Back to School 2011-12

While the rest of my children (and most of the nations) still have a month left of summer vacation, my two youngest school-agers head back today. They've had just the month of July for summer break. Most parents think think this isn't long enough but I feel lucky to have them in this school. And for a short summer break. If we did day camps, big family vacations and regular activities I'd probably feel the same- but we don't. And too much free time, especially during that last month of break, sets us all up for lots of arguing, idle time and breaking of good habits (like regular bed times). And a harder time of readjustment back into reality.

Last Thursday we had open house. O, I and myself got to meet their teachers, see their classrooms and friends. I really like both teachers and think this will be a great year for them both. I didn't get to spend as much time talking with O's primary teacher (they each have a primary and 2 specialists in the class- not to mention numerous support teachers) as I'd of liked but being such a small school I'm pretty sure she's already been made aware of O's strengths and weaknesses, and we'll have plenty of opportunities to talk things over in the coming weeks.

In their school the classes tend to stay together for a few years time, with mixed grades for 2nd and 3rd, and 4th and 5th. With Kindergraten and 1st each in a seperate class, with a new teacher each year. It runs simular to a Montessori that way. I is entering the 4th grade this year, an "upper classman" of the school. They lost a lot of girls at the end of school (mostly because of older siblings graduating and parents deciding to switch the younger siblings to other schools) and so there is only 5 girls in the whole of the 4th/5th grade. I hope this will be a good thing, with less drama and the girls being able to unite more. I know for I it's hard, she lost most of her best friends. But she and I do like her teacher this year a bit more than last. (Last years teacher tended to look only at where the kids could improve and not recognize their strengths as much as I'd like.) And I feel academically she'll excel.

We also got to meet the director of the special ed. program. Oh and I can't wait to talk to her more! With O's new Dx he'll be able to receive more structured help in school. (They have on site OTs and STs- and OT/ST rooms!)  Even maybe have OT at school, when he's having days where he's struggling. SHE mentioned this! I'm sending in a permission to exchange info for his developmental pediatrician and when he starts working with an OT, one for them too. This information will help get us going on a IEP for O- one that can follow him to whatever school he may go to in the future.

So at 8:30 this morning while others are still enjoying their summer breaks my two will board their bus and head back to school. Off to learn more. I hope to start a new schedule for J, C and I this week. (O will be in school ALL day, so that gives me a bit more time to devote to the littests.) One that includes a regular morning nap for J and a more structured "preschool" time for C, where we can focus on him and maybe some of the things we are learning from his therapists. Even an ECFE class this fall/winter.

I really am starting to feel longer school years are a benefit, for all kids. But probably wouldn't work in the current public school mindset that school is all work and fun's for at home. Kids would get burnt out fast!

(I hope I can get a picture- my camera's batteries are dead atm, but if I can find P's I'll grab one of them before they head out and add it later!) 

Photos to My Mother-In-Law

My mother-in-law lives in Florida. And the easiest way we've found to get photos of the kids to her is by uploading them to her photo account at a national chain store. This way she can view them and choose which ones she wants to print. DH uploaded some one day, without my help, and she knew they weren't done by me. lol I make sure to edit them for her so she's getting her monies worth and the most pics. Here is just a snippet of the 64 I uploaded for her today (64 may seem like a lot but I haven't sent her any since May so it's a few months worth!)......

(Man was that a PITA- blogger wasn't letting me upload more than one at a time and then it took multi tries to get each to load!)

Early Morning Deep Thoughts (or I'm Too Slow in the Morning)

My girls and I are the type of people that need at least an hour to wake up and be ready to go for the day. The males in this house are the opposite- the moment their eyes open their ON! and going. They don't stop till the sun is down or their eyes close for the night. Sometimes it takes them falling asleep on their feet to get them to turn off. We're all just different in our styles.

But I'm wondering which style is better? Are those that are constantly in motion living fuller lives? Do they get to experience more because they're cramming more into their days? Or are they missing out on the little things, that by running too quickly by they don't see- like stopping to smell the roses or watching a butterfly land on a flower? Are they using up their bodies energy and ultimately going to live shorter lives- more packed with experiences and never a dull moment but short?

Or are those of us that like to take life in a slower lane missing out on spontaneous life experiences? Are we planning too much and not living? Does living a longer life mean you'll live a life with more meaning or memories? Would we benefit from speeding up a bit? Them from slowing down some? Is there a middle ground where we can meet?

I've been awake for an hour this morning and am already surrounded by 3 of my children. I'm so not ready for them...haha. I need more coffee. More time alone. A few more minutes of darkness (they know it's too early to get up if the suns not up). I need to set deep thoughts aside and find my inner Road Runner and get moving....Beep beep.

Changing It Up Again

I've come to some self-knowledge this morning. I change my blog up (the look of it) when I'm struggling with self. Kind of like when you have an itch to move from your home, and either 1) that's not an option at the moment or 2) you just need a bit of "newness". You may rearrange the furniture or paint a room a new bright color. Neither are much of an option in my house and so when I'm feeling the need for personal change I change the look of my blog! I know I just did this a few weeks ago but I'm probably going to be doing it again soon....today.

I'm not exactly discontent with my life...it's more I'm feeling a bit lost in the area of self. And being a mother it can be hard to know how to get you "back". My blog is like my private room- my office, my studio, just mine. And playing with it is my form of me time.


I read a blog this morning by Hybrid Rasta Mama, the second in a series on Social Networking and Finding Balance. (The first is on Social Networking- A Mother's Best Friend, Arch Enemy, or Something in Between?) She has 9 tips for Balancing Blogging and Mothering (for the nonprofessional blogger). And for the most part I've found these work for me, especially the tip on blogging without children around. I tried in the past and found it takes me 3x as long to write a post that normally takes me just an hour. So I get up early and write- evenings don't work for me, I have a responsibility to my relationship with my husband, to put energy and effort into it and so evenings are for us (with a sprinkling of big kid time too).

But the tip I feel I struggle with most: #3

"Commit to writing about one or two basic themes. For example, I write about natural/peaceful parenting topics as well as real food/traditional diets. I occasionally delve into green living but that is part of the natural parenting philosophy so it still fits with where I want to take my blog. If you constantly switch up the topics you write about, you will struggle. Trust me. Many bloggers I know had a hard time finding their voice and ended up giving up blogging because it was too time consuming. Write about your interests and passions and leave the other topics to the millions of other bloggers out there. You won’t waste time spinning your wheels, trying to write posts outside of your knowledge base or comfort zone. This of course frees up your time." (Hybrid Rasta Mama)

I've often searched for what my blogs "theme" was...trying to streamline what I write about. But I fail miserably at it. I'm all over the place. I'm known to turn to you asking for ideas, inspiration, what you'd like to see or know, just so I have more, or less, to write about. I sat here thinking this morning about What are my themes. Mine are many but I guess the many could be simplified down into 2- Parenting (my experiences) and Photography (my photos). But in some ways #1 still feels so vague to me. I guess it may go along with my current feeling of restlessness and identity loss. I am looking for more direction, in all aspects of my life. 

So here you go again....another change to the appearance of my blog. And when you see it happen again in a few weeks, don't worry...I'm just rearranging the furniture in my living room.   

Social Interactions

Yesterday was a hard day here. Weekends our neighbor watches her grandchildren can be overwhelming. My children want to play with hers and for the most part vice versa. well in theory. Her grandchildren ask to play and also ask to play with the little boy next door. And then can loose interest in O. I try and remember they are all younger than mine (well older than C) at ages 3, 4 and 5. They love to play with I and often seem to want to play with O but, and  this is where it's hard, they know O (and I) have more restrictive rules than them. O and I need to stay in the yard to play and are not allowed to go to the neighbor's house (not that their not nice people, but they seem overwhelmed by their own 2 and adding O and his needs just doesn't seem like a good idea, especially if adding an additional 2 children.). They ask O to come and play and then take off for P's (the little guy next door) house. Leaving O to sit there and wait and wait and wait and then his patience wears off and he starts yelling for them and then, the over the fence/balcony yelling matches begin. And ultimately it ends in O getting frustrated and meltingdown because they're not coming back to play with him.

And I realize O has social and maturity issues. He's at least 2 years behind his peers but as big an average 6.5 year old. So playing with kids younger than him is hard- he's on their level maturity wise but towers over them in size. And if you get a 5 year old who's older than 5 then there's real issues. Because the younger more mature kid knows how to twist it so O is left standing and he seems to enjoy this. And I'm left standing there trying to figure out how to handle it, how to get O from meltingdown and feeling guilty because I'm wishing my son was more normal/mature. Wishing there were other little boys, more O's age. in the neighborhood.

So after an afternoon of all 5 kids playing okay together on Saturday, I knew Sunday would probably be a hard one. I'd said "no" to about a hundred requests to go play already and finally broke down and agreed. 5 minutes into the play the youngers left O to go next door and play. I watched as my little guy sat and waited and waited, I could see his emotions rising and made the decision to instead bring him and C up to our park, to play and swim. But by the time we had baby J, and C ready to go the kids were back outside- but playing in the neighbor's yard- over the fence with O. It took a lot of coaxing to get O to want to go but we did and we all enjoyed ourselves at the park.

Then we deal with the return home- when they're all still out in the yard and I was home from her swim trip with friends, and they both want to go out and play. But it's dinner time and I'm really no longer wanting to deal with the drama and insist they stay in. For the best for us all, as they all are over tired and it's painfully obvious.

I have to close one of our living room windows because the oldest boy is now out on the next door's porch yelling at my window- to get our attention. (Something my kids aren't allowed to do is yell out the windows or even hang out in them, as we are on the 2nd story and they've been known to push to the screens out. I really don't need to have anyone falling out of them and breaking something.) I close the window and then the blind and finally they get the point. I'm sorry I'm done dealing today.

I've really just started to wonder why O is so much younger than kids his age and a few years younger. Is it to do with his sensory issues? Social issues? Will it always be this way? Will he someday have a growth spurt of maturity? How can I help him? And why do some kids seem to just know how to push buttons of others? I hate saying it this way but sometimes there's just that kid that seems to know how to be mean, seems to enjoy seeing others upset, and I just don't like them. Harsh, I know, to say I don't like a 5 year but it's not the first and probably not the last.

Opposite Mommy- Strict/Lenient

When my olders were younger I had a much stricter stance in parenting. My expectations were higher than probably should have been. But there were other areas where I was more lenient- a lot to do with how they spoke to me and allowing them to say "no" and giving them choices in things that they didn't need (like where we'd eat out). Now as teens I'm the opposite with them. My expectations are lower and they have it pretty "easy", very few regular chores, no set bedtimes, curfews too late (but in accordance to the law). But my parenting of them when younger comes back to slap me in the face far too often. I have a hard time with the way they speak to me, ignore things they are asked to do and in general see me as a peer instead of parent. BUT they are good kids, with loving hearts towards others, and they make good decisions away from home, so some of what I did was right.

Now with my middle and younger daughter things are a bit different- my expectations of them while younger were much lower (probably due to experience, and wisdom) and they weren't give the same allowances are the olders- no choices they didn't need to make, and they are expected to talk to parents(adults in general), well actually all others, with respect.

Something I think parents have a tendency to overlook is the influence of older siblings on younger ones. Yes the job of the parent is to parent them all- but sibling influence is strong, stronger even than peer pressure (and we all hear about the importance of helping our children deal with peer pressure and saying "no", not so much about sibling pressure). Older children may not be whispering in the youngers ears to "do this" or "don't do that" but those youngers WATCH those olders with an eagle eye and follow their example. I've found the most difficult areas I have with my olders are the areas my youngers are picking up on. So I'm working hard to combat it from all angles. I model respect to them all and point out (to the individual not the group) when their behavior is inappropriate, and when its an older, how the youngers are watching and coping them. It works sometimes...but I'm also changing tactics with the middles in hopes that the very youngers have a great example.

I'm finding I will probably be more strict with the middles and youngers as they enter teenagedom. They will have more to do in regards to being helpful around the house, will need to check in and not run as free, and expectations will be raised, because I know what they are capable of. I am no longer in uncharted territory.

But with the very youngest there is a fine balance needed. Maybe due to their sensory issues, maybe due to my growth as a parent. I know what I can expect developmentally at certain ages, but they are behind in those areas, so I need to adjust to their needs. Choices are something they don't need as much as I gave, even to the middle girls. They like a strict routine and when I (we) deviate too far, life for them falls apart.It'll be interesting to parent these boys as teens. I have a feeling structured activities, or sports will be part of our life.

Being opposite Mommy brings its own challenges. Sometimes I find myself defending my parenting of the younger children to the older ones. It doesn't matter how many times I say "Well I've learned different/more since you were young." or "They are not you and I have to treat them according to their needs, as I do yours." or "I'm the parent and you can let me do the parenting, please." I know the youngers frustrate them, they frustrate me regularly. And I know how much "life should be fair and equal for everyone" but life lessons that "life isn't fair or equal" are important and necessary, and the best place to learn those sometimes is in the home. It's also a lesson of tolerance that I hope I am teaching. Because in life we have lots of people we can't stand but have to deal with. And do so with tolerance.

I am constantly changing in my parenting style but that's because I'm learning as I go. We all are. What works for one may not work for another and we really don't see the end results of our parenting until they are grown. We don't really know which style is best for the individual until its all said and done.

Too Hot to Blog

Sorry I'm MIA but its so hot and humid here and our computer (tower) is in our dining room (read no A/C). We've been hiding up in our bedroom (were we have a small A/C) playing kitchen, with the felt food I've been busy sewing to beat the boredom (oh I'm making Owls too!), watching too much tv (well videos), napping and just in general trying to beat the tropical heat we're having. Yes it is tropical here- a local news station reported Sunday the only other place in the Western Hemisphere with higher humidity was the Amazon Jungle! And it's supposed to last the rest of the week! So not much coming from me right now. Sorry all! Be back soon!

Bottle Tree

My husband and I share a love of wind chimes. We already have 6 hanging around our house and are always on the look out for new ones- more unusual looking ones. He's dabbled in making a few too but has yet to make his "perfect" one. Someday, when we own our home and land, we'll decorate our porch full of them and have them hanging in the trees too. We both had a similar dream of this vision.

(Just one of our 6! The newest addition is made of bamboo wood- I haven't taken a photo of that one yet.)

But I have a new love.....Bottle Trees. I want one so bad and can't wait to find just the right place for it, but wait I will and maybe in the mean time I'll start collecting the just right bottles. It has to be the just right tree and just the right bottles- bottles of varying sizes and different colors. It'll be whimsical and colorful. A rainbow in the wood.

(from the movie Because of Winn Dixie)

Yup we'll have an interesting home for visitors. Colorful, homey, cozy and dreamy.

5 Places I Want to Take the Family.....soon

Someday I'd like to RV across the country and show our beautiful landscape to them. Here are the first five I want to visit....

(Photo from Sacred Sites)

White Sands, New Mexico- I've never been here myself! I've seen photos from others and heard stories of sledding in the sand. What an amazing place!

(photo from Wikipedia)

The Grand Canyon- of course a stop! I remember the vastness of it while visiting as a young teen with my family.

(photo from Wikipedia)

The Rockies- On the same trip as a teen we stopped and played in the snow...in shorts...in July. My kids would love this!

(photo from Wikipedia)

The Redwood Forest- The beauty, the scared space, the entrance into another realm. Need I say more?

(photo mine- P and I in San Diego, November 2000)

The Pacific Coast line- when P was not quiet 2 we spent a few months in San Diego, CA. What a place! I felt so at home here, like I easily fit in. We attended a Drum Circle once with the Rainbow Family, one of the most memorable places I've been. The whole coast line is a wonderland for me.....with the exception of the drive up Hwy 101, not a good spot for those that get car sick easily.

Just 5...of many.....someday soon.......

How Do You Do It?!

I get the question "How do you Do it?" or the statement "I don't know how you do it!" often. Usually, at least once a week. But I don't think that it's just because I have 7 children. I've heard others say it to those with less. If anyone has more children than the statement maker it's fair game. If Mom 1 has one child she'll say it to Mom 2 that has 2 children, or 2 vs. 3 and so on. Maybe it's said in a moment of frustration with their own. Or  a moment that's overwhelming. But no matter why- the How is the same.

(I'll get to the How in just a minute~)

When I'm asked this question some days it's easy to laugh and over look. To give a witty answer. "With a lot of duct tape!" But when asked in a moment of overwhelmingness for myself, I just want to bark "Because I have to!" or "Really I'm not, I just look like I am!" Most of the time I bite my tongue, because it's my perception of life at the moment and most days it really isn't that bad!

But HOW?

The same way I did it with just one, or two, or four. With love. With patience. With experience. With an open mind and a light heart. Even if it's just for one day. That's the how! How do you do it? I bet in the same ways, and not necessarily on a smaller scale. As mothers we do because we want to. Because we made our decisions and we decided to become responsible for another being (or two, or 5, or 10.) because our hearts were ready. Because we Can.

I don't think I'm anymore organized than Mom 1 or Mom 2- their children may or may not have needs greater than mine. Temperaments more difficult or easier for that matter. I don't remember to have my children brush their teeth every day, or know exactly what project their working on in school but I know I'm giving to them the most important thing- Love. We each, mothers that is, just KNOW how to do that. And with each child your heart grows.

So when I met a mother that has more children than I do (and trust me they are out there!) I don't get the urge to ask "HOW do you DO it?!" I get the urge to ask "What tips do you have?" and to say "Thank you for showing me it can be done."

Thank you mamas of all size families. I learn from each of you each day. I hope to do it more like you!

Yesterday was an Amazing Day!

The day your child is diagnosed with a condition can't not always be called amazing but yesterday's was. O's had a "working" Dx of ADHD since last August and it just never seemed the right fit for me (you can read our journey under the High needs-Special Issues tab at the top of my blog), well for him in my opinion. Having an older son with definite ADHD (a very typically example- T would try anything but lose interest very quickly and never finish anything. O, on the other hand, wouldn't try anything that didn't interest him but if the activity was one he wanted to do he'd Have to finish it, even if it took him hours to do so!) I felt confident enough to just KNOW that wasn't O. But it took a long time for me to find what I knew was his "issue" and then getting him the proper Dx and treatment has been a fight.

But yesterday it came. We had a long awaited appointment with his Developmental Pediatrician and we discussed how O did this year in Kindergarten and reports I'd gotten from his teacher throughout the year. How well he'd done and how most of the reports I'd gotten from his teacher were along the lines of him being a distraction to the other kids in class because he'd get done with his work and have nothing to do, how the teacher tried to work with O on getting him to help the other kids that needed it, and the ones he was farther ahead of (he was one of the top kids academically in his class). And how a lot of the issues she saw were with transition and physically being under stimulated. If he got a break to move his body or was able to do his work in a more active way (say standing) he didn't fidget and focused well. All these things and a few other sensory issues that I've come to recognize as sensory issues and not just O annoyances led the doctor to drop the ADHD dx.

He diagnosed him with SPD (sensory processing disorder) and gave us a referral to an OT! (The feeling of relife was huge! Finally!)

So why is this So Amazing? A few reasons....

1. Because now we can get the help he really needs and tools to help with him during the hard times from a professional! Someone who knows what this is all about and not just me trying to find ideas and gropping around in the dark trying to find a shaft of light that could lead us to the door. Someone to help him and us to understand better.

And 2. As much as I hate to say this but ADHD and children Dxed with it have a bad rep. Many parents/adults still view kids with ADHD as little hellions that just need a good spanking or more discipline. When you say "He has ADHD" others often say "Oh well everyone has that. So what meds are you going to use?" Meds are not the answer. And their effectiveness will wear off. Society just plain looks down on those that are ADHD/ADD and with the influx of children being Dxed with it schools are doing less and less to help them, since "everyone" has it and they (the kids) just need to "learn" how to sit still. (Getting T his IEP was a fight and they had to make special learning issues just to get the original IEP in the first place- an IEP just because you have ADHD does not exists as often anymore.) O's Dx of SPD, along with the school he's in, may (I stress may) make that easier- especially if we know he'll be leaving that school. So being able to say to those "others" no he's not ADHD and no just more discipline won't "fix him", saying he has SPD, sensory issues, will help shut them up and give me more of a back bone to tell others to back off.

So yesterday we got our 1st diagnoses of SPD and help is on its way. I feel lucky C is already receiving help from an OT but know his day will come (hopefully in August) when he'll receive his). That at 2 we're way ahead of the game for C and right now it's catch up time with O. But I know he and I will catch up fast- we're both fast learners!

Flying By

If this past week is any indication of how busy we'll be for the rest of the summer it's what I'll call a fly by summer. O and I have only been on summer break for a week but already there's been a play date, a trip to the zoo, the 4th of July, a trip to the wave pool with Gummy (my mom), a bar-b-que and plenty of swimming.

In June R graduated high school and now she's in the process of learning the ups and downs of college life- even thought she doesn't officially start until September. She's missing her official transcripts for registration and needs to go down personally to the school and get a copy, all before next Tuesday. She also lost her driver's license- not normally a big deal, she easily go get a new one But our State Government is in a shut down (much like the nation faced in June, but ours followed through!) and with the shut down there are no license offices open. No license = no applying for students loans. Eek! Time will tell.

Last Thursday was O's kindergarten graduation- (I was lucky enough to have one child graduate high school and starting her college life and one child graduate kindergarten and start his schooling life!) all the kids were so cute. And now he's so excited to start 1st grade and stay all day! He's already asking when he goes back to school- how very glad I am they have a short summer break. (An all year program with just the month of July off for summer) He'll be there soon!

The younger girls have been spending a lot of time at the wading pool with friends. C has had 2 speech therapy session with the therapist through our hospital and is doing amazingly well already! A few new words of his: More, down, penguin, eat. We're working on getting him action words since he has less of an issue with labels for things. Yesterday he showed us just how good of a memory he has by leading us to our ST room on his own, remembering just where each animal had been hiding in an activity and then at the end of therapy showing us the way to the sticker area- he even used his new word to ask for another sticker (one was just not good enough!) "More?"!

The DH has had steady work the past few weeks with the company and has also picked up a side job remodeling a bathroom. I still am awed by his abilities- he demolished the floor and laid a new tile one all in 6 hours! This weekend he hopes to finish off the cupboards and paint! He enjoys that kind of work so much more than cooking by recipe (like his current job)- he loves to cook but it's the creative aspect of the cooking he enjoys most. He's wanting to write his own cook book, with a few of his own creations, but is waiting for the kids to go back to school- I'm trying to be encouraging and think he should start just with his own food blog! (If that ever comes out I'll let you know and link up!)

Me? Well I've just been trying to keep up with the house and find summer routines that fit our days. I'm currently trying to finish off some felt food I started making for C before his birthday back in April- never too late right?! LOL And I'm in a bit of a holding pattern with the weighted blankets- really I'm just procrastinating.. the part I'm at is messy and time consuming (filling the panels and sewing them up one. by. one.). I'll get there, really I will. I'm still hoping to squeeze in some alone time with my camera but it just seems like the days fly by so quickly.. And sometimes I feel a little odd walking around the city taking pictures of random things. (Gotta get over that!)

Oh I can't forget about T and little J. T's doing a lot of hanging out with his best friend and his new/old girl friend. He's had major issues with his bike over the past year- so many popped tires! We're trying to encourage him to get a job...he'd like the extra money. And baby J! He's almost sitting alone and rolling all over the place, even starting to scoot a bit too! He grabbed part of a banana and shoved it in his mouth the other day...I'm thinking he's trying to tell me something! It's hard to believe he'll be 6 months on the 20th, his first year seems to be going by so much faster than C's did.

We talking big plans next summer but that's a surprise and you'll have to wait around till then to know!

Independence Day

We had an over all good weekend which included a trip to my favorite new store for a replacement Chewy for C, Saturday and a visit to Como Zoo (one of the last "free" zoos left in the US) on Sunday. The middles were off with their dad and the oldest 2 with friends- a rare occurrence of only having the 2 littlest, made for a well lets to this kind time.

With the busy weekend we decided to keep things mellow for the 4th. Took the youngers to the wading pool and bbq at home. For a few days before Dh and I had been debating whether to skip the big fire works show or not. Loud noises and sensory sensitive children don't always mix well.

Last year (well every year before this actually) we didn't have a name or idea Why the boys were so sensitive to the big booms- I knew what to expect from O, his one true reaction has always stayed the same blood curdling screaming and a little boy trying to run and begging and sobbing "Go home now!" He's done this since he was a year and a half. None of my others did this- funny story my oldest son at a year and a half fell asleep at the beginning of the show and stayed asleep all the way through the finale! I never understood how he could do that- so the opposite of O and C.

Last year was the first time we brought C to the show. O did quiet well- he's learned his own adaptive skills (covering his ears with his hands- and lets out a little bark of excitement on the really loud ones) overall he enjoys seeing them now. C reacted much the same way O did at a year. Screaming and trying to run. Panic all though his little body. A year later he still doesn't react well to loud unexpected noises. And little J is worse- even just his brothers playing too loudly sets him into hysterical crying, especially when he's tired.

So we made a tough decision- to break tradition and forgo going to see fireworks. Much to the dismay of the younger girls (the oldest two were off with friends). But we didn't want it to stink completely and bought some legal fireworks (here they can't launch off the ground) and sparklers. P got the honor of lighting them, at 12 she needed a bit more excitement then just watching, and with us Right There we felt comfortable letting her. I, O and C enjoyed watching- their favorites were the Mini Mes and the T-Rex, both had the whizzing sound associated with fireworks but at a much smaller decibel. Both of these did cause a few screeches from the boys but happy ones. Little J was off in dream land before the 1st one was lit. (He has a very rigid, self induced sleep time of 8:30!)

What will we do next year? Not sure- we'll see how the youngest two are then. We'll just take it as it comes and plan a little bit future in advance.

To the Zoo!

Here's a peek at our trip to the zoo today...

Why I wish I Owned a Credit Card (Today)

Sasha over at One Rich Mother has a weekly feature where she posts "Why I shouldn't Own a Credit Card". This is my spin off (hope you don't mind Sasha!). What would I buy, today, with a credit card?

This.....

It's soooo very hot and humid here today- about 100 degrees with 70% dew point. Makes it feel 105+. And the thermostat in the house reads 90 at 9:30 pm.

Second thing I'd buy...

Because we've already lost C's new chewy  in the house somewhere.....I've learned this is why they sell them in 3 packs!