Friday Favorites

1. Ginger and I spent some time in the kitchen together on Sunday. We made a new pasta salad that she wanted to try as an alternative to sandwiches in her lunch for school (it was a big hit). We had a lot of fun together. The family was also happy that Ginger and Pen made some brownies to eat after our nummy stir fry dinner. They were received with open arms (and mouths). (Okay, is anyone else as creeped out as I am by how Big's mouth looks? I can't quite put my finger on why, but ACK!)

2. I'm going to try to walk down to pick Big up from kindergarten more often. It's about a mile both ways (with the way home being mostly uphill), so it will be a good way to get some exercise and extra outside time while the weather is still nice. Edith loves getting out of her stroller to walk for the last quarter mile. Can't beat the company and there are fun things to see. 

3. We finished out the soccer season for the three kids who were playing. I think they're a little disappointed, but I have a little Hallelujah Chorus playing in my head over it. I mean, I love to watch my kids play, but it's always nice to have a little break (until the next thing comes along). I'll do a separate post about soccer, soon.

4. Oh, wait.... that next thing came along already. I'm super excited about it, though. Bud had his first rock climbing class on Wednesday and he loved it. I think it will be such a good fit for him. It's both an individual and a team sport (you need to learn to rely on your belayer), but without all of the jostling that comes with a lot of team sports. Plus, it will help him develop a strong core so he can hopefully stay brace-free. Perfect.

5. Ginger's soccer season may be over for the moment, but her super-dedicated coach is going to continue with twice-a-week practices. That makes me so happy for her because she loves it, and I love to see how much she is improving and gaining confidence. It does make me miss playing, but that's fodder for another post.

6. Edith turned 19 months yesterday! Another blog post for this weekend...

7. My mom and my sister and her husband and twin boybies came to support Big in his last soccer game last night. It was great to see them and Big loved the extra cheers aimed his way. 

8. This morning, rather than walking down to pick Big up from school, Edith and I picked him up in the car and drove to the park. Another good option. We had a lot of fun.

9. The rest of the day was pretty good, too. Yes, that is Big voluntarily working on writing the letter 'Gg'. It was his idea. I just couldn't get him to sit at the table because someone was eating Cheerios. That's yet another post I should write.

10. Pen got to dance at halftime of the football game tonight, Ginger is still at a late party, and Bud just walked in the door, beaming, from a concert and ice cream date with my mom. Big and Edith enjoyed having a little more attention focused on them by their dad with everyone else gone. Life is good for everyone tonight, it seems. 

And next week, when Pen finally finishes her bug project, I should be able to rid the house of the smell of decaying insects. Then life will be perfect, right?