Laser focus

Laser tag at Bijan and Luca's birthday. He really loved it!

100 Laps

In motion. This little guy was determined and did it. He ran 100 laps around the inside of the house. Maddie could hardly stand it and tried to jump in at around 30 laps in order to catch up to him. Luckily that didn't hurt his focus!

BC V Army

A fun Sunday at the hockey rink watching BC cream Army 11-0.

Gabrielisms

"Look Mama, I'm growing a beard." I feel the side of his chin and nod. He's assured that he's growing whiskers and so convicted that he convinces Theo that he, too, is sprouting fuzz. When I get him up the following morning, he bounces out of bed and says, "I'm so excited to go to school and tell the teachers and my friends about my beard."

"Mama, when I grow up I'm going to buy you a baby. The baby will be named Dina or Pinky." He wouldn't say if it's a boy or girl.

Selfies

Someone is obsessed. I find these on my phone all the time! They really make me laugh.

Girl Scout Field Trip to the Zoo

A fun Monday adventure to the zoo where we learned about animal habitats for the animal badge.

Library Volunteer

Happy Halloween!

Fifth Grade Crayons

Fifth graders are the only class allowed to wear a costume to school. They parade through each classroom in the morning. It's a big deal! Thankfully, the scary ones had to take off their masks for the little kids.

Lucky enough to help in Theo's class for his halloween party. Gabriel was a great helper too! No parent party for the 5th graders. Wah.

Curious Gabriel waiting for the Man in the Yellow Hat

They found each other!

The crayons and their boxes

They could spend hours sorting and deciding.

Our pumps - left to right, youngest to oldest. Gabriel's has heart eyes and nose, Theo carved his own this year, Maddie's has lumpy, bumpy skin. (My shelves have become a bit cluttered!)

Halloween Window Painting

Maddie decorated one of the best windows in Newtonville at the Village Bank for Halloween Window decorating. Bloody fingerprints on the bag!

Tuesday Adventure

Every Tuesday the kids have early release. Last year, we had piano lessons on Tuesday. This year it's wide open so I've been trying to do some fun things on our afternoon free. We made a cupcake stop as I'd forgotten about Theo's half birthday (another thing the poor middle child can lament in therapy). Luckily, he'd forgotten too so it was a big celebration and not a guilt trip. We then headed out to the Blue Hills to the Trailside museum, which was closed. Oh well, they had a small wildlife zoo that was open with the cutest otter who loved the back flip. After exploring the animals and feeding the ducks, we took a little hike. I didn't expect to make it to the observatory but these three little hikers were determined. Gabriel needed a talking to as he tends to lead the hike so far in advance that I can't see him. It was a great afternoon especially as the cold descended on the region the next day!

Girl Scouts in Hemlock Gorge

Fourth year of Girl Scouts. Working on our Animal Habitats badge. Beautiful afternoon for a hike, looking for signs of animals and trash pick up (amazing what people leave).

Harvest in Maine

With Nathan back in Italy for the weekend, the Atris invited us to Maine for a night. It was a lovely break. Beautiful weather, ocean view, a darling harvest festival in York, lots of kid giggles - a fun time!

Tour of Newton

Twenty miles, 13 villages, stop at each village and collect a pin. Gabriel and I made it to 3, Maddie to 6, and Theo and Nathan to all 13.

Down by the Bog

We met the Coles at the Cranberry Bog Festival. It was still great but the word is out, making for a very crowded bog tour. Lots of lines for the buses. 

Still so impressed with harvesting. The poor cranberry farmers are having a tough year - good crop super low prices

A cold wet job. They funnel the cranberries into a tube that sucks them up to a conveyor belt and into a truck.

The sand hill. The boys had sand everywhere which ended up all over their rooms as I forgot to empty pockets...

Making their own cranberry bog. Who knows maybe we will harvest our own next year?

Apple time

Early release Thursday and off to Honeypot to pick apples. We have to have the right conditions to pick - coolish and leaves changing (you'd think I was a New Englander). It was a bumper crop this year. Huge apples and lots of doubles. I was steamed that they now charge for the hayride to the fields. I showed them and we walked. 

KIPP

We hosted a fundraiser for KIPP, the charter school that Nathan is very involved with on the Board. It was a great success. We had a nice crowd and the speeches by staff and students were super compelling. I just can't get these kids and teachers out of my head. I truly believe that the trajectory of these children's lives is changed because of the school. One boy spoke about his experience in the Lynn Public School compared to his experience at KIPP (he was in the middle school, left to go to high school when KIPP didn't have a high school and is now back at KIPP high school), it was shocking how different the two experiences were and how much more accountability he has at KIPP. It was a gift to be able to share the school with some of our friends.

My children were a bit up in arms over 60 people being in their house on a school night. They pulled it together and helped immensely. Maddie made this sweet note on the white board in the basement. 

Special Date with a Special Boy

Last year on my birthday, Theo gave me $5 (50% of his wealth) and his headlamp as I had lost mine. It was truly one of the most touching gifts I have ever received. I treasured that $5 and kept it with me for almost a year. He would periodically ask me what I planned to buy with it. I wanted to do something special with the two of us, his treat so to speak. A sunny Monday afternoon led us to the mini golf course where we had a blast playing and treated ourselves to ice cream afterwards.

PMC Kids Ride

Nathan was suppose to help out with the PMC kids ride (a charity ride for Cancer research, there is a multi-day ride for adults in August). But, he came down with a sinus and double ear infection. So off we went. Maddie and Theo did the teen ride of 8 miles and Gabriel made the loop five times for five miles. It was a fun morning but unfortunately, the crowds weren't as heavy as the year we did it before.

Bag Boys

Letter "A" week at Bowen and the children turned into astronauts (jet packs on their backs)

This inspired Theo to become an alien or robot!

Summer Busy

I really miss blogging. I like that it makes me pause and see the fun and good in the day to day. It also is really nice to have a record of our busy lives that are going by much too quickly. Sniff. 

We have had a wonderful summer though short. The kids didn't get out of school until June 26th! We had a fantastic short vacation up in Bar Harbor (maybe a back post later?!?), the kids did some camps and then we've been filling our days with swimming and adventures. Here's a brief snapshot. 

We became full pool members at the Windsor Club. When I think what we are paying for a large rectangular pool, my hair curls. But, it's pretty fantastic to be able to walk to the pool and hop in whenever we want. How this Arizona girl has changed when she thinks that's the good life! Theo proudly passed the deep end test - swimming two laps and treading water for two minutes!

The lemonade stand was open for business on a very hot day. We even offer drive through service. Maddie made darling magic wands to sell. 

Popsicles in the baby pool. 

In addition to Girl Scout camp, Maddie was old enough to take sailing camp at Community Boating. She loved it. It was a short program but she was on the water for three hours and is now able to take a boat and kayak out alone on the Charles River. Thankfully, Nathan brought her to camp 3 out of 5 days as it was a shlep. 

Flying kites in the backyard - run faster!

Picnic at the Boston Public Garden after sailing camp.

 The baby ducks were swarming the kids!

Visit to the Children's Museum. Sadly, I feel that we are aging out of the museum. Not Gabriel but he, unfortunately, ages up a bit. (Playing Barber in the Black Boston exhibit)

Finally! Theo was chosen to take part in the little production at the Children's Museum. He was a tadpole to frog. It was very cute and he was tickled. 

Blueberry picking

A new adventure to a "big" amusement park - Canobie Lake. We joined up with the Atris and delPortos for a very long fun day of rides, water and terrible food. 

We met up with some preschool friends of Theo's at Morses Pond in Wellesley. I'm a timid pond swimmer but this pond was beautiful - sandy beach, huge roped off area for the littles (though Gabriel is now swimming!), docks and slides for the bigs. It was a great afternoon!