Finding Enjoyment in Our Days

My girl loved the jumping pillow at the corn maze.

It was a good week. We had a nice balance of fun, work, and school. Everyone got everything accomplished for the week. I am seeing so much improvement in my son's emotional well being. What a relief it is to see him laugh and smile. We did a few fun things this week outside of our normal activities.

We enjoyed the corn maze with friends. It was super hot. I hope autumn gets here soon and stays awhile. 

Dean and Tim convinced Dad to join them at the Wandering Swordsman this week. He had fun and they all got great exercise.

Dean is on his knees.

Dad and Tim meet on the battle field.

Anne went dress shopping with her friends. They wanted to get fancy dresses for Anne's upcoming birthday extravaganza. We went to a clearance center that happened to be having a giant sale on top of their already reasonable prices. There were huge lines for the dressing room and it felt like Black Friday (which I avidly avoid). However, the girls had a great time and we did get some sweet deals.The dresses averaged about $12 each and their starting prices were over $100 each. 

Anne had the opportunity to take a dance class with the NC Dance Festival. She said the class was "lovely and delightful". She was also cast in the Nutcracker in several positions. She will be doing the Snow and Candy scenes with the Adult Company, which is a dream come true. She also was cast as a cat, mermaid, adult dancer in the party scene and an elastic doll. She is very excited to be in so many scenes and have so many character roles.

I took Anne out for one of her 16 "new to her" experiences for her Sweet 16 birthday. We went to have a foot soak at a small spa in our area. They really took care of every detail and did a bit extra for her when they heard it was her birthday month. She loved it. We (the parents) aren't giving her any gifts this year except for the dress and shoes, because she really wanted experiences more than stuff. Also, her grandmas are each paying for one of her experiences, as well.

Dean made it to Friday Magic at the local game shop this week. He played for three hours with guys who were older than him and had much more sophisticated card decks. He lost every battle, but says he wants to go back and that everyone was very nice. He still got a prize, which delighted him. I am so glad we finally accomplished this. I have been trying to get him there for months, and he has refused because of his social anxiety. He finally had the courage to go and had a great time. 

Lastly, the animal kingdom has kept us on our toes this week. Rosie has decided that she is an acrobat and has been playing and resting on the stairwell railing. What a little nut.

Also, our neighborhood bear is back to thinking our carport is a great place to visit. She is totally relaxed in our yard, even when she sees me looking out the window at her. I do appreciate that she hasn't tossed the trash can over this week.

We are looking forward to a very busy second week of October filled with appointments that require travel, special events and all the usual stuff. It will be interesting to see if we can hold the balance. The most important thing to me is that the week is fun and enriching to my little family.

Blessings, Dawn