Our Brave Boy

Bug is growing up.

We spent last Sunday, not this past Sunday, but the one before, at a wonderful gathering.  The location was a cabin in the woods owned by our friends, Greg and Donna.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

To the left there, you see two sets of sliding doors.  Well, behind those doors lies:

Yup!  An indoor heated pool.

Now, for those of us who love and know Bug, we know that he is not a big water person, especially not in his face.  As the gathering progressed, Greg and the kids moved to the pool area.  The kids, of course, began to swim.  But Bug, in typical Bug fashion, checked out the scene.

Please note the life vest on the fully-dressed child. (Hi, Greg!)
To be fair, the life vest was my idea.  While I know how to swim, if you were to throw me in the water I would sink like the proverbial rock.  So I figured if Bug were to slip or stumble into the pool, no sense in both of us going down.  Save the baby!

But I digress . . .

Bug did man-up, and take off his shorts and . . .

Yes!  That's Bug, getting ready to put his feet into the pool.  I didn't get a picture of the actual submersion because it was humid in the pool room, and the chlorine was getting to me, and I couldn't breathe, and . . .
well, let'sjust say that Bug is a better man than me.  :-)

Go brave boy!

Hugs 'n love

Bridges Pt II

Went to the park with Cousin Kita earlier this week.
Note: Right before this picture was taken, gnats got into my mocha frappe.  Although Kita and Bug are smiling, I am so, so sad. :- (

But I digress . . .

This is the same park that has "the bridge."

This time, Bug was excited to cross.

Isn't it funny how, when we've conquered a fear, the thing that once caused so much anxiety is the very thing that brings us joy?

Hugs 'n love

Bridges

Transitions are a part of life.  No two ways around it.

Some are of our own choosing: buying a car, changing a career, or moving to a new home.

Some are not: buying a car, because the old one broke down; changing a career, because our company decided to downsize, or moving to a new home, because the old one became too difficult to maintain.

The bridge from one stage of life to the next can be awfully scary, especially when what lies on the other side is unknown.  But taking that first step is usually the most difficult.  From there, the steps seem to come more easily, where to place our feet a little more sure.

Even children face seemingly unpassable bridges.

Bug and I like to visit different playgounds around town.  Kind of spice it up a bit.
And, it seems that in just about all of them there's the kid version of the suspension bridge.  You know, the one that dips down and bounces with each step.

For the longest, Bug has been terrified, and I do mean TERRIFIED to cross those bridges.   They proved to be too much for him to handle.

Until Saturday.

Here, you see him sizing it up.

He bounced it up and down for a while, and then watched as more kids, older and younger, tromped across the bridge like it was no big deal.

Still, he waited.  And then he took the first, tentaive steps.

He walked across that bridge like a champ!

Although the bridge was shaky, he conquered his fear.

Although others were doing it around him, he conquered his fear.

Although he wasn't sure he'd make it across without falling, he conquered his fear.

This is him after his first time across.  (Yes, there were many more to follow!)

"See Mommy?  I told you I was brave!"

Yes, you are Bug.

Yes, we all are.

Hugs 'n love

The Prince of Pop

We are music lovers around here.

Die-hard music lovers.

As a matter of fact, H.D. and I met in a record store (something about him being a customer wanting the last copy of Digital Underground's Oregano Flow, and me behind the sales counter saying, "No!").  Our rec room could double as the retail outlet at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  We love different styles, old and new; instrumental, vocal, you name it, we love it.

Our favorite artists range from Prince, Wu-Tang Clan, and Teena Marie to Elton John, Steely Dan, and Sugarland.  Of course, said list would not be complete without the inclusion of the incomparable Michael Jackson, or "Mike" as H.D. affectionately calls him.

And thus begins our tale.

This past Christmas, "The Michael Jackson Experience" for the Wii entered our home.  Technically, both the Wii and the game are mine.  In reality, both the Wii and the game are Bug's.  From the first three notes of "Remember the Time" he was hooked.

Every . . . single . . . day, for months, Bug played that game.  He learned the lyrics and studied the moves of the King of Pop.  He's gotten so good that he has taken his show on the road to entertain one and all.

"Billie Jean" at Curves.

"Billie Jean" again outside our local rec center.

And just this past Wednesday, for one day only, he performed "Beat It" in Kroger . . .

. . . aaand Wal-Mart.

You saw him first, here, folks!

Hugs 'n love :-)

While You Were Out

Okay, technically, you all haven't gone anywhere; it's me who's been a bit quiet these past four or so months, but I assure you, it's not because I've been napping, or reading deliciously delicious (sorry, couldn't think of a pithy-er adjective) novels, or . . . napping.  No, I've been riding the Rainbow, folks.  Riding the Rainbow.

So here, in no real order, is a glimpse of what's been happening in our world.

I

Bug broke his arm.

And got a haircut, might I add, but I digress.

On a semi-sunny Wednesday morning, I gave him a bath, and as I bent down to lotion his feet, my back went into spasms, and I ended up in the fetal position on the bathroom floor for about 1/2 hour.  And this relates to the arm how?  Not directly, but it does add to the overall drama of the story. 

Stay with me.

So Juice helped me to the bed, where I stayed in said fetal position for the rest of the afternoon.  In an effort to keep me company, Bug stayed with me and commenced to playing "Spiderman" behind me, jumping off the bed. 

Jump one - "Mom!  Watch this!"

"Can't Bug, Mommy's back hurts."

Jump two - "Mommy look!"

"Stop before you hurt yourself."

Jump three - Bed springs.  Boy meets floor.  "OOOWWWWWW!"

Now I'm POWERLESS to do anything because, again, I'm embryonic.  Well, long story short, he broke his wrist.  It was a clean break, and healed nicely. 

The above picture was taken in the emergency room.  Most parents would have shown compassion and concern for their Litte One's pain and discomfort.  Not me and H. D. 

We took pictures.


II

Angelgirl attended her senior prom.

Beautiful.  (And that's not just her proud mama talking! :-)


III

Angelgirl also graduated from High School.

We are so good-Godly proud of her we don't know what to do.

Oh, wait!  Yes, we do!  Send her to college!


IV

We moved her into her dorm last week, and I was so busy making marathon runs to Wal-Mart that I forgot to take pictures.  (I know . . .  I suck).

But!  I do have a picture of her with the school mascot (Hank?  Earl?  Rudy?) during our orientation session earlier last month, so it'll have to do.

V

Bug broke his arm.

No, it's the same break, but even now, months later, he still brings it up in conversation with strangers at the park and CVS.  So, I thought he'd want me to mention it again here.
VI

Juice started high school.

If you remember from earlier this year, we were (well, he was) doing the virtual high school, which, I suppose, was a good transition from homeschooling.  But now, he is an official get up at the butt-crack of dawn, catch the bus, go to a building high schooler.

This is a picture I took on his first morning (Note his excitement.  Let's see how long it lasts.)

Do forgive the grainy, shaky quality; it WAS five something in the morning.

As a side note, Juice started high school, and Angelgirl left for college within a week of each other.  I took to my bed for about three days.  Let's just say there were random outbursts of tears and numerous McDonald's Mocha Frappes consumed to get me through the transition.

Mocha - The elixer of life.

We also went to see what Virginia Beach was doin' with Cousin Kita,

visited the art museum with Auntie Yo and Cousin Kevind (His name is Kevin, but if you've seen the play of Madea's Family Reunion, you'll understand the "d." :-),

and overall, have had a busy, change-filled summer.  So now, as we round the corner to Autumn, we're looking forward to a great school year in college, high school, and at home.  Just know that as we continue to ride the rainbow, there will be a lot of laughs, a lot of love, and a lot of mochas.

Oh yes.   There will be mochas!

Hugs 'n love 

Uninvited Guest

We are homebodies, as I've already said.  But recently, Bug and I have been taking frequent trips to Lowe's.  We like Lowe's.  A lot.

So there we were, in the garden section marveling at all of the glorious colors.  Like this:

And this . . .

And even this . . .

Bug even got into the spirit of things, touching blooms and running up and down the aisles.

We were having a glorious time.  That is, until the "Buzzy Bee" showed up.  Now, the bee was completely oblivious to our existence, and I would have taken a picture of said bee.  Promise I would.  But, at that moment, Bug took off down the aisle like his pants were on fire, screaming like a banshee, "Aaaagh!  The buzzy bee!  The buzzy bee!"  So instead, I took this picture:

Needless to say, our stroll through the garden department came to an abrupt end, as Bug demanded that we go inside immediately.  Nothing I did could calm him, but once he saw the porch swing, he climbed up and regrouped, still wary of any other "buzzy bees" that might be lurking nearby.

Finally, we bought a birdseed bell and called it a day.  Ahh, so much for stopping to smell the roses!

Hugs 'n love