Summertime

And the living's a bit easier. Sleeping later, relaxing more, no packing lunch. Still a bit busy, but not like during the school year! And we've managed to finish SOME of the cleaning that's required this summer. Still have the black-holes of the girls' bedrooms (popularly known as closets). And the disaster that our coat closet in the foyer has become. Sigh. One step at a time.

Abby has managed to participate in two more swim meets. The first was on the West Bank (although in regards to the varied travels of the Mississippi river we traveled EAST to get to the WEST Bank and, on the way home, taking a different route, went NORTH to get back on the EAST bank. Check out a map, get used to the geography). It was HOT. And the pool only had 4 lanes. She swam like a champion and managed to not get discouraged by not winning any ribbons (they didn't have her name on the roster and she ended up in the early heats where the REALLY strong swimmers go). On the way there I'd missed the turn and gone about 1/2 mile farther than necessary. On the way home, we went a different route and I made a DIFFERENT wrong turn (despite the fact that I actually am a pretty good map reader and had even directed someone else on how to get home who'd GOTTEN IT RIGHT!). So Abby and I ended up going thru a tunnel under a canal (didn't know that there were tunnels!) into Belle Chasse, then had to turn around. Of course, the OTHER way didn't have a tunnel but a bridge and the drawbridge was up. Thankfully a nice truck driver let me in. So we were only out 20 minutes. This week's meet was in Destrehan which is about a 20 minute drive from here. We got there in plenty of time, but it was thundering and lightning. So they were delayed. They started warm-ups a bit after 3pm (when the meet was supposed to start) but had to pull the kids from the pool again when it thundered again. Another 10 minute delay. The meet finally started about 4pm and I was quite impressed by the precision with which this club ran the meet. We were done by 6pm (the other two meets we were there 3+ hours). Abby even made it onto the roster this time and again won one of her races -- breast stroke. AND dove without belly-flopping. AND executed flip turns. She's really enjoying it as well.

Maggie, meanwhile got signed up for the "teen fit" program at the JCC where she had 4 personal training sessions and then took a test to be "certified" to use the equipment at her age rather than waiting until 16. She enjoys it and went to work-out with me yesterday morning. Today she chose to sleep in.....since it's only 5 minutes from here, I can easily take her pretty much when she wants.

Today we managed to get Abby her school uniforms for next year. Although Maggie is a small person, Abby's even tinier. So, smaller skirts, new blouses, new socks, and new shoes. She doesn't like the fact that the skirt comes down to her knees.......but that's what's necessary. Sigh.

And, since Tom's not here, we've been renting a watching chick flicks. As well as hitting the theaters after church. So far this summer we've seen Shrek, A-Team, Just Wright, and Prince of Persia in the theater and The Notebook, The Proposal, and Did You Hear About the Morgans? at home, with Duplicity and Leap Year cued up. Tonight friends are sleeping over, so we'll go buy some ice cream for dessert and then order pizza.........and wait for the rain storm that looks like it's coming......

Have a great weekend, all!

some photos

Thanks, mom!

Abby's new glasses.....



Swim meet.....




Ribbon -- Abby won her heat!

end of year activities

Although the girls have been out of school for almost 2 weeks now, we haven't yet slowed down. I THINK that will happen next week, but I'm not sure. Last week we were still busy with rehearsals for recitals (Maggie's ballet was meeting 5X a week for her various dances, plus piano and violin), but we did manage to get parts of their rooms cleaned! Emptied bookshelves, donated/stored/replaced books for both, and got one of Abby's dressers cleaned, inside and out. Personally, I think the closets will be the WORST in that that will also entail emptying all the various bags in them......sigh.

Mom and dad arrived Sunday to enjoy all the festivities here. In addition to the rehearsals, we've seen several movies -- the girls and I saw "Letters to Juliet" last week, on Sunday morning Abby and I saw "Shrek", on Monday we all saw "Prince of Persia" and yesterday Maggie and I saw "Just Wright" while Abby, mom and dad saw "Date Night" (Maggie and I had already seen it). Maggie's ballet recital was Tuesday night and was lovely. She danced in 4 dances in addition to leading the pre-ballet class on stage. She certainly didn't inherit her gracefulness from me! Yesterday was Abby's first swim meet. She swam the freestyle (2nd place in her heat), backstroke (not so good a showing, but she does swim it straight!), and breast stroke (1st in her heat, earning a ribbon). Aside from the 3 events she swam, the swim meet was perhaps one of the most boring things I've ever gone to. We arrived for warm-up at 2, it started at 3, and we left at 6. And we were able to leave before the older kids did breast stroke, before anyone did butterfly, and before almost anyone (aside from the under-6 group) did a relay. Yikes!

Today we were able to sleep in. Later today Maggie has her first personal training session -- there's a program at the JCC that has her taking six personal training sessions that teach her about the equipment, form, stretching, etc. after which she's allowed to use the gym on her own (otherwise you have to be 16 with a parent or 18 alone). Abby has swim practice -- provided the rain and thunder start. Tomorrow we go pick up the girls' glasses. Saturday is the violin recital and piano lesson, Sunday is church and the piano recital. Sigh..........

Hope your summer's going well!