I have been all over the place, both literally and figuratively. My summer has been one journey after another and I can’t even remember when the last full week was that I wasn’t going to be gone for at least a portion of it. Not a week has gone by without there being a pile of “packing” that I am strategically working on for the up coming jaunt and not a week has gone by when I haven’t been doing the laundry, the mountains and mountains of laundry, that seem to come with being on a trip. I haven’t gone grocery shopping for more than just the necessities since probably May and I think I have completely forgotten how. And with this blog, it feels like I am playing catch-up from forever ago! Part of me would like to just say, forget it, let’s just to right this very moment – not necessarily forget about the last few weeks, but maybe just relive it through the pictures I now have saved on my computer. Besides, there is so much awesome stuff going on in my little world just now!
Our family, Chris and Shannie have relocated. I refuse to say that they have moved because that would imply that I have accepted their decision to leave this little town of ours and take a job elsewhere. I am currently in the stage of denial and I plan to stay here for quite some time. I texted Shannon just Sunday and asked her if she would like to join me in doing a little browsing at one of our favorite stores, (let me just remind you that I am not going crazy, I am completely aware that she can no longer join me for such spur of the moment events as this, but sometimes the reality is too much to take all at once and you just need to ease into a little bit at a time.) I knew she wouldn’t be free – and that she was 3 hours away, so I gave her an out letting her know that I completely understood if she was preoccupied with getting her new classroom ready for school. She played along. The charade of denial only works if everyone around you plays along.
So far, so good.
It’s going to be a little complicated when on the first day of school I take the camera out and ask the kids to go stand by Uncle Chris for a photo and “Uncle Chris” is now a woman named Mrs. Fry.
Anyway, all of this to say that when Uncle Chris and Aunt Shannie “relocated”, we accumulated several new things – one being most of their perishable groceries. And their candy stash. We have stashed most of that away with our own collection of goodies that we just can’t let go of but absolutely DO NOT want to eat. I say most because there is one little can of almond roca that has somehow stayed out and friends it is incredible! For just one tiny minute, it makes me want to recommend that you too find a friend with excellent taste is candy and suggest that they move away, leaving you with all their perishables.
Something else crazy exciting is that Brandon received a random little letter in the mail from a swanky dining establishment down the road praising him for his leadership in the community. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am very proud of my husband and super thankful that he has a job and does it well – but I’m not really sure about this community leadership business. I mean, we pay our taxes, keep our yard mowed and vote, but other than that…….Whatever, they also included a $100 “Citizenship Award” to be redeemed by in their restaurant by August 1. I am typically on the vegetarian side and only when I am very stressed and anxious will you see me go for the beef – by I am highly considering going with some lobster…..just because.
Some other late breaking news, the kids are wearing the same size uniform shirt this year. I haven’t broken the news to either one of them because I know it is going to be devastating to the older one and the younger one will not be able to keep from gloating. When I do laundry, I will just have to make sure that I divide the shirts evenly and hope they don’t ever notice. Mattie’s foot is still half a size bigger but I figure after Reese eats another good, solid meal – that difference ought to be evened out, too.
I was going through all the uniforms that have been put into the “Great Uniform Buy Back and Sale” pile and at the bottom of a box I found a huge baggie full of “Box Tops”. I don’t know if you readers are all familiar with Box Tops, but they are worth ten cents each when turned in by a school and at our school, the classrooms all compete to see how can turn in the most each month. There was a good 30 of them and by kids went absolutely crazy when they saw them. For a minute, Mattie was actually shaking a little. It was very reminiscent of when we showered Reese with money this summer for his birthday – more on that another time.
We are also getting the oil changed in the car today and Mattie had a doctor’s appointment this morning concerning a weird thing on her toe. Now you are pretty much all caught up on what’s going on in the present and we can take a few more postings to visit what all you have missed.
Mama Tried 
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