Together we have it all

Loaded Question

2011-08-14T07:29:00.001-05:00

A few weeks after Ramona was born Matt and I decided to take the younger set to a gun show. Isaac was very excited while the other boys? Not so much.

We are a family infatuated with weapons of all kinds but the idea of an afternoon of "don't touch", "slow down", "hands to yourselves" might have had an influence on their indifference. But Isaac? He was absolutely giddy! He even dressed for the occasion: Full mismatched camo, vest included.

We perused aisle after aisle of displays when, out of the blue, Isaac tugged on my sleeve and asked...

"When does the gun show start?"

Do Hard Things.

2011-07-30T12:52:00.000-05:00

On the way to the soccer tournament this morning Hayden asked me, "What if I asked to play goalie today?".

"What?!?!?! No way!" was the first thing that escaped my mouth thinking he was kidding.

I made it through my entire educational career with only one formal speech under my belt. I don't know how I weaseled out of them. I think I feigned sickness and took the "F" once, probably didn't take classes that required them...

That's pretty much how Hayden has avoided the goalie position for the last 13 years.

"Well, it all depends on who we play... it's my last day, and if we're really far ahead... Maybe I'll give it a shot."

He played his usual defensive position for all but the last 10 minutes of the game... they were down 3-0.

From the sidelines I saw him donning the long sleeved green and black striped goalie shirt. I fumbled for my video camera. Ramona started crying. I opted to watch instead of film.

So, with Ramona bawling on my hip and me pacing the sidelines the game commenced with him in the goal.

It wasn't pretty... In fact, their first drive on goal ended in Hayden picking up the ball out of the box and being called for handling. Then shortly after, they scored on him. He made a valiant dive to try to block it though. The ball never made it in his vicinity again.

He was smiling when it was over. He had given it a shot and had failed. Twice.

But he was still smiling.

I was proud. And inspired.

A Special Bond

2011-07-14T12:30:00.001-05:00

While watching the 3 banded armadillo yesterday at the zoo, a mom stood by and listened as her two young sons, I'd guess ages 2 & 3, engaged in typical bathroom humor conversation.

As if she suddenly realized she wasn't alone, she looked my way, apologized and said "I'm sorry, I've got two boys... I don't even notice it sometimes."

"It's okay" I reassured her "I've got 4."

We shared a knowing smile and went our separate ways.

Ahhhhh......

2011-04-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

Bittersweet

2011-02-12T23:52:00.000-06:00

If I had to sum up my emotions for the day... I was cheering and feeling a little sad all at the same time.

Cutting the Crap

2011-02-07T07:31:00.007-06:00

Honesty. With yourself. With others.

That's my definition of personal responsibility.

A couple of years ago while talking with a friend about weight loss, we came to the conclusion that, in all honesty, we were overweight because we ate more calories than we burned.

That's it. Cut the crap.

Not because our thyroids were out of whack, not because we had too much to do and not enough time to exercise or cook healthy foods, not because... blah blah blah.

The excuses can be endless and overwhelming. And in the end, that's all they are... excuses.

I've since taken that approach to just about every issue I've encountered. Sometimes with the help of that close circle of friends that reminds me to cut the crap and sometimes I can pare it away myself.

It's funny how we can try to excuse our way out of our own selfishness, laziness, greed or whatever happens to be your weakness. Your real weakness, when you cut away the crap, is hard to hear.

My kids, for example, don't always do a good job at the task they've been assigned. Is it because they're bad kids? No, they're great kids. But they are kids and kids will only do what is inspected not what is expected. If I'm being too lazy (or selfish) to drop what I'm doing to inspect the job, I can almost always find myself disappointed with the results.

The kids, on the other hand, cannot use that as their excuse. They all know how to correctly accomplish the task at hand. Personal responsibility dictates that they cut the crap and fully do what is expected of them. Period.

In society today not many people can cut the crap and put the blame on their crumby circumstances on themselves.

I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard Mark Gungor's Better Marriage Minute. I can't find the exact quote but it went something like this:

100% of divorces happen because one or both spouses become selfish.

Talk about cutting the crap.

I came across a book that was title something like Get Off Your Butt and Parent. Needless to say, I didn't need to read it... I knew all to well what my problem was.

It's rather easy (if you're willing) to chisel away the excuses to get to the real issues when you're studying the 10 commandments (again?) with your children. Go ahead, dust off your Catechism. Give it a whirl. We've clouded even the only 10 commands God has given us to obey with excuses.

Yikes! I could list something under every commandment that I deal with regularly. Murder? Not me! But always being patient, kind, and forgiving from our hearts towards everyone? Once again, not me.

Recently I've begun praying for awareness of my sins. Yikes again! Without awareness, how can I ever change? If I can't cut the crap, see my sin for what it is, how can I truly repent? I thank God every day for His grace.

Although, I don't think all crap is sinful. My personal convictions may not be yours. BUT if you are lying to yourself... allowing yourself to be a victim of your circumstances... you may be missing out on a lot of opportunities. Opportunities you never thought were available to you because of your thinking.

A single word can make a difference in your whole outlook. Take, for instance, Want and Need. If you can differentiate between the two your whole life could change.

scrape scrape scrape

The sound of my soapbox coming to the front. There are only two things that I'm outspokenly passionate about in life, and this is one of them.

Moms That Say They Need To Work.

Before you load your catapult with rotten tomatoes, hear me out.

One little word could put you in control of your situation and give you peace or hope or whatever it is you think you might be missing. One little word could change the way you think.

Moms, do you really need to work outside the home? If you want to, that's your choice, just quit telling everyone (and yourself) that you have to work to make ends meet.

In all honesty, if you cut the crap, making ends meet can be defined as maintaining the standard of living that you are accustomed to.

Are you standards too high? If you really thought things through...

Is cable a necessity? Do you really need 2 vehicles? Is there a bus route close by? Do you eat out more than in? Do you need a cell phone? Is your cell phone plan the cheapest out there? Do you have internet on your phone and at home?

These are only a few (and the easiest) categories to simplify. I've got a ton of them up my sleeve.

When it comes right down to the wire... Are you sacrificing your children's need for direct parental involvement to your own selfishness?

Ouch. I know right?

If the answer indubitably is NO then you can rest assured that your choices are working for your family. Kudos to you... most people can't successfully juggle it all and come out unscathed.

If NO doesn't come so easy... or if you can whisper yes... redefine your situation. Assess your wants versus your needs. You can make a change, you do not need to be a victim. Take a stand, do it for your family, you'll never regret it.

If you're stuck, I'd like to help.

Let's talk.

There Is No One Else...

2011-01-20T06:21:00.000-06:00

I... take you,

to be my husband,

to have and to hold from this day forward,

for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

There is no one else I could imagine spending every day of the last 21 years with.

Happy Anniversary

{this moment}

2011-01-07T07:42:00.000-06:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you’re inspired to do the same,

leave a link to your ‘moment’ over at SouleMama for all to find and see.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T09:07:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this long-drawn out birth story to celebrate the birth of The One who came down from Heaven to save us. Thank you Jesus... and Happy Birthday!

In a good year, I have difficulty decorating for Christmas. It's not that I don't love Christmas, it's just that I don't always have space for... "Christmas". This year with Ramona and all of Ramona's stuff added to the household (and me, not having the where-with-all to get it organized on time) it seems even tighter. The acquisition of this idea has put an end to that problem... introducing the half-tree! For the last few years I have been using this technique to save space (and my sanity). An artificial tree with only half the branches put on, slid it up tight to the wall (or bookshelf). We only brought up on box of "Christmas" too. As you can see, the ornaments are sparse but our hearts are full.

I usually delight in composing my annual Christmas letter, picking a color scheme, and working on the layout. This year was no different... I happen to LOVE the black and white/simple paragraph style. E-mail me if you would like the template... As you can see, the format is sparse, but our hearts are full.

Click to enlarge.

Merry Christmas to all! and to all... a good night!

Losing Focus

2010-11-16T05:50:00.003-06:00

That was a disappointment. This dose of Nubain wasn't working AT. ALL.

I was losing focus pretty quickly. I felt like a flailing baby, alone... falling... out of control. Matt could not help, Hailey could not help (really anyway, what could they do? How could they know what I needed if I couldn't tell them?) I turned to the nurse for support and asked her what to do next because I had used up all my tricks.

She sweetly suggested an epidural.

With modern monitors and medication do nurses even know how to take care of laboring women anymore? Or are they just there to interpret the information the machine spits out and administer the medication that takes care of the pain so you don't have to? Is that why they insisted I remain in bed... to be monitored? Would this nurse have had any idea how to help and support me through a tough labor had it not been near the end? Have they lost the art because no one requires it of them anymore? It never dawned on my that I should have added "a intuitive/caring nurse" to the list of prayers I had been reciting for the last few weeks. I know having more support wouldn't have changed the outcome, it's pretty black and white: All pregnant women eventually end up delivering. A healthy baby and mom are the main objectives but the avenues taken to get to that end... do they matter? I still think so. I believe I am in the minority.

UGH!

"Let's just check you and see where you're at."

"5"

Because I know how my body labors, I knew this was it.... Soon I'd have a baby!

I voiced "It can't be long now" because I knew...

I knew it darn-it!

This is why the drugs weren't working... This was transition for me... I knew it...

Replaying each of my experiences with this phase I always dubbed as my "don't remember time", I knew it was almost time for "call the doctor", "set the stage" and "BAM! 7-8-9-10 -Baby".

I will never forget the look on the nurse's face as she replied to my statement of "It can't be long now".

The words, not so much, but the look... annoyance, irritation, pretentiousness...

"Well, I don't know about that."

BOOM!

Gone was my focus. Every thing I knew, I didn't know anymore. I lost all confidence and felt completely overwhelmed... I cried. She had somehow, with that one look, undone all I had in me...

Defeated, I gave in... I caved... I went against all I knew about myself and my stamina. I requested an epidural.

She checked me again... 8. Too late for an epidural.

I wish I could report that with that news I mustered my fortitude and pressed on. But I didn't. I went on because I had no choice.

I told her I was going to turn over and push. She checked me again... 10.

I knew it darn-it!

I opened my eyes expecting to see the doctor and more nurses or at least the spotlights on. Nothing. No one.

I remember asking "Where is everybody?" I don't know if anyone answered.

Next time I opened my eyes the stage was set... the doctor appeared... I was pretzel-ed and pushing. No one was talking (or cheering) I had no idea if I was making any progress. I remember asking how I was doing and calling for some encouragement...

If there is a next time... I'm bringing the pep-band.

Climbing the Mountain

2010-11-15T05:45:00.001-06:00

Nubain can only be given once every two hours. I had a half an hour to go.

The feeling of being split in two was hitting me like a jack-hammer again but as the nurse checked me and said I was at 4ish I began to focus on my breathing and what has gotten me through most of my other labors.

It's a little trick I learned before Griffin was born and has always been useful to me.

Picture, if you will, a contraction as a line on a graph. As the line rises the pain increases, and each contraction is like a mountain. While in the valley, you are pain free. On the way up the mountain the pain increases, but is usually tolerable... up to a point... the peak. Only as you reach the summit does the contraction feel all consuming. The second you start the descent, the torturous feeling gives way to cramping, the cramping lessens to aching and then, when you reach the valley, you can once again relax.

The trick is to convince yourself that, during this whole "mountaineering" process, only the few seconds at the pinnacle hurt. The rest can be labeled "increasingly uncomfortable" or "steadily decreasing on the pain scale". So actually, even when your contractions are lasting 1.5 minutes and they are 3 minutes apart, only a fraction of that is excruciating, the rest is a piece of cake!

On the fetal monitoring machine there is also a number associated with where on the mountain you are currently. Matt's job has always been to watch that number and tell me the instant it decreases. I don't think he understood why that was important to me. Either I never explained it to him, or he wasn't listening when I gave that particular instruction, (or maybe he didn't care one iota about me and was actually in cahoots with that evil nurse) because he was saying things like

"Well, that was a biggie" and

"whoa, it keeps going up"

or holding out on telling me when the number went down because he was waiting to see if it would go back up,

instead of just saying "it's going down" which was all I wanted to hear.

There was no time to explain it now. If I could just make it to 9:30 pm, I could have another shot of Nubain and all would be well with the world.

As I watched the hands on the clock move in slow motion, I, in my most convincing tone, requested, ever so sweetly, that the nurse have the drugs ready to administer immediately as the second hand reached the appropriate location. I saw her go through the motions, but I don't think she ever went through with it. (and I think I saw her head spin around)

I waited for that euphoric sensation, the giggling... the relief never came...

Pain Management

2010-10-28T16:00:00.003-05:00

... so yeah, I cried...

Every time (but the first time because I had no idea what was going to happen) the rupturing of the membranes caused me to rethink the whole idea of having a baby. No matter how much I had hoped it would happen or no matter how much I had begged the doctor to "induce me today, I've cleared my calendar... I promise... I'll make it quick"

I've cried and I've told everyone I changed my mind and I'm going home. Being pregnant isn't that bad... and this time was no exception.

By now things were quite intense and I was pretty sure that someone was methodically sawing me in half with a dull butcher knife while systematically trying to open a hydraulically powered automatic beach umbrella in my hooha. Add to that the fact that I was only at 3ish cm, strapped to the bed by the automatic blood pressure cuff, the IV lines, the fetal monitors and the paralysis of back labor, I'm not surprised that I, for the first time ever, considered an epidural for pain management. The new shift nurse asked me if I wanted anything. I told her no but to come back in 20 minutes for my final answer.

An hour later when she appeared I had lost all respect for her, and everyone else for that matter, and asked for Nubain. I had to clear it with Hailey first as she was all up in my face and reminding me that I had done it before without any medication... I saw her head spin around at that moment, I just know it.

(Or maybe it was mine)

Then, I'm pretty sure I told her to shove it because she backed off and the nurse administered the medication.

Immediately, I started to giggle.

For about an hour I felt great, dreamily saying things like "Ooooooo...That one hurted" or "Heeeeyyyyy you guys... " or so they tell me.

Then, it wore off...

Ramona Caroline is Here

2010-10-27T15:17:00.000-05:00

3 Weeks already? Oh my, how the time has flown.

We welcomed Ramona Caroline into the world Tuesday, October 5, 2010. She was 8 pounds 5 ounces and 21 inches long. Born at 22:22 with much pain and agony.

Seriously, I think this was the most painful of all my births... it could have had to do with the fact that I was tired and worn out from labor... or it could have had to do with the fact that because I was tired and worn out and had lost my focus, I demanded pain medication. It wore off right about the time I hit transition. My biggest fear realized... Really, that's why I opted out of pain medication for all my other deliveries. Now I know.

It all started on Monday night with a dose of Cervidil to ripen my cervix. With my 38 week pregnant belly measuring 43 weeks gestation, I settled in for the night with my Ambien while Matt and Hailey tried to get comfortable on the crappy hospital furniture sans medication. 8 am Tuesday morning brought no results so the Pitocin was started.

I've been induced for 4 out of the 6 times I've delivered babies and even the ones whose labor started naturally a definite pattern has been detected. It takes FOR.EV.ER. to get things started. I could walk around for a few weeks dilated to 3 and then even after labor starts things are very slow moving until about 6 cm. Then BAM! 7-8-9-10-BABY in less than an hour. I know this about myself. I told the nurses who were with me all day that this was my normal pattern, so I wasn't too worried at noon when I was only dilated about 1 cm, the same as I was the week before at the doctor's office. I was having contractions and they were regular but they were not being overly productive.

We Skyped with the boys who were waiting at home, we watched a marathon of Billy the Exterminator on TV, and Matt and Hailey ate breakfast, lunch and dinner before things started to look promising. The contractions were wrapping around into my back... oh, the wonderful back labor that I am so familiar with.

For some reason they would not allow me to roam. Just getting them to allow me to be upright in a chair was a fight. By 4pm I was adamant that they let me get up and walk around. They agreed as long as I promised to come back every 15 minutes to be monitored... The first 10 minutes I was out and about I had 7 contractions. WaHooo!

My 2nd attempt didn't get me past the nurses station when my water started to break. Funny way to word that I know... but it took about an hour for me to gush out all the fluid that was hanging out in there! I soaked through towel after towel, chucks pad after chuck pad... 2 changes of bed sheets and a few mop ups of the floor before it slowed down enough to consider it done. "Copious amounts" one nurse commented. I had set some kind of record in her mind and 33 years experience in Labor and Delivery.

Without all that extra pressure my uterus relaxed a bit and contractions slowed. I knew this was where the rubber meets the road, the real fun stuff was going to happen... and like every other time I had gotten to this point... I started to cry...

To be continued

Married and Pregnant

2010-09-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

I fished my wedding ring out of the drawer yesterday. I parked it there a couple of months ago thinking it the smart thing to do in case my fingers started to swell.

Last week I was still under the weight from my first appointment so I decided it was safe to put back on. It feels good to be married and pregnant again.

I've been gaining and losing the same 5 pounds since I first visited the doctor in February... Mainly due to my pre-pregancy size being a bit more on the - ahem - solid side. My metabolism LOVES being pregnant, I have never gained more than 16 pounds with any of my pregnancies (even when I wasn't as solid as I am now) and as long as I don't have ketones in my urine, my doctor is fine with it.

ANYWAY, wouldn't ya know that over this past week, I gained 3 pounds.

Oh well, the rest of the visit went well.

My blood pressure was down a bit from last week and my glucose levels, which had been high over the weekend, are now under control and there was no mention of insulin. My NST went well once the baby woke up and "he" seems to have moved to a head down position!

Extra bonus... I had my complimentary massage this afternoon.

We're still plugging along one week at a time and I am fine with it.

Today anyway, we'll see what tomorrow brings...

2010-09-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

Here's Baby 6 at 33 weeks/1day.

Weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces "he" has been very consistent with weight gain since my very first appointment... always 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

Throughout my pregnancy my blood pressure has been managed with medication and my glucose levels have been steady (also with the help of medication and a careful watch of my carbs).

At today's appointment we added some new words to my previous status as a advanced geriatric, grand multi-para, gestational diabetic, pre-hypertensive patient. Packing on the terms as well as the pounds it seems.

This week's ultrasound revealed a transverse baby and a low lying placenta, while the blood pressure monitor displayed numbers creeping higher than the week before. My glucose register remains consistently "good" but not ideal.

Today we talked about taking it week by week and probably an early baby with possible C-section. I guess it's time to get out the bassinet and wash up some baby clothes!

On the up side, I have no swelling and "very nice ankles", the nurse commented! (I've decided I love her.)

All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

2010-08-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

On Farmer Sam's daily rounds of the neighborhood's gardens he found a mouse in one of their bird feeders. (And probably weeds that needed to be picked, vegetables that needed harvesting and fences that needed to be mended.)

Wish Me Well...

2010-07-07T06:34:00.000-05:00

I'm taking off in the bus today! Me, the kids and 2 of their friends... Matt has to work but he'll be joining us on Friday.

The big kids and I had a lesson of the inner workings of the electrical system of the bus, I took meticulous notes and then subsequently lost them. It's okay though, because, since then, most of the things changed.

The main inverter blew and Matt replaced it with a smaller one we had laying around. (That always makes me chuckle... the things we have as "extra" that most people don't even have one of!)

I laid awake last night not being able to remember... When the generator is powering the bus, which plug goes where? When I'm driving, do I leave the main inverter switch on? This is important because we are camping in a field with no power, a fridge full of food, and a pregnant woman who's going to need a fan. The forecast is for high to mid 80's, thunderstorms and high humidity for most of the 5 day event. I got my answers this morning before Matt left for work.

Ahhhhh. Lifest. Again.

Once I get there and get settled, all will be well.

In other news, the pregnancy is going... well? I'm tired, but not sick anymore, which is HUGE. The baby is growing ... well? According to my latest ultrasound Baby B is HUGE. (Doctor's exact wording) I'm slow moving and sleep a lot... quite like a sloth. I'm pretty sure I failed my glucose test yesterday because when I got home from the grocery store there was a message on my machine to call the office this morning.

Wish me well!

1 Down 5 To Go

2010-06-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

Hailey graduated a couple of weeks ago. Our oldest, our only girl (so far). We got together with 9 other GBACH families and planned the ceremony. It was truly a success.

Being the emotional person that I am, I knew I wouldn't make it through the without crying but I didn't expect to start at Pomp and Circumstance. I have a picture of me on my graduation day doing the crunchie face cry as I walked in the auditorium... I'd show you, but I'm too lazy to plod upstairs to dig through the photo albums to find it.

Afterwards we had a party at our house and celebrated her graduation, Hayden's and my nephew's birthdays.

1 down...5 to go.

Rose

2010-05-18T15:51:00.000-05:00

And this is what we found in the pool today! We thought he was dead (like all the other bats we've found there) but upon closer inspection, we noticed he was shivering. We scooped him out with the skimmer and put him in the shed to do whatever-it-is-that-bats-need-to-do-after-spending-a-night-clinging-to-a-flotation-device.

He reminded me of Rose from the movie Titanic. I was going to post a YouTube video of the movie scene, but I cried so much watching them that I decided to watch the movie instead. It's been that kind of week.

Within an hour he had dried off, warmed up and left. At least I hope he left, just to be safe, I'm not going in the shed for a few days.

Seals

2010-05-15T14:19:00.000-05:00

Last week snow. This week swimming.

Summer's coming, I just know it!

The boys have thicker skin than I.

Who Says You Can't Buy Anything For a Penny?

2010-05-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

The other day, while on the way to prom decorating, the kids noticed the van acting funny. "It's shaking really bad, and it stinks!"

Great.

It's hard enough for me to deal with our schedule down a vehicle. Now add to the mix 2 kids with a job, a social life, and the prom only days away.

Great.

Somehow we made it through yesterday with one car, two jobs (drop off and pick up), a grocery trip, a stop at Auto Zone for a computer analysis, updo and make up appointments, pre-prom parties, pre-prom pictures, and prom.

Today, Matt's first and foremost responsibility was to get that car working. When I took it in to get checked at Auto Zone, the diagnosis was "Tune up required" "Probably just plugs and wires" the employee stated.

This morning, upon inspection by the resident Master Mechanic (have I ever mentioned that Matt can fix ANYTHING? He's amazing!), it was found that one spark plug wire that had been draped over the exhaust manifold was damaged. (Causing cylinder 2 to misfire~ I feel like such a smarty pants when I talk like that)

Get this... When he went to pick up the new wire... It rang up as $.01... ONE PENNY!

... And I was worried that this repair was going to cut into my Book Budget for next year.

If you don't believe in miracles...

2010-04-22T18:45:00.000-05:00

How do you explain...

this?

I've been reading Jenni's blog for several years. Truly an inspirational woman.

Con and Pro and Con

2010-04-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

Just about everything about traveling in the bus is glorious. The space, the ability to use the potty if needed, the access to refrigerated food, and did I mention the space?

The gas mileage is a con. Although, when you figure in being able to stretch out to sleep without setting up a tent while you're traveling, I can overlook that. Or the price of a hotel for the night... We wouldn't be able to travel that way.

We discovered a new con this trip. Short term transportation. We didn't want to drive the bus around town or to the beach, so we rented cars. Yes, two. They were out of large vehicles and really, it turned out to be the same(ish) price for 2 compact cars. We were upgraded to the next level and got a PT Cruiser and a Dodge Caliber.

But the pro? It's kind of fun driving a little car. I don't remember the last time I've driven a car that seats less than 7.

What We're doing

2010-04-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

Day Two of the Quest For Tranquility

2010-04-04T07:17:00.000-05:00

While I love the frugality of parking at truck stops to sleep, the activity level, even in the middle of the night, it high. After a restless night for me, and luckily a restful night for Matt, we embarked on the second leg of our journey.

I've made it no secret that I find Indiana the most boring state to travel through. I thank my facebook friends for humoring me through it yesterday. ( I can do that on my cell phone) You can follow along too, if you'd like via Twitter on my sidebar. The kids, on the other hand, had a great time playing their Gameboys. We keep them in the bus and the rule is that they only come out while the bus is moving.

It was rainy and dreary but that enabled us to find the leak in our windshield that was causing our instrument panel to cut out!

We stuffed rags around the leak and caught the drips before they could do more damage. Eventually the wires dried and the speedometer started working again.

After Indianapolis (and a nap for me) things started to look a little better. Green grass, budding trees... dare I say, it was pleasant!

At fuel stop the boys ran around outside and picked me some flowers. They also asked if I would pay for these.

Kentucky and Tennessee passed by without incident and as we reached the Alabama border my fatigue was getting the better of me. 100 more miles I kept telling myself... I just wanted to lay down and go to sleep!

Birmingham arrival: 9:30pm

Miles traveled: 610

MPG: 9 (!) Best yet!

Internet: Paid for 24 hour of WiFi

275 Miles to go!

Cya there!

Journey to the Redneck Riviera - First leg

2010-04-04T06:45:00.002-05:00

Friday

Packing took a little longer than usually due to my sickly state (and a 24 hour bug that plagued some of my most helpful workers) but all was accomplished by 6pm.

We departed at 7:30, drove without incident through Milwaukee, Chicago and parked 18 miles south of Gary at our favorite truck stop, the Flying J.

Travel time 5 hours

Miles 268

MPG 8.26

State of the bus: still relatively orderly

State of mind: still sane

Now my least favorite part of the journey: INDIANA.

My first attempt at mobile blogging

2010-04-02T19:37:00.002-05:00

Alabama here we come!

Olympic Schedule Wreaks Havoc On Children

2010-02-21T18:37:00.000-06:00

Thanks a lot Olympics. Because of you were low on sleep, crabby, weepy, defiant, disheveled, and unaccomplished.

Super Bowl IX

2010-02-17T05:13:00.005-06:00

Way back in January of 1997 the Packers made an appearance in the Super Bowl. I had no doubt in my mind that they would win. It had been 29 years since they had earned the right to participate. The early years for the Packers had been full of opportunities, winning the NFL Championships in 1961, 1962 and 1965 and then the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968. Some might say success seemed to come easy for the team then and in that season, they were smoking!

I remember like it was yesterday...the excitement and anticipation of returning the Lombardi Trophy to the city whose coach had been memorialized forever in the name.

I was pregnant for the 5th time but we hadn't told anyone yet. We had suffered through 2 miscarriages the year before, one at 8 weeks and the second, after a heartbeat and 11 weeks. We were undergoing progesterone treatments to try to increase my levels. When the conventional methods were proving to be unsuccessful and injections from the doctors office were not frequent enough, we started daily injections at home.

I remember like it was yesterday...the excitement and anticipation of having another baby to hold. And, simultaneously, the fear that, once again, we might not.

The Packers won the Super Bowl and our pregnancy was successful. It was a great year.

The next season when the Packers entered the arena once again, the excitement was dampened by the realization that we might not win. Back to back victories were rare happening only 3 times in the last 31 years.

That year, after we lost, I formulated an opinion that I still hold today:

It's easier to not make it to the Super Bowl at all, than to make it...and lose.

The disappointment is so much greater.

What are you talking about?

Pregnancy.

Our "glory years" have been followed by a long, disappointing losing streak and, reproductively speaking, we've made it to the Super Bowl for the 9th time...

...we've done all we can do in preparation, the coin has been tossed, the ball is on the field, the game has begun...

...and I'm afraid to lose.

Untitled

2010-02-15T10:19:00.001-06:00

Sunday was Hailey's birthday. My first born is 18. It seems like just yesterday that she was a wiggly newborn and I was a brand spankin' new Mommy without a clue.

I've learned a lot in the time that has past between then and now.

How to properly burp, change and feed an unwilling infant. How to safely buckle, curb and constrain an unruly toddler. How to successfully guide, teach and counsel a crushed teen. Sometimes all in the same day.

I've also learned compassion, patience, and unconditional love. I've learned about heartache, rebellion and unbridled joy.

I've practiced the 5 second rule with nookies, noodles and nectarines. I've tackled mountains of laundry, traveled miles in carpools and participated in unnumbered discoveries.

Countless times over, the lessons have played out in our home for all to see my success as well as failures.

I am so humbled by God's blessings.

So to commemorate this momentous occasion of 18 years of parenthood, we decided to give Hailey a gift she had been begging for.

And the rest was a blur...

Need a closer look?

We'd appreciate prayers for a keeper if you wouldn't mind.

New Road Trip In The Works

2010-01-17T09:30:00.004-06:00

We just decided to take a trip in the bus this spring.

South. 9 days.

I'm so excited!

Things to complete before we roll.

1) Bike rack that doesn't look like this

2) Lettering. Remember my plan?

3) Functioning high power WiFi antennae.

4) Door for the current under bus storage area (next to the door on the above picture) and maybe some new complete storage boxes.

5) More inside lighting.

6) More small storage spaces in the bunk area for books, glasses, cell-phones, flashlights...

7) Utilize bathroom space for more than toilet. More storage.

Can there ever be too much storage? I don't think so.

Order Octopoda, Class Cephalopoda

2010-01-16T16:36:00.002-06:00

I may never knit another sock again.

Winter Knitting

2010-01-15T12:31:00.007-06:00

Look what I made!

My first pair of color-work mittens.

A felted mohawk hat for Hayden.

and one for Griffin that I couldn't felt because it knitted up so much smaller because of the pattern. But that's ok, he still likes it.

And a spider.

I was a little worried about Spidey that first night...

but, see? He's already found a safe spot.

On my needles now? An octopus. I think he'll fit right in.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T04:07:00.001-06:00

From our house to yours. God's blessings this Christmas season and all through the new year!

If you click on the image, it will magically become big enough to read without a magnifying glass!

3,776 Acres

2009-11-27T06:01:00.000-06:00

Three thousand seven hundred seventy-six acres all to ourselves.

Yes, that's why we love camping on off peak season~weekdays.

When we arrived on Sunday afternoon there were a handful of other campers, but come Monday morning, they were gone, leaving the entire state park to us...and the work crew resurfacing the parking lot by the boat landing...but by 4 pm even they had gone home.

Three thousand seven hundred seventy-six acres to be our goofy selves.

Three thousand seven hundred seventy-six acres to explore...

We hiked,

we climbed.

We collected as many rocks as our pockets would hold then made angels on the beach.

I think the critters were happy to see us there. They posed for Hailey's camera. Stray Doritos, oyster crackers or peanuts were the only payment they requested. We were happy to oblige.
They took their payment straight from our hands.

and stole our seats by the fire if we dared to leave them open.This little guy didn't have a chance once Isaac spotted him. He didn't get a treat. I don't even know exactly where his mouth would be anyway.

It didn't really dawn on me until we were locked in the bus to sleep on that perfectly clear full-mooned night only 2 days from Halloween...we were the only ones there...the only ones on three thousand seven hundred seventy-six acres...legally. I doubted that there were any fugitives, but while I was entertaining that thought I decided, that if ever found myself running' from the law, this is where I would come. I recollected where we had trekked earlier in the day and thought of countless possibilities for undetectable hide-aways. In the summer, you could easily blend in during the day and by night you could slip away into hiding. The off season might be a little more difficult...tracks in the snow, heat and lighting issues.

I guess I'd seriously have to consider the time of year before I committed some heinous crime.

Just when I had sufficiently worked myself into a self contained tizzy the wind pick up, the awning flapped, and the chairs around the fire pit were blown into a pile. I craned my neck to look out the window and I said "I see sky".

Hailey, whom I had assumed was already sleeping, exclaimed "You see a guy?!" and jumped from her bunk.

"No, " I said "I see SKY"

Relieved, Hailey relaxed. She must have had the same thoughts running through her head as I did.

The problem with seeing the sky was that the awning was up, the sky shouldn't have been visible. We debated for about 2 seconds whether or not we should go out and take it down. None of us wanted to listen to it all night.

The middle support is not held tight with pins like the side ones. It "floats" inside the 18" pipe that is permanently cemented to the rim.

Matt designed it to lift out in gusty conditions instead of holding fast and tearing. (remember, it's just a standard size ~ replaceable ~ tarp)

Well, it functioned exactly as planned and the whole awning had lifted on its frame like a sail and then settled back down as the wind subsided.

In a short time the awning was disassembled and we were back inside, snug and comfortable in the bus on three thousand seven hundred seventy-six acres. Alone.

I should not have been surprised at all when a memory of Hayden entered my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

Early in his life, he announced to me that he'd like to be a criminal mastermind, without the criminal part.

For The Love Of Camping

2009-11-24T10:26:00.012-06:00

I grew up camping. Matt had never been on an overnight vacation until our honeymoon. Camping fit perfectly into our life. It was a cheap, comparatively speaking, and easy way to go places we could not afford to visit otherwise.

The first summer of our marriage we camped every weekend. All of our supplies could fit into the trunk of our two-door '89 Pontiac Sunbird. As we acquired more and more supplies the cooler eventually had to move up to the backseat. Matt built a trailer to haul our bikes and the jet ski we purchased.

The next summer, much of the same except we added a camping mattress that made it more comfortable for the newly pregnant me. That had to be rolled and tied onto the luggage rack.

After Hailey arrived on Valentine's Day 1992, we camped once. Memorial Day weekend. I think by then we owned a station wagon and it was packed FULL. We sold the jet ski and decided to pack it all away, it was much easier to stay home.

Fast forward 10 years and 3 more children.

Matt and I wanted to take a major family vacation, something we hadn't attempted since growing to a family of 6. We unearthed our ancient camping gear, bought a new tent, updated to air mattresses, requested time off and started making arrangements to visit the Redneck Riviera. (AKA Gulf Shores State Park, Gulf Shores, Alabama)

Somewhere between Christmas and our spring furlough we managed to conceive another love child...My energy was non-existent, my planning abilities unavailable and what little time I spent awake I was focusing on not throwing up (at least not until I made it to the bathroom). Not an ideal backdrop for organizing and spending 10 days Far, Far Away.

We discovered a Coleman Outlet store in Alabama and visited it about as much as the beach! An ideal way for a frugal pregnant woman to be convinced that what she might have considered a luxury before was now a camping necessity. We really padded our outdoor paraphernalia! It was either that, or take me home. I was rather ornery.

I slept through much of that vacation and to be honest, I don't think I even took any pictures. If I did, I can't find them. And as long as I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure I slept through most of 2003 because there is a gap in photo albums from Christmas 2002 until Isaac's birth in November.

That vacation rekindled our love for camping and Gulf Shores (and 1 or 2 other camping excursions a year) became a reoccurring event. Why not? It was relatively inexpensive and we had all the camping gear we could possibly need.

As the years went by the only thing we lacked was enough space to get us there. Our full size hi-top conversion van was overflowing and had 2 car top carriers and a hitch hauler (purchased IN Gulf Shores to cart all our new stuff home) with 4 huge rubbermaid bins tethered on. Our clothes and blankets had to be packed into space saver bags. There was not much room for error or careless packing. Soon, a full day of our tightly packed schedule would be reserved for packing and unpacking.

It was again becoming easier to just stay home.

Instead of conceiving another love child, the idea of converting a school bus into an RV became the glimmer in Matt's eye.

Space for everything, minimal set up, and no possibility of collapse were intriguing. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the challenge and novelty of it all appealed to us as well.

And so, Errabundus Bus was born.

Classic Misunderstanding

2009-11-23T17:51:00.001-06:00

Isaac: "Mom, can I have a cookie?"

Me: "No honey, we'll be eating supper in about 10 minutes."

Isaac: " Well, Mom...it doesn't take me 10 minutes to eat a cookie"

Feeling Nostalgic

2009-11-16T06:56:00.009-06:00

This weekend I finished retrieving the thumbnail photos stored on my iPod. 5 years of pictures that we thought we had lost when our computer crashed in March. Now begins the long task of re-dating them. The world will not be right until I do so. Thankfully, so far anyway, the date is still emblazoned on them. Sometimes though, because the pictures (thumbnails) are so small, it's hard to read it. I've been able to figure it out through context, a calendar and jogging the kids memories. I know at one point I removed that setting on my camera, that's when the fun will begin.

My feelings of nostalgia are evident and the snag in my stomach raw when I realize how blessed I am to have a family that's together, healthy and happy. AND still have some photographic representation. Regardless of how pixelated.

How privileged I am, and how often I forget to be thankful.

Here are the 5 star photos from 2004-2005. In order.

This is the first picture I ever took with a digital camera. November 19th, 2004.

Sam fell asleep waiting for Thanksgiving dinner 2004

Some general pictures of the kids being...kids.

Isaac

The whole gang Christmas tree hunting

Sam with one of his two expressions.

Griffin with his cookie dough relief map (this was also our first year of home schooling)

Isaac

Sam slept on a mattress on our floor until, gosh, I don't know how long. Maybe I'll figure it out when I finish my organization operation. And as always, weapon at the ready.

Hayden and Isaac in June

Sam.

Isaac sporting his first mohawk.

All of them after a butterfly class, July 2005

Sam and Isaac at a birthday party

Griffin, Sam and Isaac mesmerized by the computer. Except for their sizes, this could be any given day. This one happens to be July 18, 2005.

Some retouched photos from our annual summer vacation up north. The originals are lost, but that's okay, I think these are beautiful.

Sam with his other expression.

Isaac

Isaac hanging out in the garage with Daddy.

Matt and Isaac on Halloween.

Sam, again

The great Christmas Tree Search of 2005

Isaac, like his older brother, will always be fully armed.

The Coast, the Awning, and the Shelves

2009-11-10T06:23:00.002-06:00

A few cold weekends ago we hauled ourselves out camping. We put our heaters to the test. We're still using the electric heaters (we still need shore power to run them) but Matt is in the process of devising a way to heat the bus with a boiler and hot water heat fueled by propane. That way, we don't have to "fight" for the only electric site left in the campground.

The sun was shining, but it was frigid. Away from the fire it was too cold (for me anyway) to wander far. I've since purchased long underwear and have been much more comfortable on subsequent outings.

We hiked on the sunny road rather than wander onto the paths and explored the beach with our eyes instead of setting foot on the sand or near the water. Definitely a place to visit next summer.
Interestingly, while we were freezing our tushies off, a tent camper in the site next to us...a camping person in a tent, I just thought I'd clarify...was camping in a tent. Jokingly I commented when we pulled in, seeing the window flaps of the tent open, if it was too warm in there for him.
We set up camp. The boys did the outside work (awning, shelves, firewood...) while Hailey and I started supper (white chili in the crockpot) and transformed the bus from travel mode to we're-probably-going-to-be-spending-a-lot-of-time-inside mode. Making beds, turning seats, making sure everything was stowed where it belonged so not too much would be in the way. Once we fit 7 people in, milling about, it seems a little claustrophobic. Traveling or in our beds it seems roomy, but when neither of those are happening, there's a lot of bumping into each other, climbing over shoes, wondering where to hang your jackets, hats and mittens kinda stuff going on.

After our hike we settled around the fire, still speculating the purpose of the site next door with a vehicle, and a seemingly personless, opened windowed tent.

As the darkness fell we were able to see a light shining on the other side of the tent and occasionally, the shadow of a person wandering around, ever so briefly, inside. Surely as the night wore on and the temperatures dropped the owner would zip up and hunker down for the night.

Not so.

On one trip to the bathroom (unheated. YIKES) we discovered the light was a heat lamp anchored to a tree limb just outside the tent. This person was watching birds. The occasional shadows we witnessed must have been to restock the feed under the lamp. Dedicated, I must say. I don't know how she (we later found out she was a she and not a he) stayed warm or what she was doing inside the tent alone and out of site of the windows (which was just a tiny space) the entire weekend but I'm in awe of her ability to remain quiet (never a peep) and warm.

In the morning it was 33 degrees outside. Inside the bus, with both heaters blasting it was 66. Very nice. Our neighbor's tent was still open and the birds were having a feast.

After breakfast Matt and I sat outside, very close to the fire, while we let the kids play on their electronic gadgets inside. The birds were fantastic to watch. Cardinals, blue jays, chick a dees, and squirrels aplenty. It never rose above 38 degrees while we were there. We left when our firewood ran out.

I had mentioned previously that Matt and I were in a disagreement concerning the awning. He wanted one, I did not. He graciously agreed to make a prototype as cheaply as possible and we'd test it out. If it was too fussy or stress inducing, we'd can it...but if it proved successful, we'd keep it and talk of sturdier materials.

A tarp, PVC pipe, cables, bolts and pins make up this awning. It works well and I'm sure, when the time comes for us to need shade it will serve it's purpose. The pipes are connected to the bus with removable bolts and the tarp attaches to the top with pins. The cables running from the bus to the outer pole keep it from sagging (like it did on Labor Day weekend). Much nicer this way, don't you agree? The support in the middle is weighted down by a cement filled rim. Although it's not beautiful, it's the perfect size and weight. I've been trying to think of a way to make it look less utilitarian...but I'm at a loss.

The side and middle support poles consist of two poles, one slightly smaller than the other so that the one slides inside the other for storage and extra rigidity while in use. The "seams" of the side poles are secured with a pin while the middle support pole can "float". I'll tell you why when I post about our last camping trip.
The point at which the tarp attaches to the bus deserves some attention. Matt bolted angle iron right above the windows, but sandwiched between that and the bus is a piece of plastic gutter installed to keep the rain from dripping through the gap. I tell ya, that husband of mine thinks of everything. Sometimes I'm glad he's the one that does the designing and not me. There are other things that he does though, that totally baffle me. We are like night and day with our ideas 75% of the time. But it works for us...what more can I say.

Please excuse the typo in this next photograph, I caught it too late and there is no way I can fix it. It should read "constructed"

It was too cold on this trip to use the outside shelves for their normal functions...doing dishes, preparing food, and as a storage place for silverware, plates, tequila and margarita mix. I thought it would be the perfect time to get some close ups of it.

The awning poles, for now, are stowed in the hallway leading through the bunk room and the shelf is stored on the lower bunk for traveling. Eventually, we will have more storage under the bus for them.

But like everything, it takes (extra) time and (extra) money, both of which are a rarity these days.

Quarantined

2009-10-15T06:22:00.002-05:00

The Cross Training "Sunday School (on Wednesday)" teachers laughed when I told them that my kids weren't coming because they were quarantined.

Because they're sick?

No, because they're healthy.

And that's saying a lot these days.

Schools are closing, events are being canceled, sports events are being forfeited.

Griffin plays his last football game on Saturday and we want him to be healthy to finish the season. Unlike last year.

It may be an enormous leap to think we'll make it.

Milestones

2009-10-02T05:32:00.003-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with milestones. Milestones reached mean my kids are growing up and eventually growing away. I know my job as a mom is to "grow them up and out" but since I haven't gotten anyone there yet, it's unknown territory. I reach milestones as a parent as well but my doctor doesn't put them on my chart.

I have a Senior and a Junior in the house followed by a 6th grader, 2nd grader and Kindergartner. Last month Isaac (5) lost his first two teeth. Yesterday Hayden (16) got his drivers license, I became the mother of two teen drivers instead of one, and Griffin (12) lost his last tooth... all milestones I was not quite ready for. Where has the time gone?

Soon, there won't be all the noise and chaos usually associated with our days. Will I miss it, or welcome the change?

Soon, although only for a short time, I won't have a high schooler in the house. Will that change the way I teach or spend my time? Will I have to do the dishes and clean the bathroom myself?

I wonder what the next season will bring?

I think the metamorphosis of family dynamics is more apparent when the spacing between children is close. Hailey and Hayden are 15 months apart. With them maturing and rapidly reaching adulthood so close on each others heels we are dealt a triple dose of milestones that we are forced to become accustomed to all at once. Both of theirs and mine.

One milestone at a time I can handle, more than that and I appreciate a breather in between.

Got that?

The Eyes Have It

2009-09-27T06:18:00.000-05:00

Isaac fell at the park and hit his face on a beam. It was the nastiest facial injury I have ever witnessed in one of my children. Even when he split his lip clear up to his nose and looked like a bunny rabbit until the doctor stitched it up. This kept looking worse instead of better each day, until about day 5. He still has a super ball sized hard spot on his cheek bone. I assume he'll get back to normal some day...

August 28 (Day of injury)

August 29 (morning of Day 2) I almost cried when I saw him.

August 29 (Afternoon of day 2)

August 30 (Day 3) Swelling goes down, color abounds!

August 31 (Day 4)

September 1 (Day 5 self portrait) His eyelid turns purple.

September 2 (Day 6) Finally no new bruising.

September 2

September 4 (Day 8) Bruising starts on lower jaw, or we just notice it because his eye looks better.

Septerber 6 (Day 10)

September 11 (Day 15) The scab is finally gone and he looses a tooth! Life just keeps moving.

September 19 (Day 23)

I Am Free!

2009-09-23T17:08:00.005-05:00

My parents needed some new pictures of all 10 grand kids together so this past weekend our family camping trip doubled as a photo shoot.

If you need a refresher course on names check out the picture from this post.

Here are some of the pictures that didn't make the cut.

If at all possible, watch it in full screen so you can see their faces!

Were I've Been

2009-09-21T15:36:00.001-05:00

Twitter is just so easy. 140 characters. No long, strung together sentances that would require actual time and thought. So easy that I've been finding myself doing that instead of blogging.

But a quick synopsis will bring you all up to speed of what's been going on in our household lately.

It's not tan lines on my face from my sunglasses, it's my super hero mask

Laundry and organizing books today...2 things that are never done. One's the pits, the other's fun.

Funny things I find myself saying #1: Whose underwear is on the table?

http://twitpic.com/dqbq1 - Isaac's first lost tooth!

My calendar is filling up fast. Why does everyone think my summer should be over?

Finally going to finish school planning today...Or maybe the kids will just have a really short year.

Football, Oh how I've missed you.

I didn't finish planning the year, but I'm a whole lot closer than I was this morning.

Just ate some grapes off our grape vine.

Aaah Monday. Back to routine. I'm usually more productive on Monday than any other day of the week. Hope today's not the exception.

I just resorted to rewarding whoever finds our lost copy of Amelia Bedelia, our huge USA map and our "just as big" map of the world.

"Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed."- Josef Stalin.. Who's teaching your kids?

dons her helmet, inserts her mouthguard and reluctantly limps from the sidelines to face the day without a pat on the behind.

I'm enjoying the oodles tomatoes I harvested from my Mom and Dad's garden this morning!

Hand boys a sense of adventure and you won't see them in the house for hours...digging in the dirt, trying to light fires with only a flint.

Isaac's face vs. Playground equipment. Who will come out ahead? Looks like Isaac will be victorious! We told him black eyes are cool.

http://twitpic.com/fmhje - Looks kinda like a lopsided chipmunk.

http://twitpic.com/fp1in - Looks a little worse this morning, but feels better he says. And he's got a new wiggly tooth.

http://twitpic.com/fwrw9 - Today's look at Isaac's face..."Mom, it doesn't hurt" he says everytime I look at him with what must be a pai ...

(Oops over the limit!!!!!! *pained expression)

Back to reality...Thanks to everyone who helped make it a semi-kidless/KIDLESS/semi-kidless weekend.

Isaac's face is transforming...from the puffy dark purple orb that it was to the decreasing dark purple/greenish/yellowish color of healing.

I want to check into some vitamins/supplements for memory improvement, but I keep forgetting!

When everyone else seems to be packing up their camping gear, we start to dust our off for the season. It's a lot less crowded this way.

I've graduated from the can't-remember-my-locker-combination dream to the can't-text-my-tweet dream. Am I officially a grown up? or a geek?

Camping kidless is very different. Definately less food involved!

Camping with just Matt is going to have to be a annual event! Very relaxing. It is nice to be home though.

Hayden and I are arguing about whether or not a marathon runner with prosthetic legs has an unfair advantage over a runner with real legs.

I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye on this one.

I think I've become invisible. No one here can hear me asking questions and any direction I give goes unnoticed....

Just downloded Posthumus Zone to play tomorrow before we start school. Now for a plan to waylay the tackling of siblings during read-aloud.

Over the first hurdles of the day. Expectations and explanations for 6th, 11th and 12th graders. K & 2nd graders done except Language arts!

Isaac, who "hates school!" slept for 2 hours this afternoon. I think that might have been the problem.

School went much better today, even with a dentist appointment sandwiched in.

Settling down and realizing there are only 24 hours in a day and you can only do what you can do. One foot in front of the other. All day.

Finally on my way. Just Me, Sam, Isaac and the bus! (The rest of the crew will join us tomorrow)

Camp set up &supper "alone" only took an hour & 45 min not bad

"alone" = 5 yo, 8yo, and my dad (helped with awning)

Me and my margarita are watching boys + cousins start a bon fire with pine cones

Me- "isaac, grab your shoes" Isaac- "I didnt bring any"

Cold water, warm sand. Good company.

My little boys have no clean clothes and 1 more day of camping. Hmmm

Raise your hand if you love camp breakfast!

Camping x 2

2009-09-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

Yay! Camping season!

Labor day weekend we took the bus onto 40 acres in the middle of nowhere with no water and no electricity.

With the refrigerator running the whole weekend we only had to start the bus to recharge the battery twice.

We weren't sure whether or not we'd fit, but Matt guided her in beautifully. In one particular bend we slipped through with just inches to spare on each side.

The awning has been under negotiation for several weeks. Matt wanted one, I did not.

The sound of tent material flapping wildly in the wind and rain drums up some pretty nasty memories for me. Because, eventually, all tents collapse ~~on me~~ and all awnings fail. I didn't want to hear "cha-ching" every time we encountered weather short of sunny

We compromised and built this ~~cheaply~~ frugally.
PVC pipe and a tarp of standard size. I'll detail the construction more closely next time we put it up.

It drooped a little on the ends and we have since remedied that with cables running from the bus to the corners.

Matt also built removable (obviously) shelves on the side of the bus that serve us well for our outdoor kitchen.

After that excursion we dropped the kids off at home (with plenty of food, instructions and emergency numbers) and headed out ALONE for 3 days ~~30 minutes from home~~ to our long awaited dreamy tropical paradise vacation.

It Doesn't Get Any Sweeter Than This

2009-08-24T07:03:00.005-05:00

Before I headed out the door on my way to the grocery store, I asked anyone if there was anything else I needed to get.

Isaac came running (like always) and asked me to get him some candy. (like always)

This time I asked him "Isaac, why should I get you candy?"

Thoughtfully he answered...

"Well (pause) Because (pause) Well (pause) candy is just... (pause- puts on deep thinking, thoughtful face) like the best thing ever."

Proper Attire

2009-07-10T06:25:00.006-05:00

All 4 of my boys play soccer. Of the four, 3 of them are fanatics. Isaac is the boy who is the least interested in soccer. He plays, he likes it, he has fun. But, if the truth be told...it's all about the snacks. He endures the game for the treat at the end.

This week as he was preparing for one of his games Sam gave him some advice.

Sam: No, Isaac (said in an exasperated voice) you can't wear those shorts.

Isaac: (looking at the shorts he's had on all day, the khaki shorts with all the pockets that he probably has stuffed with lego guys and sticks) Why?

Sam: (again, exasperated) If you wear those shorts it looks like your mom and dad don't even care about soccer.

Apparently, Sam's idea of getting ready for a game is much different than Isaac's.

Standard Protocol

2009-07-06T03:09:00.004-05:00

We're operating under the Standard Puke Protocol effective...now.

Level two has been reached.

What? Yes, I know it's 3 am.

See, here, when someone is sick (of the vomit variety) we have certain steps we take to avoid...what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, disaster.

Hayden just brought little Isaac downstairs and informed me of the situation upstairs.

"Isaac puked."

Me, in a stupor, trying to wrap my brain around the Who, What, When and Why of the moment, then got the whole story.

Isaac was sleeping on the couch in Hayden's room and threw up all over it. I went upstairs to clean it up while he supervised Isaac in the bathroom.

"My room, why does this always happen in MY room?" Hayden asks.

Then he ponders... "I guess that's better than in theirs."

This winter, we did a bedroom swap.

Hailey moved downstairs, Griffin moved into his own room, Sam and Isaac had the bunkbeds set up in their room and Hayden stayed right where he was...has always been, pretty much with the exception of a few months trial, the room he has always been in, since he was 2.

About 3 days after that, the little boys started dragging their mattresses into Griffin's new alone bedroom. A few days after that, we just moved them all back in together and left the skeleton of the bunkbed standing in what now has become "the toy room".

But 3 boys in one bedroom makes for a tight fit, and Hayden was right, it would have been disaster to have this happen in there.

Taking into account how I felt last night, I considered it an epidemic making Standard Puke Protocol necessary. SPP involves getting everyone under the age of 12 downstairs and settled on sheet lined couches and chairs. We have only one bathroom and it is located here. Everyone else gets a puke bowl and a briefing.

It makes my life so much easier.

When, sometimes, mom's get together and swap parenting moments, I always win with this certain story...

I won't go into all the detail but let's say it involves two tiers of the bunkbed, (mattresses and frames) the window, the curtains and a under bed storage bin of Beanie Babies.

I'd love to hear yours!

Back to sleep with one ear open...

What Do Orange Juice and Chocolate Have In Common?

2009-06-29T06:37:00.002-05:00

When I'm at the grocery store, plowing along with my heaping overflowing cart, following my carefully detailed list, OJ and chocolate never seem important.

And then morning comes. I search for chocolate to eat while I drink my coffee. Just one tiny piece of something sweet...a cookie or perhaps a fun size Snickers...but certainly NOT a Tootsie Roll. The used to be considered "emergency chocolate" for me but now **blech** I'd go without before eating one, especially with my coffee! The kids don't even eat them. I think we still have some sitting on top of the fridge from Halloween.

Saturday, I baked Praline Bars with graham crackers, butter, brown sugar and pecans to satisfy my sweet tooth. Yesterday, I considered just spooning in some brown sugar into the kisser, but found a single, solitary, Hershey Kiss in a Christmas tin in the cupboard.

That's all it takes, just a tiny bit of sweetness to make my day.

I felt like kicking someone for not buying chocolate, but that would have been me, and I'm not quite fond of pain.

And then there's orange juice. Never, when I'm in the store do I consider buying OJ. It would take a special trip down an aisle I usually forgo. After I stack the 5 frozen Orv's pizza's in my cart, I skip right on over to the health food section completely skipping the ice cream, popcicle, frozen juice, and eventually soda aisles.

I shouldn't say "never". Sometimes I weigh the importance of getting out the the store as quickly as possible and my craving for juice. At this point in my escapade, I've just about had it. Already, visions of the total on the receipt are slapping me in the face, not to mention I've probably got a squeaky wheel on my cart, or worse yet, the one that sticks causing the whole contraption to veer left into oncoming traffic.

Getting outa there usually wins.

But then I make eggs for breakfast and agonize over not having purchased orange juice at the store. Then, breakfast would have been complete.

So, yesterday after church, home make egg mc muffins were on the menu. With no orange juice. I lamented about the situation...

and went to Wal-Mart to buy chocolate and orange juice.

In the candy aisle, I was frozen by the choices. Do I want Dove or Ghirardelli, Reece's or M&M's?

"Just close your eyes and grab" I told myself. " You won't care in the morning...as long as it's sweet, you'll be happy."

I know the chocolate will be there until I finish it off, the kids know they're not allowed to eat it without asking. The OJ, I'm not sure...I think it should be saved for breakfasts containing eggs, but some people in the house think it can be made whenever.

No one's up yet...I'm going to have breakfast!

We're About A Week In...

2009-06-09T06:44:00.000-05:00

Our summer soccer league has started. We've got a week under our belt and it feels just right.

The 4 boys all play 2 nights a week. Hailey hasn't played since 5th grade and that's okay with me, there is a lot of screaming at girl's games.

I love that it's what we do on summer evenings. The hardest part for me to get used to is getting everyone fed before we leave. Inevitably, no matter how much I plan, someone ends up needing/wanting to eat after we arrive home. I try, at all cost, to avoid that many meals in one day... so this year, I'm packing snacks, or will pack snacks once I get that organized. Healthy, cheap snacks like trail mix, popcorn, and carrots. I'd rather have them eat those at the park than dirty dishes at home and make me feel like I've got to plan for 4 meals a day, I don't meal plan well.

As it is, Matt joins us after work by calling my cell phone and asking "Where do I need to be?" Or like last night "I'm done, come and get me." He's hungry and needs nourishment as well.

But this post is not supposed to be about food, it's about soccer.

So anyway, the second hardest aspect about 8 soccer games in 4 days (not evenly distributed at 2 per night) is transportation. The 3 younger boys play on set nights, 2 on Monday/Wednesday and the other on Tuesday/Thursday this year, but in Hayden's age bracket their games are not scheduled for specific or consistent nights of the week. While the younger 2 play at the same parks each week (not both of them at the same park, but each separate boy at separate parks) the older 2 travel. Granted, the Green Bay area is not huge, but it can be a haul across town when there are time constraints. And high gas prices. It should help that Hailey can drive, but with only 2 of 4 of our vehicles working at the moment, having a 3rd driver isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I ~~live~~ love to plan, but even this gets tough. Like last night. Although we only had 2 games, one at 5:30 and one at 7, they were across town from each other and the 5:30 team had pictures scheduled for after, Matt was working late and my parents were out of town.

I ran several scenarios, and plan E (with visual) seemed to be perfect.

F-B 4:55-Me and the boys leave home (fed) to pick up Hailey from work in vehicle 1 (to be further noted as V1 for simplicity)

B-C Arrive for 5:30 game (G1 for simplicity) 15 minutes early (per coaches request) in V1.

C-D At 6:15 (or half-time) pile all (but player-duh) in V1, drive to Matt's work parking lot.

D-C Me, Sam and Isaac take Matt's van (to be further noted as V2 for simplicity) back to G1.
:::simultaneously:::
D-E Hailey and Hayden drive V1 to G2 (can you guess). On the way, stop at Mc D's for Hailey's supper.

C-E After G1 and pictures, me and 3 youngest head across town in V2 to G2.

E-D/D-E (round trip) Matt calls after work and someone picks him up from work to enjoy the last moments of G2. (V1 or V2. At this point it doesn't matter)

D-A Drive V1 and V2 home from G2.

Hard to believe that's easier than meal planning for me isn't it?

Anyway, this is post is not supposed to be about transportation, but about soccer.

While I still had Hailey (our newly appointed family photographer) at the G1 I had her document the scene.

It's been a very wet/cold season so far, but it does keep things fun and exciting. I mean, what boy doesn't love to play center forward AND play in the water at the same time!?!?!?!

Here's Griffin with the opening kick off.

Another nice size puddle on the sideline.

Fishing in the sandbox.
I love it!

Even when in the middle of V1/D-C Hailey calls me to tell me they have completed V2/D-E and upon arrival have been told by the Ground's Keeper that G2 (and all G's at that loation) have been canceled due to poor field conditions. (Wow, worse than G!?)

Plan F commences immediately:
V2- E-F
V1- C-F, F-D/D-F (round trip)

and everyone wanted to eat again when they got home.

*UHLK^%&KDJK(%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feed Me!

2009-05-29T10:17:00.002-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, (which also updates my Facebook status) you've already seen this unfold. If you don't follow me on Twitter,(or on Facebook) you're missing alot! Well, maybe that's relative, but in any case, this was pretty cool.

A mama robin constructed a nest in our shed and Matt took a camera (much like this one, maybe it is even this one, I can't keep up) and set it up so we could keep an eye on her and her eggs (now babies).

Meet Mrs. Robinson.

The camera feeds the signal to our TV of which I then take a picture. Not the best quality, but better than nothing. (which is what we'd see because we're not 10 feet tall)

Now meet Mrs. Robinson's eggs.

Oooo, look! They're hatching!

They're the fuzzy things in the middle.

They're HUNGRY!

They were so cute to watch the first couple of days, they're heads were so heavy they could not hold them in the upright "feed me" position for very long before they'd topple over.

They grew really fast and this is what they look like today.

I'm trying to get a little video of her feeding them but I keep running into technical difficulties. Like the power cord disappearing (!). Or technical difficulties like not being able to find my camera (!)

Yeah, he had taken it. Again.

Creativity

2009-05-27T11:55:00.004-05:00

When we started homeschooling 5 years ago, I packed away my sewing machine, my serger, my fabric stash, my patterns, and my notions. I had spent years sewing. Kids clothes, PJ's, cloth diapers, curtains, and other crafty things so my "notions" were numerous. With homeschooling my sewing room began morphing into a supply closet...Eventually, when Hailey decided to make that room her bedroom, everything got stuffed in the attic.

Last summer during our roofing and remodeling project Jack, the contractor, fell through the roof into that portion of the attic, the section that housed my maternity clothes and sewing stuff. I remember checking on things and nothing looked damaged, so I closed it up and went on with life.

Lately, it's been calling me. (I've been known to give my stuff personalities.)

Kari... Make something... Start something you can finish in a day... Kari... I know you can hear me...

So I succumbed. I created. I started out simple.

A pretty key fob to replace my plain old blue ribbon one.

That lead to a trip to the fabric store. That led to a stack of fat quarters. That led to a wallet (that I took apart-didn't like it). That led to the clearance isle...

Which led to this.
A new purse. free pattern here!

Which led to countless searches online for other (free) patterns, (in a folder labeled "new fabric obsession") which led me to write this post. (finally). There is a limited amount of creativity allowed at one time here.

It's That Time Of The Year Again

2009-05-09T05:31:00.001-05:00

At this same time every year, like clockwork, it happens. Just about the same time Brett Favre thinks about coming out of retirement, my little boys see dollar signs in the yard.

Funny, I always thought they were dandelions.

Shows you how much I know.

I stopped paying for flowers but instead upped the ante and only pay for roots. This makes the getting harder, it requires tools. But what boy doesn't love using tools to get the job done?

It takes a few days.

They poke...

They pull...

They sort...

They count...

They add up...

They plan...
They tell each other funny stories while they work...

They make memories for themselves...
And me.

40 Things

2009-05-08T05:00:00.001-05:00

I was born in La Crosse, WI
I've only lived in 6 different cities (not counting college) and I've been in this one since I was 13.
I never had a problem making friends.
Being "new and novel" was a lot easier for me than learning to maintain friendships.
All I ever really wanted to be was a wife and mother. Especially after I found out how long it would take to become a Veterinarian.
I don't remember a time in my life (before marriage) that we didn't have a dog.
I have personally only had cats as pets. Oh, and gerbils and fish...do they count?
I once owned a guppy that had 10 + babies every month or so! Her name was Big Momma.
I've flushed live guppies down the toilet.
I met Matt on a blind date the day after my 17th birthday.
I secretly wanted my wedding dress to be an exact replica of Princess Diana's.
Matt had an MRI the week before our wedding to rule out a brain tumor. It ended up just being Bell's Palsy.
I still have 1 plant from my wedding.
I don't have a problem organizing, I just find it ~~impossible~~ hard to maintain.
I'm not good at hard stuff. (See #'s 3-5 and 14)
I learned the hard way to wash your hands after applying Carmex and before removing your contacts.
I had 5 surgeries in the first 9 years of marriage.
I experienced unmedicated natural childbirth with all 5 of my kids.
The nurse I had for #5 had never seen a woman give birth without drugs.
Maybe I am good at hard stuff.
I learned to drive on a stick shift. Thanks for making me Dad!
I always believed it was necessary for my kids to take their test with a stick shift or they would never learn.
My kids will not learn how to drive with a stick, because we don't own one I would trust them with.
I've learned that changing my expectations mid-stream is okay once in a while.
I refill my own ink cartridges.
I am sometimes messy with my ink cartridges.
I am fiercely loyal.
The 1st real computer I ever owned was a Mac.
I am a die hard Mac fan.
I am also a die hard Packer fan.
I am a die hard Brett Favre fan.
If Brett signs with the Vikings next season I will cheer for him over the Packers.
My favorite seasons in order are: Summer, late Spring, early Fall, Winter, late Fall, early Spring.
My skin used to burn, peel and then start over again until I was pregnant with Griffin. Now I tan and rarely burn.
My eyes change color depending on what I wear.
I used to love blue mascara.
I fantasize about selling everything I own, buying land in the country and living on the bus full time. Well, not everything, I'd have to keep our books to do school. And not full time, it'd get awfully cramped in the winter. It couldn't be too far in the country because trips into town would cost way too much.
I am very practical.
I don't have time for fantasies.
I'm 40 today!!!!!!!

You'll Never Look At Laundry The Same Again

2009-05-05T20:34:00.003-05:00

I used to keep a journal. E-mails I had written, writing assignments I had completed or just random thoughts that needed to get out. On my computer. That I never backed up.

Recently, in case you hadn't heard, I had a catastrophic event involving my hard drive. Today, a friend e-mailed me a copy of something I sent to her 5 years ago.

It's a good thing someone keeps better records than I. Thanks Kelly!

Dated Tuesday, April 27th, 2004

Hi all,

I've been invited by a marketing firm to join a focus group about clothes. I was given the following homework assignment...If clothes could talk, what would they say. I chewed on it for awhile and this is what I came up with.

The other day when the house was quiet (as it usually is at 4am) I heard voices coming from the laundry room. My interest was peaked, but as the mother of 5, I wasn't at at all surprised at what I saw when I opened the door...the lights were on, there was laundry scattered throughout the room, and partially sorted piles of white and darks laid like puddles on the floor.

Interestingly enough, a load of sweat clothes dangled from the edges of the folding table.

As far as the noise, it must've been my imagination, everyone was asleep and the cats had been giving me the silent treatment for years.

Warily, I closed the door thinking it was much too early to start the day. Just as the door clicked behind me, I heard the voices again. It wasn't my imagination, I distinctly heard a loud clear voice proclaim "Last call!"

I opened the door a crack to peek inside just as my bathrobe lifted high a bottle and toasted. "That was a close one fellas!" with that she squirted what was left of the pre-treater onto the play clothes now lined belly up to the table.

A pile of work clothes waved and said goodbye, mumbling something about having to get up early the next day. A posse of Hailey's school cothes giggled and skipped in to the laundry bin, but Sammy's clothes remained, looking tired and worn out.

"What a day", sighed the Old Navy sweatpants to my bathrobe, "hit me again". Bathrobe reached for the detergent and poured Old Navy a shot.

"I don't remember it being this muddy in the springtime." I heard the Garanimals whine.

"Did you see the beating we took when Sam tripped on the playground?" asked the Carters sweatpants. "If it weren't for our roomy fit and reinforced knees, we'd have split at the seams!"

"Did you see how many matchbox cars I carried in my pocket today?" boasted the Oshkosh B'Gosh hoodie.

"Yeah," sympathized the socks "we thought we were the only ones who had to endure having things stuffed inside us. At least you didn't have to eat in the sandbox today when Sam decided to wander out without shoes. Good think we can be bleached to make us presentable again.

"Ya know, that Mom of his sure does put us through the wringer time and time again, and as painful as it is, we always come out looking ready for action."

"That's why she bought us." Explained the wise old hand-me-down Levi's as he hoisted himself up. Every fiber of his being creaked and crackled as he laid down next to the hamper... not having the energy to go any further.

"Better be going guys, she'll be up soon." Commanded Bathrobe as she tidied up the shelf behind her. By the time she turned around every single piece of clothing had fallen asleep on the spot.

Just like Sam, I though, play hard, sleep hard.

Bathrobe silently and gently scooped up the sleeping sweats and carried them to the hamper, tucked them inside, kissed them and stood silently over them for just a moment.

I had to pull myself away as sounds of a hungry baby were emanating from upstairs. I fell asleep while feeding Isaac and when I awoke I wondered if it had all been a dream. I hurried back to the laundry room which was once again in order with no hint of what I had witnessed earlier. My bathrobe was folded neatly on top of the washer and the lights were out.

As I went through my day, I thought about what had happened and convinced myself it was a dream...

After lunch, while the kids napped. I returned to the laundry room, carefully lifted the dirty clothes and placed them in the washer. I switched the machine to the gentle cycle and added just a touch more fabric softener...for the Levi's I told myself...just in case.

Prom 2009

2009-05-03T11:03:00.007-05:00

Hailey and Hayden attended the prom on Friday and had a wonderful time. In keeping with tradition, Hailey spent a lot of time during the week and the whole day on Friday preparing with friends and Hayden and I went shopping the morning of to get him a new shirt, a tie and a pair of dress shoes. Hayden is a one stop, practical shopper. Sears...in and out in less than 15 minutes.

Hailey and her friend Megan put together this slideshow on Saturday morning. When you get to the end...the pictures of me trying to get all the bobby pins out of her hair...notice the clock...Midnight. I never stay up that late. Especially when I've been awake since 4am.

Oh, the music? Drives me crazy too.

Someone Around Here Knows What He's Doing

2009-05-01T04:50:00.004-05:00

Parenthood is tough. Sometimes when I feel conquered, whipped and mentally drained, I admittedly cry out to God, "Why have you given me these children?"

It's typically when I'm in the shower. Cuz that's the place I go to hide, no one follows me and I have a few minutes to think. Usually. Seeing that we only have one bathroom, there normally are one or two interruptions, but since everyone enjoys privacy in the bathroom we usually don't converse during these intrusions.

But I digress...

"God, why have you given me these children? Not the actual physical beings of the children, those I prayed for. It's their dispositions, their temperaments, their propensities that I find so hard to mold, teach and sometimes, since I'm being honest...endure."

And then God humbles me and answers in just the way I need to hear, "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." These words I hear from God often, when will I get it? He continues, "These children, as you so lovingly referred to them just now, are my children that have been hand picked for you to raise and care for. I don't make mistakes. Because of their dispositions, because of their temperaments and because of their propensities I gave them to you to mold and to teach. Because of your disposition, because of your temperament and because of your propensities they are a perfect fit."

And He's right...go figure... Imagine what your child would become if they were raised by someone else. Their weaknesses that are your strengths would never be boosted, your weaknesses that are their strengths would never be challenged.

Imagine your children even in a different order. I know that our #4 would not have been a good fit as an only or even a 1st. And if #2 would have been #1, we may not have ever had more! #3 has the perfect demeanor to handle middledom. #5 takes the stress away from #4 and so on. It's not Russian roulette, it's not random chance, there is a plan! God does not make mistakes! Even in the things we perceive as diminutive details.

I'm so glad someone around here knows what He's doing and so patiently reminds me, time and time again, in the way I need to hear.

"Now get out of the shower, you're wasting water."

Still Torturing Myself

2009-04-28T08:36:00.008-05:00

*****Update at bottom*******

Back in December of 2005 I made a backup CD of my desktop. I just found it in a stack of CD's on the side of my desk.

Yes, this is still the on my mind. Daily I am reminded and lament about my lost pictures, scheming, plotting, scrounging for ideas about how to retrieve them. I'm obsessed, no, haunted by the thought. Because they are not gone, they are just momentarily inaccessible. Which makes it even more difficult for me to move on.

Unfortunately, the files on the CD were the ones I was 90% glad that were gone. Early homeschooling downloads, planning forms, etc... Things that I spent so much time on that I couldn't justify just throwing them in the trash. But yet, things that were not of much use anymore.

Except my tax returns, I am now reminded that I no longer have copies of my tax forms from the last 4 years. Sigh.

But, at least it's MY choice now on whether or not I want to bring them back onto my hard drive.

On a brighter note, I ordered a new operating system and it's due to arrive sometime this week! It has a built in back up program which I will be taking FULL advantage of.

********UPDATE********

Upon further inspection of the piles of stuff on the side of my desk I found 10 discs full of pictures!!!!!! I used to back up, I remember now...

Signage

2009-04-20T14:03:00.003-05:00

How can you tell that you've tutored too many teens with their temps. ?

When you tell them that this sign means...

"Watch for Mom's pushing children into the street"

Aftermath

2009-04-18T11:20:00.005-05:00

Since the crash of our beloved hard drive (which I have been referring to BHDC - before hard drive crash), I've been feeling sorry for myself. Moping around, focusing all my creative energy into rebuilding what we had lost. (re-) Finding websites and widgets we used daily, racking my brain trying to remember what it was that my computer did automatically each day, scrounging for things to sell to finance our external hard drive purchase, and of course crying over my lost pictures.

Well, maybe I haven't been that pathetic.

I have realized though, that a big chunk of what is now gone had actually been a burden to me. Even though they didn't take up space like the clutter on my cupboards, the files containing e-books, digital media, lesson plans... were always there, taunting me, tempting me, mocking my ability to use them now or put them in the trash. The someday I saved them for would probably never have come anyway. So, now they're gone, and I am breathing freely most of the time.

The blank slate that used to contain too much, now contains only the necessities and I sort of like it.

I do wish I had my pictures though.

Maybe I am that pathetic.

If you'd like to share my neuroses with your readers, grab my button, it'll be like group therapy.

I Wonder If This Is What Happened

2009-04-02T05:44:00.000-05:00

Karen over at The Adventures of Karen posted a video similar to this...It got us thinking...

Is this what happened to our computer?

It made my day!

10 Words For Today

2009-04-01T05:31:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the words are there but the sentences just don't come.

Sometimes a story needs to be told even if I can't form a complete thought.

Some days are like that.

10 words for today:

4 words: not.a.good.day
3 words: hard.drive.crash
2 words: lost.alot
1 word: sigh

I just can't seem to stop there though.

4 words: grateful.for.extra.computer
3 words: lost.my.bookmarks
2 words: forgot.passwords
1 word: frustrating

4 words: not.life.or.death
3 words: but.still.upsetting
2 words: work.lost
1 word: forever

4 words: purchase.external.hard.drive
3 words: back.up.regularly
2 words: PDF's.movies...
1 word: EVERYTHING!

The End.

Monday Is Mean

2009-03-31T09:54:00.005-05:00

I joined twitter.

Mainly to follow MckMama and their struggle with little Stellan's stubborn heart.

But then, I thought it would be fun to Twitter a little myself. I installed a Twidget even. All in fun right?

So yesterday my Tweet read:

It's Monday...Bring it on!

What I didn't know then is that Monday was listening and decided to put me to the test.

My Tweet today reads:

Monday, I'm sorry...Please resurrect my mac.

Some People Have ALL The Answers

2009-03-23T12:32:00.004-05:00

(Click to enlarge)

We have a winner! Sandy states in her comment:

They are in order from Caboose to engine. Kari, row 4; Hailey, row 6
; Kris, row 8; Ryland row 11; and Keaton, row 14. Keep in mind that is Caboose to engine order. All are seated on the right hand side of the train as you look at the picture.

Yay Sandy! You win a $25 Wal-Mart gift card. Watch for it in you mailbox!

I also circled my dad who's is blocked by this guys head, but he's in the front seat.

Also (Sandy's on a roll) she correctly guessed the line "Careful! The yellow ones don't stop" was spoken by Buddy in the movie "Elf". She doesn't win anything for that, but I'm still happy for her. Maybe I'll stick a little something extra in the envelope when I mail her the gift card.

Thanks for hanging out here!

Disney - Day Five

2009-03-21T06:22:00.003-05:00

Friday, February 20

The day I dreaded had finally come. The day of departure. I always prefer the vacations that you're ready to leave from...a long weekend in the woods...a week at the beach...a week at the cabin...but a week at Disney...it's not enough.

I think maybe 3 weeks oughta do it...maybe.

So, we packed up and headed out of the campground (but not before catching a lizard), parked in the lot and caught a bus for Downtown Disney ...

and ~~Heaven~~ the Lego Store.

Where one head,

One body,

and 2 accessories

make a guy.

3 guys

in a plastic box on a lanyard for $9.99.

x 6 boys = a long time in the Lego store.

I probably could have made this many in the same time frame. 4,488 we were told.

We still had a few hours, so back to the the Magic Kingdom it was.

Careful!

The yellow ones...

don't stop!

Name that movie...

We did this EVERYTIME we crossed a street but didn't catch it on film until today.

We wandered through the Magic Kingdom one more time, experienced It's a Small World and then set our sites on home.

The sun was setting on our vacation and, no kidding, I shed a tear as our boat pulled away from the dock that last time.

It was a long haul but worth every sacrifice we made to get there.

The memories...

The magic...

The mouse ears... will stay with us forever.

Disney - Day Four

2009-03-17T05:44:00.000-05:00

Thursday, February 19th

If I ever return to Disney, I'm going to the Magic Kingdom first. It's what I remember from my visits as a child. Riding the boat from the campground...The monorail...the Magic...it's here.

It was the warmest day so far. But rain was in the forecast. I was prepared.

And after the rain...Ice Cream!

Another wonderful day.
And night. We watched the fireworks from the beach after the boat ride home.

Twice In As Many Days

2009-03-16T04:39:00.003-05:00

When I was a young mom I used to pride myself in my children's behavior. I would often catch myself thinking... "My kids never did that" or I'd scoff at "That family" or "That kid". Not out loud, but God heard me.

Many years ago, when our brood only consisted of 3 offspring, we had a change in our insurance plan. We had to find a new family physician. Being the multi-tasker that I am, I decided to take the whole crew at the same time for our initial "entrance exam". After a quick go-over of all the kids, ages 3, 8 &9 the new doctor asked me if I had any special concerns...behavior problems, oddities, or such that I would like to discuss.

Honestly, I told him... No, we were good, nothing yet had come up that I couldn't explain or solve...

He looked at me surprised and said "Really? You'd better stop at 3 then."

A few weeks later, we found out I was pregnant with Sam.

Children are God's way of humbling the proud parent. I got the message and ate the words I had spoken in the past.

Then, along came Isaac. In the midst of my difficulties with Sam, Isaac came along and was like a breath of fresh air. I had forgotten that little children sing, dance, goof off, and sniff everything...

Wait

What?

Sniff everything? Yes, Isaac is a Sniffer.

He smells his food before he eats it, he smells his clothes before he dresses, he'll walk you you and "cop a sniff" as he passes, He'll cuddle up with you while you're wearing a borrowed shirt from your mom and he'll say, "You smell like Grandma."... a Sniffer.

This would explain Fridays incident...

He filled an empty pen housing with water and perfume from Hailey's room and was offering a sniff to everyone in the house, when he came to me with the end cap stuck in his nose, I wasn't surprised...startled, but not surprised.

I've never had a kid do that before.

But...the lego yesterday? What's up with that?

Disney - Day Three

2009-03-13T08:10:00.006-05:00

Wednesday, February 18

Epcot.

There is really only one thing I want to say about this day...

Even though the dancing fountains were neat...

The rides and attractions were fun...

Epcot is as magical as every other land in the Magic Kingdom...

AND...It's the only place...

We've ever seen...

Matt's favorite character...

I haven't seen him smile...
This much since...
Our honeymoon, 19 years ago!

Disney - Day Two

2009-03-11T04:50:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, February 17th

The most difficult feat in today's post about our 2nd day at Disney centers around the number of pictures we took that day. 776. Paring them down to a respectable amount while still being able to tell the story I want to tell was crucial.

My brother, his wife and their 2 boys had been staying with my parents in their 5th wheel for the last week so we kept Kris's boys one more night with us on the bus. My sister, I felt, should at least be able to sleep on something more comfortable than an air matress, so we insisted she stay with them on their couch.

The day before was our only overlapping day with my brother, but regrettably, we didn't get to spend any time with them. We did snap a picture of ALL the grandkids before they left. Hailey is holding Nathan and Christopher is in the front. Feel free to refer to Disney - Day One if a refresher course is needed for names and faces...or not, I don't want to be bossy.
Our objective for the day was to see as much of the Animal Kingdom as possible. I had never been here and I was a little concerned about missing something good. Our strategy was to get in the park and go left, always left, against the flow of traffic, hoping to avoid long lines and in the process give me a little peace. I love a structured vacation but with so many of us together I had agreed before hand (with my very laid back sister - thank you!) that I would chill out. I wanted to avoid willy nilly time wasting by weaving in and out and across the park, so we devised this plan to keep us all sane. Go left and see what we want to see then, move on.

Our first stop was the Lion King show. It was the highlight for many that day.
All the boys loved the fire dancer of course...
And I was partial to the monkeys...

Matthew Hunt...if what you plan for the future doesn't pan out, this would be the perfect job for you!!!

My mom, always the thinker, found 6 of these hats on a clearance rack and bought them for the youngest boys. Much easier to keep track of 6 blue hats than 6 bouncy heads.

The focal point of the Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life. It's absolutely amazing...

If you've seen it, bear with me as I explain.

The entire outside is carved with creatures. Like an enormous "hidden picture" . Can you see the lion on the left and the owl on the right? And the horse above the lion?

(As always, click on the picture to enlarge)

At many points, as we weaved our way through the show line that meandered through the tree, we found ourselves holding up traffic.
The animals on the Kilimanjaro Safari were out in rare form for us! I had heard sometimes, the truck doesn't encounter any on the ride. These rhino's were right by the road.

As well as the elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, crocodiles, hippos, and so many more. It truly was a magical day.

Kris wore her pedometer that day and registered 21,000 steps.

Some of the sites we found spectacular as we plowed through the park.

We figured out that some of the more popular rides had a "single rider" line that was considerably shorter than waiting without a fast pass. 5 of us got on this one train, The first person (who wasn't there!) to find and identify which 5, and where we are will get a prize for that (and for sticking with me to the end of this incredibly long post!)

(As always, click on the picture to enlarge)

Disney - Day One

2009-03-09T05:46:00.011-05:00

Monday, February 16th

So we awoke from our last night on the road, in the Denny's parking lot, dedicated to reaching our target...Fort Wilderness Campground.

After potty-ing and caffeinating at the McDonalds (where we found out there had been some sort of fire in the area which knocked out the power during the night) we headed out to Interstate 4 and were able to make our way without getting lost. (FYI- There's lots of signs...)

We got to see my sister's rear end for awhile. Even though this is not a really clear picture, you can see the evidence of our only driving mishap on her driver's side rear bumper/fender. She backed into a tree at the campground...with her nearly new truck...and put a hole in it...

We met my dad at the registration building and he gave us directions to their site. We were very happy to see another skoolie ahead of us in line! We had one pass us on the trip down, so that made the count at 2.
I wondered who's it was as I stood in line... I never did find out.

My parents had a grapefruit tree at their place!
We took a group shot before heading out to MGM. This is the mass we had to keep track of the entire trip. 13. I'd get a visual on my 3 littlest starting with Isaac (voted most likely to wander), then my sister's 3, the 2 TTU's (taller than us's) would be next (Hailey and Hayden), followed by finding my dad's bright green "vacation hat". Matt, Kris and my mom would constantly do the same thing and we'd verbally report our findings upon request.

Our formation for the week usually consisted of Grandpa in the lead with a few little navigators in tow and Hayden bringing up the rear making sure no one lagged behind. Everyone else was somewhere in the middle...and sometimes that "in the middle" was expansive.

Our first wait at the bus-stop. Grandpa and Grandma with the gang.
We rode the bus 8 times that day...
It was exhausting.
First and foremost for the day was the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! Have I mentioned Isaac wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up?
The rest of the day is a blur...really...there was a lot of walking, waiting, riding, snacking...

I'll leave you with a few of my favorite photos from Monday at MGM. Feel free to refer back to the labeled picture above to identify our cast of characters.

Contaminated

2009-03-07T10:13:00.003-06:00

Did you know that you can contract poison ivy by digging out and wearing a pair of socks from the bottom of the sock bin that had apparently been in contact with the plant some time last fall? Even after a washing? Good thing it wasn't my highly sensitive one who wore them...

And good thing it wasn't me.

Hamartia

2009-03-05T05:42:00.005-06:00

Way back, before the emergence of digital cameras...Way back when you to processed your film and received prints...Way back, when pictures were actually things you held in your hand...Way back when you turned them over, wrote names and dates on them...Way back, before archival ink and acid free paper were ever spoken of...Way back when you meticulously placed one set (in chronological order-even the bad ones) in a photo album BEFORE you'd even THINK of letting anyone touch them...Way back when I had time to be anal about my pictures...

What am I talking about? I'm still anal about my photos, I just have iPhoto now that takes care of it for me. Everything neat and tidy and in order...by date and time (Even the bad ones).

When someone gives me actual paper pictures, I scan them...date them appropriately...settle them into their new electronic cocoon and make sure they play nice with their neighbors. What happens to them after that, I am not responsible...I've seen them under my bed, behind the washer, I even found one wedged between the fridge and cupboard. This shouldn't surprise you.

When someone gives me their digital pictures I do the same...Download, settle, assimilate.

No problem...

As long as the date and time are correctly entered in the camera.

With small batches, this hamartia is easily mended.

But say if...Hailey, our family photographer, who took hundreds of pictures at Disney, failed to properly set her brand spankin' new Nikon D60 to the proper time...well, that would be a major problem.

Intertwixt with the pictures from my camera, her "old" camera, my mom's camera and my sisters camera...her out of order photos make for interesting viewing (when trying to remember what happened EACH day).

I absolutely cannot post about Disney until this fracas is rectified. That shouldn't surprise you.

Socialization Tuesday

2009-03-04T05:55:00.003-06:00

My friend Deb introduced me to "Socialization Tuesday". It was born in response to the inevitable "What about socialization?" question every homeschooling mom encounters.

Honestly, for those of you who don't really know, homeschoolers, at least in our area, have an over abundance of socialization options... It just doesn't happen at the same time they're trying to grasp a new math idea or diagram a sentence. Socialization opportunities are also not limited to same age relationships. Families go to the park (especially fun during the school year when it is empty!), organize field trips, or just hang out at friends houses. But I digress...

Socialization Tuesday came about when she decided her kids needed to touch on the other side of socialization. She'd steal food off their plates at lunch time, turn a kid upside down to see if any money fell out of their pockets, give nuggies and threaten swirlies for insubordination. All in fun of course, so much so that she has recently had to repeal the notion and forbid such behaviors due to nothing else getting accomplished on Tuesdays...

We've been dabbling with it at our house as well, especially the little ones. How cool is it to unmercifully tease your brother who's 9 years older than you and NOT get in trouble?!?

When yesterday, I heard myself saying this, I knew I'd have to put the cabosh on the practice as well.

"It is never OK to poke someone in the butt"

The look on their faces told me more explanation was in order...

"I don't care that it's Tuesday!"

More on our Disney trip to come...

To Orlando And Beyond...

2009-02-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

Sunday, Friday 15th

Jim from the RV park and I had talked several times before we actually met. Our travel arrangements were odd he agreed, but yes, he could fit us all in one site. "I'll have to charge you for all those extra people though." That was the deal. Oh, and if we were going to arrive after 6:30pm to just give him a call and he'd tell us our site number. We could settle up on Sunday morning if I could just stop by the office before he left for church.

That we did.

He didn't charge us for everyone though, "I'll just pretend you have 7."

"Checkout time is 11am but I don't start shootin' until 3."

We showered, played outside, ate hot food and shopped. I had heard that once you cross the state line into Florida all the prices increase. We found Wal Mart and Sam's Club (Lola, Kris's navigation system, was no help. This was strike 1 for Lola...) and stocked up on food for the week in Orlando. We left the RV park very close to 3pm. No sight of Jim with a sniper rifle.

I had planned on using this time (with internet at the campground) to get specific directions to the Wal-Mart in Orlando where we would be boondocking but I forgot. The plan was to get as close to Disney on Sunday as possible. Our reservations at Fort Wilderness Campground were for Monday and we wanted to arrive as early as possible.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term "boondocking", let me explain... Boondocking, or dry camping, is nothing new, usually used in reference to camping in out of the way places or off the beaten path. Recently, it has taken on a new meaning for RVers. Sam Walton was rumored to be an avid camper and family man and often encouraged RVer's to use his lots for overnight stops. Marketing brilliance on his part. Happy campers spend money in the store...Since his death policies have changed for Wal-Mart and not all of them allow parking overnight. Some due to city ordinances, some just because they don't want the hassle.

Every year there are rumors that it will no longer be legal but every year RVers boondock without incident. Mostly, campgrounds and RV parks spread these untruths because they fear the loss of business. There are also a certain set of unwritten rules to be followed, much like salvage yard etiquette.

There are lists of "no parking" Wal-Marts and lists of ones who happily welcome them freely on the web. I had printed off the "no parking" Wal mart list just in case we needed it but was going to nail down a specific location from Georgia. ( I ran out of planning steam and time before we left home!) I knew my mom had a copy so I called her (She was already in Disney with my brother and his family) and got a few addresses.

Strike 2 for Lola occurred on Highway 4 in Orlando when her directions were unclear and Kris's car and our bus got separated. Our walkie talkies were not within range and I didn't have Kris's cell phone number, but she had ours, so we drove around looking for the Wal-Mart on our own. (Orlando is really a hoppin' place, even at 8:30 on a Sunday night!) "We" stopped and asked directions at a gas station. (Who went in to ask? I'll give you one guess) and found that we were not far off track.

Enroute I got a call from Kris, Lola had redeemed herself and led my sister to the proper place. Even though it was not listed on the restricted list it had "No Overnight Parking" signs all over the lot. I didn't tell Matt yet, he was in no mood to deal with that little tidbit. I thought we should get there first and talk about it later.

No more than 2 minutes after we arrived in the lot next to Kris's car a security vehicle pulled up along side of us. My window was open and I called out to her that we would not be staying here. I received a blank stare...maybe she couldn't tell my window was open...I said it again. Nothing. Matt waved at her, she rolled her eyes and drove away.

Tension was rising, we were tired and no one was used to lapses in my planning. Up to this point, EVERYTHING was planned out. Where we would stay...what we would eat... and it had all worked out. I don't think quickly on my feet (except sometimes) so in order for me to feel secure, I like to have a plan. This particular Wal-Mart was located in a mini mall and there were RVs and a few semi's parked in the out lot. We nestled into a spot between Denny's and McDonalds among the other drivers and just to be sure, I went into Denny's and asked the manager about the parking situation. He told me "They'll kick your butt out of their lot, but you can park in mine." I wanted to hug him and told him as much.

We put the bus into sleep mode and settled in for the night. At 2 am I was awakened by a strange sound and looked out the window just in time to see all the lights in the entire block go out. Very creepy. Very Dark. Sirens in the distance. Alarms in the stores. Very tired. Very sleepy...

Tomorrow...Disney!

There were a few white knuckle moments while driving down but all in all, it was a pleasant and easy trip. The bus tended to "lean" to the right, so I constantly felt like I was fighting to stay in my lane. This wasn't a problem for most of the trip, but when we hit construction...in the rain... with 12 inches between the bus and the barrier... and semi's passing on the left...I felt like I could cry.

Matt didn't seem to have a problem keeping the speed consistent but I did. I think maybe it was the position of my foot on the peddle. I got better as the miles wore on but my leg ached from the constant pressure.

We averaged between 8-10 MPG depending on speed which ranged from 55-65 (20-28 RPM).

Travel log:
Valdosta, Georgia to Orlando, Florida
Highway 75 to Florida Turnpike to Highway 4
260 miles
5 hours

Trip South Totals:
1475 Miles
32.5 hours (including potty stops and breaks but not sleeping time)

Knoxville to Valdosta, Georgia

2009-02-27T06:00:00.001-06:00

At some point Friday night/Saturday morning, it started to rain. I could hear it before I was awake and my groggy brain went through the "camping in the rain checklist". (deja vu?)

What's outside that needs to come in?
Who's going to get soaked?
DON'T TOUCH THE SIDES!

Then I remembered...I have a bus. And I fell soundly back to sleep.

Saturday, February 14

Hailey's 17th birthday.
Sleeping in a Flying J truck stop in Knoxville.
Dry.

We slept late and took our time in the morning, here you can see the bunk board (or " 'cross the bed" as the kids like to call it) in action.

the boys played cards (full contact of course)

We hooked up the computer, paid for a days worth of WiFi and took turns checking our stuff.

Made eggs and toast for breakfast with my sisters cool machine and got on our way about 10:30 am

I must say, the road conditions in Kentucky were pretty bumpy...we lost a piece of interior molding on one particularly bad stretch and decided that we'd definitely have to make room for a spare tire somewhere before the next trip.

Driving through Altanta was OK. With my sister driving behind us acting as Wing Man, lane changes and traffic weaving were not so bad.

The boys thought this was a very inappropriate place for Power Ups. (Too many video games perhaps?)

Traditionally for us, vacations involve a mad dash to "just get there", but due to an unexpected day off (after our Disney tickets were purchased) we had extra time...4 days to get there. After doing some research, I found a state park in Georgia that I knew would appeal to the masses but I just couldn't make it work for a over-night stopping place. So, get this...we just stopped there anyway.

Had dinner and toured the falls.

...Pay no attention to the fact that this boy has been wearing the same thing for the last 3 days...

These were everywhere, we had never seen them and the kids thought they were the coolest thing.
We packed back in our vehicles and were on our way once again...destination: River Park RV Park in Valdosta, Georgia. 18 miles from the border. Showers. Hot food. Internet.

Arrived 9 pm

Travel log:
Knoxville, Tennessee to Valdosta, Georgia
HIghway 75
430 miles
10 hours

Lowell To Knoxville (or 40 Hours Straight Without A Nap-Part 2)

2009-02-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

Friday, February 13th

"My eye is 99.9% better than yesterday" Kris says as she explains how she received a chemical burn during her Wednesday hair appointment. Her husband, Dan, was unable to get time off to join us on our Disney trek, but felt confident letting her caravan with us as long as Matgyvr would agree to take care of anything that malfunctioned along the way. Have I told you that Matt can fix anything?

We got underway by 7 am.

This is what she saw for the next 3 days.

Well, that, and this...(left to right) Keaton, Kieran and Ryland

Traveling with Matt is very laid back. He never dodges an opportunity to stop for potty breaks, snacks or cousining. And when traveling with 8 kids, (7 of them boys) that's a good thing. We brought the walkie talkies to communicate those needs to each other.

My sister had her 3 boys during the same 4 years I had my last 3. When they get together, all we do is count heads, distinguishing faces is nearly impossible.

This also gave him to chance to make sure everything was up to snuff with the bus.
We started to notice a lot of Bus Kote on the school buses in Kentucky. We got a little science mixed in when we talked about the why's of potholes and geography while they followed along in their own atlas's.
We took turns driving. I navigated using Along I-75 while Matt drove (Amazing book, by the way! I wish he wrote them for ALL the interstates in the US - I'd buy them! Makes the time fly.) and he slept while I drove. By evening, I was exhausted and getting pretty punchy. I kept forgetting to push the button on the walkie talkie when talking to Kris.

We arrived at our resting spot in Knoxville without incident in the mountains around 7 pm, put the bus in "sleep mode" and crashed at 9 pm.

In order to accommodate all 11 of us, Matt fashioned a carpeted piece of plywood to fit between the 2 bottom bunks creating a king size space for an air mattress. It slips under the regular mattress when not in use and doubled as a table (set on collapsible saw horses and covered with a tablecloth) when we arrived at the campground in Disney. It was a tight fit, but cozy and warm (and better than sleeping in a car!)

Travel log:
Lowell, Indiana to Knoxville Tennesee
Highways 65, 64 and 75
516 miles
12 hours

What's Worse?

2009-02-22T21:41:00.002-06:00

...Not having internet while on vacation?

Or

...Thinking you'd have internet while on vacation but not actually having it?

I know my answer.

40 Hours Straight With A 2 Hour Nap (part 1)

2009-02-14T06:27:00.005-06:00

Fact: You have to brush your teeth after 24 hours even if you haven't slept.

We got a little bit of a late start on Thursday. At 7 pm as Matt was securing the extension cord under the bus, the last job before we were to pull out, he snapped the brake line.

After the ^@#*&()!!!!!!!!! feeling passed and we were able to think clearly we realized what a blessing it was...at home, with all his tools, knowing where the stores are, NOT MOVING!... Matt said it just snapped when he bumped it, it was that brittle. A few hours and a few trips to the store and we were all set once again. Have I told you how much I love that Matt can fix anything? Have I also told you how nervous he was about driving through the mountains in Tennessee anyway?

Thursday, February 12th 10:15 PM
Our plan was to drive through Chicago as late as we could as we have not had a lot of practice driving the bus in heavy traffic. Matt started the trip to make sure the brakes were working properly then we switched and I got to drive through Milwaukee. We stitched positions again before Chicago.

The other advantage of our little brake mishap was that there was hardly another soul on the road with us in the wee hours. We sailed right through to our first scheduled stopping place and arrived at 3:45 am.

Travel log:
Green Bay to Lowell, Indiana
Highways 43 to 94 to 65
268 miles
5.5 hours

Friday, February 13th 5:30 am (Exactly on time)
My sister, Kris and her boys arrived at our meeting place. That was the downside of our little brake mishap, 3 fewer hours of sleep than we anticipated.

I greeted her with a hug and a short explanation of our situation. She had a mishap of her own to share. The conversation went like this:

(whispering)
Hi! We have new brakes!
Hi! I have a corneal abrasion!

We went inside the "Flying J" to catch up and let rest have a little more sleep before we headed out as a caravan.

(to be continued)

Last Call!

2009-02-12T09:02:00.005-06:00

That's the cry here at our house.

Last load of laundry. Last sweep of the house for useful travel items. Last look at snow for a week and a half. Last cuddle from the kitties. Last call for bus tweaks.

We've done a lot to the bus in the last few weeks that I haven't chronicled. We'll have lots of pictures of us on the bus as we wend our way south, so I'll mention them as we go.

On a side note, Griffin got a nasty sliver two weeks ago. I thought he was being a little over dramatic as he writhed in pain while I was tending to his foot. (But there was still that small voice that told me there might be something more to it...Momsenses?) 2 days later we we're pleased when a puss bubble caused a small sliver to come out. Thinking that was the end of it, because I could see absolutely nothing more, we moved on with our lives. He stopped complaining and I stopped checking his foot each day for signs of infection.

Today, as he finished his last shower, he called me in to see what was under his band aid. This is what was still in there. It must have been straight in. YUCK

He's now tied for 1st place in the ongoing "Best Sliver" contest.

We saved it in a baggie for Matt to see when he gets home. Wouldn't you?

Bicycles, Birds, Bermudas, and the Bus

2009-02-07T06:38:00.005-06:00

It was above freezing yesterday for the first time in months.

It felt balmy. My thermometer read 39 degrees.

Unbelievably, I witnessed people on bicycles and people wearing shorts. But I also heard birds singing.

That's what I've been missing...bird songs. The groundhog is wrong I just know it. Spring is just around the corner.

Our snow is melting which is good and bad. Good because I'm sick of it. Good because the ice path on the driveway is finally melted making the trek to the back door a little less treacherous.

Bad because we've been using it as a ramp at the base of the driveway. Normally to get the bus out of the driveway we need to cut across the boulevard so the bottom doesn't scrape on the ground but with all that packed snow there, the bus just glides out. Our apron is so steep, and our road so bowed that even my van scrapes if I back out straight.

Bad because, even though the ice/snow at the base of the driveway is melting, the 4 foot banks on the boulevard are not. Which means, until we chop our way through 2 months of road remnants and ice chunks, we're snowed in. And the bus is scheduled to leave for Disney in 5 days.

I know what the boys will be doing today!

If it hits 42, like the forecast says, I might even go out there, in my shorts, to listen to the birds and catch some rays while hacking away with my pick axe.

I Might Be On To Something

2009-02-01T06:32:00.004-06:00

I love patterns, I love numbers, I love manipulating numbers and things into patterns. I love symmetry. I love palindromes. I love rhythm.

I love that growing up I had:
1 Grandma
1 Grandpa
1 Aunt
1 Uncle
1 Mom
1 Dad
1 Brother
1 Sister

I have:
1 Husband
and for the first 4.5 years of parenthood, I had 1 daughter and 1 son.

The kids birthdays are in order by months except for one small 18 day slip in August.
#1 Febuary
#2 May
#3 September
#4 August
#5 November

What I'm not loving so much is:
1 Bathroom
Which means:
1 Toilet
1 Sink
1 Bathtub

We deal with our circumstances pretty well. Since we homeschool, we're not usually rushed in the mornings. We take turns. We spread things out. Luckily we have mostly boys which means we have options in times of emergency or occupancy conflicts.

But, when we've all been gone all day, say...to an all day basketball tournament...and we all arrive home with the same thing in mind...The line outside the door is not the only issue. It's the plumbing.

So...as I'm plunging a particularly stubborn clog yesterday I have a great revelation:

"Hey guys, I just thought of a great new Wii game!"

Do you think I'm on to something?

I'm Apparently Mannerless

2009-01-29T06:51:00.004-06:00

There are only 12 times a year when I'm really on my game. My thinking is unclouded, I'm quick with the wit (and sarcasm if necessary) and my energy levels hit their peak. It lasts a few days and I look forward to the clarity that it brings, but sometimes am embarrassed by what my quick thinking gets me into . (It does translate into once a month for those of you who may be trying to figure it out.)

I only told you that so I could tell you this story...

I was driving Hayden to his basketball game the other day and came to an intersection at which I needed to turn right. I pulled up along side a car with it's left blinker on, checked traffic and was about to pull out when out of the corner of my eye I noticed the left turning driver leaning over his passenger yelling something at me. By his expressions I was 90% sure he was irate about something. But deep down inside, for a split second, I though maybe someone is hanging off my bumper...maybe I left my purse on the roof...maybe my jacket is hanging outside my door.

I started to roll down my window to find out what this man was saying. Somewhere during this process I realized my jacket was not hanging out the door, there was no purse on the roof and that no one had indeed grasped the bumper for a thrill ride. He was 100%, truly, pissed about something. I could have just driven away (there was no traffic) but for some reason I stayed, window down, waiting for his tirade. He fumbled with his buttons and rolled down every window but the one he had intended to, which made him even more angry.

I waited with an innocent look on my face that asked "Is something hanging on my bumper, is my purse on the roof?" even though I knew that wasn't the case. I couldn't help myself and I really did want to know what I had done that was so wrong.

He started hollering through his open window, "Don't you know you're blocking my view?"

Wow, that was it? I could have been on my way about 30 seconds ago, but now...

"DIDN'T ANYONE EVER TEACH YOU MANNERS?" he shouted.

My manners?

"Sorry sir." I said very slowly, purposely prolonging his agony, something I normally wouldn't have done.

As I drove away, rolling up my window, I could hear him still spouting obscenities.

Mathaholic

2009-01-27T06:31:00.001-06:00

I have one math lover in the house. He lives, breathes and sweats statistics, numbers, facts, and records.

Last week he finished his math book and much to his disappointment, I didn't have the next one on the shelf. What was I thinking last winter when I only ordered 2 years worth?

Promptly, I placed my order with the company and told Griffin it would take a week to 10 days to receive and that he could have a break from that subject. He was a little bummed until the mail man brought it on Saturday, 3 days after I ordered it.

I was at the grocery store when it arrived and by the time I got home, he had it cracked open and was already completing the 2nd lesson.

I think an intervention may be necessary.

It's Hard, That's For Sure.

2009-01-25T05:36:00.004-06:00

Did you ever have a series of events happen in such rapid succession that you hardly had time to recover from one before the next one hit?

It makes the time fly, that's for sure.

Hailey took this picture of a snowflake during our previous cold snap. I say previous because, after a short reprieve, we're back below zero.

It makes it hard to want to work on the bus, that's for sure.

_____________________________________________________________

My Grandma died last week. My Grandpa had passed away a few years ago so, for now, their house stands empty. We stayed there for a few days after she died and it was very comforting to be there. She left notes around the house...attached to newspaper clippings, written on the bottom of the banks she kept for us Grandchildren, neatly clipped together writings about her feelings, reminders jotted and hung on the refrigerator...

Bundles of Reader's Digest dating way back to the sixties are still perched on the basement shelves. The drawers are still organized the same way, I knew exactly where to find string, twist ties and scissors. If Grandpa were still alive, I'm sure there would be Double Mint gum in the drawer just right of the kitchen sink.

My Grandma always let me eat as many slices of toast as I wanted and had Spaghetti O's in the cupboard for lunch. I have her secret chocolate chip recipe, but I never learned how to make tomato jelly.

I buy Listerine because it reminds me of Grandpa and whenever I see a caraway seed, I can hear his voice.

His voice was loud and beautifully baritone. He's using it now to sing love songs to his Bride, who's finally reunited with him in Heaven.

It's hard to let go, that's for sure.

Momentarily Getting My Head Out of the Sand

2009-01-08T10:03:00.009-06:00

As you may know, I avoid the news. Most of it is intentionally manufactured to induce fear among the masses or it's just too depressing. I have a hard enough time staying positive for my family without concerning myself with the freak accident that happened in California or where ever.

I stumbled upon this blog today concerning the CPSIA and am appalled. There has to be WAY more thought put into legislation.

Go ahead Google "cpsia" ,"cpsia and thrift" or "cpsia and homeschooling" and see for yourself.

Read the law here and take note of how much will be considered illegal starting Feb. 10, 2009.

In a nutshell, all products marketed for children under age 12 must be tested for lead content. No longer will you be able (as the law is now written) to purchase new items (clothing, toys...)not tested, or donated items at a thrift shop, consignment store or GARAGE SALE! Legally, I'm reading, you can't even hand-me-down clothes to another family without breaking the law. You could be slapped with fines of up to $100,000 and charged with a felony.

This also includes (as per page 24 of the law) educational materials. I'm wondering...will I be able to resell my grade school kid's math books when I'm done with them? Will I be able to buy used books? How will the libraries function? Or do they not consider what's inside to be educational?

This, my folks is a scary thing.

Please tell me this is all a bad dream, I don't even want to think about it anymore...

The Scientific Method

2008-12-31T07:55:00.001-06:00

I have collected the data, constructed a hypothesis, tested, analyzed the data, and am now reporting my results.

4 out of 5 children will become picky eaters in 1st grade.

Probably 5 out of 5 but I still have one who isn't of age.

10 years ago when Hailey, my oldest, was in 1st grade I noticed her being very particular about what she deemed acceptable at the dinner table. Things we had always eaten were suddenly unpalatable. With a Kindergartner and a 1 year old at the table as well, and being in the season of parenthood where developmental milestones for each child changed rapidly, we were used to adapting quickly and moving on.

Not immediately, but 1 year later when Hayden entered 1st grade, the same thing happened with him. Still thinking it may be a imitative response, we adjusted and moved on. Our menu was becoming quite restrictive. No more could I slap pork chops and sauerkraut on the table and expect that I would be applauded. Pork chops and ketchup...maybe.

5 years later, enter Griffin, a 1st grader. With 2 more babies younger than him and the beginning of our homeschooling journey underway, I had more to think about than the hypothesis I had formulated. It seemed like ages ago.

When something happens once...OK. Twice...coincidence? Three times...there has got to be something behind this. My first thought was "school". Griffin had attended Pre-school and Kindergarten, and the big kids had years of it under their belts before we started homeschooling, it MUST be related. Maybe it was their newly formed independence, being away from home all day and being introduced (via other's brown bags) to more "exciting" foods, or maybe it was the increased amount of responsibility placed upon them that made them yearn for more control in their lives. Whatever it was, it was annoying. And once again, we adjusted and moved on. By now, telling the offended party that "If you can't smell it, you can't taste it, so plug your nose and have a few bites. Then you're welcome to make yourself a peanut butter sandwich."

I was on a mission to find out whether this was a social issue or a developmental phase. I was hoping for the former... With 2 more boys yet to enter 1st grade and my menu options already dwindling, I was dreaming of sidestepping the obstacles I had encountered in the past.

I am doomed.

Pass the peanut butter.

Call Me The Grinch.

2008-12-24T08:20:00.000-06:00

Seven things

2008-12-22T06:08:00.001-06:00

I was tagged for an award/meme recently from Karen. While I do appreciate that someone thinks I am creative, I was even more excited that I get to talk about myself because... they asked! (and I try not to talk too much about myself...unless I'm asked. I'm still working on perfecting that.)

Yay! Me, Me, Me!

Seven things I did before children:
Camped in a tent
Whatever I wanted
Worked full time outside the home
Dishes
Remembered birthdays
Got good gas mileage in my cute little black car
You know...where ever...when ever.

Seven things I do now
Laundry
Forget things
Camp in a bus
Home school
Wipe hineys
Get hugs and kisses whenever I want
Watch lots of soccer and football games
sometimes all simultaneously!

Seven things I would like to do
Not forget things
Whatever I want
One thing at a time
Live on a hobby farm
Use the bus off season as my own space
Have a secret, retractable 3rd arm installed
Make everyone happy at the same time

Seven things I say most often
Shhhhh
One at a time
Who broke _______?
Did you brush your teeth?
Get off the computer
Did you sleep well?
I love you too!

There was another category Seven things that attract me to my husband , but I'm not going to share that with anyone but him. Hey, it's a family blog!

It Wasn't Just Me

2008-12-14T14:58:00.004-06:00

I was very happy to see this report on wired.com posted on December 12, 2008.

Prepare yourself for a sight tonight — not to mention some wild behavior, if the legends are true. The biggest full moon in 15 years is set to grace the Northern Hemisphere tonight.

Because the moon orbits along an egg-shaped ellipse, not a circle, its distance from us changes. Today, the moon is approaching its nearest point to Earth, so it should look about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than this year's other full moons, according to NASA.

Since the moon takes about 28 days to orbit Earth, it reaches its point of closest approach, called perigee, about once a month. But since the moon's orbit isn't a perfect oval — rather, it wobbles — some perigees are closer than others. Tomorrow's approach will be the closest the moon has come to Earth since 1993.

On top of that, tonight's moon will become full just four hours after perigee. The next time these two events will coincide will be in 2016.

The full moon isn't the only boost we get from this special alignment: Tides should be especially big, too. Lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters about an inch higher than usual.

Guess What I'm Getting for Christmas

2008-12-11T20:30:00.004-06:00

On the way home from the mall this afternoon, I noticed the moon waxing full in the sky. That explains a lot. The mall, the moon...no wonder I was having a hard time coping.

Earlier this week I began to feel edgy, like the ~~kids~~ walls were closing in all around me. I checked the calendar and no, that wasn't it, I couldn't blame it on hormones. It must just be cabin fever. For all of us.

Today, it seemed to come to a head. The harder I tried to get away from the noise (did you know that even flailing arms seems like noise?) the louder it got. Since Thursdays are Matt's early home days I decided to call him and ask him to take me to lunch. He was more than happy to provide a listening ear for my troubles. I even asked the waitress to turn down the music which seemed to be blaring overhead. I'm usually not this sensitive, what could be wrong?

Then I saw the moon.

About 3 times a year, the fullness of the moon turns us into raving lunitics. I've kept track.

This was one of those moons.

During supper preparations Isaac was helping Griffin and I make pizza's. As we were waiting for our yeast to rise he, in all his wisdom, stated that we better not invite Abby (our friend's 14 month old) over because she might spill the glasses full of yeasty water. "Like this" he said as he stuck his finger into a glass and tipped it off the counter.

!

While the pizzas were baking I escaped to the bathroom for some peace. I am a least behind a closed door, not that that stops anyone, it just slows them down. I listened as things escalated once again. Louder and louder, goofier and goofier.

"Please God, just don't let anyone get hurt" I prayed.

Supper was loud. Conversation was less than edifying. Talk radio in the background, kids ~~in my face~~ everywhere talking, giggling, smacking each other in the heads (I'm NOT kidding).

"Did you throw up this afternoon because you're sick, or because you were running around?"
"Geez Sam, knock it off, you sound like a cat yaking."

!

After supper was cleaned up and the dishes were done Matt scooted them up to bed. But not before I yelled at 3 kids for playing in the vaporizer.

!

Sam, convinced that he needed a throw-up bowl upstairs just in case, retrieved our huge bowl from the bottom of the stack in the cupboard.

Did you know that if you drop a nestled stack of mixing bowls, they'll all shatter.

!

Tell me I'm not alone. You have days like this too, yes?

It's Almost Like Cheating

2008-12-02T06:14:00.006-06:00

Not that I enjoy cheating...

Not that I condone cheating...

Not that I think cheating is the way to go...

Camping with the bus is EASY.

Last month we went again on a spur of the moment trip to Devil's Lake State Park. We arrived around 5, set up camp, ate supper and started a wonderful campfire in less than an hour.

Back in the tent days it would have been dark before I could have unpacked all the gear to actually find the tent, round up the kids to help me construct it, blow up the air mattresses, lay out the sleeping bags and then have to make supper. UGH.

That is IF we would have even ventured out (probably not). It is cold at night and no amount of heater is going to keep a tent warm. We've tried. And really, I'm not about being uncomfortably cold or spending big bucks on bionic sleeping bags.

Before this trip I sewed up some curtains for the doorways leading to the bedrooms and the bathroom out of duck cloth which is why we got such a late start. Well worth it! With one heater in the bedroom area and another in the front and the curtain closed, it was very warm and cozy. I actually had to stick my foot against the side of the bus to cool off a little.

That's another problem yet to be solved. We did not strip the interior walls of the bus and re insulate as some have done, so we have cold walls. Our plan is to carpet them like we did in the seating section, and I think we're going to have to get on that soon.

As for the privacy in the bathroom...wonderful.

We also need to get the lettering on the bus. Right now it looks a little bland.

This is what we've chosen, now to just decide the best way to make it happen.

Early in the morning we hiked. After careful consideration, we chose a trail labeled "An easy trail, level and paved, winding through quartzite boulders at the base of the West Bluff just above the lake." as opposed to ones that said "drop-off's" , "steep grade", "spectacular views", "enormous climb" and the like. I'm pretty sure we would have lost someone.

When we arrived back at camp, we relaxed, played at the park, sat by the campfire (It was still hours before lunch...we left really early) and I watched all the other campers take down their gear.

Tenters were the first to dismantle and Pop-ups followed close behind. As I watched I remembered just last year when, right after breakfast, we'd have to start taking down in order to leave at the appointed check out time. My job was to pack everything up and Matt's job was to make it all fit into the van and the trailer. Then we'd all crawl over coolers, squish in the empty spots, and leave. Usually tired and cranky and not excited about getting home to unload it all and put it away. It was an all day process just to leave and another just to return home.

Now, it's all so easy. The bus is already mostly loaded. We need to bring our clothes, blankets, pillows and personal care items and that's it! Stopping at the grocery store on the way out of town saves the handling of groceries too many times. We buy it and load it right into the bus, saving many steps in the process. That has got to be my favorite part! Plus it's fun to park the bus in the store parking lot, it makes for good conversation.

We're still not quite sure of what kind of mileage we're getting as we had some discrepancies with our tank. This was going to be the "fill-up" that determined it. Until someone left a light on (for 2 weeks) and the batteries all died, so we had to jump start the bus and let it run for awhile to recharge them. I'm NOT going to use that for my mileage comparison, it'll be depressing.

So that's the bus news. I'm really glad Matt had that kooky idea to buy a school bus and convert it into an RV. I can't understand why anyone wouldn't!

Next stop...Disney!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

2008-11-25T06:00:00.003-06:00

I am not decisive. Never have been.

I never beat myself up with regret when I face the results of indecision. I deal with it with grace and the knowledge that there could have had a different outcome IF I would have made a decision but, because I didn't, I have to deal with it.

It seems when ever I make a decision, it turns out costly. Not always, but mostly. Or maybe I just don't notice the good decisions.

I've been in the process of de-cluttering for awhile now, taking zones on a free weekend and paring them down to the things I love and/or need.

Last month: Clothes.

I went through the little boys (and my) closets and threw away anything stained or torn and donated things I was just getting tired of looking at (4 boys = lots of hand-me-downs). Do they really need 7 pairs of jeans? 10 sweatshirts? I think not.

My goal was to not be so overwhelmed at laundry time. Another benefit was to be that they were not so overwhelmed when it was time to get dressed, and maybe if they only had 2 pair of jeans, they'd not lose them for months under their beds, or throw them down the laundry chute just because they weren't sure if they were dirty or just laying on the floor.

My goal was to not have so much that my blessings became a burden. I always thought saving everything was being responsible. "Just in case" I'd always think. Slowly I'm changing my thinking, Just in case...what...? Suddenly I'm unable to do laundry for a month? Suddenly it's okay to wear stained clothes because it's better than nothing? I had plenty AND I had 2 washers and 2 dryers. I could easily get a buttload of clothes washed and dried in less than 2 hours.

And then...my decision came back to bite me! All in one month, both washers and both dryers bit the dust. Can you believe it? First one washer started leaking, the other stopped agitating, and one of my dryers stopped heating. I made due with soaking in the non-agitator and stuffing towels on the floor to stop the leaking one from creating a river in my basement. Drying with one dryer slowed the process but still it was bearable. Then, right before the boys departed for deer hunting, the last dryer stopped working. With all my boy's clothes in it. The one who was going hunting...in the woods...in the cold...with nothing warm and dry to wear. (I'll have to add that to the "Just in case" file.)

Luckily, it was a 4 hour drive to the hunting cabin...in a warm van...with a hanging rack. I'm not too sure he felt comfortable with his undies waving for all to see, but he would at least have dry clothes to wear, unlike the rest of us...with just a few outfits...who will still have damp clothes in the morning...because the basement, although recently cleaned out, is not an ideal place for a clothesline.

Matt was able to fix the 2 washers cheap, but my 2 dryers are still lifeless.

That's usually what I'm rewarded with after a decision. Like the time the kids (I) splurged on a Kitchen Aid mixer for my Birthday/Mothers Day present and the van died that week. Could-have-used-that-money-for-the-van! (whacking forehead) Not positive reinforcement.

Or the time when we (I) decided to have Matt replace the basement steps and the hot water heater sprung a leak. At least we hadn't spent the project money on the new materials yet and were able to replace the appliance. I carried laundry up and down with ladder for about a month, but at least we had hot water.

I'm not going to be making any big decisions at least until Christmas is over, with newly processed venison to be frozen, my freezer is in jeopardy!

Welcome To My Life With Sam

2008-11-14T13:34:00.001-06:00

When Sam was 4 I enrolled him in the Speech Therapy program run by our public schools. I had no trouble understanding him, but by the advise or our Family Physician and out of courtesy to his Sunday School teacher we dove in, meeting twice a week throughout the school year with Mrs. Streckenbach.

On Sam's IEP the examiner stated "Sam does not care to articulate".

Welcome to my life with Sam.

The first year went smoothly with only minimal disruption to our homeschooling day. The twice a week sessions slowed in the spring to once a week meetings. His therapist was happy with his progress and agreed to my request for less involvement with the program. Two particular sounds that still grieved him were /G/ and /R/, we spent most of our time on those. Mrs. Streckenbach had many tools to teach with including picture cards whose images contained the sounds Sam needed to work on.

On one particular day she held up a cartoonish picture of a pink one-piece swimsuit and asked Sam "Who would wear one of these?"

"Not me!" he answered.

I think "Girl" was the answer she was looking for.

Welcome to my life with Sam.

This week, while preparing the 3 younger boys for their Well Child Checkups I mentioned, as well as their immunizations, the genitourinary check that would have to be performed. They were grossed out and none of them remembered having them before (Good thing!)

Sam asked "Why do they have to do that?"

My first line of defense for fielding these types of questions is to be as vague as possible and only go into a detailed explanation if absolutely necessary.

"Just to make sure both your testicles are there." I said in my best Marcus Welby voice.

"Well, where else would they be?" He asked matter of factly.

Obviously a detailed explanation was in order.

Welcome to my life with Sam.

During that phase of Sam's exam Dr. Lemkuil explained what he was going to do and was about to launch into the Why when Sam interrupted saying, "I know, my mom already told me."

It's good to be prepared.

Our doctor is very homeschool friendly and he sees quite a few families who are showing great success with their children, but it doesn't stop me from feeling like my kids being tested whenever they have their Well-Child exams.

He goes over basic safety rules and asks them questions like "What kind of job does your Dad have?" and "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Sam (who is not normally shy) was not cooperating and just shrugged his shoulders when it came time to answer, stating he didn't know my cell phone number, didn't know what he had to wear on his head when he rode his bike, and had no clue what his dad does when he leaves the house. Luckily Griffin was there to answer or Dr. Lemkuil might have started to wonder if I teach them anything.

Very patiently he moved on to the next question, "What do you wear when you ride in the car?"

Sam declared without hesitation, "A shirt."

I offer nothing more than humor to a busy man's day.

Welcome to my life with Sam.

5 Already?

2008-11-12T15:15:00.003-06:00

This is me, 5 years ago. 7:30am. I was overdue and scheduled for an induction. I had time to do my hair even, isn't it pretty?

This is me, 5 years ago. 6:30pm. I'm sure my makeup had worn off from the rag I kept on my face to quell the nausea. And, so much for the hairdo. Labor can do that to a gal.

But, boy, did I feel better. I didn't even care that Matt was being goofy.

Can my baby really be 5?

It's been fun today rummaging through old photo albums and talking about what they remember from the day.

My mom and dad kept the kids and made a birthday cake to bring to the hospital. He was born right during their supper, and they all left it on the table and hurried to meet him. This time, when the call came there was no hint of whether it was a brother or sister, but the nurse in the hallway gave it away before they came into the room. Here they all are getting to know Isaac.

Who would have thought he'd become my lego loving, camera stealing, hand kissing, singing, goofy, loveable little boy who isn't afraid to tell his Mama she's beautiful and lovely. God knew I needed an Isaac.
I can't imagine our lives without him.

Happy Birthday.

The "S" word

2008-11-06T20:04:00.004-06:00

When I posted this video on YouTube regaling the issues imposed on homeschoolers by uninformed members of society*, I didn't ever think that it would travel outside my circle of friends.

I'm sure, still, in the scheme of things that this is small potatoes. But, in my corner of the world, anything with me attached to it that has been viewed this many times makes me kind of giddy. I was only a last minute replacement for my verse, saving a strapping homeschool dad from sure discomfort. (Although, he was willing and it would have been hysterical.) I didn't write it or even make it to the rehearsal. But since my daughter filmed it and my name is on the YouTube account, I feel responsible for its content. Not responsible as in "Looky What I Did". Rather responsible as in "I'm Representing Homeschoolers Here, I'd Better Remain Mature".

Receiving the comments from other homeschoolers has been fun. The issues seem to be universal. When I received a negative comment I was a little taken aback. I mean, what's someone opposed to homeschooling doing looking at homeschooling videos. Then I reminded myself that's what happens when you put yourself out there.

I don't suspect that the commenter really had a beef with homeschoolers but when cloaked with anonymity we all feel a little bolder.

While contemplating my reply, I did a little research on homeschool socialization. What a wonderful reminder to me as to why this is the perfect choice for our family. I think I may do it every year.

I do have my favorite comebacks to the "What about socialization?" question just as I have them for the inquiries as to the number of children we have. I take into consideration the asker and their true intent before I pull one from my hat, and it looks as if my children are following in my footsteps.

Hailey and Hayden were awaiting the start of a concert this summer, hanging out with a bunch of their Homies (their term for Homeschool friends) up near the stage. An exchange began between them and another group of kids in close proximity. (Yes, homeschooled kids talk to just about anyone) The conversation turned towards which group had the cooler school mascot. The Schoolies were impressed with the Eagle and commented that it was much more chic than their Polar Bear.

"Where do you go to school?" They asked.

"We're homeschooled." replied Hayden.

"Well then, HOW do you know each other?"

"Our moms lets us out the basement sometimes when it's sunny."

I appreciate his humor so much more when it's not directed at me.

*The use of this term is not meant to be offensive. By definition if you don't have all the information you're said to be uninformed. It only receives a negative connotation when those with the information refuse to make use of it.

Road Closed

2008-10-27T16:33:00.002-05:00

When I was a kid, Driver's Ed was a class at school. Your Sophomore year, they just scheduled it... You sat in the class with everyone else who just turned 15 1/2 (or would in the next 9 weeks) and studied the handbook, watched movies about drunk drivers and most likely, learned about the rules of the road.

In our city, things are not so. Maybe they had to cut out Driver's Ed to make room for more important classes like...Metal Shop, Interpretive Dance, or Remedial English and Math. I'm not saying these things are not important, I'm just saying that "normal" in our society says that 16 year olds will drive.

I know a driver's license is not required and that not everyone gets one. But it is a rite of passage. It is a cultural norm. And while I don't always like (and often speak against) cultural norms, this is one we have chosen to participate in. Am I hypocritical? I don't think so. This will benefit our family. Having another driver in the house will be useful. I guess I'm just angry that I can't teach it myself.

Were was I? Oh yeah, Driver's Ed as a separate, private, expensive institution.

She completed her Drivers Ed course 8 months ago with a thorough knowledge of the laws of driving plus a bonus education in Cheating, Stealing and How To Hide Crack In You Deodorant Bottle. Really great group of kids...their parents should be proud. Oh, and the teacher, he was a doosy himself. Money well spent.

But as it turns out, my 16 year old daughter does not like to drive.

Behind the wheel, she's not confident. In town she does okay, but is in no hurry to take her driving test and get her license.

Last night it was cold, windy and rainy. Perfect experience for a driver-in-training to take a spin on the highway for the first time. We had to travel about 30 miles south for a get-together with friends and I decided she would drive. As long as we would be in town we wanted to find the Pottery Barn store and check it out too, so we left a little early. She did great on the highway only glaring at me once or twice with instructions that I not *yell at her while she is driving.

*It's all subjective, yelling is. I would have called it instruction with an urgent tone.

The boys were all tightly buckled and I clutched the "Jesus handle" the entire way. She experienced windshield wiper usage, learned the meaning of the word "intermittent", discovered the headlights, adjusted her steering to wind sheers under overpasses, managed heavy traffic, handled merging situations, and maneuvered the mall traffic all with great success and confidence. Until we encountered an unbelievable scenario in an intersection the was under construction.

The road we were to be crossing was being expanded from a 2 lane highway to a 6 lane thoroughfare. The far 3 lanes were not yet open and traffic was routed to the 2 lanes directly in front of us. As we waited, first in line, at our red light a huge barricade proceeded to blow forward, sand bags and all, from the far lane on the right and turn perfectly like it was on a hinge to show us it's "ROAD CLOSED" warning. So animated, like it was supposed to do just that at just that time.

I glanced at Hailey's astonished expression as I surveyed the traffic in the lane next to us, she had NO clue what to do and there were cars behind us and next to us as far back as we could see. In her eyes the option of waiting until the oncoming lanes were clear and averting the sign as an experienced driver would do was out, crying and melting into a puddle sounded good.

Me, quick thinking due to the coffee I had ingested earlier, coached her on the whereabouts of the hazard lights and gave calm instruction on the plan formulating in my head.

"When the light turns green, put on your hazards and pull forward to the barricade. Hayden and I will jump out and push the sign back where it belongs. We'll hop back in and be on our way." She had a few moments to process the information. A glance back to Hayden told me he was in agreement. Someone would have to do it, there was no way anyone could get through otherwise.

Initially, the plan worked perfectly. The barricade was heavier than either of us expected and the wind was gusting making the goings very difficult. Hailey pulled ahead as soon as she could get by and Hayden and I jumped back in and we continued our journey. As I was commending her on her calm execution of the plan she stated excitedly that the light had turned red and everyone was honking at her to get out of the way. That's the only reason she did it.

Man, didn't anyone SEE what we were doing? It was so windy we didn't even HEAR any honking when we were outside.

She pulled into the next parking lot and told me she was d-o-n-e driving.

Hayden thought it would've been appropriate for certain gestures to be waved in that situation. I assured him, and I have a feeling that this might become something I have to say again in the future, "It is never alright to flip someone off. Not even on the inside."

His sense of justice was wounded. Since when is a good deed rewarded with seething impatience? Is everyone so preoccupied with what's in front of their noses that they fail to notice the roadblock ahead?

I'm thinking too many people's education ends when the class is over.
I'm thinking too many people are too preoccupied to drive safely.
I'm thinking too many people are not teaching acceptable behavior to their children.

I'm thinking it's going to be hard to get Hailey back in the driver's seat.
I'm thinking Hayden, when he's driving, is going to be a different story all together.

P.S. We never found Pottery Barn, the party was wonderful and I drove home.