The journey toward downsizing

Some people think I'm crazy, but I see no reason to have a 3000+ sq house (with a basement that is probably 1500 sf) with just my husband and myself.  We bought this house for our kids, to allow them a place to grow and enjoy and feel safe and entertain their friends, and honestly it hasn't even been used to its fullest potential.  Right now is probably the closest it has come to being utilized fully and that is because I have family members staying with me right now... So, our plan is to downsize.

I not only want a smaller home, but I want to put an end to this sub-urban living.  After all, I am a city girl. I grew up in the city, and some of the best homes we have had were in the city... like our Corn Hill apartment in Rochester NY, or our warehouse apartment in New Orleans.  Those places really made us happy, and that is what we are looking for... but I know it is  not going to be easy.

The good news is that house prices in our area are above what we paid for our home and are still rising.    so will will walk away with a little equity money.

The bad news is that we would still like 1800 sq, and I am only seeing 1400 sq tops in the Atlanta area.  We still want to kids to be able to visit and even spend the summer with us for the next few years, and after that, wayyyyyy after that, grandchildren, so we can't go from 3000 sq ft plus basement to 300sq ft plus a storage room.

So much to sort out.

Things I know I want:

• Walking communities
• Live, work, play
• I especially love Atlantic Station (Atlanta), but it is kind of pricy.
• Open floor plans

We can purchase or rent... I don't care, but I think hubby wants to purchase.  I expect this to be a 2 year journey.  Stay tuned.

The health club mafia can't stop me

I can tell you that the health club is taking up a lot of time that homeschooling used to... yay!

I can also tell you that a certain contingent of health club life is just as annoying if not more so than the worst homeschool parent meeting where they are comparing curriculum and someone has decided to champion Math-U-See as if their life has depended on it... and woe to anyone who likes something else.

So there is a large bunch of women (all of the same nationality) who like to take over the locker room with their saggy naked butts dangling about, sitting on the benches with nothing in between their Lee-la's and the benches that other people have to use.  The good news is that they have commandeered one of three sections of the locker room with vengeance, so at least we know that it might be safe to sit on the other two benches... but frankly, I'd rather stand in a pool of piranhas than put my tooshie anywhere near where they are all sitting nude as the day they were born.

The nakedness isn't the only think that keeps the rest of us from using that portion of the gym locker room.  No.  It is the Kimmy Jin stare that makes us use the other two sections of the dressing area.  They do the same in the whirlpool, and sauna.  If any of them are in there, they try to freeze you out.  (They can keep the whirlpool, but they aren't freezing me out of the sauna.)

Kimmy Jin stare (from Pitch Perfect)




Today, I decided to go to the gym with my husband and use the pool.  Normally, I take an aerobics class, but since there was no class at the time I was going, I decided to take a lane and do all of my favorite and most effective exercises that I have learned in the 6 months I have been going to the gym.  My method is to take up a lane as if I am a swimmer and use hand weights. While doing each exercise, I move up and down the pool, thereby taking up a lane.

Well people from this same group apparently wanted the lane I was in... so they would get in the pool, get in my lane, even though there was always one or two empty lanes at that moment.  They would see my working my way up and down my lane, either doing jumping jacks, high jumps, cross country skiing, or what have you.  My body never stopped moving, and I had hand weights in my hand which were also moving at full speed.  Needless to say, it wasn't safe for anyone but me in my lane... but nooo... They would get in my lane, in my way, and try to give me the Kimmy Jin stare down.

So this is me....  (skip to 1:15)

Image courtesy of http://cheezburger.com/1646376192

I am clearly moving my tooshie, working hard, and kicking butt and someone just gets in my lane and stands there in an aggressive stance as If that means I need to surrender my lane or something...  But it didn't work...  I was all like... THIS IS MY LANE, and if you want to stand there, you are going to get hit either and arm, a leg, or a hand weight.

So now I'm not just exercising my butt off, for a whole hour at a time, but I am also practicing my best stink-eye in an effort took keep these interlopers out of my lane.

Good fun.

Case of the missing ovaries

I've decided that my doctor is an idiot.

I was sent to her by the endocrinologist that is taking care of my daughter for PCOS and pre-diabetes.  I thought.. finally, some folks who know what they are doing, I want to go here... but NOOOOO  I needed a referral... go to this doctor first, and I landed in idiot town.

So why is she an idiot?

1.  She looked me in the eye and said the only way to lose the weight is to gradually cut your calories to 1000 a day and stay on that for the rest of your life.  Uh-no.  Try typing that into Google, and you get a great big honking NO.  According to WebMD,

• Reducing calorie intake to 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day for men. Women should not restrict themselves to fewer than 1,000 calories per day and men to fewer than 1,200 calories per day without medical supervision.

2.  The lab techs after my ultrasound said that I had no ovaries.  I know I have ovaries, and I know they are functional. Maybe they should try standing in front of one of my mood swings.  I told the doctor, I didn't think they could find them because they weren't where they were looking... I showed her where I felt cyclical pain, and she shook her head and said "Ovaries don't migrate".   That's interesting, because I've read numerous reports of missing or moved ovaries before and after hysterectomy.   

3.  She feels I should magically lose a whole bunch of weight and come back in 3 months to do the testing again. (cuz you can't see ovaries through fat?) If I could magically lose a whole bunch of weight, I would have already done it and I would have to walk around with a bat to beat the men off me. 

4.  She labeled me as morbidly obese.  I AM NOT TWICE MY DEAL BODY WEIGHT... not even close.  AND I have a great deal of muscle, and I know my BMI is not into that range either.  And I don't have high blood pressure and I don't have diabetes.  I just have a big butt and am round in the middle. 

So... I am seeking a doctor who 1. deals with the whole body, and 2. has special training in obesity.  I am tired of doctors who fat shame instead of looking at the problem... and here's my issue.... with PCOS, which no one seems to be able to diagnose, I it is very hard to maintain a normal weight. So I am caught in a huge catch 22.   Second, my mother died of ovarian cancer at age 55...  found it at 47 and I am 45... So excuse me if you shrugging and saying, well, we can't see your ovaries, so there isn't a problem.  

Grrr.  makes me so mad.  

Indeterminate Asymmetry ...or breast screening terror

So I had my call back mammogram today.  I tried to not think of it much since I got my tests back a few days ago and was told that I had an indeterminate asymmetry, or in other words, something was wonky with one of my breasts.

So they warned my that the visit would be 2-4 hours, and it was. Another mammogram, this time the technician was much more grim than the last, and avoided eye contact... great.

Then I went in for an ultrasound.  

I had one ultrasound.

Then I had another ultrasound.

Then I waited in an exam room on a table alone for a half hour for the doctor who did another ultrasound.

All the time, I was staring at a spot on the screen that definately showed that there was something in my breast that did not necessarily belong there.  In the final exam with the doctor,  after he probed my breast using a lot of pressure with the ultrasound machine, then he told me not to worry, it didn't look like cancer, but he just wanted to look at the photos more closely to make sure.

In the end, and one very sore boob later, it was determined that my indeterminate asymmetry is a small cluster of tiny cysts and nothing to worry about.  There is no fluid around the cysts, so they were pretty sure there is no cancer.   I have to have a yearly mammogram from now on to keep an eye on it.

In other news, I get to address the case of the missing ovaries tomorrow.  I ALREADY know I have cysts there, but my ultrasound came back with no sign of my ovaries at all.  Apparently, they are hiding.

I'm going to repeat this from an earlier post. Don't let homeschooling be a reason to neglect your health.   In my case, first, I stopped going due to poor insurance during a period of unemployment and under-employment for hubby... I didn't go back because homeschooling was far more exciting than going to the doctor, and I always had some more important homeschooling thing that I wanted to do.

I should have had a mammogram 5 years ago and regularly since then.  What if the problem was more serious than benign cysts?

Till next time...

Surrendering to ignorance

Water Aerobics is one of the things that has been filling my time as of late, especially since my kids are all grown up and in college.  Gotta get the ole body in shape if I plan to keep on keeping on.

Today's class caused an interesting observation. We had a substitute teacher who claims that she has taught water aerobics before.  However, she was up on the platform, doing a zumba routine, and pretty much giving no instruction.  Meanwhile, all of us down in the water were pretty much flopping around like dying fish. You see, movement under water is very different than movement on dry land. Water makes you weightless, taking the stress of exercise off your legs, feet, and knees, which is why many people, both large and/or elderly don't exercise... because our feet swell up and our knees ache.  So here we are, doing our darndest to keep up, but she's bouncing on dry land, two of these moves, a wiggle, two of those moves, and jump, and eventually many of us began to just stand still, bewildered, or starting doing our own routines learned from previous instructors.

Other people started complaining loudly and a murmur began to rise in the pool. I decided that if anyone was going to get benefit from the session, and if I wanted to prevent people from hurling water weights at her head, that I had to say something.  So I bounced across the pool and attempted to get her attention... and she ignored me.  Finally, I spoke us and said excuse me... I am sorry, but I have to interrupt.  She stopped the music and listened.  I apologetically explained that the water was deep, and we had a completely different gravity and reaction time that she did.  She needed to slow down and do more repetitions, because once we picked up one move, she had moved on to something else.

Some people started applauding, and I gave them the cut it out sign, waving my flattened hand under my chin, and making a face that said... let it go.  And she did adjust the routine a little, but by then, we had all figure out how to alter her moves to me more effective, and less dangerous in water.

Toward the end of the session, people started mumbling that they were going to give her a piece of their mind. I tried to cut them off at the pass and give her a little gentle advice.  I said, "Perhaps you should try your routine in the water sometime and I bet you will instantly know what adjustments to make".  She snapped, "I've done it in the water".   So I put my hands up in a 'surrender' pose and backed away.  I let the crowd descend.

And my observation is that there are going to be some people who think they know everything, but really, they just have untested ideas. They have no desire to learn or alter their thinking, even through trial and error and so they are going to have to get slammed in life in order to change their ways... if they change their ways at all.

I instantly applied that to the struggles I am having with my doctor (I will write about the case of the missing ovaries later)... with some relatives, and with my kids.  Sometimes, you have to step away and let people think what they are going to think, and do what they are going to do.  You can give advice, but they don't have to take it.  Sometimes our only remaining action is to throw up our hands and walk away.

On sons and daughters

I spoke to my son a few days ago.  He was stressed about some technology issues he was having at school, and during the course of our conversation, I could hear his stress melt away.  I did nothing to make the situation better.  I only gave him the opportunity to vent.  It made me glad that I was still of use to my son, and as the conversation wound down, I said, so I will talk to you soon, goodbye.  I initiated the end of the conversation with my son.

I spoke to my daughter yesterday.  I texted her in the early afternoon that I needed to hear her voice.  I couldn't get my mind off her, and I just wanted to know she was fine  fill my personal need for a connection with her.  Not being able to reach her actually made me kind of frantic.  I began to have unfound worries.  I began to obsess.  I grew sad.  Finally she called me, and the weight lifted, but I wanted to stay on the phone with her forever.

One might think that I love my daughter more than my son.  But I don't.  I don't him more than her either, but we just have different connections.  I always expected my son to go forth on his own and make his way independent of me... after all, he's a dude.  But being am introvert, he has always needed a little push to get things going.   For that reason, we have always had the kind of relationship where I am at his back... nudging him forward.  On the other hand, while it has always been apparent that my daughter was fiercely independent, we have always had the kind of relationship where I hold onto her with both arms, enjoying every minute she would give me before she would pull away, and try something new that I would never-ever consider doing.

I don't really have a synopsis for this post, just pondering the differences in my relationships with each child that I have spent 90% of my time with for the past decade or so, only to have them grow up and go forth.

That is all.   Any therapists want to weigh in.

Finding some joy on an otherwise sad day

On this 12th anniversary of 9-11, I am feeling traumatized by the media's insistence to replay footage.  Turning on the radio or the TV and seeing footage as if the planes are just not striking the building is very hard to digest.  I wish they would at least lower the original dialogue and talk over it so it doesn't feel like real time.

I will never forget, but If this causes me to re-live it, what about the people who experienced this in person?

In other news, here's a completely unrelated video clip that brought me joy today.

I went to Zumba

So I got railroaded into going to Zumba today.

FYI.  I have no rhythm, but in the spirit of taking care of myself, I went.

While most of the women were kinda keeping up, and other's were twerking, I was pretty much jerking around like I had a physical ailment.

My personal performance reminded me of this "tweaking" (not really twerking) video

Having kids in college is wearing out my nerves

... And I thought teaching them was taxing. From dealing with son's financials, which are a mess due to late application and etc over the summer, and dealing with daughter's roommate issues, I am exhausted.

Son's money is straight now and he will have his cash for the semester shortly.  Next year, I will just save up money over the summer and skip the loan.  I'd rather be broke for a minute than to be treated like I am trying to get a handout when I am still paying back the stinking loan, so that is that.

Daughter's roommate moved out before you can say "hello, my name is..."  As a mom, I was pretty unhappy, seeing as they met last winter, hit it off, and decided to pair up.  But ex roomie wanted privacy, and they are still friendly, so that is that.

Hopefully new roomie will be quieter than my kid suspects cause little homie has a scholarship and needs quiet study time.   On the plus side, my kids are having an easy time with academics so it's all good.

Now I need to get a life, so I can stop hyper-focusing on theirs.

On Health and Diets

I have seriously been neglecting my health.

First, I was just sick of doctors telling me that losing weight was the answer to all my problems.  Second, there was always some homeschooling task or event more important and fun than a doctors appointment.

There's that and the fact that it was hard to make doctors appointments while toting kids around and how the doctors staff used to glare at me for bringing them to appointments when they were younger.  When they were finally old enough to be left home, I missed a scheduled appointment and the self important doctor's office left me a message to not come back...  so... it's been about 5 years since seeing a Gyn and 3 years since seeing a general practitioner for anything

So with no excuses left, I dragged my butt to the doctor yesterday.  I am not pleased.

I decided to go because of a diagnosis my daughter got that I had been trying to get for myself for years (PCOS).  So I asked the endocrinologist if they would see me and they said I had to get referred back.  Shoot.  OK.  I made an appointment.

So I write down my history.  Relatives health issues, my own health history, my surgeries, and last appointments.  Then we go over it.

I explain to the doctor why I am there.  Sure this hurts, and that is bothersome, but I want to get this particular health issue addressed, and I am tired of doctors just waiving their hand and saying, well, if you just lose weight....

Son of a biscuit.....   She did exactly that.  And proceeded to tell me that the only way to get the weight off is to gradually lower my calorie intake to 1000 calories a day.

Sure that would make me thinner, but it would take away any muscle mass I have and then as soon as I could no longer hold the 1000 calories a day, I would end up twice the size I am now.....  no-thank you.  and Suck it, madam doctor.

I left livid, with a pile of tests I need to have run before I can get referred out.  I scheduled my ear irrigation, mammogram, and ultrasounds all in the same day.  That is how eager I am to just get through this process and get the real problem addressed.

I am praying right now that all these tests come back like last time... that I am in overall great health, in spite of my size 20 pants. I am praying that I can get the help that Jordan is getting that is the main cause of not being able to control my weight... and I am hoping I never have to see that 1000-calorie-a-day doctor again.

I'm fine and I don't feel like crying!

I swear, it is driving me crazy!

People are making a bigger deal about my kids being off at college than I am.

Hubby's coming out of the closet with red swollen eyes.  Brother, sis n law, and everyone else I run into are looking at my eyes for signs of tears.  But I don't feel sad.  So now I am starting to feel like maybe I'm a great big heal for not being a blubbering idiot right now!

The thing is...

They are at college, 2 hours away, and I can get to them quickly if I have to.
I know they are equipped and ready for college and I am celebrating that fact, not bemoaning it.  - I know, because I homeschooled them!
I was given quite the guilt trip when it was time for me to leave for college and I AM NOT going to do that to my kids.
I'm just so giddy with excitement for them and what they are preparing to accomplish in life.

So, please, don't expect me to be unhappy about this very happy occasion.

Tears aren't necessary.  ... and I won't succumb to them.

I am not losing a son and daughter, I just don't have to clean up after them anymore.

The parent's orientation

The day you drop your kids off at college they hand the kids an orientation schedule and they hand the parents an orientation schedule. A big part of the parents orientation is THE TALK. 

It goes something like this.  

Your kids are adults now. 

Your relationship with them is going to change. 

It is not going to be easy but they are going to be fine. 

They also advises us on FERPA laws that state we need our kids' permission to access their information. 

Where the talk from each school differed is in the level of involvement they want from the parents. At son's first university last summer, they told us to back off... Give them space. Don't visit too much.  Don't expect or request phone calls. They are our responsibility now, and we will take care of them..

We listened, and for my son... This was bad advice. He is now at a new school. 

His new school said, talk regularly and gave us advice on how to phrase questions to make sure every thing is OK.  They encouraged us to not stop parenting just yet... And that made me happy because it felt more in Sync with what I as a parent felt was necessary. 

My daughters school was similar and invited parents to partner with them in taking care of the kids and gave advice on weaning them off us and onto the proper resources for different situations. Also great advice. 

Unlike last year, I feel less ripped from my kids and a lot happier that the schools aren't figuratively driving a wedge between parents and kids.  Unlike last year kids are being advise to talk with their parents and vice versa. Unlike last year, I have a really much better feeling about this school year. 

My advice for anyone going through this process to hear what the school has to say and then weigh the advice with what you know about your kid. But last year I was dealing with sending my first kid to college, and now I know better.  

When homeschooling ends

By the time most of you read this, my kids will already be settling into college life.  I am writing this especially for the homeschool carnival to be posted by Homeschool Dad, or as you will soon come to know him... The dad formerly known as Homeschool Dad.  I thought it was important to contribute to this carnival in particular, as like Homeschool Dad, my homeschooling days have also come to an end. If you look back over my blog the last year, you will see our transition to graduating our last homeschooler.

I spent the last summer pretty much in post homeschool mode. I required no assignments of them. I introduced no new material, but like in those pre-homeschool days - from birth to when we started homeschooling, I observed that we are STILL forever teaching our children.

We didn't teach them to walk, talk, or eat with a utensil like when they were small, but like when they were young, I mostly sat back and watched them reach new milestones and prepare for the time when we would not always be present.

While my son has already spent one year at college, we witnessed him question the effectiveness of his first year and make the decision to start fresh at a new school. This process was nothing like when he applied for college the first time... where you pick a handful of colleges you think are cool, apply and hope for the best.  This time he chose to apply to a single college based on his goal, what he had learned from his previous experiences, and a completely different and evolved set of financial values than he had before.

My daughter, leaving home, just weeks after turning 17, is toddling in very much the same way as her brother did a year ago. She is building communication habits that will serve her with her professors.  She is listening to the advice of her brother who went out before her. She is anxious, but excited, and attacking this new adventure just like she did when she practically ran before walking so many years ago.

Yes, homeschooling days are over, but parenting, whether actively, or passively will never end.  I wish Homeschool Dad all the best in his new journey and will remind him that he will probably more important to his kids as a former homeschooler than he was as a hands-on everyday dad.

Homeschool Vlog Hop

A bunch of youtubers and I am working on a series of videos on homeschooling.  Here is my first video:

 

Coming to terms with my reaction (Trayvon / Zimmerman)

As I have said before, I have been flabbergasted by my own reaction to the results of the Zimmerman trial.  I never expected to feel so deeply about something that I have pretty much felt relatively unattached to.  Sure, I began purchasing a different style of jacket/sweater for my son just over a year ago, but until the verdict was dropped, I felt pretty much removed from the issue.

Today, I read an article entitled racially profiled in Palm Beach. It made me say "oooooh... that's my problem."  I guess you want me to explain.

I have never felt inferior to anyone because of the color of my skin.  I may have been aware as a child that there were people who would judge me because of it, but it never bothered me.  I always told my self that I could educate and demonstrate my way out of any preconceived notion anyone could have about me.  That presumption was proven true when in college, my while classmates, and even some well meaning teachers would point out that I was "not like the others" (black people).  It was clearly meant as a compliment, and I rarely challenged anyone on that statement, I just filed it in the back of my mind that they were pretty much just ignorant about race, or haven't met nearly enough black people in their lives.

I set about educating myself, quite well, then I set about educating my children... quite well too.  I made a lot of personal sacrifices to make sure that my kids would stand head and shoulders above the crowd, be them white, or black.  I felt pretty confident that any preconceived notions anyone made about my kids would clearly be wisked away with a few words.  After all, they are clearly bright and well spoken.  Their education and brilliance would instantly shine through and they would not be lumped with the crowd... black or white.

Then the verdict was announced and I felt a stabbing pain in my stomach.  I realize now it was the clear message that besides educating my children and making sure they were smart, all of the effort really didn't matter to anyone outside of them.  In fact, when the stuff hit the fan, no one would even give them a chance to articulate their brilliance.. it would just be ON.  That made me really sad.

Case in point, a law professor was stopped in Palm Beach for riding his bike late at night... twice, by police who pretty much harassed him.  His crime. Nothing.  There had been crimes in the area, and he looked suspicious.  It didn't matter than he had about 8 years of college level study under his belt.  They just saw... him and what they felt he stood for, not what he had accomplished.

If only you could wear your achievements on your forehead...

He's 19 years old

With his little sister on her graduation day

I probably won't blog much about him anymore, seeing that he's pretty grown up.

He really is an amazing person.  I pray for him today and every day of his life for safety and success.  I know he will continue to amaze us.

I am so glad I was able to homeschool him.

A man and his dog. 

I know you'd rather me not talk about the Zimmerman Trial

Things are strangely quiet around here.  There has been nothing on my mind but the Zimmerman trial, and I know that a great deal of my subscribers don't agree with me politically or socially... (but I love you nonetheless).  So that told me that they would certainly not agree with me on this trail.

Another reason I have been so quiet is that I am still processing how I feel.  Stunned, blown away, confused... this does not even begin to touch on the depth of my feelings.

I went head to head with an old friend who was defending why Zimmerman may have been so gun-shy  (realizing the pun) that night, and I really could just not see past my own pain.  Nor could I really communicate my pain. I just know that I keep looking at my wonderful son who I put so much effort into raising and homeschooling and I am still wondering how safe he really is.

We made sure he was polite.
We made sure he was smart.
We made sure he was classy and classic.
We made sure he was a man of integrity and honor....

But these are things you cannot tell when you see a young man that it 6'3, 240lbs,  and walks with a slow deliberate gait.  If it's raining, he may even want to pull on a hood.  How does he not look like a profilers definition of a thug?  All my work.  All my effort.  All of his success, and the content of his character is still not the first thing people see?

So excuse me that I can't see past my point of view when looking at this issue, which by the way has NOTHING to do with Zimmerman's actions or motives.

Like I told my old friend, who tried to suggest that we both need to repent for jumping to conclusions...

 I can only repent for myself. I can't repent for how some .... person will react to my son. I literally saw a waiter once literally jump 2 feet because my son walked up to him. He was shaking. Took him a minute to calm down, so excuse my reaction, but I am living in a real world of real actions that happen day-in and day-out. I don't want to hear another word about Zimmerman, because at the end of the day, someone's boy got killed over the same assumption that I have SEEN people make about MY kid.

But, who am I to second guess a trial.  Who am I to second guess God at work. Maybe being free in a world that is now hostile toward you is punishment enough???  But I have lived long enough to know that such a verdict gives others cart blanche to also say... "that person scared me, or worried me, so I confronted him.  He hit me, so I shot him."

Funny, I didn't really mean to  write all this, but this is how emotionally twisted up I am.  I open my mouth and all this stuff just floods out... and if you know ANYTHING about me, you know that race is always the furthest thing from my mind, but I think I am realizing that at the end of the day, we are STILL considered undesirable by many, and that is not cool.

I thought I was just going to introduce a video here, but still have so much to say... so, let me go ahead and introduce the video.  This young lady is a YouTube star, a comedian, and a social activist, and she really does have some great healing things to say about this situation.    If you have any attention span left after my diatribe, please watch her video.
 

She's 17.

It's my baby's birthday.

It's weird how birthdays work.  You know they are coming, but when you wake up on your child's birthday, it's like you've been hit by a rock... especially when you realize they are pretty much all grown up.

But when I look at her, I still see this.

Homeschool update: We are finished... but not gone

I made a video a couple days about about being done with homeschooling.  While we are done... i.e. my kids are finished being homeschoolers and are moving on to college doesn't mean we are done with homeschooling.  My daughter right now is investigating an opportunity to teach crafts to homeschoolers for a summer camp, and I am always her to answer questions and give advise.

 

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Another milestone passed- Graduation party

Yesterday was the graduation party.  Daughter and good friend had a joint party at our house.  I love having parties at our house because I can get people (kids and hubby) to help me clean in the week preceding the party.  I even got son to do a little painting! After post-party straightening, the house is usually pristine for a week or two.  That means I can spend some time decluttering bedrooms as main parts of house look great.

The party was fun, but I am glad it is over.  We all passed out afterwards, and are pretty sick from hot dogs and s'mores.  (The other family supplied fancy hors devours and cake).  We provided a fire-pit and the aforementioned junk foods.

On the down side... a very nice football and video game controller are missing.  Both belonged to party guests.  I am hoping these turn up soon and that the football is not down by the creek.  Lord-have-mercy... there are snakes down there.

(cute picture from her Sr. photos taken by her friend, a budding photographer)


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