M woke up today with a warm forehead and a runny nose. She had a slight temperature, so after some discussion, we diecided to let her stay home from ballet. She stayed home with Daddy, and I took A to ballet. Grampy met me at ballet and we had a lovely brunch at Cafe Deluxe to discuss social media. He's starting to understand it, I think. (Right, Dad?)

After ballet, A and I ran some errands, including the library, where she asked to take out a book about Secretariat. We ended up with a grownup book – not sure it is going to get read or not. We also took out some audiobooks for kids. I've gotten very into audiobooks since the summer, and M&A find it fun to have their own books to listen to.

M was feeling much better when we got home, so all three of us went to Aidan P.'s birthday way out in Rockville. Waaaay out. Can I say how much I loathe Rockville Pike, with its choked lanes, untimed lights, and needless delays?

At the party, which was at a huge sportsplex, the kids all played soccer and M scored a goal! So exciting! They also played dodgeball and had pizza and cake, and then got tokens to spend at the arcade. The arcade was its usual disaster, with M crying by the end because A always wins more tickets and better prizes than she does. Ugh.

Daddy pointed out today that the girls had lots of milestones today:

• M & A learned to tie a shoelace knot.
• M learned to play Scrabble Jr.
• M & A learned to play Chinese Checkers.
• M scored a goal in soccer.
• A read a new book to us – Splat the Cat – and M read six chapters of one of the A to Z Mysteries.
• M took her temperature under her tongue.

Tomorrow A has a birthday party that M wasn't invited to. It makes M sad when this happens, understandably – has happened twice this year. There are some parties coming up for M's classmates, but A has generously been included in those.

M will go to Sunday School while A is at the birthday party, so it's not like she will be waiting at home by herself.

Signing off til tomorrow.