15 September

The weekend lens.....
The weather....feeling extremely FALL like!  Of course, there was soccer.  My boy played goalie for the first half.  He learned that touching the ball with your hands was allowed, and he loved the non-running part.  He was so cute getting ready for the ball to come at the goal and stop it.  His expressions...priceless.  I love watching him have fun.

Blink and they'll be in middle school......

then a weekend visit with Gammie and Grampa.   We played games, we learned Math....(two engineering brains in the same photo).

We learned how speakers work.....and T beat Grampa in chess!

Sunday.....apple and raspberry picking at Dole's (I think it's like our 12th year here).  I get a little weepy thinking of those days gone by when I was taking photos of my babies in the pumpkins.

Not so little anymore (sniff, snifff.)

But they are such good helpers.....and the raspberries were AMAZING this year, got a freezer full.

We ended the weekend with a BBQ with friends here and some (COLD!) swimming in the pool, sitting by the fire and playing in the yard until WAY after dark on a school night.  

12 September

{this moment}. 

8 September

The weekend lens.....

L had his first soccer game of the season.  The weather was Hot and Humid, but the kids kept playing.  The kids all did so great for their first game of the year.  They have a kid on their team they call "brick wall"  I'm guessing the nickname will stick for his whole life.  SO cute, love watching them play.  The rest of the weekend....a few errands, a few chores, a first lacrosse middle school league game (He loved it!), getting ready to finish the backyard, church on the beach and lots of swimming in the pool.  (no photos).  Love, Love our low key fall weekends!

5 September

{This Moment.}

2 September

Back to school.....

Next week at this time we will be fully back in the swing.  It's always anxiety provoking, these first few days, diving head first into the unknown, getting to know new routines, new people, needing to make impressions.  For the oldest boy, school has always been smooth sailing.  His homeroom teacher last year at the conference said that he wished he had 25 T's in his class.  Can't complain about that.  7th grade is a very important year, I told him.  It determines where you are placed in 8th grade, which determines high school, which determines college, which determines life.  No pressure, right?  T is just one of those genuinely nice kids, who always tries to do the right thing, and most of the time is successful. (Perfect, no, real, yes).  He has a lot of gifts to share with this world.

For our girl, school is much harder.  She LOVES school, in fact this year she wrote down that her goal was to "work hard" (came up with that on her own).  Love that, she does work so, so hard.  School, howver, makes her extra challenges so much more visible.  At school there are so many more "rules" about who you need to be.  It's so easy to forget at home what "age appropriate" expectations are.  School emphasizes differences and doesn't always work so hard to celebrate differences.  Girl, we are working so  hard to change it.  This year we have gone the route of fully including her in a regular education  classroom in her brand new school!  We bought an engraved brick for the school walkway.  It has their names, graduation years and "Inclusion elevates all".  I'll send pics when it's installed :)

For the youngest boy, he's starting 2nd grade at the same school, same class and teacher as last year (called looping).  When I think of what he went through last year at this time, with the sickness and the not going to school, I can't breathe.  To send a smiling, laughing boy off to start over a new year just happy, my heart just leaps.  He is just going to thrive surrounded by people who just "get him".   Sweet, Sweet children of mine, it is amazing to watch you grow.   Thank you every day for the giving me the gift of you.  Here's to your best school year yet.

1 September

On the last day of summer vacation .....

we packed our bags for school, and laid out our outfits for the first day of school
we swam in the pool all day then got take out Italian sandwiches and headed down to the beach.

breathed the salty air, listened, stuck our toes in and jumped.

(God, I'm so thankful to have my SLR back)

It's so beautiful here at the magic hour....

 we played in the sand with our toys and buckets and shovels

You are never too big to build a sand castle, or too old to celebrate the last day of school summer vacation at the beach, with dinner then ice cream.  Summer, you were good to us.

Love this life.

31 August

the weekend Lens.....

This labor day weekend, this last weekend of summer vacation,  we said "yes" to 

sleepovers with all the cousins and Aunt and Uncles

to kids jumping from the pool to the bouncie house to the hose, to bikes and scooters and back again

to good food and good drinks

to family, and laughing and playing corn hole

to jumping over the side of the pool with a trampoline

to celebrating birthdays with cake (transformers!) and ice cream twice in one day.

to trying to fix the waffle maker with a drill when it was hot.

To S'mores and campfires and nightime swims.

To all the stuff that the best childhood summer memories are made of.  SoThankful for these people and for this life.

29 August

{ this moment}.

26 August

Today.....my boy got his top braces put on!  He was so patient and tolerant through the whole process.  His mouth will be pretty sore for a few days.  He says it feels like all his teeth are loose.  The best part.......picking the colors!

25 August

The weekend lens......

This boy started soccer season with a kick off day.   It was so, so sweet, given that he missed every game and practice last year (except the kick off day) due to being sick. He loves soccer, and loves playing GOALIE!

Saturday night, the Alanis concert.  Probably our first concert since like 1997. She was amazing, and we loved every song and the venue at the pier with the sunset and sailboats going by.  .  The perfect night. We're  already looking into our next show.

22 August

{This Moment.}

18 August

Last week, we spent 7 full days at a little piece of Heaven known as the Hackney Cabin.   My Nikon is in the shop, so all iphone photos....sorry!

The sunsets and the views are to die for.  We unpacked like a boss (as T would say).  We know exactly how to arrange out stuff this being our FIFTH year. WE didn't waste anytime starting our first campfire.  Roasted Hot dogs and Smores for dinner.

Monday we hiked our Favorite Bald Mountain.  Steep, but short, with spectacular views.  We happened to find all our tree carvings from previous years.  Sweet!

Tuesday.....Golf at Moose Meadows.  THis place rocks.  WE even saw a Moose on the way up (no photo).  On the way back we walked around town, shared our traditional Oreo Blizzard and bought trinkets and polished rocks in the local gift shop. In the evening on our sunset cruise around the pond we saw a mama loon feeding her baby like 5 feet from our boat.  Once in a lifetime I say.

Wednesday.....it rained and we went to a movie in town (Planes, Fire and Rescue), then we came back and read (I finished three whole books this trip)

Thursday, we attempted a hike to Angel falls.  Since the rain, the stream was impassable in spots so we didn't make it far.  WE followed a different trail along the stream for a while and had lunch, then headed back to camp.

Friday.....Our Hike up Aziscohos Mountain.  Much longer and rockier than Bald....and MUDDY!  But we made it.  My favorite is going back to camp in the evenings, for a hot shower, and drinks and snacks with a good book by the lake and campfire.  The kids loved playing Skip-BO and Banangrams....those games are so addicting!

Saturday (excuse the spelling!) It was a little rainy, but we headed off to search for the Spencer Pond Trail. Just as we headed up the trail, the girl decided she was done, she was too tired from the day before (and it suddenly started downpouring!) so we ran (and carried her) back to the car and that was that.  Another year!  Fastest and the best vacations ever!  I love looking back on the photos from year to year to see how much they have grown.   Until 2015, we love you Hackney Cabin!

9 August

Right now.....

As you read this we will be on our way to pick up our T. yippee! Can't wait to hear all about his amazing week. Can't believe it's been almost a week since I have heard his voice or seen his face. 

The storms this year have been crazy. Two tornadoes in the state this summer, it's unheard of.

Our new support person for B is working out wonderfully. She really cares about the kids and her job, plus she is not going to tolerate any funny business! she's like a grandmother to them and brought them cookie dough and a box to bake cookies and send T a care package. It has to be so hard being in someone's home and not judging how they live. When she sees me a lot of the time I'm just tired, or running around. I'm convinced that the right people come and go from your life when they are supposed to. I'm so glad this is working out. 

L is as curious as ever. He is always has to be making or building something! he's so into weaving bracelets and science kits. He just loves the challenge of doing something hard. Love this kid, he's impossible sometimes, but he keeps life interesting. He is going places.

I signed up for my second half marathon. Going to do it right before my 40th birthday. With friends, running is always better with friends. It's better than therapy. I've been feeling antsy to make some changes in my life or go on a new adventure. This is the healthiest mid life crisis I could think of. 

I'm thinking and planning for a new school year! This year is going to bring lots of changes for my girl especially. I am excited and nervous. I interviewed 4 potential morning babysitters today from care.com . We have had a hard time keeping someone regular with our crazy schedule. Here's hoping this fall goes better than last (it has to!!)

Lastly, we're leaving for a week of r and r on our little lake place at the Hackney cabin. I'll be back in a week to share pics of our amazing time there. It's the week we all look forward to the most all year. Can't wait! 

8 August

{this Moment.}

6 August

Our boy left for his first overnight camp last Sunday.  Boys cabin number 9.  It's one of those camps where you can't call or text (you can write, but he probably won't).  I heard the kids all have the time of their lives.  He brought a "good outfit" for the dance at the end of the week (in case he got a date !!).  We're back home missing him like crazy, wondering how and what he is doing.  We sent him a care package with some cookies and bracelets made by B and L.  Seriously, it's the first step to college, how are we ever going to be able to let him go!  Can't wait to hear all about it on Saturday!

2 August

The Saturday lens......

J and I got up early Saturday to run our annual Beach to Beacon Road Race.  Each year, right before we wonder why we do it, then after we're done were ready to sign up again.  It means getting there at 6:30 in the morning and waiting around for almost two hours and in line for the porta potties (or the woods!), running a hilly tough 10K and then taking a school bus back to our car with a bunch of other sweaty stinky people.  Fun, right?  This year was a PR for me of 1:01:38. The strength training has really helped in my running as I haven't trained much for longer distances. Anyway, this race is big time as far as the elite runners go.  they are finished when I'm at mile 2.  It's just fun to experience and see all the people (and the scenery isn't bad either!).

 Then we were back to celebrate our boy turning TWELVE!  Our P family traditional candle in the muffin breakfast.  My heart already aches at the thought of watching him grow up completely and leave us over the next 5-6 years.  He's just a great kid, always tries to do the right thing.  Always says Thank you.  T, I'm so proud to be your mama, and be a witness to what you will become.  You are so awesome and fun to have around.

And yep, he got the phone.  The time was right for us (every family is different).  What worked for us is having him pay for some of it and writing down rules about the phone for him to sign.  Safety First.   He's over the moon excited.

Later......we got all cleaned up and ready for our traditional birthday dinner out at Flatbread.  We took some photos outside for the occasion (of getting dressed up)

there were some photobombers.

and there were the usual shenanigans at Flatbread.

We ended the evening with a walk down on the beach and then home to some homemade chocolate, chocolate cake.  He said his birthday was a great day.  I agree.  Happy Birthday Boy, we love you T!