Five Things for Friday

1.  Back to School Party
We are part of a homeschool group that does joint activities and gets group rates for field trips.  We had a Back-to-School party last Friday at a park that has a creek!  E and J spent the entire time in the water, and even explored and found some rocks to climb, a trench "90-feet-deep!" according to E, and a waterfall.  Unfortunately, said waterfall was so far downstream that they couldn't hear me calling when it was time to go.  I finally asked another child who was headed down there to tell them to come back now.  When they got back, E says, "Is it time for snacks?"  No, dear, ...the snacks were almost all gone, as many people had left already!  There was a bit of a warm discussion on the way home about how we shouldn't go so far for so long even if other kids are doing it, and what to do if the water is deeper than J, and what to do if you hear your mom even faintly calling. ...  I would have gone after them if either I didn't have T, or my arm wasn't sprained.  The two together made me wary of climbing down the steep bank.  At least they stayed together. ...

2.  Wa-wa-waffle king...
Waffle House brunch with Grandma and Grandpa.  They didn't have a table big enough for all of us, so we split up.  I think fun was had all-around.  :)  The staff was extremely friendly, and the waitresses made a big deal of my kids.  I think E and J both got chocolate chip waffles and bacon.  :)  T had some scrambled eggs and hash browns.

3.  J's Favorite spot at the Library
The library has several iPads for kids to play on (and others for older kids), as well as computers.  This is J's favorite spot once he has picked out books.  His favorite game?  He calls it:  "Angry Birds in Out-the Space."  The kids checked out a bunch of books on snakes recently, and now I know the dangerous indigenous ones (cottonmouths, copperheads).  I also read that a girl was bit by a cottonmouth at a park we play at frequently (granted, it was on the nature trail - and we usually stay on the playground area).  Now I feel like I'm constantly on the lookout.

4.  Speech Therapy
I made an appointment to have J screened for speech therapy.  He has a partial tongue-tie (like his uncle and grandma), and has difficulty making an "r" sound.  My favorite example is the word "girl" which approximates to "goy-oo."  The results?  He is still within normal development for his age - no speech therapy for him unless this persists to age 8.  The speech pathologist also gave me some ideas with how to work with him and letter exercises for his tongue and jaw.  So at least there's that.  He is a good reader, and his speech has improved a lot recently from our reading "lessons."

5.  Animation Exhibit
We went to the McWane center on Wednesday, to see the Animation Exhibit one more time before it's dismantled and a new one put up.  One of the activities has several cameras positioned in front of a circular wall to get a 3-D view of an instant in time.  The Bullet effect.  After the cameras take some pictures, you come out of the set and watch yourself on the tv screen - so if you can see it, E is holding J on the screen there.

Five Things for Friday

1.  Playing in "The War Room"
Benji has been working on a particular project (client move) since the beginning of the month, and it has taken him out-of-the-house more than normal, with long days/nights.  We decided to visit the scene of action, and had some fun playing with Grandma.

2.  More of that smile
E's adult tooth came right in - immediately visible - behind her baby tooth.  The second front tooth is a little wiggly. ...  Thanks for sharing that smile beautiful.  Oh I remember the context - she found some of my foundation, and asked if she could put it on; I said yes.  She came out, and I instructed her to blend it - with this result.  Not too bad.  :)

3.  For the love of cars
Out of the toys in the house, T gravitates to a few things in particular - dog food, pens/pencils/crayons/markers, and CARS!  Nothing will incur his displeasure like taking away a car he was playing with.

4.  Elbow Update
My sprained elbow continues to improve ...despite my children.  I still choose not to twist it very far, or open doors, but I can carry a glass of milk now.  I've been using an arm sling to remind myself not to open the fridge, and today I managed completely without sling or ace bandage.  I also stayed home all day, though.  I made the mistake of trying to make a pie crust on Monday - it was too soon (too soon).  So I ended up piecing the crust together in the pie plate if you know what I mean.  But I have high hopes of a full recovery.  E has been a huge help - she even changed T's diaper all by herself today.  She is a special girl.

5.  Cookie Monster
We went to Chick-Fil-A yesterday because we didn't want to heat the house while the air conditioning was off (we've been having problems with it for a couple of months - someone had come out last month with a temporary fix, but came again today to put in a new coil).  T really enjoyed his cookie!  It was just slightly warm, so the chocolate chips were perfectly gooey.

Five Things for Friday

1.  A double rainbow

We saw this beauty on the way to our house a couple of weeks ago.  The upper arc is a lot fainter than the lower, if you need help spotting it.

2.  A visit to Memphis
I took the children for a visit to Memphis.  We are hoping to get renters in our house, and we decided I should go and clean out the shed more.  Benji had a busy weekend working and would barely be home anyway.  We stayed with my parents.  I went to the house twice - once with Sarah for the collecting and purging, and once with dad along, and he helped me trim the front tree (before and after above).  I weeded the front beds, and did a spider sweep in the house, and brought home our remaining chicken supplies (a waterer, 3 or 4 feeders, 2 heat lamps), and some other random supplies including my growing light that Benji made.

3.  A stay in Memphis
We had fun staying at my parents' house.  I have never been away from my children so much for 3 days in succession.  Thursday was house day 1 to salvage or purge, Friday was getting my car serviced and shopping with my mom and sisters (sales-tax holiday for the weekend on clothes and school supplies), Saturday was house day 2 doing the yard work and cleaning and more shopping in the afternoon.  Sunday we were all together - we went to church with my parents, then a baptism at our old ward.  We put together two 1000-piece puzzles while I was there.  J stayed in his pajamas from the first night until Sunday church.  He loved watching and helping his Grandma and Aunt S play on their computers.  E watched a lot of movies, and had a play-date with her friend.  T explored.

4.  George Washington, a Life
I've been listening to an audio book about George Washington (Chernow) and quite impressed by the man, his mission, and the Revolution.  I have been surprised at the lack of unity of the people.  The sheer number of Loyalists (but it makes sense, seeing as they considered themselves English, or even English citizens) - the Revolution was originally a rebellion; the number of people profiteering - selling their goods to British troops over the American, or keeping a hand in both pockets; and the depravities - the nakedness, the cold, the heat, fighting with bayonets, or crude farm-implements-turned-weapons.  I've marveled at the natural elements that saved the Americans several times - rain which stopped an assault that might have destroyed the army and the cause, dense fog which concealed a retreat, a nor'easter which concealed an attack by sea.  Washington truly believed Providence was on their side - he would stand poised in or near the battles, without flinching while bullets and cannon landed nearby.  He took great care in his dress and manner, and was impressive.  He was a skilled horseman - something I hadn't really thought about.   He was a great leader, even with his flaws (so far in my reading, there's a perfectionism, and occasional (usually private or among a few) outbursts of emotion/anger).  How different our state would be if all of our leaders had his sense of duty, of love of country, of liberty from tyranny, of morality and virtue, of principles worth fighting and dying for.

5.  Healing from a sprained elbow
I had the surreal experience of falling down the stairs on Tuesday.  I think it's because the kids had earlier taken our dog's bed to ride down the stairs as if in a sled, so the carpet was slippery-smooth in that energy.  I slipped once, and put out my right hand to stop myself and landed on one hip, righted myself, then slipped again, landing on the other hip.  I must have been holding my breath, because I looked at E, and said, "I'm going to faint" in an incredulous voice, and lay back so I could pass out without hurting my head.  E did not believe I really fainted ("Mom, I don't believe you.  You're faking it") - in fact she still doesn't ("Because you were faking it") - it's kind of amusing.  After a few minutes laying on the stairs, I got lucid enough to move to the couch and lay there.  I knew I landed on my hand and jarred my elbow, but my arm did not hurt right away.  In fact, it didn't really hurt until the next day, when it was swollen and the muscles stiff and tender.  I did however have my visiting teacher (nurse) come over to look at it the first day.  She told me to ice it and see how it was in the morning, and gave me some recommendations for doctors if I had any of the warning signs (tingling, numbness, sharp pain).

My arm continues to improve every day.  Yesterday, I could ball my hand into a fist and hold light objects.  Last night I changed T's diapers without resorting to waking Benji - although I was tempted to, - it's important to appreciate. ...

Sometimes I look for extra meaning in the "accidents" I have.  This one could be potentially devastating for a pianist.  However, I just know that I am going to be fine.  Yay for yoga for strengthening my muscles in preparation for the fall, and yay for a daughter who can help out, even if it is somewhat grudging aid, while I rest up.  I also took this opportunity to practice my budding energy healing techniques.  It is amazing how the pain just dissipates with a little intention and touch.