WOW!!! It’s August!!! Somehow, the hot days of July have rolled into August already, and all the “Back To School” ads and sales have begun, while the summer merchandise finds a place on the clearance racks. Really? Please, can’t we enjoy the summer for a little while longer? I am not one of those parents counting the days till the kids are back in school. I love my kids. Heck, I even like them! We like the “non-schedule, non-routine” of the summer. Staying up late and getting up late feels good. Even our dog, the ugly pug Ben, has joined us in the laziness…but he really does not need much persuading. He is a lazy dog. Very lazy.
Coffee at 10 or 11am is nice:) Cuddling in bed watching cartoons in the morning with Thomas is fun. The laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and all that can wait…it will get done…eventually. The teens will surface around lunch time or later. The kitchen is open 24/7…always…that’s also why meal planning does not always work out. And why I sometimes need a good hiding place for certain treats;) Sometimes, it’s the obvious that works; I put cookies in the cookie jar one day, and they were in there for several days before the kids caught on…they caught me with cookies and milk, and asked where the cookies were…I told them to go look! You just never know!
Pool time is high up on our list…if we cannot get to the beach…it is the pool! We favor late afternoons and evenings…less sunscreen needed, more tables & seats available…very relaxing. So, late dinners are more common in the summer months. Every now and then, an early dinner, pool time, then snacks before bed. The snack bar at the pool is pretty reasonable with its menu and pricing, and it’s always a favorite spot for the kids…just ask Thomas.
Sleep-overs…I think a few kids could start paying us rent and join in for the chore list! As long as there is no trouble, my husband and I are usually OK with sleep-overs. Noise does have to be kept down – it’s an early morning start for my hubby. I roll over once he leaves:)
So, what’s new? Well, to conclude the dead cat story…UGH!!! The landlord left messages for the neighbor, which, quite obviously, were ignored. The smell did not get better, and I certainly did not like not opening the windows…The landlord e-mailed me and said that he would put on a pair of gloves and dispose of the cat if he lived at the house…”C’mon over!” was my reaction! I really did not want to touch it (even with gloves on), nor did I want the hubby or kids doing it…But, I got to my breaking point – and when I get there, ACTION follows…and I did ask one of my sons to help, and he said he would…and he did. Bless him! It literally made him, my hubby, and me sick to do it – yes, the smell was HORRENDOUS!!! But, the corpse (which broke into pieces) in its litter box was bagged up and put into a large trash can and put into an undisclosed dumpster…RIP!!! The end.
This weekend is our work weekend…so the husband and I take turns between the home front and work.
Last weekend was a very nice one:) We worked the kitchen for the firehouse bingo and then went out to the “corner bar.” (Yes, it’s really on a corner…about 6 or 7 blocks up from our house.) We’ll go every now and then…a drink or two, some sports on TV or music on the player (no old-fashioned juke boxes anymore), chatting and laughs with family and friends. Saturday was a slow-motion morning, then we got the chores and errands done…Meaghan and I had time to ourselves to shop!!! Goodwill had one of its 50% off ALL clothing sales…Nice!!! So, we dropped a group off at the pool and went to Goodwill – we were just checking out when they texted that they wanted a ride home: good timing! We spent $75.75 (seems like a lucky number to me) and had 3 large bags FULL!!! I looked for uniform shirts – found 6 in different sizes for Cory, Jeremy, & Thomas. (OK, so I did think “school” for a little while…sorry.) I also found 2 pair of Capri pants, 1 pair of pants, a nightgown, a housecoat, & a 2-piece warm pajama set for my mom. I worked on cleaing out her bureau and closet not too long ago, so I knew what she could use. I even treated myself to a few items: 3 tee-shirts (1 for my bingo nights), a beige short-sleeved sweater (dressy), a dress, & 3 skirts. Meaghan went from having NO shorts to a bunch! (7 or 9?) She got a bunch of shirts, too; a few are collared, so she can use them for school. All in pretty colors. I washed, dried, and folded everything…oh, also purchased a Ridley Pride tee-shirt for John and Cory…and an Eagles tee for Cory…and a Flyers sweatshirt & 2 pairs of shorts for Jeremy. See! We really did well!!! (Looking forward to the next sale!!! Will have to check out the jeans…and uniform shorts & pants for the boys.)
Saturday night was the Adult Splash Party at our pool. (Ages 21 & over) We had 12 in our group – rowdy – YES!!! With everyone pitching in, we filled a table with food and drinks!!! Everyone LOVED the hoagie dip – thanks to Debbie & Chris! The weather cooperated – a beautiful evening! From volleyball in the pool to all the games – it was FUN!!! We all relaxed and enjoyed. Our group left a bit at a time…the last of us got home by 2:15am. Sweet Dreams!!!
So, Sunday was pretty lazy…then more pool time with the kids…and a “find your own-make your own dinner.” Thomas stayed at the pool till close with his friend Nicholas.
Monday: HELLO AUGUST!!! Decided to do the kitchen for bingo again…don’t ask me why! Severe storm watch for the late afternoon & evening – and it ended up that our area got hit! Hit hard!!! Ended up that the firehouse lost power – yes, all power. So, we waited, then the decision was made to cancel the bingo for the night. After all, PECO could take hours to finish all its calls due to the storm…We had it easy in the kitchen: put everything away and clean up. Done.
Just a few blocks up from the firehouse: no problems with the power at our house. Thank goodness! The humidity broke, and the sun actually came out after the storms passed…a lovely evening!
Tuesday:Renewed my 4 books…am reading 2 of them…and I am determined to finish all 4 this time! Meg and Jeremy also renewed books. I chose new books for Thomas; we did read all of his selections. (He was at the pool with Nicholas.) Cory has to get in gear – and chose a book for his summer reading. I’ll nudge him – then go to full nagging…this week…
Meg & I have also promised to get our lazy butts (and minds) together and write BOOKS…We are reading “Walter the Farting Dog” books with Thomas (currently there are 3 in the series)…so we figure that if a story with a farting dog can be published, we can definitely succeed in the field of children’s lit!!! (What do you think?)
No heatwave this week…have had 6 so far! Felt extremely nice to open all the windows in the house and feel comfortable. Had a mix of sun and clouds on Wednesday and Thursday, and even temps in the 70s! So, we did not make a trip to the pool. Sitting out on the front porch was pleasant – even with some drizzles, it was pleasant.
Bingo went well last night – a good crowd, kitchen was busy, and no storms or power outage! Came home for a yummy inside-out for dinner and a Wawa smoothie for dessert. Rented “Arthur” on pay-per-view…the remake with Russell Brand (love him!)…have to catch the end tonight. Went up to the bar for about an hour: to see a friend & we watched part of the Phillies game. (WHAT A GAME!!!)
I have been preoccupied and occupied with my crocheting! My friend referred me to a group – Share A Square. The group collects crocheted squares and assembles them inot afghans for kids with cancer; a different camp is chosen each time. So, I have a good supply of left-over yarn…and I have been busy crocheting the classic granny square. Over 50 squares completed. Once I finish, I will work on the tags…one for each square…so the kids get an afghan full of love: warmth and warm messages! Isn’t it terrific? After that, I have a PILE of patterns to choose from, and a good supply of yarn, too. Busy hands are happy hands:)
So, I am at work, and John is car shopping with Shaun. Meg is holding down the home front. Weather seems to be good – pool looks like a good idea for later.
Still more summer to enjoy…
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