More Smoker Foods and a Hair Cut. . .

Maybe I should devote an entire blog to "the smoker?"  We tried salmon on the smoker recently and the hubbs and I liked it, the kids not so much.  I love salmon baked or broiled in the oven with lemon, butter, and dill.  I could eat that all day long.  There was something about the smoker salmon, it did not have the good lemon dill flavor that you get in the oven.  Shhh, please do not tell my hubby I said that.
He did steak on the smoker the other day for Sprat as a last hurah! before going back to school.  It was good and very juicy and tender.  I am not a big steak eater either.  He is going to fix a druken turkey this weekend.  That is when you cook the turkey sitting on a can of beer.  My sister makes an amazing smoked turkey on her smoker, I hope ours will be good.
Sprat is making his way back to school, he spent the night in Pennsylvania and he drove the rest of the way to Massachusetts the next day.  He did run in to a little snow but thankfully no accumulation and roads were fine.  It snowed a little this weekend in Massachusetts but, he was safe at the dorm by that time.
Big T went to the salon for a trim.  I have been trying to get him to get his hair shaped up and he always fusses at me and thinks I am trying to drastically cut it.  I am not trying to CUT his hair I just want it shaped up and for it to look nice.   A few people that do not know my sweet Big T ask why I let him have his hair so long.  I always respond with;  he is a straight A student dual enrolled in college and high school and is playing varsity lacrosse. . . if he wants long hair that is his choice.  This mama chooses her battles and his hair is not one of them.  He enjoyed his visit to the salon, my hair dresser and dear friend washed his hair and trimmed it up and told him what product to use and how to take care of his hair.   He also talked to her about donating his hair to Wigs 4 Kids, they talked about how long it would have to be to donate and they made a plan to cultivate his beautiful curls. 
A few pictures to round out the post. . .

Before the fish hits the grill

Taking the fish off the grill, yummmm. . . . 

The Before and a little shaggy

Don't you just love that sweet smile???  

Shopping with the Hubby. . . and Other Things . . .

The hubbs took the day off and we went shopping today, this is the third day he has taken me shopping.  We have almost knocked out our Christmas shopping.  I love Christmas, it is probably my favorite holiday.  I love shopping for presents, looking for that extra special gift for that extra special person.  Our families have gotten older and we do not do gifts anymore, it kind of makes me depressed.  I do still get to buy my boys and my very sweet husband gifts.  My company is helping a family in need this year so I will get to buy gifts for two little boys and a special Mom.   I am looking forward to shopping for them.
My very sweet husband has taken me shopping three days now and bless him he is a trooper.  This is what true love looks like people, in case you have any doubt about your person.  This very sweet man has trucked me all over to find gifts for the boys and shoes (not Christmas gifts) for me.   Today we did the Mall yes, he took me to the Mall.  He did not complain once and I was trying on shoes and everything.   This is the best man on the planet, he is mine and there is no other like him. 
This has been an interesting look in to what our empty nester life would look like, I think I kinda like it. 
We went to Big T's exhibition at school last night, he did a great job and we enjoyed seeing him present and watching the other kids present.  It is exciting to meet these kids and see all of the cool things they are learning and hearing about what they want to do when they grow up.  These kids are taking  high school classes and college classes at the same time.  One of the kids Sprat's age that went to this school has gone in to the military and because he graduated high school with an associates degree he went in to the Army at a higher level than someone just out of high school and he is now studying to be a registered nurse.  This school opens up so many doors for these kids and gives them opportunities to try things out with job shadow and internships.  Big T was invited to go to the middle school to talk about his school along with the principal.  They are doing that next week, he is kind of excited about it.  They will be sharing what all they get to do and the fun things they are learning.
Stay tuned for tells from MA and tells from NC. 

Celebration. . . Love. . . Family. . . .

Celebrated the hubbs birthday this weekend, he got the full pampered treatment.  We had homemade meatball subs, black bean quinoa salad, and beer cheese dip with corn chips, and key lime pie for dessert.  Everything homemade except the key lime pie, it was frozen.  He also got to watch football all day uninterrupted and Miami won, he is a big kid at heart.  It was a great day for all and the food was a BIG hit.
I got to talk with Sprat for a little bit, he was filling me in on that was going on at school.  They have a therapy dog named Cooper that comes to the school periodically that the kids can go by and visit and play with.  Sprat said he had visited with Cooper once before when he was on campus. Sprat is enjoying his time at school and has made some new friends.
Big T is spreading his wings and trying to decide what he wants to do in school, Big T had stellar grades this session and I am looking forward to what he will decide. There are a lot of what if's floating around our house right now and they are in complete opposite directions of each other. I hope his school will give him some opportunities to try out some of these new interests. 
I love watching my kids grow and change, both of their interests have changed over the years. Big T's have changed just in the last few months. Life just keeps getting interesting around our house.
Stay tuned, never a dull moment. .. .

College Visit and a Little History Tour. . .

It is good to be home!  We made a whirlwind trip to Florida to visit University of Tampa for Big T.  He loved it and it was a very pretty campus with lots to offer.  The admission office is on Tampa's haunted destinations.  I overheard a student talking with the family of a prospective student and telling about the fact that the building is haunted.  That might be a draw back to some but certainly not to Big T, he loves ghost stories especially places that he can visit.   We ate in the school food court and that was really good. 

This is the admissions office that was a hotel back in the day and the train depot was right outside.

This is the haunted admissions office.

Big T and the hubbs outside the admissions office 

The backside of the admissions office and the quad.

The front porch of the admissions office 

The best Key Lime Pie Ever!!!  located in Ft Pierce Fla. 

Navy Seal Museum of Ft Pierce Fla 

Amazing place with lots of history 

The Yorktown 

Beautiful scenery we got to enjoy. 

We had such a great time and saw some beautiful scenery.  We did visit two other colleges that did not make the cut.  We drove around and spent some time in and around Tampa and it is a beautiful area.  We used to vacation in Ft Lauderdale  when I was little, I had never been to a NC or SC beach until I was a senior in high school.  This trip brought back some great memories, we did not get to go as far as Ft Lauderdale this trip but it was wonderful to be back in Florida.  I am excited that Big T is thinking about going to UT.  

We toured the Navy Seal museum in Ft Pierce and it was very interesting.  Lots of history and the hubbs and Big T loved it.  We had the best seafood there also and did a little visit to the beach there.

My Youngest is an Adult. . . . What?? No Way??

My oldest is turning twenty this week, it does not seem real, could I really have  a twenty year old child.  Wow!!  Who let that happen??  I am so excited for my son.  As a parent you want to tell them everything you know so that they do not make the same mistakes you made or could have made when you were their age.  Of course he is bull headed, he would not be mine if he was not, and does not want to take any advice from dear old mom or dad for that matter.  My hubby and I made our share of mistakes when we were teenagers but we survived, the only difference is that there was no internet or social media when we were growing up.  Thank the good Lord for that one. Whew !!!  Catastrophe escaped!! 
I am very excited for my son and all of the things he is going to get to do and for the things he has already done.  The world is open for him and I pray every day that he will take advantage of all of the opportunities that are offered.  He text me the other day to tell me how much he likes it at this new school.  He said his classes are very interesting and that his professors are good.  I have not heard how the food is, so it must be good also.  They have a Dunkin Doughnuts right on campus, thank goodness he does not like sweets that much.  The lacrosse team had their first community event on Saturday.  They helped set up for a fundraiser 5K Stary Night run to help raise money for pediatric brain tumor research.  I do not know what the set up consisted of but they worked most of the afternoon to get it ready.  I love that the lacrosse team does things for the community and is involved in community out reach but, it is not just the lacrosse team, all of the teams at his school do these things.  I think it makes the kids see they have an investment in the community they live.   They had their first player lead workout on Sunday afternoon and poor Sprat text me to tell me how sore he was.  I told him to take a hot shower and rest. 
Stay tuned more updates from Massachusetts to come and Big T' first true college visit. . . . 

Boys, Cell Phones, Destruction. . .

These days every child starting in elementary school has a cell phone.  I have never been a fan of  children having cell phones. Not only do they have cell phones but they have the newest iphone or whatever.   I think it is silly to start with and I do not think it is good for their eye development.  My oldest did not get a phone until he was a Sophomore in high school.  I am reminded of this fact quite frequently by him.  The only reason he got one then was because he was going to be driving and should something happen I wanted him to be able to get in touch with me.  Big T got a phone when he was in seventh grade but, only because I had started working and I could get called in and would have to communicate to him how he would be getting home. I am reminded of this one too, by Sprat.

I share all of that to say this:  Sprat has gone through 4 phones since his Sophomore year of high school.  I am sick of buying phones.  This last one he complained about not working and he wanted a new one and I put my foot down!!  He worked this Summer and I told him if he wanted a new phone he would pay for it him self.  So he did.  I also made him change phone providers because his bill was more than mine and Big T's put together.  He bought his new phone and I am paying for his service and I made him go with my service that is much less than what I was paying. 

With that my phone bills are going to go down dramatically.  Wheww!!!!

If anyone is reading this that is techie, I will give you something that desperately needs to be developed.  Someone needs to develop a teenage boy proof cell phone.  This phone should be indestructible, now there are phones out there that claim to be sturdy and durable but I am seriously talking about indestructible.   

Bless Big T he has had the same phone since seventh grade and has never had problem one with his.  Sprat is like that gorilla you used to see on the Samsonite commercials banging the luggage around showing how durable it is.  The only difference is that with Sprat he destroys all the phones. 

Teenager proof phone, the most needed tech item ever.  

College Drop Off. . .

Sprat is back in MA and set up in his new dorm with new roommate.  We got to meet the roommate and his family during the move in process.  They are very nice folks from Vermont.  Sprat has gotten to meet some really great people since he has been in MA in college.  The roommate is a volleyball  player for the school and is a nuclear medicine major.  I enjoyed talking with him and his family, they were very sweet and I think he and Sprat will get along great. 
The hubbs and I drove to Hagerstown and spent the night and then drove the rest of the way home on Monday morning.  Sprat is taking some difficult classes this semester and will be adjusting to all the new things at this school. 

Sprat and the hubbs on campus 

We celebrated Sprats Birthday early

Birthday dinner request was steak and shrimp.

Mom always tries to accommodate on the birthday dinner. 

Sprats wall beside his bed in the new dorm. 

I am excited for what awaits my boys.  I have been planning a college visit for Big T in a few weeks so stay tuned for that update.  He wants to go to school in Florida.  Could my boys pick schools further apart????

Stay tuned as we work through this college stuff.  

College, Boys, Love, Family. . . .

As Sprat is heading back to College, I have been looking back on how the hubbs and I got where we are.  We started out as two dumb young people trying to make a living and learn about life.  The hubbs and I met during my first job out of college.  I moved several hours away from my folks to go to work in a lab right out of college.  Luckily, one of my friends from college also worked at the lab and we were able to get an apartment together.  The hubbs was my lab partner and for me it was love at first sight.  We worked third shift processing blood samples for area doctor's offices. 
Now twenty-eight years later we celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary and our oldest is getting ready to turn twenty and head back to college  for his sophomore year and our baby has already started his junior year of high school.  Wow!! time has really flown by.
There are so many emotions that follow dropping your child off at college; dread, excitement, sadness, love, fear, and hope.  I think dread and fear sort of go hand in hand.  You dread the thought of leaving them and you have a lot of fear about whether they will make it on their own or not.  Excitement comes for all of the new experiences that are waiting for them. Sadness from them growing up and not being the little boys that you brought home from the hospital and held and watched as they slept.  I think hope and love go hand and hand.  You have so much hope for their future and the overwhelming love that you feel believing that you have raised a good kid that is now a good person.
Here is to the new school year, prayers for all the kiddos heading off to school and the parents coping with the new adventures.  Stay tuned for updates from MA. . .

Photos to Round Out the Week. . . .

Sprat serving Lovefeast before he heads back to shool

Broiled Figs with cream cheese and balsamic vinegar

Yummmm!!! 

Big T on the second day of school, I missed that first day picture 

Last but certainly not least Mama's new glide ride. the retro Thunderbird. 

Sprat will be taking my not so old car to school and this is my new ride.  

A Little Trip Home for the Boy. . . .

Sprat and I went for a visit to mom and dad's before he heads back to school next week.  It is always so good to go home for a visit, I like to show my kids where I grew up, where I used to work and the schools I attended.  Mom and dad have a favorite little place they like to eat in town  that is right across the street from where I worked when I was in high school.  

Things have changed so much in my little home town.  They have so many cute little shops and quaint little spots to eat now.  I am so glad that things are thriving in my little home town and I know I can always go home to visit.  

Sprat drove us in my old car, the one that he will be taking back to school, he needed some highway practice before we hit the road to Boston.  He drove well, he does have a little issue with speed, especially in my old car.  It has a little more get up and go than his first car he drove.  We had some great conversations and I feel like I got a little closer to my boy on this trip.  He has grown and changed so much since he was a little fella and we would take this trip to visit mom and dad.  I do believe that car rides are the best way to connect to your child no matter what their age.  We had such a good time, visiting with mom, dad, and my brother.  We missed seeing my sister but we did get to have a quick visit with my niece at the drug store.  

Mom gave Sprat several old t-shirts (Sprat calls them retro, I just call them old) and we celebrated his birthday while we were there.  Sprat also came home with an old straw cowboy hat that he loved and begged mom to have.  

I highly recommend a road trip with your teen before they go off to college, it is an eye opener.  

Stay tuned for pictures of the new school and new dorm and weepy mama. . . .   

School and Cars, Boys and Cars, Moms and Cars . . . .

First day of Junior year.   Yayyy, the hubbs and I had our traditional celebrate the kids going back to school date.   Big T drove to school, still trying to get his hours, with the hubbs.  I worked a half shift last night so they let me sleep in a little so no pictures of first day of school.   The hubbs and I had our traditional back to school breakfast out and  then we drove to pick up my new wheels.  Yep, Mama is getting her very own wheels. I have not had a car that was my very own since before we were married.  I have always had what would pull the boat and what would haul the kids and all their gear.  The hubbs always had a company car so what ever I drove had to cover everything else.  Now that Sprat is in college and I am not hauling everyone to baseball, football and everything in between I can try and find my very own car.  I am so excited.
I have been on a heated search for Sprat a car and have not found anything that fits my pocketbook or my specifications for my kiddo to have.  I did, however, find a neat little gem for myself.  It is more than I wanted to spend on Sprat but less than I had anticipated spending for me.   So, Sprat is getting my not so old car to take to school.   I am not very happy about that but I am pretty psyched about my little T Bird.
The hubbs and I are debt  free except the house and plan on staying that way so, my specs on cars had a whole lot to do with cost and mileage even for myself.  I have been pounding the internet looking for cars for Sprat and on one last ditch effort on tip from a friend I found my little T Bird.  I guess I am in my mid-life crisis.  Since I was a little girl, I have always secretly wanted a convertible and this little T Bird just fell in my lap. 
Sprat is over the moon about getting my car and Big T is happy to have Sprat's first car.  We just have to get Big T a license.  A few more hours to go on his supervised driving and he will be there. 
Stay tuned:  School, Cars, College, Boys, and girlfriends. . . . . . . . . .

Summer Jobs???

Did you have a Summer job when you were in high school?  Perhaps you had a regular job during school?  I did the Summer job thing when I turned sixteen and then found a job that would work with my school schedule and my cheer-leading schedule.  That job followed me all the way through college and thankfully it did. I had great bosses during my school job, they were hard on me but that taught me a lot about working for someone and dealing with people.  I want my kids to learn those same lessons, they cannot learn these things from the hubbs and I tough. 
Sprat, has tried to find a conventional Summer job with no luck. Thankfully he has offered himself up to be a handyman for anyone that needs him.  He has been doing yard work, mowing grass and spreading mulch,  for a couple of ladies in the area and has cleaned out a garage for one lady.  Yesterday he came home and said he had used a jackhammer to take down some bathroom tile.  The last few weeks he has been helping a gentleman gut a house and he has learned to take down dry wall and now to use a jackhammer.  I think that is really cool.   I am thankful for people that will take a chance on a young person and let them help out and do things and maybe even teach them a skill.  Sprat is learning  a lot this Summer. 
Stay tuned as we gear up to start another school year, one a sophomore in college 13+ hours away and one a junior in high school. 

Orientation, Learning, Loving, and a Little Sightseeing . . .

We drove up to Massachusetts for orientation on Sunday.  Sprat had seen the campus but the hubbs and I had not, in fact, Sprat spent a great deal of time on this campus last year with their lacrosse coach.   Monday was an all day affair for all of us, the parents went to their sessions and the students went to their own.  We saw Sprat only a few times on Monday, he had fallen right in with some of the kids from his other school and a couple of lacrosse kids.  We did get to hear a wonderful motivational speaker and the one thing he said that I am sure those kids will not get until they are older was;  "If you do not choose your own greatness, someone else will choose your mediocrity."  I am not sure if these are his own words but that little sentence spoke volumes to me.  This guy was great and the kids seemed to be very receptive to him.  We found out later that this same gentleman had spoken at their orientation for the last three years and every year the current students that are helping with orientation stay to hear him because he is that good. 
We saw Sprat briefly just to give him his bag to get settled in his dorm and then we were off again. They had plans for the students all night and all the next day.  I thought I would be able to handle all of this but turns out that was not the case.  It is very hard to let go of your first born and apparently I am a control freak and do not hide it well.  LOL!!! 
While Sprat was having his day of orientation and the hubbs and I had a day to ourselves we decided we would check out the surrounding areas.  I found a quaint little antique store and yes I did pick up a little item.  The gentlemen that run the shop were very nice and I think I will go  back when we take Sprat in the Fall.   So many nice things and so little room in the car this trip. 
We met up with Sprat and his girlfriend and said our good byes, he is spending a few days with her and her family before heading home.  On our way home we stopped by the Lindt chocolate factory outlet to pick up some much needed chocolates. 
The hubbs got his new company car right before we left so we were able to take it on our trip.  This a top of the line car with all the bells and whistles, some of those bells I could have done without.  At one point we were going through a construction zone that required us to move back and forth over the white line in order to stay within the zone.  The car started making weird noises and flashed a cup of coffee on the dash board with words saying driver alert or something to that nature.  I busted out laughing because apparently us moving back and forth over that white line through the car into a frenzy.   We got use to that one, then we were almost home and it started raining, there was a car in front of us that was turning.  We were not even close to that car and our car started flashing red lets on the dash board that flashed across the windshield and a loud noise sounded and we abruptly slowed down.  That scared me to death! 
A note to car manufacturers all of that is enough to cause a wreck!  We do not need lights flashing across the windshield and loud noised going off when we are trying to focus on the road.  I told my husband he needed to figure out how to disable that crap quick! 
A few pictures to finish up this post:

The quaint little antique store 

One of the neat items we found, a note said it was not for sale.

The college had trolleys to take the parents around 

This is the library 

Stay tuned, I am waiting on pictures from the Cape from Sprat.  He was going to visit there. 

 

Traditional Salsa Day. . . .

The salsa verde was so good, the hubbs decided to try his traditional salsa by roasting the tomatoes rather than boiling them.  I think it will give a good roasted flavor to the salsa.   The hubbs is roasting his tomatoes now along with his jalapenos, garlic, and onion.   This is going to give his salsa a different flavor from previous batches.  This is in process so I will have to share how this one turns out later. 
We are prepping to go to orientation later this month so, I am having to get paperwork all ready for physicals, immunization proof, and insurance proof.  This is an exhausting process!!!
Sprat is going to get to meet his new coach and see some of his teammates that he has not seen since May.  He had been hanging out with them before he came home for the Summer. 
The first day of orientation is a FULL day of meetings and information, I hope he is ready for this transition.  Stay tuned for this later in the month. . .

Finished Salsa Verde  

Roasting tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic  

First batch of tomatoes roasted and cooling.

We have some cantaloupe and honey dew melon growing, no fruit just yet but the plants are big and beautiful. 

Stay tuned for more garden fun and a round up on what we learned from our garden this year. We have decided we will definitely have a Fall garden.

Salsa Verde and Back to School. . .

The tomatillos are really coming in, these did better than we expected.  The hubbs is very excited, one of his favorite places to eat has a very good salsa verde and he has been wanting to make some himself for a long time.   Last night we made salsa verde.  My job in the salsa business is operating the pesky blender and making sure everything blends smoothly.  I have never eaten a tomatillo before, they have a consistency of an apple and are tart like a granny smith apple.   I think that is what makes the salsa verde so different and delicious.  It did not take that long to make either.  I will share my hubbs recipe with you later.  We almost have enough tomatoes to make traditional salsa too, I believe I am going to have a busy week.  Sprat is getting ready for orientation at the new school later this month.  He has his class schedule and had to get a new book bag.  His old book bag, "Lil' Bean" that he carried all through middle school and high school.  He named it "Lil' Bean" because it was an LL Bean bag.  That was the best bag ever and lasted through middle school to complete his freshman year of college.   That is a testament to the quality of their products, and no I am not being paid for these words.  Honest mom opinion because, this kid could break and tear up everything.   The reason we had to get a new one was the zippers broke.  His Lil' Bean was not their top of line bag either, you know I am too frugal for that, especially with Sprat the Distructo kid.   He went with a Swiss Gear bag this time, it has room for his laptop and seems really sturdy, it is also good for traveling by air with said lap top.   I will let you know how it fares with Distructo the kid. 
Big T is getting his supplies ready for school, he starts back the first of August.  Big T's school gives their kids a back pack with their lap tops they are given at the first of every year.  He already has his schedule and will be on the Community College campus this year for a couple of classes.  Up to now he had been taking his college classes online.  He will be taking classes in his career pathway this year and that is going to be a little more challenging.
I am afraid both boys are going to have challenging years this year, Sprat adjusting to a new school and new lacrosse teammates and coach and Big T adjusting to be on a college type campus and doing more work and harder classes. 
Stay tuned as our house is tuned upside down. . .

Salsa Verde:

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
1 med onion
4 cloves garlic
3 jalapeno peppers ( 2 cored and seeded)
1 bunch of cilantro
1 lime zest and juice

Broil your tomatillos in the oven with the peppers and garlic, Broil for about 6-8 minutes, tomatillos should be brown on top.
Set your tomatillos aside to cool, slice your one pepper with seeds in, core and seed the other two and slice, peel your garlic and chop your cilantro.

After everything is fairly cool, scoop some tomatillos in your blender alone with some of each of your peppers, cilantro, garlic, and onion, zest your lime and add some juice and then blend till smooth.  I do this in batches so that it is all blended smoothly.  Once everything is blended add a pinch of salt to taste and chill,

Enjoy!!

Lax, Lax, and more Lax Weekend. . . .

Big T had a big weekend with four games and four big wins for the team!!  I am so glad I was able to see him play with this group of boys.  The gentleman that heads this group up is awesome and he said it best when he said; "Unselfish, hardworking,young men from 12 different high schools came together as a team," on Saturday to win Big!!    These boys have had maybe 3 practices together as a team and they played so well together yesterday, it was great.  I love watching these kids play, they are a young team and they each have so much potential.   I look forward to seeing these boys play in the future. 
It was an extremely hot yesterday and we played on turf, whew, that made it very hot.  Those boys played their hearts out and they left everything on the field.   It was a great day to be a Lax Brah. 

Big T with a nasty poke check 

Big T with some great air for the blocked pass!!

Oh My Poor Deprived Children. . . How Did They Survive Childhood. . .

My children think they are the most deprived things in the world.  I love it, I have made it my goal to deprive them of everything I can think of.  Heeheehee!!  Not really but, that is what they believe at their very core.  I will never forget when Sprat was in middle school and all of his friends had the latest iphones and poor little deprived Sprat did not have a phone at all.  I am polishing my mean mommy crown as I type this morning.  I know that some kids do need phones and I get that but, at this particular time I was not working and the boys were either at school or at home with me so there was no need for a cell phone for them.  That same year as I was buying school supplies preparing for the August back to school fun, I found this cute little eraser made to look like a smart phone.  You know where my devious mind is going don't you?  I decided to have a little fun with the boy.  I found a box and wrapped up the eraser phone and had it sitting at his place at the dinner table that night.  I think this was his eighth grade year maybe.  Needless to say he was not amused at my humor.   He did finally get a phone, he got a flip phone his freshman year of high school.  He was too embarrassed to carry it so I cut off the service and he did not have a phone again.  He did eventually get a phone his sophomore year because he had his license and I thought he needed a way to get in touch with us if something happened with the car.  He did not get an iphone either and I still have not heard the end of that.  I do not like i products and I will not buy them.   I still have not heard the end of that one especially since  Big T got a cell phone (not an iphone) in his seventh grade year.  He only got one because that was when I went back to work and he would be coming home by himself.  I needed to be able to get in touch with him if I got called in to work and his ride home changed.   Most recently we have had issues with the boys having a car.  Big T will start driving more regularly this Summer and Sprat is going to have to have a car to back to school in September.  Their big question is who gets what car?  Sprat thinks he is getting my car and Big T is getting his old car.  Which is partly correct but, we have not made the decision on that just yet.   While we were at mom's for Easter my brother in law had one of his cars, a cute little BMW, I am sure you can hear my wheels turning.   I asked if we could borrow it for a picture, Big T got in and I snapped a few pictures of him behind the wheel.  Yes, I sent one to Sprat at school via text, no caption just Big T behind the wheel of this sweet little BMW.  Again, I polish my mean mommy crown.  It did not take long to get that return text of "Who is that?"  I replied with, Big T is getting this and you get to take your little blackberry to MA since it has front wheel drive it will do better in the snow.  He replied with, "that does not seem to add up."  This went on for a few hours, he really thought Big T was getting a BMW and he was going to keep his car.  My kids are so gullible some times.  That Sprat even thought I would buy them anything that was better than what I was driving just makes me want to laugh and laugh.
He will never let me forget that Big T got a phone in seventh grade and he did not get one till he was a sophomore in high school.  I keep telling him it was a need based decision.  Loving your kids does not mean bending to their every whim.  Sometimes, it means saying no and meaning it. 
Stay tuned the Boy is on his way home for the Summer, the garden is growing, herbs are growing and I am about to get knee deep in making stuff with my herbs. 

Looking Forward to the Weekend. . .

It has been a busy week at work, I know, what else is new.  Everyone is on vacation at our office so I have worked a lot this week, I am not complaining, we can use the extra cash to go toward college.  I was asked yesterday if I wanted to go full time rather than part time.  I said no, I like my weeks where I may work a day or two and have several days off.  I do not mind the weeks that I do work more because like I said we can use the cash to go toward college.   Yes, Sprat does have a scholarship but that money does not pay for trips home or trips to see him.  It also does not pay to feed this growing boy while living the college life.  This next year he is going to have to have a car, so these extra hours at work will really come in handy.  He signed his scholarship acceptance letter this week so it is official, he will be back in Boston in the Fall.  I got to talk to Sprat yesterday, actually talk no just text back and fourth.  He said his new lacrosse coach called him and invited him to a tournament the two days before his orientation at the new college.  We will be planning a four or five day trip this summer for the orientation and the tournament.  Cannot wait to see my boy play college lacrosse, he had a short Fall season with his current school but we were not able to go and watch any games.  

One more night of work and off for a day or two to celebrate Easter with the family.   I have to say my drive in to work these last few days has been quite enjoyable, it seems everyone is on vacation this week.    Happy Easter to you all and stay tuned as we prepare for our road trip to Boston.  

Weekend Update: Garden, College, and Gossip. . .

My little side herb garden/bulkhead is planted.  Yayyyy!!!  My seedlings I was trying to start did not do so well so, I bought some plants to start my herb garden with.  I am  so excited and I cannot wait to clip my first sprigs of Lavender and put them in the bath, awww how relaxing that will be.   Below is the picture after we planted.

I also planted some Dianthus in this bed and some garlic, yes I am going to try my hand at garlic one more time. 

My next adventure is going to be a cutting bed somewhere in the back yard.  I absolutely love fresh cut flowers.  I have some that I cut now when they bloom but I would like a bed devoted for that purpose alone.  I use to have beautiful and very fragrant roses and they died.  I am going to plant some more this year.  

So I got a call from the Dean the other day looking for Sprat, she thought she had called his cell number.  Long story short they believe that Sprat's roommate may be suicidal and wanted to talk to Sprat about the roommates recent behavior.  Well, this just sent me spinning into never never land.  I am a worrier anyway and this was a lot to handle.  I ask that you keep the roommate in your prayers as well as Sprat because I did not know everything he had been dealing with this year.   Being far away from home is hard and add not knowing anyone in this new environment is very difficult.  Sprat was trying to help the roommate cope with some things, I love that my child wants to help everyone, but sometimes our friends need more than just a friend.  Prayers for  them both would be most appreciated.

On to the Gossip train. . .   So my husband went to Atlanta to interview for a job, the job was not in Atlanta the hiring manager was.  At this particular time while he was out of town Big T needed a ride home from lacrosse practice because I was having to work that night too.  I guess when he asked if he could get a ride from one of the players someone else overheard him and only got part of the conversation.  This how rumors and gossip get started, you  only hear half the story and then run with it.  The interview was about two weeks ago and while I was on the phone with Sprat about the roommate he asked if we were moving to Atlanta.  LOL!!!! One of his friends that is in college in another town  texted Sprat in Boston to ask if he was moving to Atlanta.  LOL!!!   All of that because a kid overheard half of a conversation and just went with what he assumed was going on.   Kids can make rash assumptions just like adults and all of a sudden your moving and did not know it.  

That's it for our update.  Stay tuned more college stuff going on and maybe some Lacrosse tournaments and camps for both boys this Summer.  

College Dorm Stuff. . . For Boys. . .

I have been seeing a lot of posts on Pinterest on what to bring and what not to bring to college for the freshman year.  I thought this would be a good post for today.  I searched the internet for these very same things last year when we were preparing to take Sprat to college.  I will share what I found and the truth about what is really needed. 
I will start with; things have changed since I went to college back when dirt was new.  College life is also very different for boys than girls, all the things that you think girls need or would like boys do not care about.  There are some things that us moms will have to insist on and that your sons will thank you for later, so be prepared to put your foot down. 
I did all of the dorm sheet shopping through the school flyer thing that all of the colleges send out.  Those are very handy but, in the words of my son, "the towels suck."  I bought all the sheets, towels, pillows, pillow cases, comforter etc. . .  Sprat informed me the laundry bag in that kit also sucked, it apparently ripped in the first weeks of school.  Sprat hated the towels the most, so my advice, buy your towels from where ever you buy your towels for your home.  Oh and boys do not care if everything matches, color and pattern wise that is.  Now for sheets it was very good to buy those through the college site because you  have to have the extra long sheets for dorm beds.   We also bought the trunk from the college site, we could have probably bought one from a local store but doing this online through the college site was very easy.  The trunk is a must for boys, Sprat decorated his with lacrosse stickers and band stickers and he used it as under bed storage, it had a lock so that he could lock any valuables in it when he was not in the room or when he would go home on break.  These locks are not 100% but they keep an honest person honest.  He kept his winter things in it during the fall and his extra summer things in it during the winter, it fit perfectly under the bed and it also was sturdy enough to use as an extra seat if you had company in your room.  We did not do curtains or hang things on the wall but I did take several of those command type hooks if we needed them.  Sprat did end up using those to hang extra towels or belts up, he even hung up a few lacrosse pinnies for decoration after we left.  We did get a small dorm fridge, I am not sure how much he used it but he had one if he needed it.  We did not do closet organizers, desk organizers, and things of that nature.  I did buy a caddy type thing for him to carry his shampoo, razor, soap, tooth brush and toothpaste to and from the showers.  Sprat stayed in a typical dorm where 16 boys shared a bathroom so this little shower caddy was a must.  He was not that enthused by it when I showed it to him but he did tell me later it was very handy and he was glad he had it.  I also got him some shower flip flops to wear to and from the shower and in the shower, he bucked at this and said it was stupid.  He later admitted he was glad he had them and he did in fact thank me for buying them for him. 
What Boys Need in the College Dorm:
trunk
shower caddy (Bed Bath and Beyond)
shower flip flops
command hooks of all sizes
towels (from where ever you buy them for home)
sheets, comforters, mattress pad, egg crate foam mattress thing (from college store)
lap top and printer, extra ink
flash drives
mini fridge used for leftovers and water
plastic refillable  water bottle  ( the one with water filter is really good)
lanyard for keys (if they do not already have one)
pictures of home and family (nothing fancy and just stuck where he will find them later)
surge protectors/ power strips
collapsible laundry basket (not what you can get from college store)
Small desk lamp
small fan ( a must according to Sprat)
Extra cash to leave with your Son ( most appreciated )
Snacks to leave ( another must per  Sprat)

Moms your instinct is going to be to decorate, take it from me I wanted to do the same, your son does not want this.  On move in day take:  water, lysol wipes, a trash can, paper towels, and snacks.   Don't say good bye in the dorm, do it in the parking lot.  It will not feel quite as final and you will not embarrass yourself or your son.  I got a little teary when we said good bye but, I cried like a baby off and on all the way home, just so you know, home was 13 hours away.   I still cry when he comes home and when we send him back, just not as much.