September in the Mountains

We awoke to a gorgeous morning here today. With nothing aside from soccer planned for the weekend, we decided to take off for the afternoon and head for the mountains. So after Jeffrey's soccer game we headed home, threw together a picnic lunch and hopped into the van.

We decided to head south to a hike that we'd never taken that was listed as a "family friendly" hike in our hiking book. We stopped on the way to the parking area to have our lunch. We found a great overlook with some gorgeous views. We hopped up onto the ledge and munched away. After a few minutes I realized it was the same overlook that I took these pictures 3 years ago. My how things have changed. But the day was the same gorgeous sunny day.




After we finished up lunch we continued South to the Wayside and headed out for our hike. We followed a fire path up the mountain (a rare thing in the Shenandoah, a hike that starts out up and ends coming down). The kids were very intrigued by a spring we passed by. They'd found some walking sticks and enjoyed sticking their sticks in the water.



Erin led for most of the hike up. Once we got to the top, it leveled out and followed the ridge for a while. We came out to an overlook with some amazing views. It was pretty steep so the kids had to be very careful. The views were amazing though. The hike continued on for another 1/4 mile or so before we came to another outcropping and overlook. This one was just pure perfection. The view of the valley was gorgeous. There was quite a bit more room so the kids could walk around a little. We all enjoyed this stop.



From there it was pretty quick down the mountain. We walked under another big outcropping that was almost like walking through half a cave. The kids thought it was really cool. As always down was quicker than up, although more stressful. Jeffrey's still not the most agile and had a few "leaps" where he almost rolled down the whole mountain. After a discussion of "safe hiking" practices he calmed down a little.

We all really enjoyed our hike and are looking forward to heading back into the mountains next weekend for some extended camping with some friends.

Oh yeah, and the green shirts thing...both kids are on the green team for soccer (although on different teams) so I wore my green in support. Then we rushed out so quick after soccer, no one took time to change.

Fully Dressed Without A Smile

Last weekend Jeffrey made his theater debut. Apparently he was so excited about it, he got bored and walked of the stage half way through the show. There were parts that he really loved. The summer show is all music and musical revues. There was a part from Annie that he really enjoyed. Erin fell in love with the section from Bye Bye Birdie. I was certainly a proud mommy watching them both sing their hearts out.





This is also the show where the kids get a chance to sing and prepare a solo. Erin picked "Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" from Annie. It was the perfect song for her. She worked and worked on it over the summer. There were probably a few hundred people in the auditorium, but she got up there in front of the mic and sang her little heart out. She was so excited. And mommy was sitting in the back of the auditorium with tears in her eyes. Daddy was emceeing the event and was able to go up to her and give her a big hug when she was done. A moment we'll treasure forever.

Back to Preschool

Jeffrey has been back to preschool for a week now. He LOVES being at school and has been asking when he'll get to go back since Erin's first days back in August. He's going 3 mornings a week now and been having a great time. There are a few new friends in his class, but also most of his friends from last year are there as well. We've got a field trip coming up next week where we will visit the apple orchard. Today he had his first time at show-and-tell. He decided to bring our "pet" caterpillars (apparently named Strawberry and Raspberry). He was so proud to bring them in to school in his jar.

I've used my mornings to get some errands done or take care of housework stuff. Three mornings a week without my little guy is going to take some getting used to.

Here are a few pictures from his first day back at school. He was in poser mode that morning and gave me some really cute pictures.

He's Grown Up Just A Little Since the Picture Above His Head

At the Faire

The annual trip to the Renaissance Faire was a fantastic time. Both the kids really had a blast and Tom and I always enjoy the music, folks, arts and of course the food and beer.

This year, Jeffrey decided to join Erin in the annual face painting. It was the first thing that Erin asked to do. This year Jeff wanted to get his face painted too. Erin chose to be a flower princess this year and Jeffrey wanted a spider on his cheek. They both sat so still while getting their designs. Both came out really cute.


Since it was a warmer day than last year, Erin decided not to wear her long Lucy dress. Jeffrey did wear his knight costume all day though. Erin wore her flower wreath, white leggings and a pretty blue/white "fairy" skirt. Both looked completely adorable. Jeffrey purchased a sword to adorn his costume with some money his Oma gave him.

We caught a couple of shows. The first was a St. George and the Dragon that the kids laughed and laughed at. Then our favorite Renaissance Man in the afternoon where Jeffrey got up in front of a few hundred folks and acted the total ham.

The highlight of the day, as always, were the bubble fairies. Erin and Jeff just LOVE making bubbles with the fairies. We brought the wand we purchased a few years ago, and Erin used her money from Oma to buy a second wand. Erin has gotten really good at making bubbles. Jeffrey tends to have more fun with popping the bubbles Erin makes. He did take a liking to the bubble fairy though. It was the same girl who was there last year, and she would play bubbles with the kids. Jeffrey made a big deal of making a bubble, then catching it on his wand and bringing it to her to make little bubbles inside. It was quite cute.




The day ended with a few minutes of listening to some music before a rain shower hit. We made a quick departure before the heavy rains hit. Still, we had to stop and grab a cheesecake on stick while dodging the rain drops.

What fun we can all have stepping back in time.

His Father's Son

We headed to the Renaissance Festival this weekend. It's always one of our favorite things to do. The kids had a blast. I'll put up some pictures later this week, but wanted to share this video. Jeffrey got the chance to go up on stage for one of the shows. The act is the Renaissance Man, and he's hilarious. He uses audience participation during his shows and our little man got that idea that he wanted to be part of the show. So he stood on a bench and waved his arms around. Before we knew it, there he was on stage, reciting lines and wearing a jiffy-pop hat. The video is about 3 minutes long and really worth watching. The best part is the last 10 seconds and Jeffrey's big death scene.

First Grade

Erin headed off to first grade this morning. After our long weekend, we'll see how she's doing when she gets home. But she was up when I asked, ate her whole breakfast - without fussing even, and got dressed without complaining. She asked for soup for lunch (I think because she really wanted to use her new thermos) so she got soup, grapes, pretzels and a Reeses mini cup. As well as a note from mommy packed in her lunch box.

She was all excited to ride the bus because that's where she's going to get the chance to see her friend Brandon. They aren't in the same class this year, but will get to see each other at recess and on the bus. We headed out about the same time we'd leave last year. When we got to the bus stop I went to get Erin out of the car and she screamed....."Mommy!!! We missed the bus!!!" I looked up the road, and yes, we had missed the bus. By about 30 seconds. There it was. 100 yards up the road picking up the people at the next stop.

The poor girl just lost it. She melted into a pool of tears. I made her miss the bus. I explained that she wouldn't miss school. I would drive her and Mr. Burks (the gym teacher) would help her out of the car. I did make her get out of the van and stand by the road so I could take her picture, pretending that we were waiting for the bus. As you can see, she just couldn't hide the tears.



By the time we got to school, we'd agreed that I would walk her into class. That seemed to help even things out some. We made sure she would be able to ride the bus home today. Walked to the cafeteria where all the kids were sitting in lines on the floor. Mrs. Morris came by and gave her a big welcome as well as her very own First Grade name tag.



I haven't heard anything else so I assume that the rest of the day has gone OK. This will be a busy year. A lot more work than Kindergarten seemed to be. They don't get snack, only have one recess and one Encore period (music, P.E., computers, art...) a day as opposed to two last year. I expect she'll be pretty tired for the first week or so, but will eventually get into the swing of things.

Questions

Here are some questions that have been asked of me in the past month or so. Life starts changing when kids start paying more attention to things around them apparently.

1 -- Mommy, is God dead?

2 -- Mommy, how does a baby get out of your tummy?

3 -- Mommy, why does daddy put nails in Andrew's hands (we're in a production of Godspell now, Tom is the Judas character)

4 -- Mommy, why does Luke's daddy disappear?


These are the things Erin thinks about in the back seat of the car apparently (when not trying to spell POOL). Jeffrey asks things like, Mommy, do you like chicken with fireworks. Or any other crazy combo he can think of.

So I guess this is the age of the deeper questions. My answers, not all that deep. I'm just not ready for a heavy theological discussion or a talk about the birds and the bees with my 6-year old. So to answer....

#1 - God isn't dead sweetie. God doesn't walk around on earth like we do. God is more of a spirit. Her response...."OK".

#2 - Well a doctor had to take you and Jeffrey out of my tummy and make a little cut. I'll show you some day. Want to listen to Wall*E? How about CARS?

3 - It's all a play, but remember the story of Jesus and the cross from church school? Daddy's helping teach that story to other people.

4 - Luke's (Skywalker) daddy (really Ben) disappears when he dies. But remember it's just a movie.

I'm a little afraid of what's going to come up next time we have to drive anywhere. Looks like we've got some interesting years ahead of us.

The P-O-O-L

When Tom joined the gym with me last month we got a free pass to the pool. I've been saving it to use during this busy two weeks as a treat for the kids. Yesterday afternoon I checked the weather and decided that today would be a good day to use it. So after rehearsal last night I figured I'll tell Tom of my plans. I wanted to keep it a secret from the inhabitants of the back seat so I said to Tom.

"I think tomorrow we'll use the pass and go to the P-O-O-L (Spelling the word)"

"We're going to the pool tomorrow?????" shouted Erin from the back seat.

I had no idea she could spell the word pool. Read it and sound it out, sure, but immediately put it together. No way. It's not even really phonetic. She's not got the "oo" sound down yet. Or so I thought.

"Well there goes that surprise."

It reminds me of when I was a kid. Mom was trying to convince dad that we needed a pet. We lived in an apartment complex at the time so options were limited. She spelled the word "parakeet". "Daddy, daddy, can we please have a parakeet??? I begged immediately." I must have been a little older than Erin, but not much. I did end up getting that parakeet. And Erin got her trip to the P-O-O-L today too.

A Week with Grandma and Grandpa

From RI we headed to NY to spend the week with Grandma and Grandpa. The kids had been counting the days until the visit. They were very excited to be there. Baby Will, Aunt Katie and Uncle Bill were there for much of the week also.

The highlight of the week was certainly hanging out by Grandma's pool. The kids have been waiting all summer to swim in the pool with Grandma. It was the first question they asked every morning..."Can we go swimming?" They did great, we didn't even bring their floats. They jumped into the pool, paddled around, played with water canons and noodles. Erin even practiced some diving.


We did get a couple of day trips in. We headed to a small amusement park that's just the right size for the kids. They spent all day running from ride to ride. Erin especially loved the Flume ride. There's also a small roller coaster that the kids could ride without adults. They would finish the ride and run around to get in line again. I think they hit 4 times in a row before we moved on. They also really enjoyed riding the car and boat ride with Baby Will (who will probably be a 20-year old linebacker and still called Baby Will). Tom and I also got a chance to ride a few of the adult rides with Aunt Katie, which was fun.

We also took a trip to the zoo. It's just the right size. They had a special exhibit of a white tiger that the kids really liked. They also spent a long time watching the sea lions and the polar bear. It was lots of fun.





Saturday morning we went for a walk to the playground at Grandma's school. They'd been asking all week to go, so we let them ride their bikes over to the school and played there for about an hour. Later that afternoon, Tom, the kids and I took a trip to take a walk down the Eerie Canal. We stopped and got some ice cream and walked along the canal for a mile or so. The kids got excited to see some boats moving along the canal.





It was great to spend time with our NY family. We can't wait to see them all again.

Fun with the RI Family

We have returned from our tour of the Rhode Island branch of the family. We haven't visited there in a few years so we were excited for the visit. We left early in the morning from DC and drove up to RI. The kids were really great during the ride. Once we were there, Erin and her cousin Rylie ran off like two peas in a pod. They dumped their Little Pets on the floor, synced their DS and pulled out all the Disney Princesses. It was great to watch. Jeffrey tried to join in and got pushed aside somewhat, but he wouldn't be turned away. He and Cousin Avery played Cars and watched Toy Story 2 again and again.



On Friday we drove into Boston. I haven't been back there in quite a long time and was excited to show the kids part of where I grew up. We ate at Quincy Market (but I couldn't find any kielbasa on a stick), walked part of the Freedom Trail and wandered through Boston Common and Gardens. I even took the kids (and Tom) on their first swan boat ride.


Once we got back to RI, Jeffrey proceeded to get ill all over Aunt Robyn's floor. Poor kiddo. We had a nice dinner then went to a nearby inlet to look for starfish and crabs. Saturday morning the troops headed out to a farmer's market while Jeffrey and I hung out to make sure he was feeling better. That afternoon Uncle Craig came down from Boston for a visit and we all headed to the beach. The kids loved being at the beach. Both of them just ran into the water, dug in the sand and searched for shells and critters.



Sunday morning the kids gave Uncle Tom and Uncle Craig beautiful makeovers. They've never looked more dapper. It was a gorgeous morning so we headed out for a nature hike and then spent the afternoon at the beach again.



Monday morning arrived and it was time to pack up to head to Grandma and Grandpa's. We had a great time and both kids were sad to leave their cousins. It was wonderful to see them really playing together, using their great imaginations to save princesses, dress up Uncles and take care of pets. I can't wait until we all get together again to see what they come up with next.

Growing from fish to dolphins

That's what we call 'em now. Dolphins. Both Erin and Jeffrey are water obsessed this summer. They had lessons in June, and we hit the outdoor pool twice during the month, and the lake at least 3 times. Then this past week they had a mini swimming-camp. Really it was just 4 straight days of lessons.

Watching them, especially Erin, make huge strides in being comfortable in the water was so much fun. Erin progressed so far. In the beginning of June she was terrified to get her hair wet. We added some magic goggles (kind of like Dumbo's magic feather) and that made a lot of difference. She also had a great teacher in June who really helped her get over her fears of going under the water and getting her hair wet.

This past week she decided she was ready to try some new skills. There was a bigger boy in class who already could swim to the far end of the small pool and back. That was just what she needed. By the end of the 4th lesson Erin was "swimming" almost all the way across the pool, working on diving to the bottom to retrieve rings, and jumping into the deep end (10 ft. mark).

Jeffrey keeps progressing. He's working really hard on his freestyle stroke...we call it Ice Cream scoops. He's perfectly capable of jumping into the deep end of the pool and getting to the side all on his own. He has also been practicing his "pizza pulls" (kind of like a modified breast stroke) to get to the bottom of the pool and get dive sticks and rings.

We're getting ready for our trip to grandma and grandpa's next week. Since they have a pool we can show off all our new tricks. Until then here are a few videos to whet your appetite.

Thanks Robyn

Hi there....stealing Robyn's idea to brighten up the Blog. Hope you like it :)

30 Really Rough Minutes

I haven't had to deal with this for a while. At least not to this length. But today I was met with the mega-tantrum. A fit that lasted close to 20 minutes. What makes it even better? We were at an indoor pool. Just think about the echos. I'm pretty certain that people in Honolulu could hear the antics.

So this week we are doing a swim camp type of thing. The kids have 30 minute lessons Mon-Thurs. Jeffrey has been taking lessons since February, but only once a week. But July is busy, so I decided we'd do a condensed version. Yesterday was the first class with the new teacher. Jeff always tests the bounds with the new teacher (he's had 4 since February). He decided he was just going to do his own thing, and not really listen to the teacher. The guy got Jeff to do a few things, but really Jeff just wanted to play his "sit on the bottom of the pool" game. (Erin on the other hand went from being nervous getting her hair wet to jumping feet first into the deep end of the pool and paddling to the side on her own).

When we got to the pool today we had the usual talk...

"OK. Now you NEED to listen to your teacher. He's trying to show you some new things. I want you to listen to him and try them."

"OK mommy"

Now here is where mommy made the fatal mis-step. I let the kids get into the pool 5 minutes before class started. I explained to Jeff that he needed to stay ON the steps or at least within reach of the side of the pool. After two warnings about I told Jeff he needed to get out of the pool. I counted him down and that was when chaos erupted.

He threw his body stiff as aboard. I had to pull him out of the pool and sit him in the chair (getting myself pretty soaked in the process). He screamed as if I had just thrown his precious blankie on the fire. He continued to do this for 15 minutes. I explained to him that when he showed me he could calm down, I would let him get in the pool and join the lesson (which Erin was participating in).

"I WANT TO CALM DOWN" he continued to scream. Without calming down. I explained that he needed to SHOW me he was calm.

Once he realized that I wasn't giving in he starting with "YOU"RE NOT MY FRIEND" "NO ONE'S MY BUDDY"

And then the hitting started. At that point he was removed to the locker room, stripped of his swim suit (at which point he pulled my hair) and reclothed in his shirt/shorts.

He spent the next 10 minutes of Erin's lesson sulking (but at least not screaming) in a chair poolside. I cheered as Erin jumped again into the deep end, dove down to get a ring from the bottom of the pool, and swam about 20 feet only grabbing the teacher once. Remember in June she wouldn't get her hair wet.

So while I wanted desperately to hide. To become invisible. To make my loud, rude and unruly kid evaporate (at least until the fit was done) we both seemed to survive. I feel badly for all the other people trying to accomplish something within a 10 mile radius having to listen to "YOU"RE NOT MY FRIEND" continuously. Still I stood my ground. At the end of class his teacher came to him and said he hopes Jeff can join them tomorrow. And that he wouldn't put up with not listening either, just like mommy.

We'll just see what happens tomorrow.

Happy 4th!!!

We spent a fun 4th weekend here in the "ville. Daddy had work off on Friday so some friends of his (from work) came to visit for the afternoon. We hung out on the deck, went for a swim at the lake and even played on the Wii for a bit. It was just a good ole' relaxing day.

Friday night Noni, Grandpa, Uncle Jon and Oma arrived for the weekend. Since Noni was preaching at our church on Sunday they came for the 4th too. Saturday morning we all headed into over to Main Street for the annual 4th of July parade. Erin had been talking all week about hoping to see her friend Brandon there. I had intended to call his mom and try to make some plans to meet, but it just didn't happen. As fate would have it, as we drove into the parking lot, there were Brandon's parents pulling chairs out of the car. Erin was soooooo excited. She jumped out of the van and ran across the parking lot (once mommy held her hand) to give Brandon a proper tackle. For the rest of the morning they were inseparable.


The parade was great. The kids got their usual fill of candy thrown out of fire engines, from tractors and antique cars. They got to wave at Miss. Greene, and even Lil' Miss and Mr. Greene. They got little flags from a group of veterans, and Erin got a ruler with all the presidents pictured on it.


The rest of the afternoon we spent on the deck. The kids played PlayDough with Oma for hours. Noni, Grandpa, Daddy and I played some dominoes. Uncle Jon wandered from activity to activity (and fixed mommy's computer program). We had smoked chicken, pasta salad, corn on the cob and some potatoes from the smoker too.


Once it got dark we took a few sparklers out to the side lawn for some sparkler fun. Then we walked down to the lake for the annual "lake" fireworks show. As usual for a small community show, they did a great job. Unfortunately we got separated from Jeffrey and daddy (when Jeff needed an emergency potty break) and didn't get to watch the fireworks with them.

Sunday was rainy. We lunched at the local wing place after church. Then played some board games while the kids watched Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Before everyone headed home we celebrated Uncle Jon's birthday (2 days early).

It was a great weekend to see some family and special friends.

Butterflies, Roses and Shrimps

We spent Father's Day weekend in MD with Noni, Grandpa, Jon and Oma. Drove up on Friday night and back home Sunday afternoon. I'd wanted to do a bunch of outside things on Saturday morning but of course it rained. By mid-afternoon the sun made an appearance and we decided to go over to a local botanical garden to see the roses in bloom. They also have a butterfly house that we've visited a few times and the kids really enjoy.

Even since Jeffrey's bee sting he's been terrified by any kind of insect. There were lots of bugs at the garden...including plenty of bees. He tried to stay calm, but really didn't enjoy the roses. Erin loved going around and smelling all the different roses. They also had found all the fountains where they could splash in the water.



The 3 of us visited the butterfly house with Noni. The butterflies were super active. Erin wanted so badly for one to land on her. As usual, they went right for Noni. Erin would sit super still waiting for a special visitor or holding her hand near one on a rock. Jeffrey got a few visitors. One actually landed on his head (and amazingly he didn't freak out). Just as we were about to leave, Erin finally caught one on her shoe. Totally made her day.




After butterflies we drove over to Bethesda for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Grandpa loves their fish and chips and Tom and I were certainly willing to indulge in some seafood. They were super busy when we got there (at about 4:45 PM). We were seated outside near a little lake. It was the best place to sit. The kids could be a little loud, and eventually there was a band that set up just outside the restaurant. The atmosphere was really great. Tom and I both got steam pots that had crab and shrimp or clams, potatoes, corn and sausage. Really good. Jeffrey ordered a pizza and inhaled it, then ate 3 of Uncle Jon's fried shrimp and 3 of my steamed shrimp. I tried to convince him to order the kids shrimp plate to start, but he claimed he didn't like shrimp. Apparently he forgot.

As a great ending to the evening, Tom took the kids out to the band in front of the restaurant to dance. They had a great time. Then Grandpa drove them all home, while Tom, Jon and I walked around for a bit and caught a late showing of Angles and Demons.

Sunday morning, we had a nice breakfast together. The kids played in the back yard with Uncle Jon and daddy for a while. After a fun morning we had to get back to VA for a rehearsal later that night.