Fridays are always test days at our little schoolhouse.  Personally, I tell the boys get them done quick and enjoy the rest of the day!  In fact, I try to have fun activities planned for Friday afternoons.  But, my boys have not fully grasped this idea.  We spent much of the morning wrestling this big bear of a school day until I had almost given up!

I had hoped we would go to the library in the afternoon.  I wanted to return the much overdue books (we had not to the library since before Zaira's birth) we had  at home.  Also, my goal to start Brendan's pre-school program was dependent on finding FARM books!

Now I have to admit we had a little bit of a distraction this morning.  Seeing that hurricane hit so close to our path made me convince Michael to find a company to fix our generator.  I really did not want our generator busted if the power went out again.  We did not know exactly what was wrong with it but knew the battery did not look good.  So, we had a man come check out the damage (praying it would not be completely ruined.  He arrived right as we were really getting into the school day.  And, knowing our boys, they could not concentrate on school with a man and tools at work.

Come to find out the battery in our generator required water to be added to it regularly (Why don't people tell you these things when you buy a house!?!).  When we did not do this, the battery exploded inside the generator.  It took almost an hour just to clean out all the pieces of battery out of the generator.  Then the residue from the acid had to be cleaned out.  Once the clean up was done, a new battery was installed and the generator started up.  It did sound rough so we chose to have tune up done as well.  An expensive maintenance call but worth every penny should we need the generator.

Once the man was on his way, the boys' progress improved exponentially.  We could then plan for that library trip.  We arrived just in time to enjoy the lull in patrons.  We had the librarians almost completely to ourselves.  The children's librarian (Chantel) helped me find the farm books.  The juvenile librarian (Nelda) helped Sean find his book report book (The Yearling).  They all gushed over Zaira!  They were also having a bake sale to aid a local girl's cancer treatment.  We bought the last of their treats.  A great midnight snack for Michael and I.

We made a quick stop at the store for last minute items for tomorrow's celebration.  Then home again, home again...just in time for the pour down rain!  Right after the rain, the sky took on a weird yellow hue.  By the time we got some photos and came back inside the sky had turned black!  Very odd!

I cannot end this post without telling a little story about Brendan.  He helped me make biscuits for dinner tonight.  When it came time to cut the biscuits, he ran over to the cookie cutter drawer and pulled out a butterfly cookie cutter!  He told me he wanted to make butterfly biscuits for Zaira!  Is that not too sweet?!

Another Great School Day Rewarded

Day 4 of school and we are doing great! I woke up to the sound of boys running around the house.  Sean and Henry were already doing their two mile run.  Edward and Brendan never made their mile but did manage a trek down the drive way before breakfast.

We had all of their school work done by the end of the morning.  It helped that the boys knew they were going to have science experiments at the end of the day.  What a smart mom to put their favorite subject at the end, right?!

So, we had a special treat today as the boys had three experiments between the two science courses.  The first was in Edward's aquatic science course.  He was learning about the ocean's surface currents, so was given the opportunity to demonstrate this effect in our kitchen.  I was a little leery about this experiment because it included TWO hair dryers and a dish full of water and cereal.  I could just imagine the mess that could be made.  However, the boys controlled themselves and had great fun seeing the water swirl around the dish.  Maybe it was because they knew there was more enjoyment to be had with the other experiments.

The second experiment was in the physical science text.  The boys were learning about measurement and conversions.  The point was made that concise and accurate measurements were important in science.  So the boys were to use an unknown unit to measure our dining room table.  What better unit then cubits and fingers?

Did you know that a cubit was the length of a man's arm from his elbow to the tip of his middle finger?  And, a finger is the length of a man's last knuckle on his index finger.  The boys took this information and made their measurements.  Of course, their measurements were different since they had different size cubits.  So, they learned that it is important to be accurate , as well as having standardized units.

The final experiment was about concentration.  No...not the ability to stay focused on school!  This was about the "quantity of a substance within a volume of space."  We began the experiment with all the materials and made it half way through the experiment....STOP!!!

Well, that is what we had to do.  We ran out of vinegar for the second half of the experiment.  BUMMER!!  So now we will have to redo the experiment after going to the store next week.  That's OK...lesson learned to verify QUANTITY as  well as availability before starting an experiment.

So, the lessons were done.  We ate lunch took a nice break and headed out to our local museum.  They were sponsoring a back to school night.  We love our museum and are always eager to go to these events for the youth.  Tonight due to several other conflicting events, we had the museum staff almost completely to ourselves, except another family with two boys.  Zaira ruled the roost as the only girl and being so adorable! The boys had a great time making crafts and eating pizza until they were beyond full!

The reason I love our museum so much is because they make us feel special.  David and Laura went out of the way to help the boys enjoy themselves.  They started out by making beaded jewelry.  The boys were allowed to make as many pieces as they liked and they enjoyed doing it!  Mostly, they made jewelry for Amanda, which I thought was so sweet!

After the pizza, they pulled out brown molding clay in little individual bowls.  They made the mistake of saying it looked like chocolate ice cream, and Brendan believed them!  I wish I had the picture of his face after he took a bite!  Poor guy...he did not taste it twice!

Several creatures were made...mostly abstract animals.  AND THEN...Henry noticed something move across the room next to us!  A MOUSE!!!  Of course, the boys all wanted to go see the little guy.  David quickly took action and closed the doors keeping the boys in with Michael and I.  He and Laura tried to catch the mouse with little luck.  So, we tried to distract the boys by having them make little clay mice instead.

The room we were in had a window looking out into the 'mouse room,' so the boys would peek out to to see if they could see the real mouse.  Lo and behold, it popped its head out again, so David and Laura tried to catch it again.  This time the children watched from the window as Laura caught it in a paper cup and  took it outside.  The boys thought that was the highlight of the evening.

So it turned out to be a good time to clean up and head home!  You just never know what is going to make a child enjoy an evening, but for a group of boys I am guessing a mouse trapping will win out every time!

Learning about Blogs

If you looked at my bog post from yesterday, you might have noticed it seemed a little short...even cutoff.  Well, that's because I was having a blog issue.  I learned that you can have too many pictures stored on a blog and that leads to having your blog stop....well actually it just meant I could not add more pictures which is the best part of the blog to me.

So this morning (and more days to come), I began the process of re-sizing my photos so they would be smaller and I would be able to add more to my blog for a few more days. However, eventually I will need to decide what to do...which probably means purchasing more space for the blog photos.  Decisions...decisions!

The boys were great about school again and we were done with morning school just in time to get ready to leave.  We had a doctor's appointment for Sean.  Then a dentist appointment for Brendan (this is the one who will be doing the root canals).  Then took Edward over to be interviewed to assure he knows his catechism for Confirmation.

We finally made it to what I consider the best mid-week pick me up...Wednesday night Mass!  Even with all the shuffle and bustle of children in the pews, I can help but feel blessed to receive our Lord in the Holy Eucharist!

We also verified all the people needed to have Zaira baptized this Saturday.  I am so excited about our daughter becoming a child of God and cleansing her of original sin.  I can not tell you what an honor it is to be the parent of such a blessing and holding them as they unite with us in the family of God.  It is so special.

For our family, we will not only have this special joy, but a week later will also see Edward confirmed in the Spirit at his Confirmation.  This will be a special month for our family indeed!  God's graces will be abundant in our house!  And be assured we will post many pictures and stories as they happen.

We ended the day with one of my other favorites...leftover night...cleaning out the frig of all the food not eaten and starting fresh.  Not to mention...no pots and pans to clean up!

Everyone is now in bed and I am heading there too!  Good night to all and God bless!

Zoo Field Trip

After the morning run and breakfast, Michel took the boys on their first field trip of the school year!  They headed out to the zoo.  They original plan was to keep the boys busy while I went to the midwife, but Zaira still had her mysterious rash.  Since the boys worked so hard to finish two days of school on the very first day back, he decided to continue with the original plans.

Going to the zoo with Michael is always a thrill for the children.  We have a annual pass that we renew each year because they love it so much.  So it was no surprise that the boys were up and out the door quick today.  They headed to the zoo arriving when the gates were opening in hopes to see the new lion cub!  They began their trip around the zoo stopping at all of their favorite stops along the way.  Here is what Michael had to say:

It was good to go when the zoo first opens.  First of all, it is still fairly cool.  A definite plus during a month when a cool day is still 95+!  But the coolest thing, was that it was just after the morning feeding/cleaning time for many of the animals, so the ones that we usually do not see active (raccoon, porcupine. and rhinoceros) were actually up and moving about.

Of course we had to visit our usual friends, the monkeys, lemurs, Komodo Dragons and parrots.  One of the Blue and Yellow Macaws recognizes me now.  We often spend several minutes at his exhibit and he and I mimic each other's movements.  Of course, he has an unfair advantage:  he can hang from the roof of his cage with his beak!

Unfortunately, the new lion cub was not out, but will be making an appearance on Saturday from 11AM to noon.  Just another reason to make a trip back this weekend.  It is times like these that we are thankful for our family pass!

Our budding photographer, Henry, took over 150 pictures of many of the animals, as well as his brothers having fun.  Near the entrance to the African section, there is a statue of a charging rhino, and Henry had great fun posing all of us with it.  The alligator and lion statues made great props as well with the boys trying to wrestle the creatures to the ground.

Our local zoo might not be as grand as one in a larger city, but it is still one of the places that we love to visit time and again.  It is just the right size to enjoy in a couple of hours with a nice variety of animals.  Besides we have the most awesome zookeepers who know us personally.  The children have been to many a zoo camp over the years!

So, you can see it was a success!  I am so glad the boys had this time with their dad.  It makes for awesome memories that will not be soon forgotten.

The rest of the day was spent gathering supplies for our 4H projects.  Michael took on the role of substitute leader for my project and then went to his first project meeting.  To read about this adventure, you will need to head to my 4H blog.

First Day of School

We started a school a week early because the boys were getting bored!

A great start as the boys woke up and raced out the door for PE.  It is still so hot where we live that I try to get the boys outside as early as possible.  The boys ran two miles...we have it measured off to go around the house OR up and down our long driveway.  Edward and Brendan actually run a mile but they can get it done  fast.  Then they came into breakfast.  We had some of cinnamon bagels Michael made yesterday along with juice.

Once the boys got cleaned, we started our school day by dedicating our day to Jesus with a morning offering.  It is very important to us to pray together and remember our focus of the day.  This was followed by religion which was about the focus for our lives...to know, love and serve God so we can be with Him in Heaven.

Morning classes also included spelling, vocabulary, (handwriting and phonics for Edward), math, reading and English.

After lunch and recess, our afternoon classes included history, geography, science, art and music.

However, today the boys were so excited about school we were able to complete today's work before lunch!  This was great news because we spent the afternoon working on tomorrow's morning school work.  This helps because I have my follow up appointment with my midwife.  Michael is planning a fun field trip with the boys.  I am so glad this is all working out!

The highlight of the day was our first science experiment in Physical Science.  The basic concept of atoms and molecules was discussed.  I thought the following statement was interesting:  "Atoms are so small we cannot see them at all.  How do we know that they exist?  Lots of experiments have been done that can only be explained if you ASSUME atoms exist; thus, there is a lot of indirect evidence that atoms exist.  All of this indirect evidence leads us to believe that atoms are, indeed, REAL."

This makes me think about the existence of God.  There is a group of scientists out there who can believe in the existence of atoms but cannot believe in God.  Why can't they see that God is SO BIG that He is beyond  our understanding.  That there have been miracles throughout time that can only be explained by His presence, and this indirect evidence leads us to believe that God is, indeed, REAL!

With that said, let me tell you about the experiment.  The boys gathered the supplies:  juice glass (3/4 full of water), baking soda, 2 pieces of electrical wire (stripped 1/2 inch on both ends), and a 9-volt battery.  The soda was dissolved in the water.  The wires were taped to each side of the charge and then placed in the water.  Look at the reaction that took place!

Not only did the water bubble up but the wire on the positive charge actually changed colors!  AND after ten minutes into the experiment the entire cup of water had a blueish-green tinge as well!

My thoughts:  It is much like God in our lives.  When we are connected with God (battery), we are given a positive charge that changes us...this is an interior change in our faith (molecular composition) but there is also an outward change (oxidized metal) that others see.  AND, the change in our lives can lead to change in others (water color) which spreads all around us!  By the way, the negative charge did not have an effect on the wire and so, did not change the water...it all came from the positive side!  What an awesome way to show God's existence!

SIDENOTE:  We had planned to go to a home school potluck at the park tonight.  I also had a 4H project leaders meeting.  However, Zaira broke out in a rash all over her body.  We are watching this close and hope she is not getting sick.  I think all activities away from home are cancelled for us today.

Michael in the Kitchen

I have been blessed with a husband who likes to cook.  Not just grill, although he loves that too.  But really cook and try new twists on classic recipes.  Today we came home from church and he immediately took over the kitchen.

He started out making bagels.  We love his bagels!!!  He always makes several batches and we freeze them for future use.  Today he made two kinds...savory herb and sweet cranberry cinnamon.  I can not tell you how awesome the kitchen smelled as the were put in the oven.  He took this task on several years ago when we decided to take corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors out of our diet.  We love bagels and missed them in our diet so he decided to try his luck at making a simple plain bagel.  Since that time, Michael has ventured out into various flavors.  I am so thankful for this treat from time to time.

This is not an easy task either...there are several steps that go into making bagels.  First, the dough is made and goes through an initial rise.  Then the bagels are formed and rise a second time.  Then the bagels go through a boiling process before being placed in the oven.  Because we make so many at once, we have stacks of bagels cooling on the counters before they are placed in freezer bags for future use.  It takes about 3-4 hours to go through the full process.

This would have been enough for one day in the kitchen but then we decided to make stuffed manicotti.  I had the boys in the kitchen mixing up the filling.  Then I learned that you can fill the shells before they cook (so much easier than boiling them and dealing with hot pasta!), so we began that process.  However, half way through I had to go feed the baby so Michael took over.  He got the sauce ready and layered the ingredients.  Next thing I know I am told that dinner is ready (I guess I took a nap with Zaira!).  He made a nice salad and French garlic bread to go with the manicotti.

Still not done in the kitchen!  We are scheduled to compete in a hushpuppy competition next month so Michael tried out a new recipe.  The recipe we created has strawberries and bacon in the batter.  I know it seems like a strange combination but tastes really good.  We also added chocolate to half the batch and that made it even better.  We still need to play around with the ratios but we might just have a winner!  More on that next month!

Throughout the kitchen experience the boys had "The Muppet Show" playing in the background.  A crazy combination of events for one day but lots of fun was had by all.  To add to the fun, the boys found a grasshopper exoskeleton!  They insisted I add this to the experiences of the day.

Legos Legos Everywhere!!!

So today was a big day for the boys.  Legos are so much fun for them but about 4 months ago they chose to put them away to play with their Playmobil collection instead.  We do not allow both of these sets out at one time because there are SO MANY pieces!  Last week they asked to trade out for the Legos.  After a week of cleaning and finding all the tiny pieces of Playmobil, today was the day to pull out the Legos again.

The boys played most of the morning.  It was a good day for this change as it was also Lego Day at our local library.  The library has a VERY large collection that is shared with about 50 children!  We have gone to this event a couple of times but it had been a while since the last time.

We learned from Edward that you have to show up early or you don't get to play with the good stuff!  For instance, today only Sean got a body for his Lego man.  I had no idea there was such a demand for playing with Legos!

AND the boys were not the only ones interested in building with them.  Michael, along with several other dads, sneaked a few Legos themselves to create little cars and such!  I think Michael was surprised (and maybe a little confused) by some of the newer parts.  He really enjoyed the time with his boys!

Brendan was a little confused when the time was over and he could not bring his creation home, but we convinced him that we would be back to play again.

We also had the joy of shopping for our new 4H project-Robotics.  This was supposed to be junk drawer robotics but I found that we did not have a lot of this stuff in our junk drawer, so it cost us about $70 for our 'junk!'  Check my 4H blog next week to see how we used it all!

The best part of the day was when Michael came home and grilled up an awesome dinner of pork steaks and sweet potatoes.  He even found a butternut squash in our dilapidated garden and I added a homemade coleslaw to the meal.  Nice and simple but delicious!

While he was at the grill, he added some brats (a nice meal for next week that can be pulled out of the freezer) and some bacon (if you have never grilled bacon, try it...so good!).  The bacon will be used for our adventure we are taking tomorrow.  I will keep it a secret to encourage you to come back and read the blog.

The best part of the day...all but one of the boys are in bed early and we can enjoy a quiet evening.  I am sure it will be spent staring at Zaira and cooing over her.  Wouldn't you know Henry took advantage of the situation and grabbed up Zaira first...but I could not resist taking a picture of these two together!  I hope they remember this when they are older.  Definitely a bonding moment!

A Long Long Time Ago...

We had our first experience with a baby...she was a precious little girl also and we loved her so much (still do!).  Amanda was a trouper...going to college with me when she was 3 days old for starters.  Then continued to go to college with Michael and I as we switched off classes to keep her out of daycare.  Her first two years, I breastfed her on park benches, Aggie buses, in hallways and many other crazy places.  I was determined to nurse her without too many troubles as long as I could or as long as she wanted to continue.

Amanda never had any trouble nursing and I wondered what all the hype was about nursing troubles.  She put up with our crazy schedule and grew into a sweet little toddler.  To no surprise, the day came when she weaned.  It was actually a slow process that we did not realize until it was already fully underway, but it happened nonetheless.

AND THAT WAS WHEN THE TROUBLES STARTED!!!!

I guess we did not have enough gradual transition because before I knew it I was having all kinds of trouble. I had breast infections and blocked ducts...it never seemed to get better.  I tried all the remedies and nothing helped!  I made the mistake of going to one of those quickie clinics and the doctor decided that I need to have one of my breast ducts drained.  He seemed to know what he was talking about so I endured the excrutiating pain of a needle jab into the duct and milk extracted.   I would not wish this procedure on anyone!

So, why do I bring this up now, almost 20 years later?  Because since that experience I have had two blocked ducts on my left side.  It really is nothing most of the time.  I hardly notice the problem.  However, every baby since then has led to a painful experience around this two week  period.  This is when the 'real' milk comes in and I flood the streets (at least it seems like it!).

And, I have a case of mastitis every time.  I have just gotten used to the idea that this is going to happen and I prepare myself for 2-3 days of pain each time.  If I can get it under control it usually is not too bad.  I take lots of steam showers and nurse on that breast more frequently.  And YES...I try to rest more.  Like today...Michael was able to take the boys on a trip to town and it was just Zaira and I left at home to relax.  Today was the worst of the pain so it was nice to be able to stay home.  And, it is the weekend so we should be good to go by the start of next week.

What did the boys do?  They went to an ice cream party at the local library!  Lots of fun was had by all as they also had a play station to enjoy!  It must have really worn Brendan out because he fell asleep on the car ride home and is sleeping through the night.

Henry also had his last art class.  He really showed a lot of improvement over the span of the lessons.  I hope we can continue these classes through the fall.  I can not say enough great things about Bruce Cunningham.  He is a great teacher, artist, and forester.  I am so thankful Henry has had this opportunity.

A Long Day

There are some days that we just have no control over...this was one of those days!  People often ask me "How do we do so much in a single day?"....others ask "WHY do we do so much in a single day?"  I usually tell them that it is not a choice so much as our calendar filling itself.  This is a perfect example of what I mean.

We started our day with Henry's art lesson (he has one more tomorrow) which was designed to fulfill a birthday gift.  We did not set up the dates for these classes but were determined to get Henry to the classes because he really enjoys them and does such a great job drawing.  So, the date was set for this class several weeks ago by the instructor...in other words, we had no control over this date on our calendar.  We left the house at 9am and the class ended at 11am.

Now...entering in a two hour break without anything to do.  Why...you might ask...are we waiting around for two hours?  Today Zaira turned two weeks!  [SO HARD TO BELIEVE TWO WEEK HAVE GONE BY ALREADY!!!!!] And, she needed to have her two week check up along with the torturous PKU test.  So the only appointment time with the doctor was 1pm.  Again, no choice for us as we added it to the calendar! So to make it work we had a picnic lunch among the trees at the nature center and waited for the doctor to arrive at the clinic.

not Zaira but close to what hers looked like

Zaira's appointment went well.  She gained an ounce from her birth weight.  After the normal newborn loss, we were glad to know that she was back up to her weight and then some.  She also grew 3/4 in...so we were happy with these stats.  The doctor also was impressed with her obvious control of her eyes and reflexes.  There was only two items that needed to be addressed.  At birth, we were told that she had an issue with her tongue.  The flap of skin attaching her tongue to the gums (known as the frenulum) was extended to the tip of her tongue.  This condition is known as Ankyloglossia [better known as being tongue tied].  The tongue is stuck to the bottom of the mouth by a band of tissue called the lingual frenulum.

We were told in the hospital that it was a procedure that might need a specialist.  They had me a little concerned, so I was not sure what to think when I took Zaira in today.  Come to find out...Surgery is seldom necessary, but if it is needed, it involves cutting the tissue under the tongue. This surgery is called a frenulotomy.  AND, our pediatrician was able to do it in less than a minute with me holding Zaira in my arms!  

The other issue was her umbilical cord!  Can you believe that she does not have her belly button yet?  When I asked the doctor, he laughed and said that the cord was so thick it was going to be at least another week before it would be off!  That was a relief but also funny because I had been told that I had large cords for my babies.  Maybe that is why I have such big babies....they can get more to eat through that big tube!!!  So we will have to wait a little longer to have a sweet little belly button.

When I asked about the PKU test, he told me that he did not do that test in the office because he wanted to babies to like him!  LOL!  So, we had to make another trip before the end of the day to get the tests done.  Which meant yet another appointment was slipped onto our calendar!

We had to race home...grab some supplies for our 4H expo night (also not our idea for the calendar but had to be done on this date...see my 4H blog for that part of the story) and head to the hospital lab.  We got there after three tries looking for the location.  Thankfully, the lab was not busy and we were in and out after a painful 15 minutes!

Raced to the store to buy salad for the 4H dinner (so glad I picked an easy side dish to serve!).  And then off to set up for the project booths we were sponsoring.

So glad to be home after the long day.  Praise God for giving us the strength to make it through.

Another Trip to the Dentist

Edward and Henry made their way to the dentist this morning.  The dentist gave a better report for their teeth, but it is still distressing for a parent to see that we really have no control over hereditary bad teeth!

Henry got off easy as he only needs a sealant put on his teeth.  So, this means he had some weak points on his enamel but no cavities.  He does seem to be the one that spends the most time brushing his teeth at home so hoping we can convince the others to follow his example.

Edward, on the other hand, continued the trend of follow up appointments.  Although his teeth were not as bad as Brendan, he will need to have four cavities filled along with the sealant.  However, on the bright side, he really liked the new dentist.  He came home talking about how he promised to brush his teeth after each meal.  Let's see if he can keep up this enthusiasm.  Maybe he will be the one to motivate the others.

And, the big news is that we need to start using some type of fluoride supplement.  I guess not having fluoride in our drinking water is not helping our already poor quality teeth.  So, now I will be researching this need.  Once again, I am not finished with this topic.  I suppose I will be talking about it into the next month if not longer.

Oh!  And Sean has not even seen the dentist yet!  Watch out world...he always has something wrong with his teeth...I can only imagine what it will be this time!

On the bright side, we did manage to get our recliner picked up from the furniture store.  Michael had it all set up in a cozy spot in our bedroom.  We are all loving the comfort of this new chair.  Zaira especially enjoyed a long nap cuddled up in Michael's arms.  Oh...I know some of you will say we are spoiling her, but they are only this small once and we always seem to get them to sleep through the night on schedule when it really matters.

Divide and Conquer

Well, I don't know about the conquering part, but we did divide up yesterday.  In fact, we were so divided that it made for a long day and a lot of tired people.  So we are thankful for this quiet weekend to recover.  That is also why I am a day late blogging about our Friday experiences.


We started out at the crack of dawn trying to get everyone up and out the door.  Michael was off to the regional VA clinic to have some suspicious skin markings on his face.  He had a long drive with possible delays due to morning traffic so he left the house around 6am.

Then the rest of us began our morning routine of breakfast and getting dressed for the day.  We hurried out the door by 7:45am in order to head north up the road.  We were meeting a friend of ours who was in the same art classes with Henry.  Henry had his second week of art this week and was happy to have this time in nature with other art lovers.  The instructor has even agreed to take on more students from our homeschool group for additional weeks.  I am so excited that this is working out for Henry and helps our other homeschoolers as well.

After dropping Henry off, we headed back south to our local VA clinic to serve sandwiches to the veterans. This is one of our regular community service projects with our 4H group.  Normally, we have too many 4Hers helping us but this time it worked out that NO ONE could come help!  YIKES!  I was a little worried about going alone but it all worked out.  A short blog post about this can be found on my 4H blog.

This task was completed just in time to get a phone call from Henry saying that the art class was cancelled due to rain (outside class).  I gathered up children and supplies and headed for the door.  Just about he time we were on the road, he called again to say the class found an indoor location!  UGH!!!  That's OK...we continued on to the class location so we could sit and enjoy the nature center ourselves.

Then headed home for a quiet afternoon.  We heard from Michael as he was coming home to tell us that only one of the spots on his face were of concern.  Thankfully, the spot was only a precancerous inflammation.  The doctor was able to spray a little liquid nitrogen on the area and it should be better.  Of course, he will need to watch the location to make sure it does not return.

Then Michael stopped at Lowes to purchase new kitchen lights.  The room was getting pretty dark with only one flickering fluorescent light instead of the normal three.  The ballister had gone out in the two lights so we had to replace them all to have the same style.  I knew it was getting bad but we were all amazed to see how bright it was once he changed them all out for the new ones.  I am so glad he has the know how to change the lights out without hiring an electrician.
   
So, the day went fairly well.  We had been given a full course meal from our friends so an easy dinner with dessert.  I can not thank them enough for such a great end to an exhausting day.

I know it does not seem like much of a day compared to our normal activities but we were all quick to bed  last night.


AND...we all slept in this morning...LOL!  When Brendan walked in to our bedroom at 8:30am, Michael told him that it was not time to wake up.  Brendan looked out the window and said the lights were on outside.  So, Micheal told him we were having a lazy day and he needed to let us sleep longer.  Brendan said, "Fine!  I am just going to leave you alone!"  LOL...sounded like a good plan to us!

We did finally get out of bed and enjoyed out lazy day.  One way we enjoyed the morning was watching Edward read books to Zaira and Brendan.  Don't let Edward fool you...he really is a push over...he came up to me and said, "Mom, I think Zaira wants to hear a story and she would be able to do that best in my lap."  So sweet!

Michael went into town long enough to purchase Zaira's next pampering device...well maybe it will pamper us also...a RECLINER!!!!  We thought it would be ready for tonight's late night feeding but we will have to pick it up on Monday.

Getting to Know Her

It is hard to believe that a week ago we were still wondering if my labor would ever begin.  We had no idea if we were expecting a boy or girl.  We did not know what this little person would be like and how the entrance into the world would effect us.  I just knew that it was time and I was BIG!  Looking at Zaira in my lap today, I can hardly believe I was ever big enough to hold her inside.  We knew changes were coming and God had blessed us with a new little soul.

Now we have spent the last seven days getting to know our little Zaira and cannot imagine what life was like without her in our lives.  So, what can you learn about a newborn after just seven days?

From the very first moment I saw her, I knew that my life full of BOYHOOD adventures was over.  Well, of course, the boys would still have their adventures (and might even include Zaira) but there would be times of girly luxuries in between those rough and tumbling moments!

I knew that I would do just about anything for her...even above and beyond my strength or abilities...because that grizzly bear instinct of a new mother must be a hundredfold when it comes to daughters!  And if you think that is bad...think about the manly grizzly bear of a dad!  LOL!

She loves the song Ave Marie...she stopped everything to turn and listen contently to the music ... Michael even found other versions of it...she listened to it for a long time until falling asleep.

She also loves classical music.  I know you are thinking that we could not possibly know this but it is true!!!  She is more peaceful and relaxed when the music is playing.  I was telling Michael about a country singer yesterday and played a youtube video.  Zaira did NOT like it at all!

She likes to hear people talk.  Even on the first day at the hospital she was thoroughly intrigued by the stories our friend told about the area history.  When we were waiting to leave the hospital, I told her about what it was like outside and she could not stop watching me!

She loves her brothers...and they love her!  She loves having them kiss her on the hand and head or wherever they can find a spot as they pass by her.  They will be a force to reckon with come her teenage years!  Watch out future suitors!  By the way, she also likes to hear stories about Amanda.

She loves to be in the middle of family activities.  That does not mean she wants to be the center of attention.  For instance, the other night she was sleeping and heard the rest of us playing a game in the dining room.  She cried out, and as soon as we brought her out to the table, she fell back into a contented sleep.  She also likes to sit down to family dinners with her brothers.

She likes to read and trace designs with her eyes.  If you are wearing a patterned shirt, you can watch her eyes follow the lines.  Today, Michael was reading a book for his class, and Zaira sat in the crook of his arm and read the book with him, she did this for nearly an hour.

She likes to go outside and walk on the deck around our house, though I really think she just likes the warmth outside.

There are many things that we will continue to learn about her.  Right now, the thing we wonder about the most is her eye color.  Unlike our other children, she has very dark eyes (not blue).  Edward is convinced that he can see the green in her eyes.  Maybe he is right, but only time will tell.

The one thing we do know, is that we cannot imagine her not being a part of our family.  Which is a good thing because she is stuck with us now!

No Tooth Fairy...

...Well, she might decide to boycott our house after the check up Brendan got today!  I am so upset because we try so hard for the boys to take good care of their teeth and eat healthy.  Yet, Brendan has had trouble for some time.  His front teeth were starting to lose their enamel about a year ago.  The dentist told us to watch them close and we would decide what to do as needed.

I guess we watched those teeth a little too close because about three weeks ago we looked into his mouth to find a VERY large HOLE in one of his back molars!!!!  We knew we needed to get him to a dentist but as you know we have been a little busy.  I examined all of his teeth at that time and that was the only one that looked bad.

We finally got him into a dentist today.  Michael took him.  The dentist was so kind...not judgmental like some of the dentists we have been to in the past.  BUT, she not only found that tooth but two others were also in trouble.  That was just too hard to believe as I did not see those when I inspected over the last two weeks.  That means the decay is happening quickly.

She told us that he would need to see a periodontics specialist as he would need to have THREE ROOT CANALS!!!  Oh my!  I am just in shock that this could be happening to our little guy!  AND...he never complains!  He must have a very high tolerance to pain.

He was a really trooper through it all.  He let them poke and prod in his mouth.  He never complained.  Then he came home with the craziest glasses from the treasure box!  And because he was so good they let him pick a second toy and he found a cool frog watch that matched his shirt.  The only thing he asked of Michael was to let him finish his puzzles in the waiting room before they left.

So, now we will need to make more appointments.  This is not the last you will read about this adventure I am afraid.

A Nice Relaxing Day

I woke up this morning with important phone calls to make and organizational duties on my mind.  I might have a messy house but my calendar has to be tidy and organized...that is how I am able to get so much done.  If my dicks are all in a row then I am good to go!  I got most of this done by mid-morning.  Doctor and dentists appointments are now on the calendar!  Then I was able to tackle the call to our home school curriculum store to make sure we had the final books we will need to start school in a couple of weeks.
Once these tasks were done, I set out to work on sending emails.  I had to follow up to let everyone know about the activities I organize for home schoolers.  I also contacted a woman about the last book needed for school.

So thankful that Zaira was able to break up these tasks with her precious cry for food!  Who can resist such a sweet mew for milk!

That was the extent of my day...I was done with these tasks by lunch time!  I did have an assignment for my contract work (North West Evaluation Association) but would wait until the evening to work on that while the house was quiet.

SO...I was happy to have Michael take Sean and Henry to the library awards day.  The theme was Solve the Murder and the boys ran around with two others to solve the case.  They had a lot of fun!  Then the awards were given...Sean won a second gift card to Marble Slab.  Henry was disgusted...he reads all the time and does not win anything!  BUT it turned out he was wrong...he won the grand prize drawing for a $50 gift card!  He could not wait to get home to tell me!!!

It's a good thing they went or my post would have been all about watching for meconium diapers in newborns!  Really did you know there was so much to know about baby poop!  LOL!

I hope the rest of this week can be so carefree.  I am so glad for the slow days as I know they will soon before.  And, what better way to spend this time then getting to know our little one!

Top Five Other Stuff of the Week

We had a nice day going to church for the first time with Zaira and showing her to our extended family in Christ today.  Then came home to enjoy the company of two of Michael's Army buddies.  Yes, the same ones who tried to join us at the birth...LOL!  We even had a fellow beekeeper (Marie) come to help us with a much needed bee hive inspection.  Then more company as the evening progressed.  A joyful day of celebration!

I thought I would wrap up some of the events from last week that I did have the joy of blogging about due to obvious distractions!  LOL...these are just some tidbits that I thought would be good to remember later and maybe for you to enjoy as well.

What better way to do this then a top 5 list!  I might even use this format again when the week gets away from me.  So, here it goes building up to the most important of the events not discussed in other blog posts.

#5
I was able to promote two of my favorite youth programs at the Back to School Night (even though I did not attend) via my good friend Renee!

The first program is Math Counts.  MATHCOUNTS heightens student interest in mathematics by making math achievement challenging and exciting. Logic based math curriculum with higher level thinking skills based on core knowledge for grades 5-8.

The second program is Young Eagles.  The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give interested young people, ages 8 - 17, an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers. 

There was also a third opportunity that I am hoping will work out with Henry's art teacher.  He was interested in teaching a group class throughout the year if there was enough interest.  So I had a sign up sheet for this as well.  

#4

Signed our boys up for a special camp taking place this fall...shhhh...it's a secret that we won't share until November!

#3

I got the boys school books together for the new school year.  Even though we won't start school until the day after Labor Day, it is nice to know we will be ready!

#2

I saw the great affects of prayer!  I forgot to mention in my blog about the first day of labor.  I went to our local Dominican monastery to ask for the intercession of St Dominic and his nuns.  I figured who better to ask on his feast day.  So I prayed some prayers for assistance and left a note for the nuns to pray.  And as you know the rest of the story...God heard the prayers of his saint and His church militant in the little walls of grace found in the woods of East Texas!

#1

This was the best part of the week for me!  I was able to find someone dedicated to the pro-life movement willing to lead the fall 40 Days for Life Campaign.  I have led this campaign for several years but could not do it this year.  I was so glad to have Pastor Monterestelli agree to taking on this project.  He has already started working on the events for the 40 Days for Life.  I will still be working behind the scenes and praying at Planned Parenthood but not the lead.  So thankful for answered prayers!  To find out more about 40 Days for Life check out this link!

 

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Jail Break!

Well, we made the big escape today and by the skin of our teeth.  Actually, we decided to leave against medical advice, which as big a shock to us as it might be to someone reading this post.  Although Zaira was given an overall healthy report, the pediatrician on call (who was supposed to release us from the hospital) advised us to remain until tomorrow morning.

What was her reasoning?  She first told us that the original pediatrician asked for a 48-hour observation period (which we had completed) and this did not begin until he ordered the observation.  However, we pointed out that Zaira had been under the hospital's care for 48 hours so we had fulfilled the original doctor request.  So then she became forceful, and the excuses began to multiply:

• Jaundice-which she originally pointed out was very mild and not an issue was now a concern.  
• Gestational diabetes reported by OB-I did not have an OB doctor and my midwife never reported any sign of diabetes.
• High birth temperature-she had a rectal temp of 100 degrees but 99.6 degrees is considered rectal norm so this was also not an extreme 
• High hemoglobin-her hemoglobin measured at 20.7 but 20 or lower is considered normal so only a slight elevation in this record also.

I was then told that we could go home but it would be against medical advice.  I told the doctor that nothing the hospital had done over the last 48 hours has assisted us in any medical aid.  I told her that we would not even be at the hospital if my labor had progressed.  The doctor told me it was because my labor did not progress that I placed Zaira at risk.  That was the last straw for me...I knew it was time to go home.  

However, we still continued to be patient and explain our situation.  We also tried to explain that my mother (who was watching the older children) needed to go home tonight.  I would be inconvenient for us to stay an additional night for no apparent reason.  Their answer was to let Michael go home and they would help me take care of Zaira.  Considering most of the nursery nurses wanted to use pacifier and give the baby Pediolite when I sent Zaira for tests in the nursery.  I had no desire to have their help.  So the answer from the nurse on duty was to make sure I got the care I WANTED, she would even make sure that the nursery only used OUR diapers (the hospital diapers had given Zaira a rash).  

Sidenote:  The night nurse for the nursery does not know how to whisper...she kept us up most of the night talking to us very loud.  When we would ask her to whisper she told us that Zaira would need to get used to loud noises.  I told her that there would not be loud noises at NIGHT and even my loud boys knew how to be quiet around a sleeping baby!  Not to mention the fact that Zaira knew the noises at our house as she had grown used to them over the last nine months (proven as I now type this blog with the boys playing and Zaira sleeping in my lap!)  So, you can imagine how happy I would be to have the help of the nursery for another night!  Again, it was time to go home was my only response.

So, the doctor and nurse left annoyed but began the paperwork for us to be discharged.  I told Michael to get things packed up quickly.  I did not want to stay an extra second!  I really felt like we were planning a jailbreak!  By the time the paperwork was ready, the only thing left in the room was a camera and us.  The nurse had all the paperwork in hand and asked Michael to get the car, I had him practically running to make it happen.

Then I was left in the room with Zaira to wait for the wheelchair to arrive.  The nurse assigned to me (Sallie-who was my very favorite nurse because she knew we did not want to be disturbed and only came into our room to check vitals and leave) came in quietly and asked if we were ready.  I told her that Michael was at the entrance waiting for us.  She immediately got a wheelchair and said "Let's get you both home!" 

So, after three days of not seeing the light of day, WE MADE OUR ESCAPE!!!!  Praise be to God!!!!

What an experience!  I am not saying that all hospital births are like this...I just think there were many in the hospital this weekend who did not understand home births or midwife procedures.  Either they did not want to be educated or had some other bias.  It was very disappointing.  I would not wish this experience on anyone.  I am thankful that Zaira IS a healthy baby and we could make the decision to leave the hospital.  We will continue to watch Zaira for any signs of distress as any parent of a newborn should do anyway.

We are home and that is all that matters now.  We have been reunited with our boys.  My mother was able to return home in time for her work.  All is good in the end!  God is good!