Happy birthday Gavin!

So my youngest is seven years old. Wow! Where does the time go?
All day he was W I R E D.

He could have had anything for breakfast, we had said as much, and he chooses cereal, even after Dan and I had explained that he could have ANYTHING for breakfast as the birthday boy! (He usually has toast and an egg). So for lunch, he chooses chocolate chip pancakes! That's better, birthday boy! :)

I don't have too many pictures of the day, too busy talking and having fun. I do wish I had snapped at least one of the "blob" pinata that we made...

That's a Frozen Dreams ice cream cake there. Gavin picked the layers' flavors: chocolate and strawberry cheesecake ice cream!

He got a 'real' soldier shirt and hat as well as a real Army ammunition box - he's got the soldier thing going on constantly in his play lately. He also got a water gun that squirts some neon day-glo green gel, and another Nerf projectile shooter that he loves. Actually, all three of my boys are ready and waiting for their turn on these toy guns!

We're singing "Happy birthday."

He was so embarrassed to be the center of attention! (Connor is trying to get him up from behind the table to blow out the candles.)

Aw, he sure is growing up!


Glad that you had a great day from start to finish, my little man!!

Something I'd thought I'd never see...

"Land grab in the Arctic" on the cover of last month's National Geographic.

So sad.

addictive versus compulsive

-- and not in the compulsive like attending school until one becomes sixteen years old or anything. I mean like OCD compulsive. How are addictive and compulsive different? Both imply a "can't helping oneself" factor, but each apply it differently towards its meaning. I am thinking in terms of my time and hobbies, let's think it through.

Reevaluating my life a bit recently. Looking at the quite full activity wheel. In other words, how much time do I spend doing what and for what reasons. How can I look at an activity and decide it's enjoyment and value to me? If it is not a chore, is it a hobby?
A blanket statement, albeit, but ok, it's a place to begin and so I'll go with it a bit. Hm, yes. I like to do it. If I like it, then it can't be a chore, right? :)
Well, how much do you like to do it?
Hm (again). That's my answer, as I really have to figure that out. It's a qualitative answer and relative to other activities.
Ok, then. How often do you like to do it?
Hm. As often as possible, I guess. As often as able, having kids around, money for supplies. (Sounding like an economics lesson, at this point, perhaps?)
Ok, let's take a different track, try another delineation: is it for money or pleasure?
Hm, more economics it seems. And for now, it might be more confusing if I try to overlap the two? I do realize that both are possible at the same time, and often enough.
Maybe we're at making a pie chart point. I haven't really made one of those since school!
I could just continue making lists and trees that show activities, time spent, how much enjoyment I get out of it. A journal of sorts, maybe, but not on here. I wouldn't want to bore you too badly - and you wouldn't know it by THIS particular post, eh?!
You already think I am crazy activity, tangent woman, I am sure-- even though I have been remiss in about them posting here. Or too busy, perhaps? :)

Lots going on lately, but it's still the same ole, same ole... How can that be as confusing as it is? Ugh. Must be early mid-life crisis or something. Yah, at 37. I'll look back on this and laugh or maybe not remember it at all...?

Ah, I'm tired. (Or can't you tell?) It's after 3 am, after a loooong weekend at work. My head is just filled with too much... stuff, thoughts, ideas, all of it in my head on and since the drive home. It's really time to read some fluff --but very enjoyable and fun fluff, at that-- until I fall asleep. Where's my book light?

Been awhile...

Apologies...

I have been not feeling all the best lately. Slightly down, could be the CRAZY allergies for the past two months kicking my butt. They started off their daily annoyance on our visit south to Florida - that was a move from mildew under the melting ice in NY to the full fledged pollen south into Florida for ten days. Then we returned from the wonderfully happy and exhausting trip to nearly all of the ice gone, but the wetness that allows mold to flourish still copious. Darn.

Then the weekend to south eastern PA for a SCA camping weekend and another awesome visit with friends in Gettysburg. Camping outdoors in amazingly HOT (over 90 degree F) weather in screened A-frames and the lack of something between my mucous membranes and the freshly spurting tree and flower pollen ... Well, suffice it to say, I developed a terrible sinus infection and right ear infection. Ten days of ibuprofen and antibiotics helped eliminate the teeth pain and relieve the big ouch from the right ear, but now that the antibiotics are done, the ear pain is back and in full force. Ah well. Another trip to the MD.

Everyone else in the family is doing just GREAT! Apparently I am the only one wishing for the good ole non-mucous-filled days of living upstate ;)

The Gavinator will be seven on Wednesday, so my awake hours have been filled with the new garden (when I can focus enough outdoors) and with plans of this lucky number birthday! I remember seven being my favorite year in school, I had the BEST teacher who would take us on the most memorable field trips and the class room had actual carpets (I bet the janitor just loved those...). But I digress. Gavin has requested a kitchen set, just like his cousin Sharon's, the one he played with for hours whilst on our visit. So I tried to order one, a BLUE one, all wood, from Target (I didn't want to go there, but it was the only place I could afford one that wasn't plastic) but they only had blue online. Add in the shipping cost of $60 plus tax, I bought a pink one and am going to paint the pink doors blue or green. Green because Gavin wants it to be an army kitchen. I can't forget to buy the mess kit and soldier apron and chef hat too! Maybe I should get green fabric and the sewing machine out rather than spend hours looking through stores I can't stand being in anyway...

So maybe I'm sick (well, I am, but perhaps that's not all that is keeping me down), but perhaps it might be also that my littlest guy is no longer so little?