You feeling lucky?

Some days just crank right along. Some days? Not so much. Today was one of those days. But, in the middle of all the "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" there was a lot of "Way cool."

1. Sleeping until 9:15. Laying til 9:30. Nobody immediately hungry, thirsty or grumpy. Considering that this is our first "official" week of summer since last week was the crazy end of school and a quick crazy travel weekend, this ease into late morning sleeping right. on. rocks.

2. The laundry will easily stay piled in the hall by the laundry room for the remainder of the summer. No need for laundry hampers, just pile on the darks and lights in the piles that never go away. But, today we finished a few of the more difficult piles that require attention when drying AND we cleaned enough towels for another trip to the pool.

3. The heat? Oppressive. For all things other than swimming.

3.5 The stacks of school work and supplies brought home on the last day of school?? Dear GOD!! We worked thru half of those stacks today ... sorting, purging and donating.

4. Driving clear the heck up north for three nights of either baseball practice or baseball games is tedious. But, enjoying the scenery between our neighborhood and theirs in order to beat traffic and make it to practice during rush hour is pretty neat. Packing the car for 6 hours away from home including swim and dry clothes is kinda tough. Oh, and snacks. We've found some new parks and swimming holes and that makes us feel very adventurous.

5. Our city's oldest and most famous swimming hole remains on my list of "Done it, do not need to return AGAIN this summer." Even tho' we did not even enter the water. Thing is, when I consider taking my children to Barton Springs I first consider the monster task that is parking. Good luck. Sure enough, even today, ON A TUESDAY!, the parking thang took 25 minutes. Then, three sweaty bodies had to change clothes or at least remove street clothes from atop swim clothes. Another 15 minutes w/ The Big One FRANTIC he would drop his skivvies in the parking lot. And another 20 minutes looking for the entry fee that must've dropped out of my shoe where I stuck it for "safe keeping." Let that be a lesson to you kids! And I was so hoping to get to explain to The Short One again this year why "that mommy over there doesn't have a top on."

Too many people. Too many local kid campers. Too much damn trouble. Tho' the Greenpeace volunteer did offer to spot me the change it took to get into the frigid water. No thanks. But, oh yes, I do love the environment, sir. Yes, DOWN w/ global warming. I will NOT sign your petition.

All this sweating and cursing only renewed my faith in my children. Amazing boys today. Not a complaint. Not a whine. Just the concern that "mommy lost her money," and a look for the reassurance that this was ok.

6. FOUR DOLLAR chocolate milk shakes. Times two. Made of gelato. Which my kids don't even care about. Or know about. But, from a place ON THE WAY to baseball practice. Because it was easy. And I'd read about it. And they were DEEEElicious.

7. Forcing The Big One to change out of sticky swim clothes into sticky baseball clothes in the car for the second day in a row. But, hearing him laugh and laugh as he tried to pull his tall socks past his knees because "these are a LOT of socks, mommy." And The Short One encouraging him.

8. A brief rain shower w/ the biggest raindrops I've ever seen two seconds after settling into our lawn chairs at the baseball game. The rainbow that followed.

9. The Big One's friends who were signed up to play ball with him had to bail before the first practice. THE BIG ONE CARRIES ON. And this is deeply against his nature. He is playing on a field and PITCHING with no one he knows. And he likes it. This is a truly amazing thing. And for as many times as I have said "little league baseball is a cult," let me now say, "I love watching The Big One play baseball."

10. Thinking for a moment I'd lost my car keys. "I put them RIGHT THERE! RIGHT THERE! in the baseball bag." The Short One remembering the keys weren't in the baseball bag, but in the "swimming clothes bag, mommy." How did he know that???

11. The delightful salmon salad, wine and cool-ish breeze that followed that wet/hot game ... no words.

12. All year it seems my boys have bickered and picked at one another. These first few days into summer they have looked to one another for entertainment. They haven't asked for playdates or activities. (Much.) They haven't exchanged cross words. (Too many times.) They've played with each other and laughed with one another. And, YES, we've watched TV and played video games. We're nothing if not practical ...

Lucky number 13. It's only the 6th day of summer. Check back w/ me in a few weeks. Today became a laughable contest of "lucky or unlucky." But, it might not be so laughable in July ...