Changing the World

Evan has been selected as one of the four members of the 3rd grade student council. He has some big changes in mind for the school, too. Watch out TCE! His number one priority will be none other than new playground equipment and not just equipment but ground covering. He strongly believes the sand, the sand that fills his shoes and infiltrates his socks, should be replaced with wood chips. I think we have a world changer on our hands, Y'all! Before you know it, he will be advocating all day PE. 

That's What He Said

We spent the early hours of Friday in the ER with Wes. He was diagnosed with kidney stones, but he was in so much pain that I thought he was dying. I think the boys must have, too. After three hours, we left Wes in the triage room high on percoset, and the boys and I came home to catch a couple of hours of sleep. The three of us planned to sleep in my bed until Wes was discharged and we had to return to the hospital, but there was an argument over who would sleep on Wes's side of the bed. When I tried to intervene, Keagan looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "Mama, I don't want to sleep on Daddy's side and catch the stones."

Evan and I have been reading a great book about a boy who was born blind. The book does a wonderful job of describing how the boy uses his other senses to compensate for his lack of sight. It is a really beautiful book, and when we got to the last page, I was just overwhelmed by its perfection. I couldn't wait to hear Evan's take on it. That's when he looks at me and says, "Why didn't the boy call Lasik Eye Center and have laser surgery?"

This morning we left church, and I mentioned to Evan that one of his friends had his picture in the local newspaper. I told him he was featured because he caught a large fish, and Evan responded, "That's weird. Why would you put that in the newspaper?" Keagan piped in, "That's the Georgia way. That's what they do around here....talk about the size of their fish."

Battle Cry

Our first soccer game of the fall soccer season, and we won 8-2. Keagan joins the same team this week at his first practice.

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.

That's our new battle cry - even if I am the only one that knows it.

Punt, Pass, Kick

This is what I overheard tonight in the stands while I watched fifty something kiddos punt, pass and kick at the local NFL competition.

"That number 77 on your team is the biggest kid in the league!"

"What are you talking about? You have at least five guys as big as our number 77 playing on the line."

"That ain't true. I think you need to double check the weight on that 77 boy. He's too big to be running the ball."

That's when I interjected.

"Hey, that number 77 is my baby, and I will verify all 88 pounds of my eight year old boy."

"Oh, yeah? 88 plus what?"

"88 pounds plus pure talent"

"Whatever, m'am. I saw that number 77 this morning at PT running with first brigade."

I know that joke is lost for anyone who doesn't live the Army life - which means not one person will read this and understand the above conversation. But it was the funniest thing I had heard all day, and after spending a full day in professional development and the early morning hours in the ER, I was laughing pretty hard. 

Evan won second place in the 8/9 year old bracket. He couldn't believe the real NFL commissioner had signed his certificate. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was a pre-stamped certificate. Evan went to bed wondering how he could have possibly missed the arrival of the man that holds his dream job.

Keagan won second place in the 6/7 year old bracket. He was madder than you know what, and said, "I don't like to lose, Mama." Hence, the dark background of the picture. We had to wait an hour after the winners announcement before he would consider posing with a second place ribbon.

I take full blame for the above.  However, I do not take the blame for having my boys dressed in identical sports wear. It just happened. Honest! 

Black and Gold

I am THAT mom. The one that I promised I would never become. I am the mom wearing the matching yellow and black shirt with my boys' names on the back. All I'm missing is a milk jug filled with dry beans.

Keagan is that guy. The guy that gets tackled and gets a scratch on his arm that produces a bit of blood, and by the end of the game, the story eventually morphs into "my arm was bleeding like a volcano."

Evan is that sideline ref. Not one penalty was our fault. That tackle our linebacker did while the center still held the ball was just a misunderstanding. The holding call wasn't holding at all; it was a slight nudge. This according to Evan who while playing QB couldn't possibly be biased with his calls.

They are "Magic Hands" and "The Punisher," and this is what you call yourself when you scramble twice and score two touchdowns and throw blocks to make sure your big brother gets the six points both times.

If you don't like football or reading about football, then please check back after October 22. Because until then, I think it is safe to assume football will be our only form of entertainment. 

Sprinting

I have made one very important observation during this year's tackle football season. Wes can skip every soccer practice that we have attended in the last five years with the excuse of work, but he can move heaven and Earth to attend all fifteen football practices that have transpired in a four week window. He just might be a bit proud that both boys are playing tackle football this year. So proud that the weekend training sessions might include stuffed dufflle bags, big sticks, and bright orange cones as far as the eye can see.

Tonight it was 5:23, and Wes still hadn't shown for the boys' first tackle football game. I assumed something serious must have happened at work to keep him. At 5:32 I see him across the field and then across the parking lot sprinting with the video camera on his shoulder - sprinting so he wouldn't miss his boys' first run through the paper banner designed by the cheerleaders.

Sprinting to he wouldn't miss Evan's first touchdown. It was a 50 yard punt return.

Sprinting so he wouldn't miss Keagan playing linebacker (yes, I am just as shocked as you), sacking the quarterback, stripping the ball from his hands, and causing one of the biggest turnovers of the game!

Sprinting because there is no other place he would rather be! I have to agree - even if we did lose 18 - 6.

This is the only context in which you will hear me say it, but Go STEELERS!!!

And the Army Goes Rolling Along

It has been fourteen years, and I still don't know the Army song. Every time I hear it, though, it makes me smile, and I promise to go home and learn the words - all of the words beyond the catchy phrase "the Army keeps rolling along." Today was no different.

Wes gave up command this afternoon, and we participated in the change in command ceremony. Only six months on the job, but the Army keeps rolling along and new assignments are always on the horizon.

Wes's next assignment is a tour in Iraq. He leaves for training in just a few short weeks. We don't know any specifics because technically all US troops are supposed to withdraw from Iraq at the end of the year. However, the rumor is Iraq will ask for an extension and some troops will remain after the DEC 31 deadline.

I find it slightly ironic that Wes gives up command and prepares for his next assignment on the 9/11 anniversary. I can't even believe that it has been ten years since I was wrapping up my day at school in Germany (six hour time difference), and Wes called to tell me the news. It's even harder to believe that ten years later, it is still necessary to send soldiers and marines away to fight a war that was supposed to be so easy to win.

But the Army keeps rolling along. And so do we.

Surfing with the Dolphins

A day in the city does me good, but I love Savannah like no other American city.  I left yesterday wishing we could stay forever. For several months, I have wanted to take a boat out on the river and go dolphin watching. We did that yesterday, and I think it was probably the best thing that we have done since we have been here. 

We found a pod of dolphins right off Tybee that were busy playing, and we found them just as they decided to breech and perform tricks. The guide told us that in thirty years he had never seen the dolphins do that. The boys were so excited; Evan clapped and whistled with each jump. It was amazing - like Sea World meets the natural world. After idling in the water watching the dolphins, the guide turned up the engines so that we could see the dolphins surf with the waves from the boat.

Another perk of the trip, Evan got to hold the tooth from a megladon. Scientists studying artifacts and fossils dredged from the bottom of the Savannah River believe that this tooth came from a pre-historic shark that was 50 feet long.

We all returned to the dock promising that the proceeds from Wes's first military retirement check will go towards our own boat. The next six years cannot go by fast enough with that goal in mind.

Shark Teeth No More

Keagan is seven years old. SEVEN! And he lost his first baby tooth tonight.

You can't see it, but his two bottom row permanent teeth have already grown in. I think this means we are one step closer to calling him by his given name instead of Shark Teeth.