Great weekend

The weekend wasn't without its difficulties, especially with a toddler who futzes and delays as much as I did as a kid (karma)... but overall was really good.

We hopped out of bed on Saturday, packed up some food, and took our dog and a friend's on a breakfast hike. So pleasant! Our dog did her usually disappearing trick, where I can't see her anywhere and then discover her neatly hidden behind my left knee. Some day, I will learn...

Friend's dog did not have her best manners when we met up with a ball-chasing chocolate lab, so she was kept near us while we ate and Maddy romped. We hiked back to the parking lot, drove home, and set off again for skating lessons. I took Graham out to his class, holding his hand so he could glide while I skated--and he did it! He has never done this before: usually holds onto me with both hands, torquing my back. I can't believe the improvement in just two lessons. SO worthwhile. Went off to my beginner class where we did some elementary skills and then practiced getting ready to do crossovers. I kid you not. Was cool to pick up yet another thing to practice, though.

Headed off to El Cerrito where I returned a bag full of borrowed video tapes to a friend who I hadn't seen in, we calculated, two years (!!). Lost time chatting with her and her new gf, and then more time in the Sketchers outlet, and ended up being two hours late to a birthday party for an old friend in Castro Valley. Well, two fewer hours of Graham acting up at a mostly adult party. Then they broke out the piñatas, yes, two, but thankfully, no one got clobbered by the bat. There were only 3 kids to grab the candy, so Graham was in heaven. Typically, he didn't end up eating much of the candy he picked up. Too funny.

Sunday, went off to church, fed our friends' cat & returned the dog to the house, then went home to pack for a trip to Great America. We got the VIP passes recently and this was our second visit of, I think, many. Did 3 trips around the lazy river, spent a little time in the 0"-to-3' pool, and did a bunch of the kiddie rides till the park closed. Graham got to ride the bumper cars (and that kid is NEVER gonna get a driver's license, OMG!), bought a souvenir with his own money (am loving that: "No, you can't buy that because you don't have enough money; you can afford this or this or this") and we headed out to the car to eat what we'd brought for dinner and head home. Very pleasant.