What a WEEK I'm Having

(Quick, name that 80's movie!)

(As always, you can click on the photos and they will magically embiggen in a new window.)

The girls started swim lessons.

And as you can see, Jane was really happy about it.  The sombrero adds a nice touch, no?

My father-in-law came for a visit and left again:

I seem to be challenged when it comes to taking photos when my father-in-law is here.  I don't know why --maybe because we stay pretty busy.  At any rate, here he is with Ana. (And yes, she really is 13 and THAT tall.)

And my mother-in-law arrived for a visit.

Coincidentally, we had just taken our house off of the market and naturally, we had four showings the week after that happened. Because, you know, of COURSE we did. Because having house showings when we have house guests just when we think our house is OFF of the market is really relaxing and fun.  You bet. (Did I mention we have to take our dogs with us while the house showing is going on?  And that our auxiliary dog, Scout, is INCREDIBLY car sick?  Yeah. Fun on a STICK.)

For my mother-in-law's birthday, we took her into New York City to see the Cirque du Soleil production of Zarkana.



You know how when you see a really amazing show with people doing things with their bodies that make you want to flee your own life so that you can join their troupe of really bendy people and hang from some apparatus while putting both legs behind your head?

It was like that.

Seriously, at the age of 46, I had my first-ever desire to run away and join the circus.

It was THAT amazing.

So then we had a birthday dinner for my mother-in-law and then yesterday was the Fourth of July, where we went to not one but TWO beaches.

Here is my teenager, who got up at noon and then at 3PM, took a nap on the beach for an hour or so.  Complete with ear buds. Because that's what teenagers do, I guess.  (I'm new to this.)

Summer is exhausting.

Here is Jane, doing her patented beach dance.  There has just never been a kid who is happier at the beach.  She gets into the water NO MATTER THE TEMPERATURE.  We've taken to calling her the Honey Badger. (I would link to that, but this is a family blog.  If you are not profanity adverse, go to Youtube and search for "Honey Badger Don't Care" and choose the one narrated by Randall.  I haven't heard my husband laugh that hard in a long time.)

Yes, that water is below 70 degrees and there is a fierce wind blowing.  What's your point? HONEY BADGER DON'T CARE!

Unfortunately, right after these were taken, a wave swamped her and her glasses were lost to the deep.  Even THIS was not a catastrophe since she was wearing her back-up glasses at the time, but she was disconsolate. Poor Honey Badger. (My husband also lost his wedding ring on this trip to the beach.  He'd taken it off for safekeeping, but we think it fell out of the safe pocket in our camera bag when he pulled out his wallet to pay for lunch.)

(I know y'all are adding up the cost of this beach trip and it's a little staggering. But dudes, we went to the BEACH.  So, really, how bad could life be?

No need to find a happy place because I am ALREADY THERE.

)
(Yes, a parenthetical picture.  Because I am back in good form and I am the Master of Parentheses.)

So, then we came home, got Jane's other glasses, cleaned up a little and headed back out to watch the fireworks at another beach.  It was really beautiful but, sensing a theme, I FORGOT MY CAMERA and so now all of that loveliness exists only in our memories.

Which may be the best way of all to watch fireworks.