Learning Financial Responsibility

Wow this week flew by!!! We have been busy with school work. The older two are up to their ears in projects and papers, and Jack is busy with the standard elementary stuff. We got through dance classes, boy scouts and martial arts all week. Race and Austin will be headed out tomorrow morning to sell popcorn with the boyscout troop at Wal-Mart. Hopefully they will do well. Last week the troop sold over $800 at Sams Club. Austin is hoping to sell enough individually to pay for his boy scout summer camp next year.

EM posted vacation pictures on her blog. They are so good. I love the way that she captures the boys. I really do have pictures, but we have dualling laptops when Race is home, and it will just have to wait.

We have been having a little trouble with Jack lately, when it comes to money. You see, in more ways than one, Jack has had a very different upbringing than Austin and Savannah. This is just one area. When Savannah and Austin were little, money was not an issue. WE HAD NONE. When you're broke it's easy to learn the value of a dollar, and to know what it's like to want something very badly and not be able to get it. And likewise to know the immense joy of waiting, working, and earning that cherished item.
Material things have come much easier to Jack. He has not learned to be responsible,(in the 9 yr old sense)for the things that he has. He can be be given something that he wants very badly, and then completely disreguard it's care and upkeep. Again, this is purely in a child-like way, but an attitude of self-entitlement will certainly make an adult miserable.
SO. In an effort to teach more "financial responsibility", we started a new system today. EM reminded me about this system while we were discussing this on vacation. I don't know who came up with the idea. We gave him 3 jars. They are labled: Church, Saving, and Spending. We divide all the money that he receives..(You may recall that this is the child who has BEGGED to play the lottery since he was 5, and checks EVERY gumball, change, and soda machine for change that people forget..I'd he finds about $1 a week...not kidding). 10% goes to Church, Then 1/2 in spending, 1/2 in saving. We will have one "shopping day" per month, where the spending money can be taken out and spent on 1 item. We are out in town almost every day of the week, so this should take care of all of the "Can I get....?" questions that have become so common.
So, what do you think? He was excited about it, and I think that it will really help with the situation. What do you do to teach financial responsibility? It is my sincere desire that my children learn the joy of waiting and working for the things that they want, so that they can take pride in those things and can even ENJOY taking care of them. God wants us to enjoy His blessings.

Still learning here.
G'night,
Melissa

Ballet

As a part of my attempt at a more-active lifestyle,I started taking a ballet class at the same dance school that Savannah attends. (It's o.k.,you can laugh).

Are you done? (Seriously. It's not THAT funny.)

Now, first. Let me explain the setting: This dance school is for professional-hopefuls. Girls and guys with big aspirations and goals of heading to N.Y, etc.
The artistic director is the real deal, and spent his carreer dancing for the American Ballet and for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. He still freelances all over the U.S.
The building is an old, 4 story in the downtown area of our city. The rooms are enormous, the floors are wooden, the walls are white, and the light streams in through the enormous windows that look out onto the river.
I danced for years growing up.(And as an aside, my freind Janelle and I used to laugh hysterically at the "older" ladies who took dance.) I loved it, and it is one thing that I regret giving up. SO. When the artistic director began encouraging me to take this class....I was excited. I REALLY wanted to. Race was encouraging: "SWEET. Leotard and tights, right? Go for it babe." (rolling eyes)
The time worked out so that Savannah would be taking a class simultaneously, and the boys would both be at martial arts. So after figuring out a little fancy driving/taxi duty, I jumped on it!
My first class was interesting. Not really sure what to wear to ballet anymore( I know you're wondering), I opted for a pair of dancers capri tights, short black nike shorts, a black cami top, and of course...my ballet shoes (squeal!). I thought that I looked pretty good. I tried to ignore Savannah's laughter as we walked from the car into the building.
In class there were a few other ladies who were a bit older than me, and weren't in shape AT ALL, and had never taken dance before. Most of the class was spent at the bar, and let's just say that when it came time to place our legs onto the bar, I was immediately reminded of an episode of "I Love Lucy". So, I left feeling pretty good about myself. I didn't do too shabby. And I will admit that I had more than one giggle thinking about the other ladies.

SO. It was going good. I was on my way back to my former ballerina days!

Next class: I walk in and there are only college aged girls........IN SHAPE college girls. I'm thinking, "Ummmmm...where are those older gals....from last week??" How humbling. The instructor considerably picked up the pace and difficulty of the class to match her students ability. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! The things that I used to be able to do perfectly and effortlessly and without even thinking, now require an UNIMAGINABLE amount of concentration to execute poorly!

Instructor: "A ballerina should look as if she is being beld up by an invisible string that extends from the top of her head, so that at any moment she might leave the ground effortlessly."
Um........ (snort) Not. there. yet.
My calves are still sore. I know a little more French, and I'm working on my "turn-out". My knee hurts. Can't wait till next week!

G'night,
Melissa

The beach

We had one of the most memorable vacations EVER at the beach this year. You can check my sister's awesome summary and pictures
HERE . I took pictures too, and I'll post some later, but hers are just perfect. We had an incredible time. Between Race, the kids and I we ran, biked,swam and kayaked. I'd say we did those things about....20% (10%?) of the time. The entire rest of the week was spent laying on the beach,lying around in the INCREDIBLE beach house, and...eating. It was all so much fun, and so relaxing. We especially enjoyed getting to spend time with Em's little guys. They are growing so quickly into such fine little men, and the older two are right at that "super-fun-to-play-with-age". Race actually mentioned how much he was missing W the day after we arrived back home.

It was all just so good. Dad and Thom cooking for us all; geting to sit around and shoot the breeze with Em and T while all the cousins played together; Mam-maw taking the kids for long walks on the beach to hunt for shells; getting to hold Everett,(One of the rare moments that he was not eating!); And of course just getting to spend time with Race, Austin, Savannah, and Jack. My family is one of my greatest blessings.

We are settling back into school and schedules,etc. Just dealing with the ho-hums of every day life. I am increasingly aware of what a blessing Race is to me, and I'm trying not to waste a single moment.

G'night,
Melissa

Bloggin' from the hotel...on VACATION!

We made a very last minute decision to leave for our beach trip a day early and hit the zoo on our way. We had a wonderful time, and got some great photos. I am sometimes surprised all over again how much fun my 2 older kids are to be around. Savannah was in particularly hillarious form yesterday. They are a riot, and did such a great job with Jack. They didn't squash his joy and amazement and just made things more fun for him. That's good stuff.
Today, we are headed to the beach for a week. This is always such an awesome thing for us. We look forward to it each year. The whole family will be there this year, including our newest lil' nephew E! We can all hardly wait to get there. Austin has already mentioned that he just can't wait for Pap-paw to make his "traditional" Seafood bisque. Dad makes it in the biggest pot you have ever seen, (Picture the military-style cauldron). He uses real cream and fresh seafood....and....well..it is amazing. It's like a huge kick-off for a week of sun, sand, ocean, incredible food, and adult beverages! WOO_HOO!!!
This year Jack is taking the Zoology 2 course from Apologia, so visiting the ocean will be double the fun!
Well, everyone is waiting on me, so I'd better go. Thanks so much for thinking of us, and for stopping by here to check up on us. I know that I owe several of you an email and/or a phone call!

Bye,
Melissa

Hi Again!!!!!

O.K., I know that it is insane that I haven't blogged in so long. And you guys are so sweet to check in on me. Thank-you for the thoughts and prayers.....and comments.

We are doing fine. Race is home. And we are enjoying life as a complete family again. The job has tried to claim a much bigger piece of our marriage and family than either of us was counting on. So, the last few months have been spent...........not letting it. It's the sort of thing that you don't see coming till it hits you head on. And then suddenly you are very aware that you are at a crossroad....you have a choice: you can pretend that everything is fine and look the other way and enjoy living in mediocrity....OR you can fight like hell for what you love and hold most dear. I chose to fight. It is a gut-wrenching, turn-you-inside-out kind of thing. And God is faithful, and He shows His great mercy to me, and..........life is good! Race and I are closer than we have ever been, and I just feel so blessed. Thank-you again for all of the prayers. They mean so much to us both.

Over the past few months we have become a much more active family. All of us are working out. Race and I are running and lifting weights, Savannah is taking modern dance and pilates, I am taking an adult ballet class (which I LOVE!!!), and the boys are carrying on with mixed martial arts and jiu jitsu. Race has also been swimming 4 times a week, (taking the kids with him twice a week), AND he has joined the jiu jitsu class that Austin takes. Not sure how it happened,but we are becoming the "work-out family". We love it. Everyone feels so much better.

Race has taken the kids cycling and canoeing. It has been just great. We are all enjoying being together as a family again. ANd I don't think that Race and I have ever been closer.

As most of you know, we have a new addition in our family. Our new little nephew Everett has finally made his debut. He is the cutest thing EVER, and we already love him to pieces.

Well, I am back, and while I won't be blogging daily till Race leaves again, I WILL be blogging more.

Thanks so much for thinking of us. You guys are so great!

It's good to be back!
Melissa

Each evening, I sit down to blog, and I just can't. It's like any creative juices that I ever possessed, have been drained from my body.

But, here goes....

Today, I got my hair done. Cut and color. I LOVE it. Can you believe that? I actually LOVE it! That NEVER happens. My color looks so pretty, it's like it isn't even my hair. It has shades of light blonde, honey, and a very dark blonde all in it. Someone, please drag me away from the mirror. I've just been staring into it, flipping my hair around saying, "Look at that! Can you believe that's my hair?" I was so excited that I called my best friend Janelle, and as soon as she answered the phone she said," Well, your hair must look great, because you're not crying." She knows me so well.

While I spent hours at the salon, having a good 25+ feet of aluminum foil sheets stacked onto my head, my sister was kind enough to take the kids to a movie, and then back to her place for Savannah's art lesson. When I picked them up Thom was busily getting ready for her date tonight. I was a good sister and critiqued the outfits that she tried on for me. I commented with the usual, "that looks good", "yeah, I like that", "Ummm, NO(rolling eyes)", and "YES! THAT! WEAR THAT! That looks good!" She reciprocated by gushing over my new do.

When the kids and I got home, we only had about 30 minutes before we needed to head back out the door to Austin's baseball game. After the game we came straight home. 9:30.

We are missing Race like crazy. I mean it, it is making me crazy. I want to see him so badly.

Have a great night!
Melissa

Pictures! .....over at AnnieSue's

Anniesue posted pictures on her blog as well as a cool run down on her vacation. Thank-you to AnnieSues Brother for snapping the pictures.

I ate breakfast with AnnieSue today!

Yep, that's right. AnnieSue was in town visiting our old college stomping grounds, and we managed to meet up. It is so wonderful to meet up with friends like AnnieSue. We haven't seen one another in about 14 years, and it was just like a day hadn't even gone by. (And, BTW, she hasn't aged A DAY!!SERIOUSLY. NOT a DAY!) She was with her brother, a nephew, and her own daughter. Austin, Savannah and Jack, REALLY liked the kids. The report that I got was that they had a GREAT time, and that AnnieSue's nephew was "SO funny" and her daughter was "just like Savannah..". (From Jack, of course.)

They must have had a good time, because they were all stuck in our town's little greasy spoon diner, at a table by themselves and were complete strangers. But between baseball, shared books, drawing, and of course that old stand-by: building card-houses out of Sweet n' Low........they were laughing and having fun in no time. When the laughter died down, Jack turned to entertaining with creamer-shots.
Seeing AnnieSue and her brother was truly a highlight for me. We laughed and had such a great time, that it left me wishing that they lived much, much closer. And I am sorry that I missed meeting the Big Man, because he was always funny,and it would have been great to see him again.

After we said our good-byes, I was off to get new tires and an oil change, (AND as it turns out,..an alignment). Thom had been at breakfast with us, and was nice enough to come and pick us up. I hate waiting for my car to be ready, but, WOW, the suburban drives like a new car. Thanks thom, for picking us up!

Austin had a rough baseball game tonight, and it was one of those times, that I REALLY wished that his dad had been here. I just simply wasn't enough tonight.

I did get to talk to Race today, and things seem to be going well with him. I cannot tell you how much I miss him, and just want him to be home. Be safe, Race...and hit every target. We love you, and we miss you.

Hey! My whole work-out/nutrition thing is going really well.Today starts week 2 on this program, and I've gotta tell you, I think that I have hit on something here! I am loving it! I am using the program from the Womens Body Sculpting Bible. I love it.

Have a wonderful Independence Day!
Melissa

Goings on

Well, I DID clean my house yesterday! Yay ME! I got caught up on a lot of the things that we haven't been able to do around here since we've been doing nothing but sitting on the baseball field.

You know that your son is a true observer of nature when he calls excitedly from the backyard to tell you that he has discovered a turtle that is laying eggs!! SO, youngest son promptly found a sturdy plastic crate to sit on and sat very still and watched. After the turtle moved away.....(and then was brought inside to watch an episode of Andy Griffith before I intervened..) he marked the spot with the crate, and is anxiously awaiting baby turtles!

Church was great today. Mostly it was great because the ladies at my church are so awesome to me. I consider myself lucky that most of the women in my church who have children the same age as mine, are all 10+ years older than me. This is great for me, because I get to benefit from the wisdom of these ladies who have already "been there and done that". And they are just so wonderful, not at all pretentious or condescending. They pray for Race, and for myself and the kids. What a blessing!

I must take a moment to send out a huge "Thank-you" to Dy. The other night, after a particularly terrifying phone call from Race, I called her. She talked me down, (as I knew that she would!)and gave some perspective that I really couldn't seem to get hold of on my own. Thank-you, Thank-you, Dy, you are a wonderful friend! I don't suppose that hearing live-rapid-fire in the background of your husbands phone calls is something that you ever get used to, or feel comfortable about.

This week, I tried sushi for the first time. Nothing too brazen, just california, and philadelphia rolls.....but Austin and I are both hooked! We are working our way up, slowly, trying different types each week. I can see why people get hooked on the stuff. You truly cannot immitate the taste with any other food item.

O.K., so wish me luck as I start my new work-out/ nutrition plan tomorrow.

I got some great news that I MAY get to meet up with AnnieSue next week! That is so exciting! AnnieSue and I were roommates in college, and she reminded me that the last time that we saw one another, Austin wasn't walking yet!!

We miss Race terribly. His last trip home was definitely action-packed. He did a 30 mile bike ride +camping with the Boy Scouts, took all three kids canoeing/kayaking down the river, went back kayaking a second time with Austin and his best friend, he took the boys camping and hiking, he bought Savannah a new mountain bike, and took her for several long treks while she learned how to manage the gears, he was the assist. coach for Austin's baseball team, was Savannah's biggest fan at her ballet performance, made countless trips to the batting cages and took us all to the water-park for a fun-filled day right before he left. Yes, he is greatly missed.

G'night!
Melissa

Well.......where did that long post go?????

Incredibly frustrating to awaken and find that the long post that you wrote the night before has VANISHED!!! AAaarrrrgghhh! I tried "recover post", but it was a no go.

Oh, MAN! and just when I was catching up. Now I am going to think that I have already told y'all about stuff and you'll have no idea what I am talking about!

I'll try again later on today. We have (gulp) NO BASEBALL for the next 2 days!!!! I may try to actually clean the house. (shudder)

Austin's Legion team lost their game last night, but he made an incredible unassisted double play at third. It is so exciting to see your kids work really hard at something that they love....and acheive successes along the way.

Savannah and Jack are back at home. They have been bubbling over with stories from Mam-ma and Pap-pa's house. There were friends and cousins. There was swimming and skating and fishing..........and the high light: Camping With Aunt Thomasina. I am told that no sooner had they set up camp, than Jack turned over a log....(he is CONSTANTLY looking) and found a copperhead snake. Now, my budding herpetologist identified this immediately and Aunt Thomasina sprung into action. She quickly secured all the children, then shot the snake and cut off it's head. Yes. You read that correctly. The copperhead body was left to be examined and studied by all in attendance. (Guarantee: Every one of those kids can now properly identify a copperhead snake!) Now THAT , my friends, is a camping experience for a child. THAT is a memory.
My little nephew Q was on this camping trip as well. His very first.It is really some sort of right of passage, or a passing of the torch. What a brave little guy he is.The kids all had a blast! Huge thanks, Aunt Thomasina!

I am staring a new weight training program on Monday. I am going to do the whole nutrition thing as well. The science of it all is captivating me and the results are what keep me going. (Nothing noticable to anyone else, but I notice!!) Anyway, I really like it. And lets face it,no matter how thin you are, muscle atrophy isn't pretty. We'll see how it goes next week.

have a great weekend!
Melissa

Starting Over.........

Well, there is no way to recap, so I guess that I am just starting over.

I have of course been busy with all the kids activities, but more than that Race and I have been learning to juggle the enormous demands that his job makes on each of us. So, I suppose I have been throwing all of my collective efforts into "US".

Race is back at work. We miss him dearly.

Austin has finished up 2 ball teams, with one of them managing to win their league.He is now playing on an American Legion Team, which will run through July. Jack has finished up his season as well. I am also finished with my Team Mom duties.
Savannah is starting up art lessons again, and is going to do childrens Theatre in July.

Me? I'll admit to feeling like I am on a bit of slippery slope at the moment.
One of the things that Race helped me out with while he was home, was to get me started on a weight training program. I am LOVING lifting weights! No more boredom, and you see results so quickly!

Savannah and Jack are at mom and dads, so today, I took Austin to see Nacho Libre. Proving once again, that I have the sense of humor of you average teen, I found this movie HILARIOUS! He and I had a great time, and we are still laughing at some of the stupid-funny things in that movie. he had a Legion game tonight, and although they lost, he played a great game. We didn't get home till 10:00 pm, and dinner was Subway.

Well, there you have it. A start. Not earth shattering, mind you, but a start nonetheless.

G'night,
Melissa

No time to write!!!

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!


Ooooo.. sorry, I forgot to flip these around! We have been SO busy with family activities. It has been fun. You can add to what is represented here, a 30 mile mountain bike ride, learning to kayak and playing a LOT of ping pong! It's all good though, and I am thoroughly enjoying my family. I haven't had the time to decompress enough to write about anything yet, but it's on my mind...and it's coming. In the mean time, take a look at some of our pictures.

Mostly we've been doing THIS:

 
 
 
  

Shall I bore you with pictures??

There has been a lot of THIS going on!




 

Switching gears........and sharing

I am not finding the time to post, or check my emails, or return any phone calls lately. And today the reason occured to me. I am on "Race Time", and I have to share everything. I share the computer. I share the TV, and I share the phone. It takes a little getting used to, when one is used to running ones own household, and making plans for ones self. It requires switching gears. So,on "Race Time", our day looks like this:

The morning is spent re-acclimating the boys to chores and a generally less slovely lifestyle. (Ahem, sorta dropped the ball on that one while he was gone!Thank heavens for Savannah.) Then it is on to breakfast and private Bible reading, prayer, etc. After that it's the treadmill for me while the kids play outside and finish up their jobs. Then race and I hit the weights. I will expound more on this later, but having your husband as your personal trainer is either the Best thing for a marriage.......or the WORST...I think it depends on the day. After that I shower and get ready for the rest of the day, and Race takes the kids biking.
Then its school for everyone, while Race does the jobs and errands that he needs to do.
After school, there is about an hour of free time before we all hit the road, for what is usually a late night. Between dance, martial arts, and 3 baseball schedules....well, you get the picture! We come home at night happily exhausted, and flop into bed.
The only reason I am at the computer today is that Race is out with an armour from Smith & Wesson who asked him to try out some of their soon-to be-on the market stuff. He'll never turn down an opportunity to have some fun shooting someone elses ammo. SO I am cheating and have all the kids working on various workbook assignments and I am grabbing a few minutes here!
So, there you have it! Austin's Varsity team games are due to end in jast about 2 weeks, so maybe I can reclaim some time for myself after that! However there is a garden outside that is screaming my name as well...

Have a great day, and thanks for checking in!
Melissa

Race is home!

Well, you may have already guessed that, what with my prolonged absence from cyber-space. Sorry.......we have all been involved in various forms of "Race-Worship". It has been so wonderful to have my whole family together again. We have been enjoying one another SO much. What had seemed like work and monotony, now seems like a fun vacation.

I have lots to tell, and plenty of pictures to share. Race is taking the boys camping tonight, so maybe I'll have some time to catch up a bit.

Briefly, there are a few new things that have entered our family since Race's return. Texas Hold Em' is now the card game of choice here. If we were a gambling family, Jack would would be a very rich young man. (ahem) Also, now it is not unusual to see any of the three of my children walking around singing. That, in and of itself is not unusual, but when you ,listen closely you will realize that you cannot understand ONE WORD of what they are singing. That's right, Race has introduced the kids to Mid-Eastern POP music! They love it.
If Race were to take you for a ride in his jacked up, CJ-7 Jeep, one of the first things that you would notice after you climbed up and got settled into your seat is the unusual sticker on his dash. There in all her Mid-Eastern glory, is the face of a beautiful woman with piercing eyes, in traditional dress. Sounds wierd, but you could sort of liken it to the naked lady on the mud flaps here in the U.S. Race said this picture is everwhere on the cars over there. He put it on his jeep to keep the rednecks confused around here.
Baseball is the main pass time for us right now, and Race is helping coach Austin's team. We are all having a blast and staying insanely busy. But it is wonderful, and I am enjoying every single second of it. I am feeling very blessed.
Thanks so much for all the comments, and for checking back in. I haven't been online AT ALL, so I am totally lost and behind. I will catch up on emails, phone calls and blogs soon!
Dy, I got your message, and I'll give you a call this week! Thanks for checking in!
Have a great day!
Melissa

Play Ball!

What a day! It was a long one, but we were one tired happy family when we finally pulled back into the house at 10:00 pm.

After Jack's martial arts class, we pulled up to the ball field to watch Austin.
Austin's varsity team won 22-4. The coach had told him that he would probably pitching this game, but as it turned out, they were doing so well, that he didn't have to put him in. SO he played at 3rd base. And man, did he play! It was awesome to watch. The game had started at 4:30 and we left at 7:15. We had to head straight over to the Dixie Youth practice (Austin's also) which started at 7:45. He was having a blast, and we were having a blast watching him. The hitting pratice that Pap-paw had been taking him to last month really payed off!

Savannah was happy because the next book in the "Warriors" series was released yesterday, and we went straight out and bought it. I thought that she was going absolutely EXPLODE with excitement in the store! She could not wait to get her hands on that book! So she was sitting at the ballfield wrapped in my coat, completely absorbed in her book.

Jack was running all over the place catching all the foul balls and throwing them back in for the "big kids", so that they would be sure to notice what an "incredible arm" he has for a "little kid".

We were tired and worn out as we drug ourselves and all our stuff back home. Our dinner so far had been some sort of mix of Nutri-grain bars and Gatorade.(As a matter of fact between the 2 games we ended up feeding a LOT of stray boys Nutrigrain bars and Gatorade!) We had pulled in at 9:50 and got the last 2 Little Caesars pizzas...they locked the door behind us. But it was a good day. The kids had a wonderful time today pursuing their own interests, and I got to be the lucky mom to sit back and watch, and cheer them on.

Laney, Thank-you, thank-you!! I do NOT posess the ability to do even the simplest of flower arrangements. I will post the pic soon, I've got to find a decent "before" that shows how much the room has changed.

Have a great day!
Melissa

Well, I have heard from Race, and all is well on his end. He is stating really busy and he is really tired every time I talk to him. But I am pretty sure that he wouldn't have it any other way.

As for us, we are staying busy too. As you know, baseball season and dance rehearsals are in full swing, and we get to martial arts on the days that we don't have other conflicts. The back of my suburban looks like a sporting goods store exploded in it. But with mucho baseball games ahead of me, I am prepared! I have our collapsible chairs, our huge sports umbrella, and a soft sided cooler. We're set! And you know, what a way to spend an afternoon. You can hang out in jeans, tee-shirt, flip-flops and a baseball cap, eat plenty of food that's bad for you, and watch your kid having a blast! (This is all assuming that you DO NOT sit near he other parents...ugh)

This weekend, Austin worked on staining the deck. I helped him in hourly spurts in between running savannah and Jack to their different activities Saturday. WOW! What an ENOURMOUS job that is! It still isn't finished. But what we DID get done looks really great, and so that is at least keeping us motivated to keep going.

I am going to find a "before" pic of my dining room, and I'll post the "after" pic with it. It's the only room that I have pretty much completed. If I could figure out what sort of flower arrangement should go on the table I'd be set. But I stink at that.

have a great day!
Race, we miss you! Be careful!
Melissa

I haven't heard from Race in a while, so I am anxious to get an email or a phone call or something. It's always such a relief to get any bit of communication, ya know?

Anniesue, I love ya! Thank-you, thank-you for the nice words!!! I am definitely still as vain as I was in college, I just don't have as much time to indulge! (And folks, I am talking SERIOUS vanity, here.....within days of moving into my room in college, I had the desk on my side of the room covered in pink contac paper, and turned into a vanity with a lighted mirror!) And don't be fooled by Anniesue, I noticed that in her pictures, she has not one wrinkle.......NOT ONE!

On the subject of friends and college roommates :My friend since first grade had her 3rd child today. Welcome little William Henry!(Not so little, though at 9lb 14 oz!) And congrats Janelle and Bill. So glad that everything went so smoothly.

Poor Em is STILL sick! Sending prayers out for her and her family. They have been fighting various illnesses for quite awile now, and The Dude is holding down the fort AND working his regular job when Em is sick. (Oh- and I am told that The Dude also had a flat tire today on his way in to work!) Hope things are better soon, guys.

Baseball is going well for the boys so far. Austin is excited to be pitching this year on varsity. And all of Pap-paw's hitting practice has done WONDERS for his batting. Jack loves hitting the ball, carrying a bat bag, wearing a batting helmet, and SLIDING. And guess what color their baseball pants are for the Dixie Youth team? Yep, WHITE.

Savannah is going to her first rehearsal for dance on Saturday, and she is SOooo excited about that. She just can't wait to be on stage again!

So, that' what's going on here.
We miss you Race! Come home soon!

G'night
Melissa

We have been Sooo busy, that I haven't had time to blog!

School lessons have been going well, and we are definitely getting a lot done each day. But I am certainly feeling stretched mighty thin. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to Race being home again.

Baseball season is now officially in full swing. In case you have forgotten.....that's 3 baseball schedules. And rehearsals for the next dance performance start up on April 1(That's 3 days of dance a week). The upside to it all, is that the kids are doing great. Staying physically active has been a real plus for them in so many ways. And while it IS a lot for ME to run them around to, it seems to fit each of the kids perfectly, and they really are thriving.

Hoping to keep myself busy while Race was gone, I decided back in January to take on a remodeling project of the main living area of our home. (Oh...yes! What a FABULOUS idea.......because I have NOTHING to do!) Anyway, I am about half way through. I did get my dining room curtains made and hung this week. And they look Soooo good! That is the one room that is almost finished, so maybe I can do some before and after pics soon. I am pleased with how everything is turning out, but I am still in the middle, and would really like to get things to a more finished state before Race comes home. Here is my kind of wierdo goal:

I want Race to know immediately when he comes home, that all his time away and sacrifice really IS improving our quality of life, (that would be important to me, if I were the one staying away), AND I would like for his time at home to be a time of relaxation, with the main focus on just being together as a family.

So, that's my thinking, and that's why I started the remodel.....we'll see how far I get. Right now I have about 50 boxes of Pergo flooring sitting in my living room waiting for the installer to put it down.

OH. ALso, with Race coming home in the near future, and spring and what not, my thought s have also returned to my aging self. I will be thirty *BLEEP* this year, and my skin is looking every bit of that age. My genetically cursed rear end remains a problem. My sister Thom may just have the answer though. She is going to market new jeans with extra padding in the butt where a certain segment of the female population (however small we may be) needs it. She has christened these hot new pants, "Jeans For The Ass-Less". Man, I gotta get me some of them jeans.

G'night,
Melissa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACE!!!!!

Well, we were all hit with some form of the flu. But we are all on the mend, and feeling much better, so maybe I can get back to bloggin' now!

Today is Race's birthday, and we miss him terribly. We sent him a package, and as luck would have it, it arrived right on time! We can't really send much, because he has to travel light. So, the kids and I sent him "A Year in Pictures". We took a sampling of the pictures from this year, and spaced them out on laminate, so that the entire thing could be folded up like one of those laminated travel maps. This way he can hang it on his wall, but take it with him as well. In the box, there was also a few toy lizards from jack, a picture fron Savannah, a signed baseball from Austin, and some of Race's favorite candy.

The kids are going to be thrilled that it arrived right on time for him. So, Happy Birthday Race! Be careful and come home soon.

Have a great weekend!
Melissa

This is a picture......of the pictures. It says,"Happy Birthday Dad, Come Home Soon". And we all signed it.

NO SURRENDER...FIX BAYONET'S

O.K., I'll admit it. The news of the extension to Race's trip definitely brought out the worst in me. I have cried and figuratively thrown a full blown tantrum because I miss my husband. My kids miss their father. We had all the details worked out. And then THIS. It was a huge blow. Like someone knocked the air out of you. And I DID NOT handle it well at all.

It is through the miracle of God's amazing grace that he doesn't turn His back on me at times like this. That he doesn't just leave me there to wallow in all of my self pity. Oh, I do a very good job of justifying my feelings, by saying, "What about the kids? They will be devastated!" And they may be. But God is faithful. He knows what I need, and He knows what my children need. Thank-you so much for your prayers.

I was reminded in a very humbling and frightening way this week, just how dangerous Race's job really is. His tasks each day require his full attention. He can't have an "off day". I was humbled because I realized that I was so wrapped up in my own plans, my own selfish expectations, that I had forgotten the larger picture. There are LIVES on the line here, and not just his. When asked to help out a bit longer than expected to do a job that.........LIVES depend on, in the most fundamental way you can imagine......Could he say, "Sorry, man....gotta get home for baseball...hope ya find someone..." ? Would I WANT him to say that? I was reminded just how much bigger this all is than just me. And somehow, I will relay that to our children. And we will carry on.

In Race's line of work there is a definite communication break down for those that they leave back home. There has to be. I cannot tell you how difficult that is for me to handle. Actual conversations are few and far between, and so vague that you would think that we hardly knew one another. Now THAT'S hard! And I am sure that it will come as no surprise to you that none Race's co-workers have families who are together any more. And they'd give anything to "fix it". I hope that we can be a positive influence, in that way.

I am so thankful for my family. They have made such an enormous difference in the lives of each of my children. I just don't know where we would be without them to fill the gap. They are truly one of my greatest blessings. They spend time with my kids, even when it isn't easy. ANd they call to check on me, even when they aren't sure what to say.

Psalm 119:32 (NEB) "I will run the course set out in thy commandments,/ for they gladden my heart."
Thanks so much for all of your prayers. We're alittle battered, and there will be more to come as the kids find out about the extension, but we're not beaten. And they won't be either.

Have a great day!
Melissa

Family of Johnny Bad Ass waving white flag

The first email of the day today, was one from Race, telling me that his trip has been extended.(This all seems so familiar.)

The first phone call of the day was from the Automotive place. The suburban needs a new fuel pump. And no luck on getting the little car inspected today.

Prayers would be SOooo appreciated.

Feeling pretty overwhelmed and very inadequate for the tasks at hand.

Well, we are all still hanging in there, and our illnesses seem to have leveled off at least, and aren't keeping anyone down.

There. That was positive, right? See, I have a POSITIVE blog. Full of funny and uplifting things.

Several of my nightmares came true today. Nightmare #1: Car wouldn't start.

I don't understand it. It drove fine yesterday. I parked it in the driveway, in it's usual spot, where it can bask and be admired in all of it's shiny, black glory. How could it do this to me? No buzzer? No whistle? No flashing light of warning??? I ask you. What is this insanity know as the automobile? Where is technology? It can tell me when the door is left open, but can't explain when it is about to up and DIE???

I calmly usher the kids and all of their bags, cleats, snacks, drinks, belts,tights, etc. into the TEENY, TINY commuter car, affectionately known as "The Skate". All the while Jack is saying, "But Mom, it doesn't have the sticker. It doesn't have THE STICKER". HE is talking about an inspection sticker. No one drives "The Skate", and it's inspection had run out in Nov. But, hey, I'm a chance taker, and the kids have got commitments. We take off.

I drop Austin off at practice, and rush out for jumper cables (the ones that are SUPPOSED to be neatly stowed in the suburban in that special,"cable compartment" have vanished and the compartment was empty). I come home and fire up the Scalded Dog, (y'all remember that truck, right?) I READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE JUMPER CABLES. Yeah, um, could that BE any more confusing? How the hell am I supposed to remember about the whole positive negative thing, if you keep reminding me that at any moment....with the SLIGHTEST mistake....I will be permanently disfigured by the spray of battery acid all over my body?****

Fast Forward-

I did hook up the cables properly. I was NOT permanently disfigured by the spray of battery acid......but the car wouldn't turn over at all. Some distant, repressed memory came back to me at this point, and I remembered that the rapid, clicking sound may be the starter.

Fast Forward again-

Still driving "The Skate",I pick Austin up from baseball, drop Savannah off at dance, pick up pizza, and pass our poor beautiful suburban on the road being towed by Bubbles Towing Service. And although Bubbles is an extremely obese and frightening looking black man, he is, in fact very nice and polite and you should not be afraid. *** BTW, why is it that all tow truck drivers are so large? Have you ever noticed that? The whole world of automotives is a mystery to me***

The boys and I had to attend Austin's baseball parents meeting tonight. You know, the one that I was dreading? Well, the whole first part was the same, and you had to pay special attention to the part where head hauncho tells all the parents to "Respect your Team Mom's. They have the hardest jobs. SO many Team Mom's came to me last year, CRYING after being cussed by one of you parents.......yada, yada, yada".

Guess who was voted Team Mom? TWICE. And that, my friends, was Nightmare #2.

But, hey......my face was not sprayed with battery acid...(weak smile).

There's more to tell, but I've gotta get to bed. Gotta go get "The Skate" inspected tomorrow.

G'night,
Melissa

Well......Ooookay....

But I am not feeling very inspired. So, don't say you weren't warned, Thom.

We have been fighting illness at our house all week. So far, we have managed to keep going, and everyone has been on HUGE doses of Vit. C. But as of tonight, I am a little concerned about Austin. We'll see what the morning brings.

All 3 kids were at Mam-maw and Pap-paws this weekend. That's right......ALL 3 KIDS. So, what does Melissa do when she has a weekend to herself? Well, I was sick. All was not lost, though. I actually made some progress on some of the home improvement tasks. I hung a new chandelier for the dining room, installed track lighting in the living room, changed 4 inside door knobs from the ugly "gold" color to nice brushed nickel-finished ones. I installed a "door-closer-thingy" on the screen door, so that everyone will quit leaving it open AND I purchased and hung some nice window boxes for the railings of the front porch(but they're still empty).

Saturday night, I made a late night run to the local grocery, and who did I run into? My sister, Thom! I was by the dairy case when I heard her call. I only had a handful of items to grab, but, of course had grabbed a buggy...just in case. She on the other hand had to buy a lg jug of water and a humongo bag of dog food.......so....she quickly stole my basket and we finished up our shopping. I totally didn't mind though, because she told me that she thought that my hair cut looked really good.........(I hadn't even brushed it.....once). Also, she didn't laugh as I searched my purse for my keys for 5 min. before realizing that they were in my hand.
Ooo-ooo- also, Mega-High-Fives to Thom, whom I am told was CARDED twice last week!! WOAH! Under 21?? Congratulations my friend.....savor those moments(sniff, sniff, wiping a tiny tear from my eye). I have not ascertained WHERE she was to have been carded.....TWICE. The secret life of the bachelorette....who can know it?

I will have to save my annual "Nightmare at Baseball Parent Meeting" for another night. Let's just say, that I don't *think* that there are any ex-con parents on Jack's team, (however, I was careful to note that 2 did not show up...so we'll see). I sat in the Middle School cafeteria(complete with a large, compelling poster of Hillary Duff telling me to "Drink Milk") with about 100 other "parents" (this is JUST 8-9 yr olds league).I couldn't describe this crowd of people if I tried. Do the words "Big Johnson" mean anything to you? Well, I saw at least 4 of those shirts while I was there.
After he read our "hand out" to us....word-for -word, We were told by the head hauncho to "Please go DIRECTLY to your assigned room, with your assigned coach. Please DO NOT loiter in the hallways and keep your children with you AT ALL TIMES. PLEASE (special emphasis here) DO NOT MESS with any of the teachers things in the classrooms, and DO NOT write on the boards." Man, I grabbed my designer bag and tucked that baby under my arm and RAN like hell to my assigned room, looking back over my shoulder as I went. Have I mentioned that I live in "mountain country"? Well, I also live in "baseball country". I live in the south, in "baseball, mountain country".

*(shouting here) I WILL BE THE HAPPIEST WOMAN ON EARTH WHEN RACE IS HOME TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE MEETINGS!!!*

Well, tomorrow night is the parents meeting for Austin's league. I am sure that there will be stories to tell. Perhaps, I'll be perkier tomorrow, and will be able to do it justice.

We ARE still enjoying the gorgeous weather!
Be safe Race, we are praying for you and we miss you so much. Come home soon. We love you!

G'night,
Melissa

A good day..

Today was good. Lessons were completed, and it was one of those days in schooling, where you knew that they really "got it". Austin and I had a great time with the article on Chimps,evolution and altruism that was posted over at The Dude's blog. After reading it, I had him go through and point out the leaps in logic that were taken in the article.It was also a good chance to talk about the seriousness of slanting a study to make the results favor your theory. THAT is not science...and in my opinion, it is dangerous. (This goes equally for creation scientists as well.) Let the FACTS support themselves....only then can science move forward.

The boys went to the creek and found all manner of life forms. A "mystery bug" was also reportedly seen. There were several games of UNO played in this house today....and STILL Jack is the champion. It is definitely going to his head.

Speaking of Jack, I forgot to tell you, that the other day when it was just the 2 of us. I had wanted to surprise him, by going to buy his baseball gear together.

Me: "Hey squirt, what do you say we go and get your cleats and baseball pants and stuff today?"
Jack: (excited) "OH, Mom, I had a feeling you were going to do that today, so I AM ready.......I'm wearing socks AND UNDERWEAR!"
Me: "Well...this IS a special day then, isn't it?"
Jack: (happily, oblivious) "YEP, it SURE is."

Today, I was on the phone with Thomasina and all was quiet here in the house. Everyone was off enjoying their own bit of free time. I was telling Thom that I needed a place to put the treadmill, where I could get a bit of privacy. (There's nothing worse than concentrating on your running, being all sweaty...and turning around to find that your youngest has been laying in the floor staring sleepily at you for God knows how long!) It seems no matter what time I get up, SOMEONE gets up right after me.
I got off the phone and all was still quiet. A little later everyone was in the kitchen and Savannah announces, "OH- HEY, guys....from now on, we need to give mom some privacy!" I look at her surprised, and she shrugs, "Well, I was playing in the hallway....I couldn't HELP but over hear!" LOL! My point, exactly.

We Miss You Race!
G'night,
Melissa

Yeah.....umm...just go ahead overHere to Culloden Farms. She has started a series on Classical Education that is totally inspiring. Great Stuff!

G'night,
melissa

Ack! Long, catch-up post!

Another week down. Another week closer to Race coming home. I'll admit, I am languishing a bit. Just tired mostly, and missing my husband.

On the bright side, we had a pretty good week this week. I managed to get everyone where they needed to be without slipping into a coma-like state(yay!). I was being careful to make the most of the time that I had with each of the kids....even if it WAS in the car! I tried not to slip off into that quiet utopia called "my own thoughts", and instead engaged the kids in conversation about their own thoughts. This doesn't exactly come naturally to me, because.......I like my privacy. Seeing that Race is gone, and we home school.......well, privacy just isn't anything that I see much of these days! So, I am quick to jealously grab that time in the car(where we live), and let the kids veg out on a video, or drain their brains with the Gameboy. Bad, bad, mom. So, on that front, I have turned a corner and made a new start, and I know it's worth the effort.
Parenthood is a funny thing. It isn't a list that you can just check things off of. A good parent isn't about being the Team Mom, or the Coach of the ball team, or driving around with a soccer ball on your mini van. It is about investing in a child's life. YOUR child's life. And you can do that from your living room.......or your suburban. You can do that from your own home, or from the other side of the world.

Mom and Dad came and picked up Austin for his baseball lessons this weekend. Austin had a great time, and they brought him back today super happy, and super tired.For the month of March, he will spend every weekend with them. They take him to his private lessons and to their church on Sunday's , before bringing him home. He is loving it! His varsity practice is going really well. There are only 3 things that could happen to make his life sheer heaven. 1. Race could be home enjoying all this baseball WITH him, and 2. That I would wake up and say, "That's it. You've graduated. I have taught you all you need to know. You are free to pursue a career in baseball to it's fullest." and 3. That varsity would practice on Wednesday's too, so that he would be playing a full 7 days a week.

Savannah went with the youth group today after church up to the ski resort to go snow tubing! She had a blast. There were more girls that boys going, and she and her friends managed to all pile into one car. She also returned home really happy and really tired.

Jackson and I had some time to ourselves today, so we went and picked out his baseball pants, socks and cleats. He quickly shed his clothing on the way home and was dressed out completely when he got out of the car. He is pretty sure that those cleats(his first pair) enable him to run at the speed of light. he practiced running back and forth about 100 times to show me.

We wrapped things up today by meeting Mom, Dad, Austin, Thom, and The Lawman at a local Italian dive. This was my first time meeting Lawman. He's pretty quiet, so I don't feel like I really got to know him. He did seem to get a kick out of Jacks antics, though and definitely seems genuine. I guess we'll have to see if he hangs around much with the fam in the future! BTW, a HUGE thanks to Thom this week for picking up my kids at their various places so that I could liberate my hair from it's ratty ends. It was bad. Really, really bad. SO, thanks Thom!

Thanks for checking in, here. And thanks for your prayers. They mean so much to Race and I.
G'night,
Melissa

The weather was gorgeous today, and both boys are fighting off head colds, so we had a light day of school lessons, cancelled martial arts and headed outdoors! It was so awesome. All my flowers are popping up and the crocuses have started blooming. I like to wander around and stare at all the little green shoots trying to break through the hard winter ground. Savannah and I had a bit of time over the weekend together, and after getting coffee, we went to one of the local garden stores and bought the most beautiful primroses, along with some english ivy. Has anyone ever grown primroses with success in the south? If you have any tips, please let me know. They are so pretty.

Austin made it to baseball practice yesterday in spite of feeling pretty badly. Everything went really well, and he is very excited about this year.


I talked to Dy last night. It is always so good to catch up with her. She always cracks me up! I feel bad though, because every time she and I talk, we just keep going till her phone cuts off.(oops!)The baby sounds just precious, and I did some arm twisting for pictures!

I spoke with Race's mom and found out that we are going to be the blessed recipients of his grandmothers antique books!! We are soo excited about this, and it gives me more incentive to go ahead and purchase those bookshelves that we have had our eye on. Savannah and I simply cannot WAIT to get our hands on those books. Thank-you Gammy!!!

A few things that my youngest has said in the past few days:

Out of nowhere he pipes up and says,
" Mom, never look a monkey in the eye."
"Why?"
"Because, they see it as a threat."
"Oh...really? Well....big deal...What can a MONKEY do, anyway?" (wink)
Shaocked at my ignorance, but wanting to let me down easy, "Oh-ho-ho...Looks can be deceiving, Mom, looks.. can.. be.. deceiving."

And then tonight, while I was cooking supper, (spaghetti) he said, "OHhh MAN- I just LOVE meat! Especially that curly kind!" (meaning ground beef).

G'night,
melissa

The Weekend

We picked up one tired kid from the camp out today. As far as I can tell, everything went great. But Austin is super tired, and getting a sore throat. Varsity ball practice starts tomorrow, so I sent him to bed early with all sorts of vitamins and herbs, to hopefully ward off anything serious.

Jack attended a birthday party this weekend. There were 14 boys there all together! Now that is one brave mom! It was a Lego party, which I thought was an awesome idea. He had a wonderful time, and it was just the pick-me-up that he needed.

Savannah was invited by a friend and her family, to go out to dinner and to a christian concert at a local cafe'. She had a wonderful time and didn't get home till after 10pm.

We had visitors today!! First Thom got here. Then Em, The Dude and the boys came by today, before heading back home. Poor W! After suffering a nasty fall, his little nose and eyes look so pitiful! But you would never know anything was wrong. He was his usual, fun loving self, and all smiles. Q and Jack played together the whole time. They got on the trampoline, and Jack showed Q how to "power hit" in baseball.Too cute. The Dude was loaded down with baseball cards for the boys. I mean packs, and packs, and PACKS! Remnants from The Dude's collection, I believe. The boys were in heaven! They have done little else today but look at cards.

Well, my post is all over the place tonight, but there it is. I am finishing up lesson plans for this week, and then I am off to bed. Tomorrow will be filled with school lessons, then baseball practice and dance class. Oh- and we have to get into town to buy new cleats before practice.

We dropped Austin off for another boy scout camp-out this weekend. they are going over back packing requirements, so they will be hiking in 2 miles, camping in pairs.....and feeding themselves....and then hiking back out. When we dropped him off, all the boys were really excited. A. would be using his new Pocket Rocket back packing stove for the first time. Have you SEEN this thing? AMAZING! When folded, it is about 4 inches long, and weighs less than a pound.

A while after bedtime tonight, Jack came back downstairs. I could tell that he had been crying. I asked what was wrong and he said, "I just miss dad so much." I felt so bad for him. I told him that I missed dad too, and I know that it is hard. But Dad is doing his part. And we will continue to do our part. And I told him to remember how wonderful it is when we are all together again. I let him stay up and watch the Olympics while he and I folded clothes together. He found a pair of wool socks in the laundry pile that Race had bought for him to wear in London. He stopped and put them on. I asked what he was doing and he said, "I just want to wear these tonight. It reminds me of London. I wish that we could go back there with Dad."

Jack has a birthday party to attend tomorrow. He is excited to have something on HIS social calendar, since his brother and sister seem to always be on the go! I hope that it helps to take his mind off of things a little. Maybe we could take in a movie or something this weekend.

Savannah is our trooper. I swear she is the strongest of the three. You can always count on her to buckle down and carry on. She makes me so proud. She and I will get a little girl time tomorrow while J. is at the party.

I got a few more pictures of Race. We miss hime so much. Yes, Jack, it's hard when your Daddy is a hero. It is a sacrifice. But we wouldn't trade him for the world.

G'night
Melissa

Austin

ACK!

This year I find that I have also become the designated driver for OTHER PEOPLE's children as well. Now, I don't really mind this, as I am out anyway, and most of these kids are friends of my kids. But tonight I took my neighbor home from M.Arts, (Yes, we have recruited the whole neighborhood over the years!). She is 17. She ended up coming back to our house, because her folks weren't home from choir practice yet, and she is scared to be at home by herself. When she got here, she asked if she could check her comments at "MY SPACE". After a few questions, I let her. My computer is in a makeshift office space in our living room, so after I got everyones dinner, I walked through to find Jack staring at the screen beside Neighbor Girl. Her friends had posted provocative pictures of themselves.....asking for comments. I immediately told her to get off the computer. She, of course began apologizing profusely and swore she didn't know what was on there. Privately, we had a long talk, and hopefully I made myself clear, without being over bearing. I saw a side of the teen scene tonight that I am glad that I didn't have to grow up in. I saw a website for a girl that I know pretty well (not my neighbor). She is from a Christian home. I know her family. I am so shocked! I honestly think that most parents are clueless as to what their kids are doing on the internet. ACK! DO NOT let your children have free, unmonitored access to the internet!!! AHhhhhhhh!!! think about when you were 16......could YOU have handeled that kind of thing wisely???? I snooped around on the MY SPACE sight after she left, and found several kids that I know......with NOTHING positive going on on their web sites.

It was talking with Neighbor Girl that really opened my eyes. Poor thing. She struggles, she really does, trying to be a good Christian girl, and yet there is SO MUCH around her. She told me so much.(She always does.) Ugh.

In a way, this was actually reafirmation for me. For the direction that we have chosen for Austin, so far, and all the leg work that it involves. His time is filled with goals and work and purpose and positive influences. there will always be things to trip him up, (Satan works that way), but I pray to God that he never drains his mind and ambitions by something so utterly useless.

As a side note, later in the evening, Austin asked if I minded if he jumped on the computer. Neighbor Girl looked surprised, and said, "What does Austin look at on the computer?" "Major League Baseball . com.....what else?"

Wow. What a wake up call.

thank-you so much for all the prayers. They are SOoo appreciated. Sending out prayers of my own tonight for Dy and Lynette, and their families who are all struggling with illness. Feel better guys!

G'night,
Melissa

feeling a little overwhelmed...

I am trying to unwind from a very trying day today. One glance at my calendar, and you'll know why I am feeling slightly overwhelmed. It is an interesting predicament.

We live outside of town, and all of the kids activities are in town.

I am one person, with one car.

Austin is 14. He is involved in the things that he is passionate about. He takes 5 hours of mixed martial arts training a week. He will be playing baseball on the varsity team of a local private school, as well as the Dixie Boys League. He is also involved in the Boy Scouts. His activities are not too much for him, and it is exciting to see him work so hard to achieve his goals. Savannah is 12. She is still figuring out what she wants to seriously pursue. She takes dance and art each week. Jack is 8. He likes to have fun, as all 8 yr olds should. He enjoys martial arts and will be trying his hand at baseball this year. None of the kids are involved in "too much". And this is something that I carefully monitor, always looking for signs of stress. But I see none. They are thrilled. There is nothing that they would rather be doing. Add to these, church and youth group, and various birthday parties, etc. And you've got one full calendar.

BUT. I am one person. With one car.

So, while I am excited beyond belief to watch my growing children stand at the edge of our little nest and try out their wings.......I'm not quite sure how to juggle it all. I miss having dinner as a family at home. I miss just laying in the floor and playing a board game at night. It's a tough compromise. Jack will not be raised in the same environment that his brother and sister were. It is not ideal, but that's the way it is. He seems as jovial as ever, but there is a part of me that wishes that I could give him a little more time at home.(Isn't that funny.....And we homeschool!!!) Just doing simple things. With me. It feels a bit like a whirlwind right now.

So, if you pray, pray for me, as I seek to what is best for EACH of our children.That I will figure out how to invest in my children, even when it's not convenient. Even when we are in the car, on the road. That God would give me wisdom in this area of my life, to do what He would want. ANd also the strength and persistence to continue mothering, schooling, taxi-ing, and a home remodel(What was I thinking!). Race will not be gone forever. WHen he comes home we will be TWO people and TWO cars. ANd THAT will feel much better.

Thanks for the prayers,
G'night,
Melissa

Thom's Bo

Well, he seems nice enough. Everything was going really well, but seriously, I hate to be brutally honest, but I think that the whole family could have done without the pictures of himself on the beach, in a Speedo. I mean.....C'MON!!!!


Admit it. I got you. You know I got you....(snort)
Anyway, It really WAS a good weekend, but unfortunately Thom's bo had to cancel, so we'll have to meet him another time. We had a great time at mom and dads. It was so great to see everyone again. We had some amazing meals....from baked salmon, to thick steaks, to seafood alfredo. One morning mom and dad fixed everone fried eggs, toast, grits, and home made sausage. It is so fun to sit around the table with everyone, relaxing and drinking hot coffee. YUM!!

There are over 10 new adorable calves dotting the fields on the farm. Thom piled all the kids on the John Deer gator, and took them down to the back fields, to look for rocks in the creek. And of course they came back burdened down with all their treasures!

My kids are so blessed to have family members that believe in them....and invest time in them. My dad took Austin over an hour away on Sat. and Sun. where he had arranged a 1 hr private lesson with a former pro player. He was swinging a bat for an hour straight, and he has a huge blister to prove it...(yes, he had batting gloves on). Also, Uncle Todd spent hours outside catching for him, and then took him out to Game Stop and let him pick out some games. How awesome is that??? Family is such a blessing to us.

We have heard from Race and he sent us a few pictures. We miss him so much!

I have a few pictures from Austin's Court of Honor, that I haven't had the chance to put up yet, so maybe I can get that done later this evening. I'll be catching up on blogs tonight too. Hope that everyone had an awesome weekend!

Well, the stars must have aligned themselves properly or something, because I just got ANOTHER child in for a dental check-up. That's 2 down and 1 to go!In the past, when I would hear of people taking their children in for regular dental cleanings, I would remark, "You do that, eh?" But No more! Woo-hoo!

Austin got promoted in rank tonight at Scouts at the Court of Honor ceremony. Ooo and guess what? MOTHERS get appreciation pins as well! How cool! They honor the moms!(Funny to see each boy look on in horor when asked to pin these tiny pins on their mom's lapelle!!) It was a fun time tonight to get to know all the other parents of these great young men. You know, you always hear bad things about the "next generation", but this just gives you such a great feeling. Because if this is the "next generation"....I am not worried.

Thomasina came tonight to be there for Austin, and to take pictures for me. the boys thoroughly enjoyed seeing a professional photographer confidently snapping shots of them being presented with their awards. ANd then they really hammed it up for her afterwards too! I am sure that we will have some to post soon. Thanks so much Thom!

I talked to Race today for a bit. It was so good to hear his voice. We miss you Race!

G'night,
Melissa

Happy Valentines Day!

So this morning, first thing, Jack comes downstairs and says, "Oh, mom, by the way, in case you were wondering, the Toot-Fest has been postponed." "Oh? How come?" He looks at me incredulously and says, "The HOLIDAY, of course." ANd then he hands me a homemade Valentine that he made all by himself with hearts and streamers all over it. AWWwwwwww... Actually all of the kids made me a Valentine. And then about half way through the day a Fed Ex guy arrives with 2 boxes. One for me and one for Savannah. Savannah's had a beautiful note from her dad, and contained a sweet, plush dog that holds a heart. Inside my box was a beautifully wrapped, tall, pink Tower of Treats. Each pretty pink,striped box holding a new EDIBLE( an important fact), surprise!(Of course there was a super sappy, sweet note enclosed in mine also!) And don't you know that I use my most dramatic effects when opening each and every box. I prolonged the suspense, making the surprise last as llllooonnnng....as possible. THIS drives children insane. The youngest became positively ravenous with excitement before I finally opened the last box!
Thank-you Race, for remembering. You made our day special! We Miss You!!!
G'night, and even if you didn't get a thing, be GLAD you're WITH your Valentine!
Melissa

P.S- The boys had received boxes of conversational hearts and lollipop bouquets from me......just so you know that they weren't left out!

Well, we had a good day today! Our lessons went really well, and we are learning about such exciting times in history and it's meshing with science and lights are going on and eyes are opening..(excited squeal!) I just LOVE it when that happens!!......IT'S WOORRRKKKING!!!!!!!
Everything is going pretty well.
I would like to take a moment to go ahead and express my concern IN PRINT about the youngest offspring. Armpit pictures aside, his frat-boy like behavior is getting to be a little much. It all started innocently enough 2 yrs ago when he began working tirelessly to develop the party trick-to-end-all-party-tricks. He sits on the floor with a hand cupped behind each knee, and then pumps his legs up and down making "toot noises" with BOTH knees. Ahhhhh..yes, my friends, it is something to behold. And it DOES indeed place him over the top in the 8-10 yr old crowd. But now, with the burping of the ABC's...... and tomorrow, I have been informed that there will be a "Toot-Fest" held. Here. In the house. Where we live. Apparently a score will be kept, and the contestants are Jack, Austin, and the dog. Jack is certain that he will be the victor. I hope that he doesn't hurt himself.
And if this bit of information doesn't scare you.....let me just add this: His reading skills are weak. (Big Sigh)

May this child never take a liking to strong drink.

G'night!
Melissa

"Mom, it looks like Narnia!...."

I told the kids that we needed to take some pictures around the house, to send to Race. This evening, I went to download the photos..and I found this....

And this...

and this.....

And this....(that's Crawford waving his claws, hello at you.......or is that a signal for help??)

And.......THIS. (sigh)

Well, after my last post, you know what kind of week that I was in for, didn't you? It was rough one. But it's all behind us now, and I'll just touch on the good points.
First of all, we heard from Race! Aside from the fact that when I talked to him, he hadn't eaten, was really tired, and hadn't showered in three days..........things were really good. he is definitely in his element doing what he does best.
Austin has a lot going on right now. He passed his board review in Scouts. If you aren't familiar with this,each boy is required to be in Class A uniform ready for inspection, and after 3 months of completing requirements, they have to meet individually before a panel of three men, (2 asst. scout masters, and 1 business man from the community). After the boys recite their oath and the scout law, they pose questions to the boys like, "How do you think most people would describe you" , and "How are you living out the Scout Law in your everyday life?" and several other questions about the troop itself, and their opinion of it. Then they give praise for any outstanding work on their requirements, and congratulate them on their acheivement of the new rank. This is so good for these boys! Austin did really well, and has enjoyed the whole experience. They have Court of Honor next week to actually receive their new rank.
As if that were not enough, he has been given the opportunity to participate in a HIgh Adventure Boy Scout camp in August. he will be flying to Minnesota and going on a 10 day canoeing/hiking/camping trip. He is REALLY excited about that! It is REALLY rough, including a 2 mile hike with ALL supplies..including canoe! He can hardly wait and will be working every job he can get this summer, (between baseball) in order to help pay for the trip.
Jack has been under the weather off and on this week, but nothing too serious. But you know that he isn't feeling well if he isn't cutting up all the time! We could all use a little down time here at home, actually. And we are hoping to get it this weekend.
Savannah is enjoying her art class very much.Her the teacher has her Masters in art, and does give private lessons. So we are excited about that opportunity. Also, a friend has given me the name of a professor at one of the local colleges who teaches graphic design. There is a very good possibility that she will be allowed to sit in on classes at the University! Very exciting!
I have made an executive decision to cancel tomorrow's activities and STAY HOME. And if possible, the STAY HOME part shall extend to Saturday as well. We could all use a breather, and I could use a bit of time to catch up on housework.....oh- and painting!!!!
Have a great night!
Melissa

Today was a day of encouragement for me. First of all it was Sunday. My Sunday school was on biblical interpretation (fascinating) and the sermon for today was another in a series on the book of Proverbs. I love it that the goal of this church is to equip me to be a better servant for Christ. I just love it. I am always learning, and so is my family. Today was also Scout Sunday, and as our church sponsors the Scout troop that Austin belongs to, today was a day to basically thank the church for giving to the scouts. The guys all sat together (about 30 of them) in their Class A uniforms, with the Scout masters.They looked so sharp! They actually took up the offering, handed out the program and helped with clean up after the service. Also, today was the day that we receive the Lords Supper at our church, which is such an unbeleivable blessing to my spirit each time.
Today was also Super Bowl Sunday. Austin and Savannah were both invited to a Super Bowl party that was being thrown for the youth. These folks were gracious enough to open their homes to a pile of kids, provide snacks, games and football. And they missed Mick Jagger because they were having a devotional during half time. They watched a movie on the life of a Christian athlete, and then the pastor talked with them all about the signficance of this in their Christian life. The kids had an amazing time. They won prizes and made a lot of new friends.
*But what were you and Jack doing?????* you ask?
Well, we were fortunate enough to be invited over to a freinds house (from church) and got to know them better. Jackson got to play with their Jack(who is also 8 yrs old) and we were just so encouraged. These folks have opened their home to us when they knew that I was going to have a super long late night drive. They fed BOTH of my boys over the course of the day. And they helped Austin finish up his Boy Scout requirements in order to get ready for Board Review on Wednesday. I can't tell you what an encouragement this was to me today.I was so blessed by others of my faith today, and so were my kids. I pray that the Lord will dhow me where I can be a blessing to others. I am so thankful for Gods grace and mercy towards me.
I would like to do something nice for these folks, but I am stumped. What would you do? Any ideas?
G'night,
Melissa

The boys had martial arts tonight. On the way home, I decided that we would just stop by Little Caesars and pick up a couple of their $5 pizza's. The line was really long, but hey, they're "Hot n' Ready" so how long could it take? Well.......*jump forward 20-30 minutes*.........and I have talked to two people that I already knew, and actually met 3 new people. It was so bad. The poor guy behind the counter (who looked as if he had stepped right out of a Far Side cartoon) was so flustered and befuddled, that he just began handing out pizzas left and right. The poor guy just snapped. It didn't matter who was first, or what you had ordered, he was just handin' em' out. The place was heading to the breaking point as people who had been waiting, were snatching those things as if they were gold.I did what any mother of hungry children would do: Hands sweating and heart pounding, I lunged in front of a VERY LARGE man and grabbed 2 pizza's.I made my way through the crowd toward the exit. I could feel Gargantuan's eyes bearing down on me. I turned to the new compadre's I had met and whispered, "Good Luck....good luck to you all..." I never looked back. We were outta there.

Austin has been working on a bunch of First Aid stuff for Boy Scouts. The Scoutmaster explained that the boys needed to know this stuff forward and back, so that in the event of an accident, they wouldn't have to think, but rather, just react. So today, we did some role playing. Jack was the person who was repeatedly being injured. (Pick any day of the week, and that is real life for us). We go through minor cuts, minor burns, choking,frostbite and then we get to snakebite from poisonous snake. Jack pretends that he is sitting down playing unsuspectingly, and then, "Oh no! A Copperhead! It bit me!" It was at this point that he grabbed his butt, writhing in pain, awating his brother to administer First Aid for the snake bite. Of course his brother is laughing so uncontrollably that all is lost. (sigh)

Dy, thank-you for the tobacco tip. I shall pass it along. This should be of particular use to my sister Thom. Did you read my comments,Thom?
Lynette, the crawdad was caught from our creek. His name is Crawford. Jack is taking great delight in watching him eat the food that he drops in. But Crawford better be careful. As you know from my past posts, the boys really LOVE steamed Crawdads. If he doesn't behave, they just might eat him.

I will leave you with this hilarious post from my brother-in-law, over at But Seriously... I swear, we are just a whole family of funny.

G'night,
melissa

Ants, crawdads and a goldfish funeral

Perhaps it is because we are nature lovers. Or maybe it is just that we are easily amused. I am not sure what it says about us, but the entire family has been absolutely mesmerized by a Christmas gift that Em and The Dude gave to Jack this year. At any given time of the day you can see one, two, three, or as much as all four of us huddled around a tiny blue 10 inch square. Upon closer observation, one would discover that it is an ANT FARM! Honestly, this is the coolest thing to see. I mean, I can remember trying to have ant farms as a kid. You know you get just-the-right-dirt, and then dig up just-the-right ants. Then they dig one tiny hole and all die. THOSE are the ant farms of my childhood. ANd if you were raised even farther south than I was then it only took one experience with Fire Ants to know that you didn't want to farm those beastly things anyway!
But this. This is so cool! You can view the ants from all sides and the blue, jelly like substance that they are tunneling through is both their food and water. They require nothing! It has become an addiction. When we arrive home someone invariably yells, "WOAH! Look how much the ants have done!" So, yeah. We are impressed. But then, we also have a crawdad who has happily taken up residence in Frodo's old tank(remember, the deceased gold fish, who was cryogenically frozen?)....so....I guess we like that kind of stuff!
Speaking of Frodo, we did finally bury him. It was quite the service. Jack insisted that we all participate because, "You know.........he was family". I cant remember all of the eulogy,(you can thank me later), but I did hear myself saying the words, " Frodo was a good swimmer. He was the best.MYyyyyyyy...how he did swim". And then later as I became even more desperate, I said "And he was always there to wave a happy fin at anyone who passed by". (groan) Jack was happy and the gold fish is out of my freezer. But God help us if the dog dies.

G'night,
melissa

For dinner tonight I fixed home made link sausage that mom and dad had brought to me. It was delicious! We sliced it and sauteed it with onions and then threw in scrambled eggs, sprinkled with cheese. We had cornbread and a side salad. Yum!

We have a late night tonight, with boy scouts. Savannah, Jack and I will have to take things to do while we wait. Jack has some reading aloud that he will bring, and also his Erragon CD's. Savannah has "her music" and also 2 books that she is currently reading.(One for school and one for fun). I am bringing my next book to tackle, "Gullivers Travels".

I got 'The Old Schoolhouse" magazine the other day, and in it there is an article by Susan Wise Bauer. Her writing on classical education is so articulate and powerful. I wanted to quote just a little tiny piece, of what really jumped out at me.

Excerpts written by Susan Wise Bauer and found in "The Old Schoolhouse" magazine:
"The tragedy of American High school education is two-fold. In the first place, teenagers are not taught rhetoric; they are not given the skills to explain, in speech or in writing, what they believe and WHY. They remain inarticulate, and so they are forced to rely on external means of displaying their individuality-clothes or tattoos or piercings (which make them all look the same)."

"Second, American teenagers are forced to remain generalists for far too long......"

" The neoclassical education seeks to right both of these imbalances. In the classical tradition, the highschool years are a time when the students are encouraged to specialize, to dig deeply into the subjects that interest them most......." "The classical model does not aim to produce a "well-balanced generalist", but rather a student who is passionately interested in and skilled at a particular subject."

"...the classical model focuses on the proper handling of argumentation during the high school years. Teenagers are expected to be opinionated-as long as they are opinionated in an articulate and logical manner. In the rhetoric stage, the student learns how to write and speak with force and originality. The classically trained teenager has a strong sense of her own unique identity because she not only knows her strengths, but can defend her own opinions and beliefs."

Great stuff! Thank-you, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. And of course thank-you Susan Wise Bauer .

G'night,
Melissa

A morning of lessons and painting and walks in the woods. After lessons, Austin had to work on some Boy Scout requirements that he needed help with while Savannah and Jack helped clean up the kitchen. We got our things together and headed out the door. We picked up 2 of the boys' friends from their school and got everyone to their Martial Arts classes.

Savannah and I headed over to Barnes and Noble. We sat and read our new books while sipping our favorite coffee-like beverages. After we had read and caffeinated ourselves to our hearts content we went to watch the guys at their class. She really would rather do just about anything than to sit in Martial Arts and watch the boys' lessons, but I don't hold it against her, because they act as though they are being put to death, when they have to watch her at dance class. It evens out. Thomasina came by and watched the guys do their thing for a bit. They LOVE to have an audience! The jiu jitsu stuff just blows my mind. You are NOT gonna wanna mess with these boys. Seriously.
Austin and I watched the Presidents State of the Union Address. I could not be more proud of the President of my country. Thank-you, Mr.President for understanding what it means to protect our freedom. Thank-you also, for inspiring my child.

Well, baseball season is almost upon us. We found out today that Austin will get to play for Dixie Boys Baseball as well as for the varsity team at New Covenant Schools (Griffons). He is immensely excited about these opportunities. And as for y'all, you know what that means. It means that my blog will be saturated with baseball pictures, because Jack will be playing too.

The long days and nights are getting to me. I need to get myself on a better schedule, start working out, and taking my vitamins more regularly. Hmmm.. Probably should get on that.

G’night,
Melissa

Guess what happened this morning? Austin fixed french toast for breakfast. REAL french toast. Using french bread , eggs, milk cinnamon, and everything! Thank-you Boy Scouts!! It was DELICIOUS! And I didn't lift a finger. And aside from the stereotypical little brother saying , "something just doesn't smell right" before he gobbled it down................EVERYONE loved it!

After Savannah's dance class tonight, we swung by Lowes for another bucket o' paint. I'm still painting, but I think that I can see the finish line: A ceiling and a stairway to go! (and then there's all that TRIM, but I won't think about that now...)
Speaking of dance class.....I watched Savanna's class tonight. She is growing up so fast. She just looked so pretty and tall, with her hair all pulled pack in a pony tail. (sniff, sniff) Where does the time go?

I will leave you with a riddle that Austin was given by an assistant Scout master on the camping trip. We are totally stumped, so please feel free to give it your best shot.

What we catch, we throw away,
What we cannot catch, we keep.
What is it?


Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
One more coat of paint, and then I'm off to bed,
G'night,
Melissa

Tolkein and Lewis

As I prepare our lesson plans for this week, a few things have come to mind. You know, Austin has been reading through the Lord of the Rings. He has read these before,( and to say that he LOVES them would not be stating it too strongly) but this time it is required reading for lessons. He is having to go through them analytically. To pick them apart, and try to judge what the author is getting at, and how that relates to his worldview. He must learn about the time in which the author wrote as well, and how that colors his outlook. What is the author trying to make him, the reader, believe? And figure out if, indeed he DOES believe it.

One of the first things that came up in analyzing these books, was the comparison/contrast with C.S. Lewis' "Chronilcles of Narnia".

I won't go through all of our discussion, here, but I became incredibly grateful that my world is a C.S. Lewis(who was a Protestant Christian) world. One in which I, (the poor and pathetic Edmund) have nothing to give. There is nothing in my hand, I am worthless, and deserve the punishment of death. But it was Grace. A most precious sacrificial GIFT, that I could never have attained on my own. Grace was Given.

In Tolkein's world, (who was a Catholic Christian) Grace isn't really seen. Frodo works against the forces of evil and ultimately climbs Mt. Doom to destroy it. (However, spending a little time in Middle Earth certainly makes us think more about how we treat others, and reminds us to be more charitable in our thoughts and dealings).

So, I guess that while both worlds are definitely Christian places, it's that the picture of the mighty Aslan being slain for a pathetic Edmund, is just such an amazing picture of God's Grace.

I am so thankful for this literature, for the Christian men who wrote it and for being able to search it with my children. I can see the lights turning on in their minds as they begin to look through the eyes of those who lived long ago, enabling them to see their own world with a much clearer vision. It is my sincere desire that rather than running and hiding from sin, (which is of course, impossible), that they would search and learn the way in which God would have them to DEAL with it. To FIGHT evil, SLAY it, rather than hide in their own little hut and hope it doesn't come looking for them.

Good lessons. Good for us all.
G'night,
Melissa

Watching Paint Dry

Austin is with his Boy Scout troop on a camping trip, (they have one each month!) and won't be back till Sunday after church. The boys were going to be hiking, working on cooking skills(you should see the menu that that they were going to be teaching these boys to prepare!) and doing some orienteering (map and compass).

Last night,at the drop off point for the scouts, our pastor and his wife stopped me and asked if they could take me out to dinner! How Sweet! Of course, I had to decline, because it was Savannah's birthday and we had already made some plans, and Jack still wasn't up to par, but I took a rain check. That was just so nice of them. They know that Race is away, and it just means so much that they thought of us. What a blessing this church is to me.
Savannah, Jack and I decided to try to spend a quiet Saturday at home. We made home made pizza and cookies. Jack has played with Lego's for about 8 hours straight(Oh, and he looks less like the elephant boy today). Savannah has been in and out drawing, journaling, working on her book on the computer, and playing with Jack. We took several walks outside today.

Among all of this relaxed activity, I have been painting up a storm. After finally making a decision on the new paint color,(AGAIN), I got started.( How many coats of paint can a wall hold???) The new color is "Ice Rink Blue".It is very pale and icy, with enough grey in it that it isn't TOO blue. I LOVE it! I ended up painting the cieling too. The same color! It looks smashing! I am shooting for a more European look, with clean lines.....and less STUFF). The living room and one hallway are done, except for the trim, which is all white, and must be done after the walls are really dry. I still have to finish the dining room and the stairway + those cielings. It is amazing how much bigger the house feels already. We are saying good-bye to our nasty carpet in another month and getting new floors as well as new fixtures, so that should really make a difference. I still have A LOT to do though, and it is going to take some time. I want to get things completed on the inside, because my thought are already beginning to turn to gardening! But I can honestly say that it brings me great pleasure tonight, just sitting and watching paint dry! (BTW, I'll post before and after pics when we are all done.)

I have heard from Race, and all is well. He sent us a few incredible pictures of his surroundings. Amazing. We miss him so much, and just can't wait to see him again. Race is so fun, and we miss that around here. Stay safe, Race. Come home.

I am looking forward to church in the morning, and then picking up my tired boy scout afterward. The rest of the day will be spent relaxing as well as getting lesson plans done for the week.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Melissa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAVANNAH!

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Surfing the Wave!

Whoo! I can't believe it is Friday already!

This week has definitely had it's difficulties, including an emergency trip to the dentist for Jack with an absessed tooth. His face is still swollen(He looks so pitiful!), but the antibiotics are taking effect, so that the pressure has been relieved. Also this week, I painted 3 walls in my living room "Spruce Frost", which, as it turns out is REALLY a cotton-candy blue. I will be sending Race a picture of this newly painted living room. Have I told you that this room WAS a "holly berry" red? Have I told you that it had Race's prized buck displayed proudly above his chair, and that the walls were donned with civil war prints? I should probably send a message with the picture that I email to Race. Something like: "Look, honey- I've painted our home to look like a giant confectionary Easter egg while you were away."

So, anyway, I have gone BACK to the paint store and am currently going color blind staring at all of the shades that are taped to my walls.

Did y'all remember about Frodo( the beloved goldfish?) dying? I recommended the usual, ritual flushing, in which we all gather around the toilet, I say a few words in memory of the lost loved one, and "SWOOSH!" on to the happy swimming waters, where all good fish go. Upon my recommendation, however,a sick Jack sat up and looked at me in horror. "Mom! That's BARBARIC! Frodo was a CHRISTIAN fish!" SO. It seems that poor Frodo would have a proper Christian burial. (sigh) Austin was kind enough to donate a small, plastic containter with an airtight lid, in which Frodo was lovingly placed.

NOW. With Jack getting all of the tooth problems, the funeral had to be postponed. This, in turn, brought about a bit of an experiment in cryogenics. Yeah. That's right. He's in my freezer. There has been talk of "raising" Frodo some time in the distant future.........and of course, "Bionics" has been discussed. Or maybe using the DNA from Frodo to increase the lifespans of fish everywhere. (Cause that would be helpful, right). And of course the baseball connection: Frodo and Ted Williams.

(Huge sigh) All I can say is that I still have to prepare a eulogy, and that this is the kind of crap that happens when kids aren't raised on a farm! * Can you eat goldfish?*

Have a great weekend!
Melissa

I am Dog Tired and I want My Husband Home!

There. I'm done.

When Race leaves, I spend the first few weeks without sleep. I am just all wound up, and my mind is racing( no pun intended) and I can't relax. So, last night, to fight the insomnia......or rather, give in to the insomnia, I Started my living room remodel. I spackled, sanded and primed all the walls. Before they went to bed, the boys helped me sand and prime. Then, at about 11:30, I hear footsteps down the stairs. It's Jack. He comes running over and flops down beside me and says, "Oh, mom, I just can't BEAR you down here working by yourself. I MUST help you!" I did let him help for a few minutes, before assuring him that I was fine, and that I was actually enjoying myself, and he could go back upstairs and sleep. Too funny. So my once RED walls are now white. And they are awaiting a couple of coats of "Spruce Frost".

We got through school today around 2:00, and all was fine. Nothing to jump and shout about, but fine. We all got outside for a bit in the nice weather. I had an hour to finish touching up the walls, before we had to leave for martial arts, etc. It is now 8:26 pm and we have just walked through the door. I. Am. Beat. So, the walls may have to wait for another day.

I will have to hault this post in progress. I have just been informed by a teary eyed 8 yr old, that his beloved fish Frodo has..............died. Frodo has been with us for 5 yrs, and accompnied us through a couple of moves. Soooooooo, I must go and preside over the funeral arrangements. The grieving has commenced.

G'night,
melissa