Family Camping Weekend

Our family took part in an unusual camping trip: We camped in Billy's parents' back yard! Yes, it was a bit unorthodox, but we had a great time. Instead of going to all of the trouble of pulling the camper somewhere for the weekend, Billy's Dad decided it would be fun to camp/tailgate in their pasture. And actually, it was fun! Papa has a big shed (which normally houses all of our campers) which he turned into a tailgaters paradise! We had 3 or 4 tables full of food, a TV with football games being shown, a TV dedicated to the Wii, several kerosene heaters, a ping-pong table and various other "stuff" set up to keep us occupied. During the daylight hours the kids would amuse themselves with throwing the football/baseball or riding the 4-wheeler. Sunday afternoon Uncle Jeff saddled up 'ole Star and everyone had fun taking turns riding (except Rylan who is allergic to horses and Billy who is a chicken-baby when it comes to horses!!) It was a fun-filled weekend (well actually Sat. thru Sunday afternoon) for all and maybe next time the camper will actually hit the highway! Who knows?!

Boy Meets Girl

O.K. So here's the scoop on Rylan and his older lady friend! I know you all have been waiting with baited breath....

Date: Oct. 24, 2008 Place: Fall Festival-Greenwood Family YMCA

Boy walks in with mother (UGH!-how humiliating) and little brother and a friend. Boy (AKA: Rylan) and friend (we'll call him C) are let loose to roam the festival at their own discretion. BIG MISTAKE as boy comes back with an important announcement: "I'M GOING OUT WITH THAT GIRL OVER THERE IN THE RED SHIRT." Mom's first reaction: What exactly does GOING OUT mean when you're 11 years old?! As later explained to Mom, going out means: Boy asks his friend (C) to ask little cute girl if she wants to "go out." Girl says Yes. Now keep this in mind: Boy has never met this girl before! He may have seen her in passing at school--maybe, not sure. One reason he hasn't seen much of her at school is because SHE'S IN THE 8TH (EIGTH) GRADE!!

(I insert a new paragraph to give you time to catch your breath....)
Anyway, the threesome pal around for about another hour and then everyone goes home. Mom has all but forgotten about R's "girlfriend" because I figure it's just a passing fancy. Well, fast forward to today: November 10. The Boy and Girl are still an item! I've stressed and fussed and steamed and stewed but to no avail: their love endures. What's a mom to do?

I've warned my child of the dangers of older women! I've told him to beware of hand holding (which he assures me is "gross"), too much talking on the phone and other such dating dangers. He very non-chalantly tells me, "I already know, Mom!" Well, excuse me! This "going out" (though they actually never go out anywhere TOGETHER) thing is very new to me! And I must say, even though she's 2 years older, she is a very sweet, respectful girl. She seems to have bolstered his self-esteem and given me another bargaining tool to use as punishment against him! ("Rylan, you can't call "M" tonight because you ran your mouth at your father....etc.") So, it may all work out well in the end. I just want him to keep his options open and play the field a LITTLE before he settles down!!!

Halloween

We had lots of Halloween fun last week. Landon had several occasions to dress as a policeman and by the time it was "really" Halloween, he was tired of dressing up! Of course, Rylan is "too old" to dress up but when it was actual trick-or-treat time, he managed to wrangle a few candy bars, too! The first photo, of pumpkin carving, is self-explanatory. The second photo, however, deserves a little explanation! We had a new toilet installed last Thursday and the guys left the old toilet right in the front yard, of all places! I tried to think of how to incorporate it into our holiday decor, but Rylan insisted it be removed ASAP (as his girlfriend---another blog in itself--was coming over!) I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of Landon on the throne before the toilet went bye-bye. (Landon didn't mind posing for the shot at all!)