Skoolz Out fo Summah!

Dash finished first grade on Thursday. I threw a party to celebrate. Because that's how I deal with life events and the changes I can't control. Well, parties and sitting in a dark room, rocking back and forth, repeating, "he's still little" to myself over and over. But let's focus on the party.

I made ice eggs (stuff a few trinkets--I used bracelets, Legos, keychains and other little Squinkies and the like--into a balloon, fill with water, tie off and freeze for a few days. Once they're frozen, peel the rubber off and voila).

And let the kids go nuts.

Look. At. That. Face. JUST LOOK AT IT!

There was also hair dyeing (with Kool Aid, Sharpies and spray-in color to accommodate every kid's needs) and food and forts and crafts. But I didn't get any pictures of anything because I was having fun just celebrating those amazing kids and their amazing parents. 

Here's our yearbook message to Dash (sans a couple of commas, but you know). We are killing this whole parenting thing.

The Day of Zubs

(We call him Zubs. There is a very, very long explanation as to why, but if I wrote it down I'd just be drawing attention to all the crazy).

SO! It was Father's Day on Sunday, and since Dash happens to own the very best of all the fathers, we celebrated in many manly ways.

The day began with gifts. Which is the best way to begin any day.

There was a barbeque component that consisted of a Dash-made apron.

And some mama-made bourbon & brown sugar barbeque sauce. (Dash made the label. The light blue should read as "soon the pig will be bacon." Dark).

If only the Internet was scratch & sniff.

ALSO: onion bacon marmalade. 

Or, you know, marmalabe. 

We made the sauces the weekend before, and needed to store them in the fridge without them being discovered early. Good thing I have Jedi training.

After a breakfast of toad in a hole, bacon, chocolate chip waffles, onion bacon marmalade toast and cinnamon rolls, Grandpa arrived and the boys went to go look at cars at the Petersen Automotive Museum. 

I know it was Father's Day, but I got the very best gift of the day: permission to not go to the Petersen museum and look at cars.

After they had seen enough cars, my fellas returned to me and I took them out for ribs. Because ribs. And also because they had a leg lamp in the waiting area. That's how we knew it was a good restaurant. Because that lamp? It's a Major Award.

Happy Father's Day, Zubs! We're the world's luckiest humans to get to share a life with you.

Forts

Some days it's just so hot. And everyone is so bored. And maybe a little cranky.

On those days there isn't much left to do but build a fort.

One king sized sheet, two stained tablecloths, a repurposed backstop and a handful of chip clips later, and we were in business.

We filled it with pillows, blankets, Otter Pops and Netflix streaming on the Kindle, and spent the entire afternoon in there. Didn't come out until dinner time. Then we did it all again the next day.

Reasons

There are so many beautiful reasons to have children.

You want to share the beauty and abundance of this world with a child.

You want to make something that will live on as a testament to your love for your spouse.

You want to share the lessons you learned from your own parents.

You want to see childhood again, through a different lens.

You want to give your parents the gift of a grandchild.

Me? I'm mostly in it for the diorama-making.