Plans? What Plans?!

Today is one of the first cold Monday's of the fall. The kind where you just wanna stay in bed all warm and cozy. At least it was a high school power Monday which means an extra hour of sleep.

Instead of a do-nothing day off, I had on my itinerary yet another visit from the AC company that services mom's 1 yr old unit. Honestly, it's one of those companies that make you want to pull out your hair. There should be nothing wrong with an AC unit that's a year old! Why oh why have they been out several times already? Oh wait, I know.... because they're idiots. Installation errors, call back appointments that accomplished nothing, parts ordered again, and no-shows. So today I was to hang around for a valve to be put in the AC which is now on HEAT. They will eventually put in the supposed fix-it but who knows if it works because it'll be winter! Luckily, mom says the warranty is 2 yrs. Oh goodie - another year of these bozo's getting nothing done in 3 visits or more.

So from 8-12 today I was grounded. I decided to make the most of the time by getting an early start on a crock pot roast for dinner. Then I decided to roast a bunch of veggies - especially the kohlrabi from the CSA farm share that needed to be cooked asap. Those are scary looking little things. I kept giggling thinking of Sputnik and alien life forms while chopping them. I roasted them with peppers & tomatoes because I had to use those up or toss 'em too.

While it was cooking I decided to find a recipe to use them in or I was just going to toss 'em in the roast in the crock pot.  I found an interesting Kale & Roasted Vegetable Soup recipe on simplyrecipes.com so I switched gears and started on that. I got very brave and decided to taste the roasted kohlrabi before puree-ing the whole thing. Wow! Now that was tasty. Who knew?! I kinda got excited for the soup then. I couldn't follow it exactly (mostly because my carrots & onion were already in the crock pot) but it was great! Mike came home for lunch as I was taking snickerdoodles out of the oven and had soup ready to ladle into a bowl! Score! It was so good it could have been ordered at a restaurant! Somewhere in between all that, I also cooked a pound of pasta, and hardboiled some eggs - all for use later this week. By the time all that got done and the kitchen cleaned up for the 3rd time today, the AC man missed his window of opportunity.

Too bad the AC guy didn't show up. Or answer his phone. If he had come somewhere in his 4 hr window and wasn't as big of a bozo as the last guy he might have scored a few cookies.

Now I'm going to pick Mariah up from school. She's been on quite the soup kick lately so she should be pleased with me today... IF she doesn't realize she's eating weird vegetables and beans until after the first bite. All is forgiven then.

Kale & Roasted Vegetable Soup
 - a hearty winter soup recipe with kale, white beans, and roasted veggies.

Preheat oven to 400 - brush a baking stone with olive oil. Chop into large pieces veggies to be roasted and toss in the oil then sprinkle with salt. I did kohlrabi, peppers, tomatoes. I would have done more if I'd had known before roasting what I was making. heh heh.  Roast veggies for 30-40 minutes, tossing occasionally. Puree them in a food processor. 

Put in a soup pot with the rest of the ingredients: bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes.  Note: I made about a 1/2 size recipe, loosely based on the recipe below which I'm including for you rule-followers.  While it was cooking I was making other things and decided to toss in some bow tie pasta. That's when I thought to myself (pasta fagioli?!) and served it with parma cheese. Yum!

The Real Recipe (vs. Chrissie)
3 medium carrots, peeled & quartered lengthwise  (didn't use - carrots were cooking in another dish)
2 large tomatoes, quartered (I only did 1 - would have done 2 if I'd known)
1 large onion cut into wedges (didn't roast any so I didn't use)
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick wedges (didn't have - wow what a shame)
6 garlic cloves (I used abt 3 tsp store bought minced)
1 TBSP olive oil
6 or more cups of broth (I used 2 cans of chicken broth)
4 cups of finely chopped kale (or less... I think I used about a cup. It had a pungent smell so I went with "sparingly")
3 large fresh thyme sprigs (I used dried basil leaf)
1 bay leaf
1 15oz can Great Northern white beans, drained.
*  (I used southern style which is spiced up deliciously and doesn't need to be drained).
*  (Add pasta & parmesan cheese - trust me!)

SUB!

First day of the school year that I subbed today. It was in the 4's room, where we have a new teacher. I was pretty certain it would be a bit of a hardship since her routines are not as familiar to me as the teacher's for whom I've subbed many times over the years. Also, 4's are notorious for their weird speech-habits and I pretty much have to guess at what they are saying most of the time. Luckily, I had the chance to bone up last week (haha nod to Halloween skeletons everywhere) and the extra study paid off.  I even forgot to take my preemptive ibuprofen and do not have a headache.  Now, the real test will be when I try to get up and walk after sitting down for the first time all day.  On Thursday, I get to go on the annual Pumpkin Patch field trip with 27 kids and 15 chaperones. It is supposed to rain tomorrow so we'll either get super muddy when we go or it'll be cancelled. Ya never know which it will be!

One of my favorite things to do when I sub is to surprise the teacher and go off track from the carefully laid out lesson plan for the day. Either the other teachers told on me or this gal was all like "ehhh, just have fun!" I came in to find CDs set out with a list of songs the kids like, a couple books to read, and an art project to paint 2 plates each orange to become jack-o-lanterns tomorrow. As I told my director, "I would've liked to SEE a lesson plan so I would know exactly WHAT I was disregarding!" So to surprise her, I took an informal lunch-time poll of what we thought their teacher should be for Halloween. Note: Lunch-time polls are written down on a paper plate and taped to the door. The boys' responses: a carrot (it WAS lunch); a train engineer; a beanbag, a bad guy (as opposed to what it sounded like the first time he said it - a black guy....a what?!). The girls' responses: a unicorn; a butterfly; a dragonfly; Belle or Ariel. The difference between the lovely artistic imagery that comes from the girls thoughts vs the boys looking around the room and yelling out something they see just cracks me up. Then I added my answer: a teacher. To which they all said NO!!! she already IS a teach-cho!

I was exceedingly happy to discover that one little guy dropped the word POOFY from his vocabulary after last week (or he just forgot it today) when we had a talk about how I knew he was really using poofy as a potty word and that calling a friend poof-head was still rude. Since he had been yelling poofy at the top of his lungs for a couple weeks I told him no more. I gave him a new word to use - SUPER because I knew he was a super kid who could take those inappropriate words for school and "zip it, lock it, put it in your preschool pocket". Then all the kids wanted a new word too.  I went down the line giving them words of reaffirmation (except for one little guy who we both knew WILD was the premier choice). With Super, Awesome, Brilliant, Amazing, Kind, and Wild...the last little guy holds up his hand and goes, "I'm COMPLICATED".  I am still laughing at that one!

We enjoyed our weekend because for Gib & Mariah it was Fall Break. Gib came home late Wednesday and returned Sunday afternoon. He enjoyed sleeping in his bed and playing Xbox. For added excitement Gib went to the dentist, the chiropractor, got a haircut, and got his 2nd Hep A shot! He also added a nice little message to the box I was mailing to Taryn with some halloween candy in it. Before leaving on Sunday, we loaded the car with bags of food & candy, some new clothes, and the dude's clean laundry that Grammy did for him this time. The only bummer was that the Titans played at 3pm and so the guys couldn't watch the game on TV together.

Mariah had her Fall Break with days off on Friday & Monday. That makes today feel like a Monday. Tomorrow she has to take the PLAN test so doesn't really have any classes. The entire week is just going to be odd. Mariah also spent her vacation in exciting and exotic locales such as: the doctor (Flu Shot & Hep A), the chiropractor, the dentist, and getting her hair tip-dyed blue! Amazingly enough, despite the similarities in how Gib and Mariah spent their Fall Break they did NOT visit any of the above mentioned places on the same day!

While the dude was here, Indie made arrangements for the guys to bring home her bday present: a new sofa! Now we can visit with and everyone can sit on furniture, and she can read, study, watch TV & have 2 cats settle in with her. Her little loveseat was not doing it! They all stretched out on the 7' sofa and had room to spare. Aussie has claimed the armrest on one side of the couch and Lillie gets the middle or under the sofa!

The Difference of Days

Oh what a difference a few days makes! Between one weekend and the next I'm back to nearly 100%!  My eyes are still a little red and they itch a bit, but otherwise driving went fine the past 2 days! It felt good to get out of the house. Tomorrow I return to work.

Gib has a fall break coming up so he will be home for a long weekend. Mariah will also be on fall break. Gib is off Thurs/Friday and Mariah is out of school Friday/Monday. Since Gib doesn't have classes on Friday he doesn't really have more than an extra day off, but luckily for him I filled it with exciting things like chiropractor and dentist appointments. Maybe we'll get him another haircut too while he's here!

Mariah had a brutal end of the first quarter with all sorts of big assignments due at once. It really wiped her out and when she came home last Thursday she went straight to bed. We spoke briefly later than night and she went back to sleep. Early Friday morning she was still feeling exhausted so she stayed home from school. She's doing well in school though and it's good to learn to pace yourself and that all-nighters are not as glorious as some people lead us to believe. I kind of wish her English teacher had assigned the essay for the independent reading project at the beginning of the year when she finished it. I also kind of wish he had sent the email stating a deadline had been extended BEFORE Mariah stayed up until 2 am to finish it.

I spoke to both Taryn and Gib on the phone Sunday! Considering I also spoke to Indie and Mariah in person, that was like a mini-mom's day for me! It was good to hear their voices and catch up on their lives.  Taryn is doing well, has a lot of homework! Gib is doing well, has a lot of fraternity homework! He went to two dances over the weekend - his frat dance and then her sorority dance. But he reports that there is no girlfriend. Taryn has the month of October in our family gf pool and he says no way -  no time.  Mike is hopeful that during the January explorations term he has the time. It's amazing what people will do to win bragging rights around here.  We won't get to see Taryn until November. I know she will love meeting Lillie.

I can't remember if I posted about Indie adopting a new kitten....  Taryn asked how it happened. I saw her at the pet store - she was 1 of 3 kittens rescued with their 3-legged momma. She was the only one left and had a very sad look on her face. She and I had a discussion about how I just knew she'd get a good home and not to worry. She just kept looking me straight in the eye. I thought about her all day long. Mariah and I were nearby that evening and I told her about the kitten and we went to see her. I later found out that she had actually been adopted with her brother but the people decided adding 2 kittens to their house was too much so they kept the brother and brought her back. :(  So anyway, we texted Indie while we were there that I had fallen in love with a kitten. She came and decided to think about it. Indie adopted Lillie the next evening.  Aussie loved her the very second she came out of the kitty carrier. She is very social and had no fear whatsoever. He started off right away teaching her to chase him. They have that down good now and he's working on teaching her better defensive skills. He corners her, and if he gets her down he puts a paw on her until she figures out how to get out from the pin. She doesn't like these games much. But Aussie feels it's important to have excellent wrestling skills and therefore Lillie has no choice but to be little Grasshopper.  Otherwise, they both play, play, play!!! They are both chirpers and it's fun to listen to them "talking".  Since Indie is gone for long hours it will be good for both kitties to have companions.  Aussie is having a sick day today but I don't think it's major - sure  hope not! We love that kitty!!! He had a rabies shot last week so maybe that is causing him some problems. Or maybe he ate a bad bug. Who knows. He saw the vet on Tuesday and was 100% fine so hopefully this works out in by tomorrow.

Better Each Day

You know you're old when you enjoy talking about your medical issues. Or when you have to have surgery because of your medical issues.  This is super interesting and really enjoyable. Kind of like the last 6 days were for me. If you'd like to stop now, the best parts were gummy bears, Munchos, Coke, and feeling better each day... and then the meals brought in which balanced out the nutritional needs vs. comfort food!

Last Friday, bright & early I had both eyes operated on to fix a muscle issue that was causing me to need an ever increasing amount of prism in my glasses to supposedly prevent double-vision & what felt like looking cross-eyed at times, especially when driving. The prism lenses are very expensive - hundreds of dollars, and I felt like since my ability to safely drive was definitely compromised at times, it was something I had to do.  I was NOT looking forward to the surgery. I saw what it looked like when Taryn had it done - and thinking about it gave me the heebie jeebies. Honestly though I was a car wreck waiting to happen, so I bit the bullet and went through with it.

Friday: Got all set up in pre-op, a nausea patch behind my ear, IV'd, and gassed. They told me to breathe in super deep 5 times. I made it to 1.5.  Next thing I know I'm in recovery and some nurse wants me to open my eyes so she can put in drops. I'm thinking that might have worked better when I was still out.  I wasn't feeling too good so they added some anti-nausea to my IV. I kinda wanted a painkiller but the only one they were going to do I was pretty sure I couldn't take. I told them to go ask Mike. He nixed it - remembering the times better than I when I took it and the results. Hey, the other times I took it I had been operated on - I can't remember stuff after that!! I vaguely remember getting discharged - Mike & the nurse wheeled me out to the curb. I did the "TRUST WALK" and kept my eyes closed. Should've brought sunglasses. The nurse goes "you've got to open your eyes sometime" and I replied "NO I DON'T!"  I used Siri to text Mike when I needed him.  She read me my messages but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Siri to read status updates on facebook. Geez!

Saturday: I was able to squint a little bit.  I spent all day in bed listening to Pandora with my eyes covered. A couple times I peeked thru very blurry vision to use the iPhone long enough to maintain contact with the outside world.  I was downing Tylenol extra strength every 3 hrs and my eyes looked like fish gills.  Y-U-C-K!!!  But I had to put in ointment so I had to deal with it. Taryn said the ointment would feel wonderful. It kinda does and it kinda doesn't, but I faithfully administered it 3-4 times a day. Taryn also told me to get an eye mask - which I did - and I got a head wrap to keep my bangs out of my face too. It's a stellar look and I so wish I had a picture to show you but alas....  Taryn was SO RIGHT on the eye mask. It helps prevent you from touching your eyes as you sleep but it also just helps you rest so much better - the dark is a blessed relief but when the mask is on I noticed that my eyes just feel better - like they stop moving, no blinking, much more relaxed. At night I sleep with it on even though it's dark so I don't accidentally rub my eyes. Thank you Taryn!!  I had dad mail you some treats in a package you should have received by now. Maybe a gift card is in order too. You let me know.

Sunday: HATED LIFE 100%  I was uber-cranky! There was a very real danger that someone could have been hurt had they gotten close enough and I could see where to swing. I was in so much pain, my eyes felt like glass shards were in them. I hoped I could just sit in the living room and listen to football but no way. The only thing that saved us all from me was that I was able to open my eyes if I stayed in the dark. I could check facebook, read messages, email and play bejeweled if I anticipated the bright flashes and closed my eyes during that. I whined my misery on facebook and that made me feel slightly better. The distractions hurt but were worth it. I couldn't take any more Pandora - I just don't listen to music that much although I enjoy it - it's weird. So I tried to listen to 3 different audio book excerpts; utter fail. The narrators voice - ugh!! I guess I just don't like listening to a story at all. I gave up when the male guy with a probably fake British accent attempted a woman's voice. Sheesh. It almost made me laugh, but I was too frustrated!

Monday: Mike took today off too. Sometime around 9 I put on a hat and collected cat dishes from the back patio. That was exciting! I wore the hat all day so I could tip my head down to avoid light. The pain alternated from burning to a gritty feeling that something was in your eye. Very annoying. I put a warm washcloth over my eyes which felt good but I'm not supposed to get water in them so I had to be careful. I decided to try watching movies on my kindle. Success!  Avengers was a lot of fun to watch and I just had to look away during bright fireballs. My boss from preschool stopped by in the afternoon with dinner from Honeybaked Ham. There was enough for 2+ days! I watched Hardball and started Message In A Bottle which I finished the next day. When Kevin Costner's character died it was so sad I cried a little bit, but wowza did that hurt!

Tuesday: Mike went back to work. You know that feeling of soap in your eyes? That was Tuesday. All. Day. Long.  But more time awake, moving around the house, a few minutes outside when it was cloudy, able to sit at the real computer! and I watched more movies -  Life As We Know It and Happy Accident. I almost shut down Happy Accident - it was sooo boring. But I powered through and that was pretty much the theme of the day. My VT came by for an hour. The light bothered me but I enjoyed the visit. Afterwards I had to put in ointment and lay down but it was worth it! We used a generous gift card from my preschool to Macaroni Grill for dinner. Indie went and picked it up and brought it home. Salmon & Orzo - it tasted sooo good! A big highlight!! Late night flick was Admission. I enjoyed it mostly because of how much work I put into college applications :)

Wednesday: Today my eyes felt horrible when I woke up and I was worried at first. I could barely open them. I had wondered the day before if I was overdoing it on the ointment. The box says 3-4 times, so I decided to stick with 3 for today. Once I soaked them for awhile they felt better and the whole day was a HUGE IMPROVEMENT. Except for occasional stinging and the feeling of dry eyes, it's been really good. Light doesn't really bother me much.  I can't see comfortably at a distance but I can tell it's getting better. The double vision is improved - as in I don't think it's been a problem today. I was starting to worry that the whole surgery was a bust, but then Mike told me the dr said it would take a few days to balance out. Today I enjoyed two movies in a row!!!! And it didn't hurt!  I watched Waking Ned Divine and Stand & Deliver.  I think I have maybe one more movie in me and then I will be done for a good long while. I'm glad I found something that was mostly free to occupy my rehab time - two of the movies had a rental fee, the rest were free.  Tonight another coworker dropped off dinner. She brought her youngest who was at our preschool a couple years ago so I got Indie's kitten Lillie and Aussie, and we played with her for awhile.

Tonight: I am so excited X Factor is on!  I hope I can watch TV. Looking out and upwards is harder. I am glad that looking straight ahead and down a bit about as far as your arm stretches out has been pretty do-able.

Tomorrow: I have my post-op appointment. I am hoping the excursion goes well and that I get a good report on the success of the surgery. 

ATO and Homecoming Week

 

 

Fraternity bid to Alpha Tau Omega for Gib!
Gib was invited to a preferential dinner to ATO and was issued a verbal invitation that night to join. It was awesome to be amongst the first asked! So now his Pledge Class of 14 guys get to wear suit & tie every Monday, learn all the brothers names, hometown, bday, major, etc. plus a bunch of fraternity stuff. And, yes, there IS a test!
ATO is a leadership focused fraternity; the BSC chapter supports the American Red Cross and supports local philanthropic service as well.

Homecoming Week for Mariah!
What a fun week for Mariah. She dressed up for spirit days, worked about 6 hrs a day after school on the Sophomore float, got to ride in the parade with FCCLA, went to the football game in pouring rain, rushed the field when the team won to remain undefeated, and went to Sky High, a trampoline place, to celebrate afterwards.
 (The best part for me was another mom drove there - whew it was a long week).


Enjoy the pics of homecoming game & parade that I got from the local news site

 

 

Mariah's Class 2016 float.
 (Mariah is in the white shirt)
Mariah was recruited for the Easy Bake Oven but ended up making the head of the
Raptor Football player! They say it will be preserved and used from now on.

The design team for the raptor football player

The winning float for the Seniors

 

 

 

My VT friend & I watched the parade
Mariah rode in the FCCLA truck
(Family Career Community Leaders of America)

Speaking of trucks.... this is Mariah's pic from her parking practice.
It really helps to not have any other cars around.

Checking In

It was so nice to have Gib back in the house for a couple of days. We sure missed him. One of the things I notice most, miss the most, is their laughter. I can't decide which word describes best the happiness I feel when I hear one of the college kids laugh from another room in the home. I just sit there and smile. It feels soooooo....... fill in the blank!

Gib returned yesterday afternoon. I don't care for the goodbyes at all and feel quite blessed that he is the closest college student we've ever had. This is do-able!!!  We ran errands all Saturday morning together - hair cut, Sonic, Target, flu shot, Costco, etc. We had a steak dinner and then Gib and his friend went to the movies.  We went to church Sunday morning, and then enjoyed football, wings & pizza with more friends. Mike drove him back to BSC with all the stuff in the trunk we had loaded him up with. I found his Nalgene bottle today so I guess that will be mailed to him since he needs it for Ultimate; and since he hinted that he was out of candy I guess I will fill the bottle up with something tasty to make the package arrival more exciting. Gib arrived back on campus with 20 minutes to spare for a dinner thing at several different fraternities. I'm looking forward to hearing which fraternity appeals to Gib the most and how he does with bid day.

We had a nice email from one of Mariah's 10th grade teachers today.

Hello,

I am Mariah’s AP Human Geography teacher.  I am writing today because I wanted to brag about your daughter.  Usually parents only hear from teachers when there is a problem but I wanted to take a minute today to share some good news.  Mariah has demonstrated great participation, diligence, and effort in APHG.  She is a joy to have in class!  I see her growing to be a leader and example for the other students.  You are truly doing something right as parents!


It's really great to hear good things about your child! When I replied to thank her teacher I mentioned that it's all Mariah - she is 100% responsible for knowing about her homework assignments, following instructions and getting everything done on time.  I guess if any credit can be taken by us as parents, it's that we have never hovered over assignments - we have always been there for assistance but expected our kids to do their own work independently. I consider school to be a full-time job for them and try not to allow us to be so overburdened with activities outside of school that the wheels have to be constantly greased to stay in motion. My biggest support for Mariah has been to drive up folders, posters, lunches, meds, etc to school when she has forgotten something! Hahaha we are still working on Pieces of Mariah but she is getting there! Actually, I have to say I've noticed great improvement in this area already, so Way to Go Mariah! You are an impressive young lady for many, many reasons.

TGIF!

Football season is back in swing.  Mike is happy.  Gib & Mariah are on his fantasy team. I'm not. I was too tired to remember to join in time. Preschool is back in swing. And I am pretty sure I know what the defensive linebackers feel like after hours of brutal offensive rushes. And that sums up the past few weeks for me.

The upstairs is undergoing a facelift. Hundreds of pounds of STUFF is gone and just knowing that makes me feel unburdened. I need to say a big thank you to Indie for a major clean out in the other "closet of no return".  After a few weekends of decluttering and reorganizing she has a cute little apartment going on up there and I don't have an apartment worth of boxes in the dining room anymore! The plan was to see how it worked and decide to stay or save up for a few months and then get an apartment of her own. Some of the feedback I've heard is 1) "it's not as bad as I thought it would be" (moving back home) - always nice to hear that. 2) having a "nice en-suite of the parents' house" saves her a ton of money and is really convenient! This is where I point out all this comes with a lovely personal chef who prepares dinner most nights & makes tasty nutritious lunches ready to grab & go, a gorgeous backyard, a handyman at the ready who also moonlights as her personal financial planning consultant, and a primo parking spot. What's not to love? Maybe she'll stay on for a bit.

Aussie decided that although it's very disappointing to be an indoor kitty with that backyard beckoning to him night and day, he does like having another bedroom to hang out in (or two). He has claimed a corner box with Taryn's extra comforter on top. Indie says there is a permanent Aussie indentation in it! He promises to share with Taryn when she comes home, and in fact, misses his snuggle-Taryn quite a bit, otherwise he wouldn't be on top of her comforter so much! I know Taryn says she wants to stay in the room down the hall, but I'm not changing it around again, so she and Gib can wrestle for it over Christmas break when they'll both be here at the same time. Aussie also adores the other usually-empty bedroom. Somewhere, there's always a sunny spot with a view to enjoy. He gets to hang out downstairs with all of us in the evenings and play attack-thru-the-window with Pixie, chase the bobtail with Chino, and finally, curl up on a blanket under the ottoman. Diego hasn't made known his feelings on the subject of another kitty in the territory. I think he's pretending    it doesn't exist unless it gets in his face.

Mariah is enjoying her new space as well. Pixie also figures she has two rooms - her old one and her new one! If only she and Aussie would make friends with each other! Working with the gunmetal gray walls wasn't a challenge at all for our little decorator. She simply added yellow and light gray bedding with lime green accents. We still have some work left to add some beauty to the walls with a big corkboard project and we hope to find some affordable artwork at a consignment store nearby.

Gib's room - I am having a hard time keeping it clean! Every time I go by, another item is being "stored" in there. One down: an extra bed and frame has been loaded into the truck ready for delivery tonight to a friend & a good cause. The portable A/C was in the middle of the room too. It is being temporarily "stored" in the bedroom closet now, along with suitcases, fans, off season clothing, etc. Our closet of no returns have downsized but they still exist. Maybe someday..... Finally, and I hope it's the last of storage challenges - Grandpapa's old desk. It's going to the Goodwill this weekend. It's a space hog and not all that nice too look at so we are unloading it. Someone will be thrilled to have it, and if they hang onto it for another 20 yrs or so it'll be a 100 yr old antique.

I'm glad we are getting those last few things removed from the room, because Gib is coming home tonight!  I will leave for Birmingham after I get Mariah from school today. Gib will drive us home and I expect, depending on how long we stop for dinner, to be home by 9 or 10 pm.  I'm excited that he'll be home for the weekend.  There are a couple things he needs to take back with him that we forgot about. And Gib will be glad to hear that there are some Ribeye Steaks thawing in the fridge for a bbq on Saturday!

Now that I've updated the blog, it's about time to get ready to go!!

Another One Gone

This weekend, Gib moved into his dorm at BSC.

We moved him in quickly which was nice since it was super hot and humid. Even so, we went up and down stairs so many times! Gib is on the 5th floor, and although there was an elevator, on that day it was being used by all the upper classmen who were unloading our cars.

His roommate is from Memphis and his parents seem very friendly and nice. Ben is on the quiet side, but perhaps he is warming up to Gib's charming personality. After all, who could resist the guy who makes THIS wax hand during an Orientation activity and then bails on the "mandatory" square dance that his mother really wanted to hear about.

We spent all weekend boxing stuff, moving stuff, moving more stuff, packing the truck... and well, that didn't take long because Gib only had 10 boxes and a duffel bag. Some of the boxes were on the small side, and all were light weight to make the trip up the stairs easier on the moving crew. We were pretty impressed with ourselves.  Of course we have forgotten a couple items, but we'll be seeing the dude in 6 weeks and 2 days. Not counting or anything.

So Mariah is now in Gib's old room with her own bathroom. To which we hear sisterly cheers throughout the house. It's totally win-win, except for when Gib is home and has to share with whatever sister is in residence. Gib's stuff was moved into Mariah's old room and will be his room when he's home and the guest room when he isn't and someone else is. Aussie likes the room quite a bit and has named himself resident Guest Kitty with window seat privileges. 

Indie can begin organizing all her things now that some of the clutter and moving boxes are gone. We have made significant progress but there is still more work to be done.  I drove an entire truckload to the Goodwill today. We've been dropping stuff off there all month.

Just before he left, Gib and a friend from high school who was heading to college the next morning, moved the huge screen TV from the upstairs bonus room with Mike's help and a little worry on my part. It thumped down the stairs but didn't get away from any of them so nobody was crushed. The guys loaded it in the truck and the Goodwill was happy to get it. Then Gib and his friend went to Genghis Grill. As they drove away, I commented that the lesson learned was college boys will do anything for free food.  And point to ponder: is moving huge furniture worth the free meal?  I think they are still young enough to say YES!

Mariah likes all her classes and pretty much all her teachers. She has a good group of friends and has figured out who is on her route between classes that she can talk to, when to swing by the locker and when she can't. Of course that means the time was ripe for the announcement that 4 new teachers needed to be added because there is a record-breaking freshmen (blah!) class of over 500 students! So now schedules change tomorrow - 2 weeks after school started - for 150 sophomore (yay!) students. Will Mariah be affected? Will she score a new study hall teacher? One who allows (gasp) talking?! Will we EVER get a schedule again that lets us play hookie for our mental health and mother-daughter bonding?  I'll let you know how it worked out. Hah, she is going to HATE that entire paragraph!!! That makes me smile.

Taryn sent me a text this morning that said: Today in Rolla: prepare to die of heat on your walk home. With a picture of the weather hourly forecast. It was 89 degrees with 89% humidity at 7 A.M. Ouch!! Gib is close to the same today with slightly less humidity and I'm pretty sure that was the case on Saturday too. If I'm miserable, you know it's bad! At least Taryn doesn't have to walk home - she got to take the Volvo for the semester.

Indie is diving into her grad school work. She got the internship she wanted and that starts in October. She is also a new sub at my preschool for Thursdays as needed. We are excited to have her at preschool- me especially. Tomorrow is the first day for kiddos. We had 4 work days last week, but the munchkins arrive tomorrow. We had CPR and you still sing the song Another One Bites the Dust to keep your rhythm right. Or you can sing Stayin' Alive... whatever makes you happy.  We had Open House last Thursday and it was fun to see all those babies again. We have a number of new to our school students too, with only 2 openings left. Gotta love a full house!

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks and I wish I had just a few more days to do nothing. Another summer is gone, gone, gone.  Here's wishin' and prayin' for a great school year for everybody!

A Father's Recommendation

I just thought I would share with you how proud I am of Gib for his accomplishment in becoming an Eagle Scout...

To whom it may concern,

Please accept this letter as a heartfelt recommendation that Michael Gib Coombs be awarded the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank of Eagle Scout.

For the past seven years I have watched my son learn, exemplify, and grow in the Boy Scouts through Troop 137.  The opportunities to learn from older scouts and adult leaders were abundant in his younger years.  And as he grew, I was able to watch him become the youth leader that, in turn, shares his knowledge and experience with those younger than him.

Many times I have been approached by adults and troop leaders upon the return from some outing, activity, or even troop meetings where he has had some leadership responsibility and heard praise of his effectiveness.  Often these remarks centered on his ability to relate to the younger scouts, to provide assistance with the utmost kindness and patience in helping them to learn and do their best.

Outside of Boy Scouts, Gib’s character does not change.  He continues to represent the high standards of the Scout Oath and Law in is daily life.  In church, school, and family he is the face of optimism and always looks for the good in any situation.  Service is a natural part of Gib’s character.  He is not one to shy away from opportunities to serve, often participating in service opportunities through his church in addition to those provided by the troop.

I have always felt that my own experience as a Boy Scout in my youth was one of the great highlights of my life. However, that experience, while not diminished, has been surpassed by the opportunity to share this adventure with my son and watch him become the man he is now and know that the standards and values of an Eagle Scout are now an integral part of his life.

Sincerely,
Michael L. Coombs
Father

Invitation...

The parents of BSA Troop 137 Eagle Scouts

REID BARBER
GIB COOMBS
REED COTHRON
RYAN IRBY
MARIO KUNZ

invite you to their sons' Eagle Court of Honor

Friday, August 9, 2013
7:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
Wilson Hall
101 Legends Club Lane, Franklin, TN 37069
7:00 pm

Light snacks served

SO Much!

A long overdue blog post happens today to tell y'all that there's just SO MUCH going on.... like you didn't already know that is the typical m.o. around here.

We are in our final week of having Romane from Paris stay with us. Every day we have places to go, people to see, things to do.  The last couple of days we've seen a return to normal teenage sleeping patterns now that Romane has adjusted to our time zone - up late, sleep late. Mariah is glad that she doesn't have to be getting up at 7am anymore.  Mariah has been enjoying all the social events with friends and making a bunch of new friends too. We have an amazing week planned ahead and then it's time to get ready for back to school. Clothing shopping is done, however, a pair of shoes and a bold colored blazer are still on her wish list. Back to School supplies will come next. On August 2nd we get her class schedule at registration. School starts in a couple weeks. The lazy (hah) days of summer are quickly coming to an end!

Gib had a fabulous time backpacking at Philmont and they accomplished all they wanted - Mt. Phillips, Comanche, Baldy Mountain, and even Tooth of Time (2nd time for Gib!).  It rained every day and there were some pretty big storms. Gib was amazed at how hungry he was when they got off the trail. I laughed when I got this text from him: "We went to cracker barrel and I swear I have never devoured so much food so quickly. I had Uncle Hershals bfast and ate it all, even the grits which I don't really like that much, haha".  When things calm down just a tad, we will be outfitting Gib for his new dorm room. The difference between getting him ready and what we went through for Indie and Taryn is ASTRONOMICAL!!!  Either I'm much, much more relaxed about it OR it's a guy thing. All I have done so far is a comforter set & a shower caddy. Sure I have an amazing list, but really all a dude needs is towels and a month's supply of boxers and he's set. Haha, not exactly, but close. His dorm room makes things easier than it was with the girls, but the challenge will be that there is only 1 outlet on his side of the room, and one joint outlet they share under the window. And by the way, his roomie is a dude from Memphis. I don't think they have communicated with each other yet. Dudes don't worry much about color schemes and who is bringing what to decorate with. I polled our college girls to make sure my list was topped with the most essential items they couldn't have lived without: 1) power strip - the best ever made; 2) fan/air purifier; 3) over the door closet hooks for hoodies; 4) school stuff; 5) toiletries. That list is ordered according to a dude's needs - it would be a whole 'nother list for a girl.

Taryn continues to plug along with her summer classes in Rolla. I think she is really enjoying being the apartment RA this summer.  The guys helped move her and left her with the Volvo for the summer and possibly until she returns home after next semester. With Gib going off to college we are plus one on cars needed until Mariah begins driving when she turns 16 in February. So Taryn will most likely get to enjoy some extra freedom for awhile. We are looking forward to Taryn dropping in briefly for a visit and family photo - we will all be wearing Birmingham Southern college apparel. She'll probably only be here for a week or so, and needless to say, every day that week will have an appointment of some sort or another.

Indie is packing up her Macon apartment as I type. She is really ready to leave Macon and come home, and we are really ready to have her live here for awhile until she gets set up in a new place. The guys are driving there now and will pick up a Uhaul trailer to hitch to the truck. This evening everything will be lined up in the living room for loading in the morning.  Some GREAT news - Indie interviewed for a great internship at Prevent Child Abuse in Tennessee (PCAT) and was accepted! They interviewed several people for 2 positions. She is beyond excited and grateful she got in. Actually, we all are. It's a great starting point for her, the hours are flexible, and Indie has a lot in common with people who work there. The lady who interviewed her also went to the same masters program and has been to Africa several times as has another employee. Indie was concerned because the interviewer talked 75% of the time, but then I pointed out that it was probably on purpose to gauge her listening skills, and to see how/if Indie was able to ask probing questions, show interest and make the speaker open up to her. Which, of course, Indie does very well!  A big part of this position will be working the phone hotline, so that skillset is essential. So I'm not at all surprised they hired her and I am excited to see where this takes her. Also, my preschool will put her on the sub list for the one day she is available so every now and then I will get to see her at work and she'll pick up a few extra bucks to make ends meet.


All in all, we just have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Sure we're crazy busy, but mostly it's all crazy good.

Artist At Work

This week Mariah is going to our friend Beth's for high school students art camp. 4 hours a day of artistic endeavors.  Mariah decided to paint 3 of her Swept Away fashion design dresses. I thought she would make little 5"x5" vignettes, so I was super surprised and excited to see the work in progress.

 

 

Today, finishing touches on the Waterfall dress (photo taken by Beth)

Here's a sneak peak at the final piece she'll do tomorrow....

Killing time waiting for pick up, painting a little coin box leftover from the younger kids art class. You can see two of her paintings behind Mariah - the green one is the Forrest dress. It will have some mixed media applications put on tomorrow too.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, on the way to the ranch. The Scouts on the bus, perfecting another art form: Sleeping. When ya got it, ya got it!

They went to the Air Force Chapel and there is a great photo that I am having problems downloading. I may have to do a screen shot from my iphone....    They should be arriving at Philmont and enjoying an opening campfire tonight.

Philmont 1

Gib left this morning before the sun came up to catch a flight to Denver. From there, his Scout troop is taking a bus to Philmont, a Boy Scout ranch in the mountains of New Mexico. They had a day of sightseeing and a ropes course planned. Gib was slightly irritated that this meant he couldn't wear flip flops on the plane. It looks like he bounced back pretty quickly though.  I am so thankful for the inspiration we had to join this troop. As he finishes his Scouting career as an Eagle Scout I look back and see nothing but positive experiences and great friendships. It warms my heart and I know we've been truly blessed.

 

I am unable to save pictures from the guy who has texted these, so I had to do a screen shot. Better than nothing!  I can't see a couple guys I know are on the trip, so maybe this isn't everyone, but it's pretty close. For those who care, nearly 50 Scouts went on the 2013 Philmont trip. Gib is one of two kids, both pictured here, I think, who are on their 2nd Philmont adventure. He is hesitant to proclaim any one adventure as BEST or better than others, but if pressed, Gib says backing 75 miles when he turned 14 years old on the trail was pretty darn amazing. He and the dude pictured with him here lobbied for a super strenuous trek and they got it in #33 with 94 miles and the Triple Crown of Philmont, which I have mentioned previously. 

 

I am so excited for him that he gets a second chance to do something that meant so much to him, and this time he'll turn 18 right after he returns home.  First time in years we get to celebrate with him on his actual day.  Couldn't be happier for the dude!!

First Day of Summer

Today the kids went to Nashville Shores with a couple of friends. Mike bought them season passes which is something we've never done before. They should have a great time. It is hot & muggy but not very sunny so it should be a really nice day for it.

I'm in the middle of procrastinating a big clean-out of the office. I've completely booked our July while procrastinating! At least something got done! Romane shares all of Mariah's interests, so this should be easy: Shopping, Music, Clothes, Movies, Fashion, Photography, Shopping, Art, Cats, Swimming, Exploring (aka look for places to shop). Mariah has been babysitting and saving half her earnings to spend in July with Romane. And she'll be doing her back-to-school shopping then too. It'll be fun! 

Take a look at our itinerary, and note, last year Tebow went shopping ONE day...grudgingly.

Explore Downtown Nashville/Shopping
Free concert at Riverfront park/birthday dinner at Wildhorse Saloon or Hardrock Cafe
Shopping at the Factory
Third Coast Clay Pottery
Potluck party with Peyton's family and all their singer/songwriter friends
Hike to Fall Creek Falls with Peyton's family
Drive In Movies
Shopping at Green Hills Mall
Crockett Park Concert (I'm kinda meh on this)
Downtown Franklin Bike Tour & Shopping
Sky High (think trampoline park)
Church & Ice Cream Sundae Sunday (3 French girls & host teens will be the scoopers)
Country Music Hall of Fame/Opry Hotel & Shopping at Opry Mall
Nashville Shores
Youth Group House Party
Shopping at The Avenues while Mike & Gib move Indy home
A couple of Pool Days when there's not anything better going on
Creative Pursuits - photography, fashion designing, art day, etc. (rainy day plans)
Cheekwood Munro Light Sculptures/outdoor musical performances thru-out the park
Imagine Dragons Concert
Horseraces & Sushi (Mike, Taryn & Romane - maybe Indy - the rest of us will eat normal food)
Last Chance Shopping at our mall
Texas Hold 'Em Poker Night & Goodbye Party
Wait! There's time to shop before going to the airport at 3pm - so one more last, last, minute shopping :)

In a week....

Nearly 50 Scouts from Gib's troop are heading to Philmont next Wednesday. Gib's Venture Crew "Be Careful What You Wish For" got the trek that they refer to as The Philmont Triple Crown: Hiking to Mt. Phillips, Tooth of Time and Baldy Mountain in 94 miles of challenging terrain and long days of backpacking.  But what's THAT to an experienced Venture Crew of college bound boys?! 

Well FIRE might slow them down. Please keep the situation in your thoughts and prayers.
Of course we want them to be safe. But it would be sad to end up at arrow making camp in a northern valley when they were ready to take on the world!  I've been following the fire reports (link above) and am hopeful that by the week's end, the fire will be 100% contained and the boys, in their final adventure together, get all that they wished for!

BSC Summer Orientation Day

Yesterday was Gib's summer orientation at BSC. Indie joined us for the day despite our last minute decision not to exchange vehicles after all. We missed having all the family together with Taryn in Rolla for summer session.

The day was packed with informative sessions for us, Indie went with Mike to a couple, and visited with Mariah out by the fountain. Mariah got in some serious Snapchat time and played games on my iphone while enjoying a gorgeous day outside.  BSC puts together the best orientation program - chick fil-a and a bunch of other stuff for breakfast, and an open caf for lunch. Snacks, beverages, and chocolate liberally available everywhere you went. Lots of sessions to choose from for the parents from academic advising, to financial aid, to home away from home.... about 10 different sessions in all. We made it to 6 of them.

Your first test of Gib's college career is to determine what answer bests describes his favorite part of Summer Orientation:

A) getting a big hug from Indie who drove 4 hrs from Macon to be with us for the day
B) being whisked away from the parents to do his own thing with others in his group
C) sizing up future access to food - that golden ticket also known as an UNLIMITED MEAL PLAN
D) getting his schedule

If you said ALL OF THE ABOVE, you'd be right!  If you said "D" you wouldn't be wrong either. Gib had a big smile on his face when he passed by Indie at one point and gleefully shoved his schedule in her face - maybe I should rephrase that: he rubbed his schedule in her face!

Monday & Wednesday:

• Foundations of Business Thought at 9:30 a.m.
• Principles of Macroeconomics at 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday & Thursday:

• The New South at 2:00 p.m.

Did you notice the FREE FRIDAY?!  Gib sure did!! Actually, in his current designated major of Economics, classes are not usually scheduled for Fridays at all.  Could there be a better motivating factor to not change your major?! 

We were told at the parent session that amongst the 300+ students in the freshman class, each schedule is determined by a group of real-life humans and professors (haha) sequestered away until they discuss each and every student - the high school transcript, interests, strengths, major designation, etc. - and come up with a rough draft schedule to hand out at summer orientation.  Well, I gotta say, they pegged Gib 100%. He is thrilled to have 2 business classes and a history class to start with.

It sounds easy, but the students work hard. And then they enjoy the weekend. And that's the way it should be! We are excited, and slightly jealous of Gib right now!

Pics from Ecudor

The kids just got home and are taking a much needed shower and rest.... in the priority in which they were needed. Smelly and tired kids!

Here are some photos I gleamed from facebook. I'm sure there will be more. And maybe later the kids can give me captions for them.

The group about to head home
 

 

 

 

About half way up the volcano
Only Mariah and JM went to the top

Gib did a lot of work - holding the ladder and joking in another language is work

facepainting fun

Gib still working hard

 

Gib said something about how you can say a lot with hand gestures. I think this was one of those times

Mariah, Sarah, and little Nicole

Teaching them to dance is much funnier caption

But she was really teaching them a tae kwon do kick

playing tag

All By Myself

I am basking in the glory of being all by myself. Well, almost. Grammy is here, and there are the cats with their breakfast demands and 2:30 a.m. friskies - turning on the answering machine and freaking me out since I was A) sleeping and B) haven't heard that thing in YEARS... nothing like a man voice when you are all by yourself...  almost.

I found this cute little South American purse. I didn't get it the first day I went to Plato's but it was still calling to me so I went back the next day. I LOVE it! It holds everything I need it to - I'm in a travelling light purse mode again.

I get to read a very brief facebook message, usually once a day from one of the kids, but not both! They must have little to no time with the spotty wifi and they are borrowing someone's iphone besides. Gib got to do some translating; I am guessing for the medical mission part. He didn't elaborate. Mariah is having fun. I can't wait for some pictures.

The Hotel Goleta where they are staying while in Manta
 

The group will have church tomorrow at San Jose Obrero where they have been working, and then fly back to Quito on Monday. There's a beach day on Monday. Tuesday they will fly home. I can't wait to hear all about it!

I was supposed to mop bathroom floors upstairs, and I did.... half a bathroom is done. Maybe tomorrow I will do another half, and then I can do Gib's on Monday. Sounds like a plan to me.  Meanwhile, instead of mopping, I rearranged Mariah's room!  She is getting a dress form (mannequin) and plans to start learning to design fashion show gowns on her own when she returns.  I figured the sewing machine would be better at a window, and until I get a sturdier helper, this is what Grammy and I accomplished.

Sewing table by window for good light and creative inspiration

I think I will take out one of these shelves and move the couch over a bit. It's crowded.

 \

this was as far as Grammy and I could move the bed. So we stopped. I kinda like it!