Tooth Fairies

Last night, after dinner, Kel started squawking for the umpteenth time this week that her tooth was REALLY loose. It was that first little molar there on her right side and it had been rocking slightly over the last couple of weeks. She kept saying she could hear roots popping and cracking when she wiggled it, but whenever I reached in for a try, I could barely move the thing. She kept insisting my fingers were just too big and that it was GOING TO FALL OUT AT ANY MOMENT!

So she badgered and badgered about trying to pull the thing out, and I finally said, "If it's that loose, get a paper towel and pull it yourself." Up to this point, I have pretty much been the tooth extractor in the house. Joe usually just sits by reading the paper, nods appropriately when they say, "Dad, it's almost out!" and then he pats them on the head and smiles when they produce the bloody thing after an hour's worth of sweat and tears. But Kel has lost a lot of teeth, so I figured if she was so worked up about it, why not let her try. In reality, I didn't believe the tooth was near ready to come out.

But after about 3 minutes in the bathroom, Kel emerged frantic holding a big ol' honkin' white piece of enamel and had a brand new gaping hole on the bottom side of her mouth. The tooth was out. Well, we wrapped up a piece of ice in a paper towel and held it in place until we got the bleeding stopped and then promptly placed the tooth in the Irish Tooth Fairy box Kel got on the day of her christening. It was given to her from family members now not in her life, people she does not even know really, but the magic of the gift still remains. So the box travels between the girls' nightstands, waiting patiently for the special nights it becomes the keeper of the treasure, the place where the Tooth Fairy comes to reward sleeping children for their bravery.

After we got the tooth all settled into its box and went on with our evening, Syd came out of the bathroom, top tooth in hand, gaping hole to the left of her face. She, never one to be far from the spotlight, had also pulled her loose tooth. I can just imagine how feverishly she must have been working in the bathroom to get that wiggly little thing out of her head! She would not be outdone by her big sister tonight.

So began the dilemma. Who would get the Tooth Fairy box? In my opinion, it is first come, first serve. So we decided to leave Kel's tooth in the box and we used a crude piece of pottery Syd had made on some children's pottery wheel she had gotten for Christmas. It sorta looks like a volcano. I think she tried to carve her name into it at one point, but it really looks more like the word *syrup* or something close to it. If you were really near-sighted and were standing about 150 feet away, drunk and really tired, you MIGHT think it said Sydney. I won't rule it out. I digress...

So we plopped Syd's top tooth in the volcano, placed it gently on the nightstand and went on about the night. After watching an episode of Nashville Star, playing an hour's worth of bedtime round-up and finally getting the girls settled in with glasses of water and kisses on the cheek, the house began to get quiet. It is truly my favorite time of the night, when all the critters are drowsy and Joe and I are on the big, fluffy couches in the living room, feet propped up, PJs on. I love it more than anything and I love to stay up late dragging it out, watching guilty-pleasure movies like Lethal Weapon or Jaws. Last night it was Die Hard 4 -- Is that Die Harder maybe?

As the movie went on and bedtime became midnight, Joe got up. I asked him where he was headed and he said, "I think I hear the Tooth Fairy." I, myself, had forgotten all about her arrival and was so thankful for his memory of the big event. One of my biggest fears is forgetting that the Tooth Fairy is coming and setting the alarm, going to bed and the girls waking up to find that she was unable to make her deposit in their special box. So last night, thanks to Dad, the Tooth Fairy was able to slip in and out without a peep, leaving a little green for each of the girls -- much to their big brother's chagrin. In his words, "How much? That sucks!" Ah, the joys of being the first-born child!

I hope everyone is enjoying the season. I am holding on to each day for dear life, as the time for real life to begin again draws nearer and nearer. School starts in a month -- A MONTH. It makes my heart sad. I so enjoy the days and nights without routine, the spontaneity, casual attitudes and laughter, laughter, laughter. Now that ball season is almost over, the nights with no schedule are my favorites. Dinner around the table, playing in the yard after dinner, catching up on TV shows, playing board games, just being together without anywhere to be is what it's all about for me. Wish I could bottle it and sell it. Enjoy the rest of the summer, people!

~Peace

Mighty Kelsey

We went to the softball state tournament in Crossville this weekend with Kelsey's 10U fastpitch team. There were 14 teams in the tourney from all over the state and Joe just really wasn't sure how the Explosion was going to do. Last year, the 8u coach pitch tourney was stacked and we came home 0-2 in that double elimination tourney. It was a short (and not so sweet) trip.

This year, Joe had higher hopes. In the week leading up to the tourney, the girls had done great in practice, looked very polished and ready to compete. He felt we might actually show up. Well, the first game was bright and early (8:00 a.m.) Saturday morning. The girls were sluggish and unmotivated. Some had driven from K-town early in the a.m., opting not to stay over at the luxurious Holiday Inn Express we bedded down in the previous night. So our play was definitely NOT polished and we lost 8-0. Fortunately for us, that game was just a pool game. So we dusted ourselves off and proceeded to the double elimination part of the tourney.

We won the first game handily, playing against a little team out of Macon County, TN. After an hour and a half rain delay, we came out Saturday night for our second game in the double elimination round. We lost and dropped to the losers' bracket. On Sunday morning we knew that any loss would send us packing back home, so we were hopeful we could pull out just one win at least. Going to the finals of the tourney would mean winning 7 games in a row and we weren't sure there were any miracles that big, so we were taking baby steps, thinking small.

Our first game Sunday started out to look like another train wreck. We were down 8-3 and things weren't looking good. Then things took a turn and we were tied late in the game. The opposing team went up by 1 going into the last inning and things were a little tense in the stands. We tied the game up in the top of the last inning and held them scoreless, so we headed into extra innings.

Many times in softball, extra innings means going into international rules. That means the team batting places a runner on second base to start the inning, thus expediting the scoring process and (hopefully) ending the game as quickly as possible. So we went to international rules as the storm clouds rolled in. We scored pretty quickly to start off the inning and then something weird happened. We started to hit and hit and hit and hit and hit. It was like the dam broke loose and all of these hits that we had not been able to squeeze out in days past all came rushing out at once.

I would also like to say that the same could be said of Kelsey's bat. All year she has shown great potential at the plate, strong as an ox and a quick bat. But she has never really connected well enough to show just how strong she really is. However, this past weekend, it was like her bat decided it was going to come alive. She hit and hit and hit. The only time she didn't hit was when she walked. She was really on her game.

So when her turn to bat came during the international rules part of the game, I was hoping she would grab the opportunity to add a couple of RBIs to her stats in the scorebook. There were runners at second and third when she came up. She got set in the box, crouched position, hands back. The pitcher threw the ball and Kelsey hit a shot down the third base line, past the third baseman, past the left fielder, to the fence. When the realization hit me that maybe, just maybe she had hit it far enough to go all the way, my heart started pumping and my mouth started cheering, "Go, go, go!" She was running and running as fast as her big ol' feet could take her, picking up speed as she rounded second (Those of you that know her know I am exaggerating the speed part of it, but she was moving pretty well!). She was coming up on third and I saw the left fielder come up with the ball and I thought, "She's gonna get a triple." Then I saw Joe make that big ol' "Head For Home" circular motion with his arm and start to skip toward home, leading her down the line. She rounded third and Joe was hollering, "Get Down!" as she neared the catcher, but the play wasn't as close as he thought and she crossed the plate standing up. HOMERUN!!!!!

I'm not sure if I jumped up and down or if I screamed or if I just ran wildly toward the dugout to greet her, but I saw her teammates come, all 11 of them, and make a circle around her, squealing and giggling and high-fiving her. She came rushing in to the dugout, a big grin plastered on her mouth with her face all flushed and her humidity-enhanced curls hanging out of her ponytail. I gave her a big ol' hug and said, "Kelsey, you did it!" She said, "Yeah, but I was so mad when I got up there and the bases weren't loaded! It coulda been a grand slam!" That's my girl!

We went on to win that game, but we lost the next one. So we handed out medals, packed up the gear, took the team to Dairy Queen for a promised ice cream treat from the coach and watched as the girls giggled and laughed and shoved each other's faces into ice cream sundaes. We took pictures, hugged and said the end-of-the-season good-byes. We ended up 7th out of 14 teams, a big accomplishment for our mostly 9 year old team. Not a bad way to go out. And it ended with ice cream. What more could you ask for?

If you're wondering if I had any documentation of the big hit, I didn't. I had packed up my camera earlier in the day because we were not doing well and, being a former softballer myself, I do have some superstitions about stuff. I put away the camera and we started doing better. So I left it in the bag. I had the camera and the video camera with me, but both were sound asleep in their carriers during the big event. But in my mind, I have it tucked away securely under "Mom's Proud Moments" right next to first words, walking, learning to ride a bike, learning to read and all the other milestones I have witnessed. It is a moment that she will not forget and one that I will cherish being a part of forever. There aren't a whole lot of times where you get to experience pure joy or witness it on the face of your child, but, lucky for me, I was there to see it. It was a blessing.

Till next time...

~Peace

Long Time Gone!

Has it really been almost a MONTH since I've updated? Geez, guys, it's not for lack of activity around here -- That's for sure. I've got oodles of pictures stored up and I'm going to update those later this weekend, but I'm just saying a quick hello before I head out for a softball tourney this weekend. I just thought if I didn't update while I had all this junk in my head it might be another month before I got around to it. So let's get started!

First, Joey's high school baseball season has mercifully ended. He ended up getting in at least an inning a game for most of the remainder of the season. A small victory, but a victory all the same. So summer season has started and life is back to normal. We're gearing up for trips to Mt. Juliet, Kingsport, East Cobb and Charleston with his team this summer. Then we've got our annual Daytona family trip coming up. We're storing up our dough for a trip to the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. "Give me the straight trifecta, 7-1-4, please, ma'am!"

The girls have a week and a half of school left and we're preparing for end of the year luau parties, final report cards and fun day at school. It's hard to believe we're moving to 4th and 2nd grades next year. Little Syd is not so little anymore and Kelsey has grown so much this year she's wearing women's size shoes and junior-sized clothing. Time marches on.

They both did great grade-wise this year, no Bs on either report card. They tested great on their standardized tests (not that I have any love for those things -- I could write a book about the loathing I have for them.), with Kelsey testing at Post-high school in several subjects and Sydney testing at a sixth grade level in a couple of things. Whether that's truly accurate or not, who knows, but I do know that they are learning and progressing tremendously in their studies. I'm glad I'm able to have a hand in that actually. Watching their academic progress has been one of the greatest experiences I've ever had.

In other news, Kelsey had her first pitching outing last month and did pretty well. She got out of the first inning with no runs, walking the first two batters. Batter #1 got thrown out trying to steal second and Batter #2 got called out for leaving the base too early (a little help from Blue, thank you very much). Then she was down in the count 3-0 on Batter #3, but came back and fired 3 right down the middle! Inning over! Woohoo! Now, in the second inning, things didn't run quite as smoothly, but it was exciting nonetheless. Let's see. With control issues, she threw a few behind the batters' backs and hit one in the head. Her dad brought in another pitcher soon after, but all-in-all, for a first time ever outing, she did great. I'm hoping to post some video on Vimeo later in the week, so I'll let you know when I get around to that.

Sydney had her spring musical May 1 at the co-op. I usually dread the spring musical simply because it's the typical, boring, school program. It's hot in the auditorium, crowded and you can't hear anything for all the babies fussing and crying all around the room. Kel missed out on this production because she had a softball game. (As is custom, I let her decide which event she preferred to attend, and she (BIG SHOCKER) chose to play ball.) Anyhoo, Syd had two songs in this production, one with the 1st and 2nd grade classes and one during the big finale with the entire school on stage. It was such a great little show this year! It was very upbeat and the music was contemporary Christian, so the kids danced and did sign language and it was beautiful. It was a very simplistic performance with minimal set design. The kids were dressed in khaki bottoms and spring colors on top, so it looked like a bunch of Easter eggs up on stage!

I have to say it was very enjoyable and Syd also came out of her shell this year and actually did the hand motions. For those of you in attendance last year, you will remember it was a little like the episode of the Brady Bunch where they went on the TV show as the group, "The Silver Platters", to perform a song and one of them froze up -- Was it Jan? (If you know the answer to this one, please leave it in the comment section below!) Anyway, Syd was kinda like that last year, but this year she was loosey-goosey and really enjoyed herself. I'm hoping to upload that on Vimeo this week, too.

We also took a quick trip to Pigeon Forge for our annual cabin vacation. It was tons of fun (even though it was Rod Run weekend and driving on the main drag was IMPOSSIBLE!). The cabin had a hot tub, two video game machines, foosball, air hockey, pinball, a jukebox and a pool table. So the kids -- Dad included -- had a ball! We visited the Gatlinburg Aquarium on Friday and then we invited the fam up on Saturday for a cookout. The girls got in the hot tub with their cousins after we ate burgers and horsed around for about an hour. Then after the family was leaving, we were stalked by a peacock for the remainder of our trip. It was beautiful, but kinda creepy, too. Evidently it was mating season for the little guy and he spent most of Saturday night squawking right outside the cabin -- Joe was thrilled, let me tell 'ya! Then on Sunday morning as we were getting up and getting ready to come home, Mr. Peacock was sitting perched on our front porch! AAAHHH! Anybody who knows me knows how much I fear birds, so it was not a big treat for me. Neither was the big pile of hmmm, how can I put this delicately, bird stuff he left on the front porch! I've got pics of all the festivities and I will upload those to the blog later this week.

Well, kids, I think that's all for now -- I know you're thanking the Good Lord that the babbling is ending! Kel's got three games today and it's time to get ponytails pulled up, Under Armour donned and cleats laced. If any of you have a 9 year old, you know this is not a quick process. So I gotta run. I hope everybody is healthy, allergy-free and in a good place. I'm hoping once school is out I'll be more attentive to the blog. There are lots of things coming up!

Finally, tomorrow is Mother's Day. I don't have a whole lot to say about that except I am thankful I still have a mother, two grandmothers, a mother-in-law and two sweet aunts (not to mention many friends) who are still around to share this experience with me. We will gather tomorrow at Mom's house as we always do, having sub sandwiches and chips and cookies and we will laugh and poke fun and enjoy the day. While I always say my idea of the perfect Mom's Day is laying in my comfy PJs all day watching movies and napping, I have to say I am so fortunate to still have so many mothers (this phrase is open to interpretation!!) to spend my day with tomorrow. Being a mom has been the greatest challenge of my life, but also the greatest privilege. I never regret for a single moment making the choice to be one. I am richer for having done so. So for all the moms reading this, Happy, Happy Mother's Day!

~Peace

Field Trips, Uniforms and All The Rest

Joe, Kelsey, Sydney and I went on Kelsey's third-grade field trip to Wonder Works today. Joe, just in from a short jaunt to Ann Arbor, Michigan for some kind of special *work training* -- You know, he works for the government, so I don't even ask anymore what that exactly means -- accompanied us on this beautiful 70+ degree day to spend time with the kiddos and their friends. It was a fun trip. There were probably about 30-35 kids and maybe 10 or so adults in attendance.

If you've never been to Wonder Works in Pigeon Forge, it is tons o' fun! It's covertly educational, sorta like those Brain Games the kids like to play on the DS. There's a rock wall, a virtual roller coaster, all kinds of *What you'll look like at age 40* and *What's your personality* types of kiosks everywhere. There are space exploration exhibits, a bubble room, a bed of nails and an optical illusion art gallery that is spectacular.

So we spent a couple of hours there, then headed to Logan's Roadhouse for a little lunch. Kelsey's favorite restaurant since she was old enough to know what a restaurant was is Logan's. Sadly, we haven't had a Logan's in Knoxville for a year or so now and Kelsey hasn't quit griping about it. Fortunately for her, a brand-spanking new restaurant just opened across the street from the Tangers Outlet (fortunate for ME) in Pigeon Forge, so whenever we're in the vicinity we have to make a stop.

After lunch, we decided to take the girls to play a little miniature golf at Old McDonald's Farm in the Tangers Outlet parking lot. After much back and forth, we decided to play on the Porky Putters course (Insert your own joke here). It was so nice out today. The sun was shining, skies were blue and it was about 72 perfect degrees. A little taste of early spring. After about 45 minutes of hits and misses and all kinds of barnyard animals critiquing the putting skills of the Birchfield family, we headed back to K-town. It was an unusually easy-breezy, non-stressful day for the fam and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Let's see. What else has been going on around here? Ah, I think I may have forgotten to mention in earlier posts that the girls are going to be wearing uniforms to the co-op next year. Since I spent my entire elementary and high school career in a uniform, I think it is safe to say I am not a big fan. I'm not against it enough to start a war over it, but I think all the reasons the administrator and the *Board* give for why uniforms are the greatest thing since sliced bread are hysterical. "Uniforms give the students a sense of pride, of unity, will help keep behavior problems down, help them become better citizens," blah, blah, blah. You know, the co-op instituted uniforms this year for the middle school for the first time and the behavior problems are UP, way UP, from last year. Funny stuff, huh?

Until now, I have really tried not to be too critical of the administrator or the decisions of the Board here on the ol' blog simply because I do have some friends who read this who are parents there. But I will say this: I really have come to the conclusion that our administrator is a little out of touch with the way the world works today, especially when you are the parent of a little one. He is a grandfather now and it has been a loooong time since he has been chasing toddlers or even elementary school students. He is a decent man, a DEVOUT Christian, always says hello when you pass him in the hall kinda guy. He's also a khakis and button-down kinda guy. At first I doubted if he even owned a pair of jeans, but he does do some hiking, so maybe somewhere he has a pair of Levi's.

But he is convinced somewhere deep inside that if every child at the co-op is in a polo shirt and khakis that the world will somehow right itself and we will be discharging the most respectful, well-behaved geniuses East Tennessee has ever produced. He firmly believes that being comfortable equals a poor work ethic and that having a princess on your shirt might just mean you're a -- God forbid -- liberal! The horror!

I have a mom friend at the school whose daughter is not the traditional stick model that some elementary/middle school girls are. She says her daughter is self-conscious in a tucked-in shirt and therefore opts to wear a nice tunic with her jeans or slacks. The child is beautiful and always looks well-groomed. My friend fears that the forced uniform code will cause her daughter greater self-consciousness than she is already feeling. And it probably will.

I don't think the physical differences in children ever came into play when making these decisions. I don't think the children came into play, period, when making this uniform decision. I think what came into play is what all too often comes into play when decisions are made at the co-op -- The *Board* (those who sit in judgment of all the rest, I choose to call them) in one of their *secret meetings* (Parents are never privvy to these meetings, unless they need to address the Board and then they are given the secret time and place to show up) decided we will look more like the real private schools if we all look the same.

Interesting, isn't it? We're supposed to be at a HOMESCHOOL co-op, but it sure has started to look, feel and act like real school. The only thing left to vote out is the parental involvement and then we're all set. But, as I said, this is not a battle I choose to fight. We're there 3 days a week for four hours each day. After that, I don't care if the girls come home and run around in a sparkly scarf and panties with puppies on them the rest of the day. In my grand scheme, what they're wearing just isn't that important. And I don't think it should be as important as it is at the co-op either. We're drowning in minutiae more and more each year.

Just between you and me, if the girls were interested, I think we'd probably ditch the co-op and blaze our own trail. Kelsey has come close a time or two, especially this year, but she likes the routine. And I think it's important that she has it. So we will trudge forward, in our navy blue polos and khaki chinos, loafers and black or brown belt, until we've had enough. Then we'll have a ritual burning of school uniforms in the firepit in my backyard and maybe even roast a marshmallow or two for good measure!

~Peace

Slumber Party

When I was a kid, my friends had a zillion slumber parties. Slumber parties were big back in the, um, '70s, I mean '80s, well, back in the day. Anyhoo, I can remember tons of girls, lots of soft drinks, pizza, cake, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey games, charades and late, late nights. I remember sneakily playing "light as a feather, stiff as a board" and Ouija board in the laundry room of one of my friends' homes late one Saturday night and getting the bejeebies scared out of me by my hostess' older brother. Good times...

I remember one great slumber party when I was in seventh or eighth grade (It's all a blur now) at my dear friend Christine's house. I so loved Christine (and still do to this day, I might add). She was one of my bestest buds in elementary school and through the first half of high school. She cruelly left Knoxville our junior year of high school for sunny Pensacola, Florida. The last time I saw her in Knoxville, I was 16 years old, driving away from her house in Broadacres with her giant stuffed animal strapped into the passenger seat of my blue Mustang and her little shamrock plant sitting on the floorboard, her final parting gifts, so to speak. Sorry, I digress...

The slumber party at Christine's was a birthday party, I believe. We all went to see the movie Footloose and then came home and danced to the ALBUM soundtrack -- remember those? -- at her house in her basement (was it the basement or the living room? My mind is fuzzy now, but in any case it was some large space). That party was FABULOUS. There is nothing like a little Kevin Bacon and Kenny Loggins to get all the tweens excited. At least that's the way it USED to be.

So why am I taking this stroll down memory lane? Well, this past Saturday, Sydney went to her first slumber party. Kelsey had her first slumber party this year, but it was only about 4 or 5 girls, not one of those big free-for-alls I think of when someone says *slumber party*. Sydney went to a slumber party with 13 other girls, a Webkinz party. (If you don't know what a Webkinz is, Google it.)

I was worried she wasn't going to make it through the night. Sydney is a different creature than Kelsey, still very needy sometimes, wanting me to pick her up and love on her. She is a creature of habit and likes to sleep in her own bed. So I put the cell phone up at the head of the bed when I went to sleep Saturday night, half expecting the late-night call. But when I opened my eyes at 7:00 a.m., I realized it had been quiet all night long, not a peep out of anyone. She had made it.

We went to pick her up at 10:30 the next morning and she was mad at me for not letting her stay longer! She said they went to bed at 2:30 a.m. after watching movies, having pillow fights, playing Twister and listening to a bedtime story snuggled in their sleeping bags. They ate pizza and cake and ice cream. She took her video camera and caught the pillow fight on film. It is truly hysterical.

You know, now in 2008, having a slumber party can kind of breed anxiety in a parent's heart. You never know anymore where you're sending your kids off to sleep. You hear horror stories about kids being snatched out of their bedrooms in the middle of the night, of house fires, of PREDATORS. So I am not as thrilled with slumber parties as much as I once was. But I have to say I am happy she had the experience this weekend. She had a great time and she really bonded with her girlfriends. And in true slumber party tradition, she came home, was a complete bear and I had to tell her to GO TAKE A NAP RIGHT NOW just like my mom used to tell me when I was a kid. Three hours after she laid down, she was back to her sweet self.

So whatever happened to my buddy, Christine? Well, a few years ago she found me on Classmates.com and sent me an email. She is still in Florida, a Florida University alumnus (Okay, guys, cut her some slack. Nobody is PERFECT!) with two kids and a husband named Joe (small world). We now e-mail regularly and send Christmas cards of our kids to each other every single year. She is what they call a keeper.

The pictures at the top are from Syd's slumber party. In the Twister picture, Sydney is the one wearing the pink High School Musical PJs. But then you probably already knew that... :)

~Peace

History Fair

Sydney & the Tennessee flag
Kelsey and Allie in front of the stable
More of Kel and Allie


Well, the History Fair was two days ago and we are almost all recovered. The day started horribly with tornadoes in West and Middle Tennessee and a tornado watch for all of us here in K-town. We headed out for school at 7:30 a.m. right as the skies turned pitch black and the rain began to fall in big, round globs -- Splat all over the windshield. I was praying silently the whole way to school for the Lord to please just let us get there safely. Then whatever was gonna happen could just go on and happen.

I told the girls we could not tune in to Disney on the XM radio this morning (something we do EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES) because we had to set the channel to WIVK to listen to the weather. There was no music on the radio Wednesday morning, just DJs talking about how there were tens of people dead in Tennessee and how dark it was outside and how JUST NOW the storms had entered Knox County. Great, I thought. Then the streaks of lightning started and the thunder. Sydney was squealing every time she saw the lightning and Kelsey was commenting on how loud the thunder was. It looked like we were headed into the middle of hell.

So I pushed on, Joe following me two minutes behind so he could help me unload at school. We were moving through the flooded roads on our usual route and I thought we were JUST GONNA MAKE IT before the deluge when we got into a long line of stopped cars -- a huge sewage truck had overturned! So we got detoured onto this little one-lane country road. I had no idea where I was going. Needless to say, the stress level was fairly high in the car. I kept trying to remain calm and not make colorful comments on how bad everything sucked (something at which I am well-trained) so that the girls would not get scared.

Finally, after following all the cars in front of me, hoping and praying they were going the same way I was, we got back onto our normal route and made it to school just as the skies opened completely and dumped gallons of water all over us. I let the girls out under the overhang, dropped all of their stuff off, including the robotic horse and parked. By the time I got inside the building I looked like I had showered in my clothes. And I smelled like wet dog. It was gonna be a good day!

So after all of that and after setting up all of the girls' displays, getting everyone settled, the History Fair began. Most of the displays were very creative and the costumes were neat. There were several people there doing soap-making demonstrations, quilting demonstrations, etc. There were even Civil War re-enactment enthusiasts there to show off their authentic goods. The kids created little vignettes from colonial times, a tea party on the lawn of the White House, castles, ships, wigwams, you name it.

Kelsey and her partner, Allie, were, as I said in my earlier post, blacksmiths. They had a stable complete with forge, authentic horseshoes, hay and a robotic horse. They stood before groups and groups of people and explained their trade, their importance and even told stories of famous blacksmiths in colonial times. They looked and sounded great.

Sydney's class did their projects in their classrooms. Kindergarten through second grade are not involved in the BIG History Fair, per se. Their displays consist of tri-fold boards, costumes and any accessories they want to bring. Sydney did a little project on the Tennessee flag, the designer, the significance and its adoption date. She wore a t-shirt with the Tennessee flag on it and had red, white and blue ribbons in her hair. She constructed a flag out of red, white and blue clay. She stood proudly in front of her board for most of the day, giving her speech to every group that came calling. Surprisingly, the projects in her class were very entertaining and pretty detailed. There was old-time candy, homemade butter and even a log cabin made out of Lincoln logs. They were creative and very age-appropriate.

So all in all the day went well once we arrived at our destination safe and sound. Outside, it was wet and windy, but inside, it looked like a different time. The kids were excited, bubbling over with information they had memorized, costumed in great detail. All the time and effort put into the day was evident. While I was worn out after it had all ended, from set-up to clean-up, I was glad I spent the day with the girls, listening to their presentations and even learning some new things myself. It made an otherwise dreary, miserable day into a memorable one.

History Fair

In this homeschool journey our family is on, some days are more trying than others. As anybody who has visited here before knows, the girls attend a 3-day-a-week co-op. When we ran screaming from the Knox County public school system in the fall of 2005, this little co-op was the oasis we had been seeking. It was peaceful, calm, challenging, loving, all those adjectives that you pray will describe your child's school environment. We saw (and still do) great results in Kelsey and our relationship with our child became better, stronger, happier.

And because of that success in our first year I became a great advocate of the school, so much so that our administrator started sending potential parents my way, hoping I could shed some light on the whole wonderful process for them. I will say it has never been an easy experience. Even back then, it wasn't easy. It was challenging for me. It was challenging just by definition -- schooling at home. I was now in charge of her education, and when I started to think about ALL of the things her little mind needed to absorb, well, it gave this mother pause.

Here we are in 2008 and both of the girls are at the co-op now. Double trouble, double time, double lesson plans, double schoolwork on homeschool days. Like I said earlier, some days are better than others. This week we are preparing for the History Fair. Every other year we have the History Fair, alternating with the Science Fair.

I don't know if any of you out there are homeschoolers or know people who are, but whether they be homeschoolers for religious beliefs or, like us, because of environmental concerns, one thing never changes -- the level of intensity put into projects. There is nothing like doing projects in a building full of home educators. It is like preparing for the Miss America pageant, like preparing for some historical blockbuster television mini-series, like preparing for the presentation of your life. These people (most of these people) LIVE for these History Fairs. We have mothers frantically sewing authentic historic costumes, complete with hoop skirts. We have dads painting and building the White House, Indian wigwams and royal palaces. It is the most over-the-top experience you will ever witness.

Thus, my good days/bad days statement. While I am all for delving into the pasts of all these historical figures, giving oral presentations to enhance public speaking skills, even putting together dioramas to depict the historical topic, I am more than overwhelmed with the level of authenticity required at this little co-op. It isn't really acceptable to pull your hair up in a bun, put on your prairie skirt and your ankle boots to depict some woman out in the wild, wild west. That will require a wig, a costume and a horse (complete with saddle), maybe some cactus and a gun (loaded) if you can get it approved by the administrator.

This year, Kelsey is a colonial blacksmith and Sydney is doing a project on the Tennessee State flag. Mercifully, first grade is a little more low-key about this kind of thing, so Sydney's project is just your typical poster board, paragraph, clay mold of the flag type of deal. Kelsey, on the other hand, has been spending the last few days of school painting and building a forge for her blacksmith shop. She will have a stable made out of wood complete with hay and horseshoes to stand in front of and a robotic horse for the visitors to enjoy. She will be dressed in full garb, britches, knee socks, apron, etc. We are to bring our costume in to class tomorrow for *approval*. Sigh...

So this is an *interesting* time for us on our homeschool journey. I use the term homeschool loosely because truly we are more private school than homeschool. I have very little say in the curriculum for my kids, the pace at which we do the lessons and even the grading of their test scores, etc. I hear next year I won't even have a say in what they wear -- uniforms for all ages for the next school year is on the table and really already a done deal, if the rumors are true. Do I wish I TRULY homeschooled? Some days, yes. I wish I had more control over what material was emphasized, wish I didn't have to spend so much time dealing with unimportant things like how the hardback binders are organized or whether the folders I bought are acceptable to the teacher, wish we were less deadline-oriented and more LEARNING oriented.

But I have always told myself on every challenging day that a bad day in this little co-op is better than a good day in *regular* school. I still believe that. I love Tuesdays and Fridays at home, books all over the table, studying definitions on the trampoline, memorizing Bible verses in the kitchen. I think 10 years from now I'll mourn the passing of this time, remember it with great fondness and no regrets.

And I'll probably be fond of it again right around 12:31 p.m. this Wednesday -- right AFTER the History Fair ends! :)

Bragging Rights

Okay, people, I am taking a minute to brag on my child. Today Kelsey, who is in third grade, competed in her school-wide spelling bee. The bee consists of classroom winners, grades 3-8. Kelsey won her class bee and, after much back and forth, decided she would give it a shot.

The bee was at 1:00 in the chapel after school. Fourteen students were expected to compete, but only 11 showed up for whatever reason. The chapel was pretty empty, mainly parents and siblings of the participants. I was the only overzealous parent with a video camera, but since Joe couldn't leave work to be there, I thought he might like to see it (because, honestly, who knows if she'll ever be up there again like that?).

So the bee started and within about 20 minutes we were down to three or four students. Kelsey was hanging in there, having spelled words like "mantilla", "virtuoso" and "libretto". Finally, it was down to her and a middle school student. The girl competing against her was tall and lanky and a confident speller. I thought as they were going back and forth for what seemed like eternity that Kelsey was sure to fall to this willowy girl.

But just as I was sure the end was near, this other girl mispelled "calypso". Kelsey's face turned bright red when she missed the first A in the word. I knew she had realized the girl had spelled it wrong. Then Kelsey stood up, spelled it correctly and waited on the final word. The moderator said, "benevolent." My heart sank. Kelsey had had trouble with this word all week, going over it several times. She stood up and began spelling slowly. I was unsure if she remembered that it was an O and not an A in the middle. I was looking at her through the video camera's lens in black and white, so deep in concentration, looking so little standing there by herself. Then it was over and the moderator congratulated her on being the winner!

OH MY GOD! Kelsey is the school-wide winner! She gets to go on to the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee on March 8 at UT. At first she said she didn't want to go on and the older girl could go, but she has now decided she does. She has until morning to make up her mind, but she seems pretty set on it. So I guess we'll be spending the next 8 weeks spelling, spelling, spelling!

I can not express in any words how full my heart is today. It's not much, a little school spelling bee, but for her it was a big deal. It was a big accomplishment. She overcame her apathy for participating and buckled down, worked hard, writing words and studying each night, going back over words we had spelled a million times before just to be sure we got them right. We spelled in the car, in the bathtub, even during dinner. And because of her effort, she saw success. A life lesson that can't be bought, my friends. And that is why I am so thrilled for her today. She has learned that hard work brings reward. And her mother has been reminded once again how blessed she truly is to be here to witness it!

Halloween, Etc

Has it really been two weeks since I've blogged? Geez, time flies and flies. Well, the kids have just returned to school after a week and a half fall break. Okay, *Home Study Week*, as it's referred to at school. We took a trip to Ohio to visit Joe's parents over the first weekend of break. It was a short trip, but a nice one. The girls spent a lot of time with their grandparents, asking questions for their school projects and just hanging out with them. It was a happy time.

Joe's mom has COPD and isn't in the best health, but she looked better than the last time we had seen her (December of '06) and she was thrilled to see her granddaughters. She wore the gold and red and blue necklace Sydney had made her (okay, so she hasn't completely gotten the concept of consistency yet!) the whole time we were there and she cried and hugged them until they couldn't breathe the day we left.

So after spending the next week recovering from the drive and getting school projects together, we are now all back on our routine. Sometimes I think it's better when we're just doing the day-to-day stuff. I love vacation, and I crave that time without structure, but life just seems to run a little more smoothly when we're all going where we need to go, school, work, etc.

Okay, our first day back was Halloween. The girls were stoked for days before. After school let out, they both ran in the door and started asking, "When can we get dressed?" about 100 times. Finally, about 4:30, I started getting them ready. I always underestimate how long it's going to take. We had planned to head over to my grandmother's around 5:30, visit a while and then come back to our neighborhood and hit the ground running. Well, we didn't get out the door until 5:45, but we were back to the subdivision by 6:45, ready to loot.

It was weird this year because the time change hadn't occurred yet and a lot of people were out while it was still daylight. When we got back to the subdivision, the goblins were already crawling through the yards, bags open, elbowing for position on the front porches. I love Halloween.

When I was a little girl, my dad and my uncle used to take me, my brother and my cousins trick-or-treating every year. My aunt and uncle lived in a subdivision and we didn't, so we loved to go to their neighborhood on Halloween. I remember Dad would always load us up on all kinds of scary Headless Horseman stories and Goblins-In-The-Leaves stories before we'd head out, so I'd be paranoid all night long. He and my uncle would creep in the car house to house while we walked in the yards. They would occasionally yell directions from the vehicle and even gave us a ride on the hood of the car when we got tired (Yeah, real safe, I know!).

I remember hearing my dad say so often how much he loved and hated Halloween at the same time. His little brother was killed on Halloween, so I think somewhere in his mind he always felt guilty for enjoying it. But he never let it stop him from taking us out until our pillowcases full of candy were so heavy we had to drag them. Good times.

A lot of people at the girls' school are anti-Halloween, anti-Santa, etc. It's all evil and *against God*. I don't buy it. Something is only evil if you make it evil. How can my little Sydney dressed as Dorothy in her red ruby slippers be evil? Even Kelsey, dressed as Hermione from Harry Potter, never thought her costume was representative of witchcraft, only that Hermione was the smartest girl in her class and Kelsey identified with that part of her.

And how can Halloween be a bad thing now when the memory of that holiday brings such comfort and joy to my heart? Denying me those Halloween memories and denying my kids the opportunity to have those memories for themselves, to me, that's much more *against God* than letting them be someone else for one night and collecting a bag full of candy!

So I guess that's it, people. I'm going to put a couple of pictures of Halloween night up at the top of this blog. The scary creature with the girls is my cousin, Tami. She went as a naughty angel this Halloween and her costume was fantabulous! Tami is a good egg. She's a grown-up now, but she'll always be a kid at heart. That's what makes her so special!

Be sure to check back next week sometime. The girls have a birthday on November 6 and I'm sure I'll have some good pics to share!

High School Musical On Ice

Well, we went to the High School Musical on Ice show last night at the Coliseum. Originally we were supposed to be on the front row for the Friday morning show. However, last week I got a call from a very nice lady at the ticket office letting me know that Disney had chosen to cancel that show and I would need to pick another night. I said, "But we had front row seats!" She was very patient and said, "I am aware of that, but there are no front row seats for any of the shows left." Can you feel my frustration?

Anyway, the good news was that they had second row seats in a better section for last night's show, the first performance of about a million this weekend. Mom, the girls and I left early and had dinner at Aubrey's before the show. (This was my grand plan to keep them from being hungry at the show and spending a week's salary on snacks while we were there!) We got to the show 35 minutes early and browsed around, checking out all the glittery souvenirs that were being hawked in the lobby.

The girls picked out a couple of trinkets and then headed over to the photo station to have their pictures made with Troy and Gabriella. I have about a million of these pictures with various cardboard or plastic people they have set up at these shows. But it's kinda neat because it helps me mark time and see how much my munchkins have grown over the years. This year was especially telling because Kelsey is almost as tall as the cutout!

So after getting to our seats, the show finally began and it was an hour-and-a-half-long rock concert on ice! The girls loved it. They sang and clapped and giggled through the whole thing. The place was packed and there were little girls squealing all over the joint. Even the moms and dads were clapping and singing along to the songs -- because if their house is anything like mine, they're for sure gonna know all the songs before they get there!

Sydney and Kelsey were still babbling about it on the way to school this morning. Syd said it was the best ice show we'd ever been to. Kelsey said the lead skater was *hot*. (Okay, I know he's an ice skater, but she's 8, so cut her some slack!)

So I guess the night was a success. For me, it was a ton of fun. The kids were happy. Their Nana got to have a night out with her girls. I got one more photo to add to my sofa table. And we all got to add one more memory to our internal hard drives. What else could I ask for?

Hannah Montana

Well, after much discussion back and forth, we finally decided to buy (scalp) the Hannah Montana tickets for the girls. Sold out show, November 24, tickets on Ebay going for $1,000 and up -- and sometimes that's just for TWO. So weird.

I remember back in the New Kids days how crazy it was, but was it sold out and people scrambling for tickets? I guess so because I can remember we sold some tix during that time, but I KNOW it wasn't as costly as it is for this show -- Inflation?!?

I know we'll get lots of comments, rolled eyes, whispers behind our back about spoiled children, blah, blah, blah. But you know what? I remember from the time I was old enough to remember going to concerts -- lots of concerts -- and I loved them. I remember SOOOO many, too many to list here. I loved that experience, something about the fact that you were in the same place with the person actually singing the songs you listened to on the radio made it like magic. I still love that experience.

Joe took me to Rascal Flatts last year with my two cousins and it was an absolute blast. I'm 38 years old and I still get a great big thrill out of it. There's no explanation, no picture I can draw, no way to explain why it is such a joy to me. (It's not like I love being in enormous crowds of people.) Maybe because it always carries me back to those times with Mom and Dad at the shows I first saw with them or to the first concert I got to attend alone with my best friend (Rick Springfield, Civic Coliseum, seventh grade). Maybe it's just because it gives me 3 hours of no responsibilities, no obligations, no worries. Who knows? Whatever it is, I want my girls to have it for themselves. And after our Cheetah Girls experience earlier this year, it is obvious they love the concert thing, too.

So after much discussion about it all, we're going. We're making it a birthday present for each of them and we're going.

Some people -- and I can probably name most of them -- are gonna have lots of judgment toward us about this decision, some of them reading this right at the moment. I guess the way I feel about that is -- respectfully -- I don't give a flip what anybody else thinks about it. My girls are awesome, fun, happy kids and I hope I can perpetuate that in them until they are grown and that it will live on somewhere in them until they're parents.

And if giving them memories that will stick with them until they're 38 years old costs me more than the asking price, so be it. I can't take it with me anyway. But I can leave all of those times -- concerts, beach vacations, ball trips, manicures/pedicures -- with them. So when I'm gone they'll be able to reach back and find those memories and laugh or smile or cry, whatever.

Then, when they're taking my grandkids to their first show, they can tell the story of their trip to Hannah Montana, or whoever, while they're loading up on concert programs and searching for their seats. And they'll get it when their little ones scream and yell and jump up and down when the show starts.

Time is so short and they're only little for a blink, a wink, a second. What is that song of Hannah Montana's Kelsey sings all the time? Life's what you make of it, so let's make it rock. Corny, corny, but so, so true. So if you're out on November 24 near the Thompson Boling Arena, I'll be the one clapping and laughing and singing with two little people and the old geezer and not regretting one millisecond of it!

Driver's Ed

Well, Joe took Joey to the Comcast parking lot today on the A.J. Highway for a little *drive time*. Joey will be 15 next month and has been studying for months for his permit test. He is soooo ready to be driving.

The first words out of Joe's mouth after the lesson were, "We live!" He was laughing, but sounded like he had had a little excitement today. He said Joey learned how to park between two cars today. First, parking with no cars, then with one car beside him, then with one on either side and then finally with one in front and one on either side. Joe maintained he did well, coming a teeny bit close on one side, but good. He said he got a little flustered once and hit his windshield wipers and blinkers when he was making his turn, but assured me he did fine.

Can you believe it's here -- Joey out on the roads? He got his class schedule this week and he has Driver's Ed his second semester. When he was telling me about it, it made me think of my driving instructor, Mr. Love. No lie, his name was Mr. Love -- or as my crazy friend, John Gray, called him, *Dr. Love*!

He was an older man, bald, and he had an eye for the ladies that worked at the testing center. I remember the day I went to take my actual driving test he brought the ladies a big box of Dunkin' Donuts -- told me it would help with my scores. He also backed my car into the parking space so all I would have to do was pull out when the test began. I guess I was not going to be his first student ever to fail the test! And it worked -- I passed with flying colors and Dr. Love let me drive home from the test, chatting my head off about how great it would be to be able to drive on my own now. Weird how I remember the details of that day so vividly and I can't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning! Also weird how my mom and dad didn't seem to think it the least bit dangerous for me to be driving around town ALONE with some old guy I (or they, for that matter) barely knew! But I digress...

I wonder if Joey will remember all this 20 years from now, his dad laughing at him in the Comcast parking lot or almost hitting that car sitting beside him as he learned how to back out of the parking space or how he caused his dad a little heart palpitation when he took the corner just a tad too sharply as he went aisle to aisle in the lot. I wonder if he'll remember the Driver's Ed class he took in 2008 and the funny nickname he gave his teacher.

But mostly I wonder if he'll ever realize how much we wish we could freeze him forever just as he is right now.

Third Grade Pool Party

Well, Kelsey had her third grade Meet & Greet today at Lovell Hills Pool. She has a new teacher this year -- and I mean NEW. The teacher was recently hired by CFC (That's Christian Family Cooperative to the 2 people in the world reading this who don't know where my little criminals attend school!) and she's fresh out of college.

To this point, I had not met the teacher and was looking forward to it. I had requested this particular teacher simply because the existing third grade teacher seems a little worn down from teaching and lacks -- hmmmm, how shall I put this -- a sense of humor of any kind. For those of you who know my sweet little Kelsey, you know this will not work. Kelsey is my mini-me. And for those of you who know me, you'll know why a teacher with no sense of humor would not work!

So I hang out at the pool watching Kelsey jump repeatedly into the water, stealthfully chasing her little boyfriend, Christopher, from one end to the other. Finally, I ask one of the other moms where the teacher is. After all, that's the ONLY reason I'm loitering in the 90 degrees on this muggy August day. She says, "She's right there." I turn around and a little girl with a long blonde ponytail is standing looking all of about 14. I swear it was Hannah Montana!

I introduce myself and spend a few minutes talking to her. She's bubbly, she's excited, she looks just like Barbie. How old I now feel. I really am *the mom*. You know, you can fool yourself for a long time that you're only as old as you feel, ignoring the gray in your hair, the pain in your back and the age spots on your hands all because you still feel like you're 23 inside. But then you meet your child's new, fresh-out-of-school teacher and she calls you, "Ma'am" just that one time.

What is that Garth Brooks' song -- Too Young To Feel This Damn Old? Yeah, well, not anymore, I guess.

Doctor Visit

So this morning I am awoken at 6:50 a.m. to my 6-year-old toting her pillow to my room. Figuring she had had a bad dream, couldn't sleep, whatever, I started to make room for her in bed. Then she got closer and I noticed that her pink pillow was covered with blood, looking like maybe her ear had fallen off at some point in the night. Another nosebleed. This is probably the fifth or sixth one in six weeks. Enough of the guessing, time for the dreaded trip to the germ capital of the world -- the pediatrician's office. Gotta make sure there's no sinus infection living up there.

So after the requisite BP check, weight check, the pediatrician bee-bops in the door -- not in a chatty mood (It's Monday after all.) He takes one look in her throat, asks me literally two questions and says no infection, just scabs in her nose and then tells me to put Vaseline on a Q-tip, insert (Yeah, I know. I gagged and so did Syd.) and rub it onto the inside of her nose twice a day for a week.

I said, "Well, I just wanted to make sure she didn't have any swelling, infection, etc., because she's complaining of pain, too." He said, "No swelling, just irritation." The man did not even make an attempt at looking in her nose. How does he know she has no swelling in there? She could have a whole serving of macaroni up there for all he knows because HE DIDN'T TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK! So frustrating.

This is the second doctor we've had to go to at this particular pediatrician's office because the first doctor under-diagnosed Kelsey on more than one occasion and we ended up once in the E.R. the same night for severe ear infection (not just the cold she had been diagnosed with four hours before) and once back at the doctor's office the same day for strep throat (not just *seasonal allergies*, as the lovely doctor had told us that morning.) I guess I'm gonna have to start searching out a new group. Ugh.

But for now Sydney has dried up and is sleeping off her early wake-up call. Guess I'm on Vaseline duty at bedtime tonight. Yippee. If this post is not a major advertisement for birth control, I don't know what is!

No Training Wheels

Well, Sydney decided tonight was the night to let go of the training wheels. She begged her dad all day to teach her and after about 4 hours of putting her off, he finally said yes. So we all dutifully traipsed outside to watch. Joe took the training wheels off and gave the tires a little extra air while Sydney, with great seriousness, strapped on her knee pads, elbow pads and her helmet. I use the term *helmet* loosely because it is now nothing more than the styrofoam insert from her pink Barbie helmet! After getting all geared up, she asked me if there was some kind of pad to protect her belly. I assured her she would be fine and off we went.

After lots of discussion about who was the one actually running through the cul-de-sac behind her bike, I finally got elected (much to the delight of our neighbors, I am sure). I put one hand under her seat, steadied her handle bars and off she went. To make a long story short (too late!), after an hour and a half of falling to the asphalt, dodging parked cars and her sister (who decided she needed to ride, too), she FINALLY got it! Woohoo!

Granted, she just goes around in a circle to the right at this point! But either way, she's doing it alone and she couldn't be prouder of herself. After she realized she was going it alone, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. She pumped her hands into the air and squealed for joy after she got herself stopped. It was, I have to say, one of the greatest moments I've ever had. Pure joy!

Way to go, Syd!