BRACES ON FACES - 5TH SET

When I made the goal of getting #BracesOnFaces for all the little Ws, I said I'd reward myself with a set of my own once theirs were all on. My pie chart was filled a couple weeks ago and today was my day!!

I'm obviously not excited about actually having braces on, but I can't even explain how thrilled I am about the end result. I've wanted braces for as long as I can remember - thirty years, if we start counting at the beginning of high school. That's a long time! I'm uninterested in many of the appearance things that lots of females care about, and am low-maintenance about others, but I've always wanted straight teeth when I smile. Always. Of course, crooked teeth have never kept me from smiling, but still ... straight ones are a luxury that I've long desired.

I also have a major overjet that probably could have been fixed with braces when I was younger, but would require jaw surgery to correct in my mid-forties. I'm just going to let that one go. I've adapted my eating habits accordingly and life goes on. But straight teeth? Oh, that's going to be awesome!

Anyway, back to it being my turn to get some metal in my mouth. I've always included three pictures when I post about the kids' braces - them with me and our ortho at the office, their full pie chart, and me with them at home later in the day. I have extra pictures for this post about my own set because there were extra awesome things about the experience.

First, I was told upon walking in the Senestraro Family Orthodontics office that they had something for me. A friend had anonymously dropped off a care package for me yesterday. A #BracesOnFaces care package, to be exact. A blue (one of my two favorite colors) bucket filled with soft food, tylenol, tea, chocolate, a Jamba Juice gift card, and an emoji balloon. I got all choked up when it was handed to me because I'm just constantly stunned at how supportive people have been through this whole process.

Check out the label. I love it.

Gray tape was added to the balloon to look like braces. Perfect!

Second, there was a woman in the waiting room who looked familiar, but I couldn't place her. As she was called back by name, I realized she's someone I met through my time as a Pampered Chef consultant. We're Facebook friends, but have never met in person. It was neat to have someone from that season of my life, which was the start to the whole #BracesOnFaces journey, be in the building at the same time I was there to get my own set.

I eventually went back to get my brackets on. The staff has been so supportive of us from the very start and one of them said we needed a picture of me finally getting my brackets put on. So I grunted through the gear in my mouth and did a bunch of hand motions to tell her where my phone was and she took some shots for me.

The third awesome thing about my appointment was that the office scheduled a friend at the same time. I'm an extrovert who hasn't spent time with friends in 2 1/2 months, so it was a treat to have her there at the same time. And because the staff is awesome, someone stood on a chair to get a shot of me and Tammy at opposite ends of the room.

And done!! I had to get the traditional shot with the doc and pie chart, but this time there wasn't a little W in the mix. The happy mom was the happy patient!

And then we took a friend picture. Bliss.

We'd already walked out the door when Tammy asked if I'd taken a picture by the "Braces On" sign. I hadn't because I never do (I guess the pie chart picture is our family's version), but I walked back in and got one. This milestone day has been a long time coming, so I may as well take all the pictures I can. Right?

Finally, Tammy and I headed out for post-braces ice cream (which my frugal self was charged half-price for with a coupon and paid for with a gift card ... score!). The coldness is a numbing agent for tender mouths, therefore making the ice cream medicinal. And necessary. Of course.

Braces usually aren't a necessity, but I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to provide them for the little Ws and to get them for myself. So stinkin' grateful.

I'm also really grateful for an incredible ortho staff (SFO has offices in Sherwood, Wilsonville, and Woodstock, if you live in the Portland metro area and want a free consult), the thoughtfulness and generosity of the friend who gave me the care package that made me feel so loved, and time with my friend after such a long season of isolation.

ROCKHOUNDING

Devon loves to go rockhounding, so Tim decided to take him on a short road trip. Tyler asked if he could join them. Then Silas asked. The end result was that Naomi and I had some girl time at home while all the boys had a blast on an outdoor adventure from early last Friday evening until late on Saturday night. Silas shared a few pictures of their trip with me. I love this one!

Evidently Silas told Tyler to pretend like he was going to lick a slug. So Tyler did. 

The oldest and youngest little Ws snapped a picture together. 

 I'm so glad the guys all had this time together!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for time spent watering plants in our yard during the quiet of the morning. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

GIRL TIME WITH NAOMI

The W guys headed out to nature early yesterday evening and won't be home until late tonight, so Naomi and I had some girl time.

Last night we watched our first Facebook live wedding ever, got a cozy fire burning, she popped brownies in the oven, I was delegated to make whipped cream, candle was lit, jams were put on, watched The King of Random while working on a puzzle, streamed Princess Kauilani (neither of us had seen it before) on Kanopy through our library, and stayed up chatting until 3:30 in the morning.

Proof I'm super mature.

Proof Naomi's super goofy.

We slept half the day away, then headed out for a bike ride this afternoon. We'd decided yesterday that we'd go, but ended up riding farther than originally planned. Just over seven miles of fresh air and sunshine! We crossed the freeway twice, once on Butteville road (facing north) ...

... and again on Hwy. 214 (facing south).

I'd told her she could paint my nails last night, but we never got around to it. So our post-ride relaxation time included some nail polish on the front lawn. I think painting toenails is a way of drawing attention to one of the ugliest parts of a body, but I love Naomi more than I dislike painting my toenails. Way more. Having blue polish helps.

She's looking so grown up lately!

Back into jams. Another free Kanopy movie - The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio this time (I saw it over ten years ago, she never had).  Salads for dinner because we had brownies for lunch.

Such a fun time with this girl of mine!

PARK DATE

Tim picked up burgers, tots, and shakes from Mike's Drive-In for the two of us on his way home from work last night. He swung by our place to pick me up, then we headed down to Settlemier Park for a picnic dinner. 

He's handsome.

Half-wet hair didn't stop me from enjoying a chance for a quick date.

Opposites attract. I never add ketchup to fries or tots. Tim, on the other hand, likes a packet for every bite. He's a condiment addict. I love him in spite of this flaw.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful indoor plants. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for windshield wipers. What's one thing you're thankful for?

5/13/20 - WORTH REPEATING

*****

It's cool when you give from the hip; it's a game-changer when you give from the heart.

~ Michael Jr. on More Than Funny


*****

Even simple jobs or simple ideas, backed by worthy causes, are ... that's the best you can do.

~ Casey Roman in Van Life: The Duck of Justice


*****

Is the spirit you reflect building your marriage or building a wall?

~ Judy Slaughter in To Love Their Husbands, part two on 4/7/20


*****

No matter how hard things get, the birds always sing in the morning.

~ Zoo 


*****

Pride is the greatest of all evils that beset us, and of all our enemies it is that which dies the slowest and hardest.

~ J. N. Darby, quoted in Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness: A Revive Our Hearts Trilogy, written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss


*****

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GRIEVING A MILESTONE

Grief is a gnarly beast.

Some of you may remember the trip I made to Brookings when I reached my mom's age of death. As of last month, all three of us Perkins kids have lived longer than our mom did. It's so strange.

I don't have what I call "mom days" very often anymore, days with grief tied directly to the loss of my mom, and when I do they're usually random. However, I realized a few months ago that this year would be the fifth anniversary of reaching the age my mom died at and I've become increasingly emotional as the date came closer. This milestone definitely threw me for a loop. Even now, I can't explain why it hit me so early and hard this year.

Throw in the disappointment of a canceled event with my sister, the emotion of a significant date for a close friend, the birthday of another close friend I've been wanting to spend time with (those three things were on the same day as the five year mark), the ordinary struggles of life, as well as a little depression, and I've been a total mess the last few weeks. Buckets of tears, crying over everything and nothing, all day, every day.

There have, of course, been plenty of good things and happy moments in the mix and I've been intentional about putting on my oxygen mask to keep from falling off the deep end. But, good gravy, it's been rough. The little Ws have known I might get choked up in the middle of talking about something as neutral as the weather and have eaten several meals without me while I hunkered down in my room or sat outside. Tim's held me when I couldn't stop crying, even when nothing in particular had set off the tears, and just spent time with me when I was off-kilter.

The day came and went. The milestone is over. I don't know how grief works for you, but the anticipation of a hard milestone is often harder for me than the day itself. I shed a few random tears at one point in the morning and some explainable ones later in the day, but I didn't feel as weighed down as I have for weeks.

I'm now five years and one day older than my mom was when she died. I haven't shed a single tear today. I haven't even come close. The day's been perfectly normal. The first emotionally stable day I've had in quite a while.

Again, grief is a gnarly beast.

Some of you are in the thick of grief right now. I won't list out the situations that come to mind, but this year, and even this last week, has been brutal for some of you. I encourage you to just keep moving forward. Cry your eyes out when you need to. Crawl under the covers when that's the best option. But keep moving forward. When you can't move, keep looking forward. Identify the oxygen mask things in your life and make a point to do at least one of them for a few minutes each day. Take care of yourself in whatever way you can and allow others to care for you as they're able. A better day is coming.

MOTHER'S DAY - 2020

Yesterday the little Ws told me we were going to watch our church's Saturday night service instead of our usual Sunday morning because of their Mother's Day plans. We're creatures of habit, but evidently all bets are off during lockdown.

This morning they made breakfast and served it to me in bed. Then they said Tim and I were getting kicked out with some food they'd back to spend time at Willamette Mission State Park (or anywhere else, as they'd made this plan prior to my somewhat spontaneous trip to the park two days ago) while they cleaned the house. But first, a Mother's Day picture or two.

Tim and I opted to go to Willamette Mission, even though I'd just been there, and were gone for a few hours, enjoying time spent chatting while we hiked miles of trails and relaxed in field. Other than neighborhood walks, we haven't left the house together in a long time, so it was nice to get outside with each other for a while.

I meant to get a picture while we were hiking, but spaced it. So we took a quick shot back at the parking lot, but angled it so it looked more nature-y and less parking lot and bathroom building-ish.

We passed this awesome piece of landscaping art on our way home. You can't tell in the picture, but it even has a red eye.

The little Ws left right around the time we got home, but we grabbed dinner for everyone from Hungry Lion and met up with them along the Molalla River a couple hours later.

Such a beautiful spot!

We headed home and all split up to do various things, then the kids gathered everyone in the living room so they could each present me with sweet handwritten notes.

And thus concludes my last Mother's Day ever as the parent of just kids. Next year I'll also be the parent of an adult. Crazy!

BIBLE BAG

Look at what showed up in my mailbox a few days ago! My sweet friend made a bag for me to carry my Bible in. She knows I love blue, green, and Ws, so she surprised me with this gift for no other reason than she loves me.

 

GETTING SOME FRESH AIR & SUNSHINE

Willamette Mission State Park opened on Wednesday, so Devon, Naomi, Tyler, and I spent a couple hours hiking, playing, and relaxing there today. Here's the mandatory group shot.

I asked Naomi to pose for a girl picture.

She got to choose the next pose. We did a retake because she wanted us to both have Semi Aquatic hats on, but I like our smiles better in this one and our stance is less awkward looking.

I asked Devon and Tyler to pose for a boy picture and Devon promptly leaned on Tyler's head.

Tyler chose the next shot and opted for this tough stance.

 Here are a few nature shots taken while we hiked.

I went for a walk later in the evening and Silas joined me, which was nice since he missed our park time earlier in the day. We cranked out 4 1/2 miles and did lots of talking.

It was a beautiful day with temps in the 80s and I'm glad I got to spend some of it outside with the little Ws.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the notary who offered to come to our home when we needed something signed. What's something you're thankful for?

THE BROWNIE EXPERIMENT

Once upon a time, almost exactly one decade ago, our family (minus the non-existent Tyler) set out to determine which of two snickerdoodle recipes was the best. It was something we did as an act of service for the greater good. That's just the kind of noble, scientific, upstanding citizens we are. 

This year, just last week, I said something on Facebook about some duck eggs friends had shared with us. Someone mentioned that duck eggs make excellent brownies, which meant there was only one thing for us to do. Brownie experiment!

I baked two pans of brownies today. All factors were equal, except one had chicken eggs and the other had duck eggs. Tonight we set a plate of each kind in front of us and pondered what great discovery we were about to make. 

The little Ws did a blind taste test first, followed by Tim and I. The results? Everyone thought the one with duck eggs was slightly moister than the one with chicken eggs. Not so much that we'd have noticed if were weren't intently focused on finding differences, though. Some Ws generally prefer moister or dryer brownies, which was consistent in tonight's experiment, and the other Ws thought the brownies were equally good. 

This experiment may not have resulted in a landslide victory like the snickerdoodle one, but we were still willing to sacrifice our time and energy trying to help the world make wise brownie choices. Because our priorities are in order like that. 

And, just for kicks, here's one more family shot without the need to be so studious.