So . . . what did we do this week?  My camera is no help.  This is all I have on my camera:

Which tells us a bit of what Benjamin did this week, I guess!


Let's see . . . I'm afraid we did basketball this week and added even more.  In fact, from now until the end of February, you probably only need to skim Skinner Updates.  Let's see, you'll say, basketball, basketball, basketball.  Yep, same as last week!  What can I say?  We think it's great fun!

So, Savannah did nothing related to basketball this week.  We'll start with her.  She worked Th, Fri, and Sat.  She also did all her homework for the week on Thursday.  Why she did not do it on M, T, or W, I do not know.  She was enjoying some downtime.  She got her results back from the ACT and scored a 26.  That's not as high as she was hoping, so she will be taking it again in the spring.  This time she will remember her ID card!  Heh, heh.

Sarah had basketball practice everyday after school for two hours.  She also got a bad head cold.  She was not enjoying running with a pounding head nor having to play defense without being able to breathe!  Poor kid.  We also found out that she needs to sell some coupon cards for fundraising.  Anyone a frequenter of Krispy Kreme or Pier 49, give us a call.

Megan and Mariah both played basketball on Kevin's Mapleton team.  They had practice Monday and played games Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  On Saturday they played in a tournament in which they were the champions!  They were each awarded a new pair of socks.  Because they knocked everyone's socks off!  They have not lost any games.  They are playing really, really well.  It is fun, fun to watch.

Kevin had a meeting on Wednesday night to receive his team roster for his Springville team (Megan's team).  He couldn't attend because of his game in Mapleton, so I went.  He'll start practices for that team after Thanksgiving.

I was back at the city rec office Thursday night to receive the team roster for my Springville team (Mariah's team).  I love coaching, so I am excited.  Since I already spent a season losing every game (except one!), losing no longer holds any fear for me.  This year I just know I will be totally relaxed and happy through every game.  Heh, heh.  Anyway we start practices after Thanksgiving, as well.

Cali and Chey haven't gotten a call from their coach, yet, but they will probably start practices in a couple of weeks, too.  I know that some of you think we are crazy, but I'm telling you -- it's so fun!!

Cali and Chey and Beth and Ben have been coming to watch M&M's basketball games with me.  Actually, I use the term "watch" very loosely.  Mostly they climb up and down the bleachers, go under the bleachers, and get soaking wet in the bathroom.  They have a great time.

Those younger ones and I did have some fun this weekend together!  After the basketball tournament, Kevin drafted Sarah and Megan and Mariah to help him get the snowed-upon, rain-sodden leaves up off the yard.  I had promised Chey that when she got her cast off, I would take her swimming.  I was overdue on my promise so I took Cali, Chey, Beth and Ben to the indoor pool for a couple of hours of swimming.  Do you know what?  We had so much fun.  (Way more fun that leaf-raking!)  Cali and Chey swam races across the narrow part of the pool, Beth splashed around and floated on her back in her life-vest, and Ben . . . well, after his initial terror of the life-vest and the showers (which I didn't even make him do!) and after I carried him back after he ran screaming and crying from the locker room, it took him twenty minutes of sitting on my lap at the top of the stairs to putting his feet into the water.  An hour later, though, he was not only wearing the life vest, but was tootling around in it ON HIS OWN!  He looked like he was riding a unicycle, but he sure could get everywhere!  Isn't he awesome?  I thought he was, as my girls were, too!  They jumped off the side and Beth even could jump off without me catching her -- she went completely under the water each time!  I was so impressed.

While we were gone, they got all the leaves up!  Some of these pictures are before we took Ben away to the pool.

This is Sarah's "before" picture.  I am sure there is grass in there somewhere . . .

Meg's still got her shorts on from basketball!  But check out those cool socks!

Maybe a shovel will work better?  Have I mentioned that we only own two rakes?  (Actually one belongs to some friends who left it here during the days of the annual leaf hotel.  I'm sure we will return it eventually . . .)

How could I take Ben when he was such a good helper?

Aha!!  The grass!!  Doesn't the "after" picture look lovely?  Unfortunately, our tree is still dropping leaves so it does not look like that already!

When I got back from the pool, I dropped off the little kids, changed clothes, and grabbed the older kids because Savannah, Sarah, Megan, and I really wanted to see a certain movie that came out this weekend.  It was so. good.  We had such fun! 

We came home to hot pizza that their awesome dad had cooked up for us.

It was a very fun day at the end of a fun week.