Met the New Principal

So I met the new elementary school principal yesterday. And it wasn't in the way I wanted to meet him either.

I received a phone call around 2:30 in the afternoon explaining that Heathen #2 was sitting in his office and had been sent there for yelling at the teacher when he became frustrated with something in the classroom.

All I could think of was my father sitting and laughing hysterically and telling me that deserved it. I did the same thing when I was in school, only I was in fifth grade when it happened, not first.

So I drove over to the school and found Heathen #2 sitting in the principal's office looking very small and very scared. And when I walked in with the "you are SO in trouble" look on my face, his little eyes got very round and teary.

We had a nice little chat with the principal, and then with the classroom teacher also. And they came to the conclusion at the end of the discussion that I matched exactly what I had told them when I walked in. Heathen #2 is a control freak and wants to be in charge all the time. He also has quite a temper that he has to learn to control. Then they both agreed that I really did know my child. Gee, you'd think I actually have lived with the child for the past 6 years, 5 months, and 27 days...

Summer photos

I just wanted to post some of the photos of the Heathens from the summer!

Both of the older two Heathens attended Cub Scout Day Camp at New Germany Grove for three days in July. The Asst. Zookeeper walked with Heathen #1's group, and I walked with Heathen #2's group. I was part of a campfire skit in this photo - which is why I have a banana on my head! :) Heathen #3 spent those three days in the "Tot Lot" playing with other younger brothers and sisters.

One afternoon, the Heathens and I drove to Living Treasures Animal Park. It's about an hour's drive from the Zoo. The boys had a great time!

We did alot of other things this summer, but the pictures are still on my camera. Once I have those downloaded, I'll post them as well!

I've been TOO BUSY!

It's been three months (and a few days) since my last visit to this site. It's been three months of keeping up with the Heathens over their summer vacation from school. It's been three months of constant motion and movement - and I've LOVED every minute of it!

The Heathens and I did a lot of fun things this summer. We went Living Treasures Animal Park and were chased by crazed geese (with threatening attitudes). We went to Old Bedford Village - which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for Heathen #1. We went to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and saw the two baby elephants. With the Asst. Zookeeper, we went on a 20 mile canoe trip at Kinzua Reservoir and camped at Hooks Brook. We also spent hours playing in the pool at my IN LAWS.

At the beginning of the summer, immediately after loosing my job, I was terrified of spending the entire summer with my children. Don't get me wrong - I love my children. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world (most days). But I wasn't raised with the concept of BEING a "stay at home mom" - I was raised that I could do or be anything I wanted to do. I was never taught to cook. The only cleaning I really did growing up was the few things on my chore list. I wasn't raised with those thoughts in my head. So to me, the thought of not having adult conversation all day long, every day, was horrifying to me!

But I've survived! And I will readily admit that I was sad to see the Heathens head off to another school year. This was the best summer to have stayed home with them. Heathen #1 is only 10 and just this year headed off to the middle school. Although he isn't a little boys any more, he isn't a teenager yet. He's starting to get THOSE looks on his face when I'm talking to him. But for the most part, he's still mine. He still wants a hug. He still wants a good night kiss. He still tells me he loves me. And I know that probably won't last much longer.

Heathen #2 is only 6. And while he drives me nuts most days because we are too much alike, he still can be incredibly sweet. He still beams with joy when you compliment him for something. And Heathen #3 is only 3 and we just mastered potty training this summer. He's still a little boy who wants to be held and cuddled.

I couldn't have asked for a better summer with my Heathens.

Rediscovering the Heathens

It will be two weeks tomorrow that my world was completely altered. On one hand, losing my job is nothing horrible. It happens to people everyday, everywhere. But on the other hand, that job was a big part of how I defined myself.

In the two weeks that I've been home with the Heathens full time, I have:
reseeded the yard
watered the grass seed a zillion times
made two WalMart trips
made one Giant Eagle trip
several bank runs
one trip for ice cream
planted two flower beds
made stepping stones
picked up the living room a zillion times
gone to the laundromat
purchased a dryer

AND...

I've actually woken up in the mornings and felt like I truly slept. No waking up and feeling like I've been up all night. No lying in bed and running through "to do" list for tomorrow. Just blissful sleep.

Needless to say, I've spent A LOT of time with my Heathens. The last two weeks is the most solid time that I've spent with them in the past four years when I left teaching and started at JAHA.

On one hand, it's been agonizing. The fighting. The bickering. The whining. The complaining. I'm constantly refereeing arguments and stopping one of them from doing something they KNOW they are not to do. By the time the Asst. Zookeeper leaves for work at 9pm, I'm just as tired as I was after working a full day at the office.

But, I've also just gotten to watch the kids play and interact with each other. I've gotten a million kisses and hugs that I would have otherwise missed. I've gotten to watch them enjoy making the stepping stones for the yard today. I've watched them be regular, old "boys" and dig in the dirt and slop in the mud and laugh while they were doing it.

I was really worried when I let the Asst. Zookeeper talk me into staying home with the Heathens this summer. I wasn't sure if I would maintain my sanity. And I don't know that I necessarily will. But I do know that this will always be a summer that I will remember. It's the last summer before Heathen #1 goes to the middle school. It's the last summer before Heathen #2 goes to school all day long. And it's the last summer of Heathen #3 being a "little" kid. They are all on the verge of making big steps in their lives - and I get to take the time to watch and enjoy.

Thanks to the Asst. Zookeeper.

Redefining My Life

Sometimes, when you wake up in the mornings, you know exactly what you will be doing every minute of the day. Every thing is planned and prepared. Everything is scheduled. There will be no surprises. You know you will go to bed really tired, but that you will be content and satisfied with the day. That's how I felt when I got out of bed last Tuesday (May 27). I couldn't have been more wrong.

Around 2pm that afternoon, I was called to my executive director's office and told my position had been "terminated." Immediately. Hand in your keys. Clean out your office. Go home.

I'll readily admit to ending up in tears rapidly. I had put almost four years into the organization and I LOVED my job and I loved a lot of the people I worked with like family. I had left a teaching position for this job.

So instead of my day going as I had assumed, it was suddenly turned upside-down. Maybe "blown-up" would be a more accurate description of the feeling. I called the Asst. Zookeeper to come help me clean out my office - after four years, I had accumulated quite a bit.

The Asst. Zookeeper did exactly what I needed him to do that day. He walked into my office and gave me a huge hug and immediately told me that we would be okay with just his income. God, I love that man. We packed everything up and headed back to the Zoo. We had a regular evening of grocery shopping. it seemed very surreal to me - almost like I wasn't really in my body.

I made it through the rest of last week without too much trouble. I found myself sort of walking around the house and not doing a whole lot. But I'm getting better.

This summer, I'll be attempting something that I've always said I never wanted to do, something that I was incapable of enjoying, something that would drive me insane. I'm going to be a "stay at home mom" for the summer.

My fear has nothing to do with not loving my children. I wasn't raised to stay home. I was raised that I would have a job, a career, and that I would be out of the house and working. In my brain, I've always associated "stay at home mom" with "unambitios" or "unsuccessful." And I know that's not true. Now I'll be attempting to do it. And keep my sanity at the same time.

In Memory of Memorial Day 2008

What a wonderful long weekend at the zoo!

I took off from work Thursday and Friday afternoons heading into the weekend and just laid around the house reading. I think I read a total of 7 or 8 books between Thursday and yesterday afternoon. What a delight!

Friday afternoon, the Asst. Zookeeper and I took a quick road trip to Ebensburg to take care of some errands at the scout shop. It was really nice to be able to hold a conversation in the car without the Heathens screaming at each other in the background.

Friday evening, the Asst. Zookeeper had to go out to work at 2am, but he was back home by 8am. We both laid around the house all morning and part of the early afternoon. Around 3pm, the Asst. Zookeeper's father and younger brother brought the backhoe down to the zoo so that we could finish regrading the back yard. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the dirt, then cleaned up the Heathens and went to run errands for the evening. Saturday we spent the day playing in the dirt again - it's amazing how much work goes into moving it around!

Sunday, we slept through church (oops - we had every intention of going). After we finally got moving, we ran to the dollar store to get decorations for the Heathens bicycles. Every Memorial Day, our township has a parade and has a bicycle decorating contests for the kids. Our boys LOVE it. Sunday afternoon was spent decorating the bicycles with BIL#2 and his wife.

Monday morning - bright and early at 7:15am, we were up and packing up bicycles to get to the parade. They start off by judging the kids' decorations and they give $50 savings bonds to the winners in each age group. None of my Heathens got a prize this year, but both my niece and nephew did!

Then the parade started. It goes about a mile from our middle school and ending at the flag circle in Grandview Cemetery. It is a very slow mile that is spent dodging little kids who don't know how to ride a bicycle. Some of them need more help that training wheels can provide!

After we arrived at the flag circle, we rode another mile back to where we had parked the cars to un-decorate our bikes. Then it was back on and another mile of pedaling to our local Eat N' Park for the breakfast buffet. And then ANOTHER mile back to the cars. The Heathens love to go for bicycle rides and really do a great job (they only whined when they were hungry - which is understandable!).

The rest of Monday, I spent raking dirt and removing rocks from my newly leveled yard. And I removed 10 or 11 wheelbarrows FULL of rocks. It was really hot and sunny - and it was WONDERFUL! I even got a bit of a sunburn. Then the Asst. Zookeeper spread the grass seed and we covered it with hay. By 5pm, we were done! And at 5:01pm it started to rain - perfect!

We had a really great weekend and so did the Heathens. It was a fantastic start to summer!

Adventure Around the World

This past Friday was the black-tie fundraiser at the my organization. Adventure Around the World visited Japan, Mexico, Ireland, and France and covered four floors of our Broad Street building. The decorations were absolutely gorgeous and it was fantastic.

Granted, we put HOURS into the event. I know that last week alone, I put in just shy of 60 hours in five days. And there were people I work with who did more than that. It was quite labor intensive to get that much of the building prepared and decorated for the event. But we did it and it went off really well.

One of the best things about our annual Gala is that I can bring along the Asst. Zookeeper and we can socialize with other adults that we're not connected to through our children. No other soccer moms or cub scout dads. Just us as adults. It is heavenly.

And it is the one time a year that I get to see my husband in his tux = which is wonderful. Although I may have a biased opinion, I think he looks fantastic in formal wear. He has the build and the stature and the presence to make the tux look good. Here's a great example from Friday night:

This photo was taken on our third floor terraces around 7 or 7:30 that evening. I wasn't ready for the photo obviously. I don't even remember what I was saying to him. But I love this photo. You can see the double steeples of St. Stephen's over Dan's right shoulder. Behind us is Cambria City.

Momma's Day

Another Mother's Day has come and gone. And with it, the Heathens and I made another whirlwind tour of the mothers in our lives.

First thing in the morning, Heathen #2 presented me with a handful of items that he had made for me. Some were from school, some from Youth Club, and others he had made on his own. He had hidden them in the one basket that I keep gloves and hats in - and he had expressly told me not to peek (and I didn't). He was so proud of himself that he was practically floating.

The day started out with going to Sunday School and then church with the Heathens. Sunday School was a little wild as it was the last class of the year. Needless to say, the boys in my class were a little wild. But we survived.

During church, I was the nursery attendant and the Asst. Zookeeper was to meet us there to sit in church with Heathen #2. When he didn't arrive on time, I assumed he had fallen back to sleep. And that would have been understandable since he had worked Friday night and been up all day on Saturday. But he arrived after about 20 minutes - with a cup of coffee for me, God bless his heart!

After hurrying home to change, we headed to the IN LAWS house for lunch. Every year on Mother's Day, the men in my husband's family cook lunch for all of the mothers. Usually we have steak - but this year we had a choice of steak or chicken. Hurray! I'm not much for steak.

The boys presented their grandmother and great-grandmother with their cards and the sun catchers they had painted for them. It was a nice afternoon.

Afterwards, we headed to the other hill to do some shopping and errands. The Asst. Zookeeper's cell phone was finally on its last legs, and he finally decided to trade it in. He could have traded it in at the end of February. We also stopped at Dunham's and the boys let me pick out a hammock for my present. It's red with white flowers - I can't wait to take it camping this summer!

Next we drove out to Seward to see my parents. And the boys presented her with her card and sun catchers. After staying and chatting for a bit, we headed back to the zoo so that we had a bit of downtime before the Asst. Zookeeper had to leave for work.

Once he left at 6pm, the Heathens and I were back on the road, this time to my grandmother's apartment in Richland. She got her sun catchers - we had mailed her card previously. We invited her to dinner with us, but she had already eaten. I wasn't thinking very far ahead by this point in the day.

After that, it was on to my other grandmother's house in Windber. Again, we had a presentation of sun catchers (thank goodness for craft kits!). We only stayed there for a short amount of time. It was already going on 8pm by that point and I still hadn't fed the Heathens their dinner.

On the way home, we stopped at Valley Dairy for dinner. And the boys really were good, in retrospect. That evening though, I was convinced that they were deliberately being loud. But as I was paying, the manager commented on how good my boys had been. It was the perfect end to Mother's Day.

I didn't get any expensive presents or showers of cards (like I'd know what to do with either of those). I didn't necessarily do what I wanted - which I'm not sure what that would have been any way. But it was still a great "Momma's Day" for me. I got to spend the day with my Heathens. The Asst. Zookeeper really touched me with his cup of coffee in the morning. And I got to see all the mothers in my life - both the ones from my life and the ones that shaped the Asst. Zookeeper. It doesn't get much better than that.

Mud Baths

This past weekend, the Asst. Zookeeper got a start on a home-project that he has been wanting to do since we bought the house five years ago. Our yard is a hill. The children are able to play there and there is room for the playground and the sandbox, but a lot of it is still not usable because of the slope.

Well, the Asst. Zookeeper's father bought a back-hoe. And the Asst. Zookeeper borrowed it to regrade our yard. And the yard turned into a mud pit after it rained the next day. And the Heathens loved the whole process.


Anytime the back-hoe was turned on, all three of my Heathens were on board. The Asst. Zookeeper is always so good about letting the Heathens "help" when he does stuff around the house. I wish I had that kind of patience.

Here's a video clip of the Heathens on the back-hoe:

After the yard turned to mud, the Heathens had a great hour slopping in it. Check out the dirt on them! I had to clean them off before I could take them in the house for baths. And did I mention that our hose doesn't work outside? We had to use a bucket that I filled up in the kitchen. They had a blast! I just hope that no one visits my house until I get all the dirt cleaned up that they tracked inside!

Soccer Snapshots

The season of spring soccer has arrived. We now spend Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays at the soccer fields at KidSport. Armed with folding camp chairs, we brave almost any weather to cheer on our Heathens. Luckily, both sets of grandparents come watch the games as well - our Heathens have quite a cheering section!

I finally snapped a picture of each of the boys in their uniforms. We managed to get really good colors this year and by luck, each boy got their favorite color. You can't ask for better than that.

And of course, Heathen #3 loyally attends EVERY soccer game all season. In this photo, he is entertaining himself by biting his father's fingers.

Momma's a FLAKE

This past week, I managed to prove to my Heathens (again) that they can't trust me to keep my act together. They know they need to be on alert to watch for my multiple, frequent screw-ups. Thank heavens they are vigilant (and forgiving).

After the month of April and all of the soccer practices and ballet rehearsals, I was so thankful for last Monday. We didn't have ANYTHING on the family calendar for that night. I was ecstatic! I was finally going to get to stay home for the evening. The kids could simply play. We could relax and I could catch up on the laundry pile that was threatening to take over the second floor hallway.

That afternoon, Heathen #1 had called me at work to ask if he had a soccer game that night. And I said that his first game wasn't until Wednesday. And I knew that I was right. I had spent at least an hour combing through the two soccer schedules and dutifully marking each one in my calendar that I carry and in the family calendar that hangs in the kitchen. So I went home and we had a lovely evening of "nothingness" as a family.

Tuesday, Heathen #1 comes home from school and announces that he DID have a soccer game on Monday night - one of the boys in his class in also on his team. And I said that was not possible! And I checked the printed schedule that we were given - and sure enough, there was a game scheduled for Monday night.

I know how and why I made the mistake - which doesn't matter. What matters is that I screwed up and he missed his first soccer game of the season. Which also happened to be team picture day! Talk about feeling crummy as a mother! Heathen #1 was very forgiving about it, bless his heart.

We made it to Wednesday's game without any issue. Friday rolls around, and Heathen #1 calls me at work again. He says that he has a game that night, but that it isn't marked on the kitchen calendar. He knows he has a game because he talked to the kid in his class again.

At this point, I figured it wasn't possible. I'd already screwed up the schedule and made him miss the first game. I couldn't possibly have screwed up twice in the same week - could I? So I checked the printed schedule just to be safe. And sure enough, there was a game that night!

So we made it to the Friday night game, that I had missed on the schedule, and it turned out to be the make-up night for team pictures - so we almost missed that one too!

Heathen #1 hugged me and said it was okay. Thank God for children.

Cow Patties & Gingerbread

This past Saturday was a whirlwind of activity at our zoo. It was the culminating day for all the activities the Heathens did during the entire month (and in some cases, longer).

We started the morning out by being at Roxbury Park at 8am. It was the first-ever Chuckwagon Derby held for the Cub Scouts. The boys had to construct a covered wagon and supply it with a list of things. They then traveled to different stations to complete different activities.

Here's our wagon:

Don't they all look THRILLED to be awake this early on a Saturday! My personal favorite for the stations was the "Cow Pattie Toss." Using spray foam, the leaders created "cow patties" and them spray painted them brown. Even knowing what they were made of, it still looked gross.

Here's Heathen #1 with his cow pattie.

This was an all-morning event. However, we had more activities than just this! At 9:15, I took the younger two Heathens to Heathen #2's first soccer game of the season. He had worn his uniform all morning and managed to stay clean, which was awesome because he had team pictures before the game.

We arrived ON TIME for the photos. As his team was almost to the front of the line, it started to sprinkle ever so slightly. As his team was being positioned for their photo, the rain cut loose and we heard a huge thunder clap - which automatically cancels all games for the day, according to the group by-laws. Everyone ran for their cars. His team photo didn't get taken.

So we headed back over to the Chuckwagon Derby for the rest of the morning. We hung out there until noon. At that point, I took the younger two Heathens home to feed them and have them lay down for a bit. The Asst. Zookeeper and Heathen #1 followed shortly after they had loaded up the wagon.

At 1pm, Heathen #2 and I had to be at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center for his spring performance with the Johnstown Concert Ballet. For the matinee performance, I had volunteered to work backstage as one of the "moms" that keeps the girls under control. Imagine 15 first grade girls, Gavin, two other mothers, and me, stuck in a small dressing room for three hours. It was a long performance.

The great part of being a backstage mom is that I was able to get some photos of the kids in their costumes. I had volunteered at the beginning of March to sew all 16 gingerbread costumes for the grade 1 class. This included 15 pairs of bloomers and 15 dresses for the girls, and a jumpsuit for Gavin. I wanted photographic evidence of the fact that I can sew and that I did it all without asking anyone for help! The photos of Heathen #2 in the white shirt and black vest is his "peasant" costume, before he gets turned into a gingerbread boy.

Here is half of the group. The other half was already into the dressing room before I could catch them.

The show was over around 5pm. We then raced home. Heathens #1 and #3 were quickly cleaned up because they were going with the IN LAWS for the evening. Ballet isn't exactly their thing. I changed clothes and so did the Asst. Zookeeper. We then raced back to PPAC for the evening performance.

Heathen #2 really has a great time performing. It's obvious to watch him. However, neither the Asst. Zookeeper or I felt like sitting through three hours of ballet. We just weren't in the mood. After the Hansel & Gretel piece was over, we slipped out and went out to dinner. It was a nice chance to talk.

We picked up Heathen #2 at the end of the performance, around 10:30pm. He cried the entire way to the car because he was so tired from everything that day. He was asleep before we were out of the parking lot. After picking up Heathens #1 and #3 at the IN LAWS, we all headed home and went straight to bed. It was QUITE a big day at our zoo.

Call to Volunteer... Again

It's happened again - this time, twice in one day. The phrase "Volunteers needed" has crossed my desk twice.

It's not that I mind volunteering. I don't. I enjoy helping. The trouble is, that I volunteer ALL THE TIME. And if anyone uses the phrase "need a volunteer or else..." I'm guaranteed to raise my hand. Here's just some of what I do...

Cub Scouts: outings chair, popcorn kernel, and camp coordinator
Church: Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Christmas pageant, children's Advent workshop
Ballet: backstage mom, grade 1 costume mistress
PTO: Giant Eagle coordinator, plus helping with various other committees

Today, AYSO soccer and WAY football reared their heads using the dreaded "V" word. Soccer used the sentence "This is our last attempt to fill these positions." Football worded it as "volunteering is required." Does it still qualify as volunteering if it is required?

Well, I already know that I'll be volunteering for both of these functions as well. I've already looked into the requirements for the different positions, and I've sent the emails for further clarification. I wonder what it's like to be the parent that drops their kid off and drives away, returning just in time to pick him up... I'll probably never experience it. At least, I hope not.

They Are Just KIDS

This week is the spring performance for the Johnstown Concert Ballet - of which, Heathen #2 is a member. There are two stage rehearsals and one dress rehearsal this week. The first stage rehearsal was last evening - and all I can say is... wow.

This is not a "Wow!" of excitement or of being impressed. This is more of a "wow" said in a half whisper of amazement of how nuts some people can be.

I completely understand that some of the adults in the organization put an enormous effort into these productions and I have the greatest respect for them. Anyone who can organize more than 100 girls into doing ANYTHING deserves great respect.

But last night, I think a few of those people lost sight of the fact that most of those girls are children. Some of them are only 3 or 4 years old. And they were yelling about the fact that the girls were being loud.

Heathen #2's age group was dismissed for the evening in disgust. Some of the girls forgot part of the dance. Instead of taking into consideration that the girls are only 6 or 7 years old, they were berated and told that the director "didn't have time for them" and that if they had missed class on Saturday than they shouldn't even be allowed in the show!

I chose this organization for Heathen #2 because they actually do two shows a year. They do Nutcracker every winter, and then an original piece in the spring. They teach classical ballet - and the girls who leave for college regularly go into dance programs. I didn't want him taking lessons and having recitals in a church basement, so I chose what I thought would be the best. But now I'm having the same doubts that I had in the fall when we had stage rehearsals for Nutcracker.

Heathen #2 was not upset in the least by the tone of voice or words used with his group last night. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive for no reason. And I know that I have high expectations for my own kids. If I had a quarter for every time the Asst. Zookeeper reminded me that one of the Heathens is "only 10" or "only 6" or "he's only 2" - I'd have ALOT of quarters.

It will all come together for the two shows on Saturday - it did with Nutcracker. And Heathen #2 is so excited about his roles in Hansel & Gretel.

If it didn't bother Heathen #2, then I shouldn't let it bother me. The Heathens teach me something new all the time.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

That's the day that BIL#1 gets a new kidney from BIL#3. They leave for Pittsburgh tomorrow and will be in Pittsburgh for several weeks. Hurray!

So, now I'm on "Kid Duty" and could inherit children at any time (day or night) depending on how the cards play out. Good thing I didn't do any cleaning this weekend! They are going to wreck the place!

Almost a Dozen

It's just shy of a dozen years that I've spent with the Asst. Zookeeper. Next month, it will be a full dozen - unbelievable.

We're both still living and still love to spend time together. Neither of us have any scars. Which, at times, is truly amazing.

He's still the same guy that took me out that first time. He's still laid back and easy going. He still loves to have a good time. And he's still sweet.

Several weeks ago, I commented on a Sunday afternoon that the van was in need of having its brakes changed. It was around 4 pm. He leaves for work at 6pm on Sundays. He spent most of his last two hours before work changing the brakes on my car. I remember thinking he was crazy. It didn't need done that day. And that wasn't what I intended when I made the comment. But I was strangely touched by his willingness to do that for me. I think that's proof that I'm married. :)

Today, he has the night off. It's his week to only work 5 nights instead of 6. He picked me up at work and took me to the bulk mail drop off and then we went and had lunch. Just us.

He picked me up in the Fiat - that I named Charlotte as soon as we bought her. I let him drive. I know he would have let me if I wanted too, but I enjoyed watching him drive. He loves that car as much as I do, possibly more. But he bought her for me in October so that I would have a toy.

How many guys are worried about their wives having fun? He said that he had his motorcycle and that he knew I wouldn't be able to have one for several years yet - at least until Heathen #3 was a few years older. And he wanted me to have a toy of my own. And he bought Charlotte for me. I remember being surprised that he was so worried about me having a toy of my own.

Here's to the Asst. Zookeeper - I'm a lucky gal.

Missing the Past

Today, just before lunch, I had a field trip of second and third graders here at the Heritage Discovery Center. And I really enjoyed talking with them about immigration before they took their tour of our exhibit America: Through Immigrant Eyes.

I work with student groups on a very random schedule. Sometimes I'll have a few in one week. Other times, I go months without seeing any. It depends on what our tour schedule looks like.

Right now, if someone offered me a third grade classroom, I would go back to teaching in a heartbeat. The kids today were bright, they were engaged, and they were eager to learn. Everything that I loved about teaching. And I loved seeing the look of pride on one of their faces when they answered a question correctly and were praised for it.

Some days, I don't know that I made the right choice in leaving my classroom. There are days when I think that dealing with kids is so much easier than dealing with adults. Even dealing with teenagers in high school was fun. I always knew what was walking through my door in the mornings.

I miss building a relationship over the course of a year or over several years. I miss knowing their stories and seeing them change and grow. When I was teaching, I had so many "kids" that I considered my own. I loved seeing them out and about in the town. Some days, this office is smothering and isolating. Even a bad day in a classroom is still an experience.

I was loured away by the promise of opening a children's museum. And I do love my job here. I love the fact that I'm more connected to the community. I know what is happening about the town. I've met some wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful) people. I've made some fantastic friends that I never would have made otherwise. I've done things that I never could have accomplished in a classroom.

Some days, I think I'll never return to a classroom. Other days, I wish I had never left. Most days, I don't know what the future holds for me. All I know is that today, I miss my classroom.

Keeper of Words

If you look around my office, there are words everywhere. I have them all over everything. Sometimes they are "professional" words that are cut out of a magazine and laminated. Others are "everyday" words that are scrawled on a sticky note and slapped up somewhere within site.

I have a box at home in the basement where I keep words that I've cut out of magazines and from posters. They are words that make me think and I've kept them for years. Occasionally, I root through the box and reconsider things I've saved and why I thought it was important or profound in some way.

I've always been a sucker for the "quote of the day." I had teachers in school who gave us a new quote everyday and I always religiously wrote them down and saved them. I still have those notebooks - some of them from middle school.

Gmail puts new quotes onto the screen every time you complete a task or action, and I find myself hitting the refresh button just to see what the new quote is. The one that just showed up is by Franklin D. Roosevelt. "Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds."

Sounds like an elaborate was of saying "mind over matter" to me. But it still makes me think of life in a new way. I guess that's what makes me keep all of the words that I find. I buy books of quotes. I copy things down onto napkins. Someday, my children will be cleaning out my house after I'm gone and I'm sure they will think I was crazy, saving boxes of nothing but words.

Antics of the Oldest

It has been a long month for Heathen #1. Not only did he spend much of it walled up in the house due to the weather, but he's managed to cause one issue after another. Here's the timeline.

Beginning of March:
I get an email from one of the teachers at the elementary school. Heathen #1 was involved in a cafeteria fight. The extent of the damage was a bruise one of the boys received. Result: looses the privilege of going on the first spring field trip. This has been completely ineffective - it is now mid-April, and there has not even been a field trip announced, much less taken. At home, his television was removed from his bedroom, among other things.

Beginning of April:
I get an email from one of the teachers at the elementary school. Heathen #1 was sent to the Principal's office for making comments about one of the lunch aides. It turns out that she wouldn't let him sit by one of his friends and sent him to another table. At the new table, he sat and muttered about the aide. One of the little girls at the table turned him in and he ended up with a half day of in-school suspension. What child that age doesn't mutter when they lose an argument with an adult? At home, he was forbidden television or Wii until further notice.

Friday, April 11:
Heathen #1 calls me at work. He managed to burn his arm and his stomach and he was in tears because it hurt. I told him to strip and get in the tub with cold water and I headed straight home. I found him shivering in the tub ten minutes later with a second-degree burn on his forearm. Needless to say, we made an immediate trip to the ER. He knew he wasn't supposed to watch television, so instead he broke a different rule and used the stove to boil water in my teakettle. I still don't understand what he was going to do with the water. But he spilled it when the plastic cup he was pouring it into got hot and he dropped it. He's got a burn on his forearm that is as big as my palm, and another that is three inches long and about an inch wide on his stomach where the water splashed him. I can now say that I know burn care.

Wednesday, April 16:
I got another email from the teacher at the elementary school. Tristan got into another fight. This time with his best friend. David cut in front of him in line, so Tristan kicked him. David retaliated by calling him a "bitch." They lost two recesses each. At this point, I had to restrain myself from wanting to choke him. At home, he lost the weekend motorcycle ride the Asst. Zookeeper was planning with friends.

I'm to the point where I just can't wait for the school year to end. I'm sure the kids feel the same. I'm burned out with the morning routine and the rushing to get on the bus. I'm tired of making sure people have homework done, and I don't ever want to look for another backpack. I'm so ready for the summer routine of just getting myself ready and not worrying if the kids are late getting to bed.

Pray for sunshine this afternoon and evening - I need to be out of the house. And so do the Heathens.

A Show of Humanity

I've been sick since Saturday evening. Today is Wednesday and, while I'm feeling better, I'm still a bit run down still. I started feeling bad Saturday at dinner time and I went to bed early. I woke up several times during the night and barely made it to the bathroom before loosing my dinner.

By the time Tuesday rolled around, I was whipped. I hadn't eaten anything that I could keep down since my lunch on Saturday. Even water wasn't staying around long. The Asst. Zookeeper announced that he was taking the night off work and that I was going down to the hospital. I didn't even argue - I was relieved.

The ER was busy Tuesday night. After chatting with the nurse (who didn't even make eye contact with me), I went to spend the next hour and a half in the waiting room. It's really hard to curl up in one of those chairs when you don't feel well, but I managed.

Once I was taken back, I met Dr. Lewitt. He's probably in his mid to late fifties. He came into my area, introduced himself, shook my hand. And he made eye contact with me this entire time - none of that chart-flipping that doctors tend to do.

Then he startled me. He SAT DOWN. He would ask me a question and look at me while I answered, then he would write something after I had finished my answer. Then he would ask the next question. He was very personable and never appeared to be in a hurry.

After I'd been hooked to an IV for fluids for a while, he came back in and said that he wanted me to drink some juice. If I could keep it down, then I would be allowed to go home. He listed the drinks they had available and I picked one. Then he went and got it HIMSELF, and brought me a cup with ice and poured it for me.

I left the hospital thinking that he was a really great doctor. But then, he called the house on Wednesday to check on me. The Asst. Zookeeper talked to him. He said he was just calling to see how I was doing since he had released me from the ER. I've NEVER had a doctor call my house for any reason. Usually, it's a secretary who calls, and that's just about making or rescheduling an appointments. He calls himself just to see if I was doing better.

Wow.

Bowling with 6 year olds

We had a bowling party for Gavin and his classmates. Of the 15 kids in his class, only 7 were able to come. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I happened to be fairly sick that day. Dealing with the 8 of them was about as much as I could handle.

The kids all got to bowl for one hour. Our bowling alley put out the bumpers to prevent gutter balls. And they also gave us ramps for the kids to us. They could roll their balls down the ramp and onto the lane so that they had a little more speed. They kids thought that was great - for the first half hour. Then no one wanted to bowl anymore.

I had forgotten how fast kids that age get bored with something. My Heathens will bowl for well over an hour, but that's with family. The party crew decided that they were going to play hide-n-seek. And they managed it pretty well without getting under any one's feet or causing trouble.

Here's the song bit:

I love how he's holding his breath forever while he waits for us to finish singing. And the declaration of "I'm 6!" at the end was really cute. I love birthdays.

Looking Back at Gavin

And today is Heathen #2's birthday! He's finally 6! He's filled a whole hand and moved onto the second hand.

I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant with Gavin. Even though we already had Tristan, I felt like we would finally be a "family" once Gavin was born. Which really makes no sense since we were a family as soon as Tristan was born. Gavin gave me more of a sense of completeness.

What a challenge this child has been. This is the child my mother always wished on me. Stubborn to a fault. Always knows the answer. And will ALWAYS have the last word, even if it kills him.

He's also one of the most loving little boys I know. When he chooses to be, that is. And he never leaves for school without giving me a hug and a kiss. He loves telling me what he did at school during the day and showing me all of his papers. He glows when you give him praise.

I can't imagine life without fighting with Gavin daily. It would be too easy. And way too boring.

Spaghetti & Chocolate Ice Cream

Why is it that my Heathens only get sick in the middle of the night when they have eaten some really NASTY combination of food?

Last night, Heathen #3 had spaghetti for dinner and chocolate ice cream for dessert. This was around 6:30.

At 12:30 this morning, I heard him over in his room, fussing in his sleep. I went over and calmed him down. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

At 1 am, he started fussing again. Before I could even get our of bed, I heard IT. The noise that any mother can identify. The noise of a child throwing up in their bed. And I cringed. I had just put clean sheets on his bed before I tucked him in that night!

Heathen #3 is not really old enough to understand the idea of "run to the bathroom, throw up in the toilet" concept just yet. All he knows is that he doesn't feel good, he's tired, and I yank him out of bed and drag him to the bathroom.

I covered him up with a blanket on the bathroom floor and went to clean him bed - what a lovely combination spaghetti and chocolate ice cream make! By the time I got back to the bathroom, he was asleep on the floor with his legs and arms tucked under his belly. Just like a small baby sleeps.

I transferred him into his clean bed. And I decided I would read a book for an hour or so. I've learned in 10 years that if they can puke once, they'll usually puke again. Three times seems to be the rule for emptying the stomach of a Heathen.

Sure enough, half an hour later, I heard him wake up - but I got there in time! After getting him tucked in again, I decided I may as well start a load of laundry.

Then again, around 2 am, we had our third and final round. Stomach empty, he went to bed and didn't get up until this morning. At that point he requested Cocoa Puffs for breakfast!

Birthday Parties Galore!

For Heathen #1's birthday dinner, we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's. Even at 10, he still loves to play. Here he is with his pizza.

Heathen #3 used his tickets to get 3 lollipops and decided that he needed to eat them all at the same time.
















This weekend was the big "BIRTHDAY PARTY" that we throw for my two oldest Heathens and my oldest neice. Their birthdays are March 27, March 28, and April 2. We rent a local fire hall, and invite all three families. It is SO much easier and neither family has to clean the house.

This year's themes were Curious George, Thomas, and Sponge Bob. The kids had a great time. It's a chance for them to run wild in a big room where they really can't cause any harm.

Heathen #1 also had his birthday party for his friends on Sunday. He had a swimming party at our local YMCA. It went really well. Here's the big moment:

We took my nephew to Heathen #1's party with us. He's about 9 months older than Heathen #3 and they have a great time together. Here are the boys.

And Heathen #2 wants to say hello as well. Having a camera around with my Heathens is the same as trying to talk to someone on the phone. All you hear are shouts of, "ME TOO!"

Honest Abe

Here he is! I just got back from the elementary school after watching Heathen #1's presentation.

The kids in the class were allowed to ask questions after the presentation was over. This is the only question that anyone asked my Heathen:

And some of the photos I snapped:

Looking Back at Tristan

Today Heathen #1 is 10 years old. Wow.

I remember when he was born and the nurses in the nursery showed all of the "first-timers" how to bathe a baby. It looked so easy as she showed us, but I remember being afraid to try. He was so new.

Obviously I got over that fear. But it was replaced many times over with new fears as he grew. I was afraid to clip his fingernails the first time. His fingers were so tiny.
I was afraid to leave him in daycare the first time. What if he was miserable?
I was afraid when he learned to ride a quad at age five - even though it had an emergency kill switch and only went slowly. What if he fell off?
I was afraid to send him to kindergarten. What if he didn't make any friends? What if he didn't like it?
I was afraid to send him to overnight camp the first time. What if he was homesick?

Those are only the fears that I remember off the top of my head. I know there were a million more in the past 10 years.

I remember sleepless nights when he was small and was sick and I was worried. I remember sleepless nights when he just wasn't sleepy and I just wanted to choke him! I remember sleepless nights when I've just laid awake and worried over something concerning him.

I've cried in frustration with him. I've cried with excitement for him. I've cried in pride of him.

Ten years. On one hand it seems like a lifetime ago that he didn't exist. But on the other, he's grown so fast. I guess it was a lifetime ago. Or a different lifetime, when my world didn't revolve around someone else. But I wouldn't change it, not for all the fears, frustrations, tears. Because it has been more joy, love, and laughter than I could have imagined.

Liquid Nails Haberdasher

We've known that Heathen #1 had another upcoming school project. He's talked about it endlessly for about a month. We knew it was a project concerning Abraham Lincoln and that he needed to dress the part for the presentation.

As any good parents would, we waited until tonight to create an Honest Abe outfit. His presentation is tomorrow morning at 11 am. I wonder where he learned to procrastinate? Hmmm....

After scarfing down delivery pizza, we headed for the Mecca of school project supplies - Super WalMart. We raced through the aisles and purchased the following items:
black foam board
black foam (2 sheets)
washable mascara
black dress pants
white dress shirt
black belt
metal "I" brackets and screws
black fabric


I'm sure the shirt, pants, and belt are self explanatory. The other items are probably not.

The Asst. Zookeeper created stilts to make Heathen #1 the appropriate 6'4" tall using 2x4s and an old pair of shoes. The black fabric was used to wrap around the stilts so that they looked like legs. The "I" brackets were used as support to keep the stilts from twisting as he walked.

The foam board was used to make the brim of the hat, and the foam was stitched together to create the "stovepipe" part of a top hat. The issue became attaching the brim to the "stovepipe." We had no glue in the house. The idea of sewing them together did not excite me - the foam board would be a pain.

Luckily, the Asst. Zookeeper is currently remodeling the basement playroom. And he happened to have a tube of Liquid Nails laying about. It took a grand total of 2 minutes to stick everything together with that stuff!

Unfortunately, it dried a tan color - which required a coloring with a permanent marker to make it look better.

So far everything on the list is explained, except the mascara. Tomorrow, Heathen #1 and the Asst. Zookeeper will use it to put a beard on my 10-year-old!

I desperately want to go to the school tomorrow to see the presentation. I have a commitment in Indiana, but I may be able to squeeze out early. It will be worth the effort and hurried drive back to town. It's not every day that Honest Abe walks into a classroom.

Now, if I can only get the Liquid Nails off my fingers.....

Rocks in Their Heads

Two days ago, the Asst. Zookeeper took his webelos den climbing at a friends place. This friend had built an indoor climbing wall at his house/flat. Not very big, but more than big enough that the boys would all have a chance to try without the fear of falling more than a foot or two to the floor.

**Please excuse the fact that my clips are tilted. I've altered the original files, but the upload in the original format. Help, anyone?**

They had a GREAT time! Here's Heathen #1.

You can sort of see Heathens #2 and #3 in these videos. We (meaning me and two Heathens) had to leave early as Heathen #2 had a swimming lesson. As soon as swimming was over, we raced back to the climbing wall so that the younger Heathens had a chance to climb as well.

I've now spent two days listening as the Heathens and the Asst. Zookeeper plot about putting up a rock wall at our house. I figure it's only a matter of time till I come home and find someone swinging from a rope off the roof!

Mixed Emotions

If one more person asks me how I feel - I think I might have to scream! I don't know how I feel.

The Asst. Zookeeper's older brother needs a kidney - and as soon as possible. It's taken him two years to meet all the requirements to be placed on the transplant list. And in those two years, he's health has visibly deteriorated.

Tomorrow, the Asst. Zookeeper and both of his brothers are going for the second round of "Are you a match?" testing. They just have to give a few tubes of blood and then wait for three weeks for the answer.

The Asst. Zookeeper has asked how I feel about the possibility of him giving his brother a kidney. The IN LAWS have asked me. Family friends have asked. And I don't know the answer.

I can only imagine BIL #1's misery. I know he's lost sleep over his brothers going through the testing. And he actually spent two years telling them that they were NOT going to, that he would just wait out his time on the transplant list. But he's so sick, and to their credit, the Asst. Zookeeper and BIL #2 have insisted at this point.

He's family. I realize that he's my brother-in-law, but I still think of him as MY family. And he drives me crazy and we don't always get along, but he's still family. I love his wife and his girls. I can only imagine how heart-sick Jen has been for the past two years.

But he's my Asst. Zookeeper. And I know that he heals well and he heals quickly. And I have great respect for the fact that he's willing. I can only hope I would be able of doing the same. But I worry. He's voluntarily putting himself in surgery. And he's going to hurt, and I can't fix that.

It's going to be a long three week wait. On one hand, I want the decision to be out of his hands. That he won't be a match - but I feel horribly selfish thinking that. And I know how disappointed he will be if he doesn't match. But if he matches, all I can do is support him. How could I do anything less?

It's not that I want to not help his brother, I just want to protect Dan. And I know if he knew what I was thinking, that he'd laugh, shake his head at me, and tell me that I worry too much. I think it's a result of being married to someone with a big heart.

My son, Christopher

The Asst. Zookeeper finally got film developed from the district swim meet. I can't complain - I didn't even remember to take my camera. I'm a good mom (once in a while!).

Here is Heathen #1's 200 medley relay team:

Left to right: Collin (or Connor) Schafer, Colton Longer, Heathen #1, and Conner (or Collin) Schafer.

We spent the season telling Heathen #1 that we should change his name to Christopher, or some other name that began with a "c."

Colton was Heathen #1's inspiration for the Mohawk. This is a picture of the boys AFTER warm ups (45 minutes in the water) and AFTER their race. Colton's mohawk never budged.

And as for the Collin vs. Connor issue: This particular set of twins has been in Tristan's elementary school since kindergarten. They've been friends with my son since kindergarten (now going on five years). And I still can't tell them apart. Ever. Even for identical twins, they are REALLY identical.

Marshmallows for Easter

We had a fantastic Easter Sunday at our zoo! We woke the Heathens up around 8am so that we had time for "bunny activities" before we had to get ready for church.

As always, the Easter Bunny hid several eggs that the Heathens couldn't find. And even the Asst. Zookeeper and I really had to look (and think back carefully) before we found the last two elusive eggs. You would think we would learn by now - but, no.

The Easter Bunny brought the Heathens their Easter outfits for church. Heathen #3 had his new sweater vest on for a total of 3 minutes before he got chocolate down the front. I was actually impressed that it took him that long.

The Heathens always get candy for Easter breakfast. I know it's a bad idea every year, but I can't help it. Who wants a bowl of cereal when you just got a basket of chocolate?

At church, the Heathens were pretty well behaved, especially when taking into account their chocolate intake. And we were actually early for church! As the Asst. Zookeeper proclaimed it, "Another Easter Miracle!"

During the service, Pastor called all the children forward for their "chat." And he always gives them something on holidays. This Sunday, those kids hit pay dirt. They got a baggie of jelly beans, a chocolate cross, a beaded cross necklace, and gummy candy! Can you tell that Pastor has a sweet tooth?

Heathen #3 was the last kid in line to get his candy from Pastor. As he was sliding back into the pew, I didn't even think, I automatically asked, "Did you tell Pastor 'Thank you'?" And of course, Heathen #3 turned to the front of the church and yelled at the top of his little lungs, "THANK YOU PASTOR!!!" I'm so thankful that our older church goers love children. Otherwise, we'd have been strung up long ago. Pastor simply smiled, said "You're welcome," and went right back into his sermon.

After church, we headed for the IN LAWS house - I'm so thankful I never have to cook holiday meals. It's so much more fun to play with all the kids! It was at their house that I finally got the picture of my Heathens in their outfits.

And after our meal, the IN LAWS broke out the Easter gifts for everyone. Most people give others flowers or candy at Easter. Not the IN LAWS. They give out weapons. The first year it was water guns. In the years since, we've received an assortment of dart guns, foam disc guns, anything that shoots something. And the battles are always in the house because it's usually muddy or snowing.

This year was marshmallow shooters! Everyone - children and adults alike - got a marshmallow shooter and a bag of miniature marshmallows. And there were 27 of us at the house for dinner. The rule is that we have to get the kids weapons running before the adults are allowed to get ours out of the packages. Not that we really listen very well.

There were marshmallows everywhere. Every room in the house was littered with miniature marshmallows. It was great! After two hours of shooting marshmallows at each other, we spent two hours picking up marshmallows off the floor. The IN LAWS are planning to have their carpets cleaned professionally this week - you stick to the floor with every step!

Dinosaurs!

This weekend, we drove the Heathens to State College to see Walking with Dinosaurs. It was amazing! Our seats were not the greatest - ours were the cheapest! But we still had a great view.

The show involves 15+ animatronic dinosaurs - all made life size! The large ones are "driven" by teams of two or three people inside, while the baby dinosaurs and the smaller ones are actually people in costume. It was fantastic and the Heathens absolutely loved it. It was a great field trip for the zoo!

You can really see the size of the dinosaurs in the shots where the paleontologist is visible. This was at the Bryce Jordan Arena and the dinosaurs FILLED the floor. In this video, the baby T-Rex is an adult male in costume - and he looks tiny!

Egg Soup

On Thursday evening of last week, we sat down with the three Heathens to dye Easter eggs. Three dozen eggs, ten cups of vinegar-smelling dye, two wire egg dippers, a spoon, and LOTS of paper towels. I had the best evening.

Heathens #1 and #2 use the white crayon including in the kits and they decorate all of their eggs. Each one is unique - and in the case of Heathen #1 - has it's own name. Heathen #3 just gets an "L" on each of his to identify them. I'm not much for drawing.

Heathens #1 and #2 are self sufficient at this point when it comes to dying Easter eggs. The only job that the Asst. Zookeeper and I have at this stage is to sit at the same table and make "oooo" noises of being impressed. Heathen #3 is still a little more hands-on at this point. But this year, he declared that he "do it all my byself!" And so he did... And I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time.

He didn't understand the concept of putting in one egg at a time. His coloring cups always had AT LEAST two eggs a piece. And he smashed them down with his hands to keep them under the water.

Usually, the Heathens only break one or two eggs during this process. This year, they broke ALL of them, except one of two. Heathen #3 kept smacking them on the table. The other two kept dropping them. I even dropped one at one point - right onto the cat that happened to be walking under the edge of the table. Thank heavens she isn't white!

All the egg dying only took about an hour. We had a lot of muddy colored eggs at the end of the process. Heathen #3 had blue hands from the wrists to his finger tips. Heathen #2 spilled the cup of blue dye - which ran across the table and splashed onto the dining room floor. Thank heavens we have hardwood floors and it was easy to clean up!

One of the last eggs that Heathen #3 dyed was broken before it even went into the coloring cup. He proceeded to make egg soup with it in the pink dye. After coloring eggs now at our zoo for 11 years - this was still a first for us!

Racing wooden cars

This past weekend was our cub scout pack's Pinewood Derby. Anyone with sons in scouting knows that this is a BIG deal. Each boy is given a kit with a block of wood, axles ans wheels. They are supposed to turn the kit into a car and then they race them.

Well, with three Heathens in the house, we now have to build three cars. Plus the Asst. Zookeeper also helps the other boys in his den. The week before the Derby, all the poor man does is build cars while the Heathens play with the electric sander and sand scraps of wood into powder.

The boys had a good time on Saturday. We got there around 9:15 and we were done and out by 1:30. All things considered, it went pretty well.

Heathen #1 was slightly disappointed in his cars performance. He liked the old track better - it's our second year with the new track. Here's a video of his car (winning of course). His car was sort of electric green and it had a fin on the back.

Heathen #2 was happy with his car, until he lost the first time. Then we had to have a temper tantrum. But here is his car winning. It was a purplish pink color.

Heathen #3 spent the morning trying to escape outside because he wanted to play - it was a nice morning. So by the time it was his turn to race, he was pretty well "baked." But his car did pretty well. It was "owange wif dwagons" as I was told.

And I had to post this video. The cars racing belong to Gavin and Landon. But it's Tristan's crab-walking that I love.

It was Tristan's last official year for the Pinewood Derby. Next year at this time, he'll be in Boy Scouts. If that's not frightening, I'm not sure what it! He'll have to race in the "extra" category if he builds a car next year. That's where Gavin and Landon were racing this year. And next year, Gavin will be in a Tiger den! God help us all!

All Before 8:30 am

At some point in the night, Heathen #3 woke up. And he didn't come looking for me. He decided that he was hungry. So he went downstairs and got a container of leftover rice out of the refrigerator, got himself a spoon, and returned to his bed for his pre-dawn snack. This is why I found a half eaten container of rice and a spoon in the hallway, and why his bed was full of rice.

Sometime after the rice-eating incident, he decided that he needed to fix his hair. So he went into the bathroom and got out Heathen #1's tube of Mohawk gel. This is super-grad stuff. And he put half a tube in his hair and plastered it to his head. I guess he decided that he should wash it out, because then he smeared hand soap in his hair as well. He explained this to me later when he was being questioned.

Then he decided to go back to sleep. Which explains why the rice was glued to his head this morning.

Move ahead to 7:30am. I had gotten up and jumped in the shower around 7 and at this point I was waking up Heathens for the day. This is when I discovered Heathen #3's antics in the early morning hours. I put him into the tub and started trying to wash the now steel-like glue-mess out of his hair. He basically glued his hair to his scalp with a plastic-like stuff. He answered questions while I scrubbed. He was not overly cooperative and we ended up slopping water over the edge of the tub. Quite a bit of water, in fact. Enough that the kitchen ceiling started to drip.

Now it's 7:55 and I have Heathen #3 reasonably unstuck that we can go about our day. As I'm drying him off, Heathen #1 sticks his head in the bathroom door and announces that he needs to be driven to school early this morning because it's his turn to work in the school store. He has to be there at 8:15.

No one has eaten yet. My hair and make-up are not done. And I have a sobbing, slightly porcupine-looking Heathen wrapped in a bath towel and trapped between my knees.

I sent Heathen #1 downstairs with orders to get himself and Heathen #2 a package of pop tarts. I picked up Heathen #3 and we headed for his bedroom to get him dressed. Downstairs I could hear the screeching of Heathen #2 because there weren't enough pop tarts for both of them.

Downstairs I went with Heathen #3 tucked under my arm. I talked Heathen #2 into a Ziploc bag of dried cereal and prepared a bag for Heathen #3 as well - I knew what was coming if I didn't.

I ordered the Heathens to put shoes on and gather backpacks. Assuring Heathen #3 that we would come back home and finish getting ready for the sitter's, I went around the kitchen corner and into the living room. This is where I discovered that Heathen #1 had found a key in our junk drawer and locked the deadbolt on the front door - with the door open. And it wouldn't unlock. My front door would not close. Thus we left the house with the front door hanging open and raced for the elementary school.

I pulled into the school lot at 8:18. After I let the boys out of the car, Heathen #3 and I returned home so that I could finish getting ready for work. Then I took him to the sitter's house. I was so thankful when I got to the office this morning.

Just Overwhelming

It's definitely been one of those days. Where everything is just overwhelming. I seem to be one step behind and exhausted since I woke up this morning.

Last night, I went to bed when the Assistant Zookeeper left for work at 9pm. I didn't even put on pajamas or take out my contacts. I curled up under the blankets and that was it. And I didn't get out of bed until 7:30 this morning. That should be plenty of sleep.

Yet all I can think of today is the lists of this I still have to accomplish, either at home or at work. And the lists just keep growing.

At work:
film festival grant package
WRH education strands - times 3
And I'm going to stop there because those two items alone are over a month of work.

At home:
LAUNDRY!
changing the sheets on the beds
clean the bathroom

And other stuff:
candy to drop off at Carol's house
17 gingerbread costumes to make
scout camp registration forms to organize
errands to run

I think I need an extra day in the week. If I could only figure out how to clone myself, I'd be in good shape. By the time I get home at 5:30 or 6, I'm pretty well toasted for the evening.

Guess I'll just keep my head down and keep moving. :) It's always worked out in the past!

States = Mohawk

Today was a first for our zoo. Heathen #1 joined the swim team at the YMCA this fall and has been in the water four or five days a week ever since. At one of the regular season meets, his 200 medley relay team qualified for the district meet! He was ecstatic (and so were we) and he conned a trip to Chuck E. Cheese out of it.

This morning was the district meet. And last night we had to set the clocks ahead an hour last night as well. And the meet was an hour away from the zoo. And Heathen #1 had to be in the pool at 7am for warm-ups (at least initially - but I'll get to that part).

So... I set my alarm for 4:30 in the morning. Because, of course, I had to shower and do my hair and make up. It's not acceptable to be seen otherwise. But I've mentioned my weakness in this area in another entry and will let it go here. So the alarm buzzes at 4:30 in the morning. And the Asst. Zookeeper and I didn't go to bed until 12:30. Needless to say, the snooze alarm got slapped.

At 5:00am, I pulled myself out of bed and dragged myself to the shower. It's amazing how water wakes you up and makes you feel better about getting up at an ungodly hour. And I started to get excited. This was my heathen - going to districts! WOW!!!

After dressing and prepping, I went to wake the Asst (the danger of which is mentioned in previous blogs). However, when I went into the bedroom, he was already awake! This was the first bit of proof that I had that he was as excited as I was. :) He headed for the shower and I headed for the bedroom of Heathen #1.

Flipped on the light, called his name a few times and he was out of bed! WOW! He headed downstairs to gather his stuff for swimming with hardly a grumble. It was like being in the twilight zone.

Into the bedroom of Heathens #2 and #3. Here I bogged down a bit. Heathen #2 was surprisingly chipper and happily got dressed, gathering up an array of junk to take with him in his backpack. He wasn't the issue. Heathen #3 was.

Usually pretty happy at wake up time, he was rolled in a blanket like a corn dog. And he wasn't coming out without a fight. I managed to uncover parts of him one at a time to dress them. He then immediately pulled them back into the blanket cocoon. Can't say that I blame him. It was horribly early - even for me.

I wrapped Heathen #3 in a blanket and carried him downstairs. After socking and shoeing the Heathens, we packed into the zoo-mobile, and headed for the swim meet. It was 6am. And then we learned that I had done one of those "Dani" things. One of my stupid, didn't look closely enough, things that I am famous for at our zoo.

I got the driving directions out in the car. The second sheet of paper had the lane assignments for warm ups. Tristan's team wasn't scheduled to warm up until 7:50. Not 7am. We could have slept for almost another hour. But the Asst. Zookeeper smiled and said that for once we would be EARLY!!! Something that is not often accomplished at our zoo.

Upon arrival at the natatorium (the fancy word they give big pools at colleges), we got Tristan registered and situated. We really didn't have that long to wait until his team went for warm-ups. When he headed into the pool, we headed to the stands to watch. Watching kids warm-up is hypnotic. It's similar to a perpetual motion machine. They just keep going and going and going....

Then the meet started. His event was the second of the day. There were 9 teams of boys (ages 9-10). They were seeded in 9th place. Which, in my opinion and the Asst. Zookeeper's, was wonderful! All they could do was improve their standings.

They swam in the first heat against two other teams. And they took third place with a time of 2 minutes 41 seconds. But they didn't care. They got out of the water very excited and pumped up that they had done well. It was really cute. Or as cute as four 10 year old boys can really be.

It turned out that two of the other teams were disqualified for mistakes. Which put Heathen #1's team into 7th place! And they QUALIFIED FOR THE STATE MEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was so excited. And the Asst. Zookeeper was so proud! I couldn't have been happier for him. He loved swimming so much when we were in high school. And for him to see Heathen #1 do that well and be that excited was great for me. I'm not sure who I was more excited for - it could go either way.

Well, that wasn't the big end to our day. Not yet! When the Asst. Zookeeper was swimming, if he made it to the state meet, he could get his hair cut any way he wanted. And he had told Heathen #1 the same thing. So after stopping for breakfast, we headed for a haircut. At this point it was only 11 am.

He wanted a mohawk. And I gave my blessing. I don't think it mattered if I gave my blessing or not. I think the Asst. Zookeeper would have over-ruled me in this instance. So my 9-year-old now has a mohawk. And we stopped at the mall to get lime green spray for this mohawk. And it is REALLY green.

I would pay to see the faces at the school tomorrow morning when my green mohawk wearing son walks down the halls. It would be entertaining. :) Once I get the pictures, I'll add them. It's well worth seeing.

Slow, Slow, Quick-Quick!

Yesterday afternoon at 4:15, the Asst. Zookeeper and I did something new. We went to dancing lessons.

Since we began dating, we've always said how much fun it would be to take dance lessons, especially Latin dancing. A few weeks ago, he asked me if I still thought it would be fun. And if he could arrange I time with one of the local dance studios, would I go?

YES!!!!

I spent all day yesterday as though I was a small child waiting for Santa. I was so excited! And it was WONDERFUL! We both had such a great time. We're going again next week and I can hardly wait.

We had a 45 minute lesson and learned four different dances. I managed to make him step on my toes multiple times, but it was usually my fault. And since I was moving backwards, I have to give him credit. He didn't run me into any pillars - not even once! And I'm sure he had to resist the urge. I know I would have! :)

Kudos to the Assistant Zookeeper!

Waking the Animals

This morning is the perfect example of mornings at my zoo. It's no wonder that the first thing I do upon arrival at work is to slug down two or three cups of coffee and vegetate for several minutes. Mornings at the zoo are solos for me. The Assistant Zookeeper doesn't arrive home from work until 9am or later. I take pride in the fact that all my children are still living.

Years ago - and several children ago - I would roll out of bed at 5 am. I'd be out the door by 7 am. Nowadays, the mornings start around 7 to 7:20. Upon waking up, I usually discover that I've mammals laying on me. Sometimes it's one or two cats. Usually, it's Heathen #3. For a 30 lb mammal, he takes up a lot of bed space. It's really handy that the Asst. Zookeeper works nights.

I dragged myself into the shower. In the shower, I tend to lose track of time. My mind starts to whirl and I find myself just standing in the water with no idea how long I've been there. Quick scrub - and I jump out. Dry off. While I'm dressing, I start waking the Heathens.

Heathen #1 is the first stop - he's bedroom is right beside the bathroom. Flip on his light and call his name until I see some movement of the blankets (he sleeps with the blankets over his head). This child is like waking a hibernating bear - and usually about as safe. As soon as I spot movement or I hear a groan, it's on to Heathen #2.

Flip on Heathen #2's light. This Heathen is much easier to wake. His bed is right under the light switch. He's usually already stirring when I get there. He also sleeps with his head under the blankets. But you never know which end of the bed is where his head is located. I've uncovered feet on many mornings. Once this one is awake and talking, it's back into Heathen #1's room to re-wake him again.

During the entire waking process, I have to keep talking to them or they will crawl back into bed and go back to sleep. After they are both moving, they head for the bathroom. I usually stand in the hall outside the door to keep them moving. Heathen #1 has been known to curl up on the bathroom floor.

Usually about this time, Heathen #3 announced from my room that I have to come wake him up. He's fun to wake up still. He's warm and floppy and cuddly. My days of this are numbered though. I'm enjoying it while I still can.

Then it's time to get the oldest two dressed. This involves arguments of whether clothing qualifies as "clean" or how many times you can wear something between laundering. It also is usually the first opportunity for Heathen #2 to have a melt down - usually because he gets stuck trying to get his pajamas off or his shirt on.

Once the older two Heathens are dressed - we head to the kitchen for breakfast. Breakfast at our zoo is cereal, 29 days out of 30. The Heathens tells me what cereal they want, I put it in bowls and add milk. Heathen #3 is in charge of spoons. As soon as they are all seated at the table, I give my speech of "eat your breakfast, I'm going to fix my hair..." and I head back to the bathroom.

While I dry and prep my hair for the day, I listen to the Heathens alternately chatting and screaming. By the time I'm applying makeup, I'm yelling from the bathroom to stop talking and eat. Usually, I make at least one trip down the steps to threaten them with annihilation if they don't hurry up and finish their food.

Then I've got to herd the older two into brushing their teeth and combing their hair. This is usually Heathen #2's chance for a second melt down - he always has knots in his hair. It's a wrestling match to get the knots out and keep his hands out of my way.

Then the alarm goes off in the kitchen and we suddenly have to find socks, shoes, coats, mittens, backpacks, and a violin (on Thursdays) and get those all appropriately applied. Then the older two Heathens head out the door to wait for the bus. And I take a deep breath.

Spinning on my heel, Heathen #3 now knows it's his turn for daily preparation and immediately becomes uncooperative. I usually haul him into his bedroom to change his clothes as though he were a football. And if it's a normal morning, he starts chatting that he wants to do something.

Today, the something was brushing his teeth. But he couldn't find his toothbrush because he hauls it all over the house. Once located, then he didn't want to brush his teeth anymore. So I announced that we were leaving and forcibly applied a hat and winter coat to Heathen #3.

From this point until we arrived at the sitter's house, Heathen #3 had a temper tantrum. He yelled the following items (over and over):

1. I want to brush my teeth!
2. I want fishies (which means he wanted to take a pack of goldfish crackers to share with Nicholas)!
3. Your not my friend!
4. I said I don't like you!

Add tears and crying and you have Heathen #3. It's very attractive on his part and it's always good for my self-esteem. It's a good thing I'm a morning person. Otherwise, none of my children would have lived this long.