Experiencing "Jubilee"

On Thursday morning, the girls got to have an extra special treat as the boys were having the time of their lives without them at Harlow. We took them out to Mom and Dad's and they each got to have some special one on one time with Mom and "Jubilee".

Mom does such a great job with them - guiding them through exercises so that they learn to feel the movement of the horse and understand the rhythm, and then, as they're ready, increase the challenge. Mikayla and Nati both were given the opportunity to trot this time, and not surprisingly, they are already requesting to try "the canter" (just like their mommies at that age!).

In the middle of July, while the boys are at "Boys' Round-Up" with their daddies, the girls will get the opportunity to return again, this time, without us. We told Mom that we needed a babysitter for the three girls on that day and she eagerly said "yes" and suggested doing another lesson with them.

As evidenced by the first two pictures, Michele and I enjoy a little time with sweet Jubilee as well. I really like the picture of her and Michele - Michele said she was talking to Jubilee about how she REALLY feels about her barn and pasture buddy (Mom's other horse), Holly..........

Betrothed

I stayed up until 1am last night re-reading (and finishing) SOPHIE'S HEART by Lori Wick. It was Lori's first contemporary romance and she nailed it. Lori Wick has incredible talents in creating female characters with such strength and vulnerability all wrapped up into one. This book wove a story of a young woman from a foreign country who comes to find herself becoming housekeeper and nurturer to a family grieving the loss of its mom and wife. The depth of "tenderness and rescue" in this book actually have my stomach fluttering as I read it- that is the skill of this author. With that said, however, I have found myself very disappointed as time has gone on with her writing in current book releases. I feel like she has tried to follow the same formula and it's not even worth trying for me (I let Michele read it and most of the time that's what she says).

But, this book - a great one. Perhaps some would find it cheesy, but I was pulled in to the entire process of a family losing "it's heart" and coming to accept new love - and of course, for the redemptive power of Christ to heal. Worth the staying up, but I wish I had turned off the 6:30 wake up alarm in the other room, as I never fell back asleep again. Yes, poor pitiful me.... what a terribly, tough life I have.

Speaking of romance.....the next set of pictures here are from when we dropped the boys off at Camp Harlow. Michele's Ellie and Amy's Jackson have had an "on again, off again" relationship since they first met. For whatever reason, this last spring, things seemed to be "off" for them, Jackson was under the impression that she "just wasn't that into him anymore" and his siblings tried to encourage him that he was free to pursue the other pretty girls in his pre-school class. However, Monday night, apparently at the dinner table, Jackson put his chin to his fist in discouragement and declared, "I just can't believe Ellie and I are broke up". Of course, the family was in stitches and decided to help him win back his first love by appearing with roses for her at camp. Based on the pictures, the plan did indeed work - and the two moms are now back to planning their wedding........

Oh CRUD!!!!

I have been having some problems with the blower system on my minivan for the last couple of years. If you want to have heat or air conditioning, it's only available at full strength - so you end up with a lot at once, and it's so loud you can't hear each other. I've lived with it, though, because I haven't wanted to spend the money.

But, I figured it was finally time - going into another high AC time period. Perfect timing as well since Michele is in town and we'll just use her vehicle to drive around with the girls and drop mine off at the service center.

That was the plan at 9:45 this morning, but when I got there, there was no apparent place to park. I drove to the end of one lane, thinking you could loop around to the other lane going the other direction - only to find I was at a dead-end and it was necessary for me to back all the way out, avoiding all of the parked cars. I felt like I was doing great - safely avoiding the cars to my side when all of a sudden....CRUNCH!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! Yes, I backed my purplish Dodge Caravan right back into a beautiful red Honda Civic. And yes, there was noticeable (but not huge) damage. (Primarily cosmetic).

What a way to totally ruin the overwhelming flow of good feelings I'd been having since Michele came into town - last night we even did the "stay up late thing" with the girls all sun-kissed lying asleep on the floor. It was "the moment" we'd wanted to have.

Then, again, I have to tell myself - it's okay - I will get over it, and it could have been much worse. For instance-

- I have insurance (with a $500 deductible - OUCH), I could have been uninsured
- No one was injured
- The person wasn't even there, so I didn't have to see the crestfallen, angry expression when they realized what I had done to their car (and their day) (Sorry, folks who have to break the news at Kendall Honda Service Center....... but, think of it this way, now you'll have another job to do.....)
- It was a vehicle I blindly backed into, and not....... (you know where I'm going with that)

Ironically, Michele backed into someone yesterday at the pool. Actually, her and the other lady both backed out of their spots simultaneously and thought they were each at fault. There was NO damage so it turned out okay, but the whole time they were talking behind the vehicle I kept thinking, "Lord, I'm so glad it's not me...."

So, the cost to get my blower fixed on my vehicle went WAY, WAY, WAY up today, but we'll deal. God is telling me that contentment is not just based on happy moments, but thankfulness that He's in control......

The Drop Off

And there you go.... the boys are off. I'll add a few more funnies in a bit - but I have to go right now. All's to say, it was a very successful experience!

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I'm back, somehow surviving the rest of the day without Brayden. It's tough, but I've managed.... =) Actually, both Nati and Mikayla expressed sadness today as they "both missed their brothers" (and to that I say, "Oh Brother!").

Actually, although I miss our buddy - I am confident he is having the time of his life. I LOVED their two counselors, "Turbo" and "Yao Ming" - particularly "Turbo". This is Turbo's first year as a counselor after having been a camper at Harlow for countless years himself. I see in him our own little guy - someday taking all of his amazing sanguine qualities and utilizing them perfectly in the camp setting (hmmm, just like his dad did one summer as "Boomer" - "Assistant Program Director"). Turbo is just the kind of kid we were hoping for, easy to laugh, full of enthusiasm, and just enough rapport with parents to give you confidence your kid is in good hands.

I forgot my camera, but Amy came to the rescue with some fun shots. The second one shows Brayden giving a high-five to Dave Mertz as he walked in. Dave is Harlow's Camp Director, and, as I've previously eluded to, a dear family friend. It was just a special moment, watching Brayden bouncing off the invisible walls, so excited, and knowing Dave is big reason why that excitement is there.

I like the picture of Brayden and I as well - it kind of reflects me and the expression often on my face when trying to get Brayden to be serious about something (like posing for a picture) when he just wants to be silly. And, the next two are pics of the counselors already getting a kick out of the kids - the second one with "our special 4" (there are 10 kids per cabin).

On the way out, Amy, Michele, and I were all grins, just so happy for the boys. (The picture reflects my attempt at fake tears). We thanked Dave for supplying such great counselors for us and he responded with some seriously funny sarcasm that I'd supply on this blog, but would never want anyone to take it the wrong way, so I'll refrain. He had us in stitches, to say the least. He also enjoyed contrasting our smiles to the previous mom that had passed him by who was barely able to keep from crying as she left her child. Maybe if the boys weren't so happy, or we didn't feel like they were in such incredible care, or they didn't have each other - but, somehow this "rite of passage" feels oh-so-right that all I can do is be ecstatic for him.

Overnight Camp

Gasp...... Tomorrow morning, I drop my eldest off for overnight camp at Camp Harlow. It is a four-day, three-night event - and the camp happens to be less than 2 miles from my house - but, nonetheless, a huge deal for this little family.

Of course, I've been apart from Brayden for that long before, but never without the watchful eye of some "mother" making sure that he is dressed right, brushes his teeth, washes his hair at least once a week, etc.... This is a new place for me.

In an effort to prepare, Brayden's duffel bag is intricately laid out. I actually put each day-time and night-time set of clothes in their own labeled plastic shopping bag (who says those things don't get re-used......) and Brayden has already been quizzed (and passed) for which pocket of the duffel holds which things - from underwear, to goggles, to extra sweatshirts.

Fortunately for us, Brayden is bunking with three of my favorite friends for him - Jack, Andrew, and cousin Traig. In addition, I know of other buddies from his class that will also be there. He'll be in good company.

Will he miss us? I'm absolutely sure of it. But, will he be okay? - yes, I'm sure of that too - I think he's ready. Will he go through the entire day with ketchup on his face and his shorts on backward - I think there's about a 50% chance of that..... (depends on how good his counselor is!).

Will I miss him? Undoubtedly. But, will I be okay? - yup, I think I'm ready for this too, especially as short and as close as it is. Michele and the girls will be down for the week and it will be fun to rejoice in our "estrogen outings". Friday will be here before I know it. Unfortunately, I'm starting to feel the same for Brayden turning 18.......

A New Restaurant Review

Last night we hit a new restaurant in Springfield. Our family is very "functionally fixed" (shout out to you, Mr. Shantz, for that term) in our eating choices. We are not gourmet, do not expect fancy, like to eat the same things every time we visit, and really need a good atmosphere and service to make the experience feel worthwhile. So, taking a risk with someplace new is sometimes not worth the money in our mindset.

In this circumstance, the decision was made easy because Dennis and Lisa invited us (it was near their neck of the woods). In the location that Carrows once inhabited since the time I was born - a new renovation occurred. In fact, it was a million dollar make-over to create the new "Hole in the Wall" bar-b-q restaurant. If the outside is any impression of the inside, we knew it would be good. Add to that the continuous, nightly, 30-45 minute wait-time since they opened - and it was a pretty good sign we wouldn't be wasting our money for the evening.

We were seated in the back room that actually did have a "hole in the wall" (Mikayla pointed that out) in the form of a mini waterfall. Nice ambiance. They also had two flat pannel screen tvs which were nice, but not necessary for us. I was starving, literally salivating waiting to order and perusing the menu - offering all of the best sort of bar-b-q variety that a girl like me loves to eat. Prices were reasonable, service was a little slow (but very friendly) - and the food was EXCELLENT! If it were up to me, we'd be returning there for our birthday dinner.

So, heads up if you are looking for a yummy, bar-b-q place to eat in the Eugene/Springfield area - this place definitely fills a need.

Join the Rest of the Gang...

I overheard this from Traig after talking with Brayden and Nati, "I'll never get the girl race".

Serendipitous

On Tuesday evening, I was feeling a little overloaded with extra un-expected kids over for several hours and the need to pack for Michele's for a few days.

So, I decided to retreat to the computer and download some new music for my i-pod - this time with a country slant. The CMT channel is often on at the gym where I work out and it has enlightened me to the fun of Julianne Hughes, Carrie Underwood and so forth. I pulled out some older favorites from Colin Raye and Martina McBride and now I have 45 minutes worth of music - with 3 songs in particular that have me easily in tears regarding how fast my little girl will grow up (All American Girl, Think About You, and This One's for the Girls).

At about the time I was wrapping it up, Mikayla asked if I could join the rest of the family out front while she rode her bike and John and Brayden passed the football. How could I resist? So, I took my new music with me, sat there on the lawn, involved myself in a few tosses with Brayden, applauded Mikayla's new skills and realized once again just how blessed my life is.

While I was out there, I felt that an appropriate task would be to make a list of things I don't want to let the summer pass by without accomplishing. I've never done this before, but there are all sorts of little moments that I love about summer, and I thought it would be fun to list them out as some goals to make sure they happen. Here are a few of my favorites:

• - treat the kids to shaved ice outdoors
• - make s'mores (often)using our new firepit
• - watch fireworks from out front on lawn chairs
• - hit the bounce house in the old skating rink outside of Corvallis
• - stay up late reading books with Michele (with fun tv on in the background) while the kids lay all over the living room floor, happily asleep and exhausted from Camp Harlow (this year all 5 will be gone during the same week - so we can nap while they are gone)
• - bumper boats and go-carts on the Fourth at Camp Harlow
• - re-visit West Coast Game Park Safari
• - listen to Dave Mertz lead guitar worship, under the stars, around the campfire, at Colin's camp-out
• - go camping
• - eat cherry crepes at Original Pancake House
• - take girls fishing with Grandpa
• - sunset walks around our neighborhoods with Michele
• - outside patio birthday dinner at PF Changs
• - lots of time in the boat
• - bbq's involving baked beans, pretzel salad, and corn on the cob

That's enough for now, but I'm keeping the list close by so I can keep accumulating..... How about you, what are some things (big or small) that you want to see happen?

So Sanguine

I was going to post on something else just now, but after the most recent conversation with Brayden, I just had to address this.

We'll admit it - lately, this little boy has been a struggle to us. I've already posted about it, but on Monday night, you could just see John's face burdened with "the long road ahead" we have with this boy. I tried to encourage John that my friend with grown boys of her own said this age level was her worst to endure and it will get better. That helped, but yesterday I went online to research more about that. Yes, I found a couple of articles that helped - pretty much they tell you to "just stick with it" through all of the ebbs and flows.

Then, I got to thinking, perhaps I should research again his VERY SANGUINE personality and see how that relates to his current behavior quirks. Brayden is one of the only people I know, that, from everything I've read, completely encapsulates only one personality type. So, last night, right as John came home, the "Eureka" information popped up on the screen, validating us, making us laugh, and making us realize we are far from over when it comes to raising this very special kid.

It also alleviated some fears. I have lately felt like perhaps we should test Brayden for potential ADD or ADHD.... probably a long way from following through on that, but wondering nonetheless. At this point, I'm reassured it's his personality and not a disorder.

To quote some of the more "Ah-hah" pieces of information:

"This temperament shows little interest in hard work but just brushes the surface. Initially, he is greatly enthused about a topic but quickly loses interest and flits to the next subject. Long-lasting sacrifices and efforts lack any appeal and, in fact, are rather frightening to him."

"Views can change rapidly as well as moods and resolutions. He loves variety."

"Because he wants others to agree with his high opinion of himself, flattery and praise bring great happiness and are actively sought"

"His optimistic nature stifles his conscience and fear of punishment. He reacts with great sorrow after the fall, but has difficulty maintaining good resolutions."

"Optimistic, cheerful - he loves life and wants to enjoy it. Dire events may occur around him, but after a short period of "being down", his natural enthusiasm and good-temper bounce back"

"He has a very active imagination. Although his learning may not be of great depth, he is intelligent, quick, alert, and a skilled conversationalist"

"Has a tendency to the external - his five senses are very active and acute. Thus, he is keenly aware of and attracted to beauty and sensuality in clothes, furnishings, the arts. etc. He has an eye for detail."


I swear, they were analyzing Brayden when they were writing all of this. Pretty much, Brayden wants life to be a big-long game with lots of people, with the game changing every five minutes so he doesn't get bored - but not too hard to understand either - and yes, colorful and bright, and pretty......

A couple of days ago, I was talking to a friend about how Brayden had told me that he wore a pair of shorts to school all day backwards. No big deal, you're thinking, if they are the silky sort of sports shorts. But, nope, these were khakis, complete with back pockets and snap-front. She laughed and was surprised because Brayden is so attentive to wearing clothes that look good and complimenting others on what they wear. I said, "Yes, that's my boy - he has the skill to know what looks good, but lacks the follow-through to ensure he's wearing it the right way".

And, then, just now, he was looking at me and noticed I had put make-up on. I replied it was an attempt to cover-up the eruption all over my chin. =( He then looked at my eyes and basically suggested that that had nothing to do with my chin. I said, "Don't you think I look better with make-up on?" He just grinned big, pointed to my work-out outfit, and then to my face - wordlessly saying, "Anybody whose anybody knows you don't need mascara and eye shadow to go to the gym". I laughed heartily and teased him that this is coming from the same kid who can't eat ANYTHING (from mustard to chocolate) without wearing it all over his face.....

Also, it needs to be pointed out, that in a fun conversation with Daddy on Monday night (when John was discouraged), Brayden had been asking about his childhood and how Daddy had messed around in school and was he ever worried he wouldn't pass his class. John said he wasn't so much a problem for his teachers, just very, very self-centered. Brayden raised his eyebrows and said, "Remind you of anyone?"......

With today being the last day of school, I can say, "we've made it" for another school year. Brayden woke up on his own this morning and is in an excellent funny mood - giving me hope that we're entering another wave of celebrating our very fun boy and having some of these major tensions abate for a while. It's clear that, as parents to this kind of kid, we HAVE to stay on him - making him re-do work that's not good enough, keep him focussed and active on long-term goals, help him from being self-absorbed, and most profound, really being aware of who he's spending time with as he is (supposedly) very easily influenced and will pick up anything he's exposed to (which I can already see.... the song he had stuck in his head from a "not so great influence" at school yesterday is evidence enough). But, for now, I'm ready to stop climbing the ladder and start saying "Weeeeeee" to the long slide that is life with our playful otter......

Weather Bi-Polar

I think I have "Weather Bi-Polar" disorder. At least this time of year, anyway. Because honestly, where I can wake up and be "fine" on a day like today with clouds and overcast skies overhead - yesterday, when it was brilliant blue skies (or like it is often this time of year in Central Oregon), I wake up with a mood so much better than "fine". Pretty much, the mood matches the clarity of the skies....

Pathetic, I know. And, yes, one would think I should move if I'm this influenced by the weather. But, I guess it'll just be one of those "thorn in my side" things because I doubt if we'll ever move from the Eugene area until at the very least, both kids are married. And if then.....I still think we wouldn't leave - at least not permanently.

Anyone else this influenced by the weather?

The Perfect Small-Town Americana Experience

I like to joke that we got "roped" into going to the rodeo this last weekend. Rodeos have a kind of a dual feeling for me - I love the "good ol' boys" and country feel of the experience - but the idea of the animals being hurt appeals to that "mom legacy" within me. Fortunately, there was nothing of grave concern that happened, but to be nice to mom, I will limit the images John captured at the rodeo to those that are not so graphic.

The best part of the weekend was sitting on the main street of Sisters with the most brilliant blue skies imaginable - the Sisters mountains in the background - the kids all excited and animated - the adults walking out of coffee shops with espresso in hand - and then, finally, the Clydesdales coming down the road indicating the parade was on its way. I love the town of Sisters, it's so special and beautiful and the perfect backdrop to represent all things picturesque that would come with a pre-rodeo, small-town, summer parade.

The timing worked great to allow for us to cruise around Sisters (and stop at the bakery! =) ) and then converge into the city park for a picnic (and soccer and football throwing - I've got a jammed pinky finger to prove I participated in that) - and then, finally, to head on over to the rodeo grounds at one o'clock for the mid-day rodeo performance. It was warm, but I'm not complaining in the slightest - weather makes such a difference in my mood, and the weather on Saturday just had me ecstatic. Mikayla liked the barrel racing and rodeo queens the best, John and I were very impressed with the "one-arm bandit" - the cowboy that had the ability to train two buffalo to climb atop a trailer, and, of course, the bull riding was impressive. My only regret was not bringing some lemon juice.... the big draw for the rodeo to me was the Elephant Ears, and while they were good, they didn't dip them in butter first like I'm used to, so next year I'll have to bring some lemon juice and then use that and the powdered sugar shakers to make my own ideal treat (it almost always comes back to food for me, huh?!)

I also have to give kuddos to the new pool at Black Butte - very, very nice. It was the icing on the cake for the weekend - and I think we can safely say "we're in for next year!"

Daddy and Mikayla's Special Night

FANTASTIC weekend, I'll expand more on it tomorrow - and just put up a post tonight of some highlight pictures of Daddy and Mikayla's special evening on Friday.

I think John's favorite part of the evening was showing up at Dennis and Lisa's and having Mikayla coyly appear around the corner with such a "what do you think of me?" look on her face. That girl could hardly wait for this day to arrive....

I complimented John on all of the great pictures he took from that night, but enlightened him that he didn't have anyone take one of the two of them together. Lucky that one of the special activities they do at the dance is put together a frame of the picture that they take together once they arrive. Due to the modern conveniences of a scanner, I was able to upload that. As for the other pics of Mikayla and Erica (who took Dennis...) - here you go-

Off for a Bit

In just a few minutes, I'm headed off with Brayden to Black Butte. John and Mikayla will join us this evening after they attend the Daddy-Daughter Dance together. We're set for a weekend of parades, rodeo, and bar-b-q's with friends - should be a good time promising lots of colorful posts when we return on Sunday.

Happy Fathers' Day, Dad- and to all those other worthy gentlemen out there-

Yesterday.....

There was nothing remarkable about yesterday, but it did offer some "uniqueness" compared to the hum-drum of daily life. Here's a few examples:

- I successfully had my son on the edge of tears on three different occasions. Let me list them for you so you can see just how terrible of a parent I am.
- Upon picking him up at Gilham, I made him go back into the classroom to retrieve his homework. It's due today.
- When we tried to drop off a present at nearby Camp Harlow, and discovered the recipient wasn't there, I realized we'd have to drive over to the UofO campus to drop it off. Brayden was very upset by this and wondered why I "didn't do this on my own time vs. taking up 'his' time"
- Before letting him talk to Traig and Nati on the phone, I required he put away the mess he made prior to leaving for school that morning. That was the final devastating blow. Clearly, that boy is "on the edge", particularly apparent the first couple of hours after the school day. Two and a half days left.....

- I made 48 jars of raspberry jam. I am so proud of this achievement - and all of the jars sealed correctly too (that never happens for me). I feel like such a domestic queen after such endeavors.

- Mikayla made a rather astute and precious observation about my planning/organizational skills. It was a high compliment "from the mouth of babes" so it made my day.

- And, now, the admission I'll live to regret - I sang numerous songs "karaoke" style on Mikayla's Wii "Sing It" game of "High School Musical". This is one of those purchases we made for Christmas that literally two days ago I laid in bed regretting as it hasn't been touched since that Sunriver trip. Then, yesterday, Brayden pulled it out, started annoying us by just using the plug-in mic (poor Sydney was so confused and kept cocking her head, hearing Brayden's voice come out of the tv). However, when I grabbed the mic, we learned that if you perform well enough - you can unlock much more songs (that was one of my disappointments about the game, the lack of song choice). So, now, my singing has nothing to do with personal enjoyment, it has EVERYTHING to do with helping the kids unlock new "stage locations", songs, and outfits for the characters. I do not have that pleasing of a voice, but on rare occasion, can keep the pitch on some of Gabriella's songs - which is key to earning the A+ rating for unlocking.

Last night (after 3 nights in a row of Daddy's absence due to ministry meetings), I gladly let John take the kids to do the Father's Day visit to his dad. Brayden requested that while he was gone, I "unlock" some more and I laughed indicating I was not his Cinderella to do his work while he went out for the evening. But, sure enough, I found myself a little red-faced as the family returned and I was butchering "Fabulous" to the tv set by myself.....

The Rocket Launch

Up, up, and away!!!

One of the very cool things Brayden was able to participate in this year is the rocket launch. The 3rd grade Gilham kids all put together and assembled their pre-purchased kits, and brave moms and dads helped them spray paint them. The launch was supposed to occur last week, but due to inclement weather, it was delayed until today.

As I fought the raindrops this morning at the grocery store, I was expecting another delay, but oh no, they braved it. The temperature said 55 degrees, but that windchill probably had us in the low 40's. So, I did what I usually do on the 10th of June - I put on a turtleneck, heavy coat, and a heated neck wrap for good measure (and to help my neck muscles) and set off. John captured some really great shots of the launches, it was really remarkable just how high those things shot into the air.

Brayden did a "false start" with his rocket, which is why you see one of those pictures of predominately smoke - that was his rocket. Also, because of the high winds today, they kept the parachutes off, so the rockets didn't land with the greatest of ease.

All in all, though - a very successful event - the pride on those kids' faces was just awesome - way to go, Mr. Gulka!

Discovery Health Channel

This evening I discovered the Discovery Health Channel. John and Mikayla are at collegiate event with our church (in an effort to get to know our new pastor even more and support our buddy, collegiate pastor, Corey) - so I got free reign of the remote and ended up here.

First, I watched, "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant". Yup, just like the title says, women in labor pains ready to give birth, not even aware that they had a "bun in the oven". Unbelievable....I can't even imagine - but there you go, three stories that showed me it really does happen.

Next up on the programming schedule was the family with 17 (going on 18!) kids. The Duggars - a husband and wife set to give birth to their 18th biological child in January '09. I remember watching the original show when we were in Palm Desert with the Whites in 2006 - interesting to get the updated snippets now. Yet again, I sat in utter fascination of how a mom can handle 17 children and apparently keep them smiling (and her and her husband) much of the time.

So, I'm ready for bed, but I'll have something to dwell on as I lay there. I might have to check this channel out more often.....

(For the record, I am very pleased with the new candidate we have for a church pastor - he gave the most amazing message today about the story of Ruth - providing so much more insight than I had ever known, elevating it to probably my now-favorite story of the Old Testament as well. From everyone I've talked to who have had the opportunity to get to know (and about) him and his wife - he sounds like a very good fit for our church - I truly believe God has led him here....)

Sound of Music

I'm gonna need a nap today. Stayed up way too late watching Maria and the Von Trapp family escape Austria. It's been probably 15 years since I've watched that movie - maybe even more. I'd forgotten just how wonderful of a masterpiece it really is - and, as an adult I can notice so many more things as I watch it - the subtleties of the romance, the innocence, the redemption....such a sweet movie.

Of course, there's a story behind why I ended up watching it. Mikayla and I took a bath together last night and as she started to get pouty about the water being too hot (a common argument between us) I tried to distract her by singing "Do Re Mi". Michele has taken to singing that with Ellie a lot, so I thought I'd try it with Mikayla. It took a while for the frown to break, but pretty soon she was asking to take our performance in front of Daddy and Brayden (who were happily playing video games). Then began a an all-out search for a VHS copy of the movie I had thought we owned. No luck. Then, we settled on watching the "Do Re Mi" scene off of "YouTube" and finally, at 8:49, we were headed to Blockbuster to just rent it.

Mikayla then asked if we could have popcorn and soda in her bed and snuggle down to watch it together. Despite my week of carb-free eating, I couldn't resist- and at about that time Mikayla proclaimed, "This has been a really fun night, huh, Mommy?"

She fell asleep right around the time Liesl started singing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" - and by then, I was gripped. It brought back memories of eating butter coated popcorn with Wendi Zimmer in elementary school and singing "So Long, Farewell" (at least the very last part) with our best "family buddies", Nate and Stacy in an effort to impress our parents. And, someday, Lord-willing, Mikayla will snuggle with her daughter, or best friends - and recall with affection when she first watched the movie with me.

The Wax Museum

Introducing Steve Irwin, Walt Disney, Daniel Boone, Neil Armstrong, and Jackie Robinson.....





One of the very cool things that Brayden's school does with the 3rd graders is have a "wax museum". To sum the concept up, the kids do a long project on what makes an "every day hero" (they then have to interview an example, Brayden wisely picked Dave Mertz), and then do research on a "historical hero". On this, Brayden chose Jackie Robinson. The kids then put together a minute-long speech and dress up like their character on Wax Museum night. The teacher drew circles on their hand, the kids stood like statues in an appropriate character stance, and then, when someone "pressed their button" - they recited their minute description of the character and then returned to their pose.

It really did turn out very impressive. The biggest obstacle was being able to hear the kids as the gym (museum) was quite noisy - but it was awesome how much pride each child took in representing a hero. The kids in the pictures above are all some of Brayden's best friends - it appears Jackie Robinson had good taste....

"Good-Bye Training Wheels, Hello Kickstand!"

That's a direct quote from Mikayla, moments after she successfully rode her bike without training wheels attached... at least for a few moments at a time.

She's had "this feeling" all week that she's been ready and we've been putting her off each night until her and Daddy finally made a deal that they'd try tonight, as well as purchase a kickstand for her bike so it could stand up on its own once the wheels were removed (for whatever reason, this was a huge deal to Mikayla - in fact, she woke up Tuesday morning and immediately went out to the garage to verify that indeed, her bike did not have one).

The pictures detail her success better than my words ever could. Note where our hands are (or aren't) and her expressions - just priceless!

The Automated Car Wash

I feel like I need to be very careful as I write this so that sometime in the future, no one's feelings are hurt if they were to go back and read this.

With that being said, I need to admit, I do not understand the way my son's brain works. His personality is very different than mine, and therefore his strengths and weaknesses are very different than mine are and were at his age.

When I was a child, I was very CONSCIENTIOUS. While my mom and dad can attest, at times I was lazy, often self-centered, and not necessarily the best at being helpful around the house. But, when it came to impressing adults of authority, it meant everything to me to demonstrate that I was responsible, capable, and basically worthy of any praise to be given. I kept things very neat (in the classroom), was very organized, and thought ahead when it came to preparing for most anything.

That is pretty much the opposite of my son. And, I've got admit, it's just killing me. I feel like we need to officially need to change his name to "Oh Brayden" as that is what you pretty much say all the time when you watch him or hear about "the latest" of what he's done or not done.

Today was a classic example. He just said it was one of his best days ever. He participated in the "Gilham Triathalon" in which 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are able to ride their bikes to the pool nearby, swim two laps, and then return to the school to run around the track. As a result of his participation and some other year-end activities (working on a rocket that his class will be launching on Friday) - he barely spent any time in the classroom. However, upon talking to him, I was acutely aware of how he forgot his backpack on the triathalon (in which I had to nag him constantly to pack this morning), had to use a kickboard during the swimming (because even though he won't sink, his form is so bad it looks very concerning to an onlooker), lost a contact along the way (because his goggles were in the backpack) and lost his bike lock and therefore didn't lock up his very valuable bike. When I asked him where he was in the group picture, he said he didn't know they were taking a picture. When I asked him which rocket was his, he showed me the broken one and said he hoped the teacher would be able to fix it.....

And thus describes a typical Brayden day. Now, on the flip side, this boy can make almost anyone smile, if not fully laugh (even when they shouldn't be laughing). He can look at a day that I see as full of "failures" and call it one of his best days ever. I love that kid so much, it hurts - and yet, right now, feel so incapable of being the right kind of mom to him.

I was thinking about this last week and came up with the analogy that ties in the title of this post. I think with parenting, I had always hoped that you steer them in the right direction, set them in their tracks - and then watch the progress. Much the same way as you would get a car into an automated car wash. Sure it takes some careful steering to get it in the tracks, but once you there, you put the car into neutral and coast. With Brayden, once we get into the tracks, it's like he's grabbed the steering wheel and is wrenching right and left while also messing with the pedals. We're really battling to stay in the tracks at all. Which is probably what realistic parenting is really more like, but I guess, not what I expected. And so,- I remind, yell, pull my hair out, occasionally enable, nag, worry, instruct, complain, and generally lose my sanity on a daily basis trying to help this wondrous little boy become, eventually, a contributing member of society - and all-around great guy. It'll happen, I'm sure of it, but man, that track that we're in looks oh-so-long......

Not What I Wanted, but What I Needed

I woke up in a bit of a funk. After indulging all weekend (yes, three movies in one weekend - that's a lot of popcorn and candy....but as for me, THUMBS WAY UP on "Indiana Jones" - very satisfying.....and thank God for the Safeway "Pics for Flicks" program that kept us from paying for any of the tickets) today represented a nosedive back into reality. I'm not pleased with the weather forecast, and though I'm VERY MUCH thankful for today's sunshine, knowing it is short-lived has me a little cranky.

It took four attempts to get an "also cranky" Brayden out of bed this morning - and yes, I have a bit of an attitude that Eugene has my boy continuing to roll out of bed before 7am for a week longer than everyone else.... You know, it's amazing how many things you can find to complain about when you are in the mood to.....

So, needless to say, when I went to load up everyone in the car this morning and my keys were NO WHERE to be seen, the Monday morning got a lot worse. GRRRRRR!!!! I ended up having to call my neighbor, because, NO, I do not have extra keys for my car here at the house (real smart, huh?), and she had to do the carpool this morning (actually, bless his heart, it was her husband).

Mikayla and I ended up bike-riding to the gym (less than a half mile away) and then decided we'd ride our bike along the river on the path to go to John's work to get his extra key. I was having second thoughts when John offered to bring me the key as he had to come home anyway, but Mikayla was sold on the idea- so off we went. And, now's the part where I bring in the title of this post - it was just what I needed to remedy my sour mood.

Mikayla spent much of the time on the "Trail-a-bike" behind me talking about Jesus, singing, asking questions - just those special sort of times that you treasure. In addition, TODAY, really has been beautiful and instead of complaining about the forecast, we spent time enjoying it. To top it off, we got to see three different duck families with babies learning how to waddle and swim - as well as a few goslings. Just precious.

When we returned home, hopefully having burned off maybe half a box of one of the evening's candy indulgences, Mikayla found the keys in my car - hanging from the ignition (but, hey, at least it was locked). Funny to find myself, when it's all said and done, thankful that those keys were lost......

It's June!!!

Happy Summer, folks. That's what June says to me - we are in summer. While Michele's kids' last day of school is on this Wed., poor Brayden has to suffer an additional two weeks after that. We will all endure - I'm sure of it.

By the way, my nephew, Traig, turned 10 yesterday. The big double-digit birthday. This is very depressing to me that he's already there - it seems like yesterday that I was cradling him. I got to be part of a "Speed Racer" movie birthday with him and 7 of his buddies. It was a high testosterone experience and I can't say I was a huge fan of the movie - but, hey, another opportunity to eat theater popcorn and candy - I didn't complain too much. It was also fun to ride up and back to Dallas with Stephie and get a chance to catch up. I had referenced her getting hurt on our boat a couple of weeks ago, that poor thing - she ended up with a full-blown concussion and partially detached retina. She's ready to start marketing t-shirts that say, "ACCIDENTS HAPPEN HERE".

This is a scrambled post with no real plot - forgive my randomness. Oh, we went to see "Prince Caspian" on Friday night. Despite Brayden's obnoxious theater behavior (is he 4 or 9?) it was a wonderful movie. I don't think it moved me quite as much as the first one, but there's a powerful message in it, and I think it was visually spectacular.

Wish I saw some sunshine outside - I'll rely on faith to know that it will come. Happy First Day of June everyone!