Camping 2018

The kids and I are back from a camping trip with friends.  We knew we had been camping together a long time but Facebook memories says we have been at this since 2012!  Sure didn't realize it was that long.  Other families have filtered in and out of our camping group but the two of our families have remained constant.  Watching the kids grow up together has been pretty special.  They range from 8 to 16 now and hang out together really well.  No cliques.  Dynamics ebb and flow acording to interests.  Pool time found the upper aged teens horsing around in the deep end and then gathered on the pool stairs laughing and talking.  The younger ones were doing more swimming than chatting. 

But it was such an easy campout because there was always someone around who had an interest in what the other kid was doing or wanted to do.  So I had nearly 6 days with no whining or arguing--truly a Mom miracle! 

Us parents are good friends too--we feed each others kids, help each other out, and love to play board games by the fire at night. 

My campsite was less than stellar (noisy neighbors) but at the end of the day, I didn't care.  (and eventually the noisy ones packed up and left.)  Life is too short to focus on negative.  I was too busy watching the stars that you can't see in the city, cooking on the camp stove, hiking and swimming and making memories.  There are likely more years behind us now than ahead of us for these type of gatherings.  Those upper aged teens like my KC and my friends E and K are going to be busy with jobs and their own lives really soon. The signs are there now.  Older teens going off together when we are at a venue and stopping back periodically to check with us.  Evening games that don't require adults after dinner is done.

I'm loving where we are now, and how deep our friendships have become. I am loving the people all the kids are evolving into and watching that transformation from kid to young adult is really a privilege.  I enjoy also the fact that the more relaxed venue of camping has always made it easier for kids (mine and who ever else is around) to talk.  This trip it was KC, who shared his thoughts on taking a relationship from best friend to boyfriend/girlfriend status.  His concerns about losing a good friend, of not wanting to rush her were thoughtful and true signs of the young man he is becoming. 

But I am not going to lie.  I also miss this.  When Rob was younger than KC is now and Lissa was a bit of a thing.  Camping was probably a lot more work than it is now--though I don't remember it that way.  But my friends were teasing me this trip about how early my kids used to go to bed so I know a whole lot has changed as they got older. As things change as they grow and mature sometimes I feel like I am the one on the Chimney Drop!

Welcome 2017

Today  Lissa was at a friends house and my wife was at her church job. Rob was working and KC and I were home  alone on a gloriously sunny and not too chilly winters day.  We decided to welcome in the new year with a short hike.  Only about an hour or so and very close by, we rambled about and chatted for the hour that we spent together.  Despite the moodiness that comes with the nearly teen status that he's so proud of, KC is still overall a very talkative guy.  He lets me into his feelings most times and I am grateful for that.  While I can't and wouldn't "fix" everything it sure helps to know what he is mulling over.  He is my deepest thinker and my fellow whose emotions run high to the surface.  Of all my kids, he wants and gives hugs most readily.

The weather was perfect for our walk, no wind so the fact that it was barely 30 was not a problem.  Glorious sun and crystalline blue skies contrasted with the white snow on our trek.  I don't know what 2017 holds, but it started in a totally wonderful way!

Mountain Bound!

Today I compressed two days of work into one. . . almost.  I need to run over to the office early tomorrow and scan some docs to my regional mgr.  And I composed a letter for corporate review here at home after watching the results on "so you think you can dance."  (LOVE that show!)  But all in all I did pretty well clearing the deck for the day off.

When I got home we had supper and the littles and i then went to buy food supplies and the birthday gifts for their friend.  Came home, and they wrapped the presents pretty much on their own while I started loading the car.  I had packed clothes this morning and most of our gear was gathered in the front hall but there was lots of loading to do.  And I needed a tutorial in how to use our camp stove.  See for 7 years now my role in camping has been to keep the littles away from the campsite while my wife cooks.  Yup, and tomorrow I 'll be camping solo with them.  I am a crazy woman!

They are so excited. When they finished wrapping the gifts, I was still loading the car.  They wanted to help.  I knew I would never finish if they "helped" so I had them pack toys in a tote bag.  When they finished that, I was still loading and so I had them pack books. Truly I wasn't packing all that much, it is more that my kids move at warp speed! LOL  By the time they finished the books the car was loaded, except for the things that will go in the cooler tomorrow a.m.

I'll get up at my usual time and then scoot to work for that quick task, come home and we will go to the bank and the library. Then we will head north.  My friends Craig and Laura have promised to help me get the fly on the tent so we will be fine. 

Oh and I all ready have received confirmation of 7 little persons interested in attending the luau later this month!

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!  We have really enjoyed our holiday together.  This morning the weather was rainy so we decorated our dining room .  This is just part of it,but I don't feel like fighting with Blogger to upload more.  After that, the kids and I went to get printer ink for Rob's birthday mural.  He is doing a Skulduggery Pleasant birthday theme. Doesn't everyone do a 15th birthday party with a skeleton detective as the theme?  LOL  The birthday mural is in progress and says "all clues point to a happy birthday."  A magnifying glass is painted over part of the words enlarging them.  K is going to add all of us, hiding in bushes and behind trees and Rob and KC have cut out lots of "footprint clues". Rob is of course the detective and he found himself a fedora that he feels is reminiscent of the Pleasant character and he will be "hunting" for us in the mural. 

We also went to iparty and got the paper goods.  We are adapting some stuff that was pirate themed and it is pretty easy to make it go with his theme.  Rob says Skulduggery's colors are black white and purple so that is the basic color theme.  Rob wanted a pinata so we got a skeleton one and are replacing the pirate hat on it with the top hat Rob wore to our Kentucky Derby party. LOL

Then we came home and I got a lot of house chores done, and the kids swept the deck and the driveway.  Did lunch and went hiking which was a blast.  By noon the storms had blown by and it was perfect weather.  So so much fun.

I know this is a day to be mindful of those who gave their lives in the line of duty and truly I am.  I have friends whose sons are serving and have had other friends who have served in the past.  I am proud that my grandfather was a veteren and that a commemorative flag is placed at his stone each year.  But in the midst of that gratitude is my greatful thanks for a beautiful day with the family I love.

Family Monday

So not withstanding the whole icky issue of celebrating Columbus Day, I am glad that I had a day off!  We really really enjoy those long weekends and this one was really especially fun.  Somehow we hit that "sweet spot" balance where we got a lot of picky chores done AND had time for fun.  It is easy with a busy life, big old house and such to lose sight of taking time. 

But the extra day, makes it so easy!  We did silly things, like changed the outfit on the stuffed teddy that sits outside our front door.  No longer, is he "back to school" bear.  Nope, he is Robin Bear all set to trick or treat. I'll have to try and remember to take a picture.  We decorated the house for Halloween inside and out. I helped the littles ride bikes.  We read extra stories.  And today we went on a hike.

There is something magical about having a child who packs his own knapsack when we say "hike."  In it goes a sketch pad and pencil and his water bottle and his magnifying glass.  The hike itself was not long in distance but long in time because we took time to feel moss, look at dying ferns with the magnification of his glass, and jump on rocks.

My spirit soars with days like today.  They are a balm for the busy times, the harder times.  And I feel so very blessed.

Labor Day Weekend

This would be why we didn't swim in the ocean when we went
camping this weekend!  Isn't the surf spectacular though?
Thanks to Hurricane Earl this is how the ocean looked on
Saturday and this was not high tide.  We really enjoyed
watching the surf though and thanks to my wife have some awesome pics.

We did hang out with my mom and picnic near a lighthouse we love.  We also had time to do some hiking where we could admire Casco Bay.  After the hike we played soccer (our family's variant of this anyhow!) in the big field where we lunched.

There were campfires. . .

and so many memories to carry forward into the months to come.  I just love camping!                               

Not camping but fun

We had planned to leave for our camping trip this morning but nature dictated a change in plans.  Hurricane Earl is roaring up the east coast and it is not clear if the coast of the state we plan to visit will get a glancing blow or a more significant hit.  Even a glancing blow might mean it wouldn't be too bright to have 1/2 of our family in a tent under towering pine trees.  LOL  So we decided to err on the side of caution and stay home till Saturday morning.  Most reports indicate the danger will be over by then so we hope to leave home early and arrive at our campsite by 8 a.m. and still have a good chunk of the weekend to camp.

BUT that left today with children who were understandably disappointed.  An Ooma who was significantly disappointed herself.  I don't get a lot of off time from my job (in fact my boss tried to call me in for Friday of my vacation and I stood firm) AND today is Chet's birthday and we had him primed for a camping birthday celebration.  Most 25 year olds would be fairly amenable to a change of plan but not a 25 year old with autism.

K and i came up with a fun plan b.  We drove to NH to the Polar Caves.  It was cooler there--our state is sweltering right now and that has bothered lots of the family, though not me!) The air was cleaner and easier to breathe.  It was a good day to visit as we were almost the only people there.  There were a few other visitors but no lines, no queues to see something, all of which made it an achievable experience for Chet.  We did all the caves but the last one as I was not sure I could safely get both Lissa and KC through the lemon squeeze.  KC is good about waiting if you ask him to, Lissa not so much and in that enviroment, waiting sometimes equates with safety.  So we skipped that but did all the others.  We fed the animals and admired the peacocks.  We saw a ravens nest,which was very cool.  It was a very fun visit.  In the picture above we are all posing by the signature sculptures that flank the entry to the Polar Caves.  I just noticed when I was uploading this picture that I have had these shorts for a positively sinful amount of years.  I am wearing these same shorts in a picture of my niece's 1st birthday party.  She is a year older than Chet.  Maybe I should write to the company that made them and tell them how long they have lasted!  LOL

When we got home we did supper and Chet's "rock and roll" themed birthday. I will post some pictures later.  It was fun and he seemed to genuinely enjoy his gifts.

Stupendous Sunday!

Today the kids and I hiked at a local Audubon sanctuary that we adore.  In the large field, filled with milkweed, Rob took this wonderful pic of a monarch butterfly.

We hung out at a pond there too and Rob, nature photographer extraordinatire snapped several pictures of the frogs who were totally willing to pose for him.  This one is one of my favorites but there were others which were equally good.

Lissa posed by the sign showing how high we climbed.  In the grand scheme of things, a small hike BUT the first one where I have not carried any of them in oh, about 6 years! LOL

All three at the summit of the hill.  It was a glorious day.  Didn't really feel like summer, more like early fall but way too nice to hang at home.  So all afternoon we poked around at the sanctuary and it was a blast.  Below that shot is Lissa and I at a glacial boulder on the way down the hill.  But oh the golden rod is in bloom and the swamp maples are starting to color, the acorns are fat and the wheel of the year is turning, turning!

C is for Carnival!

KC's carnival that is. The one he has been planning for literally months.  Most of the people he invited seem to be coming so he is a happy guy.  I am hoping the guests will have fun.  We are a low tech family, both by nature and necessity. (I priced a bounce house rental, choked on my beverage and clicked off the site!)  And really, there is no need for a bounce house.  He didn't ask for one.  He planned the games himself.  He planned the crafts himself. He chose the food himself.  This is his vision. 

On my way home from work I picked up the food things and the last of the decorations (helium tank and balloons.)  I stopped at the art store and bought tempera paint for the rock painting.  And some really cool marbelized construction paper for the mask making station.  We also have sand art for a craft.

Games will be clothespin in a bottle, a fishing game with fish in our wading pool (gently loved stuffed animals are the prizes for some of the lucky winners--actually I am the lucky winner if I get to get a few stuffed animals out of our house! LOL) We have a game where they try and toss a bean bag into different sized hula hoops--sort of like jarts without the pointy objects.  We have water balloons. We have cans to throw balls at.

And when people get sick of those things there are containers of bubble stuff, food to eat and the yard to run around in.  He is sooooooo excited and Lissa is getitng pumped too.   I hope I'll have time to take pictures as the event unfolds.

Sunny Sunday

Well the weather started kind of weird.  Sun when we got up (say 6ish) but by 9 it was cloudy and looking like rain again.  I had originally planned to pack lunches to bring to church and figured we would hike after service.  However I knew that if I got the tribe pumped for that and the weather interfered, they would be cranky.  And I didn't feel like dealing with cranky, so I didn't pack lunches and we just set off for church.  And of course, in the way of things, the skies cleared.  LOL  Truly if I had packed lunches it would have poured, I have that kind of karma with weather. 

There was not programming for the kids at church  today as so many people go away this weekend.  But the kids hung out on the playground with 3 other kids (my kids comprising 50 percent of the population) and had a great time.  Also great was the fact that ALL 6 kids were brown. 

We came home and I got quick lunches together and had Chet mow the lawn. Despite the fact we use a push mower, I don't ever have him mow alone.  He sometimes gets an odd idea into his head and someone who is neurotypical should be around to make sure he doesn't lose a limb. Or a digit at the very least. Trust me, some of these creative ideas, well, they are just. not.safe.

Then we packed up and headed out to hike.  The littles decided they all wanted to wear back packs.  Lissa put her water bottle in hers.  KC put a magnifying glass, small binoculars, and a drawing pad and pen in his. Oh and his apple juice. The actual distance was only a bit over a mile but we took a long time because the kids--well primarily KC was so intent on everything.  He peered at butterflies with his magnifying glass. (we saw tiger swallowtails and Harris checkerspots I think) Then he would draw them in his notebook and write down something about them. Later, we saw a snake and some dragonflies, so everyone seemed to feel that our wildlife quota was filled!  But truthfully, his interest and desire to note it all down, amazed me.

After hiking we hit the grocery store, something I typically never do at 3:45 on any day.  But we got through pretty quickly, the kids are really good at helping with grocery shopping.  Then it was home to unload and start supper.  Thankfully I could throw together beans and rice quickly. Cheating with canned dominican beans, and adding some freshly sauteed zuchini and summer squash and some corn left from last years harvest.  Served over rice with a bit of sauce it was tasty and quick.

Now all are abed and I have to start on the evening piece work. But it was a glorious day and I am grateful to have been sharing it with my family.

Sheep Shearing Fun

Yesterday I remembered at 12:30 that our local wildlife sanctuary had a sheep shearing festival.

So after setting honey bunny buns to rise and getting some house things done, we set off.  There were sheep being shorn (they are amazing compliant about this, and Joe does it the old fashioned way which is very cool to watch.  Rob manned the camera, so he is not in any of the shots.  After watching and petting sheep (including a baby lamb), scoping out the wool arts displays, petting puppies and a baby lamb and eyeballing chickens, we went for a hike.

The second picture is one Rob took of some tadpoles that appeared to be fighting one another.  I didn't know tadpoles would do that!  The pond was overfull and some of the water seeping through the granite around the edge and under the ground where you could see it reappear as a stream to the lower bog.  The kids were fasincated and we spent a long time there watching tadpoles, fish and searching for turtles (none of those yet!) 

Then we hiked a bit more but the trails were really too wet for us to do too much.  Lissa did not want to go home.  She said that we could go and just leave here there!  Yeah, right. LOL  But all my kids have felt that deep connection to this place.  This sanctuary was an old working farm and it blends those old time farm remnants with all that nature has reclaimed in the many years since the farm's closure.  About 12 years ago beavers moved into the area and flooded a lower part of the trail system.  We were one of the last people allowed to hike the trail (which actually involved wading through thigh deep water at that point!) and then in later years you actually could canoe there.  Now the beavers have begun to move on and their structures are deteriorating and long missing trails are again becoming visible.  Maybe my younger kids will walk on those trails yet! 

Rob took this last shot just before we headed home. You can't really tell but it is a chair made out of a stump and it sits right under a huge spreading hemlock tree where zillions of birds and squirrels come to the feeders strung there.  If you sit quietly enough, they don't even notice you after a while!