the golden year

it's the last year before dolly goes off to school.  a wise friend coined this 'the golden year' and it really is: her busy schedule gives me time to get things done sans guilt, she wants to be helpful and seeks after approval, she's up for anything, is fairly easy to reason with, and can communicate her curious little thoughts.  

(i must mention her friends that make the year even more golden - a group of 7 girls gets together every monday, she enjoys preschool and rhyme time with two of her very favorite people, and gets to see a few at the gym during the week.)

tickets from our 'ten'-ager

kindin has reached a stage dave has lovingly coined 'ten'-ager - all the markings of a teenager but reached prematurely.  things like: 421 text messages in a 24 HR time period, mood swings, eye rolling & sassing back, and an unsatiable need for independance are becoming regular occurances we're trying to get used to.  luckily, there are some advantages to having a 'ten'-ager.  okay, not many advantages- really just one.  but it's a big one.  she can provide occasional short term babysitting services for us and it's a wonderful help as life seems to get busier and busier.

at first she was extremely nervous to babysit.  not surprised by her hesitation, we made her sit with the anxiety.  but she quickly found unexpected reassurance from reading The Truth about Stacy.  armed with Babysitters Club Books ideas to carry a babysitting kit, she created her own (complete with kindin tickets) and has discovered a newfound confidence with her 'ten'-ager self and we're grateful to enjoy this one big perk.  

the tender halloween mercy

every year we hold a halloween party exclusively for the kids on our street.  however, with a vacation just when we'd typically hold the party, i strongly considered canceling it.  but i had an impression to keep the party.  not sure exactly why, i kept the party all while resisting urges to save time, energy and money by forfeiting.  but within minutes of handing out the invitations, i knew exactly why i'd been prompted to keep the party.
just minutes after insisting that jack deliver invitations to his peers, 2 of the boys were on our driveway talking to jack.  a friendly move he hasn't been brave enough to make in almost a year and one that was so desperately needed.  you see, jack is liked by everyone but for some reason never reciprocated efforts at friendship - particularly among the crowd of neighborhood boys.  they have come knocking for him so many times but he could never be coerced to reciprocate that knock.  as warned by a worried social worker mama, he eventually got overlooked as part of the group leaving a scenario in which all neighborhood boys were playing football and jack was riding his bike by himself or tagging along with his sisters' friends.  
the tender mercy of the halloween party has had him playing football almost daily since.  he has been confident and happy.  and i have been filled with gratitude!

[allow me the space here to write a few things about jack that i don't want to forget.  
- when complaining about how ridiculous mom's magnet collection is, he said he'd collect 'cheetah legs'. 
- we were surprised to find out he is scared to death of heights 
- i won't ever reveal his major tell when he's not feeling well because it's the only time he wants to cuddle
- he stinks like a grown boy and has started wearing deodorant! 
- his answer "not much" to a fill in the blank entitled this really puts me in a bad mood... couldn't be more accurate 
- he has a lot of interest in animals and recently had a grasshopper 'ben' doing 'tricks']
  

taco ride

the taco ride was my first move towards becoming a "cyclist".  10 miles out, an obligatory stop for tacos, and 10 miles back in the dark with about a hundred other bikers was a great primer for my first race planned for the spring.  i love that my super fit friend and her hubby went along and am grateful for a super supportive hubby that made a date of it!