Life Experience 101

This past week, we have all been in a brain fog, from pain or pollen or the time change.  I took my joint supplements, which require Vitamin C to work properly, while eating an orange and trying to get Matt to go get me more Vitamin C because we don't have any.  Never mind the 24 pack of vitamin drink mixes or, you know, the huge bowl of oranges in the kitchen.  Things like that all week, just dumb oversights.  Looking for things I am holding, calling the wrong kid, going into a panic because I forgot to pay a bill-that is on autopay and has been for 4 years-that isn't due until the 28th.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with my foot up.

Then Thursday came and between beginner and advance dance classes, Rho and Jake broke up.  It was a really mature decision-he is staying here because she's here and she does not want that and when she is ready to head off to school, he does not want her to stay here for him.  They are not headed in the same direction.  But he is MISERABLE. To the point that I hosted 4 extra boys for 2 days and they played cards and on the Wii and Magic and D&D.  There were hugs and back pats and huge gusty sighs.  I am ever thankful for friends.

We got a message from Erin that Catwalk had been moved up some 5 weeks to TODAY with only a couple days notice. She had a costume for one person (last year she made 15 just for our homeschool group to be in the show).  She said to get the girls down there with a few things they could use for costumes and they could work something out.  Matt ended up taking them on his own this morning, I was looking for my camera last night and moved a book and that made a whole stack shift (library run Friday) and that knocked the 3 pound jellyfish in glass paper weight I love(d) onto my everlovin' foot.  I did not even pick it up just slid back in the bed and I am still there.  My foot looks like a plum.

I have been in an interesting role today, at home while Matt is off with the girls, getting ready for a fashion show.  I am getting regular updates and lots of photos from behind the scenes.  My favorite is Chan smiling her pleased cat smile in the background and in the foreground, her 'angry gods who sank Atlantis' costume, complete with terrifying boots.  

Some people get their sibling's kid a toy that makes obnoxious sounds.
Some dress them up like a god of wrathful vengeance.
With hair horns.

I did go for a mile and a half walk yesterday, before I bashed my foot. If it's going to hurt anyway, I might as well be up and moving. Was my theory anyway.  This creepy guy kept running past while I tottered around the track:

Also, I took this one single shot of the yard, it's one of the paths the dogs have made.
It's actually THE path, it just goes all the way around the house with shoots to the gates on both sides and along the fence in the front.  I keep planting more bushes, they have to wander around to see down the road now.

Finally, a couple of amusing pics I swiped from backpacking chats:

This coming week, we have a canoe trip and dance and Chan is going off for the weekend to 'AtChanta' with several friends.  We are going in the next few weeks to check out a few colleges, she is back around to SCAD as her top pick.  I guess if I HAVE to go to Savannah, I can force myself to suffer through it...I hope they get a chance to see the Atlanta campus while they are so close.  It is just 3 hours from here instead of 9.  I would prefer that for the first year anyway.
She's also looking at Asheville and Jake is thinking about a work study program in Vermont and he has applied for a 10-month volunteer position that covers expenses and would be excellent on an application or resume.  HUGE changes, for all of us.   I just want them to pursue things they are passionate about, though a degree would be awesome.  Jake still wants to be a cop, but needs to be 21 and some experience and education in the meantime would not be amiss.

State of the Union

15 years ago today, I went to the bookstore and bought a tape of the wedding march, then met Matt for lunch at O'Charley's and we came here and got dressed and he drove me over to the church in the pouring rain.  Daddy performed the ceremony even though he had called that afternoon to ask if we would get married some other time because of the rain.

We huddled under the porch overhang at the church and Matt felt around for the key, which was above the ornate door frame.  As everyone was coming in to sit, he showed me around the church basement where he attended vacation Bible school.  We gave tape player responsibility to Alex, who was single.  He had to let it play until I got to the altar, then rewind and flip for the exit march on the other side.  We also gave him a flashlight in case the power went out.

I went to the vestibule and Matt stood at the end of the runway next to Daddy.  Jake toddled me down the aisle until he defected for a bunch of balloons Matt's mom had picked up.  The ceremony was not the traditional 'Dearly Beloved', Daddy said he knew better than to use the word 'obey' in eliciting a vow from me.


That night we slept on different couches in the living room, the weather was too rough to think of heading off anywhere, plus we did not get in from dinner at Cracker Barrel (I had okra and mac and cheese, which is exactly what Ben orders every time we go) until nearly midnight because we had to wait for crews to clear downed trees.  We were tired.

The next day, we went outside to the perfect clear day and released the balloons and headed off on our honeymoon.  We're not back yet.

Glorious Friday

What a great day!  I planned to go hiking, but Ben's foot was not looking good this morning, then my own foot started hurting.  A quick peek revealed multiple splinters from stepping on a pine cone yesterday.  I soaked it in hot salt water, which helped.

Faced with the day home, the boys and I (I had woken them at 7 to go hiking) opted to hang out a while, we talked, they played on the Wii together, I read more Artemis Fowl. I showed Jake how to write feet and inches using the ' and " symbols.  He starts a part time job next week helping Matt's dad take field notes for the phone company to run more lines out this way.  I am glad, Mr. Holmes broke his hip and can't walk, much less take Jake on this spring as we planned.  Jake's been wanting to work, but for what gas costs, getting him back and forth to town for the 3 or 4 hour shifts he could work at 15 would put us in the hole!  I think this may work out, at least get him some real-world exposure for a few days.

 These have a Lomo filter, I am playing with the camera again.

I love what it does with green and blue.

At the library website, I discovered they have Mumford & Sons on CD to download free (via freegal).  There is a 3 song a week limit, but with 3 cards, we have 9 of their songs now!  : )  I was there because I have turned total fangirl and made a list of all the books Marcus blogged about reading and ran over and put holds on them at the library website.  The internet is just about the best thing in the world and the library is like icing on the cake.  we are SO lucky to have these things just right there to use.

At noon, Jake and I went to check out the video store and came home empty-handed.  I bemoaned Matt taking a role in The Play (for no reason other than I did not like THAT play, I am actually really supportive of him wanting to act again).  Jake listened to the premise and said, "Oh, you felt bad because of the yelling."  Yes.  That's exactly it, I am glad he understands me.  He's actually really insightful for an unsocialized homeschooler.  Not ALL the time, as he told Kaitlin her new haircut was just like his Granna's.  It is, but...telling a 14 year old she reminds you of your grandmother is not really a smooth move.  I told him he wasn't getting any smooching taking that approach.  He seemed pretty pleased to have avoided such things.

We moved the hammock to the porch.  I dug another splinter out of my foot-only 8 to go.  I made Annie's mac and cheese and we drank blended carrots and grapes for lunch with Mello Yello chasers.  Matt is coming home early, bringing pizza.  We have a zombie series...The Walking Dead? on dvd from Netflix to watch.  Pizza and zombies, AWESOME.

I am so, so thankful for our uncomplicated lives, for our freedom to live and learn together, for the time that we have had without hassle and oversight. For kids who thrive in the air and sunshine, for this house, for cars that have run for years, for Poppy, for dogs who stand guard all night, for cats who hog the patches of sunshine, for tweeting pigs.  For Matt who goes in to work every day and comes home every night and runs to the library for me in between.  For allergy meds and music and grocery stores and Khan Academy who made math make sense.  For friends and for this weather and the pots of plants on the porch and for strong and sturdy bodies.  I don't want to forget how lucky we are, how blessed, how good an average day doing not much at all can really be.

ka-put

I have dreamed twice now that I die March 14th.  I am not really sure what that means, but if it's a true omen, I was in bed this morning trying to work out my biggest regrets.

Of course, the kids-I want to see what happens, was unschooling a bad idea in the end?  How does it all work out?  Do they homeschool their own kids?  I also want them to go out west and see more of the country.  Matt can do that with my insurance money.  Someone may have to push this issue in my stead when the time is right.  Say by the...21st of March.

I want to see Jacki again, I would be really bummed to never ever see her again.  Even if she flies up for the funeral, I won't BE there.  (Save your money, J!  You and the girls meet Matt and the kids somewhere out west and throw a rock in a river for me). (And for goodness sake, take a picture of it!)

Mainly, there's just stuff I want to know.  How long will the van run, will the floor repair work on the camper, is Jessie going to be okay-her hips are in BAD shape and she's on meds for it.  I want to know if she gets better.  What happens to Kat in the end?  My bet is she leaves to hunt and never returns.  We notice after a week, maybe two. Do we ever move back to Tennessee?

I will be bummed to have not reached my weight loss goal, but at least I am on the right track and not gaining!  That would be worse, I think. 

There are things I want pictures of.  Places I want to see.  Ideas I have inside me, books I still want to read. 

I can't say there ever won't be, though.  I hope there never is, that I never put my camera down or decide to skip the library one day, that I never wake up one morning and realize nothing is rattling around in my head-no idea, no plans for travel, no random thoughts.

But really, though I still have a great deal of life left (I hope-I am certainly not ready to expire!!), I can't say I have this list of wrongs I hope to right or things I am sorry I have done.  It's all things I still want to do on that list.  That's not a bad feeling.

Hai-ku! (bless you)

Today we did logic and story problems until the kids dissolved into hysterics and logic had flown OUT the window.  Then we had a speed challenge to get all 50 states labeled faster than last week.  Then I did our banking and budget because tomorrow is payday and the kids wrote haiku while I worked on that.

the exploding hat

is really a top hat and

it is flammable

in the mornings I

get up and I make my bed
too warm to do much

cheese can be yummy

unless it expired then

it's not so good.  Blech 

chickens do have tails
they are feathered and fluffy
they aren't prehensile

love together days
even when I don't see you
I know where you are

a number two pen
cil is yellow and long
it is hard too

homeschooling to me
is better than public school
in every way

burdle in the hat
it grants him flying powers
burdles fly!  The end

I think Ben was a little occupied with hats today... : D

I crunched our budget, which was not as painful as usual because...it's 3-paycheck month! Eep!  Georgia Aquarium, here we come!