hectic in a handbasket

How is it possible that I am busier now that Garrett is out of school? We have no homework - things should be simpler. Somehow they are not. There was that crazy week of football camp: drop him off at camp in the morning - pick him up at lunch when camp ended - then take him to his regular summer camp while I finish my work day. It was hectic, but worth it. Garrett loved loved loved football camp. He was really bummed it only lasted a week.

So far it has been a fun summer. I've discovered that eight year olds are actually easier with multiples. Having a friend over to play (or come along on an outing) is nicer for everyone. They keep each other occupied & I have guilt free time to clean or pay bills - you know the crapitty crap that you never seem to have time for.


This past weekend we hit the science center (the photo above is of Garrett & his friend, lifting a 5,000 pound truck). The timing of the visit was good because while Garrett & I are off vacationing next week (DC & PA), he will miss his summer camp field trip to the science center.

Frankly he hasn't been too into the science center since I took him to see Mission to Mir in IMAX 3D & it scared the bejesus out of him. He was four when he saw it, and couldn't sleep alone in his bed after that for a year. Not sure if you've seen it, but nothing scary happens. No astronauts getting burned up in space - no alien invasions. Just a documentary about the space station - chock full of the sort of standard, silly acrobatics you expect with zero gravity. It just goes to show you that you can be so careful about what your child watches & then get blindsided when something so seemingly innocuous turns into the bogeyman. To this day - four years after the Mission to Mir Incident (MMI), Garrett still does not want to see an IMAX movie. He did power through last summer and see one about Animals, but it wasn't 3D and the peer pressure from his summer camp cronies, won out. There has been some cool IMAX movies since the MMI but his first reaction is still an immediate 'No thanks Mama, maybe next time'.


Some extra loveliness at exposition park: the rose smelled so lovely - the garden is in full bloom. Hence the obligatory macro rose photos below. I am not a big fan of the close up flower shots - they are so overdone, but there I was, loving my camera, setting up the macro, so pleased that the dew showed up in the photos. Hopefully somewhere in the park, there was someone who was secretly mocking me: 'Oh geez, another close up of a flower...boring'.


Looking into the history of exposition park, it turns out the rose garden used to be a race track (horses, dogs, even camels!) according to Wikipedia. When the neighborhood became more densely populated with families, the racetrack fell out of style and the rose garden was planted in place of the track.


So off we head for a fun family reunion. I am really looking forward to the late night games of Hearts and the ever so competitive Horseshoe tournaments. (Aunt Ruth look out - I am hoping to finally beat you this time). And of course the opportunity to catch up with my family. We are spread out all over the North American continent and the reunions allow us to get to know each other again.