Not Easily Broken

Cross-eyed?

I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and she mentioned that she liked our new pictures for the website.  Like the faithful and supportive grandma/fan that she is, she has been showing the pictures to all her friends.  Unfortunately, she has been horrified again and again by questions about my cross-eyed condition, and whether there is any surgery that can help me?

I thought I better clear up any confusion on the matter and let everyone know that my eyes are not crossed like that normally.  I was making a funny face.  I do not need surgery and I normally see straight.  That is, unless I have had a difficult day homeschooling...then I do get cross-eyed.  But, I find that some prayer and a good night's sleep usually takes care of that.  

But guess what...I can spin my eyes and have enjoyed amazing people with my talent ever since I was a child and discovered that I could do it.  As a child, I would sit in church and get a little restless.  My mom often came up with different ways to keep me quiet.  One time my mom suggested that I write my name with my eyes.  Because I could not see anyone while I was performing this feat over and over (I used cursive), I assumed no one else could see me either.  And my mom wasn't really watching me do it either...she was just glad I was finally sitting still.  But the preacher did notice.  I know because when I finished the "Y" of Sally, I looked up at him for a small break from my activity only to notice a very strange look on his face as he stared at me.  He never mentioned it to me though.

But that day a new talent was born.  Since then, I have been a strong contender in many stupid human tricks contests.  Thanks, Mom!  Here's the video...

Quote for the Day...

It has been a long time since I last wrote.  We had a busy Christmas break and I was off enjoying family, friends, and time off from regular activities, like blogging (but not laundry, darn). 

Today, we started up with our school lessons again.  My kiddos thought maybe we would start tomorrow, or even maybe next week.  But not so.  Today was the day and amidst all the groaning and whining, I heard a little voice say something that caught my attention and made me laugh hard after I thought about it.  Kelli was comforting her big brother, Clayton, with some thought-provoking words that explain a lot of things around my homeschool.

Here's the quote, "Don't worry, Clayton.  If you act like there is no school, then there is no school." 

Hmmmm.  And some people were worried about them setting off dry ice bombs.... 

Aha!!

The other day I was walking the aisles at the local drugstore waiting for a prescription to be filled.  I happened to pass the shelves that contained all kinds of adhesive tape.  I thought to myself, "Well, I am going to stock up on some tape because I can never find any at home." 

I have two arts and crafts maniacs that use a lot of tape.  So much, that I can never find any tape when I need it.  I am embarrassed to tell you that one time I had to wrap a shower gift using blank address labels as tape.  It worked, but it looked stupid...the ribbon almost saved it.

Anyway, as I was reaching for a 4-pack of tape, I noticed words on the packaging that solved the mystery of tape at my house.  The package said, "Invisible." 

That is why I can't find the tape...it is invisible.

Big Families Share Everything

With a large family and limited resources, we find that sharing is essential in our home.  Sharing saves us money, time, and energy.  For instance, we share toys, books, housework, clothes, food, etc.  All of which benefit the whole family.  But then sometimes, we share things that are not so beneficial...like germs. 

That is what happened this week.  All six of my kiddos shared their germs with no quarrels, fussing, or tantrums.  And all six came down with the flu.  It started with Clayton, then Caleb, then Clark, then Katie, then Kelli, then Camden, then Kelli again, then Katie again, then Clark some more, then, then, then, I just lost track....

There were relapses, late nights, visits to the doctor, medicines, coughing, vomiting, aches, pains, fevers, and even some suspenseful drama as we waited to see if Clark would improve or have to go on a very expensive antibiotic.  The suspense was intensified with the threat of the Costco Pharmacy closing for Sunday.  Their prices are much cheaper than the 24-hour Walgreens Pharmacy.  "Hmmmm, should we wait and see if Clark can get through the illness with no secondary infection, or is that persistent, all-night-coughing the tell-tale sign of pneumonia?"

After much observation, temperature taking, and cross-examining of Clark, we decided to go for the antibiotic at Costco.  And we are glad we did because he is finally improving and smiling again.

So, not much music was played at our house this week except by the stereo.  BUT, we did get a chance to watch some old home videos together.  Stepping into our past is a delight that we do not often make time for in our busy day-to day lives.  In fact, I can't remember the last time we did it.  It used to be very difficult to figure out the cords and buttons and stuff to get the videos to play.  But last year, we purchased a new TV and, what do you know?  The plug-ins and cords all are much easier to understand and connect correctly so that we can all sit down and enjoy remembering together. 

So, sharing rampant illness amongst our family has not been all bad...it gave us a pause from our daily demands to share something else...special memories of the people we love most.

Story at Bainbridge

Back in July, we performed at the Bainbridge Island Bluegrass Festival.  I mentioned to you that the emcee there was a professional storyteller.  The emcee, Mary Ann Moor, goes by the name Auntmama and she lives on Bainbridge Island. 

Having the emcee be a storyteller was a great idea--not only did the audience get to enjoy great music, but they also had the privilege of being entertained by warm and thoughtful stories.  Those two mediums combined gave the Bainbridge festival a unique feeling of friendly connection and simple pleasure.  

This gifted and interesting storyteller not only tells stories, but makes them!  We had the privilege to be included in one of her stories.  The story is called "Barter" and is from the Bainbridge Island Bluegrass Festival. 

Her story is one of the most thoughtful and creative gifts I have ever received.  I have included it here so that you can enjoy it too.

Click here to listen to Barter. 

(Please Note: Depending on your browser's settings, you may be able to play the file directly from you browser OR you may have to save the file to your desktop and then play it from there.)

If you like Auntmama's story, you can find more of her work on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am on 91.3 FM KBCS in the Seattle area.  If you miss her story on the radio they do have archives from the program on the website for KBCS.   Also, visit her website at www.Auntmama.com.  

I Hear School Bells....

Can you tell I have my mind on things other than bluegrass music lately?  Well, I do.  It is the month of August and that means the new school year is right around the corner.  We just finished our last gig until mid-September last night, and my mind is getting pretty focused on school planning.  Even the gig last night brought the issue of schooling to mind, as it was a homeschool conference. 

I homeschool my six kiddos and have since the beginning.  My interest in homeschooling started way back when I was a new mom in Japan.  Ben and I were stationed there with the Navy.  There was a family that lived down the street from us who homeschooled, and after observing their family for a year or two, I began to think there might be something to this idea of homeschooling.

After Japan, we were stationed in the Bay Area in California at Moffitt Field.  The church we went to had a bunch of people who homeschooled.  My interest in homeschooling grew.  I started reading books about it and continued doing so until Clayton became old enough to start some schooling.  By then, we were in Washington.

I was pregnant and nursing a lot during those early years of homeschooling, so I don't remember much.  Truly, it is kind of a blur.  But I know we did it because all the kids can read and do math.  We found that it worked for us, and we continued on adding more books, activities and kids.

We decided to keep on with it into the high school years, though many thought us crazy for it.  And we probably are crazy.  No, we most definitely are crazy, but it makes life interesting. 

But homeschooling has been working for us so far.  We evaluate our decision each year, and so far we haven't found any reason to stop.  My family has very close relationships because of the time we spend together.  Also, the kids have kept an enjoyment of learning that is hard to come by in other educational options.  And we love the flexibility and one-on-one teaching that it gives us.  Truly, there are a lot of reasons why it works for us.  I won't go into all of them here...but, ask me in person sometime, if you really want to know.

It is a huge job to homeschool a family this size.  But each year, I am always amazed at how when I ask God to help me figure it out and make it happen, He always does.  Ideas come to mind, resources are found, schedules coordinate, etc.  It all comes together somehow, and my kids learn.  And I learn too. 

So, that is what I have been thinking about lately, and soon, I will be ready for the new school year.  Clayton is beginning his Junior year and doing Running Start (dual enrollment program in WA).  Clark is beginning high school as a freshman this year (he can finally quit asking me, "Does this count for college?"  "YES!!"  Technically, it all counts for college and LIFE!).  Cam is beginning 7th grade, Caleb is beginning 5th.  Kelli will be in 2nd grade and Katie will be three years old. 

I think last year was my hardest year with having a toilet-training two-year old and student driving 16-year old.  It was hard to know how to respond when someone said, "I had an accident."

Anyway, this year my load will be lighter with those two issues under control.  It is looking like a great year ahead.  And that is what I have been thinking about lately--with some bluegrass music playing in the background!

I Win! I Win!

Tuesday, I answered a call from a friend telling me he heard about a contest on a radio station, 102.5 FM KZOK for busy moms.  He was certain I would win this contest with my crazy life. 

The contest was sponsored by Propel.  They wanted busy moms to call in and tell everything they have to do each day as fast as they could.  The busy mom who had the longest list and could say it the fastest would win 3 hours with a personal assistant and some Propel bottled water.

I accepted the challenge and got right to work.  By the time I was finished I had 2 1/2 pages of single-spaced text describing my typical day.  When I practiced reading it as fast as I could, I finished in 5 minutes and 20 seconds.  I figured I had a pretty good chance at winning.

The contest began the next morning at 7 am, and though the competition was a busy mom with three jobs and two kids, I was able win by the time I reached the end of my first page.  Ben and the kids were listening in the other room.  Cheers rang out when I was pronounced the winner, and the thrill of victory was sweet! 

But I decided not to accept my prize of a personal assistant for three hours because I didn't want to pay the taxes on the prize, and I really don't know what tasks I could delegate to a personal assistant.  What I really need is a cook, a maid, a handyman, a gardener, and, well, a clone.

It was fun to compete.  However, it did give me a headache to write it all out--let alone do it all!  But, truly, I love my job and my fam.  I am thankful for having the energy to wake up each day and serve them all.  And I can think of no better way of living out my days than to spend them with these amazing people whom I love so dearly!  Clearly,I win!  I win!  

Little Fiddler Wannabe

I think we have figured out what is up with Katie...she is a musician!  Desperate to find a way to keep her out of trouble, I took the little quarter-size fiddle I had hanging on the wall and let her "play" with us during practice last night and she LOVED it!  I had bought the fiddle years ago when I thought Kelli might be interested in learning.  But it was so hard to keep in tune and Kelli was not so interested (Kelli is learning banjo right now).  So, it became a nice decoration for our living room wall.  Until now.

 

Katie took that little fiddle right up and was thrilled with its squawking.  She is a little frustrated that it doesn't sound like Clark's fiddle.  She tried to trade him.  But when denied, she went back to her little fiddle.  Big brother, Camden, put new strings on it for her and fixed it up real nice. 

I should have known...we had another mischief-maker before her that grew up to be quite a fiddler.   And actually, he is still often into mischief even now.  Just ask him about what happened to his eyebrows, and what that has to do with lighter fluid and a Pringle's can. 

You know, "mischief-making" and "fiddling around" do mean the same thing....

Baseball and Bluegrass (In That Order For Now)

Well, (sniffle, sniffle) it has been building, but I finally cried over our busy baseball schedule.  But I am coming to terms with it and am working towards acceptance...we are going to be real busy for the next 3-4 months.  And dinner is going to be eaten running instead of sitting down.  Bright side?  Maybe I will lose some unwanted pounds.

Honestly, I am so thankful for my four healthy boys who are able to all play a sport.  This is the stuff dreams are made of, and I really do consider myself blessed...even though my one-hour-game-soccer-mom-friends always express pity for me--the two-hour-at-least-game-baseball-mom.  I actually really enjoy baseball!

We do have a method to our madness.  A friend who played baseball for the Naval Academy told us that his parents only let him choose one sport per year.  Like our boys, he was one of four brothers.  We liked his parents' idea and incorporated it into our fam with one more rule...no organized sports until the child turns 9 years old.  We made that rule after observing Clark (age 5 at the time) making sandcastles by third base with his glove on his head.  These two rules kept our life somewhat sane until last year when all four boys were old enough to play.  Sigh.  It had to happen at some point, but we were able to stay a little sane a little longer than others predicted.

Anyway, the baseball schedule rests for just one evening this weekend...just long enough for us to run on down to the Orting Bluegrass Jam and Show for a set on Saturday night!  So we are going for it!  The show starts at 6pm and I am not sure when we are playing, but sometime Saturday night.  We are excited to play there as we did not play as a fam during Maltby's Open Mic.  We were tuckered out from starting baseball and then spending the last weekend away from home.

Speaking of last weekend and being away from home, I couldn't help but travel back to Palm Springs in my mind today as I was being pelted by large hailstones when I was bringing in groceries and then lost in a blizzard on my way back from my mailbox.  This is very strange weather...I am finding it very difficult to start my new hobby of pool lounging here--especially cuz I don't have a pool...just a scummy wetland in the backyard complete with skunk cabbage.  Oh well, somehow with it being baseball season, I don't think I will do lounging of any sort for awhile!

Maybe we will see you Saturday in Orting!

Maybe This Is Not a New Thought...

Recently, Ben and I were discussing why the boys and I enjoy bluegrass festivals so much.  This year getting to go to River City and then to Wintergrass kind of felt like the holiday season...you know, Thanksgiving and then the big one--Christmas. 

At Wintergrass, I heard people referring to bluegrass as a sort of family thing.  I think that is really true.  There is definitely a multi-generational characteristic to it.  If you look around, you definitely can see the grandpas and grandmas, the aunts and uncles, the young moms and dads, the teen cousins and the young grandchildren all hanging around talking, playing and relating around their common passion of bluegrass music.  There is a place for each age group--the older generations displaying the techniques and then delightedly passing it on and the younger generations eagerly taking it up and even adding their new ideas.  Being without much extended family out here in the Northwest, Ben, the kids, and I have been enjoying the family-like atmosphere that goes along with bluegrass.

Extended families often get together, eat, chat and play together and that is kind of what happens each month at the Maltby Jam and Open Mic.  And like I said before, the festivals are like holiday get-togethers. 

So, perhaps the reason why people enjoy the festivals is because it is so similar to the get-togethers that many families enjoy.  And the fact that the music is being passed on from one generation to the next is also family-like.  Isn't that how important traditions are passed along in families?  Perhaps it meets a need that way.  Or, maybe people are just totally obsessed with the actual music and festivals give them a chance and excuse to play non-stop for a whole weekend at a time with other obsessing bluegrass types.  I don't know, but my guess is that it has to do with connecting with others.