The times they are a changin'.......

I'm not exactly sure where my little children have gone.  They are no longer here.  Instead, I have some very grown up, getting bigger every day children.

Here is my oldest, who is practicing getting her driver's license, attending high school dances (yes, homeschooled kids do these things too), attending late night parties, qualifying for state swim championships, looking all grown up.

She is also alot of the reason I spend most of my day in the car, cannot keep enough food in the house, why there are usually alot of baked goods in the house,  have learned to love One Direction (you have to admit, they are better than Bieber), why I sit on metal bleachers for hours on end.  Totally worth it.

Below, in the maroon shirt you will see the worlds up and coming best photo bomber.  He has lots of practice with having two sisters.  He is the middle (which is obvious), all boy (again, very obvious), and about to be taller than his sister.  He is another reason why I spend alot of time in the car, why I have learned how to work an xbox, why I think nothing of blood and guts, why most of the time it is necessary to order an entire pizza just for him.

He is also a teeanger and again, all boy.  Which is why I didn't make him get his school picture done.  He isn't much into pictures of himself these days (unless he is photo bombing - when did this become a word anyway??).  His rooms smells of chlorine, which I believe I will take, considering the alternative.  He cannot get enough of independence, thrill rides, challenges, and bugging his sisters.

Here is the baby.  Wait, that doesn't look like a baby.  How did this happen???  She looks way too grown up, but then again, she is forced to grow up a little faster being the youngest and all.  She is the reason I still get to cuddle on the couch and read aloud, get to pick out cutsie clothes, why I keep straws in the house (because it is more fun to drink with a straw).

She is also the reason we still have Barbies, lots of books, watch alot of animated movies.  She has learned to hang out with the big kids at youth events and swim meets.  She knows more swim jargon than I do.  She still needs and wants her momma and daddy, but we are now very capable of embarassing her.  She has learned to become independent quickly and I have learned to let her (sending her off to ride roller coasters by herself!!), but has the best teachers (a brother and sister who will take her off with them on adventures without us).

Yes, these are different days.  But I like them.  I really do like teenagers, the independence that comes with it, the stuff they get to do, the fun they can be.  

 Even though it means lots of driving and lots of food.
 Lots and lots of food.

Twas two weeks before Christmas.....

Twas two weeks before Christmas and all thru the house,
was a mess so atrocious, for even a mouse.
The stockings had been hung by the chimney with care
But the tree topper laid on the floor, not so bare.
Two children nestled studying for exams on their beds,

While visions of Disney still danced in their heads.
The third child she snuggled on the couch with a temp
and watched movie after movie, laying so limp.

This Mother run ragged, not sleeping at night,
wondered if the holidays would become merry and bright.
She looked down the week and at her house with dismay,

Wondering if ever there might be a calm day.
What with unpacking, then finals, parties and swimming galore,
and then the young tikes kept asking for more.
But, "Not so," said the Mother and Father with love so strong
this hustle and bustle has gone on too long.
It is time to settle down, give us a break,

By golly, the cupboards are bare, for goodness sake.

So one week before Christmas we awoke, and made a clatter,

And no one seemed to ask “what was the matter”
They finished exams, picked up their space,

Then helped with the rest of the chores with such grace.
And what to my wondering eyes should I see,
but clean counters, and floors, and even a present wrapped under the tree.
I whistled and shouted and called them by name,

Let the party begin, it won’t be the same.
Forward on shopping, and wrapping and baking galore,

Time with family and friends, couldn’t ask for more.

Right then, in a moment, I knew what had begun,
the celebration and joy of the Birth of God’s Son.

Things about me that may surprise you

Every once and a while, I will think about myself and things that I do or have done that cause my family to think I am so weird, or I am so cool.  Alot of times, David will call me a "spy", just because it is so weird.  So, I thought it would be fun to share a few of those things.  Ha.

1.  As a child, I didn't eat syrup on my pancakes.  It made it soggy.  When I was little, maybe around 4 or 5, my Sunday school teachers made pancakes in Sunday school.  The teacher made me eat them with syrup.  I was mad. I think it made me cry.

2.  I tend to hang on the traumatic things about my childhood.  And then proceed to use them as excuses when I am seeming to go crazy.  Ok, I don't use them as excuse.  But, for some weird reason, I hang on to them. 

3.  I eat syrup on my pancakes now.  Too much. Especially with chocolate chip pancakes.  My waistline is proof.

4.  As a child, I also didn't eat milk on my cereal.  You know, the soggy thing.  I began eating it with milk in college.  On a trip.  To Poland.  And for whatever reason, lack of bowls in the dorm where we stayed or something, I used a glass.  Cereal, in a glass, with milk, eaten with a spoon. 

5.  To this day, I still eat cereal, in a glass, with milk, and a spoon. 

6.  David says I make annoying slurping noises when I eat cereal.  I try to avoid him when I do it.

7.  When I fill a muffin tin with muffin cup liners, I count them.   I can't help it.  There are twelve every time.

8. That makes me sound Type A.  I am not.  By any stretch.

9.  One of my dearest friends enjoys organizing her folders every January for the new year.  She color codes her clothes.  I think that there is something wrong with her.

10. I eat and write with my left hand. I use scissors, bat, throw a football with my right hand. Actually, I can throw a football equally well with both hands. Now, you may be thinking equally well means nothing, but suffice it to say, David was impressed

11.  I bungee jumped in college.  I charged it on my parents credit card, then called them later and told them about it.  :)   On the way home from bungee jumping, we walked under the bridge across the Tombigbee River.  Remember my post about being fearful of heights?  Yeah, something changed with childbirth. 

12.  Speaking of children, my foot grew a 1/2 size with each child.

13. Back to the childhood trauma thing- I am not a cat person.  Kitty, my mom's and aunt's cat, did not like the fact that I overtook her queenly roll in the family.  It was so bad that I remember being told often to not look her in the eyes.  I did.  Once.  Under the kitchen table.  Her claws met my face.  Too this day, even kitten's claws make me nervous.

14.  I love dogs.  I love this dog, on most days.  Except when he wants to play keep away with the socks. 

That is all. For today. 

Monday Morning

Monday mornings here can be a bear, or it can run like a dream.  I never really know how it will go until I wake up.   Here is how our morning went today.

This morning I woke up a little later than I wanted.  I don't usually set an alarm, because I usually wake up at the same time.  And, my mom will get a laugh out of this, I already had a text from her about what Jake needed to bring for their math session this morning.   My brain starts working and I realize I will have to run by the store to get something for the kids to take in their lunch tomorrow. We are out of things that don't need cooking.  I hopped up, get dressed, and headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast telling the dog to shush and quit whining.  As I walked into the kitchen, I realized the dishwasher didn't get run last night.  David was working on a leaky faucet and kept having to turn the water off.  I didn't want to start it and then have it turn off, so I would be smart and start it at bedtime.  Hee, hee.  I ignore the stack of dirty dishes awaiting their turn to get clean.

As I ate I realized the dog had some extra energy, so while I drank my coffee, I went outside to throw the ball around with him.  I threw, he just stood there.  By the way, he is a retriever.  Yep.  I found the soccer ball.  He loved that, went crazy, I went inside to begin supper. 

Supper starts in the morning.  This is really a good way to do it, because the bewitching hours of 4:30-6:30 are just that-bewitching.  For us, in this season of life, we are gone most days between 3:45-7:45.  So, we eat lots of crock-pot suppers.  And that means, it begins early in the day.

Apparently, I didn't print off the recipe like I thought, so I had to get on Pinterest.  I caught myself from getting too distracted, found it and proceeded to copy it down.  By copy, I mean write it.  We were just about out of copy paper and I knew the kids would need it for school.  (I was right.  Before 9:00 we were out).  Jake and Katie came wandering in.  Jake told me his molar was hurting again real bad.  I took a look.  I can't tell if it is pushing on a bracket and decided it deserved a trip to the dentist.

I call David to check in for the morning.  He left before we were up and going.  Fill him in, then between the dog barking (he knows David isn't at home) and two children standing in line waiting for me to get off the phone, I end the call early.

I waited till 8 to call the dentist, and they can get us in at 11:15.  I call my mom and reschedule tutoring until after that.  Sara Beth knows we are getting out and wants to go so we can swing by Target and get the new Taylor Swift cd.  Since at this point, I have to go and get copy paper and lunch for tomorrow, I realize why not.  We will all leave, go to the dentist, eat lunch at Grandmas house, go to Target.

The kids get started on school work.  Sara Beth throws in a load of laundry as I start browning meat for supper.  I am browning several pounds at one time so it will be in the freezer ready to go when I need it.  In between turning the meat, I grab clothes to throw in the laundry as well, to make a full load.  While I am browning meat and doing laundry at the same time, I am instructing 3rd grade cursive writing, clarifying 7th grade geography assignments, letting Sara Beth know that several emails have come in from her honors biology teacher,  wondering what my afternoon will look like if I end up having to take Jake downtown to the orthodontist, mentally planning what I will get at the store, what to-do's I will need to take for my 3 hour sit at swim practice and pleasantly realize, I can get grading and a grocery list done.That is if I stay focused and can do that while I visit with other swim moms.  My social outlet of the week.

Meat has been browned, I have assisted in 3rd grade helping verbs, dirtied up several more dishes and realized the kitchen won't get clean today.  I now must go "put my face on", saute onions and bell peppers, do third grade school work, smile as I think about all my kiddos watching their Latin video together, call and let my mom know we will all be there for lunch, not just Jake, put everything in the crock-pot before we leave at 11, let the dog out of the kennel, put clothes the dryer.

Hmm, I think that about covers it.
It's only 9:30.

(Disclaimer: No children or dogs were harmed during the publication of this blog.  It was done a few sentences at time and  made the mom feel much better, and that despite the fact the house will probably stay a mess for the entirety of the day, she has accomplished much already)

Summer Trip

 

As part of our Southeastern Championship swim meet, we decided to tack on a few days at the end and make a vacation out of it.  So, during the days at the meet, we began to research where we would go.



 

 Back in the days before we had kids, we tended to be somewhat spontaneous in our adventures.  We would take off driving and see where it would land us.  With the addition of children, it began to be a little more complicated- naps, kids supplies, food, etc.  Now that they are older, we decided to venture out a little. 

 

You have to understand that for some in our family that brings some excitement, but for the planner in the family - who just has to know- it can be quite the challenge. 

 

After the meet, we packed up and headed out.  We ended up in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area and began searching for a hotel room.  Ummm, apparently, the area was quite busy and that took much longer than we anticipated.  But we found a room and decided to hang out and stay there for a few days seeing the sights.

 

Bright and early the next morning, we headed out for the big kids and David to white water raft with the older group from our swim team. They had a blast.  Katie and I hung out with another sweet mom, her daughter, and one of the coaches.  The girls swam, feet up, collecting shells at a nearby beach. 

 

After that, we did all of the fun touristy stuff.  The mountain chair lift (which Mom did not do- more on that in a minute), the aquarium, the shops, Bubba Gumps shrimp, etc.  And one huge event at the end- but you must keep reading!   Before I go on, I must say that having older kids is fun.  When they were little, everything seemed to surround around nap/rest time, early bedtimes, etc.  Now, we just go with the flow, and throw all schedules to the wind.  Poor Katie- being the youngest she is alot of time along for the ride.  But out of our kids, she needs the least amount of sleep.  Which makes it so much easier.  

 



The Aquarium



There are two things I must address before I get into the next set of pictures.  David has a great sense of adventure.  I can only imagine what his life would be like if he didn't have us to feel responsible for.  Maybe we just keep him grounded.  For example, he would love to go sky diving.  Umm, not me,....which comes to my next point.  Since having children, I am truly afraid of heights.  Which is terribly unsual considering some of the things I have done.  (Post coming later on that.)  Heights creates in me this horrible feeling.  I do put on a good face and put forth good effort for my kids sakes, but it just ain't fun. 

So, when David started researching ziplines, I knew I was out.  He found this great one called Canopy Works, which ziplines you for two hours through the Smoky Mountains.  Despite the cost, he was hooked.  And so were the kids, even Miss Katie.   So, late one afternoon, I drove them all to the place, dropped them off, then had a break in the hotel room.  They had a beautiful time covering the tops of trees.  They had a blast and it was so worth it.  Katie didn't even miss a beat, seeming to be the bravest of them all.  Because of her age, she had to ride with a guide, but she didn't mind.  Here are a few pics of what I missed. :)
 

Flames in the kitchen and other records of the week

1.  I am proud to say that I made it 18 years of marriage without catching the kitchen on fire.

2.  Also proud that the first flames in the kitchen were small, caused no damage, and that I hadn't left the room.  Otherwise I would be posting something different.

3.  David's truck wins the record of still plugging along, after many resucitations along the way.  Unfortunately, that streak is about to end, this weekend.  That call came not long after I put out the flames.

4.  There is probably no computer that has been in the shop more often than ours.  Seriously.  It crashed again early this week, after only having it home for a week. 

5.  Our laptop is on its last leg as well.  The rugged built laptop, made to endure drops on rocks, weather, etc has not been able to withstand the use of our children.  The computer guy says they have never had one of those break.  My kids broke their record.  Currently, we put masking tape on the screen to hold it together while we are using it.  Not kidding.

(See, we are on a roll of a record breaking week around here.)

6.  While that was going on we were figuring out how best to handle the wildlife that has taken residence in our attic.  It has been approximately,  6 or 7 years since this has happened.

7.  $$$ = the amount of money it will take to get rid of such critters, as we need to do house repairs, etc first.   It was on the list to do anyway, but we were waiting until we caught up on our budget after the summer.  Umm....

8.  The dishwasher has been resucitated  many times as well.  I believe it is also giving up the ghost.  We are still using it, and just rewashing those items that don't get clean.  I believe, as the mom, I will be handwashing dishes for a while, leading another section of home economics to my children as they learn to appreciate a dishwasher while handwashing dishes.

9.  My ankles pronate (roll in).  Always have.  Two of my children inherited this trait.  Only assuming one had, I took this child to the doctor who then delcared those feet the worst of the week in their office.  Yay.  Later that evening we looked at all of our lovely children's feet, and discovered one other has it too.  If not worse than the other.  Yay. So, now we are looking at high dollar shoes and inserts for these kiddos feet.

(I mean, really - computers, feet, trucks, fires, wildlife- in 5 days????)

10.  The horse dog finally finished off the rose bush.  One less thing for me think about.

11.  $$$$$$$$$$ - amount it will cost us to deal with all of these award winning, record breaking accomplishments.

We have joked, and said to ourselves, "really??",  "seriously??" many, many times to ourselves and each other this week.  The kids are now frantic, and keep asking if we will be poor and broke.  We respond,  "We won't be broke, but we will need to watching our spending very closely and only do and get those things which are necessities. " "Yes, we will." :) 

Then we tell them, but we have each other.  We are still here to pray for our friends who are dealing with much much worse.  We are dealing with earthly things.  Things that won't go with us after we are gone.  We aren't battling cancer, marital issues, hurricanes (well maybe on that one - Sara Beth is headed to the coast tomorrow for a week long sea lab field trip and Isaac is on its way).

And God knows.  And for that we are very, very thankful.

July = Swim, swim, and more swim

Well, it appears that we are officially a swim family.  July was spent at more swim meets than I care to remember, but all resulted in great swims for the kids.  Between that and the olympics, our kids are  more determined and motivated than ever to give it their all. 

So, July was one swim meet after another.  Thursday nights were our fun summer league team, weekends were our competitive team.  

First our fun league.  It's what started all this to begin with anyway.  We have been swimming with this team every summer since '05, with the exception of one year when we took a break.  It culminates with a big city championship meet at the end of July.  For all of those summers, my kids have watched other kids (mostly year round swimmers) receive one of the coveted high point winner trophies.  We just weren't in that league yet, although they each would place well in separate individual events and come home with ribbons and medals.  This year, after a year of long hard work, it finally paid off.  Sara Beth came home with 2nd runner up and Jake came home with 5th runner up.  So proud of these kids and their persistence.   Katie came home with 4 medals (which are awarded 1st-7th place, 8th-16th get ribbons), sad she didn't get any ribbons and suprisingly sad she didn't get a trophy.  We told her if she kept working, it would pay off, and that her siblings didn't get one when they were 8 either.  It doesn't help that the competition is broader at that age as well.  She was none the less happy for Jake and Sara Beth and has her eye already on next summer.

For our competitve league, the long course season (50 meter length pool) culminates with a regional championship in July.  There are qualifying times required to go, so it gives the kids a goal to work towards, besides just bettering their time.  Well throughout long course season, we could see that this was in reach for Sara Beth and Jake.  (Katie is a little young yet).  Jake was so determined, that at the end of June he made a cut for his 100 breast.  He was so excited.  Problems came in when the championship meet was the same week as our church youth group mission trip and he had been looking forward to this trip for several years.  The meet was also a big trip with plenty of expenses.  A tough decision.  He decided that if he could make another cut or if Sara Beth made a cut that he wanted to go.  We were fine with that.  At a meet in early July, he made his cut in the 50 breast.   Whoo, whoo- championship meet here we come.  Sara Beth,  not to be out done by Jake, started working so hard, pushing herself.  The Friday before the championship meet, she had one more chance.  And she did it- she made a cut in the 100 breast.  (For me watching it, was so terribly nerve wracking.  David said it looked like I was about to throw up).   And as a special bonus, the coaches put together a cute little relay team of 8 yr old girls (siblings of some of the older swimmers) so Katie also got to swim in the championship meet. 

Fun facts:

- Our team is made up of great kids and parents.

- Out of town meets are a blast (and also expensive :) )
- Our kids got really motivated to come home and work harder

- They got to swim in the same pool where the Olympians were training a week earlier - way cool
- We are glad that we are on break at the moment. :)

Sara Beth in third lane from the top

Jake coming in with his backstroke in the relay

Katie warming up