Here We Go

Yeah. It’s been a while. I have to admit, the thought of trying to catch up got intimidating!  I miss writing though, so I’m back.  Thanks to Joan for providing the necessary kick in the butt that got me going again.  :)

To summarize the downtime, briefly: several more soccer camps, soccer practice out the ears for everybody, high school soccer tryouts. JV team for Thing One! My parents’ 50th anniversary and a long weekend away with that whole side of the family.  A week at the beach with the other side of the family.  A quick trip to the San Diego area with Himself for a Change of Command ceremony at Camp Pendleton. We are so very proud of his longtime best friend the Colonel, a Marine pilot, and luckily we got out of there the day before the area caught on fire.  It was great to see some dear friends who used to live near us who are now out there, too.  Great progress for Thing Two in his annual checkup with the neurodevelopmental pediatrician. Run-up to school: no more elementary schoolers in the house after all these years!  Wow.  The kids are sixth, seventh and tenth graders this year...we’ve started PSAT prep and serious consideration of colleges with the big one.  Oh, and the house water tank needed replaced, also both furnaces (ugh) and on top of that we've been working with an architect and contractor on plans to completely upgrade the backyard.  Whew.  It’s been a busy summer!!

Deep breath.

Happily for me, the kids are back in school and the year seems to have started well for all three.  Petunia is making the biggest adjustment with the transition from elementary to middle school.  Her first middle school dance is this Friday, may the gods give her father the strength to accept that.  :)  I am now teaching two taekwondo classes a week and making every effort to see the friends I don’t see over the summer, including two who are having significant health issues.  The one real downside of having friends who are substantially older than I am.  If it ever stops raining and cools off, I will be trying to get out hiking with the dog again, too.  I passed the 8000 geocache finds mark a couple of months ago, but darned if I’m going back out in the woods around here till they become less of a muggy swamp.  Last time I tried I ended up stepping in a tick nest, which was just as much fun as you’d imagine it being. Thank goodness for antibiotics.

How’s that for a CliffsNotes version?  I’ll be better going forward, I promise.  I’ve learned my lesson on trying to play catch-up!