Braving Boys

Last night, we had a boy bash — an end-of-summer, back-to-school sorta celebration. It was a blast, and if you want to whip one up, we suggest this recipe (adapt as you wish):

• 1 backyard
• 1 basketball court
• bunches of basketballs
• 1 tree swing
• 1 pull-up bar
• 1 roaring fire
• 1 dad to supervise fire (and simultaneously referee basketball games)
• lots of roasting sticks (store-bought or plucked from the yard)
• 1 box graham crackers (pre-divided into manageable parts, if time permits)
• 2 packages 6-pack Hershey’s chocolate (pre-divided, if time permits)
• 1 package marshmallows
• 1 watermelon, cut into small triangle pieces
• 1 cooler, filled with drinks and ice (and quick access to a bathroom)
• 1 electronic device to play boy-chosen playlist
• a few headlamps and flashlights
• 1 container wet wipes
• 1 trash can
• 10 boys
• a few parents sprinkled here and there

Supply all ingredients and allow boys to mix as appropriate.

Let simmer for 2.5 hours, allow to get dark, and only interfere if comes to a boil.

Intended end result: high level of activity, loads of laughter, sweaty shirts and heads, and begging and pleading to the tune of, “But I don’t waaaaaant to go home!”

We’re loving late nights and really late mornings this summer. Just ask Joey, who is dozing more than anyone in our family. It’s like he’s a teenager, waking only when I  open his window blinds and coax him into opening his oh-s0-tired eyes. But he’s not even on the edge of the teens, in fact, he has his 10-year-old check-up tomorrow, where we’ll learn that he’s more the size of 12 than 10 at his nearly 5 feet 3 inches and 108 pounds and that he’s not stopped growing since he was born. Not even one stalled moment. He was 10 pounds, 9 ounces at birth; 22 pounds at 6 months; 40 pounds at 3 years; and 80 pounds at 8. (Brother Danny is currently 62 pounds at 8 years old.)

The boy does everything big — he grows big, complains big, fishes big, and now, he sleeps big. Normal, I think. But we’ll be confirm with his doc in the morning. Just be be sure.

UPDATE: OK, so he’s more the size of 13 than 12, and the sleeping is just fine, as long as he doesn’t have trouble rising early if necessary (like on school days), which he doesn’t.

Kicked off July with a little canoe fishing at Lake Wauburg, University of Florida.

No fish caught.

Just a lizard.

And some air.

Joey attempted his very first back flip, with the help of a guy we met on the dock.

Joey’s gift to his dad is this photo that was chosen to be published in today’s Father’s Day issue of The Gainesville Sun. It also appears in an online gallery at http://bit.ly/ihyotS — slide #22.

Danny’s gift is a mug, featuring John’s all-time-favorite Danny artwork.

Plus, a special message.

And because a celebration for John would not be complete without some chocolate, well, he’s getting some of that, too!

Happy Father’s day, John!

Love,

Your boys

(and their mom)

Newest addition to our backyard. The pull-up bar, not Danny.

Stuffed into his overflowing last-day-of-school backpack was a crumpled-up letter my second-grade grad Danny wrote to first graders who will soon encounter the grade he has just finished. And when I say crumpled up, I mean the paper was so crushed and crinkled it was barely legible. There was even a worn-through hole in the center, making it very difficult to piece together a few words. I think I got them right, though, and here they are:

Dear First Graders,

Second grade is easy and hard. You have a lot of homework. The end of the school year is easy and a happy day.

You go on cool field trips like the aquarium and more. It is easy most of the year. You get to have field day. The most best part is you don’t have the FCAT in second grade. You will like it so much.

I did get just a little pain. I had a little trouble on the math question and reading questions. I like second grade the best out of all the grades in this whole entire school. It is the best grade you will ever go in.

Sincerely,
Danny

Pretzels for later