Celebration of Cultures

Nashville had it's annual "Celebration of Cultures" on October 4th this year. Our family thoroughly enjoyed exploring the world's cultures. We saw a Chinese Dragon dance, Lao Dancers, Burundi Drummers, ate Thai food, Mexican Food and Indian Food. We visited all kinds of booths representing different cultures from around the world. The kids made Japanese lanterns, face masks and rag dolls. We also observed a fantastic drum circle (but our kids REFUSED to stay and participate!) I guess they get enough music around the house. We had a wonderful time! Here are a few photos for you to enjoy:

(our little tree-hugger)

(Charissa in "Panama")

(Audrey & Charissa making rag dolls)

Our Entrepreneur

It's old news by now, but our Charissa loves to sell things. When she was four years old, she would drag a little play table out our front door and attempt to sell things. First, she opened what she called "Art Ann's". (Alliteration was very important for business names...then and now.) Her business plan was simple: She would draw pictures and people would pay her to do so. In fact, she drew pictures on demand. One day, as she sat at her little table, she was approached by her second customer. (Her first was a UPS man.) This man had stopped to see our neighbor, but our neighbor wasn't home. He wanted to leave our neighbor a note, but didn't have any paper or pens. He noticed Charissa sitting with a stack of paper and a box of crayons and assumed she would let him borrow supplies. What he didn't know is that Charissa is a shrewd businesswoman who was happy to oblige...for a small fee! This of course led to a discussion about having compassion and looking out for the needs of others!!!

I'm happy to say that Charissa's business plan and her heart have grown over the years. She now has a little non-profit business (Delicious Donations) that she has created that raises money for charity. For the past two years, her focus has been on helping orphans in China. These particular orphans have more challenges than the average orphan (no orphan has it easy!). These children have physical problems that need medical attention. Sometimes they have physical deformities. Sometimes they have heart problems. All of them need to be loved. A wonderful organization, The Philip Hayden Foundation, cares for the needs of these little ones with great love and tenderness. They provide surgeries and homes with loving "nannies" in a little village made just for the orphans. As you know, our family has a soft spot for China. Tom and I always imagined that we would be living in China, serving the Lord and His people there. So, it's no wonder that our oldest has grown up with a heart for China.

Charissa held a lemonade stand/bake sale at our neighborhood yard sale this year and was able to earn $128.71 for The Philip Hayden Foundation. In response to her hard work and concern for the children at the orphanage, a new arrival was named, "Charissa" in her honor. We are so touched and Charissa is very much honored. Enjoy the photo of beautiful little "Charissa" in China! And, if the Lord prompts you to help with the tremendous need at this orphage, you can donate here: http://www.chinaorphans.org/donate.htm

Audrey's Locks of Love

It would be difficult to find someone who hasn't felt the pain of cancer in one way or another. Tom lost his father to cancer. I lost my dear girlfriend to cancer. My mother has fought breast cancer...twice. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, Friends...we've all felt the fear, sadness, anger and more.

Some time ago, I heard about a program called "Locks of Love". This program accepts donations of hair to make wigs for children who have lost their hair due to cancer or other serious illness. Audrey mentioned to me that she would like to cut her hair short and I told her about the Locks of Love program. She immediately wanted to donate. In order to donate however, hair must be in a ponytail that is at least 10" long. This took some time...and patience for a four-year-old. But the day finally came. As I was filling out the form, Audrey asked me to write a note. She asked that I please specify that she would like to give her hair to a little girl like her who "has no hair at all."

The day of the big event, I made an appointment at a fancy children's hair salon. I figured I would pay a little extra to make the memory more special. But, after a small food allergy fiasco at a local bakery, we arrived 5 minutes late for our appointment. The woman at the front desk told us that she would not keep our appointment. We were so sad!

So, we loaded everyone back into the car and began to drive home. As I drove, I thought, "We are not fancy people. We are just your average, hard-working family and we should go to our regular average, hard-working hair dresser to have the cut done." So, we drove to our Great Clips and walked in. I told the front desk that our daughter wanted her hair cut for Locks of Love. The woman told us that the haircut would be FREE, then she knelt down by Audrey and told her how very proud she was of her and told her that she had lost her father to cancer this year. It was such a beautiful moment and I know that Audrey will never forget the feeling she felt looking in her hairdresser's eyes. I immediately thanked God for letting the "fancy" appointment fall through. God had surely allowed us to walk into our hair salon and experience this special time with a very special hair dresser. Here are the photos from the experience. I'm so proud of my baby girl.

Remember 9/11

Our memories of September 11, 2oo1 are probably a little different than most. Our sweet boy, Harrison was born shortly after the twin towers tragedy. I remember looking at my baby and feeling such joy, then looking at the television screen and feeling such heartache. How could we be happy when so many were so sad?

But, that is a theme with Harrison (and each of our children). When life seems too difficult to handle, they always bring laughter and smiles. There is truly never a dull moment with children in the house. They remind us that there's always hope.

This year, Harrison received a sweet little hamster (who he named, "Goldey" - his spelling). Goldey is a lot like Harrison: quiet and gutsy. Goldey has a little ball that he can be locked inside. (There are ventilation holes!) When Goldey is in his plastic ball armor, he is fearless. He chases the cats and pretty much explores every square inch of downstairs in our home. He's a cutie. Of course, we're all getting used to his nocturnal hamster wheel marathons, but he's still cute.

Happy Birthday, Harrison!

Our Ballerinas

No, it's not THE Parthenon. It looks a lot better than the real one. This is Centennial Park here in Nashville; home of the Centennial Youth Ballet at Metro Parks. Charissa is beginning her fifth year of ballet and Audrey is pictured here on her first day of class. Of course, we already pulled out the bun. (They're ALWAYS too tight.)

Charissa was thrilled to learn that she will be dancing in the "Mini-Nutcracker" this year. The Centennial Youth Ballet will present The Mini-Nutcracker in Harpeth Hall School's Davis Auditorium the first weekend in December. (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) Sponsored by Friends of Metro Dance and the Dance Division of the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation, the production has become one of Nashville's most popular holiday traditions for families with young children. To assist young audience members' shorter attention spans, the ballet is condensed and includes narration. It is one of our favorite events of the year. We're so happy that Charissa will be dancing as an angel this year! (We always knew she was an angel!) If any family members want to come to Nashville for the performance, we would LOVE to have you join us! We have air mattresses. :)

Mentos Launch

In case you've ever wondered, mixing mentos candy with a 2-liter of diet soda makes quite an exciting afternoon.

If you have a hobby lobby near you, you can buy the kit that includes the screw-on launching mechanism. You fill the tube with mentos, pull the cord and run. It was actually quite shocking. I wouldn't recommend eating mentos and drinking diet soda. I think the explosion could be impressive.

Needless to say, I've lost my taste for Mentos. Now, they're simply a science experiment.

I'm Thirty-Four Again

Yes, I'm thirty-four again. No, I'm not denying my true age by clinging to last year's age. I simply miscalculated last year. I know it's a sign that life is a little too hectic for me, but at least I didn't miscalculate something more serious. And, imagine my joy when I realized I wasn't thirty-five yet!

To celebrate, our family had lunch at Buca Di Beppo. As a special suprise, Tom and the kids purchased a lovely brown wicker chair to sit on our front porch. The idea is that the chair is my special quiet place to sit and read a book, pray, etc. I tried it out and had to chuckle at the results. I sat down with my book and in a matter of seconds, all of my children were seated next to me. One by one the questions started, "What book are you reading mommy?" "What is that chapter about?" "Do you like the book, Mommy?" They are sweet kids. And I don't suspect life will be quiet around here any time soon. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rachel's Denver Trip

The Music Playhouse is looking for a new city director for the Denver/Boulder area. I had the opportunity to fly out and begin a search. It was a whirlwind trip since I left on Monday morning and arrived home Tuesday night. But I was able to accomplish a lot while I was there.

As I was driving to a meeting, I pulled off the road and took this photo. I wish I could have spent a little more time taking in the beauty of the mountains. (I missed a few exits as I was distracted by the amazing views!) I hope to visit the area for a vacation one day!

We Have a Glasses Majority

They just don't come cuter than that, do they? Our Harrison's glasses arrived today. We learned a few weeks ago that Harrison's right eye was not working as it should. Last week he saw our Pediatric Opthamologist, who ordered the glasses. Harrison will wear these for the next two weeks, then begin eye therapy with a patch. He'll most likely wear the patch for about a year.

That was a bit of sad news for Har, but he is such a good sport. Tonight we looked at patches online and he found one with flames. He thought that might be alright to wear. :)

After trying on his glasses, (in all seriousness) he said, "Mommy, you don't look like an impressionistic painting anymore. Now you look like a bobble head." Well. Surely it will take time for his eyes to adjust to the glasses! :)

Say a prayer for our little man. It's going to be a period of adjustment with the new look, new feel and new therapy. I'm thankful that he's such a cool kid about things like that. Even when he was frustrated because the chart with letters just looked like a white screen to him, he was a good sport. He looked at the doctor and said, "Well, it's okay if I can't see out of this eye. At least I have the other one." May we all be that optimistic.

Fly Me to the Moon

The summer has flown by. We had such grand plans of accomplishing great things, but alas we'll have to save greatness for another summer.

To make up for lost opportunities, we filled the week before school with lots of fun things. We had a few mishaps along the way, but overall it was a fun week.

Monday: trip to the library & fall clothes shopping
What really happened: trip to the pediatrician

Tuesday: trip to Wave Country

What really happened: a flat tire on the way and a trip to the repair shop for two new tires

Wednesday: friends over to play

THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED!

Thursday: trip to the zoo & a cookout by the lake
What really happened: a trip to wave country and a trip to the ophthalmologist.

(Harrison will have glasses soon...and a patch...and six months to a year of eye therapy. We'll give updates and photos when the glasses arrive!)

Friday/Saturday: trip to The US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL
THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED! We had lots of fun exploring the museum and outdoor activities. The kids also enjoyed bumper cars, go-carts and some amusement rides while we were in Huntsville. It was a nice time!

So, that should catch you up on Hoffman Happenings for last week. More to come soon!

We're Not Superstitious

Well, Tom and I recently celebrated 13 years of marriage! To celebrate, we took our kids to lunch at Buca Di Beppo. (We love Italian food in large portions.) And, Charissa made us an anniversary cake (from scratch!). We're spoiled.

Upon returning home, Tom injured his knee in a bike riding lesson gone wrong. So we decided to continue celebrating by kicking up...er...propping up the legs and relaxing. As it turns out, Harrison was under the weather. So, before bed, we gave him some children's Tylenol. This particular bottle had some dye that appears to have made him very AWAKE. He was up till about midnight. So much for romance!

We still had fun. It's been a great 13 years.

A Cure for Thinning Hair?

Our family knows a couple through our church, who are moving to Michigan. For fun, we met up with the wife yesterday and walked a nature trail at a local park. This isn't just any old nature trail, it's a birdwatching nature trail. It was beautiful. The path was paved, blackberries were ripe, and birds and butterflies were perched on branches overhead. If it hadn't been 91 degrees and full sun, it would have been perfect. But, since we have so little time until our friends move away, we forged ahead with our eyes on the prize...the wavepool at the end of our 3.5 mile walk!

The kids were really good sports. We packed lots of water and took turns drinking and splashing each other. Since little Audrey's legs are a fraction of the length of the rest of ours, she tired sooner. When Audrey is tired, she asks to ride up on Tom's shoulders. He doesn't mind. She's a lightweight. However, at the halfway mark, Audrey threw up...on Tom's head. I've heard of wacky cures for thinning hair, but I don't think that this is a valid treatment. Thankfully, it was a tiny amount and since there was so much sweat dripping from Tom's hair, we could wipe it away without a faucet or SHOWER nearby.

Although at the time we wondered if we'd actually make it to the wave pool, we did. And, there is nothing more glorious than submerging one's self in a huge pool of COLD water after an adventure like that! (And they had showers in the changing rooms for Tom's head!) The kids had a blast. They bobbed in the wave pool, splashed under some water mushrooms and zipped through mazes of water slides. It was particularly amusing to note the different reactions between our boy and our girls. The girls emerged from the slides with big smiles and quietly hurried to get back in line. Harrison screamed "AAAAWWWWEEESSSOOOMMMMEEEE!!!!!" all the way down the slides. He couldn't have been more delighted! Charissa and Harrison were even brave enough to go down the big slides...40 feet up! I don't know if their heart's dropped into their stomachs, but I know mine did watching them!

Well, I'm off to do some cookie baking and make a run to Home Depot for Tom. Oh...and I need to squeeze in about 2 more hours of work somewhere. I'm doing a kids' event in the morning for work, then gearing up for a playdate at our house that has become quite large. We're expecting between 12 and 20 children from 2 to 5 PM. We're going to have so much fun!!!

Until Next Time,

Rachel

An Imagination Wonderland

It's been a busy couple weeks. Tom's busiest endeavor has been the remodeling of our backyard "playground". Our kids now have a beautiful little playhouse complete with a trap door, climbing wall, a roof with tar paper and shingles, three windows and two doors!

Tom is now a lovely shade of tan and his hair is a bit sun bleached. But, other than the bothersome heat, I think he's enjoyed the project. The kids are having a ball. Tonight, we ate our dinner in the little house and fun was had by all.

I've been dealing with some neck pain again. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and am once again back to weekly appointments to get the pain under control. Sheesh.

Last week, we had dinner with some neighbor friends. This Kurdish family is absolutely wonderful. I can't tell you how beautiful it is to spend time with a family that has ever only known war and tragedy and listen to them laugh and joke and smile. They are really something. And, they really know how to cook! We started our visit at 10 AM and stayed till almost 7 PM! We learned how to make two new dishes: Dulma and Beryani. Yum. I may be spelling them wrong. Our hosts took some photos of the festivities. When I get a copy, I'll add the photos and some recipes!

For now, I think I'll sign off and do some Sunday School prep for the AM. I hope you're all well and have a wonderful Lord's day tomorrow.

Love,
Rachel

Mother's Day Out

I'm sure the above title conjures up a totally different image than what my "Mother's Day Out" was. Many women drop their kids off for discounted childcare and run errands, do spring cleaning, etc. I remember the days that I wanted to catch a breath and remember what it was like to be an adult. Now, I long for days to catch a breath and remember what it was like to be a stay-at- home mom. Don't get me wrong. I'm home most of the time even now. But, I do work a full-time job from home. So, it gets interesting. And I miss playing with my kids.

So, today, we left home at 10AM, played at a friend's house, had a picnic lunch at the park, went to guitar lessons, went swimming with friends, and headed home for dinner with Daddy. I think everyone is a bit tired. 7.5 hours of running around would probably wear out anyone. Though, two of my kids are still up, reading in their beds. So, apparently, I am just getting old and tired!

Part of my "Mother's Day Out" was to play with my kids. Part of it was to allow Tom some free time to work on his latest writing project. I'd share an excerpt, but I haven't been granted permission...yet.

Summer Slump

So, it's June 27th. Our family just returned from a road trip to see family in Northwest Indiana. This road trip of course included three kids (ours), two cats and one dog. Some folks enjoy trials, apparently. It was a nice break from the normal routine. The kids were spoiled by grandparents, played with cousins and even managed to find a stray dog (which we did NOT adopt). We loved on a recovering grandpa (Grandpa Ray had a heart attack!), congratulated a graduated neice (Yay, Danielle!) and ate lots of yummy cherry pie (the cherries are in season). We spent one night in Chicago, enjoying the museums, Lake Michigan and of course the deep dish pizza. We had pizza for lunch and supper. Now we want to move there. The pizza really is THAT good.

Because we can, we researched Chicago real estate and found it to be surprisingly reasonable! Too bad we don't have a job waiting there.

Since leaving Music City isn't in our near future, we've decided to make some home improvements. Years ago, Tom built our kids a play structure that included a "fort", "clubhouse", "secret club meeting space"...whatever you want to call it that was about 3 ft. X 3ft. and that was the only way to access our slide. Our kids have grown, so the fort needs to too. Tom has been digging holes for posts, pouring concrete and making grand plans. Did I mention this is all taking place in the TN sun? He has a lovely tan and has lost 5 lbs sweating in the smothering heat.

I on the other hand have had enough of the outdoors and all of its allergens. I've been fighting a sinus headache for the past 24 hours and haven't accomplished much. Since I can't stand to be idle, I've decided to create a blog for fun. I hope you enjoy keeping in touch with us in this way!