Off to Kamp They Go!

This week has been highly anticipated.  For WHS, it means time with Grammy and Big Daddy A.L.O.N.E. and he is beyond ecstatic.  When we drove to "The B" he clarified multiple times, "I stay alone?  You leave Mommy?"  If you think it might be because he was going to miss me, you are mistaken.  Each time I said, "Yes."  He responded with a big, "YEAH!!!"  With JBS and JLS leaving for Kanakuk for their first time, WHS gets to be the OLDEST and ONLY grandchild at Grammy and BD's....a rank he has never assumed to date.

JBS and JLS both headed for the beautiful Ozarks yesterday morning.  We drove to Tulsa so they could hop on the bus with their cousins and head to kamp together.  I was SO excited for them.  It's such a special place in my heart, I am elated that they will be sharing a piece of my history with me.

WHS kept giving hugs and kisses to his big brothers.

Initially, JBS didn't want to go. He made a few comments about not wanting to be away.  We waited until this year so JLS could go with him.  JLS, of course, wants to stay for a month.  Then, this darling little girl at school told JBS she was going to Kanakuk, it was cool all of a sudden.  Thank goodness for  sweet Emma.  I know that JBS still had trepidations, but they were not evident in the last couple weeks of preparing for our departure.  They were so excited.

Loving on JLS

So, we left our babies at the bus yesterday morning at 10am and received confirmation that they arrived around 3:30pm.  I miss them, of course.  But I know without a doubt that they are going to have the time of their life.  It's so nice knowing that I know exactly what they are doing.  Babe, on the other hand, is understandably a little anxious.  He knows there is no avoiding it.  The fact that my children would go to Kanakuk was a part of the marriage contract.

The cousins

Almost loaded and ready to go!

And that is the truth.  No matter what, we  would find a way to afford our future children the opportunity to go to Kanakuk.  Year one, accomplished.

Sleeping Beauties

Summertime has not been relaxing yet in our household.  We seem to have plans chronically.  This is the first week that we sort of relaxed.  All this is to say that I don't get much work done during the day. So....Babe and the boys hang out and watch movies until they fall asleep in the evening.  I hate missing out on this time, but somebody's gotta work in this house! :)  This is what I found when I finished up last night... There are four boys in there. 

I CANNOT resist this hiney.

Between my arriving, taking a bath and finishing up the laundry, there was a bit of movement.  I still can't resist this hiney.

Sweet snugglers. Totally sacked out.  Turning on the light didn't even make them budge.

I love boys.

Wittle Angel

This little boy is just purely kind and thoughtful.  His "please" and "thank you's" come at times you don't even expect them.  He will say "Thank you" for the smallest things, "Oh!  Tank you, Mommy." And it makes me smile every time to see him so genuinely grateful.

While my mission is slow, it is still a mission to clean out every closet and cabinet and get rid of what we don't use.  I was working on my workroom when WHS walked into my room with a wallet size picture of me in a little frame.  It was my bridal portrait that (at one time) sat on John's desk at work.  I don't know where WHS found it, but he came to me and showed it to me with a breathy little voice.  "Wook, Mommy!"  I asked him if he knew who it was.  He said, "It's you, Mommy!"  And he walked off to his nap holding the framed picture with extended arms in front of his face with a sweet smile on his face.  Under his breath I heard him say, "I am taking dis wif me so I can wook at it ALL da time."

Does he make a girl feel special or what?

And, yes, the flowers in this picture were for me, too. :)

Buddies

Much to both my friends happiness and my own, our 2 little boys adored each other for an entire baseball season.  WHS and his buddy actually went to the same pre-school this year.  His buddy was actually in two classes above him, but was so sweet to WHS.  Because they both had big brothers playing on the same baseball team, they spent many hours playing together during games.  It was a blessing from above that we were able to watch the game and they would sit contentedly and play together for the entire game.

Even better was that both JLS and the buddy's big brother made the All-Star team.  Here they are playing with each other at one of the tournament games.  When I asked them what they were doing, they said with complete seriousness, "Oh, we are just layin' around." Relaxin' Jackson...

Bumper Crop

I have been on the hunt for a replacement tree since we lost our big tree on Christmas Day.  As the boys and I were walking into Wal-Mart one day, I saw a beautiful tree being wheeled out the door only to find it was a Peach Tree.  I had wanted a lemon or a lime, but why not a peach?  The pink blooms were beautiful! So...we bought it, planted it, and watched it grow. 

I had no idea it would actually bear fruit only a few weeks later!  We were so excited to see the little peach buds on the tree and watch them grow.  Then, one day, we discovered SOMETHING was liking our peaches, too.  We only had a few left after we threw away the ones with all the pecks and pokes.  But we were really excited about the few that we did have!

 Itty Bitty Peaches!  

Yummo!

Stinker-Who?

We have ONE more week of guitar lessons for JBS.  We love where we are taking....School of Rock.  But we have checked out for the summer.  We are on vacation and we are  struggling to make it to our lessons.  I was quite proud to get everyone there today.  The private lessons are only 45 minutes so the little guys can sit in the car with me and watch a movie.  Group lessons on Wednesdays are 1 1/2 hours...a long time, which I usually enjoy alone and on the computer.   Even better that they have free Wifi while we wait :)

So...today it was hot.  The three of us were in the car while JBS played on.  I rolled the windows down in an effort to save on gasoline.  After 10 minutes, I was sweating bullets. Trying to be a good leader in the conservation department, I asked if they were feeling OK.  JLS immediately said to roll 'em up and turn on the A/C.  So I did.  As soon as the cold air came, I heard WHS mutter to himself, "Awww....dis is da wife."  I giggled and asked why he said that.  He said, "Mom.  The air conditioner is "da wife".  It's hot out there!

Where, oh where?  Did he pick that up?

It soon became obvious we NEEDED to roll the window down, as it was STINKY.  I looked at JLS and I looked at WHS and said, "YOU STINK!  Who did it?"  JLS in all seriousness said, "Not me!"  Without missing a beat, WHS said, "Jake did it."  With a big ol' grin on his face.

That little smart aleck placed the blame on JBS twice in 10 minutes and he wasn't even in the car. This little WHS is a force to be reckoned with for sure!

Orioles

JLS is our gamer.  He is as driven at school and home as he is on the ball field.  We were very excited when JLS played "up" to T-ball last spring.  Here, we start with K-Ball for 4-5 year olds.  By the time JLS was 5, he was OVER K-Ball and parents actually "loudly spoke" at him, "Let someone else get the ball!"  I kid you not.  We will overlook the comments, but JLS had baseball figured out well before his time.  He was ready for T-Ball.  At the end of his Spring season, his now buddies, moved up to 7 year-old machine pitch.  He was ready, but the rules in our league are that you have to play in your appropriate age bracket for 2 seasons.  So, one more season of T-Ball is was.

We had a stellar coach, whose son was also a great player.  Babe helped with the team, as well.  It was bit of a shock for JLS and the other coach's son, as they had come off a season on the same team that won the league tournament in the Spring.  And then, the Fall began with kiddos who are coming straight out of K-Ball.  So, it was still teaching a lot of basics...like which way to run :)  It made for a slow season, but what matters most is that JLS had fun.  And that he did. He did his usual thing and did very well.

My favorite story from the season was when we played a particularly ornery team.  The coaches were not nice and not kid appropriate to say the least.  JLS was backing up the infield and the coach told JLS to get the ball and run it to second.  The sweet little boy at 2nd couldn't always catch. However, an outfielder couldn't make an out (the rules) so he instructed JLS to drop the ball in the 2nd baseman's glove.  And that he did over and over again.  He caught the ball and ran to 2nd to drop the ball in 2nd baseman's hand.  We got an out every time and that sweet boy on 2nd got all the credit.  He was BEAMING! It was so worth it!   The other coaches HATED this.  They started making up rules that the ball had to be thrown or tossed or anything so they wouldn't get the out.  Needless to say, they were grasping at straws and JLS repeated that "play" every time he had to rotate to the outfield.

School Pics

I am fairly certain I failed at posting the boys' school pics. I am doing a massive clean out of my work room and ran across this years pictures for school and baseball and everything else that went by the wayside this year.  But it is better LATE than never, right?  Just like those "thank you" notes JLS just wrote last night for his birthday.  At least we are thankful.

For this years pics I will say....Who buttoned JBS's collar to the top?  and Who thought his hair looked good?  It was a rainy day.  I do remember that!    Either way, JBS looks precious as he is, as does JLS. It's amazing to see how much they have grown even since these pics.  My baby boys are getting too big!

Splish Splash Day

At our little pre-school Splish Splash day happens every year and the kids LOVE it.  JBS and JLS still talk about Splish Splash Day and they are "Big Kids" now.  As a whopping 3 year-old, WHS believed that he had arrived this year.  Last year, he was "cool" because JLS was in the oldest class and all his friends gave WHS high fives down the hallway.  This year, he has a buddy that is a little sibling from JLS' baseball team in the oldest class.  They adore each other.  WHS had an air about him this year that HE was the man and school was his thing.  I wasn't allowed to walk in with him.  If I had a need to do so, I had to stay back or hide around the corner to do so.

So, when Splish Splash Day finally arrived, WHS went nuts.  They wash cars, play in bubbles and tables covered with shaving cream.  It is a sensory delight!  When the day arrived, WHS was fully informed and INFORMING me of all the activities that they do "every year"...

Washing the car...{one teacher has a very clean car!}

Playing in the suds!

So grateful that we have 2 more wonderful years with our school!

Mommy-Willie Day

I had to take WHS to get a hair cut on Saturday.  Last week a nosey woman at the grocery store reported to me, "She has--, He has--, Your child has a can."  As she stuttered away.  First and foremost, I am not worried about WHS picking anything off the shelf.  He was just looking.  But second...she thought he was a girl.  SO....it was time for a trim.

While at the front of The Woods, I ran to my favorite mall kiosk for cheap replacement sunglasses.  I only buy them here because they are cheap and I have to have cheap because I lose them, drop them, break them.  There is no way I could be expected to maintain nice sunglasses.  Guess who else wanted new sunglasses?

Wittle Willie.  And he got them.

 Of course, he spotted the germ-infested Merry Go Round that I RARELY let JBS and JLS ride when they were little because....it was germ-infested.  Hey.  WHS is my 3rd child.  We welcome germs. {not really}

He was super excited to don his new sunglasses when we stepped out into the beautiful sun on  a beautiful day with a new haircut :)

Wax Museum

We moved from Arian Foster to Squanto overnight, but my JBS was a proud Native American Indian for the 2nd Grade Wax Museum.  Each child stood behind a "button" of sorts and parents could walk up and push their button.  When their button was pushed, they gave a short speech about their person in history.

I was actually quite proud of JBS choosing Squanto, as I love Indian history.  But I was also surprised to see girls that chose Selena Gomez and Katie Perry.  For that moment, I was so happy to have boys and not have to deal so much with the Pop Culture world.  I love my little Squanto.

A wonderful job by all the class!

Baseball Belts

I know I have mentioned WHS and his baseball belts.  On Friday's, the big boys get to wear their school T-shirts for Spirit Day.  WHS has dubbed Fridays (and many other days) baseball belt day.  It is his "special" thing about Fridays. He has been known to hide them under his shirt and reveal them to his classmates at school without my knowing it.  Now, I just think its funny and just one of WHS' many little quirks.

You can imagine his excitement when we found THIS display of baseball belts on our last trip to Academy.  Every belt, every color of the rainbow.  While I thought we already HAD every color of the rainbow, we don't.  In time, my son, in time.  With all 3 boys playing baseball it won't take long at all.

Cub Scouts

We have had so much with Cub Scouts with JBS.  This spring we had a two night camp out with the entire pack...I think something like 300.  We have a huge pack and an awesome den.  It is through our church, which we love, but most people in The Woodlands belong to our pack.  We are all friends and our kids are friends, as well as the siblings.  It was so nice to sit around the campfire with a bunch of friends and spend the weekend together.  On top of that, it was so fun to walk down the road and know most of the people at the other sites.

Shortly after that trip, our den went to the Wolf Rescue in Montgomery.  It was fascinating.  Unfortunately, the dog dander was too much for JBS and we had to leave, but they were beautiful!

And shortly after that, JBS was promoted from a Wolf to a Bear.

Our sweet friends' son put JBS' new scarf on him.

Den 2!  A great group of boys.  With 3 of our dad's being Eagle Scouts and other really involved families, I hope we stick together for the long haul!