The fog has begun to lift . . .

I was not heartbroken to drop Dan off in Tallahassee. He's ready to be on his own. Still, I was sad when I got home. The past few days have been a little foggy. It's weird.  He's really gone and life here will never be the same.  I know Dan will come back and we'll have fun, but we'll never just be all six of us.  The end of an era.

Today, however, after talking to Dan yesterday (he's doing well and I even think he misses us a little bit), I felt "normal." Normal is relative, but normal for me. I like a routine.  I got the floors thoroughly mopped last night and went to bed with a house that smelled like gingerbread (I use my soap scents with my usual vinegar and water). Today, Andy and I got school done in a reasonable amount of time with no tears!  Tonight, I made bread, yogurt and granola - part of my usual Monday night routine.  It's been a while.  It feels good to get back to the new normal. 

I'm headed off to bed but I'm not dragging or dreading or feeling sad.  Progress, right?

Pray for and send good thoughts to little Leo, please!!!!!!! UPDATED 8/31/11

Please join me in prayer and good thoughts for my friend's son, Leo, 7. He has an extreme case of Lyme disease, which has caused him to also have meningitis and vision problems. Last night he was admitted to the hospital for the second time in a week because of a fever and vomiting. And today he developed a rash. This little guy has had a fabulous attitude throughout his illness, but it is taking a toll on him and his family. Please keep them all in your thoughts. ♥

Please keep Leo and his family (mom, dad, four young siblings) in your hearts and minds today.  I know personally how scary it was when Mike was sick here.  I can only imagine how incredibly more awful it would be to have a child that sick. Andie, my friend, is exhausted and worried and so very scared.  Much as I'd like to have a magic wand, the best I can do is use my blog to ask you all for your well wishes.  

UPDATE:  Leo was a trooper for the lumbar puncture today. They're still trying to figure out the right treatment for him and it's been a long, distressing day.  Please keep them all in your prayers and good thoughts. 

Daisies and the 70's!

Does it get much better?  Here are the daisies Mike arranged for me when I came home from "abandoning" our oldest child in the godforsaken town of Tallahassee.  Clearly, though, I've recovered.  Ian and I stopped at Goodwill today and I found this box of 1970's recipe cards.  I am pretty sure my mom had the same thing but she had a red box.  I've had so much fun going through recipes this afternoon.  Some great, some truly scary. Dan called this afternoon.  He's doing well - bought his books, found the gym, discovered hills and how they change your life as a runner.  He was going to a concert tonight.  Classes start Monday and his world is going to seriously change . . . until then, I hope he's having fun.  

Me?  I'm trying to figure out how to talk Mike into grilling stuffed-hot-dogs.  Hot dogs stuffed with things like American cheese and apples, onions and raisins, I would have to get the card to go on, but it cracks me up just to picture the look on Mike's face.  We'll see. 

Mission Accomplished!

We were up by 4:15 (okay, Dan was up, it took me until about 4:45 to really put my feet on the ground and stop whining - early morning is EVIL).  We were on the road by 5:30.  Dan drove the whole way to Tallahassee - that early in the morning it took us about four hours and a lot of negotiating around trucks.  Fortunately, I had a scarf to knit that did not require my full attention.  I was able to watch the road and emit little shrieks as needed yet still remain focused (sort-of) on the scarf. My mom's car was jam-packed with Dan's possessions and some food.  Using the rearview mirror was out of  the question.  And, yet, we arrived alive!!!  Yay, Dan.

We found the apartment complex on the first try.  I'm SOOOOOO glad we went today instead of Saturday.  The place was packed full of people.  They could not find Danny on the list even though we did the paperwork a month ago.  There's just something about us and paperwork.  Finally, a manager took over and found us right away.  He told us what we owed and I handed him my credit card.  "Uh, ma'am (the manager was Danny's age with a 12-year-old face) we have new owners and we can only take a check or a money order."  I stared at him.  "What is this, 1985?" I asked.  "I'm sorry, ma'am. Those are the rules."  I think the last time I used a money order was about 1985.  I don't carry checks with me because I never use them.  I was tired from being up at the crack-of-middle-of-the-night, shrieking at Dan for driving too fast and just being weepy about abandoning my baby.  The kid was nice and sent me in the direction of a place that would do a money order.  I made him promise we would not have to go back to the back of the line.  We got a money order and went to the head of the line.

Dan was so happy to finally get into HIS apartment.  It's a perfect apartment for four guys.  Older, not too fancy but not too yucky.  Dan FINALLY has his own bedroom with a big closet, lots of storage and a built in desk.  Their apartment does not yet have a fourth roommate, so Dan has his own bathroom.  Talk about upgrades!!!!  He let me make up his bed.  We unpacked and put away all the kitchen stuff.  Next we went to the grocery store to pick up cold stuff.  Milk, meat, OJ, bread, etc.  Went back to the apartment and put that stuff away.  And then, I got the vibe.  You know the vibe . . . the one that says "Okay, you can leave now."  Dan gave me a huge hug and a kiss.  He set the GPS so that I would only have to try to leave town once (*snort* - Dan DOES know me pretty well).   

Surprising to me, I was ready to leave.  Dan is good.  He's more than ready to live on his own. He doesn't "need" me on a day-to-day basis. When I left today I wasn't weepy, well a little.  Mostly I was happy and excited for Dan.  I think he's going to have a great year.  I am excited to see what he does over the next few years.  

The happy, excited feeling stuck with me during the five-hour drive home.  I will really, really miss Dan and our late night conversations, but I feel confident that he's ready to be on his own.  It's exciting to think of all the possibilities open to him.  

Mike is my most favorite husband - of all my husbands.  When I got home, there was a giant bouquet of white daisies (love the daisies) waiting for me.  :::sniff::: He's definitely a keeper!
(Like I didn't know that after 21 years, but sometimes he outdoes himself!)

Wow - to think when I started this blog, Dan was a whopping 12 and I was about 25 (grin)!!!!!  He'll be 19 next weekend.  It's so weird to feel surprised that our lives (mine and Mike's) are going to change a lot now too.  Don't even get me started on Ian and Tim graduating high school this spring.  I don't think they are going to actually dig a basement to live in.  I think they might be thinking of leaving too.  Yikes.  Everyone pray, cross your fingers, whatever for Andy.  I will have way too much time and energy to focus on him in the coming years. 

I CAN do this . . .

The car is packed. Dan is so excited.  I'm feeling excitement for Dan alternating with feeling weepy for me.  My first baby - my test case - is leaving.  Sure, he'll come home, but it's never going to be the same.  We're planning to leave here around 4:30 or 5:00 am.  Yes, I am going to bed.  I'll be back tomorrow night.  Wish me luck in not making a scene in front of Dan's new roommates.  How is this possible?  Aside from that crick in my neck, I don't feel any older than I did when Dan was born.  And now he's leaving ...  I figure if I can contain myself while I get him unpacked (and make his bed for the first and last time), I can be weepy for the whole drive home, right?  By the time I get back here (4-5 hours), I should have it all out of my system. 

Need help - quick!!!!

OK - the plan was for me to take Dan to Florida State on Saturday, early in the morning.  Plans change.  He can get into his apartment on Thursday.  This will give him a couple of days to look for a job and get settled.  Gah. Fine, but my plan was to give him a notebook with some ree-sypes (what the kids call them) for one.  I have a couple of ideas.  I'm sure you all have more.  No allergies, no aversions to anything.  What did you live on when you were in college?  The good, the bad and the ugly are all welcome.  Any additional tips for someone living on their own the first time would be appreciated as well.  

I KNEW he was leaving.  Something about him leaving two days early is fuh-reaking me out.  He's really going to go off and live his own life. I know this is what we've been working for, but it's kind of a punch in the face.  It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was calling my mom all freaked out because Danny was taking books to park days and opening and propping open some of the other books and "reading" the books to the characters in the other books that were propped open.  Go figure.  No one beat him up. And, now he's all living in an apartment and taking classes and having a job and just WHERE does mom fit in??????  (Everyone say I prayer that I don't turn into the mom on Everybody Loves Raymond)

New Camera!

My old camera disappeared right before Christmas.  I've torn the house up and down in search of it.  In the meantime, all three bigs have received or bought amazing cameras for themselves.  The other night, I decided to use the money I did not spend on freezer items this month (hurricane season, dontcha know?) on a little camera.  Now, to find things to take pictures of.  LOL For months I've been whining about missing pictures and now I'm in a drought.  Never fear . . . 

Last night, we had my parents, my brother and Danny's girlfriend here for dinner.  My mom left today for a week at the beach with her painting buddies and she'll miss Dan leaving for school (in LESS than a week - I'm fine, thanks for asking!).  We had an easy dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with salad and heart-killing garlic bread.  We had so much fun.  I love that my kids are so easy with my parents and with "Muncle" Matt.  We laughed and laughed and laughed.  Danny's friend-that-is-a-girl, Christi, fits right in.  It was an excellent evening, as you can see from the excellent pictures from my new camera!!!!

It's me or something about me . . .

I attract people.  I find this strange as I really don't like most people.  I don't dislike them, I just don't seek them out.  Went to WalMart today.  :::sigh::: I've almost reached my limit with the people using the SNAP cards (aka food stamps).  I cannot remember the last time I stood in line at a grocery store where I haven't watched someone buying 1) total crap food for really young kids (this from a woman who loves Wonder Bread and Spaghettios) OR 2) buying totally awesome food that I can never afford. (This from a woman who loves a good steak)  

Today I witnessed a very young woman (who kept looking at me for approval) with three very young children buying groceries with her clearly meth-addicted boyfriend. This guy was so scary and sad and mostly scary that he was around those young kids. They had a cart filled with complete garbage. Frozen bagel bites, taquitos, burritos - you know, stuff wasted people like to eat in the middle of the night.  For the kids?  I'm guessing she does WIC as well because there was no milk or cheese or anything.  Just marshmallow fluff, popsicles, a variety of soda and cookies.  I tried to tell her how I remembered how hard it was to be stuck with three really little kids.  I dunno.

I was so torn.  One, the mom was really, really young.  Maybe 21.  The youngest kid was maybe 3 months old.  STILL she had enough cash to buy a couple of bikini tops and a six pack.  BUT, the father was so scary and so strung out . . . That is not the kids' fault.  Yet, the parents both had "smart phones." 

And there I am buying chicken parts I don't particularly care for and dried beans. I'm sharing a phone with three kids.  That's what we can afford right now and it's working just fine -tricky sometimes, but just fine.  But, we DO pay taxes as a family and as a business and WHY am I paying for their sodas and junk food and all the other crap?  I was so upset and angry when I left the store today. I don't want kids going hungry.  I never let my own kids go hungry.  But, why am I still shopping the clearance aisles and these folks are checking out people.com while they wait for their SNAP cards to clear?? Something is so very wrong with this picture.  To top it off, as I loaded up my 1998 Suburban, they were tossing their kids into a shiny, new Toyota Sequoia.  And, yes, I mean they were tossing them in, not a car seat in the car. 

Ugh.  And, to type this out makes me sound ugly and mean and I'm not.  (Well, I guess ugly is relative.) I just don't think the current system is working to help anyone.  

Later tonight, our newish-neighbors stopped by with a Rottweiler they'd found loose on their walk.  They had scoured the neighborhood looking for her home with no luck and wanted to know if I could take her for the night.  They are planning to take her in to see if she has a chip tomorrow morning.  We gave it the good two-hour-college try.  She is a nice (huge, powerful) dog, clearly well-trained, but equally clear was that she was used to being the ONLY dog in the house.  Once she and Cally started snarling at each other, we had to take her back  down to the neighbors.  I hope they're doing okay - they have three dogs already and Miss Rottweiler is not going to be an easy addition.  I feel bad for not keeping her, but I have no interest in hosting dog fights either. And, yet, I wonder, I'm not the only neighbor with a dog or even two dogs.  They came here first. And now I feel bad.

PMS House ... version X.0

Okay, it's been a while since the XX House series ran, but I think PMS House is kind of timeless.  Feel free to skip this if you do not share my sentiments.

(Me, in the closet talking to the secret camera - reading my list of complaints)  

1) Yeah, yeah, yeah, save water and all of that.  Honestly, I don't care.  Flush the toilet every time you use it, no matter what you use it for.  Yikes, with five of you peeing into the same pot all day????? Just no.  I'll dig an outhouse if you want.  (Note to self, rant about raising and lowering the seat and peeing on target NOT on toilet next session.)

2) Believe it or not, I will notice the throw pillow you tossed over the nasty crumbly mess of something you shouldn't have been eating on the couch anyway.  Thanks for the opportunity to catch up on my crumb catching skills. I was kind of bored anyway. 

3) If it doesn't fit, for heaven's sake put it in the Goodwill box don't just keep tossing it into the hamper for me to wash.  

4) Addendum to #3:  Are you there, God? It's me, Amy.  Any hints on when they'll stop growing?  Dan's grown nearly 2" this summer and Tim and Ian have grown even more.  What's up with that? How am I supposed to buy jeans if they just keep growing and growing and growing?  If you can't get back to me on the older boys, I understand, but I could sure use some hints with Andy.  He's already FAR taller and bigger than his brothers were at 11.  Just saying.  At a certain point, it's not funny.

5) HAH!  I'll show you, phone battery wasting family.  Yes, we still have a land line.  We're mean.  Until the boys can pay for their own phone, they share my cell phone or the house phone.  You cannot imagine how horrified some of their friends are when they call and I answer.  "What do you mean X doesn't have his own number????"  Ahh and still they manage to have friends and stay in contact with them.  

Until tonight, the house phone has been the standard Costco two unit wireless model.  But today I could not answer my phone.  Why, you ask? Because the people who mostly get phone calls leave the phones flopped everywhere but on the charger.  My options today were to spend $50 on batteries (if I could find them - old phone), spend $100 on a new 2 unit wireless thingie or spend $8 on a stick to the wall model with a (are you sitting?) cord attached to the wall.  Guess which option I picked?  The kids are horrified and fascinated.  I have new found counter space in the kitchen.  Hmmmm . . . maybe they'll rediscover the art of doodling while talking on the phone????? I feel so "Mad Men."

Okay, I'm out of olives.  Time for bed.  Have a great Thursday.

Homeschooling and fun stuff . . .

We're into week three of Andy's school year.  Well, technically, we are.  Last week was kind of a mid-tri-week break since his cousins were in town and we opted for the beach and bouncing on trampolines and running wild here.  Cousins are good.  And, since we don't have room to house the cousins while my mom does, hanging out with my mom for a week is really good.  

This week, we're back to "school-school."  It's weird just having one kid to concentrate on everyday. Ian and Tim still have two "classes" here with me, but they're pretty relaxed and definitely NOT day-to-day.  I was worried we took too long of a break, but Andy is proving me wrong.  He remembers math and Latin and even some grammar.  

We've started "Middle School Science."  Here at the Baker Academy, that means working through Alton Brown #1 and Alton Brown #2.  Both books contain a lot of good science - with fun pictures no less - and with a basic science text, you can round it all out.  Additionally, the kid learns how to cook and bake (kid may not like it, but he'll know how to do it when all is said and done).  As added torture, I teach them basic sewing, laundry and cleaning skills through middle school.  Andy has already been through this drill simply because he lives here and knows most of it, but we'll do it again.  

Dan, who will be gone in TEN days actually asked for a crock pot and went out and bought his own set of pots and pans.  Go figure.  Something sunk in.  I think.  We'll see what his roommates are saying in December!

So glad all my kids read well!!!!!

Guess where Andy and I went this afternoon?  Go ahead . . . I'll wait.

That's right.  We went to WalMart - though for this story, we could have gone to any store that sells groceries.  I despise shopping during hurricane season.  I have to abandon my usual pattern of shopping because it only takes one good storm to lose everything in a freezer.  (Ask me how I know.)

So, these days, we're doing a lot of pantry-shopping and filling-in-as-we-go-shopping.  

Fortunately, Mike excels at shopping with a list and he's been doing most of it since the end of May.  Me and a list - eh, not so much. There are too many shiny, sparkly, tasty things to add to the cart.  Andy is more like Mike.  He was holding the list and he approved the 5/$3 movie candy purchase.  

We found a reasonably short check-out line and began unloading. As a family, we're compulsive readers - cereal boxes, labels, tabloid headlines and magazine tags in check out lanes.  Andy was anxious to get out of the store and was much more focused on unloading the cart than I was.  I was reading magazine tags.  A woman with three little kids, the oldest maybe about 7-ish came up behind me.  Cute kids.  The 7-year-old and I found the same tag at the same time.  I read and kind of choked.  He sounded it out VERY loudly and I thought his mom was going to DIE.  The tag?

"What Your Va-Jay-Jay is Dying to Tell You."  I have to say, whoever is teaching this child to read is doing a great job - he sounded it out perfectly.  And, I have to say, Cosmo, you win.  Just when I think your covers can't get any sleazier, you come up with a new one.  Gah!!!!!  The mom of the young reader handled it well - "Here, honey, look at this shiny thing over here!!!!"  I feel like I got out clean because Andy missed it entirely. 

Woohoo - it's Sunday tomorrow!!!!

I spent all day thinking it was Sunday.  Imagine my delight and surprise to find out it was only Saturday this evening!!!!!  I feel like it's leap year or something.  

My mom, the cousins (Jamie, Mitchell and Jesse), Ian, Andy and I went to the beach on Thursday.  :::sigh:::: I miss the beach.  I've been so few times this year.  It was TEXAS hot, but the water was cool and wonderful.  I'm so glad I remembered to bring rash guard t-shirts for everyone.  We spent all day in the sun and no one had a sunburn.  Did I mention the awesome water?  No strong current.  Great boogie board-type waves and it was cool and refreshing!!!!!  We had a great day.  I'm ready to go back now.  Ian took this picture of my mom.  I love it. 

We started school for a week and stopped school for cousin-week. We start up again Monday.   I'm really trying to figure out some options for Andy.  I gave him some choices this evening and told him to think it over - he's a thinker!  He's on board to do flag football with Mike this fall.  I offered him musical theater, swimming or 4H or something he can come up with.  Cross your fingers, folks. My vote is for swimming - he's built for it and I think he'd like it once he gets going.  But, I'll go with whatever.  (If you have a car you're not using, please send it our way lol.)

I'm afraid as I get older my already strong opinions are getting stronger.  Since late 2007, I've tried hard to be moderate and keep my opinions to myself for the most part. There's nothing I'm going to say to anyone that is going to change their mind.  I figure if I respect their opinion it's all good.  However, I think 10+ years of homeschooling has ruined me for polite society.  I hope I did not permanently piss off my neighbor this evening.  She was lamenting her 7th grader's schedule and activities and the lack of hours in the day.  I kept asking "WHY" is he doing this or that?  How does it benefit him?  Does he enjoy it?  I dunno.  I've been through three middle school kids.  Middle school is there for a reason - they HAVE to learn certain things to move into high school work.  Beyond that, you want them to come out intact as human beings.  Middle school, in my opinion, is NOT the time or place to apply pressure. It's 2-3 years a kid has to survive.  If college is the goal, they do NOT look at middle school.  EVER.  Just let them wallow in their hormones and figure out the new way to deal with your newly hormonal kid.  If you can get through the middle-school years, it's not smooth sailing, but it's much saner.  I just feel so sad for people who feel pressure to have their kids perform at the TOP in every grade.  What are your experiences with middle-school aged kids?

Whew!

Welcome August 10!!!!!  August 9 marks the 7th anniversary of Mike getting VERY sick.  In the Emergency Department, when the doctors finally figured out what was going on, they insisted I call family and friends.  After a long 7+ weeks, Mike came home.  He barely made it and to this day he can be in Home Depot or the grocery store and nurses or technicians who worked on him back then will stop and shake his hand and say what a miracle he is.  Lucky Mike!  He remembers none of it, thanks to his lil' box o' morphine.  ;) The kids remember a lot more, and I remember a WHOLE  lot more than the kids.  I'm thankful it's so far behind us and Mike is perfectly healthy.  We are a lucky family. I post a reminder every year because 1) it is on my mind and 2) the support I received from so many, many "imaginary" online friends was beyond tremendous.  I will never forget the prayers and emails and gifts and encouragement I received late, late at night or early, early in the morning from people I "know" but have never met.  Thank you all again.  Here's to the next seven years!  (This, of course, is a pic of the boys this winter.  Danny was 11 when Mike got sick - I thought he was so grown up.  Ian and Tim were 10 and Andy was 4.)

Random Thoughts . . .

Okay, it's late summer.  Late summer is when I watch a lot of television.  The DVR is the best invention ever for me from July through late September.  Currently, I'm watching: "So You Think You Can Dance," "Design Star," "Project Runway," and "Food Network Star (or something close to that)." Additionally, I've discovered "Dance Moms" and an upcoming series that is much like SYTYCD and Food Network, but for artists.  Check Bravo.  We watched the end of the season last year with my mom while we are at the beach.  

I really like shows that show people who have an actual talent for something. It's inspiring even when I know I lack that kind of drive or talent - thinking about food shows here.  I love food.  I love watching people who love food make food.  I'm NOT that person.  Fortunately, I married that person.  

So You Think You Can Dance is the lower-rated dance show on television.  Dancing With the Stars can be fun, but ugh.  SYTYCD is about truly talented dancers.  This season is amazing.  It's not a show I'd watch with young-ish kids without previewing.  Some of the dances are kind of out there taste-wise.  But overall, it's a testament to what true athletes dancers are.  Your mileage my vary - but  I will say the older boys will stop and watch and often ask me to rewind.  What these dancers do is truly amazing.  

Design Star?  I've watched this every season.  I have to say I'm disappointed with this season.  Anyone else watching?  So far it seems like they should retitle the show Shopping Star.  Heck, if that's what it's come to, give me $15,000 and I can make a beautiful kitchen too - with a FULL backsplash.  I want to see people who can actually think on their feet and do something.  I don't care who picked out the best lighting fixture or the best coffee table or the worst bench.  I'm kind of hating the show so far this year.

Project Runway? I love fabric.  I love texture.  I love watching people who actually know how to construct things make clothes.  Sure, they're not clothes I'd ever wear. But, I love watching the process.  This is another show I've watched since the beginning.  I'm kind of over Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Heidi Klum - I think they need to mix up the judging a bit more.  Nina especially ticks me off as she, herself, never, ever actually looks any more interesting or different from show to show.  Tim Gunn, keep him.  He makes me smile.

"Dance Moms?" Yikes - I thought Toddlers and Tiaras was bad. Who are these people who allow themselves and their children to be followed around by cameras for months on end.  The women are scary, scary, scary.  The kids seem nice enough, but confused about what their moms want and what their obese dance teacher wants.  It's everything bad in the world on one tv show.  I don't know that I'll watch again after last week.  

In that spirit, I've been bored out of my mind all summer.  I really need to come up with a plan for my old age. Saturday, I started on that road and got all my hair cut.  I think I like it - still learning to fix it.  Long story, but I ended up getting an expensive haircut from my mail-lady's son at a rock bottom price.  I think he was more excited about my hair than I was.  Here's a picture late at night the first night it was cut.  Not it's best, but you get the idea.  It's strange to not have wild curls waving all around my head.  And, it's much cooler in this heat. 

What are you all watching, reading, listening to?  Mike and the boys are into Swamp People and Pawn Star.  We're lucky to have two televisions!

Biographies?

Andy likes to read.  Of all the boys, though, he's my first to really, really like biographies.  Any recommendations? Our library is a pit of mediocrity in terms of biographies for kids/young adults.  I love biographies, but, generally I prefer my biographies to be about people who are dead and who have some space from the time they occupied in history - I think you get a better picture of the person this way.  Our library is full of bios of sports figures, movie stars and a whole shelf dedicated to President Obama.  I think it's fine to include those books as part of a collection.  I don't think they should be the entire collection.  So, I'm looking for biographies your kids or you have enjoyed of people born before, say 1950?  Please?

I'll have the #4 with an egg roll . . .

Ahhhh . . . it's so nice to leave the house - alone.  I did this today and I'm convinced I need to leave more often.  I stopped by the Memorial Gardens to get a map to where Mike's grandfather is buried for my mother-in-law.  I have to say the folks working in the the office were straight out of central casting.  I ended up talking to a strange bald man with long fingernails.  :::::shudder:::::: Long nails + man + man who is not musical = ::::::shudder:::::: Still.  He was nice enough.  He was definitely disappointed I was not looking to bury anyone in the near future, but once he accepted that, he graciously helped me and made me a map and everything.  However, while he was making a copy of the map a man that had to have been 140 years old started lurching down the hall staring at me with piercing black, black eyes.  (No, I do not read too much Stephen King.)  The old guy made it about 1/2 way down the hall before I shrieked (in a most unbecoming way) "It's okay, the bald man is helping me. Just stop where you are."  Just then, the bald man came out and gave me the maps without saying a word, just half-smiling. I didn't run, but I moved out pretty quick - let's call it fast-skipping.  YIKES!!!!!

Once I was safely parked in the grocery store parking lot a few blocks down(surrounded by lovely mini vans with car seats and no creepy old guys) I called my friend Kate.  Of anyone, Kate and I have "done" this homeschool thing together since 2000.  Among the adults Andy knows, Kate ranks #1 or 2.  He thinks she's a great cook because she always had dinosaur chicken nuggets and Sponge Bob on the tv for lunch.  When you're 3 (or 40) it doesn't get much better.  

Kate and I are both at a point where our kids are leaving.  Kate's youngest heads off to school in early September. The Memorial Gardens are close to Kate (that's why I called her) and she was able to meet me for lunch.  We went to a little Chinese restaurant.  We were just about the only people there and our waiter kept trying to get rid of us.  Silly man.  That only made us stay longer.  It was so so so nice to talk to someone who knows me so well and who is going through some of the same feelings that I am right now (those feelings would be, can't you leave now? and don't go, you're still a baby - depends on the time of day and my mood).  We laughed and laughed and laughed.  In the end, we agreed we should get all the "boys" together for one last play date - the upside?  Kate and I can FINALLY have margaritas at the park.  We both have long extension cords for the blender.  Our homeschooled babies can drive us home. Watch out pre-school moms!!!

Good news? We've managed to raise five functioning (mostly) adults thus far - Andy is still a work-in-progress.  How about that?  Based on some of the conversations we've had over the years and years and years, you never would have guessed they would have all turned into normal, functioning people.  

After lunch we walked through Tuesday Morning looking for bargains for the college-bound. Again, it's nice to know someone for a long time.  We laughed and laughed at bizarre accessories, strange kid toys and weird kitchen gadgets. We even managed to find Danny a crock pot (his request -gah!!!).  I don't think either of us is getting out of the house enough, but we definitely had fun today.  

Thanks, Kate!  I am so glad I found you and your boys in that monster mess of a co-op we first joined. Here's to the non-gifted kids!  

Quick Hiccup Trick

I'm off to bed - finished school planning for Andy (sniff, just one kid at home this year). Dan is abandoning us in just 26 days. Ian and Tim are taking three college courses and two here, but it's not like the good old days where we mummified chickens or built and then burnt down London. And, in the spring, Ian and Tim will be gone.  So weird.

But, earlier tonight, I ran into a kid with hiccups.  If you have not tried this, I swear it works - 90% on the first try and 98% if you have to try again.  Fill a cup with 4-5 oz of water.  Have the hiccup-er hold the glass, ready to drink while you light a match and toss it into the cup.  The minute the match hits the water, the hiccup-er should drink the glass of water (minus the match, of course).  I don't know why it works, but it does.  And it's way better than trying to suck down a spoonful of sugar - what was Mary Poppins thinking?