"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
Jack was in desperate need of some one-on-one daddy time this week, after John worked what felt like a crazy number of shifts this past weekend. He got more than he'd ever hope for on Tuesday morning when John surprised him with a trip to Pickwick Lake. We have friends who spend a lot of time on the lake, so John and Jack joined them for a couple of days to enjoy the sun and water.
Meanwhile, I wrote stories and edited photos at work. Not that I'm jealous or anything. Hopefully, we'll all make it there in the next couple of weeks. John did manage to catch some photos from the trip.
(Disclaimer: The black eye is the result of a run in Jack had with our remote control at home. It's not his first and I'm sure it won't be his last. )
Timid at first, Jack warmed up quickly to the boat and water.
Jack and his buddy Grant get in the water for a swim.
My mom is in town this weekend to help my sister get moved into her new house. We decided to knock one of my summer "Must Do" items off the list and give Ruby some time to unpack boxes (read, no kids at the house, they are all with us.)
So, we packed up the car and headed downtown to the Memphis Farmers Market. It was a great atmosphere, and I'm really glad we all made the trip. I will, however, stick to my five-minute drive to the local farmers market from now on. Anything to avoid that commute one more day a week. My favorite find of the day are these odd-looking peppers. Can't wait to try them with my hummus this week.
These berries are as good as they look. Jack has eaten half of them already. They remind me so much of those that I used to pick as a kid.
Jack and Mary Beth are the older two and do a great job sticking together when we ask.
Classic Jack, he wanted to sit and listen a while, in the middle of hundreds of people. Love that boy.
Ben was in a crabby mood all morning and ran a low-grade fever for much of it. I thought it was just his 2-year molars coming in, but after he refused to walk at the Farmers Market and insisted on riding in the stroller all morning, I called the pediatrician. He's just not himself, I told her. Strep positive. Of course he is. We like to keep it around in our house.
John and Jack went to a friend's birthday party yesterday, and I had to post these pics. The giant slide was a hit -- and it was the first night in a long while that Jack fell asleep when we actually put him to bed.
The boys and I have started going to the local farmer's market on Saturday morning -- not the one on my summer "To Do" list, but a closer version. This past Saturday, those at our peach booth remembered Ben from last week. The boys got free bananas to munch on, and I got some of our favorite goodies.
It finally happened. Mark this day as the beginning of the end. Jack lost half of his constant companion, Bobby, this morning. A handmade blanket Jack has had since he was a baby, Bobby has been unraveling for weeks. Today, it separated into two parts. The blanket was a gift from my high school boyfriend's mother and is Jack's great comforter. Nevertheless, I had hoped he could part with it before middle school.
On the left, the portion that we've saved. On the right, the knotted up mess that I've since hidden. I'll throw it away eventually, maybe I'm emotionally attached to it too. It has, after all, been around as long as Jack. And if Jack had his way, he'd take it with him everywhere but the bathtub. In fact, the last meltdown we had (yesterday) was because I refused to let him take the blanket with us to run errands yesterday. Lots of tears. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised that he was just fine with losing part of Bobby today, as long as he got to keep some part of him.
That's the Bobby part of this post. Onto the birthday part.
The boys and I made John a birthday cake this afternoon -- Jack is still trying to master cracking an egg and Ben is great at dumping cake mix in a bowl. We decided to make the cake early, because I know that I won't be up for cake baking on Tuesday night after work. No one seemed to mind.
My version is above. I worked hard to try to keep the layers straight, forgetting I'm the only one here who notices things like that. Jack's version is below. He insisted on adding a Transformer and Robin (from Batman and Robin). Nothing like living in a house with three boys.
Last night, Jack played his last game of T-ball for the season. We're already talking about fall soccer now -- if only I could work in some swim lessons between the two.
Jack and his end-of-season medal.
John and Jack huddle with the team to talk "strategy."
Jack's biggest cheerleader takes a break to play with toys.
My car's thermostat said Memphis hit 101 degrees today, my morning commute has gotten easier and the boys started their summer school/camps today. So I'm officially calling it summer.
With that, I have developed a summer to-do list, things I'm going to make a point to do before the weather gets cooler. I'm blogging about it to hold myself accountable and will post a picture of each item as I mark it off the list.
1. Make ice cream. The ice cream maker I received for my wedding nearly 10 years ago has never been out of the box. This summer, we're making ice cream. Mom assures me it's not that hard.
2. Campout in the backyard. Jack wanted to add this to the list, and I'll have to borrow a tent to make it happen. Smores are a must.
3. See Cars 2. The rest of the world may not be counting down the days until Cars 2 hits theatres, but we are. It'll be Ben's first trip to the movies.
4. Head East. We're due a trip to Mamaw and Papaw's house and summertime is the best time to go. When it's warm, the boys can stay outside with the cows, donkey and dogs. Can't wait for this trip.
5. Learn to make ribs. I consider myself a decent cook, but I've long been intimidated by ribs. Living in the BBQ Capital of the South, we just order takeout when we get a craving. This summer, I'm going to master it.
6. Head to the lake. This is John's one contribution to the list. Not sure what we're doing when we get there, but apparently, we're going to the lake.
7. Catch fireflies. This reminds me of summer nights growing up on a farm. We'll find a Mason jar and grab fireflies after dark.
8. Hit the Memphis Farmers Market. We live in the burbs and usually stay close for fresh produce. One Saturday morning this summer, we're heading downtown for the mother of all Farmers Markets -- at least in Memphis. Here's one great benefit of having kids who wake up at the break of dawn.
9. Take in a Redbirds Game. Another first for Ben, we've got an appointment with the ballpark and some $5 lawn tickets. Taking the afternoon off work to make it happen will make the day even sweeter.
10. Watch fireworks. Somehow we always miss the big fireworks shows during Fourth of July weekend. We'll find some this summer.
I'd love to add "sell my house" to this list, but I'm not sure how much control I have over that these days. Same thing with "teach Jack to swim." I'm working on both, but for now, we'll stick with this.
All my boys just returned from a short trip out of town. The quiet of the house was nice for a day or so, but was a little overwhelming by Day Three. When I walked into the house Thursday after work, Jack totally ignored me (Monster Jam Wii is cooler than mom, and I'm learning to be OK with that), but Ben came running to find me.
I was a little caught off guard by how big he seemed. I know it's cliche, but it does really surprise me how fast he changes. He moves faster, I'm sure, because he has a big brother helping him along. Nevertheless, I want to make sure I remember this stage, before he runs off to tackle another.
More than anything, I want to remember how forcefully he moves through life. His energy and curiousity are endless, and I'm always thankful when we end a day without any major bruises. He's a climber, a jumper and a runner. The rest of us are just trying to keep up. So few are the times that he is still, that I took this photo the other day just to remember what it's like. He had woken up from a nap but wasn't quite ready to tackle the afternoon. I think he was about 3 months old the last time he sat still and let me hold him for that long.
Oh how I love those long blonde curls. John is dying for me to cut them, but I can't. The curls are perfectly paired with his piercing blue eyes, but few will let me claim his as my own. I still remember the first time I took the boys to Nashville after Ben was born. Pat started crying, overwhelmed by how much Ben looked like John as a baby. A mini-John, my friends call him.
When he's not wooing you with his looks, he's biting me or Jack -- especially when he isn't getting his way. Thankfully, my little selective vampire baby only bites me and his brother. He likes to push too, and I'm always unsure how to coach Jack to handle Ben's constant assaults. Mostly, Jack just looks at him and moves on.
When Jack does move, Ben is right behind him. This little brother is genuinely joyful to see Jack in the morning, and waits patiently for him each morning. "Shh, Jack sleeping," he tells me. When Jack does join us, Ben can't wait to play with every toy Jack picks up. When Jack heads upstairs to play Wii, Ben will follow, pick up a remote and wave it around. Sheer adoration.
His favorite phrases these days are:
"You did it, Mama!"
"I drop it."
"Shh, Daddy sleeping."
"I hold it."
He doesn't have a pacifier or a blanket, but is attached to his nighttime bottle, something I think I was supposed to wean him off of a year ago. He also provides nightly comedy at the dinner table, when he sits down to a hot meal. We've almost trained him to be too cautious. I caught the act on video a few weeks ago.
Some of my other favorites: He'll dance at the drop of a hat, loves to pull his diaper off and pee in the carpet, and hates to wear shoes. When we're out, I'm always looking around for his shoes and at Target, he likes to settle in, pull off his shoes, and then throw them in the back of the cart. He loves to watch Little Einsteins and Cars, and some Wiggles every now and then. Without Little Einsteins, I'm not sure how we'd all have a chance to get ready in the morning.
At school, Ben's teachers call him the Enforcer, because he's constantly reprimanding his classmates if they don't listen. If it's Circle Time, and Ms. Sheena asks you to come sit down, you better move it before Ben comes to find you.
He is a force. And just when you think he's going to slam into you, he'll lean in for a kiss. Just don't let him catch you off guard. He'll smile sweetly and then cut his eyes just enough that you know he's thinking about what's next. I pray he keeps that independent, fiery spirit forever.
