My beautiful pink First Prize Roses


There’s something I need to say: It’s all about me. Yep, that’s right, my flowers, my family, my book, my life. That’s the raison d’etre for a blog, it’s whole reason to exist. And it’s MY blog. In addition, I would like to say that my blog is not the place for sobering topics. Also, though I write about gardening, traveling, home decor, my novel, my family, etc., mine isn’t a garden blog, a travel blog, a home décor blog, nor is it a journal-style blog, per se. There are many things I find too personal to share so publicly (all right, I don’t have that many readers, but you never know just who might run across something written here). If anyone were to ask (oh, please, do stop asking all at once!) I would say that this is a literary blog. I am not sure if that is a real term, but my daily blurbs here are more about fun reading than covering every aspect of my life and who I am.

This morning, the Little Guy got up before anyone else and, as he reported later, sat on the couch with the dog trying to decide whether he should eat breakfast or make breakfast for his dad. I’m not sure where this idea came from, certainly not from me. I spent years trying to drag my two older kids into the kitchen on the morn of Father’s Day trying to get them to participate, trying to get them to help, to smile, even to just wake up. And this guy does it all by himself!

You could have knocked me down with a feather when I walked into the kitchen and saw this sitting on the breadboard. (Ignore the gunk on the breadboard, the dried frosting on the edge of the counter and the chip in the plate.. Oh, and while you’re at it, ignore the mess in the previous picture as well. All you can do is ask . . . ) Check out the way the butter is spread on the toast—those globs! Those totally butter-bereft areas! It’s just too adorable. To top it off, today at church when the kids sang to their fathers, the LG actually sang. Not only that, but he made all the motions that went with the song. He was the only one that followed the directions from the chorister when he looked right at his dad and pointed at him. It was so dang cute, half of the congregation turned around to look and smile at us (we always sit in the back. It makes for fewer people tripped over by the big guy). After years of having children who either refused to go to the front and sing or simply stood as if paralyzed, it was enough to bring me to tears (alas, I missed him singing at chuch on Mother's Day--I was, you guessed it, sick.)

It would seem that he has a bit of the theater in his heart. Here he is in a production the entire kindergarten at his school does every year called You Look Ridiculous. The pictures are a bit blurry, (I didn’t take these, like a dope I forgot my camera) but you get the idea. See how comfortable he seems to be standing up there by himself? It does a hammy mom’s heart good.

Here he is standing up with two other kindergarteners (yes, it’s true, even Mr. Giant is a kinder). See how the non-giant kid looks to him for direction? Mine is the only guy who doesn’t know it isn’t cool to memorize all the words and actions and follow directions word for word. I’m thinking I should be worried.

Here he is at the spring tea the kindergarten teachers put on for all the mothers every May. See how my kid is smiling, as if he is actually enjoying himself? Some of the other kids seem to be singing, but the rest look as if they aren’t quite sure why they are there.

Again, these photos are blurry. Again, I didn’t take them. In fact, I wasn’t even there which might explain why my child is so relaxed. I was at home very busy being sick and heartily wishing I weren’t. Wasn’t. Whatever. Again, he is the only one doing the actions.

He’s really getting into it now. The other mothers told me later (much later—I was sick for a loooonnngggg time) that he was really fun to watch. They said that they took video. They said they would get me a copy. They said a lot of things but the last day of school has come and gone and I still don’t have video of my kid hamming it up. Without me. Boo hoo.

I’m not sure why the eyes are closed in most of these pictures. Maybe because the photograpaher is focusing on her own kid--no doubt her/his eyes are open. Meanwhile, it seems as if my kid is feeling pretty darn good, ecstatic, even. Does anyone watch Ugly Betty? You know, that nephew of hers? That's as far as I am going with that one.

This is my personal favorite. You gotta love this expression. I hate that it didn’t scan and enlarge very well. In the original photo some of the other kids are snapping their fingers, as well. Their arms are stuck in front of them like twigs and their little faces are screwed up in concentration. Snapping ain’t easy, but look at my little Tommy Tune go!

Here he is hugging his teacher goodbye on the last day of school. His teacher invited the parents to come 30 minutes before the end of the day for “photo ops on the red carpet”. This was good closure for the kids and maybe for the teachers, too. I’m not sure but I think I can see a tear in his teacher’s eye. In fact, she wrote an email, which is saved in my save file for future reference (where it came in very handy tonight) that she will miss our "bright, kind, thoughtful and well-behaved son!" (The exclamation mark was hers.) A kindergarten teacher ought to know. But, probably I am just one of those annoying moms who thinks her kid is super neat and doesn't really have a clue. But, hey, it's MY Blog!