local adventures

Ana got out of school on the 13th. She loved school and loved her friends.



I can't believe I have a first grader! And a reader! She is getting so big.


Since then we have been soaking up the beautiful weather and doing lots of fun stuff. Have a mentioned that I love Summer? And that I love Vermont in the summer?


Moss Glen Falls:




The Beach!


Soccer:


Indian Brook Reservoir:



Not pictured: the local farmer's market, family bike rides and gardening. And many more adventures to come.

just barely

Katie and Zach (the baby of some friends who I babysit a few days a week now) at the park. Zach is 5 months younger than Katie.

About a year ago I heard a new twist on a familiar adage. "If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well just barely." Meaning that there are lots of "worth doing" things that we do not have the time or energy to do as well as we would like, but that doesn't mean we should drop them altogether. I've thought a lot about that the last few weeks.

That is where I am at right now. My life is pretty full of things getting done just barely. All weekend I fetched Dave clean underwear out of the dryer because I just barely got them washed and dried, but didn't get around to folding them and putting them away. Basic housework is barely getting done. My family is fed, but we've been eating a lot more french toast or grilled cheese for dinner than before. And sleep. Oh, boy, am I running on a lot less sleep than I ever thought possible.

A few days ago I had a friend watch the kids while I went to a (routine) doctor's appointment. My doc is located close to the school and when I got finished around the same time Dave was scheduled to finish up a test, so I waited around for him. I sat in my quiet car for about 45 minutes and read a book. I think it was the first alone time I had had in weeks. It felt so good. Unless you count the handful of times I stayed up later than Dave doing nothing but sitting in silence. I've done that too.

I've also had a lot of those "time freeze" moments lately when I look around I realize that I am the Mom here. Mostly that thought fills me with gratitude that I have such wonderful kids. Sometimes, though, I can't believe it - like I feel different than I thought I would. That I don't really know what I'm doing but am just bumbling through things. I don't really have it all together like I thought I would.

But I keep doing things - dishes, laundry, play with the kids, scripture study, showering - because those things are worth doing - even if just barely.

a poem

My children's actions inspired an impromptu poem from me today:

Do we draw on tables?
Do we draw on walls?
Do we draw on the floor?
Do we draw on balls?

Do we draw on toys?
Do we draw on beds?
Do we draw on faces?
Do we draw on heads?

Do we draw on paper?
Yes, that is where we draw!
We draw on paper,
or we don't draw at all.

(Please, do not copy my work. I know this poem will be cherished for generations. Be sure to give me credit for it!)

to my dad, on father's day

Every so often a big C-130 flies over our house here. It makes me think of my Dad. I always watch it and point it out to the kids and say, "That is what Gramps used to fly." Then I try to imagine him in his younger days dressed in his flight suit and dropping tanks out of the sky.

A few weeks ago was a repeat of the Hope of America program that Ana did last year. Once again, the band played the songs from each branch of the military and I imagined my Dad standing up at the line, "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder."

I have always been proud of my Dad. He is smart. He is faithful and faith-full. He is funny. I remember him being "tickle monster" when we were little and hiding our bowls of cereal when we weren't looking as we got older. He has also managed to convince each of his 8 daughters that they are his favorite. (Though I really AM his favorite.)

I remember driving in the car with my Dad once and asking him what is favorite scripture was and he said 2 Kings 6:16. I had never heard that story before and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. I have always loved talking about the scriptures with him.

He loves me. He has blessed and taught me. He even sometimes rescues me. And I feel so lucky to have such an amazing Dad.

Happy Father's Day!

'tis the season ...

...for popsicles,



laundry on the line,


and a garden growing.
Ana has two more days of school and then summer will be in full swing. Plans include: a trip to NYC, camping in Maine, and of course, eating lots of Popsicle.

happy happy birthday jacky boy

My sweet little boy is 4! He's been 4 in my mind for a while, so it isn't that surprising, though I loved his little 3 year old self so much, I'm a little sad to see it go.

He got to have a few friends over for cake and ice cream yesterday.









4 things I love about this little boy:

1. He loves to make paper crafts. For a while it was coloring and cutting out pictures and then taping them to the window. Then it was making valentines. Lately he's into making paper snowflakes and writing letters to grandparents.

2. He is super into being a boy. He likes to play with "boy" toys and play with boys and do boy things with dad. Sometimes I will suggest things and he'll respond, "no, that's too girlish." Yet he still wants me to paint his toenails (blue!) and he loves flowers.

3. He often picks me flowers and draws me pictures and is frequently found to say out of the blue, "I love you, Mom."

4. He is very grateful. He says "thank you" after a good meal and this morning he said, "thanks for the new soccer ball, mom. I love it!"

He is such a sweet little guy. I am wrapped around his finger.

lessons of my twenty-eighth year

*I grew up in a bubble. Not that I was sheltered, per se, but somehow my personality created a bubble of oblivion around me. I was blissfully unaware and content with the world. I saw everything in black and white. There was right and wrong. Good and evil. Virtue and vice. And not much in between.

My 28th year taught me that there is a lot of gray area. There is middle ground. Answers to problems are complicated. Good people do wrong things. What is right for me might not be right for everyone. This is an uncomfortable realization and I'm not quite comfortable with it yet. But it makes me more compassionate, and that is a good thing.

----------

*Last August I had a baby. It was an absolutely wonderful, empowering experience. I was able to stay calm and breath through the pain, and just when I thought I couldn't go any longer, I had a baby. And I said to Dave, "I did it! I did it!"

My 28th year taught me that I can be calm. That even though it isn't my nature, I can be the eye of the storm around me. And I learned that I can do amazing, powerful, hard things.

----------

*When February and March hit with their unceasing clouds and mix of rain and snow, I sunk low. I cried a lot. I fretted and stewed. I paced my house and saw all my imperfections. I talked to friends who experienced similar things, and that helped. Then the sun came out and I was lifted even further. And I feel much better now.

My 28th year taught me that it is okay when I feel down in the winter, that it happens every year and that it will probably happen next year and that is okay. I will get through it, and when the sun comes out and the trees turn green I will feel better.

-----------

*At the bottom of my low time I turned to anything I could think of to help. One lonely night I purchased "The Sound of Music" soundtrack. The moment the music started, my soul was lifted. "My heart will be blessed with the sound of music and I'll sing once more" resonated with me in a way I haven't felt in a long time. I laughed listening to "she climbs a tree and scrapes her knee, her dress has got a tear" because it reminded me so much of a certain daughter of mine. Then I heard "despite what you see I have confidence in me" and I felt like I could do anything. For the next few weeks I listened to it and any other uplifting music voraciously and started to sing to my children more often.

My 28th year taught me not to forget the power of good, uplifting music to calm and heal a troubled soul.




Today I am 28. Perhaps I really am "one year older and wiser too." My 29th year so far as been wonderful. I have a loving, affectionate husband, mostly sweet, happy children and the blessing of being able to stay home with them all. I have my health, great friends and I got to eat my favorite cake. Life is so wonderful!

spring summary

My family rocks. Since the sun finally came out from behind the never ending gray of the northeast winter, we have been soaking it up. And that sunshine has shed some light on the fact that my children are cool and hilarious and fun and awesome!

Katie is happy and delightful. Jack is silly and loving. And Ana is so stinking big! When did she stop being little, by the way? Dave put together this recap video of the last couple months. (Watch to the end, because Ana has a big announcement...)



My oldest child has got some serious moves, am I right?

here

Here is my baby:


Here is my baby crawling on our sidewalk while my boy roller skates:



Here is my boy being silly:


Here is my older girl striking a pose:


Here are all my children playing outside on a glorious north-east evening:





Here is happiness.

bingham falls

Saturday was a beautiful day. It was everything that I love about Vermont summers. It was warm and green and sunny and not too humid. Dave had the day off, so in between Ana's soccer practice and an afternoon cookout with some friends, we headed up to the beautiful Bingham Falls, which is about an hour from here. The hike down to the falls was nice, even though it was a bit treacherous at near the end. It was fun to let the kids play in the water, and there was even a small little sandy area near the bank.





Ana was very set on getting in the water. It was cold, but she didn't care. By the way, when did she get so tall and thin and long-legged? She's such a big kid to me lately.



Eating our lunch on the rocks. Jack was nervous about the water, especially after Dave slipped and brought both kids down with him on the trail. But after a few minutes of throwing rocks in the river, he gained quite a bit of confidence. Although he wasn't interested in getting in the water.


Katie was a bit grumpy due to cutting her top two teeth, but even she enjoyed the "beach."


I was a bit overcome by the beauty of the place. It was so green and serene and peaceful. I'll miss these "green mountains."