Weekend Recap

Jason had a five day weekend that began last Thursday, and lasted through Monday. He seldom takes vacations (this one was due to the fact that Texas Truck Riggins was closed for a family vacation, so he had no choice). At first I was a little disappointed that we hadn't made plans to go anywhere...but in the end, we had a fantastic weekend, just spending quality time together.

Thursday was a boring, but necessary day--J had a doctor's check-up, then we met with a man about having new siding and windows put on the house. (We decided to wait a little longer, but definitely want to have it done in the not-too-distant future) Thursday night was more fun--we had dinner with some good friends from church, all with kids close to Norah's age. (That is always a double-blessing because Norah has fun playing with the kids, plus no one feels the need to make excuses for why they're leaving at 8pm to put kids to bed!)

Friday was a productive day. We went shopping (all three of us!) for a special birthday gift for Shelby, then came home and worked on invitations for a shower I'm helping with in a couple of weeks. Saturday, as you may have guessed by the photos I've already posted, was Shelby's birthday party at Bee Creek Park. We hadn't taken there Norah there before, and she loved it! It was a great park, with lots of playground equipment (most importantly, slides!) that were covered with shaded canopies--a rare, but well-appreciated luxury around here! Norah loved Katy's cupcakes. (You might notice her pointing in the second photo, mouth, agape with the word, "Pleeeease!")

Jenny and I had fun watching a "natural pecking order" being established among our girls. Patti (age 2) was trailing behind her cousin Chloe and Kaylie (both close to 4), trying so hard to imitate their every move. Meanwhile, unbeknowst to her, Norah was just a few steps behind Patti, trying to keep up. I guess everyone wants to play with the big girls!

Thankfully, Norah and Patti both found pastimes that they could enjoy on their own. For Norah, it was the slides. For a while, she was content to go up, and down the "little" slide. She preferred climbing back up the slide, rather than going around to the stairs. (This enabled her to monopolize the slide, because anyone knows that no one else can go down your slide if you're climbing up it....next life lesson: sharing the slide and being considerate of others)

After a while, Norah decided to explore the rest of the play ground...and it was then that she saw it--the Mother Slide. As soon as she spotted it, she began frantically climbing platforms in an effort to reach the top. When I realized where she was headed, I panicked for a moment and asked Jenny what I should do. It was so high--and Norah, despite what she may think, is still a novice slider. Jenny's reply was quick and decisive, "Go down with her!" So I hurried up and put Norah in my lap, and down we went. (After a little push from Cal, who you can see just behind me) Norah loved it. Definitely a fun morning for her. Thanks to Katy, James, & Shelby for showing us a good time.

After the party, we headed home to dive into the final volume of Harry Potter. Norah was a good sport, and entertained herself/napped while we read. The remainder of our vacation, for the most part, was spent reading...and I don't think Jason or I would have had it any other way. It was bittersweet when we closed the book for the last time, knowing it was the end of an era for us. We've read each of the Potter books together, as they have been released, and thoroughly enjoyed that time spent together, trying to guess the next plot twist and anxiously anticipating the next book release. (Waiting sometimes 2 years between books can really build excitement!) Like I said, it was a quiet, but great family weekend...and I don't regret "staying home" one bit.