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We’ve spent the weekend getting ready for the first day of school and here’s what you need to know. I have peaked for the 2015-2016 school year on August 23. The house is clean, my refrigerator is full of groceries, the school supplies are organized, the laundry is finished, Caroline’s first day of school outfit is laid out on her bed, and I cooked a roast in the oven all day so we could have a home cooked meal.

I feel it’s important to document this occasion because it’s all downhill from here. And somewhere around October 7 when Caroline has lost her third school agenda and I pack an overripe banana and a SlimFast bar in her lunchbox and I’m on my second glass of wine at 5 p.m. due to math homework and I’m calling Papa John’s to deliver dinner, I’d like to look back on this day in history, smile to myself and know that I was great once.

So let’s talk about Piper and Mabel.

Many of you have asked for an update. We ended up boarding them at the vet while we were at the beach. It wasn’t my first choice, but when you’re a canine delinquent your options are limited. They were kicked out of the first two doggy day camps we tried (presumably for trying to sneak in cigarettes and sharing them with the other dogs) and then we briefly visited a third option but I left before I even attempted to leave them there because the whole place felt too much like a maximum security prison. Ironically, this probably would have been the place that actually worked. And I do have one more place I’d like to try for future trips, but they were already booked the week we were going to be gone.

The good news is we knew they were safe at the vet and it is familiar to them. I know a lot of you suggested having someone come stay at our house, but it takes the girls a long time to warm up to people they don’t know and they can be so wild that it’s not a task for the weak. So basically we need to make a strong, new friend who can come to our house on a regular basis and feed Piper and Mabel loads of treats. Or maybe just invest in a case of doggy Valium.

I’d like to tell you how they came home from the vet after our beach trip and noticed Scout was no longer with us. A story about how they cried actual doggy tears and moped around for days. But that would be lie. If they’ve noticed he’s gone, they have shown no sign of grief. Which I knew Mabel wouldn’t, but Piper seemed to enjoy having grandpa around on the rare occasion that he wasn’t sleeping and so I was surprised she never looked for him at all.

Although Mabel did write several haikus after our vacation and her stay at the vet:

All day in this place
they want me be to be their friend
I bow to no one

Dogs on my last nerve
How long, O Lord, will I wait?
Need my house, my bed

Sister is so dumb
Making friends to get more treats
I will not be bribed

And I guess Piper got bored enough to write a poem of her own:

I like food. Food is good. Please give me more of that food. Where is my food? I’d like more food.

But since our vacation, life has gotten back to normal for the girls. They’ve enjoyed a couple of trips to the ranch with P where they were able to chase frogs and jackrabbits and swim in the tanks. And I take them to the dog park every day which has become my saving grace for getting rid of some of their energy. As soon as they hit the gate they take off running as fast as they can. Eventually, Piper slows down and just mills around and smells things like a normal dog. But Mabel never stops. She runs at full speed and never stops, constantly looking for a new dog to run and chase.

In fact, I looked at her the other day after we’d been there for awhile and her face was kind of sunken in from all the exertion and her tongue was hanging way out, but she was still frantically scanning the park to see if there was fun she was missing.

And I thought to myself that she’s the super hyper kid on the playground that starts off fun but then people want to avoid because maybe she looks a little nuts. That’s when it dawned on me.

This is Mabel at the dog park.

I wish this was an exaggeration. Frankly, it would be more accurate if I could find the clip where Mike Meyers actually pulls the jungle gym out of the ground and runs down the street dragging it behind him. On the upside, if my car ever stalls at the dog park I can give her a Snickers bar and a can of Coke and Mabel can tow me home.

I can’t imagine why she got expelled from a place where normal dogs go and manage to act like they’re not insane, but it does explain why she curls up like this about 7:00 every night and barely moves until twelve hours later.

Yesterday afternoon it rained here for about five minutes but it ushered in just the slightest hint of a cool front. And I do mean slight. Although I did get a little bit cold during Caroline’s soccer practice and I’m not even kidding. But you should know that I’ve been known to put on a sweater when it gets down to 74 degrees.

And while I’m excited that fall is right around the corner, I wasn’t that excited by most of the things I saw online this week. I think it’s still that weird time when there’s a lot of summer stuff on clearance and all the fall/winter things haven’t come in yet. And I never like to buy much right now because I don’t know what I’m going to feel like wearing by the time it gets cool enough to actually wear it and I have plenty of summer clothes and don’t need another sundress or tank top.

All that being said, I did find a couple of cute things.

1. colordrop tunic

I really like this because it’s a good transitional piece and is long enough to wear with leggings. It comes in a couple of other color combos and I think I may like the blue version the best, but this is a close second.

It’s $29.95 plus extra 20% off with code SUNNYSKIES at checkout, along with everything on sale at Anthropologie right now.

2. barranco embroidered tunic

This is really pretty. Sadly, it’s not on sale, but I do love it.

3. made well mix up patchwork scarf

I’ve seen a lot of tunic-type tops paired with leggings and a cute scarf lately. And that’s why this scarf caught my eye. It’s on sale for $34.99 and would look great with gray or black.

4. hosting for the weekend tunic

I love shirts like this because they are so easy to throw on with jeans. This one comes in other colors and even plus sizes.

5. tiered trapeze zip up sweatshirt

I bought a version of this about four years ago and it is one of my favorite things ever. It’s so soft and you can wear it with everything from leggings to jeans to yoga pants and tennis shoes.

6. blank canvas tunic

This is one of the tunics I’ve seen lately. It’s appropriately called a blank canvas tunic because it is a blank canvas. Add a scarf, add a necklace, throw on a long sweater vest. Whatever. It’s very versatile.

7. diagonal stripe slipdress

Listen. I have no need for this dress. And I’m past the point in my life of wearing this dress because it would require a lot of undergarment configuration. But I’m including it because if I were younger and cheered for a school located in Austin, I would totally buy it for game day.

8. lucky brand betwixt bootie

There are a million booties in the big city and these are just one pair. But I really like these because this moss green color is calling to me.

9. zella live in capris

I’m at a point where I need a lot of these capris because this has basically become my weekend uniform. Who am I kidding? It’s my daily uniform. And these Zellas are super comfortable and flattering.

10. strummin’ sesh top

I love a plaid top for fall and this one has great colors.

That’s it for today. Next time I see you will be a day that required me to pack a lunch.

Have a good Friday.

Well I thought we’d done everything we needed to do around here to be ready for the first day of school next week. For heaven’s sake, we bought school supplies at the end of July. But apparently I was mistaken because this whole week has been filled with running errands and doing things that were on the summer checklist.

Please don’t think I had an actual summer checklist. It existed only in my mind, but it was full of goals and good intentions.

In fact, Gulley and I had a whole summer bucket list that we compiled over the last school year of all the activities we wanted to do with the kids over the summer and I think we checked off maybe three things on it. The problem was we usually added to the list while drinking wine. Combine that with the fact we forgot that all our ambitions to create summer fun die sometime in mid-July when it’s too hot to care about much of anything and you have yourself an unfinished list that was high on optimism and low on reality. Although we did take the kids to the pool on Monday and stayed until closing time which was something we haven’t done much, but as we were leaving, Jackson and Caroline said, “What about Barton Springs? When are we going to Barton Springs?” And they weren’t happy when I announced, “Maybe next summer!”

On Tuesday morning I had to deal with several customer service issues that didn’t get my day off to the cheeriest start. I felt like I was back in high school breaking up with a boyfriend and finally had to blurt out, “Look, we had a good thing but I’ve found something better and it’s OVER! Just let me go. I don’t believe you can change.” Thankfully, I stopped just short of asking, “WHAT ABOUT PROM, BLAINE? WHAT ABOUT PROM?”

And then Caroline and I drove out to Staples because we’d ordered a binder online for school and it didn’t turn out to be the binder of her dreams once it arrived. Jackson decided to go with us just to get out of the house and on the way there I told them, “Just think! A trip to Staples is almost just like Barton Springs!” Which cracked me up and got me a couple of junior high eye rolls.

We also ventured into Dick’s Sporting Goods because Caroline needed a couple more shirts for school and she’s a big fan of the athletic apparel.

Wednesday morning Caroline had an appointment to get her haircut at 8:00 a.m. I’m not quite sure what I was thinking when I scheduled it that early, but I believe it was something along the lines of feeling it would shock our system back into more of a school time zone instead of a college frat house. And I’m sad to report that based on the stupor we were in when the alarm went off at 7:15 a.m. that we’re about to have a rude awakening to the real world.

However, I was shocked later in the day when I looked at the clock and realized how productive we’d managed to be before noon. It’s amazing what you can get done when you’re not in bed. Look for that sentiment to be emblazoned soon on motivational posters everywhere!

So after all our errands were finished, we spent the rest of the day cleaning out closets and the playroom. And not much makes me happier than getting rid of stuff we don’t need. Except for maybe not buying that stuff in the first place. But, still. We have a few bags to drop off at Goodwill and that’s always a good day, plus I’m caught up on all the laundry for a glorious three hours.

And now I think we are truly ready for school. We pick up Caroline’s school schedule on Friday but there’s no meet the teacher or anything because this is junior high and this is where you learn that life doesn’t always involve a trip to Barton Springs.

Or even Staples.

Well.

Before I write anything else, I have to say thank you for all your kind words about Scout and for sharing stories of your own pets. I read through the comments and shed more than a few tears because how do these creatures become such a part of our families?

The irony is I’m typing this as I maneuver around Mabel’s head which is currently resting on my stomach.

Yes. That’s right. Mabel is up on the couch where she’s not supposed to be but I’m still in a little bit of mourning and Mabel and I understand each other. I’m sure we’ll write some haikus before it’s all said and done.

But even though our beach trip ended on a little bit of a sad note, we had a great time. We left San Antonio on Sunday afternoon after our Community Worship Service and after we’d loaded down P’s truck with enough stuff to make me hum the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies as we pulled away from the house.

The good news is if we’d found ourselves stranded somewhere along the two and half hour drive, we would have plenty of assorted brands of potato chips to sustain us. We are a people who believe that no beach trip is complete without both Honey BBQ Fritos and Chili Cheese Fritos, along with regular Fritos for the bean dip. Which I believe are all the building blocks of the Whole 30 Diet.

We were almost to Corpus Christi when P realized that while he’d remembered to pack forty-two different fishing poles and various nets, he had forgotten his swim suit and his swim shirt. So we made a quick stop by Roy’s Bait and Tackle where he found a swim suit and then I ran in a surf shop and bought swim shirts for P, Caroline and Gulley’s boys because we are all about some SPF awareness. But I was in a hurry because we were trying to get to the beach and they had the long sleeve shirts hanging way up high and the sales girl couldn’t have been more annoyed that I was in her store trying to make a purchase. Which is why Jackson and P ended up with the exact same shirt.

The first day we just had a little time on the beach because we arrived late afternoon, but Monday was a full day and we set up camp. The kids swam with the dads while Gulley and I talked about how our twenty-something selves would be disappointed in our forty-something selves for not getting out there and riding in the waves, but we were okay with that because our forty-something selves are much wiser.

And we were vindicated when our people caught not one but two – TWO – sharks right where they’d been swimming only minutes earlier.

P said they’re just baby sharks. But you know what most babies have? Mamas and daddies. Which is why I prefer the comfort of my beach chair and a good book. There’s a 97% less chance of getting eaten while sitting at the water’s edge in a lounge chair munching on Fritos. That’s just a scientific fact.

But the kids loved the adventure and P had also come up with the idea to go crabbing. I was excited about this because I have the best memories of crabbing with my Pa-Pa when I was little and the kids loved it. It turns out that catching crabs basically requires not much more than putting a fish head on a string and checking it every few minutes. And so the kids reeled in their crabs while Jon and P took turns filling the crab bucket with fresh water to keep them alive so we could cook them later that night.

Because here’s something you may not know, do not eat a crab that has died. I read all about it when I googled “How do you cook a crab?” on the internet. You have to drop them in the pot while they’re alive which gave me pause. However, you can sedate them by putting them in a cooler of ice for ten minutes or so which I highly recommend to save yourself and the crab undue trauma.

Here are our crabbers. Caroline is doing her imitation of a crab. Clearly, it’s a remarkable re-enactment.

And here are our crabs after we cooked them.

I have to say we felt no small amount of pride over the fact that we caught and cooked our own dinner. It was like we were Jacque Cousteau and Julia Childs all rolled into one. The only problem was we didn’t have any legitimate crab-eating utensils so P got a pair of pliers and a hammer out of the back of his truck. So in hindsight maybe we were less Julia Childs and more rednecks of the sea.

The next day was a little more low-key. There were no sharks to speak of or really any fish out in the surf, so the kids just played around and built sandcastles and rode waves most of the day. Meanwhile, I read a Texas Monthly article all about the 35th anniversary of Urban Cowboy that was maybe the most informative piece of journalism I’ve read in a long time. I learned all about the history of Gilley’s, the dawn of the mechanical bull, John Travolta wore Gap jeans in the movie, and that Michelle Pfeiffer almost played Sissy instead of Debra Winger. That’s a full day of knowledge right there.

And the last day it was just P, Caroline and me because Gulley and her family had headed back to San Antonio the night before. The surf was so calm that last day that it looked like a lake when we first got there around noon and so Caroline and I built sandcastles and we all searched for shells and just enjoyed the day.

P couldn’t find his big hat.

And right before we said goodbye to the beach for another year, we all decided to take some pictures for posterity. We felt they should be very serious.

And then I tried it and they wanted to mock me and said I have no ups.

Of course I don’t. I can’t remember that I’ve ever claimed otherwise. It’s like they had me mistaken for an extra in Bring It On. You know what’s a victory for me? That I didn’t twist my ankle on the way down.

Which is why I prefer to stick to this pose.

We’re now officially into our last full week of summer so I’m sure I’ll be back at some point this week. Or I might just soak in every last minute of freedom before the calendar rules our lives again.

When Perry and I were just newlyweds, we bought our first (and only) house together. Then a few months after that we decided we were ready to take the next step in our lives as real adults and get a dog. Perry really wanted a Blue Heeler and so we began to look at litters of puppies. Our search was over as soon as we saw our Scout.

He didn’t look like a typical Heeler. His face was much darker and his temperament was totally different. He never acted like a dog. In fact, Perry remarked last night that he’d never owned a dog that acted less like a dog than Scout. Of course it probably didn’t help that we bought him from a woman who lived in a trailer home in Hondo, Texas and she informed us as we were walking out the door with him that he really enjoyed sleeping on her couch and watching “color T.V.”

Scout was the first dog I’d ever owned. And I was crazy about him in that way you are before you have kids and your dog is your baby. I hated to leave him when I had to go to work in the morning. I rushed home at lunch to see him. I took him to Sonic to get ice cream. Let’s put it this way, I SANG HIM LULLABIES. I was besotted.

When he was about three months old our vet discovered he had a hole in his heart that needed to be closed up or he wouldn’t live more than a year. At the time it was a surgery that could only be done at Texas A&M and it wasn’t inexpensive, but he was my baby and so Perry and I drove him to College Station to have heart surgery that would save his life.

And, boy, did we get our money’s worth. He was an adrenaline junkie that never stopped. We had to build a higher fence in our back yard because he would get so excited he’d just jump over it. Perry and I would get on either end of the back yard while one of us called his name and he’d come barreling at us as fast as he could and leap into our arms. And heaven help the raccoons he managed to chase down at the ranch because they weren’t long for this world.

He never met a stranger and we always said he’d totally sell us out for a hamburger. And at night he liked to watch the “color T.V.”. He’d growl at the deer on Perry’s hunting shows and then fall asleep while he dreamed of chasing them down as evidenced by the way his paws constantly moved while he slept.

During those first few years, Scout was my original road trip partner. Gulley lived in Austin at the time and I’d go visit her on weekends when Perry was hunting and always brought Scout with me. He loved being at Gulley’s because he loved her dog, Annie, plus we fed him some expensive, healthy food and she fed Annie something called Dinnertime from HEB. Scout would scarf that food down like a kid at McDonald’s and have the worst gas all the way back home to San Antonio. But he and Annie would play non-stop and Gulley and I declared them to be best friends. They were our first generation of best friends.

Five years after we got Scout, we brought Caroline home from the hospital. We never had to worry about Scout because there wasn’t a mean bone in his body. He seemed to accept that he had moved down a rung in our family hierarchy, but took it in stride. Especially when he realized the new little person had a tendency to leave a trail of Cheerios or Goldfish wherever she went.

About two and a half years ago, Scout contracted a serious infection in his leg. We still don’t know what caused it, but he began to run a fever and was lethargic. I rushed him to the vet and they began to give him intravenous antibiotics in an attempt to fight the infection. After about three days of this, Perry gently said, “Maybe we should call the vet and see how much this is costing us. He’s a fourteen and a half year old dog and nobody needs to be a hero.”

So I called our vet and tried to gently ask if he felt like Scout could recover from this or if we were spending money in vain. And, in what has become part of our family lore, the vet replied, “I think he can get through this and might even live four to six more months.”

We weren’t sure four to six more months seemed like that great of an achievement when you averaged out the daily cost of his hospital stay expenses. But Scout defied the odds and made a complete comeback. We had two and a half more years with him. Those two and a half years were worth every penny.

Scout loved to bark at thunder, other dogs and at nothing. He outlived two of his doggy companions, Jem and Bruiser. And he was a good grandpa to Piper and Mabel when they came along. He took them in stride and never minded that they jumped all over him and were constantly in his space. He was a good boy.

We lost Scout last night. He was seventeen years old. Mimi and Bops were dog-sitting while we were at the beach and they were with him when he passed away. I’m heartbroken I couldn’t be there to say one last goodbye. I think he’d defied the odds so many times that I began to think he might be with us forever.

Perry and I will celebrate our eighteenth wedding anniversary this Sunday and Scout has been with us for seventeen of those years. Scout gave me a glimpse of what it looked like to be a mom and the confidence to take that step. He was my first baby. He loved us unconditionally in that way dogs do and never wanted anything in return other than the occasional belly rub. He was a good boy.

And if it’s true that all dogs go to heaven, then Scout will be one of the first in line.

Goodbye, our Scout. We love you.

I wasn’t going to do Fashion Friday this week. Sophie even texted me earlier and asked because we recorded a podcast and I told her I just didn’t feel inspired.

(Sidenote: You can find the podcast here if you missed it!)

But then I received an email from Nordstrom highlighting the 70’s trends that are in for the fall and I was like a moth to a flame. In the words of the VH-1 special, I LOVE THE 70’s.

So here are a few things I happen to be in love with: (mood ring not included)

1. slouchy faux leather tote

Love this in the cognac color.

2. cowl neck sweater

I saw this during the anniversary sale and fell in love, but it was sold out. Now it’s back – sadly not on sale – but the price is still really good. Love that it’s long enough to wear with leggings and it comes in several colors.

3. karly shift dress

This time of year I seek out anything maroon. Love that this could be a dress with boots or worn with leggings. And it comes in other colors including black.

4. topshop platform clog

What is this madness? A clog? Sign me up.

5. long crochet cardigan

This is a great light layer to transition into cooler weather. Even though I’m beginning to doubt I’ll ever feel cool again. Both literally and figuratively.

6. sunset avenue stripe knit duster

I have a sweater similar to this that I bought years ago and it’s still one of my favorites.

7. madewell flea market flares

I cannot even express my joy that flares are making a comeback. I haven’t tried these on but I plan to just as soon as I can get myself to a Madewell store because they have great reviews.

8. terrane wrap poncho

This is on sale at Anthropologie and I think it has a lot of potential to be a staple in my closet.

9. noonday collection tide pool earrings

Noonday Collection debuted their fall line yesterday and they have a lot of cute things, but these earrings might be my favorite.

10. i love your dress in black

Last week I featured the maxi version of this dress, but then I saw that it also comes in a shorter version and in several other colors and in plus sizes. This is such a great basic that can be dressed up or down, worn with a denim jacket, or under one of the long sweaters I showed above. Very versatile and easy.

That’s it for today.

Have a good Friday.