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Usually my family rushes to the table for dinner and flurry, but tonight i was magically able to seize an opportunity for calm and everyone waited for all others to have food and then they even indulged me by taking a moment to think of something they were thankful for.  Lewis is thankful for Charlie and Oscar, his friends, because they can play with him when Ben can not.  Art is thankful for tics and that they aren't that bad lately, and he is thankful that he has a family and that he is alive.  He is thankful that he is ALIVE!  Bailey and Netta both piped up that they were thankful for Charlotte.  So, there you have it.  I guess we need to get those kids together way more often! Ben and I were both filled with warm feeling and just thankful for such beautiful children.   -- Jessica Ben here, updating this nice little post with the funny wrestling scene I came home to today. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzpGt9f4r90]

These are my new shelves that I'm super proud of. Thank you for the idea, Cynthia! A wall of shelves to hold kids' books, grown up books, baskets for toys, etc. I selected the lumber, stained it, poly'd them and they came out exactly the way I wanted! I could stare at them all day. (Ben notes I have been staring at them all day!).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f3EixwWlSI&w=853&h=480]

This is a photo I love from Nanna's most recent visit.

Recently I was in Dallas to shoot a football game . And I got in Abram as my assistant! What an incredibly fun day that was. Abram, for those who don't know, is a great friend from childhood who lives in Texas with his wife Tati and two sweet kids. Here we are at the game together. Abram actually photographed the game and, as you can see here, chose interesting shooting locations. In his defense, he had no idea where he was until I showed him this hilarious photo... This is Abram's photo, a key touchdown play that I didn't get. We used it in the online gallery, too! A nice shot of me doing what I do all game, run around and look nervous. what a pro. I stayed an extra day in town and we went to this place, basically warehouse covered in trampolines. Super fun. However both of us injured ourselves. My back is still hurting and Abram hurt his foot. We're old farts. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Rqynlw8Nw] Selfie with Abram and Tati. Finally, Abram with his be...

Here's a funny thing I've been treated to for the past few days. Jessica scurrying around the house hunched over as she struggles to sweep with our broom that recently snapped in half.

Today Lewis was the special helper! He fed the fish, check on the lizard, led folks in various lines and, as seen here returning to his seat, he led the class in the daily calendar. He was trying SO HARD not to smile as he saw me across the room taking his photo and feeling proud. And then I walked over to Arthur's class where I took some photos of the 1st and 2nd graders with their 'upper buddies' older kids in 7th or 8th grade. But before that Art's teacher Patrice sat everyone down and showed them the Magic Beard .

He met us there and greeted the girls on the beach. Imagine music.

I have shared this little parenting trick with my friend Laurel and she has seen the results in action! So here it is: When I remind my kids to thank someone or perform any other expression of good manners I embellish my prompt with a relevant detail and perky inflection, like "Say, 'Thanks for taking me out today! I had a GREAT time,'" or "Wow, I love it! Thank you!" First and foremost I do this because it is fun. I'm acting!! And any adults around can giggle with me as I urge my young, self-interested child to be so magnanimous. I also want my kids to know how to form a truly gracious statement so if they only utter a monotone, "thanksfortakingmeoutIhadagreattime" I don't worry about it. But some of this is starting to sink in because when I asked Lewis what he was going to say when he got to his friend's birthday party, wanting him to remember to wish his friend Happy Birthday, he said he was going to say, "Happy Birthday, Antho...

Pictured here, from left, is Lewis' made super hero Lighting Blast (obviously), a leopard, a lion and Robin Hood.