Aug 31

Well, Labor Day Weekend is here - the unofficial end of summer, and that means several things have happened in the last couple weeks - school registrations, band camp, school clothes shopping, school supply shopping, a few last dips at the pool, play dates with friends, trips to the beach being planned, oh - and it will be Randy's birthday this weekend!

After a few weeks of intensive daughter-ness, I am trying to turn my attention back into wearing the mother hat more. (Amy Grant has a great song called "Hats", and it is very appropriate this month.) First off, let me say thank you to everyone who was and is a support to our family - even though I was raised to be a strong, independent person, losing mom knocked me down a bit and made me grateful for everyone I do have around me in this life. Each person has offered their support in their own way and I do appreciate it.

Kevin is starting jr. high 7th grade next week, he says he is not scared and is looking forward to it. Good for him! We registered him earlier this week, he knows where the bike rack is and how to get to the gym on his first day. Stupid mom, why did you think you had to point that out to me?? He is well on his way to being super-independent.

Sammy has completed his two weeks of band camp, and was very happy to sleep in this morning. We went to see their fall preview last night, and the first third of the show sounds really good. A couple days ago, though, he was riding his bike to school and got bumped by a car that was turning in an intersection. He was shaken, but the urgent care said he was all OK. He starts school next Thursday, the latest of the four. His registration packet had a website for juniors that is a college planning tool. It is linked to the counselors at the school, and allows them to see when colleges will be on campus, save specific information on their "resume", and has scholarship and grant information. A great tool for this time for him.

Jacob and Matt start school on Wednesday, they actually don't want to go.... they know once they go back to school that the Playstation, Gameboys, PSP's, and videos all go bye-bye and only come out on the weekends. It is an adjustment for them to switch over to homework! Jacob and Kevin finished their reading programs and actually did show some improvement, that was a good investment of time and money this summer.

Painted the kitchen today - it's been too long, and it really needed it. Kevin wanted to paint, I told him I would let him help me and Cindy when we get painting at mom's house. Lord knows, there are plenty of rooms to paint and for him to learn on!!

Elta Murdock 1934 - 2007

August 8

Lots going on again in the family... although we're really not trying, we are getting to be professional hospital visitors around here. Cindy and I took mom to the hospital Monday night to get her checked out after she fell down over the weekend. Turns out she was dehydrated and when they looked at her lungs, they think she may have pneumonia. Between the gallons of fluids, tests and more tests, she is feeling alternately better, then worse, then better. It will take a few days of this before they will officially declare her "better", though.

We are glad she is there and being taken care of, but it took a 16 hour stint in the ER before she was put in a room. I eventually had had enough, and in order to get any attention from the staff, I started to hack into their computer to find the internal phone extension of the complaint department. They didn't like that.... three different nurses told me to get off, and I finally stopped when the security guard walked in (aaahhh - shades of Michael). Thirteen hours sitting on plastic chairs, one hour of sleep and no communication about the MIA admission doctor don't make me (or Cindy) a very pretty person to deal with. Fortunately the nurses upstairs didn't hear about this incident until we told them about it! She is in good hands with them.

In the meantime, we are gearing up with back to school stuff - Kevin and I picked up his Jr High registration packet today, and Sam gets his tomorrow. Jacob and Kevin are still taking reading classes, and they actually seem to like them. I am gathering up steam for the upcoming band stuff for the fall, and Sammy is getting ready for band camp coming up. Matt's biggest concern these days is whether he will play on the playstation, on the computer, or watch a movie. What's a seven-year old to do with all these choices?? Kevin goes to Pt Mugu this weekend with boy scouts, so you know that will free up some extra game time for Matt too.