Kindergarten Woes...

The ubiquitous photo of Rylan, with brand new backpack and lunchbox will not exist.

Neither will the photo of her hugging her teacher.

No back-to-school night art projects to see.

No tales of her playground escapades, or new friends.

I am feeling little panicky twinges of doubt that I just blew Rylan's whole schooling experience.

And then it passes.

And then it happens again.  And again.  And again.

Norman Rockwell... go home!!  Get out of my brain!

Rylan is doing just fine with her schoolwork - so I don't know why I am panicking.  It is the plethora of back-to-school commercials, blog posts, and shopping deals that is really affecting me.  Any parent of a five year old must feel blind slided by this every year.  I am just one of many who feels the fear, I suppose.

I know that I am not ruining her future.  I won't be so bold as to say I am making it better than it ever could possibly be... I am just making it 'different'.  There is no one correct way to educate your child.  A homeschooling friend shared a gem with me a while back... that when she is feeling overwhelmed, stressed and doubtful, she reminds herself that she alone taught her kids to read, and that was her proudest achievement - it opened the world for her children.  I think of that every day - as Rylan is in the very process of learning to read.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that your children are learning - and you were the catalyst.  I guess I just worry about all of the other stuff.

It is so hard to keep the social agenda of the rest of the world at bay.  It would seem that the commercial world can not wait!!! for children to grow up.  There are certain channels that are banned in our house.  Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network... and I would LOVE to add ABC Family (there is absolutely nothing 'family' about that channel) to that list but unfortunately we watch the occasional show...  It is not because we are trying to be a puritanical-type family (we're not), it is just that the commercials (and shows) are just so over-the-top with buy!buy!buy! and pushing the envelope with age-appropriateness that we just don't want to subject the kids to that.  Don't even get me started with channels showing horror film trailers during Prime Time.  We hardly ever watch T.V. live anymore - just for that reason.  We DVR everything and blow past the commercials.

I don't want Rylan to start feeling like she is missing out on something down the road...  It is her burgeoning socialite'ness' that has me worried.   What if the activities that she is involved in is not enough?  I imagine her sitting at her group table, as she would be if she were starting Kindergarten in a public school next week.  I can guarantee you that she would hear no less than thirty times a day "Rylan, please stop talking to your neighbor".  Or "Rylan, please don't talk while I am talking"  Or "Rylan, please don't ask questions about 'x'.  Right now we are talking about 'y'."  I can also imagine her sitting there, on the first day, taking in what all of the other girls are wearing.  There would be envy.  Especially if something sparkly was involved.  I most certainly want to avoid that constant state of comparing aspect of school.  I hated that the most during my own school years.  Thirteen solid years of living in a constant state of inadequacy.  It takes its toll, no?

30 Random Things About Me

1.  I love making super-detailed lists, charts, tables, diagrams...  I just can’t ever seem to execute them or follow them as I had originally designed them.

2.  I dislike being in a large group or crowd – especially out in public, like at a sporting event.  I have a very real fear of being caught in the middle of a random act of violence.  That being said though, I love being in a large crowd when something exciting is happening – it feels electrifying.

3.  My introverted nature leads me to hole up in a corner and set up camp with the kids (and use them as an excuse not to mingle) when at a party or gathering.  The exception is when I am with my own family or small group of close friends – then I circulate freely, and feel quite happy when I do so.  This all being said, my husband is an extrovert.  So far, this hasn’t lead to any issues.  I am quite happy to let him do his thing and he is always good about ‘checking in’ with me to make sure I am doing okay.

4.  I don’t believe in Creation, the Immaculate Conception, the resurrection, heaven, hell, sin or prayer.  I get extremely uncomfortable when people get overly preachy with me or push it on my children, yet I do take a vicarious kind of comfort when someone shares his/her spiritual joy.  It’s hard to explain, but I will try.  Let’s say you like the color yellow.  I will nod and listen as you describe how much you like yellow and how important yellow is in your life.  Your happiness about yellow makes me feel good.  Yet the second you expect me to like yellow just as much as you do – you’ve lost me.  Purple is my favorite color and I won’t ever change.  Does that help?  I have nothing against Christianity, other than the fact that a bunch of fanatics have gone overboard with the message.  I do believe that there are several good lessons to learn from some portions of the Bible – taught by a prophet (notice I didn’t say Savior), Jesus.  I think of Jesus as the Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King of his time, as he was a wise man who had plenty to say about the social issues of his day.  Unfortunately he has been misrepresented by different political and social agendas throughout the passage of time.   My belief in God is …complicated.  I am currently exploring my feelings in this matter.

5.  I do believe in Karma, intention and the power of positive thinking (my version of prayer).  I also feel strongly about expressing gratitude for the blessings in your life.

6.  Several years ago I painted my walls various shades of soft yellow to ward off Seasonal Affect Disorder.  It works!  The best time of day is early morning or late afternoon.  The whole house is awash in a soft golden light.  Plus, yellow tones really bring out the warmth in wooden furniture.

7.  I stopped taking the daily local paper and watching the news because I found that reading/listening to stories of hardship and cruelty (especially concerning children) can have quite a detrimental effect on my mood.  Sometimes for days at a time.  The exception is NPR.  That is like an addiction.

8.  The most frightening experience I ever had was wreck-diving in murky water, with a strong current, off the coast of Brisbane, Australia.  I found a very sharp shark’s tooth tumbling along the sandy bottom.  The tooth had to have been recently lost because the serrated edges were still VERY sharp.  My diving buddy (my dad!) had surfaced without me, and I was alone, being carried further away by the strong current.  I was sure that the shark was lurking in the shadows, just out of sight.  I will never forget the awful taste of adrenaline in my mouth as I fought to tamp down the fear and think clearly and logically and ascend and surface at a safe pace.  On a later diving trip to Cozumel, I had a local artisan mount the shark tooth in black pearl so I could wear it as a pendant.

9.  I love to go camping, backpacking, ect.  However, I don’t like being in the woods at night, after we put out the campfire.  (I watched too many scary movies when I was a kid)  I just tolerate it, get very little sleep, and wait for the sun to come up.

10.  What I like most about homeschooling is the total freedom we have from following a strict schedule.  Much to the dismay of extended family, I strongly dislike having to show up for something at a specific time.  With four young children, that is next to impossible anyway.

11.  I wish we could live life at an island’s pace.  More specifically, I wish we could live on an island.  Not in the Caribbean, but in the Pacific Northwest.

12.  I will never understand how anyone can think a black olive tastes good.

13.  I love buying cleaning products and reading about different cleaning strategies and techniques.  The British TV show How Clean is Your House?  But I rarely clean.  Why?  Because four small children and one husband undo any effort of mine to clear the clutter so that I can even clean to begin with.  You will find me on a daily basis using the one-armed sweeping technique to at least brush the previous meal’s crumbs off the table so we can eat in minimal grossness.  Don’t even get me started on the bathrooms…

14.  I love the earthy, musky smell of dog paws.

15.  Thanks to my grandpa Orin, the intertwined smell of tomato plants and geraniums is burned into my olfactory memory.  I can’t smell one without smelling the echo of the other.

16.  I grew up in the Methodist tradition in my family.  It has nothing to do with my current religious (rather anti-religious) beliefs.   I just REALLY struggle with organized religion in general.  I don’t like leaving religious interpretation up to someone else, and I don’t agree with someone else telling me what I should believe.  I do like attending church from time to time simply for the ritual of it and the sense of community I find there.   My favorite thing about church is singing hymns – it is often a very emotional experience for me.  It has more to do with the music than with the words.  Choral music (especially Bach) is one of my greatest joys.

17.  I was never interested that much in politics until Obama ran for president.  I never sported a bumper sticker or put political signs in my yard until then either.

18.  I wish I could play the banjo.

19.  I hate shopping for clothes, but I love shopping for furniture.

20.  I constantly rearrange the furniture in my house.  I dislike stagnancy.

21.  My favorite TV show is The Closer.  It’s all about the accent.  I am so bummed that Season 7 (currently running) will be the last.

22.  I love watching Paula Dean cook.  See (21).

23.  I want to go back school to get my Master’s degree as soon as the kids have moved on.   I want to conduct statistical research on relevant social issues pertaining to our government’s education policy.

24.  My favorite season is fall.  The colors, the smells, the crisp air… also the desire to get back into routine.

25.  I could listen to Nora Jones, Adele and Coldplay all day.

26.  I prefer the cold of winter to the heat of summer.  I love wearing sweaters and slippers.

27.  If I didn’t have to haul kids around, I would like to drive a convertible VW bug.  Light yellow.

28.  The country I would most like to visit is Switzerland.  I have no desire to go to Africa, South America or Asia.  See (2) and (26).

29.  If I had a quiet afternoon to myself, I would read or blog.  And then promptly fall asleep ten minutes later.

30.  I have a secret fascination with large families.  (Think the Duggars).  I follow several blogs that are authored by moms who are predominately Christian (goes with the territory of having several children) and have large families.  Why?  I like several of the ideas they present on how to handle multiple children, along with the homeschooling, chores and housework aspects of life.  I have learned quite a bit from these women.  The religious doctrine is a little over the top, but the advice is sound and it is coming from a perspective that I can relate to (beliefs pertaining to the importance of homeschooling).

Shedding my dignity...

This is not my dog.  Although this one does resemble my second husky quite a bit...  See all the hair?  That is exactly what my carpet looks like.  Even when I vacuum four times a day.  Which I do, during summer and winter shedding times.  You can see fur float across on the kitchen table, as it is propelled by the ceiling fan.  It's on the bathroom counter.  In the sock drawer.  If you sneeze, you will see 50 billion hairs rise up, and settle again.

I hate shedding time.

I have lived with this phenomena for over twenty years, so I have gone through this at least 40 times.  No wait- 39.  One time my dad shaved Kai, my first husky, with clippers.  I don't think she ever forgave me for that.  I just wanted to share my pain, and bitch about having to vacuum again today.

And whatever you do...don't EVER google images of "dog fur".  Especially if you love dogs.  Just.....don't.

Kiddie Kleptomaniacs...



Colin is driving me absolutely crazy lately... he is bent on sneaking off with anything and everything.  All week long I have been retrieving various items from trash cans, floor vents, toilets, dark recesses of closets, the dishwasher/clothes washer/dryer... it goes on and on. 

He has become especially adept at utilizing any climbing device available - nothing short of dragging chairs or stools from room to room to get to what he wants.  In one day this week I fished his crocs out of the kitchen trash, found multiple magnetic letter tiles for our spelling program stuffed into the shreader (it was off, but the safety flap was open), fished matchbox cars, spoons/knives/forks, dogfood and about a billion Cheerios from the floor vents, pencils, Legos and Barbie shoes in the kitty litter box, and found him multiple times running around with steak knives that he had retrieved from the dishwasher.  Pointy end up, no less.

Never before have I felt so certain that mortal disaster is immenent.  He scales the furniture, runs full-steam into the street, throws himself backwards while I am carrying him - I have unintentionally dropped him three times because of this -and is attracted to all things sharp and deadly.  I feel like my only job of late is to prevent this child from accidentally killing himself.  I say this lightly, but this blogger and her heartache is always in the back of my mind.  I also think that my friend and fellow blogger Johi, coudn't have related her own frustrations any better... enjoy!  And visit her often because she is freakin' hilarious!

Rylan and Owen both went through this stage, but never to this degree.  I am not big on safety-latch stuff because it is bulky/ugly and a pain-in-the-ass to deal with.  The only exception are certain under-the-counter kitchen cabinets.  And really - this stage only lasts for a few months and then they move beyond it - and you are left with a toilet that is impossible for any human to open.  I suppose the upshot of that is that your toilet would stay clean.  Not sure about the floor around it though.

I just have to stay on top of closing doors, removing all chairs/stools/boxes from reach and not leaving stuff out - and never, ever going to visit anyone else's house.  The problem is that there are three other children in the house that DO constantly leave stuff out - like markers, scissors and glue, toothpaste and dirty socks.  I have a dog that requires food and water to be left out on the floor and a cat that requires two litterboxs.  Most problematic of all is a husband that leaves every tool imaginable - the more deadly the better, out in plain, reachable view.  Sorry honey, but it's true.  I am outing us all - we are chronic never-put-awayers and I need Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's special purple powder to cure us permanently.  Or I will go insane.

First Day

I have to laugh when I think about the "First Day' ritual and how it pertains to us.  We don't really have one.  Both kids are spread out between 'grade levels' when it comes to their work.  Rylan straddles between Kindergarten and first grade work, Jordan straddles between fifth and sixth... so there is no real defining *moment* when they move from one level to another.  It is more like one long continuum.  We also (or at least try to) school year-round.  So there is no last day or first day to celebrate.  If I go by the books - there is an "official" beginning and end to our year as far as it pertains to counting up the minutes as we go to make sure we hit the mark (or surpass it) for what we must do as far as state regulations.

We must school for a total of 694 hours over the course of the school year.  I begin counting August 1st, and end July 31st.  Ever since we began four years ago, I have just sort of winged it.  I figured as long as we did 2-4 hours most every day, and counted all activities, we were good.  This last spring, I decided I really wanted to know what we were actually accomplishing, time wise.  I was worried that we were way off - in a bad way.  I spent a few days pulling an excel spread sheet together to track Jordan's and Rylan's time spent with everything they do.  And I mean everything!  Did I ever mention that I am type A?



Rylan's work for June 2011

The vertical columns are the days of the month, and the rows are the subjects and the specific activities under each subject.  For example, under the heading of Language Arts, I have listed Reading Skills Practice (those small-sized practice books that come from a teacher-supply store), Explode the Code, Mailbox Activity (from the Mailbox Teacher Idea Magazine), Five in a Row, All About Spelling, Core Knowledge, Write Source, Handwriting and Read Aloud.  We don't do every activity everyday, but each is an important component, and I really would like to know how long we have spent doing each one.  The spreadsheet totals it as we go along, and I can know at a glance how we are doing.  I keep the shortcut to it on my screen, and I have it open all day while we are doing school.  It takes two seconds to enter in a time in the appropriate spot.  Jordan and Rylan each have their own timer, so they are responsible for using it when they start an activity and stopping it when they are done. I've tested it through June and July.  As you can tell from the above screenshot - June was a really LAME month for me accomplishment wise.  I didn't complete the daily subtotals for Rylan either.   We were just too dang busy!

So I took pictures of the little kids yesterday as a way to mark the new year... Although I think we will go for more formal pictures in the fall, when Jordan gets back.

I decided it was time to open Rylan's What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know (Core Knowledge).  We did the Preschool anthology and workbooks 1 & 2 last year.  She isn't done with her workbooks yet, but she is way beyond it ability wise, so it is time to let it go and move one.  Long ago, on some wild rabbit hole trip of mine, I read on a Core Knowledge forum that the best way to work through the What Your (blank) Needs to Know books is to break it into parts.  The book is basically laid out in five sections - Language and Literature, History and Geography, Visual Arts & Music, Mathematics, and Science.  You work on one section each day of the week.  So for example, yesterday was Thursday, so we went to the Mathematics section.  Each day you do 1-2 pages from that section.  By the end of the school year, you have worked your way through the book, and have touched on an amazing variety of subjects.  Your pace is slow enough that if something catches your interest, you can take that tangent wherever it leads you.  The beauty of this is, you don't have to do Monday in order to do Tuesday, and so forth.  So if you miss a day, or two, or three... you can still pick it up and read whatever section it is for that given day.  I love that!

So in the math section yesterday, the suggested activity was to collect a number of things based on likeness.  Rylan can do this pretty easily, so we included Owen as well.  We chose to collect things based on color.  I gave Rylan a collecting basket, and she and Owen went to the playroom to collect ten 'red' things.  Colin was napping at the time, so we could spread out on the floor without fear of him taking off with our stuff.  Owen lost interest midway through the second color, and spent the rest of the time hopping between the rows, occasionally kicking objects out of the way.



I think I will do this again, but make it more challenging for Rylan.  Some possible categories might be things that make sound, things that you use at bedtime, things that are used for transportation...

It was a good day, for the most part.  I felt some sadness - my grandma would have celebrated her 89th birthday.  I thought about doing a blogpost, but my heart just wasn't in it.  I went out in the evening to join up with my bookclub friends.  We discussed our book selection quite a bit - which is an odd thing for us - we usually only dedicate a few minutes...  It was a profound and disturbing read, so we actually had quite a bit to talk about!  I will add a book review as I have time, this weekend.  It was a great discussion!

Fabulous Forty

Yesterday was my birthday and I added another candle to the proverbial cake.  I am actually happy to be forty!  I figure the twenties are spent enjoying all the new freedoms that come with young adulthood - yet you are also busy with school or what-not as you get your career on track.  The thirties are when you start to feel your age a little, as you take on the three 'M's - - marriage, mortgage and miniature people.  You miss the carefree days of your twenties (um...did they really exist anyway?). and you feel torn between looking young enough to pass for a twenty-something and realizing that going to bed at 9 pm is actually something you WANT to do.  Well forty is here and this is the age of "I don't give a - - - -".   I don't care what my hair/clothes look like - if I have to get to the grocery store, I'm going!  I don't care that I drive a minivan.  Now get out of my way!  I don't bother with make-up... it will just have to be washed off anyway.  I'd rather be in my garden than out shopping.  I love the age of "I don't give a rat's ass".  I embrace it totally.

So how did I spend my birthday?

There is a little slice of heaven that is located within an hour's drive of our home.  Just outside of Red Feather, CO is a small state recreation area called Dowdy Lake.  It is absolutely gorgeous.  The topography is unique.  You are in the mountains, at around 8,000 ft. elevation, but it doesn't really *feel* like the mountains because there are no mountain peaks looming in the distance.  The air is cool, the pines are tall and the underbrush is green and lush.

Here is a shot to make you drool...

This photo was actually taken at the end of August last year, when we went up for Dean's 40th birthday.  I just didn't get a good shot of the lake this time around.  The lighting was totally different this time - bright and sunny all day.  Here was the best I could do -

The sunlight definitely brings out the bright greens...  The dreaded pine beetle is also starting to make a definite presence here, and I worry about how different it will all look by this time next year.

So this trip was all about just relaxing.  Dean asked me weeks ago what I wanted to do for my birthday.  Did I want a party?  A surprise?  A quiet dinner?  I am an introvert at heart... and camping with just 'us' was what I wanted most.  My happy place is right here (photo above), with my husband and children, breathing in the mountain air, with no sound except for the ripple of water on the lake shore and the quiet roar of the air moving through the pine trees.  Camping does not feel like work to me.  Sure there is a lot of preparation involved, but the payoff is worth it. 

The kids wanted to fish, so that is exactly what they did.  As it turns out, they are both very patient with reeling in the line very slowly.  Rylan was even able to cast with surprising accuracy when she got the hang of it.

Last year, Colin was a tiny, sickly 8 month old.  So this was his first 'real' experience camping.  He loved it!  He was a very very busy little boy as there was sooo much to explore.



Abby enjoyed her time too.  Her end-of-summer shed has begun, unfortunately, so her hair is everywhere!!  She reminds me of the character 'Pigpen' from the Peanuts comics.  She is just this moving cloud of loose fur.  Here she is in all her scruffiness...

I tried to get some good artsy shots.  I scouted out wildflowers in the evening, and then I went out the next morning to make use of the good light...

Abby passed this way, just before me.  Can you tell?

There is nothing better than the smell of pine on a warm, sunny day

Anyway - back to birthday fun.  Our trip was only an overnight.  We headed home and washed up in time for dinner with the family at Famous Dave's.  My mom, dad and step mom, brother with his wife and three boys, my grandma and my three aunts and my mom's cousin all came to celebrate with me.  It was sooo good!

Rylan helped me open gifts and Colin just devoured anything you put in front of him - especially the corn!  The kids were just awesome the entire weekend.  Minimal arguing and good spirits despite a rather sleepless night.  We will be making some changes to sleeping arrangements and gear before we head out camping again in a few weeks.

A very good birthday indeed - and there is more to come.  My birthday gift from Dean and the kids was delivered earlier today - an iPhone!!  My mom is making me my official birthday cake today: Mississippi Mud.  Is it just not a birthday without some mud.  She is coming by with it tonight, and some sort of surprise is afoot.  I am supposed to go out a get a new dress today and be ready to go out when Dean gets home from work tonight.  Hmmm.

The only down moment in the midst of all the birthday fun is that the physical mailbox has remained devoid of one birthday card in particular.  I could always count on a card from my grandma Betty, so yet again her absence has been painfully felt.  She and I were birthday buddies - her birthday is coming up on Thursday the 11th.  We would always share a giggle on the phone as we wished each other a Happy Birthday on the 8th and again on the 11th.  It is hard to believe, still, that she is gone.

I don't want to leave you down... so here is a laugh for the road...



Family gathering at my grandma Bobbie's house last weekend.  Here are all of the great grand kids.
This is take 28, and the only one cooperating at this point is Lauren (in pink, standing next to Rylan)
Getting eleven children to smile at the same time is impossible.
So let's embrace them in all their glory!!



The Birthday Weekend Begins!

It's been a very jam-packed week - and I am ready for some R & R!

Monday - Average day.  We did swim lessons in the morning and then worked on the backlog of laundry for most of the day.  Jordan and Dean went off to the scout meeting in the evening, and when they got home, Dean and I mapped out the family calendar for the next three months.  I post it up on the wall so I can see it all the time.  I like knowing when stuff is coming up - especially scout stuff.  There is always something to prepare for - and with only four weekends each month - you can bet that almost always two of them will contain a potential scouting event.

Tuesday - Swim lessons again and karate for Rylan.  Jordan sat out today because he leaves for OKC tomorrow, so we didn't pay for his lessons this month.  We attended a morning Park Day in Loveland with several homeschoolers in our group.  It was so nice to get out and see them - we have been so busy it feels like we are being anti-social.  One family brought some watermelon, which was a very nice treat for all of us!  Spent the afternoon working out a new blog - you can see the link over there in the sidebar.  A sometimes humorous look at money.  We don't have any.  Don't take my advice on how to spend it.  But I will be chronicling our painful climb out of the debt we are in.  Good times.  Spent the evening packing Jordan's suitcase for his flight early tomorrow morning.  He and Rylan have spent most of the day hugging.  I also encouraged him to spend a good portion of the afternoon outside enjoying the 84 degree weather we are having.  Because tomorrow, when he steps off the plane, it will be 110 degrees in OKC.  HA!  (okay, that was mean)

Wednesday - Enjoyed two hours of joyful quiet early this am, after Dean and Jordan left for the airport.  I spent that time tweaking this blog.  I made a few cosmetic changes, but Blogger fought me the whole damn way.  Some thing's up.   I do.  not.  like.  how every time I change the title picture, it blows it up and makes it absolutely huge.  DO YOU HEAR ME BLOGGER???  Please let me adjust the size of it!  Thank you.  I took the kids to swimming lessons, and friend Abbi met us there and kept us company.  She also brought watermelon.  You know... for whatever reason, Owen calls watermelon 'lemonade'.  I don't know why.  I correct him all the time.  He has watermelon flavored toothpaste, and every night he asks for lemonade on his toothbrush.  He is a complete mystery to me at times.  I picked the first tomato from the garden today - it was very delish.  Dean took the day off, so as soon as he got back from the airport, we went outside and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon working on a clean-up project in the backyard.  Here is a 'before' picture... although we have already done quite a bit of work because I never remember to take the 'before' picture until after we have already started.  So, just imagine things much worse than they are here...

We had already trimmed the aspen trees - you could barely see the fence before...  Those landscape timbers were originally placed around the perimeter, and the whole area was filled with 6" of pea gravel.  We removed the gravel last summer and posted it as 'free' on Craig's list.  It was gone within a week.  All year, though, we have been at a loss as to what to do with the area.  It is riddled with the massive root system from the aspen - so a patio area is out of the question.  So is a play area because I do not want the expense of a playset - we can go to a playground anytime, and we have already constructed a massive sandbox.  Monday evening, as Dean and I were doing the calendar, Dean had suggested a deck out here.  YESS!!!!  That is the perfect idea.  It can be raised up a foot, and it will clear the roots, yet be in the shade of the aspen trees from early afternoon on.  Now all we have to do is figure out how to pay for it.  Did I mention we have no money?  It may be awhile before I can post an 'after' picture.  We arranged for my dad to come by with his trailer so we could load all of this 'stuff'  and take it to the landfill.  Instead, dad decided that he wanted to keep the timbers to use in his garden, and take the branches to a compost place.  Everything else we needed to be hauled away stayed behind.  So we are left with a massive pile of chunks of sod, rocks, and broken plastic sand toys that we will have to figure out how to get to the landfill another way.  We have a long history of this sort of behavior with my dad.  We REALLY want to get a small trailer and a hitch put on the van to solve this problem for us.  It is hard to depend on others in this respect.  Further strife and disappointment rounded out this day - I'll be posting about it to the other blog soon - although I doubt I can get it polished before we leave today.  I came home in a really frustrated mood, so I worked in the garden, pulling weeds (what else??).  It helped a little.

Thursday was a great day!!  We finished our swim lessons this morning!  Owen advanced to level 2, and Rylan advanced to level 3.  I feel like I have my summer back!  We went over to my moms and the kids played while I carried boxes down to the basement for my mom.  The boxes were filled with the rest of my grandma's belongings, and had been stacked up in the guest room since April.  We didn't sort through anything - maybe a couple more months and then we will be ready to take on that task.  I took Rylan to karate, and then just let the kids play for the afternoon.  I was extra productive.  I sorted legos.  I have about a thousand plastic baby food containers, and now I have a use for them.

Friday we were supposed to go to the fair, but plans never got off the ground.  Dean had taken the day off, so we tried to be productive.  It was payday, and in one short hour we blew through 3/4 of it paying bills.  It feels good, but it isn't any fun.

Saturday morning we took Rylan to karate, and then went on to the Boulder County Fair.  We had a great time!  I like going to that fair versus the fair in our own county because the fair grounds are a much more pleasant place to be.  It has been there for decades, and so the trees are massive and provide lots of shade.  I love, love, love looking at all of the 4-H projects.  Every time we attend the fair, I get wistful about raising chickens, ducks and goats.  I wish we lived where we could have some.  Here are some highlights..

Today, Sunday, we are off to go camping for just an overnight.  Tomorrow morning, on my birthday, I get to look out on a beautiful mountain lake and listen to the birds... bliss.