Skipping Town

Sunday 8/24 Tried to salvage some of Sunday after the dental-focused business of Saturday. Andrew and I went to the farmer's market in the morning; the late-summer fruits and veggies make it that much harder to see summer come to an end. All four of us then went to Target, where we found the outdoor things on clearance. We got some gardening tools, hoses, outdoor solar lights, and large planters. We had a snack at Tous les Jours then went to Trader Joe's. The kids were both busy all afternoon preparing for school, but Andrew and I went up to the pool to swim and read for a bit. The pool will stay open until October, but it's never the same when we try to go during the school year. Things are just so busy. In the evening, we played a family game of Quirkle, and then the girls and I watched This Is Us. And that's summer. It was a good one. It went so fast but also seemed very long--we did as much as we possibly could. Spain for the girls; two and a half weeks in NH; a wee...

Friday, Lucia babysat all day (her final stint), while I worked from home and Greta organized some school supplies. In the afternoon, a friend of Greta's who wasn't able to come to the bedazzling party tonight came over to bedazzle her spikes. When Andrew got home from CA around 5, we finished setting up the basement, and soon ten Upper School runners and three Middle School runners arrived with spikes in hand. They were all very focused on bedazzling. I'd gotten fifteen vials of glue and lots of gems, so there were plenty of supplies to go around. The kids' shoes all look very sparkly and cute. We ordered some pizzas for the group. One of Greta's friends had brought a beautiful taro cake for the Middle School crew. Once Greta's friends left, Andrew set up the fire pit and the older girls came outside. Here, the party took a turn. The girls were all having fun outside, swinging on the saucer swings, chatting, hanging out. I brought out a platter with s'more ...

First XC race of the season--a scrimmage for Lucia in Schenley. I left work early and the girls and I drove up to the park. Greta hung out with a couple of her Middle School team friends who'd come to cheer. Lucia looked great but wasn't happy with her time. Two weeks until the first real race.  We stopped briefly at home and then headed to piano, and then went directly from piano to drop Greta off for her XC practice at Frick. Lucia and I went home and had just enough time to make dinner and clean up the basement for tomorrow's bedazzling party before I went back to pick Greta up.  It was a very busy day and evening, and I am bone-tired. I've done five million dishes, and when I glanced over just now at the sink that is, somehow, once again full of dishes, I decided to just...not do them. I'm not cleaning up even one more surface tonight. I am going to lie down on my foam roller for a few minutes to relieve some of my shoulder tension and then go to bed. Just as so...

The final week of summer.  Monday, Andrew and I went to work, Greta hung out at home, and Lucia went to a birthday party. Then they had XC practice until 9. Beth met me there for a walk. Tuesday, I went to work, Andrew left for CA, Greta started organizing school things, and Lucia babysat from 9-5:30. That's a really long day, and she's doing that for most of the week. She was thrilled to display her pile of cash when she got home. Then XC practice, where I walked with a friend. Wednesday, I blessedly worked from home, Greta kept organizing, and Lucia kept babysitting. She loves babysitting and came home today saying she "can't wait to be a mom" (then reassured me that she would, of course, wait). Greta said she'll never have children and instead will have her own house filled with bunnies.  The girls and I watched a This Is Us while eating an early dinner before XC practice. I walked with my audio book. These evening practices now end in darkness; the real en...

School shopping day. All four of us went to the Waterfront this morning to get school supplies at Target and water bottles and running clothes at Dick's. We tried to find shoes and clothes, but nothing appealed. Still, the kids have their notebooks and other supplies, so they're ready despite the lack of new shoes. We went out to lunch at Kura Revolving Sushi and had a fun meal. In the late afternoon, Andrew and I went to the Clarks' to hear all about college drop-off for the twins.  We spent the evening playing Rummikub, and then Andrew and I took down the LED lights in Greta's room that Nutmeg chewed up and replaced them with new ones.  It's the final week of summer now. I'm not ready for the school year.

Andrew took Lucia to XC this morning. After lunch, we all plus Molly set out for the Prestia family reunion, at David and Lisa's house, with their beautiful pool. It was scorchingly hot, so it was nice to take a dip and then chat with people I haven't seen for a very long time. We ate delicious food and had a lovely afternoon.  The girls and I watched two episodes of This Is Us tonight while I finished a God's eye. Soon the school year will begin and we'll have to limit our TV viewing to weekends; but we're all very invested in This Is Us and will definitely work through the whole series. I'd forgotten how good it is. We're in Beth and Randall's rocky-marriage period, an unsettling series of episodes.  Last week of summer. Here we go.