Letters Home

 In the last 24 hours we've heard from the two members of the 5 Ring Circus who are away from home.  Drew's note was handwritten; Kelsey's came via email.  While I knew I missed them both, I had no idea how much I was really missing them until I read their letters.

From Drew:
Hey, Guys!  Settled in @ Pine Bluff nice and warm.  Dinner was great, chapel was cool, and dodge ball, was, you guessed it, awesome.  Slept soundly the first night.  It stunk though because they lost my pillow in the less than one mile in a truck. So I have another pillow one of the counselers got me. That was pretty much it. OH! And I learned this awesome game called Stupid Ninja Game. Bye!
Drew
P.S. I found 4 counselers that remember me.

From Kelsey:
Mom, Dad, Erin, and Drew,

I`m writing to you on my mom`s laptop. However, I won`t be on it often. I hope you all are doing well. I`m having a great time and have actually already bought some of you your presents. Erin, you`re still on the `Will probably never find` list. Not really since Miyo and I are going to Kyoto tomorrow and there`s a new aquarium there. I`m not sure if i`ll take pictures though....

My host family is very nice. Miyo is fluent in English after completing her own homestay of 10 months in America. My brother, Ryo, is also very good at English and is leaving on July 25th for Maryland. Aya, my little sister, is very cute but shy. She doesn`t speak English so it`s a great oppertunity for me to practice Japanese. Susumu, my dad, is very funny and nice as well. The whole family seems to like me abd we get along very well. I`ve already eaten squid, octopus, and eel. Guys. Eel is the best food you`ll ever eat.

I attended High School for the past 3 days. However, due to a large amount of tests being taken, I won`t be able to return to the school until July 11, and that will end July 13th. My high school`s name literally translates into `The highest/best` so consequently the school is very busy. However, I`ll be going to the local middle school and elementary school on different occasions. I also go work at Miyo`s cram school, which is for elementary students. My family is very good friends with the Yamaguchi family, who has a 15 y/o daughter named Saki and an 11 y/o son named Taka. Aya has a crush on Taka!  The family is very nice, espiecially the mom (Rie). She loves Coltrane and we talk about him often.

I`m having a fantastic time in Japan and I hope that America is actually coming close to how great of a time I`m having here,

Kelsey

Summer in the City 2012

I've mentioned before how much I love Chicago and its skyline.  Tonight we had the privilege of heading into the city for some of Pizzeria Due's fabulous deep dish.  Erin's friend H had never had deep dish before and was so excited.  She loved it!

After stuffing ourselves with pizza, we decided a walk was in order.  We headed over to Millennium Park and then Buckingham Fountain.  The photo opps were endless - here are my favorites of the night:

Cousins Camp Last Day - an American Girl

My dad has been the proud owner of a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible for quite some time.  As in, back in the 1980s when I still lived at home, he owned it.  I was never allowed to drive it.  My brothers not only got to drive it, they each had their own sets of keys.  The fact that my dad has let my daughter drive this fabulous classic car does not make me jealous; rather, makes my heart sing.  Here are my favorite shots of an American girl with a classic American car:

On Her Way

Baird drove Kelsey to the airport bright and early this morning.  She is officially on her way to Japan!  She'll be spending a few days on the Berkley campus learning how not to offend her host family.  She leaves San Francisco early Monday morning, and will arrive in Japan on Tuesday (she crosses the international date line).

Kelsey's been planning for this trip for two years now.  She's so excited to be on her way, and I couldn't be happier for her.

Cousins Camp Day 3

Baird and I drove Erin out to Sandy Creek Acres so she could hang with her cousins for the last night of Cousins Camp.  Ella was so excited to see Erin she hardly knew what to do!

Cousins Camp Day 2

Day 2 fun...Kelsey and Erin are both so sad they are missing it.

Cousins Camp Day 1

Cousins Camp 2012 has begun, but it looks a little different this year.  That's because Kelsey and Erin are not able to attend all of Camp.  This is the first year since my mom started hosting Cousins Camp back in 2000 that not everyone will be together.  We tried as hard as we could, but the girls' summer schedules just wouldn't work this year.  So, today I drove Kelsey and Drew out to Sandy Creek Acres.  I did the requisite drop and dash and then hung out with Ann for the afternoon and evening.  Early this evening I headed back out to pick up Kelsey, and we headed back home after 8:00.  I spent 11 hours in the car today.

Kelsey made the return trip with me because she leaves for Japan early Friday morning, and she still needs to pack.  Erin stayed behind because she has training week for YVC, and she absolutely cannot miss it.  We'll head back out to Iowa Friday afternoon once she's done with her training.

So, our Friday calendar looks like this:

5:30am:  I leave for work
6:20am:  Baird and Kelsey leave for the airport as Kelsey starts making her way to Japan
9:00am:  Erin leaves for her last day of training at the zoo
2:30pm:  I get off work
3:15pm:  Baird and I pick up Erin at the zoo and head out to Iowa
8:45pm-ish:  We drop Erin off at Cousins Camp so she can hang with her cousins on the last night
9:30pm-ish:  Baird and I enjoy a night to ourselves at the Best Western in Independence

phew!  It's days like Friday that are the reason I call this the 5 Ring Circus.

The Last Dance

Today was Drew's last day of elementary school.  I can hardly believe that this day has come.  Twelve  years ago, I was over eight months pregnant with Drew, waddling over to Ms. Gullo's kindergarten door for the very first time with Kelsey as part of a brand-new class of Irving students.  I remember thinking on the way over that in two years, Erin would be in kindergarten, and then I'd have my days to myself.  I barely got that thought out of my head when Drew delivered a hard kick to my lung.  I caught my breath a moment and thought Oh, but then there's this one.  Oh!  This child will be born in October - it'll be a late birthday.  I've set myself back six years in the school game.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?!  I started doing the math.  I figured out that I would be spending the next twelve years of my life at Washington Irving Elementary School.  Back in 2000, I could hardly fathom that.  At that point, Kelsey was only five.  The idea that I was going to be associated with this particular school for more than twice the number of years that she had been alive...well, that was just incomprehensible.  Honestly, it's gone much faster than I ever thought it would.  I truly am having some trouble wrapping my head around the idea that I'm officially a "former" Irving parent.  I took lots of pictures today to commemorate this event.  Here are my favorites:

Ms. Balicki's 5th grade class:

Drew playing hoops on the playground for one last time as an Irving student:

In place to watch the final teacher dance:

 

Mr. Hodge, beloved Irving principal, makes the final announcements of the school year before introducing the dance

The last dance Drew witnessed as an Irving student:

Last year, Mr. DiPaolo was Elvis; this year, he was Michael:

Drew and his fabulous teacher this year.  Ms. Balicki has had a tremendous impact on all three of my kids.

Looking forward to the next step!