Let the Reading Begin!

It's summer vacation here. I have books that I have been dying to read for a while but never seemed to get around to when I was trying to keep up with the boys' school. I've jumped in feet first and I'll share my thoughts - for what they're worth.

The Shack, William P. Young - My mom liked it OK with her book discussion group. My sister liked it well-enough, as did her husband. I figured I couldn't go wrong. Well, let's just say it's been a LONG LONG time since I have disliked a book so much. Truly, utterly, thoroughly hated a book. I will read just about anything. I will finish just about any book. I quit half-way through. Why? Aside from the trite writing, I have to confess to a personal bias. Once again "words-Amy-hates" come into play. Since I can remember remembering, I have hated/loathed/detested the word Papa. Sorry, I just do. No rational reason. That word figures prominently (and stupidly in case you want my real opinion) in The Shack. It was simply downhill from there for me. YMMV.



The Fourth Hand, John Irving - I think most people are fans of John Irving or they're not. Let's face it, he's weird. I'm a fan - I love his quirky characters and I like long, long books. This book is not long, but it's got plenty of quirky. The premise of the book is that a man (whose hand was bitten off by a tiger) gets a new hand - with strings attached. The wife of the "owner" of the previous hand wants visitation rights to the hand once it's attached to the recipient. Crazy stuff. I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book - the end not as much, but I don't know how I would have ended such a strange story either.

The Accidental Pope, Raymond Flynn - I've had this on my shelf for a long time, borrowed from my parents. I loved the idea of the book. Regular guy (well, sort of regular he's a priest that left the priesthood to get married, run the family fishing business and have four kids) is "accidentally elected at the next pope. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The second half, eh, not so much. I don't regret reading it, but I was hoping for "more." "More" of what, I'm not entirely sure, but not "more" of what was given. That said, I think this book could easily be turned into a "fun" movie.

The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters, Elisabeth Robinson - To me, this is the perfect "beach read." I really enjoyed the story and the ins and outs of Hollywood. In the end, I didn't really love any of the characters, but I don't regret reading the book either.

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The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon- I'm in the middle of this book right now and I have to say I love it. A lot. It makes me wish I could read Spanish so I could read the original text and not the (in my uneducated opinion) very good translation. It has everything so far. Intrigue. Quirky. Location. Characters I hate to shut the book on for even a little bit ... you know, all that. I'm sure I"ll finish it tomorrow at the beach and I'm thinking I will still love it. Back from the beach - I finished the book. I kind of guessed at a small part of the ending, but definitely not all. This one gets (quickly counting the thumbs in my house) 12 thumbs up from me - great beach book or just a fun "escape" book. The writing is beautiful. I was struck by a few passages and actually paused and went back to read them again - something I don't do often - again, wishing I could read Spanish because I know it would be that much better.

Come, Join my special circle.

That would be the special circle in Dante's Hell. Specifically, it would be a kitchen and porch full of teenagers being themselves and a living room full Mike staring at hockey, basketball and rugby TV action.

I love having the kids' friends here, I just don't necessarily want to hear everything they say. Know what I mean, Dewd? They were playing Apples to Apples while I was cleaning up the kitchen. I had to stop and explain that Demi Moore was not a type of coffee. She's an actress! You know Ghost? GI Jane? Ummm . . . married to Ashton Kutchner? Ahhhh now they know. She's that nasty old chick. Waahhh.

I love Mike. I just think watching hockey when it's 90 degrees outside is warped - and I say this even though the Penguins are doing so well. I think randomly floating between three games listening to no less than nine idiot announcers is insanity. So, I'm left whining at you and hiding out in the hot, buggy garage doing laundry. Fortunately (?) I have lotso laundry here to keep me occupied. Well, that's really all I have to whine about right now ... I'll be back to post some thoughts on some books I've read the past few days.

The only thing keeping me from curling up into the fetal position under my bed right now is the thought of going to the beach tomorrow. Ahhhh. (And, seriously, how ridiculous am I to even bitch about any of this? I know. VERY.)

Free to good home(schooler) . . .

Our year is just about wrapped up ... my part is officially done. Andy's work is done. The evaluation is done. The older boys are tying up loose ends with their online science classes and history and Latin. Whew!

Let the cleaning and de-cluttering begin!!! I love this part of the end of the year. Filing everything and putting it in big brown envelopes and up into the attic. AND, it's time to clear the bookshelves. In the past, I've either held onto school books for use with Andy or have sold them to earn money for the next year's books. This year, it's kind of bittersweet. I have a stack of books I know I'll never use again. And, I already have the bulk of what I'll need next year.

So, I just want to be rid of these books. If you can use them or if you know of a homeschooling family that can use them, send me an email (all4mine@bellsouth.net)and they are yours (via media mail). I know I'll have more in the coming days, so check back here for updates. These books are USED/well-loved. Some have curled edges. Some have pencil marks and doodles. But all are usable and FREE. They have served us well.

If you want details about a text, you can check out most of these books at http://www.rainbowresource.com. Honestly, I don't remember where I picked up some of these books - a quick google should help you out, though.

(1) The New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism (Official Revised, Version #2)

(1) Once Upon a Time, Saints by Ethel Pochocki - we all loved these books

(1) More Once Upon a Time Saints

(1) Trisms - Expansion of Civilization (2002 edition) + Answer Keys - this is the older version, but if you are looking for something thorough and are willing to put some time into it, I think it's a great program for high-school kids.

(1) The Story of the World, Volume 2: The Middle Ages, Susan Wise Bauer

(1) The Story of the World, Volume 3: Early Modern Times, Susan Wise Bauer

(1) The Story of the World, Activity Book 3: Early Modern Times - this book is missing MANY coloring pages and maps, but the chapter questions and lists of supplemental reading are intact.

Welcome to the Jungle

We've had a LOT of rain the past two weeks. Ian took some time to capture our rain forest of a back yard. I thought the slide show he made was kind of cool. I see lots of mosquitoes and tree frogs in our future.

Pictures of the Backyard from Ian Baker on Vimeo.

SOAP!

Some of you have been asking about soap. I just made some. I kind of like it. It's two layers in each bar, so you get two scents for the price of one. It's nice creamy soap (olive oil, lard, goat's milk, shea butter). I have a limited amount to sell and it's a take a set or take nothing deal. I don't have a big inventory and the way I'm doing this seems like the sanest way to do it and keep it affordable to regular people.

If you are interested but have questions, you can email me at all4mine@bellsouth.net. If you want to buy something, buy it quickly. My paypal email is amy@thefoilhat.com. Shipping IS included in the prices I'm listing. If you are Paypal-shy and want to send a check, email me and I'll set the soaps you want aside.

Here are the soaps I have in stock right now (at the very bottom of the page is a list of ingredients):

SET OF THREE SOAPS - $20 (4 sets available on a first come/first serve basis. Shipping included)

Dragonsblood/Malabar Peppercorn - masculine, clean and not too masculine. It's what I have in my shower right now.
Cucumber Melon/Earl Grey Tea - sounds weird, but it's surprisingly fresh and refreshing. Think tea party. Be warned, the Cucumber Melon part of this soap is fairly NEON green.
Pink Sugar/Oatmeal, Milk and Honey - two classics that work well together. Surprisingly well. It's as close as I'll ever get to making a his/her soap. Good stuff.

SET OF TWO SOAPS - $12.50 (2 sets available on a first come/first serve basis. Shipping included)

Dragonsblood/Malabar Peppercorn - masculine, clean and not too masculine. It's what I have in my shower right now.
Pink Sugar/Oatmeal, Milk and Honey - two classics that work well together. Surprisingly well. It's as close as I'll ever get to making a his/her soap. Good stuff.


Ingredients: Distilled water; goat's milk; lard; olive oil; shea butter; fragrance and/or essential oils. May contain: dead sea mud; black pepper; honey; tea leaves; and/or oatmeal.

Mommy Dearest . . . revealed

Yes, it's time again for our annual home school evaluation. We know our evaluators pretty well and we know that they know we are truly interested in educating our kids. But, every May, I feel like I have to account for the year. Philosophically, I'm opposed to any rules governing how a child is educated. I think the majority of parents do what is the very best for their child and that they would do that whether the state stepped in or not. BUT . . .

Every May I get panicky. Our evaluators are putting their teaching credentials on the line and what happens to them if Danny becomes a senior in high school and forgets how to read? (Not that I'm prone to exaggeration or over-thinking things.)

Yesterday afternoon, while Mike napped (I still cannot believe he took a real nap!), I started going through the boys' work from this year. I just finished up. Let's just say that if you're a kid who's going to be home-schooled, you definitely want the under-achiever mommy, not me. I've been moaning and groaning all year about what slackers my kids are. Ummmm . . . I take it back. 100-fold. My kids are not slackers - they just have a psycho mom. At the rate I'm working the older boys through high school, they can all graduate at 15 (don't tell Danny, though, I still have plans for him!). Maybe I'll have a grip on moderation by the time Andy hits middle school. Right?

I hope I haven't ruined learning for them ... I don't think I have based on their current interests, but ... A friend asked me recently if the boys get all "A's." I told her that "technically yes" they get A's because if they don't get something we are free to stick with it until they are working at A level. Even after 9 years of homeschooling, I struggle with this concept. But it's true. We just don't move on until they've mastered something - though, with high school work, I'm good with a strong "B" in certain subjects.

Ahhhh ... I'm just looking forward to Wednesday. We'll have a bit of math to finish up and the older boys have to finish their science classes online. But, we'll be free! As much as I love homeschooling, I really love our breaks. I have a big stack of books to read and new plans to develop for YEAR TEN.

I'm slowly moving the older boys to a classical reading plan where we will read books together and analyze them systematically (hard books). I'm so looking forward to this - I've been waiting all of these years. It's going to be fun, I think.

Kid-Free Zone?

Our boys are old enough for us to leave them on their own for a few hours. We make sure the 'Burb has gas and Danny has the insurance card and Mike and I are good to go. But, we know they're home. We know they are beating each other up and challenging one another to find ways to terrify Andy. It's not really freedom. In fact, it's just easier to stay home.

BUT ... once a year, my mom comes and collects the kids. Every Christmas, they all get a bookstore gift card from my parents and, in the spring, spending the card (and the night with my parents) is THE event. I kept thinking the older boys would grow out of this tradition, but, truly, they were more excited than Andy. Sunday afternoon, my mom came and grabbed the boys. Not one of them seemed remotely sad to leave us (lol - this is fine as I was doing cheerleader jumps as my mom pulled away from our house).

Mike and I were really on our own. It's been a year since this last happened. Scary territory. Mike napped for a while - yes, you read that right, Mike napped. I puttered around enjoying the fact that every time I picked something up from the floor it wasn't replaced with new stuff. In fact, the house was pretty clean and shiny when Mike woke up AND I'd had my fill of random television "news". I'm pathetic, cleaning AND news puts me in a really good mood.

We watched some bad television while Mike woke up and decided to go to Bahama Breeze to sit on the rainy porch in the unusually cool weather we've been having. We each got an Aruba Red beer and munched on appetizers at our leisure - normally, we have to scarf down what we want before the boys are spitting out broken china. We were able to talk about things without resorting to hiding in the driveway for privacy. It was fun. You know. Like a date, but your date doesn't care that you're wearing your teenage son's stinky sweatshirt from the back of the tank you drive because you're freezing and don't want to go inside. That kind of date. The good kind.

This morning, I slept in - WAY in. I love to sleep in, but usually it's more of me hiding under the covers than it is sleeping. The only time I REALLY sleep in is when Mike is here and when I know exactly where the kids are. This morning was HEAVEN.

Mike, early bird that he is, got up, cooked himself a great breakfast (if the dishes were any indication) and had himself a TiVo fest! He watched all the stuff he'd been saving today. When I finally started moving, he was happily curled up on the couch watching LaCrosse and half-reading his book. Mike NEVER does this. EVER. The only thing that might have made him happier was an ice cream cone. This was a seriously happy man. I walked through, waved, got my Diet Coke and went back to read in our room. It was strange. This house is small and while we love and enjoy our kids, simply sitting and doing nothing is a RARE, RARE thing in our house. To sit alone and do whatever - PRICELESS!

Did we give a thought to my parents? Ummm .... not until about 3 pm today. We headed over to there, torn between the silence and talking about things you can't talk about with kids in the car. Silence mostly won. It's really such a good thing.

As we peeked into my parents house we saw my dad, Danny and Andy huddled over something in the dining room. When we came in we saw they were doing one of those impossible jigsaw puzzles. Tim and Ian were taking refuge with my mom in the kitchen. No one seemed to have missed us. But, we didn't really miss them either, so I guess it's fair.

We spent a lot of time talking about books - each boy had his own haul to talk about. We had an awesome dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad (I just finished the last of that particular leftover), salad with tomatoes from our garden and strawberry shortcakes.

In the end, we were forced (my parents turned out all the lights and locked up the house) to take the boys home again. They must have been really well-behaved with my folks - they were beating each other up by the first stop sign and it continued for the entire ride home (about 30 minutes). Gah! But, it's a small price to pay if they're human "on the outside" world, right?

Memorial Day

Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic. ~John A. Logan

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I know we did. We started out on Saturday morning with Dan, Ian, Mike and Andy joining the Scouts to put flags, crosses and Stars of David on the graves of veterans. I know when the older boys first started doing this, they didn't get it. Now that they are actually old enough to have friends from Scouts IN the military, they take it much more seriously.

They followed up by meeting at a woodworking shop and helping a fellow scout make dog houses for our animal shelter. I love the reports I get back from everyone. Honestly, after talking to Mike, Danny, Andy and Ian separately, you'd hardly even know they'd spent the morning together. Their impressions of everything are all amazingly different.

Late in the afternoon, we were invited to a party at some friends. They have a big party on Memorial Day every year and every year we've missed it. This year, we made it. BIG party - I was amazed at how many people were there. Pick an age group and it was represented. The food was amazing - I love potluck kind of picnics. Our contribution to the food was my Molten Chocolate Cake, smothered in cherries, with whipped cream on the side.

We played Bocce Ball on the giant back yard that ended at the shore of a stunning lake. I wish I had brought my camera. It was hot and cloudy and the trees around the lake were reflected perfectly in the water. AND, I was able to relax as I'd made the boys leave their meat-necklaces at home so gator-danger wasn't an issue. It was absolutely beautiful.

The younger kids climbed the awesome old trees and played a very loose version of football. The older boys alternated between Frisbee and "studying" the college kids on the porch with guitars and other cool music. It's tough being 15-16 at a party like this. We old people played bocce ball and hurled insults at one another for a few hours. We're still, barely, on speaking terms and there is much talk of training and uniforms for next year's gathering.

Just as the college crowd (our hosts have a young-20-ish daughter who has a LOT of friends!) was really moving in on the party, a bonfire was lit and an old flag was brought out to burn as a sweet middle-school-aged girl played Taps on her trumpet. It was lovely and very moving to see so many people fall silent and stop and think about the day and WHY we were all there.

Rebel Yell?

I'm not really a "yeller." But ... tonight, as I was making dinner (vegetable soup with homemade bread), I had my little kitchen "TV" turned on - it was almost time for the Simpson's. Normally, I use the tv to watch dvd's while I make soap or putter around avoiding the horrible "man-climate" in my house in the evenings. (I love them, I just don't want to wrestle with them all the time.)

Anyway, the TV is old and only gets local channels and that really doesn't matter. BUT, I had the news on and they did one of those "Is Your TV Ready For the Digital Transition?" things. I don't really care and didn't pay attention until I looked up at the screen to see GIANT letters that said "YOU ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE." Ummm...there are many things you can say to me that might put a "bump" in my day. But threaten me (in any way) with authority and I get ticked off. "Not in compliance?" Am I the only one that takes this as a threat? The wording REALLY bothered me. A lot. Obviously since I'm neglecting other important things (laundry, dishes, sleep) to type it all out for you. "NOT IN COMPLIANCE?" Hell, it makes me want to disconnect our Direct TV.

OK - it's out of my system. I think. Sort of. Not in compliance, my ass. I'll show "them." (If anyone knows who "them' is/are, let me know - it would probably be helpful.)

Memory Lane . . .

Do you ever forget to eat all day? You know how you suddenly find yourself with an excruciating headache and in a really foul mood? I do this way too often. I did it to myself yesterday. I hate the end of the school year. I have this urge to start multiple projects and kind of roam around getting a lot of nothing done while feeling overwhelmingly busy. It's dumb. I know I do this, yet it always surprises me when I find myself looking at the guinea pigs and wondering how they'd taste grilled (KIDDING). Anyway, I finally figured it out yesterday afternoon and had started the water for a delicious bowl of ramen noodles when Tim walked into the house.

He was gray and clearly in pain. And, sucky mom that I am, I was kind of annoyed - no soup for me, ya know? He'd been playing football with some of the neighbor kids and took a tough tackle. His neck was weird, his arm was weird. I heard "neck" and started collecting my stuff for the ER. At this point, Tim was crying. Tim hasn't really cried due to pain since he was about four, so I was kind of flipped out. I buttered a roll, gave Tim some ice packs and told the other kids not to burn the house down. "Lucky" for us, it was dinner time and the office was mostly empty. I haven't had to drag anyone there for a while. All new staff and doctors. AND, instead of paper forms, they have you fill out your info right into their computer system - so smart.

Great doctor. She was quick, direct and really the perfect doctor for a miserable teenage boy. Lots of x-rays. Nothing broken - whew. The radiologist called today to let us know the x-rays had been double-checked and to let us know that Tim is fine, but he is going to be mighty sore for a week or so. They also suggested we stop him from playing tackle anything. Hmmm...do they make a body alarm for that?

So, it's been a while, and it was kind of nostalgic to sit in the ol' waiting room again. Did anyone else know there is a magazine titled "Garden and Gun?" Here's a link. I'm not really opposed to either, just never thought to combine them in a magazine.

The nostalgia was made complete by the poor kid and his dad who were both hacking up a lung next to us. Short of drinking the hand sanitizer, I don't think there's a chance in hell we're not all going to have whatever they had by the end of the weekend. (Don't tell my mom, though, the boys are heading over to her house on Sunday and she's weird about sick kids in her house. I respect that, but we could really use some kid-free time.)

Upside? They gave Tim some ibuprofen, new ice packs and the two of us hit Sonic for dinner. Tim was pretty miserable today, but he's young and I'm sure will be back to full-speed in a couple more days.

Drowning . . .

Sorry to disappear - we're drowning here. It's been raining almost non-stop since Sunday evening. This is Florida - we don't do more rain than an afternoon thunderstorm or an errant hurricane. I'm fighting the urge to stay in my jammies and move from bed to couch to sleep all day. I need SUN!!!!

We're scrambling to finish up our school year here - Mrs. Evaluator arrives next Wednesday morning. We're not ready. But, we ARE done. Very done.

I promise to come back tomorrow with fun things to tell you. In the meantime, you should make this. If you don't like grits, don't make it. If you're undecided about grits DEFINITELY make this. Delicious. I made the full recipe (supposed to serve 12-18) and had not a scrap of leftovers (sniff).

Rosemary Polenta (The Barefoot Contessa, Family Style):

1/4 lb (1 stick) butter
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. minced, fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 c. chicken stock (vegetable stock works fine too)
2 c. 1/2 & 1/2
2 c. milk
2 c. cormeal
1/2 c. good grated Parmesan cheese
Flour, olive oil & butter for frying

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic, red pepper, rosemary, salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, 1/2 & 1/2, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Off the heat, stir in the parmesan. Pour into a 9/13 pan, smooth on top and put in fridge until firm and solid. (2 hours here)

Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares, as you would with brownies. Lift each one out and cut diagonally into triangles. dust each with flour. Heat 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter in large saute pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3-5 min. turning once until brownd on the outside and heated inside. Add more butter and oil as needed.

A Good End . . .

The weekend ended on a good note, thanks to Mike. I'm an idiot. I ruined most of my Sunday. Normally, I take my vitamins and iron right after dinner. If I miss that, I eat a decent-sized snack before bedtime and take them then. (For some reason vitamins make me sick, sick, sick in the morning no matter how much I eat!)Last night, I took the vitamins without a snack (I don't know why!). Ugh . . . I was up most of last night with a stomach ache. Mike is my hero. In exchange for me not updating him every 10 minutes on how I was feeling - he put me on the couch and promised to let me sleep in the morning. And, did I sleep - once the sun came up and the birds started singing!

While I slept, Mike and the boys worked and worked. We're planning a garden - a big garden. We don't plan to actually plant anything until August (Florida fall gardens are awesome). Over the summer, we'll be working on getting the soil ready and expanding our composting efforts.

Today, the boys managed to dig out the outline of the garden and get rid of weeds and other junk. Yet, they managed to save my sunflowers! They were all filthy and tired, but it is exciting to get this big project underway. (Especially when I get to sleep through most of it!)

Since I had the camera out, I thought I would shoot some pictures of the treehouse Mike and the boys have been working on over the previous two weekends. Kind of cool, isn't it? There are features coming, but they're top secret and no one will tell me what they are.

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And, finally, the tomatoes are coming! We stuck some tomato plants in the little herb garden we keep on the side of the house. There's not much room and we've never done much to the soil, but these tomatoes rock. They are so NOT grocery store tomatoes. I want to plant a field of tomatoes and make spaghetti sauce for the world. For now, I'll settle for our two little productive plants.

Not terribly exciting unless you're me. But, I'm me and I find it all exciting, so there!

Now, will someone come finish up the school year with the boys so I can go play in the dirt and study gardening?

'N Sync

If you've been married or involved with someone for a decade or more, you are familiar with being in sync and out of sync. Mike and I are decidedly OUT of sync right now. I can say this on my blog with impunity, because Mike is fully aware of it. Who knew?

Well, I'd say a LOT of folks knew. It's a conspiracy among people who have waged the teenage wars and lived through them. They are a silent bunch. I get it. It's all about propagation of the species. If people really knew what it was like to have teens, they would not have babies. So .... keep this post a secret and I'll delete it and deny it if you come back to me when your kids are 16.

You finally get your kids to the age where you can safely leave them alone and go have dinner or make out in the high school parking lot ... and it's great. And, when you come to count on that time together -- ALONE -- one of your kids screws up (not in a big way just enough to make you, as parents, want to check that behavior) and you're stuck back at home for a couple of weeks. It's the responsible thing to do. But, what if???? What if you have one kid that insists on doing everything the hard way? You're stuck at home for weeks and weeks. Sure, it's working for the kid - he's getting it. (And, we did not once resort to duct taping his mouth.) In fact, he's probably delighting in the knowledge that he's ruined mom and dad's date night(s).

God help us. Mike and I are TOTALLY and COMPLETELY out of sync right now. I know it won't last, but sheesh. We headed out today for a fun, family picnic with the other Tae Kwon Do families. Ummm ... none of us thought to ask the others if they knew where we were going. Lost in our home city. It was ugly. In fact, I'm up now typing this all out to dissipate my urge to put fire ants in bed with Mike. I love Mike, but I'm still kind of ticked off. A few fire ants might learn him ... but I won't do that. Mainly because I'd be the one cleaning up the mess and listening to the misery . . .

Here's to a reconciliatory Sunday!

Wonder of wonders . . .

About three months ago our ice maker stopped working. I am a lover of ice. I love nothing more than a glass full of ice topped with iced tea or a bubbly Diet Coke. However, an ice maker is not essential to life. When the ice maker died, I put on my brave-little-soldier face and got on with life. We bought ice cube trays and adjusted. Yesterday - the ice maker started working again. We have no clue why it's working. It just is. I am sitting here chomping on crushed ice and enjoying our little miracle. It's so exciting. I just know you are all happy for me too. Really - that's it. That's as exciting as my day got today. :::sigh:::

Sorry to disappear . . .

But, sometimes life takes over blogging, ya know? Life and the series finales of American Idol, 24, Lost (there are not words to describe my love/hate relationship with this show) and Hell's Kitchen. Lost and Hell's Kitchen are over. Whew. 24 will end Monday - I'm very curious about this season's ending. American Idol is nearly done and I'm happy whichever guy wins.

Life? Eh ... trying to finish up school. It's trickier with older kids - you know all that documentation and stuff. Oh, and the fact that they all want to sleep until noon AND finish up school by 4. I'm good with the sleeping until noon if they work into the evening. But, I'm a shrew (if you ask them) . . . Andy, 9, and my current favorite child, is nearly done and remarkably nice these days. Spelling is done. He has a bit of math, history, Latin and grammar to finish up, but I see freedom in his future by mid-next-week. The older boys? Eh ... they're not getting it. They know what they have to finish and it will take as long as it takes. Is there a "hurry-up" saint? I want to be done so much more than they do!

This week I read "The Fourth Hand," by John Irving. The premise of the book is funny (well, if you are a fan of Irving) - reporter gets hand bit off by lion while reporting, reporter gets generous offer of hand-transplant, reporter agrees to meet with widow of hand-transplant donor for "visitation." Crazy, but a fun read. I'm nearly done with Angels and Demons (the DaVinci Code sequel) ... I'll finish it, but it's so much like The DaVinci Code (and I didn't love that) ... I know his book sales prove me wrong, but I don't think he's that great of a writer. I think a more skilled writer could have made both books more seamless and interesting. But, what do I know?

I've still got Atlas Shrugged on my mind. I got a version with larger type for Mike (he's old, you know) and I've informed him I do not want to talk to him until he can tell me exactly WHO John Galt is. ;) If he would just stop going into work everyday, I think we might make some progress . . . I've also added the book to the boys' summer reading list. (Just get those Beach Boys songs and thoughts of surfing out of your head right now!) It's the only book on the list that is NOT optional for them to read. Yes, I think it's THAT important.

I have lots of pictures to share - I just need to do that when Tim is awake and can guide me through it. Look for treehouse pics, guinea pig pics and strange boy pic over the weekend.

Sometimes reminders are hard . . .

There are times, especially lately, where I feel like I'm being tested and my kids are on the verge of becoming Charles Manson (not that I'm given to exaggeration or anything like that) and then I hear from people with real issues - scary things. Or I read about people who are dealing gracefully with a really badly dealt "hand-at-life." I hate that anyone else is having a hard time, but a wake-up call is good every now and then, isn't it? I just hate that I'm too stupid to see my life for what it is and that it takes someone else having a hard time to make me really wake up. Well, once again, I'm awake and grateful and praying for those who are really struggling with real things.

And, strangely, when this kind of thing hits me, I tend to regain my sense of humor. Weird, but that's just how I am made. Stay tuned ...

So ... we went to Walmart this evening . . .

We were picking up Ian's allergy meds and a few other random things - as one is wont to do in Walmart. While we were waiting for the rx's, Ian noticed the Walmart version of the Neti Pot on the shelves. I love my Neti Pot. It's cute. If I didn't use it to clear the pollen out of my head twice a day, I wouldn't hesitate to fill it with flowers. I got my Neti Pot at a health food store. It's ceramic, it's cute. I'm sure, if I had gone to Walmart in search of my first Neti Pot, I would still be Neti-Pot-less. Ian giggled, took a picture and said "I shouldn't tell you what I'm thinking, but I will. I look at that pot and all I think is Papa Smurf." Gah! There are some things you should just never put up your nose. Ya know?

Say something nice ...

I live in a house with men. Five of them. Short of applying bright blue eyeliner with a thick pencil or setting my hair on fire, none of them notice me or what I look like on a daily basis. It's probably better that way.

But, sometimes, it's nice to hear something nice. I've been kind of blah for the past couple of months. It happens. It'll pass. But, truth be told, I'm feeling old (hey, that rhymed!) The "bigs" are growing up and I'm feeling kind of outdated. My hair is weird - and I'm just letting it go to see what happens because the color thing is not happening lately on my head. My body is slowly collapsing around me. Yes, it's slow, but I'm having to rethink my clothes and what sort of flapping bits the world needs to see these days. It's all kind of depressing if I think about it too much.

Mike spent the bulk of the day with the big boys and Andy and the neighbor boys working on the treehouse. I watched from our bedroom (while putting away laundry and cleaning) and I have to say Mike is a master at boys. Even the young boys were sawing and hammering and everyone was behaving and working to a goal. At the end of the day, Mike and the boys cooked hotdogs and hung out. I escaped across the street to my neighbors' house. We chatted, snacked and chatted some more - ignoring the drumming and man-yells coming from behind my house.

My point? While I was out today, two different women commented on my hair - in a good way. Later, the neighbors both commented on my hair (independent of each other no less). It was such a boost for me to hear them comment. (I'd done nothing special with my hair other than wash it and leave the shower.) I'm thinking maybe I should speak up next time I see something I admire about another woman in my age group. Who doesn't need a boost? I have to get over my general shyness and speak up. What an easy way to make someone's day. I don't aspire to mindless comments, but something real. My goal this week is to find three things to compliment. This is scary territory for me, but I'm going to do it. I cannot believe how my mood has been lifted by the compliments I received today. It's not so much about the compliments as it is about someone noticing. Sometimes, it's nice to be noticed.

Happy Mother's Day

To all of you who read here - have a wonderful Mother's Day. For me it means no one will wake me with breakfast in bed; my kids are older and losing hours of sleep over a badly cooked breakfast is no longer cute or desired. We're all happy with this arrangement. For Mother's Day, the kids bring me a Diet Coke and the Sunday paper and go away! It's blissful. I love my kids, but I spend plenty of time with them and them with me. There's not a lot we have to say that is extra-special or overdue.

However you celebrate the date (or not celebrate the Hallmark opportunity) - have a great Sunday! From our house to yours - my most favorite of Mother's Day tributes!

Now What?

I finished Atlas Shrugged this morning. I cannot remember the last time I read a book that left me with such a strong impression. It's been years and I can't think of a novel that has made me think this much. I've been feeling contemplative all day ... what next? I don't think the message of the book is terribly popular right now - but I think it's right, for the most part. I'm anxious to talk about it but not that anxious to piss people off. And, after reading the book, maybe I should be more willing to piss people off? I don't know. For now, I'm just thinking on it and going back through the book marking things that struck me as interesting or important.

In other news, I spent way too much time thinking about guinea pig cages today. We need to build a bigger cage, yet I cannot find the grid-cubes that made building our first cage so easy. I've passed the requirements on to Mike - I was making it far too difficult. This is his weekend project. I love a man that loves a project.

My mom lost her dear friend, Cathy this week. Cathy had been battling breast cancer (and its various evil incarnations) for years and years and years. I'm sure you all had friends' moms that you really liked as you were growing up. Cathy was one of my most favorite moms. She was so smart and funny and just a touch of "don't make her mad." Her three children and her family and her friends are meeting in Pittsburgh to bury her this Saturday. Say a prayer, think a good thought, get a mammogram, plant a tree or something in the next couple of days. Everyone that ever knew Cathy will appreciate your effort.

For now, we're trying to finish up the school year. I have to say that this, our ninth year, has been the longest and hardest. I want it to be done - but I want it to be done well. And, even as I type this, I can't help but think most of what I've learned that is truly valuable was learned OUTSIDE of formal learning. If you can read, write and truly understand basic math (and maybe some Latin) ... you CAN do anything.

Ugh ... I'm too introspective to be blogging tonight. I'm going to go back to the massive cleaning I started (that seemed like a great idea at 9 PM) . . . It's something to wake up to a clean, clean house, right?

Almost done . . .

I have a couple hundred more pages of Atlas Shrugged and I'll be back in the world of functioning people. I will have to go back through the book and look at some things that have been nagging me ... but overall, it was time well-spent to re-read this book. I am getting ready to order a large print edition so Mike can read it and I'll have someone to talk to after reading all of this.

In the meantime, we had a really delicious dinner tonight. It's from the June issue of Bon Appetit. Everyone liked it and it was quick and easy to make and I actually had everything in the house. (Like everything, I doubled this recipe - fed the six of us and have leftovers for one for lunch. YMMV)

Spicy Orange Chicken Stir Fry (6 servings - according to the magazine)

1 1/2 c. long-grain rice
3/4 c. orange juice
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. corn starch
2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
2 T. vegetable oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs. chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips
1 8 oz pkg of stringless sugar snap peas (I used snap beans as they are in season right now and it was yummy)

Cook rice.

Whisk juice, soy sauce and cornstarch in a medium bowl until cornstarch dissolves. Add in orange peel.

Heat oil in large wok or skillet - high heat. Add onion and pepper flakes. 30 seconds. Toss in chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Toss until chicken is mostly done.

Add sugar snap peas (or snap beans) and juice mixture. Toss until sauce thickens and comes to boil and peas are crisp-tender. About 2-4 minutes.

Serve with rice.

The Joy of Camping! Part III

We were woken by a HUGE shock of thunder around 5 am. Andy and I sat straight up, decided we weren't dead and went back to sleep. Ian moved into the car to finish his sleep. Tim continued to sleep in the puddle in the middle of their tent, oblivious. The boy has a true gift for sleeping.

At 9 am, the Park Rangers appeared to wake us up and let us know there was no water or power. Ummm ... that's a problem. Fortunately, the outage was short-lived. We made tea and hot chocolate while we waited. We tried to start a decent fire, hoping to get a feeling of being dry. The rain had stopped, but was threatening. That's when the hose to the camp stove gave out. Wah. Yes, I know Ma Ingalls, I'm not. I NEED my camp stove. We ended up making breakfast over a smoky, wet grill. Funny, though, if you make people wait long enough for food, they like just about everything you cook.

Our original plan had been to stay through early Monday. However, given the sopping wet tents, bedding and people this was seeming less and less likely. BUT, I was tired. The thought of driving back to Orlando was not that appealing to me. In fact, I thought I could handle another day of stinky clothes and sleeping in the wet. That is, until I nearly hurled a pancake at my sweet little niece when she noticed that I'd given her one that wasn't entirely done. If you're throwing food at a 6-year-old, it's time to pack up your toys and go home. (Yes, I'm mailing Lynne and Paul a check for Jesse's therapy jar.)

Have I mentioned the fact that my legs were nearly paralyzed from the previous day's climb? Walking was torture. Stopping was worse. We all talked and decided to go to the base of the falls, hike the stairs to the tops and come back down via the easier, stair-less trail. Actually, we agreed that everyone but me would do this. I offered to sit at the base and drive up and get anyone that didn't want to walk back down the trail. This decision worked out well as Jamie (my oldest nephew) had an exercise-induced asthma attack when he reached the top of the climb (gee, you think the smoky campfire that morning and the dampness and the pollen everywhere were factors too?). I drove up and picked up Lynne, Jesse and Jamie. Lynne admitted that the uphill climb was a killer and took back her mockery from the day before. As they all loaded into the car the rain let loose full-force. Paul, Ian, Tim, Mitchell and Andy were completely soaked when they reached the bottom of the trail.

I think our decision to leave early was the right one. I love that we got to spend this time with my sister and her family and I know the boys are too. As a token of our triumph, Lynne presented us all with t-shirts that say on the back "I Survived the 604 Steps at Amicalola Falls." I'm wearing mine now! (But, I have to state publicly that I survived 850 Steps!)

It was a long drive home. Surprisingly, it took us less than an hour to get through Atlanta. We stopped for dinner. Andy's first visit to Cracker Barrel. I don't think any of us realized how stinky we were until we were seated among all the clean nice people in the restaurant. Oops. We made it home around 2:30 am. I've never had a better shower in my life!

We're already planning for next year.

Notes: The boys have started making up a slide-show from the trip from the flip camera pictures they have. I'm sure they got a picture of everyone - gah! We're so bad as a family about taking group pictures. It should be fun and I'll post their finished slide show.

I love Amicalola Falls and would go back in a heartbeat - in the fall or the spring. I don't think I would choose it as a summer destination as there is no where to swim anywhere in the park. Spring/Fall, if you're prepared for weird weather, it's gorgeous!

The Joys of Camping, Part II

We were up around 7. I'm not a morning person as a rule, but I like getting up in the morning when we camp. It's weird. I also like to cook when we camp. Go figure. I was channeling my inner Ma Ingalls. My sister did not feel well and went back to nap in her tent. Uncle Paul and I managed to make a huge breakfast and feed everyone while keeping an eye on the bleak skies. It wasn't looking great. Once we'd cleaned things up, we formulated a plan. I would go hiking with the boys on one of the easier trails and Uncle Paul would take Jesse, my niece, to the Lodge to see the ranger's thing on wildflowers. (Do you think the giant stuffed bear held any attraction for Jesse?)





In hindsight, it might have been more fun all-around if I had taken Jesse to see the flowers and Paul had taken the boys. Instead of a short hike, I ended up getting a little turned around (I know, it's surprising given my past displays of superior directional skills.) and taking what ended up being STRENUOUS hike - it's not just me, the signs said it was strenuous! We ended up at the stairs that run down the length of the falls. The stairs we were at were a little more than 1/2 up the falls. We headed down. 425 steps down. I was feeling kind of smug. That wasn't so hard. I stopped the kids at 425 because I knew my sister really wanted to do the stairs from the bottom to the top on Sunday.


After exploring a little bit and talking to some of the various people on the trail, we decided to climb back up and head back to the campsite for some lunch (this was 5 boys!). I know better than to be smug. Ever. The walk up the stairs was killer. It was fine for the first 300 steps. The kids were at the top telling me to hurry up for the last 100. My legs were shaking. The only thing that kept me moving were the two REALLY old people a few landings below me. I knew I would die if they passed me up.


I made it to the top. As I walked off the cramps in my calf, the boys explored a nearby stream and ran around emphasizing how old and sadly out-of-shape I am. I looked across the way to where we had to walk back to the campsite. The hill we descended leading to the path did not seem that big when we were hiking in. Now, on my rickety legs, I was near tears thinking to myself "The only way I'm going up that hill is if I crawl." It was horrible. I called the boys and we started our trek "home." As we approached the hill, who should drive by but Uncle Paul. I swear there were angels singing around the minivan and a giant halo around Paul's head. I don't ever remember being so happy to see someone in my life.



Paul drove me and one of the boys home. The rest opted to hike back! Lynne was up and feeling human when we arrived. She mocked me in a sisterly way as I staggered around getting lunch together. I knew if I sat down I was sunk for the day. We picked up our conversation from the night before as I made some (dang) quesadillas. We were looking down over the beautiful forest as we cooked and talked. When the remaining kids showed up, we turned around and realized we were IN a cloud!

It was the strangest thing. A fog had completely covered the campground. Talk about a Stephen-King-moment! As we ate in eerie silence, the rain started again. Paul opted to take the kids to the afternoon programs at the lodge. Lynne and I headed into the nearest town to get the things we had both forgotten to pack - namely toothbrushes for my family. We picked up coal, lighter fluid, dry wood, tea bags (I was freezing from being damp for so long!) and ice and headed back up through the cloud enveloping the mountain!

When we reached the campsite, the sun started breaking through! It was wonderful. The kids were busy making a movie with Andy's Flip Camera. Paul got busy starting a new fire. I boiled water for tea. Ahhhh. Tea has never tasted so good. Things warmed up and everyone was in a great mood. The afternoon flew by and we started dinner. Macaroni and cheese, hash browns(yes, again), and bbq'd chicken wrapped in grilled bacon. After dinner we visited with some neighbors at other campsites - mostly to meet their dogs!

As it got dark, we made s'mores and sat around just talking and laughing and making more s'mores. And, again, here come the Park Rangers. More thunderstorms on the way. These storms came quickly. Once the rain started, Paul and all the kids headed to their tents. Lynne and I grabbed our box o'wine and the remaining snacks and headed to the car to finish talking. And, we talked. And the rain got worse. And worse. Finally, we were both falling asleep so we made mad dashes for our tents despite the storm.

This is day the end of day two in the same stinky clothes, no shower, no toothbrush. As I scooched Andy over so I could share the non-dripping portion of the tent with him I regretted comparing myself with Ma Ingalls earlier that morning.

The Joy of Camping! Part I

I made lists, I packed with confidence. Ian is a Boy Scout and Tim was a Scout until last year. Andy is a veteran camper himself. They know what they're doing. My thinking was "It's Georgia, how different can it be from Orlando?" Famous last words. I printed out my directions and we were on the road at 6:00 am. According to MapQuest, we would reach our destination around 4:00 pm/4:30 pm. That would have been right - if MapQuest wasn't a liar and if, say, the city of Atlanta had been evacuated several days before our trip. As it was, we hit the outskirts of Atlanta around 2:30 pm. We exited the other outskirts of Atlanta around 5:00 pm. My hair was white. We'd all lost several pounds and had agreed to stop speaking to each other for a while. Talk about stressful!

We drove and drove some more. The kids were threatening to burn the Map Quest directions. In hindsight this would have been a good idea. Finally, at 7 pm!!!! we pulled into our campsite. I was practically in tears I was so tired and stressed out. When we reached the mountainous portion of our drive, it was like a giant hillbilly call to come harass the lady from the flat state on the narrow roads. My sister actually guided me into our parking spot by waving a frosty adult beverage in my mirrors. :::sigh:::

We poured out of the car. Ian and Tim quickly set up our tents and our campsite while Andy and I went to visit Aunt Lynne, Uncle Paul and the cousins. Uncle Paul had a fire going and dinner cooking. Ahhhh . . . We ate, admired the stunning views from our campsite. The dogwoods were in bloom (we don't have those in Orlando) and everything was so green it seemed fake. The younger kids discovered the hills and the red clay and entertained themselves nicely. Ian and Tim wandered around on their own for a while and came back with maps and plans for the rest of the weekend.

All nine of us were enjoying the fire and catching up with each other (and enjoying some Jiffy Pop) when the park rangers showed up to to let us know about the approaching thunderstorms with the potential of hail. We thanked them and continued to do nothing. The sky was clear, there was no wind. Around 9:00 pm or so, Uncle Paul and the cousins headed to their tents. My sister and I continued to catch up with each other. Ian, Tim and Andy were playing a ferocious game of Pass the Pigs. And, then the storm came! We grabbed the snacks, loaded the coolers into the back of our car and climbed into the car. It was quite the storm.

We played word games in the car, snacked and had a nice time despite the thunder, lightening and gusting winds. The funniest part was when Andy really, really had to pee. The lightening was too much for him to go the camp bathrooms. We all agreed to look away if he just peed out of the window. He cracked the window, we looked away. Well, we looked away until Andy screamed - damn those park ranger patrols. They drove away laughing too. Around 12:30, things died down enough for all of us to go to bed. Andy and I were sharing a tent. That would be the tent with the wet pillows and damp sleeping bags. We rearranged things and found dry spots to sleep and promptly passed out.

Some Pictures

We camped. We had fun. We were wet and cold most of the time. I'm tired. But, we got some great pictures. Here is a teaser picture of the falls (Amicalola Falls, Dawsonville, GA) - the falls ARE this amazing.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

We're off!!!

I finally tore myself away from Atlas Shrugged long enough to finish up the final details of packing and home-stuff before our long weekend camping trip. I read Atlas Shrugged in high school or college, but this time around it's really got my attention. It's a big book but I can't seem to walk away from it. There's a lot to this book and you don't have to embrace all of Ayn Rand's philosophies to appreciate it. It's worth a read. At the very least it will get you thinking - A LOT! I'm hoping to get some time on our trip to finish it up and then flip through it again. (If you choose to read Atlas Shrugged AND if you depend on bifocals to read, spring for the large print book. Mike picked it up when I first brought it home and thought it was in another language LOLOL! It's not, it's just really tiny type. Go figure, I cannot see past my wrist without my glasses, but I can read anything! So far.)

We decided that instead of packing we're just going to drag the house behind us to Amicolola Falls. Not really, but I do think it would be easier. Between the food I'm bringing and what I know my sister is bringing - we're prepared for a good six-month long camp-out. The highlight so far? Mike came home with a bunch of those Jiffy Pop things. I didn't know they still made that stuff. Andy is out-of-his-mind excited about them! Here's a video - who's as old as I am?

Actually, Mike and Danny are staying behind. Mike couldn't take the time from work and Danny has a chance to earn some money doing icky warehouse work. I'm going to miss the extra drivers. The plus side? We were able to take the back seat out of the Suburban to fit in more food!

Everyone have a great weekend. I have two cameras packed and I'm sure I will have lots of good stuff to share with you when we get back on Monday night.