THANKFUL THURSDAY -- On Friday -- Let the School Year Begin!

The fact that I'm posting this on Friday is evidence that I'm dragging my feet and trying to slow down the progression toward the first day of school. The old soul starts on Tuesday and the boys start on Wednesday. That gives me a mere 4 days -- including today -- to enjoy what's left of the summer with them. I realize I'm fighting a losing battle and school is inevitable. I also realize the fight is part of what's making me feel so sad. SO, I decided that my Thankful Thursday post needs to focus on the very topic that is robbing me of my happiness these past few days.... I need to look at all I have to be thankful for with the start of school....

[1] I'm thankful there are "free", high-quality public schools for my children to attend. Many countries, many parents and many children do not have that luxury. Even more so, I'm thankful that I have so many choices in how and where to address the special needs and education of my boys who happened to have been blessed with an extra 21st chromosome (aka Down syndrome). Again, not all are as lucky as I am living here in Nassau County, NY... We have so many wonderful choices that I get to choose which works best for my boys' and my family's needs.

[2] I'm thankful for the time I will have to bring some much-needed focus back to taking care of myself. I have been remiss in doing so and the start of school will allow me a smidgen of time to exercise and eat better, which will help manage my stress and make me a better parent to my children and a better wife to my husband.

[3] That "free" time while the kids are at school -- all of maybe 3 1/2 hours -- will also afford me the opportunity to work on finishing some unfinished business around the house. I don't mean laundry and vacuuming, ladies. I'm talking insulating and Sheetrocking walls, taping and spackling, painting, tiling the bathtub (not retiling, mind you. It is currently plastic sheets hanging over duroc), installing a back splash in the kitchen, window trim throughout the extension (not curtains but wood framing) and final electrical and plumbing inspections that are holding us back from getting our Certificate of Occupancy. These projects will also make us eligible for an 8-year home improvement tax break!!!! You're thinking that gives them (local government) a way to raise my taxes? Guess what? Even without the C of O, they've already raised my taxes on the unfinished living space we added. The only thing I'm missing out on now is the tax break and the peace of mind that comes with living in a finished home versus an eternal construction zone LOL!

[4] Having the kids back in school will reinstitute reasonable bedtimes and life-routines for all of us that will most certainly relieve me of my bad-mom guilt. Like feeling bad about the kids still being in their PJs at noon. Don't gasp too loud (yet)... They were up late last night due to late naps after a long day at the pool and so slept in past 9 this morning. So, it's only been a few hours of PJs. For those of you whose children wake at 6, that's like getting them dressed around 8.... Not so far from reasonable... right? Please agree or I'll have to take to the couch with a wet compress on my head and schedule a double with our elusive social worker. LOL... just kidding. Why dress them in clothes just to redress them in bathing suits for the beach in 1/2 an hour???

[5] Starting school will also make me get up, shower, get fully and respectably dressed and paint my face to drive the kids in to their respective schools. Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up totally, walking around in my skivvies all day. Just that having a schedule and a reason makes me complete the task of putting a good and finished face on for the world that might otherwise take me nearly all day to accomplish... For instance, what's the point of make-up when you're going to the beach? I don't know about you but even my waterproof mascara runs at the beach and pool!

[Bonus Thanks] I can do my store errands without the kids. I used to love taking the kids to the stores -- like BJ's Warehouse -- to expose them to more stuff and people. BUT, 4-year-old twins that don't want to ride in the stroller anymore, who often don't want to obediently follow Mommy around the store and would rather go exploring is wearing. Honestly, I'll do without the milk before I venture into the store with my 3 kids in tow these days. With school in session, I don't have to worry anymore!

As I finish this up I realize there are lots of benefits for me and the kids to the start of school. And, lots of good stuff to look forward to as well... I won't go into it but suffice it to say that thinking thankful has certainly helped give me a brighter outlook... even if it only lasts for the time it takes me to type this. That's 15 minutes less of whining and complaining that the summer is ending.

Rest assured, I'm making the most of what's left. I'm just sorry it's not an Endless Summer! For now, we're off to the beach.

A Tender Mother-Child Moment Brings Tears to My Eyes

Not sure if you've noticed but my random happy/funny thoughts seem to be waning with the days of summer. The school stress left behind in the classroom in June started to creep back in as the days of August ticked away. The countdown back to school began on the first day of the boys' summer, August 15th, and the ticking of that clock -- which, sadly, only lasts 3 short weeks -- has become maddening. I don't want summer to end yet! I'M not ready! Heck, for the boys summer has barely JUST begun!!!! I'm bummed and, as such, I don't laugh as much as I want to, or should, these final lazy days of summer. I'm dwelling a bit too much on the inevitable return to the school grind... just like I did when I was a kid. Thankfully, I'm still able to find those pockets of joy and opportunities to laugh here and there! And let me tell you, this past Tuesday, I found one and belly-laughed all the way home from the Bronx Zoo.

Yes, I went to the Bronx Zoo AGAIN. I have one of those amazing 5-NYC-attractions Wildlife Conservation Society memberships. The way you make those worthwhile is by going to the zoos and aquariums... A LOT! So, there we were, back at THE BRONX ZOO -- which I highly recommend, if you haven't been -- looking at the gorillas. I love the gorillas. They're just amazingly human-like creatures and I enjoy watching them almost as much as I enjoy people-watching. As a matter of fact, I was mesmerized watching the people watch the gorillas.

So there we were, back at our gorilla family window where Mama Gorilla and her youngun' were relaxing in the afternoon sun. Little gorilla decided to move to a shady spot and, in doing so, happened past Mama gorilla's ledge. The young gorilla stopped right in front of her mama, they looked lovingly into each others' amber-brown eyes, gently kissed, then tenderly hugged each other, each softly patting the other's back -- a gesture my boys and I perform multiple times daily -- before the baby continued past to her final destination.

The 15-person crowd simultaneously crooned, "AWWWWWWWW". The moment was so tender, it moved many of the onlookers to act in kind (monkey see, monkey do?). Hugs were being shared all around. Even my sons -- despite, or maybe because of, their special needs -- recognized the loving touch and followed along. Michael, who was standing beside his friend, Caitlin, put his arm around her waist and leaned in for a hug that was gladly reciprocated. Brian, who was on my hip, wrapped his little arms tightly around my neck and kissed me gently. My friend, Tammy... Well, TAMMY WAS BAWLING. LOL! Her eyes were welling up with tears as fast as she could wipe them away. As I looked over at her, she wiped them again and said, "Mike (her husband) is totally going to make fun of me for this! I'm such a mush!" We both broke up laughing. As a matter of fact, I was laughing so hard that I was crying too!

Every time I think of the beautiful tender moment shared between mother and child...

I start laughing! STILL! Thanks Tammy. I soooo needed that!

Special Exposure Wednesday -- Summer Is As Summer Does

More Special Exposures at 5 Minutes for Special Needs!

Our Butterflies Are Free To Fly!

Butterflies are one of the most beautiful gifts of nature I know. Their striking colors and effortless flight make me feel free to fly myself... in my own way, my own direction. The mystery of the Monarch's flight home to it's roosting grounds, 4 generations removed from ever having been there, knowing just exactly when and where to go engages me. They make this age-old journey hundreds of miles and countless hours away to a place they've never been but have been preprogrammed to return to so that their kind continues to exist. Surely, this is nothing short of miraculous!

My daughter, the old soul, is equally enchanted by the butterfly. And so, was very excited when her 2nd grade class raised Painted Lady butterflies last year. She was even more ecstatic to be gifted her very own butterfly house by her all-knowing and loving aunt. Out of season, Olivia waited patiently for the "right time" to raise her own butterflies.

Being an outdoors[wo]man, I am hesitant about taking God's creatures from their natural habitat and holding them captive for any reason but to heal a wound or protect them from predators. (I know this last part is in the natural order of things, I just don't want to be witness to it.) Still, at Olivia's insistence, I hesitatingly agreed and we ordered her "pillars" as she playfully referred to them, for delivery on return from our recent camping trip. The small box, clearly marked "this end up", was upside down and so were our 5 caterpillars, surrounded by their life-saving gelatinous caterpillar food. We righted the cup and found a spot on our overcrowded counters for yet another of Olivia's science projects in process.

According to the instructions, we had 7 to 10 days of caterpillar-ness before our new friends -- of COURSE she named them: Pumpkin, Dino, Catrina Cat, Elizabeth Anne and Tinker Bell -- finished spinning their silks and hung themselves appropriately from the roof of the cup. Extraordinary quiet was required as they built their iridescent chrysalides where their metamorphosis would occur. In just 5 days, and under Olivia's watchful eyes, the first part of the transformation was well underway when I heard her gasp... one of the chrysalid had fallen. According to her teacher, this was suicide and the fallen comrade was already doomed... 2 days passed as we looked on with concern. Olivia being she and me being me, we determined that the fallen chrysalid was worth saving... Or at least attempting to save. As per the instructions, we gently removed the paper disc where 4 of the chrysalides remained, then we carefully spooned the fallen chrysalid out of the caterpillar food. Startling us as it wiggled mightily, seemingly attempting to wiggle itself into a hanging position again, we gently wrapped some of the remaining silk threads around its curled top and -- because the silk is sticky like Velcro -- rehung the supposedly-sleeping-but-clearly-awake creature on the disc with it's siblings. We gently paper clipped the disc to the side of Olivia's butterfly tree house and set it back in its protective and quiet corner -- if that's possible to find in our home -- to incubate. All was quiet! Once hung, even the reborn chrysalid quieted down immediately in preparation for her (Elizabeth Ann) miraculous metamorphosis.

Another 7-10 days of waiting! On day 4, as she had done every single day since they arrived, Olivia bounded down the stairs to check in on her butterfly children. "Mom! The butterflies hatched! There are 5 butterflies! WE SAVED HER!" She laughed at their cute little fuzzy faces, their buggy eyes and how they moved their heads like robots to look around their new home. It was wonderful to watch as they slowly flapped their newly minted wings to dry. FIVE perfect Painted Ladies!

If you're not familiar with the Painted Lady, she is a small Monarch-look-alike. Though not poison to its predators like the Monarch is, the Painted Lady mimics the grand Monarch for its own protection. As Olivia explains it, "it dresses up like a Monarch so it doesn't get eaten. A predator says, 'I don't want to eat that! The last time that thing made me sick!' And, as Olivia is my co-writer here, she'd also like to add some Painted Lady facts: Did you know that Painted Ladies have 10,000 eyes and they can travel 1,000 miles over the course of their lifetime? True!

Back to our butterfly-raising instructions... We learned that our friends need cut flowers sprinkled with a home-made sugar solution to mimic the morning dew. Still in pajamas, Olivia and I cut some of the HUGE yellow flowers -- we have no idea what they are -- from our garden and a few blooms from her new butterfly bush. We spooned the sugar water onto the flowers, placed the flowers in small containers with water to sustain them and placed them carefully in the bottom of their butterfly habitat, careful not to crush any of our friends in the placement. It was Catrina Cat, we think, that came to investigate first. And, she was eventually followed by all of her siblings. They chased each other around the netted pen, up and down the walls, under and over the flowers, tasting the sugar water dew on the flowers with their feet -- because that's how Painted Ladies taste things -- and sipping with their deep purple proboscis -- a long butterfly tongue that's like a little wire robot. The butterfly's mouth opens up and the long swirled proboscis uncoils down to the flower's nectar, poking in and out to suck up the sweet juice.

Olivia called them her butterfly sailors because when they closed their wings they looked like sail boats, she said -- appropriate, as our school teams are the Oceanside Sailors. The gentle wind of Olivia's breath as she spoke softly to them would cause their wings to flap gently as if smitten with her natural breeze. Such a Beautiful sight! Olivia and her FIVE Painted Lady butterflies... We were both so relieved they were all alive and well.

I noticed, they did not fly yet. Perhaps too young. Perhaps too trapped, I thought! Almost immediately I wanted to let them go. My heart ached for their freedom. But, hurricane remnant rain pummeled our neighborhood throughout the day. Now, I'm not sure what I think wild butterflies do when it rains (sounds like a topic for a good children's book) but Olivia had relayed a story about one of her classroom butterflies accidentally landing in water which caused its wing to rapidly disintegrate and the poor thing died. Desperate now to have all 5 of her butterflies go free, I would not, could not take that chance. So, they were held captive.... Quietly clinging to their netted -- versus gilded -- cage waiting, begging for their freedom.

Butterflies -- Day 2: Though it started out raining, the sun finally managed to break through right about the noon hour and we began discussing the release of her butterflies. Olivia explained that their classroom butterflies were held for several days, but I quickly convinced her that, just as people can't eat yodels for every meal, a butterfly cannot live healthily on sugar water either. And, with their small bodies and short lives -- Painted Ladies live only a few weeks -- I wanted her babies to have good nutritionally-sound butterfly food (live flowers and nectar) and to live as much of their lives as possible in freedom. Once I'd put it that way, Olivia wholeheartedly agreed. But, she worried, did we have enough flowers and enough variation in our own garden to support 5 growing Painted Ladies? After all, our butterfly bush was just a baby itself and had only a few blooms. So we began to discuss where her new children could be set free. Who had an abundant garden nearby so that we wouldn't have to transport them far and we could visit them or they could visit us, maybe? Together we named several worthy flower gardens in the area and Olivia quickly chose Grandma's friend, Helene's garden around the block because she knew that garden had been planted specifically with butterflies in mind. Delectable flowers meandered from the front yard, down the driveway and into the back yard where 2 huge butterfly bushes and a row of milkweed (a butterfly favorite Helene had picked from the neighborhood creek) grew tall and wild.

Helene is a friend of my mother's whose whole family has been in MY life since I was about 6 years old. Herb, Helene's husband who passed away many years ago, was the first person to take me camping (outside of my own backyard) and was instrumental in building my love for camping and increasing my knowledge of the great outdoors (not to mention instilling a sense that people with handicaps were capable of absolutely anything... being a double amputee himself. But that's a different story about another angel that graced my life). We knew that Helene sits on her porch every morning admiring her garden and watching a wide array of butterflies come and go. So, we called Helene and asked her permission to free Olivia's babies in her garden. She was thrilled with the idea noting that she had not seen any Painted Ladies in her garden yet. Olivia's would be her first!

The very moment they were carried outside still in their tree house, the butterflies took flight instinctively... quickly learning the confines of their netted world. Their first flight!!!

As a family, we walked over to Helene's house... Daddy, Mommy, Brian, Michael, Bubba and Molly (the dogs), and Olivia and her butterflies -- Pumpkin, Dino, Catrina Cat, Elizabeth Ann, and Tinker Bell. Upon arrival and deciding just where they'd be set free, Olivia carefully unzipped their temporary home and hand-delivered each of her babies to perch on the biggest bloom of the biggest butterfly bush. One by one, they tasted, then drank, then flew away to investigate their new world... testing their new freedom without confines. Up, up and away!

It was a wonderful thing to be able to raise them and then let them go. The whole experience gave me a brief glimpse into the future. My future. Into the inevitable growing up and physical letting go of my children someday. It was comforting to know the butterflies were now free to live their lives as they were meant to. Olivia and I were only here to briefly give her butterfly sailors a safe harbor to grow up in. Yes, I worry for their safety. Do they know how to survive out there? Can they protect themselves from predators? Will they find enough food/flowers to eat? Will they have shelter from the rain? I wonder, as I'm sure Olivia does, whether I'll ever see them again.

In the end, I have learned a deeper understanding of the adage, "if you love something... set it free!"


Note: All of the butterflies pictured are Olivia's Painted Ladies

THANKFUL THURSDAY - Thankful For What I've Got!

It's easy to overlook all you've got when you look over the fence and see a neighbor's new mini-van or home construction going on down the block or even the kick-butt wardrobes and super-mod coifs on fellow townsfolk. Me? I tell myself the mini-van is leased and our old one is paid for. I acknowledge that we have our beautiful extension even if we didn't finish it yet. And, those clothes and that hairdo are nice but they so aren't my style or wouldn't look good on me. All true. Still, envy can creep in and lead to forgetfulness. That is, I forget to be thankful for what I've got! And, I've got a lot...

[1] I'm thankful for an honest, hard-working and loving husband. Like everyone else, we hit rough spots on occasion. But, he's my hubby and I wouldn't trade him for yours or anyone else's I've seen. No offense meant to any of your husbands. I'm just acknowledging that "the Sarg" is just my style and fits me perfectly! I'm so thankful to have him.

[2] My house is a home. Our beloved, 200-year-old historical, as-yet-unfinished Bayman's Cottage. It may be half done for the rest of my life but there is a certain, "come in, sit down, kick-off your shoes" kind of comfort here. Friends and loved ones have said they feel the warmth and welcome of our home. That's what I'm thankful for.

[3] I am not necessarily all that I would like it to be, physically. Actually, I'm more than I would like to be in many ways (LOL). That is, I wish I were thinner, more physically fit, younger (LOL). I wish I could better accept myself just the way I am. That's always been hard for me but I'm working not only on acceptance but on achieving a healthier me too. In the meantime, despite my wishes for a different physical me, I am so thankful for the health and vitality I have. Truly. I am strong. I am able. I don't ache (all that much once I get moving). I am healthy. For 46, I'm all right and I am so grateful for it!

[4] I couldn't ask for better pets! I've got kid-friendly, other-creature/pet-friendly, neighbor-friendly dogs, cats and even fish (morning greetings at the top of the tank). They're great watch dogs and watch cats (oddly) all four alerting us to everything and anything out of the ordinary that's going on outside our home or the homes of our neighbors. They're always loving and tolerant with the kids. And, Miss Molly Box has finally got the hang of toileting outside and chewing bones instead of household furniture and accessories. LOL! With my kids being who they are -- albeit gently, they are lovey dovey to all the animals, all the time -- I'm so thankful that I have no worries about scratches or bites. Of course, I watch... after all, they are animals. But nary an aggressive sound or move has been made by any of our pets to any person living in or invited into our home be it adult or child. Now if I could just keep Michael from letting Molly out the front door all the time. Or, maybe I should work on Molly not taking him up on his offer... or both (I guess).

[5] I believe I've got more in my 3 children than all the children in the world combined. Down syndrome and all! They are so awesome and so mine and I could not be more thankful. Honestly, this is one I NEVER forget to thank God for. Multiple times daily as one or more of my children look me in the eye and say, "Come Mama" with a kiss, a hug and a tug of my hand; as they play and [play]fight -- sword fights, school, catch me, crafts and raspberries; as the boys learn to swim in our backyard pool choosing their sister "Ala" (Olivia) as their destination; as they close their eyes and drift off to sleep each with their own style, I thank God for giving me Olivia and Brian and Michael. As I say in my Profile, I learn more from my children on a daily basis than I learned in all my years preceding motherhood. No offense to the teachers in my childhood who taught me academics -- all important -- or my mentors in Corporate America who gave me business saavy (if I may be so bold as to say I actually have any of that). It's just that my children are teaching me more about life, more about living, more about honesty and integrity and hope and faith every day than I ever imagined possible. More, even, than my adult brain can absorb... but I'm trying like heck! My parents gave me a good foundation in these all-important areas and my kids are finishing off the job with real-life examples of living graciously, thankfully, faithfully, mindfully. And, I'm enjoying my life lessons with these beautiful angels of mine!

Forget what's over the fence. The grass is greenest when you're comfortably barefoot in your own backyard! Be mindful, then thankful, for what you've got and never mind the rest.

Down Syndrome Awareness -- When a House is a HOME!

I have 4-year-old identical twin boys. They don't always listen (LOL). Now there's a shock, huh? They also HAPPEN to have been blessed with an extra 21st chromosome -- also known as Down syndrome. Some would claim that they don't listen to instruction or follow direction because they do not fully understand the language. Sure, there's a language delay. But, no, I do not attribute their occasional unwillingness to listen or follow directions to their language delay or any cognitive deficiency (though I find there are others that do). Did you notice that I used the term "unwillingness" versus "inability". They're able! As a matter of fact, most of the time, they listen quite well. If they didn't, they'd likely be dead or severely injured... You see, they tune right in to the word "danger" and stop dead in their tracks when I use it! Even when it's a situation they've never encountered. They know that danger can be generalized to many different situations and it's something to avoid. Yeah, they're little smarties. They generalize at all the right times and specialize when appropriate too. I'm absolutely sure they UNDERSTAND the language just fine!

Nope, I NEVER underestimate my young, language-delayed children's ability to understand. Language development can be a tough thing to test with all the counterparts and complications including receptive and expressive language, oral motor functioning, muscle tone, articulation and phonological components and more. Different levels of ability and/or issues in any one or more of these areas as well as the tester/testee relationship significantly impacts the ability to accurately measure language development. My children are expressive language delayed. That is, they don't express themselves -- specifically via speech -- very well for children their age. Actually, they express themselves VERY well. They are full-body communicators -- using speech, sign language, pointing, props, acting out like charades and dragging me to whatever it is they want me to see or understand. Whatever it takes. But, given some of their issues include oral-motor planning (getting their mouths to do what their brain is thinking/wanting to say in a way that is recognizeable by the listener), low facial muscle tone (an "o" is harder to produce so they don't do it so often), and articulation (making it sound the way everybody else says it... understandable to the general public not just Mom). With all of these expressive language issues, receptive language becomes a bit tougher to test too. Often because the tester doesn't understand their response. But, let me tell you, as I said before, I have no doubt that my children with Down syndrome are absolutely able to comprehend our language... They even understand the subtle nuances of our language...

For instance, they know and understand way more than just the dictionary definition of a noun like "home".

We went camping last weekend. On day two of our trip and at a particularly fatiguing point in his day, Michael asked me longingly, "Home?" Said with just the right inflection to let me know that he was asking whether we were going home now so he could finally rest his weary camping bones. With a kiss and a hug, I responded, "Yes, we'll go back to the camper and rest". He leaned back down in the stroller for the walk and meekly mumbled, "nooo". I thought then, incorrectly, that he was fighting sleep. I meandered back to our campsite hoping he'd fall asleep en route... to no avail. Still wide awake, I took him inside the camper and plopped him down at the table offering him his favorite comfort-foods, apple juice and [Tostito] chips. Even with his beloved chips in hand, he more emphatically pleaded, "HOOOME?" Again, I acknowledged with a hug and explained that the camper was our home for the next few days... He hesitated -- briefly considering my answer and studying my face for better understanding (me of him, not vice verse). Then, with a determined squint of his eyes he said, "No.... HOUSE!"

He wanted to go home to his house not home to his camper. He understood the whole time we were there that the camper was our [temporary] home. I know because he used it like a home-base. Always wandering about (loosely supervised with a "Let's see what Squirt does flying solo" approach) and always coming back to OUR camper.... Home! But, when he said "home" in the pleading and different way that he said it, the camper is NOT what HE was trying to express! He knew what I meant -- we were headed for the camper -- and he knew I wasn't getting HIS meaning. So, he thought about it and finally expressed himself accordingly. In a way I could not possibly misunderstand!

They "so totally rock, dude!"

Special Exposure Wednesdays -- Twins!

Our Twin Cats (same litter, different eggs)!



Our Twin Boys (same litter, same egg)!

Our Twin Egg?

I have twin boys and twin cats then Liv happened upon this twin egg while camping. I'd never seen that before! Seems twins just happen to us!

More Special Exposure Wednesdays at 5 Minutes For Special Needs!

THANKFUL THURSDAY - Camping & Home-Coming

We just returned from a camping trip to Hammonassett Beach State Park with my extended paternal cousins in Connecticut. My family does this trip every year and we enjoy it immensely. There's nothing like camping with 33 of your closest friends and family. That said, my Thankful Thursday post reflects on this year's experience:


[1] I KNOW miracles happen! And, I am terribly grateful for the miracle of the '95 Viking Pop-Up that FELL INTO MY LAP on Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM!!!! When I gave up on Friday morning on the idea of buying a pop-up camper for our trip on Saturday, after 4 intense days of hunting, I had resigned myself -- and my hubby and 3 kids -- to another year of camping in the tent... Albeit a HUGE 3-room tent. But, a tent is still ON the ground with nowhere to sit and nowhere to stand upright, sagging air mattresses and indoor morning dew.... and no shelter from the inevitable rain that comes EVERY time I camp. As I shut down the computer lest it distract me from the night of packing I had ahead of me, Craigslist refreshed and this beautiful, if-not-old, pop-up camper literally popped-up on my screen. It was JUST what I'd been looking for and in my price range. The rest is [recent] history... We miraculously got a trailer hook-up installed on the mini-van by 10:30 Saturday morning, made the new neice's christening with time to kill, and officially got hitched to our new, old camper by 7:00pm Saturday night... Driving straight through to Connecticut and immediately putting it to good use, comfortably housing my family of 5 just 2 hours later and for the next 4 days. There is a God!


[2] AND, I'm ever so grateful that IT DIDN'T RAIN! For the first time in MY camping history I have a roof over my head and it didn't rain!!!! How's that for irony! We had beautiful, sunny camping and swimming weather the entire 4 days. Yeah!



[3] I'm thankful for every one's help in making this trip possible: For my brother's assistance in how to more effectively search Craigslist for pop-ups versus popups or trailers versus campers. For my mother's and my sister's care of my dog, Csiba, two cats, Tippy & Willow, and 6 fish (Julio, Gianni, Dotty, Madison, Cocoa and... and... ??? gotta ask the old soul). For the care of our veterinarian, Dr. Foy, and staff, at Terry Animal Hospital, of our other dog, Molly, whose eyes need special and constant care. For our friends, Tammy and Mike who supplied us with camper-gear (being new pop-up campers we were woefully under-equipped), fed us, watched our kids when they invaded their camp and trailer AND entertained us... as they always do. Thanks, too, to my cousin, Steve, who helped with the set-up (being a pop-up man himself) and who lent tools, utensils and beer throughout the trip and to cousin (in-law) John and cousin Sue who lovingly and gladly shared beer and food with us and our friends as well. I'm also genuinely thankful to Kelly, the camper man who waited patiently for us on Saturday to show up to buy his old pop-up at 11:00... no 4:30... no 5:30... oops, we're lost... 6:30, finally! -- all with a smile! And, for the fact that he kept his camper in such good shape for us. I'm thankful too that the mini-van that our friends Jan and Lori helped us buy 4 years ago (off EBay when my beloved Blazer couldn't fit 3 car-seats across the back for our new twins and old soul) had the power to pull the new camper easily! Yup, God is good to surround us with such good and helpful friends.




[4] I'm thankful that my children's and my pre-camping colds were held at bay and did not flourish into anything desperate while we were living at one with nature. Matter of fact, seems the little man and I actually recovered during the trip. Must have been somewhat relaxing then (versus stressful which never helps the recovery process). And, though the old soul and my big man are still fighting the tail-end of a good fight, they're not in particular discomfort as a result of our foray into the woods. It's just a cold, after all... and it stayed that way... just a cold. Thank God!


[5] I'm thankful to Tammy and Sammy for bringing along Sammy's old 2-wheeler bicycle for my old soul. I purposely didn't pack her training-wheeler just so she would give the 2-wheel thing a real and honest try. No, it wasn't a trick. She knew she was going to be trying a 2-wheeler... She just didn't know her training-wheeler wouldn't be available. Within half an hour of starting, she was riding all over the campgrounds, literally! Though it did take her a day to master the brakes, her shoes worked just fine until she mastered that skill too! AND, TODAY SHE IS A 2-WHEEL-BICICYLE-RIDING-CHICK! She did it without much help and without a single crash, fall or injury (that's her way). Hooray!!!!!!





As much fun as we had, I am SOOO thankful to be home. We all are. Truly, as comfortable as the new, old pop-up is... there is no place like home!