The long way home

 Hello from New! Air! Conditioner! DAAAAAAAY. Is this how I wanted to spend a bunch of dollarz? No! I actually wanted to take a little trip with Ben for our 20th anniversary. LOLz not happening. But maybe I can wear winter jammies to bed tonight? And also! He is on a trip roght now, and I? Am still talking about the one I took last week, so it could be worse.

I am currently drinking coffee in bed waiting for Jack to get home with... MORE COFFEE, so this seems like a perfect time to mention that we stopped in my beloved Oxford, Ohio, on our way home from Charleston, and it was a delight.

Quick stop at our favorite gas station on the way

I made Ben and Dorothy walk through campus even though it was one billion degrees

We looooved this weird little basement bar in grad school, but it was hot and stuffy and crowded, so we took a pic and moved on.

Students have a tradition of naming their houses, and I loved this one that we passed on the walk uptown from our hotel (on Beech street)

More weird Insta-art

A fave bar that was playing the most perfect 2001 playlist

Bagel and Deli Shop, my favorite restaurant ever (I am so high brow) and the real reason we always drive through Oxford

A quick stop for incense for my mom and then on to GAS STATION MILKSHAKES

We closed out the night with the drive thru liquor store's (we walked) best bottle of prosecco (LOL is was $12) while Dorothy swam at the hotel.

And! Found a new donut shop on our way out of town.

One more Starbucks run for the trip!

Re-entry

 I have 25 minutes each day with no children (while Minnie is at swim lessons and C and D are at summer league dive team practice). This morning, we were 2 minutes late, so that's 23 minutes. And then I spent 10 making a Target drive up order because the buy 3 get one free mini deal seemed perfect for restocking my pool toiletries. So. I have 13 minutes to work on this post.

Re-entry has SUCKED, friends.

We came home to a boiling hot, humid house because our 15 year-old AC (can you even believe this house is 15??) is broken. Soooo looks like the 20 year anniversary gift is actually an air conditioner. Neat.

I also only just now got caught up on laundry since Jack was also away for a week and does not pack light. And I am not even actually caught up, because I haven't changed sheets since before we left (except our beds, which I changed the day I got home) but I am loathe to run the dryer all day until the AC works again.

We are missing SO MANY POOL TOWELS that I think I am going to make everyone scan a wrist band to check one out in the morning.

Our summer schedule is intense. LOL. That's a polite description.

Cleveland became a Ben and Cooper flying trip because someone has to be home to welcome the new AC. Also, I am not leaving the house without ALL OF  the children again because the mess? NOT WORTH IT YOU GUYS.

Swim lesson Minnie:

Scholar Minnie

87 and humid. INDOORS.

I missed walking this dog. Also! my hotty hots fit again!!

I was told that OF COURSE this glass would make it upstairs to the dishwasher. Huh.

Dive meet spectator

Yay!

Yay!

Big brothering

Jack also competed and did awesome, but he is too cool for a pic. We got there at 4 and stayed until NINE because the kids were in 3 different groups. Woof! Minnie is a trooper, and the pool had a baby pool open the whole meet thank god. Literally. I was so grateful.

Last vacay day

 Ben met us in Charleston yesterday, and it was SO NICE to relax and not worry about logistics. 

Before he got there, Dorothy and I went downtown to sightsee and shop one last time, only we overestimated how much time we had before his flight landed and had to kind of hurry to the airport-- oops.

SO HOT.

So much cool old stuff

Loveshack Fancy

BEST CHOCOLATES

Went to Hill House twice and couldn't quite pull the trigger on a nap dress. Should I though?

I swear my mom's old Barbie had this exact outfit.

We needed some Big Dad Energy in our lives-- like at Brandy Melville when Ben walked in while we were still shopping, saw that the line to check out was almost out the door, and joined it so that when Dorothy got done trying on, he'd be almost to the cash register. 

Living the dad dream (lol) at Altar'd State

We got dressed up ad went out for one more fun dinner before we had to head home. **chef's kiss**

DANCE DAYS

 Ok. SO. We have been Very Busy with dance, which makes sense because it is the reason Dorothy's here blah blah blah. We have been spending our days at the convention center .4 miles (and a 6-minute drive) from our hotel with plenty of Starbucks runs in between. We could be doing this anywhere in the US, Dance Moms reruns and room service desserts included.

She danced well all week, but this is a TOUGH COMPETITION. Her company routines did really well, but her club dances were not as competitive as they have been regionally (duh).

She got double platinum and did not place in her trio. She got double platinum and did not place in her junior jazz large group. She got platinum (THEY WERE ROBBED) and did not place in her junior large group hip hop. She got double platinum and did not place in her junior lyrical small group. She got elite platinum and 7th overall for all the top-level junior small groups in her junior tap small group. And she got elite platinum and was a NATIONAL CHAMPION in her junior hip hop line. SO AWESOME. She missed the cut off to perform in the Saturday "best of the best" competition by 2 in tap (top 5 perform) and by mere points in her line because the senior line also won its division, and each studio can only be represented once in a best of the best category (more like the "best of the eligible"). The seniors had a higher score than the juniors, natch. Sooooo, we get to leave bright and early Saturday morning, which means we have one more tourist/vacay day tomorrow! WHAT A WEEK.

Would you like a photo dump? In totally random order? With a bunch of caption typos??

Tap company backstage before they danced so well I teared up and got 7th place overall in the most competitive junior small group category.

Junior lyrical small group (cheesiest most perfectly junior jazziest dance to Colors of the Wind)

POOL PARTY!

Junior jazz large group-- such a cute dance.

Tappers

National champs for hip hop line!

Backstage words of wisdom:

CUTIES

They had to wait in the wings whole someone went out and cleaned up stray sequins from the previous act.

Can't even tell which one is my kid

National champs

Love these costumes

And these

Group hug?

Company small groups

Morning glam

On Insta, I captioned this Dance Moms but your kid is Abby

Ready to slay

So fierce!

Cuties:

GYM! I worked out all but one day! And that day I lifted weights to a YouTube video in the room

She was so salty after not doing well in her large groups. A trip to the outlet mall and Culvers helped her turn in around LOL.

See? Ready for small group

The bow Jibbitz ARE really cute

Elite platinum smiles

She has really good hair here, and I have not looked nice in a week.

Yesssssss

Morning warm ups

My favorite dance lewk this season

There is an adorable little neighborhood near our hotel, and we had time to venture there for lunch between dances yesterday

 Another button, but this one's for being a national champ. It's just low-key.

Another pool party shot.

Netflix and chill but literally. And Disney Plus.

Dorothy sure did grab that mic

Love this cute dance

Starbs of course.

Lunch selfie

Jackrabbit Filly did not disappoint

Crab Rangoon cheeseball

I swear I took more pics, but maybe not?

Would you even believe the 2025-2026 dance season kicks off Monday with 8 weeks of tryouts?!