So what went on this month? Let's see...I love to take pictures of our kid's classes, the toddler teach is a mighty pretty lady...And some pictures of Davis styling just seemed funny as I went thru the pictures (Magan said there was a lot of color in Ross shopping for Easter suits...I think Davis is the only one of us Junkin men that can pull off these colors)...Ruby finally got to have another lemonade stand (I have to convince her weekly that it is not a weekly thing), and we figured if she just had one by herself, and she saw that it was not really a good time to have one, she might learn a lesson and not want to have one every week. Then she ended up making more money that last time, and got to see her old class teacher, who stopped to get a glass. So, who do you think has already asked repeatedly for another lemonade stand day?...Small Group church meetings at our house...a scout campout at Camp Seqouyah (more below)...Sam dresses in all brown for the Career Tech competitions at the BJCC...Youth trips to see Jillian at her last soccer game...Youth trips to see Jamison at her Choir end of year event...My daily visit with Ruby on the front porch waiting for the bus...I finally got with my mentee Cohen for a frisbee golf day...Awards day with the boys...and Lisa's graduation. A busy month!
I was not able to join Sam and Davis at Camp Seqouyah this month, mainly because there were plenty of other dads there, and I had a pallet of sod to lay out. But I did receive feedback that they were doing great leading the group...Davis is now a Patrol Leader, and Sam is the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. Sam helps the Scoutmaster and is constantly busy as Mr. George is as well. And Sam was excited that he would be getting to eat with the adults, but then he realized that with his busy role, he eats more snacking from the patrols as he works with them, that there is not much left at the adult table by the time he slows down. That is my role at the campout to make sure Mr. George and I would have included Sam have plenty from the adult grub. It is funny how the ones not working quickly forget about the ones that are working.
Davis also told me a funny story of waking up in the middle of the night with bugs crawling in his eyes. He said he jumped up in his tent and quickly started rubbing his eyes then grabbed the bugs and threw them across the tent. In the morning he realized that the bugs were his contacts. And both boys were laughing at the difficult time they had pulling Grant Dabbs kayak onto shore, then they saw that the recent crossover had spent his time on the water collecting green algae and piling it onto his boat. And finally guess who found some poison ivy? Yep, Sam saw it, so of course he got some rashes, but fortunately he has done really well thus far and it did not spread.
My morning chats with Ruby are often a highlight of the day. She makes me smile with her stories and big wavy arms telling her stories. If I am not out there, she calls me thru the door, or sometimes comes to the window near my desk and starts banging on it. She is a hard worker on school mornings, getting sam's coffee, and everyone's ice and water bottles made. She makes sure everyone has their vitamin, and squeezes two together for me representing me and my family...haha, if they ever fall apart, I overdramatize this event, and well she still laughs at her silly dad. She also fixes her own snack, so she don't need dad to do anything but sit and chat with her for 3 or 4 minutes before her bus arrives. I now work on Wednesdays, so I miss those morning visits...I asked her the other day if she missed our time together, and she said "Yeah, I just pretend you are sitting there with me". Dear me...tear tear...I love you little Ru. Love those few days when you still wave to me from the bus all the way till out of site.
And we did have a great adventure downtown at Ms. Lisa's graduation from UAB. She is a pretty regular member of our Junkinbunch blogs, and we were all so happy for her and this exciting day. It was quite an adventure to get up to a seat in Bartow Arena, as everyone was funneled into about half the stadium, then you had to walk around to the side you wanted. I remember bag pipes, then names started to be called, and I saw Lisa was at the very end of everyone (I later joked with her asking if they lined the graduates up by GPA) so it was a nice time to take a nap for me. Then they called her name, and we all cheered...followed by an even louder cheer close behind her as we found the end of the line. After the graduation, we went to Pizitz food hall with Lisa and other friends. It was really fun connecting with people who are all connected to Lisa. She also randomly met some bearded guy at Pizitz and i remarked to her friend Nick "Lisa just connects well with almost anyone, right?" Haha...then later I realized the random guy she met and got a picture with was Mat Kearney (www.matkearney.com), and she and her friend Loida were going to his concert in Birmingham that night. Pretty cool. Only other thing I remember is woman falling in Pizitz, and needing ambulance...and Ruby couldn't take it and starting getting sick (That girl is NOT going to be a nurse, I am calling it now).
