So How Big Was A German U-Boat?

Much bigger than I realized!  I don’t know what I was thinking.  But when I saw this huge submarine at the Chicago Museum Of Science and Industry, I was surprised.

Seeing it was the highlight of our Chicago trip.  My boys are all history buffs, and to see the only surviving German U boat on American soil was a pretty cool thing.

As you walked the maze of halls leading to this giant display room, video monitors told the story of her capture off the coast of Africa on June 4, 1944.  The clips of actual footage was mesmerizing.

Just as staggering were the tally charts indicating the thousands of ships sunk by German U-boats.

Did you know that there were 58 (?) crewmen on board?  And that they would be out at sea for up to three months?  The tiny bunks were used around the clock.  When one crewman got up for his shift, another would be ready to collapse into the still warm bed. 

I can’t imagine all those men in such a small space.  I can’t imagine the living conditions they endured. 

Once her crew was evacuated, US Seamen hurried to board her knowing they might not emerge alive.  The teams of men had specific objectives.  Some formed a brigade and gathered everything they could, including secret files and code books (which would help in code breaking operations).  Others hunted for charges that would have been set to scuttle the submarine.

I can’t imagine the adrenaline surge of being among them.

The U-505 was towed to Bermuda in secret, and her crew was interned (and isolated) at a prisoner of war camp.  The US managed to keep her capture a secret from the Germans.

We had the privilege of taking a walk-through the sub.  To see the inside, and to hear the recreated sounds of men and machinery was strangely eerie.  As depth charges were simulated, the lights dimmed and men shouted, scurrying to check for damage and repair what they could.

It was an experience unlike any I’ve ever experienced, and it wasn’t hard to imagine how frightening it must have been for the crew on board.

No pictures were permitted inside the sub.  This was at the end of our tour, looking back in to where my husband and youngest son were still talking to the guide.  The hatch my son is sitting on, lead to the forward part of the sub.  It was the communications room, or the torpedo room. 

If you are ever in Chicago, this exhibit is worth going to see. 

Have You Hosted A House Party Event?

Last week, I hosted my second House Party.   This one was sponsored by a DIGIORNO Pizza.  They wanted me to introduce their newest product to my friends and family…

Pizza, breadsticks and sauce—all in one box! I was planning to have a few families over for a movie night Saturday.  But Friday afternoon, I ended up with a yard full of junior high boys.  Very HUNGRY boys.  (Not that there is any other kind.) 

So, I decided to throw the pizza party for the boys and give the coupons to their moms.  A win-win idea.  The boys eat, and later, their moms save. 

I rationalized that this was still following the spirit of House Party, because I was, indeed, introducing lots of different families to the product.  Besides, we all know kids can deliver incredibly convincing sales pitches in front of those freezer cases in the store.  The verdict?  They loved the cheese and pepperoni pizzas.  But the breadsticks, especially the cheese ones, were the biggest hit of all! 

So way to go DIGIORNO!  We would definitely pick up the pizza and breadsticks combo again!

The Pizza Supreme, however, was despised by all.  In fact, I threw most of it away. 

And there you have it.  The honest opinion of our family and the rest of the gang that regularly hangs out here.  Btw, I wonder if we can claim them as dependents…just kidding.

House Parties are fun, and if you aren’t familiar with them, you might want to see if any would work for you.  You can check out some of the upcoming events here. 

I have my eye on the Hasbro Game Night Party coming up in June.  You can’t apply for this one, yet.  But you can sign up to receive an email when they begin accepting applications.  You can do that with any of the upcoming parties, by the way.

As far as disclaimers go, DIGIORNO did send me coupons through House Party for the free pizza, along with a box of other goodies to share with our friends.  But there was no requirement to blog about it.  I simply like the House Party program and thought some of you might, too. 

In Case You Ever Wondered…

Crayons do write on skin.  Which reminds me… 

The next time my husband accidently uses the wrong guide comb for his electric razor and puts a stripe of “skin” in his beard, I’ll have to suggest this.

 

 

Seeing a Deere in the woods is a true sign of spring around here.   This one was plowing the field beyond the hedgerow.  Quite a spectator event.  Just ask any five year old boy.

 

It’s nearly impossible to look at this picture without tilting your head.  Admit it.  You just tilted your head.  I took the picture while lying on the floor of our hotel room.  I was recovering from a tickle fight.  This was the only picture I was able to get before war broke out again.

 

Pussy Willows are absolutely irresistible.  They always have been.  And always will be.  I don’t care how old you are.  And yes they do wash well. 

We made pussy willow bouquets for various ladies we know who are in the hospital or nursing home.  And ever since, the little fuzz balls have been turning up in the bottom of my washer.  Or dryer, as it were.  Where they’ve tumbled out of someone’s pocket.

Probably mine.  :)

Join us for this weeks Photo Story Friday!

God’s Sense Of Humor (And Answered Prayers) In Our Pop Up Search

I told you we were looking at a repo Coleman Key West pop up camper, right? 

I spent hours researching specific problems online.  And we kept calling the place for three days to see if they had come up with a key.  

We liked the floor plan.  But we had noticed a few cracks, sags, broken zippers and small holes which could spell water damage to parts we couldn’t see yet.  So we were anxious to do a thorough inspection of all the cavities and floor spaces before deciding if this was our “dream” camper.

We prayed God would make it obvious when we went up to inspect the inside. 

As it turned out, the sellers took a deposit and sold it without ever calling us back.  The buyer must have bought it without checking the inside.  Wow.  Brave folks.  And sad me.

A little frustrated and kind of disappointed that we missed it,  I told the boys with more assurance than I felt, that God must have had a reason. 

Today, I found another one for sale online in the same model and year--located a little more than two hours away.  They wanted nearly seven hundred dollars more than the repo people had wanted for theirs.  So maybe this one was in better shape… 

I decided to give them a call and ended up leaving a message.

When the lady called me back, I realized…lol!…

SHE’S THE ONE THAT BOUGHT THE REPO UNIT WE WERE LOOKING AT! 

She rambled on about how she had purchased this camper knowing it was a repo from a place (which she named) in Indy for a specified amount last week.   

She paid to have a key made, paid for the title and registration…and was paying for a fire marshal to come inspect the gas lines (really?), etc., etc., etc. And that’s why she was asking for more than she paid for it.

So I asked the obvious.  “Why are you selling it?” 

“I just realized it’s…too big.”

Like it somehow it grew after she purchased it.  I smelled something fishy.

I couldn’t resist asking her about specific problems we had noted, and you can imagine she was caught off guard.  She denied there were any such problems. 

Even after I told her I had looked at that very camper. 

Maybe she honestly hadn’t noticed.  I hope so.  I don’t like to think she was being dishonest. 

But even if she was, I feel a little bad for her.  She likely discovered some things the hard way.  (It’s raining buckets ‘round these parts.)

I feel even worse, though, for an unsuspecting buyer who takes her at her at her word. 

Just the same, I’m awful glad God answered our prayer.  And glad that this time, he settled the lingering doubts.  Why did I doubt Him?  Isn’t it just amazing how patient He is to go back and “explain” things for us “slow” learners?  :) 

We’re Looking For A Pup!

A Pop Up Camper that is!  I understand Pup is what established pop up owners call their beloved tent campers.  And since I hope to join their numbers soon, I’m trying out the jargon.  :)

Ever since we spoiled ourselves rotten last fall by borrowing a friend’s pop up trailer, I have had a dream.  A dream of someday finding one we could call our own. 

There are tons of home improvement projects on our to do list.  However, our boys are only little once.  And we want to take advantage of the time while they still like spending time with us!  Lol! 

So, last week, we dove into the frenzy (NO UNDERSTATEMENT) of spring RV shoppers and we’re getting quite the education.

Here are a few things we’ve learned so far:

1. Research.  Talk to Pup owners.  Surf PopUpPortal, a forum for pop up owners and soon-to-be owners.  It’s a TREASURE trove of invaluable information!
2. Know what you’re looking for.  How many beds, what sizes, what appliances, etc., will your family actually need?  We looked at a beautifully maintained pop up and were sorely tempted.  However, the bottom line was, it was too small.  Three boys, a rainy weekend, and not enough personal space spelled stress to me. 
3. Keep your eye on your local Craig’s list.  It’s a great place to shop and could save you money.  But I warn you, if you see something you even think you might like to look at, don’t dally.  Send an email.  Make a call.  Sellers usually show the item in the order of contacts.  We’ve missed out on several great deals because we didn’t call right away. 
4. Use NADA Guides.  Check NADA’s values on makes, models and years with similar amenities before making any offers.  Their approximate values can keep you grounded and help you decide on a reasonable offer.
5. Note any damage you find on campers you are considering and how much it will cost to repair it.  Talk to a local dealer’s service center for a reality check.  Small patches are minor.  Rotten floors and sagging roofs are major.  Keep repair costs in mind when making offers.

That’s all, so far.  We welcome any advice you can offer and would appreciate your prayers for wisdom in our search.

We are presently considering a 96 Coleman by Fleetwood, Key West.  It’s a repo unit, and the repo company is still trying to get a key made.  So we haven’t been inside.  But they do have it popped up for display. 

Size-wise, it’s a dream.  Peaking under the flaps, we can see the interior is like new and would work great for us.  However, there are some obvious repairs we would need to make.  And a roof we are unsure of.  It looks as though the unit hit something or had tree limb damage.  We need to look more closely at that and check for any unseen water damage on the inside.  Pray for wisdom. 

I’ll keep you updated on our fun!

Photo Story Friday: Our Chicago Adventure

In case you don’t normally follow me (in which case you are missing out on oodles of fun), we went to Chicago this past weekend to visit the Museum of Science and Technology and see monster trucks.  Only, we neglected to consider one thing.  It was St. Patties Day weekend.  (Remember in The Fugitive?  …Parade…dye the river green…chaos in the streets?)

The hotel receptionist recommended we leave our car and take a train into the city. 

Hayseeds that we are, we reluctantly took a train schedule and herded our bouncing troops onto the waiting shuttle.

This is not a pose.  Don’t they look so patient…waiting for their first train ride?

Bag pipers played beautifully on the platform.  I could listen to them all day long. 

When the train finally came, we found seats on the upper level and our oldest boy turned towards us and said, “This is like, like the trip of a lifetime.  It’s definitely something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”

Union Station was beyond huge.  We didn’t have time to figure out what bus would take us to the museum.  We had pre-purchased tickets for a tour at noon.  So, we decided to bite the bullet and just hail a cab. 

Which was an experience all on it’s own. 

While the cab lurched, swerved, screeched and honked, my wide-eyed little hayseeds soaked it all in. 

Well, some of them did. 

In spite of the fascinating city around us, I couldn’t keep my little guy from jamming his finger through a hole in the back of the front seat. 

You’ll have this. 

My oldest took pictures out every window he could reach. It wasn’t a very nice day.  Thankfully, we made it to the museum in one piece, with all of our belongings, and with 30 minutes to spare before our scheduled tour.

The German U-505 and several airplane exhibits were what attracted us to this museum.  But, since this post is already too long, I’ll save those pictures for a separate post.  They’re cool, though. 

Here are a few of the other areas we enjoyed.

Who doesn’t love a house of mirrors?

Or walking through the strange wall of “blue”?

Is it just me, or do the words, “Beam me up, Scottie.” come to mind for anyone else?

Saturday night, we went to see Monster Trucks.  Friends told us to take ear plugs.  So I put five colorful pairs in a small baggy in my purse. 

“You can’t take this big bag of candy inside.” said the lady who searched my purse at the door. 

“They’re EARPLUGS, because we’re taking kids to see monster trucks.”  I’ll admit, I was pretty amused, but mostly annoyed.  She had to feel them to make sure, and still looked doubtful when she handed them back to me.

For the record, I wouldn’t dream of bringing in a baggie of candy when I can pay an arm and a leg for a cup of water in the stands. ;)  

But look at this face. 

Every time Spark Plug the clown did something funny, or a truck did something exciting, this little face turned around to look at his brothers in an expression that said, “Isn’t this the coolest thing ever?”

So I guess it was a great finale to an exciting day. 

Mama and Papa Hayseed were just pretty dern happy to make it back to the hotel (with all accounted for) and fall into bed. 

The Perfect Hotel For Families With Three Or More Children

What do you do if you are a family of five or more and your youngest can no longer fit in a port-a-crib? 

In many hotels, the options are limited.  Most rooms are made to accommodate 2-4 guests.  And if the beds are just doubles, it’s hard to even fit four people comfortably.

The Hyatt Place in Itasca (Chicago) turned out to be the perfect pick for our family of five.  We found it to be just as wonderful as the reviews I read claimed, and we paid under sixty dollars per night through Hotels.com!  Not counting taxes.  Still, it was SO reasonable for everything it offered.

Our room was modern, clean, beautiful, and everyone had their own space.  Not that we still didn’t fight over who was going to sleep where.  Lol!

There were two double beds, and a huge pull out sofa bed, separated by a half wall.  The beds weren’t all that comfortable.  But the space was such a blessing that it was easy to tolerate the hard mattresses for the two night stay we had booked. 

The sink was separate from the bathroom and and surrounded by a spacious counter between the bathroom and closet.  On the other side of the closet was a desk area complete with internet hook up and plenty of space for junk.  You can just make out part of a computer screen on that desk in the picture below(center left).

There is actually another counter top with sink and mirror opposite the desk.    That’s where the fridge and coffee maker were.  I promptly claimed that area as my personal get-ready-in-the-morning space.  You know I’m where the coffee is. :)

Then to the right of where I’m standing to take this picture, there was a small dinette table and chairs. 

So really, there was oodles of space.

The most impressive feature of the room (to the guys) was the huge 42 inch flat screen TV that could be viewed from the couch area or the beds.  We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the room, but it would have been wonderful had we had more time.

Their indoor pool was heated.  Although we only got to swim once during our stay, the water was warm enough for even my husband and I to enjoy it.  I hate cold water anymore.  I guess I’m just getting old.

 

For breakfast, you could choose from the standard cold buffet which came with the room.  You know, the standard cereal, fresh fruit salad (YUM!!), Yogurt, and toast/bagels, etc.  Or, you could order eggs and bacon and things for around five bucks.   Although it was quite pricey, they also had a menu of things available around the clock. 

They offered a free shuttle service to the train station (which we used and I can’t wait to tell you about!).  That made it nice for us to go to the city without the hassle of fighting crazy traffic.

I’m already looking for another Hyatt Place for our next vacation in the summer.  I’d definitely recommend this hotel chain.  Especially if you have more than two children. 

Check out Works For Me Wednesday to see what others are recommending this week!

Traveling Mercies

Friday, we picked up the kids from school and headed north to Chicago.  It was a miserably rainy drive and about half way up, traffic slowed to a stop.  With no exit in sight, we inched our way along for 35 minutes. 

Finally, we came into view of the accident which had stopped everyone in their tracks.  For me, all the frustration of our delay ebbed completely away as I saw multiple wrecked cars and countless emergency vehicles.

Next to one of the mangled cars I saw an abandoned child seat laying on the wet pavement.  The car had been cut open to remove it. 

My heart clenched, and I felt a lump in my throat.  Be with that family dear Lord.  All those families.

All of a sudden, it didn’t matter what kind of time we made.  It didn’t matter if we made it in time for my kids to swim in the hotel pool.  And the little details of our schedule that I had stressed over most of the week simply shrank to insignificance.

I kept seeing that little car seat for the rest of our trip up.  And thinking about the family who’s plans had changed in an instant. 

God very poignantly reminded me to hold my plans loosely.  To look at my watch and the map less, and the back seat more.

We ended up having a really great time, full of unexpected twists and turns in my plans—which in the end, made the whole trip more fun.  I can’t wait to tell you about some of them this week.

But for now, go give your family a hug.  And when you’re marking your calendar, trade your pen for a pencil .  God may have better plans.  

For I know the plans I have for you…Jeremiah 29:11

Join the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom and…

Be Careful What You Name Your Pet

The kitty on the milk can was named Amelia, after Amelia Earhart, because of her constant exploring. She got into EVERYTHING. Last year, just like the real Amelia, she mysteriously disappeared. Crazy, eh?

We still have her two long-haired sisters.

We named the orange and white one Lucky, because, when she was little, she survived a trip down the highway under the hood of my husband’s car. It took her twice to learn there are better places to nap. We were lucky we named her Lucky.

My husband began calling the dark one Ugly from the day she was born. We tried out different names, but none of them stuck. Her fur is thick, and fine, and there’s no real pattern to her coloring.

I’m so terribly embarrassed to say, we still can’t agree on a different name, and she remains…Ugly.

Every spring, Ugly’s thick coat gets matted in spite of my best efforts to keep it combed out. And every spring, though usually later in the year than this, I sheepishly take her to a grooming place and pay them to fix it.

The nice ladies at the Barking Lot (real name) sometimes, thankfully, forget to ask for the cat’s name. They get her all combed out and Ugly' is none the worse for the wear. Usually.

This year, Ugly’s coat got beyond me much sooner than normal. Saturday, I sent my husband to drop her at the groomer’s on his way to the store.

When he got back, he yelled in from the front door, “Ah, Hun? I got your cat here. (pause) Do you want to come see her?”

Busy, I yelled from the bedroom, “Just let her go outside on the porch. I don’t need to see her.”

(Pause)

“Ah, Hun? Can you come here?”

I flopped the basket of clothes on the bed and went to see.

When he let her out of the carrier, my mouth hit the porch floor.

Ugly had a new doo. And I lost the power of speech. By the time I got my camera, the poor thing had hidden under the van, no doubt wishing for sudden death.

“WHAT did they DO to her?”

“They shaved her,” he said, keeping his face blank. Obviously unsure how I’d take it.

“I can SEE that,” I said, incredulous. “But they know she’s an outside cat,” I went on, shaking my head. “She looks like a poodle. She’ll freeze! What were they THINKing??? What are we going to do with her? The poor thing.”

“They told me they had no choice. The hair didn’t even come apart when they cut it off. It was awful. They showed it to me. It came off in one great big sheet,” he explained, scrunching up his nose.

We both stood there. Looking at her. For a full minute.

Then, my husband’s mouth started to twitch and he couldn’t hold it in any more. He laughed till the tears ran down his face.

I started giggling. “I’m glad it was you that took her. How embarrassing.”

We stood there laughing till we both needed tissues.

When she pounces, she kind of looks like a lion. Don’t you think?

So, I guess if there is anything you can learn from our story, it’s this…

Be careful what you name your pets. If you can think of something besides Ugly, perhaps we’d better try it. For her sake. :)

For those of you who are concerned about her staying warm, she is now living (quite happily) in our garage until the weather warms up. Or she grows some hair back.

Spontaneous Trip…Or Spontaneous Combustion

That’s the question. 

Did you ever let a spontaneous whim stick his foot in the door and then wonder what cyclone hit you?

Well, send help, cause I’m in the thick of the storm now.

Surfing the net and looking for something do over spring break (the end of March, here), I stumbled onto the Monster Truck Nationals schedule.  We missed the show when it was here in Indianapolis.  But it is scheduled this weekend for Chicago, and over our spring break in Kentucky.  Hmm.  That sounds pretty exciting for a bunch of boys who have loved monster trucks.

But looking at their soccer schedule, and my husband’s business trips, I realized that the only time we could travel so far away would be this weekend. 

I’m not usually spontaneous.  I like to spend time planning and preparing.

So, I needed to set everything else aside this week to make all the arrangements.  Which grew in complexity as my husband and the boys got in on the excitement, and started adding things they want to try and see in the area.  Like Cabala's on the way up. 

And the German U-505 in Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

I’ve never embedded video in my site before and I’m not sure how to make this fit better.  It’s time lapse footage of the U-505 being moved to the exhibit hall.  It’s remarkable, and I thought you might like to see it.

The boys would also like to see the Sears Tower and a whole bunch of other things. 

Our crazy hopeful plans may have us spontaneously combusting by the trip’s end!  Lol!  But you can’t say we didn’t give the whole spontaneous thing a try!  We leave tomorrow when we pick up the boys from school…

I’m off to run a bunch of errands.  But I’m hoping to have a chance later to post a picture of our comical cat.  Wait till you see what happened to the poor thing!

Reminders Of A Legacy

These rings are pretty special.  They aren’t my wedding rings.  They were my grandmother’s. She gave them to my mom before she died.  And my mom, in turn, gave them to me.  I’d like to tell you a little bit about what makes them special to me, besides the obvious “heirloom” thing.  

This is their original box, btw.  

Grandpop got them at Wanamaker’s, down in Philadelphia.

He was such a character!   Born in 1898, he was 70 years old when I was born and still carried on like a big kid.  Most of my memories are of him dancing around and singing the silly songs he made up.   

This is one of my favorite old photos of Grandmom and Grandpop.  I can only imagine the fun they had.  They were posing in one of those dress up shops along the Atlantic City Boardwalk.  The date on the back says 1922.  Since they didn’t marry until 1928, it must have been taken while they were dating.  Wow!  Six years of dating is almost unheard of today!

This was taken the same year, maybe the same day, at Atlantic City.  They’re obviously wearing their normal attire for this picture!  LOL!

 

My grandfather’s very first job was working in a kite factory.  He must have told us that story a hundred times.   Though, for the life of me, I can’t remember it now.

This is them on their wedding day, September 8, 1928.

He worked for the railroad most of his life, and traveled quite a bit.  An uncommon thing, back then. 

Mom has letters he wrote to his family during those trips.  They’re a hoot to read.  Full of funny tales and interesting facts about the places he visited. 

My Grandparents loved the Lord and attended church down in the Valley, as they used to say, where my grandfather served as the Sunday School Superintendent for years.  Each summer, they took their family to Bible camp, and made time to get to the shore.  

In this 1947 family portrait, my mom, the youngest of four girls, is standing behind her father.

Thirty years later, probably about the same age as my mom was here, I remember gathering around their old piano to sing Christmas carols.  Grandpop literally pounded out the songs,  Lol!  He definitely played with zest!  Never mind that their piano needed a tuning.

Ever true to their love of swimming, they maintained a membership at the Paoli pool.  To my mind, it was as big as the ocean.  And each year, they would pick a day to take us along.  They’d pack their giant white station wagon with every imaginable sand toy under the sun, and treat us to the most delightful day of my summer.

This is how I remember them.

I loved my grandparents.   

Each time we visited them, Grandpop would call me over, dig out his change purse, and pull out a quarter.  Then, while I held out my hand, he’d touch the coin to my palm and ask, “Did I ever tell you about the time I worked in the kite factory?”

Holding back a giggle, I’d shake my head no, and listen as though it were the first time.

I like to wear their rings and remember all the fun we shared together.  Theirs was a contagious kind of love.

Love for each other.  Love for their family.  And Love for the God they never missed a chance to tell us about. 

I know they weren’t perfect.  But their legacy of fun and love is one I hope to pass on to my guys.

Hair Cuts By Mom: Five Tips

I started cutting my boys’ hair when they were little.  My oldest is now 12 and he still won’t let anyone else cut his hair.  That’s not to say that my cuts are good.  Mostly, they're just tolerable.

In fact, there’s always the potential for me to give him a cut that will get him beat up at school.  Lol!  Ok.  Not funny.  But, hey, my boy is unarguably living on the edge! 

Here is my youngest, trying to figure out how to run a comb through his hair.  A future barber, maybe?  :)

So what tips can I pass along? 

First, turn on the TV.  Find the most action packed show you can find and seat your munchkin so that he has a good view. 

Second, try not to cut his ears.  I realize they’re sticking right out there asking to be cut.  But trust me.  Having your now terrified child duck every time you try to make a cut will tempt you beyond words to cut the other one.  And that’s not good.

Third, a good set of clippers is a mom’s best friend.  It is always easier for me to get things “even” if I use clippers and the guides/combs. 

But lately I’ve been giving scissor clips my best shot since my older boys want longer hair.  Lucky for me, the shaggylopsidedlooksliketheyjustrolledoutofbedhead style is in.

Fourth, a sheet is the boys’ best friend.  I used a garbage bag early on and cut out holes for their arms and head.  Not liking how that went, I tried just draping part of a big bag around them.  But either way, boys sweat under bags and the plastic just sticks to them.  (Gross!)  

A sheet, however, breaths and keeps them much more comfortable.  If you have a crib sheet, it’s just the right size to drape around their neck and then safety pin together in the back.  (I like the safety pin instead of a clothespin because it can’t accidently come undone while they’re wiggling.)

And fifth, you have to have a good tickle brush. Kids HATE to be itchy.  Even for a few seconds.  It makes them wiggly and squirmy and all kinds of whiny. 

They love, however, to have the hair brushed off their necks.  And noses.  And eyebrows.  It’s the highlight of their hair cut!  I got this brush at the dollar tree and it is wonderfully soft.  I add some talc to a bowl and then brush (or tickle) the little pesky hairs away.  :) 

Now, if someone wants to give me a few tips on scissor cuts, I’m all ears!!!

And by all means, please share your own tips for cutting children’s hair at home with the rest of us! 

I’m playing along with Works For Me Wednesday this week.  You’ll find it temporarily being hosted again by Rocks In My Dryer.

What’s On Your Bookshelf?

This morning I resigned myself to cleaning out our TV room.  Usually, I find such things as peanuts, squashed gold fish, candy rappers, match box cars and lots of LEGOS.  But this time I found a real treasure.

It was behind this chair on the second shelf.  Completely out of sight. 

And all I can say is…Awwwwooooyuuuuuughck!  Tea, anyone??

I can’t blame my boys, though I wish I could, because my husband and I are the only ones who use these tall glasses.

I think we need a side table for setting drinks on.  One that’s out in the open where things won’t get forgotten.  What do you think? 

And a new housekeeper!!!  (Wouldn’t that be nice?) :)

Come clean, now.  What’s the worst thing you found lurking around these days?

The Unwritten But Universally Accepted Law Of Childhood Illnesses

Every mom knows that Friday afternoons are the single most likely time for a child to come down with a borderline, i.e. IwonderifIshouldtakehimtothedoctorsofficebeforeitcloses, illness. 

Which leaves her pressed to make a quick decision. 

If she hurries to the doctor’s office, nine times out of ten, it will be nothing, and the child will be singing in the car on the way home.  And fighting with his siblings as though he weren’t just dying moments ago.

If she waits “to see”, the illness will likely ramp itself up immediately after the doctor’s answering service begins taking all calls.

Right?

Such was my quandary Friday when my middle son drug himself in the front door sporting a fever, upset stomach, and a sore throat. 

He had been exposed to two different illnesses that week.  A confirmed strep throat, and a nasty stomach flu.  Both of which started out roughly the same way for the other children.   Oh, joy.

Since the stomach was his main complaint, I decided to wait and see.  And keep him close to the porcelain throne.

By Saturday evening, I was wishing I hadn’t.  Though his upset stomach subsided, his fever and sore throat did not.  It was looking more like strep.

After calling around to check my options (which were few), I decided to send him with my husband to the Walgreens Take Care Clinic 25 minutes away. 

Have you ever gone to one?

I’m happy to report, that my husband said the process was quick and easy.  And the nurse practitioner was pleasant and efficient.  He simply presented our insurance card and his license, and from there it worked just like a doctor’s visit.  All we owed was a co-pay.

Within an hour and a half, they were on their way home with a prescription for amoxicillin.  The strep test was positive. 

Thankfully, so was our Walgreen’s experience.  Positive, that is. 

We wouldn’t hesitate to use their clinic again!  Probably the next time one of my sons comes home sick on a Friday afternoon.  :)

Have you ever used the Walgreens Clinic?