Last night

I WENT TO A GREAT CONCERT LAST NIGHT!   Ooh, sorry about the yelling…. my ears are still ringing.

A friend of ours blessed us with two tickets to the Skillet concert.  I would call them a Christian heavy metal band.  Maybe they aren’t considered heavy metal but when the heaviest stuff I listen to is Audio Adrenaline…. My hubby prefers the heavy stuff and was happy to discover Skillet.  He was excited to hear that they were coming in concert.  Unfortunately, he didn’t get to go to the concert with me.  Work has scheduled him in North Carolina for the next few days.  Fortunately for me, I have a friend that is a Skillet fan and she was more than willing to go with me.

The concert opened with The Letter Black, followed by Decyfer Down, then Hawk Nelson (or Hottie Nelson as John Cooper of Skillet calls him).  I really enjoyed Hawk Nelson.  The lead singer, John Dunn, is so funny.  And he looks like he’s all of 12 years old.  After the concert the hubby and I tracked down their website and got a kick out of their video clips.  I will have to pick up one or two of their CD’s in the near future.

Around 9:30 Skillet finally took the stage.  We were on the side, 4th row so we had a great view of the band.   Jen Ledger, the drummer, did an awesome drum solo that completely put to shame my efforts of drumming on Rock Band.  John also has a great sense of humor and is a great rocker.  He cracked me up with his intro to their ‘power ballad’.  In true rocker fashion, his voice was getting scratchier and scratchier as the concert continued.  I may have lost count but I believe they did 13 songs – #13 being Monster (great song).  Their encore brought on 3 more songs.  The last song of the night was the only one I was familiar with but I couldn’t tell you the name of it.   

From someone who doesn’t consider herself a heavy rocker…. I give this concert two thumbs up!  For all you rockin’ Phoenicians… The Awake & Alive tour will be in the Celebrity Theater Oct. 22nd.  Be sure to do proper neck stretches before the concert so you don’t strain your neck while head banging!

Wait for it…

I am painting my kitchen cabinets.  There are two banks of cabinets and I’ve tackled one set.  I still need to put one more coat of paint on them and paint the doors.  But even unfinished they’re lookin’ good.  I can’t wait to finish up and put the new hardware on. 

And if you give a mouse a cookie he’s going to ask for a glass of milk…

After the painting is done we’ll need to get new countertops.  One countertop is a butcherblock looking laminate.  The other one is a black speckled marble laminate.  Time for matching tops!! 

And when you give him the milk he’ll probably ask for a straw…

The second bank of cabinets is too long and blocks the 2nd backdoor.  Plus those cabinets are really sink bases and they don’t have real drawers – just fake drawer fronts.  So really…. we need to get a new set of cabinets.

When he’s finished he’ll ask for a napkin.

Since the new cabinets will actually fit in the allotted space we’ll be able to attach them properly.  Which would mean that they would block the only outlet.  Luckily my hubby knows how to move stuff like that.  It will be great to have an outlet that we can actually reach.

Then he will want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milk mustache.

Did I mention that our upper cabinets don’t reach to the ceiling?  There’s an ugly gap that tends to collect clutter.  The plan is to build a 2nd row of cabinets on the tippy top and trim it off with crown moulding. 

When he looks into the mirror he will probably notice that his hair needs a trim.  So he will probably ask for a pair of scissors.

And when we put up the crown moulding we really should finish up the ceiling.  My hubby has been busy patching the leaks and scraping off the stained texture.  We have a fabulous roll of wallpaper to put up.  It’s made to look like an old tin ceiling. 

When he’s finished giving himself a trim, he’ll want a broom to sweep up.

Once the ceiling is looking so pretty we’ll need to address the hole where the kitchen light used to be.  Yes.  Half of our kitchen is in the dark.  While patching the leaks in the attic my hubby got a good look at the wiring running to the kitchen light.  Scary.  So he disconnected it.  He’ll need to run new wiring and then put up a pretty new light to match the new cabinets, countertops and ceiling.

When he’s done he’ll probably want to take a nap.

Once there’s light in the kitchen again we’ll notice that the floor is horrendous.  The great dane puppies had decided that the laminate flooring was tasty and decided to chew a huge hole in the middle of the floor.  (don’t ask how)  Not having the resources at the time we used some laminate tiles to cover the hole (which grew – and was patched, and grew – and was patched a third time). 

Phew.  After all of that we are going to take a nap!!

I am blessed

I have a roof over my head.
I have a job.
I have three (generally) healthy children.
I married my best friend.
He has a job too.
I have an awesome boss.
I have friends that know me – and love me anyway.
I get to teach my children at home.  Or at a friend’s house.  Or at the coffee shop.
I have two (and a half) cars.  And no car loans.
I work with amazing people.
I see children smile on a daily basis.
I have a king size bed.

But even if all of these things disappeared….
I am still blessed.
I have a Savior.

I must be 5 years old

I was talking to my girlfriend this morning about our 5 year olds.  They’re both in the ‘bathroom humor’ stage.  Anything having to do with potty humor or their rear ends in hilarious.  Beans loves her butt.  There’s no other way to put it.  She loves to shake it, make it bounce, wiggle it – and oh my – the noises it can make!

I have a very hard time ignoring her when she’s doing one of her butt shaking dances.  I can’t help but laugh at her joy.  And really, what’s wrong with that?  As parents we delight when our children discover their toes for the first time.  Or when our babies find their belly buttons.  Heaven forbid they find joy in their bums.  Now I know that it’s important to teach her when and where it’s okay to shake it and that no one should touch her private parts and by no means should she be mooning anyone.  But if her bottom makes her laugh…. then that’s okay with me.

You’ll have to excuse me now.  A great song just came on and I’m going to go join my daughter in shaking it!

I see the signs

We are so close to my favorite season.  It’s starting to get chilly and it’s most definitely ‘jeans weather’.  A few of the trees down my favorite street have patches of color popping up.  They look so beautiful with their full green branches and then you’re surprised with a swatch of red. 

Today my hubby had the morning off from work so after my Bible study we loaded up the kids and drove to the Apple Barn.  Beans had a field trip there last year.  The preschoolers listened to the owner describe all the different types of apples and the history of the farm.  They also sampled apple cider and picked their own apple from the tree.  There is also a cute little country shop on their property that features apple butter, bags of apples and country stars and other country decorations.  I wasn’t sure of their hours but it’s a pretty drive through the small town of Troutville so we thought ‘Why not?’  The open sign was lit!  They’ve changed things since last year.  The store is more empty and they no longer do school field trips.  You’re still welcome to pick your own apples or buy a peck of pre-picked apples. 

One of the many blessings of living here is the bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits available at various markets, stands and orchards.  We bought some Golden Delicious apples.  The taste is amazing.  Nothing like store bought apples.  I don’t know why we continue to buy produce from the store.  It is so much better when it’s fresh.  I suppose it’s the convenience of picking it up while we’re at the store instead of driving downtown.  Oh the horror of driving 10 minutes to the marketplace!  I’m going to try to be better at picking up fresh produce for my family.  For now, I’ll just enjoy our apples…

Always on a Friday

You know that my pediatrician’s office is closed on Fridays and through the weekend, right?  You know what that means…..  The Boy woke up coughing. 

Curse you MRSA and closed ped’s office and 4 hour waits in the urgent care!

My son the ham

Now that we’re homeschooling the kids have had to get used to a whole new schedule and  I’ve had to get used to having three tag-a-longs everywhere I go.  The biggest adjustment for them has been Wednesdays.  I have a weekly staff meeting that’s anywhere from an hour to two hours long.  I’m not the only homeschooling parent on staff so there are two other boys at the church as well.  Although we haven’t attempted to join the two groups yet…  Generally my kids have free reign in the preschool wing.  There’s a t.v. and vcr, blocks, puzzles and a multitude of toddler toys.  Sometimes the kids attempt to do their schoolwork but most Wednesday mornings it’s just play time.  When I’m finished with the meeting and any office work I need to do I head to the preschool wing and pick up the kids.  They’re pretty in tune with the time and usually have the things they’ve played with put away.  Occassionally I’m surprised….

Like today….

I could hear the kids playing “Ducky Wucky” as I opened the door… Chickie had her back to the door and The Boy was standing in front of her.  When Chickie heard me open the door she stepped to the side which allowed me to see The Boy….  There he stood… with an apron tied around his waist and another apron tied around his neck… and two balls the size of grapefruits tucked under the top apron.  He looked a little like Dolly Parton…  He flushed bright red and quickly discarded his, um, top.  If I hadn’t interrupted I’m sure he would’ve won that round of “Ducky Wucky”.

MRSA update

We started The Boy on his Bactrim meds – just like before.  About an hour later he started complaining that his upper body was itchy.  I didn’t see a rash but thought that maybe the tag on his shirt was irritating him.  I cut off the tag and rubbed him down with some Gold Bond lotion.  Maybe 30 minutes later he was back… still itchy.  In a brilliant flash it dawned on me that maybe this was a reaction to his meds.  I gave him some Benedryl and sent him back to bed.  He’s always been a good boy at bedtime and with the added Benedryl he passed right out.

Around 1:30 a.m. I was startled awake… “DADDY! DADDY!”  The Boy was in the bathroom tossing his cookies – and from the sound of it he had them stored deep down in his toes.  This is the one area of parenthood that I cannot handle.  The sight, sound or smell will cause my own stomach to roll.  I am beyond grateful that my hubby has no problem dealing with the sickies.  At 3:30 I once again heard the sound that caused me to curl into a ball and cover my head with my pillow.  My hubby once again got up to help… he reported back that The Boy was losing it at both ends and rather violently.  I got out of bed long enough to spray half a can of air freshner before diving back into my bed.  I laid there in tears feeling helpless to do anything to make it all better.  That’s what mommies are supposed to do – make it all better.  Even if I could stomach the “event” there was nothing I could do to make him better.  He was miserable.

After four hours at urgent care the next day we were told to stop the Bactrim (duh!) and stick with Neosporin 3x a day.  Really?  That’s all?  You couldn’t tell us that over the phone or at check-in or in triage?  We spent four hours hiding in the hallway hoping to avoid the crush of flu germs in the waiting room… and you tell us to stick with the Neosporin.  Good thing my laser eyes only work on misbehaving children!

The Boy is crazy

Our plan for today was going to go something like this:
Wake up
Finish up our school unit
Meet up with friends and possibly go to the Greek Festival

However.  God had another plan for us today.  It went something like this:
Wake up
Call the doctor’s office only to discover that they are closed until Monday
Call the nurse’s line
Wait in urgent care
Wait some more
Keep on waiting
Wait
Leave
Hit up the pharmacy
Wait some more

Last month The Boy was diagnosed with MRSA.  He was given a 10 day dose of meds that cleared things up just fine.  Last night The Boy found another small boil.  This morning it was bigger and I wasn’t taking any chances.  It wasn’t what I had planned for today but in a way it was an unexpected blessing.  My son and I got some good one-on-one time while we were waiting for the doctor to come back to our tiny little curtained bed.  Let me tell you… that boy is crazy.  He finished the coloring book they gave him.  He played I-Spy.  He practiced jumping up onto the hospital bed.  Several times.  He pulled the hospital gown up over his head.  He sent text messages to his dad in the waiting room.  He thumb wrestled.  He spied under the curtain.  And then.  Then the armpit farting began.  He’d squeeze off a few good loud ones and then snicker quietly as he heard the abrupt silence from the other curtained beds. 

So thanks.  Thanks for slowing me down today to spend some time with my Boy.

Homeschool update

We’ve been homeschooling for a month now.  We’re finding our groove – what works, what doesn’t…. how to do things, when to do them and where.

In general, school starts around 9:30.  We’re all awake and more or less functioning by that time.  The location varies depending on the day’s plan but usually it’s the basement or the kitchen table.  The first thing we do is review the Bible lesson from the night before – or if the Hubby didn’t complete the lesson we’ll wrap that up.  Every day involves creative writing of some sort and math.  Every other day we’ll do science or social studies.  The kids continue to work on their memory verses, spelling/vocab words and any test material throughout the week. 

We mix in a lot of projects because the kids learn better with hands on activities.  The volcano project is probably their favorite so far.  While that was fun I think my favorite activity was the lesson on watching what you say.  All three kids listen in on each other’s lessons.  Sometimes I under estimate Beans - I tend to think that things go right over her head, but she frequently surprises me.  We started the lesson on watching what you say with verses from the Bible.  Then we moved into discussing scenarios.  Finally, I gave each child a small handful of glitter and had them blow it out into the grass.  I asked Beans to compare the glitter to her words and she said, “You can say things that hurt people’s feelings.  You can’t take your words back.”  Wow.  Even just now, as I’m blogging she’s sitting next to me playing with her counting bears.  She arranged them into pairs according to their color.  She told me, “They’re trying to find out if they speak the same language.  Like Chinese or Spanish.”  (We used the story of the tower of Babel to discuss the different languages and how they couldn’t understand each other).  She absorbs so much more than I realize. 

Chickie is soaking in the homeschooling too.  For her it’s much more relational.  She loves to be with her family.  I rarely give her a physical paper and pen test because she verbally recounts what’s she learned.  It’s fun to watch her enjoying schoolwork.  That’s not to say it’s always fun…. She has her pre-teen moments.  But more often that not, it’s a joy.

The Boy enjoys the freedom that homeschooling allows.  It’s torture for him to sit still for any length of time.  He wants to move, move, move.  When the wiggles set in I can send him outside with his basketball and his spelling list or his bucket of cars and his math problems.   

Chickie also has some extra curricular activities.  She earns art lessons from a friend by being a mother’s helper.  I swapped some babysitting to get her started in French lessons as well.  I love that not only is she getting the extra lessons and experience helping but she’s also getting great mentors! 

It’s not flowers and rainbows all of the time.  That’s okay though.  It’s amazing how much more patient I am when I don’t have to wake up at 6:00am!! LoL!  The bottom line is that Hubby and I are so much more at peace knowing what our kids are learning and that they’re in a loving environment that encourages them to each learn in their own way.