the excellent adventure (part 3)

While we were up in the lovely mountains of North Carolina, we all decided that we needed to get in some horseback riding. For our third year in a row.



Last year, we went horseback riding every day for four days at a beautiful ranch in Spruce Pine.



But this year, we only rode for an afternoon.



For the first time ever, we all had rode our very own horse.  Even Henry.  I've got to admit, seeing him in the saddle made me a little nervous considering the actual saddle weighed more than he did. But Henry's a little Buckaroo at heart and he quickly let that horse know that he wasn't just along for a ride.



Here's William on his horse, Bubbles, who had an overactive salivary gland and blew saliva bubbles the whole trek.  The older William gets - the more this child scares the living daylights out of me with his absolute lack of fear.  For example, this past Friday (two days ago),  when I went to pick him up at the bus stop, I noticed that he had climbed our neighbors cherry tree to the very top, and was perched on the tippy top branches, trying to grab at the electric lines that ran overhead and which were virtually within his grasp before I realized what he was doing.

Did you hear me screaming all the way from Northern Virginia? 



All the kids at the bus stop did. Which apparently, embarrassed William and I told him that he was lucky he wasn't killed ... if not by the jolt of electricity that would have passed through his body if he'd actually grabbed the lines - then by the hands of his very own mother for doing something so dumb.

See, I've talked to our kids until I've been blue in the face about the dangers of electricity. I know people who have been electrocuted and Charlie had a very close call a few years ago. So I've told the children how they should never, ever  approach a downed line and they need to be extremely careful around lines in general. Oh, it might seem like they're listening but just when you feel like you've downloaded all of your earthly wisdom to them, they climb to the top of a cherry tree and act like they're on the juvenile (delinquent) team of Cirque du Soleil.

So it's no surprise that all William wants to do when he gets on a horse is RUN. Last year, he was put on a horse that had some spunk, so when William dug his heels in and yelled, "Giddiup!", the horse bolted in to a gallop. Since then, thankfully, all the horsemen that we've worked with have heeded my advice and put my son on the slowest horse in the group which, like good old Bubbles, seemed to be asleep on their feet. Much to William's chagrin.



Here's Carolyn - my biggest horse, nay, animal lover in the group.  I've promised her that if we move to Texas, I will buy her a horse.  (And probably me, too.)  Y'all, they surely can't be that much harder to clean up after than a guinea pig. Right?



And here's Elizabeth (in her bright purple knee socks) on her horse. If she looks a little timid, it's because she is.  Last year, on the last day of our horseback riding adventure, the frisky horse that she was on, reared up on two legs when another horse got too close. Elizabeth stayed on it, though, even when the horse landed and gave one big buck. She wasn't too happy about the situation and was ready to call it quits - so I jumped off my horse and put a line on the other horse to lead it back to the barn - while William sulked, "Why does she get to ride the fun horse? It's no fair!"



Fall in!



On the trail ...



Riding in to the sunset.



And here's an unexpected family shot.



It's not very often all six of us are in a picture, together. For those times when we are - it would be nice if we planned it a little better, and weren't say, standing directly in front of the setting sun.

the excellent adventure (part 2)

There were more things that we did in South Carolina beyond riding go-karts and playing laser tag. We went to visit with my Aunt Grace and her beautiful family - and we went kayaking and paddle boating at Paris Mountain State Park.  We swam in several pools and we played on the amazing playgrounds at Cleveland Park. The children and I even spent a full day with my mom at our all-time favorite, best ever in the history of the universe, Children's Museum.

But I don't have any pictures of those outings, nor my family, because I'd forgotten to reinstall the memory card in to my camera that I'd hauled all the way from Virginia.  And of course I didn't realize that I'd forgotten the memory card until I took no less than 20 pictures and wondered why I couldn't see them on my camera?

In a rush of brilliance, I shook my camera a few times like an Etch a Sketch and turned it upside down and checked the battery and turned it on and off, on and off, on and off, and then half an hour or so later, figured out the problem.   And then I realized I didn't have my cell phone either. And when I did have my cell phone the battery was dead and/or I was too busy enjoying the moment that I neglected to take any pictures.

But then after four days, we left Greenville and we drove to Boone, North Carolina. And we decided that if we were to pack up and move anywhere, it very well might be to the mountain town of Boone.   Our first day, we took the children for a hike at Julian Price park.  I instantly knew I'd love this place when I discovered the little scavenger hunt maps that the rangers had created for the children to keep them engaged as we set off on our 4-mile hike...



Here's the first thing we found .... a bona fide beaver stump!!



We - especially me - was in desperate need of some time spent in nature because although we were all having a wonderful time on our vacation, the children were being children, and Henry in particular was driving the five other people in our family bat you-know-what crazy and why - yes, I'm prepared to CHOKE him in the picture, below. Something about his incessant nerve crippling whines that he'd only eat bacon and only drink orange juice and the screaming he'd do whenever things didn't go exactly his way quickly got my happy Zen all out of peaceful whack.

So he and I had a "little talk" and sorted things out.  And that talk may have involved me quoting the brilliant Bill Cosby and saying something like, "I brought you in to this world and I'll take you out and it doesn't matter to me because I'll make another one that looks just like you."  I think that reminded Henry that his mother can be a whole lot crazy and he better mind his manners from that point on.



Ah, nature ... breathe it in!

BREATHE, I SAY!!!



Hiking through the forest ...



While carrying a big walking stick - that was the envy of all our other children because why couldn't they find a walking stick like that?



It certainly seems like we should have been able to find another walking stick like Henry's, seeing as we were in a forest of trees. But as fate would have it - Henry was the one and only walking stick winner of the day.



Thankfully, we found this steep rock face which kept everyone distracted for the better part of an hour from their intense dismay at not having the appropriate walking paraphernalia.



Charlie and I took turns scrambling up and down this rock face with the kids and it was quite tough.  We're definitely not the only ones to have ever climbed up this steep face - as evidenced by the absolute lack of plant growth that has been worn away where the children were playing - which is unlike the mossy side on the more shady and jagged face to the right.

We hiked and hiked and hiked, taking small breaks along this tranquil little creek to hunt for items on our scavenger map.  I love Elizabeth's bright purple knee socks in this picture that my mother bought for her at a thrift store the day before.  I never would have thought I'd put my children in used socks - but howdy do, they're now my favorite, too! 

And here are the children taking another break and performing one of my favorite songs. Can you guess what it is?  Here's a hint ...

YOUNG MAN, there's no need to feel down, I said, YOUNG MAN, pick yourself off the ground, I said, YOUNG MAN, 'cause you're in a new town there's no need - to - be - unhappy. YOUNG MAN, there's a place you can go, I said YOUNG MAN, when you're short on your dough you can stay there - and I'm sure you will find many - ways - to - have - a - good - time. 

Ba - ba - ba - ba - ba .... 

It's fun to stay at the .... 



I just quickly scanned through my archives and do not see that I've ever posted a picture of the children doing this before.  Really?!  I'm stunned.

the excellent adventure (part 1)

To the north and to the south of us, school begins in mid or late August.  But here in northern Virginia, school begins the day after Labor Day. What that means for us is that vacations that occur in mid or late August are awesome because whenever we travel to the north or south of our homestead - we're usually the only people there and as such, there are no lines, no traffic, absolutely no waiting for anything and the world seems to revolve around us as it rightly should.

This year, we headed to South Carolina for a few days to visit with my mom and Jim ... and my sister, Beth, and her husband, Michael, and their son, Michael, who were visiting from Massachusetts before Michael started school last week. My sister and her family had been at my mother and Jim's house for a few days before we arrived, so they were well rested and ready for the "energy surge" that our family tends to bring every where we go.  Along with our big appetites for adventure. 

Our first stop was the go-kart race course.  It was standing alongside this track that I realized my youngest son, Henry, might one day have a solid future as a stock car driver. 

I've known my brother-in-law, Michael, for nearly 30 years - and I've never seen him laugh like he laughed watching Henry race his little go-kart on this closed course.  

Now, as some background - Michael was a taxi driver in downtown Boston for several years, and can turn any passenger's nerves of steel to jelly as he navigates the streets of beantown. For example, whenever I ride with him, I carry Rosary beads and pray the whole time.  

So as Henry lapped every other racer on that course no less than four times (including his older siblings, because he obviously had some turbo charged go-kart), and would punch the gas and ram his way through traffic jams, Michael would whoop, "That's how you do it, Henry! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!!" Then he'd howl with laughter and wipe tears from his eyes. Which, in turn, made the rest of us whoop with laughter and wipe tears from our eyes, because people that laugh that hysterically are more contagious than those who exhaustedly yawn. 

Following go-karts, there was laser tag and I'll just state for the record that laser tag is one of my all-time favorite activities. My obsession started innocently enough, when I took our children to a birthday party and was invited to play a game. Now I sometimes find myself thinking how we could use our kitchen-fund money to construct our own multi-level indoor course in the backyard so we can play every day! 

There were bumper boats and more go-karts and more laser tag ... 

And more go-karts. 

Michael in the lead!

Charlie in the lead!

And here's some random fun park employee (back right) who jumped in a go-kart and wound up beating them both.



Then there was a slide. 

And this contraption which the children really wanted for me to ride with them, but I took a pass because I can't see spending $5.00 to throw-up.  

Heck, it was hard for me to even watch this.

You know you're getting old when the mere sight of a ride makes you nauseous. 

a big moment

This morning, we packed lunches for three third graders (who for the first time in their school career - will be in separate classrooms), and one very excited kindergartner.



Watching my littlest love climb on to the school bus with the big kids was a bit more emotional for me than I expected...



The bus never got out of my sight, though, because we followed it to school toting our children's backpacks which were so laden down with school supplies they couldn't even carry them.



Because we were away on vacation, we missed the school's "open house" last week and therefore, the opportunity to drop of the 70 pounds of school supplies (including but not limited to 50 glue sticks, four Fiskar scissors, 15 marble composition notebooks, 200 pre-sharpened Ticonderoga #2 pencils and assortment of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizers) that they require.



When the children climbed off the bus, the first one they saw was me, offering them a plea that was reminiscent of Nemo's Dad, Marlin, that maybe they're not ready yet and they'd like to stay home with me for another year or two?



But my sentiments were drowned out in their laughter and excitement at seeing friends again, and all the awesomeness that comes with starting a new school year.

Charlie and I dropped off their supplies, enjoyed a PTA breakfast, and on the drive home, offered up prayers that our children do their best, are kind to others, and stay safe.

Now, I need to go check my eye. I swear I've had something stuck in it all morning.

the old gray mare ain't what she used to be

Before I post about our summer vacation - from which we've just returned - I need to capture the memory of a few little health challenges I experienced this past month.

In early August, my sister, Eileen, and my nephew, Tommy, came to visit us in Virginia. The purpose of their trip was college tours. Tommy is a rising senior in high school and he is interested in several schools in this area ... most notably, the Naval Academy and Virginia Military Institute.  When they went for a tour of Annapolis, home of the US Naval Academy, we tagged along.



What we saw and heard really inspired me.  In essence, there are three tenets of the program that are weighted equally. Those tenets are Moral Conduct; Physical Activity; and Academics.  What that means is that you not only have to have good grades - you must also be physically fit - and possess sound ethical practices.



To evaluate the students (aka: midshipmen) on the physical component, they test students throughout the year and they must be able to do 80 sit-ups in under two minutes, and 80 push-ups in under two minutes.  In addition, the male students must be able to run 1.5-miles in under 10.30 minutes and the female students must be able to run the same distance in under 12.30 minutes.



Seeing as it's the Naval Academy - the last test of physical ability is that the freshmen must be able to swim 200-meters in under five minutes.



By the time they're a junior, they must be able to swim 700-meters in under 30 minutes.

While wearing their khaki uniforms. 



If you are accepted to Annapolis and complete all four years, you receive what is the equivalent of approximately $400,000.00 in scholarship money which covers your tuition, room, board, and all supplies. Last year, almost 14,000 students applied and only 1,200 were accepted. So the odds aren't too great. But as we were taking a tour of the beautiful campus, a light bulb suddenly went off for me when I realized how we could easily send four children to university at the same time (where they'll be required to keep an extremely tidy room...).



Why ... they'll all go to Annapolis. Of Course!



It's a lofty goal that I suppose requires the childrens' consent.

At this moment, the girls aren't too thrilled about being in the Navy. But in the event I can convince them - I've started a physical regiment to get them in tip top shape.  Two weeks ago, this past Friday night, I demonstrated to the children how many sit-ups I could do in two minutes.  (If you must know: 65 when I do them "my way"and a mere 15 when Charlie showed me his way, which is purportedly the "correct" way." Or something. I like my way better.)

I need to mention that for the first half of August, I was battling a nasty upper respiratory virus that hit my lungs. So to stem the potential for a pneumonia recurrence, I went to the doctor and was prescribed doxycycline. Less than five minutes after taking my first dose, I was on my knees tossing it back up again. Apparently, I have the exact same reaction to doxycycline as I do to augmentin. My doctor prescribed another medication, Cefuroxime, which I hesitated filling because I don't enjoy clutching toilets and thinking I'm going to die and it seems the older I get, more and more antibiotics have that effect on me.

So, anyway. The day after my antibiotic puke fest (and two days after the sit-up-a-thon), I was feeling better, so I took the children to the pool and timed them on their laps.  We've definitely got some room for improvement, because it took Henry nearly five minutes to swim 50 meters doing the doggie paddle. Meanwhile, I'm hollering, "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? HOW ARE YOU EVER GOING TO MAKE IT TO ANNAPOLIS SWIMMING LIKE THAT?! WHAT ARE YOU ... A KINDERGARTNER?!"

He was laughing so hard he nearly choked, as I wondered aloud why my kids never take me seriously.

Following our intense lap swimming, we went down the monster water slides at our pool. And because I'm young at heart, I went down first.  It was so much fun, I did it again. And again. Times five.

Everything seemed to be going well for me, until that night.

As I was packing for a flight to Houston that left at 8:25 on Monday morning (for a meeting on Tuesday), I noticed my lower back hurt, in the vicinity of my tailbone.  I knew it was my tailbone, because I've broken my tailbone before. Or twice. Once in middle school when a boy who I later learned, had a crush on me, pulled my chair out from beneath me as I sat down. (Tip for boys: that's not a good way to win a girl's heart.) And another time when I was in high school and sat down prematurely for the chair lift while skiing.

So there I am on Sunday night and my tailbone is sore. And my cough has returned. By the time I went to bed, I was in so much pain, I had tears in my eyes, it hurt to breathe, and I was wishing for my mother.  Was this related to the sit-ups on our hardwood floors? Was it related to me upchucking a lung due to the doxycycline reaction on Saturday? Was it related to the water slides?

What pray tell, was wrong with me? 

Not knowing, I took Advil and went to bed. By 2AM, I was miserable, and the thought of being on a plane was emotionally crippling. The bump-bump landing, especially.  So I hobbled out of bed and told Charlie I was taking myself to the Emergency Room. In the middle of the night. Again.

Long story short, they gave me a shot for pain.  They took several x-rays. They concluded that I had a contusion to my coccyx most likely due to sit-ups on the hardwood floors and water slides.  Once again, Father Time was kicking me in the rear. This time, literally. Alas, there was nothing they could do except prescribe me muscle relaxers, pain killers and give me a rubber donut to sit upon.

I left the hospital at 4:50, arrived home at 5:00, slept for 45 minutes, and was picked up and taken to the airport. Before I left, William woke up and seeing me hobbling around with a rubber cushion tucked under my arm, whispered with a smile, "WHAT ARE YOU? 200 YEARS OLD?! Heh, heh, heh!"

I boarded my early flight and coughed all the way to Texas. Once I arrived in Houston, my pain killer shot had worn off, so my driver took me directly to the pharmacy to have the three prescriptions filled that were prescribed to me in Virginia + the one antibiotic prescription that I never had filled in Virginia that the doctor called in for me on Saturday.

My plan was to spend Monday touring around Houston - a city that we're supposed to move to, within less than two years. My reality was checking in to my hotel room, taking a picture out my window...



Downing my four prescriptions (three of which indicate, "May cause dizziness and/or drowsiness"), and dozing off by 2PM.



The next day, I woke up at 6:30 and had to repeat my prescription regiment before I walked to the meeting.  A meeting which I had to attend, because my intern was making her final presentation to our senior management team and they needed me there to provide moral support and give feedback as to whether or not she should be offered a position within our company.

The meeting went very well.

I remember there was chocolate cake and ice cream.



My intern was offered a position next year with our company.

No one laughed at my rubber donut and I think I only drooled once.