mr. trouble pants turned free

while creating this collage, i was as struck by how much levi has not changed as i was by how much he has. he still greets us every morning with that gigantic smile, those floppy ears, and them shifty eyes.

levi has a reputation that precedes him. the nurses at the doctors office, the teachers at the school, the guys at the shop all smile when they see his stompy, confident little walk approaching. their smile seems to say 'i wonder what he's into today.'

for all his mischief, he is a happy boy. always happy. running around the house with dirty skid-marked spiderman underwear atop his head kind of happy. i curse the day that he grows out of that happiness and when the number 'free' begins with a 'th'.

happy birthday buddy, we love you just the way you are!

consumed by cookies

when brian said i was biting off more than i could chew with girl scout's, he must have known something i didn't. he must have known about the cookies(enter horror film voice here). he must have known that my attempt at delegating the cookie sale would fail miserably. he must have known that cookies would take over our home, haunt my dreams, and halt this blog.

he must have known, because he did not protest too much, that crazy cookie time would also bring out the best in some people- that tiff would create a color-coded spreadsheet to ease my pain, that strangers would donate to the troop on account of their cuteness, and that aunties/grandmas/friends/co-workers would sell hundreds of boxes on mia's behalf.

instead of serving me a heaping platter of 'i told you so', brian's been handing out boatloads of help. one of the other leaders asked how in the world i was handling everything without a 'cookiemom.' i had to fire my cookiemom, but i'm lucky enough to be the only leader in the entire council with a handsome cookiedad.