ending July

I know it is August, but there was a lot that I never covered in July-- so I am going to back track and post it now.

Our friends invited us over for a cookout...
Clint made a kobe beef brisket and ribs-- which was honestly some of the best eating I have maybe ever had!
I let Maddox take off his brace and he swam in their tank!
Their new place is beautiful... and we had a great time.

That following Monday, we traded the brace for a cast.
The orthopedist was very nice and even took me back to see the films but I felt like redneck trash when he asked Maddox what happened to his thumb (which is black under the nail) and he said, "my slingshot... my other thumb use to have one too, I caught it in my BB gun while cocking it-- but it healed."
Then he went on to tell him about the tank swimming from a couple of days before, and our mudding in the Ranger.
I was just thankful he didn't let him in on my broke pinky toe, that I caught on the coffee table while attempting to spank him.... but it was probably coming next.
I was giving him the crazy eyes to try and hush him, but I guess they aren't very successful at 6.

We opted for the waterproof option, and we have continued to put it into good use.
We spent the day after it was applied at the water park with the Addington girls.
It seems to work pretty well, other than the padding on the edges looking pretty ragged.

The dog is still making us miserable.
I wish I could fake it.
But if the boys aren't squealing and running and crying about being bit, scratched, and chased-- the dog is peeing of the floor or digging into a wall.
He is cute...  I'll give him that.
But he makes me psychotic.

It has given us a few laughs, like when Beckham couldn't understand why would name a dog, GOOSE?  He has offered to change his name multiple times to dog or puppy.  And we got tickled over Maddox talking to him in a baby voice saying, "clearly I'm a mammal..."
But not enough laughs to make me like him.

In fact, Lance and I had such a steamy discussion over this furry little thing-- that I showed up to his family's Friday dinner with a swollen face and tears.

I have also almost burned the house down twice recently, and I am blaming Goose for that too.  My brain can't handle anymore responsibilities-- either the dog or (in these cases) the bacon and house full of thick black smoke.... and then steaks-- on the front porch-- in flames.

Puppies are hard.
Change is hard.

The boys both moved up classes at church last week.
Beckham actually did better-- and admitted he had fun when I picked him up.  (even though he still cried as if it was our last moments together, when I dropped him off)
Lance had to work, so another milestone was that we went without him.

We had a cold front-- which was amazing-- and brought 75-80 degree days for a week straight. 

I [push] mowed for the first time during that-- which is pretty remarkable in itself.

We found a turtle (that B later called a trotadile), and a cat.

B picked me a flower (out of my mom's flower bed) and I made them a sticker chart which worked perfectly for about 4 whole days.  :/

I finished Maddox's school clothes shopping, school supply shopping, and I found myself a couple of treats too.  (all on super-silly-sales, of course.--like half off Kendra Scott, 40% off Vans, and 75% off jeans.)  

I sometimes think I should blog on how to be cheap like me, but reality is that I am the minority in frugal-mcdugal-ville.

Also know as cheapskate avenue. 

I think I still over-bought for Maddox but I did it over the entire summer, and manage to not spend a lot.

I still need to register B for mother's day out and get his supplies bought.

I brought down the 4T box of clothes and will go through that here soon for him too.

I just rotated his shoes in and he obsessed with a pair of Gunner's old hand-me-downs and wears them daily.

It is give and take around here.

A lady randomly signed Maddox's cast without asking first.
I had done my best to keep it neat and clean until she wrote a paragraph (a sweet paragraph, nonetheless)... but I will admit that I was mad.  Some might say, pissed.
Okay, really pissed that I ranted on instagram about it.
Maddox was thrilled however, so we let the birthday party sign too.

My mom told me later that the gal has cancer, so I felt like a real devil for making a fuss about it.
I tend to make mountains out of mole-hills (as we had left Academy a few days earlier without a backpack when Maddox and I couldn't agree on one.)  I think that might have been one of those little nudges from God reminding me that sometimes I need to let things go-- quit trying to control everything-- and life is short.  Sign the cast.

Maddox now has a Ninja Turtle lunchbox for school... aaannnnd a monogrammed plain blue backpack.   
I can't change completely overnight people, this is progress.

The little tease of fall has me ready for October!
The boys need to be outside...  or at least I need them to be!
They are like little balls of energy when they're stuck in for too long... and it makes my days hard.
B told me to "get out of the way, toots." the other day.
I have no idea where it came from, and I'd be lying if I said that I didn't laugh.

The white off-brand power wheels has bit the dust after only 5 months with the Erwin boys-- so we are having to share the red one that is probably 8 years old, and was handed down to us.
I guess brand names matter when it comes to battery operated four wheelers.
Lesson learned.

Finally, we spent a lot of time this weekend with these beauties.
A birthday party, a mom's midnight twerking lesson, and a wine tasting about tapped me out...
actually I didn't taste much wine because my head was pounding and not budging under Naproxin--I guess all of my up-side-down attempts at twerking from the night before made me pay.
Thirty bites.
but it was fun!

Bring on August.
As AmyLou says, "the Sunday of summer."