Eclipse 2017

We talked about The Eclipse at the beginning of the year-I think-- and we all agreed it was an event we wanted to attend. I figured there would be a few science-y families and maybe a few geeks, but really...

Since we are a large-ish family to travel, I planned the route and reserved motels back in May. I first tried Air BnB places but they were looking expensive--nice, but expensive.

So I started checking for suites at motels, they turned out to be our best option.

We really like Homewood Suites, they have a light supper during the week that is included in your room rate. It was just mac n cheese, pulled pork sliders, and a soup...no dessert, but it was more than adequate after driving all day.

The other note to remember before the Eclipse 2024--get your glasses before D-7...they get a little expensive. We managed to snag some child's sized glasses (that sounds dramatic- they are cardboard and plastic) but the child-sized ones were available and I was willing to do surgery on them if necessary. It wasn't, they fit everyone but me and Joe because we needed to keep on our glasses in order to see the sky.

We headed out Sunday morning after Sunday School and stopped in Roanoke for the night. Cooked spaghetti in our room.

We were in the totality zone by 12 noon but didn't know where we wanted to park.

Did we want to pay $20 to sit in a parking lot without shade? This was TN and I'm guessing the temps were high 90's or 100. We were following a bunch of cars toward a campground and I suddenly spied a turn-off with a few parked cars and I didn't see any signs stating a parking fee.

We parked and it was just what we had in mind...some trees, some grass  and not many people along  Little Tennessee River off Unicoi Turnpike. 

We settled in and made some crescent shapes with our hands.

Ate the sandwiches I had packed.

Tried not to melt. 

Took some goofy pics while we watched the moon take a bite out of the sun.

You really can't do this on a regular day.

or this...

Hope managed to get a good picture with an older Samsung camera we have.

Twilight came for about 2-1/2 minutes. Long enough to be awestruck and amazed.

Short shadows but evening light.

These are the shadows of the leaves ....no, you really don't see that on a "normal" day

Really wonder what people thought before they realized what caused an eclipse.

Actually I wonder how people can deny a Creator after witnessing an eclipse.

Reminds me of something I read on Facebook:

In one swoop, God caused the nation to come together to watch Him at work!!!

No protests!

No politics!

Just all people looking up watching Him at work!

It was interesting....we sat in a lot of traffic afterward...A LOT! about 4 hours of parking lot and 4 hours of driving.

There was no yelling

No horn-blowing

Just people waiting.

Now I'm not predicting what would have happened in our van if we hadn't had a steady supply of Adventures in Odyssey and other audio books. The phones even needed to be recharged quite frequently. I managed to crochet about three hats while we drove.

We also learned that Google maps can be misleading....we were at a standstill on roads that were marked as "good traffic" and moving on roads marked "red".

A bit of common sense and good-old paper maps are necessary for that type of a trip too.

Made it to our motel in Lexington at midnight. 

The next morning after sleeping in a bit, we headed to Ark Encounter. It is worth the drive as well.

Slept in another Homewood Suites and headed for home.

Then so we didn't lose momentum, we sent them off to school the next morning.

Hope is still homeschooling, but the others are in 7th, 2nd, and 11th.

This Girl...and Other Thoughts

This child, the one that keeps me young and makes me old.

The one that thinks of interesting ways to dust the furniture.

The one that can throw an amazing tantrum and thirty minutes after said tantrum-when I am still reeling and trying to think what to do about "this kind of thing"- she comes with 

the most angelic smile and apologizes.

This girl who worries a bit.

The other night at bedtime--"Mom, I wonder what my teacher will look like this year? (she is new for our school so I couldn't help her out) Do you think she will wear earrings? I hope not, I hope she wears a veil--like you. Do you think she will be strict? Like 'sit down in your seat right now' strict?"

I'm glad you would like your teacher to look "like me" and I think that with twelve boys in your class

you will need a sit-down-in-you-seat-right-now kind of a teacher.

This child who sometimes gets called "handicapped" by well-meaning individuals. One day one of the girls came home from school and asked "Is Shekinah handicapped?"  I turned the question around to them and they agreed that some people might think she is, but really, she's not.

I get tired of having to be PC (politically correct) all the time, but in the case of "handicapped", I do think "differently-abled" might be a better description. 

The other morning she was DETERMINED to crochet some yarn as she had seen me doing the night before. Quite frankly, I wasn't sure it was possible.

Good old YouTube to the rescue  "one-handed-crocheting" Yup, it can be done.

Of course, by the time I had looked up the procedure and we had watched the videos, she was on to something else. I will store the information away for the next time she wants to give it a try.

"Four-fingered-typing" will probably be a search for the near future.

"Left-handed piano pieces"

and "how to catch a softball when your hand is quite small for a glove".

Our school gives parents the opportunity to write a bit about our child for the next year's teacher...I'm just not sure what to write. Depends how the teacher reads into it, she will think Shekinah is helpless. And yet, there are things to think through....

Songs with sign language have been a big hit at our school.

Signs involving the ASL letters are normally done with the right hand.

My daughter's right hand is not her most capable hand.

Please let her use her left hand when doing signs with songs.

Hope is doing school work through the summer and she is taking Greek for her foreign language.

She gained new respect for those first graders that stumbled over lists of words during "Victory Drill"

Might be a good exercise for first grade teachers too?

"Looks like Greek to me"

Another experiment by the crazy lady.

I was determined to try this and see if I can make dress-fitting a less stressful procedure.

I really should give her a name and finish the armholes.

She has been called some not-nice names when she startled some jumpy half-awake children.

It kept them busy for half a day.

They mixed water colors in buckets of water and offered them for sale.

They do have imagination.

QOTD Shekinah "Mom, come sit on this chair" indicating the office chair

Me:" why?"

S:" Just sit on it."

I obliged and she pushed the lever, I sank down to the lowest setting.

S:" Now get off."

Me:"what was that all about?"

S:"Thanks, I wasn't heavy enough to make the chair go down!"

QOTD: Both girls were talking about "smelly socks" in a British accent. I asked what they are talking about. "you know mom, Mrs Collins in 'Pride and Prejudice' , she wanted her "smelly socks"

"Smelling salts, girls...smelling salts!"

Then I had to explain that to them...they thought smelly socks would do...they'd eaten the jelly beans that had that flavor....kids!

Retro Fabrics

School's about to start!! Place your order soon.

$8 each + shipping.

Hope's School Supply Sale!

More fundraisers, but this time it is for my senior trip. We are going to China. If all goes as planned, we will travel in 2019.

No, my parents aren't adopting again. This time we are going for the memories.

They work good as pencil bags or travel bags.

All of them are $8.00 USD. 

Shipping is not included. If you live close, we can arrange pick up.

Or wait.....

Some of these are coming soon!!

Comment below if interested.

Training Your Children

Ha! got your attention didn't I? I actually know very little about that topic, but I'll tell you what I don't know.
I have a friend with whom I solve the problems of the world. Of course, the world doesn't ask us or when they do, they ask the wrong questions.

The other day she asked me how in world you teach your child to be neat, when do you just shut their bedroom door and walk away.

I had to laugh.....she asked me! of all people!!

I told her I have no idea. Most of my children are much neater than I.

Hope is super-organized...she makes lists and rarely forgets things.
Zeke's desk is very neat rarely has papers scattered .

(Some of them are almost as "neat" as I am, but that is another post.)

And I had nothing to do with it...well maybe they wanted to be the opposite of me.

Though none of my children make their beds in the morning...well maybe Hope...I don't normally check.

I told my friend this...I also asked her why on earth she's asking me, she's seen my sewing room.

But she said, "you make quilts like that. It would drive me nuts."

I was showing her the picture on my phone..she looked at all my notifications across the top of my screen..."and why do you have all those notifications?"

Don't know how we are friends, we should drive each other up a wall. Well, I guess then we'd both be up there together!



One day we will figure out how to pass on  our values. I thought we were doing pretty good with that until just lately.   Or maybe our values are too narrow? It's really hard to know how hard to push and when certain attitudes are affecting the rest of us.


Yesterday after about seven years, Hubby and I regained our master bedroom. We had moved out just before Joe came home so that we could have adequate room for four boys in one room. We are down to two boys in this house so we moved them back to the yellow room with airplanes stenciled on the ceiling....there is also some wall art put there by a certain four-year-old that endeared himself to me by saying he was drawing a map to China. The "map" is still there. I told the boys I will  buy the paint if they want to re-paint the room. We'll need to see if it is worth the effort.

My muscles are sore today...you know how it is when you start moving furniture...well anyway how it is at OUR house. We met the great-great grandchildren of dust bunnies and found long lost pieces of homework. Finally both rooms were neat and orderly! I took a picture so I could remember it.

Next job is the girls' room. Three girls in a room and one of them a "bag lady" makes for some piles.

Shekinah QOTD: The other day I pulled my ever-present tissue from my pocket and wiped something off Shekinah's face. "Mama," she said, do you get a clean tissue every day or is that still the same one?"

And Then They Were Wed

The big weekend finally arrived. All week we (groom's family) put stuff on piles "for the wedding". When we arrived at the church/reception hall I realized that the bride's family was probably piling things and planning things for a lot longer than we were!

When and if we ever have a daughter's wedding I have a feeling this planning thing will need more than one page in my calendar.

We did get to help with the set-up....well some of us 😀 They did actually work

but this particular photo doesn't seem that way.

Did I ever mention that we are twins? Not look-alike kind, but born-on-the-same-day kind.

Last minute advice from mom? Actually don't know what we were saying.

In the evening we had the rehearsal dinner. I was so worried that I would forget something important., but so far I don't think I did, so I think I won't worry about it anymore.

We had some diet considerations to consider as a number of the attendees were gluten-intolerant, but the GF brownies actually turned out OK.  I made subs for the supper along with fruit, cookies and ice cream. The subs were made the "right" way--hard salami, capricola ham and provolone cheese--family opinion here.

The table decorations were all in place when we came back in the evening--very nice.

Now --no hands in your pockets--and smile!

Three sisters about to gain another sister--they like this adding -girls- to- the -family thing.

They get this benefit of:

Parker quite happy to be out of his seat after their long drive.

Caught her smiling!

Oh wow! look at what 5-1/2 years can do!

Sisters! they were good for you Ben.

I really like this one!

Again, time flies and all that!

This time we weren't freezing though.

Gotta wait till the official pics come out for the ones with the bridal party.

This is the bride and groom from 5-1/2 years ago, wonder if it will be that long till the next wedding?

Then we needed to pay the "bride price"--Jana's three brothers always told Ben that since she is their only sister she is very valuable and they won't let her go easily-- they figured she was at least worth

"10 cows"

Last week Ben called me and said, "Mom, they just don't have any cows at the stores around here, can you help me?"

I was happy to!

So at the end of the reception when they were saying their farewells, Ben started with his story--"There is one piece of business that needs to happen yet."

I could see the father-of-the-bride's face, he was confused--so were the brothers.

It was a good laugh as Ben counted out his ten cows and set them in a row.

The last piece of paper and they were on their way.

Since Ben has been living on his own for the past year, it doesn't leave as big of a hole in our family. DH and I get to claim our master bedroom again since there are only two boys in the house anymore.

Hmm wonder if I should re-decorate?

Not sure what I am going to start, now that the Wedding is over.