July 2024!

July 1st - 6th, 2024:

July, as always, started out in a wonderful way - with Aleks' birthday!  This year Aleks was spending a majority of her actual birthday at her dad's house, so the day before the Makhlina-Ecksteins celebrated with a day at the beach (including some beach time with Aleks' friend from school, Jack), a special dinner (sushi from Sakura), and the remainders of her Carvel Ice Cream Birthday Cake, topped off with movie.  Then, the next morning Aleks was greeted with a bouquet of birthday flowers, a bright yellow birthday banner, and several cards and gifts.  Additionally, Evan took her and Tanya out for a special birthday Starbucks to start the day off right before he had to head off to work.

While Aleks spent the rest of her birthday with her dad, Evan and Tanya went to Virtue Field at UVM with Tanya's best friend Anna to watch the Vermont Green FC win the 2024 Maple Cup after defeating the Quebecois team CS Saint-Laurent in a dramatic 5-0 win.  Afterwards, the three returned to the Makhlina-Eckstein household for some boardgames and further fun.

The following day Aleks returned home and proceeded to have a grand time with her friend Shayla.  Their playdate started at their neighborhood pool where the girls swam, bopped around on their floaties, and eventually created their own fort for a bit of a break from the beating sun.  Later on Shayla came over to Aleks' house to continue the playdate a bit more.  Afterwards, they met up again at Williston Central School to share in the July 4th festivities together.  Evan, Tanya, and Aleks decided to ride their bikes to the school and back to avoid the traffic jam that would inevitable ensue at the end of the evening.  While riding in the dark had its challenges it was well worth it.  As were the evenings festivities, which included a couple of bounce houses, games on the playground, food trucks for dinner, and, of course, ice cream for dessert.  Then, they acquired some glow sticks to light up the evening a bit more, ran around the skate park for a bit, and finally sat down to immerse themselves in the sky as it was lit up even more by the incredible fireworks display put on by the Town of Williston.

The next morning, while Evan had his one client for the day, Aleks and Tanya got together with Aleks' good friend Myles an\d his dad, Greg, for some mini golf.  Evan then met up with the four of them later on at Lake Iroquois for an afternoon at the beach.  Myles' mom Devon joined as well and the six of them enjoyed some fun in the sun together until it was eventually time to part ways.  Upon returning home, Tanya spent a little more time with Aleks until she was picked up by her dad for the weekend while Evan headed off to play some pickleball with his friend Paul.  Tanya and Evan reconnected at home in time for a quick trip down to Waitsfield together to partake in some creamy delights at Canteen Creemee and then explore a new hike at the Wu Ledges.  While the bugs along the hike were quite a pesky nuisance, the hike itself still provided some lovely views and a well marked path to make for an efficient trek out and back.

Saturday followed with even more adventures, but this time separately.  Tanya and her best friend Anna spent the day having a "Yes Day" together as a post-double-birthday celebration/present for one another.  Their celebratory adventure included pedicures, an escape room, Eco Bean and Greens, and much more!  Evan's afternoon and evening was spent at The Boardroom in Burlington catching up with some friends and playing a variety of games including Cribbage, Carcassonne, and The Crew, just to list a few.  After his boardgame evening ended he returned home to join Tanya and Anna for the last activity of their Yes Day, which involved drinks and televised soccer (as both the Euro Cup and Copa America tournaments were actively in the works).

July 7th - 13th, 2024:

The week began with a day full of soccer for Tanya and Evan as they attended another Vermont Green match and then played in several of their own afterwards.  

The following day Evan and Tanya started their work week and Aleks kicked off her first camp of the summer with Little Bellas mountain biking!  Aleks had a blast cruising through the woods on her Little Bellas mountain bike, playing hide and seek (both on and off her bike), and ending everyone insanely hot day with a refreshing, drenching game of Drip, Drip, Drop (in which, by end end, everyone ended up soaked - and gratefully cooled off - one way or the other).

The end of the week had a bit of a twist as the Makhlina-Ecksteins prepared for a couple nights of camping at Indian Brook Reservior in their neighboring town of Essex.  Tents were borrowed (only 1 ended up fitting the campsite platform, but both were appreciated loans from good friends), hammocks were bagged, clothing was packed, and food was carefully stored as the Makhlina-Ecksteins headed off to the Reservoir with two kayaks and a brand new inflatable paddleboard in tow.  

They arrived at their campsite Friday night in time to set everything up, get a fire crackling, cook up a meal, and (obviously) roast some marshmallows/smores.  Despite their inflated air mattresses, sleep was still a challenge due to the excessive heat compounded by their avid avoidance of indoor insects, thus trapping the heat that much moreso.  However, the next day they awoke to a beautiful sunny morning overlooking a lovely little lake [reservoir] and while it took a little time for their braincells to fully charge, the makeshift jet boil coffee sort of helped (if they could simply overlook the cumulative coffee grounds that they had to endure in their drinks due to the oversight of bringing the wrong plunger top with them on the trip).  After enjoying some breakfast and some almost palatable coffee (which they still drank nonetheless), the Makhlina-Ecksteins were off to have some fun.  They worked as a team to blow up Tanya's brand new inflatable paddleboard and then the girls took off on it together while Evan followed closely behind in his kayak.  Later on he did attempt the paddleboard himself (and was able to successfully navigate it standing up thanks to Tanya's consistent cheering and encouragement), but still found that the kayak was his preferred mode of manpowered water transportation.  The girls, on the other hand, were both naturals - trading between paddlers with ease and making the whole thing look like a walk in the park (whereas Evan's wobbly-kneed experience had been anything but).  

During their paddling adventure Aleks decided to take some time to explore the water on her own by jumping overboard and swimming with all the fish in the sea (which there were many of - and turtles too!).  Eventually, Tanya took her paddleboard back to basecamp so get started on some lunch for the family and then Evan and Aleks followed behind, together in Evan's kayak.

After lunch they explored and enjoyed some more of the campsite and reservoir until dinner time.  By the end of dinner, though, a new problem arose.  Sweet, lovely Aleks had amassed a very large, highly unwanted fan club - the local mosquitoes.  And by this point in the day, Aleks had more mosquito bites than she could count and they were driving her a bit batty (...if only the bats had been doing their jobs to keep those darn mosquitoes away...).  So, Tanya and Aleks made a plan to take a quick drive to Burlington to visit Tanya's mom and pick up a rare Russian remedy that she had for this sort of occasion.  However, just before executing the plan there was another wrinkle - this one being a revelation that another night/day of camping would likely yield even more of those atrocious mosquito bites and the ones they (particularly Aleks, being the sweetest of the bunch) already had were more than they could bare as it was.  Thus, in a last minute change of course, the Makhlina-Ecksteins decided to quickly pack up their campsite (before they lost the last of the light for the day) and headed home for the evening to sleep in their own beds, with the comfort of their central air conditioning, encapsulated in their pleasant, bug-free home.  And thus, the week was concluded.

July 14th - 20th, 2024:

The week began with the end of Evan and Tanya's first Sunday summer soccer session - and it was time for playoffs!  While they tried to help their friends on RPK to win their first game, it unfortunatley didn't go their way.  However, afterwards they were able to help their friends on the Hinesburgers to win their second game and then went on to win their own first game with the Shinkickers.  Unfortunately, they weren't able to take down their opponents in their second game and were knocked out in that semi-final round.  

While the rest of the week brought many fun and exciting things (to be detailed shortly), it also brought some significant discomfort and frustration to one Makhlina-Eckstein in particular, which put a bit of a damper on her week.  Tanya had a small stye on her eye near the end of last week, which, by this week, had turned into full blown cellulitis.  Following a week of warm compresses, antibiotics, and a excessive amount of patience, Tanya's eye finally started to look more like it's typical self once again.  And in true Tanya fashion, she didn't let the discomfort stop her from participating in the rest of the week's activities and adventures.

On a lighter note, Monday brought Aleks to Saint Michael's College where she began her week of Field Hockey Camp.  Throughout the week she got to learn from some of the SMC coaches and players, see some friends and other students she recognized from Mater Christi School, survive the excessive heat on the Saint Mike's turf fields, cool off in the SMC Pool, and replenish her energy in Saint Mike's cafeteria each day for lunch (including access to their ice cream sundae bar).

However, the fun didn't stop there.  After camp on Monday, Aleks headed off to hang out with her friend Gwen, swim in her grandparents' pool, and then sleepover at her house!  Gwen and her mom then brought Aleks to camp the next day.

And, the following day after camp Aleks came home, changed into another bathing suit, and prepared to go to Maple Street Pool to hang out with her friend Chelsea... However, the weather had different ideas and a downpour of rain mixed with a modicum of lightning and thunder forced the group to audible and while the bathing suit was removed the playdate itself still remained very much alive.  Chelsea and her parents instead came over to La Casa Makhlina-Eckstein where the girls could continue to hang out (just without the aquatic options) and Evan and Tanya could catch up with Chelsea's parents (whom they hadn't seen in a few weeks due to their trip to Alaska, which Evan and Tanya had been looking forward to hearing all about).  While the pool was no longer an option, the dinner menu remained the same and everyone chowed down on the premade peanut butter and jelly (or fluff) sandwiches that Evan had prepared for the original day's plan prior to the unexpected atmospheric interruption.

The following day involved Evan and Tanya's weekly Wednesday soccer game and a little bit of additional excitement for Evan as he had a chance to catch up with a college friend he hadn't spoken to in a while.  Evan and Will had lived together in the same dorm for two years and then shared an apartment together senior year in college.  They had periodically kept in touch via related musical interests (in which they would sporadically send each other a song they had recently heard that they thought the other would enjoy).  However, it had been quite some time since they'd checked in with one another and this week they spent some time catching up on the last 5 or so years of each others' lives (via text - as it turns out Will is living on the other side of the country nowadays).  

The next day someone else in the Makhlina-Eckstein family got to catch up with some friends that she hadn't seen in a while - Roguie!  Roguie loves to hang out with her birdie friends who often visit by the red couch; however, of late they had not been spending as much time at the Makhlina-Eckstein bird feeder due to a lengthening lack of care and cleanliness that resulted in the bird feeder taking on the guise of a terrarium rather than a tavern.  Thus, today was the day to change all of that and Evan took on the daunting task of removing the bird feeder (without dropping it or losing any important pieces - a task that he almost botched, but was thankfully saved by a lucky bounce over the gutter), cleaning every nook and cranny within it, returning it to its rightful place on the window, and refilling it with an open invitation for all of Rogue's neighborhood birdie friends to come and visit once again.  Within minutes of task completion Roguie's birdie friends were back and Rogue herself was ecstatic to see them!

The week ended with a little closing ceremony at Field Hockey Camp in which Tanya was able to watch Aleks play a little field hockey scrimmage to show off some of the skills she'd gained during the week before bringing Aleks to her dad's for the weekend.  The following day Evan and Tanya headed out of town themselves to spend the day with their good friends the Mocks in Hanover, NH.  There they shared some lunch and life updates, found a new boardgame center to spend a few hours, explored a couple of new boardgames (neither of which any of them will likely choose to play again), had a lovely dinner, and then went their separate ways once again (but with the high hopes of maintaining this new tradition with consistency moving forward).  

July 21st - 27th, 2024:

The week began in an unusual and momentous way.  While Aleks was at her dad's for the weekend (which typically means that Tanya and Evan would have to wait until Monday afternoon to see her) this Sunday was marked by an early pick-up by Evan and Tanya mid-day on Sunday to bring Aleks down to Sharon, VT for her first ever sleep away camp!  The Makhlina-Ecksteins arrived at Camp Downer within their assigned arrival time (2:00-2:30pm) and checked Aleks in.  At that moment they were informed that she would be in Cabin 10 and join the Eagle Group for meals and whatnot.  They also were directed to the mess hall, where Aleks would be eating for the week but at that moment acted as the location where she could pick-up her official Camp Downer shirt, before heading down a short path through the woods to find her cabin, which she would be calling home for the week.  With some assistance from Tanya and Evan, Aleks was able to bring all of her stuff (including a duffle bag full of clothes, a sleeping bag and pillow, and a backpack with other essentials) down the short, wooded path and around the corner to Cabin 10, where she would then set everything up under her bunk in the far corner (exchanging brief "Hello"s with some of her other cabin-mates and counselors along the way).  This symbolic act was then followed by the quintessential awkward hug goodbye to Tanya and Evan before their own anxious departure.

As it turns out, while Aleks may have experienced a brief moment of homesickness later that day she worked herself through it and ended up having an absolutely incredible time!  She filled her days with swimming, dodgeball, walks through the Downer Wild wilderness, Earth Arts and crafts, an introduction to riflery, and all sorts of other fun, friendship-building festivities.  During the week she made some great friends (including friendships that spanned the United States with potential pen pals ranging from Massachusetts to California) and she absolutely loved all of her counselors too.  She found some adorable little salamanders, a rock in the shape of an avocado (which she subsequently painted to look exactly like an avocado), and so much more!  It was an amazing week - so much so that she has already requested to return again next summer!

While Aleks had the time of her life at Camp Downer, Tanya and Evan did their best to keep themselves busy so as to not end up spending all of their time missing their girl.  And, as per usual, that entailed a great deal of soccer!  Starting with several games on a very hot Sunday afternoon, the Makhlina-Eckstein dynamic duo helped their friends on Rum Punch Kick and the Hinesburgers during their playoff bouts and then transitioned to their friends on the Foxy Bees before playing their own game with the Shinkickers (against their friends on the Spartans).  It was a fiery hot day, full of fÚtbol fun!

The following day Tanya and Evan walked to nearby Allenbrook School after work to play some more soccer (pick-up this time) before quickly returning home, changing hurriedly, and walking over to Railroad & Main to meet up with sib-cuzzes Alex and Evi (and Jackson) for a wonderful cuz-fam reunion over a marvelous meal and some delectable drinks!  And, just two days later they would get to see the three of them again, this time on the pitch, at their weekly Wednesday Versus game at the Tree Farm.  Luckily, their games were back-to-back so they even had a chance to observe one another's gameplay while subbing in and out of their own.  Unfortunately, their games were cut a bit short (due to some unfortunate thunder and lightning), but not before Evan was able to score a great header goal for his team!

The following day Evan and Tanya had plans to play a bit more soccer just the two of them (for a pinch of playful practice) and then meet up with Alex, Evi, and Jackson for some trivia, but instead were unexpectedly recruited by a friend to help out in a couple more soccer games that evening which happened to be happening right at Williston Central School (where they had been putzing around).  So, two soccer games later (and some new soccer friends made), Evan and Tanya went home thoroughly tuckered out and ready to crash into bed.

The next day brought the end of the work week and, much more importantly, the end of the camp week.  This meant that after Evan finished up with his last client of the day he and Tanya hopped into the car and headed back down to Sharon, VT to pick up Aleks from her week away.  It was a beautiful reunion as Aleks' face lit up upon seeing them and gave Tanya the biggest hug any Mama has ever received from her little Creachling.  Afterwards, Aleks said some heartfelt goodbyes to her remaining camp friends and counselors before lugging all of her stuff back down the wooded path to the car and heading back home.  

Saturday was a day spent enjoying being back together again, slowly unpacking everything from the week, and hitting up the beach to take advantage of the wonderful weather!  At Lake Iroquois the trio took to their paddleboard and kayak to explore the lake, ended up finding a cool little island rock to hang out at for a bit, and enjoyed some time swimming and playing in the sand, before returning home to enjoy a relaxing evening together.

July 28th - 31st, 2024: 

The week opened as the month started towards its inevitable close.  That included preparations for a week at New Village Farm camp and some much needed laundry to be cleaned.  Once the necessary clothes were laundered and the designated large plastic bin was filled (well, first unfilled and then refilled) with all of the farm camp essentials (including "muck boots", bug spray, water bottles, a change of clothes, and a variety of other handy dandy accoutrements for life on the farm) Aleks was ready for another week at camp (thankfully a local one this time).  Evan started his final week with his Stern Center clients and Tanya continued on with the constant stream of interventional cardiology patients that never seemed to end.  The final day of July included a special transport to camp in the morning provided by Aleks' very favorite"Auntie Anna" to start her day off on a uniquely exciting note (for both of them)!