Big Fun on the Catwalk, and a Good Turn

The children were invited to participate in the Aveda Insitute's annual Catwalk for Water this last week. This is the organization's annual scholarship competition and fundraiser for their clean water programs and initiatives, and is comprised of designs, created by the students and staff at the Institute, made entirely of recycled materials (trash, leftovers, re-purposed goods, thrift store finds, etc). They then bring in the make up and hair teams to finish the look, and the happy volunteers take a turn on the catwalk.

Good fun for a good cause. What's not to love? We went with a group of homeschooled teens we've been very fortunate to get to know - doing this with friends made it even better. We arrived at noon, and the process began - matching outfits to models and tweaking this and that along the way. The kids all pitched in and helped each other out. They helped with adjustments to outfits, prep for the walk, went through rehearsals and blocking, then back for more prep. During downtime, they kept busy keeping our space squared away (it seemed huge when we got there, but after four hours or so, it felt awfully small, and hot), encouraging each other, or helping to keep nerves at bay and the Littles occupied.

They were a team, the entire time. (Well, except for one DS face-off. But even that was pretty high on the camaraderie scale.)

We didn't leave until ten o'clock, and while I honestly expected to be absolutely ready. to. go. by that time, I could have gone for a quick power nap and done another round. (Says the lady who didn't have to sit through hair and makeup, of course.)

The theme this year was Hunger Games, so each model was assigned a District. 

We had Livestock (as actual animals - there were three goats and one white reindeer)

Masonry (depicted as tar birds)

and Rebels from District 13.

The whole group of students depicted a wide array of Districts and creatures. They were such great sports about it, and had a really fantastic time.

John got mobbed by a gang of beautiful blonde models. It wasn't quite what most men have in mind when they think of that, but we told him he can check it off his bucket list, anyway. Close enough, right?

Jacob was the largest of the Rebel children. It went to his head just a wee bit, and he reveled in having chipper minions. (Didn't help that he had a star on his chest and fern leaves on his shoulders - that just oozes power and forest dominion, doesn't it?)

Em *hated* getting the eye make up applied. She was a trooper, though. The staff was wonderful and gentle and kind with her. But she *loved* the hair, and the dress, and the excitement of the whole thing. The three little girls looked like fairies scampering about in their woodland garb.

James was wonderful in character, although he said he felt a bit silly with all that hair up top. 

John did a double-take when he heard he'd be wearing actual hair horns. I do wish I'd captured that on camera. But when the time came, he rocked the persona and gave it his best Blue Steel look. (This only makes sense if you've seen Zoolander.)

I loved this opportunity for so many reasons. The kids got to see some out-of-the-box thinking in terms of The Real World. They got to participate in an active and interesting way with big projects and big ideas. Several of them stepped way outside of their comfort zones for this project, and that is commendable. Even better? Everyone, and I do mean every. single. one. of them, was supportive and encouraging and uplifting to the others. They were there for hours, and not a deprecating or negative word was spoken. These are kids who get it, and they're doing good things. Together. Wow.

Not every volunteer project will be this glamorous (quite literally - I think the next one involves... horse stalls...) but I imagine they'll have just as much fun at the next one. They're like that. It's one of the things I appreciate about these kids. I can't wait to see what they do next!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

OHHH! I'm so excited!

James just helped me figure out my ongoing photo upload-hosting-where-did-I-put-that issues! I'm so happy about this! Yes, it's a first world problem, but my ability to do interesting things now that I'm not avoiding tech issues just ramped way the heck up. 

w00t:

I love/appreciate having a techy child who is willing to back off from the things *he* wants to do, to help me set things up to do them in a way that works for me. (Because let's face it, my days of getting excited over what I "can" do vs. what I have time to do, and want to do, and am willing to do, are pretty clearly behind me. At least for now.)

Let the Doing Of Other Things commence!

Kiss those babies (even if you have to ask them to bend down a little so you can reach their cheeks)!

~Dy

Busy Days!

The kids asked for a day at home, since we've had one in the last ten days, but that was for re-packing gear and doing laundry. Not quite the same.

After the storms that ripped through here last night, I think they'll get their wish today. We weathered it just fine, but not everyone did, so as the reports come in, we're looking for opportunities to help and pay forward all the generous care we've received in the past. If you don't mind saying a prayer for the Southeastern US this morning, that would be much appreciated.

James spent a fantastic week in New Mexico, eating, learning, experiencing, and doing.  He ate a lot of new food (mostly Vietnamese and Indian, I think), which thrilled his food-curious heart no end. He Skyped with us on Easter Sunday so Em could show him her dress, and Z and I could put eyes on him in real time. It was a chance to see the tangible benefits of hard work and self-discipline, and to walk away with more knowledge and insight than he arrived with. That's hard to pass up. His team won an award for Creativity and Innovation in Design: they each received a plaque and $50.  We picked up a very happy camper the following week.

Meanwhile, we had a quietly busy week while James was gone. (I spent a lot of time standing in parking lots, waiting for him to come around the back of the Suburban, then realizing he wasn't actually in the parking lot with us. The kids thought that was hilarious.) We went to the annual Earth Day movie (it was Bears this year, and absolutely fantastic) with friends, then shuttled over to the Teen Game Day for a visit and some fun.

The rest of the weekend was taken up with projects - for me, mainly the quarterly changing of the seasonal clothing and updating of the sizes. I realized I have a lot of things in the basement we can pass along, now. They're too small for Em or Jase. Some of them were rather large sizes, to my way of thinking, for me not to have a child wearing them. Things are about to get weird, I suspect. Easter was a lovely day of joyful celebration with church family and local friends. Then I took the kids camping.

We slipped out to DeSoto State Park to enjoy a little camping and exploring. We scampered around Cherokee Rock Village in the fog (fantastic for kids, a wee bit terrifying for mothers), hiked and hiked all over the place, and played at DeSoto Falls (something I've been dying to do for the last five years! It was worth the wait!)

John and Jacob absolutely rock the camp set up action. Em and Jase have found their groove, and they're more help than not at this stage. It could not have gone more smoothly, or been more fun. Even John mentioned that the loading and setting up seemed "freakishly easy". He was worried we'd forgotten something, or left someone. I told him I know the feeling. We did a head count and called it good.

James flew back in on Wednesday as we headed out from DeSoto, and everyone arrived home covered in road grime, exhausted, and happy.

We had Thursday to re-pack, wash clothes, catch up, and rest, for Friday we headed out to the Camporee. That was a truly amazing experience. I sat in with the Rocking Chair Patrol (the adult leaders). Seldom saw the kids except when we ambled over to take pictures. The boys' Troop hosted the Camporee, and these boys were on fire. They were busy and engaged the whole time. They handled everything from administration to direction. They were gracious and encouraging. I think my favorite tidbit of feedback came from one Scout who came panting up to the check-in desk after the Orienteering course and exhaled, "That was hilariously awesome!" Well, that's hard to beat, isn't it?

We slipped out after the camp fire on Saturday night so we could be ready for Sunday's adventure... which requires a post all its own.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

New Adventures!

Thursday morning, James and I headed out at four in the morning. It was dark and chilly and awesome!

We drove to Chattanooga, and from there, he flew to Albuquerque to participate in a computer competition he's been working on since September. He had to tidy up his hair a bit, for presentation's sake, and get a suit, and then he was off. (He loves the suit, but was sad about the hair. I told him if he knocks it out of the ballpark this year, he can probably show up in house slippers and long hair next year, and as long as he brings the best game, nobody will bat an eye -- he hasn't seen Real Genius yet, and he wasn't really nurtured into adolescence on John Hughes movies, so he probably just thinks I'm in early onset dementia). It didn't cheer him up, any, about the hair, but flying and traveling in relative comfort (meaning, without your siblings' feet in your face, or drool on your shoulder) are compensation enough for a re-set on the hair of your 15yo dreams.

(I have pictures, but there are some changes to Dropbox and I haven't quite figured them out, yet.)

So far, he's having a great time! He enjoyed the flight. His terribly awesome Uncle took him shopping at the Asian market, where he got to stock up on all manner of goodies and interesting things. (He does love interesting foods!) He's been working on things I don't understand, and taking on projects I didn't expect, and in general, just spreading his wings and giving them a good stretch and a couple of flaps.

I miss him terribly.

But this is so good, and such a neat part of growing up. I can't feel anything but excitement for him.

Kiss those babies ~ even when they aren't babies, anymore! They're still so amazing!

~Dy

One Last Freeze

Surprise Spring Cold Snap! After wearing shorts and light shirts all weekend, we had to break out emergency layers this morning! The ground is littered in oak and grass pollen, but the temps were in the low 40's by noon, and the low tonight is going to be in the 20's. That's a little crazy.

We went to see the San Jose Taiko performance this morning. If you ever have the opportunity to see this group perform, please treat yourself and go! They truly are art in motion, and it's a visual thrill as well as a musical one. Every one of our group sat, entranced, through the whole performance. I was a little nervous about how quickly two hours would pass (what with the small one), but it was over before anyone got antsy. I'd have gotten pictures, but they said we can't. And then one of the door guards sat right behind me. James thinks I looked a little sketchy. He's probably right.

James needed a suit for an upcoming project, and he's outgrown his Dr. Who outfit from Halloween, so we got him suited up and ready to roll. Luckily, the old suit fits John, and he thought it'd be perfect for Easter service. So now, of course, Jacob's thinking a suit would be swanky for Easter, too! It's been a while since everyone had a suit. The default "dress clothes" have consisted of a general pair of Docker-esque tan pants and a polo for so long, now. (I really miss the days when we could pop into Sears and grab those little boy suits for $30. Those days are long gone for most of the crew.)

And, haircuts. Because we are a shaggy, scraggly bunch at the moment. Jacob's hair whisperer is back to work at a new place, and he can't wait to see her. Brian, The Hair Guy, can squeak us in, too, for the rest of the kids. (Funny tidbit about Brian. He has two homeschool families, and he's spent the last four years constantly asking us if we knew each other, but we didn't. He insisted we had to. We just HAD to. We figured it was a case of, "Oh, you're from Earth! Do you know Bob?" It happens. Yet, now that we've met, we can see how he thought we *had* to know each other. We do SO many of the same things. And we live in such a small area. Somehow, we've orbited around each other without ever being in the same place at the same time the last few years, like a comedy sketch in a restaurant kitchen. I think his stress level has dropped considerably now that we don't all smile-and-nod and give each other sidelong glances when he mentions us knowing the other family!)

We've had an airsoft gathering, and done some work on the property. Buddy doesn't smell like skunk anymore. The dogwoods are in bloom. We haven't tackled a garden, yet, but everyone has expressed an interest in having one, so I guess we'll have to get on that at some point. (This is where my competent gardening friends roll their eyes and start saying, "Honey, you should've had..." It's a wonder they admit to knowing me in public.) I'm going to blink soon and find we're smack in the middle of Summer, aren't I?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Awesome Weather!

This is why we school year-round. It was so cold, and wet, (and did I mention cold-for-here?) this Winter, and we know Summer's going to have its hot'n'sticky days (it always does...) So we've been running amok now, with highs in the low 70's and lows in the high 40's.

We went to Clarkson Covered Bridge and spent the day playing games, roaming about, enjoying the day.

We went to Monte Sano and spent the day running about, enjoying the view, and refreshing our spirits with all the color and laughter the day had to offer.

Our local homeschool group had Field Day this week. We spent the day... well, you get the picture. Plus, there was ice cream!

The chicks are out of the basement and into their tractors!
Em told me the other day that she really enjoys reading.
Jase loves phonics. (Classical Phonics, from Memoria Press. If you have one that likes to illustrate and doodle, this is a great, great program!)
We've had to replenish the duct tape supplies twice this week.
James is gearing up for a trip. (I can't wait to tell you more!)
John is happy.
Z is happy, and busy, and making things, and just generally excited about life.
Aside from the fact that I simply cannot get a grip on the house right now, life is pretty darned fantastic!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

On Being Social and Living Spaces

We had small group last night. We have such a sweet group of people. And such a neat blend of backgrounds and interests. There are children everywhere, and it's funny how loud the children are, and how quiet the adults are. I kind of wish the adults were just a little louder, because I feel like one of the children. Still, they haven't thrown us out, yet.

James and I had to slip out early to take the pulled pork to his youth group. Then I retreated to a coffee shop to read for a quiet, upright, hour and a half. (The upright is important, because reading in bed is like breathing chloroform. I don't know why. Probably because I'm exhausted. Reading on our couch has the same effect because the corner is very inviting and it's easy to slip down into a prone position. The next thing I know, the dog's sticking his nose in my face to wake me up.)

The boys keep sharing book titles with me (Mom! You have to read this!), so right now I'm reading Carpe Jugulum, courtesy of John; Rebel Code, courtesy of James; and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, thanks to Em.

Reading Terry Pratchet in public can be awkward. There's a lot of sniggering and chuckling and occasionally snorfling of coffee if a sip was poorly timed. Other than that, I love my Sunday evening reading time.

We finally put the living room back together after the last game day. You know, a week later. I should have moved more quickly: the large industrial table I'd brought up from the basement got grafted into the permanent plan. I tried to take it down the day after game day, but the guys came over to shoot and used it as a landing space for gear. Then the next day, we had more company and it was the perfect spot for putting the potluck snacks and goodies. By Monday morning, Jacob and Em had set up their school work at the table. It was too late for me to make my move. Now it's a crafting-woodworking-tattooing-drawing-schooling-reading-everything-table. Since it doesn't violate my uni-tasker rule (by any stretch of the imagination), it stays. It is very utilitarian. But man, is it ugly.

Then I realized, as much as I think I would love a magazine show quality home, we'd have to find somewhere else to actually live. So it's all good.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Friends Make Everything Better

It seems like friendship is this year's theme. That makes me smile to my toes, really.

Yesterday morning, EmilyGirl and I slipped off for brunch with a friend and her daughter. It wasn't a long visit, but it was a sweet visit, and I'm so glad we went. Of course, the boys were a bit flummoxed. "Wait. What? Where are you going? Are we going? Should we load up the gifts now? You're going alone?! Weird." Can you tell Em and I haven't done anything like that before?

Em mentioned that she needed more felt. (We'd just bought her a huge pile of felt the day before, no questions asked, for a surprise she wanted to make for Easter. Already she needed more?) I raised my eyebrow. She smiled brightly. We stopped for more felt after brunch.

This was the surprise: Easter Baskets for everyone!

Then we all loaded up and headed to a birthday party for a very special little boy. He's turning four. Dear heaven, that's a cute, cute age. We weren't there five minutes before James had him in his arms, letting the little guy give him a tour of their chicks and chicken tractor. Although we'd built the chicken tractor and know it inside and out, James enjoyed the enthusiasm and joy of the little guy showing off his special things. 15 is a pretty awesome age, too.

Isn't that an idyllic setting? There are a lot of bodies hidden by flowers and trees. It was a perfect day to hang out with friends and celebrate together.

The kids gave the Little ones Easter baskets, homemade foam swords, and a shield (they made a sword for his little sister, because it's hard to observe a birthday with no gifts for you when you're wee tiny, and also so they can play together). Z and I apologized pre-emptively for all the things that are likely to get broken and bruised because of our involvement.

We came home, worked hard for an hour, and then the day disappeared into game time. The day was stacked pretty heavily with Highs when we did our Highs and Lows at dinner. What a great day!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

In Like A Lion

March was busy! March was cold! March was, all things considered, pretty awesome.

(The picture's from April. But the sentiment's the same.) Our Friday hikes have been a little willy-nilly, but we're getting the hang of it, getting out regularly, and have had a blast. The teen game day is one of the kids' favorite events of the month. They're trying to figure out a way to have it more often, but not have to clean for it more often. (If they can figure that out, I'm likely to say yes.)

I took James and John with me to the GHC convention in Greenville. Road trip (they're both excellent travelers), met up with friends (friends make every adventure more fun), and enjoyed some truly exceptional speakers. They were even treated to a celebrity sighting at the Greek restaurant we stopped at for lunch one day -- Mr. Steve, from MUS!

Except for the time I got to visit with David Kern. He was very generous and thoughtful. I, however, turn into Phil, post-freezing incident. (If you haven't seen Better Off Ted, go ahead and watch the episode where they freeze Phil. It's horrifying to have that happen in real life. But there you have it.) It happened when I tried to visit with Martin Cothran, too. I get around the rock stars of Classical Ed and I turn into a total basket case. I've gotta work on that. But the convention was an overall win, and the boys are already planning on attending again next year.

We visited with the NCFCA at a tournament in Birmingham to check it out and see about forming a forensics club for next year. The feedback was great, and the boys are interested. They sat in on team policy debate, persuasive speaking, and humorous interpretation, so they got a decent cross-section view of what's available. Hopefully, we'll be able to round up enough students to give it a go!

We've made *zero* progress on the house. Part of that is being out of the house all the time. By the time we get home again, we're all bushed and really only up for making a snack plate and watching a little Netflix or reading a book. The washer started leaking. We did wash on the front porch for a week, trying to track down the leak. Found it, and so that's done. The rest of our project time has been spent building archery butts and sleds, and chicken tractors. So, it's not all Dr. Who and Snack Plates...

There's a LOT of good stuff coming down the pike for April. I'm a little woozy thinking about it, but as it comes together, I'll share. (I got a Blogger app for Chrome - hoping that'll somehow make it feel easier to blog regularly again.)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Oh, Such Beautiful Weather!

We have been on the go, go, go! The weather's been perfect - highs in the 50's and 60's, lows in the high 30's and 40's. The ticks aren't out in force yet, and the mosquitoes haven't arrived, either, so we've been out and about.

The Friday hiking club activities have been a blast. We've gotten to know some truly delightful young men with the hikes. Jase found Fairy Dust on the last hike (granite dust). He brought home an acorn cap full, but I think it's... still in the Suburban. Oops!

We made the drive to a town South of here for another game day with another teen group - it's a haul, but the group is great and the boys all voted that it's worth the drive. I've got to replace an oxygen sensor on the Suburban and see what else I can tweak to get the gas mileage up on that thing if we're going to keep pace with the boys' activities. In the meantime, some of them have said they'll be at the next game day here, so, yay!

Thankfully, there's still plenty to do at home. We spent a good portion of this past weekend working on the back yard. The leaves are burned and we have some good spots picked out for flowers. We had thought to stain, since there's no rain in the forecast, but we had the chance to play with sweet friends. The stain and landscaping can wait... these opportunities aren't for passing up.

And really, that feels like all we've done this month. Hike, play, read, work, laugh. It's been a good, good, month. For that, I am thankful.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Huh. That went well.

Oh, look, right after I got all excited about getting to bed early on a regular basis, here I am, up at the witching hour. Oops. The Bigs and I got in late tonight, the bed was full of Littles, and I caved to the siren song of solitude. Tomorrow's going to bring some stout natural consequences. But while I'm up...

The boys attended a Scout meeting tonight with this other Troop. It was... whoa. The difference in this meeting from what we've known as Scouting was astounding (and I'll probably spend the next month kicking myself for not moving them over there four years ago). Wow. They went just to see what they thought, and all three came to me after the meeting and OK'd putting in their memberships. They're all in. They're each in different Patrols - I think Jacob was a little unsure about that, but his brothers assured him that it'll be okay, and that they're still *right there* if he does need them. They reminded him that they were in different Patrols at NYLT, too. 

Pancake breakfast fundraiser at Applebee's in Decatur this Saturday, if anyone is feeling generously inclined toward donating to the boys' efforts to pay for Scout Camp this year! (I did the math on the drive home for three boys, plus getting Jacob geared up, and got just a wee bit queasy thinking about that part, but it'll come together. And for a positive experience, it will be worth it a thousand times over.)

Watched a new show in the quiet time tonight: Zen. It's a BBC America production. Rufus Sewell plays a character who is Not A Villain, which he does very well. The show is spectacular, but since I remember him mostly from his villain roles, I spent most of the first episode waiting for him to bring out the Count Adhemar or Adam the Vampire. He doesn't, and the end result is a delightful police show, as far as I've watched.

School went so well today. I kind of wish we could do a once a week plan and call it good. Everyone is so energetic and enthusiastic (and focused) about one day a week...

Oh, and with the absolutely beautiful weather we've had, today we had lunch on the balcony. It was fantastic, aside from the blinding light. Even with sunglasses on, we ended up shoveling the last bites in as we walked toward the door. I think the general consensus was that we'll try again for breakfast and hold off on eating lunch out there until there's some foliage to help buffer the glare.

Overall, as the Littles would say, "it was a pretty good day".

Kiss those babies!
~ Dy

The changes we've made

I'd mentioned before that we'd made some changes recently. Sometimes, we make changes and the effect is negligible. Sometimes there are stellar improvements in areas that needed it. (Not often, but sometimes.) And sometimes, we have to leap back like kittens confronted with something that moves unexpectedly. You just never know how a change will pan out, and I've been holding my breath for quite a while, now. But we're starting to see some good shifts, and I think we're headed in a good direction.

I've been getting up at five in the morning so I can work in peace before the day begins. This is good, and it's been great, but there was a lot of resistance to it (on my part, even though it was my idea). The hardest part was going to bed earlier and giving up my Alone Time. I mean, I guess technically if I'm in bed, asleep, that's about as Alone as it gets. But it's not the same as having time to watch (in peace) something nobody else in the house will watch without running commentary, or time to read larger chunks of meaty books without someone sticking a Lego creation in your face without warning. After getting ample rest for the past month and a half, though, I have to admit (somewhat grudgingly) that it's worth it. So, there's that. Nobody else is on board, yet, and that's actually okay, because if they start getting up at five, too, then there goes the whole plan.

We had our second game day for the teens last week. It was a wonderful crowd, and a delightful time. The whole thing played out differently than I'd expected it to, and that was okay. Instead of small, interest-oriented groups playing different games around the house, all the teens piled in around a table meant for half the number of bodies and played a game meant for up to four kids. Makes sense: they wanted to be together. They're creative and inclusive. Win-win. We (moms) hightailed it to the balcony, enjoying the sun and the company. We got a little loud at one point and the kids closed the balcony door on us. That made us laugh harder. Next thing you know, they'll be telling us to turn down the music and get a haircut. We probably won't listen then, either. I really enjoy the kids, and their moms. They're a blessing for which I am incredibly grateful.

I was reading yesterday, about homeschool burnout and how to recapture the joy. (It is February, you know.) James read over my shoulder, and said, "We do a lot of that normally, Mom." (Ohhh! He noticed! I decided to push for more insight.)

"So, are you enjoying your education?"

"Not really." (Should have left well enough alone, huh?) Then he added, "But I do acknowledge that it could be much worse. So I guess I'm happy."

(I'll... take it?)

John went camping with a Scout Troop that some of his friends belong to. It was a one night backpacking trip. It was very (very) hard for me to be okay with just letting him go after past experiences. But we knew many of the boys, and several of the adults, and as appealing as it may seem, they can't just live in hamster balls in the lower meadow. (Or that's what I keep saying. I may re-think that one if I find a hamster ball large enough.) Anyway, he packed and geared up two days early, without any prodding or help. He was Ready. His friends picked him up at six o'clock on Saturday morning, and we retrieved him Sunday after church. Before he'd leaped out of the truck, he'd already made plans to attend the Troop's next meeting, got details on the next outing, had info for James about new computer related badges and a thumbs up for JakeRabbit to go, too. He said the whole thing was fantastic, and he's ready to go again. Good thing we kept all our records and uniforms.

The playset has been reassembled to withstand the child equivalent of an F-4 tornado. Even hitting "hyperdrive" mode on one of the swings (touching chain to wood and getting your head above the top beam) doesn't lift a corner or cause any queasy leaning of the structure. We may have missed the window to stain it before the next rain, but we're definitely making progress. Yesterday, Z burned the leaves in the back yard, hopefully destroying a number of tick habitats and tick families.

Of all the people who have been outside so far this year, raking, climbing, working, playing, roaming, frolicking, and just hanging out, guess who got the first tick of the season? Yep, the one who stays indoors cleaning, reading, and working. What's up with that? Time to put garlic back into the rotation.

Youth group has been a huge hit.The boys are all comfortable there. They enjoy going, and have found their strides with the new groups of people.

Our small group is neat. I appreciate that others take the time to invest in a smaller, more intimate setting, to allow people to get to know each other better.

There were more changes, but I've forgotten what... 

That happens more often than I'd like to admit.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A Playset

We've wanted to build a tree house for ages. But when you're working with various personalities, and time demands, projects don't always get off the ground. Or into the tree. James and John are no longer interested in having one, and Z and I both got a little panicky last month about never having a tree house for the children!

Craigslist to the rescue! Sort of. We found a standard play set. The ad said it was "gently used", and the price was good. It was a bit of a drive, but we called it a Date and justified the trip.The whole thing turned out to be a reminder that using Craigslist can be a cautionary tale. Ask for more detailed pictures and measurements before you make a drive to pick something up. We knew this, and yet... well, I guess we just needed the excuse to spend some time in the car, alone.

"Gently used" included a two foot wide hole in the middle of the slide, and a good bit of rot on the wood that made contact with the ground. That actually made us laugh, and laughter is good for the soul. The "paid $1100 new" set can actually be purchased brand new today for $600 at Wal-Mart. I know they're fond of price droppers, but I'm guessing that's... not it.

So we offered her what we were willing to pay for it, and she acknowledged that she was probably making out pretty well, all things considered. We dismantled it and brought it home. Yesterday, Z and the kids spent the day putting on better quality wood and reinforcing the frame. They cleared a spot in the back yard, and the Littles could not be more excited if we'd built an actual tree house. So, that's good. We also bought some stain to protect the pieces that are still solid, and will have it cleaned up in no time.

We think we can replace the broken slide with sheet metal, using the existing frame. That'll be less static-inducing, and a little faster. Also, less likely to give way while in use, because regardless of one's definition of gentle use, I doubt we'll fall into that category. In the end, the cautionary reminder was good, but everyone is happy with the results.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Week in Review

We had Snow Week!

 Not just a day, but four days of snow and fun, cold fingers, wet pants, snowball fights and gimpy snowmen. It was wild, and wonderful!

Then Friday was so beautiful we were still able to get out and hike with friends! (The hike also involved cold fingers, wet pants, and a fairly awesome 11th Doctor snowman. But it was warm enough that we only needed light jackets and t-shirts. Double bonus, if you ask me.)

This coming week of school is going to be... hard. We're all sort of girding and trying to find a way to not cringe when we think about it.

Jacob had his second week of communicants class. I ran some errands to get ready for small group, and so missed most of it. Of course, this was the night they asked some pretty in-your-face questions about church membership (and we don't plan to join this church, but it's a somewhat nuanced position that's challenging for a 40yo to explain, let alone a 10yo...) JakeRabbit sounded like he'd handled it fairly well, though. He's cool like that. And he enjoys the class, overall.

Our small group also had its first gathering. That was, oh man, so nice. Good discussions, a lot of laughter, and some very real conversation about things that matter, and why. I'm glad we're in this group. Hopefully, we won't be the weird ones. (Or if we are, maybe it will be in an affectionate way...) There aren't any teens in the other families, so James sat in with the adults. He may be the one to pull up our average score from the judges - such an insightful kid, and so thoughtful.

So now, it is with a good deal of gratitude, wet clothing, mud on the floors, and wood chips in the foyer that we head into another week. I can't complain. (Obviously, I can't clean, either.) Right now, it's all about the Good Stuff.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

And then...

WeStayedInsideForWhatFeltLikeForeverAndEver.

But it wasn't forever and ever. It was only a few days where the high was in the 20's. The kids got a kick out of how cold their faces got just going onto the porch for wood. I contemplated (for the first time in quite a while) putting a woodbox in the wall so that we could just open a lid on the inside of the house and reach in for more wood.

Thankfully, that urge passed. I don't think we'll do any more work that involves removing and replacing brick. Not willingly, at any rate.

We did get out to the Space & Rocket Center to see the DaVinci exhibit. If you have the chance, check it out. It's a pretty neat exhibit.

 We had a few striking memories from it:

* DaVinci was more of a genius than we realized (and we went in *knowing* he was brilliant).

* So are the historians who could tell his tank was not, in fact, a space ship. I'm still skeptical. ;-)

* DaVinci's handwriting was atrocious, but James was able to read some of it using a mirror app on his phone.

* It makes me smile that he thought to do that.

* The exhibit is a perfect blend of hands-on and do-not-touch displays. I'm the only one of us who ended up missing one of the do-not-touch signs and touched something I shouldn't. Thankfully, John playfully smacked my hand and shook his head. He may also have mumbled something about not being able to take me anywhere.

* We need to go back. An hour and a half wasn't nearly long enough.

Kiss those babies, and stay warm!
~Dy

Circus and Friends

I-65 was particularly treacherous after the ice coated most of the state last week. The Thursday circus showing was rescheduled for Sunday afternoon, because the troupe was stuck in Southern Alabama. I'm glad they weren't stranded on the Interstate, or injured trying to get North.

Still, we already had a lot of plans for Sunday, from Sunday School and service, to Candlemas dinner with friends, to small group and youth group. We don't handle Busy well under the best of circumstances, so I was hesitant to try to pull this off.

But Circus.

And little ones who had been guarding their tickets zealously for longer than they've not lost anything in a while.

We didn't want to skip church for the extra time.

We were all looking forward to our time with friends, though, and weren't willing to give that up.

Thankfully, they were willing to come to the circus with us! We enjoyed a lovely meal with them and headed out, convoy style, for the rest of the day.

By the time the show began, Jase has been going 90-to-nothing for ten straight hours. Z and I were starting to fret a little. I mean, the rest of us had been going that hard, too, but we're a bit more grizzled than the little guy... and there was cotton candy! (There were also cheesesticks in my purse, and about the time we all needed a little protein, those came in handy.)

He was so stoked. And with every new set of performers, he was amazed. "That's impossible! How can they do the impossible?" (Z and I felt the same. We kept whispering back and forth, "I can't do that. Just so you know." And we can't. No chance, even with ample warning and a personal trainer. We're well-matched that way.)

He thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the show, and about the time he started asking if we could go home now, they announced the grand finale. Perfect timing!

Z and I have never been to a circus together. We've never taken the kids. I have no idea why - this little show was really fantastic. It's heavy on human performers, which was very fun. (I'd planned to take more pictures, but at the beginning the Ringmaster said no digital recording of any kind is allowed, which I thought meant photos, too. Then at the end, he invited people to upload photos of the show to the troupe's Facebook page. So. Misunderstood that one. No pics for us.)

Em was enthralled with everything, from the costumes to the acrobatics, although she did murmur, wide-eyed, a few times, "Oh, no. I don't think I would like to do that!" And the boys enjoyed the performances - on one level, they appreciated the skill and effort that goes into this kind of thing, but on another, just the pure thrill of daring. I love that they haven't lost that.

Meanwhile, outside, the temperature outside plummeted by 15 degrees, and a cold, hard rain moved in. Z let us wait beneath the pavilion while he went to look for the car, and he said the rain was so heavy he nearly walked right past the car without recognizing it. We were all pretty played out for the day, and the idea of driving through that into town for another two hours of activity seemed... daunting. We bailed. We came home, started a fire, ate soup, and crashed like tired zombies.

I guess we're learning how to handle Busy well. Whether it's getting things together to get out the door, taking care of business while we're out, extending grace and kindness to ourselves and each other, or being willing to adapt as things go, we're doing pretty darned well. We're even better about remembering to stash protein for while we're out. I'm proud of us - of the kids, of Z, of myself.

We had a wonderful day, but it was very definitely a team effort that made it happen.

Kiss those babies!
~ Dy

We got out!

So, remember my concern that Jase wouldn't take kindly to the whole Hiking thing? I didn't know there would be rocks:

Gorgeous rocks! Big rocks! And they were everywhere! I knew we'd picked a winner when Jase filled me in on what I'd missed (in the short time it took me to take off my own pack and go climb with them):

"It was huge and slippery and kind of scary, but James helped me get up there! And then John helped me jump over the hole near the edge. And then we climbed some more. And Mom :inhale deeply: THANK YOU for making us come! This place is awesome!"

I even got a hug for my efforts.

James and John got in on the action. Emily could happily spend days on the trail, seeing all there is to see. And Jacob? He was amazing. We hiked about 1.5 miles, but covered a lot more than that with segues over the rocks, vertical coverage, and other miscellaneous distractions (including a stop at the creek). I'd estimated we would hike "not nearly long enough for the 10yo, but a little bit farther than the 5yo will willingly go", and that turned out to be just about right. I'd brought chocolate for that last leg. One square of chocolate will buy me about 30 yards of complaint-free progress. 20 yards if it's steeply uphill.

That said, we have got to go more often. The two littlest aren't quite as... adept at scrambling about on rocks as the older ones are. (That's entirely my fault - when I only had two or three, we went somewhere every week, and they learned to scramble shortly after they'd learned to walk.) You have to have a good relationship with your own center of gravity to be comfortable on rocks, and you can only really develop it by getting out there and exploring it. So, we'll go. I spent too much of  our time on the trail trying to control my own breathing, catching myself from yelling, "Watch out!" by making weird squeaking noises and clearing my throat a lot. We went with new friends; I'm sure she thinks I have a verbal tic and a nervous condition.

Jase wasn't daunted, though, and he did a fantastic job!

(There's a 40' drop on the other side of that rock. If this were video, you could hear me squeaking to myself when he got to the top.)

I'll follow his example. It's a good one.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Old and Cold

I feel like I'm 97, shuffling about with my cardigan and hot tea, talking about the weather. But not talking about the weather right now is like tossing a slipcover over the elephant and trying to pretend it's a beanbag chair.

Do you know how cold it is right now? It's so cold I don't have to tell the kids to keep the door shut. That's cold! The wind chill is -5 at the moment. I understand if you're in Wisconsin or Maine that's not a big deal. Down here, we have native plants that are staggering about in shock, gasping, "It's the big one, Ethel!"

I-65 was a crazy mess, and we've tried to keep an eye on local friends. But wow. 

Thankfully, this should put the kabosh on the tick population for 2014, and that would be all kinds of wonderful.

School's going well this year. First term was pretty fantastic, once you grade on a curve for all the reasons they can't live on their own yet.

Jase loves his phonics lessons (using Memoria Press' Classical Phonics and the First Start Reading workbooks). I think some of it is peer pressure. Em used that, and she got to make beautiful pictures and read books together with the rest of us. Everyone else was already reading by the time he had any cognizance of the issue. So, to his mind, this is how you learn to read. And it is happy making.

Em's finally over King Harold's death, but I doubt she'll ever be a fan of the Normans. (This makes me laugh. Seriously, I had no idea. When I was her age, I didn't... oh, where to begin. No clue. Anyway, she cracks me up.)

Jacob has thoroughly enjoyed Ambleside Online's Year 5 program. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching him learn, and hearing his narrations. This is possibly the first year (out of... *phew*, ten) that narrations have come easily for any of us. It's a huge relief.

James and John are working together on a modified schedule of AO Yr. 7. James has additional Logic, writing, and programming work, and that seems to be working out well for him. It's hard to tell. John is nailing it. He's engaged and, if not enthusiastic, at least paying attention. Mostly. My hope is that the various developmental highs and lows of growing up hit at somewhat staggered intervals - more for me than for them. They've each only got to get through it once.

And that's about it. Time to throw more wood on the fire and see what we can get done today!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

That was fun.

It was such a cool weekend.

EmilyGirl left a note for the tooth fairy.

So sweet. And she's completely on to me, but doesn't seem to mind.

She also put the tooth into an origami box she'd made. There was a hole in the top so the fairy could document that yes, the tooth is there, but Em was really hoping to keep the tooth. I did not know this at the time, and now have a frankly fantastic addition to my Collection Of Things That Will Probably Freak Out My Adult Children After I'm Dead: a stray tooth in a paper box! But really, it's just too awesome to release back into the detritus of the crafting area and allow to end up in the back end of a vacuum. So I'm keeping it.

The guys made chips and queso to take to youth group, so not only did we get to be helpful, but the kitchen smelled magnificent all afternoon Sunday. (If you think a small Mexican restaurant smells magnificent, which we totally do. Someday, someone will come out with green chile scented candles. I live in hope.)

Z repaired the dishwasher for the happy price of a bottle of Lime-Away. And some creative application of elbow grease and a pointy thing. I don't know. We walked in halfway through, so all I had to do was get a little calcium build up off the sprayer arms and then dance in the kitchen during the test run. He did the sleuthing and heavy lifting. It worked out perfectly, too, as the boys have been doing dishes by hand for a little over a week - just long enough to be pretty appreciative about unloading the dishwasher this morning.

Also, after some particularly disgusting failures over the last several months (and with the help of a friend who said, "Use this recipe, but use that method,"), we managed to make homemade mayo successfully today. When it works, you feel like Penn Jillette. (When it doesn't, the feeling is closer to Gob*.) But seriously, that's a simple thing that's geeky-cool. If you haven't tried it, yet, and you have a stick blender, you've gotta try it. Truly, I don't know how the people in the demonstration videos don't geek out over watching it happen every. time.


Kiss those babies!
~Dy

*Gob Bluth, definitely not Penn & Teller... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nvxv2R01po

Punt!

At 9:30 Friday morning, the thermometer read 6 degrees. We tapped it. We stared at it from different angles. Then we looked at each other and decided to wait...

At 11:30, it was up to 11 degrees. Didn't even bother checking to see if it needed tapping that time. We realized we are ill-equipped to venture any farther afield than the wood pile in this weather, so we opted to delay the hike and instead fired up the hot chocolate and read books.

So, in all, it was a great day. We got the living room above 64 around noon, and that necessitated a party. Jase had already begun partying the minute we decided to punt.

Who doesn't love a good party? So that was nice.

Today, it was lovely. But by today, we needed more wood, so that worked out well all around. The woodpile is stacked and the porch is full, now. That leaves tomorrow to play outside and enjoy the relatively balmy weather (supposed to get into the 50's!) We'll hike then.

I visited a friend this afternoon (book party! Love those things!) and upon my return, EmilyGirl showed me her latest Big Joy: she lost a tooth! She loses teeth so slowly that when one finally comes out, we're all vaguely surprised to learn she'd still had it. If this one makes it under the pillow, it will be the first tooth that hasn't been swallowed/lost/irretrievably damaged before it could be redeemed for cash. She's pretty excited. We've got two and a half hours until bedtime and it's still accounted for. Odds are looking good!

Kiss those babies!
Dy

So, it's winter...

Shouldn't be surprising that it's cold, should it? But it's not Southern Cold right now. It's just plain Cold. Crazy Cold for Alabama. And it's been that way all month, with one lovely break last week. It happens. It only lasts a month or so, but it does happen. We're rather appreciative of the wood stove, yet again. (I don't think we've ever looked at each other and wondered if that was a good investment.)

However... tomorrow night's low is supposed to be 8 degrees, with a high on Friday of freezing. Yeah, for those of you in Florida, you read that right: it'll eventually, with a good deal of effort and focus, get UP to freezing sometime after noon. This isn't a big deal (there are always books to read, soup to make, you know), except we have our first group hike planned for Friday morning, and I'm thinking we're not likely to have a high turn out with this forecast.

People start hemming about when it's not going to top 50. When the high is 32, they just stop talking to anyone suggesting we go out for the heck of it. And rightfully so. We're all wired differently. I do get that. I mean, they'll be out there in flip flops and tank tops at the height of Summer without breaking a sweat while I'm dragging myself from shady spot to shady spot, working feverishly to stay hydrated.

And then, there's Jase. Poor thing. Not an ounce of insulation on his wiry little frame, and very little enthusiasm for being out in the cold in the first place. (I forget, he was born here. This is his Normal. He's got his flip flops by the front door, just waiting for the chance to be worn.) I wonder if we know anyone who would take the littles for the morning in exchange for letting me take their teens hiking? Hmm... I think I'll get on that and see what we can work out. Jase will thank me, and so will anyone else who decides to brave the cold and didn't want to hear his play-by-play about just how miserably cold it is. (Have I mentioned how articulate he's become lately? Bit of a double edged sword at times, but there you have it. Quite articulate, that one.)

Z and John worked on the forge some over the weekend.

Em and I worked on her room a bit more. (She loves beading, but doesn't like to wear jewelry, so we're taking on projects that will get some actual use around the house. Kind of fun!)

Jacob's been drawing and drawing. If you have a budding artist, and you need a gift idea - the articulated drawing mannequins are phenomenal. Z looked at me like I was nuts when I put one in the basket for Christmas, but it gets used daily. We don't even ask him to put it away when he picks up, now. It just lives on the breakfast bar, like a weird wooden joint fairy. Love that thing.

Oh! And, we've been working on creating a family vision this week. The kids have had some great input regarding what their ideal home philosophy would look like, and what their visions are. The Official Family Vision isn't finished yet, but it's coming along. I'd started out just hoping to make it something that reflected a general perspective that included most of us, but they're working to turn it into something that reflects each of us as individuals, expressed through the family as a whole. Far more than I would have been able to do on my own. Funny how that works, eh? Good stuff, this.

Kiss those babies, and stay warm!
~Dy

Shortened Attention Spans and Gifts

Between Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, my attention span deteriorated quite a bit last year. That was embarrassing, if visually stimulating. This year, I determined it would be better to seek balance and set the example for our home, by bringing life (particularly the bigger chunks and meatier content) back into focus.

We also decided we'd actually do some of the projects we've pinned on Pinterest. The boys insisted we photograph the outcome. I'd love to think they want a record of the fantastic projects we make together, but the truth is they're hoping for something they can submit to PinterestFAIL sites.

Our first project, however, was a total win. We made these adorable play tents for the Littles of some very dear friends:

EmilyGirl handled all the sewing - from threading the machine and ironing the fabric, to sewing the hems and sewing on the ribbons. The guys did the woodwork, which was quick and easy. We sealed the wood so that the tents can be used outside without rotting by August.

The tents are sturdy, but they break apart so that for travel the boards lie flat on the fabric, you roll the fabric around the boards and secure with the ribbons at the corners. They'll fit in the trunk, on the floor behind the seat of the car, or in a footlocker.

I tried to get a picture of the littles inside them, but they moved too quickly. Here, Little M had just chased JakeRabbit out of hers and gone into it when she saw the camera, stepped out to pose, and then her brother had something fascinating to show her. My phone isn't the best camera, and I suspect I'm getting old, with slow reflexes. But the picture was sweet, and it's the only one that shows some detail on the tents without being blurry.

They loved them. EmilyGirl is now ready to make ALL THE THINGS. The boys are on board, but I suspect for different reasons... we'll probably have a little Win and a little Fail this year, but we'll have fun doing it together.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

And then, she wasn't so little anymore...

EmBaby should probably be officially EmilyGirl, now. She's eight. And she's... amazing.

I've never lived with someone who was so intuitive and who could so clearly see the beauty in things. She makes us all slow down and really see the beauty in the world around us. If we don't get it, she'll explain it. (And she lives, you know, with Us. So she's very good at explaining.)

Because of her, we have more dancing in our lives.

Because of her, we have more gentleness in our lives.

Because of her, the boys are more empathetic to others' feelings than they would have been with just me as the female of the house.

Because of her, I see how much fun it is to be a girl.

Because of her, we have more sparkle. It's not just glitter, although there's plenty of that, but everything sparkles in her eyes, and we see it.

Because of her, the world is more beautiful.

Because of her, we are more willing to look for the beauty. As much joy as she brings in sharing it with us, it's also somewhat elating to be the one to find it first and share it with her. Because that sparkle? Oh, my.

Happy Birthday, EmilyGirl! We love you so very much!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

That Was Exciting!

A friend on Facebook put out an offer to her local peeps to join them for hiking once a week. Nothing formal, nothing fancy, just a chance to get out there and go. I don't know if it's the winter chill setting in, or the aforementioned reading of trail blogs, or the creeping knowledge that if I don't get on it I'll soon be at a place where I won't be able to get up and go... whatever it was, her words inspired me.

So I offered the same thing here, locally. We're going to go. We're going to hike. We're going to be out there every week. Come hike with us.

And for a very brief moment, I felt like the nerd at a tailgate party, suggesting we all get together to discuss Star Trek action figure history and development. (Which is funny, because I know nothing about action figure history and development, unless you count Lego Ninjago. I know more about that than I wanted to. But hopefully you get my point. I was certain I'd just lobbed a lead balloon over the social wall and everyone would stare at me like I was lost.)

But it was out there. No taking it back. I gave myself a pep talk ("What are you, twelve? Suck it up. You like this stuff. Someone else might like it, too. Go get more coffee and chill out.") And then I didn't check my email for 24 hours.

You know what happened?

Yeah, you're smart. I'm sure you do.

Scads of people want to go hiking! The response has been so positive, and much larger scale than I was anticipating. I'm so encouraged and excited! This is going to be fun! Maybe a little crazy (that's a lot of people...), and a titch chaotic at first (I don't know what I'm doing, really), and I'm braced for a learning curve (on my part - I'm relatively certain they're not all as uncoordinated as I am)... but FUN!

If it wouldn't be entirely weird, I'd drive to each home and just hug each of them to tell them thank you for being willing to do something new. I might just ambush people at the trailhead and hug 'em then.

Or, you know, not. If you're among those going and have a strict No Hugging By Ambush policy.

Heh.

Still, totally stoked!

I hope you'll let my dorky story serve as a voice of encouragement for any of you who are holding back on putting yourselves out there. Do it. Smile, say hi, say what you want to say. Invite people to share in something that excites you (except MLM sales pitches - nobody really gets excited about people sharing those) to play games, go for walks, learn something new. Even if they decline, you'll have put something good out there. Go for it.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Trail Blogs

This morning, as Z and John were getting ready to head to TN for a youth hunt, I sidled into the kitchen and mentioned that I need to quit reading trail blogs.

"Why's that?" Z asked.

"Because it makes me want to drag you all out there and do some HIKING!" I explained.

"Heh. Yeah, you do need to stop."

But I couldn't. And as I kept reading, I realized I have at least a couple of potential hiking buddies in the house. Let's take a look, shall we?

Z: Not a hiking buddy. He will go if there are deer, elk, hogs, or varmints he can shoot. But for general Going Into The Woods Just For The Heck of It hiking, he is not the one. As a matter of fact, he can go long periods of time without making eye contact just to assure he's not asked to participate. The up side of this is that I know someone will feed the children while I'm gone.

James: Ohhh, not so much. He'll go, if I ask. And he'll try very hard to find something nice to say about the experience. He's a lot of fun to be around, and he's the most likely to say yes to trying a new restaurant or campfire meal, or venturing off the beaten path to see if there's something new around the corner. But on his go-to list of things to do "for fun", hiking does not factor in anywhere on the list, at all. So, he's a good emergency call, and I would gladly throw a few extra bucks on his Starbucks card as a thank you for going, just because I really enjoy spending time with him. (He would say that if I really loved him, I wouldn't make him go, at all.)

John: He'd go. He'd out-hike me and have to worry about leaving me breathless and dehydrated somewhere on the trail. But he'd have coffee and dinner made when I finally got my sorry, out-of-shape self into camp. Actually, he'd likely come back for me. And maybe would bring chocolate and jerky to share. John's a definite hiking buddy. Plus, he remembers the first aid kit. I always forget a first aid kit.

Jacob: He has never turned down an adventure. There have been a couple he's asked afterward if he could not do ever again, but for first time attempts, he's usually game. And, he scampers. He still gets that rocks are for climbing and stones are for skipping, and that exploring is the bulk of the fun. He might not go more than a few times, or he might go with me anywhere, any time. But I can almost guarantee he'd be willing to give it a shot at least once.

EmBaby: She's really more of a Let's Make Something Pretty girl. She loves walks, and nature, and pretty scenery. But I'll have to tread carefully introducing her to hiking as A Thing. And not ever let on that she could be home, crafting, instead, because that will always win out. Always.

Jase: I don't know. He hates everything new, but as soon as it's over he wants to do it again. He complained through the entirety of Swallows & Amazons, but the night after we finished it, he staged a protest that we weren't reading it for bedtime. When I explained that we were done with it, he insisted, "Well, then just start over again from the beginning! It's my favorite book, ever!" He did that when we visited the Nina and Pinta replicas, when we visited a new church, and when he had to get new shoes (because he had outgrown the previous pair), and when we watched A Town Called Panic. (For the record, it's an adorable movie, but we are now thoroughly sick of it because every time he gets to pick, that's what we watch.) So he might go. And he might love it. But there is a likelihood that we'd end up hiking the same stretch of the Pinhoti over, and over, and over again... Of course, he's five. Maybe if I get him hooked now, he'll be a hiking buddy for life?

Buddy: When I used to hike, I thought it was so neat to come upon other hikers who had a trail dog with them. The dogs are generally friendly and well-behaved, and of course they're healthy and active. It seemed like a great way to live life, if you're a dog. Well, Buddy didn't start out as much of a traveler, but he's come SUCH a long way this year! Over the Summer, we took him for a well check, and he didn't throw up in the car. Then, last month, we went to hike with friends and he jumped in the car. Considering our previous means of getting him in the car involved treats, bribes, Benadryl, and a pulley system, this was a shocking turn of events. So we took him. And he hiked. SUCH a happy trail dog. I think we'll ease him into trail hiking this year so he can enjoy the outdoors, too.

And so that's the plan for 2014. We're going to hike! Get out there, and have fun! At least, until the ticks are active. Then we may default to water-based activities. We'll see. I'll bet James has some helpful alternative suggestions...

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Library Day

When we first moved here, we got library cards. Of course. The Madison County library system is wonderful, and it made the loss of the St. Mary's library system sting a bit less (although that's still the most amazing library system I've ever seen in action).

Well, when we bought this place and started tearing it out, and tearing more out, and rebuilding, and... next thing I knew we were on the Most Wanted list of offenders for late fees. Oops.

And then, I forgot. And when I did remember, it was usually at eleven-thirty at night, and it was really embarrassing. So I forgot again. (Not intentionally, however well that may have worked out.) So I just bought books as we needed them.

The main library in our county has the monitors on the unfiltered computers facing toward the children's section, readily visible to anyone who is unfortunate enough to glance up at an odd moment. And our wee local library really isn't the place for people who read a variety of things. It tries, but it's small, and it has some organizational issues. So, we stopped going to the library in general.

But after a while, I ran out of bookshelves, and Z seems reluctant to take up what little square footage we have left with yet more bookshelves... (Something about moving and books and heavy and books and boxes and books.) What are you gonna do? In my case, I wrote myself a note about the fees and started saving bits here and there to repay.

By December, I'd pulled together the funds to repair our reputation with the big library system, plus fees for membership since we live outside that county now, and we went to the main branch. It was worth it just to see the kids' faces when we walked in: three beautiful stories, an atrium, a dedicated children's section, a huge variety of resources and options. Plus, it's just a beautiful building. The aesthetics are delightful. James whistled lowly and whispered, "You weren't kidding about real libraries!"

Yeah. :happy sigh: It's beautiful, isn't it?

We're on our third round of checkouts, now, and no late fees. (Knock on wood.) The older boys are quite comfortable venturing out on their own, finding books and curling up somewhere to peruse them at leisure. James has found a happy spot somewhere quiet, where he can read in peace, and it makes him very contented. Em and Jase are a little overwhelmed with so many books, and we spend a lot of time exploring the shelves as well as sprawled out at the tables reading and talking. They're having fun.

Returning our books today, Em leaned over and whispered to me, "The Bearskinner was a really wonderful story." The librarian smiled.

Is there anything quite like a great library? I don't think so. There are many delightful things in the world, but a home for books is something special.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Not Since May??

I knew I hadn't blogged in a while, but since May? Wow. That's going to leave a dent in the kids' memory album (because honestly, I gave up on keeping those about two weeks after John was born, so the blog is pretty much it).

2013 wasn't a great year. It wasn't horrible, and in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't even A Bad Year. It was just hard. It was a year of upheaval and disappointments, of finding out people don't always care about your children like you thought they did. And that you weren't as diligent about protecting them as you thought you were. It was a year of remaining in limbo. There wasn't much positive I could say about much of what was going on.

That year, my entire family decided to take it in turns so that when I sat down at the computer someone took it as the Prime opportunity to talk to me, or sit next to me and eat things that make a lot of noise when you eat them, or just sit and stare at me (oddly, that wasn't the most bothersome of the three choices. weird.) Since I couldn't write about what was going on in general, and it seemed weird to make them Go Away so that I... didn't write, I turned off the screen and spent more time with them. We talked. We ate. We sat and stared at each other. It was good.

That turned out to be the best thing possible, and it contributed to our getting through 2013 without alienating each other or running off to Juarez to apprentice as streetside bootmakers. I'm glad for that. Not that some of the boys wouldn't make excellent bootmakers, but if that's the path one of them chooses, I want him to be driven by passion rather than a desire to get away.

I did get to take a road trip for my birthday (complete with stops at interesting places, a schedule that only needed to coordinate to grown up bladders, and really great travel food). It was a week filled with lovely people, a fantastic seminar, and so much wisdom and beauty that my brain wanted to explode. That was an amazing experience. I am so thankful to Z for helping to make that happen.

As of right now, we're still in limbo. Z is still looking for openings out West. The house is still a work in progress. The boys are no longer in Scouts (although it has nothing to do with the national membership changes - it was local and general issues - the timing of it made the whole thing a little bizarre, though). Jacob completed his Arrow of Light, and James and John managed to earn Life rank, although they didn't have it awarded to them before they left the Troop. I don't know what that means for the future, or for their plans. If it's important to them, they'll let me know.

The positives we have on our side are in droves, however. The house is keeping us warm and safe during "The Polar Vortex of '14". Everyone is growing and maturing beautifully. Z and I are on the same page most days and having a great time with each other and our family. We have a somewhat-viable-kind-of-sort-of-plan (with a thousand contingencies) to deal with the choices that remain. (Ha! Limbo!) We have beautiful friends, many blessings, and hope for the future.

That's not a bad way to start the year. Not bad, at all.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

That 11th Hour...

Our deadline for submitting the Troop's cancellation for Camp came at noon on Monday. We had no one to fill in. We needed to cancel. Of course, nobody wrote the letter, and normally, I'd be torqued, except that that evening we had friends over. I heard one of the kids (:snort: Kid - he's 18, an Eagle Scout, works his tail off, and is very responsible - but in my head, he's a "kid", I know, I'm getting old and weird) -- anyway, heard him say that he had to leave on X date to get some time in visiting family and friends before Staff had to report at Camp SomethingOrOther. Hmmm...

So... when is Camp SomethingOrOther?

It's the week after yours. (I'm paraphrasing, but that's basically how it played out.)

Would you like an all expenses paid trip to the lovely mountains of Camp TheOneWeGoTo, *and* get to be A Hero for saving Camp? :eyebrow waggle: (Not paraphrasing. I was desperate and gave him the full pitch.)

He laughed at me and said yes. (He really did laugh. I've mentioned he's a great ki-- erm, guy. But also, he said YES!)

So, WOOHOO! Once again, that Blessed 11th Hour came through. We now have two adults for camp and meet all the requirements of the BSA.

That means we should probably consider packing sometime this week...

And, I think I overbought on groceries. The Littles could live for a month on what it takes to feed the Bigs for a couple of days. The last time the Bigs were gone, I cooked one meal and the three of us ate off it for the whole weekend.

But, CAMP! Yay!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Gathering for a Pounce

Many (most? all? I should look that up) animals gather themselves together before they pounce. I'm pretty sure this is a mental phenomenon, also. (Though I haven't researched it, because honestly, it's just a picture in my head of how I feel before we have to tackle something big. So it could just be us.)

Anyway, we've had a busy week or so, and neither of us gathered for it, so it's been more of a swatting than a pouncing. Z ran out of steam on the soffits as he got farther around the back of the house and started running into rotted wood on the frame. And more brick work (not our favorite thing to do, regardless). It's been a week of sawzall work and framing, mortar and priming. It'll be good, in the end, and solid. But... nasty things fall out of the eaves when you start sawing on them. *gag*

Our Scout Troop had a weird confluence of TDY assignments for all our adults, and we found ourselves two weeks out from camp with only one Adult leader able to go. It's been a week with a flurry of emails, brainstorming, and stress. We were hoping to get information on a provisional troop arrangement at the camp, or perhaps to have the boys and our one adult appended to another troop for the week, but the camp office isn't open yet, the lady we generally deal with is on vacation, and we're having a devil of a time making headway. I could to go, if we could come up with a way to hide three bouncy Littles in camp for a week. So far, no brilliant ideas on that front. So it looks like the boys may miss scout camp this year.

Our Webelos built bat boxes. That was a "Z to the rescue" kind of thing. He's incredible with the kids - they learn so much from him, and they have fun doing it. Once the cedar dries out a bit, and they don't weigh so much, the boys will finish them out and get them hung. Based on the volume of mosquitoes we have this year, I'm betting we'll have the fattest bats in the state, and plenty of them.

I lost my glasses at some point last week. The Suburban was spotless. The house was immaculate. Still no glasses. Then I realized we hadn't tackled the Baby Dragon Lair. We waded through the paper treasure and bead bullion and other valuables in the hoard. I almost didn't do it. It's daunting for a non-crafty person to delve into an artist's space. Especially when she's small and has a minion. And, dragons. But I'm glad I did. The glasses were there, on a pony. Under some homemade pillows (paper, cotton balls, and staples). I also found my stapler.

On a related note, as much as I want to do the ceiling next, that child needs a non-carpeted room to work in. I'm thinking gunite. If you have ideas, toss them up on Pinterest. I'll be researching next week.

And graduations! We've had three beautiful, amazing young people in our lives who graduated from high school this week. Every one of them is the kind of person you can't wait to turn loose on the world: kind, hard working, generous, thoughtful, upright young people. I know their paths won't always be easy, but we are so very proud of them and excited for them to get out there and share themselves with the world. When people complain about "kids these days", I want to share these kids with them, so they'll know what to look for. They're there. And they're fantastic!

Kiss those babies, no matter how big!
~Dy

They did it.

The Bigs: 25 mile route on the Tour d'Arsenal. They were the youngest riders on that loop, and they didn't come in last. (That doesn't really matter, as this wasn't a race, and there were people of all fitness levels and cycling experience on the ride. But it did feel kind of good for young men testing their mettle.) They were all a bit shocked and awed (in a good way) when they got buzzed by a group of septuagenarians about the mid-way point in the ride, though. I guess it was pretty impressive and left quite an impressions on four young men, sucking wind up a hill, when the whirr-whirr-whirr of fast bikes comes up from behind and whoosh~~~ there they go. Good stuff.

Jacob: 18 miles. The youngest rider in the Tour. (The next two youngest being the Bigs.) It didn't even dawn on me that kids wouldn't do it. Didn't dawn on Jacob, either, until he ran out of steam at about the 15 mile mark. He'd done everything right, really - he was well-rested going into it, ate well before hand, and was staying hydrated. But it was hot-hot-hot and sticky beyond belief, and I think that got inside his head and made him question everything from the origin of the universe to why we didn't hire a rickshaw and take a scenic drive. We slowed our pace, I asked a few questions and then just listened as he talked his way out of his own head. He took a few deep breaths, and you could just see this kid center himself and refocus on his goal. It was amazing, and humbling, and uplifting all at once. The other riders were fantastic and so very encouraging with a kind word and a cheer of encouragement as they passed.

One lady, in particular, offered to share an energy drink packet she'd brought. I checked the label and it didn't have anything we'd find objectionable in it, so I said yes. By that time, Jacob had decided he could see this through and enjoy it, but the psychological boost that gave him -- both the generous gesture and the idea that he was getting a beneficial drink -- he flew the last few miles and could have happily gone another round if only it had been under 90 degrees. And burritos. We had burritos in the car for the riders. He said he felt great when it was over. "Probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but it felt good." I... have no idea where he gets it, but am so glad he's got it!

James wrecked near the start of the ride. Poor kid - he went over the handlebar over the weekend, too. Anyway, best I can make out from their stories, he and John needed to veer around an obstacle, but someone came up on James' right so he had to veer back left and they (James and John) collided. They must be pretty proficient at bike repair and first aid, though, because they got it fixed, treated their wounds, and were back on the trail before Jacob and I could catch up. We only heard about it later. There were a couple of more gnarly wrecks later in the ride, but thankfully nobody was seriously injured (and we weren't a part of those).

For Z and I, it was a great experience. Of course, you can tell we're not hard-core cyclists. When they start down a slope, they lean on the handlebars and streamline their forms. It's serious business. When we hit the crest of a hill and start back down, we put our heads up and our elbows out to catch some air. If you listen really closely, you might be able to make out a faint, "Weee!" I hope we're still doing that together 40 years from now, wherever we are. And that the kids will still want to come with us.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

While I wait for the phone to finish backing up,

I watched YouTube videos on how to fix a laggy phone.

I read a couple of articles on the dangers of sleep deprivation.

I stared into space for a little bit. (Kind of confirmed some of what I'd just read. Weird.)

Then it hit me, "Hey! Nobody's up! I could blog!"

Which is not to say that I'm blogging anything I don't want them to read. It's just that I'm not good at holding multiple thoughts coherently in my head. Funny, you'd think I'd be better at that by now. That, and getting to bed at a decent time. But, no. And no. Ah, well.

Tomorrow (today) we ride the Tour d'Arsenal. (There will be napping before hand, seeing as it's already after two in the morning.) It's a neat cycling tour of the Arsenal that goes through some of the older, more historic parts of the area. We've pretty much milked the liability waiver for all it's worth. (The boys, in particular, thinks it's hilarious that I won't let them sky dive, but have no problem sending them into something that requires I acknowledge in writing that they could DIE in the process. Of course, they could die doing anything; I'm just acknowledging that if they die doing this, it's their own fault and my responsibility. Plus, if your bike malfunctions, you get road rash. Order of magnitude in the different probable outcomes.) But we're stoked. It'll be fun.

We rode the Alabama section of the Natchez Trace this past weekend. We didn't have logistical support for the Littles, so Z and I split up the trek. I rode the first portion with the boys, with Jase in the child seat on my bike. He's a fun cycling buddy. I'm going to be a little sad when he's too big to ride along like that. We stopped at a ferry and fished for a bit, then Z took Em on the trail-a-bike and rode with the boys for what turned out to be the entirely uphill portion of the trail. Didn't see that coming. He's so good-natured, though. Jacob and I drove past them on our way out of the park - going up this steep, steep incline - Em was standing on the pedals of the trail-a-bike, just pumping her legs as hard as she could to help get them up the hill. Of course, she was whipping that thing side to side and you could see the back end of Z's bike flailing left and right. It probably felt like trying to climb a mountain with monsters shaking him by the ankles. Yet as we drove past, Jacob and Jase waved and cheered them on, and Z had a smile and a wave for the boys.

Jacob rode 17.1 miles of the trail on a 20" bike. Holy cow, that kid is good-natured... and wiry! He didn't complain at all! Even when he collapsed in the grass and announced that he felt like that was a pretty good ride and he was done, thanks - still, no whining. Z and I were exhausted just watching him. (Well, and because we're old and out of shape.) But he loves to ride with his brothers, and they love to have him along, so we bought him a bigger bike this weekend. They've already taken him on an inaugural ride to the square and to Gina's for a soda. He was all smiles as he explained that he's just as tired, but he goes a LOT faster.  He can hardly wait to do this next ride with the new wheels!

It has rained and rained and rained. When it's not raining, we're outside working on the house or the meadows. Then it rains and we come back in and watch it rain. As quickly as the grass and poison ivy are growing, I'm rather thankful we don't have kudzu. We'd have to hack a path to the car and defoliate the drive just to get to town. It's crazy. We've lived here eight years, and still I'm awed every Spring by how quickly things grow here. It's so green and lush and just beautiful.

We're about three days away from kicking into full-on Summer Schedule. Math, Foreign Language, Reading. Call it a day. It's just too beautiful to stay inside. We'll get down to business in August, when it's not so beautiful anymore. Right now, though, it's time to be outside, digging in the garden, building things in the meadow, and playing in the creek.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

And the rain came down...

And down, and down, and down.

The boys had traded their planned backpacking trip earlier this month for a make-up trip to Tannehill Iron Works. It's a favorite, and we missed our normal Fall trip because nearly everyone had conflicting obligations that week, so we were all looking forward to this. There was rain in the forecast, but all the Scout leaders heard that and thought, "Oh yeah, camping in the rain with a good book..." Even the boys weren't daunted. Then the thunderstorms decided to show up, so we had to punt to the following weekend.

Normally, in Alabama, if you can't go this weekend, you can go the next weekend. Not this time. The storms were bigger the following weekend. And the next! Not wanting to end up on national news with the lead-in, "A Scout from Alabama was struck by lightning/washed away in a flash flood/lost in a mud bog..." we ended up scrapping the trip. Now everbody's antsy to get out and get some woods time. It's like cabin fever, in that it makes everyone irritable and sensitive. It was the right call, but dang...

So, we've been piddling around here between downpours. The mower slipped a belt, and we fixed it. We've lost the Kindle, so the house is absolutely spectacular from the thorough clean-as-you-look approach. The creek flooded and we checked out all the neat animals that seek the high ground - it's amazing how many things live in the beautiful meadow!

The deck may never get stained. If we build another balcony while we still live in the South, I'm going to stain all the wood before we put it up. When it warms up enough to stain, the pollen comes. When the pollen stops, the oak fuzzies come. When the oak fuzzies stop, the rain comes. When the rain stops, the temps drop too low to stain. With this cycle, we might have a week sometime in November when there's nothing falling from the sky and the wood dries out enough to stain it.

Jacob's Den slipped out for a City Walk earlier this week. It was a gorgeous day for it (probably should have stayed home and stained the deck...) We started our walking tour of the historic downtown area with the last stop on the tour -- in part because it's such an important structure in the town's history, and in part because we hoped to end up at the Farmers' Market instead of back on the same end of town. Well, as we walked around the building, looking at bullets still lodged in the walls, and the mortar holes in the columns, the bank door opened and Judge Breeland (who leads the Citizenship course the boys took last Spring) stepped out to invite us in for an official tour of the Old State Bank building! What a treat! Our one-hour city walk turned into a fantastic, two-hour, hands-on tour of one of the most amazing buildings I've been privileged to explore. Everyone who takes a tour appreciates having a guide who loves his subject and knows it well enough to make it come alive. Judge Breeland is just that kind of guide.

The deck can wait. I'm glad we didn't miss out on that!

Through Fresh Eyes

It's easy to look at our own lives and see all the things that need doing, all the things that need repair, all the things that are lacking. It's easy to take for granted the things that work just the way they're supposed to, to forget the hard work that's gone into setting up our lives, and the beauty in the natural function of life.

So when our company arrived yesterday morning for a day of shooting and eating and visiting, and I was only barely dressed, the house wasn't company ready, and we hadn't prepared food, I kind of wanted to curl up and die in the corner behind the Hoosier. (They were invited. Z just has a Jimmy Buffet Gene that makes communicating actual time values to me a bit tricky.)

All I saw was a group of strangers standing in the foyer, trapped by the My Little Pony Picnic Barricade. My instinct was to invite them in, but how do you make it sound inviting as you request someone navigate past the leaning tower of books, around the marker mine field, toward the kitchen... the one I don't really clean unless company *is* coming, because it's always in use? Well, no, I take that back. My instinct was to hide, but that proved logistically impossible, so I went with Plan B.

Plan B: punt. Maybe you laugh a little nervously. You announce there is coffee, and wonder if it's too early for beer. You do a quick mental check to see if you've at least got on a bra, then take a deep breath and acknowledge that if they can walk in on this and still have a good day, they're probably Really Good People.

And they were. We had a wonderful time. They didn't freak out over the child-debris. They visited and chatted and laughed and shared stories. They are absolutely delightful. We did what we do -- we fed them, and then fed them again, and then made kettle corn and sent them home with a big bag of it. We made a lot of coffee and tea and wandered here and there. MeWa came out after a few hours and added to the fun. Jacob took them about to show them his favorite things and places. We just had a good, old-fashioned day with friends. (I did send James back to run a brush in the toilet bowl... some things, you just don't want to punt.)

And when they left, we were sad to see them go. Their daughters made plans to come back over Thanksgiving break to learn to make tamales. The parents will be back for cookouts and bon fires over the Summer. The best compliment we received that day? "We just feel so welcome."

*whew* Nailed it. The key? Pick Really Great People to invite over! They'll help you see your world and your home through fresh eyes, and will remind you about the things that truly matter. And relax. You've got a neat life, and you don't want to miss out on fantastic people because you can't see through the mess to enjoy them. At least, I don't. I'm thankful for the reminder.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy