Simple Woman #27

Simple Woman

FOR TODAY August 31, 2009

Outside My Window... sunshine, breeze, clothes blowing on the line, (sounds like last week... or almost every day, lately), and my kids at the neighbor's house. Stellar jays and squirrels doing the same thing they always do.

I am thinking... I made the right decision to take the pool down. (It was that or re-fill it... the water had gotten beyond the ability of the chemicals and filter to combat.) We're invited to a friend's to swim on Wednesday and we'll probably go to the lake again. The boys had kind of gotten bored with it anyway.

And - this is just the way my mind works - but it's a big job to take it down and pack it away because it has to be dry and clean. And it's big and heavy. Too big for one person to manage. But the boys and I, along with two neighbor kids, made quick work of it together.

So now that's not hanging over me, along with packing for the camping trip... didn't want to be doing both at once. And I didn't want to leave it set up until we return, when the weather could easily be cold and wet.

So there.

I am thankful for... warm (but not hot!) sunny days :0)

I am praying for… a one-year-old boy from our church, down at Children's Hospital with an obstructed bowel. Sounds very painful. Gunnar adores this little boy - looks for him every Sunday, plays with him, etc.

*** UPDATE: Our little friend is home and doing great. Food is going in and - ahem - coming out like it's supposed to. Gunnar is very relieved :0) ***

From the learning rooms... today: handwriting, grammar, and history - the Persian and Ottoman Empires. What a confusing mess. You could spend your whole life trying to understand them and fail. We'll settle for a skim-the-surface overview. I really don't want to spend a lot of time on paranoid Shahs who blind their own children to keep them from being a threat to their power.

From the kitchen... the crock-pot season is upon me, and I am unprepared. Soccer practice begins today, which means our dinner schedule has to be "adjusted". (With volunteer coaches usually scheduling practices when they finish work, it ends up being right at dinner time. Ugh!)

I am wearing... blue shorts, blue t-shirt, flip-flops. A stunning ensemble. *eyes roll* (sound familiar?)

I am creating... well, plans, at this point.

I am going... to soccer practice with Tate, to meet his new coach, and clue him in about Tate's hearing issues.

Soccer has been really good for Tate - his hearing loss hasn't been much of an issue. Once in awhile he'll miss the referee's whistle and keep playing when the ball is 'dead', but that's easily remedied. And we can use the FM if the coach need to communicate from the sidelines.

But I always want to make sure a new coach understands that Tate really can't hear him from across the field, or if the other boys are making a racket. You know... that Tate isn't just ignoring him. Same thing with the refs at the games. And that he needs to wear a hat if it rains, to keep the HA dry. Somebody raised a stink about the hat, once. Get over it. It's a bucket hat. It's soft. It isn't going to hurt anyone. Sheesh. That HA is about $2000 and I'm not messing around. (*smiles sweetly*)

I am reading... no mental space right now. I'm reading aloud to the boys, does that count? "Captured by the Mohawks", by Sterling North.

I am hoping... for motivation. For the boys. I'm upping the ante this year with their school-work and their chores.

I am hearing... silence, blessed silence. They're over at the neighbor's.

Around the house... my office is... mostly clean! I know, prepare to be shocked. The situation was drastic, and the way things are looking we're probably going to be making most of our Christmas gifts, so I need space for crafting.

So, just to be clear, it's not just a hobby for my enjoyment, it's a financial necessity. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

One of my favorite things... oh, and guess what else got tidied up over the weekend? The garage! And that's an even bigger shock. If it were up to me I'd still back a truck up to the door and start shoveling things out, but at least right now it's an orderly train-wreck. Which is a good thing, (um, sort of a requirement), since we'll be packing for camping in the next couple weeks.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: let's see... four soccer practices (since I haven't heard from Gunnar's coach yet - that may go up), an invitation to a friend's pool (!), and slowly increasing our school work while introducing new chore expectations.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

The tiniest hermit crab I've ever seen.

Heard Around the House

Gramma Grasshopper has been out garage sale-ing again, and dropped by the house to share her treasures.

"I got a kinky hose."

Well, it's been a day of surprises, but I don't know Mom. That might just be too much information.

I'm thinking what she meant was spiral, not disturbing.


She also brought me...

an Advent wreath.

Which I wanted, but didn't have on my mind just now.

WOO-HOO!

Tate got mail recently from the Lego company, announcing a "Lego Event" at WalMart stores, and even had the address of the WalMart nearest us. As if I didn't know.

Bring in the coupon between 10 and 2, today, and get a free kit - a little orange crab. It looked about the size of something you'd get in a Happy Meal, but - of course - Tate was ecstatic at the thought of free Legos, and pleaded until I agreed to take him. To WalMart. On a Saturday. (My usual m.o. for shopping is early on weekday mornings when things aren't crowded, but I digress...)

Well, we saw lots and lots of little boys we know! All standing in a mob, back in the toy department, clutching coupons. But no little orange crabs. Just a bunch of dads, joking about mobs and WalMart and Black Friday.

A junior manager appeared who clearly hadn't expected all of us and hadn't been forewarned (or supplied) by the Lego company, and scurried off to the phone to see what he could accomplish.

A lot.

Hurray for WalMart and hurray for Legos!

For the next hour anything that said "Lego" on it was $15 off. And if it was under $15, it was free. One per kid.

So, just when I'd come to the conclusion that we really don't need a single additional Lego in this house...


...we came home with forty bucks worth of Legos... for five dollars.

Woo-hoo!

I told the boys it's a "Back to School" treat. From God. And WalMart. And the Lego Company.



And besides. Legos are educational. Maybe someday they'll build something as cool as this. (The Swimming Cube from the Olympics.)

Oops. He did it again.

This time I hold in my hand sheets of notebook paper covered with 50 repetitions of:

Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Hitting your brother over the head with a piece of PVC pipe will buy you trouble. But not throwing a five alarm ballistic freak-out about your consequences will get you half the trouble you got last time.

Sheer Joy

These are from a while ago, out on the lake with my dad - Grampa Grasshopper. The first time he took the boys tubing was a few years ago. Wyatt and Tate were probably 7 and 5... maybe 8 and 6.

Oh. My.

It was so much fun it was practically an out-of-body experience. Especially for Tate. Wyatt's a bit more cautious, but Tate - who was tiny - was standing up in the innertube, jumping up and down, trying to make it bounce. (While I tried to forget that up at that end of the lake it's like a fjord - over 300 feet deep.) And Gunnar was really little - afraid to go by himself so Kerry and I would take turns riding with him.

Well, we've come a long way.

Wyatt

Tate

Gunnar

Gunnar and Grampa Grasshopper

Wringing every ounce of fun out of summer we can.

Breaking News

An announcement from Tate:

"Mom!"

(Because 99% of all speech directed toward me begins with "Mom!")

"I've made a discovery! Blinking doesn't just get water into your eyes! It's also like windshield wipers!" (He motions with his fingers, in front of his eyes.)

I'm nodding in agreement as his hearing aid is out and he's in his bed.

"I know, because I got a bunch of sawdust in my eyes today," (don't ask), "and I've been blinking," (really?), "and it's all turned into big eye goobers!"

I dare not ask what he's done with the big eye goobers, but I make a mental note to wash his jammies in the morning.

I just nod my head in amazement, smile encouragingly, and back slowly out of the room.

Heard Around the House

"Good news, Mom! I found my dynamite!"

Ugh.

*** Some cheese, to go with the whine, which will follow.***

I've enjoyed reading about some of your first days back to school. Your kids all look so bright, eager and cheerful in the pictures.

Our first day of school is a bit hard to pin down this year, as we've been plugging away a little all summer, and are easing back up to a full schedule over the next couple of weeks.

And for the most part that's been working great.

But not today.

*sigh*

I hold in my hand sheets of notebook paper with this sentence written 100 times:

I will respect my parents and brothers by not distracting or disrupting them.

It's not a particularly long sentence, is it? But can you guess how long it took a certain boy to produce 100 repetitions of it? Four and a half hours. That's right, people, four and a half hours. And there's no good reason for that. Even a 13 year-old can write 13 words in under a minute.

If he'll do it instead of raging about the injustice of his tortured life.

And accusing me of child abuse.

So, all in all, it hasn't been a really stellar day.

You?

Aarrrrggghhh!

Warning: Long rambling post ahead.
You might want to get a beverage.
And maybe a snack.
Go ahead, I'll wait.

The "aaarrrrggghhh"? No, it's not "Talk Like A Pirate Day" (though that's coming next month, just in case you wondered.) For that you'll need to check with "Cap'n Slappy" and "Ol' Chumbucket".

No, that was a groan of pain and frustration at the massive mountain of Legos we're dealing with.

Exhibit A:

Gunnar, posing with a very few (I'm not kidding) of the smaller sets we have begun to reassemble.

And Exhibit B:

This is merely one of the groups into which we have sorted our Legos. I think this represents "Small Special Pieces", as opposed to "Tiny Special Pieces", "Bigger Special Pieces", or "Flat Special Pieces"... you get my point.

I am so not kidding.

Feel my pain. (And by the way, needless to say we're not exactly toddler-safe just now.)

When the boys were really little I bought what I thought was a big set of Lego bricks. I might as well have given them meth. Oh, they loved 'em, all right. And they wanted more. For the past several years they have consistently asked for Legos for their birthdays and Christmas. But not just Legos, Lego kits. And we have fed the addiction gladly obliged.

And they play with them continually. Wonderful, creative play. They create new worlds, new vehicles, new adventures. They even made me a Lego Nativity last Christmas.

Of course, boys being boys, there are also continuous Lego battles, shifting alliances, and demolition derby type of events too.

But mostly what they make is a huge stinkin' mess that routinely takes over the entire family room. And they just can't pick it up because that would ruin everything. Because what looks to me like the aftermath of an F5 Tornado represents several boys' "bases" and heaven knows what else. And some of those boys don't even live under my roof.

So, tired of the bickering and the clutter, I proclaimed the Great Lego Fast earlier this summer. For cryin' out loud, we have a pool and a trampoline. Go outside. And stay there.

Well, I don't really have to tell them to do that.

So here are my dilemmas.

#1 What's mine is mine.

Though the boys can't seem to remember simple things, like unloading the dishwasher before breakfast, not out-gassing at the table, or washing their hands after visiting the bathroom, they know exactly which kits they own, and which "special pieces" came with each kit. Two small green apples. Several fire ants. A purple light-saber. A pack of red dynamite. (Which was lost today, causing tears and grief, and then found again to much rejoicing.)

But - here's where it gets complicated - they have bartered and traded the "special pieces" to each other over the course of months (or years), teeny tiny weapons - predictably - being the most sought after.

Well, I nipped that crisis in the bud by declaring the "Year of Jubilee". (Which may be the best thing to come out of reading through Leviticus earlier this year... in Jewish tradition, all property reverted to its original owner in the Year of Jubilee.)

So, the first hurdle was over.

#2 Destruction and devastation.

Getting things back to their rightful owners means reassembling all the kits. And before you can do that, you have to disassemble all the kits (which may have been "modified") and all the other creations.

Let me just confess right here that when I saw the size of the pile we had I was shocked. Shocked, I tell you. We own an obscene amount of Legos. ("How obscene?" "Really offensive." Bonus points for identifying the quote.)

But we did it. We took them all apart and sorted them, loosely, by categories into large tubs.

And, finally, #3 Enough is never enough.

Looking at the piles and piles of Legos leads me to wonder just how many Legos can they really enjoy? What is the saturation point? I find myself fantasizing about trying to imagine one of the boys approaching me and saying, "You know, Mom, I couldn't possibly enjoy playing with Legos any more, even if I had every kit they ever made."

(Then, after I stop laughing hysterically and get up off the floor...)

I remind myself that I'm the mom. I could put my foot down and say, "Not. One. More. Lego. Ever."

But I'd really rather say no to nintendo, playstation, xbox, and all that other gunk.

So at the rate we're going (which is slow, due to the frustration level of actually finding all the pieces for each set) we'll be putting kits together for the next few weeks.

And I'll have lots of time to think about Christmas and what will - or won't - be under the tree this year.

WA-WAH!

Oh, I am feeling so very good.

Didn't I say that I look at September as a new beginning?

I have just created and printed out my "chore manifesto" for the house. Following the lead of an amazing mom of nine, I have daily, weekly, and monthly expectations for the various areas of the house. And if I get really ambitious, I'll color-code them, and post them room by room.

Want an example?


"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23

Bathroom - Weekly

* Clean exterior of toilet with windex and paper towels - all around the tank, the handle, top and bottom of lid, top and bottom of seat, sides and front of bowl, and the base.
* Clean toilet bowl with Lysol and brush
* Clean the floor on both sides and behind the toilet with paper towels and windex

* Move things off the counter
Use windex and a clean rag to:
* Wipe toothbrush holder, cup dispenser, and soap dispenser
* Wipe mirror
* Wipe counter and dry
* Clean faucet and sink, pay attention to the gunk in the drain
* Dry with a clean rag

* Empty trash
* Wipe switchplates, outlets and doorknobs with disinfecting wipes
* Towels and mats to the laundry hamper
* Wipe the trash can with the wipes from the doorknobs, etc.

* Sweep the floor and wipe with a damp rag

Supplies:
* Rags
* Paper towels
* Windex
* Lysol (toilet bowl cleaner)
* Toilet brush
* Little brush for sink and drain
* Disinfecting wipes

Thank you!


Well, isn't that just perfect, now?

Of course, there's still one minor little detail...
... getting the boys to DO it all.

I'll think about that tomorrow.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Good - everyone got a full meal off of left-overs and we cleaned out the fridge.

Bad - it's dark now, and that laundry I mentioned earlier, blowing gently on the line? Is still there. (We got a little distracted this afternoon assembling a Jumbo Jet with about 500 pieces - no joke - out of Legos.)

And yes, since said laundry contains nearly every pair of underwear I own, I'm going to go bring it in... and give the mosquitoes a buffet while I'm at it.

Ugly - my office. Ugh. I've thought of doing a "before and after", but really, no. Just use your imagination.

Simple Woman #26

Simple Woman

FOR TODAY August 24, 2009

Outside My Window... sunshine, breeze, clothes blowing on the line, my boys and the neighbor kids in the yard, and a stellar jay on the roof.

We love to watch the stellar jays. Our neighbor feeds the squirrels. They run around our yards all day long getting peanuts from Ralph's feeders, and nuts from another neighbor's trees, and bury them for winter. Squirrels being squirrels they probably bury enough nuts to sustain a colony of thousands, which is ironic, since Ralph feeds them all winter.

And the stellar jays, who can't get into the feeders, just sit in the trees and on the roof watching the squirrels. And digging up their nuts and eating them.

I am thinking... of fall and new beginnings.

January still doesn't feel like the start to a new year. (Okay, for those of you in the southern hemisphere, I envy you the way the school year lines up with the calendar year!) But for me, September is a fresh start, a blank page, a new chance to get it right.

And, though it's still August, we're getting a head start. So I'm back to "Simple Woman" and we're easing back into a bit of school work... more below.

I am thankful for... a healthy family, food in the fridge, and the internet.

I am praying for… work for Kerry (this should probably be a post of its own...) and our friends in Africa. Their home in Africa was broken into (I think they were all away at a conference) and their guard was severely beaten. I don't think any of their belongings were taken, except for another missionary's computer, but I would imagine they are feeling threatened.

From the learning rooms... we've kept a couple of irons in the fire with our school work this summer. I know, some may think me a cruel mom, but I've noticed that if I let the boys run free all summer long it doesn't go well. They bicker. I wouldn't say that they're bored, but they will get up to mischief. And though they would never admit it, they really do better with more structure to their days. All that to say that I've been forcing them to do some math and some science experiments and sketches this summer.

Okay, actually they really like the science experiments :0) But the math... not so much. But I've told them my rationale - if we do math just a couple of days a week through the summer, then we can pretty much plan a four-day school week all the rest of the year. And I really like that.

I also like to ease into things. We start slow and add new subjects each week until we're up to our full schedule. Which means that we alternate days of math and science with days of history and language for the next couple of weeks. :0)

Oh, they moan and complain and act horrified. But today we started at 8:45 and were done shortly after 10. Which works out great, since most of their friends aren't quite as early to rise as my boys.

From the kitchen... an abundance of leftovers from Kerry's b'day dinner on Friday, two crockpot soups I made last week, and yesterday's BBQ. Whew.

I am wearing... blue flowered shorts, blue t-shirt, flip-flops. A stunning ensemble. *eyes roll*

I am creating... assembling Lego kits with the boys. After the Great Lego Fast (prompted by my inability to tolerate the mess in the play room for even One. More. Day.) we are having the Great Lego Rebuilding Fest. That is, we are attempting to reassemble every Lego kit the the boys own.

Which should probably also be a post of its own...

I am going... crazy? Probably. But as far as locations... nothing on my radar this week. Hallelujah.

I am reading... just finished "Parenting by the Book" by John Rosemond (insert impressive letters/credentials here.) This was a Christmas gift. I just thought I'd mention that for any of you still laboring under the delusion that I'm some kind of genius super-mom.

Actually, I was a bit reluctant to read it, given that it is a parenting book which was given to us by a non-parent, AND that the author is a psychologist, and my impression of psychologists and parenting advice is - shall we say - low. Abysmally low.

I was pleasantly surprised. The subtitle is "Biblical Wisdom for Raising Your Child" and the author basically refutes all the loony parenting schemes endorsed by his profession and advocates a return to Biblical parenting. Not what I expected :0)

Maybe Kerry will read it next...

I am hoping... for inspiration.

I am hearing... silence. Hmmmm , with five kids around right now silence makes me suspicious.

Around the house... do you move your furniture around? I do. And it's about time for a change... furniture, seasonal decor, candles (thinking of fall). My friend Hosanna laughed at/with me when I said something like, "It's time to fluff my junk," meaning that I should rearrange my decorations. (You know, put the blue mitten candles away and display something seasonally appropriate.)

I got an unusual burst of creativity and asked for shower curtains for my birthday. The cloth kind, not the plastic liners. I may have mentioned that since we remodeled (four years ago) we've had no closet doors upstairs. But a couple of tensions rods and shower curtains later, and at least the closets in the hallway are covered!

I actually kind of like not having closet doors in the bedrooms, because the doors take up so much space, but I may get shower curtains to use in there too. And the hallways? Well, that's a different kind of junk. The kind I don't want to look at every time I walk by.

One of my favorite things... cookie dough. Oh yeah, absolute bliss in a bowl.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I've invited my Moms In Touch moms over on Thursday to try to plan for the year. In spite of being homeschool moms, coordinating our schedules can be tricky. We want to settle on a regular time to meet for prayer, through the next school year.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Baby Sea Stars

Random bits of news

We've been to the orthodontist and the (new) doctor this week.

* The good news is that the orthodontist fixed Tate's head-gear, which Wyatt broke/bent on vacation. How, you might ask? Let's just say that snapping each other with wet towels can have unintended results. Aaarrgghhh.


* Saw our new doctor this morning. Our family doc, who I've known for over 30 years (!) has just retired. We're breaking in his replacement. So far, so good.

The better news is that since switching meds a month ago Wyatt has gained five pounds. FIVE POUNDS!!! The new doc impressed me by noticing from Wyatt's chart that he has been small-for-age since before he ever started on the meds, so while they may contribute to his low weight they aren't the sole explanation.

But five pounds!!! Understand that he is thirteen years old and that recent gain brought him all the way up to 79#... still small, but progress :0)

* As we ran our errands this morning the boys were given lollipops at the bank. Big ones, not little Dum-Dums, and I heard a surprisingly large juicy noise from Gunnar. He explained:

Mom, you know how water comes from somewhere in your body and appears in your mouth?
Well, I'm suckerin' and I couldn't swallow so I had to slurp to get it all.

Happy Birthday Daddy

You know how when an important holiday falls on a day mid-week it often gets shifted to a Monday to make a long weekend? Like Memorial Day, May 30th... or, really, a convenient Monday, late in May. Memorial Day Observed.

Well, in our house, birthday's are just as important - or more so - than major holidays. So you have your actual birthday, and then you have your birthday observed.

Today, then, is Kerry's Birthday Observed.

Tate, knowing Kerry's love for ships, produced this:

The H.M.S. Victory

Be sure to look for some "extras" he included - the crystal skull (Indiana Jones), Darth Vader (Star Wars), El Guapo (The Three Amigos), and a rogue Redcoat.

Sweet.

(Yes, I know the resolution isn't good enough to see those kinds of details, I just wanted to share what Tate included.)

"Mom! We found him!"

Remember our little interlude with reptiles last spring? (Because I know you're all hanging on my every word...)

As I sat here in my office, listening to the boys playing outside, this is what I heard:

"Mom!"

"Look!"

"We found him!"

"It's Quartz!"

Because it couldn't possibly be a different lizard with a stubby tail. It must be the same one they caught and played with last spring.

And guess where they found it.

In Kerry's office.

Ew.

Better his than mine :0)

Testosterzone Vacation

So, just to clarify something... this is not California, people.
A hot day on the Oregon Coast means temps in the 70's.
Yeah.
And the water?
Pretty much a constant 55 degrees,
in the summer.

Alrighty, then.



That would be my boys, with the boogie board, trying to surf.
Because that's what you do at the beach.

Wyatt bought the boogie board with some of his birthday money,
but being the lean, mean adrenaline machine
that he is, he took a few runs, turned blue,
and handed the board over to Tate,
who tolerates cold a bit better.

Tate body-surfed while Wyatt had his turns, and then happily rode the (little) waves to shore until he could barely talk, his teeth were chattering so hard.

Too bad there aren't any pics of Gunnar, because he was right there with them.
"Mama! That wave lifted me right off my feet!"

That's my boys.

Because I like pictures...

... here are a few more.



Gunnar really loved exploring the caves at low tide.

Mr. Spooky

I know it's far away and blurry, but that's a whale spouting.
Yes, we saw whales.

Gunnar is big on "thumbs up!" lately.
That's our rental house above him on the left.

Tate and his artwork

Wyatt flying the kite... again :0)

"I live for the beach, Mama."

Oregon Coast 2009

Yes, we're just back from a week of vacation in Oregon.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh................... :0)

First, meet the sponsors of this vacation, Grandpa and Grandma Grasshopper. standing on the deck of our rented vacation house:

The Oregon Coast isn't exactly known for balmy temperatures, and our first couple of days were on the cool side, with some misty rain from time to time.
No problema.
We brought games, movies, and books.
And besides, we go out anyway :0)

We catch (and release) all kinds of creatures in the tide pools... sea stars, hermit crabs, fish, some disgusting wormy looking things, chitons, etc.

Buckets come in handy for carrying all kinds of things.
Like flip-flops.

Caves can be explored in any weather.

And most days were fine :0)
Usually with plenty of wind for flying kites.

Wyatt is the master of the stunt kite.

Gunnar was getting the hang of it.

And Tate was content to fly a kite or just watch.

And, of course, the obligatory beautiful sunsets :0)

These last two, taken by Tate.

Teen Adrenaline

A few pics of Wyatt's b'day celebration in Oregon...





Very excited about his own personal raspberry pies.
Of course, after eating these two mini-pies,
he also had an enormous piece from the bigger pie I made.

Yep, count 'em, thirteen candles.

He wasn't disappointed but seemed surprised
to be getting almost nothing but cash from most of us.

Until he realized it was intended as spending money...
in DISNEYLAND!

But look at Gunnar's face.
He had realized, even before Wyatt, what Wyatt was being offered.
And he's about a millimeter from tears...
trying hard to be happy for Wyatt.

The Big Reveal

Trip pics are still to come, but in the meantime...

Wyatt's actual birthday was a month ago, but he decided to postpone his family celebration until we were all together at the Oregon Coast. Which was a good thing, because Aunt Tami and Uncle Dave had cooked up a big surprise for him.

Well, Wyatt, you've just turned 13. What are you gonna do next?



That's right, you're going to...........

Disneyland!!!

Along with Aunt Tami and Uncle Dave...

... in November.

Which is why it was a good thing that we celebrated his birthday a month late, because now it's only 82 days until the trip :0)

Tate and Gunnar are being very gracious about Wyatt's privilege, although Gunnar has repeatedly given me long, mournful sighs, and laments about how loooooooooong the next five years are going to be... until he turns 13.

Many Thanks :0)

We just got back a few hours ago. Hallelujah. Vacation was wonderful, but there's no place like home :0)

Thanks for the prayers! The drive - both ways - was quite bearable.

Ambulance Mommy, using the FM is a great idea in the car and we do use it sometimes. Very helpful! It does drain the battery a lot faster, though.

The temps stayed in the 70's most of the day as we drove, and even without the AC we could at least blow the air around :0)

And the boys found a way to occupy themselves - they count trucks. For whatever reason they find this fascinating. And since it's about 8 hours of travel time (with lunch and potty breaks), if counting trucks is fun, so be it. They pick several trucking companies and see who has the most trucks on the road. GTI, Swift, Interstate, etc.

I don't have pics yet, so more later... but thanks for the prayers :0)

A Prayer Request

We're going out to the Oregon coast on vacation next week. Hurray!

That's the good news. The bad news is...

After paying a couple hundred bucks to charge up the air-conditioning, anticipating a hot, 7-8 hour drive, we discovered another problem. The air compressor. Yeah. A thousand bucks. Which I do not have. So, no AC. Ugh.

I know, you may just possibly be thinking, "So what? Suck it up and roll down the windows, for cryin' out loud!"

Yeah. I can do that. And I probably will. But for Tate, sitting behind us, working overtime with his one good ear to try to overcome the road noise already... That will effectively cut him off from any communication going on. And, yes, if you know me you know that I can project my voice pretty darn well. But not for 7-8 hours.

So here's my request: Please pray for cool weather on our driving days!

Don't Drink the Koolaid

I think our mayor has been taking lessons from The One.

All that hope and change hasn't been going over so well, has it? The White House is calling on citizens to inform on your neighbors who speak out in opposition of the healthcare "solution". Of course, don't take my word for it, read it for yourself at the White House's site.

Apparently "free speech" doesn't cut both ways, does it?

For my friend Cutzi

Hey Cutzi...

Look what I got for my birthday!


Apparently your daughter has a line of linens named after her. Who knew?