Cassie's Journal - July 22, 2013

Before I get to the recap of moving day number one, my day started out with more than a little strange.  With Ethan and Ehlana at Grandma and Grandpa’s, and Mom and Dad getting their kid-free break; Michael came over to Rowen’s house for Tai Chi this morning.

We’d had more rain earlier, and the grass was wet; but we were able to do our lesson in the back yard.  That’ll be the last time I do that without back yard neighbors, but we weren’t unobserved.  Patrick was awake; watched us from his bedroom window; and was glaring daggers at Michael the entire time.  That may have been because of seeing us share a good morning hug and kiss, but whatever the reason; his unhappy spectating made it a little tougher to concentrate on our lesson and postures.  Michael managed to do that, and he didn’t look up at Patrick even once, but he did know what was going on; and we may need to try and help Patrick deal with his crush a little better than he has been so far.  We sat on the front porch steps and drank bottles of water while chatting for another ten minutes or so after we’d finished exercising.  I’d hoped that being there would have spared Patrick witnessing our goodbye kiss; but a loud thump from the general vicinity of the front dining room window was a strong hint that he’d come downstairs to keep an eye on us – and hadn’t liked what he’d seen.

That’s probably why he didn’t want to talk to me during breakfast, and though I really feel bad about being the reason why he’s so upset and mad right now; Rowen and I didn’t mind missing out on the usual morning pranks that Patrick wasn’t in the mood to play on us with Scott.  Taking turns having showers and getting ready to head over to my house for the day was a lot easier without those extra-curricular games.

I walked, and Rowen rode her bike when we left her place at the same time that her parents went to the computer store and Patrick and Scott biked off to go hang out with their friends.  We were in time to see Dad off to work, and then have a little visit with Mom before Alicia came over to work around the house with Mom while they waited for Ethan and Ehlana to get home.  It turned out that Rowen and I didn’t really have much to do for the next couple of hours while we waited for a few things to happen first.  Aunt Leanne, Claire, and Dad were all involved in getting the three house sales closed, and then Naomi, Aiden, and Hailey were busy for a while checking out their new homes with their parents before Naomi and Aiden were dropped off at our house; and Hailey went to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa Draper.

Ethan and Ehlana were home by then too, and Rowen and I took over watching all four toddlers until lunchtime.  Alicia helped out when we took them swimming, but we were on our own for a trip to the park playground.  We had extra company at our house for lunch so that the adults who were helping out with the work around the three new houses didn’t have to take the extra time off to cook and clean.  Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Nick, and Aunt Deborah helped Mom and Alicia with that; and we all had fun hearing about what everyone else had been doing all morning.

Michael came over after lunch; and he joined Rowen and me for our toddler-rated play afternoon.  We started out with a pair of bike and trailer rides around town; the first with Ehlana and Naomi, and the second with Ethan and Aiden.  Rowen and I did the first one, and Michael was with me for the second loop.  We followed that up with another swim, and then played in the back yard for a while before deciding that we needed an Emporium ice cream break.  Mom and Alicia came with us for that; and we collected Miranda and Jacob along the way.  Another trip to the playground was nixed when rain looked imminent, and we barely had time to get home again before the first showers rolled through.

The rain kept us indoors for the next four or five hours.  Michael’s baseball practice was cancelled, and after finding out that Rowen had family dinner plans tonight; he invited me to have dinner with his family.  We managed to mostly stay dry when we ran over to his house after Dad was home and Naomi and Aiden had both been picked up for the night.  Stephanie was there for dinner too, as she often was on their nights off; and I really loved everything about feeling like I was truly part of the family now.  It was definitely a lot different than how it always felt anytime I was there as Rebecca’s friend.  Jacob and Jake had experimented with the entree they make for dinner; and this is one of those times that I really enjoy having a full-sensory photographic memory!

While dinner was really special, my favorite part of the evening was when Michael began teaching me how to play guitar.  Dad’s taught me how to play a few chords before, but my motivation for wanting to learn to play is different now; and we had a lot of fun tonight.  The combination of a great memory and the fact that guitar will be the third instrument I’m learning to play helped to make for a very successful first lesson.  The alone time in Michael’s room felt strange, but it may feel that way for a while when we’re on our own at my house too.

For those of you who may be reading this in the future and wondering if Michael’s room was the kind of disaster zone that you’d find with most boys our age; I’ll have to disappoint you by reporting that his room was fairly neat; and very organized.  He takes great care of his music gear, and even his collection of music books is neat and tidy.  His space and sci-fi themed decorations and collectibles were interesting, and while his gaming system isn’t as cool as the one Dad put in my lounge; it is pretty good.

We didn’t play video games, but after the nearly hour-long guitar lesson, we watched a bit of television with his parents in the living room; went for a walk once the rain had stopped; and ended our evening with a swim in the river before Michael walked me home and we shared a good night kiss or three on my front porch.

After watching Michael walk home, I went inside to find Ethan and Ehlana still awake and in the office with Mom and Dad.  They apparently needed me to tell them a bedtime story about my adventures with Michael before they could sleep; so we did that while having a bedtime snack.  Mom and Dad gave me the moving news update then too.  There wasn’t actually a lot of furniture moved today.  Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace have moving trucks or deliveries coming here starting tomorrow; but they didn’t book anything for today in case they’d had a major flight delay.

They did get a couple of new deliveries from ValleyView Furniture, and spent some time shopping for the long list of supplies they’d need; using Dad’s truck to haul loads of purchases from the Emporium and grocery store.  The Drapers and Seagers had a lot going on too, but there’s very limited capacity for moving trucks and trailers in Witch Falls; and they’re all sharing that equipment this week.  Add to that the need to juggle running a bakery and Liz’s work at the Salon; the morning paperwork shuffle; and the afternoon rain; and that pretty much explains why the first day of work was slow and a bit disorganized.

Tomorrow is going to be different and busier; and Rowen, Michael, and I will be doing more babysitting.  I’d thought about making it an early bedtime tonight, but after Ethan and Ehlana were tucked in for the night; I ended up spending some quality time with my Jacuzzi.  The nightly computing after that dragged on for an hour and a half longer than I’d expected after I got caught up in a lengthy project proposal for the family business.  It’s heading toward two o’clock at a high rate of speed – rhetorically speaking; not through a time phase. :^)

With Tai Chi only a long nap away, though, I have had enough fun and don’t have anything else to report for today, so...

...until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor; logging out!

Cassie's Journal - July 21, 2013

Happy 1^st Anniversary, Uncle Nick and Aunt Deborah!

Welcome home from your honeymoon, Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace!

I’m writing this report from Rowen’s bedroom because Mom and Dad are getting a kid-free night after two weeks with a house full of them – and after Dad’s week in Crystal Springs.  Ethan and Ehlana are staying with Grandma and Grandpa; and Violet is in Woodvale tonight after taking Chris, Martin, Dawn, and Jillian home.  None of us want to know the details about how our parents, or aunts and uncles, are keeping themselves entertained tonight while enjoying their parental night off; anniversary; or first night as a married couple in their new home town.

Rowen and I have both had a long, busy day; and we’re not going to be staying awake much longer; though Patrick and Scott are still playing their usual sleepover pranks and games, so we’ll need to deal with that while trying to get some sleep.  My day started out quietly with Tai Chi by the river.  Michael didn’t stay for breakfast today, and was probably glad that he wasn’t there for the mad dash we had trying to get everyone fed; ready for church; and have Dawn, Jillian, Chris, and Martin packed to head home, and all of their luggage loaded into Violet’s car.

That couple of hours was just a blur of non-stop action.  Mom, Dad, Violet, and I didn’t really even sit down to eat breakfast – we just ate some food on the fly while continuing to work.  By the time we left for church, I was ready for a break – and glad to have a little time to spend with Michael before we’d both be busy again for the rest of the day.  Mom and Dad took the minivan for the short hop over to the church because it looked like it might rain before the end of the service; and Violet drove her car because she was planning on leaving for Woodvale from there.  I met up with Michael and we walked there before meeting up with my family again and sitting with them for the first part of the service.

I was about to write that we were able to have a break and catch our breath for the next hour or so, and though that is true; I don’t want you, reading this some day in the future, to think that I don’t appreciate the messages we’re taught at church and in Sunday school – even though I don’t really write about that much in my journal.  The main reason that I don’t do that is worth mentioning because the reason I don’t write about things like the Pastors’ messages or Sunday school lessons has to do with the connection Magi Masters have with God.  I honestly don’t even think about it much – it’s just there the same as the rest of my senses.  That’s a pretty big thing to sound so casual about, but in a way; that’s exactly how it is for me.  Mom is more contemplative and reflective about that connection, and Ethan and Ehlana are as inquisitive about it as they are about everything else; so their perspective is different than mine.  I sense that there’s a reason for that; but I haven’t been given the insight to know why – at least for now.

That’s something else I can usually accept fairly easily – the limitations on what Ethan, Ehlana, and I are allowed to know about our collective future and knowledge in general that goes beyond the ‘normal’ boundaries.  I wasn’t thinking about any of that this morning.  It was enough to spend the time with my family and friends; and enjoy sharing the love and joy that always enfolds our congregation when we’re together.

I would have liked to have a little more time with Michael after church, but he only stayed long enough to say goodbye to my cousins before hurrying on to the Inn to help get ready for the lunch rush; and I was kept busy with those goodbyes for more than a half hour before Violet left with her car load for Woodvale; and Josiah took Chrissy and Jonathan to the half-way home point where they’d be meeting their parents.  I thought that having Josiah make that trip was going to save Aunt Leanne a long day in a car, but she and Uncle Adam headed out of town then too so they could get Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace from the airport this afternoon.  She could have stayed home instead, and I’m sure that Josiah would have picked up the return passengers if he’d been asked; so getting a fast food fix may have been involved in the decision-making process.

Burgers and fries were not anything that was going to motivate me today after having regular doses of that sort of thing for the past two weeks.  I was very happy with vegetable soup and soft bakery buns for lunch; and the anniversary dinner party buffet at the Inn we went to early this evening.  It seemed very quiet in the house when we got home from church.  We’d had a couple of dustings of rain while we were at church, but it started to rain more steadily after lunch.

Rowen had decided to spend the afternoon at the computer store because of the rain; so it was just the five of us for lunch; and then Dad needed to spend the afternoon working in the office.  There was a lot of housework and laundry to do, so Mom and I both worked on that for about three hours.  Yes, there were a lot more than six man-hours of work to do, but using a little Magi power was an option; and we had some help with that from Ethan and Ehlana while Mom made some of the work a lesson for them.  I’m sure that we were all really happy to have the chance to use our talents again after two weeks of rarely getting to do anything.

Getting that work finished early allowed me to grab a shower; get ready for Uncle Nick and Aunt Deborah’s anniversary dinner party; and then go over to the Inn to hang out with Michael and Rebecca – and help out during the first buffet rush.  We were booked for the late buffet so that all shop-owning family members could attend; and to allow extra time if there had been any flight delays for Uncle Mark and Aunt Grace.  That worked out even better for me than I’d expected.  I had a blast playing in the kitchen for a couple of hours; and then Miranda let Michael and Rebecca have dinner with us once the first wave of food for the second buffet hit the tables.

We were at a kids table with Rowen, Ethan, Ehlana, Naomi, and Aiden; so I missed out on most of the anniversary roast and the public and family-rated honeymoon stories.  Mom will give me the report tomorrow sometime; and I won’t want the in-depth details whenever she and Aunt Leanne and Aunt Deborah get the chance to have the honeymoon debriefing chat I did hear mentioned tonight.

Having four toddlers to feed and entertain kept us busy, but I really love how great Michael is with Ethan and Ehlana; and we always have fun with them.  I also liked having a family meal that didn’t include any tweeirdness.  With Chris, Martin, and Jonathan gone, we didn’t have any of the extra tweens and teens with us either; and I sure you can guess that not having Vanessa or Nora around directly and inversely affected the tweeird level.

It wasn’t until we were getting ready to go home that Ethan, Ehlana, and I found out that we wouldn’t be staying at home tonight.  Michael had already gone back to work in the kitchen by then, so with the need to pack an overnight bag added to the schedule; I had to make the goodnight hug and kiss with him – and the round of hugs I shared with Miranda, Jacob, Jake, Stephanie, and Rebecca – fairly short before getting a ride home with Mom and Dad.  Rowen came with us and helped me pack; and then we walked over to her house.

There was some work to do there too, and Rowen and I helped her parents for about an hour before they went up to bed and Rowen and I decided to watch a show in the living room.  We had to put up with extra doses of Patrick and Scott to do that; and eventually just gave up and came upstairs to Rowen’s room for the rest of the night.  We got ready for bed, dodged the boys while taking turns in the bathroom, and then climbed into her bed with our computers.

I haven’t done any work tonight, but there were some email to deal with from Chrissy, Violet, Dawn, and Jillian.  Violet’s glad to be home, and got to spend some time with her friends tonight.  Dawn and Jillian are doing a sleepover at Jillian’s after having a barbeque dinner with both families.  Chrissy misses Josiah already, so I’ll guess that there may be an extra trip where she comes here again or he goes to visit her between now and when they both head for college in three weeks.  Jake and Stephanie leave for New York in three weeks too, and Violet and Dillon head for Kansas State in just four weeks.  Let’s not think about that tonight.  I’d like to stay in denial for just a little while longer!

After two busy play weeks, Rowen and I are going to get back to work, but we’re also going to help out with kid control too while the Everetts, Seagers, and Drapers move into their new houses this week.  That’ll probably be more fun than actually doing the moving work; but I’d still like to help out with that a bit too if I can.  We haven’t planned anything for the next couple of days with Michael; and I have no idea whether Tim will be spending much time with us now that our house – or Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s place – won’t be tween and teen central.

Not having the guys around here hanging out with my cousins might put a damper on the summer challenge for Rowen and me; but I won’t be terribly surprised to see ‘Tommy’ finding excuses to be in the same general vicinity as Rowen on a regular basis.  If not, I’m sure we can find other ways to get his attention without being too obvious about it.

Yes, I know we’ve only got six weeks left until the Labor Day weekend, Rowen.  Shouldn’t you be more optimistic about getting that kiss with him than the prospect of me losing the challenge?  She’s joking about that depending on how good the kiss would be, but you think he’s your perfect match, Rowen; so that should be a given.

We probably shouldn’t be getting on that train of thought right before we go to sleep, but then I do have a different perspective on the dreams that include Michael in a starring role these days; so I don’t need to start not thinking about soft, cuddly bunnies.  I should wrap this up and put my computer away.  Maybe if we turn the lights out and keep the noise down; Patrick and Scott will get the hint and leave us alone.

It might work – I’ll let you know tomorrow.

Until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor; logging out!

Cassie's Journal - July 20, 2013

Though Michael, Ethan, Ehlana, and I were continuing our Tai Chi lessons this morning, it was still really great to have Dad with us again this morning.  The full country breakfast was a nice bonus too that Michael helped out with and then joined us for.

That was fun, but then I didn’t see Michael again until he and his family came over for the campfire tonight after closing the Inn for the night.  He went home after breakfast, and I was on the yard work crew for the rest of the morning.  I finished up at eleven-thirty; jumped in the river to cool off; and then got ready for my baseball game.  Rowen collected me on her way to the park; and we biked there to be on-time for our team warm-ups.

We had lots of extra cheerleading support today thanks to my cousins and friends, and it was fun watching them play with Aunt Leanne; but we – the Leopards – didn’t leave it up to them to win the game for us.  The Tigers were the home team for this game, so we were up to bat first.  Carolyn batted me home for the first run of the game; and we didn’t look back from there – or give up our early lead.  We had to play the bottom of the last inning, but the game was never really in doubt; and we won by a score of fourteen to eight.

Rowen and I had to skip the ice cream celebration with our team, because we went straight home from the park; hopped into vehicles with the rest of the riding enthusiasts in our family; and headed out to the Ridge River Ranch for a late afternoon trail ride.  That was another blast of fun, and I especially liked getting to have some time to talk with Mom and Dad while Rowen and I rode just ahead of them on the trails.  We were out there for an hour and a half, and then we needed to hurry home again so that the adults in the group could join in on the work in progress for our final ‘cousins’ vacation’ barbeque dinner.

Violet and Chrissy dropped Emma off at home on their way back, and had Dawn and Jillian with them too so they could say goodbye to their best Witch Falls friend.  That took a while because Emma showed them around her farm while they were there; and that’s the main reason why Rowen and I were put in charge of Ethan and Ehlana when we got home instead of being on the work crew.  Okay, being in need of a dunk in the river or a shower may have had something to do with it too after a hot afternoon of baseball and trail riding; but nobody specifically told us that we were too dirty and smelly to help out with the food.

Whatever the reason, we definitely had more fun going swimming and playing with Ethan and Ehlana until dinnertime.  We had more guests tonight, but this barbeque had more ‘real’ food.  In addition to the steak, chicken, and shish-kabob options, there was also corn on the cob and baked potatoes from the grill masters.  The kitchen cooks had also put together several hot side dishes as well as the usual cold salads and veggies; and there were quite a few Olde Bakery dessert contributions to choose from for anyone who still had room for more food by the time those boxes and platters were set out on the back porch patio table.

Rowen and I were relieved of toddler duty during dinner, and sat at a table with Dawn, Jillian, Jessica and Ryan Bassett, Patrick, and Scott.  Without having Michael there, and almost-six-year old Ryan to impress, Patrick was pretty much his normal self during dinner – though that wasn’t really a good thing from the perspective of the girls at the table.  He and Scott were doing their best to imitate the older boys’ usual food and drink games; and Ryan was happy to help them in their attempts to gross us out.

Jessica had wanted to sit next to me, and had a lot to talk about; including some family and cousin perspective about Michael and me.  That was a bit strange while giving me a few warm and fuzzy feelings too.  It is nice to know that most of Michael’s extended family think that we make a cute couple, but he hasn’t exactly had a long line of girlfriends, so I’m not sure how I should take the ‘best girlfriend so far’ comments – as a comparison on a short list or because they think our couple status is temporary.

Even with the gross-out attempts by the boys, we had a fairly entertaining hour or so while we had dinner, and then Rowen and I were on the clean-up crew while all of the younger kids were set free to play.  There was a trip to the park playground that had adult supervision; games in the back yard; and there was almost always at least a few people swimming in the river and going for short canoe rides.  We didn’t go out in the canoes at all, but Rowen and I did go swimming a couple of times, and played volleyball for a while too between the time we’d finished with the work and when the campfire started.

I’m sure you can guess that my favorite part of the campfire was the hour and a half or so that I got to spend with Michael.  Rowen and I had fun with the younger kids too, and sat on the other side of the fire from most of the teens and tweens; with a parent buffer on one side and the older teens on the other.  We didn’t want to be in on the random acts of goofiness or watch any more of the tweeird than necessary.  Even with so many adults around, it’s sometimes amazing how much tweens and teens will try to get away with; thinking that they won’t be seen or called out on what they’re doing while they’re part of such a big group.  Maybe they’re right about that, but for those of you reading this in the future; try to remember from now on that my brother, sister, and I see and remember everything around us all of the time.  If you’re blushing or feeling embarrassed right now, don’t worry about it – your secret’s safe with us!

Moving along, the campfire included the usual activities – toasting food, music, and campfire stories that were appropriately rated for the audience; with the scarier tales being told after the youngest kids were either put to bed or taken home for the night.  Michael and Rebecca joined us a bit ahead of their parents, Jake, Stephanie, and Dillon; and they both sat with us.  Rebecca did that because she didn’t want to be a third wheel for Jenny and Joel – or be any closer to the more demonstrative teen and tween couples than Rowen or I wanted to be.

Michael and I were cuddling too, but not with each other – he had Ethan in his lap about a minute after he sat down; and I’d had Ehlana with me off and on since we’d sat down around the fire.  We did hold hands and sit close together, though, and earned some giggles from my brother and sister while sharing a kiss now and then.  Mom and Dad put the twins to bed at ten-thirty when Naomi, Aiden, and pretty much all of the five-and-under kids were taken home for the night – or tucked into spare rooms until their parents and older siblings were ready to go home too.

The campfire is still going on now as I write this, but Michael and I hopped into the river for a swim at eleven-thirty when his parents, the Emersons, and a few other families decided to call it a night.  We floated downriver to his house and swam there for a while before getting out and sitting on the dock together for a little wind down alone time.  There were whistles and comments called out to us after the only kiss we shared while on the dock; and that was enough to convince us to move over to the comparative protection of his back porch for our goodnight kisses to avoid any more razzing from the teens that were still hanging out around the campfire.  We’d both had a really long day, so I was in my room, changed, and sitting in my window alcove with my computer by twelve-thirty.

I’ve done a little family business work and my usual nightly computing since then while enjoying the view of the campfire.  Jake, Stephanie, and Dillon were probably as tired as Michael and Rebecca, but they stayed around the campfire with Chrissy and Josiah until a little after one o’clock; and Violet and Dillon are still downstairs – probably so that they can make sure the fire is out when the younger teens are finished having their fun.  Jake and Stephanie went home then; and Chrissy and Josiah left with them.  I’ll guess that they’re busy saying goodnight and a private goodbye at his house; since they won’t be able to do that tomorrow.

Everyone around the fire would be able to see me, but other than getting a couple of half-waves from Violet and Stephanie; Vanessa was the only other person to even look up at me.  I don’t know if seeing me had anything to do with it; or if it was just the absence of adults around; but she was definitely more demonstrative with Martin.  I suppose that could have been her way of saying goodbye to him too, or even keeping up with Tim and Nora, Jenny and Joel, or some of the other teen and tween couples; but the timing for those glances up at me weren’t random.  If she’s trying to send a message to me; I have no idea what it is.  Martin, on the other hand, looked like he was really enjoying his last vacation campfire a lot.

I don’t want to watch them when they say goodbye any more than I wanted to watch him with Jenny last summer; and I’m ready to get some sleep anyway, so...

...until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor; logging out!

Cassie's Journal - July 19, 2013

We had lots of adult support today, but I really love getting to bike out to Quarry Lake on our own; and we had another really great day.

There was one other group biking to the campground and back today, but we only had seven in our group after most of the teens and tweens opted to get rides out there instead of biking in the heat.  Michael had to trade his normal Friday lunch shift for helping out at the Inn after we got home from Quarry Lake, but I did my best to make sure that little sacrifice was worth trading part of his Friday evening off for.

He was at our house in time for Tai Chi, and Mom did one last lesson with us; since she’d be able to go back to exercising with Dad again tomorrow morning.  We had a light breakfast, and then Michael went home long enough to get ready for our day at Quarry Lake and grab his bike.  By the time he got back; Rowen and Tim were at the house; Dawn, Jillian, and I were ready to go; and we just needed to wait for Claire to drop Emma off on her way to work.  There was a lot of busy up to that point, but the details aren’t important.

Our ride out to the campground was definitely fun.  We stuck to the back roads as much as we could to avoid the truck traffic on Quarry Road going to and from the various construction sites in town.  Nora was mad at Tim again for choosing to bike with us today instead of getting a ride with her, Vanessa, Martin, and the others; but Michael, Rowen, and I were glad that he came along; and he made the trips both ways much more entertaining.

No, Rowen, I’m not saying that because he and Michael took their shirts off to be cooler while we rode – that was a nice added bonus, though!  ;^)

Don’t try to tell me that you didn’t appreciate the view too; ‘cause I know you did.  Since Rowen’s sitting here and teasing me about that, I’ll also mention that the outfits and swimsuits she picked out to wear today turned quite a few heads – including ‘Tommy’s’.  Top fashion impact on boys marks go to the Quarry Lake bikini; the flirty, little wrap-dress; and the one-piece swimsuit she wore when we went swimming back at home that had kept ‘Tommy’ looking at her often enough that even his girlfriend noticed.

Some of our friends were at the campground by the time we got there, but Chris, Martin, and Jonathan hadn’t been in any hurry to wake up this morning; and we’d been playing in and around the lake for an hour or more before they joined the party.  Mom had lots of driving support, and brought Ethan and Ehlana along so that they could go swimming too.  Violet and Chrissy were two of the drivers; and they helped all of the adults with the picnic lunch that had been thrown together to feed everyone.

Rowen, Michael, and I helped with the work too, but Tim was busy with Nora and the other teens from the time they arrived until we started biking home again.  As I think about that, it’s a little funny that Vanessa and Nora aren’t really throwing any tweeirdness at Michael now, but they’re also still excluding us from their reindeer games.  Rowen and I haven’t been in that circle with our classmates since I moved here anyway, and being so shy and quiet always kept Rowen out of the loop before that, so we don’t really miss being left out now; but I’m sure Michael would prefer to hang out more with Tim and his buddies again no matter how much fun he’s having with us instead.  Maybe we’ll work on that next week once my cousins have gone home.

Don’t worry, Rowen – our summer challenge is still a top priority.  I think that you’ve already got ‘Tommy’ right where you want him – he just doesn’t know it yet.

Getting back to the Quarry Lake part of the report, we’d mostly played in the water and on the slides this morning until stopping to help Mom with lunch; including swimming with Ethan and Ehlana.  It didn’t take long to feed the gang, and then we helped with the clean-up; had some playground time and another swim with Ethan and Ehlana; and then they went home with all of the adults and younger kids while the older kids and teens stayed to play for the rest of the afternoon.

For us, that meant adding Patrick, Scott and Lindsay Faulkner, and Jessica Bassett to our group so we could keep an eye on them until they were picked up again.  Lindsay and Jessica were easily entertained because they were happy to play with Rowen, Dawn, Jillian, Emma, and me.  Patrick in particular was not interested in hanging out with Michael, though, and he and Scott were more interested in alternately playing their annoying little pranks and jokes; and taking off so that Rowen, Michael, and I had to regularly hunt them down.

Those little inconveniences didn’t really take much away from the fun level, and Patrick even managed to have fun despite the problems he’s having with seeing Michael and me together.  Our afternoon adventures included an ice cream break; and we did a little tour of the campground while we munched on our fast-melting frozen treats; mostly so that Jillian could see some of the new games and additions to the campground.  We watched some of the games that were in progress, and it looked to me as if the Quarry Lake owners were getting exactly what they’d hoped for by adding the games geared toward seniors.  There were definitely more multi-generational campers around; and it was nice to see grandparents, parents, and kids all spending holiday time together.

After our tour, we had time for one more blast of fun on the slides and in the lake before it was time to start packing up and getting ready to go home.  Patrick, Scott, Lindsay, and Jessica were among the first kids picked up, so we were able to start our ride back after that, but it took Michael about fifteen minutes to get Tim to join us – and then it was only because Nora’s ride arrived and she needed to leave too.  That put us a bit behind, but we picked up the pace so we could still be home in time for Michael to go for a swim with us before he needed to grab a quick shower and get to the Inn to help with the dinner rush.

His work wasn’t a lot different than mine then; though we weren’t feeding two or three hundred people at our house – only about fifty.  There’s going to be a big vacation finale barbeque and campfire tomorrow night; but this little dinner and a movie or gaming night meal wasn’t exactly planned – it just sort of grew into a big meal; mostly because of the teens and tweens hanging out with Chris, Martin, and Jonathan at Quarry Lake.  Nearly all of them came back to our house; and I don’t even know how many they ended up having at Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s house for the last video gaming competition they’d be having before heading home on Sunday.

After Michael left, Rowen and I joined the kitchen work crew.  Mom and Grandma had lots of help, and we collectively made up everything from pasta and potato salads to trays of baked appetizers and snacks that kept the guys from chewing on the furniture until the burgers and jumbo hot dogs started rolling off the grills that Grandpa, Uncle Nick, and some of the other guys were working.  While we were busy with that, and then hauling food out to the back porch; Chris, Martin, and Jonathan were actually put to work getting tables set up in the back yard.  They had some friends help out, but probably didn’t get the work done any faster because of that assistance.

My perspective on Michael has changed, but teen and tween boys in groups are just as scary as they were before I crossed over.

That’s the main reason that Rowen and I took most of the younger kids with us and had a picnic dinner by the river instead of sitting at tables with everyone else.  An industrial-strength yard vacuum and mulcher couldn’t possibly have cleared the grills of every scrap of meat as efficiently as those same boys managed to do tonight.  Miranda and Jacob may not notice the drain on their raw food supplies at the Inn for their two boys, but I have to wonder how many cars Tim’s parents need to sell or fix to handle the grocery bill they must have to keep him fed every week.

Maybe that’s why he’s best friends with Michael!  I’m sure his parents must appreciate the break for all of the meals he’s had here over the past couple of weeks.

I’m picking on Tim, but he had lots of company helping him to empty those grills – and pretty much every bowl and tray that contained anything edible.  While the guys were entertaining the adults and teen and tween girls with their feats of eats; our picnic by the river was fun; and having Ethan, Ehlana, Naomi, Aiden, and the other younger kids entertain us was more interesting – and a lot less gross.  That break in the action was followed by a big clean-up that Rowen and I were again on the crew for while Dawn, Jillian, and Emma were helper bees for the grandparents and aunts on a short trip to the park playground while the rest of us were busy and the teens mostly escaped to Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s house to get started on their video gaming adventure.

After a long day of biking and play at Quarry Lake, I didn’t mind skipping the trip to the park, and by the time we had the yard and kitchen cleaned up; Michael was back again.  We didn’t have a big group staying for the movie part of the night, but Dawn, Jillian, and Emma opted for watching our first movie in the lounge; so Rowen, Michael, and I tagged along – though we all went for another swim first; and Michael and I took an early break when Dad got home from Crystal Springs.

Now that was a bit on the tweeird side – welcoming Dad home for the first time with my boyfriend there too.  That made for a few extra laughs, and Aunt Leanne teased us a bit, but that was mostly fun; and those jokes and comments are a lot easier to find entertaining while holding Michael’s hand and sharing all of that with him.  We helped to carry Dad’s luggage inside; had a little visit with everyone in the living room; and then went upstairs again to catch the tail end of the first movie.

That next intermission included another swim in the river, and then we all joined in for the bedtime story and snack for Ethan, Ehlana, Naomi, and Aiden.  Mom and Dad joke about Ethan and Ehlana wanting to have their friends over for sleepovers when I’m having one too, but that’s just for show; since my brother and sister really do ask to do that.  Michael was drafted to help Dad with getting Ethan and Aiden tucked in while I helped with Ehlana and Naomi; and then we came back upstairs to the lounge to watch our second movie.

My cousin and our friends did not take pity on Michael for being the only guy in the room; and picked a tween-rated chick flick.  They also teased us a fair bit too, but he managed to survive; we had fun cuddling together; and he liked the music and dancing – even if he had to at least pretend to be suffering through most of the show.  We were on our own for one last swim after that while the rest of the girls were taking turns getting ready for bed; and then we shared a few goodnight kisses that were witnessed from the third floor alcove windows – and possibly from several other vantage points in neighboring houses before Michael walked home and I went inside again.

A third movie was underway by then, but Dawn, Jillian, and Emma were already starting to fall asleep; and they barely even managed to tease me about those kisses with Michael before running out of steam and dozing off.  Rowen and I moved into my room then, and have been playing on our computers and chatting since climbing into bed with Mandy.  She’s mostly been watching videos – and showing them to me – while I’ve done some family business work and my usual nightly computing.  She’s going to work at the computer store in the morning, I have the yard work, and we both have our game at noon; so we should be getting some sleep too.  The problem is that we’re both still wired for sound despite playing and working hard most of the day.

I don’t have anything else to add to this update, though, so I’m going to put my computer away now; and try to get serious about winding down.  At the rate we’re going, we’ll be lucky to get four hours of sleep; and we still have about a day and a half of busy to go before my cousins head home.

Until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor; logging out!

Cassie's Journal - July 18, 2013

I’m going to like Thursday mornings this summer!  Tai Chi, breakfast, and riding lessons with Michael – and Rowen and Tim – make for a fun way to spend the first half of the day.

With Dawn and Jillian along too, Violet had a full minivan for the trips out to the ranch and back home again.  It was really hot out on the trails, so riding was a bit uncomfortable by the time we were done.  We didn’t have a shorter lesson because of the heat, but we did need to take extra breaks to water both the horses and the riders.  Going for a swim after getting home again was necessary to cool off and to lose some of the trail dirt that our Moms didn’t want in our houses or at the Inn, store, or even Landry’s auto shop or showroom.

Michael and Tim left after our swim, and Rowen and I helped Mom and Alicia with making lunch while Dawn and Jillian watched Ethan and Ehlana; and Violet was back working in the office again.  Vanessa was the only extra lunch guest; and Chrissy was out having lunch with Josiah and his family.

I’ll guess this has been her best holiday ever so far in Witch Falls! :^)

There really isn’t anything to report from the long, lazy hours between lunch and dinner.  We went swimming several more times; played a bit with Ethan and Ehlana; and did a lot of nothing during the hottest part of the day.  We had a light, early dinner so that Rowen and I could get to our baseball practice by six o’clock; and pretty much everyone else decided to stay close to home or indoors all evening.  Our practice went well-enough that even Carolyn Landry was happy and sure that we’re as ready as we can be for our game on Saturday.

My lounge was video game central again tonight, so Dawn, Jillian, Rowen, and I watched a movie in the living room after we got back from baseball and went for a swim.  Rowen went home after that, and Dawn and Jillian took turns in my Jacuzzi while I went to the Inn to meet up with Michael and spend an hour or so with him while he wound down from another hot evening in the kitchen.  We went for a swim at his house, and then sat on their dock with bottles of water and talked while watching the stars.  With a busy weekend ahead, we both decided to call it a night by ten-thirty; including having the goodnight hugs and kisses finished by then too.

That was good timing for me, because by the time I was getting home; the gamers were going for a swim.  While they’d vacated the lounge, I felt a lot more comfortable with grabbing a quick shower when there wasn’t a bunch of tween and teen boys in the other room; and I even had my hair dried and was sitting in the window alcove with my computer before they finished their river play time and came inside again to resume their competition.

I haven’t done any family business work tonight, and once this journal update is finished; I’m crawling into bed with Mandy and crashing for the next six and a half or seven hours.  We’re going to Quarry Lake tomorrow, and some of us are biking there and back; so we should be in for another amazing day – with the bonus that Dad will be home tomorrow night.  In addition to a yard work morning and my baseball game on Saturday, we’re doing a late-afternoon trail ride and an end of holiday barbeque and campfire before our cousins head home on Sunday after church.

That won’t leave much time for sleep, and I should get the extra rest now while I can, so...

...until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor; logging out!