My life with a bunch of yahoos....

Soccer Balls and Baby Dolls

Jay and his best friend, Josh, partied in their traditional Labor Day style to celebrate their 12th birthdays today. This year, they asked their guests--all buddies from their travel baseball team---to bring toys for the orphans at Addy's Hope.

Their Canes teammates came through in a big way and Jay and Josh collected 11 soccer balls, 2 footballs, 3 Tonka vehicles, a remote-control car, 15 Matchbox cars, 10 baby dolls and 5 Barbie dolls. Yahoooooo!

In between some fierce dodge ball matches and plenty of fast-paced basketball at the old high school gym, the partygoers also put together nearly 50 treat bags for the Addy's Hope kids. Josh's mom and stepdad very generously donated all the loot for the bags and each one included a pack of crayons, a tennis ball, stickers, markers, tissues, a toothbrush, party favors and noisemakers......plus PLENTY more to show the kids in Liberia that some one here in the US is thinking of them.

Our family will look forward to taking every thing over when we travel next.......but in the meantime, thank you Canes friends for your wonderful generosity and for remembering the children of Addy's Hope in Monrovia.

Our own.......Captain Underpants!!

Thank you to every one who contributed to Brant's "Undies for Orphans" drive. All tolled, he collected 782 pairs of kids underwear for the children at Addy's Hope in Liberia! He and I were able to take about 500 pairs (100 lbs!) over when we traveled in July and will take the rest when we go back to pick up Amos and Kalee.

Who knew there were so many Disney Princess underwear options for girls! Amazing.

You know, collecting "panties and briefs" (as the Liberians say) wasn't a glamorous project, that's for sure. Brant could have collected school supplies, or flip flops or toothbrushes or myriad other things for the kids, but he saw a need and decided to go out on a teenage limb to fill it. Thank you for supporting B as he grows and stretches and learns how to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth.

Who can believe.....Jay is 12!

Jay set his alarm for 6am and got us all up early to celebrate his big day before school!

Babe was really, really happy with his new Nokona catcher's mitt, a few other trinkets AND the above-pictured box of taco shells. Will apparently dared him to put those on his birthday list--

just "to see if Mom is paying attention."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY BOY!

I love the smell of pencil shavings, Part 2

Today was Will's first full day of class as a freshman in the high school program at the UNC School of the Arts.    There are only 11 other 9th graders, only about 100 kids in the high school altogether, so Will has very small academic classes.  After two weeks, his music classes will start and he'll study privately with his cello professor and also take part in a studio group with other high school and college students. He can't wait....

Being that UNCSA is an arts school, a wacky mascot is a complete given......so let's hear it for the Fighting Pickles!    

Will and I spent all day Friday and most of the weekend in various orientation meetings with riveting topics like:  "H1N1 and YOU,"  and "Don't get in a Pickle---Be Safe on Campus."  I'll spare you all the pickle puns.....though they sure were CUKE!

Anyway......if you don't know Will, can I just tell you that he is one neat kid?   Most days I'm amazed that he is my child.   He composes music and loves words.  He draws and paints and reads like crazy.  He writes and re-writes story after story.   He thinks and wonders and asks loads of questions.   Will requires very little sleep and when he does sleep, he dreams.  In color. Or in Spanish.   

Will makes me laugh and laugh....especially at the end of the day.

My prayer, and I hope yours too, is that Will will grow and thrive at UNCSA; that he'll perfect his art and play and write beautiful music to the glory of our God who created him.