It's no surprise that I've got a love/hate thing going on with today's topic.  I'm an AZ girl without a doubt, but that doesn't mean I easily maintain my cool when it's been a sunny110 for days.  And I'm not sure I can handle the continued sun in July's forecast, so next week I'll be heading to Utah (Cedar City) for a much cooler version of the same.  And then we'll be heading up to the AZ mountains for some rainy afternoons & reunioning. 

In the meantime, this is what I did to cope:

A shorter cut.  Nothing on my neck.  And it honestly has made a big, cooling difference.  And it tempts me to take it all off next time.  Hm.... 

We're also simplifying the food around here.  I posted some summery recipes on B, L, & D, so check them out.  Layered Summer Fruits with Creamy Lime Dressing. in a trifle bowl. will make its appearance later this week (my taste buds are anxiously waiting for Thursday!).  

I'm overdue for some piecemeal blogging.  So much about my days has been piecemeal of late.  So here it goes, mostly about my boys...

Swim classes are over.  And both of them are loving the water.

Aidan's ring diving dreams came true.   I was impressed with his tenacity.  In his first attempts, Emily would give him a push to get to the bottom.  Well, another girl was doing it without a push, so the extra help just wouldn't do for Aidan.  In between his turns he jumped over & over (& over & over &..), trying on his own.  I sat nearby, prodding him to rest when he looked incredibly fatigued.  "No, mom, I'm not going to rest until I get that ring down there."  And he did.  This picture didn't catch it, but he usually pops out of the water with an enormous grin plastered on his face.  It's priceless.  He did give me some scares when he started somersaulting into the pool rather than jumping.  I don't have the nerves for a daredevil child. 

Davyn can swim the narrow width of the pool with no tears or hesitation, but still ended up quite content on the sidelines.  It wasn't until the last two days of class that he got up and jumped in on his own to play when it wasn't his turn.  It took me completely by surprise, but I'm so glad this is the year he finally feels comfortable on his own in the water.  I was hoping.

D takes his time and spends much of swim time step-sitting or side-clinging.  All quiet and methodical.  A is a hurricane - non-stop jumping, diving, splashing, swimming across.  Everything loud and fast.  When you only have two kids - and they are of the same gender, and only 17 months apart in age - comparison comes all too naturally.  It amazes me how different these two are in inclinations.  And swimming is just one instance that magnifies that difference.

Last Sunday we went to Jim's parents' house.  Papa had built the Taj Mahal of chicken coops and bought some chicks.

While I thought they were beyond cute, there was no way I was touching one of these.  And Aidan felt the same way.

(sidenote: Aidan has this neurosis about his "cowboy hat"...it has to stay at Papa's house in the pantry on top of the fridge right next to Papa's..so he only really wears it at their house.) 

D was quite the opposite.  He couldn't get enough chick lovin'.  

But would have nothing to do with hoppin' on the equipment in Papa's backyard when we stepped out of the shop.  Aidan couldn't physically be held back from "trying out" anything resembling a tractor. 
Next week the Grandma's & Papa are taking over full-time when Jim & I go to girls' camp.  The boys are so far beyond excited that each day begins & ends with the "when are you going to girls' camp" question.  Both Grandma Kay and Grandma Cyndee are pretty good spoilers, so I'm sure my two won't spend any time missing mom & dad. 

Jim still refers to the day we discovered our first (surprise!) pregnancy (less than two months after marriage, mind you) as "the blackest day of my life."  And it honestly was.  The boy wasn't sure he wanted a child at all, much less in 9 months.  And, come to think of it, he had mentioned that before, but it hardly seemed plausible or possible.  So I had swept it tidily into my "he must be joking" file.  I laugh now at how blindly we enter marriage.   So much of the entrance love is crazily, hormonally biased...skewing reality completely.  I mean, how could he be serious? What kind of a man isn't sure he wants to have kids at all?  The reality that it was the man I starry-eye loved to the depths of my soul...the man who I was promised to for Ever...well, it quickly also became "the blackest day of my life." 

But my "what the hell have I gotten into?!" quickly became "how the hell did I get so lucky?" when parenthood arrived with our Aidan nine months later.  I was a ball of nerves.  Our newbie was a ball of needs.  And my Jim...well, he was nothing short of Amazing.  

The boy knew all along it was going to be more Messy than Dreamy.   

Jim & Aidan (2 weeks old) 

It was love at first sight for these two.  And - even through my assumptions that of course Jim wanted a house full of littles - I had never imagined how much love is Magnified in watching your Love soften to let in another.  A tiny other that you made together.

I also had never anticipated how much tutoring in motherhood would come from the *reluctant* father of my children.  He taught me patience and devotion and longsuffering and tenderness.  Things "skewed reality" (a.k.a. my dreamworld) hadn't prepared me for entirely.

Jim and Davyn (2 1/2 years old) 

I am grateful for the messy reality of parenting with you, my Love.  And for the blessing of discovering that your "Unexpected" is infinitely better than anything this dreamer could have thought up on her own. 

Happy Father's Day. 

I wish this woman was my neighbor in reality, but I love how the internet has made me neighbors with her despite. Jane's blog & Friday newsletter are full of homemaking tips, funny stories and poignant thoughts. It's definitely always a pleasure to visit.  I've seldom seen a blog name that fits its writer more perfectly. There should be more *neighborly* in the world. And I'm happy for Jane's reminders of that.

In honor of her 200th newsletter, she issued a 200 challenge. These are my answers...the items I've done are in bold.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (this is something I’d love to be able to bold some day).
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game.
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (always happens with my sisters at church)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (preschool the summer I was 13)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch (probably equal to the times I’ve changed diapers)
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently (and now it seems like a distant dream!)
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy.
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone (does a finger bone count?!)
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph (my Honda Accord took me from Cedar City to Flagstaff doing 120 most of the way. My little – at the time – cousin Shawn was with me and I think I freaked him out completely!)
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing (coming home from Taiwan)
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover (seminary days in high school…definitely needs doing again)
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name (last name…but my driver’s license still says Hendrix)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad (I'm really ashamed to admit this...The Odyssey is my close friend)
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (love this!)
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place.
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap (thank you, Cub Scouts!)
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band (I’m the drummer in our RockBand!)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place (D.C….love that city!)
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating (the first time I held a boy’s hand was 6^th grade at the roller rink)
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted (not painted, but my sister Megs has done it in pastels)
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous (Al McCoy…and probably only Kelly will know who that is!)
166. Worn knickers (they were blue & I loved them & I was very little)
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane (ever since I’ve been married, flying sorta freaks me out)
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life (there's a girl who is convinced I did, but I don't think so)
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel (all over Japan, Vermont, Boston, Philadelphia)
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR (not certified though, but we cover the basics every year in our church youth group).
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible (hated it!)
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter (YES! And she always returns a neighborly “thank you” e-mail!)

Happy 200 to you, Jane!  I look forward to many more newsletters to come.

We spent yesterday with Cyndee and did some birthday celebrating.  Last week I asked her how old she would be, expecting a "53" or "54", so when she said "57" I was stunned.  And then comforted that late 50's can seem so young.  Because Cyn is young.  The woman is non-stop on the go with a schedule that I could never manage.  And all of her in-between's are filled with her grandchildren, for whom she is both Adorer and Adored.

She reeled in birthday phone call wishes all day long.

I asked Cyn months ago if I could make her a birthday cake.  I so wanted to do something girly.  Flowers just aren't on the most-requested list in this household.  And when it comes down to it, I'm a fairly girly girl at heart.  This turned out more garish than I had hoped, but I had a love/hate thing going on with it.  Garish, yes, but very Victorian, which I rather like.  What I loved most was its miniature nature.  The bottom round is 5 inches. 

I took at least 5 pictures of these 4 on the swing eating cake, but all of them were fairly freaky.  Of course, they had just spent the past hour jumping in the bounce house.  They emerged with bright cheeks and smelly little bodies. 

When we were lunching with Cyn, I asked what her birthday wish would be.  Aidan quickly roared, "No, Grandma, no.  If you say it, it won't come true!"  I wondered where he learned such lore.  Because I think it really would be interesting & telling & softening if everyone's heart wish was straight out known.   Especially with a person like Cyn who skirts around her own desires, trying to help the world entire with theirs.  In many ways I'm like my mother.  In this, not so much.  My wishes are spoken.  Poor Jim gets the brunt of the blaring.  I'm thinking there's a missing balance between the two of us Gemini women.  But I'll use my blaring to proclaim that I WISH for Cyn to have all she wishes in her 57th year.  Happy Birthday week, Mom!