Just like that, summer is over! August started out slow and quickly picked up pace. Erin worked a LOT before school began, racking up the hours and the money! We are proud of her for handling more shifts, as well as driving herself to/from work and also managing a few shift swaps (one that she initiated, and a couple that she picked up to help other people). Anna had a marathon cat-sitting job from the 2nd to the 9th, but Bo and Meadow are fairly easy. Bob, Erin, and I enjoyed a nice morning on the lake on the 3rd.
We prefer mornings in the summer because it's not as hot, not as crowded, and also has less risk of storms popping up.
Anna had a couple of babysitting and dog-sitting jobs over the week of the 4th, as well as hanging out with Juliet on Tuesday and shopping with friends on Wednesday. Bob and I enjoyed a nice anniversary dinner at Caffe Luna on the 6th (they catered our wedding reception!).
I hosted neighborhood Bunco on the 7th while Bob went to a Knights anti-meeting (an exclusive group of guys boycotts the meeting and goes elsewhere at the same time). Anna and I had simultaneous hair appointments on the 8th, which worked out very well. Saturday, Bob and I were back to the lake in the morning, then Erin and I went to an open house for her piano studio before Erin headed on to work. Margaret opened a second studio to accommodate her growing number of students, and it is beautiful! Erin's lessons will be there this coming year, starting in September, with Ms. Cheryl for the first time. We enjoyed seeing the space, checking out the new pianos, and participating in fun activities. Even better, we entered the raffle and won a month of free lessons! So exciting!
That evening, Anna babysat for the Wagerle girls, Bob met his friend Colin at a brewery, and Erin was working. Finley and I held down the fort.
Sunday the 10th was a super fun day in Concord for Grandma A.'s 70th birthday! We went to mass at St. James with the cousins, then to lunch at a Mexican place near their house, and back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for cake, presents, and visiting. It was wonderful, and we are thankful that Erin happened to have that day off of work! The girls ventured to school on Monday afternoon for a meeting for the annual Freshman Welcome Day, which now they were both helping with instead of experiencing as a freshman. Tuesday, Erin drove herself to her friends' joint birthday party while Anna had an eye doctor appointment. Anna also babysat for her buddies, the Lemons boys, 3 times this week, in addition to a couple of other times this month. Anna had Sophomore Welcome Day on the 13th and Erin had Junior Welcome Day on the 14th; both were much less exciting than Freshman Welcome Day. They had mass, a class meeting, and walked their schedules for a quick intro to each class. Friday the 15th was a holy day, and the 4 of us all went to mass that evening. Saturday morning, Bob and I went back to the lake, Erin worked, and Anna babysat. Sunday, Anna checked out Mad Splatter paint room in Apex with friends Bella and Evan, and we all went to St. Michael's evening mass after Erin got off work.
Monday the 18th, the girls went to help at Freshman Welcome Day and I went to book club that evening. Tuesday was the first official day of school for everyone.
They have a complicated driving/parking situation this year; juniors don't usually get a parking spot on campus, but they can bypass that by sharing a spot with a friend. So, Erin and Olivia are sharing a spot that each gets to to use half the time. On their "off" days, they park at the satellite lot at Carter-Finley across the road. So far, it's going well and they're ironing out the kinks. Classes seem to be starting off strong as well!
Anna watched cat friends Louis and Lilly for 5 days over that weekend, and Erin took the SAT on Saturday the 23rd. She worked really hard to prepare, taking a weekly class via Zoom for 10 weeks with Olivia and Vera over the summer. Sunday, Erin worked and we were back to the lake, enjoying beautiful weather post-Hurricane Erin (which did not hit us; she cooperated and stayed out in the Atlantic). Monday, the girls went in early for an Admissions Ambassadors meeting, of which they are both a part. They also had an all-school mass to start the year, and Erin had a meeting after school for her Service Beakers club. Anna had a Cooking Club meeting on Wednesday. The clubs are gearing up for a great year!
Bob enjoyed the first Wolfpack game of the season on Thursday night against ECU with his friend Dave. The Pack won after blowing a solid lead early in the game.
We all had a blast at the first Gibbons home football game on the 29th; they beat the top-seeded team out of Virginia and snapped their 3-year winning streak! Erin worked over the weekend (thankfully, Harris Teeter hasn't scheduled her during the week for the first few weeks of school, allowing her time to adjust to her school schedule and driving). Anna went shopping for homecoming dresses with Bella on Sunday.
So, we are back at it! Everyone is adjusting to the girls driving themselves to/from school (my days feel so much longer without the 2 hours in the car each day), and Erin is doing a wonderful job with it. It's going to be a great school year!
