14 April

 The weekend lens.....This boy finished up his basketball season.....Loved it, hustled his little butt off and scored TWO baskets the last game, his PR. 

 The nice weather is here....FINALLY.  Equipment has made it's way out onto the front lawn. 

 

This girl has been working extra hard on the hula hooping. 

 There was an exhibition Box Lax tournament this weekend for some of the boys.  We were nervous about the cement floor (the ambulance was only called once that I know of).  Almost didn't let him play, but they all had fun.  The boys ended up getting to the championship and coming in 2nd.  There team is going to play so well together this year. 

 There is so much planned for these boys this season......They are so lucky to have these coaches.

 This girl had her Dance photos oh Sunday.  Love the outfits this year.

 Shorts, boots and a winter coat.  There's nothing like April. 

 We're getting ready to pass out the uniforms.  60 boys, 60 uniforms!

 Syrup season is done.  Came out great this year. 

 First Ice cream of the season, now that Dairy corner has opened up. 

 Lax in jammies :)  Yep, we're pretty much obsessed. 

So, so nice to get outside and BBQ!  Going from snow and cold to summer withing just a few days. That's New England for ya!

25 March

How we make the syrup.....

It's way easier than you think.....

1. Buy some taps and buckets at the hardware store.....You could use old gallon containers (we use distilled water ones).  We just got a few of these buckets with covers this year.  
2. Tap 4-5 maple trees in your yard by drilling a hole and tapping the tap in.  Attach the collection containers
3. When the buckets get full, transfer the sap to a large lobster pot
4. boil the sap all day OUTDOORS (lots of steam) firepit or our side burner on the gas grill
5. when there is a few inches left in the pot, bring the sap indoors and finish boiling on the stove in a smaller pot.  The sap has turned to syrup when it appears thicker and looks like boiling sugar.  You can figure out and measure the precise temperature but I don't.  Watch carefully and set timers to keep checking on the boiling sap  all all stages so you don't boil away all your precious syrup (I've done it).
6. Filter the syrup into canning jars to remove any sediment and maple sugar.  Let little fingers taste test as it's filtering....:)
7. Refrigerate syrup and Enjoy.....seriously it's like nothing I have ever tasted.  I'm loving having a little dribble of syrup in my plain yogurt with fruit and granola in the mornings.  so, so good!

13 March

So we tapped four trees in the hopes of getting another few cups of syrup this year (It's Oh, so good!) This season will be short (cause it's been so cold and more snow is on the way as we speak!), so we'll see.  Sometimes is about the process and  and not about the end result, there is nothing better than syrup making (and failing at syrup making because you didn't watch the pot and it all boiled away) that teaches you that.

20 March

Hello Spring.

And this year, Spring greeted us with over a foot of snow......really, enough already!  At least Lucas got to try out his new snowshoes   Looking back, at this time last year, we had already had a trip to the beach for a few days in the 70s and 80 even.  Well, we're still looming in the 20s and 30s over here and I would be lying if I didn't say that I was dreaming of some warmer weather.  AS Far as our very small scale syrup making season goes.  It was too cold for much sap.  The kids were in and out of the process.   And the very fun fire that we were planning on making and sitting around all day watching the sap boil, didn't happen due to lack of time and lack of motivation to shovel out the fire pit.  So, we stuck the pot on the gas grill burner and boiled away during the kids snow day....finished indoors, filtered and made a label complete with Kindergarten handwriting.  And that, folks is all she wrote.

26 February

It's time.   Been watching her blog to see when it was time to tap the trees.  We had so much fun with this last year.  If only we knew for sure which trees were maples, hmmmm.  We tried tapping 5 trees this year in the hopes of getting a little more syrup.  Honestly,  it tasted like nothing else I've ever tasted, that fresh syrup, totally unexpected that it would actually work out.    And no, we are not pioneers, we live in the suburbs, seriously. And we may not really get any syrup, but the process is fun (well, wading through that deep snow to get to the trees may be not so fun). But it's about the process and the friends and the memories and life slowing down enough to sit out around that fire all day.  That's what it's about.

17 April

Tuesday.

Sun and warm breezes, exercise, watching kids play and rising early.  Everything that makes one feel good.

14 April

12 April

Spring :)

6 April

Today.....

The Dairy Corner opened for the season which is always monumental.  Breanna got her "white" icecream in a dish, Lucas, Chocolate in a dish and Trevor twist in a cone with rainbow jimmies.  Flavors just about as different as they are.....

22 March

Today....

Gammie is here!
They've been counting down the days and we were so lucky to be able to take another beach rendezvous and eat popsicles outside in the afternoon, before the temps drop back to the true Maine March weather (the 40s).  I mean people were swimming in that 39 degree water, crazy!

21 March

Today.....

Lucas had a day off from preschool to give time for some parent teacher conferences.  Lucas LOVES his preschool (I wish they had a Kindergarten!) and they love him.  They used words like leader, creative, bright and confident to describe him at school.  Great stuff.  In other news....the WEATHER, OH MY!  75 degrees in March, well that slashed all records by 10-20 degrees.  Usually we're lucky to get temps in the 60s.  Tomorrow, it's gonna be in the 80s. It's amazing how we can so effortlessly get used to warmer temps, shed everything, put on shorts and head right for the beach (water temps..39 degrees).  Today,  me and my boy had a nice long walk down to the rock wall collecting everything along the way (and negotiating who was going to carry the BIG rock all the way back).  Just Awesome.

17 March

Today.....
Happy St. Pattys day!  Trevor and Josh headed up to Sunday River for a fantastic day of Spring skiing.  I stayed home with the littles who aren't quite ready for a trip up to the big mountain yet.  Well, they loved it and their legs were sore by lunchtime, but they kept on going until four.....moguls and slush and all, skiing successfully all seven peaks.  I hate to say winter went by fast, but that ski season sure did.....can't wait to get everyone up there next year!

14 March

Today.....

was just one of those days where I went from one thing to the next and didn't stop (and I didn't even work!). But my favorite thing in the world is playing outside after dinner until it gets dark.  Even when it is still cold, cause hey It's light out until seven and this is spring in MAINE people:)

13 March

Around Here....

Were getting Spring Fever.  We're outside after dinner riding our bikes in mud puddles and racing around the loop until dark.  I got my seed catalog in the mail yesterday and promptly ordered up a whole garden's worth and then some.  We're going to start indoors this year.  And guess what is going to be delivered to my door this April?  Three trees!  An apple, pear and peach tree.  I can't wait to add them to our garden:)  Exciting stuff!  Oh and the piano lessons?  Well, Trevor has had five 30 minute lessons so far, and he's playing Beethoven (mostly b/c he practices while watching it being played on you tube!)  See below, Exciting Stuff!

8 March

Only in Maine......can it snow 13 inches and be 20 degrees on one Thursday and be 65 Degrees the very next Thursday!

4 March

Today......

the second half in our little adventure of syrup making.  We got a roaring campfire outside and boiled the three or so gallons of sap that we had collected in the last week over the fire (using clamps)  for about 2 hours in the lobster pot.  It was steamy and fun just to be outside around the fire with nothing else to do but listen to some good music and build a snowman.  When it had boiled down almost all the way we brought it inside and finished it on the stove and then filtered it through a coffee filter.   We got about a pint, and I'm not even sure if we boiled it enough, but it tastes like nothing else I've ever tasted.  Sweet goodness. A new Tradition?  Most definitely.

27 February

So we did it, we decided to tap two trees in our backyard.  Not because we are going to make lots of maple syrup to last us throughout the year (if we even get one drop), but because it will be fun for the kids to learn the process, and fun to have a day long fire outside to boil it all away:).  Because life is all about the process (and learning) and so far it's just pretty cute to watch them head outdoors every few hours to check their buckets.  It's like magic I tell you, Like magic.

28 May

You and Number 60, you have been friends since you were babies. Now you are on opposite teams:(, slashing and checking each other. Honestly today, I sat with the opposite team b/c I grew up in the town next to them and I know more of them than I do people from my own town (sad). You had an AWESOME game today. You got your first goal, and you played goalie. It was so fun to watch!

23 May

And Today......

More rain. Happy Monday:)

21 May

Today......

we saw the sun for the first time in 8 days, and even though it was only warm for a very short time, it sure felt good. It gave us smiles and energy, for planting, finishing the garden and for some spring cleaning around here!