Last weekend Chris and I went up to the camp with Joshua and Jacob and her two nephews Nicholas and Jonathan. The boys had a great time, with great weather on Saturday. We finally has some dry weather to get a fire going and by get a fire going I mean of course, I got a fire going...out of wood and paper...no gas needed :).

I told Auntie it wasn't a free trip...she had to earn her keep. I had some projects to have her help me with. She gets me motivated, Jim likes to work alone and I like to work with someone. Chris is good about helping me and getting things done. I still find it hard to get rid of things at the camp that have been there forever, just as my dad did, even though they are in serious need of replacing. We needed some storage for towels and the current rack just wasn't cutting it. I bought a bookcase at Walmart to put together...it was only $29. That is not as impressive as it sounds without a picture showing how surprising that price it...but of course...I didn't take one. We made due of course with tools...Phillips (yes I know the name)...who needs it, a flat head is half of a Phillips...a hammer...who needs it when you have a

We also painted the porch swing...which has seen better days but is just irreplaceable. Again...no pictures.

This is a pretty flower that someone planted in the 'frog pond' as the boys call it. It is a little inlet that is totally disgusting with years and years of leaves and blood suckers...and bull frogs, of course that they hunt for at least a couple of times a weekend. I think these flower reproduce because more and more of them pop up over there each year. And, the boys bring a flower back once in a while. THey are fun to watch because they close up each night and look like a tight tulip and then they open up each day and look like this.

Here is one of the boys' friends they like to catch. Just like the fish...we let them go. We don't eat them.

Here is a little video of the boys being crazy playing on the water trampoline. Ah to be young again. Excuse me...younger.

They boys on the boats...in the background...boats Jim drools over each weekend.

Three Day Weekend

Last week I asked Jim to work a couple of longer days so we could take a three day weekend up North. Since we started four wheeling, we have not done as many 'other' things as we used to. On Friday we headed up the the Lost River. We have been a couple of years ago but it was time again. It is a very scenic walk(about 1000 stairs) through some glacier deposited boulders that have formed various caves. While I don't quite go through the caves, (it requires hands and knees and even has a Lemon Squeeze Gauge on one to see if you will fit) I enjoy going knowing the boys are loving it. I also get a little giddy knowing Jim is still young enough to go through them all!

How long could I have gotten away with leaving him here stuck???
He wasn't really...but I can dream can't I? Just Kidding!

Isn't it amazing how these trees just grow on top of the rocks, thanks to the birds who poop the seeds there? Afterwards we took a ride on the Kangamangus Highway. We usually see lots of people wading in the river and rocks. Luckily the water from all of the rain has receded making it safe enough to venture into. Again, I was an observer...it was freezing! It was a beautiful day that's for sure.

The boys are into everything farts. So of course the air bubble became the result of a fart. And Jacob was just beside himself with laughter.

The weather for Saturday threatened showers most of the day. We headed toward the riding trails in Berlin to see what it was like and it was awesome. Pretty blue sky, not too hot. We did some rough riding. I'm going to have to take a video next time so you can be impressed with the rocks and mud that I go through.

A Post from Joshua

Last week, Me, Jacob and Auntie went hiking down the road from our house.We saw a beaver. It whacked it's tail in the water and made a big splash. He grabbed sticks and swam back to his dam with them.He is putting the sticks he brought on his dam. Jacob spotted an orange salamandar on a rock on the trail. I picked him up.

We thought we saw big snake. We ran up to it but it was just a tire thingy.

We wanted to wear our books incase it was muddy because it rained a lot.

Summer Dos

Joshua is always asking for mohawks. I do not like them for school. I know a lot of people say "It is just hair", but I believe that it does assist people in making assumptions about people. Right or not, true or not...it happens. That coupled with the fact that I really believe that Mohawks are just a way of seeking out attention. Truth be told, Joshua always stares at people when they have them, he is captivated. I just don't think it is the most respectful hair style.

But anyway, I am a little more lenient in the summer. We compromise. He gets the mohawk, but it is only on top. I don't let him keep it in the back.

No going back now...

He really only spiked it up this day. It pretty much lays flat.

Jacob of course has asked for one too. But he was always younger and loss his attention span before I actually had to give him one. He also had finer hair. This year I let him have one too. He thinks he looks cooooool.

It's hard to tell with his hair being darker. And it is the cutest thing because he has that stinking little tornado in the front of his head he was born with :)

Welcome Visitors

I write this blog to help keep far friends and family close at heart. Feel free to stop by and visit to see what we're up to. You can leave a comment by clicking on the word comment below each post. (it does take anonymous comments so you don't have to sign up) I'd love to hear from you. If you're a first time visitor leave a comment and say hi :)

This Mom stuff can be stressful...

After vacation both boys were chomping at the bit to have playdates. Not living in a neighborhood makes it difficult at times to have playdates. Not many kids call for the kids to come over and they usually call to invite them, which I am fine with...but Joshua wants to go to someone elses house. I think it is because he is use to his things and space and wants to see others. I think I feel more of the stress than he does, I mean what do you say, "Can I come over your house?" As an adult I would feel weird, but for Joshua it is no big deal.

Jacob had his first friend over without a Mom. He has been talking about this same boy all school year. They have gotten to play together because his babysitter at the end of the school year was friendly with the boy's Mom and had him over. They got along great. The mom had mentioned to me before she left that it can be hard with three, seeing that I had Joshua as well. And it was. All kids were well behaved, but the little boy was intrigued by Joshua and was playing with him and then Jacob started the "You like Joshua more than you like me". Funny thing is that is the exact same line Joshua used when he had a friend over this winter who was playing outside with Jacob when Joshua came in. I did have Joshua stay in for a bit so they could play alone.

Today Joshua has a friend over and I hope it goes well. I will try also to have Jacob stay away from them for a time to give them space. I may have to only plan playdates when one is at a friends if it gets too stressful...but what are the chances of being able to plan that out.

Making the best of Vacation

Last week was the week that I always go up to the camp in Maine. This year was a bit different for two reasons. The first being that it was the first one in a long time that my sister and nieces weren't able to come up from Tennessee. Since Jeanne was out of work for 12 weeks with her surgery, she has to build up her time off and spare change fund :) We certainly missed them and I know they missed being able to come as well.

The weather was also a major bummer. As I complained about earlier...we just have had so much rain. Last week the weather was gray and gloomy with pretty much a high of 62, except for Friday when Auntie and I actually caught some rays. We kept turning the chairs to get every last bit of it. The rain and cold didn't keep the boys away from the water though as you can see. I also got to have my niece for a couple of days and she was right there with them in the water. Auntie even went in one day...claiming the water always feels warmer when it is cold out. Needless to say, I did not make my swim across the lake. I will wait for a much longer string of warm weather.

This was a big catch of the week. They did get bigger ones, but mostly sunfish. Those suckers were just sucking off the worm as soon as we put it in. It seems the bass are eating all the fish. It used to be we would throw out the line and get hornpout after hornpout, but we haven't seen one in years.

The month of crappy weather we have had also meant wet wood...so no campfires. Who can go up to camp and no marshmellow or s'mores. We made do. We used the microwave. I have done them many times with my students in summer school. They were Yum-O if you ask me. Did you ever see a marshmellow blow up...a fun one for the kids to watch.

Oh, I have to add a third difference. We do not have cable in Maine. We have always had about three channels. Channel 13 was the clearest, but of course had all of those crime shows I can't stand and that are not good for the kids to see anyway, unless I want them both sleeping with us in the full size bed. Then we got a PBS like channel and ABC but it was scrambled. Then we brought up my Dad's TV and ABC became unscrambled but we lost Channel 13. AFter Jim redid the roof and unhooked and reattached the antenna on the roof...we lost all channels...only to be reminded from Auntie about the digital transition. The TV is good, but the antenna is a problem. So we pretty much watch a movie each night after the kids went to bed...hint to all...library...that was where I got most of the movies we watched. The no TV thing was a killer to Jim. I was really hoping to be able to get direct tv here and then bring a receiver and dish up to the camp...two birds with one bill :) but we have toooooo many freaken trees. So bumming.

We did not get to any fireworks. We went riding in the day and got wet, wet, wet. Jim wanted to take the loooonnnnnnngggggg way home so it was late by the time we got back. The paper said there weren't any in town until the 18th, but there was...we didn't want to drive the further distance into Gorham so the boys did sparklers...and really didn't ask about fireworks anyway. We'll catch some soon.