Sickness

I think it has to do with the hurricane that came through last month. Everyone is sick. One sweet little girl at church, aged four, has mono! My men are coughing and hacking, tired and irritable, but not dead enough to let them off the hook when it comes to work. I bought a bunch of medicine yesterday, and got carded! I don't think I would get carded in the ABC store!
Anyway I dosed #1 last night before bed, and I am letting both boys sleep a little longer this morning. They actually have a busy day, but they need some rest.
I was looking back at some old blog posts from years ago and discovered that I am not nearly as interesting or reflective as I used to be. I wish I were. I just seem to go from one thing to another. I do spend time in reflective thought, but I don't get it down nearly as often as I would like.
Just got a phone call. Another friend is sick and won't be at Odyssey of the Mind this morning. At least we aren't alone in our misery.

Justification is NOT Sweet

I took the boys to the orthodontist on Wednesday. It was a second check for #2 and a first for #1. #2 is missing several adult teeth, you will remember, and he has to wait to lose some more baby teeth before they will do anything to help him with orthodontia.
Well, he lost 3 teeth in the last 6 months! That is major since he hadn't lost any for the last 3 YEARS! However, it wasn't enough aand he will continue to "Waitin' to Straighten". The orthodontist thought it would probably be another year unless he loses a lot of teeth in this next 6 month period. It also looks like what was supposed to be a peg tooth is actually just a sliver of a tooth and may have to be extracted.
#1 was told that it is time to go ahead and brace him up. The cost was $5800! Yes, for the price of a good used car you can put metal on your kid's teeth. I decided we would go to another guy and get a price and recommendation. #1 was happy- sort of- to get another opinion, but his opinion is that he doesn't need braces. He thinks he looks just fine. (And given the rate of female followers he has I suppose he is correct.)
Anyway we headed out today for another opinion. This time to a dentist that was recommended by a couple families as being gentle and less expensive. He also does orthodontics and does it faster and less expensive than most. Can't say as I agree.
The dentist did a thorough exam with lots of Xrays, but didn't actually do anything to help #1. #1 has a lot of plaque under his gumline. The dentist pulled out a bunch of it to show us and told #1 that he isn't brushing well enough. This is something I have said thousands of times, literally.
So #1 has 4 cavities. Yes, FOUR! Though I have warned him for years that that could happen, he has refused to change his brushing technique. Now that I can say, "I told you so" it falls a little flat. The four cavities cost? $970! Doesn't taste sweet at all.
The good news is that this dentist said there isn't any real problem with #1's dental/skeletal frame and he does not need braces. Well thank goodness, 'cause all my money just went to filling cavities!

Food For Two Days

I have been following the famine/drought from Africa lately. I read about mothers with children strapped to their backs walking and walking to find food and water. The children are dying on the mothers' backs without the mother noticing. It is a shame and a pity. Pray for rain and rescue for East Africa.
But that isn't what this post is about. No this is about what my son thinks he needs to eat for two days at a water park: a piece of cold pizza, an apple, a banana, and a granola bar. Nothing else. Not even to drink.
I told the boys to pack their lunches or take money for food and that they needed to prepare for at least 4 meals. I would take care of breakfast.
After he packed this meager lunch, I asked if he planned on buying all of his meals. No. He planned on buying NONE of his meals. This, he believed, was all he needed. I provided more food as time went by.
Then yesterday he packed an apple for his lunch at co-op. We are gone from 8:00 until about 4:00. Included in that time is PE, first thing in the morning! Did you eat any breakfast? No. Of course not. What was I thinking?
He came to me at lunch and asked for something else to eat because, in his words, "I got hungry this week. I don't normally eat more than an apple though!"
As I talked with a friend last night and relayed my exasperaton with the boy she said, "It's just such an awkward age. We have to feel sorry for them."
I think she used the wrong pronoun. We should feel sorry for US!

Missed Week

What can make me miss a week of blogging? Well...Finding time for house repair estimate appointments, men telling me the house is full of mold and needs to be condemned (it wasn't quite that bad, but it felt like it!), an emergency dental appointment for a chipped tooth, two visits to the chiropracter, an overnight 4H trip, helping at a home school support meeting, ferrying kids to auditions, meetings, etc.---Oh and I taught school.
In the middle of all of that is the constant feeling that God is up to something. I am not sure what it is--hear FRUSTRATION in my writing voice--but I am trying to be patient and attentive. Prayers for clarity are appreciated.
Soon I hope to blog about foxes, packing food for a two day trip, and emails from students. I do still get daily laugh time to ease the stress of life. Maybe soon I can send some laughter your way.

Weekend

I attended a home schooling conference this past weekend. It was about how to school through high school, and I found it to be quite helpful. I had questions answered about credits and transcripts, as well as testing and college stuff. More importantly I was reminded about how much I love God and need to hear His word.
The speaker was from the national organization Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). She filled her talk with  the Word, and it felt good to hear it. One of the first things she covered was that you can't school through high school if you don't have time for God, your spouse, and your children. So you have to simplify and choose what you will participate in. You have to choose what you will battle, what you will push, and what you will focus on.
She talked about "white space" and having time on your calendar to stay home and just be. It is very true. I have most Wednesdays, and Thursdays and Fridays open on the calendar. It is a great time to finish school work, straighten the house, and get ready for the next week's co-op.
But this week we have a 4H trip planned for Thursday and Friday. It will be fun to be away with friends and relax at Great Wolf Lodge, but it is stressing me out a bit to think that two days are lost from my down time. I need that time to slow down, get work done, and enjoy peace and quiet.
I need solace to listen to my God. I need my God.

Flash from the Past

Last night I was talking with a couple of friends about eating out. None of us ate out much as a kid. I can remember sometimes going to 4 Corners Restaurant after church for lunch. I would order mashed potatoes and roast beef with gravy on top of white bread. Lemon meringue pie was the dessert. 4 Corners had a fancy pie display case, and all of the pies were in a circle for you to look at and make a decision.

During our conversation, one friend made a comment about Hardees, and suddenly I remembered another thing. When I was older, but still a young teen-ager, my mom and I would go to Bridgeport to shop at the new mall on Saturdays. We would drive through the Hardees in the curve of the road and get an order of cinnamon raisin biscuits. They were warm and goey, covered in sweet glaze.

This evening we were headed out for a movie at the park. I popped a batch of corn on top of the stove, and we climbed into the van. Suddenly I was transported back to the drive-in theater we went to when I was a kid. I imagine it was on a Friday night, my parents would put us in our pajamas and toss us in the station wagon. My mom would bring a brown bag of freshly popped corn and a cooler of Kool-Aid. At the drive-in we would throw out a blanket on the ground or curl up in the back of the car and settle in for the movie.

I had a great childhood. It always surprises me when these memories flood back to me. They seem so long forgotten, and then suddenly the cobwebs are washed away and the smells and colors return as fresh as new paint. I wonder what memories will be etched in my own children's minds 30 years from now.

They're Gone

I enjoy my morning walks because of all of the wild life I encounter. I have mentioned before the birds, the tracks we see, and the beauty of the surroundings. One thing that I have particularly enjoyed this summer is a pair of hawks.
They have a nest in the loblolly trees, and they soar around it in the morning calling to one another. The call sounds so wild and free. It is a sharp, bracing scream that reminds me of cowboy and indian movies from my childhood.
Irene's fury has been over for nearly two weeks now, and I still haven't heard or seen the hawks. I don't know if the storm damaged the nest or just scared them away, but the morning walk just isn't the same without them.

Eating Like A Teen

I have a friend who runs every day. She doesn't run because she loves to run, but she runs because she loves to eat. Running lets her eat whatever she wants. I guess I don't love eating enough to need to run, although I do enjoy a brisk walk with occasional sprints, I would just rather eat.
However, I evidently don't like to eat as much as my son either. He just had breakfast, a HUGE egg and cheese filled tortilla downed with a glass of milk. He put the dish away and then walked in to my room.
"Mom, what's for lunch?"
"You JUST had breakfast!"
"I need to eat! I'm a teeneager. A boy teenager!"
"Chicken wings."
Huge smile followed by, "When's lunch?"
My dad is butchering another beef for us at the end of the month. He said to make sure we have room in the freezer. No problem. The boy teenager has been eating here for several months now. And it looks like #2 is soon going to join the ranks of boy teenagers. Maybe I will stop sprint walking, and then I won't need to eat.

NC Vacation

We decided this year to vacation in the great state of NC. We have lived here nearly seven years, and there were still some things we wanted to see. It was the second week of August, and we are now getting ready to head to WV for a short family get-together, but I am faithful, if slow, so here are the pictures of some of the  highlights. The above picture is at Reed Gold Mine where we walked through an old mine and then were able to pan for gold. I did find a teeny-tiny nugget!

 The waterfall was at DuPont State Forest. It was a hot day and the hike to the falls was sweltering, but it was beautiful once you were there and the water was ICE cold! The only problem was the lack of restrooms. Port-a-Johns on a hot summer day are NOT pleasant.

 In Cherokee we went to the outdoor drama, Unto These Hills. It rained, but the show went on. #1 and I covered ourselves with a blanket while Hubby and #2 stood under a section of roofing. After intermission we joined them out of the rain.

 We stopped in a couple of towns and looked around. Our favorite was the sweet little town of Sylva. This picture is in front of a toy store in Brevard. My little guys enjoyed playing with a race track inside. I guess they never truly grow up.

 This is another waterfall at DSF. #2 had hoped to swim here, and we intended that he should, but the lack of restrooms had pushed me to my limits, and we left. It did look like fun though.

 While in Cherokee we went into the casino to try a restaurant, Paula Deen's Country Kitchen. The boys think she is funny and so we thought it would be a fun treat. Our food was good, but not great. It was fun to try new things though. I had lime coated catfish, and that was probably the best thing we ordered.

 #2 was dying to try the fried peanutbutter and jelly sandwich. It was sort of like a donut.

 #2 loves chicken pot pie, but I do believe he likes mine better than Paula Deen's. This had too much crust and was very salty.

 While in Cherokee we also visited the indian village. We took a tour and then we went back and stayed longer at the spots we liked. This guy was shooting with a blow gun, and he was great!

 #1 enjoyed talking with this Cherokee. He had lots of questions about what life was like for the early indians and how things are now. The indian, Matthew, was very kind to talk with us for so long.

The above picture is while we were waiting for our food at Paula Deen's. I wanted to get a picture this past Sunday of my boys, since it was Brother's Day, but I didn't make it. So here are my sweet boys in a momemt of brotherly love- that usually only happens when food is involved. Honestly.

 We also visited Old Salem in Winston-Salem. We took a whole day to look all around the village and talk to people. This guy was at the tavern and he showed us games you would have played there. This one is a number game the boys already play when they visit their grandparents in Motown.

 #2 was all about hte gun shop. He had lots of things to tell the worker, and he was usually right. #2 is looking forward to hunting with his grandad this fall.

 Upstairs in the tavern we were able to try out the bed. It was a rope bed, and actually it was more comfortable than I expected. Poor #2 would have had trouble sleeping though. People just weren't that tall back then.

Missing from the pictures are the hike we took near Charlotte at a state park. It was there that #2 took a wrong turn and became lost. It was nerve-wracking for just a little bit. I figured he knew to stop and wait for us if he got lost, but he walked a looonnnggg way before he decided that he was lost.
It was a nice vacation. Now there are only a few more things I want to do in NC---Wright Brother's Memorial, USS Wilmington Battleship, Blackbear's Exhibit in Beaufort, and see more lighthouses on the Outer Banks. Then I guess we start all over!