Cross Country, Day 3: South Bend

Saturday morning we "chilled". We did get to visit with the McKennna's for a little bit. Miranda and Nica were glad to have a little girl their age!

After lunch we drove to the Moore's. I checked the heater, and it seemed to be working ok, so I stopped worrying about it.

The Moody's, Nelson's, and Ambrose's came and stayed thru dinner. The Miller's and the Kelly's came later.

Zoë and Emily A.

Esther and Megan with some of the Moody kids in the background.

Miranda pointing out that the sun is just about ready to break through the clouds. It had been raining lightly for part of the first couple of hours.

Nica and Lucy swimming together.

Jenny and Lucy in the water.

Lucy wearing Megan's goggles.

Nica's lips turn blue very quickly when she gets cold in the water. She kept going back in! This picture doesn't show it well, but even the lip all the way up to her nose was tinged blue!

I got to cuddle with Lucy once she was done swimming.

Nica and Megan trying to warm up. Guess where Miranda is? My little mermaid took breaks for food and potty only.

After the Ambrose's left, Zoë was BORED. So I took her back to the house so she could visit with her friend, Alex Deneen, who was just back from a two-week camp.

I did NOT go in the water, so I stayed mostly warm and mostly dry (little girls' wet suits keep getting me)

We had chic-fail-A for dinner with watermelon and nacho tortilla chips. Grandma Moore made brownies and gave the chilled girls hot chocolate and oatmeal. Esther got to stay with us so Megan could have a friend over. 

We headed home, and I cranked up the heat, hjust one more test. It came on hot, but after a few minutes it started blowing cold air. I immediately called Travis, and he started getting. A little wigged out, worried the engine was going to blow up. Here it was, almost 9pm on Saturday night, and I am seeing all my plans go up in smoke. Thankfully it was only my plans, and not the engine!

I called an old friend. Dan Reichenbach, who really knows cars and loves to teach people how to fix them. He graciously let me come over, (his wife had just come home from foot surgery!) and he looked at the van. Fortunately, he was able to quickly spot the problem: low engine coolant (antifreeze)! But, that led to other problems: where did the coolant go, was it a leak, and if so how big/where, and there is proprietary coolant, so I am now forced into takes g it to a dealership repair. 

Thank goodness I discovered this before I headed further west! What a nightmare if my engine had overheated in the middle of nowhere! Here we have friends and a great place to stay. I am still hoping that I can get in early and get it fixed quickly,;that the leak, if there is one, is easily spotted and they have the (hopefully inexpensive and simple!) parts to fix it. We will find out Monday morning. Of course this means I won't leave until much later, and so my travel plans will need some rearrangement. It could even mean an extra day here in SB. But, again, it is a blessing we found this before getting stuck in a small town nowhere with towing expenses, much more expensive repair, and possibly three days waiting for parts! 

Cross Country, Days 1 and 2: South Bend, IN

QAfter a stressful Tuesday of Kindergarten graduation, last day of school chaos, errands, packing, cleaning, and getting ready, I woke up early Wednesday, sad to be leaving my husband, but looking forward to the trip. Except there was one more thing to do: sew a pig. (More about that later). 

We, thankfully, managed to get on the road without too many problems and spent the next 8.5 hours listening to music, audiobook, and two movies (Tooth Fairy and Sorcerer's Apprentice). 

We got to Goshen and visited with the Miller's, saw their new house, ate a super yummy dinner, walked in their garden, and played with sweet Lucy.

Zoë , Nica and Megan with Lucy Miller.

We then drove to Harter Heights, our old neihborhood, and before I could even stop the van, Zoë and Megan had their doors open and were ready to jump out! 

Addison & Megan, Ivie and Zoë, and Waverly Skube in front of their house.

Addison and Megan

Zoë and Ivie

All the girls played at the Skube's (7 girls ages 12 to 3!) while I unloaded the van and chatted with Cathy Hall for a bit.

I rounded up the girls at ten, and we finally, after many tears and loud discussions about sleeping arrangements, got to sleep. We are loving having a nice house to hang out in! We are staying at our friend's rental home, literally three houses away from our old house! Perfect.

We had a lazy morning, breakfast of cereal and eggs. Then, Zoë and Megan were out the door to play with neighborhood kids, and I took Miranda and Nica to the Zumbrun's, where they were all happy to see each other and took off playing.

Jacob (8), Miranda (7), Joshua (6), Nica (5)

I got to visit with Julie and Jenny, who brought Lucy over. Sadly, we didn't get enough time together as the boys had scouts. We are hoping we'll have more time tomorrow.

We then had a lazy afternoon- the younger girls were still tired from late nights this week (manifesting as crankiness and excessive stubbornness). We jumped on the trampoline and watched tv. Nica had fun jumping with Lucy.

 Megan and Zoë just ran from house to house playing, chatting, listening to music, and whatever else Tweens do, have a great time.

Ivie, Finnegan, Max, and Zoë (Parker came over later; Addison and Megan were on the trampoline)

Ivie, Finnegan, Parker Elliott, Max, and Zoë 

About 8 pm, I left Megan at the Skibe's, and Zoë with Ivie in charge of Miranda and Nica at "our house" while I headed to the South Bend Chocolate Factory Cafe downtown. There I met (in order of appearance) Janelle Lewis, Julie Zumbrun, Cheryl Moody, and Katrina Coffman. We had a wonderful chat, some goodies (Chocomania ice cream cone for me). It was cool and drizzly, but we stayed outside til it got dark, then went inside for another little while. It was a wonderful time with just a few of the people I love.

Cheryl, Janelle, Julie and me (Nadine)

I was chilled so I tried to turn on the heater in the van on the way home, but it wouldn't warm up. I am nervous about that and will check it again tomorrow.

School Events

I forget how formal Livonia school events can be. I dislike "graduations" and only attended my own HS and PA school graduations because I graduated first and second in my class (respectively). I did dress up for my own, but we also had the atrocious polyester gowns that covered our clothes. *sigh* so, as I muttered in my head how I wish I wasn't here as I walked in late to Nica's graduation, I forgot how seriously people take even this event.

When my daughter came down this morning wearing a summer soccer camp t-shirt and a skort, I shook my head and said, "You have to at least change your shirt!" Thankfully I insisted, and she complied (without tears this time). In her "graduating class" she was one of a handful of girls NOT wearing their Sunday Best- glitter, slips, sandals,tights, hairbows, and even the boys were dressed in khakis and button-downs!

Nica loved singing "It's a Grand Ol' Flag" and was so happy to be with her best friend, McKenzie Barber. Thankfully, I don't think her wearing more casual clothing made a big impact. But I really need to remember that Livonia-ites are FORMAL: arriving 5-10 minutes early and wearing very nice attire (business casual to full "Sunday dress"). Nica was more excited than anything else that they got lemonade and cookies after the ceremony! I think even getting to leave early wasn't as exciting to her.

Nica with her kindergarten teacher, Elizabeth "Liz" Smith

McKenzie and Nica looking at their diplomas and pictures.