First Camping Trip of 2014

And we had a fantastic time! I really think we are hitting our "camping stride" this summer, if there is such a thing. I packed everything so much more efficiently, and even had the foresight to pack a small tub of JUST stuff for the kids to do (activity books and pencils/crayons, bubbles, catch games, cards, glow sticks, etc.). It was PERFECT, but I will go into that more in a minute. I also think our kids are old enough now where they can entertain themselves pretty well, and aren't as needy 24/7. It's a good place to be in!

Anyway... We arrived at the campground right around 1pm on Friday, which is when people are allowed to check in. We drove to our site, and it was everything we had hoped for!! Every time we had stayed at this campground, we had tried to figure out which sites had direct lake access. We had it narrowed down to several, and this particular site was available when we went to book a camping trip back in early February. And we hit the jackpot! The site was very private, nicely laid out, close to the bathrooms that have the SHOWERS (yay! camping with showers is SO NICE!), and had direct access to the lake! Even better, we had a little path that led from our side over to one of the swimming beaches. It was just awesome! We will never stay in another site there again, this one was so great! I made a little video tour, if you want to see.

We were also blessed with the best weather we have ever had on a camping trip! Low 80s, low humidity, a gentle breeze and zero rain. A miracle! We got our site set up quickly, and were able to get down to the important stuff: swimming, fishing, exploring, and enjoying campfire time!

That night, the kids went to bed pretty much as soon as it was dark-- so a little after 9. We wanted to try and keep them up later in hopes that they'd sleep in (yeah, right!!), but they were very eager to go to bed in the tent. We followed them to bed pretty quickly, since the campfire died early. And it was a rough night of sleep for me-- it was colder than it has ever been for us on a camping trip, and I was having trouble sleeping. AND we had forgotten to take our trash bag to the dumpster, and heard something getting into it in the middle of the night. Gus shined a light out and saw that it was a skunk! And, in his half-asleep state, he couldn't believe that I thought we should just leave it alone and let it have the trash if it wanted, haha!! As it was, it only nibbled a small hole in the bag and licked a chocolate chip granola bar wrapper. It was far better than being sprayed!!!! (and yes, Gus agreed with me in the morning that leaving it alone was the right choice... ha!)

I did eventually fall into a nice, deep sleep... But the next morning was brutal! Niko was up by 6. He woke us up by announcing that he needed to get dressed. Why? Because he was embarrassed to go outside in his jammies. Oh yeah, and by the way, he needed to go to the bathroom. BADLY. Like RIGHT NOW. Including #2 (which ruined my initial plan of having him just pee on a tree). So Gus took him down to the bathroom, while Maya climbed into our bed and snuggled with me.

Once the boys were back, Gus climbed back in bed and we told the kids to keep themselves occupied, because we weren't done sleeping (TRUTH!)! Maya went out and dragged the tub of kid activities (which they dubbed the "fun bin") inside the tent. They did, in fact, keep themselves occupied for another hour or so, before they came and began petitioning for breakfast. I had to laugh when I looked at their end of the tent and saw this mess:

But, despite the rude awakening at ungodly hours, we had a great day! Lots more fishing, swimming, and general family togetherness. And more gorgeous weather! We capped off the evening with a guided hike around the park, pizza cooked over the campfire (too smoky-- probably won't repeat that), s'mores, and ghost stories. The kids were in bed by 10pm. And they were exhausted (just look at Maya's face in the last picture!).

On the second morning, they let us sleep until just after 7. Better, though not great, haha! Their sleep was interrupted (for the second night in a row) by both of them sliding off of their air mattresses and getting tangled in their sleeping bags (nothing dangerous or anything-- just a mess). I had noticed a bobbing pink light coming from their end of the tent sometime after midnight, and recognized it as Maya's glow stick. I heard a lot of rustling and some muttering, so I went to see what the problem was. Maya looked up at me, all tangled, trying to investigate the scene with her glow stick, and said (in her sweet voice), "I just can't seem to get this figured out..." haha!!!!! She is the cutest! But I got them both straightened around, and vowed to get cots before our next trip (ordered them this morning!). And then I slept.

Our last day was a busy one, as it always is, since we had to get everything packed up. But we have gotten pretty efficient at that, too-- we were done with time to spare. So the kids got to fish some more before we left, which they loved! I forgot to mention that Niko finally learned to cast off on his own this weekend. I took lots of videos-- and most of his casts went farther than this one, but this one had the most immediate fish-nibbles! Niko caught a total of 5 fish, while Maya caught 1. All six fish were returned to their home in the pond, to be caught another day by someone else! :)

And that was our camping trip! We all had a lot of fun, and agreed that a big part of it was due to our campsite and its proximity to the things we wanted to do the most (fishing, swimming). Sleep was lacking, especially for the kids, and it was evident right away yesterday that Niko was NOT a happy camper. At all. Both kids went to bed nearly an hour earlier than usual at home, after they had showered and taken doses of Benadryl to combat the itchiness of their numerous and inevitable mosquito bites. And, I am pleased to report that Niko slept until after 8am this morning, and was a new child!!! Sleep worked wonders, as it often does. Hallelujah!

We ran a ton of errands this morning, and purchased some things for our next camping trip coming up in less than two weeks, but we also managed to find time to go swimming at Caryn's. Niko wanted me to take a video of him jumping off the side of the pool. He really is becoming amazingly confident in the water-- I love it! On the docket for tomorrow: more summer fun (swimming at another friend's house) and a birthday celebration for a certain husband. It should be a hot, but beautiful, day! :)

Strawberries!

We actually went strawberry picking yesterday morning, but I didn't have time to post about it until now. In honor of our anniversary, Gus left work early and we went out to dinner and a movie-- as a family! It was very nice. And it made sense to spend the evening with the most obvious products of our nine years of marriage! We saw "How to Train Your Dragon 2," which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a lovely evening!

However, we spent yesterday morning outside in the blazing sunshine, picking about seven pounds of berries (I made them stop after that, knowing full well that I would need to process all the fruit!). We went with Caryn and her kids, as usual... this is our third year picking berries there together. Crazy how the time flies!

Fast forward to today... it was hot and humid and thunderstorm-y. I had to back out of a playdate at the park because I had so much packing, shopping, and food preparation to do for our camping trip tomorrow. The kids swam outside in our tiny pool and had a great day, but I am exhausted!!!!! Our weekend should be great, though. Stay tuned for lots of pictures! :)

Nine Years!

I remember it like it was yesterday! Our wedding day was truly one of the happiest days of our lives. Probably THE happiest, even! Our kids being born would be the most amazing two days of our lives, but they were also filled with uncertainty and major abdominal surgery. So, while they were happy in their own ways, they probably wouldn't qualify as "the happiest." Nope-- that would be our wedding. Hours of dancing (Greek and American), free-flowing beer, wine, and champagne, and friends and family who traveled from near and far to celebrate. I loved our wedding from that very day, and the memories haven't faded. NINE YEARS!!!! (and almost 16 years of togetherness) I picked a good one, yay!!!! :)

Little Swimmer!

So... I have been anxious about swimming at Caryn's house, ever since they opened their pool for the year. We went to a pool party a few weeks ago, and Niko was initially nervous that he wouldn't remember how to swim... and this led to a brief "freak out" moment. Then, he had to be coaxed into the water at his friend Connor's house... but they have a lovely in-ground pool that is much shallower on one end (he could walk in). Caryn's pool, however, is a typical above-ground pool (the most popular type in New England, because of the freezing winters). It's the same depth all over, and Niko can't touch the bottom anywhere except for the steps. So... yeah. I was nervous! I was afraid he would freak out again!

Instead, the boy suddenly seemed to remember everything, and channeled his inner fish. He did so great! He was swimming all over, and diving under to inspect the pool bottom. I was so proud! But I was never more proud than when he finally conquered his fear and jumped off the side of the pool... over, and over, and over!!! He loved it! We have entered a new era, people!

Maya had a great time, too, once she got used to the water. I really need to take her swimming a bunch over the next week or so, since we have lessons beginning on July 7th! I can't have her clinging to me!

Anyway, that was our afternoon, followed by karate class. The morning, however, was also interesting! I dropped the kids off at Miranda's house and went to chat with Niko's principal about my life plans. I've become friendly with her over the year through my PTO involvement, and had some questions for her. Basically, I was interested in becoming a paraprofessional (aide) when Maya goes into first grade. The principal talked me out of it, though, saying that subbing was a much better route for me. And she said she would get my sub application pushed through, since the district has an official stance of not accepting new subs. So, it was a really great meeting! I am so glad I was able to go in and talk with her, and get her insight on the district's hiring practices. One more year. This will be good!

A Story, by Niko

I just love this story that Niko wrote. I've been having the kids write in journals since Friday, and he's finally starting to get into it. It makes me so happy! Maya loves writing in her journal, though I generally write the words for her (and then she traces over them). Niko, however, writes completely on his own. I am going to type out his story below, exactly as he wrote it in the journal (including misspellings and other errors). NOT BAD for a kindergartener, if I do say so myself! :)

Niko wishes that he can be a dino. He would be a Spinosaurus. He likes t-rexes better, but he was playing with his dino toys.

So one night I saw the first star. I wished I could be a dinosaur. I did not tell anybody my wish so it could come true.

And it did he had sharp claws. he had sharp teeth. and he was 4000000 feet tall. and his eyes were brite blue and his body was yellow, and he had a red spine.

Niko's mom was creept out. She never saw him like a dino. She did not like him like a dino. So She told him

look for the first star

I dont want to!

You have to

Ok I said.

And I did.

He saw the first star. He did not want to, But he had to. So he did. He made his wish.

He was himself agin. All the bad stuff was gon. His mom was happy. He had fun being a dino. But he liked being Niko more. So he was happy.

The End

We Visited Ramzi!

Massachusetts geography is a funny thing. I feel like people in California will drive long distances to hang out for a day-- like the two hours from Los Angeles to San Diego, for example. It happens a lot. California is a big state-- driving long distances is par for the course! Massachusetts, however, is a small state. I can drive 30 minutes north or south and be in an entirely different state. Boston is just over an hour to the east, and Albany, New York is two hours west. Like I said: small state. And yet people don't drive all over! They just DON'T. People live for years in the same town, and have never even heard of similar small towns just a few miles away. WEIRD!

However, we have sort of fallen prey to this mentality. One of Gus' OLDEST friends moved to Boston for law school, and has since gotten married, had two kids, and lives in Wellesley. Which might as well be Timbuktu! We see them maybe once a year. We might as well live in different states. But we drove to their place today, and it was almost exactly an hour. That's IT! You can drive for that long in Los Angeles and still be in Los Angeles, haha!! It's pretty bad. We need to see them more often, that's all there is to it!

Anyway... Gus and Ramzi have known each other since middle school. They were friends through most of college, and Ramzi was a groomsman at our wedding (9 years ago this Wednesday!). He has a very sweet 2.5-year-old daughter, Sammy, and a smiley, squishy baby boy named Will who I briefly considered stealing today... He is so cute! We had a great time catching up with them, and the kids got along decently well, considering their age differences. All in all, a success!

Summer School?

So last night, it hit me that I had a workbook somewhere in the house... Summer Bridge Activities for kids who have just finished kindergarten. But where was it? I looked all over, but couldn't find it. In the process of digging around, though, I found all sorts of other things. Leveled reading books that Niko hadn't read yet. Books of science experiments and art projects. All sorts of books by authors that were on Niko's summer reading list. All kinds of educational games. So I started pulling these things out, thinking it would be fun to use some of them this summer. I have no plan to torture my kids all summer or anything, but I also want them to stay sharp, you know? With Niko, in particular, I worry about his handwriting... it has improved SO MUCH over the year, and I am already seeing it start to slide again. Not good!!

Anyway, I remembered where the workbook was this morning (the laundry room, of course. ha!). And the kids and I got to talking about it. They liked the idea of "Summer Fun School" (their name for it!). We made a sign of the things they need to do every day. Niko will do a page or two in his workbook, and Maya will go through the sight word flashcards. Both kids have journals, and they will each write in them every day (I am REALLY pushing this with Niko, for his handwriting more than anything else!). And then we will read-- Niko will read me a book every day, and I will read to both kids (nothing new there-- I do that every day). And they can play games. And I will periodically toss in a science experiment or art project, both things they love! So, that's our big plan for Summer Fun School. Niko is already excited to get up and do his workbook pages in the morning. I kid you not!

When we aren't doing this stuff (in other words: most of the time), we have big plans to have fun! We went out to lunch today, and came home to play in the baby pool. Our original plans to go swimming at Caryn's house were scrapped when her son woke up with a fever of 103. So, we will swim there soon. But the baby pool was more than adequate for having some fun at our own house!

We also made a "Summer Bucket List" of things we want to do this summer. We're still adding to it, but it includes things like picking strawberries and blueberries, going camping, fishing from the canoe, and going to the drive-in. All things that are totally doable, but it's nice to have them all written out so that we don't forget. And both kids are also begging for a slumber party with friends, so... we'll see. I need to pick the friends, haha!

Summer, here we come! :)

Niko's Last Day

Sing it with me: SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!! We made it! I officially have an almost-first-grader and an almost-kindergartener. It seems crazy to me. But Niko has had a wonderful year, and we are so proud of all the growth he has made academically, physically, emotionally, everything! Our big boy!

And, just for comparison... I found his journal tonight, while digging around for some things I was to use this summer (I am a teacher, after all!). He wrote in this last spring/summer, and I remember being so amazed by it. But I want to share a picture of some of his writing, side-by-side with writing he did on a recent homework packet. What an amazing year this has been!

Meanwhile... our little girl continues to amaze us with her own growth! She has been really interested in writing lately, and her handwriting and spelling have been improving by leaps and bounds. She is SO ready for kindergarten! I can't wait to see where she is in a year!

Also, I did a little interview with her a few days ago, much like I did with Niko before he started kindergarten. I wanted to do it while he was still in school, since I KNEW he would interrupt Maya when she was trying to answer. So, without further ado-- Maya's Pre-Kindergarten Interview! As tomorrow is our first official day of summer vacation, we have big plans to have lunch at our favorite seasonal restaurant here in town, followed by swimming at Caryn's house. To quote The Lego Movie (which the kids got today as a little gift): "Everything is awesome!!!" :)

What Does the Fox Say?

I can't believe I forgot to share this story!!

So, Maya and I were outside while Niko was at school-- it was on Monday, I think. Maya was scouring the grass, trying to find the plastic nosepiece to a glider that Niko had lost on Sunday. Suddenly, I heard a weird noise. It was sort of a coughing/barking/snuffling sound, and it was close by. My gut told me it was a fox. I told Maya to come get on the deck, and she did. And, as she was walking up the steps, a large red fox walked right across the far corner of the yard!!! I was stunned! It was not even 2pm. I'm sure it's probably the same fox who took Hanky, and he/she was coming back to see if we had more chickens. All the more reason to make sure the new coop area is completely secure before getting more chickens. Yikes!!

Anyway... I've been paranoid ever since then, wondering what creatures may be lurking in the dense forest surrounding our yard. The raspberries are going to be ripe soon-- I really hope we can pick them without being scared of animals inside the bushes. ack!!!

But yes... fast-forward to today... it was another warm one! We actually had rain overnight, and there was a cool breeze today, so it was much more comfortable. But still definitely warm. We started our morning by heading over to the school and dropping Niko off so that he could participate in their annual Literacy Parade. Every student at the school had to read a book and, depending on their grade level, do some sort of project (the kindergarteners all made hats). The parade was in the morning, which meant that the afternoon kindergarteners had the option of participating. But I wanted to see! And some of his buddies went, so everyone was happy! Here's our boy, with his "The Story About Ping" hat (and holding the book given to me on my 6th birthday by my aunt Stacy, according to the inscription!)

When we got back from the parade, we still had another hour before Niko needed to eat lunch and start getting ready for school. And he had been begging me to set up the slip-n-slide, so I did. He didn't use it for long, but he had fun with it nonetheless!

Later, once Niko had gone to school and I had finished running errands (putting together gifts for the classroom aides and bus drivers), Maya wanted to do some bird-watching...

And that was basically our day! Tomorrow is Niko's last day of school, and then summer begins! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun in the Sun!

We had a pretty gray spring this year. It's finally warming up now, with just a few days to spare! But it looks like summer will be especially nice this year, considering all the snow/rain we've gotten. The plants are very happy, and Central Massachusetts is green for as far as the eye can see! It's awesome!

Anyway, this is Niko's last week of school. Technically, he should have been done last week, but we had some snow days to make up (5-- the maximum built into the school calendar plan). So this week just FEELS like summer. Yesterday morning, we went to his friend Connor's house, where both kids swam with Connor and another friend, Brayden. Their pool is brand-new and gorgeous! The kids swam and played up until the last possible minute, when we drove them to school, wet hair and all!

Then, today, I had to get up early to head over to the volunteer recognition breakfast at the elementary school. I'm glad I went, though! The principal had a nice gift for me, and Niko's teacher gave me a small thing of hand lotion. I knew the vast majority of the parents there, too, so it was quite a social event! We had coffee and all sorts of breakfast goodies. And the gym teacher babysat everyone's kids, so it was an Adults Only event. FUN! And look at the water bottle the principal gavve me-- I love it! And the little green container holds lemonade powder. :)

Shortly after we got home, a friend texted me and asked if we wanted to meet up at the town playground. So, we did! The kids got hot pretty quickly, though. 85 degrees plus humidity is a bit on the uncomfortable side. But there are some nice shady trees nearby, so they rested there. It cracks me up, looking at the two boys. Daryl was the first "new" kid we met this year, at the kindergarten "picnic in the gym" event they held before school started. We walked in, and I was determined to sit by someone new and make a friend. And I did! And the boys happened to be in the same class! haha! They were so shy and would barely say two words to each other... and now they are great buddies. And his mom and I are on PTO together, and were basically the only two parents who volunteered in that classroom this year. Funny how it all turned out!

After that, we stopped in at Dunkin Donuts really quickly to pick up his teacher's end-of-year gift (a gift card... the gift of coffee!). We came home, and ate a quick lunch out on the deck. I got Niko on the bus, and Maya was meeeelting. It was HOT. So I got the hose and sprinkler all set up, and she ran around in them for a while to cool off. Afterwards, she had truly spectacular hair. It was AWESOME! :)

When Niko came home, Maya instantly told him all about playing in the sprinkler. Naturally, he wanted to do it, too! So they both went back in. Everyone was happy! Tomorrow, they want me to pull out the slip-and-slide!

Now, since karate was cancelled for the night, we are off to dinner at my favorite local Mexican place. YUM!!

Our Father's Day

I'm not Gus, so I can't speak on his behalf... but I think we had a pretty nice day! He slept in until 9, when he had breakfast in bed followed by kid cuddles and presents. The kids wrote him stories, which I turned into a book. And then I got him a stereo that works with his phone, so he can listen to "his music" while he works in the garage, etc.

The kids really wanted to go fishing, and the canoe was too hard to get to (the garage was a mess), so Gus suggested we eat a picnic lunch at the state park, then do some fishing. We ate at the picnic tables by the swimming beach, which was clearly THE place to be today (the beach was packed!). We had a chipmunk friend who had clearly been fed by people before, and who hovered around our table the entire time we ate. It was pretty amusing! He was very determined!

Once we were done eating, we walked back around to the side of the lake where we'd parked. On that stretch of road, there is a wide grassy strip along the edge of the lake, and it's protected by a metal guardrail. So we unloaded our chairs and fishing gear, and set up camp on the shore of the lake. Niko didn't have any luck, but Maya caught three fish! We tossed them back, as always (they were tiny), but she had a blast! Niko's attitude quickly deteriorated as his sister kept pulling fish out... he was excited the first time, but quickly became bitter that he wasn't catching anything. And that's life! But it was kind of a bummer. We stayed until almost 2pm, then headed home. I took pictures, of course!

On a related note... We live in such a beautiful town. I look at these pictures, which were taken in the state park just 5 minutes down the road, and it amazes me. I think of summer camp when I see them-- but we LIVE here! I can't imagine wanting to leave Massachusetts pretty much anytime from late spring through the fall (February is an entirely different story!!!). And this is just one lake out of I-don't-know-how-many. Amazing!!

But back to our day... :)

We got back, and Gus expressed a desire to clean the garage. I kept the kids occupied outside by plying them with ice cream cones and setting up the bounce house (please note that these were two separate activities! No food in the bounce house!). They loved it, as always!

We had a lovely dinner outside (all things Gus likes), and that was pretty much our day! Not bad at all, if you ask me! :)

Happy Father's Day!

To the three best daddies I know! We love you!!! :)

Crazy Day

We made it!! Today was pretty busy. I woke up at 6am and got everyone fed and dressed for our big t-ball game at 8am. This was the one game of the season where the kids got to play at the BIG baseball field in town. And originally, the game was scheduled for 1pm-- right in the middle of Maya's dance recital! But I got it all rearranged, and we had a blast!

After the game, we headed to the outfield to pass out trophies. We still have one more game, but the league likes to pass them out when we play at the big field. So, we did. And my team got me a present!! A bottle of wine and a gift card to Home Depot! It was so nice!!! :) :)

After that, we hustled home, I took a quick shower, I shoveled a very early lunch into us all, I did Maya's hair, and away we went! Maya did so great-- we were so proud of our little star! She loves the limelight!

And that was our day. Both kids were exhausted and had an early bedtime. And now I am enjoying that wine from my t-ball team, which was very well-timed, indeed! :)