Skipping Town

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...