Confession Time

Let's confess it all:

• I was not surprised.
• I checked out Coast to Coast.
• There is only one oether blogger listed there for Wyoming.  
• Now that I'm there, there are two.  
• Go check it out.
• It's pretty cool.  You add your blog and see who might be blogging near you.
• This week has been hot.
• It's hard to find motivation for anything when it's hot.
• I get snappy when it's hot.
• Small boys and a snappy mom are not a good combination.
• Looking forward to a quiet weekend. Maybe.
• There will be laundry, but I'm trying to ignore it until the last possible minute.
• There might be home improvement done.
• Nothing is better than a long talk with a friend, even if the talk is over Facebook messenger.
• I need a nap.
• Not going to get one though.

So what are you looking forward to this weekend?
Confess away and link up with Mamarazzi!

Spin Cycle--Listen to the Music

So this week the spin cycle is about music.  Any take you want on music. A couple of weeks ago I did a post on how music takes you on a free time travel when you hear certain songs.
Today I thought I'd share a few songs that mean summer to me.  Songs that make me think of summer and the fun that can be had.

This is Kid Rock's All Summer Long.  Totally reminds me of being 18 and hanging out with friends in my home town.

Craig Morgan's Redneck Yacht Club reminds me of going camping with friends--we don't have a lake, but the sentiment is the same.

Brad Paisley's Mud on the Tires is Nick and my anthem for the summer time--any time we can go get mud or just dirt on the tires is a good day.  It means we got out of town.

And for ridiculous fun, Big & Rich's Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.  This song always puts me in a fun happy mood.
Now go see Gretchen for more music spins.

WWTK--Miscellaneous Stuff

Time to play along with Mamarazzi and Crazymama for We Want to Know Wednesday.

{1}Scriptor @ http://allstarme.wordpress.com wants to know:
Hmm, I’d love to know how many tattoos our readers/bloggers have and if they don’t, do they want one and of what?  No tattoos here.  I've thought about getting one, but have yet to find something I like well enough to get it permanently inked on my body.

{2}Jenn @ http://joshandjennhaas.blogspot.com wants to know:
What is the best present you ever received?  I've received so many gifts. There was the year I got cross country skis for Christmas (still have those same skis), the year I got my first CD player (don't have that any more), the year I got the engagement ring from Nick...so many great gifts.  Do I really have to pick one gift as the best?

{3}Chelsea @ http://createinspirejournal.blogspot.com wants to know:
Tall dark and handsome or pretty boys?  I go for rugged, not a huge fan of the pretty boy.  If he looks like he takes more time to look good than I do, I'm not really interested.  Oh, I can appreciate but that's about it.

{4}Jo @ http://willthekidsturnoutok.blogspot.com wants to know:
How did you meet your significant other?  We met in college.  the second semester of my sophomore year I took a German class and in that class was a cute guy.  He looked a bit older than me and was funny and as the class went on, he started to flirt with me.  Finally, after about a month and a half of classes he asked me, jokingly, when I was going to cook him dinner.  I told him that if he wanted microwave mac and cheese he was welcome to join me in my dorm room.  he was a bit surprised that I didn't get mad at him for asking me that and said I should come and see him at Subway where he worked.  He also gave me his number.  I did go see him and got a discounted sub from him.  And when I called him we talked for quite a while.  He ended up asking me to the movies (we saw Groundhog Day) and we've been together ever since.  19 years and counting.

{5} Mamarazzi and Crazymama want to know:
OK..YOUR turn, what question your you like to see featured on a future WWTK?

• What would be on your Summer bucket list, or life long bucket list? 
• Do you garden? Do you enjoy it?
• Do you take road trips?
• Favorite summer drink?

 So there you have it.  My answers this week.  Grab the questions and play along.

Random Randomness

Tuesday.  Somewhat better than Monday, but still too far from the weekend for me to really like Tuesday.  At least this Tuesday is not masquerading as a Monday.  So on with the randoms:

• I have figured out why I don't really miss network TV.  The local commercials that come with it.  They can be hideous.  And they show them over and over.
• I find it hard to believe that the Fourth of July is a week from tomorrow.  
• Turbo started summer school.  We call it summer science camp because they try very hard to make it fun.  He will be studying deer, elk and antelope and going on field trips and doing things like learning on the sneaky side.  But a school bus comes and gets him at our door in the morning, they feed him lunch, then drop him at the door after lunch.  We can't ask for better service than that.
• Those little beyotches are back.  The mosquitoes have arrived.  They look at Turbo and Bruiser as moving buffets.  We are now sporting eu de bug spray.  It's a lovely scent that follows us like a cloud but it blocks the buffet for the blood sucking beyotches.
• Trying to make plans for the epic road trip we are taking this summer.  Two adults, two boys, the car and Destination Michigan.  It should be interesting to say the least.  Any car ride activities for a three year old and a nine year old are much appreciated.
• Mmm, pork shoulder roast in the crock pot--looking for shredded pork sandwiches tonight.  And shredded pork tacos tomorrow and shredded pork something after that.  It's a big roast.  I may be freezing some the the pork for later.
• My mom is nuts.  She can't make a simple phone call to make a request.  I get the whole book, not just a sample chapter.  This morning she was taking her car in for a tune up.  Fine.  I will go pick her up after she has dropped it off.  But could she ask me to do that?  No.  She had to tell me why she was taking the car in, why she had to take it now, and possibly how the mechanic will be feeling when she drops the car off.  I love my mom, but there are no short conversations with her.  The woman has verbal diarrhea, I swear.
• It takes camping to make the bed feel fantastic and oh so comfortable.  It's been hot here so sleeping has been a bit more of a challenge than normal.  And by hot I mean in the upper 80s during the day.  Which is roughly 10+ degrees hotter than normal.  Not as hot as some places get, but way hot for us.

So how is your life going?  Got any random?  write it up, post it and link it up with Stacy.  She's a traveling lady right now, but she's still hosting the random.
 
And link up with Impulsive and Shawn.  Talk To Us Tuesday has no rules.

A Camping We Will Go

For Nick's birthday this year, he wanted to go camping.  He took off Thursday and Friday last week and headed up with the boys on Thursday afternoon.  I got a call Friday after work with a list of necessary items to bring up when I went to join them.
From what Nick told me they all went fishing and ended up catching about 15 crawdads.  Well Turbo caught them.  The kid is really good at catching them.  He likes to eat them too.  I foresee lots more crawdad boils in our future.
Saturday we went to a local state park and spent the day fishing, wading and reading (Nick, the boys and me, respectively).  It was really relaxing.  Then back to camp for one more night.  We lucked out and had decent weather--no 60-70 mile an hour winds this time.  It was breezy--25-30 mph gusts.  And it calmed down at night.
Once we got home we got things unpacked and naps all around--except for Turbo--were the order of the day. Of course, those naps only came after a bath or shower for everyone.  It's amazing how grubby boys can get.
Over all, Nick says he had a great birthday weekend.  Want to see some of the in camp pics?  Here you go:

We had a truly wonderful weekend.  Did you?

Book Swap--They're Here!

So, I participated in Angie and Beth's book swap.  I got a great partner to swap books with--Jessica from My Bag of Sunshine.
She really hooked me up:

Jessica's favorite book.  Looks like fun!

The book she hasn't read but thought looked good.  I'm looking forward to this one--I love reading about comedians.

The book I wanted but didn't have.  This one looks oh so very interesting.

The note she sent me with the books.

So, I have some great summer reading ahead of me.  Go check out the lovely hosts of this here shingdig and see what everyone else got.  Reading rocks!

Friday--Confession!

I confess:

• I got the house to myself last night.  
• It was awesome!
• I did the watering that Nick asked me to.
• Then I dyed my hair again.
• Had a frozen pizza all to myself.
• Watched what I wanted on TV.
• Had ice cream all to myself.
• Missed the guys.
• Once I got over being totally annoyed by the incessant talking before they left.
• I go this afternoon to meet up with them.
• But I really enjoyed being by myself for an evening.
• Oh, oh do you want to see a picture of the new hair color?
• Sure you do.

Not the best picture, but you get the idea.

Better, but still not the best self portrait.

• What do you think?
• I like it better than the red.
• It's dark like it was the first time I colored it.
• The slushie sangria is back at the neighborhood bar.
• I'm way happy.
• They are so good.
• I really can't wait for today to be over--work wise anyway.
• I'm ready for the weekend to start!

 So, do you have anything to confess?  Head on over to Mamarazzi's place and confess away!

 

Spin Cycle--A Picture is Worth...

...A thoushand words.  Well maybe not that many words.  But cool all the same:

A train made out of the words that describe the three most important people in my life.  Thanks to Gretchen for the assignment and thanks to Tagxedo for the tools to make it cool.
Go see Gretchen for more word pictures.

WWTK--Good Ol' Summertime

So Mamarazzi and Crazymama are back!  And summer is on the mind and heating things up.  So questions this week are all summer oriented.  Crazymama want to know:

(1) What is the usual summer high temperature where you live?  We average between 70 and 80.  We might have a week or two where official temps get to 90, but not that many.  We also have low humidity too.

(2) How do you keep cool? Do you have central air?  We open the windows at night.  It cools it off well enough.  We are lucky in that it cools off at night--down to the 50s normally.

(3) Do you swim? If you get in the water do you get your hair and make-up wet?  I swim.  I try not to go underwater because I usually keep my lenses in so I can see.  But I do get wet and play in the water with the boys.  Makeup isn't an issue cause I don't wear it--makes life easy.

(4) What is your favorite summer look? As far as outfit , shoe choice and hairstyle? (Pics are rad or just describe it.) Do you wear less make-up in the summer?  I like flip flops.  I go for capri pants and a nice short sleeve top for work and shorts and tanks at home.  No pics because I can't find any.  As for makeup, I don't wear it so the only thing I do is try to put on daily moisturizer with sunscreen.

(5) What is your favorite summer meal to make or eat, either way? (Score extra cool points for a recipe.)  Anything on the grill is fabulous--it doesn't heat up the kitchen and tastes awesome!  I also like to make sausage and peppers--sauteed sausage, peppers and noodles.  Tasty and easy, two must dos for summer.

OK now go grab the questions form our lovely hosts Mamarazzi and Crazymama.  Then answer and link up!

Random Talking Tuesday

Time to random it up in here.

• This is going to be a strange week.  Nick's Birthday is on Thursday and he is maybe heading up on Thursday to go camping.  I'm going up to join him and the boys on Friday after work.  So shortish week for him and an odd one for me.
• Have to admit, kinda looking forward to being in the house by myself.  Haven't been all alone for a pretty long time.  Being in an empty house (but for me and the cat) is going to be weird.  That is, if Nick decides to head up camping on Thursday. 
• What is it with commercials these days?  There is a whole section of them that make absolutely no sense.  The Volkswagen one where just shutting the car door makes things fall out of a tree?  And the taste test Geiko ones?  What were those ad people thinking?
• I have a question.  What internet browser do you use when you go online?  I use Mozilla Firefox at work and Google Chrome at home. I'm not wildly picky about which I use except I don't like using Internet Explorer because it doesn't have spell check. 
• Is it sad that I have lots and lots of books on my Kindle?  Probably far more than I could read, but I still cruise the free offerings for more?  It's like a compulsion.  I love finding free books that look interesting.
• Potty training has stalled.  We are stepping back right now to diapers.  Truly, Bruiser is just not getting it.  So we are stepping back and going with diapers and after a couple of weeks we will try to start again.
• The above really frustrates me.  This is one hurdle that Bruiser is just not getting over.  In fact he has gone backwards.  It really hit me hard because this is one I can't do for him.  He has to do it himself.  I can only take comfort in the fact that there are few Kindergartners that are not potty trained.
• As I age, Erma Bombeck's humor is hitting home far more than it did when I first started reading it at about age 16.  
• I got attacked by a salesperson at Sam's Club and she painted on nail at the end with white paint.  It looks sort of French.  And amazingly enough it's lasting.  She did pick my left hand and the middle finger, but still, it's hardly chipped and it's been there since Saturday.  See:

• I hate the Cottonwood trees.  Yes, they are the state tree of Wyoming, but they don't agree with my sinuses.  I swear it looks like it's snowing out there on some streets.  The cotton goes every where and will be around until mid-July at least.  It hates me and my sinuses.  Allergies suck!

And on that lovely note, I'll tell you to go see Stacy for more random posts.

Also go visit Shawn and Impulsive for Talk To Us Tuesday--no rules to link up, just fun!

Weekend Verdict: Awesome!

According to Nick this last weekend was a fantastic weekend.  I think it was a pretty good weekend too.  Turbo had a blast with a friend so he thinks it was a good weekend.  Bruiser got to go watch a movie with his Nana so the weekend was great from his point of view.  Consensus:  Awesome weekend!
It started with TUrbo going to Kid's Night out at the rec center and Nick, Bruisr and I going to dinner.  I didn't ahve to cook or clean up after it--score!

I went shopping Saturday with my mom and a friend of ours and we had a wonderful time and found some really good deals.  When I got home, the back of the house (the only part Nick did not paint three years ago when he painted the house) was almost done being painted.
Nick had a friend over and they kinda tied one on.  The whiskey flowed and the hangover was significant.  In the midst of the imbibing, I got pork chops ready to grill, and made sure the fixings for the sandwiches that Nick wanted were ready so they could eat.  Turbo had spent the afternoon over at a friend's house and it turned into a sleep over and then a trip to the pool on Sunday.  The weekend was stellar in Turbo's opinion.
Sunday morning we got up, and as I made breakfast, Nick got things ready for us to finish painting.  Waffles on the deck or al fresco were very tasty.  Nana came and got Bruiser for their movie date and we took swim stuff to Turbo.  Then we finished the painting.  Our house is a masterpiece now.
After the painting was done, Nick got to start his next batch of beer.  It was a whole grain batch and everything went very smoothly.  It's in the basement and the yeast are happy little critters turning sugar into alcohol.
I finished laundry and vacuumed, did dishes, ran several errands, was generally a mom this weekend.  All in an effort to make Father's Day good for Nick.  He says he had a fabulous weekend so I guess we did alright.  He did get fly fishing stuff from the boys and is looking forward to getting to use it all.
Overall the weekend passed in a whirlwind and really, I feel like we had a weekend.  It didn't flash by, but it was busy enough and enough got done to call it a well spent weekend.

Confession For Friday

It's Friday and that means I get to confess.  Here goes:

• Of all the kids shows the boys watch, I like Phineas and Ferb the most.
• I really like Kettle Korn.
• The fresh from the farmer's market kind.
• I need more sleep.
• I'm looking forward to going shopping out of town with my mom.
• The laundry is singing my tune again.  
• I'm not wildly interested in singing along, but the guys demand clean clothes to wear.
• I have to take care of the dust rhinos this weekend too.
• They are charging the dog.
• I have to get them before they get us.
• It's still smoky here.
• It makes my sinuses hate me.
• But makes the sunsets fantastic.
• I am so happy it's Friday.
• This was one fast and long week.
• I hate when the week goes by slowly but when you really look at it it's like you blinked and hey Friday!
• I have no idea what I'm having the kids get Nick for Father's Day or what I'm getting him for his birthday (which is next week).
• I really hope inspiration strikes me soon.

So what do you need to confess this week?
Aubrey from High Heeled Love is subbing in on the party so go link up!

A Dad is...

...fun, kind, patient, loving, there, firm when needed, necessary.   I am so glad I have Nick as the dad to my sons.  He is everything a good dad should be.
I never knew my father.  He was just a picture on the wall.  He committed suicide when I was 3 months old, leaving me with my mom as my constant.  I had "stepfathers", neither of which was a great example of fatherhood.  My mom didn't make the best choices.
I always get a bit sad when Father's Day rolls around.  But then I look at what a great dad Nick is to our two boys and I feel all happy inside again.

Nick truly is a wonderful father.  He is patient, kind, playful, inventive, outdoorsy, and plain love being with his boys.  Now this is not to say that he doesn't have flaws, who doesn't?  But the good so outweighs the bad.  All I have to do is see how the boys love playing, rough housing, and hanging out with him to know that he adores them and the feeling is mutual.
Happy Father's Day to the wonderful man I married!

Tagged again!

I got tagged for this one again--but it's nice because the questions are different this time.
So rules:

1. Answer 11 questions from the person who tagged you.
2. Ask 11 new questions.
3. Tag 11 blog friends--no tag backs.  (Here is where I may break the rules.  I tagged 11 people the first time through, so this time I may just say tag if you wanna be tagged.)

Now for the 11 questions from Nain at View From Down Here:

1. What is one thing that makes you smile no matter what?  Hearing Mommy! as I come in the door.
2. What is the biggest adventure you've ever taken?  Probably the honeymoon Nick and I went on after our wedding.  We went to Florida, the Bahamas, and Disney World.  It was great fun.
3. What is something that was always a fear of yours that you finally conquered?   I've been working on making friends in real life.  It's a work in progress, but things are going well so far.
4. What is the one question you can't stand people asking?  Are you going to have another baby?  Nope.  Two and through.  The shop is closed.  We keep the answers light, but really, it's kinda nosy.
5. What's the biggest social media pet peeve you have?  The inane updates.  The ones that update every stinking thing as if it was the most earth shaking news going.  Oh, and the constant connection that seems necessary any more.
6. Do you think Facebook is a good thing or a bad thing and why?  There are good aspects of it, but there are also bad aspects of it.  I like keeping in touch with friends who are far flung, but there is also over sharing that goes on too.
7. What's the one song you hear on the radio and you can't help but belt it out?  Oh, do I have to narrow it down to one--I sing in the car when ever a song I like (or know) comes on.  I'll belt out with the radio any day.  Eventually it will embarrass Turbo so I'm enjoying it while I can.
8. How would you describe your blogging style?  Mom, friend, outlet blogger.  I talk about my kids, but I also talk about myself and the things my family does.  I really am just a blogger that talks about my life--my life is being a mom, friend, cook, reader, the list goes on and it all comes up in my blog, eventually.
9. What's the best piece of advice you would give those who want to start blogging?  Jump in.  Comment on other blogs you like. Join link parties, follow blogs you like, write.  
10. In Truth or Dare, do you prefer Truth or Dare?  I tend more toward Truth, but then the last time I played Truth or Dare was on a bus in high school.  Speech team was for girls and guys, so Truth or Dare was full of potential.
11. Besides my blog, of course, what's your favorite blog to read?  There are so many: Sprite's Keeper, (one of the first I ever read), Second Blooming, Confessions of an Impulsive Addict, Seriously Shawn, Jill's World, Amalah, Incognitus Scriptor,  the list goes on and on.

And now I get to ask questions:

1. What is your favorite family game, or game to play with friends?
2.  Do you enjoy cooking or find it a colossal chore?
3. What is your preferred weekend activity?
4. What is your bad habit?
5. What is your guilty pleasure?
6. Do you have a must see TV show?
7. Do you have pets?
8. Tea or Coffee?
9. What is your favorite summer evening activity?
10. What is your favorite go to quick dinner that's not take out?
11. What is your favorite animal?

Now as I said above--consider yourself tagged if you wish to be tagged.  Let me know so I can come see your answers.

Random Thoughts

Tuesday, always follows Monday so by default it got a good thing--no one likes Mondays, so Tuesday has to be better by comparison.
Now on to the random thoughts:

• I saw a trailer on TV for the new Channing Tatum movie.  Magic Mike is evidently about male strippers.  I don't think I even really care about the story line--it has lots of very nice eye candy in it.  I talked about Magic Mike on Friday, but something like this just needs another mention.  I'm thinking girl's night out at the movies.
• Bruiser loved this Muppet commercial.  He now asks to watch it when ever I'm on the computer.

• The mosquitoes have arrived.  Both boys look a bit bitten.  They are definitely itchy.  I should buy stock in Gold Bond anti itch cream.  It works a bit better than hydrocortisone cream does for us.
• We have smoke.  There is a forest fire south of us about 50-60 miles away.  The wind is blowing the smoke our way.  Lucky us.  
• Be gone darned migraine.
• I really think my brain has gone on vacation without me.  I really hope it's having fun on the beach it went to, because I'm really not quite here right now.  I bet it will come back with a great tan and good stories.

So, what random do you ahve today?  Go link it up with Stacy at Stacy Uncorked.  She is still leading the random rebellion, even if we aren't all that rebellious.

And go link up what ever you have with Impulsive and Shawn.  The lovely ladies hosting Talk to Us Tuesday--no rules just fun!

Road Trip(ish) Weekend

 The weekend started off with a trip to the Dentist for the boys.  It was Bruiser's first trip, and other than some issues with the chair leaning back, he did great.  Turbo did as well and lost another tooth.  The Tooth Fairy was generous and visited him again. After Bruiser's nap we loaded up and took off to find a road we had not driven down before.  We ended up in Colorado and came home a back road so we could see more interesting country than the highway shows.  Once we got home we settled in the basement and watched Big Bang Theory reruns.  It was a nice way to spend  Friday night.  I may have had a glass of wine (or two or three) so I was quite relaxed.
Saturday we did the normal errands, groceries, and such.  We then hit Ace for garden stuff.  I now have two veggie gardens.  One with three zucchini plants and two cucumber plants.  In the other I have lettuce, dill, lavender, thyme, chives, peas, carrots and mint planted.  I will see what actually comes up.  It's late to be planting seeds, but I might be able to get something, if the season lasts a bit this year.

Zucchinis and cucumbers

Sad little transplanted veggies, but I'm hopeful they will come back and that the seeds will grow.

Strawberries.  Maybe this time they will grow and thrive.

We took the boys to the rec center and went swimming then did McD's for lunch, which we ate on teh back deck.

The rest of Saturday was yard work and hanging out enjoying the nice weather.  WE even busted out the sidewalk chalk:

Sunday we went to the mountains again.  Different direction, but still we got to bumble down a dirt road or two.  We took the stuff with us and had brunch by a mountain lake.  Eggs, Sausage and cheese breakfast burritos.  Nothing like mountain air to make the food taste that much better.  We scouted a camp site or two for the camping trip we are planning on taking in a couple weeks.  As we came back to town, we stopped at a place on the river where the guys plan on crawdad hunting and general river playing later this summer.  Both boys are looking forward to going back.  When we got home we all sort of dropped.  I think the weekend won.

So what did you do?  Do you feel like you got a weekend, or do you need more weekend?  I personally could sleep a whole bunch more.

Confession

So while Mamarazzi is on vacation, Aubrey from High Heeled Love is taking over Friday Confessions.  So I get a place to confess!

• I saw an ad for Magic Mike.
• The eye candy alone makes it a movie worth seeing.
• I'm hating the weather changes we have been having.
• They fire my migraines off.
• I hate potty training.
• I hate that Bruiser is slow at the getting it part of potty training.
• We are going to run away tomorrow.
• After the boys dentist appointments, we are going for a ride.
• Road hunt. 
• To find a place to go camping.
• My face thinks it's 13 again.
• Drives me nuts.
• We need to get brewing supplies.
• There is currently now beer being made in the house.
• Definitely need to remedy that one.
• My motivation has gone on vacation.
• I wish it had taken me with it.

What are you confessing this week?
Go link up with  Aubrey at High Heeled Love and confess away!

Spin Cycle--You Gotta Have Friends

The Spin Cycle topic this week is Friends.  The Ethel to your Lucy, you partner in crime and shopping, the one you turn to when it all comes crashing down, or the person you tell your triumphs too.
This one is tough for me.  I don't make friends easily.  It doesn't help that people turn over here every 4-5 years.  Living in a college town is complicated.  No one stays around here long.
Some of you out there have lots of friends, but I only ever really had one or two at a time.  Right now I don't really have a wildly close friend.  I have friends, but not that one who you can call at any time and know she'll be there.
I have hope that I will find one one of these days.  Meanwhile I have some great friends that I connect to on line.  The best one is an old friend who has moved away.  Stacy is one of those people that things just clicked between us when we first started hanging out.  We now keep in touch by Facebook, email, blog and phone calls.  Since she's in Alaska, getting together is complicated.  But we make the most of the time we get.  Thank goodness for Facebook.
I hate to be cliche, but Nick is someone who I consider my best friend.  I tell him almost anything.  He not so good with the girly stuff, but otherwise he does pretty good..  He listens and sympathizes with me when I get all bothered by the fact that I don't have a lot of girl friends.  I think that is one reason why he thinks my blogging is so cool.  He sees how much connection it gives me.
Blogging was a life saver after I had Bruiser.   It gave me a connection and an outlet and showed me that while distance separates me from a lot of people, there are a lot of people out there who are just like me.  I've made some amazing friends.  It's that alone that keeps me coming back to post all week.  Waiting to see what my friends are talking about and waiting to see what they think of what I have to say.
One of these days I'll get to meet some of the ladies I "know" from blogging: Gretchen, Impulsive Addict, Mimi, Mamarazzi, Shawn, Jen (From Sprite's Keeper),  Jill, Nain, Stacy... oh so many great ladies.
So now go see Gretchen, she of the Spin Cycle directing.  She will have other friends spins.  Go check them out.

Turbo--At Nine

Turbo turned nine on the last day of school here--just as Memorial Day weekend was starting.
Nine.  His last year as a single digit.  After this he's headed inevitably toward being a teenager.  An adolescent.  No longer my little boy.
Right now he's all knees and elbows.  One poor knee seems to have a target on it as that is the one that he is forever scraping and banging.
He swings from being sweet and helpful to moody and distinctly not helpful in the space of minutes.  He finds his little brother a nuisance and fun to be with by turns.
He's baffling to me, this half grown boy.  One second he's ready to be independent and the next he is willing to snuggle up with me.  We keep getting glimpses of the teen to come.  It scares me a bit.  OK, a lot.
He's my oldest, my first, the one I got to make mistakes with first.  He has taught me so much and shown me that there is so much more to learn.

I love you Turbo.  Have a great year and enjoy being a boy for as long as you can.