are you KIDDING ME???!!!

 

This yummy from-scratch chocolate cake, with all the finest ingredients...it was set way back on the table, not high up on top of something on the counter, because...Suri ain't what she used to be, she's eleven years old, and has trouble getting up on the couch these days.  I underestimated her piggy-ness.  We can do amazing things when presented with chocolate cake, apparently.  I walked out to the kitchen yesterday and saw this, and could have slapped myself silly.  Suri was as happy as can be.  Chocolate isn't good for dogs, but this girl has an iron stomach. ugh.

Seeing that she didn't reach the back of the cake, I did take a spoon and take a taste, and oh my, it was good, can't really blame her for the binging.  I'm surprised she didn't finish it.

I skedaddled to the grocery store to get a dessert, got a dozen of beautiful donuts,( and yes, we cut them all in half to serve them).  I had to get coffee and cream for the children's celebration, and for home:  a watermelon, some chicken drumsticks, chips and dip, hot dog buns...we had put three racks of ribs in the smoker, after 6 hours slathered them in Memphis bbq sauce,wrapped in foil, then put the chicken drumsticks, which had marinated in lime juice and seasonings, into the smoker.  Two hours later, I put those drumsticks on the grill with a bag of coneys (spicy white hot dogs), with lots of bbq sauce, and oh my they were good.  Darius had smoked a huge brisket, and brought it over, oh dear we had a feast...with a pot of salt potatoes from Marge and Adrian  (cute, tiny potatoes cooked in lots of salt water), watermelon, a nice big salad Ben and Ashley brought, a strawberry shortcake from Sam and Grace...

Is a couch ever Big Enough?  Anya reading with Sonja who's holding Rhys, Charlotte Claire, Evelyn holding Jamison, Achilles, Darius...Paul over in the corner, Sam and Grace on the other couch..

Benjamin and Adrian with Declan

Kathryn helping Ruth...Elise in the at the table playing Scrabble, Wulf...  I can't even remember how many people were here...but most of the kids and ten of the 12 grandkids.

So after the pool this morning, all dressed from the wet bathing suit, then home and into a dry bathing suit, and off to the beach!  

Miss Cam, always cute in a beach hat...

Lake Ontario, always beautiful...

Sunshine, nice and breezy, not too hot...I held Jamison with a nice thin blanket him, then Rhys took a nap on me, all covered in her unicorn towel.  Getting ready and setting up on the beach is always more fun than LEAVING the beach.  But ha, today when we were getting ready to pick up, I was thinking I had to go gather and rinse off the beach toys when I realized with a jolt:  we don't HAVE beach toys anymore!   (The grandkids had plenty, but their mamas had already gotten them cleaned up.)

I do like summer.  Tomorrow, Char has to go get senior pictures taken, can you believe that?  Then Wednesday she has another state test, then Cam has physical therapy on Thursday.  I always think: life is slowing down a little.  This week will be a bit more relaxed.   And yes, compared to when we had all the kids here, it HAS slowed down a little, but there is still plenty to keep me busy.  

Camille has been talking about pie. Doesn't a fresh, homemade blueberry pie sound delicious?  Not too sweet, a nice flaky crust, with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream?  Or an ice cold slice of lemon meringue?  

When I was at the grocery store yesterday, I picked up some reduced steaks, so we're having a nice dinner tonight.  Why does a day at the beach make me hungry?