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.

She's registered!

Nadia and her friend, Maddie from when they attended a Josiah Queen concert together

 I have gotten in the habit of putting it in my calendar when I need to make a reservation for something. Sometimes I only am aware of the earliest date I can make a reservation, but other times I am also aware of the specific time I need to be online if I want to have a chance to get the tickets. I knew that the tickets for the Ford Island bus tour at Pearl Harbor and also the Big Ben tour tickets would disappear within an extremely short period of time. Unfortunately, I didn't figure out what precise time I needed to get the tickets for the Eiffel Tower. Thankfully, I was still able to get ones to the second floor, but the summit was sold out. I knew that the Kilmainham Gaol tickets were released 28 days in advance, so I attempted to get some on Monday for May 11. Sadly, I hadn't realized that the tickets are released at midnight (Dublin time). It would have been easy for me to get them on Sunday night at 7:00 pm, but I had no idea they sell out extremely quickly every day. Since we're only spending one day in Dublin, it was easy for me to pick something else to do instead. I've known for a while that Nadia's class registration for the Fall 2026 semester would open on April 15, but I only found out yesterday the exact time it would open - 12:01 am. They don't have morning people in mind with that schedule! I asked Paul to wake me up a little before midnight so I could register Nadia for her classes. I finished the task around 12:45, and then it took me until 2:00 am to fall back asleep. By next month she will have earned 50 college credits (20 through Grand Canyon University and 30 through Liberty University). Over the next three years she's hoping to earn a BS in Zoology and Wildlife Biology and minors in Psychology and Photography.  I signed her up for Chemistry, Biology, History of Life, Probability and Statistics, and a one credit university seminar that new students must take. Altogether those add up to fifteen credits, which will be the most she's ever taken in one semester, but of course the last three years she's been taking both high school AND college classes, whereas she'll only be taking college classes next year. 

Here are some things I'm thankful for today:

1. I love the warmer temps (although I don't need it to be in the 80's in April), and I love seeing all the beautiful flowers, green grass, and blossoms on the trees. Gorgeous! 

2. The kids and I packed food at Experience Missions on April 8. We started doing this in the fall of 2020, and given Nadia is about to go to college, this was probably her last time helping at this ministry. The project manager (Paul) says that we should cross over the line of packing the one millionth meal this fall (taken six years to accomplish that feat). We are experts at putting vitamins, dried vegetables, rice, and lentils in a bag. :) While we were there that day, Paul gave me a large container of coins to separate, count, and roll. I deposited the rolled coins into Experience Missions' bank account on Monday morning. As proof that I counted a LOT of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters - the total came to $541.32. I did keep the foreign coins I spotted separate, and I also kept a 1941 silver dime separate as it's worth more than ten cents. I'll give those back to Paul the next time I see him. 

3. On the last day of co-op, I received gifts from two students. One family gave us a board game which was about the National Parks! What a great idea they had! We played it for the first time on Friday night. Another student gave us some candy, a candle, brownie mix, and a dish towel. We appreciate their thoughtfulness! 

4. Paul enjoyed attending a men's prayer breakfast at church on April 11. It was his first time attending one of those, but he plans to attend more of them in the future. 

5. Ian was offered a job to be a SIT at Camp Susque this summer. He turned down that job offer because he decided he'd rather work at the kennel. Nadia's boss will be interviewing Ian in the near future. 

6. Paul and I haven't taken any ballroom dancing lessons for the last five months, but this week we decided to sign up for two classes that will take place in June and July. In one class we'll do eight weeks of intermediate rumba, and in the other class we'll do four weeks of beginning shag and four weeks of beginning bachata. We've done the rumba before, but the other two will be first time experiences. 

7. We got a new window above the kitchen sink and a new sliding glass door on Monday. They both look SO much better than the ones that were removed. I finished painting in the family room, but we haven't finished painting in the kitchen yet. 

8. Nadia earned A's in the first two college classes that she took this semester (Earth Science and Theology). Her research class doesn't end for another month. Ian's Old Testament class ends this week. I don't know what grade he'll earn, but I am very grateful that he'll be done with one class so that will hopefully give him more time to work on Precalculus through ASU and also for studying I Corinthians for Bible quizzing. 

9. Ian played the piano for youth worship last Wednesday, and he received positive feedback from both of the adults who were leading the youth worship that night. Even though we don't often sing hymns at church, his piano teacher has been teaching him how to improvise when playing hymns. This week he's been working on Victory in Jesus along with songs by Bach and Gershwin. 

10. Nadia continues to enjoy her friendship with Maddie. They do a variety of things together - go shopping, go for a walk, do a Bible study together at a coffee shop, get frozen yogurt, etc. Last week they made a run to Wendy's on a day they were giving customers a free frosty and a free small fry. Both girls will be attending Liberty in the fall. 

11. The directors revealed last Saturday that next year's musical will be Newsies. They had given the kids a "bracket" that contained I think 16 different musicals and gradually had eliminated ones from the competition. Nadia from the beginning had correctly predicted it would be Newsies. Oliver's first choice from the list was Frozen, and Ian's first choice was Matilda, but Ian is fine with Newsies. Lydia (from our co-op who is also in the musicals at MCS) was hoping for Frozen or Newsies so I'm certain she's also happy with the outcome.  I hope Nadia is able to see Ian in Newsies next year! I am planning on signing Ian up for some voice lessons now that I know he enjoys having a solo in a musical.

Field Trip

We used to take a LOT of field trips. We go on far fewer field trips than we used to, but I haven't totally stopped scheduling them. On February 26, we went to see a performance of Riverdance; it seemed a fitting year to do so since we're planning to go to Ireland in May. Our homeschool group went on a field trip to Harrisburg today. Eighteen of us toured the capitol building, and twenty of us toured the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum. None of us had ever been to the fire museum before. Nadia and I had toured the capitol before, but it was the first time Ian and Oliver were there. I'm thankful the kids have had these opportunities. Other things I'm thankful for:

1. The VanHorns came over for dinner at our house on February 28.

2. I was able to be the substitute teacher for our Sunday School on March 1. I taught on Zechariah 1-4. If I am asked to teach again later this year, I plan on continue in Zechariah.

3. I was in a LOT of pain after my dentist appointment on March 4, which is not a usual experience for me. I am very thankful that after about four days of discomfort, the pain resolved on its own, and I'm hoping not to have the same experience in six months. 

4. Toby, Jenna, and Joshua spent about eight hours at our home on March 7. The boys (plus Nadia) played games. Jenna and I chatted. Jenna, Nadia, and I went for a walk. Paul beat Jenna in chess, which was the opposite outcome from the previous time they played most recently. I think everyone had a good time! 

5. We had a few days when it was absolutely gorgeous out (got up into the 70's!). It's back to cold weather now, but we took advantage of the beautiful weather on Tuesday. Usually, the kids play games inside our house from 12:30-1:30 when we have co-op, but this Tuesday we went to the park and most of the kids played wiffle ball.

6. Ian played the keyboard for the youth worship the last two Wednesday nights, and this week he didn't feel the need to rehearse the songs with his piano teacher. He's growing in confidence! I played the piano in the foyer after the first and second services this past Sunday. We don't use hymnbooks at our church, but I used a hymnbook when I was playing the piano.  Music is a gift from God! 

7. The kids have been obsessed with Gordon Korman books lately. I found another book that they are enjoying that is by a different author - No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam. 

8. The university Ian is taking college classes through was on spring break last week. He did some work ahead of time last week which meant that not only was last week a lighter week than usual for him, but this week has also been more relaxed. 

Thankful Thursday

1. The kids were able to participate in a Bible quizzing competition that our church hosted on January 9-10. Ironically the teams closest to us (also in Pennsylvania) didn't come, but some teams from two different churches in Indiana participated. Ian's team came in second place, and he also tied for fourth place in the individual part of the competition. I served as an official from 6-10 pm on Friday night and from about 9-4 on Saturday. I'm thankful the kids can participate in this program, and I'm praying that all three of them will put more time into studying I & II Corinthians over the next five months. 

2. While I was serving as an official, Paul took the van for an oil change and tire rotation. Typically, I'm the one who takes our vehicles for all their appointments, so I was happy to relinquish that duty this time around. Unfortunately, I forgot to give him a coupon he could have used at the appointment. 😞It was possible for us to be doing two things at the same time because we are back to owning two cars for which I am very thankful.

3. On Sunday afternoon Nadia, Abby, and her older brother went ice skating.

Nadia made this in art class at MCS - Lion Witch and the Wardrobe inspired

4. There are two shows that I look forward to watching the new episodes each year - All Creatures Great and Small on PBS and The Chosen. The newest season of All Creatures was released on January 11. Paul and I have watched three episodes together so far, which are sort of like little dates. I had planned for us to attend a ballroom dance at a Methodist Church on Saturday night, but Paul wanted to work on spackling in the kitchen. Hopefully, we'll make it to the next dance I have on our calenda (March 7). Wendy got me my first pair of ballroom dancing shoes for Christmas, and I want to try them out! My first ballroom dancing lesson was on January 31, 1997. It's about time I actually own the correct shoes 🤣. I've read or listened to quite a few of James Herriot's books. I'm not sure how many seasons PBS will make of the show, but they have no lack of material to use from his many books! 

5. Nadia drove the Subaru for the first time on January 10 while I was in the vehicle. She began driving herself to work and herself plus her brothers to church for art class, Little Mermaid rehearsals, and youth group starting on January 12. Thankfully, all has gone well so far. I don't take that for granted. I also appreciate a temporary reduction in the amount of chauffeuring. Ian plans to get his learner's permit this summer, but for the next about four months I shouldn't need to drive as much as I usually do. 

6. Ian's piano teacher was flexible and allowed us to move Ian's piano lesson from Friday to Tuesday so she could help him prepare for being part of the youth worship team on Wednesday night. In addition to working on his recital piece by Rachmaninoff, he also has begun working on one by Bach.

 7. Paul and I joined a new small group on Wednesday nights. We are discussing the book Hearing God by Dallas Willard. 

8. Our co-op resumed on Tuesday. We have 16 students participating this session as Ben has moved to New York and two girls have left our co-op to join one that just started this month. This session will be much easier for me as another mom is teaching art, Paul is doing chess and physics, and one of the students in the co-op is teaching ASL. I created the lesson plans for the ASL class, but the only things I am teaching are photography and book groups. In art the students studied some of Grandma Moses' artwork and then began drawing a sketch of a project they will be painting with watercolors. Some weeks I might be babysitting the art teacher's three youngest children for 90 minutes, but this week she didn't need to bring them along. Each week I have two different students choose what games are played from 12:30-1:30. This week Julianna chose Dutch Blitz and Lydia chose Jackbox Games. 

9. I'm continuing to make progress with planning our vacation to Europe, which is only four months away. We have our rental cars, lodging, and airfare. I've booked a few of the activities. Would you believe the time slot I had originally chosen for touring Jane Austen's house was already booked? For many of the attractions it's still too soon to book the tickets. Unfortunately, the Palace of Holyroodhouse will be closed on the days we will be in Edinburgh, but so far that's the only thing I've had to completely scratch from the itinerary. 

10. For most of the day yesterday I was unable to make or receive phone calls due to a problem Verizon was having. Thankfully, Nadia's and Paul's phones were not impacted so I was able to use their phones to make a few phone calls. Today I found out Verizon is giving me a $20 credit on our next bill due to the inconvenience.

11. I recently listened to The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge. I did so because he's one of Paul's favorite presidents. I didn't know that much about him prior to listening to this book. I agree with Paul's assessment. I wonder if we'll ever have a president like him again. I am not at all happy with our current president, but I rest in the knowledge that God is in control. I am thankful that over the years *some* of our presidents have been excellent albeit it's been a while since we've had one I'd put in that category. 

Thankful Thursday

 

1. From September 19- December 7 Nadia will have spent 9 out of 12 weekends at Camp Susque. Six of those weekends she was/will be working in the kitchen for a small stipend. This weekend she's serving as a volunteer in the kitchen, one weekend she was there for an overnight birthday party, and one weekend in November she'll be there as a participant in a youth retreat with our church's youth group. She typically leaves our home in the late afternoon on a Friday and comes back in the afternoon on Sunday. I miss her when she's gone, but I think God is using these times of separation to help me transition to when she'll be living in Virginia at Liberty University starting in August 2026. I'm thankful she has made many friends at Camp Susque, and I'm thankful she is willing to serve in this ministry by cooking, doing dishes, etc. for those attending various retreats there this fall. Now that she has her license, she can drive herself to and from Camp Susque in Paul's car.

2. On one of the rare weekends that Nadia was at home, she had coffee and lunch with a friend from camp on a Saturday afternoon. The next day she went home from church with a friend from church and spent about 3 hours at her house before it was time for her to work at the kennel. 

3. Last Friday the boys served as candy runners at our church's trunk or treat event. I got Oliver's M&M costume at a thrift store. I paid what felt like a fortune for Ian's Captain Hook costume for our co-op's upcoming production of Peter Pan. While the boys were helping out at church, Nadia was at Camp Susque, and Paul and I were at a ballroom dancing lesson. Oliver has two costumes for Peter Pan (he's the crocodile and the dog), but he hates those costumes, so I doubt he'll ever wear them outside of our Peter Pan performance in three weeks.

4. The kids all had dentist appointments on Monday. I've been a mom for seventeen years, and this was the first appointment that included the words "has a cavity." If the cavity doesn't grow, they are going to wait until Oliver's braces come off to fix it. We are now trying to have him get in the habit of brushing his teeth after every meal. I'm thankful that *so far* Ian and Nadia haven't had any cavities.

5. For several years a man at our church has been playing hymns in between the first and second service and after the second service on a grand piano in the church's lobby. I was recently recruited to be one of his substitutes. He has been ill recently, and the other two women who substitute for him weren't able to play this past Sunday due to other responsibilities they had at church last week, so I was asked to play. I haven't played the piano much at all in recent years so that was a delight. Speaking of the piano, I have really been enjoying listening to Ian practice the piano the last several months. In the past there were months when none of the rest of us liked the music he chose to play. Last week he asked his teacher to choose an additional song for him to work on, and she loaned him a Christmas book by Dino, which was from the late 80's. My sisters and I used to play his music in the 80's and 90's. He's doing an excellent job preparing for the challenging classical piece he plans to play in the recital in February. 

6. For the first about 4.5 years that Milo lived with us, he slept with Ian half of the time and Nadia the other half of the time. The only time he slept with Paul and me was when both Ian and Nadia were away. The first week of July all three kids were at camp, so Milo slept with us. In June he had slept with Ian for two weeks straight while Nadia was at camp. For whatever reason, Milo started to object to sleeping with Ian when he returned from camp in July. We allowed him to sleep with us thinking this would change once Nadia came home, but it didn't. Earlier this month when Cooper was with us, we asked the kids to take Milo so that we wouldn't have two dogs in our bedroom. This was a total disaster. Milo was vomiting, peeing, and pooping in their beds or on their bedroom carpets. Cleaning up messes in the middle of the night in all three of their bedrooms was much worse than having two dogs in our room so we let Milo sleep with us again. If I could go back in time, I wish we had taught Milo to sleep on a dog bed in one of our bedrooms. Although Paul also doesn't sleep as well when Milo is in our bed, he was more willing to tolerate the inconvenience. In addition to getting less sleep, when Milo curls up near our heads our allergies are affected. Earlier this week I declared I was done sleeping with a dog. Either I'd sleep on a couch or a different bed, or Milo would have to sleep elsewhere. If Milo lives to be fourteen, I'd be sleeping with him for nine more years, and I'm unwilling to lose sleep on a regular basis for that many years. The "good" nights (in which I still get a good night's sleep) are way too few and far between for me to keep this up for months and years on end. Paul has graciously offered to assist Milo in learning to sleep in a crate at night. I bought him some new dog treats that Paul is using in the process. Milo is spending part of the night in our bed, but when Paul is ready for bed (a few hours later than me) he puts Milo in his crate, and Paul sleeps on the couch next to the crate. The first night was rough, but he didn't cry that much the second night. Hopefully, it won't take that many days for Milo to adjust to the new normal of sleeping in his crate either in the kitchen or in one of our bedrooms. Paul definitely loves Milo very much!

Thankful Thursday

 1. Oliver had his physical on Friday. He was grateful he didn't need to get any shots. I am very grateful that he hadn't been to the doctor since his physical last year. At the doctor's office he weighed 95 pounds (39th percentile) and was 5 ft. 4.5 inches tall. He had gained 11 pounds and grown 2.5 inches in the last year. His height is at the 83rd percentile, and his BMI is at the 11th percentile, which is an improvement as some years his BMI was around the 5th percentile which put him close to being labeled underweight. When Nadia turned thirteen, she was 5 ft. 1.25 inches tall, and Ian was 59.5 inches and 76 lbs. when he turned 13. So, Oliver weighs about 20 pounds more than Ian did at this age, and he's also 5 inches taller than his brother was. At the moment, Ian is still taller than Oliver, but I think Ian's days are numbered as to being the tallest child in our family.

2. The weather has been so nice lately! The highs have been in the 70's, and it hasn't been humid. That's my kind of weather! Paul and I usually walk together twice a day with Milo. Sometimes Oliver joins us on rollerblades for our second walk of the day.

3. I'm grateful to be able to continue to homeschool our kids. Yesterday we took our first day of school pictures one day late because it had been raining on Tuesday evening. We also got ice cream at Becky's to celebrate the start of a new school year.

4. Nadia wanted to get some clothes at the thrift store, so we went there yesterday. Last week she renewed her learner's permit which had expired in June. She drove a lot from September through December last year, but she had barely driven at all in 2025. She was the driver for our errands yesterday. We used a Pizza Hut gift card Paul had gotten through his company credit card previously to get stuffed crust pizza, which is something Nadia really loves. 

5. Six months ago, the dentist thought an x-ray showed I had a cavity in a tooth. He decided to wait six months. On Tuesday an x-ray of just that tooth showed zero sign of decay. Woohoo! 

6. Yesterday was Oliver's spiritual birthday. I got him an Adventures in Odyssey book, and we picked up six donuts last night at Dunkin for our family to enjoy today. 

7. I never know what I'll find when I shop at Surplus Outlet. On Saturday I found they were selling bags of Sun Chips for $1.47 (the size that is typically $4-5 each). I shocked the kids by buying 24 bags. I figured I'd likely never see them at that price again. We all like them, and they are healthier than most chips. I've never bought that many bags of chips at one time before, but I don't regret the purchase.

8. I treated Tab to lunch on Friday as a belated birthday lunch. She suggested eating at a restaurant I had never been to before. The food was tasty, but more importantly I enjoyed time with my friend. 

9. The kids have their first art class for the year at MCS this afternoon. I'm thankful the kids can take art there and participate in their musical. 

10. We have nineteen kids signed up for co-op this fall. I used a Lowe's gift card that I had intended to use toward our new refrigerator to pay for four folding chairs. One of the new moms teaches art for a fee elsewhere. She has agreed to teach art in our co-op for free in the spring as long as the supplies are provided. Art is definitely not my forte, so I'm grateful for this assistance.

11. For a few months I've been monitoring the price of airfare to the United Kingdom. On Tuesday evening I learned of a nonstop, roundtrip flight from Newark to Dublin for less than $350 each. Including taxes and fees, I ended up paying $361 per person for nonstop, roundtrip flights in May. Yahoo! I've been working on a two-week itinerary that includes visiting Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland. Nadia wants us to add in a day trip to Paris so that will likely happen. It will be the third continent for the kids! Paul and I have been to Paris and England, but we haven't been to Ireland, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. I think everything we see in Paris will be a repeat for Paul and I, but only some of what we do in England will be a repeat for us. 

First prom

Two weekends ago, we had one special event on the calendar - going down to Lancaster to see Noah at Sight and Sound. We saw the same musical in 2013, but given our three kids were 10 months, 3.5, and 5 years old at that time, they don't exactly remember that performance. We had planned to tour an Amish home and school, but those plans were scratched once we realized that we'd be dog sitting Cooper that day as we didn't want to be away from home for more than eight hours. Cheri and Pop Pop joined us for Noah and a meal at IHOP. They recently announced that they are doing a brand-new show next year - Joshua. I also recently read about a new Broadway musical that is debuting in London later this year about Paddington! I had planned to try to get tickets to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang next year in May, but now I'm also hoping we might be able to see the Paddington musical. Ian still regularly eats orange marmalade which I introduced to the kids when I read the Paddington books aloud to them many years ago. 

This weekend our schedule was much more hectic. On Friday morning I picked up Cheri and Nathaniel and then drove to Ricketts Glen State Park for a homeschool program on vernal pools. After the program we ate lunch with the Schrecks and then went on a short hike. Friday night the kids from the co-op that meets in our home put on a 30-minute play about Robin Hood at our church. The kids had a dress rehearsal, the parents/grandparents/siblings watched a performance, and then we ate a meal together. Ben had to fill in for Julianna for the part of Friar Tuck. Nathaniel did a wonderful job playing the Sheriff of Nottingham. Nadia (who was Maid Marion) was primarily insulting him throughout the play because he was trying to force her to marry him. Lydia did a great job portraying the part of Robin Hood. There were about 50 people gathered together for the performance (guests plus the actors). I had the kids vote last week on what play we should do next fall, and I think they've chosen Peter Pan.

Nadia worked a morning shift (7:30-12:00) on Saturday morning. I picked up her corsage before I picked her up from work. In the afternoon six of the seven kids met at Faith's house to do their hair, eat a little, and then I took pictures of all seven of them at a pretty spot near their home. I was so very grateful the weather cooperated as the forecast wasn't very good. I have barely used my camera in 2025, but I definitely used it this past weekend! Nadia wore a necklace, earrings, and bracelet that had all been my mom's. I had signed Paul and the boys up for a father/son burger burn at our church that took place on Saturday evening, but those plans were cancelled as Paul wasn't feeling well. Dave Seibert drove the seven kids to the prom. 

Paul stayed home on Sunday. The kids and I attended only the first service at church. Then I took six kids to Knoebels. It rained off and on. I was the only one who brought a rain jacket or an umbrella (I brought both). I shared my jacket with Ian. The upside of the rain was that attendance was very low which meant almost all the rides had a short line or no line at all. Oliver and Xandir rode the Impulse for the very first time in their lives, and they ended up riding it eight times over the course of the day! James joined them for six of those times. The park was open until 6:00, but we left at about 5:15 to get some pizza at OIP before going home. Thankfully the rain didn't interfere with the kids' ability to ride the rides. 

Here are some things I'm giving thanks for.

1. Everything went smoothly with watching Cooper. Ben picked him up on April 27. Next week we'll be dropping Milo off at their house before we leave on vacation.

2. Nadia has been helping me a lot in the kitchen lately with cooking and baking.

3. It took a while, but we finally found someone who can watch Milo while we're attending the Bible quizzing national competition in Indiana in June. Although I'm very thankful Nadia can work at a kennel, we're also very glad we don't need to board Milo in a kennel.

4. On April 28 I celebrated my 49th spiritual birthday. I'm eternally grateful for salvation through Jesus Christ! Tab took me out to lunch that day to celebrate my physical birthday. I thought it was special that the day that worked best for her ended up being my spiritual birthday. It was lovely to be able to chat with her for a couple of hours.  I am also grateful for the gift my dad gave me for my spiritual birthday. 

5. On Wednesdays I usually drop the kids off at 1:15, and Paul usually picks them up at 8:00. Last Wednesday I walked around the church property while the kids had art/chorus so I could take Nadia shopping at the thrift store before bringing the kids back to church for Bible quizzing/youth group. I got Paul some polo shirts and Nadia some shorts and jeans. We also used a gift card to get pizza from Pizza Hut, which is Nadia's favorite place to get pizza (and not a place we go very often). 

6. I'm thankful that Nadia enjoyed going to the prom with some of her friends, that the performance of Robin Hood went well, that the rain didn't interfere with our time at Knoebels yesterday afternoon, and that we were able to go to Ricketts Glen State Park. I'm also thankful for the pictures I was able to take on Saturday evening. I took a LOT of pictures to share with the other families. 

7. The kids are doing a good job with completing their work so that May 8 can be our last day of school for this year. Ian has the most work left to do of the three, but I think he can do it if he works hard these last few days. 

8. Most of the time the van driver's side door opens. Sometimes I have to climb in or out by way of the passenger side, but this can lead to a dead battery because the van doesn't totally shut off until the driver's door opens. The first week of June it's supposed to be repaired. When I don't have many riders I need to transport, I have been opting to drive Paul's car. 

9. Tomorrow will be our last day of co-op for this school year. We're planning to take the kids to the playground instead of playing board games after we've done chemistry, personal finance, and book groups. Isaiah will be graduating, but two new girls plan to join our co-op next fall, so it looks like we'll have 16 kids in our co-op for the fall session. Right now, we have 5 middle schoolers and 10 high schoolers in the co-op. I think next fall we'll have 6 middle schoolers and 10 high schoolers. This session we've had 8 boys and 7 girls, and I think next session we'll have 9 girls and 7 boys in our group. As much as the kids enjoy having their friends come over each Tuesday, I am looking forward to having a break for four months before the fall session begins.

Thankful Thursday

 1. Paul took Oliver to a free maple sugaring educational program at Montour Preserve on February 22. We had taken the kids there in the past, but it had been quite a few years. Oliver has been studying botany this semester in science, and he was too young when we went in the past to remember the program. It's an outstanding program which is free and at a location about 20 minutes from our home.

2. One of the families in our small co-op came over for dinner on March 1, and another co-op family came over on March 9. We enjoyed eating and playing games together with both of these families.

3. Our Montage ski trip was postponed by one week, but I was able to take my three kids plus Nathaniel skiing on March 4. They had a great time and want to go back there again next year!

4. Paul took Ian down to see the ENT for a follow-up appointment. Thankfully they didn't charge us anything for the appointment, and she said the surgery was a success! One nostril is now wide open. The other side has a narrow opening, but air can flow through both nostrils. Hopefully this will alleviate his sleep apnea. 

5. Although it made it hard to get up for church on Sunday morning in light of staying up past midnight on the night we lost an hour due to DST, the kids had a great time with the youth group at Winter Jam. Some of their favorite artists performed that night (Anne Wilson, Colton Dixon, Skillet, etc.), and they had fun with friends.

6. In the middle of February, I paid for one month of access to Angel. We saw several excellent movies including Faith of Angels, Brave the Dark, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, and Between Borders. 

7. We recently discovered that one of Oliver's friends from church lives very close to our home! Oliver has ridden his bike over to James' house a few times so far. Due to his autism, his mom doesn't trust him to ride his bike to our home, but I'm hoping I can provide transportation so that James can play over here from time to time with Oliver.

8. It feels like SPRING this week!!! I am not a fan of cold weather, so I am very, very, very grateful when it starts warming up outside. 

9. Cooper was at our house from the morning of February 21 to the evening of March 9, and he was healthy. Given his age and the fact that he had a stroke 13 months ago, it was an answer to prayer! Milo was looking all over for Cooper in the morning on March 10. He misses having Cooper here.

10. Nadia took the SAT on March 8. I decided to do some grocery shopping and get a haircut in Lewisburg while she took the test as then I took her directly for the last hour of a three-hour Wizard of Oz rehearsal. We will find out on March 21 how she did. I hadn't gotten a haircut in 7 months. I made the mistake of getting a shampoo while I was there. It had been years since I got a shampoo at a hair salon. It added a lot to the cost, so I definitely paid more than usual for this haircut, but I like the way she cut my hair. 

11. Next week I'm going to be taking five girls plus two moms to Cinderella's Closet at the YWCA to shop for prom dresses. The dresses there only cost around $20 each. Hopefully the girls will find dresses they love! The price is definitely right. 

12. Nadia finished her worldview course on March 7, and she earned another A. She's still in the middle of a New Testament course, and she'll begin an American Government class on Monday. 

13. A couple whom I have been friends with for 29 years sold their home that they had lived in for 57 years and moved to Indiana several months ago. They are in their late 80's. I enjoyed chatting on the phone with Kay this week, and we made plans to visit them in June as they live less than an hour from where the kids' Bible quizzing nationals will be held. 

14. After a two-week break, our small (15 kid) co-op resumed at our home on Tuesday. Our kids love spending time with their friends. 

15. I'm thankful for *some* of things Trump has done so far. I do not agree with a lot of his foreign policy (ex. referring to Canada as a 51st state, making Ukraine out to be the villain and Putin the victim, the way he talks about Greenland, talking about taking over the Gaza strip, etc.) or making a priority out of renaming things like the Gulf of Mexico/ Denali, but I am grateful he's trying to reduce the debt and size of the government, pardon some people who were in my opinion treated unjustly (ex. in jail for praying near an abortion clinic), releasing classified documents (and in general increasing transparency), trying to level the playing field when it comes to tariffs, and protecting women's sports. One positive thing as far as his foreign policy is that he's definitely not a "war hawk," which is a good thing. I think in general most Presidents have gone WAY too far with executive orders, so I'm hoping that the Congress will be more involved in many of these changes if for example the Post Office and/or Amtrak become privatized, or the Department of Education is eliminated. I actually debated with my roommate back in 1994 in favor of privatizing the Post Office. We shall see if that ever actually happens. My hope isn't in a President or anyone else in government. My hope is in the Lord! 

Thankful Thursday

 

1. On January 30 we visited Cairn University, which is near Philadelphia. Paul and I were very impressed with the computer science professor. This is one of the colleges Ian is considering. We are planning to visit Cedarville in June, which is currently his top choice since his cousin Nathan also plans to go there. Cedarville is my alma mater. I'm hoping he'll make a decision this summer as I'm planning on enrolling him for dual enrollment classes starting in the fall. 

2. On January 31 the kids participated in the living history fair for the fourth time. They answered questions for an hour as parents and grandparents walked around to see each of the displays. I bought the display boards in 2018. The first time we used any of them was for a science fair at a Children's Museum. 

3. Oliver and I were able to help at a food packing event at Experience Missions on February 1.

4. Ian was unable to participate in the piano recital on February 2 due to having a 101-degree fever that day, but Nadia and Oliver attended a roller-skating party hosted by our church that evening. 

5. Our spring session of co-op began on February 4. At least 7 of the 10 high schoolers in our co-op are planning to attend the homeschool prom together, and four of the girls have an appointment to shop for dresses together at the YWCA. On February 18 twelve of the fifteen kids stayed for lunch and games. The kids had a blast playing Outburst and Telestrations together. After some of the kids left, a smaller group played Bubble Talk. 

6. The kids enjoyed attending a Super Bowl party hosted by the youth group. The Towfighis are Eagles fans, so they were very happy with the outcome to that game! 

7. Nadia and Oliver attended a homeschool roller skating party in the morning on February 12. 

8. Our family celebration of Valentine's Day this year included buying some brownie batter donuts from Dunkin' (something we do only once a year), I made heart shaped food for lunch on February 14 (heart shaped pancakes and toast with an egg in the middle shaped like a heart), and we saw the play A Wrinkle in Time together that night. Nadia worked on Valentine's Day, and she received some chocolates from her boss and a $5 tip from a customer.

9. On February 16 we attended a potluck after the second service at church. This was a new concept for everyone in our family except for me. 

10. Nadia spends time almost every day working on a jigsaw puzzle. Typically, she does 1,000-piece puzzles by herself. I purchased some puzzles at the library (the prices ranged from 50 cents to $1 each), and one of the puzzles I bought had 3,000 pieces. Nadia asked for help with that one. Oliver and Julianna each helped a tiny bit. Paul, Nadia, and I did the lion share of the puzzle. It was a great feeling when we finished it!

11. I'm planning to take four kids (including Nathaniel) skiing at Montage on Tuesday. They've been to the outdoor water park there many times in the summer but never gone skiing there. I found a deal that the lift ticket plus ski rental is only $45 per person! Paul is going to stay home because we're dog sitting Cooper starting tomorrow and didn't want to leave the two dogs home alone for that many hours. 

12. Oliver has adjusted to wearing glasses, so I decided to order him a new pair with his new prescription. Ian saw the eye doctor earlier this week and got a new prescription. At the eye doctor they told me I could just buy new lenses and use his existing frame, but when she said that it would cost $300 AFTER a 25% discount, I said no thank you. Then as I was paying for the appointment, she said if we got a new frame plus lenses there is a special for $125 as long as we didn't get the blue light blocking on the lenses. How does that make any sense whatsoever? I am thankful that there are websites like Zenni that make it so much cheaper to buy glasses. I got two pairs of glasses (one for Ian and one for Oliver) with the blue light blocking for about $108, which included paying extra for a warranty. I almost never purchase a warranty. The kids haven't broken any glasses recently, but they have certainly done so in the past, so it seemed worth the small fee to do so in this instance. Ian chose a green frame (which was what he had been wearing prior to getting the frames he's had the last 2 years), and Oliver went with an aviator style (like Tom Cruise, ha ha). 

Thankful Tuesday

I can't believe it will be February 1 in just 4 days. It would have been Maurice's 41st birthday. It's been very cold, so I don't mind if winter flies by as I prefer the warmer weather. Here are some things I am thankful for today.

1. The kids were able to participate in a Bible quizzing competition at our church on January 10-11. I served as a scorekeeper on the 11th. Ian and Nadia have recently stepped up the amount of time they've been studying the book of Luke so we shall see how they do at the next competition.

2. The eldest member of the Bible quizzing team (Isaiah) recently turned eighteen. All three kids were invited to his birthday party.

3. Isaiah and three of his siblings are joining our co-op starting next week. We will have 8 boys and 7 girls, and if you go by grade level, we'll have three 6th graders, one 7th grader, one 8th grader, five 9th graders, two 10th graders, two 11th graders, and one 12th grader in our co-op this spring. 

4. Ian's surgery went well on January 15. The first few days were rough partially because there was a mix-up over his pain medication. He slept in my lazy boy recliner the first eight nights, and it took longer than that for him to be able to resume wearing his eyeglasses, but life is back to normal at this point. The surgeon removed the splints and some of the stitches last Tuesday. She wasn't able to tell yet if the surgery was a success or not because there is still too much blood in there. He can't breathe through his nose yet, but hopefully that day is just around the corner. Paul will be taking him back for the next follow-up appointment in early March. I'm also thankful the surgery only cost $2,948. We should be reimbursed for all of that eventually through the medical sharing program, but even if we weren't that's so much better than the $20K I was charged for the ankle surgery in 2021. 

5. Nadia didn't work much at all for four weeks, but thankfully that changed starting on January 17. We're also thankful for the flexibility of her boss. Nadia missed a Wizard of Oz rehearsal on January 18, but her boss didn't schedule her for any Saturdays in February due to the musical. 

6. Since the stock market was closed on January 20, Paul took the opportunity to go spend the day with a friend in Carlisle.

7. Oliver and I saw the eye doctor on January 21. Oliver hadn't been wearing his glasses that he got a little over two years ago. The doctor changed the guidance from wearing them only when he is reading to wearing them all the time. This did NOT go over well with Oliver, but thankfully over the past week he's adjusted to wearing his glasses. We had to reschedule Ian's appointment as it would have been too painful for him to have an eye appointment last week due to his nose. 

8. Paul got the flu shot and pneumonia vaccine on January 22. They didn't tell him until after they stabbed him that the vaccine costs almost $300. The last time he got a flu shot he was really sick afterwards. He didn't feel well the first couple of days after the shot this time around, but his side effects weren't as severe, thankfully. 

9. I took my friend out for dinner to celebrate her 68th birthday. 

10. We enjoyed watching the movie White Bird as a family last weekend. I had checked it out of the library.  Paul and I enjoyed watching the 5th season of All Creatures Great and Small on the PBS app.

11. I used to shop at CVS 1-2 times a month until the CVS in our town closed. I have hardly shopped at a CVS since then, but I've recently been resuming that habit due to the fact that they haven't had much of a cereal selection at Surplus Outlet. A few weeks ago, I paid less than $1 per box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes at CVS! I do love finding a good bargain. 

12. Ian is finally caught up. We switched back to Teaching Textbooks for geometry, and he got everything turned in by the end of the second marking period for all the other subjects. I hope he never gets that far behind again. 

13. Ian finally picked his song for the piano recital (February 2) on January 20. I told his piano teacher let's pick his song MUCH earlier next time around. She agrees. Thankfully he is managing to pull it off despite choosing much later than normal. The piece was too long (12 minutes), but she picked out parts for him to play as she likes the pieces not to be longer than 4-5 minutes so that the recital isn't too lengthy. 

14. One of the books I recently listened to was Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Quereshi. It was outstanding! I highly recommend it! Some books we've enjoyed together as a family recently would include: Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai, Wink by Rob Harrell, The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman, The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez, and The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. 

15. My parents each grew up with one sister, and so I only had two uncles. My dad also has a half-sister, but she never married. Uncle Bill passed away in 1992 at the age of 49. Uncle Dick passed away last week at the age of 83. Wendy lives the closest to Indiana, so she is attending the burial today as the representative of our family. I'm thankful Wendy can attend on our behalf. 

16. I go in spurts when it comes to working on planning future vacations. Recently I used Turo gift cards I got through credit card points to almost completely pay for renting a minivan on Oahu for four days and on Maui for 2.5 days. I still need to rent one on the Big Island for a week. 

Thankful Thursday

 1. Nadia has been hired as a part-time kennel assistant! She starts her training at 7:30 tomorrow morning. It seems for the most part she will only work on Saturdays. They are paying her $12/hour. She is hoping to at least earn enough to pay for her car insurance. 

2. Last weekend Nadia had a nice time with some of the girls she worked with at Camp Susque. I drove Nadia and Melanie to the home they were staying at, and Melanie's dad picked the girls up on Saturday morning.

3. The five of us were able to help pack meals at FBC on Saturday afternoon. Altogether 100,000 meals were packed that day at that church! 

4. The weather has been unseasonably warm. I love it! Not everyone in my family agrees with me. 

5. We enjoy hosting co-op at our home. The messiness of art is not my favorite part but hearing the laughter and watching the kids interact with each other warms my heart. This week's debate was on whether Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet. Our final two debates will be on AI and whether there should be an age limit for the President, VP, and those in Congress. In art this week the kids began sculpting a turtle out of clay. Paul does two chemistry experiments with them each week. After lunch the kids play games. This week it was Balderdash and Pit for the first 90 minutes. Some kids stay later. This week the kids who were still here after 2:00 played Catan. 

6. Paul was supposed to have jury duty in August. Thankfully they were willing to postpone his until November due to our trip to Alaska. Every Friday evening (for four weeks) he has to check online to see if he's supposed to report at the district court in Williamsport or not. The first two times the answer has thankfully been "no." In light of co-op, we're hoping for the same result tomorrow and next Friday night. 

7. Ian has been using a gymnastic mat as a chair in our family room. I decided we needed to get another chair of some sort, and the kids picked a large bean bag. I used credit card points to get a Walmart gift card and used that gift card to pay for the 5-foot bean bag chair. Ian isn't the only one using that seat! Similarly, I used credit card points to buy a new faucet from Lowe's for the kids' bathroom. Hopefully it won't be too difficult for Paul to install it. 

8. In January Ian's primary care doctor started the process that finally culminated in him having a sleep study in Hershey last night. I usually transport the kids to their music lessons, doctor appointments, etc., but Paul stayed in the room with Ian for his sleep study. We are praying for accurate results so that we will know if Ian has sleep apnea, and if he does have it, how severe it is.

9. I'm thankful that we live in a free country where we have the ability to vote. I'm also grateful for the outcome of the election. Ultimately, God is in control, and my faith is in Him alone certainly not any politician, but given the ages of Alito and Thomas, I have been praying that when it's time for them to retire, they could be replaced with justices who would strictly follow the constitution. It's the first time in my life that every single candidate I voted for won! I am encouraged that Trump won even though Kamala's campaign spent FAR, FAR more money. I think how much money is spent on campaigns is insane and that which campaign has the most money shouldn't be the determining factor in who wins. Personally, my political views are not influenced one iota by all the things that showed up in our mailbox, by billboards, or by ads. Similarly, it is reassuring to know that people can make their own personal judgments despite what the media is constantly telling us (ex. "he is Hitler" - seriously?!?). Is Trump my ideal candidate? Absolutely not. I didn't even vote for him in 2016 because I wasn't sure if he was actually going to be conservative. Ironically (because Paul was the one who talked me out of the "lesser of two evils" philosophy while we were dating), Paul voted for him three times.

10. Paul has believed for four years that Trump actually won in 2020. I have thought it was *possible* that due to election fraud he lost, but I wasn't sure that could be stated as a fact. I changed my mind this week. In 2008 131 million people voted, in 2012 it was 129 million, and in 2016 it was 136 million which puts the average at 132 million over those 3 elections. The total for 2020 was 158 million, and this year the number was probably around 139 million. Hillary got 65 million votes in 2016 (Trump only had 62 million that election), and Kamala got 67 million in 2024. You'd think there would be much more of a draw to elect the first woman president (I hope that does happen at some point in my lifetime!). I can't believe that 20 million extra people actually voted in 2020 when the choice was between two old white guys. I'm more convinced now of the theory that fraudulent mail-in ballots swung that election. Since the numbers came back to "normal" this time, I feel like the election was probably fairer. I'm sure for many decades there has been some fraud involved on both sides of the aisle. I had students at Bloomsburg who would brag about the fact that they voted twice - once by absentee ballot based on their home address and again on campus using their college address, but it seems like in 2020 it was taken to a whole new level. I have to show an ID to board an airplane or check in at a hotel. I don't smoke or drink alcohol, but if I did, I'd need to show ID to make those purchases. I think our elections would be less susceptible to fraud if people had to show ID when they voted. Nadia was inundated with so many text messages encouraging her to vote, and she's only sixteen. The next time we have a presidential election both Nadia and Ian will be able to vote. They are growing up too quickly! 

Fifty-two

Yesterday I celebrated my 52nd birthday. On my birthdays I always miss my mom and my brother a little more than usual as I would normally have at least chatted with them on my birthday. Considering my mom passed away a few months after she turned 71, she only lived 19 years beyond her 52nd birthday. On Sunday a man in our Sunday School class asked me if we are in the Classics group at our church, which is for those age 55+. Since Paul will be turning 55 in January, we are eligible to join the group in a few months. When we were dating and in the early years of marriage, Paul used to take me out to dinner for my birthday. It's been quite a few years since that happened. This year he suggested all five of us go out to eat, which is something we usually only do when we're on vacation. He knows Olive Garden is one of my favorite places to eat and Nadia's most favorite place, so he suggested we go there. I used some points to request a gift card that covered almost the whole bill minus the tip. I don't usually get a dessert when we go out to eat, but since Olive Garden gives you a free dessert on your birthday, I requested the black-tie mousse cake, which is absolutely delicious. I shared a little of it with Oliver and Nadia, and they said I need to find a recipe online and try to make one myself for one of their birthdays. Will do! He had suggested going out on my actual birthday (Sunday), but since we didn't have any plans to leave the house on Friday, I thought it was better to go out that night since we have church on Sunday. We stopped at Lowe's on the way to Olive Garden and got my birthday present, which was a new faucet for the half-bathroom. The kids think it's the worst birthday gift idea, but ours was 25 years old and looking rather dated. On the way home from Olive Garden we stopped at Aldi's for groceries. 

On Saturday morning I put some beef, potatoes, and carrots in the crockpot and headed to a service project with Oliver. When we came back 4.5 hours later, I was flustered when I discovered the food was still cold. The green light was on, but it wasn't actually heating up. I switched to using the oven. The meat was cooked, but it wasn't anywhere near as tender as it would have been had it cooked in the crockpot for 9 hours as planned. The mashed potatoes, yeast bread, and fruit pizza all turned out well. Faith and Xandir were at our house for 18.5 hours, and their parents joined us for a couple of hours for dinner and some games. On Sunday we ate leftovers from Olive Garden and from what I had cooked on Saturday. On Friday night Nadia bought me a plant (lilies). Oliver made me a card and gave me some Andes mints. My I received two birthday cards in the mail on Saturday and one from someone at church on Sunday. I received several birthday text messages and two phone calls on Sunday from Aunt Janet and Yvonne. My dad called me today. My friend, Tab, is taking me out to lunch this week on Wednesday, and my friend, Cheri, is taking me out to lunch next week on Friday. I don't have any idea how many more years I have left on earth, but I am thankful for the years I've been given thus far and for the many blessings in my life including my kids, husband, friends, etc. 

The picture above is of Ian in his Vlad costume for the musical. Next year I'm going to take photos during the dress rehearsal. The picture below is from last Tuesday at our co-op. One of our classes this session is geography. Each of the kids picked a country and prepared a 3–5-minute speech about the culture of that country and also brought in a food item from that country for us to enjoy at a special lunch. Oliver and I made a pizza shaped pinata filled with candy for the kids to enjoy after the lunch. Foods brought that day included a soup from Vietnam, tiramisu cupcakes, sushi, Yorkshire pudding, honey joys, dumplings, Belgian waffles, churros, hummus, macaroons, and fairy bread.