Summer: Catching Up

I'm egregiously behind with my summer blogging. I can't catch up for every single day, but here are some highlights:

Last weekend was one of my favorite book sales. Mom and Dad drove in and we all went, coming away with about six bags of books. We went out to a few yard sales afterward, then out to lunch at Ritter's diner. Then we came home and show-and-telled all the books we bought.

This week was absolutely crazy since it was Graduate Orientation, which meant extremely long work days that started very early and went late. 

Nutmeg's birthday was Monday--she's five. We celebrated on Wednesday with some new treats. Greta wanted to make her a bunny cake she'd found online, beginning this project at 10pm, filling our blender with rabbit pellets and hay and a banana. Hay was all over the kitchen counter. Andrew nearly lost his mind while I laughed and laughed. The end result wasn't too cake-like, but Nutmeg loved it nonetheless. 

This week and last have been almost unmanageable schedule-wise since the Upper School cross-country pre-season has started and Lucia has practice at Frick every evening from 7-9pm. We've been eating dinner after that, and trying to meal-prep in advance. Some or all of us do runs in the park while she's at practice. This is not a sustainable schedule, but it's only for one more week. 

On Sunday Lucia and I went school shopping at the Ross Park Mall. Upper School does not require a uniform, so she needed some school-suitable clothes. We found some cute things at a couple of the teen-focused stores--Aeropostale, American Eagle--as well as H&M. She also, after waiting all summer, got a second piercing in her ears. She was extremely nervous about it, but was surprised at how minor the pain was after her first ear was done. She is so excited about her new double-pierced ears. 

Greta has been on a healthy-cooking kick and is now making herself delicious-looking breakfasts and lunches: tomato and lettuce wraps, fried eggs on bread from the farmer's market. She sends me a picture of every meal while I'm at work. She even garnishes her plate with pieces of cilantro. 

I think we're all a little aimless right now, and though the girls would never say it, I think we are all ready for regular schedules to begin again. It's time for some structure. Last week is the last week of summer vacation.