Local Fun: Dogs, Goats and more...

It started to feel like fall around here for a few days... then got really hot again. I've been getting the cool weather clothes out of the shed and packing away every one's summer clothes... not a small task since the kids are all growing... finding mittens, boots, pants that are long enough, waists that fit right... it's something I dread when the seasons change! I did get a lot of new clothes at the St. Luke's consignment sale which we look forward to every year... We line up before hand and when they open the doors Margaret and I run in and she heads one way and I head the other looking for all the things on our list before anyone else can grab them! We found a great rolling Dr. cart for the girls since they love playing vet and doctor... and a new larger swing for Abby.

While I sorted clothes, with AP's help, Patrick took the girls to the Farm festival, an open house for several farms in our county...

The girls actually let me french braid their hair this day. It's so much work to get them coordinated and ready to go... and then their dad gets to have all the fun while I stay home organizing and packing lunches and getting clothes lined up for the week... wish their was more time in life...

One of Abby's favorite things to do is to feed the goats...

Riding her big girl bike w/ her brother's help... sissy was helping Bubby at a craft show for the weekend...

Now that summer is over, they have resumed the "Read to the Dogs" program at the library. "Robbie" is a fan of Abby's. He likes to listed to her read "Biscuit" books...

Celebrating 6 Years with the Kids

Abby in the Ferris Wheel... not afraid this year! She asked if we were in heaven when we got to the top!

Momma and the teen riding the Avalanche...

Flying planes are a big hit. Both girls love them. Abby can do them since they don't jerk around too much. She got a free ticket when I told them she had brain surgery and can only go on a couple of rides. She's fine w/ it now, but I already feel bad for her when she's older and wants to go on bigger ones...

Geico Day at King's Dominion is an annual treat. Beautiful weather and lots of fun...very hot this year...BBQ and fried chicken... karaoke... can't be beat! Got to ride some roller coasters w/ AP, watch Margaret drive the Antique cars and ride the Merry Go Round countless times w/ Abby. She was asleep before we even got out of the parking lot! Thank you Bubby for another memorable visit to KD!

Spending the night at Bubby's to get away from AP's sleepover and to be closer to King's Dominion in the morning... checking out the stars on the veranda after the girl's bath...

13 Years Old!

Can't believe my little boy is 13 years old... it really has gone by fast... I never quite understood that until this past year or so...

Sporting some new duds from his birthday. His first pair of "skinny jeans," a hoodie and a t-shirt that has a can of make-your-sister-go-away -spray! I already had to police the outfit- he's trying to wear it every other day...

He asked for fajitas for his birthday. Unfortunately, it was a soccer night... and he had lots of homework... so he ended up eating his feast as he got his homework done...

The Friday of his birthday week, he got to invite three friends to come home on the bus. Two got to spend the night. He's been friends w/ these guys since 2dd grade, so it's great that he was able to reconnect w/ them now that he is at the public middle school. I made Pokemon cupcakes and they had a blast playing w/ their Nerf guns and watching movies. After a while, the girls and I went to Fred. for the night and dad was in charge. He said they were very well behaved...

The gang...

Abby helped deliver cupcakes to AP's soccer team since he had practice on his birthday. She was set to hand them out, but got nervous when the boys came closer... she was in her pj's so we could pop her right in bed once practice was over...

Labor Day Fun

Labor Day Weekend cook-out

Waiting for the food!

Toasting marshmallows w/ Pops at sunset

Kabobs are ready... but the kids are in bed already!

Night Polo at Great Meadows

Polo Match at sundown

Highland Games

Margaret beat the boys in her age group throwing a "hay bale!" (hers rolled!)

Abby took the "strong man" competition very seriously!

Learning to country dance

Breakfast w/ Pops and the "early birds"...

Our pool that we go to each week will be closed for the month of Sept. and we will miss going every Fri. and Sunday. Abby had just gotten brave enough to swim w/out her bubble and w/out any help from me. For just a moment, or she would sink down... but it is so cool to see she is not afraid of swimming!

Pops came down for Labor Day and we went to the VA Highland Games on Sat. The kids participated in the children's games and joined in some Scottish county dancing. It's become a Labor Day tradition. Abby especially likes watching the Highland dancers compete in their kilts, and matching tartan knee socks. She has been doing the Highland fling in our kitchen ever since! Margaret likes the living history displays and AP likes all of the vendors with their leatherwork, weapons and jewlery. Pops likes the Scottish dog herding demonstrations Patrick and I enjoy the music and beautiful Great Meadows setting... after dinner at El Agave, the big kids went back to Great Meadow w/ Pops and Patrick to see an evening polo match.

We had a cook out on Sunday evening and Bubby came to join us for our last swim at the pool for a while. We tried to step it up a notch and grilled out... kabobs w/ steak, sliced peaches, onions, and green tomatoes, with corn on the cob, watermelon and mashed sweet potatoes and smores ... but we'll have to work on timing the food so that the kids (and I) aren't too tired and hungry...

Everyone has come down w/ colds, sore throats and sinus infections over the last two weeks and we are still on the mend... but the weather is fantastic and the kids enjoyed a bike ride this week and playing in the yard. Margaret is at Bubby's this weekend... Abby read to the dogs at the library this morning and will be taking the crab apples she picked from our tree over the our neighbors to feed to their horses this afternoon. AP's got a game in NOVA tomorrow...

Back to school time

After at week at sleep over camp in Charlottesville and a week at Grandma and Grandpa Mac's in NY, Margaret started a new school year at a new school. She will now be going to a small Christian school in our town and is in the fourth grade. She seemed to have a smooth start to the school year. Patrick is in charge of getting her ready and getting her to school, which has minimized the tension in the morning between Margaret and I. After school, she's been helpful watching Abby while I work out. Homework is starting to be assigned and it looks a bit difficult. I hope that she will do her best and that we don't end up having daily battles over homework... but so far, so good...

Since we couldn't afford to send both big kids to the private school, AP switched over the public middle school this year. After coming home from two weeks at sleep away camp, we went to the open house and he and I quickly got lost in the halls of the school. I was supposed to help ease his fears and I ended up making him more nervous! He was especially nervous about gym class and having to change into the required uniform... and also about opening his combination locks. But, after the first day, he was so excited and had such a great time meeting up w/ old friends... I think he'll do just fine. He did say that the high school kids on the bus use a lot of swear words... and that all the boys talk about are girls... He turns 13 in a few weeks! I'm trying to give him good advise and make sure that I appear as "cool" as possible so that he will be open w/ me... but it is hard for me not to counsel him at every opportunity... I'm just praying he sticks w/ a good crowd and that the bad seeds don't rub off on him too much...

I think I've told everyone at this point, but we got great news this week about Abby's sleep test. Prior to surgery she had 148 instances of Central Sleep Apnea during her sleep study... a rare condition caused by pressure on the brain. This time, she only had 12! The pulmonary/respiratory doctor noted that in her opinion, Abigail no longer has CSA (only mild obstructive sleep apnea which is much more common and treated by a tonsillectomy). We are so relieved! We meet w/ the neurosurgeon in a couple of weeks, but we're fairly certain that these results show that the surgery was more successful than he feared and we will only need to monitor the situation and not need to put her through another brain surgery... Amen! Obviously, I've started back to work. Summer was wonderful... first two weeks of school have gone smoothly, but I am definitely tired. Soccer already is in full swing... and Abby has gotten sick twice already in two weeks! But, she really loves going to her baby sitter's home and that makes going back to work so much easier. We are continuing to meet with our "parenting coach" who is teaching us some good techniques for parenting older-adopted children. And, we're looking forward to the Celtic games that are held locally every Labor Day weekend... Check out more pics of the last two weeks of summer... (mostly Abby pics b/c the big kids were away at camp) by clicking the slide show below:

Favorite Camp Cousins Pics

Drove the kids to NY for the annual Mc Eneany Family "Camp Cousins" on Lake Ontario. It was an action packed week. A bit exhausting for all involved, but the kids look forward to it so much every year. They earn badges and have a camp cheer. Even Abby knows it and shouts it out when the time comes! The big kids camp out at Letchworth(thank you Aunt Holly and everyone else!) while Abby and I stay in a cottage near the Falls. Abby's a bit shy with the aunts and uncles, but warmed up well to Uncle Scott and had no problem giving piggie kisses to Grandpa Mac.

Margaret gets pretty spun up by all the activities and non stop fun... so we have a bit of a hard time with each other (to say the least!) We do better if we can escape for a few minutes and have some one-on-one time together or with Abby. Here we are riding the Jack Rabbit while Uncle Scott took the others to the Swings.

My favorite pic from Sea Breeze! Abby can't do bumpy rides, but the Tilt-A-Whirl was smooth enough, so we all jumped in. I screamed the loudest of all... seems the older I get the queasier I get on these rides...

Pulling back into the driveway after the 8 hours road trip home. I told the kids to make it look like they couldn't take another minute in the car! They really did well... but I don't want to make that trip again for a long time!

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