Back to School

This is the only BTS photo I have of my daughter.  As always I had to threaten the child to even get this photo-in the car on the way to school. 

This is her volleyball photo for the year.  I'm trying to figure out why no one shagged balls before the photographer came.

Her team is very very good this year.  So good that I can see another run at State in a few years. 

Meanwhile the boy had his first week of college.  He is doing a program that lets high school students take college classes and get both college and high school credit for the course.  Poor kid.  We had just done his passport photo-I think he could have smiled for his college ID, but he was in not-smiling mode.  If all goes as planned he will start college with 39-48 credits. 

Meanwhile he made a server for himself and his buddies using old computers and it is up and running in my basement.  I think this is awesome and very impressive.  

Meanwhile I decided to take a weekend off  to celebrate the fist week of school.  A nice weekend in the mountains is always good for the soul.  It also helps when your friend has a lovely cabin up north.

We ended our fun weekend with a soccer game.  My first MLS game.  My friends have season passes and GREAT parking.

The game was really hype and I loved it!  

Summer was over before it started

Summer came and went and while it was busy it was uneventful.  We didn't go anywhere because ours kids now have lives and plans that leave little room for anything else.  "T" eventually switched from working at serving gods chicken to making Satan's burgers at Wendy's.  Surprisingly they pay more and he is much happier there.  He likes to spend his money on expensive software.  The sort of thing mom and dad just wont buy for him.  "J" spent her summer working out.  6 days a week, up to 5 hours a day in 3 different cities (and one un-air-conditioned gym). I got exhausted just watching her. She was a machine.  It's so awesome to watch these kids work towards their personal goals with such gusto.

"J" spent her dog sitting money on a new vanity from Ikea.  I made her put it together herself. Easy Peasy with a little help from Molly.

We remembered Father's Day

"J" attended almost every weight-training session at school this summer.  Her team won for the most points overall

Here is the 100 point club-they all got over 100 points.

Oh, and here is the over 200 point champion.  Her name will be engraved on a plaque somewhere in the school.  Last year she was runner up.

'

This terrifying creature is our buddy Jack. His family abandoned him so we feed him. Here he is asking politely for more food.

 Poor ole Molly girl.  Always looking for the coolest spot to rest.

 Somebody had a birthday this summer. And it was a big one.

A special birthday requires very special cupcakes

And a nice trip to the mountains to check out the craft breweries

 Along the way I demanded snacks.  I will always be 10 years old a heart.

The view from Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia, is 360 degrees of gorgeous and its the coolest place I've been all summer-I almost wanted a jacket...almost.

 And a big birthday means silly birthday clothes.  

And then more beer flights...all the beer flights and all the charcuterie!

Meanwhile I wonder what my kids are doing back at home

 We finished (the worst-ugh) volleyball season ever.  "D" ran into a classmate from high school.

 The "Benz" is so pretty at night.  It was all lit up as we left the tournament for the evening.

"T" and his buddies played AirSoft wars or whatever this is.  They look terrifying.  It reminds me of the purge.

"J" and I tried our hand at Conchas.  They were pretty good.  

Summer means cook-outs.  Everybody loves my spicy grilled corn.

 Cheer's y'all