Todd, bless him, got that Christmas tree up the Sunday before Christmas.  The kids did nearly all the decorating.  And my mother-in-law offered her home for Christmas day.  The kids were happy because they finally had a Christmas tree and I was thrilled to have somewhere to serve Christmas dinner.  Up until then, my only options were ... well, there WERE no options since the baby grand piano was taking up most of the eating area in the kitchen, the dining room was full of our livingroom furniture, and Todd wasn't keen on serving food in the livingroom on our new carpet.  So ...

Christmas day began with snow - lots of it.  We began to wonder if we could even make it to my in-laws' house, just 5 minutes away.  We had a fun and quiet Christmas until Todd and I had to get all the food cooked and ready to take to my in-laws'.  Stressful for me but a piece of cake for ol' Todd.  He doesn't let things like this bother him, he just does it.  It stopped snowing by 3:00 pm and we left shortly after that.  Halfway there, I asked if Todd got the green beans out of the freezer.  Um, no.  We turn around and go back, braving potential ice hazards in our path.  I get the beans, we hit the road again.  At the same halfway point, I realize we have forgotten our in-laws' gifts.  Oh, well - they'll have to wait.  We didn't want the food to get cold.  We do a turkey dinner with everything and Todd did a great job of keeping everything hot.  Did you know food coolers work great to keep things hot as well?  We place the hot food in them packed with towels and hot pads.  Christmas dinner turned out terrific, we had a great time and, once again, God is good.

By Saturday, the snow finally melted and life outside returned to rain, wind and green grass.  Normal.  But our Christmas tree will stay up into the New Year - no one wants to take it down just yet.

I'll bet your house is looking a lot like Christmas.  Your tree is done, perhaps you've wrapped your gifts and they're artfully placed under the tree.  Garland and/or swags over the fireplace.  A pine-scented candle tingles the olfactories.  Feeling cozy yet?  Good.  Now read on as I describe my house ...

On the outside:  It's been snowing off and on for a week.  I do not live in snow country.  No one is prepared - and no one knows how to drive in it.  Our fence, at the corner, shows evidence of where a truck slammed into it yesterday as they stalled on our steep hill and slid unceremoniously out of control.  Todd helped the guy get the truck going the right way and we'll be hearing from his insurance co.  (Kate's Saturday Update:  Today the snow was the worst yet - heavy snow from dawn to dusk.  And our neighbor turned the corner onto our street and clipped the corner of my husband's van, resulting in a smashed tail light and a nice wrinkle.  Hmm.  There's another insurance company we'll be hearing from.)

On the inside:  There is no carpet on the livingroom floor.  Drywall dust is EVERYWHERE - even in the kitchen, where absolutely no remodeling has taken place.  Drywall dust is evil, evil stuff.  It sifts into places you haven't seen in years.  All our livingroom furniture is pushed into the middle.  Sheets cover the piano and chairs.  There's a huge roll of carpet, a huge roll of carpet pad and the air compressor, all laying in the livingroom, blocking the hallway.  Yes, the hallway has new bamboo flooring, there are new doors on all the bedrooms and the hall closet has been completely remodeled.  The windows in the livingroom are new and have been reframed.  Todd keeps saying it will look beautiful when it's done - and I believe him.  But ...

Christmas is less than a week away, according to the kids' Advent calendar (the wise men have begun their journey).  The artificial tree our neighbor gave us last year is still in the garage, along with all the ornaments still in their boxes.  It just doesn't seem right.  We were able to decorate the diningroom and some of the kitchen and when we play Christmas tunes on the stereo in the office, it feels a bit like Christmas.  It just doesn't look like Christmas, not yet.  I can't wrap anything because there's no place to put the gifts except stuffed in our bedroom closet.  And my mother-in-law called last week to ask if she could invite her brother-in-law and his wife to our house.  This is fine, as they are lovely people, but this meant we had to extend the diningroom table which meant we had to move both Chad and Alec's desks to make room (the diningroom is where we have all our homeschool stuff).  Alec's desk had to go down in the basement temporarily.  However, if it continues to snow, we might not have any guests at all.  Deck the halls, indeed.

Kids' attitudes:  Lousy.  With the livingroom upturned, they no longer have their usual place to read or play.  Oh, they'll survive but not without fighting like wild cats and wearing their poor mother out.  We've had a lot of talks about being patient and thankful for all the work Daddy is doing on the house.  This is good for them in a way but hard for me to deal with.  That's why Advent every night has been such a blessing (see below). 

Christmas cards:  I decided to just do a newsletter, after nearly deciding not to do anything as I just didn't feel like it.  But with Todd's help, we got one together and I had 10 ready to mail out today, thinking the mail would be late as it's been all week.  Wrong.  I missed the mail carrier and didn't want to venture out over the hill to the post office.  So they will go out tomorrow and hopefully, I'll get the rest done as well.  (Kate's Saturday Update:  The snow was so bad that the mailman NEVER showed up today!)

The Good News (besides Jesus's birth, of course!):  My Christmas shopping was done a couple of weeks ago.  I don't have to pay our mortgage in January (an amazing, amazing thing!  See my last post for that info.)  And we have been celebrating Advent every night after dinner.  Advent has been such a blessing with our family.  Everyone participates and we have fun.  It has kept us centered, I think, and allows us to just focus on Jesus and the events leading up to His birth.

I'm not complaining.  I have much to be thankful for.  And I have resigned myself that our house will "be what it will be" by Christmas Eve.  Christmas will still happen, regardless if the tree is up and the drywall dust has disappeared.

God is SO good.

Let me start by giving Him all the glory for what He did today.

Back in October, I entered an essay contest with my online bank, ING.  They were choosing 500 winners to receive a free mortgage payment in January 2009.  The essay was to be 250 words or less, stating why you thought you deserved a free mortgage payment. 

I had to enter.

But not for myself.  I wrote about my husband, all that he's been through this past year.  How I just wanted him to be rewarded somehow for all that has happened to him and how he's pulled through, giving God the credit for sparing his life.  And I did it in 249 words.  You all know how hard it is for me to say anything in brief.

After entering, I found that I wanted to win so badly it hurt.  Every time I thought about it, I prayed for God's will, knowing that there were tons of people that needed this more than we did but also saying I wanted this for Todd, not for me.  I prayed a lot.

Today, I received an unexpected phone call from "Andrea" (I think), saying that I had been selected as one of the winners.  I totally broke down and cried.  She was so sweet.  I told her much of what I've written here and the phone call was very emotional.  Thank you's and Christmas greetings were exchanged and I praised ING bank for always being helpful and courteous.  I LOVE this bank! 

My praise goes completely to God.  I am so, so thankful that He considered my prayer and answered like He did.  I am humbled.  I won for Todd but only by God's grace.  I give Him all the glory.

I am so excited!  It's been an emotional day.  I kept crying, whenever I thought about the phone call.  I called my mom.  I hugged my kids.  Todd's reaction?  "Good job, honey."  And then, of course, he said, "I guess they only had 499 other entries, right?"  Right.  Thanks sweetie!

I've recently been stuck on reading my kids' "Bobbsey Twins" book series.  I know they are quite juvenile but they are fun and I've gotten quite interested in solving mysteries.  At every turn, these twins are running across mysteries to solve, sometimes leaning toward the ridiculous.  There's always a bully involved, thwarting their progress and the youngest boy twin makes me crazy.  But I still enjoy the series.  Even better, my middle son is reading them ahead of me so we discuss the plots together. 

A few days ago, I was thinking about how fun it would be to solve a real-life mystery (totally out of character for me!)  We've had some sunny days lately, so my daughter and I went for a walk up our street, as we usually do when we can.  Near the top of the hill, I spied a handmade construction paper Christmas bell, complete with glitter and a bow, lying in the gutter.  Without picking it up, I realized it was a bell from a Giving Tree, a program that gets the community involved in buying presents for the needy in our area.  We went on our way and our attention went elsewhere.  The next day, I walked alone up the hill and saw the bell again.  This time, I memorized the information on it.  By the time I got home, I determined I would find out more about the bell.  It worried me that the child belonging to the bell would not get a gift for Christmas.  I really felt God's nudge to solve this mystery.

I asked God for help.  Then I thought for a bit - this is a community project usually involving businesses around town.  Ah, try the Chamber of Commerce!  I called and discovered the lady in charge of this project is actually the same person in charge of the Chamber!  (This is a small town, remember!)  I got her home number and called, leaving a message.  She called me back today and said she actually knows the child who belonged to that very bell!  I was so thrilled.  I asked if I could make a donation to cover the cost of a gift.  The lady said, "Of course!", and that she'd make sure this child got a gift.  We had a very nice chat.  Chad went back up the hill to retrieve the bell and I took the bell with my donation to the Chamber, where she'll pick it up next week.  Mystery solved!  Case closed!

I was so happy!  (I think my family thought I was a bit TOO happy but I was so excited!)  With God's help, I solved a mystery and helped a small child.  I hope someday she discovers the fun of reading "The Bobbsey Twins"!

The debate went on for at least ten minutes ...

"It's a sofa!", she said.

"It's a couch!", he said.

"A SOFA!", she howled (and, boy, can she howl).

"A couch!", he said, my middle son remaining more calm just to get her goat.

"SOFA!!"

"COUCH!"

To break the tension, I yelled from the kitchen, "In some places, it's called a davenport."  This produced some "What?" inquiries and laughter.

Middle son came into the kitchen to wash up for a snack.  He laughed and said, "Davenport!"  I said it sounded like a place in Michigan.  "It's in Iowa, actually", he said.

Bummer.  Another stupid Mom moment.  I hate it when that happens.

Sometimes ... I wish they didn't know so much! 

Thanks for the money-saving comments!  I'm alway open for additional ideas.

Today I really blew it.  Here I am, totally immersed in trying to save money anyway I can and I missed out on saving $5.00 on a purchase.  It was totally my fault and I just wasn't thinking.  It made me SO mad!  I'm still miffed by it.  It's too late to change things.  My husband tried to console me,"It's just $5."  But to me, it's more than that.  I wasted that money - it could have been used for something else.  I finally had to pray and ask God to help me let it go. 

And then, later today ...

I got a card in the mail from my Mom, thanking me for sending her a package.  It was just a little something I knew she needed and we had talked about it before I sent it.  She had said she wanted to reimburse me and, of course, I said not to worry.  That stinker!  In her card was not one $20 bill but five!  I stood there and cried.  The first thing I heard in my head was God saying, "You see, you don't need to worry about that $5 - I will provide."  Isn't that amazing?  I still feel like crying.

I worry so much about the mundane, the little things.  Why can't I just let things go and trust God?  Oh, the lessons we must learn!

O.k. the stinkin' election is over.  No more stress about that.  And I'm not going to worry and fret over the future, concerning our next president.  I will pray - but I won't stress.

You know why?  Because gas prices are lower than they've been in a long, long time.  I'm going to wait until my little Prius is nearly empty (which could be awhile) and fill it up before they raise the prices again.

Now, we will turn our focus in a new direction.  Saving money.  How does a stay-at-home, homeschool mom save money?  We don't eat out more than once a month, Todd packs a lunch, we don't buy coffee anywhere, we both drive hybrids, Todd only drives 4 miles to work, we don't have TV, much less cable or DSL, we heat with wood, make as much as possible from scratch, Todd is our resident hair stylist, we are not paying for lessons for anything.  The price of a Sunday paper is now $2.50 so I stopped buying it but I'm having trouble finding grocery coupons - it takes a lot of work and time to find them on the internet but I do it anyway.  If I can find $1.00 of coupons in one or two hours, I consider that significant (pathetic, right?)  But it's the best I can do for now.

So, I would love to hear how YOU save money - anything.  Any idea you have or something that is working for you.  I want to know!

It could be the storm.  Or something else.

But I've got a really uneasy feeling about ... things.  Every time I turn on the radio (my source of the news), I just kind of get the creeps.  I bought a paper yesterday and a lot of the news was just kind of ... you know, creepy.

It all makes me uneasy.  Perhaps it will take time.  I suppose it could be the pendulum swinging from the elephant to the donkey.  It will take some getting used to.  Or maybe I'll never get use to it.  After all, it's been 8 years since this has happened.

In the meantime, I'll have to live with this creepy feeling.  And keep my radio turned off.  I just don't want to hear any more right now.

(The grumblings of a sad and mournful Republican).

You might be saying to yourself, "Hey, she's got a new avatar!"

Even if you're not, I thought I'd explain.  This is a photo of a deer head.

No, really, it's a photo of a deer in a vacant lot full of grass so high the deer head appears to be floating.  And he wasn't alone.  If I can, I'll post the entire photo.  We love it.  It looks like two deer heads floating in the grass.

This photo was taken of the vacant lot across the street from our home.  Lucky us.  We live on a crowded hillside of homes that cling to this part of town called "The South Slope".  (Where do you live?, we get asked.  On the South Slope, we answer.)  The slope is steep - in the last 10 years, our home has slid enough that the front door hangs not quite level.  But across the street, we have a blessed vacant lot.  Where the deer and an occasional raccoon like to wander.  But mostly deer.  They come in from the green belt a few doors down (end of our cul-de-sac), stop to munch at this vacant lot, then they look both ways, cross the street and wander into neighbor Wanda's backyard.  And one day when the grass was really high, they stopped to munch for a long time.  Todd got some great photos.

I had never known anyone named Wanda until we moved here.  Now I know at least two, if not more.  When I was growing up, I had a favorite book from the library called, "Wanda, the Good Little Witch."  Ever heard of it?

So, that's the long, drawn-out story of my new avatar.  Hey, it's better than reading about my thoughts here on Election Day Eve!  You don't really want to hear that, do you?  

On my blogspot blog, I wrote about how the kids and I tackled the 3 layers of roof shingles that needed to be removed from our lawn and piled into the work van.  Here is the rest of the story ...

I overslept this morning, getting up at 9:00 am (I was still tired from yesterday's flurry of work).  Carmen and I did some school work while the boys finished sweeping and raking up what debris was left from the shingles.  Made lunch for the kids, then Chad and I headed for the dump.  It was another beautiful sunny day but no time to play, our work lay ahead of us.

I was so uptight about all this - don't know why.  Guess I just wanted to get it done.  Our work van is a Ford Club and holds like 14 people, if all the seats are in it.  It's huge.  And it was full clear to the top with old shingles.  When we opened up that back door at the dump, I tried not to think about how long it was going to take us.  We just got started shoving shingles out.  Oh, man, am I thankful (so thankful) I have no sense of smell!  Ever been to your city dump?  It makes my skin crawl just being there but to have to get out and stand a few yards away from our lovely city's trash - UGH!  There was a poor little stuffed lion just a few feet away, I quickly covered him with shingles so I didn't have to look him in the eye.

Chad was fascinated.  Every thing that went on, every truck that came in, every resident that hauled their home trash in - he wanted to see it all.  I started thinking about how this was turning into a field trip.  Of sorts.  Chad was a great helper.  He kept right up with me and loved throwing individual shingles as far as he could.  Such energy!  About halfway through, I was starting to drag but I knew if I stopped, I'd never start up again.  We kept going.  Trucks came and went.  I was severely jealous of the contractors that came in with their fancy dump trucks and dump trailers.  Our own residential trash man showed up twice to dump his truck while we were there.  We finally began to feel like the end was approaching which was a good thing because I was dying!  Praying for strength.  Trying not to step on nails.  Wincing at the occasional crawling things that hitched a ride on the shingles during the time they were laying on our lawn.  Trying not to hit Chad with flying shingles and nails (that was a bit difficult!)  And then I got something in my eye and I had no way of removing my contact.  I took a deep breath and really prayed for God's help.  I had to finish.  HAD TO!  Down to the end.  We tried to pull the tarp out to get all the last few piles but the darn thing wouldn't budge.  I swore.  I sweated.  Finally, I'd had it.  I got out of the van, leaned against it and cried.  I couldn't stop crying, I felt defeated.  Chad, coming to my rescue, got in the back of the van and pulled that tarp.  It wouldn't budge.  Then he shouted, "Let's push it from behind!"  And that did it!  It hit the ground and I beat it with a broom.  Death to the shingles!  We were victorious!

By now, I was down to a tank top and disheveled.  We unceremoniously drove up to the scale.  I walked to the window where they said, "We thought we'd lost you!"  We had been there nearly 2 hours.  The fee?  $140.00!  I just looked at the workers.  They looked back.  I finally said, "It could have been worse!"  We moved 3240 lbs of shingles.  I know.  I was there.

In my last post, I wrote about a garage sale I went to last weekend.  The owner of the house knows my kids and we began talking about homeschooling.  Of course, she brought up the "you have to make sure they are able to socialize with kids their own age" issue.  After a pause, God gave me the good grace to respond, "You know, I find that my kids are able to get along well with any age, including adults, probably because they are with all different ages, all the time."  But, gosh, I am so, SO tired of having this issue brought up!  It's like the Dark Ages to me.  Move with the times, people!  Why, why is it SO important for 10 year old kids to know how to socialize with 10 year old kids?  And ONLY 10 year old kids?  Who, I'd like to know, came up with that requirement for life?

I know, I know, I'm preaching to the choir here.  Every one of you have had to deal with this, or you will in the future.  It's helpful to have a calm, pleasant response.  It keeps you from jumping up and down like a maniac.  A deep breath helps, too. 

On my other blog at blogspot, I wrote about a tank of triops that we have been watching.  All the work has fallen to me and I'm afraid I'm not the best triop-caretaker.  The three that have survived are now dwindling to two, as I mournfully watch one of them dying.  I HATE THIS!  I can't stand to see something die that we are supposed to help survive. 

On a brighter note, the ladybug larva that my kids found (I hadn't mentioned that, had I?) has metamorphed and is now a full-size ladybug!  The larva had been still for several days and we thought it had died.  This was a wonderful surprise and a joy!  Even better, my 7 year old ladybug-lover was the one to discover this new ladybug in our little bug habitat.  I'm so glad for her.  She was thrilled.  Carmen is really interested in bugs and animals and nature stuff.    My husband has always wanted her to be a scientist, even before she was born.  He may just get his wish.  We were both amazed when Carmen asked for a doll styling head for Christmas (which I found at Amazon - a Corolle doll head, it's sweet, not Barbie-ish).  Todd said, "You mean she wants something girly?"  Carmen is, I think, a wonderful blend of tomboy and girl-pink.  I guess I'm kind of that way (not wonderful but sort of tomboy/pink)  Like mother, like daughter ....

Well, this post has been all over the place.  Which is where my head is tonight.  I think it's time for bed. 

We went to a garage sale recently and came home with a portable manual typewriter (a Royal "Safari").  For a dollar.  In great condition.  In a custom suitcase with key.  I couldn't pass it up.  I remember when my mom got a "new" portable manual typewriter when I was a kid and it was so much fun.  I taught myself to type using a college text my sister had.  When I was eleven, I finally found a typing class in summer school and I was hooked.  I took every typing class I could find.  Because of that typewriter, I went on to be one of the best in all my typing classes, my first job was typing on a computer and nearly every job I've had since has involved typing on something, including my typesetting business.  I might not even be blogging had it not been for that typewriter (heaven forbid!)

I digress ... about this "new" typewriter.  The kids were fascinated with this old technology.  To them, it's so new!  They couldn't wait to try it.  We have recently watched a silly Marx Brother movie where Harpo was typing on an ancient manual where the carriage would fly off and he'd catch it while he kept typing.  They love that part but I had to explain what he was doing.  They couldn't quite get it but now we have a typewriter with an actual carriage, so my kids can see for themselves.  They were amazed at how hard you have to punch the keys.  (I remember my arms and fingers getting sore from long typing stretches.)  I explained how it worked on the inside with each key striking against the ribbon and onto the page with a letter on it.  My 7 year old was so cute as she tried to fathom that it was a "manual":  "How does it work - you don't have to plug it in?  Does it run on batteries?"  We all marveled at how we could type even during a power outage, by candlelight.  And it never has to be booted up or use any electricity.

My boys have been taking turns at the typewriter, typing stories or war secrets.  I have been trying to encourage them both to write down their stories, either on paper or at the computer.  For now, at least, this new toy has gotten them interested in putting their thoughts on paper.  It's so cool to walk into the kitchen and hear the "tap, tap, tap" coming from the dining room around the corner.  Brings back memories.  My mom typed quite a bit and still does.  I can still see her sitting at the portable typing desk, set up next to my dad's desk in the den, Mom typing letters to relatives or friends.  Is anyone here old enough to remember some of the first attempts at correction tape?  We used to get these papers about 3/4" by 2-1/2" long that you held up to the page, backspaced, and then typed the key you wanted to erase.  The paper would cover over the incorrect key and you could remove the paper and retype the correct key.  Anyway, these papers would be scattered all about the base of the typewriter.  We tried to use one up completely before starting a new one.  Oh, man, big wave of nostalgia here!

So, for now anyway, my boys are enjoying their new toy.  They are allowed to type anytime the want, once they get their bookwork and chores done.  I hope this enthusiasm lasts awhile.  Alec, I think, likes to pretend he's a war correspondent or working for the FBI or CIA, or something like that.  Perhaps Carmen will want try it someday (I hope).  

You just never know what will influence your child's life.  My Mom and her typewriter were major life-shapers for me.  Major.

When the weather turns cold and rainy, I like to encourage my kids to play board games.  It's a nice option to shoving each other off the furniture or jumping on the sofa.  And it beats getting hit in the face by yet another paper airplane (Alec's current obessession - build it bigger, better, etc.)

Recently, I have spent several fun evenings playing Yahtzee.  Yahztee is, to me, a fabulous learning game.  Counting, patience, risk taking, calculating - I learned so much from this game as a kid.  This past week, I played two nights in a row with Carmen who, now at 7, can play much better than before.  I remember when she could first hold a pencil and scribble, we would give her the back of a filled-in score sheet and she would pretend to play along side us as we played.  She also had fun with the chips that come with the game but no one seems to know what they are for.  Or why they are different colors. 

Anyway, the second night we played, I actually scored a Yahtzee!  I was thrilled.  And then ... I scored another.  And another.  And another.  Four Yahtzees!  Can you believe it?  This could be some kind of record somewhere in the world.  It's definitely a record in my family, extended family and probably the neighborhood.  I put the score sheet on the fridge for all to see.  Not that I deserve any credit - I was at the mercy of the roll of the dice.  It's just not something that happens every day, does it? 

O.k, now that I've revealed that my life is so, um, mild, that four Yahtzees denotes all this hoopla - I'll get to my point.  Games are a great way to bond with your family and the learning that takes place is amazing.  On the third night, I asked my husband to play with us.  And on the fourth night, I asked the boys to play as well.  All five of us around the dinner table, playing Yahtzee!  The hard part about this game is waiting for your turn.  It got a little out of hand, as the boys kept getting rowdy while the rest of us were rolling the dice.  So, lessons in manners and patience were conducted (shouted actually but it worked).  All in all, it was fun and I lost, which is the best way for the game to go (if anyone has to lose, I'd rather it be me - I don't care!)  Carmen actually beat her father by 1 point!  Then it was Alec, Chad and me.  Chad was bummed because he didn't win.  I reminded him that he beat me and if we had played a twosome (which is what he wanted in the first place) he would have won.  He smiled and headed out into the living room to jump on the furniture some more.

FYI:  Chad told me that Yahtzee was first played on a yacht.  If that is true, they were either trying to be cute with the name or they needed a dictionary.

So, HS moms, when the school work gets a little mind-numbing - pull out a game.  It will definitely be worth your time and you might just enjoy yourself!  And let me know if you've ever gotten four Yahtzees.  We'll form a club or something.

I just haven't had the time or inclination to blog much lately.  School is going well.  The kids are getting better about chores, their attitudes are improving and Carmen is being more helpful, even asking to help with things.  I jump on that, let me tell you.  She is getting more and more inquisitive about stuff - especially at bedtime when my brain just gels.  I do my best. 

We've been busy working in the yard, getting trouble spots in the house cleaned up, Todd has been replacing windows and window trim plus finishing the painting.  Just stuff, you know?  We've had some wonderful warm, dry, sunny, really windy weather the last few days but there's a storm coming tomorrow or next day and we are trying to get the house ready for it. 

So ... what's the weather like in your part of the world this week?

I'm happy to report that Carmen is getting used to the routine of school time.  She is a happier soul, on most days, with only occasional lapses into toadgirl.  And the better her attitude is, the better mine is.  I have found that she responds extremely well to humour, so when she starts to get rude, I throw her off the track by making a mistake on purpose which surprises her and makes her giggle.  I also need to remember that she does better if we take a couple of quick breaks during our morning.  Also, if I suggest we take a walk after the school work is done, she gets more enthusiastic.  Kids are meant to move and I need to remember that.  My sons can sit for longer periods, of course (well, usually) but we break up their morning with music practice, which works well. 

Our schedule is working well, I think.  I write it out for them each day and let them choose the order that they want to proceed, unless I have a different plan for that morning.  I think they like that. 

We went for a walk this morning, right before lunch, and a police woman drove by.  I saw her eyeing us carefully.  Then it dawned on me, "Oh, yeah, it's a school day."  But our state doesn't have a truancy rule, as far as I know.  At least the last I heard, there wasn't one.  Funny how your heart jumps in moments like that.  Then later, the same police lady drove by us again but this time she smiled.  I smiled back, relieved. 

We went up the hill to watch a huge piece of machinery move some downed trees on the edge of the forest up there.  It was like watching toothpicks being thrown around.  I was thinking to myself, "I'll bet that driver played with Tonka toys as a kid."

I think this year has started out better than any year we've had.  Praise the Lord.  My prayer is that I can do all I can to make it better for the kids.  I have made a firm committment to have Bible reading and/or devotional plus praying with them every morning.  It is written into our schedule.  I am certain this has made a difference.  How could it not?

On my blogspot blog, I just wrote a post about our first week of school.  Sum it up to say I can see some things that went well and some things that didn't.  Isn't it a blessing that we can begin again, with a new week.

My daughter definitely needs some "easing in" time to the routine of school.  I don't want her to dread it but I also try to teach my kids that there are times we need to do things, even if we don't want to and how do you know if you don't like it until you try it?  You get the idea.  Motivation and ambition are themes that keep popping up this year.  In lots of areas.  No, I should say, "A LOT of areas".  Can anyone relate?

My kids are motivated when the idea comes from within.  When it comes from me, it's a 50/50 chance that they'll be motivated.  But that's life.  Our lives do not always revolve around what "we" want to do.  And, I feel, that the sooner they learn that, the better.  However, I am not above getting them motivated to do something if they will benefit, just not all the time.

Boy, this is boring.  But it's what I'm dealing with at present.  Sometimes life is boring. 

On another note - my son, Alec, continues his quest for all things jelly fish-related.  Everyday he creates at least 3-5 jellyfish from various materials and various sources.  Now he says he want to be a marine biologist.  My friend, Emily, recently posted photos of jelly fish her kids made from, I think, gelatin and gummy worms.  Alec saw them and was impressed.  But since he can't pick up gelatinous jelly fish and wave them around like they are swimming, he has not shown an interest in making jelly fish in this manner.  My opinion, anyway.  You'd be surprised just how many types of jelly fish their are.  I had no idea.

On to Week 2. 

Todd's test results were NEGATIVE!!!  I am SO thankful!  The melanoma is gone, there was no trace of it from the second surgery and his lymph nodes were clear.  NEGATIVE - a terrific word!

Thank you all SO VERY MUCH for your prayers and support!  Without you ladies, I would have had to deal with this pretty much on my own but your encouragement and prayers really were felt.  Bless each of you!

We had to be in Portland at the doctor's at 10:00 am, which means we had to leave at 7:45 am, which means we had to get the kids up WAY earlier than they are used to (me, too, really - I was up at 5:45, ugh!)  We didn't leave until 8:05, had one slight delay road-wise, but actually made it there on time.  I believe the Lord allowed that.  Anyway, we saw the doctor, got the terrific news and he even spent some time talking with our kids (he was happy to teach, we told him that it was a field trip!)  I cried, laughed, cried, it was so emotional.  But it was the best doctor visit I've been to in eons. 

Out the window of the waiting room, we could see the aerial tram that takes patients and medical staff up the hill to OHSU, a huge teaching hospital up on a hill in Portland.  Todd said we were going to ride it.  Up and back.  I was scared but went out with the family to wait in line.  I looked at Todd and said, "This is for Emily!  (I was SO thinking of you Em!)  We embarked the space-age little tram (it holds up to about 70 people but it only had about 25 riders) and up we went.  It swayed a bit as it went by the huge support tower (about 20-stories high) but it was a pretty smooth ride.  It felt like we were on a blimp or a hot air balloon (though I've never been on those things).  That's the best I can compare it to.  The view is amazing, Mount Hood in the distance, Oregon is so beautiful.  Boy, was I glad to get to the top of the hill, though!  We went to the hospital gift shop and then went back out to ride the tram down.  Still scared but I knew what it would be like, we got back on.  The conductor turned out to be a retired Coast Guard rescue person and knew all about Astoria.  It helped me to chat with him the whole way down.  I was very happy to get to the bottom and very proud of myself for riding the tram without freaking out.  The kids loved it!

O.k., Emily - it's your turn!

Next, we went to the zoo (again).  The baby elephant that was born the day after we visited the zoo 1-1/2 weeks ago was being allowed visitors.  We waited in line only about 25 minutes and got in to see mom and baby.  Baby was sleeping but after a few minutes, it got up and walked a bit.  Everyone was "Ooooh"-ing, it was a real thrill!  It might be the only time we ever see a newborn elephant, so I'm really glad we had the chance.  Right after the birth, the mom elephant had a tough time, nearly hurting her baby but she calmed down and now is bonding well with her offspring.  The zoo vets are terrific.  After that, Chad and Alec got to feed lorikeets (bright green parrot-like birds and REALLY loud!), which was fun but kind of scary.  Two of the birds were perched on Chad's arm - no camera for that picture, bummer!  We walked around for way too long, judging from how tired I got ... well, I was carrying everyone's waters and my enormous purse.  Plus I was running on emotional fatigue and very little sleep.  It was time to go.

What a day.  But the best part is that the day is over.  I had been really dreading this day and to have it over with such great news - I just can't be grateful enough.  God answered our prayers so favorably.  He is good. 

Oh, yeah ... we homeschool.  That means I need to turn my attention to preparing for our school year.  I hate that word.  But what else do you call it?  Our "learning" year?  Our "learning time"?  Our lifestyle of learning?  Life?

It's time to begin again and break out of the emotional bonds I've been in since late July.  Enough wallowing.  It's getting tedious and boring.  Changing my focus to the task at hand will be good for me.  Although, it's a big task.

I really wanted to spend the summer getting more organized and tidy.  Um, o.k., it didn't happen.  But I didn't have a plan.  Now, I need to make a plan plus plan our homeschool year.  The homeschool planning is easier and more fun.  So I'll start there.  I want to make some changes to the way we have been doing things, like, for years.  Shake things up a bit.  It will be good for my kids as well as me.

Tomorrow, we will begin our school year by getting some vaccinations.  (I said I wanted to shake things up!)  That will be followed by a trip to our local toy store (not a big box but friends of our who have a great little toy shop in town) where the kids can spend their allowance.  Then on Thursday, we are going to the Oregon Zoo to see the new baby elephant!  It's the first one born in 14 years, can't miss that, can we?  We actually were at the zoo last week, on the day it was supposed to be born.  But, like all babies, it didn't arrive as planned but was born the day after.  After the zoo, we get to find out about Todd's tests results and possibly ride the aerial tram that was put in to take people from the bottom of the hill to the top of the hill where the hospital is.  This thing looks like something out of a 1950's space age film.  I'm scared but it will be fun - I think.

Then, next week, we will actually be sitting down for some book time.  I am thinking about making a schedule for each kid, so they will know what they need to work on and I won't have to keep reminding them.  Maybe getting each of them a binder to keep their work in.  That would eliminate papers scattered on their homeschool shelf.  More consistent Bible reading.  Get going with that American History.  This sounds more slapdash than it really is.  I'm just thinking out loud here, areas of our school (ugh) time that I want to work on or do better at.  You know what I find interesting is how easy it is/was to advance my oldest son, but how hard it is to remember to advance my younger two kids.  What's up with that?  Like the younger kids don't grow at the same rate as Chad?  I mean, Alec is 10, and it's hard for me to see that.  Suddenly, I find myself thinking, "O.k., have we done all we should be doing for his age?!!"  I guess it's because Chad was born old, while Alec and Carmen are more age appropriate.  I don't know.  I probably should have had only one child because I just hate repeating myself or doing the same thing over again.  Isn't that awful? 

Speaking of Alec, he has recently discovered some Enid Blyton books that we picked up last year and spends all day on the couch reading, laughing out loud and reading parts of the story to his sister.  It's awesome!  Alec has been more drawn to magazines like Air & Space, so it is fun to see him enjoying books.  I hope he has run out of ideas for jellyfish crafts.  We are overflowing in jellyfish made out of all kinds of materials.  It's his way.  Oh, and he got glasses last week (like all the rest of us, except Carmen).  He looks just adorable!  And he likes them, which is a plus.

Todd and I were looking back on 20 years of Labor Day Weekends, realizing that either he or I have worked every single one of them (as well as we can recall).  The only good thing is that now he gets overtime for working it!  When we both had our businesses (at different times) we looked at Labor Day as a way to get a bit caught up on our work.  We truly labored on Labor Day!

Of course, he's gone tonight.  His overtime will end in about 5 minutes.

Thanks so much for your prayers. Todd came through the surgery just fine. In fact, he suggested we go to the zoo while we were in Portland. I thought he was nuts. None of us had slept much the night before but, hey, the kids all wanted to go to the zoo as well. What could I do? And, of course, this was the day Portland decided to reach 81 degrees. Nothing I like better than walking around looking at animals in the heat, amongst a throng of noisy kids (not mine, everyone else's) with their harried parents and bored teenagers on first dates. Can you tell I'm still exhausted?

Anyway, we got home yesterday and God was good. He took care of us and Todd. God even helped me get to the hospital after I was tearfully lost without my map. (Todd drove himself to the hospital and we arrived later - long story). Our hotel was only 12 miles away but, if you know anything about Portland, it's not the easiest city to navigate (at least, not to me). I'm not the one usually driving when we go there. We did, however, get to see a lot of culture driving through downtown! Lead to a great discussion with the kids but I was too stressed to really enjoy it.

 
The main thing is this: The surgery went very well and things looked good visually. Now we wait. We will know by this Thursday, if not before. If they find anything, they will call us sooner. I am praying that they won't call. Please continue to pray that the test results will be negative. I am so thankful that the Lord took care of Todd and the rest of us so well. I trust that He will continue to be with us. Thanks again for your support and prayers.