Summer Arrives In Virginia, A High Of 88º

Hayden, Our Tres Chic Eighth Grader

Halle and Coco

I was the first one up, of course, at 6:20, just me and the dog, who spent the might with me on his owner's bed.  It's already warm, 69º and we expect thundershowers later in the day to complement the heat, a typical summer  day in the DC area.  Evie, then Hayden were the next up, with Halle the last at 7:30.  So far, the morning has been fairly calm, with only Evie and me worrying about the girls getting off on time.

Yesterday was summer like, a shock for those of us who live in Chautauqua.  It's so green and warm here, whereas Chautauqua is still waiting for the trees to complete their blossoming and it's fairly cool, especially during the nights.   Jill and Drew were off for the airport around 8:10, their flight not leaving till 11:00 for Tampa, giving them lots of time.  The girls slept in because it was a weekend, so Evie and I relaxed with coffee waiting for them to arise.  Halle is usually the first up whereas Hayden like most teens, sleeps in till 10:00 or 11:00.  It's now 7:40 and Hayden just went out the door, to catch the bus.

Halle's Kondo Organized Drawers

We did not do much during the morning, just get organized with our things, wait for the girls to wake up.  I did get a walk in with Coco and plan on taking him out twice a day to get myself back into the habit of walking.  It was already warm and humid at 10:30, so I worked up a sweat walking for twenty minutes.  Late morning,  Evie and Halle went upstairs and started tidying up her room, the way we tidied up Hayden's yesterday, using the Kondo method of course.  The girls love doing it, mostly because their Granny is helping them clean out their drawers and closets, getting rid of things they don't wear, than organizing both.  I have to say both rooms look great but there are still nooks, crannies and drawers to "attack."  Evie and Halle also relocated Halle's hamster, Cinnamon, moving her out of Halle's closet to the basement, a good move, as she now has a room with a view and noone can hear her methodical treadmill during the night.

Cinnamon Exploring Her Just Washed Home

Hamster Love

We took a trip to the shopping center at 1:30, to Target, to pick up some odds and ends for the girls and dinner stuff.  It was a painful experience, not knowing for sure what we wanted and having no idea where it was in the store.  And when we finally found the area where, for example, posters were for Hayden, they were out.  A salesperson said she would go and get more and a half hour later she still had not reappeared.  So, we went to the grocery section, picked up Pringles and Nutty Buddies, Granny's influence along with the makings for tacos.  We also stopped at Petsmart, to pick up guinea pig food, then Walgreens, for a poster board for Hayden.  Needless to say, I was impatient most of the trip and happy as heck to get home.

The Girl Gang

Cookie Decorating

While I watched the NBA playoffs, the neighborhood girls descended upon the house, knowing Granny was in town.  Within minutes, they were all around the kitchen table, decorating the cookies Evie had brought from Chautauqua, just in case the gang wanted to decorate.  They had a great time before it was time to go home.  It was a fun way to spend the afternoon.

A Dog And His Best Friend

Around 6:30, Evie put together the makings for tacos and we all devoured them.  Nothing like a good taco with all the fixings, head lettuce, sauce, and sour cream.  For Halle, however, it was just a prelude to her Nutty Buddy.  Like her Granny, she is not good at 'delayed gratification,' and could hardly wait for her ice cream treat.  We then watched some of the Billboard Awards show with both girls, though Hayden was also doing her homework as she has a busy week.  Halle went up to bed around 9:00, Hayden around 9:30, to get a good start on their week.  Evie and I were both tired but stayed up to watch Nurse Jackie before going to bed.  Evie downstairs to the guest bedroom, me upstairs with the dog, an interesting arrangement.

It's now 8:30, about time to drop Halle off at school because it's too hot to walk with Coco, maybe later in the week when it cools off.