Torture

I'm not sure how I did it, but I managed to marry a man (or should I say boy since we were barely 22??) whose birthday is on Christmas Eve.  He claims that the date has always been great for him.  As the baby of 5 children, with the others quite a bit older, he loved a birthday near Christmas since his sisters and brothers always made it home to celebrate with him.  However, as his wife and the mother of 4, I find his birthday overwhelming.  In fact, I vow every year to celebrate his day in June.  His "halvy birthday" if you will, just to give myself a break as I try to rack my brain for the perfect gift.  

This year Tim assured me that he really didn't need anything.  He'd just made a few major purchases and I didn't need to give him much.  I was really going along with the whole plan, until December 23rd when the Guilt began to come over me.  He is the ultimate gift giver and he manages to surprise me in some fashion every darn year.  Are you beginning to get an idea of the pressure I endure at Christmastime? I manage gifts for the kids AND I really need to find some sort of treat for my man, as well.  I decided to trek over to Knoxville for one last gift for Reed and while listening to the radio, I had a brainstorm.  We needed Satellite Radio.  I've attempted to give it to him before, but he always nips the idea before it has time to fully blossom in my mind.  This year, however, I hadn't mentioned it.  Therefore, the gift was really right there among my (not) lengthy list of gift choices.

He opened the carefully wrapped brochures and produced his wonderfully warm smile.  I really think he liked it!  I was thrilled that I had come up with yet another last minute surprise for him.  Well, a few weeks later, our satellite is hooked up and working and we are loving the variety it adds to our MANY car rides to Knoxville.  In fact, on our trip home from dinner the other night, all 6 of us sang "Livin' On A Prayer" in unison.  Thanks to Guitar Hero, our children know the lyrics, and Tim and I remember them from 20 years ago.

Variety, sing-alongs, laughs, and torture.  Yep.  That is what satellite radio really brings to this mama.  I have 2 children who are now old enough to join me in the front seat.  Caroline and I have very similar tastes in music.  She seems to be pretty agreeable to any choice I make and it's the same for me.  The torture rears it's ugly head when 11 year old Brooks is my passenger.  First of all, he likes to surf.  He finds a song he likes and continues to search for the next best choice.  Fiddling is distracting and annoying for this almost 40 year old.  Plus, he has a few friends who like what I consider to be "heavy rock"; therefore, Brooks is fully entranced with the sounds of the drums and yelling rather than singing. 

My patience is thin.  My ears are sensitive.  My heart is light.  I don't need head-banging in my life.  Tonight I reached my limit.  Some song was on that was popular when I was in high school came on the station he picked.  I didn't like it then and I certainly don't like it now.  I just had to tell it like it was... we are NOT listening to Boneyard while I am driving.  In fact, it was all I could do to refrain from switching right over to the elevator channel.  After all, that's what my parents did when I was a teenager.  They pretended to like elevator music everytime I was in the car.  I remember asking my dad if he really liked it or if he was just trying to make me suffer.  He said he did, but I suspect that my parents just needed the smooth tunes to keep their sanity.  Saving sanity... now that's a subject I am just beginning to understand.  Maybe Satellite has a channel that can help me save mine.

Doing the Math

This is a big year for us.  Well, I guess you could consider Tim's big year as 2008, if we focus on the year he turned 40.  It hasn't been long, though.  Today he is 40 years, 1 month, and 3 days.  Our kids like to count their ages down to the minute - especially Reed, our numbers boy.

January, February, and the first 12 days of March are my favorites.  These are the few days when I am noticeably younger than my husband.  I tend to rub it in as his days continue to add up.  However, as we get closer to my birthday, my gloating subsides and I prepare myself for age equality.  Yes, my 40th is looming and my list is not yet finished.  I still have quite a lot of running to do.  I am not optimistic that all will be completed.  I am optimistic; however, that I will hit the big 40 very soon - God willing!

The other day Cole was eating lunch while I was cleaning the kitchen.  He was rambling on and on about various topics and I was polishing the cabinets (I don't usually clean this diligently, but I am about to put the house on the market).  Somehow his conversation topic turned to math and he wanted me to listen to his addition facts!  He had come to the realization that all 6 of us are really 40.  Cole added all of the kids' ages and came up with an amazing fact.  Add Caroline's 12 years to Brooks' 11 years, plus Reed's 10 years and Cole's 7 - guess what!?!  They are 40!  and so is Tim. He was lumping me in to the "40" crowd....

Ha ha ha!!!  I'm not 40 yet!  I still have 45 days.  I'd better head to the gym.  I promised 40 miles this year and I think I've only run 5.  Yikes!  Surely I can check this off before I do hit the grand old age of my husband!

Pizza Stuff

Here's a recipe for you to try.  It is fairly easy to prepare... you just have to plan ahead.  Pizza Stuff is Reed's all-time favorite dinner.  I make it for our monthly church lunch, too, and it disappears in no time.  One of our friends calls it Pizza Sandwich.  It really doesn't matter what you call it - but you'd better make a double batch - or you might not get any!

2 loaves of Rhodes frozen bread

1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

15 slices hard salami

1 pound ground hot sausage, cooked

banana peppers

Pizza Sauce

Remove frozen bread and place on 2 cookie sheets.  Rub each loaf with butter and lay waxed paper on top.  Leave the bread to thaw for several hours.  Ideally, the bread will be thawed and not too cold when you begin to work with it.  If you leave it out all day, it will work, but it will begin to rise and you will have to punch it down before rolling.

Once thawed, roll the bread out with a rolling pin to the size of the cookie sheet.  Do the same with the second loaf.  Cover one rolled loaf with salami.  You can overlap the pieces, or spread them out, depending on how much you want.  Next spread the sausage on top of the salami.  Spread 1/3 of the cheese on top of the sausage to hold the inside together, then top with banana peppers.  Spread the remaining cheese on top.   Take the other rolled loaf and fold it in half.  Lift it off of the cookie sheet and place on top of the other loaf and filling.  Unfold and pull the entire top layer to cover the bottom layer.  Pinch the edges all the way around.

Bake at 350° until the top is brown (approximately 20 minutes). I move it to the bottom rack for the last 7 minutes to ensure that the bottom crust is crispy.  Cut it with a pizza cutter and serve with pizza sauce for dipping!

Other options:  I occasionally add fresh mushrooms, jalapeno peppers for the adults!

By the way, the above pictures show a batch that was cooked a little too long.  It should be light brown on top to avoid dryness!

Freezing Fun

We had a great weekend skiing in Snowshoe.  We arrived as weary travelers on Friday night around 10:30 pm.  The drive is 5 hours on the interstate, plus about 2 through the mountains on dark switchbacks.  I really hate the drive.  I feel like we are on the road to nowhere - it's always dark when we are headed up the mountain and it seems to take forever!  Having a GPS did help this year, at least I could look down at the map to see how many more miles we had to go.  We recently subscribed to satellite radio, which added to our listening enjoyment.  But it was still arduous as we climbed up and around.

We went to bed in -8° weather.  We woke up to ski in temps near 0°.  The resort was pretty crowded Saturday morning, so ski rental lines were extra long.  Tim and I started skiing 5 years ago with the kids.  It has always amazed me to realize just how long it can take to get 6 people dressed in 15 layers each.  It takes an extra measure of patience, because as you layer up, you begin to sweat while dressing others AND it is a constant struggle to keep little hands out of the snow before we set out for the day.  You see, if little hands start out in wet gloves, then the mouth of said little hands will soon be complaining about 1/2 way down the very first slope!  So, add in long rental lines, and we weren't ready to set out until just before lunch.  It wouldn't be long before those little mouths were starving!

Anyway, we finally made it down the mountain with a few snowboard crashes, but none as scary as Reed's dive off the mountain last year.  The high on Saturday was 12°.  It was vedy, vedy, chilly.  Caroline and I seem to be the only ones that suffer from "cold hands and feet syndrome", so our day was especially cold.  We did enjoy the chance to ski in the afternoon while Reed and Cole took private lessons.  We even traversed a black slope - yep! - that's another check off for my 40 list!  Yahoo!!!

Sunday began with a loud yelp and a tremendous amount of decision making on the part of these parents.  As so often happens, Cole and Reed had a small skirmish over an "I Spy" card, Reed's elbow hit Cole's chin, which in turn, hit Cole's chipped but repaired tooth and knocked the darn repairing stuff off!  We had to dig the car out of the freshly fallen snow, scrape the windows down without an ice scraper (now, who would go skiing without one???), and drive to a place where we had cell coverage.  We called Dr. Pete for a consultation and agreed that we would head home to once again repair and protect that darn tooth.  Well, we decided after breakfast to rebel against our better judgement and stay for the day, then we would head home at first light on Monday. 

Once we got out on the slopes, the day was great.  The slopes were crowded, but the kids were just flying down the mountain.  I don't even think we had any wipeouts!  It was warmer and the snow was perfect.  Cole kept telling us how great he was feeling.  He really didn't want to have to go home early.  I especially enjoyed watching the kids go down the mountain.  I strategically place myself at the end of the Ragsdale gang, so if someone crashes, I can help gather skiis and poles (I am also slower than the rest, so it's a good excuse).  My favorite part this year was watching Cole follow Tim down the mountain.  Cole stayed about a ski's length behind all the way down.  I felt better with Cole behind him - that ensured that Cole's speed was controlled.  Otherwise, he just chooses to go straight down, never paying much attention to prospective obstacles like incoming traffic and firmly planted trees!

Sunday night we ate dinner at a hot dog bar while watching the Cardinals beat the Eagles.  The kids enjoyed the chance to create their own dog with toppings.  They always enjoy a swim at the Split Rock Pools.  There is a fun slide indoors with 3 hot tubs and a large pool outside.  It was freezing outside, but the cold didn't bother them.  Brooks organized a "how big a man are ya?" contest.  They started out in the big pool, climbed out and followed a path around the pool till they got to a snow-covered lounge chair.  They had to lie down in the chair, then walk as slowly as they could to the slide, and take a quick trip down the slide into the pool.  Reed took a pass on the lounge chair part saying, "no way am I getting in that chair"!  Brooks created it, so of course, he completed it.  Cole is always quick to join in the fun.  He laughed all the way through the course.  Boys, boys, boys.  They are a bunch of fun!  Caroline was lost in her book the whole time.  Have I mentioned that she turns 13 next month?

Monday we got up and packed the car.  The snow was falling fast and the car was once again covered!  After loading the car, we skiied out from our condo and spent the morning enjoying the fresh powder.  This was a grand finale to our Snowshoe trips.  We will most likely not ski here again, so having the best snow of all 5 of our trips was wonderful.  The slopes were no longer crowded and we could ski all of the trails to our hearts' content.  We even took 2 black slopes as a family - it was a fabulous day!  

We have many happy memories in Snowshoe, WV.  Once you get up there, it's like living in another world.  I have always enjoyed the escape this vacation provides for our very busy family of 6.  Tim and all of the kids learned to ski up there.  We will never forget our family fun in West Virginia!

Ten

With the stroke of midnight, our third child happily entered into the realm of "double digits".  On Sunday, Reed excitedly announced his own personal countdown to the exact minute when he would move out of the "single digits" of his life.  In fact this morning, he reported that he was "exactly 5 hours, 37 minutes old.  I suggested that he add 10 years to that number.  Make that 10 years, 5 hours, and 37 minutes!

There is so much to love about this boy.  First of all, he has his daddy's grin. 

 He loves to laugh and joke, which brings about the biggest smile.  Just like his dad.  He is a number lover.  He's always been quick with math problems.  He especially likes mind benders and word problems that take deep thought and concentration.  He can whip out an answer in his head in no time.  Memorizing is easy for Reed.  He memorizes every piano piece he plays.  Charlie Brown, 007, and Carol of the Bells are his most recent favorites.  He likes songs that are fast and loud and I frequently hear him humming as he plays his songs. He is planning to take up the saxophone just as soon as he can.  He would also like to play the drums and the guitar.  He is full of musical talent and rhythm.

This year has brought about some firsts.  Reed adopted soccer as his sport of choice.  He learned the lingo and technique needed to help him develop into a very successful player.  He's aggressive yet gentle, competitive, and very serious about the game.  When we told him we were moving, the very first question he asked was, "what about my soccer?"  

Homework is now a routine.  He comes home from school and heads straight up to finish it all as quickly as possible.  He always makes his bed and straightens his room.  Hmmm, you must have a few of your mom's genes!   However, unlike your mom, you are obsessive about arriving on time.  You know exactly how long it takes to get to school in the morning, whether we make all of the lights or not.  It's all about numbers and watching the clock - let the count down begin - no matter where we go.

I would say this year you also developed a love for books.  The Hatchet series really caught your interest, or was it the movie you accidentally started at the Lester's house?? 

 Reed was an usher in Cousin Adam's wedding this summer. 

 He had a good time, but once it was all over, he wasn't too wild about the tuxedo!  His favorite part was filling up at the candy bar!  

Reed continues to love football - especially Manning football.  The Colts are his fave, although the Giants are a close second.  This year the Cowboys are also getting a serious look, but they didn't even make the playoffs!  After last week's playoff disappointments, I'm not exactly sure who gets his vote, but be assured, he'll be glued to the games with serious attention.

He's an enthusiastic Webelo Scout.  This week he crafted a pocket knife holster.  He stripped his own walking stick and has the blisters to prove it!  Campouts and bonfires are definitely his thing.

As his mom, I treasure the daily hugs he shares.  He is always helpful and has a happy, willing heart.  He memorized his 2 favorite Bible verses recently.  He found them on his own and committed them to memory right away. 

 

If I were to report on his favorite food this year?  It would be a tie between Pizza Stuff and chocolate.  He loves anything chocolate - bagels, candy, cakes, cookies, and muffins.  He won't eat banana bread unless I add chocolate chips.  He loves chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate ice cream.  He used to eat anthing with ketchup on it (eggs, mac & cheese, peanut butter & jelly), but now it's chocolate.  Lace it with chocolate and he'll gobble it right up!

The funniest things you did this year?  You counted the assembled pieces in the 1000 piece puzzle Dad was working and reported that he only had 763 more to go.  We all got a good laugh out of that one!  Happy Birthday, Reed Hollis!  I am proud of you and I love you bunches!

Change

It's freezing here today.  Literally!  I think the high is around 25°.  I suggested that Cole wear his warm jeans today (they are lined with flannel) but he said he was saving them for tomorrow - cause it's only going to be 9°!  I assured him that he could wear them both days, because it was super cold today, too!  It was only 11° when got up today.  BRRRR. 

I am stranded in the house because we are having the house painted.  Well, not completely painted, but today they are repainting basement walls.  Next week they will be painting the master bath, and last week they painted part of the kitchen and the bonus room.  All of this preparation just to move out within the next 6 months.  I actually think we are going to re-tile the kitchen, too.  What a mess it will make.  

We are starting to slowly move in the southwesterly direction.  Tim finally submitted all of his Texas licensing requirements.  The new office manager will soon begin hospital credentialing and insurance approval.  Transferring this time seems a bit more complicated than 5 years ago, but only because Texas has such cumbersome licensing requirements!

Once we list the house, I will again become the crazy, anally cleaning mom.  I am trying to prepare myself for reasonableness, but it's hard to not clean, straighten, vaccuum, dust, etc., when you know people will be looking through every cabinet and closet!  I've given up the idea of cleaning out - we just moved a 18 months ago - so there just isn't much to get rid of around here!

Our plan is to move sometime at the end of June (after baseball and camp is over) and then we will journey across the state of Tennessee, down through Arkansas, to our new home in the DFW area.  It is always exciting to dream of a new house, new friends, new church, new schools.  But we are all experiencing the truth of how painful it will be to leave our beloved friends in Tennessee.  What has been the ordinary for 5 years, will no longer be our life.  The friends we planned to "grow up with" will grow and change, and we will be limited to Christmas cards, emails,  and phone calls.  Leaving the people is going to be the saddest for all of us.  I am sure we will be able to replace most of what makes us happy in Oak Ridge, but we won't find the same people.  Yes, there will be new friends, but as we found as we left Mississippi, we will never find anyone to replace those who have touched our hearts during our years in this town.  

The sadness has been prevalent in the past few months.  I would throw our plans out the window, if I didn't truly see God's plan for us in this change.  No matter how I look at it, I fully believe that His hand has been prompting us to move.  What began on July 22 as a seemingly abrupt thought, has shown itself to be a complete change of direction for our future.   We will no longer hear Rocky Top at every sporting event, the four seasons will not be as obvious, we will be surrounded by tumbleweed rather than rhododendrons, and we will revert back to beef bbq.  Our children will most likely attend Texas camps and colleges.  All of that is good, though.  Texas has so much to offer and the people are full of hospitality.

I am dreading our good-byes, and overwhelmed at the thought of packing up (again) and starting over (again), but I am waiting in great expectation for the adventure He has planned in the great state of Texas!