Sunday, September 30, 2012

Company Picnic

The company Gus works for is celebrating their tenth anniversary this year, and they decided that this was grounds for a party. Fine by me! They planned a fantastic "family picnic" for today. We actually weren't sure if it would still happen, since it was raining up to (and during) the event, but they did rent a tent to cover the food/eating area. That, and most of the employees are originally from Holland, so they are a group that is accustomed to picnicking in rainy and cold weather, haha!

Anyway, despite it being in the 50s and raining much of the afternoon, we had a great time! They had a bounce house, which the kids were supposed to jump on before eating lunch, but it sort of became a lake, with all the rain water. Not fun! So everyone huddled under the tent until the food was ready, and then we ate. After that, we were surprised to learn that they had planned a "Pumpkin hunt"-- basically, an Easter egg hunt with a Halloween theme. They provided the kids with little Halloween buckets, and set them free to find as many pumpkins-filled-with-candy-and-toys as they could. So much fun! Nikos did pretty well, if you couldn't tell by the look on his face!
Later, we got to see and pet some animals! Gus had told his coworker (the one planning the picnic) about the group that came to visit our campground over the summer. She ended up calling the company and booking them. It was a huge hit! Everyone was very interested in the animals (even the adults), and it was perfect, since we were still stuck under the tent. We got to meet a bearded dragon, a leopard gecko, a chinchilla, a degu, a hedgehog, a porcupine, and an alligator! And yes, pictures were taken! Of course!
After that, the kids jumped like crazy in the semi-dry bounce house (someone found a large blanket in their car and did their best to wipe it off). And then it was time to go. I snapped this quick picture from the car as we drove home. Not all the leaves are turning yet, but our town seems to have more patches of fall foliage than the other ones around us. It is SO pretty! I can't wait for it to hit its peak!
Once we got home, Maya's voice got progressively raspier, and she was looking very tired. She felt a little warm, so she took some acetaminophen. She also developed a nasty little cough. Her buddy, Paige, had croup last week, and this seems like it might be a form of that. She actually wanted to go to bed early tonight, and is currently all snuggled in with her humidifier on full blast. I really hope she sleeps well and feels better in the morning! Sick Maya is really the sweetest, saddest thing you will ever see. Poor baby girl!
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On an unrelated note, I wanted to share this picture from yesterday. Our town had a Festival of Forgotten Arts. It was very nearly rained out, and it was pretty chilly out there on the town common, but we went for a little bit. We saw bees making honey, people spinning wool into yarn, an old apple grinder/cider-making-thing, people making scarecrows, etc. My mommy friend who has her own cake/cupcake business was there, so we chatted and got some cupcakes. And we bought local honey (REALLY local... from here in town). And Nikos wanted to sit on the tractor, of course. Who wouldn't??
And that was our weekend. It ended with a sickie, but it was a great weekend nonetheless. We are fully enjoying our first fall in New England!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Just Photos!

These are from my "little" camera over the past few days. We've been busy!! :)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Apple Picking!

It's been a busy few days! Gus' parents arrived yesterday morning, surprising the kids before they left for preschool. They were beside themselves! And then, while they were at preschool, our local landscaping company came by to "install" some plants we bought. They also cleaned up and re-mulched our front flower beds, so we are all set for the upcoming winter and spring. Super exciting! I love our new trees, and can't wait to watch them grow over the years!
After preschool, we all went to lunch at Friendly's (of course) and then spent the afternoon relaxing at home. Everyone was tired, so it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

This morning consisted of dance class (which Maya's entire entourage attended), followed by lunch, followed by apple-picking at a local orchard. It was a lot of fun, and I am sure we will be back again soon! The trees were big, the apples were crisp and sweet, and it wasn't too crowded, since it was a weekday. I took a ridiculous amount of pictures! But, without further ado, here are some. They are pretty self-explanatory!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

The Planetarium

I haven't updated the blog in a few days, mostly because I've been super busy! I hosted a party here yesterday, which lasted most of the day. Which meant that I spent most of the day Friday preparing for said party. And then, Friday evening, I went to the newcomer's wine and cheese event for the club I just joined (which was really fun, and I enjoyed meeting all these ladies! lots of potential new friends there, plus I handed out my business card to quite a few people!). I also had two photo shoots last week, plus preschool, plus dance class, plus watching a friend's son, and so on... And did I mention that Nikos had a stomach bug earlier this week? I am EXHAUSTED! And I feel like this is just the beginning. Things seem to be speeding up, now that fall is here!

Speaking of which... I took this yesterday. Most of the trees here are still green, but random ones here and there have started to change-- like this one maple in our yard (which is still mostly green, except for a few branches). Our back yard is going to be spectacular soon! I can't wait! I also booked us a quick overnight trip up to Stowe, Vermont in a couple weeks-- right at the peak of "leaf peeping" time. So excited!
Anyway... Today was a family day. I asked the kids what they wanted to do, and Nikos instantly said that he wanted "to go to a planetarium." They had never been to one before, but "planetarium" was apparently the Word of the Day on Nick Jr. yesterday (or sometime recently). As it turns out, the children's science museum where we are members happens to have a planetarium. Admission to that is extra, so we had never done it. But they are also offering half-price tickets for the month of September. AND they have a show in there specifically for the preschool/kindergarten crowd. It was perfect! And it started at one o'clock, so we wolfed down some lunch and headed over there. The kids loved every second. It was a major hit!

After that, we did the usual... explored, played around with stuff, etc. I took pictures. As I said-- the usual!
Oh, and there were a ridiculous amount of wild turkeys in the parking lot, which I took a picture of. Little did I know I would see like three more flocks driving around our town in the afternoon. I nearly ran some of them over, there were so many! Crazy! And it also made me kind of hungry for Thanksgiving dinner, which I realize is sort of sick, ha!
And then we ran a few errands, which were less exciting to the kids but kind of thrilling for me. We bought a pretty fall wreath for our front door. It made me happy! And we bought some groceries, which were less exciting but still pretty important!

Then we relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon. Maya fell asleep on the couch.
Nikos and I drove over to his t-ball coach's restaurant to pick up the sweatshirt he earned for selling all his raffle tickets back in June (yes, it has taken this long!). He adores his coach, and the guy is really good with the kids, so it was fun. And Nikos loves his new sweatshirt! He wouldn't try it on, though, saying he is going to save that for a windy day. haha!

Anyhow, it was a nice day, but I am still wiped out. I just finished a cup of chai tea with honey, and think it might be time to get in bed and read my book. This week is bound to be just as busy, if not busier, than the last! Stay tuned! Tuesday should be especially exciting, haha!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dancing

I don't have any photos to post today, but just wanted to share how well our tiny dancer did in her class this morning! The past two Wednesdays, Maya has sort of stood-and-observed for a good portion of dance class, usually opening up and participating close to the end of the lesson. Today, though, she was ready from the get-go! She did SO well, and I was so proud of her! She listened to her teachers, and really did her best to copy their moves and do what they said. I might even go so far to say that she was one of the star pupils today! She didn't just copy their moves; she did it with style! I love that kid!

Anyway, I think that her first day of preschool was similar... She can be very shy when put into a new situation, but she is VERY observant. She told me about everything they did at preschool yesterday, but Nikos told me that she sat and watched pieces of it (as opposed to participating). Tomorrow is day two of preschool, and I really hope she continues to open up! I want them to see the Maya we know and love at home-- a total sweetheart who is so full of happiness and has a total zest for life! I can't wait to get the full report!

On a completely different front... my photography business is gradually starting to take off here! I offered a bunch of free sessions to people I know, and it's starting to snowball. I am also putting together an auction item for a pricey private preschool not too far from here. Things are really coming together, and I couldn't be more thrilled! :)

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

First Day of Preschool!

Today, BOTH my babies went to preschool. It was threatening to rain, so I dragged them outside the house for a few quick photos before we left...
Gus stayed home long enough so that we could both take them to school and get them settled. It didn't take much! Nikos was, of course, familiar with all the routines. And Maya knew pretty much what it would be like, since she came with me to drop Nikos off all the time last year.

First, they went and found their hooks in the coatroom. I was surprised that Nikos didn't comment on the fact that his new hook is in a different spot than it was last year. I think he was too excited to notice/care, haha!
After that, they put their name cards in the bucket (their way of "signing in") and picked an area to play in (that's what they do until all the kids arrive, then they have circle time). Nikos was so cute, wanting to show Maya everything! They ended up deciding to color at one of the fine motor tables. Nikos even handed Maya a crayon (purple, her favorite color!) which she then traded in for yellow.
At that point, after playing paparazzi in the preschool, Gus and I said our goodbyes and left. They didn't even give us a second glance! I knew they would have a great time. :)

And then I had free time. FREE. TIME. Two and a half hours of it. So I did what anyone would do, and went to get a haircut. I tried out the place across the street from us, and was very pleased. I will definitely go back! I think I lost about two pounds of hair today (literally). My head feels so ridiculously light-- I love it!

I picked the kiddos up right before lunch, and they were all smiles. Nikos was thrilled that the teacher picked him to put today's date on the calendar during circle time ("Today is Tuesday, September 18th," he informed me). Maya said her favorite part of the day was snack time, which is not surprising. Our baby girl must have her daddy's metabolism, because she eats and eats and eats, and is still a tiny little thing! But all in all, they both had a great day. They were talking about it all afternoon!

Now, it's time for bed, and it's pouring rain outside. Here's hoping that we don't lose power! Some people in the state already have... ugh!!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Happy Birthday to our favorite nephew/cousin!

I can't believe the little man is two today! The kids wanted to make a movie for their cousin, so here it is (yes, they are still in their jammies... this was recorded at 7:30am!). We wish we could be there to celebrate this weekend!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Summer is back!!

Earlier this week, it felt like fall had arrived. And while I am really looking forward to our first fall in New England, and everyone tells me how amazing it will be, the calendar still says it's summer! I didn't want to lose out on the last week of shorts-and-flip-flops weather!

Anyway, I had sort of resigned myself to the fact that it might be over. It was crisp outside. I was burning an apple-scented candle. Maya was even insisting on wearing footie pajamas (which are adorable, but definitely not summer-y)!...
And then, today, summer came back! It was gorgeous! Close to 80 degrees, a gentle breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. And, wouldn't you know, the plans we originally had today were canceled! It was a sign! So we had a lazy morning inside as I cleaned the house, but as soon as lunch was over, we went outside and stayed there!

When we were visiting the puppies the other day, Lydia (the little girl who is Nikos' age) showed Nikos how she takes her ride-on toys to the top of their grassy slope and rolls down. It hit me-- we have a Cozy Coupe that hadn't been used since we moved here. And a much bigger slope, haha! So the kids and I played around with it, and figured out how high up the slope they could start while still safely rolling to a stop before the drop-off. We even found a little clover patch that was designated "the launch pad." And that was all they needed from me! They dragged the car up and rolled down for hours, taking turns and having a great time. It was like sledding, without the snow! I wish I had thought of it sooner! They roll down fast enough for it to be exciting, but slow enough that it really doesn't have me worried. Perfect!
They would occasionally take breaks to go on the swings (which is where I got this next picture, obviously), but they would always go back to the Cozy Coupe!
We went back inside for a while, once the kids started complaining they were hot. But before dinner, they begged to go out again. And the lighting had changed, which gave me good practice playing with the sunflare!
And, I totally bribed them to sit together, because I loved this lighting. I promised I would push them on the swings. It worked, hehe!
Anyway, it was a lovely last taste of summer, and I am so glad we were able to enjoy it! Fall will be here before we know it!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Puppies!!!

We went to visit the puppies today! My friend, Ashley, bred her Great Danes, and the puppies are a few weeks old now. They are beyond adorable! There are eleven of them, all with such different markings. I photographed them for her, so she can use the photos to help find them all homes. I won't share all the photos, just the one of my favorite little girl. She was the sweetest (and smallest). It's really too bad that we don't have a fence here, or I would be seriously tempted to bring this one home!
Anyway, the kids were very hesitant about seeing the puppies, at first. They are scared of dogs, which I have never really understood. But I didn't force them to come down to the basement to see them. Maya decided she would go with me, as long as I held her, and then she felt much more comfortable once she saw that they were contained in their box. Nikos eventually came down, too, to check them out.
Later on, after lunch, we played outside. Ashley brought the puppies out one at a time for their little photo sessions, haha! And Nikos and Maya started getting closer and closer to us. My children suddenly couldn't get enough of the puppies! I actually had to tell them to STOP petting the pups so I could get my pictures. But it was awfully sweet!
Speaking of sweet... Look at this face! They had a huge old cardboard box in their yard that had been made into a playhouse. Maya liked it, of course!
And then we all went on the swings. There were five kids and only four swings, so the three bigger kids took turns on the two big-kid swings. When it wasn't Nikos' turn, we looked over to see him pushing Lydia (who is his age). Awwww...
And Lydia apparently thought Nikos was pretty cool, because she kept trying to plant kisses on him when we were getting ready to go. I just barely caught this one on camera. haha!! His face cracks me up!
Anyway, we had a lot of fun, and I think everyone will sleep well tonight.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Day at the Fair!

I am tired! We've had a fun weekend around these parts, first with Farm Day, and now the fair! A nearby town hosts this pretty impressive fair every September, and I am so glad we were able to make it there to check it out.

A huge portion of the fair is dedicated to the agricultural competitions, so the first thing we did was go and visit all the animals. The pigs were MASSIVE! Yes, there were plenty of other animals, but I had never seen such enormous pigs before. The rabbits, too, were fun-- so many different types, some with really interesting "hairstyles." The kids seemed to enjoy the animals, though were were constantly on poop alert (there were landmines everywhere!). Fortunately, everyone's shoes remained clean. Whew!

It was only a matter of time, though, before Maya became insistent that we go on the ferris wheel RIGHT AWAY. This was what she had been looking forward to all morning-- her first ferris wheel experience. Nikos was adamant that ferris wheels were too high and too scary, and there was no way that he would go on it. No way, no how, got gonna happen. But then he did! And he had a great time!

On the midway, en route to the ferris wheel. I have no idea why Nikos is making that face, but it cracks me up!
Me and my favorite little girl, on the ferris wheel:
The view from the top. Just like in our town, we were surrounded by forest! So pretty!
Nikos and Gus at the top of the ferris wheel. He looks miserable, huh?
After the ferris wheel, both kids were suddenly very enthusiastic about the other rides! We walked around the kiddie rides, and they both declared that they wanted to ride the motorcycles. And they LOVED it! I think this ride was the biggest hit of the day. Gus and I were cracking up, watching their delighted faces as they went around.
We told them they could pick one more ride after that, and they chose the "flying" helicopters and boats. We had to wait for the operator to come back, though, and I thought I would take a quick pic of them standing together. Only Nikos started doing a robot dance. Of course! haha!
The guy did eventually come back, and they chose to ride together in the blue boat with the "robot head" on the front (according to Nikos). Silly faces!
And that was it, for the rides. We bypassed all the scary fried foods (fried oreos! steak on a stick! etc.) and bought a small bag of fresh cotton candy for the kids to try. Yes, it is pure sugar... but the kids had been asking about it after they read about it in one of Maya's books. And it was a fun treat. Maya, in particular, was a fan!
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and the kids are already asking when the next fair will be. Quite a change, considering Nikos didn't even want to go this morning! haha!