A weeks end

It's Friday.  I think when you are a parent of young children Fridays are not quite what they once were.  In a way they are better.  The girls had a half day today and so they were all smiles when I picked them up from school.  We headed to Old Navy and they each bought a new bathing suit... a much happier experience when you are seven and nine instead of a post-baby thirty four.  The rest of our day was pretty mellow.  The girls deep cleaned their bathroom yesterday and in return were able to pick their dinner.  They picked marinated steak and mushrooms... fine by us.  So last night we had hamburgers and tonight we had steak.  It was awesome.  I even topped it off with a rare glass of wine.  I had to precariously taste it first since the bottle had been open since before Easter.  It tasted good enough.  However I am an extreme lightweight these days.  The girls were full of giggles tonight and we all had some good laughs.  Little Max even got a bath in the kitchen sink.  He loves that.

Max is ten months old today!



Jerry was sitting in his chair messing on his computer.  This scene is a magnet for the girls.  They proceeded to jump, fling, climb on Jerry and his poor chair.  It cracks me up.  I could be sitting on the couch, almost entirely empty and they would rather gather on the chair.



  The girls thought Jerry looked cold and decided that their princess pony blanket was the right thing to cover him with.  It must have been good luck... the Mariners won tonight and are at 500.

Max's almost toothless grin.  He has one bottom tooth that has finally popped through and another on it's way.

Time is just flying by.  Today Max is already ten months. (And his month-day present was being diagnosed with a double ear infection at the doctor's this morning.)  I can't believe it!  If feels like just  yesterday that I was pregnant with him.  It's funny, on Thursday Jerry, Brayden and I went to Chambers Bay to the dog park and I was able to run a little.  Last year at this time I could hardly get across the room.  And now little Max is close to a year.  I think having a baby both quickens and slows your life.  I used to count the days until my next trip or big event, but now I savor each day.  I look for what made that particular day special or sweet.  Like Monday, Max and I went to Seattle to Capitol Hill to meet an elderly friend.  Her name is Margarette, she is in her eighties and a friend of Jerry's parents.  I wasn't quite sure what we would talk about or what it would be like meeting a complete stranger and spending the day with her, but Max and I headed up to see her anyway.  (Max was a champ in the car, sleeping the whole way up and back)  I am glad we did.  We had a wonderful visit.  She has had a long, full interesting life and had a lot to say.  We walked to lunch and introduced Max to Butternut squash soup.  Capitol hill is a very quaint area with old historic homes, Margarette's home was built in 1908.  I learned after our date that new friends can come in the most un-canny ways. 

The girls and I walked home from school on Tuesday.  Our walks through the woods are one of our favorite things to do.  Right now the forest is so plush and green.  Just gorgeous.  Everything is in bloom and there are even several different flowers that decorate the forest floor and it smells as wonderful as it looks.  I love these walks.  We talk about everything... school, life, dreams.  It doesn't matter... we aren't in a hurry and everyone is smiling, these are the little things that make each day special.