Revolving Doors

It was brief, but they're gone again.  A bunch of them.

One to Champaign, and several to Springfield, IL...

Kel is getting Maddie downstate to the USTA  National Tumbling Championships, in which she qualified to compete in both trampoline and double-mini. 

She's been to Des Moines, Amarillo, Daytona, and other exciting places.

And for the first time, EVER, the venue is close enough for her mom to see it.

I can't wait!

Have confidence, Maddie, and just do your best.

Welcome In!

We try hard to make our home a welcoming place to all who enter it. 

There's a lot wrong with it (unfinished crown moulding, feet that find their way through the floor into the ceiling below, clutter, dust, limited bed space),  but what IS right with it, the people, is exceptional.

And since my family has finally returned from being spread far and wide, the shoe pile is humongous again, the fridge door is constantly open, and the barrage of requests has resumed.  I'm far from "company ready". But I'm trying to maintain the perspective that it's about relationships, not piles.

That's why, when a friend of Ally's asked to spend the night here (Ally: "Really?  You want to spend time HERE?"), the girl responded with an exhuberant "YES!" because she just anticipated it must be a blast here, all the time.  Regular circus.

Well, She's Brave.

And I thought she was even fearless when she walked in here with a carrier holding a baby raccoon. 

SHE BARELY GOT THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.

The squeals and giggles were many.  The kids were awed by the cooing "Drew" made when they lightly stroked his back.  They all took turns trying to feed the poor thing who was clearly not hungry, but who attempted to comply just to entertain us.  The kids sat in a circle and covered themselves with his blankie so they would avoid getting peed on. 

They all wanted one.

Now, even though the rodent was given to Ally's friend by her Ag teacher,  this was NOT a school assignment.  It's true, this man teaches classes like "Ag Resources" in which students become skilled in archery, navigate through deep woods, and eat off a buffet of wild game for class credit.
 
Raise a wild animal?  Not required.

No, she ASKED to bring that baby raccoon home after he and several siblings had spent the first 3 weeks of their lives in the classroom.  (I never asked for any delicate information about the death of the mother... would you?)  Clearly, however, this one month old baby needed some love!

Was I worried?  Initially. 
After all, we've never had a raccoon in our house before.
Even on accident.
We've had big ones in our garbage, and boy, can they do a number on the stuffings of garbage cans!

But since he had been captive since birth, seen a vet, had no teeth, and was bottle fed with puppy formula, it was easier to let my guard down.
And the kids, and their friends (who continued to arrive), really enjoyed the "Come one, come all" adventure, right here in our own family room.

I'm glad it happened.  It was an experience none of us will soon forget, and thankfully, did not end up to be a three ring circus... just a three-ringed raccoon tail! 

And I truly doubt he'll end up as a coon-skinned hat.

Checking In

My family is scattered.  A few in Ohio.  A few in Mississippi. 
A few more local.
Two here with me.

Someday,
perhaps a long time from now,
it will be like this, everyday.

As for today, I will end it with an early "to bed".
'Night!

Real Surreal

A few miles up the road is a topographical bump called Cayuga Ridge.  This rise is just big enough to make what looks like flat land actually quite a "hill" for around here.  This rise also makes the area one of the best in the entire state of Illinois for harvesting wind energy.

We've got wind farms in these parts.

It will catch you off guard as you travel along I55.  For miles and miles you'll see nothing but flat farmland in various stages of production of corn and soybeans.  But as you near the Ridge, huge 100 foot propellers on poles erupt out of nowhere.  Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them.  Their computer controlled motors seem to turn the propellers in unison, and at night, a blinking red light alerts aircraft to their position.
The. same. slow. red. blink.  Blink. Blink. Blink.

It's a tremendously surreal moment.  And fascinating. 
You pause, and watch. 
You're quiet.

And if you're out for a drive like we were a few summer evenings ago, you might tumble into a little adjacent town called Dwight. 

Three nights ago, a windy wind blew right through there. It even touched down in several places. 
It sheared off the tops of trees,
and unearthed others.

It sheared off the tops of houses,and unearthed others.

It was a tremendously surreal moment.  And fascinating.

You pause, and watch.

And then you see real people

who are struggling with this real loss...

You're quiet.

And then you keep thinking about how that surreal moment,

is someone's reality.

Party Planner

There are two 9 inch round chocolate cakes on the stereo in the computer room.  Four more on the piano.  3 yellow on the fridge.  3 a top the bookshelf.  All told, there are 17 in all, scattered around the main floor of our house.

Thinking one of the adults in the house has hoarding issues?

In fact, this is party preparation.  It's Merryn's birthday celebration, and a few days ago she sent mailed invitations to each of her guests.  She created a guest list, filled out the invitation information, addressed envelopes, sealed them, stamped them, and mailed them immediately before her parents changed their minds.

While we always observe a birthday, we don't do annual birthday blow-outs for each of the kids.  It gets to be, well, a little excessive.  So, if they turn double digits, or sweet sixteen, or leave classmates for a new school, or observe a golden birthday, then we might acquiesce and have friends join us.

Quite a few years ago, we quickly realized that if we kept giving our kids stuff (and invite other people to parties in which they too would do so), we would suffocate from what was amassed.  Plus, we didn't want our kids to get attatched to material things, especially if it made the children less grateful. 

So, we started focusing on giving them "experiences".  Some of our best parties have been at public parks with water features, or hikes in Starved Rock State Park.  We've had a surprise "Come as You Are" breakfast bash in which even the guests didn't know they were coming!  (Boy, did all the parents have fun with that one!).  The focus has always been spending time together, and creating good memories.

So, tomorrow we are going to work on another memorable one... and it just might get a little messy.  That's what we're planning on!

Rush Hour

So, Jack just rescued Tony, who is really not dead after all.  And Bill and Chloe are working a top secret operation outside the government loop, with Tony, who has since returned from the dark side.  And our president must make a decision within the next few hours whether to pull out of an occupied country in Africa where thousands will die at the hands of a dictator, or risk American lives at the hands of terrorists who control a CIP device.

And, who really knows if all of this will turn totally upside down, in, literally, the next hour.

If you followed any of that, then you too must be a fan of 24... the television drama in which an entire season shows "a day in the life" of special agent Jack Bauer.   If it's not thwarting presidential assassinations, disarming chemical warfare, or  preventing nuclear disaster, then it's dealing with the muck of governmental corruption.  It's torture being Jack Bauer.

He makes my life seem really easy.

And if you were able to follow the characters and plot above, then you must also realize that we are a few seasons behind. (Technically this is just one or two days in the life of Jack Bauer).

Well, we actually plan it this way.  Kel and I can't watch tv week to week like most normal folks.  That would require availability on a single weeknight for at least 20 consecutive weeks.  At the same hour each week.  And a memory for details that could span 6 days. 

No, we wait for the whole thing to be over and watch it all on dvd in about 12 days (usually during Christmas break, or the first weeks of summer). 

And before some smartypants starts spouting off simple instructions about TiVo and DVR recorders, I just have one calculation:  Children + Remote Buttons = 85 hours of Dora the Explorer.   

Yes, I know the show 24 has already run its course, that the finale was aired this year, that Jack Bauer may or may not be dead.  DON'T TELL ME.

I'll find out, eventually. 

The Essence

Early this morning, I had a friend come over to do physical therapy on me... today, in my home.  I think she sent me into a deep coma, and when I emerged, 3 loads of laundry were done and Rosie was napping.

Throughout the day, I slid from the couch, to the floor, to the deck, to the couch.

I iced my arm.  And I napped.

In spite of the pain and strain of this stubborn shoulder, I've not experienced such "RELAXATION" in a long, long time.  Would I know it if I saw it?
Today was the epitome, in my best estimation, and boy, it felt good. 

I have an inkling I know what I'm looking for...
And I'd like some more.

Is that not the essence of summer?