Walking, walking, walking

I planned to pick up the Camp Sonshine kids from the church parking lot at 2:45, just as it said on the schedule. I even double-checked it, since I just can't depend on my poor little memory these days.

Keri Lynn called me at about 2:00, "Mom, we're here. You can pick us up now."

"But you weren't supposed to be home until 2:45!"

Off I went, with the rest of the kids in tow (except for Kristofer who stayed home with Keva) so that we could greet the happy campers. Kathleen brought Erin, too, and after we picked everyone up, we stopped by a local gas station that has great deals on slushies. A big cup for 69 cents. We were all over that deal! Only my Coke slushie was out of order, so I got a banana strawberry flavor that gave me a sugar buzz. That's a lot of sugar if it can give ME a sugar buzz.

When I got home, I checked the schedule again wondering how I had managed to be an hour off of the time. Sure enough, it said 2:45, BUT when I put my reading glasses on, I noticed that it said 1:45. Dear me. I'm getting old.

Keith and I have both been feeling our ages and our weight lately. So, two days ago, we started walking together. This is a first for us. We've pretty much avoided any exercise together, but we both decided that we really needed to do this. So, for TWO straight days in a row we've walked down to the end of our street and back sometime after dinner before it gets dark. Yesterday, it was so muggy that I was a big drippy mess by the time we got back. Keith didn't look too bad, though. Keri Lynn and Kylie joined us and even Amy, the pastor's wife, joined us on the way back while she was walking her dog. So far this venture into good health has been good. I already feel more energetic.

I keep telling Keith that if we can just walk like this for the next 40 years, we'll actually be in good health! It put me in mind of our sweet neighbor in Los Angeles, Mrs. Collins. She was up hovering around her 80's and would go off every single morning, rain or shine, for a 15 minute walk. That's our goal! We want to be like Mrs. Collins!

Nifty crochet

Kathleen inherited the crochet gene from me. She made the purse, headband, choker and bracelet.
Modeling it all, including the lacy poncho I made for her.
Just the poncho. Now I've officially made something just for Kathleen that I haven never made for anyone else!
While Kathleen and I were busy crocheting, Kristofer and Mac played with the Bionicles.

Camp Sonshine

Kylie comes back to camp the morning after her pool ordeal. Here she is with her counselor, Miss Cyndi
And the camp nurse, who took such great care of her, Miss Melissa
Kylie joins the 4th graders at game time. Look how tiny she is among her peers. That's her with the purse backpack.
Kade and his buddy Mason at craft time
Konner was sitting at the girls' table and when teased by Kathleen, said, "I like it here." And a girl chimed in, "It's okay for him to be here!"
Then he proceeded to put away the pink paint and go for blue!
Here's Kylie camp bed . . . Please note the shelf at the window that she has appropriated for all of her special things . . .
. . . Most notably, her Littlest Pet Shop collection, clothespin awards (given out throughout the week), toothbrush/toothpaste, and the all important deodorant. Does she NEED deodorant? Hardly, but that is beside the point. She thinks she needs deodorant and apparently it is a girl's rite of passage because she BEGGED me to get her some deodorant.
Here Kade is showing me just how long his fish was that he caught, about 17 inches, I think. So far he's got the record for biggest fish! He is VERY proud.
Kade with his group. He's the experienced one this year.
Konner on the other side. He's the newbie, but is taking it all in stride as is his way with most things. He's such an independent little guy.
Kylie joins the adoring throngs of 3rd and 4th grade girls who love Keri Lynn.
Kathleen and Keri Lynn
Kathleen at the lake. She can't wait until she's old enough to be a counselor herself. Only three more years!
Sweet boys. It's hard to believe that one day, by God's grace, they'll be grown up.

ER

I had an exciting night last night at the emergency room. The camp nurse called our home at about 8:30 to tell us that Kylie had been injured at the pool. A kick to the throat. She was breathing. She appeared to be okay, but was having trouble talking. The nurse recommended that we take her to the hospital to make sure nothing was damaged.

The nearest hospital to camp? Our own here in Newnan.

The nurse, a counselor, and Keri Lynn met us at the hospital. I had Kylie signed in and ready to be seen by the time she got there.

It felt good to get my arms around her and assure her and myself that she was fine. Her throat did hurt some and she didn't want to talk for the first half hour or so after I saw her, but then she found that she could talk easier and easier, so that by the time we were finally done with the visit, she had talked like a chatterbox for three hours straight and my eyes were starting to glaze over.

She got a CT scan, just to make sure that her larynx had not been damaged. Everything came out just fine.

I said to her, after the CT, "Wow, you were on Star Trek, or something!"

She replied, "More like Star Trap!" since she was strapped in and covered with radiation protection and inserted into a huge spinning wheel.

We both agreed that the CT machine looked like the front of our washing machine. We were both in some awe over it. I wonder if it leaks?

I knew she was feeling okay when I asked if she wanted to go home and get a rest or go right back to camp, and her answer was to go back to camp. And we would have done that if the ER wasn't suddenly inundated with emergencies. So we sat, and sat, and sat. We finally decided that it would be better if Kylie got a rest at home that night and that the ladies that had brought her to the ER could go back to camp, taking Keri Lynn back with them. We should have decided that hours before, because not 10 seconds after they left, the doctor came in to discharge us.

The doctor was very nice, but didn't look like he was quite old enough to have graduated from college, let alone medical school. I asked him how old he was, but he just laughed and walked away to see another patient, thereby insuring the fact that he was even YOUNGER than I thought! ACK!

Unless Kylie has trouble with her vocal chords in the next week, she ought to do just fine. She told me, as I drove her back to camp this morning, that she'd just stick to fishing today and avoid the pool. We'll have to see if she sticks to that, since she's part fish herself.

Profound

THE COPING DIET

Only girlfriends can understand this one. This diet is specially formulated,
designed to help women cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's Kiss

Afternoon Snack
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Summer days

Keri Lynn with her beloved friend Briana. Keri Lynn is introducing her to the wonderful world of . . .
Pride and Prejudice (A&E version, of course)
So Alice and I, back from a successful shopping outing (please note her cute new sandals) were more than happy to sit back and enjoy some P&P ourselves.
Here's Alice petting the "Substantial Dog", as she liked to call him.
What were the younger set doing? I found the video Toturo at the Goodwill, along with a few other fun finds, so they camped out in the living room.

These pictures are a microcosm of our summer days.

Grandma Alice

The traditional picture at the fireplace

Kylie and Grandma Alice

Kylie sets up her beloved Littlest Pet Shops in the family room.

Here she is when Grandma Alice came to visit

Locks of Love

Keri Lynn decided that it was time to cut her hair
I personally was sad to see her pretty long hair go, but she was ready to cool off for the summer.
And it can always grow back!
So off we went to Great Clips. The hairdresser was not at all interested in getting her picture taken, but I got her anyway, explaining that I was putting it on my blog. A blog? What in the world was a blog? Apparently there are people in the world that do not know the wonders of the blog yet.
The deed is done. When she stood up, she looked taller!
Here's the hair that will go to Locks of Love to help make wigs for cancer patients.







A few days later . . . Keri Lynn and Kathleen are doing up each other's hair.


Ah, the fun of being girls!

Fourth of July!

Where are we going, Konner? Did you say it was time to go to the Fourth of July Parade? Yessssss!
We parked in our church parking lot and walked a few blocks to get that perfect spot.
Keri Lynn settles into her book world.
Kathleen is ready.
We've got a spot right toward the front of the parade when parade people are fresh and ready to hand out lots of CANDY!
"Whoo-hoo! It's starting!"
We stand for the flag.
This cracked me up -- Yeager running for county coroner, um, with a balloon attached to his campaign card. Somehow, coroner and balloon just don't go together for me.
The boys ooh'd and ah'd as the tank went by.
Band members from the county's three high schools make up the Fourth of July band.
Small town parade = small town politics, but there's nothing "small" about small town politics, I assure you!
Rob Brass, from our church, doing some "politicking"! Go, Rob!
A tractor, of course!
Our line-up
Size . . .
. . . isn't everything
Patriotic Keri Lynn
We gather up candy, political campaign flyers, church advertisements and make our way back to the car. From there, we drive off to the high school to get ready for the fireworks!
Kylie
We set up our chairs at the top of the hill looking over the football and baseball fields. It's a perfect spot, minus the fireants.
The fireworks are set behind the football field. On the football field, a band plays loudly, and the kids can get their faces painted, we can buy food if we want, the kids can play in jumpers.
Kathleen
My hero, Keith, comes back with COKE! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Kade
Keva, the most patriotic of us all. She loves to wave her flag!