Summer sundries

10-12 hours of sleep per evening - check!

And in news from my vertical hours, I've slowly turned the corner on my supposed must-accomplish summer list.  Much of the remaining tasks are trivial in nature, but knowing once staff development begins, and then the customers arrive on the first day of school equates to virtual halting of significant free time, I am determined to bury the remaining items on the list.

My niece Grace (Cheese Bite) and niece Emileigh (niece 2.0) spent a week with Charley and I recently, seemingly enjoying each moment.  Our week together began with their performance in a production of The Jungle Book in my hometown, produced by one of my oldest and closest friends, Jamie - who was also a maid in my wedding.  The girls were adorable in the production, and Jamie created a magnificent show, consisting of many youngsters brand spanking new to the stage. Click here for an album of photos from the show:  https://piangenti.shutterfly.com/pictures/1133

Once I arrived back at my house with the girls, I researched all sorts of 8-11 year old activities in the area, particularly budget friendly ones, and compiled a list of stellar arts, crafts, science-nerdy, and fun stuff for the three of us gals to participate in.  It's been a few years, however, since I was a kid their age, in the Texas heat.  In the end, we spent each day of their visit, per their requests, in water of some form.  Here are a few of the amphibious photos I captured:

Horrifically, niece Grace (Cheese Bite) is perhaps a centimeter shy of the typical 48 inch height requirement on standard water slides.  We averted near-disaster at the first water park we visited when she discovered the indoor lazy river.  This was AFTER the wooden duck measuring stick declared her water slide legal.  She was, though, turned away from the top deck of the slide when measured by a live human.  After licking her height wounds, she rallied and even managed a few boot-legged slides when less than observant guards were at the helm.  

Our other activities that week were, mostly, indoors.  The girls played on computers, listened to music, delved into my closet for dress-up, cooked for all of us, helped Charley collect pears from the Exorcist pear spewing Bradford Pear tree, painted/doodled, and practiced quite a bit of dog walking.  Highlights:

Here the girls are, creating Prezis.

We class up the neighborhood in these parts.  Grace is wearing her wet bathing suit with Charley's windbreaker donned, while Emileigh is wearing her wet bathing suit, along with a sparkly tutu.  

Immediately after she and 2.0 required fitting room assistance to have me paged overhead, and just before she apologized for her conduct.  

Emileigh dictated a shopping list, and note that she wrote Adult Drink in a segregated box, instead of the term wine.

Upside down pizza, compliments of Emileigh.

A book reading light doubling as a concert mic.

Pancake, compliments of Emileigh.

Our week together culminated in attending the opening night production of Annie, the musical, back in my hometown.  My friend Jamie's two daughters were orphans in the show - I jokingly call them the von Trapp family - and the evening was a smashing success!  We enjoyed another king sized slumber party at Jamie's house, to cap off the night.  Here are a couple of pictures from that event:

I graduated high school with the director noted on the program cover, and she is a terrific component of the community theatre effort in the town!  I'm continually impressed with that the group is doing with the historic Texas Theatre.

My nieces are wearing my clothes (dress up continued), and the two other children in the photo were in the Jungle Book production.  I was worried about a wardrobe malfunction, especially with Grace, who was wearing one of my skirts as a dress.  She complained about the largess of the sweater I forced her to wear, but I reminded her that playing dress up comes with hazards.