The Great Outdoors

Camping is an annual tradition for us, so we found ourselves in the lush green Catskill Mountains this year. We booked a site at North-South Lake, and headed up right after Sam's baseball game.  We knew it might be an iffy weather situation, but I wasn't mentally prepared for the downpour and thick fog that met us at our campsite.  Shawn and I threw the tent up in record time, in the pitch black night with only the car headlights to see.  We threw the kids in the tent, put everyone to bed without a brushing teeth, and prayed that we would wake up to better weather in the morning!  Luckily it had stopped raining the next morning but it was still a little overcast.  This didn't stop the kids from getting out and exploring.  The one who surprised me the most was Lyv.  She seemed to be totally at one with nature - she loved romping through the trees, climbing the rocks, and getting good and dirty!  We hiked a short hike to Ashley Falls, and then made our way back to camp for a yummy lunch of hotdogs. 

I do have to say, that the biggest disappointment besides family, is not having the scrumptious, delicious food that we've grown to know comes when Memorial Day camping is happening.  Our hotdogs and tin foil dinners are no match for dutch oven potatoes, fried chicken, and scones!

The next day brought much warmer weather and we head for the beach to play before heading home.  We ran into our friends the Weston's and I was able to take their kayak out on the lake for a little spin.  That is definetly more my speed of boat.  Shawn wanted nothing to do with something that didn't have a motor.  

Throughout the camping experience Jack had been battling a fever that never seemed to go away, so a quick trip to the doctor resulted in a positive Strep test, and antibiotics for Jacko!  He refused to let something as little as strep throat stop his camping fun!  Overall it was a really fun experience - even sleeping wasn't too bad which was my worst fear.  

As we headed home I was looking forward to a much needed shower and washer and dryer for our stinky, wet camping clothes and gear.  We pulled up to the house only to find the electric company outside working on the power lines!  You can imagine how happy I was to see that - Shawn ran down and got the 411 from them, and walked back up and told me it might be a few days!  A curse word or two may or may not have crossed my lips, then he laughed and said that we was joking.  I gave a quick hit and told him that jokes about power going out are no joking matter here!  In 10 minutes I was enjoying a nice hot shower, and our marriage was saved!

  This picture of Lyv was just to funny to not post!  She thought she was pretty cool.

4 is a Party!

That's right - Baby #4 is headed to our home early November.  Though the pictures seems otherwise the kids all seem sincerely excited about another brother or sister!  We are excited too - nervous, but happy to be blessed with another baby.  We'll find out in about 4 more weeks what we are having, but for now know that my clothes are all really tight, my nausea is finally over, and my tummy has started to have a mind of it's own. It seems to be bigger early, as if its done this before?  When this baby arrives we'll have 4 babies in 4 different states, with 4 different doctors, and with 4 different birth certificates.

Newest hair style

Summer always brings out the clippers at our house.  The boys all go for a short, short cut so that the summer humidity is a little more barible.  Sam begged and begged for a new do: MOHAWK!  We did and he thinks he is the coolest boy in school. It goes from front to back, and you know that means business! A little different from his wavy locks, but much cooler. 

In other updates, we have been spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying the warm weather.  Most days the kids end up in the creek, or with the sprinkler on the tramp.  Either way it equals a lot of mud, dirt, and laundry!  Jack has an ability to go through about 3 outfits a day with his never ending explorations.

 Lyv loves cruising on this little bike and she is quite good at it.  She really does "fly" down the driveway.  But she has also started to love her helmet!  (Dana this is for you!) She is ready to hit the open road, and seems to have little fear of going where she shouldn't - aka towards the road.  She also loves to pick all the wild flowers that grow around our yard.  I heartily encourage the picking of the dandelions, so she's become quite the flower girl.

Finally, an action shot, just so I have it on record in case it never happens again! Sam manning the mower - the next week, he was all pumped to do it again, but I had to kid safe it by going around the edges and by the time I did that he had lost interest and decided to not mow.  I told him that was okay and mowed it myself.  Later he came out distraught that I had done it.  He thought I was upset with him for not doing it.  I told him he still has 2 good years to "choose" to mow, after that I will be upset if he doesn't.

Moments that Count

Sometimes, not all the time,but sometimes, my kids are amazing and do things that make my heart swell with love, gratitude, pride, and all the rest of those motherly juices that beat through my veins.  Perhaps the approach of Mother's Day turns my thoughts to more sentimental moments of getting to raise these three, regardless, let it be written:

Lyv loves being outside.  She would stay out all day if we let her.  She cruises on her bike and car,loves to swing and jump, and explores the creek and yard just like the boys.  She has been trying my patience lately, as she's been super emotional and cries at the drop of a hat, but being outside seems to cure at least some of these symptoms.  I love watching her little legs go a hundred miles per hour on her Red Flyer! It reminds me so much of Sam.

Sam - He had a rite of passage this afternoon, he mowed his first swath of grass! No action shots were taken because I was too afraid he would get his foot caught in the mower or drive it into the creek to leave him on his maiden voyage. He did amazing, and just kept going and going.  Was it perfect? No, Were there HUGE patches of unmowed, zigzaggy lines? Yes! But I was so proud of him, and so excited to add this to his list of things he can contribute to. I could tell he too was beaming with pride after doing the big lawn (and it is big). 

He also overcame a hard thing.  He had a game a week ago and struck out at every bat.  He was devastated.  Hitting is his "thing". We tried to reassure him that it would be okay.  He put in a little extra practice, and the next game got a hit every time!  I was so glad to see him work through this life lesson.

Finally, he continues to have an incredible imagination - yesterday he discovered a dinosaur tooth. A Brachiasorus tooth to be exact!  He is sure that his find is correct and used his scientist skills to test it. Who I have a little piece of Jurassic history in my yard?

Jack - He has adopted his own sense of style lately, and it comes in all shapes and sizes.  Usually on backwards, or on the wrong feet, but he loves it.  He picks out clothes for he and Sam in the morning the next day.  Everywhere we go, Jack attracks attention, especially of women, who think he is adorable.  Lately he's been wearing Sam's old cleats (which are 4 sizes too big for Jack), his hat is always backwards or gangsta style, and he usually has two pairs of shorts or pants on!  He's keepin' it fresh here.

In addition to our fish, we've seem to adopted a duck! We started to feed it bread, usually it would fly away scared.  Lately it has been showing up around dinner time, and struts up on the driveway right to the door! We of course encourage this by feeding it all the bread it can take.  Jack however still hasn't mastered his stealth skills - and runs full speed at the duck frightening it away!  He tells me he's just playing hide and seek with the duck!  Poor little thing. 

Fishing Frenzy

Shawn was able to take the boys fishing this weekend, and that is all that they've been doing since.  They caught a few fish with Shawn, so they are bound and determined to catch some in our little 2 inch creek.  We've had a lot of snagged lines, and not so many fish, but they love it. These two love spending time with just the "BOYS", so thanks to Shawn for making their day and taking them.  Shawn got a rare opportunity to do something for himself - he went fly fishing later that same day.  When I say rare it is that, Shawn never asks or tells me if he needs time to just do something he likes.  He always spends his extra hours at home with us, or letting me have a few minutes to myself. So I'm glad he was able to get some practice in before he heads up to Alaska to do some real fishing!

Bringing the circus to town

(Sam is the 6th from the left).

Our life seems to be choatic especially when I'm out with the kids by myself.  I find myself working up a sweat just trying to keep track of them all.  My kids always bring the circus to town. Two weeks ago Sam had his opening day for Baseball.  We got to the field 2 hours early (YES, crazy!) for team pictures, and then tried to manage Jack and Lyv while opening ceremonies were being conducted.  What it turned into was me trying to yell at them under my breath, and them laughing at my attempts to keep them clean.  The dirt and the rocks won out!  They came home and we had a mud bath. Several ladies in the crowd loved watching Lyv put rocks in her hair, and then laugh as I had to pull rocks out of her diaper!

Jack has always had a great sense of humor, and continues to provide laughs, usually in inappropriate ways.  For example watching We Bought a Zoo, the character curses and Jack laughs and yells it out "***hole!) "That is so funny!"  Trying not to laugh we tell him that isn't a good word, and then note to watch the movie without the kids before family viewing.  He also gets words mixed up a lot or makes up his own variation of words.  Here he was working on "cabbages" (cavities) in his patient's mouth with our playdough dentist. Many more moments like this with Jack, and I will be so sad when he leaves to school and takes his humor with him.