Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from We5! Like you, our year was busy. January/February/March brought 7 snow days plus a smattering of two hour delays, a new fireplace and stone work, and a freshly painted library/living room which we'd originally had no intention of changing. We removed the wallpaper from the longest wall in the entire house in May and then I painted the kitchen and sunroom during the last few days of school. Remind me to never attempt any large project during the end of school again! Dada spent some time in Mexico City in March, in June the two of us spent 10 business and pleasure days in Bogota, Colombia while Pap watched the kids, and in July we joined some of my family for our annual trip to the Outer Banks, NC.

The kids started fourth, eighth, and eleventh grades in 2019 and the school year is half over already! Thing1 continues to love working at the karate academy part time and has created a niche for herself in digital art, having thousands of followers and having only started this autumn. Thing2 can be found with his nose in a book in just about every situation except the shower. He is still incredibly creative with all things Lego, to the point where we are wondering if we need an intervention. Thing3 still curls up in whatever rocking chair he is closest to despite the fact that his humungous legs and feet don't fit anymore. He is obsessed with all things Nerf and  I find blasters and foam bullets in the oddest places. The tide of Pokemon cards ebbs and flows as well, much to my dismay as I wasn't a fan 20 years ago and I can't fathom why it's still a thing. 

Honey, the Great Pyrenees we rescued in October, continues to give us a run for our money. We were told she was crate trained; she is a complete Houdini who has yet to meet the crate or the baby gate that can defeat her. Bosley, our two and a half year old shepherd/hound/whatever mix, is thrilled to have a live-in buddy to play with and is secretly pleased to be in his kennel and thus not blamed for whatever havoc Honey is wreaking from the aforementioned potato incident and Halloween candy fiasco to the Christmas Eve eve's decorating the sunroom with seeds for the garden. Damon would send her back in a heartbeat as she also most often wants to show her affection directly after having gotten a big drink and thus being adorned with strings of drool. The rest of us sense quite a bit of potential and are trying to keep calm and carry on...

Dada spent a lot of the fall traveling for work to Streator, Mexico, Canada, and Zanesville. While he's excited to be off the rest of the year, we're saying the same thing we say every year: we need to be better about taking time off throughout the year so we don't have a million days at the end! He spent quite a few early Saturday mornings joining some other guys for rucking, which is hiking with weighted backpacks or "rucksacks" but then his travel schedule got a bit crazy and that fell by the wayside. 

Our home group sort of dissolved over football season so we decided to start hosting Friday Night Games to make better use of all the board games and outdoor toys we've accumulated over the years. To be honest, we've been a bit disappointed by the turnout as we'd hoped to be another safe place for kids to come and hang out, but between football and band and kiddos going to a different parent's house for the weekend, we've ended up alone watching movies or playing games ourselves more than we anticipated. I guess that's just the way life goes sometimes. Maybe winter will provide a better turnout as people want to have something warm indoors to do, but I can also see it going the other way where people finally make it home after a long week and have no intention of leaving the house, choosing jammies instead. Time will tell. If you're around on a Friday night, come on down! We'd love your company!

Healthwise, it's been a year this week since I finished radiation and began taking Tamoxifen. I no longer get infusions of any kind having finished my year regimen of Herceptin and Perjeta in May. Once I finished those I began a single year regimen of oral Nerlynx so I'm over halfway done with that. I saw one of my oncologists right before Thanksgiving and he declared me "perfect", haha. I'll take it!

We've already had two snow days this school year, one even before Thanksgiving, and if you count weekends our Christmas break is 17 days long. It seems we don't start off the New Year with terrific weather and add more delays at least right off the bat to extend that break even longer. It gives one plenty of opportunities to practice one's resolutions of patience, if one were foolish crazy ridiculous going that route for self improvement. Heh.

We wish all of you the very best of the holidays with the friends, family, food, fellowship, and fun that you all deserve to be showered with. Please be safe and have a very merry holiday season and a fantastic 2020!

Photo credits go to the lovely Amy Fowler Shores at Seaside Topsail Photography who drove hours to come play with us while we were at the beach! Thank you so much for a terrific evening!

Carnage

My first thought upon entering the house with the groceries in hand this afternoon was, "why does it smell so... vegetal? Vegetabullish? Veggish? Um..?"

Oh. That's why.

Apparently our Great Pyrenees (who is the only one who could be blamed for these Shenanigans as The Bos was snug in his kennel, though he had stealthily smuggled in a pink crayon, so he is also on the Naughty List as he was caught with wax shards and pink front paws) likes potatoes. And Dada's expired vitamins which he hadn't been taking anyway, so no major loss there. And desperately wanted to get into the melatonin but was thwarted by the childproof lid. 

She also ate close to half of my bag of spice cookies. You know, the kind they make Biscoff and cookie butter out of. The delightfully crispy, not-too-sweet, perfect with coffee or tea or straight out of the bag kind. THOSE COOKIES. THOSE WONDERFUL COOKIES. She ate them. All. 

Has anyone figured out how to create force fields yet? I really, really need one in our kitchen. Could you put a bug in Santa's ear for me, please?

Tales from The Ridiculous

School mornings continue around here about as you'd expect. I had to hold back The Fist of Death from Dilbert this morning when I commented to Liam that he needed to improve on his time management skills.

"It's just mornings. I'm pretty good at it."

Hooooooold me back! He was serious! He genuinely believes that he is good at time management.

Please excuse me while I go bang my head against the first hard surface I can find.

***

I made the mistake of leaving the "Bath and Whatever" (as Uncle Jeff calls Bed, Bath, and Beyond) catalog on the kitchen table and as any distraction is a good distraction, Liam dove for it. He found "toilet golf" and "toilet fishing" and declared them to be good ideas. I'm not even kidding. These are real things one can actually purchase. Check your catalogs, people. Thing1 and I shook our heads ruefully that anyone anywhere would think that more games to be played in the bathroom could possibly be a good idea. Her money is on single guys. I mimed holding someone by the shirt and punching them repeatedly in the face.

Clearly I'll have to circle back and have a discussion on how toilet anything can not be conducive to any kind of time management... 

***

The firstborn announced this morning, "I have a great idea! We should make pepperoni for dogs and call it pupperoni!"

Totally bursted that bubble: "They already make that."

"Oh NOOOOOO!" Giggles ensued from both parties.

***
Then the firstborn knocked authoritatively on the bathroom door to chivvy Thing3 along. 

Startled, he calls "what!?" and then opens the door.

All the way downstairs I hear, "why are you naked!?"

More giggles. And blindness.

Happy Hump Day, everyone...

Don't Look, Ethel!

Mondays are often bizarre in the sense of getting back into a weekly routine; I don't believe our family is alone in this struggle. The cherry on top of the hot mess this particular Monday morning was the following discussion with Liam.

The Resident Eighth Grader is supposed to be getting dressed for school. He actually ate his breakfast in about 10 minutes, smashing all previous records into smithereens, heh. At the moment, however, he is sitting half in Bosley's fuzzy dog bed with clothing strewn around him on the floor.

Me: Liam, get off of the dog bed. You'll be covered in hair.

Liam: We are all covered in hair. We are mammals.

Me: ...

Liam: Are fish reptiles or just fish?

Me: *thinking I need more caffeine* I think just fish.

Liam: And what are birds?

Me: Just birds. Get your clothes on.

Liam (who is clearly my child as his brain pivots and he pulls the following quote from Ray Stevens): "And who's that with him? Ethel!? Getcher clothes on!"

I'm going to be on the news

Yes, it's pretty. No, I'm still not a fan. 

Last night the schools called to say they'd be starting with a two hour delay, which delighted everyone.

Then we got the call first thing this morning saying they were closing due to icy roads.

*Insert gritting teethed emoji here*

It is way too early to be using up our snow days. These kids are going to be doing blizzard bags for sure this year!

It's beginning to look a lot like winter...

Lemme know if you guys sense any sign of Jack Frost. You can hold him down while I beat him up. 

New addition

Liam is taking a health class this semester which required him to be assigned a baby for a weekend. Lucky us. Below is "Little Satan" and "I am never having kids. Never." What you may not be able to discern is that Liam figured out he didn't actually have to hold said baby to feed it; he wedged the bottle under the onesie and let it glug away to its mechanical heart's delight. Several times we remarked, awestruck, that this baby was going to explode.

Then, of course, it needed burped. However, with a real baby you can pat various areas of their backs and bottoms to achieve the burping. This child device had a sensor on its back that you had to clack until it decided to burp. Clearly the child was related to Carrie, the original unburpable baby.

I can say in all honesty that this was the Monday in which Liam was most delighted to go back to school and get rid of his charge!

Veterans' Day snow

Thank you to all our Veterans, far and wide, who have served or are serving our country presently. Thank you to your families who hold down the fort and try their best to hold things together while you do what you've been called to do. Thank you all for the ridiculous amount of time and love and honor you pour out for those of us who do indeed take it for granted and often forget your sacrifices. We are put to shame when we stop to remember. Thank you for forgiving us.

Pap is here. He is one of those Veterans. Liam invited him to join the assembly to thank veterans at the high school today. It is November 11, and we are experiencing our first snow of the season. When Pap went into the assembly, there was a layer of gritty-yet-slippery hail-ish yuck. Now the snow is blustering about, looking like someone shook us. The powers that be are calling for 2-5 inches and I am wondering where in the garage I may find my ice scraper for Pepe the Pilot; I haven't yet made the switch from sunshade to scraper. 

I prefer the sunshade.

Muchly, much much more, as they say in Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? 

Now we shall see how easy it is to "lose" a Great Pyrenees in the snow. We've read that they shouldn't be let off leash as they tend to experience wanderlust, and "your neighbor may be surprised, especially as they appear out of the snow, to find a huge dog..."

I'm not ready!

Granted, I'm never ready, but substantial snow before Thanksgiving truly doesn't sit well with me. I don't even care of white Christmases. I'm more of a "if it has to snow, it can wait until the New Year- we already had enough this year" person. I will not say "fan."

So here we are with three kids and three dogs and hopefully school will be on time tomorrow because as early as the snow is, it is waaaaaaay too early to be starting with the snow days and delays!

This is why the rum is always gone...

Venting in the November breeze

I. Can't. Get. Warm.

It is the first week of November and we are already experiencing wind chill that says, "feels like 19." We skipped Indian summer completely and I reluctantly sadly despairingly boxed up my sun dresses, tank tops, floaty summery skirts; I begrudgingly unpacked my sweaters, long sleeves, and pants. Not that I don't like tights and sweaters, I'd just prefer to not have to wear multiple layers every single day for the next six months. Leggings under pants is ridiculous, but here we are. Some of you woke up to snow. I don't want to talk about it.

I have my largest pot on the stove with bone broth simmering away for up to the next 12 hours. Between the dark and the cold, I can hear the pounds sneaking on from the steady stream of comfort food that I'll be consuming. Our spring break is the very first week of March (yes, I'm serious), so there is zero chance of anyone spotting me in anything revealing until... oh, around May when Ohio gets her act together and recognizes that spring started two months previous. Why not indulge? The calories will keep me warm. Warm-er. Ish. Surely?

That is, if I don't end up on the news and living in a new venue before then. One where I'd be wearing orange. Or, perhaps, stripes. 

I don't know about you people, but let me set the record straight; boys do not have less drama than girls- they merely have different drama. 

For example, our resident middle school student made it to his fourteenth birthday last week by the grace of God. The vast majority of our meals together, he needs reminded, "get your knees down under the table. You are smashing your stomach and feeling full before you're actually full. Get your food in you. Quit playing around. Eat. Eat your food. Close the book." Repeat ad nauseam. By "vast majority" I mean 95% or higher of our meals. Often with food he likes!  

And will someone please invent a water shut-off valve that can be remotely activated by a parent's phone so that there issues a hard burst signifying a "you-have-two-minutes-left-so-rinse-and-get-out-lest-you-stay-sudsy" warning? Said child was given 10 minutes in the bathroom yesterday and took 45. Granted, some of this issue is caused by the bliss of having A) hot, running water, B) more than one bathroom, C) parents who are busy doing other things than standing around timing how long one is taking in the bathroom. However, short of taking the hinges off the bathroom door (which, while I have seriously considered, I object to the almighty draft I'd have to deal with when having my own shower) how does one pry another person out of the shower when one is on the opposite side of the bathroom door?!

People, I need a beating breakthrough. I'd rather not end up on the news. Eighth grade means this child in particular should be spectacular by now at getting himself ready for school. He lays out school clothes the night before. He makes his lunch the night before. He sets out what he wants for breakfast (unless it's refrigerated, obviously) the night before. Why then, are we having the same battles every day? 

Some would say, "just let him do it all on his own. He's gotta figure it out." Then he will miss the bus, and who does that inconvenience? Me. I'd have to take him to school. Especially when Dada is out of town for work. And his younger sibling, who is not old enough to be left home to get himself on his own bus yet, so he'd have to hurry to get ready to come with me. And the dogs, who have been built into our morning routine. Let's just empty the entire toolbox into the works, shall we? The heck with the wrench. 

Out of curiosity, I checked google maps. It would be around a 45 minute walk from our home to his school, and I know at least some of it doesn't have sidewalks. That would make him that much later if he missed the bus. The whole point of getting on the bus is so I don't have to drive him, adding more gasoline burned and more emissions and so forth. If I had any desire to take him to school, that would be built into our routine already.

How do we raise someone whom other someones (college roommates, apartment mates, future spouses) won't want to maim because of their inconsideration/selfishness/obliviousness? The child has zero money because, as our children, we don't believe they should be paid to help around the house. They live here, they should help, period. So we can't fine him the price of the water bill to open his eyes to the cost of sitting under the hot water for ridiculous amounts of time. How do we waken the (I hope) innate self-awareness of, "hey, I'm being kind of a jerk hogging the hot water, I should get clean and get out"? It is clear that what we/I am doing now does not work and is unsustainable. 

I don't want to leave you with the idea that he is a problem child and the other two are angelic by comparison; they most certainly are not. We have three great kids, each with their own issues. Would I trade them in on a yo-yo, as Nana used to say? Do not tempt me, Frodo. 

Whatchootalkinabout?

Why no, Mama, I wouldn't be playing on your phone. Whatever would give you that idea?

Eyeball and photo credit go to the Resident Nine Year Old here at #ShenaniganCentral.

Clearly he needs more instruction on leaving behind evidence...

No friends like old friends

I have the most amazing friends. 

Some of this crew haven't seen each other in 25 years. That's a long time. But they and some others I am kicking myself for not getting pictures with all carved out time in their day to get together and goof off, and I am tremendously grateful and blessed. 

Thanks for being your wonderful selves. I love you bunches! (Let's not wait 25 more years, okay?)

Accidental pumpkins

A certain birthday boy asked for his favorite minty sugar cookies in orange this year instead of birthday cake. I'm a bit sleep deprived so I didn't fully realize how much they would look like pumpkins. Traditionally we call these St. Pat's Swirlies because I make them around St. Patty's Day and they're green and sugar cookie colored. The dough didn't want to cooperate for whatever reason, but I think he'll be pleased regardless. 

If you're headed out for tricks and treats tonight, wear your Wellies and weight down your costume!

Happy 14th birthday to Liam, in all the wet, wild and crazy that Halloween can bring!

First October post

Hello!

It's been awhile, sorry. We just finished the first quarter of the school year (already) and are experiencing the frigid (to me) mornings and (mostly) pleasant afternoons that are autumn in Ohio. It's dark for the big kids at the bus stop around 7 and that makes me sad. I am a heliotrope, and I can't get warm.

We added to our family a Great Pyrenees named Miss Honey "White Shadow" (you need to see "Turbo", the movie about the snails, in order to get that reference) who had been running as a stray with a male of her kind in the Dayton area. She ended up at a rescue north of us and on paper she sounded perfect: quiet, large, fluffy, loving. She and the Bosley Fool are adjusting fairly well. He finds it unfair that she is about 30# underweight and therefore gets second breakfast and lunch in addition to breakfast and dinner like him. She has a wonderfully deep, low bark, you know, like a real dog. Come on over and love on our fuzzies! 

She has a possum tail right now because she was so matted when she was rescued that they had to shave her butt and her tail, but it is growing back in. We love that it's curly at the end like a piggy, haha! 

Deal me in, would ya?

Dada and the firstborn are responsible for telling their own story of their survivalist training weekend but I think they've forgotten that, so y'all will have to remind them. I can't wait to read it all, too!  

We had some trees trimmed and one taken down completely. The guy who climbed it to trim it said, "uh, this one should probably just come down. It's not in great shape." Having friends who have been displaced by a tree falling on their home, we figured we might as well take care of it while he was here. In falling it took out one of my clotheslines, heh. We've been burning the leftovers slowly, but I expect that will pick up as it's colder now and less windy. 

I'm participating in a new-to-me Bible study on Thursday mornings with the neatest bunch of ladies of all ages, churches, walks of life, and I am loving it. We are studying Exodus, which is nothing I've ever camped out in before (haha!) and I'm amazed at the ties between the Old and New Testament that I'd never have found on my own. God is SO good. Always.

And I'm also back on Friday mornings pulling first graders one on one to read to me. As usual, I'm fighting off the temptation to pop them into my purse and sneak them home. They are so clever and cute and I just love them! 

The big kids are going to their youth groups on Wednesday nights which means Dada and I get one on one time with the Damonater. The first few weeks it was hot enough still that we spent the hour and a half waiting for the big kids to finish at a park where he made friend after friend playing tag and running around. Now that it's colder we've spent time catching up on reading minutes, browsing through Bass Pro, we've gotten some milkshakes... I imagine there may be some library dates coming up and before you know it we will be Christmas shopping at "Bath and Whatever", haha! 

Health-wise, everything is great. Just doing maintenance meds; I've done 150+ days of the one I'll do for 365 days. Next oncologist appointment is just before Thanksgiving. As always, thanks again for your prayers and support; it has meant so much over the past year and a half. If you would be so kind, my friend Cori has just been diagnosed as triple negative. She is married with five kids and is also surrounded by our amazing church. Please, when you think of me, lift her up as well as she starts her treatment journey. Thank you much!

Have a terrific weekend and thanks for being patient between posts! I'm sure there will be a birthday one sooner or later as Gozer the Destroyer, I mean Liam, turns 14 on Halloween! 

Clinging to summertime

If you're familiar with weather in Ohio, you're aware that there can be 30 degree differences in a day. Last night the low was predicted to be 48 while today's high is to be 84 with temps only making it back down to 70 tonight. That means the kids begin to freeze at the bus stop in the morning while determinedly wearing shorts and sandals that they know they'll want to be doing recess in. Layers, layers, layers.

However, the afternoons have been just about perfect, so we sneaked in some R&R this weekend.

Someone hijacked my hammock. I spent a little bit of time fully equipped to stay for an extended period, but the middle child took advantage of a "move your feet, lose your seat" moment and I didn't have the heart to bump him back out when I saw him cocooned in, bookworming. I brought out snacks instead.

A smaller boy was in and out of his own hammock like a bumblebee dipping in and out of blossoms, therefore I didn't snag any photos of him. I loved that they were both reading and in the fresh air instead of on screens under artificial light. It's already getting dark seemingly much earlier, so I hope to take advantage of every drop of sun that fall bestows on us!

Shenanigans

This is a developing story. Please check back later.

Happy one year flat-iversary to me!

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day

I'd like to say that Liam takes breakfast seriously, but if you've ever been in the tri-state area when he's supposed to be eating breakfast, you'd more often hear my voice reminding him to eat than you'd actually hear him chewing. I suppose I should be grateful as I hate hearing the sound of chewing. Licking is even worse. 

Anyway, Liam does however take the making of breakfast very seriously. He loves weekends so he can putter about in his robe (and sometimes hairnet, of his own volition, don't ask) and whip up pancakes and French toast and his favorite meat, bacon. An added bonus is that PaPa gave us his old griddle; you'd have thought we'd handed Liam the moon. 

                                          

At least we know that once he's out into the real world he won't starve to death when there are breakfast ingredients at hand. Dinner is a different story, but one thing at a time. 

Ist not none fiction

No, our youngest has not begun taking German lessons, though that's not a bad idea. We are back in the throes of school and someone is having a rougher-than-expected time remembering to submit fourth grade level work. This is a copy of the weekly language arts expectations:

This is what the stinkwad tried to get away with. He's supposed to write three to five sentences, with corresponding capital letters, punctuation, the usual requirements. He thought he'd work the system. He chose the box that instructs, "If your book is non-fiction write three facts you learned."

To which he responded, "ist not none fiction" in case you can't read it because it's sideways. What he meant was "It's not nonfiction." He figured he then didn't have to write any more. What am I going to do with this child?

End of summer visitors

For those of you reaching for the pumpkin spice, you can just cut that out. Until next Sunday night, it is still officially summer. 

I was stealthy and got close to a groundhog who had his back to me, contentedly munching away on our apples out back. He wasn't quite sure what to do when he did figure out I was there, haha!

Pap came with his dog, Precious, to celebrate his 76th birthday. We love having both of them around. Pap gets into mischief with Dada while Precious helps wear Bosley out. Everybody wins! Except Pap, who then ends up in the doghouse...

I told Aunt Chris we were borrowing her monsoon. We received warnings on our home phone and cell phones about "severe weather alert" and "severe thunderstorms in your area" and sure enough, it came down pretty hard for about two minutes. 

Then the sun showed up again and I scurried outside because I just knew there'd be a great chance for a rainbow, and I was right! Woohoo!

And then it rained some more.

We decided to take off with an idea our friends Randy and Jess had success from and started Friday Night Games to kick off the fall season for small groups. We want to be a fun, safe place for kids of all ages to hang out, especially the ones who aren't interested in sitting through football games. Two families came over to play with us so we got some Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan action along with snacks and fellowship. I should have taken pictures...

Anyway, bring your favorite games to Lalaith Havens at 6:30 on Friday nights. Or you can play some of ours. Or both. Just come play with us!

Then the almost full moon came out in all its gorgeousness.

Sunday we had to almost call the fire department over Pap's candles...

We had a chuckle over Pap being the one on the smartphone while both the boys were reading actual books. Don't despair for those Generation Z kids; they're better than you hear.

Happy birthday, Pap! We're glad you came to see us and that you're home safe, too. 

Everybody enjoy your last few days of summer!