Monday, June 30, 2008

Rainbow Connection

We had a beautiful rainbow last night. Here is the view from our front porch. It was so bright! Sam wanted to go find the pot of gold because it looked like it was in our neighbor's backyard. I think I need a new camera because this photo does not do the rainbow justice. I have had the song "Rainbow Connection"- the one sung by Kermit the Frog running through my head all day.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Fuddy Duddy

I have officially become my father. My dad always hated sleepovers, now I know why. I am not fun, although I hid it well for Pete's sake on sleepover night. I smiled on the outside, but oh on the inside it was "black guts and stuff". I officially earn the title as the "lameoid parent". I did receive some great advice about limiting the size of the party etc. but it was too little, too late.

I'm sorry for not responding to calls or e-mails, I was in a trance-like state yesterday; just trying to survive. The last kid to go to bed was at 4:45am, and yes, it was the non-cute one. He even was trying to keep the other ones up by every five minutes asking..."Hey Colin, are you awake?!". If I had a voodoo doll of that child.....

I dragged my sorry self to bed for two hours of sleep. I did sneak a nap in for an hour as well yesterday but, oh man, I AM OLD!!! How did we do that as kids? Why did we want to do that as kids? I must say this has been quite a learning experience and I know the next time they want to do something like laser tag, I am just going to cough up the money and consider it well spent (mental health protection).


ps- This is my 100th post.
Yeah, me! Do I get a prize for that (ie. an all expense paid trip to a sensory deprivation chamber for 48 hours)?

Friday, June 27, 2008

Serious Miscalculation

Ok. So I'm kind of rethinking this whole sleepover idea and it's now a little too late. What was I thinking having a troupe of boys over for the whole night? I know what I was thinking; it's cheap. Ah, caught by the cheap lure again. I should have just shelled out for the laser tag and been done with it. It's 12:30 and they are all going strong... all of them! The good thing is they are all really sweet and cute except for one. You know the one, there's always one. The one who tells you what's about to happen in the movie every time. The one who talks a little too loud. The one who checks around the corner to see if I'm watching ("that's right kid... I've got my eyes on you" *imagine me gesturing with my two fingers at my eyeballs then pointing them to him*). This is the one who will stay up all night too I'm sure. I think that non-cute kid was probably me when I was young..... I guess a little empathy would be in order. That or tough love, he doesn't want to wind up like me. Oh well.

I have picked up lots of juicy information though. I now know who everyone likes in fifth grade and as they say, knowledge is power. I wonder how much it's worth to these kids for me to keep quiet. It's just mostly sleepless babble....mostly. ;) Here's Pete blowing out the candles....


Here they are singing "What's your girlfriend's first name?". Then they really answer the question!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

No more school work, No more books......

It's been a flurry of activity with Pete's birthday this week and school wrapping up. Did you know they now have graduation ceremonies for fifth graders? When did that become an accomplishment worth so much pomp and circumstance? There were two different memos that must have gone out as well. All the girls were dressed to the nines and all the boys were in their soccer jerseys, umbros, and crocs (Pete included- the memo just said a small "moving up" ceremony... I had no idea to dress him up!). There was one boy in a tie... there's always one kid. I've been rushing from event to event this week. Sam finished school yesterday and Pete and Matt had a half day today.... HOORAY! We're officially in summer now! Pete is celebrating with a sleepover in observance of his birthday. I've never done one of these before so wish me luck! Here's a picture of "the bigs" after the big day.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Soccer Slop

It's been a wet muddy mess here. Bad for soccer, great for growing grass! I think the kids on Pete's soccer team enjoyed playing in the mud more than the game!

Friday, June 13, 2008

June Book Club Selection- Woodswoman

I'm hosting book club this month at my house and my house is not even close to being ready. UGH. The book was also a bit of an UGH; it was Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille. The last few selections of bookclub have not quite tickled my fancy (what is a fancy anyway? Now that I look at it written out, it seems a bit perverse!). I hope we do a juicy piece of fiction next, even though I really enjoy nonfiction.

In Woodswoman, Anne LaBastille has bought a piece of land in the Adirondack wilderness after a divorce and is determined to live on her own in the wild. This includes making her own log cabin, chopping her own wood, and navigating through all the trials that come with living so close to nature. I really like her passion for her surroundings and like her depictions of some encounters with wild animals and some wild humans as well. The two chapters most interesting to me is how she met her now former husband. The writing style changed, was more interesting and a little more magical, and made me want to know about their relationship and what went wrong (that is never answered). As I would near the end of a chapter I would hope the upcoming chapter would be a flashback to when she was first introduced to the Adirondacks (and her former husband).


Some of the chapters are torture to read and her foreshadowing is really clumsy. I remember a chapter in particular about her friends; the trees. I really have no problem with people so in tune with their surroundings to love the particular aspects of all the flora and fauna, but when a whole chapter is dedicated to the trees and how she can hug white pines for at least 15 minutes, it gets a little old. She also went on to explain that trees emit different sounds to the universe and that the different species of trees make different sounds. This may be true, (having five kids I can hardly hear my own thoughts not to mention trying to tune into the trees), however, I still don't need to read a whole chapter about it. She also included a few chapters about her then current beau. I hated those chapters and even though there seemed to be nothing wrong with the guy, there was no spark or anything even interesting about him. It seemed as if she was dating him because there was no other decent man around, not because there was any long lasting chemistry between the two of them. And then there was her preachy tone.... sometimes she would write as if her way of life is the only way to live. I really admire the heck out of her for living with such slight impact on this world environmentally but I think that is easier to do in her situation. If she had a child, it would have been impossible to take the child by boat somewhere if there was an emergency. If she had to make a living other than consulting and writing, it would be impossible to not live in an area more dependent on our natural resources. I felt like I was silently apologizing to her during chapters where I was being chided for making the choices I have made.

I feel strongly about protecting our environment and applaud her stand that she took to do so. However, I'm struck with the feeling that she initially dropped out of this world in order to escape life and her divorce more than anything and although she was always very environmentally conscious, the conservation movement evolved over time. If you are really into the environment and want to get a glimpse into a life more removed from this world, read this book. Otherwise, you might want to save your gas money to the library. I'm not sure what our book selection is for next month, I'll post it when I know.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Bubble Fun

Yesterday was a crazy day which included soccer games in the morning, Pete's soccer practice in the afternoon, followed immediately by a birthday party for a family friend. From the party we went to Lowe's to return a light fixture, pick up a real estate sign and lock box in a neighboring town, and swing by the grocery store nearby. (I'm trying to pack my trips in to save on gas!). By the end of the day, the kids were tired, hungry and in desperate need of a bath. Upon walking in the door, I was driven and determined to get them fed as quickly as possible, in the tub, and in bed.

While getting dinner ready I noticed some activity on the back porch. The kids were playing with their party favor bubbles and having lots of fun. I love it when the kids play nicely together....


They were even doing little experiments....



Needless to say, dinner was delayed, their "bath" was a good scrubbing and wipe down, and they went to bed later than I wanted, but it was worth it.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Soccer Saturdays

Every Saturday during the months of May and June Matt and Sam have soccer games. I have been lamenting the fact that I haven't brought my camera to the games (or to any event for that matter). It seems the only photos recently have been of my sick children, now deceased birds, or I just steal pictures from my sister. Today, I felt quite triumphant that I brought my camera although I accidentally left it in the car and had to go back and get it. As I was taking some pictures, I remember why I don't bring my camera (to soccer games at least); unless I camp out with my camera ready the whole time, it's almost impossible to get a good shot.

Today at the soccer fields was picture day where professional photographers come and take a team picture and try to sell you an individual package. I don't know if it's the same in every region, but the package names here are ridiculous. The largest and most expensive package is called "MVP", then there is the "All-Star", the "Sport" and it goes on like this down to the smallest package which is called the "Bench Warmer" (!). It might just be me, but I think that's a bit obnoxious to insinuate that if you do not buy an overpriced photo package that your child is only worthy of warming the bench. I know, I know.... I'm reading too much into it. I decided this year to save my money and take my own photos to commemorate this season of soccer. Here's Sammy...


Here's Matt (he would not give me a real smile so this is what I got)....


Here's Matt and Sam....


And here's Allie for good measure (Tom and Pete opted to stay with Lola today).....



Then the games started. First was Sammy's game (he's #12 on black team in blue shorts).....


Next was Matt's game (he's #7 on maroon team in blue shorts and blue socks).....


Matt and Sam did great and both scored a handful of goals. More importantly though, they all got to eat popsicles. Here's Allie showing off her favorite part of the game. =)

Friday, June 6, 2008

Weekend Wrap-Up

I know it's a little belated, but I drove to Massachusetts this past weekend to visit my sister Beth. Sarah (Beth's baby) was born April 23rd and I hadn't seen her yet. Plus my parents were coming into town to see the baby, plus it was Beth's birthday on Sunday. For all those reasons combined, I decided it was time for a visit. I was originally going to bring Allie and Tom but that was in question due to the fact that they were both sick the week before. Thankfully, they have been doing great since their bout with the barfs and so the trip went as planned. What I didn't plan was that I would be putting together two contracts the morning of my departure. That always seems to happen; I can never leave town without some sort of real estate transaction nipping at my heels. Come to think of it, I should leave town more often.

Anywho, just as I was about to walk out the door, Sam, Pete, and Matt decided they also wanted to go and begged to come. So in a blink of an eye, our trip was altered once again to accommodate the extra stragglers. Bobby could not go because I was driving back on Monday and he could not miss the work. I was a little worried about driving out with all the kids and no wingman but Pete stepped up and helped out a lot! The visit was great... the kids all traveled well over and back, no one got sick, Beth wasn't mad that I showed up with three extra people to lodge, and the kids got to meet their new cousin, play with their not-so-new cousins, and see their grandparents again. I could definitely do that length road trip with the kids again.

As usual, I forgot to bring my camera. Ugh. I keep doing that. I haven't taken pictures at any soccer games this year, any of the end of the school year concerts, etc. I just rush out the door empty handed. I have to get better at that. Oh well. I stole this picture of Sarah from Beth's blog (is that illegal?) just so you could see how cute she is. She is teeny and so so cute. I don't think I heard her cry once, and get this.... she sleeps through the night! My kids did not sleep through the night until they were at least 14 months old!!! We'd probably have had more kids if they weren't such awful sleepers. Well...maybe not.

Anyway, thanks Beth for accommodating our craziness and letting us meet your precious baby. It was fun.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

In Memoriam

Our household was thrown into a little chaos last night when Matt discovered a struggling baby bird in our yard. The bird had a problem with his wing and didn't look too good when we brought it to the porch and set it into a makeshift nest. My friend Kristina identified him (her) as a white breasted nuthatch. It was a cute little thing and seemed to perk up after a bit of time in the nest. It even started drinking water and making little birdy messes. We thought it would be ok overnight (we were hoping to take it to a bird sanctuary and rehab center today) but when we checked on it this morning, it was dead. Matt was devastated (he was even upset last night because the bird was an orphan). We had to have a little quick birdy funeral this morning for closure. We didn't even have a chance to name him, but we hope he's flying high in birdy heaven.