Skipping Town

Thurs., 7/27 Some days are just doomed from the get-go. The weather was gloomy, the air heavy and threatening, and the girls woke up on the wrong side of the bed and stayed like that all day. They couldn't occupy themselves. None of my million suggestions were acceptable. They didn't want to do a craft, read, swing, play outside, play a game. I took them on a quick errand to the mall to return a Land's End purchase, and that was about as productive as the day got. My girls--who are never bored--complained for hours about being bored. It was maddening. Fortunately, relief came at 3:30, when a babysitter arrived and I escaped to the city, to meet up with Andrew, Mom, Dad, and the Kovalls to have dinner and see A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Delacorte--Shakespeare in the Park. Mom and Dad had gotten tickets for us. We had a lovely dinner at Kefi on the UWS, then walked to the theater. Our seats were excellent, as was the entire performance. It was mesmerizing and hil...

Tues., 7/25 This was only two days ago, but I have no clear memory of what we did all morning. I think the Elena scepters and dresses were involved, the girls running around outside. We read some of The Meanest Doll in the World. In the afternoon, we went to the library to redeem their reading hours for prizes, and pick out some books. One of the prizes they got was a small emoji backpack clip, a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, which Greta proceeded to torment Lucia with, trying to make the emoji lick her neck. Lucia protested, to which Greta replied, "But I wasn't licking you with my REAL tongue!" I made tacos for dinner and the kids watched an Elena. Wed., 7/26 We were trapped at the house this morning while the cleaners were here because I had to wait for the dryer repair guy, so it was the perfect day for a porch activity: rock painting. We all enjoy this but end up doing it only once every summer. We'd collected a lot of nice rocks last time we ...

Fri., 7/21 The kids had a fun day on Friday, after the debacle of Thursday afternoon. It was another scorcher, but Lucia, Greta, and I went on a really long bike ride on the trail--about three miles!--despite the heat. L&G were definitely wiped out but they didn't complain at all--Greta rode up ahead, and Lucia rode behind us, taking her time. She told me she likes riding last because she notices more things. She spotted a concrete tower (I have no idea what it actually is) and was fascinated by it, suggesting it was a snake temple. After our ride we joined Luca, Mom, and Dad at the pirate playground in Yough River Park. The slides were too hot to go on, but the kids walked along the (extremely muddy) sand for a while and explored. They played in the pool the rest of the afternoon, having a blast. At dinnertime, we set them up to watch Descendants (the girls' current favorite movie), and I drove into Pittsburgh to have dinner with some high-school friends. It was a lo...

It's always fun to discover new fun things to do in SWPA. This morning we headed to Nemacolin, where we explored all the amazing things to do for free on the resort grounds. First, some impressive animal habitats--lions, tigers, mountain goats, hyenas, and more. Next--the hit with all the kids--was the miniature golf. They had a lot of fun and played all eighteen holes. Then we had lunch and ice cream in a little cafe, where there was also a giant aquarium and a room with a beautifully displayed shell collection (like a mini shell museum). There was a foosball table, too, which the kids played with despite having no idea how to actually play. We were at Nemacolin for about four hours--a lovely way to spend the day. The rest of the day was difficult. Three is a tricky number of kids sometimes, with alliances forming and odd kids out, and with the heat and the kids already tired, it was quite a slog to bedtime. Thank goodness the first half of the day was so much fun. Nemacolin is ...

Another scorcher. These hot hot hot days are hard on everyone. I'm glad I'm not in NJ, though, since we have no central AC! But still, here, we're outside a lot with the kids, so we are immersed in the heat. Luca came today, and the kids had fun playing in the pool again. We did go out on the bike trail in the afternoon, despite the sweltering temps; all three kids rode well (as did I!). Later, we went to Linda's to play in her magical backyard. A mildly annoying heat headache has just blown up into a full-blown headache, so I'll keep it short tonight.

Mon., 7/17 A busy day in SWPA. We headed to Pittsburgh this morning for our annual summer visit to the Carnegie Museum. The first thing we saw was the gruesome diorama of the camel and courier being attacked by lions. L&G are absolutely mesmerized by this every year. Lucia was incredibly interested this time, while Greta was more freaked out than anything else. They asked lots of questions about why lions were attacking, how it felt to be attacked, whether we'd be attacked by lions ourselves, whether the animals in the diorama were real. Next, Lucia requested that we see paintings, so we headed to the art wing instead of the natural history wing as usual. We all enjoyed walking through the galleries. L&G were particularly interested in how people sat so still while their portraits were being painted. Then we went to the Hall of North American Mammals, always our favorite. Then we took a snack break, and finished off with Gems and Minerals. We had a late lunch at Eat...

A fun day in PA. Andrew left early this morning for FL, driving himself to the Latrobe airport, and Dad and I went to pick up my car later on. After that, I ran a few Greensburg errands (including Gabe's), the most fun of which was spotting my book in the wild at Barnes & Noble. L&G had a blissful day of playing. They went to the playground, and played with water balloons and regular balloons. I gave them each a new pack of Splashlings, just for fun. We went to East Park later in the afternoon. There are rich, rich people-watching opportunities on a weekend day here. L&G were wading in the creek near a pavilion where a woman was yelling at her very little kids (like 3-ish) incessantly. She may have been their mother, or the mother of some of them. Or maybe their grandmother. Another woman was there as well. One of the toddlers was wandering around barefoot, in a diaper. Some highlights: "SHE'S JUST A HOOCHIE! YOUR MAMA'S NOTHING BUT A HOOCHIE!" ...

Thurs., 7/13 More fun for the kids at art camp--they're really enjoying it. They come home excited each day to tell me about what they did. It was a hot hot day, so we went to the pool right after lunch. L&G swam for well over an hour in the little pool, playing with their Splashlings, while I read a book. Things kind of derailed after that--Greta was in a clingy mood in the big pool, pulling at my arms and refusing to swim; then Lucia wanted to go back to the little pool but Greta didn't; and so on. We left earlier than any of us wanted, and picked up a few things at Target. Andrew was supposed to be home by bedtime but his flight was delayed. I did the laundry only to discover that our brand-new dryer has ceased to work--we'll have to bring a trash bag of wet clothes to PA tomorrow. Fri., 7/14 Last day of art camp. Andrew was back, and he and I packed up while the girls were out of the house. I met a friend for lunch and then picked up the kids, who were bubbl...

Fell off the wagon with my blogging the past few days. Here's a catch-up: Sun., 7/9 Our last day in NH. It's always a trial to get out of the house after being there for so long--lots of repacking and cleaning and closing up. But we did get in some pond time. L&G played "My Darling, My Love" for an hour and a half. I read in a chair. The pond was definitely the highlight of our trip this summer. We had an early dinner at Pizza Chef and then got on the road. The girls watched The Descendents, their current favorite movie. They resisted going to sleep in the car. But eventually they did. Mon., 7/10 Andrew left early for a business trip to CA, and I got back to my routine of getting up before the kids for some writing time. Today was the first day of their art camp--the only organized activity I chose for them this summer. Five days, 9:30 to 12:30, African art activities out of a local woman's backyard studio. They seemed to have fun. After lunch at hom...

Our last full day in NH. Sob. It rained off and on today, so we spent most of the day inside. We finished A Little Princess, which I've been reading to the girls for the past couple of weeks. It was a bit over their heads, but there were enough vivid scenes to keep their interest. I'd never read it before and I was fully into it too. When it cleared, we got in some pond time--L&G were excited to play "My Darling, My Dear," their favorite new game. They spent most of the time leisurely paddling around in their boats, looking for pond slime. There's a baggie filled with water and pond slime on the kitchen table right now. Faced with the reality of having picked far too many strawberries at the beginning of our stay, I decided to make some strawberry jam. At the hardware store in town, I invested in a canner, finally--which significantly improved the process. L&G helped me cut off all the stems, and I mashed the berries. I made 11 jars. It looks delicious...

With rain looming for tomorrow, we tried to make the most of our outside time today. L&G both slept late (8:15 for Greta, 9 for Lucia), and then they just played and played an elaborate game involving all their toys on the steps. Later in the morning, we went to the creek, where they collected stones, explored, and made up elaborate workout routines using rocks as weights. We had to drag them home for a late late lunch. After lunch, they became once again immersed in their playing, and Andrew and I confronted a rapidly escalating plumbing issue. All week, strange drainage things had been happening, and today, when we put in a load of laundry, the shower filled with several inches of water. Flushing the toilet caused more water to flow into the shower. We had a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, a washer filled with water and half-washed clothes (we'd shut it off when we realized the problem), and we were afraid to run any water. Calls to the plumber went unanswered. We feared a...

Another lovely NH day. We went on a nature walk this morning, and I collected some sticks for my next craft project--yarn wall hangings. Then Greta and Andrew went back into the woods to procure a log Andrew wanted for firewood, while Lucia and I went to the pond to catch fish in nets. Then Greta and Andrew joined us, and both girls caught fish. After lunch, we went for a hike to the top of Mount Ascutney--the girls' requested activity for the day. They love this hike, and they're pretty intrepid. We hiked to the observation tower, had a quick break, and then hiked down. It's a 1.4-mile-round-trip hike. Both kids handle it without breaking a sweat. We got ice cream afterwards at our favorite place, and then went home for dinner of pesto and grilled chicken. While Andrew and I cooked, L&G played in the yard with plastic pots and pans, cooking up more brews. They also had an elaborate game going on where they'd call each other on large stones (their phones), begin...

We definitely felt the effects of the kids' late bedtime last night. Lucia's old enough now to basically remain human even while tired, but Greta--her whining spiraled out of control a few times today. Nothing is worse than a whining Greta. The best story first: At dinner tonight, after many many hours of happy, pleasant Greta and a lot of family fun, I suggested that perhaps tomorrow she might decide not to whine. "I promise," she said. "Tomorrow I won't whine." Then she put her palm in front of her face, as though it were a notebook, and said, "Let me just check my whining schedule. Oh--every day says whining!" I lost it. So did Lucia. Then Greta pretended to make notes in her schedule, saying, "I'll just change this to 'not whining'!" She kills me, this child. The things she comes up with--I just can't handle it. Whining schedule? She's too much. The day began with pancakes and then some whining. Lucia and I...

Fourth of July at last! L&G were so excited about the holiday. Monday morning, as they played together in their room, they were singing patriotic songs ("This Land Is Your Land," etc) as they made Rainbow Loom bracelets. Finally, Tuesday, we were able to go into Plainfield, NH, for the Fourth of July festivities. This year brought a new event: a recitation of the Declaration of Independence by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who said he and his family spend many summers in Plainfield. Secret Service guys were staring out at the crowd as we watched Justice Breyer, and there was a drone overhead, ostensibly for security-related purposes. All very interesting and festive. Next was the parade, a highlight for L&G. They are so thrilled at having candy thrown at them. Greta is particularly fond of getting a small bottle of chocolate milk from a local dairy. They had their picture taken with Smoky the Bear. After the parade, we had lunch at the tent and heard a local...

It never ceases to amaze that the kids wake up at the same time--or earlier--whenever they stay up late. Lucia's been sleeping till 8 or 8:30 each morning, except for today, when she and Greta both got up at 7:30 despite the late bedtime last night. Sigh. We had a fun, relaxing day today. We hung out around the house this morning and went for a hike down to the creek. L&G had fun wading through the water and exploring. After lunch, L&G made various soups and stews and brews with leaves and berries. Greta was making an elaborate dish of "overcooked lettuce." We drove into town for ice cream and a few groceries later in the afternoon, then went to McNamara Dairy Farm to buy some maple syrup from their farm shop. Greta was captivated by the cows; Lucia couldn't get past the farm smell. We rounded out our day back at the pond. I'd picked up another inflatable raft/boat thing at Dollar General, so both girls could be out on one at the same time, and it wa...

Sat., 7/1 Torrential, all-day rain on Saturday. We stayed inside all day and made a trip to Walmart for various essentials, including candles in case we lost power. (We didn't.) L&G occupied themselves in various ways, playing with random things around the house. We fried chicken, zucchini, and eggplant for dinner. It rained some more. Thunder and all the rest. Sun., 7/2 Today was beautiful, sunny and warm, the opposite of yesterday. We started the day with strawberry picking. After lunch at home, we went down to the pond and managed to execute on a plan we'd had last time we were here: stretching a rope the whole way across the pond (long-ways) so we could pull ourselves across in various floats. I was inspired last year but a fun ride at Idlewild, where kids pull themselves across a pool by going hand-over-hand on ropes strung across. And it worked out well! We got life jackets for the kids since the middle of the pond is so deep and we wanted them to be able to do ...