Missy's blog: Aug 2023

August brought school back. I started back on my piano lessons. I was unreasonably nervous about going back. I had such a good time last semester and its part of my goals for the year but I had to fight myself to reenroll. The first class happened when we were out of town so I can in on the next one. The class is much more full and I am no longer the most inexperienced piano player. So it feels like totally deferent experience. Everything is new.

I start up with the last two songs I played (have basically not picked up the book since the end of last semester) and could still play the songs. So far so good.

This post is showing newest to oldest so the plants are going to bloom backwards.

My sunflowers bloomed.

The fence pumpkin did not fall off in a complete rejection of gravity.

We did more bike adventure. See bike blog here.

The kids went to their first days of school.

This was a big deal. Kiernan is now a High School student and Megan a Middle schooler.

Woah!

Kiernan prepared for the rigors of very early High School mornings (we must leave by 7 am) by doing up a bunch of breakfast burritos and then freezing them.

David and I did a low key anniversary week starting at the end of August and going into September.

We went to Saint Michael's and stayed at a hotel and went for walks and ate great ice cream.

Our hotel was the cheapest in town with a 2 or 3 star rating but I noticed that all the bad reviews were pre 2019 and that there was a Changes-Are-On-The-Way message from management. So we went there and were delighted.

They had a pool for the kids. The rooms were comfy and we had a mini fridge. Plus it was cheap enough we could afford separate rooms. That was a welcome first.

They were right by pizza and coffee.

We saw a replica of John Smith's tiny tiny exploration vessel. Look at that thing! 15 adult men were in it for 3 months at a time. Amazing.

Kiernan got his favorite impossible burger to date.

We took our annual end of summer beach trip to Sandy Point.

It was so fun because my friend Lucero came with us. It was perilous because the jelly fish were out. We all got stung at least a bit.

I made a St. Bridget's cross that I was super proud of and then lovingly placed it on the roof of my car and drove off losing it forever...sigh. My brain y'all.

I though Kiernan looked especially dashing in his beach get up.

We played some more rock band.

I finally tackled the kids under sink. Oh gracious.

I told Megan that once she turned 12 she was getting kicked out of our bathroom (both kids prefer our shower for no good reason) and that she and Kiernan would share the kids bathroom as we originally intended. She will be 12 in October so I finally cleared out fish tank stuff and random strange leftovers from illnesses and trips and collections and made a nice clean and relevant bathroom for them.

She went to her middle school orientation and was given her own Chromebook and locker. She dressed to the 9s.

I ran an entertaining (to me) tasting experiment and tried every smoothy at my local hippy co-op. I saved the one I found least appealing for last.

Trust your instincts folks.

It tasted like grass and sadness.

I got confused when google photos thought I was a dragon burned elf lord. I'm sort of proud but also slightly dubious about this algorithm.

Behold the pumpkin back when mom first brough it to our attention.

My sister organized a fun family get together. This time with Chinese food.

I pickled some beets.

We did a family fun run called the Mount Airy Mile.

We chased a duck down main street.

We did this one last year as well. I am happy to say that my running training really paid off as I finished much faster than last year and with more energy. My foot on the other hand hurt soooo much.

I had some lovely morning glory success. I love purples.

Our crepe myrtle was also lovely. This year it reached the full height of the deck. We got it as a sprouting from My Dad and Mary's house when they moved to Hawaii.

The kids got their official schedules. Megan got Art and Tech Expo (pre engineering) for her electives and she is very happy. She says next year she might try theater. I feel like she would love that too.

Kiernan got Algebra based Physics and Geometry then AP history and Guitar. In high school they only do 4 classes a semester but for much longer times. This is also his first AP class. So in the same way that he was earning High School credit in Middle school he will be earning college credit in High School.

When he went to his orientation parents were asked not to join. So we went out to bubble tea and hoped hopeful thoughts.

I sometimes forget how tall he is getting then I see him next to classmates and am startled.

He is taller than me but not as tall as David. He is hungry quite a lot of the time. He has officially done his first shave.

We took the kids out to celebrate their orientations.

We went to a great video arcade in Frederick called Spinners

We went to bubble tea.

My car hit a nice round number in milage and I managed to get a photo of it. I have to give it to Toyota. Its really doing very well.

I also took David to Spinners separately for a date. We got pizza and played games and were goofy.

I went for a good hike and then soaked my feet in the very cold stream at the bottom of the mountain.

I sat at the top and though about how I really loved walking every day in Spain.

I love hiking in Maryland. There are so many great day hikes around here.

I'd never heard of this one but we went on a Haven fishing trip to the same stream the day before and I saw the signs and came back with my trekking poles.

Good stuff.

We went to a Shakespeare in the park thing.

We used to go to those every summer at the Carter Barron but we moved and they stopped doing them outdoors and then time passed.

I though the kids might be old enough for Shakespeare so we all went.

Twelfth Night is funny and easy to understand and this cast had a lot of deaf or signing actors in it so it seemed like a cool introduction.

I even broke out my feast gear and made good picnic food.

I though it was great. They kids were less enthusiastic.

Oh well.

When they were toddlers the pediatrician told me that my job was not to make them eat but only to put good food in front of them. I feel like this may have been something similar.