Puppy Love.

Our sweet doggie Scout is at the vet's today. They're trying to figure out what seems to be upsetting her stomach to the point that she can't walk. We're pretty certain she ate something that got stuck - she is part goat, after all. The thought of leaving her at the vet in a crate all night is just awful. Sure, the doc will be back twice tonight and a tech will be there overnight to check on all the animals. But my puppydoo is used to sleeping on her big soft bed or curled up with one of the children. I know she'll be OK, but I miss her very much.

Happy Calendar

Our lives are ruled by the calendar. Soccer games, tests, tennis lessons, camps, work meetings, classes, appointments - before you know it, that nice clean month ahead of you is soaked in ink to-dos.

But I love this time of year, when the calendar gets happy. The spring market starts downtown in two weeks, which means tons of fresh, organic veggies to be had. Spring carnival at school is next Friday. Only 6 weeks until school's out. Two months from last Monday is our big summer vacation. Two conferences at fun beach places in July. Our pool opens in 6 weeks. The Braves game on Memorial Day weekend. Our wonderful new musuem opens in mid-June. The new Zac Efron movie comes out this Friday (oops - was that out loud?).

Sure we're zooming downhill - and fast - toward the end of the school year, but look what's waiting for us at the end!

Juliette Knows Best.

There's an old saying in Girl Scouts: "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold."

One of my dear friends and her family were at Callaway for Spring Break and we met them for brunch this morning. It was so ... easy. We slipped back into our old conversations, talking about our former school, our childrens' new schools, travel, changes in our lives, etc. It was like the best comfort food you've ever had. I hadn't realized how much I missed that - conversations with people you've known for years, people who don't judge you, don't question you. People who are just ... friends.

It was only a few hours, but we made plans to get together again later this summer. Speaking for my children: we can't wait!

A sugar-free, tin world.

This past week saw two journeys begin in our family. The daughter child got braces, and I embarked on a 30-day trek to go without sugar or yeast.

My sweet girl's braces are just HUGE in her mouth. She has only 12 brackets, but then she got a Herbst appliance she'll wear for 9 months, the purpose being to move her jaw forward just a smidge. Bless her, she can still barely open her mouth, and brushing her teeth is quite the ordeal. But she's really only complained for one day - yesterday. She's being so strong about it, even though I know they drive her crazy. Very proud of her and the maturity with which she's handling this.

As for me, well, it's time for the sugar "addiction" to take a hike. This is drastic and crazy - and amazingly, annoyingly hard - but it will be worth it in the end. I need to do much better at taking care of myself overall, not just for me but for my children. I intend to be around playing with their children, and my current diet didn't mesh with that goal. Plus I've been blessed with parents who are super-active healthy eaters - and tremendous role models for the entire family. Rus has hopped on board the train a little bit and is cutting way back on sugar and yeast. We're exercising together, which is healthy - and fun.

We're on Spring Break this week, enjoying time at the beach with my parents. A change of venue is nice, and we spent lots of time outside today. On tap for tomorrow: cruising the spring art fair at the Village and visiting the national park right around the corner. And lots of exercise. :) Care to join me?

One of my favorite things

At least once a year my family visits the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, off the coast of Georgia. It's a truly magical place where wounded sea turtles are brought for a second chance at life. On-site they have an interactive museum, a puppet theatre, and a turtle hospital. Anna Katherine has a special love for these creatures, and will spend hours in the hospital looking at the turtles and watching the vets at work. She's already signed up to volunteer for a week during the summer - about three years from now. :)

CNN discovered the good works of the Sea Turtle Center recently; take a look:

http://blog.jekyllisland.com/diversions/nature-connection/cnns-reynolds-wolf-visits-the-georgia-sea-turtle-center-on-jekyll-island/

We met Pumpkin just before Christmas; it's good to see she's still doing well. If you're ever on the Georgia coast, stop by and see them - you'll be glad you did.

My boy.

Last Thursday, the far-too-young mother of Ryan's friend John suddenly passed on. Friday was a very sad day at school with the children being told, the parents being told and everyone dealing with it in their own way. John and Ryan sit close to each other in class, and Ryan missed him Friday and Monday, and told me so several times.

Yesterday was the Mom's funeral, and easily 500 people showed up to pay their respects to a sweet, loving, kind wife and mother. Ryan had originally asked to attend, but was gently talked out of it. Instead, he took it upon himself to make a card for his friend (John turns 8 today) and he wrote him a note that "is really between me and John, Mama, don't be mad." A nice little party with cupcakes and games is planned for after lunch.

In between dog-washing, soccer in the backyard, sister-tormenting, Super Bowl-watching and other weekend boy craziness, Ryan's been asking questions here and there about the situation. We answer as honestly as we can, and he's getting it. I'm also talking with him about God and our religious views on death; while our conversations have been good and he's on the same page, the tragic reason isn't lost on either of us.

This morning, on the way to school, Ryan said that he had a plan for the day, and it goes a little something like this: "First, I'm going to hug John, do a high-five, and tell him I missed him and I'm very glad he's back. Then I'll leave him alone so everyone else can be nice. At lunch, I'm going to throw a piece of my roll at him, because he and I do that sometimes when no one's looking and we laugh. Yes, I'll pick it up, Mama. Then I'm going to hug him when we go home and tell him I want to see him again tomorrow. Does that sound good?"

Yes, my sweetheart, it sounds very good.

Deep Thoughts.

Daddy and Ryan were playing, imagining they were Blue Angels pilots swooshing their shiny aircraft around his room. Ryan began asking questions: can the Blue Angels land on a ship? Yes, his dad said, they can. But only a special ship.

Ryan thought that through, then asked for details about what makes the Blue Angels ship special. His Dad explained that a superstrong rubber band caught the planes as they landed, keeping them from falling into the ocean. The same rubber band was used to launch the planes into takeoff.

Ryan then asked about the Blue Angels pilots: are they normal pilots, like the people on Delta jets, or are they special pilots? Dad replied that they are specially trained pilots, and very few are chosen to be Blue Angels pilots. After they retire from the Blues, many of them go on to become commercial airline pilots like the folks on Delta jets.

Back to the aircraft carriers: Ryan asked, are there people on deck when the planes land and take off? How do they keep from getting hurt or thrown into the ocean? Are they tied down? Are they ever scared when a plane lands on the deck in the middle of a storm? Dad patiently answered each question, impressed at his son's thought processes.

Then the zinger:

"OK Daddy, but what if Bigfoot were on the ship? Could the planes land then, and would the people be scared?"

We laughed for hours. What a great little boy!

Snake-bit.

A friend of mine from Atlanta refers to days like today as "snake-bit days." Her remedy? Jammies on in the early evening, a big blanket, the TV and a drink of choice.

A rundown:
- AK left not one, but BOTH of her winter coats at school. The temp will drop to 16 tonight.
- Ryan left his winter coat at school, too. And his sweater.
- We're headed out the door to basketball practice and Ryan announces he "forgot" to do his piano homework.
- After torpedoing a grammar test on Tuesday, AK reports she made an 87 on the retest today. After I spent an hour studying with her last night, at her request. And the teacher averaged the grades. How in the world did the spawn of Gertude, Leslie and Kim - three English majors in a row - make a C- on a grammar test?
- She also "forgot" to write some of her homework in her planner.
- We get to practice at school (15 minutes away) to discover it's been postponed by 30 minutes and our coach should have called. Errands for 20 minutes, then back to a middle school boys game in progress. No coaches, no teammates. We hang around and watch the end of the game (we won by 1 point) then head home. I've left a message for the "coach" asking for an explanation.

Mental image to complete the story: me, in my blue flannel jammies with lobsters on them, new plaid flannel slippers over cold toes, covered by a plaid Scottie dog blanket, sipping hot tea from Murchie's in British Columbia.

HNY!

So my goal of celebrating a quiet, family-centered Christmas might have worked too well. I've been chastised (again!) for neglecting the blogosphere. I shall do better this year, lest a Canadian compadre cross borders to smack me upside the head. :)

How was everyone else's holiday? We had a lovely time hanging around the house, watching movies, playing outside, making bazillions of gingerbread cookies and just ... being. Honestly, this was the most serene, peaceful Christmas we've had in years, and we all needed it. A short recap:

* The second school was out, we hightailed it south to hang with my brother and his daughter. Delightful, watching the three cousins play together.

* Two days later we were back and into full Christmas swing at our house. The weather was just bizarre: low 70s in the afternoon, so we wore shorts on Christmas. Not normal.

* Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were just wonderful. The children loved their gifts, especially the Wii. Within about an hour of opening it, we held the first-ever Drew Bowling Tournament, handily won by Ryan. He's a crazy bowler. AK and I like to play tennis together, and Rus and Ryan are into the expert golf courses. The children played outside and broke in Ryan's new tournament-sized soccer goal and we took several walks around the neighborhood.

* Rus and I saw "Four Christmases" - totally hilarious. We all saw "College Road Trip" - very cute and harmless. We watched Mom's "Celtic Thunder" CD about 25 times, with Ryan acting out his favorite songs.

* Rus' parents paid a short visit, and Pops created the coolest rope ladder ever known to boy-kind.

*Rus and Ryan visited his parents in LA (Lower Alabama) while AK and I hosted Sleepoverpalooza with three of her girlfriends.

* New Year's Eve we spent with our friends the Dudleys, eating great food, telling stories and watching the kids shoot off some serious fireworks.

And that's about it! A few images of the season, for your viewing pleasure: