5 Aug 1985

Dear Mom & Dad,

We survived a six-year-olds slumber party. Angelique had four other girls come spend the night with her Friday night. We had relatively few problems -- the biggest one being getting the girls to go to sleep. We got them to bed by 9:00 p.m. It was 10:00 p.m. before they all were asleep. They all had a good time. Angelique had a beautiful Rainbow Brite birthday cake.

Thank you for the presents. I couldn't believe there were so many things in that one little box. Should I send the reader to school with Angelique? She'll enjoy that. Steven calls his print set a little computer. All the girls oohed and ahhed over the ceramic girl.

I got Angelique a Chatty Patty for her birthday. She is like Chatty Cathy except she holds her special toys in her hand and talks about them when the string is pulled. Angelique has really taken up with her. Michael brought Angelique a musical doll from Scotland. She is dressed beautifully in a long plaid skirt, tam, and scarf, revolves and plays "Amazing Grace." She is not a "play doll" though.

Swim classes are moving right along. We began the second session today. Only two more weeks to go. Angelique passed her Beginner I class. Now she goes into Beginner II. She really enjoys the water. Steven doesn't put out any more than he has to. He has convinced his teacher that he can't do anything so they don't ask him to do more. He was swimming well at the end of last year. He is not even doing that this year. I'm about to get perturbed and tell them they are letting my son regress. Maybe I should take him back into the tots class where I would go in with him and we would both work with the teacher. Oh, well. We'll see.

Michael hopes to take his video camera next week and film the kids swimming. I'm not sure they will let him take the equipment on the pool deck. He may have to film from outside the fence.

Life with one car is the pits. I'm tired of hitching a ride with friends to the pool and having to adjust to going by their schedules. I'll be glad when Michael finds another car.

We go to register Angelique for school Wednesday. I wonder what all that will entail. I have lots of questions. I hope they are ready for me.

Did you receive the package I sent in late June with the things from Scotland? I don't recall you mentioning them at all.

How did the Johns reunion go? Did you get a lot to attend? What's new with everyone?

Things are very dry here. Some of the areas are without water much of the time. The last several days have been a little cooler and more bearable than July was. It had really gotten uncomfortable for a couple of weeks there. The humidity was very high, temperatures in the 90's and no breeze. Now the humidity has dropped, temperature in the upper 80's, but there is a nice breeze which makes the house and shade very pleasant. We still could use some rain, though.

Michael's parents are coming the last of September. They will be here for Steven's birthday. They will see Germany, Switzerland, and Venice this trip.

We got an inlaid wood grandfather clock from Sorrento while the Woollys were here. It is pretty. Steven says it looks like Big Ben in London.

I can't think of anything else new. I got a letter from you a week or so ago. I'll probably mail this tomorrow and then get a letter from you soon thereafter.

Love,

Jeannie