Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

http://www.prayerguide.org.uk/stfrancis.htm

On Wednesday, I took off work to take him to the doctor.  He has an ear infection.  After the doctor’s, I brought him to Jeannine’s Cafe on Upper State Street, Santa Barbara.  He had french toast with real maple syrup.  I had a California salad with candied walnuts, mandarin oranges, awesome greens…mmm mmm mmm…did we enjoy that one!

Thursday we were still feeling ill, so I took another day off of work and we just stayed home and rested.  We slept in until 9 am!  We did laundry and then I took him to the park where we played together for about 30 minutes.  We also stopped by the Fiesta Fair at Mackenzie Park and checked it out.  We made a plan to invite one friend on Saturday to attend the fair with us in honor of Dante’s birthday.

Friday I had to go back to work, but Dante stayed at home with my roommate Taymar.  They chilled around the house until noon, then Dante got to do a bunch of stuff I didn’t really want him to be doing since he’s been ill, but he still had a blast.  He saw the parade, went to the beach, and saw some music downtown before coming home and watching a special edition movie Matilda, based on the book by Rhoal Dahl.  Danny Devito (who I don’t particularly like, maybe because he’s so convincing in his roles as sleazy short crude guy) was actually brilliant.  Dante and me both give the movie 5 stars.  For any 6 year olds out there, you’ll love it.

Today – Saturday, we met Dante’s best buddy Dominick and his family (2 other adorable brothers and mon and dad) down at the Fair.  I had stopped by Trader Joe’s and bought a can of whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, milk chocolate, lemonade boxes, watermelon slices, and Kettle Korn.  I filled the boys’ mouthes with whipped cream in between rides, and always had a tasty snack available.  They loved it!  Dante climbed all the way to the top of the rock climbing “ride”, they jumped on trampolines with bungee lines with awesome 80’s rock blaring, other than it being the heat of the day, we had a rockin’ good time!

Tomorrow is Sunday, we’re having a little get together at Leise & Jason’s house with Caspian, Lily, Michaelangelo, and the adults.  I’m getting a cake at Lazy Acres in the morning.  And I want to tell the children a story of Dante’s life, and how he came to be.  I’m going to put a crown together for him, and a cape, and print out the Waldorf Birthday story so I can learn it and tell it to Dante and the kids before we cut his cake. 

If you’ve never been to a Waldorf birthday celebration, they are wonderful, imbuing a sense of wonder and awe in most children I’ve ever met.  It is seen as a very special time, one in which the children are poingantly focused and aware.  It’s beautiful.  Long live Waldorf education!  Wish Dante was starting First grade at an awesome Waldorf School…

Get yours here… http://herbnites.tripod.com/waldorfinspiredschool/id12.html