He was up around 8:30. Colin was up early, and Jeff headed to work. Vivian was up soon after, then Cassie got home from work. I took a shower, and August was sending me things in Wizard School. I sent him a photo of his water bottle with a face on it. The kids ate the last of the coffee cake, then they sent more Wizard School videos while Cassie made eggs and cheese.
They ate the eggs, then we were planning on all going to the store and a park together. But then the kids were having a hard time. It ended as Cassie was cleaning out a toy box and Vivian wasn’t letting Colin play with things. August got involved, and started to play with some blanket. Colin also wanted it. Vivian sided with Colin and told August he couldn’t play with it. August got upset, and when it wasn’t being resolved he completed the downward spiral by slapping Vivian.
So we ended up going to Weis just the three of us, and no park. August was upset as we took him out, then calmed down in the car. We mainly got snacks for our airplane day, and some things that Cassie needed. We also got some coffee for them and some cash.
We left at 11:25. We did the usual counting down for him to get to his seat thing, and he said we should include “half of a one” in there. So we made “one half” the word of the day.
At home Vivian was watching Magic School Bus. Colin played in the box, and August gave him nuts. Colin fell over, but was okay. Cassie went up to rest, and I got Colin and August spaghetti. Everything was peaceful for while, but then August got frustrated that Vivian was skipping ahead and controlling the video selection. He yelled at her and Carly took him and Colin outside. I understood his frustration on this one: she was literally going through episodes in 5 minutes, and I can’t imagine, growing up, when the cousins would completely control what was watched and the TV.
Anyway, outside they were over on the swings, then came in to get a hammer and Carly smashed a walnut for them. They were then on the back porch playing with the lawnmower. August came in with me and we fixed the part that had come loose on the catapult. He went out and was frustrated that Vivian was still watching her show and not playing with him. He played with the mechanical ring toss game (they had played with it once when I wasn’t there), then had some Life cereal and soy milk. Cassie came down and Vivian stopped watching the show. August was happy again, and told her about Toca Plants. I heard him say “I’ll tell you a secret. There IS a Hoca Toca plant game…” They got his iPad and played Gro Recycling instead. I went outside with Colin and we played in the backyard with the roller coaster thing and running around being motorcycles.
He and I saw Chuck and Cherie coming and I picked him up and we ran to the front as they honked and pulled in at 2:10. They pulled in across the street and first took the car off, then pushed the trailer over. Then backed the motor home into its spot. When August gave Cherie a hug he asked “Do you have any Oma treats?”
The kids went in the motorhome and Vivian and August were sitting in the passenger seat and Cherie was giving August a lesson in good posture when I checked on them.
I left on a final shopping trip: first to Best Buy, where I was amazed by all the drones that they sell, and bought an Apple HomePod, then to TJ Maxx, where I got a couple pairs of shorts, then to Target, where I got underwear and a baseball cap for August. I’ve been wanting to get him a baseball cap because we’ve always liked how he looks in mine, and with his long hair getting in his face I’m hoping it will help keep it out. The hat is red and blue and has a picture of a right triangle on it and says “Alright, alright.” As I finished at Target, Carly called and said they were ordering pizza. So I went straight to Teresa’s Pizza in Mt. Bethel. It was a nice drive, as it took me over to Water Gap and down the river – roads we haven’t driven this trip, nor last.
While I was gone they played games like Candyland, hung out in the RV, helped Cherie open all the packages she had had sent here, and washed his hair. And he ate a good amount of veggies.
I was back after 5. We had our pizz dinner, then August and Colin drawing on the whiteboard. Which was going really well until Vivian took away the small black marker, saying it was only hers. August quit playing, then he went and played Candyland a bit with Carly, then Vivian came and let him have the marker.
Soon after dinner it was time for ice cream out back. August took a ice cream cone, but wanted his ice cream separate in a bowl. They then went out to the motor home with Cherie.I went to check in them and all three kids were in the bed with her. They were singing “Little Bunny Foo Foo” and then discussing the splat balls. A bit later August came running in to see me/us. I met him outside but he tripped on the sidewalk and fell on his knees.
I carried him. Not quite as quick of a recovery as yesterday, but not too upset based on past scrapes. Cherie taught him what ‘dab’ means and dabbed the blood. She then took him and Vivian out to the motor home to play the cat tablet game to make him feel better.
At 8:15 I went out as they were coming in. They were running around and chasing fireflies. Cherie and Chuck were going to bed and amazed to hear that the kids stayed up to 10 or 11. Cassie said that Jeff had been saving one final frog firework as a grand finale, so they stayed a bit longer. August pointed to the nasturtiums and told Cherie that you could eat them, but “They’re a tiny bit spicy.”
Jeff lit the firework, and it was pretty impressive. August even uncovered his ears for the end of it. Afterwards he wanted to go inside, but asked “Is there gonna be any more exciting things out here?”
Inisde he hugged Vivian. Then they did baths. August had taken his earlier, but he went in to play the tea game. August was then excited to show Vivian Toca Plants. She ended up doing most of the playing and switched to a different app. So when it came time to stop he didn’t want to: he said it was because she’d been doing most of the playing and they hadn’t been able to make any of the plants. But it was also because he knew their time of playing together was coming to end and he didn’t want it to stop, I think.
We took him in to brush his teeth. Vivian came in and sat next to them as Carly stuggled to brush his teeth. Vivian said “August gets in trouble a lot, doesn’t he.” Carly said something that August felt agreed with her, and he said “Stop teasing me…Like you’re teasing me cuz I get timeouts every single day.”
We said goodnight, and I left the two of them after 10:20 and they were both soon asleep.
Posture lesson:
New hat:
Fireworks time:
