Bull (by Lee)

I don't know if you have heard but this year I shot the biggest bull anyone has ever seen on Tobbogan hill in the last 30 years.  I went to a spot, it was there, I shot it.  An old timer on a quad gave us a ride back to the truck and ended up back at our camp to see the horns.  Once word spread, other hunters stopped by and verified that this bull was epic.   The most awsome part of the event was when dad was asked, on more than one occasion, if we were were related to Roy or Lee, who haven't been seen in over a decade on Tobbogan Hill, besides ghost stories.  Hunters on that hill still remember those characters.

 Belive it or not, Dad would restrain his response.  I think it's because his heart was speaking way louder than what his voice could deliver.  "Yeah, Roy's my dad and this here's my son, named after Lee, who's my mom's brother".  That's all he would say.      

Dad showed up a day after I shot it.  We went to where it was.  I was worried about the logistics of getting it out and taking care of the meat.  He said, ya done good, we'll gitter out.  He was flawless in getting it boned in no time while I packed.  Once the boning was done he packed what meat was left until it was done.  We got this monumental bull back to camp within two days.  That fat old sunofagun can still cut meat for six hours, on a hillside, put 60 punds on his back, and walk 2 miles... three times. 

Teeth (october 5th)

As I was outside tonight doing some yard work, Natalie came up to me, upset and tearful.  "You threw away my tooth!  The bag wasn't closed all the way and it came out in the trash!"  She had pulled out tooth number 2 for the week earlier in the evening and had put it in a zip lock bag on the counter.  That was the last place I remember seeing it.  Apparently, I tossed it.   Bummer...chalk another one up under Failure Mom. 

I began looking through the trash, which of course was full, all the while telling myself what a horrible mother I was.  Poking through the egg shells and juice boxes, lines from Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout kept running through my head.  I was interrupted by bath time, and the smell coming from Sawyer's diaper, and Natalie's cry of triumph:  "I pulled out another tooth!  You can stop looking!  I saved the day!" Indeed, she was holding in her hand her other top tooth!  Now I really had to keep looking for that other tooth!  I had to find it!  How many kids get to put two teeth under their pillow for the tooth fairy??

I went back at it once the kids were asleep and in bed.  I was listening to the news (which puts the time past 10:00) as I methodically inspected and shook out all of our trash from the last four days.  No tooth.  Big sigh.  Still beating myself up, I began cleaning up the kitchen, tidying and sweeping before I went to bed.  And there it was.  Sitting on the kitchen table on a pile of papers, still zip locked up in it's baggie, was the long lost tooth.  I hadn't thrown it away!!  I'm not a horrible mom!!  Natalie will be so excited!!  I went in and woke her up, telling her that I was putting her tooth under her pillow.  She opened her eyes and dreamily said ok.  She won't remember in the morning. 

Off I go.  I need to round up some cash.  This tooth fairy can sleep happy!

Moments

I took the kids to the park today.  It was a beautiful, not-too-cold fall day.  The sun was bright as were our outlooks.  We played at the play ground, kicked the soccerball around, threw rocks in the river, and ran through the yellow blanket of leaves lying on the ground.  Here's the kicker... I FORGOT MY CAMERA!!!  We've been to the park before.  How many pictures do I need, right?  BUT THEN, they were doing the most picture worthy things!  The wind picked up and yellow leaves came fluttering down from up, up, up in the tree.  All three were running, and squealing and dancing among the floating leaves.  When the wind stopped, they piled up leaves and threw them as high as they could above their heads.  It was picture perfect and I didn't have my camera.   As I just sat and watched I loved the moment.  I loved that it was our moment, and it was fun and special.  I loved that I wasn't looking at it through my camera.  I loved that they were so carefree, and I wasn't missing a moment of it.  I may not remember it in the years to come, but today I simply sat and paused and enjoyed.