What I Loved About Last Week (Second Edition)

1. First Daughter played in her first soccer game last Monday night. The U6 (under 6) AYSO teams are awesome! She has a wonderful coach, some fun team-mates, and they played a great game. She even scored two goals! Next week we'll tie her shorts better so she's not holding them up so often while she runs. She and First Son had their second games over the weekend. First Daughter scored three goals in the first half and had two close misses in the second half. (It helps the U6 teams play without a goalie.) First Son's team had improved dramatically after a week of practicing together. He could be a really fast player if he stopped running with his head down and his hands flung behind him. (I think he's pretending to be flying Mario.)

2. First Son's spelling practice. I love how he adds the "(s)" all on his own and insists on writing his "a" like it is typed.

3. Second Son's speech-making. Kansas Dad jokes he'll grow up to be a politician, but maybe he'll be a missionary.

4. Carmy and Claire in this video:


Watching Second Son watch this video is awesome.

If you have time, this video is also enjoyable:



5. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant - We went on Friday. The kids watched their first ever parade in town, then we drove out to the park for the pageant. I thought it was a wonderful and loved watching the horses and wagon train. I thought it was useful for First Son and First Daughter to see real Native American dancing, hear their war whoops and get a better feel for at least a bit of life here in Kansas from the first forays of European exploration. They were hot and had little patience for the more explanatory parts of the performance. There is a great need for help in continuing this tradition and I hope very much energetic people step forward because I would love to attend in the future as my children grow older.

6. First Daughter's birthday! She turned five this weekend, complete with a pancake as big as her head, cupcakes and ice cream with the family and a princess party with a few friends. She was delighted, dancing and laughing. The girls went through 500 Adhesive Back Jewels decorating some party hats (their princess crowns) and goblets (for their pink lemonade, of course). The pinata was a success and then the girls played a complicated version of throw and catch with a ball in our living room, princess dresses, tiaras and all. Hopefully her birthday post will post later this week. (I'm still writing it, of course.)

7. Our parish - I was thinking again this weekend of how wonderful our parish family is. We are blessed by a friendly congregation who cares deeply about the faith formation not only of their own children, but of those in the entire parish. Second Son's godparents recently moved into the parish and Kansas Dad and I were honored to be asked to be godparents for a baby due very soon. Whenever our physical house is frustrating, which happens when Kansas Dad is too busy with his university duties to work on his wish list for the property, I remember our parish family and know this is where we're meant to be.

8. Homeschooling and the ability to take a break. I've had an exhausting schedule for a few weeks and need to take a breath, wash a ton of dishes and fold a kind-sized bed pile of laundry. So this morning we're taking a break before First Daughter's well-child check up. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled lessons tomorrow.

What about you? What did you love about last week?