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!

Bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy. Fun, fun, fun, fun fun!

We've had a wild but very fun weekend. The boys worked really hard to get all their school work done early this past week so we could play on Friday afternoon. We met up with some friends at a trampoline park in Grapevine, and the boys had a blast. I did not participate, as I'm only cleared for activities on "predictable surfaces" at the moment. The lady who checked us in did ask if I wanted to jump, and Weston's face registered pure horror as he thought about the possibility of me hurting my knee again, and he pleaded, "Mom, please don't!" Of course, I wasn't going to anyway, but it was sweet how concerned he was for me.

There were only action shots at the trampoline park.
They are all blurry, but that's how you know it was fun!

Bouncy, bouncy basketball

Yesterday morning, Weston had his first basketball game, and yesterday afternoon he had his second. By the second one, he had kind of gotten the hang of it and scored nine out of his team's fifteen points.

The big man making a big grab in game one

Number 29, with the rebound

Between the games, Jeff went to pick up Ruth from the airport. She was returning from a week of working with her aunt at a vet clinic in Houston. She had a wonderful time and so many great experiences, but we sure did miss her and are glad to have her back!

Spleen surgery

Max and Clay and I left the first basketball game early, so we could make it to the Christmas party for Clay's Cub Scout den. It was another opportunity for climbing and bouncing at an indoor playground called Going Bonkers, and the boys loved it. (They were not still enough or close enough for me to get any pictures!)

Later in the day, Max got to participate in show-off meets for both his gymnastics class and his tumbling/trampoline class. I can really tell his skills and flexibility have improved since he started in September, and he thoroughly enjoys the classes.

He flies through the air with the greatest of ease

The rings are all about strength and control

Stellar straddle jump during the trampoline routine

So proud of this kid!

Meanwhile, Jeff took Ruth over to Farmersville for a Christmas party with the homeschool honor society she's a part of. He took advantage of his waiting time by visiting the Landon Winery in Greenville. He was lucky enough to get a private tasting with the owner, Bob Landon. He enjoyed the wine and the experience tremendously. (I have to admit, I was a little jealous, but I'm hoping he'll take me there for a date sometime!)

When all the boys' activities were finished, they settled in for movies and pizza, and I started working on some of the things for Winter Breakfast, which was on the agenda for this morning. (There will be a separate post about that.) This is a tradition my kids love, even though we haven't yet actually gotten it to work out for the morning of the Winter Solstice.

Weston had another basketball game this afternoon (because through a series of odd events, he is actually playing in two leagues). And, then we headed to the theater to see The Last Jedi. It was a crazy, whirlwind, super fun weekend!

Taking (and making) a free throw

Ready to see The Last Jedi

Twelve Already

Dear Weston,

Today you are 12, which is a little hard for me to believe. Time just seems to go by so quickly, and in a blink you have become a young man--a young man who I am very proud of and constantly amazed by! You have changed and matured a lot this year, and it's so fun to watch you learn and grow.

You played football in the spring, but this summer you decided you were ready for a change of pace and chose basketball for your sport for this school year, surprising pretty much everyone. But, you haven't regretted your decision, and you are enjoying learning a new sport and are looking forward to the time when you start playing games. You definitely still enjoy watching football, and you were thrilled that Dad and I gave you tickets to the TCU/OU game for your birthday.

Another activity you have gotten involved in this school year is scouting. You joined the Boy Scouts in late August, and you have poured yourself into it and have worked very hard to catch up with the boys who joined in the spring. I have been amazed and impressed with your hard work and intense attention to completing the requirements to earn the merit badges and higher ranks. You have showed great levels of leadership and responsibility, and you really enjoy working towards specific goals and checking them off your list when you accomplish them. You are hoping to someday achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, and at the rate you are going, I have no doubt that you will make that a reality.

You are also participating in Cotillion this year, which you enjoy but are a little shy about. Once a month, you meet with a group of your peers to learn etiquette skills and some ballroom dances. You can appreciate that you are learning important life skills, but some of the things are a little outside your comfort zone. I'm proud of you for doing it anyway and for pushing through those uncomfortable feelings in an effort to better yourself. Trust me, your future self will appreciate the investment. 

You still very much enjoy traveling, and you had so much fun on our summer RV trip around the western U.S. and Canada. You were especially pleased to see Mt. Rushmore, and you loved the Alaskan cruise, where you made lots of friends and enjoyed a high level of freedom. And, of course, you were always interested in trying the local food for each state and any other edible offerings we came across! As usual, your favorite places were the cold, snowy places. We also got to travel to Nashville for the solar eclipse, and we just got back from a trip to D.C. You enjoyed both trips immensely. Additionally, Nana took just you to Williamsburg for a special birthday trip, and you had a blast spending some quality time with Nana and learning about colonial times as well as the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Your favorite thing was Monticello, as you are fascinated by Thomas Jefferson and love learning about his life.

You have been enjoying reading The Economist magazine the past several months, and you have become interested in the stock market. As of now, you are kind of thinking you might want to pursue a career in financial planning or economics. Financial fields seem like a good fit since you are very interested in math and money, and you appreciate a good spread sheet. You love to ponder the difficult problems of the world, and you ask lots of questions to try ensure you are well educated about these matters. Never lose your desire to learn and to think about hard things! Those traits will serve you well no matter what you ultimately decide to do for a career.

Weston, you are such a sweet son and brother and grandson and friend -- an absolute joy to everyone who knows you. You have a great sense of humor and always have us laughing, but you can also be very serious and contemplative. You are thoughtful and helpful, and you give hugs and compliments freely. You are adventurous, and you add an element of fun to almost every day. I love you so much and am so proud of the amazing young man you have become! Happy 12th birthday!

Love,
Mom

My favorite 12-year-old

Fun in Ft. St. John

We decided to take a break from the road and stay put for today in Ft. St. John, one of the largest cities we've seen along the Alaska Highway. We started with a big breakfast at Whole Wheat & Honey and then headed over to the Pomeroy Sports Centre, where we spent several hours playing basketball and ping pong and running along the indoor track. Later, we popped into the aquatic center for a little swim. Eventually, everyone was hungry again, so we walked over to Roustabout's to grab some grub. Then, we returned to the aquatic center for the rest of the evening. It was a good day of physical activity that should carry us through a few more miles in the van.

Street entertainer

Friendly game of ping pong

Playing a little b-ball

Trying out all the equipment

A big thumbs-up for this day

First time down the slide

Officially 9 1/2

I have a weakness for flowers

First time off the high dive

Ready to jump

"It was fun but also scary.
I don't want to do it again."

Relaxin'

San Francisco

We arrived in San Francisco yesterday, around lunch time. We are staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area, so we immediately went down to the piers to grab some seafood. Then, we wandered around Pier 39 for a while, before stopping to watch the sea lions wrestle for position on their little sunning platforms. After that, we came over to the hotel to shower and rest for a couple of hours. Around 5:00, we headed back down to the piers to catch the evening boat to Alcatraz. We really loved the tour and learning about the history of this unique prison and some of its colorful inhabitants. By coincidence, we were visiting on the 55th anniversary of the mysterious escape of three convicts, which made it even more interesting. When we got back to the city, everyone was starving, so we popped into Fog Harbor Fish House for some more seafood.

A selfie on Pier 39,
with Alcatraz in the background

Sun bathing sea lions

Welcome to The Rock

Less-than-cozy accommodations

Checking out The Hole in D Block

We spent this morning riding around town on The Big Bus (a hop on/hop off bus) and learning about the city. We saw many sights, but I think the highlight for our group was driving over the Golden​ Gate Bridge. When the tour was over and we were back at Fisherman's Wharf, we headed over to Pompeii Grotto, on my mom's recommendation, for more seafood. (Maybe you're starting to see a theme?) After lunch, we made our way to Ghirardelli Square, where we spent the afternoon indulging in sweet treats, sipping coffee, shopping, and playing ping pong and Cornhole. Around 6:00, we called an Uber to take us over to see the famous "Painted Ladies" houses and to drive us down Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in the world." Besides just being a very steep street with eight hairpin turns, it is also like a drive-through botanical garden. It was truly breathtaking! When our ride was over, we returned to our hotel to watch the old movie Escape from Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood. Then, we caught the last five minutes of the NBA finals. It was fun to see Golden State win while we are here in their fair city. Finally, we went over to China town for a late dinner.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

Crab melt at Pompeii Grotto

Chocolate works at Ghirardelli

Salted caramel brownie sundae

Ping Pong in Ghirardelli Square

The Painted Ladies

Lombard Street

Dinner in China Town

The Weekend of All the Sports (plus a few other things)

Yesterday morning, Weston had his try-out for spring football. He felt good about his performance and had a good time, and he got selected by the same team he played for in the fall, which was exactly what he was hoping would happen. To me the most astonishing part of this try-out was the weigh-in, where he found out that he weighs almost exactly what I weigh! Wow! My little boy is definitely not so little anymore!

Shortly after the try-out, Ruth had a make-up riding lesson. And, as soon as she was done, we headed to Ft. Worth for a brief break in the sporting fun. We had a late lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then stopped by the Ft. Worth Water Gardens to have a look around. What a unique park and a fun place to spend a nice afternoon!

Eventually, we left Ft. Worth and made our way over to the Big D, so we could catch a Mavericks basketball game. We had a blast cheering for the Mavs and watching them beat the Pelicans, while checking yet another item off our DFW bucket list.

Since we also planned to attend the Dallas Stars hockey game this morning in the same arena, and since we had quite a few hotel points saved up (and since the American Airlines Center frowns on overnight guests), we booked a room at a nearby Element hotel, which made the whole experience seem a little more vacationy and exciting.

After enjoying the hotel's fantastic free breakfast, we ran to Academy to outfit our little baseball players for the season, before heading back to the miraculously transformed American Airlines Center for the hockey game. Clay repeated several times, "But wasn't this a basketball court?!" The Stars didn't fair as well as the Mavs, but we had so much fun learning more about the game, being part of the excitement, and adding another check mark to our list.

When the hockey game was over, we stopped by Checkered Past Winery for a wine tasting and mid-afternoon meal, which the kids enjoyed calling "linner." After much eating and drinking and merry-making, we headed back to Flower Mound, just in time for Max's first baseball practice of the season--the perfect end to our (mostly) sports themed weekend.

Special treats at The Cheesecake Factory

The Ft. Worth Water Gardens

Dallas Mavericks Game
(If you look closely, you might be able to tell that we are on the second row from the very tip top!)

Dallas Stars Game
(Our seats were at about the same level, just a few sections over.)

Checkered Past Winery

P.S. In case you missed my Facebook announcement on Friday, I finally got the fourth Geography Explorer book, Explore Mongolia, published. All of my books wanted to get in on the party and put themselves on sale. If this interests you, you can check them out here or over on the right sidebar.