March

March was full and fun! Here are the highlights:

• A visit to the C.R. Smith (American Airlines) Museum

• Mom's Night Out mug exchange

• Lots of track meets with improved times almost every time

• Weston and Max started an online coding class that they really love.

• Weston attended a couple of 4H meetings to see if that is something he is interested in participating in for the coming school year. 
• We discovered Local Pint and kind of made it "our place" since it's within walking distance of our house and since it's a pretty fun place to hang out.

• We saw A Wrinkle in Time, which was pretty disappointing as a movie but still made for a fun outing.

• Paralympics

• Weston went on a Boy Scout campout. He also worked super hard on merit badges throughout the month.
• We celebrated Pi Day in a big way, with pie for every meal.

• Jeff went to yoga with me.
• I participated in the next wave of a longitudinal health study I've been a part of since I was in high school.
• We decided on the spur of the moment to take a long weekend in Sallisaw, OK for Spring Break. We had fun hanging out at our KOA, hiking through the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, and hiking at Devil's Den State Park in AK. 

• We started making our plans for the next school year.
• We finalized all our plans for our upcoming summer trip to South America.
• We spent a night in Allen, TX, where the kids were delighted to find a putting green and swimming pool at the hotel, in addition to the awesome breakfast buffet. 

• Ruth took a practice PSAT test and did very well.
• The bluebonnets started blooming!

• Weston and Clay participated in the district PSIA meet, and Weston brought home ribbons for Math (6th) and Number Sense (3rd).

• We hiked the Katy Trail, which runs for three miles through downtown Dallas but feels somewhat removed from the city. 

• We discovered Bishop Cider Co. aka Cidercade, where we had fun trying some hard ciders and playing vintage arcade games.

• We had a Wind in the Willows picnic, which we all agreed was the most epic picnic ever.

• Ruth took her first CAP orientation flight. She actually had control of the plane for about 15 minutes in the air, and she had a blast. I think she's truly hooked now!

• We finally got around to visiting the Shannon Brewing Co. in Keller, which we've been meaning to do pretty much since we moved here. The kids enjoyed the yard and table games, and Jeff and I enjoyed sitting on the patio sipping on stouts. I'm sure we'll visit again.

• Clay lost his first tooth with absolutely no fanfare. In fact, the baby tooth just sort of disappeared (seriously, we have no idea when it fell out or where it went!), and his permanent tooth is already filling up the gap. 

• Jeff and I took a cheese making class at Dallas Mozzarella Company.

February

To be the shortest month of the year, February always seems so long. It's after all the holiday hubbub but so far from the next school break, and all the shine has worn off the excitement of the new year. It's cold and dark and, this year,  so very wet. And, though we usually have an extremely healthy household, this February brought us the flu and some respiratory gunk. And, a dead rat appeared on our back porch. It was a hard month. But, even with all its gloom, there were many wonderful things about February, which must be documented. And all of it is being documented at once here because, apparently, I'm on the once-a-month blogging plan.

We had our first ever Groundhog Day celebration.

We celebrated Max's birthday at Main Event.

We acquired a new-to-us vehicle.

I had a fancy makeover done.

Weston had a basketball tournament in Austin,
and he and I got to spend a long weekend together.

We soaked up as many Olympic moments as we could.

My nephew turned six, and the younger boys
and I got to go celebrate with him.

We FINALLY got around to celebrating Weston's
birthday at The Melting Pot.

The Cub Scouts had their Blue and Gold Banquet,
and Clay was thrilled to have his grandparents in attendance.

Weston was honored in the Scouts' Court of Honor with many pins
showing his advancements in rank during the last few months.
He is now at the rank of First Class Scout.

Ruth achieved the rank of Cadet Airman in CAP.

There are also several notable things from the month that aren't pictured:

• The boys earned a trip to the trampoline park by working extra hard on their school work.
• Max tried out a couple of yoga classes.
• Some of us got to spend a couple of nights with my parents.
• Ruth attended the CAP banquet.
• Weston had his bottom braces put on.
• Ruth had her first track meet.
• Weston had a camping trip with Scouts in which he got to try some shooting sports.
• Max was invited to join a special Ninja Warrior team class. 
• I was released from my knee surgeon's care.
• Weston finished up his basketball season.

I'm thankful for all the hard things this month and for all wonderful things!