July 2

When my allergies flare and my sinuses get involved, misery results. So between the pain and the swelling and the crankiness, today wasn't the best day ever. It wasn't even particularly good, so I had to try hard to look for the bright spots. This was one of them:

After dinner, the kiddos and Adam decided to play Monopoly. (The aforementioned illness combined with my general disdain for that particular game left me happily assuming spectator status.) It's amusing to watch their individual styles of play; to see how cautious Abby is when it comes to buying property, how Brady gets cocky, and how Isaac seems to carefully weigh his decisions. And then there are the side games, with Brady joining 'dad's team' after he ran out of money, and Abby giving Brady's beloved BearBear his own voice (as she so often does). (I always say that she's destined to voice a demented cartoon character some day.)

It's good to see them growing up and continuing to develop their own unique personalities.