Aug 30 - Must Have Been The Chocolate Dip For Her French Toast, But The Girl Has Crazy Energy For Two Hikes And A Thousand Swims

We summit Bear Hill
She's a show poodle today
Prancing up the trail

Aug 29 - The Family Resort Is Officially Open For Business

Here comes our house guest
Naked in the pool, joyous
We walk the hot trail

Aug 28 - The Inner Conversation When Housesitting With A Pool

Two down days coming
I'll work until 1:30
But then it's sun time

Aug 27 - The Ant Claims The Morning, The Grasshoper Takes The Afternoon

Must knit this story
But sun and pool are calling
Lizards need rescue

Aug 26 - A Return To The Pool-And-Shamus Housesit In The Hot Days Of August

Pools motivate me
Get up early. Work hard. Done.
Naked on the deck

Aug 25 - Final Fringe, And You Know, I'm Not Really A Play Kind Of Person

I admit, I dozed
Monologues and Shakespeare guys
aren't really my thing

Aug 24 - A Quick Afternoon Gathering Then Off For More Fringing

Cocktails with Inge
The deck is so familiar
Our life, nine years on

Aug 23 - In Which I Drive To Duncan To Interview Cowichan Knitters And Dash Home For More Fringe Plays, Briefly Tempted By A Sweater Even Though I Have A Wool Allergy

I'd buy on impulse
but not for six hundred bucks
Feel that lanolin!

Aug 22 - The Family Rallies For A Group Viewing Of "Dressing For Cancer" At The Fringe

Cancer can be fun
Only if you're Keely, though
E stays awake, rapt

Aug 21 - I Did Not Know It Was Possible To Spend More Than Two Hours Here

Miniature World's packed
R must have hit some new stage
She's gripped by the scenes

Aug 20 - How It Goes Sometimes When You Work For A Non-Profit

They owe me a lot
Dilemma with so much work
Can't cut back my time

Aug 19 - Errand Day With Work Interspersed As I Try Not To Look Like I'm Eager To Jump In The Water

Visit to pool house
Shamus thinks I've come for him
In a week, buddy

Aug 18 - We Grab Our Books And Separate Modes Of Transportation And Head To Esquimalt Lagoon

Long day at the beach
I burn my belly and face
Strange thing to happen

Aug 17 - I Guess It's Good For Bike Riding, And Buying Things Online

What's with this summer?
I'd gotten used to the heat
This feels like April

Aug 16 - A Person Can Only Fully Realize How Often They Exclaim "Jeez!" And "Oh My God!" When Out On A Walk With A Very Religious Person

G loves Pope John Paul
But what about birth control?
I try not to swear

Aug 15 - Shock Discovery: You Need A Permit To Keep A Garter Snake Now. Wow.

Snake Day would be best
if there were just us and snakes
Nope. A thousand kids

Aug 14 - Reflections On A Play Date That Wasn't That Playful

Sometimes a friend helps
Today, it's just one more kid
Silent in the car

Aug 13 - In Which Life Gets In The Way Of An Industrious Plan And Then We Go For A Leisurely Kayak, Swim And Meal At Vivian's Great New Place

Three hours for hair
Well, that wasn't in the plan
Screw it. Let's go swim

Aug 12 - Never Turn Down The Chance To Spend More Time Outside

Yes, I'd planned to work
Instead, I cycle and swim
The sun shines. Make hay.

Aug 11 - All These Years Later I Still Can't Shake That Back-To-School Feel

Value Village sale
Hints of fall and a grey day
make for a big shop

Aug 10 - Best Sleepover So Far, Albeit The One With The Most Elaborate Setup

Tent in the front room
The things you'll do for a kid
She sleeps like a log

Aug 9 - Eight People For Margaritas And Chili On The Deck

Dinner party prep
The cornbread is a keeper
No sun, but nice night

Aug 8 - Trekking To Thetis Lake With Two Kids, A Shade Tent, Food, Sand Pails, A Stack Of Towels, And 16 Small Swim Suits To Accommodate The Young Diva

Girl, get a wagon
Too much stuff to carry now
We need a pony

Aug 7 - I Must Have Put The Kid's Clothes On/Off Eight Times By The End Of Our Thetis Day

No patience for chills
R doesn't like being damp
But swims like a fish

Aug 6 - One Of Those Summer Days That Reminds Me One More Time Why I Reject Office Jobs

Last year, a work day
This year, a beach day with friend
That's why I contract

Aug 5 - Cocktails At A Potential Housesit In Our Regular Hood

New problem: Demand
More housesits than we can fit
Nice cat at this one

Aug 4 - I Need At Least One Day Per Summer Like This One, Though Four Or Five Would Actually Be Best

How to make a day:
Take the long way to the rocks
Read, sunbathe and swim

Aug 3 - The Child Goes Home And Life Grows Quiet Again, Which I'm Not Complaining About

Visits in the yard
The lingering child heads home
Banfield dock to swim

Aug 2 - Bobbleheads, Simpson Socks, Nike Pants, Aerosmith Albums, Fancy Soap, And Even A Duplicate Of A Shirt He Already Has

What, shopping again??
The boy hates unspent money
Every cent gone

Aug 1 - In Which We Prepare For A Grey Day With Three Kids And Instead Get A Perfect Summer Afternoon

Grandkids at the lake
R's smitten with O again
We stretch out the day

July 31 - Home Again, Home Again, And This Time I Want A Good Long Break Before I Leave Again

I'm tired of planes
We can't even watch movies
But by 9, we're home

July 30 - In The Magic Kingdom, Where Owen Nearly Faints In The Heat And We Rush Into The Strange Pinocchio Restaurant

Classic Disney day
Hot. Crowded. But we ride lots
Flashbacks to past days

July 29 - Animal Kingdom And Avatar To Start The Day, Hollywood Studios And Brutal Wait For The Aerosmith Coaster To End It

Giraffes wander past
Day's so hot we have to flee
Back at night for rides

July 28 - An Interesting Start To The Disney Experience As We Settle Into Our Crowded But Affordable Room At Pop Century

Hotel room for four
Skies open on O and I
Monorail goes down

July 27 - I Guess Three Hours In A Noisy Indoor Trampoline Park Isn't So Bad Given The Stretches Of Torrential Rain

Long trampoline day
O hangs with new friend Connor
Hey, is that the sun?

July 26 - Eight U.S. Bucks To Rent A Plastic Mall Stroller. But The Mall Train Was Fun

Oh, dear - more shopping
Fire truck stroller will work
We drink with Darren

July 25 - Our Little City Mouse Loses It When A Rather Sweet Insect Lands On Her Mother

Ginnie Springs float
C wails when dragonflies land
We head for the pool

July 24 - The Young Ones Go To Daycare And The Older Ones Go Off On A Stormy Mall Hunt For Interesting Clothes

Rainy day. Let's shop!
Owen buys his blue suede shoes
Gator hoodie gold

July 23 - Packing In The Fun In Gainesville

Start with trampolines
Add in a mall, shoes, gators
I'm wiped by day's end

July 22 - And Another Grandchild Holiday Begins

Long, long travel day
Becca and Cerys await
C turns away, shy