September

We felt the full ramp-up of the school year this month! It was a busy and great one. Labor Day was on the 1st this year, and we celebrated with a beautiful morning out on the lake with the McGee ladies. It was a little chilly for swimming, but we all enjoyed hanging out on the boat and snacking on our feast. Erin started her piano club for the year on the 2nd. Ms. Margaret opened a new studio this year in the first floor of a storage unit building, and Erin is taking her lessons there with Ms. Cheryl for the first time (that time slot worked best with Erin's schedule). So far, it's going great! Erin, Laney Tierney, and two younger boys are in the piano club, and Erin is enjoying getting back in the swing of piano. We had a few windows repaired this month after I realized that they wouldn't stay open when I was washing them. We are now fully operational for fall weather, so now, it just needs to cool down for good!

Anna babysat for the Lemons family on Thursday night, the 4th, while their parents went to a concert. Bob enjoyed an afternoon on the lake with Justin on Friday, and then we all (plus Lyla and Bella) went to a Gibbons football game that they won! Saturday, the 6th, Bob and I had a fun time at the NCSU vs. UVA football game, including tailgating with breakfast burritos. It was SO HOT, but the Pack managed a win in typical stressful fashion. 

Anna babysat for new clients, the Rooks, that afternoon, and Erin worked. I had my first piano lesson of the year on the 8th and am happy to be back at it. Anna went to Joe's football game on the 10th which was another win in the so-far undefeated season for the JV team. We ladies got our flu shots on the 11th, and Bob decided to make use of the mail-order flumist option this year. It showed up in a giant cooler with 6 ice packs! Anna babysat for the Koesters that Friday night and enjoyed getting to see them again. Bob, Finley, and I had a nice morning on the boat on the 13th.

Lyla stayed over with us on the night of the 14th while her parents were out of town, and Anna and Lyla went to their first meeting of The Way (youth group) for the year. This is their second and final year of Confirmation prep, and unfortunately the parish is now requiring everyone to attend weekly, regardless of if they're getting theology instruction in school or not (eye roll). We can make it to April!

The week of the 15th was pretty much normal, including a book club night on the town, checking out a new wine bar in downtown Holly Springs. We ladies hit the nail salon on Thursday ahead of the big Homecoming dance on Saturday! The homecoming football game was Friday, and for some unknown reason, Gibbons was matched against a really tough team from Charlotte for the big game and came up short. It was a hard fight, though! Bob worked the Oktoberfest dinner at StMM that evening while we were at the game, and that was a big success.  Saturday, Erin worked from 11am-5pm and then took herself to her friend Mady's house to get ready for the dance and have dinner. She had a blast with her friends, both at Mady's and also at the dance! Once they finally made it through the long line to get in the door, they danced all night and were some of the last ones to leave! Anna went to Lyla's to get ready with Lyla, Bella, Marisa, and Grace. After a few hours of prepping and pics, she went home to meet up with Joe for dinner at our house and the dance. They also had a really great time and enjoyed getting all dressed up! Bob and I watched the Pack fall to Duke on TV between all of the dance festivities.

Sunday was some recovery time from the dance as well as church, work for Erin, and youth group for Anna. Erin had a meeting for Service Beakers on Monday and Anna went to Joe's game that evening, which they won again! He plays tight end. Erin had her annual dermatology follow-up bright and early on Wednesday morning and got a good report. Bob and I had a busy evening at Back to School Night on Thursday, where we got to meet the girls' teachers and get a feel for their schedule. All of the classes and teachers seem to be really great! 

They were off school on the 26th for a teacher workday, so we took advantage of that to visit UNC Wilmington. It was a great day, and we enjoyed learning more about the school. It's the biggest school that Erin has toured with about 15,000 students, but is still much smaller than a lot of the state schools. It's also nice that they have nearly every major that she is considering, so if she ends up wanting to make a change, it would be easy to do so there. It's a strong contender, and we like the in-state tuition! 

Saturday, Bob worked at the Knights BBQ and Erin worked. Sunday was more church/work/youth group. Erin had a trip to The Raleigh School, walkable from Gibbons, for her first Service Beakers trip for the year. 

That pretty much rounds out the month! It's been busy but great. The kids are settled into their school routine and are adjusting to classes. Both are finding that this year's classes are more work and more difficult than last year, but I think they'll be ok. Anna is taking AP World History, which is definitely lots of work. She is enjoying it, though. October is looking great with a few special events, plus Bob gets to travel again - to Goteborg, Sweden! 

September!

September was busy!  Bob started out the month with a fun evening at the NASCAR race in Darlington with Chris, Logan, Doug, and Sean.  The weather was great, and he had a lot of fun!  Meanwhile, we ladies had a fun shopping outing at Crabtree mall for homecoming dresses.  I enjoyed a nice dinner out with neighbor friends Tara and Angie, who I don’t get to see as often as I would like.  We miss the days of hanging out while our little kids played together!  The next day was Labor Day; Anna went shopping with Bella, and all of us had a nice Mexican dinner with Liz and David.  Tuesday was back to school, and the rest of the week was back to the usual routine.  Anna got her hair done on Thursday, but thankfully it was a much shorter appointment than the last one she had in May!  Friday the 6th was the first home football game of the year, and it was a good one!  Anna went home with Lyla after school to get ready, and then we all met back up at the game.  The student section theme for this game was “Hawaiian”, so they all had fun dressing for the theme!  

Saturday, Anna had her regular morning babysitting job, then we enjoyed a nice afternoon at the lake before watching the Wolfpack get beaten badly by Tennessee that evening.

Sunday the 8th was pretty laid back, except for getting our flu shots against some people’s wills.  Monday, Bob headed out for his nearly 2 week trip, beginning in New York for work meetings until Thursday evening.  From there, he flew to Reykjavik, Iceland, where he spent 4 days and 3 nights exploring!  He rented a camper van (it sounds like that is more commonly done there compared to here), which was a Land Cruiser SUV fitted with a queen-sized mattress, cooktop, cooler/refrigerator drawer, dishwashing sink, and heater.  He traveled around the southern/western part of the island and got to see the northern lights, waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, geothermal hot springs, beautiful black sand beaches, snow, and so much more!  He hiked quite a bit and had a really good time.  His pictures are amazing!  From there, he flew Monday night to Vienna, where he attended a conference until Friday morning, when he flew home.  It was a good trip, and he utilized the Frankfurt to Raleigh flight on Lufthansa again.  

While he was gone, all went smoothly at home.  Anna had a 16-day cat-sitting job for her friends next door, which went fine.  The girls attended some club meetings and sporting events at school.  I had a few meetings for school, youth group, and book club, in addition to the regular piano and Y visits.  One of the meetings was Back to School Night at Gibbons, where I got to visit the girls’ classes and meet their teachers.  It was great!  We had a lot of rain early in the week, which worked out great for our yard reseeding that Thursday.  I am so excited to have started back with volunteering at the Catholic Parish Outreach food pantry in Raleigh once a week!  My first day was on the 12th, and my job was “running” the carts of groceries to the families’ cars.  The next two Thursdays, I’ve been assembling the carts, which is also super fun.  I am thoroughly enjoying being back there after a 16-ish year hiatus (I helped there when I was in nursing school, before Erin was born) ;)

The kids were off school on the 13th for a teacher workday, which ended up being a rainy and relaxing day.  Erin had a dermatology checkup, which went well.  We continue to treat her eczema as it flares up.  We watched the Gibbons football game online that night because it was so rainy (they lost, sadly).  

Saturday the 14th, Anna had a fun trip to Busch Gardens with the freshman class.  The weather was good and she enjoyed going somewhere new!  She rode some rides, but wasn’t quite up for some of the biggest roller coasters.  While she was gone, Erin and I had a spontaneous college tour where we checked out 4 schools in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area.  First, we stopped at Elon, where we were invited to join a tour group that was starting at the same time.  It was awesome to get the guided tour and learn more about the school.  Elon is a medium-sized school (about 7,000 students) on a beautiful campus.  I was personally surprised at how much it’s grown since I was looking at schools!  

From there, we walked through UNC Greensboro and snuck in to the music building (it was awesome) and had a lunch break.  Then it was on to Guilford College (very small, but nice), and Salem College (even smaller, but also nice).  It was a great day, and a great idea of Erin’s to go!  

The following week was fairly calm.  We got a few quotes for a tankless water heater, which will be installed in October.  I helped in the school store one day, which was as fun as usual.  Bob got back without incident on Friday afternoon.  The girls had their homecoming dance on Friday evening, and had a blast!  Erin went to her friend Mady’s house to get ready and eat dinner.  

I think they were tired all weekend after the big night out!  Saturday, Erin, Bob, and I went to Logan’s cross country race in Cary.  That was a huge event with 11 races, and he did a great job!  

After that, we watched the Pack lose to Clemson, and then Bob cooked at the church jambalaya event while Anna babysat and Erin and I went out for Japanese food.  

Bob and I had a nice morning on the boat on Sunday while the others slept in.  We all went to the first youth mass of the year on Sunday evening (the 22nd), and the ladies stayed after for the first youth group meeting.  It wasn’t too bad (as far as youth group goes).  This is the year that both kids will go; Erin will be confirmed this April, and then she will be finished.  Anna is just starting the 2-year program.  The week of the 23rd was busy but routine with some club meetings, piano, and Anna watched her friends’ field hockey game on Wednesday. We tried to watch our away football game in the rain on Thursday on TV, but had some technical difficulty.  Gibbons is currently 3-1, which is better than NC State’s 2-2.  They got a day off on Friday for Hurricane Helene, which thankfully only brought about 2” of rain and some wind, but no power loss, to us.  Bob cooked at Oktoberfest at church on Friday evening, and Anna had another babysitting job.  

The plan for Saturday is for Anna to have her morning babysitting job and the rest of us to clean up the yard from the storm before watching the Pack hopefully beat Northern Illinois, and then hitting the lake in the late afternoon.  Sunday will just be church and prep for the week, and Monday after school, Erin gets to go to her first school visit this year for her Service Beakers club, and it happens to be at St. Mary Magdalene!  She is looking forward to seeing the kids and teachers there.  Next week is also spirit week at school before the homecoming football game on Friday.

So, it was a busy month with lots of rain and lots of events!  We are thankful that all went smoothly, and we are looking forward to a special event next month:  Erin’s Sweet 16!  Can you believe it?! 

Hi - Erin :) <3

September!

September was very busy!  We are fully back into the school year, and it's even beginning to feel like fall most days!  We started out the month with welcoming Anna home from her 4-day 8th grade field trip to the Green River Preserve way out in western NC.  She had good weather (they only had a little rain from a tropical storm) and a wonderful time!  They did a lot of hiking and some water/lake activities.  She came home super tired and with a lot of stinky laundry!  On the 2nd, we had a really fun visit from the Summer cousins including a trip to the pool and a girls' shopping trip!  Sunday, Bob, Erin, and I (and Finley) enjoyed some boat time while Anna went to the trampoline park with the Mitchells.  

We took in a Sunday evening mass at the cathedral, which was very nice.  Anna went to an optional volleyball practice on Monday, and we mostly relaxed the rest of that day.  

I got to catch up with two friends from WAY back in our St. Andrew's moms group days on the 5th, which I enjoyed very much!  I went to Back to School Night at Gibbons on the 7th and really enjoyed getting to meet Erin's teachers and experience the crowded hallways of high school!  Erin had a fun field trip to the art museum with her dance class that morning as well.  Friday, I finally got to help in the StMM cafeteria for the first time this year, which was great, and Anna played her third of three volleyball games that week.  It was a busy week back to the grind for her!  

Saturday was the long-awaited and much-anticipated friend boat day for Erin, but sadly it was very stormy, and even the NC State football game had a long weather delay.  So, instead, the friends came to our house and played games, took a walk, and ate.  They still seemed to have a good time.  

The following week was more of the same, including Back to School night for StMM on Wednesday, and Bob's trip to Sydney that began on Thursday.  This time, he took a weekend side trip to Tasmania before working the following week.  Even though his planned air tour was canceled due to wind, he still enjoyed seeing the city of Hobart, going to church, and hiking down Mt. Wellington.  Not many people can say that they have been to Tasmania, but Bob can!

Erin's first session of The Way (youth group requirement for Confirmation) started on the 17th.  It has been wrought with drama, but we are giving it a go and hoping it all goes well.  She will attend 12 sessions of that on Sunday nights this year, and 12 more next year.  We ladies were busy this week with school and activities while Bob was gone.  It all went smoothly, except that Erin got sick with a cold/fever on Thursday.  She only missed one day of school because they had a teacher workday on Friday, but she also had to miss the homecoming dance on Thursday and the homecoming football game on Friday.  The football game was very wet due to tropical storm Ophelia, but Anna and I still went and enjoyed the tailgate (but we left right after the game started).  We had to reschedule Erin's first day of driving with the instructor on Friday, but she was better in time to do Sunday's session.  We were all nervous, but she did great!  She drove the whole time in neighborhoods and on two-lane roads, practiced parking, and it sounds like she did a really good job.  Way to go, Erin!  Due to the instructor's schedule, she won't drive again until October 20th, then the 21st, and will take her permit test on the 27th.

Anna began her 2-week cat sitting job for the neighbor cats on the 23rd (big money!).  Bob made it back to the states on Saturday but detoured to Charlotte for the Eric Church concert on Sunday night with Chris, Leslie, 2 of their friends, and our neighbor friend Kevin.  They had lots of fun!  He got back to Holly Springs on Monday morning.  The rest of that week was more of the usual, complete with 2 volleyball games.  I got to volunteer at the Gibbons school store for the first time on the 27th, and I enjoyed that very much!  After that, I had signed up for an hour of Adoration in the chapel, which was also really nice.  

High school has been a big change, but it seems like it's all going well, and Erin is doing a great job both in classes and with trying to get involved.  She's joined the FYI club (Franciscan Youth International) that does local service projects, as well as a science club that teaches at middle schools in the area.  She tried a dance club, but decided that it wasn't for her.  Her dance elective also has some opportunities outside of school; she's completing the honors option for the class which involves attending some extra classes before school, attending a dance event, and creating a presentation about college dance programs.  Erin really enjoys the freedom at high school and being able to hang out with friends before and after school.  Speaking of high school, Anna has started her Gibbons application for next year, and she will have her visit day on Friday the 29th.  She's very excited about that!

Otherwise, we've been enjoying watching Gibbons football and our Wolfpack as well.  Both are having pretty good seasons so far.  We are hoping to get out on the lake this Saturday before it cools down much more.  Bob will head out on his combo New York/London trip on Sunday, then he's got a couple more domestic trips planned in October.  It's a busy fall, but all good things!  Bring on October, complete with #15 for Erin!

September!

We had a great month!  We started out with Anna's first volleyball game of the season on the 1st, which they won!  With 2 games to go, her team is undefeated so far this season!  This year, there are 2 JV volleyball teams, and Anna only plays in the Thursday games.  The other team plays on Tuesdays.  It is actually quite nice to have Tuesdays off and only have half of the away games to deal with!  

We had a fun Labor Day weekend, beginning with a great day at Jordan Lake with the Summer cousins on Saturday!  We got a pontoon boat and had a great time swimming, tubing, and eating a picnic feast! 

 Bob and I enjoyed a Wolfpack Women's' soccer game on Sunday afternoon while Anna was at Addie's house and Erin was watching Finley.  It was a hot one and they didn't get the win, but we still enjoyed it.  After that, the 3 of us went to see our neighbor friends' (the Baileys) new house, just down the road.  It is beautiful!  Monday, we did some things around the house, Anna had volleyball, and Erin had piano.  

The rest of the week was mostly the usual routine, ending with a fun family tailgate night at Gibbons!  Saturday the 10th, the girls got flu shots and Bob headed to Ireland.  We ladies hung around the house the rest of the weekend, preparing for my trip.  Anna had friends Grace, Lyla, and Addie over on Sunday.  Grandma arrived on Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday was my turn to fly to Dublin!  The trip recap can be found HERE.  

While we were gone, everyone at home did great and got everything done that they needed to do!  Grandma headed back Wednesday morning.  The rest of that week was the usual, plus the kids having their one-day retreats, where I helped with the lunches.  They had Friday off of school for a teacher workday, and Anna went to a fun party at friend Lyla's house that day.  Saturday, we showed the kids some local culture by finally taking them to Cook Out in Fuquay, meeting up with Bob's friend Praveen who was in town.  We had a nice, but cooler, boat ride on Sunday afternoon with Finley.  Only Anna was brave enough to get in the water!  

Anna also watched neighbor dogs Tornado and Sheeba for 4 days over the weekend.  

Monday the 26th was back to normal, including an away volleyball game in Chapel Hill.  I ended up being busy this week with 2 days volunteering in the cafeteria, helping reorganize the used uniform store at school one day, and helping with the fall teacher luncheon one day.  The kids were pleasantly surprised to have no school on Friday due to Hurricane Ian.  Most of Friday there was just light to moderate rain with some wind, both of which increased from about 4-8pm.  We did end up losing power around 8pm and played a fun game of Apples to Apples and then Hangman by lamplight (thanks to Bob's new UPS from work).  Thankfully, it wasn't hot, so losing power was not a big deal.  

Saturday, we had some delicious pour-over coffee thanks to Bob and did some cleaning up of the yard in the morning, then played Scattergories, then took showers (gas water heater for the win) and went out to Mexican for lunch and then some shopping at Target.  It seemed that our neighborhood was in a pocket of Holly Springs without power while most of the rest of our area had it.  After getting home, we relaxed and enjoyed the quiet, then decided we might as well go to church that evening.  After church, we were heading to get subs at Jersey Mike's when we got notifications that the power had been restored!  Yay!  It ended up being just under 23 hours without power.  Anna still went over to sleep at Sarah's as previously planned (her survival skills were running out).  We had to throw out a couple of bags of food from the fridge and 1.5 gallons of milk, but really we didn't lose too much.  All frozen meat was still frozen, so we just pitched the ice cream from the freezer.  As far as power outages go, this one was not that bad.  Our total rainfall in our rain gauge was 3.5", not including some light rain Sunday afternoon/evening.

So, that was September!  We had a highlight in the Ireland trip, plus some hurricane excitement at the end.  We are following our Wolfpack football closely, as they were ranked as high as #10 in the country before losing to #5 Clemson.  We are also enjoying following the Wolfpack womens' soccer team, as well as Gibbons football.  Fall is the best!  

September!

Well, another month of Covid has come and gone.  I guess we have made small progress towards normalcy, but we still have a long way to go.  School has been in for 6 weeks now and all is going well.  There have not been any outbreaks or problems related to being in school.  We complete a health questionnaire every morning before school (same for piano lessons and soccer), and they screen each kid and adult who enters the school with a forehead thermometer.  The governor stated in the middle of September that schools could reopen on "Plan A", which was the least restrictive of the 3 options, at the discretion of each county/school system.  After that, he went to "Phase 2.75", which allows outdoor sports events to allow spectators at 10% capacity or something like that.  Also, as of October 2nd, the state will move to "Phase 3", which is the final stage towards reopening businesses.  I think the main difference is that movie theaters, bars, and amusement parks can now open if they choose to.

Anyway, the month started out with us adjusting to the new normal of school, my new job in the school cafeteria, and Bob continuing to work from home.  We had a really fun Labor Day weekend with cousins Logan, Ansley, Ben, and Elliott coming up to visit!  We all did a 2-mile hike around Bass Lake here in Holly Springs, then the dads and Logan camped overnight at Falls Lake while the moms and everyone else had a fun sleepover here, including swimming at the pool!  

Elliott and Finley had a blast together!  Then Sunday we watched church on TV and drove up to StMM for communion.  They all headed back home after a pizza lunch.  We got our flu shots on Monday, woo hoo!  

The following week was pretty routine, with me spending a day at school working the used uniform sale.  Since parents can't go in to the building right now, we had to lug all of the donated used uniforms out, organize them on tables and racks, and be there to take money from people.  It worked out well, but was hot!  Our next one is October 6th, and that will be much better weather!  Thursday the 10th was Erin's first in-person ballet class since March, and she was a bit intimidated by the higher level class and teacher, but the following week went much better.  The weekend of the 12th-13th was nice - we went to our friend Emilyanne's birthday parade, Anna played at Caroline H.'s house, and Bob served meals on Saturday and Sunday.  We also picked Olivia up and did a fun hike and picnic at Jordan Lake on Sunday.

The week of the 14th was a beautifully cool week, which we all really appreciated and enjoyed...especially Finley!  I had fun at my first in-person book club since March on Monday and also a neighbor mom outing to a craft place on Wednesday.  

We had a busy week with school, cafeteria duty, activities (piano for Erin and me, soccer for Anna, and ballet for Erin), and the kids got their passports renewed (technically, reapplied since they are under 16 years old).  We had a WILD time at the Holly Springs Post Office when we applied for their passports on the 16th...an older gentleman walked in to the post office while we were there completing the passport paperwork (a bunch of other people were in there too) and a gun fell out of his pocket/pants!  Chaos ensued and the postal workers were VERY upset at the guy - apparently he comes in there every day and they know him somewhat.  He retrieved his weapon, walked out, and rode away on a motorcycle without saying a word!  Crazy!   We never felt in danger since this guy was moving very slowly, though Bob said later that he was most worried about him accidentally shooting it when he picked it up off the floor.  We've had fun telling that story!

We were beyond excited for the first NC State football game on Saturday the 18th against Wake Forest, which they won!  The second game against Virginia Tech didn't go so well, but we are grateful that they are playing.  Sunday the 20th was the first official "Mass in person" where anyone could come, not just those who were volunteering as ministers of some sort.  Yay!  They continue to offer the video of the mass on YouTube and also a Sunday evening outdoor mass, weather permitting.  The next week was status quo until our big trip to Colorado on Thursday.  We had a blast!  You can read more about the trip HERE.  

After returning on Sunday evening (we dropped Bob off at the meal distribution site and he jumped right in, literally on the way home from the airport), we tried to readjust to Eastern Time, which took a day or so.  Then it was back to the grind!  

So, September was a good month.  We are still not back to normal, but I guess we are getting there, very slowly.  It's hard to know the real situation with the virus because of media distortion and politics.  We can basically go anywhere now as long as we have a mask on, and there is no longer any concern about touching surfaces (I guess...?).  Clorox wipes are the hottest commodity in the stores, but masks, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper are now stocked in full.  Restaurants are open, and people can eat at tables without masks on.  I still don't quite get how that is "safe" if other similar settings are not, but I won't complain!  Public schools are starting to go back in a phased/rotating schedule beginning in mid-October (elementary and middle schools).  We aren't sure if/how Halloween will go as of now, and the state fair is not going to happen.  Despite that, October will still be a fun and busy month with Miss Erin's big 12th birthday!  She can't wait!

September

Well, September was supposed to be fall, but it sure felt like more summer!  The beginning of the month was Labor Day weekend, and we enjoyed cat-sitting for Liz and David’s cats and going to the neighborhood end-of-summer pool party on Monday with Sarah in tow.  Tuesday was my first time back volunteering in the cafeteria since getting Finley, and it was so much fun as always!  Wednesday was back-to-school night where I got to hear more about the school year ahead.  Thursday the 5th was an unexpected day off due to Hurricane Dorian, which ended up not causing any issues here - just some damage off the outer banks area.  Erin saw Ms. Amy for reading practice while Anna and I took Finley for a hike at Middle Creek Park.





Friday was back to school on a 2-hour delay and the usual dance runs.  Saturday we watched some Wolfpack football and had a fun dinner out with Liz and David.

The following week was pretty standard with the main excitement being Finely chewing up Anna’s glasses.  We were able to replace the frames the next day since they had them in stock, and she made do for about a week until the new lenses came in.  Oh, Finley!  Friday the 13th was picture day and I enjoyed helping with that in the afternoon.  Saturday, I had a really fun trip to Charlotte with my friend Amy who I don’t get to see nearly often enough.  We drove there in the afternoon, had dinner downtown and enjoyed a fun comedy show by Jennifer Fulwiler at the Blumenthal.  Then we had some yummy dessert and snacks and stayed the night at the nice new AC Hotel at the Epicenter.  Sunday we tried out St. Peter for mass and then had breakfast at Amelie’s before heading home.  It was a great time, and all went well at home.

Bob went to Chicago for part of the following week, and otherwise not much was out of the ordinary until Friday evening when Bob and the girls headed to Indian Beach straight from dance class to stay at our neighbor dog friend Ruby’s condo for the weekend!  I, sadly, went to a mom friend Courtney’s visitation that night and funeral Saturday morning.  She had been fighting cancer for many years.  After the funeral, I drove to the beach and we had a lot of fun at the pool (cold water!), game room, picnic on the beach for dinner, and then church Sunday morning before the girls and I headed back for the dance school’s holiday cabaret auditions.  Sadly, neither Erin nor Anna got cast this year, but we are looking on the bright side of having Sundays free this fall!  Bob stayed behind at the condo to clean up before heading back.  Finley had a nice 30 hours at the kennel that weekend.











The girls were off on Monday the 23rd for a teacher workday, so we took advantage of that by getting them their flu shots.  Then we played at home with Laney until taking Laney and Erin to their piano lessons that afternoon.  Bob went to Atlanta that week, and we had the usual activities.  Saturday, Anna resumed tennis after a monthlong hiatus due to the coach’s and our travel, and then Erin had friends Olivia and Vera over to play in the afternoon.  After Vera went home, Olivia and Erin went to the pool and then we all (including Finley) went to Olivia’s house for a fun dinner.  Finley had the best time playing with Ginger!  Sunday, the girls and I, plus Laney and Joey, went to the pool for one last swim of the year before it closed, and then we all had a yummy Mexican dinner.

So, that was September!  As I write this, it is October 2nd and is still around 90 degrees.  We have promise of cooler weather starting on Friday, so I cannot wait!  October is going to be as fun as always with Erin’s birthday and Halloween coming up!

September

We had a great month of September, which still felt like summer the whole month long (booooo...).  We started out Labor Day weekend by inviting Bob's newly relocated co-worker Matt and his family, including Erin's classmate Isaac, over for dinner on the 1st.  Sunday we had a great time at Enzo's house with his family, despite a thunderstorm that cut the swimming short for the kids.  Monday, I hosted neighborhood book club here, which is always a fun time.  We also had our kitty sitting job that weekend and enjoyed our time with Jelly Bean and Muffin.



Tuesday the 4th was back to school, and we all had a busy week with work, school, activities, and volunteering/other stuff.  It felt good to be back in a routine after the long summer!  Saturday the 8th, Anna's friend Sofia came over and we girls all went to the Wescott end-of-summer pool party, which was lots of fun.  The 9th was the monthly pancake breakfast at church that Bob worked at, but we ladies opted for a trip to Michaels for craft supplies instead.  One day, we will get to a breakfast!  We also were very productive that afternoon, cleaning out the playroom (which you would never know now).

The ladies and I all got our flu shots during the first two weeks of the month, which did not go over well, but hopefully they will help keep us healthy this winter.  The week of the 10th brought lots of excitement over Hurricane Florence, which was all the hype for many days until Florence arrived on the night of the 13th/daytime on the 14th.  The kids were off school that Friday, but we felt lucky because Wake County ended up losing 3 days of school.  Florence thankfully only brought us lots (as in 10-12") of steady rain over 3-4 days and some wind gusts, but we didn't lose power or have any damage other than branches down.  Areas east of here were not so lucky, sadly.  So, we were home most of that weekend and the girls enjoyed lots of neighbor play time and fun at home.  The girls had a closet campout the night of the hurricane, in one of the only rooms of our house without a window.



Ella slept over on Saturday the 15th, and school friend Magali slept over on the 16th because her brother had a very early surgery on Monday the 17th.

The next week included Lunch With Kids day at school on Tuesday the 18th, which is always a great time.  Bob was able to go this year as well, and it was a lot of fun.  We felt like third and fourth wheels to them and their friends, but it's always fun to see them in action.  Otherwise, it was a fairly quiet week with the usual activities.  We had a blast at neighbor Ella's luau birthday party on the 21st!



Bob drove to New Bern on Saturday the 22nd for the day to help the church there and their parishioners.  He did a lot of work and helped a few families out!  While he was gone, we ladies did some baking, sewing, and cleaning.





Sunday the 23rd, Anna went to play at friend Mateo's house, and the girls both tried out for the Holiday Cabaret at the dance school that afternoon.  Sadly, neither one got a part this year, but that is a-ok with me (less shuttling, hassle, and stress!).  It was a tough night when they got the news, but we are all looking past it and on to their spring dance recital.  This is one mom who would be ok if we ended dance after this year...I am missing seeing Anna at tennis, where she seems to have more talent.  We shall see, I guess.

Bob went to Boston for the day on the 25th and even managed to get an early flight home!  I was able to wash windows that day, a few months late of my goal to do that once a year.  I went to another book club the evening of the 27th.  The girls were off on the 28th for a teacher workday, and they appreciated having a quiet day at home and a shopping outing to Learning Express.  I hosted another book club that night which involved some cooking and cleaning, but it went great.  While I did that, Bob and the girls went camping at Umstead Park near the airport (Jordan Lake park is closed due to flooding from the hurricane).  Other than airplane noise most of the time, they had a great time!  We took it easy on the 29th after all that excitement, and on Sunday the 30th, the girls, Sarah, and I went to the pool for one last (chilly) swim.  It was fun!

So, that was September.  We are finally able to eat on the porch again, play outside without sweating like crazy, and are feeling a tiny hint of lower humidity and cooler air.  Thank goodness!  We're also enjoying some Wolfpack football (currently 3-0!).  October will be a fun month with Erin's birthday and Halloween...two big and exciting events!  I personally have been very busy with volunteering at school (cafeteria, recess, and art duty, plus I am room parent for Erin's class this year against my will), keeping up with my 3 book clubs, doing house projects, and the usual daily stuff.  I just can't manage to find a job quite yet!

September

Well, that month went quickly!  We had a really good month, getting in the swing of school.  We had a really fun day on Saturday the 2nd, going out on Jordan Lake with two families from school on one family's boat.  It was a beautiful day and not crowded because it had been rainy that morning.  We all went tubing and had a blast swimming and enjoying the water!  We had a nice Labor Day too, meeting Jimmy and Danny's family for a lunch picnic at Womble Park.  Anna also got in a couple of pool visits that weekend to end the summer as well.  The rest of that week was pretty routine, with the low point being getting flu shots for the girls and me.  They powered through and enjoyed some yummy ice cream afterward.  The weekend was busy with church stuff since they had the annual ministry fair , so Bob was helping with that.  Erin also had fun at ballet class on Saturday.

The following week was fun and busy, including Lunch with Kids day on Wednesday the 13th.  Sawyer and I definitely felt like third and fourth wheels to the friends! 





That weekend, Bob worked at the Apex Music Fest with the Knights of Columbus while we ladies watched a Wolfpack win and also went over to neighbor friend Ella's house for a birthday playdate/movie party.  Sunday the 17th, we helped collect food for a food drive and then had a fun afternoon watching Erin's BFF Olivia play soccer in Holly Springs.  We enjoyed a yummy ice cream treat after that too!



The girls were off on Monday the 18th for a teacher workday, so we had fun with Sawyer, mostly playing outside, including a garage picnic. 



We all went to Jump Street in Cary that afternoon for Anna's friend Mitchell's trampoline birthday party.  Anna then had tennis after the party, so you can imagine how tired she was that evening!  It was a fun day.  Bob began the first of his 3-in-a-row trips to California that week as well.  Erin was home sick that Wednesday and Thursday with some kind of mild stomach bug, but it wasn't too bad (thankfully), and, even better - no sign of SVT!  That weekend was more Wolfpack football (at home - we have not tried to take the girls yet since those games are so long), and a fun dinner out on Saturday, complete with face paint.  Erin decided on Sunday to try out for the Holiday Cabaret at her dance school.  I tried to explain the process of trying out and that since she just started ballet and has not taken any other kind of dance, that she might not get a part this year.  She tried out for all 5 pieces in her age group, and she got a part in one!  We were proud of her because the tryout process was pretty crazy and overwhelming, but she seemed to enjoy being a part of it.

The last week of the month was more of the same, with Bob traveling to California and then on to New York, and we ladies holding down the fort.  Sawyer's last day was Friday the 29th, and now I've got a couple of weeks to myself!  We watched neighbor dog friend Bear Thursday-Sunday which hopefully helped Anna get a little dog fix in, since she is working hard every day to get a new dog.  I will say that it is nice to have a cleaner house and not worrying about being home at regular intervals for potty breaks.  I am sure she will wear us down eventually.  Anna and Daddy went to paint pottery on Saturday while Erin and I went to dance.  She is working on creating an army of porcelain!

So, September was a nice month.  We didn't have much earth-shattering going on, but we definitely stayed busy.  October, of course, is Erin's birthday month as well as Halloween, so we are excited for both of those fun things!

September!

We had an exciting month of September at the beginning, and thankfully it calmed down by the end!  On Friday night the 2nd, Anna and Mommy went back to our roots to a Bass Lake concert like we used to do a few years ago.  It was a rainy night, and Anna ended up being the only kid there!  She got two fancy balloon animals, facepaint, and a private concert!  Saturday morning, Erin had gymnastics and we girls went to see Inside Out that evening at Anna's old preschool.



Erin got sick that night, and thus began our excitement.  We noticed her heart beating quickly like what had happened in March, so Bob monitored her for awhile at home while I took Anna to her friend Gerald's pool party.  Erin kept it up, so we called the cardiologist on call and they suggested that we take her in to either the Apex ED or to Wake Med Children's ED in Raleigh.  The Children's ED had a shorter wait time, and we figured it would be better to go there, even though it's further away, since they have more pediatric staff.  So, Bob took her over there and Anna and I met them there shortly after.  After Bob got Erin checked in, they noticed the rapid heart rate still going on (Erin was stable during all of this) around 200-220, so a big group of doctors and nurses rushed her back to a room, got her hooked up to the monitor, IV, and gave her some adenosine IV.  The first dose, 0.1mg/kg, didn't stop the SVT, but the second dose of 0.2mg/kg did.  Then she was ok for an hour or so, but then they tried to give her a beta blocker med orally and she threw it up, which put her back into SVT.  Repeat the crash cart/rapid response/adenosine drill, and they resolved it.  That happened around 6:00pm, and bought us a night in the PICU.  Had she only had the first episode, we would have been able to go home that evening, but since it happened again, they wanted to keep her and monitor her.  They put her in the PICU in case it happened again and the adenosine push didn't work and they needed to start her on a drip.  So, Bob and Anna went home for the night and Erin got moved up to the deluxe room.  She had gotten some IV Zofran which helped her feel better.  I think we were by far the easiest patient that night based on my being nosy.  It was also really empty in the PICU and on the peds floor.  She slept well and did not have any more episodes, but was still not feeling much better due to the virus.  So, Monday morning, we waited around for her to cooperate with eating and drinking, and we finally got the green light to go home around 4pm with an order for daily atenolol until we saw the cardiologist (who we did not see in the hospital; the ED and ICU doctors spoke to them on the phone).



So, we went home, only to have Erin miss the next 3 days of school due to being wiped out from the sickness, plus the beta blocker was slowing her down.  We saw the pediatrician on Tuesday morning, just to get them all caught up on the events of the weekend, and he gave me some more info on the beta blocker.  Wednesday was more of the same - she tried a piano lesson and did ok, but threw up in the car on the way home - maybe just from being dizzy, because the virus had run its course, and Thursday I called the cardiologist complaining about her not being able to sit or stand due to the atenolol.  They suggested splitting the dose and giving her half in the morning and half at night, and that's worked much better (either that, or her body adjusted to it).  So, whew!  We were all happy for her to go back to school that Friday and I was able to enjoy a moms lunch at Lucky 32.  As if Erin hadn't been tortured enough that week, I thought it would be a great idea to get the kids flu shots that Friday afternoon.  Hey, at least we're done now!

That weekend, Erin had gymnastics (a mere hospital stay won't keep her away from that!) and Bob was busy lots of the weekend with the ministry fair at church, which went well.  Sunday was our first Little Flowers meeting of the year, and it is going to be a great year!  We have 6 girls returning from last year, plus 3 new ones.  I think they all had a fun time!  Thankfully, the following week was much more calm.  Bob had a trip to Vegas and Atlanta, and we ladies held down the fort.  Neighbor friend Caitlin and her mom came over for dinner on Wednesday since their dad was out of town that week too.  Friday, Anna was invited to a sleepover at a friend's house, but I got The Call at 9pm to come get her.  She doesn't know that family very well, so I wasn't surprised.  I think she had fun before that point.  Saturday was more gymnastics and Bob worked a music festival in Apex.  We girls had a great time at neighbor friend Ella's gymnastics party!



The girls were off on Monday the 19th for a teacher inservice, so it worked out great to make a trek to Chapel Hill to see the cardiologist.  The electrocardiologist was unexpectedly out of town, so we saw a general pediatric cardiologist.  She recommended sticking with the atenolol for now and having Erin wear a portable Holter monitor for 24 hours to make sure that the medicine is controlling her heart rate properly.  We are still waiting to hear the results of that.  Before the appointment, we had a fun playdate at Anna's school friend Natalie's house and then got washed away in the heavy rain when we left!



The rest of the week was the usual busy schedule with Sawyer, school, piano, ballet, volunteering at school, working out, and I have rejoined the moms Bible study now that Sawyer has preschool on Friday mornings, which I am enjoying.  I also got to go eat lunch with the girls on Wednesday and go to neighborhood Bunco that week.  Bob and I went out for a yummy dinner on Saturday the 24th to Gonza Tacos and Tequila and had an awesome view of the NC State Belltower!  We also had a great time visiting friends Amy, Erik, Bellamy, Dalton, and the two kids they are fostering on Sunday.  In between those things, "we" (Bob) built and painted a dollhouse/bookshelf that has become quite a hit around here.



The last week of the month was more of the same, and now Sawyer is tracked out for almost 3 weeks.  I have big plans to get ready for the yard sale this Saturday, plant flowers, and maybe even paint the guest room and bathroom (that never happens).  We had a great month, but are hoping the medical excitement is over for awhile!

September

Whew, that went fast, and the first week of October is already behind us too!  We had a fun month of September, all getting used to the new routine of school.  Daddy went to Boston the first week of the month, and we ladies held down the fort.  I helped in the school cafeteria, our little buddy Sawyer came over for 3 days, and we had back-to-school night for Erin's class.  Let me just say that first grade is no joke!  They work those kids hard!

Labor Day weekend was lots of fun with Uncle Camping Time at Morrow Mountain State Park.  The report was that it was a little warm and humid, but otherwise fun and everybody had a great time (minus some whining from Erin).  I picked the girls up there on Sunday morning and brought them home while Daddy got to go to a NASCAR race in Darlington, SC, with Uncles Chris and Dale.  They had fun!  We had a laid-back Labor Day, enjoying a nice day at home, and I believe we went to the pool (it's been a long time since then!).  Tuesday was back to school and cafeteria and art class helping for me, then 3 days watching Sawyer.  We also got my car fixed that week after an unfortunate run-in (get it?) in Asheboro in August.  The girl who rear-ended us covered it with her insurance, and it's now as good as new...or as good as 7 years old.  Friday the 11th, Anna had former classmate Weston over to play, then we girls went to neighbor friend Ella's birthday party at the pool while Bob set up for the ministry fair at church.  That was the last day that we went to the pool this season.  Saturday the 12th, we had gymnastics and then Maggie came to babysit while Mommy and Daddy went to Beericana in Holly Springs with neighbor friends Tracey and John.  It was the second year for this festival and our first time going.  It was great weather and lots of fun!

Sunday, we had our first meeting for our new venture, Little Flowers.  It's a girls' club kind of like Girl Scouts, only it's Catholic and is a little less "active" than Girl Scouts.  We just meet once a month, there is no fundraising or camping/trips, and both kids can be in the same group.  We figured we'd try that this year and see what we think.  There are 6 girls in addition to ours, all in kindergarten or first grade, and I think they liked it!  We had a lesson, craft, and snack.  There is a curriculum for it, so we don't have to come up with much other than the craft.  Our next meeting is October 11th, and Erin is especially excited about it!



The girls went to the dentist on the 15th...well, technically only Erin had an exam.  Anna got very upset and had to come back on Friday morning.  The weekend of the 19th and 20th was nice and quiet, with just gymnastics and church.  The girls were off on the 21st for a teacher workday, and we enjoyed some time together and ran a few errands.  The rest of that week was more of the same - school and Sawyer time!  I got to see old friends Vanessa, Tricia, and Jenny on the evening of the 24th which was lots of fun.  I felt like big-time going to Raleigh for dinner

Saturday the 26th, we went to a princess breakfast at the dance school in Holly Springs, which was a huge hit.  Then it was bowling for neighbor friend Alexia's birthday, THEN Anna had a birthday party at a classmate's house later that afternoon which was super fun with lots of cooking-related projects and crafts.  These kids have quite the social calendar!  After that, Anna and I met Erin and Bob at Bob's co-worker's house for dinner for a little party for a guy visiting from Spain who they are hiring and moving over here.  Thankfully, Sunday the 27th was much more quiet!  The last 3 days of the month were back to school.  Sawyer's last day with me was October 1st until the 21st, so I've got some time "off"without any kids, with big plans to work on landscaping/fall flowers and paint our bathroom.  We did get the bathroom painted this past weekend, but between the two weeks of rain that we had, and Erin has been sick for 2 days this week, my landscaping hasn't made much progress.  Hopefully next week will be more productive, as we have a jam-packed weekend with 3 more birthday parties (!!!), gymnastics, family pictures, and Little Flowers!  Bring on fall!