Chewy Cell Phone Pictures--"I Picked her Up!" (Part Two)

First Day of Third Grade

And Michael is home!  (And smiling!)

Morning Report

This is the morning report
Gives you the long and the short
Every grunt, roar, and snort
Not a tale I distort
On the morning report

Rough night for Chewy, meant that the boy was woken up late; no shower today...

As I walk down the stairs, I hear familiar voices and sounds...realize that my son is 

watching a 50 year old television show--Star Trek marathon is on.  (We have all 

on DVD...think we shall be watching some this weekend).  It was wonderful to see my son 

watching something that my dad loved, that I loved...the show that brought my son to 

this life, actually...

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Driving her to school.  Somehow one of those conversations that start with 

something innocuous then somehow comes to this point:

She: "How did you feel when you found out he [her brother] was autistic?" 

Ahh...the questions and answers--there are times when she is far smarter then we 

give her credit for.  She is searching and probing..and far more empathetic than 

I was at her age.  Complex thoughts at morning drop off..not finished, but tabled...

Time, time, time...

Time, time, time See what's become of me...
And look around you
Leaves are brown, now
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter

How quickly the summer has gone...and now the first days of school are upon us!  Just like a page from a book being turned, the weather has gotten colder, crisper and rainy...

Michael started his Senior Year of High School...

Two weeks ago, hanging out at a breakfast place...

This was him getting off the bus to start Kindergarten...

This is him before going to school yesterday...

He does not "do" smiles at the moment...he actually was quite excited to go!

Senior.Year.  Whoa.

Meanwhile, we have Third Grader...who still is okay posing for my pre-requisite First Day of School Pictures:

My girl

This is my serious girl--in the teacher lines at the gym...Mrs. White, 3rd Grade, here we come!

That smile!

Barely ate her breakfast..

Wake up--not a very big morning person, this one...

Swimmer

Before this summer, Willow had the mechanics down regarding swimming, but did not like getting her face wet or blowing bubbles in the water.

This summer, I signed her up for a swimming class, and armed with Goggles--she became a swimmer extraordinaire! 

She now does hand stands in the water--and passed the deep end tests at summer camp, so she could swim away!

While we were on Cape Cod, Chewy and Michael took some pictures of our swimmer:

Really Relaxing...

It has been a really relaxing vacation. Everything has went smoothly and we have had nice weather (except for a rainy day today).  Everything has just been so nice and it has been a great way to say good bye to summer...one more full day...then back home and getting ready for work and the new school year!
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Michael went on his own in Provincetown.  Most of the time, he has shown how mature he has become...until the sibling rivalry rears it head in the back seat or in the shared bedroom at the condo...

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Willow has started to show an interest in shopping, going into every shop, and noticing all the pretty clothes, etc.
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UPDATE:

Summary of what we did:

Sunday - hung out at the pool and had seafood and local stuff

Monday - Wellfleet/Eastham, including drive-in, Red Barn Pizza and mini-golf

Tuesday - Free Tour of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (We got to see Alvin!) and Clambake at Seacrest Hotel on Silver Beach in Falmouth (Wonderful sunset and great food!)

Wednesday - Provincetown!  Private beach time, shopping, Lobster Pot (great salad dressing..) Michael on his own, Willow going into full shopping mode!

Thursday - Rainy day--went to Falmouth town center and hung out, had cupcakes at Cupcake Charlies and then went to a cinema pub in Falmouth to watch a movie

Friday - Pirate Coves Mini-Golf, Wellfleet/Eastham again for more nice pizza and arcade games; then curried scallops for me!  Dairy Queen

Babylon 5 episodes; swimming pool; cupcakes; Mashpee commons; hanging out; card games with Willow; Michael phrases and relaxing in a rocking chair.  (Willow finding Disney pre-teen/teen shows--ugh!)

It was a wonderful time and I am very happy. 

Eating cupcakes on a Rainy Day

Shopping!

Yummy salad with yummier salad dressings!

Flying a kite in Provincetown

Ben & Jerry's Face!  Chocolate Therapy

Clambake at the Seacrest in Falmouth

Sunset at Silver Beach (Clambake)

Alvin--at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Woods Hole

Drive-In in Wellfleet

Mini-Golf at the Red Barn

Art at Highfield Hall

#MicroBlog Monday - CountDown

Time once again for #MicroBlog Monday!  To see other posts for this, please click here!

I used to be a Fall person, just like my Grammie.  Fall and its smells, its crunchy leaves, the coolness and the sweaters and snuggles.  I loved it!  And here I go and move to New England--the CENTER of Fall!  It is awesome here in Autumn!

And yet...well, I guess as time has gone on, as I have children who are school age, as I have experienced more and more fun in Summer...I have this bittersweet Love/Hate relationship with the Count-Down between late Summer and Fall.  Not always, but a few times of the years, I have actually end up Missing Summer rather than Looking Forward to Fall.  Don't get me wrong--once Autumn is definitely here, I embrace it like an old friend and I remember why I love it so...but...Summer...it is fleeting in my eyes, and I wish it could linger a bit more.

The Count-Down for school is upon us.  The school supplies have been bought.  The schedules are starting to form...but Summer is still here---and I am getting ready to make the most of it soon---as the Count Down to vacation begins this week.  Saturday, we will be leaving for a week on Cape Cod, where many days of beach and sun and fun await...

Forward and Back, Back and Forward - Update

I look at the photo, brought up through social media...smiling child...was it that long ago?  I look at him and barely see the small, smiling child...but, every so often, more and more....I am able to see past the disgruntled teenager...I am starting to see someone new/old emerging. Hints of his humor and smiles when he is not guarded.  Slowly, I see that this boy/teenager is starting to become the young man that he will be.  It is a work in progress, slowed by obstacles...but it is there.  He is there.  I don't need (but am encouraged by) the weekly progress reports from school that show the change, the progress.  So much work ahead--but the future is starting to form and take shape.  And I am proud of him.

From weekly progress report:

"Michael did a very good job this week and was very successful in the community.  His sense of humor is really starting to come out more to more people and it's wonderful to see positive interactions with peers and staff."

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The house is a bit of shambles right now...finally it has become time to remodel part of the kitchen...out with the old, in with the new--cabinets and counter-top are being replaced.  This seems a bit familiar too...a few years after we moved in, we had a new floor put in...and the mess, multiple days of dissembled household...I remember Michael walking on boards around the kitchen floor while the tiles set.  This week, we have all the stuff from the cabinets in plastic tubs in the living room hallway...the kitchen table (not always free of clutter) is FULL of stuff.  Last night--no sink, no counter-top--we had take-out fish platters from the seafood restaurant near Chewy's work...and this morning--McDonald's Breakfast...

On the only surface we had this morning...

Last night, cats inspecting the work in progress...

Oh, look...new cabinets!

Counter-top installed this morning...

White caulk will dry clear...

UPDATE: Cabinets and counter-top finished (and evil smiling Michael!):

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She is having a much smoother time at summer camp this year--and she has learned to swim very well--so well that she has passed the tests to be able to go in the deep end!  She has a few more weeks of swim lessons--I will see if she wants to do more--but, she is her mother's daughter--a fish in water! We have had a couple weekends where she and I have been in pools more than on dry land!  (We still haven't gone to a beach this summer...soon!)

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Time is moving, moving..forward we keep going...summer is still here, but almost at an end.  Schools supplies, some have been bought, some are still awaiting our time and energy.  Still in our future is time on Cape Cod and beaches and fun...and Third Grade and Senior Year of High School and Driving lessons and singing lessons and...oh, so much more....