Annual Whirlwind Summer Tour

Every summer we try to get down to Long Island for a week or so, and it's always C-R-A-Z-Y. Between family parties and BBQs, visiting great-grandmothers, playing with cousins, and of course, the beach, there is rarely time to catch your breath. With baby Haley to pass around this time too, I really don' t remember breathing while we were there. We had a great week, but are now totally exhausted!

Alex and Allison


Grandma Chris holds Haley


Party in the garage




Ian and Haley



Paulette and Jaden

Aiden's 4th birthday fell on the week we were on Long Island, so he made out like a red-handed bandit. He had three official birthday parties, complete with three delicious cakes (two of them gourmet ice-cream cakes) and innumerable presents. The first was only a day after we arrived, at a Kulis family BBQ at Dan & Paulette's. The weather couldn't make up its mind that day, so the party was by turns outside, inside, and in the garage. Everyone made the best of it and we had kielbasa (of course) along with burgers, dogs, and that delicious ice cream cake.

Aunt Mary and Haley


Paulette's first attempt at cooking Kielbasa...success!




Aiden wanted an axe and a chainsaw for his birthday


And a red robot...

mmmm....

On Aiden's actual birthday, we took him somewhere every four year old boy dreams about: go-kart racing. He got to try it out in the passenger seat with Dad driving first, and then went on the smaller track by himself. At first he bumped into everything (walls, dividers, the poor tolerant older boy racing with him) until we realized he was watching us instead of the "road." After we disappeared behind a wall and he received a little more instruction from the staff, he was really pretty good at it. When we finished racing there were video games (oh my GOSH!) and dippin' dots ice cream to enjoy. Then on we went to Robert Moses beach to run along the beach, collect shells, swim (Aiden only) and play in the sand until an afternoon b-day pizza party at Carrie & James' new house in Islip. Aiden celebrated with his cousins William, Emma, and Elizabeth... and more ice cream cake!

Guitar Hero with Dad!


At the ocean





Elizabeth

William, Emma and Aiden paint shells on Aiden's bday

We also got to spend some time with Great Grandma Guppy and Great Grandma Rising. Haley was happy to be held and cuddled by her great grandmothers and I know they appreciated meeting her as well. Grandma Rising's pool was especially appreciated by Aiden and his cousins- it was about 90 degrees so the kids could really stay in until they became prunes.

Great Grandma Guppy with Haley

Great Grandma Rising holds Haley at the pool

Emma in the pool

Wesley and Aiden swim in Grandma Rising's pool

Haley meets her cousin Charles

Other excursions included a day trip to the Long Island Children's Museum with Grandpa Dada and Crazy Uncle Dan, and another to the Bronx Zoo with Grandma Chris and Crazy Uncle Dan again. Did I mention not breathing?!

At the LI Children's Museum

And finally we spent our last two days on beautiful Oak Island. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we had a great time fishing (grilled snappers for supper), swimming, eating, and just lounging around and talking. Of course there was another birthday party too. What is normally Andy and Dan's birthday BBQ became Aiden's 4th birthday, take 3. He shared a cake and pinata with his Deegan cousins, and didn't ever let his bathing suit dry in between episodes of swimming in the bay. All 4 of Aiden and Haley's grandparents were there for this party, so Aiden got extra spoiled and Haley got passed around like a hot potato. Which was fine with Andy and me! There were even "end of summer" fireworks at Cedar Beach that were enjoyed from the dock.

Maggie (3.5 mos)

Brady heading for the bay

Swimming at Oak

Aiden with a few of our snappers for dinner


Haley sacked out in the shade tent

Aiden with bday soccer gear from Grandpa DaDa

And some scenes from Oak Island...

Lake Champlain

We just returned from a few days at the Rising camp on Lake Champlain...our first visit of the year - in August! So late, but we have been busy so that's OK. It was baby-fest on Saturday as Micah and Becky were there with Phoebe and Sarah and Joe with Francesca. The babes slept, kicked and crawled on the lawn according to their age and Aiden had a little birthday celebration complete with some presents and a pinata.

Francesca showing off her new skills

Phoebe

Haley

Fra checking out her new cousin

Phoebe and Haley

It was a hot weekend, so most everyone went for a dip in the water. Aiden is used to swimming at beaches where he can wade in but was thrilled to discover that he can "swim by himself" in the deep water with his lifejacket on. He had to be coerced out of the water every time he went in because he was enjoying it so much. HaPa taught him how to use the steeep stepladder on the dock to get out by himself in case he should ever fall in. Safety first!

When the weekend crowd left, HaPa, Grandma, Aiden, Haley and I all stayed an extra few days at camp. Since Windy Hill School's summer program is over Aiden is home for 2 weeks and I definitely needed the extra help. We took Aiden and Haley to Shelburne Farms where (as usual) Aiden honed in on the tractors... toy ones, small ride-on ones, large antique ones you can sit on, etc. and was less interested in the animals. He did learn how to milk a cow though- he got a few drops out of the teat of a Brown Swiss named Jamaica. Haley was less happy that day and pretty much screamed the whole way to Shelburne Farms and back. Those were the two longest half-hour car rides I've taken in a long time! Let's hope she's feeling more relaxed when we try 6 hours down to Long Island later this week...

Aiden and a tame Shelburne Farms chicken

Milking a cow!

Mom and Haley