So It Begins

Shane is moving onto middle school next year. He's already got the teenage sassy mouth, eye-rolling down to a fine science. He's really gotten good at it too. Unfortunately.

Additionally, he has started blaming his moodiness on "preteen hormones." LOL. Oh well. I guess if I can blame my b8&chiness on PMS, he can pull the "preteen hormones" card.

Last night the local YMCA had a pool party for the middle schoolers. Shane asked if he could go and when I said yes he started rounding up his friends to go. Instead of driving my cute Beetle, I carted them over there in the mini-van.

If that didn't tag me as old and uncool, standing outside the pool fence with the other uncool parents later that night in the pickup line, waiting for Shane and his friends to acknowledge me and to load into the waiting taxi, completed the tagging process!

As I'm standing there looking in, I realized that this is the beginning of the end. No longer will it be sweet Shane snuggling with me on the sofa. Now I'm just a taxi service, only being allowed to speak when spoken to and even then just to answer the questions asked.

And those questions will probably be "can I have money and or snacks" or "can you take so-and-so home? I told them you could."

And so it begins. Sigh.

Close the Door!

Summer's here.

I'm sure that you heard the collective signs of moms all across the country knowing that they were going to have to keep little Johnny and Susie entertained or, more than likely, apart all summer.

/insert groan.

But there was something else much more sinister fixing to happen all over the country due to the release of these school children. It was something that I hadn't anticipated at all yet once it happened, I chastised myself wondering how I could have forgotten this most lovely part of summer vacation.

Flies.

Yep. Stupid, nasty, pesky flies.

And do you know why I have flies?

Because my awesome children have no idea how to shut a damn door. That's why.

And now we've become a refuge for every homeless fly in Virginia.

My kitchen towel has been getting a workout since June 18th that's for sure.

So now, instead of the groans you heard on the last day of school, you'll hear a chorus of "close the door...we don't live in a barn...stop bouncing the ball in the house...I'm not paying to air condition the outside....with a consistent pop-yaw sound from the snap of the rolled up kitchen towel.

And the only thing that your adorable children will hear is "blah, blah, blah."

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

We are fortunate to live close enough to any major league sport that we want to go see. And the fact that we can now see Major League Baseball in DC and not have to go all the way to Baltimore is a plus. We try and take the boys at least once during the season.

Last week the weather forecast was calling for thunderstorms and rain the day of the game. Of course they were. :/ But Ken insisted that we go ahead and go.

What I didn't realize was that he had gotten club level seats so if it started raining hard we could go inside. As it turns out, our seats were under the cover anyway so we were good to go regardless.

Works for a princess like me!





Cracker Jacks! Get your Cracker Jacks heeeerrrreee! No longer in a box, but the jacks themselves are just as yummy. :up:



The coolest violin evar!



Ken and Shane ham it up for the camera. Okay. They appeased me.



Rally Cap time! Unfortunately it didn't work but Ken did look cute. :)



The Reds...the competition...



Cool fact.

When I was doing some family genealogy, I found out that my great-great grandfather Jacob Henry Boyd pitched for the Washington Senators back in the turn of the century. His debut was 1894. Although he wasn't a great player, it's kind of cool to think about his life and how baseball was played at the time.

I was able to find articles in the Washington Post from his first game. It made him real and it put me into the time period. It was a real slice of Americana.

And even though the Nats lost, it was a great day at the ballpark!

Drum Roll, please!!!

Okay. So I wrote a few days ago that Shane made a dramastic decision in his life. This decision was brought about by 95 degrees outside + a tennis court + running around like crazy = one hot and sweaty kid.

He'd had enough. He said he was carrying an extra ten pounds of heat and sweat producing hair. He was ready to get it cut!

Before:





During:







After:




The best part of this is it was his decision. Secretly, and shush...don't tell him, I liked his hair but it does get hot so I totally understand.

The Dramastic Decision

Shane came to a conclusion about something the other day. He said that he made a dramastic decision and he was going to go through with it next week. Please stand by for further information about his dramastic decision.

And just what is a dramastic decision? It's such a big life changing decision that it's both dramatic and drastic thus requiring the fusion of the two words. You know. Dramastic. :up:

Helpful Hints From Molly Homemaker

I hate it when I go to get a soft cookie and it's hard.

It just ruins my cookie experience.

I also hate it when I go to bake something and the brown sugar is rock hard.

Seriously. What a bummer.

If you don't like that (which I DO NOT!), add a piece of bread to the container. I don't know how it works but it softens up whatever it is that you're trying soften up.

Honest engine. It doesn't have to be an actual piece of bread. It could be a bagel or a hotdog roll. Use whatever bread-type product you have.

Give it a try. It works. :up:

Field Day

Field Day.

You all did it as kids and now is the time of year when it happens again all over the country. We use to do it and compete for ribbons. Now a days, they just do it for fun.

It's Shane's last field day. I don't think that they do it in middle school. So, enjoy the last pictures that you'll see of Shane at Field Day.

Action shot! His tounge sticking out and his hair flying really helped to propel him forward!



Pass the baton.



Leaping into action.





Shane doesn't seem to take it as seriously as the kid in front of him. Shane does, however, take it seriously when a picture is being taken. :/



Future hockey player?



His teacher joined the race. I thought that she let the kid win but after seeing her determination on the picture, I realized that the kid won fair and square. :p



PULL! They beat the girls but only because there were 13 boys and 8 girls. Fair? I say no.



One of the games that Shane could really rock at. Slow and methodical win the egg and spoon race every single time!



Boys vs. Girls.



It's a bird. No it's a plane. No it's super Shane!

Watermelons - To Salt or Not?

To salt your watermelon or not.

That is the question.

I do.

Ken doesn't.

I'm southern.

He is not.

So do you salt your watermelon or not?

Is it a southern thing?

Yeah. That's what's on my mind.

To salt or not?

That is the question!