Adventure Chronicles: Mid Week Fishin' Fun

Matt called me around 4:00 yesterday, saying he was leaving work.  this is early for him, but I guess it wa prom night at the school he's working on, so it was best just to get outta town.  He wanted us to go somewhere, but he was being kind of vague out his plans.  Turns out it was a great plan, how can one argue with this:

He went home and packed up a dinner for all of us, and then took the kids fishing at a local conservation area.  I joined them as soon as I got home and enjoyed a few (tall?) tales about what they had caught before breaking for dinner.

The great thing about this fishing hole is that the fish are plentiful and easy to catch.  I guess Roddie actually did catch a bass of some sort that was a good size, though the majority of the kits were small bluefish called sunnies.

Both Rod and Norah seemed pretty into the whole enterprise, no doubt supported by actually catching fish! It was field day at Norah's school, so she's got a kitty-cat face paint job on, which I think really enhanced the whole fishing experience.

We made it back home before dark and before anyone had a meltdown, though we were cutting it close. It's been a long time since we've felt like we've been living life and not a slave to the house in one way or another.  I joke that we have PTSD from the whole experience, which isn't that far from the truth.  It feels like this spring, we're finally getting back to normal... with 2 kids and 2 working parents, normal is busy enough, but it includes things like fishing (on his own and with the kids) more already this year than in the past couple combined, and we're gearing up for a fun summer!

Foto Friday

Roddie Report: Boys will be Boys

I was dropping Roddie off the other day, and his little friend Dominic greeted us as we came in. He said, "Hi Roddie, Alex is here, he's sitting by my butt" After a split second pause, they both started giggling hysterically, presumably over the use of "Butt"

Boys.

Norah News: Girls Like Me

Over the weekend, the kids and I were out on a bike ride. Norah was chatting away, and she says "Mom, only boys get boo-boos and bruises on their legs from playing, not girls." "Oh", I said, thoughtfully, and before I had the change to say another word, she continued, " Except girls like me, we have lots of boo-boo's" I smiled to myself and thought, "You go girl!" I'm always telling the kids that bumps and scrapes on their legs in the summer time just means they are having fun. I'm glad she's "that kind" of girl!

The kind that falls off her bike into a mud puddle (true story, a half dozen kids riding thru a puddle over and over again), gets splatted in the fact and all over her dress (of course, she was wearing a dress, nicely accessorized with pearls and matching bracelets) and keeps on riding. When I asked if she was hurt she replied, "I stubbed my toe!". Seeing that she could not have actually been hurt, I offered to take her inside and clean her up. She came back with "No, I want to keep riding with my friends", so I wiped her face off with the hem of her dress and sent her on her way. Matt hosed down her, her bike and at least one other kid/bike combo before all was said and done.

Norah News: 2 wheeling like a pro!

Roddie Report: This is why we wear bike helmets!

2014 Apple Blossom Festival

I woke up around 6:00 am on Saturday morning to the pouring, driving rain.  The first thing that popped into my mind was "oh crap!"  Normally a morning like that would be perfect to sleep late, snuggle with the kids and drink coffee with a book.  However, this day we had big plans that included a parade, a soccer game and, oh.. about 30 people coming to our house for a party!  Thankfully, the sun came out moments before the parade started and it turned out to be a beautiful day!  Best of all, for us party planners, the game was rescheduled because the fields were wet!

Our town's annual festival happens in May, to celebrate the blossoming of apple trees, apparently.  I guess there are a lot of orchards in town and probably there used to be a lot more, so I suppose it makes sense. The festival consists of a fair, a parade, which seemingly every kid in town marches in, and of course, the crowning of the apple blossom queen.  Norah, thought, for a short while on Friday, that she was in the running for queen, but didn't see too upset when she realized it was a high school girl.

Each year since we've moved here, we've gone to the parade with our friend Megan, who used to live across the street.  In fact Megan has lived on our street for most of her life, and is a true townie.  Well this year, thanks to Kindergarten, Sunday School and the neighborhood, I knew more people at and in the parade than Megan did... we could be on our way to becoming townies :)

The town soccer kids (and baseball kids, and lacrosse kids, and hockey kids) all march in the parade, and toss candies to the (few?) kids who aren't marching.  Norah was really into it!

Turned out every family showed up for the party!  All of our usual suspects, who have been coming to these get togethers since the big kids were toddlers, plus two additional families who have moved in over the past year or so, both with daughters in Norah's class.   It was the first time we've had the friends from the hood over since the house was done, so it was also our chance to show everyone the house.   Last year, we got a cool picture of all the kids this time of year, so I wanted to try to make it an annual thing.  I wasn't able to get them to line up (halloooo 17 kids line up in front of a swingset??  What was I thinking)  Anyway, they're not lined up, but the picture turned out pretty cool!

(L-R) there's Evie (5), Lauren (5), Allie (almost 5), Connor (5), Cameron (just 5 this week!), Delaney (6), Norah (6), Kayla (6), Kaila (6), Roddie (soon to be 4), Leilani (6), Cameron (7), Connor (7) and Courtney (almost 2).  Missing Genevieve & Sarah (almost 2) who were about at their limit by photo time!

Foto Friday

Foto Finish Friday

Easter Update: Special Visitors!

We had some special visitors over Easter this year.  My niece Hartleigh came to town!  My sister Susan and BIL Joseph-Michael came also, but you'd never know it from the pictures.  The cousins don't get to see each other very often, something we hope to rectify, but you'd never know it!  Hartleigh walked in the door and said, "Where's Norah?"  Followed quickly by "Where's your toys?"  And they were off!  We had a great visit, despite the fact that my plan to take some time off from work didn't quite come to fruition, and both JM and Hartleigh ended up sick.  Hartleigh and Norah are fancy kindred spirits and it didn't take long before all the sequins and flounce outfits were out!

Fancy friends!

Eventually, like around 10p, we tried to get them to calm down, and start getting ready for bed... thinking a kid show might do the trick

Fast friends, hiding from the camera

We generally go to Matt's family's for Easter, mainly because it's relatively closer and we get to see a lot of relatives (including cousin chaos!) all at once.  Well, cousin chaos came to our house this year, as well as some other Matt family traditions such as egg painting, kielbasa fetched from afar and lamb butter.

Sunday, we went to mass after the Easter Bunny loot was processed.  I really liked going to our own church on a special holiday for a change.  The kids cleaned up nicely and actually posed for a couple of pictures for me.

Hi Nanny!  Looking their Easter best!

Awww....

Showing their true, silly selves!

My family on the steps of our "new"house!

My angel munchkins!

or not... :)

We had an egg hunt with the neighbors on Sunday afternoon.  Poor Hartleigh wasn't up to it but the kids were great about sharing their haul with her... really, they did!

Erin, Allie, Norah and Roddie - pre hunt

Processing their loot!

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

Foto Finish Friday

Sad News, but Lovely Ladies

On a sad note that I'll write about more later, my grandmother, Nanny Dot, passed away on the Saturday of Easter weekend.  While her death was not unexpected, it was still very sad.  However, as is often the case with elderly deaths, the coming together to mourn her loss really became more of a celebration of her life.  One of the bright spots, that I'm sure she's smiling about, was that I got to spend some time with my two sisters.  I had just spent the weekend with Susan and her family, and Erin had some big news (BABY!!) to share and I really enjoyed spending time with them away from our everyday lives.  Reminds me of sister weekends we used to do back before life got too busy.  Of course, sleeping in your childhood room in your childhood home with your sister has a way of bringing up memories, but all in all, they were good ones.   We had some good laughs for Nanny Dot, even as we mourned her passing.  

Me with the two lovely ladies otherwise known as my sisters

Norah News: Six Year Old Soccer!

Last night, I took Norah to soccer practice.  What a difference a year makes!  She was having so much fun, and I could not believe how into the game she was!  Last year, she was the kid who was doing pirouettes in the goal and picking dandelions while the game proceeded all around here.  But this year, maybe she’s older, maybe she’s more experienced, but she was totally into it.  After the spring season, I had kind of concluded that soccer just wasn’t her thing – no biggie.  When the fall season came around, she didn’t bring it up, so we let it ride.  When her friends started talking about it and still not a glimmer of interest from her, I figured her soccer days were done for the time being.

But then spring rolled around and a seemingly endless stream of sports fliers started coming home in her backpack – t-ball, lacrosse, basketball, football/cheer, and of course, soccer.  Each time, we discussed her level of interest along with general encouragement to try new things, but nothing seemed to catch her attention. (admittedly, I never offered up cheer!!)  Then, one day, shortly before the deadline, out of the blue she says, “I want to try soccer again”  So we sign her up again, get the right size of (unisex colored this time) cleats and wait for the snow to melt and the season to start.  She was off to a slow start, with bum weather and bad scheduling luck (the first few games coincided with her last few dace classes)  but next thing I hear, she’s scoring goals and knocking over other kids!  

Playing a game of "Clean your Room"

Looking every bit at home on the field...

Who IS this girl?  Kicking the ball all the way to the car!

Foto Finish Friday