Skipping Town

Sunday, 7/28 First full beach day. I started the day with an early-morning (6:30 am) bike ride on the promenade, and around the neighborhood. When everyone woke up (I had to wake Lucia up, at 9am), we lugged our stuff to the beach at the end of our block and set up camp. Andrew and I made two improvements to our beach life this year. First, we got a beach wagon, so we could wheel our many chairs, towels, and bags. Second, we got a beach canopy, a 10 ft x 10 ft cover that gives enough shade for all eight of us. Setting it up the first time was a pain. It's not complicated, but it also doesn't just pop open, so it took some doing to figure it out. Worth it, though, once it was set up. The Decatur St. beach was lovely. We got there at low tide, and there was a big sandy area by some rocks that was perfect for exploring and digging. The kids' main focus was boogie boarding, which they were able to do, but the waves here were very strong. In the afternoon, when the tide came

Cape May! Our beach week began today, with our journey to Cape May. First we had to pack the car, never easy with a trip like this, and it was more complex this time because we were also trying to fit in three bikes. Andrew neary divorced me, seeing only the substantial volume of bags and not appreciating the effort and planning it took to CREATE such a volume of bags, but isn't that just like a man? We reach this crisis point twice a year, during our beach week and at Christmas. One year we tried to tie a turkey roaster for Mom on the top of the car and had to pull off the highway when it started sliding around, and then go back home to leave it behind. That was another near-divorce moment. Anyway, we made it! Everything fit in eventually and it's all fine. It was a traffic-y drive, but okay. We unpacked, and after a little while Mom, Dad, Molly, and Luca arrived. The girls were chomping at the bit to get to the beach, so once we were all settled in we set out to explore. Th

Today was kind of a crazy day of beach preparation. I finished packing everything, made some chicken to bring, ran some final errands. The girls made pom-poms and played in the basement. After lunch we went to the pool for a bit, then met up with Katherine at home. More pom-poms, lots of Taylor Swift. I cleaned up the tinkerspace, so it'll be a clean slate when we get back from the beach. At six I drove Lucia to a friend's house for a sleepover, and then Andrew, Katherine, Greta, and I went out to dinner at a new restaurant that opened just down the block from us called Luna Stella. It was delicious. Then we went to the ice cream shop and bought a few things at Perch's sidewalk sale. Greta and Katherine watched an episode of Liv & Maddy, and then Greta went to bed. She was very happy to play the role of "only child" tonight. But she picked out a sloth-patterned zippered pouch at Perch for Lucia and admitted she wouldn't want to be an only child for very

The cleaners came this morning while the girls were still asleep. Once they woke up, we drove out to Route 10 and had bagels for breakfast at Bagels-4-U. Then we went into Michael's to buy new yarn colors for pom-poms. We stopped at the library on the way home to mark off their new reading hours. Then we went home and the girls dove right back into pom-pom making. We'd planned to go to the pool, but every time I tried to get them to get ready, they were too immersed in something else: pom-poms, doing puzzles, drawing with stencils. A million things. Finally I asked them if they'd rather just stay home today, and they said yes. This was fine with me, because I had the time to get a handle on beach packing. At three, the girls had their final piano lesson of the summer. Katherine's here for two days, for work. Andrew made gazpacho and grilled chicken for dinner, and right now we're sitting out on the porch talking (and typing). Katherine read the girls a chapter f

The girls began pom-pom work as soon as they woke up this morning, stopping only when a friend arrived for a playdate. They and the friend spent most of their time in the tinkerspace. There is a thick carpet of glitter across the patio. This may challenge my easy-breezy "We'll just hose it down!" mess-management strategy. I can see why a tinkerspace is not for everyone. It requires a high, high tolerance for mess, a tolerance I possess as long as it's outside. Maybe the glitter will act as a kind of fertilizer when I hose it into the grass. After the playdate, the girls and I had lunch then headed to the pool. It wasn't a very hot day, but the kids said the water was warm, and we stayed nearly three hours. They had a funnel cake for a snack. They played in the tinkerspace when we got home, while I cooked quiche for dinner. (The spinach came from deep, deep in the freezer.) We had to do the pre-housecleaning cleanup tonight, always terrible, and especially diff

Rainy, gloomy gloom. But we had a good day at home. I can't even remember what we did this morning. Isn't that insane? At some point we began making pom-poms. I'd gotten out my pom-pom makers because I wanted to replicate a yarn wall hanging I'd seen at Gabe's, and the girls asked to learn how to make them. They caught on quickly and became obsessed. I'd forgotten how satisfying this little craft is. We made a whole bunch, until around 11, when the toy store in town opened. We took a break to go into town so they could spend some of their money on Baby Twins (small Mailegs). Greta also chose a Maileg sleeping bag. Then we bought a birthday gift at the local art store, then ran to the UPS store so I could return an Amazon item. The new Amazon return process is so weird: I fill out the return request online, Amazon emails me a QR code, and I drop off my item/s to the UPS store--without packing them up. I just hand them to the clerk, she scans the code, and off

Sunday, 7/21 We had to leave Connellsville. Everyone was sad. (Well, Andrew maybe wasn't, but he does do an exceptional job of putting up with all the crazy.) Greta said "I'm still sad" periodically throughout the drive. We stopped at Wawa for lunch hoagies, which was a small comfort. Also comforting was arriving home in near-100-degree temps and turning on our new AC. L&G immediately immersed themselves in the tinkerspace, and Andrew made burgers on the grill. I had the girls choose their backpacks and ordered them (Land's End and LL Bean). It's insane to do it this early--but usually I do it even earlier, around the Fourth of July, and this year I put it off, and the style Lucia wanted was already sold out. Bad, bad mom. Monday, 7/22 A weird day, with rain that threatened all morning and afternoon. Greta and I had dentist appointments at 8am. Lucia was still asleep when we got home at 9am (Andrew took a later train so we didn't have to drag

Last day in Connellsville, and it was a brutally hot one. The kids were all out of sorts from the heat and the imminent departure. They did some coloring in the morning, we had lunch, and then we took them on a neighborhood bike ride in the blazing heat. After that they had a water fight (with new water shooters from Aunt Joanie), and then played with water balloons for a long time. They all liked putting tiny water balloons inside larger water balloons and calling them "fish." We showed everyone the kids' performances we'd videoed--Greta's Book One recital, the girls' spring recital pieces, and Lucia's third-grade recorder concert. Molly and Luca left after that, and the rest of us sat on the patio for steaks and baked potatoes. We went to DQ for dessert. Tonight was one final errand--returning shoes to Rural King (I'd bought a few pairs for Greta to try on and choose from) and getting sunscreen from Walmart (I like the No-Ad brand they sell; I ne

Molly, Andrew, and I got up early today to go to the bike trail. I biked, and Molly and Andrew ran. It's so nice to be on the trail in the morning. What a beautiful place. The trail is perfectly maintained, the river down below. It's one of my favorite places. Andrew and I had some Soisson House business to take care of at the bank later in the morning, which went very well. Then we set off on a new adventure: the kids, Molly, Andrew, and I went to the Flatwoods Pool in Vanderbilt. It was in the high 90s, sweltering, and my girls had been asking all week for a pool. It was a really fun day. The pool isn't huge, but it has a lot to do--two sets of different waterslides, a diving board, and a regular swimming area. Splash pools for littler kids. Our kids jumped off the diving board a million times and went down all the slides. We all had fun and stayed for about three hours. Mom made a delicious summer dinner when we returned--sloppy joes, corn on the cob, green beans,

Molly, the kids, and I went for a bike ride on the trail this morning, going farther than we normally go. Lucia had a tiny spill on the way back--she was fine--and while we were stopped, we saw a tiny brown tree frog hop across the path, as well as a daddy long legs. That was exciting. The kids spent the afternoon playing croquet, riding their bikes around the block, and having a long water fight, while Molly and I went to Gabe's. Even though I'd just gone to this same Gabe's with Andrew a few days ago, I saw it with fresh eyes, and got a big pile of stuff. My haul included jeans, two bathing suits, a jumpsuit, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a cover-up, a dress, and more.  Molly and I went up to the attic later in the afternoon and gathered two bags for donations and one bag of trash. Little by little we'll tame that space. Today we focused on clearing the closet, which was stuffed full of formal dresses from twenty-five years ago. Most went in the donation pile, but a

Tuesday, 7/16 Museum day! For several years now, Mom and Dad and I and the girls have gone to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History during our summer visit. It always seems like a big undertaking, but we made it happen once again. It was a great day. We got there at 10:30, and there was almost no one else there for the duration of our 2 1/2 hour stay. We hit all our favorites: the miniature rooms, the lion/camel diorama, the gems/minerals, Hall of North American Mammals, African mammals, Bird Hall, Polar World, and the Native American area. We saw the insect collections. (We walked briefly through the dinosaurs, but L&G continue to be 98% uninterested.) We got home for a late lunch at 2pm, and after some down time, we went to the Soisson House. The girls and I rode our bikes there. Mom and the kids played hide and seek in the house, and I just lay on the floor, willing good energy into the house and also just soaking in the peaceful spirit of the place. Then the girls and I to

More Connellsville fun on Sunday. In the morning Andrew, the kids, and I went on another trail bike ride (Andrew ran), and this time Greta did wonderfully. The new bike was the trick. We rode three miles and Greta only stopped once the whole way, at the turnaround spot. I love riding with them.  We delivered the girls home and ate a quick lunch, then Andrew and I went to the Uniontown Gabe's. Both of us had great hauls, especially Andrew. We also stopped at Rural King so I could get some shoes for Greta. For some reason Rural King has a cute selection of Birkenstock-style sandals for girls. She loved the pair she got last year but grew out of them, so I got her a new pair. Of course we also looked at the selection of live animals and were horrified to see the large tub of "meat birds," which were just cute little chicks.  While we were gone, the girls had a water fight with Mom and Dad. At night, Andrew and I drove in to Pittsburgh to have dinner with Beth C.,

Fri., 7/12 Spent the morning packing and preparing for our trip to PA, and we left around 2:30. We stopped at Wawa to get sandwiches for dinner and rolled into Cville around 8pm. Let our PA week begin! Sat., 7/13 I started the morning at the Pittsburgh Street house, lamenting its fate with Jennifer. Then the girls, Andrew, Mom, Dad, and I went on the bike trail. It didn't go so well for Greta, who has completely outgrown her bike to the point where she could barely even ride it. So after our ride (her walk) we went bike shopping, ending up at the Mt. Pleasant Walmart, where both girls got a bike they love. We'll try another ride tomorrow. Tonight we went to the St. Rita's Fair, a delight as always. Mom and Dad were working the cavatelli booth. Andrew had a hot sausage sandwich, and the girls and I had manicotti, cavatelli, and meatballs. Then I waited in the blisteringly hot line for fried dough (always worth it), and the girls had some ice cream. They played games

The cleaners were here this morning so we spent some time outside. L&G brought their old Calico Critter houses outside and reimagined them as Maileg houses. New life. They were eagerly awaiting 10:30, when the toy store in town opens. They both wanted to spend some of their money on a new Maileg. We walked first to the bookstore, where Lucia bought two books she's been wanting (series books that are too easy for her but which she still loves--Heidi Heckelbeck and Weird School), and then we went to the toy store to buy Mailegs. They were so excited and played with their Mailegs until lunchtime. After lunch, we went to the pool for just a bit, but it got very cloudy and started raining after about an hour, and thunder closed down the pool. They'd been playing with a friend there, but without the sun they all got chilly. Back at home, they had a little more time to play with Mailegs, and then they had their piano lessons. Guess what: even though it was pouring all afternoo

Laziest morning ever. Greta got up at 8am and began reading. Lucia didn't get up till 10am, and then she sorted Rainbow Loom bands into a new organizer case. Then they both read. It was quickly noon, and we went to the pool for a couple of hours. We had lunch there. I never thought I'd be a person who lets her kids eat daily meals at a pool snack bar, but there we are. AND IT'S FANTASTIC. Who needs to cook when you can make a meal out of cheese fries and mozzarella sticks? The kids spent most of their time at the pool in the diving tank, jumping off the diving boards. We came home to change clothes and then I dropped Lucia off at her friend's house for a playdate (the same friend who's moving). Greta and I went into town to browse the selection of Maileg mice at a toystore. Then we went home and Greta played with her Mailegs. Andrew got home from Cleveland not long after we picked up Lucia, and I made tortilla pizzas for dinner. Then we all helped clean up the h

We have AC!! The installation guys arrived at 7:30am to install our new mini-split, and now our entire downstairs is cool and dry. It's bliss. Traditional central air would have been a huge hassle, and this is a perfect solution for the first floor. It only took us seven years to get around to it. With the workmen here all day, it was a little awkward to be at home. L&G played outside in the tinker space and in the basement, and then after lunch we went to the pool for a couple of hours. They guys were finishing up when we returned. When they left, all three of us read on the couch in the new, glorious coolness, and the kids continued reading while I cooked dinner. I also let them read DURING dinner, which Andrew never lets them do. But he's in Cleveland still, so we had a quiet, bookish meal. Tonight we went to the Turnover Sale--our second and final visit of the summer. It ends while we're in PA. We bought some books, craft supplies, and two Rainbow Loom storage b

Back in the swing of regular life. The girls slept in till 9:30, and I ran out early to do some errands. Andrew left for a "work" trip (ie baseball games in Cleveland, and yes they are actually work-related), and I took the girls to the library. They were very excited to redeem their new reading hours for prizes. They've just been reading so much. They stay in bed reading in the morning, read at breakfast, sit down and read at random times. It's a new level of reading love. It rained for most of the morning and early afternoon, so L&G played in the basement, making an elaborate castle with blocks and Magnatiles and populating it with an odd assortment of animals and small dolls. I can never predict what they'll pull out to play with. When it stopped raining, they played outside in the tinker space. Later in the afternoon, one of Lucia's friends came over, and I took all three kids to the pool. They had so much fun. I almost couldn't drag them out o

Home again. We left NH unwillingly. It took some doing to get us out of the house--our stuff was just everywhere. We had to put away all the puzzles and games. We had to deflate all the floats. We had to transfer all the stuff in bowls and plates in the fridge into containers to take home. There was laundry to do and clothes to pack and the girls' thousands of books and toys to pack up. Then the car had to be packed, and Andrew vacuumed and cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. It's never easy to leave after a week, literally and figuratively. But now here we are. The drive was a long six hours, but at least no one got sick. As soon as the kids were out of the car they started playing in the tinker space, mixing stuff. Andrew put in the ACs in the bedrooms, and I made dinner. Our feral children both took a bath. Somehow I combed Greta's nest-hair. I unpacked everything. Andrew's off to Cleveland for baseball/work tomorrow, and the girls and I will have a quick week here b

Friday, 7/5 The girls were up soooo late on the Fourth, but they slept in till 9-ish and we had a great day just hanging out at home. We're down to our last two days, so we tried to enjoy some of our favorite things: playing/floating in the pond, swimming in William's pool, going to our favorite ice cream spot, making fire-sticks (aka Hermione/Snape/Lupin/Harry wands) in the fire pit. It was a gorgeous day. Andrew and I sat outside at the fire pit after the kids went to bed. We haven't heard the scary crowds of howling coyotes this year (yet), so we could enjoy our dark outdoor time without the creepiness. Saturday, 7/6 We are NOT ready to leave. Greta said repeatedly tonight that this is her home, and she doesn't want to leave. It was a hot, humid, stormy day for the most part, but we managed to squeeze in a hike to the top of Mt. Ascutney this morning before the rain started. Lucia took a nasty spill on some slippery gravel as she was exploring a large rock, and

Fourth of July! It was exactly the same as last year and exactly as fun. We've been doing the same holiday routine for years now. We drove into Plainfield in the morning, put chairs at a spot for the parade, then browsed the annual rummage sale. We got a long bookshelf for $1, and--a real find--a sixty-year-old book full of art prints of hot air balloons, $3. They're beautiful. The parade was fun as always, with piccolo players, lots of candy thrown at the girls, and the dairy passing out small bottles of chocolate milk. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, and pulled pork sandwiches afterwards at the firemen's BBQ tent, sitting under a tree to eat. A ten-week-old puppy took a liking to us and fell asleep with her head on my shoe. In the afternoon, we went to William's pool for a swim, then came home and the girls threw a hundred water balloons at each other and around the yard. (The inflate-a-hundred-at-once balloon thingys are really cool.) We floated/swam in the pond. An

Today we embarked on the last of our planned outings: a day trip to Leavitt Park, on Lake Winnipesaukee. It's a hefty drive to get there, but it was worth it. We packed lunches and snacks in the cooler and spent the whole day there. It's such a great lake: shallow for a long distance, sandy bottom, clear water. The kids brought rafts and I brought my floating chair. They were immersed in an elaborate game (something about scientists) that involved their rafts and pool noodles. Andrew played Frisbee with them in the water. Ducklings with a mama duck were swimming around, and even paraded near our picnic table. It's a great spot. We didn't leave until 5pm. We made a quick stop at Walmart on the way home and then I made pizzas for dinner. The girls took showers for the first time since our arrival--we let them get a little feral here. And besides, they've been swimming for most of every day, so they didn't really *look* like they hadn't showered in six days.

Another perfect NH day. I want to stay here forever. The girls got up around 8am, and after some squabbling over a puzzle I redirected them into some dimensional dot painting on the river rocks we collected yesterday, with puff paints I'd gotten at the last rummage sale. It's always fun to do a little craft project up here. While we were sitting at the kitchen table, we saw five deer grazing in the field across the yard. Next we headed to the creek, which is one of my favorite spots. We waded upstream a ways (this is the only time my Hunters are anything but an urban fashion statement), and the girls played with the LOL dolls they'd brought. They float, and L&G had fun tossing them into the air in a kind of LOL diving Olympics then watching them float with the current around rocks and over small waterfalls. We ate lunch outside, and then the girls and I went to the pond while Andrew worked on a wall-painting project (he's been repainting the living room wall by

What a great day. I woke the kids up at 9am so we could eat some pancakes and then venture into Vermont, to the Great River Outfitters, where we rented a raft for our annual river-rafting adventure. We were driven to the starting point along with some groups of canoe-ers and kayakers, and then launched our raft into the river for the five-mile journey. It was amazingly fun. The water was really high, and the current was pretty fast, so we didn't have to do too much work to keep moving forward. (Last year we had to do a LOT of paddling in the very slow-moving water.) We stopped several times along the way to eat snacks from our cooler (cheese, pepperoni, beef jerky, Chips Ahoy), collect rocks, and swim. L&G often slid off the moving raft into the river and floated along behind, holding onto the rope surrounding the raft. We all wore life jackets, of course. The water was high enough that we were able to travel around Hart Island, which was really fun because around the back of