This is the sight that greeted me when I was awakened at 7AM this morning. Apparently, a good old rousing game of jump-on-the-bed resulted in a fall into the corner of Colin's desk. Yeah---I know it's gross, but it tells the story, dontcha think?!

It ended up being better than it first appeared, but there's a chance I'll be headed in for a stitch or some glue tomorrow, because the gash is deeeeep and was still bleeding a bit 15 hours later.

Poor kid got his palate expander in at the orthodontist last week, and we are using a tool to ratchet that thing out each day for 4 weeks...which has caused aching in the jaw & some headaches for the past few days. And now THIS??

The poor kid, dude. He's the man, though...it's like he just never learned to complain.

And yes...I DID actually take a picture BEFORE getting him any aid. Cause that is also how we roll!

Colin's swimming from Jennifer Farris on Vimeo.

As many of you who know Colin's "story" are aware, he has always been a bit of a slow-starter in most things physical. Not walking until 2, tricky time drinking out of a cup still at 3, peddling a bike came late at 5, and so on.

He had taken swimming lessons with his best pal Luke a couple of years ago, and he hadn't exactly kicked butt & taken names, if you know what I'm sayin'. I let him quit, and just assumed that swimming would come. Problem is, Colin often has a mind-over-matter issue where there is no apparent physical issue. Swimming this summer was no different.

As of about 3 weeks ago, Colin was terrified to go into a pool without water wings. About 2 weeks ago, Colin mistakenly went into water that was over his head, about crapped his pants, and struggled to the side of the pool. And last week? Last week, Colin DECIDED to swim. I say decided because Colin very clearly didn't "learn" to swim, he just reached inside himself and was BRAVE ENOUGH to try. And that is my boy. That has been my boy's story all along, and that is why there are tears in my eyes right now.

And this is my boy today. On the big slide at our community pool. Not the little slide. Or the middle slide. The big slide.

Love you, baby.

Kids went down to the garden earlier to pick the crazy-over-producing grape tomatoes, and came running back up to the house with this.

MOM!!! THIS TOMATO LOOKS LIKE A BUTT!!!! CAN WE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PUT IT ON THE BLOG???

Well, of course we can---cause that's just how we roll...

Another hike today! This was just a quickie, only 2 1/2 hours up & back and an elevation of only 2850. It was funny because Colin asked me not once but twice why we did such an easy one, and when were we going to go on one that was harder. Crazy boy...it was, after all, 90 degrees today. The breezes at the summit were appreciated!

I decided to let the kids control the picture taking for this one, which is why you see about 3 or 4 good pictures. The others were Colin's butt, Sydney's butt, up Colin's nose, up Sydney's nose, an eye here or there, some tufts of grass, out-of-focus clouds, and the like. I took a couple of the kids just so it wouldn't be a total loss. You're welcome for the closeup of my teeth. No orthodontics...can you believe it?

One highlight was Colin getting to see the scenic railway train from the summit; we've never actually seen anything on the tracks from up there. SO...this resulted in him practically SPRINTING down the mountain to catch it at the base depot before it took off. You'll see by the picture that we made it (although Sydney bloodied her knee in the rush!)...and it very quickly became his very favorite memory from today. We even had to find the conductor (in the bathroom, the poor dude) to ask when they were pulling out. Luckily, it was within minutes, so Colin got to watch it leave. Bliss.

Last hike of the summer next week...praying for temps below like, ummm, 90?!

Buried them there kids at the beach today, I did. Hilarity ensued.

The postcards telling kids which teacher they've been assigned for the next school year came in the mail this past weekend. And know what? THREE girls called Colin today (girls calling boys? geesh) to see who he'd gotten for a teacher. Oh, and one email from Emilie, of course.

And know what ELSE? I feel pretty good about that.

(I'm also feeling very good about the fact that he got Mrs. Thompson for 3rd grade rather than the unfortunately-married-named Mrs. Butt. I'm not mature enough for that...someone at school clearly has my back.)

So, anyway, Colin...you go on with your bad self, killah...