Brandon

Last week, Daniel attended Safety Town, a camp for rising kindergartners to learn about all things safe. As I walked him in, he told me all about safety.

"Look, Mom, I'm practicing being safe by not running into the street and getting hit by a car."

"Look, Mom, I'm practicing being safe by not falling down the stairs."

"Look, Mom, I'm practicing being safe by not walking with my eyes shut so I won't get hit by a car or fall down the stairs."

To be honest, I'm not even sure why I paid for the camp. Sounds like he knew everything about being safe already.

Accountability

What I'm about to say, I cannot unsay, so here goes:

I'm going to train for a hike.

I've never hiked before. The closest I've come is peeing in the woods when the port-a-johns were extra-questionable.

A moment to think about thinking.

I do a lot of thinking in the van, mostly because that's where I spend the majority of my day. I think lots about how clean my house will be once all my children are in elementary school and I have 6.5 uninterrupted hours to myself.

I will also eat a lot of ramen without having to share it with anyone. Yes, I'm looking at you, Eve. Noodle-thievin' punk. (It's a well-known fact that ramen keeps you young.)

Party Time! Excellent!

Last week, Daniel and Eve had preschool camp. They got to go in their swimsuits and play in the water, make crafts, and eat lunch. It was enough to wear them out all kinds of good. I bought a kiddie pool to put in the backyard for the afternoon hours between camp and carpool and sent them right back outside in the 100-degree heat to nurse some popsicles and soak up some ultraviolet radiation.

Skeeters

It's a wonder Nat hasn't contracted West Nile virus by now; the child must secrete some sort of mosquito-pheromone that drives the suckers crazy. How many bites on her legs? At last count, it was 38, but then again, I ran out of fingers and toes so that's just an estimate. It may be 39.

Mountain Phishing

So on Sunday, it was kind of a big deal because I woke up feeling much more mature than I went to bed the night before on account of me turning a number that is divisible by fifteen twice over. However, when I say I feel more mature, I don't want you to think I don't still laugh at fart jokes. Because I do and I will.

Dancing Queen

Nat's birthday night was a busy one, as we headed downtown to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium for dress rehearsal.