Homemade Soap Scum Remover (This recipe will change your life!)

I hate scrubbing the shower. Hate it. So much, that the floor often has black marks and there is a literal tub ring of.... I'd rather not think about it.
Part of the problem is that I have yet to find a cleaner that actually works. Comet powder used to be my standby, but now it and any other commercial cleaner immediately make my lungs hurt - not to mention that they just flat out don't work the way they claim to. (Although, I did find out recently that the secret is to spray on and let it really soak and work before you scrub. Which will allow plenty of time for the fumes to fully permeate your house.) Years ago, a friend suggested Magic Eraser sponges, and they do a great job, but it will require lots of elbow grease and will shred through a full box (4) when the buildup is really bad.
I'd heard to use vinegar, peroxide, alcohol.... Nothing worked in that effortless way I wanted. (Because cleaning really should be effortless!)
And I'd let it get bad. So much that dysentery was a real concern when I saw Elsa drinking the bathwater.
And the day came. Something must be done.
It took me all day of procrastinating while deep cleaning the rest of the bathroom. Finally, it came to 5 o'clock. The rest of the bathroom was sparkling and fresh. I'd done enough, right? Let's just pull the curtain on the shower and save it for another day when I had time to do it properly.
But..... Sigh. So gross.
So I Googled how to easily clean shower scum. And found a recipe that will change my life!
And it's so simple! Seriously - 1/4 cup blue Dawn dish soap, to 2 cups of vinegar. That's it! Put it on a spray bottle, spray down your gross shower, let it soak, and then just rinse it away. Yes, rinse! No scrubbing required!
I had an empty Windex spray bottle, so that's what I used. Sprayed all the black marks, and the nasty ledges where water sits around the bottles. I knew it was bad, so I came in and sprayed it about every 10 minutes to keep it wet and let it soak for closer to an hour. (Our winter air is very dry and it was evaporating quickly.)
I turned on our shower head, and used the removable nozzle to spray hot water over the entire shower, and I'm not kidding, that gunk just melted off! The floor is gleaming clean! Happy life!
Now - full disclosure - this didn't seem to work as well on the vertical surfaces. I'm guessing that those are more of hard water/calcium buildup, and may require something different. (Or may simply require scrubbing, and I think you know my opinion of that.)
Sorry I have no before/after pics, but when I'm working on a project, I don't think of things like that. And besides, I'm not sure I want photo evidence of what "before" looked like!
And, in trying no find the original post I read in order to give credit, I did see another recipe that used a 1:1 soap/vinegar ratio, so apparently it's the magic combination, and exactness in amounts doesn't matter.
So..... Happy cleaning!

A Pea Gravel Patio!

When we tore off the decks to add the basement, I told Paul that rather than build the huge wraparound deck that we had previously, I wanted to replace the deck outside each door, but build a patio between them.
I'm not sure he quite agreed with me, but he designed and built two beautiful decks.

We laid gravel with plans to pour concrete within a year.
Well..... 3 years later.....  It still looked the same.  Part was due to finances - concrete is a lot more expensive than it was 10 years ago when we installed our sidewalk!  But a lot was due to indecisiveness.....  Neither of us wanted a square chunk of gray concrete.  But flagstones, staining, texturing - all added to the cost!
And then I read an article online that said you can use pea gravel as an affordable alternative to concrete.  Just that; no pictures, links, or anything.
So I tore the internet apart trying to find inspiration.  I did find a couple of blogs that made very basic, very tiny patios using pea gravel.  But I couldn't find any ideas that we could use on our space.  So I imagined, talked to Paul, did some price checking, and then.... We started work.

We leveled the area and used 5x5 timbers to frame it, secured to the ground with re-bar pounded through drilled holes.

We laid down landscape fabric (on the windiest week in April, I think!) to keep the weeds from sprouting through the gravel.

Slave labor.  11 tons moved in 3 hours.

View from the corner by the house and back deck.  I'm standing in the flowerbed we designed to edge it on 2 sides (against the house).

I decided I wanted a solid transition from the stairs to the patio (not to mention it was a giant step down!)  I had slightly under-estimated the amount of gravel needed, also, so we laid rocks at the base of both sets of stairs that served both purposes - solid landing, plus several square yards worth of filler!

 

I love how the "transition area" turned out.

Paul used leftover rock to outline our tiny bit of grass in the front, making it look very nice an tidy.

I priced patio furniture, and decided we couldn't afford it - at least not the style I wanted.  Paul took some measurements and built us some!  Here we have the first couch he built and the 2 cushions that actually did arrive with the "free 2 day shipping."

And this is the finished project!  We had to wait to stain it because the lumber was still very wet. 
(And it's a good thing we did, or the hail would have destroyed it!)

Add some flowers for perfection!

The purple cow is an ongoing family joke.  We confused the heck out of one of my dad's milk route drivers when we were young, by leaving a note for him on the fuel tank (just for randomness sake):
I never saw a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you, anyhow:
I'd rather see than be one!

I don't have a completed completion photo of all the deck furniture Paul built, with the flowers growing in the beds (actually, cabbage and kale, as the flowers were destroyed by hail).  Paul built us two full-length couches, a loveseat, chair, and footrest table for our outdoor oasis - all matching, and sized for standard "deep seating" patio cushions.
Despite not having a photo inspiration, the whole area turned out exactly how I had imagined.  It is the perfect place to relax in the evening, and has plenty of seating for all of our large family, plus guests.

The only drawback is that we got cats about the same time as we made the patio.  And they like to dig and....you know.  So there is that consideration if you are interested in tackling a gravel patio as your own project.

One "Hail" of a Storm!

Back in May, we got the hail storm of a lifetime.  We heard weather reports of hail - which never amount to anything.  We did move our vehicles under the trees, just in case, but I didn't move any of my potted plants.  I'd moved them 3 or 4 times already that month, and nothing ever materialized.

And then we got this:

Remember - this was taken May 31, not in January!

This was average size.  The smallest were about nickel-size.

It got very foggy as the cold rose from the hail (ice!) covering the ground.  And those puddles were COLD!

I had just commented on how wonderful our garden looked.  Corn was in the foreground, tomatoes in the back, peas, beans, and hill crops between.

Our roof was only 6 months old!  The insurance adjuster said this damage was the worst he'd seen in our area, and our roofer said it was the worst he'd ever seen.

It took a crew of 8 all day to rake up the mess.

Both of our vehicles were totaled.  The roof was a complete mess - obvious dents, broken shingles and debris all over the decks and yard.  The skylights in our barn were completely broken out.  Nearly every piece of siding on two sides of the house had at least one hole in it.  The screens and trim of all the windows of the north and west side were ruined - but surprisingly no broken glass!  My garden and all of our shade was obliterated.  Thankfully, though, no pets or people were injured!  (Although we did have to rescue a kitten from 6 inches of standing water in our barn!)
We have family, and friends like family, that volunteered to help with the cleanup.  They spent most of the day raking, and got it all done.  We were even able to go help our new neighbors clean up their yard as well.
Insurance paid very well on the vehicles (which we kept - what was a few more dents?), but didn't pay nearly what we'd hoped on the house.  Thankfully, the two payouts combined will cover all the repairs, plus upgrading the siding on the other two sides of the house.

Rhodes Report 2016

I typed this up, but never got it sent out.  As always, January finances were in upheaval.  It's always the super-tight month after Christmas expenditures and before receiving Paul's holiday overtime and tax return.  February was super-busy and I didn't have time to address the envelopes.  Then came March, and I'd forgotten about it.  So when April hit, I asked, "What's the point?"  
But for you loyal readers, here it is......

     As a new year dawns, we can look back over 2016 and see just how blessed we are. We are promised that "God will meet all [our] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19), and we can see that He has faithfully done that.
     We opened 2016 looking forward to the arrival of our 5th baby. Elsa Anne was born March 15. Now, at 10 months old, her personality is beginning to shine. She is a very happy baby, who loves smiling and waving. She is noticeably smaller than our other 4 were at the same age, but no less adventurous. She has crawling figured out, and has recently discovered the stairs. She is timidly attempting letting go of her support as she stands, but doesn't seem to be in a hurry to conquer that skill. Her siblings adore her, and are all very helpful in entertaining and watching out for her.
     Gideon turned 3 in December, and is a little Mr. Smarty Pants. He's got the world figured out, and fears nothing. Surprisingly, his "adventurousness" is not what earned him our family's first trip to the emergency room. In June, he fell getting out of the van and got 3 stitches in his forehead. But even in this, he was Mr. Smooth, charming the nurses and doctor, while kicked back on the gurney with his hands behind his head. Gideon has a very large vocabulary, and his expressions are hilarious. He knows most of his shapes and colors, and he loves building with his big Legos and playing with farm toys and trains.
     Zadie turned 4 in April. She is a very tall girl, with most mistaking her for a 6 or 7 year old. We started pre school with her on the fall, and she loves the writing and coloring, but sees no use for trying to remember the names of letters and numbers. Miss Zadie is a sass, and all her dad can do is shake his head when she is telling him how the world works, complete with finger-wagging and head nods. She loves drawing, coloring, and writing her name, along with playing with her doll house and ponies. We discovered "girl Legos" this year, and she spends hours creating and interacting with them.
     Jacob turned 7 in October and is in 2nd grade. He is very quick with picking things up in his schoolwork, although his attention to detail could use some work. Jacob shadows his big brother constantly, and as a result sometimes isn't sure about what he likes to do on his own. He enjoys farm toys, Legos, dinosaurs, mowing and raking in the yard, and exploring outside. He really enjoys helping Pa-Pa on the farm.  He got a beginner’s compound bow for his birthday and has enjoyed target shooting with it.  His patience will pay off in that area.
     Nathan turned 9 in September. He learns tasks very quickly, and is very careful and trustworthy with being allowed to do things that most kids his age can't do. This year, he learned how to run Grandpa's small chain saw, how to operate the riding mower, and how to drive Paul's truck. Nathan is in 4th grade on some subjects. He says reading is his favorite subject, which is a HUGE change from when we started school a year ago, and he could barely read. His brain works differently, which is apparent by the way he randomly writes with his left hand - without even noticing. So we still are working on the fact that some things aren't interchangeable, like the order of letters or numbers. But he does well at school and we are pleased at his progress.  He bought a BB gun at the end of summer, and enjoys target shooting.  He’s very responsible with this “real” gun and keeps it carefully stored.  However, his arsenal of play guns are all over the yard and house and are constantly being smuggled in the van.  (A parent at Awana told me they appreciate his patrol each week!)  Besides camouflage, guns, and army – Nathan enjoys Legos, farm toys, and helping Paul work on wood building projects.
     Home school is going well. It's a challenge with a small, mobile baby, who can't decide if she wants to be in my arms pulling things off the desk, or on the floor putting things in her mouth. Attitudes are better this year, but we still have days of absolutely maddening lolly-gagging. Nathan is to the age of knowing what's expected and getting it done on his own, which is VERY helpful, since Elsa's sleeping and nursing whimsies basically dictate my entire day.
     Paul and I are to the point of being old and boring, and that's just fine. Paul finished his 17th year at the glass plant. He is still very involved with the Encounter ministry, and has been visiting the youth detention center with our associate Pastor a couple times a month. Obviously, cooking and looking after this crew takes a lot of my time, but I have been able to be involved in putting on some special events the church has hosted. Paul and i celebrated 12 years of marriage in March. Being married to your true best friend is so nice. 
     We are involved in the Awana program at church. I teach Cubbies (preschool) with Zadie, Jacob has finished his second book in Sparks, and Nathan is learning how to study the Bible in T&T. 
     In December, most of the family were involved in our church's Bethlehem presentation. Elsa portrayed Baby Jesus (our 4th child to play the part), with Paul &  I as Mary and Joseph, Nathan was a shepherd, Zadie was an angel, and Jacob was a general cast member. We really enjoy presenting the Christmas Story to the community. This year, over 1,400 passed through in 3 nights.
     In January, Paul took his truck to the dealer for an inspection, and they discovered the frame was nearly rusted through. Apparently Toyota has a lifetime warranty on this. The downside is that it took them several months to completely replace the frame and several other components involved. The upside is that parts and labor were free, and Paul was given a free rental for those 5 months. He took the rental in for an oil change, and the only replacement they had was a Dodge Challenger. Driving a shiny black muscle car sure was tough for Paul to do....
     We didn't get much done on the house this year, but Paul did manage to finish up the basement bathroom early last year. It's quite nice to have 2 full bathrooms, plus the bonus back bath. Paul does such great work.
     Obviously, no vacations happened. Even though we planned to take some short overnight trips, the reality was that camping with a baby and 2 year old was going to be entirely too stressful. So Paul and the kids did some backyard camping, and fishing trips to the neighbor's pond, which they all thoroughly enjoyed.
     Seeing how God has provided and blessed us makes us excited for what He has planned on 2017. "He who began a good with in you week be faithful to complete it." We anticipate and want to be open to doing His work and fulfilling His calling.
     We hope this letter finds you blessed and well. Give us a call any time you're in the area. Visitors are the pinnacle of excitement around here!
     From our home to yours,
          Paul & Rachel
          Nathan, Jacob, Zadie, Gideon, and Elsa

Bedroom Makeover, Continued

Do you remember when we moved the bed into the closet?

  Well, that was three years ago. Basically, nothing in our room has changed.

We filled the shelves with junk. (All of the "grown up" - can't say "adult" - DVDs, CDs, and Xbox games got moved in and away from children.) I got a new bed spread a year ago. I added a few second-hand pillows that I was tired of the kids taking outside.
Let's see...... What did I say I was going to do "soon" in that post? Hmmm...... Refinish a dresser. (It's still sitting in the shop.) And add some art over the bed.
Well, after 3 years, I can finally say that I've gotten the art for over the bed. And I love it!

I was in Hobby Lobby last weekend picking up some stuff for our Awana Grand Prix. I walked by the wall plaque and it caught my eye. It is the verse we put on our wedding invitations and programs. (So true for our feelings for each other - then and now!) I made a note to mention it to Paul, but didn't get it.
I looked it up online a few days later, and saw it was on sale for half price. So it was only $15! I wanted to pick up a shelf, to give the wall the feel of a headboard, since we don't have one. This one was 40% off, so I paid $30 for it. (Which some would say was too much given the level of distressing it's received.) But the colors matched our quilt, and I loved the rustic look.
The items on the shelf are all from "shopping the house." I'm constantly moving things around.
I've found out takes me quite some time to get used to the feel and function of a room before I know how I want to decorate it. (It's taken me 10 years to figure out "my" decor style.) Then it comes down to time and money, both of which I'm usually short of.
But sometimes, it's worth the wait. I am so pleased with how this project turned out! (Even if trying to level that shelf had me wanting to scream!)

Life Rolls On

Life keeps on moving, whether I'm ready or not.
We're already on week 8 of school.  That's 1/4 of the way through the school year!  Where has time gone??  We did take a "spring break"  a couple weeks ago because I needed to do the spring cleaning that I had never gotten done.  Paul had taken the week off work, so we took the week off school to enjoy time together and get some things done.
Elsa is rolling over, trying to pull up and crawl, and just about ready to sit herself up.  She chows down the baby food like she may never get another meal.  She's almost 8 months old!
The weather has been ridiculous.  Now in November, we have only had one night cold enough to frost (which was 3 weeks ago), but only in patches.  Had the garden not drowned (again - twice in 2 months is too much to recover from), it would have been the most fantastic fall garden we've ever had.  This week has been in the 80s.
I was supposed to have my varicose veins repaired this year.  We started the process in May.  My doctor in Lawrence referred me to a doctor in KC, because the origin of my varicose veins seems to be in my pelvis (coming off my uterus), rather than in my legs.  Insurance is refusing to pay for the surgery to fix it. They say it doesn't work, so they won't pay for it - but they realize I may need the surgery, and I am more than welcome to pay for it myself!  (Ugh.  Don't even get me started.)  My doctor is appealing it (again), but now it's November, and still not a single thing has been done to fix my veins.
The big boys both had birthdays this fall.  Nathan is now 9, and Jacob 7.  Again - where has time gone??  They are both getting so tall and strong.  They're right on the edge of the responsible/irresponsible age.  I can usually trust them to get things done, but there are those days.....  (Gideon's birthday is next month, and the girls are in March and April.)
Anyhow.  Time to start the day, whether I'm ready or not. :)

Time to Vacuum

When your baby rolls over, and her back looks like the top of an "everything" bagel, you know it's time to vacuum.


(The quote isn't original to me, it's something I saw on Facebook once. And am probably mis-quoting.)

Faux Antique Bread Box

(This post is over a year old.  I have no idea why I didn't post it when I typed it up.)
For several months, I've been contemplating the purchase of a bread box.  I trolled Amazon for a style that would fit two loaves of bread.  (We have to buy loaves two by two, as one round of PB&J's will wipe out a half a loaf.)  I found one that kind of sounded like it would fit the bill, and was in my price range ($20), but wasn't convinced enough to order it right away.
After buying bread yet again, and having the mess of new loaves, a partial leftover loaf, plus various homemade items laying in the "bread area" (invariably, one of the children lays something heavy on the loaves of bread, or decides to climb on the counter and puts a knee into it.), I decided.... It was time.
Time to build one.

I had seen these on Amazon, but besides the $100 price, the reviews on how big they were dissuaded me.  It didn't seem like we needed all that space.  But looking at the mess on the counter, I thought.  Yep.  We'll use it.
Call in the talent.  (I could do a lot of these things myself, it's just faster to let him. ;) )
I gave Paul the picture I printed off.  He made some notes and went to work.  And this is how it turned out:

Hand-punched tin (made out of salvaged tin from our old return-air vent). 

I did a punched-tin project once in high school and figured I'd try it again.  I googled patterns, printed it out, and taped it on.  This one was supposed to be the practice run, but I was quite happy with how it turned out!  It took maybe 2-3 hours after all the mommy interruptions.

It really does fit a lot of bread!  In this pic, there is two brand-new loaves of sandwich bread (longer loaves), another half loaf, a couple hamburger buns, and some leftover biscuits.  Fits perfectly!  And looks so pretty and neat all closed up.

Total Cost:  $6

Wood:  scraps laying around

Nails:  on hand

Tin:  scrap

Stain:  on hand

Knob:  $1 (for 2-pack)

Hinges:  $5

Much better than the $100 price tag for the one on Amazon.  And we [could have] got it done faster than waiting for shipping.

Managing My Household

Something I've been struggling to figure out is how to manage my household.  Proverbs 31:27 says, "[A virtuous and capable wife] watches all that goes on in her household, and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness."
I like being lazy.  But I also like a clean house.  So I'm torn.
But now, with the balance of power shifted in favor of messy small people, something must be done.  The house can go from "not that bad" to completely destroyed during the preparation of one meal.  And I've decided it doesn't have to be my job to pick up those messes.
What does a manager do?  Constantly checks on things and delegates jobs.  And "managing" the house is going to require doing something about those areas I avoid because I don't want to deal with the filth - the kids' bedrooms and the downstairs bathroom.  And it takes a lot of my time.
I'm trying to figure out ways to "manage a household".  I've researched online, and found several ideas, but most are in favor of strictly scheduled days and checklists.  I like the idea of this (if I write things down, I can't forget them!), but I hate the strictness.  There are some days that it's okay to be lazy.  When Daddy has worked 7 days straight, and we have a day at home with nowhere to go and nothing to do....  Throw out the schedule!  But then I feel guilty that I didn't do anything and follow my own rules.
So I'm trying to figure out what works in our house.  Each house is different, made of up different personalities and different work and school schedules, so it's taking a while to figure ours out.  Especially since school hasn't started yet.  But I'm trying to get everyone used to keeping the house clean daily before we start that.
I read Proverbs 29 to the kids tonight.  Two verses speak to mothers, children, and discipline.  "To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child." (v 15) "Discipline your children, and they will give you happiness and peace of mind." (v 17)
There are two kinds of discipline.  Discipline can be appropriate punishment, and discipline can also be self-control and responsibility.  And that's something I am in charge of teaching my kids.  When they don't have discipline, it may result in discipline.  I want them to have the self-control to not destroy an entire room, and the discipline to clean up after themselves.  But it takes constant attention and tough love.  Because children are naturally oblivious and selfish.  They don't think the "mess" of their beloved toys is a big deal, and they think Mommy is here, so she'll wave her magic wand and make it disappear.
So we're working on it.  And trying to keep the house clean daily.  And considering what type of list and schedule we need to remind us and keep us sane.

A First Time for Everything

Well, there's a first time for everything.
We are under a "mandatory boil order" in our area until further notice.  A water main burst in town on Saturday night.  I don't know if it was just the fact that it broke, or that it broke during a giant rainburst (2 inches in an hour), or that it broke just outside of the water sanitation plant - overflowing poop ponds? - which spurred the boil order, but we got the notice on our cell phones' "emergency" alert text.  We aren't on city water, but our rural water district purchases their water from the city, and the next day we got a call that we are on a boil notice, too.
So we are boiling water for a household of 7.  Do you know how much water my kids waste each day??
In July, I splurged, and bought two of these for our annual 4th-ish of July Party (it's rarely on the 4th; depending on Paul's work schedule):

They're 2.5 gallons each, and they've been quite handy in our current situation.  I have one on the kitchen counter for drinking, and one on the bathroom counter for washing.  Luckily, what I read is that during a boil order, it's still safe to shower, as long as you don't drink the water.  My kids decided tonight was a good night to go play in the garden, so we needed showers all around.

And thank goodness the water can still be used for laundry!  I guess I can be glad it's an issue of water safety, not supply.  I'm not ready to go all pioneer woman and haul water.
We had 2.5 inches in an hour on Saturday, on top of at least 3 in the week prior to that.  The garden is a giant sink hole, and I'm pretty sure we're going to lose our entire crop of fall beans (which have loads of beans on them, but there is NO WAY I can get to them), and our tomatoes, too.  This is the second time they have drowned this summer; the last week of June just about killed them, but they put on new foliage and came back.  With September just around the corner, there won't be time for them to put on another crop.
During all this, I'm dealing with an infected incision from a surgery I had a month ago.  I knew the main incision wasn't healing right, but I thought it was just a matter of bad closing.  (It looked like they had closed fat into the incision line.)  It has been scabbed over, while the laparoscopic scars healed beautifully, within a week, into thin pink lines.  The incision is only about an inch, and the infection is less than half of it, so I put it off. But over the weekend, it started oozing pus (disgusting I know).   I finally went to see the doctor today, and he said that the infection is because my body is rejecting the dissolving stitches.  The stitches aren't on the surface, but my body is pushing them to the top, like when you get a splinter.  So I have to take antibiotics 3x a day for a week until this stops, along with warm packs (increases circulation) and peroxide every other day.  Lovely!
So this is our exciting beginning of the week!

Where Has Summer Gone?!

Isn't summer supposed to be slow and lazy? Ha! Despite having no plans at the beginning of summer, we have rushed through like a freight train!
What all have we done? Let's see, just off the top of my head.....

• Two garage sales in under two weeks. Not a complete bust, as I made about $60 between the two, but hotter than Hades and disappointing traffic. I'm convinced the weekend before Mother's Day is the best and only weekend to do garage sales.
• My sister moved. Not that I was able to help nearly as much as I should have and wanted to, but it still took a bunch of time from my abundance of free time. Keith and Lurenda and girls are settling into their new home in the country that's in the perfect location for them!
• I turned 34. I'm actually feeling less old than I was a few months ago. Sleep does wonders!
• Nathan and Jacob took a vacation with my parents to Colorado. Mom's aunt and uncle were celebrating their 50th anniversary. There was no way Paul and i could get out there, so they invited the boys. They had a blast, having a "solo" adventure, and my parents said they would have made us proud with their behavior.
• Doctors's appointments! With having a baby, we knew we would meet our deductible for the year. So we decided I would do something about these horrible varicose veins! (We started the process 4 years and 3 babies ago.) So I've had 3 appointments with the vein doctor, and one with a gynocologist to address some dermoid cysts they found on my right ovary. So I'm having surgery July 27 to remove that. 3 of the last 5 years are July/nursing baby/surgery. We'll start the process with the veins in August.
• Emergency room. I can't believe we made it to child #4 without going to the emergency room. But it doesn't surprise me that Gideon was the first..... It does surprise me that it took this long for him to land there! Gideon fell getting out of the van and cut his forehead on the bottom of the seat frame. He got 3 stitches, making for an exciting Father's Day evening. (Unfortunately, our "smart" phones gave us wrong information, and told us urgent care was closed, so we'll pay double what was needed.) He's supposed to keep the scar covered for the rest of the summer to keep it from turning purple from sun exposure, so we've been having fun with the "pirate hat."
  • Swimming lessons! This is the first year we've done this. (And if public school running, running, running is like this, COUNT ME OUT!) I've been meaning to look into it for several years, but it has ranked pretty low on my priority list, sadly. Mom encouraged me to enroll them, after watching them in the hotel pool on their trip. So they're learning, and loving it...... And we get daily sobbing from the other two who want to go, too.

That's a brief rundown. From my smart phone, so I apologize for grammatical and proofing errors. It is randomly underlining, etc, as I type. Not to mention the blasted auto-correction! But nursing + computer aren't compatible, so we'll see how I do from my phone.


I'll see if I can attach a few pictures...... I won't even attempt to order or caption them from a phone!

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