LIttle Bit of This

August. Man! He's 11 and already I feel like he's on the roller coaster of change.
We just finished up our mid-winter break...thank the Lord! We had no plans so when Hazel came down with a terrible case of strep and August threw up we didn't have to cancel anything!! We also got to enjoy the sun most every day of the break. It was lovely. The house was warm, the dogs were creeping along the floor following the sun patches, just lovely.

August is in 5th grade and in 5th grade comes many things. B.O.? Yup, hit that milestone. Crushes? Well, he won't admit to any but there are plenty of girls who are crushing on him. Flash? What's Flash you ask? Well, it's the health curriculum that our school district teaches the 5th and 6th graders. And August starts his lessons this week. He's been pretty chatty about it, wondering what they'll tell the class and if it will be embarrassing. I've reassured him that the paperwork we've received from the school makes it sound very tame. It's more about what is going on in their bodies than anything else. And they separate the boys from the girls...I think he's glad about that but still feels pretty anxious.
In an effort to lighten his mood about it all we've been singing Flash by Queen and we found the above plaque while we were at the park this past weekend. It's just always on his mind right now.

With 5th grade also comes the middle school tours. Things have changed in our district so that now there is only one school your address can go to. Ours happens to be the largest middle school in the STATE! It's bigger than my high school. I thought I'd be freaked out when Trey and I went on the adult tour but I really had no feelings one way or the other. A few days later we toured the building during school hours with August. His eyes were wide the whole time. The programs this school has are pretty impressive. I think he felt inspired as we listened to the student band play...and it actually sounded like music!!
The above pictures are of the auditorium. How cool is that? Totally art deco. My sister-in-law would love it!

I mentioned earlier that we've been enjoying a huge sunny streak. It's been glorious. The dog parks have been full to the brim with happy dogs and their owners. After church on Sunday we loaded up the car and spent a good part of the afternoon at one of the bigger off leash parks and then went on a little adventure. This particular park has a huge off leash area that is surrounded by water on one side and an even bigger general park on the other. Hazel and I have spent many hours walking this park while we waited for August to finish up soccer practices and games. We had a wonderful Sunday and I think we were all ready to be healthy and back to our regular routine of going to school and play practice.

Rainy Day Girl

Hazel just posted a blog about her experience at Urgent Care check it out:

itshardbeingakid.blogspot.com

Hazel

Hazel is sick.
She complained about a sore throat once or twice on Saturday but she seemed fine. No fever, same energy level. We even met up with friends to see the new Percy Jackson movie and eat burgers. Sunday we ventured out to see Annie at the Paramount. I won't lie, she was pretty sick on Sunday but we gave her some children's Tylenol and she was OK to go tot he show.
Sunday night was rough. She woke up several times crying that her uvula hurt, yes, her uvula. At 6am I called the nurse helpline because she was drooling and unable to swallow. We've called the helpline before and every other time they've talked me down and suggested that we wait until her doctor can fit her in to see her. This morning they wasted no time. The woman on the other line asked if there were 2 adults in the house, she asked if we could both go to urgent care just in case Hazel stops breathing!! And if there was only one adult that I should call an ambulance.
August popped up as soon as I entered his room, threw on some clothes and was at the door. The whole family took Hazel to urgent care.
I was impressed how quickly they took care of Hazel. Once I said she couldn't breath and they saw her drooling they ushered her into a room.
Poor girl went through some throat numbing solution that really was a good idea but didn't work so they put an IV in her and gave her all the medicine that way.
In the end they said it was a terrible case of strep. She's had strep before but it's never been this bad. They gave her a steroid to make the swelling in her throat go down, a pain reliever to help her feel more comfortable (and help her sleep) and more antibiotics than I knew you could give a person.
We came home 2 hours later to a sleepwalking little girl. She slept for 3.5 hours and woke up asking for some food. Right now she's downstairs watching a movie with August.
And August? He's being so sweet to her. He even bought her a little bear that she's been carrying around for the last few days. And? He's delivered some of her Girl Scout Cookies for her...he's such a good big brother.

On My Honor

Hazel went from a Daisy to a Brownie today...anybody want some cookies?

The Story of He and She

It had been years since she'd felt so cared for, so loved.
They sat at the small table located in the corner. He insisted that she sit on the inside facing out so that he could gaze only at her.
She had been alone for a long time, never interested in dating. She spent her evenings either with her girlfriends or at home with her dog. Watching TV and talking about it at work the next day had become a social event in and of itself. She insisted that this was the choice she was making. To be alone. She never thought she'd find someone after all these years.
Her husband died in a traffic accident. He drove long distances for his job and was often away for a few days at a time. One day he left and never came back. She missed him everyday, even now, 10 years after he died.
They had a child, she and her husband. He's 18 now, totally independent and moving off to school in a month. Her son loved his mother. They were inseparable for years but now he was eager to be on his own. She knew this day would come and yet she finds herself unprepared for the silence that will follow his departure. Meeting this new man was helping the transition. She spent many nights on the phone and emailing him. Their conversations were effortless as they moved from how they spent their days to what they dreamt about.
They both had children in the same grade, this is how they met. At the beginning of the school year there was an open house. She noticed him of course, but she didn't think he looked her way. He looked her way. He wondered where her husband was and watched as couples claimed each other as they walked through the halls. She remained alone, hands clasped behind her back as she met her son's teacher. His eyes followed her throughout the night trying to determine her status. Then, she slipped out and was gone.
He caught himself thinking about her a number of times in the weeks that followed the open house. Even went so far as to ask his son if he knew her son.
There was no new information to be had. She slowly became a faint memory. And then, a few weeks ago he found himself back at the school completing some paperwork for the office. He walked quickly through the halls checking his phone for missed calls when he ran right into her. She was in the building for the same reason. It was perfect. He had to introduce himself. He had to invite her to coffee to apologize for making her drop her bag. It was the right thing to do.
She waited outside the office while he gathered what he needed from the school secretary. She wondered why she didn't feel uncomfortable agreeing to coffee with a man she'd just met. Of course she remembered him from all those months ago and she couldn't believe that fate had brought him smack dab into her life.
Their run-in turned into weekly meetings. Every Wednesday morning they'd meet at the coffee shop down the street from the school. And these meetings turned into evening engagements. She found herself canceling events with her girlfriends to be with him.
This was their first weekend away. The drive to Portland was perfect, traffic was light and the sun was shining. They'd planned the whole weekend out with shopping and restaurants and even a show.
They walked into Elephants Delicatessen excited for all the choices, holding hands and taking turns leading each other to one delicious item after the other. They finally agreed on getting the tomato orange soup and the two hearts one salad. Their orders were made and they made their way around to the tables.
She looked into his eyes as she reached across the table and held his hand. He leaned in to kiss her cheek making her feel safe, warm and loved.