3 for 3, baby

what the heck - I'll go for 3 posts in 3 days... A personal record!

Yesterday started out pretty yuck, but ended really great!  I love it when that happens.  Kids were grumpy, Bob was still sick and I was just sort of not interested in any of it, so I mentally checked out of a bit.  After lunch, I drove the kids over to a nearby huge snow mountain to play "king of the mountain" with some neighbor kids while Bob took himself to urgent care.

Anyway, after lots of fun (outside rough housing for them, inside the car knitting for me), we came home feeling much better about ourselves and each other.  Well, other than Bob, who came home with a bottle full of penicillin to treat his strep throat (poor guy).

Despite being ill, Bob agreed to let Two and I go out on our date, since it's our month.  We went to a nearby bar for, well, bar food.  It was good - Two remembers fondly a hamburger we had there last spring and has been jonesing to return.  After that, we went to a couple of craft stores to get more knitting supplies and soap making supplies.  (oh!  update!  the plans for homemade tonic are set aside.  too hard to find affordably priced quinine powder.)  Two was amazingly patient with me while I wondered the yarn aisles, mumbling to myself.  We squeezed in a trip to Target ("I promise not to whine about getting toys, mom!") and left with a new shirt for him.  We set off looking for mansions, which is one of Two's favorite hobbies.

 It was a lovely night full of sweet moments.  I am so thankful we have this tradition of parent/kid dates.  It gives me a chance to see that kid in his own light, have uninterrupted conversations, make silly memories together.  I take an opportunity here and there to teach a bit about dating etiquette (it's polite to hold the doors open, it's nice to respond when your date asks you a question, it's interesting to both parties when you talk about what your date wants to talk about also).  If you don't date your kid(s), I strongly recommend it.

The house is filled with happy children's voices now.  One is in a book bowl (teams of 4 kids read 15 books and are quizzed on them - winner from their school goes to compete against other schools - everyone reads the same 15 books), so we invited the team over for a practice session.  They ate some pizza, developed some strategy, and are now playing.  More practice is needed.  Hopefully another parent will offer to host also.

I'm off to practice crocheting.  It's harder than I thought it would be.  I like it.