Lots of ‘em. Meetings, that is. Just when you think, “Ok great! All the forms are in, clothes purchased, kids out the door and adjusting nicely to all those new classes. Yep, we’re all set!”

Nope. You’re not.

Well, that is we’re not, because tonight the Catholic Family and I found ourselves attending yet another parent meeting/orientation/open house and met with no less than 7 teachers and/or facilitators. It’s enough to make your head spin around in 360 degree circles, I tell you. Thankfully, ice cream was involved - although not for certain lactose intolerant parents (me) who can do without the painful side affects, but the kids were all over that cold treat at the end. *woohoo!*

But anyway, here are a couple of priceless quotes that I want to remember for all time, thus earning a plug on my blog. They were just that cool:

• Catholic Son on the way to school on a dreary, blechy weathered morning: “Mom, I think someone forgot to paint the sky today. There’s no blue in it, or any color at all.”
• Youth Chamber Orchestra Conductor: “Watch and stay with the tempo as I direct you. Because it’s all about me here, you know.”

Meanwhile, I’ll close with a little motivation for the morning Catholic Kid shuttle:
Mongo-Sized Double Espresso (It works miracles.)

It’s just a tad bit windy but perfectly nice otherwise at the Lodge today, which is why I was able to capture a teensy video from my poolside perch. Look & listen closely to this clip and you’ll see my favorite Jamaican Jammer playing a funky tune from behind that water umbrella:

Summer just doesn’t get much better than this! Ok minus the wind, of course.

Who would’ve thought my last blog would be an omen of more severe weather to come? And that it was for us in the wee morning hours. The Catholic Family and I were rudely awakened by howling winds, bolts of lightening and booming thunder @2:30 a.m.

It was then that I jumped out of bed and turned on the television, just in time to find out we were in a tornado warning, with sirens starting up in the near distance. Within seconds the family and I made our way to the basement where we turned on the television to see weather maps with little swirling tornado images directly on top of our location. Yet the whole adrenaline rush turned into dread after we peered outside and found our favorite pear tree snapped from the ground and lying in the front yard.

I’m counting our blessings today as I recall hand-selecting that tree with the family 8 years ago, the tree with perfect pear-like shape and gorgeous white flowers that we grew to admire every spring.

RIP

What in the world? All week, we’ve skated by all that severe weather and enjoyed nice sunny days as we hung out at the pool and had the time of our lives. Then came yesterday. Thunderstorms. Tornadoes. Flood warnings. And as you can see by this photo: HAIL.

This is an example of what we found outside on our deck, freaking us all out to no end as it pounded the Catholic Homestead.

Ah, the trade-offs of summer.