Random weekend update in no particular order because narrative threads are for losers

Ugh. Pictures in totally random order AGAIN. Blogger and my iPad don’t actually get along very well.

After the whole, you know, global pandemic, I am not the kind of mom who wishes for cancelled school days. But! Our Friday night last week was a scheduling nightmare, and I sort of hoped the extreme cold would shut down schools and cancel Jack’s conference dive meet because Dorothy had a swim meet on Friday night, too, and Ben worked from campus.

NO SUCH LUCK, friends. Wind chill made temps bottom out around 22 below, and school doesn’t really think about cancelling until it’s colder than 25 below. So, I mean, FRIDAY WAS BALMY, as you can tell by the sleeveless dress Minnie selected. Also, she is not the kind of baby who needs a cowbell, let alone more cowbell.

Ok, but seriously. How cute are they?

French and peanut butter silk pie. My very favorite pie. Jack and Harry and I were early to get our pizza after dive (which was after swim, and Ben relieved me at swim at the exact perfect moment for me to drive home, get Harry, who agreed to play the role of supportive big brother, and make it to dive. AND! He had the little kids all in bed by the time we got home, and it was magical. Crisis averted, and life is so much better with a wonderful partner.) so we killed time with a pie appetizer at our favorite diner— genius, yes?

Saturday was a speech tourney for the big kids, and Coop had hockey play downs (his team lost their first game and will not be playing in the state tournament this year, which is both a bummer and one less overnight hockey tourney, so… kind of a wash, in my book at least) and a mock dive meet on campus to prepare him for his meet in Chicago next weekend. Dorothy and Minnie and I went shopping because WHY NOT?

Jack won novice humorous interpretation at the tournament!!!

Oh hey, it’s our Friday night pizza, notable because the pizza place is CLOSING. We have been going there since it opened 15 years ago. In fact, it’s right by the Little Gym, so I would got there with Harry and his baby friends, and when Jack was a baby, Ben would meet us at TLG to keep Harry company in the lobby, and the 4 of us would lunch together. This place has catered all of our TLG bday parties, Harry’s first bday party at our house, and several other family gatherings. It has a huge junky playroom with an indoor swing set in the basement and bunches of trashed board games and trivia cards, and it was our favorite place to go out with friends with kids for YEARS-- beer and ice cream plus pizza and apps. We would always get pizza and salad (either the house with bacon, balsamic and blue cheese or the spinach and strawberry) takeout when our parents came to town, and it has been one of our very favorite pizza Friday location its whole life. SO SAD to see it go.

Cheers (with pie) to the end of Jack’s freshman year dive season. He ended the season with a PR at conference and some big goals to work toward for next year. We’re so proud of him! LOL at Harry’s pie face.

Mermaid Minnie loving Friday’s swim meet

SHE CRUSHED her events!!

Cooper, babysitter extraordinaire.

Our first stop Saturday was Fannie May. Minnie is a huge vanilla cream fan.

Dive!

Cute little swimmer:

Dorothy and Minnie both picked out ridiculously fancy dresses at Macy’s and have been wearing them nonstop.

Dorothy scored these delightful sunglasses at Paper Source of all places, and I am kind of sad I didn’t buy myself a pair. Also!! Paper Source has DARLING Valentines, if you are still in need.