Friday

 Happy Friday!

I cannot express how much I am anticipating this weekend. This will be the first weekend in 5 weeks where I have not been setting up a table and trying to sell FlexyFriends. With the exception of Robby's performance on Sunday, I have absolutely no plans and I could not be happier. 

I am hoping to spend tonight on the couch, sipping a glass of wine and losing myself in something trashy on Netflix. I would love to declare that I'm going to spend Saturday repeating Friday night, but in reality I will probably end up cleaning. Regardless, it will nice to be at home and not in the heat or in a crowd trying to sell plastic toys. 

Anxiety

On the positive side, Robby is finally feeling better. While his cough persists, his fever and general malaise has faded. If everything continues on this path, he should be feeling himself again by the weekend. The timing could  not have been better because his band performs on Sunday. I would hate for him to miss it because of the nagging cough!

With Robby on the mend, my thoughts are begrudgingly beginning to look forward to the impending school year. Yes, I view it as impending instead of upcoming. I wish that I could look forward with optimistic anticipation. Instead I keep conjuring the memories of last September and the turmoil of those first few weeks of school. 

Logically, I know that this year will be different. We are all familiar with the schedule, the expectations, the flow and the technology. Last year we jumped into the ocean completely unprepared. This year we are seasoned pros and have tamed the tide. I keep reminding myself of this fact but it is doing little to quell my anxiety.

My Back-to-School angst has grown to such an intensity that I am waking up panicking about the coming months. My email inbox has been been accumulating a variety of welcome emails, packets, helpful information and student handbooks, none of which I have the emotional bandwidth to tackle. I really need to figure out a way to combat my anxiety because I don't want it to rub off on the kids.

Sick Koopa

Robby has been on antibiotics since Sunday but he is still plagued with a cough and a fever. My poor Koopa is miserable and there is little I can do to provide relief. As if being ill in the summer isn't bad enough, we have had to postpone the Cousin Crew adventure. Talk about devastated! 

We may have to postpone the Cousin Crew, but I am determined to make an adventure a reality. Timmy in particular has been looking forward to the adventure for months. When we told him that we had to delay I could see the disappointment wash over his face. It broke my heart. Thankfully we have a few weeks left of summer so there is still time to recover and adventure. 

While I was hanging out at home with the kids Scott 'enjoyed' his first day at school. Unlike other years, we didn't feel the same end-of-the-summer remorse when he left for work. Instead we were both energized to get the last year over with and to move on with the next professional adventure. Hopefully this year will be smooth and easy for him. After 30 years in Special Education, he deserves an easy year!

Last First Day

 Our weekend at the mall was a rousing success. We purchased the space for Friday and Saturday with the intention of sticking it out until the end.  We figured we sat in the miserable heat and humidity the weekend before so sitting in the middle of a mall would be a cake walk. To our shock and delight we ended up packing up mid-afternoon on Saturday because we sold out! 

Unfortunately Robby was sick throughout the weekend, limiting his time at the booth and his ability to enjoy his success. Because we sold out so early on Saturday we were able to come the same day, allowing me to take Robby to his pediatrician on Sunday morning. He has another respiratory infection and is feeling miserable. I'm glad that we were able to start him on antibiotics yesterday instead of waiting until this morning to go to the doctor.

Although I was deflated leaving my Mom's house early, it was nice to arrive back in Virginia on Saturday evening instead of on Sunday. Not only were we able to get Rob to the doctor a day earlier, but Scott was able to get centered and ready for the upcoming school year. Today marks his last first day of school- year 30.

He promised that this year he will really retire!

 

Mall Sales

 Greetings from PA (again).  

Yesterday afternoon we packed up our FlexyFriends and headed to my Mom's house in anticipation of today's sales event. Today and tomorrow we will be set up in the center court at the Capital City Mall. I have no idea if we will be successful but I can guarantee that we will be more comfortable than we were last weekend. At least this weekend we will be inside with air conditioning, so even if sales are lackluster this event is still superior. 

While we are at the mall selling FlexyFriends, Timmy will be spending his time between hanging out with us and chilling with my mom at her house. I'm grateful that she lives close enough that frequent trips for Timmy is not terribly inconvenient although I suspect that his requests to visit us at the mall will be driven more by his stomach's desire for yummy mall snacks. 

If you are close to the Capital City Mall this weekend please stop by and say hello!

Heading to PA

 The weather the past few days has been cooler and considerably more comfortable. We (Timmy and I especially) have been able to break out of our cool cocoon to venture outside into the fresh air. Playing outside in the sunshine has been invigorating. It is so nice to be outside without immediately feeling oppressed by the air!

This afternoon we are going to pack up and drive back to Pennsylvania. FlexyFriends is scheduled to sell at the Capital City Mall on both Friday and Saturday. After the utter disaster of last weekend's venture, I am weary about setting up another tabletop store, but we are committed and Robby (and Scott) are both excited to give it a try. I have absolutely no idea how we will fare at the mall, but I am glad that it will be indoors. If we aren't going to make any sales, at least we will be comfortable.

I feel badly that Scott is spending his last week of summer vacation chasing around FlexyFriends, but I also recognize that he thoroughly enjoys working our little floating store. I have been shocked by how much Scott throws himself into selling FlexyFriends. He enjoys FlexyFriends so much that I suspect that starting a business might be on the horizon in his retirement.

August

 Happy August.

Traditionally I have hated August. As a child it heralded the end of the summer. School supplies start to line the shelves and swimsuits become threadbare. As an adult I continue to feel the back-to-school angst when the calendar turns to August. I've also come to hate the heat, humidity and bugs which also often accompany the month. 

I still hate all of those things about the month of August. The back-to-school jitters are already starting to creep into my dreams but I am desperate to push them back until September. The past school year was so difficult that I have increased anxiety about starting all over again. Logically I know it will be fine and that we will quickly find our groove because we have already established the pattern, but the memories of those first few weeks are strong.

Robby and Timmy have a few weeks of vacation left but Scott returns next week. He promises that this will be his last year in the classroom but I have heard that before! I am leaning towards believing in his retirement intention but I will remain weary until the paperwork is signed. After all, he is supposed to be retired by now!

With a break in the heat it is going to be nice to get back outside today. Timmy has been chomping at the bit to launch his new rocket. I think the stars (or the lack of clouds and wind) are aligning for a launch.