shhh!

I have a dirty secret.  It resides in one of our upstairs rooms.  So when visitors come I can carefully lock the door to avoid discovery.  Little do they know the truth of what lurks behind the locked.

my work space.

Recovery Step 1:  Admitting there's a problem.  Check. 

And poor Jim.  Bad enough, this is the view from his own tidier corner (though I do like to think that me sitting in that chair helps somewhat?):He still has to deal with the truth that my disease is of the creeping sort.  The infringing variety.  The kind that begins with an innocent paper on the edge of his desk.  Then a magazine, camera bag, two weeks' worth of mail, glue?, cough syrup?, my green cup (there's no way a glass of water would survive on my own desk..for obvious reasons).

Today I plan to progress my Recovery.  By tackling this beast.  For the sake of order and sanctity of marriage.  Wish me luck.  Give me support.  Check back for "after" shots. 

hints & hope

of cooler weather, that is.  But more on that in a moment.   

First...

Around 5, I heard Jim announce to Aidan "okay, let's go take off the training wheels"..so I quickly grabbed the camera and headed out back.  I honestly thought the day would come sooner, but around Christmas we first suggested it.  And A wanted nothing to do with 2-wheeled bike riding.  So we didn't push (which actually surprises me from Jim).  

But today was the day.  And apparently Aidan was very ready because there was really no teaching or coaching involved.  The boy simply got on the bike and rode.  No skinned knees.  No bruised elbows.  I think it helped that he made his debut on D's smaller bike because his legs so easily reached the ground.  Still, his movement and balance were rather impressive. 

Davyn got the bike for Christmas and refuses to ride.  He's a scooter boy.  

(wearing his "mean face")

The whole training-wheel-free riding was cause for celebration, so we headed to the park.  And I was filled with hope because we didn't die of heat stroke in the process.  The weather was positively decent.

Saturday was a different story...

A 10 am soccer game murdered me.  I came home, drank a gallon of water & passed out on the bed for about three hours. 

my (not-so) little #6, chatting with the coach and the post-game, overheated boy

This was our foray into organized sports.  And Aidan left the game with these words:  "I love playing soccer.  I want to do this e-v-e-r-y day."  I didn't have the heart to tell him that sounded like my own worst nightmare.  Instead I'm telling myself that another month might change my tune. 

I felt at least a hint of hope outside this evening.

D's drawing

I have two problems with this picture D proudly presented.

First, in the "who's who" game of the picture gazing, I discovered that I'm figure 1.  And I realized that I'm always at least two times larger than Jim (figure 2) when D draws the family.  Not to belittle the whole one-and-only hopelessly in love bit, but I always knew I'd marry a tall, burly man (one who I'd never outsize...being nearly 5'9" in 6th grade can scar a girl).  I'm going to pretend this merely means that - in D's eyes - I'm (figuratively!) larger than life.

But that's hardly as disconcerting as the fifth figure he pointed to (tadpole-ish circle on the right).  "And that's our baby."

I'll preemptively answer the question that may follow. 

Despite Davyn's insistence, there is no baby on the way.

Davyn goes to school

D's first day of school ever (with his best girl by his side!):Never mind that it's just joy school...that his hair stayed uncombed...that his mom is this week's teacher.  This boy was full-on excited.  Convinced that he'd (finally!) hit the big league.  Honored to sidle up to Aidan this afternoon to tackle homework in tandem. 

I'm mostly convinced that I'm not ready for him to ever leave for real.  So this is the perfect slow start for the two of us...he, completely ignorant of the real thing...me, completely unready to truly let go (or is it be let go?).  

I cracked up when Mandi related London's driving over concern:  "I don't even know where my classroom is.  What if I get lost?"    

I love these littles.

going..going..GONE!

Sold for $175! 

(thanks to all who bid for their generosity..I wasn't sure what to expect, but am so happy with the contribution to such a worthwhile cause)

The cake bidding got intense between two ladies I love...one I admire from afar and one from my very own neck of the woods (or "near Mexico", as she says on her blog).  Me with my friend Melissa:

at a D-backs game a few weeks back (after Eric took a horrible picture & we decided to do our own).

Melissa is zany & fun and I can't wait to create a cake that will do her own creativity justice.

My heart has nearly burst reading through the generous posts and auctions over the past few days.  This tribute from HogieWogie touched me most.  And spurred me to my knees in Gratitude.  Because we simply must hold on to the good of every day.  

Best wishes & love to the Nielsons, their family, their friends, and all who have been touched by this cause.