Vacation Recap and Summer Mememememememememe

Hiho. I've wracked (racked?) my brain, but there really isn't much to relate about our vacation. That doesn't mean it was boring - not by a long shot, but it was very laid back and relaxing.

First we headed to New Hampshire and took the girls to Storyland in Glen. If you show up after 3pm and pay to go in then you can come back for free the next day. So that's what we did. Girly-Girl had a rumbly tummy, but we all had fun anyway. Who knew kiddy rides could be so much fun!?!

Then we headed out to Rochester-ish, NY to visit Funsocksgirl and the J-Man. We were all in need of rest and relaxation, so most of our time was spent just "hanging out" and enjoying one another's company as we fine-tuned our private family jokes. We did take a hike and watch the fireworks together and go out to eat, but overall it was just your low key, very much needed vacation from demands and schedules.

It reminded us how much we miss our Funsocksgirl! Maybe we should move to NY...

My apologies for the lack of photos, which I am sure you were DYING to see. All photo ops will have to wait until my iMac is back. I think they're s'posed to get it to us by December or something. :-P

Here's one clip that should give you an insight into our family's sense of humor. It's even funnier when you realize that we never actually went to Niagra Falls. Watch out for the rivers of blood:



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I lifted this MeMe from Anno. Feel free to lift it from me! (However, use your OWN answers. Groovy's words would read very strangely on YOUR blog!)

This Summer...

What I'm Doing: Short term: Well, I'm thinking up witty and fascinating (cough) answers for a meme on my blog. I need to finish this quickly however, because I promised the girlies that I would snuggle with them when they arose this morning and read to them. Oh look! It's time for them to get up now.

Groovy shall return shortly (or longly if the books are good).

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Hi...I'm ba-ack! Now let's discuss Groovy's fascinating Summer plans:
-Go to GrammaJ's every other day to clean up after her cats, do housework, chop food, and visit.
-Try to keep my house somewhat cleaner than a pig sty
-Ride my bike
-Show goats at some of the local fairs
-Be "Dr. G" at VBS (Vacation Bible School)
-Have school with the girlies on every day that we possibly can
-Try to organise my brain for the upcoming schoolyear
-Camp a few times
-Help Mulletman with some household maintenance and repairs
-Deal with family crises as they arise

What I'm Listening To: The Chinese dwarf hamsters chirruping and running round and round and round and round and round and round in their exercise wheel. :-)

Actually I spend most of my Summer listening to Silly-Head and Girly-Girl pretend to be other people. Our most often heard refrain? "Remember who we are!"

What I'm Eating: Lots of fresh fruits and veggies, grilled meat, whole grains, nuts (in moderation), and an occasional glass of wine and/or dark chocolate.

What I'm Drinking: Coffee, water, iced tea, and yes, I admit it, a weekly diet cola.

What I'm Reading: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith. I love, Love LOVE his books about Prescious Ramotswe, Botswanan Lady detective. I am also reading my Bible (of course!) and The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien. I also imagine that there will be several dozen children's books that will go in my eyes and come out my mouth before fall hits.

What I'm thinking about: Vacation Bible School. It starts Monday morning. THIS Monday morning and "Dr. G" is not ready yet! Wanna help me make 200+ blindfolds? TODAY??!!

What I'm watching: NOT tv! We watched a teeny bit in the hotel on our vacation and the commercials are awful. We were appalled and made liberal use of the mute button! I don't appreciate sitting down to watch family fare and then having Andy Griffith besmerged with obscenity and immodesty via the ads for shows that would be airing later in the evening.

Instead I'll be watching the babies in the robin nest outside our kitchen door. (There will be photos later when I get my own Mac back!) And I'll be watching my swiftly growing girlies as they play outside. I'll watch the brown-eyed susans and the daisies sway in the breeze. I'll watch my blueberries ripen into hazy purple globes of yumminess. And I'll watch the evil Japanese Beetles (may all the curses of the universe be upon them!) EAT my bluberries.

What I'm noticing: That I have more energy when I exercise reguarly. Who'da thunk it?

What I'd rather be doing: Hmmmm. Tough one. I guess my only real druther is that we weren't behind in school so I could have a few weeks off to just goof off. Ah well, maybe this next year won't be so packed with family emergencies! (One can only hope, eh?)

Oh...and I really have missed my garden time. I simply don't have the time and energy to spend fussing with my perennials this year. Heck, we didn't even get to pick strawberries. Sigh.

And you? What are you doing these days?

"Tis Wednesday and the Man is NOT at Work...

...because all the joy and excitement of traveling and family fun have lowered his resistance to disease and he is sick.

SOOOOoooooooo. I shall wait until tomorrow to post real stories with real words and all that. Today I must teach school and do housework and baby my hubby.

In the meantime, here's a pick or two from our trip:

I'm BA-ACK!

Well, actually my body is back...hey, have you ever noticed that I use the word "actually" in almost every post?

Where was I?

Oh yes. My body is back (more or less), but my brain feels like jello from sleeping in a tent for a year or two and driving 57 hours (more or less) straight through from NY to ME..

A post shall be forthcoming very soon.

In it I shall expound upon the stupidity of the "family tent" concept, proclaiming the joys of "real" beds, and excoriating heat, yellow jackets, dumb pool policies, and polymorphic light erruption which has, yes, struck again.

Catch ya on Wednesday while the man is at work.

And Suddenly it Happened or Didn't Happen, as the Case May Be

I received my prize from Carrie of With What I've been Given a couple of days ago, but it's been so hot and I've been so busy that I couldn't post pics until now.

Here's what she so graciously sent me:





Isn't the homemade birthday book adorable? At first I wasn't sure what it was for. Did I give it to the birthday girl so she can record a special event each month? Then, suddenly, the brilliant lightbulb of my mind went on. It takes me a while, but I did finally figure things out (most of the time). The book is for ME so I can write down all the important birthdays in it.

Oooooohhhhhhhhh.

Anyway, I shall have fun harassing putting the magic candles on Girl-Girl's birthday cake next month. Heh-heh-heh!

Actually, Girly-Girl got a little concerned because, as of last night, there was a sudden discussion of a vacation possibility next month. Scout will be graduating from his military training and we'd really like to go to his graduation. It seems foolish to drive across several states for a 2 day event, so we think we might navigate our way to see Funsocksgirl in NY and my mom in SC. Note: this is all very sudden and VERY tentative since Mulletman hasn't asked for the time off work, etc.

Nonetheless, Girly-Girl was starting to sweat. Actually we were all sweating profusely because it was 187ºF out and the power went off for two hours while we we having this sudden (did I mention that this is all very sudden?) discussion over a map in the candlelight.

Where was I?

Oh yes.

Girly-Girl was worried that we would have our little, suddenly planned vacation before her birthday. No, I assured her, we'd be going after her birthday party. She was very relieved. Why? Because if we had a vacation first then she might be too tired to enjoy her party!

Mean Mommy then seized the moment by saying, "Oh, that'd be alright. We could just skip your birthday this year and put it off until next year. You could be seven a whole year more and Silly-Head could catch up to you. Wouldn't that be cool?"

She didn't think so. ;-)

Sudden Update! Mulletman just called and he can't get the time off for this spontaneous week (or two) of excitement, so now we're suddenly talking about me or me and he (that would be us) FLYING to the graduation and getting an actual rental car and NOT going to see the daughter and the mother. I'm supposed to check prices and all that RIGHT NOW.

WAIT!!! Maybe he can trade someone else's week off for the week in question...MAYBE.

I think I need me some Excedrin to help me cope with all this suddenness and uncertainty!

In the meantime, we're off to do some goat washing. Girly-Girl has her first show tomorrow at the Bangor Fair and we need to get Emma all spiffed up. We'll be at the fair all morning and possibly even early afternoon. Then we'll drive the hour home. Chill for a very short while and then head an hour and a half south for a free outdoor Arlo Guthrie concert. He is absolutely hilarious in person, so we are anticipating a very fun, albeit exhausting day.

I'm glad I don't sing this Sunday. We'll be home so late that we'll probably sleep in and go to second service!

NOTE TO FUNSOCKSGIRL: I was going to sign into AIM to inform you of all this sudden and exciting news that may or may not be happening and it (AIM, not the news) has DISAPPEARED off my computer. Aaaack! I will reinstall it ASAP- right after I suddenly check flight info that we may or may not be using - so that I will be able to let you know if we will or will not be suddenly visiting you