Are We Going To Keeping Him Around?

Travis and I have been helping...wait, who am I kidding, we have been doing it...Travis' dad remodel his new (to him) house. He was evicted (again) so we helped him get a house bought and we have been fixing it up for the last two months. Travis' dad didn't want to spend a lot of money on his house, so let's just say it is literally and figuratively on the wrong side of the tracks. Travis went to pick his dad and a load of his stuff up yesterday. While Travis was gone, we went over to his dad's house to clean the bathroom, put on doorknobs, etc. As we were leaving the kids and I ran into a hood rat I have met in the neighborhood before.

Hood Rat: You look NICE!
Me: Thanks (trying to hurry the kids into the car)
Hood Rat: How you doing?
Me: Good, thanks.
Hood Rat: Where you from?
Me: The other side of town.
Hood Rat: Do you have a number so I can call you sometime?
Me: I have a number, but you can't call me, I am married.

I finally got the kids buckled in so we could get back to suburbia where we belong. I am thinking the hood rat was more interested in Travis' BMW (that I was driving) than how "nice" I looked. He was trying to get himself a sugar mama, and I wasn't biting!

Jack: Why did you tell that guy you were married?
Me: Because I am.
Jack: Did he want to be your husband?
Me: I don't know what he wanted, he wanted to call me and I don't want him to call me because I am married to daddy.
Jack: And, you don't want him to be your husband?
Me: No, I don't want him to be my husband!
Jack: Good, I like daddy.
Me: Me too.
Jack: So, are we going to keep daddy around awhile?
Me: Yeah.

Christmas in July

Ben and Lauren's 4th birthday is a week from Monday. I took them to Target to look at the toys so they could make a birthday wish list. Jack is feeling a little left out since he isn't choosing gifts. So, he has started thinking about Christmas gifts already.

Jack: What do you think I should ask Santa to bring me for Christmas?
Me: Why don't you ask him for a tube, skis and a new life jacket since mom and dad are going to buy the family a boat for Christmas?
Jack: How much does the boat cost?
Me: About $35,000.
Jack: I think I will just ask Santa for $35,000 and I can buy the boat.
Me: Santa makes toys, not money.
Jack: Well, $35,000 is probably too much to ask for, I probably wouldn't get any other toys if Santa brought me $35,000.
Me: You are probably right.
Jack: I think I will ask for two Nintendo DSs, three Power Wheels and just $1000.

Wow, I hope Santa hasn't been affected by the economy!

Climbing The Ladder

Jack has tried a few of the rock climbing walls that you see at carnivals and festivals and we have noticed that he has some talent for climbing. But most importantly, he really likes it, so I signed him up for rock climbing camp at a local climbing gym. From the moment we walked into the gym he was in love! The walls looked menacing to me, but he looked at them with lust in his heart! I asked his instructor after his first session of camp about the rock climbing team. Apparently the rock climbing team is not like signing your 6 year old up for T-ball. It is not as simple as signing a release and paying your money like I had anticipated. The instructor told me that if he liked camp then he should join Kids Climb which is once a week and similar to a camp type atmosphere. Being at Kids Climb will make him more likely to be noticed by the coaches of the team. If the coaches think he is good enough he will eventually be invited to be on the Junior Team. My understanding of the Junior Team is that the kids go to 'practice' but they don't compete. From there he would need to qualify to be on Team Canyon, which goes to competitions. When I went to pick Jack up on day 2 of camp the instructor pulled me aside and told me that the coach "noticed" Jack and would like to invite him to be on the team. Do not pass go, do not collect $200...he is on the team if we want him to be. I don't know if the coach needs to make a boat payment and is looking for one more sucker to pay $75/month for their kid to climb or what. But, I do know Jack is stoked! And, Travis and I are really proud of him. I am so happy that he has found something that he is good at and enjoys! When I was about his age I started competitive swimming and I loved always being a member of a team! This is a great sport, just like swimming, because he is a part of something bigger, but he is always trying to better himself! When I went to pick Jack up today I wanted to take some pictures of him on the wall. When I turned around Ben was gone. I found Ben on the other side of the rock wall about 6 feet off the ground with a huge smile on his face, but without a harness. I plucked him off the wall waiting for CPS to pop out from behind the corner and take him into custody. The thing I found most alarming were the teenagers who work at the gym who were working on the ropes didn't do a dang thing. They must have been thinking, "Wow, I hope that little dude doesn't fall"! In a couple years Ben can give rock climbing a try, until then I would prefer him to keep his fat little feet on the floor!