Up, Down and Around

If it feels like a hurricane hit around here, that's because it did. Irene was not a welcome visitor for anyone on the East Coast. We had trees down and no power for two days. New Jersey where my two sisters and parents live were hit much worse. They will be living with the effects of flooding for a long time. The peaceful looking river in town crested during the hurricane and ruined many homes that lined the river and flooded homes that had never flooded before. Just a complete disaster!! I have never seen anything like it, just whole blocks of neighbors just carrying out all their possessions to the curb. It is normally such a beautiful town, nice parks, cute Main Street, etc. The clean up seems overwhelming but everyday gets a little better. We stayed for a week to help out, but fortunately professionals are there now doing reconstruction on both of my sisters homes. There was such despair during the initial clean up, you had to keep telling yourself that it is just things, everything can be replaced. But it is still hard to see your kids Christmas stockings and toys full of mud on the street. I think watching the 9/11 Memorial coverage put a lot into perspective for me. Houses, tvs, clothes are just that. People are what matter, and just keep moving forward.

We did take our breaks from the clean up for a trip to the Jersey Shore where luckily my oldest sister has a summer home. The kids needed it and so did we!

We got home the day before Connor started second grade and scrambled to get ready. He did great, loves his teacher and I think is glad to be back with his friends. Charlotte enjoys going to the bus stop every day. She loves the attention she gets. I think she is already getting a little bored of me.  She just lights up when she is around other children. She loves being outside, loves parks. I am going to wait until she is two to start joining any toddler classes, but at the rate she is going, I wouldn't be surprised if she started packing her own gym bag!

First day of 2nd Grade