I Fell For It

Obviously it is feast or famine on this blog. In May I apparently had lots more free time than any other month this year since I posted as many times in May as the whole rest of this year. Now with summer break in full swing, it is famine. I am presently sitting by the pool listening to pure summmer joy and thinking that my neighbors probably curse the day I got a pool, and I felt the need to share this moment. Allie and her friend Marlee are swimming when suddenly the worse argument occurred. "I'm telling your momma!" "You won't be my friend in first grade!" "Why did I even have to come here today?" "I don't even want a best friend!" It was brutal, I'm telling you. I spent a few minutes debating on whether to intervene or not. I'm pretty much one for letting kids solve their own problems. When it got to the point where I thought feelings were about to get hurt, and I could make it a teaching moment, I called both girls over. I asked them what they were fighting over and Marlee looked at Allie and Allie looked at Marlee and they both said, "You tell her." They started to smile and giggle so I told them they could not laugh 'cause they were mad at each other. Of course, that made them laugh harder. Then they both looked at me and one of them said, "We were pretendin'!" and laughed hysterically. I totally fell for it, and I think tomorrow night when Hannah goes to drama, I'm going to cart them along. I believe they could teach the other kids a thing or two.

Annual Softball Game

Every year the employees of our county play our rescue squad and the winner plays the sherriff's department. Every year they serve barbeque, which is personally one of my favorite reasons for going, aside from watching my hunky hubby play. Every year my husband says he's not playing. He's too old, he'll get hurt, he'll be sore for days...blah, blah, blah. Every year he gets "talked into it". Every year the county employees get beaten. Well almost every year. This year proved different. On Thursday (yes, the day after the storm) they held their annual softball game. Donnie got "talked into it" at the last minute, and I mean really last minute. He called me on his way to tell me he was indeed playing. They county employees won the first game for only the second time ever. My honey played well. They lost the second game but it was still fun to watch.

Donnie behind the plate


and speaking to his biggest fans - Hannah and Corey


There is a huge mound of dirt red clay at the ball field which my children inevitably find. I've actually learned to dress them in the oldest clothes they own and let them go at it. This year was no exception. Jon Tyler and Allie had a ball, as you can see.





Here is further evidence of their fun.

Birthday Girl!!! (pics added)

Allie turned five today!! Hard to believe she has grown so quickly and that she will be in kindergarten come July. It breaks my heart. In our tradition of allowing them to have big birthday parties every other year, this was Allie's year. She had a Minnie Mouse party at Burger King, with LOTS of friends and family. She really had fun being queen (or should I say, mouse) for a day!!

Pics will not load so I will edit later!

I've Waited Years for This

Friday morning at some point before sunrise(ish), I realized Allie was in the bed with us, BETWEEN us. The between us part is not that significant considering anytime anyone has crawled in the bed, it has been between us. What was significant, was that I could remember how she got there. I was only slightly puzzled and certainly not bothered enough to lose my last few minutes of sleep worrying about it. When I woke her to get ready for school, I told her that I didn't remember her coming to our bed. She said, "That's because I went in Daddy's di-wection" (she can't say her r's). I think in ten years of being a mother, no one has ever gone "in Daddy's direction." When we moved 2 1/2 years ago, I threatened to sleep on the opposite side of the bed, just to see if they'd walk all the way around to get me. Then I realized that I knew the answer to that and better not upset the laws of nature by sleeping on the wrong side of the bed when I've slept on the right side for all these years. I know every mom has her stories about kids waking her instead of their dad, so here's some encouragement - once a decade they might go in his direction!