Today was the last day of the big kids' first session of swimming lessons. The boys missed out because they are still sick (and I wish I had stayed home!), but the girls were able to go. Caitlin officially graduated level 1, complete with a Red Cross certificate, so next session she will be in the level 2 class with Tamara. The boys are still in level 1. Yay Caitlin!

Well, it's time to announce it to the world. Brenden, Tamara, Caitlin, and Liam will be starting school this fall at Cedar St. Elementary here in Mason. Elayne's fibromyalgia has gotten to the point that she can barely keep up, and while we really feel that a change in climate would help, financially it's not possible at this time. So the kids will go into school, and Elayne will ramp back up on working from home, saving up the funds to make the move to a better place. Elayne is not happy about this at all, but the option is always there to pull them back out if things don't go well.

Margaret Elayne Buck Yard passed away last Friday night. She was a wonderful woman who gave everything to her family. She made all of us feel welcome at her home anytime, even those of us who weren't born to her family. She loved to create things. I always remember her as making something, ceramics, porcelain, crochet, handmade dolls, clothing. She taught me some of those skills. I missed out on others. She made the best shrimp gumbo in the world, and I learned that recipe from her, as she learned it from her daddy. My mother and her brothers remembered her spirit.

We've definitely had our share of bad luck around here. We could certainly use some happy vibes, helpful prayers, magick spells, or anything else you want to throw our way, before anything else happens. I know I haven't posted in a while. It's been crazy, and our domain forwarding was down for a while anyway. Here's the scoop:

I just can't win. I've spent today packing up and tying off loose ends, preparatory to driving to Texas tomorrow. Grandma is officially on her deathbed, and we're hoping to get there before she dies. At least they're finally letting her go home...if she doesn't die before Saturday, that is. But now I've got to make my annual trip home at the last minute, and BY MYSELF, which royally sucks. It's not Brian's fault. He missed too much work this month from being in the hospital. I tried to talk him into quitting his job and becoming beach bums, but he's not interested.

I turned in our van to the body shop today. They're going to do the bumper this week, and the doors in a week or two. They overbooked the only minivan they have available for loaner, so that's why they're doing the work in two parts. Once they fix the bumper, though, I'll be able to open the doors and get the spare tire down, so the rest is cosmetic.

I didn't get to post on my family blog tonight, because the domain forwarding STILL isn't working. I'll have to get on the phone with GoDaddy about that again tomorrow. Tonight, I don't want to deal with it, I just want to make my blog entry and get to bed. Jarod waited until after midnight again to go to sleep. I'm trying to start being good and get my before bed routine done each night, starting tonight, so here I am.

My Aunt Marianna has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, stage 3. She's going to be starting chemotherapy soon. She is almost as far away as the rest of my family is, in Atlanta, so I can't visit her, either. I can't send flowers because she's become too sensitive. But the kids are sending get-well cards, and my dad has posted a website where well-wishes and prayers can be left: http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewJournal.do?method=executeInit

We just heard back from the doctor's office this morning. After reviewing the reports over the weekend, they want her to see an orthopedist to be sure that the treatment is sufficient and correct. They're going to try to get her an appointment as soon as possible, with their preferred orthopedist or with a different one if necessary.

The one triplet who had so far avoided any stitches now has the dubious distinction of being the first person in the family to break a bone. Tamara managed to fall off her own two feet, on a flat, carpeted floor, and break her ring finger last Friday. She broke the base of her ring finger on her left hand. It was a clean break, and the doctor just put a splint on the one finger and sent her home. We decided to support it a little more by taping that finger to the two fingers next to it, both to protect it and to make sure it stays straight.