Fathers & Sons' Camp Out (a.k.a. Jessy's Day Off)

Will and Josh's first fathers and sons' camp out. Sure, they had a good time--eating s'mores, playing by/with the fire, sleeping in a "camping bed" (as Will called it) and eating a yummy campfire breakfast of "pankicks". Sure, Josh was in heaven, snuggling with Will in the tent all night (Will's first time not sleeping in a crib, by the way, and he did just fine). Sure, Will still talks about sleeping in the "camping bed." But really, what it was all about was what I got to do (because, let's be honest, this is my blog and isn't it always all about me?). I got to go for a nice long bike ride, without rushing back home. I got to CLEAN all the floors, with no one spilling or messing up around me. I got to take a nice long, hot shower. I got to watch a non-Hollywood action thriller (BBC's Bleak House. Slow but wonderful. Josh could have never stomached it). I got to go to bed nice and early. I got to SLEEP IN. I got to go on a nice loooooooong run. (Of course, I did lock myself out of the house after my run, but luckily Josh and Will were on their way home). I say: let's have a fathers and sons' camp out every weekend. I know I could sure use the break.

My cute boys.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Here is the babe himself, lining up all his bikes. And below, he lines up all his cars. He is obsessed with lining everything up. He always comes and gets me to show me how proud he is of his accomplishments.

I just wanted to record a few of the crazy things Will has said of late before I forget them:

• He was holding my cell phone, "talking" to his cousin Beth when he dropped the phone. I heard a loud crash and then Will's response, "Oh, curse me!"
• Josh, Will and I were all cuddling on our bed, Will playing with all his cars. Will fluffed and Josh asked him, "Did you fluff?" to which Will replied, "No. Blue car fluff." Right, Will. The blue car fluffed.
• I was upstairs, using the restroom, when Will came crashing through the door. He looked at me, saw I was using the toilet and then asked, "Where's your book, Mama?"
• We try to encourage Will not to throw toys, only to throw balls. It must be something we tell him often because one day when I was cleaning the kitchen, I threw some spilled food into the sink. Will looked at me, pointed his finger and said, "No throw food, Mama. Only throw balls."
• Will looooves to play cars, especially on Mamadada bed for some reason. Our bed is a pillow-top so it is high off the ground, which makes it difficult for Will to get on. One time when Will was trying to climb onto Mamadada bed, he slipped and fell. All of a sudden I heard an, "Oh, Mensch!" from Will's direction. Apparently, he got this expression from his German-speaking father who often says this (it means "oh man!" in German).
• Will likes to put his cars down for a nap. He lays them on their side, puts a blankey over them, sings them a song (usually "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"), and rubs their backs. Then he uncovers the blanket, picks them all up and says, "Good nap. Good nap."
• One time when I got Will up from his nap, I asked if he had a good nap. He quickly replied, "Sure did, Mama. Sure did." It was too funny.
  

I'm sure there are more things, but this is all I can remember for now. Every day is entertaining, living with a chatty two-year-old.

Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

Yup. Sure did. What did I do, you wonder? Why, I sewed 1.5 baby wrist rattles in twice as many hours (and let's not focus on the fact that all the charitable people around me made about twelve hundred rattles in the same amount of time). And now I feel I must pose the question that was running through my mind as I sat there, fingers bleeding, sewing those blasted wrist rattles: why, oh why, does every service project entail sewing? I will gladly clean your house, watch your kids, pull your weeds, mow your lawn but please, please, don't make me sew anything. ever. again (sorry, Mrs. Strangburg, my 9th grade home-ec teacher; I have failed you). At least I will sleep better tonight, knowing that I have, in fact, done some good in the world today. Because I am sure, certain, that my 1.5 barely-recognizable wrist rattles make the world a better place.