This is my favorite park.  It's about 20 minutes away, up in Westminster.  So I treated it like a real outing - packed snacks and waters and a giant ikea sack of sunscreen and towels and spares clothes and such.  The boys had a lot of fun.  It's such a cute and well designed place.  I only wish there was more shade on the equipment, and it was closer to us.

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Jack and I have been talking about what elective class to take next.  His summer school, Creekside Cubs, ends in a couple weeks.  There are some classes at the Apex center that would start in August and go into September, on top of his half day Kindergarten.  Earlier this year he was talking a lot about taking ballet again.  I told him he could try tap too, like me.  He wanted dance class, then faltered and says he wants tumbling again.  I ordered some tap shoes to give it a try.

Yeah, it took about that long for him to declare he wants to take tap classes.  Too.  Both tumbling and the ballet/tap combo.  Hmmm.  It's not really that expensive, but I'm not sure he will have the gumption to attend two classes a week, on top of new Kindergarten.  He's only five - I'm wary of over-scheduling already. 

But I'm going to have a hard time prying those taps away from him now.

Looks like Sam got a hold of my camera yesterday.  Behold, his first photography show.

Sam can walk down stairs using the railing.  But he gets scared of the height and prefers that I carry him.  My back is happy that Jack has been coaching him with a less scary way to get down.

Kids don't care that you are sleep deprived and behind on house work and memorial work and stay-at-home work.  Good thing they are super duper cute.

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I need my 1-year-old teach my 5-year-old to do his own laundry too.  Sam even cleans the lint trap!

Ben says I need to post so my top blog entry is changed, and I'm inclined to agree.  Things are still hard.  We feel very supported by family and friends, with generous help and kind words.  The memorial is this Saturday and I'm looking forward to it.  Some old friends are coming to town who I am excited to see.  All week I've been working on the slideshow for the program.  I put a lot more work into it than was expected, because it's for Brian, so it needs to be good.  Strangely, it's been a good distraction.  I think it's going to be a long year of echoing grief as we go on with life, but without our best friend in all his usual spots. 

Anyway!  Probably not what Ben had in mind.  I'll do a separate post of mundane stuff.

Thursday late at night my best friend Brian Omura died of a heart attack.  We are all in shock and grief.  We are okay though.  Time, friends, and laughter are healing us.