Our own pool....

The Baxter/Weitz work crew. Daniel and Alexander digging and digging...
Max demonstrates the two foot-ed dig
This is the middle of a heat wave too. You can't tell obviously, but it was so terribly hot and humid, my dad's shirt would be soaked completely and dripping with sweat within about 20 minutes of going outside.
Shasta does her part as inspectress.

I wrote in earlier posts about the above ground swimming pool we bought. I thought the whole pool thing was going to be a Saturday project. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. It has taken my dad, my husband and all three of my boys a few weeks to get things in shape to put in this little pool. Yes, it is an Above Ground Pool!! A smallish one. It's a big deal though for several reasons. First, we just have no entertainment budget for the summer so this is going to be something fun for the children to do whenever they like - it is free and it is great exercise for them. The main reason we got it though was for me. The physical therapists recommended that I get as much exercise as possible in a swimming pool; where I wouldn't be bearing my weight. It is amazing too, I can move around really well in the water and it isn't painful, but rather pleasant. It is such a nice feeling to be able to move again - almost like the old days. The best part is that I can pick Rosie up and play with her and even play with the boys again. I just can't say how nice it is to be able to be normal for a little bit. The only problem is that it is very difficult for me to get in and out of the pool, so I can only do it when Robert is home, otherwise, I'm afraid I might get stuck! Here are a few pictures of everyone doing some "groundwork" for the pool. Our backyard is really pretty steep so quite a bit of grading needed to be done.

Random Pix

Rosie and Mommy getting ready for bed. Rosie managed to get Daniel's gameboy away from him. Daniel is such a softy - Rosie knows she can get to him with a few tears and boy does she love to "play gameboy". Basically, anything the boys do, she wants to do.
Thought I'd include this photo just to show how much Alexander has grown. He is huge. Unfortunately, he has put on some weight this year and he is really sensitive about it. I am really sorry that I passed on my Fat Genes to him - he is just like me; loves to eat carbohydrates, especially if they are baked with sugar, and doesn't love exercising that much. He also, like me, eats to relieve stress. The unfair thing for him is that he has two brothers with voracious appetites. Max and Daniel can and do eat all day long and they don't gain an ounce. In fact, poor Daniel, if he doesn't eat all day long, he will lose weight quickly. So Alexander gets to watch everyone else chow down - I know how hard it is. But, that wasn't what I started out to say. His hugeness is not related to his weight but to his height. He has just really shot up this year. One day he was my mom's height (um, ...short) and the next day I noticed him towering over her. I guess he is about 5'9" now. He will be 14 in August. It literally seems like yesterday that I was giving him baths in the kitchen sink. He has turned out to be such a fine adult; funny, interesting, passionate, righteous, sensitive, introspective - I don't know where all that came from, but it is a wonderful combination and I really enjoy talking to him and listening to his stories and his viewpoint on the world. However, with all that said, he was the sweetest little boy; always eager to please me, holding my hand, cuddling with me, thinking I was the smartest person in the world. Sigh. I miss that too.
Here is Rosie, back in the bucket. She loves sitting in little things - bowls, buckets, etc. In fact, the boys have to be careful when they mop or are cleaning that she doesn't climb into the mop bucket!

Rosie's Birthday

This is our 2nd year in a row with a Dora The Explorer theme. We added a a little Diego (Dora's cousin) this year for variety. Thanks to my Dad and Sandy for getting the decorations etc together. I was actually in the hospital and was only released the night before.
Here I am with a little hair - this is mid-May.
The blurry figure on the right is my Dad.
Oh look! More Dora stuff, but also, that whole bucket is full of outdoor chalk and outdoor coloring stuff - very cool.
Rosie, Grandpa (Baba), Max and Grandma Sandy (Gigi). There is an unwritten law of at least 40 years that says that no picture will ever be taken of Sandy, ever. That law was laid down before the internet or digital pictures existed but there are lots of stipulations and by laws etc that go with it. For example, if somehow a picture is taken of Sandy, it will immediately be given to her for destruction etc etc. The penalties for disobedience are pretty severe. But, well, my beloved Sandy doesn't know anything about computers or the internet, she has no idea how to use them. There is no way she would ever know that this picture is posted here on my blog. So, with shaking fingers and 40 years of threats ringing in my ears, I boldly place this picture on the internet for all the world to see. I do so at no risk to myself or offspring because there is no way Sandy could ever access this site. The only way she would ever know about this is if.....well, if someone were to tell her about it. Well, I do have an edit button if I ever need it.

Daniel's Birthday

Isn't this too cute? Donna, my dear friend and professional cake mistress offered to make this for Daniel. I really appreciated it. Normally, it is a big thing for me, making the children's birthday cakes, but this year, I didn't make a single one. At least Daniel got a homemade, really cool one - thank you Donna!
The smiling 12 year old after eating some Black Frosting-yuk.
Max, Daniel, Alexander and a nearly naked Rosie -eager to open bday presents. And, yes, that is Christmas wrapping in April. Sigh. Luckily, my boys don't care a bit about stuff like that (and yes, I include my husband in that too!)
Rosie: getting dressed up for the rain.
Dying Easter Eggs - and, yes, that is me. So, at Easter, I was totally bald. I actually have about and inch and a half of hair now - it is a much better look for me, I can assure you.

More Random Pictures

Here is a picture of me trying to soak my feet. Oh, you don't see me? Well, anything that is little and has water in it, is a "bath" for Rosie. She loves "baths".
Yep, here I am trying to soak my feet again. This time, I refuse to move. Hah.
Grandma and Rosie working in the kitchen - getting everything ready to dye Easter eggs - I told you these pictures are random! Rosie calls Grandma "Na". That is it - Na. She calls my Dad "Baba" and she calls my stepmom, Sandy "Gigi". I have no idea where she gets these names, but they are pure Rosie. She has always refused to call Alexander by his correct name too. She called him Ge ge right from the start - it means older brother in Chinese and it stuck. When we try to get her to say Al-ex-an-der, she says Al- ex- ge- ge. Ha ha. Now, however, she has made a change and she has started calling Alexander Ge- gy which sounds a lot like Daddy and also quite a lot like doggy which she has started calling Shasta. Keep Up!
This picture is from May or beg of June. The kids were begging to go swimming. Rosie dragged her little pool into the backyard and Max filled it up with some nice, Arctic hose water. Shasta is the only one who looks comfortable. The buckets they are sitting in are filled up with hot water from the kitchen tap. Other than that, they are having lots of fun!
Max; in the first stages of hypothermia.

More Good News!

Get This!! We just got the test results back. We had to get Alexander and Daniel tested to meet VA's requirements for homeschooling. We have to show the government that they are actually learning and that they are keeping us with their counterparts in public school. I have no problem with this and was actually quite eager to learn how they would score against those in traditional education.

I looked through a bunch of the acceptable tests - the IOWA, CTBS, the CAT etc. Some of them were awfully lengthy and I didn't want to totally stress the boys out. Also, I had to get a proctor to administer the tests and the less time they spent taking the tests, the less it would cost us!

On top of that, I just wanted to get an idea of how they were doing - did the stuff sink in or was it in one ear, out the other? I decided to go with the CAT - the California Acheivement Test? Hmm, can't remember what it stands for at the moment, but it is the nationally accepted test, equivalent to the Iowas, but it only takes about 3 hours to take, whereas the Iowa is split into two days of testing, about 3 or 4 hours on each day. yikes.

Anyhoooo....Daniel scored in the 95th percentile and Alexander scored in the 99th percentile. I am so pleased. I have to say I was a little worried since I was so sick this year - the boys ended up working quite independently. But, that makes me all the more proud. They knew how sick I was and they could have gotten away with lots of shortcuts or worse. Instead, they chose to take the high road, even when there was little to no accountability. How grateful I am for my righteous (and smart) sons! Great thanks to my Heavenly Father for trusting me with these sweet souls, where would I be without them?

Daniel is Home!! Hurray!

Okay. You are probably wondering if I will ever post anything uplifting! Sorry to be so gloomy of late, but today I do have great news. Daniel left last Monday for Scout Camp and he just returned home - nearly a whole week without him.

It was really weird because Max has also been gone for several weeks and before Daniel left we had already been talking about how quiet the house is without Max - the difference is huge. With Max at home, there is always a constant mid-level to upper-level hum, often punctuated by screams, crying, yelling, the sounds of walls being hit etc. All of that is gone without him here. I had no idea that ALL of it was caused by him - either directly or as a result of something he said or did to antagonize his brothers.

Well, with Daniel gone too, it was just eerily silent all week. Rosie and Alexander are our singers, so I could hear them singing quite well all over the house - even Rosie's hums while she plays in her bedroom were audible from wherever I was in the house - amazing.

Daniel had a great- wonderful - fantastic time at camp. I am so thrilled that he did well and had fun. He earned 5 merit badges in one week! Wow. He came home with a leather knife pouch, two baskets and a stool - all of which he had made/woven himself. I'm as proud as a peacock. What a good boy he is.

Rosie could not have been more excited when he walked in the door. She was jumping up and down and saying, "Daniel, Daniel, come play with me!". Poor little girl, with me sick in bed all week and Alexander running around trying to do all the chores and take care of me, he hasn't had much time to play with her. I've tried to entertain her from my bed with coloring, reading etc, but that only goes so far for a three year old!

I think with Daniel gone this week, Alexander realized how much work Daniel does. Hopefully, he will appreciate him a little more? In any case, we all really missed him and are so glad to have him home. Our gratitude to all the Scout leaders who take on this huge task each year - thank you for making this a wonderful experience for our son and most especially for returning him to us safe and sound!

Tony Snow

Sigh. Another one's gone.

Tony Snow was the White House Press Secretary for Pres Bush for a while. He just seems like such a nice, intelligent, family loving man (whatever your politics are).

He was having chemo at Georgetown - the same place I go. In fact, Robert and I ran into him just about 2 months ago. We were all leaving at the same time and he was oo-ing and ah-ing over Rosie. He helped us into the elevator (yes, with a wheelchair and a 3 year old we often require help!) and we rode down together. He seemed so healthy - his hair thick and dark (okay, I know that isn't an indicator, but in the cancer world, that is the first thing we patients look at!) - he was strong - he was there on his own. I mean usually, when it is getting towards the end, the patients come with family members or friends when they come for their treatments, but he just seemed like he was doing great.

Actually, when he still worked for Bush and, I think for a while afterwards, we would see the security detail waiting around in the hallway - it made it all the more strange for him to just be there by himself. I don't think anyone should go for chemo alone. I'm so grateful that Robert always goes with me and I always feel so awful when I see people getting their treatments and sitting alone. Of course, it may be their preference, but it still breaks my heart - especially if they are elderly.

If you watch the brief interview on this link, you will see where I go to get my treatments. It is the same room where he is sitting for his treatments.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25649744

I just could not have been more shocked this morning when Alexander told me that Tony Snow had passed away. Really. It is frightening that he could just be so very healthy one day and that the cancer could devour and kill him so quickly. This is the meanest, cruelest disease. He left behind a wife a several young children.