You just never know...

We decided to take a break this fall from all of our crazy running around. We are settling in to our new home (which we love) and our great neighborhood (which we REALLY love) and new school (which is the BEST!!). It has been a nice and much needed change of pace for our family.
So most of our evenings are fairly tame. We eat together, walk Charlie, and quiz the boys on spelling words. For now, all this quietness is so sweet. I am loving it. I know this calm can not last, so I am just drinking it in and trying my best to savor these sweet moments of togetherness.
I must add though that not everyone in the Burke Bunch is as thrilled as I am with our season of silence. Margaret has NEVER been one to sit still. She is a fun loving girl who can not even make it through dinner without jumping up and rocking the boat. We just never know what she'll do next. She changes clothes at least 4 times a day and usually a change of personality gets mixed in there too.

So last night when she interupted dinner to display her latest acrobatic wonder,what she calls a "head down," I wasn't surprised. It involved climbing through the back of a folding chair and balancing with her head on the floor. Toes pointed and the whole bit. She takes this all so seriously.


But I was a little taken back when Jason answered her, "I bet you can't do this!" with his own, "Of course, I can! I'll show you after we eat."
It worked, she sat down and ate. Jason was probably hoping she would forget the challenge, but we were all so happy that she didn't. We got the show of a lifetime.


Sure enough he was a man of his word and attempted one "head down." Somewhere around the point his arms and chest were supposed to squeeze through at the same time, there was a little complication. Margaret decided to help push him through and Tanner and I enjoyed the scene. (I have no idea how Andrew was able to finish his noodle bowl back there!)




When he got worried about never getting out, Jason decided to abandon official competition protocol and stood up. This was too funny. I really wish someone had come to knock on our door at this moment.


With a little help from his adoring fans...

HE DID IT!!
So the challenge was issued to the rest of us.

We gladly accepted and had so much fun performing our own versions of the "Head Down." (I must of momentarily forgotten the wounds I am still nursing. I felt this all night.)


All-Star Andrew slid through with out a hitch.

Finally Tanner, who is never slow to answer a challenge, shared his own unique version with us. It of course involved a twist and dramatic landing.



You see, even when I plan for the most peaceful of evenings, things don't always go that way. But I wouldn't change a moment of the fun we are having. As long as we are together, I'm loving it.