Does it have to be Monday?  I feel like I need an extra day – but I always say that, don’t I?  We had a crazy busy weekend, even busier than usual.  It started early, with a date night on Thursday night – first to our favorite wine bar and French bistro, and then followed up with a gear fitting appointment at REI.  Because that’s how we date night around here.  Friday was the kids’ last day of school for the year; how is it over already?  It was all I could do not to cry – they’ve both had such a wonderful experience this year.  Being a room mom in Peanut’s classroom was an experience I wouldn’t have traded for the world – hope I can do it for Nugget too.  I dropped them off, but I missed out on pickup because they had an early dismissal and I was on the phone literally (paging Chris Traeger) all. freaking. day.  Had a work crisis – not of my own making, at least – and while my office ended up the heroes at the end of the day, it was a stressful few hours.  I really needed to work this weekend, too, since I didn’t actually get done anything I’d planned to work on at the end of the week, thanks to said crisis – but it was not to be.

We were up and out the door early on Saturday.  Having spent the latter part of the week pouring over weather forecasts (as usual) and comparing the radar against our calendars, we figured out that if we wanted to get out on the water, we had to make it happen first thing.  So we trundled over to the Ballpark Boathouse with all of our gear and spent a little under an hour paddling around Nats Park.  You can’t tell from the picture, but it was insanely windy – to the point that, paddling into the wind, we pretty much weren’t going anywhere.  But we got a good workout, so that’s something!  Headed home, slammed some lunch, and got ready for a farewell party for a little girl who has been in Peanut’s class the past few years – her family was here on a temporary work assignment for four years, and they’re headed home to Beijing tomorrow.  They’ve been such a huge part of our kindergarten family and they’re going to be so missed.  Hugs were exchanged, tears were shed, and rash promises to visit them in China were made.  (Actually, I think that would be really cool.)  On Sunday, we did more running around.  Steve needed to work, after losing out on Friday billing in order to shepherd the kids while I sorted out my work crisis (which was much appreciated).  So I took Nugget out to run errands – Target, Whole Foods, and the library – and to a bowling birthday party for one of his preschool pals.  Nugget, it turns out, is something of a bowling prodigy.  This was his second time bowling, and he won the game, beat my high score, and invented a library of stylish dinosaur-themed bowling moves, complete with sound effects.  The boy can bring it, what can I say?

Reading.  For a busy week with no metro commuting, it was a decent reading week.  I finished Eligible juuuuuuust in time to slip it in Peanut’s bag on the last day of school.  (It didn’t come home, so I’m hoping that means that Ms. Shaw got her book back.)  Didn’t love it, but as I told Steve: I had to read it, because a teacher told me to.  Next up was Burnout, which I heard about on the Sorta Awesome podcast, and – wow.  Those ladies weren’t kidding.  I think I need my own copy, because I really wanted to highlight.  I finished it on Sunday morning and picked up The River in the Sky, which I bought a few weeks ago from the new indie bookstore in Old Town (swoon!).  I’ve never read any Clive James, and I’m going to have to seek out more, because The River in the Sky is lovely.

Watching.  The only watching this week was the kindergarten class movie – twice.  I attended the “world premiere” in Ms. Shaw and Ms. Lynch’s classroom on Wednesday afternoon, and then watched it at home with Steve after the link was emailed out to all the parents.  There’s a less-than-flattering picture of me at the class Halloween party, but other than that, it’s adorable.

Listening.  I’m trying to get all caught up on at least one podcast, and I’ve decided to work my way through my backlist of Vegetarian Zen first, so that’s mainly what I’ve been doing.  That, and listening to the song Your Ghost, by the Decemberists, on repeat.  Because Nugget informed me that he wants to “Listen to Oh Your Ghost a hundred times and memorize it.”  Okay, buddy, you got it.

Making.  Lots of food-related items this week.  A fridge full of batch-cooked goodies, including sliced cukes and peppers, roasted asparagus and baby bella mushrooms, chickpea vegetable curry, and a huge batch of jasmine rice and green lentils to serve as the base for a week’s worth of bowl dinners.  And most exciting of all, herbed sourdough crackers, made with some of my discard starter.  They were stupid easy, and came out fabulously.  And yes, I am that lady who makes homemade crackers now.  Come at me, bruh.

Blogging.  Listy McListerson here this week – I have the final accounting from my spring list on Wednesday, and the summer list coming atcha on Friday.  Check in with me then!

Loving.  I think I probably use this one at least once a month, but I really love my community here – and I was reminded of that, a little painfully, this weekend when we had to say goodbye to cherished friends as they prepare to return home to China.  One of the reasons we moved home after our three years in Buffalo was that we were having an impossibly hard time finding a community there.  We felt isolated and alone.  When we moved back, I figured we’d fall back into our old social circles – and we did, to a large extent.  The friends we’d left behind welcomed us back with open arms.  But what I wasn’t expecting was this huge network of new friends that we found through the kids’ school.  Being in their company has felt like a big exhale of a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.  And I’m sending lots of love with the T family as they take the next step in their journey.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?