Merry New Year!!!!!

Happy 2012!!!! (almost)

Ian and Tim turned 18 today. Dan and Ian went to the convenience store at midnight last night so Ian could buy a lottery ticket. (It's never too early to plan for retirement.) Tim's been in Syracuse visiting a friend so he didn't get his lottery ticket until this morning.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. Things were pretty low key here.  Andy was really sick all through Christmas and through most of this week.  I actually rewrapped some of his presents because it  was days and days until he could play with anything.  Still, it was nice to all be together.  

Christmas day we started a new tradition - a Low Country Boil with the neighbors and all of their families. We set up tables covered in paper outside, cooked outside and ate and ate and ate. It was an excellent way to spend Christmas.  Andy was in the house, sleeping with golf playing in the background on the television.  My dad was also home sick.  Next year the goal is for everyone to be healthy and hungry on Christmas Day. 

Last night we had a visit from Mike's best friend and his daughter - they've been friends since the 4th grade! I was sad his wife and son couldn't come, but it was really fun to see "the other Mike."  He and I have always joked that he and Mike each married a female version of each other (or as the Other Mike likes to say, they each married their best friend but with 'fun parts').  Mary and my Mike are both morning people who love to cook huge meals and go to be early.  The Other Mike and I will sit up all night talking and then sleep the morning away.  Miranda is a year younger than Ian and Tim - in fact, when Mike and Mary came to visit the twins as newborns, Mary had just found out she was pregnant again and I was more than happy to unload my maternity clothes on her.  Here is Miranda with Dan, Ian and Andy last night.  :::sniff::: They're all growed up.

Tonight we are once again hosting an unknown number of people for New Year's Eve.  Any bets on how early the neighbor calls the police? That's fast becoming my favorite tradition!  I hope we get a cute police officer.

Hope you all have a great night!  I'll leave you with a picture of my favorite Christmas present.  My new garden donkey.

It's officially a holiday!!!!!

Sick kid? Check!  Andy woke this morning with a high fever and in a panic that he that he had the same strep that Ian just had.  Our regular doctor is on vacation, so we went to the local doc-in-a-box.  Crazy - he has an ear infection!!!!  Andy has not had an ear infection since he was two!  He was up and down all day. I am hoping a full round of the abx will bring results in the morning.  I've never been so happy to have a kid with "just" an ear infection.  He's been snuggled in with Cally for about four hours now, let's hope that does the trick. (I am so relieved, though, that we have not contaminated the  neighborhood.  Andy is sick, but he was never contagious. Whew!!!!)

Police? Check!!! We had our first official holiday visit from the police this afternoon.  It WAS our (read Mike's) fault - Mike was testing a rocket engine (NOT a rocket) and a 1 x 1 piece of pvc bounced off of the neighbor's roof.  Who the heck can even hear that? You got it, our neighbor.  And, rather than call here or stick her head out the door and ask "WTF?" She opted to call the police.  They came.  They talked to Mike for 15 minutes and then talked to our insane neighbor again.  Then, the police stayed and watched Mike drag an extension ladder to the neighbor's house to check her roof for debris.  Nothing.  Gah - we've gone too long without regular police visits and we've been slacking - I did not even have a cookie plate ready.  I wonder what the rest of the the holiday holds?  I wrapped up soap to stick in her mailbox as kind of a thank you for the lack of police visits these past few months, but now I'm rethinking the whole thing. 

Saltine Toffee?  Check!  I made two lovely batches this evening, but every time I make this stuff, I am reminded of the first time I tried to make this stuff.  (Really, click on the link, it's a funny story.) 

Okay, I still have a few things to finish up tonight, we'll talk later. . . 

Whew!

569 words of holiday goodness complete.  My eye is actually twitching.  Eighteen years I've been writing a Christmas newsletter. I am usually happy with the results, this year's is pretty good, but dang it's hard to put a year into so few words and not brag or be stupid.  OK time to make the toffee.

I'll try to post our hairy tree tomorrow - no one ever let me near wine and tinsel on the same night - ever again! 

Reverse prom?

Last night, Mike, me and two other couples from our neighborhood were lucky enough to be invited to the wedding of friends of ours.  Like most people with kids and a small budget, getting dressed up and going out for a wedding + dinner and dancing is a big deal.  We were all excited for the evening.  

We paid Dan, Tim and Ian to serve as sitters for the younger kids and to be our chauffeurs.  Our Suburban holds eight,  The wedding and reception were within 10 minutes of the house.  And, as it was the first time in about four years that we've all gone out together we decided it was worth paying the boys to drive us safely to and from our destination. I think it ended up being a good lesson for the boys as well. (This picture is of our across the street neighbors - Paul and Preston's parents - aren't they cute?)

What a fun wedding!  Steve and Terry have both been married before and they have been dating for several years.  The past six months have been rough on both of them.  Steve's mom passed away unexpectedly a few months ago.  Terry's mom died after a long illness just six weeks ago.  Since her mom's death, Terry struggled with pneumonia.  She was a tall, thin woman to begin with and I was surprised to see how much weight Terry had lost yesterday.  Still, Terry was a beautiful bride.  The ceremony was just lovely with Terry's adult daughter and Steve's 13 year-old daughter participating. 

There were about 100 people attending and we all had so much fun during the reception eating and drinking and dancing and sharing stories.  It was like playing a real life Kevin Bacon game - how many degrees are you separated from the bride and groom?  It's funny what you can learn about people during these kind of conversations.  Mike says it's not the conversations but that people just like to tell me stuff, either way, it's fun. 

The wedding was at 3:30 and we were there until around 7 pm.  Dan came and picked us up and we headed to a funky local place.  Dan dropped us off and we told him we would call for a ride home. Dan handled us all very nicely and barely rolled his eyes  as the backseat drivers shouted advice as he drove.

While at the funky local place, we ran into a dozen Caroling Elvises (with bee-hived girlfriends no less) raising money for a local hospital. How fun is that?  We danced.  We laughed.  And then we pooped out and came home.  All the kids slept here last night, as they were mostly crashed anyway. A few years ago, I would have said our neighbors owe us, but eh, our kids are all old enough that we usually have to wake them up anymore. No big deal.  Mike is always up early and I could hear him out in the kitchen laughing and making pancakes for breakfast with the littlest guy - who in the end opted for cereal lol, while I snuggled back under the covers and slept in - Mike is my favorite.

All in all, it was a truly fun evening.  Normally, when we all get together at someone's house, we're in sweats or shorts or (if you're me) overalls.  No make up.  No earrings.  No cologne.  Last night was different.  I had forgotten how handsome Mike is when he wears a suit and, apparently, Mike had forgotten I had legs.  Huh.  We all talked about how we'll have, between all of our kids, eight weddings coming up eventually/possibly. Who knows, by then we might all know the music and line dances? Or not. Probably not.  ;) 

Before we left, I got a chance to talk to the bride.  I asked her how she had managed to keep her strapless dress up after losing so much weight.  She gleefully reached down the front of her dress and started pulling out t-shirts.  Yep.  Reverse prom indeed.  As we were waiting for my son to pick us up, the "queen of the prom" was unstuffing her bra and we were all laughing hysterically.  It got even funnier when she pulled out (beyond the multiple t-shirts) a random paper towel and a piece of foil.  Ahhhh, it's nice to have funny friends.

I'm going to stick some pictures in here.  As you can see, I have relied too heavily on my sons for good pictures AND my camera kind of sucks.  I have no business behind or in front of a camera, but I promised pictures to my mom and others. 

Ahhhh . . . .

Sometimes the planets align and all is good.  Tonight is one of those nights.  Danny is safely home, exhausted and in dire need of a shave, but he's here.  Ian FINALLY sort of woke up tonight - he's been sleeping 20+ hours a day since Sunday night. He ate a plain baked potato and kept it down.  Yay Ian!  That's the first thing he's eaten and retained in a week.  He actually looks semi human - skinny human for sure - but human.  Aaahhhhh.... let the Christmas festivities begin.  I love having everyone in one place. 

Who's in charge?

I already did high school, if you are the one in charge.  I already had to deal with monster zits on special occasions.  I'm old now.  I rarely get a chance to dress up. Mike and I are going to a wedding on Saturday.  I have an awesome dress, kick-ass shoes and yet, somehow, I have a monster zit dead-center on my cheek.  I'm not talking about a spot or a blemish or a pimple, I'm talking about a Saturday Night Live skit-zit.  Every time I pass the boys' bathroom, I dab on a blob of oxy 10.  Now I have a dry flaky zit. And, just this past minute, I walked by the boys' bathroom, blobbed on some stuff and realized I have just treated my monster zit with athlete's foot cream.  Oh yeah, I'm going to be looking hot on Saturday. 

Whoever is in charge of this - FIX IT! (Please.)

Rant and repent . . .

In my last post I ranted.  I don't do that too often and now I remember why . . . there are always consequences. Sunday night was Mike's birthday (happy belated b-day to Ami Mental!). It was weird not having Danny here, but we managed.  Andy actually scrounged up 49 assorted candles and Mike managed to blow them all out (it helped that they were concentrated on a small angel food cake). Mike's 50th is most definitely going to be an outside cake.  There is a great picture on Tim's camera and I promise to share soon.

Later that night, Ian, Tim and I were working out their community college classes and the end of their senior year of high school.  In the past, this has been a fairly easy proposition.  Sunday night?  Ian was being mean and ugly and finally I suggested, firmly, that he go to bed.  Sure enough, 6 am, Tim woke me to tell me Ian was barfing his guts out.  How many years?  And, yet, I never catch on.  My kids are many things but they are not mean or nasty - UNLESS they are on the verge of getting majorly sick.  Doh!

Pollen is bad here, so I let Ian go for two days thinking stomach virus - his temp was up and down, and he had no symptoms other than the fever and the vomiting.  I was kicking myself for slacking on the boys' flu shots.  Last night was bad. High fever (over 103) lots of dry heaves, lots of miserableness. And, still, Ian is not registered for his classes.  I called around in the morning and they agreed to let Tim come in and register for Ian.  It took forever, but it's done.  It was too late by then for us to go see our regular doctor, so we went to the CVS Minute Clinic.
 

At one point, I thought I was going to have to drag Ian through the store he was so shaky. I have not seen him this sick since he was about 6-7.  Somehow the Shaggy-chin-beard makes him even sadder than when he weighed 42 lbs.  We got in right away and the nurse practitioner was like a tall, fat sister to our Aunt Judy.  Ian and I were both smiling as she did her work.  It's nice to find comfort in weird places like that.  We both knew "pseudo-Aunt Judy" would fix Ian.  

He has strep and a sinus infection.  Gah.  Poor Ian has been asleep since around 3:30.  I keep waking him to drink something and he's had two antibiotics.  His fever is down.  He's snoring on the couch as I type.  I think he should be feeling much better late tomorrow. Cross your fingers!  He was so sad today.  I used to get strep all the time as a kid and young adult and few things make you feel worse.

And, did you see how skillfully I made it all about me?  I ranted on Saturday, Ian fell sick on Sunday.  Yes, I do live in the year 1256. 

Slow week and a bit of a rant . . .

Things here are kind of boring.  It's so strange to be homeschooling (mostly) just one kid.  It feels too easy and lazy, even when things are hard.  After years of struggling with the older three boys, it's weird to have just Andy. You cannot even imagine how much time has been freed up in my life.  I guess I knew this day was coming, but I really did not think it would ever change.  Now that things have changed, I'm confused!!!!!  It's not a bad thing, but it's a little confusing.  I'm really having to rethink how I spend my time and re-prioritize what is and is not important.  Weird.  

Ian and a bunch of scouts and friends spent tonight working on Ian's Eagle Scout project.  Nothing like cutting it close (you have to complete an Eagle Scout project before you turn 18 - Ian turns 18 on New Year's Eve.) WHEW! It went well, ran about one hour over the projected time and it's DONE!!!!  Being an Eagle Scout can be a huge advantage in "grown up" life - colleges, military academies and many employers value that special distinction.  Dan and Ian both earned their Eagles on their own merits - they did ALL the work.  Mike and I offered food and transportation.  Mike has been part of our troop's leadership for years and years and years.  Me?  Cub Scouts did me in.  I have had very little to do with Boy Scouts beyond driving and providing food when needed.  I have enough boys in my life, I don't need a troop.  Still, some of our best friends are scouting friends. 

IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU!!!!!!  I am disturbed by a trend I see where parents are rushing their kids through the scouting program in an effort to have them "get the Eagle done" by the time the boy is finishing eighth grade. If you are one of those parents, I urge you to rethink your stance?  Who wants the Eagle, you or your son? At 13-14, I have to think it's you that really wants the award. How much are you doing FOR your son? Is he growing and learning to fend for himself or just following your plan for him? If you are pushing and pushing for your son to earn his Eagle by the end of middle school, have you thought how this denigrates the older boys who truly earn the honor? The boys who are truly doing all of the work on their own, because they want to do it? 

And, yes, perhaps your son is advanced, gifted even.  That's great, but there's nothing you can do to rush maturity.  And, so much of this award is about maturity.  Another big part of this award is about respect.  If your 13 or newly turned 14 year old is awarded an Eagle merit, do not fool yourself for one second into thinking that the other boys in the troop, (unless you have an assembly-line troop  and then shame on you), or the other parents believe for a second that your son earned that award on his own.  They know you were in there - helping/doing/prodding.  It's not the same.  

And, for the Eagle Scout to count, the people that look to it as an indicator of a kid's personality/potential can spot in just a few minutes which boys earned the Eagle and which ones have ambitious parents.  

Have I mentioned how glad we are that we let Tim quit scouts when he was about 13????  We could have pushed him through, but it would not have been right.  He was there tonight helping on Ian's project (and he worked on Dan's Eagle project as well) - he appreciates that his brothers like camping and they are okay with Tim's hatred of camping.   Tim is as proud as me and Mike at Ian's triumph tonight. Sorry for the rant, but sometimes, I just have to get it out of my system.

My homeschool mantra is "It's not a race."  The farther I go with homeschooling, scouting, parenting, the more true I find this to be.  Give your kids the freedom to figure out who they are and what THEY like to do.  Don't schedule their lives so tightly with things that you think they should do that they do not even have time to breathe.  I expect a lot from my kids re schoolwork.  And, though their days are far shorter than their peers, their work load is stringent.  If they commit to something like Scouts, they  are committed for the year. It's not a race, but we have been striving to get the boys to understand , as they get older, their part of the deal. Most of their school work is non-negotiable. Free time?  It's one thing for Mike or me to think one of the boys would be great at something - If the kid has no interest or commitment, why bother? 

OK, off my soap box.  Big step down. 

(While we pressure our kids, we unschool the dogs.  Cally opted to spend the day shredding the BIG Orlando phone book.  Look how happy she is?  I let her shred the phone book because without my glasses it kind of looked like snow in the front yard and also, because our mean neighbor has to pass our house every day on her way home. I'm hoping to add to her enjoyment of the holidays.  ;)

$6 worth of happiness!

That's right, too your left, it's a leg lamp.  Terrible picture, but it looks awesome in person - To quote Ralphie:  "Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window."  

If you haven't seen it (how is that possible?), it's time to sit and watch A Christmas Story.

And, then run to Walgreen's and pick up a $6 window cover that gives you your own glow of electric sex gleaming in your very own window!!!  Trust me, you'll smile.

Anyone else stockpiling?

Loved the line about getting salmonella from his Easy Bake Oven.  (I always wanted an Easy Bake Oven.)

Quick! Someone flip me a fish!

I did it!!!  I finished my Nano Book!!!!!! Okay, I did not actually finish the book, but I hit the 50,000 word mark before midnight AND those 50,000 words make me a winner, at least until I fall asleep tonight.  I'm guessing I have another 20,000 words to go to actually finish the story I started.  

Whew!!!!!  Lesson learned.  I am not a good procrastinator.  I will not procrastinate again.  Really.  I promise. I think.

So, this makes my fifth Nano book out of seven tries.  I actually like this one.  I liked my first, but that was mostly because it was first. I hated the other ones, but I wrote them to the end. This one feels more like a real, albeit badly planned, book to me.  

Okay then, that's over.  Hello December!!!!