Pisgah vs. Tuscola

We took the boys to their first-ever Pisgah / Tuscola game. I'm kinda surprised by how much they loved it, but they LO-OOOOOO-VED it - like, as we walked back to the car, both begged to go to another game soon. This bodes very well for their parents, who are both rather fanatical about sports in general and football in particular.

Jones said he loved to stand up and clap, but even more, both boys were BLOWN AWAY by the skydivers who flew in both the game ball and an American flag. When he saw them jump out of the plane, Jones turned to me and said, "When I grow up, I am NOT gonna do that." True to form, Freddie's reaction was a little less reserved. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

"Amazing" pretty perfectly sums our our wonderful evening under those Friday nite lights.

In this picture and the next one, Jones is flexing. He does that
often now to show off all the success he's having
with those Flintstones Vitamins. No. I'm not kidding.
He will, without hesitation, tell you that's why he's getting so strong.

I was trying to snap a selfie when I looked between us
and saw one of our favorite photo bombers.

Photobombed again.

Thomas & Frederick

Sooner or later, the boys are going to outgrow "Thomas & Friends." Someday, they won't watch "Hero of the Railways" every, single day after school. Different configurations of wooden tracks and plastic parts won't always blanket the floor of our den. "Someday" will be here before I know it. Until then, I'm thoroughly enjoying the ride through this particular part of their boyhood. When Thomas eventually chuffs out of our lives, it'll be way harder on me than on the boys. Already, they're starting to want to watch things like "Kung Fu Panda," things that are (sometimes) crass, things that are nowhere near as timelessly sweet as the goings on on Sodor. I'll miss the days of trains and tractors, of fascinations with tools and trucks.  I'll miss the way their little hands grip the engines as they direct them from tunnels to Tidmouth Sheds. I'll remember how Jones narrates his play, giving each character its own unique voice. But at the same time, I can't wait to see the "unique voices" my boys develop the bigger they get. I just hope they're more sweet and "Sodor"-like than "sometimes crass."

College Colors Day

Happy College Colors Day! Prior to watching the boys' first-ever Pisgah / Tuscola high school game tonite, we made sure that they boys were decked out to celebrate College Colors Day.

I look forward to this day more than I probably should every year. It's just that, by the time it rolls around, I am SO MUCH MORE THAN READY for the start of the football season that College Colors Day kicks off.

This reminds me of something funny Freddie said while we were coloring earlier this week. He had three bats to color (we're talking about nocturnal animals around here lately), and Freddie said, "I'll color that one Wildcat (blue), and this one Tennessee (orange), and this the green team."

Maybe I'm not the ONLY Pressley who's ready for College Colors Day.

Freddie sat like this for the picture,
because he wanted to show off
his "Buzz shoes," which are handed
down from Jones. He was so
excited to find a new pair. 

Freddie looks like he is NOT much of
a Cat fan in this picture, but Jones looks
so cute that I hated to delete it.

Freddie's stance is one
of his Spider-Man moves.

Mrs. Dellalio from school emailed
me this picture of Freddie from school
on Friday. He'd built his own rocket!

"Frizz" is the word.

Last year, I'd sit in carline at Clyde First Baptist and think, "Who would DO that," as I"d watch parents walk in to pick their kids up from preschool. This year, Jones asked me to walk in to pick him up (as well as to drop him off in the morning), and I've done it happily every single day, even in this afternoon's torrential downpour.

The thing is, if I walk in, I honestly get 15-20 minutes more of his day than if I waited in carline. Given how much of his day we're handing over to Kindergarten this year (ridiculously, 8 a.m.-3 p.m; I looked but couldn't find a half-day Kindergarten anywhere), I covet every, single second I can get with my big boy. I've taken note and am not exaggerating when I say that I can pick him up, get back to my car, and be pulling away before the first car has made it through the line.

So yes, Bug. I will walk in to pick you up - even in the rain, even when it makes my straightened hair frizzy - because it means I get a handful of extra minutes with your sweet, maturing self, whom I love so very much. If you ever wonder about that, this post is your proof.

Pre-K at HCA

Freddie has officially started pre-K at HCA!

I'm not entirely sure that he understands that all of his classmates from Clyde won't be there, but he did okay going into school. Because the preschool renovation on the new campus isn't yet finished, they're meeting at New Covenant Church for the first month or two.

His teacher, Mrs. Burke, seems wonderful, and I know he's in for an amazing year!