Sir, Yes SIR!

Zachary requested an "Army" party for his birthday this year, so I asked my Dad to play drill sergeant. He swallowed his Marine Corps pride for Zachary, and here are some video clips from boot camp. My camera died, so Eric has the rest of it on his phone. I'll post that when I can.

Just Don't Ask Me To Scrapbook...

Today Zach is going to his best friend Luke Tabasso's birthday party. When I asked him yesterday what he wanted to get for Luke he said, "Best friend tee shirts, like Ava and Sarah have."

Talk about uber specific...ridiculously hard to find on short notice, so I suggested we make our own. I said they can say Luke and Zach on them. Zachary wanted them to say "Luke and Zach love each other." I suggested Luke and Zach, Best Buddies. Zach settled for his second choice, Luke and Zach, Best Pals!

So I stayed up late last night ironing letters on shirts. I have to say, peeling the transfer paper from the letters gives you a little rush...similar to squeezing out a giant blackhead. Try it, tell me you don't get a nice high when you realize your ironing technique worked and the paper peels right off seamlessly. Only rice paper thin sunburned skin can beat it, methinks.

Anyway, Zach is extremely happy with how they turned out. I'll say what everyone's thinking, this project seems so out of character for me. But when you see Luke and Zach together, there's not much you won't do to facilitate the unadulterated joy that is their friendship. Even work with puff paint.

Monday Mornings With Zachary

Zachary tells about the big shakedown at the roller rink on Friday night.

Lotso Huggin'

Monday Mornings With Zachary

Zachary and his best friend Luke Tabasso, the only child who doesn't irritate Zachary. Thank goodness for Luke, or Zachary might go through his whole childhood with only adult "friends".

Free Zachary

Zachary has been practicing his swimming all summer in order to take and pass his "yellow wristband" swim test. The yellow wristband will allow him to go into different areas of our local YMCA pool. Well, this past Monday Melissa brought her kids to the pool with us, and she gave Zachary some tips. He spent an hour practicing her tips, and finally came to tell me he was ready to take his test.



Melissa taught him how to take a breath while swimming, but he chose not to during his test. I asked him later if he thought he was going to run out of breath during that swim, and he said, "Yes I did, but I didn't want to stop. I wanted to make it". I've never seen him so proud as he was after he passed that test. He even jumped back in and completed it a second time. After he got his wristband he had to call everyone he knew to tell them. He's been saying all week, randomly, "Mom, can you even BELIEVE that I passed my swim test??!?!??!"

Luke took his test too, right behind Zachary.

Thomas and Joshua had taken their test the day before: