Just don't say, "Give me a break."

Yeah, the picture's not really for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs. So, sorry if that's you. But I thought the x-ray would kind of put everything in perspective...

It's been a kind of stressful last couple weeks at the Farr house.

We went under contract on a sweet little beach cottage March 29th... very exciting right? Did I mention it's only a half mile from the beach in Oceanside? It is small, but cute as a button. And if you love the vintage thing, this 1955 charmer has it in spades. What it also has is some problems. Not too surprising in an older home, but they were the kind of thing that required repairs before the bank would loan on the property. So we took a deep breath and said, ok-- slight delay, we can deal.

We would have liked life to ease up on the other usual stressors (job, church callings, parenting), and may have thought or even said, "Give me a break." Not a good idea, apparently. Those usual things kept coming at us, and then we got the call...

Matthew and Zachary went to the park with friends last Thursday evening. I remember thinking 7:30 was kind of late to go play on a school night, but since we're moving soon I hate for them to miss time with friends. It wasn't 20 minutes later that Zac called to say, "Matthew broke his leg." My initial reaction was disbelief, then Glenn and I dashed to the car to get him. A rather frantic drive to the closest ER (with a skateboard splint immobilizing the break) was followed by a LONG night/day in the hospital that ended with us being told surgery wouldn't happen 'till Monday at the soonest. Since this was an out-of-network hospital (you know the headache and wallet-drain that means), we opted to go home and see a doctor somewhere else.

Monday we saw a great doc at Cedars-Sinai, who scheduled surgery for Friday (tomorrow) morning. The interim has meant waiting on Matthew hand and foot (haha- NOT) while he lays on the couch. The break's too painful for even walking on crutches. It's been a long, tiring week, but the end is in sight. Tomorrow we'll head for Beverly Hills around 4 AM and he should have a cast in place before lunchtime. We'll return home Saturday morning.

Since work on the new house is done and we should be closing this next week, returning home will mean a whirlwind of final packing duties. And it, too, will be exhausting. But in a couple weeks, we'll be settling in to our new home, with ocean breezes wafting through the windows. And Matthew will be hobbling to the bathroom (and everywhere else) more or less on his own. Life will be assuming the familiar (though slightly altered) shape of normalcy.

And I will be far more careful about saying (or even thinking) "Give me a break."

Welcome Summer!

The public school kids in our ward have their last day of school this Wednesday. I see enthusiasm, excitement and even some apprehension in the eyes of their moms. Enthusiasm to have time off from homework and all the busy stuff associated with school. Excitement to be able to take a trip without worrying what assignments the kids will miss and have to make up. And a bit of apprehension over how exactly to keep the kids busy all summer (granted it's shorter this year as the local schools shift their year slightly) when they're around all the time!

I've had more than a few people ask me if we'll be doing school this summer. Our first year homeschooling, I tried the let's go year-round, but with a simplified summer schedule. It was ok, but the kids hated knowing they had to do schoolwork while their friends were completely off. Since then, I just ask the kids to look at a bit of math once a week so they're not too rusty when we start back in the fall. I never have to worry about reading-- I can't keep the kids away from books (wonder where they get that?). And with the Internet to answer those "how come" and "why" questions as they come up, I figure we get a smattering of science, history and geography over the summer, too.

I love the summer break! Since the kids are always here anyway, it doesn't make a huge difference for me-- but most moms have the same work year 'round, right? What I love is the feeling of being a little more free with our time. Fewer commitments, more down-time. . .I just feel more relaxed. We probably won't take any big trips (other than a few Scout outings some of the boys and Glenn will go on and maybe a trip up North to see family), but I'm sure we'll spend more time at the beach, see more of the grandparents in San Diego, visit Knott's Berry Farm with our new passes, spend time daily in our pool (and many a friend's pool, too). Good, relaxing fun!

It will be hot. Summer in the Inland Empire is hot, guaranteed. But the pool out back is always refreshing. And since my industrious husband put an evaporative cooler in, we can be pleasantly cool any time we want without breaking the bank! (THANK YOU, GLENN!!!) And when it's hot, you can enjoy that ice cream or popsicle far more than when the weather's cool. Not to mention the grilling! I love to grill and the summer heat assures I'll choose to grill rather than heat up the kitchen (though if I must the new evap cooler keeps the house temp down).

So I say, "Welcome, lazy days of summer!" They, like my children's childhood, are fleeting and should be enjoyed to their fullest while here. So you'll see my skin darken and hair lighten a bit from more time outside. Expect my attitude to be a bit more lassez faire. And don't be surprised to get my voicemail a bit more often. It's 'summer time and the living is easy'. . .see you poolside!