Which way did she go? Which way did she go?

Things have been busy, you could say.

The last few years I have not felt the need to keep a schedule book handy at all times. I've been able to keep tabs on our schedules by sporadically writing things down on a wall calendar in the kitchen, but mainly just keeping track of who needs to be where -- and when-- in my head. I've kept the few numbers I've needed handy in my cell phone. And although I've been caught unawares by a phone call or two reminding me of a dentist appointment that I'd completely forgotten to write down when it was scheduled six months prior, on the whole been I've able to get by just fine.

Now? Not so much.

The two older girls are involved in two extracurricular activities this fall (gymnastics and swimming for A and art class and swimming for R). Not too hectic, you might say, but I am also dropping off and picking up A from preschool four days a week, doing a childcare swap on alternating Thursdays with a friend, and my in-laws are taking the girl at various times to spend some quality time with them individually. To help R with some social issues (real or imagined) that seem to be bothering her (she can be painfully shy and feels like she has no friends right now) I am also working on scheduling semi-regular play dates with a few choice classmates in the hopes of nudging along a friendship or two. And A refuses to be left in the dust - she's the social butterfly of the family with a social calendar to match!

Oh yeah, and I've decided to spend Tuesday mornings at R's school volunteering in the library and as needed in her classroom. It's a worthwhile investment of my time as I like to be aware of what is happening at school, and recent budget cuts have reduced the support in the library and classrooms to nil or almost nil. Luckily, R is still of an age where parental visits to the classroom are encouraged (by her and by her teacher). I'm sure there will come a time when mom's arrival at school will be a complete embarrassment so I'm getting my time in while I still can!

And then there are the evening meetings - preschool board meetings (not very often, but still can't forget!), book club (a monthly "me time" that I hate to miss), school events like curriculum night and the welcome back picnic that happened last night (the kids had a ball!), helping with fund raisers like bake sales, and so on and so forth.

To add to the mix, there is also church, choir practice for the girls, teaching Sunday school (luckily I just have to show up and teach - the lesson is all organized and prepared for me ahead of time), and a host of fall birthday parties on the horizon (including the party planning and prep for my two October girls).

A couple of weeks ago I started to feel the weight of the scheduling nightmare -- and a bit old and addled at the thought of trying to keep everyone's schedule straight in my head -- so, I went out and found a nearly perfect planner. If I could tweak its contents a bit I would, but it serves me well enough and it is certainly helping to keep me sane (relative term indeed...it is keeping me from jumping off the cliffs of insanity anyway). I also purchased a new bag ("Hi. My name is Jeanne and I'm a bag-aholic.") which has a handy outside pocket into which my bright and shiny new planner fits perfectly! (Thank you, mom, for the birthday money that financed the new bag purchase!). The bag also has end pockets with mesh bottoms that are perfect for a bottle or sippy cup of milk or water for the wee lassie as well as what should be my ever-present bottle of H2O (working on that daily goal). And the main compartment is big enough for my wallet, a diaper or two, a travel wipes container, and I bet I could even fit my latest book in there in a pinch if it is paperback and not too thick.

So, armed with my life in a book and a bag (and all neatly labeled with a few different colored pens and highlighters), I'm as prepared as I am ever going to be for the crazies of the season! If you are the praying type, just pray that I don't lose my portable brain planner or I'll be sunk!

Tagged yet again...

Tag : Three Things About Me
This is another simple tag "3 things about me".

Three things that scare me
1. The thought of losing a loved one
2. Driving in Boston
3. Snakes

Three people who make me laugh
1. Karyn
2. Suzanne
3. Sharon

Three things I love
1. Family
2. Sleep
3. A good book

Three things I hate
1. Mean people
2. Fake people
3. Being ignored

Three things I don't understand
1. Algebra
2. Drinking to the point of vomiting
3. Keeping up with the Joneses

Three things on my desk
1. Camera
2. Cordless phone
3. Unpaid bills

Three things I am doing right now
1. Answering these questions
2. Fretting
3. Listening to 10,000 Maniacs (and the sounds of a couple of maniacs who are supposed to be cleaning the playroom)

Three things I want to do before I die
1. Travel more
2. Enjoy grandmotherhood
3. Celebrate my Golden Wedding Anniversary

Three things I can do
1. Speak Danish
2. Lots of crafts - knitting, sewing, cross-stitch, hardanger...
3. Bake

Three things I can’t do
1. Pee standing up
2. Drive a tractor
3. Wink with my right eye

Three things I think you should listen to
1. Music that makes you feel happy
2. People who support you
3. The sounds of nature

Three things you should never listen to
1. VERY LOUD music - you'll damage your hearing (consider that a public service announcement from your friendly SLP)
2. Obnoxious people (drunk or not)
3. Whining children

Three shows I watched as a kid
1. Little House on the Prairie
2. Mighty Mouse
3. Creature Double Feature

Three people I tag
1. Consider
2. Yourself
3. Tagged

First Day of School, Part II

A's first day back at preschool was yesterday. She's been a bit difficult to live with over the course of the last week as she was chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of things. She was very jealous that R got to start school so much earlier than she did (and of course, as things usually go with sibling rivalry, R was upset that summer had to end so much sooner for her than for A...).

With her first day of school outfit already decided upon she got dressed right after waking up and was eager to get going as soon as R had one foot on the bus. I made sure the camera batteries were charged last night and that her backpack was by the door. Once R was safely off to school I loaded A and E into the car and we headed off to school. Before we left the driveway, however, A reminded me that she had not yet picked flowers! Heavens to Betsey! I ran inside and grabbed scissors and she happily found the perfect one for each of her beloved teachers.

Once at school, with backpack flung on her back and flowers in hand she headed to the little red brick schoolhouse. She was greeted at the door by one of her teachers and after finding her new cubby space she settled right down to the business of playing.

There are only a handful of kids who are returning from last year (the rest are off to Kindergarten this year), but some of the "new" kids were still familiar faces. Many of the new students are actually siblings of kids who attended preschool with R so we know the families well even if A doesn't! One new student, however, is a great friend of A's who we have been having playdates with frequently over the last few years. A was so happy to finally welcome N to preschool this year and N was pleased as punch to finally be old enough to attend with A!

Yesterday was only 1/2 the class in attendance - the other 1/2 of the kids will have their first day of school today and then the whole class will come together on Monday for the first time. Since A and N were both off from school today we arranged a playdate and the girls are right now playing happily in the playroom. I need to get going and make them some lunch and then it's naptime for little Miss E.

I have a meme that I need to fill out since I've been tagged. I'll try and get to it at some point today!

The "Y" according to Miss E...

Well, today was the first attempt to make good on the new "Y" membership. I looked at the schedule and found a Cardio Sculpt class at 10:15 and found out the pool had open swim time in the small pool from 9-11. Perfect!

Last night I packed swim suits, towels, shampoo, brush, extra clothes, detangling hairspray, and whatever else seemed like a good thing to have a the gym and/or pool and I was ready to go. R got off fairly easily this morning -- after a few tears about missing out on the visit to the "Y" and about the fact that she didn't have the change from yesterday's $5 bill for lunch (lunch is $2.25 and I could not convince her that her teacher would still have the money if she took the $5 from R yesterday!). I finally sent her off with additional money but with instructions that she needed to first ask the teacher about her "missing" change.

As soon as R was on the bus I herded the other two into the car and we were off to the "Y"! First stop - mug shot. I had to get my official membership card. In my haste to leave the house I had showered but didn't bother to "fix" my hair since our first stop was the pool, so the picture could have been better but what do I care - seriously? It's not like I'm hoping to get a hot date through match.baggage match.com using that, or any, picture. And, honestly, it will be a closer representation to my true self at the club - well, minus the sweat stains and the flushed cheeks - and make it easier for the childcare staff to find me in a line-up yoga class.

Once that task was completed and I was officially signed in I led the girls to the locker room to change into swim gear and shower off before heading for the pool. We had a nice 1/2 hour swim time in a very warm (average temp is listed at 92 degrees!) pool that is 3 feet deep at one end and 4 feet at the other. It's the pool where A will have her swimming lessons and where some of the water aerobics classes take place. The girls loved playing in the water and I loved that they have water toys and floatation devices available for general use...not that E would have anything to do with having floaties strapped to her chest, but that's another matter.

We got out of the pool in plenty of time for me to get us all changed and ready to go to the childcare room to scope things out before my 10:15 class. Once in the room, both A and E began exploring and I filled out the necessary paperwork and got them signed in. I thought it was a lucky thing that they were doing some outdoor play on the playground when we arrived because I figured both A and E would enjoy the equipment and sandbox. So, I led them outside to where the other kids were playing and quietly made my exit. I was looking forward to my hour of kid-free exercise time.

Ha.

I think I need to have Miss E listen to more of the Village People because she was not too thrilled once she realized that mom was nowhere to be seen. I had enough time to take a drink of water from my bottle and set up my area the same way the teacher had her stuff set up - step on an incline, exercise ball, and 3- and 5-pound weights. As soon as she announced the start of warm-up ("Let's march it out") a head poked in the doorway to call me back to the childcare room which was right across the hall.

Sigh.

I go back to find E a complete wreck screaming as if they had been trying to pull her fingernails out one by one. She stopped immediately when she saw me and proceeded to have that labored, hiccough-y breathing for the next few minutes. She was having NO part of this childcare gig and she did not feel that it was "fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A"! The staff reported that A had done her best to comfort E and make her feel more at ease (she is such a sweet and sensitive big sister and it made my heart swell to hear how she had tried her best to calm E down). I tried to get E interested in the sandbox, chalk, the big balls...anything. But, as soon as I was out of sight she had a complete and utter meltdown. I brought her back inside and tried snack but every time I moved away to check out something in the room she fell apart. I ended up staying in the childcare area with her for about 45 minutes hoping that she would start to feel more comfortable. She did do some exploring towards the end but she was not OK if I was more than 3 feet away. A, on the other hand, had a ball and when I announced it was time to go she was upset but she fell in line and went over to say good-bye to her "three new friends" and I promised we'd be back again to play soon.

I am going to have to take it slow with E. She is not going to fall easily into this situation as I had hoped. I don't recall having huge separation anxiety issues with R and A. Perhaps they did at around this age (22 months) but I don't recall it being severe or long-lasting. Either that, or childbirth and dealing with young children 24/7 for the last 7.5 years has completely messed with my memory and recall abilities and I am just unable to dredge those thoughts from the recesses of my cobwebby brain. Either way, I'm going to have to find a way to deal with this and hope that a few more sessions of playtime with mommy at the "Y" will make E realize that the staff and kids in the childcare are not going to bite, that the toys and the play area are actually a fun treat and that mommy doesn't just disappear - she will return sooner or later looking much the same as she did when she left...only sweatier and more flushed.

Savvy, Self-assured and in Second Grade!

It was a very easy send-off this morning for R - she is just so much more confident and at ease. We usually have a stressful week leading up to the start of school - more meltdowns, fits, and arguments. This year seemed a bit less traumatic. R did shed some tears at the thought of summer coming to an end and she seemed a tiny bit stressed upon hearing that she would not have the same teacher as last year, but on the whole things went fairly smoothly. The only thing that really stayed the same was the increase in the fighting between R and A this past week. A is ticked off that R gets to start school a week earlier than she does and that R gets to ride the bus. So, she has been difficult to deal with and it has rubbed off on R a bit (can't say as I blame her, though!). Although I had previously been lamenting the end of the summer this week was enough to make me more than happy that the first day of school has arrived.

This morning I went on my walk with Lauri and we got back just before 7am. To my great surprise the older two girls were awake and fully dressed. Can you say "first day of school excitement"? R had picked out her entire outfit last night per my instructions so we would not have any issues this morning picking out just what to wear. We had also made sure her shiny new backpack had lunch money in it and she put a few pencils in her new pencil case.

After breakfast I got showered and dressed and the girls worked on their newest fuzzy art posters for a few minutes. I got R's hair brushed and she went to put on her snazzy new sneaks. I had bought her tie shoes this year because she liked them but I wondered after almost a year of only velcro if she'd do OK with tying them. But, she proved that tying shoes is a bit like riding a bike and she did just fine getting them on and tied into double knots. A proud mommy moment!

Once she was geared up we headed outside for the usual photo op session and the traditional "picking of the brown-eyed susans for the teacher."

My big second grader!


Flowers for Ms. M.


This picture is the epitome of my three:
the fashionista/diva, the cool big kid, and the little imp!



Check out the snazzy new sneaks!


Sisters - big and small...


Barely taking the time to give me one last backward glance. The Savvy, Self-assured 2nd grader takes off for her first day.

It's Fun to Stay at the Y-M-C-A!

Sing it with me now...

Young man, there's no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy.
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough.
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.

(Village People)

Today I took the leap and paid for a membership to the local Y! Actually, I signed up the girls for swim classes and in doing so realized that the cost differential to becoming a member and getting membership rates for the swim classes differed by not a whole lot. So, we are now proud, card-carrying, sweatband-wearing members of the YMCA!

Hmmm....

I guess that means I should actually USE said card to get my butt in gear this fall and achieve the results that have been eluding me this summer. I have been backsliding over the course of the last few months to the tune of about 5 pounds. I also know my fitness level has dropped off since May because I have not kept up with the sculpting and aerobic sessions. I have been walking quite a bit some weeks but not so much on other weeks. I am still fitting, mostly, in my clothes but they do feel a bit more snug than they did back in May. And I just don't feel as good as I did back in the spring.

Time to get back on track. Hopefully, the new gym membership will be a good way to get some of that motivation back that I had at the start of the new year. I am going to try to walk in the mornings, per usual, with Lauri and then at least a couple of times a week I hope to hit the gym while R and A are at school. E can come along and spend some play time at the FREE childcare center (what a bonus!). I need to look over the classes schedules and see if any will fit the bill - they have a ton of different styles of workouts which is great. I think having a scheduled class time will help with the follow through and it will be more fun working out with other people rather that in front of the TV screen.

While we were there today getting signed up (which was not a straight-forward process due to the fact that I did not bring a canceled check to sign up for the automatic checking transfer payment method....) we got a tour of the facility and it seems great! Aside from the (free!) childcare rooms, they also have a raquetball court, two studios for fitness classes, two pools, and the usual exercise room with weight machines and various cardio machines. There were plenty of machines and I imagine I won't be waiting to use any of them if I go during weekday mornings. And in the "over 18" locker rooms they also have a sauna and hot tub. Once I get the kids safely checked into child care rooms I can utilize those facilities as well. I might have to visit there more often for some basic R&R as part of my "(mental) health and fitness" regime....

As for the main reason for getting the membership...the swim classes! I had hoped to sign R and A up for classes on the same day at the same time if at all possible. Even back-to-back sessions on the same day would have been okay. However, I was so late in signing up that I ended up with A in a Wednesday afternoon session and R in a Saturday morning session. Sigh. It will be a hectic eight weeks -- but it is only eight weeks -- and perhaps for the second fall session I'll be lucky enough to consolidate their classes into one trip.

Between swim classes and exercise classes, I have a feeling that the Y is going to start to feel like my second home...at least I'll be getting my money's worth!

In the Good Ole Summertime...

**updated to add pics and video link**

Summer is going by so fast.

R and A are bronze-hued and sun-kissed. Though E is still looking like a fair maiden as any part-Irish, not-yet-two-year-old should look.

We have had a couple of trips to the Cape to dig in the sand, frolic in the waves, and soak up the sun.

Early in the summer, just after school let out, we took the kids on the Virginia adventure 2007 which, on the whole, went well. We are, however, considering alternatives for next years "big adventure." In fact, Rick is turning the "big 4-0" next year and his parents are each hitting milestone birthdays so a big ole family trip to somewhere is being discussed.

Other summertime excursions have included road trips to go Geocaching, splashing in rivers, and dips in a friend's pool.

The older girls have had a chance to enjoy some time at camp and they are currently enrolled in swimming classes.

All in all, a good summer. One that I'm sad to see end. The girls are doing so well and we've enjoyed some great times together this summer.




R is growing up so very fast. She is reading at a fast and furious pace. She probably reads faster than I do now and she is taking after her dad and devouring books faster than we can replenish her literary plate...which reminds me - a trip to the library should be on our agenda this week.
Just in the last few weeks I'm finding her to be maturing in leaps and bounds. She is more "even keeled" and able to problem-solve issues with little to no intervention. She still lets A get under her skin at times but yet there are times when she handles formerly tension-fraught moments with ease. I've found her to be, in the past, rather negative and fatalistic when it came to problems or things she merely perceived as insurmountable problems and now she seems to be able to see past that mentality and is finding the solutions. This has reduced stress on so many levels. And I think she is even starting to look forward to second grade...at least for today. She was excited to buy a new backpack and seemed to be looking forward to the new school year. We were wondering together who her teacher will be and who she might have in her classroom - she has one friend in particular from Kindergarten that she is hoping will be with her again this year. If history repeats itself she might begin to show signs of stress as we get closer to the first day of school - but with her newfound maturity maybe it won't even be more than a blip on the radar screen. In other exciting, "R News" - she is turning into quite the fish! The last two evenings at swim class she has managed to figure out and execute a standing dive. Her swimming has improved dramatically as well and she loves to be in the water.



A is on the cusp of 'big girlhood' now that she is nearly five (5?!). The last few months have been a bit rough with A. She has been testing limits and asserting her independence a little bit too much for her own good. She's been reverting to that annoying 2-year-old phase where her favorite word is "no" and she has not been shy about using it. More times than I can count I've had to have the "who's in charge?" discussion with her and it often took asking that question more than once for "Little Miss I'm in Charge" to get the answer right. I've vented at length with Lauri during our morning walks and she has assured me that many kids go through this stage just before they turn five. She doesn't quite know why it happens but it seems to be something to do with that fear of the unknown, cusp of becoming a big kid thing. It also seems to coincide with those months leading up to Kindergarten. I'm so hoping that A is getting this phase out of her system and we don't see it rear it's ugly head again next summer before her big transition to Kindergarten. Being an October baby means she will be starting Kindergarten about month before she turns six. So, she has one more year of preschool and she is looking forward to being one of the "big kids" at school who already knows the ropes. There are six kids in her class who will be returning for their second year of preschool - the rest will all be new students. Unfortunately, last year A befriended many of the kids who are now moving on to Kindergarten so she will have to make new friends this year. Fortunately, I have no concerns about her ability to do so. At the end of year party at school in May all the kids received a certificate from the teachers that highlighted one of their strengths and A's certificate was for "being a friend to all." So true. She is really my social butterfly and the one most likely to make friends no matter where she goes - school, the playground, story time, the library....you name it! So, A is also looking forward to the new school year and all the time she will get to spend with her friends - new and old. She, too, has made leaps and bounds in her swimming skills this year and will now eagerly jump into the pool without holding the teacher's hand. She goes completely underwater and bobs back to the surface and the teacher helps her swim back to the edge. She is so brave!

Check out this video of the two of them at swim class.




And last but not least, my sweet little E. She is just wanting to be one of the big kids so badly! She jumps at the chance to do whatever they are doing - riding...or rather sitting...on a big kid bike, wearing goggles at the pool and attempting to put her face in the water (she is by far my most fearless kid when it comes to the water), helping (well, hindering might be a better choice of word) with setting the table, clean up time and other chores, climbing up the ladder to the tall platform on the playground equipment, etc... Her speech and language skills are exploding and she is putting strings of words together to make her desires quite clear. She can be quite a bossy little thing but also very sweet and thoughtful (she will often say "danku" unprompted, as well as "bess you" when someone sneezes and "cooz me!" when she passes gas...of course she thinks it is hilarious to pass gas and will often try to do so on purpose. Such a delicate and refined little lady). She already loves to accessorize and play dress-up. A is more than happy to help her into a princess costume and tiara and some of E's favorite things are shoes, hats and her Dora sunglasses. And the more shoes, the better, by the way. If we go out shopping and she sees shoes anywhere she is begging and whining for me to take off her shoes so she can try some on. My very own little Imelda. She even has a fascination with trying on other peoples' shoes and will often clomp through the house wearing my sneakers, Rick's boots, or the older girls' flip-flops (which she charmingly calls "bee-bops").

I guess I'm just realizing that they will never be 7-ish, nearly 5-ish and nearly 2-ish again and I'm realizing that as crazy and annoyed as I can sometimes get "in the moment" with all of them that I've really had some wonderful times with them, too. They are growing and changing constantly and although they are exhausting and exasperating and complicated they are also wonderful, amazing and unique. We have more fun times ahead, I'm sure, but right now I'm wanting to hold on to this summer and not let go.

Ok...so maybe there is also a tiny part of me that is looking forward to the start of a new school year when I might be able to carve out a bit more kid-free time during the week... And perhaps my desire to extend those lazy days of summer has a tiny bit to do with the fact that the end of summer means...well...it means that another year has gone full circle for me. When did the milestones turn from celebrations (first steps, riding a two-wheeler, turning 21, first real job) to moments of dread and distaste (first gray hair, another wrinkle laugh line, turning 37 thirty-something) anyway?

I've been tagged...

Not once, but twice....for the same meme.

OK, so here goes:

Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I like to bake, but not really cook. I think because when you bake you pretty much have to follow the recipe but with cooking there is more experimentation that can happen and I'm not very good at it. I also have a sweet tooth that is fed nicely by my baking habits.

2. I am not very kind to house plants. We have a few that we have had for years that I would call our "iron clad, foolproof" plants, but too many have died under my care that I tend to just stick to the few that we have that seem to have way more than 9 lives.

3. I love sheep. I used to have a collection of sheep - stuffed animals, statues, and the like. But, I've tried to rid my life of many knick knacks so I only have the odd pin in my jewelry box, one very special stuffed animal sheep that my MIL gave me a number of years ago and a cross-stitch project that I did before Rebecca was born that has sheep on it. There is a farm around the corner that has sheep and I smile whenever I drive by and see them. (I was just thinking that perhaps my Patronus would be a sheep!)

4. I love reading, but I don't read as much as I used to (gee...wonder why?). I love nothing better than getting sucked in by a story and getting to know the characters really well. I especially love when I become so engrossed that I think about the book even when I'm not reading it and wonder about the people in the books as though they are real... But when I get that involved I'm alway so sad to say "goodbye" to the characters at the end of the book. Am I just a weird freak or does anyone else know what I mean by that? It doesn't happen often but I love when a book can get to be that obsessive for me.

5. If I drink beer not long after I eat chocolate I get violently ill. It took me a couple of years into college to figure this one out. I don't generally eat chocolate and drink beer at the same time, but it dawned on me that the times I've gotten sick from drinking seemed to be on Halloween when I've had those two substances in close proximity. I don't tend to drink heavily enough for it to be just the alcohol...in fact, I've only ever done that once and it was such an awful experience that I've never had that much to drink again...so my best guess is that I can't eat chocolate and then drink beer or I throw up. I've never attempted to confirm this theory and I don't ever plan to!

6. My undergraduate degree is in Linguistics and Anthropology which is a far cry from what I expected to major in and which was only a stepping stone to what I eventually decided to do for a living. I went to UMass expecting to major in business and actually hoped to go on to do something in "International Buisness" or some such (I wanted to find a way to move back to Denmark something fierce!). But, I was not accepted as a "pre-business" major and then I nearly failed the first pre-requisite (Microeconomics) which led me to abandon any hope of doing anything business related. I delcared my major in my junior year having no idea what I would do once I actually graduated. Then during my senior year I learned about the existence of the "Communication Disorders" department which led to my eventual desire to attend graduate school and become a Speech-Language Pathologist.

7. I hate talking politics and I don't particularly like any politician - nor do I trust them - but my leanings tend to be towards the left of middle on many issues. Which is in stark contrast to my parents' views (as well as most of my siblings). I often wonder how I came to have such a different perspective on life. My parents, however, are convinced that I was "brainwashed" by all those "damn liberal professors" at UMass. So, I try very hard to avoid the subjects of politics and religion (I was raised Catholic and am now a member of a Protestant church - much to my parents chagrin) when with most of my family.

8. I will go gray naturally (and actually I have a pretty good start on that already). I have never colored my hair and I never plan to.

Phew. OK. I finally made it through my list of 8 things. I don't even know if I have 8 friends who blog to tag with this meme!! And the few who I do know have already done this or been tagged. So, if you are reading this and think it would be fun to do - consider yourself tagged and then post a comment or email me to let me know you've blogged this meme yourself so I can go read it!

Another Saturday, Another Cache Day...

Keeping true to our word, Rick and I planned another geocaching adventure for our family this past Saturday. (Yes, even though it was the release day for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I chose to go on a family day trip and postponed the hour at which I would have the book in my anxious, greedy little hands... See? I'm not so neglectful and wanton when it comes to my own children...)

We decided to try for an area that was a bit far-flung but not quite as far as the previous weekend. After perusing the Geocaching website for some fun-sounding caches located in areas with less than 3-star ratings for "terrain difficulty" we finally decided on a cluster of caches located about 45 minutes away. The best part was the lure of beautiful scenery and plentiful waterfalls, which we knew would appeal to all three kids.

The area we were headed for is in the "hilltowns" where restaurants are not exactly plentiful or even clustered in distinct downtown districts (don't blink you just missed downtown: post office, vet office specializing in large farm animals, and if you are really lucky a gas station with a mom-and-pop convenience store in a building that looks like it is held up by the overgrown shrubs around it...or perhaps by magic like The Burrow?). So, we packed a picnic lunch and a few snacks, consulted the maps and then headed out the door.

The first cache site was supposed to have two separate, yet closely spaced, caches to find. We followed the directions for the first and found a parking area in a state forest that was at the head of the trail. The trail itself immediately went down at a steep angle as it followed the course of the stream. There was fencing all along the edge of the trail to keep people from meeting an untimely demise at the bottom of the ravine. This made the trip to the cache much more enjoyable since I did not have to spend every second telling the girls to be careful and fearing with every ounce of my being that they were about to go careening off the cliff at any moment. As we followed the fence we stopped now and then to enjoy the rushing river and the little waterfalls way down below (on the other side of the very safe fence). At one point we must have missed a slight fork in the trail because we ended up at a dead end where fence met large rocky outcropping:

Hmmmm....the GPS indicated that the cache was still at least a bit further along the trail somewhere. Rick doubled back and yelled for us to follow. I took a quick picture from this dead end overlook and then look up and saw Rick and the girls on the other portion of the trail above me:

After a short period of time Rick consulted the GPS and pointed the direction off the beaten path that we needed to take. The cache was not too hard to find (maybe five minutes of searching...probably a bit less) and the girls found some neat items in the box and traded for a couple of fun treats we brought along for trade. Having found the first one, we headed off in search of the second cache of the day which was supposed to be placed not too far away. We spent a bit longer following the trail and navigating with the GPS but it seemed after a while of walking and finding our way blocked by the rushing stream that the old adage "ya can't get theya from heya" fit the bill. So, we hiked back up to the car and figured we would try to drive back toward the entrance and see if another likely starting point made itself known. On our way back toward the state forest entrance we stopped at the forest ranger's office and purchased a yearly pass for the state parks figuring we'd be stopping a a few more before the season is finished if we keep up with our 'family fun' Saturdays. At the parking area near the ranger's office there was a large grassy area that abutted a small sandy beach and moderate sized swimming hole. It was not a particularly hot day but there were plenty of people enjoying the weather and the water and having picnics. We decided that it looked like the perfect spot to stop and eat our picnic lunch before continuing our caching journey. The girls were very excited by the water and wanted to go swimming but we somehow convinced them that the next stop was worth the wait: a place to splash in the river, climb around some big rocks and see another waterfall! In hindsight, it may have been the better choice to stay and let them swim there and just call it a day but we forged ahead with our plans and still had fun. And now we know that there is a great kid-friendly swimming area that is not too far to visit on another day! That is one of the beautiful things about geocaching. It allows you to explore places that you might have never have known existed!

The next cache was one that we had attempted about 3 years ago. We spent a good deal of time looking for it but could not locate it and upon returning home we realized that the cache had actually been missing for some time (and we learned the important lesson of reading the most recent logs for a cache to find out if it was still 'findable' before heading out to look for it ourselves)! The cache had at some point been replaced and moved to a new location and there were a few people who had reportedly found the cache in the recent past (within the last month or so). So, we drove to the site, unloaded the kids and all the swimming gear and headed for the trail. We hiked for about 20 minutes and we came, according to the GPS, very close to the location of the cache. However, the tree cover was pretty thick and so the GPS was having some technical difficulties picking up signals. After about 15 minutes of looking A decided that she needed to go to the bathroom and her delicate sensibilities were not about to let her attempt to do so in the middle of the woods. So, I took her back to the parking area where there was (thankfully) a port-a-potty and Rick (with E in the backpack) and R continued the search. We agreed to meet back at the parking lot and then head to the falls. As it turns out, Rick and R were never able to locate the cache (strike two for us on that one). But, the girls had a great time splashing in the water and climbing all over the rocks at the stream:



Actually, the older two enjoy the splashing and rock-climbing and Rick and I were able to kick back a bit and relax because the youngest decided to enjoy a much-needed nap at that point:



It was a fun day even if the caching portion of it was a bit of a disappointment. We found only one of the three that we intended to find that day and we had no time and little energy left to go looking for any others. I guess that just means we save those other caches for another day - although I think after two strikes on that last cache we might just not bother looking there again!

On the way home we stopped in at a very old "General Store" in a larger town center located closer to 'civilization'. The older girls got to pick out a bag of candy (formally known as 'penny candy' but the cheapest item was the mini Tootsie Rolls at 2 cents a piece followed by the miniature Smarties at 4 cents a piece and the prices rose rapidly from there) and E and I shared a dish of Raspberry Rocky Road ice cream...yum! Dinner that night was a simple phone call to the local pizza parlor and the girls were in bed fast asleep by no later than 8pm after a fun and eventful day.

Ahhhhh....good times!


****************************************************************

In other news....

I got new glasses recently. My last eye exam was three years ago so I was way overdue for a check-up and my most recent pair of glasses were a bit bent and showing plenty of signs of wear. And as much as I love Harry Potter, I decided to go for a slightly different shape to my glasses to avoid any future comparisons.

Not the greatest picture ever...but it is meant to primarly show off the new eyewear. Thoughts? And please ignore the gray hairs and the crows feet. (Actually, I'm not really asking your opinion so just follow the adage you should have learned at your mother's knee: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.)

Confessions of a Derelict Mom...

I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I will not give away any spoilers here for those of you who have not yet finished. Just so's you know!

The girls have been fed and dressed (but perhaps not bathed...I'm pleading the fifth on that one) since I got the book in my hot little hands. They seem to have kept themselves entertained for the most part - only the occasional screech or fuss has been heard and I've happily ignored it unless it seemed like it was heading for a bloodbath. But, I have not really paid much attention to them since I picked up the mail at 5:00PM on Saturday.

Yes, I have been a Harry Potter-obsessed and neglectful mother to my three young'uns these last couple of days.

But, hey, now I know the ending! And I managed not to stumble upon any spoilers online! Yay me - and to heck with responsibilities! Right?

It appears my children survived this weekend of neglect without scars (I hope). I mean, really, Rick was around to tend to any serious needs, right? And kids need time to play on their own without adult supervision interruption, right?

Sirius-ly Seriously.

Now I can get back to my regularly scheduled life and hope my girls will remember who the heck I am.

And pretty soon they will be begging for me to read them the next book in the Harry Potter series (cuz, you see, I think the main reason they let me get away with having my "nose in that book" - yes, that came direct from R's lips - all weekend was because they desperately want to know if they are old enough to hear beyond our current bedtime story, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)! I think I've successfully created a new generation of Harry Potter/J.K. Rowling fans in our household...

Long live J.K. Rowling!!!!!!!!!

(See? No spoilers. Now - if you haven't already - GO FINISH THE BOOK!)

Family Fun Day!

Rick and I recently discussed whether or not to try to fit in another family vacation this summer or not. We talked about the possibility of perhaps spending some time in the White Mountains or going to the New Hampshire shore for a few days. In the end we decided that it might be fun to do a bunch of day trips in the local or semi-local area. So we are making that a priority for this summer in lieu of a longer trip that would potentially be farther away. Some of the possible excursions included geocaching adventures in the surrounding wilds, or longer rides to the Berkshires, southern VT or Boston to do various kid-friendly attractions.

The other night we spent some time looking at the geocaching website for easy cache sites in the Berkshires. We actually found quite a few that looked fun (and had some interesting natural attractions to see) so we downloaded the list to Rick's PDA and decided to 'wing' it from there.

In the morning we made a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausages, bacon and juice and tanked the girls up for the adventure ahead. We found some small treasures to leave in exchange for new treasures found in the caches and we piled in the car with a bunch of water, some snacks, and the GPS and off we went!

The girls listened to an audio book (Dinosaurs Before Dark, Mary Pope Osborne) on the drive to the Berkshires. And since I had yet to drag all the crap art materials out of the back of the car from our Virginia trip they were able to draw and make artful creations for the remainder of the drive.

The first cache site turned out to be a dud. The write-up about the cache did not include any information on where to start hiking so we used the GPS as our guide, but we were not able to find the trail head. In doing some research once we got home we found that we were actually located on the opposite side of a substantial river from the cache site so we were essentially barking up the wrong tree anyway. We hope to go back in the future and find that cache along with two others that are located in the same general area. Now that we know where to go to find the parking lot and trail head so we should be a tad more successful! So, after a short delay and missed opportunity at that cache site we consulted the PDA and chose a second site to attempt that was a short 10-minute ride away.

The second cache attempt was located on land owned by a private conservation organization and therefore we figured there would be a well-marked trail and probably some decent parking to boot. We found the parking lot easily and got E loaded into the backpack for this hike. It was a loop trail that climbed to the top of a large hill (coming from the land of sand dunes I would personally call it a small mountain but Rick would strongly beg to differ) and back down again and the trail meandered through a large meadow full of cows and even met up for a brief time with the famed Appalachian Trail. On the way up the small mountain hill we came upon this rather large rock alongside the trail that begged to be climbed on...


The girls did great on the climb up the top and once we got up to the overlook we unloaded E from the backpack to let her have a look around.


We searched around for the cache...



...and managed to find it pretty quickly.


The girls had fun looking through the cache box and choosing a trinket and we left a couple of new trinkets in their place. I signed the log book and then we explored the overlook some more and happened upon a small wild blueberry patch that only yielded a few berries each but was still fun to find. There were a few odd blackberry patches that we found on the way but none were ripe yet. If we make it back next year we'll have to try for early August and get the blackberries in season!

Rebecca took this picture of Rick and I at the overlook...


After the hike back down to the car we drove to nearby Great Barrington to grab some lunch. Rick had done a bit of research and found that there was a local brewery/restaurant in town so we headed there for some grub. Rick enjoyed a nice brown ale called "Old Pluto" with his lunch (and I picked up a growler of the stuff for us to take home and enjoy since I was designated driver for the day). As a treat I got a HUGE slab of chocolate cake after lunch...



... the damn thing was too big to fit on the plate! I ate some of it and shared some with the girls but I literally took home about two-thirds of this piece of cake. Insanity at its best!

With full bellies we got back in the car and decided that we would try for one more cache before heading home. (Nothing like the 18 cache days that Tuxbaby has managed recently, but hey, we do what we can! LOL)

Rick consulted the PDA and found a cache site located near a river with a waterfall. We knew the girls would enjoy a splash in the river and the cache description indicated that the cache was not far from the parking area so we figured it was the perfect end to the day. The cache was indeed fairly close by and we found it without much difficulty. The girls made their trinket trade and I signed the log book and then we got down to the serious business of playing in the river! The first area we chose to let the girls loose in seemed a bit risky for little Miss E so she was stuck in the pack and none too happy about it...



The older girls were having a great time, though...


Then we moved a bit further downstream and found a great little area with a small pool, no rushing water, and large boulder to shelter and more or less contain E (with a little help from Mom-turned-baby-gate). I stripped E down to her diaper and let her have a go at it...



The older girls ventured a bit farther afield and got a bit damp but certainly had a ball...



They really want to go back (or at least to another fun waterfall or two) sometime this summer. We told them that could be arranged and we will plan to bring bathing suits and towels so they could really go to town!

The ride home was uneventful. R read some of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to herself, A ended up napping (guess the hike up that mountain hill did her in!), and E should have been napping but was way too overtired and ended up being kind of whiny and fussy for part of the ride. We got home and made a quick dinner and then got the kids to bed by about 9pm. Both Rick and I were exhausted and so glad to get to bed, but overall I think we all had a great day. And the kids were tired enough to actually sleep in past 8am this morning. Will wonders never cease?

I'm already hoping for more good weather next weekend and looking forward to our next "Family Fun Day"! Time to start scouring the maps and the geocaching website for more fun waterfalls...

How Do You Spell Relief?

T-H-U-N-D-E-R-S-T-O-R-M!

We had a pretty decent thunderstorm last night and a significant amount of rain. The plants got a good watering and we are finally getting a break in the temperature and humidity levels.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Feels good.


I walked with Lauri this morning and, lo and behold, we could actually BREATHE. The air yesterday was so oppressive even at 6am that it felt like trying to breathe through a wet sock. Once home, I opened a bunch of window and threw on the whole house fan (wonderful creation - a must have if one does not have central a/c!). The cool morning breezes are now flowing across me as I type and the temperature in the room has dropped by about 8 degrees in the last 10 minutes!

I might actually chose to go outside today. A good day for a trip to the park and a picnic. The girls have been asking to go to this nice big park a couple of towns over where they have the usual playground equipment but also a sprinkler park, little train ride, bumper boats, and a petting zoo. I think today might just be the day to take that little jaunt. It might actually be on the cool side for taking advantage of the sprinkler park, but we can certainly find plenty of other things to do there!

I'm very jealous of all the people who have already seen the new Harry Potter movie. Rick and I are hoping to go out for a date night next week -- it's been far too long since our last one and we still haven't been out to officially celebrate our 12th anniversary! So, the plan is to do dinner and then go see HP #5! And speaking of Harry Potter (who isn't these days with a book release and a new movie in the same month!?) I decided to go online and pre-order the new book so that it arrives at my house on the 21st. However, my one issue is that it has been so long since I read the books that I'm feeling the need to try to reread the first 6 before the release so I can keep the facts straight! Not sure I'll succeed but I'm nearly finished reading the third book to the girls and I just started the fourth book last night. I think I will stop reading Harry Potter to the girls with the end of the third book since things get a lot darker with #4. They are not going to be happy about that since they know that #7 is coming out but I am afraid of creating fodder for nightmares for one or both of them. And surprisingly (or not), I'm more worried about R having nightmares than I am about A who just has a completely different kind of personality. In fact, upon seeing the trailer for the first movie, A was very much ready to watch the entire thing - no fear - whereas R looked spooked out at the sight of the ogre and the three-headed dog in the few seconds they flashed on the screen. So, R is certainly not ready to view someone else's vision of the Harry Potter wizarding world and its varied and often gruesome creatures...

Wow - now the temperature is at a comfortable 73 degrees in this room and since I'm still sweaty from my walk I'm actually feeling a bit chilled. I just grabbed my first cup of coffee and so I'm going to finish up this post, drink my coffee and then head for the shower.

Enjoy your day - mine is certainly off to a great start!

Ups and downs

I don't feel very motivated these days. I can't even seem to muster up the effort to get a few pics posted of the latest VA adventure or the 4th of July festivities. I'm thinking that the heat and humidity is affecting my brain and my desire to move or think.

And the heat makes me want to drink a cold beer at the end of the day...which in turn makes me want to nosh on something...which means the scale is sliding ever so slightly upwards. Me no like. I seem to have a fair bit of luck in the late winter and spring with the weight loss efforts. I have good intentions and keep track of calories and try to work out regularly. It's the summertime that derails me and causes the backslide that often lasts into and includes the festive and food-filled holiday season from Halloween candy to New Year's toast.

Help.

I need to find some level of motivation to get back on track. I have gotten back to my morning walks for the most part, but I'm sorely lacking (but obviously not sore of muscle) in the weight-training department. I seem to need that component (combined with the calorie counting) to exact any changes on the scale. The walking is certainly good for maintenance but beyond that I don't seem to make much progress with walking. And the alcohol and the munchies are not doing me much good either.

CNN is falling down on the job

Hell must have frozen over but the story did not make the front page on the CNN website. In fact, I can't find reference to it anywhere on CNN or elsewhere.

But, it must be true.

Why, you ask?

Because ALL three girls slept in past 8:00 this morning!

I got back from my walk this morning and all was quiet. Rick headed off to work and I sat at the computer with my breakfast (farm fresh strawberries and whole wheat English muffin with Laughing Cow cheese spread...yum) and ate a peaceful meal while surfing my favorite news sites and blogs. Then, to add to the tranquility of the morning, I showered without interruption or the background cacophony of screeching, screaming, fussing and crying.

It was a little slice of heaven this morning.

The girls are now awake and I'm enjoying a cup of coffee...dare I hope to actually finish it before it is stone cold? Now that would just be the cherry on top!

Home Sweet Home!

We made it home in one piece...or should it be "peace" (in that our sanity is still intact)!

I still have yet to get all the pictures onto this computer so I will refrain from bombarding you with a photo essay of our week. At least for now. I just wanted to pop on here to say that we made it back and we had a pretty nice week overall. More to come on the trip later...

For now the girls are finishing up a late lunch after we spent part of the morning running errands in town. Once they are done eating we will be going outside to start decorating their bikes. They are going to be in the tiny little 4th of July parade on the small common that is in our part of town. The main common downtown is where the big parade happens later in the day but this little morning parade is a tradition in our part of town and has been going on for over 100 years. It consists of kids in costumes, kids on decorated bikes, a farm animal or two, a small band of bout 4-6 instrumentalists, and a few ambitious families who actually build some moderately elaborate floats that are pulled by small tractors. After the parade people eat picnic lunches on the green and they do races and other contests. And all the kids who participate get a prize to take home - usually a choice of pinwheel, Frisbee, or some other such small trinket/toy. The girls look forward to this parade every year and in the past they have dressed up in costumes but this year they want to decorate their bikes (fine with me given the timing of our vacation this year). R just learned how to ride her bike without training wheels - although we need to put in some practice time before Wednesday on proper stopping technique! LOL Should be an interesting parade...I hope she doesn't crash into any innocent bystanders!

OK, the girls are ready to get going on decorating their bikes and we need to try to get as much done while E is still napping!

It's great to be home (and to have my in-laws home from their month-long vacation to the West Coast!). Time to settle into our summertime (lack of) routine...