Kiva loan #4

My last loan, to a woman raising pigs in the Philippines, was paid back recently so it's time to make another loan via Kiva. So far I've loaned money to four women in Mali who were selling clothing, a group of retailers in Paraguay, the pig farmer in the Philippines, and now a woman's group in Uganda that run a general store.

If you're still unfamiliar with Kiva I recommend taking 5 minutes to get to know them. As I said, I've successfully lent out money three previous times and my money always comes back to me. They're helping people get ahead in life and I find that worthwhile so it's a no-brainer to me.

My lending map is slowly filling up...

helped folks in 4 countries (1.77%)
Create your own visited map of The World

A very good one!

Days - they don't get much better than this one. Unless you're Charlie Sheen and you've just found yourself in a slightly downtrodden hotel bar, but I digress... This was a fantastic day.

First, Red's last soccer practice/JAM and I run around the lake this morning. I've been feeling less than svelte lately so I wanted to take the opportunity during Red's last soccer practice (which would usually find me standing on the sideline tending Pudge and messing around with JAM) to take a run around Greenbelt Lake. Yessir, JAM and I ran all 1.73 miles (yes, I measured... using Google Earth thankyouverymuch - see the end of this post) around Greenbelt Lake! Didn't even stop running once (except two short times to try to explain to JAM how to run without stomping and digging his feet into the ground on every step and to let Pudge - who I was pushing in the jogging stroller mind you - throw his rock into the lake). So, mostly 1.73 miles without stopping. I know... and no one was even chasing me with any sharp kitchen utensils!

When we got back to Red's soccer practice we were in time to see some final games being played:

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After the games the coaches called us all up to the Community Center for an end of season shindig - and by shindig I mean cupcakes and cookies and apple slices (thanks to Wifey) - to give all the 3 and 4 y.0.'s their medals. Yes, medals. Red was so proud of her medal!

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And Pudge was happy as a pig in slop to get a cupcake of his very own.

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After lunch, JAM and I took off for his baseball game. (I really need to bring a camera to one of his games because poor Wifey, when she does get to make it to a game, is saddled with the two little ones and she can't do both jobs of cameraman and playground monitor for the other crazy kids on the death-trap playground.) JAM's team has gotten soooo much better in the 10 weeks we've had them all together. They've gone from a team of all brand-new-to-this-level-of-ball kids (who most of them didn't know where first base was - honestly) to now I've got the whole infield moving on each pitch, they know where they're supposed to be and they move without hesitation. I'm so proud of them. They were even in the game today until the end of the third inning (thanks to the other coach putting in their "project" pitcher we were tied at 7 after the 3rd)!!! But then the other team got tired of us being close and put in their real pitcher and shut us down and they scored another 7 in the 4th so we lost 14-7. But HEY - we were tied after 3!!!!

Then, we had such a fantastic time tonight when we had some long-lost friends over for dinner. Alright, not so lost, but we've owed them an invite to our place for a long time and I finally nipped things in the bud and somehow the planets aligned and we were able to make it work. Certain people, who were supposed to join us, were either in another country or tied up with previous engagements so our party was slightly less populous than originally planned but we had such a fantastic time reconnecting with these good friends. The kids all played so spectacularly in the yard, with no problems to speak of - even after not seeing each other for so long - so we were blessed with being able to enjoy the fire pit unmolested for quite some time before we had to relent and break out the s'mores. :)

Yes, from exercise to soccer party to a grand day for baseball to a wonderful evening with friends..... they don't get any better than this!



The run:

Happy birthday to my Red

Yup, my "little" Red turned 4 this past weekend and as usual I don't know where the time has gone. But, because I knew a long time ago that I didn't want to leave it up to my swiss-cheese-brain to remember all the good times I take a LOT of pictures. This also allows me to do cool things like this:

So, happy birthday to my little firehead (as her Mem likes to call her). You bring such... energy into our lives and we love you so much for it.