Mama's Memories for M: TOAD ZONE! and Smuggling a Shark

Yo, M!

🎶 Summer, summer, summertime...summertime 🎶

Here we are in the midst of the dog days. Fully immersed in sunshine, heat, and no school. Lazy summer days and Peanut is more than happy to lounge with us.

The girls and I had a beach / picnic / brewery day to celebrate Kelly's birthday in July. Our shirts say "Beach Beavers" and have a picture of a beaver in an inner tube with a fancy drink. Honestly? I don't even remember why.

The three of us (you, me and Daddy) celebrated our 16th Family Day anniversary at the beach, as well. You are so against pictures anymore but at least we got you to the beach. I enjoyed our time together. Then on the actual anniversary of Family Day (the 6th), you slept in and I brought you your favorite sammie from Belle's along with strawberry cake to share between us and Lao Lao. I also ran you to Tanger Outlets for some pre-Canada shopping (we're going to visit your friend Julia later this month). While we all ate our cake, we retold the stories from China and all of the chaos surrounding your consulate paperwork and the mad dash to get it (and us) to the airport. It was fun to recount those experiences from 16 yrs ago (!). You asked me if it felt like 16 yrs ago and I said actually the weirdest part is that you are almost 18! Eek! I always knew the truth that you were growing up, slowly, year by year...but it just felt like you'd always be 4 or 5 somehow. Sigh. Forever my "baby".

With summer here, that also means the garden is, too.

Peanut absolutely loves to roam around and lay in Lao Lao's garden

while Lao Lao was out of town, you had garden harvesting duty

Just after Lao Lao got back from her trip, we whisked her away for another trip across the border. We stayed for several days in Toronto and I spent much of that time driving you (and Julia sometimes) back and forth to Cambridge (Ontario). It was a big task and I logged a lot of miles behind the wheel, but I was happy to see you having so much fun with a good friend you've had for a few years now.

a sign I spotted on the road outside Toronto

Lao Lao and I did get some time together...one day in particular was really nice. One of the many things we did was day drink some beer at the Village Idiot near Chinatown.

One day we hosted Julia all day in Toronto.

gaming

thrifting

looking for dumplings in Chinatown

trying new foods
(I wish I could remember the name of
this but they were like frozen yogurt cubes)

resting at the hotel

picking out a snack at the 7-11

One of the most surprising and fun souvenirs we brought home was this little barn kitty. We originally named him Mushroom Shark Kelly...but since we've been home he mostly goes by Shark or "lil man". We actually smuggled him across the border, even though we went to a vet and had him checked out and given his first shots, just in case we got stopped. He's just the sweetest (and most ornery) little boy. So happy, always purring.

we had to sneak him into our hotel for
the last night before heading home

and I walked 3 miles round trip to get some of the
most authentic Canadian poutine

finally home and snuggled into his new giant bed with you

CDS = cat distribution system

and this is MY boy...GG missed me

it looks like the bear is trying to get up, like
"why is this dang cat in my lap?!"

the sweatshirt Julia hand-sewed for you

he came with us to help in Lao Lao's garden

looks like he's melting off the futon

Shark's hobbit door into your room

Kelly and I went to go see Kevin Bacon's band...we had to, since her dog is named after him. LOL

Then, as an early 50th birthday trip, the girls took me to Destin, FL. It was a really fun long weekend of shenanigans, deep conversations, laughter, silliness, and fun.

we took a tiki boat out to Crab Island

here the girls are buying fresh pineapple from a boat vendor

I'm Sally O'Malley!
we also all had matching shirts and choreographed a video
(it's buried in all of my memory cards somewhere)

aforementioned shenanigans

back at home, you were doing manual labor

and Kelly surprised me with the most HILARIOUS bathing suit that
I have ever seen...omg, it was so funny when she whipped off her shirt

brunch in our mumus

While I was away, the animals were getting more and more comfortable with their new sibling.

Shark loves the blanket that Kelly made me, too

Stacy, KK, and Mama Patty all came up so that they could visit Stacy's brother. Since our families were going on a camping trip shortly after, Stacy let KK stay with us for the next week and then we brought KK to Hocking Hills with us. It was fun to have KK here and great to give you two an opportunity to bond more.

and a couple more pics of our beautiful, mischievous prince

I took you two to the beach one day

and paid you both to wash and detail our cars

KK came with us to pick up your schedule

And then just prior to meeting Stacy and Brad at Hocking Hills, we were part of a surprise vow renewal for Brad (and Stacy) where she wore her wedding dress in the same exact place they were married 24 yrs ago! He said he kind of knew, but I think it was such a fantastic and sweet surprise.

we even got to watch Uncle Forge do a glass-blowing demo

And then we were on our way to Hocking Hills...

Audrey sent this pic of Shark while she was watching our
house...it's by far one of my favorites

they surprised me with a 50th birthday cake

at the Bigfoot Festival

snacks for watching Poltergeist all together

All in all, it was another great combined family trip.

Then we hit the ground running once home because it was the start of the school year! A senior?! What?!

you participated in the yellow rose ceremony for seniors at
WNHS...I was surprised you were so moved by it

your senior class

You also helped me create a walkway from the sidewalk to our porch...not too bad for an afternoon's work!

for some reason, Shark loves to attack Lao Lao

walking to the car and chatting after
breakfast with Papaw

random photo from an over 30 dance party that
the girls and I attended

the hammock I made for Shark on the porch

it's true...cats love boxes

one of the few times he's slowed down enough to sleep on me

Took an impromptu trip to check out the new sushi belt restaurant. We did good! As you can see from our stack of plates.

I took a quick trip to Nashville with Mindy for our fall birthdays. She's obsessed with that town and this time, I got to see even more of it than in previous trips.

had to stop at Buc-ees

Shark loves our giant teddy bear

and Peanut loves Hoover

Daddy and I had a date night for our birthdays

and Brad found the old tattoos that
Kelly had made for my birthday
a year or so ago

because this book is sadly necessary nowadays

sharing your after school snack with Lucky

all 3 kitties enjoying the fresh air

One evening in September, you and I went to about a million (ok, maybe just 3) Targets on a spontaneous adventure to find a very particular weighted birthday plush for Julia. We never did find "the one" but it was a nice impromptu afternoon together. That night we took a walk after dark and Peanut scared the shit out of us by repeatedly finding and scooping into his mouth...toads! I screamed, we both cracked up, every. single. time. Those poor toads didnt know what hit them...but they likely survived only because we shrieked "drop it! drop it!"...and my SCREAM probably woke any babies from their slumber for a 5 mile radius! Haha. But it was worth it to laugh so hard together. As we slowly crept the rest of the way home, you yelled TOAD ZONE! whenever we came near any places he'd previously terrorized the unsuspecting critters. I love that you coined that term. Lol

helping me with the dishes

our version of pre-rinsing

that lil tongue

sharing dinner

some jammies we found at a bin store

Uncle Flint won a teaching award, too...very cool!

another find from the bin store (all ready for Halloween next month)!

And then at the tail end of September came my actual birthday, celebrated in my usual fashion with a solo day of reflection and exploration around the city. My favorite way to spend the anniversary of my birth.