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 We are home from England, and now commences the remainder of the girls' summer break.

We returned to an interesting time - my mom and Uncle Bill's brother Bob has passed away, and Bill and Patty are down here to gather his important documents and handle that side of the death. They also planned a small memorial with my mom, at her home.

Unfortunately, I got sick, and wasn't able to make it. 

But I did see them briefly on Thursday, the day after we got home, before I got sick. And Violet hung out with them and my parents, joining them on a day trip to Ojai. 

We returned to some ripe apples, and ton of ripe nectarines, and ripening grapes. This is shaping up to be our best grape crop ever.

Cora ran some errands for me while I was out of commission - I'd asked for milk; I hadn't asked for a giant bag of sugar cereal.

Violet did something big this week - she decided to repierce her right ear, the one that had closed up when she was 7.  We went to a longtime piercing parlor, where the owner took good care of her. He measured the current hole on the left side, to make sure the right would look even.

And he used a piercing needle, not a gun.

Celebratory boba! With all her henna tattoos, Vi fit in at the piercing parlor.

Stace had some Man of the House jobs to do when we got back, besides working at work. He put up a new clothesline, washed the car and tried to fix our faulty air conditioner, but unfortunately the new motor didn't do the trick. I'll hunt down a new A/C contractor. He had better success building his Lego F1 car.

Week in Review

The school was able to hold its Volunteer Tea, after a two-year Covid hiatus. Here I am with my friend Rose, who has a freshman son who is friends with Cora. 

The tea is a lovely thank you to the parents who help out, and featured yummy food! It was strange to think that the last time I attended would have been Cora's sixth grade year, when so many of my friends were "graduating" as well - like Sue, Jen, Dinorah... And now it's my turn!

The children decorate these for their parents any way they choose. Violet went with a nature/mountain theme, naturally!

Stace celebrated the Queen's Jubilee with flags and watching the festivities from here.
 

Cora closed out her freshman year on Thursday! Bring on Summer! We celebrated with some new earrings - and a new hole to put them in! This is her second hole.

She didn't even flinch!

Fun with Cora

Cora and I had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday together with Violet having her Seattle adventures.

On Monday, we went to her junior high school for registration. It took an hour or so to handle all the paperwork, pay for all the things, take school photos and get her school books from the library.

The students came in based on their last name, so Cora saw her friend Sophi.

She's a junior higher! She is excited for that first book she's holding, on history.

Cora and I did some shopping at Old Navy with a gift card Aunt Patty and Uncle Bill had sent for her sixth grade graduation. She found a lot of earrings and some mascara to bring home.

OK, this isn't Cora, but Stace and I got out for a date night while Cora went to see a movie with Grandma. Stace and I enjoyed the Cheesecake Factory.

Cora and I also got Panda Express for lunch, since Stace doesn't like it but he was at work.

Blueberries were on an amazing sale, and Cora tried to sneak five big boxes into the cart. Ummm, we can't eat that many before they'd go bad, kid!

We also took a bike ride to the junior high, as a trial run to see how long it would take when she starts school. (About 18 minutes, for the record.)

Our last bit of fun was a mommy-daughter trip to Hurricane Harbor. We spent a couple of hours on the slides, in the wave pool and in the lazy river. I'm so glad she still wants to spend time with me!

Earrings!

A few months ago, Sue mentioned that if Cora was up for getting her ears pierced, she and Gord would love to make that her 10th birthday present.

Cora has wanted her ears pierced for a while, but has worried greatly about how much it would hurt.

She agreed to it, and then changed her mind, and then changed her mind again - yes. She would do it. But she was still nervous.

We went straight from Laser Blast to the mall. It took a while to get to the point of Cora sitting in the chair, after the Piercing Pagoda was out of the first two pairs of earrings she had hoped to have.

Finally the moment came.

It stung. I knelt in front holding her hands; it wasn't fun hearing the piercing sound.

But she survived.

Cora's earrings are tiny flowers with her birthstone, amethyst.

Violet, meanwhile, watched with interest. She has also talked about having her ears pierced, and never expressed as much anxiety about it.

We offered to pay for it, if she wanted it done.

Cora excitedly helped her choose a pair - diamond flowers, her April birthstone. She promised to hold her hands while she had it done.

Such brave girls! No tears, and they look so pretty and grownup.

(I was 9 when I had my first holes pierced, and 13 for the second holes.)

It was great seeing them have such a bonding experience, and they can now clean them together every morning and evening.