I feel like I've haven't blogged in weeks. It's actually been 5 days. But it feels like weeks! I've been working on some projects. Hired Heather of Bluhm Studios to design a banner and other goodies for me. Have you seen her work....She's amazing. She just did this banner for Dede Warren of DreamCreateShare...You have to see it. Beautiful! I've also been finishing up some other projects that I started a while ago, as well as, wrapped the baby gift and sent it out the door.......
I also received my FABULOUS Bit's and Pieces Collage from Heather over at Pretty Petals. I LOVE this collage! I adore how the dress just flows from the center of the collage with the rhinestone brooch just to the upper right. All the other "bits and pieces" of vintage paper work just perfectly with the design. She put it on an old book board that just pulls the whole piece together......Thank You SO Much Heather!!!!
The other thing besides enjoying the lazy summer days is that we have been frequent visitors to our local skateboard park.
Carlos just started (and I mean "just" started) skateboarding. We took him over to our local SB park and now he's hooked. He's been trying to manage the hills and balance in a straight line without falling off while Andres and I lounge under the canopy provided and do our best to entertain ourselves in the sand. It's pretty fun to watch the more experienced boarders to their tricks. Especially, knowing full well, that if I so much as skated a straight line of 3 feet I would land myself in the emergency room with a broken arm faster than the spin of a skateboard wheel. So, it's fun to watch.
The other "watching" I do is observing how Carlos negotiates the world of skateboarders. From my careful and methodical observation, I studied the couple different categories present: First there are the "older experienced boarders" this specimen treats the younger kids like a stationary pole to maneuver around. They don't pay them much mind; but at the same time are respectful and harmless. The second category is the one in which Carlos falls: "the beginning boarder with a parent in attendance" this type pretty much skates in a line up and down the hills and is frequently called by said parent to drink more water, put sunscreen on the back of their neck and be careful. Then we have the third category......it is what I like to label as the "wanna be 8-11 year old skater punks who should not be skating around my son or even in the skateboard park for that matter with no parent in attendance" type. Or, more simply known as a "troublemaker". So with the categories neatly laid out.......I present to you my first "Momma Bear" moment. I saw him talking to four 9-10 year old boys who obviously fit into the 3rd category. It started off innocently enough. From my perch, I couldn't see or hear what they were discussing. I started getting nervous. I saw more talking and pointing. I started to get a little more anxious. I saw everyone laughing.....except for Carlos. I started questioning why he wasn't taking piano lessons at this exact moment........ And then it happened. The moment all moms dread in their heart and soul........He started running toward me with skateboard in tow..........
"Mommy! Those boys were mean to me!"........ I remained calm and asked "well, what did they say?" He proclaimed "they said I was "retargeted"....Mommy, what's a retargeted?" .........I then took a deep breathe and did what any self-respecting momma bear of a just turned 7 year old would do. I marched right over there. Pulled them by their sassy little ears off the the hill and stated "Listen you little long haired, helmet not worn properly, insult throwing, gang of four! Just who do you think you are calling my sweet innocent baby who still sleeps with his "lamby" and loves to snuggle with me and say I'm "the best mom in the whole world" a "retargeted" Huh?! And, where is your mother?!" and then I said..............
Alright. I didn't say anything else. I didn't even say that. I sat there. And, with every fiber of my being wanting to jump up and give those boys a thing or two, I explained to Carlos that those boys weren't nice and that he should skate elsewhere. He stated that "they can't be my friends because they are bullies" and marched back off. And, then to my momma bear surprise, he skated right back over to them and held his own. The next thing I saw was one of the older of the boys helping him to go down a hill and high five him. Carlos later came back and said that he asked another kid why the one boy was "so mean" and the other kid said "he's always like that."
So as much as Momma Bears want to protect the den. Sometimes she just needs to sit tight and let her little cub do all the work. Because her little cub just might surprise her!
