Just a Wee Bit Busy Lately, and 29 Days To Go!

Why yes, in fact, that is the same picture I used in the post below, but I like it so here ya go, again ;D

I could insinuate that if it hadn't been raining steadily, and I haven't been busy steadily I might have had a fresh picture, but then again, likely I wouldn't. 

But we have been busy, oh let me count the ways.

*Kerry and my dad took the boys to the Pacific Science Center on Monday (a week ago) because our membership was about to expire and heaven forfend we should leave IMAX passes unused. 

So they took a day off (we're homeschoolers - that was a field trip ;D ), drove all the way to Seattle, and watched three 3-D IMAX movies back to back, and then topped the day off with a stop at Dairy Queen.  Because ice cream makes everything better.  And besides, look at the art!  (Looks kind of Dr. Seuss-like to me.)  And they explored the butterfly house, so - you know - it was all very educational.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was planning the rest of our school week to make up for missing a day, when the phone rang. 

* My MIL, whom we haven't seen for nearly three years decided to fly into town from Wednesday to Saturday.  Which is a good thing, but threw a wrench into my planning.  Because we pretty much dropped everything to spend time with her - visiting, eating, looking at fields of tulips (soooo much fun for the boys), and driving by several of "Kerry's" houses (aka houses he designed).

I had never seen this one before and it looks oh-so-pastoral and peaceful.  However, the salt water (Puget Sound) is right on the other side, and you see that puddle in the foreground?  That's not just a puddle.  That's the water table.  The ground there is so saturated with water it's practically floating, hence the house being built up on a mound.

 * Saturday night, game night at church.  And potluck... Mexican theme :D  The boys LOVE game nights :D

* Sunday church, of course, and the boat show.  Which I didn't attend, unable to resist the lure of three hours of a quiet house ;D

* Monday back to homeschooling, and then Gunnar's appointment at the ENT.  He needed his nose cauterized.  Again.  Leaving us just enough time to run to the grocery store on our way home, eat dinner, and get to the church roller-skating party. 

First off, let me just tell you that I love my crockpot.  It is perfect for days like this!  I just threw in the dried potatoes from an Au Gratin box, some frozen chicken tenders, green beans, and mixed the cheesy sauce with water and milk and poured it over the top.  Easy-squeazy and yum. 

However, let me also tell you the down-side of the crockpot: its delicious smells tantalized me, making me hungry All. Day.  Long.  *sigh* 

And third, let met tell you that I have not roller skated in probably fifteen years and was absolutely thrilled to avoid major injury.  I do not have the confidence of some of the younger skaters I observed.  Some had obviously skated before and knew what they were doing.  Others just launched out, with all limbs flailing wildly. 

But when you're only three feet tall, you don't have so far to fall.

* Tuesday (today!) we had Tate's pre-op, down in Seattle at Children's.  And we are just a little bit excited!  Even Tate, who is calm and cool about the whole thing (doesn't seem a bit nervous) is showing more excitement.

Surgery is in FOUR WEEKS!  I can hardly believe it's coming up so fast.

For those of you that aren't in the HoH/Deaf world - the CI surgery itself won't give him hearing.  They will be implanting the gizmo you see above, under his scalp and into his cochlea.  Then he needs to heal from the surgery before he gets the processor and is "activated".  And even then what he hears will most likely sound like R2D2 (from Star Wars) - a bunch of beeps and chirps.  The expectation is that his wonderful brain will learn to translate all the new digital sound into "real" sound.

It's all pretty amazing :D 

So we're counting down to the surgery, but we're more excited about what comes later.

But in the meantime, CAP tonight, for Wyatt and Tate, and they're having a Big Inspection. Apparently real Air Force officers are coming tonight to inspect the squadron, so they are to be all spit-shined and ironed and creased, and to be on their very best military "behavior" - it's all about Customs and Courtesies. 

And would I ever have anticipated that my teenage boys would be all worked up about ironing?  And courtesy?

Believe it.