Northwoods Photo Shoot

A crab apple...

and lots of soft green grass...

and some rocks...

and an apple tree...

and a few props...

and some missing teeth...

and some daisies...

all make for a wonderful outdoor photo studio perfect for a bunch of little boys.

Please Take A Number and Wait Your Turn

To Whom it May Concern,

The following list is the people who have contacted me this week and are requesting my attention. As you can see, I am carefully taking down all your names and requests. I am notifying all of you today that I will me unavailable until roughly November (after graduation) to carry out your requests. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, but please wait patiently and I will answer your request in the order received.


Dr Laura wants me to pay more attention to Scott

Father McNamara would like me to spend a little more time at church

My supervisor at work is strongly suggesting I build up my PTO and stop using it

My teacher is telling me I need to spend more time reading our text books

My mom would like me to get Finn screened for his speech delay

My doctor is insisting I get in for my yearly physical

The city is demanding I get a retro active building permit for the fence we put up four years ago

My school friends are begging me to activate the unactivated I Phone I've been carrying around for three months

My children need me to put down my school books and play with them in the backyard

My nutritionist is telling me I need to exercise one hour a day and cook more

The IRS is telling me I am running out of time to file my 2009 taxes

Glenn Beck wants me to home school my children

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit would like to put me on the schedule to volunteer again

My esophagus is constantly on fire and needs surgical attention

Suzie Orman needs me to teach my children the value of a dollar

The Lee County Library would like me to settle my $127.00 fine

Scott would like to start having date nights

The cat would like some cat food (I guess I'll make an exception for you Elliott, please see my assistant to set something up)


As you can see, I keep very good records and fear not, I will not forget about any of your requests. Enjoy your summer and I will see you all in November.

Thank You for you understanding,

Erin

CEO of Erin's Crazy Life

Congradulatins Class of 2023!!

Dear Mrs Zani and Mrs Mo,

Last fall, I dropped off a slightly apprehensive, nap taking, non name writing, nervous, four year old little boy. Tonight I brought a very outgoing, non napping, name writing, excited five year old boy to his speech therapy graduation. And on Tuesday, (I'm sure you'll breathe a sigh of relief) he will have completed his Pre K program with you.

Thank you for shaping and molding this little creature into a smarter, better behaved, more talented little creature. But thank you also for putting up with us this year. I never wanted to be the PTO super classroom mom, but I think I fell a bit too far to the other end of the spectrum. I admit and own the fact, that I was the mom that didn't bring classroom snacks, didn't have a child with a great attendance record, didn't spend time as a classroom volunteer, even missed a parent conference and lastly, did forget to pick up Tommy on time on more than one occasion. So I humbly own the fact that I wasn't the most cooperative parent in the group but thank you for carrying on without me. You have been very understanding of this time sucking nursing program and seem to understand the pressure I'm under. A student raising little students seems at times like the blind leading the blind.

Tommy has learned so much over the last year, like how to button his own shorts and how to put his shoes on the right feet and how to write his name and how to care for a turtle and how to properly wash his hands. These are all important kindergarten skills, but also important life skills. Who knows when you may need to know how to build a milk crate fort or identify a hairless rat.

I have some good news and bad news. The good news is, he made it, Tommy graduated, the bad news is you're only half way done... You've done a fabulous job with Gavin and Tommy but, there's still two more.

Thank you for touching our lives and shaping Tommy's and we'll see you in a few years with the next one.

Out of the Mouth

Out of context and one sided, these things sometimes sound a little strange, but I asure you they were appropriote at the time.

"Breakin out? What do you mean? Oh, you mean makin out, and no Mommy and Daddy aren't making out... Daddy is just giving me a massage..."

"Dad says you have to wear pants to play on the swingset... Because, he's afraid of the neighbors..."

"Where's the poop? Finn, show mommy where you pooped... Poop belongs in the toliet... Noooooo, not with your bare hand..."

"No, there won't be a principal if mommy homeschools you... No, if they want to be homeschooled, their moms have to do it... Because it's home school... Fine, Dad will be the principal... Because we already have a kitchen... Sure, I'll make you a report card..."

"Well, sometimes the tooth fairy drops the tooth on the way out the door by mistake... No, she knows that she already paid you for that one... I guess she has a scanner or something..."

"Only 169 days left... I know, but it will all be over soon... No honey, a nurse, doctors have to go to school for 10 years... I'm not sure how many days that is, a lot... Who wants to know the difference between hypoparathyroidism and hyperparathyroidism?... I know, mommy doesn't want to know either, but I have to... No, stay home dads don't have to learn that... Well, it's not really a degree, so no school... That's fine, I'm sure you'll make a great stay home dad...

Dear GOD...-

Dear GOD... Thank you for all the great big things in life. But equally important, Thank you for some of the smaller things like glitter and felt and the one pair of sharp scissors in the junk drawer. Thank you for the Bissell Cyclone vacuum that does a great job picking up handfuls of gold glitter off the floor.

Dear GOD... thank you for Men's Warehouse and their really reasonable suit rentals. Thank you also for the tactful women that work there. They are very patient while measuring totally embarrassed 7 year old boys' inseams. Maybe try to convince them to drop the late fees though. They don't seem to have much compassion even when customers have really great reasons why they returned their suit 2 days late.

Dear GOD... Thank You for little boys who are willing to learn all their prayers for first communion. Hail Mary, Guardian Angel, Lord's Prayer, Sign Of The Cross and Act Of Contrition. This was alot of work. Thank you for the long van rides and bad traffic on the way to religion classes that gave us the opportunity to practice all these prayers. Thank You also for eavesdropping little brothers that have no doubt absorbed some of these prayers as well.

Dear GOD... Thank You for little boys that sleep during mass and grandmas that like to hold them. Thank you for the fairly unexciting church music and the slightly off key children's choir that lulls these little boys to sleep.

Dear GOD... Thank You for providing the front pew for us so that Finn has the entire church audience to entertain. Thank you for putting all of the perfectly behaving children all the way on the other side of the church so I don't have to watch them sitting there like perfect little old ladies and feel like a bad mom. Thank You for sitting me near the squealing babies and toy throwing toddlers so I feel like I'm average.

Dear GOD... Thank You for grandmas and their purses and all the fun things they keep in their purses. Thank you for granting these grandmas the patience to let rambunctious little boys wear their glasses.

Dear GOD... Thank You for inspiring holy people to lead our children down your path. Thank You for providing some of these people a sense of humor. This sense of humor helps keep us awake during long homilies. Thank you also for providing a select few priests with a good internal clock, for the record, it's always appreciated when mass ends on time.

Dear GOD... Thank You for these little moments of grace within a tornadoes of boyness. Thank You also for really fast digital cameras that can catch these moments.

Dear GOD... Thank You for teaching me to pick my battles and forgive... When the cake decorator boy at Publix spells Gavin's name G-A-B-I-N, thinks communion has only one m and chooses a girly cake design... Thank you GOD for giving me the grace to give my best smile of approval when cake boy proudly shows me his creation. And finally Thank You for convincing the cake boy that his true passion is cakes and not tattoos!