 |
| William's graduation invitation self portrait. |
I was on the fence about attempting to revive the summer blog this year since the boys are getting older and as Garrett mockingly lovingly reminded me, I was much more creative with our day-to-day summer themes and activities a few years ago. Pirate week? Arrrrrrv course! *pause for laugher... or groaning*
This year is a bit stilted as William's summer began Memorial Day Weekend and Colin is Still. In. School. I mean, seriously. He is finally done this Friday and I know we'll all be thankful. He's been a trooper listening to William detail his many day camp adventures while he still has homework and an 8 am school start. Though we all know his internal alarm clock is unflinchingly set for 6am, 5am when we're "lucky" so its not like we'd be sleeping in anyway.
So, in the immortal words of Inigo Montoya...
After five straight years of daily trips to and from Old Town, our time at St. Paul's Nursery and Day School has ended with William's kindergarten graduation. Excuse me as I grab some tissues to muffle my sniffle-sobbing. I won't even attempt to express what this school, community, family has meant to me. It was a shining beacon of new moms and future confidants for me when I feared I'd never again have friends after the island of isolation, diapers, bottles and spit up. Oh and its been a pretty awesome place for my kids too. Even now, two years after Colin's graduation, his best friends are those he met in Mrs. Land and Mrs. Phippen's class on day one. Without further {emotional} ado here are a few pictures from the day...
 |
| We love us some Via!! |
 |
| Namma was the best surprise guest ever! |
 |
| Maybe next year Cupcake. #dontstopbeliveing |
This year was our fourth annual Memorial Day BBQ and I must admit its getting easier with each year, though the rain made it more interesting. My inner event planner loves a good challenge and planning for 90 degree heat, a tropical storm and plummeting temperatures certainly kept us busy. Because we're both running around so much we hardly ever get any great party pictures but sweet Saint snapped this one. He's taken to getting a picture with Jim and Colin each year. Jim, once again smoked 3 briskets (his best ever!), 12 racks of ribs, pork butts and about 45 links of Kruez's sausage! One of these days the boys can help take over the bbq but until then they're happy to sample Jim's hard work.
 |
| 10pm smoker check in |
 |
| Prep work begins... food safety gloves and all! |
 |
| Breakfast taste test! |
 |
| The peonies always bloom just in the nick of time. |
 |
| Let the games begin. |
While Jim was in Vegas for his annual guys' baseball trip, the boys and I packed up and headed to the Northern Neck for a weekend at Namma's. Dominos, farmers markets, morning walks, learning to needle point (the boys, not me), the Crazy Crab, Chitterchats and Sunday in the pews at St. Mary's. It doesn't get much better than that...
Its enough to make you pass out nearly the whole way home.
Till Next Time,
Mamma Toad
Colin turned eight, this year, EIGHT YEARS OLD! I legitimately remember being eight which incidentally makes me feel old, very old but that's another post for another blog. Jim found a really cool shop, Labyrinth in DC to host Colin's Pokemon birthday party this year. It even included our very own"Doctor"of Pokemon to teach the class. I still don't think I know any more about this game than I did before the party started but all the boys seemed to have a great time and that's all that mattered. 
