On Weekends, we..

For those interested in our weekend, Blacksburg doings...

More and more, when I do yoga, the kids insist on doing it with me. Today, Miles started his day doing yoga without me, for kind of a while.

Last weekend gave me a special opportunity to share with the Children's Chapel kids my memories of my Guatemala trip, and the current reality of our church's relationship with their church, a church which, like ours, contains children. Though they'll never get to visit the congregation in Guatemala, and though we'll never be bringing children up for a South-to-North sister parish delegation, I wanted the kids to be able to share in the relationship. So, I proposed, to them and to the sister parish staff, a correspondence of letters between children. 

We pose for an introductory photo. Aren't these kids gorgeous?

 We wrote them a letter and stamped it with colorful handprints:

  I made a display with a couple of maps, some pictures, and the colorful cross I purchased for Chapel at the Ciudad Guatemala market.

 That package went off yesterday, with our hopes for a new correspondence and a new dimension to children's chapel and sister parish, both.

At home, we continue to enjoy tolerate a warm, brown winter.

Not a flake since December, and even then, it was only a coating. I'm expiring.

But, the kids are coping:

Miles' "Sculpture"

The kids continue to enjoy dance lessons, and I am enjoying the prizes they've put in the prize machine more than previously:

Baddest in the West

Saturday the 7th was the annual Blacksburg New School fundraiser Chocolate Festival. This makes it our third year at this event! I did myself a favor this year and left my camera in my purse. There was enough to handle, what with carnival games, book walks and balloon animals to obtain, pop, and replace. The kids got some good prizes; I was proud of both of them for being thoughtful about it. Miles brought home a chapter book and a puppet astronaut, Adele, a copy of "Are You My Mother?" & a new puzzle.

She had to hug Hokie Bird goodbye before she'd leave. 

Before 1, Adele and I went scurrying off to her daycare buddy's third birthday party. For several reasons, I just can't say no to an invitation to a kid's birthday party.

First, they lined up in the banquet room like board members at a working lunch.

The party horns were a big hit. 

Birthday girl Noel celebrates!

 After a stately pizza and cake meal, the kids were herded into the room containing a large inflatable castle!!!

 So much glee ensued:

 As I discussed with the birthday girl's dad, children remind us how to enjoy simple things, when we've forgotten how. I needed that afternoon of smiles, sick as I was with that parasitic cold.

Adele's gal pal Mazie was among the guests!

 Even Adele's beloved Kam was there:

Ever-phototengic, Kam. Remember his November birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese, readers? 

 ...if not, that's ok.

Adele anxiously watches to see if the birthday girl will like her offering: a doctor's kit. 

She did!!

I had a pretty bad cold this weekend, but I got some relief from presiding over storytime in the form of Jon, and, often, Miles:

He's quite good at reading, now, which is an endless source of pride and delight to me. Adele aspires to it, too. 

Jon is in the midst of his preliminary exams, which, at least for him, is a kind of slow-motion existence that even February doesn't usually reach. Keep him in your thoughts, please, dear readers.  We'll keep working to light up February. If we can have but one solid snowstorm, that will do much!