Hello new week, and happy birthday to my adorable sister-in-law Danielle!  (Insert heart emojis here.)  It was a busy weekend around here – the kind that leaves my heart very full.  On Saturday, Peanut and I were out the door early to visit with my friend Allison, who just welcomed a sweet baby girl.  We brought over three boxes and a bag filled with hand-me-downs – the best, right?  There’s something so comforting about the act of passing down outgrown clothes to a new baby.  It feels like – community, I guess.  Anyway, Allison was well taken care of when it came to tiny clothes, and I don’t have any of those left anyway, having passed them all to my friend Allegra two years ago.  But I had a truckload (literally) of 24 months, 2T and 3T clothes and was glad to see them off to a fabulous new home.  Almost as soon as we were back from Allison’s house, we headed out again, this time to the first birthday party of the school year.  And then we were exhausted, and spent the rest of the evening recovering at home.  I read It Can’t Happen Here on the front porch after the kids went to bed, while Steve played a video game with his friends while obsessively Irma-watching (his mom lives in Florida, and we have both been worried, but thank goodness – it looks like the absolute worst of the storm missed her).

Sunday was another busy and heart-full day.  Nugget and I ran out to Wegmans in the morning, where we loaded up on groceries for the week and food for a mini-party we were hosting – our dear friends Zan and Paul came over for the first Bills game of the season!  (New readers: Zan and I both moved to Buffalo from D.C. within a month of each other back in 2013, met and became close up there, and now they have moved back to D.C. – yay!  Zan is one of my framily – friends who are basically family – and she was the person I missed most when we moved away from Buffalo last year.  I’m so excited that we are living in the same city again!  Her friendship has been a huge blessing to me for the past few years.  Insert more heart emojis.)  Anyway, we had a fab afternoon.  The boys watched the game (the Bills won!) – the big boys for the entire duration; the small boy for about half an hour before going down for his nap.  And the girls hung out in the kitchen, baking a gluten-free vanilla coconut cake with a coconut glaze (that was supposed to be coconut whipped cream, but reality struck; everyone liked the glaze, though).  As usual, Peanut had so much fun baking and decorating the cake!  That kid loves to be in the kitchen (she also helped me make the veggie chili for the party).  Ended the weekend curled up on the couch with It Can’t Happen Here – so, yes, it was a good one.  Nothing earth-shattering or over-the-top; just a weekend spent pottering around northern Virginia, holding a baby, cooking with my girl, and spending time with beloved friends.  What adventure could ever beat that?

Reading.  I started the week still on London War Notes, reading slowly and savoring, but laid it aside temporarily while I beat back some library deadlines.  First up was Crazy Rich Asians, which has been on my list for ages, and which was so much fun.  I can’t wait for the movie!  Then a bunch of holds came in, and first up on that agenda had to be Sinclair Lewis’ classic It Can’t Happen Here, which is freaking me out, you guys.  Lewis predicted Trump back in 1935, and it’s completely terrifying.  But still a must-read for “thinking Americans,” as it was described 80+ years ago when first published.  Anyway, I’m still in the beginning pages (did you read the weekend recap up there? busy, busy) but once I finish It Can’t Happen Here, I think I’m going to pick up Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home – another one that has been on my list for ages.

Watching.  Nothing, actually.  Unless you count the “Octopus Wildkratticus” episode of Wild Kratts about half a dozen times.  We skipped our usual movie night this week.  Next week will be Steve’s turn to pick the movie.  Odds are he chooses Jurassic Park.

Listening.  Still catching up on my podcasts, but midway through the week I switched back to Audible for a change of pace.  I’m down to about twelve hours to go in The Great Courses’ Classics of British Literature, and still no Dear Aunt Jane, although I think her appearance is imminent.  I’m listening impatiently and will only truly begin to calm down once I have gotten my Austen fix.  Or maybe I won’t calm down, and will instead begin agitating for Trollope.

Moving.  A pretty good week.  Only two yoga classes – it was too busy of a weekend to get in my usual Saturday asanas – but I did squeeze in a before-sunrise run down to the marina and back on Thursday.  I need to be getting in one or two weekday runs and one weekend if I’m going to be up for the Marine Corps 10K at the end of October.  Ooo-rah!  The time is now.

Blogging.  I have a very cheerful post – filled with flowers! – coming to you on Wednesday: a recap of our pick-your-own sunflowers fun at Burnside Farms last weekend.  I can’t wait to show you the pictures!  It was such a great day.  And then on Friday, vacation recaps continue.  Check in with me then!

Loving.  This is old news by now, but I seriously can’t get enough of Prince George’s front door back-to-school picture on the steps of Kensington Palace.  I think I squealed out loud when I saw it pop up in my Instagram feed.  The pictures and video of Prince William walking him in to his new school were precious, too, but I am beyond gleeful about the Kensington Palace picture.  Royals, they’re just like us!  They take front door pictures on the first day of school, too!

Asking.  What are you reading this week?