Love a Lazy Saturday

Holden's Indigenous American Dwelling

So, yes the top will pop off, but when the "fire is lit" (its a Halloween Pumpkin light with sticks glued on it to look like a fire pit - totally Holden's idea) the kids will be able to look inside the dwelling as well. The little leather scraps are their beds, the boat has some pottery and a pipe in it, the dude is wearing a turquoise necklace and the woman has her baby carrier and a pistachio nut for a baby in it, they both has some decorative beading on their backs, and yes, they are still bald and faceless - not sure if that will change). H did a great job and loved it. I just went upstairs to take these photos and his written draft was all done!

The weather is perfect! Like, gorgeous gold trees, and all the incredible fall colors, and like a perfect 60+ wherein I could justify the Uggs (it is November and I am not in the O.C.) but a long sleeved shirt was too hot. Bagged the 1/2 marathon in St. George this morning, I really didn't want to drive 5 hours alone, stay alone, run alone, eat lunch alone, and drive back 5 hours home alone, it just seems entirely too selfish. After some great swimming with PJ, O & I during H's swim team practice yesterday, Holden followed it up with a great practice again this morning. I went again to really watch, which I am so glad I did, his form is amazing - even his butterfly - and he is wicked fast (I think he likes to go 2nd or 3rd so he can pass his team-mates). So happy to see yet another best friend signing their kid up for our great team (yesterday HWT was there with H, I was very surprised and stoked!). This morning it was my biking and otherwise as close as a sister SP and A for the High School team. I actually also went out of my comfort zone to meet and get to know Holden's friends' Mom's. H & I sauntered home to see AK & the other kids busy with the leaves on the ground and the gutters. Then we set off for the park for some family baseball (PJ even had a hit, she's a lefty!) and play. Home for lunch and naps. I am not 100% (this cold, sore throat thing) so I was really tired, but the weather was too perfect and I hadn't exercised yet so I had to go on a bike ride. But first, H & I went to the library and then to Michael's to clear out all things to copy and create an Indigenous American home. We settled on the "Earthlodge" type home. We ended up buying a terracota pot to turn over (the mounds had a smoke hole in the center just like the pots), and other leather scraps and ties, we found the perfect sized little wood people, and cardboard flip flop box that we saw perfect as a boat (and we even used the flip flop part as the baby carrier, and other things. While on my bike ride, I assigned H to gather sticks and leaves and dirt from our yard, and I set off on a great ride. I charged it all the way to the top (:57 from our home, :40 or so from the zoo, me and my bike buddies usually do it in 1:10), passed the Red Burro guy, but got passed in the s-curves by 2 people (which definitely challenged me to keep boosting into the wind), the top was gorgeous (although I did notice that the higher the elevation, they really look like they are ready for snow - the fall color is seemingly gone up there, although that gold which we saw driving back from the desert last week, is gorgeous). And I zipped down to help with the house, watercolor, make dinner, get some groceries & a movie, and be totally exhausted so sent the kids off the bed early, well the boys were ecstatic to read, and now I am here. How's that for a journal entry.