Bowling with the Big Kids

Once again this summer we have the kids signed up for Kids Bowl Free and I bought a season pass to our local bowling alley (allows up to 4 adults to also bowl free).  So for the cost of shoe rentals, we are set up to bowl until the end of October. 

This past week, I took the big kids bowling.  I traded Lil'C in for my niece and it was so much fun and I actually got to bowl!  When Lil'C bowls I leave exhausted.  I spend the whole game bent over helping her bowl or trying to distract her when it is not her turn so her brother has a chance to bowl.  There are often tears and it can be a bit frustrating all around.

Taking the big kids bowling was a real treat.  I got to sit back and relax when it was not my turn (they kept score) and I got to bowl!  The first game I bowled a straight game and ended up winning (love those bumpers!).  The second game I decided to let them win and tried to lose.  The harder I tried to lose the better I got!  I was bowling Strikes, Spares and Tens with each attempt to lose!  The lady next to me who had her own balls and shoes asked if I was in a league!?!?!?  I laughed and told her that I was trying to lose.  She told me I was doing a really poor job ;)  Luckily the kids weren't paying attention at this point and I would enter in my own scores.  I gave myself 4's and 5's and ended up losing :)  After all the loser had to buy the milkshakes! 

Little House

 Two months ago I was walking down one of the aisles in the library looking for a book for Z, when I came across the Little House on the Prairie Series.  I had never read these books as a child, which was strange since I had loved books like Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Secret Garden etc.  I decided to pick up an anthology of the first three books and take it home.  Immediately I was hooked and decided that the 50 Shades Trilogy that was sitting on my shelf could go back to my friend who gave it to me...unread.  There was no way I was going to go from reading about Laura and Almonzo's innocent courtship to reading about Christian's very different ways of courting ;)

 

So in between reading books on Waldorf Education, Chick Lit and my magazines...I was reading these books.  They are super quick reads, took me one to three days to get through each one and I have really enjoyed them.  I loved learning about what life was like during the 1800's in the west and the books reminded me of my days of playing Oregon Trail.  Did you play that computer game??  Did you know they now have it for Wii or you can go to this site and play the original Apple II version!

A month ago I told my friend Claire that I was reading these books and she told me that her friend had been on that show Frontier House.  It was a show on PBS about 10 years ago, where they sent 3 modern day families to live as pioneers.  Scott and I had watched parts of it at the time and I could not believe that her friend was the newlywed woman on that show!!  I spent the next two days watching all 6 episodes on YouTube...I could not get enough of "Prairie Life" :) 



I have one more book left in the "Little House" series and it makes me a little sad.  I have even reserved Season One of the Show from the Library to keep this Prairie thing going a little longer.  I have loved my time reading about Laura's life....a life that is completely opposite of mine.  They faced so many hardships and challenges, and worked so hard from sunrise to sunset.   These books (and the show Frontier House) have helped me to realize just how lucky we are today that we have such luxuries as dishwashers, stoves, electric heat, indoor plumbing, grocery stores and even simple things like toilet paper!!!  The Pioneer time period is often romanticized about but the truth is that the "simple" life they had back then involved back breaking work and a lot of sacrifice.  I am so grateful for what we have today!

Birthday Weekend!

Uncle opens his gifts

Pool Party!!

June is a crazy birthday month!  With 6 birthdays of people who are related to us (or should be in Lauren's case), 3 birthdays of people who are not, my furry nephew Bruschi and then Father's Day....it is a crazy month :)  We celebrated 3 birthdays this weekend and all three parties were outdoors.  It was a wonderful summer weekend of BBQing, swimming, good food, family, friends and FUN!

My nephew Jiggy

Saturday kicked things off with my favorite kids birthday party EVER!  I usually dread kid parties but this one was unlike any of the others.  It was a pool party and my friends K, H and I left our littles at home and were able to watch our kids in the pool (all who had life jackets on) while sipping sangria and chatting.  It was so much fun and a much needed break for all of us!

Loving that tree swing

Today we are EXHAUSTED (Lil'C fell asleep on the floor at noon and slept for 3.5 hours!!), a little sunburned, covered in bug bites and full of happy memories.  It was the perfect kick off to summer :)  Here are some photos from our weekend. Unfortunately I don't have any from my nephew Jiggy's second birthday party yesterday :(  I had forgotten my camera!!!

Z spent the whole morning in the pool

Auntie loves her new, "stylish" camera that she got for her birthday last month :)

Lil'C insisted on wearing long pants/sleeves for all 5 days of the 90 degree (or almost 90 degree) weather!!!

  

Water Gun Fight!  We got Uncle M one :)

Her Summer Birthday Present from Neene :)  Tinker Bell!!!!

Dad tries on the Swat Team Gear

Hazy, Hot and Humid....

The past two days were in the 90's and so the kids and I did everything we could to stay cool :)  There were lots of books in the air conditioned playroom, a trip to the library, wet fun outside and a trip to my friend Mel's pool.  It may have been hot outside but we made the best of it and were so happy to welcome in the wonderful summer weather!

We had to get her a water blaster to defend herself against her brother ;)

"Ninjago!!!"

She wanted her pool inside :)  Do you see what she is wearing??  Yes it is cooler in the house but 90 outside...the girl loves to dress the opposite of everyone else.

Girls Night Out at the Diner!  Milkshakes to celebrate Mommy Not being Vegan anymore ;)

He LOVES this pool!

His Good Buddy M came over for some water fun!!

Confessions of a "Want to Be" Vegan....

The 30 Day Vegan Workshop has now come to a close and I must confess that I was not a true Vegan for the 30 Days.  I did love this workshop and have saved everything she gave us and plan to give it another go next Spring.  I think it is the perfect way to cleanse your body once a year....I will just make sure that I don't travel during my next go at it and plan in a little more time for me during it.  June, like May has been crazy and I was sad to not be able to give it my all.  But I am proud of what I did accomplish and here is a quick synopsis of my journey and the food items that broke me :)

Week 1--Awesome week, Awesome Food, not nearly as hard as I thought.  I was a bit gassy for the first few days (Hello BEANS!?!?!) but once I got past that my energy was good and I felt great!!! 

Week 2--Awesome week again....considered being a Vegan for life.  There was nothing I was craving, the food was delicious and I was super energized. 

Week 3--First half of the week was great but busy.  I was finding things a bit more challenging this week and sad about the fact that I could not fit in the yoga I so desperately needed.  I was busy getting things ready for my weekend away and researching Vegan Options on Nantucket.  There weren't many and thus I decided to try my best and perhaps go Vegetarian.  This is what I did and only ate dairy/eggs when there were no other options and I must confess I did put milk in my coffee :(

Week 4--After falling off the Vegan bandwagon in Nantucket, I spent the first two and a half days home working my Vegan magic again.  Things were okay but different.  I was now craving milk in my coffee and other non-vegan things (cheese).  When my friend K came over with popovers and homemade graham crackers.....I had some :(  They were filled with butter and so good!  I was starting to lose it my devotion at this point.  I made it through Thursday okay but then Friday was challenging with two birthday parties and not enough time to come prepared.  One slice of pizza and a strawberry shortcake biscuit later....things were unraveling fast. Then came the weekend and our two visits to the beach in Maine.  I ate great all day but we went out for our traditional lobster dinner...how could I not have LOBSTER??  Then there was the clam chowder....:(  I had fallen off completely.

For the last two days of the challenge I ate Vegan but was no longer feeling the way that I once did.  I was sad that I had not made it but proud of what I had accomplished.  For 30 days I had very little animal product and for 2 1/2 weeks I was a true Vegan, something I have never done in my life. So next year I hope to do better and I truly recommend Heather's 30 Day Vegan Workshop!  It is so much more than just Vegan Recipes (which are incredible by the way!!!)....the articles, cooking demonstrations and posts she does are WONDERFUL. 

Father's Day at the Beach!

Scott took the red eye flight on Friday night back from San Francisco and arrived home around 9:30 am on Saturday morning.  The kids were super excited to see him (they had only seen him for 2 hours in over a week and a half!!!) and the poor tired guy rallied and we went to the beach to kick off his Father's Day weekend.  A cold and cloudy day but still so much fun.  We ended the day with a lobster dinner at our favorite lobster join in Maine and then ice cream....GREAT FAMILY DAY!

We got him a funny sailing hat because he is taking sailing lessons :)

Scott woke up on Father's Day to his favorite breakfast, Eggs Over Easy, Toast, Bacon and Coffee (also pancakes).  He opened the rest of his presents (some were opened the day before) and we asked him what he wanted to do.  He looked out the window, saw the sun shining and suggested we drive back to the beach!  Back to the beach??  Yes it is only an hour and 20 minutes away but we were just there yesterday :)  We packed up the car and headed out for beach day Part II :)  Super sunny day but cold and Z was the first family member in the ocean this year (57 degrees!).  Lil'C was freezing but insisted on wearing her new bathing suit and would not put on a sweatshirt ;)  Loads more fun was had and we ended this day with another trip for ice cream.  It was a great weekend and despite the driving back and forth, felt like we were on vacation at the beach :)

A New Baseball Glove so he can "safely" play catch with the kids

Daddy is relaxing!!!

Our little Diva :)

Cold Water

Checking out the Water

Tired Daddy!

Forgot to take a picture of the lobsters :(

The kids running after dinner

Breakfast for Daddy

His new sailing jacket!!!  Doesn't it look great with the hat ;)

looking for shells at the Beach on Day 2

Beach Wrestling

A Super Find :)

Scott's future sailboat

Z's IN....57 degrees!!!!

Awesome Weekend :)

Thank You!

Thank you Dad for all of your love and support!  I am so blessed to be your first born and to have such a loving and involved father and now grandfather.  Happy Birthday too!

And Thanks to my husband for being the very best Daddy to Z and Lil'C.  They are so happy to have you home this weekend (Scott has been traveling a lot the last three weeks!!!) and we are all so blessed to have and are so proud of you.  Happy Father's Day!

 And to all the other father figures in my life.....Thank You for all of your wisdom and love.  Many of you have left this planet but you will never leave my heart!