The Queen Comes Out of Hiding

Yes, that's me. I'm back. I really do miss blogging, but it took a lot of time away from other things in my life. Mainly housekeeping, child rearing, exercise, spending face to face time with important people in my life, etc. I guess I need to find a happy medium. I am not the best time manager. We'll see how it all goes.

You may wonder what's been going on around here. I'll try to sum it up for you.

The King of my castle is busy, busy, busy. Always on the road, it seems. When he's home, he's on the phone with work...I guess I shouldn't complain. He has a large family to provide for, and it takes a lot of provision to keep us going. He doesn't get a lot of free time, but his new hobby is trying to create the perfect pie. You'd think I would like it, but I don't. You should see the scale when I step on it. He's sabotaging me.

I can't remember what I called this kid. Squire? He's 14. He is busy with school and activities. Track is happening now, and only 35 days left of school. He has big plans to take Driver's Ed this summer. (Lord, help me!) That way he'll be ready to drive when he turns 15 in September. He would like us to move to South Dakota so he could be driving now.

I'm pretty sure I called this one Scribe. He's 13 and up to the same stuff as his closest brother. It's frightening to me, but his voice is changing. I hear men in my house all the time now. He's a comedian and makes me roll my eyes and shake my head many times a day.

Jester. Not so much anymore. The laughter he brought to our home is no longer here. He decided to disown the family. This is one of the last times I saw him, which was on his 19th birthday in October. It's sad. It's hard. I'm trying to deal with the rejection, but not doing so well. Some days I cry. Other days I am just plain angry. Angry with him. Angry with my husband, because I so badly want to blame someone. Angry with me, because I didn't see it coming. I feel betrayed. I miss him.

Prince Charming. What can I say about him? He makes me smile every day. I look at him in awe and wonder. As a mother I can brag about his brilliance. He's four and is starting to read. Seriously. I haven't even taught him how. The other day he said to me, "Freak is like free. Free is F-R-E-E. I can spell freak. F-R-E-E-C." I was very impressed. Of course, I didn't correct him. He'll be home another year so he should have the correct spelling down before he starts Kindergarten in 2012.

My Jouster. Not so much a fighter with me anymore. (Whew!) Though we do compete from time to time. Here we are doing a push up contest (he beat me because he's only 20 and the sun was in my eyes, but I gave him a run for his money). He is making great strides at turning his life around. He still lives at home and is my right hand man when The King is away. He's working at Hardee's while he waits to start construction work the end of May. He's looking forward to making some real money so he can get a place of his own. I'm not so sure I want him to go, It is really nice having another adult around all the time. He has a girlfriend who has a one year old son. I adore that little guy. I love it when they come to visit so I can get my baby fix.

Maiden and Duchess. Two years apart and toothless together. Isn't that fun? I love my girls. One looks just like me, one acts just like me. So, I guess I have two Mini-Me's. I don't know if that's good or bad. I guess it depends on who you ask. They are doing well in school, and sadly for The King, love to spend time at the mall (which I have no problem with).

Well, that's it for today. I'll have to let you know in the next few days what I've been doing for myself. I am heading down a new path...

My Children

Here is the most recent photo I have of all of my children. It was taken on Jouster's 19th birthday in July. I can't believe I have a 19 year old son. It makes it harder for people to believe I am only 29 years old when they see him by my side. There may come a day I will have to admit my real age.

Let me update you on what is going on with each of them.

Jouster: He is now 19 and swore he'd never step foot into a college. However, he is now a college student. He has worked out his schedule so he can be a full time student and still work his job at the hog farm 3 days per week. He still struggles from time to time with demons from his past but is really doing well. I am proud of the wonderful young man he has become.

Jester: We struggled with him over the summer. He left home two weeks ago and we haven't heard from him. He has stayed in contact with Jouster so we know he is safe. We will keep our distance and allow him the space he feels he needs from us. He is a senior in high school this year and will turn 18 in a few weeks. I am sad that our relationship has come to this point, but all I can do now is pray for him. The little kids miss him. Maiden said last night, "I hope he comes home so he can sit in his spot again." (Meaning at the dinner table.) It broke my heart.

Squire: Is in 7th grade this year and is taking his homeschool studies very seriously. He started playing piano again which makes me extremely happy! He is in cross country and is begging to join the Civil Air Patrol.

Scribe: Not so serious about school. He's in 6th grade and hides from me a lot. We are working on him staying on task with getting his work done. He's also in piano again...much to his chagrin and is running cross country. He's a pretty good little runner.

Duchess: She has taken over the role of first born. She likes to "mother" the younger two around and keep them in line. She is a second grader this year and is still working on learning to read. She is now in charge of egg collecting and loves her new chore!

Maiden: My little Kindergartner. Her goal for this school year, "To finish Kindergarten." She only thinks she's doing school if she's working in workbooks. Me reading aloud to her is not considered school to her. She gets frustrated when I won't let her work ahead in her books. I need some of her enthusiasm to wear off on Scribe!

Prince Charming: My little boy is three--and--IS POTTY TRAINED!!!! He is my little snuggler and is never far from my side. The most common words out of his mouth are, "I want my mama," or "I need you mama." I love it. Hopefully his need for me follows him all the way through his teen years.

Prom

Prom was on Saturday.  Here is Jester with his date.  He is the only one of our seven children who attends school outside our home.  He transferred to the local public school in November, and seems to be doing very well.  He is taking advantage of all the extras of public school life.

After saying good-bye to Jester and his date, I asked Jouster, who has never been to a prom (and most likely will never go to one) if he felt bad he didn't get to experience this teenage 'rite of passage'.  He said, "Are you kidding me?  I'd rather save my money."

He was right about the money thing.  I didn't realize how much money people spent on prom until I saw first hand.  The prom attendees gather at the local Library to have a photo shoot  early in the day.  I couldn't believe the elaborate dresses, bouquets of flowers, accessories, tanned skin, artificial nails, and professionally done hair.  It made me a little sick to think of the cost some people put into the prom.  Does anyone remember that about 950 employees at a local plant here in town, lost their jobs just a few months ago?  Apparently prom is recession proof.  Watching a stretch limo pull up to haul a load of students to The Cities for a meal before the big dance made me realize how ridiculous and showy this event really is.

I couldn't help but think how much money was spent on prom in our town alone--The amount spent nation wide must be unfathomable.  Jester said he and his date went the cheap route...no flowers, she found an inexpensive dress online, he wore his own dress shoes instead of renting a pair with his tux, they chose to eat at a local restaurant instead of driving to The Cities, she didn't pay for an updo, no professional photos, no hotel room afterward (yes, hotel is now part of that rite of passage)  and neither of them paid the extra fee to participate in the grand march.  They still spent close to $400.  I wonder if those couples who spent two to three times more on prom had more fun than Jester and his gal?  I read on Wealth Junkie$ that if kids took the $1000 they'd spend on prom, invested it, and earned just 8% until they retired, they would have $37,000. 

I went to prom.  Yes, I had fun and I am certain my parents would have had a hard time convincing me to skip it and invest the money instead.  But now I think it would be fun if I had taken expenses from both my proms, and my date's expenses, and invested it.  I'd call up my 'could have been' prom dates when I turn 65, meet for coffee and talk about how much fun we could have had as teenagers.  I'd pull out a wad of cash and split that $37,000 (maybe not evenly since I was the smart one to forego prom and invest the money wisely).  Then we'd take the real loves of our lives on fun vacation getaways, or put the cash toward our snowbird campers.  I can guarantee you, none of us would then regret missing prom.  Now, if only I can convince the rest of my kids...

Look Who's Driving Now

Look out world, Jester has his permit!

(I'm not kidding when I say look out...trust me on this.)

A Busy Weekend

We had a very busy weekend. Jester performed in his school musical, Honk!, the story of The Ugly Duckling. He had dress rehearsal Monday through Wednesday, and then performances Thursday through Sunday. He also had to attend two cast parties. Apparently the cast parties are one of the biggest reasons for being in a play. We were only able to see him perform once this year, on Friday night. He is in the brown bomber jacket in the center.
He was a goose in the geese squadron. Doesn't he make a good goose? It was a cute musical, and Maiden couldn't stop talking about it.
He was also cast as a frog in the froggie chorus (on the far left). Don't you think he makes a handsome frog? Needless to say, he came home today after school and crashed. He said he was totally exhausted.

The girls were also busy this weekend. Thursday night they had dress rehearsal for their skate show--a three hour production.

Then they had three performances, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Add daylight savings time, primping, compliments, photos, flowers, oohs and ahs from spectators, and the result was two very spoiled and tired little girls by Sunday evening.

Here are the girls with one of their skating instructors. She is a senior in High School this year and will not be returning to teach next year. According to Duchess and Maiden, she is the coolest teacher ever, and also the best skater in the whole world! They searched high and low to find her for this prize photo.

Saturday is also our day to visit Jouster. The King and all four boys went to see him since the girls and I were at skating. He seems to be doing very well. His restriction time (for running away) is nearly over and we will be able to receive phone calls from him again this week. I still miss him terribly. He is so enjoyable and fun to be around now that I am very disappointed when I am not able to see him on visitation day.

Fortunately I got a bonus visit with him earlier this week. On Wednesday he had an orthodontist appointment here in town. I was able to spend a few minutes talking with him before and after the appointment. The staff person that brought him was very kind and did not rush him out the door afterward. Jouster said it was good to be back in town and see some familiar sights again. I was so thankful I was able to see him, especially since I knew I had to miss on Saturday. He had just gotten a haircut so his hair was even shorter than in the photo above. I can't believe my boy keeps shaving his head! Click here to see how he wore it for so long. Big difference huh?

I Love You

Jester: Mom, you make the best Sloppy Joes.

Me: Is that your way of telling me you love me?

Jester: Yep.

Happy Birthday

Jester is 16 years old!

Here he is at one day old...with The King and I who were 16 years younger.

He was the fastest baby we had. He tried to enter the world with no doctor or nurses in the room, but we were able to hold him back until help arrived.


Who would have known sixteen years ago that he would become the comedian of the family? He makes me laugh every day. He never gets overly excited about anything, is pretty easy going and laid back, and never in a hurry. We must have stifled him when we didn't let him enter the world with a bang like he originally intended.

He is such a helper, especially with the younger children. People near and dear to us tell he acts like a third parent, always helping with and correcting the younger children. When The King is out of town, he steps right in and helps me get the little ones ready for bed, reads to them, prays with them, and tucks them into bed while I finish tidying the house. He knows that the reward will be an enjoyable quiet evening. That is really a blessing to me after a long day as a 'single parent'. I know he will make a wonderful father one day. He has had plenty of practice.

We love you Jester. Happy Birthday!

Cake Man

Jester finished his second cake decorating course.

This course focused on royal icing. Each week he

learned how to make different flowers. They were

then dried and saved for the last week.

The course finale, complete with a basket weave finish:

I think he did a great job! But now we must wait a month.

He was too stressed out to go on. That one night a week was just too much for him. He thinks he will start again in November and learn fondant techniques. Stay tuned...

Mindless Machines

Today Jester ran in the Milaca Mega Meet. I have heard it said to be the World's Largest High School Cross Country meet in the world. Last year there were over 3,000 runners who participated. I am waiting to hear the final count for this year. It is an awesome sight. Bare legs everywhere, except on Jester.

Jester said that many people called out to him during the run complimenting him on his socks. I asked if he yelled back that his mom found them on the internet. He said, "I was in the zone...actually I pretended I didn't hear them, because coach says we should be so into the run, that we aren't aware of anything but the run, that we should be mindless running machines. That's what I am, a mindless running machine." (Big cheesy smile.)

I am so glad he explained that to me. Now I know what I am. When I get on this computer and start blogging, I get in the zone. I am not aware of anything around me. That's what I am, a mindless blogging machine.

Have Socks, Will Run

Last year I missed all of Jester's Cross Country meets. I had just had a baby and it was a very cool fall, so I chose to stay home. Every time I did Jester's laundry during the CC season, I would wash a pair knee high teal and black striped socks that he had worn as part of a Munchkin costume in his school's production of The Wizard of Oz earlier in the year. When I rolled them together into a ball, I would wonder why he was wearing them to school. I always forgot to ask him.

Then the end of the CC season arrived. The coach hosted an end of the season banquet, complete with awards and presentation showing photos of the runners throughout the season. I made sure I attended this event since I had missed seeing him run.

Another mom approached me prior to the power point presentation. She said, "I just love the socks Jester wore at the meets. We could always pick him out of the crowd." My heart rate increased as my smile became artificial. Flashbacks of washing and folding teal and black knee highs came to mind. It couldn't be. He had to have been wearing them to school under jeans, not at CC meets with shorts. I hesitantly asked, "Uh, what socks are you talking about?" Chuckling, she said, "Oh, those striped knee highs, what a hoot! At the meets, parents from other teams would comment on his unique choice in socks."

The room started to spin around me. Paranoia set in. I was envisioning everyone around me staring, pointing, talking, and laughing about Jester's socks. I was certain they were discussing how poor we were, unable to afford a pair of no show socks like all the other runners wore. Why would Jester's parents dress him in teal and black knee highs when the school colors were black and gold? I was wishing I could shrink away into oblivion. Thankfully the lights dimmed and the attention shifted to the power point presentation.

One photo in particular will be etched in my mind forever. It is a photo of all the runners at the starting line taken from the knees down. Every set of legs in the photo shows only skin and then running spikes....except one. A boy whose only skin showing is at the knees and then a teal stripe, black stripe, teal stripe, black stripe....you get the picture...all the way down to the spikes. To make matters worse, the photo was titled in very large letters with Jester's name in quotation marks. My cheeks were turning warm with embarrassment as I heard the roar of laughter and clapping in the room.

On the way home I asked him why. "Why would you want to stand out like that?" He just smiled and said, "Those are my favorite socks. Besides, Coach likes my individuality." How could I argue with that? Hadn't we been teaching him for 15 years to be himself, to not be someone he isn't? I had to come to terms with my humiliation, and the memory began to fade until...

This season. Jester was very concerned about his sock situation. His teal and black socks had huge holes in them, and had gladly been taken out of commission by me. He really wanted a pair of knee high gold and black tiger striped socks, but couldn't find any. However, we did find a pair to express his individuality. He's in the gold shirt and black shorts:

Here is a back view of the socks, I think he looks like a bumble bee. Notice how bare the other boys' legs are:
That's my boy. I don't think he will ever become a victim of conformity.

(If anyone comes across gold and black tiger striped knee highs, please let us know.)

Oh No! The Cake!

It was better than I had imagined. When I picked Jester up from class this evening, he had a cake filled with beautiful pink roses and delicate green leaves. The "old ladies" in his class came up to me and complimented me on how creative he was. I was so proud. I couldn't wait to get him home for a photo shoot so I could post it on my blog.

It wasn't meant to be. We were standing in line to sign him up for course two. Jester and I were juggling with my purse, Prince Charming, the $5.00 off coupon for the next course, the 10% off cake supplies coupon, the supplies needed for next week, the decorated cake, and all his decorating tools. All of a sudden we saw the cake (in the plastic cake carrier) out of the corner of our eyes, just out of arms reach, jump into the air, do a flip, and land face down on the floor. It was like something you'd see in a gymnastics horror movie.

Oh, the agony. The "old ladies" from his class gasped and cried out, "Oh, no!" The oldest lady, who looked to be about my age, said "At least it will still taste the same." Jester said, "Oh well, it was kind of a girly looking cake anyway....all pink and everything." Now that's looking at the glass half full (or the cake half decorated).

This mishap allows you, our loyal viewers, the ability to see within the cake. As you can see, it is a layer cake. What you can't see is that it is filled with vanilla pudding. The "old lady" was right. Even though it looked a little beat up, it was still delicious.

(In case you are wondering, that boy with the shorter hair really is Jester. A bit of a change from last week's Cake Man Post don't you think?)

Cake Man

Jester is the cake baker in the family. He started by baking my birthday cakes for the past three years. (Plain angel food, no frosting, from a two-step box mix...as per my request.) His sisters caught on to the special treatment I was receiving. This year they both wanted him, and only him to bake their birthday cakes.

While decorating their cakes, he was frustrated because he didn't really know what he was doing. The girls were impressed, but I thought it would be cool if he could REALLY decorate a cake so I signed him up for a cake decorating class. He was not happy and complained that he would be the only guy in a class full of old ladies.

At the end of his first class he told me there were quite a few old ladies, most of them were probably in their thirties, but to his surprise there was another young man in the class...a drummer in a band. The other dude had a mohawk, multiple facial piercings, and numerous tattoos. With such a cool guy in class with Jester, cake decorating no longer seemed so bad.

Tonight was his third class of level one. Here is what he produced:


He was grinning from ear to ear when I picked him up from class. He only has one week left to go and told me tonight he wants to sign up for level two and eventually take all four courses.

By the way, he has to make his own icing and cakes for class. I am a mean mom and won't let him use a box mix for his cake. He has had a lot of flops, but the recipe he used for this cake is a winner. Anyone for a little cake?

While You Were Out....

We decided to pull a "While You Were Out" episode on Jouster when he was away at camp. This project upset out whole house for an entire week. The morning he left, Jester began tearing apart their bedroom. He was already tearing down the loft beds by the time I got the camera upstairs.

As you can see, the boys had pink carpeting in their room. I am ashamed to say we have never painted this room since we moved in...uh..eh...EIGHT years ago. It was in pretty tough shape. The old plaster walls were cracked with peeling and chipping paint. Jester had to scrape and fill in many cracks and holes before he could start painting. Then he tore out the old carpet which was glued down rubber backed. He even hung a new light fixture.

It's hard to see from the poor picture quality, but the room is gray...Confederate gray is the best explanation. The new carpeting is a multi-colored berber. The carpet layers came in yesterday afternoon and when they were done we spent the evening reassembling the beds and moving furniture back in. Loft beds are great in a small room like theirs. Under one bed is a reclining love seat, and under the other is a desk. The love seat is their favorite place to take naps...it's too much work to climb up into bed for a quick snooze.

I had a great idea to put shelves up above the windows for their alarm clocks and fans (it gets hot so high in the air). When The King gets home Thursday, he plans to put permanent outlets up there so we don't have so many extension cords hanging around.

Jester worked hard to get it done and was extremely tired by the end of the week. He was pretty proud of his accomplishment. We still have a few more things to do...bookshelves, window treatments and closet organizers.

Jouster's reaction to the transformation? "Oh man, this room is sweet."

Friday Night Fun

Jester had a party Friday night. It started at 7:00 p.m. Only one person showed up then. I was beginning to feel sorry for my little boy.

Two and a half hours later, six more came. A grand total of seven guests. (Ten less than Jester's friend Marshall had at his party in June--but who's counting?)

That's when the party started! They sat around the bon fire and enjoyed the the hors devours that Jester had worked on all day.(Cheetos, Doritos, Licorice, Mountain Dew, and Coke.)



















I'm sorry I can't post their names for you. The gentleman on the far left (striking a pose) told me he is in a witness protection program and shouldn't be on the Internet. (Please don't let anyone know I have him on my blog.) Jester is on the far right, in case you are wondering. Jouster had to work and the party was over by the time he got home.

The Raising of the Hoop

Jester likes to shoot hoops.

He decided it was time to bring it out of retirement (the shed) and give it a face lift (new paint job).

It's heavy. Here are the King and Jester trying to get it up on the garage.

Proof that the Queen has to lend a hand from time to time.

(Thanks to Scribe for the shot from this angle.)

Here is Scribe showing us how to shoot a hoop.

LOOKS GOOD JESTER! THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK.