I LOVE YOU!...
Forever and ever and always.

SO MANY AND SO DELICIOUS!
Fresh veggies and farm eggs; it really doesn't get much better. Mawmaws surprised me with a variety bag full of my favorite thing--tomatoes! Mom has to keep her eye on me as I would eat them to the point of illness. After a few sillies, a quick wash and an eye opening examination in awe of the red balls I picked the biggest of them all for my snack. Yep, I ate it just like an apple. Mom still finds it hard to believe that throughout her entire pregnancy the taste of tomato be it sauce or raw made her instantly sick and miserable with reflux. In fact, she did not even introduce citrus fruits and veggies to me until I was well past 16 months of age due to my own reflux. Look at me now...I could live on citrus alone. In fact, I just about do.

SHREK...
Retelling a story is an important part of comprehension, expanding oral language, introducing characters, setting, plot and so much more. Mom knows how much I enjoy going to the movies and so she decided to make it a lesson. Did you know that you can purchase the McDonald's toys with out purchasing the meal? Mom, Dad and Mawmaws were on a mission to gather all the characters from Shrek before the promotion ended. (TA DA--Mawmaws was the winner!) We have them all and we have reenacted scenes from the movie many times in addition to just playing.

SMARTY PANTS...
Mom is always coming up with new ways to keep me engaged in educational toys and learning materials. She loves to shop for pens, pencils, tablets and more. Yes, she is definitely a teacher at heart, but my teacher first.
Mom and I were using my chalk to draw pictures and write words when I decided to surprise her. I turned my board around and revealed a number line. I explained it to her as if she had never seen one before. Of course I followed this lesson by teaching her how to add and subtract. Forget down time...I now teach addition facts while sitting upon the toilet and a little of everything else too. Did you know that 7 and 8 is 78 or that when my iphone says 743 that means that it is 7:43? Mom is learning so much these days.

I CAN DO IT ALL...AT THE FARM...
There is a place where the word "no" is seldom spoken, where I can be anything I want to be--an explorer, a farmer, a rancher, a cook...a kid. I have so much freedom.  I romp and tromp through tall grass and muddy mess and get covered in dirt until my sweat turns into mud itself. I feel like a big guy at the farm as I get to drive, make decisions and drink sodas (no caffeine of course.) I play hard. I work hard.  I love every minute of my adventures with Mawmaws, Tim and all the animals. At the farm you can see insects of every shape and size and I am not scared.  There is a huge grasshopper on the hay beside me the same can be found times 1,000 as you walk through the garden and this spider was on the barn door.  I am always on look out.  Mawmaws found 2 disposable cameras for me snap pictures of all of my favorite things.  I got so excited I was even taking pictures of the fence, rocks, and dirt.
There are fun times to be had indoors too.  Mawmaws and Tim are fantastic cooks.  There is always fresh fruit and cheese, a full course meal and homemade desserts to feast upon.  Mawmaws lets me be a cook too.  I mix and slice and add things to the pot and when I tire of the chores I run upstairs.  That is where the toys are kept.  This horn is probably laden with germs of 15 children, but it is still one of my favorites.  It belonged to Uncle Scott.  There are so many memories in crates just for me.  Mom, Uncle Jeff and Uncle Scott laugh as I play with them because they have the same fond memories of playing with these toys.
So, whatever happened to the good 'ol days?  Less fuss, less stress, more freedom and a lot more dirt. 

REAGIES ON ICE!...
I thought the third time should have been the charm. I am a perfectionist at heart (hum, I wonder where I get that from?) Mom rented me this scooter of sorts and we hit the ice--literally. Mom had to remind me that we were not experts. Every new thing takes practice and practice does not have to lead to perfection. We were there to have fun and falling is all part of the fun sometimes. Except I was the one falling...not her. Mom was bent over at the waist holding on to me and the scooter to ensure it didn't get away from me. She pointed out all the other big kids using these contraptions but I wanted to be free of it. Mom got a taste of my will and what a strong desire will get you. I huffed and puffed until I was just about done with skating. I was ready to set off on my own and moved my feet as fast as I could to stay upright. It looked as if I was running on the ice. Mom cheered of course and encouraged me to keep going, keep trying and to never give up. She was so impressed. It was as if the scooter was just holding me back. I was free without it and much happier upon my falls. I just needed some help getting back up. It was slippery. Mom was thankful I have some cushion on my backside because it sure came in handy to soften those falls. We were both worn out and chilly. It was a huge contast from the nasty, humid hot of outdoors. I think we will save our next trip for November or December. We love the outdoor rink at Discovery Green. I'll be a bit bigger then and even stronger too.

SAVING WORMINS...
I have long been Mr. Green. A conservationist at heart with a touch of what dad calls hippy. I am a music man, an artist, Mr. creative in all walks of my life. I stand up for what I believe in and yet I am rarely scared to try something new be it an adventure in the making. I am a family man. I love my mama so and would do just about anything to draw a laugh or smile out of a friend or loved one.
When I pranced outside today to play in the rain, I noticed our front porch was a bit wiggly. All the rain had drawn the wormins out of hiding but now they were surely going to fry upon the bricks. I had never held a worm. A snake, sure. Lizards, yes. Just about every other walk of life had been discovered, but never a worm. The time had come to save the wormins. Mom wanted to help but those guys are a bit to wiggly for her. The fear of parts breaking off motivated her to call on dad. It was a wormin affair. We picked up those wiggly, little guys and transplanted them to the soft soil where they belonged. Since that time there have been other wormin rescues and many more adventures. I love to collect things as if on a nature walk around the neighborhood. Feathers, rocks, flowers, leaves...nothing is too insignificant. Mom is so glad I appreciate nature and all the God created beautiful works of art.

WATERMELON CAKE...
Aunt Carley made the most amazing cake in honor of the 4th of July. It was a giant watermelon cake complete with slices of smaller watermelon cakes.
Watermelon cake, watermelon cake, tastes so great...yes, these could be the lyrics to the newest up and coming kids song. My daddy on guitar kept me and Wesley entertained for hours. It kept the grown ups grinning too until they wished they could get the lyrics out of their heads. Mom was busy reteaching the family how to play Shanghai. The card table had been set up and 7 chairs were pulled up close. Shanghai has long been the card game of choice for the Malone's and has worked its way into nearly every extended family gathering including Thanksgiving. The game is intense depending on your participants and lasts for several hours as there are at least 6 hands to play. As it turns out, Mawmaws introduced the game to the family many years ago in honor of my birthday. While at the hospital waiting on my grand arrival the waiting room was transformed into a casino of sorts with Shanghai on the main table. They certainly had plenty of time...they could have played several games while they waited. There are several benefits to the extended playing time however. First, your food will always have time to settle leaving you in the perfect position for grabbing an early dinner or the second round of dessert. Secondly, you will either lose all the loose change in your purse or walk away with enough to visit the coin star machine on the way home. I think Dad's family loves the game almost as much as mom's. There is already a plan in the works for round 2 when Aunt Kay and Uncle Al return from vacation. It's a game for the whole family.

SASSY CAT...
You are lucky we love you so. At 12 years old you are pushing your luck. You stink (or at least your litter box does) and when did you decide you were more like a wild animal than a house cat? Sitting in the rain among the leaves is no way to conduct yourself little lady. You are covered in wet dirt and tiny shards of green stuff. Get inside, groom yourself and keep the sounds of the wild to a minimum. Your name fits you today as it did 12 years ago. You have that inner spark that truly is SASSY.

SPARKLE, SPARKLE, BURN...
It was a wonderful weekend full of family, fun and food, but it wouldn't be complete with out a tiny, Taylor sized fireworks show. There were cherry bombs to blacken the street, whizzing spinners, dancing chickens and other random cuties, but the highlight has always been the sparklers. They are my favorite as I get to play with fire. I hold them at arms length running up and down the sidewalk smiling ear to ear and screaming. It kind of gives the appearance of fast streaks of lighting...that's how fast I run of course. Ordinarily my feet don't mind given mom makes me wear shoes (and head phones), but dad was running the show this year and shoes were optional. Mom should have spoken up because amidst all the fun my foot took a direct hit. BURN. I had a tiny hole in the bottom of my foot that quickly formed a blister. God knew what we would need because we had just returned from the farm with a giant aloe vera plant. It was perfect for the picking and even better for soothing my burn. Mom didn't remember how funny the gel smelled but she remembered how often they used it at her house growing up. Thank you Mawmaws for the aloe plant. I still have a tiny, circular scar to remind me of the golden rule...always wear your shoes around fireworks. It's dark. You can not see what lies head of your sparkler. All fun stops when you step upon a spark.
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TAE KWON DO...
I have begged for over a year now to take TKD. Mom and dad always thought it was a great idea but understood that I needed time to still be a kid. We had already committed to 2 different after school activities. Moms and kids alike need a few days to just enjoy the evening and some at home play time. Then summer rolled around. A new TKD gym opened up and it had wonderful reviews as well as a summer time 6 week trial special. I was thrilled! I jumped into my uniform and screamed "YES SIR!" with every reply. For several weeks I showed off my natural ability and love for the class. Then...things changed. I grew tired of the classes and tears filled my eyes. Mom and dad put their parental feet down and repeatedly stated that we must finish what we start. I had the choice to sign up again or decide that I did not want to continue with the classes, but I had to complete my 6 week session. I think it might have been tougher on mom than me, but we made it and I made a choice too. I would rather give soccer or football a try. So, until the next go round...stick with what you start. Persevere. Always do your best work!

AQUARIUM...WORTH THE TRIP EVERY TIME...
Whew! We were so lucky! The lady who runs the train said just a few days ago there was over an hour wait to ride the train. She saw more than one person pass out from the heat, but not today. Mom and I got up early knowing exactly what we wanted to do. We packed our snacks and headed out the door just in time to arrive as the gates were opening. Mom even had a half off coupon. It was the perfect day! We must have taken the train to see the shark exhibit at least 7 times and we never waited in line. It was warm out, but it was early and we planned accordingly by enjoying the outdoor adventures first. We rode every amusement ride and most more than once. I rode the free fall 4 times in a row; mom jumped off after just one experience. She still doesn't know how my tummy tolerates these thrills, but my face says it all. I LOVE IT! When our cheeks were red we headed inside and spent at least an hour trying our best to touch every shark and ray in the touch tank. We studied each species and watched the tigers as they showed off pacing back and forth in front of the windows. When our bellies grumbled we headed for the restaurant and sat at the closest table we could get to the aquarium. We marveled at every fish, ray and turtle as we feasted upon our lunch and then topped it off with a build your own ice cream sundae. I was loving this day! It seemed as if each beautiful creature greeted us and we enjoyed the extra attention. More than anything we enjoyed the much needed and always appreciated Mommy/Reagan time. These are the days that mom prays we will always hold close to our hearts.