It’s been so hot that it really doesn’t feel like fall yet. We had a good, if busy, week. I took the older boys to their first 4-H meeting, and we recited the 4-H pledge, and it was all good fun. They were annoyed by the parliamentary procedure of the meeting, but it brought it all back to me in spades. “Who wants pepperoni?” I move we eat! It totally disconcerted them, but it echoed nicely with me, considering I’d just spent all afternoon and morning in an identical meeting–with adults.
Our evenings have been busy, which has happened before, but isn’t something we’re used to. Patrick teaches on Monday night, Gilbert has baseball on Tuesday and Thursday, and Seamus has soccer on Friday. Couple that with the fact that Patrick and I went to see What the Constitution Means to Me on the 18, we had 4-H on the 25, and whew! Not a single relaxing evening at home. The 4-H club here has chicken embryology! What fun.
Saturday was a good day. We met up with my friend at the skatepark, and she had given a guest lecture in my class the day before. It was great to see her and meet her girlfriend and hang out at the skatepark with the kids. I think they asked a million questions.
On Wednesday, Harlan was extremely excited to show me his new helmet that he and Patrick got that morning. He very clearly wanted to explain that he chose Orange!
That’s my friend. We has a great morning hanging out. She used to be my student, and my students were extremely impressed by that fact!
It was really overcast and weird on Saturday. Gilbert had a great game, getting in some pitches and a slide into home. Porter and Harlan were melting in the heat, so I had to take them home early. Then, CSA pick up and lunch. Then, later, Seamus’s game. The other team didn’t have enough players, so it ended up being a scrimmage, which was lovely with the weather, younger kids running around, and our team enjoying themselves. On Sunday, we had a pretty relaxing day, and then the older boys went to a laser tag birthday party and then we enjoyed dinner on the deck with our neighbors. All but Harlan that is; somehow he got sick over the weekend and was running a pretty good fever by Sunday afternoon. He’s still sick, but getting better.
Other things to note: The Mazda has been in and out of the shop this week, so we’re making do with one car. It’s fine but adds to the logistical nightmare. Seamus started chorus, and he’s one of four boys doing it. I told him he could quit if he felt like it, but he says that would be bad and he doesn’t want to. Gilbert continues to love playing (?) his trumpet. I’m wrung out, but hanging on. A really nice thing about Gilbert’s baseball is that Seamus and I get more time to play games.
Academic Leigh Speaking 
I hadn’t realized before how much Seamus looks like you.
He’s concentrating! Maybe that’s it. 🙂