Got a rake anyone?

This week in our household we have a Birthday Girl. Alayna will turn 6 years old tomorrow. She has been very excited about it and milking it of course. She has been "The Birthday Girl" for three weeks now. What this means is in her mind is that she is entitled to well...everything!

While all this has been going on, Avery has developed a strange attachment to a particular library book. It's titled, "On Top of Spaghetti". A little background first. I have fond memories of singing this song in my childhood and so I thought nothing of it when at a pizza buffet when Alton was about 5 years old, I broke into a spontaneous rendition of that song as we were putting meatballs on his plate. Having no idea the effect it would produce, I was completely annoyed when he started crying because he felt sorry for the meatball. I remember our entire meal was ruined as a matter of fact.

Wanting to put that memory behind me and give the meatball song a second chance, I checked out the book (I suppose I was somewhat curious to see if it would still set Alton crying at age 8 and 1/2, it didn't). In fact, I was very pleased when I finished reading the book that Avery was begging to have it read again. During the first reading he kept saying in a pitiful voice "B-a-l-l, B-a-l-l. He was empathizing with the meatball how cute. Things went rapidly downhill during the second reading. I noticed he was tearing up a bit as he mourned for the b-a-l-l. Then before I new it he was sobbing passionately! With every page I read he got more upset! I quickly finished it up and went to put it away, but he was chasing after me crying and reaching for the book saying b-a-l-l! He wanted me to read it again. I refused and finally found a food item to distract him while I put the book away. Straight back to the library it went. How was it that I never felt any sympathy for that meatball as a child? I just thought it was funny.

As for Alton, he is doing great. He has more friends than he knows what to do with at his homeschool co-op. The one we attend here (which also happens to be at our church) is huge. They have 5 different classes and everyone has a customized schedule, so they take themselves around to each class, even the kindergartners. I didn't see how the kids would manage, but they had it down after the first week. Alayna didn't get a full schedule because we registered a little late, so I have to take her up there a couple of times each Tuesday. I often see Alton on his way to another class. He doesn't stop to talk to me. Sometimes he waves, but that is okay by me, because he always has two or three other boys with him. We just completed his last round of chelation. Right before we did that we had this fancy test done and sent off to Paris to give us a more accurate account of how much mercury was left in his body. It came back just slightly above normal and that was before chelation. Anyone who tells you that Aspherger's or autism can't be reversed needs to come talk to me!

As for Rob and I well, Rob is deployed...to the dining room table. They always said that the advanced course was supposed to be the best year of your life in the Army because there is so much family time. We aren't seeing that. In fact, Rob finally told me that they said they are not saying that anymore because they're trying to make it tougher to meet some accreditation. I'd say they have definitely succeeded. He has 10 pages of his paper and his 10 page outline due the day after Thanksgiving break. Sometimes he emerges from the dining room table and shows up at dinner or when it's time to put the kids to bed, but for the most part, he's pretty much chained there even on weekends.

So that leaves me with some free time on the weekends to join a running club. Now understand that in this town, if you don't run or write, you just won't get any respect around here. That is not why I'm doing it, even though all my Army spouse friends here are running fanatics. I just love to run. So the Track club runs every Saturday through the winter. There's just over 100 of us split into four groups. Every Sat. you end up running a half mile more than the week before. We're all training for a popular 10 mile race in the Spring. It is so much fun, I just love it! Other than that, I have no free time either. Homeschool keeps us so busy. Especially with Avery all over the place, morning school is somewhat of a challenge.