WHAT WE DO THESE DAYS

Here's a little list of some of the extra-curricular activities we Reynolds are keeping these days. With a school curriculum that has no homework, and affordable YMCA and afterschool programs, we're trying out some new -- and some tried and true -- activities for Dane and Aubrey.

Currently...

Dane practices soccer with his team 2x/week and has a game every Saturday (for 6 Saturdays), he takes "Cartooning" after school 1x/week and "Board Games" 1x/week. He's also starting to go to friends' houses here and having friends over. So far, he loves school, loves his extra classes and sports, and has two favorite friends, Avery and Logan -- but he still thinks of Josh as his best, best friend.

Aubrey practices soccer with her team 1x/week and has a game every Saturday as well, she also takes Gymnastics at the Y 1x/week, takes "Crazy Art" 1x/week and "Beads" another afternoon a week after school. She's also started going to friends' houses and having friends over. Sor far, Aubrey loves school, her extra classes and sports (especially gymnastics, but she tears it up on the co-ed soccer field, too), and has some favorite friends, Indi, Sienna, Paije, Jules and Ella -- but she still really, really misses Gia.

And the parents?

Mick, of course, practices dentistry. In addition to that, he leaves his car (that used station wagon) at work at least 2x/week to ride his bike home the 17 miles from his clinic doorstep in Medford to our doorstep in Ashland. The next morning he rides his bike to the bus stop down the street and rides said bus to Medford, riding his bike the last couple of miles to work. He also sees movies some evenings with his brother and is getting used to not having homework hanging over his head.

I walk the kids to and from school every day, walk downtown and back 2 mornings a week (4+ miles) for coffee and writing, have joined a book club that will start in November (Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence the first book), have joined a writing group called Rogue Writers (but I've only met with them once), and read and write as much as possible -- when I'm not volunteering at the school, getting the kids to activities, watching kids after school, keeping the house clean, or unpacking. (Yeah, I'm still doing that -- or should be.)

All of us spend a lot of time with Kai, Dana, Barritt, Indi, Jude and Weston. And we love 'em.