Backyard Bridge Bonanza

The masses assembled.

Hi folks.

Today, as you can tell from the day's other post, has been a ridiculously draining day.  Productive, but draining.

As Yours Truly continues to move more and more crap into our new home - today was the Big Move day, where my brothers helped me move the big items of furniture into the house, so now we're officially in - Kris and her co-leader, Courtney, opted to hold their girl scout troop's official bridging ceremony in our backyard.

Let me explain.

When Daisies finish their second year of daisiehood, or whatever the hell their term of service is called, they graduate to Brownies.  You may remember that Alayna went through something similar last year.  Anyway, June 10th was the official date for this ceremony - it had been for months - and it was only through horrible coincidence that this just happened to fall on the SAME day we were renting a truck and moving all the heavy furniture.  Initially, Kris and Courtney wanted to hold this ceremony at the scout camp in frickin' Harrison, but that's a heck of a drive from Midland, and they don't even have a bridge there for the scouts to walk ceremoniously across.

Kris and Courtney rally the troops for the ceremony

So Kris volunteered our own, local backyard. . . which, as you know, comes fully equipped with a picturesque, wooden bridge.  Needless to say, parents of the troop pounced on the idea.

Kris was nice enough to allow me to work inside for most of it, unpacking and moving house crap, instead of shmoozing with parents over a picnic-styled lunch while drenched in sweat when I had way more important things to attend to.  All she asked was that I come outside for the ceremony part of it in order to take pictures.  I was obviously more than cool with this.

So yeah. . . that's how we got to today's ceremony, which I'm going to lighlty glaze over now because the pictures really speak for themselves (don't expect a slew of witty captions, folks.)

Here we go. . .

Reading off prepared statements for each of the scouts, one at a time.  Following their written introductions, the scouts walked across the bridge, accepted their 'diploma' (or whatever it's called), removed their Daisy vest, and received their Brownie sash.

Hurrah for mediocrity.

- Brian

Sweating for Charity

I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but walking around outside in a Florida summer feels like being trapped underneath the undercarriage of a big, sweaty hobo.

Not that I know what that feels like.

Kris had wanted to take the girls to this 'carnival' at John Young Elementary.  Something of a fundraiser for the school, I guess.  It started at 11am and lasted until 3pm, and me - being the fool that I am - said 'okay, sounds fun,' assuming that the school's carnival would be partially held indoors.  That would only make sense, seeing how it was in the mid-90s with 100% humidity, and this thing was being held at the absolute hottest time of the day.

Then again, I guess I'm not as 'with it' as some folks are down here, 'cause upon arriving at the school this morning, we found that the entire carnival was being held outside.  Mostly on top of the school parking lot.  Right underneath the overbearing and relentless Florida sun.

Cowabunga.

Alayna channeling her inner-hamster.

Moving out of the escape hatch (I wish my car had one of these - so much more badass than using a door like a sucker.)

We paid about $20 for admission, and my kids only wanted to use the same two bounce houses.  Over and over and over again.  Jesus H. Christ do I get sick of bounce houses.

Alayna's current school is little more than a series of ghetto-fabulous portables all connected together underneath aluminum roofing (or whatever it is - looks a hell of a lot like the roofing the Dagombas were using in Ghana.)  Fortunately, next year they'll all be moving into a fancy, new high-tech building for Alayna's 1st grade school year (thank God.)

The guy of to the right is Mr. Chambers, Alayna's science teacher (he must've been awesome, because it ended up being one of her most favorite subjects.)

Kris.  Thrilled.

Two sweaty kids taking a ice-and-sugar break.

After cooling off, the girls really wanted to have their faces painted.  Or, as I like to say, they really wanted to piss away $2 apiece.

I forget this lady's name.  She's Alayna's music teacher.  Turns out our kid is a theatrical diva with a flair for the dramatic.  Who knew.

- Brian