Grown Up

It is upon us. The tick, tick, tock, tock is in our ears. Paper cuts, trying to open a zip lock bag at 6:45am, sweeping up eraser bits from under the table, looking for socks in the morning, bookbags on the floor. Oh yes. It is here.

We met Big's 3rd Grade teacher last night. Her name is Mrs. Goldberg. She seems sweet and nice. I think he's going to like her. My 3rd grade teacher was Mrs. Upton. She taught me how to write in cursive.

I heard they don't teach cursive in schools anymore. What's up with that? Now your kid has 0 chance of ever being able to forge an absence note. Poor things.

Big says he needs to get himself together. He thinks he's been out of control. I told him to not be so hard on himself but he's got a whole new set of problems this year and they all revolve around his Aunt Emmie. She's teaching 5th grade at his school now. He says he will have a whole other set of "Eagle Eyes" on him. What's an "Eagle Eye" exactly?

Yikes! Scary. He really is happy she'll be there but now he has extra pressure on him to be good, to do well and for heaven's sake, use his manners.

Yep, things are changing for the ol' Big. He's growing up and gettin' bigger. This summer he's learned to bait his own hook and take a fish off. He's learned how fun the mountains can be in the summer and that if you put your mind to it, you can turn a dock into a boat. He's started eating sushi and he likes to heat up his own sausage biscuit in the morning. He has learned that it's important to visit your great-grandparents because even though they are 81 years older than you, they love you like they've known you THEIR whole life. He's decided he likes his hair short, not long. So he got it cut the other day. He's worried that I don't like it. But I do. It just makes me nervous how grown up he is.

Cooler For A Spell

The Big and Lil' have had an adventurous couple of weeks. The first was spent with Nettie and Papa in Chapin: fishing, cooking, swimming, eating things at 9am that should be eaten at 3 or 4pm, staying up late, getting dirty, burping, pooting, peeing in the yard. An all out free-for-all. While the kids were there, Daddy and I worked but also had fun being married without kids again. We didn't do much but we did have some great peeps come to town for a golf tournament and for some real down home swimming in the pool late at night, laughing your hiney off fun. It was a great break for all of us.

On Sunday, we picked up the little dirt balls and took them to a place with a whole other climate. I love where we live. It's beautiful. There is water at every turn and marsh grass and spanish moss swinging in the breeze. That breeze. That breeze is hot folks. It's swampy. And mosquitoey. A breeze that blows at 98 degrees is really no breeze at all. More like hot hangover breath. So, we got outta town and went cooler for a spell and here's what we learned:
- Big loves a wife beater t-shirt.
- Lil' is a little bit more brave than we've all given her credit for.
- Mama and Daddy can look really rough at times.
Here's what we did:
- Sliding Rock - slid down 60ft of river rock. Yes, even you Lil'.
- Hiked
- Floated the Green River
-Fished and fished and fished.