back to seattle life: mini golf, kid dates, cat duty

 we've been back for almost a week now, the kids are at day camp starting today, and life is feeling back to normal again. wanna know the thing i was dreading the most about coming back? having to figure out what to make for dinner every night. ha! this is one of the parts of adulthood no one warns you about and you take for granted when you are a kid (or an adult on vacation/staying with family). it was also strange to come back to cooler summer weather (upper 60s/low 70s before it warmed up over the weekend). it's great sleeping weather, though. 

last week was mostly spent unpacking, especially the bins of stuff that thatcher drove back, lots of laundry and getting the house back in order. the kids were able to see simone and thelonious for two days before their family left on their own two week trip to the midwest. on friday morning i took azalea, ashford, and ashford's friend arlo mini golfing in interbay. they had fun!

that night we went to my friend kay's for dinner. they grilled burgers and later the kids made smores in the chiminea. it was a really fun night of catching up. we hadn't seen them since school got out. i forgot to take any pictures. 

saturday morning i went back to the gym for the first time in 7 weeks. that's always fun ;) thatcher and i each took one kid on a little date (something we need to do more often!). thatcher and ashford went to mod pizza for lunch and then to full tilt for ice cream and arcade games.

 

 i took azalea to mcdonald's for lunch (her request), then we went to target to get school supplies and some new clothes for her. it was a big success. i can tell by the school supplies she needs for 6th grade that middle school is going to be a whole new world for her. :) in the afternoon we went and fed ashford's friend arlo's cat checkers. arlo's mom took care of some of our outdoor potted plants in her yard all summer, we were happy to return a favor.

saturday night we had a long-awaited at home movie night with the kids. it's something we do almost every weekend and honestly, it starts to feel repetitive...until you have a 7 week break from it, then you really miss the simple things you do at home.

sunday morning we made pancakes for breakfast then i took ashford to fred meyer for a little back to school shopping. for the first time ever the PTA is paying for all of the kids' classroom supplies, which is amazing. but he still needed a new backpack and some clothes. we had success! i also got some french silk pie in honor of (what would have been) my dad's 67th birthday. he loved french silk pie. 

 

thatcher was gone all afternoon meeting up with a friend. it got back in the 80's again, so i decided to take the kids to mounger pool in magnolia. it was a huge hit last summer, but i think i ruined their view of seattle pools by taking them to the big one in minnesota. oops. we still had fun. in the evening, we scrounged up dinner and the kids played video games while i sat out on the deck and read my book. it was hot and stuffy in our townhouse, but it felt great on the deck. 

  this morning was drop off for boys and girls club day camp. the kids went a few times last summer and loved it. ashford was a bit nervous to go back, but i think he will have a great time. especially because his best buddies are there with him. and i will soak up my first real parenting break in 7 weeks!