Overcast Tuesday Morning, As The Gang Increases

6:20

Up at 6:20 and, like yesterday, a slash of light to the south, cloudy over Long Point and towards Mayville.  It's a very cool 53º though I am comfortable on the front porch.  Another quiet morning, no action on the lake, just the sound of NPR and birds.  It looks like a nice day, mostly sunny, warmer than yesterday, the high in the low 70's.  A great morning to go blue berry picking, our first task for the day.

Like the past couple of days, the girls slept till 9:30 then stayed up in their cosy bedroom until 10:15 when Evie called them down to breakfast.  I love they way they just kick back in our bedroom, on a floor of mattresses, covered with quilts and blankets, and just sink into them, talk and surf the web on their Ipads or play games.  They end up going up there two or three times a day, to read, hang out, or just enjoy being along with each other (no adults and it's only going to get worst).

Orange Brick Road At Chautauqua Institute

Because it was cloudy, we decided to take them to the Chautauqua Institution, to get books from the library and browse the bookstore.  We can  get in on our library cards; just say we want to go to the library avoiding the 17.00 dollar fee and the girls were free.  They loved browsing the bookstore, of course, and came a way with a few trinkets.  And they each got a couple of books out of the library, compliments of a very helpful children's librarian.  Halle came right home and started reading.  We stayed for a little over an hour at the CI, just enough time and ran into our friends Fred and Judy Gregory.  Judy is quite an artist and she invited the girls over to see her work if they wanted, so we hope to do this sometime this week.  Fred and I have played basketball together and we see them usually once a year for a dinner, as they spend their winters in North Carolina.

Beth and Family Arrive

We came home to a lunch of leftovers, quesadillas and Evie's vegetable soup and before we knew it, around 2:00, the Albarrans arrived from Darien, CT, to the excitement of all especially the girls who missed Marisa, another ten year old.  Our house count is now up to nine, three adults, two boys, and four girls.  Yikes.  And it's only going to get better (worst?) on Friday when the rest of the family arrive, bringing the total to fifteen.  Enough.

Treasure Chest Raided

The girls hit the Treasure Chest almost immediately, something they have looked forward to for years.  Each child gets to pick out a present from the chest but by the end of the week, they usually end up with two or three, if not more.  In fact, almost any child that visits gets to go into the chest.  And if they come back the next year, they look forward to diving in again.  It's an idea from my childhood, as I may have mentioned, when my grandparents took me out to Olin Goudy's farm in Concord, Ohio, and his wife, Ella, had a treasure chest which she allowed us, each summer, to pick out a gift.  I always looked forward to the visit because of this.

Granny and Her Grandchildren

Everyone went swimming despite the cool around 4:00, the boys harassing the girls, chasing them on the rafts, while they filled the summer air with their screams of delight.  Girls love nothing better than being chased by boys (as long as it's not their brothers).  It was great to have the Albarrans with us and Beth, ever thoughtful, gave Marlena, Halle, and Hayden an early birthday present, an ingenious craft kit for each girl called Rainbow Rings Looms.  They weave various designs of braids, for bracelets, out of tiny (1/4 inch) multicolored rubber bands.  This will keep them busy the entire vacation.

Learning How To Make A Rainbow Bracelet

Making Bracelets in Our Bedroom

Rainbow Bracelets

While the girls worked on their bracelets, Evie, Tyler and Mitch made home made fettuccine noodles, to go along with the barbecued chicken I grilled, candy sweet local corn, and a salad.  The noodles are cooked in the broth from the par boiled chicken, making them delicious but sinful, sopped in butter and chicken fat. YUM.  For dessert, Evie and the girls made cupcakes early in the day, so she got out the frosting, put it in a plastic bag, and each grandchild decorated their own cupcakes, loading them with frosting, of course.

Tyler, Mitch and Granny Making Fettuccine

Girls Open Their New Outfits for Summer, 2013

After dessert, the girls begged Evie for their new dresses; each year Evie spends an inordinate amount of time looking for four matching outfits for the girls, so that each year, they all get new matching dresses.  This year was no different and they quickly ripped the wrapping paper, pulled out the new outfits, and ran to the bedroom to change, excited and happy with their new look.  The colors this year seem to be lime green tops, a multi colored skirts.

In Evie's Garden

Around 7:30, while Evie played Bocce with the boys,  I went off with the girls to the Elste's playground, just down the street, where they played on the swings for a half hour.  One of the reasons for going is to see Becky Deault's tailless cat called Kitty.  The girls look forward to seeing her and she is very affectionate, rubbing against their legs.  We tried putting the girls to bed early; they were upstairs in their beds by 9:30 but did not get to sleep until almost 11:00, when Evie and I went to bed.  The boys watched some TV, an old 1970's movie with Warren Beatty called The Parallax View, so dated we stopped watching after an hour.