I've said this before - my oldest son, Chad, is a sponge for learning. He has always been a great reader and made it easy for me when it came to teaching geography, world/American history and just about anything else you can learn by reading. If you need to know where some place is in the world, ask Chad. If you have a history question, he probably knows the answer. Some kid, he is.

     However, my younger two kids are not as eager to read and absorb these subjects. So I decided we would study one state a day, beginning with the New England states. I had a good black line map that Carmen traced onto a large sheet of paper, outlining every state, and it hangs on the wall above our kitchen table. Every day, she colors in the state-of-the-day, and labels the name and capital city. I also had a Dover U.S. coloring book that she is coloring each day as well. She loves to draw and color so this is fun for her (which makes learning easier). We use our Worldbook Encyclopedias, our road atlas and whatever other resources I have, like Country magazine. The dictionary sometimes gives the source of the state name, which we find interesting. Alec just sits and listens but he likes to read what the encyclopedia says about each state's exports, manufacturing, etc. At dinner, I ask them questions to help them remember some of what we learned.

     This isn't in-depth study but it's fun to learn some of the state's history, economy, population, year of statehood, state flag, weather, geography, bird, tree, etc. Almost every day, one of them (or I) say, "I didn't know that!. And every day, I try to find more resources to add to our study. I'm saving our state for last and we'll spend more than just one day on it. It's what you call "homeschooling on a shoe string". No expensive program needed.

     Through circumstances beyond our control, we won't get the trailer until this Saturday. However, that didn't stop us from taking a short, 2-day camping trip last week. Dang it.

     We had hoped to have the trailer before we left for a couple of days at a beach campground we like, just 1-1/2 hours south of us. We had also hoped it wouldn't rain.

     But rain it did. It let up long enough for Todd and Chad to set up the tent (ugh, says Kate) and then Todd said (bless him!) we weren't going to cook in the rain so we set out to search for a restaurant. The campground is just outside of Tillamook, which means "Land of Many Waters" but I believe it really means, "Land of Many Cows", because there are a lot of dairy farms in the area. However, it floods there almost annually so there you go. Tillamook is famous for it's cheese and it's our cheese of preference. Now, we've been to Tillamook many times but we've never actually eaten there so we didn't know where to go. I just happened to have called the local radio station before we left home to ask what the weather was there and I still had that phone number on my cell phone (brilliant, right?) We passed the local radio station on our way to the campground so I got the idea to call them again to ask where to eat. I listen to this station all the time at home so I knew who would answer the phone and I was right. The evening DJ gave me a couple of names of restaurants so we headed out for the first one he recommended. It was right on the bay, had a great view but it was under construction and looked like a dive at first. We decided to drive through town but didn't see anything that looked appealing so we went back to the first place. It turned out to be a nice place after all and the food was good. Thank you, Lord.

     It was late and dark when we returned to the campground but it had stopped raining, except for occasional drizzle (nothing new here) so Todd started a fire and we sat around until 10:00 or so, talking and telling stories. That's probably my favorite time of camping. Good thing because I had no idea just how long my night was going to get.

     After teeth brushing, we put everyone to bed and got in ourselves. The kids were already grumbling and whining. We haven't camped in our tent in over a year and a half and the kids have all grown, as in, outgrown our tent. It's supposed to sleep 6 but we think that means 6 little people or perhaps 2 adults and 4 very small kids. Carmen had outgrown her sleeping bag and kept flipping around until she was out of the bag completely. She cried and cried because she couldn't sleep, gave herself a headache and was nearly inconsolable in spite of all my efforts to comfort her. I rubbed her head, rubbed her back, etc., praying for God's help. I finally put her in my sleeping bag and she began to calm down, finally going to sleep around 12:30 or so. The bad thing about this is Todd and I sleep in two sleeping bags zipped together to make a double bag. With 8 year old Carmen next to me, I was sandwiched in the middle with 6' Todd on the other side. I couldn't move. At least I wasn't cold (for once). I laid there, dozing off and on, all night long, afraid to move as I didn't want to wake Carmen. The boys tossed and turned for several hours, it sounded like Alec was rolling over and over in his bag. Then, around 3:00 or so, everyone in the tent began to snore. First Alec, then Chad, then Todd, then Carmen. It was like a chorus of snoring, in harmony. I nearly burst out laughing but knew I had to be quiet. Before I knew it, I woke up hearing myself snore, proof that I had slept at least a little. What a night.

     Did I mention I really don't like camping, especially tent camping?

     I laid there until I saw light and, thank the Lord, it was a sunny day. We had breakfast, walked on the beach, made lunch, the kids went exploring. Todd and I took naps in the van. Well, he slept but I couldn't really. He took the kids kite flying while I tried to sleep some more. I wanted to go home but relented because everyone wanted to stay. Todd could see how upset I was and did all the cooking for dinner. We watched the sun set on the water and Todd got some good photos. We had a campfire again, which was fun but we put everyone to bed earlier this time. The kids all said they'd try harder to go to sleep. But we still had to put Carmen in our sleeping bag. Night 2 of no moving. But I was so tired I didn't care and fell asleep almost immediately at 10:00 (I'm a clock-watcher when we camp, a bad habit). An hour later, our camp neighbor's car alarm went off, sending Todd and me nearly through the top of the tent. Todd tried frantically to unzip the tent and I dove to get out of his way. We were both disoriented, forgetting momentarily where we were. He never did get the tent unzipped before our neighbor got the alarm turned off and we heard him say, "Sorry". I called out, "That's O.K." but I was so shaken it was quite some time before I could calm down enough to go back to sleep. During that time, Todd was turning over in his small space, just as I was sitting up a bit and, "WHAM" his strong elbow came into contact with my forehead. My whole head was shaken. He really belted me one good! It still hurts. I wanted to go home so badly. At that moment, I hated the world, hated the tent, hated the stupid yurt campers next door, hated my daughter's too-small sleeping bag. She spent part of the night perpendicular to me, kicking me in the knees. I kept moving her over to no avail. Todd finally offered to be in the middle, which I gladly accepted. Finally ... sleep.

Amazingly, and by God's grace, Carmen never woke up during all that commotion.

     Another beautiful morning but I couldn't wait to get out of there. I accidentally tossed out one of my favorite paring knives (Note to self: Never take a kitchen utensil that you really like camping). I also closed the van door on my hand, not hard enough to do much damage but it scared me (well, it did hurt). My knees are bruised from getting in and out of the back of the van where the cooler and the food were stored. My back and knees hurt for 2 days from sleeping on the ground. What a baby ... waaah, waaah.

     O.k., I've gotten this all out of my system. I am not a good camper, didn't camp as a kid, I'm spoiled by the conveniences of life. I do appreciate the beauty of the outdoors, God's creation and all. I just want a shower and private toilet at the end of the day. And a bed. Is that asking too much?

     Oh, yeah. If we ever get the trailer, I will have those things. I think that's what frustrated me so much, knowing that trailer is across the river and there we were, sitting in the rain, slogging through the mud, sleeping on uneven ground under a wet, wet tent. This campsite is completely shrouded by trees, dripping, wet trees. All night long, the trees dripped so hard on the tent I envisioned chipmunks slapping the tent. (Chipmunks were everywhere.) Every time I got into the back of the van, there was one particular tree branch that waited for me, just to drip down my neck. Seriously! After the umpteenth time, I was ready to scream.

So much for relaxing in the great outdoors.

     Perhaps I had to go through this experience to really appreciate the trailer. God forgive me for being so spoiled.

The short story is ... we bought a used travel trailer. End of story.

That's really all I need to write. It gets the point across. But how boring.

The slightly longer version is that we've spent a month of our summer looking, researching, surfing the Web, checking the paper, driving around town, driving around Portland, driving around Longview, WA, in and out of more travel trailers and RV's than I can count. And nothing seemed right. Everything was either too much or not big enough for our family or too big for our family. Nothing fell into place. My husband was serious. I figured if it was meant to be, it would happen. Then, we drove across the river to Long Beach, WA, to see the annual Kite Festival. We've only missed it once, and that was after I had just given birth to my oldest. This year, my boys flew their kites on the beach and we all enjoyed our time there. On our way over, we drove through a town called Chinook and passed a nice travel trailer for sale. On the way back, Todd stopped and we got out to look it over. Someone drove up and told us the owner lived just around the corner and could let us in it. We called, he let us in and the rest is history. There is was, just sitting there waiting for us to drive by. Who knew? Of course, since we are not rich, it will be a stretch on our budget (Todd suggested I get a night job ... um, no). But we prayed for guidance and wisdom and I feel the Lord's leading in this. Todd really wanted something like this and I was praying not for me but for Todd. Now I need to learn all I can about using one of these things. Yesterday, I drove by a man who was getting out of a travel trailer like ours that was parked in front of his house (just down the street). I don't know him but I asked if he had a minute. I can't imagine what he thought I wanted but I asked if he had any advice about using a travel trailer. He was kind enough to spend about 10 minutes talking with me. We have started noticing RV's everywhere we go. And, of course, all the local campgrounds are packed with them this time of year.

So that is mostly what has taken my time lately. That and my annual hunt for firewood for the winter. After numerous calls to shady characters who advertise in the local paper, I was getting fed up. Everyone is selling hemlock or a hemlock mix with other wood. My son and I are allergic to hemlock (we found that out the hard way a few years ago) and I find it hard to believe that there are so many hemlock trees around that they all had to be cut down for firewood. Finally, my husband looked in the local phone book and actually found an ad in the yellow pages for a guy across the river. He was pushing hemlock as well (!) but did have spruce and pine. We are getting the spruce as pine burns quicker which means you are feeding the woodstove more frequently. Didn't know you were going to get a lesson in firewood, did you?

Oh, and I suppose I need to be thinking about the coming school year. I have been, actually, between the trailer hunt and firewood. There are some things I need to order but we're not starting until the first of October so I have time. September will be busy for us so book learning will have to wait. There are other things to learn. Like the perfect way to stack firewood so it doesn't all fall over!

Todd & Kate

August 6, 1988

   3 - kids

   2 - states

   3 - homes

   4 - moves

   2 - businesses

   3 - episodes of melanoma

   1 - heart surgery

   2 - llamas

+ 1 - God

__________________________

21 years of happy marriage

Thanks, Todd!

You have been and always will be

the only one for me!

It's official - the Kay Snow Awards winners were announced via email and I did NOT win. I am so relieved to know, even though I was pretty certain I didn't have a chance. I kind of hate what I submitted - I deserved not to win! It was too dark, coming from a sad and scary place and time for me. I'm also relieved that I do not have to attend the awards ceremony, taking place two days after our 21 wedding anniversary in August. However, I just found out who the guest speaker at the awards is going to be and it's a Portland author I am interested in meeting. She used to write a weekly column in the Sunday Oregonian and I always wanted her job. Every time I read her column, I thought I could at least write the kind of stuff she wrote about - usually short essays about her daily life or past. The stuff I write about. Now, she no longer has that column but is concentrating on her third book. Her first book was a best seller and her second is doing very well. Sigh. While I am thrilled for her and her success, I really don't want her life, I just want my own life as an author. Preferably one who can make a little $$. Know what I mean? (Yes, Todd, I know, I know.)

"Whew" also refers to how stinkin' hot is was here today! Man! We actually went out and bought an air conditioner for our bedroom and another fan for the living room. We had every window and ceiling fan in the house going. We were all miserable. Even going in and out of stores was rough, being blasted by heat again and again. We are not used to this. It gets like this, though rarely, where it will be cool and in the low 70's forever and then, wham! The temps shoot up 15-20 degrees in one morning and everyone wilts. It was interesting to see how people around here dress for heat they are not prepared for. Lots of white, white limbs and an interesting array of summer clothes. One woman looked like a street walker (she might have been, I didn't ask.) I was pretty certain I saw a teenage boy in a skirt. And then, at the grocery store, I was walking past a display of signs, the one I focused on said, "Dog On Premises". Then I turned my head and there was a dog, right there at my feet in the store! This is not a common sight at Fred Meyer. The lady walking behind him said he couldn't take the heat in her car. I asked if the store allowed it and she said they would tolerate it for a few minutes. So, off goes this dog wandering the aisles, no leash. Hmmm. I think the heat makes people a little nuts - at least here on the OR coast.

So, now, we have the equivalent of a hotel room-like atmosphere in my own private bedroom. I get to freeze just like I do in Portland. Why is my side of the bed always nearest the air conditioner?

On the 4th of July, I usually do some kind of teaching of American history.  This seems like a good time to do this and it makes the time go by faster while the kids are waiting for the afternoon parade.  This year, Chad read the Declaration of Independence, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance and discussed the American flag as it grew and changed.  Then Chad asked if they could watch a video that I had purchased awhile back called, "A More Perfect Union", subtitled "America Becomes A Nation".  I had been waiting for the right time to let them see this so I said they could.

They were spellbound.  My boys hung on to every word and kept calling me in to watch, which I did in between food prep.  I enjoyed it, too.  It begins after the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Continental Congress meets, and the Constitution is created.  It ends with George Washington being sworn in as President.  James Madison is the main character and all the actors do a very good job, in my opinion.  Chad already knows quite a bit of American history (he reads alot) and could answer questions that Alec had during the film.  This film was made as an educational tool and makes you feel that this is how things could have transpired.  It's not Hollywood-abused, just good acting.  I like things like this.  Simple, straightforward.  It's made me want to read a book we got about James Madison for older children.  Chad pointed out historical sites in the film:  for example, they convene the Congress in the actual room that it happened in, including the chair George Washington sits in.  Chad showed me a picture in an encyclopedia.  Cool.

My boys have seen the film several times now and have continued their own learning.  Alec decided to write the Declaration of Independence in the same manner it was originally written.  We bought some double-sized construction paper and I had already purchased a quill pen with powdered ink.  We mixed up the ink and he set to writing out the document.  Good cursive practice!  He covered one entire page and 1/3 of another before he stopped and asked if he could continue on the computer - I guess his writing hand got tired!  I was really proud of his effort - and it looks pretty good for an 11 year old. 

Chad decided to recreate the Continental Congress using everyone's Beanie Babies (courtesy of Grandma) they've accumulated over the years.  The boys have spent several afternoons squabbling over fair representation, voting and adjourning when necessary.  Chad decided to rewrite the Constitution of Oregon, recording all the counties and their populations and deciding on fair representation.  They are having fun with all this - unbelievable! 

And now, Chad has been reading a lot (and I mean a lot) about Presidents and other government stuff, telling me way more than I want to know about politics.  But it's his learning style (narration, is that what's it's called?) and I listen as much as I can. 

It's just amazing, to me, that so much learning and fun has taken place, all because of one well-crafted history video.  God is good.  This video brings God into the picture because, after all, it was His will that our Nation became nation.  I don't normally rely on videos for much but this video has managed to spur my children on to learning more on their own than I ever could have inspired.  What joy it is to hear Alec ask his older brother a history question and Chad answers him.  As you know, learning is not often this easy for the kids or for me.  I am enjoying this and hope it last longer than most of their fads!

(If you are interested in this film, leave a comment and I'll give you all the info - there's nothing in this for me, just sharing what we've enjoyed!)

My sister sends me a yearly subscription to a national family/women's magazine which I could just as well live without but it does help me keep up with what's going on in the rest of America.  More often than not, it is not good news, at least to me.  Case in point ...

In one of the advice columns of the magazine, a woman writes that her 12 year old son is pleading with her to teach him at home.  The first thing she says is that he has friends in the neighborhood and is active in sports, so he won't have the issue of socialization (though she doesn't use that catch word specifically).  She doesn't know what to do and, in her words, wants to know what the advice columnist thinks. 

Now, the first thing that comes to my mind is, "Lady, YOU are the parent!  YOU need to decide what is best for your son, you and your family.  NOT some disinterested writer who may or may not be "qualified" to guide people as to how they should raise their kids.  This is not a decision that should be made outside of the family or perhaps other people who know and respect the family.  It's just sad to me to see this kind of thing.  She was directly asking this columnist if homeschooling her child was the right thing.  The columnist, of course, said that the mom should try to learn why her son wants to be homeschooled to see if she can help work things out so he can stay at school.  In addition, if the mom does decide to homeschool, the columnist said she'd need more info and gave a web site address for help.

It just seems to me that in this day and age, homeschooling should seem more mainstream, not bizarre or out of the ordinary or to be avoided if possible.  Perhaps I'm too sheltered.  Maybe I'm just overreacting here.  Maybe I should ask my sister to subscribe to a different magazine for my Christmas gift!

I suppose this mom had no one else to ask for an opinion.  I'm not critizing her.  It's just sad that she felt that writing to this columnist was the way to help in this decision.  Such an important decision, not to be taken lightly and not to be made by someone who is out of the picture.  I should pray for her, now there's an idea!

Something else I saw in this magazine:  They listed fun places to visit and one of the listings was Cape Meares in Netarts, Oregon, a place I have been to.  Unfortunately, they spelled Netarts "Netrats"  I had a good laugh over that one and shared it with my family.  I really can't let that one lie, can I?  Perhaps a letter to the editor, gently pointing out the error.  I don't think the fine people of Netarts would like their little town referred to as Net-rats!

I just noticed today's date - today would have been my father's birthday.  My son, Alec, asked to build one of my father's model airplanes yesterday (I have about 6) and I let him.  Though they never met, they share that common interest.  Isn't that cool?

On my blogspot blog, I recently wrote about coincidences that happen in my life and the next day, I happen to realize another one:  We watched the movie, "The Sound Of Music" a few days ago, a movie we haven't watched in quite some time.  Two days later, my mother-in-law showed us this video on youtube.  You may have already seen this but take a look, it's fun to watch.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

I start to cry everytime I watch this.  I love the look on the people's faces as they watch the dancers.  Surprise and joy combined.  Fun, fun, fun!

By the way, I just received a beautiful letter from my doctor.  It's a form letter which says that my mammogram and stress test were normal.  The day before, I got an equally beautiful form letter from my ob-gyn, saying that exam was normal.  Normal is good, when it comes to your health, don't you think?  Thank you, God.

Thanks for your prayers for my busy week, last week.  The mammogram went well even though the x-ray tech is a bit eccentric.  And you know, it was the SAME lady that did my last mammogram - back in 2004!  When I saw her, I couldn't believe it.  But the facility is nearly brand new and there was no one there, so there was no wait.  The exercise stress test went better than expected, except that I had to wait an hour before starting the test.  I was nervous and the waiting didn't help.  But I completed all three phases of the treadmill run without any problems, other than getting extremely thirsty.  I collapsed in a chair when it was over but when I recovered, I had this incredible high - mentally, I wanted to run 5 miles but my body wouldn't let me.  I guess it's what people call an exercise high after getting your heart pumping really hard.  I normally walk a lot but I don't get my heart rate up too often.  Now I can't wait to get my heart rate up again, though not quite so hard and not in such a short time frame.  So that was Wednesday.

Thursday, I went for my monthly orthodontia visit.  They took me right back to the private room - hooray!  Right there on my chart, there was a post-it, to remind them "Private room, please."  As I sat there, looking out at the bay, a pair of herons flew up out of the tall grasses.  It was all lovely.  They replaced my pink bands with a darker shade of pink and I was out of there.  And my teeth haven't hurt at all since then.  So that was Thursday.

Friday, I headed out earlier than expected (an amazing thing for this chronically-late woman) for Portland on my own for my yearly female check.  2 hours later, I arrived at the hospital/med center, 20 minutes before my appointment.  They are doing a lot of construction at this place and when I walked into the lobby of what I thought was the hospital, there was absolutely no one around.  No one!  It was surreal.  After reading the sign board and confirming that my doc was definitely somewhere in the building, two people walked by and helped me find my way.  Apparently, this part of the building isn't done yet, everything was on the other side.  Anyway, I found the office and only had to wait a few minutes.  My ob-gyn is a pleasant lady and really made my office visit go well, and quickly.  I was out of there in about 45 minutes and ready to head back home.  All was well until I was 1 hour into the drive, on the Washington side of the Columbia, when a major, major downpour blotted out all the other cars and big trucks on the highway.  Honestly, I couldn't see ahead of me, or behind me for that matter.  70 mph quickly slowed to 30 mph.  I didn't panic but, boy, was I glad to get off the highway to cross the bridge back over into Oregon (it's quicker to get to Portland this way).  By that time, the downpour was pretty much behind me.  I called Todd and asked if it had rained like that at home but it hadn't.  I have been told it's wetter on the WA side of the river.  I believe it.  So, that was Friday.  Praise the Lord, that week is done.

I hope your Father's Day was a good one at your house.  We had a simple Father's Day, as Todd spent most of the day sleeping for the start of his work week.  Tonight, my son, Chad, reminded me of our perfect heavenly Father.  Since my dad and stepdad are both gone, it's good to know my heavenly Dad will always be here with me.

I asked for prayer for a little girl named Charity several weeks ago and I'm so pleased to post that she is finally home!  I have prayed and prayed for this little girl and it's so awesome to see God answer all the prayers from so many.  She continues to need medical care at home but her family is able to do this, so they can still use prayers in that regard.  The main thing is that she is home and doing well.  If you prayed for her, thank you very much.

Now, I could use a prayer or two.  I am having a mammogram and a stress test this Wednesday, an orthodontia appointment on Thursday and my annual female exam on Friday.  Ugh.  I don't want to worry about these things, I just want to get through them and, of course, pass all tests with flying colors.  Since this will be a busy week, I need all the help I can get.

On a brighter note, my teeth continue to hurt but it's all good.  I don't know if I answered your question or not, Paula, about whether I had jewels in my braces or not.  No, I don't - didn't want to spend any more $$ than I needed to - but it would have looked cool!  If my teeth continue to move this fast for the next few months, I may be out of these things sooner than expected.  Which reminds me, I need to make my monthly payment!

Still can't really get into the writing groove.  Just mundane stuff.  Life's like that, sometimes.

You see those buck teeth over there ~> (look to your right) - you will NEVER see those teeth like that again!  In just a few weeks, my teeth have moved so much that they all line up in front!  It looks really strange to me as I've lived with big front teeth jutting down below the other front teeth for so long.  No wonder my mouth hurt so much.  Things were moving!  I have days when it feels like my top teeth are all loose.  A disturbing feeling to be sure but I am promised that this won't last.  As long as they don't all fall out, I'm o.k. with it.

We had one of those surprising, go with the flow days, the kind of days I love for homeschooling.  I had a doc appt this morning and when I returned, my oldest son had done nearly all his schoolwork, my middle son had done some of his and my daughter had just behaved herself, which was about all I could ask out of her (she's only 8).  She did study her spelling words without me and we did math, a lot of math actually, which she loves.  After finishing the work and lunch, I took the kids across the river (the Columbia) over into WA, to take some kids' clothes to an awesome consignment shop my friend owns over there in Chinook.  Chinook is right on the water so we drove around a bit and then went to an old military fort that was built to protect the mouth of the Columbia River.  I think it closed down after WWII but all the buildings have been restored and there were several concrete structures that my kids love to walk around and through.  The two big guns are still sitting there, surreal-like, in such a lovely place, with grass and trees, and the water sparkling in the sun.  I was wondering what it was like, being on duty watching the river for any enemy approaching.  I'll bet more than one solder fell asleep in the warm sun on top of one of those bunkers! 

On our way back over the 4-1/2 mile bridge that spans the Columbia, we spotted 3 Navy ships making their way toward Astoria.  One was an American destroyer and the other two were Canadian.  We hurried across the bridge and found a good viewing spot along the river back in Oregon.  My kids love military ships so this was pretty exciting.  Portland is having their annual Rose Festival and every year, at least one military ship comes down the river and docks in Portland for a few days.  We are so fortunate to live where we can see them come and go on the river.  But we would have missed them completely if we hadn't have gone over the bridge when we did.  God is so good to give us these opportunities.  I love it when things like this happen.  It just reaffirms to me that God cares about my kids, in big ways and small.

It got us home later than I had planned, however, so I had to hurry over another bridge (across the bay this time) over to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner.  Todd is working tonight so time was tight.  On my way across the bridge (we live around a lot of water), brakes slammed unexpectedly and I was fortunate to be able to stop in time.  I don't know what the deal was but we finally got going again and I went on to the store.  I wasn't there all that long and on my way back, the bridge was completely stopped.  This usually means the draw bridge is going up for a taller-than-usual fishing boat.  There were a lot of fishing boats on the water today so I thought nothing of it except that time was ticking by and I worried about getting dinner ready.  We finally creeped along to my side of the bridge and then I saw a tow truck hauling away a car with a smashed-in front.  It dawned on me that this accident probably happened not that far behind me when I was going to the store.  Once again, God spared me of harm.

One of the songs that comes to mind frequently is one I learned as a kid in Sunday choir.  "God cares for his people wherever they may be.  Come sing praises, sing praises ... joyfully."  Amen.

I wanted to share this video that deedeeuk has posted on her blog.  You've GOT to see it!  Shepherds with a good sense of humour and great sheep dogs herd their sheep into pictures, including some with lights at night.  We couldn't stop watching over and over.  It's really great!  Thanks deedee!

To see this fun video, click here - deedeeuk

I'm starting to wonder if I can get through a visit to the orthodontist without crying. 

I went in for my second visit last week, where they removed the vexing spacers and put in the band that anchors the space-age NASA-inspired wire.  The girl working on my teeth began with accidentally hitting my front teeth, sending a nice pain through my mouth.  Sigh.  After removing my pink bands, I was instructed to go brush my teeth.  I had difficulty opening the disposable toothbrush packet and then the bristles were hard as a rock.  The brush is pre-loaded with toothpaste (made in China, of course) and I couldn't figure out what to do - am I stupid?  (Yes, at that moment, I thought so).  No amount of water would soften the bristles.  A nice older teenage boy walked past me and, taking a toothbrush, he said, "It's o.k., I'll use the other sink."  I apologized (for taking so much time) but was thankful for his kindness.  I finally got my teeth brushed and sat back down.  Now, this is a communal room with a row of 5 or so dental chairs and regular chairs situated at the foot of each chair (for your support team).  After I sat down, a teenage girl sat down in one of the regular chairs at my feet.  She was holding a two-month old baby.  I asked if it was hers, she said yes, and I said to the baby, "Are you here to watch me get braces?"  She was close enough to me to shake hands, if I had asked.  Her sister sat down in the dental chair next to me.  Cosy, but I really didn't like this arrangement.  When my assistant finally got the Dr.'s attention, he came over to work on my teeth.  Just before he sat down, I looked to my left and saw a younger kid in another chair, staring at me.  The girls and the baby to my right were also staring at me.  I looked at the doc and said, "You know, I'm not used to having an audience.  I'm normally alone for these situations.  Could everyone just kind of turn around for a few minutes?"  Needless to say, I was feeling paranoid, stupid and old.  The doc put the band on (ouch!) and the assistant hanked the wire around my mouth (more ouch).  I gave in to my emotions and the tears came.  Just tears, no sobbing, thankfully.  I told her (when I could speak again) that I felt humilated and she said she was sorry and that I could have a private room from now on.  I'm glad to hear that.  I hate to be such a baby but, darn it, this is so hard for me!  I'm really trying to be a good sport about this (really, Todd, I'm trying) but I think that will take time.  Maybe next month I won't be such a basket case.  Hormones are also putting a huge drain on my emotions right now.

Oh, and to make my day even more interesting, while I was waiting for the orthodontist, this woman comes into the room with a toddler and a dog!  And she handed the dog to a girl sitting in a dental chair.  I looked at the assistant and asked if this was allowed.  She said, (not convincingly) "I guess."   I'm not a animal lover but I really don't understand anyone bringing an animal into a medical office of any kind.  It was a puppy the size of my hand but, still!  I just don't get it.  In my opinion, "Ick!"

Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Ah, but fate had another idea.  Just as I hopped into my Prius, I felt something like a spring hit me inside my mouth.  Sigh.  A pink band came loose.  I had to go back upstairs and ask for help.  They were already busy but I had no choice.  They fixed it and I left but I can't help thinking they were just as glad to see me leave as I was to leave them.  If you think about it, pray that my next visit will go better.  I don't want to be the patient everyone dreads to see.  And I don't want to dread going. 

My teeth still hurt but it gets better each day.  This will be worth it, I have to keep saying that to myself.    

Last Thursday, I officially joined the ranks (young and old) of brave souls who willingly allow a trained professional to glue metal brackets on your teeth that are guaranteed to inflict pain, usually when you least expect it. We even pay lots of money to let these people do this to us. And we curse them again and again, as we bite down on something as innocent as a toasted English muffin and wince in pain. The knowledge that you can't remove these darn things is somewhat akin to how The Man in The Iron Mask must have felt. At least that's my opinion. I'm at the end of Day 4 and still, it hurts. Advil has been my friend. I've even lost a pound because it just seemed easier not to eat, although today is better. At the table, my family shows sympathy whenever I wince, which is embarrassing to me but sweet of them. I have learned to eat nearly everything cut up in small bites, including sandwiches.

Last week, I told my mother (by phone) that I was getting braces. She was silent. Then she said, " I didn't think you could get braces when you are so old." Good ol' Mom.

When I walked into the orthodontist's office, all the workers (they are called "the girls", believe it or not) were standing there and they turned and stared at me. I stared back until I finally said, "Stop looking at me like that!" Todd told me later that they were all surprised that I kept my appointment, they figured I wouldn't show up. I guess I showed them. Apparently, I have a reputation in this office, as the orthodontist has been after me for a year to get braces. I've always given my excuses for not wanting them. He and my husband chat when Todd takes Chad in for his monthly adjustments. This was all Todd's idea, completely. I would not have dreamed of doing this, due to the expense and the inconvenience, not to mention the pain. I hate, hate, hate the "chair" - in ANY dental office. And now I am committed to "monthly" adjustments for 6-12 months - these people belong in a medieval torture chamber!!!

There ... now I've gotten my rant out of the way.

I really hate having my mouth propped open but that's what they have to do. I laid there for an hour, getting pumiced and glued. Wire inserted. Lovely shade of pink rubber bands wrapped around each brace. Todd came in and stood by the chair. Tears started to flow down my cheeks and into my ears (the chair was tilted into a near headstand position). As he looked down at me, I waited for Todd to say something comforting ... "You look like Wallace and Gromit*, you know, the way they smile?" Not what I expected. More tears. He held my hand and Chad came in, stood on the other side of me and held my other hand. That helped. The tech (or whatever her name or title is) finally removed the darn plastic mouth-prop thing and I felt my lips go over the braces for the first time. What did I feel? Panic! Oh, my gosh! This is me for many months to come! At least it's only the top row of teeth. Sigh.

 

Fortunately, the pain didn't begin right away. It hurt but I got through it. It's better now but there are times I still feel bummed. Everyone keeps saying how glad I'll be when it's done. I look forward to that time.

About the bonding with my son: Chad has been my support and my coach through this whole thing. I asked him a ton of questions before and after and he's been a doll. Very comforting. I love this kid. Now we have more in common than acne and the gift of gab.

*"Wallace and Gromit" is a British clay-mation series of short, silly movies - and not a complement to be compared to.

On May 8, 1963, a daughter was born to a family that already had 3 daughters.  By then, Dad had given up on ever having a son, though he never, ever complained about it.  It was close enough to Mother's Day that Mom always said their daughter was the best Mother's Day gift she could ever receive.  That daughter was me, of course.  Forever cursed to do the Birthday-Mother's Day dance.  How do you celebrate both holidays properly, especially when they land on the very same day?  Together?  Not fair.  Apart?  Too frivolous.  Add the mother-in-law in there and you've got more problems.  I now live too far to even see my own Mom on Mother's Day.  Sigh.  This year, I had seriously felt like skipping them both altogether.  Who cares, really?  But my sweet husband had other ideas.

He secretly planned a short holiday for our family at one of our favorite places to visit.  We were already scheduled to see our droll dermatologist in Portland and stay overnight, since it was so close to my birthday.  But Todd went and booked two nights in Leavenworth, WA, for the following days!  Imagine my surprise when I accidentally found this out by seeing an e-mail confirming our reservation!  I felt SO badly for that but I couldn't undo what had been done.  And I had to tell him I knew.  He was bummed but I tried to cheer him up by telling him he should have seen my face when I found out!  Anyway, he forgave me, I worked like mad to do a ton of laundry and we set off on a foggy, way-too-rainy Wednesday.

After our appointment, we went to the Oregon Zoo to see the baby elephant that was born 8 months ago.  He's grown, all right!  The zoo was basically empty as it had been raining and everyone else was at school (the joys of homeschooling!)  A quick dinner at Togo's and back to our usual Portland hotel for the night.  The kids usually have no trouble sleeping here as it's kind of like our home away from home but I guess they were excited about Leavenworth.  Todd and Carmen slept - the rest of us struggled.

Up for our hotel breakfast and then on to Leavenworth.  This town is set in what they call "The Enchantments", a valley surrounded by awesome mountains usually covered in snow.  The town redid itself in a Bavarian theme and the hotel we stay at is one of the best there.  It's definitely an infrequent treat.  It has a huge breakfast room with amazing views of the mountains and serves an excellent breakfast, which is one of my kids' favorite things about it.  I happen to love their oatmeal (I'm not hard to please).  I got to watch the sun rise and set over the hills from our room and the moon was full or nearly so and one night, Todd and I went out to the large deck to look at the moon together.  The moon gazing down on us over "The Enchantments" was very romantic.  But the door back in was locked.  Finding our way back into the hotel was fun - the place is big.  It's so nice that the kids are old enough to stay in the room by themselves for a bit.  Todd and I also went down and listened to the nightly piano music together.  Good to spend alone time with my husband.  When we first went into our hotel room, I saw that they had put out a bottle of sparkling cider with a card that said "Happy Birthday" with two wine glasses.  On my birthday, all five of us toasted to me.  My non-soda drinking kids didn't like the bubbles but that's just fine.  I hope they always stay non-soda drinking!  Todd and the kids also had cards for me to open.  We ate well for every meal, I didn't have to do dishes, it was a great time all around.  On my birthday, we ate at a restaurant called "Cafe Mozart".  It was so cool and our meals were excellent.  The background music was familiar to us (we like Mozart) and that night there was a harpist playing.  She took to our family immediately and my kids ended up sitting with her while she played.  I got a photo (for once) but only after I saw another lady take a picture and it dawned on me that I should do the same.  I'm clueless about photo ops.  We walked around the little shops, the kids swam and played racquetball, we golfed at the hotel's putting green.  I had a wonderful time and a terrific birthday.  Thanks, Todd!

After all this extravagance, I thought today would be rather quiet.  My husband came home from work this morning and about an hour later, I finally got up and ready for the day.  Walked into the kitchen and there was a dozen pink roses on the table with cards and donuts.  Todd was cooking eggs and bacon.  What a guy!  He really made me feel special this week.  I am so thankful for this husband of mine.  He went to bed (he's working tonight) and my kids did the dishes.  I read.  After lunch, I took a nap in my big chair and when I woke up, I read some more.  Without guilt.  It felt terrific.  In between, I finished unpacking our suitcases and did laundry.  But it was a great Mother's Day.  Oh, and my mother-in-law?  She's been in Turkey since last Tuesday.  I wonder what kind of day she had? 

I am looking into writing programs for my kids and possibly for myself to learn along with them.  The first one I've researched is the "One Year Adventure Novel" writing curriculum by Daniel Schwabauer.  I sent away for the free demo CD and watched it with my boys.  They seemed interested and I thought it might be a good program.  But the price has made me hesitate.  At nearly $200.00, I don't want to jump into this without careful consideration.  So, I thought I'd appeal to my blog friends and see if you've done any specific writing course, program or curriculum.  What has worked for you and what didn't?  Any opinions or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

I previously posted that the little girl, Charity, would be going home from the hospital.  God had a different plan.  She developed breathing problems and had emergency surgery, which was successful.  Please continue praying for her recovery.  Again, go here to read her parents' blog.  Thanks!