Weekend news

We're wrapping a good weekend by enjoying a quiet home in which all boys (except me) are asleep. Today was a little hard on Sammy & Riley -- four hours of conference and not single cousin to play with -- just books, puzzles and wooden spoons doubling as ninja swords. Not long after the second session ended, I took them to a nearby park to let them get some pent-up energy out by riding their bikes and playing on the big toy. It seemed to help, and they actually had a dinner appetite, but by 7 p.m. their tired bodies had had enough -- trouble is, their minds weren't convinced and the result was belligerence.

Yesterday we had the Palmers and Cookes over for the first session of conference, and afterwards we were joined by Dan & Deanne's family. Between sessions we ate pizza, salad and had brownies to celebrate Eric's 12th birthday. The Palmers then had to leave, but Dan & Deanne and Leah & Joel stayed for the second session. After that we watched a TV show or two from Joel's iPod and the boys all played around the house, but mostly downstairs. Later that night Dan and I went to chapel for the Priesthood session and the women watched "Dan in Real Life" here at the house. It was a fun day.

A day or two ago, Sammy and Riley came in from outside, excitedly carrying a worm they'd found in the yard. Christy helped them bottle up some fresh soil and they stretched some Saran wrap (with holes poked in it) over the top. The boys named the worm "Harry Potter," which is apt, because he promptly put on his invisibility cloak. Later that day, Christy and I thought we saw a very still worm's tail poking out of the soil--and we fear the worst. Apparently they might have damaged poor Harry a little in their excitement. According to Christy, he looked pretty beat up -- maybe even partly severed around the middle. So I call him "Nearly Half-Gone Harry." It's probably time to confirm his living status, but I just haven't had the time or inclination to go digging for a worm corpse. OK, OK, I'll go check now...

Hooray! Harry is alive! (Sorry, but Dumbledore is still pushing up daisies.) I dug down to the bottom of the jar, and there he was, alive and intact. His wriggle was a little feeble, however. We're hoping our slimy little pet will be with us a little longer.

Have a great week.