Random Stuff

The temperatures have cooled off.

The pool is crystal clear and sparkly, but no one is swimming in it.

Some glass from a ridiculously STUPID pool thermometer (one that I didn't buy or realize we even had but ended up at our house) BROKE--unbeknownst to me or anyone else--during our last party and ended up in the pool, cutting two different people and actually slicing the liner on the stairs. The patch looks terrible too! I'm so mad!!!

I am glad that the Hampton Classic is finally over! My kids all volunteered to work in the kids tent all week with the animals, as they have for the past few years. Elizabeth even went back this year after being traumatized last year when she was left there until 7:00 at night, waiting to be picked up. NO ONE KNEW SHE WAS STILL THERE, because her sisters and friends left earlier in the day and were all hanging at friends' house. She, on the other hand, didn't go with them, but never told me! Nobody told me. And Lizzy was too timid to ask someone nearby for a phone or let anyone know that she was still there. It bothers me to this day. So, the president of the whole Hampton Classic ended up seeing her waiting there all forelorn, and had the brains enough to ask her and then called me to let me know she was bringing her home. HOW EMBARRASSING. She didn't even want to hear the explanation. She was tired and just wanted to be on her way. I got the MOTHER-OF-THE-YEAR-AWARD! I have several of them all hung on my wall. haha.

Caleigh, who is now 7 and old enough to be a volunteer as well, LOVED being in the tent all day long. She has grown up way to fast. She was in the chicken pen lifting the chickens for the little kids to pet and her favorite was the bunny pen. She still loves bunnies and misses Hector. I DON'T!!! Caleigh would find ways to stay the entire day even when her sisters would get picked up. If she ever got left behind, she'd probably figure out how to walk home. It's about a mile if you go straight across the fields and through people's yards! haha.

The kids received their schedules this past Friday. School doesn't start until next Wednesday. Honestly, NONE of us are ready for school to begin. Our summer has been cut WAY too short! June was 26 days of rain. July wasn't all that warm and there were some days of heavy rain. August would have been great but then Huricane Bill made the ocean unswimmable and Dan hasn't been any different (plus it's chilly). I feel like we had about one month of summer. NOT FAIR. (Of course my summer was INCREDIBLE!!! i.e. IRELAND I just feel bad for the children).

Luke's making lots of friends at college. He said there is one girl in his welding class. She told the guys if any of them try to come on to her she'll hit 'em with her wrench. HAHAH. Good for her. She likes Luke because he just treats her like one of the guys. He's good at not giving girls "special" treatment. Luke said he really really needs me to send his speakers and tuner because he CANNOT take much more of his roommate's music (country). I guess I should work on that today. I find it hilarious that their taste in music is so opposite!

I have many more random things I could go on about... but I must deliver my daughter to her job--the one she finally got at the end of the summer. And then I must go hunt down a box that can work for Luke's requested items. (I hate shipping things--really).

Jennah's Birthday Sleepover

This was before they went to bed.

They are so random.

They love make-overs and modelling.

Before the sleep over we went to the Hampton Classic which happens every year in the Hamptons and the infamous "horseless horse show" is a big hit with the kids. Tropical Storm Dan was showing some very cool cloud formations.

The kids waited and watched for their race to be called.

India placed third twice and second once. She is a winner!!

Jennah and Annabel sat on a table watching.

Good times. Good times. Everyone fell asleep today for a few hours. They were so exhausted after the "sleep" over. Ayi yi yi. Anyway... Happy birthday to Jennah tomorrow in turning...

THIRTEEN!!!

Terry realized just yesterday that once Nate leaves for college in two years all that's left in the home are girls!!!!! HAHAH

I Can't Remember from One Day to the Next...

So I resort to what's on my camera.
Jennah received a scholarship for a 4-week pottery class (which met 3 x's a week). She loved it.

Her work was displayed in an art show last week at the Water Mill Ceramics Museum. You can see that her finger prints were left on some of her first pieces. They may become very valuable in the future--once she reaches a bit of fame and world renown.

Annabel also participated and has a new line of "bels"-- get it? Anna bels. They have a nice bel tone too.

Harriet also created some fine and beautiful works on and off the potters wheel.

Great stuff! Especially you Jennah. MAMA'S PROUD!!

It was also Anika's birthday on Sunday. What did she want for her 15th birthday? A shopping spree at the mall. OH GLORY!

I have to say... that it was fun!

Her goofiness along with a couple of friends made the many hours and hours of shopping quite interesting.

Here we are at the end. Can you believe this?????????

Anika was obviously VERY happy!

She got her cake AND ate it too! That is so NOT fair.

And now, this week... it's Jennah's birthday, on Sunday. It's a sleepover party-- tomorrow! We both only remembered that about two hours ago. YIKES!

Saturday...

This is the entrance to Scott Cameron Beach. It's a little washed out by Bill.

He also kicked up some nice surf.

Noah was truly enjoying himself.

So was Nate.

It was a little foggy so you couldn't see that there were about 4 breaks in a row. It was quite the sight.

Here he comes. This picture would have been really good if I hadn't cut off Noah's shadow. DANG IT! I'm still learning.

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Earlier in the day I was helping my friend Nicki at this Family Fido Festival. People brought their dogs. It was frikking hot--but at least there was a nice strong breeze.

Oh look! It's our favorite drumming group Samba BOOM! (they are the ones who LOOOOOVE to keep playing and playing and playing). And they did! right in front of our tent. We were soooo "blessed".

This dog was a very good frisbee player.

My LOVELY kid!

I loved this painting.

So I drew it on a puzzle... but the wind took my puzzle away and dipped it into a water bowl.

And that's about it... what did you do?

Would it Keep You Up at Night?

If you happened to recently drop off your firstborn son at college 8 hours away... Would it keep you up at night... if in helping him unpack all of his stuff you noticed that there were only two pairs of boxers in his drawer? What if you left him to figure that out on his own(?) because you had already taken him shopping several times and he just didn't put much thought into it, thus forgetting about the shortage of underwear?

Would it keep you up at night... if you saw a warning notice posted in his suite stating something about: "If you vomit in the toilet, make it into the bowl and if you miss, make sure you clean the seat. If you vomit on the bathroom floor you must clean it up or you will be fined up to $125!" and then you notice that there is only one toilet and one shower per 7-8 guys? Would it hit you in the middle of the night??

Would it keep you up at night... if the dorm your son was in happened to be like a huge maze and difficult to navigate, and your mind was now filled with ideas that all this vomiting may be based on kids drinking and that your kid may find himself drinking because he's free from his home restrictions and can do "whatever he wants" and if he is drinking that he may not find his way back to his dorm room???

I call these night frights. They only get this way when I'm half asleep and everything gets magnified and anxiety ridden.

Where to Begin?

This was our "last supper" together (for a while). We decided to spend it at Paradise! Fitting, is it not? The boys worked there for two summers and my cousin is the manager or part-owner or something major! My only disappointment is that we came on the night he was off.

This is Luke disconnecting the very large "Boom Boom" system that he created for my car stereo system. He was only disconnecting it so he could pack the car. Don't worry, he reconnected it once the car was unloaded and we were heading back home. (Phew).

Ainsley, Elizabeth and Anika were all keeping close tabs on Luke's packing job.

This is the large box truck that Luke was driving this summer for work. Nate stopped by to make sure he got a last goodbye. (Luke got to give his last goodbyes to the truck--ya know).

Forget the order of these pictures--I'm already tired of it.

Here's Anika testing out Luke's new bed in his dorm room.

Here is Ryan, Luke's freshman roommate. Seems like a good guy and they will get along just fine (although they are both firstborn sons).

Here is Anika rejoicing that she will finally get her own room.

Here are those tiny idty bidty dorm room closets and Luke's idea of funny (i.e. yellow bag)... whenever he goes to NYC shopping.

Here we are moving Luke's things to his dorm.

I got his final goodbye on camera... but I still didn't cry--yet!

As we were leaving the campus Terry says, "Quick! Let's change our phone numbers and address." haha. Anika thought that was mean. I say, "One gone, five to go!" Hahah. That's only a joke, too. We do have a LOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGG way to go!

I got two messages so far... one said, "Mom, my skateboard broke in half while I was riding it on campus. I need another skateboard so I can get around."

The other one was an emergency alert that texted my phone last night saying that there was a tornado warning in Allegany County and all students should take cover immediately. NICE!!! I think I should get off that emergency warning system!!