Kiss Up

Every night Dylan tries to bribe me to let him watch a movie before he goes to bed. Tonight he peered at me with his big, brown puppy dog eyes and asked if he could just watch one episode of Drake and Josh. I'd tivo'd it so I gave in and told him he could watch just 1. Throughout the show Dylan tried to grab the remote and rewind the show hoping I wouldn't notice. As soon as Dylan realized the show was coming to an end he gave me a big smooch, told me how much he loved me, and then rubbed my back. When I told him it was time to turn off the tv Dylan proudly said, "Mom, since I rubbed your back then you gotta let me watch just 1 more...It's a rule." It's a good thing I don't follow the rules!

Brown & Browner

Dylan has this thing about who's the most "brown." Grandpa Findlay, although white, has black (and gray!) hair and is very dark complected. Dyl's skin is a very light brown, except for during the summer when he spends all his time out in the sun. Grandpa and Dyl have about the same color skin but, at the first of summer, Dyl was darker than Grandpa--And he made sure to compare and point it out. One day I went to pick Dylan up after work and, on the way home, I asked what he'd been doing all day. He simply replied, "Oh...just hanging out in the sun and getting browner." Whenever we go swimming at Aunt Tracy's pool Dyl greases himself up with her coconut-smelling suntan oil and says, "Can you smell my suntan?" After he lays out for about 2 seconds he dives back in the pool. Anyway, on this particular day I asked Dylan why he and Shaylee had written all over their legs with a brown marker. Dyl's response was, "We're just trying to get a little browner!"

Yee-haw!

Aren't these the most adorable little cowboys you've ever seen in your whole entire life? Every year we attend that Famous Preston Night Rodeo and the kids have a blast! Of course...it would never be quite the same without Wranglers, cowboy boots, and 10-gallon cowboy hats! Dyl's favorite part every year is always the bull riders and, of course, the clowns. I grew up in a very small town but, after being gone for 17 years, it's always comical for me to go back and attend small town events like rodeos and parades. It reminds me of how simple life used to be and, although I'd never wanna go back, there's a part of me that misses the small town life. My parents still live where I grew up and we visit often...I feel lucky that Dyl gets to live a bit of both lives: The great opportunities and diversity of living in the city...and the calm, laid-back fun of country life. Somehow I can't get Dyl to quit talking about buying a goat, a cow, and a horse to put in the backyard...He's got his mind set on it!

Preston Parade