What Would You Call It?

There are already two enrtries on this blog labeled "Milestones," which is what I thought I would call this one. As I sat down to pen this, it was the word that kept leaping to the fore front of my mind as I thought about today.

Today, we took the little boy on a train. For those keeping score at home, you may recall that we took many trips this year to "see trains," not a far drive from the house. At one point I got smart, and instead of driving ten minutes in the hopes that trains woud pass, I kept the schedule in the car, and we were able to time it and see them coming and going. A few times we got out of the car and stood on the platform and watched the train either blow by (quite literally, it felt as though we would fall over from the force of it), or slowly toot its way into the station.

Going on the train was left as the dangling carrot to motivate the toilet training, which he needed to start playgroup. Orientation for which was today.

Eldest Daughter started College today, also with orientation, though I doubt she got a stack of paper and a pencil for Mitzvah notes, and probably also did not recieve a paper apple with her name on it. She did however get her schedule, a ride in with a group of her peers, and the very tangible begginning of at least the next chapter of her school life.

Second Daughter left to Israel. We are so excited for these opportunities: academic, religious, independent, and maturity wise. As I hugged her goodbye I ping-ponged in my head: "go/don't go," as I held her tight. She needs to fly, it hurts that she's not here, she is such a presence in the house, the arbiter of right and wrong, justice, and cleaning up so her sisters can benefit from her reward (read: watch Chopped). Not sure how she will manage not putting the little guy in PJ's, the little guy who tonight moved out of the crib and into the bed just vacated by his roommate. I hope the ones she will have over the next ten months will be as easy to live with as he is!

Oh, and it's my sister's birthday.

How's It Going?

What a weird Summer.

Sister who comes in, came in for a very short time. We packed a lot into those days, and had good "cousin time," which is really what we wanted. Aside from swimming we did some "stuff" with the kids, and some with the grown ups, dealt with teenaged boredom, and had the general going to bed too late. We went to a mine, a small amusement park at night, swimming, (lots of swimming), played a volleyball/newcomb hybrid on a beach volleyball court (where the BB's got shmeared by the visitors!), and a really fun park.  Most of these days were topped off with Dinner at the Grandparents, a few slumber parties, lots of roasted marshmallows, and a fireworks show we don't talk about.

They left, and we continued some fun days. Along with aunt we went kayaking, on a windy choppy day, some ceramics, and then a two day family vacation. Norman Rockwell museum, a nice pontoon boat ride, and a Mountain Adventure park (alpine slide, mountain coaster). Tjhere wasn't really anything for the boy to do, so we went to a farm, and then went back again at 5 to watch the cows being milked.

Now we are getting ready for school, packing one kid up to leave for a year, and just hanging on to the last days of summer.

But what a beautiful world!