Week 29

Monday, July 16th

C4 left for camp.  Usually Junior and Senior High are 2 different weeks, but this year they were combined.  Ack!  Believe me when I say I had many reservations about sending him.  

Since we were on the Cape, Linda dropped him off for me.  They were soooo excited to have their picture taken!

Goodbye, my sweet, innocent boy.

For Colombo and I it was Day 3 on the Cape.  We spent the day at Old Silver Beach before heading home.

Once home, Rocco was so excited to see Woody again and he begged me to take a picture.

Tuesday, July 17th
A beautiful summer night eating on the patio at Moe's.

Wednesday, July 18th
Not the best one of me.  It was the only one the camera and I didn't even know it was taken.  Renna sure is cute in it!  Checking email with Mommy in the morning.

Thursday, July 19th
The theme of our home this summer is 'Revolving Door'.  I've always admired Lisa and her grace in always having who knows who in and out for various events.  Kind of a drop-in policy.  I like just a tad more planning than that.  I've gotten better, but still have tendencies to cringe just a little when someone drops in, concerned about what I have to serve for drinks and whether my hair got combed that morning or not.  I want people to feel like they can stop by.  I just feel like I'm not 'on my game' for spur of the moment things.

Well this summer has totally been a revolving door of kids.  Now that the four older kids are in a have-a-friend-over mode, there's always an extra or 3, it seems.  The previous week I had gone 7 straight days of having kids that were not mine in our house.  But I'm thankful (I think!) that people feel welcome enough to call up and invite their kids over.

On this day, C4 was at camp but I still had 8 kids plus Laurie, Cameron, and Sean!

Friday, July 20th
We picked C4 up from camp....so, so good to see his face.  Apparently my camp concerns were completely unfounded.  He LOVED it.  The highlight was the services.  Can't get any better than that for a mom of a teenager.

From there, we stopped in at the Hanson's.  Baby Madison looked wonderful and we both got to hold her!  Two sweet girls!

Saturday, July 21st
Again, the only picture on the camera, this time compliments of Rocco I'm sure.

Sunday, July 22nd
Family day by the pool.  Trevor has a kick-bum cannon ball that makes me laugh out loud every time.

Week 28

Monday, July 9th

...makes me happy.

Tuesday, July 10th
The R.I. cousins came for some pool time.

Wednesday, July 11th
Out by the pool Trevor came up and asked, "Mom, is my sunscreen o.k?"  He was serious.

Madison and her friend pitched the tent so they could sleep in it.  I had my doubts whether they'd make it through the night, but they did.  And then subsequent nights she had the little guys out there too!  Crazy girl!

After dropping off Brianna and Joshua, who'd spent the night, Nathanael fell asleep in the van...then stumbled to this chair and continued snoring  Then I tried to wake him to get him out of the sun.  He crashed again onto the couch.  Tired boy.

Thursday, July 12th
The kids participated in an alternative VBS.  Somehow that sounds weird.  What I mean is we missed Crossroad's VBS because it was the same week we were in Outerbanks.  Thankfully, the Methodist church closest to our home ran the same program during a week we were around.  The kids LOVED it.  In fact, it was very nice for them to be at a small church in small crews.  It was well run.  Very organized, with great decorations and an "all hands on deck" feel from all the helpers.  It brought me back to my Chapin Congregational days.

On Thursday night, they hosted an ice cream social for to draw parents in and let the kids show what they learned during the week.

Trevor is center with white sleeveless shirt, Madison is to his right in pink, and Nathanael is to her right but you can't see his face.

The 3 VBS-ers.

Then, of course, Rocco HAD to be in the picture.

Friday, July 13th
Last day of VBS.  Nathanael got to recite one of the verses.

Saturday, July 14th
Day 1 of our annual Cape weekend.  We went to Bleu, one of our favorite restaurants.  A couple of the menu items were interesting.  My first time seeing Rabbit on the menu.

Sunday, July 15th
Day 2 on the Cape.  After church Dan and Arlene took us for a boat ride over to the Vineyard.  This is Diane Sawyer's complex.

Then another lovely dinner out with wonderful friends.

Takin' a Break

C4 finally got his braces off!!!  BUT, it wasn't overly triumphant.  We're only on a break.  This past two years was to correct his bite and his swallow.  In about six months we will be back for round two, which will straighten all his teeth.  For now, he gets a break (with a retainer) while all his adult teeth finish coming in.  But for now he looks great!

700

Just realized that my last post- Renna's 4 month post- was number 700 on my blog!!!

4 Months

Wow!  Has it really been 4 months already?

Oh my goodness.  We spend a lot of our day just mesmorized by this sweet girl.  We stare.  We smooch.  We snuggle and sit and hold, and generally just soak her in.  She is so super special and has all of us completely smitten.  She's just a delight!

She continues to smile at and talk to anyone who will listen.  She definitely got much more independent this month.  For longer stretches she is happy sitting in the swing or on her back with the jungle gym, entertaining herself and batting at toys.  She doesn't require as much jiggling, bouncing, or walking anymore.  She'll even just sit on my lap and watch what's going on around her.

Her hair has almost all fallen out except for what people refer to as a mohawk.  It's cute and sad at the same time, but she's beautiful none-the-less.

These pictures melt me.

The mohawk also doubles as a great Superman curl.

She is a happy, happy girl almost all the time.

She is solidly in 3-6 month clothing now and I must say very well-dressed thanks to everyone who loves her.  I haven't bought anything yet.

At her check up she was 12 lbs, 9 oz.  75th %ile for height and 25th for weight.  Poor girl also had 4 more shots.

Reasoning With a Six-Year-Old

Colombo is standing at the grill, very obviously cooking dinner.  Turkey burgers, actually.  Trevor comes up along side of him.

Trevor: Dad, can I have pancakes for dinner?

C3: No, we're having burgers for dinner.

Trevor:  Yeah, I know, but I want pancakes.

C3:  Trevor, you know those pretty pictures you're always drawing and giving to Mommy?  How would you like it if you spent all day making Mommy a special picture and then when you gave it to her she said she didn't want a picture- she wanted a different gift?

Trevor: Bad.

C3: Well how do you think we feel when we spend all day preparing a meal for you and then you say you don't want that- you want something different?

Trevor: Bad.
pause
pause
Trevor: I fink I want pancakes for dinner.

The Fourth

We spent the 4th of July as a partial family.  Madison and Nathanael were away at kids' camp.  We all dressed as festively as we could and headed down to Wilimantic for the Annual Boom Box Parade.

Just a couple of random, sweet, patriotic girls.

Just a very random parade-ist.  People were shouting her name.  Perhaps she's a town icon.

Lisa's neighbors for the Victorian Home Association.

So much candy was given out.  The boys collected 113 pieces.

From there we headed out to Dad's for cousins and slippin' and slidin'.

The biggest kid of all.  I'm so thankful for a Dad that does not age...at least on the inside.

Is this not the sweetest picture of Little Wyatt?!

We made sure we were home by dark to catch the annual fireworks show in the cul-de-sac, compliments of Mr. Bellock across the street.  They set up their chairs on their lawn, and we sat on our front lawn in front of the fire pit.

There were about 8 or so guys in their early 20's who'd been enjoying adult beverages all day and were totally enthusiastic.  In fact, half the fun was listening to them laugh and laugh, especially over close-calls.  A couple of times a firework would have a quick fuse or shoot off in a weird direction.  The more dangerous, the funnier to them.