Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Falling Back into life


The school weeks are starting to feel routine now but we are still adjusting to efficiently using our weekend time.  So far sleeping in has been a good start as everyone adjusts to the earlier mornings and the general toll of real life daily school.  Saturday we were able to watch Merrick's team dominant on the football
field winning by four touchdowns.  We then headed over to St. Norberts in the afternoon, after the normal two house yard chores, for their open house.  There were bounce houses and live music but as is the nature of kids, Grace and Ella, found most of their entertainment swinging on the long leaves of a riverbank willow and then bouncing on a floating pier.  Amy and I kept a close eye when Ella had attracted two boys to the pier.  The were seemingly ignoring her but the well trained parent eye they were stealing sideways glances as often as the could.  Ella said she didn't notice them, but again to the trained eye......The food stands got their due as we munched on cookie dough and cupcakes before collecting pocket fulls of horse chestnuts to keep, really just for the sake of keeping. We headed over to a friends house for awhile to help him celebrate his birthday and then with empty bellies quickly decided massive burgers were needed.  The temperature was cooling be eating on the patio was still the summer thing to do.  Grace stayed warm by using the whole patio for her postprandial dancing.  Always important to have a show with a good dinner.  It took until Sunday before we were able to get Amy out on her new roller blades and the sun was shinning and the leaves had yet to fall and cover the Fox River Trail.  We put almost two miles on the little wheels before heading back home.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

By Jimminy I hear Crickets!!

If you still hear crickets then summer isn't over.  The crickets are chirping but school has started and we and the dog days are giving way to indian summer.  The tomatoes have taken off and quickly overgrown our small impromtu plot at the new place. The kids have all started their respective schools and it is going as well as we can hope for with a couple of bumps.  Ella is in cross country for the school, but the organization leaves something to be desired.  Grace has started guitar lessons and working on her rock persona.  Merrick is in the middle of his football season and has been named offensive player of the week three times and was able to lead the team cheer (I believe that we will win) after the last practice.  Sophia is continuing to work on her gymnastics routine and will start competetions this fall.  We were able to sneak out for fishing at our standard spot and then walked to a new ice cream place.  It used to be a the house were the lock operator lived.  Between the high wind and high temperatures the kids ended up wearing most of their cones.  The girls had no direction to turn as the wind either blew ice cream on to them or if they turned their backs blew their hair into the ice cream.  We did have storm come through that sent us to the basement...Merrick and Ella decided to be extra prepared.  I don't recall why Ella has a mustache....everyday is a slumberparty mixed with a snowday at our house.