Specialness

I realize it takes a very special kid with a very special personality to declare... "Mom, I'm the coolest kid out here today, right?  Did you just see that jump?  Video tape me so I can watch."

And to watch him dominating the town skatepark with a hot pink Malibu bike/purple toddler bike,  shirtless, sweat dripping off his chin acting as though he built the place.... 'yeah bud, the coolest... no question about it"

What I'd give for a sliver of this kids confidence.

The Force

So this week the kids attended VBS.  The theme was a play on Star Wars called, Soul Wars.

Mack was a leader (go figure), while the munchins' invited school friends to meet up with.

It was a 3-dayer, and by Thursday morning Maisie was waking me up with the song.. I... I am a C... I am a C H R I S T I A N and I have C H R I S T in my H E A R T and I will L O V E ......

Well if that doesn't make you want to wake up and sing Hosanna in the Highest, I don't know what does.

The pictures were from someones camera- sorry if they make you dizzy.

The boys constructed a new desk for the loft.  Mack is into sanding wood (keep the jokes to yourself) and Ross discovered a new passion for lock-picking.

This is my life.

Next week I'm hosting a Cupcake Wars contest/adoption fundraiser in my classroom. 

Please pray the force will be with me.

No Kids for 4 Days... What???

Mike swooped me off my feet this week for a little Clear Lake Adventure. 

Our first stop: a lakeside establishment with a gorgeous view, naturally.

Until the storm rolled in. 

Mike was elsewhere on his phone when the awning over my seat gave way and a puddle of water dumped directly on my head.

This is the photo Mike snapped of me upon his return.  No worries, the wine was safe and I got a free one because I was soaked.  Yea me!

The aftermath of the storm damage.

And Mike being Mike, just had to be a part of the repair attempt.

Clearly I stood back and took photos.

Just checking for zits and boogers.

Our next stop was a place recommended to us by a local. 

Muskies.  Apparently they have the best fish in all the land.

Upon our arrival, we felt as though we'd arrived at Bonanza.

Everything was fried, came with a baked potato and coleslaw... oh, and roll. 

We're referring to it as our "very white meal".

I snapped this photo of Mike right as he suggested this meal wouldn't be complete without some Folgers coffee and a piece of fruit pie.  

I almost peed my pants.

And this was the cabin we stayed in.  Cute, quaint and clean.  My kind of place.

Breakfast consisted of coffee from a cute little place on the square.  By the end of the week I felt like I was cast in a scene from Groundhog Day.  Same people, same food, same conversations.  It was 'small town'.

We joined a party on a docked boat after completing a 14 mile bike ride around the lake.  When I looked up and saw all the life jackets, I felt a little Titanic-y.  

Mike was quick to make friends and recommend songs for the musician to sing.

The following day we kayaked around the lake until Mikes kayak started to sink and we had to paddle to shore asap.  A little scary, a lot hysterical and a great arm workout.  Turns out the cap wasn't in a hole in the back of his kayak and water had been slowly water-logging him down. 

We both made it out alive.

Afterwards we had to check out what all this Surf Ballroom Fuss was about.

We toured the museum and because I love a good death/ghost story, we ventured out to the plane crash site marked by Buddy Holly's signature glasses.

We waked 1/2 mile down a cornfield to the memorial. 

I've read it may be haunted....

We didn't see any ghosts, just heat waves.

and sunny.

We suck at selfies.

But we did find a little brewery to play games at.  As G'funk would say, 'It was 'anh''

And on the day we left it rained, which always makes leaving a little easier.

A huge shout out to Gma and Papa Boyd for keeping the kids for us and giving us the break we needed to survive the rest of summer.

I 

And just for fun, Molly demolished a pint of strawberries at lunch today.  

The braces don't seem to be slowing her down a bit.

A little of this and that.

The neighbor girl sent me some thank you money for helping get her to school and back this past year and I couldn't think of anything better to do with it than pamper my girls a bit.

 Maisie was ultra-relaxed with the massage chair.

So ticklish!

Maisie's still feeling a little drugged from the massage chair...

And not to leave Ross out of the fashion arena.  Look at that SPIKE!

We invited our good friends over for a playdate.  One of the kids happens to be a little person recently adopted from China.  Lets just say, there's nothing quite like the Mandarin language being spoken throughout the house, the vacuum running, club music blaring through Netflix and the dog barking as he chewed up baby bunnies in the front yard.

This is my life.

And that was BEFORE lunch.

I remember playdate lunches consisting of macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and Capri Suns.

Lunch today consisted of Hoisin Chicken Legs, Sesame Rice Noodles, Mangos, Mandarin Oranges, Grilled Spam, green beans, black cherry Kool-Aid, chips and cookies.

And just as the kitchen got cleaned up, it was time for slime. 

Have you ever tried to make slime without glue? 

DONT!

We tried it, made a mess and threw it out.  

Cannot wait for glue to go on sale for Back to School sales. 

I'm stocking up.

And if your wondering, the shoulder shirts are all the rage in the Boyd household these days....

Mack's Birthday Party

So I officially have a 14 year old in the house!  This kid is growing like a weed and after measuring him this afternoon, he's grew 2 inches since January. wtf??


Yesterday was his big friend party.  He's never invited a friend over to play, ahem.. .hang out, so I was looking forward to the opportunity for him to have HIS friends over for once.  It was a bonfire/ scavenger hunt themed party and naturally it down poured 15 minutes before the party started.  However, having been the 1998 AGD Social Chair at ISU, I was able to roll with it.  With 5 minutes till party time, the down pour was subsiding and I was helping Mack shave his moustache in the bathroom.  There's nothing like pressure.

Unluckily for him, his crush couldn't make it because her brother was coming home from the Army and she had to be in Kentucky with her family... all that shaving cream in the mouth for nothing.
Yet this crew are his buds and I'd claim any of them them... even the guy in Mollys cape and mask...

hmmm... where's Mack?

He's the hostest with the mostest!

So while the kids were eating and I was organizing the upcoming games, where was Mike?

Oh, of course!  

What better time to fry a fish for a snack?!

Some things I will never understand.

And we began with a frozen t-shirt contest. 

NOT what it sounds like. 

Basically you have to defrost your frozen shirt and be the first to put it on.

Ross was the winner.

The donut eating contest speaks for itself.

Yep, we have a 14 year old.  And he's awesome.