Skipping Town

 Happy 14th birthday to Greta!  We had a great day of celebrating. We had balloons and flowers and her birthday sign at the table in the morning. She opened one gift: an amulet from her favorite show, Supernatural. Andrew made pancakes for breakfast, then the girls and I went to Starbucks for Greta's free birthday drink, and to Dunkin so she could get donuts for her advisory.  We had a bigger birthday dinner tonight than expected, since Molly and Jeremy were in town. Greta had requested Mom's gnocchi, which was delicious. Andrew made a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling. Greta loved all of her gifts, especially a framed print of an Irena Aizen painting of a rabbit standing on an armadillo, a Garmin running watch, a manatee Warmie, a Sad Rat Jellycat, and a pigeon-watching guidebook.  It was a great birthday, and now she is not a new teenager anymore.

On Saturday evening, we had Greta's birthday party. She invited six friends to a hibachi dinner at Ichiban, and then we drove them all to our house for cake. Andrew made a beautiful four-layer birthday cake--a victory for him, since the kids usually request a store-bought cake for their friend parties. The kids played several rounds of Lucia's signature game, "Murder in the Dark," which entails just an enormous amount of blood-curdling screaming. Greta had a great time.  Sunday was a beautiful fall day. Andrew, Greta, and I went to Phipps in the morning to see the Fall Flower Show before it closed. Birthday errands took up part of the afternoon. At four, Greta and I took Farrah for a long walk in Schenley. A perfect day for a walk in the woods. 

The focus on the second half of this week was Thursday, Lucia's big XC final at the WPIALs in White Oak. Andrew managed to sprint through Newark after landing from Lima that morning, and got on an earlier flight to Pittsburgh--getting home in time for the race, which he otherwise wouldn't have. I took the afternoon off from work, and we drove together to White Oak. It was a freezing day--perfect for running. The parents were all very nervous, since the teams' performance at WPIALs determined whether they'd go to States next week. And the kids all did amazingly well. Lucia PR'd again--21:16, dropping another 18 seconds!--as did the other top-five girls on the team. The lead runner set a school record. The girls' team came in 2nd overall, their States slot secured. We stood at a different place than we usually do in White Oak, but Lucia spotted us--and when she saw Andrew there, she gave him a big smile as she ran past. (He teared up.) The boys also did extremely ...

The nicest thing about the past two days is that Greta has wanted me to read her a couple of Halloween books before bed. She has reconnected to these books because of that school project and seems to have a renewed appreciation for them. Needless to say, I love it.  Tuesday was an insane day: 6:30am: Frantically finished the cleanup of the kitchen to prepare for the cleaners' arrival. I'd spent the entire evening before taming the insane mess of our house, a bi-weekly ordeal that is painful but always worthwhile. Greta and I had gotten Nutmeg into the guest room late Monday night, and Greta slept up there, so at least we didn't have to do that. But there were still, somehow, five thousand dishes in the sink between 11pm and 6am. I dried them all and put them away. 7:15am: Left for school. Negotiated with the construction workers to let me out of my driveway. Yesterday they had to drag a steel plate over a trench to let me out; at least the trench is now filled and only a fe...

A busy weekend. Friday, Andrew and I went to trivia at the club with Beth and Nate. We came in last. Not a good showing, but fun nonetheless. Afterward, I watched This Is Us with the kids. Saturday, Andrew and I took a nearly three-mile walk in Frick while Lucia had XC practice. It was a beautiful fall morning. We took Farrah with us and she was tuckered out for the rest of the day. I ran errands in the afternoon, sorting out some returns and picking up a couple of gifts for Greta's birthday, swiftly approaching. Andrew went grocery shopping and picked up the sheet cake for Lucia's party. Saturday evening was Lucia's birthday party with friends. Six girls plus Lucia went to an escape room (they escaped) and then came to our house for dinner and cake. It was an easy gathering, and they all had fun. This was the true conclusion of Lucia's birthday festivities. Sunday, Andrew left for Peru (again). The girls and I went to a fun run in Frick to support a teammate's char...

Lucia's birthday was followed by a big XC meet at White Oak--the TSTCA meet. She was really fired up for this one, determined to get a PR--which she's been striving for all season. The weather was perfect, nice and cool. I left work early and Andrew and I drove out to watch the race. And it was incredible! Lucia beat her current PR by a minute--a huge accomplishment--and sobbed with joy and pride at the finish line. She came in #11 overall and got a medal. The girls' and boys' teams both came in first, and the #1 runner on both teams was from WT. An exciting race for all. Next week: the biggest race of the season, WPIALs.  I'm so glad Lucia had a great run after the disappointing (and sweltering) experience in Ohio. 

 Happy 16th Birthday Lucia! Today was Lucia's Sweet Sixteen. She was just as excited about her birthday this year as she has been every year since she was aware of the idea of birthdays. She just loves her day.  We did all the same things we always do, but I tried to do a little extra this year since it is a milestone birthday. I got a shimmery purple tinsel backdrop that we hung up behind the table, with a Happy Sweet 16 banner. I also put together a poster with pictures of Lucia from all of her previous birthdays (a very fun project) and propped it up on an easel. And, of course, the usual giant number balloons, sign board, and flowers. She'd requested one gift for the morning: a pair of Chickenlegs running shorts and a bag of her favorite candy. I made a Dutch baby for the kids, and then the girls and I went to Starbucks before school so Lucia could get a free birthday drink.  Lucia's day at school was a little rocky--she had a precalc test that she was certain she did...

Over the past week or so, both girls have shown me that their ideas about themselves and our family are emerging and crystalizing. I love these glimpses of how their identities are taking shape.  We were in the car last week, on our way to school, and Lucia was expressing frustration that a runner on her team was dropping time dramatically while Lucia can't seem to beat her own PR. I pointed out that this girl's parents are both professional-level runners, and said genetics is helping her (along with, of course, all the hard work of training). "Sadly, you have only Daddy's genetics to help you with your running," I said. "My genetics are working against you when it comes to athletics." Lucia nodded, agreeing. "Your genetics make me organize a box of buttons by color into an egg carton," she said. This is so absolutely correct. I couldn't have said it better myself. Also last week, I was decorating for Halloween when Greta appeared, watching...

Greta had a handful of XC friends over Friday night for more "bedazzling and team bonding." They bedazzled, sang, danced, and used the Ouija board. It was a nice final get-together before their final race Saturday morning, in Freeport. Greta got a PR and was happy. Our last Middle School XC race--it's hard not to feel sad. This was our 5th Middle School XC season.  Lucia didn't come to the meet because she had XC practice at Frick. Greta took the team bus home from the meet, and had a ride home from there. So Andrew and I went to the Strip to pick up a couple of birthday gifts for the kids.  In the afternoon, I ran several birthday-related errands.  Saturday night was Homecoming for Lucia--she met up with some of her friends beforehand at the house of a friend who lives near school, and they all walked to the dance together. She was very excited about her dress--short and sparkly, with a corset back and a skirt that was layers of tulle. She had shoes the exact color p...

Andrew was still sick all week with the cold/flu, though by the end of the week he'd shown some improvement. He is sleeping in the guest room, which confuses Farrah, and she has alternated where she sleeps at night, mostly ending up with me.  Wednesday, Greta had a XC meet and came in 6th. I wasn't able to go--the only meet I've missed this year--because of meetings at work (this was a rescheduled meet from a rain cancellation). Andrew was there to cheer her, but getting there was a problem because he couldn't find any of the keys to the Mini, which was blocking in the Volvo in the driveway. He called me at work. I found one of the keys in my purse--I'd driven the kids to school and just threw my purse into my work bag when I left to catch the bus--but the other one was nowhere to be found. So Andrew walked to the meet, not too far away in Schenley, then walked to CMU to get the key from me since I had to stay on campus for a late meeting. He was certain the kids or...

Friday, October 3 Big day in the Littell house, with Taylor Swift's new release dropping at midnight Thursday night. The kids stayed up for it, making friendship bracelets and listening to the new album in the basement (I was asleep). Friday night, the girls and I drove to the Waterfront to see the Life of a Showgirl behind-the-scenes documentary. We had dinner at Bravo then went to the theater, where they traded a couple of friendship bracelets--they were so excited at this tiny nod back to the Eras Tour.  My life was an absolute horror show during that concert, and most of that weekend is a blur that I've pretty much repressed, but I will always be glad we made that concert happen despite it all. Just one of many experiences that I will not let this curse take away from us. Saturday, October 4 Lucia caught a bus at school at 7am to go out to Ohio for the Legends XC meet, and Greta and I hit the road not long after. This was an enormous meet at a big fairgrounds in Cortland, a...

This morning, I came across an article in Slate featuring the top 25 picture books over the past 25 years. The article was partly in response to an old article in the NYT about how picture books were no longer a vital part of children's lives, how children's books were dead, etc etc. Articles like that always surprise me, because picture books were such a crucial part of my kids' childhood that I can honestly say the books I selected and read to them made them who they are. We read together for hours each day. We had books for each season and holiday, and a new selection of books every summer that we read only on the porch. A couple of the books from this Slate list are in our own library; but our favorites are generally not the type of book that would make an appearance on a list like this. (For example: the incredibly odd and somewhat disturbing Three Little Horses.) Recently, Greta and I dug through all of our picture books, pulling out our very favorites. This task was ...

Greta had a XC race on Tuesday in Schenley, a very low-stakes race with just three schools. She came in seventh. Tuesday also involved XC practice for Lucia, piano lessons for both kids, then Lucia's tutoring.  Wednesday was October 1! The start of my favorite month, and it finally was just cool enough to feel like fall. Of course, October inspires, and it's time to reshare my favorite poem, "A Vagabond Song" by Bliss Carman, which I heard for the first time when I was sixteen years old and which, a quarter-century later, offered the gift of a title and epigraph for my first novel: A Vagabond Song There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood— Touch of manner, hint of mood; And my heart is like a rhyme, With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time. The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry Of bugles going by. And my lonely spirit thrills To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills. There is something in October sets the gy...

Work, school, XC. After work I went to the Waterfront to pick up a couple of things for Lucia's birthday--it's coming up fast, and our weekends have been too busy for me to get out and shop by myself. Our kitchen designer brought two window guys over this afternoon to do some measurements. Once the windows are ordered, the contractor will tell us our start date for the kitchen project. I can't wait. I wish we could just demo everything today. We continue to see pantry moths here and there and I refuse to even open the pantry doors. I've been storing everything on the counter. I cannot wait for a brand-new kitchen.

An addendum to the Night Market fun from last night: At 10pm, Lucia texted to see if it was okay to bring some friends home--her group had run into some other groups. Of course we said yes, and soon about ten sophomores and juniors were hanging out on our patio. Andrew set up the fire pit. One boy was in a tree.  Today was even busier than yesterday. Andrew left very early for Peru. I went grocery shopping and got stuck on the wrong side of Forbes for half an hour while the runners in the Great Race streamed through the city. There was an Upper School XC family potluck in Schenley at noon, and then our block party at four. It was a lot of socializing for one day, and one weekend. Now I need an additional weekend of silence. 

The girls had to be at school this morning at 6:45 to get the bus to their XC meet. Lucia couldn't find her singlet, suspecting she'd left it at school; indeed, her coach had it for her when we arrived. Mom and Dad drove in around 8, and they and Andrew and I drove out to Youthtown for the meet. Both girls were running; this was a gigantic meet with lots of levels and groups. Both ran well. Lucia came in 13th out of 104 girls. She broke 23:00 but didn't quite beat her PR.  At home, we had lunch with Mom and Dad, and when the kids got back to school I picked them up. Meanwhile, Andrew had a quick lunch then took Farrah to the emergency vet, because yesterday we became pretty certain she has an ear infection.  I got a much-anticipated delivery in the mail today: my first shipment from Ffern, a perfume maker in England that creates seasonal fragrances available only to people on their "ledger." Each shipment has an elaborate back story for the fragrance and comes wit...

This week is a blur. It was rainy and Greta was supposed to have an XC race but it was cancelled. Lucia went to XC practice all week and Greta had several rehearsals for the musical.  Wednesday was Greta's Back to School Night, and, for the first time ever, I didn't go. Andrew wen't alone. I had a good reason: Wednesday was prep day for my colonoscopy on Thursday (all clear!). I had to start fasting Tuesday night, and I was already starving by 10 a.m. on Wednesday. I worked from home, finding myself reflexively planning to go to the kitchen for a snack, and then realizing there could be no snack. I was absolutely starving. Drinking 32 ounces of Gatorade mixed with Miralax was no solace.  I had to get up at 2 a.m. to drink another 32 ounces of this terrible mixture, so I went downstairs to watch Gilmore Girls and power through. It took me a long time to drink that much. Farrah came downstairs too and snuggled up with me on the couch the entire time, the perfect support doodl...

Hershey weekend! Friday after work, Andrew, Greta, and I set out for Hershey to watch the Upper School XC teams compete in the PIAA Foundation meet. Lucia had left early in the day on a bus with her team; we wouldn't see her until the meet on Saturday. We arrived in Hershey with just enough time for dinner at Troegs. Greta and I like going into the shop at Troegs because a lot of the beer names sound like perfect names for rabbits--Hoppura, Lollihop, Leaf Seeker. Saturday morning we checked out of the hotel and went to the race course. The girls' team was expected to place 6th, and they placed 5th. There were a lot of tears after the race, the girls disappointed with their times, even though this course is notoriously tough and their coach had warned them to expect at least a minute added to their usual pace. We stayed to watch the boys' race as well, then headed home. Lucia and her team went out for dinner and returned home around 7:30pm. We all went to a party for a bit; ...

Lo and behold, tonight Greta got a haircut, after refusing to get a haircut before the start of school. I told her she had to have a trim before school picture day, which is next week, and tonight was her appointment. She looks fantastic. It's still very long but there are no split ends and there are now some pretty layers. She loves it. She was also very excited that all the women in the salon were fawning over her beautiful natural highlights. Transformed! This week has been very tiring--every single night there has been some activity AFTER what seems like the end of the day's activity: urgent care on Tuesday after a day of XC meets; Back to School Night on Wednesday; and the hair appointment tonight. It's been a hectic scramble of activities. And tomorrow we leave for Hershey for Lucia's PIAA Foundation XC meet. 

Tonight was Back to School Night for the Upper School, and Andrew and I got to meet all of Lucia's teachers and hear about her classes for the year. We're excited about what she'll be learning, and this group of teachers seems amazing. It should be a good year for her. Late tonight, too late, when I went into Lucia's bedroom to make sure she was almost ready for bed since she is still coughing with this may-as-well-be-pneumonia cough, I instead found her in her top-choice dress for Homecoming, her hair freshly straightened, with a full face of makeup and a complete selection of jewelry, standing appraisingly in front of her bathroom mirror. What to do but assess along with her and agree that this particular dress is the right choice, and the other two options are pretty but not special enough, and the jewelry selections are perfect, and now it is TIME FOR BED. I left the room laughing. Then I told Andrew to go in and say goodnight to Lucia, knowing he was expecting her ...

Today was just an insane day. Both girls had afternoon XC meets, in different places at the same time, so Andrew and I had to divide and conquer. Andrew left work and drove to Youthtown to see Lucia's meet. I left work and drove to Fox Chapel to see Greta's meet. It was a blazing hot day, and neither girl had a great race--Greta because of the heat and a very tough, hilly course; Lucia because of the heat and her persistent cough. Andrew said she was really upset, because she'd hoped to PR and instead had a higher time than the last race. I met Greta back at home (she wanted to ride the bus home with her team, because it is fun and good for team bonding), and we then left for her piano lesson. Andrew got home from Youthtown while we were gone (took over an hour in traffic), and then Lucia got home at 8pm, after going out to dinner with her team. As soon as Lucia walked in the door, I swept her back out to go to the pediatric urgent care to get her cough looked at. It just w...

 Friday, September 12 End of the week. We went to the pool for dinner in the evening. It was slightly too chilly to swim, though Andrew did get in. Saturday, September 13 Greta had her first race of the season this morning, way out at Youthtowne. She did great, coming in 24 out of 76 and getting a PR. Afterward, she rode the team bus home and hung out on Walnut Street with two teammate friends.  Later in the afternoon, we went to the pool for a nice swim. And we were back to the club Saturday evening for the annual Clam Bake. We met at our house first for prom-style photos and then had a fun night talking and dancing. Though we did dance in the baby pool, we did not, this year, go down the waterslide fully clothed into the main pool. I wore a dress with embroidered swans. Everyone was pretty amenable to going along with my absurd swan dance. Beth and Nate are used to my shenanigans but even the other friends with us didn't seem (too) alarmed. Sunday, September 14 Greta and I h...

Wednesday was an ordinary day of school, work, and XC. Thursday, Lucia went to XC and then out for bubble tea for her team. Greta had her audition for the middle school musical, and then she and Andrew ran in Schenley while I walked with Farrah in Panther Hollow. After dinner, Lucia and I shopped online for homecoming dresses--it's that time of year--and ordered a few to try on. Then, in a brilliant alignment of stars, both girls agreed to go up to the club for a night swim with me and Andrew. It was a beautiful night for it, and the water was very warm. It was a perfect end to the day.

Another week begins, with XC on Monday and then piano and tutoring on Tuesday. Lucia came home sick on Tuesday afternoon; a cold is taking kids down rapidly at school. Luckily for her, XC was cancelled because a fire in Squirrel Hill had degraded the air quality too much to run.  Andrew and I are nearly done with season 4 of The Bear. The cleaners came Tuesday and our house is sparkling. Getting the house ready for cleaning, including relocating Nutmeg to the attic for the day and then relocating her back to Greta's room in the evening, is a huge pain. Greta is often successful at catching Nutmeg and getting her into a carrier, but sometimes Nutmeg is just absolutely determined not to be caught. It's a circus.  We have booked a fabulous vacation over Thanksgiving this year--Tulum. Molly and I have talked for years about taking a family trip to an all-inclusive over Thanksgiving, and we're finally making it happen. We are all very very excited. 

A nice relaxing Sunday. Andrew and I ran errands in the morning (farmer's market, Giant Eagle, Trader Joe's, Target, Staples for return dropoff) and then were home for the rest of the day. We took Farrah on a walk so I could pick up some library books. I read on the porch. I made potato salad to have along with Andrew's fried chicken sandwiches for dinner. The girls and I watched an episode of This Is Us while I worked on another crocheted pear. I wish we had another day to this weekend. Not ready for it to end.

A whole week of blogging missed. The only excuse is that it was a week full of intense CT scan-ziety, and then a reassuring appointment with my surgeon/oncologist: everything stable, a win. Huge sigh of relief. I had such an amazing summer, feeling back to myself (well, myself with short hair), and now--now I will get an amazing fall, too. Didn't want to bury the lede after such a long absence, so I'm giving the health update up front. Now, the past week's recap: Sunday, August 31 - Greta had a birthday party to go to, and Lucia had plans with friends, so Andrew and I went up to the pool in the afternoon and had a lovely swim. The water was so warm, though we were freezing once we got out.  Monday, September 1 - Labor Day - We had a super fun day with Mom and Dad in Connellsville. We arrived in the morning and went to Gabe's, where we all found a few things. We went to IHOP for lunch (I'd found a cache of gift cards in a pouch!), and then spent the afternoon at home...

Thursday was a regular day, the kids still plowing through their first week, XC after school. No piano lessons--so strange--after having piano lessons on Thursday for the past eight years.  Friday I worked from home, and had early dismissal for the holiday weekend. Greta had a friend over after school to finish bedazzling her spikes. Lucia went to Starbucks with a friend. Friday night the four of us went out to dinner at Kujira, an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in Shadyside, and had a fun meal. Then we played a game of Splendor, and the girls and I watched an episode of This Is Us. Saturday, Andrew went golfing and I took the girls to XC practice. Farrah and I walked 1.4 miles. We dropped Farrah off at home afterward and went to lunch at T-Swirl Crepe, then stopped at Ebisu so Greta could get a birthday gift for a party on Sunday.  The most exciting errand of the day--Orr's Jewelers, where I finally picked up my newly resized wedding and engagement rings. I haven't been abl...

The first school week is well underway. The kids are definitely tired, but they seem to like their classes and will, I'm sure, have a good year. They've had XC each day, and in general, our schedule has calmed down a little. The end of summer was crazy. Lucia has asked for Instagram now that she's almost sixteen, and I am grudgingly moving toward yes. I am no less allergic to seeing my kids with their faces in a screen than I've always been, but there are some good reasons why I can't just prohibit IG forever. (TikTok, on the other hand--Lucia knows not to even ask.) Her friends have started XC accounts, and theater accounts, and they post pics that she wants to see; and, of course, all things Taylor Swift, as well as a favorite author, Lauren Roberts, who posts a lot. Anyway. I've talked at length with her about the basic horrors--predators, pedophiles, the handful of "we invite you to leave the school" stories we've heard about over the past coup...

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.

Thursday and Friday were good reward for the busy first half of the week: I worked from home both days, and Molly came for a visit.  Thursday afternoon, I took a long lunch break, and the kids and I went to the pool for a quick dip and lunch. Later on Thursday, Molly arrived after spending the morning in Connellsville, and Andrew took the kids for the usual lightening-round of tutoring, piano, and XC. Since they'd be gone until 9pm, Molly and I went up to the pool for dinner and a long float. Delightful. When everyone got home, the kids and Molly and I watched an episode of This Is Us, while Molly and I made God's eyes. Molly had brought some dowel rods and created a few frames so we could craft-and-watch. Friday, Farrah and I joined Molly and her dogs for a long walk. A mama deer and her two adorable fawns followed us for part of the way, unusually close. Then I had physical therapy and did some work. In the afternoon, Molly and the girls and I went back to the book sale--Moll...

The week has been a blur of orientation, with me on campus 11 hours each day. All went well, but I'm glad it's over for another year.  I have no memory of the specific days of this week. I think on Sunday we played Splendor (Lucia has taken it upon herself to push for more family games, which I appreciate), and we played again on Monday. I never ever win Splendor. Never. It's a family joke, how consistently I lose this game. Nevertheless, it's one of my favorites. Tuesday, after I got home, I went to the pool by myself while Andrew and the kids were at XC. I floated for a very long time and then read my book (The Perfect Storm--an oldie--which I got at last week's book sale). It was very very nice to relax after an absolutely crazy-busy day. What wasn't so nice was actually trying to get to the pool, since Farrah was outside and refused to come in. I eventually managed to lure her into the basement door by tossing some crackers in her path. Wednesday, Andrew and...

A much-needed day of relaxing summer. Mom and Dad came over in the morning, and while Lucia, Greta, and Andrew were at XC, we went to our favorite booksale. It's at a church nearby and we've been going for the past few years. The selections are always amazing, with a lot of surprising choices no one has ever heard of. Andrew and the kids met us there when practice was over. We all came away with big bags of books. (Not only is it the best booksale, it's the best kind of booksale--fill a bag for $15.) Andrew and the kids stopped for donuts on the way home, and Mom and I chopped up some tomatoes for bruschetta, and some plums. We ate lunch on the deck and then went into the Long Room to show one another all the books we found. My favorite find of the day: a small hardcover book called Drinking with Dickens, a memoir about, yes, drinking with Charles Dickens written by his great-grandson, Cedric. At home, Andrew discovered a long handwritten inscription inside, by Cedric. I th...

Busy busy day. Final day of preparations before orientation begins on Monday. It's become a family affair--my boss's son helped her do a huge shop at Sam's Club; Andrew and Greta brought the car full of the 700 waters and seltzers we'd gotten at Target to campus in the afternoon and helped bring all of it into our staging room. My boss and I are a very effective two-person department, but when planning a three-day series of events for 1,200 students, we need backup.  Lucia spent the afternoon and early evening with a friend, and Andrew, Greta, and I went to a Pirates game. It was bucket hat night, so we all got cute Pirates-themed hats. Greta and I entertained ourselves by bringing two of our plush pierogies to watch the game with us and, of course, cheer during the pierogi race, my raison d'etre for attending a Pirates game. Andrew tolerated us. I'm currently reading an insane nonfiction book about MLMs, and every story of trickery, fraud, and deception is just...

Well, the number has risen, but since I don't have any symptoms, am feeling great, and had a clear scan six weeks ago, the number is just "one piece of the puzzle" according to my dr. My next scan is September 3 and I'll have a CA-125 retest at that appointment too. Nothing to do but keep busy and enjoy the final weeks of summer. I'll enjoy it more when orientation is over. Just a few more days of work-insanity. While I stayed late at work, Andrew spearheaded a very busy evening: tutoring at 4, piano at 5:30, XC at 7. They didn't get home until 9pm. Next week is the official start of XC pre-season for Lucia; things are slowly ramping up.

I hate these appointment days. Andrew and I went early this morning for my labs and appointment with the PA. I hate walking into that building, going to those offices, getting the blood work and now waiting until tomorrow for the results. Hate hate hate.  The only way through is to stay busy, which isn't hard, with this being the final week before orientation; there just isn't time to obsess and worry. After I finished working I played Unstable Unicorns with the kids, and then Shuttles with Lucia. Then the girls and I went to the pool for a swim and dinner, and then we watched This Is Us. Andrew as at the pool too, having dinner with an old coworker.  We sent an email tonight confirming that we are going forward with the kitchen. We are very excited. 

We invited our realtor over this morning to take a look at all the work we've done on this house so far and give us her opinion on whether our potential kitchen plans are aligned with the house's value. Not that we're selling--we just wanted her thoughts about the project. When we told her the cost we were looking at, she said, "Are you sure that's all?", which obviously was not our reaction, but made us feel better about the numbers at hand.  The girls came with me to work after that to help me with some orientation tasks involving stickers and notebooks. They set themselves up at a table in my office, in front of two big bags of Pittsburgh Popcorn left over from another department's event, and ate popcorn and stuck stickers and shared earbuds so they could watch a show on Lucia's phone. They of course managed to turn the work into a race, which was loud and silly enough to be annoying to other people in the office (eye roll). Then they walked home an...

Andrew and I both went into work today and left the kids home to do summer things. Greta cleaned up and organized her room, practiced piano, and did some math review and reading. Lucia practiced piano and did some math, then had two friends over to hang out.  In the late afternoon, we all went to Bakery Square so Lucia could get much-needed new running shoes. Greta and I went to Anthropologie; I bought a dress for an upcoming event. Greta actually spotted it at the back of a rack, behind another group of dresses, and we both knew immediately it was exactly what I was looking for.  Andrew made delicious steak sandwiches for dinner, which we ate outside on the deck. Then I played a round of Shuttles with Greta and then Lucia (I got this vintage game at a yard sale this weekend; one might still be in my parents' attic), and then all of us played Rummikub. Look at us, fitting in family games on a regular evening--and it was at Lucia's request.  A nice summer day all around....

Andrew and I went to the farmer's market this morning--it's the height of summer now, the very best time for corn and fruit. We got some enormous plums, a basket of tomatoes, corn, basil. I still hate cooking dinner but I do love food.  Both kids had plans today--Greta carpooled to a swim birthday party, and Lucia went sidewalk-sale-shopping in Shadyside with a friend--so Andrew and I stole an hour to ourselves to go up to the pool. I also food prepped for the week, cleaned up the house, and read. Andrew helped Lucia hang a few things in her room. For dinner, Andrew made a delicious low-country boil from a recipe in the last Cook's Illustrated--shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and corn. We ate outside on the deck. It was delicious.

It was a lovely summer Saturday. Mom and Dad came over in the morning and we all set out for the Friendship neighborhood yard sale. We had some successful yard-saling, and then went to lunch at Ritter's diner. After lunch, Mom and Dad helped me repot my giant jade, into a pot I'd gotten when I visited them earlier in the summer. It was a precarious repotting--the jade is enormous, and had been leading against the window where it lives; moving it even slightly made it fall over. I had to support its many branches while Mom filled the pot with dirt. Then it fell over. We had to add some bricks to the pot to keep it upright. I arranged all the leaves that fell off into a new pot, and I hope to nurture them into little jade babies. You can never have enough jades. Andrew and the kids went for a run later in the afternoon, and then we went up to the pool for dinner and a swim. We made the kids watch Good Will Hunting tonight, which was not at all well-received. 

Final two days of 5:30am trips to Verona for crew. The activities this summer have been amazing, but the kids are completely wiped out. Greta has dramatic and appalling callouses across her palms and can barely stay upright past 8pm. Lucia, a pillar of energy and enthusiasm for her camp of two-year-olds, came down with a cold this week thanks to a couple of sniffly twins. They're both sad to see their crew/camp end, but it will be nice for them to have a restful August. Summer is going so fast. They've had a really great one. I myself am emotionally pummelled because, this week, the girls and I watched the most difficult episodes of This Is Us: the fire and Jack's death. They're no easier to watch this time around. We are all very invested in the Pearson family. In Maplewood, Andrew made me watch these episodes in the basement so my reaction wouldn't upset the kids. Work for me has gone beyond crazy into a kind of gray zone of mania. Just one more week until orienta...

Another insane day.  6:00 am - Greta crew 8:15 am - Lucia work 8:30 am - Andrew work 10:00 am - Margo PT 11:00 am - Margo work 11:00 am - Greta pickup 4:30 pm - Lucia pickup  5:00 - 7:00 pm - late work meeting for Margo After all that, the four of us managed to get to the pool for dinner and swimming. Only two more days of the kids' summer crew/work activities; then at least we can eliminate all the driving around.

These days are just crazily busy. Here's what the day entailed: I drove Greta to crew at 5:30. We saw a baby raccoon in the middle of the road by our house.   I came home, showered, and then drove Lucia to a dermatology appointment at 7:15. Crunched for time, I rushed from the dermatologist to drop her off at work at 8:20. In the meantime, Andrew let the cleaners in and left for work. We didn't have time to relocate Nutmeg to the attic so we just told the cleaners to skip Greta's room (which, because of Nutmeg, is the room that really needs cleaning the most, but ah well). I parked the car at home, grabbed my work bag, and caught the bus to work, which is crazy busy since orientation is in less than two weeks. Andrew picked Greta up at 11. I picked Lucia up at 4:30. We went to Target to pick up prescriptions. Andrew somehow made dinner. Andrew took Lucia to XC at 7. I, finally off duty, went to the pool with Greta. And this isn't even the craziest day of this week!  Gre...

Saturday we drove home from Cape May. I was incredibly sad to leave. It was such a fun week and a beautiful house and perfect weather. Immediately upon returning home, Andrew and I unpacked the car, got showered and dressed, and then went to my thirtieth high school reunion. I really did not want to go, but I'm glad we ultimately did.  Sunday was a blur of laundry and catching up on real-life things, and then Monday it was back to work, Greta's crew, and Lucia's job. Greta and I set out for crew at 5:30 a.m., and on our way we saw a family of raccoons, a mama deer with two fawns, three baby bunnies, and a mouse--all within a block of our house. It was a Squirrel Hill safari. This week, Lucia is with a camp of two-year-olds in the morning and four-year-olds in the afternoon.  It always feels like summer is over once Cape May is over, but this really isn't true. We still have a month of summer left.

How did this week go so fast? We just got here. And yet tomorrow we have to leave. We packed the day with as much as we could. In the morning, Molly, Mom, and I sat on the porch and worked on God's eyes. Around 8:30, Greta and I went on a bike ride and walked on Cove Beach for a little while. Lucia went for a run.  Andrew and I set up on the beach around 10, and when everyone else joined us we took a family photo. A woman from another family took the picture--we've seen this same family all week and have even been next to them on the beach for most of the time. They reminded us of us--grandparents, adult children, and a bunch of teenagers boogie boarding and playing Spike Ball. I swam a few times and it was lovely. Right at the end of the afternoon there was a jellyfish--I'm glad this happened on our last day.  Later in the afternoon, Andrew, Lucia, Greta, and I drove to Sunset Beach. The girls and I sifted for pebbles and Cape May diamonds. It was blazing hot at that hour,...

Andrew initiated a new activity for this morning: getting up early and going out to breakfast at Uncle Bill's Pancake House. This is our seventh year here, and every year we say we want to go there, and finally we did. Molly and I biked there and back, and the rest drove. Jeremy chose to have his own vegan breakfast at home. Mid-morning, the kids said their cornhole movie was finally ready for viewing; Lucia had been madly editing since yesterday. We all gathered around so Lucia could play it for us on her phone. It exceeded expectations in every way--just a hilarious short movie about a group of people competing in a cornhole competition and also getting hit by cars and coming back as ghosts to train the remaining competitors. There was a laugh track, music, voiceover, slow-motion sequences. We were cry-laughing. The kids are just so funny. Andrew and I set up at the beach around 10:30, and everyone joined us soon after. It was an absolutely beautiful beach day, and before we knew...