Summer break week 10
Well, week 10 was it for summer break. The kids actually have Monday off and start on Tuesday, but let's face it, summer break is over (couldn't school start on a Wednesday so at least you could tell yourself you only had a half week of school for the first week?).
On Monday, Jacob had a six hour high school orientation during the day. Um, can you say worst day of summer break ever?? Jacob didn't care that during orientation he'd get to see friends whom he hadn't seen over the summer or that he wasn't actually learning anything over which he'd have homework or be tested- HE WAS AT SCHOOL DURING BREAK and that made it awful. Shortly after we arrived home from that (I had to attend a meeting held at the very end of orientation), he had to start getting ready for soccer practice. The girls played together most of the day. This was a week when Avery and AJ were in town so Alyssa played some with Avery, too. This week was Alyssa's CU soccer camp- it went Monday through Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. At the last minute, CU moved the camp from fairly nearby to us Lebanon to annoyingly not nearby to us Maineville. Donnie left work early each day to take Alyssa and they were gone a long time due to how long it took to get there and back and the camp itself. Also, this week began the first full week of Jacob's team soccer practice. He has practice from 5:30 pm (but needs to be at the HS at 5:15) to 7:00 pm. Since Jacob's practice was in the evenings and not in the mornings like his conditioning was, he was free to have sleepovers this week. He slept over at AJ's house Monday night.
On Tuesday, the girls played together all day. They played American Girl dolls. Abby made lunch for both Alyssa and her everyday, all as part of American Girl doll play. The AG dolls had "lunch" in a fancy restaurant which for play purposes was our dining room. Under Abby's supervision, she and Alyssa made little ssandwiches and they cut fruit and veggies. They did this for the dolls but then ate the bounty themselves. I love play time that gets me out of work (don't worry, they left a decent bit of mess that I couldn't help but clean up since I was off lunch making duty). Jacob and I went to Graeter's for ice cream while the girls played (I only told the girls that we were running an errand). It was nice to spend a little one on one time with Jacob besides in the car taking him to or from practices. Jacob's favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla which I find amazing and sweetly simple at the same time. Vanilla! How can he not like chunks of chocolate or cookie dough or candy intermixed with flavors like raspberry ice cream? He loves Graeter's chocolate dipped with chocolate sprinkled waffle cone and says that Graeter's cones are the best around. I got my favorite at Graeter's- the 1870's Tower. Later, when Alyssa was at soccer camp and Jacob was at soccer practice, it was just Abby and I at home. We decided to walk to the K for dinner. I love how we live within walking distance of an eating establishment, albeit one that only sells ice cream and carney food. Abby got fries and a foot long hotdog while I ordered their cheese sticks. I'm pretty positive that between my ice cream for lunch and cheese sticks for dinner, that my fat to protein ratio for the day was about 55 to 1. Ah, you win some, you lose some. I really enjoyed walking with Abby. We hadn't walked to town in awhile.
On Wednesday, Abby and Alyssa played together in the morning until I took Abby to the eye doctor. Then she and Avery played. Shortly after the eye dr. appointment, Abby and I headed to the jr. high open house. Abby found out her schedule and her locker number. We walked to all of her classes; Abby is convinced that she'll have no idea where she's going on Tuesday. For from alleviating fears of starting jr. high, the open house served as a reminder of how awful school is and her dread of the first day increased. Jacob hung out with AJ all day until soccer practice started. Some of the younger boys on our street have been playing Nerf gun wars and guess which teenage boys tapped into their inner 8 years selves and joined the younger kids?
On Thursday, Abby and Alyssa played all morning. In the early afternoon, Avery came over and Avery and Alyssa played together the rest of the afternoon. Jacob enjoyed some quality time with the PS4 before going over to AJ's and hanging out with him. At dinnertime, Abby and I headed across the street to Lovely's Farm Market for dinner. Technically, we can walk to this dinner destination as well as to the K but we have to cross a state highway. At the time of day we were heading over there (6:00 ish which is a busy time on the highway), I didn't feel like risking our lives by running across the highway. We drove there but alas a sign in the front of the entrance door told of a sad tale of the owner's surgery and how as a result of his injury/ surgery there was no fried chicken. Oh dear. Fried chicken hadn't sounded all that good to Abby; I was the one who suggested that we go there (none of our kids, perhaps not shockingly given how picky they are, really like fried chicken. They eat it but certainly don't appreciate the greasy goodness of it). She asked if we could go to Five Guys so we went there, got food for us and Jacob, got home just in time to pick up Jacob from soccer practice and arrived in home from that just in time to take Abby to gymnastics. Just another day in paradise (if I'd gotten to eat fried chicken, it would have been paradise!!).
On Friday, I was hoping to take the kids to Kings Island for a couple of hours. When I checked the schedule for Jacob's soccer pictures in the afternoon, his picture time was earlier than I remembered. That eliminated the possibility of Kings Island. The girls played all morning and then Alyssa played with Avery in the afternoon. Jacob hung out with AJ until AJ had to go somewhere in the early evening. Abby went over to her friend Hanna's house in late afternoon to go to a Dragon's game with them and spend the night. Friday was not a super exciting day; we didn't get to do anything special like I'd wanted to. The kids didn't seem to mind. They weren't in school and Friday was the last Friday in a long time that they would be able to say that.
Pictures from the week:
On Monday morning, Alyssa and I made one of our favorite desserts. We'd made it the first week of break and now were making it the last week of break. The kids face a lot of uncertainties in the upcoming school year. Some things stay constant, though, and here is one of them: mix together graham cracker crumbs, powered sugar, butter, peanut butter and chocolate, let the chocolate harden for an hour in the fridge and you have yourself and incredibly tasting, rich sweet treat.
My lunch on Tuesday with Jacob (at Graeter's)
My dinner on Tuesday with Abby at the K (actually only the cheese sticks are mine and a few fries).
Little kids and big kids at play! I took these next few pictures from inside our house, looking out the window in the kitchen that shows our neighbor's yard. Jacob and AJ are in the play set playing with an assortment of neighborhood kids. It was after they'd played a round or two of Nerf wars.
Alyssa and Avery join the mix...
"You're still there with that phone pointed at me?" she seems to be asking.
His team
On Monday, Jacob had a six hour high school orientation during the day. Um, can you say worst day of summer break ever?? Jacob didn't care that during orientation he'd get to see friends whom he hadn't seen over the summer or that he wasn't actually learning anything over which he'd have homework or be tested- HE WAS AT SCHOOL DURING BREAK and that made it awful. Shortly after we arrived home from that (I had to attend a meeting held at the very end of orientation), he had to start getting ready for soccer practice. The girls played together most of the day. This was a week when Avery and AJ were in town so Alyssa played some with Avery, too. This week was Alyssa's CU soccer camp- it went Monday through Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. At the last minute, CU moved the camp from fairly nearby to us Lebanon to annoyingly not nearby to us Maineville. Donnie left work early each day to take Alyssa and they were gone a long time due to how long it took to get there and back and the camp itself. Also, this week began the first full week of Jacob's team soccer practice. He has practice from 5:30 pm (but needs to be at the HS at 5:15) to 7:00 pm. Since Jacob's practice was in the evenings and not in the mornings like his conditioning was, he was free to have sleepovers this week. He slept over at AJ's house Monday night.
On Tuesday, the girls played together all day. They played American Girl dolls. Abby made lunch for both Alyssa and her everyday, all as part of American Girl doll play. The AG dolls had "lunch" in a fancy restaurant which for play purposes was our dining room. Under Abby's supervision, she and Alyssa made little ssandwiches and they cut fruit and veggies. They did this for the dolls but then ate the bounty themselves. I love play time that gets me out of work (don't worry, they left a decent bit of mess that I couldn't help but clean up since I was off lunch making duty). Jacob and I went to Graeter's for ice cream while the girls played (I only told the girls that we were running an errand). It was nice to spend a little one on one time with Jacob besides in the car taking him to or from practices. Jacob's favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla which I find amazing and sweetly simple at the same time. Vanilla! How can he not like chunks of chocolate or cookie dough or candy intermixed with flavors like raspberry ice cream? He loves Graeter's chocolate dipped with chocolate sprinkled waffle cone and says that Graeter's cones are the best around. I got my favorite at Graeter's- the 1870's Tower. Later, when Alyssa was at soccer camp and Jacob was at soccer practice, it was just Abby and I at home. We decided to walk to the K for dinner. I love how we live within walking distance of an eating establishment, albeit one that only sells ice cream and carney food. Abby got fries and a foot long hotdog while I ordered their cheese sticks. I'm pretty positive that between my ice cream for lunch and cheese sticks for dinner, that my fat to protein ratio for the day was about 55 to 1. Ah, you win some, you lose some. I really enjoyed walking with Abby. We hadn't walked to town in awhile.
On Wednesday, Abby and Alyssa played together in the morning until I took Abby to the eye doctor. Then she and Avery played. Shortly after the eye dr. appointment, Abby and I headed to the jr. high open house. Abby found out her schedule and her locker number. We walked to all of her classes; Abby is convinced that she'll have no idea where she's going on Tuesday. For from alleviating fears of starting jr. high, the open house served as a reminder of how awful school is and her dread of the first day increased. Jacob hung out with AJ all day until soccer practice started. Some of the younger boys on our street have been playing Nerf gun wars and guess which teenage boys tapped into their inner 8 years selves and joined the younger kids?
On Thursday, Abby and Alyssa played all morning. In the early afternoon, Avery came over and Avery and Alyssa played together the rest of the afternoon. Jacob enjoyed some quality time with the PS4 before going over to AJ's and hanging out with him. At dinnertime, Abby and I headed across the street to Lovely's Farm Market for dinner. Technically, we can walk to this dinner destination as well as to the K but we have to cross a state highway. At the time of day we were heading over there (6:00 ish which is a busy time on the highway), I didn't feel like risking our lives by running across the highway. We drove there but alas a sign in the front of the entrance door told of a sad tale of the owner's surgery and how as a result of his injury/ surgery there was no fried chicken. Oh dear. Fried chicken hadn't sounded all that good to Abby; I was the one who suggested that we go there (none of our kids, perhaps not shockingly given how picky they are, really like fried chicken. They eat it but certainly don't appreciate the greasy goodness of it). She asked if we could go to Five Guys so we went there, got food for us and Jacob, got home just in time to pick up Jacob from soccer practice and arrived in home from that just in time to take Abby to gymnastics. Just another day in paradise (if I'd gotten to eat fried chicken, it would have been paradise!!).
On Friday, I was hoping to take the kids to Kings Island for a couple of hours. When I checked the schedule for Jacob's soccer pictures in the afternoon, his picture time was earlier than I remembered. That eliminated the possibility of Kings Island. The girls played all morning and then Alyssa played with Avery in the afternoon. Jacob hung out with AJ until AJ had to go somewhere in the early evening. Abby went over to her friend Hanna's house in late afternoon to go to a Dragon's game with them and spend the night. Friday was not a super exciting day; we didn't get to do anything special like I'd wanted to. The kids didn't seem to mind. They weren't in school and Friday was the last Friday in a long time that they would be able to say that.
Pictures from the week:
On Monday morning, Alyssa and I made one of our favorite desserts. We'd made it the first week of break and now were making it the last week of break. The kids face a lot of uncertainties in the upcoming school year. Some things stay constant, though, and here is one of them: mix together graham cracker crumbs, powered sugar, butter, peanut butter and chocolate, let the chocolate harden for an hour in the fridge and you have yourself and incredibly tasting, rich sweet treat.
So good!
My lunch on Tuesday with Jacob (at Graeter's)
My dinner on Tuesday with Abby at the K (actually only the cheese sticks are mine and a few fries).
Little kids and big kids at play! I took these next few pictures from inside our house, looking out the window in the kitchen that shows our neighbor's yard. Jacob and AJ are in the play set playing with an assortment of neighborhood kids. It was after they'd played a round or two of Nerf wars.
Alyssa and Avery join the mix...
Jacob is going down the slide in this picture...
At the jr. high open house- Abby deftly opens her locker and avoids looking at me at the same time
I was undeterred by "the look" and kept taking pictures.
"You're still there with that phone pointed at me?" she seems to be asking.
At soccer pictures on Friday- as an official "locker decorator mom volunteer" for Jacob's team, I was encouraged to come to the professional picture taking event on Friday and take my own pictures for locker decorations. I took pictures of all the boys. This one is my favorite boy!
His team
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