See You Soon, Matthew

Matthew is off and running...well, actually, he is on a plane to Tulsa right now, but tour has started.

He's done this so many times that he has it down and was packed and in bed last night by 9pm...he is still recovering from a horrible case of the flu, but he did manage to sleep for awhile before leaving at 3:00am.

Yawn.

They perform tonight in Dallas and so begins their 10,000 mile journey on a bus...sleeping on gym floors along the way. Oh, to have a body that can handle that kind of schedule.

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I sure am going to miss him. The other night he caused this to happen...and if I hadn't called him out on it, probably would've left it. All night long.

Oh...and here is his duet. He's on the left...

This morning I made blueberry pancakes for that guy that I like so much. It's summer after all and in all honesty, I am bored silly.

So I am cooking a strange bunch of things...like pancakes. And brownie pudding. And zucchini bread.

Someone please come over and eat all of this stuff!

Kenzie played again yesterday morning, hurt finger and all. She is amazing (well, she comes from really great parents) and I have loved being able to spend time with her this weekend.

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My garden overfloweth...so much so that each one of my tomato cages has completely collapsed under the weight of all the fruit that is growing.

And I am NOT complaining one bit...last night I made BLT's, minus the B and the L. For reals. Oh, and I made a roasted tomato marinara and tonight will be a roasted tomato basil soup.

I'm also catching all sorts of people leaning over the sink eating these puppies like apples, with juice dripping down their chins and elbows.

Love that!

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Tired

Yes, I am tired.

It was a FULL weekend between a basketball tournament (they won tonight against one of the big private schools...a really big deal!), a drum corps show last night (Matthew had a solo...woohoo!), and catching as many different parts of MacKenzie's softball tourney ( I think I saw like 45 minutes of most of her games) and having only one car all weekend...well, I am pooped.

Pooped.

That guy that I like so much made a comment last night that our house looked like a locker room.

And sadly, he was right.

Matthew, who is leaving in 2 days for a month (and will have only 1 laundry day), has never really unpacked from last weeks tour...so his stuff is kind of everywhere. On top of that, Alex did his annual room shoveling out and dumped everything he no longer wants in the hallway. And left it.

Ugh.

But his room is spotless.

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We just have not been home long enough to do more than shower and sleep that fall into bed exhausted kind of sleep.

Tomorrow I drive carpool for summer school, watch Alex's 10:00am game, drive the carpool home and then....THEN I have an afternoon/evening off.

I think I can make it. I think I can make it.

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On Friday I did get some new stamps in the mail that I had ordered...and I love, love, love them.

Nothing like a simple, big letter!

I have so many pictures, but this one is to prove to that guy that I like so much that his car will continue to drive even if the thing-a-ma-bob says you should be completely out of gas.

Sorry, honey.

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Oh...and this is our life right now. Fresh from the garden tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and balsamic vinegar...with a little kosher salt, please.

Summer is officially here.

Took a while, but it is here.

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And now...I am going to fill my tub with hot water and soak.

For days.

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My Son

Two boys.

One computer.

One summer with too much time on their hands...in between summer school and basketball, that is.

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My Alex is the one on the right...the kid who at one time had long flowing locks that he swore he would NEVER cut.

At least until he started playing high school basketball. He wanted to completely shave his head, as in BALD, but his mom said NO WAY. This was our compromise...a #1 on the clippers.

Oh...and he told me this took 13 takes to get it just right. The choreography is pretty impressive.

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A Day in the Sun

This morning I watched this super beautiful young lady play in a softball tournament...her team travelled all the way from Colorado to my little town.

MacKenzie is the daughter of Tammy, one of my best friends on the planet, and I've loved this girl since the day she was born.

She comes from a family of three girls...and one of them MUST end up with one of mine.

No pressure.

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My Life

The above photo is how I would describe my life right now.

There is the hole in the wall, by the basket, from the time one of my boys propped a large board on the washing machine and skateboarded down it and into the wall. They have yet to confess or to turn in the guilty party (it happened 2 summers ago) and while it is an annoying hole, I have kept it there...even during the remodel, because: a) while it totally made me mad...it is one of those things that makes me laugh and

b) their solidarity is quite impressive.

There are also the blankets and chairs left over from July 4th fireworks on, ummm, July 4th. Two days ago.

Matthew's duffel AND drum corps hat, still in the same place he dropped them late, late last night. He is already gone for an all day, far away rehearsal with a fever...so just for today (since I am so worried about him...sigh), he is off the hook.

A kitchen chair in the family room. Ask no questions, get no answers.

A football. Since footballs only belong outside, I can't say why it would be in the family room, but once again...ask no questions, blah, blah, blah.

A ginormously large nerf gun...and darts. ALL. OVER. THE. HOUSE. Apparently it was quite the legendary battle. Too bad I missed it.

A sleeping husband.

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Weekend Festivities

My garden is doing really well and the rabbit must be full.

For this week anyway, or else he is tired of zucchini.

I know we kind of are...and the neighbors are mysteriously absent when I come a knockin' on their doors carrying a ginormously large squash in my arms.

But Costco had figs.

Yes. Costco.

And while I dream of picking them fresh off of my own tree, Costco is a close second.

I am pretty sure that there is nothing better than a plate of fresh figs, some goat cheese, a little honey and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

OK, maybe a few things are better...but don't ask me what they are during fig season.

In household news....the horn (this is a mellophone...kind of like a marching french horn, because drum and bugle corps march only drums and, well, bugles) is ready.

And the bags are packed. Oh, and the feet are really, really white.

He's touring pretty locally...and performed at the Rose Bowl on the 4th.

On the homefront, we stayed put for the first time in a few years.

And our 4th of July celebrations rocked.

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This year we hosted a neighborhood pancake breakfast...just to shake things up a bit.

The tables were set the night before.

The coffee bar was set up.

And surprise, surprise...Kathleen and Juli were the 1st to arrive!!! K had sent me an email saying that 9am and their family did NOT go well together...too funny!

Brian and She-She...she's loved him since he was in utero.

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We served plain pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, Elisa's (one of our neighborhood teen chefs!!!) lemon cornmeal waffles with fresh blueberry sauce...which I could not stop eating!!, tons of toppings, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit, juice and lots of coffee.

Outside,

Inside.

Upside down.

Just kidding.

Full of carbs, we all waddled out for the firing off of Adam's cannon. That he built himself. I mean, the child is brilliant.

Check out Brian firing the thing!

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Here are some of the neighborhood kids...all grown up.

(Alex is in the yellow shirt.)

Some of the boys...the middle two are off to college in the fall.

And after the adrenaline wore off (does adrenaline wear off?), my next door neighbor Dan snagged the primo spot for napping.

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Cleaned up, took a little nap myself and got ready for party #2...and this is the only picture I took of it.

Great sangria and fun fireworks...and late night s'mores made over candles in the backyard.

This morning Alex's team played at 10:00 and won...so we are off to play for the tournament championship at 4:15pm.

Then it's off to San Diego (an hour away) to watch Matthew perform...we should make it just. in. time. It'll be close!

Back in the Saddle

This morning was the first game of summer league...and Alex's first time back on the court.

Our team was a little short handed, but ended up with a win...even if they were a little gimpy. Out of the six, one had his appendix removed 2 weeks ago, one (mine) is still healing his MCL, and one got bonked in the eye a few minutes in and had to go get stitched up.

Yowza.

I love this shot...the game was starting and Alex was on the bench. The ref went over to talk to him and his coach and asked Alex why he was sitting out.

And who was he going to call fouls on?

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He ended up playing lots...a little rusty and very tentative, but it was so good to see him laughing and having fun out there.

Lately I have been asking God for quiet and He answered in the most direct way ever...basically, I have been blessed with moments of nothingness over the past few days.

Which I have needed. Badly.

Today was my carpool day for summer school, so after dropping off all the kids, I met that guy that I like so much at Alex's game...and then had an hour before I had to pick the kids up.

I found a Peet's, ordered a rather rare for me coffee and a berry scone...and then sat and read in the courtyard.

Lovely. Just lovely.

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We are up to our ears in zucchini and sadly, it is not very good. In fact, it is rather strange in a pumpkin-y sort of way...and I love pumpkin and squash.

It's just weird tasting.

No worries...I only picked 14 ginormous ones the other day. Pawned off a few and grated (or watched my food processor grate) all the rest.

I ended up with 12 2-cup baggies full, perfect for making bread. And then I quit, because how much zucchini should you really keep on hand anyway?

I've made some really cute new pendants, too...and then RUINED every single one.

Ruined.

Between my solder and my flux...arghhh. And for the record, I had no idea what those two things were until about 6 months ago...but now they are fun when they work and horrible when they don't.

So sad.