Squeezing in the Fun Before School Starts (August 17 - 26)

In the midst of the recording breaking cold that's descending upon us tonight, let's go back to mid-August to continue our catchup...

After our wonderful trip to the beach (1, 2), we returned to Raleigh with one week remaining of summer vacation. We strived to make the most of it, mostly thanks to my friends dragging me out of the house.

Sunday morning walk through the Greenway. 

Perfect end to our week of vacation with a dinner at Player's Retreat.

Meghan unwinding on the patio after a long, hard day of play.

A busy day at Marbles, Jack started things off driving the bus.

Meghan's cruising in the convertible with the naked baby in the back.

Jack's Graceland, a giant wall clock with which to play.

Fireman Meghan at your service.

Meanwhile Clara is piloting the news helicopter.

Mermaid!Meghan.

Over Saturday night we had a very special visitor, Alex! She had been vacationing in the Outer Banks all week and spent the night with us Saturday before catching her flight back to California on Sunday morning.

We took her for some delicious fried chicken at Beaseley's! She approved.

Then Monday was Clara's first day of school in second grade! Here she is seated at her new desk upstairs for the first time with her friend Miriam.

Jack still had a few more days of freedom due to the staggered entry of the kindergarteners the first week, so we took the opportunity to go to the Durham Science Museum.

If you look closely, you can see a turtle sandwich!

Also Monday marked our 13th wedding anniversary, so what better way to celebrate than at Chuck's with some tasty burgers, fries, and shakes!

Jack and Daddy swung Videri Chocolate factory on the way home to pick up some tasty treats.

Jack tries a salted caramel truffle.

Then on Jack's first day of kindergarten (and only day that week), Daddy, Meghan, & I went out to lunch at Capital Club 16.

Ice and Snow Day

We take a break from our catch-up on the blog to bring you an update on recent goings-on.

Precipitation started here in Raleigh Monday afternoon around 4:30 pm. The kids went out back to get their first taste (in some cases literally) of winter weather for the year.

Meghan "gallops" and Sydney is excited too.

Slip slidin' on the roller coaster.

Sadly the snow very quickly turned to a mix of sleet/freezing rain that continued into the early morning hours. In the morning everyone was eager to get out to explore the great white yonder.

They quickly realized the place to be was on our neighbor Lucy's driveway as it was a giant sheet of ice. A large portion of the morning was spent sliding down it.

First attempts were boot sliding.

Then we upped our sledding game with seat cushions from the deck furniture. Meghan goes sliding.

Jack opts to go sans sled for awhile.

Clara, Lucy, Jack, & Meghan perfecting the running start.

Simultaneously sledding!

Pile-up!

Daddy who was working at home couldn't resist coming out to see what all the fun was about. He & takes a turn with Meghan.

After a fun-filled morning of snow play, we took a break after lunch to watch a "little" TV.  Nothing cozier than curling up with Syd in front of a movie. 

Then it was back outside for round two of sledding and preparing for the show! I caught the dress rehearsal. 

There was a brief interlude in our neighbor's backyard to warm up by the fire and eat some tasty s'mores.

Then the kids put on a show...

Part 1 included twists and turns.

 Part 2 was the "boot scooting"

Clara's Summer League Championship Meet

On the Saturday morning before we left for Emerald Isle that afternoon, the intra-city swim league summer championship swim meet was held. It was pouring rain with temperatures in the low 60's. But the children still had fun and swam their last races of the season.

Ridge Road Dolphins.

25 free in the lane slightly to the right of center.

25 breast, once again with the 6 and unders. Her breast stroke seems to take after her mother's.

Way to go, Clara.

Taking Down the Crib (August 6)

A momentous event for our family took place the first week in August... we took down the crib. It has been a constant fixture in our house for over seven years. Meghan used it the longest since she wasn't supplanted by a new baby, however, it was time for the Trick-a-doo to have a big girl bed.

One or several last photo(s) of the kids before it was disassembled. How did they get to be so big?

Let's do this.

And there she is enjoying her big girl bed.

Early August Visit from Nay-Nay

Nay-nay came down the first weekend in August for a visit.

The kids greeted Nay-nay on the front porch when she arrived.

It rained most of the trip, but we had lots of fun anyway taking a trip to the shoe store and relaxing on the couch in front of some movies.

Clara's new rockin' boots courtesy of Nay-nay.

The kids did get all decked out in their rain gear for a brief sojourn outside.

Meghan snuggled with baby Maya on Sydney's couch.

All the rain is good for the garden. One of the zinnias from Jack's birthday party blooming in the flower boxes on the deck.

Also I did a switch-a-roo of the knock-out roses... I took the one that seemed to be floundering in the dirt and moved it up to the pot on the deck. Hopefully it will flourish like the others we started out here did. 

The yellow one on the right seemed to have outgrown the pot, so it took it's rightful spot in the ground in front of the deck.

Last but not least, a fancy border on our garden was extended to near the end of the deck. Now we've just got to work on growing some grass.