September 2021

It’s finally back to school time! This summer felt like a long one – and it was. School didn’t start until September 9th.

Sophie officially started middle school and so far so good. She’s in a program called Evolve, which is a more hands-on, experiential experience. She seems to really enjoy it so far. The school is big (1200 kids) and she said she’s gotten lost a few times, but didn’t seem to phased by it.

Lauren started 3rd grade and has Ms. D’Orazio, whom she loves (Dave and I do too). She also has gotten off to a great start and seems to really love school. She also made a new friend, Harper Peters, who sits next to her in the classroom.

First day outfits!

Middle school starts an hour before elementary, so Sophie leaves the house at 7:40 and then we walk with Lauren at 8:40. Sophie gets out of school at 3 and then picks up Lauren at 3:30, which is super convenient.

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Sticking with the low key theme that has been our theme for the last 18 months, Dave welcomed 42 with a small family birthday celebration. And, we didn’t even celebrate on this actual birthday as he had to be in Atlanta, so we had dinner, cake and presents on the Friday after. While his travel hasn’t started up fully yet, it’s begun in earnest with a few trips so far.

A week after his birthday, he ran in the Philly Distance Run, which is an annual 1/2 marathon through Center City and Fairmount. And he got a PR! This man makes 42 look good!

Heading out to run the Philly Distance Run
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The last week of August we took a week vacation on the boat in the Chesapeake. My leg is healing and I can hobble around a bit more, so we thought we’d give it a go. Aside from getting on and off of the boat, there’s not actually a lot of walking around needed, so that was a plus.

We met up with the Townsends for the first part of the week and rafted up for two nights.

This was also the first time we’ve taken Petunia on the boat for more than a few hours. I was a little nervous about it, but she was great. She may actually be a better boat dog than land dog to be honest.

Boat dog

She actually got out on the kayaks with us a few times. I don’t think that she absolutely loved it, but she was game.

The week mostly consisted of kayaking, paddle boarding, and relaxing.

Unfortunately, the sea nettles had invaded the area, so swimming wasn’t a great option. Instead of swimming, the girls did a lot of swinging off the side of the boat with the bosuns chair. Fortunately they can entertain themselves for hours with that chair!

Lauren off the side of the boat in the bosuns chair

Along the Wye River we found a swing that someone had made with some rope and a big stick. The kids had hours of fun on it, while Dave and I kept an eye out for sea nettles.

Here are a few more shots from the week. It was a fabulous, low key time with the family and what we needed before diving back into the new school year!

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