Yay me because I am kind of sort of caught up with keeping you "updated!" I have at least made it through the summer. Now I just have Fall, field trips, football, our Fall Break trip to the beach with Shannon, the holidays, winter . . .
Both Gabriel and John Mark have summer birthdays. In fact, their birthdays are almost exactly a month apart. Sometimes, we will have a combined birthday party on some weekend that falls between their birth dates. This year we had it at the public pool in Rome. The boys affectionately call it "the pool with the twisty slide." Even I have to admit the slide is awesome.
Because we were having a pool party, we decided to make it a Pirate party! Since Memuph could not join us, she sent the boys a real pirate flag (the Calico Jack - not the Jolly Roger) .
We had a pool, twisty slide, cupcakes, friends, goody bags, and eye-patches; everything but a bright sunny day. In the middle of a huge and lengthy drought, it stormed that day. AAaarrr. But the clouds parted long enough to have the party - even if some of the parents did get slightly rained on.
Despite the overcast and rainy weather, a good time was had by all. Thanks to Amy & Shannon for taking pics and to Jennifer Morgan for all her help in trying to carve order out of chaos.
So we had a visit from our Aunt Memuph (mee-muff), whose birth name is actually Meredith, this summer. Since she has moved to New York, we only "expect" a visit during the holidays; so a middle-of-the-summer visit was a real treat.
One of the great things about Aunt Mempuh is that she will rough-house with the boys
get in the pool fully clothed
and not "bat an eye" when the youngest one comes out in the yard clad only in a pull up and a Superman cape
We had another short, impromptu visit with Memuph this fall. She was able to bring cousin Libby Kate to Gabriel and John Mark's Fun Run at school, where she surprised both boys, neither of whom had the slightest idea that Aunt Memuph was not in New York but in their school yard!
In the spirit of the crazy weather we have been having where one day it is blistering cold and the next day it is breezy and balmy, I thought I would continue to show you pictures from last summer (since I am still half a year behind). So, if you put in a little Jimmy Buffet or Bob Marley, make a little something cold to drink, wear some flip flops and (depending on the day) open your windows, you might actually feel like it is summer outside.
One of our adventures this summer was being able to enjoy a lake house. We had such a restful, peaceful time. It was wonderful to have our days filled with nothing but fishing, swimming, and canoeing or kayaking around the lake.
The boys would get up first thing and want to go out to go fishing. They would fish with daddy for hours. Content to cast and pull up fish. Mitch spent his time untangling fishing line, baiting hooks, and getting lines un-stuck. Mommy spent her time drinking coffee and reading a magazine while ooohing and aaahhing over the spoils.
When they would tire of fishing we would don our life vests and either go swimming or kayak or pile all of us in a canoe and traverse the lake. We discovered nooks and crannies around the cove and would go out into the main channel to a sand bar we discovered. This became our daily ritual; canoe out to the sand bar and spend a couple of hours tromping around in the mud, having mud ball fights and swimming.
Mitch and I still laugh at ourselves, schlepping them around the lake to the chorus of "How much longer til we get there," "I'm hungry," "Sit down Daniel," "I wanna get out," "You can't lean over Daniel you'll dump us all out . . ."
I was very thankful for the opportunity to take them to a lake and thankful for the family bonding time.
And thankful that for the entire week, "doing laundry" consisted of this:
We had another encounter with a bear this summer.
John Mark was what he continually referred to as the "Ring Bear" for our friends Mr. Chris and Miss Brittany's wedding this summer. This was a role that John Mark dreaded for much of the month leading up to it. To be such a little man that delights in being boistrous and loud, he is quite shy at times. He was very afraid of people seeing him and laughing at him.
For weeks I verbally coached him on what his job entailed. We talked of its importance. We talked about how he would be walking with our friend Addie, the flower girl. As he began to explain it, he was "going to walk Miss Brittany's earrings down the aisle."
Around the same time of the year, he had begun to set his sights on a sweet little gunslinger toy set at the store. The set was complete with a belt, two holsters and two shiny silver pistols. He began to want them for his birthday.
So when the groom, Mr. Chris, asked Mitch if there was anything special John Mark would enjoy as his wedding party gift, Mitch did not have to hesitate in his response.
We get fitted for his tux and John Mark delights in seeing himself in a big person suit but still clings to his reluctance to do this thing.
During rehearsal he is reluctant but does it like a champ. It helped that Dad was officiating the ceremony and waswaiting for him at the end of the aisle.
That night, John Mark receives his gift at the rehearsal dinner. He is elated, delighted, overjoyed. He loves his gun set. He sleeps with it that night.
Chris and Brittany, sensing John Mark's reluctance, say that it is perfectly fine if John Mark wears it at the wedding if it helps him. Mom vetos that idea with instant visions of the click/clack of shooting pistols during the ceremony dancing in her head.
The big day arrives and it is time to get dressed. After putting on his whole tux, complete with vest, cumberbund, tie, etc., John Mark wants nothing of it. He is afraid everyone will laugh at him.
He looked precious. I had to convince him that this was his wedding uniform. It helped to see Mitch and the other groomsmen wearing the same "get-up." I still had to do lots of fast talking though. Eventually it came down to explaining that if John Mark refused to do it, he would have to return the guns to Mr. Chris. (hey, what's a mom to do?! :))
After pictures are taken and guests arrive, John Mark is hot (as was everyone else in summer at Frost Chapel - those who know, understand) and not having anymore of it. When it is his time to walk down the aisle with our flower girl friend Addie, he starts crying won't do it.
So Wedding Planner Shannon sends Addie down the aisle by herself. I quickly pull John Mark away from the doorway. I quickly try to encourage and explain that this is his chance to overcome his fear and that he would be upset with himself for not doing it later and that if he doesn't do it he will have to give his guns back. I finally resort to "Do it for the guns John Mark. It's for the guns."
My little man wipes off his tears, composes himself, and Shannon sends him down the aisle. He walked the whole length with his fingers in his mouth and covering his eyes. When he gets near Mitch he makes a "Bee-line" for him and buries his head in Mitch's knees for a hug. 
He then makes his way to Vic the best man (pictured in photo above pic with Addie). Vic holds John Mark's hand throughout the whole ceremony (even having to reach for the ring in his opposite pocket with his other hand!). Thanks be to Vic.
He did great during the ceremony.
So Mommy let him wear his guns and holster with his tux during the entire reception.
Talk about your shot-gun weddings!
We went camping at Fort Mountain state park where on our first night we had some squashed fingers in the bear-proof garbage cans, a trip to the ER in Chatsworth, a mommy thinking she was spending the night in a state park with two of her three children alone without daddy, and a visit from a bear. Which Daddy had to scare off two nights in a row. Foolish, fearless bear.
We ate countless roasted marshmallows and discovered the tastes of each family member: Mom likes hers medium rare, Dad, John Mark and Gabriel like theirs well-done, and Daniel likes his equivalent to a carcinogen on a stick.
We went hiking. The boys adore it. I adore the fact that they love it so much. As you can see from all of the accoutrements attached to their belts, the boys are in weight training to carry packs on the Appalachian Trail. We also weren't without our pistols. Maybe because of the bear we had encountered?
We also man-handled and played with three little salamanders for three hours straight at the lake. We cried when we had to leave them there. Well, two-thirds of us played with them. One third would not touch them. At all. Not for anything in the wide world. So, for the picture he held up his sand. 
We also played with snakes. Real ones. The park ranger brought them to a demonstration. We did this while Daddy packed up camp. According to Dad, he got the better end of the deal. Once again, Daniel would not venture near.
They are already begging to go again; mostly so we can roast marshmallows. Mommy is not much for cold, so we might have to wait until spring or camp in Florida. Maybe I can take some marshmallows and a Zippo lighter to these football games and "kill two birds with one stone." I would be warmer wrapped in a sleeping bag . . .
So, I have a goal in raising these boys. I want to be very purposeful in the life experiences we expose them to. I want them to be boys (and then men) who are perfectly comfortable and sincerely appreciative of various opportunities. I want them to be boys who are into sports, but also like music. I want them to know how to start campfires and pitch tents, but also how to act at a play or at the symphony. Men who are comfortable scarfing down wings at trivia night, but who also know how to mannerly consume their chicken salad sandwiches at a tea room if necessary.
One day this past spring, I got the chance to "Commence Renaissance Man Training." We took the boys to see the musical, The Lion King in Atlanta.
I had long been telling Mitch that I wanted them to see it the next time it came to Atlanta since it doesn't come every year. This year, I jumped at the chance. I justified the expense by saying it was my birthday present.
For months, I talked this up to them. Explaining plays. Watching the movie so they would "get" the story. My good friend John Moore, got wind of this plan and let us have his cd from the play. That was the best thing since they practically memorized every song. This also helped them understand what was going on.
This became quite hysterical as they would often just erupt into song while they played. Often they (particularly John Mark), at the top of their lungs, would shout out the opening line to "Circle of Life." "NANTS IN GON YA MA, BAAAAAAAA GITHI BAAA BA!!"
When the BIG DAY arrived, the ATL was doing their massive re-paving of I75 on the weekends, so we opted to drive to a Marta station and take a train into downtown.
This was a huge thrill since they had never experienced a train ride yet. On the return ride, the ride was made even better because the train was very crowded and we stood next to a REAL LIVE SOLDIER. The boys were in awe. He was nice and talked to them the whole time. Too cool.
The play was of course, amazing. The experience for the boys was everything I hoped it would be. Their delight. Their behavior. Their memories of it. Perfect.
Afterward, we had a gift certificate to one of our favorite ATL restaurants, Houston's. Mitch and I had been thinking it would be fun to use that and go to Houston's after the play. Great idea. So we go. We put our name on the hour long waiting list. After ten minutes we get called in. We are elated (and very thankful) to not have to wait so long. The minute, and I mean the minute, we walk in the door (because we had been waiting outside), I start to freak out a little. As my eyes adjust to the ambiant dimness, and focus on the white linen tablecloths, the candle lit table centerpieces and all the glasses and real porcelain (read "breakable") plates I realize what we have done.
We have brought the boys (one of whom is cell phone torcher Daniel) to a white-linen-wine-list-longer-than-the-menu-whisper-restaurant. There are no styrofoam cups with lids here. No kids menu. No chicken finger baskets. No placemats to color on. No loudly playing music to drown out kid noises.
