hey there.

This is going to be one of those-- with a billion pictures and a quick run down.
Because I need to post Maddox's birthday blog too...
and then we leave Thursday for summer vacation number 1,
and I can't get too far behind.

So here goes-
hang on to your sombrero.

Two Saturdays ago, Lance and I ran to Grapevine Mills for a few things.
Sometimes I think I should write a blog on how to be cheap.
Because I think I am pretty good at it.
But then I realize that being cheap isn't all that cool, so I don't...

But just know that I got some sweet deals.
And be jealous that I spent little.

Beckham is still doing awesome at the whole potty training gig.
Except when he dropped his drawers in front of Tutti Frutti and released....
And the fact that the child still refuses to poop in the potty.

But...
If I wait until after the morning BM to rock the panties-- we could say that he's fully potty trained!

Tuesday we had the photo shoot with Eileen.
Which I love.

Thursday we had a day at the water park with our cousins.
(And somehow this is the only picture I got?!)
We ran into my pal Nicolle while we were there and the kids had a great time together.

We got a little more sun at our community pool on Friday.
The Booten girls showed up a little later and we got to play with them too!

That evening we went to Lance's softball game.
He plays in a men's church league and the other moms were so nice but I ran into a parenting challenge during the game...

Maddox spotted a man playing a game on his phone in the stands--  (we were sitting on the lawn with the other moms)
I missed the initial interaction, but Lance saw it all from 3rd base and he said that Maddox approached him, and most likely asked to play his game.
I look over, and see Maddox hip-to-hip with a complete stranger and got a little uneasy.
I walked over, and felt the situation out-- and I had no weird vibes.
I think Maddox was being Maddox-- and the man was trying to not be rude.
But the other moms, whom I had just met, were not having it.

They (loudly) were saying how inappropriate it was for that man to interact with a small child-- and one of the mom's blatantly told Maddox to get away from him.

I felt so awkward.
Of course I don't want my child playing with strange men--
but I also don't want a strange man (who most like was just trying to not be a jerk to a persistent little boy) to have hurt feelings and to be made to feel like a creep.

It was a tough one.
But Maddox gave the game back-- I explained to the man that Maddox needed to play with the other kids-- and the man moved to the other bleachers.

Saturday, we bought fireworks and went out to mom's to shoot them.
$20 was my max budget (which does not go very far these days) but I explained to Mr Corky that Pop would probably be back...

And I was right.

The kids had more fun than they could handle, rotating through lighting them with the men...
But I still think the .50 smoke bombs were the biggest hit!

There was a missing child in our community this week.  (7 year old boy)
Lance and I (and the boys) went out to help look for him.
He ended up being at a neighbors and safe, but I cried just thinking about it...
And I loved seeing how quickly our little community pulled together to help.

It certainly makes me hold my boys tighter--
and maybe not feel quite as bad for the innocent bystander with the cool game on his phone.
You just never know.

We spent a little more time at the pool this week.
(getting the most out of those HOA dues we have to pay!)

And my brother and parents came out on Wednesday to watch our community's fireworks.
I make pulled pork street tacos with homemade pico, and I have to say--
they were pretty dang great.

We got to see Shawna and Ashley at the show--
And the fireworks were incredible!

I had to work July 4th.
"Had to" can replaced with "signed up to"...
As I typically work as many holidays as I can--
since I would rather work less hours for more money--
and it doesn't get much sweeter than triple time.
Especially in July.

I was frustrated when I started the morning-- as my gas light was on and my car told me I had ZERO miles until empty-- and I had to turn around and go get gas.
My ice coffee tasted like it was made by a toddler--
And then I drove to the wrong dang office to work...

But I still made it one minute early...
And we were finished by noon.
So I called it a win.

Mom kept the kids-- and they had a blast!
As always.

That evening, Lance and I got Bomb Pops and parked in a field off of 35.
Had we ditched the kids, it would have been a magical evening.
It was cool with a slight breeze and we had the perfect view of about 4 different professional fireworks shows and 15 amateurs.
But...
The boys amended that dream.
They fought, and ran, and refused to sit, and fell, and dripped Popsicles over everything we owned-- and we pulled out about 10:00.

We did have a pretty (and more peaceful) drive home though.

Friday was Maddox's 5th birthday party.
I woke up at 7:00 to clean and print and cut--
ran around town up until minutes before the party.

It was chaos, and I promised myself as I always do-- that it was the last one ever...
but he had fun.
We had an awesome turn out.
And I did it on a budget.

I'll post it next.