Lemons From the Tree

In our backyard we have a lemon tree.

It came with our little house and for the first 7 or 8 years that we lived here it would give us one lemon a season. That guy that I like so much would faithfully water and feed and talk to it and it would reward him with a single lemon at a time.

One morning I was getting out of the shower and I heard him talking to the lemon tree...he came right out and told it that he was going to chop it down on his next vacation.

That was all it took. The lemon tree decided it was going to earn it's keep and produce more fruit.

Now, instead of giving us one lemon a season, we get like five.

But those five lemons are the juiciest, best tasting lemons you could possibly imagine.

Perfect for lemonade.

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It's the last week of summer vacation and we are crazy around here.

I'm ready for the quiet, empty house and yet I'm not.

I've loved not having a schedule or homework, but yet we're all ready for some sort of routine.

But most of all, I miss cooking. Not the hit and miss kind of summer cooking...but real meals with everyone sitting down at the same time.

Yes, I am ready.

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The End of Summer

This weekend we had the fam over for supper and the big brother (my husband) decided his baby brother needed a massive slab o beef for supper.

Everyone should have a big brother.

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And this picture is going to get me in BIG trouble and may actually disappear shortly...maybe.

You have to know, I am blessed with a beautiful, hand picked (by me, thankyouverymuch) sister in law...who ALWAYS looks fabulous.

And I didn't even take this picture...her very own daughter did, which is why I am posting it.

There's just somethin' about really beautiful people looking real. Makes me smile.

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We sat outside and ate supper and drank wine and laughed and tried really, really hard not to talk about the fact that school is starting back up.

But it kept creeping in.

Bummer.

So the weekend was lovely but then I became a crazy woman trying to do it all this week.

School registration. Physical therapy. Orthodontist appointment for the boy whose father had 11 wisdom teeth. Start up meeting for work. Laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Bill paying.

And yet another trip to Ruby's for the boy who does not want to have a bionic mouth, but doesn't have a choice.

And then tonight....happy hour with some of my very favorite people.

Sigh.

It's always nice to hang with friends who have your back...the ones you can pour your heart out to about life and love and rock n roll.

And the crazy neighbors who are making me miserable, but that's a whole 'nuther story.

But then again, everyone should have a crazy set of neighbors...right?

So Long Camp

Brian has been going to skateboarding camp all week...which basically means I pay money to drop him off at the free skateboard park so he can skateboard with a bunch of guys who are old enough to be his brothers for 5 hours every day.

Rock on.

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The coolest thing about Brian is that he is 11 turning 12 and he still likes me.

I mean, really likes me.

He made sure this morning that I was going to come an hour early to watch him show off all the new tricks he's learned.

Let's rephrase that.

He. Asked. Me. To. Show. Up. And. Watch.

And while watching, I noticed that he's getting bigger.

Sigh.

He's also pretty smart. After camp he offered to take me to lunch to celebrate the end of summer...and who am I to turn down a free lunch?

We made our way back towards home and found ourselves at Ruby's on our lake.

I love Ruby's and I love our lake.

We splurged...a cherry (REAL) coke for me and a triple chocolate malt for the cute kid.

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So cute, in fact, that I picked up the bill at the end.

Perk of wanting to hang with your mama.

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(disclaimer....if you are one of my older children, you could learn a little somethin' somethin' from the 11 yr old. Just sayin'.)

Still Summering

For my brother-in-law...the millenium falcon cloud.

Just for you.

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Skateboard camp until 1:00pm...hanging at the beach by 1:30pm.

Can't get much better for the youngest boy in our family.

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I set up my chair and umbrella and spend most of time reading (currently...the 4th Harry Potter. So fun to re-read those books!) and dolling out snacks.

Being a mom is rough.

I thought today was payday (but it's not) so I payed all the bills yesterday.

Gotta love that.

So until payday (which is tomorrow) we are poor.

And thankful for overdraft.

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Busy as a Bee

Last week I hosted nine Bella Michele Jewelry E-Parties in 1 week.

NINE.

I am truly insane.

Add on two displays for private parties, which makes me doubly insane.

(and thankful, too!)

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In between, we've been escaping to the beach as much as possible because child #3 starts to hyperventilate if his feet go more than 3 days without touching the ocean.

He's funny like that.

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This week while I hammer away at jewelry and skip cleaning my house, Brian is not at the ocean but at skateboard camp with his friend.

It's not the ocean, but it's fun...though I did promise a quick trip tomorrow after camp.

School starts two weeks from Thursday for the younger boys...the college boy is moving back on campus this week. I can honestly say I am sad to see summer come and go but I am thrilled that Fall is right around the corner!

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Proper Parenting

All last week our friends (who are more like family than friends) were visiting from Colorado.

And now they are gone and I am in a funk.

I miss them. Lots.

Tammy and I learned to parent at the same time and I was sharing my new technique of public humiliation (in the form of public singing using my thumb as a microphone) that I threaten my boys with and she pulled the 'I can one up you' card.

River dancing.

In public.

As in...Michael Flattley.

Oh. My. Word.

So all day today I kept cracking up, which helped me forget how blue I was feeling.

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All Home Safe and Sound

My oldest son returned home after a summer away (marching with a drum and bugle corps, in case you were wondering) and was, quite literally, tackled by his younger brothers in the airport.

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He is tan and happy and TIRED and thrilled with his mama for always looking out for him.... I even tried to fix him up with the girl at the drive-thru.

And seriously, I had no idea she actually went to your school.

Welcome home, Matteo.

(and sorry both your laptop and your car don't work. ouch. we'll get those taken care of pronto.)

Stay home forever (or at least for a few days), ok?

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