Percy and Annabeth-Their future

Labor Day

It was a sunny Saturdy morning. The summer air was fresh, and the sea salt that mixed with the breeze woke me up. I walked downstairs to find Percy and the kids loading up the car with our suitcases for Labor Day.

"Hi Mommy!" Selena's dark pigtails bounced as she bounded towards me. Selena was the queen of bear hugs... and temper tantrums. But let's just stick with bear hugs.

Rion was helping Percy load things onto the roof rack. He was sitting on the roof of our new Suburban. My four year old mini Percy was sitting on the roof of the car. I opened my mouth to protest, but Percy kissed me. I relaxed, although I shouldn't have because Rion was still up on the roof.

"Ew!" Rion and Selena covered their eyes. Taylor giggled and toddled over to me. Luke followed her. Both sets of twins had a secret language, and Taylor and Luke's was adorable. They'd literally whisper in each others ears, as if sharing secrets. It was too cute, and I began to laugh.

"Phia?" Taylor asked, pointing to Sophia's suitcase. I was surpirised by her genuisness at just 2 years. She recognized her big sister's suitcase.

"Yes, sweetie. We're going to pick up Phia."

"It's SO-phia, Mommy," Rion moaned. Selena put a finger to her lips.

"Shh! Taylor doesn't know how to say 'so' yet. That was mean, Rion."

"No it wasn't! I was just telling Mommy that Soph's name is Sophia."

I watched as my two kids fought on the roof of the car. Percy turned on the car and Selena's face turned paper white. Then he opened the sun roof.

"Climb in, Ri!" Rion eagerly jumed through the sunroof onto the console. Selena was more hesitant, and Percy had to kneel on the console and carry her down. I strapped Luke and Taylor into their car seats. We had Rion and Selena in the third row on their booster seats, and Luke and Taylor in the second row. Four carseats in one car was a lot.

I buckled myself in and we closed the garage door and headed South, to Long Island. It was a six hour ride without the ferry. We were heading to Manhattan afterwards to see Sally and Paul, then up to Truro WITH Sally and Paul. It was very out of the way to pick Sophia up at camp because everything else was on the way there, but we had to, and then everything was on the way back.

*****THREE HOURS INTO THE DRIVE****

I was so excited to see Sophia again. It had been three long months without her. I think we all missed her more than we thought we would. But more than all of that, I was hoping that she had a reat time. She was claimed at seven! Not all of us got nearly that lucky. 

Somewhere in Connecticut we stopped at a drive thru Dunkin' Donuts and bought coffee for us and donuts for the kids. It was a long car ride, and they were being so patient. Selena and Rion were watching Cars 2, and debating whether Holly was better than Sally (Selena didn't think so, but Rion did because Holly could fly and Sally couldn't.), and Taylor and Luke were watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates quietly, giggling and answering to the TV. I had country radio (my new obsession) on and Percy was trying to sing along. Every once in a while he'd sing the right words. At one point Rion asked him to stop singing because he sounded like a toilet flushing. Percy was very offended. It was a funny car ride.

****PULLING UP TO CAMP HALF BLOOD************

"MOOOOOMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Sophia came barreling down the Hill and almost knocked me over. HEr siblings surrounded her, asking her all sorts of questions like:

"Did you fight baddies?" -Selena

"Did you play capture the flag?" Selena

"Did you move into Daddy's cabin?" Selena