End of the Summer Blues

How can I be in the doldrums when it is cooling off and so pretty outside?

I am not sure, but yet, it has happened.  Perhaps it is the anticipation of the busy-ness of the school year....practice here, practice there, game here, game there, meeting here, meeting there, pack lunches, homework, dinner etc etc.

Close friends moved across the country which makes for daily adjustments and sad moments.  Wonder what they are doing now?

Youngest is starting preschool.  Exciting for him.  Exciting for us.  What to do with a three hour kid free stretch two days a week??  Hard to imagine.  It has been a long time coming.

I think of all the shoulds....should clean the closet, should pick up the millions of legos, should just plain BE PRODUCTIVE, and yet, I stare at the walls and then it is time to move on to the next activity.

Pretty pathetic.  I know.  

Big Family Outing 2012

We packed the boys in the van and headed to Pittsburgh for a rainy Friday family outing.  We lolly gagged around Station Square watching the dancing fountains and also rode the subway train and the incline.  At the top of Mt. Washington, Kevin tried to have a teachable moment and asked, "Anyone know the name of the river below?"  Ben replied innocently, "The Nile?"  followed by Will chiming in "Deep Creek?".  Needless to say we need to spend a bit more time on local geography lessons. 

Kaleidoscope A'La William

 Nephew Michael created this on his groovy ipad. 

C-bus Visit

We spent a few days in Columbus to celebrate Kevin's parents fiftieth wedding anniversary.  WOW!  What a milestone.  Having grown up mostly in a single parent  household I feel blessed to a part of such a warm, caring and just fun to be around family.  We had dinner together at a local restaurant and were entertained with a Maxwell Family crossword puzzle, Help Dick find Rosemary Maze and A Maxwell Family Trivia Jeopardy game.  Good times! 

Also did a little swimming, despite continual disasters.

While we were there Kevin and I heard from his brother and sister-in-law the words we long to hear, "Why don't you two go out for your anniversary and we will watch the kids?"  Okay!!   So we had a kid free anniversary dinner.  Twas joyous!  Thanks J and V!  and M and D! 

Picture of us enjoying our meal.

 Also a picture of dessert.

During our meal K's brother texted us "Purely hypothetical question, but if one were looking for Will around Easton (HUGE outdoor shopping mall) where would one start?" Luckily for us we know not to take anything he says seriously!

Cape May 2012

A' camping we will go

K and E have been at cub scout camp for the last two nights sleeping in a tent.  We have been good-intentioned campers.  "Yeah, yeah we'll go camp out at a family.  Yeah, yeah here's a tent for father's day." Yet somehow the draw of the comfy mattress of our room calls us home at night as we murmur, "tomorrow, tomorrow, we'll camp out tomorrow"  Although tomorrow never seems to come. 

Therefore, Ethan is a bit out of his comfort zone.  "I just don't like the night," he told me yesterday.  "I get that throw up feeling in my stomach."  Poor little dude.  I advised him to snuggle in tight next to Daddy and know that Daddy will keep him safe and never put him in a place that was dangerous.

Tonight's the night we switch places and I go for the evening.  I must admit....Mama's a wee bit nervous.  No daddy for me to snuggle up with.  I already eyed the other tent dwellers when we visited yesterday (on Ethan's birthday!!) thinking, "Whose tent can I knock on in the middle of the night in case of thunderstorm?"  I still am not sure, but have decided that if it storms Ethan and I are trudging through the rain to sleep in the car.  That's right folks:  Mama is a big chicken.

Think clear skies.  Think sleep.  Think comfort.  Or something like that. 

Ways to beat the Heat

It's 99 degrees outside.It's 64 degrees inside our van.
We drove 30 miles to Sonic for vanilla, hot fudge and banana caramel shakes
and watched Happy Feet 2 in the car.

Will asked for a blanket because he was cold.

Ahhhhhh.  Sweet relief.