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Friday Night Leftovers (the long bullet point post of random)

* We will be on vacation in one week (and counting) barring unforeseen disaster. Please GOD let there be no unforeseen disaster.

* So I know that Paula Deen is a big taboo now because apparently she's a racist mckrasist.  Is it still cool to really love her recipes even if she is one?  :(

* The day after the baseball season ended -- literally the day after the MONTHS long season ended (we started in April)  Samuel found his missing cleat. 

* Charlotte's hair is getting so curly in the summer heat -- super sweet!

* We are two weeks into tennis and so far Samuel has learned that the coach's like him and he likes to hang out with the teenagers instead of learn from them.  I keep wanting to yell over the fence "you know he's EIGHT right?  Tell him to get back in line and pay attention!"

* I thought it woudl never happen, but Luke has a bestie.  It's cute and irritating at the same time.   Both of his besties parents live within bike riding distance.    Luke will yell "going to Max's" and I am left scrambling "Sam is Max at his mom's or his Dad's this week?!  Anyone ?  Anyone know?!"  

* We had a day this week when every single kid in this house was so monstrously behaved we went to bed at 8:45.  That doesn't happen here on school nights. EVER.   I've been making threats about turning around and coming STRAIGHT home during vacation ever since.

* On Monday I took Teague to the park for a playdate with friends.  He came home down two teeth.  

* The laundry in this house is THIS close to being entirely caught up and will be by weekend's end.  Must keep up my tradition of having the laundry caught up over the 4th of July holiday alive.  So what if its' the only weekend of the year this happens.  At least it happens.

* Sam had his first theater rehearsal last night for the show he's doing.  He was so excited!

Wordless Weekend Post (sure, weekend.. that's what we're calling today!)

Party Central

If it seems I missed a few days of blogging this week I probably did.  In fact, I might have missed a few days period.  Two weeks into summer and we are officially at that part where I say "What day is it again?!"  For the summer of "nothing" it's been PARTY CENTRAL around here.  I feel like I live in an overly involved alcohol free frat house.  Since last Friday we have had:

4 baseball games

2 magic shows

15 tennis lessons

1 large group playdate

1 individual playdate

2 sleepovers

1 carnival

5 people to the waterpark

3 pokemon tournaments

1 theater meeting

1 geo-caching expenditure

2 trips for ice cream

1 movie premiere (times seven!)

Been on TV once

and overall stayed up too late, slept in later, and thoroughly soaked in the summer sunshine.

It's busy, and a little bit insane, but we wouldn't have it any other way -- it's summer and we're choosing to live it BIG and out loud!

Wordless Weekend Post (On Tuesday because I'm good like that)

Breaking News!! Stop the Presses!

He walks, he talks.... He rides on TWO wheels!

Congratulations Teague on finally asking Daddy to take your training wheels off -- you waited forever but once you did it you were off - He could ride it on his own from the first attempt.  The best part was how he couldn't WAIT for Luke to come home from his Pokemon tournament to see it!

Friday Night Leftovers (And so it begins edition.)

One week into summer and I told the "crew" to zip it, sit it, and keep it that way today.  We may need to get just a LITTLE teeny tiny bit more organized for next week.  Maybe.    Here's the low down...

* The kids went to Vacation Bible School three days this week -- holy cow they had fun but who's bright idea was it to have this at 9 am the week after school got out?!  I'm TIRED people! LOL.

* Charlotte was so happy to get a pink baseball glove this week.  And Samuel finally found someone to go play catch with him.. .though it probably wasn't the workout he was hoping for.

* It's "race weekend" this weekend here locally. I was SO SO sad my phone died while I was out this afternoon. I saw a lady - a very pregnant lady -- in a tube top, sunbathing in the back

of a pickup truck at Meijer.

WELCOME RACE FANS!

* I've tried to spend some time every day this week looking at the porch.  There is nothing that screams summer relaxation more to me then hours wasted away on the porch with a good book. 

* Some random older lady bought my kids ice cream from the ice cream truck "just trying to do nice things" she said.  We were super grateful, but now I guess the balls in my court... random act of kindness here I come. Gotta pay it forward.

* The best sentence I read all week?  "Minecraft is like crack -- for kids."  Couldn't be more true. I caught Samuel and Teague watching you tube videos about strategy today.

* Charlotte says an evil with put her in this basket lair at the laundry mat this week.  She was REALLY enjoying our visit. Much to the chagrin of the other patrons, whom she ran around with a twig "hexing".  

* I affectionately call Luke and Charlotte the book ends and we took them shopping this week.  Luke bought a mens 10 1/2 shoe.  That's the same size his father wears.  GOD Help me. 

* Molly had her big cecchetti exam for ballet this week and they let parent's watch the "mock" exam the night before.   As of right now if we don't get a phone call in the next 45 minutes... she passed!

* After the exam today Molly said it went really well, and she hasn't been in the LEAST bit worried about the results.  A far cry from this morning when her legs were shaking and she wore the hand me down leo from one of the older dancers because "she already passed this exam and it's good juju".  I didn't know whether to be worried that my kids are superstitious and was actually nervous, or just proud that we use the word "juju" in this house as everyday conversation. 

The Strangest Thing To Happen This Summer (so far.)

This week on a quiet afternoon while the girls were calmly coloring with sidewalk chalk in the front yard, and I was relaxing on the porch with my book the relative solace of our quiet afternoon was interuppted by the screaching of an older van coming to a halt in front of our house.

(picture courtesy of my iphone and I suck with it.  Deal.)

Looking up from my book, I see a kid about Sam's age bounding out of the front seat.  Seeing me he stops and hollers "Is Sam here?" from the curb.

Probably out of confusion more then anything else I replied "I think he's in the back yard."

At which point the kid yells into the offending van "See ya later" and heads to the back.

I'll be honest at this point I was expecting Mom to get out and have a chat, holler something from the open window, waive, something.  But no.  Instead the van pealed off as though it were escaping an armed robbery.

In total honesty it took me a good two to three minutes of bewilderment on the porch to get my head together and form a thought beyond  "WTHeck?  Who the -- what?  How would you -- who would -- but what in the ---- ?" .

Once I got my wits about me and sentences were flowing in at least half formation I realized the kid who had bounded from the van was a kid Samuel went to school with in first grade.  So we haven't even SEEN this kid in over a year.   I only figured this out as Sam came down the driveway looking every bit as confused as I was and saying "Dude you should call.".  Once the child was out of eyesight he also gave me the eyebrow and added "Well this awkward."  Yeah, you hit the nail on the head with that one Samuel.  Awkward just about summed it up.  I mean seriously -- WHO does that?!

In the end the kid was nice enough, well enough behaved and a few hours later his mom screeched into the driveway, he ran for the car and was gone.  Leaving a by that time very bewildered Jason in the front doorway.  But the question begs to be asked "What if we had been leaving?  Couldn't play?  Had the measles?"    I've dubbed the entire incident a "drive by playdate" and we were the victims.  By far the strangest thing to happen around HERE in awhile.

What's Different?

Do you remember that game in the Highlights magazine?  One of these things is not like the other?  Find the difference?  I used to LOVE those games.  Seriously LOVE them.  They came right after the Hidden Picture puzzle, and before I read all the reader submission questions and dreamed of writing something profound enough to get myself published with such literary greats as found in Highlights Magazine. 

So let's play.  What's WRONG with this picture?

OR this picture?

Or even this seemingly innocent shot?  What makes it different then my usual baseball pictures?

You guessed it -- ALL the water.  To say it rained at last night's game is putting it mildly.  It poured.  When it was finished, it poured some more.  Then it dried to a light sprinkle, and then - you guessed  it! - it poured again, before the sun finally peaked it's way out for the last inning. 

Wet is not our strong suit, but we did win 13-0. (or so the boy tells me - I was too busy trying to keep my phone dry to pay attention.)