Peak Rut

Somewhere around 1,400 or 1,500 wild elk live in Pennsylvania. We saw elk in Yellowstone in 2021, but we hadn't seen them in our home state until last week. The area where the herd roams around is two hours from our home. One of the best times to see them is in mid to late September, when they are the most vocal and active. Although we saw elk in Wyoming in September 2021, I think the first time I heard them bugling (on and off for two hours) was last week. I had planned for us to go there other years, but this was the first time the plan actually came to fruition. While the boys were in art class last Thursday, we dropped Milo off at the Seibert's. Sadly, Cooper (age 15) had passed away the previous day. Milo kept sniffing and walking around, trying to find Cooper during his 24-hour stay at their home. The boys didn't stay for chess club because we wanted to arrive at the Elk Country Visitor Center by 5:00, as the best times to see/hear the elk are two hours before sunset and right after sunrise. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get tickets for the horse-drawn wagon ride that takes you very close to the elk. When we're empty nesters, Paul and I might go back up there for a wagon ride. Before we saw the elk, we heard their bugling. Wow! I had no idea how loud they can be! We heard a lot of bugling over a period of two hours. We also saw deer, male elk, and female elk. I really enjoy seeing wild animals, so I would give that experience two thumbs up!

We spent the night in a two-bedroom cabin that I booked through Airbnb. Amazon gave all Prime customers a $10 credit last week toward a video rental or purchase. We used our credit to rent the new Minions movie and watched it that night. The boys slept on a bunk bed in the second bedroom. The next morning I woke the boys up at 6:30, as I was hoping we'd leave the cabin by 7:00. There wasn't any fog at the cabin, so I didn't know there was dense fog in the nearby elk viewing areas. I shouldn't have gotten them up so early. We waited a little bit, but we had no idea how long it would take for the fog to lift. So we left earlier than planned for our next stop, Kinzua Bridge State Park. The bridge, which was the world's highest railroad viaduct when it was built in 1882, was partially destroyed by a tornado in 2003. We had lunch in Clearfield, where my sisters and I were born, and then we drove back home to pick up Milo. Oliver worked a shift at the cafe that evening. I wanted to see pretty fall leaves from our view on the Kinzua Bridge, but almost all the trees were still sporting green leaves. 

Today I'm giving thanks for: 

1. I played the piano in the foyer at our church on September 20, and it turns out another one of our neighbors goes to our church. He asked me that evening, when I was walking Milo, if I give piano lessons. I told him I wasn't currently giving any lessons, but I'm thinking of accepting his offer and doing it with Ian so he will get some experience teaching piano lessons (and earn some $).

2. We enjoyed our 24-hour getaway to see elk and the Kinzua Bridge. 

3. I bought two tickets to the Bloomsburg Fair and the Skillet concert last night, and Uncle Al took Oliver. Oliver used some of the money he's earned to buy himself a hot dog, funnel cake, etc. 

4. Co-op continues to go well. On the 22nd, the kids looked at slides under a microscope in biology and discussed views on eternal security. Today, they dissected four perch and discussed three views on the millennium. Some stay for lunch and games. Last week, some played Sorry while others played Jackbox games, and this week they all played UNO. 

5. My niece, Jenna, found out that she passed her board exams (for OT) last week!

6. My nephew, Andrew, got engaged to Laina on Friday. We are very happy for them! 

7. I talked with Nadia on the phone last week (the first time I spoke to her in more than a month), and it sounds like she's very happy to be at Liberty (her statistics professor is definitely her least favorite).

8. Milo turns six years old tomorrow! We love him very much. Nadia trimmed his nails. That was supposed to become Ian's chore once she went to college, but I'm the one who finally bit the bullet and trimmed his nails. He's not exactly cooperative, but I'm hoping that in time it will become easier for me to do. 

9. Enunciation is not usually Ian's strong suit, but he has been working very diligently to have excellent enunciation when singing Modern Major General in preparation for his upcoming Willy Wonka audition. His voice teacher was impressed last night! Way to go, Ian! 

F L E X I B I L I T Y

Last week, Ian worked four hours at the kennel, and Oliver worked nine hours at the cafe. This week, Ian worked fifteen hours at the kennel, and after Oliver completes his shift today, he will have worked eighteen hours at the cafe. Next week, Ian is scheduled to work about twelve hours, and Oliver is scheduled to work about fifteen hours. The very last dog Ian was going to walk on Wednesday morning was a ten-month-old Labradoodle. Unfortunately, he bit Ian's fingers. His boss called me to assure me that the dog had all his shots and that workers' comp would cover any expenses. At the time, I didn't think he needed to see a doctor, but by Thursday night I decided he needed to have his finger seen to make sure it didn't become infected. I'm not accustomed to dealing with workers' comp. Our PCP does work with it, but they said I needed to know if they were on that particular panel. His boss wasn't sure, and I got the adjuster's voicemail. The PCP and boss suggested I take him to an urgent care. The closest urgent care center had a one-hour wait time. I found another clinic just a few minutes farther away that would take appointments and had a wait time under 15 minutes. However, when we arrived there a couple of hours later for Ian's appointment, we found out they don't work with workers' comp. Thankfully, another urgent care facility very close to that one accepted workers' comp and could see Ian immediately. The doctor barely looked at his finger, but she did send a prescription for an antibiotic to the pharmacy. The medical assistant who took Ian's height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, etc. made a mistake when she entered his height into the computer. She took at least 20 inches off his height! I am surprised she didn't notice that she had made a mistake because the printout said his height was below the 1st percentile and his BMI was greater than the 99th percentile. Both are completely inaccurate! Ian is very slender. Walmart delivered his antibiotic this morning, and workers' comp will reimburse us for the medication. 

Nadia with two of her closest friends at LU - Rayne and Sam (two of her five suitemates)

Both boys having jobs means we need to be very flexible. First, we are flexible as to when we do our schoolwork. Yesterday, Oliver worked from 8:30-2:30, and normally he'd be doing schoolwork then. Ian worked from 4:00-6:45, so we did the subjects we do together in that window of time in between their shifts. Oliver wasn't able to finish all of his schoolwork yesterday given how many hours he worked at the cafe, but I knew he could finish it this weekend. Second, we are flexible about meal times and also whether we eat our main meal of the day at lunch or dinner. Our default is to have lunch around 11:00 am and dinner around 5:00 pm, but when Ian works the 4:00 shift at the kennel we don't eat dinner until 6:00 at the earliest. If Oliver is working the 4:00-8:30 shift, then we have our main meal at lunch. This is also true on Wednesdays because of Bible quizzing and youth group taking place from 4:30-8:00 pm. On Wednesdays, we have our third meal rather early (about 3:40 pm) because we are out the door at 4:10. Third, we are flexible with the time we walk Milo. If I'm taking Ian to work at 7:20 am, then we don't walk Milo until after we drop Ian off at work. Paul and I like to walk 2.4 miles in the morning, but if Oliver needs to be taken to work at 8:20, we usually do a much shorter walk so I have time to make sure he's up, make his lunch, etc. I'm glad we have two cars because sometimes both boys have to be at work at 4:00 so Paul and I each give one of the boys a ride to work at the same time in that instance.

Another area where we recently have shown flexibility is with Ian's coursework. His computer programming class was consuming an INSANE amount of time each week. The amount of time it was taking him to complete the assignments was rapidly increasing, and his grade in the course was also quickly going down. This past Sunday, Paul spent hours helping Ian with one of his C++ assignments. After many hours, the assignment was completed, but they could not figure out how to submit it. Earlier this month Ian had already come to the conclusion that he wanted to switch majors (away from computer programming). Paul had wanted him to switch majors because of AI, but Ian more recently decided this field wasn't the best fit for him. This is exactly why I had him take the class. I thought it best to test the waters sooner rather than later, which is why I signed him up for a cybersecurity camp at Messiah in June and this introductory programming class through Cedarville this fall. At this point, he has no idea what he'd like to pursue instead, and that's fine as he's only a junior in high school. I will just have him take general education classes through dual enrollment until he selects a new major. He emailed his advisor and dropped the class. We felt badly to waste the money, but our sanity was not worth trying to get the money's worth out of that class. I think Paul and I were more stressed out than Ian was. We didn't even have time for a family fun night last weekend due to Ian's course. Because the trust paid for that class, Paul and I will pay for another class (probably through Grand Canyon University) that Ian will take to earn the credits that were dropped. I've given him several choices (history, general psychology, economics, sociology, etc.). Last fall and spring, he took six credits at a time. Since he dropped the programming class last Monday, he has only two credits. Neither Paul nor I have ever dropped a class, and neither of us likes to quit, but I am 100% convinced it was the right choice to make in this instance. Many kids change their majors, and sooner is always better than later. I had students at BU who sadly didn't figure out they had chosen the wrong major until they were seniors, and that was heartbreaking. One of my nieces switched from animal science to engineering after her first year, and she graduated in four years (after taking some classes in the summer). 

Today I am giving thanks for:

1. Oliver's first job

2. Our homeschool group resumed meeting at our home on September 8. We are down to twelve kids who are in grades 8-12. The kids have done two dissections so far: earthworm and crayfish. In theology, we've discussed dispensationalism vs. covenant theology and Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Abby is teaching ASL. Four boys play chess instead of taking ASL. We are also working on a play (Pinocchio). Ian will be the cricket. Nadia will be able to see the performance because it's taking place when she'll be home for Thanksgiving break. Milo LOVES co-op. Once he sees me start setting up the folding table and chairs, he goes to the front door and eagerly awaits the kids' arrival!

3. We were able to meet up with nine of the Towfighis at the Army Expo in Carlisle last Saturday. Jenna couldn't stay long as she was attending a wedding in Hershey, but twelve of us had dinner together at a pizza place before heading home. Paul especially enjoyed watching a WWII tank demonstration that involved them driving around and firing blanks. 

4. Ian's voice lessons resumed on September 14. The school will be doing Willy Wonka instead of Newsies in the spring. The auditions are in three weeks. Ian is preparing to sing the solo "Pure Imagination" and is working on a Willy Wonka monologue, as that is the part he'd like to have. His voice teacher lives very close to our home, which is very convenient. 

5. For several months, I've been making plans to begin a small group Bible study at our church on Wednesday nights. As of eight days before the start date, there were only six people signed up, including Paul and me, and two of those said they'd only stay in the group if there were at least twelve people in the study. However last week more joined the group, and we had sixteen people attend this week. One woman wasn't able to attend due a worship team meeting, so it seems we have seventeen in our group. We are studying Isaiah. I am very grateful for this opportunity!

6. Last week MCS sent out an SOS for a microwave as one of theirs stopped working. Within a few hours of the email, we brought them Maurice's microwave. He had used it for only 6 months, but it had been sitting in my basement for 7.5 years. At one point, we thought Nadia and her suitemates would use it in their apartment at LU, but shortly before the start of the semester, LU announced they would be installing microwaves in the apartments. I'm happy it could be a blessing to other people rather than just collecting dust in our basement.

7. Last weekend we had Cooper at our house. His cancer is getting worse, so this was probably our last time dog-sitting him. I'm very thankful we've been able to swap dog-sitting duties the last two years. For about a week prior to Cooper's arrival, Milo had been crying when he was in Ian's room at night (for some unknown reason). Because Cooper was sleeping in our room, I was unwilling to "rescue" him when he cried. This meant Oliver, Paul, and I lost a lot of sleep (ironically, Ian can sleep through the dog crying in his room), but it was worth it because it brought an end to Milo crying at night. He didn't cry at all this week. PTL!

8. Ian's boss is a very nice woman. She was a great employer for Nadia, and the same is true now for Ian.

9. Nadia has gotten a very part-time job caring for the mice in the biology laboratory.

10. Nadia's roommate and one of her suitemates each has a car, so she can easily get to church on Sunday.

11. I'm very glad we decided to drop Ian's C++ class. It was like an albatross around our necks. For example, this week we had time to watch the 1971 Willy Wonka movie together over a two-day period in preparation for Ian's audition. We would not have had time if Ian was still taking that class.

12. Paul was able to help his Dad out of the apartment he's lived in for 4+ years and back into the home he built more than 50 years ago. Paul's brother and sister-in-law have been living there for the last 4+ years. It's a four-bedroom home, so there is plenty of room for Paul's dad. 

13. I'm grateful for companies like Pinwheel that help parents limit their child's access on a smartphone. If I could do it over again, I'd have gone that route with his siblings. Live and learn.

First job and phone

Oliver turned fourteen last month, so he is eligible to get his first job. On Tuesday, I took him to a few local restaurants to look for a job. One Italian restaurant told him that their minimum age is sixteen. A pizza place asked for his name and phone number. A cafe located 1.3 miles from our house posted on Facebook that day that they were hiring dishwashers. We submitted his online application on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, a woman from the cafe texted me to set up an interview. As I had a dentist appointment, Paul drove him to the cafe for his interview yesterday afternoon. He left with the T-shirt that he is supposed to wear at work. He is working his first two shifts today and tomorrow from 4:00-8:30 pm, during which time he'll be taught how to do this job. He's scheduled to work two shifts next week. Ian only started his first job at the end of May when he was almost 16.5 years old. Nadia started her first job at Reptiland a couple of weeks before she turned fifteen. Nadia worked at the kennel where Ian currently works from November 2024 to June 2026. The kennel is 2.7 miles from our house. Reptiland is 3.4 miles from our house, so Oliver's employer is the closest. Nadia was paid $10/hr in 2023 at Reptiland, but since then, all three kids have been paid $12/hr (except at Camp Susque, where Nadia was paid a weekly salary). On Tuesday, I took Oliver to the public school to get his work permit. This was my third time in a little over three years to complete that task, and unless we lose a permit or move, it will be my last.

Nadia got her first phone when she turned fourteen, but she didn't have a phone number for the first year. Nadia and Ian both got their first phone numbers when we got Ian his first phone in 2023 (a few months before he turned fourteen). Nadia's first two phones were hand-me-downs. She got her first brand-new phone earlier this year. In hindsight, I feel like we gave Ian his phone earlier than we should have. The Family Link app has helped a lot. We planned to delay giving Oliver his first phone, but he got his first job one month after he turned 14. It turns out his acquisition of a cell phone hasn't been delayed that much after all. Yesterday I ordered his first phone from Pinwheel, which has even more robust parental controls than Family Link. I paid about $500 total for his phone, one year of cellular service, and one year of their monitoring service. This is a big week for Oliver - his first work permit, first job interview, first job, and first phone. My baby is growing up too fast! At co-op on Tuesday, other kids pointed out that Oliver is taller than Ian. Although it's been an adjustment with Nadia living in Virginia, I was eased into it by her absences for weeks at a time in the summer when she worked at Camp Susque the past three summers. I think it's going to be a bigger shock to my system when Ian leaves for Cedarville in 23 months because I don't think I will ever have been separated from him for more than a week, except for the months I spent at the hospital in 2012. 

Thankful Thursday

So much has happened over the last month since my most recent gratitude post. There have been some very challenging moments along the way, but as always, much to be thankful for. 

1. We were on vacation from August 5-16. Everyone was healthy during the trip. Aside from us eliminating a few things from the itinerary, almost everything went as planned. In general, the weather didn't interfere with our activities. The kids' favorite parts of the trip were the tidal bore rapids/mud sliding, kayaking with seals, and the boat trip in Gros Morne National Park. Other highlights included a couple of the hikes on Newfoundland and seeing many puffins. Paul really enjoyed some of the historical aspects of the vacation. 

2. On August 7, Oliver turned 14 years old. We are very thankful that he's part of our family! He grew over four inches in the past year. He's almost 5'9" tall.

3. On August 11, Paul and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. A couple in our Sunday School class celebrated their 58th anniversary a few days ago. I don't think Paul and I will live long enough to celebrate that many anniversaries together, but maybe we can make it to our 40th or 45th anniversary. Time will tell. Grateful for the twenty-five we've been given so far.

4. A family had us over for dinner on August 17 so that their daughter could spend time with Nadia one more time before she left for college. Aside from my sisters, this family is the only one who ever invites us over for dinner, so we don't take it for granted. 

5. We were able to spend more time with the Towfighis from August 18-20. The boys spent three nights at their home. Nadia spent one night, and Paul and I spent two nights with them. 

6. On August 19, we were able to get Nadia moved into her dorm room, meet her roommate and her roommate's parents, and have dinner with my dad and Karen. Nadia seems to be making a lot of friends, and she got 9/10 on her first chemistry quiz. Woohoo! She's picked up a VERY part-time job of being one of six students who care for the mice in the biology laboratory. 

7. On August 21, we were able to stop at York Barbell to pick up some weights for Ian, and I was able to have lunch with my friend, Tab, to celebrate her birthday. 

8. I played the piano in the foyer at church on August 23, and Ian played hymns on the piano after both the first and second services on August 30. I would say hearing him play that morning was the highlight of my month. It was a priceless moment for me.

9. We attended a picnic for the Bible quizzing families on August 23 at a park. The kids had their meeting (John 1) yesterday. There were a LOT of new kids, and Faith came back! We shall see how many kids stick with it over the next nine months, but our church may have 4-5 teams competing. Ian has memorized chapters 1-3 of John so far. I'm trying to get him to memorize 3 verses a day so he can memorize the whole book. Oliver is doing a better job so far at memorizing the required memory verses from the book of John. 

10. Ian's classes at Cedarville began on August 24. So far the physical activity class has been very easy. Ian is really into exercising and eating more protein these days so it's easy for him to complete his exercise reports. The C+++ programming class has been a bit problematic in terms of how many hours a day that one (3-credit) class is taking. I think part of the problem is that it's easy for Ian to be distracted on a laptop. 

11. Ian picked a song, "Ride of the Valkyries" by Wagner, for his next piano recital. His teacher teased that the song is TOO hard, but he's really motivated to learn it. 

12. Our new homeschool year began on August 25. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my boys this year. I had the boys draw their self-portraits and write goals for the year, as is our tradition.

13. It was a bit sad to have a family fun night with only four of us, but that's how it will need to be the majority of the time over the next two years. It was my turn to pick on August 29, and I chose the game Azul, which we hadn't played in quite a while. I think Paul will probably pick to watch The Mandalorian and Grogu movie on Disney+ this weekend. 

14.The boys have had two art classes (August 27 and today). Evidently, the school changed the plans and won't be doing Newsies in the spring. They haven't revealed what they will be doing instead yet. I'm thankful the boys can have art and therefore participate in the spring musical. Starting next Thursday, they'll also be in a chess club after art. 

15. It's been almost five years since we have had health insurance. It turns out we qualify to receive free health insurance. It will be effective October 1. The only downside is that now I probably should schedule my first dreaded colonoscopy, ha ha. We've been paying $800-900 a month for a Christian medical sharing program plus dental insurance, so I'm really looking forward to NOT paying those bills starting next month. 

16. Yesterday I took Oliver, Ian, and Xandir on a field trip to a state park. They were having a homeschool program for grades 6-12 on maps and compasses, and the boys are studying geography this year. Perfect! We were going to hike to the waterfalls after the program, but due to a thunderstorm, we didn't hike. 

17. My side of the family has decided to celebrate Christmas at an Airbnb in Virginia. My dad generously offered to pay for the reservation. My sisters and I will pay for the food for everyone. The drive won't be as far as going to Chicago, and it's much preferred over having 27 people stay at my house at one time. The Seiberts think that they will probably be able to watch Milo while we're at the Airbnb. 

18. Although they weren't as good as The Chosen, Paul and I enjoyed watching six episodes of The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls. 

19. I recently scheduled Ian’s voice lessons for the school year. She gives lessons at MCS and her home. We live closer to her home so I’m grateful the lessons will be taking place there on Mondays at 5:00 PM starting on September 14.