Snapshots of Summer.

Can you believe that it is August already? It is blowing my mind how fast this summer has gone. They say "time flies when you're having fun". I guess that's what it is.

Here a little proof that we've been having some fun...

sandy toes...

fun at The Cape.

ahhh....

little miss "A" was not a happy camper.

Palm trees in Boston...who would've thought?

Cooling off.

Fresh Air.

A couple of weekends ago, we made our way outside of the city to a Retreat Center in New Hampshire for a little outdoor fun. We stayed in a little lodge with beds and a bathroom, and there was a little kitchenette there so, it wasn't necessarily camping but, we were outdoors a lot.

The first night, we decided to cook our dinner over a fire.

Everything tastes better when cooked over an open fire.

Trader Joe's Nitrate Free Hot Dogs are the best!!

Oh, and we had S'mores for dessert, of course!

I love how their feet are propped up on the same rock in this picture. Like Father, like son.

Here's my little hiker with her walking stick.

We took a couple of nature walks. We even saw a wetland, which

was great for an impromptu science lesson taught by my husband.

I took several pictures of them all walking with their sticks,

this one is my favorite!

We had such a fun time. It was really nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and be in the peace and quiet for a couple of days.

It was like a breath of fresh air...literally. :)

Dear Spring, I am waiting for you.

Well, I have not kept up with my 30 for 30 challenge, have I? At least I've been blogging a bit more than I was. I do enjoy blogging. It is therapeutic for me. I take a few minutes with a cup of coffee, sit down and type until my little hearts content.

I don't really like to write "sick" posts because frankly, when I read "sick" posts it makes me nervous about getting sick. Weird I know. But, that is life and this blog is about life. And that's what's been happening in my world today.

News around here is that the little one has the tummy bug. Poor baby. This morning she woke up with a tummy ache and didn't eat breakfast. All she wanted to do is lay on the couch. We were having a meeting at our house this morning so, I took her upstairs to rest in our bedroom.

During the meeting my son rushes down the stairs and announces that "A" has thrown up.

I'm sure you don't want to hear the details and I sure don't want to recall them but, she is now sleeping very soundly.

This has been quite the Winter for sickness. For everyone. I don't know about you but, I am ready for Spring. Like yesterday.

Hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be back next week with hopefully something a little more exciting.

A little bit of fun.

I love to laugh, and there are plenty of opportunities to laugh around here. My son is hilarious when he plays the Wii. He really gets into it. The other day while they were playing I thought I would take some video, then "A" got in on the action.

I took two separate videos and I couldn't decide which one to post so, I put them both. You can hear me laughing in the background. I hope you find them funny, too. Although, I do realize you laugh harder at your own kids than others might. :)

"A cheerful heart is good medicine...." Proverbs 17:22

{Life} A Little Bit of Crazy.

As you can probably tell by my lack of posting this past week, life has taken over. It is generally pretty busy in our neck of the woods with church stuff, schooling, etc... but this Winter has sort of handed us a double dose of crazy. Yesterday was a little example of this.

You may remember "K's " last emergency room episode only 1 month ago and then only two weeks ago, was stricken with the dreaded stomach bug. Poor kid has had a rough go of it in the sickness department this Winter.

One of my goals this year was to be more intentional about finding male friendships for my son. Most of the moms I know have young girls which is perfect for "A" but, not so much for "K". So, when we joined our homeschool Co-op I was happy to find out that there were boys his age and even a little older. Yesterday, we were invited to a birthday party for one of the boys at an ice skating rink in the City, "K" was beside himself with excitement. This was his first party he's been invited to since moving here. I was excited for him.

Long story short, one of my friends came over and hung out with "A" so I could take "K" to the party. This was only his second time ice skating and once he got out there, he seemed to do very well.

It was nearing the end where we were all getting ready to leave to go across the street to McDonald's to have lunch and cake and ice cream, and as we were getting ready to exit the ice...it happened.

I let him let go of my hand and he attempted to skate on his own for only about 5 seconds and..SMACK! He slipped, fell and hit his face on the ice. I'm sure you can guess the rest. I will spare you the details of this already wordy story.

Here he is in the ER wating ever so patiently for them to stitch him up. We arrived at the hospital around 12:30 and we didn't get a room until almost 4:30. Poor kiddo was a trooper. There was some screaming involved but, that was mostly for the cleaning and numbing.

There was a wonderful staff member whose title was Child Life Specialist. Her job was to inform and distract children during tough procedures such as stitching, surgeries, etc. She was wonderful. Her name was Hillary and I'm so thankful she was there. She gave "K" a game boy to play with while they stitched him up, and she walked him through everything.

Because he missed the rest of the party and lunch, on our way home we stopped at Wendy's and got him a burger and frosty. He was a happy guy. At 7pm and 3 stitches later, we arrived home.

Needless to say, he got a great night's sleep and so did I.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I fell as well and have a pretty banged up backside so, I'm kind of hobbling around today.

Here's to hoping Spring comes sooner than later!

My Homeschool Journal...

In my life this week... busy, busy. Had my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday so, trying to recuperate.

In our homeschool this week... I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put everything we are learning but, I'll tell a few things. In Kindergarten we've been learning about the Water Cycle and the differences between liquids, solids and gases. She has also been learning to write the letter "W." In first grade we have been doing fractions in math and in our reading and phonics we've been learning that o sometimes says aw and kn says n. He has also been reading the story of Moses and memorizing Proverbs 3:5.

Places we're going and people we're seeing... Today was my husband's day off so he took the kids outside to enjoy this beautiful day and my son got to ride his new bike he just got for his birthday...he was so excited.

Tonight, a friend of mine is performing in an A Cappella concert and I'll be going to that, and tomorrow I get to meet up with a friend for coffee. Fun stuff planned. :)

My favorite thing this week was... Valentine's day and the weather. Can't beat it!

What's working/not working for us... I've been playing around with our schedules a bit. It's been difficult for us to find a rhythm this year. I feel I lack organization in certain areas and have been dropping the ball with things that are important.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have... Hmm...where to start? I would love some advice on schooling 2 children at the same time, I'm really struggling with that.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

my son on his birthday with his new bike!

I'm linked up with The Homeschool Chick today...go check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

This One Goes Out To The One I Love...

My Husband...

...Wrote me a song for Valentine's Day and sang it to me in public (at church)

...Is extremely good-looking

...Is a terrific father

...Cooks breakfast for dinner to give me a break from cooking.

...Gives me a little break time to myself each week.

...Sometimes brings me little gifts.

...Makes me coffee in the morning.

...Knows that coffee is one of my love languages.

...Likes to fix the kids breakfast in the morning.

...Leads us in morning devotions.

...Takes time each night to spend time with both "K" and "A" individually.

...will leave me little notes.

...Tells me he loves me everyday.

...can make me laugh until my sides ache.

...Knows me better than anyone else does.

....Cleans out the dishwasher.

....Takes me on dates

...takes the kids on dates.

...Loves me unconditionally.

...Wakes up early every morning to spend time with God.

...is selfless

...is helpful.

...is kind and generous.

...is all that I've ever wanted in a husband. seriously.

...Is not perfect, but no one is. :)

...Is my best friend

...Is my gift.

I Love You Kent! Happy Valentine's Day!

You Can't Use Up Creativity...

Nothing that can be used as a canvas is ever wasted in this house. :)

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou

{Family} Our Day in Pictures. (day 3)

Fridays are my husbands day off. A strange day to have off but, that's our life. Since "K's" 7th birthday is on Monday, we decided to do a few fun things. Usually if we plan an outing on Fridays, we will forgo school and make it up on Saturday so, that's what we did today.

The pictures were taken on my phone so, please excuse the grainy quality of some of them.

We got up and had breakfast, then we headed off to the arcade to play some video games. "K" challenged his dad to an air hockey match.

"A" went around pretending she was playing all of the games.

It seemed she liked that better than actually playing them.

Despite my intense dislike for McDonald's, the kids received gift cards there for Christmas

and "K" made a request to use his today so, we obliged. We have a McDonald's right up the street from where we live and in the year and 5 months that we've lived here, today was the first time we've eaten there. seriously. Wait... we did get ice cream once. :)

Anyway, it was a special treat and the kiddos enjoyed their happy meals! The toy is the best part for sure.

After lunch we took what "K" likes to call family walks. We have this little game where we pick a leader and that person leads us wherever they want to go. It's really fun. I'm very familiar with our neighborhood so, we never get lost and it's fun exploring different areas we've never been. But, let me tell you...it was colder than I thought. I mean, freezing.

We took a break to climb a couple of snow hills.

The kids came back freezing and quickly discarded their coats and wet clothes at the back door.

Tonight, we had dinner and played a game, and now the kiddos are ready for bed.

Now, it's time to watch a movie with my man.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Crazy Snow!

Yesterday morning on the news, they were calling for 1-2 feet of snow for today. Last night, all of the schools were closing in anticipation for this blizzard, even though there was no snow yet.

Well, this morning I woke up to this...

this is what it looks like out my front door.

This is the view from the back door. You can see how close our neighbors are!

There's actually a house directly behind us, too.

So, it's a snow day. Our homeschool co-op was also cancelled so, we're staying home. I know my kids are dying to go out and play in all of the snow. I'm not sure I'm ready to brave it but, we'll see. On days like this I feel like curling up by the fire with a cup of tea or coffee and take a nap. But, the nap part rarely happens. We will finish our school work and see what the rest of the day brings.

Maybe we'll make some snow cream later.

What do you like to do on a snow day?

skating on thin ice...

I dislike winter, it's just way too cold. I've decided after living with cold winters all of my life that if you can find fun things to do in the winter weather than it makes it a little better. So...we decided to introduce our kids to ice skating.

I think I was just as excited as they were when we were planning to go!

They had no idea what to expect. My son had ideas of getting out there

and speeding like a hockey star!

Of course, that did not happen. There were lots

of falls but, no tears. Only laughter and smiles.

We skated for over 2 hours. We didn't

want to leave we were having so much fun.

my arms and back were sore the next day from trying to hold the kids up

and keep them from falling but, thankfully I did not fall.

We really had a good time. It made the wintry day just a little more bearable.

Pint-Sized Fashion.

My littlest is a girly-girl in every sense of the word. She loves to dress up (mainly as a ballerina), to wear jewelry, the occasional lipgloss, must always have some sort of hair accessory on, and asks to wear dresses or her tutu almost every day. I love it. :)

One day before Christmas, I told her to go and get dressed in something comfy and this is what she came up with...

If she can't wear a dress, it's leggings. She also prefers jeggings over regular jeans. She only has one pair of those but, believe me they are getting worn. a lot. :) She has a personality all her own, and style to match...I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm Back

Monday I got back from visiting my mom, and let me just say that I had a great time. I didn't realize how much I could use a little retreat until I actually got there. It didn't take long for me to relax and settle in. I'm really grateful to my husband for staying home with the kiddos so I could do this.

So...details. I'm sure you'd love to hear details. I'll start off by saying that my mom really spoiled me rotten. Seriously. I was expecting to just go and have some time away and chill out but, I wasn't expecting anywhere near what we did. I was treated to a mani/pedi, a hair cut, some shopping, and an a deep-tissue massage! The Massage Therapist actually came to my mom's house and did the massage there. It was amazing. It was really special because those are things that I don't normally do. In fact, the last time I had a mani/pedi was for my birthday from my mom. I felt really special and loved. It was also great to get some one on one time with my mom. Since we moved, we haven't gotten many chances to see one another so, when she called and said she'd like to fly me home, I jumped at the chance. I'm really thankful for the time we spent together, and I'd love to do it again...maybe annually but, I told her she didn't have to spoil me like that every time. It's enough to just be together. (even though the pampering was fun).

It would take a massively long post to tell you about all that we did over the weekend but, I'll be nice and keep it short.

I was glad to be back with my family on Monday and I think (hope) they were glad to be back with me. So, it's back to life and hopefully some more regular posts.

Have a great weekend!

Apple Pickin'

Last week my Mother-in-law came for a visit. We decided that since none of us had ever been apple-picking that we would find an orchard and go. When we lived in NY we had a couple of apple trees on a hill behind our house so, we never really needed to go anywhere to get apples!

We found a great place in Stow, MA called Honeypot Hill Orchards. It was about a 40 minute drive. Let me just say, that the drive there was breathtaking. New England in the fall is beyond words.

Here we are posing by the silly scarecrow.

Can you see the tiny turtle on the rock? I thought this was so cute.

Of course, you can't resist sampling a big, juicy apple!

My husband saw some good ones up a little higher than any of us could reach so,

of course he did a little climbing.

It rained on our drive there, but managed to stop long enough for us to pick

our apples and have a visit with the farm animals. The rain started up again as we drove away.

Thanks, God. :)

us with nana.

Of course, you can't go apple picking without some apple cider made right there

and some yummy cider donuts...they were a big hit!

I think we might make a tradition out of this.

Did any of you pick apples this year? I'd love to hear about it.

Just Us Girls!

When it's just us girls, here's where we like to go...

And of course, you have to try on some cute shoes...

...and have frozen yogurt (with blueberries and M&M's)

And you MUST pretend that you are a mannequin!

Who says?

Who says you can't have a bonfire in the city?

Working hard to toast the mallows...

lessons from an expert marshmallow roaster...

enjoying the fruits of their labor...

YUM!*

*I attempted making gluten-free graham crackers and they turned out pretty good. We all ate them!

Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Our First Day Of School!

Yesterday was our first day of school. We celebrate the first and last day of school around here, I just think it makes it more exciting for the kiddos (and me too).

We started off with a yummy breakfast of orange french toast and watermelon!

Then, we took a brisk walk around the block to get some fresh air,

and get some of our wiggles out.

Lots of learning...they jumped right in.

My mom sent me the sandwich maker she used with my brother and I

when we were younger so, I used it to make lunch for the kids. It brought back

a lot of memories.

I had an errand to run for a DIY project I'm doing (details coming soon),

after that we stopped by the City Hall to run in their big, green lawn.

I read a post on Simple Homeschool about 10 back to school traditions and one of the ideas was to wrap up some school supplies like presents. I thought it was a terrific idea so, I gave it a try. Here's a video of the kids opening their supplies. It's a little long so, feel free to stop it anytime, unless you're family and want to watch it all. :)

To be honest, I was a little anxious about our first day, probably more for me than them. Since "A" is doing Kindergarten and "K" is doing 1st grade I thought it would be difficult to teach them both and keep their attention. They both did amazing, seriously. It wasn't as hard to adapt back to the routine. I'm so proud of them. It's still going to take some adjustment to have them both at the same time but, I'm sure I'll learn what works and what doesn't. This was a short first week so, I'm looking forward to seeing how our first full week goes. Next week we start the Co-op as well. Looking forward to all that's in store for the year.

How about you? I'd love for you to share some of the fun things you do to celebrate the first day of school at your house, whether homeschooled or not, or maybe you have a great memory of your first day of school as a child! Please share.