The long and winding road

We are on the third leg of our Indiana travels.  We left Evansville on Friday with Tom again in the driver's seat armed with directions to South Bend given to him by my friend's daughter who did not like the way I would have driven there.  My way comes from my SIS who drives the route twice a year at least. As she said to me, "If there was a faster and better way your brother would drive it." But for some reason Tom has not let me be in charge of driving not even when we entered the city I grew up in. It is true that I have been known to turn the wrong way in some many instances and get lost a few times, but in Evansville?

We left my friend's house at 12:00 South Bend time. My SIS expected us to arrive in time for dinner at six. Uh huh. I tried again to convince my husband to go the way I knew; 41 to 70 to 465 to 31 right into the city. He argued that too many people, Shad and Darrell, had told him about construction and other problems on the Interstate.  He argued that Kristen, my daughter's friend, knew the best way because she had traveled it with her boyfriend who was from the South Bend area.   He argued enough that I just gave in. Let him go his way. I knew we would get there eventually.

We got on Interstate 64 right outside my friend's neighborhood and I did all of the things old people do upon returning home. I pointed out all of the places along the interstate and remarked on how those places had never existed back in my day. The other three ignored me, two lost in electronics, the driver lost in thought. I eventually gave up as we left my hometown and settled in for the drive.  There was very little traffic and the husband remarked on that, comfortable in his confidence of his route. I ignored him. Madison announced she needed a bathroom about an hour in and Tom agreed as he needed gas. We were not in the vicinity of either as we were traveling around the fringe of small Indiana towns, but eventually Tom took an exit that only required a half a mile of driving to find what we needed.

 

We gassed up and visited the ladies room, one of those places that required a key from the lady behind the counter and a hike around the station to the restroom on the side of the building. Madison was leery, which set me off on another trip down memory lane on my days of traveling back in the day.   She ignored me and shut the door.  While I waited I took a phone call from Kristen who wanted me to know that she had messed up on the directions and that we were to take 58 and not 57. I cheerfully told her no worries, assured her we were good, and took my turn in the restroom. 

Across the street was a small drive-in restaurant named Mason's.  Tom thought we should investigate it and he drove over. It was the type of place where you stayed in your car while the waitress takesk your order and delivers your food through the window; small town Indiana. The waitresses were wearing Masons shirts, but they didn't sell them so we got our order and headed back to the interstate. 

 

By the time we got on to 58 I was shaking my head as I followed our route on Google maps.  South Bend is north of Evansville, but we were heading east into the Hoosier National Forest, a route I took last year when we were visiting the cave in Bedford, IN. It was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the low 70s as we wound our way along the two lane road through farm country. It was the middle of nowhere. Occassionaly we passed through towns; the type of Indiana towns that are on the map because they have a post office...and nothing else.

 

A bathroom break was needed again and Tom kept assuring the girls he would stop at the next town, but he would blink and we had already passed the next town. I was stifling my laughter, but not doing such a good job with the irritation as we went up one hill, down another, around one curve, and around another. I do fairly well with car sickness as long as I'm in the passenger seat and not reading, but the route was starting to get to me and I too needed a break.

 

The next town we passed was Freetown. I had never heard of it. Tom rounded a curve and there was
the town. We knew it was the town because there was a small green sign that said, "Freetown", and there were a few houses and on one corner a store called Granny's Corner. We were past it before we realized it was the town, and Tom trying to save face, stopped and turned around, assuring us that Granny would have a restroom as she sold ice cream too. That he got from the sign outside on the front porch where the ice cream was stored in two red and blue coolers sitting on the porch. Madison, Darcy and I got out. 

Photo from Granny's facebook page

The store was one room and full of crochet items from dresses and hats to homemade jelly and jewelry. Two women about my age were surprised to see us and they hopped up from a couch in the back to welcome us. I asked about a restroom, and when they heard about the crazy way we were traveling to Indianapolis, they took pity on us and offered up their personal bathroom as long as we "ignored the mess in the office".  We were more then happy to do that we were so grateful. Gotta love midwestern hospitality. Madison thanked them profusely while Darcy shopped. Both ladies were grandmothers and both of them did the crocheting that was sold in the store. To thank them for saving our lives we left the store with a few items. 

The ladies couldn't have been nicer telling us stories and showing us around the shop.  I really would have liked to have had more time to shop as the prices were fantastic, but Tom came inside worried we were buying up the place. We left without ice cream and got back on the winding road, weaving our way through farming towns and the national forest.

Eventually, an hour later from where we would have been had we gone my SIS's way, we came to the exit for the road to Indianapolis.  I texted my SIS who LOL'ed several texts back telling us they would wait dinner for us, but that they were going to have some snacks.  I felt better now that we were on a familiar road and didn't have to do much pleading to the husband to take 31 into South Bend.  He was willing at this point to listen to my SIS.  Then we got stuck in traffic.  Of course we got stuck in traffic.  It was Friday evening in Indianapolis.  People wanted to get home.

Lucky for us the traffic thinned out, we got on to 31 and I felt more relaxed.  Then it started to rain, not a gentle rain, but a torrential downpour.  I was trying not to laugh at this point in the travels and even hubby was starting to smile.  We rolled into our destination, a restaurant where my SIS decided we would eat, an hour and some minutes late.

 

 

It rained the entire time we were in the brew house, but no one cared as we all ate something different.  The photo above is one of the specialties; a peanut butter hamburger with loaded hash browns.  My husband devoured the entire burger and most of the browns.  As we left, the kids now in my SIS's car, my husband turned on our car and something dinged.  It was a familiar dinging noise to me, the girl who has driven her husband's car for the past four months with the same dinging noise.  We both looked on the dash and sure enough a digital message blinked, "Left rear tire is low, please check."  I laughed.

Photos from first leg of 2013 Indiana Summer Trip

Lorene's porch - I have a lot of memories of time spent on this front porch. One is sitting in the front bedroom spinning records on my player through the open window to the boys playing outside on the porch. 

The basement - Aunt Lorene sent me downstairs to take pictures of her canned goods and the contents of her freezer since her sons won't let her down in the basement. She wanted to know what she had down there. It is definitely a slice of history.  I could probably write a whole entry on her basement alone. 

Road to the farm - The reunion weather was great this year with little sun and cool air. The next day was even cooler and I walked up the road to the farm to take photos and spend some time with the relatives that have passed. I haven't made that walk since I was in elementary school. Shame on me. 

The pond - The kids spent all day playing in the pond whether fishing or swimming. The haul on the fishing netted a big catfish and two gigantic snapping turtles. I'm told all of it will be "good eat'in."

The view - I sat on the dock and just enjoyed the peace and quiet save for the occasional fish performing acrobats for me. There was a great breeze. 

The house - A memory I had sitting here was the time I was taught how to shoot a rifle. We aimed at cans sitting on the fence out front.  I actually remember the feel of the kickback. 

   

They tire swing - Spent many a time swinging there as have my kids...well, until the wasp stung Darcy that is. 

The barn - The hayloft was the best place to play as kids once you got up there, a feat I had trouble with as I hated (and still do) heights. I also learned how to milk animals in that barn. 

Entrance to farm - Driving in there was usually someone outside to greet you back in the day. Pretty quiet now. 

Scott's horses - As a kid I only remember one horse, Big Red. This trip there were three on Lorene's farm that belonged to my cousin.  Darcy decided she needed to ride so my cousin Darrell took her out riding.

Cont.... I did not know my husband would be joining them. They both stayed on and had quite the tour. 

Aunt Lorene's house - My brother and I spent many days here as kids with our cousins. It was our Thanksgiving dinner place as well. We always stopped here on the way to and from the farm and as we backed out of the driveway my Dad always rolled down all of the windows and made us shoo out the flies.

 

Aunt Lorene - A good hearted woman who loves her family and her Shaklee. At 98 she is still cooking us bacon and fried eggs from her hens. 

Oh no, he did not say that

She: "Scott has three horses now. They're here, actually, right outside. He's keeping them here."

Me: "Yeah, I'm not a horse person, so don't think I'm going to be doing any riding."

She: "Well, one of the horses is just plain mean, but the other two are sweethearts. One only has one eye. He lost the other one. "

Tom: "What's his name? Winky?"

Before the trip

I have to start my travel blog by describing the events of the previous day before we hit the road because it gives a glimpse into my anxiety riddled mind. First of all, my husband decided he would join us this year on the trip to Indiana.  I wanted to do something different, but the girls love the Mason reunion, Evansville food and friends, and their cousins. So Tom agreed and said we would drive. I agreed, but insisted on renting a car instead of driving one of our over 100,000 miles cars especially when he booked a ticket to fly home early leaving me to drive home. He grudgingly agreed and reserved a car that had to be picked up an hour south of where we live. 

Secondly, Connie had her foot appointment in the afternoon of the day before we left. She then scheduled another doctor for that morning, with the thought of grocery shopping and hair cutting in between appointments.  I made sure to get tons of stuff done for the trip beforehand so that I would have minimal chores that night. 

Lastly, I made the mistake of butting in on the car rental. I decided on Tuesday night to check Hotwire to see if I could save Tom from having to drive to Sarasota. Sure enough  I found a great price, only $11.95 a day, picking up in Tampa. We canceled our other reservation and paid Hotwire for the rental. Good to go. 

The day started off nicely. Both girls hopped right out of bed to accompany me. Grammy Connie was waiting and off we went for her to get an epidural in the back.  At some point after the shot while the assistant was helping her down off the table, Connie's leg got shoved up against a round metal bar on the table.  Because her skin is so soft and thin from medication and age it ripped a hole in her leg.  Connie thought it was down to the bone.  The staff wrapped the wound and suggested I take her to a walk-in-clinic. I vetoed that and said I would take her to the ER if bone was exposed. The doctor didn't like that idea and instead called the Foot God because "he is a surgeon, isn't he?"

The Foot God agreed to see her immediately and I frantically drove across town where his staff was waiting for us. Luckily, the rip was only to the muscle and the Foot God put in quite a few stitches, cleaned the wound, and wrapped it. Then he went ahead and checked out her foot wound and we were good to go to finish our errands.  We left Connie at four and started home. 

Halfway there, it is a half an hour ride from her house to mine, a huge storm descended on us flooding the streets.  My engine shut off and I coasted into a gas station where we sat and watched the lightning and rain rage around us. Eventually my car started and I got home where I dropped off the girls, hopped into Tom's car with him and headed to Tampa to pick up our rental car.   It was now almost 6:00. 

The rental agency did not have a full size car and sent us down the street to another agency that would honor our Hotwire contract. The agent there began the paperwork and causally asked where we were headed. When he heard IN he shook his head. "Our cars don't leave the state." Back we went to the original agency. They had us call Hotwire to get a refund and then shrugged their shoulders over our predicament. Hotwire gave us the refund and $20 Hotwire bucks for our "inconvenience". Gee thanks Hotwire, that will help me. 

Back in the car Tom called Dollar Rental, his original choice, and explained our issues,, they offered up a decent deal and sent us to the airport.  At the airport the Dollar clerk was very nice explaining to us that what we had was a tiny clown car without cruise control and for millions of dollars she would upgrade us. We declined when we heard the total amount as we could fly for that price. We left. 

We drove back across the bridge to Tom's office. It was now after 8:00 and we hadn't eaten. We grabbed some snacks from the training center, Tom spent an hour cleaning up his desk and finishing

up his work, and I tried to find a good deal on a car. Eventually Tom finished and joined in the car search. We bid on one with Priceline and they counter offered. We took the good deal and headed back across the bridge and back to the airport to Alamo. We had no trouble this time, which was good considering I was planning on forgoing the entire trip if it hadn't sure I was being given a sign. 

We got home a little before midnight. We ignored all of the work that needed to be done for the trip and instead went to bed. Tomorrow we would try again.

The incident

One of the things that was on my list this summer was getting the girls appointments to have various things done like hair cuts and doctor visits.  During the school year it is almost impossible to do anything besides braces adjustments so I kept telling the girls to tough through whatever issues they were having and we would take care of it in the summer.

One of the main things on the list was visiting a dermatologist.  My pediatrician recommended someone, but I had the name of someone else and the pediatrician was agreeable with that having heard good things in regard to my person. I called and made an appointment.  Because it would have been August before I could see the doctor herself I took a July appointment with the nurse practitioner.  I filled out all of the paperwork online and arrived at our scheduled day full of excitement that maybe I too would go to this new office along with my mother.  The appointments were 15 minutes apart, but as always when the girls have same day appointments we were ushered into the same room.  It will be the last time I do this.

First of all, the room was very large with the exam chair almost out of ear shot from the seating area where I was placed.  The assistant sat at a computer and asked me questions I had already filled out online.  Darcy was seated in the chair first.  She had a bump on her chest that had been there for quite some time ("My whole life") and had recently, after a bout of sunburn, added a ring around the raised area.  Secondly, the practitioner came in and talked directly to my daughter, which is nice that they think she is old enough to deal with issues, but I'm still in charge of this kid until she turns 18 and I make the decisions.  As the practitioner talked, the assistant tapped away on her computer and then asked me more questions.  Questions I HAD ALREADY FILED OUT ONLINE.  It was hard to concentrate on both people at the same time.  Next thing I knew they were prepping Darcy to remove the bump.  "Just to be safe."

She was a champ.  The practitioner asked if she wanted me to hold her hand or her sister.  Darcy replied, "I'm good."  I told them that Darcy was my tough one.  The procedure took about three minutes and then Darcy was beside me on the bench and Madison was in the chair.  Again we went through the same scenario as above.  My head was whirling with all of this talking and I just felt like it was too hard to deal with both girls at the same time.  By the time the practitioner was walking out of the room I was still confused about everything that had just happened.  Prescriptions on stuff had been sent to my pharmacy without me really understanding all of it because she had talked through it all with Madison.  Darcy's facial cremes were handed to me at the desk with a bill.  It was just crazy.  We spent about ten minutes at the desk checking out.  Darcy had gone to the bathroom and returned.  We gathered all of our stuff and exited the building.

Of course it was hot and the sun beat down upon us as we exited.  For some reason, I have no memory of why, I turned around to my left.  I must have been checking traffic before stepping off the curb and as I always do I looked for the girls.  Madison was on my right side, but Darcy was on my left and I glanced at her.  She was walking and then suddenly she just stopped.  She was staring straight ahead of her and seriously, her eyes were just dead looking.  She said in a slow and stunned voice, her eyes not moving.  "I...I...I can't see."

Of course, my first reaction was a slight annoyance.  "What?  Darcy, seriously?  What?  You can't see?"  And again she stumbled, her eyes still staring out at nothing.  She said again.  "I'm...I...I can't see.  I can't see."  And she went to put out a hand like you do when walking through a dark room as if to feel your way around.  I knew she wasn't joking and I forgot all about everything at that moment.

Those of you who know my family, and those of you who have been reading this blog since the beginning know about my sister-in-law and her multiple brain aneurysms.  For those who don't I'll give the quick version.  In 2004 my sister-in-law, Tom's sister, had several unknown aneurysms burst on one side of her brain.  She was airlifted to Tampa where she underwent brain surgery and then rehabilitation.  Several months later she had to have another brain surgery on the other side of the brain to tie off more aneurysms that were discovered when the first ones burst.  It was a long and tedious time for all of the family, but Julie defied the odds and recovered nicely.  I kept a blog about Julie's surgeries and recoveries that has since been deleted, but I wrote a blip here and here. She went on to have another child and lives a normal life with minimal complications.  After this happened it was suggested that all of the siblings have brain scans.  Everyone's scan came back clear. 

This was what played through my mind when my daughter said she had suddenly gone blind.  Then her legs buckled and I caught her as she started to fall.  I panicked.  I helped her inside the building and shouted at the people to call 911.  Madison, use to this scene by now with Grandma, whipped out her phone and stood ready to do so.  The staff was excellent.  They came running, and at that moment I stopped panicking and shoved Darcy's head down toward the ground.  Five seconds of that and she stood up and said, "I'm good."  She meant that she had her eye sight back, but her face was completely devoid of color.  A chair was shoved under her and I put her head back down again.  The doctor and a nurse appeared and they carried her back into a room where she was placed on a chair that tilted her head down and her feet up.  That is when I noticed the band-aid on her chest and it all made sense.  The staff had cool compresses on her, were fanning her, and gave her water, and when I learned that Darcy had not eaten that morning they brought her food.  Within a minute the color was back in her face.  We stayed that way for 15 minutes and then they raised her a tad for 10 minutes and then sat her completely up for another 10 minutes before we were able to try to exit again.

I held it together.  I joked to the people still waiting in the waiting room who had witnessed the incident.  I drove to a restaurant and made my kids eat.  Then I drove to my mom's, told her the story, and totally lost it.  I shook for over an hour.  I sobbed and sobbed.  That's what Mommy's do.  They listen and comfort and my mom is very good at both.  So are my girls.  It took me three days to recover and not see that terrible face of Darcy's every time I closed my eyes.  Darcy is fine.  She is making sure that she eats something every few hours now.  She knows to stand up slowly now from a seated position.  I, too, had this problem as a kid, once passing out in my bedroom and waking up with my head on my stereo.  I still have it sometimes.  Now I just have to watch it for her as well.

Ah, parenthood.  I'm thankful that everything turned out well and that it was minor.  There are so many children and parents out there fighting more.  I think about all of them every night before I go to sleep.  I am lucky and blessed.  I know that.  It still doesn't make parenting any easier, but I wouldn't trade it all for anything.  Of course, I had to color the gray that sprouted out after that incident, but hey, that's doable and easy.

Excuses?

Oh, my gosh, look how long it has been since I blogged!  So sorry to my daily three readers.  I have no excuse except I'll give some anyway.

1. It is so hot here that coming into the room where my computer sits is just unbearable.  And I have to use my computer because I can't figure out, or blogger can't figure out, how to get the pictures and words all put together properly from the mobile app.
2. I think of things to write about and then promptly forget them.  I think old age has something to do with that.  I didn't think I was old until I started seeing actors from the 80's on television; actors that I grew up with.  Has anyone else noticed this?  I have aged better then a few of them, I might add, but the brain?  It hasn't faired as well as the rest of me.
3. I have Connie to care for.  She is hanging in there, taking care of things herself for the most part, getting along with her caregivers, but I blame everything else on her so why not this too.  Sorry Mom!
4. I went away for the weekend right before I was suppose to go away for my summer vacation.  Just the thought of loosing those three days of getting ready for the bigger trip stressed me out.  But the weekend trip was a good one and the girls and I had a blast.  Hey!  A blog entry maybe.
5. It is the rainy hurricane season in Florida.  Along with the hot, hot weather we have rain, rain, rain.  Like EVERY DAY.  It can come in the morning.  It can come in the afternoon.  It can come in the evening.  And no matter when it comes it comes hard and fast and out of nowhere.  With the rain comes lightning and everyone knows that with lightning you stay away from the computer and electronic gadgets.
6. I'm too busy nagging my kids about their summer homework.  Yes, summer homework.  Piles and piles of this stuff that one kid HASN'T EVEN TOUCHED YET.  It is a full time job just to get the other one to peek at hers.  I have no time for anything else.  They say they will work on it on the drive up north, and that is my #7.
7. I'm going to have to drive to this vacation.  Behind the wheel of a car.  For 16 hours and more.  That stress alone has caused me sleepless nights and no sleep renders me useless for anything else besides yelling at my girls to do their summer homework.  See how it all fits together?
8. My desk is messy.  I'm not sure why I can't keep all of that under control, but it might have something to do with the previous excuses.  Either way when I sit down to blog I get distracted by all the crap on my desk.  The other day that led to some filing which in turn led to shredding of files over ten years old.  I shredded so long that the motor cried foul and shut down.  I then couldn't blog because the shredder was sending off heat waves under my desk in that hot room...
9. The dog needs too much attention and the girls are too busy procrastinating to deal with him.  Which leaves me to walk him, throw toys for him, chase him around the couch, feed him, and love him.  That in itself takes tons of time.
10. Not much has happened to write about.  That is the truth.  Nothing.  It has been an uneventful summer except for the usual things like illness, leaking car tires, dog allergy, mother's swollen ankles, bad back, hunger, etc.  But who wants to hear about those things?

Wimbledon 2013

I spent my holiday four day weekend in front of the television.  The semis and the finals of Wimbledon were on ESPN, and as I always am, I was parked on the couch watching.  I have written about my love for Wimbledon before in this blog, and attending Wimbledon is number one on my bucket list, but I hated playing tennis as a kid.  Mostly, I didn't enjoy playing any sport unless it was for fun.  It was all too much work, something I think I might be allergic to.  But I did, and still do, love watching sports on television.  I'm an athletic supporter instead of an athlete.

My love for Wimbledon came from my mother.  She played tennis as an adult before committing her sports career to golf.  She was the one who insisted we get up and have Breakfast at Wimbledon.  She would wake us on those mornings and we would all sit and watch the finals.  I grew up with Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors.  I loved John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, and eventually Martina Navratilova.  I cheered for my favorites while learning the game of tennis.  My friend Stephanie loved tennis and was a huge Bjorn Borg fan.  She had posted of him hanging in her room and we had a friendly rivalry going just as McEnroe and Borg had back in the day.

This weekend was some spectacular tennis.  I had watched my girl Serena Williams get beat by Sabine Lisicki earlier and had decided then and there that Lisicki would be my favorite to win Wimbledon.  I followed her matches all the way to the final.  I had no idea about her opponent.  Didn't know her or remember her from her earlier Wimbledon appearance six years prior, but I saw her interviewed the day she made it to the finals and I liked her.  I liked that she didn't fit the cute blonde tennis model and that she had a larger frame like Serena.  I found myself, while still committed to Lisicki, who it turns out lives down the road from our county, cheering for Bartoli just as hard.  Now I have some new faces to keep eyes on in the upcoming tournaments.

The men's tennis was just as good.  I enjoyed discovering Del Porto who played Novak Djokovic in five sets in the semis.  I pulled for Andy Murray in his semis.  I spent Friday in front of the television from nine o'clock in the morning until well after dinner because the men's matches were so long.  When I finally emerged from the house to walk the dog I was exhausted.  It was like I had just played along side them. 

Saturday, after the women's final, I watched the American brothers, Mike and Bob Bryan play in the finals of doubles.  With their win they became the only doubles team to hold all four major titles in the slams.  They call this the "Bryan Slam".  While they only make $300,000 compared to the 2.4 million the singles winners take home and they don't get the exposure and notoriety they were the only Americans still left at Wimbledon.  I watched them in the semis and about had heart failure when they dropped the first set in the finals.  In the end it was nerves and they got back their game and took home the trophy.  Good tennis.

Wimbledon ended with Andy Murray breaking the 77 year drought for the Brits.  I pulled for him this year.  I didn't last year because he was playing my favorite player Roger Federer, but he impressed me with how he stood up to the pressure.  I'm not a big fan of Djokovic so it was easy to just pick Murray and the whole England story.  Again, great tennis.  The two of them volleyed so long on each point that my eyes were worn out when it was all over.  Phenomenal tennis all the way around.

Every year after watching Wimbledon I think about playing tennis.  It lasts until I venture outside into the Florida summer heat.  Kelly says that I shot down our tennis careers by not allowing her to purchase $5 rackets at a flea market, but I've decided that it is because we don't have grass courts.  Watching Wimbledon this past weekend, I figured out that I would have enjoyed tennis if I could have played on a grass court instead of those hard, heat sucking paved courts I played on as a kid.  So for me to take up the game of tennis I will have to move to England and play at Wimbledon.  I will make that addendum to my bucket list.

Halfway

We are at the halfway mark of our summer vacation and the thought of that depresses all of us in the house.  It isn't that we have had tons of fun rushing here and there, but we have enjoyed the extra sleep and the peace that has settled over our house.  It is the little things that make us happy here in Florida.  Knowing what is in store for us in six weeks makes me shiver and causes my kids to stay tucked in bed each day until after noon.

They each have summer homework.  A lot of summer homework.  As the parent who has to rant and rave about the summer homework, I want to strangle these teachers.  What?  These kids don't get enough work during the year?  As the parent who has to rant and rave during the beginning of the school year, I understand that having this work over the summer keeps them focused so that the start of school isn't a huge change.  The year I had the summer school for the girls and some friends opened my eyes to that fact, but the problem with it is that you have to do a little bit of the summer work each week.  My oldest just wants to get it all done the last week of school in between our  scrambling to buy supplies and clothes.

This year the girls' summer work, especially my incoming freshman, is a load.  They have two books to read, one book is the same for both girls.  As soon as I got the information (sent via an email to the parents the week after school let out....explain that nonsense to me), I ordered the books.  They have been sitting on our dining room table since they arrived.  Darcy is the only one, besides myself, who has touched them.  She spent three days reading Animal Farm, a book she apparently read in her reading group this year.  She did this by combining it with another summer activity.

She figured that finishing the book would give her a few weeks of relaxation.  The only problem with that is she still has to annotate the book and write an essay.  She also has the other book to read which comes with a question and answer booklet that needs to be filled out.  Add history homework on top of that, and holy toledo, do teachers not think these students deserve some type of happiness?

Madison hasn't even looked at her work that I know of.  Her books have not been touched.  Darcy organized a study group this past weekend with some of the kids from her middle school who are entering the same program as her.  They met at Panera Bread and worked for four hours on the booklet; the same booklet that Madison has to do.  Aye yi yi!  I'm trying to stay out of it, but I'm not that good at doing so.

Last night I told the girls that starting this week they had to get up before ten and commit one hour a day, excluding weekends, on homework.  There was a lot of whining, especially from Darcy who feels she has been working (she has), but I thought it was a fair request.  As I write this it is after ten and despite my whistling and walking between the two rooms neither girl is up and at 'em.  I'm thinking of banging pots and pans or maybe using a squirt bottle to arouse them.  But I don't want to be that mom either.  It's summer, for heaven's sake!  They have to get up at 5 o'clock in the morning this school year and will be hit, especially Madison in this IB program, with so much work that pulling all-nighters is not unheard of. 

We have decided to take our usual jaunt to Indiana again this summer.  We will be driving this time and yes, that might just be a good time to do school work, but I know these girls.  They will be watching movies and playing on their electronics and homework will be last on the list.  Thus my new "one hour" rule.  I'm hoping this will all be done before we leave.  Something tells me to keep on dreaming.

Happy 2013 4th of July

Maddy worked hard on this cake for our dessert.  It was delicious, but the frosting was VERY sweet.  Didn't faze us though.

2013 Six month resolution

I score myself from 1 - 10 and tally up the scores, aiming for a perfect 50 points.  I've yet to ever get that 50, but I keep thinking that I will and that is what is important.

1. To get down to a certain weight (which will not be mentioned here for all to see) by eating healthy and exercising - Maintaining, but not loosing.  I'm exercising, but not regularly.  Guess that wasn't my intent when I signed up with this one.   Score: 5
2. To organize my schedule, my desk, my home, and finish the scanning/organizing of photos.  That means getting rid of stuff and boxing up and storing other stuff. - I would say that I'm doing about as well with this one as number 1.  Do a bit then I don't do anything.  Score:5
3. To work on my patience and try to not be so uptight.  To channel my inner Sharons, two people who I think handle life calmly -Think I'm still doing okay on this one.  Score: 6
4. To get into couponing to save money - Uh, not so great on this one.  Score:  1
5. To contribute more articles to Yahoo and Google and try to earn some cash - Yeah, haven't done this one either.  Oops. Score: 0

Total:  17 out of 50 points - Really dropped here at the halfway mark.  Guess that means I need to pay more attention, sort of poop or get off the pot.