Michael's Summer Camp

Michael is in his third week of summer camp. He went to this camp part of the summer last year, he had a blast. We knew that even if I was still not working this summer, he could not miss out on this amazing camp. So, we started paying for it in December. And it is so worth it for him to have these four weeks of day camp (he could have done overnight, but he decided not to this year).

Click Here to see a news story about his camp--and if you look closely, you will see Michael a couple times!

Perfect Moment Monday

Perfect Moment Monday is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between. On the last Monday of each month we engage in mindfulness about something that is right with our world. Everyone is welcome to join. The next Perfect Moment Monday event will begin August 27. To participate in Perfect Moment Monday: Follow Write Mind Open Heart. Between the Sunday night before and the Sunday night after, write up your own Perfect Moment and post. Visit the Perfect Moments of others and let the writers know you were there with some comment currency.

Moment #1: He is rude/annoying and the argument that ensues and takes down three individuals (me, my son and my husband) ends with us all (including innocent little sister) home instead of enjoying the rest of the not-too-social-or-ice-creamy-social. We get home, I take my daughter in for some ice cream. My husband and son stay in the car. And talk it through. Tearfully, he comes in and we discuss the situation. Everyone takes their turn. We all find a fault in our sides--and we agree that a lot of the situation was miss-communication. He still has to deal with finding a correct way to handle adverse social situations. But the resulting discussion makes me realize that we are doing something right as parents, as a family--and he is learning and trying to understand how to work things through. Later, when it is all blown over--I make it a point to tell him I am sorry for my part of it. And he has some ice cream.

Moment #2: Moments before -- on a whim we see a neighborhood ice cream social and we drop by. It is not very big, there are not very many things to do, we kinda feel like we should just go ahead and leave. But there she is, finding things to do where there are none, enjoying the sun and the grass and the venue as only a whirlwind child can. I am amazed at how little things can mean so much to someone.



 

Memorable Moment Monday - Best Halloween Costume Ever!

Taking part in another PAIL Bloggers Memorable Moment Monday:

When Willow was two years old, I bought her an expensive Halloween Costume. It was a little too big for her that year. It fit her perfectly for the next year, but after that year I retired it, as the feet were getting worn down on the bottom.

 It was retired into her dress up clothes.

Every so often--in fact, just last week--she becomes a KANGAROO!

It always amazes me that it still fits (just barely).  

Perspective

Tonight Chewy and I finished watching a brilliant documentary.  What awful, awful times these survivors went through.  But they got through it.  People survive.  We adapt.  It is one of the most amazing things I think about humanity--how we can live, even thrive, from adversity and diversity.

Times are tough.  Life is not what I would like it to be right now. Life is not what a lot of people would like it to be right now.  It could be so much worse.

We have our health, we have our family and friends.

And I have my perspective.

Memorable Moment Monday

Taking part in another PAIL Bloggers Memorable Moment Monday:

The last few weekends we have been busy, busy, busy.  So, this weekend we took time to be closer to home and a little lazy.   Which meant we had time to take out the KIDDIE POOL!

This year I got a bigger pool, hoping to entice the Teen into the water (last year he seemed to feel left out as we had a smaller kiddie pool).  It took a LOOOONG time to fill up the pool.

Finally, it was ready!

Willow and I couldn't convince Michael to join us, but we had a blast anyways!

(And we were able to squirt him a couple times too...)

Breakfast Time

One of the things we can enjoy while I am out of work....enjoying the occasional Breakfast Out.  It is nice because we don't have to rush about or go anywhere.

So, today after dropping off Michael at camp--Willow and I enjoyed each others company at one of our favorite breakfast places.  

Coloring while waiting for breakfast (Strawberry milk to drink).

Sure, I love bacon--I will have that last piece of yours!

Why yes, my fingers get really really sticky dipping french toast sticks!  But you know what--I need more syrup!

Mini-Vacation - Cape Cod

It was interesting to have such a short time in which to do all the things we like to do on Cape.  Yet, we did indeed have a lot of experiences and enjoyed ourselves.

We enjoyed several beaches in a lot of different phases--at sunset, early in the morning, high tide, low tide, in our swimsuits and warm water in Cape Cod Bay, in our clothes in the cold surf of the Ocean watching seals bopping up to the surface.

We played mini-golf (twice at the same place), arcade games, got tickets and got Willow a stuffed animal, ate pizza (twice at the mini-golf place) and rode 50 cent rides.

We went to the drive-in movie to watch a mediocre movie (the new Spider-Man).  We ate out and had lobster and corn on the cob and chowder, ice cream and salad with WONDERFUL dressings.

We swam in the pool at the motel, we played board games and watched television while in the hotel bed, had snacks that normally we wouldn't have (yum, mint oreo cookies and M&Ms!)

It was short.  It was needed.  We took it for all it was worth!  (And boy, were we tired when we got home!)

Watching the seals bopping around at Nauset Light Beach.  (Yeah, I did not take pictures of them--I already have tons of pics from previous times--this time, I just watched them).

Mommy caught a crab with her bare hands!  (I was so proud!)  We all caught a lot of hermit crabs, but I caught this one!  (all were released)

Once she got her floaties and vest on--this girl wanted to just go into the deep end!!  (Mom is right out of shot there--Michael is putting on his snorkel in the background).

While the seals bopped around--so did Willow (it started out as only getting feet wet--yeah, well, she was soaked by the end, which was fine, it was the end of the day and we were not far from the hotel).

M&M pancakes and blueberries--which she was playing with and not eating.

Went here twice, cuz we love our ice cream!

Kinda nonsense video at a restaurant, where you can see the Ocean, Michael's silhouette, hear Willow in the background and Chewy complementing our waitress.

Michael on the beach in Provincetown.  Being very much like his father when he was that age.

First night, sunset at low tide.

Willow being herself.

Yummy yummy pizza!

Mini-golf expert--she moves the ball close to the hole--and it is a "hole in one".

Tall enough that he probably needs a longer golf club!

Memorable Moment Monday - Independence

Taking part of another PAIL Bloggers Memorable Moment Monday:

July 4th, 2012

Willow is becoming more and more independent.  It is such a wonder to watch her figure out the world around her and where she fits in.  She has opinions, she sings songs when she is happy, and she loves to occasionally surprise me with the insightful thoughts that only a four year old has.

And then we have the Teen: 

July 8, 2012

Michael is so much a teenager sometimes it is hard to reconcile his sometimes childish streaks with the mature ones....although I think I just defined what a teenager is right there!  Here he is hanging out at the beach while his sister caught hermit crabs (although he did later help set up a hermit crab race).

Fourth of July Daring Do...

Went for our annual trip to Canobie Lake today.  The most fun was watching Willow (and Michael) try NEW rides (well, for them).  

Since I have gotten older, I seem to be more motion sick than not, and so you won't see me on a lot of rides--but to see the kids actually trying some--well, that was awesome!

Don't get me wrong--I did indeed do some bumper car bumping--and I got totally totally wet at the water park...just you won't find ME on this type of ride:

Um..not sure if Willow totally enjoyed this one, but her brother was there (he rode it twice) and she was fine afterwards!

Willow also tried this bigger kid kiddie ride:

She said it went a "little too high" for her.

The only ride she wasn't "ever ever going to go on ever again" was the Haunted Mine Ride--too scary, she said.

Then it was on to the water park part of the amusement park.  Last year, I was barely able to get her to get near the sprinkler parts.  This year--she not only tried the kiddie water slide; she tried the intermediate twisty-covered water slide.  (I wish I could have gotten photos/video of that--but I was busy running around and getting wet trying to catch up to her).**

I totally admire that my kids tried the rides out and had a great time.

**Willow decided giving me a heart attack would be nice and she ran off--she was scolded for NOT listening to me when I told her to stay near me.  She ran off, I couldn't find her, I ran about getting more wet, getting blasted by people with water guns...(this is why I don't like being the only adult who will do the water park)...luckily the rest of our party finally came in and helped look and within 2 secs found her (While I was up in the middle of the water structure getting soaked by jerks with water guns).  Yeah, we laugh now--I am thinking of ways to make sure next time I drag another adult in with me!

Memorable Moment Monday

I know it is Tuesday, but I wanted to add my photo to PAIL Bloggers Memorable Moment Monday.

This is Michael and Willow at Hampton Beach on Friday.  It was the first time Willow had went to the beach this season and it was the first time I had ever taken both kids to the beach with no other adults.

Michael and I tried to assemble a sun tent...gave up.  We had one beach chair (the other chair is sitting on our lawn near the swings), so we used a blanket.  Willow promptly shoveled sand everywhere, including onto our snacks.  Michael wandered off as a teenager does.  Willow shrieked with wonder at the waves.

Yup, we had fun.  

Necessary

Sometimes, when money is tight, it is so hard to decide what things are necessary. I mean that there are, of course, ways to cut costs and there are things that one can do to save money.

But there are those intangible things that come up that make you really question what you are cutting.

It became apparent a few weeks ago that both Chewy and I are burning ourselves out. We need a vacation. We need to enjoy the summer and the kids and we need to relax and forget our troubles for a bit.

We are going to go to Cape Cod for a long weekend at the end of this week. Logistically, it works well with the Fourth of July and Chewy's Birthday.

We struggled in deciding to even do this mini-vacation. Do we dare spend money for some frivolousness?

In the end, we realized that sometimes there is a need that you just have to spend the money for.




(and it doesn't hurt to use Pr.i.ce L.in.e)

Birthday Cake...

Usually we buy our Birthday cakes (either from the bakery or from the grocery store). 

But this year, I decided that since Willow is very much into helping me cook, etc. that daddy might like us to bake him a cake this year.  

Chewy's birthday is July 5th--but our friend John's birthday is July 1st, so we baked the cake a little early so we could celebrate both birthdays.

Willow enjoyed making the cake (and licking the mixing bowl); Michael liked helping put the frosting on and putting on the candy letters.

We all liked eating it!  (Chewy picked out the flavor--devils food with butter cream icing)

Pictures (in no particular order):