Wisdom Teeth Removal

The trip to Ft. Collins was uneventful.

Weather was nice. Scenery beautiful.  Company first rate.

Arriving early we made a couple stops to the bigger grocery stores for items we can't find locally.  I must admit, whenever we do this, I covet the produce departments.  So expansive; full of the colors of the rainbow - in fruit and veggie form.

Once checked into the oral surgeon's office, the waiting began.  An emergency surgery was running a little behind.

I'm sure this made Jacob a bit more nervous, but he handled it well and didn't show it.

They called him back.

I was permitted to go with him until he was sedated.  Thrilled to go, but anxious about watching him go under.  I had done this before with him, I knew it would be hard on my mama's heart.

All went smoothly.  I left him, drowsing, in the hands of 3 dental professionals and made my way back to the waiting room with Techno-genius.

I browsed through a couple magazines and read an article or two.  Suddenly the surgeon was standing there stating, "Jacob did great.  We'll wake him up and then you can come on back."

That was fast.

What felt like moments later, we were sitting with our boy.  Still a bit loopy and droopy, but doing well.

The drive home was thankfully unremarkable.  A shamrock shake for the patient and pineapple/mango smoothies for his parents and off we went.

A little nausea kicked in as we drove, but resting his head and closing his eyes resolved it pretty quickly.

Once home, he napped along with the girls (and mom) for a good 2.5 hours.  We finally decided to wake him so he'd sleep that night.

A happy guy all around - a little pain won't keep him down for long.

A dinner of yogurt, pudding, and root beer floats while everyone else had pizza seemed just fine while we watched a movie together. Keeping everyone nice and calm.

Praising God for a successful surgery and praying for quick healing.  Daddy joked with him that he'd have to start Sunday school all over again.... since the surgeon took all his wisdom out.  Ba da dum.

Any suggestions for helping the healing process?  We have an oral rinse, antibiotics, and pain meds. Plan to hand him ice bags in the morning.  Any other wonderful tidbits to try?  What worked for you when you had your wisdom teeth pulled?

His biggest concern?  Not being able to eat "Burger X-Treme" for Sunday lunch.  :-)  Teenage boys.

Launch Day

The wind had calmed.  We were all home.

Could today be THE day?

Launch Day?

Finally?

Yes, today would be Launch Day!!!

After days of waiting, excitement filled the air.

Bethany and Elijah grasped their rocket as well as the alka seltzer tablet and ran outside, shoving feet in boots, arms in jackets along the way.

Siblings and parents trailed behind.

Before I even arrived on the scene with camera in hand, they had the launchpad  set up and daddy was taking group pictures with his phone.

Group photo before launching - everyone looking into the sun - nice.  (Yes, they are in their PJ's - don't judge)

Being well prepared, they had filled 1/3rd of the film canister with water.  As we all stood a safe distance away, the two scientists in training took the lid off the canister; added 1/2 tablet of alka seltzer; replaced the lid; righted the rocket; placed it on the launchpad; and moved themselves out of the launch zone to watch lift off.

10, 9, 8, 7.... would it work?  6, 5, 4.... would the gases produced by mixing the tablet with water be enough? 3, 2, 1!

Waiting w/baited breath...

Blast off!

I wasn't fast enough to get the rocket soaring, but I did snap this shot of the
lid and tablet that were left behind.

Science experiment success!  The rocket soared.  I'm sure it flew a whole...... 2 feet off the ground. :-)

Everyone cheered!

Much to our surprise, the rocket itself was unharmed by the flight.  I see many more rocket launches in our future.

Just one of the multitude of reasons we enjoy homeschooling!  A family event rolled into learning - life as we know it.

Rocket Launch Away

Science - a favorite in our house -- ESPECIALLY when it's time to do experiments.

Building a rocket was tremendously exciting. Elijah made a list of all the materials necessary.  He even attempted to find "alternatives" when we weren't sure we'd be able to acquire a 35 mm film canister.  Who has film canisters anymore - the world's gone digital.

Fortunately, Aunt Biff had the goods.

The project could move forward..... with gusto... I might add.

Bethany and Elijah worked together since only ONE canister had a lid that fit down inside the cylinder.

They cut, they taped, the folded, they molded. Finally, their rocket was complete. Well, as far as Elijah was concerned.  Bethany had other ideas - it needed to be decorated.  With that, she took to coloring - in elaborate detail - a wonderful rainbow of hues.

As mom, I must say, it's the most beautiful 'rocket' I've ever laid eyes upon.

The ever so colorful "rocket"

Ready to launch, mom had to deter them.  I had to document this flight and I was heading into Fort Collins for Jacob's oral surgery consultation.

Next day -- they were ready, yet again, to launch.  With girls napping, daddy working, and mommy preparing dinner, I thwarted their plans once more.   Promising, however, that Sat would be the day.  Launch day.

Saturday arrived.

Elijah, as soon as everyone was awake, grabbed the rocket. Eyes filled with anticipation he asked if we could head out to launch.

This time, it was daddy who dropped the bad news.  It was too windy to launch. The rocket, if it even made it off the ground, would end up in another county due to the high winds.

Waiting!  Again.

Sunday is out.  We have church all day and the wind gusts are supposed to be even stronger.

Here's praying Monday is calm and we have no other interferences that cause our launch to be scrubbed.

Wind.  Wind.  WIND!  Monday and Tuesday we had wind.

Finally, on Wednesday, the wind subsided.  Will it be launch day?  Stay tuned to see if the rocket launch is finally a go; if it succeeds; how far it flies.

Mom needs recycled

Have you ever had one of those days where you just needed to crawl back in bed?  You know, the type of day where you're just so grumpy you can hardly stand yourself?

It's on those days that I've learned to recycle.

Numerous culprits can be guilty for my temperament on such days.  Hormonal swings, too little sleep, haven't eaten, eaten too much of the wrong foods, reactions to someone else's words/actions, or not enough time in God's Word lately.

Unfortunately, I still haven't perfected controlling my moods.  I occasionally bark a little too much at the kids; snip a bit too often at my husband; get cranky more than I should with the annoying, uh hem, dutiful telemarketer.

It's those days - when my disposition is not quite 'sunny' - that I have needed to find a way to prevent myself from becoming too ugly to those I love the most.

I have been known to tell my kids when they are grumpy, irritable, and out of sorts that it's time to be recycled.  When I say that, it usually means they need to take a nap and get some rest.  For the littles this is quite literally SLEEP. For the big kids this is often just a break from whatever activity seems to be triggering the attitude along with some 'quiet time'.

Well rested babies make happy babies.... and apparently mommies too.

It almost always has a positive impact.

I discovered this tactic, similar to Tricks cereal, "Isn't just for kids".

When I find myself scowling too much, getting my panties in a bunch over the smallest matter, griping at the kids or techno-genius over the silliest of circumstances.... I go ahead and recycle myself.


I grab my Bible, put on some comfy clothes, and crawl into bed -- literally.  A little time in God's word, a short nap and my spirt is, more often than not, right as rain.  Or at the very least, improved.

Looks inviting - especially on those days

What works for you when you need to be recycled?  This is by far the most effective solution I have found.  I'm learning to allow the tasks to be put aside, the excuse that I'll not sleep well that night, be banished.

The manner in which I react and act toward my family - the bonds that can be built or broken - are far more important than finishing the laundry or assuring (yeah right) a good's nights sleep.  A short break from my otherwise grouchy day, to take a little time to read Scripture and rest, is just what the Great Physician ordered.

Mending Broken Fences

Driving down Snowy Range Road, passing ranch lands along the roadside, I occasionally notice broken fences.  Cowboys are quick to mend these fences, else they may lose their livestock - their livelihood.

A typical split rail fence. Used widely out here in the west.

I was reminded of this need to "mend fences" in my relationships recently.  The fences of life.

Grateful for the opportunity to talk openly with a friend, we repaired a fence she didn't even realize was broken.

Some time ago a situation occurred that left me with the impression she was less than thrilled with me.  I discovered life in general had been stressful for her and what I mistook in her attitude toward me, was just her reaction to life as we know it.

Unlike the ranchers of Wyoming - I left the fence unattended.  First just tilting but gradually a split grew further and further into the post.  Wrecking the stability of the overall structure.

During the period of this un-mended fence, my friend and I were polite to one another, we were cordial and kind when we saw one another, but we lost precious opportunities to build a stronger friendship, a deeper bond.  I'd venture to add that some of the closeness we had built up till that fretful time was in fact, lost.

I blame myself for this.  I didn't take the time to rectify that tilting beam.  I withdrew and let time pass without saying anything, without asking any questions, without apologizing for my part in the "rift" I felt existed.

I discovered she was unaware of the break.  Mending?  What mending?

The "problem" I let grow in my mind and heart, assuming she was upset with me, didn't even cause a tip to her fencepost .  If I had said something those many months ago, the lean in our friendship fence would have been righted quickly.   No mending necessary.

As it stands, I'm thankful that fences CAN be mended. That friendships CAN be healed.

All it really needed was a little adjusting, but since I let it sit, sloping and unattended, it resulted in needing repair.

1 John 4:17
 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Coffee Chats

Early in our marriage, when we were pregnant with our first child, Techno-genius and I attended a parenting class series.

We gleaned some great tidbits from this class.  Our upbringings had been different, so getting on the same page was half the battle.

The biggest and best piece of advice we took away, however, was the concept of "couple time".

The idea that this new little baby should not be the CENTER of our world, was pivotal to this concept.  Yes, he would require our attention and need our affection, however our marriage needed to continue to be the focus for the husband/wife relationship to flourish and for the security of the child to expand. 

Initially we began this endeavor by having 'couch time'. We'd put our little tike in a bouncy seat nearby to entertain himself for a short time, 10-15 minutes.  During this time, mom and dad talked, laughed, planned, or just enjoyed being near one another.  As he grew, this time was adapted to include 'playpen' time in another room and our timeframe expanded to 30 minutes.

Not saying this was easy. It wasn't.  That baby was C-U-T-E and I enjoyed holding him, loving on him.  His daddy enjoyed kissing his nose and tickling his toes.  What would it hurt to just hold him on our laps while we had couch time?

You guessed it.  When we tried to have our time together, talking to each other; our attention was always diverted to him - that cute little babe.  So, back to the bouncy seat or playpen he went.

As we had more children, our couple time would ebb and flow.  We quickly realized how important this time together, uninterrupted by the needs and whims of the children, was to both our relationship and to the well being of the children.

The kiddos knew 'if mom and dad are ok, we are ok.'  What a blessing to give them.  Knowing Mommy and Daddy love each other = life is secure.

As our children grew and became more independent, Techno-genius and I began having morning coffee chats.  Depending on weather and where we were, we'd either have our cup o' joe outside, enjoying nature while we chatted or in our room where we could close the door and have privacy.  The children have been taught that this is 'mom and dad time'. They are not to interrupt unless it's important.  Granted there have been times we've had to discuss what 'important' actually entails. :-)

Our matching morning coffee mugs - ahhh, isn't that sweet?

This is such a sweet time for us. It gives us a chance to start our day together. Pray. Connect with one another.

In my opinion, it's also a great gift to our children.  A model of how to make their own marriages a priority.

Do you have a special couple time with your spouse?  Is it daily, weekly, monthly?  Or do you struggle to even get away once a year?

We do enjoy time away - a retreat or weekend get away, if you will - but the daily coffee chat time has been imperative to the strong, loving relationship we have built over the last 18 years.

Blending Birthday Traditions

Growing up, my mom always allowed me to have birthday parties. That was our tradition.

When I married my techno-genius hubby, he had NEVER had a kid birthday party - you know, the theme variety with a house full of kids, a character birthday cake, loads of decorations, a pinata, and goodie bags.  GASP!  He was so deprived.

An elaborate Tea Party for Trinity's 5th Birthday

Graciously, he allowed me to continue the tradition my parents had begun with me.  We had birthday parties for our kids.

At first, these were E-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-E!!!  Over-the-top could easily be used to describe some of our events.  I enjoyed doing this. I had talent for it. Why not?

One I vividly recall was Jacob's Star Wars party. 

 I hung dark blue paper table cloths all around the room - covering the walls, windows, and sliding doors so the room would be "dark".  

I then added plastic glow-in-the-dark stars to make it appear as though it were in fact, the galaxy.

I even made him a Jedi Knight "costume" to wear.

Party favors were light up light sabers.  

One of the activities, naturally, was light saber fights.

The craft - making a tinfoil R2D2.

The house was filled with kids.

The cake - Star Wars themed - with little figures atop to make it complete.

Trinity's "princess" cake

It took me days and weeks to plan and hours and hours to set up.  It was A LOT of work.  This was typical of the parties we threw for our kids and their friends.

Many other themed parties followed in the years to come based on the children's interests:  Baby's 1st birthday, Bob the Builder, Bears, Thomas the Train, Princess (many, many princess parties - since we have 4 girls), Tea Party's, A Carnival - quite literally in our front yard, Bugs, a Luau (oh, wait, that one is still waiting to happen), Pool Party, more Star Wars..... the list goes on.

A treasure chest carnival cake

Not saying we don't and won't do parties anymore, but more often than not, we are likely to do a smaller affair - making the focus be on things the birthday child chooses.  Dinner, special activities, a week long celebration, presents with family, and usually a restaurant of choice culminating the week.

For some reason,
Selah wanted a pig

Bethany had a phase of
Strawberry Shortcake

Unique traditions we've accumulated over the years include:  Birthday 'spankings' from daddy, special breakfasts made by mommy, a special meal made by mommy - chosen by the birthday child, funny birthday hats that mom insists on getting pictures in, a cake of the child's choice.

Ah cakes:  This custom has morphed the most over the years.  Admittedly a difficult change for this  mom's heart.  It used to be the kids chose a "theme" cake that mommy took time and pride in decorating.  Now, they choose a style cake instead. We've had coffee cake, pies, ice cream cake. Rarely does mom get a chance to let her talents shine in the cake decorating realm these days.

I wasn't sure this even constituted a
"cake", but it's what he wanted

Sharing a birthday and cake.
A store bought one. Gasp

Having the same birthday means
you wear crazy hats together!

Alas, since the focus is on what the child wants - I have conceded that it's ok.  By making the cake they choose, along with their meal, the funny party hats, a movie or game of their choosing, ending in 'spankin's' from daddy we are building traditions - memories - they'll take with them forever.

 

Funny hats and cake

Even daddy gets in on the hats

Deprived?  Guess not.  Just different.  In all honesty, I like a mix.   We strive to allow our kids to plan a party some years and other years we just CELEBRATE THEM.    That's our real tradition - a blend of both paths, allowing our kids a sneak peak into mom AND dad's childhood.

I'd love to hear what traditions you share for birthdays.  What makes the day or week or even month special for you and your family?  Maybe we could add new ideas to our arsenal.