A week of friends (cheesy but with a hint of burning aliens)

This week, Gillen and his cousin Alexander (born ten days apart) went to Charlie Elliott Nature camp. It is such a good camp. There is a bird show, a water survey, tree identification, fishing, hiking, games and lots of other nature loving 9-10 year old boys to meet. The coolest thing this time was that six of the twenty or so boys also happen to be on the same (newly-formed, more serious) soccer team as Gillen! Nature boys who also love soccer. Gillen made new friends, as did Alexander. And of course they got to be with each other all week.

Jesse was in swim class all week with his good friend Logan. He also got to have Logan over alone one day, which was heaven for these two who are often being directed by their loving-to-lead Leo brothers.

I got to reconnect over dinner with a long-time good friend from Boston who was in Atlanta for work. A few hours of conversation that was about the Red Sox, a Red Sox sausage vendor, marriage, photography, squirrels, Las Vegas, music, careers, horse racing... and very little about children. I just don't get to hear about horse racing and the Red Sox in our local play group. And he knew me way back when.

I am in a small group of women who are helping one another stay accountable about our career/artistic goals. It is so good to talk to someone who is in the same place. It is so good that it doesn't have to be Nicolas. He would heartily agree.

We have another family of good friends coming tomorrow, a friend's wedding on Sunday, and my sister (one of my best friends) and her husband are visiting for a week on Monday.

And I won't even get into those here on-line who give me so much when I read their blogs and comments.

My cup runneth over with the warmth of all this ( maybe it's from the sun beating down on me as I watch soccer and swimming practice...) I am grateful to know such cool people. There are so many more...

Here is a picture of Gillen, Jesse, Alexander and another friend playing with a Ben Ten alien laboratory that Jesse got for his birthday. I love their reactions to an intense odor - that wasn't really there. An alien lab must seem like it has to have a really bad odor.