Weekend

-- Rick got a couple of tickets to Friday night's playoff game.  His sister drove over from Kansas City to go with him.  They had a fantastic time -- the weather was gorgeous, the crowd was fun, the Cardinals won.  

-- Up early Saturday to have people over.  Then Donna stayed the day to help put up the bathroom light.  During which Rick whacked his head into the nails in the attic ceiling (I was taking Thalia to ballet when the cell phone rang:  "Daddy would like to know how to get blood out of clothing" -- not a phone call you like to get, if you know what I mean).

-- Also, open shop for backstage crew for upcoming Snow White ballet.  Which meant the kids were gone most of the day.

-- Thalia was supposed to go to the SLUH Fall Formal with the guy whose mom makes him go to dances. Only this time he managed to convince his mom that none of his friends were going to that particular dance so he shouldn't have to; she acquiesced on the condition that he take a female to dinner and a movie.  So now Thalia and friend have practiced how-to-have-a-dinner-and-movie-date.  Actually, I think they had pretty much fun.

-- In the meantime, I realized that what my life was missing was Halloween-themed silicon baking cups, mini-cookie cutters, and plastic picks.  I found some picks in our box of Halloween decor; the baking cups and cookie cutters were 40% off at Hobby Lobby.  And the sun shone in the window on the bento I was making, and life was good:

Corn muffins, orange slices in a pumpkin shaped baking cup, 2-bite brownie, twice-baked new potatoes, steamed broccoli, and slices of cheese.

Except the food markers don't really want to draw nicely on Monterey Jack cheese, so that was a little blotch on my bento euphoria.

-- Up early on Sunday so Thalia's choir could sing.  Then all the usual Sunday fal-de-ral.  It was sunny and in the 80s, so Rick was trying to get the last few tiles cut for the bathroom (using a tile saw tends to be a rather soggy experience).  And sliced open his finger.  Second injury this weekend.

-- On my way to pick up kids from their activities I saw one of their friends walking through the neighborhood, which was surprising since this friend doesn't live around here.  I stopped the car and rolled down the window.

"Hey, what are you doing over here?"

"We're coming to ding-dong-ditch you."

I sat in the car staring at him for a moment.

"Um, isn't that supposed to be a surprise?  Anyway, nobody's home right now."

Really, the kids (ours) thought it was hilarious -- we discussed calling him when we got home to let him know that it was okay to come over to ding-dong-ditch.  Rick said it was like setting an appointment to TP someone's house.

-- Overall, a weekend filled with laughter, friends, family, fun.