What I'm Reading (A Day Late)

I did read a book this weekend, but... meh... it was just okay.  I find that to be the case with the free Nook books every now and then.  I figure I didn't spend any money, so it is fine if I didn't like the book.  In any case, I'm more excited about the poems my students started yesterday in class and I found myself sneaking some in my bag to read at home. 

I like to be a sneaky teacher when it comes to getting my students to write as most say they hate it.  For example, the big writing piece they will be starting tomorrow is a personal narrative that is seven paragraphs and possibly longer.  They have no idea that the poems they wrote this week or that the characterization work they did last week were actually in preparation for their papers.  Their poems and assignments from last week are their drafts and prewrites for the paper.  Sneaky, eh?

Anywho, as I am reading the poems, I've been attempting to pick my favorites.  How is it possible that almost all of them are my favorites?!  It is true though.  We talked about voice and characterization so much that they literally talk through their poems.  As a teacher, nothing makes me happier to know they are getting what is being taught.  So proud...  just wish I could share some of what they wrote!
     

What I'm Reading Wednesday

Some people blog about what they wore or ate on certain days, but that's not really my thing.  I decided I'd try to write about the book I'm reading as there is usually at least one new one per week.  I'm a book-a-holic, what can I say.  I love my Nook so much and B&N should so pay me to do a commercial for them.  I usually download a ton of their freebies for what I call "Brainless Reads."  Those are the books you don't have to think very hard to figure out.  They also have a nice selection of books that come first in a series, so that is a bonus as I'm always interested in finding new favorite authors.   

Since I do read so much, I'm very selective about what I will spend my book money on.  Recently, I decided to read A Stolen Life: A Memoir.  This is the account of Jaycee Dugard.  She was abducted on her way to school when she was a mere eleven years old and wasn't freed until she was 28.  I remember hearing about her when I was in high school, and I'm sure it was on Channel One since that was the only news I watched back then.  Her story intrigued me, and I decided it was one I would happily pay to read.  She endured so much at the hands of her abductors.  It was a difficult read in that she isn't a trained writer by any means.  However, I think the fact she actually wrote it instead of employing a ghost writer speaks volumes.  It is truely her voice you hear when you read the memoir.  I also appreciated her including actually entries from the journal she kept.  They lent credibility to the rest of her story.

What I didn't like was the number of unanswered questions I had after finishing the book.  My curiosity is one of my strongest characteristics, and this book definetly piqued it!  My biggest question for Ms. Dugard is "Why didn't you try to escape- especially when a parole officer came to the home and you actually interacted with him at one point?"  I can only imagine the amount of brainwashing she was subjected to over the course of her confinement, but I guess I just can't imagine letting the chance of freedom slide by without at least trying to get help when it was right in front of me.

All in all, I'm glad I read it.  My heart broke every time she detailed her sexual abuse and living conditions.  I'm also glad she was able to finally be reunited with her family, and I know without a doubt her mom's heart started to heal the moment she heard her voice.  She cannot get the years back that they lost, but at least they have the future.      

Windows

Being the parent of an ADHD kid is really hard

especially when some people make you feel like you're insane-

that look at you like you must be a nutcase when you say
"something is not right with my child,"

a child they only see for a few hours at a time
so they know them better,

a child they never see lose it completely
so you must be exaggerating about how bad things are,

or that question your parenting when you have to enforce rules that they don't understand

or don't comprehend that they were made for a reason
or don't get that routine and bedtime are sacred words at our house for a reason
and sugar and such are given in limited quantities
because they open the gateway to tantrums-
like making them meltdowns on speed-
that are more severe for that ADHD kid
and create a funk it is difficult for him to shake
and that funk can last for days.
Imagine days of lacking impulse control and being wound so tight you might burst
and sometimes you do burst
and it involves sobbing and screaming for hours on end
and you just can't make it stop.
That's what a sugar high does for our ADHD child.
We know the cost of a sugar overload one night means at least 24 hours of hell at home. 

No parent wants to drug their child for ADHD,

but nothing we've tried has worked long term.
We're tried sticker charts, rewards, punishments, you name it.
Nothing curbs the hyperactivity and increases the impluse control like he needs it.

We tried Intuniv, which did nothing,

then Concerta, which made his face swell up twice its normal size,

then Vyvanse which gave him migraines and diarrea,

and finally Focalin XR that worked like a charm for school,

but turned him into an emotional mess at home-

complete with fits of anger, crying, and yelling-

turning him into a child we didn't recognize.

We tried therapy and that was a fail,
and then it got so bad we took him off his meds in the middle of May.

Summer wasn't so bad-

we could actually keep our windows open

and not have to worry about the neighbors hearing him yell and scream

over things things like his brother looking at one of his toys

or he didn't like what we were having for dinner. 

He even tried new foods for the first time in forever.

It was nice to not have to walk on pins and needles for the first time in 18 months.

And then came the start of the school year and the return of rocket math.

He struggled to focus and after multiple tests could only finish half the questions

even after practicing, practicing, practicing.

Five times and he didn't progress.

The little voice said, "Maybe we should restart his meds."

And so we did. 

And he almost passed the next test. 

He was two shy of the twenty eight he needed.   

We made the right choice for him academically,

but at what cost to us and our family?

Tonight we had macaroni and cheese for dinner-

macaroni and cheese that looked different so he wouldn't try it

and it brought on a meltdown

complete with yelling so loud we had to close the windows.

Again.

Like before.

And now we have to call the doctor again
and hope the doctor will finally prescribe the right med,

the one that will work for our child,

that won't turn him into a person we don't recognize.

Gavin reading!

Our little bug brought home a booklet today that he put together in class. His teacher said he had to read it twice and I'm guessing he read it closer to twenty times. Between me, David, Owen, Alfie (the real dog), Squirt (the cat that now thinks she is a dog), the stuffed animal Alfie, and all of his other stuffed animals we all got to hear it. He even took it to Grandma Juillerat's to read to her.  He is so proud of himself and has two equally proud parents.   

This video is him reading it with a special guest appearance by Alfie.

First Day of School

Today was a big day for our little guy.  Gav is officially an Eastwood Wildcat kindergartner.  Both boys bounced out of bed and were very excited for their first day.  While it makes me sad I can't take them on their first day of school, I am happy David can.  There are so many things moms get to do and it is nice he has this one thing to do with the boys that is all his.  (Okay, it also saves me from crying like a baby, who am I kidding?!)

Last night was Gav's Ice Cream Social and he was able to meet his teacher and classmates.  She had them go through various procedures so they would know what to expect today.  That definitely helped Gav a lot.  He was so worried about the things like where to put his bag, etc. and the practice helped alleviate many of his fears.  We also found Owen's locker and Gav got to show it to Owen today.  Talk about making him feel important!

David said both boys did a great job getting ready and to their classes.  Gav and David dropped Owen off first, then headed to Gav's class.  David was expecting Gav to be a little more reluctant about him leaving.  I think he may have been disappointed because Gav was fine!  The boy that sits next to him lives a few houses away and introduced himself.  Gav said he told the girl next to him that she'd be ok after her mom left and she cried.  He's our compassionate kid for sure!  I guess they also watched a video on bullying and he recapped it word for word.  We had a nice conversation about bullying and it put a lot of his fears to rest.  Owen was bullied in kindergartner and Gav was so worried he would be as well.  Tomorrow will be another first for Gav: riding the school bus. 

Owen's teacher is actually someone I've known since high school.  She's pretty amazing and O is so excited to have her.  We are so blessed he's had all wonderful teachers and that he loves learning.  Today he told me he was so glad to be back at school so he could learn more and earn college scholarships.  Talk about a kid that makes his momma proud!

I will say it was very odd to actually drive to work solo today.  I've been driving the Mommy Taxi to drop a kid off for almost eight years!  It was so quiet in the car with no little voices chattering away. 

They were so excited about their new LL Bean backpacks
with their names and matching lunch bags. 

Our second grader!

Gav outside school

Gav getting his bell work started

Second Camping Experience Part 2: Having Some Fun

After the drama of getting our tent site, we were ready for some playtime with the boys and went to explore.  Of course, they needed a picture in the Yogi cutout and in his basket. 



I was really bummed David wouldn't climb in.  He is such a party pooper sometimes. 

We then headed tot he playground.  This is the only almost nonblurry picture I have of the boys.  I'm still learning how to use my new camera, sigh.  Anywho, Owen loved going on the zipline like thing from one side of the playset to the other.  If he stopped at any point, David would pretend he was going to tickle him and O would wiggle and scoot himself the rest of the way across.  His giggles are the best. 
 

After playing for a a bit, we decided to go back to the site and hang out.  While we did that, Owen worked on a new page in his Writer's Notebook.  His first grade teacher Mrs. Warnock would be so proud that he's continued writing all summer long!  He wrote four stories while we were gone.  (Love that kid!) Gav thinks his big brother is the best author ever.   

Next up: Mini Golf with the Two Cheaters.

Second Camping Experience Part 1: Don't Feed the Skunks

You'll note one the the badges on my blog basically says don't make me mad, or I'll blog about you.  Too bad the guy I'm going to write about today didn't know that.  Actually, even if he did know, I bet he wouldn't have cared.   

We had our second family comping experience last weekend at the Jellystone in Portage, Indiana.  We loaded the Mommy Mobile up with all our supplies and arrived at 2:00 their time, as they are an hour behind us.  (Which is really stupid if you ask me.  We're in the same state!)   We got all checked in and followed the map to our site.  This is what greeted us:



At this point, I texted my sister in law and said maybe I'm not a camping kind of person afterall and was about to cry.   Apparently, the previous site tenant figured the check out time wasn't really a set time, and he could just stay until he wanted to leave.  Around the site, there were at least four dozen empty beer cans, a ton of trash (as you can see), a tent, food remnants, some fishing poles, and some bait.  A few minutes later, the tenant rolled up in his car (spray painted black) and was sporting what looked like a very fresh black eye and he and his friends were all slurring their words.  Needless to say, I was glad we'd called the main office prior to their arrival and they sent an employee out to supervise the clean up efforts. 

While cleaning up the tenant kept saying that he'd paid good money for him and 13 of his friends to camp in this tent:

Now, that I'd have paid money to see.  I had a tent like that in high school, and it was cramped with just two people and their sleeping bags in it!  I can't imagine how you'd fit 14 people, especially since the tenant and his friends weren't small men, but whatever.

His last parting words were that he'd fed a skunk a package of hot dogs the night before and that kept it occupied.  Um, obviously, the guy with "handie man" spelled wrong in spray paint on his car didn't realize you aren't supposed to feed wildlife if you want them to stay away.  Clearly, he was absent that day in Boy Scouts or they just didn't cover it as well as we did in Girl Scouts.  As he left, the camp employee sighed and said, "Don't feed any animals," just to be sure we knew it was a bad idea or couldn't read the camp rules that said exactly that.

The people on the site next to us didn't speak any English, but I'm pretty sure their looks said "Thank goodness you people came, because we couldn't deal with Handie Man and his friends another night."  What mattered most was that the boys were still excited about camping.  We managed to get our tent set up in record time and then went off to explore.  More on that later!
 

The boys outside our tent- that probably could fit 14!



Dreams

I love listening to the boys chatter about what they think the future holds for them. Today, they had quite the conversation in the back of the Mom Mobile. These are their plans.


1. They will both get married to pretty girls after they finish college.

2. Gavin will have three kids and they will be boys. He’s going to name them TRex, Mickey, and Gavin.

3. Owen will also have three kids and there will be two boys and one girl. He’s going to name them Owen Christopher Junior, Gavin Russell, and Elizabeth.

4. They will live in identical houses, only Gav’s will be green and Owen’s will be red. And yes, they will be next door neighbors.

5. They will both work at Disney World, but Gav will also be a stay at home dad and change all the babies diapers. (Yes, he said that!)

6. On days when Gav rides his bike to work, he will let Owen drive his Lamborghini as long as he doesn’t drive it too fast or crash it.

7. Because they have so many children, they are going to take the Wii and DSs with them when they move out so the kids have something to do. I asked how they planned to share the Wii and they are going to have a game room that connects their houses.

8. I also get to retire and live in Orlando. I get to babysit so they can go on romantic dates with their wives to drink wine, “because all moms like wine.”

9. Because David likes snow, he gets to stay at our house in Indiana and visit whenever he wants.  He also has to teach them how to beat all the Wii games so their kids think they are cool.

Cat Toys

Princess Lilly Squirt Stine is our very spoiled cat.  She was born March 23rd to Gavin's preschool teacher's cat.  Mrs. Williams mentioned her cat was in the family way and Gav was relentless asking if we could have one.  I'm a cat person, but David definitely is NOT.  I told Gav he had to convince his dad.  Suffice to say, Gav worked his magic and we brought Squirt home when she was eight weeks old. 

Squirt's a sweet little grey tiger kitty and I'm fairly certain she is equal parts cat, goat, and dog.  She listens as well as most cats (not at all).  She will eat dog food and dog bones if Alfie will share.  She will also chew through plastic, cardboard, and paper if she thinks there is a treat on the other side just like a goat.  She will eat lettuce, cake, and even mac and cheese (I'm guessing goats will eat these things; I know dogs will).  

Squirt is also not lacking in the toy department.  She has mice galore, even more balls and feathers to play with, plus two climbing things she prances around, over, and under.  She even has her own blanket and bed (something I would have liked after a certain seven year old invaded our bed during last night's storm).  I think she's living the good life, but apparently, she feels she needs more toys.

Squirt is pretty smart and figured out how to open my bathroom drawers.  She likes to climb through the bottom one and hide behind it in the cabinet to sleep.  I guess if I had two little boys always trying to pick me up when I'm sleeping, I might hide out as well.  Anyhow, she decided this week she just wasn't content with her toys, so she decided to find her own...  in the form of a tampon.  Yep, I kept them in the drawer she liked to hide behind.  (Notice the use of past tense.  They have a new home, thank you very much!)  And no, she wasn't content just batting them around the bathroom in their wrappers.  She figured out, with her goat like skills, how to unwrap them and then started hiding them in places like her bed or behind the toilet for me to find them.  LOVELY!

Being the smart owner I am, I moved the box.  Being the smarter cat, she had a secret stash hidden away and was just waiting to one up me.  How do I know?  Thursday, I heard a knock on the kitchen door.  There stood a delivery man with a much amused look on his face.  The dog and cat lounged in front of the door like they were going to attack at any minute, so I thought he was amused by them.  I opened the door and grabbed the package, just as he said, "Nice mice."  At that point I looked down and instantly turned red.  Yep, Squirt had decided to share her tampon toys with the dog and they each had one hanging out of their mouths.  Can you say horrified?!?  I don't think I will open the door for another delivery man again!

Krispy Kreme

We had to drop our cat off today to be declawed at the vet in Granger.  We use Morris Animal Hopsital - they rock!  When we went in for our presurgery appointment last week, the boys were quite traumatized, because they learned how they take animals' temps.  That sent the whole appointment spiraling out of control with lots of questions and such about why exactly the vet had to do THAT to their cat.  It was fun. NOT.  (For the record the vet was not helpful at all when I was trying to change the topic.  I think she enjoyed watching me squirm.  Oh, well.  I still like her because she is nice to my four legged babies and they love her even though she does THAT to them.) 

Anyhow, I decided yesterday to subconciously bribe the boys with Krispy Kreme.  The deal was if they were good after dropping Squirt off, we'd get doughnuts.  My idea was that the distraction of the doughnuts to come would distract them from discussing last week's appointment.  Why?  Because every time I mentioned the appointment, the vet, the cat's nails, you name it, they asked about taking the cat's temp and you can guess where that conversation went.  Thankfully, the distraction of yummy doughnut goodness did work!  They were little angels and enjoyed their doughnuts a lot. 

Now, I don't know if it was the excess sugar or what, but something got into Gav and he started talking to his doughnut like it was alive.  At one point, he asked it why it was starring at him.  Then, he told it he was sorry, because he had to bite it and it would hurt, but then it would be a doughnut amputee and that would be cool. I probably should worry about that kid a bit more than I do, but it is hard to worry when he'd making me laugh so hard I cry. 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you, like many gardeners, have a ton of zucchinis to use, this is an excellent recipe.  It sneaks the veggie into cookies!  I grew up eating them thanks to my mom.  Now I make them for my sons.  They love them! 

1 cup shortening (I use the Crisco butter kind)

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 tsp salt

4 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips (or more… I like more.)

Mix all items before the flour together well. I just dump everything into my Kitchenmaid stand mixer. Then gradually add flour until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Usually, my first batch takes a little longer, but then I'm able to make my last batches in the 10 minutes.  Because the cookies are very moist, wait until they cool completely before putting in your container on a cooling rack.  You may also want to separate layers with parchment and toss a piece of bread in to keep them from drying out. 

If you shred your zucchinis ahead of time, you can freeze or store them in the fridge, but be sure to drain the liquid off before adding it to the mix.  I usually freeze mine in two cup increments as that makes making the cookies easier for me.
 
Enjoy! 

Cousins!

Yesterday was a big day for the Stine kiddos.  They got to see their dads in their Uncle Steve's wedding, Addie got to be flower girl, and they gained an aunt. 

It was also a big day for me, because it was the first time the boys DIDN'T argue about dressing up!  Usually, wrestling them into anything I like causes WW3 and I just throw my hands up and say, "Whatever!"  I've been amazed lately by Owen's insistence on wearing polo shirts and then figured out he's trying to be like his dad as David's uniform for work is a polo.  

Anyhow, the kids all looked adorable in this humble mom and aunt's opinion. 

Outside our house, prewedding

Of course you have to have a silly pic

Gav, Owen, and Brenna while Addie was getting pics with the bride

Addie after walking down the aisle looking so serious

Rain Dance

My poor garden has taken a major beating this year.  The storm on July 11 left all of my tomato cages and every vegetable bent to the ground.  After doing a ton of staking, they seemed to do well.  Then this week's weather rolled around and it seemed like it was being baked under a boiling hot sun.  No matter how much I watered, it just didn't seem to be enough.  I knew it needed the kind of soaking only Mother Nature could provide and thankfully, she was happy enough to oblige.  She even let me finish my weeding before she sent the rain this afternoon. 

Right after it started to rain, the boys decided to do a Rain Dance in the drive.  It isn't often that it is 90 out and you can play in the rain!

Owen doing a combo run-skip-walk down the drive. 

Gav under the run off from the roof.

While blurry, I like this pic. 

Owen!

It has rained for about 60 minutes so far and is still coming down. I know my plants are happier. I know I am. I'm tired of dragging a garden hose around the yard!

Naptime!

I always thought it was interesting there are more crimes when it is hot out and I guess I can see why that is.  With the temp at 96 and it feeling like 110, Facebook is littered with moms talking about how their kids are driving them batty, people are posting grumpy statuses about how their significant other/friend/neighbor/et al is driving them insane.  Yep, after looking at these sorts of statuses, it is clear that when the temp goes up, tempers flare. 

Our house is no exception.  Owen has been grumpier than usual and has been taking his frustrations out Gavin.  That's making Gavin whiny and me just downright mad because I don't like whining and I like grumpy even less.  Our poor dog is ticked off at the world because he can't run around outside like usual and he can't go on as many car rides.  He gives me this look like I'm intentionally torturing him by keeping him inside.

So what's a mom to do when it is clear her whole family needs space?  She declares NAPTIME for all animals and children!

Gav fell asleep on the couch.  Don't be fooled by the sweet face.  

Alfie hid in his bed and kept giving me The Look. 

Owen was banished to his room and curled up on his bed.

And what did I do while they are all in their separate corners?  I read the newspaper and washed some dishes.  I even used the restroom without anyone banging on the door to tattle!  You know it has to be bad when you're celebrating a moment like that.  Still, I wouldn't trade this heat for anything! 

Cake for Breakfast Day!

I made my version of this cake on Monday afternoon and evening.  First off, I opted not to make the cake or frosting from scratch to save time.  Instead, I used two boxes of Betty Crocker's white cake mix and gulp, four, yes, four tubs of Pillsbury's cream cheese frosting.  I also didn't have the gel food coloring that was recommended and just used the regular McCormick coloring since the packaging said how many drops I needed to use to make vivid colors when applied to white cake.  The colors turned out just fine so I'm glad my modification worked.    

I planned to make the following layers: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, but accidentally mixed up a batch of lime green, too.  I figured that with as thin as the layers were, it wouldn't be a problem.  Little did I know that one extra layer made the cake too tall to fit under the dome for my cake plate.  Whoops.  Enter the Analon stock pot.  My stock pot was always my go to cake protector, but I thought for a cake this pretty, I needed a real cake plate to show it off.  Sigh.  It just wasn't meant to be this time. 

Sigh, my poor pretty cake is hidden away. 

I didn't get the whole thing assembled until after the boys were in bed, so I decided to declare Tuesday Cake for Breakfast Day.  The boys thought they were having boring old cereal and I said, "Not today, kiddos!"  Their eyes almost bugged out when they saw their breakfast.  It might not have been the healthiest choice, but man, all that sugar came in handy when they helped clean the house after eating!  They were in hyper speed. 

Pretty, huh?

Of course one needs milk with cake, right?  Gav is all about drinking out of the jug.  Ewe. 

Owen showing off his piece of cake and the hole from losing his tooth.

Would I make this cake again?  Yep, I would.  It was slightly time consuming, but not bad at all thanks to the cake mix and premade frosting.  Plus, the boys liked it and they are my toughest critics, so it was worth it.  Next time, I just won't make too many layers! 

Saving the dough

Almost a year ago I hit on a big way to save money for my family. A friend started making her own laundry detergent and I decided to give it a try. We were spending $30 a month on detergent and now spend MAYBE $6 (yes, six, the number after five and before seven) a year. That’s a savings of $354 per year! This is the recipe I was given and I can’t say enough good things about it. Our clothes are just as clean and it works for people that have sensitive skin like the boys. I use it in our front load Samsung HE washer, whereas my mom uses it in her top load. It works equally well in both places as it doesn’t produce a foam. She likes it because it is unscented and it doesn’t aggravate her allergies like Tide, etc. The recipe is as follows along with information on where to find the items, because if you're like me, you've never heard of these items!

Laundry detergent recipe
4 cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (found at about any grocery store in the detergent aisle)
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

1. Grate bar of soap. Put hot tap water in saucepan and add grated soap. Stir continually over medium high heat until soap melts.

2. Fill 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, borax and washing soda. Stir until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with hot tap water. Cover and let set overnight to thicken. Mixture will gel.

3. Stir mixture and fill a used, clean laundry soap dispenser 1/2 full with soap. Fill the rest of the way with water. Shake before each use.

Yield--- 10 gallons liquid soap

Top load Machines- 1/2 cup per load (approx. 320 loads)
Front load Machines- 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)

How to store
I put them in one-gallon old milk containers and also saved liquid laundry detergent dispensers. I then just refill them with the detergent in the milk jugs when I need to. 

Where to get your supplies
You can get the Borax and Arm & Hammer both in the laundry aisle. Borax is in a green and white box. the Arm & Hammer is in a yellow box. You'll use them both a few times and save a ton of money. The only thing you need to keep repurchasing each time you have to make a new batch is the Fels Naptha and that's only a couple of bucks.  If you  buy these products bundled on Amazon, you'll spend just under $20.  You'll also want to purchase the 5 gallon bucket from a place like Lowes and some sort of funnel.  I store everything inside the bucket when I'm not using it so I can find everything later.

He said what?

Gavin is one of those kids that is blessed not only to be very cute, but to have a very quick wit. He says things ALL the time that just crack me up. A few people have suggested I start recording them, so I did and I plan to add them to the blog from time to time. Here are some of his recent Gavinisms.


The maid

Me: Gavin, you spilled some milk. We don’t have a maid, so clean it up.

Gavin: We should get a maid the next time we go to Target.

Getting married

Gavin: Don’t tell Dad, but I’m getting married.

Me: Oh, ya? To who?

Gavin: Addie at school, because she’ll be a good mom. She likes dogs and dogs are like kids. You have to feed them and everything. We just have to live with you guys for awhile.

On prom

His teacher mentioned her daughter was dateless for prom. Gav overheard and said, “Alright, I’ll go with her.” Later, he told me he’d only dance with her and wouldn’t do any of the “kissing stuff,” because Addie (see above) would probably break up with him.

Random Gavinisms

I asked what the boys wanted to do the other day after breakfast and he replied, “I wonder what it would be like to be shot out of a cannon. Maybe I will scrunch myself up like a ball today and give it is try.”

“I always wondered what clouds tasted like and now I know. Cotton candy!” (This was after hiking to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains.)

“I’m going to skip kindergarten and just go to first grade. They have a better playground.”

When asked how old he is, he replied, “I’m sixteen, just really short.” He was four.

Chores

I’m annoyed by people more than usual today. No, it isn’t a raging case of PMS causing it. I’m increasingly frustrated by how our society treats our older generations. My mom is no spring chicken at 74 and has had her share of health issues in the past five years. I’ve lost track of how many hospital stays she has had, how many episodes of pneumonia she has suffered through, and the number of chemo-lite treatments she had which rendered her so sick it made us wonder if it was a worth it given its toll on her quality of life. She’s pretty much homebound since she can’t drive and is at the mercy of others when it comes to going places. Going places isn’t easy, as she is limited to being gone for the amount of oxygen her portable tank will hold.
Last week, I took my mom to an appointment and I left it madder than I have been in forever. A mother and her two sons entered the building ahead of us. The boys were teenagers and didn’t bother to hold the door. I’m working on teaching my boys to open and hold doors for others because that’s just the polite thing to do. Then, as we waited in line, the two boys took the only two available seats. I looked on it amazement and the mother made eye contact with me, then shrugged her shoulders as if to say “Boys will be boys. What can I do?” Again, my boys know Grandma or anyone that is older gets the available seat, not them. As I watched the boys while we waited, they never offered their mom a seat and when we left our appointment an hour later, she was still standing and they were sprawled out blocking the walkway. I can only assume they never even asked her if she wanted to sit. Rather than let my mom trip over their feet, I walked ahead of her and gave them the Teacher Look (you know the one that pierces your soul) until they sat up and moved their Jordans out of the aisle. I looked back at the mom afterwards and she wouldn’t make eye contact. I’m fairly certain it was because she realized their behavior wasn’t up to social snuff.

Then I arrived home and started to think about how many children, little or grown, actually help their parents. Seriously? Our boys know they have chores at our house and while they may not like them, they do them. When they can help us at my mom’s they do that as well. Why? Because it is the right thing to do.

My mom doesn’t like to ask for help from anyone, but will accept it if offered. We take care of her trash, her lawn, and her flowerbeds. We take her to any appointments we can and shop for any gifts or cards that need bought. We’ve gone grocery shopping for her and taken her McDonald’s when she was craving a fish sandwich with fries. If I see a crochet pattern or yarn she might like, I buy it “just because.” The boys are forever on the lookout for turtle things, because “grandma loves turtles.” We pick her up and take her home from parties at our house and make sure she gets to attend all the programs at the boys’ schools. We do all these things so that she feels included. Is it work? Yes. Is it worth it? HELL YES. I know my boys are watching and that we are showing them how a child should treat their parents.

As I think back to the teenage boys last week, I can’t help but be sad for the mom. I wonder who will do things for her when she needs help. For some reason, I think she’s going to be like so many older adults I know. She’ll have children that put themselves first and never notice when she needs help.

Clean up

Well, after a total of just over 90 hours of clean up by ten people, our yard is looking much better.

Even the smallest Stine helped. Gavin hauled logs to the drive.

They needed to rest and have a photo opp on the massive limb that came down.

The gaping hole from where the branch was is big enough, but it also tore a ton of bark off the side of the tree.  We are concerned because of the two massive branches that remain, one is over our light and drive and the other is over our kitchen.  While we don't want to remove the tree, we will if that's what Mr. Tree Man says we should do and insurance will cover it.  (Hopefully, he calls today.) 

What continued to surprise me, as the hours of clean up seemed drag on, was the generosity of our neighbors, friends, and family.  We are truly blessed!   

• Immediately after the storm, a neighbor a few houses down came to make sure I was okay since she knew I am home with the boys in the summer. 
• The man across the street helped David clear the drive so I could get the van out if need be. 
• My father in law's neighbor loaned us a brand new chainsaw from his shop when ours wouldn't start right away. 
• Our friends Aaron and Kathleen (pregnant even!) helped with clean up both nights.  We'd still be working if it wasn't for them.
• My mother in law dropped by with beer and ended up staying to help load brush.
• David's cousin rode by on his bike and stopped to help.  He came back later with a second chainsaw for us to use.
• My brother David loaned us an extra tools, including a massive chipper that was put to good use.  He also loaned us his generator since we had no power. 
• My nieces and Mom all helped by either watching the boys or running errands for us. 
• After the limb came down, we were able to cut it all up and a friend's uncle took ALL of the wood away.  He filled the back of his truck and a huge trailer with it.  That was a huge relief because we couldn't figure out what we were going to do with it- especially since the tree may still have to come down. 
• The mom of one of my high school friends offered to let us sleep and shower at our house if we didn't have our power on.
• The dad of one of my students came over and asked if we needed a generator "because we can't have our son's favorite teacher without power."

7.11.11 Storm

(Please excuse any typos. I've had three hours of sleep.)


Yesterday did NOT go as planned.  The original plan was to start painting Owen's bedroom Patina Blue by Velspar.  I dropped the boys off at Pinewood for Parks & Rec at 10:00 knowing it was going to rain, but figured they could run around and play in the gym so I could get some work done.  I was home and cleaning the last things out of his room by 10:20.  I had opened his blinds to have more light and noticed it was getting darker quickly.  The next thing I knew, our umbrella from our table on the deck flew straight up in the air Mary Poppins' style and plummeted into our pool.  I watched our apple tree to the left of the deck snap in the wind as if it had just been flicked over.

Our poor apple tree was just starting to produce apples this year.

That's when Mom Instinct kicked in and I decided to go get the boys.  I ran through the house and grabbed the keys from the key holder and was just stepping into the garage when the tree to the left of our house fell across the drive as I watched.  Almost as soon as it hit the ground, the power went out.  To say I was freaking out at this point is an understatement.  I wanted to be able to hold my babies in my arms and there was nothing I could do.    

Owen's climbing tree that fell across our driveway and just missed the garage.

I ran to our front room and got to see a massive limb fall off the tree in front of our house.  I was sobbing like a baby at this point and am pretty sure I looked like a nutcase.  That's when the sirens started going off.  Thankfully, our animals follow me around all the time and I was able to scoop the cat up and shove her in her pet carrier and grab the dog with my other hand and run to the basement.  When I got there, I discovered I had no flashlight and sprinted back up to grab one (note to self: buy another flashlight for basement).  For some odd reason, it was in Owen's room and I looked up just as the transformer on the pole in our backyard blew with sparks and all.  I ran back downstairs, then sat in the basement waiting for my cell phone to pick up signal while the sirens blared.  It felt like I was trapped in a really bad movie. 

David standing next to the branch off the front tree. 

When the sirens finally stopped, I called David's cell phone and had to leave a hysterical message.  His work phones were down and I couldn't reach him.  More than anything I wanted someone to get my boys and bring them to me.  I managed to reach my niece Jess and she agreed to go get them when the storm officially blew over.  I finally reached David on the phone and told him he needed to come home.  I don't think he believed me about the amount of damage.  He also said he'd pick up the boys.  It was still raining, but the wind had stopped, so I ran out to get the umbrella out of the pool.  I wasn't putting the liner we replaced last summer in jeopardy!  I was soaked instantly. 

After that, I changed my shirt and I knew I needed to call AEP.  I went across the street to my neighbor's because they never lose power.  They are city and we're county, go figure.  In the time I sat on hold, David was able to drive across town and pick up the boys.  The look on his face gave away that he thought I was exaggerating when he pulled in the drive.  Between the two of us and a neighbor, we managed to quickly clear part of the drive so I could get the van in and out. 

We are so lucky the limb on the back of the tree didn't come down.  Our kitchen would be smashed.

 This was a limb from the neighbor's tree.  Somehow it missed their roof and the power line directly under it and ended up in our yard.  Our garage screens and siding got beat up.  The good thing was this is also where we park our trailer and it wasn't at our house at the time.  It would have been buried. 

Funny enough, this is a limb they wanted to have removed. 

All in all, we lost two trees, a gigantic limb from a tree in back, and the massive one off our front tree.  I thought our damage was bad, and then I drove around our neighborhood.  The next post will include clean up pictures and some shots from around our neighborhood.   
   

Circle Canvas

I recently was on a favorite blog of mine and the blogger had recreated a canvas found here. Now, ordinarily I don't consider myself very artistic unless said project comes with detailed instructions (I'm type A, what can I say).  Thankfully, the blog I visited did just that.  I decided after my last art project that I would attempt to make my own version to hang above the island in our kitchen. 

I began by painting my canvas the color of the walls in our kitchen and dining room.  I figured I could get away with the same color since the canvas would be on the side of a white cabinet.  I also thought it would be a nice color to tie everything together. 

Then, I started just like she did and drew my lines after figuring out half of the diameter of my cup.  I moved on to tracing circles, which took forever and made me wish I'd picked something bigger like a coffee can.  (Okay, not really, but it did take a while- two episodes of Weeds to be exact.)   

Next up came painting.  I mixed my own colors, because although I don't consider myself artsy, I do have lots of paint.  After mixing up a half dozen of them, I went to work painting.  This is where I'd modify the instructions slightly.  The pencil smudged very easily.  If I were to do this project again, I'd spray the canvas with a sealer before adding the colors.  I painted seven "petals" with each of my half dozen colors, then mixed my next set of colors.  I ended up using eighteen colors in the end! 

 

When the paint was completely dry, I took the canvas outside and sprayed it with a sealer. 

This is the finished product. 

This project taught me that I can be somewhat creative and gave me the courage to try another project down the road.  I'm going to attempt to create a canvas for Owen's room, which we will be painting this next week.  Stay tuned!

Family Rules

I recently saw this on another blog (coincidentally, the blogger saw it here).  I wanted to make my own as soon as I saw it, but never made the time.  Fast forward to this week: David just finished painting the kitchen cabinets, replacing all the hardware, and even created a chalkboard for me. I decided I needed to make one for our kitchen as my contribution.

Our rules, if you're curious, are as follows:

Be kind

Have an open mind

Say I’m sorry

Dream big

Give thanks for magic moments

Live your life and forget your age

Family first

The only way to have a friend is to be one

Cherish joy & laughter

There is no mine in this family

Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile

The canvas is 12x24 and each piece of scrpbook paper was cut to 2 1/2 inches and layered to create 2 inch strips.  I used a combination of stickers and my Cricut for all the letters.  I did paint the canvas with a soft lime color because the sides will be seen when it is hung and because it ties all the papers together.  I used Mod Podge Satin so I can wipe it clean (and discovered it is my new favorite crafting product).     

Stay tuned for my next crafty creation, which will also go in the kitchen.  

Perfect Moment

I was reading a blog today and it got me thinking about something that I’ve pondered many times in the past: Are we ever truly happy? The writer wrote about not recognizing the person she saw in the mirror after two children. I understand that completely. Stretch marks weren’t even in my vocabulary until I had children. I don’t even notice them nine months of the year since they are undercover, but when swimsuit season rolls around, there they are. Did you know they don’t tan? At all? I didn’t! Thank goodness for Nivea’s Sun Kissed Radiant lotion or they’d be even more noticeable.




Anyhow, the purpose of my post isn’t to lament my body. I consider myself pretty blessed with the Juillerat genes that mean I can consume a Snickers and Dr Pepper daily and still lose weight. What I’m concerned with is happiness. Are we ever happy? And if we are, how do we know it? I’m guilty of trying to cram too much into my day. I find myself going at Energizer Rabbit Speed (ERS) trying to do every little thing and meet every little demand that I believe needs my attention. I think that’s the Type A multi-tasking mom in me.


Don’t get me wrong, I love my full life and wouldn’t trade it, but some days I have to stop and remind myself that I need to find the happiness in the chore I’m doing. I think that’s what a lot of people forget to do. They get so sucked into the vast land of negative, that they forget to count their blessings. Like last week, I didn’t want to go walk because that meant I couldn’t read my new book or take a nap. Some priorities I have! Still, I plowed on and did it anyway. What was the happiness I derived? I got to enjoy an hour with a good friend in the sunshine at a lovely park I'd never been to. Granted, the realist in me recognizes that some days it is hard to find the happiness in a task. Who really likes cleaning a litter box? You’d have to be delusional to actually like clean up after a cat, dog, child, husband, chimp, you get the idea.


To make sure I'm not taking my own happiness for granted, I do this thing with the boys that they’ve started doing on their own recently. It is called Perfect Moment. The idea is, sometimes we have moments that are just so perfect and filled with contentment and happiness that we don’t want them to escape us. We stop whatever we are doing and say we’ve found a Perfect Moment and say why it qualifies. Owen had one the other day when he found Gav curled up asleep and in his words “looking so sweet- just like he did when he was a baby.” I’ve had them on days like last Thursday when I was writing while sitting outside, listening to the boys chatter about Star Wars and the birds chirping. There was a cool breeze and well, the moment was just perfect. It is one of those moments I could stay in for a while and I’m glad I stopped typing long enough to recognize it.

I wish we could all take time to slow down in life to actually see what is in front of us.  I hope my children continue to relish in the moment and to be the happy guys they are now.  I hope they remember a smile and laughter are infectious and that we can be truly happy if we stop and remember happiness is a perfect moment and you have to recognize it when you see it.  It may be gone before you know it.

Father's Day

Every now and then I wonder if firstborn children are all like Owen. He could be a spokesperson for a safety precaution campaign. Don't get me wrong, I am glad he's cautious, but sometimes I wish he'd trust us more.  If we say something it safe, I'd like him to believe us.  I also wonder if our hovering nature as he was our first baby caused him to be that way. Was it because of the plastic doohickeys we put in the outlets to make sure he didn’t electrocute himself? Was it because we put a side rail on his first big kid bed, a full size that he took up roughly three square feet of and never moved an inch once he was kissed good night? Whatever it was, once Owen makes his mind up about something, it takes forever to convince him he might be missing out or underestimating his abilities.


Last summer, Owen was as excited as any kid to open the pool. We thought it might be the year he decided to give up floaties and really learn to swim. Imagine our dismay when he announced that not only was he still wearing his floaties, but he’d drown if he didn’t also have a swim ring. He hadn’t used a ring since he was two! At first we just shook our heads and said whatever and let him. Then mysteriously the ring popped and couldn’t be used again. (Actually, it was far from a mystery. Gav jumped up and down on it. The rest is history.) It took forever to convince Owen that he’d be okay with just floaties, pointing out Gavin only used them, and we were right there, so he’d be fine. I’m fairly certain he sat out of the pool for a few days because he was too worried about the “What If” factor. He finally decided to try just his floaties and was quite shocked he didn’t drown.

This summer rolled around and I mentioned enrolling Owen in a swim classes. Owen solidly refused to even think about going. Rather than push it, I decided to leave it alone. I mean, really, how many 30 year old men are running around still using floaties? I knew he’d give them up… eventually, right? In seven short years, I’ve learned Owen does everything at his own pace and rushing him was only going to cause us both undue frustrations.  I know which battles are worth fighting. 

At the end of May, we opened our pool and Owen asked about the ring to go with his floaties. I was one step ahead of him and had hid all the rings. It was easy enough to just say we didn’t have any. He sort of cocked his head with a confused expression and put on the floaties. I told him I was fairly certain he would be able to touch the bottom this year and he gingerly lowered his body into the water from the edge and announced he couldn’t touch. It took me actually showing him that if I hang over the edge of the pool, my feet don’t touch either.  That got him to let go of the side and actually get into the water. Guess what? He could touch. I was a good mom and didn’t even mention taking the floaties off. I know my limits, but did make him tell me I was right. 

Fast forward to today, Father’s Day 2011. Gavin can be a little bit of a daredevil when it comes to trying things and I mentioned at breakfast that maybe today would be a good day for him to try learning to swim sans floaties. Gav thought it was a great plan. You see, while Owen is a safety precaution kid, he’s also pretty competitive. I knew the key to get him to ditch the floaties was to get Gav interested in doing it too. He listened intently while Gav and I talked about what exactly he was agreeing to, but never said he was interested in trying himself.

When we hit the pool later, I waited until Gav told me he was ready to take the floaties off. He was going under the water, floating on his back, dog paddling, and jumping in right away. He loved every minute of it! Owen was doing the “I’m pretending not to watch too close game,” but it was obvious he was taking everything in Gav was doing.

Gavin tredding water.

Finally, Gav ran to get David to show off his new moves and Owen asked if I’d help him the exact same way if he took his floaties off. CHA-CHING! The moment I’d been waiting for had finally arrived. I reminded Owen that he could just put his feet down at any time and he’d be just fine. He took his floaties off and lowered himself into the water, and then I grabbed his swim trunks in the back to tow him to the center of the pool. Two second later, it was clear he didn’t need me, so I stayed in the middle of the pool while he swam to the edge. He never even noticed I let go! He’s now a swimming and jumping fool. Talk about an awesome Father’s Day gift for David.

Owen jumping in.

Owen coming up from under the water.  (Sweet Jesus, the water makes my butt look gigantic.)

And yes, in case you’re wondering, I did make Owen tell me I was right about him being able to swim if he’d just try. I’m pretty sure all our neighbors heard him yell “My mom is always right.” That’s right, kiddo, I am and don’t forget it.