what you talking about willis?

Doesn't Eloise totally have that Arnold look on her face? There she was, just chillaxing in her little play yard when Noel decided to climb on in and join her. He looooooves his little sister. Every morning she wakes up at about 6 and cries until I bring her into our bed. She falls right back asleep until the other two arrive in at about 7:30. For a few minutes it's just the sweetest thing, all of us resting in our bed together, until Noel and P start to fight. Then we have to swoop in and retrieve Miss Ellie Jo. I know they say the more of routine the less of life, but I sort of like knowing what to expect every morning.

So we had John's family in town for a few days and boy did we show em a Western NY good time. We ran them ragged. Hit the County Fair one late afternoon. I love how it goes from all sweet and 4-H like with the animals and the farming kids to all gross in a matter of about an hour. The clientele goes downhill fast. I love how kids don't even notice, it's just all about the rides. Hit Niagara Falls Canada the next day - my first time over the border since I was probably 20. In other words, underage and looking to drink. Man the US side is depressing. Talk about a missed opportunity for tourism - it is literally all boarded up shops and houses. But then Canada is all clean and green with activities galore. We did the Maid of the Mist - my first time. Wow. It was about 93 out and we are all struggling with the heat so the mist off the falls was so refreshing. Paudie and Ellie loved it - Noel, who is usually the risk taker, not so much. He never ceases to surprise up. We hit a Civil War re-enactment on Saturday. Wow again. Man people get really into that! The soldiers were like, the real deal. It's as if they just stepped out of 1861. No plastic bottles or soda or preserved snacks. And the calvary was pretty cool too. Later that night we dragged ourselves to a Drive-in since that seemed to have the Irish cousins pretty intrigued. But everyone either fell asleep or melted down within about 15 minutes of the movie starting. I'm so glad we have one of those close by - such a great idea. Nothing like being outside on a nice mild, breezy night and having large screen entertainment right there.

Sunday things came to a halt because my father had to go into the hospital. These past few months my position as a sandwich kid or whatever the hell the nickname is for people taking care of children and parents has really started to wear me down. To have two parents with challenging health issues who live in two different places, then three kids under 5... oy. We go to Paudie's soccer games and see all the grandparents there cheering on their kids and it just depresses me because he will never had that. Of course I never really had that either but for entirely different reasons and look how okay I turned out. Or maybe I just feel sorry for me. Last night within an hour I spoke to my father who apparently knows best when it comes to what of his medications he will and will not take then went to see my mother who I was sitting with and speaking to and she later confessed she had no idea who we were the whole time, thought we were a family that coincidentally looked like her own.

Okay enough of woe is me. We all have our shit, I know.

I can't believe July is going to be ending soon. We have had a great summer despite crazy parents and crazy kids and crazy heat. I am already dreading winter cos there is no point in trying to be optimistic about this one, it's gonna be off the hook.You don't get two mild winters in a row. You get one and then like 50 brutal ones. Why didn't anyone ever teach me how to ski, how to have love in my heart for snow and cold?