Grand Delusions

School starts up again in 19 days, not that I am counting. I really have no idea how it has gone so fast. I had these great plans about honing the kids' math skills,  getting Sophie reading, finishing off the boys' Scout merit badges that we are behind on, getting my house decluttered and organized. We have yet to leave the metro Phoenix area which means if we don't get on the ball, my kids will face the horrible task of writing that dreaded essay about what you did this summer with no trip to talk about.

What have we been doing?

Sadly, Aunt Edris passed away.

Happily, Gabby came to visit.

Brett got very sick. Thankfully he is out of the ICU and getting better everyday.

My van broke - again. I now know how to replace a A/C fan motor, but I hope next time we have the pleasure that it is slightly less than 115 outside.

I started physical therapy on my right shoulder which mysteriously started hurting after baseball season. I stopped going because it is way too time consuming and boring. I can make dinner with the other shoulder.

Wes is actively seeking a new full time employment opportunity. We hope to be able to keep Amazing Athletes as second income. He is making progress with one particular employer that he has some inroads with a couple of friends. I'll leave it at that until we know more. 

The Haws family returned safely from their cross country adventure, What a welcome relief to have Sophie reunited with Lani. You know that famous scene from Uncle Buck where that Culkin kid asks him all the questions. That is how I was feeling during all her waking hours. She may not be reading, but that girl sure thinks, a lot.

Speaking of cute Sophie, she turned six! We did a rerun of last year and threw a little party at Grandma and Grandpa's pool. (If you wondered if we were going to save that six candle, turn it upside down, and put it on Dylan's cake next month, the answer is ubetcha.- one of the many perks of living in Queentucky..nobody is bothered by that.)

We had some fireworks fun with some kind neighbors who invited us over on the 4th. (Sophie was not injured.)

Dylan has spent most of summer vacation being sick. After a nasty bout of the stomach flu, his rattling chest earned him a trip to the doctor (nurse practitioner actually-Does anyone see actual doctors anymore?)  Unfortunately, it was the same day as his divisional swim meet which qualifies the kids for the championship meet which takes place tomorrow. We were awaiting chest x-ray results to rule out pneumonia and/or Valley Fever.  I told Dylan it was up to him if wanted to swim. He decided last minute that his breathing treatment had worked well enough to give it a try. Out of over a hundred kids, he took 10th place in both breaststroke and backstroke. The top 16 advance, so he earned his chance to compete tomorrow. (The chest x-ray was negative for pneumonia.) Jake also placed for freestyle (14th) and backstroke (12th). He missed qualifying for butterfly (17th) by 2/100ths of a second. I suppose we are getting some math lessons in this summer after all. I won't lie, four days per week of swim practice at the crack of dawn will not be missed. Now we have like an hour and a half before football season starts, So much for those "summer packets" that came home on the last day of school.