Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Fast August!




Wheh! August has flown by. Yesterday, we celebrated Aksel's 6th birthday with a Pirate Pool Party. After a 40 minute serious fret session because the chlorine levels were "off" in the pool and swimming was not permitted, we finally opened the floodgates and the many bodies leapt in squealing with glee. We had to entertain 14 small sweaty bodies on the pool deck, and I've never been so happy that I overpurchased for a birthday party. I bought a pirate pinata, and that filled a good 25 minutes.

Today the boys are taking their second piano lesson with Mr. Perez. He's a great teacher: encouraging Lachen's diligent work ethic and managing Aksel's exuberance. And, we inherited an old St. Mark's piano, so now the boys can actually learn a thing or two about dynamics.

Our friends from Minnesota Mike and Amy are coming into town tonight. Shawn's charge today is to find a good restaurant in Boston--no easy task because there are so many to choose from. Signe Jordet came for a visit last weekend. She blended right into our family and before the first day was over, the boys had hauled her upstairs to see their latest set-ups. Shawn and I enjoyed an amazing meal in south Boston with John and Christine: Shawn had seared tuna and I relished a blackened salmon. Ah, the seafood! Still, it may be time for school to start to keep us out of the restaurants. 'Taint free!

Shawn closed out his softball season with a dignified 2nd place finish. The best part of the game is the after-game time. The sons of the players have had endless fun running the bases and racing around the outfield with all the other little boys while the Gravediggers enjoy their 10th inning in a cool can. It's a good crew of people: some who have lived in Southborough for generations, others transplants from the Midwest.

Along with the pool party pictures, I added a shot of the boys at Grandma and Grandpa Reid's house where they had a joint birthday party with their Reid cousins and family. Fun times!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Glorious Steamy Summer Night Under the Covers

If you read the title of this post and expect some sultry tale, I'm sorry to disappoint. Instead, let me explain. Today was a glorious, humid, HOT summer day. My favorite. Just working in the kitchen and lazy hand weeding my garden produced rivulets of sweat. Now this is summer. I love it. I went on a long run while my boys played baseball. I took a shower, and tossed a flowy sundress over my head. Still sweating, but who cares?!? It's summer! Glory! And then, my boys came home.

Finding it WAY too hot and sticky in the house, on went the air conditioners. We have two window units: one in the living room and one in our bedroom. Now, with Lachen and Aksel on pallets on our floor, a fan blowing, and the AC on full blast, I'M FREEZING! So, I'm literally under the down comforter while the three boys around me are laying shirtless on top of their covers. They're all hot. I just don't get it. All winter long, my extremities are frozen and numb, and for once the world around me is warm and moist, and I'm still cold. Maybe I should go and sleep on the couch. The hot, scratchy couch. Ahhh...

Except, I can't. Today was Aksel's 6th birthday, and I promised him that I'd nuzzle him tonight. He had a great day full of foods of his choosing (hotdogs, sauerkraut, soft buns--that is, not Mama's homemade crusty rolls--and carrots from our garden for dinner, lemon meringue pie and cookies & cream ice cream for dessert). His best friend came over to play all afternoon, and we wrote out the invitations to his Pirate Pool Party to be held later this month. It's good to be 6.

Excuse me while I find my wool socks.