Happenings II

We are chomping at the bit for summer to arrive.  It’s been a challenging and rewarding school year.  We have all worked hard and now we want carefree days riding bikes and playing at the pool.  We don’t want to have to rush to load up the car and be someplace if we can help it.  Last week I asked the kids if they would like twice-weekly tennis lessons this summer, which would go on for two months.  They unanimously agreed that they just want to play and have lazy days.  Tennis will always be there.  It can be saved for another year.

Meredith somehow wormed her way into getting chicks from the library again.  This chick “foster care” program is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime deal because it’s such a popular program, but when she volunteered at the library to pour chick food into canisters for the incoming class, the librarian offered her some of the “extra” chicks to keep at home for 10 days. 

I’m glad she was able to get the chicks again because, after I had to remind her the second time to give the chicks water, and then when our kitchen started smelling like death warmed over because she hadn't cleaned out the cage, it really helped bolster my resolve:  I don’t want pets.  Ever.  Thanks for the reminder, library!

But she is cute about it, isn't she?  

Sophia Ballerina had a little "recital" which is a pretty low-key event at her ballet studio, but was a big deal to her.

There's a free indoor playground at the place where she takes ballet and we always go there to hang out for a while after dance.  The ballerina also likes to rock climb. 

To many people, a flat tire would seem like a non-event to chronicle on a blog.  Well, let me tell you, after spending more than TWO HOURS (two hours and ten minutes, to be precise) stuck in a car with two small children waiting for a tow-truck driver to come (he got lost--apparently they don't teach directions at tow-truck driver school; and I can't even believe they asked to find me with GPS using my cell phone and I agreed to that, only to have to wait two hours ... but I digress) ... it was a big ordeal.  After getting my spare tire put on the van, I immediately drove to Starbucks and got a triple espresso drink.  That is what it took for the world to seem right again.  Here is what Carson thought of the whole thing.  Yes, he cried almost the whole time. You should have seen what I looked like!

Basically, here is what the American Dream means: You get to spend many weekends doing things like mulching, washing your windows, and cleaning bird dung off your front porch.  Here are Kevin and the kids living the Dream. (I was doing the porch duty.  Yuck.)

This is what child labor looks like:

And I can't even believe I don't have a picture of it but many, many of our evenings are spent shooting hoops.  The new basketball goal has been a big hit.  Carson cracks us up, as he constantly dribbles the ball (he is AMAZING) and tries to shoot it.  I think that is the epitome of optimism that someone so short really, truly believes that, at any moment, he can make a goal.  He never gives up trying.  He makes us smile.