Tagged for First Communion

The Zoo attends church.  The youngest Heathen was deemed (by the Asst. Zookeeper and myself) as old enough to participate in Communion for the first time.  He attended his Sacraments class at the church and learned the three parts of a Sacrament (an earthly element, God's command to participate, and a covenant of God's forgiveness).  He met with the pastor and learned the process of participation.  We read the scriptures that we were to read and discussed them.  He was prepped and ready.

I, on the other hand, was struggling to get ready.  Once I gave finals at the local community college, I had one week to prepare the house for family and church friends to descend upon us.  I will readily admit that my Zoo tends to fall apart in the month leading up to finals - the laundry, the vacuuming, the dishes - it all falls to the wayside to make way for grading and testing and assessments that must be accomplished by a set deadline.  The end of April leaves the Zoo looking like a tornado went through it and left no survivors.  And that is a KIND assessment.

So I spent the week leading up to his first Communion scrubbing, dusting, vacuuming, putting away, washing, etc.  I spent time picking up all the dead-fall sticks in the yard, mowing, and prepping the yard to be invading by all the cousins that were coming to play for the afternoon.  And 1.5 acres is a lot of yard to prep for an "invasion."

As I am cheap, I spent an entire day preparing food.  Cooking, boiling, prepping a meal for 50+ people that could be prepared ahead of time, but could be ready that day with little effort the morning of the event.

And I will admit to spending a lot of time stressing about making the event "perfect" for the littlest Heathen.  This was his first big event.  He had watched the older Heathens have important events for years.  After watching patiently for years, it was finally his turn.  I wanted it to be everything that he wanted it to be.  I understand the pain of watching the older boys and having to always wait for it to be your turn for the "big day."

Despite a less than desirable weather forecast of thunderstorms, I spent the week praying for an afternoon of beautiful weather.  While we were prepared for the rain, it would be so much easier if that many people were not packed into my house.  I have no idea how many times that week that I muttered the prayer, "Please, God.  I'm asking for a few hours of sunshine.  Amen."

We made it to church that morning with time to spare.  We were thrilled to see the amount of family and friends that had joined us on this occasion.  I'm a strong believer in celebrating with other people.  Not only does it feel good on my end of the participation, but it makes those celebrating feel loved and cared for.  We added several pews of family and friends to the regular congregation.  Heathen #3 was thrilled that people came - there is always a fear in his head that by the time it is his turn to do something, people will be bored and no longer come.  He grinned with pride due to the showing of those family and friends.  I couldn't have been more happy for the show of support.

Heathen #3 waited impatiently throughout the service to reach Communion.  When we were called to come forward, he moved confidently to the front.  He knew what he needed to do without hesitation.  When he was handed the bread and said, "Amen," we crossed another milestone line in the family. While we had always participated in Communion as a family, with the younger children receiving a blessing, for the first time, all the Heathens were old enough to join the Table.  I struggled to hold back my tears.  The Zoo sat at the Lord's Table for the first time as a complete unit.  The Asst. Zookeeper and I had managed to fulfill another baptismal vow.  The vows we made when the Heathens were baptized strike me very deeply.  We've been careful to fulfill them - otherwise, there was no point in having them baptized.

Without a hitch, Heathen #3 participated in his first Communion.  He did it without hesitation - he has been to the rail his entire life and watched those older than him.  He even managed the event without spilling grape juice on himself, which is what he was originally worried about.

We had a beautiful afternoon of weather for the luncheon we held at the Zoo.  Our family and church friends spent several hours congregating in the yard and watching the children all play outside.  God had granted my request for cooperative weather.  I was thrilled and made sure to thank Him.

The day was a complete success.  Heathen #3 declared it the best day ever.  And that made all the hard work and hours of preparation worth it.

Fast forward from Sunday to today (Thursday).  I was sorting laundry in the basement.  In Heathen #3's laundry was the blue dress shirt he had worn to church.  He had neglected to unroll the sleeves before placing the shirt in the wash.  Smiling as I thought of that day, I unrolled the sleeves of his shirt.

And discovered that the large cardboard price-tag was still hanging from its plastic tab to the left armpit of the shirt.  He had worn the shirt for several hours that day - and never taken the price tag off the shirt.

I stopped in stupefied thought:  Had I noticed the tag on his shirt that day? (Obviously, the answer to that question was NO.)  Had the tag been visible to others at any point as he was wearing a full, button-up vest over-top of the shirt? (Maybe.  Maybe not.)  Had anyone in the congregation noticed the tag hanging from his armpit? (No way of knowing the answer to this one.)

Finally, I simply removed the tag and threw it away.  And decided there was no point in asking anyone if they had noticed.  The tag was not the important part of the day.

But I will start searching the Heathens for tags on new clothing prior to an event.  Lesson learned.

Quiet, Hidden Tears & Lies

To my Heathens,

I've made such efforts to hide some things from the three of you.  And I will continue to do so.   Mostly, I do this because it has been for your own good.

I'm a firm believer that life is an adventure and it should be approached with an attitude of excitement and opportunity.  And yet, every time your life gains an opportunity for adventure, I "lose" something in the process.  This is as it should be.  That is the role of a Momma - to be outgrown.

None of you have EVER been homesick, regardless of where you have gone.  You have missed home, but never to the point that you felt the need to abandon the adventure you were currently embarked upon.  I've made a point of sending you off on any adventure with a smile and a promise to be there when you were ready to be finished.  A promise to listen as you recount all the events of your adventure with joy.  I've focused you on everything you could do or learn or be while you were on your adventure.  And I've done it so many times.

You all made me feel loved when you ask if I missed you while you were on your adventures.  And I have lied to you every time, and told you no, that I was excited to see what you did or accomplished or learned - and that doesn't leave time for missing you.  And I would NEVER let you know how often I simply sat in a chair and wished that you were home, because I was homesick with you gone.  The three of you and the Asst. Zookeeper are my home.  Many times, I cried quiet, hidden tears - where none of you could see them.  With each adventure, you "outgrow" me just a little bit more.

I lied to all of you the first time you left for summer camp, the first day of preschool.  I lied again the first day of kindergarten and then I made sure to save my tears for after you were gone.  You can't experience the full adventure if you are worried about how the Momma feels while you are gone.

And now, we are roughly three weeks from another lie.  It just dawned on me this morning as I was putting Heathen #3 on the bus and waving goodbye.  I've been standing at a bus stop and waving goodbye to an elementary school child for the past 12 years.  Sunshine, rain, snow, cold - I have waved goodbye and smiled at you from the driveway as you left on your adventure for the day.  And I only get to do it for another 16 days - and then that chapter of my life closes forever.  I will no longer have young children.

While I truly am excited for the next adventure of middle school for Heathen #3, this marks the end of an era.  No more bus stops for me.  No more holiday parties to visit the Heathens.  No more having lunch with you.  No more of it.  Because the adventure will change, and it will be more your adventure than our adventure.  And, in the fall, you will head out the door for the bus without me.  And I will hover in the window, just like I did when you older brothers headed out the first time alone as well.  And I will do it with tears in my eyes - just like I have twice before.  But you won't see them, because I won't let you.  I refuse to spoil your adventure.

In roughly three weeks, you will all be promoted to the next grade.  Heathen #1 will become a senior in high school.  You have repeatedly commented this year that your junior year is flying by.  Then you ask if I will miss you after next year, when you are gone.  And I lie every time, and tell you that I won't miss you because you will always have a place in this house.  And I know that as long as I keep food in the fridge, that you will come visit me.

I will admit to already having panicked over the thought of you leaving - not because I don't trust you to care for yourself and make smart decisions.  But because, you are part of my home.  And a piece of it will be moving on to another adventure.  My role will change again, as another chapter of my life closes.  You will be old enough to understand my tears - but I will still attempt to hide them.  I refuse to spoil your adventure.

In roughly three weeks, Heathen #2 will be an eighth grader.  A true teenager.  And someone that is starting to spread his own wings and find out who he is and who he wants to become.  This is something I can only encourage, but you will have to do the work yourself.  And when you falter, which you will, I will continue to support and guide.  But I will cry for your stumblings behind a closed door.  This is not an overnight process and I can't make it any easier except to suffer with you, but where you cannot see because I would never want you to feel as though I didn't believe in you.  You are embarking on the adventure that will lead to you becoming your own person.  It should be faced, on your part, with excitement and the thought of possibilities.  I refuse to spoil your adventure.

For years, I have watched other mothers cry their tears in front of their children and tell them they will miss them horribly.  I've watched them cry and lament what they are losing as their children grow.  And I have watched those children worry about their mothers instead of focusing on their "big adventure" of camp or school, etc.  I have watched these mothers look at me with disdain, as though I didn't love my Heathens as much as they love their children because I was "obviously happy" to see them go.

I've chosen to look for the adventure in life, and I love my life.  I am happy.  I have a three Heathens and an Asst. Zookeeper that create my home, wherever we happen to be.  How could I raise you to have a sad outlook on life when adventure has served me so well?

So, I will continue to hide my tears, and cry quietly where you can not see me.  And I will continue to push you all to look at the adventure to be had - whether it is in the day ahead of you or the next chapter in your own lives.  Because that is what a Momma does - teaches Heathens to look for an adventure and approach it with an attitude of possibility.

All my love, Heathens, will always be yours - no matter where you are in life.
Momma

Gilly Boy Vs. Oreo Cows

Our Zoo exists on the edge of a 90 acre farm. And the farmer and his family are fabulous - they have given the Heathens free run of the property. What more could a Heathen ask for?

In exchange, when he is out of town for work, we provide a few sets of extra hands around the farm. Currently, the farmer wanted to round up the cows and separate out the one-year-olds because they are all bulls. 

The trouble is that these are field cows. They don't ever come into a barn and are never handled. They are not the tame cows you see at dairy establishments. Seeing a human within 100 yards makes them run the opposite way. 

We set up a round pen in the field near our house and baited it with a round bale of hay. And we let the cows alone for several days so that they would get comfortable being in there. During these days, Hearhen #1 and the Asst. Zookeeper brainstorm about how they are going to get close enough to through the gate shut without the cows seein them coming and bolting out of the pen. Last time we separated cows, it involved a contraption that could be triggered from afar.  And one time we borrowed horses and riders from friends and did it like cowboys. Anything is possible at the Zoo. 

Heathen #1 claimed he could do it if he put on his gilly suit and crawled across the field. He received this suit as a Christmas gift several years ago and he randomly drags it out of the closet for different things. I responded with a comment to the effect of, "No way."

This week, we looked out in the afternoon. And all the cows were happily in the pen. And Heathen #1 decided it was time to attempt his plan. So he donned his suit, drove around the farm to the far side of the field and army crawled the entire length of the field. 

And the dumb cows never noticed him!  Our horses, in the adjacent field, saw him and pitched a fit the entire time he was in the field crawling - running around, snorting and stomping. The cows didn't take the hint. 

Can you find the Heathen?

He threw the gate on them in one try!  He was quite proud of himself - not that I blame him. Who else would crawl on their belly through a field to capture a dozen cows and think it was a grand adventure? Just my Heathen. 

Spider Web Stillness

My school year is complete - the finals have been given and graded, grades have been submitted, assessments have been tracked for the department and submitted, filing is done, and my "work bag" has been stowed away for the summer.  I LOVE my job as part-time faculty.  It allows me to have the best of both worlds - both as a working mother and a stay-at-home mother.

Sometimes though, it provides me with the WORST of both worlds.  

I have work deadlines that must be met, lessons to prep, tests to create and grade, etc - but I have to do all of it in three days a week.  And while I only work part-time, I still set high standards for myself concerning what takes place in my classroom.  And, the standards are never "part-time" standards.

The other two days a week, I'm at home.  And I feel as though the house should be clean, the dishes and laundry done and put away, and a meal on the table every night.  I should volunteer at the schools (there is currently a Heathen at all three school buildings: elementary, middle & high).  I should volunteer with outside groups.  After all - I don't "really" work.  Again, the standards I set are what creates my downfall.

Bless the Asst. Zookeeper's heart - if I had a penny for every time he has looked at me and told me to quit my job, or go back to work full-time, or go back to school, or whatever I need to hear on that particular day.  This man's support has always been unfailing - which sometimes makes me feel even guiltier when I feel that I have failed in some way.  But his support is the rock upon which my world is built.  When I count my blessings, the Asst. Zookeeper is at the top of the list.

This morning, as the Heathens were getting ready for school, nothing seemed to go the way I planned.  Two Heathens were very slow getting out of bed.  The third Heathen had a headache and I had used the last of the Tylenol myself just last night.  I had (a lot of) cheese quesadillas to make for Teacher Appreciation Day at the middle school that had to be delivered by 10am.  

And in the middle of this whirlwind, the college called.  When I was my final grades, I didn't click through all of the pages so that the grades were saved to the system for the registrar.  The woman on the other end told me (unhappily - but understandably) that my grades not being submitted was holding up the entire process of figuring out who was eligible for graduation.  Ugh - I've used the system for years and never screwed it up yet.  But, today was the day.  And everyone was waiting on ME to do my job correctly.  I promised her I would re-enter the grades as soon as my Heathens were out the door for school.

Heathen #2 left first - and reminded me on the way out the door that he needed lunch money (which I promised to drop off at the school with the quesadillas).  Heathen #1 left second and he had everything he needed for the last track meet of the season.  By the time, Heathen #3 and I headed out the door for the bus, I was ready to panic because I had screwed up at work and I still had quesadillas that needed delivered on time.

And the bus was fifteen minutes late picking up the Heathen.  At the 10 minute late mark, I was dancing from foot to foot.  But then, Heathen #3 did something - and it changed my day.

Heathen #3's spiderweb and the fog coming in off the field.

He looked at me and asked if I noticed the fog coming into the yard from the field behind us and did I hear the geese honking as they flew overhead?  How could they fly in the fog and know where they were going?  And did I see that the dew on the lilies growing at the end of the driveway?  Doesn't it look like frost, even though it isn't?  And did I see the really cool spiderweb on the shrub behind me?  Where was the spider?  Where does it go when you can't see it?  And look at the big black ant over here?  Why is there only one ant?  Shouldn't there be more?

These are the eyes that still notice all the little things around him - even as he gets closer and closer to his tenth birthday.

He's worried that someday his blue eyes will change to another
color - as the other Heathens' eyes are green and brown.

Heathen #3 is an inquisitive little thing - although, not necessarily little anymore.  He only seems little in comparison to the sizes of the other Heathens.  But he forced me to stop and look around me as we stood at the end of the driveway.  And he forced me to notice things I would otherwise have simply overlooked - these things were not on the "to do" list running through my head in a loop.  And with his stream of questions, he forced me to respond and participate and think of the everyday things around me.

He forced me to stop and breathe and look around.

After he boarded the bus, I made a point of walking slowly back up our driveway.  The goats were bleating for attention, so I stopped in their pen and scratched their little round bellies.  Then I meandered my way back inside and got a new cup of coffee.  And I took five minutes to sit and drink it in a quiet living room while I watched the fog burn off the field behind us.

Only then did I re-enter the grades (it took all of 5 minutes).  And I finished the quesadillas and took them to the school (took less than 30 minutes).  Everything I was in a panic about finishing and getting done was completed quickly.

But it was completed more quickly and with a lot less stress that it would have been, if Heathen #3 hadn't forced me to slow down and look around with a bit of wonder while we waited for the bus.

Well done, Heathen.  Momma needed the reminder today.  Keep looking around you with those blue eyes.  I'm betting they will stay blue - but I'll love them (and the Heathen to whom they belong) regardless.

Take the Heathens to Work Day

Heathen #3 had a grand adventure for Takw Your Child To Work Day. And, as I was making the arrangements for that trip, I knew the other Heathens needed something for that day as well. Only, the Zoo has an employment issue. 

None of the Heathens want to be a teacher/professor (what I do) and because they are students, they already have a pretty good idea of what happens all day.  

While the Heathens would probably be fascinated by the prospect of a trip underground with the Asst. Zookeeper, laws and regulations forbid it. No pretending to be the chief electrician at a coal mine - even if you stay above ground all day. 

Two parents = two strike outs. 

And I'm okay with the fact that my Heathens will probably never "follow in my footsteps" when it comes to choosing an occupation. Because I am ME and they are all very separate, and different HEATHENS. 

Heathen #1, at the age of 17 and at the end of his junior year is currently looking at a machinist apprenticeship program. He attended the open house offered several months ago and came home very intrigued. I kept the paperwork and pulled it out a few weeks ago. 

With a few phones calls, I was able to set up a job shadowing for the eldest Heathen on April 23rd. While I was in New York, I received the following texts:

With me in NYC, the eldest Heathen had to get himself up and go location prior to 7am. When I called him at 6:30, he was already at Sheetz getting breakfast and excited to be on his way. 

Needless to say, the Heathen came home from a great experience and learned so much. Thank you, to JWF Industries and Mr. Rob Pytash for all your efforts on behalf of my Heathen. 

Heathen #2 was bitten by the technology bug a few years ago, thanks to the schools Technology Club, run by Mrs. McCreary. Luckily, the Asst. Zookeeper and I are friends with the CEO of Prime Design Solutions. After exchanging a few emails, Heathen #2 was cleared to spend the day at the office, working on graphic design and layout, marketing, etc. 

This Heathen sent me text updates as well!  Read on:

Later that day, this was posted to the company's Facebook page:

As this Heathen is still too young to drive (and I was out of town), my parents willingly transported the middle Heathen both directions - his grandfather picked him up at the Zoo at 7:30 and took him to breakfast. His grandmother picked him up at the end of his work day and took him home. I couldn't have managed it without the transport help. Thank you, Granddad and Grammy B!

The Heathen came home happily babbling about everything he had gotten to do that day. Another success!! Thank you to Mr. Brian Law and the rest of the staff at Prime Design Solutions for sharing your work day with my Heathen. 

April 23, 2015 was an ASTOUNDINGLY successful day in the life of the Zoo.  Not only did all three Heathens gain valuable experience and knowledge, but we experienced others being willing to step in and share an experience with my Heathens. Not that the Asst. Zookeeper and I needed any proof that we made the right choice for our Heathens by living here, but our Heathens experienced and witnessed the value of family, friends, and community. Thank you to all for April 23rd!

Determination and a Barrel Horse Goal

Heathen #2 is probably the most like me.  And I'm well aware of that fact.  And I know it is most likely the reason that he and I drive each other crazy - we've even talked about it.  It is something that we are working on improving so that we can both survive his teenage years successfully.

MONTHS ago (September 2014), after watching the barrel racing at the county fair, Heathen #2 decided he wanted to race a barrel horse.  Although we have horses here at the Zoo, none of them are suited for this (whether by age or temperament).

Heathen #2 riding Ariat.

And, I will admit, I wasn't a lot of help.  This was something that I had no clue about.  Not only had I never done this, I didn't even know anyone who had that I could use as a starting point.  I will admit that I kept pushing "find stables with barrel riding lessons" to the bottom of my TO DO LIST.

So Heathen #2 took care of it himself.  He located a set of stables and made friends.  He made arrangements on his own for when he could go (all we had to do was drive the car).  He made arrangements for ordering the tack he needed to ride and paid for it himself.  He brought home the list of Silver Shoe competition dates and put it on the refrigerator.

Yesterday morning (Sunday), my Heathen got out of bed at 4am.  On his own.  I could hear him upstairs moving around and getting dressed.  At 4:15, he stuck his head in my bedroom door and asked if I was up - he was to be at the barn at 5:30 am, and we had a 45 minute drive (minimum) to get him there.  He was practically vibrating with excitement.  It was worth getting up at that hour just to see him.

I've seen my Heathen ride the horses we have here at the Zoo - and he does very well with them.  Better than the rest of us, as a matter of fact.  But yesterday, I saw my Heathen really RIDE for the first time.  And the Asst. Zookeeper and I watched with pride.

It was his first competition EVER.  And, because of the distance to the stables, he doesn't get there nearly as often as he would like.  But he LEARNED what he wanted to learn.  He DID wanted he wanted to do.  He RODE a barrel horse in competition.   And the Asst. Zookeeper and I couldn't have been prouder of him.

As first time "show parents," the Asst. Zookeeper and I had no idea what to expect.  But we learned a lot as well, watching the kids ride.

At 10 pm, the Asst. Zookeeper and I made the 45 minute drive back out to the stables to pick up a very tired Heathen - the horses all had to be returned to the barn and the tack unloaded.  We pulled back into the Zoo somewhere between 11:30 and midnight.

Heathen #2 has had difficulty sleeping in a car since he was probably two or three.  The motion keeps him awake.  However, this is what we found when we looked behind us in the car:

Exhausted, with a saddle for a pillow.

This morning, Heathen #2 had a hard time crawling out of bed.  He is exhausted.  But he never asked to stay home from school.  He's sore and stiff and he has some bruises from yesterday.  After taking some Tylenol, I sent him back up to lay down for another 30 minutes and told him I would drive him to school.

He's going to have a long, tough day.  But, he set a goal for himself.  And, he accomplished it.  He's already looking forward to the competition next month.  The determination and dedication in Heathen #2, while frustrating on occasion, are also some of his greatest assets and will serve him well in the future.

Well done, Heathen.  You did SO WELL.

Ms. Jolene Watt, her daughters (Gabby & Billy Jo), and everyone else at Oak Street Stables - thank you.  You taught my Heathen something that I could not.  For that, I am always grateful.  While we encourage the Heathens to be willing to try ANYTHING, this is something that the Asst. Zookeeper and I couldn't have supported on our own.  Thank you.

Nerds Take New York!

My Heathen #3 is a nerd - he loves school and everything about it.  The social aspect.  The bus ride.  The cycle classes.  The teachers.  And, the learning - he LOVES to learn new things.  Learning is a challenge this Heathen accepts with open arms and then asks, "Isn't there more?"

Many days ago, I wrote a post about my little "quarter-circle nerd."  The conversation that I documented, I also shared with my father in a phone conversation - who then shared it with my younger brother.

My younger brother was a "quarter-circle nerd" as well, and I love him dearly.  He and my youngest Heathen remind me so much of each other that I occasionally use my brother's name when talking to Heathen #3.

Approximately three weeks ago, I received an email from my brother:

Yo Danners,

Awhile back Dad mentioned Landon saying he was disinterested in something because other kids thought it was nerdy.  I’d be happy to bring Landon to Two Sigma for Take Your Kid To Work day on 4/23 so he can see what grown-up-and-nerdy is like.

You two could come in the day before.  I’d take Landon to work for the event and you’d have a day in Manhattan to yourself.  I fly out for Austin on Friday after work but you two would be welcome to stick around into the weekend if you like.   Should be able to fit everyone at my apartment so the only expense would be transportation to/from the city.

Let me know either way,

Rhys

My younger brother doesn't know it, but he made me cry that day.  It had been a difficult "mom" day with the Heathens, and then I opened this email.  I have the BEST younger brother - have I mentioned that?

I immediately accepted the invitation - what an ADVENTURE it would be for Heathen #3.  The older Heathens had each gotten to go on an adventure trip with me and without any siblings.  This was PERFECT for the littlest Heathen.

The Asst. Zookeeper made my travel arrangements.  He truly is the best travel agent to have on hand!  Plans were made.  Arrangements were made for the Zoo to run smoothly in my absence.  Bags were packed.  And the adventure began!

We took Amtrak from the Johnstown station to Penn Station in New York - it was perfect.  The train, and its dining car, were popular with the littlest Heathen.

Waiting for our train to arrive at the Johnstown station.

Finally!  All aboard!

Breakfast on the rails.

Comfortable for 7.5 hours - not a single complaint!

 Once we arrived in Penn Station, my brother met us.  After stopping at his apartment to drop off our backpacks, we headed for Central Park to exercise the Heathen.  Anyone who owns a Heathen knows that it is like owning a dog - exercise after a long period of little physical movement is REQUIRED.

Heathen #3 spent more than an hour running through the park and climbing up and down the biggest rocks he could locate.

Central Park, New York

After feeding and ablutions, the Heathen was exhausted and fell asleep with no difficulty, despite the excitement of the upcoming day.

The "boys" headed out the door at 8am.  And the trip to work required another trip on the subway (always a hit with the Heathen when we go to New York).  After the required "mom" speech (behave, be polite, BEHAVE), I sent them out the door!

My two FAVORITE quarter-circle nerds.

How I spent my day is NOT important.  I will admit that a lot of it was thinking about what was happening with the boys and really hoping that everything was going well.

I met them in the building lobby at 5 pm, and Heathen #3 was BUBBLING with his adventures and what he had done.  He had gotten a t-shirt.  And had a group leader.  And they fed him breakfast AND lunch.  And they built a robot. And. And. And.  

SUCCESS.

Heathen #3 talked the entire time we walked to the Staten Island Ferry.  I wanted him to do something "New Yorky" that evening that the other Heathens had not done.  And his uncle planned well.  Riding the Ferry was a new experience and gave the Heathen the closest look he's ever had at the Statue of Liberty.

We took this photo on the way back to New York on the State
Island Ferry.  That's the Statue of Liberty over his shoulder.

Again, it was dinner, ablutions, and then crashed into bed.  The Heathen was exhausted, but happy - which is all that mattered.

Friday morning, my brother headed off to work before we had to catch the train home.  While it was a short visit, and he spent most of the time with my Heathen, it meant the world to me.  Someday, I hope to be able to return the favor in some manner.

Heathen #3 and I headed out and found a little restaurant for breakfast, then took the Subway to Penn Station.  

Penn Station and waiting for the track number
to appear on the board for our train,
the Pennsylvanian.

Heathen #3 made sure he could wear his new t-shirt to school today.  He had an adventure that he will NEVER forget.  And, I hope, he feels a little more comfortable as a "quarter-circle nerd."  He has a great future ahead of him, wherever he goes.

And, to my younger brother - thank you.  Helping my littlest Heathen be more comfortable in his own skin is one of the greatest gifts you could have ever given me.  Thank you.