Books 18 and 19

Over the past couple of weeks, I finished two more books!

I picked this one up at our favorite little local bookstore:

Our book club read another book by this author, and I love her retelling of mythology that centers the women that are often treated as minor characters. She has a PhD in the classics, and it really shows.

This was our most recent book club book:

I didn't love it. There were one too many gaping plot holes for me. I don't mind sci-fi, but the world has to hold together. This one didn't.
 

Happy First Day

Evan humored me and took a first day of school picture this morning:

It's hard to believe he's a sophomore! He knows most of his teachers this year, and he likes all of them. It would be unfair to say he was excited about returning to school, though. But...he did get up and out on time, so we will take it! Here's to a great year ahead!
 

So Funny

Evan and I spent Monday in Chapel Hill. He is part of a research study, and it was his turn to go back and do all the things. In between the two sessions, we went out for lunch:

 Apparently, the key to getting Evan to talk is to take him out to eat. We sat and chatted for an hour, and it was lovely. He really is the funniest kid with the biggest heart, and I'm awfully glad he is mine.

She's A College Student!

We moved Issa into Meredith on Saturday! Friday afternoon we finished the packing, and the best little brother ever helped us haul it all to the cars:

The Subaru was packed tight, but she had a lot of room in her car. Saturday morning, we joined Meredith tradition to decorate the cars:

"Next Stop: Meredith"

The move in process was so well-organized! There were specific time slots assigned by residence hall, floor, and room number. We had the 8:45 spot, and pulled in to campus at 8:40 where we were greeted by students waving signs. We were also given a color-coded parking pass that let us pull up right beside her building to unload. They had us unload everything in a pile on the curb and then move our cars. Security was there to make sure no one grabbed the wrong piles, and we had borrowed a neighbors big hand truck to move everything up to her second floor room, where she was greeted with this sign:

The boys hauled everything up while Issa and I started unpacking. Her roommate, Tess, was running late, so we had an our alone in the room, which was lovely. We got her furniture built and got the initail overwhelm out of the way. Their original layout didn't work because of plug location, but the revised plan came out well! Evan was amazing, and he even let me take a picture of him. This is actually Tess's side of the room:

Issa loves her cozy bed tucked against the wall:

And her desk has all of her nice things:

They have a great kitchen set-up, too:

We were a hot sweaty mess, but we got it finished by lunch:

We ate at the dining hall, got Italian ice from a food truck on campus, went to the bookstore to pick up her textbooks and some shorts (because she forgot hers), and made a target run for a bedside lamp, batteries, and one more power strip (which was not to be found). We had all of that finished by 2:30, which was perfect since she had her first orientation events at 3.

We got the first dorm update Sunday morning. The one cork board just wouldn't stay on her high wall, although she said she and Tess bonded over trying to make it stay there. It is now a great headboard:

I ended up running her some shorts, shower shoes, and a few little things she decided she wanted Sunday morning, but I was there for less than 20 minutes! She is slowly making the room her own, including this cure affirmations bulletin board above her bed:

My heart was so happy this morning when we got that picture and note that she and Tess stayed up way too late talking and decorating their room. Apparently there are now fairly lights along the ceiling.

I would be lying if I said I didn't cry. I walked into her bedroom and sobbed when I realized she had turned her little start lamp off, which she has never done since she bought it three years ago. We get text updates, and I'm so thrilled she is finding friends and having a great time! I can't wait to see what adventures await her.

 

Goodbye, sweet girl...

I haven't posted because we have been in the thick of it. The last post was on the 5th, and after I made that post things went south. It has taken me this long to be able to actually write it, but I want to remember...

Last Monday night we had to say goodbye to Neela. Sunday, she woke up and was not quite herself, but we thought it was just a rough arthritis day. She was still super snuggly, and she and Issa had a ton of great time together before she left.

Sunday night, she got sick twice, but we still weren't terribly concerned. Dogs do that.

Monday morning, she would drink water but not really eat. We thought she was just recovering from eating something questionable. She was still super snuggly, but she really spent most of the day just sleeping:

By Monday afternoon, she wouldn't eat or drink, so we took her to urgent care. We had the world's most fabulous vet. They did bloodwork and an x-ray to look for blockages or something that might be causing the stomach upset. Everything showed that the stomach upset was likely a stomach bug, but the x-ray revealed a mass on her spleen. It might explain the fatigue.

Most of these masses are cancerous and brutally quick. Even if it's not, they usually rupture, which is lethal. At ten, she was not a good candidate for surgery.

We took her home with some meds and a hope that we could get her to eat and to hang on until Issa came home from the mountains, but we also knew there was no way we would make her suffer. When we got home, though, she wouldn't take the meds. We called Issa to tell her what was going on and see if she wanted to come home, and she made the wise choice to not. We facetimed so she could say goodbye, and as soon as Neela heard that she just laid down and started to shiver. It was time.

She was so sick, and we just couldn't bear the idea of anything rupturing. We got a few last tail wags and kisses, and we all loved on her and said goodbye, and now we know she and Viv are chasing squirrels together again.

I'm still not fully okay, but each day is better. She was my dog, and I will always love her fiercely. I miss her on my feet and night, and I struggle to sleep without her snoring. But...I wouldn't trade a single day with her, and I'm so grateful we could send her off to a peaceful end.

 

Updates and Book 17

The past week has been an absolute whirlwind. I head back to full-time on campus work next week, Issa is in the mountains with Kai's family this week, and she moves to campus in two weeks. That means we spent last week cramming a lot in!

Issa and I wrapping up a six week pottery class. It's been fun doing it with her, and I have learned a ton to round out some of my pottery skills. I'm currently in love with making candle holders:

We also spent a chunk of time planning Issa's dorm room and making the last shopping list. My very type-A child made a drawer outline so she could figure out exactly what would fit:

She actually has a lot of storage, and we went to IKEA and Target this weekend to get the very last things she needs. Her room is going to be so cozy, and she and her roommate are having big fun planning.

Nana is also off in Iceland this week. She had a delayed start thanks to Delta; I actually left Kai and Issa at DPAC to pick her up when the flight cancelled:

She was able to get a direct flight yesterday and met my sister there just a day behind schedule. She missed the settle in day, but she will be there for all of the big adventures!

And I finished book 17:

This was the sequel to the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and it was just as good if not better. A plot synopsis won't do it justice, but I appreciate the way Bannen creates very real, relatable characters in relationships in a fantasy world.

I'm gearing up for the semester this week and doing some packing for Issa. August is full steam ahead, but we are ready!

 

Book 16

I finished book 16 Saturday morning just in time for book club:

People have raved about this book being revolutionary, and I just don't get it. It was a sweet story and nice affirmation: follow your own journey, if it's meant to be it will happen, it's about the journey not the destination. I can now say I have read it. That is all.
 

Book 15

I finally finished book 15:

All 731 pages of it:

I bought this book when Brad and I were in Maine years ago, but it was so big I kept waiting. I'm so glad I finally read it. It's the text that the Broadway show was based on, and you can see the threads. What was most interesting to be was that the cadence of Hamilton's letters matched the cadence of his speech in the show. He was certainly a flawed man, but he also was a brilliant statesman and a dedicated family man. I am so very glad I committed and actually finished this one!
 

Little Joys

I was supposed to have an all day meeting last Thursday, but it blissfully was cancelled. It was a true gift. I had been working super long days all week, our washing machine broke, and I was running on fumes going into a big weekend. I took it as a sign to use the day to do all of the things, starting with a trip to the blueberry patch.

 Berry picking was on Issa's pre-college list, and Evan opted to join, too:

We picked four quarts in less than an hour, and they are delicious! I managed to run to the grocery, and then went to Mom's to do laundry. We crossed a bunch of things off her list, including replacing the hood for refrigerator filter:

You can't tell in that picture that I am soaking wet, but we did it! We had turned off the main water line, but I had no idea how much water would be left in the line: a lot. We were very proud of ourselves at the end, though.

Thankfully, Brad was able to prepare the washer this weekend, and this week is busy but not nearly so many hours in the office. Onward!

 

To Atlanta and Back Again

Mom and I left Friday morning and drove to Atlanta for the weekend for Becca's shower! Shannon, Becca, and Aunt Carol joined us at Nick and Beth's house Friday night for some pizza and time to catch up. We played a small corn hole tournament:

I got progressively better:

It ended up with Nick and Beth winning the whole thing! Eric was pretty sure we needed to make a plaque to commemorate the moment. 

Saturday morning was the main event:

The shower was a brunch at a beautiful restaurant in Buckhead:

And it was good to see Becca's friends and family love her so well:

Monica came over for a visit Saturday afternoon, which was lovely.

The real bonus was a lot of extra time with Shannon! She barely made it in with the flight debacle on Friday, and it was not looking good yesterday for her return trip. So...she rode back to NC with us! She will skip the home leg of her trip and go straight to DC tomorrow, but it was nice to sneak in two more big family dinners--one out last night and one at our house tonight!
 

10/10 Recommend

We went back to the Life and Science Museum this weekend as part of our Summer Bucket List. I absolutely recommend taking your big kids back to their favorite little kid spots! We had a blast playing with old favorite exhibits and exploring all of the new things! Space was still a favorite:

The new sound exhibit was a super fun new addition:

The kids graciously recreated the farmyard picture:

Issa found a whole handful of shark teeth:

Evan and I loved watching the lemurs and the wolf pups:

We had a fabulous day recreating our little kids weekends--right down to lunch at the café. It was fun to just play again.

Yesterday, Issa and I went to see Inside Out 2:

If I ever teach adolescent development again, it will be required watching. It was so, so good!

We are also starting to get serious about the big college move and soaking in the last of summer. One more month!
 

New Skills

Issa addded a few new life skills to her list this week before she heads to college!

Sunday, she went to start her car, and it was dead. She navigated AAA completely independently, and they told us she needed a new battery. That is a little hard to do on a Sunday, but she got it done yesterday! Dad taught her to jump a car:

And then she took herself to the mechanic, told them what she needed (including an oil change, tire rotation, and state inspection), and got herself back on the road! She was a bit nervous about handling car stuff (just like me), but she did it like a pro and will be much more confident she can handle anything next year!
 

Worse Places to Grade

It has been a rough reintroduction to work. All of my students had projects due Sunday in all of my classes. I had an employee resign, and the building's AC is out. It's a lot.

This helped:

It is beastly hot, but my porch stays nice and cool. I spent a lot time out there grading, and it's much more peaceful to take tough phone calls from there.
 

Sophomore Season Begins

Evan spent the week before vacation wrestling. Monday through Thursday, he had team camp at he school. Friday, I drove he and some friends to Charlotte for a dual:

Since it's off-season, only nine kids were able to go. Last year, this same tournament was Evan's introduction to high school wrestling, and he learned a ton and got over some nerves. This year, he was so much more relaxed:

He also wrestled so much better! I recorded it for Brad, and he couldn't even believe the growth from the end of the season to this tournament. He's been working really hard at Black Dragon, and he's settling into his own style. It's fun to watch.

This also marked the return to my first high school tournament. The cute top and shoes were replaced with a team t-shirt and sneakers. I also brought food that was actually eaten.

The core memory for me, though, will be the drive home. They slept the whole way down, but the way back I had three of Evan's friends plus him who were wide awake and hysterical. Last year, I drove kids he didn't know--including one of the same kids I had this year. They were delirious. We drove through Bojangles, and I kid you not they played the quiet game until someone cracked and then they just howled with laughter. It was so funny. 

The smell was awful, but I'm so grateful I had that day with them.

 

Beach Week!

We had an absolute blast at Kure beach last week! We returned to the same house, which just makes vacationing so lovely. We know where everything is, and it's become a second home at this point. They had also made some very lovely upgrades to the kitchen and bathrooms. Evan was most excited by the addition of a shell basket:

In addition to great shells, he caught a bunch of these tiny crabs:

Issa stuck to her shells.

Another new addition this year was Kai for part of the week! They day he arrived, the three of us headed to the aquarium:

He loves aquariums as much as I do, and I had fun third wheeling with these two cuties:

Aunt Shannon also did a whole photoshoot for them:

He headed home Wednesday, but the whole family went back to the aquarium Thursday:

The otters will always be my favorite, but I was also delighted by the horseshoe crabs this trip:

Friday we finally managed to get our beach tent perfect:

It was a whole family beach day:

And for the first time ever I went to the beach without getting a sunburn!

Aunt Shannon gifted the kids Lego sets to build throughout the week. This car about took Evan out:

It has so many moving parts! Notre Dame was shockingly not bad, though:

Our last night there we headed to the beach for some family pictures:

This may be my favorite sibling picture ever:

And Brad and I were laughing so hard because the ocean surprised me:

The whole week was filled with small delights: family card games, dinners around the table, new books, porch naps. Time to just be. It was such a gift.