Fifteen Years Ago

At 10 pm, tonight we will recognize the start of a 30 hour labor to deliver N into the world, 15 years ago.
To mark the occasion, we will begin 3 weeks of intense busyness.

Mondays: 3pm, art
                4:30 pm driver's ed
                6:15 pm wrestling
                co-op Mom's Christmas party 7pm (next week)
                6:30 Teen Court (twice, instead of wrestling)
Tuesdays 11 am classes
                4:10 pm go back to pick N up from classes
                4:30 pm Drivers ed
                7 pm Webelos
Wednesdays 4:30 pm drivers ed
                     7 pm youth group
Thursdays 4:30 pm drivers ed
                 6:15 wrestling
Fridays Co-op Christmas party 10 am (that's just this week)
             4:30 pm driver's ed
Saturdays 4:30 driver's ed
                wrestling tournaments (which he may not get to do, due to the driver's ed)

I'm now looking at this and thinking, "What were we thinking?" It's just three weeks, right?

I had no idea 15 years ago life could/would be this great and crazy. I was just thinking, "Oh in a few hours, I'll have a nice baby boy." Ha! on many different levels. (I sure miss Stacy, she would have been loving the fact that N would be driving!)

I just remembered that Starbucks gift certificate I got for my b-day. Relief is in sight!

 

Er...I Mean Syrup

 

Bounty of the Texas Hill Country

 

Prepping

 

Mashing

 

Marketing

 

Vintage Fabric

 

Product

 

It did not jell, so we have syrupy gifts (BTW, syrup is a weird word, I ended up looking it up to make sure it was spelled correctly.)

Ever present dog

He Wasn't Kidding

about taking orders. Q came home from his friend's house with more prickly pears.

 

 

I'm thinking whimsical Christmas gifts.

Boy Stories

The dig escaped yesterday. He has a special house he likes to go to. I sent the younger boys after him (I am too embarrassed to go after him anymore.) They returned with the dog and immediately disappeared again, with a bowl, into the woods.

Unfortunately, I was not ready with the camera when they came back. This is an image I got off Google of what they returned with.

For my non-Texan friends, they are prickly pears, the fruit of prickly pear cactus. They are edible.

The big boy informed the youngers that they make jelly out of those. You know they love to make stuff.

After an internet search and a trip for pectin. This is the result. They say it's good. Smells like outside to me.

In the event of apocalypse, I feel sure that our family will survive on prickly pears and raccoons ;-p

Oh and Q says he's taking orders. For jelly, not raccoons.

better than the alternative

Team Captains

Q's last year to play Pop Warner football. He's #31. He was starting quarter back. He scored one of our two goals this year. These are all the 6th grade boys on our team. He's played football with them for 5 years. They will be playing middle school ball next year. One of these boy's moms asked me if I wanted a homeschool break next year, so that Q could continue to play football with his team. Q will either play for a homeschool team or a private school team. Flag is also an option. I'm glad he loves it so much. I was not a joiner, nor was I encouraged to be. But...football is not as important as his character or his education.

Oh! BTW, that's Sam and I top center. He has on a cowboy hat and I am next to him. Great turnout for the last game, huh?

Forgot about Saturday Stream

Oops! Yesterday was the last Pop Warner football game we will ever play. We have had fun playing football for the last 5 years, but I am glad to be done with Pop Warner. On many levels, which you know and understand, if you have read my blog at all.

Moe was sick all week last week, he got better Friday and Saturday, and woke up with fever again this morning. I'll have to take him to the doctor tomorrow.

I am very excited about the new writing program we are using. I am excited at all the possibilities and excited that it has helped to simplify my life.

I am fighting the urge to spend this time griping about the 20/80 effect. You know, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. So I won't. I am also fighting the urge to go nuts over people's H'ween costumes, or lack thereof.

Come to think of it, I'm suddenly not feeling so great myself.

Another thing I am fighting is telling you all about how I'm about to turn 40 and all that is involved, or not, in that.

What else is going through the old brain that doesn't sound like griping?

This song from Steven Curtis Chapman:



It's the only thing that makes sense right now.