Pleasantville and poop cakes.

With Seth still out of commission as far as kid duty, last week was even more of a scramble than usual. By Friday night we were "stick a fork in us d-u-n." Thank goodness for our little neighborhood. Sally, the resident MVP, calls it "Pleasantville." We just call it a lifesaver. Having finally made it to the workweek finish line, I dumped kids into the driveway after yet another eleventh-hour daycare pickup. They promptly reunited with friends and scampered off down the street on various death-defying wheeled contraptions. Seth was already having a beer in the neighbors' driveway. Sally appeared with dinner and fed kids while I fished a bottle of wine out from the trunk of my car. (Yes, really.) We hung out under the streetlights with half the neighborhood until, exhausted from scooter races and covered in ice cream and  cheeto dust, the kids headed for the bath of their own accord.

And that's the weekend kickoff, West Point- style.

Although this wasn't technically the "last summer weekend" before back to school for us like it was for the big kids on the block, we decided on a summer sendoff anyway. Saturday the kids and I went out to Round Pond and met the Ryans- who had, against their better judgment, camped there the night before with kids in tow- for vicarious camping (throwing sticks in the fire) and a day on the pond. It was glorious. 

We capped it off with dinner at our favorite restaurant-with-sandbox, and a good time was had by all. 

Seth stayed up 'til all hours of the night to watch the fight with friends, and I took pity on him Sunday morning and spirited the kids off to Connecticut for another trip to a swimming hole, a hike up Mount Tom, and a Trader Joe's run. Mount Tom was only a mile and a half to the top, but Finley walked the entire way, picking up acorns "for Dad" as she went. 

 

Naturally, she whined for "Ford-y's pack-pack" on the way down, so I gave Ford a turn to walk and he surprised us all by hiking more than a mile holding my hand and happily hitting things with sticks. I couldn't have been more proud of both my little Walters-in-Training.

I treated them to a trip to Rosy Tomorrow's, our new favorite restaurant, where Finley got to order a dessert for sort of making it to the potty at the lake. She called it her "poop cake."

Ford learned how to use a straw.

We made it home in time to prep vegetables

and restock the cooler.

And then had one last summer play date in the street with the school-aged crowd. And sure enough, this morning it was dark when I left for PT. It seems that fall is almost upon us. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.

Photos of the week are of the kids, ecstatic to greet Dad when he got home one night last week

and Finley trying to carry Ford's hiking "pack pack." While he's trying to pull her hair.

Oh, and this incredible video of Ford working out this morning.

We do NOT miss Walter Reed.

Walter Reed was pretty much exactly as awful we remembered. Seth was schedule for surgery Wednesday. He went in for surgery hours later than schedule, everything took forever, people were condescending and rude, it was a long and sleepless night of needlessly beeping IVs and being poked and prodded (Seth) and tripped on (me, on one of those torturous foldout chairs), and Seth was eventually discharged on Thursday a solid eight hours after we should have been able to go. We were cranky and a little emotional and we fought the entire way home from DC.

Basically, classic Walter Reed.

Plus this time around we had kids to think about, which don't mix well with long trips, hospital rooms, or anywhere that "don't touch that!" could be a factor. So I dropped them off at daycare Wednesday morning; raced down to DC via two trains, two subways, and one frantic jog across Manhattan; and spent the rest of the time being worried sick about them missing us and feeling abandoned before arriving home Thursday night and kidnapping them from the neighbors' house in the middle of the night.

Naturally, the next morning the first thing Finley asked was "Where's Miss Sally?" and Ford ran for Natalie at daycare dropoff. So they seem to have emerged completely unscathed. Ingrates.

And boy, could we not be more grateful for fantastic friends and neighbors, who hosted sleepovers and took them to Michie Media Day (I've already shared the amazing video of Ford tackling Army football players and high fiving) and sent us pictures like this, of them having the time of their lives.

Friday was a long day on no sleep, but we gutted it out and then took a much needed PAUSEX over the weekend. Seth still had some recovering to do, plus is reluctantly stuck in a wheelchair for the next couple weeks, so we let him r&r while I ran errands with the kids (Wal Mart is always a rompin' stompin' good time)

and then headed for to the highlight of Finley's summer social calendar, Mikayla's 6th birthday luau. Which, needless to say was a hit. Ford showed off his newfound football skills

and discovered slip 'n slides.

And Finley had the time of her life, lei and plastic grass skirt and all. 

And, because they're Niemans, when we got home from the party that night, they rummaged for the pizza crust leftovers in the recycling bin for a late night snack. This may be my favorite photo of the week. Ford is crushing it.

Sunday Seth tamed the lions from his wheelchair- a major feat- at home while I did the West Point triathlon with a friend. We did it as a relay, had a blast, and even took 3rd place. Not bad for people as rusty as we are, although I've been avoiding stairs all week after a ridiculously hilly bike portion.

And by way of recovery, the kids and I spent the afternoon with Natalie and the Ryans at Round Pond, where Ford discovered water guns as big as him

and Finley danced to the beat of her own drum (we are deep in the ballerina phase)

and I reflected on how grateful I am to have friends who will not only watch your kids on short notice, but will also sneak rosé into the "beach" in a mason jar and drink it in solo cups while encouraging kids to chase imaginary fish to occupy them.


It was a much-needed interlude before a week in which Seth started teaching (which entails a lot of late night prepping) and had to navigate a not-all-that-ADA-accessible place on wheels, and I had to scramble to get everything else done including dropoff and pickup of kids. It has been nuts. We're grateful- that we have good friends to help out, that the surgery was successful and they got the infected tissue out, that recovery isn't worse and can be done at home, that our bosses are being understanding, that our kids are cute enough to make up for the fact that neither of them has slept through the night all week- but we are tired. Friday can't come soon enough.

One more photo of the week for good measure: Ford knows how to party.

Goodbye to Grandma, and Taking Things in Stride. With Beer and Butterflies.

Boy, are we going to miss this lady...! Grandma Jayne got Finley to poop in the potty, made sure we didn't become buried in our own laundry, snuggled Ford out of more than one temper tantrum, and endured work social events (like this boat ride) like a champ. It was with great sadness that we bade her farewell early Sunday morning in the driveway.

Especially since Seth was headed straight to Walter Reed with a seriously painful and infected leg after dropping her off at the airport.

It looks like he's going to be OK with just a minor surgery, but the logistics of it are nuts (I'm flying down Wednesday and packing overnight bags for Ryan Family Sleepovers for the kids at 11pm) and we hate not being together any time we have to face Walter Reed again. Seth is hanging in there. But it sucks, and I'm torn. Kids just change the aperture.

Suffice it to say I was miserable after the Original Niemans left Sunday, and lasted exactly 45 minutes alone with sleepy, cranky, out-of-routine kids before I packed us all up and headed for the Catskills. 

Which was, of course, idyllic. We went to Big Deep, one of my favorite swimming holes, where the kids spent a Sunday summer afternoon exactly as they should be spent: stick fighting

futilely "fishing" with one's hands

running through the woods

and rolling around in the dirt.

We stopped for beer (local "Freak Tractor" ale) and sweet potato fries and live music at the Commune Saloon in Woodstock, one of the most fantastic places to while away a summer afternoon I've run across.

Afterwards, we caught up with work friends at a raging backyard barbecue complete with a swimming pool, bounce house, and "moka-cycles."

And then we had to tackle the week. It's only Monday, but it's been nuts so far. Today we are thanking our lucky stars for great friends and neighbors who let us interrupt their dinner- and then serve us hot dogs and ice cream and bust out the dirt bikes.

And this week is a doozy. I was jogging home with the stroller from daycare dropoff this morning, late for work and hoping for a 3 second shower and a power bar scrounged from somewhere before racing to my early meeting, kind of thinking I was nailing it with the two tiny terrorists on my own.

And that's when the front tire of the jogging stroller, for no apparent reason, freed itself and went bouncing off the stroller, rolled across the road, and wobbled down a hill covered in snakes and poison ivy. I hope it wasn't a sign, but it might've been. Later, it seems that Finley ran over to see Ford at recess and stuck her hand through the little fence that separates the playgrounds to say hi. And then... he bit her. It's definitely a #parentingwin when you get to sign reports for both sides of the incident.

So, the belly laughs have it. This photo of the week is not particularly flattering but makes me laugh- of Ford and I at the butterfly exhibit at the Nature Museum this weekend.

Grandma Jayne and a lot of dance parties.

Whew! Just when I think things can't get any nuttier… they do. In a big way.

I'm currently stuffed into a tighter-than-I'd-like-to-admit set of class As at a JAG outeach event at the American Bar Association conference in the city. This little field trip required me to get up at 0430 and will mean I'm not home until well after the time I'd like to be in bed on the Friday of a long week that included lots of late nights working to avoid lawsuits against the Army and West Point.

Seth had a long and busy week too, and is also stuffing himself into class As for a Friday night event, before heading to Walter Reed on Sunday to deal with a painful infection in his amputated leg.

Lots of moving parts. We're only holding it together, and eating regular meals, because Grandma Jayne is here. Thank goodness. She came to finish potty training Finley (who apparently just pooped in the potty!!) and had no idea she'd be holding down the entire homefront. But has been an absolute rock star about being dragged to events and ignored; long hours alone with kids while battling a summer cold; mountains of laundry and piles of dishes; and literally being pooped on. We don't know what we would've done if she hadn't been here.

Because she is, we've been able to enjoy a couple of breaks this week too. Friday night we had a blast at my chief of ad law's promotion ceremony, which was super kid-friendly. Finley danced and ran around with her tribe,

And Ford got a job so exhausting he couldn't keep his little eyes open.

 Saturday we recovered. Finley worked out

And Ford got in a few more zzzzs with Grandma.

By that night we were back in the game for a picnic and dance party at Trophy Point with the Ryans, courtesy of the Benny Havens band. 

These "under the stars" summer band nights with a "million dollar view" are one of the very best parts of being at West Point.

Sunday night we figured we'd have a few friends over to grill out, which turned into a BBQ for 30. Which was, as per usual, total chaos. Jayne helped put kids to bed and did most of the cleanup, and we may never throw a BBQ without her again. Although even she couldn't prevent the raiding of my closet for this hilarious fashion show.

Or this boxing match.

 A couple favorites from this week: 

Whirlwind Wedding Weekend

It's been a long time since I didn't get around to a blog post until Friday. We are really in the thick of things now, juggling two crazy jobs, two crazy kids, and the desire to squeeze all the fun we can out of summer weekends and West Point events while keeping the ever-growing laundry pile at bay.

Or at least not getting fired and occasionally having clean socks.

So this week got away from me, as they tend to do these days, and I breathed a big sigh of relief when reinforcements arrived (in the form of Jayne!) last night and I could dump an up-all-night Ford in bed with her and actually make it to PT this morning.

Bonus was running into Seth and Pete on bikes at the Starbucks next to the gym afterwards, and realizing we couldn't remember the last time we managed simultaneous workouts. Who needs date night when you can enjoy a post-workout cup of coffee together for a change...?

Of course, one weekend we were playing catch-up all week was our "lots of moving parts" weekend trip up to Rhode Island for Bex and Jeremy's beautiful wedding. I took Monday off for the Sunday event but Seth had to work, so we made the long drive separately. (Despite having had to leave right after the wedding, Seth scored here. Ford shrieked the entire way across Connecticut on the way up. In related news, Connecticut is a much bigger state than it appears on a map.)

It was terrific to get to see good friends, though. We shared a house with some of my old Charlottesville crew and brought the bounce house. The kids had a blast (and Finley got to wear her "Belle" dress.)

I got to go for a jog along the Narragansett beach and jump in the ocean afterwards

Giant lobster rolls with an ocean view (at Monahan's) were a huge hit.

And Ford got bunny snacks. (Which, let's be honest, are just organic cheez-its.)

The wedding (really a vow renewal) was at the absolutely stunning and iconic Narragansett Towers. Ford and Mikey stayed home with Steph's Mom and a ton of toys.

Finley and Jeremy's daughter Ashlynn got to terrorize the ceremony and cocktail hour and enjoy their first Shirley Temples before escaping for a beach date with the big girls.

 I loved getting to catch up with my best JAG girlfriends

and Seth looked hot (and was, literally, sweltering, in a suit).

Bex and Jeremy threw a great party, and announced the November arrival of Baby White! It was a special and gorgeous event.

The kids ands I took our time coming home, and stopped for a post-nap beach run (literally) in Connecticut. Ford's favorite part was chasing seagulls. Finley's was, naturally, the outdoor showers.

From now on, forget the beach. We're just going to stick with a hose.

We wrapped our roadtrip with a stop at the Greenwich staple Boxcar Cantina where Ford devoured guac like it was his job. Kids sure know how to squeeze every last bit of pure, unadulterated joy out of a weekend.