Last week we finally got to try this cool playground down by Federal and Colfax.  It's called Paco Sanchez park and from the pictures I could tell it had some really unique and challenging playscapes.  In the instant I parked, Sam leapt out of the van, running for the park.  It had this cool spider-web climbing tower with a long curly slide.  There was also a huge, steep slide that Jack thoroughly enjoyed, but Sam couldn't muster the courage to go down alone.

We'll definitely have to return another day!  Perhaps with padding - Sam hurt his back with scrapes and bruises a couple times.  I think he bent off the end of the slide too fast and at a band angle.  He's a tough cookie though.

We got a couple pasties to tide off hunger long enough to visit Mile High Comics afterward.  We usually only come for Free Comic Book Day in May, but they had fun picking out a few comics to purchase.  The shop can be overwhelming but Ben seems to know his way around their stacks and stacks of comics.  They have cool models and figurines that probably make the place magical and larger than life to the kids (seems like a ramshackle warehouse to me, but it's mostly nice).

A simple pattern knit with bulky weight acrylic, these only took about a week each to knit!

Jack: Sam, will you get my chrome book from my room so we can watch roller coaster videos?

Sam: Get it yourself! I'm not your bride!

Maid, I think, was the word he was searching for. We explained the mistake and then laughed together (with my inner feminist silently simmering).

It's still August, but the kids have been talking about Halloween for weeks already.

But here's the thing: I love it. I love Halloween. I've already been planning my costume and Ben's too. I'll feel less lame about it when September rolls around. But I don't know if I can wait until October 1st to buy a pack of spooky orange Oreos.

Ben made a Giga pudding for the kids to try.

Jack wanted to celebrate by making the cats a “cake” using a recipe he got from Highlights magazine.

No movies to see this weekend, we went out for pizza with the kids.

The kids were both happy and tired at pick-up time.  They both like their teachers and classes and had minimal complaints.

 

I tried to do a little interview for you all, but I must have exhausted their capacity to think and talk on the drive home.

To be honest, today I am MOST proud of my cats. I think they made the most personal growth out of all the family today.

All their cat tension-dissolved after a two hour snuggly nap.  Like bickering characters in a rom-com twist, they were suddenly all over each other. (For the record, Nimbus made the first move.)  Too, too cute.

The cats were tormented by the birds while playing in the catio this morning. They came in for lunch and then took up watch from the window.

I sent Ben a cute photo of them falling asleep together at their post:

When I looked again and hour later, I found this:

I texted Ben to see if he agreed that we had reached cat-cuddling stage. He confirmed, saying "they've been through WAR, now is time for love." Then he wrote a fitting diary entry for the occasion:

"The great corvid war of the 14th day of the parched grasses was harrowing for all involved.  As for myself, I learned to love a little more that day." -- Captain Nimbus, 1st battalion

There's a flock of these birds cawing loudly as they dare to approach the catio. Nimbus and Freddy are absolutely riveted; still as statues but bursting with excitement.

It's finally here! The boys are starting their 2019 year of school.  Jack is in 4th grade, and Sam is in 1st grade.

Jack is excited that he has one of his best friends in class this year.  Sam is excited to have a BOY teacher! Actually, they both have male teachers this year, but Jack says it's not important to him.  They have a lot of familiar, fun classmates in each class. I'm sure it will be another great year of learning.