Monday, September 06, 2010
More Boy Scouts
Zachary really enjoys camping, and I enjoy knowing that he enjoys camping. He went on three Boy Scout campouts this past summer (and yet another campout with the Teen Center). I’m so proud of him and everything he’s learning through these experiences. Just by looking at his uniform, you know he’s a good scout leader: Order of the Arrow member, Patrol Leader and Life Scout. Wow! You can also tell that he really enjoys his Rubik’s Cube. He’s figured out the formula to solving the puzzle, and can solve it consistently in less than five minutes (more like three to four minutes each time!).
The night before we departed for the states this summer, Zachary’s Boy Scout troop held a Court of Honor. Zachary was busy during the early summer, so earned a few more Merit Badges since the April Court of Honor: Camping (Eagle-required!), Wilderness Survival and Geology. The troop also posed for a group photo. This is really a good group of boys. It’s hard to believe that Zachary’s already one of the senior scouts in the troop. He was recently elected Patrol Leader (again), which means he’s leading one of the troop’s three patrols.
Labels: Boy Scouts, Zachary
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Glimpses from Camp Alpine
Two weeks after school let out, Zachary packed up and left on his first of two week-long Boy Scout campouts. This one was to the Kandersteg International Scout Center in Switzerland. This was the group of scouts just before they departed.
One of the adult leaders shared his photos of the trip, so Zachary helped me describe what’s going on in each of the photos. Here’s the group on the first day of High Adventure. High Adventure is a program for scouts who are at least 14 year old to experience challenging outdoor activities. At Alpine, he chose white water rafting (no photos while in the rapids), a ropes course, a high ropes course, a daytrip up and down a mountain, and a 2-day excursion hiking more than 4,000 vertical feet up and back down.
Zachary enjoyed the “COPE” (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) ropes course. They didn’t have to wear harnesses on this course, and were not allowed to touch the ground during the course. Here he’s spotting Ben S. as he navigated through the ropes course (apparently Ben got stuck in the tire, hence Zachary’s grin as he struggled).
The High Adventure scouts were directed to pose for this photo on the way back to the camp after the COPE course because of the nice scenery.
I agree, the scenery in the Swiss Alps is absolutely breathtaking.
When they made it back to the camp site, they had dinner. This was the only night they didn’t have to cook for themselves.
The next day, they began their trek 4,000 vertical foot hike into the Alps to spend the night. This hike met his last requirement to earn his Camping Merit Badge (an Eagle-required badge--yeah!).
They made a rice dish for supper once they made it to the hut. They had to use basic cooking equipment, including a wood-burning stove and a free-standing gas burner. {I’m thinking I should have Zachary cook more at home.} They stayed in a small two-story hut, with the scout bedrooms upstairs. The room that he and his troop-mates didn’t use was just above the cow stables, and since it was an old Swiss Hut the building wasn’t completely smell- or sound-proof. The scouts who used that room confirmed that it was cow-heated (think cow gas), and therefore cow-scented. 
The next morning, they hiked 4,000 feet back down the mountain.
Zachary and his troop-mates were the only American scouts there. Some of the other scouts were from Spain and Britain. This is a group shot of the American and Spanish scouts. Talk about an international experience!
This is a view from near the hut they stayed in. If you look closely at the bottom middle of the photo you can see the roof of the cow-care-hut.
Another gorgeous shot down the valley.
After spending the night at the hut, the scouts went bouldering (climbing on big rocks without harnesses) before heading back down the mountain. They had a short demonstration and safety briefing before getting started.
Zachary and his troop-mates sat atop a couple boulders while waiting for the Spanish scouts to finish bouldering.
The five High Adventure scouts headed out the next day did a “short” hike up to a glacial pool.
They stopped for a snack break on the way up and to rest and enjoy the scenery. Zachary said even though this hike was shorter than the previous two-day hike, it was more difficult -- likely because of the higher altitude. They started the first climb from their base camp, whereas they took a gondola up the initial leg of this ascent before beginning the hiking portion.
Another photo opportunity on the way up -- look at that incline! Yes, that's snow on the ground behind them -- in June!
Continuing the climb to the hut at the top of this mountain.
Zachary and Mr S. hiked a little further so they could find this geocache. The hut is in the background.
Next on the agenda: taking a dip in the glacial pool. Zachary is standing on the rocks taking his boot off before wading into the frigid water. They scouts didn’t stay in the water long because of how cold it was!
Another view from the top with the flags waving in the wind.
At least they had comfortable amenities for their convenience.
Before heading back down, the group stopped for a photo in front of the glacier.
They hiked back down from here, past the lake to the other side of the green clearing beyond the lake to catch the gondola back down to their base camp.
Only three people were allowed on this narrow bridge at a time.
They stopped at the lake for a short dip before heading to the gondola. Zachary was sitting on a rock trying to get acclimated to the water temperature. He said it wasn’t as cold as the glacial pool, but it was still “pretty darn cold.”
Before catching the gondola back down, they stopped at the rodelbahn for a little more fun. 
Hunter had never been on a rodelbahn before, and gave a thumbs up before getting on the sled behind Zachary.
They were all on the course at the same time. What a wonderful view here of them on the course, with the gondola to the left and more of the Swiss Alps in the background.
On the last day, they did the local High Ropes Course (with harnesses this time). Zachary said this bridge was very rickety and very unsteady. However, he successfully navigated the bridge to the other side.
This bridge tilted front and back depending on where the weight was on it.
Zachary loves the zip-lines because of the exhilarating speed.
The rings above Zachary were on the most difficult course -- they didn’t do that one.
After the High Ropes Course, they went white water rafting. Here they are afterward with their boat guide. They got stuck on a rock once, but managed to free themselves without too much trouble. They also had a 2-foot waterfall and rapids to navigate. He really likes white water rafting -- so much so that he did it again during the following week’s camping trip in Bavaria.
After all that excitement and adventure, all the scouts came together for the International Scout Campfire where they performed/watched skits and sang songs. I’m really glad Zachary has all these wonderful scouting opportunities here in Europe -- he’s definitely making memories that will last a lifetime!Labels: Boy Scouts, Switzerland, Zachary
Friday, May 21, 2010
Order of the Arrow Callout
While I was TDY to Poland, Zachary had a weekend campout with his Boy Scout troop, and family was invited to attend the evening campfire the second night. I was really disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to attend, but was fortunate that several folks took photos that evening to share with me. I knew this campout was when scouts would be “tapped out” if they’d been selected to join the Order of the Arrow, and suspected that Zachary would be tapped out this year...and he was!
OA is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America and uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of scouting. The society was created in 1915 as a means to reinforce the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, with the goal of establishing these as lifelong guidelines, and to encourage continued participation in scouting and camping.
Once inducted into the order, members are known as Arrowmen or Brothers, and they continue their fellowship through camping and serving Boy Scout councils and their communities. Members also wear identifying insignia on their uniforms, most notably the OA sash. Zachary’s “ordeal” weekend, when he’s officially inducted into the order is a few weeks away. Once he completes the ordeal, he’ll earn his sash -- represented here by the arrow on his arm.Labels: Boy Scouts, Zachary
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Court of Honor 2010
I am so very proud of Zachary and the way he’s growing and progressing in Boy Scouts. He was recently recognized for achieving Life Scout rank -- one rank shy of Eagle Scout -- and for earning four more merit badges. His most recent badges include Reading, Dentistry, Indian Lore and Fingerprinting. He’s now earned enough merit badges for Eagle Scout, but unfortunately hasn’t earned all the required ones. He has five more Eagle required badges to complete (he’s started three of them) as well as his Eagle project and a few other requirements. He’s well on his way to achieving Eagle!
Labels: Boy Scouts, Zachary
Saturday, February 27, 2010
What’s Been Going on with Us Lately
Disclaimer: I apologize in advance for the length of this post as well as the lack of photos to help break it up. It is what it is, so here it is.
These items don’t really qualify for individual blog posts of their own merit, but, when combined, help paint a picture of the hecticness and craziness that has been pervading our lives lately. This post isn’t meant as a list of gripes or complaints, but rather merely a summary of some of the concerns and issues that have found their way into the Cook household (which also prevent me from otherwise updating this blog with our travel posts, which I’m WOEFULLY behind in doing). So, in no particular order, here’s what’s been keeping us busy (other than Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, school and work).
Benjamin has two cavities, but freaked when the pediatric dentist numbed him up and was getting ready to begin filling the first one. We go back this week to try again -- this time with the help of laughing gas. The dentist stressed not letting Benjamin drink too much sugary juice (he doesn’t), especially until the cavities are filled.
MacKenzie made Gold Honor Roll with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99. This achievement earned her an invitation to the national Junior Honor Society -- her application is due in early March. She also earned a silver medal for reading four books last quarter and doing written book reports on each one.
I had a cyst removed from my back a few weeks ago because it was a relatively new “bump” and had turned black. I’m still waiting on the biopsy results. While it was difficult for me to get my coat on with the stitches almost square between my shoulder blades, it was a wonderful opportunity to teach Zachary how to help a lady with her coat. He was also very helpful in changing my Band-Aid. I, on the other hand, nearly passed out on at least two different occasions when I contorted my neck enough to catch a glimpse of the stitches in the bathroom mirror (and was once again reminded why I didn’t pursue a career in medicine!).
Benjamin had his well-child doctor appointment recently. Despite my supposition that he’s on the short side, he actually is in the 64th percentile for height and 59th percentile for weight. I’d say that’s a good combination. The doctor finally confirmed my suspicion that he’s flat-footed (instead of simply pronating his feet like his previous pediatrician kept telling me), although he didn’t recommend doing anything other than making sure he has good support in his shoes (which I have to replace every two to three months because he wears out the inside of the soles so quickly). Downside is that he gets constipated easily, and the doctor recommended adding more 100% fruit juice to his diet. That’s not his drink of preference (he likes flavored water better), and it’s in direct opposition to what the dentist said. Oy voy!
Zachary surprised me twice last week by calling me at work (he rode the bus home both afternoon so he could work on homework without distraction) to ask if he needed to pull anything out of the freezer to thaw for supper. What 14-year-old boy thinks of things like that!?!!
The kids’ passports expire in June (the last week of school, to be exact), but I can’t send off for the new ones until Matt gets here since he also has to sign their application paperwork in front of a passport official. This is a requirement so that neither parent can apply for passports to take children out of the country without the other parent at least being aware of the existence of the passports. This was a hassle five years ago since we had to mail the applications certified mail from Maxwell to Randolph, and then ask the Randolph office to submit them to the State Department. This will be priority #1 when Matt arrives back in Germany since it’s difficult to make summer plans not knowing when I’ll have their new passports in hand.
Benjamin has had moments of deep philosophical thought lately. One such question that really stuck out was when he asked, “I don’t get it...” (most of his philosophical questions begin with this phrase), “Why did God make us here?” I asked him what he meant by “here,” and he replied “Why did God make us here on Earth instead of in Heaven?” (since God wants us to go to Heaven) I didn’t really have an answer for him on that one. Any thoughts?
MacKenzie needs to have a tooth extracted soon to make room for her permanent tooth that’s below it. This particular molar isn’t loose at all, despite the fact that its corresponding molar on the other side came out before Christmas. She’s also going to need an expander in her upper jaw, probably in about six months or so.
I finally broke down and bought my first iPod (an iTouch). The kids seem to use it more than I do, to play their favorite music (Toby Keith and Dolly Parton for Benjamin, and Taylor Swift and Toby Keith for MacKenzie) and download/play free apps/games.
I tried to sign up Benjamin for t-ball since he seems to have a natural ability (he bats left-handed with his tee at home, and slides all over the place as if base bags were strategically placed in our house), but the slots were full. So, he’s on a wait-list. He didn’t seem excited about playing, but I think he’d enjoy it if he gave it a shot. Crossing my fingers that a slot opens up before the season starts in April.
Zachary is beginning to narrow down possibilities for his Eagle project. I think the forerunner is to build a booth around the sound system at the chapel to help protect the equipment. Another option is to work with the USO and the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility to do something to support wounded troops who travel through Ramstein regularly.
I’m still in physical therapy for my hip. I maintain that when the therapist pulled my hip back into alignment last May this new set of issues surfaced (shooting pain down my leg and behind my knee, while sitting, standing or no particular reason at all). No amount of core strengthening seems to make the pain stay away. And, it’s still not comfortable to sleep on that side. I sure hope bursitis isn’t an inherited condition!
Benjamin is having problems in school with inattentiveness. I think a big part of it is that he’s bored in class, but there seems to be more going on. The school counselor and psychiatrist are involved, and he’s even begun seeing a psychiatrist at LRMC. The doctor is concerned because of his family history of depression...yes, he’s showing signs of depression. We’ve also considered ADHD/ADD, but don’t think that’s a significant problem/issue.
MacKenzie is taking her science project to heart and really getting into collecting data and doing research to determine whether smokers or non-smokers have better lung capacity. Many folks in my office have been good sports about helping her, and became subjects for her data collection. So far, on average, the non-smokers have slightly better lung capacity.
I was in a fender bender a few weeks ago -- I backed into a car and dented up my bumper and broke my taillight. I ordered new parts three weeks ago, and am still waiting for the repair shop to call to let me know they’re in. I expect it’ll be another week after they call before I can actually schedule the repairs.
Of the four computers in our house, three either don’t work or are very unreliable. One PC is older than Benjamin and is on its second hard drive. The “newer” PC is the one Zachary built in 2006, and it hard broke a few weeks ago. One laptop is from 2005, and it hard crashed in December, worked for a few weeks after we reinstalled everything, and now gets stuck in a circular start-up mode. I suspect the only way to make use of it again is to reinstall everything (again) and hope the reinstall lasts more than a month this time. So, after I shared the beginning of my computer woes with my wonderful brother (who works for Dell), he ordered a new laptop for me, which I received just before Christmas. Yeah! When the 2006 PC died, I called on him again, and he once again came through. We received our second laptop this weekend! It’ll be nice to have two working computers in the house again, especially since Zachary and MacKenzie both often need computer time to do homework. Now I’m just waiting on replacement ink cartridges for the printer so they can print their homework instead of emailing it to their teachers (the BX doesn’t carry our brand!).
I have to include a cute Benjamin quote from last week when we were watching “Star Trek” (the most recent movie, with a young James T. Kirk and crew on an alternate timeline). When Uhura kissed Captain Spock, Benjamin asked, “Why do all the girls always want to kiss the captain.” I busted out laughing, and Benjamin innocently asked if I was laughing at what he had said. I answered yes, but didn’t answer his question. The next night, we were watching the rest of the movie (since we rarely get to watch an entire movie in a single sitting), and he asked me again. This time I had enough composure to answer that maybe the girls like to kiss people who are in charge. What a kid!
Zachary also made the Gold Honor roll with a quarterly GPA between 3.5 and 3.99, and will be resubmitting his application to the National Junior Honor Society.
My van has been driving me batty while I try to figure out why I’m not getting nearly as good of gas mileage as I used to. At first, I thought it was the tires since the front ones were wearing differently. I had them replaced in October and the alignment checked (which was good), but it didn’t improve the gas mileage much. I thought the van needed a tune-up, which I had done last month (new spark plugs were the supposed culprit this time), but that didn’t help either. I need to take it back in to have another assessment -- perhaps this time I’ll go to a mechanic off-base instead of the on-base folks. I know she has more than 102,000 miles (only 14,000 on this transmission), but I still don’t think that in and of itself should warrant the drop in gas mileage that I’ve seen.
Benjamin keeps asking me for a baby sister. I’ve told him that I prayed to God for him, so he now thinks that’s all I have to do in order to give him a baby sister: “Mommy, can you pleeeease pray for a baby girl?” Ah, such innocence!
MacKenzie asked me a few weeks ago if it was okay if she were to cut her eyebrows. I should have known better than to have emphatically said “NO” before turning around to glance at her eyebrows. As the word left my lips, I noticed a semi-bare patch in each eyebrow. She’s self-conscious that her eyebrows are too bushy (they’re anything but -- in fact, they’re very well-proportioned and beautiful), and she took matters into her own hands...with the help of scissors in them. Fortunately, she didn’t trim much, and I don’t think it’s noticeable to anyone who didn’t know what she attempted. Other recent questions from her lately included whether she could begin wearing makeup (which I allowed her to do, and which she only wears sporadically now) and whether she should begin shaving her legs (which we discussed, and she agreed to wait).
We’ve still been having problems with internet at home. T-Mobile claims there’s nothing wrong with my Web-n-Walk stick, even though it quits uploading/downloading for no apparent reason -- even when there’s still a strong signal (it runs off a cell phone sim card). I’ve gone back and forth with them -- online, over the phone and in the store -- with no real resolution. This is getting OLD!!!
Zachary has been getting headaches after reading and studying, so I’ve made an appointment for him with an optometrist. Hopefully there’s nothing significant going on, but I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry (especially considering how horrible my pre-surgery vision was). He thinks he needs reading glasses.
Benjamin is reading up a storm lately -- when he wants to. He can read an entire chapter book (his favorites are the “Jack and Annie” Magic Tree House series) in an afternoon, and I’m very proud of him for finally wanting to read them over simpler books like Little Critter or the Bernstein Bears.
After much consternation, my property manager and landlord were finally able to get someone out last month to “fix” the pipes leading to the water heater in our attic so they don’t freeze when the temps fall below freezing and cause water to leak into the garage. However, during his visit, the landlord also decided he wants to cut a hole in the laundry room wall leading outside so I don’t have to keep the laundry room window open for the dryer vent hose whenever I do laundry. It’s been more than a month since he proposed doing this, and I haven’t heard anything more about it. I figure by the time they get around to actually doing so, I will have survived my third winter of doing laundry in a room that matches the outdoor temperature. Yes, we keep the laundry room door closed, but we receive a rude blast of cold air when we do laundry in the winter. Oh, and they didn’t put the gutter joint back together when they fixed the water heater issue...not that I want them to since I’ve still seen ice form where the joint should be, which leads me to believe that it’ll still freeze and leak into the garage if it were sealed off.
I’m on the verge of signing up for Air War College by correspondence. IF I decide to stay in the Air Force more than 20 years, I need this block checked to be competitive for squadron command and for promotion to colonel. I don’t need to close doors that I may need opened in the future, but I’m not looking forward to a year-and-a-half of correspondence courses. Ugh.
I’m sure I’m leaving some things out, like our recent ER visit to diagnose Benjamin with Scarlet Fever, assorted Boy Scout merit badges and campouts, and various Girl Scout extracurricular activities such as Thinking Day and the upcoming Powderpuff Derby. Oh, and I didn’t even TOUCH on what’s been going on at work -- I could probably do another entire post of comparable length just on that alone! And, yes, regular Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts meetings, as well as school and work, still occupy a good bit of our time too. Someone once told me I needed “a wife” to help manage everything. Some days I believe it! Maybe just a personal assistant...or an Alice (think back to the Brady Bunch -- a live-in cook, laundress and babysitter all in one)! Any takers?
These items don’t really qualify for individual blog posts of their own merit, but, when combined, help paint a picture of the hecticness and craziness that has been pervading our lives lately. This post isn’t meant as a list of gripes or complaints, but rather merely a summary of some of the concerns and issues that have found their way into the Cook household (which also prevent me from otherwise updating this blog with our travel posts, which I’m WOEFULLY behind in doing). So, in no particular order, here’s what’s been keeping us busy (other than Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, school and work).
Benjamin has two cavities, but freaked when the pediatric dentist numbed him up and was getting ready to begin filling the first one. We go back this week to try again -- this time with the help of laughing gas. The dentist stressed not letting Benjamin drink too much sugary juice (he doesn’t), especially until the cavities are filled.
MacKenzie made Gold Honor Roll with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99. This achievement earned her an invitation to the national Junior Honor Society -- her application is due in early March. She also earned a silver medal for reading four books last quarter and doing written book reports on each one.
I had a cyst removed from my back a few weeks ago because it was a relatively new “bump” and had turned black. I’m still waiting on the biopsy results. While it was difficult for me to get my coat on with the stitches almost square between my shoulder blades, it was a wonderful opportunity to teach Zachary how to help a lady with her coat. He was also very helpful in changing my Band-Aid. I, on the other hand, nearly passed out on at least two different occasions when I contorted my neck enough to catch a glimpse of the stitches in the bathroom mirror (and was once again reminded why I didn’t pursue a career in medicine!).
Benjamin had his well-child doctor appointment recently. Despite my supposition that he’s on the short side, he actually is in the 64th percentile for height and 59th percentile for weight. I’d say that’s a good combination. The doctor finally confirmed my suspicion that he’s flat-footed (instead of simply pronating his feet like his previous pediatrician kept telling me), although he didn’t recommend doing anything other than making sure he has good support in his shoes (which I have to replace every two to three months because he wears out the inside of the soles so quickly). Downside is that he gets constipated easily, and the doctor recommended adding more 100% fruit juice to his diet. That’s not his drink of preference (he likes flavored water better), and it’s in direct opposition to what the dentist said. Oy voy!
Zachary surprised me twice last week by calling me at work (he rode the bus home both afternoon so he could work on homework without distraction) to ask if he needed to pull anything out of the freezer to thaw for supper. What 14-year-old boy thinks of things like that!?!!
The kids’ passports expire in June (the last week of school, to be exact), but I can’t send off for the new ones until Matt gets here since he also has to sign their application paperwork in front of a passport official. This is a requirement so that neither parent can apply for passports to take children out of the country without the other parent at least being aware of the existence of the passports. This was a hassle five years ago since we had to mail the applications certified mail from Maxwell to Randolph, and then ask the Randolph office to submit them to the State Department. This will be priority #1 when Matt arrives back in Germany since it’s difficult to make summer plans not knowing when I’ll have their new passports in hand.
Benjamin has had moments of deep philosophical thought lately. One such question that really stuck out was when he asked, “I don’t get it...” (most of his philosophical questions begin with this phrase), “Why did God make us here?” I asked him what he meant by “here,” and he replied “Why did God make us here on Earth instead of in Heaven?” (since God wants us to go to Heaven) I didn’t really have an answer for him on that one. Any thoughts?
MacKenzie needs to have a tooth extracted soon to make room for her permanent tooth that’s below it. This particular molar isn’t loose at all, despite the fact that its corresponding molar on the other side came out before Christmas. She’s also going to need an expander in her upper jaw, probably in about six months or so.
I finally broke down and bought my first iPod (an iTouch). The kids seem to use it more than I do, to play their favorite music (Toby Keith and Dolly Parton for Benjamin, and Taylor Swift and Toby Keith for MacKenzie) and download/play free apps/games.
I tried to sign up Benjamin for t-ball since he seems to have a natural ability (he bats left-handed with his tee at home, and slides all over the place as if base bags were strategically placed in our house), but the slots were full. So, he’s on a wait-list. He didn’t seem excited about playing, but I think he’d enjoy it if he gave it a shot. Crossing my fingers that a slot opens up before the season starts in April.
Zachary is beginning to narrow down possibilities for his Eagle project. I think the forerunner is to build a booth around the sound system at the chapel to help protect the equipment. Another option is to work with the USO and the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility to do something to support wounded troops who travel through Ramstein regularly.
I’m still in physical therapy for my hip. I maintain that when the therapist pulled my hip back into alignment last May this new set of issues surfaced (shooting pain down my leg and behind my knee, while sitting, standing or no particular reason at all). No amount of core strengthening seems to make the pain stay away. And, it’s still not comfortable to sleep on that side. I sure hope bursitis isn’t an inherited condition!
Benjamin is having problems in school with inattentiveness. I think a big part of it is that he’s bored in class, but there seems to be more going on. The school counselor and psychiatrist are involved, and he’s even begun seeing a psychiatrist at LRMC. The doctor is concerned because of his family history of depression...yes, he’s showing signs of depression. We’ve also considered ADHD/ADD, but don’t think that’s a significant problem/issue.
MacKenzie is taking her science project to heart and really getting into collecting data and doing research to determine whether smokers or non-smokers have better lung capacity. Many folks in my office have been good sports about helping her, and became subjects for her data collection. So far, on average, the non-smokers have slightly better lung capacity.
I was in a fender bender a few weeks ago -- I backed into a car and dented up my bumper and broke my taillight. I ordered new parts three weeks ago, and am still waiting for the repair shop to call to let me know they’re in. I expect it’ll be another week after they call before I can actually schedule the repairs.
Of the four computers in our house, three either don’t work or are very unreliable. One PC is older than Benjamin and is on its second hard drive. The “newer” PC is the one Zachary built in 2006, and it hard broke a few weeks ago. One laptop is from 2005, and it hard crashed in December, worked for a few weeks after we reinstalled everything, and now gets stuck in a circular start-up mode. I suspect the only way to make use of it again is to reinstall everything (again) and hope the reinstall lasts more than a month this time. So, after I shared the beginning of my computer woes with my wonderful brother (who works for Dell), he ordered a new laptop for me, which I received just before Christmas. Yeah! When the 2006 PC died, I called on him again, and he once again came through. We received our second laptop this weekend! It’ll be nice to have two working computers in the house again, especially since Zachary and MacKenzie both often need computer time to do homework. Now I’m just waiting on replacement ink cartridges for the printer so they can print their homework instead of emailing it to their teachers (the BX doesn’t carry our brand!).
I have to include a cute Benjamin quote from last week when we were watching “Star Trek” (the most recent movie, with a young James T. Kirk and crew on an alternate timeline). When Uhura kissed Captain Spock, Benjamin asked, “Why do all the girls always want to kiss the captain.” I busted out laughing, and Benjamin innocently asked if I was laughing at what he had said. I answered yes, but didn’t answer his question. The next night, we were watching the rest of the movie (since we rarely get to watch an entire movie in a single sitting), and he asked me again. This time I had enough composure to answer that maybe the girls like to kiss people who are in charge. What a kid!
Zachary also made the Gold Honor roll with a quarterly GPA between 3.5 and 3.99, and will be resubmitting his application to the National Junior Honor Society.
My van has been driving me batty while I try to figure out why I’m not getting nearly as good of gas mileage as I used to. At first, I thought it was the tires since the front ones were wearing differently. I had them replaced in October and the alignment checked (which was good), but it didn’t improve the gas mileage much. I thought the van needed a tune-up, which I had done last month (new spark plugs were the supposed culprit this time), but that didn’t help either. I need to take it back in to have another assessment -- perhaps this time I’ll go to a mechanic off-base instead of the on-base folks. I know she has more than 102,000 miles (only 14,000 on this transmission), but I still don’t think that in and of itself should warrant the drop in gas mileage that I’ve seen.
Benjamin keeps asking me for a baby sister. I’ve told him that I prayed to God for him, so he now thinks that’s all I have to do in order to give him a baby sister: “Mommy, can you pleeeease pray for a baby girl?” Ah, such innocence!
MacKenzie asked me a few weeks ago if it was okay if she were to cut her eyebrows. I should have known better than to have emphatically said “NO” before turning around to glance at her eyebrows. As the word left my lips, I noticed a semi-bare patch in each eyebrow. She’s self-conscious that her eyebrows are too bushy (they’re anything but -- in fact, they’re very well-proportioned and beautiful), and she took matters into her own hands...with the help of scissors in them. Fortunately, she didn’t trim much, and I don’t think it’s noticeable to anyone who didn’t know what she attempted. Other recent questions from her lately included whether she could begin wearing makeup (which I allowed her to do, and which she only wears sporadically now) and whether she should begin shaving her legs (which we discussed, and she agreed to wait).
We’ve still been having problems with internet at home. T-Mobile claims there’s nothing wrong with my Web-n-Walk stick, even though it quits uploading/downloading for no apparent reason -- even when there’s still a strong signal (it runs off a cell phone sim card). I’ve gone back and forth with them -- online, over the phone and in the store -- with no real resolution. This is getting OLD!!!
Zachary has been getting headaches after reading and studying, so I’ve made an appointment for him with an optometrist. Hopefully there’s nothing significant going on, but I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry (especially considering how horrible my pre-surgery vision was). He thinks he needs reading glasses.
Benjamin is reading up a storm lately -- when he wants to. He can read an entire chapter book (his favorites are the “Jack and Annie” Magic Tree House series) in an afternoon, and I’m very proud of him for finally wanting to read them over simpler books like Little Critter or the Bernstein Bears.
After much consternation, my property manager and landlord were finally able to get someone out last month to “fix” the pipes leading to the water heater in our attic so they don’t freeze when the temps fall below freezing and cause water to leak into the garage. However, during his visit, the landlord also decided he wants to cut a hole in the laundry room wall leading outside so I don’t have to keep the laundry room window open for the dryer vent hose whenever I do laundry. It’s been more than a month since he proposed doing this, and I haven’t heard anything more about it. I figure by the time they get around to actually doing so, I will have survived my third winter of doing laundry in a room that matches the outdoor temperature. Yes, we keep the laundry room door closed, but we receive a rude blast of cold air when we do laundry in the winter. Oh, and they didn’t put the gutter joint back together when they fixed the water heater issue...not that I want them to since I’ve still seen ice form where the joint should be, which leads me to believe that it’ll still freeze and leak into the garage if it were sealed off.
I’m on the verge of signing up for Air War College by correspondence. IF I decide to stay in the Air Force more than 20 years, I need this block checked to be competitive for squadron command and for promotion to colonel. I don’t need to close doors that I may need opened in the future, but I’m not looking forward to a year-and-a-half of correspondence courses. Ugh.
I’m sure I’m leaving some things out, like our recent ER visit to diagnose Benjamin with Scarlet Fever, assorted Boy Scout merit badges and campouts, and various Girl Scout extracurricular activities such as Thinking Day and the upcoming Powderpuff Derby. Oh, and I didn’t even TOUCH on what’s been going on at work -- I could probably do another entire post of comparable length just on that alone! And, yes, regular Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts meetings, as well as school and work, still occupy a good bit of our time too. Someone once told me I needed “a wife” to help manage everything. Some days I believe it! Maybe just a personal assistant...or an Alice (think back to the Brady Bunch -- a live-in cook, laundress and babysitter all in one)! Any takers?
Labels: Benjamin, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kid Quotes, MacKenzie, Pam's thoughts, Zachary
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Double-Duty Boy Scout Sunday
The first Sunday in March is always Boy Scout Sunday. This year was the first year that Zachary and Benjamin were both able to participate in the service as scouts. Benjamin has been reluctant to wear his scout uniform all year (compounded by the fact that I didn’t have all the patches sewn on it), but I managed to get it put together and convince him to wear it to church. The shirt and pants are, admittedly, too large for him -- but I really wanted them to last through his entire Cub Scout years. I’m so proud of my two boys!
Benjamin took to heart his responsibility to hand out the programs as people arrived. Sometimes they could barely get inside the door before he’d thrust a program into their hands. At least he was excited about helping, and many people entered the sanctuary with smiles on their faces.
There weren’t many boys who showed up to help, so Zachary and Benjamin both were able to help with the offering. Fortunately, they were able to pair up a Cub Scout (younger) with a Boy Scout (older) on each side of the sanctuary to help make sure they didn’t miss any pews. They all accomplished their duties flawlessly!
Doesn’t Zachary look so mature here!?!! On a side note, John (the scout with Zachary) had his Eagle ceremony the next day. What an accomplishment!Labels: Benjamin, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Zachary
