Who took my babies and turned them into big kids? That is what I'd like to know. We're going through some big changes around here, and it is blowing my mind. It's one thing for Nikos to get older. He's my big boy... in many ways, he stopped being a baby the moment we brought Maya home from the hospital. But Maya? A big kid? Unfathomable. And yet, here we are. sigh.
Right before she turned three, I asked Maya if she wanted a big girl bedroom set for her birthday. Her answer? "NO WAY!" She insisted that she loved her tiny bed (the converted crib) and wanted to sleep in it forever. Fine! That was easy, haha!
Fast forward to this past week... She started saying that her bed was too small, and that she would really, really ("pretty please, Mommy??") like a big girl bed. Just like her brother's.
Anyway... we ordered her this bedroom set last night, along with a mattress. It's the same brand as what we got for Nikos, which means it will be a PAIN to put it all together, but I am practically a pro by now. And I think it's pretty darn cute! We got the low dresser, not the high one, as well as the mirror that goes above it (along with the bed, headboard, and a nightstand). I might look for some inexpensive crystal (or acrylic) knobs to replace the basic ones, but we'll see. To quote Maya, "It's just PERFECT!"
Then, this morning, my girl and I went on a shopping trip, just the two of us, to pick out her bedding. After much hemming and hawing, she chose this set. I think it's cute, but she LOVES it, which is what's most important. We also picked up the matching floral sheets, a mattress pad, and a real pillow. She insists that she doesn't want the real pillow, but we shall see! She has this little tiny owl pillow that my friend actually made as a birthday party favor, and that's what she sleeps on every night. Personally, I think that the real pillow sounds more comfortable... But to each her own!
After we finally settled on the bedding, we went over to the school supply section to look at backpacks. Because yes, my BABY need a backpack for when she starts preschool in the fall. So, so surreal. She tried on about 15 different backpacks, and was torn between a purple sparkly one and a Minnie Mouse one. She ultimately chose Minnie. I was kind of relieved. The purple backpack was very pretty (and sparkly! did I mention the sparkles?), but it seemed like something an older kid might use, too. I was perfectly happy with her choosing something more babyish, haha! And it really is cute, too. Lots of pink. Very Maya.
And THEN, just now, I ordered a few leotards online for her dance class next year. So all at once, she'll be in a big girl bed, going to preschool, and starting real, organized dance lessons. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? I swear she was this happy little baby like five minutes ago. Seriously. I don't know when she became a big kid, but she's been flaunting it this week.
sigh.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Parade
Well, I am pleased to report that our town knows how to throw a parade! Today's Fourth of July parade was just over an hour long, with all sorts of fun stuff to see. Lots of emergency vehicles from our town and several others, old cars, loads of tractors (hello, we live in a farm town! haha!), and fun floats put together by local businesses and organizations. The theme this year was "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts. Really, the whole thing was fun! I LOVE PARADES!
Sadly, the kids were kind of grumpy, which was the only thing that put sort of a damper on the experience. They will tell you that they enjoyed it, but there was a LOT of whining going on at times ("Is it over yet? I wanna go hoooooome. Carry me!"). I get it. They were up late last night for fireworks (10:30pm) and still woke up at the crack of dawn today. Plus, it was 90 degrees out and humid. Actually, the forecast said there was a 90% chance of thunderstorms all afternoon, but they never happened! So the humidity has just sort of stuck around. We had a crazy storm at about 3 in the morning, so maybe that will happen again tonight. I am still getting used to this weather. My garden loves it, though, let me tell you!
But I digress... After lunch, we drove down Main Street a few blocks (yes, we drove... there are hills!), parked, and staked out a primo spot right in front of the Historical Society building. And I took a ton of pictures, most of which would not be interesting to anyone other than myself. But I will share a few, for posterity! You'll notice in these photos that Nikos is wearing noise-reducing earmuffs. Maya was, too. The parade was LOUD, especially all the sirens of the emergency vehicles! My kids are not fans of loud noises. I actually picked these up at the store (in the hunting department! ha!) a few weeks ago, and we used them for fireworks last night. I am so happy I thought to bring them today, too!
Anyway, I loved it, and it just made me so happy that we live in this amazing, welcoming, family-friendly small town. Plus, it just seems like Massachusetts is a fitting place to celebrate the Fourth of July, given its history! It was awesome!
I am also happy that we had three days of activities, since I had three different outfits for Maya to wear, haha! I love it! Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
Sadly, the kids were kind of grumpy, which was the only thing that put sort of a damper on the experience. They will tell you that they enjoyed it, but there was a LOT of whining going on at times ("Is it over yet? I wanna go hoooooome. Carry me!"). I get it. They were up late last night for fireworks (10:30pm) and still woke up at the crack of dawn today. Plus, it was 90 degrees out and humid. Actually, the forecast said there was a 90% chance of thunderstorms all afternoon, but they never happened! So the humidity has just sort of stuck around. We had a crazy storm at about 3 in the morning, so maybe that will happen again tonight. I am still getting used to this weather. My garden loves it, though, let me tell you!
But I digress... After lunch, we drove down Main Street a few blocks (yes, we drove... there are hills!), parked, and staked out a primo spot right in front of the Historical Society building. And I took a ton of pictures, most of which would not be interesting to anyone other than myself. But I will share a few, for posterity! You'll notice in these photos that Nikos is wearing noise-reducing earmuffs. Maya was, too. The parade was LOUD, especially all the sirens of the emergency vehicles! My kids are not fans of loud noises. I actually picked these up at the store (in the hunting department! ha!) a few weeks ago, and we used them for fireworks last night. I am so happy I thought to bring them today, too!
I am also happy that we had three days of activities, since I had three different outfits for Maya to wear, haha! I love it! Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
Fireworks
Last night was our town's fireworks extravaganza, and it was a madhouse! I swear that all 8,000 people in our town were there, along with thousands of people from other towns. Our friends who live up near the New Hampshire border were even there! It was the place to be!
We actually went over to the fire station at 5:00 to participate in the Chicken BBQ event, which was a fundraiser for the fire brigade. Sadly, they were all sold out. They actually sold out in pre-sales, and had nothing left at the door. So even if we had shown up right when it started (at 4:30), we wouldn't have gotten anything! We decided to take the kids down to the playground for a few minutes, where we ran into my friend Jen and her family. She told us that they had never run out of chicken before, so it was kind of odd. Oh well! We went home and quickly cooked up some hamburgers (the backup plan!).
At 7:30, Gus dropped the kids and I off near the town center, and Caryn's husband dropped her and her kids off at the same place. The menfolk went and parked the cars down along Main Street, pointed in the direction of our respective houses. We staked out a spot on the grass back behind the fire station, and spent the next few hours just hanging out and visiting with various people. We met up with our realtor, who was excited to meet our kids and talk with us about our house. And I got to introduce Caryn to my friend Jen, since all three of us will have girls in the same dance class next year. Caryn went across the street and got us all some iced coffees from Dunkin' Donuts. The kids ran around like crazy, ate snacks, and played games on Caryn's husband's phone. All in all, it was a huge success! Everyone had fun, traffic wasn't too awful (since we were strategic about everything), and the fireworks display was spectacular. Such a great night!
We actually went over to the fire station at 5:00 to participate in the Chicken BBQ event, which was a fundraiser for the fire brigade. Sadly, they were all sold out. They actually sold out in pre-sales, and had nothing left at the door. So even if we had shown up right when it started (at 4:30), we wouldn't have gotten anything! We decided to take the kids down to the playground for a few minutes, where we ran into my friend Jen and her family. She told us that they had never run out of chicken before, so it was kind of odd. Oh well! We went home and quickly cooked up some hamburgers (the backup plan!).
At 7:30, Gus dropped the kids and I off near the town center, and Caryn's husband dropped her and her kids off at the same place. The menfolk went and parked the cars down along Main Street, pointed in the direction of our respective houses. We staked out a spot on the grass back behind the fire station, and spent the next few hours just hanging out and visiting with various people. We met up with our realtor, who was excited to meet our kids and talk with us about our house. And I got to introduce Caryn to my friend Jen, since all three of us will have girls in the same dance class next year. Caryn went across the street and got us all some iced coffees from Dunkin' Donuts. The kids ran around like crazy, ate snacks, and played games on Caryn's husband's phone. All in all, it was a huge success! Everyone had fun, traffic wasn't too awful (since we were strategic about everything), and the fireworks display was spectacular. Such a great night!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Bike Parade!
Our small town has the reputation of being "the" 4th of July hotspot in the region, with three to four days of scheduled activities every year. They plan parades, concerts, races, barbecues, etc. Today was the Bike and Doll Carriage Parade for kids! It was on the long driveway that passes in front of two churches and the library, and it was a lot of fun! We decorated the kids' bikes yesterday, so they were all set. And what we didn't realize was that the kids were divided into age groups, and that they were actually being judged when they went by the grandstand! And... Maya got first place! Nikos actually got second place, but was horribly disappointed that he "only" got a ribbon (as opposed to a "real" prize). Whatever! Both kids did great, especially considering that the driveway had a slight uphill slope to it. Maya lost her momentum a few times and nearly fell over, but kept trying her hardest and smiling-- which is why I think she won. The whole thing was adorable, and they even had cold drinks for all the kids (it was HOT!). We loved it!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
More History
We went to a Lemonade Social/Open House at the Historical Society today, and got to pick their brains a bit about our house (yay!). We knew from chatting with some of the ladies before that a doctor used to live here-- the head doctor at the state sanitarium. It turns out that he was a fairly recent resident, because some of the older ladies actually remembered him. And he's the only resident that we have a name for at this point. But we learned a few things that were really interesting!
For one, our town had not one, but TWO hospitals. The state sanitarium and the V.A. hospital. I know where the old V.A. hospital was, and thought that WAS the state sanitarium. But nope! They were two separate hospitals. In fact, the sanitarium was the first public hospital in the country dedicated entirely to helping people with tuberculosis. Our town actually had this reputation as sort of a health retreat. Something about the clean air and thick forests-- all that good stuff.
Anyway... Our house is on a corner. If you go back behind us, it's pretty heavily wooded for quite a ways, and then there is a newer housing development. Well, that newer housing development used to be the home of the state sanitarium! I even found a picture of it-- it was a huge complex!
And, according to the old property maps, our house was actually located ON the land belonging to the sanitarium. Our house predates the hospital by about 70 years, though, so they must have purchased it when they bought the rest of the land. And based on what they know, the ladies at the Historical Society think that our house was probably used as hospital-provided housing for ALL the head doctors-- not just the most recent one that they know of. Crazy!
Anyway, I thought it was really neat, and I am still hoping to learn more. Especially about the people who built this house and lived here back in 1830. Our home inspector says it looks like it was built by shipbuilders in their off season, based on the floor support beams that are visible in the basement (they look like masts). This house definitely has a story to tell-- but I think I'm going to have to spend more time at the Historical Society to piece it all together!
For one, our town had not one, but TWO hospitals. The state sanitarium and the V.A. hospital. I know where the old V.A. hospital was, and thought that WAS the state sanitarium. But nope! They were two separate hospitals. In fact, the sanitarium was the first public hospital in the country dedicated entirely to helping people with tuberculosis. Our town actually had this reputation as sort of a health retreat. Something about the clean air and thick forests-- all that good stuff.
Anyway... Our house is on a corner. If you go back behind us, it's pretty heavily wooded for quite a ways, and then there is a newer housing development. Well, that newer housing development used to be the home of the state sanitarium! I even found a picture of it-- it was a huge complex!
Anyway, I thought it was really neat, and I am still hoping to learn more. Especially about the people who built this house and lived here back in 1830. Our home inspector says it looks like it was built by shipbuilders in their off season, based on the floor support beams that are visible in the basement (they look like masts). This house definitely has a story to tell-- but I think I'm going to have to spend more time at the Historical Society to piece it all together!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Teddy Bear Picnic
The library in the next town over from us put on this amazing event today, and the kids had a BLAST! I was worried that it would be cancelled, since we had rain on and off all morning, with dreary skies. But right when it was time to leave, the clouds vanished, the sun came out, and the temperature jumped up into the high eighties. Whoa! Anyway, we brought a lunch, the kids brought their teddy bears, and they danced their hearts out while this children's musician performed a bunch of great, interactive songs. Seriously, both kids were dripping sweat by the end (especially Nikos). They had such a great time dancing and singing along with the fifty or so other kids who were there, including their friends Evan and Paige. I am so glad we went! And now... pictures!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Some Pictures
I am still exhausted! But yesterday, we stuck close to home and I painted more of the kitchen cabinets. We did play outside for a bit, which is when I took these two photos. I couldn't believe it when I saw that mouse hopping along through the grass at the edge of our yard. EEEEK! And he was headed right toward the raspberry bushes. I wonder if we will have any berries left to eat?
Today, I continued painting (which is horribly boring and tedious!) and dragged the kids on some errands. After lunch, I took the kids to a showing of "The Lorax" at the local second-run movie theater. This was Maya's first time seeing a movie in the theater, and I figured I wouldn't be out too much money if it didn't go well. As it was, it went decently! She got a little wiggly and loud about three-quarters of the way through, but the movie itself was loud and the theater was practically empty. I still don't know that I'd take her to see a more crowded film (like "Brave," which I REALLY want to see!), but it still went pretty well. Plus, the movie was adorable. I was impressed at how well they adapted the book and extended the story! They definitely did it justice! It's one I might actually consider buying for our home collection, even.
After the movie, we zipped home, got on our suits, and headed to the pool to meet up with Caryn and her kids for a swim. It is so nice to have a friend at the pool, because we split up and do "zone defense"-- one of us at the baby pool, the other at the big pool. But they are right next to each other, so we can still chat and have fun. I am LOVING our pool membership!!
A little after 5 o'clock, the kids and I packed it in and drove to the local restaurant that is owned by Nikos' t-ball coach. We missed his last game this past weekend when we went camping, and all the kids got little trophies. We met up with his coach in the kitchen of the restaurant (which Nikos instantly said reminded him of pappou's restaurant), and Coach awarded him his little statuette. He was SO excited! He also had to show his coach his new shoes, which he is just thrilled with. It was a red-letter day for this little boy! He even ASKED me to take his picture with his first-ever trophy! So we went outside really quick while dinner was cooking. I told him to stop squinting and open up his eyes, and he gave me this completely psychotic expression. It's so NOT his regular smile, but I love, love, LOVE this picture! It cracks me up!
Oh, and when we were heading out there, I caught not one, but TWO bunnies lounging by our swingset! Little punks! It's a blurry picture, but I had to act quickly. They've been nibbling my garden and going to town on the lower raspberries! I wonder how many of them there actually are?
Tomorrow, we will be going to a Teddy Bear Picnic in the next town over, complete with a music concert for kids. I can't wait!
After the movie, we zipped home, got on our suits, and headed to the pool to meet up with Caryn and her kids for a swim. It is so nice to have a friend at the pool, because we split up and do "zone defense"-- one of us at the baby pool, the other at the big pool. But they are right next to each other, so we can still chat and have fun. I am LOVING our pool membership!!
A little after 5 o'clock, the kids and I packed it in and drove to the local restaurant that is owned by Nikos' t-ball coach. We missed his last game this past weekend when we went camping, and all the kids got little trophies. We met up with his coach in the kitchen of the restaurant (which Nikos instantly said reminded him of pappou's restaurant), and Coach awarded him his little statuette. He was SO excited! He also had to show his coach his new shoes, which he is just thrilled with. It was a red-letter day for this little boy! He even ASKED me to take his picture with his first-ever trophy! So we went outside really quick while dinner was cooking. I told him to stop squinting and open up his eyes, and he gave me this completely psychotic expression. It's so NOT his regular smile, but I love, love, LOVE this picture! It cracks me up!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Odds and Ends
I am still so tired! I think it's residual fatigue from camping. It was fun and all, but it was a LOT of work (especially for me, as the organizer). I just want to close my eyes and go to bed! Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Soon, perhaps!
Yesterday was a pretty quiet day. We were actually stuck at home, since Gus had forgotten that the kids' car seats were in his truck. Oops! But it forced me to clean up, which was a good thing. And it was POURING rain. We had a severe thunderstorm that lasted several hours, and I swear it was sitting right on top of our house! Windows were rattling from the thunder, lightning was flashing like crazy, and the sky was just dumping buckets. In other words, it wasn't a very good day to go to the pool, haha!
I spent most of the afternoon waiting for our new refrigerator and range hood. SO EXCITING! And, of course, the delivery people came almost an hour AFTER the window they had given me. But it's okay now, because my fridge makes me so happy. I hated the old one so much! This one is awesome!!
Not too long after the fridge arrived, Gus came home, picked us all up, and we drove to Caryn's house. She had very kindly offered to watch the kids while we went out to dinner for our anniversary. A real date night!! We went to a Mexican restaurant just around the corner, and I was honestly impressed! I didn't expect too much from a Mexican restaurant in a small town in New England, but it was pretty good! I guess the owner is actually from Mexico, so that helps. But the margaritas were strong and the food was tasty. Definitely worth a repeat visit. And so close to home, too!
We got back to Caryn's house and had to drag the kids away, they were having so much fun! Then it was home and straight to bed.
This morning, Nikos got to go to the dentist. He did GREAT! So much better than I had expected, to be honest. He is getting to be such a big kid! But he sat there clutching his two bears (more on that in a sec), and did what they asked. And his teeth look great! Both kids even let me floss their teeth tonight because "Dr. Ted told them to." We are on an oral hygiene kick around here, haha!
About the bears... One of them is Bear, his tried-and-true lovey. A few years ago I decided to buy a backup bear, just in case something ever happened to Bear. I tucked this new one away in a safe place. Recently, Nikos was so sad that the tag on his stuffed dino had come off (Bear's came off forever ago). He fiddles with the tag when he is tired/scared/whatever. He was literally crying about this! And then I remembered the backup bear, with its intact tag, just sitting in a box collecting dust. I decided to just give it to him, and he was SO HAPPY! It's Bear's brother! I will have to post a side-by-side comparison sometime, because it's hilarious. Bear is so filthy and ratty and well-loved, while the new bear is still white and fluffy. Nikos calls him Furry Face, and the two bears are now inseparable. It is so cute!
Anyway, back to our day... I dragged both kids along with me to MY doctor's appointment (just a follow-up, it's all good) and then we went to the market and the farm to stock our shiny new refrigerator. I installed our range hood this evening, too, while yet another insane thunderstorm raged outside. It really is amazing to live in a place where the weather can change so quickly and so completely. It was sunny again by bedtime!
Yesterday was a pretty quiet day. We were actually stuck at home, since Gus had forgotten that the kids' car seats were in his truck. Oops! But it forced me to clean up, which was a good thing. And it was POURING rain. We had a severe thunderstorm that lasted several hours, and I swear it was sitting right on top of our house! Windows were rattling from the thunder, lightning was flashing like crazy, and the sky was just dumping buckets. In other words, it wasn't a very good day to go to the pool, haha!
I spent most of the afternoon waiting for our new refrigerator and range hood. SO EXCITING! And, of course, the delivery people came almost an hour AFTER the window they had given me. But it's okay now, because my fridge makes me so happy. I hated the old one so much! This one is awesome!!
We got back to Caryn's house and had to drag the kids away, they were having so much fun! Then it was home and straight to bed.
This morning, Nikos got to go to the dentist. He did GREAT! So much better than I had expected, to be honest. He is getting to be such a big kid! But he sat there clutching his two bears (more on that in a sec), and did what they asked. And his teeth look great! Both kids even let me floss their teeth tonight because "Dr. Ted told them to." We are on an oral hygiene kick around here, haha!
Anyway, back to our day... I dragged both kids along with me to MY doctor's appointment (just a follow-up, it's all good) and then we went to the market and the farm to stock our shiny new refrigerator. I installed our range hood this evening, too, while yet another insane thunderstorm raged outside. It really is amazing to live in a place where the weather can change so quickly and so completely. It was sunny again by bedtime!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Seven Years!
Together for 13.5 years and married for 7 of those! We've finally passed the point where we have been married for longer than we dated, haha! Seven years have just flown by! :)
Sunday, June 24, 2012
First Camping Trip!
It was AWESOME!!! It was definitely a learning experience, and I know a few things I would do differently next time, but we had so much fun. I am already excited to go again... We even drove around the campground and made a list of our favorite campsites for reference. We just need to pick another weekend! Woohoo!
DAY ONE
Anyway... We left just after lunch on Friday, and made the 30-minute drive up to Otter River State Forest, right on the New Hampshire border. We checked in at the ranger station, picked up some firewood (you have to buy it there; it's illegal to bring in outside wood), and found our way to campsite number 35. This was where things got a little ugly. Gus had actually woken up with some sort of stomach bug, and could barely move without feeling nauseous. Needless to say, it was very difficult for him to help me set up camp. He did his best, but the burden was mostly mine. And pitching a massive tent in 90-something degrees with blazing hot sun and high humidity? Not fun! We got it done, though. That was by far the worst part of the whole trip. But we had a home for the weekend, so that was kind of important!
We quickly changed into swimsuits and headed over to one of the two swimming areas to cool off. It was much cooler by the water, and the weather was also starting to change. It was clouding over, and a nice breeze was picking up. We could hear thunder off in the distance, so we knew our time might be cut short, but we enjoyed it while it lasted. Gus actually took a nap on our beach blanket, while both kids played in the warm, shallow water and built sand castles.
That evening, we roasted hot dogs over the fire for dinner, followed by marshmallows and s'mores (of course!). The kids took turns regaling us with their very own campfire stories, which they had been talking about all week long. Nikos was SO animated-- it was hilarious! All of his stories centered around dinosaurs or rescue vehicles, and weren't particularly spooky... but they were great!
Eventually, both kids asked to go to bed. They don't stay up very late to begin with, and it was way past their normal bedtime. Plus, I think they were excited to sleep in the tent. So we all got ready, and everyone went to bed but me (it was still early, but Gus wasn't feeling well). I read for a while, and eventually passed out. It was hard to sleep, though, because I hadn't put quite enough air in the matress AND we had some noisy neighbors. Plus, I hadn't been camping in about a million years, and I was sort of nervous. I am pleased to report that I slept much better the second night. And the kids both slept just like they would have at home, even though they were sharing a "room" in our tent. It was pretty awesome!
DAY TWO
Day two of our camping experience started out at 7am, which is totally normal for us (yay!). I cooked breakfast for everyone, and then we went on a ranger-guided nature walk that we had seen advertised. It was pretty neat, though it was a long walk over lots of rocks and gnarly tree roots that slowed the kids down a bit. There were also TONS of people on the walk, since a local cub scout pack decided to join us. We saw several beaver dams, an old beaver lodge now occupied by otters, and all sorts of plant life. AND, as it turned out, our ranger was Caryn's-husband's-childhood best friend's mom. Got that? I've met her husband's best friend a few times, and he had mentioned that his mom was a ranger at the park, but I never asked what her name was or even figured I'd see her. As it was, we saw Ranger Betsy a lot! And I put the clues together and finally asked her if so-and-so was her son. Yup! Small world!
After the nature hike, we went back and spent some time at the campsite. It was close to lunch, so we played and ate an early lunch so we could get down to the lake before all the cub scouts invaded (we had overheard their plans). Back at the site, I walked down to the creek behind us and got this picture of Maya. The location and light were so beautiful! If only she had been willing to cooperate, haha!
As soon as we were done eating, it was back to the pond! Nikos had been begging to go fishing, and Maya wanted to go back to the beach to go swimming. Luckily, people are allowed to fish everywhere BUT the small designated swimming areas, so Maya and I were able to sit on the beach and watch Gus and Nikos fish right next to us. Nikos even came over to play in the sand a few times while Gus untangled the fishing line. It was all very convenient!
Meanwhile, though, one of the kids fishing nearby made it his personal mission to catch interesting things and show them to the kids. He caught a crayfish, a huge pollywog, dragonfly larvae, and a bunch of fish. When I asked him how he knew all this stuff, he very proudly announced that he was a Junior Ranger (and Ranger Betsy later told us that he is her "pride and joy"-- because she's in charge of the Junior Rangers.). It was actually really cool, and the kids were super interested in all the stuff he brought over. Gus and I were kind of entertained by this kid's dad, who was standing out in the middle of the pond, fishing while smoking a cigarette. I thought about taking a picture, but decided against it.
Eventually, Maya decided that fishing looked like fun, and wanted a turn. She sat next to me on a nearby bench and finished her sandwich (left over from lunch) while she waited. And she proved to be just as enthusiastic about fishing as her brother!
As soon as the storm stopped, I started a fire in the firepit and got dinner going. I wanted us to have food, just in case it started raining again. It never did, though! We had a lovely evening. We even went to the ranger-led campfire (with Ranger Betsy), came back, told stories around our own campfire, and then we put the kids to bed and stayed up late. The storms caused the temperatures to drop about twenty degrees, and sitting by the fire felt really good! It was also a much quieter, more mellow night in the campground as a whole.
DAY 3
This morning, we were woken up by two kids who wanted to snuggle with us at 7am, so we did that for a while (and loved it!). Then we got up, ate breakfast, and began breaking down our campsite. It went pretty quickly, especially with Gus feeling himself again! We went back to the lake to fish for a while, but eventually Nikos said he was ready to go home-- so we did! Baths/showers were had by all, and I did two huge loads of sweaty, smoky laundry. And wrote a gigantic blog post!
Camping was awesome, but it reminds me just how cozy my own bed is. I can't wait to sleep in it tonight!
We quickly changed into swimsuits and headed over to one of the two swimming areas to cool off. It was much cooler by the water, and the weather was also starting to change. It was clouding over, and a nice breeze was picking up. We could hear thunder off in the distance, so we knew our time might be cut short, but we enjoyed it while it lasted. Gus actually took a nap on our beach blanket, while both kids played in the warm, shallow water and built sand castles.
That evening, we roasted hot dogs over the fire for dinner, followed by marshmallows and s'mores (of course!). The kids took turns regaling us with their very own campfire stories, which they had been talking about all week long. Nikos was SO animated-- it was hilarious! All of his stories centered around dinosaurs or rescue vehicles, and weren't particularly spooky... but they were great!
Eventually, both kids asked to go to bed. They don't stay up very late to begin with, and it was way past their normal bedtime. Plus, I think they were excited to sleep in the tent. So we all got ready, and everyone went to bed but me (it was still early, but Gus wasn't feeling well). I read for a while, and eventually passed out. It was hard to sleep, though, because I hadn't put quite enough air in the matress AND we had some noisy neighbors. Plus, I hadn't been camping in about a million years, and I was sort of nervous. I am pleased to report that I slept much better the second night. And the kids both slept just like they would have at home, even though they were sharing a "room" in our tent. It was pretty awesome!
After the nature hike, we went back and spent some time at the campsite. It was close to lunch, so we played and ate an early lunch so we could get down to the lake before all the cub scouts invaded (we had overheard their plans). Back at the site, I walked down to the creek behind us and got this picture of Maya. The location and light were so beautiful! If only she had been willing to cooperate, haha!
As soon as we were done eating, it was back to the pond! Nikos had been begging to go fishing, and Maya wanted to go back to the beach to go swimming. Luckily, people are allowed to fish everywhere BUT the small designated swimming areas, so Maya and I were able to sit on the beach and watch Gus and Nikos fish right next to us. Nikos even came over to play in the sand a few times while Gus untangled the fishing line. It was all very convenient!
Meanwhile, though, one of the kids fishing nearby made it his personal mission to catch interesting things and show them to the kids. He caught a crayfish, a huge pollywog, dragonfly larvae, and a bunch of fish. When I asked him how he knew all this stuff, he very proudly announced that he was a Junior Ranger (and Ranger Betsy later told us that he is her "pride and joy"-- because she's in charge of the Junior Rangers.). It was actually really cool, and the kids were super interested in all the stuff he brought over. Gus and I were kind of entertained by this kid's dad, who was standing out in the middle of the pond, fishing while smoking a cigarette. I thought about taking a picture, but decided against it.
Eventually, Maya decided that fishing looked like fun, and wanted a turn. She sat next to me on a nearby bench and finished her sandwich (left over from lunch) while she waited. And she proved to be just as enthusiastic about fishing as her brother!
As soon as the storm stopped, I started a fire in the firepit and got dinner going. I wanted us to have food, just in case it started raining again. It never did, though! We had a lovely evening. We even went to the ranger-led campfire (with Ranger Betsy), came back, told stories around our own campfire, and then we put the kids to bed and stayed up late. The storms caused the temperatures to drop about twenty degrees, and sitting by the fire felt really good! It was also a much quieter, more mellow night in the campground as a whole.
Camping was awesome, but it reminds me just how cozy my own bed is. I can't wait to sleep in it tonight!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Just Keep Swimming...
Ok, I am TIRED. But what a fantastic day we had!
We started our day at our local state park. And by "local," I mean exactly that... it's less than 10 minutes from our house, located right here in town. How cool is that? Our very own state park! At any rate, there is a sandy beach at one of the many lakes there, and we met my friend Jen and her kids there this morning. It was already 90 degrees by 10am, and the humidity was crazy. But the water was cool, shallow, and clear, the bottom was sandy, and it was just really nice to sit and chat with my friend while the kids played at the water's edge. Nikos took quite a while to warm up to the sand (he didn't want to take his shoes off and get his feet dirty), but the heat finally forced him to do it. And he was like a new kid once he got in the water and cooled off! We ate our lunch right there on the beach, and ended up leaving a little after 1:00.
Then we headed over to the pool to meet up with Caryn and her kids. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday, which was awesome! One of my mommy friends from Nikos' t-ball team happened to be there with her kids, too, so the boys all played together. Oh! And one of the moms I chatted with yesterday was there again with her girls... and it turns out that Caryn knows her! It was such a "small world" moment! So it was fun hanging out with friends old and new. And BOTH kids were very brave in the water today... Maya even got mad at me if I tried to hold her, because she was SWIMMING, gosh darnit! And since I had Caryn with me, I was actually able to hop out of the pool and snap a few pics. These kids love the pool!
Then we headed over to the pool to meet up with Caryn and her kids. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday, which was awesome! One of my mommy friends from Nikos' t-ball team happened to be there with her kids, too, so the boys all played together. Oh! And one of the moms I chatted with yesterday was there again with her girls... and it turns out that Caryn knows her! It was such a "small world" moment! So it was fun hanging out with friends old and new. And BOTH kids were very brave in the water today... Maya even got mad at me if I tried to hold her, because she was SWIMMING, gosh darnit! And since I had Caryn with me, I was actually able to hop out of the pool and snap a few pics. These kids love the pool!
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