Sad

Packed and on his way.

His drum and bugle corps travels with 4 buses and 2 full semi's...one just for equipment and one is a complete kitchen. In the next month, they'll drive, practice, sleep on gym floors, and perform in 12 different states, traveling roughly 10,000 miles...beginning with a show tomorrow night somewhere in Texas.

This year, we subscribed to watch all his shows live online, so we'll be cheering him on from home.

He was ready to go.

I miss him already.

More Summer Fun

Brian and his friends at the pool this afternoon...boys are so silly.

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Supper tonight, after arriving home at 6:00pm from a basketball game (no pictures...they didn't play so well) was spaghetti carbonara. M and I lived on this when we were 1st married cuz it is quick to throw together and more importantly, cheap to make. And then I got pregnant. And then I had all day sickness. And then I decided to never eat spaghetti carbonara again.


Fast forward almost 19 years and it was fine...my family LOVED it, so I'll make it again. On a day when I've had a big late lunch.

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After, M and I sat outside in the perfect coolness of the night, eating italian biscotti and drinking italian ameretto, talking about running away to the italian countryside.

Tonight.

Matthew just started his laundry and will then need to pack. Pack for almost a month away...and not the kind of trip where you can run to the store if you forget something. BUT, this is his 4th summer doing this and he says he has it handled, so I am trusting...though if the $30.00 marching shoes that we had to pay $50.00 to ship here overnight don't arrive by 10:30 tomorrow morning, he will be slightly stressed.

As of right now, they are still in Phoenix.

Yikes.

Summer Days

Last night, with one at rehearsal and another with a friends family, the remaining three (two M's and a B) drove to The Counter for some sweet potato fries.

And really great burgers.

And then drove off into the sunset.

For reals.

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Today, there is a houseful here.  As I type, nerf darts are whizzing past me down the hallway.  Brian has a friend over for the day and they are playing wii, Alex has Keke over and they are just being trouble and Matthew, who has the day off, just left to go see friends.

For me,  an eggsalad sandwich, a tall ice tea, and a fun book outside in the backyard...with not a boy in sight.

It's making the nerf war seem a little more tolerable.

The jersey has been washed...it's hard to get it off of him lately.  We have yet another game today at 5pm.  Fun stuff!

Matthew has to finish (or start!) packing for his trip and my garden needs a really good watering, but the laundry is actually caught up.  

Shocker.

 Supper will be on the go once again...probably just a quick pasta once we get back home.  We need to finish watching The Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez...another in my long list of 'must see' old movies.

Gotta love summer.

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Turkey

A little taste of our life right now...after next weekend, we get a few weeks off. Alex played 5 games this weekend and is playing really well...it's fun to watch!

In between games yesterday, the basketball boys still had the energy to wrestle.

And have a nerf war. I am still finding 'bullets' all over the house.

Notice Brian in the headlock? Brotherly love.

sigh.

This morning, we had a wonderfully lazy morning at home before heading out to late church, where we endured (I know...not polite, but so true) the longest sermon ever. OK, so maybe not the longest, but close.

Came home, flipped on that fancy schmancy new AC and cooked a turkey.

In July.

Brian was in heaven. I am so looking forward to that real turkey sandwich for lunch tomorrow...mmmm!

Matthew had yet another show...apparently, the super glue did not hold his shoe together the way he had hoped, so tomorrow we'll be scrambling to find a new pair of marching shoes. Right now, he and his dad are sitting on the couch registering him for classes...he leaves on tour on Wednesday and comes home for less than 2 weeks before he moves into his dorm.

So, we're not just packing for tour, but getting college ready, too.

And I'm not liking it.

Not a bit.

But we're not going to think about that just yet.

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Yesterday

Yesterday began with sleepy drum corps people needing food.

Brian is a GREAT toast maker.

We had another houseful for supper...this time I made pasta and lots of meatballs.  Sorry, no pics...I was too busy cooking.

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We then went and watched the last of the practice and met up with our neighbors...it was fun to see them there and chat a bit.

We watched the instructors...

...and Matthew. (who is called 'beans' and has been for the last 4 years.  The funny part was one of the guys seeing his name on a picture in our house and said, ' hey...beans isn't your real name?'  Priceless.)

Warm downs.

M and I then took off to Macaroni Grill to see Natalie and Karen, two of M's students who sing opera on weekends.  They put M in the middle of the restaurant and sang to him...fortunately, I got it on video and it will go on youtube very, very soon.  

The best part was meeting up for a night out with Greg and Joanna, where we toasted their 7th wedding anniversary with these...

...and these.  Much needed.  

Greg almost dropped his cake.

M ate mine AND his.

And Joanna did this.

Gum!

The food was great, the music was great, and the company was great.

Back to basketball for me...so far today they are 1-1.

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Go, Go, Go

What I should be doing today:

But instead:

• an early morning soccer try-out,
• 3 basketball games...all far and away,
• a drum corps show, also somewhat far and away in the complete opposite direction,
• a friend of Brian's, here for the weekend,
• and an eye dr. appt for Alex.

Busy, busy, busy!

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Maggie

Her new favorite spot. Isn't she sweet?

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