Rainbow Sherbet

Christmas Gifts

2011-12-26T10:24:00.000-05:00

Best Christmas gift I have ever received - our beautiful bouncing blue-eyed boy - Zach!

Born on Christmas Eve, 17 years ago.

Zach - a few months old

Zach - after Christmas Eve services on his 17th birthday.

Best gift this year - the gift of laughter and love with my family!

Infectious!

I love your laugh, Amy!

Thanks, family, for giving us all so many opportunities to share the gift of laughter!

2nd Annual Girls Only Trip to WDW!

2011-12-11T14:09:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it is almost Christmas and I am sitting here writing a blog post as if I have nothing to do!!!

This is going to be quick. I hope I have a chance to write more later, but I hoped the same thing last year after our Disney trip and I never got around to writing about it. Time flies when you're having fun, so they say. This year must have been more fun than anyone could imagine, because time flew faster than ever!

Amy and I celebrated life, love, and happiness for a week right after Thanksgiving. It was our 2nd annual girls only special trip to DisneyWorld. We would love to have the boys along, but they have the annoying complications of a job and school. We so appreciate Daddy's job and his love and sponsorship, which allowed us the opportunity, and I am so proud of Zach's hard work and accomplishments at school, both of which I feel sure are going to result in a scholarship in a couple of years and therefore are contributing to our ability to take off for a delightful week in a very expensive location.

Amy is home schooled, so we have more control of her schedule, and she was between theatrical shows, so we jumped at the chance for an early Christmas gift and some girl time! The boys had a very difficult week with many complications, unforeseen when we planned and took off on our little trip, and I feel so guilty about that - about not being here to help out. But, we had a WONDERFUL time making cherished memories together! (My daughter still enjoys my company, but I know my time is limited. One day she won't want to go with mom, so I am going to take advantage of every opportunity while I can.) Our plan is to make this an annual thing for the rest of our lives. Good plan, huh?

Amy is 14 now so she is eligible to audition to be on the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. She made it through 2 rounds of auditions and onto one of the daily shows! It was so much fun (since she is under 18, she had to have me with her for the whole process and I really enjoyed seeing all the behind-the-scenes stuff!) Here is a little video of some snapshots. Sadly we were not allowed to videotape the actual show. Copyright laws and such.

She didn't win, but she was very good, got some great comments from the judges, and had a blast!

I'm so proud of her - she is fearless.

We had so much fun. We rode Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom ten times in one day! We blasted off to Mars, we road-tested, we splashed, we soared. We sang, and we danced, and we browsed around the world in Epcot.

More later, probably some photos, and more tales of our adventure. But now, as I said at the beginning of this post, I can't believe it is almost Christmas and I am sitting here writing this!

Off to decorate!

RENT is history,and life is good!

2011-11-14T11:53:00.001-05:00

RENT is history.

Most friends decided it was not for them and did not come. I think they missed a wonderful show.

I'm so glad Amy had this experience. We made the right decision. All is well. :)

Time to party!

Amy with other cast members at cast party

During the cast party, the long goodbyes

Posing for photos - Amy is at right

Posing for photos during cast party after the final performance

(Amy is on the right, delighted)

Part of the amazing cast of RENT at Act3 Productions

Amy is on the left, hot pink shirt and leather skirt

The show was really wonderful. I got to see two of the seven shows and would have seen it again, but all four shows of the final weekend were sold out. Indeed, every show but one - last Sunday's matinee - was sold out. We had seen RENT at another theatre in the area - professional level - in the summer, and this show was every bit as good. So much talent! It really makes me happy! Congratulations, guys!

Now. Back to the real world. This is going to be a tough week. No more RENT rehearsals or shows. No more stage. No more late night parties or dinners.

Just normal, routine school work.

Ugghhh.

(She's going to be hard to live with!)

But!!!

Now, she and I begin the countdown to our 2nd annual girls only trip to DisneyWorld!

Yes indeed, now that RENT is history, and good grades prevail, what are we going to do?

We're going to DisneyWorld!

And more auditions are right around the corner. Can it get any better?

Life is good!

Overdue Room Re-do

2011-11-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

It is already November and there are so many things that happened this past summer that I never had time to write about! This was a tough summer, but we did manage to take care of a long overdue project in July - Amy's room re-do!

A paint brush had not touched those walls since before she was born, and all her furniture was odds n ends from here and there, and repurposed nursery and little-girl items. She loved her old pink room, but was more than ready, as she approached her 14th birthday, for a new room. (Where does the time go? Certainly not into home decor around here!)

She chose purple for her new color, but that evolved into lavender. She was going to get rid of the floral wallpaper border around the top of her room at first, but then decided that she liked the way it looked after all, so kept it (for now). The pink sponge-painted hearts under the border and molding had to go, though. Hearts used to be her thing, but not so much now.

One corner of her room had wood paneling fashioned to resemble a fence, with a hand painted garden, dog, and butterflies around it. I painted this scene on her wall during the months before she was born. At first, she was going to remove the paneling and paint over the painting. She decided to keep it after all (aww! because it's mommy's painting!).

I encouraged her to get rid of it - we have photos of it - she shouldn't feel any pressure to keep it just because I painted it. But she decided that it meant something to her after all, and that her room wouldn't be her room if it was gone. That could change tomorrow - which will be fine - but for now, she has all new lavender walls except for this one section with the garden painting.

When the tape was removed and the new furniture put in place, the corner did seem to fit right in with her new look. She got a complete new set of furniture - bed, dresser, chest of drawers, night stand, desk, and hutch. It all matches! No more stuck drawers and grungy old items!

We took down the wonderful play-loft Daddy had added to her room when she was 4 or 5 years old. (seems like it was added only a few months ago!)We also took up the old carpet that had been there forever, and now she has shiny new hardwood floors with a couple of lavender throw rugs. We still need a lamp or two, and some new linens would be nice, but it is almost, almost DONE!

Now the obvious next step in this post is to show you the completed room in all its glory. I would loooove to do that! I mean, a brand new room! You would certainly assume that the owner of this new room would be so happy and so proud of her new space that she would keep it clean and organized, and photo-ready. You would think she would be delighted to show off her new room!

Unfortunately, I failed to take photos of the finished room during the first couple of weeks. Huge mistake. The life of a teenager is messy, people, very messy. It comes in waves, and the room is not always a total mess, but it is always a mess if I happen to think about possibly taking a photo or two. Even though I fell for the earnest exclamations that "oh yes mommy, if I have a new room, I promise it will stay clean!" the sad fact is that it is not. And trust me on this one, you do not want to see a photo of it in its present state.

So, let's all use our imaginations. It has great potential to be a lovely room for a lovely teenaged girl. But let's also be real. Life can be very messy. Aaand, I'm not exactly a stellar example for her. Hey, we are busy around here!

Photos may or may not follow in a future post. Don't hold your breath.

Not everyone will understand...

2011-10-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

Amy with her Improv Workshop group - she is 3rd from left, front row

Note: This was published several days ago and then removed. It was removed for a number of reasons that I won't go into now, but here it is again. :) For now. It may be gone again tomorrow.

I am completely and totally bogged down these days with my duties as a taxi driver, personal assistant, tutor, cook, maid, etc. etc. etc. and I just don't have time to blog. Just a few lines to tell you where we all are and what's up.

Amy is happy and at home in the theatre these days. She is involved in rehearsals for three shows, with her first performance coming up this weekend. She has been taking an Improv Workshop at her favorite local theatre (Act3) for a couple of months and they will have a show Friday night.

At this same theatre she is in rehearsals for RENT - School Edition, with performances coming up in November. She is thrilled to be a part of this show - one of her favorite Broadway musicals at this time. If you are familiar with RENT you are probably thinking, isn't she a little young for that? Well, yes, I did have to think long and hard about allowing her to audition for this one - at 14 she is the youngest (along with 2 other 9th graders) in the cast of older high schoolers and college students. It is the school edition, so some of the language has been altered and a song has been left out, but the themes are the same. In the end I had to say yes.

Several reasons - this is an award-winning, major piece of theatre, and Amy is very serious about her theatre ambitions. I'm her mom, her #1 fan, but I truly see talent there, so I think exposing her to as much quality theatre as I reasonably can, and allowing her to stretch and grow is so important. This is a wonderful theatre company with excellent, talented directors, and I feel very good about the guidance Amy is receiving at Act3. Amy auditioned, got a call-back, and won a spot in the cast, so I am happy that she is getting this opportunity to learn and grow in something she loves so much.

So. While I would never allow her to be a druggie or a stripper in real life, I am allowing her to play one on the stage. Hmmmm. That sounds so bad. Some will ask why not find another play for Amy - theatre ops are everywhere, and certainly a G-rated show could be found if we looked hard enough. Yes, she passed on several other auditions because this was the show she really wanted. Not Honk! Not Little Women. Not right now, anyway.

Some will be put off by the shock value, but of course, RENT is about so much more than the obviously negative themes of promiscuity, drug use, and immorality - it is also about love and creativity, hope and survival. Yes, you will laugh, and you will cry. Some of our good friends, however, will stay away from this one, and will probably judge us harshly for participating. But I'm not second-guessing myself on this one. (Just constantly reassuring myself that I did the right thing) I'm glad Amy has this opportunity. And I'm looking forward to opening night.

Amy and I have discussed all of this. I won't go into all that, but she gets it, she is very mature about it, and finds it laughable that some might think she is so shallow as to have her own personal character negatively altered by a character she may play on stage. I really wish her friends would come out and support her efforts. Sadly, I don't think many will this time.

Well, this turned in to more than a line or two. It is obvious that I am uneasy about how our good Christian friends are going to feel about the fact that Amy is performing in a "for mature audiences only" musical. I find myself feeling like I must explain when I get those raised eyebrows. It is a credit to Amy that she stood out among the many auditioning and impressed the directors enough to secure this role, and I am proud of her and happy she is a part of it. Even if our friends don't want to see it, I hope they will understand why she is doing it. This is theatre. This is what Amy lives for. She is a happy girl. And, as I said, I'm her biggest fan! Here's to la vie boheme - on stage, if not real life. :)

(Sigh) About the rest of us, and the rest of it - well, some other time!

What would you do - if you had a 14 year old daughter who wanted to audition for RENT would you allow it?

The dress and the dancing queen

2011-05-17T19:20:00.002-04:00

I'm so relieved.

The dress was a success!

The dress was easy enough. Even though I don't sew regularly anymore, this was a pattern that was easy to follow. I used boning for the first time, in the back and side bodice seams, but it was no problem. The dress was finished more than a week in advance.

Well, except for the hook and eye.

Aren't you supposed to wait until the last (and I mean very last) minute for that?

Yeah, that's what I thought, so I'm not about to change that universal rule of sewing.

The hard thing about this dress was not even part of this dress. I mean I had no pattern for it, but this dress had to have a petticoat. A nice fluffy petticoat.

At first, I thought, no problem! We will just run over to a prom dress shop and pick one up. We had seen them on-line, and - silly old me - I just thought they would be in the stores. Like when I was young. Decades and decades and decades ago.

Well, we searched all over town,but could not find a proper petticoat. Turns out they are all made into the dresses now. If a dress needs a petticoat, it is part of the dress. You don't just go out and buy a petticoat anymore. What planet am I from? (Or what century?)

Now there was not enough time to order it on-line and be certain it would arrive in time, so I had to scramble and make one. No problem. You don't need a pattern for a fluffy petticoat (good thing, 'cause I sure couldn't find one!) At first Amy didn't want tulle - she was too used to ballet costumes with very stiff tulle, and she thought that would be too stiff for this dress. It had to be light-weight, soft, fluffy - but not stiff.

I just started stitching and gathering, and adding more layers, and different shades of pink, and eventually (and not a moment too soon) we got it just right. It was just how she wanted it. Fluffy, but not too fluffy. And not too stiff, or too soft.

Just right.

She'd had a very hectic week of rehearsals every evening and standardized testing for school every afternoon.

Among other things.

She had been at rehearsal that morning since 10:00am. She got home at 4:30 and wanted to be at the dance between 6:00 and 6:30 (dinner was to start around 6:30) and the location was a little more than half an hour away if we had no traffic snags. We wanted to leave the house at 5:30. She had an hour to shower, curl her hair, do makeup - everything.

And she'd been dancing and singing at rehearsal since 10:00.

Makes me tired just thinking about it.

But she was ready to go, full of energy.

Must not be late - it's The Dance!

Oh to be 13 again!

Come on, mom - let's go!!!

I had a chance to get just a few photos before we left for the dance, a couple when she got there, and a couple more when I picked her up.

She was happy with the dress (and the petticoat!).

She looked really pretty in pink.

10:00 pm came way too soon for her.

("Why can't there be a dance every Saturday night?")

Yes, I'm old but I do remember the feeling.

I'm pretty sure she had fun.

And that is what matters.

Photo taken by the Dance Photographer

Oh yes. She had fun. :)

Show biz in her blood

2011-05-07T10:12:00.000-04:00

We are getting close to opening night now of Camp Rock, the Musical. Amy has been out late every night for a couple of weeks going through final rehearsals and ironing out last-minute details. As a homeschooler, she can take it better than some of the others. She can sleep later each morning. I really feel for all those public and private school kids in the cast who have to be at school early each day. They aren't getting home til 11:30pm either, but they have to get to school so much earlier than Amy. Frankly, I'm not sure we'd be doing this if we didn't homeschool. It's just too hard.

But for those people like Amy who live to be on stage, these last couple of weeks have been great! They love staying late at the theater! They love working on dance moves until their muscles scream. They love fine-tuning a song, and could stand at the piano for hours getting it just right.

They LOVE the stage, and nothing is better than the grueling 2 weeks before a show opens.
Except opening night.
And each and every performance until the final one.
They can be exhausted and grumpy when it's all over.
But for now, it's magic!

I practically had to drag Amy out of the theater at 11:00 the other night. She was one of the last ones out, and as she walked across the stage to the exit she looked all around her, breathed deeply, and exclaimed, "I freakin' ADORE an empty stage! The possibilities are endless!!"
Oh yes.
And she also adores a full audience!

Amy working on a number at age 5

Rock on, Amy!

Blinding contrasts

2011-04-29T18:56:00.000-04:00

What a glorious, joyful, beautiful day this was!

What an unspeakably sad, tragic, devastating day this was!

I've been dwelling on contrasts lately, and today provided blatant examples of extreme contrast.

Today was the wedding day for Kate Middleton and Prince William. England's storybook wedding was televised all over the world and obsessed over by so many, including many people in this country. It was perfect in every way - unbelievably beautiful bride, awesome setting, magnificent splendor abounding. A spectacle in every way, impossible to ignore.

(You're probably wondering how I managed to get this great shot. :) I borrowed it from Google.)

But not everyone in the American South was glued to their television sets this morning. Something is terribly, tragically, heartbreakingly wrong down here today, and no amount of fairytale splendor can ever make it better.

The weather this week has forever changed the lives of many people across the country. Monstrous tornadoes ripped across the country leaving unprecedented destruction, obliterating communities and taking many lives.

Tornado destruction in Alabama

I view scenes like those above and I cannot comprehend them, they are so utterly senseless. How could this have happened?

Thousands of people began this week, this deceptively beautiful spring week, looking forward to briefly escaping reality at the end of the week by watching the royal wedding and dreaming of life in other worlds, worlds most of us will never know.

They ended the week in another world all right. A devastating, unimaginable world that thankfully most of us will never know, but one that is a harsh reality for far too many. Hundreds died. Thousands lost everything but their lives. One day, one night of terror changed everything.

Why? I can't even wrap my brain around this - it is just all so incomprehensible.

Devastation. Splendor. Heartbreak. Jubilation. Misery. Bliss.

Words that make no sense together.

The contrast hurts my eyes. It is blinding.

In my part of the south, on the outer edges of the total devastation, the weather Wednesday night was so scary. We had thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches, and the wind was fierce. The electricity was spotty, and I drove down dark, leaf-strewn roads, rushing to pick up Amy from rehearsal - early release that night so everyone could get home before the worst part of the storm hit our area. Clouds raced across the sky, ominously lit by distant apocalyptic lightning. I held back tears and prayed that I would reach Amy safely, and get us both back home safely before the storm truly hit. If you are going to die, you would like to die at home, and as melodramatic as that sounds, that is exactly what I was thinking that night.

We made it home. The storm skirted our county and headed to the northeast, and we slept soundly and woke up to a beautiful morning with only a small amount of debris to clear out of the yard and driveway. Just to the west of us in Alabama, and just up the road in northwest Georgia, many people were not so lucky. I can't find words to adequately describe the utter devastation of property and the horror of so many lives lost. I'm sure many of those poor souls prayed the same prayers I prayed that night and more. As old as I am, I am just a beginner - less than a beginner - in these types of spiritual things.

I don't understand. No words can explain. And it hurts so much to even look.

There but for the grace of God,....

Distractions

2011-04-20T19:18:00.001-04:00

Easter is late this year, but except for that, the year is speeding by - everything else seems to be happening much too early. I can't keep up. The redbuds and cherry trees were lovely this year, but they were gone before I had a chance to really see them.

This is one of only a few photos I happened to take with my phone while walking one morning. It rained the next day, and the blossoms were mostly washed away. Except for this, and a few "look at that TREE!!!" exclamations as we hurried to and fro, I missed it this year.

I mostly missed the croci, the daffodils, and the forsythia too. Just a quick nod, and then, the next time I looked they were gone as well.

Theatre season (if there is such a thing - with Amy, it's always theatre season) is keeping us very busy lately. A couple of weekends ago she had several performances as the White Witch in her Master's Academy Drama Club's production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Brava, Amy! Good show!

And now she is heavily involved in the final weeks of rehearsals for her next play, the musical Camp Rock, with a local community theatre. It's going to be a great show with lots of music, dance, and high energy. Soon we move into a solid two weeks of rehearsals and performances every night.

I'm not sure what's blooming next, but I have a pretty good idea I'm going to miss it.

She also has a dance coming up soon. I've been working on her dress for the dance. I used to sew a lot, but over the years I have not sewn so much, and it has really been fun getting back to it. Here's the dress I'm making:

When I was a teenager my mother made all my dresses - special occasion dresses and everyday school dresses and skirts. She taught me to sew, and I began making some of the everyday stuff, but she always made the important things, prom dresses, homecoming dresses, even my wedding dress. I was in 4-H, and sewing and biscuit-making were two categories where I actually won awards. ( hmmm, homemade biscuits! Haven't had those in a while!!)

We didn't have cell phones back then. We didn't have computers and the internet, or Wii, or anything cool like that. We did have sewing machines, though, and I am so glad that I spent some time learning how to use one. It's kind of a novelty now. Not really necessary. Not really a money saving skill - fabric is expensive now, and by the time you purchase patterns, fabric and notions, and put all the time into making something, you have as much or more invested as you would if you just bought it off the rack. Amy, so far, is really not that interested in learning how to really sew beyond just a few crafts now and then. (Well, she does have all those above-mentioned cool distractions to more than fill her limited spare time!)

But I have really enjoyed getting back to sewing, even if only briefly. If nothing else, Amy will surely be the only one at the dance with that dress - no one else will walk in the door wearing the same thing. I think she is pretty excited about it too. Maybe she will decide she wants to make the next one!

It's not necessary, but I think sewing is a great skill to have. Thanks Mama.

Now I think I'll go see if I have all I need to make a batch of biscuits....

Irresistible Spring

2011-04-18T23:20:00.001-04:00

If you are one of the five people or so who occasionally reads my blog, then you've seen all this before.
When the azaleas and camellias bloom and the ferns uncurl I just can't resist taking pictures.

I do it every year, and these look just like the ones I posted last year, the same as the ones I take every year. I promise they are not those shots, however. These came from this year's crop, and each year I think this has to be the best year yet. In fact, I'm sure that this is the prettiest spring, and the prettiest azaleas and camellias, ever.

I've been just too busy lately to think about writing a blog entry, but I have these lovely photos and I just had to share them.

These were taken with my little Canon Powershot. I love that little camera.

It rained over the weekend - stormed, really, and these lovely little gifts are mostly gone now. But thanks to my little camera, I can still enjoy them.

Just some of the ordinary, everyday gifts of springtime in GA.

Sometimes I think "what's the use? Why even have a blog - I'm clearly not a writer" (hehe, clearly), but it is a good place to park these little delights, save them for a rainy day, go back now and then and recall the truly glorious spring days we have had so far this year.

So just when I think I won't bother with it any more, spring arrives with her same old tricks, only better than ever, it seems, and I can't resist sharing my azaleas once again.

Warms even my cynical old heart.

And gives me hope.

(And I was soooo tired of those little snow photos of the last post way back in Feb. Anything to freshen up the page, right?)

Magic on the mountain

2011-02-16T13:25:00.001-05:00

We've had a lot more snow this year in the Atlanta area than we usually get. It has been very pretty, lots of fun for the kids, and a huge hassle for anyone who has to leave the house for a job or school or appointments. We're just not equipped down here for snow. Our road crews can't keep the roads clear - they don't have the machinery or supplies. After all, it hardly ever happens here, so that's an area where local governments can trim a few dollars and usually not get burned. Or iced.

When I can, I love to walk at Kennesaw Mountain, a very popular National Battlefield with some lovely trails not too far from home. I was there recently on a cold grey morning for a walk and I was thinking about how pretty it was. I love the woods in winter, when you can see so far without dense vegetation blocking your view. The repetition of the grey-brown tree trunks was occasionally accented with the bright blue and red of blue birds and cardinals getting an early start to spring. I thought about how pretty it would be covered in snow. I would love to see that, but I thought I probably never would since I have to drive to get to the base of the mountain, and when it snows here it is ususally too icy to drive anywhere, too icy to get out of my driveway to drive over for a hike. When it warms enough to melt the ice on the roads, the snow soon disappears. So, I thought, it would be lovely, but I'll just have to imagine it because I will never see it. In earlier times, before children, when Rich and I used to backpack, we experienced snow in the backcountry on several occasions and it was magical. But, I thought, those memories are as close as I will get to that experience again.

Amazingly, only three days later, we received an overnight dusting of snow. It was only an inch at best, probably closer to half an inch. But it did not stick on the roads so schedules at local schools and businesses were not affected. We could move! As soon as I delivered Zach to school I began planning my quick trip over to the Mountain. Amy was still sleeping - the advantage of homeschool. I woke her and asked if she wanted to go with me, but to my great surprise, she wanted to sleep some more instead - the disadvantage of being a teenager. So I mumbled something about what a mistake she was making, how this was a special moment not to be missed, and hurried off to walk in the woods.

It was very special, and I'm so glad I didn't miss it.

Snow at Kennesaw Mountain, Thursday morning, Feb 10, 2011

I usually see quite a few people on the trails at this popular national park, but very few were out this morning. They missed a special treat.

Looking north from the top of Kennesaw Mountain. You can tell that this was a very light dusting - hardly any snow is visible in the distance.

I saw a deer running down this trail, but I was not quick enough to capture it with my camera.

Heading home now. I still can't believe Amy slept instead of coming with me. She missed a real treat. Ahh, but she is young. Lots of snow days ahead for her. There may not be that many more for me, so I'm glad I got to experience this one at the mountain. It was magical!

It won't be long now til the redbuds and the forsythia, the cherry and the dogwood blossoms take over the mountain. More magic to come - can't wait!

Snow and Santa Claus - ONCE a year, if we are lucky!

2011-01-22T13:49:00.000-05:00

Whoa, what's going on? Is it really January 22 already? I just can't keep up anymore. Haha, who am I kidding? I have never been able to keep up, but it is realllly bad now. Yep, I'm over the hill, and it truly is downhill now. All I can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.

We just finished a week of regularly-scheduled-life after a whole week of snowed-in--life-on-hold. Zach's school took 5 snow days week before last, after only 3 days back in school from the Christmas break. That first day was great for him - sleep in, look out at all that icy whiteness, sleep some more, play NCAA Football, sleep, watch YouTube videos, sleep, check Facebook, eat, sleep, ....you get the idea. Next day he did a tiny bit of homework, read some, went for a walk, and repeated Monday's activities.

(All of this was fun, fun, fun, but when he got back to school and found out about the make -up schedule for those snowy days, he realized he could have been happy not having quite so much fun!)

By Wednesday we were all ready for it to melt. Snow around here is a rare thing, and we'd like to keep it that way. We love the little taste of it we get each year. We always wish we got more, and we get all silly and crazy when we get some, but the thing that makes it special is that we don't get much. And even though we say we want more, we really don't. We want to keep it rare and special. Once-a-year special. We don't have the proper clothes for it. Our cities don't have the proper equipment for it. We are in the sunny south, and we don't cope well with the white stuff.

But, like it or not, the weather forecasters are putting us on alert again, telling us to brace ourselves for the real probability of another "snow event" next week. Late Monday, Tuesday, and on into Wednesday. In another year everyone would be thrilled at the possibility. Not now though - we already had our once-if-we-are-lucky snow event for this year. We are more than ready for Spring now.

On the Friday morning before our snow week, this was the scene that greeted us when I pulled up to drop Zach off at school. The seniors do this every year. You never know when it is coming - you just get to school one day and there it is.

Looking back, I blame them for the snow that came and shut us down for a week. They brought it on with this stunt.
It is hard to get a photo that truly captures the impact of a toilet-papered school yard. I took the shot above and several others after I dropped Zach off, but I just couldn't really capture it.

I drove around for a different angle, but still couldn't get it. It is one of those things that you just have to witness in person to really see.

They did a very good job. But it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. This is what was going on in my generation of high schoolers. Way way back in the 60's and 70's. I guess I'm surprised that kids still find this kind of thing amusing. I guess it feels good to know that we do still have some connections in spite of our age differences. New things come and go, but some silly stunts never die.

When I drove away after taking the photos, this is what the sky looked like. Wow, I just had to pull over and take another snapshot. (I'm glad I keep my camera in my purse - never know what might be around the next bend!) I thought it was so pretty, but if I knew how to read clouds, would I have known then what was headed our way? To a cloud person, does this sky say "Beware the approaching snow event"?

I will be watching the sky the next few days to see if we get this message again! According to the forecasters, it's very likely.

P.S. As a homeschooler, Amy got the best deal of all. She slept late, as usual, got her school work done in her jammies, as usual, checked Facebook and chatted into the evening, as usual, watched videos, read, drew, sang and danced, had a great time, as usual, and enjoyed the rare treat of a winter wonderland - something she would like to continue to keep tucked away in that special place where all rare and wonderful things should stay. She won't be making up any days. She didn't miss a thing.

Snow days in Georgia

2011-01-12T01:44:00.000-05:00

It snowed Sunday night and we haven't left the house since. Yes, snowed in. No school. No work. No orthodontist appointments. No quick trips to the grocery store for milk and bread. That's right - I didn't plan very far ahead. I thought we would be thawed out by now - we usually are in this part of the world - so I didn't rush to the grocery store along with everyone else on Sunday afternoon to stock up.

Wednesday will be our third day of icy roads and no school. Very unusual for us - we are lucky to get one snow day per year. This time it is very possible the schools around here will be out of business for a whole week. We still have milk, but we are down to one slice of bread and a few hoagie rolls. Maybe we can clean out a few cabinets - eat those crackers that have been hanging around a while.

We are enjoying the novelty of it all. Staying up late. Sleeping late. Playing games together and watching movies and football. Zach was able to stay up for the whole National Championship game Monday night - if school hadn't been canceled he would have had to go to bed before the exciting Auburn/Oregon game was over. (Why do they schedule those bowl games on school nights? Not fair!!)

On the down side - Amy was scheduled to get her braces off on Tuesday, but that has now been postponed. Ugghhh. She feels like she will have braces for the rest of her life. When she got the braces she thought she would be out of them by September. Here it is January - and it looks like she may be right - she'll have them forever. 'Cause this snow is never going to melt.

Amy has a community theatre audition coming up on Saturday. Surely we will be thawed out by then. She is looking forward to finding a new role to play. These photos show her dressed and ready for her latest role, in December, with the church youth Drama Club.

She was a real riot as 'Les Ismore' in Nativity Idol. Sooo funny - our little comedian!

The snow is fun for a while. But I think we are all looking forward to getting back to normal soon.

____________________________________

Did anyone else get any Singamajigs for Christmas? Our favorite Chistmas toy this year.

Here they are:

Aren't they cute!?

You squeeze them and they sing! They harmonize with each other!

They are really fun! Yes, our favorite toy this year!

We are easy to please.

Ok, I think we are ready for some warmer weather now. Please? Thank you!!

Hit by another wave

2011-01-08T00:02:00.000-05:00

Well that didn't last long! I truly did intend to start back blogging, and I suppose I will, but almost as soon as I hit "publish post" on that last entry, we were hit with another crisis. And I just couldn't pull it together enough to write anything.

Everybody's fine. It wasn't a life-threatening crisis. But is was one of those things that at the time seems like it is just going to completely change our world. A parenting issue that I don't think I want to discuss in any detail on the blog, but all you parents out there already know that raising teenagers is HARD!! It is especially hard for me because I unfortunately allowed myself to get older than I should have before I had my kids. It has been longer than it should be since I was a teenager. The world has changed. Kids are different. Blah, blah, blah.

No, I'm not making excuses. Those things don't matter. Parenting is just really challenging, and there are no easy answers, and it doesn't help for me to blame myself for things I may have done or may not have done over the years.

But really, it is not supposed to be this hard. Why, oh why, did I somehow think it would get easier as the kids got older? I was wrongly focusing on the superficial things - things like the kids being able to dress themselves, take their own baths, feed themselves, ride in the car without a car seat, ditch the stroller, stay home while I run to the grocery store, etc, etc. But as soon as you give away the baby gates and the booster seats, along comes a whole new set of issues. And you realize all those things you thought were "hard" weren't even issues at all.

I still need my training wheels, and I'm glad I have someone watching out for me and giving me a boost along the way. Someone who sees the big picture, and listens to my prayers. This is hard, really hard, and it's just one thing after another....

My husband and I fantasize about running away.

Not together. No, just running away. Just getting in the car and driving. Driving and driving, maybe to the beach, or the mountains, or anywhere, really. Somewhere where we don't have to make all these important decisions.

But I guess we will try to stick it out another few years. We'll do the best we can, hope for the best, and try to handle what comes our way with as much grace as we can.

But isn't it just always something?!?! I mean, just one crisis after another!!!

But beyond my crises there is the world financial crisis, the food and hunger crisis, the water crisis, the oil crisis, on and on and on....

We had a white Christmas here is GA this year. First time for my part of GA since 1882. And WHAT is going on with all the dying birds and fish???

No, it is not just my little microcosm - the whole world is in crisis and it is just so absurd for me to even mention, let alone complain about the personal crises we are facing as we try to raise a couple of kids in today's world.

But if you wonder why I would announce that I am back to posting blog entries, and then go silent yet again, just know that these crises are like waves, and I am temporarily under water.

Uhhh, hello? Anybody out there?

2011-01-01T21:33:00.000-05:00

Well, several months ago I wrote "the end" and said goodbye. I really, really meant it. Life was just too busy to continue blogging. I didn't have time! I read occasional blogs when I could, but posting myself was out of the question.

Things haven't changed. I still don't have time for this. My house is a mess, dinner is late, and I'm out of clean underwear. But I have had a persistent request to continue the blog. Even if only occasionally. So I suppose I will, now and then, post updates. So this is for those few family members out there who, now and then, want to know what's up with us.

Never say never.

And just like it's ok to say goodbye, it's also ok to say hello. Again.

Happy New Year everyone!

A Happy Ending

2010-08-10T15:32:00.001-04:00

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where

you stop your story."

-- Orson Welles

Lost, yesterday, somewhere between Sunrise and Sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.

--Horace Mann

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.

-Benjamin Franklin

There are two secrets to life -

One - never tell everything you know.

Two -

_________________

This has been fun, blogging, but there is just no time for it now. Thanks so much to all of you who visited and commented! I really enjoyed visiting your sites, and hopefully, I will still have time for that now and then. But this is where my (happy) story ends.

See you around! :)

Singing, Dancing, and All Sorts of Silliness

2010-08-05T15:38:00.000-04:00

Our busy summer continues, but it is rapidly approaching the end since school starts next week for Zach. Amy's enrichment school starts next week too, and her regular homeschool will start the following week. Both kids have had lots of excitement, trips, and events this summer. Their trip to NYC stands out for both of them as a special week.

Zach had two great weeks at leadership programs, one in Washington DC, and another on the big, beautiful campus of Berry College in Rome, GA. He's had driver's ed, and visits to the lake and the pool. (And summer homework. Bad idea. But since he's not homeschooled anymore, I don't get to make that decision anymore.)

Amy has been busy, too, besides NYC. She had two weeks at ETC (Entertainment Theatre Company) camp, something she looks forward to all year long. In her first week she played the role of Nicole, a member of the show choir, and a major character.

In the second week, she was Rebecca, the main female role and the leader of the show choir. Both weeks were full of singing, dancing, acting, and having a great time with a great group of kids and counselors.

This photo was taken after the second week when she was 'Rebecca'. She has been doing this camp for 6 years now and it never gets old.

It's so much fun for her to see old friends and meet new friends.

Everybody hates to see it end, and looks forward to the next year.

This is a very short video of one of the songs in Amy's performance the second week, as Rebecca.

Amy also spent a week as a counselor at our church's Drama Club Camp for 6-11 yr olds. I think that was fun, but a lot of the kids were a handful!! Makes her appreciate camp counselors a lot more!

_________________

Amy and I had a fun girls' weekend a couple of weeks ago. We both have summer birthdays so we took some birthday money and went to a large mall we haven't been to before. It's not too far from here, but we pretended it was, and we stayed overnight at a hotel that was next to it. We looked, shopped, ate, experimented with hair styles and make-up, ate some more, bought new magazines and books to take back to the room, watched tv, stayed up way too late, ate some more, and had a really good time!

Amy found this great little derby hat that she just had to have. She also finally found some real Silly Bandz. Have Silly Bandz hit your town? Silly question, right? They are everywhere, but Amy did not have any. All her friends did. Some of them had given her some out of sympathy. They would ask her when she was going to get some. She would ask me when she was going to get some. But I never remembered to stop at the store that was supposed to have them. Lots of stores had knock-offs. Of course, those would not do. She wanted the real thing, or nothing at all. Silly Bandz are colored rubber bands shaped like a variety of things that are worn on the arms of kids big and small. That's it. Just a rubber band. They come in themed packs of 24. They sell for $5.00 (more or less a penny or two). That's right. 24 rubber bands for $5.00. Man, I sure wish I had thought of this. But even if I had I would have rejected the idea as too stupid to work. Too silly. Who, after all, would pay $5.00 for 24 little rubber bands. And who would ever think it was cool to wear them on their arms?

No. It would never fly.

Ha. And I wonder why I'm so poor. I never have any good ideas.

And I assume people are a lot smarter than they are! :)

I'm usually not much of a mall shopper. I only go when I have to, and if I'm alone, I don't enjoy it. But there is something about going with an amost-13 yr old.... It was so much fun! It wasn't the mall that was special or fun, though. It was spending a whole uninterrupted weekend with my daughter that was fun. I'm so glad we made time for this!

Happy Birthday to us!!

Flying Lessons

2010-07-17T11:15:00.002-04:00

Zach's coming home today!

He has been in Washington D.C. all week, a delegate with the People to People Leadership Program.

This was the scene at the airport last weekend when we put him on this plane bound for D.C.

This was his first plane trip alone. He was fine with it - what's the big deal?

But I stood at this window and watched the plane until it taxied out of sight.

We got to the airport early to get checked in, and then had lots of time to wait. We realized we were hungry so we had lunch.

And then he was off. All grown up, flying to Washington on his own.

He's had a great week. Last night, he texted, was very sad - saying goodbye to all his new friends from all over the world.

They are all planning to go together to Europe next summer with People to People. Yikes! We've got to start now raising some serious cash if that dream is going to become a reality.

I'm so glad he has had this opportunity. I know it has been good for him. I can't wait to see his photos and hear all about it.

I have to admit, though, that it was a little hard to walk away from that gate at the airport last weekend, knowing that my little boy was flying away from home on his own. Hey, but my old brain is on delay. He's not so little anymore, and he's becoming a fine young man.

Still.... you know how we moms can worry. Get used to it, right?

Enjoy the monotony while you can

2010-07-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

Before our kids were born life was unpredictable. We made last minute plans, and last minute changes to those last minute plans. Nothing was a sure thing. It was great!

But for about 15 years now our life has been pretty predictable. It has been filled with routines. Rules. Rituals. Traditions. Our photo albums are filled with the same scenes year after year, our holidays follow the same schedule. Except for the kids getting older each year it is hard to tell one year's Fourth of July or one year's Christmas from another.

On the Fourth, we always go to the local parade. Our parade has the same things in it every year. These lovely Southern Belles, for example. They are always there. They never get a day older. And they always wear the same thing.

I always make this blueberry/strawberry dessert for the Fourth. Like it or not, that is one thing we will eat for sure, along with the watermelon, which is also a sure thing.

And we always end the day with fireworks. Nobody asks - it's a given.

We've had a good run. Many, many blessings have come our way, and we have been able to keep our family close and enjoy being stuck in a long, deep, monotonous rut.

But I can tell that things are beginning to change. Slowly but surely, our holidays are changing.

This photo is proof of that change, and this is where our photo albums begin to change, where our holidays begin to develop new patterns. Amy sits on the wall, holding her American flag and smiling as she has done for a decade now while she waits for the parade. Lovely photo, right?

Except something is missing. Something that makes this photo different from all the previous sitting-on-the-wall-holding-the-flag photos from previous years. Zach is not there.

That's right. Zach is not there, which means he is not with us watching the parade. This year he watched the parade several blocks away from us, with some of his friends.

(And neither of the kids sat with us to view the fireworks this year. It was weird, really weird, sitting there, just the two of us.)

That is a good thing. I'm fine with it. But it marks the beginning of a new decade. One where things are going to change rapidly.

Life is always changing with kids. They grow up so fast. Rich and I are old parents, and we promised each other when our kids were born that we were going to be present every day, not miss a thing. Rich was at a point in his career where he could take more breaks to be home more often than a lot of dads can be home when their kids are young. We homeschooled, which allowed us even more time together as a family, to build those traditions.

This has been a big year of change - many, many changes. They are all good changes, and I am not complaining, just noting the fact that from here on out, things are going to be different. We had a good run. But nothing lasts forever, nor should it. When you are in the thick of it with young kids, sometimes you think "Again? We're doing the same thing again?" and you wonder if you will ever be able to break out of the monotony. But, as Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project says, "The days are long, but the years are short." (I love her little video)

At least I have all those photo albums, those monotonous photo albums, where we did the same things every year for the holidays and every background is the same. I can look back and remember the monotony of the good old days, the days when we spent every holiday together, the four or us, doing the same old things. The same old things...

The days are long, but the years are short, indeed.

(Note - On my end, my font sizes are all mixed up and I don't know why!! I tried to edit in Blogger and make it all the same, but it looks all mixed up to me after I publish. I have no idea why. Sorry if it looks all whacky. It is a mystery to me, one I can't solve.)

Independence

2010-06-25T20:23:00.001-04:00

Zach and Amy are on the train as I write this post. They got on the train this afternoon in Penn Station in NYC. They will eat and sleep on the train, and they will be in Atlanta tomorrow. They have been on an Urban Adventure with their church youth group for a week. I will be so happy to see them tomorrow!

They have had a week of (supervised) independence.

They have now been to NYC twice within a year. More times in their young lives than I have been in my old age. We have exchanged texts, and I have actually spoken to them a few times. They sound happy, very happy. And so grown up! Time is flying, just like that Amtrak Crescent they are on! Their dad and I have had a week of looking at each other and wondering where the time has gone - how can our two babies be in NYC without us?

They have toured Manhattan and Brooklyn, both day and night, been to the Top of the Rock, visited museums, and participated in service projects in Central Park and at Trinity Church. They did a Youth Tour and Workshop at St. John's Cathedral, shopped in Chinatown, and did an Urban Adventure Scavenger Hunt. They visited the World Trade Center site, participated in a Theater Workshop, saw a Broadway musical, and ate dinner at Planet Hollywood. And so much more. As Amy texted, it's been TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

And she just texted me that she has just finished eating the cheese and cracker platter on the train, something she had on her list of must do's ever since she got a copy of the train's dining car menu a few weeks ago.

I have missed them so much this week, but I am glad it has turned out to be such a good experience for them. It was hard to make the decision to let them do this, but after last summer's incredible vacation in NYC that all four of us experienced, we just couldn't turn down an opportunity like this for them to go back.

The day before they left for New York, Zach had just finished a week of 21st Century EarthCare Leadership camp at Berry College. He loved it and made many new friends. Completed a high ropes course, lived in a dorm for a week, and attended a dinner-dance, complete with ballroom dancing instruction. Dance lessons! Now that is something I would have confidently insisted he would never do.

Ahh, but that would have been my little boy Zach that I would have been talking about. The one who lived for GameCube, Zoids and football. That little boy was here just the other day. Playing with his little sister.

It's a big wide world and they need to develop skills for navigation. They need to know how to ride the subway on their own, and order and pay for their own meals, and manage their money. They need supervised independence. I'm glad they are having these opportunities.

But it happens so fast, doesn't it? One day they are playing with Thomas the Tank Engine, and the next day they are off to the big city on the Amtrak Crescent. And all I did was blink!

Oh deer!

2010-06-03T06:21:00.007-04:00

This is one of the reasons I don't have the same passion for gardening that I once had.

Just look at that brazen creature in the photo above, playing peekaboo behind a tree. It is broad daylight, high noon, and is he hiding in the forest, resting, and waiting for his evening buffet in my garden??

No!! He and his kind have become very bold over the years and now they no longer wait until dark to destroy the carefully tended flower gardens of my neighborhood.

It was bad enough when the deer were stealthy and somewhat fearful. They ate whatever they wanted, but they did it in the cover of darkness. I would go to bed happily anticipating beautiful new blossoms the following morning, only to awaken to empty stems, stems that had been stripped of leaves and blooms in the night.

The deer roam the neighborhood at all hours of the day and night now as if it is their own neighborhood and they have a perfect right to all the flowers and bushes they see.

As bad as they are, though, the deer don't eat everything. No, they leave a few plants behind for their good friends the voles. The voles are still wreaking havoc unseen, as the deer once did. They tunnel under the garden and eat the roots, sometimes even pulling the greenery down into their tunnels. I once had a beautiful array of hostas, lots of variety, different shades of green, and varying sizes. But the voles began destroying it all a couple of years ago. Now I only have a few hosta left. And the ones I have left seem to be the deer's favorite variety.

With the deer boldly running up and down the street all day and night, it is hard for me to get into my flower garden as much as I once did. Maybe it is other things keeping me distracted as well, but knowing that all my work can be destroyed at the whim of a nonchalant deer makes it hard these days to put much effort into gardening.

But as angry/sad as I am about the destruction of my flowers, I do have to admit that I enjoy seeing these beautiful creatures, up close and personal. They are fun to watch. I do so wish I could teach them some manners, instill a little respect, however. It's not that I don't want to share. I'd be happy to plant a little deer zone just for them. If we could just agree on some boundaries!

Odds and ends, endings and beginnings

2010-05-27T21:08:00.000-04:00

Update on the ducks:
Well, all 12 ducklings survived the first week and then some, but after two weeks it was down to only 7 siblings. A few days later, and then there were only 5. And then only 3 a few days after that. Last time I was at the park I could only find one. One lone little ducky, paddling about the pond.

I was very optimistic at first, really enjoying watching the large family survive day after day despite all the odds against them. But this often seems to be the way it is with me. I am an optimist, but when I look at the way so many things turn out, I really have to wonder why. Why do I always look for the good in everything, only to be disappointed so often by reality? But I don't really know what happened to the ducklings. I don't know if they were taken by some mischievous kids, or if they were taken by some natural predator, of which I am sure there are many passing through the park in a 24 hour period. Did the little ducks provide dinner for some hawk babies? Or coyotes? I certainly don't have the right to say that is a bad thing. Or a good thing. All I can say is that the ducklings were there for a while, and then they were gone. All but one. And I'm glad I got to watch them for a brief time.

Update on the kids:
Ninth grade is over for Zach! He survived his first year of public school and his first year of high school! He ended the year with a 4.0 GPA, and an Academic Excellence award as one of the Top Ten GPA's of the class. Not sure what his exact ranking is yet. His report card that arrived today says Rank: 1. Zach tells me that is not official. But I know for sure he received an award on Awards night for Top ten GPA, and the award for Top student in Citizenship. He also received an award in French. He learned a lot this year. Not just academically. He learned a lot about people. Good things, and bad things. He learned about trust. And integrity. And the lack of both. We're still evaluating the year. But we are very proud of him - he grew in many ways this year.

He has a big summer planned with several leadership camps and various other activities, including learning to drive. Aaaaaakkk!! Help!!! I definitely think they should raise the age for driving. Bicycles are more than enough for teens, right?

This past Sunday, after weeks of Confirmation Classes, he was confirmed at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. It was a lovely ceremony, a beautiful afternoon.

My only regret is that with all the distractions of the last days of school, I didn't see that he got a haircut. :) He's quite shaggy here.

Amy has been enjoying the spring activities in homeschool and Master's. She had a SpringFling 2010 Dance earlier in May that turned out to be even better than anticipated. She's had field trips and sleepovers and end-of-year programs. These photos are from her dance. (she loved her curly hair for the dance - I have to pat myself on the back for this. I am responsible for the hair style. Whewww! so glad it worked out!!)

Her summer is packed with camps and trips. (Thankfully, no driving for her!!)

Both kids are looking forward to a jam-packed summer. I wish I could say I'm looking forward to it too. For me, I see a summer full of scheduling, laundry, rushing to get them here and there, worrying. I get tired just thinking about it. I think I am ready for school to start back already. I don't see a break for me until it does. And of course we all know that is not a break either. Just one more beginning.

But it is fun. I wouldn't change a thing.

Getting our ducks in a row

2010-05-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

There is a new family of ducks at the park where I sometimes walk. I have been watching this family with a dozen little ducklings for a week now and incredibly they are all still there. This is a heavily used park, and if you are a duck, you are living on the edge if you choose this as your home. Oh you will have plenty to eat - kids are constantly tossing you bread. You will learn to hate bread, and wish more than anything that those rude humans would stop. Just Stop. Throwing. Bread.

But it is not the bread being tossed your way that will be your worst nightmare. It will be all the people and dogs that will chase you every day. I've seen so many kids try to hold the ducks at this park. Chase them, try to hold them, pull feathers. Just general torture that for some bewildering reason seems to make some humans happy and satisfied.

When I first saw these little babies I was delighted. Another thing some people love to do at this park is find the eggs that have been laid and take them. Play with them. Break them. So it was really exciting to see this large family.

But it is scary when you think of all the things that could happen to them. Everything from greedy and cruel people catching them and taking them away to hawks swooping down and picking them off one by one.

Their mom is doing a great job keeping them together as they learn their way around the pond. And dad is always standing by, looking out for danger and placing himself between the danger and the kids. There are a few other ducks that are doing guard duty time as well, and a large and noisy goose who has appointed himself in charge of alarm sounds. When potential danger approaches he honks very loudly, while mommy duck gathers the babies into a tight clump and they swim out to the middle of the pond.

Every day I nervously count their fuzzy little heads, and every day for a week there have been 12 of them.

On the day I took these photos the mother duck gave instructions to the kids and then she and the daddy duck flew off. The little guys stayed together, hopped out into the water, and drifted away from the bank, patiently waiting for mom and dad to return from their little break. I was surprised to see this at first - how could the parents just fly away and leave the ducklings so vulnerable? But they are growing so fast, and they have to learn and earn their independence, don't they?

Mom and Dad returned soon and all was well. It was a peaceful morning and nothing threatened the little ducklings that time. The guard ducks were around, staying some distance away, but probably very aware of the little ones drifting drowsily in the morning sun. And Mom and Dad were probably watching too, having a little breakfast and commenting to each other about how time is flying, how quickly the babies are growing up, how soon they will be on their own.

I felt very much like a duck that day. I could relate to what the parent ducks were going through. Doing the best they can to take care of their kids. Protect them from dangers, yet allow them to explore and learn on their own. Hoping they make it another day without disaster, having faith that they will.

Each day the ducklings are a little bigger, a little stronger, a little more likely to survive. I hope I will continue to count 12 of them. And I'm feeling a little better about the people who visit the park. So many things we can learn from ducks!

A weed? A flower? Pretty either way!

2010-04-25T20:40:00.000-04:00

We love to classify, categorize, label.

All the photos in today's post fall under the "weed" label.

We hate weeds. We work furiously to remove them from our yards and gardens.

But aren't these delicate little flowers beautiful? Sometimes I think it's a shame we have to hate them so.

They grow so easily - no fertilizing or watering required.

Just observe and admire.

Uh, no.

Just observe and declare war! Who wants these fascinating little seeds to float through the air anywhere near their yard?

Not if we can help it. No way!!

Because as fascinating as they may appear, they have been labeled "weeds", and they must be eradicated.

I don't even know what this one is, but it must be a weed because it is popping up here and there without "permission". But look at those weird and wonderful leaves! Great shape, great shadows they make!

I don't have a lot of time to get rid of all the weeds in my yard. So I make the best of it and watch them to see what lovely little surprises they might present.

As with a lot of things, it is how we choose to look at it that matters.

It may be a weed, but it is also a very pretty little flower.

And I like flowers!! :)

Babies are expensive - but pull-ups are cheap! And I'm old.

2010-04-17T21:17:00.002-04:00

It is still so clear in my mind how I used to complain about how much money I was spending every week on pull-ups. What was I doing wrong? Why was it taking so long to completely potty-train my kids? I used to dream about what we could do with all that disposable-diaper-pullup-wipes money once they were finally and completely done with pull-ups!

My kids are now teenagers (well, Amy is 12, but as far as the budget goes, she's a teenager) and I sure wish I could cover current expenses with pull-up money! I'm totally shocked at how much more expensive teenagers are than toddlers. For the first time in a loooong time we are worried, wondering if we are going to have enough money to cover the next 6-8 years supporting two teenagers. Almost daily some new expense pops up. Oh how I wish I only had to buy pull-ups, wipes, Goldfish, and juice boxes!

Thinking about how expensive kids are reminded me of a couple of receipts my mother recently shared with me. Receipts from the hospitals where my older brother and I were born way back in the 50's.

Here they are:

The top receipt was for my brother, born in 1951. My parents did not have insurance at the time and they had to pay the full amount of $126.75. Back then, new moms stayed in the hospital a lot longer than they do now. My mother was in the hospital for a full week, seven days, at $8.00 a day for a grand total of $56.00!

The doctor's fee, shown above, was $50, the delivery room was $10, and drugs and supplies were a whopping $5!! Let's not forget the lab expenses, another $5, and the baby's bracelet, 75 cents. My daddy was just out of college and in a new job, and they had only been married for a little over a year. I'm sure that was a lot of money for that time, and with no insurance, it probably seemed very expensive to them.

This receipt was for my birth. My parents were in a new town. A new job for daddy with insurance. It was 3 years later, 1954, and there are a few differences. For one thing, she only got 6 days in the hospital, and the cost had gone up to $10 a day. Lab charges were down $1 to $4, drugs up almost 100% to $9.50. And the little bracelet was a real bargain at only fifty cents! The total bill this time was less, but the final cost, thanks to insurance, was much less than their first baby - only $27.25!!

Now we are talking about over half a century ago, and everything cost much less then. But still I think it says something about how much the cost of medical procedures has risen. The cost for an uncomplicated delivery today is somewhere between $9,000 and $17,000 or more, depending on location, for uninsured parents; $500 to $3,000 or more for insured parents. And that's not counting the separate bill that is now usually issued for the baby.

Maybe all it says, though, is that WOW, I am really, really OLD!!!

Still, I think it is pretty interesting. And it gets my mind temporarily off of figuring out how we are going to pay for these two expensive teenagers. Is it just me or is everything expensive in your town, too???

The azaleas are blooming

2010-04-15T22:39:00.002-04:00

The pollen continues to be a problem, but it is easy to be distracted by the lovely azaleas that are bursting into bloom all around our town.

After several years of low rainfall - even drought conditions - we've had ample rain this year, and the conditions for a very nice azalea season are all falling into place.

Sometimes we get a freeze about this time of year that turns some of the azalea blooms brown, but so far we have not had that this year. The daytime temps are up in the 70's and 80's, and the night temps are in the 40's and 50's.

We have lots of azaleas around the yard - lots of different varieties.

This somewhat frilly, delicate pink one didn't bloom at all the last several years! I love surprises like this!

This shocking, hot pink variety is scattered all over the yard, and the neighborhood.

And this lighter, but still very intense pink is quite common as well.

We are having very nice days, and the azaleas are loving it. Even the coating of yellow-green pollen can't spoil the party.

Paying with pollen

2010-04-07T17:32:00.000-04:00

Our lovely spring is not without a price. Today's pollen count is 5733 - EXTREMELY HIGH!!

I feel very fortunate not to suffer much with allergies, but I know it is really affecting many people now.

You can see the yellow pollen coating these purple pansies in the park today. Everything is getting a thick layer of the stuff, and there is a strange haze in the air.

Tomorrow it is supposed to rain.

We will have little yellow rivers flowing down the streets tomorrow.

Ahhh. Sweet but short relief. I think the worst is yet to come...

Easter traditions

2010-04-05T11:02:00.005-04:00

Gone are the frilly, fancy, pastel dresses and hats. No more overstuffed Easter baskets as props.
But we still have our after-church-on-Easter-Sunday ritual of photos in the back yard. This year we had a beautiful, hot day. (What happened to Spring?!? We went from cold, rainy (even snowy!) March to 85 degrees, just like that!)

As usual, we had plenty of silliness. And we still have a lot of resistance when I ask Zach to simply put his arm around his sister and show a little love.

I know. I ask a lot.

Our azaleas are not blooming yet. We had a cold winter this year and they didn't get their usual early start. So we didn't get our typical blooming-bush-backdrop this year.

So - no frills, no fancy dresses, no baskets with bows, no azaleas, no love.

Well.... actually I think the love was there. It's just often a difficult thing to force into a photo. But I'm not complaining.

We had a very happy Easter. Hope you did too!

Take 2

2010-03-31T18:04:00.000-04:00

This is another shot of the forsythia blooms from yesterday's post. Today's shot was taken with my new camera. The one yesterday was taken with my old camera, the old faithful Powershot. Also, the sun was out today, but the shot from yesterday was taken on a cloudy Monday.

I wish I had a long stretch of time to use and get to know my new camera. The Powershot is just so small and easy and I always take it with me. An old reliable friend. This summer I hope to get to know the new one and make it an old friend too.

Little gifts

2010-03-30T16:52:00.003-04:00

Pretty little things are popping up in the yard lately.

What a lovely Spring we are going to have!

Ice cream and Upwords, anyone? Yes!!

2010-03-25T23:47:00.003-04:00

Amy had oral surgery a couple of weeks ago to expose both canines that were taking their own sweet time about erupting. One was still embedded in the bone so the procedure was a little more than our dentist wanted to tackle. Her orthodontist just happens to have an office right next door to an oral surgeon so it worked out really well for the surgeon to put her under and expose the teeth (and while he was at it he pulled a stubborn baby tooth that just wouldn't get loose) and then have the orthodontist come over while she was still groggy and attach a chain to the newly exposed teeth. Then yesterday the orthodontist put brackets on the teeth and tightened everything up, and now the teeth are well on their way into place. (and, her mouth is sore all over again) The worst part for Amy was the anticipation of the procedure. And the needle. She hates needles and the IV was very scary and uncomfortable for her. After it was all over she really didn't have much pain - we didn't even need to fill the prescription for pain medication. A dose or two of Tylenol took care of it. Everything is now healing and progressing just as everyone expected.

Even though the pain was not as bad as we had feared, we had definitely been expecting some pain, and so we had stocked up on ice cream, pudding, creamy soups, and mac 'n cheese. Actually, pain or not, that was all she could eat for a while - only soft foods and liquids. And we took it easy on school for a couple of days and played games and went to the movies instead. Well of course we could have worked, but it's our school, and we make the rules, and the rule was Take it Easy!! Ahhh, just one of the many advantages of home school!

One of our favorite games during this time was Upwords and we played over and over. We really liked the way we used all quadrants of the board in the game shown in the photo above. :)

We went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3-D the day after the surgery. This is one of Amy's very favorite stories. I, on the other hand, have never particularly liked the story. Not sure why. It has just always been rather boring to me. (Probably I'm just not smart enough to really get it...) I had hopes that the new 3-D movie (with Johnny Depp!!) would turn me into a fan. Break the spell of boredom. But no. I'm still bored. There were a few good spots, but I still can't say I like it. Amy enjoyed the movie, but she prefers the animated version she saw as a little girl, which, by the way, is coming out in a deluxe DVD version at the end of the month (just in time for her Easter basket, she said with a smile).

Even though the movie didn't wow us, it was still a lot of fun, and it got her mind off her sore mouth for a while. Plus, it is always fun to sit in the theatre and watch a movie while other kids are at school, even if this particular movie wasn't as good as we were hoping it would be.

And who doesn't love an excuse for ice cream all day long? You know, I'm thinking about making it a rule......

We had a busy week

2010-03-15T08:52:00.001-04:00

Lots going on last week for us. Zach spent the week in Washington, D.C. with some of his freshman IB classmates. Amy had oral surgery, complete with anesthesia, making for a very trying couple of days.

But we are back to our usual routine today, and looking forward to a normal, uneventful week.

This was the scene in the cafeteria last Monday evening as the kids waited for the motor coach that would take them to D.C. This is the only photo I took. When the kids were small, we pretty much documented their every move, and we have TONS of photos of those early field trips and activities. Now, at 15, in a public high school, it's just not cool anymore for mom to hover around with a camera. I snuck this shot, while he wasn't looking, right after snapping the photo below of the wreath they were taking with them to lay on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier the next morning.

One of the moms, an interior decorator, made this for the ceremony with the guards at the tomb. It was a moving and meaningful highlight of their trip which was filled with memorable moments.

The bus was two hours late, but they finally did take off, around 7:15 p.m. Monday. They drove all night, arriving in D.C. early Tuesday morning. They were too late for their planned breakfast buffet, having only enough time for a quick change of clothes on the bus before their 8:30 appointment at the Tomb. First the boys got off the bus at a rest stop to allow the girls to change clothes, and then the boys had the bus for a quick change out of sweats and into khakis, button-downs and sweaters. They had a full day of tours and appointments ahead of them and wanted to look their best. They didn't check in to their hotel until that evening. I keep reminding myself that they are young. Very young. We can do all kinds of unusual things when we are young. Right? Apparently it all worked out. The only thing they missed that day was breakfast.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were filled with monuments, museums and legislators and the kids had a great time. Thursday evening, after a farewell party at Hard Rock Cafe, they boarded the bus for another all-night trip, this time heading south. The plan was to arrive Friday morning in time for school, and put in a full day of classes. It seems this was necessary for the athletes in the group to be able to compete that weekend. Something about having to put in so many hours at school in order to play. Seems odd to me, but hey, I've been homeschooling and making my own rules for a decade now. Most everything they do seems odd to me. :)

Anyway, they were a couple of hours late, rolling in around 9:45. Some kids opted to go home and sleep, accepting the consequences of an official absence from school. Zach didn't seem too tired and stayed for the rest of the day at school.

From what I can gather, it was a great trip. The weather cooperated, having dumped lots of snow the previous week, but bringing mostly sunny skies and mild temperatures for the days they were there. Zach brought home lots of photos and some souvenirs. Unfortunately, I think he brought home a cold too. Doesn't seem to be bothering him much though. I guess it's just part of the deal, worth it in the end.

More about Amy's week later - time to get her school day started now!

Yellow crocuses (or would that be croci?)

2010-03-13T22:59:00.001-05:00

Either way, I'm glad to see them.

It's not officially spring yet, but we have these sure signs in the yard now.

It is still chilly, and we are having lots of clouds and rainy days, but those warm, sunshiny days are close now.

Whoa. Is that a little too much yellow or what!?!?

That's better.

These are actually very small patches of sunny yellow scattered around a very drab, brown yard.

Come on Spring. We are so ready!

A quick, wet, good-bye kiss

2010-03-03T09:12:00.000-05:00

We got one more snowy blast yesterday, an encore before Old Man Winter packs his bags and moves back home after his carefree vacation in the south.

We were sort of expecting the snow to come, but it was iffy - maybe all it would be was a cold rain. The temperature was a couple of degrees above freezing, so we knew that even if it came it wouldn't be here for long. Just an over-the-shoulder farewell from our infrequent winter guest. A quick little peck on the cheek, as if to say "don't forget the fun we had - see you next year (maybe)!!"

Most of the country can't wait for him to leave. We are all more than ready for Spring's arrival. But down here in the south, we never get much of the white stuff, so this little encore was welcomed - by my family, anyway.

School released early for Zach - we don't like to take chances and drive on snowy roads down here, so we take precautions - better safe than sorry, you know.

This was the scene in the parking lot as I waited for him to come out. It was lovely - for those of us who rarely get to see snow.

He got out an hour and a half early. But it hadn't been all work and no play in the preceding couple of hours. They'd had their share of snowball fights - one last round for this freshman year.

Basketball tournament games planned for that evening were postponed along with all after-school activities. We're back on schedule today.

It will be cold the next few days, but no more snow. By Sunday afternoon we will be in the mid 60's. And Spring is waiting, just around the corner!

Snapshots of our snowy Saturday

2010-02-15T00:38:00.006-05:00

A hug for our seldom-seen but welcome guest

I love snowy branches!

The snow people in our neighbor's yard

Amy with her weekend guest - they really bonded

A snow angel on the deck! Well, why not?

(It may be a loooong time before she gets to try this again)

More snowy branches. Well why not?

(It may be a loooong time before I see them again!)

It may not look like much to you Northerners, but you Southerners I'm sure will agree with me that it was lovely.

Do I dare hope for more before this winter is over?

Greetings from the Snow Diva

2010-02-15T00:15:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year/Presidents' Day

from our girlfriend, the Snow Diva, who spent the weekend with us.

She had a good weekend, but she's not looking so good now.

Time to move on to cooler climes.

It's nice to take a break in the south now and then.

Come back, anytime!

Snow! LOL

2010-02-13T23:59:00.003-05:00

Yes, we had fun in the snow today!

Doesn't happen often - this is the best snowfall my kids have seen in their lives - they are 15 and 12 years old. But the temperature was in the 40's for much of the day, and the wind blew a lot of the snow from trees and other surfaces, so it is almost gone now.

It was a nice change for us -we'd welcome more!!

Lies - they're everywhere

2010-02-13T01:45:00.006-05:00

Amy was using this glue for a project the other day.

She held it out in her hand and said "Mom, this says it works for ALL your needs on the front, but when you turn it over, it names things it won't do. If you tried to use it for all your needs, it wouldn't work. They lied!"

(See Note on label, below.)

And her observation struck me as very telling, profound even.

Isn't that the way it is with so many things? We are told so many things in life that just aren't true. And if we don't look at the other side of things, we never know.

Everyone seems to be trying to sell something, and truth is irrelevant. Just put it on the back and hope it's forgotten. Seems to be common practice these days. And I'm not just talking about products.

It's not about the glue. This is just a simple little example. But it represents so much more to me. It was one of those moments... We talked about it, and I had to be careful not to show bitterness.

It's here!

2010-02-12T16:41:00.003-05:00

Look what we have!

It finally arrived Friday afternoon around 1:45. Zach's school had early release (30 min. early - what was the point?) and it started coming down about the time I left to pick him up.

We are only expecting between 1 and 3 inches.

Isn't it lovely?

It is still coming down pretty hard at 4:30. I will take more photos later, probably tomorrow. These were taken from the porch - too wet to take the camera out now.

I love the blanket of quiet that comes along with the blanket of white.

Is everyone staying busy? We are!!

2010-02-09T18:50:00.006-05:00

We've been SO busy lately! This post is a little family update, so bear with me while I brag on the kids a little. (If you're not family, well, you may want to move along now :) )

We got back from our wonderful, last-minute vacation to DisneyWorld and the Orange Bowl and jumped immediately into school and related activities on Jan. 7.

Amy was off again the next week on a church Youth Retreat to a camp in Tennessee. She did rock climbing and high ropes things (not sure what the ropes thing was called - but she called it FUN!!) She rode horses and is so looking forward to spring arriving and more horseback riding.

Amy enrolled in a homeschool enrichment, one-day-a-week school that offers classes in her favorite areas - Drama, Music, Art, and Art History. She's loving that.

Meanwhile, Zach is getting involved in more and more activities at school. He joined the Math Team and is looking forward to competitions coming up soon. He also has activities in the Philosophy Club and the Lumberjack Club (don't ask) after school.

He entered the school Science Fair and won 1st place overall and in his category. This past weekend he went to the Regional Fair and won 3rd place! A couple of Saturdays ago he took the SAT - still waiting on those results.

And of course, he's keeping the school spirit up by going to basketball games.

Back to Amy: It's Daddy-Daughter-Dance time again! We had to find the perfect dress, so we went shopping a couple of weeks ago. She decided she wanted a short dress this year - the last couple of years she's worn a long dress. She tried on lots of dresses and I snapped a photo of some when she tried them on so we could remember what we had liked at each store.

This was her favorite

And here she was this Sunday afternoon right before she left for the dance.

She's trying to smile without showing her teeth. Her orthodontist is temporarily pushing her teeth out trying to make room for a couple of canines that have not erupted yet. (That's another story - looks like they aren't going to on their own, and we are looking at oral surgery soon to pull them out of the bone they are stuck in. Like we have time for that!!!)

She's always had long hair that we put up some way for the dance, but this year she has shorter hair that is growing out, but not yet grown out enough to really put up, so we curled it. There were some tense moments Sunday, but I think it really worked! Totally different look for her, but it seems to go perfectly with the dress. (And the day after, when the curls were looser it looked even prettier)

She looks so grown-up here!

(How is it possible that she's 12 already?)

This is her "40's movie star" pose. (With her mouth closed - to hide the braces that she wanted so badly and used to be so proud of. Because everyone had them. Be careful what you wish for!)

She and her dad had a WONDERFUL time!

And back to Zach: He went to the Valentine's Dance at his school this weekend.

But he didn't just go.

He was nominated to be on the Valentine Court!!!

He wasn't even planning to go. He went to the Homecoming Dance in October without a date, but he thought this dance was more for couples. He said it just seemed like that's how it should be, being a Valentine Dance and all. And he doesn't have a girlfriend. So he was going to skip it.

But then he got nominated for the Court, so that meant that he had to go. Well, I guess he didn't HAVE to, but all nominees were expected to be there to be introduced at the dance.

And he had to have a red shirt. I have never shopped for a red men's dress shirt. I was thinking that would be impossible to find. But I was so wrong!!! I found dozens and dozens of red dress shirts! They were everywhere! I'm a fashion illiterate!

The nominees came from the various clubs on campus, and Christina was the female nominee from Zach's club. She's a senior and she drives. She asked Zach to go to the dance with her.

So he did!!

He went from not planning to go at all to going with a date, as a nominee to the Valentine Court, all in one day! He had a great time. Didn't make the court, but had lots of fun!

One more update: Zach had a great first semester. He made all A's and is now ranked 7th in a freshman class of 680 students. That's an impressive start, don't you think?

OK, I'll stop now. Sometimes we just have to pull out the photos and post an update, don't we?

Kook frocktail, anyone?

2010-02-05T12:32:00.006-05:00

I have so much to do and I should not be sitting here reading blogs, but once again, I got sidetracked and I'm doing just that. So many interesting, funny, and thoughtful things going on out there! And then I wonder where the time goes....

But I just wanted to make a few quick comments about this post at Rocks in My Dryer. Shannon is writing about the different ways we pronounce many common words. Very funny, and worthy of wasting time! And at the moment there are 60 comments (more to come, I'm sure), all worth reading! Hey, it's just a few minutes, what's it going to hurt.....

One of her examples is February. She had a poll on that one. Do you say Feb-yoo-ary, or Feb-roo-ary? ( I say Feb-yoo-ary)

Do you say "roof" so it rhymes with hoof or aloof? I grew up rhyming it with aloof, but after years of marriage to an architect (who has said it many more times than I have, and should know), I now rhyme it with hoof.

What about "coupon"? For years I said "kyew-pon", but now I am likely to say "coo-pon".

And she also writes about pet peeve mispronunciations, like real-i-tor instead of realtor, or nuk-yuh-lar instead of nuclear.

I hate to hear of-ten with the 't' pronounced - drives me crazy.

And then there are the words that for whatever reason, some people have trouble with, like aluminum. Have you ever heard "aluminumum"? What about man-dan-tory instead of man-da-tory?

When our kids were small we decided that we didn't want them to have the heavy southern accents we heard from other kids on the playground, so my husband and I, lifelong southerners, had to really make an effort to correct what we could about our own accents. We tried very hard to teach them to leave the g's on the end of 'ing' words, and insisted that they say "going" instead of "goin'", and "going to" instead of "gonna". Playing instead of playin', coming instead of comin', and so forth.

And this is not just a southern thing, but my husband insists on the word "yes" instead of "yeah". This was hard for me because I had been saying "yeah" for years! But we kept at it, and it has been relatively successful - for years, Zach and Amy answered questions with a very clear "yes" - never a "yeah" - even though their friends say yeah or uh-huh all the time. Also "no" instead of "nah" or "nuh-uh", which we heard a lot, too. Homeschool isolation (haha) helped with this. And Zach and Amy are often complimented for being such polite kids (If these people only knew!). Now that they are teens and venturing more and more out into the world, I occasionally hear "yeah" from my kids, but not much. Mostly the early lessons have stuck. However, you have to watch out for all those bad influences out there - and surly, mumbled "yeah's" and "nah's" are only the tip..... :)

Yes, this post by Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer got me thinking about a lot of language customs and oddities, from pronunciation to usage, and more. It reminded me of all the cute words kids create as they search for the right word. When I was a kid, I said "kook frocktail" which always brought a smile, if not outright ridicule. I loved fruit cocktail as a kid, but when I asked for it, it got twisted and came out "kook frocktail." Sounded right to me! I still think "kook frocktail" whenever I see a bowl of any kind of fruit salad!

My 2010 Christmas wish list is short

2010-01-28T20:58:00.012-05:00

Apple's newly introduced iPad - designed to destroy the Kindle

I'm not one to embrace technology. I guess I'm pretty old-fashioned about a lot of things and electronic gadgets and technical gizmos usually just don't interest me much. Oh, I love my iMac, and my Zojirushi bread machine is pretty cool, and I can't imagine watching tv without the big flat screen tv and dvr (altho if I had to install it, we most definitely would not have it!)

Thanks to my husband (who is one to embrace technology), I have a Kindle and I like it. With reservations. I can't say it's perfect - there are many reasons why it will never replace books in my world. My husband says get used to it - books as we know them are on the way out, and this is the future. But for now, I use my Kindle for some things, and I still believe in and love books, and use them often.

However, I would have no problem welcoming the new iPad into my life. In fact, I would really love to embrace this amazing new technology. My husband usually has to talk me into new things like this. But my first reaction when I saw this video yesterday was: I. Must. Have. This!!!!

This is an article listing 10 reasons the iPad will kill the Kindle.

And here is an article listing 10 reasons the iPad will NOT kill the Kindle.

Both articles make some good points. But I don't see why we (they) can't all get along together. No one needs to kill anyone/anything. The Kindle didn't kill books. So there is no reason that the iPad should kill the Kindle.

True, everything runs its course sooner or later. Some things just die of natural causes. Survival of the fittest. Natural selection. Evolution. Obsolescence. (I loved my old typewriter in the 70's, but...)

As Wikipedia says:

Obsolescence is the state of being which occurs when an object, service or practice is no longer wanted even though it may still be in good working order. Obsolescence frequently occurs because a replacement has become available that is superior in one or more aspects.

It will be interesting to watch it play out over the next several months and years. I think the iPad will be wildly successful, and this is just first-generation, it will get better and better. We all want one here. But Apple has great marketing. How can you not want whatever they have to offer?

Will the Kindle hold its place, or become obsolete? I ordered a new Kindle edition of a book today, so certainly I will keep using mine. (well, iPads are still a couple of months away from actual arrival) But those iPads sure look appealing, don't they? Can't wait to try one out! (all I want for Christmas is....)

What about you? Which do you prefer - Books, Kindle, or iPad? What's going to win - or is there plenty of room in the future for all three?

If you are looking for a good used Kindle in the months to come, something tells me you won't have any trouble finding one.....

Disney flashbacks - Hollywood Studios

2010-01-27T09:20:00.007-05:00

Near the entrance to Disney's Hollywood Studios at the end of our 4th day

I filled out a survey yesterday about our stay at DisneyWorld and it got me thinking about our trip. When we returned from DisneyWorld it was time to jump immediately back into the routine of school and work without a lot of time for reflection or organization of photos and memories. The survey reminded me that I still have photos and video to look at, and that I could even put some here on the blog! Yes, aren't you lucky - more family vacation photos!

The Osborne Family Lights show in The Streets of America in Disney's Hollywood Studios was awesome! Any disappointment I may have felt about not seeing as many Christmas lights as usual this year was completely wiped away after seeing all the beautiful lights at Disney World. Wow!!

Here is a brief video of a small portion of the show.

Amy conquered her considerable fear of the Tower of Terror and survived the wonderfully terrifying elevator ride. She had ridden this ride several years ago, but she was much more frightened of it this time, and almost didn't do it.

You may think, by this photo, that we took a quick trip to San Fran, but no, we strolled the Streets of America in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Cool backdrops everywhere.

I know it's getting a bit old, but we still love to watch American Idol around here. So of course we really wanted to see The American Idol Experience at DisneyWorld.

It was so much fun! Just like being at the real show. Not that I've ever been to the real show, but it sure seemed like what it must be like at the real show.... We really enjoyed it. We were at the first show of the day at 11:00. The winner of that show and all the rest of the shows for that day (7 in all) came back that night for a Final Round where they competed for the day's grand prize, a "golden ticket" to the head of the line at any one of the nationwide auditions for next season's real show. We came back to see that Final Round at 7:00 pm. There's Amy in the photo above, waiting in the audience holding area before the doors opened at 6:45.

While at Hollywood Studios we also really enjoyed the Studio Back Lot Tour; Toy Story Midway Mania; Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show; and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and of course, the amazing Rock 'n' Roller Coaster!!! And other stuff. It was great. Really great. Cold, but great.

I wanna go baaack......

Frasier did not see his shadow!

2010-01-17T20:21:00.004-05:00

I saw my old friend Frasier today while walking in the park. He's been gone for a while. Or maybe not. I just haven't been to the park in a while. But even when I was going somewhat regularly, it had been a while since I had seen him. There he was today, looking really good, his feathers blowing and curling slightly in the wind, his head held high and proud.

He didn't see his shadow. You know what that means - spring is just around the corner!

I decided to declare today "Blue Heron Day". I'm bestowing on this day the same significance that Groundhog Day claims. It's simple. The blue heron was there in the park. He did not see his shadow. That means spring will be early this year.

I've never cared much for those uppity groundhogs who claim to have some special knowledge or ability to see into our future and know what is in store. They are never very attentive, waddling out with their sleepy eyes, barely able to move, The only thing they are interested in is seeing the easiest way back into their warm little houses. Why all the attention? When do you ever remember them getting it right, anyway? Punxsutawney Phil, General Lee, all these so-called weather prognosticators will no longer mean anything to me. I've ignored them for years, but now it is official. I have deleted their day from my calendar.

From now on I will look to Frasier the Blue Heron for my long-range weather forecasting. He's lean and keen, intelligent eyes taking in everything around him. Clearly he is capable of making better predictions than a fat, lazy, pampered, and disengaged groundhog. I saw Frasier today, and he says "enough already, it's time for spring. Soon. Very soon. Very, very soon. Just a few more cold fronts, maybe a little ice to get out of the way......."

Yay Fasier! You rock! From now on, its you, buddy!

More fun with Disney friends

2010-01-14T13:01:00.003-05:00

Amy had lots of fun gathering autographs and photos of her Disney buddies.

Shopping, and visiting with old friends

2010-01-13T13:10:00.007-05:00

One of the first things Amy wanted to do when we got to Disney World was get a new pair of ears. These were just what she was looking for.

Then it was on to more shopping in Downtown Disney. Shopping for outrageously expensive things like .... oh, some giant Mickey Mouse gloves, and a 30 inch tube of flavored, colored sugar. (???) Absolutely essential items when you are 12 years old with fresh Christmas-gift-money in your pocket.

And then, on to a little dancing in the streets. Fun! It's New Year's Eve! And we are at Disney World! And she's got money! Can it get any better? (Her reply to that is yes, it would be even better if mom would put away the camera!)

The next day it was time to catch up with a few old friends.

But first - we did some Soarin' over California, a quick trip to Mars, a trip with Ellen DeGeneres to see some dinosaurs, and got a FastPass in our pockets for Test Track.

Amy says hello to Troll - no, not her brother, who sometimes goes by the same name. The resemblance is striking. :)

Here's Amy chatting with Alice.

I wonder what she said to get this reaction from Alice.

This is Amy, Christmas 2003, trying on her new Snow White dress.

The only thing better than dressing like Snow White is visiting Snow White. The real Snow White, of course, at her home in Disney World!

And then a quick visit with Belle and Beast,

...and then on to Mary Poppins.

Now, isn't it time to use our FastPass? On to Test Track!

Why did we go? or, Go Jackets, and we will follow!

2010-01-11T12:02:00.010-05:00

Ok, here's why we suddenly decided to go to Disney World early in the morning of December 6, 2009. (We decided to go on the 6th, we actually went on the 31st)

We are big GA Tech fans, and the football team had a great season this year. On Dec. 5, Rich and Zach traveled to Tampa to watch them play in the ACC Championship game. These two go to every home game and as many away games as they can, so when Tech won their division, Rich quickly made plans to go to the championship game. The game was in Tampa against the other division champ, Clemson.

Georgia Tech has a great long tradition in college football with many glorious wins and moments of which to be proud. But if you are a faithful follower you know that there can be long dry spells as well, and patience and perseverance are virtues. We cheer, we keep the faith, and we wait.

Here we are at a spring practice game back in 2002.

This season was Tech's best season in years. When they won the ACC Championship game on Dec. 5 it meant they would go to their first top-tier bowl in a couple of decades - the Orange Bowl, Jan. 5, 2010. They almost always go to a bowl, but this year it was a BCS bowl.

And what's relevant here is that the bowl was in FLORIDA.

Oh yes, Florida, as in Home of Disney World.

In 2004 GA Tech went to the Champs Bowl in Orlando. Perfect! The kids were at great ages to enjoy Disney World so we combined a trip to the Champs Bowl with a trip to Disney World. We had a wonderful time and promised ourselves that the next time Tech had a bowl game in Florida, we would go to Disney World again.

The years ticked by. Tech went to various bowls and even one in Florida in 2006 (Gator Bowl), but for whatever reason (I can't remember now) we didn't go to Disney World.

This year, everything came together in that perfect way, and when Tech won that game on Dec. 5 or early Dec. 6, I was watching on tv, the boys were there in Tampa celebrating the win, Zach texted me, I looked at Amy and said, "Georgia Tech just won the ACC Championship game! What are we going to do now?"

And we all replied, "We're going to Disney World!!!"

And so we did.

P.S. - GT unfortunately lost the game to a well-coached, excellent Iowa team, 24-14. But we are so happy for the experience and we look forward to GA Tech's next Florida bowl game!

Go Jackets, and we will follow!

We went to Disney World!!

2010-01-10T17:53:00.003-05:00

We had a magical ending/beginning to 2009/2010! Yes, we spent a week in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Downtown Disney! We bid farewell to the old year and welcomed the new year in the happiest place on earth! And it was.... supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Cinderella's Castle was beautiful. Every time I turned to look at it as we moved from TomorrowLand to AdventureLand to FrontierLand, it was a different sparkly color.

The only bad thing about this trip is that we just happened to go at the same time the massive Arctic air mass just happened to take over the whole country, including Florida. It was not bad the first day we were there, but then it rained the next day, bringing in the very cold air, and it was unusually cold for the rest of our stay.

But even with the cold temperatures it is impossible to have a bad time at Disney World. In spite of the cold, we had a GREAT time!

Stay tuned for more photos soon, and an explanation of why we decided to go at the last minute. Oh, we've been looking forward to this trip for some time, but we didn't make the decision to go until early Dec. 6. Why Dec. 6? Well, I'll tell you.....

Some little de-stressers that work for me

2009-12-21T08:29:00.007-05:00

These are stressful days. I have so much to do in the last days of 2009 that I find myself going into denial, or shutting down or something. Going crazy maybe? What would make a sane person sit down at the computer and write a blog entry at a time like this? It truly is insane, but I felt the urge to share just a bit of the things that seem to temporarily calm me when I feel like I am about to flip out.

Getting out old decorations.

I love to look at them and remember where and when I got them. I especially love these homemade paper ornaments made with the kids over the years.

Making these decorations is always a fun and calming activity. I love to sit down with Amy and some paper, markers, and scissors and make folded paper ornaments like these as we talk.
Opening the boxes every year is always delightful - the memories of the days when we made them rush in, and for a while I forget what I should be doing and just enjoy looking at the designs and remembering those good times making them.

We like to put these on the tree when we make them and then when someone stops by for a visit during the holidays they can choose one to take home with them.

Pulling out the stacks of old Christmas books is always fun too. I get these out right after Thanksgiving so we can look through them together when we have those little bits of time throughout the season. There are several that we always read together every Christmas Eve, after church and right before bed. No Christmas Eve would be complete without The Christmas Story, The Crippled Lamb, and The Night Before Christmas.
These are some of my favorite old homemade ornaments. Simple - just red construction paper, photos of the kids, glue, and glitter. I love making simple things like this. Fun to make, fun to pull out year after year and put on the tree.

With all I have to do I can't believe I just blew 30 minutes putting this post together. But I will never be able to get done all I have to do anyway, so I guess this little break won't make much difference in the long run.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday and not stressing too much.

Make it joyful. Try to take lots of little moments to reflect and relax.

Merry Christmas!

Yes, that's what mommies do

2009-12-20T20:00:00.007-05:00

My daughter and I went to see a wonderful holiday show this afternoon. Home for the Holidays presented by the very talented students and alumni of the local performing arts high school. After the show we had dinner, and did a little shopping. As we were walking through the parking lot we saw a car with antlers attached to the front windows and a Rudolph-red nose attached to the grill. Amy pointed it out and said how cute she thought that was, and we recalled seeing several cars decorated like that one as well as cars with wreaths, lights, and Santa hats. I told her that I have a blogging friend from Indiana who decorates her car with antlers and recently blogged about it.

Well.

Amy knows that I occasionally post blog entries and that I enjoy reading blogs. She has a blog too, but hardly ever touches it, preferring Facebook and YouTube during her spare time at her computer. I don't know how often she looks at mine, but at least she has seen it a time or two and her reaction to that blogging comment was so funny.

Ohhh, she said, rolling her eyes. I bet it was all sentimental and philosophical and sad in that mommy kind of way, she said. That's what all of you mommies do, she said. Take an ordinary event, just an everyday kind of thing, and turn it into something with deep meaning, she said. Like it's really important or something.

I laughed. She nailed us, don't you think?

P.S. But I did have to tell her that some of the blogs, like Sara's, are all that and so much more. Sara is deep and philosophical and sentimental at times, but also very clever and thought-provoking and funny, really funny. And always a pleasure to read. (Thanks Sara!)

Riiight, she said, funny in a mommy kind of way.

Well, true, but what's wrong with that?

Building her gingerbread house

2009-12-19T00:13:00.006-05:00

Amy made this gingerbread house for a school (Georgia Virtual Academy) competition. Thus the sign on the front lawn, I heart GVA and k12. She was one of the winners! The last two photos show the house in an almost finished state - it was late and she went to bed, but got up the next morning and added more embellishments before we went to the event. I can't seem to find a photo of it completely finished.

Where are the Griswolds?

2009-12-18T07:43:00.006-05:00

I love Christmas decorations. Tasteful wreaths, pretty bows and garlands, candles, and trees, everything color-coordinated. But bright lights really have a way of getting everyone into the holiday spirit. They delight our kids, and bring out the kid in me.

We had a jolly good time last night riding all over our sprawling suburban town looking at Christmas lights. We try to do that once every Christmas season, driving around for no other reason than to find those homes whose occupants really get into the bright shininess of Christmas. You know, the yards overflowing with colorful Christmas lights, mixing reindeer and snowmen with mangers and wise men. The yards and homes owned by merry old souls with a great sense of humor and a desire to share their good cheer with passersby. Every town has a Griswold or two, some have many more, and some have whole neighborhoods full of Griswolds. We have a great time tracking them down and driving by slowly, admiring their lack of taste and their free spirit, grateful that they take the time to make us all so happy.

Last year, thanks to a local newspaper article, we found the yard pictured above. It was truly amazing, and drew large crowds of spectators. We used Nuvi to find it then, and she still had the address handy for us this year, so last night we drove over, expecting at least the same as last year. We were so disappointed when we drove up to find only a few Santas smiling from the windows. That was it. No snowmen, wise men, reindeer, igloos, or Christmas trees. Not even a manger.

We wondered what the problem was. How can you have all that junk and not display it? We worried that they had lost their job, or that someone in the family must be ill. But our disappointment and concern quickly turned ugly. Zach opened his window and began to boo before he was shushed. We wished we had brought eggs to toss at the house where the lights should have been. Why hadn't we brought those pumpkins and gourds we had used to decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving to throw on their lawn? Surely Ebenezer Scrooge himself must have moved in - who else would so cruelly kill our holiday mood? We sat there a few moments, very sad, wondering where to go next. A few other cars drove by and paused as well, I'm sure as disappointed as we were.

Of course I'm kidding about the eggs. Clearly we needed stronger weapons than that to demonstrate our feelings.

Well, we moved on, and found more lights, and the jokes and silliness continued all the way home. It was a fun time, riding around together, being goofy, insulting anything and everything we passed, just between the four of us. We still wonder why those particular lights didn't go up this year.

Perhaps the Griswolds are on another vacation. We missed them and hope they will return next year, and fill their yard once again with bright lights. Or give the whole mess to a neighbor. I'd really hate to see things get ugly at such a peaceful and joyful time of year.

Next year we'll carry some eggs, just in case.

A perfect autumn weekend

2009-11-09T20:56:00.007-05:00

We've had a lot of rain here in Georgia over the last several months. We've had floods. Canceled weekend plans, postponed football games, and miserable, soggy days. We even had school closings. That never happens here in the south. Snow flurries warrant school closings - we fear snow - but certainly not rain.

As I write this post we are under a weather service flood watch, thanks to a rare November hurricane churning in the Gulf of Mexico and threatening to dump several inches of rain on the Atlanta area.

But this past weekend, the first weekend in November 2009, we had perfect fall weather. Not a single drop of rain fell. The evenings and early mornings were chilly, campfire weather, and the afternoons were perfect in the mid 60's, football weather. The only clouds in the sky were like these:

Angel-dancing clouds.
The sky was that perfect fall blue - the perfect backdrop for the beautiful colors of autumn leaves.
Finally! I was beginning to think that we were going to miss it this year with all the rain we were having.
I went for a walk Sunday. Oh how I've missed my walks! Because of the rain and various other things, I have not had a chance to simply go for a walk in such a long time. But this weekend was perfect for walking!
I had my snapshot camera with me. Here are some of the lovely leaves I saw on my walk.

It will rain a lot over the next couple of days, and it is supposed to be very, very windy.
Most of these leaves will fall.
By the time the sun shines again these gorgeous colors may be gone for another year.
I'm so glad I didn't miss this perfect weekend to get out and walk and capture some of the beauty.

I LOVE AUTUMN!! My favorite time of the year!

The world is awesome

2009-11-06T16:34:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I get really cynical. And I feel jaded, and frustrated, and defeated.

And then I come across a really nice feel-good video or song, and it helps me feel a lot better.

This cheers me right up. This song has been cheering me up for decades. Loved it in my childhood, so that is part of why I love it so much now.

See if it works for you too.

Orange is not really my color...

2009-10-31T09:38:00.005-04:00

.....but this time of year it's everywhere! And I just can't imagine October without a heavy dose of orange!

We've had a lot of cloudy skies and rain this year and I haven't been in the right place at the right time with my camera to get a great photo of the gorgeous deep blue skies with an orange tree against it, but this photo has a bit of blue sky. Don't you just love blue skies and orange trees together?

Amy's blue shirt goes well with all the orange pumpkins.

She's wearing part of her Halloween costume as we shop for pumpkins. Can you guess what she is this year? Pig nose and ears; no, not Miss Piggy. She also has wings. When Pigs Fly - close, close.

She's going around exposing everyone to Swine Flu this year. Her brother gave her the idea. She won the prize for "most original costume" at our church Trunk or Treat party Wednesday night.

My photos always look better before I put them on the blog. What tricks do you use to make your photos look better on blogger? When I'm cropping them in Aperture the color looks just right. But then on the blog they look a bit drab. Do I need to super-saturate the color before posting? I guess I should try that because this post is definitely not as richly orange as I thought it was going to be.

Oh well. I do love orange this time of year. And in real life, it is much prettier than this!

Happy Halloween, everyone!!

A night to remember

2009-10-18T23:48:00.006-04:00

What a night it was for Georgia Tech fans everywhere! I guess this has to count as a lightning strike, and just because I'm not blogging much anymore, there are some things that just can't be ignored.

It was homecoming. It was a cold October evening, jackets required (hehe, pun intended). It was Bobby Dodd Stadium at historic Grant Field, full of students and alumni, under the lights, rocking and electric. It was a pivotal game.

Saturday night was a huge night for Tech! The Yellow Jackets defeated no. 4 Virginia Tech 28-23. It wasn't a fluke or a lucky break. It was a good, solid win. And the goal post just had to come down. Call it silly, call it stupid, call it anarchy. But it had to be done.

Zach and Rich were at the game. They were there to cheer and chant and sing Ramblin Wreck a thousand times. They were there to witness and participate as the downed goal post was marched through the streets of the Tech campus and delivered to the lawn of the Tech president.

But this is the last time that should happen. As someone said, from now on it will be other teams storming their own fields should they ever beat the Jackets.

Don't you just love college football?

That's all, folks

2009-10-08T09:48:00.007-04:00

This has been fun!

I will continue to read blogs, but I have learned that I'm a much better reader of blogs than I am a writer of blogs. I'll probably keep this site up for a while, but it is time for me to move along.

Blog land is an interesting land to explore - I've met some very funny, talented, thought-provoking, and inspiring people and I will continue to read their blogs. But I have discovered what you handful of readers have known all along - I have nothing to contribute. I do family updates, but I only have a couple of family members who visit this site, and they have other ways of getting updates. People who know me don't even read this blog, so why would a total stranger?

So I'm going to pull over to the side of the road for a while. Sit in the shade and watch the rest of you fly by. Work in the yard, clean the house, cook, read, walk, help the kids with school, watch a little tv, try to get to bed earlier. I want to work on some creative projects, but I think my creative talents are more visual than verbal.

Oh, if lightning strikes and I feel I have something worth sharing, I will.

But you know what they say about the odds of getting struck by lightning....

I'll see you on your blogs!

Note 11/1/09 - Well.... maybe I'm not completely done yet. Looks like I will post from time to time. But only when it's fun and I have something I want to share. I'm such a boring person and I don't think it will be often, but we'll see........

Never say "never".

Or "that's all".

The mom song - one more round

2009-10-03T15:14:00.003-04:00

This has been around for a while, but I came across it again recently and wanted to share it here. It is so funny - if you've seen it before, it is worth another look.

If you're looking for something to make you smile, that is. And especially if you are a mom.

Go ahead, it's just 3 minutes.

More about The Haircut

2009-10-02T10:50:00.007-04:00

This is Amy's last photo before her new haircut.

We are going to save so much money on shampoo and conditioner! And we are so much more environmentally responsible now! With her long hair, showers took forever, and it seems like she was always telling me to add shampoo and conditioner to the shopping list.

This was a good decision in so many ways!

Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene)

This is the inspiration for the cut she chose. She hasn't yet used gel and actually tried to style it like Alice Cullen (from Twilight), but soon we will be using some of the money we save on conditioner to purchase great quantities of gel. Hmmmm...

Even without the flip-out-spikes though, it is a good cut. It's so much lighter than her long hair, and easy-care. She is very proud of the fact that she no longer needs a brush. Just shake and go!

Now. What are we going to do with all these ponytail holders and long-hair accessories that pop up all over the house? I should use them as a good kick-start to a long-overdue de-cluttering!

Change is in the air

2009-10-01T15:12:00.011-04:00

Who's that girl?

Big changes around here. And by big I mean BIG. HUGE! ENORMOUS!!!

First,

does anyone recognize this person? Looks familiar, but.....

Yes, definitely familiar. I know I know her, but...can't quite place her yet....

Hey, that looks like Amy!

But Amy has long hair. She has always had long hair.

Always. She has had a few trims over the years by mom, but never a hair cut!

Yes, that's Amy!

She donated her hair to Locks of Love

and added some layers and some bangs, and....

I am still taking a second look each time she enters the room.

After all those years with long hair this takes some getting used to.

But it is so cute! And she loves it!

Changes are hard sometimes, but then sometimes they are just what we need.

We've had a couple of weeks of big changes, and hard lessons.

But this is a change that Amy welcomes. She was so ready for a change.

And Amy, change looks good on you!

The BEST friends can't be found on Facebook

2009-09-19T12:05:00.006-04:00

Facebook - who needs it?

Now this is a real friend.

If you are a dog person you will love this video - enjoy!

Good news, bad news

2009-09-14T15:00:00.008-04:00

One of the new issues we are getting used to in high school is grades. When we were homeschooling Zach did the work and it was either acceptable or not, but no official grades were assigned.

All his grades are very good right now. We have a system at his school called i-parent, where every grade is recorded by the teachers and parents can check online and stay up-to-date on what their student's grades are. The other day he had a test in Government and he did very well on it. He made 100 on the test. You would think that a 100 would improve your average - that it would be a very good thing. And it is - I'm not complaining. But the bad thing is that after this test his average for the class actually went down. Yes, that's right. A 100 on the test brought his average for the class down to 101. His previous average was 106. He had some extra credit points for class participation in debates that had given him the temporarily high average, and when he made a 100 on a test, his average went down.

Now that is just not right! Making 100 on a test should not bring your grade down. Is this some of the "new math"? Is the lesson here to not try so hard in class for those bonus points because then the only way to go is down?

I'm only kidding, and I do get it. It is just funny when you get a 100 on a test and your grade goes down, and it was especially funny when Zach told me about it in his very quiet, low-key way.

I'll take it, Zach, well done! Keep up the good work - may your average continue to go down!

Uh, .... by that I mean, keep getting the bonus points so those 100's will keep hurting!

Oh no, I'm getting confused again....

We will never forget

2009-09-11T13:32:00.004-04:00

Eight years ago today I (along with the rest of the USA) could not possibly imagine today. It seemed like the end of the world. It is hard to put into words how it felt to see the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapse before our very eyes. Nothing could ever be the same again. How could we ever get on with our lives after this unspeakable event had occurred?

Yet here we are. Getting on with our lives. All the trivialities, all the joys, all the sorrows. Day in and day out.

But we will never forget.

This is Ground Zero in late July, 2009.

This is the road sign for Broadway, Canyon of Heros, beside Trinity Church.

This is the Trinity Root, a sculpture created in 2005 by Steve Tobin. It is a re-creation of the root structure of a sycamore tree that grew near St. Paul's Chapel and took the brunt of the the damage from falling debris on 9/11. The chapel was remarkably unharmed by the debris and became the "emergency room" for NYC immediately following the tragedy.

I highly recommend that you watch this video about the sculpture.

When we were in NYC this summer we rode by this site several times on tours and walked around Ground Zero, the church and the chapel, and the wall street area, but we didn't have time to actually walk up to this sculpture, or see the memorial inside the chapel. Next time.

The spire of St. Paul's Chapel, NYC

At the corner of St. Paul's Chapel, looking up at the spire.

Part of the memorial at St. Paul's, outside the front of the chapel.

Another shot of the entrance to St. Paul's.

Trinity Church.

The cemetery adjacent to Trinity Church.

When you have about 20 minutes to spare please watch this very moving video entitled Revelations From Ground Zero.

It is very powerful, and if it sometimes seems that some of us have forgotten, this video will help you remember what our country suffered, help you remember that we will never forget.

Best Bro Part IV

2009-09-10T11:21:00.005-04:00

Picking blueberries is always more fun with her brother.

Who wants to go to the Botanical Garden without her brother? Not Amy!

Chasing sea gulls,

or just walking down the beach,

Zach always makes the beach more fun.

Everything is betta with the Best Bro EVA.

Wonderful memories.

OK, this is my last Best Bro post for a while. It has been fun looking back at some of their good times together. More good time coming - stay tuned.

School days, through the years

2009-09-09T11:06:00.007-04:00

Sitting outside a log cabin on a field trip to a 19th century farm museum, May 2002.

Creating art together, December, 2001.

First day of school, August 2002.

On the playground after a homeschool soccer game, October 2001.

Dinosaur Birthday Bash at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, August 2002.

On a hayride at a dairy farm, Sept. 2002.

Pausing for a photo on one of our many nature walks.

This was taken at the ruins of an old mill along one of our walks, February 2003.

Visiting the penguins at the Georgia Aquarium, December 2006.

We are a Mac family and it was lots of fun to visit the Apple Store when we were in Chicago in 2007.

Amy strikes a superhero pose as we stroll through the park in Chicago, 2007.

Catching fireflies and clowning around, 2008.

These are some random good times these two have shared over the years homeschooling together. Yes, she misses him each day (I do too!) And he may not admit it so readily, but he misses her too. They make time in the evening now to have fun together.

Time marches on....

Best Bro Bonus Shots

2009-09-05T23:06:00.003-04:00

Zach and Amy sharing a homeschool moment and a secret in 2002.

After yesterday's post on how much Amy misses Zach being home for school, I started looking back at old photos of the two of them together. I found some good ones and will probably post more soon. I know, this is a family thing, so if you are not family, please bear with me as I remember some good ole days. ;)

The best big bro EVA

2009-09-04T07:10:00.006-04:00

Well, today marks the end of Zach's first month in public school.

And the end of Amy's first month without her big brother by her side all day long.

All these years of homeschooling for both of them, together all day, and now they are apart for school. It has been getting to me, because I am the nostalgic old mom, the one who hates to see things change and kids grow up. They both seem perfectly happy getting older, doing new things, not playing with mom as much as they used to. I'm the one who's been missing the old days, not them. All those Uno tournaments at breakfast, a quick game of Upwords before we get started that lasts half the morning, Wii at lunch. And the field trips - hikes, concerts, theatre, the good old planetarium. The first two photos show them enjoying their spring break trip to U.S. Play last April. The last photo above is of them last winter at "A Midsummer Night's Dream" homeschool matinee. Yes, we had years of fun. But they are both getting older, and now new activities are on their schedules.

All summer I had been thinking about how I was going to miss all this, but I didn't realize that Amy would too. Until I was tucking her in the night before Zach's first day of school.

She was very teary-eyed and she whispered that she was going to miss him. "I've always had Zach with me. It won't be right without him."

She bought a card for Zach during the first week of school - a "miss you" card. And her note inside said:

Dear Zach,

I really miss you when you're gone. You're the best big bro EVA!

Love,

Amy

P.S. I'm gonna kick your butt at super smash brothers tonight...

And she drew her little winking smiley face on the card. She bought him a little gift to go with the card and waited for him to come home.

And, you know, I think she did kick his butt at super smash brothers that night.

She sure is glad to see him come home every day. He usually has a pretty heavy load of homework, but they always manage to fit in some together time. And the sound of their laughter together is music to my ears. They may be schooling apart for the first time ever, but their relationship is as strong as ever. And even though Zach is enjoying school, I know part of him misses all the good times of homeschooling.

I'm so glad they had all those homeschool years together. I'm glad for all of us.

Some good/bad things about homeschool/public school

2009-09-03T09:56:00.008-04:00

There are good things about homeschooling, good things about going to school. We all have our"good" lists and "bad" lists, and they may be lengthy, with many worthwhile points. I won't go into many, but I did want to mention a couple of items that have been added to my lists in the last couple of weeks.

This goes under "good reason to homeschool". Or "good reason not to go to public school". Or maybe under "good lesson learned".

If you are not very careful, your clothes may be stolen.

Zach was at football practice at the big public high school that he has just started attending. Practice was right after school, so he had to change out of his 'school clothes' and into his 'football clothes'. This locker room experience was new to him. His summer practices did not involve changing at the school because he would go straight to practice and then straight home afterward. When he was a homeschool football player he did not have a locker room experience either because the homeschool locker room is at home.

For the first few days of school, lockers had not yet been assigned. On the very day that he was to get a locker after practice, his unlocked school clothes were stolen while he practiced. A brand new, first-time-worn polo shirt and a nice pair of Levi cargo shorts. Gone. He searched and searched after practice, but his clothes were simply not there.

In looking at this whole thing afterward, trying to figure out where he made mistakes, he remembered that some of the other guys carried their duffle bags down to the sidelines during practice. Trusting former homeschooler that he is, Zach did not think to do this. Why would anyone bother to take clothes? An iPod or a cell phone, sure. But clothes? It just didn't dawn on him that there are people out there who will actually steal clothes. Not completely naive, Zach had indeed thought about theft and so he had carried his cell phone in the pocket of his practice shorts. I am glad that he did because he still has his phone, but think about how weird that is - going out on the football field to practice with a cell phone in your pocket! Unfortunately, he left $10 in the pocket of his cargo shorts, never to be seen again.

So - one bad thing about homeschooling is that you possibly do not become aware of the realities of the world and the darker sides of human nature as early in childhood as you do in big public schools. Wait, I'm confused. Isn't that one of the good things about homeschooling?

I guess the thing to remember here is that when you do stop homeschooling and go out into the big bad world, be careful. Otherwise, you may lose your clothes.

In talking with the campus police officers (now that is sobering just by itself, isn't it - that you now must have campus police officers. I come from a much simpler time...) after this incident we learned that there is a "huge problem with theft" at this school. Ok. Now we know.

And related to this huge problem with theft is the (I think) huge problem of not being able to bring textbooks home because of theft. Some of his classes don't even issue textbooks because "they just get stolen", and some classes don't allow the books to leave the building.

Now how are you supposed to do homework without your book?

I know, I ask the most annoying questions...

But I'm digressing, so I will get back to the point of this post - good/bad things about homeschooling/public school.

The best thing so far about public school? I have not had to nag, or even suggest that Zach take a shower. Who knew that the Cure for boys not showering as often as mom would like is to send them to a co-ed school? A definite downside to homeschooling is that you stay home. You get used to wearing the same clothes day after day, and you don't really care if your hair is dirty, and why waste water during a drought by taking a shower that you don't really need?

But now, he is in school with lots of kids, lots of girls, lots of pretty girls, and suddenly he gets it. No more nagging. No more suggesting. No more threats. He showers every day. And I never even have to mention it.

Score one for going to school.

Homeschool and High school - we have both around here

2009-08-31T11:59:00.006-04:00

Even as we try to squeeze the last bit of sunshine out of summer, school has begun around here. I come from the good ole days, when summer lasted until Labor Day, and new school clothes were fall clothes - sweaters and knee-his and such, not shorts and t-shirts. It makes no sense to me to force the kids out of the pool and into a sealed, air-conditioned classroom on a sweltering mid-August day.

For a variety of reasons we started homeschooling Zach and Amy when they were just kindergartners. As long-time homeschoolers we never participated in the lunacy of forced school in the summer. We gleefully took over the deserted pool in late August as the rest of the neighborhood kids trudged off to school. Oh we did school, but not in the middle of a sunny, hot afternoon when the only sensible thing to do was swim. We've never been fond of following the thundering herd, and we certainly didn't want to follow them into those stuffy classrooms.

Well, the years flew by. We love homeschooling, but we are always evaluating our options, and we always want what is best for the kids. Zach is now 14, and ready for 9th grade. High school. Is homeschooling still the best option? We take it a day at a time and that question is always on the table, but we decided that this is the year to venture cautiously back to public education and give it a try. Amy is still at home, but Zach is now, for the first time in his life, enrolled in public school.

This was Zach at 6:30 a.m. on the first day of school, August 10, 2009, saying goodbye to his dog before heading out in the dark to go to school. His sister was still sleeping soundly. For at least 2 more hours.

Amy didn't begin her homeschool until a week later, but when she did, she didn't have to dress right away (jammies are allowed in our dress code), and she only had to walk downstairs to our classroom. Not much traffic to deal with. And breakfast before school is optional. We break for breakfast whenever we are ready to eat it.
Zach is enjoying school away from home so far, however. Even though he has to go to bed much earlier so he can get up much earlier, even though he has assignments to complete that are questionable as to value - some (not all) just seem like arbitrary busy work. Even though he doesn't have time now for some of the things he used to really love to do because of this rigid schedule. He enjoys the people. Lots of people! He is in a big public school and the halls are filled with many, many kids. This is a novelty for Zach who spent many of his homeschool days with only his family, or small groups of fellow homeschoolers. And while I happen to think that is a good thing, an excellent learning environment for young children, I do see positive things about attending high school. Discussion classes in literature and government are definite advantages to high school. Zach is enjoying experiencing all the different viewpoints, and I remember how wonderful literature class can be with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher. Zach is an excellent math student, and without a major investment in learning on my part, he reached the limit of what I can teach him last year in homeschool. He now needs a mathematician to teach him; not me, struggling to stay one page ahead of him. So yes, there are a number of reasons why now is the time for him to go to school.

Still, we can't just say our decision has been made, we are happy with it, and we are sticking to it. For every good thing about school we can think of so many bad things. He is in a good program at a good school, but even so, there are so many inefficiencies, so many problems that you can't avoid. If you are interested in reading more, in looking at why this is such a dilemma for us, this is a good article to read. It talks about the very model of education and how it needs to change. It reminds me (not that I need reminding) why I love homeschooling so much. And why I can't feel like the decision is made and we will all live happily ever after.

I have no choice but to take it a day at a time. So far, so good. But we keep watching, and we are keeping our options open....

Last Days of Summer....

2009-08-27T13:11:00.005-04:00

...well, not officially by the calendar, but with the pool closing after Labor Day....
...these are the last days of pool fun.
The butterflies were late arriving this year, but they have been a joy to watch in the garden the last couple of weeks.

The intensity of the petunias is beginning to fade....
...and the autumn clematis is blooming. A sure sign that summer is almost over.

The rudbeckia show up in force for the second half of summer, but they are fading now as well.

These are the last days of a summer to remember. It's been a good one!