Tablerock Lake

We headed out to Tablerock Lake for a long weekend on Thursday. J had a bad day that Thursday, as he had a difficult sentencing for a client he kind of liked and then was sideswiped on the way home. He is fine, but a little shaken up. We then set out with the kiddos for a trip to the lake with Nana and Mike. While there was a little family tension that always seems to crop up (are all families that way? I guess so. I guess the difference between family and friends is that we overlook our flaws to stay together. Maybe that's just true of all relationships.), all in all, everyone had a great time. The twins liked the boat and our little fish, Jack, loved the lake and the tubing. His favorite part of the trip was the boat. Coincidentially, my good friends from DC, Melissa and Rob were attending Rob's sister's wedding in Springfield that same weekend, so the girls and I went to visit them. Caroline loved Rob, Brooke was no one's friend. As is typical for this phase. Thursday and Friday were great, Saturday needed a little more planning and by that time, we were all tuckered out. However, Big Cedar Lodge is fabulous and I hope we visit it again soon! Thank goodness there is a proper resort with swim up bars in within driving distance. (I kid. Sort of.) :) And the summer is coming to a close. We are a little ill, Jack has a virus, we feared it was strep, but a visit to the doctor yesterday confirmed otherwise. The twins both have fevers and I'm sure the same virus. Our good friend Auntie Harriet visits tomorrow, I have a big interview on Thursday, Friday is Nana's fundraiser for Susan G. Koman Foundation and Saturday Harriet heads back to NY. Pooh. Anyway, busy week and next week, preschool begins again. Also, I am an idiot with these pictures. I used to be able to see which ones had posted, now they are hidden when I upload them, so I repost some that I do not mean to. Some day I will have enough time to figure this out, but today, the twins are waking up from their naps, so........the perfectionist tendencies will have to wait!
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The County Fair

Tonight we took advantage of an after thunderstorm temperature break and headed over to the St. Clair Couny Fairgrounds for its annual fair. It is Mid-Americiana at its finest, complete with funnel cakes, ice cream, corn dogs and snocones. There was a chicken show and lots of carnival rides. I'm happy to report that Jack has NOT inherited my fear of amusement rides and went with joy on all of them. He even went on the Tilt-a-wheel, which made me sick to watch. The twins are doing great, except that they are teething, which is sad for us all. We are in the process of binky weaning, again, no fun. They are very sweet, though. Caroline has become a huge daddy fan, of which we are thankful. Brooke cares for no one but me. She is our reader and we find her from time to time in the playroom, quietly looking at books while the other two destroy our house. An academic, we're sure. Jack is really a little boy now, with great opinions about everything. He is lobbying me for a pet for his birthday. Yesterday he wanted a cat, today a turtle. I'm going to manipulate toward a turtle and hope he ends up wanting the fancy Buzz Lightyear with the remote control instead. Whatever that costs, it will be worth it to avoid care of yet another being! I went on another interview last night, with a small firm here in town that is thinking of changing its format. I felt good leaving the meeting, but now I am not sure. I always self doubt into insanity, so trying to just think of the interview as another step in the right direction. J is doing well, though he has had a tough week at work with difficult judges and irritating clients. Such is the life of a criminal defense attorney. Ah, well. Thankful for the break in the weather. Fun from the fair in the pictures.

A Man (well, a boy, two girls, mom and a grandma) About Town....

We have been busy bees (that's Jack's class's name at school) this month. Grandma visited us, we went all over town. To the Magic House, St. Louis's Children's Museum, I took them all to the Zoo for the Stingray petting experience myself (Be impressed. Very Impressed.). Jack received a goldfish as a birthday party favor a few weeks ago, a fish that promptly died, causing questions such as,  "Mommy, am I going to die like my fish?" Nice. I bought him off of getting another fish by taking him to the zoo, where we pet Stingrays (the non-poisonious kind) for a mere $3. This seemed to satisfy the need for a fish for his room, for now. However, he just saw an episode of "Little Bill" where the protagonist received his very own HAMSTER. (What kind of sadist makes a show for kids about pets?) Seriously. He has been asking me, "When Do I GET A PET?" (Real answer, NEVER. Fake Answer to Child, "Well, we'll talk about it when you are in kindergarten. That's how old Little Bill was when he got a pet.")

Ummm....what else. Went on an interview today. Read the NY Times about the loss of income mothers take when they take some time off to care for children. All recent Supreme Court nominees who are women DO not have children. Go figure. Hey, but if you don't have children, NO income loss. Upside, the interview was next to a wine shop. Sigh. Pray that I get the interview at the Attorney General's office, as it is in town and is a building block.

Brookie at the Construction Zone at the Magic House

Magic House "Water Experience"

Grandma allows Brooke to eat the pickings at Eckerts.

Twinnies pretend to paint. (Magic House)

Jack and Brookie at Caribbean Cove, St. Louis Zoo, petting the stingrays.

Grandma and crew at the Magic House

Brookie in outdoor Slip N Slide fun.

Twinnies at Magic House

Zoo, Stingray experience