Summer Bonaza!

The new house color!



New stairs below

It's been a crazy summer! I can't even believe it's back to school time. I wish I could say I'm happy to have the routine again, everyone knows I LOVE a routine, but the fall is never an easygoing time either so I guess I should be rooting for winter! haha...The summer was filled with trips, fun activities, house projects, and attacks by non-rabid bats! The first house project was decided for us after a serious wind storm battered our disgusting brick front stairs and busted up the railing. Wasn't so sorry to see those go. We chose to go with some concrete steps that have field stones that match our stone walls. It took them 3 attempts, meaning they left and came back 3 times, before they got the stairs level. When I complained the first time, the driver that had to come the 2nd time told me, "This ain't my first rodeo" after I continued to complain and tell him his solution wasn't going to do it for me. He claimed there wasn't another way, you know, according to his expertise. The 3rd time he had to come back with the boss-man and let me tell you, he didn't even look at me then!

In August the house was painted! A nice fresh coat of paint was desperately needed...after choosing and then RE-choosing colors we came up with this brown and olive green (edamame says Sherwin Williams) combo. We like it, but then again, anything was better than that tired, dirty yellow. Next up AC and a finished basement!

QUICK GETAWAYS

We were very fortunate to be able to get away a TON this summer. It started on Mother's Day weekend when Eric and I went to Foxwoods for a weekend to see Jerry Seinfeld perform. Later in June, we partied it up in Baltimore where we got to see some old friends from back in the day. I have to say, I miss Baltimore a little bit, but mostly I think I just miss being so close to the C-I-T-Y. In the picture above, Eric and I are in Montreal. We took a roadtrip there with my best pal Amy and her husband Scott. Lots of walking, food, drink, strippers, er I mean...good shopping, yeah. I can shamefully admit I've never been to Canada before so it was a neat trip for me although I could have done without the 8 hour car ride home :) Rounding out our alone trips was a one night excursion to a fabulous mansion in Kennebunkport where again, alcohol was not my best friend.

We also had a fun time enjoying the arts around here. I was lucky enough to take in 5 plays at the Seacoast Rep and see some incredible talents. RENT was so awe-inspiring I had to see it twice. I promptly came home and added the RENT music to the boys' ipod. After a morning of nothing but RENT, I came home from golfing to hear the boys belting out Seasons of Love, couldn't be more proud. I was also happy to finally knock Lady Gaga from her top spot of "most played" on Cal and Ben's ipod. Anyway, we saw the movie City Island which is by far one of the funniest movies I've ever seen and quickly made it to my top five in an instant! And we heard a pot-loving, smelly posse guy bang out some good music in Maine. All and all just confirming that we need to get out and see, do, hear more in the future!

NO FAIRIES ALLOWED!

On Sunday, August 29th during a time out at the neighborhood pool Cal yanked out his first loose tooth! He was so excited he told everyone! I was totally prepared...on advice from my cousin Cassie I had preordered a "tooth fairy pillow" so that the tooth would be secure in the pocket of this pillow that hangs on a bedpost or doorknob and NOT tooling around under a head and a pillow somewhere. When nightfall came, it was apparent that this was NOT going to go down well. It was clear the tooth fairy was going to be a failure - should she leave the tooth, keep the tooth to add to her magic, should she even come AT ALL?! The answer was decidely NO! After a little fussing and then some all out fussing, this mother went in Cal's room, snatched the tooth out of the pillow, and said, "When you're ready for the tooth fairy to come, let me know!". And that was the end of that. My almost-6-year-old is afraid of a tiny, twinkly, magical fairy who comes to give him money. This after he effectively ripped the damn tooth from his own mouth. Who knew? It's since been decided that he doesn't want the tooth. He's going to hold out for a bigger one to keep (I think). And that I should put the tooth in his pillow (where it's been actually) one day this week while he's at kindergarten so he doesn't know and then the tooth fairy can just come (oh what fun).

PIP UPDATE

I thought I should add a little blurb about the dog for all those interested. Cal has now nicknamed her "the shredding boston terrier" because each day she grabs something out of the recycle bin to shred or if not that then the welcome mat or a toy or really whatever she can find. It all happens out of doors so I'm not too irrate about it, but you do get that sinking feeling every time you open the door to go to the car and there upon the doorstep is a pile of shredding. It's just messy is all.

She's grown to about 10 pounds now and although she's gotten better at some things (potty training) she's still a pain around the kids. She wants to run, bite, play all the time so it's hard to have everyone outside playing at once. For example, if we want to play soccer, she does too, and she'll run after the ball and get it in her mouth and then run away with it. Nice. I'll admit, I've become attached to the silly dog though.

Our family trip to North Conway

It was a goal to do some "hiking" this year. We borrowed a pack from my friend Molly and did a little "practice" trial nearby. It was hot, someone had to poop, Seth didn't want to stay in the pack, you know, fun times. We'll wait until they're older is essentially the message. Plus since the pack and Seth literally weigh more than a quarter of my weight it would be difficult for me to keep him on my back in any even minorly difficult terrain, say uphill even?!

We did get to take a little quarter mile hike up to this place called Diana's Bath in North Conway when we went for our annual Storyland trip. The kids loved the waterfall and wading in the water and climbing on the rocks so we'll make a repeat trip there next year!

SETH

I'll cut to the chase with this kid...he's a devil, plain and simple. It was never the plan to give me three nice, law-abiding children. There's always one in the family - the "different" one. I should have had a clue he was going to be a handful when at 18 months he was already climbing the ladder to the top of the clubhouse on the swingset. The child will climb on, hang on, jump on, ANYTHING. It's not unheard of to have him hurl himself off the couch superman style onto a mere blanket or most recently to climb out of a pack n' play and then subsequently a crib. Luckily, the pack n' play and crib were at my mom's and so far he has been unable to hoist himself over his crib at home but really it's only a matter of time. He's fearless and ruthless. I guess we'll be ordering a bed soon. Sometime during the month of August, he also had a word explosion. He just started talking in sentences, "I want CHEESE!" or "I pet puppy, mommy". It's great but it adds to the already noisy house. Mostly we just close our eyes and pray when it comes to Seth. He's the last in the line and I find myself just quietly telling myself, "It's just a phase, we'll get to another fun one REAL soon". I do wish we could've skipped the throwing food phase but no such luck. Seth seems to be the worst amongst the three in this area.

Below in the picture with Cal is Seth's signature look. He rolls his eyes up and to the side like he's possessed. He likes to do this while singing, while demonically throwing food at the dinner table, or just because.

BENNY

Ben has won himself a new nickname this summer - "Benfus" for his talent to fuss about anything AND everything. He even fusses when you call him Benfus - "Stop calling me that!!". Well....he's caught in the middle, what can I say. Cal talks the most, Seth is actively almost killing himself the most, and Ben fusses the most. It's just the nature of things apparently. Ben still takes his sweet time in deciding to do almost anything. He finally ok'd the bike which was monumental here! I think it happened at my mom's when we were away for a trip and she told him he couldn't go on a "bike ride" unless he "rode his bike". He wanted to push it, you see. So he took the plunge and rode it! After that he started peddaling the one mile around our neighborhood. Hallelujah! Ben also has a passion for soccer and out-singing his brother.