The End of October

(Had some technical difficulties with the pictures. I think they're fixed, now.) Jacob broke out the Lincoln Logs one chilly morning. I love how their play mirrors their lives. See the awesome wood pile for the fireplace? (He took the chimney off for me, so I could see the interior layout, too. But a full wood pile, even in Playland, makes me smile.)

Em has a pair of shoes that she has loved to death. Actually, she hasn't worn them out yet, but she's dirtied them up pretty heartily. I hate to throw out anything that's still usable, and these still were. But oh, their once white, shiny ribbon trim was looking mighty gross, and we could not get it clean without doing some real damage to the shoes. So, we took a different route to the spiffing of the shoes. They cleaned up well, and the blacking on the ribbon gave new life to shoes that had been relegated  previously to the grunge pile.

Thursday, James had a follow-up appointment with the Ortho Surgeon for his arm. We expected a routine x-ray and a reminder not to overdo it on the physical activity. The way his bones had broken, and the trouble the surgeon had setting them, prompted all the people involved to warn us that while they *say* 6-8 weeks in the long cast, we really need to expect a full eight. And while they *say* 2-4 weeks in the short cast, we really need to be prepared for four weeks. So imagine our surprise when, after only five weeks in the long cast, the surgeon pronounced James' arm fully healed, and not in need of a cast at all! He's got a brace to wear when he's biking or hiking, and instructions to work on getting full range of motion back over the next week or so. He's one very happy camper, and I'm one very happy Mama.

The kids made their own costumes this year, for Halloween. We're following Dave Ramsey's plan for budgeting and finances, and it just doesn't make sense to blow $20 a piece on costumes they'll wear once or twice (well, the smalls will wear them well past Easter, but it's the principle of the thing). Plus, it's never hurt anyone to get creative. Being the team players they are, they got creative. And had a blast. These were two of their outfits: PacMan Ghost (used an old tarp and sign board - $3 total outlay, there), and Cinderella (she inherited the dress from a friend's little girl and although most of the sparkles have been loved off of it since we got it - she *really* loves this dress - all we needed was a blue headband a little glitter hairspray left over from previous projects - total outlay, there, about $1.50) Then we spent our holiday envelope money on a brisket and a great evening with friends, instead! Everyone agreed that's a better use of Blow Money, all around. :-)

Kiss those babies! ~Dy 

Weekend Camporee

I spent the weekend at the Camporee with the Boy Scout Troop. This was James and John's first time as grubmasters, and they absolutely rocked it. We may not be athletic, up on pop culture, or interested in fashion, but we know how to eat! I think the biggest hit this weekend was the boys' favorite winter-time soup: Loaded Potato Soup. It modifies beautifully for the camp (the pig pot didn't hurt - I don't think we have any dutch ovens large enough to serve 21 hungry Scouts!), is easy to make, and clean up is a snap (it helps that there was very little soup left over).

The days were gorgeous, but those mornings? Whooo - chilly! It got down to 29 degrees the first night, and the second was a warmish 34 degrees. The kids are tough, but I think they're agreed that they're going to need better sleeping bags if we're going to do this gig properly.

Zorak brought the Smalls out for a bit. They got to run in the woods (TICK CHECK! Always, always take your garlic, and check for ticks. *shudder*), watch the catapult launches, and enjoy a dinner with the Scouts. EmBaby found so many beautiful things tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the meadows and woods. She'd make a great naturalist, if she'll learn to take the camera to the plant and not the other way around.

All in all, though, it was another great outing. And I've finished out my Christmas list for Santa: good tents for the boys, a camera for Em, and some Ben-Gay and Epsom salts for me! There we go. That should just about cover it, yes?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A Beautiful Day for a Hike

The boys chose to complete their Hiking Merit Badge this year. This means we need to complete five 10-mile hikes, and one 20-mile hike. I've been... um, not hiking for the last 15 years. So, in order to ease me into this plan slowly, and to get a grip on what we need to gear up with (not to mention to ease me into this...) we decided to do a few trial hikes (of significantly fewer miles) to start.

 Zorak had Jake and Em at Cub Haunted this weekend, so the rest of us did a quick two-miler. The boys carried their 10 essentials and water for everyone. Jase got into the action, too -- he packed his bag with a ball, a truck, Gary the snail, and some pork rinds. I carried Jase part of the way in the Kelty carrier - but he was eager to put some miles on his wee feet, too. Also, we learned he does not need to be eased into this! (He did ask that we stop for a little playtime and a snack, though. Who are we to deny such a cheerful request? It was nice to sit in the beautiful weather and just be, visit, watch. Good stuff.)

We hiked along the river, and enjoyed the cool air, the dappled trail, the amazing birds. It was pretty great. Our pace? Deplorable. Or attitudes? Not bad. If we can get out the door a little faster, and with fewer reminders, I think we could get the hang of this and enjoy many miles along the Alabama trails.

Over the years, I've jokingly told the children that at least one of them needs to develop a love of backpacking, so I'll have a buddy to hike the Appalachian Trail with me one day. Wouldn't it be great if I had several? Yeah, I thought so, too.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Weekly, ah, roundup?

Once a week blogging? It has guilt, but it seems to be about all I'm capable of, lately.

Sooo... this week in review...

Thor. Yeah, that was fun! I have no pictures, but it was fun. For the rest of the week, we finished a few projects for winter...

A rack for holding the firewood (salvaged t-posts and scrap metal - we do love our recycling program). This turned out nicely, and Zorak hopes to make two more to go with it, so we can sort the wood a little more efficiently. This latest set up is a far cry from the stray pile in the driveway we had our first winter here! Each new iteration shows some improvements (pallets, railroad ties, now this). Someday we'll have a pretty swanky plan!

The pantry looks like we've been battling (and losing) a raccoon invasion. I found a plan online for making a rotating can dispenser, and it looked too neat to pass up. So we made one. We pretty much half-assed it, but even with the few assembly-line errors, it's functional. I found some scrap Luan in the basement and got the green light to make the next one from that, instead of cardboard. If we can pull that off, the pantry just might end up raccoon-proofed. (It's not really raccoons, unless raccoons have taken to wearing boots and jeans. But we'll just say "raccoons" and you all know I mean "children", right? OK, cool.)

And we enjoyed an Autumnal evening with friends and a campfire. They bought a new tent and wanted to try it out, so we made a party out of it. Yes, that's ash in the air. Leaves will do that. Nobody caught on fire, set anything on fire (outside the fire ring), or broke a bone. We called the evening a success and headed home to let them take on the camping test. (Heard from my friend, K, the next day. She said the kids did beautifully all night. And, she's looking for an air mattress, for herself. These are the things you need to hammer out before you get too far from a Dick's, right?)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A check up, a follow up, and a plan.

We had our Troop's planning meeting at our place this week. It was a blast, and the boys came up with some fantastic ideas for the coming year. They were enthusiastic and engaged, which is always a good thing. (It helps if you give them food, first. And fire. Fire is always good.)

I had my follow up with the dentist this week. All is well, and I got asked to the prom. I love his sweet, silly staff! My also-sweet-but-proper dentist... well, he'll get used to us, eventually.

James had a check up with the surgeon this morning. I about passed. out. upon seeing the x-rays (honestly, I was expecting things to look like they are trying to knit back together, at least a little bit maybe, at this point - yeah, they don't, at all), but the surgeon is quite pleased with the healing process and wants to see him again in two weeks. He seemed to be able to see the gaping holes, but since everything is straight, he's not worried. M'kay, then, we won't worry (much), either.

The weather is gorgeous, and I am chomping at the bit to get out and do some hiking before things get cold and damp and windy and wintery. In honor of my latest fixation, the boys have kept busy picking out places to go. (Actually, I think they're picking out places so that they can have some control over the terrain and access to food, shelter, and emergency medical services. They're quick studies.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

It's the First of October!

October! Wow! We really need to get our outdoor projects wrapped up, and get some firewood stacked for the winter. Today, however, we're airing out the tent...

And heading into the woods with friends...

And generally having a grand old time.

 

Kiss those babies~

~Dy

This was a fun one!

I discovered our camera (the one that's about to die) has a "self portrait" setting on it. I'm not sure what it does, precisely, but I do know that it means I can cross that arm extension surgery off my wishlist. That, and photos of all of us don't have to be one giant conglomeration of nostrils and eyeballs. WooHoo! Now, to figure out how not to lean so far back that my chin gets sucked into my neck...

 

I'm not sure what Jase was looking at, either. He really was having fun. He rode the carousel every chance he got. But from the expression on his face, it looks like he's waiting for one of the carousel horses to take off. *shrug* Maybe he knows something we dodn't. Anyway, today was a homeschool event at Spring Park. We met some friends there and enjoyed the festive atmosphere.
 

It's a small park, but maintained so beautifully, and laid out so thoughtfully, that it's easy to spend a whole day there without getting bored. Hungry, yes. But not bored.

 

Actually, I think there's a food stand there, as well, but by the time it opened, we were ready to head into town for ice cream. Which I then had to flake out on because of some stoopid hot flashes. I really hope it's sleep deprivation, or not enough red meat in my diet. Something. 20 years of this before hitting any of the actual perks of menopause really doesn't sound like a hot deal. But the walk through downtown Tuscumbia was nice.

 

We hit the Jack's drive-thru for milkshakes, instead, and when we got home, half of us napped and half of us played games for a bit. This silly game is one they all enjoy - Toss Up (Toss It? I honestly don't remember. I just take the pictures and keep score.)

 

The weather was gorgeous. The kids had a lovely time. I am completely bushed. And now, to bed.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Canoe Trip

The boys went on a canoe-camping trip with their Troop last weekend. Between sign-ups and launch, we lost several to injuries and unexpected soccer tournaments, so only three boys ended up going. That didn't stop them from having a blast, though.

Jodi, the awesome owner of the marina they launched from, offered use of his services and a supply boat for their gear. The boys paddled out to the island, then unloaded the boat, set up camp, and enjoyed a great campout. That island is a bit of a party island for the local... party crowd. So the boys picked up trash while they were there. Between the three of them, they filled six 35 gal. trash bags and hauled it off the island! Wow! I'm glad they understand the importance of leaving a place in better shape than you found it. Can you imagine how beautiful it would be if everyone lived by that philosophy?

They had time to explore the various islands and bluffs while they were there. They marked a few places they'd like to go back and explore more. They fished and fished. One of the boys had a catfish on the line that was big enough to break the line. That left an impression!

 (That's a plow disc behind John's head, not huge hair or a jaunty hat.) I wish I could have gone. It sounds like they had an absolute blast.

They paddled over to an RV park on the far side of the lake for a soda. The owner of the park came out to visit with them a bit - invited them to karaoke that night (the boys were out cold before it started, but the adults said you could hear it clear across the lake!), and gave them some goodies just for fun. Nice people. I appreciate them being kind to our Scouts.

Then Zorak sent me this picture the next day. Because he's cool like that. Isn't that a gorgeous sight to wake up to in the morning?

 

We have a planning meeting to get the coming year sorted. I hope the boys are up for more adventures, and that they all get as much out of Scouting as they can. It will be time well spent.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Week (an'a half) in Review

So, since last we surfaced for air...
We made sour cream and cheese,

We went fishing,

James broke his arm, then turned 13 (he got surgery for his birthday! Not quite what he'd asked for...),

 And we've... well, yeah, that's about it.

 The older boys went canoeing this weekend. I'm waiting on picture from that trip, since I had to stay home and watch Those Who Cannot Cook For Themselves. It sounds like they had a good time, though!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Bring Out Your Dead!

I tossed Monty Python and the Holy Grail into our Netflix queue for this weekend. The Boy Scout Camporee this fall is going to be Holy Grail themed.



I'm torn between feeling this is a *wildly* inappropriate theme for Boy Scouts, and being really, really excited, because the itinerary sounds like a total blast. (There will be a killer rabbit!) It's hard to balance reverence/irreverence, sometimes.

Anyway, the boys haven't seen more than a few clips here and there, and the weekend will be significantly more fun if they've seen the movie. (I knew this would be an issue as the Scoutmaster mentioned the activities, and others in the room promptly chimed in with pertinent quotes from the movie. The boys looked most confused when somebody asked if they'll have a duck for the weighing of the witch. So, ok, yeah, that makes zero sense if you haven't seen the movie.)

I suspect Zorak will take the three littles fishing, if only to get out of having to sit through an entire Monty Python movie. (I know! The poor man. I can barely remember plot lines from important movies we've actually seen together. You would not believe how often he'll quote a line and I'll tell him, "Hey, that sounds like an interesting movie. We should watch it." And yet, I can still quote entire swaths of Monty Python, which I haven't watched to any extent in 25+ years. I don't know why he loves me, but I'm glad he does!) Also, I'm looking forward to sharing something with the boys that *I* remember first discovering in my youth. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Domestic Bliss? Sure, okay.

Today, I wished it was still Saturday. Saturday, we ate with friends, enjoyed the mother of all household bon fires, played with the kids, and wallowed in the gorgeous weather.

Today, we were at the dentist again, then to the post office, the museum, music lessons, gas, errands, groceries, Scout preparation, and... and that's when I fell asleep on the couch. The Novocaine had worn off, but the Ibuprofen hadn't kicked in, so sleep seemed best.

Naps were a lot more restful before I had small children. Namely, Jase. A prone adult figure just begs to be scaled, leapt from, leapt on, kneed, poked, and coated in whatever he's eating at the moment. I'm sure it's great fun when you're three, but it's not so much fun for the prone adult.

Zorak made enchiladas (because he loves us), and then we enjoyed piling everybody on the couch to watch Shaun the Sheep. By the end of the day, I was glad it was today, because even the busiest of days end up with all of us, together. I can't beat that.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Our Reward

Shortly after we moved here, I finally discovered what the Big Deal is about Spring. A month or two later, I then realized there is a price to be paid. We call it Summer. But, we've survived the hot 'n sticky - and this year with surprisingly less grousing (although, admittedly, I did not blog much, so really, you'll just have to take me at my word on that), and now, we reap the reward -- Gorgeous Weather from now until next May!

Friday, our wee Den (and ALL the siblings) went hiking at Hurricane Creek. It was a fantastic day, with a fantastic group, and a fantastic outing. We did get into a nest of yellowjackets at the end, which was a bit rough on those of us who got stung, but that was the only downside to the trek. (Side note: in spite of having been stung three times, John carried Jase half a mile uphill, of his own volition. Jase had been stung twice, once in the inner thigh, and walking at all just hurt like all get out. I carried him a bit, but the yellowjackets were still following us, and I needed to help the others move more quickly. John has enjoyed serious Super Hero status for the past few days.)

Jase was a little scared the first 200 yards of the trail (which are pretty much straight down - there are steps, but they're Park Service steps - so plenty of railroad stakes and old rocks). Once he found his balance, though, he kept announcing, "And I'm not scared at all! This is FUN! It's not even a little scary!" I'm glad for that. For a while, there, I was sweating the end result, and having to explain to Zorak just how'd I'd scarred our smallest child so terribly. But, no. All is well.


My favorite spot of the day was the picnic area. The water is *right there*, so the kids sort of inhaled just enough food and water to get their second winds and then they dispersed to play in the creek. Thankfully, this was our last stop before climbing back up the mountain side, so we weren't wet for the whole day.

I hope we get back there again soon. It's just a stunning place to enjoy being out and about. You can hike, mountain bike, rock climb, or curl up on a sunny rock and enjoy the peace.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Happy Birthday, Jake Rabbit!

Jacob turns 8 today. Wow. We celebrated a little early, thinking Zorak would be on the road to pick up a friend today. So when he got home, he brought a bike with him. Jacob's been using John's old bike. We got it for John's 4th Birthday, so not only has Jacob looked like a Shriner on the 4th of July for most of the Summer, but this new bike seemed HUGE to him.

(The capes and hat are part of their costumes - they were Porthos and Athos at the time.) He ditched the cape (according to our stringent No Capes On Bikes rule, or something like that) and off he went. It's nice to be able to keep up with your big brothers. He can hardly wait to take his bike to Tannehill with him this fall.

We had his birthday dinner and cake last night, too, and we called it a day.

This morning, he got the rest of his presents (a couple of books I hadn't ordered in time - oops). His brothers did the wrapping, and they couldn't resist the bag-in-a-bag-in-a-bag-in-a-bag trick. Then we took his Cub Scout Den to Dairy Queen after today's meeting (which was an awesome hike to Hurricane Creek). He said it was a pretty darn great way to turn eight.






Ah, but he makes it so easy, with his laid back, happy nature and his willingness to find happiness in everyday things. Really, how could we not want to celebrate *him*?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Back to School - 3rd Grade

HOW is he in third grade? Sheesh, that happened quickly. Ah, well, that seems to be what they do.

So, Jacob's 3rd Grade year is shaping up thusly:

Math - MUS Gamma. I kind of hate this one, but it won't last forever. (Seriously, it's good. It's thorough, but it also seems to be the only one that causes stress and angst in my children. I don't get it, but I suspect it's a housekeeping issue with respect to multiple digit work. So far, though, we're three for three on that point. :sigh:)

Greek - Year One, Elementary Greek. He's rocking this.

Reading - (this list develops as we go)
Huckleberry Finn, The Doll People, Twenty-One Balloons, Calendar Quest. He reads a lot on his own - he's read a good many of the Boxcar Children, is re-reading the Harry Potter books, and informed me the other day the he really prefers mystery, fantasy, and action genres. Funny kiddo.

Writing - Imitations in Writing, Aesop.

History - Story of the World, Vol. 4 (Modern History)

Science - nature jourals, taking things apart, building things, setting things on fire - general curiosity, coupled with plenty of discussion and engagement, goes so far at this age.

Music - he'll start piano in January

Typing - Typing Instructor Deluxe

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Back to School - 6th Grade

John's sixth grade year is shaping up like this...

Math - Math-U-See Epsilon. He went a little slowly through Delta, in order to master it. We'll all be glad he did when he hits the higher level math!

Latin - Latin Prep 2, from Galore Park. He still doesn't *love* Latin, but he learned so much more with Latin Prep than he did with anything else, so when he completed the first level, it seemed a no-brainer to stick with what works. While we've been waiting for his books to arrive, he's been working through Visual Latin. I think we'll keep using both throughout the year. Although I come down fairly strongly on the side of grammar-based approaches to learning foreign languages, we are enjoying the synthesis and multi-sensory approach of Visual Latin.

Language Arts - Michael Clay Thompson's Voyage series. The material is about dead-on for a rigorous language arts program for an 11yo boy. Truly great material, presented in an engaging manner, at a level that expects you will strive to do well. *Love it!* This series covers Grammar, Poetics, and Writing.

Greek - he's also halfway through Year One in Elementary Greek.

Science - normally, I leave them be to do nature studies, build and break things, and read biographies for science. That's worked well. This year, however, I thought I'd try something new. He's using Galore Park's So You Really Want To Learn Science. He said the book looks lame, and he's not terribly thrilled about it. Honestly, from perusing the table of contents, it does seem he knows most of the material. (Score one for biographies and hands-on learning, at least!) But we have the book - we'll use it to filter out any gaps, and go on. I'll know more about the program after we've used it a bit.

Typing - Typing Instructor Deluxe. He's already doubled his typing speed. Yay!

History - finishing up Modern History (I try to keep everyone somewhat together with history, adding in additional material for the older children). He'll begin Ancients with us, though not with Omnibus, this time around.

Music - piano and guitar. He just started a new book for guitar - it's pretty amazing to Zorak and I, to sit and listen to them play. Wow.

I think that's it. That sounds about right. But he has a question... so I'm going to sign off!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Back to School - 8th Grade

We've been back to school for a while. Sometimes, the school year blends together. Sometimes we have a delineated break. We tried a longer break this summer, but it just about killed us. So, we started back and worked through the hotter part of the year. Today's high is 58, and we're finding it hard to stay motivated when all we really want to do is play in the rain, then curl up in bed with hot tea and good stories.

James' material this year is pretty exciting (he says that's fairly subjective, but he smiles when he says that, so I don't think he's complaining too loudly).

Math - MUS Geometry, which he's finishing up this month. I'm torn on moving him into Algebra II/Trig right away, or giving him some other material to play with for a while so he will go deeper with it. It's hard to tell with him, sometimes.

Language Arts - we've picked up Michael Clay Thompson's language arts program. It includes Grammar, Poetics, and Writing. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. James and John are both working through the Voyage series. James could probably move into Magic Lens, but I don't honestly think he's missing out on anything by working through this series in the fall. His writing is fantastic, and this program is helping him organize his thoughts and develop some structure.

Science - Physical Science with Derek Owens. Wow. James is so happy. I am so happy. This is a great program. I'm thankful to the friend who recommended Mr. Owens' courses.

Greek - we're about halfway through Year One of Elementary Greek. It's coming along nicely. James said the hard part was mastering the characters, which are so different from English and Latin. The grammar, however, is fairly similar, so now we're into familiar territory and making good time.

Latin - he's very nearly done with Latin Book One. It's taken SO long to finish, but he's learned so very much that I cannot complain. We'll start with Henle after the Christmas break. I'm not sure where we'll pick up in Henle, though. I need to find a placement test of sorts, or go through the tables of contents to find a good transition point.

History - we're mid-year-ish on History. We are wrapping up our study of Modern History, preparing to go back into Ancients. I'm planning to use Omnibus I, starting this fall. This is exciting for me, and a bit overwhelming for James. But he's promised to do his best, and I've promised not to be a total slave-driver. I think we'll make a good go of it, between the two of us.

Reading - He's reading The Last of the Mohicans this month, as well as some collections of Poe, and beginning the Hornblower series. He spent the summer on a Gothic Horror and Michael Crichton kick. It's been a good year for reading.

Music - still playing piano and guitar. The house is filled with music.

Typing - I finally bought Typing Instructor Deluxe. The kids love it, and their typing has improved. Goal met! Chocolate chip cookies, all around! James' goal with this is to complete the program so that he can take some online coding courses. He's working on designing a web page for his Boy Scout Troop as part of a project. Good stuff.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A Day Out

It was hot today, but under 100, so I guess if you grade on a curve, it wasn't bad. We made it to the Battle for Decatur, and had a truly lovely time talking with the participants. The displays are always interesting - from the weaponry to the furnishings and food, the participants go the extra mile to make it as authentic and realistic and educational as possible. Some of them came from quite a distance, and all of them were absolutely delightful. The Union Army won today's skirmish -- here they are, returning to camp.

The boys took their earnings and bought birch beer and cream soda to soothe the effects of the heat. There were kegs of various beverages - root beer, cream soda, birch beer, cherry lemonade, and the like - you could purchase the bottle for a sum, then refills were significantly less expensive. The bottles were all different, and the set up was unique. Jase particularly enjoyed the cream soda from the bottle that's as big as he is.

We walked and walked, talked and visited. Eventually, the littles began asking if we can go home. History is great, but there is much to be said for the modern conveniences of HVAC systems, glass windows, and bagged ice in the freezer. I asked them to give me a wave for the camera on the way - not sure what Em's doing, but it was fun, nonetheless.

We had a thousand and one other things to get done today, but they will hold until tomorrow. It is worth the wait to have had the day with the whole family together.

Kiss those babies!

~Dy

That's Done

I saw the doc today, to have him check out this cough that's not going completely away. He said it's normal to have a residual cough for up to six weeks after having pneumonia. I guess I looked a little queasy at that thought, because he was kind enough to assure me that's the outer edge of normal. (Then he not-so-encouragingly added that after about 12 weeks, it shifts from "acute" to "chronic" and then you have to start looking for other things.) I put in my vote for residual and acute, grabbed my prescription for more prednisone, thanked him profusely for his time, and got out of Dodge before he could think of anything else to share.

Then I came home and mopped the floors. Something had to give. If we ever win the lottery, I'm going to go hog wild and do crazy things, like hire contractors to finish the work I'm just too tired to spool up on, and pay someone Very, Very Well to come mop the floors once a week.

We missed the homeschool skate today - because I'm not the only person who holds off on seeing the doctor all week, then, when things don't clear up by Friday, decides it's better to go in *now* than risk an ER run at some point during the weekend. Bless the doctors who are open on Fridays, and deal with the backlog so gracefully. But the kids who lose out are also appreciated, and we'll try to catch the public skate tomorrow, after the Battle for Decatur. It's a Civil War display, and looks to be very interesting. I love historic re-enactments, regardless of the era. But I could never participate in them because of the attire. These things are always hosted in the dead-on heat of summer, and have you ever noticed the clothing for the dead-on heat of summer is *the exact same clothing* they'd wear - comfortably - in the stark, cold middle of winter. The kids love the presentations and lectures. I miss out on them, though, because of the monologue running through my head...

"You are so, incredibly, unbelievably tough... My word, but you've got to be dying in that thing... how many layers is that? Wow... I wonder if they've experienced spontaneous combustion at one of these things?"

And so on. Until I'm ready to go steal a Squishee machine and haul it to the field. FREE SQUISHEES FOR EVERYONE IN COSTUME!!!

The ice skating rink will be a lovely reprieve after that. The kids will love it! Maybe I'll try to steal a few of the participants, too, and buy them Squishees at the concession stand. They had Squishees in the 1800's, right? ;-)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Suddenly September!

And here we are, 2014... no? Not yet? Well, give it time. It'll be here before you know it. Or at least Autumn will be. Zorak and I sat out on the balcony tonight, cooking supper, looked at one another and said, "It's too hot for this." Soon, though. Soon, it will be gorgeous enough to spend all day out there! I'm ready. So very ready.

In the meantime, this entry hit me upside the head. (I know, Mrs. Voskamp's aim isn't necessarily to advocate assault or battery, but sometimes that's just how it all comes together. As a friend said today, "a God smackdown". Ayup.) Perfectionism is an illness, and it's one that robs us of our ability to give praise, to be joyful, to enjoy all the delicious blessings we have in our days. It's the kind of thing that betrays our best efforts, sincerely given, and leaves us feeling bitter, resentful, and filled with failure instead of love. I've had a downright paralyzing case of it lately -- evidenced clearly in my refusal to blog until I could get a picture "and do it properly", and my consequent stress and frustration at not being able to find my camera. Really? Because crappy pictures of stressed out kids is what it's all about, I'm sure. (Can you feel the self-deprecating eye rolls from there?)

And the thing is, it hasn't been perfect lately. The kitchen floor looks like I'm sneaking livestock in during the hours Zorak is at work. The laundry... oh, yes, the laundry. Yep. The projects that aren't getting done, the repairs that keep cropping up... that stoopid "check engine light" that comes on right after I've paid all the bills. (What IS that, anyway?) And the dishes? I've been on the verge of carving everyone *one* bowl and *one* cup (maybe, if they're good) that will hold their own personal utensils and just take the rest out to the shooting range. Dinner plates would make fun skeet, I'm sure.

But it's been good. So good. We can pay the bills. We can have the lessons. We can laugh and talk and work together. We are so blessed with the children and their funny, wonderful ways. James will be 13 this month, and you know - we still enjoy him so. For that, alone, I should be wallowing in joy and thankfulness every waking moment. This is better than whatever image of "perfect" creeps in with that illness.

I still really do need to mop that floor. But first, I'm going to kiss my babies and read to them. And, I'm glad I wrote. Even if (though) it isn't perfect.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Summer fun

This summer has been surprisingly fun. I think the water-park-in-lieu-of-baseball deal helped with that. Two kids have improved their swimming tremendously, two kids have learned to swim at all, and the small one no longer shrieks to high heaven if he's in water over his ankles. The paler among us have muscled through the initial vague yellowing that usually qualifies as "tan" in our home, and we all have pretty stellar Vitamin D levels. Not a bad gig, at all.

Sadly, the water park closes down during the weekdays, starting right about the time we can no longer pretend Summer isn't going to last forever. (Oh, we "know" it won't, but that's hard to believe halfway through August.) The park will close for the season after Labor Day, and then we will mark our calendars for next year's season pass sale, and begin looking forward to Autumn. This is the first year we haven't started looking forward to Autumn shortly after Mother's Day, though, so I can't be too sad.

The Cubs had their Awards Night tonight. It was a busy summer for all the boys, and they'd earned a ton of awards. This was my first Awards night since ending up as the Awards coordinator, but I thought it went well. We got almost everyone to use ScoutTrack, and we're cleaning up from an eight-month record-keeping limbo. I think it went very well, though, as we did not forget any boy or botch any awards. Yay! Our Cubmaster's wife is a bit of a Type A with a grand vision of where to take the Pack, and a panic-stricken horror of how to get there from here -- and she's stuck with me as the Awards Coordinator. If she drank, I'd buy her a flask. As it is, I'm just trying to learn how to use my soothing voice and not make any rapid movements. I think we'll eventually find a good groove, though. We've got good parents, wonderful boys, and plenty of room for everyone who wants to be involved. This is a great thing, and it's going to be a fantastic year.

And that's about all we've been doing this summer - Scouts, sickness, and the Water Park. I hope to have something more interesting to share here in a bit. Until now, though, that's pretty much it. Good stuff, though, in the big picture. We've thoroughly enjoyed the kids, in all their various stages and places. For that, I am thankful.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

PSYCH!

I do love that show. But no, really, I thought we were well. We were well. Except, I had a cough that would not go away. At all. Finally, when sleeping upright in five minute spurts lost its novelty, I went in. Ha - pneumonia. Part of me was glad the doc didn't just tell me it's a virus and there's nothing he can do. (That's a typical Mom Fear, there. You hate to go in for a virus, knowing you could come home with Staph or Malaria or something and just have to go back later.) A (much larger) part of me was SO thankful it wasn't something Really Big And Scary (that would require biopsies and blood). And then a wee, small part of me had to roll its eyes and say, "Really, Dy? Way to go, there, dork." So, a short course of steroids and two weeks of antibiotics later, and we are back in business for real. And all the parts said, "WOOHOO!"

Fingers crossed, and all that.

We had Scouts today. The Bears made bird houses. BSA regulations limit Bears to using only hand tools, but they made the most of it and the houses turned out fantastically!

Our Webelos made the most amazing bat box. (He gets to use the power tools. He did a wonderful job.) He also did some research and taught the rest of us quite a bit about bats. Then Zorak filled us in on more neat things about bats and bat boxes. Now I want a bat box.

The siblings made pine cone bird feeders. The basement smells like the Chipmonk's cafeteria -- all cedar shavings and food.

We have a hike and a spelunking expedition planned for next month. I can hardly wait! There's been more, too, but the laundry calls and for some reason this dinner won't cook itself, so for now --

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Back to Business

Zorak fell to the crud this morning. The alarm went off, and I heard through the darkness, "My throat... oh god, I need sleep." Yep. That's pretty much it. Thankfully (sorry, Love), he didn't give in to it until this morning, which left him free last night to finish configuring the ventilation on the washer/dryer unit and put it back into place! If we were younger, or not sick, there would have been much fist bumping and booyah-ing. We settled for a test load of whites and satisfied nods. I'm still somewhat surprised that it doesn't feel as dull as it sounds.

Meanwhile, everyone else is healthy and mobile again. As much as I hate it when we catch a virus, I do so appreciate that they're short-lived and not life-threatening. SO thankful.

I had a follow-up with the periodontist today. Had all the body parts crossed, and set a few things on fire in the hope of getting good news. I told the hygienist I felt like a kid at exams, hoping to pass. Something worked -- I got the green light to see my regular, everyday dentist next week to get started on the very last leg of this whole process. (Then I squealed at the hygienist, "I passed!" She laughed. My very sweet, very proper perio only looked between us and muttered something along the lines of, "ok, then." I think he just knows intuitively it wouldn't be funny, even if we explained it.)

And really, I have no clue what else happened today. Been floating on the cloud of relief, hearing the sweet mantra of "almost done!" in my head. Good, good stuff. James gave me a mental high five for getting done just in time for him to start with the orthodontist. AAahhhhh!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Weekend That Wasn't

It's five in the morning. Monday morning, I believe. The last time I was relatively coherent was, um, Friday afternoon sometime. We had a night hike for Jacob's Pack that night. I'd even reminded Zorak that we had that "hike thing... somewhere". That should have been our first clue that the brain-body connection was going South. By the time one of the parents called to see if we were coming, I had to focus very hard on *who* she was, and *why* she was calling. I was on my way to bed with a box of tissues, some Mucinex, and the Kindle. I'm not really ready to face the week, but it's time. So here we are. On the upside, I love having a Kindle. When you fall asleep reading, it just bookmarks your spot and shuts itself down. *LOVE*

I'm pretty sure it's viral. EmBaby and John weren't feeling well last weekend - fever, sore throat, cough. James and Jacob gave in to it Thursday. Jase went down Friday. I'm not entirely sure Z will be at work today. We'll see.

The tile is IN the laundry closet, all grouted and done. It's so pretty. There's a drain, and a combing, and... no washer. Z figured this would be a good time to reconfigure the ventilation. I'm okay with that. Mostly. The timing isn't that great, to be honest. If it weren't near 100 every day, I wouldn't mind as much. If I were willing to deal with higher temps inside the house, I wouldn't mind as much. As it stands, though, the house is uncomfortably muggy and warm, and the electric bill is still going to be sky high. Timing. And presentation. Two very important things.

I don't know if we'll have full-on lessons today or not. Depends on who is sick and how sick they are. For now, though, I'm going to enjoy the relative cool of the morning and a cup of coffee.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Small Town Fun

Every summer, our little town hosts Concerts on the Courthouse Lawn. Granted, it's hotter than hades, and we live in the South. So it's like Hell, if Hell were humid. Obviously, we don't go very often. But we should. We have such a nice time every time we go.

The guy on the mandolin is the *son* of the guy on the far right. That blew us away. I don't know if it's clean living, or the mixed blessing of humid air that goes easier on the skin. But, wow. They were pretty good, and fun. They enjoyed being there and we enjoyed hearing them play. The guy on the upright bass (is that what it's called?) made it look Very Cool to play that thing. :-)

The Bigs enjoyed hanging out, chit-chatting, and listening to the music. They're cool to spend time with. I'm thankful for that.

The Littles had a harder time sitting still. I'm sure that's why they host it on the lawn, where there is plenty of room to run and dance without disturbing everyone who wants to hear. It's a nice family outing, and one of the many things we love about living in a small town.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Sweet Babies and Projects!

We got to kiss a baby today. All day! His Mama was off having a little sister, so he stayed with us today and tonight. Oh, so sweet. Oh my goodness so sweet. Also, I am old. I am old and slow. But he is so very sweet! And the picture of his baby sister? Oh, she's PRECIOUS! I can't wait to love on her in person, too!

John got to Scouts tonight, ready once again to sit his board of review. Third (fourth? fifth?) time's a charm, right? Well, not so much. The boys in the Troop have become very active lately, which is wonderful and awesome and all kinds of great. Unfortunately, that's put a bit of a pinch in the schedule for Scoutmaster conferences and boards of review. He's been "first on the list next time" every week since they got back from camp, the first week of June. For the most part, I limit my role in Boy Scouts to making sure they are there on time, have access to what they need to accomplish their goals, and general reminders to grab book/kerchief/shoes on the way out the door. The rest is up to them. Tonight, though, when it happened again, I had to point out that he keeps getting punted on this, and considering they've scheduled a Court of Honor for next Monday, I trust they'll make a point of arriving early so he can have his board *then* and not miss out on the Court of Honor due to no fault of his own. (Yes, he could/should/oughta say something on his own. He's young, and he's a little bit shy, and he's way too polite to tell an adult, "Really? You're doing this to me AGAIN?" Particularly when he knows it's not intentional. He'll get the hang of it, but tonight, he was just small. And disappointed. And I don't have those hangups. So, there you go.) We do have great guys leading the Troop, and one of them, whose son is sitting for his Eagle board tomorrow, volunteered to stay a bit longer so that they'd have enough adults and John could finally get this done. He's earned his Tenderfoot rank! He came out of that review absolutely beaming from head to toe, too.

The mailbox has been replaced. The boys helped with the design and the welding, and it's awesome! The mail lady also brought the mail with her today, so it's a good thing we got it up. I'll go in tomorrow and take the official hold off our mail.

James' bed is fixed and happy and he remembered to pull it out far enough that we don't have to stand on it to kiss Jacob goodnight in his bed.

Still doing the wash on the front porch, but I don't mind, as we've got thinset curing in the laundry closet! It'll have a tiled basin with a nice combing and a drain to address any future leaks and protect the floor. That's quite exciting, and completely worth a little Adventurous Laundry here and there.

Oh, and Zorak fixed the blades on the mower, so we mowed the front yard and upper meadow. We're feeling downright genteel at the moment. (Well, except for the porch thing, but like I said, that's not permanent. Please don't let it be permanent...)

In all, it's been a great weekend!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Well, there you have it...

Sometime Monday, folks got bored in the boonies and set out to play a little mailbox baseball. It was about time, truthfully. We've had this box for nearly two whole years, now. @@ Zorak won't let me rig the new one with paint capsules that coat the perpetrators in hot pink shame upon impact, though. James and I thought that would be kind of worth having to put up with replacing the box.

Meanwhile, we can't get our mail because our fruit loop of a mail lady keeps taking our mail on her route. She's not about to do anything ridiculous, like bring it to the door (she won't even do that when we have packages). The manager has told her to leave it because we'll be picking it up while we are hammering out the plan for the new box. They've had meetings about leaving it. Still, she takes it. No one can figure out why.

We broke a blade on the lawn mower. This isn't a big deal - you can only hammer those things straight so many times before they break - but the mower is parked in the un-mowed front yard at the moment. This comes into play here in a bit.

The boys' bunk bed broke on the trundle. Again. That trundle takes a lot more abuse than it was designed to take. We still love it, but we're getting adept at repairing it.

The drawer front on the bread box of the Hoosier came off. Just plumb came off! :blink:

Then the parts for the dryer came in this morning. WooHoo! It was the work of ten minutes to replace the broken bits and vacuum the insides thoroughly. We got the unit back into place, hooked it up, and started a load -- only to find the washer is leaking! There's no room to maneuver in the hallway, so we moved the whole thing out onto the front porch for troubleshooting. But then we had to head out. James needed to go into town to finish a project. I had made plans to meet friends with the rest of the crew. So the washer sat there...

With the mower.

And the mailbox post.

Amidst the tall, unkempt grass.

And that's when we remembered the rep from Window World was due out today! Ahhhhh. Naturally. Heh.

On the upside, we can do the wash on the porch, Buddy didn't get out again, and the inside of the house was picked up (gah, thankfully!)

Kind of anxious about what tomorrow's going to look like, though...

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Well that was a wild day!

Buddy has mastered the art of escape. He greeted us on the front porch early this morning with news that he only needs a cape and a gorgeous assistant and he'll be able to make his way in the world. Or he could have been wanting breakfast. It's hard to tell, really. In the meantime, however, we went on full alert trying to figure out his secret. He can't be getting out of the back yard at will, like that! Between the strays that loiter in the neighborhood and the cars that do 60 in a 45, it's just not safe to free range it out here. It took us about an hour, and four escapes, but we finally tracked it down. He watched us from the balcony, totally clueless about our intentions, as the boys and I hauled fencing around to bolster the area and get it blocked off. Then we stationed people in all the windows to watch and see if that was it. I let him off the balcony and he made a beeline for the one spot, then the other. Then, being utterly thwarted, he went to the back porch to hang out. *whew* Dodged that one.

Meanwhile, we were hanging clothes today, singing the praises of the clothes line and the sunshine. The dryer, however, was getting some hairy eyeball from at least two of us. It died last night sometime, leaving us with two loads of wet clothes and no warning. Zorak did the troubleshooting tonight while I took the Bigs to Scouts, and it looks like the problem is a $22 replacement part from Repair Clinic.com (love that place!) And then, because he loves me, he also chipped in for a new washer start knob (ours has been stripped for two years), and a new belt (because while you're in there, you know you might as well replace anything that wears out like that). It'll ship tomorrow, and should be in our hot little hands by Wednesday! Repair Clinic for the WIN! Boo-yah!

We hit the water park, then came home to prepare for the evening. John nailed the quarter mile improvement, which was all he had left to complete his Tenderfoot requirements, so he had his Scoutmaster conference tonight and will sit the board of review next week. It looks like we'll be having a Court of Honor in a couple of weeks, too! Very exciting to see the activity level ramping up in this Troop.

Man, I'm loving the water park. The kids sleep so deeply after a day there. And they're all improving on their water skills - far more than I thought they would, really. Jase is no longer afraid of water deeper than his ankles. Emily's not afraid of anything (kind of wish she was...) but she's comfortable putting her face in the water now (added bonus of making bath time significantly easier). Jacob can SWIM, now. Under water even! And James and John are both getting to be stronger, more confident swimmers all around. I just can't say enough how glad I am they have this opportunity. Good, good stuff.

However, the downside is that I'm about done, too. Still much to do, but this lady is going to finish yet another glass of water and hit the hay. They want to do it again tomorrow, and I'd like to be up for it! ;-)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

I'm too old for that!

Well, that was fun, but here it is, Monday morning, and I'm almost caught up on my sleep! WOW. I didn't think I was getting old. Well, no, I knew I was getting old - things have been giving out regularly for the last three years. But I thought... yeah. Moving on.

We went to Lacon Trade Day on Saturday to get chickens. Everyone says it's *the* place to get chickens. And lemonade. We got chicharrones and some cheap dodads. The weather's been too hot for the roosters to take care of business, so there were no chicks to be had. We missed the lemonade, entirely, but had a lovely time just roaming the place with the kids. Our kids are cool. I appreciate that. They were fun and funny and stayed close enough for us not to panic, and nobody came home with weird livestock. I really appreciate them.

Sunday, we made it to church (though not to Sunday School - that just seems to be a time hurdle we haven't managed to clear yet), then spent the rest of the day at the water park. That deal (skipping baseball and using the money on season passes to the water park) has turned out to be one of the best things we could have done. Everyone's having fun. Nobody has to sit in the hot stands. Nobody has to keep the littles from playing in the cigarette butts and sunflower seed spittle. There's none of that ridiculousness that goes along with Type-A parents trying to relive their own youths through yelling at their children. And we've eaten well all Spring and Summer. It's delightful, really.

Today, the dryer stopped squeaking. Actually, it stopped last night. I was so relieved it didn't dawn on me to check and see if something *else* had gone wrong. I should have checked. The wash this morning was still quite wet. The tub won't turn - not regularly, not even manually. It's completely seized up. I'm so thankful we have the line to fall back on. Aside from trying to time it around the thunderstorms, it's only a minor inconvenience, and at least it's not January! We'll take it apart tonight and hope for Something Minor to be the problem.

A friend of ours from Maryland is in town this week, so we're looking forward to seeing him while he's here. And, it looks like it's another week in the high 80's, low 90's, which is a beautiful reprieve and we plan to make the most of it! (Yeah, can't believe I'm saying that.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Milestone Fun

Last night we joined approximately half the population of Northern Alabama in attending the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. This was big for us, as we usually only see one movie in a theater in any given year. But added to that was that this was the first time Jacob had seen one of the Harry Potter movies in the theaters (he read all seven books in the last year, and then started over, just so he wouldn't forget anything important). And the first time any of us had gone to an opening showing of the HP movies. It was really great. For them, it was probably great for different reasons than it was for me. I so enjoyed spending time with them, doing something we can all enjoy together (so, not Victorian literature *or* video games). JK Rowling, for the win! Thanks!

We made wands at the last minute, thanks to an instructable a friend linked. You can find it here. And these are the wands they came up with:

From left to right: mine, James', John's, Jacob's, Emily's, Jason's. (The bigs helped design Em's and Jase's. The Littles picked their own colors.) Not bad for 40 minutes' work! Go teamwork!

The boys all created their own costume ideas and we managed to cobble them together without stressing out much. James, with his blonde hair, fair skin, and thin build, is just a natural to go as Draco Malfoy.

Jacob rounded up the much-used, much-loved Harry robe and accoutrements from the basement to reprise another round of Harry. His longer, wild hair was perfect for it this time. Zorak chipped in with an old pair of glasses (minus the lenses) when we couldn't find any in the thrift stores (and I'd bought what Z informed me were "not cool round Harry glasses", but were in fact, "thick nerd glasses". Huge difference. Funny, coming from the man who reads in a Ben Stein monotone, just to get out of ever having to read Harry Potter books at all. But when it really matters, he can nail it.)

John was going to go as Ron Weasley. We had this maroon sweater and had planned to switch out the 'G' for an 'R', a'la Mrs. Weasley's Christmas Sweater. One afternoon, John commented off-hand that it's too bad we couldn't do the ear or he could go as George. I remembered then that one of our friends does the special effects makeup for the haunted houses every year, and thought if anyone could do it, she could. So I got with her and asked if she could do it. She graciously said yes, and she. was. AMAZING! In less than fifteen minutes of work, she took off a good portion of John's ear.

We drove home from her place in a raging thunderstorm, and all I could think was man, if we're in a wreck I hope this ear doesn't cause any problem getting him diagnosed and treated! We made it home without incident. (Yay!)

Because of the last minute wand making, we were a couple of hours behind our planned schedule, but still set to be there early enough to get in line and have a shot at good seats. The storm set us back an additional hour, though, and we arrived at the theater only an hour before showtime. So our seats were not *great*, but that didn't dampen the experience.

The place was full of great costumes, happy people, high energy, and a fun mood. Some of the costumes were really fantastic. I wish I'd thought to take pictures. Luna in her roaring Lion's head, Mrs. Sprout, a snitch (he made several laps through the theater while people waited), Cho Chang, Voldemort, Neville... it was so much fun to see the creativity that went into people's costumes.

And the movie. Ah. Well, yeah. This is the first time I'm not the last person I know who sees the movie. I'll return the graciousness of those who just smiled and said, "Oh, you'll have to see it and then let me know so we can talk."

So. You'll have to see it, and then let me know so we can talk about it. ;-)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy