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We've had a relaxing few days back at home. Our house always welcomes us so wonderfully--mostly because I nearly kill myself cleaning and tidying before we go away for a trip. It's such a huge pain but always so worth it. Farrah was overjoyed to see us. Nutmeg was reserved and suspicious, but by later in the evening she was actually binkying! Like binkying from a dead stop. So cute. She was happy. I rehired our pet sitter for our Labor Day trip to NYC.

These are among the final days of summer. On Sunday, Lucia went shopping in Shadyside with a handful of friends, then went to the pool with them. Greta went to a friend's house and then they, too, walked to the pool. Andrew and I met both children later at the pool and took them home. Yesterday, I weeded the front yard, ran errands, and tried to get back to zero with the house. Today it was gloomy so we just hung out at home (and Lucia had a tennis lesson). Both girls are hard at work sorting through last year's school papers and organizing their rooms for the year ahead.

We finished the final (third) season of Lost in Space last night--it's been our summer show for the girls and I to watch together. It was preposterous but we were all emotionally invested; Lucia was sobbing during the final episode. Definitely not our usual fare--I, at least, am not a science fiction person--but the acting was good and we really liked the characters. 

The girls have been reading so much that I find myself in the funny position of saying things like, "Girls! Put the books DOWN and go do something!" It's ridiculous. Greta, especially, always returns to her books like they're long-lost friends after we've been away, rereading her favorite graphic novels. And Lucia has a stack of books she's so excited about and is trying to figure out how to read those plus the final couple of required-reading books she has for seventh grade.

What We're Reading

Lucia - The Last Conquista (required reading)

Greta - The Thing about Jellyfish (just finished today)

Margo - The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand (leftover beach read)

Andrew - The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (a normal, actually interesting novel)

Read aloud - nothing. We need to choose our next one.