Even though Mikey doesn't necessarily like school, by the first day of July he looked like this:
It's nice to have a little downtime after school ends.
Responsibilities start to slow down, and your brain gets a chance to rest and refresh.
But I guess there's only so much rest and refresh one can take.
But I guess there's only so much rest and refresh one can take.
I found another bird's nest in a different area in our yard.
This time it was in a giant fern.
It started off with one small egg.
Soon, though, there were a few more.
Maybe this was the same mom bird giving it another try?
She had the same crazy red eyes.
We spent most of the Fourth of July at home.
We did head out to the view the town parade.
It was just as weak as ever.
They didn't have the Mexican dancing horses this year.
Bummer.
We made patriotic Fruity Pebbles treats.
Katie likey.
They also had Bluey macarons at our local macaron place.
Fireworks were banned in our city limits beginning this year, but it was still as crazy as ever.
The next day, I took Mikey for this first drive.
We drove around his high school parking lot.
Always one to be under foot whenever he possibly can, Ralph decided to see if he could inch worm his way out from his under my work desk through my chair.
This was something he would do in his much younger and smaller days.
He got stuck and needed a rescue.
This was something he would do in his much younger and smaller days.
He got stuck and needed a rescue.
Early in July, Katie and I headed to Oregon State University for their summer orientation program.
The students stay in dorms, eat their meals in the cafeteria, have a schedule of events and presentations and on the second day they register for classes.
The adults can also choose to stay in a dorm (not with their students) and they follow their own schedule of meals and presentations.
The only crappy part of this trip was that a super nasty heat wave settled over the area just in time for our arrival.
There was no air conditioning in the dorms.
The only crappy part of this trip was that a super nasty heat wave settled over the area just in time for our arrival.
There was no air conditioning in the dorms.
Highest temp while we were there was 105 with no cool down at night.
Here is Katie in her dorm room.
I had an upperclassman dorm.
Notice the sad tiny fan trying to cool the room.
It was like 85 at night.
Ugh.
At least there was a bit of air conditioning in the cafeterias.
Katie was happy to see that there were GF options available.
The orientation was great - except the heat.
Katie was happy with the classes she was able to get.
Only two more months and she'd be here full time!
I think Katie has a macaron problem.
The following week it was time for Girl Scout day camp!
I don't talk about it a lot in my other posts, but I'm part of the team that helps to plan and organize this camp. We work for about 6 to 7 months preparing. Our camp is completely volunteer run. We've got about 100 teen volunteers and 85 adult volunteers and we host somewhere around 250 campers.
It's a crazy week full of fun, lots of songs and a fair amount of chaos.
Mikey and Katie have both volunteered at the camp since they were old enough to help.
The theme this year was astronomy based.
Each morning a mommy alien would drop off her baby aliens so they could experience camp.
Each morning a mommy alien would drop off her baby aliens so they could experience camp.
Say hello to the mommy alien.
You can see the baby aliens better in this shot.
Camp is hard work.
We get there at 8am and are done at 4pm every day.
That also includes setting up and tearing down the entirety of camp every single day since we use a public park.
We get there at 8am and are done at 4pm every day.
That also includes setting up and tearing down the entirety of camp every single day since we use a public park.
This was Katie at the end of day one.
Mikey was stationed at the "Galaxy Quest" station this year.
They did a scavenger hunt for planets.
They did a scavenger hunt for planets.
Katie assisted at the cooking station.
Her favorite part is teaching brownies to use knives.
Just kidding.
Her favorite part is eating the leftover GF desserts they make.
This year it was either berry cobbler or cake.
We survived camp with just a few hiccups along the way.
Mostly grumpy people that were not happy that Girl Scouts took over the park we were at and constat issues with our port-a-potties. Sigh.
In the middle of the month, Mikey was promoted to green belt.
In the middle of the month, Mikey was promoted to green belt.
No, he did not tear his enemies apart to get that green belt.
July is cherry time in the PNW.
It's also berry time.
The kids and I headed out to pick some blueberries.
Mikey enjoys blueberry picking.
He vowed he would be the champion picker of the day.
Katie got to work.
"HA HA HA! I WILL BE THE MASTER OF THE BLUEBERRIES!"
"I'm just here for the vibes."
Had to take a blueberry selfie before we left.
Mikey did end up winning the blueberry pick off.
He had a whole bucket to Katie's half bucket.
Katie started a new medication at the beginning of June.
By July she started to experience elevated blood pressure.
It got so bad that we ended up in an urgent care center.
We were told to follow up with the prescribing doc and to monitor her BP.
Sigh.
By July she started to experience elevated blood pressure.
It got so bad that we ended up in an urgent care center.
We were told to follow up with the prescribing doc and to monitor her BP.
Sigh.
The next day (after that late night in the urgent care), we headed down to Oregon for a little beach vacay at Rockaway Beach.
Mikey and I ended up in the backseat with Ralph breathing on us.
Mikey and I ended up in the backseat with Ralph breathing on us.
Eventually Ralph fell asleep.
Four hours later.....we made it to our home away from home.
The kids were sad to learn that there was no Food Network, just some lame knock off.
On the bright side, there was the Paris Summer Olympics to watch.
The next morning Ralph and I got up early to take a walk on the deserted beach.
After everyone else rolled out of bed (except Katie), we went back down to the beach for some sand sculpture making.
Not sure what this is.
A dog?
Actually, I think it was a bunch of skulls.
Wait a minute.
After lunch, it was time to hit the waves for some boogie boarding.
The waves were pretty impressive on this day.
After taking some pictures and video, Ralph and I just sat and relaxed on the beach.
He kept my feet warm.
He kept my feet warm.
After a time, it just gets too cold, and they have to come back in.
On this day, they saw a seal swimming next to them.
Huzbend headed back to take a warm shower. He took Ralph with him.
The kids decided to bury themselves in the sand.
The kids decided to bury themselves in the sand.
It was Katie's idea to have sand boobs.
As we walked back to the condo, we saw Huzbend and Ralph waiting for us.
This is what we looked like from their vantage point.
The worst part of coming back from the beach is cleaning all of the sand off.
The hose water is usually really, really cold.
The hose water is usually really, really cold.
And this time it took FOEVER since they both buried each other.
There were lots of laughs interspersed with screams.
There were lots of laughs interspersed with screams.
Guess what day it was?
It was Mikey's 15th birthday!
I brought GF DF brownies to celebrate.
The rest of the evening was spent watching the Olympics and relaxing.
I was up early again to walk the beach with Ralph.
As the day progressed, the sun came out.
It was nice and warm, but still a bit breezy.
It was nice and warm, but still a bit breezy.
I brought Ralphs extra-long leash so that he could go out into the water with the kids.
But he really wasn't interested this year.
Guess he's too old for that.
The waves were pretty impressive.
And with the warmer air temp, they stayed out a bit longer in the surf.
It was a little hot on the beach for Ralph, so I hid him under an umbrella and beach towels to give him shade.
He slept the afternoon away.
Ralph was happy to see them when they came in for the day.
We hung out for a little bit longer to enjoy the warm beach breeze and the sun.
Huzbend was wiped after dinner.
I took Ralph out for his nighttime walk and caught this beautiful sunset.
The next morning it was SUPA foggy at the beach.
You couldn't see more than 15 feet in front of you.
You couldn't see more than 15 feet in front of you.
So, there really wasn't anything to take pictures of on my walk with Ralph.
It was actually pretty creepy.
On the last day at the beach, the surf wasn't really cooperating.
It was choppy and the waves were not that big.
I did catch this cool picture of the pelicans flying over their heads.
Katie probably could have jumped up and touched one.
Katie probably could have jumped up and touched one.
Soon they called it a day.
Katie was tired.
Mikey's fingers and toes were frozen and slowly thawing out.
It's a tad bit painful.
Ralph had a little something on his face.
Mikey decided to hang out a bit longer and build a sand fort.
Katie and Huzbend went back up to shower.
They soon came back down to help with the fort.
This is what Ralph and I look like while sitting on the beach.
Ralph is under my chair getting some shade.
That evening Mikey and I took Ralph for his constitutional.
We caught another pretty sunset on our last evening.
It was officially August.
We headed home and continued Mikey's 15th birthday celebration with some present opening. He received parts for a PC so he could game with his friends.
The next day was spent building the computer.
The second week of August was busy.
Katie had an endoscopy and colonoscopy.
Everything looked good.
She also got to take a most excellent anesthesia nap.
Huzbend went to visit a friend in Michigan.
Katie was out somewhere, so Mikey and I went out for pizza.
Cheese free, of course.
Katie set up a meeting with her roommates in Portland.
Yes, we drove to and back from Portland in a day.
Mikey stayed home and hung out with Ralph.
Yes, we drove to and back from Portland in a day.
Mikey stayed home and hung out with Ralph.
ROAR!
The roommates met at the science center and then went out to a late lunch.
We celebrated Katie's 18th birthday with some cake and presents.
She got some Elden Ring art books for her birthday.
You know what is crazier than your kid turning 18?
Having them turn 18 and then putting them on a plane by themselves to London for a three-week study abroad opportunity.
Having them turn 18 and then putting them on a plane by themselves to London for a three-week study abroad opportunity.
Man. That was a hard goodbye.
Off she went!
Mikey busied himself with a drivers ed course that lasted through the month of August.
Realizing that he had never eaten french toast, he decided to make some.
He wasn't impressed.
It was weird adjusting to Katie being away and in another country.
She was busy taking two classes and going on cool excursions.
This is a raven friend she made at the Tower of London.
After two years, our raspberry plant finally decided to grow.
Ralph ate most of the raspberries that grew on it.
We only salvaged a few.
Right next to the raspberry plant, we have a pretty health blueberry plant.
I got wise to Ralph eating the berries off of it, so you can see that it's surrounded by fencing.
He still tries to get the berries.
Katie's weekends were free, so she spent time exploring London.
Mikey has to do this at least once a summer.
He uses the hose like nunchucks.
He uses the hose like nunchucks.
Since the blueberries we picked in July were long gone, we decided to head back out to get some more during the last week of picking at the farm.
Why hello there.
This time we grabbed the big buckets to fill.
We picked a huge haul, and we were able to freeze most of them.
They lasted about a month.
Mikey ate them all.
The last few days in August were spent relaxing and trying to fit in some last-minute summer fun.
We went mini golfing on a beautiful late August day.
It was so sunny that the frogs were out.
The "end of summer blah" hit Mikey pretty hard.
He was not excited to go back to school.
He took some time to pet his therapy dog.
He took some time to pet his therapy dog.
Katie spent the last weekend of August in Paris.
After a slight debacle missing her train, I was able to book her an overnight bus from London to Paris.
She was a bit tired and caught a cold, but she was able to visit for the weekend.
And she met a local celebrity - Phryge!
