whew! turns out the freeform rhythm of Summer 2024, with two very active toddlers and two very-active-in-a-different-way big kids, is not conducive to blogging regularly. and on my days off work, I've been using the one semipredictable time slot for uninterrupted writing (NAPTIME) to work out or clean the house or read an actual physical book on the back porch or have a therapy session (more on that later -- it's been wonderful).
as I type this, it's 9:17 AM on Labor Day and I've already had to get up three times to change a diaper, break up a fight over baby dolls, and latch the dishwasher door firmly shut so Victoria can't play her favourite game of unloading clean silverware onto the floor. but I will valiantly carry on!
1) park and pool days. my dear friend Susan and I have been scheming a park picnic for years and it finally happened! she has the cutest little picnic basket set, complete with plastic wineglasses, and we had a very European picnic lunch of bread, meat, cheese, juice for the kids and white wine for the mamas while the kids played.
we also enjoyed another afternoon spent at the pool, followed by dinner from the roadside stand nearby. it was the first time I'd ever been there after 13 years of living here and their Reuben hotdog was a revelation. I didn't get a picture of it but just thinking about it makes my mouth water!
2) friend meet-ups. we had a wonderful time visiting with college friends who have since moved to the north and northeast of the state, respectively! there's an especially rich joy in watching your children play with the children of your friends. here's to second-generation friendships!
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| swimming in the lake! |
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| hard to believe we met each other twenty years ago (!), freshman year of college! we have had so many adventures since. |
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| Victoria had to taste test the sand |
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the girls were pretending to be manatees
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| an incredibly fun evening with my other dear friend from college and her husband who came into Pittsburgh to celebrate her birthday. it's been far too long since we've seen each other and it was so fun to meet her beautiful daughter and see her son again! we met up at the iconic German restaurant, Max's Allegheny Tavern for delicious food and beer. |
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then we came back to their adorable AirBnB so the kids could play -- and had a tasting trifecta of burnt almond torte flavors from Prantl's bakery
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3) film premiere. one of the most fun (and fancy!) nights we've had in a very long time. one of our best friends composed the music and wrote the script for the short film, Grandpa and Shorty, and Nick and I were honored to attend the premiere at a local theater. we even had our photo taken on the red carpet! (I'll add those pictures as soon as they are released.) the film itself is an incredibly moving tribute to the bonds of family and the sacrifices made by our military personnel. beyond that, knowing that our friend was the screenwriter and composer made it even more meaningful, especially knowing that several details in the film were based on his own grandfather's life. Nick's 1963 Ford Galaxie convertible even made an appearance!
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| all dressed up in our Hollywood best |
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| after the film |
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| at the afterparty -- we're so proud of all John's hard work and talent! |
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| the next day, the whole family was invited to a blowout bash to celebrate with all the friends and family who came in from out of town for the show |
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| the babies weren't that interested in the pool but had a great time "playing" ladder ball |
4) summer basketball. Greta played again in the summer rec league. she sure loves the game and it's a good way to keep up those skills in a low pressure setting between basketball seasons.
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| it was great practice to go up against taller girls! |
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| this picture cracks me up -- she's not shy when it comes to boxing people out |
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| with her biggest fans! |
5) around home. the house is constantly a mess and we go through an obscene amount of bread, milk, and fruit, but then there are these funny and cute moments that I hope will stand out as the kids' core memories of this summer!
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| she can now pull open the freezer drawer and help herself to ice |
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| Cece made this nest in the basement stairwell for them to read books -- with strict protocols delineated below |
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| Olympics themed gymnastics show! |
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this wasn't exactly a "highlight" but an event worth commemorating... the girls brought home goldfish from the fair and they lasted only 24 hours. Cece had the idea to make a fish shaped pancake breakfast in their memory. the chocolate syrup is supposed to spell out Gills but it melted immediately.
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| these two fight about 459 times a day but then they have sweet moments like this too, so that's what gets documented on my camera roll. |
July also featured our annual Geigerpalooza reunion with my side of the family, but that merits its own post (or maybe even two!).
What a full and busy summer. I'm sure some days it has felt MUCH TOO LONG (sibling fights can be so draining as a mom), but you've really gotten to do so many fabulous things and I guarantee the kids will look back on these days as such happy times <3
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how big Victoria is getting <3 I hope everything continues to be perfect with her hips. What a rough few early months you had, but she is just delightful and looks like a life-size doll with those curls and sweet cherub cheeks.
This was worth the wait. So much fun. I love how you connect with college friends. I went to school less than 2 hours from where I live, but very few of my besties from college live in the area and I am sad that we don't connect regularly. All the pics are so cute. Before I read the caption, I was like, IS THAT SAND IN VICTORIA'S MOUTH? Eek. I'm partial to the basketball portion. She looks like an aggressive player - outstanding. You can't teach that. Our oldest was a marshmallow. He was a gentle giant, well - until he found water polo. Then he was regularly called for fouls. ;)
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