No pictures again. Our newest camera suffered a fatal accident. We're sending it away for a repair estimate.

Sunday Aug 17th Jeff and I went down to the lakefront for IrishFest. I received two tickets at work via IrishFest's current PR firm who's looking outside to redesign the Fest's logo. So the visit was "research." I really wanted to attend the huge Catholic mass that's held at the Amphitheatre, but Paige hosted a sleepover from the night before that didn't really cooperate with our plans. No takers on wanting to come with either. So Jeff and I went down for a pint of ale and stew. It's really an enjoyable Fest.

Bryn had to stay up Sunday night as Monday Aug 18th is the first official WIAA-sanctioned day of practice for high school fall sports so Cross Country annually schedules a Midnight Run. Thank goodness Bryn is 16 now and could drive herself to the high school and back. We didn't wait up.

Bryn visited the doctor Tuesday as she hasn't been feeling the best while running. She feels nauseous and isn't sleeping because of it. The doctor's treating it as acid reflux and of course there's over-the-counter stuff for that. The doctor also suggested slight modifications to her diet including eating yogurt in the morning. Bryn is not a fan. But Go-Gurt seems to be better. We'll see how it goes, but she seems to be working through it.

Paige was called back by the select softball team for a 2nd tryout Wednesday Aug 20th. There were also some girls trying out for the 1st time as they couldn't make the other tryout date. Not sure where Paige stands, but getting called back has to be good! We haven't heard anything yet...

Thursday Aug 21st was school registration day. I switched my off day from Friday to Thursday just for the occasion. We took Bryn to the high school after morning Cross Country practice. There's a lot of construction still going on at the high school, but what is done looks pretty spiffy! After lunch I accompanied Paige to her new junior high school. She wouldn't walk her classes with me. She prefers that her older sisters do that. The school is open next week so they can drop off her supplies and walk her schedule. First day of school is Sep 2nd for Paige and 3rd for Bryn.

Saturday Aug 23rd was Paige's school shopping day. We purchased all her school supplies as well as a few clothes. And a couple of her own makeup items. Major milestone. Shopping trips are so much more enjoyable when you can take one child by themselves. She had a good day.

Abby's pretty much MIA lately: getting up early and coming home around midnight. She leaves on her bike with all her belongings in a gianormous backpack and goes to the Y, shops, visits/has lunch with friends, works, goes to Brewers games... I had to ask her to write down her social schedule so that I can request a time to fit in a few family things and organize/pack up for college before next weekend when she leaves! Believe me, there weren't very many open spots! The whole day today is open, of which I'm hoping she'll be catching up on some sleep. She went for a midnight bike ride last night which got her back home at 3am!

Obviously from my lack of blogging, a lot has been happening.

Aug 6th Jeff and I attended a UWL Freshmen SendOff picnic with Abby for all incoming freshmen from the area. We mingled with new friends as well as a few from Menomonee Falls. Too bad Abby's roommate is from further away or we would've been able to meet her. Guess we'll have to wait until move in day! We exchanged email addresses with a couple parents hoping to coordinate rides home, or delivery of care packages when one of us goes.


Aug 8th Jeff took 3 buddies from his softball coaching days out to The Bog for a day of golf. They had a beautiful day. Afterward, us spouses joined them for dinner at one of their homes. We each brought a portion of the meal and we really enjoyed ourselves. I got to bring dessert and luckily had leftovers! Coffee ice cream with crushed Heath bars, hot fudge sauce and whip cream!!!

Meg & Co drove down from up north and arrived Saturday morning. The kids had a lot of fun bouncing on the trampoline, riding bikes and just coloring. We thought about going to the State Fair or going for pizza and games, but ended up just hanging here and having frozen pizzas. Kristin brought over Bella and Lucy after she grew tired of waiting for Craig to come deliver her new piece of furniture. Carlo waited at home for him. Seeing as Lucy, Mia and Cooper weren't going to the Brewers game the next day, it was perfect for all to get to see them.

Sunday Aug 10th was the Brewer Outing that Jeff organized. He does such a great job and it all just seems to work out. Works for me! Last year it was so hot over the grills, that Jeff pre-cooked the brats and hot dogs. Smart. Jeff extended invitations beyond just family this year and the Klimkos and the Wolfs took us up. Todd Wolf called that morning to inform us their car had broken down and they were still 2 hours away! They were unable to get to Milwaukee for the game. Really would have been fun to see them.

Wed Aug 13th Bryn participated in the Girls Cross Country Team's 24 Hour Run. This event is the team's fundraiser as the girls collect pledges for the number of laps they run. The lights are kept on all night as the girls pair up to take turns running laps around the high school track. Bryn had our van there for girls to take naps in or just to have a comfy place to sit. The coaches provided lunch and a spaghetti dinner and ice cream.

Miss Abby is at a local hotel for the weekend. It's "Girls Weekend" with her fearsome foursome that will soon leave each other for separate UW schools. Included in their itinerary is seeing "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2", exchanging good luck/goodbye/friends forever presents and (I would expect) lots of crying. Abby purchased each friend a pair of jeans and then sewed and/or ironed on patches, buttons, etc. to represent each of them for one of her presents. She's a sentimental girl. We hope to see her tomorrow sometime.

Paige tried out for the local select softball team today. A little stiffer competition than playing Little League. Don't know when we'll hear results, but Jeff said she looked good pitching and fielding. She can play this and Little League if she wants to.

Abby got her wisdom teeth pulled last Wednesday (23rd). Her appointment was early. I met her in the oral surgeon's recovery room where she was very drowsy. While she alternated holding ice over each cheek, she repeatedly told me how they put the IV in her arm and not her hand. I drove her home and set her up on the couch with remote, ice packs, water and tylenol. Alex was the first visitor (no surprise) and stayed and helped most of the day. Good thing as I had work to do from home. Abby was so impressed with her speedy recovery, she let a friend take her to the mall for gelato against my advice. Her girlfriends came over with ice cream in the evening. She had a bumpy night which turned into a sickly morning. Jeff stayed home with her Thursday and I went in to work. She was sick the entire day and Jeff ended up calling the doctor for help. One dose of the prescription in the evening, and Abby was finally able to let her body relax. I was off Friday and chauffeured Abby to the regional baseball game vs. Brookfield Central at Arrowhead. They won! And went on to win over Arrowhead at 4:00, earning their place to play at State! Abby felt OK to work her 3-hour shift that evening and show off her post-wisdom-teeth-removal chipmunk cheeks.




Bryn returned from Coahoma on Saturday (26th) afternoon. We held a welcome back luncheon for the kids and chaperones inside the church when they arrived. Unlike last year where Bryn only called us once, she out-called all the other trippers this year! I was actually filling parents in with details learned from Bryn's phone calls! Bryn had a fantastic, inspiring time again helping residents fix up their homes and playing with the children. Next year the team voted to go to Ohio so they won't experience the subtropical heat again. Everyone commented how their clothes were dripping wet from sweat within 20 seconds of walking outside. They all were also amazed at how rural the community was. "It was surrounded by cornfields!" Bryn slept 12 hours Saturday night before going back to church to celebrate the mission trippers' homecoming at mass Sunday morning.

Meg was concerned about Abby's recovery and checked in daily. We were turning Abby over to Meg for the week starting Saturday! Jeff drove Abby down to Meg's Saturday night after Abby worked again. They made record time on their way down, but Jeff said coming back Sunday was a different story. He finally pulled back in to our driveway around 3pm, only to pack up the van to drive up north at 5!

This was the only week where all of us had an open schedule, so we decided to take a few days and laze around on the lake. We cancelled Bryn's trombone lesson, her babysitting job and Paige's clarinet lesson. It's really difficult for me to adjust to not having anything to do and I wish I would've brought a few more things along. But the weather couldn't be better for being near water. Tuesday there was a chance for storms so we went in to town and had a burger at the local greasy spoon and went to Mamma Mia! (The movie did not rival the show.) Theo's coat is already so pretty from constantly swimming. We had terrific weather. Jeff helped my dad scrape the bad varnish off the cabin's exterior, we went golfing Friday morning, to the Shawano Fly Out Saturday morning and filled the rest of the time swimming and relaxing.

The Sears clan drove north for their week at the cabin Saturday where we made the Abby exchange. Meg and William left Indy at 4am while we stayed up for the day so the kids could all play together (we had the easy part of the deal).