Busy Day of Chess and Hikes

Today was an especially busy day.  After morning chores (we're seeing how doing all the chores before breakfst works out for us) we converted some of the extra octupled cookie dough into banana, apple, and raisin mini muffins.  Que magnifique!  They're really fruity cupcakes with all the sugar and butter.

Owen and Olivia broke out the ol' chess board and started a series of games.  After lunch and school work were done, we called up our friends to invite them on a hike.  They told us about a trail that's a couple minutes away from our house by car.  So we decided to meet there.  But we had to go to the library first.  Olivia picked up an armful of chapter books and Owen, I think, picked out his first non-comic book, non-Magic Tree House chapter books as well (he reads our chapter books at home, but won't bother checking out anything new at the library).  I'm looking forward to seeing how he likes them.  Saveia also picked out some books she thought she'd be able to read.  I couldn't leave without getting a couple books either.  But my big find was "The Encyclopedia of Country Living," and I do mean big.   

So Emily and Liz met us with Anica and Clayton, and led us on a great adventure through the woods, avoiding trolls at every bridge.  There were a lot of bridges on this trail.  Emily is a much more fun hiker than I am.  I learned a lot on the trail, and the kids were smiling and happy most of the time.  Super fun!

Home.

While Owen went to football practice, Olivia taught Saveia how to play chess.  They have a date tomorrow morning to rock it.  Nice when everybody gets along, right?

And that's just the mentionable stuff...phew.  I am exhausted today.  I will seriously got to bed after finishing this.

Emily told them to make sure they stomped on the bridges to let the trolls know they were coming.

Blackberry bushes!  Of course we had to stop a couple times to pick and eat.  I hope there's no poison ivy.

Liz patiently waited for us a lot of the time.

Down and up  these stairs...

What a full, beautiful day filled with friends, the world, and books!!!