Atlanta Memorial Day Weekend 2012

We went to Atlanta for the 3 day holiday weekend.  We drove Saturday morning and arrived in time to check into the hotel.  D and I used to stay at this hotel when we would visit in the first few years of our marriage. The grounds are beautiful and have walking trails that are really peaceful.

 We got to the stadium after the game started due to traffic; not a bad thing considering the limited attention span of M.  All the boys enjoyed their first big league game and paid attention through the whole game.

 After the game their was a concert by last year's American Idol winner.  We stayed for a few songs, but the boys were not interested in listening to country music. 

 Saturday was for doing some shopping and relaxing at the pool.  I also tortured the poor children by making them have their pictures taken on the walking trails around the hotel.

 Monday we had one last big activity.....Legoland Discovery Center!  It had information about LEGO, all sorts of creations, a couple of small rides, a 4D movie and LEGO activities for the boys to make and try.

 Lunch at the Varsity Grill was the last stop before we hit the road for home.

Fun.  Relaxed.  Low key.  It was a perfect weekend.  The boys had fun.  D and I had fun.  That doesn't always happen that a trip pleases everyone all the way through.    This trip also helped us recognize some things that help us on the road and try to think how to apply them to other trips this summer.  Having snacks in the hotel room is not only a money saver, but a sanity saver;  at 7:30 (am or pm) no one wants to run out and find something to eat that everyone will like.  Drinks are the same thing; no one wants to pay $2 for a vending machine drink especially when our children eat and drink in mass amounts.  Next trip I will not just set the boys clothes together in the suitcase, but will actually roll their outfits (underwear, shorts, shirt, socks) all together and rubber band it so when it is time to get out clothes for the day I can just toss each boy a roll for the day.No digging through the suitcase for pieces.  I used to pack each child a backpack of activities for a trip--those days are gone.  Each boy brings a book and their handheld video game.  Most hotels have paper and pens in the room for drawing.  The rest of the stuff just got ignored or lost. 
Our first trip of the summer was terrific and hopefully we can use our new tricks to make all our summer adventures fun for the whole family.
love and hugs, B

From the Crazy Mixed Up Files of E's Birthday

E has had some mixed up birthdays in the past:
Age 2 our house was for sale and we had 4 showings scheduled that day.  We finally got back in the house in time to grill a quick dinner and let E make a mess with his cake; the phone rang as we put him in the tub for clean up--another person was out front and wanted to look at the house.  We quickly packed the poor birthday boy up and went for a ride while they looked.
Age 5  D was out of town overseas for that one and the celebrations just kept going to make up for that.  Preschool party, special lunch, neighborhood party, family party and then party with D when he returned loaded with trinkets from his trip for E.
This year's birthday at age 11 will rank right up there with the mixed up for E.  The day of his birthday we were all so sick that he barely got a "Happy Birthday" out of any of us.  The birthday calls from family brightened him up some and we put off the big celebration until the weekend. We began the celebrations slowly with a Friday night homemade spaghetti dinner.   Saturday we also had a nice day of celebrating our favorite 11 year old.  The boys chose a walk around the Birmingham Zoo as the outing for the day.  It is nice to be a member so we can go for a while and know that when someone gets tired we can go back and finish another day.  We saw a few animals and then sat for the sea lion show.  Farley, the sea lion, was the hit of the day.

 After the zoo we had special lunch of E's choosing and ran a couple errands before heading home to an afternoon of play and relaxing.  I made the birthday boy's dessert of choice which was a giant snickerdoodle cookie.  He is 11 now and not a fan of cake anyway.

 Funny how as the kids get bigger the gifts get smaller (for the most part).  No, not a phone (please, we won't even get the poor child a regular video game system); it's my old iTouch with all internet access/email access removed for now.  As he shows us his responsibility level he will gain access to items for his favorite new gadget.  So far he has been very good with it.  He also got a new kickball and bases to play kickball or baseball with. 

So while this was a crazy mixed up birthday for E I think he enjoyed it in the end.  Happy 11th Birthday to my first baby boy!  love and hugs, B

Southern Living

When I was a little girl I can remember my mom always had Southern Living in the magazine rack. Always. It is the southeastern US bible of cooking, decorating, gardening, and travel. I have read this magazine from the time I was a little girl. I liked to look at the pictures of different places. I liked to look at the foods. Not so interested in the gardening section, but I knew even my Dad read this magazine for the gardening advice. In fact today my Dad carries the Southern Living Garden Guide in his truck when he heads out to seriously do some landscaping. I also have the Southern Living Garden Guide to help me along as I learn to make our yard(s) more beautiful {OK, except for the years in WA state where it was not relevant}. I have made the cover cakes from the holiday issue of the magazine for multiple years. I bought--and actually cooked from--- the cookbooks. I have subscribed to the magazine or gotten it as a gifts for well over a decade from my Mom. I have researched trips though its paper pages as well as online information. Southern Living truly is held up at a high standard and has been a part of my home both growing up as well as making my own adult homes mine. Saturday evening D brought our new neighbor over to meet me and sit a spell and get to know each other. During the conversation he mentioned he moved here to work for Southern Living. OH! My mind began to race... perhaps he just gets coffee for them and runs errands. Is my patio table clean? Why does that one planter look so awful? Why haven't I planted the whole yard yet? Finally I ask what he does for Southern Living hoping that it will put my mind at ease and I can still be friends with his family. When he says he is the Creative Director my heart stops. He is the Creative Director for THE BIBLE OF EVERYTHING SOUTHERN AND HOME. I went ahead and told him he would not be allowed in my house ever and he laughed. Glad he thought I was joking. love and hugs and is it rude to make the poor guy sit on the patio every time he comes over? B PS He is super nice and has been away from his family longer than D and I have been apart during some moves. He is so excited that his family will be here in less than a month and E and G are whipped up about a 12 year old boy who loves baseball next door...even if he is a Jets fan.

When It Rains, It Pours

Sorry to family members checking the blog for E's birthday celebration pictures.... there aren't any yet. This has been quite a week. Let me give you the rundown so you fully understand why there hasn't been a celebration yet. Monday G was diagnosed with strep and after lunch M admitted the back of his tongue felt funny. I said in that post that I should just round them all up and take them in for strep tests---I should have trusted my intuition. TUESDAY: M was obviously having issues with headache and tummy ache in full force and while E said his head hurt he also said he was fine to go to school. So E heads to school and we head to the doctor to get M and I tested for strep. M tests positive and I have a sinus infection. Pick up prescriptions and grab lunch with the little ones and LITERALLY right as I pull out on the interstate to head for home E calls from school saying his head hurts so bad he needs to come home. Stop by school to pick him up and head home to make an appointment to take him in for his strep test (I should be getting a buy 3 get 1 free on strep tests at this point). E tests positive. Off to the grocery to get his prescription, but not until after he gets a pennicillin shot. Drama. You have never heard such drama. That child has control issues. He is trying to direct the nurse how and when to give him the shot and ended up with a huge bruise where he tried to turn over and run away during the injection. WEDNESDAY: G heads back to school. E and M don't seem to be any better and E is actually worse. His fever keeps hitting 102 when he is not on meds. And there is a headache portion with these two that is severe--they all take naps voluntarily. Wednesday night I begin to feel a slight headache myself. THURSDAY: E's birthday. He gets to stay home for the 3rd or 4th year on his birthday because he is sick. School celebration is scrapped. G goes off to school happy to get away from the sickies. I am grumpy due to the raging headache I now have. It hurts to be in a room with lights on. All sounds hurt, doesn't matter how loud or soft. Mid morning E's temp spikes back up to over 102.5 and he gets sick to his stomach. TV and quiet dark rooms and ibuprofen often for mommy get us through until 2pm when we get a call from school. G has the headache. E stays with M while I hop to school up the street for pick-up. G gets home and he is immediately sick also. E and M begin to show signs of true inprovement throughout the afternoon, but G is down for the count. Naps all around and most of them eat dinner. No birthday dessert. After dinner E gets his biggest birthday gift and gets to open his cards. The other gifts will wait till a weekend celebration when we all feel like celebrating. The birthday treat (a giant snickerdoodle cookie) will happen then too. Pictures of all of us celebrating and happy to be healthy again will happen then too. FRIDAY (today) All the boys are home today. A few complaints of headaches still going around and I think some of the guys will nap before the afternoon is over, but today is better than the rest of the week. Praying that a quiet weekend will help us recover. Pictures from an 11-year-olds birthday coming soon. love and hugs, B

Quiet Weekend to Relax

We had a quiet weekend to simply catch up on some errands and relax. A good thing too since by Saturday afternoon G was coming down with something. Took him to the doctor this morning and found out he had strep. Of course, M didn't mention until we picked a prescription and got all the way home that the 'back of his tongue' feels funny. I really think I will just round them all up and take them in for strep tests at the same time from now on. I am also feeling a bit odd, but not sure if that is truly feeling bad or simply sympathy symptoms because I have dealt with the contaminated child the most and just had to sit in a doctor's office. At least we know there is one case in the house so we can get in quickly to take care of others as they fall victim. The week can only look up right? love and hugs, B

Alabama Messed Up My Mother's Day Gift

When you read the post from Thursday, May 10 you can know that Alabama messed up my Mother's Day gift by passing the bill called the "Flexible School Calendar Bill"-- isn't that name ironic. A note to the tourist board- OOPS, I mean Legislature who runs the state: a flexible plan would be here are 365 days in a year, use 180 or 1080 hours of instructional time to educate your children, anytime that works for your district within those 365 works for us. Thanks Alabama! This reminds me--got to get registered to vote and make note of who voted for the tourist board to run the education system. Rant over. B

Here is What I Want for Mother's Day

** First let me say that these opinions are only my own and may be a bit off the deep end.   Toning down opinions--- not a strength for me.  If you don't like it, don't read it**
This year for Mother's Day I would like the State Legislature of Alabama to come to its senses and recognize that the tourism industry should not be running the educational system.  As simple as that request seems the Legislature is working hard to undo the one thing I think this school system has right.  Children (in my district) have 10 weeks of summer then during the fall they have several 1-2 day breaks, a long winter holiday, and short 1-2 days breaks until the weeklong spring break.  When children return after 10 weeks they are refreshed, but their brains have not completely gone dormant.  Small breaks during the school year are also refreshing and give parents and kids a time to connect and teachers a well-earned respite from rooms full of ankle-biters.   While in the early American days school began in September to allow children to help with harvest on farms, in modern America the September start is unnecessary as children are no longer a vital workforce on farms.  Our district begins school during the second week of August.  Let me describe what our daily schedule looks like beginning in mid-July and throughout August:  play outside in the early morning with sunscreen and hats in the shade, an hour before lunch move indoors, play inside during the dangerous sun and temperature time in the middle of the day, move back outside just before dinner or only after dinner depending on how hot it still is.  I stay home with the boys all summer and this year will have at least one boy with me all day every day and for over half the summer all three will be home all day (a few camps are scattered in there).  By week 9 of summer break my kids actually tell me they are ready to go back and look forward to the first day of school.
 Currently in our State House there is a bill that would dictate to schools that start dates be no more than a week before Labor Day and must end the Friday before Memorial Day. Twists include schools would no longer be required to have 180 days in their school year but legally must provide 1080 hours of instruction time.  What the State Legislature is doing here is letting the tourism industry feed them a trough of statistics on how childhood is being destroyed by the 10 week summer, that kids need more time to be kids,  and that people can't possibly get to the beach with only a year's notice about when the 10 week summer holiday falls. 
What the tourism industry thinks is that with 2 extra weeks families will have more time to bond and hit the beaches and fill the tourism industry pockets and dictating start dates is the only way to make those joyful family memories and save childhood.  Really?   Have these people never walked on the beach and gotten third degree burns on their feet from the sand in August?  Better yet third degree sunburn after 10 minutes in an August scorcher?  A nice vacation at the beach during fall break is much more appealing to me.  How about Thanksgiving on the Gulf of Mexico?  I am all for it.  The tourism industry could be creating a strong year round sale for their destinations with varied school breaks instead of packing everyone in all at once.   
Childhood is not being destroyed by the 10 week summer vacation or too much homework.  Childhood is already on a slippery slope of decline with parents who have taken away all their children's free play time and packed it with activity after activity.  Even if the kids like the activities, they need time to be by themselves, or make up games with friends, to create their childhood memories. ( I already hit the decline of childhood a bit here) Childhood is being destroyed everyday by parents not setting extracurricular limits with their kids or (worse) pushing their kids into every activity available.  Two extra weeks of summer means another two weeks of camp/practice every day because Bobby is going to make it to the big league AND be star of the swim team AND have the best piano recital ever.  While the tourism department Legislature is making things all legal they should probably put in the law that  one of those extra weeks must be spent on the coast with a minimum spending amount designated.
Schools calendars are created, reviewed and approved by educators and parents during the winter.  Calendars for my district have been on the web site since February--- I know, I already have the 2012 fall break written in and have already discussed plans to go to the beach in October when it will be a pleasant vacation instead of a boiling complaint-fest.  I truly believe that anyone who wants to fit their vacation into the summer can do so now.  I know when we used to live elsewhere that to be able to plan a vacation  made it more enticing if the kids at the destination were already in school: less traffic, less crowds.

In all my arguments against this bill I didn't even get into the working parent point of view.  What is the likelihood that a family where both parents work will suddenly decide to use those 2 weeks to vacation?  What it will create for many families who need childcare is a financial burden of paying for 2 more weeks of summer camp, child care, or asking relatives for help.  Not saying that school is a replacement for childcare, but that smaller breaks sprinkled during the year are easier for parents to cover childcare by using flextime, trading days off, or asking for help from family and friends in smaller doses.
Wrapping it up... all I want for Mother's Day is for the State Legislature not to let the tourism department run the schools.  Educators know what they are doing;  it is not just their job, it is their passion and life's work.  When our state consistently ranks in the top ten for academic excellence then perhaps we can discuss cutting back on the hefty 180 day school year (ha!ha!  hefty, it's sarcasm).  I question the decision making skills of anyone who places the value of a dollar over the value of a child's education.  I doubt that a person who grows to an adult unable to perform basic skills they should have learned in school will look back on their childhood and thank the legislature for giving them that extra 2 weeks off.
Stepping down off the soap box and away from the keyboard now.  Normal blogging (instead of rant blogging) will resume soon.  B

Garden Update Early May

 Here is update right from our backyard on the garden.   This picture was taken about 2 weeks ago.  you can see little bits of green poking up all over.

This weekend I took these pics as I put in supports for the tomatoes and green beans.  I don't use tomato cages since I thin they are ugly;  they might be practical, but I want my veggies to look pretty while they grow.  Last year I was really living Martha Stewart style and used large sticks from the woods and twine to create rustic supports.  This year I bought bamboo poles and used jute string to make supports.  

 Corn.  I am already having better luck than when I tried corn in Gig Harbor.  I guess it needs sun and heat-- Alabama has plenty of both.

 Zucchini.  One plant... we learned our lesson a few years back about zucchini.

 The younger boys started watermelon from seeds the Easter bunny brought for them.

 A view of the whole garden setup.  Only part of the backyard is fenced so right now I am just hoping the deer can't find the garden hidden around the corner and close to the house.  If they do find it I will have ruin the whole aesthetically pleasing garden with a yucky fence system.

love and hugs and happy growing!  B

My Parent's First Visit and G's First Communion

 This weekend was my parents' first visit to our new home in Alabama and a celebration of G's first communion at church.   G celebrated first communion with his whole class at one Mass.  This was different for us because E's class split into several services for their celebrations and sat with our family.  G couldn't sit with us so it was really hard for me not to be next to him if he needed some reassurance;  though he didn't seem nervous at all.  Best pics are first.  Our handsome middle child ready for his big day....

 

With his grandma and grandpa.....

 With his Aunt T....

 Three fine young men all dressed up..... can you see M's bad mood descending in this pic?  E had a sweet moment before we left for church when he realized M wasn't wearing a tie he took him upstairs and gave him his old tie to wear so he would be like the big kids.  Super thoughtful!

 Family photo with M in full bad mood form at this point.

 Of course there were the first time tourist things for my parents: showing them around our new town, visiting the statue of Vulcan, walking the kids to and from school, and fishing in the neighborhood pond.

It was a very nice relaxed weekend and I think everyone had a good time, but didn't get too worn out.  love and hugs, B

I Have a Few Questions

** Why can't G go to sleep? Why can't her turn off his little brain? Where did he get his type A tendencies? He turns off his light at 8:15 and at 8:17 is freaking out because he isn't asleep and works himself into a frenzy because he is failing at falling asleep. ** Why don't 10 year olds rule the world? They have all the answers.... oh except for the math test.... they have all the other answers though. ** Should I warn M's kindergarten that he is coming to school next fall? The teachers may need more preparation for his rambunctiousness.....or perhaps more medical training for all his accidents. ** Why do I only run into people I know when I look completely dumpy? How many people do I even know here? And after cleaning the house all morning and rushing through shopping I was almost home free checking out and there is someone I know who is dressed all shiny and clean and it always happens that way for me. ** How will my poor munchkins survive summer here? It is already hot enough that they resist going outside right after school. If we don't work on applying sunscreen consistently we will mark this year as our first real full-on sunburn. **Why didn't I discover mopping the shower to clean it years ago? Really. Spray on cleaner. Clean the rest of the bathroom. Mop the shower clean and then mop your way out of the bathroom with the same mop. Good-bye scrub brush! ** Why does it take a visit from someone to light a fire under me to pull the house together? I should schedule people to come in every few weeks so the house will be totally settled and decorated at some point. ** How does summer go from looking frightenly open and clear with no activities to full and fun? We have reached our comfortable balance on the calendar of camps, trips and down time. Hoping this year we have a good balance of each child on their own with me or getting time away from the brothers; last year went very well. ** Why could I only come up with this as a post? Busy and getting busier for a bit. I am sure we will have a new post about something more interesting soon. love and hugs, B