tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64302923834421286632024-03-12T22:52:02.796-04:00The Corbin ClanA Mom, a Dad, two kids, and a blog.Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-20731717587840217242013-03-31T19:49:00.001-04:002013-03-31T19:49:43.265-04:00A Good EggHappy Easter everyone! We had a great day complete with a cousin's sleepover and an egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's house.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTvps1of5SFq06p6RH3Z-HiL2g3qJCGNypNIXaf-cS_beA2CKPk5ScusbcjdVMcBBMb-DL95tMSVGsB997g2wAnM9Gn1mAX6n_V6aCae3e_6iKxJavvzkakY3Kkp6pFElWZoCCQYsVoM/s1600/easterbunny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTvps1of5SFq06p6RH3Z-HiL2g3qJCGNypNIXaf-cS_beA2CKPk5ScusbcjdVMcBBMb-DL95tMSVGsB997g2wAnM9Gn1mAX6n_V6aCae3e_6iKxJavvzkakY3Kkp6pFElWZoCCQYsVoM/s1600/easterbunny.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregory and the bunny in Dedham</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Speaking of egg hunts, Cousin Karen Mitropolis and I took Gregory to the annual Dedham egg hunt yesterday. The kids cleared a soccer field loaded with eggs in about 90 seconds flat, reminiscent of a cloud of locusts. Gregory managed to collect 11 eggs, however when he noticed a smaller boy without any eggs, Gregory put three of his eggs in the boy's basket. Way to go Gregory!<br />
<br />
After the egg hunt we visited the Blue Bunny bookstore owned by children's author/illustrator (and childhood friend of Karen's) Peter Reynolds. When we ran into Mr. Reynolds at the store, Karen told him about Gregory's Easter egg donation, he drew this picture for the little guy:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPIwNicQbFD1SGym_Qg5KbYA_Hs-jJ5s-c2MZsJOLVG8VwYX9hYwLD0JfSbUupn_IXs1vTo2yORT0mPjjrpG_66Io7NSumRKGKANJymT46_OeNPT5lz7xJz8Ak1cARrEvJr4OedGhwTQ/s1600/goodegg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPIwNicQbFD1SGym_Qg5KbYA_Hs-jJ5s-c2MZsJOLVG8VwYX9hYwLD0JfSbUupn_IXs1vTo2yORT0mPjjrpG_66Io7NSumRKGKANJymT46_OeNPT5lz7xJz8Ak1cARrEvJr4OedGhwTQ/s1600/goodegg.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good egg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thank you to Peter Reynold's for a special gift to Gregory - I couldn't agree more!<br />
<br />Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-66886112786568324962012-06-17T21:24:00.001-04:002012-06-17T21:33:57.626-04:00Rebecca and Tippy<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpst47FHQyP4p7rFrvJA8_zJ0PoIrPGovQmhbUf-qA3MO3hsUfhoXmZ1jf1d6Lm_Tnf01UAJ3A0xkXnEx0PUDxRYUYdfMIfgNryaxUytj3oxj8WRcLxUd9gheMEn3LWSejoI0PdGEo868/s1600/IMG_2234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpst47FHQyP4p7rFrvJA8_zJ0PoIrPGovQmhbUf-qA3MO3hsUfhoXmZ1jf1d6Lm_Tnf01UAJ3A0xkXnEx0PUDxRYUYdfMIfgNryaxUytj3oxj8WRcLxUd9gheMEn3LWSejoI0PdGEo868/s400/IMG_2234.JPG" width="400" /></a>
Rebecca rocked a horse show Saturday at Integrity Equestrian Center in Holden. She rode Tippy and anyone who knows anything about Miss Tippy Toes knows she is famous for navigating through cones on her own and being very stubborn when it's time to kick it up from walking to trotting. Despite this latter trait and the fact that Tippy gives a bouncy ride as she loves to run on her tip toes (hence the name), Rebecca won a first and second place ribbon. My baby has made a ton of progress in the past year.
Here is Rebecca and Tippy strutting their stuff:<br />
(I'm having some technical troubles embedding the video. If you see a black square instead of my precious offspring riding a white pony, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdhXJHVOQMU&feature=youtu.be">click here</a>) <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdhXJHVOQMU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-73386239322002171492011-12-17T17:40:00.006-05:002011-12-17T18:02:11.534-05:00A Masterpiece In Gingerbread<p>Thank you to cousin Karen for inviting us to a gingerbread house making family night. The kids had lots of fun eating pizza and building their house, even if the end result proves that they are better artists than engineers.</p><br /><p>Here's the proof that at one point the house was standing:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DcTPxoFtOF10a4snkqQhEtj4xhB-Kc4DQyi_1E3xItE0Z2p0dCMpk9CY2yP6c0TR4Zbe5DK3pXGmn8_vRAf0hHJOCXCh4-GcrfG-IDBmXSiHnZGswLwifL5OcUzWRKtL0F_AyEUyYqw/s1600/house1.JPG"><img style="margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DcTPxoFtOF10a4snkqQhEtj4xhB-Kc4DQyi_1E3xItE0Z2p0dCMpk9CY2yP6c0TR4Zbe5DK3pXGmn8_vRAf0hHJOCXCh4-GcrfG-IDBmXSiHnZGswLwifL5OcUzWRKtL0F_AyEUyYqw/s400/house1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687234076187135282" /></a></p><br /><p>Unfortunately, it didn't survive the car ride quite so well. Here's what it looked like by the time we got it home:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvMUfJXCkbhpWKbJTWLBf4_90Tp7EamNQs8BanVSsUnS3rH3UJOTci9ImCQwHB1B3Nv3slFxXmtXZ1_XeTIqNMJHuw2pjU4k8mxCbJOh9Ko4ZHjYPkx8o0Jw7eLlbl2o3AIwe-gel0fQ/s1600/house2.JPG"><img style="margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvMUfJXCkbhpWKbJTWLBf4_90Tp7EamNQs8BanVSsUnS3rH3UJOTci9ImCQwHB1B3Nv3slFxXmtXZ1_XeTIqNMJHuw2pjU4k8mxCbJOh9Ko4ZHjYPkx8o0Jw7eLlbl2o3AIwe-gel0fQ/s400/house2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687235065047363410" /></a></p><br /><p>Oh well. On the plus side, in the its present state it's harder to tell that I've been stealing all the gumdrops off the house.</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-10806517363027936792011-12-05T17:09:00.003-05:002011-12-05T17:53:26.001-05:00What Horses Dream About ...It's amazing what you find when you have kids. Today I grabbed a notebook and turned to a random page to jot something down and I found this drawing. I'm not sure when it was made, but it's definitely Rebecca's handiwork and it made me laugh.<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgdmYFWDqp_8UGldEnupd7XyVght7SA_iNetZ5syLAcPbSAJjOJ3EHiIqTsTLO3NneWwAbgJKKY4Szim-fLkno3C9ZV7FvzMCxO010nJQHG1UH3kczN94dvwJ4DmztSmMW6ckpqthBHA/s1600/horse.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgdmYFWDqp_8UGldEnupd7XyVght7SA_iNetZ5syLAcPbSAJjOJ3EHiIqTsTLO3NneWwAbgJKKY4Szim-fLkno3C9ZV7FvzMCxO010nJQHG1UH3kczN94dvwJ4DmztSmMW6ckpqthBHA/s400/horse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682780946172328514" /></a></p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-46352204332149758002011-09-15T21:45:00.009-04:002011-09-18T22:02:07.053-04:00Gregory In Kindergarten<p>With two weeks of kindergarten under his belt, Gregory is settling in to taking the bus with his big sister and practicing his letters. His favorite school event is snack time and every morning he wants to pack his own snack. He did smuggle a toy in his backpack one morning (a little 'inja' figure) about which he proudly told me his teacher told him 'never do it again', but overall I'm taking the 'so far so good' attitude. Still, I would love to be a fly on the wall in his classroom.<p><br /><p>Here's what he had to say after his first day of school:<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lhpHT3BVvIQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><br /><p>Here's some pictures from his first day:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYfcC7teSa3-twE6FXKmR2Mv-3xmGz1H4Q431D9seYpQac-48yVwPyaFYxgUOCyt_BUDZZgVuB33jd4ZzMbtXYdgk5yO89fhptZz4YOyPKEUT3r9FyRxXFKzaQagRhIv49hrzqrWW58g/s1600/backpack.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYfcC7teSa3-twE6FXKmR2Mv-3xmGz1H4Q431D9seYpQac-48yVwPyaFYxgUOCyt_BUDZZgVuB33jd4ZzMbtXYdgk5yO89fhptZz4YOyPKEUT3r9FyRxXFKzaQagRhIv49hrzqrWW58g/s400/backpack.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653884627166990402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtbXgTG-At8OWqY7YYBCWIyzci2QP4QtJYmumjTnagQB1iTuuyAbICBN4UORp_ODI6TjPVb3bF190nUC9aHqth9tcN92aSJMyq1eai8WtBU_hyphenhyphenxL7tVXeoLCVK5ThMtDfFJvlUaAOFSY/s1600/goodiebag.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtbXgTG-At8OWqY7YYBCWIyzci2QP4QtJYmumjTnagQB1iTuuyAbICBN4UORp_ODI6TjPVb3bF190nUC9aHqth9tcN92aSJMyq1eai8WtBU_hyphenhyphenxL7tVXeoLCVK5ThMtDfFJvlUaAOFSY/s400/goodiebag.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653884491277664498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj9nkC7ecpiCB7eHV7jYCxonR_EqkNSi2H1frULQ5Kyatum5KxuAcQyPGMYsFBi1aSH9iwT_h9TGMASs7covOWEFx1cQ4F0cb8kIPDPFzlOoljRvidEbGKt55gDn227FhGoTOip-mwRc/s1600/gregoryandmom.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj9nkC7ecpiCB7eHV7jYCxonR_EqkNSi2H1frULQ5Kyatum5KxuAcQyPGMYsFBi1aSH9iwT_h9TGMASs7covOWEFx1cQ4F0cb8kIPDPFzlOoljRvidEbGKt55gDn227FhGoTOip-mwRc/s400/gregoryandmom.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653884378445094674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RIDlsBnZnVhstYZQF_R8xJmOJ9trXpKN41aA0u-eZH4wfl7f3-ovm41FaPrGgAl1kCP4sokktnJQYzYzK2BJNTJFmJ8G9P7_ZrHzahEYZFzgCaTpHjAe4kIZV4rWwdsew3K5pjdiXNc/s1600/thumbsup.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RIDlsBnZnVhstYZQF_R8xJmOJ9trXpKN41aA0u-eZH4wfl7f3-ovm41FaPrGgAl1kCP4sokktnJQYzYzK2BJNTJFmJ8G9P7_ZrHzahEYZFzgCaTpHjAe4kIZV4rWwdsew3K5pjdiXNc/s400/thumbsup.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653884177672907186" /></a></p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-21315353516078643952011-08-10T22:02:00.008-04:002011-08-10T22:17:14.750-04:00Davis Farm Day<span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV0d8k2sgEGHe4TYSRV-2mS_EIaKHryKjX3hEPg-KGIxwX2TVHDHoLUUuAkf-VKqbfZsavEk7HnGHPg8agWj9oWGo_4z7RH2fUw3AF2Wqp9S532m6cesw8IeU1EmCFwPvTc6DuKPzU8Q/s1600/bunnies.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV0d8k2sgEGHe4TYSRV-2mS_EIaKHryKjX3hEPg-KGIxwX2TVHDHoLUUuAkf-VKqbfZsavEk7HnGHPg8agWj9oWGo_4z7RH2fUw3AF2Wqp9S532m6cesw8IeU1EmCFwPvTc6DuKPzU8Q/s400/bunnies.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639416149604612242" /></a><br />Brushing Bunnies</span>
<br /><span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ALE13XgxgG1n23mJBtDOmtJUn63zkVfplNmPrV5h8BKGIiqhefw5TwYHJymwHKYafNN_NTbm7ZhUmD4I-ma3Tbq-XsDOCFhlWunDwgWXBnyApkFvJdcSjH-0UcI9EtkM3gReYNwjW1I/s1600/snake.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ALE13XgxgG1n23mJBtDOmtJUn63zkVfplNmPrV5h8BKGIiqhefw5TwYHJymwHKYafNN_NTbm7ZhUmD4I-ma3Tbq-XsDOCFhlWunDwgWXBnyApkFvJdcSjH-0UcI9EtkM3gReYNwjW1I/s400/snake.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639415661597555506" /></a><br />Just goes to show, Gregory will touch anything.</span>
<br />Mom and I took advantage of Evan and Nora's visit to Boxborough to get the cousins together at Davis Farmland. We had a fun day of hayrides, bouncy houses, and way too many goats. The girl's brushed bunnies and played in the pretend vet clinic while the boys wrestled and ran wild. More highlights include the many different versions of 'The Bouncing Eyeball' told in line for the hayride and Pablo (the Mexican milk snake, who the staff described as 'very friendly'). Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-29113682003496779202011-08-03T20:53:00.003-04:002011-08-03T21:40:08.365-04:00The Family Fish<p>No - we don't have a new pet fish - we have Gregory. Gregory started swimming the end of last summer, but this year his swimming has really taken off. Here he is jumping off the diving board into 12 foot deep water.</p><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/alg6ySz88Jg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-3945603813087034072011-07-25T19:58:00.003-04:002011-07-25T20:06:20.155-04:00Happy 8th Birthday Rebecca<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsI4Xf8q6t7qap1w6iyx2n86GIq8bwOlSwgAjQffF2MGw7YJ5e_3MmKYyYQI1qKAhJrFaitHpzcXfwZcbh0QuJwrTwo6FtUYXeHTIa2s4kkEN87A1J8a1oLA4wmvLgh8tbk49ivvawgY/s1600/rebeccabirthday1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsI4Xf8q6t7qap1w6iyx2n86GIq8bwOlSwgAjQffF2MGw7YJ5e_3MmKYyYQI1qKAhJrFaitHpzcXfwZcbh0QuJwrTwo6FtUYXeHTIa2s4kkEN87A1J8a1oLA4wmvLgh8tbk49ivvawgY/s400/rebeccabirthday1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633445427854380226" /></a><br />I can't believe it's been 8 years since I became a Mom for the first time. Rebecca celebrated her birthday with a party at a local roller skating rink which stirred up memories of days (long) ago when I used to skate at the long since closed Granite Rollo. The day consisted of MJ songs, Carvel ice cream cake, and lots of litte girls falling on their tushies. Good times - Happy Birthday Rebecca!Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-30466097478266275812011-03-19T21:21:00.008-04:002011-03-19T21:36:28.001-04:00St. Patrick's Day ParadeHappy St. Patrick's Day! I know, I know - 3 days late, as usual. Here's some pictures from the St. Patrick's Day parade.<br/><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGNwYP0rZ9cpoLmmVM-WPDgD22chI7SslL7xZ1vYSJfGoJFuRBm7EuIYF2oDOmHImKg8R_P8bOBll6LZIf-8SyT8iFbzmKQ-BSXPPwkhbzmo504G0m1e-jUI3lEmKAErAkvzO9peDIs4/s1600/stpats5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGNwYP0rZ9cpoLmmVM-WPDgD22chI7SslL7xZ1vYSJfGoJFuRBm7EuIYF2oDOmHImKg8R_P8bOBll6LZIf-8SyT8iFbzmKQ-BSXPPwkhbzmo504G0m1e-jUI3lEmKAErAkvzO9peDIs4/s400/stpats5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585968558827870738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0s4yhM-ADtmtPD6rzqxN7CiGr-O9Go9MJF5k6tiy1SnmQ9RmDhWsxB6FvQCQvg-dhuIJSatXWcytBY-3toTblQn4NrsdUQVw0a4jQtMOcm8aqH_jD1dpjiWL7lloSfCC5zltyD_ThyphenhyphenU/s1600/stpats4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0s4yhM-ADtmtPD6rzqxN7CiGr-O9Go9MJF5k6tiy1SnmQ9RmDhWsxB6FvQCQvg-dhuIJSatXWcytBY-3toTblQn4NrsdUQVw0a4jQtMOcm8aqH_jD1dpjiWL7lloSfCC5zltyD_ThyphenhyphenU/s400/stpats4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585968480474395938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzHzLkpLlLBZFZGWhkNRIFxXML9P2VaN-t7MjefI62Z-5UX5O3SlDHDG6Z9iSHvPekGaT7B6em2nnms34fQM0LO_f3E2Q28PQ5dgWFTndAVUSORMkRAe1tsyEZaEp3ZAJ2v3htySnd5E/s1600/stpats3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzHzLkpLlLBZFZGWhkNRIFxXML9P2VaN-t7MjefI62Z-5UX5O3SlDHDG6Z9iSHvPekGaT7B6em2nnms34fQM0LO_f3E2Q28PQ5dgWFTndAVUSORMkRAe1tsyEZaEp3ZAJ2v3htySnd5E/s400/stpats3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585968262353457170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6NuTlZ0LSADhHaqmxacqSF3gIsTixh2sacXaJVFPlJE9Kykc4MTyepWfzcmSy0_UCdwoI3n6-PcJ-P4G07YL8Ka5dNsWyVJwnQ6ORGvPmKXrnxbSxwQgh0IfQ3AQbqAcv1kx_YytZUI/s1600/stpats2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6NuTlZ0LSADhHaqmxacqSF3gIsTixh2sacXaJVFPlJE9Kykc4MTyepWfzcmSy0_UCdwoI3n6-PcJ-P4G07YL8Ka5dNsWyVJwnQ6ORGvPmKXrnxbSxwQgh0IfQ3AQbqAcv1kx_YytZUI/s400/stpats2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585968192154933986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuXrDi7oVe6k72vsKLw2e16GfES_-rjBks9oXk583uHt9a1SDiQ8RfhGKZWn5DNqxJrAcPoK3F-yOhadJ1OpHEQhTMpHgr-smHQYda9SGw23M0gXSYXgvwT70XuaxvxE4J4bK_l931Jc/s1600/stpats1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuXrDi7oVe6k72vsKLw2e16GfES_-rjBks9oXk583uHt9a1SDiQ8RfhGKZWn5DNqxJrAcPoK3F-yOhadJ1OpHEQhTMpHgr-smHQYda9SGw23M0gXSYXgvwT70XuaxvxE4J4bK_l931Jc/s400/stpats1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585968091248420434" /></a>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-12051303333125907532011-02-14T19:54:00.001-05:002011-02-14T19:57:36.331-05:00Wii Love ItHere's some video of Gregory playing with the Wii (not that he gets into it or anything):<br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ipyWlC61x8I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-12458154814974898802011-01-29T19:12:00.006-05:002011-01-29T19:27:22.499-05:00My Knight In Shining Armor<span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCtMtKSQzXziB3xAtp62LbT_sbxe_kfEQ473C7fzL-kGjjZIPgSdsJA3L5c5w4ZgUVMrF2e4DLqXsu45qcJAnEI2ACGJ3GVbtAAPYAY3hlGCgEL123xQchf28FiRG_8l3sMUuwaRSh_k/s1600/myknight.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCtMtKSQzXziB3xAtp62LbT_sbxe_kfEQ473C7fzL-kGjjZIPgSdsJA3L5c5w4ZgUVMrF2e4DLqXsu45qcJAnEI2ACGJ3GVbtAAPYAY3hlGCgEL123xQchf28FiRG_8l3sMUuwaRSh_k/s400/myknight.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567768684603059218" /></a></span><br /><p>In a desperate attempt to get out of the house I let the kids pick where they wanted to go today. They decided on the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester. I'd never been there before but it was pretty neat. Turns out it was Viking day so we got to see a bunch of guys dressed up like Vikings having Viking 'fights' and playing Viking games. Lots of cool suits of armor. Gregory was especially disturbed by the suit that was missing its helmet, which he expressed by yelling "Oh my God! Look at that poor knight! That's disgusting!"</p><br /><p>Here's some more photos:</p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFDmC41JOOKwiX4o6J-ZUvk-QDVEeHxWGpXRECOhUu8A9EM96NaJvLbOC46Wj9PqppxEqRuzCrQ151HWUHNyo9oMO58S_SoOVGEAj0YQWrf8f5e8ce9zz_ENh9fu2QLzGQbfDza-7IRQ/s1600/hat.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFDmC41JOOKwiX4o6J-ZUvk-QDVEeHxWGpXRECOhUu8A9EM96NaJvLbOC46Wj9PqppxEqRuzCrQ151HWUHNyo9oMO58S_SoOVGEAj0YQWrf8f5e8ce9zz_ENh9fu2QLzGQbfDza-7IRQ/s400/hat.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567768143834726354" /></a></p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjKHDjuozrYwOHJlvFNBdIc5RU_uN3SDveQDUp-fUeQ1q5Zu5cWesjBxvU1Nrm5l7uhzJ2zgzMdsF00nWTReBy4aem4cuk4Fsaro1ZDkEEslRQTGm5AZy1uXvkP2kNkRi94hQMV_0Els/s1600/knights.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjKHDjuozrYwOHJlvFNBdIc5RU_uN3SDveQDUp-fUeQ1q5Zu5cWesjBxvU1Nrm5l7uhzJ2zgzMdsF00nWTReBy4aem4cuk4Fsaro1ZDkEEslRQTGm5AZy1uXvkP2kNkRi94hQMV_0Els/s400/knights.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567768295345756546" /></a></p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dsEkJ1e1FIu01RW5bnV_AWbzi1Otg8YSN2yE9FvkVTzGvG4_59usxiiO-zQRGwB5_dAjNoGyru8TKYzAfwzinmq6MzIQACoVU4ZhbD9nIR7jq4Lhk_Y4p5SoFAEVpB7rPdiGKj5bL9o/s1600/stockade.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dsEkJ1e1FIu01RW5bnV_AWbzi1Otg8YSN2yE9FvkVTzGvG4_59usxiiO-zQRGwB5_dAjNoGyru8TKYzAfwzinmq6MzIQACoVU4ZhbD9nIR7jq4Lhk_Y4p5SoFAEVpB7rPdiGKj5bL9o/s400/stockade.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567768482075972850" /></a></p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-78429432409819255782011-01-27T19:52:00.003-05:002011-01-27T19:56:03.520-05:00Snow Day<span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oArDg3-iKiXeshqKqqhcHuCMeF8KyQBvw0DuEmQsdHK0PMBoKe6GE9KRcW5qoIloPrt9diqOJXOWgDyLD3ovUkHowtdQMKAtOj3JJF9J4F2LkJSASptBqJT5RQ5MQzQo1_EZ0vVYmGI/s1600/pancakes.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oArDg3-iKiXeshqKqqhcHuCMeF8KyQBvw0DuEmQsdHK0PMBoKe6GE9KRcW5qoIloPrt9diqOJXOWgDyLD3ovUkHowtdQMKAtOj3JJF9J4F2LkJSASptBqJT5RQ5MQzQo1_EZ0vVYmGI/s400/pancakes.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567033993871207026" /></a></span><br />Another foot of snow today so school was canceled for the 3rd time in 2 weeks. What else is there to do on a snow day but make pancakes? The kids and I mixed up a batch and succeeded in not setting off the fire alarm like we usually do, which always traumatizes poor Gregory. Yay us!Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-66543142165916049282010-12-18T19:17:00.002-05:002010-12-18T19:19:58.491-05:00Snow ConcertHere's the video from Rebecca's snow concert. Although there was no snow on the ground, it did flurry for the event. Rebecca is in the front row in the gray sweater, white shirt, and purple plaid skirt. Too bad she's so camera shy (not!).<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1-mi3FQAJGI?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1-mi3FQAJGI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-61681858545863242032010-12-04T19:49:00.004-05:002010-12-04T20:07:08.262-05:00Are You Friggin Kidding Me Santa?<span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xbNO5KI12JdrP0xImywCz0yaEdTbdCbQ9Yi56viFCmlAQglQXpBRX1mZxpQtXw2w1hXCdCChpQefEo7h900VV8Ka82fPD7PNjjNJEkaRhq9SogEgvC927ZwDdYuthXmjkx1_c0gQ8Qk/s1600/santa.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xbNO5KI12JdrP0xImywCz0yaEdTbdCbQ9Yi56viFCmlAQglQXpBRX1mZxpQtXw2w1hXCdCChpQefEo7h900VV8Ka82fPD7PNjjNJEkaRhq9SogEgvC927ZwDdYuthXmjkx1_c0gQ8Qk/s400/santa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546996959046716450" /></a>All that effort for this</span><br />Holden held the annual girlscout caroling, Santa arrival, and tree lighting event tonight. Rebecca was a trooper who sang enthusiastically and then waited patiently in line to see Santa. Gregory, on the other hand, had a bit of trouble. He was cold (give me a break - this year it was a balmy 34 degrees - I still remember 3 years ago when the temp topped out at 13 degrees), he wanted to sit in the car, he needed to use the bathroom, etc. With a combination of holding him, encouraging him and wrestling him, I managed to string him along until he and Rebecca got a chance to sit with Santa. My motive? To get a Santa picture so I don't have to shell out $30 at the mall this year for one. When they finally made it to Santa's lap I snapped a quick picture from the side. Then I moved into the prime photo spot right in front of the big man, at which point my camera battery died. My comment to Santa: Are you friggin kidding me?Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-31985604413171466102010-11-01T21:40:00.006-04:002010-11-01T22:02:40.995-04:00How Not To Dress A 4 Year Old For Halloween<span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqP2xEIBTlAafCsSzl7-3ZrPvXF4_JahOlL9UfoLpIrSKuN327jpbn0StXGEnl8CNYN8iGcX0c0sWqWOu-1RWpbCFec29u18hXAbjETg7_g_r-e0vPpYFQHlDqZwuwtq6r8xfFBGUxkA/s1600/costumes.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqP2xEIBTlAafCsSzl7-3ZrPvXF4_JahOlL9UfoLpIrSKuN327jpbn0StXGEnl8CNYN8iGcX0c0sWqWOu-1RWpbCFec29u18hXAbjETg7_g_r-e0vPpYFQHlDqZwuwtq6r8xfFBGUxkA/s400/costumes.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534765867762721026" /></a>Glowing Fairy Princess and War Machine</span><br /><p>Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. What did the kids dress up as? Rebecca was a fairy princess with battery powered LED lights embedded in her skirt and Gregory was War Machine. That's right, I let my 4 year old dress up as War Machine (for those of you who are not in the know, War Machine is the silver Iron Man type guy from Iron Man 2). I'm not even sure if he's good or bad, although I believe he was played by Mickey Rourke? At any rate, we didn't set out to Target for a War Machine costume. Gregory originally wanted to be a tiger. He wanted to wear his favorite tiger 'costume', an old dress up dress of Rebecca's with black and white leopard spot trim. He's convinced it's a tiger costume and he puts it on and runs around the house attacking people. So you can imagine why I encouraged him to go to Target for a 'real' costume. Well, as soon as he saw the 'silver Iron Man' costume, the tiger idea went out the window. It was love at first sight. At the time I didn't know the difference between the silver and red Iron Man, so I agreed. Before we checked out I had figured out that the costume he had picked was called War Machine, but he was so happy with it I didn't have the heart to make him put it back. I must be getting soft in my old age.<p><br /><span style="float:right; padding:2px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN8PT3fwN44kTGshkmkX_ZQixS_FRm6OR_yCI4eneSlUpjbKJ4PGJj5Dg4CyrWqop-jJVNaE_4JkRxrIZkMfvlfAWzik_Z_H7R7XYIYO9VY1cVpZQNVZEPplVjiOsXvIYNpdo2R9Udm4/s1600/pumpkins.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN8PT3fwN44kTGshkmkX_ZQixS_FRm6OR_yCI4eneSlUpjbKJ4PGJj5Dg4CyrWqop-jJVNaE_4JkRxrIZkMfvlfAWzik_Z_H7R7XYIYO9VY1cVpZQNVZEPplVjiOsXvIYNpdo2R9Udm4/s400/pumpkins.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534765588049466130" /></a></span><p>So Gregory's nursery school had a costume parade Friday. They requested no violent superhero costumes so I figured they probably wouldn't appreciate War Machine. Somehow I managed to talk Gregory into wearing last year's Yoda costume. Saturday was pumpkin carving and I was quite proud that Rebecca managed to scoop out and carve her 'challenging' pattern all by herself (and it came out better than the one I did for Gregory!). And of course, trick-or-treating on Sunday night. Greg and I were impressed by the Dad who was trick-or-treating with his kids and simultaneously watching the Patriot's game on his phone. All in all, a successful Halloween. Now I just have to figure out how to stop raiding the kid's candy.</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-70338738794791694122010-10-20T03:54:00.010-04:002010-10-20T19:16:50.242-04:00My Morning Jacket and Shellfish<span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7jhXug8YOKknFgX2lsiXI6WrqEpHdN9DxAuSYuCFOU80Kd1h9t9H4Um8u7-cmgiUXj2yewb9Lm1tnHZPk_60opFpPgUMEWmjIHc1SsvR8kOW0i8L4tI6-FAkXDm9AVsvCLqnd5cF_8w/s1600/lighthouse1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7jhXug8YOKknFgX2lsiXI6WrqEpHdN9DxAuSYuCFOU80Kd1h9t9H4Um8u7-cmgiUXj2yewb9Lm1tnHZPk_60opFpPgUMEWmjIHc1SsvR8kOW0i8L4tI6-FAkXDm9AVsvCLqnd5cF_8w/s400/lighthouse1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530267387638891106" /></a>Marshall Point Lighthouse</span><br /><p>The family made the trek up to Freeport Maine this past weekend for a wild and fun weekend. Friday night Greg and I, along with Jif, Chris, Kenny, Amy, and friends, all had tickets to see My Morning Jacket open the State Theater in Portland. Mom and Dad generously offered their babysitting services for all 4 grandkids so we could all see the show. Jim James has an awesome voice and stage presence and according to him, MMJ had some revenge to take on the State Theater on account of their bass player who became extremely ill last time they played the venue after eating bad shellfish. Go figure. At any rate, revenge was found in the form of loud music and high energy which made for a great show. Here's their final encore. I'm in the center of the back of the floor in a white tee-shirt. And no, I couldn't find myself.</p><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sI1yMSgdCFU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sI1yMSgdCFU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><p>On Saturday Greg and I took Rebecca, Gregory, and cousin Evan up to Camden with a side trip to the Marshall Point lighthouse in Port Clyde. We experienced some wild, windy weather to the point where the kiddies were somewhat worried about being "blown away" on the walkway to the lighthouse (they later decided the wind was "cool"). We hit up Cappy's Chowder House in Camden for lunch where I ate some extremely good shellfish, before retreating back to Freeport.</p><br /><span style="float: left; text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-size: 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLk33Qx85KF4zxemmAvkGpK3KxW6NtxcZBByoC_KvCSFAUQ-yxZlVEbUQ4LlvFMLHmrGeylh1NXXzVgbN1-P80g7yKGTW8CFnb4C0viuJMwnUcvxSwx3DavDaFx_zmG07c3NDtesD-w8/s1600/RebeccaBlownAway.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLk33Qx85KF4zxemmAvkGpK3KxW6NtxcZBByoC_KvCSFAUQ-yxZlVEbUQ4LlvFMLHmrGeylh1NXXzVgbN1-P80g7yKGTW8CFnb4C0viuJMwnUcvxSwx3DavDaFx_zmG07c3NDtesD-w8/s400/RebeccaBlownAway.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530267152591529746" /></a>Rebecca holds on for dear life</span><p>Mom and Dad generously offered to babysit again Saturday night and who are we to squash their dreams of watching all 4 grandchildren at once? So we headed out and hit 2 parties before crashing at Kenny's house at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. I haven't been out that late since college and with good reason - it took me 2 days just to start feeling normal again!</p><br /><p>Thanks to Mom and Dad, Jif, Chris, Kenny, and Amy for babysitting, accomodations, and general fun. Love you guys!</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-82616513671275006812010-09-19T21:29:00.010-04:002010-09-24T13:52:04.778-04:00Join Rebecca's Girl's Club<p>Rebecca loves to create things. Her newest invention is her 'Girl's Club', which apparently includes all over her female cousins. Here are some materials she has created (I provide translations below each - her ideas are good but she still needs to work on her spelling. My comments are in italics.):</p><br /><ol class="indented"><li>The Rules<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZwe5PpXvINhoqxD0EVARRrWdgsRQBcpm6i-kaqFqvdrZsJFx3dhp0gkXP8QYqy-ZRVdsxTCPr8AFNTG0om5UYXPKH59hUsChSL8oIEaS-iiAmbcIJs1yNHs09BWZdLrERHOF5uYeogQ/s1600/girlsclubrules.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 370px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZwe5PpXvINhoqxD0EVARRrWdgsRQBcpm6i-kaqFqvdrZsJFx3dhp0gkXP8QYqy-ZRVdsxTCPr8AFNTG0om5UYXPKH59hUsChSL8oIEaS-iiAmbcIJs1yNHs09BWZdLrERHOF5uYeogQ/s400/girlsclubrules.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520535708653848274" /></a></p><br /><p>Girls Club Rules</p><br /><ol><li>No Boys Allowed</li><br /><li>No Spitting <i>Possibly directed at her little brother</i></li><br /><li>No Teasing</li><br /><li>Have Fun</li></ol></p><br /></li><br /><li>Club Book - She made one for each of her cousins. This one is for her cousin Sophia.<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7y6w7PSlLbL4aYp-lLTKoGuOFrKJynv2-0FofMMSMYfM5J7Y_HjEszLqSnpAZCVVXb5UdGRlkpwzdm176V_bCMSK2TaJjPqvhexiDW86_4E8fCnjuSGnUC6DiIwiPoJJakbOxH9gRyU/s1600/girlsclubsophia.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7y6w7PSlLbL4aYp-lLTKoGuOFrKJynv2-0FofMMSMYfM5J7Y_HjEszLqSnpAZCVVXb5UdGRlkpwzdm176V_bCMSK2TaJjPqvhexiDW86_4E8fCnjuSGnUC6DiIwiPoJJakbOxH9gRyU/s400/girlsclubsophia.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520536702769794882" /></a></p></li><br /><li>Meeting Schedule<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXgn4wv18FPs1i512N1jUx7LSNtXXs-4Bggcx0BhzT9yyCg5vDkDPah-njlsN1odCMvr-x4wPUEhnxr4sVDtr7XNoV3KvLDL1JeBw8J9RpmeQncNdtr0e5vPMzWhQP6e1RQFVWAqW3X4/s1600/girlsclubsched1.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXgn4wv18FPs1i512N1jUx7LSNtXXs-4Bggcx0BhzT9yyCg5vDkDPah-njlsN1odCMvr-x4wPUEhnxr4sVDtr7XNoV3KvLDL1JeBw8J9RpmeQncNdtr0e5vPMzWhQP6e1RQFVWAqW3X4/s400/girlsclubsched1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520537279956419842" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4k07oRYauXm1D2Xb0k-sOFV_XSmYV8EsjUynRDIRov7d54laxatfOoFuvYoFyAy9ZPukhqT4zfyINLXRNl43uWMHcgWgkkZSPDPPYw2YGYPexOB_ZwLElB5ZCDi6mB2y0xlVOooNRFas/s1600/girlsclubsched2.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 371px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4k07oRYauXm1D2Xb0k-sOFV_XSmYV8EsjUynRDIRov7d54laxatfOoFuvYoFyAy9ZPukhqT4zfyINLXRNl43uWMHcgWgkkZSPDPPYw2YGYPexOB_ZwLElB5ZCDi6mB2y0xlVOooNRFas/s400/girlsclubsched2.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520537480811085170" /></a></p><br /><p><ol><li>Meeting</li><br /><li>Recess</li><br /><li>Make a map of your ?</li><br /><li>Secret Handshake</li><br /><li><i>And last, just in case you forget ...</i> Go back home</li></ol></p></li><br /><li>Girl's Club Promise (slightly pilfered from the Girl Scouts)<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcahy55Zzv7m98iGiYBqg0-nEIIk4-IYc_jtC_w1WZnzSg-ugwABaO-TaeMUtsspJByEWEdb2ySECJycw0YKaxvL6-7mmwb8t5GX2I0RV_57OYJrcxP1ppRmmmN3xvGDSMy8rYrhC9pCs/s1600/girlsclubpromise.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcahy55Zzv7m98iGiYBqg0-nEIIk4-IYc_jtC_w1WZnzSg-ugwABaO-TaeMUtsspJByEWEdb2ySECJycw0YKaxvL6-7mmwb8t5GX2I0RV_57OYJrcxP1ppRmmmN3xvGDSMy8rYrhC9pCs/s400/girlsclubpromise.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520536919962312034" /></a></p><br /><p>I promise to protect girls from boys and to serve god and girls.</p></li></ol><br /><p>So who out there is ready to join up?</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-51188312071474086262010-09-01T19:55:00.010-04:002010-09-01T20:47:47.810-04:00The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year<span style="float:right; padding:2px 2px 0px 2px; font-size:10px; text-alignment:center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4yv3ioPuDxrq8y2QvyjgonGX_rC5ZElCfrCk8cDZG9QgVJW9A_PnQblUA5jCFXGa-hOwHWnX8S9RfZzWvtnhc4kAIko_JM09j_aVa7Lhw5IBEtijlpwafEAXwmwUgHT1CbDnatAZ6SM/s1600/school3sm.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4yv3ioPuDxrq8y2QvyjgonGX_rC5ZElCfrCk8cDZG9QgVJW9A_PnQblUA5jCFXGa-hOwHWnX8S9RfZzWvtnhc4kAIko_JM09j_aVa7Lhw5IBEtijlpwafEAXwmwUgHT1CbDnatAZ6SM/s400/school3sm.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512104201663378674" /></a>Look out nursery school!</span><br /><p>Today was Rebecca's first day of second grade and Gregory's first day of nursery school. Sorry to sound stereotypical, but Greg and I were like the quintessential parents dancing down the Staples' aisle to 'The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year'. By our calculations, we've been home alone in the house together once in the past seven years until today (Greg's on vacation this week). The two of us celebrated with a very nice lunch at the Sole Proprieter.</p><br /><p>But enough about us. Both kids got out without a hitch. Gregory declared himself 'excited' for his first day of school, but wanted to know why he couldn't take the school bus. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got there, but he thought maybe it would include 'playing pirates'.</p><br /><span style="float:left; padding:2px 2px 0px 2px; font-size:10px; text-alignment:center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEkaKYFEaTcTID8Sm45VAyC-GEm44P7NbxgzxyeMp1KSOHWCNkQsIaHppDm0LqXHCCXmmVnSNNGP2KjZlQXGjC5xbWwFap777ZEVS0TlCZep8UBR4_1CqzFdBrI9kGrw3g6V7LOsqTqk/s1600/school2sm.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEkaKYFEaTcTID8Sm45VAyC-GEm44P7NbxgzxyeMp1KSOHWCNkQsIaHppDm0LqXHCCXmmVnSNNGP2KjZlQXGjC5xbWwFap777ZEVS0TlCZep8UBR4_1CqzFdBrI9kGrw3g6V7LOsqTqk/s400/school2sm.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512103786212859298" /></a>Mom, you're embarrassing me</span><p>Rebecca loves her new teacher who apparently is 'very useful because she knows how to turn on the fan'. I guess that is a useful skill when the first day of school turns out to be ninety-one degrees and high humidity. Rebecca also decided she wants to go to all the schools that I've been to so she can get 'three different colored hats'. Hey, if it motivates her to practice math problems, I'm all for it.</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-18222634610123137962010-08-29T18:12:00.005-04:002010-08-29T18:41:51.885-04:00Heifer Highlights<p>Rebecca capped off a busy summer with her week at Heifer Camp. This day camp is held at <a href="http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201558/" target="_blank">Overlook Farm</a> in Rutland and is run by <a href="http://www.heifer.org/" target="_project">Heifer International</a>, an organization dedicated to fighting hunger and poverty.</p><br /><span style="float:right; padding:2px 2px 0px 2px; font-size:10px; text-alignment:center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0Dqc2fk5kCtdf_lUy4zp1XSyidcm2wkO0bYDuEre5LUP19NFpglV32-a47r36oz_p37hi2kDlX1kfUHGq5NRdL7uu3uaXZcHv0ubck5uMVGLnpM4RhZ36l4IhyphenhyphenC3HZUGwlE8DYc9M74/s1600/heifer.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0Dqc2fk5kCtdf_lUy4zp1XSyidcm2wkO0bYDuEre5LUP19NFpglV32-a47r36oz_p37hi2kDlX1kfUHGq5NRdL7uu3uaXZcHv0ubck5uMVGLnpM4RhZ36l4IhyphenhyphenC3HZUGwlE8DYc9M74/s400/heifer.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510962996213234738" /></a>Rebecca and Aboo pose together.</span><p>Despite a rainy start, this was Rebecca's favorite week of camp. Apparently the highlight of the week was milking a goat. Other strong points: gathering chicken eggs, feeding the llamas, and getting butted in the back by a particularly ornery goat (fortunately not the one she was milking).</p><br /><p>The kids also spent time working in the gardens, exploring the international village, and hanging out with Aboo the camel. We are very fortunate to live ten minutes from this remarkable farm (the Heifer Project only has 5 locations in the U.S., including Overlook Farm. If you are in the area, check them out!</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-32475846984365230232010-07-26T19:22:00.000-04:002010-08-29T18:04:26.985-04:00Rebecca's Birthday at American Girl<span style="float:right; padding:2px 2px 0px 2px; font-size:10px; text-alignment:center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jj1TLHGVd4LeR1XTsEuwOx3iWTh12N-NCOQ2H0LvzHNGBmoysBlTHg9FjSZBpimSkBYIfoQTYoIrJoVG8D98HEVhJG_n4POe7ukcbxDGLfeciPXnvxttKBu8RZhRdkGDZxtVo2ZH6oQ/s1600/rebeccapickingdoll.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jj1TLHGVd4LeR1XTsEuwOx3iWTh12N-NCOQ2H0LvzHNGBmoysBlTHg9FjSZBpimSkBYIfoQTYoIrJoVG8D98HEVhJG_n4POe7ukcbxDGLfeciPXnvxttKBu8RZhRdkGDZxtVo2ZH6oQ/s400/rebeccapickingdoll.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506898699306132050" /></a>Rebecca and Rebecca</span><br /><p>Happy Birthday to my Rebecca who turned 7 on the 24th of July. This year we decided to skip the birthday party and take her somewhere she has been begging to go - the American Girl doll store.</p><br /><p>We are lucky enough to live about half an hour from an American Girl store, so the day after Rebecca's birthday we headed to the Natick mall to check it out.</p> <p>After spending an hour examining every doll in the store, Rebecca decided to go with the suitably named 'Rebecca' doll. Rebecca (the doll) has wavy brown hair and hazel eyes, just like my beautiful little Rebecca (the 7 year old), so we decided it was fate.</p><br /><p>Once that was settled, it was time to pick out an outfit for Rebecca (the doll). Again Rebecca (the 7 year old) had to examine every outfit in the store before selecting a horseback riding ensemble for her new doll.</p><br /><span style="float:left; padding:2px 2px 0px 2px; font-size:10px; text-alignment:center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbHkVz9dBPK9M9IDJ2N5SkabmksxFMqTEHUwspkMdp8K5um2ir6bsik2QIGgefykXPTKnMoDkr_7zzlGItYfAWPX4jSoPvKi8WZ_eiGfq4I8Mj9fBOeAmKgIGTbeFbZYHn_HXrxNa4JI/s1600/noelleandrebeccadoll.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 343px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbHkVz9dBPK9M9IDJ2N5SkabmksxFMqTEHUwspkMdp8K5um2ir6bsik2QIGgefykXPTKnMoDkr_7zzlGItYfAWPX4jSoPvKi8WZ_eiGfq4I8Mj9fBOeAmKgIGTbeFbZYHn_HXrxNa4JI/s400/noelleandrebeccadoll.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506897862766716034" /></a>Lunch for 3</span><p>All this shopping made us hungry so we headed into the American Girl Bistro, where we had a reservation. They served us a nice three course meal and even put a little booster seat on the table for Rebecca (the doll).</p><br /><p>All in all, a nice day. Here's a little equation I worked out. Warning: this is not for the faint of heart:</p><br /><span style="float:right; padding:2px 2px 0px 2px; font-size:10px; text-alignment:center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PKZr1a2IMkrUmgL8FifxH8ROJ6YzfvsPM06DBs1re7XOyyDnrworSYZGbCAcFBQ-xhlBIr-WJwVKNwzuUB0tnX-erpMupw8CWNG9IyVGusESr9DWstxNu9oIqdgeWs-ks_pSiP5zkCc/s1600/rebeccaanddoll.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 342px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PKZr1a2IMkrUmgL8FifxH8ROJ6YzfvsPM06DBs1re7XOyyDnrworSYZGbCAcFBQ-xhlBIr-WJwVKNwzuUB0tnX-erpMupw8CWNG9IyVGusESr9DWstxNu9oIqdgeWs-ks_pSiP5zkCc/s400/rebeccaanddoll.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506898867776625266" /></a>Priceless</span><p>1 American Girl doll + 1 American Girl doll outfit + 1 pair of American Girl doll shoes + 2 lunches at the American Girl Bistro = more $$ than a pool party for an entire kindergarten class.</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-92224531511740517032010-07-17T13:27:00.008-04:002010-07-17T13:55:14.942-04:00Canobie Lake Park<span style="float:left; padding:2px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPyHEEg84vNu8jkXUeMFbe9tuDqtW2yDRdhv3HOp78_HaxqRw2EDFl9l6o3t7DlZFbukClGIo-9RWZMcCa-9ZvA22davsMsINUY2AKdIoR4qsbido7d4mDjvUgIAfXofk2CEkJi6gjjU/s1600/rebeccacanobie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPyHEEg84vNu8jkXUeMFbe9tuDqtW2yDRdhv3HOp78_HaxqRw2EDFl9l6o3t7DlZFbukClGIo-9RWZMcCa-9ZvA22davsMsINUY2AKdIoR4qsbido7d4mDjvUgIAfXofk2CEkJi6gjjU/s400/rebeccacanobie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494934397827595106" /></a></span><br /><p>It's been a few decades since I went to Canobie Lake Park, but last Friday Mom and I braved the ninety degree weather and took the kiddies to Salem, NH for a day of amusement park fun. The drive was much shorter than I remembered - only about an hour counting a stop in Boxborough to pick up Grandma.</p><br /><p>I'd heard it was a great spot for younger kids - less expensive and less crowded than some larger unnamed parks, coughSixFlagscough. While that was true, it was still a bit pricey ($72 for the 4 of us - 1 adult, 1 senior citizen, 1 child under 48 inches, and 1 child age 3 and under (free)). It was definitely less crowded, and there were lots of rides for those of our group who were under four feet.</p><br /><span style="float:right; padding:2px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvlVAydlO3owg6TwKgukbTuEf2dZZgyCVbdsFew3TKwMSOZAO_wNG2z2BZ-XonEuEvKHOXj9KXXMrmBET1SQb5Tw3X96bIxAjyrn96xOuWexO714K6BjIQE24isWWzpfyByyPCEQw1_k/s1600/gregorycanobie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 329px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvlVAydlO3owg6TwKgukbTuEf2dZZgyCVbdsFew3TKwMSOZAO_wNG2z2BZ-XonEuEvKHOXj9KXXMrmBET1SQb5Tw3X96bIxAjyrn96xOuWexO714K6BjIQE24isWWzpfyByyPCEQw1_k/s400/gregorycanobie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494934307265151490" /></a></span><p>After a quick spin on the oldest carousel in the country, we hit kiddie land, which is basically lots of rides with various shaped cars that all go around in a circle. But the kids loved it and went on all of them. Then Grandma made everyone go on the Boston Tea Party where we all got soaked.</p><br /><p> Okay, actually, it was Gregory who wanted to try the Boston Tea Party, a short raft ride with a drop off at the end that produces a spectacular splash. I figured he would be too small but Grandma encouraged me to check, he wasn't. Although the line appeared long, she also pointed out that it was moving really fast so we gave it a go. Turned out it was both Grandma's and my favorite ride of the day.</p><br /><p>Gregory's favorite ride was The Mine of Lost Souls (a boy after my own heart!). He spent most of the ride clinging to me and saying he was scared, but it's the only ride he has talked about since, and he talks a lot. Rebecca loved the kids sized dragon roller coaster, which she insisted on riding alone.</p><br /><span style="float:left; padding:2px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-q-3RBlE0nXERwjAydzyZ4WK5dLcQDrWB4vfBJi4UbuqCT2N3Antdk-vk4ApeWZzQHm-d7BJVY51OapUTA1FjY6hTgIwHmQMC9uWtNpQk_xzBJheRXGS7GbfRGn9zC0MGtm7zN3oudc/s1600/canobie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 385px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-q-3RBlE0nXERwjAydzyZ4WK5dLcQDrWB4vfBJi4UbuqCT2N3Antdk-vk4ApeWZzQHm-d7BJVY51OapUTA1FjY6hTgIwHmQMC9uWtNpQk_xzBJheRXGS7GbfRGn9zC0MGtm7zN3oudc/s400/canobie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494933986149404722" /></a></span><p>We ended the day at Castaway Island, the humongous water drenched jungle gym with the slowest water slides ever. It was crowded, but Rebecca loved it. Gregory was a little less pleased, he didn't enjoy randomly having buckets of water poured on him, but he found his place on the little kid's water slide, which he rode about twenty-five times.</p><br /><p>It turned out to be a great day. The end result was two tired kids, a tired parent, a tired grandparent, and lots of fun.</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-28838265704836630452010-06-28T16:29:00.005-04:002010-06-28T16:47:01.542-04:00Educational Friday<p>This past Friday the kids and I participated in the first Boston Free Friday of the summer, free admission to the Boston Children's museum. Throughout the course of the day, we learned several things, both in and outside of the museum. Here's a chronological list:<br /><ol><br /><li>This deer eats leaves and probably is not long for this world.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTrlzsjtRVsy6jXrat0VB63jaqRvZvLO1-PS_WqR_d41mh3UZQ2PhbUF91yeX1sq4XD1Z4RdD_z8G9ecRuxnWtXOhU7reABsXBSMtBfFBIAdTeQhcX3LiNe8Id_fghLuGkr8KW1O4E50/s1600/deer.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTrlzsjtRVsy6jXrat0VB63jaqRvZvLO1-PS_WqR_d41mh3UZQ2PhbUF91yeX1sq4XD1Z4RdD_z8G9ecRuxnWtXOhU7reABsXBSMtBfFBIAdTeQhcX3LiNe8Id_fghLuGkr8KW1O4E50/s400/deer.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487925274495476834" /></a><br />Rebecca spot this critter in the front yard about 40 mins. before we left for the museum. It proceeded to leisurely stroll around the house eating grass and leaves, completely unfazed by my kids who were running from window to window, jumping up and down, and talking excitedly (granted the windows were shut). As far as deer go, this one probably doesn't have the best sense of self preservation.</li><br /><li>When there is free admission to a children's museum, your best bet is to go to your local library and get passes to the closest museum you can find to the free one. This is because everyone in the state will be at the free museum, leaving all other nearby museums empty. We lasted an hour in the children's museum before hightailing it for a much more enjoyable walk around the waterfront.</li><br /><li>Kids love to watch seals. As part of our walk around the waterfront, we stopped at the Boston Aquarium to view the outdoor harbor seal tank. The kids stood against the Plexiglass for fifteen minutes and watched the 'seal ballet', as Rebecca called it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii7xOXDaQtV5u_DvMiCCKJ8hrKH1Cs5HMecYduJrxtMOdTSd4wV5HS1XTGd63mmz5eoT4-OnPfewlBNi14pQJF2bJOY8YPvnJrMXpFPirnqPHTIxciZj-0XhwLOOddwvX5u74csEQBGI/s1600/seals1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii7xOXDaQtV5u_DvMiCCKJ8hrKH1Cs5HMecYduJrxtMOdTSd4wV5HS1XTGd63mmz5eoT4-OnPfewlBNi14pQJF2bJOY8YPvnJrMXpFPirnqPHTIxciZj-0XhwLOOddwvX5u74csEQBGI/s400/seals1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487927415059576082" /></a></li><br /><li>Okay, to anyone with good taste, I apologize in advance. Here's a sublist of what we learned in this next photo:<br /><ol><li>It's harbor seal mating season.</li><br /><li>These seals are not 'hugging', as I initially announced to the kids when I foolishly pointed them out.</li></ol><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqVWGk7jNpCw4ps1SdKc4cAzUTdA41-4Evo2pnSkfvxSMpd9CfrId16Dj-bDgsEqPXdgbWkZ5kfK8jZm3Ta7cg4LTpxLlPrLBfKoQik98VGT0tu2Q09H7RxxnR8EeCnJuLS3TVA_AMfA/s1600/seals.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqVWGk7jNpCw4ps1SdKc4cAzUTdA41-4Evo2pnSkfvxSMpd9CfrId16Dj-bDgsEqPXdgbWkZ5kfK8jZm3Ta7cg4LTpxLlPrLBfKoQik98VGT0tu2Q09H7RxxnR8EeCnJuLS3TVA_AMfA/s400/seals.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487928017747723298" /></a></li></ol></p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-92169778809639366272010-06-08T04:11:00.005-04:002010-06-09T05:46:43.133-04:00Dave Rawlings Machine And Yet Another Drunk Guy<p>Greg and I were treated to a spectacular night of music Saturday when we saw <a href="http://www.daverawlingsmachine.com/" target="_blank">Dave Rawlings Machine</a> at the <a href="http://www.thedise.com/rockclub/index.html" target="_blank">Paradise Rock Club</a> in Boston. Here's a sample of what we were so lucky to experience. It wasn't shot at the show we saw, but it's one of my favorites and we got to see them perform the same song.</p><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JTNuD2ANqY8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JTNuD2ANqY8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><p>Sorry I didn't get my own video but Greg and I were in the FRONT ROW and it felt really rude to pull out my camera and start video taping in plain view of the musicians. Why were we in the front row? Because Greg wanted to see Dave Rawlings' hands, which he did for the entire show. I just felt extremely lucky to see such a great show and to be close enough to those amazing musicians to see everything they were doing. We were about 6 feet from Gillian Welch (enough said - she's awesome!), 4 feet from Dave Rawlings, and 2 feet from Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show.</p><br /><p>They put on an awesome show in what Gillian Welch dubbed 'a banjo lovin town'. Also, I got to go with my sis and brother in-law, who made the trip down from Maine. Thanks Mom and Dad for babysitting all 4 grandchildren so we could all go!</p><br /><p>And there was another 'way to drunk guy at a concert' incident (click <a href="http://corbinclan.blogspot.com/2010/05/on-pearl-jam-pregnant-women-and-falling.html" target="_blank">here</a> for the first). Right before the show started, an intoxicated, stumbling man jumped up on stage and pretended to check the mikes (all 4 of them, hello, security?) before falling over backwards, taking out a table (not the one holding 4 fiddles, thank goodness), and bashing into Morgan Jahnig's beautiful upright bass. He lay on his back for a full minute, unable to get up, before security finally decided to do something and promptly escorted him out. Anyone else out there have a good 'drunk guy at a concert' story?</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-25842998843490006002010-06-05T08:09:00.002-04:002010-06-05T08:14:08.180-04:00How A Daisy Becomes A Brownie<p>We've passed a milestone in Rebecca's life, she graduated from the Daisies and is now officially a Brownie. Here's a confession though, her ceremony was actually last Wednesday, May 26th. Things have been crazy around here - sorry I'm late getting it up. Enjoy her projection - I can't imagine where she gets that from.</p><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gtG2-gfKj7o&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gtG2-gfKj7o&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br/><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lUip2uSqNns&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lUip2uSqNns&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430292383442128663.post-86456389111627019462010-06-01T21:34:00.004-04:002010-06-01T21:54:08.892-04:00The Slippery Slide<p>We took advantage of the nice weather over the weekend to hold a cookout/sleepover with Uncle Jake, Aunt Kirsten, and the Cousins. The highlight for the kids came in the form of a Slip N Slide, or as the kids all called it, the Slippery Slide, that Rebecca got for her birthday last year. None of them had ever been on one before, so it was quite entertaining to watch. Here's some video:</p><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i1JUsestsgI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i1JUsestsgI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><p>And in case you're sitting up at night, wondering what a pair of 3 year olds would say when discussing their first Slip N Slide experience, you'll be happy to know you'll be able to sleep like a baby from now on. Here's Gregory and Ella doing just that:</p><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F_RWGSIkTR0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F_RWGSIkTR0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><p>I know it's hard to top that, so I'll just leave you with some action shots:</p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbivlPSVIGuHvwRfPkqnatZifiivKsA9OM1D2s-pEFE098OE1U3lSr0zyFaEw0uFIzczSWLcAlvv8ONwB1uY0IgQ5xUIz2NuCXbK6kxl4Eq_RCdE8JlSdppMTzwtaB3_V6iQ16w234fc/s1600/rebslipnslide.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbivlPSVIGuHvwRfPkqnatZifiivKsA9OM1D2s-pEFE098OE1U3lSr0zyFaEw0uFIzczSWLcAlvv8ONwB1uY0IgQ5xUIz2NuCXbK6kxl4Eq_RCdE8JlSdppMTzwtaB3_V6iQ16w234fc/s400/rebslipnslide.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477987832545682738" /></a></p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJFDEX7OZSz5ixcg1ncnVmcGOCC4yut0n_ld1SQJDTae6Mz-ryiGrJGBaPWvIacPUurBIPXfV356_0oFyPj90hFsSAh4e2Nfm9YMfUNniyToyEICLIsJ7bb0XTHyKia_kGuC63hNvfpc/s1600/gregoryslidesm.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJFDEX7OZSz5ixcg1ncnVmcGOCC4yut0n_ld1SQJDTae6Mz-ryiGrJGBaPWvIacPUurBIPXfV356_0oFyPj90hFsSAh4e2Nfm9YMfUNniyToyEICLIsJ7bb0XTHyKia_kGuC63hNvfpc/s400/gregoryslidesm.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477988104779044306" /></a></p><br /><p>Now if only we could figure out a way to rig a few of those babies together!</p>Noellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10736409667369652381noreply@blogger.com1