The Rocky Road...It's Torture

I knew that once school started, we would be very busy...I was right. Over the weekend we had Jessi's 5th birthday party...looking back over the years with all my girls and their children, each time one of the kids turns a year older, it is hard to believe that I held just about every one of them in the hospital the day they were born (or the day after). I can't believe how time is flying by. Jessi had an 80's rockin' roll party so the kids (and some of the mid-lifing mothers;0) dressed up. The kids looked adorable...and so did the moms. It was a good time.

On Sunday, I woke up feeling sort of ill...I had spent the night kind of feeling like I could throw up. By the time our pastor started his sermon I was begging to just be done with it. (I'm 99.9% sure it wasn't the sermon:) I finally ended up with and have now recovered from the 24 hour stomach flu that our family cannot seem to knock...Adam is the only one who has not had it at least once.

I had to meet with our social worker feeling like a mac truck had rolled over my back...I could not believe the aches shooting through my back and down my legs. Anyway, Vicki came for our first post placement...I can't believe it is already that time but none the less, we have had this little miracle almost 5 whole months! Vicki wanted to know all about her sleeping and eating habits, her social skills, language development, etc. The only things we reported to her as what we see as a problems are her obsession with eating...she constantly asks for snacks and drinks and her inability to initiate self-play. Ellie will sit beside me doing nothing, while I work on the computer. I have to tell her to and sometimes go get toys and play. Both of these things seem to be security issues that I know will fade over time.

Today after school we went back to the orthodontist...and we got the first of Ruthie's "hard wear." She is wearing what is called a high rack on her upper jaw. There are metal bands cemented to her molars on both sides of her mouth and a metal do-hickey going across...every night we will insert a key and twist it to further spread her jaw...this looks to be phase one of achieving a beautiful smile for her and it will last about 2 years. We will affectionately call it the "torture rack" instead of the "high rack." To let you know how painful it was: Ruthie sat through all of her kindergarten immunizations without uttering a single protest and at the very end, a single tear fell from her eye. When they were finished installing the torture rack, she cried the whole way home...bless her little heart.

The kids sang in church on Sunday...as usual, Ruthie smiled and was a complete ham the whole time, Rusty...well, we'll just say that we decided not to torture him that way anymore...we agreed that he would go to choir but that when the kids went on stage, he did not have to go. He loves to sing but not in front of everyone...This week starts the madness of all madness...we will just have to see if I survive this rocky road...stay tuned!

Fay, and The First Day...

We had no effects at all from Fay. Just a nice overcast, somewhat breezy day...not a drop of rain and no storm surge. I'm not sure why but this storm bothered me more than any other...perhaps the thought of being cast from our home with 4 kids and a cat and dog. Not so much evacuating, but the thought of having to stay away for an extended period of time while repairs were made...trying to maintain the status quo from a hotel room or a rented apartment...We were blessed again to not have to face that reality.

We did miss the first day of school as the powers that be thought it best to postpone until Fay declared her path...So, we started Wed. instead of Tues. As usual, the first day was a mad house but the kids got the teachers we were hoping for and I feel really excited for them this year. They each have a few friends from their classes last year and their teachers are both young and enthusiastic about the start of another year. We are in uniforms this year...voluntary and I confess I was surprised to see how many kids were not wearing them! I got up and I pulled out a top and a bottom for each kid and that was that! We did spice Ruthie up a bit with some sequin tennis shoes and some scarves that match her duds...and new lunch boxes...how fun!

In Stitches

We had a good weekend...we meaning, I. I had my first break from the kids since we have been home from Russia. Women of Faith were in Tampa this weekend. Some girls from church went and it was a refreshing weekend filled with laughter and tears. It is always such a good time and this year it was relaxing to just just get a way for two days right before the madness of back to school begins.

On the way home on Saturday, I received a pix message from my family. It was a picture of Ruthie's forehead with a gash in it. I called Adam on his cell..."what's up?" My little gymnast was doing back flips into the pool at Nana's house and didn't quite clear the deck...so, a few hours in the emergency room and three stitches later, (picture to come) I concluded my relaxing weekend by crashing on the couch to the tune of the Olympics.

Now on our plates is weather or not our home will be under water in the next few days as Fay bears down on us. She is supposed to make landfall on Tuesday which is, in fact, the day school is supposed to start. Since we are just one block and only four feet above sea level, storm surge is in fact a real and true nightmare for us. I am having visions of my wood floors buckled and my couches floating down the street.

The End of Summer....

Like all good things, summer too must come to an end. We are closing out the final two weeks of summer vacation and I am ready for school to start. We didn't take any major trips this summer and we didn't do any major projects...we just kind of hung out and it was nice to be home bodies for a while...but, with the start of school comes fall and all things I love most...new pencils and paper, new school clothes and shoes, new lunch boxes, Labor day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, football season, pumpkins, and aaaaahhhhh..."busy-ness." Gymnastics, baseball, AWANA, meetings, PTA, projects, homework, weekend trips, birthday parties, dinner, lunches, field trips, socials, madness!

I'm not complaining...I can just already feel the schedule closing in...Adam is now in meetings on Monday nights at church, working AWANA on Wednesday nights, men's Bible study Thursday nights and in a few weeks, our Friday night small group will re-start. Ruthie is at the gym three nights a week, Flip will start fall ball in a few weeks and Rusty is looking forward to playing flag football this year. Where does that leave me? Well, I have pretty much become the live-in taxi driver...I am thinking of getting myself one of those really stupid bumper stickers that says "Mom's Taxi." Truer words were never put into print.

With all that said, here is a quick update: The kids, all four of them had healthy check ups at the dentist yesterday...no cavities all around...Ellie cried silent tears the entire visit but opened each time they asked her to....I think she was waiting for them to pull out a needle! She was , however, thoroughly excited about her new toothbrush and little tube of toothpaste. Rusty was able to get all of his molars sealed as they are all the way in...yeh! Ruthie had an orthodontist appointment today and it seems the time to act is now...Our ortho has been watching her teeth for almost two years now and he said it is time to move...so, she goes back in next week for a follow up after having xrays today...we'll see. The kids will all be wearing uniforms this year and although it is voluntary, we are participating...I have mixed feelings about it but, the kids could care less. Flip's school schedule is changing to 5 half days this year for pre-K....uuuugh! PRE-K, wasn't he just born yesterday? I am going to be going into work one day a week starting next week and Ellie will have her own little playroom at the office to romp in while I work. Adam has taken on the position of chairman on the global missions team at church and he is excited to be a part of that. That's about it for now...