Full Day Camping

Well maybe not a full day. I could take a shower 24 hours after getting the stitches so we went home this morning so I could do that.  Picked up a couple of things I forgot.  And it let the rest of camp sleep in a little longer before kid noises. 
We spent a lot of time down at the river.  Pat was fishing.  The kids were playing in the water and the sand.  We played with Buddy who is the best dog ever.
We had shrimp skewers last weekend and they were a bit dry.  So this time Pat did bacon wrapped shrimp and they were delicious.  Gone in about five minutes flat.  The steaks weren't even finished cooking before there were no more shrimp.  We are going to do that again. 
Once it started getting dark all the kids made s'mores and played with some sparklers.  The little woman put her first one out real soon.  She was not too sure about it, but she let the next one burn the whole way and was happy with herself. 

Camping

There are at least four eagles that are hanging out at the island this summer.  I didn't see any osprey this time.  I sure enjoy watching those eagles fly.
This year there is this piece of equipment used to move big things.  So the kids made it into a redneck teeter-toter.  They had the best time on it.  Monte even made the top higher so they could swing a little better on it. 
Pat had to work so this first night we are on our own.  We set up camp and visited with the others camping this weekend. 

A Day of Firsts

So suffice it to say our evening did not go as planned.  We did not get to see the reptiles at the library.  Every one was home in time to go.  Something set the little man off and I had to go outside for a bit.  Sometimes that helps him calm down.  I came in and he had made a hole in a wall.  Well that did not make me happy.  Me unhappy escalates him and he started throwing stuff.  I caught the banana and the cucumber.  Should have let those go and caught the rolling pin.
So to the ER we went.  Besides the obvious which is I need stitches....they asked if my tetanus shot was current.  No, no it is not.  My last tetanus shot was in 1978.  Lucky me, I got one of those.  And it wasn't too bad.  I expected a lot worse.  Next the doc wanted to know if my teeth bled.  Well  I have no idea what bled and what did not.  He touched one tooth and it ached, but it was okay.  Then he touched the next tooth and that was not.  Head CT time. 
So I have never had anything beyond a normal x-ray.  The little CT machine is not bad.  Sounds like being in a wind tunnel or the air dryer at the car wash.  I couldn't watch it as it spinned as it bothered my motion sickness.  Now I have had one of those and it came out all fine. 
As far as I can remember I have not had stitches without surgery.  So this was new.  And all the people who came in before kept telling me about this new numbing gel stuff.  We already know about it because the little woman had it used the first time she got stitches.  Doc comes in with what he needs and a needle.  No numbing gel for me.  I get the old fashioned way.  And man does that sting.  He said it works better.  I didn't feel the stitches at all.  Five altogether.  The little mans watched every stitch.  The little woman kind of watched a bit.  I think it hit a little too close to home for her. 
The littles behaved very well at the hospital.  They were amazed that they were able to watch a whole movie in the time we were there.  Our in and out time put us there just a little over three hours.  They told me it is a boring place. They are correct.  But we are thankful they are there.  And I got to have a teaching moment with the littles on how to be brave. 

Homebody Day

Evening came and I realized we did not go anywhere today in the car.  We did walk down to the basketball hoop and played some ball.  The littles played with some neighbor kids.  Other than that we were home all day. 
I did some laundry and some yard work.  Logan came and mowed our dandelions.  There was a little grass, but it has slowed way down on its growing.  The little woman made us pizza for dinner and then insisted she was not eating any of it.  And so far she has not.  She did a good job though.
Just enjoyed our day of ease.  Sure hope I didn't forget something I was suppose to do.  ;p

Incredible

The littles love "The Incredibles".  We have watched it many times.  Pixar finally came out with a second one.  And they just had to watch it.  Well it came out weekend before last.  I tend to only want to go to most movies on Tightwad Tuesday.  Well last Tuesday was family night with Mom.  So they had to wait until this week. 
Since we waited till now the theatre was not packed, although it was the fullest it has been since we started going to the Tuesday shows. 
It took the littles awhile to get into the movie.  So they had quite a bit of squirming at first.  And then at some point it grabbed them and they sat quietly and still watching the rest.  It was a cute movie. 
While sitting there I was thinking about how we did not see many movies in the theater when I was parenting before.  I don't know that we were any poorer then.  I think it is priorities and things like there are only three of us.  We only have to worry about our own schedule and we do what we want.

Glimpses

There are not many people that I actually dislike.  Just a handful in my entire life.  So I worked with this gal and I've come a long way in being able to function with someone I really don't like.  The longer she worked there the more I saw.  I had to go out of my way to make sure I took my lunch at different times to not be with her in the lunchroom.  And it's not like we ever had a conversation.  I just didn't need to hear all the other conversations that occurred when she was around.  On the other hand if I needed to talk to her about work it was no problem. 
I understand she must have a really big hole in her soul to make her the way she is.  And I understand that no one is all bad.  So when this whole group of people at work just loved her....I was at a loss. They had to see something I didn't see.  Even when she started attacking people she called friends, the whole group stood with her.  It was like grade school.  We have to like who the cool girl likes. 
Then this gal left to do other things.  The group still did things with her, but I only had to see it on facebook since I'm friends with some of the group. 
Then she started picking them off one by one.  I don't know if that means she found new friends or if the hole in her soul was getting bigger.  I just know that that circle got smaller.  And it's down to one.  And I'm still at a total loss how that is.  The last one is so friendly and outgoing and positive.  so I tend to just continue writing it off as something I don't understand or see. 
And then I got a glimpse.  Just a small one.  As I was walking by a group at work I heard the end of a sentence uttered by the one about one of the others.  And it wasn't nice.  It was one of the backhanded insults made out as a compliment.  I wasn't part of the conversation so I walked on by.  But it explained a little bit to help with my confusion.  Either that or it was more of we must not like who the cool girl doesn't like. 
We are all here and the cool girl is gone.  We all have to get along and do our jobs.  And some people do not deserve any more of the ridicule and disdain that the cool girl brought to the table.  Hopefully now that she actually moved away things will finally totally settle down....until the next thing. 

Anxious Much?

Sometimes life just seems to slap you in the face.  Why does it take so long to figure some stuff out? Anyway we definitely have anxiety issues here.  Now there is no way to tell if it is genetic, a fluke or from drug use in-vitro.  But however it came to be, it is. 
I was talking with my niece for some answers.  She suffers from it also and it manifested itself when she was about this age.  She was helpful.
This started my own searching for answers.  There is medication, but it is for the long haul.  It's not where we start.  That medicine makes itself too important.  One of the things for a natural trial is essential oils.  Now I don't place a lot of hope there.  But there is something to be said for being proactive.  When I saw these diffuser bracelets I immediately thought on my niece first. So I had a pair with some lavender oil shipped to her.  If nothing else they are cool looking bracelets.  She was excited to get them and to try them on herself and her daughter. 
This weekend I wondered why my brain didn't just come home.  So I ordered another pair and had them shipped here.  Because maybe at this age just a little proactive magic may be enough to help. Here is to hope and finding a way to live with this. 

Party

We were invited to a half birthday party.  Taylor has a Dec. 26th birthday which means he never "really" has a birthday party.  So as a kid his mom started the half birthdays for him to have a party that his friends could come to.  I'm not sure if that tradition followed him into adulthood, but this year he is 30 years-old.  His wife wanted it to be special so she threw a surprise half birthday party for him.
I am always amazed at Leslie and Taylor.  I've known her for many years now through work.  And he comes with the package.  I get glimpses of him on facebook and from funny stories I hear at work.  They are such a great couple and they added a boy to their family this last year.  And he is amazing.
So before the party Leslie had sent out a thing asking for advice for Taylor for his big 30.  My advice would have been live your life.  Don't spend all your time making a living and miss out on having a life. Life is short and fleeting and there is no guarantees about tomorrow.  Travel when you can.  Play when you can.  Do enough work to have a purpose, but don't let it be all consuming. 
I did not give my advice to Leslie.  One of the things I love about Taylor is he is already living my advice.  They go for walks and boat rides.  They have a great family life and today just showed that more.  One of the things I am envious of Leslie and Taylor is that close family life.  Today I met both sets of parents and siblings and nieces and nephews.  They all show up and do things together.  Not just for holidays where they get gifts...if you know what I mean.  So I'm happy to not give advice to Taylor. 
A couple people I knew from work showed up and we got to play that catch up game that happens outside of work.  I love the stories of the works behind the scenes.  I met a couple of really interesting people and think it would have been great to spend more time with them and converse.  But it was a party.  I will say I am in awe of purple braids and women who can juggle. 
It was a great party and I'm glad we were invited. 

Yakisoba 2

And I was right.  I did not feel like doing anything after work.  So we stopped and got Yakisoba with shrimp to go.  The little man ate the shrimp and some of the noodles.  It was so good. 
So another buyback week is completed.  It did not feel so busy today and yet when Brenda and I looked at our rental return shelves....they were much fuller.  She spent a good amount of time organizing the section going back to the biggest vendor. 
By the end of the day I was tired.  Wasn't a good night for sleep.  And even though I forgot to turn on the alarm which gave me an extra 45 minutes sleep.....I was still tired before I began.  Now a normal week, then a super light week and then the fun begins in earnest.  Summer rush, whole store inventory and then gearing up for fall which is suppose to start the week Liz is on vacation and I run the warehouse.  Yeehaw. 

Yakisoba

I don't know why but all of a sudden Yakisoba noodles sounded really good.  Decided the kids and I would go to the local place and have some.  Well when I picked them up at daycare the little man insisted he needed to go home first.  And so we did.  And he did what he needed to do and then headed to the neighbors.  I was fine with that since it was still early. 
I sat down to watch a little TV and fell asleep.  I was soooo tired.  Woke up and it was after 7.  The little man came home at 8.  Much too late to get Yakisoba.  So we had a quickie dinner at home and planned Yakisoba for tomorrow. 
Tomorrow is a long day at work and I will feel less like cooking that night than I felt tonight.  ;p

Almost Forgot About Girl Scouts

The little woman had a girl scout meeting tonight.  She hasn't had one in so long.  Or at least it feels that way.  Sometime in May was the last one.  Anyway they planned their camp out at BG Lake.  The planned the meal.
I asked the little woman what was planned and she wouldn't answer me.  I asked her if she was going to try whatever the food is and she kind of shrugged.  Guess it is not for me to worry about.  If she won't eat I know she won't starve. 

Family Dinner With Mom

Every few months they have a family night where my mom stays.  Tonight was the night.  They had a Vegas theme going on.  We left before it was over so missed the entertainment...but we did see Elvis enter the building when we arrived. 
They made sliders which were mini burgers.  Mom ate hers and most of mine.  There was a yummy chocolate dessert and she ate hers and the little woman's. She enjoyed spending time with us.  We enjoyed our time there.
The littles behaved and we got to stay for an hour.  They raffled off a couple of really nice picnic baskets.  We were oh so close....but no cigar.  Mom was really hoping she would win.  Ah well....maybe next time. 
Just family time and making memories. 

Math

We were driving home from the grocery store.  The little woman was quizzing the little man on math skills.  Always a good practice for her.  So she must have given him a problem beyond his ability.  So he asks me what is 50-40.  I tell him 10.  He tells me he isn't used to big numbers yet.  He can do little numbers.  And he gave me an example. 10+5-1.  And then he told me the answer was 14.  Yup right on.  End of kindergarten and he is already starting to understand order of operations. I am always amazed when I realize just what they know.....already. Oh and he can add by tens, just not subtracting yet.  Bet he figures it out really quick. 

Home Again

We slept in a bit.  And then no one was particularly interested in breakfast.  So we packed up and moved on down the road.  By then the littles were hungry.  Seems like every trip to Cape Disappointment ends with a meal at the Pig n Pancake in Astoria.  So we had pancakes.  Well I had an omelette they called a Denver.  I did catch it was made with bacon and got ham substituted.  Well their version also contains tomatoes and that is all just wrong.  There were two pieces of green pepper and I swear a whole tomato and a few onions.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  So I ate my hash browns, my toast and part of the little woman's pancakes.  And then back on the road.
We were home in an hour and a half.  Got the car unpacked just before the real rain.  Heard a little thunder. 
It was a great camping weekend.  Even with an anxiety attack.  We met dogs, saw a couple deer, a couple raccoons and watched lots of boats and ships.  We rescued a hummingbird.  It had flown into our yurt and got stuck in the dome.  We were lamenting about how to help it when it gently glided down to the floor.  Pat quickly took it outside and as soon as it had cooled down just a bit, it flew off.  The littles showed great empathy and concern.  And naturally they both wanted to hold it, but Pat wasn't having anything to do with that.  And that is fine.  We were just happy it was all right. 
And now on to our summertime routine.  We talked about our next camping trip to the island and when that would happen.  The Fourth of July is on a Wed.  which kind of messes up camping a bit when we have to work around the fourth.  We talked about next year camping with our sister.  Wouldn't that be a trip?  The little would love nothing better than playing with their second cousins. 

Cape Disappointment/Ilwaco

Saturday.  We got up and had a little breaky before heading to Ilwaco for the Saturday market.  We found a hair thing for the little woman and things from the local bookstore.  We love independent bookstores.  My brother bought a crab as he said whatever he wanted to fish for was closed this weekend. 
Once back to camp we headed to the beach.  We learned about the birds who make nests on the cliff side.  They were pretty cool.  The kids played in the ocean and got good and wet and cold.  Took them about ten minutes to dry and warm up.  They did that climbing on the rocks and driftwood. 
They went on an adventure with the uncle.  Pat had wanted to go get seafood lasagna in Long Beach.  While they were adventuring he said they drove to through Long Beach and it was packed.  So he changed his mind.  We went back to the original plan of Dave's camp stew for supper.  Usually mine is no where near as good as his.  Today I did it justice and it was like having him with us. 
Then Pat and the little man wanted to check out the bunker.  The little woman did not so she and I stayed in the car and argued about it.  She won.  Or I won.  It would have been a miserable hike with her pouting all the way.  Anyway the guys were impressed with the bunker. 
We had a little more beach time and then it was time for s'mores.  They had enough to bounce for a bit.  And then we settled in.  The trash panda did not wait too long to visit our campsite.  We had nothing of interest left out though. 

Beach Time

I had to work first.  So we dropped the little woman off at daycare.  The little man went to Pat's and they drove down together.  Made for a nicer trip for me.  No sibling rivalry going on in the backseat.  When we got there we had time to make a quick trip down to the beach to check it out. 
Every time we go to Cape Disappointment the beach is different.  There wasn't nearly the driftwood that there was last year.  The little man found some teens to play Frisbee with and then they did some climbing on the driftwood that was there.
I listened to the ocean and felt myself recharging. 

Small Life Lesson

My little man rarely backs down.  Now that is either going to serve him well or get him in a lot of trouble in the future.  But it is part of who he is.  So when bigger kids pick on him....he fights back and sometimes not fairly.  And then he has this spitting thing.  I'm so tired of the spitting thing. 
So it starts with him spitting on the little woman's friend.  I believe it happened (twice) at basketball skills.  The class was a co-ed multi-age class.  I have no idea if she said or did anything or if he was just in one of those spitting moods.  Anyway she let me know and then I guess he did it again and her mom talked to him.  As far as I know that was the end of it. 
Then there is a friend of hers in the neighborhood who is in her class.  This was definitely a case of bigger kids picking on littler kids.  And like I said he doesn't back down.  It did end when he was throwing rocks.  I basically told him to stay away from that street.  The little woman still plays with that friend on occasion. 
The little woman and I were having a heart to heart and she commented about her two friends continuing to tell people in their class about the things that her brother did to them.  And how it made her feel and that she wished they would stop.  I'm like wait..what?  The incidents happened weeks ago and it is still ongoing in her class.  I'm not sure of the reason.  Maybe they were trying to warn people that if you are friends with the little woman you risk going up against her brother.  Or they just like to make her feel bad.  Either way....it is it's own form of bullying. 
My response, right or wrong, was there is only one day left of school and then it should die out.  I'm pretty non-confrontational.  And I know that my passive aggressive way does not always work.  But for now we shall see what happens. I was just sad that she had to have the little life lesson of sometimes the people you think are your friends....really aren't.  And one of those two girls was her very first school friend. 

And It Ends

And the school year is over.  They had field day and both littles really enjoyed it.  Said they got sprayed by the firemen.  They had ice cream and played lots of outdoor games. 
I had to drop off the little woman and we ran into one of the interventionists.  She had loved her gift bag of brain erasers.  I knew I made a great choice in those.  They had to be better than coffee cups. 
So now we move on to our summer and in the fall they move to third and first grade.  Time flies.  I'm hoping that we will still be where the littles are at Maple Grove.  They love it there.  It is stability and it has worked well for us.  But I guess time will tell. 

Awards Assembly

Well wonders never cease.  I was feeling a bit sad for my girl.  I just assumed she would not get an award again this year.  They have a very limited number that they give out.  Well last night just before going to bed, I checked my email and it said she was getting an award.
I didn't tell either one that they were going to be recipients.  I showed up and sat where I could see.  She received the Striving for Excellence award for all her hard work and not giving up.  I think the important part is the not giving up.  There were many days where she felt stupid and told me so.  And it seemed like no matter what I told her, it did not change her mind.  So it was great to see her perseverance rewarded.
The little man received the Academic Excellence.  The principal said it would be equivalent to an honor roll.  Now he is only in kindergarten, but he had a great start.  I know he is smart and I'm glad that he is able to show that to his teacher.
I brought the gift bags along.  Each kid got to give theirs to their teacher.  I took the ones for the interventionist and then didn't see their classrooms/offices.  So I left them in the office.  The little woman said her teacher was thrilled with her brain erasers and showed the whole class. 
Sitting during the assembly and watching all the kids.  I was taken with how all these kids are so good.  They haven't started making choices yet that can put them on hard paths.  There were clowns and there were popular kids just like always.  But you could tell they were all still just good kids going to school and doing great things.  We got to hear the band, watch the flag team and the honor guard.  We got to watch the slide show of the year.  It was a really good morning. 

Bits and Bobs, Odds and Ends

So the little man informed me that he no longer needed his Lightning McQueen step stool in the bathroom.  And then he showed me that he can reach the faucet completely fine and see well in the mirror.  Okay then.  He is growing up too fast.
He also is being a veracious eater and is starting a growth spurt.  Maybe it is good that he doesn't wear pants.
I bought a used coffee table.  My intention was to use it as a TV stand and replace the one we have.  The current one has had some abuse.  Well after two days I managed to get the coffee table in the house.  Where I bought it I had help getting it in the car.  And it is pretty heavy.  Once I got it out of the car I wasn't sure I would be able to lift it by myself.  Well we have an old small handcart sitting by the garbage can and I just used that.  Worked like a charm. Now it is sitting in the living room like it is a coffee table.  The little woman and her friend immediately put it to work as an art station.  And they were so quiet and good.  Now I have to rethink my plan. 
We keep getting asked about our summer plans.  We have some, but nothing big.  We get these funny looks when we talk about it.  We spent our vacation money at Disneyland.  Makes for a quieter summer.  And it's not like we are doing nothing.  Just no major trips. 

Counting Down

The littles are counting down the days till summer break and their move up in grades.  They have three days left of school and I'm pretty sure they aren't doing much this week.  One of the half days is field day and one is taken up with the awards assembly.  Tomorrow they probably help clean.  ;p
We are week two of no squabbles in the morning.  And so far it is working.  They have a prize at the end of this week if we make it through two weeks of school mornings without squabbling.  It has been so nice. 
The little man saw his new nerf gun and thinks it is just the coolest thing.  I don't think she saw her Littlest Pet Shop animals but she knows that is what she is getting.  Her new obsession.  It is a small price to pay for two weeks peace in the mornings.  ;p
And in three more days I have a third grader and a first grader.  Wow. 

Trying to Wear Them Out

And it didn't work.  We spent two and a half hours at Dizzy Castle.  They ran and ran and ran.  We had a small cheese pizza for a late lunch while there.  The small one was just the right size for that.  And then they ran some more. 
And I would have sworn they should have been worn out, but they were not.  So we stopped at the store and picked up some groceries.  The little man is outside trying to make water balloons.  I keep telling him it is raining and cold....not a great day for water balloons.  But for some reason he does not believe me.  He is his own self that is for sure. 

Veg Day

We did a little work as to not feel too lazy.  Then a nap and movies on the couch.  The little man and I really enjoyed the new Jumanji movie.  I liked the old one, but this was better.  And that is about all I have to say about today.  ;p

Long Day

Liz took the day off so I worked a long day.  I did all the receiving and then worked on some inventory prep.  I am never sure how much I get done when I do that.  I worked on filling the shelves with stuff out of the storeroom.  And then I pre-counted some stuff in the storeroom and out in the warehouse.  I was told to only try and count things I knew wouldn't get used before inventory.  And that is harder than you would think.  A lot is already done and that is good. 
Then I also worked on my humongous pile of freight logs.  Made a wee dent.  Some of them go back to February.  That wasn't on my list of things to do, but sometimes my brain needs a break from whatever I am already doing. 
It was a good day with just the right amount of sitting and standing.  I didn't have very tired feet when I got home. 

Strange

So I have this step tracker on my phone.  I don't know how accurate it is, but it gives me an idea if I was active enough any particular day.  So I'm looking at it and I get to this section of track your bike ride.  Okay.  I don't need that since I'm not riding a bike, but it shows I did.  And then it gives me a map with my route plotted on it.  And it looks like a toddler scribble.  I keep looking at it.  It is the strangest thing.  Wish I could download it off the phone, but I haven't figured that out.  Then it kind of strikes me that it really is a map, not just a picture of a scribble. 
There is 244th St.  There is 162nds Ave.  Wait.  It's a map of when I mowed Betty's fields.  Guess the phone realized I was moving and thought I was on a bike.  I thought that was hilarious.  Then all the scribbles made sense. 

Detailing

It's all in the details.  The little woman got in the car and said it is like new.  After I dropped them at school, I had dropped the car at a detailers.  I only had the inside done.  It took longer than anticipated.  I think the guy continued working on his wife's car before he got started on mine.  And that's all right. 
After I dropped the car I walked to the mall to catch the bus back home.  It ended up being an hour walk.  Amazing how much longer things take walking as opposed to driving.  Got back home with time for a little lunch and little nap.  Caught the bus back to my brothers and had him drop me. 
Well I was early.  So I got to sit in the shade and enjoy peace and quiet.  As it got closer and closer to school getting out, my anxiety level was going up.  Finally I texted a couple of neighbors and I found someone to catch the kids. 
Then the car was done and I was off.  I got home about five minutes after the kids.  Methinks it is time to make a plan for if this happens again. 
Then we went to the park and had a small picnic.  They played for a couple of hours.  We headed home and went through the car wash so the outside kind of matched the inside. 
So happy that the car is finally clean.  Now to get on a better cleaning schedule.  Sure hope this guy doesn't move when it is time for the next cleaning. 

Invitations

We seem a little overrun with birthday party invitations.  We had a lot of years where we didn't really get them.  So the little man just had the one we attended on the weekend.  He got another one for the weekend we are at the beach. The little woman just got one for a half day at school.  I work all day that day and the party starts an hour before I get off.  Can't make that one work for her.  And she was a bit sad.  He didn't seem to care if he misses one.
Maybe we will try to make some playdates this summer.

Winding Down

The school year is almost over.  So I am taking advantage of my last couple of days where I have the day off from work, but they are still in school.  I tried to take Mom out for lunch on Friday, but she was on a van ride.  So today worked just as well.
We went to the Margarita Factory that just opened in Hazel Dell at the end of February.  Mom thinks perhaps she had been there before.  And maybe she had.  We had enchiladas.  The food was fine.  We didn't have "drinks".  I have heard tell you can ring up a tab real quick.  Drinks cost much more than the food. 
Mom and I just enjoyed each other's company.  A little of that unhappy Mom showed through, but no where near the rages she used to experience.  She went back and forth on whether she liked the restaurant and the food.  Just life with dementia. 

Wild Conversations

Lately the littles seem to be growing and with that comes more curiosity.  We have been having the wildest conversations.  The other day the little woman popped up with could you still work when you are pregnant and how that works.  That moved to paycheck jobs versus jobs you get paid for right away like babysitting.
  This week the little man wanted to know why I didn't help people.  He meant giving money to sign flyers on the side of the street.  Well I very rarely ever give anything to a sign flyer.  I figure the majority of them are using the money for drugs and I don't want to help with that.  If I feel inclined to help homeless I give money to Share House.  This is hard to explain to a six year-old.
We have been talking about pets and what they can have now and when and what they have to wait until they are grown ups to have.  Her new thing is a ferret.  That is better than a snake.  She also wants five turtles when she grows up. 
We talk about who is behaving and who isn't.  We talk about Indiana.  We talk about how rude people are who let their dogs chase cats.  We had that experience in our lives and while I sure hope it wasn't something done on purpose....they have big feelings about it still to this day. 
It's kind of interesting watching their minds develop and have them ask pertinent questions to life. 

Active Day

The little man had a birthday party to attend this afternoon.    Before that we went to the Healthy Penguin Nation event going on at the college.  The kids had a blast.  They especially liked the obstacle challenge and each one did it at least three times.  We learned a lot of good things to be healthy.  And then there were snacks afterwards.  Both kids chowed on the fruit platters. 
The birthday party was at Kid's Club.  They got to burn off energy for a couple of hours.  Turns out the birthday girl's mom and another mom there volunteer in the little man's class.  So I got a big telling of how wonderful the little man is.  Way over the top.  Like I don't know how wonderful he is.  So I'm not sure what that was all about.  But it was good to hear that he mostly behaves and is very polite.  Something I am teaching does get in.
We ended our day with a trip to the neighborhood park and then shooting some hoops in the street.  Always a nice ending.  And now bed is calling our names. 

Basketball Skills

The little man has been taking an after school class on basketball skills.  It went on for eight weeks and today was the last class.  He has gained so much.  Early on I had commented about it to someone and she thought it was cool.  Her child was playing sports in Vancouver because there is nothing available out here.  Wait...what?  I did not contradict her because I wasn't sure.  But there has always been sports available out here to the little guys.  Basketball is through community education. 
So today being the last day, it prompted me to check.  I had told the little man he could play the real team game this winter when it is time.  Sure enough basketball is still offered through community education.  Whew. 
When I walked in to pick him up he was in the middle of a drill and he made a basket.  Made it look as easy as his daddy used to make it look. We talked about it on the drive home and I told him to keep practicing down at Braden's house to keep his skills up and getting better.