just a little update

With summer in full swing (ok, all this rain has confused me about it actually being summer!) we've been doing so much, that blogging has falled to the side a bit, but I thought I'd pop in and give a little update.

The yard and garden are coming along amazingly well. Aaron works on the land like I've never seen him, he's SO proud of this place. Certainly on the top three reasons I'm glad he is sober is that he's taken all his former sit-around-and-drink time to work on the yard. He takes great pride in his work, and it certainly shows!

My garden is plugging along, although I'll admit I'm a bit overwhelmed with it. This garden (like the yard space) is many, many times bigger then any space I've ever had. Weeding it is a full time job, which I'm ok with- it's just taking some getting used to. However, in a few days will start harvesting summer squash and zucchini, and I'm sure that will make it all worth it.

The kids are well, although I think Cooper is already bored of summer vacation (greeeeat) and misses his friends. I've signed him up for the summer program at Mrs. Porter's (his "former" preschool) which runs for four weeks, end of July and beginning of August. So I suppose I have, what, three weeks and one day left :) He's all geared up for Kindergarten. We recently found out that he got into Mrs. Wheeler's class, which pleases me, as I was crossing my fingers that he got her.

Taggart is Taggart, happy as a lark most of the time. . .screaming like a banshee the rest of the time. He's taken to start potty training himself. I pushed Cooper when he wasn't ready, which greatly backfired on me, so I've been sure to led Tagg lead me as to when he is ready. He does wonderful when we're home, only wearing a diaper for nap and bedtime. Ahhhh, I can't even think too much about being done with diapers- it's such an exciting idea!

My teaching has slowed down, as it always does in the summer, but this time I did manage to keep five students, so at least I have a little income coming in. This week I'm applying for a job at the elementary school after school program teaching private lessons, and group music classes. This job would be so perfect for me, I'll update when I know if I got it.

Ok- the kids are playing outside, and I just realized that they are far too quite. Those that are parents can understand- I never worry when I hear laughing / fussing / shouting / whining. It's the SILENCE that makes me nervous, I better go check on them.

being an adult is so nice

Well, Mother Nature came through for my birthday and broke the heat wave. After last nights' big storm, the humidity dropped down, and today is lovely. So today, I ring in my 30th birthday enjoying my children, a sunny day, and dinner out with my husband. Life is good :)

swingset fun

When I was a kid, swing sets were a tubular metal structure, (perfect for wasps to make nests in) with monkey bars, two swings with pinching metal chains, and a metal slide that got hot enough to cook an egg on in the heat of the day.

Well. . .not anymore. Now the fancy schmancy ones are make of cedar, with club houses, sandboxes, and every possible option under the sun. After weeks and weeks of researching "play sets" as they are appropriately called, and reading every possible review, we picked one out. My mother wanted to buy one for Tagg's birthday (yes, last month) so finally we all settled on one, and mom and I went to go pick it up.

See the picture above? Would you ever imagine that it comes C O M P L E T L Y disassembled? Like, every single piece of wood, piece of hardware, and roughly six hundred screws, nuts, washers and bolts in separate boxes and bags. The only thing even reasonably put together was the slide (which now come in molded plastic, so no more legs sticking to the metal)

So when we get a good look at the four boxes this mamoth comes in, we start making the "can you help us out" phone calls. We decided that you know you are getting older, when pizza and beer no longer "buys" your friends to help you out. We hear a lot of "no thanx, I can buy by own pizza and beer" (we also found this true when it comes to moving)

Fast foward two weeks, and somewhere around 36 man hours later, the kids have their new swing set. And really, in the end, seeing their smiling faces on the swings was all worth it* :)

*ok, to be honest, this is easier for me to say then Aaron, as he really did all the work!

kindergarden sign up

Phew, where does time go?

This morning, after dropping the boys off, I drove over to my old Elementary school to do the unthinkable. I signed Cooper up for Kindergarten for next year.

I'm such a dork. Walking through the doors, I actually got a little bit nervous. It felt so strange to be the parent, not the student. (Mom says I should feel so strange about it, after all, I am almost 30, thanks Mom) When I turn in all my paperwork, the lovely secretary (whom I didn't recognize) takes Cooper's paperwork, and starts making the copies. As she is handing back his birth certificate, her face lights up. "Oh, Sue Maine, how great to see you! It is always fun to see graduated from this school coming to sign up their own children." She was so nice, I wish I could remember who she was :)

How can my baby be going to school?

happy birthday, happy earth day

Today is Tagg's second birthday :) It's also Earth Day, which the kids and I really get into. I'm taking Tagg to buy his first big boy bike this morning, then the kids and I are going for a walk to pick up trash. Well, I suspect that Taggart will be riding his bike while Cooper and I walk :)

Tonight is a little family party at my parents, I'll be sure to post pictures.

Happy birthday, little baby.

spring has definitly sprung!

Well, it is finally here- beautiful weather! This week has been so lovely, the kids and I have been outside ALL DAY LONG. Literally, we come inside for food and Tagg's nap, then back out till bedtime.

While I am so very thankful to finally be outside, I think we might have underestimated the amount of raking that would be needed to bring the yard up to par. I'm pretty sure the land has gone neglected for some time now, so we are dealing with years of back maintenance. I promise I'm not complaining though. . .it is still fabulous to be outside in the fresh air and working on the land.

A few days ago, my father came over to check out the clean up process (he'll say he just stopped by to pick up his dog, but really I know he wanted to see how everything is coming.) He looked at the plot that we had tilled at the end of the fall for my garden. His comment was:

" Hmm, doesn't seem so big now. Seems a shame not to have a bigger garden with all this space."

"Well Dad, it is still five times bigger then my last garden, I'm pretty happy."

"Yeah, true I guess"

I knew exactly what that meant. This afternoon, he showed up with his tractor, and started ripping up the ground around the garden, and back toward the woods to make more gardening space. (about twice as much!) Being the farmer at heart, my father knows that his apple didn't fall far from the tree. His comment to me when I came out to see him smiling ;

"You better plan on canning" :)

finally. . .green stuff!

The weather man had promised a few semi decent days this past weekend, and we had planned to spend our time outside starting spring cleanup (still mostly snow covered ground, but we figured we start on the bare patches.) Well, as it typical in New England, the weather man was wrong.

It was clammy, and a bit drizzly, but that wasn't going to stop us. We finally got the chance to have a walk around the property, starting to pick up all the junk left behind after years of yard neglect. And yes, we even got the pleasure of seeing little green things popping up everywhere. We are pretty sure it is all tiger lilies (which are not my favorite) but at least SOMETHING is growing!!