There’s been so much celebration this past week, so much MAY, so many events and parties and this and that that it is a miracle we’ve coasted from day to day through it all.

This weekend we celebrated Grandson The First turning TWO.  (I feel extra shout-y tonight.  I’ll try to reign in my use of the capital letters, but I’m not making any promises ya’ll.)

Maddox enjoyed his little friends (mostly) and his cake and the sunshine and playing outdoors.  And we all enjoyed watching him.

Otto played his first flag football game (which I believe I mentioned yesterday).  He scored three touchdowns (I think) and there’s a scant amount I understand about football but I do know that getting across one of the lines drawn on the field with the football in your hand and your flags still attached to your waist is an essential part of the game.

His coach is stellar and his team is called the Grey Foxes and he’s wearing soccer cleats instead of football ones because that’s what I could find and his mouth guard is gross and not all that correctly fitting and he keeps handing it to me afterwards like I should hold it or something.

I had to get new tires on the Yukon before I wear them out driving west this week and I wish tires were free.  Like air and sunshine.

I rode a rickshaw last weekend.  And I really saw a bear last week, even if my brother doesn’t believe me.  (I’d never seen one before and the bear just booked it right across the road in front of us.  My response was a round of enthusiastic clapping.  Like – stop the car and clap loudly.)

Saturday night we sat on blankets and chairs in a friend’s picturesque front yard and our children took turns reciting poetry and singing songs and I texted another friend and told them that the entire night was so sticky sweet that it would give you diabetes.  And I want to have that sugar high all over again because I loved watching those kids perform and sing and share and be all brave standing up in front of one another and of us and saying words and sharing art.

Sitting on the lawn chairs long after darkness had fallen around us, sharing funny stories and laughing with good company was rather high on my list of favorite parts of my week.

Today we celebrated Otto Fox’s birthday with friends and cake and kayaks and paddle boats and I thought, not for the first time, that in many true ways, we are living a delightful life.  We are not a Less Than family living a Less Than life.

I love my people.

Our life is a tiny bit like our kitchen was today.

We made a colossal mess of that place this morning – together.  London and Mosely jointly baking a layered vanilla and chocolate cake with oreo crumbs and gummy worms on top, per a little brother’s request.  And we had to leave the mess spread out all over the kitchen in order to arrive at the lake at the correct time.

And, of course, when we returned home, wet from lake water and rain, car full of towels and half eaten picnic snacks and fishing poles, we had to face that mess.  Which we did, together.

Birthdays, messes, football, performances, lake days – and what do I like best about all of these highs and lows?  The people I’m trekking through it all with.

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