What I Did On My Summer Vacation by Amy Jo

I know it seems silly to be recapping my summer vacation when the season only properly began a few days ago, but trust me we've already crammed an entire summer's worth of stuff in! At the time of my last posting, the big children were just wrapping up school. We got them home just in time to ditch the boys with their grandparents and whisk the girls away to Hilton Head for a few days. It was non-stop beach going, swimming, sandcastle building fun.

We got home early Tuesday afternoon, said hello to the boys, got cleaned up and headed out for a fun filled night at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, featuring Ben Folds. We were exhausted, but it was amazing!

We slept like a ton of bricks that night, got up Wednesday, and got straight to work. SOB was off the rest of the week, and we had many projects to tackle. We planted EIGHT MORE SHRUBS (we've been kind of on a shrub planting tear around here), we spread 8 yards of mulch inside the garden and around the new shrubs, we pulled up all of the carpeting in the basement and on the stairs leading there, then SOB fixed the sub floor down there in anticipation of our brand new carpet that was supposed to be installed yesterday but still isn't here, we bought new couches, we mowed and weed whacked many blades of grass, harvested many peas, cleaned out the entire garage, and SOB (with the help of my dad) built me an amazingly awesome new chicken coop out of reclaimed doors from this very house that we live in! 

The little chickens aren't so little anymore, and keeping them in the garage was keeping the garage very filthy. Now they can all live happily outside! 

(Related: do you know anyone who might want a few roosters?) 

Oh, and I also shot a wedding all day Saturday, with the help of my lovely and talented new assistant, my sister-in-law Tori!

Then first thing Monday morning, I dropped three kids off at camp and headed to court for the very first time in my life! It was nerve-wracking, even though I knew the outcome mattered nil. I just had to make an appearance so that one of many bureaucratic boxes could be checked off. 

Today Sam is off on an amazing adventure, and I'm all super mixed emotion-y about him growing up and having experience on his own, but that's another post for another day. I'm stuck here waiting (still) for the afore mentioned carpet to arrive and be installed for a little bit longer before camp pick up. If the sun stays out maybe we'll go swimming tonight. 

Summer, you're pretty bitchin' so far.

I Took My Kids To Puerto Rico, and All They Got Was a Lousy Sunburn

Well, there is a first time for everything, and this was the first time we took the big kids on a vacation without the littles. SOB had gone to San Juan for work during the summer, and the folks he met there were quite enthused with his performance, so they invited him to return for a conference in the fall. Visiting a tropical island just as the weather becomes dreary? Sign me up!

We visited a tropical rain forest...

Frolicked in the sea (we did not yet realize that we had forgotten the sunscreen)...

Listened to some great local music...

Enjoyed some great local cuisine (observe the redness in Sam's face)...

And swam some more in the pool! (In the early evening, because by then they were rather pink and we knew we didn't have any sunscreen. Parenting FAIL!)

But despite the minor sunburns, we all had a blast and can't wait to go back!

Big Kid Vacationing

Wow. Long ago, I used to blog all the time. Now I just sit and edit photos all of the time. BUT! I only have one session left on my schedule (plus 6 unscheduled, but I'm pretending those don't exist!) and only five sessions left to edit. Perfect timing for a vacation!!!

Well, not exactly, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. We planned a ton of stuff for October and November before I knew exactly how busy I was going to be. So our trip to Philly to see Pearl Jam was a little ill timed, but we had a blast. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep, but it was so worth it. Some opportunities are only going to come along every so often. Pearl Jam won't be touring forever. And sometimes, SOB gets a business opportunity that we can't pass up. So on Thursday we leave for a four day trip to Puerto Rico!

Not all of us, though. It may seem cruel, but we're leaving Maggie and Freddie at home. We love those little buggers, but when it comes to treks through the tropical rain forest or snorkeling, well, they suck. And sometimes, when we are vacationing without their grandparents or a babysitter, it means that we end up missing out on some amazing things. Also, air travel costs mucho dinero, and the cost of leaving  them here in the comfort of their own home with loving, caring people, well, it doesn't cost anywhere near as much. So yeah, they get to stay at home. Hooray?

Maggie is keenly aware of this fact, and has been toying with my emotions. She asks me on a daily basis if I'll stay with her forever and never leave her. She cries and whines and begs to come along. She wraps herself around my leg and refuses to let go. At this point I've promised to bring her back an amazing present, and also to let her eat all of the Halloween candy she wants while we're gone.

By the time I buy them their guilt gifts and pay for all of their dental bills, it will probably be more expensive than taking them along. But I'm hoping that the things we do with Sam and Lucy will make up for that life experiences. Stay tuned for photos!

Boy on Safari

Last weekend we went to Philadelphia, and we left Sam there. With his aunt, not alone on the streets or anything. It's been crazy weird not having him around this week, but I'm pretty sure he'd stay there forever if we'd let him. In his absence, the girls are getting along pretty well, and I'd estimate that the fighting is down at least 73% this week. Big brother is apparently also a big instigator.

In addition to making our house quieter, this week has been really good for him. He had a lot of trouble adjusting when his aunt had a baby, but now that his little cousin is older things are evening out. He can interact more with her, and being 7 years old, he can also be a big help to his beloved Yani. For example, he pushed the cart at the grocery store when the baby was fussing and she had to be carried. Uncle is out of town for the week, so Sam has had to be the man of the house, and he loves all of the responsibility and attention.

Sam and Lucy as the bread in an adorable baby sandwich

They've been galavanting all over, going on nature walks and playground, getting ice cream, going to dinner, and visiting places like the Please Touch Museum. Sam is my only kid who really remembers living in Philly, so it awesome that Yani is taking him to do the things that he remembers fondly. He's coming home tomorrow, and luckily Yani and the baby are staying here for one night. I think that will be good for easing back into home life. If you're a long time reader, you know that transitions are a little rough for these kids of mine. 

Plus it gives me a little extra baby snuggle time, which I need otherwise I might go and do something stupid like get pregnant again.