Something About Boys

This weekend we had a little excitement. Our boys have this very cool rope swing tied to a tree in the yard. They spend hours out there swinging. Saturday, however, the rope broke with Riley in full swing. Somewhere during the time we were waiting for the paramedics, older brother confesses, "It's all my fault." Apparently they saw the rope was getting thin, and brother #1 thinks to dare brother #2 to try it before he does. So six paramedics in the bedroom, two climbing on the bunk to load Riley onto a back board, one ambulance ride, four x-rays, and one urine test later, we discover that Riley is just fine - though he had us very fooled with his constant falling asleep and motionless during the previous hours.

I keep hearing from others about what I'm in for with four boys. I agree. It does seem to becoming more routine. However, what I don't get is that with four boys, it seems to be the same one that keeps getting into these predicaments. I guess maybe the odds are just higher.

....and this morning I found him in the top of above mentioned tree, trying to reconfigure the rope swing.

The other boys have been intrigued this week with ants. Their latest epics include trying to capture fire ants without being stung and placing them in jars with black ants, just to see what they'll do to each other.

As a sidenote: I was reminded again how important it is to be on top of your own medical care. As Riley was being loaded onto the backboard, one of the EMT's was getting background information on Riley. I informed him of Riley's concussion last year and his major surgery in August and his kidney health history. However, when we got to the hospital, a different EMT passed us off to the nurse and informed her that Riley had no health history!! That particular EMT had never asked me anything. She had only talked to Riley. It was his health history that prompted further tests on his kidneys because of the area of his back that was hurting. Good grief!

Becoming Real

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near teh nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," Said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

I'm dreaming of a green April,
Just like the ones I used to know,
Where the tree tops flower
And rain drops shower,
And noone plays soccer in the snow...

Good grief!

New Ventures

Often, on my way to work, I make a quick call to take care of some business or just catch up with someone I haven't talked to in a while. It's a good 15 minutes to chat. Last night, I kissed my husband good-bye as he walked in from work, and then got in the car and called my HIM.

Today, I had to change my mop water three times before I got the tile washed.

So that should tell you a little bit about how life has been around here, and why I haven't been on the blog!

Bill started back at the golf course this week. He had a sit down with his boss about the timing of taking his PAT's, etc. He asked his boss to tell him what his main focus should be right now. His boss said, "Play golf." Poor thing. I'm thinkin' somebody ought to be coming home in a really good mood every day. This is my last week at my job, since Bill's new hours won't coincide with mine. I am really eager for a bit slower of a pace.

So I'm on my way to new adventures. I'm aspiring to order a current Writer's Market Guide and work on selling greeting card lines, then baby step to articles, etc. I know I can write more. But I'm just not getting it done. It will help just to get some bylines. In the meantime, I'm trying some e-bay ventures and just seeing what all I can do to bring in the same amount a week I was at my job. A new challenge!