A Day for the Dads... kinda ;)

Our friend Sonya had the idea to let our super, overworked husbands go out for a day of fun on Father's Day weekend... you know, something guy-ish... like paintball or golf or drinking at a pub all day if that's what they wanted to do. Since several families were busy over the actual Father's Day weekend, we postponed it until the next one. It was sort of kept a secret for awhile, but in the end the girls couldn't decide what activity the guys would like best, so we just sort of threw it in their laps, said we'd watch the kids, and prepare a nice BBQ for them when they returned.

The guys decided to go golfing... at one of the hardest course around, literally on the side of Ragged Mountain. After about 7 hrs losing 30+ balls, drinking warm PBR, almost flipping their golf carts (and generally having an excellent time) they called it quits at the 16th hole. Who won? Who cares, they said. Time for some BBQ.

Of course, we girls could not let the guys have a whole day of fun alone without plotting something devious for their return, so we set up the First Annual Dad-Child Olympics... which involved lots of fun events designed to make the kids laugh and the Dads look like complete and utter fools while we took lots of photos. Events like "Get Dad Ready for Work" which entailed having each kid apply shaving cream to their dad's face, "shave" it with a spoon, brush their Dad's teeth with barbie bubblegum toothpaste, and feed them sloshy jello and whipped cream for "breakfast". The kids loved it. Then it was on to the greased watermelon race, obstacle course dressed as fairies, maids, and cowgirls, water balloon toss, and a final event entitled "Death by Egg" in which the dads (and kids, though this was not the original intent) tossed raw eggs between each other at increasing distances and at increasingly rapid paces.

We did actually prepare a very nice BBQ dinner for them, but I think the general consensus among the Dads was... "don't ever let them do something "nice" for us again!" LOL!

Good Job Stinky

Aiden had such a good time at British Soccer Camp last summer that we decided to enroll him again for a week in June. It's a bit of a pain for Andy and I to shuttle him back and forth from camp to school each day, but well worth it when we see how much he loves going. The coaches (direct from England) are really enthusiastic and humorous and make it look very easy to keep kids this age engaged for much longer than I would have thought possible. Every morning includes different types of games that (surreptitiously) teach them skills like passing, heading, shooting, dribbling, teamwork, and good sportsmanship... and then they eventually get around to playing a practice scrimmage (no goalies) towards the end of the session. One thing they had the kids doing this year was patting each other on the back for good efforts, while saying "Good Job Stinky!" Of course the kids just loved saying that, so there was a lot of congratulating going around the field. It was very cute. We're looking forward to Aiden's first actual soccer league (kindergarteners) this fall.

Dino Dad Weekend!

Aiden and Colin

Did you know that one of the largest collection of unearthed dinosaur tracks is located in Connecticut? We had no idea until Aiden became obsessed with dinosaurs about 6 months ago, during which time we learned all kinds of dinosaur facts and names (and had to unlearn some from our own childhood- who knew Brontosaurus is no longer a scientifically valid dino moniker?) ANYway, in true 4-year-old style, Aiden has since become obsessed with Legos, Star Wars, pirates, t-ball, Bakugan (don't ask), Harry Potter, and skateboarding... and when an obsession is in full effect there is no room for much of anything else, apparently. If you ask him if he likes dinosaurs today, he'll say "Not so very much. I like Star Wars now." As if a person can never like more than one thing at a time.

Dino Tats

Trails at Dino State Park

Haley eating a dino puzzle

Despite dinos being yesterday's news, we planned a trip to CT to visit our law school friends the Hamiltons and check out Dinosaur State Park where you can view actual dino tracks in the exact spot they were found. It was pretty cool, actually-- sometime in the 60s the site was being excavated for a large development and the heavy equipment operator noticed one of the tracks and stopped his work so that someone from the state could check it out (amazing really, that he just keep digging). A few weeks later, or so the story goes, the site was declared a state park. A museum has been built over the excavated dilophosaurus tracks, which run in all directions on the floor below an elevated boardwalk. Aiden had a great time rekindling his love for prehistoric beasts (not one mention of Darth Vader or Annakin Skywalker) and exploring the museum with buddies Colin and Bryce. The museum grounds were pretty cool too, with plenty of walking trails and interesting "ancient" arboretum specimens like ginkos and monkey puzzle trees.

Tracks and dino models at Dino State Park

3 boys on a rock

We also spent some quality time at Jason & Julie's house in West Hartford, where Julie made us a delicious summer picnic lunch and Jason poured pints of watermelon beer from a local brewery. Don't knock it till you've tried it... the watermelon beer is really good! It was steamy hot in the afternoon so Colin and Aiden played in the sprinklers while Bryce and Haley napped.

Sprinkler drinks

Colin telling me that Aiden is nuts

Last weekend was also Father's Day, so we did our best to make Andy's day special. He still had to mow the lawn though (it was either that or watch both the kids at the same time while they try to do different semi-destructive things on opposite ends of the house... hmmm... wonder why he turned down my offer to mow for him?) ... And I'm sure he also did 7 loads of laundry and ran the dishwasher, watered all the plants and went to the dump. The man is a house work machine. But the kids also showered him with homemade gifts in the morning, and then we all packed in the swagger wagon and headed to Lebanon to cheer him on in Skip's Run, a 4-mile race to support brain cancer research. Aiden also decided to run the 1-mile fun run, his 4th running race to date. In the afternoon, after a nice lunch out, we went to Low Plain to dragonhunt and explore. The coolest find of the day was a leech that Aiden caught in his net, about 2 inches long and totally revoltingly fascinating. We watched it for awhile and then let it go, but we all stayed well out of the mucky water after that. We had gotten complacent since our first leech sighting there about a year ago, and had been wading in to catch dragonflies, frogs and fish to examine. I think it'll be awhile before the memory of this little bugger fades though. Eeeewww.

Aiden getting ready for the 1 mile run

Face painting after the run

Chester Cheetah

Skater-boy and Swing-girl

Aiden has been watching older kids in our neighborhood skateboard down our street for years (it's a long, straight, hill) and started asking for a skateboard over a year ago. We told him he was too young, and he still is, really, but when I saw a board and small helmet at a kids stuff sale for $1 I couldn't resist. We immediately went out and bought the rest of the safety gear (knee and elbow pads, gloves, etc) and then he had to try it out. Andy held his arms (and later just a hand) while he pulled Aiden around the parking lot on the board... I think it will be awhile before he develops enough balance to let go and do it all on his own. His favorite part right now is to pick up the board "the cool way" by stepping on the end and grabbing the top as it pops up. He could basically do that all day. Rumor has it that a skate park is being planned just across the street from our house near the school... so if that takes about 4 years to come to fruition, it should be just about perfect for Aiden to ride in.

Haley has also found her version of extreme sport... swinging. It's so thrilling she kicks like a maniac on every push. Here she is on our recent trip to Cape Cod. The laughing is coming from Ben, on the next swing over!

Cape Cod!

Bass Hole Boardwalk, Yarmouth Port

Sandy Neck, Barnstable

The last time I went to Cape Cod on a vacation I was probably about 10 years old. We used to rent a little windblown cottage right on the beach in Brewster and spend the week tracking copious amounts of sand in from our trips back and forth through the dunes. It was heaven for a kid, running amok on the sand collecting shells and sea trinkets, and investigating things like the little striped snails that slithered all over the coastal vegetation in the evening cool. So my memories of the Cape are wonderful, if not juvenile... but I wasn't sure what to expect 25+ years later when we booked a 4 day long weekend in Yarmouth with some old friends.

Haley at Cape Cod National Seashore

Haley uncovering her big bro

Haley and Benjamin

As it turned out I was very pleasantly surprised! The Cape doesn't seem to have changed all that much over the years- still lots of quaint little villages, clam shacks, ice cream places, and gorgeous sweeping beaches. We stayed at the cutest little cottages arranged in a circle around a central green, with stairs down to a lovely beach on Nantucket Sound... my friend Karen's family has been coming there for years, so Bek and I (and our families) just tagged along to "crash" their family reunion weekend. It was great to see everyone and especially to get the kids a healthy dose of beach-time. Haley in particular loved the sandy beaches, running her fingers through the sand over and over or dragging a plastic shovel or a stick over the grains to make patterns. She was moderately good about keeping the pacifier in her mouth and the sand out. A few fistfuls definitely made it past the pearly whites though.

Looking for snails

Seaside Cottages, Yarmouth

Kisses from Oliver

A little cold for swimming still!

Karen and Haley

Ben

End of a busy day

Besides beach time, we got in a little birding on Cape Cod Bay at Sandy Neck in Barnstable and Bass Hole in Yarmouth Port, and also spent a day out in Welfleet on the Cape Cod National Seashore. We hiked a boardwalk trail through a cool and creepy Atlantic White Cedar Swamp (where I remembered going as a child), had some more beach time, and ate at a hole-in-the-wall seafood joint that was absolutely delicious, and where Aiden discovered that he loves fried clams. And we couldn't miss the opportunity to play mini-golf, not with three young boys who we knew would love the idea of hitting small balls with clubs through tunnels and over sand pits and water traps. It was a hit. Obviously. On our last day we drove over to Woods Hole, on Buzzards Bay, for some birding/hiking and another seafood lunch before heading home to NH.

Atlantic White Cedar tree

Cedar Swamp

Marconi Beach

Nate and Ollie at Marconi Station

It probably helped that the weather was gorgeous (4 days of cloudless blue) and the summer crowds basically non-existent in early June, but I would say we are definitely smitten (or re-smitten, in my case) with Cape Cod. We'll be booking for next year soon!

Ice Cream treat

Bek and Ben

Aiden and Andy at Sandy Neck

Mini Golf at Pirates Cove

End of Another School Year

Aiden had another amazing year at Windy Hill School. He is growing into such a curious and thoughtful kid thanks to all the art, exploration, exercise and imaginative play that happens at Windy Hill every day while we're at work. We are so happy (and feel extremely lucky) that he can attend such a wonderful school that is a 1o minute walk from our front door. Here are some photos from the school year. Next up, summer program... and then... KINDERGARTEN!

These photos are in no particular order!