We Can't All be in Oregon

There is so much going on around here this week......not the least of which is that William and Audrey have been stolen away and are currently enjoying a 10 day vacation in Newport, Oregon, courtesy of some good friends of ours. These friends have kids the same ages as Will and Audrey, and thought it would be more fun for their kids, and less stressful on them, to take our kids with them.  Funny how that works with kids sometimes.  This is the view from the balcony of the condo where they are staying....

Rough life, ain't it?  Actually, I'm really glad they got the chance to go, as we did not do anything this summer that even remotely resembled a vacation. At least my kids got to do something fun.    I am kicking myself though, for not sending a better camera with them.  Will has his cell phone camera, and has been texting some pictures of what they have been doing, but that is all they've got.  Oh well.  They are probably too busy having fun to be taking many pictures anyway.

Having them gone changes things up around here.  I depend on those two a lot to watch Olivia on the days I work.   So OF COURSE, it would be the week that they are gone that my work schedule goes CRAZY and I am working every single day this week.   This crazy schedule is completely my own fault, and there is no end in sight yet....again totally my doing. And I don't  want to tell that story til I know how it ends.  But we have been scrambling around mightily  to find somebody to watch Olivia before and after school all week.   I have had to issue some big IOU's to the neighbor I carpool with, who is pinch hitting for me all week.  Thank heaven for helpful neighbors.  I have a list about a mile long of people around here I owe gigantic favors to.  Not to mention my saintly parents, who have done their share of pitching in too.

So  it's been pretty quiet around here this week. We are down to just two kids, three if you count Mitch, who we hardly ever see anyway.  If he isn't at work or school, he is on a date or a church activity or locked in his room studying.  Duncan is always quiet, although he has been pretty excited lately about this video game he is designing.  He subscribed to something on line that lets him write or program or whatever his own games.  He can spend hours sitting in front of the computer messing with it.  And Olivia has been very busy and quiet too. She has free run in Audrey's room this week, and is very much enjoying getting into all the stuff that normally Audrey won't let her touch.  You know, when the cat's away, and all that.

Tomorrow,  we should have walls--actual walls--in our family room.  We would have had them today but the sheet rock hanger's truck broke down.  We did get the gas run to the fireplace though, and we (as in Dan and me, but mostly me) insulated this weekend.  It's getting close. I can almost smell the new paint and carpet.  Keeping our hopes up for a finished room by Christmas....probably not FURNISHED, but at least finished!