left, he promptly crashed.


And, of course, she loved her annual serenade-by-phone, from LB and her tuneful crew. (Love the outfit. Her brothers picked out the skirt and headband for her. They're pretty good at having a sister!)

And it's shaping up to be a beautiful year!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A Celebratory Weekend

Zorak woke me Saturday morning with a kiss, saying, "You get your birthday present a day early." I felt bad pointing out that my birthday is in July, not January. I also worried a bit, considering he's known this for 14 years, and he's had the actual date down pat for about eight years, now. But, no. No worries. He had the right date, and the right girl. He also had a beautiful sentiment...

He gave me a gift, to commemorate Emily's birth. A token of the work I'd done that day, and a loving Thank You for everything I do, every day, year in and year out. Talk about humbling! (And here, I was wondering if perhaps he needed a Palm Pilot to keep track of dates! Sheesh, what a dork.) That's it, up there: a pasta maker! I love it!

We spent the day, making pasta, trying new things, laughing, eating the mistakes. It really was the perfect way to honor our family, and all we share.


The boys were helpful and interested, and we all learned a lot. (Let the smoke right out of the pasta bottle, so to speak. That was cool!)


But I think they got a whiff of the whole meat grinder introduction (do you know how long it takes to grind 30 pounds of sausage by hand? *grin*), and while they hung in there and tolerated my weirdness, after a couple hours they dispersed to go do more varying things, like playing with Legos and cleaning the bathroom. EmBaby hung in there, though, cracking jokes, asking questions.

I introduced her to my favorite pasta obsession: CHEESE! Cheese IN the pasta! (Confession, I could eat my weight in cheese ravioli, cheese manicotti, and cheese-based-cheese lasagna. But I never buy it at the store, and I don't order it at restaurants because, either way, it would cost $90 to feed me on that stuff. But now??? Whoooeeeee! Yeah, baby! We're eating right!)


Em is a master crimper. She's awesome. And she's tough. She never left the counter to follow the siren song of Other Things. What a trooper, huh?


"I did it! Can we have pasta on my birthday, Mom?"

Yes, Baby, yes we can. With cheese.

I hope to earn that appreciation, day in and day out, from both him and the children. I know it sounds hokey, particularly coming from me, the Queen of "Suck it up and do yer job, already," but I am honored to be their mother, and his wife, and to have brought these children into this world. There's not another job in this world that would be worth it, to me.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Delayed Response

I tried to post this yesterday from my phone, but my figurative VCR clock is still blinking on that thing, and I couldn't make it work. I may have inadvertently sent a death threat to Putin, though, so... yeah. Remember my Come Find Me post? Totally counts, even if the no-longer-KGB is involved, okay?

So, we got our order in from Yesterday's Classics. The boys perused the books on the way into town. When we arrived at the music store, Smidge held up a book and said, "Mom, we need to add this to my school!"

I looked up to see what he was talking about. Fifty Famous Stories Retold, by James Baldwin. He loves it. He read the first two stories on the drive! Score!!!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Quiet Times

I love winter. It brings quiet times. For years, I fought the rhythm of this time, trying to maintain the hectic, hurried pace of the Holiday Season. But that is some serious crazy-making, there. The past few years, I've chloroformed my not-so-inner control-freak shortly after New Year's Eve, picked up the notepad and favorite pen, and turned toward this time of quiet.

Once I quit fighting it, I found hidden, special times I'd missed before -- times of routine, and waiting. Times of quiet work, and preparation. Times for taking stock and weeding out the clutter. Plus, all that down-time for planning feeds my inner list-making-freak.

Well, ok, "quiet" is mainly metaphorical. But still. This is good. Spring will come soon, and with it, the endless list of things that Must Be Done Right Then - the pruning and planting, grading and mulching, sewing and painting, building and fixing. We won't have time to stop and breathe much, then. But right now, I plan to take the deep breaths, read the extra chapter, bake another loaf, have another cup. And enjoy the quiet.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Snow Day

Well, first off, the low last night was 9 degrees. Nine! And the pipes didn't freeze. W00T!!

The "snow" is still around. The kids are thrilled. We've never had "snow" stay past noon, before. Granted, this is more ice pellets & chips on a bed of ice, and therefore infinitely more dangerous and less thoroughly enjoyable than the soft, fluffy snow I remember from my childhood. But I don't tell them that. It would spoil their fun, and keep them inside, staring wistfully through the window.

Since I kept my mouth shut, however, they came up with all manner of fun things to do, not the least of which was... Ice Hockey!

And after a while, they straggled in, one-by-one, for hot chocolate and a place by the fire.

Not a lot of snow, but a very good Snow Day.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Think of A Happy Spot!!

(That's the Happy Spot.) Good grief, we've spent four years thinning our blood so we don't burst in these Southern Summers, and now we're ill-equipped to handle a chilly winter. We got up to 24 degrees today, according to the weather channel. Although, at one point, when it said 23, James checked the outside temp w/ the thermometer and it suggested a balmy and clear 16! I am, again and again, thankful for the wood stove, and the wood to put in it.

We started back to school today. The boys did a stellar job of it. We took the time before breakfast to do a quick term overview (where are we going and how shall we get there), then they gave me feedback on the books they read last term (what do you think of the transportation we've been using to get from Point B to Point Q?), and then we dove in.

James had some excellent suggestions for his work, and we agreed to implement them this term and see how they work. (I'm just so thankful he's willing to give it some thought! Honestly, even if they'd been relatively lousy suggestions, I might have given them the green light, with a few caveats, just to encourage him to keep being involved). He talked a bit today about wanting to put additional focus on his writing (knock me over with a sideways glance!) and his goals for producing quality work in greater quantity this term (*thud*). I just hugged him and quit, right there.

John's got a great attitude about tackling his projects and plans, and he's giving some thought as to where he'd like to go with Latin, from here. (I'm really hoping for LP1, to be honest. I love that program. But we'll see. It does seem to have made an impact on him, as he listened to James work through it. Today, when James read in his book (LBO), "He's hurrying from the house because he sees a sailor in the road," John piped up from across the room, "Yeah, he better run! I've heard about those sailors!" If you've done LP1, that's hilarious. If you haven't, it makes no sense, I know.)

Smidge dove right in, excited about everything except writing. We couldn't find his book, and the prospect of actually *looking* for it just about did him in. And then, he just couldn't bring himself to draw when he could be pestering his sister, who was trying to nap. But really, that's not a bad start after a break. Usually, between the three boys, we're having to locate at least four books the first day.

The Littlest of the bunch? Well, they had a hard adjustment today. Lots of crying and whining and yearning for snacks. I didn't realize how much extra attention they received during break (or how little actual, in-your-face time they get during the school periods). So, it looks like one of my goals for January will be figuring out how to educate the elder ones while not leaving the Littles to feel they've been left to the wolves. Or at least try to find a really nurturing wolf, right?

And on that note, I'm going to have apple pie and ice cream with my Littles and read some stories!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Happy New Year

We've had a quiet, recuperative few days. If I were going to get sick, this last week would have been the prime time to do it. Unfortunately, I waited until tonight, the last day of vacation, to get sick. Gotta work on my timing, but school this week may look an awful lot like the last week did...

(Note how James and EmBaby are kind of trying to smile for the camera. Jake has no clue I'm even talking.)

The kids and the dog are finding their groove. He's a delightfully patient puppy. It doesn't hurt that they spoil him rotten (see here, watching Saturday morning cartoons),

or that he has the choicest spots for leisure...

Zorak and I had romantic plans for New Year's Eve: in bed by nine and out cold by nine-fifteen, at the latest. However, at some point we've taught the children to tell time, and use calendars. No clue what we were thinking. So. There had to be New Year's Activity. We put the littles to bed, as normal, and stayed up with the bigs, playing games, drinking root beer floats, and finally -- completely blowing past the midnight hour in our focus on the game!

We wished everybody a Happy 12:05, at which point they hit the wall and were out by 12:20. Not bad. Not bad at all.

And that sentiment pretty well sums up our 2009. It wasn't what we planned, and some things went horribly awry. Some panned out well, and a few turned out better than we anticipated. In all, it was not bad. Not bad at all.

Happy New Year! And Kiss those Babies!
~Dy

Buddy: Felted Jackal, Family Dog

This is Buddy. He's new here.

He's a Yellow Lab/Heeler mix. Probably some other things in there, too, like hyena or jackal. Not entirely sure. But he's got a good temperament and seems to be well aware that this is his crew. Mutts are good like that, in our experience.


Santa brought him for all the kids,

But... mainly, for John, who has felt most severely that puppy-shaped hole in this home, and in his heart since we lost Balto. You can see the look on his face, here.

He could not believe his eyes when Buddy came snuffling through the foyer...

He could hardly speak for a few minutes afterword. I think we nailed it.

And so, A Boy and His Dog begin a beautiful friendship.


They picked his name well. Buddy.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy