New Phrase I Just Learned Point 1

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

I never finished college.  I was busy with Jake and though I know many, many women have children and go on to finish school or work full time or be doctors or politicians or spies, I was blindsided and by the time I recovered, he was here.  I guess I figured the people in charge would realize I had no business with a baby and would come get him and I would get on with what I was doing.  Now, nearly 2 decades later, he's still here.  But that's not my point.  My point is, I am sure had I stuck with school I would have learned...who knows what because I had no declared major.  But in that mix of classes and bright young people and wiser older folks, I am sure I would have picked up some useful items.  One of those would probably have been the phrase 'ascribe intent' and knowing that might have saved me some angst.

I have had to look it up three times already because I want to remember it, but my brain keeps helpfully thrusting the word 'accretion' out.  Accretion is the opposite of erosion.  Which is a nice word to know, but it's not mindset-changing like 'ascribe'.  It means to attribute.  The phrase means to make up and then assign, via just what your own brain is telling you, the reason someone else does something. Usually with bad intent. The person who took the last box of your favorite snack at the store only wants you to be miserable and thinks you are fat enough already.  You got left out because no one likes you.

There are 10 points in the article I read, ascribing intent is the first one.  I think I am going to spend this year (and knowing me next year, too) working through the list and trying to work on defusing my self-sabotage skills.  Not all of them hit home, but it seemed as good a place as any to start.

The things I am thankful for this week:
hot water, heating pads, refrigeration, a working heat pump, our continued good health and the fact that none of my kids have any food allergies.  We have hosted kids this week who avoid by choice or necessity, entire food groups.   I am glad to not have that concern day in and day out.
I am thankful for dogs who chase rabbits in their sleep and dogs who have OCD and simply must howl 3 times exactly.  

Celebrations

It has been a stretch of good days, low key and low stress, filled with lots of warmth and occasional laughter.

We went to see Into the Woods with some friends and I did not like it as much as the play!  Though Chris Pine as the Prince was wonderful-best scene in the whole thing.  It was still very enjoyable, we had a great time and the kids have not seen the play 50 times like I have, so they could care less it was NOTEXACTLYTHESAME.

Ben has 2 banjos.  At Jake's birthday, Chan made signs for all the food, warning of gluten or dairy and there was cornbread and in another pan, also cornbread.  That sign got put on the banjo afterward and it was dubbed 'Also Cornbread'.  So now we say things like, "Are you bringing Also Cornbread to Katy's?"

We have spent the last couple of weekends cutting wood, though this past weekend was a really lame effort all around, no one (other than Matt) was in the mood to do anything and there was lots of just standing there and it ended up taking all day for what should have been a few hours of work.

Luckily, the previous weekend everyone was either in high spirits or was tired of listening to me doom and gloom about the upcoming COLD and opted to shut me up with a stack of wood to the ceiling.  We burned nearly ALL of it.  It was COLD. Single degree temps for 3 days! It did not snow at all, so I imagine there's still that looming this winter...though I am pretty okay with that, it's a nice change and short lived.

none of these trees were harmed in the making of firewood

 We had lunch at Amanda's one afternoon and it was nice to just hang out for a while.  We kicked around camping ideas, but this time of year when it's cold, we tend to dream bigger than budgets will cover.  Ski trips and scuba diving, weeks on a houseboat and driving cross country.  One of those, sure, but not all.

On Matt's Friday off, we went to Shakalaka so he could jump.  Ben LOVES Shakalaka and rock climbing, they both use so much muscle and he's so strong and fast now, I know it must be pure joy to feel that capable and healthy.

Chan, upside down again!

The lighting in this place is HORRIFIC.  The fastest I can set my shutter is half a second, which SOUNDS fast, but not faster than a flipping girl!

Look how HIGH he can get!

Matt flipped on the trapeze and landed on the back of his neck, which hurt him pretty badly.  He spent the rest of Friday and overnight on the heating pad.  Then Saturday morning he got up and ran the chainsaw for 3 hours, then split wood with the maul for another hour.

I feel so inadequate!

On Sunday, Matt's band practice got cancelled so he came to Owen's birthday party with us!

We intended to leave around 5...we got home just after 1 a.m. and Matt's alarm goes off at 4:30.  And he did not even call in.

I was on the couch talking and hanging out and Inde came in and climbed me and put her cheek on mine and whispered, "I am sorry about Kaiju."  I nearly lost it and there was no 'nearly' for Matt.  It was SO sweet.  That meant so much.

It was SO COLD, we cut wood all day Saturday in 35 degree weather and ended up peeling off shirts and jackets to leave at the house, Sunday was nearly 50, but windy and damp and it cut through you.  I watched them play, quite happy to be in a toasty house!

After the party, Kurt got out the Red Stag and something else, Crown Royal Black Label?  Mainly, Red Stag.  We had a glass and decided to play Cards Against Humanity for a little while so no one was driving home after having a drink.  It was only 7, after all.  5 hours later, we were all aching from laughing and no one wanted to leave, but everyone had to work.  Next time-Friday night games with a sleepover planned!  

The last bit of good news is that the central unit will be replaced within the week!  HEAT!  But mainly AIR CONDITIONING!  The winter is not so bad, but last summer, most of our stuff was mildewed and that's gross.  Things that did not mold over were damp and the coats and blankets stored in the closets smelled awful this winter.  

I filled out an application online with the credit union this morning, they approved the amount and gave me a much better rate than I had hoped for since it was unsecured.  The payments are the same as what we have paid the past 6 years on braces every single month, so there's not even really an adjustment to the budget.  I just paid Ben's off in October.  It was surprisingly painless and 15% lower interest than a cash advance on the credit card!

Next up-redoing the shingles on that one side of the porch roof until we can manage a new metal roof.

Scouting Afternoon

We got up and got going this morning, I tried very hard to ignore how messy the house is getting from the running around we are doing.

Amanda had asked about checking out a few spots for camping and maybe taking a hike.  We agreed on the time and place and headed out a little early so we could stop at the Dutch Oven en route.  My plan was to get bread, cheese and likely some buckeyes.  $42 later...I know better, I can't just run in that place.  We left with macaroons, 2 loaves of bread, hot red pepper jelly, gummy frogs, buckeyes, a bag of chocolates, yerba mate drink mix, muscadine cider and some 'add water' types of soup mixes that we want to try for backpacking.  But no cheese.

We arrived at the Brushy Lake Day Use Area and got parked and walked around a bit before having a snack.  Then we walked the .5 mile trail to the dam and opted to keep going and walked along the creek a ways to a backpacking camp site that we all agreed was perfect.  So we set up camp there.  The big kids took off while the adults and littles picked trees that needed some leaning against and we did little more than talk some and listen to the water flowing by.  There was some stick playing and Matt tried to impress the baby by twirling a stick between his fingers like a drumstick.  When he finished Matt said, "Whoa!" and they both chuckled.  Then Bird waved HIS stick around like a crazy conductor and yelled, "WHOA!" with his big round eyes and mouth. The 5th time was no less adorable.

We walked a while and saw this, then walked a good while longer before actually finding the kids-barefoot with no gear at all.

Rho took these, I missed the snake, yay!  It's a cottonmouth.  

I do not know what this is.  Yet.

The falls from the dam are at the top of this picture, you could hear them quite well as we walked beside the creek.

The trail that goes to the top of the cliffs.  We used to walk this EVERY Sunday when I was a kid.

Scariest picnic ever!

Are you lichen my hair?

We finally shifted our hides when we realized there was no easy way to get to the creek from our 'campsite' and set off to find better access for smaller people.  The older kids rejoined us and we all headed back to the cars for more food.

After a picnic in which Amanda graciously shared her much healthier fare while we kept the gummy frogs hidden from her kids, we walked over to the campground and looked around.  It's $5 a night to camp and a couple of the sites are QUITE nicely situated.  There are 2 water spigots between the 10 sites, but only a pit toilet at the campground.  At the day use area, about...100 feet away, there's a bathroom with flush toilets and hot showers.  The showers look super manky and in need of repair, but if they get fixed up, it would be a great place to camp-Brushy Lake is really pretty.

We headed out from there to the bridge and looked around, but still no good creek access.  Our last stop was at Rush Creek, where Matt and I went a couple years ago to geocache and got stuck on that mesa!  It's a beautiful creek when it's flowing and we decided that was the spot!  We are going back ASAP when it's warm enough to get in and play.  I already have been daydreaming about this very spot for tubing with the kids.  No leeches.  :)

Matt took these, I was unwilling to get in the water, it was about 32.1 degrees.

Chan headed on home with Rho, we go tomorrow to lead an organized hike in Huntsville EARLY IN THE MORNING and will be picking up Ben and Elan-they are at Alex's house-afterward.  Then we can meet up with Amanda tomorrow evening and swap kids back around at the Mexican place we all like. Another great day in the making!

Anyway, that was our day-sweet and sunny with a side of chill.  When we got home, I crashed HARD for about 2 hours (after I vacuumed) and now I am WIDE awake.  I knocked out a good bit of the mess in the house-it's mostly things just not where they need to be.  And did laundry, of course.  Matt must have thought my nap was permanent, he's been passed out since before dark.  Now that I think about it a bit, I am not as wide awake as I thought.  He's awfully warm and snuggly and it IS chilly in here...I think I will leave the rest of the to do list for another day.  G'night!

Summer Day Three: Laundry! (and catch-up)

The girls spent last week at day camp, the finale program was Thursday evening.  Chan took drama and production and Brit took Drama and Music, so they were not together for their 'master classes'.

The theme this year was Mardi Gras, they sang songs and did some group dances.  The morning group was 1st through 5th grade and the afternoon group was 6th and up and the finale had them all together.

 The Fine Arts Center leaves a LOT to be desired, such as seating from which you can SEE the stage.
There's Chan in the middle.  She's a police officer.

 

 

Brit and Zachary, he is thrilled.  I know he looks like he's eaten shoe polish, but that kid was so excited about camp and he did a great job with his part of the performance, but golly pete, he looks miserable!  hahaha!

A better shot of the view. AWESOME!
(that's sarcasm)

It's over!  That's Chan over on the right in the blue shirt.  She had one of I think 3 'roles' from the older kids group.  Keilee pretended to whistle while some kids pretended to play instruments-so she got to stand on the side stage for that, Chan was a police officer, John was a...pirate fortune teller?  And that's all I can think of.  There may have been one more.

Afterward, we hit Sonic for half off milkshakes after 8 p.m.

Lily, Suzette's niece, was in the show too.  That girl can dance!

We've had a busy and fun stretch lately, I am very glad for good friends and happy memories.  The trend continues next weekend for Matt's birthday and a couple of day trips!  But for the next few days, we will be sticking close to home, getting caught up with chores and taking it easy.