My son had his 14th birthday, last Wednesday, the 14th!  Hoping to give him a memorable birthday, we took him to Colonial Williamsburg for Prelude to Victory where there were lots of Continental Soldiers, artillery, and horses.  Then Lafayette gave him some words of commendation which made him feel special. What could get better than that?  Well, nothing, right? For birthdays we traditionally take the day off from schoolwork to play games and go out to dinner.  We planned on a quiet, simple, laid back day, after a weekend full of excitement.  Something happened Tuesday to change all that!

     Late Tuesday afternoon I got an e-mail from one of the producers of the Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip!  She said she had been reading my blog about how my kids enjoy the EFT and do various activities with them.  She was wondering if we could help them out with something.  This year they were going to do something new, sort of like a virtual show and tell, using Skype and webcams.  They had a school lined up for each of the broadcasts, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. However, the school slated for the morning slot had to cancel. Could my kids fill in?   Can you imagine our surprise?  I will give the details for our experience in my next blog entry about the EFT.

     Instead of a laidback birthday, we were incredibly busy!  Since my son had his braces tightened the day before, he had an exceedingly sore mouth.  I asked my son what he'd like for breakfast and he wanted a poached egg. This breakfast developed into Eggs Benedict with my son helping me cook!

     Then the producer called to give me some information and arrange a time for rehearsal, at 2pm. I ran out to fax a release form for the kids to go on air with CW.  Then I went to the grocery store for soft food for my son's lunch and confectioner's sugar for the cake. When I got back home, he helped me make the Texas Sheet Cake, which we think is the best fudgy chocolate cake in the world!  We even played a few games inbetween all the activity.  In between all this, my kids rehearsed their skit for the EFT. 

    Finally 2pm arrived and CW called us on Skype for rehearsal. We had a glitch that we eventually figured out and the kids got to do their parts. They had a blast!  It was a lot of fun to see and hear a lot of stuff behind the scenes.  When my husband came home from work, that is all they could talk  about. Here's a picture taken after rehearsal, with them acting as if they were rehearsing. I didn't want to distract them or have the flash ruin the quality of the picture during the rehearsal.

      We played a game and then left for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We've not been able to find a terrific Mexican restaurant in Virginia, but the one we ate at for his birthday is pretty good. My husband told them it was my son's birthday.  After we ate dinner, the wait staff came out with a plate of sopapillas and a sombrero, which they put on his head while they sang. Then they left him wearing it while he ate his dessert! We were laughing!  As much as we do costumes, we've never worn a sombrero despite all the years we've lived in San Antonio, Texas. It took moving to Virginia to finally wear a sombrero. My son decided it was a bit cumbersome.  I was bemoaning the camera I left at home, so my husband took a picture of my son with his camera phone.  Then he tried e-mailing it to me, which we never do to save money.  Oops! It ended up in my cell phone.  What was I supposed to do with it there? He's the techie of the family.  However I sat there and figured out how to e-mail it to my computer so I could put it in my blog.   Now I'm wondering how much this picture cost us!

     On the way home, the kids rehearsed their skit for the EFT.  I thought they did pretty good, practicing without any lines in front of them.  Once we got home, my son opened his gifts. One is a colonial type of baseball game from CW we had purchased at the auction, which guarantees a sale price. My son pulled the parts out and there was no ball. I told my son when we go back to CW, I'll buy him a ball for it.  He also finally got his colonial compass, which he's been designing an engraving for.   Then we had cake and ice cream.  The ice cream wasn't too bad. We really miss Blue Bell Ice Cream from Texas.

    All in all, my son had a most memorable birthday.  He was hoping to do something unique for his birthday. Never did we imagine he'd be spending it rehearsing to go on the air with CW EFT.  Stay tuned for how that went!

     I'm on-line again!  No internet for nearly a week has surprisingly made me bonkers!  I had no way of mapquesting or googling to figure out how to get around in my new area.  Saturday my daughter got in the car with me to do our grocery shopping at one of the bases.  She asked if I knew how to get from our house to there.  Um, no.  I had to run back inside to get directions from my husband.   

    Today the cable guy never showed up.   I was devasted.  Where is the library?  Where is a bridal shop so I can get some hoop skirts for our next unit celebration?  Where is...I decided to call a friend who lives  nearby.  (By the way, the cable guy showed up after I got off the phone with her.) She drove over and we finally officially met!  She was teasing me about how she and her daughters knew me by my screen name.  We met through our history curriculum.  In fact, most of my friends up here I've met through my history curriculum!  Additionally, it was written just an hour north of me!  Anyway, she drove me around to help me get my bearings, I got to meet her daughters, she got to meet my kids who had to show them all their costumes and props from our unit celebrations. 

     Most of the boxes are unpacked.  I managed to sprain my ankle.  Thankfully it is okay as long as I am careful with how I move it.  I started painting the basement today.  Too tired to upload pictures.  But I am painting over the salmon taupe and covering it with a sunny yellow called Belgian Waffle.  Tomorrow I'll try to add pictures to this entry.  I know some of you want to see! ;)  I've never lived in a house with a basement.  After looking at tons of homes in Virginia, all of which had basements, I found  one I can actually live with.  Large picture windows and a walk out.  But I was still depressed.  The yellow helps!  However I don't think I'll spend a ton of time down there. 

     When the movers were here, my son told them he wanted his room painted. They asked what color it was.  He said pink salmon.  They laughed and agreed it had to be repainted!

     Actually I am now sitting in a swirly purple bedroom in the basement so I can use the computer.  This will be my husband's office and for some reason he does not want to keep the purple.  =) He has decided he has to have a desk.  I have decided  that I prefer to move around with the laptop.  Right now I am getting a neck ache from sitting at the desktop. So I think we are switching computers and reconfiguring the physical features of the "schoolroom".  We left our brand new wall unit/file cabinet/desk behind, which my husband had just built.  After all, what were the odds that it would fit in another house?  Also, it did help to sell our house quickly.  Turns out that it would have fit in the basement here.  I've tried not to think about that.  We left behind our tv unit that my husband built since that was permament and also helped to sell the house.  So we have boxes of books, files, dvds, cds, vhs, that need homes.  I purged a lot when we left the last house.  Two months on the road has helped me to think outside the box some more.  I might be able to let go of a few more things.  We only have five years left of homeschooling and I still dream of moving to Williamsburg.  If we ever get to move there, I'd like it to be a lighter move.

     Already we are making piles of things we don't need.  I was just telling my husband the other day that I knew there was a basket in one of the garage boxes that used to be next to the fireplace to hold the firewood.  Then the light bulb clicked in my head.  We have a gas fireplace!  I don't need a container for wood.  Then I said something about the fireplace tools and my husband said we didn't need those anymore either.  I thought a minute and the light bulb turned up another notch!  We are continually getting used to a whole new way of doing things.

     In the meantime, I've been horribly homesick.  Despite growing up in the USAF and marrying an USAF guy, my roots were deep in the heart of Texas.  Transplanting has not been easy.  I unpacked the scales the other day and saw I have lost 20 pounds!  Part of that is nerves, part is lack of Mexican food!  There is Mexican food here, but it's not the same as back home.  The best Mexican food is in San Antonio!

     One thing I am enjoying is the view from the windows.  When I sit at the dining room window, I look out onto lots of tall trees.  I watch the squirrels bound through the trees from branch to branch, landing with a bountiful sway each time.  It causes me to lose my breath because they are in the tops of the tallest tree....50 feet high I would guess!  Our squirrels in Texas would be shaking in their cowboy boots if they saw that!  My Texas calls the trees in Texas shrubs.  They are not as tall as the trees here.  I also enjoy the colorful array of birds:  robins, cardinals, bluejays...  In San Antonio a rare cardinal or finch may be seen, perhaps a robin, but rarely anything else that is colorful.

     My friend looked at the plants in my garden by the front door and identified my plants for me.  I have a peony!  I love those!  I have only ever seen them in upstate New York one June and fell in love with them.  They don't grow in Texas.  I also have a hydrangea!!!!!   I planted 3 of them last year and they did fine until we went on vacation.  They shriveled up in the heat and drought while we were gone.  

     Bit by bit the pieces are coming together.      

     Keys can hold a great deal of significance. The Bastille key meant tyranny to the prisoners. When Lafayette stormed the Bastille, he sent the key to his adoptive father, George Washington, as a symbol of liberty. Washington placed it in the main hall of his house for all to see.  If we were to meet Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, she might discuss her busy life of overseeing Monticello, signified by the keys to the house which she carried with her.

     For the last two months, we yielded the keys to the house we sold in Texas.  Then we drove to Virginia and began a search for a new set of keys, or more importantly, for the house that they would open.  These were not easy to obtain as I thought.  It got to the point where we'd put an offer on a house and I'd ask the agent, "Where are they? I know they are out there.  They are just waiting for us to make an offer so they can pounce and offer cash!"  That's how we lost the Gunston Hall Dr. house.  Today we finally closed on a house and we have keys!

      There have been a few funny events through this process.  Yesterday we were driving to the house for the first time on our own and we got confused.  My husband turned on a little road so we could turn around.  It was called Cemetary Road. My son piped up and said, "That's where everyone ended up, looking for this road we can't find!"  

     As we went through closing today, the agent mentioned that I am a Colonial Williamsburg fan. That caused the lady handling the papers to talk about Colonial Williamsburg's wonderful program on PBS last week.  Did I know about that?  I am normally a very quiet person, but start me on Colonial Williamsburg, and I guess I get chatty!  ;)  I told her all about how disappointed we were when we thought we missed the bulk of the program, then how delighted we were when we found out we got to see something extra special. My husband said, "Laurie, look at that stack of papers we have to sign."  I said, "Well, Laura (our agent) started me on it!"  Laura is great and was laughing and laughing. The title lady thought it was funny too.

     Afterwards, we drove to our new house with a present from Laura.  Here it is in my new kitchen. She told us that everything in the basket is something from Virginia.  She wasn't kidding.  We found one item from Colonial Williamsburg!  

    I also put the picture our friends in Texas gave to us before we left. It's on the landing, for now anyway.

     That's all I have to decorate our house for now.  We drove back to the hotel.  Tomorrow I'll move us out of the hotel and buy supplies.  Our household goods should arrive on Wednesday, in the rain. Hmmmmm....   

     I'll be off-line until a connection is established at the house. 

    I've been asked if there is history in the street name.  Yes, and in the surrounding areas!   However, it's difficult to figure it out, no matter how many clues I give. I don't think anyone will ever guess.  It has something to do with...Patrick Henry!  Also, as we first drove through the neighborhood, my husband noted how it reminded him of a 21st century Duke of Gloucester Street (in Colonial Williamsburg). There is even a view of haha walls across the street!  But none of those details help with the Patick Henry clue! I guess you could say that our keys unlocked the same area of history. ;) 

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."  -John Wayne

     I saw that plastered on a billboard the other day.  It was exactly how I have been feeling about putting our house on the market and making the move to Virginia.  I have felt that we have had to make decisions in the dark, not quite certain which way to go.  We have considered the option of all of us going up together and getting a short term furnished rental.  The prices boggle my mind more than the house prices up there.  Then we have considered the option of the kids and I staying here to sell the house while my husband went up on his own.  Then we've considered renting a house, hopefully month to month, to get things out of storage and move on in life.  Then when our house sold, to start looking around to buy. 

     While debating the options, we plugged along with the things we knew needed to be done.  And that was getting this house in tip top shape to impress a buyer.  We felt that it was already a pretty nice house, but we endeavored to make it shine as much as possible.  

     One item that concerned me was the huge pile of garden prunings and other large items.  How to dispose of them?  My husband called the city and he was told to take them to the dump.  He called a friend who brought his  truck and helped haul everything out.  We were blessed that it was a free dump day!  I don't even want to know how much it could have cost us.

     Sunday in church we sang a lot of songs about faith that helped to encourage us.  They were like a balm on all the uncertainties in life.  While coming home I saw the John Wayne quote on a billboard and I thought of how it was like faith.  Although faith can be affected by feelings, it shouldn't be run by feelings.  Despite my feelings, I was determined to push on in faith.  However I've had to pray a lot to God to help me overcome my lack of belief that He would provide for us. 

     Monday the house was officially posted on the web listing service. Our agent said that we had done all we could.  Now we needed to look heavenward for the rest.

     Tuesday, there were a few showings! In the meantime, I discovered we have something in common with San Antonio Spurs point guard, Tony Parker.  He came here  from France and joined the Spurs a few years ago when he was 19.  The local media has always played up his French heritage in an interesting and fun way.  Well, he put his home on the market the same time we did!  Although it is valued at over one million dollars, the economy is causing him to sell his house at under $900,000.  That made me laugh and actually feel better, even though I'm sure there will be a price war on his house! 

     While getting dinner ready that evening, the agent called and started to relay the events on his end...but wait a minute...he had another call and had to go. He'd call back. What????  Just leave us hanging???  I felt like "House Hunters" on HGTV.  My husband calls the host of that show "Miss Wiggle."  I could just hear "Miss Wiggle" now..."Did they get an offer for their asking price?  Stay tuned..."

     Well the short of it is, the house has generated interest by more than one family and we have accepted an offer!  Now we have the usual inspection, etc, etc, etc, until closing day.   Time to climb back in the saddle and mosey on down the trail in faith.    

     My husband got the job at the Pentagon!  They want him to arrive the first week of March to house hunt and then start work March 16!   We have been through a roller coaster of emotions the last year.  At least I have.  It's quite a story how all this came about.  In the meantime, I've given this a lot of thought and talked to lots of people.  I've learned that people fall into two groups...either they warn all from ever entering DC or they think it's a great opportunity!  Honestly, I understand both sides of the scenario.

     The summer after we got married, we went to Alexandria to visit his sister who managed the restaurant on top of the Kennedy Center.  She taught me a lot of tricks for navigating DC!  That was the trip I first went to Colonial Williamsburg and it was more than I ever dreamed it could be.  Although my husband had wanted to live in Virginia, after that trip we couldn't see how it could ever be possible.  And living in DC...you've got to be kidding!  It's a jungle out there!  LOL  

     Fast forward to April 2008.  My husband went TDY to Maryland, just outside of DC.  "Horrors," I thought!  "He'll make friends and want to live there."  I've spent enough time in the DC area to know that it is a nice place to visit but I'd never want to live there.  My husband had recently put in his papers to retire from the USAF and I could see the writing on the wall.  I e-mailed my friend from Maryland and cried on her shoulder.  She kept reassuring me that God does provide even in and around DC.  I told her the good things about living there would be the friends (like her), the scenery, the seasons, and the historical sites.  But I was well indoctrinated by my parents that the only place to live is Texas.  

     Shortly after that, I ordered curriculum for my kids and I saw my life flash before my eyes.  My daughter was going to be in high school!  gasp  It won't be long before there's an empty nest.  What was I going to do with myself when they left home?  My emotions were getting increasingly heavy.

     Then we took our vacation to Virginia in August.  Our first three days were spent in Colonial Williamsburg (too short).  As I sat under a shade tree while my kids painted at the Geddy House, my husband struck up conversation with the man who worked at the foundry.  It was so relaxing, calm, peaceful, I could live there.  Why not?  Why not move to Williamsburg?  Perhaps I could get a job there, using my teaching skills and engaging with the guests in some way.  What a way to combine my love for teaching and my interest in the American Revolution at the place where "history lives"!  How thrilling!  My son wants to attend Patrick Henry College in Northern Virginia.  That was only a hop, skip and a jump from CW.  I told my family and they laughed about one of my dreams.

     Well, I was consumed with the idea so when we got back to Texas, I teased them about all the nifty events going on at Colonial Williamsburg.  In November, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were at Kimball Theater with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  Wouldn't that have been too cool?  My husband is a major Theodore Roosevelt fan.  Bit by bit, I reeled my family in and they were hooked on the possibility of living in Williamsburg.

     My husband started sending out resumes in October and did some interviews.  He had done quite a bit of networking around here and we were pretty certain that several jobs here were in the bag.  In the meantime, we thought he could start a job here, then when something opens up in Williamsburg, move there.  In the meantime, the economy crashed and doors were closing.  As I prayed that he'd get a job, this little part of me dared to pray a dream...could he get a job in Williamsburg so we could move to Virginia?

     We started cutting back on our budget to put money in savings for that rainy day that was certain to come.  Christmas we kept simple.  We were all a bit down, instead of festive, to be quite honest.  Then a week before Christmas he was talking to the VP of the company he had been TDY with back in April.  There was a job right up his alley at the Pentagon!  That set the ball in motion.  My husband called me and asked if the Pentagon was close enough to Virginia for me.  I laughed and said of course it was!  I started e-mailing all my friends and I had a wealth of support, emotional and prayer wise, to help us figure out all the aspects of this. 

     We decided we'd rather live away from the DC area and are considering Manassas.  Of course that could change once we get there.  But we like the idea of getting more for our money outside of the DC area.  And I like the idea of being that much closer to Colonial Williamsburg!  We decided being away from the big city was more our style. After all we are coming from the big skies of Texas.  The commute would be a pain, but worth it.  After all, even here he had a 45+ minute commute one way to work every day.  Despite the commute, we'll probably see as much of him as we ever have, because he had a long commute here and often put in overtime.  Living outside of DC will help with the expense and I am rather frugal.  

     Years of Air Force life has taught us how to make the most of where we are at and to focus on the positives.  The positives remain the same as last year: friends, scenery, seasons, historical sites, Colonial Williamsburg!  After spending most of my life in Texas, I am thrilled with the opportunity to experience new things!   

     We have never had enough time to see everything on previous trips to Virginia.  We are excited about all the opportunities.  We will be studying the Civil War about the time we arrive in Virginia.  It's interesting that we recently had our last unit celebration here in Texas, about the Alamo.  Our first unit celebration in Virginia, will be about the Civil War.  The last unit celebration was poignant for my parents. They won't get to come to the next one.  It will be different for us too.  My husband will probably be the only audience and that's not quite the same as a few more people.  Nevertheless we'll make the most of it and make it special, as always. 

     Our long term goal continues to be to find jobs and a home in Williamsburg.  In the meantime, we'll get lots of use from our season passes!  Of course, we'll make the most of the DC area while we are there!  What an educational opportunity! 

     It will be difficult to leave the memories, friends and family behind.   Already as I drive around, I think, "this could be the last time...make the most of it."  I feel a flutter of fear wrapped up in excitement as I try to get this house ready to sell and then to begin a new life in Virginia. 

     With great sorrow, we had to have our cat put to sleep last Monday.  We had adopted her from an animal shelter and from the best we could tell, she was entering her twentieth year.  She had been my constant companion; the children called her "Mom's Shadow".  She was extremely well behaved.  She was good with the kids, although she loved to terrorize them when they were smaller.  I wish I had more pictures of the really funny stuff.  Like the time I woke up and found yarn strung throughout the house.  She acted perfectly innocent, but I knew better!  She loved to play fetch.  Slipper especially enjoyed interrupting our school day.  Sometimes she had an uncanny knack for joining our unit celebrations as a historical kitty right on cue!  A year ago she started her first person (I mean kitty) historical interpretation of Theodore Roosevelt.  To the very end, she was capable of warming our hearts and putting smiles on our faces.  Making the decision to put her to sleep was especially difficult because she continued to have a strong spirit, even though her body finally wore out.  The children kept asking how that could be possible.  I said it was love. 

     Anyone who has lost a pet, especially with children in the house, can imagine how the day went.  My husband felt like the bad guy for taking her to the vet.  My daughter let the tears flow.  My son was full of questions.  Lots of questions.  Difficult questions. Of course I've been weepy too. 

     When my husband came home from the vet, we gathered on the couch and talked about...well...I don't know what.  My husband recalled the kids squeezing the stuffing out of the cat, like Peter Rabbit that we used to read to the kids.  I had to think about that a moment then I realized what he meant. He was actually thinking of The Velveteen Rabbit, one of my favorite children's books.  We no longer have the book, since it eventually fell apart.  I told the family what I recalled of the story.  The Velveteen Rabbit was a stuffed animal.  In the nursery, the Velveteen Rabbit asked the rocking horse how a toy becomes real.  "Oh a toy is real when all of it's fur is rubbed off like mine.  The boy has made me real." "Ahhh," thought the rabbit, as he looked upon the worn old horse.  The Velveteen Rabbit hoped that one day he too would become real.  The boy played with the rabbit every day.  One day, the rabbit realized much of his fur had been worn off.  Oh, he was delighted.  Now he was real.  Then for a period of time, he did not get to play with the boy.  He found out that the boy was very sick and actually near death, so none of the toys were being played with.  One day, the nurse got the rabbit and laid him in bed with the sick boy.  Oh how hot the boy was.  Raging hot. But the rabbit did not care.  He loved the boy and hoped that by being near him he could comfort the boy in his illness.  One day the fever broke and the boy was getting better.  At that time, the doctor told the nurse that she had to burn all of the bedding and everything that was in the bed, to kill the dangerously contagious germs.  Into the burn pile the Velveteen Rabbit was tossed.  As the fire was being lit, a fairy came down and rescued the rabbit.  She set him down on the lawn and told him to try out his new legs, for now he was real because of the boy's love for him. At that moment tears and cries of sorrow broke out from my family.  While we dab our tears, perhaps you'd like to share some of the happy memories we have of Slipper kitty. 

     Last Friday was the big day, the retirement ceremony for my husband from the USAF.  This was emotionally difficult for me.  How could we celebrate when we had an uncertain future?  Some of my friends had known how this has weighed heavy on my heart.  That morning I found numerous e-mails encouraging me to enjoy the day.  Their kind words helped me to focus on the celebration on the 24 years of my husband's service to our country.  Thank you sweet friends!

     One of those friends got to attend the ceremony!  I met her a couple of years ago on-line, through our Tapestry of Grace yahoo group.  Since then she and her family moved into the area and our families have had wonderful times together!  Several times before the ceremony she called me to encourage me and lighten my heart! To make the day extra special, her husband, the lieutenant colonel, officiated at the ceremony.  We were incredible blessed to have them and their 7 children join us.  I know my children were especially glad to have their friends there, as was I! I love being with her kids.  We can talk and talk and talk. We spent a lot of time dreaming of the possibilities of doing things together on the East Coast. They will be moving east and my husband is currently interviewing for a job in Virginia! (This has been the only nibble of a job and we would be ecstatic if it goes through!  They are currently negotiating salaries, except the guy who does this is now off for a week!  Oh the wait is torturous!) During the reception, her little boy came to me and took my hand and asked me if he could play with my brother (my son).  Their presence, along with many other friends from the military and from church and family, made the day special.

     I thought it was extremely clever that the Lt. Col. used his cell phone as a visual aid to open the ceremony with a scenario of a typical day at the office and then to represent my husband's career in telecommunications.  For most of his 24 years, he has worked on the computer end of telecommunications.  In recent years, he has been in the forefront of an emerging field, that of support in network defense. 

     The shadow box my husband received (and built) is a reminder of his 24 years of service.  We all know how the military moves around quite a bit, right?  Well he grew up in upstate New York then joined the USAF after getting a degree in building construction.  Here are his base assignments since joining the USAF:

1-Lackland AFB (San Antonio, Texas) for basic training

2-Sheppard AFB (Wichita Falls, Texas) for tech school

3-Korea

4-Kelly AFB (San Antonio, Texas)

5-Sheppard AFB (Wichita Falls, Texas) more tech school

6-Kelly AFB (San Antonio, Texas) we met and got married

7-Sheppard AFB (Wichita Falls, Texas) to teach at the tech school; our children were born during this time

8-Korea

9-Randolph AFB (San Antonio, Texas)

     When he first came to Texas, he was not pleased.  He said it was flat.  He said that we didn't have any trees, only lots of bushes.  We didn't have snow, nor autumn, nor spring, only heat.  At least he couldn't find the tumbleweed he saw in all the movies.  No, he was never a fan of Texas.  Finally, by the time our oldest was born, he was resigned to his lot in life and became a Texas resident! In fact, I found a bumper sticker that I got for one of his Christmas stockings one year. It read, "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could!"  He loved it, although it is no longer on the van.  When my mom found out about it, she said she almost bought that for him, but knowing how much he did not like Texas, she didn't dare.  He now has lots of positive things to say about Texas.  There are some hills.  In fact, we do have mountains in the West that are taller than any in the East! (Now there's a GeoBee statistic for you!)  We get snow once in a while.  He likes the tall trees I picked out for our yard, whereas his trees just don't grow!  lol  He knows now where to find Piney Woods, spring and autumn in this big state.  Also he got a wife, two children and a cat here, so what is he going to do?  He finally broke down and bought a cowboy hat!  And he likes country music the best!   Therefore, representing these years of service, are the American flag and Texan flag in his shadow box.  The flags were flown over the respective capitols.     

     My husband wanted to give a little history on the folded American flag, which is triangular shaped.  He read that the triangle represents the tricorn hats of our first American soldiers during the American Revolution.  I was impressed that he found a way to connect to my favorite historical era for the retirement ceremony!  =)  However, he wanted to know WHY and HOW the triangle came to represent the tricorn hat, so he asked me to do a little research so he could use it in his speech. 

     After much investigating, I found some debate on this.  I try to be careful with the veracity of my sources, especially when I research on-line, however I could not find anything definitive.  I couldn't even find any information on this at the Colonial Williamsburg web site, which is always the place I go to first.  Apparently, there is a reason for that.  After reading through several accounts, the folding of the flag did not originate with the purpose for anything patriotic.  Some accounts say that flag folding began before the American Revolution.  Others said that after the Spanish American War, someone decided to make an official fold unique for the American flag, to set it apart from the usual method of folding a sheet or blanket in a square.  The triangle happened to be a compact, neat  and unique means of accomplishing the objective.  Later, apparently a chaplain at the USAF Academy, assigned patriotic meaning to what is done with the flag.  Hence came the 13 folds into the triangle to represent the 13 colonies.  The triangle shape represents the tricorn hat.  

I can't believe my son is officially a teenager!  We have been through so much together, namely doctor appointments.  I had a complicated pregnancy and was ultimately air evacked 350 miles to a major military hospital where he was born 6 weeks early at 4 pounds 13 ounces.  He was in the NICU for 3 weeks while learning to breathe...because sometimes he'd forget.   

 Over the years, the doctors have kept a close eye on him medically for a host of concerns. I don't remember them all but off the top of my head some are cystic hygromas, brain bleeds, failure to thrive, feeding issues, developmental delays, reactive airway disease, scoliosis and constantly being checked for Marfan's Syndrome.  I used to be on the phone with the pediatrician on a weekly basis, but the thrilling news is that all of these issues have been overcome!  Honestly, our knees have gotten worn out from much prayer, yet our faith has grown through the process.  He has 2 surgeries down and a third one is looming in the near future for pectus excavatum.  It looks like a caved in chest that will only get worse with puberty, eventually squishing his lungs and heart.  In the next few years, he will need surgery to correct this, which has an excellent prognosis.  However, he is wearied from all the medical treatment.  I told him that when the time comes, he will want the surgery because he'll be in pain.  Thankfully, he is now more open minded about the surgery.  

Through it all, it's taken a while for him to grow.  The doctor ordered a bone x-ray that determined that his bones think he is 6 months younger than he really is.  Here he is, a month and a half old and he still didn't fit into newborn clothes...

Eventually, he started crawling. Watch out world!   I've been chasing him ever since!  He always wants to get hands-on with everything.  Here he is helping his Dad screw the doors onto the cabinet...

We celebrated his first birthday a week early.  He didn't eat much food and his weight had dropped off of the growth chart. We were headed 350 miles to a major military hospital for testing.  As a result of this visit, he (and his sister) was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Disorder.

This is not a kid to turn your back on!

Despite the constant poking and prodding by the doctors, he has always had a positive outlook on life. He was always running...

Did I mention he always had to get involved?  I'd put him to bed and then try to have story time with his big sister.  She never got one on one time with me because he couldn't stand being left out.  He loved story time!

Either he was always ready to jump into the middle of things...

or he was always running away...

Fortunately, Texas sized "sand pits" slowed him down for a while...

He loved riding horses for Sensory Integration Therapy...

We rarely kept him on the Sensory Integration equipment for long.  This is a rare picture...

He always enjoyed loving on Luke, the therapy dog...

He enjoyed going for hikes...

This is one of many silly pictures.  He always thought the Mr. Potato Head glasses looked better on him.  Actually, he was never one to use toys for what they were intended, like the time I found his tinker toy container in the middle of the wagon in the back yard.  Inside the tinker toy container were the tinker toys...and dirt and grass and leaves and water! Horrified I asked him what was going on.  Seriously he told me, "But Mom, my train needed steam!" (I never got a picture of that.)   

I had his crib taken down and we were waiting for a new bed.  Actually he was waiting, and waiting, and waiting...

First history costumes for school!  I think we were destined to do this! (He's holding his Wishbone, "a little dog with a big imagination."  They loved the tv show about Wishbone encouraging kids to read the Classics!)   

Here he is reading to big sister.  Shhh.  Don't interrupt.  

Enjoying the River Walk immensely one moment...

and bored out of their gourd the next...

Who?  Him in trouble with the law?  Never!  Actually, a lady here had him turn around so she could check his back.  She wanted to know if he had one of those wind up things.  He is a steady chatter box and she wondered if I wound him up every day! I have no idea where he gets the "gift of the gab".

We were visiting the San Antonio Missions and I was excited that they let me work the loom.  Ahem.  Have I mentioned yet that he likes to get in the middle of things????? I nicknamed him "Stealth" because when he was little I would suddenly became aware that he was sitting on my lap and I had no idea how long he had been there.  He was so light and little, he just sort of snuck in.

Here he is helping John Meusebach negotiate the peace treaty with the Comanches for Fredericksburg.  (BTW, this peace treaty is still in effect today!) 

Here we are at a living history farm near the LBJ Ranch.  The good news is that he successfully got the turkey eggs.  The bad news is that when he took them into the house, he tripped over the sill, landed on the floor and the eggs went splat!  He was so upset about that, but I am sure this has happened to many a child in the past.  However, one of his goals in life has been to go back and conquer the turkey eggs! 

Continental soldier at Yorktown in 2004...

At Rocky Mountain National Park at over 12,000'...

In Colorado he dreamed of catching his first fish.  He persevered every night while I cooked dinner at the cabin.  Everything went wrong...he talked the owner into giving him a reduced price for one fish instead of 3, the fishing pole broke, his fly didn't work so he needed to buy bait with his dwindling money, his line constantly got tangled and broke...Finally the night before we left, he caught his first fish, a rainbow trout!

Last year at Rocky Mountain National Park we went horseback riding.  My son couldn't wait to get a fast horse and gallop across the snow capped peaks into the sunset.  However, they gave him a plunky horse that usually stopped in the middle of the path. My son got so frustrated, kicking his heels into the horse to nudge him along.  A few times the guide had to help him out.  (I was the one who got the fast horse! lol)   

Over the years, the medical specialists have also kept a close eye on his intellectual growth, since he's had so many inhibiting medical issues.  At one point, he was seeing a physical therapist, speech therapist and occupational therapist.  He was like his sister in that he always refused to do treatment with the therapists. So the time became OJT for me to learn how to do therapy at home with the kids at teachable moments.  By age three though, the therapists strongly suggested I put them into special education classes at the local public school.  I put my foot down.  I had taught for 6 years in public school in an excellent school district.  Nevertheless, I knew those kids got stuck in the cracks and never advanced to their potential.  I started to consider to homeschool them.  I knew I could at least do as well as the special education teachers, and with the Lord's help, perhaps even more.  My philosophy of education is to help a child reach the highest stars.  I had no idea how high those stars were for my kids, but I was determined to let them have that opportunity.  I was elated when the pediatrician one day asked me if I was going to homeschool my kids!  I took that support and ran with it! After six years of teaching public school, teaching my own son has been an adventure.  I never know what question he will ask next.  He keeps me on my toes and I am always trying to stay one step ahead of him.  Between this and the way medical professionals used to worry about him, I get a great big smile when he amazes people. 

When my brother came to visit with souvenirs and pictures from his recent vacation to England and France, he was stunned when my then 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter told him everything they knew, which was mostly what he had planned on telling them himself!    

When my son was 5, he had quite an intelligent conversation with a USAF general about the 2000 election. The general was impressed!

On most vacations, tour guides are amazed.  Then my husband and I had the most wonderful time seeing the Marquis de Lafayette's reaction to my son's question about the Hundred Years' War a few months ago. 

Last week we met a Christian author at our church and my son went to talk to him afterwards.  I enjoyed standing nearby to see the reactions.  My son had a question and also gave the speaker words of encouragement.  The author afterwards told my husband and me that we had a sharp son.  =) 

I am grateful that I have the opportunity to homeschool my son, so that he can reach his unique potential, instead of being severely limited.  That is one thing I like about our unit celebrations.  I allow the kids to pick their favorite historic or literary character, or to create their own character from the era we have studied in the 9 week unit.  Then we creatively plan how they can present that individual to our guests.  He loves his art projects that he gets to show off.  Also, he loves to make noise!  

He's been an Ancient Egyptian blowing on the shofar he made...

He's been a Phoenician trader of purple dye which is made from the murex shell.  I think he did try to blow the murex shell he made.

 He's been a Greek hoplite and managed to incorporate noise (he made his own costume)...

He was the Apostle  Paul who gave the speech on Mars Hill and found effective moments to get loudly emphatic...

He's been Robin Hood, who acted as the herald for our Medieval Feast.  (He made the boots and loved blowing that horn!)...

He's been a Musketeer, yelling out all the fencing commands. (He made the sword.)... 

He's been Squanto (he made the bear claw necklace)...

 Although he portrayed a boy who lived near Yorktown and helped supply the soldiers with ammunition, he also played his fife and made a lot of noise with his Patrick Henry speech!

We are now a couple of weeks away from our next unit celebration.  My son purchased a noisy souvenir at Colonial Williamsburg that is his inspiration for his next character who lived during our current historical study, 1800-1825.  He and I have done a great deal of research on this character, trying to get the details of the costume just right.  We've even referenced some pictures we took while in Colonial Williamsburg. Here are the parts of his costume that I have so far. Any guesses as to who he'll be? 

I have a friend who has told me all about her kitty, named Mr. President. Can you imagine waking up in the morning, looking at the cat and saying, "Good morning, Mr. President?"  LOL  I told my husband about it and he can just imagine every time the kitty goes by, someone starts humming  "Hail to the Chief."  I must honestly say that I've been jealous that I don't have a "Mr. President."  LOL

Well that may have changed.  One of our favorite movies is "Arsenic and Old Lace" with Cary Grant.  One of the many funny things in the movie is Cary Grant's uncle, who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt.  Every time he goes upstairs, he has to run up and yell "Ch-ar-ge!", because he thinks it is San Juan Hill. 

So, what does this have to do with a presidential kitty?  Well Slipper has a new method of climbing the stairs.  She now ch-ar-ges up the stairs crying, "M-e-o-w" at the top of her lungs! 

Our own Theodora Roosevelt!  My husband's reply when I told him?  "Deee-lighted!"

...DD came into our lives!  To celebrate the day, she wanted to go to SeaWorld.  The weather was gorgeous, with sunny blue skies. However, the wind was nippy, so we saught the indoors to stay warm.  First stop was one of her favorite places, the Coral Reef.

We braved the nippy winds to go to the horse corral for the Anheiser Busch horses.  I could not bring myself to take pictures of them.  They looked so sad, being cooped up in the stables instead of enjoying the gorgeous weather in the pastures. 

After lunch, indoors, we stood in a windbreak and the dc fed the koi, surrounded by alligators and turtles.

Then we went to the Penguin Encounter.

We finally braved an outdoor show.  We shivered through one of our favorite shows, Seamore and Clyde and the Cannery Row Caper.

After the show, we went to the back of the stage in the windbreak.  In warmth, we enjoyed the otters and sea lions.  At one pond, we saw some of the trainers feeding some retired otters.  This is the 17 year old otter, once star to the previous show, "Fools with Tools."  We used to yell, "Otter, otter, otter!" during the show.  The poor fellow now has arthritis, but he did stand for us a couple of times.

Then we went to feed the Lorikeets.  I'm not yet adept at feeding these fun birds while taking pictures.  But I got a couple.

Then dd wanted to go to the playground.  This is the mother of all playgrounds!

Finally, it was time to go home and get ready for the tea party.  

Then time for presents.  We gave her a digital camera!  She's been using a 35mm.  The last time she turned in rolls of film to be developed, she put in 4 rolls from our Colorado vacation last Aug.  They were delivered to the wrong place; now they can't find them. They sent her more rolls of film and coupons, and when the manager sees us she always comes over to talk to us.  Now dd won't have to worry about 35 mm rolls of film anymore.

Being that my husband has Irish heritage and an Irish last name, he likes to do up St. Patrick's Day to some extent.  Usually that means a typical Irish dinner.  The culinary return to his roots seems to make all the difference to a tough day at work.  

Irish Soda Bread

Corned Beef

As early as last Friday dh came home with dessert to get a head start on St. Patrick's Day.  We were almost out by tonight, so I asked him to pick up some more on the way home.  The Irish Soda Bread is pretty good, and the corned beef is tasty, whereas the veggies are sort of plain.  My husband says we taste things differently.  But we all agree that Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Blue Bell of course) is delicious. 

Then we watch a movie with something Irish in it. This had been difficult for years, trying to figure out which of our movies had something in it that would do.  Last year I purchased, "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  We watched it last Friday on our family movie night.  DD commented on how lush and green the scenery was.  All of us enjoy the movie and I'm sure it will be continue to be part of our seasonal viewing entertainment.

Right now I am absolutely wiped out from getting things done.  Busy week.  I am going to settle down in a bit.  We may all have to hunker down tonight.  Severe weather is in the area; a tornado warning already passed through the NW of us.

This week, I decided to surprise my husband with the singing birds I used in our recent Medieval Feast.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/teacupsinthegarden/429732/

My husband has been enamored by these birds ever since we first heard them chirp and twitter while shopping at one of our favorite charming towns. 

He had ideas about using them in the Christmas tree or elsewhere in the house.  I looked forward to surprising him with my idea.  

I bought a grapevine wreath.  I stuck in lots of autumn florals I found in storage.  I reused a fancy bow from our chair from the feast.  Then I threaded floral wire around the birds feet and threaded them through the wreath.  See the birds?

I watched dh come to the front door, then get a grin on his face.  These birds are light and motion activated.  When dh walked up to the door, they started chirping.  He walked in the house saying he loves to come home!  I plan to change the wreath out by seasons and keep reusing the birds!