This week I am grateful for friendships.

I had the last bunco with my friend, Natalie, who is headed off to Perth with her family as her husband starts a minimum 2 year stint for  his job over there.  If we are able, that would be a great reason to visit Australia in the next few years.  Not sure the money tree is up for it, but we shall see.

I am also grateful that we continue to have good friends in our town.  We went to the beach on Sunday afternoon, and met up with one of Brian’s school mates and his kids.  Brian and he went to grade school on up in their hometown about 2 hours away.  Now we live within 20 minutes of each other.  At one point they only lived about a mile from us!

It was a very pleasant afternoon of sitting in the shade and watching the kids have fun in the sun.   I need to make sure I put sunscreen on Kai next time, though.  He put it on himself, and his missed the top of his shoulders, which is pretty much the most important spot.  He was a wee bit sunburned, so out came the aloe vera lotion!

I am also grateful for relatively healthy kids.  While taking the day off work on Friday to paint the laundry room, I got a call at 10:15 from their summer camp.  Kai had fainted while they were all lined up to go on the field trip.  We live pretty close to the school, so off I went in my painting clothes and no shower to pick him up.  Apparently he was playing dodgeball and then felt a little dizzy.  Instead of sitting down and drinking some water, he did as he was told and got his stuff and stood in line for the field trip.  He ended up toppling on his backpack, so he didn’t hit his head as he fell.  He looked hot and sweaty when I got him, so I brought both of them home, gave him food, told him to drink a whole glass of water and lie down.  He did as he was told and 20 minutes later came downstairs and wanted to play on the computer.  As you can see, he was no worse for the wear.

I am grateful that Kai is doing so well this year at baseball.  It is finally getting to be fun to watch them, as they are sort of following the rules and he is actually trying.  He is a pretty good hitter and, if he is paying attention, does have the capacity to catch the ball and throw it effectively.  He still needs some work on the throwing, but he has really improved.  Even the assistant coach told me last week that he was the most improved player this season.