Another Tuesday Night

Today was our third official summer weekday.  The boys got up at eight and plunged right into computer games.  At nine we were having breakfast.  The rest of the day was spent playing Monopoly (finishing a game started last Thursday), building towers out of toothpicks and marshmallows, playing with Poe (she loves to chase your hand if you scratch it around under a blanket), playing video games, Nerf Guns, watching ICarly, and snacking and eating. 

Marty came home in time for a 6:30 dinner tonight, which was a rare treat.  Afterwards he went outside and began cutting up the huge fallen tree that came down last month in the tornado.

Benny and I went out to drag the limbs to the brush pile.

Here's the ripped up trunk of the tree....

And there's the fallen remains.

After about ten minutes, Benny and I decided that sweating our heads off in the heat and getting bitten by mosquitos was not something we were in the mood for.  We have agreed to finish the job in the morning when it's a tiny bit (though not much, probably) cooler.

Then it will be showers, lunch, and off to the movies.  A good way to spend a hot afternoon. At least, that's the plan for now.

Excellence

Today I was lucky enough to recieve an invitation to Benny's school for the year-end awards ceremony.  Benny has earned several awards this year!

I have to say, as I said earlier with Sam's post, that fourth grade sure flew by.  This was the year both boys transitioned to new schools:  Sam to middle school, and Benny moved from Primary to the Elementary school next door.  He was nervous, but big brother gave him lots of reassurance.  I remember endless conversations between those two, going over each teacher Benny might get, and whether or not they were nice.  Sam kept telling him, yes, that one is nice.  That one, too. And that one....in fact, Sam could only come up with one teacher was "kind of not nice," and a couple he didn't know well enough to comment on.

The fretting continued but no fears.  Benny's teacher has definitely been nice. Not only that but she has made sure Benny has gotten an excellent fourth grade education and had some fun along the way.  I have not heard one peep from Benny this year about "not liking school."  And I am so grateful!

This year, Benny made honor roll. He also got the following awards:

Excellence in Reading

Excellence in Language Arts

Excellence in Science

I'm very proud of him, for so many reasons.  Here he is getting his award.  That is his prinicple handing it to him, and his teacher at the microphone. 

And now he's checking them out, moments before the audience gave all the winners a huge round of applause.

Great job, Benny!!

I'm going to miss Elementary school!  Much like primary school, this place felt like a big family.  There was a good sense of caring and cohesiveness and calm, happy kids in this school.  I thought both schools were great.

Next year Benny becomes a fifth grader, which hardly seems possible. And once again he'll move.  The county is changing up the grade levels and moving things around, so next year fifth and sixth grade will be held at the county middle school, and Sam's middle school will house seventh and eigth graders.  It's going to be weird seing my ten year-old walking the halls of a middle school, regardless of the fact that all his other little ten year-old friends will be right there with him.

Time is definitely passing by pretty fast.

But for now, it's summer.  And summer never goes by fast.  Summer meanders, wanders, and eventually drags.  So for the next few months, at least, time will slow down.

Happy summer everyone!

Pretty Flowers

 Every year in May, I plant a new batch of flowers in the window boxes Marty built on our front porch.  Today was that day.

I'm not a garden-y sort of person, though I sometimes wish I were.  I have to say, I just don't enjoy it.  I do enjoy the results, though.

Once the window boxes are planted, I feel like we're somewhat ready for summer.

So bring it on!

On a side note, on the other end of our porch hangs this bird house.  The boys bought it for Marty years ago.  It's always hung there as a decoration.

Until this year, when a chickadee decided to actually use it as a house!  We watched her and Mr. C fly back and forth with twigs and grass.  Then we watched Mr. C fly back and forth with bug after bug, feeding Mrs. C while she sat on the eggs.  Then we were treated to the sounds of tiny peeps (frantic peeps, I must say) every time Mom or Dad returned with a bug.   We did not see them fly the nest, but they are all gone now.  We hope they come back next year!

Honor Role

Yesterday was Sam's end-of-the-year awards ceremony. I was lucky enough to get an invitation, because Sam got two awards!

I know it's a trite phrase, but it really does seem like yeseterday that Sam and I went to Clear Creek Middle School Open House last fall, just a week before he was due to begin there.  The incoming sixth graders, milling about the halls with wide eyes, looked so LITTLE. And so YOUNG. Middle school? Surely they were not ready!

But sixth grade had arrived, so there we were, finding his classes and meeting his teachers.  Sam was nervous about becoming a middle school student.  I was nervous too.  Let's face it, things can go wrong for your child at any step along the way, but middle school seems to be the first big opportunity for your child to stumble, start snowballing, or fall into trouble.

I was worried about big things.  Sam was worried about---his locker.  And remembering the combination. Sam lived in fear that he'd forget his combination and have to ask a teacher for help.  Oh, the shame.  But you should have seen the look of relief on his face when he tried out the locker at Open House and discovered it was pretty easy to do.  He got even happier and more relieved when he saw the faces of a few friends (two boys who also looked nervous) and realized they'd have some classes together, and have lockers near each other.  Once he established that, you could see a huge weight roll off his shoulders.

And now he's done with sixth grade.  Just like that, he sailed through.  He was in "challenge" classes all year, too--and did great.

Today's awards included honor role:

As well as an award for reading (a minimum of) 25 books this year. 

I am so proud of him!  Not because of any award, but because.  

But this means that seventh grade is a just around the corner.  Seventh grade??? How is that possible?

Well, let's hope seventh grade is another good year.

Way to go, Sam!

The Blue and The Gray

Yesterday was a first time event.  Sam's team played against Benny's team! 

This year, spring soccer in our county has been a total MESS.  There was a lack of coaches.  Then a lack of funds.  Then we had so much rain we missed a ton of games and practices.  Sam's team in particular has had it hard--they are the new "fourteen and under" league and they had nobody to play!!

So with the season about to wrap up, Sam has played exactly one game. 

Out of a sense of "let's help these kids out," Benny's coach agreed that her team would play Sam's team last night.  Even though there is a two year age difference.  And even though most of the boys on Sam's team are the size of full grown men, and the boys on Benny's team are not. We agreed to play, and off we went.

Sam warms up......

And Benny warms up, too--on the other side of the field.

And of course, adjusts his shoes.  Those shoes.  Enough said.

Then the game began and it was ON.

Lots of jostling, head butts, running, shoving, and falling down.  And yes, several goals were scored by the other team. (Four of them by Sam.)

Both teams played hard and had fun.  Benny's team made me proud:  They approached the whole thing like a really big challenge.  They played their hardest and did not give up.  They even laughed and had fun during the whole thing.  And when it was over, they were more concerned about going for pizza than counting up the exact number of goals.  Which is how it should be.

And we went home in relative peace. Which is always a good thing.

 Here's hoping that fall season is a bit better!



Snow Cones

While shopping at Walmart the other day, I came across bottles of snow cone syrup.  I thought--what a great idea!  Our blender has a "shaved ice" button I've never used.  So I chose three of the four flavors available (leaving out Pina Colada) and brought them home.

Today when the boys came home from school, we made snow cones.

As I figured, both were magnetically drawn to the blue flavor.  I don't know what it is about blue, but if it's blue ice cream, slushies, or snow cones, the kids want it!

They both gave the snow cones two thumbs up!

And Benny and I got a little creative and mixed a little pink (cotton candy) into the blue.

Just in time for summer!

Spring Cookout

Over the weekend, we went down to Mom and Dad's house for a spring cookout/block party, hosted by Dad.  It was a beautiful evening with perfect weather.  As always, Mom and Dad's house looked gorgeous, and flowers were in full bloom everywhere you looked.

                                     

Dad did a great job putting together a wonderful cookout.  He bought balloons to add to the festive feel. He had tables and chairs set up, and of course, tons of food.  Neighbors brought chairs, desserts, barbeque, and in some cases, they brought their dogs to share in the fun.

                                     

Everyone was in good spirits and busy conversing with one another.  Dad loved that part.  He said, "It's so important for everyone to get out and talk to each other once in a while, and get to know each other.  It makes for a neighborhood where people are friendly, they know each other, and they are willing to help each other out."

Lots of people told me, "We are so lucky to have your dad here!" And talked about how amazing he is, how much he is involved with. I heard, "Is there anything he doesn't do?" and "He's getting younger all the time--how does he do it?"

Everyone had beautiful yards there.  This person had a lovely clematis blooming all over their mailbox.

The food was a big hit.  Barbeque ribs and beef, hamburgers and hot dogs, and lots of fun home-made side dishes and desserts.

The host and hostess!

Marty and Benny enjoy some dinner.

The young man "down the street" is in culinary school, studying to be a chef, made these cookies.  Everyone raved about them!

Dad had thoughtfully brought balloons and kites and candy for the kids. The young children had such a blast with those balloons! It was not windy enough for kites, but the kid's got to take them home for another day. He also brought supplies to make s'mores, and THAT was a big hit. Everyone loved the process of toasting the marshmallows and making the smores. (Even if they couldn't quite finish them afterwards. We were all very full!)

Great job, Mom and Dad, and we look forward to it next year!

Happy Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day!  And it was a good one here.  I got to sleep late.  I had lots of quiet leisure time. I had dinner with my Mom last night, talked to her on the phone today and will see her next week.  I went to Wamart for groceries and was given a red rose.

And of course, I had time with Sam and Benny.  The boys helped me fix dinner--Sam chopped and seasoned potatoes and opened a couple of cans, and Benny set the table.  We had a very nice meal and topped it off with a little ice cream cake!  A walk with Sam in the spring air was very, very nice--and of course, as always, we must engage in throwing rocks down the road as hard as we can to see who "wins."

And my boys did not forget me--I was well taken care of.

A fuzzy zebra towel, to match our favorite zebra blanket.

Cards,

Fuzzy, pretty slippers!!

And from Benny, a beautiful soft pillow that we're all going to enjoy a BUNCH.  (the photo came out too blurry to post!)

Cards from the boys:

And Benny's:

The kitties on the card have special meaning.  Benny and I are into kitties lately--what with Poe and Lucy being adopted, and Benny and I are reading "the Warriors" series of books together--about cats living in the wilderness and having big adventures.

Could I ask for better kids?  Nope.  I am so glad and so lucky to have them.   And lucky to have my mom, too---she's so special.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!