What's up around here???

For those of you who don't follow James's blog, here's what we've been up to lately:

James has been building things for the house, like beehives (which will require a trip to GA in the spring to pick up the special organic bees!). . .

a sign with our house number from scrap wood scavenged from a flooring company on his way to work. . .





and a cat tree and shelves for Kit. . . but she's not so sure about this whole thing.





He's also really gotten into orchids, and displaced my seed starting shelves to set up adjustable shelves for his orchids. He took all four of my seedlings' grow lights to light his orchids. He's bought hundreds of containers . . . because they were only sold in units of one gross (12 dozen!) to hold the clay pellets he bought to grow the orchids semi-hydroponically. And then bought a few clay pots- to tie the orchids to the outside! I do tease him, but I get to enjoy having something blooming almost constantly, and I did pick out four at the orchid show and bring one home from a neighbor's house, so I can't complain too much. I don't complain at all, except for the teasing. He needs something to keep him busy while I'm playing in my PhD program, or he'll build something else huge to fit in the living room!

Tori spent September and October working at the Renaissance Festival, and we got to see her every weekend, since we live closer than she does! With the aggravations of her office job increasing, she's considering a switch. . . buying a pick-up truck and traveling the faire circuit, working a faire on the weekends and either freelancing or working temp during the week. My vagabond daughter!

Tori and Liza are saving money to take a month or so this summer and go vagabond in Europe together. I'm so glad they enjoy each other's company!

Liza's doing some general education courses and nannying for her aunt, while her uncle is in Kuwait. It has its advantages. . . for her-income to buy a computer and soon a quality SLR digital camera, for me-appreciation of what was involved in getting her to 18, or even 8, alive. That was one unexpected phone call!

James went to see one of Kyle's band competitions, but Kyle was too busy to even have a conversation. They've had a couple of phone calls, but it's really hard to feel the distance increasing, and he just turned 16 this week. He's looking ahead to college- Ohio Valley U, unless he's changed his mind. We may see him for a Christmas trip to C'burg to visit the grandparents.

Samuel is keeping busy, and learning to balance/juggle numerous demands. High school academics are a bit more intense, but the pressure is off now that he earned his laptop. He's still keeping busy with Scouts and kung fu, and I'm being the mean mom and not letting him add tennis team until he wraps those up. He starts testing for his black sash in kung fu in January!

Miriam is also enjoying many aspects of high school- if only it didn't include algebra! She was working as a page at the public library, but cut that out to focus on academics and school-based activities like Model UN and Interact (the high school version of Rotary International). She is growing up so fast! My baby went to homecoming this year!

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to encourage the twins to have a party next weekend, the first that they've been here and not had some school or church function on Saturday night. They took a bit of prodding to start the guest list, but then momentum got going and I got nervous! I finally cut them off and gave them a limit of 40 on the guest list! (Here's hoping they don't all show up. . . but I heard a few whispers of "___ will bring ___ anyway, so we don't have to include him in the count". At least the invitations will include a note prohibiting drugs and alcohol- "because the parents call the cops", so we won't have the whole school showing up!)

Me? I'm just trying to juggle ten hours of class each week, twenty hours each for homework and TA responsibilities, a few hours of meetings of one sort or another, commuting to DC, and having interesting conversations with my colleagues and family, and maybe sleeping occasionally. I picked up my crochet hook to start the last panel of our curtains for the first time last weekend during a visit to James's parents' house- something that's just been sitting around since I blogged the last one!

A special thanks-giving. . . my nephew, Evan, completed three brain surgeries this month, and has come through fabulously! His seizures seem to have stopped, and he's walking and talking-two things that are always a concern when you go into the brain. He charmed the nurses most of the time he was there, but will be glad to get out of the hospital and home.

On top of school, but life around the edges . . .

I know I haven't been posting in ages. . . Oh, well. I'm still figuring out how to keep up with the game. We're in the final stretch of the semester and it's looking do-able. I am having a blast! I'll try to get a kid update up sometime over the long weekend (in between grading 60 student research projects, writing a 20-page paper, and reading a book or three!).

Just wanted to get a quick post up to celebrate the gorgeous colors on my drive in this morning. I'm reminded of an impressionist painting with the golds and reds and rusts and oranges showing between the evergreens and the few deciduous trees that are still green.

Also, today is my nephew Evan's last brain surgery, so we're keeping him in our thoughts and prayers.