When I sat down at my computer today and looked at the calendar I realized it has been a full week since being at my computer, at all! A week since telling you about the first day of school.
So where have we been? We’ve been traveling, time warping, unpacking, and now finally, trying to settle into a school routine.
Getting back into a school time is a hard transition after a summer of late bedtimes and lazy sleepy mornings. Usually I would feel more organized about it all. But the upstairs renovations of our house is nearing an end and the girls will be moving into new rooms in the coming weeks. So I’m waiting to really get ready for fall, for school, for when it feels like a real change of season. And when moving day comes.
So right now, in this first week of full days of school for all three of my girls, we are drudging through it, trying to find a new groove. Last week was phase in week for my toddler, which meant for the three days she attended school I picked her up at 11:30. School is 20 minutes away so last week I was more or less stuck in the car.
Complicating all that, on Thursday morning we packed up a few bags, grabbed some movies, books, car snacks, and drove to Michigan. Yes Michigan! It was a 540 mile drive from Knoxville, Tennessee to Troy, Michigan (a northern suburb of Detroit) where we attended my grandmother’s 94th birthday party. It was worth every minute in the car, and taking the girls out of school for two days, on the first week of school!
My youngest daughter’s middle name is June, after my Grandmother June. And she had never met her! Everyone was SO SURPRISED to see us there.
At the party were five cousins that have all been born since our last visit there, for my grandmother’s 90th birthday party. Too long, I know. But did you read – 540 miles!!! Cousins – look at all those sweet cousins, all very distracted by all the happenings and not one of them looking at the camera (oh well), and one happy great grandmother. My oldest daughter is holding the youngest one in the crowd, a precious 6 week old baby boy. I lingered on the opportunity to hold him. All my girls swooned over him.
I should add that the party – for the 94 year-old grandmother – included a bounce house for the kids and a backyard pool for swimming. My girls quickly discovered how much colder Michigan pool water is, even in August! The bounce house got more play. And Grampsie, my dad. Grandparents really are the best. The kids always think so.
We had loads of fun taking a time warp through my grandmother’s attic, which still has the same carpet from when my dad and his four siblings grew up there.
The childhood trains are still there. Last time we visited their were multiple train sets sprawled out on a ping-pong table, in what is still known as the boys room, in an intricate display and in great working condition. These days they have been retired to a shelf. 
My dad found his old rector set from a kid, which sparked his interest in building (he is home builder and master wood craftsman). We also drove home with two army issued foot lockers his family used while traveling home, by boat, from living in Taiwan when my dad was a boy. 
The girls found an old family photo of me, my brother and my parents from 1981. That was hoot. My grandmother was right there alongside of us looking. A hoot herself, with a few old hats lying around. She is an amazing 94-year-old who still drives to the grocery store, church, lunch with her friends, and her twice weekly bowling league events. Yes she still bowls! We all agree the secret to her longevity is a lot of humor and little bit of crazy, in every good possible way. 
While visiting my dad’s childhood home, my girls loved playing in the backyard and with this homemade marble run. My uncle made it. And it is designed to be exactly like the one my Grandma June played with as child that her dad built for her. Her sister Joyce has the original toy, even though it is really my grandmothers, so she says. Did I tell you she is feisty too?
The last photo is right before we took off for home. Oh yes, driving 1080 miles in four days was worth it. To have the two June’s together….finally. 
