Day 698

We seemed to have forgotten about that cute little puppy!

Wild Horses and Wild Boys

For Memorial Day, we headed over to Shac with the other 30,000 locals and anchored the boat and sat and enjoyed the day in the sun. We were there for probably 15 minutes when we see this.




A beautiful lone wild horse.



He did not seem the least bit bothered by all these humans who had invaded his island.

It was such an awesome sight.

After the hoopla with the wild horse we dealt with the wild boys the rest of the afternoon. They had fun as long as you add water they are happy. They played in the really cold water all day, on the banks digging and again in the water. The adults just people watched all day and boy was that interesting.

And here's the wild boys on their boogie boards

and Evan on his daddy's life vest. Cold Much?!

That Cute little puppy...... AGAIN!!!

So to leave our house and go anywhere in town you have to pass B-E-L-K! And everytime we pass it, what do we hear, "oooh, can we go to Belk? I've gotta have that puppy!"



We've given him chores and opportunities to earn $14, but he says that will take 14 days. What does he expect.



You would think that he would forget about this puppy, this child can't remember to brush his teeth, come in out of the rain, clean his room or anything else or the fact that he has over 1000 other cute soft puppies.

For instance almost every picture of him, he's got a cute little puppy with him.

The Black one, Coal!

The Yellow one, Gunner!

And WHY would you want a cute soft "Stuffed" puppy, when you've got this?

Makes me want another cute soft little boy!

PS. Not really!

Conversation Continued

Evan: "Daddy there's this cute puppy at Belks and I've just got to have it, will you buy it for me?"

Daddy: "I don't know Evan, you have so many puppies already."

Evan: "Please, Please"

Daddy: "We'll see, not right now."

10 minutes later

Evan: (Holding out about 50 cents in his hand) "Daddy, I'll pay you more than the $14 the puppy cost if you go get it for me."

Daddy: "Well, is that all the money you have?"

Evan: "yes, it's more than $14."

Daddy: "I think we need to let you work a few more jobs before you can afford it."

Evan: "Ugggghhhh, You mean I have to work for money."


PS. Still no puppy....

A conversation with Evan

Evan: "Mom, I've got to have this cute little puppy."

Me: "No, Evan you have a thousand at home!"

Evan: rubbing the puppy on my arm "but just feel how soft he is!"

Me: "yes, he's cute and soft, but no!"

Evan: "mom, please I've just got to have this soft cute puppy?!"

Me: "no"

Evan: "I'll pay you 20 dimes for it!"

Me: "ugh!"



PS. He didn't get the puppy.

Belle

From the looks of this picture one would think this is the Most Statuesque dog in the world, just look how well behaved she is. One would never know that this dog just six months ago, loved to jump the fence and run all over Purgatory Bay, no one could catch her, it was her game. People still see her walking on a leash and say, don't let her loose, you'll never catch her.

But she's been "fixed" of jumping the fence and now she stays right in her yard and behaves like a normal dog. So what that she has electrical volts around her neck and if she goes out of the yard she gets shocked.

Inside she's pretty good too. She gets in the trash, eats whats left at the table, on the floor and she always goes to the back door and proclaims she must go now! If you don't get up she will continue talking to you until you get off your butt and let her out.

These next pictures are from the same photo session. They can't all be perfect.

This is Sean and Belle hanging out in my leather recliner. Smart Boy-Smart Dog!


"So if I don't look at her, she will go away with that camera"



Are you going to put that thing away yet?

Why I had my boys so close together.

On Mother's Day I had a great day, very relaxing, I even got to nap! The boys played outside most all day. At one point I was watching them build a fort or hideout. They had drug every spare piece of wood their Daddy had brought home, their soccer goal, their bikes, the fake ficus on the deck, bricks, from somewhere an old sleeping bag and anything else they could possibly dig up. It was quite amusing to watch them work together, help each other.

Later I look out and they are both sitting under the trampoline talking. I wondered what they were talking about, girls, sports, riding their bikes, or just simply the wind blowing.

I love they are so close, best friends, and I love that they will always have someone in their corner. Brothers!

Can't you just feel the love!!

This week has been an easy one, only one practice due to the weather and only one game this weekend. Three nights this week, I've actually cooked dinner, real meals not dollar double cheeseburgers on the way home to do homework. At 6:30 Tuesday night, we had eaten, dishes clean and I was sitting there going what do I do now? I haven't had that in so long that I couldn't decide if I wanted to laze around and watch something stupid on television or actually do something good for myself and go walk. Believe it or not I chose to walk. The boys rode their bikes and of course the walk started out like normal, they have to ride through the driveways if they are circle drives in the front of a house. Everytime, they just can't help it. Living in Purgatory Bay you never know when someone's going to come out and yell at you for being in or near their yard.

I fuss, they say yes mam' and we wait for the next tempting driveway to appear. Never fails they have to do it. Ugh, so much for a nice relaxing brisk walk. I can't wait to get home, I knew I should have taken door number 2 and lazed on the couch.

It's blowing a gale!!

I think we can unlatch the hatches and go back outside. For the past five days we've been having a Noreaster Storm, winds at 50, raining one minute, sun the next and repeat. I sure hope the old fisherman are wrong, they are saying our hurricane season will be bad if the wind is blowing this bad already.

During this time of high winds, the boys have sure been in rare form. Surprising me every minute with the things they can come up with. Leaving me wondering if it's just "boys being boys" or worse will they be serial killers one day? No wonder some animals eat their young. Oh well, I'll stick with Boys will be Boys!

The other night I got out my old scrapbooks and looked back at the boys. It was so much fun to remember those crazy nights up feeding them and those sweet days of seeing them take their first steps or say their first words and I thought about how fast these last 6-8 years have passed. I really wish their was a pause button. I'm not sure how long I could keep it paused, but I'd sure stand on it for awhile.

I just know that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and they are going to be grown and I don't want them to be grown.

Stages

My boys seem to be going through another phase right now. They are being super nice to people I will leave unnamed for fear it will stop as soon as I utter the name. They are listening to this same person. They are also handing out freely hugs, snuggles, and kisses. This person is certainly taking them. They are even at times being nice to one another. At times! Other times they fight like cats and dogs.

I love the different stages they go through, right now I'm loving having an 8 and 6 year old. So far this has been my favorite stage, just on the brink of being too old for their parents and just young enough to still enjoy life. They have been through so many, tantrums, back talk, stubbornness, total dependency, total independency. Each one brings something new to their personalities building that person they will be. But this one, this one is so cool I hope it last for a long while.

I guess like the old adage says, "This too shall pass" I'm looking forward to the next stage with anticipation and hope that it just keeps getting better.

I wasn't being nosy!

"I was just sitting there eating my lunch when I overheard this information, But I wasn't being nosy, I didn't even look in their direction, I just sat and ate and this stuff just came to my ears." Says the big guy.

Out of the mouths of babes.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

Both boys are playing soccer this season and they both love it so much. In the fall little guy will be able to play on the big guys league and team. Which makes Momma happy because that cuts down on the practice time. Cuts out any conflicts of having two soccer teams and most times in the fall they only play soccer anyway. That is until the little guys decides for sure if he wants to play football. I hope he decides he doesn't want to play football.

The big guys team is doing very well. He's all about some soccer now. Very serious when he plays. Reminds me of my big brother when we played.

I love to watch them play not only is it so neat to see them get into something they enjoy other than playing in the back yard, but something that teaches them things. It also brings back memories for me. I loved playing soccer when I was a kid. The exhilaration of it was almost too much and all that comes back when I'm watching them play. I remember never, I mean never wanting any ball to get passed me, because if they passed me, they came upon my big brother and after he would save the goal, because he was a really really good goalie, he'd let me hear about it. So the exhilaration of it wasn't all fun, it was pretty scary too. But he made me tougher because of it. The big guy does this to the little guy making those memories all that much more bittersweet.

The little guys team is doing pretty good too. They have their days, they are younger and less experienced but getting there. I often wonder if he will be ready to play on the older boys team, he'll be the youngest one out there. I know exactly how he'll feel if the big brother jumps his mess. But for some reason there's something about this guy who I think may jump back.


He holds no bars and athlete just describes him. Check out how he just watches and then calculates what to do next. His size at first glance is a hindrance to him, but he'll show you just how big he is.


It's just like it used to be, just like it should be.

Doggy Diazapam

Having a dog is like having another child, having two dogs is like have four extra children. Belle, the shorthair stays inside and really the only problem with her is, she likes to eat things in the middle of the night and she occasionally gets alittle jealous. She will sit between Mr. Big Sean and I and she doesn't like the boys getting too much attention, but I just chalk it up to her being a girl and well girls are like that. But we have a big dog, Bingo, half shorthair half lab who stays outside. He was inherited and never house broken and he's a great wonderful loving beast of a dog. The boys can put their hands right into the bowl while he's eating and he'll back away patiently until they are done. He's super protective and doesn't like the garbage man coming within 100 yards of the fence, especially if we are outside.He's a good hunter and he listens well, but and you knew there had to be a but, he's afraid of thunderstorms. He'd make a great weatherman, because the storm could be in Idaho and he'd warn you about it with this persistent, pesky, bark/howl that doesn't stop. Always happens in the middle of the night too. Keeping us and the whole neighborhood up and the problem with this is, we live in Purgatory Bay and folks in those woods don't take kindly to being awaken by a dog in the middle of the night. Dogs in this neighborhood should be inside cuddled in the bed with their masters. Dogs rule in this neighborhood, except for those that are outside dogs, they should be put to sleep.


Thus we have resorted to doggy diazapam. 5mg and he can deal with the whole sordid affair. We are well stocked with this wonderful drug. A word of caution, it takes one hour for the drug to properly enter his system and quiet down. So be prepared for a few hours of missed sleep at night and there you have it just like having children.

Don't look directly into the light.

Punk #1
Punk #2

I love the way the sunlight hits my punks heads and shows the rugged boyish side of them. But if you look close to the pictures, you'll see it. They have this way about them, this way of getting what they want and it all comes from their eyes. It doesn't matter who you are, sometimes you just can't beat it. Sometimes you just have to give in and say, Uncle. Punk #1 flashes his brownish green eyes at you and grins and the sparkle comes out and grabs you and you have no choice, really, it's happened to me and I've witnessed it happening to others, including the dog. Punk #2 just has this determination about him, he gives up at nothing and when he flashes his green eyes at you and the total determination comes out, it's hopeless. Just throw in the towel you're done.

The secret is, don't make direct eye contact, problem is they know this secret too, so be very careful.

Baseball, First Game

Turns out baseball can be very exciting and our boys can no longer be left to roam freely in stores, as they stole 14 runs. They won 14-1 and it sure wasn't because they got that many hits, in fact I think only one child got a hit, the rest walked to first and then stole the rest.

It was so much fun to see them stealing those bases as we yelled no no stop stop, go go!

Who knew?

Hi Mom!

In T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball it's very hard not to nod off, or read a good book, even if you just look up here and there you still won't miss anything. Boring doesn't even begin to describe it. So when my oldest punk said he wanted to play baseball this year, I immediately yawned, until I realized he was serious. Oh boy not another four months of that.

But I signed him up for Little League, the minors, sent him out to practice and "we" realized that they play real baseball and it's kind of exciting. So we purchase him new sliding shorts, since they have to slide in the minors, new practice pants and new game pants. He's grown so much in the last year his others were up to his knees and no they weren't suppose to be. A new helmet, glove, one for the little punk so he can play catch too, and a new bat. It was so cheap to let him play baseball this year, I think I'll sign him up for hockey and Lacrosse too. I mean what else could we need. Oh yeah, a new bag too. Can't forget we have to carry all that to the field.

Next we set out and practice and practice and finally the first game comes, we can't arrive anymore two minutes before the game starts and run onto the field ready to play, we have to arrive 45 minutes early, warm up, set up on the field, practice some, then come off the field, practice some more, then they start the game. Moms in the stands, Dad's in the dugout, little brother punks running around the playground, playing with all his other little brother punk friends, eating hot dogs, candy, popcorn, it's just like a major league game. The boys go up to bat, serious, this is big business now, a few practice swings, ready, almost, let me just check out where my mom is, he's just needs a little reassurance. Mom says, "Let's go Buddy!"

Others yell out his name, okay, now he's ready, wait for it, wait for it, swing at it, wait for it, swing at it, wait for it, swing at it, darn, I can't have fifty more tries until I hit, you mean I really struck out. He starts to head for the dug out, one more reassuring glance to mom, mom smiles, it's okay baby, clearing throat, I mean you'll get em next time Buddy. All dads in the dugout glare at us as we talk to our babies, "no talking to the kids as they play."

As the sun goes down and the lights come on, each player that comes up, checks for that mom in the stand. Some wave, some just look like the deer in the headlights. But we're all there, cheering for them win or lose. "You can do it, Baby," I mean, "You can do it big boy." Dad says, "we said no talking to the boys when they play." Okay, but when they look at us with those scared excited little looks, we're going to tell them "it's okay Baby, we're here for you."

So Dads, take your butts back to the dugout, they're only eight and they don't pay our mortgage yet.

Just...Need... to... Rest....

Monday: Work, baseball, dinner, showers, read, to bed for all.
Tuesday: Work, Sean's Soccer, Evan's Soccer, dinner, showers, read, to bed for all.
Wednesday: Work, Baseball, Choir, RA's, dinner, showers, read, to bed for all.
Thursday: Work, Homework for the week, read, play Very important, dinner, to bed for all.
Friday: Work, Evan's Soccer, Sean's Soccer, Baseball, dinner, to bed for all.
Saturday: Sean's Soccer game, Evan's Soccer game, Baseball game
Sunday: Church, Evan's Soccer game.

Monday: Get up if possible to do it all over again, except this week add Baseball opening ceremonies to Monday night, and Baseball games on Tuesday nights.

I also have to do laundry sometime, because all their practice clothes have to be washed in between practices, then they also have to have school clothes and Mr. Big Sean has to have work clothes. The bathrooms have to be cleaned, the house has to be picked up, floors vacuumed, dogs need tending too. Etc, Etc, Etc..... And I've only lost 5 pounds. This all ends in June and boy I can't wait til Summer gets here and I can take my Saturdays to the beach or in the boat and relax.

At least next year they will play on the same soccer team and if Evan decides to play baseball they can be on the same baseball team. No more of this separate teams.

We're mommicked, but they are enjoying it and well, yeah, so am I!

The Little Punk

Today, my little blonde punk got List 13 completed and I'm not sure who was more proud, him or me! He's worked really hard to complete this list to help with his reading. He got on a mission about the eighth week of school where he started passing these lists and then it became a game for him in which he played all the others kids in the school to see who could complete all 13 lists first. No one else was playing but him, at least no one else knew they were playing except him. But today March 20th he completed them and he completed them FIRST!!! Whew, what a relief.

Also because he studied all these lists he's jumped two levels in his reading in the last month. But shhh, don't tell him this.

Punkenese

My two punks think that every time Dad and I speak we have to be talking to them. Nosy Punk #1 is especially into every ones business. He even gets in trouble at school for listening to the teacher too much. Nosy Punk #2 has his days, all in your business one day, the next he could care less. Dad and I's response to this nosiness is speaking in Punkenese. Codes they can't understand. The spelling went out the window a long time ago, when the Punks learned to read. Dangit. Anyway, we speak in code sort of half spelling, half sentences, half grunts, half nods, half smiles, and half everything, they just don't get it. Ha! That shows those punks.

Of course they go off and decipher it all day, then come back and say were you talking about such and such and half the time they are right. Geez.