Vote daily and often!

Expenses are tight here as I am sure they are for most of you.  Dan has done a tremendous job this year of working 25-30 hours per week while handling a full sophomore (as a freshman) load of school work.  Next year (still waiting to hear about the Naval ROTC scholarship) he will not be able to work as much and handle the course load.  But, being Dan, he found a solution.  A contest. 

An apartment-finding company in Tallahassee is sponsoring a contest looking for the "best" roommate in Tallahassee.  Dan made a video (with the help of his brothers).  The video is HERE.  Scroll down about 1/2 of a page and you can see Dan and his video.  It's kind of funny.  If you're so inclined, please vote for him.  AND share this with your friends, family, relatives who constantly send you stoopid email forwards and anyone else you can think of.  And, yes, you can VOTE DAILY from as many e-mail addresses as you have.  

The contest doesn't last too long and this would be a HUGE savings for us - so bear with me if I re-post every couple of days or so. 

Spring Break!

It's Spring Break for Dan, Tim and Ian. Dan is home and it's been so much fun! We haven't done much, but just sitting up late with the boys talking and re-watching 24 with Andy has been a blast.  My mom, dad and brother came for dinner Sunday night.  My mom and I both agree, family get togethers without decorations and/or gifts are way more relaxed.  

Tim and Ian have been working a lot.  Dan has been sleeping and interviewing for summer internships (we even spent some time bonding when we bought him a suit over the weekend - suit, shoes, belt, shirt, tie at the mall in under 40 minutes!).  Andy has been trying hard to focus on school -- okay, not really, I've been trying to keep him focused.  As of today we're down to math and Latin and I'm calling it good. 

I love seeing how much fun all the brothers have together. And, like when they were little, I am amazed at how much fun they can have doing NOTHING.  The older boys include Andy without me having to say a word. In fact, I had to stop them from taking him to an R rated movie over the weekend. Still, I think the fact that the boys are so close is one of the HUGE benefits of homeschooling. (Next week, all of Andy's friends have their Spring Break.  He's on alert that he'll be doing at least half-days through this break.)

Dan leaves on Thursday to go camping for a few days before heading back to Tallahassee.  We're going to miss him.  

I've been sore confused during this break.  No one needs me.  That's not to say they don't love me or include me, but after years and years of busy, busy, busy, I'm not sure what to do with myself.  Weird.  Funny, though, there's always laundry!  ;)

Happy New Year!

I feel like I'm finally starting the new year . . .for real and for good.  The very beginning of the new year was pathetic and sad and sick and expensive.  

In the meantime, I have some pictures of things I have been doing besides obsessing over what Mike is eating and who is coughing up what and all of that.  I have more to show you, but it's going to have to wait.  This catching up is slow going!

Yikes!  The garden.  Talk about neglected. We may need to rent a tractor to clear it out for the spring garden.  But, I managed to get out to get the last of the carrots.  (Anyone need carrots?)  

Shortly before Mike got sick, I got sick of the tropical flowers I had all over the little area where I do laundry.  I searched for a picture of the before, but I'm human and I gave up.  My new mural is bathing suits on a clothesline.  I used real rope and string and whatever for the details.  I kind of love it.  I added some Goodwill beach hats over the washing machine and made an area to hang my beach bags.  Yes, I'm weird and I have this much time lately.  

I hate what Mike and the boys watch on tv mostly, so I have come to like the garage and my audiobooks and the clean underpants.  Go figure.  Next up? The porch mural.  I think. I'm kind of nostalgic about that one.  I'll post a picture before/if I decide to paint over it.

Finally, for a person who likes to be in control, when things get out of control (e.g. Mike) and you've already organized your house top to bottom, you have to get creative when seeking outlets.  I chose the rack of the boys' t-shirts. (Note:  Our kids' rooms are SMALL 9 x10 is close to the size. And there are two of them to a room.  We did not have room for dressers and we needed the room closets for storage of all the boy stuff.  We put inexpensive kitchen cabinets in the garage, near where I do laundry and Mike hung a large rack for the boys' shirts.  It's worked great.)  The shirts were a mess.  There were shirts that have not fit anyone living here since they were about 7.  Woohoo - a project for the sleepless and stressed out control freak!  This picture is the result (I know, it sounds more glamorous than it is - boys, at least my boys, tend to wear few colors.)  The t-shirts (which is what they wear 90% of the time) are arranged in a beautiful ROY G BIV array.  To the right of those are the long sleeved shirts that are rarely worn.  Yes, it's kind of nuts, but it made me very happy and it's still making me happy, so it's all good, right?

Things are getting back on track here.  Not a terribly exciting update, but it's all I've got for now. 

At last! A solution!

How to make Sudafed from readily available street meth.  

I think Andy and I might make this a unit study for science as we're due to finish science early.

That dang self-esteem!

You read and hear so much about kids and (tiresome) adults with low self-esteem.  As a not-so-much-touchy-feely-squealy mom, I have spent nights trying to fall asleep wondering if I should have praised a poop-painting or yelled "Bravo" when one of my boys picked up his own toys.  I did not do those things. I am one of those moms with pretty high expectations and, as my kid, you have to earn praise.

Now, they're older.  I am constantly stunned at my boys' bravery.  They will head into any situation, shake hands and talk to the person in charge.  They will do the same in unknown social situations.  I could no sooner have done this at their age (hell, I have to spend a day building up my courage to do it at MY age) than I could have given myself Marcia Brady hair!  And, I am proud and amazed at them.  I'm also happy to see them reaping the rewards from this ability/skill/personality trait (what is it?).  

That said, Mike and I have often talked about Danny.  Danny is unlike anyone I've ever known - he's absolutely fearless. He's not fearless in a stoopid (I can jump off of the roof and land on one arm) way. He is just supremely confident in his own abilities. He never doubts himself, even when he knows he doesn't know all he needs to know.  And, thus far, he's been incredibly successful without becoming a total jerk (big part of what Mike and I talk about - no one likes a fearless jerk).  He is just Danny.  

Today around lunch time he called me sounding happy.  I asked what was up.  He told me he "debuts" on April 4.  "HUH????" was my response.  Turns out, Dan decided at some point after the Christmas break that it would be cool to be able to say that he'd "played" in a club.  Dan arranged an audition at a local night club.  He showed up with his guitar and his voice and they're going to let him play a few songs on April 4.  That he thought this and then did this blows my mind.  Guitar-wise, Dan is okay.  Singing?  Ummm . . . no. He is not a singer and I'm hoping that's why they put him on on a Wednesday night.  

And still, Dan met his goal. He said he only wants to play one night. On April 5 and from there ever after he can say he played in a club while he was in college.  

I'll have to keep this in mind the next time I am worried or afraid to try something new. 

More about Mike!

Today Mike met with the GI from the hospital.  We both liked this man when Mike was in the hospital and we like him still.  He told Mike that he saw no signs of reflux in the first endoscopy.  Poof!  Mike is back to regular food and activity with some moderation.  Moderation is what Mike does best! (Thank goodness it's not me, I absolutely suck at moderation.)

The doctor told Mike he thinks it's a structural thing with his esophagus (makes sense with his history).  He wants to let the recent tear heal and at the end of April, he'll do another endoscopy and a biopsy to make sure his theory is correct.  If it is correct, the doctor seems confident that he can treat it with steroids on a yearly or bi-yearly basis.  Cross your fingers this doctor is right.  

As long as you're crossing your fingers, cross them and your toes and say a prayer and whatever that Mike does not get a stomach virus or another bad cough between now and late April.  The doctor did give us an rx for phenergren (sp?) should he feel remotely nauseous and he told Mike to call immediately if he gets a cough.  It's only 8-9 weeks, right? I know it's going to be fine.  Right?  It is.  I know it.

YAY IAN!!!!!!!

Ian had his Eagle Scout Board of Review tonight and he passed!!!!  He's officially an Eagle Scout.  I am so proud of him.  It's been a long journey through Scouts with Ian. He was slowed down for years by allergies but he kept plugging away at it! And it's paid off.  

And, I am proud to say that Mike and I have done a lot to support the troop but we have never done anything to further Ian's goal of achieving Eagle (beyond providing car service as needed).  He earned every single merit badge, every single community service hour and every single everything else entirely on his own.  We are so so so so proud of him for sticking it out and finishing!!!!!  

Everyone gets cake for breakfast and lunch tomorrow in honor of Ian!  (If you haven't had time to shop or bake, feel free to switch the meals to lunch and dinner.)