Thursday, July 31, 2008

At last/My schoolbooks have come along...

We had an appointment with the orthodontist in the next town this morning, and on the way home I said to Larry, "Wouldn't it be great if there was a package waiting on the porch?" And there was!

Addressed to Larry, the package contained a portion of his texts and materials for our first year in Georgia Virtual Academy. School begins in 13 days and I was *assured* the materials would be here no later than two weeks before the start date, which would make this the date by which all the materials should be here. Not so. One box is better than no boxes, but still...

Shouldn't matter that much? On the contrary. I do not possess the "wait and see" gene. In fact, God replaced that particular gene with what we like to call the Rowland Fidgets, handed down through generations of Rowlands. And though I married out of the name, I kept the gene. So I do not wait and see...I fidget.

(Also, I like for people to do what they say they are going to do. That's not a genetic thing but a preference.)

Unpacking the box was fun, less so for Larry than for me. I think because he had traumatic procedures performed on him at the orthodontist, but also he might have just been hungry. We both giggled at the sight of our third copy of "The Hobbit" but applauded K12's good taste. A couple of other things we've already used as well, but I was thrilled to see some Homer, Shakespeare and Stevenson in among the literature selections.

He starts pre-algebra this year and that looks interesting. He also has life science and I am praying there is no dissection, because that very word conjures up the smell of formaldehyde, death and decay from high school anatomy.

On a happier note, Geddy is bringing home our (newshinyblue) laptop this afternoon. I know nothing about wireless Internet, which I am going to need soon for a trip, or setting up two computers to run at the same time at home, which I am going to need immediately. This is why I need friends.

I hope we get boxes for Curly Sue and Moe tomorrow. I hope, and I fidget.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Civil War Friday

Geddy took off Friday so we could drive into the city to have my car serviced, and we decided to make a day of it by visiting Kennesaw Mountain and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.

We worried over that trip like a dog with a bone, trying to squeeze the most out of our day. We considered and rejected many options: Zoo Atlanta, Oakhurst Cemetery, the MLK Center/Sweet Auburn Historic District, World of Coca-Cola, Underground Atlanta, the High Museum of Art, even Six Flags. We finally narrowed our choices down to The Wren's Nest, home of author Joel Chandler Harris, and the two places we eventually visited.

We made a great choice, fueled by a coupon that got all of us into the museum for $18 and the fact that the mountain is a national park and, therefore, free. (Sorry, but it really is a factor, folks!) Kennesaw Mountain was neat, but I have a difficult time picturing long-ago battles raging on a peaceful green mountaintop.

The museum was impressive. My favorite exhibit was one on slavery before, during and after the Civil War, especially the difficulties freed slaves faced. I also really enjoyed the movie about Andrews' Raiders, who stole a train called The General and were chased down by its engineer, who ran a train called The Texas backwards to catch them. Disney made a movie about it with Fess Parker in the 50s called The Great Locomotive Chase. The General is on display at the museum, and The Texas is on display at the Cyclorama.

We did the museum's scavenger hunt and in the process discovered a jacket worn by George Armstrong Custer on his wedding day and some items belonging to bumbling Confederate General John Bell Hood.

Lunch at Steak and Shake, a wooden cap gun, a white bonnet and a Confederate cap, gas and admission to the museum was all it took to make this one a memorable day, and now the children (and I!) have a much broader view of the Civil War and slavery, and what the railroad meant in both.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Balance

Melissa's thread at The Well-Trained Mind forums set off a dialogue -- me with myself -- about the way I do things, as primary homekeeper. One of the most interesting responses on the thread was this one, by Stacia:

" I've been slowly decluttering for over a year now. I can't even count how much we've tossed or donated. Now that it's mostly under control, my mental energy (and peace from all the serenity, lol) can be put to use finding ways to be a better/more-educated consumer (consume less to begin with, reuse more, etc...). So, for me, it was a progression of steps. Clear out. Then, change our habits for the better (to maintain all the work done in the clearing out stages)."

Stacia was able to put into words what I hope to gain from constantly working on the clutter. Doubts creep in, though. Do I really want to part with the craft things I brought home after my mother-in-law's death? Or the music, movies, etc. my brother left behind when he died? Someday I might need these towels, even though they're a bit ratty. I might not be able to afford to replace the kitchen gadgets if I suddenly decide I need them down the road.

So I pray for strength to believe wholeheartedly in the Lord's provision, take a deep breath and bless someone else with my possessions. I keep a few precious things from my loved ones who are gone and I donate trim and material to the Linus Project and pass along the music and movies to another brother who wants them. The towels go to Goodwill, where they will be made into bundles of shop rags to sell. The kitchen gadgets go into a box for my shortly-to-be-college-bound niece and nephew.

I am left with space to breathe, a reasonable amount of time to devote to caring for a reasonable amount of "stuff," and the peace that Stacia mentioned.

Check out this great blog by Jennifer, another member of the TWTM forums: Halving it All.

Monday, July 21, 2008

A day in the life

(I'm really interested in reading about other people's days, so I'm posting a summer Monday here in the hopes of encouraging someone else to do the same.)

6:45 Wake, make bed. Wash lettuce and make G's lunch for work -- salad, baby carrots, homemade muffin from the freezer, banana, pretzels. Plug in iron.

7:00 Tidy living room. It's a disaster from the weekend's shopping and library trips, with bags of school supplies, books and movies from top to bottom. Oh yeah, and a load or two of laundry as well. G takes some things for Goodwill to the basement for me. Clean up dog mess outside. Set out chicken to thaw for dinner. Iron G's work outfit.

7:30 Curly Sue wakes in time to goof with Daddy and give him a g'bye lovey before he leaves for work. Turn on computer, answer e-mail and blog.

7:45 Shower and dress. Curly Sue walks the dogs and tidies her room, then gets herself a highly nutritious breakfast of Cookies-N-Cream Pop-Tarts. Moe is up and doesn't want breakfast, but does want to listen to his new "Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" soundtrack on the kitchen radio. Downstairs, I start a load of towels and wake Larry, who doesn't want breakfast either. I make myself an egg, toast and tea and shoo the dogs from the schoolroom, then blog, brush teeth and find shoes.

8:30 Gather trash and recyclables and take to dump. Moe has decided he wants Pop-Tarts and a glass of tea and Larry, after requesting a turn on his new video game, starts tidying his room in order to earn one. Curly Sue takes out Susie the New Dog, who does her business in the yard -- hooray!

8:50 Leave for dump and to fill car with gas. Station closest is out of gas and next one over has gas for 20 cents less per gallon anyway. Drop off one bag of trash, twice as many recyclables (yay!).

9:15 Arrive home and start to switch over laundry, then realize Geddy never finished drying his workout clothes Thursday -- ick. Wash them again, on hot, with baking soda. Moe asks for a turn on the computer but hasn't tidied his room, so he goes to earn it. Curly Sue plugs in her new pink guitar and rocks out for awhile, then moves to the keyboard. I clean the trash can and then announce I'm going to do my Bible study, hoping that will inspire everyone else to do their quiet time.

10:15 Everyone has done quiet time. My 7 and 2-year-old nephews arrive to spend the day. It's their sister's 5th birthday, so she and a little friend and the mamas are having a girls day out. It's love at first sight for Susie and the 2-year-old.

11:30 Curly Sue occupies the 2-year-old while I make sandwiches. The big boys have long since disappeared into the family room for video game time. They eat and help clean up, then disappear again. The dining room chairs are pushed against the wall so I can put a rug under the table, and the baby likes to play under there. I put down a pillow and blankets, and he, Curly Sue and Susie lie down to rest and read books and play. I eat my salad and think of 300 more things to put on my to-do list.

12:30 Larry wants to check his e-mail, so I finish my blog update and turn over the mouse. We really need a second computer! But first, I have to check Perez Hilton and catch up on my celebrity gossip.

1:40 Baby and Susie go to sleep under the table while I tidy up a bit and wash cherries and grapes to put in the fridge. Curly Sue is downstairs playing her guitar -- uplugged -- and the little boys are on to some kind of Harry Potter video game now. Larry is playing with the new camera and getting some super cute photos of Susie. I file my Staples Easy Rebates -- $7 on an electric pencil sharpener, $1.99 on mechanical pencils.

2:45 Marked some things off my list but haven't chopped vegetables. Baby is still asleep, so I have a snack and read some Erle Stanley Gardner instead.

4:30 SIL just called to say she's about 15 minutes out. Baby is awake and has hit his head twice, hard, on the underside of the table. He is ready to go home. Clean out and reorganize the school supply closet and distract baby by having him hand me things. Electric pencil sharpener is a piece of junk, and I decide to return it sometime this week and forfeit the Easy Rebate.

5:30 Geddy comes home from work with terrible stomach cramps, so I'm off to Walgreen's to find a cure. Stir fry is done and warming and rice is in the cooker, nephews are kissed and picked up. I probably smell like onions and peppers, but it's better than B.O., I suppose.

7:30 This...is...Jeopardy!

8:00 Dinner dishes and an inventory of the fridge.

8:30 Doggie bedtime does not go well. Susie is not happy about having flea medicine squirted between her shoulderblades, so she tries to roll over and I speak sharply to her and force her up. She nips at me and I pop her on the nose. She stops speaking to me briefly, but I bribe her with cheese.

8:45 I read "Lucy and the Green Door" and "Esmerelda the Rag Doll" to Curly Sue. Prayers, hugs and kisses (and nosy-rosys) and bedtime for children. Geddy, in sudden dire need of clean work clothing, starts a load, which means I'll be up late-ish and early-ish getting them dry and wrinkle-free. Meanwhile, the load of boys' clothes I started earlier today has to be dried and folded before I can even get Geddy's in the dryer. (*sigh*) More work in the kitchen, and suddenly the living room sofa and loveseat are once again covered with clothing that needs to be folded and/or put away. I add "orthodontist," "drop Curly Sue at Natalie's," "grab lunch," "pick up Curly Sue in town," "bookstore," and "allergist" to my to-do list for tomorrow, along with "remember to give Curly Sue money for lunch" and "see if Geddy still has gift certificates for movie theatre."

9:40 Moe comes upstairs in tears. Seems he was looking for something in the hallway when Larry somehow tripped over him and scraped off the ginormous scab on his elbow. I apply a bandage and a kiss and send him back to bed. I resist the urge to ask him how he was looking for something in the hall if he was in bed like he was SUPPOSED to be. I give myself a mental high-five.

9:52 Geddy decides he can wear something else tomorrow.

9:55 I finish blogging and drag myself to bed, praying I don't forget to set the alarm.

And that's my day! Post yours and link it in the comments, if you want.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Weekend update

(My apologies to SNL.)

I am the proud new owner of:

1. A dog of indeterminate age, called Susie, who appears to be a mix of wire-haired Jack Russell terrier and beagle. JoJo is tolerant thus far, and my aging and ailing Gram thinks I'm an answer to her prayer for a loving home for her doggie. Maybe I am. I kinda like this little girlie (but don't tell anyone).

2. Five new dresses and a new pair of strappy heels. All hail clearance season!

3. A very green digital camera. Seriously, about the color -- remember green apple flavored Now & Laters? Uh-huh.

4. Assorted school supplies, all irresistible at between a nickel and $1.29. I'm stocked up on erasers...bring on the algebra!

5. All of Stevie Wonder's No. 1 hits on CD.

Also, I got to help my sweet friend Kelly celebrate the impending arrival of Baby No. 3, a little boy with an as-yet-undetermined name who is supposed to join us in September. She has two girls, so I think we all overwhelmed her at the shower with little boy things.

Church rocked this morning but I haven't formed my thoughts on the sermon that kicked off an eight-week series this morning. Maybe I'll post more on that later, maybe not.

It was a fantastic weekend!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Sanctuary





Months ago, I offhandedly proposed to Geddy the idea of turning our breakfast nook into a sitting area for me. After all, I reasoned, he has his drum area and the children have their own bedrooms. We have a formal dining room with a large table, perfect for using at mealtime, and the children have desks in our schoolroom. Why shouldn't I have a quiet place of my own?

He thought it was a good idea but time and money made it a low priority for us. However, things came together over the weekend when we found a good home for our kitchen table and chairs and found some wicker furniture, a cushion and throws on clearance.

The loveseat, coffee table and baker's rack are from Big Lots, the rug is from Ross and the cool lamp/shelf, sheers and window scarf are from Wal-Mart. We bought three bar stools for the children to use at the counter, and one will double as a desk chair for me when I do planning on the desk part of the baker's rack.

My recipe and homemaking books are on the baker's rack and the shelf under the coffee table is for my Bibles, journal and study materials. The candle garden was a Christmas gift from Curly Sue.

My days are pretty hectic sometimes, and I hope to find rest and refreshment in my little sanctuary.

The lure of the puddle

Following a couple of booming thunderstorms and heavy downpours, The Hat Trick headed out on their bikes to play with Neighbor Boy. Within 15 minutes, Neighbor Boy came a-knockin'.

"Umm...Mrs. B? Ummm....ummm...Moe and Curly Sue wrecked on their bikes."

This is not uncommon, but usually it involves hurt feelings rather than hurt bodies. This time, though, it was definitely hurt bodies. By the time I got down the street, Neighbor Boy's mom was walking Moe's bike up the hill -- she lives closer to the wreck site than we -- and Moe was a horrifying sight with blood dripping down his legs and arm. Curly Sue was already in Neighbor Boy's driveway, seemingly okay except for a few scrapes.

Geddy carried Moe home and put him straight in the tub to try and dig out road trash from his wounds. Moe is tough, but he was insisting that he's never leaving the house again until he's old enough to drive, so we knew he was hurting.

Turns out Curly Sue's thumb got bent oddly underneath her as she went down, so off to the ER we went. It wasn't broken but it was badly bruised, so she went into a hard splint, wrap and sling. Moe's bleeding stopped so we didn't take him in, but he is bruised all over and scraped/cut on both knees and elbows, face, chin, arms, legs and torso. He is very sore today.

The last thing Geddy said to them as they went out to play was, "Hey, you already had your showers, so don't get too wet or muddy." And the first thing they did was head for a ginormous puddle at the bottom of a hill, at full speed. Moe apparently lost control when he hit the puddle, which was deeper than he thought, and slammed into Curly Sue.

We've always been insistent that the children wear their helmets when they ride and we were very glad they were wearing them yesterday!

Friday, July 11, 2008

The return of the king

My Larry is home -- hooray!

He had some...interesting? horrifying?...stories to tell about his youth group's camping trip to Fall Creek Falls. He ran out of money, but only because he spent some playing games in Cici's and because he blew some in the general store on important stuff like nose clips and rubber balls. Fortunately, he had enough to buy lunch on the way home, but unfortunately he didn't have any to buy an Icee at QT. (Geddy and I solved that by stopping in at Burger King for a frozen Coke.)

A non-poisonous -- we hope -- spider bit him and we'll have to keep an eye on that spot just in case. A spark from the campfire burned him. And a new friend spent part of the trip throwing rocks at his own privates, which was a new one on me. I spent a few minutes making sure Larry didn't participate in such an idiotic activity and was relieved to hear he didn't cave to that particular peer pressure.

He brought home one penny, a duffel full of stinky clothing, a disposable camera and a treasure trove of memories. Rock on!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Rewarded patience...or is it persistence?

I keep visiting a local used book sale -- hardbacks $1! paperbacks 50 cents! -- often, in hopes of discovering a treasure.

I was rewarded for my patience/persistence Saturday as I brushed the dust off not one but three gems. One is a collection of Depression-era recipes, another is an original Thornton W. Burgess -- "The Burgess Book of Nature Lore" -- and the third is a vintage homemaking book called "The I Hate to Housekeep Book: When and how to keep house without losing your mind" by Peg Bracken.

So far, the homemaking book is fun. I'm up to chapter three ("Stains, Spots, Blots, Scars and Dueling Wounds"), in which Bracken takes issue with "some housekeeping book or other" with its advice about avoiding embarrassment with your pastry brush.

I have been embarrassed by many things in my life, but never by my pastry-brush bristles. This is true of most women, I believe. Of all the things one has to blush over in this world, the color of one's pastry-brush bristles comes at the absolute tail end of the list. But this approach is characteristic of most home experts. They truly want to be helpful, but they go too far, and in doing so, they set up too many straw men to knock over.

Ain't that the truth! I look forward to reading more of her wisdom.

The children and I will enjoy reading the Burgess aloud, and as soon as I figure out the "slow" setting on my oven, I plan to bake a mean "Good Cake Without Frosting" as well. That's a pretty good store of advice and entertainment for the Low Low Price of $3.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

I know it's early, but there was a sale!

I really love coloring with new crayons. (Yes, I know how old I am. Pipe down.) I love the smell of new paper and how neat my handwriting is on that first page of a notebook. I make the crisp e's with the point on the front, even, but that usually goes the way of the Dodo by page 4.

One of the things we're doing differently this year -- in addition to not starting school this week -- is taking the children on a special back-to-school "date." We intended to take each child separately, but it worked out that we could take both the littles tonight while Larry is on a junior high church camping trip, so off to their favorite Mexican restaurant we went.

Over cheese dip and sticky soda, I talked to them about the changes our participation in a virtual academy will make in our schedule and priorities. We encouraged them to talk about their goals (Curly Sue would like extra one-on-one help with math, Moe is interested in taking an art class and learning about cars). We made a new family rule against the words "I hate" preceding any school subject.

Then came the fun part: After assuring them we would provide basics like paper and pencils, we gave them each a $20 budget and helped them choose some things to help make Aug. 13, our first day of school, special. Both immediately went for book bags, Moe for a Transformers design and Curly Sue for one with a tiny plush frog hanging from the zipper.

Curly Sue chose pens with cool designs, some star-shaped Post-Its and a book cover with hearts. Moe chose a calculator, a small construction paper pad, a Jeff Gordon book cover and -- oh, so neat! -- a rubber band ball.

We have some other things on our fall revival list, like cowboy boots, jeans, a Mary-Kate and Ashley shirt and a Transformers comforter, but for tonight it was enough to stash away some new, crisp things.

And for your information, I totally resisted the urge to sniff and make pointy e's on the construction paper pad!

Monday, July 7, 2008

Run runaway

I am not the kind of person to be flattered by great declarations of past crushes and sighs or regrets over what might have been. (Really, what's the point of rehashing that kind of stuff once you're properly grown up, anyway?) And when I think of how I had to sit on the sidelines so often because I didn't measure up, the intended flattery only serves to tick me off.

The lesson here, boys and girls, is that it's not nice to reinvent the past for your own purposes. Folks get hurt. Stray comments, even ones meant as compliments, may open up old wounds and new cans of worms. So "beware of the half truth, for you may have gotten hold of the wrong half." Yeah, like the backside of a politician.

See chameleon, lying there in the sun
All things to everyone
Run, runaway
-- Slade, 1984

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Sneaker saga

I really like to shop at Famous Footwear. It's the only place I can find decent sneakers for everyone, and typically the prices are at least reasonable if not incredible. We're fortunate that the children aren't particular about brands or styles, although I prefer New Balance because they seem to last longer and come in wide sizes, which fit my boys better.

Larry's foot decided to grow three sizes this week (ala the Grinch) so he informed me Thursday morning that he needed new sneakers. I told him we had plans to go in a couple of weeks and he explained that he meant he couldn't wear his sneakers at all, that his foot had completely outgrown his shoes. We already had plans to walk in the parade yesterday morning, so I arranged our schedule to squeeze in sneaker shopping.

I should probably explain that our boys basically get a new pair of shoes once or twice a year. Their old sneakers -- if they can still wear them -- become their play shoes and their new ones are for everything else. (They also each get a pair of knockoff Crocs.) A buy one, get one half price sale is ongoing at FF, so I had both boys fitted up with brand-new New Balance wides and even splurged on Gold Toe socks -- also on sale.

Satisfied that my day's shopping had gone well and we were caught up on our needs, with the added bonus that I had found a super-soft set of organic cotton sateen sheets for our bed for an incredibly low price at Ross, we headed out to camp to pick up our much-missed Miss Curly Sue.

Who discovered shortly after arriving home that she had left her sneakers at camp.

Sigh.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Let's gather 'round the campfire and sing our campfire song

...our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E song/And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong/But it'll help if you just sing along...

(Can anyone name that cartoon? Hint: He lives in a pineapple under the sea.)

You'll notice I haven't mentioned that Curly Sue is at church camp this week. That would be because Mama has been trying not to think about it too much. Oh, it was one thing to send my completely ready but still "my baby" 12-year-old -- and that was plenty hard! -- but my sweet and silly 8-year-old darling girl has been another story.

Plus, she left me here completely surrounded by boys. Now, I love boys, especially my boys, but I share so many girls-only moments with Curly Sue every day that I'm really missing that interaction. She is a constant source of encouragement to me and will be very proud that I've lost another pound in her absence.

It helps to know she's having a fantastic time with her friends from church, and she makes friends very easily so hopefully she's spending time with new ones as well. She'll swim and eat and play and exercise and worship and learn, but for the first time in her life I'll miss out on nearly a whole week of being there with her while she does.

"And the face in the water looks up
And she shakes her head, as if to say
That it's the last time you'll look like today"
(Genesis, "Ripples")

Man, I'm in a melancholy mood today. I must away to the elliptical to work off some of my not-so-lovely lady lumps.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The Professor speaks

Larry occasionally makes comments in such a literary way that it's pure comedy. Last week when The Hat Trick was at Youth Police Academy, I mentioned that I had seen some fruit outside the meeting room and wondered if any of my children had partaken. Larry said:
"Yes, and it would appear my lifelong feud with bananas has come to an end."