Good evening to everyone! The second day of school treated my wife well and the first week of classes at CCU is going well for me. On that positive note, let’s get right to the Thursday Rundown.

Jenga – One of these days, I might get a wild hair and write about my most despised board games (I have wrote about board games I actually like before). Until that time comes, let me give you a preview of a game that will be on the list. I can’t take the stress of Jenga. The pressure of pulling out a block while fearing that the structure will tumble over and make that distinctive cacophony of failure is too much for me. Needless to say, going to school to become a surgeon was never an option for me. I bring all this up because the local Walmart carries a really cool CCU-inspired Jenga set. I might not like the game, but I sure like the colors!

I am not a Jenga fan, but this CCU Jenga set is pretty cool!

Framed Photograph – At the beginning of each school year, I always frame a photo for Sid to display in her classroom. This time around, my wife didn’t want to be surprised. She told me the exact photo she wanted me to frame. The best part of the image is obviously Sloan looking like the happiest girl on the planet. But the history of the carrousel she is riding is pretty cool as well. The below photo is of Sloan on the Looff Carousel at Riverfront Park in Spokane. It was completed in 1909 and is one of the nation’s most beautiful and unique carrousels. It was built by a man named Charles Looff as a wedding gift for his daughter. A master craftsman, he hand-carved all the horses and creatures, and over 100 years later, every original piece is still functional and included on the carrousel.

This is the framed photograph I gave to Sid for this school year.

Family Is Everything – Pope Francis (@Pontifex) sends out the most beautiful tweets. He is an incredible follow for not just Catholics but all Christians. Today he tweeted about family. I don’t need to add any commentary because his post says it all. I just thought that it was something we could all enjoy.

This tweet says it all.

Another Milestone for Sloan – Earlier this week, Sloan showed that she can use a certain eating utensil. Our daughter discovered how to use a fork. Using a miniature one to match her size, she successfully stabbed at pieces of watermelon and fed herself. She alternated between using her right and left hands but she seemed more comfortable with the latter. Could she be left handed? Mostly I am including this in the Thursday Rundown because the photos are really cute (she looks so triumphant!) but it is also a testament to the fact that she enjoys watermelon just like her daddy.

A couple photos of a triumphant Sloan eating watermelon with a fork.

August 23 Is Cool – Over the past four years on Aug. 23, I have been active with Don’t Blink. A year ago, I wrote about a parental rite of passage(spoiler alert: it is not particularly fun). Two years ago on this date, I wrote about how I constantly text myself to stay organized (I continue to use this technique in the present). On this date in 2015, I wrote about the importance of kids participating in fundraisers (learning to properly sell something is a very important skill). Coolest of all, on this date four years ago I participated in the filming of Darius Rucker’s “Homegrown Honey” music video. I would make the final cut and actually appear in the video (of course I blogged about it!).

I made the cut in Darius Rucker’s “Homegrown Honey” video.

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Enjoy your last weekend in August. Soak up the sun and savor these waining days of summer. Don’t Blink.