Yea – that is the name of the EMPTY tube glaring at me from the lint trap when I opened the dryer door this afternoon. A simple laundry transfer has turned into a hot pink nightmare. Morgan left this gem in her pants – and now I’ve got a spotted load of laundry. Thirty minutes and a bottle of Shout later, I am hoping for a miracle.

ISAAC continues to usher in his teenage years. The shaggy hair is back, complimented by some braces – and a bit of puberty, it seems. Brace yourself. He has one nipple that is swollen – a fact that he was less than excited to share with his mom – so when we went to his Scout Camp/Trek physical, I asked the (female) doctor about it – much to Isaac’s chagrin. Fortunately, it’s normal. Unfortunately, the doctor decided to pepper that revelation with a brief discussion on the effects of puberty on boys. I’ve never seen Isaac so uncomfortable in my life. He was literally crawling out of his pre-pubescent skin.
On a less embarrassing note, he aced his 8th grade project on Iwo Jima. He did a great job.

TAYLOR wants to be a dentist this month. It changes a lot. He used to want to be an artist, so when Morgan said, “I thought you wanted to be an artist”, he replied, “Morgan, dentists ARE artists.” What insight!

PARKER is suffering with allergies – hits him hard every year. He’s not completely sure what they are – but he knows they make him miserable. The boys went with Dave on a father-son campout a couple weekends ago – and they all awoke to Parker crying, “There’s allergies here!” Poor guy.

MORGAN is almost done with softball. What a relief. Her games are at least 2 hours long – and she has 2 a week. We’ve missed a few. I always dread calling her coach to tell him we won’t be there – I always perceive a disapproving sigh. I think I am the only team mom that doesn’t plan her life around the games, which may explain why I always sit alone.

We are all excited for the houseboat – it really simplifies things. Fewer clothes to pack, simpler meals, less cleaning – just need a few swimsuits and plenty of sun block. It will be great.

Adina