Last Thursday evening, Xena the warrior Princess had her first ever basketball practice. When it was over, she couldn't wait to call her grandpa the coach and tell him all about it.
They talked for 45 minutes. She admitted to us that she was not one of the best players on the team but she's not too concerned, as basketball has never been a priority of hers. Yes, her brother (Babalouie) has been able to dribble with either hand while not looking since he was 4 but he's an athletic freak to whom no should compare themselves.
Sidebar: when Babalouie was 4, Katie and Josie bet Zack that B. couldn't catch a nerf football fired at his head from 15 feet away the moment he walked into the room with no warning. Babalouie wandered into the room, Zack fired the ball and this tiny little kid just stuck his hand in the air and grabbed the ball like it was velcroed to him. As I said: freak. If Babalouie had any competitiveness in his nature at all, he'd be insufferable. As it is, he's a total delight.
Xena is athletic and talented as well and she works hard at everything she likes to do. If she wants to be good at basketball, she will be! One morning over a year ago, her Dad looked out the window early one morning and saw our girl with a roping dummy, practicing her throws all by herself. Before breakfast.
Friday morning dawned bright and gorgeous. It was our last plein air paint of the season and nature complied. The sun was up, the view was heavenly and we all had a grand time. The ridge we were working from is also the start of a path through the nature preserve so we had a few passersby who were interested in looking at what we were up to. There were five of us painting and everyone was having a good day. It was cold when we started. I was wearing one of the fleece pullovers my Mom made me; sleeveless so as not to get in the way but sooo comfy and cozy. I was actually sweaty by noon, when class ended. It got up into the 60s, which was a very nice surprise!
I was the last one in the class to pack up my stuff. There I was, putting the last of my equipment in the car, when a couple who had walked past about an hour ago returned. They told me they had loved all the paintings they'd seen and wondered if they could buy mine.
Thoughts that went through my head; it's only a student study/ it's wet/ it's unsigned.
What came out of my mouth: "Yes!"
I scratched my signature into the corner, took their money and handed it over. That's what I call a good morning!
When I got home, Jay had already hit the road with a buddy. He and the lovely Mr. Curry went to Madison WI to watch a basketball game. They made the road trip in one day and had a great time. I got to be home all by myself for an entire day! My favorite thing!!
I baked cookies, had a BLT for dinner, got some work done, walked around the lake and watched Thor; Ragnarok on our big TV. Oh, and a huge package of beads I'd ordered online showed up on my doorstep. BEST. DAY. EVER.
Saturday, the weather was just as gorgeous as it had been on Friday. My daughter Katie was in NYC for the weekend, seeing a Broadway show with friends, so Adam and BoopityBoop came over for dinner. The girls spent the night and the plan was that Katie would return from her trip just in time to join us all for Trick or Treating. We spent the day having all kinds of fun.
In an odd twist of fate, Katie's flight came in a half hour early. She was able to join us for our traditional pre-TorT dinner of home made mac'n'cheese (not out of a box). Josie had come over as well; she was dressed as Rachel "Isn't that just kick you in the crotch spit on your neck fantastic!" Green. As usual, she nailed it. Josie spent 45 minutes stringing the LED lights into the skirts of the girls' magic unicorn ballerina costumes. What does a magic unicorn ballerina look like? This:
After we'd packed the girls with dinner, we all got in costume and headed to my sister's house. She has hosted Halloween ever since Mom and Dad moved off Queen avenue. Hard to believe it's been nearly 20years since the heyday of the Linden Hills blvd bacchanalia. For all I know, it's still going on but the Hubbells haven't been part of it since the early 00s. Katie always has a bonfire in the yard and a huge pot of chili in the kitchen. That's really all that's needed to be the family Trick or Treat staging ground. MJ and her kids were all there, with a few friends as well. We trick or treat in large groups. BoopityBoop had a blast, running with their cousins, gathering up candy and just reveling in the Halloween goodness of the night.
The only flaw in the whole weekend was not getting to see Xena, Babalouie and Kitten. They're old enough now to want to spend Halloween with their friends and trick or treat close to home, not drive a half hour to hang with the rest of us. Who can blame them?? We did have constant texts back and forth as to what everyone was up to and how it was going, so that was great. Sometimes, technology does work for the greater good.
Ninjas are awesome but could anything be cuter than magical unicorn ballerinas?