Want Productivity? CYT!

Match Socks

Clean Under the Couches

Organize the Book Shelf

Clean out the Toaster

Wipe off the Ceiling Fans

Clean under Mom's Bed

...Just some of the "Extra Jobs"

HAVE FUN!!!! :)

It's Spring Break this week and my kids would probably declare that they're deprived because EVERYONE else they know is in some warm, exotic place like Disneyland, Mexico, Florida, Hawaii, St. George, or on a cruise somewhere. (If EVERYONE is having the time of their life, why are all of their friends around to do things with???) So, instead of soaking up the sun, they're soaking up the dirt, dust, and clutter in our home that has long been neglected. Actually, they're earning money to pay off their debts they've incurred for all the excitement they're preparing for this summer. No, they're not happy about it, but I keep reminding them that they have money to earn if they want to enjoy the plans they've already made. 

I've waited for three days for my children to say, "Mom, what can I do to earn money." Well, it hasn't happened. It's one thing for Mom to say, "You really need to do some extra chores to earn some money." Yah, in one ear, out the other. So, I've resorted to this: "You're doing two hours of extra chores today after your regular chores are done and before you can do any fun stuff. And, here's the list of chores that need doin'." It's Called "CYT" or "Change Your Tactic". If it's not working, you need to change your tactic and try something else.

It's amazing when you put a list in front of them, the action that takes place. 

I ran out of room on the first list..had to make a second!

They fought over who could look at the list first and "claim" the coveted extra jobs like organizing the DVD's or replacing light bulbs, not matching socks or organizing the bathroom closet. I had to resort to a rotation: "You choose two jobs, mark your initials, then pass it on." We rotated through all the kids several times until most of the jobs were claimed. Then, they went to town cleaning. Wow, we haven't been that productive in a long time.

This guy surprised me the most! He completely cleaned under both couches AND vacuumed.

A job I've been wanting to get to for years...Organize all the File Folder Games

Hooray - Cleaning out the cupboards!! Yah, we won't mention what we found in there!

Cleaning and wiping out drawers. No more crumbs mixed in with the measuring cups! I hope you can relate!

Cleaning all the grody stuff off the washing machine!

She partnered with "zebra" and they kicked!

Finally got the buckets put back and organized after Christmas!

Oh, the blessings of an organized pantry!

Organizing the toys...seems like somebody's always doing this.

More organizing, more cleaning.

He put himself in time out. Wow!

Now, I've already given them fair warning that the same plan is in place for tomorrow. Hopefully we can get the rest of the list marked off! Create a list and some parameters. Once the task is met, reward and let them play. They deserve it!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Analogy: Crayons, Choices, and Children

"Mom, come quickly. Look what she did!" 

Black crayon scribbled all over the coffee table.

GASP (from me)

Eyes full of  sorrow looked up at mine. 

No, I wasn't mad. But, I wasn't going to let a teaching lesson go by.

Get out the Magic Eraser. Wait, I don't have a Magic Eraser.

Baby Wipes.

Well, it's not the first time I've dealt with a child scribbling crayon all over something, whether it be the wall or the couch or the table, or my Messiah score. At least crayon comes out, not like the "pretend boyfriend" one of my daughters drew in permanent Sharpie on the bedroom wall years ago. 

After seeing the mess she made and being so proud of myself for not raising my voice or getting upset, I quickly told her that it's unacceptable to make a mess of our home and she needed to clean it up. Remembering that the Magic Eraser was used up with some spring cleaning a few weeks ago, I resorted to the baby wipes. I gave her a handful and told her to go to town on scrubbing that table clean. She knew not to complain. She got busy. (Sometimes I think they like cleaning up the mess - to a point - especially if it involves scrubbing.)

No, I don't clean my house or make sure my children look perfect before I take their pictures. This is Bushman Family Reality!

Almost immediately, older brother jumped in to help.That's my scout - doing a good turn!

Many Hands make the Job Light

 
After 20 minutes or so she asked me to come and look at her progress. Pretty good, especially for a 4 year old. There were a few places she missed that I pointed out. She started to complain a bit, "It's too hard, Mommy." There it was...the words that sink into your heart when a child has done her best and is feeling the effects of fatigue and remorse. I took the wipe from her and started scrubbing for her. She placed her hand on mine and we scrubbed the last of it together. She felt happy, with a sense of accomplishment for fixing what she had done.

...take me by the hand...

As we finished up, I suddenly had a spiritual moment...

We all make mistakes in life, like scribbling on the table.  If we leave it alone and don't try to clean it up or make it right, it stays there for all to see, or maybe just for us to see, reminding us of the mistake. Those reminders make us feel guilt or sorrow or sadness. We look at the mess and think, "I don't know how to get rid of it. It's too hard." That's where the Savior comes in. He helps us get rid of the mess, standing by us, strengthening and encouraging as we follow his road map to repentance. (Brother Scout) As we follow it, and do ALL WE CAN, he takes our hand and helps us finish on the path (Mom). He forgives us and remembers our mistakes no more. Best of all, he takes away the guilt and the sorrow and the sadness. He cleanses us and comforts us, which enables us to feel joy. He makes it right.

It's interesting what happens when we follow the Lord's plan of parenting. The pattern is set in the scriptures, and it's up to us to study and learn and practice. We both learned a lesson that day. She learned the consequence of scribbling on the table - being accountable to clean it up, apologize, and do all she can to make it right. I also hope she realized and felt the support from those who love her.  I learned that parenting brings joyful lessons and spiritual moments, thus the Analogy of Crayons, Choices, and Children.
 
More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

The 8 Steps Addendum

Dear Son,

Thank you for waiting to throw up until 30 minutes before my alarm was set to go off, instead of at 2AM! Many thanks for throwing up in one spot on your bed. The cleanup was so fast and easy. Also, thank you for hitting the spot in the MIDDLE of the mattress. The times when your siblings made my life miserable by throwing up in the corner of the bed by the wall still haunt my memory. Pulling the bed out and scrubbing all the way down to the carpet is something I never want to repeat. I love you and hope you are feeling better really soon!

Love,

Mom

So during this latest escapade, I recalled a few things that I left out in my past post, How to Deal With Throw up in Eight Dreaded Steps.

1. When you put your child in the tub, make sure the puke bowl is within reach. Thankfully, I thought to put it next to him this morning and what do you know, he needed it two minutes later. So grateful for that inspiration! There's nothing worse than having to drain the tub and start all over again. Wait, there is something worse....it's the puke down the side of the bed thing.

2. My sister recently gave me some bedding she was getting rid of. It included a REALLY NICE mattress pad so I put it on my son's bed. When I took off the soiled blankets after the ralph-accident this morning, the mattress was totally clean. I'm a believer now. Invest in waterproof mattress pads! I still sprayed the mattress - mainly to get rid of the smell in the room. What a joy not to have to scrub a mattress, not to mention keeping the mattress soil-proof!

3. DoTerra's DigestZen is amazing to help soothe the stomach. Put a drop under the tongue and also dilute with fractionated coconut oil to rub on the abdomen. What would I do without this? 

6 family members down. Hopefully, no more to go!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

How to Deal with Throw up in Eight Dreaded Steps

I'm sorry if your name is Ralph!

We've had a bit of a stomach bug this week. Dealing with all manner of bodily fluids always makes me grateful for good health. It also tends to remind me of past sicknesses which brings up memories of how I coped. It's taken a lot of years to learn how to deal with the stomach flu. I remember the melt downs I had as a young mother, the feelings of being overwhelmed, the drama and stress of having a sick one, and not quite knowing what to do. If I could have read a book called, "How to deal with throw up in eight dreaded steps", my life would have been much easier. Considering the nature of this post, you may want to stop now and go do your laundry. However, if this blog post can be that booklet for my children, they will have an easier time when the puke hits the fan. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Oh, and just so you know...no photos, in case you were worried.

1. When you start seeing the signs of sickness (complaining of a stomach ache, not eating, no energy), have the child stay in one place. Offer a container (bowl, pan, plastic lunch box, ice bucket, bed pan, large ziploc bag - anything that will hold liquid. A plastic yellow doctor kit, Kath?). Don't try to run them to the toilet or the garbage can. Bring it to them. It's better to clean up throw up in one place than a trail of mess from the living room to the bathroom. Trust me on this. This has happened and I cried the entire time I was scrubbing carpet.

2. Prepare the spot. I NEVER let my sick child into a bed for them to throw up all over it. Our spot is between the kitchen floor and the living room. Put down a waterproof covering (shower curtain works well or plastic garbage bags). Cover it with something that easily washes. I use an old mattress pad folded in half. It provides a lot of cushion and washes nicely. I NEVER give my sick child a pillow. Pillows and throw up just do not mix. We use a folded towel inside a pillow case. All washable. When we had really young children that were sick, one of us slept with the child on the floor to help them make it to the bowl. 

The worst thing is when your child vomits during the night in bed. Oh, the dread that washes over me when this occurs. Supplies Needed: Grocery Bags, Paper Towels, Wash Cloth, Cleaner (more on that in a bit), Spoon.

This is how I handle such an event:

3. Wake up your spouse. This is a two person event, especially if the child is really young. If they're older, I let him sleep. Get the child in the tub first thing. Start the bathtub and take out any bath toys!  Use a paper towel to get out anything significant (aka chunks) before entering the water. Warm water makes everything feel better. Fill the tub with just enough water to rinse the hair and body of all undesired mess. Drain and rinse the tub then fill it again. Wash the hair a couple times! This is where you need the extra person...to help the child in the tub while the other person cleans up the mess.

4. Once the child is squared away, conquer the mess. Use paper towels first to scoop up all the substance that you can. Use a spoon to scrape stuff out of blankets or carpet. The more you get cleaned up before the bedding hits the washer, the better. Deposit everything in a grocery bag for disposal. Take all bedding and clothes to get washed and start it immediately. Don't wait until the morning. Your laundry room will smell horrid the next day. Set the machine for the extra rinse cycle!!!

5. Time to tackle the mattress and the carpet. Make sure you have on hand a product called Nature's Miracle. It is geared toward pets but is amazing for all types of waste - vomit, urine, blood, etc. It is a non-toxic, organic cleaner that has a nice smell and is extremely effective for getting out smells and stains. You use is straight - no dilution. I pour this on the mattress and the carpet and let is sit for 10-15 minutes. Take a wet washcloth and scrub the area. Repeat if necessary. 

6. Once the child is out of the tub, brush his teeth and put her in the prepared spot (step #2). I tend to wait on any liquid for a little while.

7. As far as food and liquid while the child is sick, stick with clear fluids. I rarely give food until they have stopped throwing up. When he's ready for food start with a homemade clear soup broth, then move to banana, rice, toast, or oatmeal.

8. Nursing infants can get dehydrated so quickly when vomiting. I follow Dr. George Wootan's advice found in his book, Take Charge of Your Child's Health. According to him, you have to cut back to a nursing schedule of fifteen seconds of feeding, then wait fifteen minutes. Repeat. Then nurse 30 seconds and wait fourteen minutes. Thirty seconds, wait thirteen minutes. Forty-five seconds, wait twelve minutes. If the baby throws up, go back two steps and start again. The baby will be very frustrated but he says that if you follow this schedule, it will prevent dehydration and hospitalization. He says, "I do not know of any cases where it has failed to work." I have used this method myself with each of my sick babies and even though it's heartbreaking to see your child cry, it really does work.

There you have it. If you made it through the 8 steps, you deserve a prize! Oh, the prize is more knowledge for the next puking event...sure to come!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Good Intent Becomes Success

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God"  D&C 109:8

I really like to be organized, but it doesn't always "stick". Why? Oh, reasons like it takes too much time, laziness, other things come up that take time away, bad habits, priorities, or the system just doesn't work. I've gone through times of excitement when I come up with a new system to organize the closet, or the desk, or the socks, or the plastic containers in the kitchen. Good intentions should be my mantra. I really do have them, but the a fore mentioned reasons seem to turn good intentions into non-existence. 

We have ten people in our family. Thus, laundry is a mammoth undertaking. I won't get started on the philosophy that a washing machine and dryer caused us to have more clothes as a society which now makes the laundry task completely time-consuming. If I did it all at once (which I do not), it would take a complete 14 hour day, just like it did the Bostonian women of the 1700s when they dedicated every Monday to laundry day. It's no different for us. We just have more dirty clothes to deal with. And compared to the days of old, our clothes aren't even that dirty. OK - I'll stop now.

Back to organizing.... there is one organizational system that has NOT gone by the wayside. I have successfully used it for years, and it has kept my laundry room running efficiently. (If the darn washing machine and dryer could just go faster, this part of my family responsibilities would really be in control. Maybe some day I'll have a second dryer! Now that would be a blessing!!) It's my laundry-sorting system that keeps clothes organized into colors, avoiding piles of clothes on the floor or sorting through multiple dirty clothes baskets to find enough whites to make a full load.

Six separate baskets keep clothes sorted and organized.

Labeled signs let all ages know which clothes go where.

It consists of six tall laundry hampers, labeled with names and pictures to distinguish what type of clothing belongs where. I separate the clothes into Darks, Lights, Whites, Jeans, Towels, and Bedding.

Our family laundry process goes like this:

One person is the designated "gatherer and sorter". He or she gathers all of the dirty laundry from each room, takes it down to the laundry room, and sorts it into the above laundry hampers. This is supposed to be a daily occurrence. Note the word "supposed". Even my four year old knows which clothes go where. No, she can't read yet, but she looks at the pictures and deposits the clothes into the correct bin. I've even seen her match up the clothing color to the color square on the sign to make sure she gets it right.

Since I'm the only one home during the day that is old enough to start laundry, I'm the designated one to wash and dry. Once the clothes are dry, I recruit all available troops to fold. Each person puts away their own piles of clean laundry.

Looking at my signs, I think it's time to upgrade; we need some new clip art and an upgraded font! Who says the laundry room has to be boring and drab?

That's my successful, organizational system for handling the immense volume of dirty laundry in the Bushman home. I'll give myself a pat on the back for actually "sticking" to it. It feels good to be organized in one area of my life, even if it's just dealing with dirty clothes. Now I just need to come up with a scheme for those sneaky and scrupulous socks. Any ideas?

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

The Learning Experience

Just cover it up with a paper towel...nobody will notice!

My two boys were babysitting the other night and did a fabulous job! However, the next morning, I found this on the floor in the kitchen...

Suspicious paper towel with an odd-looking stain on it

I picked up the paper towel and found this:

Brown, messy piles always have me concerned

I immediately smelled the brown disaster; phew, smells like chocolate. I decided to wait for my sons to wake up to get their take on how this lovely, mystery mess ended up on the kitchen floor.

Once they staggered out of bed, I directed them to the paper towel. They immediately smiled and acted innocent. "Give me the drill", I quickly exclaimed. By the way, that's not a question.

Here's the drill...

Boys: "We were getting ice cream for everyone but we didn't have any hot fudge. We didn't want to make any so we decided to melt chocolate chips in the microwave. The chocolate chips started smoking..."

Me: "Stop, stop. How long did you set the microwave for?"

Boys: "One minute."

FIRST LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Me: "For next time, when you melt something like this in the microwave, you set it for a short time - 15 seconds or so, stir it, and then repeat until it's melted to desired consistency."

Boys: "OK - so it was smoking and we had to open all the doors. Then, the chocolate was so hot and messy and we didn't want to put it in the garbage, so we decided to pour it in a ziploc bag."

WOW! SECOND LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Older Boy: "The hot, burned chocolate melted the bag and it all fell on the floor."

They didn't need me to tell them that this was a bad idea. They learned, from experience.

Older Boy: "I told him to clean it up (Pointing to his younger brother) but he didn't."

Younger Boy: "No, I told you to clean it up. I was putting the ice cream away."

I laughed. It's easy to laugh when you're not in the heat of the moment. That's why I like addressing the problems when some time has passed and I'm not so fired up about it. 

I don't know how the paper towel made it on top to hide the catastrophe, but nevertheless, they were quickly given instructions to clean it up.

Once the mess was taken care of, we talked about their "Learning Experience". They realized what went wrong and next time, I think they'll both be smart enough to avoid the chaos altogether. How else do we learn, but by experience?

I'm glad they didn't clean it up before I got home. I probably wouldn't have heard about it and they would have missed out on some helpful tips and positive instruction.

So, thank you boys for giving me a good laugh, and for letting me be part of "The Learning Experience."

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Whether they like it or not!

Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather, whatever the weather,

Whether we like it or not.

Author Unknown

This is dedicated to my family and friends on the East Coast who weathered the weather, whether they liked it or not. So glad that everyone was safe and virtually unaffected!

I do enjoy this little poem; it's one that all of my children have memorized while learning to read. Hearing quality poems, literature and songs from my children's mouths is much more enjoyable than ridiculous, nonsensical ditties that children bring home from school or the neighborhood social hour. "I see London, I see France" does not belong in our family's repertoire. Yes, they probably know it but I don't want to hear it! Let's encourage more elevated thoughts and vocabulary in our homes!

Looks like we'll be weathering some hot weather today. However, it's better than a hurricane. Wait, by the looks of my house right now, it may have just have been hurricane-struck! Do I need to start singing: Clean-up, Clean-up, everybody, everywhere. Clean-up, Clean-up, everybody do your share? Don't like the ditty, but I like the concept...whether they like it or not!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

One Thing at a Time

Mom: "You need to clean your room."

Child: "I can't...it's too hard."

I've discovered over the years that if your child doesn't know how to do something, many times they use this excuse when in fact they should be saying, "I don't know how." They look at the mess and their little minds can't fathom how to clean it up. Break it down and help them understand the concept, One Thing at a Time. We use this frequently in our home and it really works. 

Problem: The room is messy with dirty clothes, garbage, shoes, toys, unfolded blankets, and dress up clothes.

Solution: Teach your child to go pick up all of the dirty clothes, put them in the hamper, and report back when it's complete. After that task, instruct them to pick up all of the garbage and put it in the trash can, then report back. Next, put the shoes in the bucket and tell me when that's finished. Continue with this pattern until the room is cleaned up. 

Breaking it down, step by step, teaches a systematic approach towards success. The overwhelming task that a child encounters becomes not-so-overwhelming. Reporting back reaffirms a sense of accomplishment and gives encouragement for the next to-do.

Showing children the way, or providing a solution, allows them to feel like the task is within their reach. And next time, hopefully the knowledge will "stick" and cleaning the bedroom won't be such an ordeal!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Make it a Family Day

Overhearing my son's phone call:

"No, I can't. My Mom declared today as a family day. Yeah, every once in a while she tells us it's a family day. That means we all stay home and do chores, school work, extra projects, babysit and all this stuff. No friends. Yes, it kind of sucks but oh well. Sorry...I'll see you Monday."

Today was a family day. Sometimes, it's necessary! You know those days when it seems like everything's chaotic because everybody in the home has been so busy that the chores have been neglected, nobody has clean laundry, Mom and Dad haven't been out for a while, sick kids and more sick kids, unmatched socks are piled high, etc? Last night I told the crew, "Tomorrow is a family day. Everyone has been so busy with activities, friends, school, concerts, sports and more. We're all staying home tomorrow." 

It was a blessed day! We slept in a bit and caught up on some much needed rest. Everyone finished their chores. There is clean laundry in the drawers. Dishes are done...the bathrooms are clean! Some school projects were accomplished and Mom and Dad got a date while it was happening (dinner and Christmas preparations).

I love family days!

More to come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Organizational Tip

Being organized makes for a happy mother and more productive children. Our family really does thrive with organization! So, here's an organizational tip I learned from my sister. We were at her home for Thanksgiving yesterday and loved this idea:

Plastic canisters for all the supplies that never seem to have a home

So, she found these canisters at Walmart. They're plastic so no worry about breakage. Whenever a crayon, pencil, pen, scissors - whatever - is found, you know right where it goes. Art projects are easy to instigate - just bring all the canisters over to the table. I love being able to see what's in your container AND it looks pretty classy, doesn't it? The latches are pretty fun to open and close, too.

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

Clean...until the grumps are gone!

A few weeks ago, I was mad. It doesn't happen very often but that day somebody really set me off, more so than I've ever felt in a LONG time. I'm sure a lot of it was my fault - over sensitive and quick to be offended. Nevertheless, I was ticked. I looked for some way to take out my anger. I didn't want to yell at my children or punch out a picture frame (sorry, Kath) so I looked around the house and saw a messy kitchen. I went to work...

For some reason, the kitchen is the family dumping ground. I started chucking my children's stuff into the living room. My oldest two children were working on their homework. They quickly got the picture. They picked up their things and put them away. The news spread quickly that Mom was upset so everyone started doing their chores. I guess when Mom is mad and silent, it's more effective than being mad and yelling.

Back to cleaning: I swept the floor, moving the kitchen table, benches and bar stools out of the way.

No, this is not what my broom looks like. I just liked the photo.

I mopped the floor. I even sprayed the edges of the floor and scrubbed the built up dirt that never gets clean with just a mop. I sprayed and wiped the base boards, the walls and all of the kitchen appliances. I cleaned the cupboard doors and the outside of the garbage can. I scrubbed the table, all of the chairs, benches, and bar stools. I moved on to the living room and cleaned the pencil and crayon designs off the walls and then down the stair well to do the same thing. I put all my energy into cleaning and I didn't stop until my anger had dissipated, or in other words, until the grumps were gone. 

When I was finished, I was so hot and sweaty. Wow! I felt better though, and now, looking back, there are many advantages of cleaning when you're mad...

1. The places that don't get cleaned very often, are suddenly spotless.

2. Instead of wallowing in your self pity, something gets accomplished.

3. It's a good work out! Lose some calories while you let off some steam.

4. Take your frustrations out on the kitchen floor instead of your family.

5. You may get other people involved, too and then more gets done.

6. You end up counting your blessings and forget why you were mad in the first place.

7. You repent for getting upset and apologize to the family (especially for chucking their stuff). Even mothers make mistakes and it's good for children to hear you say, "SORRY!".

8. A nice hot shower awaits you...it may be the second shower of the day. Nice! Now you get to meditate, pray, think and RELAX!

9. Hopefully there's an apology and life can move on.

10. You walk into the kitchen to fix dinner and you're loving how clean everything is!!!

No, I'm not happy with myself for getting upset, but I really feel that how you handle your anger is the important part. One public speaker said he runs down to the water heater and hugs it to avoid yelling at his family. Also, we choose to get mad or upset so we also choose how we're going to deal with it. Ever upset with a difficult child? (hah, do I need to even ask?) Try sitting them down on the couch and just hugging them. Don't say anything. Just hug them and see what happens. Hug them for one minute, five minutes, ten minutes. Frustrations soften and love builds up. Now I like that kind of build-up!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!

The Gunnysack Man

We came across this fun little book;
My children said, "Let's take a look".
"Mom, Mom, let's read it right now."
After reading it, they simply said, "Wow".
"I want to try it", our little girl said.
She ran to her room and made her bed.
"Do you think he'll come to our house?"
"Maybe, if you're quiet as a mouse."

www.gunnysackman.com

This is a fun book that motivates children to keep their room clean. Here's another plug for creativity - it really gets children excited to work! My two little ones like to read it again and again...they like to learn about Karen and Ruth Anne.

More to come, but until then...Stick-to-it!

Make it a Game

I'm behind on sock matching. Sound Familiar? Right now my unmatched sock container is a huge rubbermaid bucket, you know, one you would store your children's outgrown clothes in. Yes, that's how many unmatched socks we have right now. Of course, today, my 3 year old son decided to dump the socks all over my bedroom floor. Here's the moment of truth. Do I:
1. Get upset and tell him to clean them up (which most likely will not get accomplished)
2. Get upset when he doesn't clean them up and do it myself.
3. Make it a game and see what happens.

This is what we did...

First of all, he loves basketball (yes, he has three older brothers). I told him, "Let's shoot them into the bucket and see how many points we can make". He immediately got into it. He grabbed handfulls of socks and threw them into the "hoop". With every shot we'd say "two points" or "three points". We even got into some slam-dunking.

It took three minutes to clean up. He had fun doing it but it instilled in him the concept of "if you make a mess, you clean it up." I had fun as well, and  I didn't lose my cool.
Hey, I didn't realize I was so good at "basketball"!

More to come, but until then...Stick-to-it!