One weekend, two compliments

We had a busy weekend—almost too busy. But it was filled with lots of good things.

On Friday night, we had dinner with two former teachers from the girls' daycare. They're good people and have been very kind to Emma and Lindsay over the years. I'm happy we've kept in touch, I'm happy they're both doing well at their new schools, and I'm glad they know we appreciate them. Good teachers are just awesome. When we left dinner, one of the teachers said that meeting our family was the best thing that came out of her working at the girls' daycare! (Sad that she didn't have a better experience as an employee, but I happily accepted the compliment—#1—none the less.) The girls had fun.

On Saturday morning I skipped boot camp, but it was for a good cause. I made a meal for my friend who just had surgery. (Between appointments and birthday parties and dinner plans, there was just no other time.) I love cooking for friends. It's a win-win situation—it helps brighten someone's day and makes you feel good at the same time. Even better, I brought Lindsay with me to the supermarket and had fun walking around shopping. We counted fruit, watched the lobsters, and even played ball in one of the aisles. Lindsay hung out with me in the kitchen when we got home. She "washed" dishes while I cooked.

After cooking, I had an appointment with Cheryl. She paid me one of the nicest compliments I've received in a long, long time—#2. It meant a lot to me and I will carry it with me for a while, I'm sure. 

Next, I got to go to a fun outdoor birthday party with Emma. The weather was just perfect. It's my favorite time of year. I'm thankful that Emma has so many good friends and that those good friends have good parents. I love to see her having fun and fitting in so nicely.

Saturday evening we had dinner with my old friend (Sarah) who just moved to Sharon. I am so thankful that we seem to have picked up right where we left off! Emma and Lindsay had so much fun playing with her boys. And I even got to meet my Sarah's new niece (6 months). Her niece was born premature, so it's a miracle that she's even alive. Since I grew up with Sarah and her sister, it's pretty amazing to see our children playing together. It used to be just the three of us, now it's us plus 5 kiddos! 

Yesterday (Sunday) we celebrated Andrew's mom's 70th birthday. We had a lovely brunch with amazing food. I was nervous about bringing the girls to a fancy restaurant, but they were amazing. The highlight of brunch, for me, was seeing how happy Elinor was. She was grateful to have the family together and even teared up when we gave her her gift (earrings). Seventy is a big deal and it was easy to put all the negativity out of my head when I saw how much she appreciated everything. I was happy she was happy. It felt good to make her birthday memorable. We spent the afternoon at the aquarium and the girls had tons of fun.

I talked to my mom last night. She and my dad are on the Cape for a conference my dad's involved in. They'll be driving through Boston tomorrow and want to take me out to lunch. The invitation made me happy. We see them a lot, but our visits mostly revolve around the girls—which is great. But this time they're stopping just to see me!