What I did on my summer vacation

As much as I'm trying to deny it, summer is all but over. The temps here have been in the 70s for 2 weeks, school and extra-curriculars have started, and it's September! We're mostly but not completely moved in--still missing various electrical accessories, like the camera cord, but I've found a way to work around it. So here is a recap of what we've been up to:

JUNE:

Basketball Camp

The week after Maria's singing camp, Thomas and Anthony went to basketball camp which our friend Dan runs. The camp is absolutely fabulous. The boys came home with skills PLUS they knew the saint of the day and which college basketball teams do not practice detachment. It would have been worth the drive just for that, but the rest of us got extra time with my friend Maryan and some of her boys.

Anthony, Dan and Thomas on the last day

Me entertaining a car-full of kids while Maryan was shopping for prizes for camp. I couldn't believe the variety of balls I had in the van. That was very unusual and also very popular.

action shot of Thomas, the boys' friend John Paul, and an action shot of Anthony (in dark pants)

Mount Vernon

We said goodbye to Mt. Vernon with a long trip to the children's room in the museum. Thomas is showing how leading strings worked with Joseph modeling the typical outfit for any child up to age 6. These great dresses inspired the girls to be colonists for Halloween. We'll see. James loved this dollhouse built to look like George Washington's house. He spent quite a while carefully arranging the furniture, and then he proudly showed me how he had made it all fit into one of the upstairs bedrooms! His sisters quickly helped straighten it out.

JULY

Goodbye Tiger

Tiger officially changed his last name before the 4th of July weekend when our friends adopted him. Here's Cecilia saying "goodbye" and Jenni saying "hello."

Trip to Massachusetts

We went up to my sister Michele's house for the last time on the 4th of July weekend. She and her family took us to a fair and the Freedom Trail and fed us very well and taught us all sorts of fun racquet based sports.

The attraction of this picture is the background where you can see my smiling nephew Patrick and the swan part of the boat in the Boston Garden. Thomas is leading the Make Way For Ducklings with a big smile as opposed to the pic from 9 years ago where the twins were screaming.

to be continued.....

Rhinoplasty and other sewing projects

Tonight I'm sewing on Pooh Bear's nose. This is the second time that Anthony has asked me to fix Pooh's nose because Joseph has loved it...with his teeth. And this time he has had to wait 2 days because I am in the middle of helping Maria sew a dress. I feel like everyone has found something for me to mend or stitch. A Halloween costume. A hole in some pjs. A nose.

Poor old Pooh. He was a gift from Uncle John and Aunt Theresa back before Anthony knew who they were. He was one of several offerings from their suitcases, and he was the one who stuck. Of the soft friends in this house, he has been the best loved and most faithful.

I admit I feel bad shoving a needle in one side of his nose and out the other. It looks like it hurts, and a few times I've paused to stroke his old fur and give him a break. And I know a boy who will be just as relieved as Pooh and I when this project is done.

First Day of School

In the grand tradition of parents putting little girls in fluffy dresses and bows and little boys in ironed pants with no holes in the knees yet, the Army had the soldiers dress up in their Class As for the first day of school yesterday. The evening before the kids and I oohed and ahhhed over Bill's awards, and he and I even had fun playing with an online "rackbuilder" to be sure they were all placed correctly. Do you want to know where to put your Congressional Medal of Honor or your NASA flight medal on your uniform? Check it out!

Since parking at the school is tight and the bike ride is HOT, we drove Bill to school and Cecilia packed a special friend into his backpack to keep him company until he has made some new friends of his own.

Our new home

is amazing. Email with address, etc to follow. :) Still can't find the camera cord.... :(

Note to self

When you take the kids to Chipotle Grill, buy their drinks before you feed them the spicy food. Otherwise they will sit fanning their mouths while Dad gets in line for the 2nd time--this time behind 10 other people. Well...at least I didn't have him buy my margarita on the first trip.

We have officially made it. We rolled into Kansas City, Kansas yesterday afternoon and were happily splashing in the hotel pool when Bill came back from post this morning. He grinned at me and said, "Are you going to play all day or do you want to come get keys for the house?" We move in tomorrow. Say a prayer that our stuff moves in soon too!

The Drive

Friday--We had our housing inspection at 10 am. I stood outside in the 95 deg heat + humidity waiting to find out the damage. Downstairs medicine cabinet broken. Downstairs carpets need to be replaced at a depreciation of 20% per year we lived there (might fight that one). Linoleum stained from pastels in the art closet. We were limp by the time it was over so we collapsed on the couch of a friend and let her feed us before we left. At 1:30 we were on the road. 3 hours later we had gone 30 miles due to traffic on I-95. Let's just say Virginia was helping us say goodbye.

Saturday--We started in Charlottesville and got all the way to Louisville, narrowly avoiding a repeat of Charles' car sickness from Fri. There is stuff everywhere in both cars and I can't take a picture because I can't find the charger for the camera battery. On the plus side, it's chilly out instead of hot which makes traveling much nicer, and Around the World in 80 Days has been a great book to listen to.

Sunday-Bill's birthday. Found the charger as we drove to 9 am Mass. I'm fairly certain the Mass was valid. To be charitable, I will only mention that the parishoners were VERY friendly, and we managed to leave the church by 11:15. We made it to St. Louis late this afternoon. At dinner we shared a 9" piece of chocolate cake and sang to Bill. He got a card and gift from his parents, some running shirts from my parents, and a card with the bottom of a Holiday Inn pen from us. I'd share the picture of our celebration, but now I have to find the software and the camera cord in the van. I know they're in there somewhere..... Tomorrow, the Arch!

Moving Day

This is it. We have to try to find space in the cars for all the stuff in the hotel, and then we'll head back to post to clear our house. My friend Leslie came over yesterday and did most of the work shampooing the carpets while I painted, vacuumed, and finished packing the last things inside, Bill finished the outside work, and our cleaning lady did her magic. The house is at its best so I pray that we don't have too many charges for damage. I advised Bill that his response to anything the housing people point out is, "That's normal wear and tear for a family of 9."

I don't know where we expect to be tonight. The adventure begins!