Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss...

It's like that movie with Brad Pitt where the baby is born "old" and dies a baby around here. Button something... OH! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button! That's it! My children are geriatric. Dane is fine; although it could be said he suffers from Alzheimer's and is in his "constant motion" state of the disease. Sheridan is wearing Tuli's heel cups. If you aren't fortunate enough to know what these are, here is a website which sells them: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/tuli's-classic-heel-cups/ID=prod3945784-product. In short, Sheridan has Sever's Disease, not as "severe" as it sounds. Totally just an irritation to the heel with inflammation around the growth plate, etc... She'll grow out of it. Until then, she wears waffles in her shoes. Madeline came home last week with a note from the school nurse saying she was having leg and low back pain... after a trip to the doctor and scoliosis x-rays, yep. She has a mild case of scoliosis. It seems to me she is rather young to have this diagnosis at only ten; then again, she started her period in April. What do I know, I'm just a nurse. We are going to watch it and see what happens while doing some specific exercises to strengthen her back muscles. The dentist suggested swimming. Yes, the dentist. Elijah has also been complaining of what we thought was bone pain. He's now in physical therapy twice a week and out of football for the rest of the season due to bilateral MCL sprains, right hip slipping, and a left patellofemoral disorder. We thought that was all; however, after his initial PT consult we discovered he has no range of motion in his feet / ankles. This has resulted in a poor gait that has strained his knees and and is effecting him, literally, from the bottom up. The hip slippage is from, and I quote, "Weakness of the small butt muscles." Yes. That's what the therapist said about my gentle giant. The question is: Why, if they are starting out old, am I not getting younger!? Not cool. Instead, I am taking advantage of an earlier missed opportunity; I am going back to school. Again. Hello University of Cincinnati. Thank you for your gracious acceptance letter to your graduate program for nurse midwifery. I will gladly take you up on that offer and pray my friends, both near and far, do not commit me to a mental institution nor think me neglectful when I am not great at returning calls.

London Bridge is Falling Down...

Did you realize how morbid or sad nursery rhymes are? London Bridge is falling down, falling down... I had a little bird, her name was Enza. I opened up the window and INFLUENZA! Lizzie Borden had an axe... Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall... Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posie... ...and so on. I don't feel like a nursery rhyme today; today, I feel like a bug. An ant to be precise. I am on a mission. My colony is my home. I am strong, I can lift 20 times my own weight and try hard to support my family. I try to give my kids proper nutrition, a clean place to live and eat, an education, clean clothes, and lots of love. I try to support my husband in his work time and rest time. I try to also provide him with a clean home and food on the table. I love him for who he is and for loving me in return, regardless of my faults. I thank him with voiced love and appreciation, with hot meals, clean laundry, a (semi) quiet home, and cable TV! I try not to complain about the lack of assistance with housework, especially since he's really begun to help so much more. I don't see myself as being 'high maintenance.' but maybe I need to re-evaluate. What is the definition of that term? Back to the ant. Just when I think it's all a well organized and efficient ant hill, someone / something / some insecurity, pops up and stomps on my little three-segmented body. *SQUASH* *SPLAT* *SQUISH* Ants aren't so hot. Damn.

Long time no see!

I can't believe it's been TWO WHOLE YEARS since I've been on here! Oh, who am I kidding, yes I can. Consistancy is not my strong point. I am going to try (the operative word) to maintain this blog again and can't wait to start it back up tonight! Two years is such a long time and there are a ton of things I have missed telling you. Let's just start with today and see where it takes us. Fall is nearly here and the kids are back in school this week. Elijah is in the eighth grade, which means high school is next year. I can't even begin to tell you how gratifying and horrible the thought is all at once. He is still active in Scouting and is beginning to research his Eagle project. I am hoping he can pick something to do with the church where his Scouting carreer and pre-school started. I think this would be a nice "Thank You" to that community for all they have provided us as a family. He has also begun football at the school level after 2 years with the Salvation Army and has been asked to be part of the "Stang Gang" at school. He's certainly keeping us busy! Madeline is in fifth grade now and this is also her last year at her elementary school. She is still shy but definately focused. She loves school and seeing her friends on a regular basis again. She has been playing her cello for a year now and really enjoys it, so it seems. She is taking private lessons on the side and will be trying out for the Prepatory Youth Symphony here in Salina next weekend (wish her luck)! Madeline is also still active with the gifted program at school and will be commuting to Meadowlark for an hour a week so she can participate with other kids her age and level. She did this last year and really did well with all of her projects. Her teachers tend to love her sense of responsibility, willingness to help, and kindness at school. I am pretty sure she is a 'people pleaser' and my second 'First Child.' Sheridan, my sweet nerotic girl, is in the third grade now. She will be earning letter grades this year and is already, "freaking out about state testing!" Of course state testing isn't until mid semester in the spring, but leave it to her to worry about the future that way. Her sense of fashion continues to both amaze and amuse me. Some days she is spot on and other days she looks like we picked her up from under a bridge. Sheridan has been wanting to play soccer for two years now, this has been nearly a weekly question, in addition to, "When can we have a girls night?" She is SUCH a girl! We were too late for registration this fall; however, we are thinking spring ball will be better anyway right now since Elijah has football now and none of us want to miss someone's activities. Dane, my magic kiddo, is not starting kindergarten. We decided to hold him out a year (August baby) and he is back at Angel Academy for the five day a week program. He was just about ready to jump out of his shorts today when we dropped off school supplies, literally. This will be our sixth and last year at Angel Academy with the kids. The staff there has been such a blessing to our family and the program is nothing short of amazing. I will certainly miss not having the school in our lives next year! Dane is growing by leaps and bounds, we are hoping to see more out of him academically this year. He is showing it at home with his colors and now he is using the refrigerator letters pretty often too. He also likes to do his 'homework' books as well, if I could just get him to follow directions. Dane has taught me to let loose a bit and realize we don't HAVE to do all the pages in order. What a good kid he is! I have to say I am a lucky girl to have four kids who love school so much! Kerry's last day at Crown is tomorrow. It's a bittersweet sort of farewell. We have always known this job was a means to an end and though it's taken, what seems like, forever... we know we have been blessed with his employment there. I don't know how Dane will survive without his 'Charlie Days' now. (Charlie is a guy in the office who Dane trades candies and Hot Wheels with on a regular basis when we go to pick up Kerry's pay.) Kerry's full time employment with UPS has begun with fill-in driving and 'bumping' into the hub as usual. I am so happy for him and thrilled for our family to have my husband back, it's been a long five years! One last note on Madeline... First, you have to know this girl has a WILL and a DRIVE like no other, she does NOT get along with her older brother very well, and has NO problem demonstrating her displeasure with anyone else either. Monday afternoon, Madeline asked me, "If I earn enough money, can I have a Kindle Fire." I told her she could buy herself one when she earned the money and then asked what her plan was as we don't do an allowance here at home since the kids usually get everything they need and most of what they want (aside from phones etc... that's not gonna happen for a while). She said she was going to ask for money for Christmas and her birthday and wanted to know if she stopped asking for extra's if she could have an allowance as long as her chores were done. Kerry and I discussed this and decided a dollar a day was acceptable and made the offer to Elijah as well. We also told them both their behavior had an influence on the allowance as well, they may be docked for poor behavior, grades, etc. Somehow, Kerry became more involved in the conversation telling Madeline if she had NO behavior problems for a full month, he would hand her $100 dollars himself (YIKES!). This threw me a little, but after some thought, we both decided this might be a fairly safe bet. Yeah, or maybe not. Madeline is, once again, proving herself. My daughter with the daily outbusrts has had no problems for four days now. She has been sweet as pie and redirects her anger / frustrations without prompting. Ladies and gentlemen, this is how my Madeline is going to survive this crazy world she will inherit. Honoring her namesakes (granmother's Madeline) with their own drives and wills to get what they want... when they want; and to survive ANY situation given to them. God bless Grandma Miller and Grandma Pat, they live in my little spitfire... and they may owe me $100 very soon!

GO! GO! GO!

We are about to finish up the second week of school, allergy season is a bitch, and my nerves are fried.

Dane ended up staying home this year, he has had NO interest in the toilet...until last night. He freely, of his own will, went to the bathroom and peed! This morning we had a repeat preformance, after which he informed me he needed some candy. Yes, we are at THAT point. I never did have to use anything more than verbal praise and hugs for the other kids, but Dane sure knows how to milk it! I would like to take a moment to thank the makers of Sixlets and their tiny little packets of candy that I can dole out one at a time for potty success. So thank you Sixlets, from the bottom of my heart!

Sheridan was pretty excited about the start of school though she is now back to disliking it and making a point of that by stomping around as loud as her lttle body will let her. It's really very funny. Bad Mom! No, really...it is. She tries so hard to look and act angry, unfortunately for her the stomping is about as loud as an ant and her scrunched up face is sooooo cute! LOL! Then there is the part where she is so easily distracted that it never lasts more than a couple of minutes. Funny!

Madeline is in glasses. She also never ceases to amaze me! I have been waiting patiently to be told one of my children has been lucky enough to inherit my terrible sight and preparing myself for the frustration they will feel at having to get glasses. Madeline has been a HUGE disappointment! She was thrilled to get glasses! She picked them out on her own, wears them without complaint, and handles them with such care! She even wears a pretty little purple grandma chain so they don't hit the ground if they were to get knocked off in PE or at recess. She is loving school, I think she thrives on the routine and organization it requires. Poor kid. I love that she is so much like me...but it worries me and drives me nutty in the same breath!

Elijah couldn't be MORE excited about school. He has had nothing less than "the best day ever" each and every day! I even kept him out of class until 10:30 yesterday for a sore throat and doctor visit. He danced in his seat when I told him the strep screen came back negative and he would be going back to school. I KNOW! Middle school scared the crap out of me for the first month! He's totally into it though and seems to really be finding his place, shame on me for worrying so darn much! He started football last week too! My little man is a B.I.G. boy and watching him play / practice gets my testosterone going..."Run him over peanut! Get him! Go! Go! Go!" (all while gritting my teeth). (He's the tall one in the white jersey)

Time to head for the pharmacy...the allergy medicine aisle is calling my name.

It's been a few (or 7) months...oops!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth...to the dismay of many and the relief of a few! ;-)

My computer DID, however, bite the dust and we've had a wonderfully busy summer! I can hardly believe the kids start back to school in just three weeks and a couple of days! I am taking my computer tower to my repair-brother (thanks Trev!) to look at next week, maybe it's still salvagable...I hope, there are many irreplaceable things on the hard drive. :-(

I have also decided to make more of an effort to write when I am not feeling mopey, after all, who wants to read a depressing blog all the time! Of course taking the time to sit down and actually do it with all this chaos is a different story.
I am not even sure where to start!

My sister (who's newest work in progress has a penis!) and my nieces have been staying with us since the end of March. I know, I know, AMAZING... Our history together hasn't always been pleasant but we are actually managing quite well here in the shoebox, albeit croweded most of the time! The even better news is that she has found a place to live and will get to move after the first of August! I am proud of her for making all the pieces fall together and can't wait to meet my new nephew in November!

We also put the kids, except Dane, into Taekwondo this spring. The main goal was to find an activity everyone could do and succeed in at their own pace. The second goal was to give them something that would require some coordination, focus, and discipline. Things they are each in need of, especially the coordination since they ARE my children. Hehehe!

Elijah has kept us especially busy with Boy Scouts, baseball (season ended 5-4-1), and Camp Wood this summer! I feel a little guilty for not doing extra with the girls, but they are keeping themselves busy enough with the other neighborhood kids and my nieces!

So, the levels of little-people estrogen are getting a little high pitched this morning so I will save the rest for later!