What's been going on...

You would never know that it is summer and that it is supposed to be relaxing around here.  We have had one event after another.  After Wicked we took our two teen-aged boys to U2 in Baltimore.  They were the cheapest last minute tickets I could find and they were at the very tippy top row of the football stadium.  I felt like I'd had a week's work-out by the time we reached the top.  The one nice thing about being there was the breeze and the view.  We could see a beautiful sunset over the Baltimore skyline.  Bono, however looked like an ant.  Thank goodness for the large screen under the alien spider apparatus.  That thing was a show in an of itself!  I repeated something I used to say to my oldest boy when he was 9 and we were going through the tunnels of the ride 'it's a small world' "It's a feast for the eyes!" I shouted over the music. I think I saw a smirk of remembrance come over him.  I am sure glad we had the chance to do this with our boys.  Even if they don't appreciate U2 the way a 1987 graduate would, they still had fun.

Moving on with our events, next came youth conference with our church.  My oldest two boys spent two days (and 12 hrs of driving?!) in Kirtland Ohio.  Even though it was a long long way to go for just a short period of time they had a great time and especially loved the bus ride.  I think it must have been a tour bus because it had a rest room and TV where they watched several movies.  They were not allowed any cell phones or Ipods or anything like that.  My Middle Boy didn't like that idea too much.  But somehow he survived.  Upon returning from the conference Middle Boy did an uncharacteristic thing and stayed up talking to his parents about his experiences for like 2 hours.  It could have been all the candy they gave out on the bus giving him a sugar buzz, but I think it was just that he had some really great experiences that he wanted to talk about.  I was tired but there was no way I was going to bed until he was good and ready.  Those teenaged moments are few and far between.  I was only slightly surprised that I got the exact opposite reaction from his older brother the next day.  One word answers, didn't want to talk.  Typical for a teen I guess.

After youth conference, we had one day of rest on Sunday and the following Monday we had to have them ready for a 6:00 am departure for scout camp.  Scout camp times 3 boys this year.  That's 3 times as many pre-requisites to get done.  That's 3 times as many batteries and flashlights that need to be rummaged around to find. 3 times the pain, but 3 times the silence while they are away my friends.  I am 3 times as worried about them too though.  There was a news story on the radio about a scout who was lost from his troop last week who ended up drowned.  Not the kind of thing a mother wants to hear just before sending off her brood.  I will keep praying for them and hoping they will have good sense and good watchful leaders, cuz I am kinda attached to these kiddos.

The busy continued will a vacation bible school the girls both did last week.... that is a post for another day in and of itself.  Let's just say I was new to the VBS experience and I am still wondering what just happened.  Now we have pre-team swim for Big Girl and Little Girl will probably start swimming lessons of her own next week.  She also wants to continue taking dance classes.  We'll see if I can push myself to drive one more place during the week.  It will be so nice when Big Boy gets his driver's license.  We just got home from the library and I am ready for a break.

So......  How is your summer so far?

PS In other great news I ate the first tomato from our garden!!!!  Yeah summer!