Up up and away!

There is absolutely, positively no doubt that I have two happy boys this summer. And I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be able to type that sentence, and spread it to everyone who reads here, knowing how many of you can truly appreciate what that sentence really and truly means. Even knowing those of you who can only get a faint echo of what it means, you can get the vibe. May it help the tides of your own lives.

How awesome is it to sit in a restaurant, one that Joey picked out- voluntarily picked out, all by himself- and have to speak to him about talking too much? Right after school? Or have to scold him a little for playing too rough with his uncle Evan. Do you understand what it means that he is playing with another human being? At all? I have to be ready for Friday, because we are going to be baking up a storm... because when I asked Joey what he wants to do, he says, "Let's bake cake and cookies!" He wants to do something- he can vocalize it- he really gets excited about it!

Yes, we still have meltdowns. Yes, I had to pull him upstairs a couple of time in the last week or so to discuss the "I want to kill myself" assertions and how to deal with frustration. He still has no patience whatsoever. Ups means there will be downs. BUt I'll take the massive ups we're having. Yes, and twice on Sundays, with every down I've had.

Andy is loving himself some camp, too. He's decided he likes art better than scootering, though I think there are two main reasons for that outside of his love of art: his little ladyfriend, and being teased because his scooter isn't one of the shiny new kind. He decided he likes his scooter, but no so much the other boys who go scootering at camp. Art is more fun because the company is more fun. I know this, because we've had several talks about it. I was worried he wouldn't want his scooter after being teased about it, but he loves his scooter. He won it at the auction and painted it himself, after all. That's my boy.

So here's to summer. May yours be as gloriously wonderful as mine!