The end of August (and the end of summer)

August ends on Monday. I realized today that in many ways, this month has seemed really long, which is a bit unusual for me. Then I realized that it only seems long because we managed to cram so much into just one month.

• On August 1 the girls and I were staying with my friends Kathy and Dave in Southern Maryland, getting ready for church and the start of my Joint Statistical Meetings in DC on August 2. I got to play for church that day, and the girls sang a trio. I had a great time at the meetings. The girls and I got to go out to dinner and a bit of sightseeing with our friend Monique from Switzerland, and I had a great time seeing all my time series friends at a party at Dr. Findley's house on August 5, which just happened to be my 20th wedding anniversary.
  
• In the midst of the meetings, the girls and I also managed to get in a couple trips to Six Flags America.
  
• On the way home I got into poison ivy at Mom's house and dealt with that for a couple of weeks.
  
• I had tons of work to do for clients this month, including some new clients. I've also been working on updates to the web pages for my consulting business, with help from a contractor/friend.
  
• I signed up with Creative Memories again, partly to get a discount on the pages I needed and partly to motivate myself to start scrapbooking again and keeping the house clean enough to host scrapbook parties.
  
• On August 17 the kids started school in earnest. (Fortunately, I had finished most of the planning in July.) The biggest part of planning now is planning for E's Bible course (a bit of independent study) and M's AP statistics course.
• On August 22 I was back in DC to teach a short course, staying with my friend Julie. I flew on an airplane for the first time since 2006, which might not seem like a big deal, but it seemed really big to me. I also got to play the piano for church again, and I sang a duet with Kimberly.
  
• Tomorrow I'll sing in the choir in the morning service and go to Sunday school. In the evening, I'll go to choir practice and two bell choir rehearsals because I will be filling in for Melinda in her bell choir in September.
• On August 31, I'll be driving N up to Lebanon to take her written test for her learners permit. Then the driving lessons begin for daughter #2.

Sometimes I wonder how I have time to sleep, let alone run a small business on my own. Yet somehow, it all gets done, and I have a great time doing it.