CM: milestones and reconnecting

Trav, Gwen, and I are getting back from camping today (hopefully I'll find some time to post about that tomorrow). I talked about some of the reasons for my excitement for our trip in my most recent post from Connected Mom. 

How do you reconnect when you feel like daily life is getting too distracting?

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This past weekend, Gwen had a bit of an adventure. For the first time she slept away from home without her father or me, her very first sleepover. Trav and I had a wedding to attend, and as it was very close to her grandparents' house, the easiest thing for all of us was to have Gwen sleep there. She was so excited for a sleepover with her Nonnie; Trav and I were so excited for a fun night together, and a chance for a bit of sleeping in!

It was surreal, driving away from my parents place. My preschooler was a baby just yesterday, and here she is, having her first sleep away. It was only for a night, but it was a milestone nonetheless.

Now, we are starting our week of vacation. Today is the beginning of our 3 days of camping, something I am so looking forward to. Life gets so busy and hectic sometimes. Its so easy to get caught up in the routine of the everyday, and let it all just slip by. We wake up, we get ready, we're off to school and work, we come home, make dinner, have bath time half the days, maybe have time for a brief play or some yoga, then its time to get ready for bed. A few precious hours of sleep and its time to do it all again. We get as much together time in there as possible, liberally sprinkle all waking hours with hugs and kisses and I love yous, but it isn't enough sometimes.

I'm so looking forward to the next 3-days as a way to relax and reconnect as a family. 3 days of enjoying nature, being outside (which we all love), hiking, cooking over a campfire, without the normal interruptions of school/work, chores, or technology. There will be no laundry, no dishes, no vacuuming. There will be no TV, no videos, no kindle, no computer. The iPhone will be there, but turned off in the car, in case of emergency only. We will sleep side-by-side, in our sleeping bags, under the moonlight. We will listen to the sound of the woods, and the rushing of waterfalls. We will make our fingers gooey with s'mores, then rinse them in the stream. We will hike until we are tired and sore, looking at all the beauty that the environment displays to us, then sleep deeply, satisfied. We will do it all together, without the normal distractions from each other.

Gwen is growing and changing everyday. I know these times are fleeting. This chance to reconnect is so cherished.

How do you reconnect when you feel like daily life is getting too distracting?

gone camping

Headed out for a much needed 3-days away from home, normal life, and best of all, technology!
There will be hiking, sleeping bags, and campfires (with s'mores, of course).

There will be so many pictures to share when we return, I'm sure!

mawwage is what bwings us togeder today

Friday we left work and started our week of vacation. A much anticipated week, I might add. First things on our vacation agenda: a sleepover for Gwen and a wedding for Trav and I.

Our neighbors', the ones we hang out with all the time for tennis and motorcycle sitting, younger daughter (another Megan) got married on Saturday, and we were happily in attendance. The wedding actually took place only 25 minutes from my parents', which worked out beautifully for spending the morning with them (and giving my mom her belated birthday presents), then Trav and I heading to the wedding location, while Gwen stayed with my parents for her very first sleepover!

She rocked it out. She was so excited to sleep over with Nonnie, that she barely even waved goodbye to Trav and I! She played nicely with my mom and dad, had no meltdowns, and went to bed nicely for my mom. They set the pack and play up in their room, and we brought a bunch of stuffed animals and blankets. Well, she slept great for them. I was so relieved.

The wedding itself was beautiful. The ceremony was outside and there was a moment when I was watching the bride and groom exchange vows, the sun was just shining so beautifully, and behind them a few butterflies were fluttering around a flower bush. It was just so perfect.

The rest of the night was fun as well, these families know how to cut loose and have a good time.

Trav and I looked pretty nice too... we can get cleaned up pretty well when the occasion calls for it.

This morning my mom and Gwen came by and we all swam for a little while before all heading home.


Now we're getting ready for the second part of our vacation... camping!!
Anyone else taking trips this summer?

and then her garden grew

Thank goodness that nature, in its infinite ability to thrive and triumph, will keep a garden growing even when it is getting so much less love then the previous year's garden. Oof. My poor, unloved garden. Oh its being watered (especially thanks to all these downpours lately!), and we've been known to wander over and pick a weed or two, and my husband has cut back my squash plant once or twice since it was encroaching on his peppers. Otherwise though, its gotten none of the careful TLC we dolled out last year. The days it rains, we don't even look at it.

Yet, its blossomed!

I picked that beautiful squash right after I took these pictures.

And it is definitely getting a bit more attention now that it is giving us squash and peppers a few times a week.

Oh, and I've picked and frozen so many huge, beautiful mint leaves (love them in lemonade, or in plain water).

A little peek at my lilac bush, which is also growing in nicely:

Last year.

This year.

Thank goodness for nature's enduring power, because this distracted girl can still enjoy the fruits of her non-labor!!

biting off more then I can chew

Next week is vacation, which is so anticipated at this point, but the week before is always a bit difficult. I feel like I'm running in circles trying to get everything done. We're actually doing 3 smaller trips during our 9 days off instead of one big trip (which will come at the end of August - Cape Cod!). Great for having lots of kinds of relaxation, not so great for ease of packing. Considering the kinds of activity each trip entails (a wedding, camping, family visit with boat rides!), the packing needs are so different, but with just enough overlap to make pre-planning difficult.

Yesterday I worked from home, which is always nice and offers a bit more ease then regular work days, but a combination of tiredness (an absolutely amazing thunderstorm rolled through, it was awesomely loud and bright, with the thickest sheets of rain - though less appreciated at 2am then it would have been at 10pm) and trying to do too many things with the little bit of extra time I had, made for a crazy, overwhelming day. I should know better, I always seem to try to accomplish too much on these days lately, and I always end up feeling overwhelmed, and disappointed in something that didn't get done. I think I need to start making a list of things I want to get accomplished, then pick only one or two to actually worry about doing.

On a nicer note, there have been a few awesome thunderstorms, and they have been accompanied by cooler weather. I'll take it.

In any case, we're all still here and all still well. More when I have breathing room, promise!

CM: yoga: a personal persuit becomes a bonding experience

My newest piece on Connected Mom.

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After I had Gwen, I lost myself in motherhood a bit. There is no denying that you change, on a very profound level when you become a parent. After a year, I knew I had to do some work to find balance in my new life. I needed to make sure that I was caring for myself, and addressing my own needs, not just Gwen's. I started going out with girlfriends for occasional dinners, and started volunteering with a state park clean up once a month. About 9 months ago, I added yoga to my weekly routine, and it has quickly become one of the most crucial ways that I find balance in this mommy life of mine. I only attend a formal class once a week, but it is one night a week to focus solely on me, and my emotional, physical, and mental well-being.

This, and more amazingly gorgeous family yoga pictures, can be found here.

Recently though, I decided it might be fun to share what has become a passion of mine. Not that one night a week - that is still mine, and mine alone - but yoga in general. Gwen has shown a curiosity in this pursuit that keeps me out past her bedtime regularly, so when she asked me about it a few weeks ago, I decided to ask her if she wanted me to show her what yoga was. She was very excited about the prospect and quickly soaked up each position I showed her. At first, it was just something that she brought up sporadically, but once she started showing her school teachers different positions (her favorites are tree and wheel), I thought it was time to make this something more regular. I have a family yoga DVD in hand that I can't wait to show Gwen.

At first it seemed funny to me that something which brings me so much joy as a personal pursuit would be something that is such a joy to share with Gwen as well. Honestly though, when we love something we want to share it with the world, and that's what Gwen is to me. The benefits are numerous as well. Gwen's knowledge of my practice was important to me, because I want her to be aware from a young age that my physical health is a priority; I want physical activity and healthy pursuits to be a focus of hers. There is so much pressure on girls to look a certain way, but this has a different focus - feeling healthy. Our conversations are never about how I do this to fit into my pants, or so I don't get fat, since that is not at all what it is about; our conversations are about how yoga helps me to feel healthy, strong, and gives me more energy for other types of play.


As we continue to explore this passion, I hope Gwen will find, as I have, that she is becoming more in tune with and more aware of her body. I want her to be proud of what her body is capable of, and to understand that with practice and patience, that capability can grow.

healthy body update

I realized I haven't update since March, when I wrote about how I was doing on my better eating plan. So here's a quick update on my initial goals and where I am now, after 4 more months:

- I need to up my water intake. So 1 glass of milk in the morning before work, 1 hot drink from the kuerig first thing at work, then water water water for the rest of the work day. A glass of milk with dinner, then once I finish that... water for the rest of the night. (Added bonus, this should save us some milk money!)

My milk consumption has gone back up a little, but still way lower then it used to be, and my water intake is much improved. I think I've found a happy place that I'll be able to maintain. 
 

- I'm also going to try to add in one serving of veggies a day. I'll grab a bag of mixed greens to eat with my lunches, and I have frozen edamame at work to defrost for an easy snack. Maybe I'll grab some baby carrots to eat with hummus too.

Done and maintainable. Breakfast contains a veggie 90% of the time, which is a huge improvement right there; and lunch is salad at least 75% of the time. 

- Cut out three servings of simple carbs a week. Hummus with carrots instead of crackers, quinoa instead of pasta with dinner, fruit for an evening snack instead of goldfish crackers or cookies. There is three right there!

I'm much better about carbs in general now. They were my go to, and one of my biggest vices. Now I have a lot more control over them, and while I still allow myself some (ie., pasta with dinner) its a serving or less - and not one of those massive portions I used to call a serving! I also now have the willpower to skip pasta some nights, which doesn't sound like much, but is a huge improvement for me.

- Cut way down on my sugar intake. No candy, I just don't need it. One treat a day, not after each meal. Pastries, cookies, cakes, etc - only if I make them myself. Exchange one serving of fruit for a veggie.

This is still the one I need work on, though I'm better now they I was back then. I've baked muffins once since then, using only honey, and they were great! I try to use coconut sugar when I have to use sweeteners (lower glycemic index, so it doesn't spike your blood sugar and lead to a crash). I still need to work on not treating myself so often though. I've also started making my own plain, unsweetened, organic yogurt, which I use in my smoothies and sometimes eat mixed with some berries. 
 

- A veggie or two with every meal. Green smoothie (no sweeteners added) for breakfast. Salad with carrots and avocado and radish with lunch. Two veggies with dinner.

Still a thumbs up here! Frankly, I don't think 2 veggies with dinner is going to happen most of the time. We just don't want to make 2 veggies all the time. But I am eating more vegetables in general, and fitting them in at every meal. I'd call this very sustainable. 
 

- Cut out as much of my use of table sugar as possible. Honey for most sweetening, subs where possible when baking.

Done, and not even a though most of the time anymore. I don't remember the last time I used regular sugar or fake sugar subsitutes (the last time I used coconut sugar was probably a month ago). I use a touch of honey in my tea, but barely any at that. 
 

- A least one serving of fish a week. No more then one serving of red meat.

I'm better about getting in the fish, but its definitely not weekly yet. Summer is harder for red meats, since we grill more often, and that's likely sausages or steaks. But I'm trying to get chicken/turkey hot dogs (which Gwen and I both like a ton better anyway), and chicken sausages. Other then a week here or there, this is going pretty well, and there are some weeks when I have no red meat at all. 
 

So that's where I stand with the food. I'm feeling really good about these changes, and the way they are helping me feel.


I also took measurements back in March, because sometimes you need more concrete evidence of your achievements. Well, 2inches total loss is pretty good in my book!


March 13, 2013

Weight: ~119.5 lbs

Measurements:
Just below belly button: 31"
Above belly button (natural waist): 28.5"

Butt: 39"

Thighs: 22.5"


July 10, 2013 (4 months)

Weight: ~119 lbs

Measurements:
Just below belly button: 30.5"
Above belly button (natural waist): 27.5"

Butt: 38.75"

Thigh: 22.25"


So that's where I am! Do you have healthy body goals you are trying to work on? I'd love to hear them!

much needed laziness

Holy Hades, it is hot outside today! It was already hazy and in the 80s by 8am, and now its in the mid-90s and feeling like triple digits. Its going to be a hot, hot week.

Thankfully, while it was hot this past weekend, it wasn't yet that bad. Better yet, we had no plans! NONE! After having something every single weekend day in the month of June, it was so nice to have the chance to do as little as we wanted.

Gwen had only two requests, the playground and Harry Potter. 

So Saturday morning we walked down to our local playground, and that afternoon we relaxed and watched the first Harry Potter.

Then she played with the camera on my phone:

We have a wedding to attend in two weekends, and with that, Gwen's first time sleeping over at someone else's house (without us). She'll be spending the night at Nonnie and Papa's place, and she's pretty excited. We pulled out the pack and play to see if she still fits (she does, for now), and she decided she wanted to hang out in there and play. 

Sunday we hit up a different park, one that we are loving. Its farther away, but has a great play structure and amazing shade. So important when the sun is scorching hot.

It also has (behind those trees) some tennis courts and a roller hockey rink! 

An hour here was enough to wear us all out, so we headed home for a late lunch and the second Harry Potter.

I think it must have been all the running around and together time, but Gwen was the sweetest for bedtime last night.

Now its time to focus on staying cool this week. I picked a ton on sweet mint from my garden, which I then washed and bagged the leaves. I keep it in the fridge so I can add a leave or two at a time to my ice water. Super yummy and refreshing, and helps me drink more of the cold stuff. What are your stay cool tips?

7.13

Didn't write yesterday because I was still recovering from some gross stomach something which started Thursday night, had me in bed resting by 8, asleep by 9:30, and still feeling off when I woke on Friday. Its amazing how those things can knock you on your ass. I was "better" but still off all day yesterday, but Trav let me sleep in today and I was finally able to just eat. I'm just about to go hop in the shower now, which should hopefully be the last step in feeling like me again.

Thankfully we have such a lazy weekend ahead of us, perfect for recovering.

Have a great weekend all!

wordless wednesday {biker babe}

She's a natural!

The Beauty in Our Differences {Carnival of Natural Parenting}

Welcome to the July 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Learning About Diversity 

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how they teach their children to embrace and respect the variety of people and cultures that surround us. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Children are born into this world open and ready to learn about everything around them. They learn by studying those around them to be accepting and loving, or hateful and closed minded. Children are not born racist, they are not born homophobic, they are not born to mistrust someone because they have a different faith. However, humans are pack animals, and by nature we will flock to those with whom we share common threads. Similarity can breed familiarity, which makes people comfortable. It is our job as parents to help our children see that there is a common thread that runs through the whole human race, if only we take the time to look for it; and that out differences are not things to be feared, but are beautiful notes that can blend together to create amazing harmonies, and make this world a more interesting place to live.

Studies have shown that just being an open and accepting individual isn't enough*. You have to talk to your children, open and honestly, about those big differences. Race. Sexual preference (though, not the sex part at first!). Religion. It is not enough to not say the bad things, to not disparage, you have to talk about the fact that we are different, and that that is not only okay, but good!

In our family we are doing our best to help Gwen see the beauty in our differences, because it is our firm belief that it is our differences as much as our similarity that make this world an exciting and beautiful place. As she gets older, this conversations will take on more serious tones, but for now we are keeping them light and full of only the positive. We've found books to be a great way to start these conversations.

To discuss how people look, and specifically race, we love the book We're Different, We're the Same.** Gwen loves Sesame Street (we do too!), and specifically Elmo. The show is great for having a diverse group of people, and this book specifically hits on how despite out differences in appearance, we're all people, and we're all wonderful!

To discuss differences in family, and the fact that sometimes a woman and a man can fall in love, and sometimes two women or two men can fall in love, we read And Tango Makes Three, the sweet (and true!) story of two male penguins who fall in love, and build their family with the help of a kind zoo worker. They love each other, and together they raise a penguin family. We also use this as a stepping stone to talk about the other ways that families can look different (lots of children, one child, single parents, children and grandparents, adopted children, etc).

We also use videos to start discussions. To talk about difference religions we enjoy Elmo's World: Happy Holidays, where Elmo learns all about the different holidays that happen while he's getting ready to celebrate Christmas. Its a great stepping off point for the discussion of why people celebrate different holidays, and what the different religions mean.

Of course, these are all just starting points. But sometimes, finding a place to start can be the hardest part. After that, just speak from your heart. Tell your children the truth, that we aren't all the same, but that the world would be a pretty boring place if we were. Tell them in ways that they can understand: the same way its more fun to color with all the colors in the crayon box or have lots of colors of blocks, its more fun when we have different hopes, dreams, and looks that can be woven together into something amazing!

Together we can teach a whole new generation about the beauty in our differences.


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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be updated by afternoon July 9 with all the carnival links.)

• A gift for my daugther — Amanda, a special education teacher for students with multiple exceptionalities, discusses at My Life in a Nutshell how she will enrich her daughter's life by educating her the amazing gifts her students will bring to the world.
• The Beauty in Our Differences — Meegs at A New Day writes about her discussions with her daughter about how accepting ourselves and those around us, with all our beautiful differences and similarities, makes the world a better place.
• Accepting Acceptance and Tolerating Tolerance — Destany at They Are All of Me examines the origins of and reasons behind present day social conformity.
• Differences — sustainablemum discusses what she feels to be the important skills for embracing diversity in her family home.
• Turning Japanese — Erin Yuki at And Now, for Something Completely Different shares how she teaches her kiddos about Japanese culture, and offers ideas about "semi immersion" language learning.
• Celebrating Diversity at the International House Cottages — Mommy at Playing for Peace discovers the cultures of the world with her family at local cultural festivals
• Learning About Diversity by Honoring Your Child’s Multiple Heritages — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama looks at the importance of truly knowing your roots and heritage and how to help children honor their multiple heritages.
• People. PEOPLE! — Kellie at Our Mindful Life is trying to teach her children to use language that reflects respect for others, even when their language doesn't seem to them to be disrespectful.
• Just Call me Clarice Thomas — Lisa at The Squishable Baby knows that learning to understand others produces empathetic children and empathetic families.
• Diversity of Families — Family can be much more then a blood relation. Jana at Jananas on why friends are so important for her little family of three.
• Diverse Thoughts Tamed by Mutual Respect — Amy at Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work thinks that diversity is indispensable to our vitality, but that all of our many differences require a different sort of perspective, one led by compassion and mutual respect.
• Just Shut Up! — At Old New Legacy, Becky gives a few poignant examples in her life when listening, communication and friendship have helped her become more accepting of diversity.
• The World is our Oyster — Mercedes at Project Procrastinot is thankful for the experiences that an expat lifestyle will provide for herself as well as for her children.
• Children's black & white views (no pun intended … kind of) — Lauren at Hobo Mama wonders how to guide her kids past a childish me vs. them view of the world without shutting down useful conversation.
• Raising White Kids in a Multicultural World — Leanna at All Done Monkey offers her two cents on how to raise white children to be self-confident, contributing members of a colorful world. Unity in diversity, anyone?
• Ramadan Star and Moon Craft — Celebrate Ramadan with this star and moon craft from Stephanie at InCultureParent, made out of recycled materials, including your kid's art!
• Race Matters: Discussing History, Discrimination, and Prejudice with Children — At Living Peacefully with Children, Mandy discusses how her family deals with the discrimination against others and how she and her husband are raising children who are making a difference.
• The Difference is Me - Living as the Rainbow Generation — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle, guest posting at Natural Parents Network, is used to being the odd-one-out but walking an alternative path with children means digging deeper, answering lots of questions and opening to more love.
• My daughter will never know same-sex marriage is not normal — Doña at Nurtured Mama realizes that the recent Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage will change the way she talks to her daughter about her own past.
• Montessori-Inspired Respect for Diversity — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now tells about her multicultural family and shares Montessori-inspired ideas for encouraging respect for diversity.
• EveryDay Diversity — Ana at Panda & Ananaso makes diversity a part of everyday living, focusing on raising of compassionate and respectful child.
• Diversity as Part of Life — Even though Laura at Authentic Parenting thought she had diversity covered, she found out that some things are hard to control.
• Inequity and Privilege — Jona is unpacking questions raised by a summit addressing inequity in breastfeeding support at Life, Intertwined.
• 3 Ways to Teach Young Children About Diversity — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama recognizes her family's place of privilege and shares how she is teaching her little ones about diversity in their suburban community.
• Teaching diversity: tales from public school — A former public high school teacher and current public school parent, Jessica at Crunchy-Chewy Mama values living in a diverse community.
• 30 Ideas to Encourage Learning about Diversity While Traveling — Traveling with kids can bring any subject alive. Dionna at Code Name: Mama has come up with a variety of ways you can incorporate diversity education into your family travels (regardless of whether you homeschool). From couch surfing to transformative reading, celebrate diversity on your next trip!
• Diversity, huh? — Jorje of Momma Jorje doesn't do anything BIG to teach about diversity; it's more about the little things.
• Chosen and Loved — From Laura at Pug in the Kitchen: Color doesn't matter. Ethnicity doesn't matter. Love matters.
• The One With The Bright Skin — Stefanie at Very Very Fine tries to recover from a graceless reponse to her son's apparent prejudice. 

* Here, and here. Though there was a better article I read ages ago, which I unfortunately can't find now.

** All links are Amazon Affiliate links, which cost nothing more for the reader, but help support this site.

4-day weekend

I am really, really not made for this weather. The good news is that this particular bout of 90+* temps and crazy humidity is almost over. The bad news is that it was here in full force for this long weekend, restricting our level of activity. Pat and Casey came over for the 4th, which was nice, but we spent the whole day hiding inside. After Gwen was down, Trav hung out while I wandered down the street to check out the fireworks.

Trav had to work Friday, while Gwen and I had off, so we met him for lunch; plus read lots of books, watched a few videos, and got creative with ways to have fun while staying inside. One of those was baking some yummy whole wheat muffins with apples:

Saturday I wanted to hide inside, but it was clean up time at Ridley Creek, so I braved the temps, and rewarded myself with an ice cold shower. That afternoon we headed to Trav's Aunt's place for a belated 4th of July picnic. It was great to see family, and Gwen had an awesome time running around with her cousins (actually Trav's cousin's son, so second cousin once removed? and Trav's other cousin's daughter's daughter... so... I have no idea).

It was hot though, and even though we all tried to stay hydrated and in the shade, we all ended up completely beat. I went to bed early with a headache, and we all slept hard that night. Gwen was definitely worn out... she woke up and came to bed with us at 6:30, but fell back asleep and we all slept until 9:20!! I couldn't believe it. We celebrated with breakfast at a local diner.

After that Trav had to get read for the last day of tennis. It was supposed to be last weekend, and we had the party for Joe last weekend, but the actual tennis part got rained out, so this weekend it was. We braved the outdoors again so Gwen and her friend Ava (Joe's granddaughter) could have some fun in the pool.

Thankfully a rainstorm blew through and cooled it off for a few hours that night. Now we just have to make it through a few more days and this weekend we'll get to enjoy some temporarily cooler temperatures.

Hope your (long?) weekend was fun and cool.

237

c SweetPaul

This country isn't perfect, nor are the people in it. But it is beautiful, it is unique, and I'm so so glad to call it mine.

 Happy 4th of July all. 

Hope you find fun ways to celebrate 237 years of this great nation. We'll be doing some grilling, and watching some fireworks.  

 

CM: love makes a family

My latest piece on Connected Mom.

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In our household we are teaching Gwen that people are people, no matter how they look. We don't judge someone because of their appearance and its similarities or differences to our own. 

We are teaching that, like people, families come in all different shapes and sizes. A mom and a dad, just a mom, just a dad, two moms, two dads, one child, lots of children. Love (and devotion) is what makes a family, a family.

In our household we are teaching Gwen that love is love, no matter what gender the persons are. Because you don't decide with whom you fall in love. And we all deserve the chance to experience true, passionate love.

These things must be discussed, they must be nurtured. A gentler, kinder world starts with us. Every child that we teach to love, accept, and share joy instead of hate, fear, anger is making the world a better place. We treat Gwen with the same kindness and respect that we want her to carry out into the world.

hello july!

Our last weekend in June was looking pretty empty, until we actually got to it. Saturday morning we ran out to get some pictures taken.

Since Brandy passed away, we haven't found a new photographer to use, so these were from Target portrait studio (Trav got a groupon), but we're pleased with how they turned out.

After that Pat and Casey came over for lunch. Ro and GG are out of town visiting some family, so we figured it would be nice for Gwen and Casey to wear each other out a bit. First though, we headed into Philly for an all you can eat ice cream social!

Sunday I headed over to Ro & Pat's place to entertain Casey while Pat mowed the grass.

Then it was back home for a little party to celebrate 25 years of the tennis program!

Unfortunately tennis itself was actually rained out, but it was still fun to celebrate!

It was a great weekend, but I am very glad that it is a short week this week, and that the coming weekend looks pretty low-key. Of course, we'll see how long that lasts!