Valentine's Week

Valentine's Week has been a virtual whirlwind (that's speaking metaphorically, of course). It's been a good week for chocolate. The kids and I made heart shaped sugar cookies, based on the success of cookies baked the previous weekend for a trampoline meet, as well as fudge, cut out in the shape of hearts. Even with giving lots away, we consumed plenty ourselves. Valentine's evening, we had dinner with our good friends, the Thompsons, which meant the kids went to bed an hour after bedtime. I did not help put them to bed, as I volunteered to shut the chicken coop door to keep out unwanted critters. Ever since our Christmas night encounter with the most ENORMOUS possum in the coop, eating eggs and chicken feed (one chicken as well - but not that evening), we have been shutting them in at night. We've only forgotten once to let them out the next day. Anyway, I put on my boots and marched out into the night with my flashlight, only to discover a new, smaller possum in the coop. I won't say how we dispatched the creature, but it won't be eating my chickens or their organic $22 per 50 lb. bag of feed any more either.

Just so you know, the best way to deal with possums is to drive over them with your car - it's compassionate and quick. Also, this evening marked our 22nd engagement anniversary, and I must say we have become quite the efficient possum dispatching team.

Last night, Jack and I enjoyed an authentic Brazilian meal in the U District, with friends Uschi and Luis. The kids had pizza at Grandma Bev's house. The food could not have been better, and it was nice that Uschi and Luis speak fluent Portugese. As a bonus the restaurant is right across from R&E cycles, where we bought our first mountain bikes many years ago.

Emma had a gymnastics meet today at our home gym. She had plenty of family to watch, although Rilla & Cian spent much of the time eating chips or jumping in the pit of foam. As soon as Colin hooked up with his friend, Spencer, he was lost to the world of Nintendo DS. Caleb brought art supplies and generally wandered around.