Inaugural run

Nathan and the boys christened our new backyard firepit last night! Yup, I think it's a hit. ;) 

Ten on Tuesday (completely random)

1. We spent the day down in Boulder yesterday while Nathan had a meeting. The boys and I wandered the 29th Street Mall area for a bit and were surprised to find a number of these "grass" platforms all about. Odd. But apparently comfy:

2. The boys also enjoyed this checker board/set:

(Unsurprisingly, Noah won. We're also considering finding a way to work a checkerboard pattern into the backyard, lol.)

3. We were all in Boulder, btw, at least partially because we're a one vehicle family right now. The insurance company took back Nathan's car after the hail storm (it was considered totalled and they offered more for it than we figured we could get selling it ourselves) mid-July. If you happen to know anyone selling a car in the area, let us know. :) We're hoping to replace it within the next couple weeks, as school starting back up is going to make being a one vehicle family more difficult.

4. Tomorrow, Asher will be performing with Karate West's demo team at the local Barnes & Noble to celebrate the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Asher's going to represent Michelangelo with the nunchucks. ;) Come watch if you're around...the event starts at 11 and they'll perform about 11:30. (For what it's worth, my boys aren't familiar with the TMNT, though I have fond memories of them, myself, lol.)

5. Our new roof got postponed last week due to weather. Hopefully, it'll go on tomorrow!

6. Does anyone have any local recommendations for contractors who install sliding patio doors? Also for people who remove wooden decks and can replace it with a paver patio/landscaping?

7. Yup, I know I'm overdue on my annual blog posts about our upcoming homeschooling plan. ;) I'm actually doing pretty well in my planning...just haven't found time to sit down and type it out for this.

8. Speaking of homeschooling, that's all going to start again on the 18th...after Noah's high school classes start on the 13th. Oy. Working on sorting out our schedules and getting to a point where I'm feeling less overwhelmed, lol. 

9. Yay, me! I just mailed off our "official" annual notice of intent to homeschool to our local school district. 

10. Is everyone else amazed that it's already August?!

Peter Pan

Yesterday, we took Asher and Micah to see "Peter Pan" at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. They claim to have enjoyed it even more than last year's "The Sound of Music." So, I guess it was a hit. ;)

Here's me and my boys as we were heading out:

(Micah and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to dress up a bit, lol.)

And here's Micah just before show time...enjoying his Pirate Punch:

The way it works is that the actors actually are also the wait staff, so Tiger Lily and one of the pirates took our orders and brought our lunch when we first arrived. Then, all the actors head off to perform. At intermission, they come back out to serve up dessert and such. It's pretty cool to get to talk with the actual performers.

The show, btw, was fabulous. The boys particularly enjoyed the flying performers and boo-ing Captain Hook and the crocodile. Our table was right up front again, so the boys could watch the orchestra and see all the action. 

And here are Nathan and the boys right in front of our table after the show was over:

And that was "Peter Pan"...a lovely way to unofficially celebrate both boys' birthdays and encourage their enjoyment of theater.

(Lest you feel sorry for Noah...as with last year, Noah was quite happy to not join us and spent a lovely afternoon with his best friend's family. Thanks again, Deanna!)

Promotion

Friday night, Asher and Micah had a karate promotion. Asher earned his brown belt and Micah earned his high blue belt. Both were pretty stoked! Asher looks that way because he's exhausted, lol. In addition to all the promotion exhibition stuff (all the people promoting demonstrate their forms, grab defenses, combinations and (for the higher belts) sparring), Asher performed with the demo team throughout the night. (He also then had demo team practice afterward.)

So very proud of our karate boys! They've been at this for a little over four years now and are still going strong...with definite plans to continue through black belt. 

Nine

This is my baby. He turned NINE yesterday.

(This is the picture we took earlier this month for the back of his haiku book.)

We did a pretty low key celebration here...because he got his "big" gift months ago (his new release for archery)...because it was a rather dreary, rainy day that made it difficult to be motivated to do anything, lol...and because we had other things to do (related still to all the house projects thanks to the hail storm). But. He opened his gifts from his brothers in the morning (and played with them all day), went to karate, and then we went out for dinner and dessert up in Old Town. Good times! :)

In keeping with tradition-ish, here are nine things my Micah loves right now (in no particular order):

1. Pokemon...He loves the card game, the video games and (mostly) the characters.  
2. Cooking...Micah actually took over some of the dinner responsibilities while Nathan was in Hawaii for work a couple different times this summer (Noah would like me to add that Micah didn't work completely alone...Micah made the plans and such but Noah worked as the muscle, reaching things Micah and I couldn't, etc).
3. Writing...As evidenced by his haiku book...
4. Reading...He's been particularly voracious in his reading lately. Thanks to his reading, he calls many fictional worlds home...Hogwarts and Middle Earth and more. ;)
5. Super heroes...Micah's not as narrowed in his hero love as Asher--he loves most all of them...and the villains. ;)
6. Stuffies...Koaly is still the favorite but Micah truly loves all his stuffies and includes them in his daily life in many and various ways, lol.
7. Minecraft...He and Asher have been crazy busy building things lately. Often, they work to recreate some of those fictional worlds they've read about or seen.
8. Hugs...My sweet baby still adores hugs and doesn't feel himself to be too old for them at all.
9. Extracurriculars...Micah continues to enjoy karate and archery on a regular basis, and we're so proud of the strides he's made over the years developing his skills and confidence and self-discipline.

And that's my Micah right now...