High Five for Friday (1.27.17)

1. Last Thursday I attended an informational meeting about and went on a tour of the classrooms associated with our high schools' Career and Technology Education Departments. I generally feel pretty good about the school district our children attend, but holy cow, folks - the opportunities and facilities available to our kids with regard to middle and high school electives blew my mind. I feel so grateful that our teachers and administrators devote such tremendous time, energy, and money to making sure our students graduate not just with a grasp on reading, writing, and arithmetic, but with the skills needed to succeed in a career or in higher education.

2. Speaking of school, last Thursday night I attended the meeting for (HOW DID WE GET HERE?!) parents of students graduating from elementary and moving on to intermediate school. The meeting went more smoothly and there were fewer decisions to make with regard to electives than I expected, so my mom friends and I shared high fives on the way out...and glasses of wine shortly thereafter.

3. On Saturday night I visited my favorite painting studio for a friend's birthday celebration. For the first time we painted on wood rather than canvas, and the finished product is my favorite painting creation thus far!

4. Speaking of painting (stay with me - I'll get there), about a month ago we misplaced our favorite green umbrella. Hallie and I looked EVERYWHERE - house, yard, cars, school, soccer fields, dance studios, library - but had no luck. Then on Saturday night I walked into the painting studio and...TA DA...there it stood, all by its lonesome in the corner near the purse storage shelf. Turns out Hallie took it with her to a friend's painting birthday party midway through December and left it there. I was ridiculously happy to have this accessory back at home...just in time for weeks on end of sunny days.

5. I babysat this sweet little boy - who I have had the privilege of knowing since his birth - last Monday. He wouldn't nap in his crib, so I settled down with him on the couch and he fell fast asleep for more than an hour. When his mom returned home he woke up, climbed down, and snuggled with her for a couple of minutes, but then he returned to my lap for another round of hugs. What a great way to kick off a week!

Linking up with High Five for Friday here: