A bit of a lot of things, all colored in school-bus yellow.

The boys had hours away from one another today. I guess it's just practice for next week, as A.J. starts school again on Monday.

For his birthday, Heather had given Jack two hand-made cards that told him of a special day he would have with just her. That day was today, and she picked him up around lunchtime. Jack chose a special lunch at Chuck 'E Cheese, and then had shopping trips with her at Barnes & Noble, Old Navy and Toys 'R Us. They stopped for dessert at Chili's on the way home. The two of them entered the house laden with packages, and then I set to work opening all of the many new Thomas the Tank Engine toys he'd picked out. I removed the tags from his new clothing while Heather and I chit-chatted. Jack and I talked Heather into a few rounds of Zingo! as well, and we each won one round.

While Jack had been gone, A.J. and I had dropped Philip off at the base for some firing practice. We picked up a few items at the commissary (muenster cheese!) before coming home. I'd eaten four tomatoes for lunch, but I wanted some deli meat and cheese to make sandwiches with some of the rest of the tomatoes. I set about making the music mix that I posted about earlier, and then it was time to leave again.

A.J.'s school had their 'Meet the Teacher' hour this afternoon. It was from 4-5pm, but we arrived by 3:40 to make sure we had a good parking spot. A.J. brought his birthday party invitations with him to give to his classmates and friends. We checked the class lists and learned that A.J. had gotten Mrs. Janovec as his new third grade teacher. He was thrilled - he'd been hoping for her all summer! I do hope he'll have another wonderful year. He delivered his invitations and talked to a few of his friends. We checked out the gym and library (he wanted to see if there were "lots of new books" this year) before leaving and coming back home.

Shortly after we'd come home, Philip and two of his troops stopped by for a break between firing rounds. He wasn't on his best behavior, and I called him on it. (He was being a jerk to A.J. for something that wasn't his fault.) Heather and Jack came home then, too. After a while, Philip and the guys headed back to work. Meanwhile, I made two loaves of Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread.

I made sandwiches for dinner, and then I worked out in the garden for a while. I pulled six more peppers, a bunch more tomatoes (of all three varieties!), a third crop of carrots and the last of the green beans. I pulled the green bean plants up afterwards and carried them to the yard waste bin. I trimmed the Big Max pumpkin quite a bit, and I weeded the marigolds in several places. I worked until it became too dark to see any longer, and then I came inside. Then I spent an hour or so preparing all the veggies I'd just picked.

I filled out all of A.J.'s paperwork for school on Monday - I know I won't have the motivation to do it later this weekend. Jack's paperwork has long since been completed and turned in to the church, but his first day isn't until August 25th.

I imagine the boys will enjoy a bit of "alone" time once A.J. is back to school. Even if they don't, I'm sure *I* will. We've had a fabulous summer, but even still, the boys do tend to get tired of one another more quickly here at the end of the break. ;-)

Friendships and more.

We had a fairly low-key day today. I cleaned most of the afternoon, and then I read scrapbooking magazines outside on the picnic table while the boys played in the Slip 'n Slide. We've still got three of them from last summer (I don't know if they are all intact or not, though), but today is the first time this year that they played on one. They had a decent time playing, but really - after the Banzai Falls waterslide all summer, a regular Slip 'n Slide is a bit tame.

I picked about two dozen cherry tomatoes from the garden, but I left the four or five ripe Better Boy tomatoes out on the vine. I'm eating them as fast as I can, but I still can't keep up! I had a lunch of two large tomatoes today - it made for my fourth meal in a row of just fresh tomatoes! I'll pull those few tomorrow, I'm sure.

While we were outside, Heather called and invited me and the boys out to eat. We showered and dressed, and then she picked us up. We headed to La Mesa, of course, and it was pretty packed, even for a Friday night. She also surprised me with a very perfect card and even more perfect gift on the way - it is too much fun being us. :-D

Seriously, everyone needs a Heather. A Heather-type of best friend, at least. No matter where you are in your life, you need a really good, close friend. I've had them everywhere I've lived, even if they come and go once we're apart (though it's hard to see that happening with Heather). I see no point in pushing away relationships locally for the sake of a faraway friend, and I certainly won't spend my life wishing I were back "home" for friends. I make them where I'm at, and I make where I'm at my "home."

We chatted in the garden for a while, and Heather2 and Josie stopped by as well. Jack came out to play with Josie until it became too dark to see, and then we said our goodbyes and came in. A.J. wanted to watch a cartoon movie tonight, and he's enjoying his last night to stay up late (we'll have to push up the earlier bedtimes these next two nights to get ready for school starting again).

The Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin both arrived in the mail today from Netflix, and I think I'm going to do my best to watch one, if not both, of them tonight.