School Pictures are In!

Just got the girls school portraits today and had to share! :-) I think they both came out great (as their mother I can, of course, give an unbiased opinion on such matters...ahem).


My third grader



















My kindergartener




















OK, now that you have seen my cute kids you can get to bed so that tomorrow you can get up bright and early and GO VOTE! Polls open at 7am around here and I'm sure they are open early at a polling station near you. Just do it!

Cel-ah-brate good times...

I hope I'm not dating myself with that song for my title.

Middle girl celebrated her birthday in style on Sunday and Monday. Sunday was the friend party at the local gymnastics school where she has been taking classes for about 3 years. She had nine friends along with her two sisters as guests and they all had a ball with the "party people" Ann-Marie and her husband Bobbie.

Here are a few choice photos from the party:


A gaggle of girls ganging up on Bobbie.


The birthday girl waiting for instructions (along with friend M).


Eldest girl enjoying Ann-Marie's antics.


Youngest girl stuck close to me for the entire party with the exception of this short
stint on the trampoline - which she obviously enjoyed thoroughly!


Cake time! And for the record, I can no longer be called 'Martha on Crack' (right, K?). I forked over big bucks to let someone else run the party AND I bought the cake from the local bakery!


Present time - with help from mom and friend N.

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On Monday she woke up at 6:30 and I was able to wish her a happy birthday on the exact moment of her birth - 6:53am. Hard to believe that this baby is now six!


(....and equally hard to believe that the other "baby" in the photo - who seemed soooo big at the time - is going to be 9 this winter).

At school she celebrated with all her classmates. Her sisters and I ate lunch with her in the classroom and then we handed out cupcakes (homemade but with canned frosting - see, K? No Martha living here no mo'). This teacher does such a nice job of making the child feel special on their birthday (and even the summer birthday kids get to celebrate before the end of the year). During circle time they do a special little birthday 'ceremony' and sing a special song. One child sits in a chair holding a small candle - this child is the "sun". The birthday child carries a globe and walks around the sun as many times as they are old to signify how many times the earth has been around the sun since they were born. The teacher also reads the A.A. Milne poem "When I am Six" to the child and the class then sings a second 'birthday song' which is not the traditional birthday song. I don't know the words to the songs but they are both very sweet. :-) Oh yeah, and a birthday story is also read to the class and the birthday child gets to take home a special book bag of birthday stories to read at home. I can't say enough how much I love Ms. W!!!

Here are a few pics from the school celebration:



Putting on her special crown.


Circling the 'sun'!



A special birthday poem.


Lunch with mom and sisters.


Happy Birthday!


Time for cupcakes!

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And last but not least we celebrated with my in-laws by having them over for dinner that night! Middle girl requested chicken with spaghetti sauce over pasta and green beans. Nothing fancy so it was an easy relaxed dinner...and of course...more cake for dessert! :-)

All in all, a wonderful couple of days to celebrate the day we first met our very special Middle girl!

Middle Girl Gets on the Bus

Middle girl had her first full day of kindergarten yesterday! She was so excited to get on that big yellow bus right along with Eldest girl. Unfortunately, I had to be at work early so I was not there to witness the big event. I made sure that Rick took a few pictures for me and consoled myself with the fact that I did get to bring her to orientation last week and I would be watching her climb on that big bus for many days...and years...to come.



When she arrived home she had a big happy smile on her face and the first thing she said was "I love kindergarten!" - awww... I recall Eldest girl coming home from her first day with the same teacher and she said the same thing. (I love Ms. W.) The next thing she did was show me her scraped knee and told me that she had fallen on the pavement on the way in from recess. Ouch. She was no longer wearing her tights which had taken a beating in the fall and the nurse had patched her up with a bandaid and some medical tape. I joked with her that although I showed her the nurse's office and introduced her to the nurse last Friday she really didn't need to make her first visit there on the first day of school!

Later in the evening I received a very nice phone call from Ms. W. letting me know that Middle girl is a delight and that she had a very successful first day of school. (Have I mentioned how much I love this teacher?) I let her know that Middle girl loves kindergarten and thanked her for checking in with us on the first day. We also got a sign-up sheet for a 'home visit' so that Middle girl can welcome her teacher to our home and show her where she lives. I remember Eldest girl being very excited that her teacher was coming for a visit so I know Middle girl will be just as excited. I love that this teacher values the home-school connection and makes such an effort to foster that relationship from the very beginning.

After school yesterday Middle girl had her first gymnastics class of the year. Even with the scraped up knee she did a great job and had a ball. Eldest girl was upset that she was going to have to come and watch because she thought she would be bored. However, once we got there she was enthralled with watching the class and even said it looked more interesting than she had remembered. I had offered to let her try gymnastics again this year - she attended for a few sessions in preschool but gave it up in favor of art classes the last few years. But she insisted that it was Middle girl's "thing" - not hers. Now that she's seen it in action she is actually excited by the idea. I checked with the gymnastics school and found out that there is room in the older kids class that meets at the same time as Middle girl's class. Perfect! I waited until this morning to be sure she wasn't going to change her mind and this morning I will be calling to sign her up as well. I've also decided that in the best interest of everyone's sanity that I am going to cancel the Monday afternoon swim classes. Between work, school and gymnastics once a week I think our plate is full enough. Swim classes might just put me (and them) over the edge. And as depressing as it feels I am going to drop the Y membership as well. I just can't fathom when I will find the time in my schedule for the two hours I need to drive there and back and get in a workout (20 minutes each way, changing, working out, showering and changing again translates to almost 2 hours!). I am going to have to step up my efforts to use my "home gym" of videos and treadmill. I really like the idea of "getting away" to do my workouts but it just isn't in the cards right now.

Off to get showered and dressed and run some errands with Youngest girl. On my list is a big ole box of tissues to get me through this stupid head cold I picked up somewhere. Ugh.

School Begins!

Thursday Eldest girl was off to her first day of third grade. She was excited and happy to be headed off to school again. She was anxious to see her friends and maybe a little nervous about meeting her new teacher. We had been able to ascertain ahead of time that at least two very good friends would be in her class. I think that helped to give her some level of confidence in heading off for her first day.

She had a successful day at school and came home with stories to share of her new teacher, what her classroom is like, where and with whom she sits and all the usual first day kind of stuff. She was allowed to choose where to sit and she is at a desk next to her crush best friend, J, and there is another boy whose name begins with a J who sits on her other side. She found out on the first day that the "other J" likes Harry Potter - so they are off to a good start seeing as she is reading the series again for the third time...

Her second day went as well as her first. She has come home with two practice worksheets for cursive writing and has received 100% on both for her efforts which pleased her to no end. She also said that she was nervous about her teacher but has been pleasantly surprised at how great she is. I had heard mixed reviews on this teacher so far from those "in the know" who had kids in her class and she has a reputation as being a yeller. So far, so good though. And Eldest girl is already aware of the fact that if you follow the rules you'll be fine. She told Middle girl as much at dinner the other night. LOL Eldest girl is very much a "stick to the rules" kind of kid and she is very bright so I think she will get along fine with that teacher (who I have also heard works well with the kids who need/want to be challenged academically).

When did she start looking so grown-up?


Traditional 'first day' picture by the brown-eyed susans.


Picking flowers for her teacher.


Off she goes!


Just for comparison...her Kindergarten picture from 2005!

(I am laughing right now as I realize that she *still* has that Jacket!! It's a little too short on the sleeves but she likes enough that she still wants to wear it!)

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Friday was Middle girl's Kindergarten orientation. I drove her to school at 9am to meet for an hour with her teacher, assistant teacher and a few specialists who will spend some time each day in her classroom (primarily the ESL folks since we have a large spanish-speaking population in our elementary school). She got to check out the layout of the classroom and I also took her on a brief tour of the cafeteria, library, and gym. She is very excited and can't wait for her first real day on Tuesday when she will be able to join Eldest girl on the big yellow school bus.

So big...and yet I still one of my babies. She picked flowers for her teacher, too.


Standing in front of the school.


She found her cubby!


I wanted to get a picture of her with her teacher but she adamantly refused! She is not one to be camera shy so perhaps she was thinking - "enough with the pictures, mom...it's embarrassing!" LOL Or maybe it's just not her style to share the limelight.... ;-)

Middle girl has the same teacher that Eldest girl had for Kindergarten which makes me very happy (especially considering the fact that the other two K teachers are brand new to the school this year and both are very young --- in fact, one is a brand-new grad this year from a local college). She has one boy from preschool in her class - but unlike her big sister she is all about the girlfriends. In fact, we were recently spent some time hanging out with a family that had two boys and she told me before we left, "ya know mom...boys are just not my type." She is very sad that one particular little girl from preschool is not in her class but I'm sure she'll make new friends very quickly with whatever girls are in her class. She met two girls and three boys at the orientation but both girls were extremely shy. Hopefully, Middle girl will befriend them quickly and help them feel more at ease! She had become somewhat of a leader and was more than willing to help the younger kids at preschool last year so I'm thinking those skills will be useful in her new classroom. I know she is going to love school this year!

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As for me - I'm back to work as of this week but it was mainly procedural and planning meetings. Next week I will be visiting at least one classroom where I will be providing assistive technology support/consultation. I met the new SLP in that classroom on Monday at the SPED orientation meeting and she seems great. We are both new to the middle school environment so it will be a challenging year for us both but she seems up to the challenge and I think we'll work well together. Phew.

I have yet to completely figure out what the rest of my weeks are going to look like but I will definitely have enough consulting work to do!! My biggest challenge once I have a more or less set schedule will be to figure out childcare coverage for morning and afternoons. In most cases, I have to juggle an early start day at the middle school or high school I'll be working at with the later bus times of my elementary schoolers and the fact that some of the schools are somewhat far away which means I won't be home right at 3:20 to catch them off the bus! Thankfully, my MIL is around the corner and will be available to help out and Rick will try to work his schedule so that he can do some of the morning or afternoon coverage. We just to get a set schedule worked out so that everyone is on the same page! Ah...the life of a working mom. I'm only part-time but I have a feeling it's not going to seem like part-time once things get rolling!

To add to the crazies I'm also doing some volunteering at the school through the Parent/Guardian Organization (PGO), I'm on a committee at church for Christian Education, and I'm hoping to continue with my weekly knitting group that I joined recently. Oh and how could I forget - Middle girl has one gymnastics class a week after school, and the two older girls are signed up for an 8-week swim class which starts in a couple of weeks.

Let the crazies begin!

12 of 12 - August 2008

It's time for some 12 of 12 fun again!

I assume you know what I'm talking about (if you don't - click here for more info from dear Chad).

This month we are fortunate to have some visiting family who are making a cameo in this month's 12 of 12. Rick's brother and nephew are visiting here from Virginia. Since it was expected to be a rather drizzly gray day we decided to take the kids to a local science museum. So, most of today's photos are from there.

Home
My morning joe in my Curtains mug. The little white things on the counter behind the mug right next to the sink are two ant baits. We are having significant ant issues this year and they are driving me batty!



My current obssession read. Great book - hard to put down. I'm less than 100 pages from finishing this 1000ish page tome.



Springfield Science Museum
10:30am
My three girls and their cousin in front of the huge dino that greets us near the front entrance.


A huge and beautiful Josh Simpson blown glass planet. I have a small one of these that a former boss gave me when I was leaving my job to start graduate school. This one is much bigger! I think mine could be compared to a golf ball and this one is more like a beach ball. They are so amazing - this picture does not do it justice.


The kids putting coins in the big black hole/vortex thing. (Middle girl is not actually picking her nose...).


Grandma was with us on this outing. Here she and Middle Girl are examining part of the dinosaur egg exhibit that was currently on display.


Uncle W, cousin T, Middle girl and Youngest girl checking out the "shake table" that was part of the earthquake exhibit.


Resident Rock Collector (Eldest girl) next to a large amethyst geode. She has had a particular affection for amethyst since finding out it is her birthstone.


A replica wigwam is a great pace for goofing off.


Teapot restaurant - Northampton
The museum was fun but it was time for some food. We went to a great little Japanese/Chinese restaurant where Eldest girl thoroughly enjoyed a plate of beef lo mein.


Youngest girl enjoyed a bit of this and a bit of that (mostly rice, dumplings and scallion pancakes). I'm most including this picture to show her boo-boo chin from Sundays stitches incident (per Tuxbaby's request). It's not much to see because I'm keeping it well protected with a bandage. She's healing quite nicely and by the end of the week they will take out the stitches.


Home again
I'm taking the girls to visit my parents for a few days this week. We are hoping for some good beach weather so we can get one last beach fling in before the weather turns. So, this evening aside from doing my 12 of 12 job I'm also packing up so we can hit the road bright and early tomorrow!

Off I Go!

To my millions of readers who hang on my every word ~
To my four loyal readers who can actually stay awake reading my blog (or maybe just use it as a sleep aid) ~

I will be liberated from my children away for the entire weekend. I am heading into Boston to help my coworker Patty teach a class on AT (assistive technology). She is just about 3 weeks post-op (mastectomy) and needed help with some of the physical demands of the class. So, I'm tagging along to not only help her out but to also get an earful of all there is to know about AT. I'm still in the steep learning curve phase of my re-entry into the working world and so this partnership is the perfect solution. I get the education and she gets a much needed extra pair of hands for the weekend.

I have left Youngest girl with Rick for an overnight or two in the recent past and I've even gotten away all by my big self for a whole day now and again...but to leave all three girls with Rick and be all by myself from Friday morning until Sunday night? That'll be a first. I have never been away from any of my kids for that length of time. So, send along some "be good" vibes to the girls and some sanity vibes for Rick. I'm sure he would appreciate that. Rick has a few plans for the weekend so hopefully I will return on Sunday night and find everyone happy and too busy to have missed me.

Tomorrow is 12 of 12 (see Chad Darnell's blog for more information) and so I'm going to try to take some interesting pictures in Boston - not sure how interesting they will be since I'll be in a lecture hall for most of the day but I'll try to be creative. I won't be able to post them until I get back so you'll just have to be waiting with bated breath for my return. Sorry about that. But, I have a feeling you'll find something to do with your time until I get a chance to post again.

The weather here has been nothing short of spectacular. Yesterday we had a high of about 85 with blue skies and a light but effective breeze. I took Youngest girl on a bike ride on the rail trail and we had a great time. The older girls continue to love, love, love camp. Eldest girl is finally settling in and feeling more secure. At least that is what I chose to believe since she was an emotional wreck each evening after camp right up until last night when she seemed much more mellow and able to deal with life. I swear she keeps all her emotions bottled up tight inside all day long and then lets loose when she walks in the door. I see it at the start of every school year and it seems to be the case with camp as well. She just has such a hard time making the adjustments to new situations and getting to know new people. It's exhausting for her.

Middle girl, by comparison, seems to thrive on those kinds of situations and she comes home bubbly and happy and full of stories from the day.

Sometimes it is hard to believe they are related!

OK, I'm off to finish packing and to get showered and dressed. Try not to miss me too much. I'll be back before you bother to check my blog again know it!

Booty Camp Complete...on to Summer Camp!

Youngest girl is doing her job quite well this last week! She still occasionally needs to be reminded that a trip to the potty would be in everyone's best interest, but she has not had any accidents since I last posted. She's even dry through the night so we've gotten rid of the pull-ups as well. I'm still in awe of just how quickly it all happened. I think she was the easiest to train of all. And I'm thrilled that I can stop carrying a diaper bag and won't need swim diapers in the pool anymore.

In other exciting news, the two older girls started camp today. Middle girl seemed apprehensive last night about going but this morning all was well and she happily climbed aboard the bus. I was afraid I'd have one or both in tears this morning (since Eldest girl seems to have more anxiety issues at times) but it went very well. There was a slight snafu at the bus, however. The bus driver was a substitute and the camp counselor was a newbie - so neither of them knew exactly what was what. But, thankfully there was a veteran camp mom who knew the ropes. There should have been a bus monitor (possibly by the name of Chris) who was supposed to have clipboard in hand to check in the campers and get them loaded on the bus by 8:05am. By 8:15am it was obvious that something was amiss. The veteran mom said that they are usually right on schedule and yet there was no sign of the monitor. She called the YMCA to find out if they knew anything. We finally did get the kids signed in on a makeshift list (created on the back of a High School tardy slip provided by one of the dads) and sent the kids off on the bus with explicit instructions to the sub and the newbie not to let the kids get off the bus without a parent present at the end of the day. I would have been much more concerned about this lack of organization if it were not for the the fact that the veteran mom was there and reassured me that this was not a common occurrence. Let's hope tomorrow bus drop-off is a bit more routine.

While were waiting for the no-show bus monitor to possibly show up and get the show on the road we chatted with some of the other kids and parents. One 8-year-old girl was a familiar face to me, if not to Eldest girl. And her younger sister was familiar to both me and Middle girl. The 8-year-old (L) had gone to preschool with Eldest girl but they didn't remember each other and Middle girl just finished a year of preschool with her sister. I'm hoping that Eldest girl and L will get reacquainted at camp and have fun together. I was also able to introduce Eldest girl to another 8-year-old who was the daughter of the veteran mom. She seemed quite camp savvy, having gone to this camp for the last three years. Eldest girl often has a difficult time meeting new people so I was happy to be able to send her off with two girls who might be able to help her acclimate and learn the ropes. There were no 5-year-olds to introduce Middle girl to but I'm sure she'll make friends in no time.

The girls won't be back from camp until 5:25, which is when the bus arrives back here in town. I'm sure they will be tired but hopefully also happy from a long, fun day at camp! I'll keep you posted.

Lastly, I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the girls in their 4th of July parade costumes.

Last Monday I realized time was getting short and the girls still needed something to wear for the little parade we have every year around the town common. The kids are invited to wear costumes or decorate their bikes and sometimes a family might get ambitious and put together an actual float for the parade (show offs). Sometimes a small band leads the crowd playing patriotic songs and in years past we have also had some mounted police to join our little ragtag parade. After the parade someone reads a portion of the Declaration of Independence and the kids all get prizes for participation. Then folks gather on the common for foot races and other games, as well as free lemonade and watermelon.

For this year's parade the girls wanted to wear costume instead of decorating their bikes and wagon like they did last year. After a brief discussion Eldest girl decided on being an Indian girl (everyone at the parade asked if she was Pocahontas and she was so annoyed because she was just an indian! - the kid needs to lighten up a bit). Middle girl decided to be a 'nature fairy' and although her costume did not end up looking the way I imagined a nature fairy would look she was pleased which is really all that mattered. When we went on our shopping trip to get fabric and patterns we had been unable to decide just what to have Youngest girl wear. In the end we found some simple pieces to put together and made her a hula girl costume. She liked the grass skirt very much, however, it appeared that the concept of 'hula girl' was lost on her. She walked around picking up the grass pieces and letting them fall while chanting "snowing! snowing! snowing!" Ah well - she still looked pretty cute.

In fact they all looked cute, if I do say so myself.

Thank you, Meri

A number of years ago our good friend Meri (or as the kids know her, "Auntie Meri" - which is to differentiate her from "Cousin Meri") bought us a lovely and handy gift - an electric ice cream maker. We have admittedly not used it as often as we would like. Last summer we had every intention of making ice cream and somehow the day-to-day of life got in the way and it never happened. But, we have our dear Meri to thank for the ability to make ice cream on a whim (as long as we have the salt, cream, ice and sugar on hand). And so, yesterday we turned that whim into reality. I sent Rick on an errand to get salt and cream - we already had plenty of sugar and ice and even fresh, sweet strawberries from the farm.

Mixing the ingredients.



Dad explaining the process.


Getting the ice cream maker put together.


Fast forward a few hours later and we had some fabulous homemade dessert.


Thumbs up from Eldest girl!


Middle girls gives it an "almost" thumbs up. This ice cream connoisseur states that the ice cream tasted good but was a "bit too grainy" for her tastes. (We are not exactly sure what made the ice cream a bit 'icy' but we are guessing it was the water content of the very ripe, juicy strawberries...?)


Another positive review from Youngest girl who seemed to think it was good to the very last drop.



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Speaking of Youngest Girl - I was looking at her picture from the trip to the farm and realizing that she could use a bit of a trim. I figured she'd also enjoy having her hair a bit shorter in the heat and humidity. After her bath this morning I took my scissors to her fine, straight locks and this was the result....



It's mostly even - and I didn't even have to use a bowl on her head as a guide.

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In other news on Youngest girl, she has been wearing big girl underwear the last two days. With a modicum of success, I might add. We have had a couple of small accidents and a few tears about not being a "big girl" yet. But, I took my cue from a Today Show segment on a woman who has become known as the Potty Whisperer for her Booty Camp successes (and the fact that she has potty trained her own six kids). The basic concept behind her Booty Camp is to make it the child's responsibility to go on the potty when his/her body says it is time to go. So, I don't ask her if she needs to go, I just give her that "job" to do and make it her responsibility to know when to go. Amazingly enough it seems to be working! (And part of the reason it is working so well is because she really is "ready" on so many levels...she's just been stubborn and I haven't wanted to deal with a fight. This new perspective on potty training removes me as the enforcer which is why I think it works so well for her at this stage of the game.)

Last night she did not even want to change to a diaper at bedtime (great!) but we did wake up in the middle of the night to clean up an accident (not so great, but all part of the process). I think she had been resisting the potty use too much yesterday and thus had the overnight accident and then I put her in a diaper for the rest of the night. Under normal circumstances she has lately been waking up with a dry diaper in the morning but refusing all requests to try using the potty. So, my hope is that once we get the daytime potty use down pat the nighttime use will follow suit pretty quickly. This morning she initially resisted the underwear again. I just reminded her about her new "job" and did not really give her a choice in whether or not to wear underwear. But I did give her a choice of which ones to wear. So, she picked out the pair she wanted and even showed them off to dad once she had them on. I've been giving her plenty of fluids today and she has actually held her pee for quite a long time. I made a couple of references to her 'job' but she has refused all suggestions until recently. After two big cups of milk and one of juice I think it was finally wearing her down. She decided to give it a try and actually peed right away. So far it's been an accident-free day and we are well into the afternoon hours! I might be able to celebrate a diaper-free home soon!

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Or perhaps I'm being too optimistic. As I was writing this post my dearest little one was...ahem...busy in the other room. Just now she walked into the living room with a new pair of underwear in hand and said "I want this pair of underwear." Since she had just peed on the potty a few minutes before I asked for clarification.

"Are you wet?", I asked.

No response.

And then evasion tactic, "I want this pair of underwear."

So, I asked again, this time more clearly "Are you wet? Did you pee in your underwear?"

"No. I have a poop," she answered.

Lovely.

So, we cleaned up her poop and we went over the rules of her new job again. This time making it very clear that proper placement of both pee AND poop fall within her job description.

I have to point out that she actually told me she had a poop. This is a step in the right direction. She never tells me when she poops in her diaper - to the point of outright lying about it when it is quite clear to the entire room, and perhaps the entire house, that there is toxic waste somewhere in the vicinity. She also did not hold it in which seemed like it might become an issue yesterday when it seemed she needed to poop and she was having a bit of a freak-out about the potty. She did not, in fact, poop yesterday aside from a few small pellets. So, she was overdue and I am thankful she is not a 'holder' which can lead to all kinds of bathroom neuroses that I'd like to avoid, thank you very much.

I'm attempting to remain positive here. Work with me people.

Summer is here...

...and with it come the three H's.

Hostility. Horrific boredom*. Hours of togetherness.

The girls are trying to get used to the idea of being home all day long...together. It's not an easy process, but I try to remember that it is a process. One of adjustment and change - not something that has come easy to eldest girl in the past, but which this year is proving to be even harder on middle girl. Maybe it's an age thing - those preschool years can be rough. You hear about two being a terrible time. And you foolishly think that once you get past those terrible twos that you are going to be on easy street. But, then you hit the trying threes and the mumble-fours (I don't dare use that word on such a family-friendly site). Middle girl seemed to sail through the two's and three's and the attitude and the boundary-pushing didn't rear its ugly head fully until four. She is nearing six and we don't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel. Except in our own little minds where the mantra that continues to hold is: this too shall pass...eventually.

Middle girl is usually, well....in the middle of the fights that have been popping up like a plague of weeds in a well-tended garden. The general chorus of the day is middle girl arguing that her little sister is taking toys away from her, following her around too much or making annoying noises
or that her big sister refuses to play with her and thus she has 'nothing to doooooo.' (Can you just feel the whine in the last part of that sentence?) The eldest and youngest have had their squabbles too, but those seem to be far fewer in number.

This weekend we tried to keep them busy - on Saturday, an afternoon trip to the site of their summer camp experience where we explored the grounds and went swimming, and on Sunday a trip to the movie theater to see Kung Fu Panda (very cute movie, btw) and a game of Monopoly (our latest family craze). There were times they were asked to 'find something to do' because I am not the parent who tries to fill her children's every waking hour with non-stop entertainment. I'm one of those mean moms who actually makes them go play with a room full of toys or enjoy a bit of fresh air and sunshine in our big grassy backyard complete with kiddie pool and wooden play structure - along with the toads, interesting bugs and butterflies. Personally, I want need some time now and again to get stuff done and have a bit of a break. But lately those "breaks" are frequently punctuated by repeated shrieks of "OW! stop it!" and "leave me alone!" and a variety of tattletale phrases.

I do realize this is the transition time between school and summer. A time that I have increasingly dreaded ever since eldest girl started going to school. Once they get into a rhythm things do go a lot smoother, but right now they need a constant referee to their insanity and I'm just ready to throw my striped shirt and whistle in the trash and head for the hills... Or maybe I should just follow Susan's advice and start my day with one of these (she emailed and let me know that they are great for brunch...how early can I realistically start my day and still call it brunch?) and a say a prayer that I can survive this latest transition.

After all, summer doesn't last forever...right?

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*The phrase "Horrific boredom" is a relative term which is defined in different ways by the author and her offspring.

Museum Day

Monday was Park Day here in Elastic Waistland.

Monday night into Tuesday A had her first ever overnight playdate with a friend. It went surprisingly well and we were all very proud of her accomplishment! Tuesday morning R had her 8-year check-up and was deemed hale and hearty - aside from a pesky sinus infection that doesn't seem to want to go away and for which she is now on her second round of antibiotics. After the appointment we picked up A from her friend's house, ran a couple of errands and then came home and enjoyed another beautiful afternoon outside.

Yesterday, we decided to venture a bit farther afield and drive into Boston to visit the Children's Museum. Rick took the day off from work and we got on the road at about 9am. We planned to arrive in the city in time for lunch and then hit the museum in the afternoon. It turned out to be a great day and the girls had a lot of fun. The museum was pretty packed and so it was an exhausting day from the perspective of two parents trying to keep tabs on three kids - in particular the 2-year-old who thought of the museum as her own personal playground in which she could wander at will. At the end of the day Rick commented on how hard it is being outnumbered in that kind of situation.

Before our departure I had researched possible eateries. The museum is kind enough to list a few choices on their website and an overview map showing locations. Once we got the car parked at one of the recommended parking lots we were able to quickly find a restaurant that sounded like it would be fun and offer food that would be amenable to the younger set as well as the parents.




A view of Boston with the yellow and red striped tent of the Barking Crab restaurant at the bottom.

Rick and I thoroughly enjoyed our crab cakes (he got the sandwich with fries and I ordered the appetizer version and a salad). The girls each got a cheeseburger and fries and although they thought the fries were awesome (they were!), they were less than impressed by the burgers - I think because they had that charcoal/blackened flavor to them. Sitting outside under that big tent with a view of the harbor and the city in the background was a great way to start the day in the city! And it was great that the museum was located just a short walk down the street along a pedestrian walkway.

Inside the museum the girls had fun doing all sorts of activities: rock-wall climbing, construction play zone, guided tour of a real Japanese house, playing with bubbles, water play with rubber duckies, slides, dancing on a lighted dance floor, and much more. At the end of the day A reported liking the dance floor and the water play, R liked "everything", and E just repeated whatever her big sisters said.

Here are a few choice photos of the day:

Construction zone

Rock Wall and Dance Floor (both located in the "kid power" area that encourages an active lifestyle and healthy eating)







Water Play



All told we spent about 3 hours in the museum and at that point E was feeling a bit of sleep-deprivation psychosis. She had not napped the previous day and this was a long day of fun and exploration. She managed to make it back to the car without falling asleep but as soon as she was comfy in her car seat being lulled by the sounds of the engine she settled in for a bit of a much needed and well-deserved nap. The girls watched a movie to pass the time (they had watched a Barbie movie on the way out - A's choice - and "A Bug's Life" on the way home - R's choice) and we arrived home in time to pick-up a pizza to eat at home for dinner.

It was a great way to spend the vacation "hump day" - hard to believe that it's already Thursday. The week is just flying by!

This morning we had a play date with one of A's preschool buddies who has a sister who is the same age as E (and whose name is very similar - one letter difference!). The girls - all five of them - played beautifully together and the mom and I chatted about this and that and talked some shop (we are both Speech-Language Pathologists). Right now, E is napping and the girls are keeping themselves entertained. Not sure what's on the docket for tomorrow but it is supposed to be another beautiful 75 degree day so I know we can figure out something to keep us busy!