It Was A Blur, But It's Clearer Now

The last two weeks have been somewhat of a blur.

With the baby boy graduating, there were celebrations, awards ceremonies, graduation, graduation parties, more graduation parties, a college orientation trip, and then Father's Day.

Today seems like the first normal day since early June, but it's early yet ...

(it was a pool party)

NEVER allow this lad near a Karaokidokie machine.
That's all I'm saying about that.
His graduation party was a riot ... mostly due to his "singing" ... loudly ... with his friends ... and about his friends.
Anyone who walked by was incorporated into the lyrics being sung at the moment.

Here he is in a calmer moment, crooning a tune to his sister ...

... who was not impressed.

The next day was graduation with actual clothing and lots of huggy pictures. I'm just including a few here.

The photo above is Junior with my big brother.

Big sis, Katie, gives the new graduate some advice on being successful.

The new grad with his Grandparents.

Three amigos who have been together since kindergarten.

Junior made us beam with pride at event after event over the past two weeks, not the karaoke thing ... no, not that. Singing may not be his special talent.

He was ranked 5th in his class, and at the senior awards night, he walked away with $6250 worth of scholarships on top of the full Florida Bright Futures scholarship.

Here's some advice to parents of high school age ... have your child explore every scholarship opportunity, no matter how small. Those $500 and $1000 mini-scholarships add up fast. Junior spent a lot of evenings this winter/spring writing scholarship essays and filling out forms.

It paid off ... that $6250 figure represents about 6 different scholarships that he won.

Trust me, even with larger scholarships and prepaid college accounts, you will need every extra penny ... or is that just me, now that I officially have 3 kids in college at the same time?

All the hoopla is over now, but it was quite a two week ride.

... And then along came Father's Day.

Amber Bock, green tea, corn on the cob, salad, mashed potatoes with an Irish gravy made from Guinness Stout beer, and a ginormous porterhouse steak.

OMG!

There was a chocolate pound cake and some super dark, rich, Chocolate Dream cookies too.

Damn that Man vs. Food guy! Last week, after watching him polish off some giant hunk of meat, Mrs. FC asked me what I wanted for Father's Day dinner, and I said, " I want a huge steak, one so big that I am ready to be done when I get to the end of it, instead of wanting a little more."

She did good on the picking and the grilling, because it was perfect.

So, now it's back to eating lighter and healthier, but every once in a while, I need a giant hunk of cow.

On top of that great meal, my JEEP disappeared for a few hours yesterday, ... along with my crew and when it returned, it had spiffy new JEEP logo seat covers and was completely cleaned and detailed inside and out!

It's so purty, I'm afraid to get in it.