Oh yeah...

I meant to tell you that I set the Roomba loose in the toy room. It came back and told me that my kids are pigs.

Follow-up to our Sleepover

Remember how I mentioned that Macon had a friend spend the night and how he almost never gets to have kids over?? Well, it may be a long time for the next one, thanks to the Silverleaf gossip mill!! Macon woke us up the night Ryan stayed, throwing up. He threw up at least once an hour all night. Ryan woke up around 8:45 and David basically chucked him in the car and drove him home. Macon didn't eat anything but 5 small crackers yesterday. He took a loooong nap and then still went to bed around 8pm. He slept through the night and has tried to eat everything in the house today. In fact, he just called up here asking for a snack. He is still in his pj's (his choice) and we have played our new electronic Monopoly game. I am proud to say that I have not yet run out of money but Macon owns all the expensive properties so I am sure that will change.

The big kids are still gone. The girls were going to come home yesterday but with the sickness, I asked if they could stay one more night. Now, they ditched me and aren't coming until tomorrow (Today is Lee's birthday). David is running his drug/alcohol group tonight and won't be home until 9 so I asked Mom and Dad to come eat dinner. I have ham, black-eyed peas, collards and cornbread. Obviously, I was expecting a crowd, not just me and Macon!! We have been invited to a party in the neighborhood that includes kids but with the recent upchucking, I think just David is going to go. Clemson plays tonight at 7:30pm and I'll be watching it. Good thing Macon doesn't realize that it is New Year's Eve and I can go ahead and put him to bed like normal. He would be a bear the next day if he doesn't get enough sleep.

David is off tomorrow so hopefully it doesn't rain and he can get the lights off the house. I love the way it looks but come January I am ready for it to come down. We have a lot going on between Market for Mom's stores, David's test, and our trip to Maryland (is it snowing there??). The last weekend in January, our school has its annual Family Clay night. You purchase clay, make it into something (we have lots of bowls at our house), paint it, then the art department fires it and returns it to you. It's a lot of fun and because it isn't PTA sponsored, I get to relax and enjoy it. So busy, busy January but mostly fun stuff.

Oh yeah, I forgot, Camp Willow Run applications come out Jan. 26th. We will be first in line this year, I hope. The kids have loved it immensely and I enjoy going back to visit. Brings back fond memories!!

The Calm after the Storm

Christmas is over, even thought the decorations are still up!! It has been raining here so David has not taken down the outside stuff and I have been too busy/lazy to do the inside. I think tomorrow will be a good day since we have played with all the toys!!

The big kids are gone for the weekend so Macon had a friend come play today and then sleep over. David went upstairs a little bit ago and found the two of them in the same bed, Ryan on his stomach and Macon on his back, arms flung out. Very cute when you are six, not so cute when you are 38 (David sleeps sprawled out). Poor Macon gets left out of the friends' thing a lot. The big kids can just go from house to house to house but Macon, we have to call and set it up. Plus, all of his friends are the youngest in the family and I think we Moms are tired a lot. Anyway, I am trying to do better because he really likes having boys his age around.

The big news is that we got a Wii from Santa. It's sad to say but David and I have played it more than the kids. We have never had any type of game system so this is super exciting for us. Except we have now realized that our family room is not big enough for four people to play tennis. Our friends were over tonight after a dinner at Fuddrucker's. Terese conked Ryan in the head with the controller while swinging at the tennis ball. He now sports a knot on his forehead. Otherwise, she is a good mother.

The other big news is I got a Roomba for Christmas. Yes, it was actually on my list. Our friends, Andy and Miriam have one in Florida and when we visitied, I was very impressed with how well it cleaned. So far, it has found a book under the sofa in the family room, hangers under the one in the living room and a whole bunch of dust and dog hair hiding under the chairs. Next, I am going to let it loose in the kids rooms and see if we can find some missing socks.

David will be taking his Praxis (a professional exam for teachers) in January and, if he passes, will then become hireable (is that a word?) in South Carolina as a teacher of emotionally handicapped students. I questioned his ability to teach but then he has reminded me that he has been counseling kids with these problems for 10 years. Sometimes it is hard for me to realize that he has a whole nother life out there that I am not a part of. He leaves in the morning and comes home at night without me helping at all. Well, other than making his lunch occassionally. I guess because I have never had a "real" job I don't relate to that part of his day. But, he is a real professional who currently supervises almost 60 people serving over 1500 clients. I guess that means he can do his job well!! Too bad he is bogged down in boring paperwork and not getting paid what we would like. You know it must be bad if he is considering teaching as a better-paying job.

School starts back next Thursday and while I have really enjoyed having this break, it will be nice to get back to our routine. I think David and I are going to have a grown-up night with the Wii. Kick the kids out, move the furniture around and try not to whack each other in the heads!!

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

The Rushton's excitement, one could not douse

The church clothes were hung by the bed with care

In hopes that all would soon be dressed without snare

The children were wrestled all snug in their seats

And we were off to the church to sing with a beat

And Perry and family lead a wonderful prayer

For all of us to remember the Son Mary did bear...

When, out of the church, our tummies like beasts

Off to Grammy and Papa's for a delicious feast!

Long ago, when young, Papa's mother did cook

Yummy seafood casserole, and so, by the book

Grammy will fix it for her family

The same great dish derived from the sea

Then home again, home again, home again quick

For it is time to get ready for jolly St. Nick

More rapid than computers the children they came

And Mom whistled and shouted and called them by name

"Now, Hannah! now Knox! now Katy and Macon!

On David, let's hurry, you think this's vacation?

To your rooms in the house! to your warm, comfy beds!

Now dash away, dash away, lay down your sweet heads!"

As the cookies were placed on a plate by the fire

and carrots and celery, for that's what reindeers desire

New jammies for all 'cause last year's they outgrew

And little voices insist, "Mom and Dad, go to bed too!"

And then, in a twinkling, they heard on the street

The jingling and jangling of bells on his feet

Down the road St. Nicholas came with a bound

With cars driving past and honking their sounds

He was smaller than last year, with no loot to boot

And his clothes were quite shabby, like a second-hand suit

But the children believed and Mom and Dad sighed

"Not too many more years" as a tear fell from their eye

Then, into the darkness, he disappeared

and our children screeched out "Will he come back here?"

As we got them tucked in their soft warm beds

And thanked God for the Present, my little ones said

"This year's the best, Mom, keep on the night-light"

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!!!

and the Conclusion!!

Well, the real conclusion is...I found the stupid stocking!! I was pulling Christmas presents out of my closet to finish wrapping tonight while David is at work and, lo and behold, it was down in the corner. Why?? Who knows how it got there. Anyway, that means NO going out to a store tomorrow!!

The previous story, titled "A Year Without a Stocking", is a fictionalized event. All characters are purely figments of the author's imagination and do not reflect real life. The child named Hannah would NEVER be so awful to her mother and the mother would never be harried on Christmas ;)

"The Christmas Without A Stocking"

Once upon a time there was a young lady named Hannah (I have it on good authority that this young lady is certainly not a child anymore). Hannah was very excited about Christmas because she had asked for all new, all expensive presents that every 'tween child, I mean, young lady that ever stands a chance of having friends or, more importantly, a boyfriend, would ever need. Only one thing stood in her way of the perfect Christmas....her overworked, overwrought, very evil mother. This awful person had done the impossible. She had LOST Hannah's stocking. Now, it didn't matter that the stocking was one of those red felt ones with the white fur trim that this same evil person had purchased at the exclusive and tawny store, Garden Ridge, for a ridiculous price of .99 cents. It didn't matter that Hannah's name had been very carefully applied in red glitter across the soft fur by the unsteady hand of her terrible mother. What mattered most was that Hannah and only Hannah (not her better-loved siblings) had no stocking for Christmas morning. What's an evil mother to do??? Well, this mother will be heading out into the fray to find a CVS, another very exclusive store, to purchase a stocking for her beloved daughter two days before Christmas morn so that it may be filled with all the wonderous things a stocking can hold....oranges and impossible-to-crack nuts. The conclusion of our story finds the harried but still evil mother grumbling about Christmas and the beloved but now slightly scarred daughter having something to discuss with her therapist when she gets older.

To be continued....

Late as usual!!

Wow...I said not like Jonathan and yet, here I am, a month later, trying to pretend that I am on the ball. Actually, nothing is on the ball right now. Our Christmas tree is still not decorated. The kids have been gone every weekend in December so far, either to the exes or Hannah's swim meet. On the bright side, David and I have bought every single Christmas present without the use of a credit card. NO MORE DEBT is our new slogan.

Hannah just competed in her first out of town meet. It was kinda neat because it was in Rock Hill, which is where I started college, met Lee and fled after three years. Lee's mom was able to come and see her swim though. Hannah had her best meet ever, dropping seconds like it was nothing. So much so, that her coach has decided to move her up to the next training group. I get this email about it and print it to show Hannah. She was reading a bedtime story to Macon that night so when she was done, I went in to say prayers with Macon and handed the email to Hannah on her way out. She closed the door, I turned out Macon's light, knelt down to start prayers and hear Hannah say, "Yes!" Then I feel the floor start to shake and paper begin to rattle as she does a happy dance in the hallway. Needless to say, she was excited.

Last night, Hannah had two girls spend the night. I was gone when they arrived, picking Katy up from a birthday party and driving her back to Lee's to spend the night there. When I got back, David was playing Monopoly with the giggling girls. I remember when we first got serious about dating, he asked me why the girls made that noise. "What noise?" as silly sounds emanate from the other room. "That noise....the high-pitch sound coming from their little bitty lips" Oh, the sounds of little girls and here he is making them giggle by pretending to have stolen their Monopoly money. What a long way we have come in seven years!!

I have three parties to attend this week, a cookie swap, Bunco and a couples' party Saturday night. Thank goodness they are all on different nights because I cannot wait for them all!! The cookie swap and Bunco are two different groups of women and I love both of them. The couples' party is at a good friend of ours and they have invited lots of fun people. The kids are spending the night with David's parents that night so David and I get to stay out WAAAAY past our bedtime.

Speaking of past bedtime...I have to go to bed now. Macon is our only child in the house tonight and I think I have convinced David to let me sleep late in the morning but I cannot count on it. Macon is my little alarm clock. He'll sneak in to tell me what time it is. "Mom, mom, it's seven--dot-dot--zero-two. That means it's time to get up." I LOVE to sleep and have never been the mom who wakes up the minute her little darlings do but with three Rushton men in the house, that is hard to do. They get up early and they make no bones about the fact that if they are awake, then everyone else should be too!! Bless David's heart, he cannot be quiet to save his soul. He also has a tendency to wake me up in order to ask me what time I want him to wake me up. My response is always the same. "Well, what time is it now??" "Seven--dot-dot-zero two (He and Macon tell time the same way:)" "Well, then, wake me up at 7:02."

I'll try not to let so much time pass.....you know how it flies when you are having fun :)

Deliquent!!

Okay...so I have been terribly deliquent in updating my blog. Somehow, the enthuasism left for awhile but I visited Jonathan's page and realized that I couldn't be like him so....also, the fact that my DAD has one now too is kinda motivating me to get back in the game.

Anyway, quick updates about me, David & kids....

David has sent his PACE application into SC Board of Education. He is thinking of joining the teacher ranks as a special ed high school teacher. That way, he keeps his state pension and benefits but gets to leave the mental health center. Plus, he will get back to working with kids which he enjoyed more. If the Board of Ed accepts him, then at least he has a choice!! He is also thinking about the possibility of taking a full-time position with the drug & alcohol comission where he has been doing part-time group therapy.

Hannah has been swimming now for almost 3 months and I cannot say she LOVES it but at least she still enjoys it. Last meet, she swam a 200-meter IM under 3 minutes, which for the first time, is a good time. Actually, just the fact that she swam it amazes me. Someone would have had to pull me out mid-way because I would have drowned. Anyway, she gets better and better each meet and it is fantastic exercise.
She is also quite the little socialite, which for those who knew her when, is quite funny. This was the child that hid behind me whenever anyone dared look her way. She had her 11th birthday party at our local park with about 20 kids. Of course, she threw up towards the end but we bravely partied on!!

Knox has finished standing around on the baseball field, uh, I mean, playing baseball this fall. It was excruitating to watch. He was scared silly of the pitches and being the youngest and smallest on the team, always got put in the outfield. For some reason though, he really wants to play so I guess it is back to spring ball after Christmas.
He is about 1/3 the way through with his braces and the difference is AMAZING!! Best $2000 we have ever spent. I don't have a close-up pic but I'll have to post one and then you can comment on how AMAZING the change is!!

Katy has started horseback riding lessons again. When we pulled up to the barn the first time, she just about had tears in her eyes. She looked around and reverently said, "Mooommmm, look at the hooorsssesss!!" The man 1/2 of the couple that own the barn is European and Katy cannot understand a word he says. It's great fun to watch him try to tell her something while she is riding and her just stare blankly at him. Her trainer has to translate his English for her. I think we may be destined for a horse someday, after I win the lottery.
A little boy in her class has got a massive crush on Katy and I am friends with the mom. We are planning a June wedding.

Macon is, well, Macon. God bless him, he is going to kill me one of these days. The child has got to be the most stubborn person ever created and I thought I was horribly stubborn. Suggest something to him and he is sure to do the opposite, unless you try to use it against him, and then he is sure to do something completely different. He doesn't outright disobey, neccessarily, but, whoo boy, does he like his way.
He is involved in a reading program at our school called Reading Counts where students take tests and receive points for books they have read. He just completely a second-grade book. Uggh, what are we doing in Kindergarten??
He is also playing flag football. They are actually running plays, which of course the kids completely telegraph by pointing and yelling, "Hey, coach, I'm running that way, right?" It's been really really fun because we have a group of five boys from our neighborhood on the team. The parents of this group are the troublemakers :)

I am still busy on PTA. I have figured out that I am pretty good at what I do. I think I mentioned before that I wish there was a job where I could get paid for doing what I am doing for PTA. I like helping out the school but we sure could use the money for that horse!!

Okay, so I said quick but anyone who knows me knows I cannot be quick when I am talking!!

Live from New York

Well...we have been in New York for two days now, going on the third. So far, cons of New York---trasportation, or lack thereof, people who do not smile at you when you smile at them (for southern people, that will send you straight to h-e-double hockey sticks), and rain. Pros of New York--FANTASTIC food (each restaurant we've been to has been fabulous!!!) and FANTASTIC shopping (and that's only Macy's, Sak's and Toys R'Us---hey I've got 4 kids).
We did the touristy thing today and went on a bus tour. Got to see all of NY in 5 1/2 hours. Then we went up in the Empire State Building, the one thing Knox asked me to do. Did not like it. Too many people shoved into little bitty elevators going up waaaay high off the ground. We did get an audio tour that was very interesting. If I can remember some of it, Knox will be very interested. Like it took only 14 months to build, only 5 men were killed, every 20 floors there was a cafeteria of sorts and the limestone came from Indiana.
We've taken tons of pictures so the kids can see what I've been up to. Hopefully, some of them will be good!

When it Rains, it Pours

Okay, seriously...this is becoming somewhat ridiculous!! We thought that we had the plumbing problems fixed but a week to the day, they came back. And I mean literally. We can flush our toilets but no one can take a shower and I cannot wash clothes. Too much water is being dumped into the pipes when we do that. Sooo we have been going over to mom & dad's to take care of those activities. It's not that we don't want to fix the plumbing, its that it is going to be a major fix. We now have someone else coming out to give us a second opinion. The first plumber did come back and said the magic word, "thousands" so we thought we had better see what someone else had to say. Even after we decide on someone, they have to shut the water off for at least a day. The boys can pee off the porch (which Macon still enjoys!) but us girls need some where to sit. Ugggh...this whole thing is giving me a better perspective on pioneer people. Heck, my parents didn't even have inside plumbing when they went to visit their grandparents. A little history tidbit you learn when your plumbing goes haywire. Mom said, "Well, when I was young, we didn't have indoor plumbing and you had to go in a chamber pot that had a handle on it. And it sat in the hallway and you threw the @#%&$ out the backdoor when you were done." This was at the house of the grandparents who didn't have heat either so they put hot water bottles in the beds to get them warm before going to sleep. AND I think my mother and father walked five miles to school, uphill both ways, barefoot in six feet of snow.

Blow Up Toilets

Okay, I guess when it rains, it pours. On Sunday morning, when I went to take a shower to get ready for church, the toilet in our bathroom started to stop up. David got the plunger and do what all men do....plunge away as hard as possible so that water is slopping over the side of the toilet onto the floor. No luck. So, he tries harder....still no luck. I stand by watching the mess he is creating and notice that it is now coming up in the bathtub drain. I go out to the kitchen and realize that it is now coming up and over the toilet in the 1/2 bath off the kitchen. Lovely.... it’s always exciting to run around throwing towels on poopy water emitting from your toilets, shower drains and bathtubs while your husband turns the water off in the yard wearing nothing but his skivvies. The plumber fixed it by snaking out two sewer lines but warned that the trees in our yard may someday find that lovely water appealing and suddenly begin to grow their roots through our pipes, necessitating their removal and draining our already-taxed pocketbook.
The plumber didn't come until Monday and of course we had no toilets or showers to use soooo the boys, David and I head over to Mom and Dad's to spend the night on Sunday. David took the boys to Chuck-E-Cheese (Macon already had a scheduled birthday party) while I went back home to try to contain the mess. When I come back, mom has a fan blowing on the hardwood floors, all the furniture is moved and the rugs are pulled up in her TV room. Knox had used the bathroom upstairs and that toilet begin to leak. Water dripped through the recessed lights onto the floor below. Seriously!! All of this in one day. Marissa called and, when she found out what was happening, told us we are not allowed at her house!
I meant it when I said it rained and poured!

School in Full Swing

School is going swimmingly....Hannah and Knox seem to be enjoying fifth grade. Hannah is in Challenge (we called it Gifted and Talented when I was growing up) which means she misses 1 hour and 40 minutes of regular classroom two times a week. It's a lot of work to make up and she is not thrilled about it. However, she loves Challenge! This year the fifth graders are doing independent research projects which include making their own websites. I have told her to enjoy it...she is going to be so much better off having to work hard. Actually, I think that is part of the problem. Hannah is used to things coming easy for her so when faced with a challenge, she gets somewhat surprised. Anyway, she has started practice for year-round swimming and her first meet is October 6th. I'll be interested to see what her times are now. She has several good friends on the team so I think she is also having fun. Man, is it expensive though!
Knox is doing well also. He is coming out of his shell more and more. Lots of boys in our neighborhood so the doorbell is always ringing! I have instituted a rule that no one rings it before 4pm ( thank you Terese for that little tidbit). That way we can get a snack, homework and downtime in before the craziness starts. Knox popped the wire on his braces last Friday, necessitating a trip to the orthodontist who said to expect to happen again. But, his teeth have already visibly moved so that is exciting. He still has the overbite, which we expected, but his front teeth are lining up more. I think it will be a dramatic change when it is all over.
Katy has not said a whole lot about fourth grade but I know she is tired when she comes home. Poor thing, has to work a little harder than her sister to make good grades, but make them she does! I am proud of her for overcoming her frustrations and establishing good study habits. She seems very popular among the girls but does not have one best friend. She sort of hangs out with everyone. There doesn't seem to be the pettiness among her peer group that I have seen with Hannah's in the past. Maybe Katy has picked better people to hang out with?? Anyway, she is certainly more comfortable with herself that I ever was. She is very stylish and loves dressing up in what I think are fashion-forward outfits. I keep telling her that one day she will be a famous clothing designer but she insists that she will be a vet. We are looking into getting her to volunteer at the animal shelter or a vet's office so she can be more hands-on with the animals. This morning, when she went outside to feed the dog, she found that the cat had left us a present (dead) on the deck. Katy decides to handle it herself by using two sticks to pick up the present and toss it into the woods. Just thinking about it makes me shiver....I guess she has more tolerance for the yuckiness that goes along with animals.
Macon is doing exactly what I thought he would in school. He gets in trouble almost daily for talking at inappropriate times. I guess it could be much worse....he could be hitting or being mean or something. Nope, he is just a social fellow who doesn't understand why he has to wait to tell his friend that one important tidbit of information. Our principal, who has drawings from Macon on her wall, says that she shakes his hand now so that when he becomes President, she can say that she was one of the first to shake his hand. He is a very bright boy who is way beyond the academics of Kindergarten but not yet ready for the first grade. He is reading very complex books and we are working on comprehension skills. His reasoning ability is unreal...and yet, he still is a immature little boy. He can't quite sit still when it is required of him but he will stay and play a game of Life or Monopoly when he wants to. I can't believe he is six years old already!!
I am busy with my volunteer work on the PTA. I have actually become quite good at organizing events and delegating tasks. Too bad they don't pay you to do that!!
David is still looking for a job. He has another interview on Friday with the same drug company. This one is for a position in Greenville or Hickory NC. I don't want to move so I am hoping for the Greenville job. If that doesn't work out, he may just hang out his hat and have a go at being a private practioner. Anything to stop working for the state!!

Straight Teeth??

Knox got his first set of braces put on Monday. He only has brackets on the top four permanent teeth for now. After wearing those for nine months, they will take them off until he loses the rest of his baby teeth. Then, it will be time for a full set!! Good thing David has orthodontal insurance!!

Hannah's Triathlon

Hannah did great in her triathlon this past weekend. I am not sure she realizes exactly how great it was for her to even participate in it and then finish it. Because she is such a natural athlete, she doesn't know the rest of us can't always do what she can!
126 girls competed and Hannah finished 55. Her swim time was great, as expected, but she thought she might die on the final 1/2 mile run. All together, it took her 23:11 to finish.

Knox in Aruba

Knox had a great two weeks in Aruba with his mom and her family this year. He called us about five times so we got updates on all the fun stuff he was doing. When he got home, though, he let us know that he had been sick the whole time he was there. As you can tell from the pictures his mom sent us, he was obviously on his deathbed!!

SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW!!

Kids are going to school tomorrow!! I, I mean, they are soooo excited! Actually, Macon is a little miffed because I am insisting on going in with him and all he wants is to ride the bus. Everyone got teachers this year that I and they are happy about. Hannah and Knox will be very prepared for middle school after this year with their particular teachers. Katy will be changing class for all four major subjects so she will get a taste of four different teachers. It will be interesting to see how she handles the transition. Fourth grade is pretty tough anyway but throw in four different sets of expectations?? I think she will be fine but it may take some getting use to.

We celebrated Macon's birthday with the family tonight. Just cake and presents, no dinner. He got a lot of neat stuff but no one had a camera so there will be no pictures of him opening gifts. I swear, that last child gets left out a lot!! I apologize now for any trauma I am imparting on my last born. He is certainly loved as much as the others so hopefully he will remember that instead of the fact that I can't seem to keep a camera charged for his events :(

Hannah & David on SeaDoo

Okay, another video. I uploaded one with Hannah & David being very crazy on the Sea Doo while at Joyce & Bill's this summer. The kids loved that thing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zgh9OfwJlI

Kids sing at Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geT0KXCuNmE

I have uploaded a video of Hannah and Knox singing Camp Willow Run's signature song, the Good Ole Gospel Train. The video is fuzzy but Hannah is in a white baseball cap. Knox is wearing a green t-shirt and black baseball cap. Listen, enjoy and remember your youth when you too got to sleep in converted train boxcars with spiders and small bathrooms!!

Another Rushton Weekend

David, the girls + Macon, and I hung out at the pool Friday night with two other families. Macon's very best friend, Ryan, was there and a good friend of Hannah's, Austin, was there. Katy made a new friend so everyone had someone to play with which meant the parents could sit around and do nothing. Actually, David and Mitch got into the pool and threw the kids around a lot. They got in trouble with the lifeguards for chicken fighting.
Knox is still in Aruba with his mom. We finally got to talk to him Saturday morning after several missed attempts. He was having a great time visiting the landmarks and playing on the beach. He will be home very late next Monday.
We meet our teachers on August 16th and school starts on the 20th. I cannot believe that summer is over!! All of my children will be in school all day this year so I have tons of projects I want to complete. Of course, PTA will take up some of my time and I may work a little. I am in charge of all the fundraising at our school but this year I have some fantastic help. I think it will be a lot easier this go round than in the past. We are trying some new things so if anyone has ideas from their school, PLEASE let me know.
David took the kids to see "Underdog" so I am supposed to be doing laundry and painting trim. The house is so quiet without them here!

David's 20th Reunion

(David NOW)

David and I drove to Fort Lauderdale, Florida last Thursday to attend his 20th high school reunion. It was great!! We went through Gainesville and spent the night with his best friend and his wife. On Friday, we went to dinner in Hollywood at a very Miami-type Thai restaurant called "Tatu" with 4 of his high school buddies and their wives. Friday night was spent at a club seeing old friends and Saturday night was the more formal reunion dinner and dance. The rest of our time was spent lazing at the pool and on the beach. It was neat to watch people's reaction to seeing David for the first time in 20 years. My favorite was overhearing a conversation between classmates during which one exclaimed "That's David Rushton in the corner. He's lost half his hair!"
This was the first time in about three years that David and I have gone away without the kids. It was GREAT! I would highly recommend it for everyone married with children.
(David Then)

Summer's Over??

Okay, I am not sure what happened to our summer but we (yes, I mean all of us because of how much I am at the kids' school) go back to school in a few weeks. It's crazy to think about!! Macon will be in kindergarten this year and so for the first and only time, all four of my children will be in the same school. Amazing! He is super excited about it but insists that he should be in first grade. I am worried that he is going to act like he runs the place since he has been there so much. When we go in, the secretary always gives him candy, snacks, or toys. Teachers take him into their classrooms to play computer games. He has no idea that the rules are about to change!
Hannah and Knox are getting to be so grown up. Knox will be getting braces right before school starts. While he obviously needs them, he is dreading it! I think he thinks it will incredibly painful but I have assured him that millions of other kids have done it and survived. I know it is uncomfortable but it will be so worth it in the long run. Hannah, in the meantime, has a steady sweetheart. She and her "boyfriend" Bryson (to whom I am not sure she has ever spoken) celebrated their one year anniversary this past May. Actually that is him next to her in the swim team picture from the previous entry. He brings her presents whenever his family travels for his many baseball tournaments but he never gives them to her directly. The one he got for her tenth birthday, his mother brought it to Hannah. Ah, young love!
Katy hasn't said much about going back except that she misses her friends. Most of her girlfriends don't live in our neighborhood and we didn't make much of an effort to invite them over during the summer. I don't know their parents all that well so that is my excuse. I think that she will be excited to see everyone in August.
Well, the girls will have a Back-to-School sleepover while Knox is gone (he is leaving to go visit his mother for two weeks). I think David and I will take them camping at a nearby state park. Roasted marshmellows, girl giggles and bedtime spooky stories ought to be a nice way to end the summer!

Divisionals

(Hannah is in the front right above the "f" in Silverleaf. Knox is four guys to the right of Hannah, wearing a white t-shirt and Hawaiian bathing suit.

Katy is kinda hidden. David and I are up on the hill at the very top of the picture towards the left. )

The kids had great swims on Saturday. Katy and Knox both took time off. Katy had her season best in breaststroke, dropping 1.14 seconds, and also in backstroke, dropping 2.56 seconds. After the meet, we went to Mom and Dad's for dinner and Katy fell asleep on the couch. We had to wake her up to take her home and then she still slept all night.

Knox took another 2.69 seconds off his breaststroke. Overall, he had the best season. He dropped his times pretty much all year and really improved on all of his strokes. He didn't DQ anything!!

Hannah had a decent meet on Saturday. Not her best, but good enough to get her into the regional event. Her free relay team is ranked 6th and will compete on Sunday. She is ranked in two individual events, short free and backstroke, and is an alternate in breaststroke. She is 12th in short free and 7th in backstroke. She is thinking about swimming year round starting in the fall. I think she has a lot of natural talent but she has to decide if she really wants this. Of course, it helps that she has friends who will be swimming too! I didn't realize how quickly I was going to become obsolete. The two older kids are definitely all about the friends. Luckily, we live in a neighborhood with some great kids. It has been a great summer swim year. I am very very proud of all four of them (Macon swam tadpoles). They all had a fantastic time hanging out in the tents, eating a bunch of snacks and candy, going to Fuddrucker's or having pizza after the meets and goofing around with friends. I can't wait for next year!

Summer at CWR

Just posting pictures of camp....the kids had a blast!! After we picked them up, we spent a couple of nights with friends and family in Littleton (yes, Hannah has a friend who actually lives in Littleton!). I hope to post video of them jumping off the top, fishing and tubing at Joyce and Bill's. We all enjoyed our mini-vacation!

Hannah Softball

April took this picture of Hannah at her last softball game. She stole home quite often and had one really good play at third base. No hits this year but softball at 9 and 10 years old seems to not have good pitching. Lots and lots of walks!! Anyway, we are getting ready for our tournament which should be nice and hot. Hannah wants to play again next year so we may do some practicing over the summer and fall.

Field Day

The kids had field day the last couple days of school and these pictures were on our school website. Our PE teacher sets up all of these fun outside games and the kids have a blast. This one is of Katy passing a soaking wet sponge back to her classmates. Hannah is very upset that there were no pictures of her but she did have a great time. Kudos to our teachers and all the volunteers that worked these two days!

Knox's Pitch

Okay, it seems as though I am full of sports stories but one more couldn't hurt...Knox pitched in his first game the other night and did really well. He seems to like it a lot which is surprising since he has never played organized baseball before. He walked two batters, allowed one hit and struck out two. The team only allowed one run while he was on the mound. The inning before and the inning after each had seven runs scored from the other team so his inning was really good compared. Our league has a rule that pitchers can only pitch so many innings within 72 hours and all three of our regular pitchers were out (we were playing a tournament). Knox has already asked if he can play fall ball so I guess I better learn more about baseball!!

First Swim Meet

First swim meet was last night at our pool. The girls had participated in a pre-season five week class that I think really gave them a boost last night. Hannah is ranked sixth out of about 300 swimmers in her age division for short free. She is 21st in breaststroke and 23rd in backstroke. Backstroke is her best event but she had a bad swim last night so I am looking for that one to improve a lot. Katy was neck in neck with her sister last night and put in some really great times. Knox didn't swim because his baseball team was off winning their first game of the tournament! All in all, a great evening for the Rushton/Osborne's!

Macon at the Drive

We went to our local baseball team's game for Jonathan's birthday last weekend. He had gotten a box for 24 of his closest friends and family so we had really really good seats. Marissa's cousin, John Robert, who is six was there so the boys played inside the box the entire game. At the very end, while everyone was leaving, Macon goes outside and sits in one of the seats. THEN, he wants to know why the game is over!! He did get the bat boy to sign a game ball for him. Of course he doesn't realize that it wasn't a player so he was very excited about it. Next time, I think we will sit in the cheap seats with our gloves and wait for fly balls. I have to admit that the hot dogs were tasty, the drinks were cold and the weather was perfect. We had a great time!

Macon's First Hit

Macon got his first hit in baseball last weekend!! He is playing t-ball but in our league if they want to get pitched to they have that option. I think when he hit it everyone was surprised. But, it was a line drive down the third base line and he got on first. It was our best moment of the season, the others being twirling in the grass, drawing in the dirt and talking to the coaches during the game.

Camp Willow Run

Most of you have already seen these pictures but I had a couple people write and say that they didn't come through on email.

The girls and I went to camp for a mother/daughter retreat while the boys stayed at the lake house with Joyce and Bill. We had the best time!! I would recommend doing something like this with your kids if you can. You feel really young and you get to focus on just them without worrying about laundry or the grocery store. You can tell by the look on Katy's face that we were having a good time. Plus we got to have spiders in our cabin so the periodic squeeling by a bunch of 9 year old girls was fun too.

PTA

Well, last night I hosted the annual end-of-year party for Brushy Creek's PTA/SIC. (For those of you who don't know, I am the VP of Ways & Means for our school. That basically means that I am in charge of all fundraising efforts.) About 15 ladies and our one poor man were at my house. At one point, we were so loud that my ears were ringing!! I guess if you give that many women time away from their families and a few glasses of wine they are bound to get loud. I would post pictures but I think the internet police would come and get me.
Hannah told me this morning that we were too loud and she could especially hear the vice-principal's voice. I told her that was because the vp spent so much time using her voice at school she was well-practiced at projecting it!

Macon's Performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmQunHC1QpA

I was editing some old video this morning and came across this Thanksgiving play that Macon's class did this past fall. When you are a famous star, you must do certain things before you perform. Pro athletes may have rousing pep talks in the locker room, singers may take deep cleansing breaths, and actors (sorry Marizy and Darrell) must do what Macon did. First, scan the room for your mom, then wave at her, get your facial muscles ready for action and get ready with a nice clean finish. Finally, give a winning smile for the camera!!

(The camera dances a little because I was doing that silently laughing thing.)

The Family

Well, after viewing Sarah's and Jonathan's, I thought that I would have to create my own blog. Not that you want to listen to me talk about my kids, my husband or my house but this way YOU can decide if you want to view it rather than me sending you annoying emails full of too-hard-to-dowload pictures.

So, these are the kids. They are winding down in school with only a couple more weeks to go so summer plans are in full swing. Whoever said that summer days are lazy has never parented four VERY active kids! Can't complain though since I'll be at the pool pretty much everyday through July.