Reunions

We are just now recovering from our 2-week stay in Idaho, involving 2 family reunions. Tritan got home from scout camp on Saturday (where he had a great time, by the way--he came back talking a million miles an hour--so unlike him--and continued to play practical jokes for the next couple of weeks) and we packed up and left early on Sunday.
The first week was Brian's family reunion in Mountain Home where the kids rode motorbikes, went boating, played games, made crafts, raced pinewood cars.
The second week was my family reunion in McCall where we went hiking, boating, made crafts, had treasure hunts.
Of course, the real fun was in seeing cousins and sisters and brothers and parents.
Two weeks seems like forever, but we still wish we could have spent more time with all of them, and seen some friends, too! But we are glad to be home.

My birthday--this year I get a cake!

We found a hollow tree, still standing that Apollo could stand up in.

There are still more pics on Brian's computer so I'll post those later.

Tritan Comes Home Today!

When Brian travels, I feel like everything is harder--like I've lost an arm, and am still trying to do all the things I normally do, plus what he does--it's manageable but challenging.
This week with Tritan gone to Scout Camp, I feel like I've lost my sense of taste. We had the Fourth of July. We had a great time with a friend and her kids (tried BBQ'ing ribs!) and watched fireworks at the local high school. Did you notice the layer of white fireworks down low, then the red in the middle and blue on top? my husband noted. I hadn't. I felt like it was too hard to concentrate.
Brian's birthday was this week, but it was pathetic. How can we celebrate anything without the whole family?
I put the kabash on everything fun except for shopping at IKEA, some barbeque, and a trip to the ice cream store because how can we go to the amusement park or the zoo without T-man?
We missed him babysitting, and mowing the lawn (Brian had to do it for the first time in years!), and playing with Apollo, and playing Roblox with Paris, and his computer acumen, and his appetite (too many leftovers this week!). Apollo has been counting down the days til he gets back and Paris announced last night that the first thing he was going to do when Tritan got home was give him a big hug.
I'm sure he had a great time. And hopefully next time it'll be easier. But with only hours left til he gets home, I get wait til life is full of Tritan's flavor again!

Summertime

So school's been out for a week. My husband calls and asks "What're you up to today?"

"I don't know," I answer. And isn't that the whole point? Still, planned, unplanned, every day has its own adventure.

Paris had birthday money to spend so he went shopping with me one day. And I mean shopping shopping. We go to Mt. Laurel to go shopping at Wegmens, Target and Costco, and I even brought a cooler. Everything went fine til we went to Costco. I told Paris to grab the milk on the other side of the aisle while I got some stir-fried veggies. I rounded the corner and he was gone. I calmly looked down all the frozen/refrigerated aisles before frantically walking up and down all the aisles, with visions of someone grabbing him and dragging him out the back door. (Was there a back door?) Maybe they used the doors of the between the frozen section, where they keep the catering trays and stock the milk. I could picture them watching me pace the aisles, duct tape over Paris' mouth, as he struggled to be heard, but I pass on oblivious. I couldn't believe I'd gotten him safely to the age of 10, just to lose him now. I was just about to confront a Costco worker and have them shut down the store, when he came flying by me with the cart. "Oh, I thought you meant the other side of the store, not aisle" he said when I demanded in a gruff, yet relieved voice where he'd been.

On another day I took Tritan to the Scout store to buy regulation pants and socks and all that for Scout camp. Then we went to lunch and talked about Scout camp. I am excited for him to go, but he's my first one after all, and I think I am going to be more nervous about him going, sleeping away from home for a WHOLE week, without any communication from him at all. I suppose it's good training for when they go on missions. For me.

Anyway, I peppered him with all sorts of do's and dont's. Like if they initiate you, don't get mad, just say "ha, ha, you got me." But if they try to play more than 3 tricks on you, tell a leader--cause that's just excessive. And be sure and pray every night. Promise me you'll pray. Every night. And try to make new friends. What a great opportunity to make new friends. Like sit down and comment about the weather, or the food, or ask them where they're from. And listen to your leaders. And you'll have so much fun. And what do you think they'll serve in the cafeteria. I'm sure he was trying not to roll his eyes at his Mom. Believe me, if I could wrap him in some sort of bubble wrap, like a hamster ball or something, to let all the good things in and keep all the bad things out, I would. I know it's just a week....oh, I'm going to be a mess when he goes on his mission or away to school.

Another day we went to a park which has a mile running trail that circles it. There is a playground in the middle, so the kids played while I ran. Paris ran one mile with me--he ran the whole way!

We got the kid's hair cut. Tritan stuck to the tried and true. Paris is growing his out, Athena got bangs and layered hers, and Apollo insisted on a mohawk--or faux-hawk like the soccer players wear.

I wonder what we'll do today.