RIP Mr. T and other randomness

Yesterday in the pouring rain as I was backing out of the driveway I noticed that I had inadvertently run over one of our frogs.  I truly hope it was not Mr. T (Mr. Toad-my 2012 mother's day gift from the boys.)  A quick text to Bill ensues, "dead frog, will remove before I get home." It was a case of the Mondays coming off a typical weekend.

We split the boys up on Saturday morning, with Bill doing a Lego event with Ben, and Ian with me.  Given that the poor kid's lip looked awful by Saturday morning we opted for a quiet morning of library story time, trip to Target, and playing outside.

*Note our weekend as captured by lots of crappy i phone photos.

Sunday I took the boys to the Gotta Be NC Festival. It's like the State fair, but a 10% of the size with 10% of the crowd. It still has the best of the kiddie rides and if it can be fried and/or put-on-a stick food.  It looked like rain so once there we blitzed rides, ate hot dogs and ice cream, and played  were swindled out of $15.00 playing midway games.  Once it did start raining we opted for the Horse and Dog show.

Calling it a "show" is a stretch.  Basically it was a bunch of vendors of dog and horse feed, a family showing a horse with choreographed moves/tricks to Gospel music (only in the South), and a sad, sad display from local FFA and 4 H organizations.

I *tried* to take a picture of a invigorating trifold board display about the Short History of US poultry, but alas with no one around I didn't want to give the impression I wanted to talk about chickens with my two boys in tow.

I did take this awesome picture instead while the boys were fighting over a choice of free erasers from the NC Sheep society.  Fill in the blank: I love North Carolina because _______________________. (Did you say, "informative displays about RECTAL MUCOSA BIOPSY while eating a double corndog"?)

On the way out we checked out the BMX bike stunt show.  Needless to say you know you are a boy mom when you have out your phone videoing for future viewing by one if not both children. Even more awesome was the blaring Beastie Boys and 90s rap for the crowd's enjoyment.  At one point Ben looked up and said, "you KNOW this song mom?"   Also, why was there a clown making balloon animals within feet of crashing bikes.  Aren't hardcore BMXers and people that enjoy a good balloon animal two separate audiences?

 * Note ride name:  "Kick Bootie"

Last night I let the boys play ridiculously late outside.  I was talking to my neighbor, all the kids were playing in the first rain-free moments of the day.  When Bill drove in around 8pm he couldn't believe we were still outside.  Maybe it was the awful news of the tornado and knowing that kids were unaccounted for in the aftermath, maybe it's just wanting to get a head start on lazy summer days and being outside as long as possible. Maybe it was just wanting to play with the boys instead of working.  Maybe to all possibilities.
 

*note amazing butt shot of Ben!  Also, am I a bad mom for 

NOT wanting him to win a giant Rasta monkey? 

One of my favorite speakers at Listen to Your Mother was about what it is like to be the last time to do  many of the mundane activities related to raising kids. She talked about final events in her Senior son's life and how being on the verge of the empty nest feels. I am a good decade away from even starting this conversation with friends and family.  Maybe because every year as the school year winds down with graduation and senior activities I once again reflect that the time is just so, so short. That someday I will wish for a normal (hectic) average day with the boys.  Given the news from the midwest, I took a little longer at bedtime last night, checked on them an extra time before heading to bed, and stopped and watched them sleep before leaving this morning.