Paul and the boys were invited on a white water rafting trip. This was a first for the boys and they had a great time. The only casualty was Paul who, after going over a little rapid, lost his balance in the back of the raft and went over the side. The picture was taken at the perfect moment.
Olympia invited us on a private tour of Tiger World in NC one afternoon. A friend of Olympia's who has worked at Tiger World in the past, was filling in for the week and showed us around. Many of the tigers and other animals she took care of from the time they were babies. It was really neat seeing tigers so close. There was also a baboon who had previously been owned by a lady who used to dress him up and have dinner with him. He took a liking to me, reaching out his hand to me and jumping up and down. He took great exception to Paul when he placed his arm around my shoulder and started yelling, grabbed a handful of mud, and threw it at us.
We brought Sam's friend, Bryce, from school. Mimi, Pop Pop, Robin, Olympia, and all the cousins were also along. And as is becoming the norm on adventures with Pop Pop....we were yet again seeking shelter from the rain, and then eventually giving up on it stopping, and ultimately just walking around in it.
The boys had meet the teacher night at their separate schools on the same night. We met Sam's homeroom teacher, Mrs. Nyvall, who was very sweet. And Nathanael was super excited when he found out he had Sam's 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Rice, and his best buddies, Sam and Will, from 1st grade were in his class.
Bryce invited some buddies from school for one very last pool party of the summer.
Having mastered the selfie, Claire was found several nights, having fallen asleep, phone in hand, with a whole montage of pics she took after being put to bed.
The first day of school came too quickly. The beginning of each school year makes me very melancholy. Yes, it's nice to get a break from the kids for a few hours each day. Yes, it's nice to be on a routine. But it just reminds me that another year has passed, they are another year closer to leaving the nest, our time stops belonging to us and, instead, belongs to the school. I like having those little boogers around. I like being able to stay up a little later, letting them play in the street with friends, and then sleep in a little later the next day. I like being able to lounge around as we please or go on an adventure with no thought of homework due the next day. Nevertheless, the first day of school always comes. Paul was in Boston on a business trip on the first day. Not the best timing. Mimi and Pop Pop were very gracious to pick Sam up and cart him off to his school so that I could get Nathanael to school and walk him to class. Nathanael was much more agreeable to me taking his first day of school in the classroom picture than Sam was at the same age. Nathanael doesn't find me to be quite as embarrassing with things like that.
We had some left over tie-dye stuff from last summer. I finally got up the nerve to tackle it. We probably would have been better off just skipping it. If I'm being accurate in the account, tempers flared as they sometimes do with crafts are being made...
With the dawn of the school year, Claire and I resumed our toddler time attendance.
Bless her sweet heart, she sure has to spend a lot of her time running errands with me, but we also find plenty of time to work on her domestic skills. She would bake every day if we had time. She loves making and eating muffins and cookies.
Claire is our most independent child. She has a very strong mild of her own. She often picks out some very creative ensembles. On the day pictured below, before we left the house she proclaimed, "a lot of people will say 'look at that girl, isn't she awesome?!'"
Just because she's cute and these pictures shouldn't go to waste.
No comments:
Post a Comment