Hello Spring!

I have my first (and only, I promise) sunburn of the year.

Yesterday was baseball tryouts. There's enough kids for two teams so I look forward to the weekends we don't have a game.  That's the way of the season: look forward to it all year, then can't wait for it to end, even before the first pitch.

All Nicholas's close friends left last year, but the Dubai travel team was practicing and has some of this year's friends. It's a small point of contention, that travel team. Nicholas spent a good amount of time staring longingly at that other team.

Today we went downtown for a local breakfast and a visit to the dagger store.  It's a fun, easy trip that is well-liked by newcomers.  The dagger guy, Zaid, spent a long time discussing his wares, showing off his talents, letting the teens try their hands at engraving, and shining up some blades.  He made quite a few sales today, on top of the 250 he was working for another group.

Pillars at the downtown Theater.

The Citadel on the hill.

Learning the fine details.

The old sword in the window.

 We headed home, dropped off the boys since we had one more errand to run, and came back to this.

I'd left the backdoor key in the lock accidentally so the boys couldn't get in the house.  Beautiful day, a yard to hang out in, beautifully blue sky and our mild sunburns to prove it, and so amidst the angsty texts of how we Had to come home Right Now, they were plotting revenge.

We escaped with nary a sprinkle.  I'm sure the Starbucks frappes helped to soften the blow of having to spend an extra 20 minutes outdoors.

And now, as fresh bread bakes in the oven, I leave you with the pizza I made last week, made on dough not of my creation.  It's a work of art.