Five for Friday

This week without dad has had its ups and downs- a few of the most memorable:

1. Cooper's first experience with a pan of boiling water. After ample warning, he just had to test it himself and put his little fingertip right on the hot pan- bummer! After hanging out with an ice pack and a few favorite stories, luckily it was bedtime and all was forgotten. We've been tending a pretty significant blister for a few days, but I believe the lesson has been learned.

2. Mastering all of the letter sounds, with their accompanying animal and signal. This is also Cooper- he is participating in the zoophonics program at preschool and it is still amazing how much that little mind absorbs. Watching him go through the whole alphabet is so hilarious. P for penguin is the best as he waddles around with his arms down to his sides, hands sticking out saying, "p, p, p." Bless Sister Meadows and preschool. It is a wonderful thing for us all.

3. Quiet time for me. If you haven't checked out the special Family edition of Real Simple Magazine, you are missing out. Really. It is completely full of helpful ideas for a woman like me who is consumed daily with a household and children. We've already implemented a few ideas. Also, I have completed three scrapbook layouts this week- not much to most of you, I'm sure, but more than I've been able to sit and do for about 6 months. In addition, I have tried three new recipes this week- man, this was a bad week for Denten to be gone, he hasn't had a homemade baked good in quite some time!

4. Seneca. That's it. She is a highlight around here, all the time. Don't get me wrong, things aren't perfect, for example, she has learned to go from back to tummy and get stuck there, not always so happily- but for the most part she is so pleasant. She's observing more around her and watches Cooper during the day. She's trying to figure out just how much she needs to eat and how often so mom can go to bed earlier at night, but we've done a pretty good job with that.

5. Last, but not least, we get our jobs done this morning and get everyone buckled in the car for a run to Costco and I have a handy little message flashing on the dashboard, "check left rear tire pressure." Yeah, yeah, we can get to costco and back if it's a little low... wow, good thing I checked. It's dead flat. Another bummer! Sorry Coop, no Costco this morning! Hmmm, why do these things happen when Dad is out of town? Get Seneca settled inside and Coop and I go to work trying to figure it out. Luckily for us, we have a Reddin Evans in our lives- he came and saved the day. Costco is being saved for tomorrow, but we were able to make it to Coop's last swimming lesson this afternoon. Who knows what Cooper and I would have come up with if we didn't have a fantastic neighbor to come help!

Dent should be home by Sunday- we've missed him around here, but we've had a good week. I think he's missed us too, but I'm not sure that he's ready to come home. He just may send for us to join him up north- he's got his friends and mountains and his grandmother's pizza... really, he may never return! Too bad I'm not quite ready to settle in southern utah yet... although I know he's praying pretty hard!