Sookie passed away at the end of August. We knew it was coming but it was still hard. There aren't a ton of pictures of her in this post because the pictures where she is sick are hard to look at. We did a memorial slideshow for her the Saturday after she passed away and everyone cried. At least she was so well loved and it wasn't a surprise that she was going downhill so we were able to give her lots and lots of good loving while we could.
The rest of the month was filled with tennis and the end of summer activities. One of my USTA teams had a tournament in Topeka and I had to drive out for full days of tennis over a weekend, which felt weird for something that was supposed to be my hobby I did during school hours. We played well but didn't win. I won 3 out of my 4 singles matches and felt really good, although it was frustrating to lose the final game in a tie-breaker. Ah well. It's just the thing I do for funsies!
Meanwhile Nathan did fun things with the kids and Callie. Gaga ball at the school on an unseasonably cool morning.
It's cute that they like the playground when school isn't in session, although perhaps it is because they can do things that are forbidden during school recess.
Sweet Sookie loves. Anytime someone was sitting and reading on the main floor I would send them up to my room to be with Sookie.
She slept nestled up next to me every night. She liked to shove her face into my neck. So much sweetness.
Juliet helping Patrick figure out his middle school locker
Juliet talked me into each kid having their own pint of Nutella ice cream to eat directly out of. I'm a sucker for ice cream and kids who make sense.
Juliet also likes using the phone to send me selfies about her feelings about things when I'm out of the house and she wants extra screens or a sibling isn't doing what she wants.
Eleanor had her friend Harper come over for a sleepover and I put them in charge of making breakfast. Everyone was very pleased with them!
Eleanor climbing. She's so good.
Nathan and I fit in a date night to Spamalot at the Starlight Theatre on a Sunday night thanks to a silent auction Nathan won back in February. It was fun and also very hot - we're at the part of summer where I pick outfits based on how much sweat will show.
Apparently a fad is going on based around little plastic toys called dumplings. We discovered that the store 5 Below got deliveries on Tuesdays and we've happened to be nearby on the correct day so we have stopped by to see what we can score. On this day we barely made it before they were sold out - Juliet and a crew of about 8 other girls ran up to the lady as she was bringing the final box of dumplings up to the front of the store. Juliet was so pleased and we did an unboxing video of her $1 find.
Patrick's unboxing video of his $5 dumpling
Meet the teacher night! Juliet has mixed feelings about Ms Donahue. After a summer of freedom there's a person who expects her to do work. Annoying. It didn't help that Juliet came down with a virus after two days of school, when you're tired and back from a break and someone is trying to get some rowdy boys who sit right by you to settle down you're going to have a tough time.
It would have helped if Addie was in her class. At least they got to have popsicles and a long play date after meet the teacher.
Bringing a few books back to the library
Bradley being consulted about middle school teachers after Eleanor got her schedule. These two are doing pretty well together these days, it's really nice.
Bradley refusing to take a first day of school for me for 9th grade.
But he took a selfie. What a kid.
Patrick 6th grade
Juliet 2nd Grade
Juliet with all the neighborhood girls on the first day of school.
Eleanor went to school before I could get a first day of school photo of her so this is what I got in the afternoon. She was thrilled to be photographed.
Nathan did a cute thing and decided we should host an evening work event at our house on the first day of school. I didn't know how many people, I didn't even know the time of the event until the day before, I just knew we were expected to host and I was making all the food. And he wanted it to be a pool event but it was about 100 degrees that evening so we moved it to the basement. I cleaned up all the things, made some Hawaiian pulled pork, and left the kids to fend for themselves and we had a pretty nice evening.
Eleanor took her buddy Harper rock climbing that weekend. I love that Harper was game, Eleanor is excited for any excuse to climb these days.
And then Juliet made me nervous enough about her virus over the weekend that I took her into urgent care. It was the part on Saturday night where she complained about difficulty breathing that got me. But good news, by the time we got to urgent care she was 100% better and we spent two hours there for no real reason. At least she's healthy.
Meanwhile Nathan took Patrick to a basketball tournament and his team won. So happy!
Last few days with Sookie. She liked her nightly snuggles draped across Nathan's chest.
Juliet didn't go to school on Monday because she had still had a slight fever on Sunday morning and I err on the side of caution. So I drug her out on a walk for Callie. There was a butterfly fluttering just above her head in this picture, she was very pleased.
Graceful Callie after the walk
Callie getting loved up
I'm on five different tennis teams right now. It's perhaps a little excessive but I'm having a lot of fun with it. Lots of nice ladies to play with.
And this was one of Sookie's last nights with us. We had to put her down a day earlier than we had originally planned, on Thursday the 27th, because she was clearly in pain and we were having to carry her down to the dog water, which was the only water she would drink, and we would carry her to the kitty litter because she had trouble walking over there as well. We were worried about her falling down the bed or down the stairs and she was rail thin and so wobbly. End of life stuff is so hard. We cried a bunch. Sookie was such a good kitty and I don't think she could have been more loved.
Bradley has a nerd shirt that he won't let me take a picture of him in, that says "This Shirt Speaks Volumes" and has a few volume equations on it. He's very cute in it.
More pathetic Callie. Nathan suggested I cuddle her more now that we don't have cats but somehow this is not the same thing, even though she is a darling.
Juliet had quite the pool party with a few buddies on a Friday they didn't have school.
Addie, Stella, and Lilah were all over her for about four hours.
Ending the hangout with Mario Kart
Juliet was invited to join Addie for a trip to the library the next day and it turned into a half the day play date as well
And Nathan and Patrick went to a Chiefs and Seahawks preseason game with Keith and Carly. By all accounts they had a lovely time, although the game ended in a tie.
I had a tennis event the same night. It was Tacos & Tequila & Tennis with a few of the pros. We had a lovely time, especially because I skipped the tequila. I'm too old for some of these things.
I came home to find Callie cuddling Eleanor and it turns out the best way to get a super smiley Bradley photo is when he tries to photo bomb his sister.
And Patrick and Juliet playing sweetly in the pool together. Ahh childhood.
I'm not doing so hot without Sookie. The memorial was nice but it's just so weird to not have kitty cuddles at night and quite frankly every time I sit down to read a book. It seemed like such a great idea to get kitties that were sisters but then we lost all three in such a short window. Still, I'm so glad we had them. And thank goodness for Callie. She is a dear.
