OK, so I had quite the event-filled summer with the family. Much (though not all) of it was even fun. Some lousy stuff happened, too -- and between the happy and the crappy, I was hoppin' all summer. Hoppin' -- but not bloggin'.
And the whole summer really has gotten all jumbled up in my head, so I"ll just ramble. Try to keep up.
1. (Or maybe 4.) The tall boy's freaking lung collapsed.
Again. So once again he and I made the familiar jaunt to the Emergency Department of the good old Virginia Hospital Center, where once again he was admitted and scheduled for surgery. This time the procedure (called a
pleurodesis) was a little more dramatic, but all went well.
After five days of quality time with a chest tube and a morphine pump, the tall boy was released into his family's capable hands. Facebook friends already know that the Tall Boy Care Team consisted of the girl in charge (very bossy, so perfect for ensuring that the grueling walks around the happy little cul-de-sac took place as ordered); the sunny girl (a total night owl, so she was a companion on those long and sleepless nights when he couldn't get comfortable, so they watched zombie movies until 4:00 in the morning); and HER (she was a little frantic with worry all the way up in Boston, so she came back for the fall semester of school a few days early, so she could lay eyes on the tall boy, and help us get him moved into his dorm room).
The tall boy's current status is: shockingly good! He has begun the fall semester at Catholic University, and although he's still moving slowly and is not yet quite up for a game of Frisbee, he's better and stronger every day!
2. (Or is it 7?) I told you about the awesome family vacation in lovely Nag's Head, North Carolina, back in June -- and I introduced you to the fabulous small boys (so stinkin' cute!).
But as is our family tradition, we also had a little car drama while we were at
the beach. And can I just say that I am all for tradition (I even know
the words to the song!), but this particular family tradition blows. This car crunch didn't even look that tragic from the outside of the car. It did suck though -- trust me! SHE and the tall boy had gone on a Sonic run (their good deed for the day) and were t-boned at an intersection. A vision I wish was not in my head is the sight of an ambulance and a stretcher, with my tall boy's tall legs dangling off the end. Dreadful.
The crappy news is that my beautiful car -- purchased to replace the P.O.S. minivan that was stolen on a previous beach trip, if you can stand the irony -- was totaled. The good news is that the tall boy and his lovely girlfriend came away relatively unscathed.
3. ( Or perhaps 2.) The girl in charge turned eighteen, y'all.
Look how pretty and grown-up she is! Aack! My heart can't take much more of this.
* * * * *
OK, so a whole lot of other stuff happened this summer, but I've worn myself out re-living the traumatic shit. So -- coming up in future posts:
- The un-family reunion -- as fabulous as ever!
- The girl in charge goes to college!
- My sunny girl is a hipster.
- Moms' Week at the Beach should be a federally-enforced mandate:
"NO MOMS LEFT AT HOME!"
Snow, a Caldecott Honor Book by Uri Shulevitz, is a great picture book that perfectly captures the excitement a child feels upon seeing a first snowflake . . . and then a second, and a third. Shulevitz portrays the frustration and faith of one little boy who longs for snow. Gorgeous! 
