Working Girl

It's nice when work doesn't really feel like work.

Some of my work can be seen HERE.

Change of Plans

Friday afternoon, as I sent the men of the family off on an overnight camping trip, I had a vision of how my weekend was going to go. I envisioned a quiet night, complete with chick-flick spent with the dogs (Mayo's best buddy was spending the night), followed by a quiet morning and then a soccer game on tv (with the boys who would by then be home). And I definitely envisioned a fantastic win by the US over Ghana. Four years is a long time to wait for that rematch, and it was about time.

But, as often is the case, best laid plans... My Friday evening was spent with dogs and a movie, but I added in several phone calls and major spur-of-the-moment, weekend-plan changing decisions. My Saturday was spent, not in front of the big screen cheering on my team with my family, but in front of the Temple, taking photos of a wedding I didn't know about until Friday night. And in the car on the long drive to the reception. And to top it all off, Ghana knocked us out of the World Cup. Again.

But sometimes our original plans aren't necessarily the best ones. Sometimes a change in plans is pretty great, too. And except for the disappointing soccer loss, and the copious amounts of "glowing" I did (ladies don't sweat, you know), I'm glad I got the opportunity to change mine.

If for no other reason than the early Sunday morning drive home from Buena Vista. Perfect beauty. (And yes, this is the road I take to get from my parents' home to mine. Mine is on the other side of those mountains.)

Wahoo!

Can I share a little something about me (because I know we all love to learn more about me)? Something I didn't totally understand myself until fairly recently.

I have a real problem with crowds and chaos.

This doesn't seem to fit with my personality, since I'm a total extrovert, I love to be busy, and I figure, the more the merrier. But I guess we all have our limits.

And apparently, my limit is a swim meet.

Several weeks ago, Jake joined the local swim team. He's now a Wahoo. Kind of a goofy name, if you ask me, but since nobody did... He loves being a Wahoo. And I mean, really loves it. I love Jake being a Wahoo, as well. Because he is working hard - willingly!

Last night was Jake's first meet. When the boys and I walked into the pool - when I saw the crowd of people and not one square foot of space to park my family - I got a little panicky. Or maybe a lot panicky. My panic only increased as I had to figure out where to put us. What events Jake would be swimming (25 Freestyle and 25 Backstroke). Where he was supposed to be, and when. I better stop. I'm starting to get all worked up again, and we've got six more of these things before August.

Suffice it to say, it was very crowded. And very crazy. Oh, and did I mention it's Virginia in June? Yeah, it was 100 degrees. And no, that's not a dry heat. It's a very wet, sticky, humid heat. (Call me crazy, but I actually like Virginia summers. But nobody else does. And usually when I'm at the pool I can get in - not last night.)

But guess what! Despite the fact that by the time Jake finished warming up (still not sure why that was necessary) I was ready to go home, dish out a big bowl of ice cream, and watch So You Think You Can Dance, the swim meet was a blast!

Good people. Cute kids. A general feeling of summertime excitement. And best of all...

My Wahoo won his first race ever!

It's amazing what one's Mama-Pride can do for one's agoraphobic issues.

Festivities

We've been busy.

Busy having fun!

First there was Field Day.

We all came home wet, sticky, and happy.

Some of us with blue tongues.

Followed closely by a very wet birthday party for a very special best buddy.

And guess who got to come home on leave!

We got to see Uncle Clark while he was visiting from Iraq.

Baseball season (at least for us little-leaguers) is officially over.

As is this school year!

We loved our teachers this year!

This wonderful lady taught both of my boys in kindergarten.

She's a saint.

I'm not sure why I don't have a picture of Jake with his first grade teacher.

She's pretty amazing herself.

I think I've mentioned before how much I love our neighborhood.

Here's one example of how great it is.

We do ice cream at the bus stop on the last day of school!

And finally (and some would argue most importantly), Cam turned SIX!!!

He celebrated in style with an Indiana Jones treasure hunt party.

And then ate dirt.

(It was really an ice cream cake.

I don't make other people's children eat dirt.

Only mine.)

The summer has now officially begun.

And it's off to a perfect start!

Baseball Ready

Jake's coaches are wonderful. They expect a lot out of those boys, and are proud papas when they do well. They are fun and supportive, even when some of the boys forget what it is they are supposed to be doing out on that field.

Coach: "All Rockhounds are baseball ready ... except one."

Followed by a pointed look at Shortstop Jake, who was studying the clouds with his hands behind his back. Shortstop Jake didn't notice the problem until a ball flew right past him. Oops.

That's okay, buddy. Your cute face makes up for it. And your coaches think you're pretty great, too. They told me so.

A Good Day

This afternoon I took a big long nap. It was very nice, and very necessary. Probably because yesterday was so great. Ever noticed how the best days are usually the most tiring?

Granny and Poppy came to watch some baseball games. This is not Granny. Or Poppy. This is the dog. I brought a nice blanket to put down for the grandparents' comfort, and the dog was very grateful.

I haven't written a ton about this baseball season, but suffice it to say it's been a good one. Both boys have done very well, and improved all of their baseball skills considerably. At yesterday's game, Jake had an RBI and made a spectacular out at first! He also took a ball to the ribs while playing catcher, but got back out there after only a few minutes. Phew! Glad he's tougher than his mama!

Cam played his last tee-ball game ever and, not to be outdone by his brother, he too made an impressive out at first. He also scored several runs, but is always more impressed by the outs he makes because in tee-ball we don't keep score. He can't wait for next year. After the game he ate a slice of pizza the size of his head, got a trophy, ate several slices of watermelon, got a game ball, ate a cookie, and got squirted in the face by Poppy.

In the evening, after Granny and Poppy went home, we had a buzz-cut extravaganza. Dan and I thought it was lots of fun. The boys thought it was the end of the world. And the neighbors - I'm sure - thought of calling social services.

Defender

The other day Camden was involved in a little confrontation at school. Apparently, it went like this:

Bratty Little Girl, sticking her face right up to Cam's: "You think my mom's not pretty."

Cam: "Why are you in my face?"

BLG: "I don't think your mom's pretty."

Camden assures me he never said anything about BLG's mom. He also assures me he does think I'm pretty. And that he told her so.

Thanks for defending my honor, sweet little boy.

Memorial Day

On this (unofficial) first day of Summer,

enjoy your picnics

and barbecues.

Enjoy your day at the pool

or the park.

(I know we will!)

But remember to take a moment

to think about what this day is

really about.

And to thank -

if only in your heart -

those who have given

their lives

for your freedom.

And those

who are still willing to.

Working Up an Appetite

Last night, Jake ate one and a half hamburgers. And a big ol' slice of watermelon. And a pile of pasta salad. His daddy and I just watched. We've never seen him do anything like that before. We decided that we should have shipped him off to the Army a long time ago. It seems a good battle can build up a healthy appetite. Especially when one single-handedly kills a Yankee.

We spent the day leading up to Jake's spectacular dinner learning about the Civil War at Ferry Farm (George Washington's boyhood home) and Kenmore (his sister's house). And we had a blast. There were games to be played, laundry to be scrubbed, and limbs to be amputated (not really - we just saw the tools).

And of course there was a battle. Our brave boys showed no hesitation when asked to join the Army of Northern Virginia. After only a few short minutes of drill, they were marching off amid shouts of "Let's go kill some Yankees!" And even though some new recruits ran off crying with the first shots, and even though their general went down, our boys fought valiantly to the end.

I don't know what makes me prouder. My sons' brave service or the dinner they ate that night.

Wait. Silly question.

Definitely the dinner.

Counting

Camden is always so proud and excited to show us his schoolwork when he brings it home each week. We're always pretty excited, as well. Mostly because we never know exactly what we might see!

You might be interested to know that this particular paper earned him a great big smiley face. I'm so glad he's got an understanding teacher :)

Nothing Personal

Camden has a few friends who play ball on different teams. It's always fun to meet up with a buddy on the field. And a hug at second can give you the extra oomph you need to make it home.

But no amount of friendship will stop this little man from making that out at first. Sorry, buddy. Cam still loves you, I promise.

From the Couch

So, I've been a little out of the loop for a while. Remember when I posted about having surgery? Well, I decided that was so fun and exciting that I just had to do it again. That's right, two weeks later I was back in for another one. My house may never be clean again, but I've made good buddies with the nurses at Stafford Hospital!

While I've been on the couch, my boys have been carrying on with their lives. As in, playing baseball. And you know what? They're really good! (This coming from their totally objective, non-biased mom, of course!)

On the Sidelines

Jake's baseball games are two hours long. Add a half-hour pre-game warm up, and we're at the field for quite a while. And although we love every minute of it, and support that little slugger with everything we've got, we also have to find a way to pass the time on the sidelines. We can get pretty creative...

The Clip-On

Last night I was all set to write a really sappy post. See, I had surgery a week ago, and I have felt so loved and blessed as I've been recovering. Friends have brought meals for my family and have called to check on me daily. My boys have been so gentle and so good. (Proof that it really is possible!) And that wonderful man I married... Well, he's taken such good care of me. He's taken over all of my "mom duties" on top of his "dad duties" and work. He's catered to my every whim (he makes some yummy milkshakes!) and, thanks to him, this is the first time I have ever gone through an entire cycle of antibiotics without missing a dose! He really is that good.

I was going to write about all that stuff and share just how loved I have felt through all of this and how I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

But...

Then Camden started screaming and stumbled his way down the stairs. Naked. With a clip-on tie clipped onto his penis. I got it off (that took some doing, poor kid) and we sat on the couch icing his boy parts for a good part of the evening.

So that's why I never wrote my sappy post.

P.S. On the bright side, I'm thinking that boy is going to be a little more careful where he clips things from here on out. And maybe he'll start wearing clothes. Maybe.

Opening Day

It's baseball season again.

And this year, I get to take pictures.

I got a good man.

You may not know this,

but a long time ago

in a former life,

I used to be a ballerina.

But now,

in my current life,

I am a wife.

And sometimes,

my wonderful husband takes me

to see the ballet.

I love my current life.

Bad Boy

Camden is constantly asking to listen to the Beastie Boys. He absolutely loves them. I have to admit, I enjoy it too. Dan, on the other hand, is not a huge fan.

So the other night, as Camden got down to "Girls" and "Brass Monkey," Dan asked why he liked this music so much.

Camden's answer, in his sweet-as-can-be voice, with his sweet-as-can-be smile... "Because I'm a bad boy."

Sometimes, I get a little nervous about the teenage years.

Home

"Start by making your own home a place where happiness and love abound, through your love for each member of your family and for your neighbor. Try to put in the hearts of your children a love for home. Make them long to be with their families. So much sin could be avoided if our people really love their homes."

-Mother Theresa

Yesterday, my boys went back to school after the best Spring Break ever. No, we didn't go on a big fancy vacation. In fact, we didn't go anywhere. Not even to the store. I mean it, we didn't go anywhere. It was wonderful. A full week with nowhere to be but home. Together. It was wonderful.

A Little Miscommunication

Our new bird feeder is squirrel-proof.

Unfortunately, no one told the squirrel.

92 degrees

Was it really just a month ago that we were buried under over two feet of snow?

Why yes, yes it was.