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.