Summer in Review - Part I

We had a great summer. 

It was so great that it's taken me two months to recover from Summer Hangover.

Some families like to stay on school schedule during the summer.  

You know the type.  Anti- sleep late.  Anti- stay up late to watch Wipeout.  Anti- icy pops.

(They're also the families who transition nicely back into school and don't have a two month hangover.)

Not us.

We do Summer.  

We started off with a bang by picking Jack up from his last day of school with the car packed and ready for a surprise weekend trip to the lake with the Rowe's.  

Charlie entertained himself in this box most of the weekend.  

Geez...he's so high maintenance and fussy. 

:)

So maybe we're not as outdoorsy as we thought....

Don't judge.  WiFi is your friend if you're in 800 sq ft. with 9 people, and you need a little down time.

Mattie was the only chick of the kid bunch.  

It didn't slow her down a bit.  

Love these little faces. 

Lifelong buddies.

A little breakfast picnic.  

Probably at 10:00am.

Because that's how we roll.

Here are the men returning from battle. 

What kind of battle?

Man vs. water rat, of course!

We spotted a large water rat across the cove, so we clearly determined that the right thing to do was bomb it with water balloons. 

In addition to doing summer well, it seems that we do redneck equally well.

Thanks, Matt and Dana for making the trek to NC with us and getting the Summer off to the right start!

Peanut and Cracker Jack

Finn was FINALLY old enough to play an organized (term used very loosely) sport this Spring. 

Darn those September birthdays.

Even though he was our unofficial T ball player last year, he knew it wasn't legit. 

This year, however, Finn knew he was on the roster, and that he was included "FOREALS".

He loved the hitting.

He loved the running.

Fielding?  Not his forte.  That's why there isn't a picture.  Slouchy Finn = no fun.

And the snacks?  He loved those, too.  Duh. 

Who wouldn't want some pre dinner Oreos?

The level of cuteness in Finn's team was redonk.  So stinkin' cute.

The only uniform I could imagine being cuter would be a teeny, tiny little hockey uniform.

Which Finn will likely never wear considering he thought carrying his glove to the field was too much work.

First trophy.

:)

On to Cracker Jack...

Second year as a Red Sox player, but his first year of coach pitch.  

And pretty cool that the coaches were his Dad and his Poppy Johnny!  (And Coach Larry and Coach Reese)

I'm melting.

Mostly because of this pic below.

Partly because it's July, and I live in South Carolina.

Jack really did a great job with hitting this year.  

So proud of my boy.

Always a hard worker and focused on the task at hand.

Unless it involves cleaning his room.

Or doing school work during the summer (insert mean mom comments here).

Well, hello there, Lord Helmet...

This baseball season was a great one.  The families were so fun and laid back.

No crazy screamers or dads acting like fools because their son was or wasn't the best. 

I'm happy to say that we survived our first season of two kids in a sport.  There were several schedule overlaps and a handful of times I misplaced a hat or something else, but we did it!

Cubs and Red Sox 4LIFE!  

Well, until next year when their team name changes.

What is it with boys...

and worms,

and holding worms,

and shooting things,

and peeing outside,

and transforming,

and smelling things they know don't smell good (in this case, cat food),

and not being normal,

and making their moms not normal,

and not putting their shoes in the appropriate baskets, but instead putting them in a potted plant in the kitchen, 

and being all about their Moms,

and being stinking adorable,

even when they have underwear on their heads?

Oh boy.

Triple the pleasure. Triple the fun.

So glad all 3 are home with me for the summer.

Finley at 4.5: An Interview

I want to interview you.

OK.

Can you answer some important questions?

Yes.

What is your name?

You know that.  It's Finn.

Finn What?

Finley Matthew Ussery.

How old are you?

4 and a half.

What is your favorite thing to do?

Play outside.

What is the most important thing in life?

Duh...God.

What is your favorite color?

Blue.

.

 What about red?

No.

What about green?

Green? Yes. 

What about Yellow?

No way.

What do you like to eat?

Broccoli.  (what???)

What else?

Candy Eggs.  (now we're talkin'.)

If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?

Player.  

Please explain that.

I play outside a lot.  It's my favorite thing to do.  Remember?

Why do people like you so much?

They think I'm cute.

Do you think you're cute?

Yes.

I do, too, Finn.

I know.

What is your favorite story?

The story of how Jesus died on the Cross.  

What is your 2nd favorite?

The one when Mimi was a little girl and that boy threw rotten tomatoes at her. His name was Jimmy Wall.

Finn, do you care if I put this interview on the internet?

Will a lot of people see it? 

I'm not sure.  Does it matter?

Yes.  

Why?

Because I like it.

You like what?

I like people seeing me.