Weekly Best

At the dinner table, we often play a game with our kids called, High, Low, and What Do You Know. Each person tells about the best thing that happened to them that day, the worst thing that happened, and one thing they learned.

It is always insightful. Almost every night, Greg says his high is getting to eat dinner with the family; when he is home, that is. That has become the running family joke, but he is genuinely grateful to eat with us. And, of course, we love to have him there to enjoy a healthy meal and some good conversation. The discussion is always more lively with him around. Frankly, it would be boring without him to facilitate talk of scriptural things, such as the Song of Solomon. Like I said: lively.

I love hearing about things that make my kids happy and sad. And I’m always relieved to hear that they are, in fact, learning something each day while they are out of my care. Bless those teachers!

In the spirit of our family dinnertime tradition, I thought it would be fun to facilitate the same thing here, with a little modification to keep things positive. I will now use Fridays to tell you the best thing that happened to me during the week, the best article that I have read, and one thing that I learned. You can do the same in the comments section if you feel so inclined, and we can get to know each other.

Alright, let’s get started:

My High

I decided to enroll in a local culinary program with my friend. We will have class one morning a week for 24 weeks, starting in mid-September. I am so excited!!!

I have always loved to cook and have taught myself to be pretty comfortable in the kitchen, but I can’t wait to learn proper technique. My goal is to emerge with the tools and knowledge to cook healthy meals without using a recipe. (And I want to throw awesome dinner parties.)

Perhaps I will have to start writing recipe posts here…

Something I Learned

Kate showed me a video that she watched in school depicting the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii. I am embarrassed to admit that I did not even know that Pompeii was in Italy. Geography was never my strong point.

The video is well done, fascinating, and definitely worth watching. I cannot imagine the terror of the people who lived there. Take a minute to check it out.

The Best Article I Read

Why Do We Judge Parents for Putting Kids at Perceived – But Unreal – Risk?: This is a fascinating look at the importance of allowing our children to experience risk, and the implications of doing so.

“Many parents who grew up playing outdoors with friends, walking alone to the park or to school, and enjoying other moments of independent play are now raising children in a world with very different norms.

In the United States today, leaving children unsupervised is grounds for moral outrage and can lead to criminal charges.

In a series of clever experiments, authors Ashley Thomas, Kyle Stanford and Barbara Sarnecka find evidence that shifting people’s moral attitudes toward a parent influences the perceived risk to that parent’s unattended child.”

My favorite Instagram post of the week (and another high):

Maybe I’m a nerd, but I am a little giddy watching the marching band practice. (OK, so the nerd thing is kind of a given!)

Follow me on Instagram for more insight into my daily life.

Now it is your turn. Tell me about your weekly best and/or something that you learned.