Beetles and Orchids

Like Barbara, I am not much of a flowers person.

Must go with the name.

But yesterday morning, when I was heading outside to put my guitar, my music bag, and the amplifier and electric bass that Big Brother is borrowing into the car so we’d be ready to leave for church, I found a little box sitting next to the front door.

A pink paper was sticking out of it.

The box contained an orchid corsage, and the paper was a homemade card featuring a colorful flower and Herbie “The Love Bug” and signed “Sincerely Adventure Boy your god son.”

Adventure Boy thinks that Herbie is the coolest EVER. He’s been Herbie for Halloween, and his cars in the last two Pinewood Derbies have both been Herbie variations.  So it’s no surprise that Herbie was featured on my card.

I’m not a flowers person, but I proudly wore that corsage to Mass and to the diner afterward, because it was so sweet of Adventure Boy, my godson, to tiptoe over here early in the morning and leave it for me.  I think the real treasure is the card, though.

It’s Snowing!

…and raining. And it’s just warm enough that all the snow melts as soon as it hits anything. But it’s pretty outside. Pretty wet, too.

Once Little Brother and Adventure Boy discovered it was snowing, they had to go right out. They’re trying to play basketball out there in the snow and rain.

Of course, if it weren’t snowing, they wouldn’t be outside. You couldn’t pay them to be outside.

It’s Starting Already

Adventure Boy has two more full weeks of school, but that’s not stopping him.

Tonight he rang the doorbell here at 8 PM, looking to play with Little Brother. His older sister was with him.

First-graders should not be looking for playmates at 8 PM! They should be at home, getting their showers and putting on pajamas and brushing teeth and reading a little before bed.

And I suspect that the adults in charge of Adventure Boy are well aware of this, but it’s easier for them to let him come up here and have me tell him that it’s time for him to be heading home, rather than have to fight that battle themselves. (They’ve admitted as much to me in the past, on numerous occasions.) I’m tired of having to be the grownup for this little boy.

He needs prayers, and so do his grownups. I guess I’m one of his grownups, so I’d appreciate some too.

We’re Having a Heat Wave

It was over 90 degrees today for the third day in a row. It’s April–in New Jersey. What’s up with the tropical weather?

It’s so hot, I’m wearing shorts. The temperature has to have a 9 in the front before I will do that.

But one person who is not wearing shorts is Adventure Boy. He’s dressed in his full Indiana Jones Halloween Costume regalia–complete with hat. It’s a dark brown outfit, just perfect for playing outside in 90-degree heat.

Adventure Boy is completely obsessed with Indiana Jones. He was over the moon when he learned that Indiana had been a Boy Scout–just like him! He gets the biggest grin on his face when I call him “Indiana Jones” instead of his real name.

So can someone please find a way for me to convince this child that it’s OK for Indiana Jones to wear shorts?