My Wyoming: The Promised photos

Hail!

Rainbow trout fish fry.
There is a town...and a river runs through it...

Oh beautiful for spacious skies...

Serious windmills
No, I'm talking HUGE Windmills. Below are the parts with Dad-A-Thon standing nearby. That is ONE of the three blades.

Close up of the blade where it attaches to the center.

The center motor piece.

Then there are the other pics that warm my heart and let me know I'm back in the country:

To Tell or Not To Tell?

Long ago, I freely shared information about one of my children with people. I was an open book. You asked me, I told. I did this, because I thought that most people would like having as much information as possible when dealing with a child with "differences".



Oh how young and naive....



Yes, people did like having the info. However, instead of this informing and increasing their patience and understanding, it informed them and they never looked at my child with unbiased eyes again. That was painful. Excruciating, actually. And maybe it's my Italian bloodline, or just a hard heart, but I don't like getting burned--at all.
Now, my child never has felt any pain from this, nor is it likely he ever will. He is truly beyond all of it. He sees people for who/what they are. It doesn't offend him personally if someone cannot give him a fair shot. He sees it all as a defect in the other party. And frankly, he is spot on.



I, being a lesser developed soul, have been absolutely heartbroken by such events. Which brings me to the title of this post. At this point--and believe me, it has been a journey and a half to get here--my son is what most people would condsider just "a bit odd". So I am regularly tortured with the dilemma of whether or not to explain his oddities or just move on, knowing that there is that looming question mark.
I've often thought of consulting friends, but most either know how far we've come and rejoice with us, or only know him as he is now, neither of which offer a truly independent opinion.

So, here I am left wondering...I think it is a state that I shall likely live in perpetually....

What would you do?

Boys Will Be Men

Here are some good quotes from Future Men, a book by Doug Wilson that I finished recently. It's short and very interesting. He wraps every chapter up with a keeper.
In the chapter titled "Contempt for the Cool",Wilson contrasts the difference between pop and classical music:

The Music of Bach is of course demanding to perform, but it also makes demands on the listener. This is why the undisciplined mind avoids such music; it invites thought, contemplation, discipline, lots of icky things."

Another laugh out loud line is this from the chapter titled "Christian Liberty" where he discusses, among other things, the fine balance of the freedom of drinking alcohol:

Christian liberty is nothing other than slavery to God. The only alternative
to this is slavery to man and his desires, and this includes the young man in
question and his desires. But with all this said, wine was given to
gladden the heart of man (Ps. 104:15) and one of the duties a father has is that
of teaching his son to drink [responsibly].

And last but not least, a quote from the chapter "Girls and Sex":

There is no way that young men can watch, and be entertained by, movies whch
include displays of nudity, steamy sex scenes and so forth, without being aroused
by them. A boy who tells his mother that he can "handle it" is using what
astute theologians in former ages used to call "a lie."

It's a great book with so many goodies. You can buy it here.

TheGirls Are Back In Town

This is a small gathering of my crowd in high school. Have these gals aged well, or what?

Not Important Enough for the Nobel Peace Prize Committee

Shame on every member of that committee.


Watch this to see why. Have Kleenex handy.

Friday Fun

This is clever. (Hat tip: Palmtree Pundit)

Here is my prayer for the day, based on my personality type:

ENFJ: God, help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest. Do you
mind putting that in writing?

You can find the whole list here.
There is also an online personality test with fun anecdotes here

The Weather is Normal

Just thought I shoudl tell you that since I did so much complaining before. It's been 81-86 for the highs and 46-50 at night. Yes, that is normal.

That's Why They're Denied Driver's Licenses

Dogs are 8 times more prone to epilepsy than humans. We discovered this last Saturday evening when Nan-A-Thon's little yorkie had a series of seizures. The girls brought him inside and it was clear he wasn't quite right. He walked like he'd been shootin' whiskey, as we say around here, and his tongue was so purple it looked black.
I was holding the dog in my arms. Auntie-A-Thon took one look at him and said, "He's not getting any oxygen!!" Before I knew it, Auntie was performing mouth to snout. It took one other try and then he was breathing on his own. (I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have crossed my mind...and if it had, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done it. Well, maybe I would have...)

We left the kids at home, and Nan, Auntie and I made an emergency run to the vet. We got exceptional vet care. If you have an animal emergency, being in a place where people spend as much money building barns as they do houses is a good place to be!

All's well that ends well, and the dog is fine. Apparently yorkies can have seizures when they are overstimulated. I guess a house full of pre-teens and teens with water balloons is a bit stimulating for the little guy.

So Much To Say

So little of it appropriate.

So, instead, I'll tell you that I am planning to go on a little photo safari of the area in which I grew up. There are some great old signs (most in need of repair) and some funny places. Lots of wide open spaces--which I had been desperately craving--and some great characters in town.

On another note, I am getting to exercise regularly and am reading a book I have wanted to get to for about 2 years. It's a quick and good read. I'll post about it soon.

Auntie-A-Thon Says Hi

Auntie-A-Thon (who, by the way wins EVERY auntie contest becuse she is in fact a child in an adult body) wanted me to tell you all "Hi". There she is chatting up Girl-A-Thon before we left for her surprise birthday party. Notice the similarity in size between the two. It's just not fair. My sister is adorable AND pocket sized!

She and I have marginally different styles ;-)

UPDATE: Auntie-A-Thon did not liek the picture and would like me to tell you all that she does not have a flat face ;-)

How Do You Spell LOVE in Green River, Wyoming?

D-U-A-L-L-Y.

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me for pictorial proof. But I saw someone's token of devotion in a shiny white dually with the vanity plate that read "4-Reba". Yes, I am from a place where people name their beloved baby girls Reba. On Purpose. Not on a dare. And though I am sure that Ray Jack or Billy Dean or whomever loves Reba so much he just had to give her her very own personalized ride, I must state that for me, the sign below (at the local carwash) says it all.

UPDATE: This is a dually. It's a pickup truck with four wheels on the back axle (two on each side).

A Busy Few Days

In the past few days, we have had some fun. I climbed "Man's Face" with Boy-A-Thon. Man's Face is the same mountain I climbed as a little girl in the summertime. I used to pack a lunch and a jar or two (for blue belly lizards and horny toads) into a backpack, sling a BB gun over my shoulder and head up the hill with my best friend, Keith Hodges. It was really something to share that with my son. Of course, we didn't pack a lunch, we brought water bottles. And my son did not recevie a BB gun for his 5th birthday, so that was missing too. Regardless, we both had a great time. (Note: climbing at 38 is significantly different than climbing at 8! At 38 you end the climb with elevated iced knees and Motrin!)

Did I Tell You?

I have a great husband. He made a surprise trip to see Girl-A-Thon for her birthday. She opened a big wrapped box to find her daddy. He had to take a last minute business trip and was able to sneak over to our neck of the woods for 3 days. What a treat. It had been three weeks since we had seen Dad-A-thon, so we were all thrilled.

Paradise--In Spite of the Weather

You know how you're always wishing you had just a little more time in the day? Well, it is all here in Wyoming. The time really does pass WAY more slowly here. So, I find myself with time to exercise, time to get my makeup on without rushing, time to curl Girl-A-Thon's hair in the ringlets she's decided she wants, and time to help spring clean my mom's house. The kids are digging it because they have time to play, read, and rest. Nan also has two little dogs that love attention, and I have two kids that love little dogs. We are doing a miniscule amount of schoolwork here, and it seems to take 30 seconds of our day. Boy-A-Thon has been playing video games sans time restrictions, and has been running around outside in the "Ninja Obstacle Course" he and his cousin have created in Nan's back yard. (Boy-A-Thon doesn't seem to get that it is COLD outside.) The only bummer so far has been that I still won't let the boys climb the mountain. The wind has been gusting up to 45 mph, and I just don't want them blowing down. :-)

A Nice June Snow

Yes, snow is predicted for the weather here tomorrow. (Does it start to make sense now why I had to move away?) It is currently 36 degrees and was raining earlier. If it continues to rain as the temp drops we will indeed get snow tonight. Whether it will be there when I wake up is another story. It hailed a few days ago when Teen-A-Thon was still here. It was the first time any of the kids had seen--or heard--a hailstorm. The kids thought that was pretty wild.

Anyway...the pies were excellent. Girl-A-Thon and I made them with Splenda, as my mother (a tiny pie person) is diabetic. We've been enjoying dinners together at the dinner table each night which is a different routine for the folks who live here all the time. Everyone seems to like it, though. I know I love cooking for my family--it's a love language of mine, for sure.

From The Road

Well, we have settled a bit and are in Wyoming for the rest of the month. We began this trip in Pennsylvania where we attended a very special baptism. The relationship I have been able to witness between a birth mother and adoptive family is truly amazing. I would never believe it is possible. All of the people involved are truly exceptional, and I suppose that is what it would take to make that relationship work. I've known great adoptive families, but with birth mothers who are, at best, psycho. So it is refreshing to see a truly good scenario. It's a God job, as Connie would say.

We then went to Washington, D.C. for what proved to be way too short of a time. Translation: we'll be back--next time with Dad-A-thon. Through the activities we did with many other homeschool families, we got to meet some great folks. At the end of each day, we were exhausted, and I learned again and again that I really like my kids. It is wonderful to see the fruit of the labor of parenting. The kids are enjoyable people. (WooHoo!)

So now we are in Wyoming, where the weather has decided to stay cold. We should be in Yellowstone National Park, but when I checked the weather forecast, it said the the highs would be 42 and the lows would be 28. Umm...yeah...I don't do that anymore. So, I nixed the camping trip to Yellowstone. My brother, his family, two other women and 10 Girl Scouts are there now. (Sounds like the third circle of hell, doesn't it?) It snowed the day they arrived and the park was closed for 3 hours as they removed snow. Clearly, my decision was a good one.

We are at Nan-A-Thon's where we are enjoying a much slower pace of life. I swear time really does pass more slowly here. I am thrilled, because they had rhubarb the size of a toddler's arm at the grocery store, and two quarts of strawberries for $2.59. The peaches were ripe and cheap, too, so...because I am a big pie person, I'm baking pies today. Wish you were here to share them with. I've got Grandma Peterson's crust recipe, and I'm ready to roll (out pie dough, that is).

My plan is to share my thoughts on "returning home", plus the experience of my 20th class reunion. Just thoughts, and hopefully lots of photos. This really is a beautiful place (even if it is a desert).

We are Mediocre!!

I know it doesn't sound like anything to boast about, but here in Hawaii, the public schools are bragging about "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP). There is a big sign on the front fence of one of the elementary schools stating "We Made AYP!!!"

The celebration of mediocrity in schools is what has driven so many families here to private schools (ka-ching!) and homeschooling (not exactly free). It is sad, because according to the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii spends an average $9876 per student to be mediocre. Couple that with the latest info on the public schools from Honolulu Magazine, and you'll see that even on a survey of satisfaction and success, the surveyors had to grade on a curve in order to get the majority of schools to pass! The highest score was Momilani elementary at 89.40%, and thus that was an A+. The lowest score was a tie between Aiea Intermediate and Hale Kula with 63.68% each. Those were given grades of C+. For the record, in this house, an 89% is a B and a 63% is an F.

The quotes from school officials are truly insane, but I do encourage you to read the article. My favorite is this, "We've raised the bar, and the kids have met the expecatition."

Fun Post

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 7 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

(Hat tip to Erin)

"It's a Werewolf Love Story"

Spoken by Teen-A-Thon while describing a book she is hoping to read next. I am not joking.

My reply to her?

"You are so eighteen."

I love the "Interline"

We homeschoolers are nothing if not obsessive planners.

As Boy-A-Thon and Girl-A-Thon each continue to develop their interests, I am eyeing colleges. Yes, it long way off, but I know that the time will whip by. Further, one of the (5,472) reasons we homeschool is to have felxibility with tailoring their educations. (This relates to the title, I promise)

All of that is to say that by Googling, I came across an email for Dr. Mary Schweitzer. You may not recognize her name, but you probably do recall the news that soft tissue was found in a T Rex bone and there may be enough cell structure left to find DNA. Well, she's the one who found it. And guess what? I shot off an email to her to ask her to advise us for Boy-A-Thon and she said she'd do it!
I love the "Interline"