Today Aidan is 11

He's been talking about this day for months. After Ian's, Dave's, Emma's and the Liam's birthdays Aidan would subtract how many days were left until his. He loves to celebrate - especially when it involves himself.

Vain, no! Aidan is anything but vain. He simply loves to celebrate. From an early age he would come up with any reason to light candles, set flowers, arrange the table just so - to make the meal that much more special.

Aidan is my adventurer. This summer typifies Aidan and his free spirit. This is his third year on the swim team. He joined it during Emma's second year. Last year Emma didn't swim because she was in Cyprus with her grandparents. I thought Aidan would hang back, but no, he committed to the team. This year he was the only boy swimming his level during practice. Yep, Aidan and 10 other girls. He loved it. He would jump into their conversations, practice his magic tricks to razzle-dazzle them and buy extra large pretzels during meets just to share with them. He's not a flirt. He's a socializer. Never at a loss for words, Aidan will eagerly enter into conversation with anyone, regardless of age or sex.

I remember 3 years ago we had a couple over from church for Easter lunch. Now Bob and Ruthie are rather eccentric. Ruthie was blind and Alzheimers was doing its work on her. Conversations with her were sometimes hard to follow. That Sunday Aidan helped Ruthie to her seat, asked her if she wanted something to drink, served her and began asking her questions without any prompting from the significant adults in his life.

Aidan also has an addictive personality (like his mother). He gets lost in his xbox, computer games, and (I don't mind this one) books. He loves legos, star wars, and cheese pizza. He is winsome, loving, sentimental and sees beauty where others don't. I can't count how many times we'd be in the car during sunset and he'd look out the window and say, "Mom, look at the sky. It's just beautiful." (And he started noticing things like that when he was a preschooler.) While we were driving out to California he commented on the landscape of Oklahoma. "It is really beautiful out here. I can see for miles."

Aidan was my easiest pregnany and delivery. He loves hearing that. I was biking 7 miles a day when I was pregnant with him. I was in labor for 2 hours and pushed for 5 minutes.

He's a character and just like Dumbledore said to Harry Potter, I expect great things from him!

My Children Are Better Than Me

Have you ever been humbled? Of course you have. It's what makes are humanity easier to live with. Have you ever been humbled by someone younger than you and related to you? This week I was - twice!

Aidan is on swim team. This is his third year. In swimming you're divided according to age groups. Aidan is ten so he swims 9-10 boys. He'll be 11 in July. Last year, of course, he swam 9-10 boys. This year his coach thought he was 11 so she placed him with the 11-12 boys. During our first meet I was a mildly perturbed that the coach had him (my little 10 year old) swimming with 11, 12, almost 13 year old. I said something to Aidan after the meet. I explained, "If you swam in 9-10 you would smoke your competition and win that elusive blue ribbon! Don't you want to move down to 9-10?" His response slapped me down a few notches, "No mom, I like to be challenged and I really don't care if I win. If I swim with kids older than me I'll swim harder, regardless of winning or losing I want to be challenged."

Whoa!!!!

This morning we had our 4-H project exhibitions. All the kids (sans Liam) had projects due. Emma, my most ambitious, had 3 - visual arts (computer), digital photography and international cooking. During the project exhibits you need to refer to you 4-H handbook to know how to present your projects. If they do not follow the guidelines you will be marked down. We lost our handbook.

Aidan did food heritage last year and this year so I assumed the guidelines for his cooking would be the same for Emma's. Wrong. She needed to present an entire menu from another culture. Instead she made dessert from the Czech Republic - delicious chocolate-nut bars. Because she didn't follow the guidelines she only received a red ribbon. I was disappointed. And I voiced my disappointment. Emma shook it off and said, "there's always next year." No regrets, no tears, no tantrums, just a good lesson learned.

God has placed these chillens in my life to teach me so many things, the depths of which I will still be pondering when I am grandmother to their children.

The Mundane of Daily Necessities

I've changed my "About Me" section a bit because I woke up this morning and realized I neglected my nightly routine of "picking up." As I was bending and stretching and bending and stretching and breathing and (feel the burn) I grew more and more frustrated. I let out a cry, "I am so tired of picking things up only to turn around and pick them up again!" Dave, in his merciful wisdom said, "Okay, stop sounding like a mom cliche'."

Seriously though, I get so frustrated with the never-ending duties (or are they privileges) of housekeeping. In order to stay ahead of the clutter I must perform my household aerobics daily. This has not sunk into my psyche - ya'd think after 16 years of picking up after kids (okay 18 years picking up after my husband, dear husband) I'd get over it.

I've read countless articles from Women's Day, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple (in the time when I subscribed to those mags) about how to declutter, best ways to organize your kid's toys, quickest cleaning tips, etc. It all comes down to laziness and doing what you have to do...plain and simple.

One aspect of the daily chore that I've come to appreciate is the exercise involved. Our dishwasher broke down months ago and I don't want it repaired. Why? More calories are spent washing dishes by hand then placing them in the dishwasher (My sister prefers washing by hand because it's her only quiet time, no one comes in the kitchen to bother her in fear they will be asked to help!).

My mother had a routine at night. She would (after we brushed our teeth) clean the bathroom sink. No one was allowed to use it after her nightly ritual. She abhored water spots. In this realm, I am not my mother's daughter, almost. I have come to find that nightly cleaning is the most satisfying. I know, for those brief hours in my sleep, that my house is organized and spotless.

Well, the dogs have tromped mud through the kitchen, again. Time to pull out my least favorite mop (which I'm beginning to appreciate more since I found I can refill the cleanser with my own mixture of water and vinegar - cant do that with the Swiffer!) and, once again, mop the floor. But hey, it's exercise!

What Can You Do With Plain Non-Fat Yogurt?

I was turned on to a book through mommylife.net. The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden. It has been our reference for non-boring (I have banned this word from the house - whoever uses it owes me $1) summer days. Today we made the best paper airplanes. Aidan's reading up on famous battles and the history of artillery. He's anticipating my okay setting tripwires throughout the house. This book is filled with fun facts, craft ideas, games that will last will into the late teen years, and beyond. I highly recommend it.Second - Dave and I love greek yogurt. Walmart doesn't sell it (that and Aldis are the only stores in town). We have to drive an hour and a half to Trader Joe's to dish out the big bucks ($1.99) for 8 ounces of the stuff. The nonfat greek yogurt tastes like the richest full-fat yogurt, but no fat! Well, I discovered a way to make the less expensive Walmart nonfat plain taste like the greek. You have to have cheesecloth and a colander. -Simply lay a single layer of cheesecloth over a colander (covering all the holes). I use a smaller colander.


-Place the colander in a slightly larger bowl.
-Dump the yogurt in.
-Cover with saranwrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. Overnight is best.
- The next morning the whey is drained from the yogurt and thickened.

I enjoy this as is. Dave adds honey (very Greek). Mixed fruit is a nice addition too.

So I'm facing this new freedom that I just have to share with y'all. Ian got his license a few weeks back and not until this week it occurred to me, "Ian can run to the store and buy last minute items I forgot to pick up! Brilliant!"

He just returned from the Butcher's with 2# of ground beef (I did buy some but the key is defrosting it in time). He enjoys his new-found freedom and I r-e-a-l-l-y appreciate having a third driver in the house.

A Must-Read Article For Anyone With Heart

Our friend in CO has posted a link to an excellent article in NYTimes. Please visit her site. Courtney is a woman with heart, soul and conviction. She is an active advocate against slavery, which is alive and well in our generation.
www.orrange.typepad.com

Enjoying What We Don't Have in Southern Illinois

Legoland

It's an ideal place for anyone who loves legos. It's all legos. Mini-land was fascinating. Everything - Las Vegas, Hollywood, Paris, NYC - made out of legos. And many of them were automated, like the cars and boats. The boys had a great time, especially Liam when he came face-to-face with a larger than life Bionicle (or as he says "Biocacal".

Why Do Truckers Like to Tailgate?

We've made it. Two weeks and some 4000 miles later we are resting comfortably in back in Sparta, IL. Some observations from the road:
1) Eastern Oklahoma is very lush and surprisingly pretty
2) Oklahoma's rest stop toilets are WRETCHED! Do not even need to go when you are in Oklahoma. Avoid it at all costs!
3) There are ALOT of dead opossums, armadillos, cats, dogs, deer, squirrels on the road
4) Emma doesn't like it when Aidan and I sing Elevation with U2
5) Dave Matthews Band is mighty fine music to play on a road trip
6) The Best Western in Weatherford in OK is very nice and serves a filling breakfast
7) Not so much for the Super 8 in Holbrook AZ or the Best Western in Santa Rosa, NM
8) I know there is a beauty to the desert but it surpasses me, kind of like abstract art
9) Gas is to darn expensive right now and come the judgement day someone should be held accountable!
10) I need to call home more often when I take a road trip (I was severely reprimanded for waited until my cell phone had service - a day and a half. Yes I know, my bad. I've already had my hand slapped.)
11) Liam does not nap in the car and
12) Compact Disc holders make great entertainment for a toddler (reflect the sun and make sun spots for him to catch - much like a cat
13) I'll end with what I titled this blog: Why do truckers like to tailgate? Is it to intimidate (ala Duel)? Do they feel perfectly safe hanging one car length behind my itsy-bitsy Dodge Stratus and trust their brakes and their reaction time is quick enough? Any ideas?
I'll write more about the trip later. Right now I'm doing laundry, trying to revive a neglected plant, brushing molting dogs and then scrubbing my kitchen floor. A woman's work...

Liam is 3

This can't be. No way. I don't believe it. No way! I'm too old for this. This isn't possible. NOOOO! Two strips on the stick told me I was pregnant. Unbelievable. How do I tell Dave. We had 3 kids - 8, 10 and 13. We were a family. Complete. Or so I thought. Into our lives, 3 years ago came Liam David Moody.

While I was pregnant we were constantly debating what to name him. Owen, Eammonn, Noah, Liam. There was no peace. Nothing sounded, felt quite right. Aidan called him Jack. And Jack kind of stuck. There are a lot of fictional characters that we liked: Jack Bristow (Sidney's father and the now defunct Alias), Jack O'Neill (captain of Star Gate), Jack Bauer (need I describe who he is to you!). Jack was a complete name, yet it lack a little...dignity, uniqueness and it didn't really blend with our Celtic/family heritage. But Jack stuck. We signed the birth certificate Liam David but he goes by Jack. Hey, it's C.S. Lewis' nickname too!

What an addition he's been to our family. It's so difficult to remember life without him. Sometimes we call him "Hurricane Jack" because he can destroy the neatness of a room in 30 seconds flat. He's quite the athlete. Can spiral the football, pitch a baseball, and dunk the basket. He's full of energy and loves to be the center of attention - which he usually is. He's brought something into our family - completeness.

Finished School This Week

Next Wednesday 3 of the kids and I are driving to California. You can ask me if I'm insane. Go ahead, ask. Yes I am.
So this week we finished school. I have no intentions of homeschooling on the road or in California, while on vacation. (But if you think about the nature of homeschooling - schooling never ends and all life experiences are incorporated into "school". So in essence this summer, our driving out, our time in California are merely a continuation of school!)

I've asked the kids to tell me their favorite topics/books for the past year.
Emma: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. She's read quite a few Lowry books and really likes her writing. Historical fiction is Emma's favorite genre.

Aidan: Ali and the Golden Eagle by Wayne Grover and Around the World in 80 Days By Jules Verne and The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis and King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. As you can tell Aidan goes for the adventure story. He's also finishing up Eldest. "The best book ever, mom!"

So we're going out to California to see my niece Hayley confirmed. We haven't been out there since my father's funeral in 2003. My oldest sister has yet to meet Liam. I'm okay with the 3 day drive out. I'm not okay with the 3 day drive back. But, sing it Gloria Gaynor, I will survive.

Ian will be flying out to join us after he finishes public school which leads me to Why We Homeschool part 3 (kid's version):
1. Don't have to wake up so early
2. Get to study what interests us
3. Get to break for lunch when we want and eat good food
4. Get to end the school year early so we can go on vacation
5. I can read in bed (Emma)
6. I get to play with Jack during breaks (Aidan)

Editor's note: I thought it was interesting when I asked the kids what they didn't like about homeschooling I got answers that I would have gotten from public school kids - we have to do Math and Spelling!

Ian is 16

Tomorrow Ian turns 16! I have a 16 year old! 16 years ago I gave birth to my first son. Unbelievable!
So indulge me, a proud mother, while I extol the wonders of my boy.
He is smart. It baffles me how intelligent he is - it must have skipped a generation (and Dave agrees with me so I'm not dissing him). He's on the Math team (big brag moment coming up) and placed 1st in the southern Illinois competition a few weeks ago. Next month his team goes to state. He catches on the concepts quickly, almost intuitively.
He is creative. He picked up the guitar a couple of years ago. He's composed a few tunes. He plays during our contemporary worship, and another church's too. He plucks at the piano and can play a tune, even though he's never taken a lesson. And the same with the drums.
He is kind. (Okay, his brother and sister won't agree on this one). Sometimes I have to prod him into helping but he's always there to take our 2 yo off my hands and play with him. And they play well together. It's almost comical to see this almost 6 footer wrestle a barely 3 footer. Liam adores him
He is a freak. Ian can do these BIZARRE things with his toes and fingers. He's constantly cracking (mostly for the effect he gets from his mother) his knuckles. He curls his toes in, complete under his foot. Weird!
Above all, Ian is unique. After 16 years I still don't know who he is or who he will become. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, he makes me happy and, of course, he makes me angry. He's my son. I love him. Happy Birthday Ian.

Done

But not at all happy. It took 6 arms and much coaxing.

Do I Need a Haircut?

joie de vivre

I am convinced one reason God has given us the gift of parenthood is so we can see the joy in children and return us to that life of simplicity. Liam is our youngest. He turned 2 in May. I remember when he first smiled and laughed. It was from the gut, deep, meaningful, full. He puts his everything into everything he does, whether it's grasping a spoon and shoveling cheerios into his mouth or building a tower with his mega-blocks.
Dave would tell you his highlight of the day is when he comes into the house and Liam runs to the door yelling, "DAAADDDY!" with the biggest grin and arms wide open. Liam's joy is seeing his family.
It is because of my children I understand why Jesus said, unless we become as little children we will not inherit the kingdom of God. Little children embrace life, they embrace you, they love unconditionally and expectantly. When Liam cries he expects to be comforted. When he's hungry, hurt, or has a poopy diaper, he knows he will be taken care of. He reaches out his arms fully knowing there will be arms picking him up. [I know this is not the case for many children in this world. That is a whole other issue to blog about.]
If I looked to my Father as Liam looks to me and Dave, how much richer our relationship would be. I want to expect to receive from God simply because He's my Father. Liam doesn't expect to work for love or food or protection. It's there for him simply because of who he is.
Liam, and Ian and Emma and Aidan are the greatest blessings. They are constant reminders of God's abundant and overflowing love that I must return to. Getting it through my thick skull, that will take a lifetime. And they will grow up, marry, have families of their own and learn this lesson. What a wonderful thing! The lessons of God's love never die. They continue with each generation.