"Peaches For You..."

...Peaches for me...something something...

And that is all I remember of that ridiculous song by the Presidents of the USA. Why am I singing such a tune? Well...


Turns out we are the proud owners of a peach tree in our backyard! Somehow it just started growing out of nowhere. We think the neighbors have one and this is an offshoot. Now if they would only trim their awful-looking trees so they would stop pushing down the fence!


We actually had one when we first bought the house. We managed to get enough peaches to make one jar of jam. But man, it was good times. I still remember those biscuits with peach jam on them. Ahh, memories. But, then, the tree stopped making them so we had to do without. But maybe this will turn the tide.

We had a cookout last night for Drew graduating high school. Now I usually try to be the funny one in most social gatherings, and over the years I have tried to move from being silly to more of picking my moments and timing it just right. Well last night was a real high point for me. I was knocking down one-liners and stories flawlessly and effortlessly.

I gave my dad his Father's Day present which was some fighter plane DVDs and two shirts:


and:


Now the first shirt cracked him up! He recently discovered "Superbad" and thought the fact that the kid chose "McLovin" on his fake driver's license was a real hoot. When I saw that at Kohl's, I knew-KNEW, he must have it. As for the Grillmaster shirt...well...I know he likes to cook out so maybe he will wear it when he does.

Dads just don't seem to get enough credit, ya know? They bust their hump trying to earn a living, and trying to relax every now and then just seems impossible. Something always needs to be done. And then, when we're not in the best of moods, we get yelled at for being a grouch. But we push through. Ever since I watched the Benjamin Button movie, I have really learned to enjoy my days more. Just seems liek my life up to then was one long blur that seemed to go by way too fast. I'm always telling Emmy to enjoy being a kid as long as she can because it goes by way too fast. In a way, it feels like I've slowed down time some by savoring the little things more. Like work. Now it's not supposed to be fun going to work, but I try to make it fun. Friday night I took Emmy and Zach to the water gardens...then to the book store...then to Braum's. Cari was out for her friend's birthday so it was just the 3 of us. I really hope they know that I take them places not because it's fun, but that these experiences will be a part of something bigger when they're older. THEN on Saturday morning we took Cari's car down to the quarter car wash. We spent over TWO HOURS cleaning it from top to bottom. But man it looks good now. All we need is a "New Car Smell" air freshener ha ha. But it felt good to do that. And Zach and Emmy really helped me! They did most of the back seat while I did the front. I want them to take some pride in a job well done so that maybe...just maybe...that will carry over to when they'r enot kids anymore but productive members of society. Something tells me we're on the right path.