Looking for Treasure

| June 22, 2017

One day this week, my mom gave Sam a ring that she didn’t wear anymore. I don’t know that it was hugely valuable, but it wasn’t costume. My mom told her she should only wear it on special occasions. It was a bit big for Sam, but it sort of fit on her first finger (I think my mom wore it as a pinky ring). Well, Sam is 7, after all, and of course, she lost it. They were playing horseshoes on the front lawn and when Sam winged her hand, the ring went winging off with it. They searched all over the grass but couldn’t find it. Sam was really upset. I talked about it with Mark and he said we should get her a metal detector. He found one on Amazon for about $40 and we thought, why the heck not? Sam looked for two days for that ring and couldn’t find it. Then the lawn guys came and mowed and we thought, well, now it’s really gone.

Once the metal detector came and Mark explained to Sam what it was, she couldn’t wait to try it out. He was nice enough to offer to take her to my mom’s after dinner the night it arrived. I went along thinking I’d chat with my mom for a while as they searched. Well, who knew? After literally less than 5 minutes, THEY FOUND IT! It’s insane. They found the ring in minutes. Sam was freaking out and jumping up and down. All’s well that ends well, that’s for sure. I hope she is more careful now with the thing. Best $40 we spent recently. She’ll have fun with it at the playground and on the beach. Who knows what else we’ll find? Maybe we’ll strike it rich!

Dining Out

| June 22, 2017

Last night we dined under the stars again. Well, ok, not under the stars, we eat early, people! But we ate outside. There was another Dining on Saxer event in our town and we went. Last year, it was a lot of fun and this year there was supposed to be more seating and more dining options. Of course, right before we went to go, it poured rain. But, eventually it cleared and by the time we got there, they had all the chairs and tables dry. We had just finished our meal when it started raining again. Ugh! At least we got our meal in, but I was a bit disappointed we had to sort of rush it along. There are two more events planned this summer though, so hopefully, we’ll make another one and Mother Nature will cooperate. We did have fun though!

Let’s hope they have a better catch phrase…

| June 21, 2017

At the SLC, the school’s tagline or catch phrase was “Happy to be at the SLC!” Sam keeps wondering if her new school, Scenic Hills, will have one. I honestly have no idea. If they do, I doubt it’s as catchy. Sam keeps trying to figure one out. I am not sure if she is trying to determine what it could be, or if she’s trying to make one up on her own, but she keeps coming back to, “At Scenic Hills, No One Needs Pills!” I certainly hope not. And I seriously doubt that’s the phrase. Can’t tell her that though.  Oh boy.

Sam’s Best Dad Ever

| June 18, 2017

Sam always says that she has the best dad ever, and she does. It won’t be easy for her to understand, not until she is older and sees what other dads are like, because Mark is the only dad she knows. But someday, she will hear from other girls the kind of dad they have, or she will see how much time they spend with their dads, and she will realize how lucky she is. She has a dad who actually likes spending time with her. Who wants to teach her things and show her the world. Who can teach her how to build and fix things, to use electronics to make things go, to program computers, and the proper way to wash and wax a car. Who can show her the joy of being in nature, respecting nature, and leaving the world if not better, then at least as good as you found it. Who taught her how to ride a bike. Samantha is a lucky girl. She knows it, and the older she gets, the more she will appreciate it. The more she will know that her dad is her champion, someone who will always have her back. Sam and I will never be able to express how thankful we are that he works so hard, does so much. Happy Father’s Day, Mark! We hope you enjoyed your breakfast in bed (Sam’s idea) and that you enjoy every day of this year!

Happy Father’s Day!

| June 17, 2017

Today we celebrated Father’s Day with Mark and his dad. It was an exciting day for Sam because, well…presents! It truly doesn’t matter if they are for her or someone else. If presents are involved, she’s all for it! My mom came over a little earlier in the day and gave Mark his gift. Sam knew what it was and couldn’t wait for him to open it. It was a huge box of a bunch of his favorite candy and gum. Even though she doesn’t eat most of it, Sam was as excited as if it was for her!

After dinner, we did the rest of the gifts. Sam made Mark a really sweet card at school….

…which was greatly appreciated. I mean, who doesn’t love those cute handmade cards?

She also made him this lovely tie at school, complete with her picture. It says, “Happy Father’s Day. You have a special place in my heart.” You have a special place in Daddy’s heart too.

Pop Pop got some new tools for all his word working. Sam seems to be explaining what it is for, as if she knows…Oh boy. Little boss girl at work.

I had bought just a small cake for dessert, and I guess Sam decided it wasn’t decorated well enough. She was making me crazy asking me what she could put on it as a decoration. Finally, she decided that a bullet is just perfect for Daddy and Pop Pop! She’s nuts. And no, it’s not a real bullet, it’s a plastic one that came on a necklace from a gumball machine. No, we are not crazy, she does not handle real bullets and yes, you read that right. A gumball machine. Don’t ask.

Happy early Father’s Day, Mark! We love you!