Five years ago we met this special little man. Happy Family Day, Tommy.
Monday, 30 June 2014
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Monday, 16 June 2014
Gardening, Finally.
For a few years Tommy and I had a pretty decent garden going back behind our old apartment. Then Mom got sick, and we had Kenny, and we moved, and so for the last two summers we haven't done any planting, although I maintained my flowers. This year my plan was just to upkeep the current landscaping on our house, but a few of our plants died and left some holes so I needed to make some changes.
I planned on starting a vegetable garden next year. We have a large bunny population (among other wildlife), so gardening in the ground doesn't make a lot of sense. I intended to have Jeff build a fenced, raised bed for next year, but when I found a used one for sale my plans accelerated. We started a bit late in the season, so we are growing a very random assortment of plants that were still left in the store, and we are not expecting much to come of the seeds, but who knows? The kids had a great time planting, and it feels good to be back in a "normal" routine. If the tomato plants survive my poor caging, if Nic actually succeeds in growing a pumpkin, or if our strawberries don't get devoured by all the birds we lure into our backyard with our feeder, then it will be a nice bonus. Growing the plants is half the fun anyway, and next year (providing we can stay drama free this year) I will have the opportunity to carefully plan our garden.
I thought I would add a picture of Jeff's other recent project, a swing set that he disassembled, stuffed into our minivan, and reassembled. It has been amazing for the little guys. You can't see everything in this picture, but it has a climbing wall, two swings, a tire swing, a rope ladder, and a slide. Also, note the bird/squirrel feeder in the upper right.
I planned on starting a vegetable garden next year. We have a large bunny population (among other wildlife), so gardening in the ground doesn't make a lot of sense. I intended to have Jeff build a fenced, raised bed for next year, but when I found a used one for sale my plans accelerated. We started a bit late in the season, so we are growing a very random assortment of plants that were still left in the store, and we are not expecting much to come of the seeds, but who knows? The kids had a great time planting, and it feels good to be back in a "normal" routine. If the tomato plants survive my poor caging, if Nic actually succeeds in growing a pumpkin, or if our strawberries don't get devoured by all the birds we lure into our backyard with our feeder, then it will be a nice bonus. Growing the plants is half the fun anyway, and next year (providing we can stay drama free this year) I will have the opportunity to carefully plan our garden.
I thought I would add a picture of Jeff's other recent project, a swing set that he disassembled, stuffed into our minivan, and reassembled. It has been amazing for the little guys. You can't see everything in this picture, but it has a climbing wall, two swings, a tire swing, a rope ladder, and a slide. Also, note the bird/squirrel feeder in the upper right.
Sunday, 15 June 2014
School's Out!
We'll, it's been out, but what with the whirlwind of swim lessons, VBS, and t-ball I haven't had time to upload the pictures.
First, some of Nic. His school holds a "race" to celebrate the end of school. The kids train for it for weeks. They learned how to stretch and they practiced running the course every day. On race day the parents come to cheer the kids on, and the classes have a ceremony for those who are moving on to Kindergarten. Nic did a great job running, and Kenny and I had a blast cheering him on. You'll see him below in his racing gear with some of his teachers, and with his bus driver.
Tommy had a field day to celebrate the end of the year, but since siblings weren't allowed to attend I didn't get any pictures. However, I did remember to get a shot of him on the very last day, and we got one with his teacher too. He had a great year and is already asking when school will start back up. He is anxious to see all his friends again.
Tommy has started playing t-ball. he is having a wonderful time, and especially enjoys sliding, even though it is never ever necessary in t-ball. It is, however, quite entertaining to watch him running and diving at every opportunity. After just one game his pants are hopelessly stained. At least the green on his knees matches his shirt!
First, some of Nic. His school holds a "race" to celebrate the end of school. The kids train for it for weeks. They learned how to stretch and they practiced running the course every day. On race day the parents come to cheer the kids on, and the classes have a ceremony for those who are moving on to Kindergarten. Nic did a great job running, and Kenny and I had a blast cheering him on. You'll see him below in his racing gear with some of his teachers, and with his bus driver.
Tommy had a field day to celebrate the end of the year, but since siblings weren't allowed to attend I didn't get any pictures. However, I did remember to get a shot of him on the very last day, and we got one with his teacher too. He had a great year and is already asking when school will start back up. He is anxious to see all his friends again.
Tommy has started playing t-ball. he is having a wonderful time, and especially enjoys sliding, even though it is never ever necessary in t-ball. It is, however, quite entertaining to watch him running and diving at every opportunity. After just one game his pants are hopelessly stained. At least the green on his knees matches his shirt!
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Ballin'
We went to a collegiate league baseball game this weekend as part of a school fundraiser. We had no idea what to expect, and were glad that the attendance was heavy on kindergarten boys (and almost no one else because apparently there was some important hockey game on). Both Tommy and Kenny spent most of the time goofing off and running around, but Nic was very serious about watching the game and managed to stay engaged for four full innings - not bad for a three year old. He was pleased to learn that baseball is a great sport for him to pursue, because it has little physical contact and no prolonged running (right now tennis is king in Nic's sporting ambitions, which is probably not the best for his health). He asked lots of questions and now knows everything I know about baseball, which is to say, not much.
The highlight for Tommy was being chosen to run the crazy bat race on the field as part of the extra entertainment. He had to spin around with his head on a bat, then run the distance along the first base line. He was seriously trash talking his opponent (a friend from class) prior to the race, so he was lucky he beat her. He and Kenny also sang and danced on the roof of the home dugout during the seventh inning stretch along with the other kids from school. It was very sweet and fun.
The boys all got their faces painted as well...it took Nic a while to work up the courage to get it done, so I was really proud of him for going for it.
After Nic was finished, I noticed that the kindergarten boys were recreating a Lord of the Flies scenario on this weird giant chair nearby. Instead of intervening I decided to take pictures from a distance, so I had the joy of witnessing my son ring-leading a "No girls allowed" chant and reveling in the sheer wildness that is way too many little boys on a tall platform. I swear I would have stepped in if anyone started shouting about killing pigs.
The highlight for Tommy was being chosen to run the crazy bat race on the field as part of the extra entertainment. He had to spin around with his head on a bat, then run the distance along the first base line. He was seriously trash talking his opponent (a friend from class) prior to the race, so he was lucky he beat her. He and Kenny also sang and danced on the roof of the home dugout during the seventh inning stretch along with the other kids from school. It was very sweet and fun.
The boys all got their faces painted as well...it took Nic a while to work up the courage to get it done, so I was really proud of him for going for it.
After Nic was finished, I noticed that the kindergarten boys were recreating a Lord of the Flies scenario on this weird giant chair nearby. Instead of intervening I decided to take pictures from a distance, so I had the joy of witnessing my son ring-leading a "No girls allowed" chant and reveling in the sheer wildness that is way too many little boys on a tall platform. I swear I would have stepped in if anyone started shouting about killing pigs.
Sunday, 1 June 2014
May Fun
We decided we should probably do a little photo dump to let everyone know that the last month wasn't entirely sad, In fact, we had quite a bit of fun which just never made it to the blog.
Some highlights:
We hosted a birthday party for Tommy and allowed him to invite all his very best friends (and apparently he has fifteen of those). For those of you who missed the birthday debate on my Facebook feed a while back, Tommy originally wanted to hold a "fight club" birthday party. His plan was to invite all the boys in kindergarten and have a big wrestling match in order to determine which of them is the strongest. I vetoed that and we settled on a sports themed party instead. We planned games, but realized about three minutes into the first relay that our best course of action was to let the kids run wild in the backyard with breaks for snacks, cake, presents, and watching a special video birthday message from one of Tommy's favorite Bruins. Everyone had a blast and no one was hurt. Victory!
Jane (Jeff's mom) came for a visit. We had a wonderful time. The little guys were so excited to take "Grandma Janie" to their favorite children's museum and the park. We also went to an interactive history museum (which the boys loved and are begging to go back to, Uncle Kevin) and a lake to feed ducks and watch/chase birds. It was a fun break for all of us.
The heat has hit (hallelujah), so we've also gotten out the squirt guns, instigated a water balloon fight with the big kids across the street (who have been so sweet to pay attention to my little dudes), and been hanging out at both the beach and the splashpad. I think that taking dinner down to the beach may be my favorite summertime activity.
Some highlights:
We hosted a birthday party for Tommy and allowed him to invite all his very best friends (and apparently he has fifteen of those). For those of you who missed the birthday debate on my Facebook feed a while back, Tommy originally wanted to hold a "fight club" birthday party. His plan was to invite all the boys in kindergarten and have a big wrestling match in order to determine which of them is the strongest. I vetoed that and we settled on a sports themed party instead. We planned games, but realized about three minutes into the first relay that our best course of action was to let the kids run wild in the backyard with breaks for snacks, cake, presents, and watching a special video birthday message from one of Tommy's favorite Bruins. Everyone had a blast and no one was hurt. Victory!
Jane (Jeff's mom) came for a visit. We had a wonderful time. The little guys were so excited to take "Grandma Janie" to their favorite children's museum and the park. We also went to an interactive history museum (which the boys loved and are begging to go back to, Uncle Kevin) and a lake to feed ducks and watch/chase birds. It was a fun break for all of us.
The heat has hit (hallelujah), so we've also gotten out the squirt guns, instigated a water balloon fight with the big kids across the street (who have been so sweet to pay attention to my little dudes), and been hanging out at both the beach and the splashpad. I think that taking dinner down to the beach may be my favorite summertime activity.
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