I Am Trying To Find...

The source of that smell in my kitchen. Is it in the fridge? Is it the trash can? I cannot figure it out, but it is nasty. I threw out the melon, I tossed the chicken. The smell is still there.

A school for our first grader. A last minute decision by the administration at his current small school where we love, love the teachers and other families has led us to pulling him out for the fall. School starts (for most places) in less than two weeks! I am trying to breath deep and have faith that it will all work out and that the right solution will reveal itself to us. Going to look at two yet this week (both still have openings).

Cash. It is the darnedest thing. When I send invoices, I sort of expect to get paid. What is with people dragging their feet with payments? Seems like some months, all the money is in by the 5th and other months (like this one), people think paying is optional! I am running a business here, people.

A solution for the yard that doesn't involve toxic chemicals on the grass but also doesn't allow weeds to grow. I am losing the wager on organic lawn care. He is going to make us go back to chemicals next year if the grass doesn't quit growing those weeds.

A evening snack that satisfies my need for chocolate and dairy products but doesn't involve a bowl full of ice cream and like 700 calories. (or we could just make pants with elastic waists cool again).

New Pictures in the Web Album

New pictures in the web album! That is about the only new thing on this site lately. Seriously, I am going to update soon. But, summer has been busy. Work, more work and a few get-a-ways (see our trip to Chicago in the web album), a lot of activities, some camps and a little bit of drama.

Right after we went to Chicago, I went to Atlanta for a conference for four days--it has made keeping up with work a real challenge, but I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel...or is that a train about to run me over?

Tennis league is over. Our team didn't do so hot and I would say that I only had fun about 1/3 of the time. The other 2/3 of the matches, we played total bitches who lacked any sense of sportsmanship. But, did it make me a better player? Yes. Will I do it again? Yes. Will I expect to win more next year? Absolutely.

He Noticed My Breath

I leaned over to talk to Phillip while kissing him goodnight, all snug in his bed and he raised the sheets over his head with an "Ewww, your breath stinks." Why do I love that?

Sure, even when they are toddlers, they sometimes giggle that you have smelly breath and babies? They will let you breathe in their face all day and never even notice (since they cannot really smell). But, tonight, the way he said it...it was just like the way I would say it to Jeff or my mom.

Little boy no more? Am I in a hurry for him to grow up? Not grow up up, but let's just say I am even more amazed at this person he is becoming than I was at the tiny baby he once was. I love him being real and I love it that we can relate to each other. It just feels good to have your bad breath noticed sometimes.

That Twinkle in My Eye

The Scene: Me folding beach towels at the dryer, Samuel standing near by chatting with me.

Me: I hate this towel (referring to this ugly-ass Aztecy towel from like 1989).

Sam: Why?

Me: I don't know, it is just so old it reminds me of like the 1980s.

Sam: When I was in your tummy?

Me: Oh, no...you were just a twinkle in my eye. I didn't even know daddy then.

Sam: And then I was in your tummy?

Me: Yes, much later.

Sam: What will you name another baby?

Me: There are not going to be any more babies, mommy and daddy decided that. But, the next one would probably have been named David, Brett, or if it was a girl, Elizabeth Jean. That was always my girl name...after Grandma Weaver.

Sam: There is going to be another baby.

Me: No, there isn't sweets, mommy and daddy are happy with these kids.

Sam: Yes there is, I can see it.

Me: See what?

Sam: The twinkle in your eye.

....do I really need to say anything here?!?!

Another Milestone...

Our boys have a friend who lives just across the street. M turned six in May and was adopted from China. Her parents tell this heart-wrenching story of her being discovered in a gutter in China, wrapped in a blanket with a bottle, but no birth certificate or clues to who she belonged to or when she was born. They said based on her size, they picked a date and called it her birthday.


I get that, and I think I have written about this before. I understand that whole idea, but the bottom line is they are wrong. This girl is either the biggest Chinese person I have ever seen or she is actually like 8. We first noticed it when she turned "4" and all the sudden became highly verbal and would hold extremely sophisticated conversations with us--leaving our then 4 year old starring at her totally clueless.

She used to be closer with Sam, but in the last year, Sam has become old news for her and she prefers Phillip, for two reasons I think. First, he is closer to her real age (despite her "official" age) and second, he happily accepts bossing from girls.

So, where is this story going? Because she demonstrated some even more "mature" behavior this week. We had a neighborhood meeting with the City one evening on a corner, across the street from our house. Her dad dropped her off so she could play while we were all at the meeting. We could see them from the meeting and they appeared to be rather busy.

She stayed a little longer, they played in the backyard, hidden in the forest. Finally, the sun started to set, I was finished cleaning up dinner and it was time to get ready for bed. Jeff walked her home and the boys piled in the door, sweaty and smiling ear to ear.

"Mom, we played a secret game with M." Oh boy. I was pretty sure I knew where this was going. So much for the secret part of the game. I probed further.

"You did? What was it?" I asked. Sam continued to disclose the secret. "We showed her our butts and penises." Okay, this conversation just went exactly where I wished it wouldn't but thought it would. I asked for more details. Was it her idea or theirs? Did they get naked or just pull their pants down? Did she show them anything?

Mostly I feared they both pulled a "hey, check this out" and exposed themselves. But, the details followed and it seemed to be as to be expected. She told them what to show and they would flash it. I didn't really react and told them that while I know we wonder what other people might look like under their clothes, those are private parts and even if a friend asks to see them, we should tell them it's private.

But, I still wanted more details. Phillip wasn't playing along. He was tight-lipped, but Samuel was spilling. I kept asking how they got to that point; what were they playing the moment before it happened? Sam gave me all the dirt. Totally innocent, totally curious. Sam thought it was so funny what she said. "She said now show me your dee-dee, or what is the other word for it?" I tried a few options, like pee pee, but he kept saying no, that isn't it. I asked Phillip was the word was she used. "Wiener, she said wiener."

I went back to Sam, "Did she call it a wiener?" "Yes! That's it!" and he rolled and rolled of laughter. Oh, and she showed nothing, she was just the director. I asked if they asked to see anything, they were both very, very adamant and embarrassed about even the possibility and said, no, no, no way. But, I know, it is probably only a matter of time before they do ask.

Seems as if no matter how open and honest you (you in the collective sense of us) are about body parts, kids are still curious. It is natural, normal and in its own right, a milestone of development...just much harder to swallow than cutting teeth or learning to crawl.