Week 33

Tuesday, August 11th

School supply shopping was a little sweeter watching tobyMac getting played in Target.

 This one's for Meg.  She knows.

 Emily came up to spend the night with Maddy.

I picked up C4 after Day 2 of his required driver safety course.  Eight hours with these kids.  Eight hours to discuss the dangers of drugs and alcohol, the dangers of texting while driver, driver distraction, etc. etc.  Eight hours to show horrific accident footage and instill fear into them.  But no! Instead they watched defensive driving videos on VHS tapes.  Hello!!!!!  If you're playing VHS tapes, it's time to change your curriculum!!!  They did discuss what to do if your hood flies open while you're driving!!!!!!  Phew!  Cuz that always happens!  Another win for the government.  Nailed it!

Wednesday, August 12th
I picked up Gabby for the morning, so Sienna and Renna got to play at pick-up.

 This is what they do.  For hours every day.

Thursday, Aug. 13th
Card tricks.  (Sean had spent the night.)

Girls Night In!!

Friday, August 14th
We prepared to go on our annual Cape weekend with Bob and Jules.  For eight years we have left the kids and snuck away with our buddies for a weekend retreat on the Cape.  This year, we changed it up.  Bob and Jules recently purchased their own Cape home, which afforded more space and flexibility to our travel plan.  For much of the season, they rented the home out, but there were a couple of blocks of days that the house was going to be empty and they very generously gifted us a week at the house.  So, we stuck to our adults only weekend tradition, and then the kids joined up with us on Monday after Bob and Jules returned home.

Here, the kids were packing up and preparting to go with Pop and Kiki for the weekend.  Madison (who is now a legit pro traveler) set up a security / customs line and checked the kids luggage.  Upon approval, they received a ticket to get them into Pop's van.  See Rocco's face?  These kids do WHATEVER she tells them to.  He's just in customs line because that's what Mama said to do.  And everyone has fun doing it.

Pop and Kiki picked kids up early which meant Colombo and I were able to get to the beach for the afternoon before meeting B and J for dinner.

We took Dad's recommendation for dinner.

After dinner we met up with Jules' family at the Clubhouse.  Her niece, Olivia, played for open mic.

The kids enjoyed their adventure with Pop and Kiki to Bridge of Flowers and Shelburne Falls.

C4 stayed back in Manchester for Isaac's 16th birthday party.

Saturday, Aug. 15th
We started our morning on Yia Yia's deck.  Two Jehovah's Witnesses greeted us, having no idea what they were in for.  Just eight scripture-quoting evangelicals.  Poor guys.

Dan and Arlene invited us onto the boat.  A boat day is never a guarantee, but I always cross my fingers and the last few years, it's worked out.  It was a young, hip crowd; about 20 of us.  Arlene is the most hospitable person, always including everyone and always feeding everyone!  She had all sorts of fancy food that she just kept sending up from the galley.

I love me a boat day!!!

Derrick and Johnny came over on the jet ski.

After a Top 10 day on the water, we showered up and headed to dinner at the C Salt.

Sunday, Aug. 16th

We went to Cape Cod church for an incredible service and then...a second invite for the boat!!!  Sunday was a smaller, more mellow group, which included a fascinating couple from Boston.  She's an admiral or some such important person in the Navy, but good, sale-of-the-earth people.

Bob and Colombo swam over to the (darn, I cannot remember what you call those things from 4th grade geography) rock wall thingy and had a heart-to-heart.

Back at home, you can see just how much the kids were missing us!  Slip N Slide at Pop's with cousins!  Thanks, Lis, for the pictures.