Liam's first taste of food

We gave Liam his first taste of rice cereal last night.

We were all looking forward to this, treating it like some type of spectator sport, particularly the girls. Liam, on the other hand, seemed pretty ambivalent about the whole thing.

After half a dozen spoonfuls, he got the hang of swallowing.

And then he spit it up. Not just a little, but everything he had just eaten!

Oh well, he's got the rest of his life to figure it out. We're in no rush to take him off his "all liquid diet."

Day #2 in Montreal

When we arrived at the hotel, I spent some time reading the tourist guides that were provided in our room. I learned that Montreal is actually an island and it is the oldest city in Canada.

I started dog-earing the pages that described promising adventures for the family and soon became overwhelmed by the amount of "must see things!" We only had two full days in Montreal. How on earth would we be able to fit everything in?

On Saturday morning, we awoke early and ventured down to the hotel's swimming pool. This was at the top of the girls' priority lists; definitely the thing they were looking forward to most.

Equipped in their new flotation swimsuits, Amanda and Eva excitedly got out of the elevator and made their way to the pool. While Amanda got right in, Eva was a bit more reluctant. For the longest time, she was happy just sitting on the edge of the pool and "dingling" her feet in the water. (We kept correcting her, saying "dangle" but she preferred to call it "dingle." That's Eva for you!)

However, once Eva saw Liam in the pool, she quickly decided it was safe to come in. Though it was his first time in a pool, Liam took to the water like a fish!

Seeing Liam in his little swimming trunks made him look so much older!

After a few minutes in the water, he started slapping the water with his hand. Each time the water splashed in his face, he seemed startled -- completely unaware that he was the one responsible for the sensation of water in his face. I guess he's a little young to understand the notion of cause and effect.

After our swim, we walked to a neighborhood grocery store to buy food for breakfast and some snacks for the day. It was a very peaceful walk and I really enjoyed looking at all the houses - or were they condos? They reminded me of the brownstones you see in New York City - lots of brick, long staircases, and greenery.

We stayed in the Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) on Rue Sherbrooke.

We stocked up on a healthy assortment of apples, plums and strawberries, a variety of cheeses, Greek yogurt, Kefir, a warm baguette... and a not-so-healthy treat of ketchup potato chips for Dave and chocolate donuts for the girls...and myself! When we got back to the hote, we realized that somehow the baguette hadn't made it into the bag. Bummer!

Oddly enough, this turned out to be a champion breakfast - minus the potato chips! The blackberry Greek yogurt was by far the best yogurt I have ever tasted. It was so creamy that it might as well have been ice cream.

Why, oh why, don't we have this in the States??

I found myself wishing I had brought a cooler so I could transport a load of it home with me. As I looked at the ingredients on the label, I realized why it was so good. Milk, cream, and blackberries. Everything was recognizable - no artificial ingredients or preservatives!

After we were sufficiently fueled up for the day, we retrieved our car from the valet parking service and drove to Parc du Mont-Royal (Mount Royal Park.)

In the winter, Beaver Lake becomes a skating rink.

This is one of Montreal's largest greenspaces. What a fabulous park!! It seemed like the whole city was there that day. The smell of grilled food filled the air as people around us were biking, roller blading, walking, running, and flying kites.

After a while, we stopped for a snack break/diaper change at an old shelter nestled amongst the tall, shady trees. That's when we realized that somehow Liam's diapers were not in our day bag. (Ahem, remember how I told you this was a recurring theme?)

We walked around the park for nearly two hours, eventually making our way to the summit to take in the panoramic view.

The perfect opportunity for a family shot... minus Liam.

He was more interested in napping.
Instead of cuddling with his blue bunny, he used Amanda's sunglasses. Whatever works!

Looking out over the city, we were able to spot Olympic Stadium, Molson Brewery, Biodome and a few other recognizable buildings. We also saw the colorful tents marking the site of Cirque du Soleil.

This is the view from the Kondiaronk Belvedere, overlooking Montreal.

After going for an early morning walk with Liam, Dave returned to the hotel asking me to look up tickets for the Cirque du Soleil show. Ironically enough, when channel surfing the night before, we had landed on a show that was actually the one they're performing now: Totem. Good thing we caught part on TV because it would have cost several hundred dollars for tickets!

I had read about the Tam Tam drummers who routinely meet around one of the statues in the park and I really wanted to see this. It seemed like something the kids would really get into. According to one of the guide books, it happens every Sunday in the summer. Technically it wasn't summer yet, so I didn't even know if it was worth trying to seek out.

Here's Wikipedia's description:

In the summer time, Mount Royal hosts a popular activity known as the "Tam Tam Jam", whereby a number of Montrealers and visitors play hand drums ("tam-tams" in French) such as djembes on the east slope of the mountain, around the monument to Sir George-Etienne Cartier.

The Sunday gatherings attract people of various backgrounds, and often dozens of tam-tam players perform their art at the same time, encouraging others to dance. In addition, many children and adults participate in a continuous mock medieval battle with foam-padded weapons.

Since we didn't have any diapers and were running on borrowed time, we scrapped the Tam Tam idea and instead made a quick pitstop at the hotel.

When we got back on the road a few minutes later, we starting looking for a place to eat lunch. We ended up at a great, albeit pricey, bar and grill type of place. For two kids' hamburgers (which were surprisingly tasty for being a kids' meal), a Greek salad, a Spinach salad, one beer, a glass of wine, and two chocolate milks, the bill came to $78!!! We soon learned that the cost of dining out would be significantly higher than what we were used to!

While we ate, we discussed how we should spend the rest of the day. It was already 2:00 pm and the girls were getting antsy to go swimming again. It was a very warm day and they were tired of walking and being in the sun.

Dave and I made the executive decision to explore the Insectarium and Jardin Botanique (Botannical Garden), located right across the street from Olympic Stadium, site of the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

La tour de Montreal at Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium)

A little side note here... La tour de Montreal is the tallest inclined structure in the world and it is an amazing thing to see. We stood there, all of us looking up in awe, wondering how they could have built it. In this picture, you can just barely make out the cables coming from the center of the tower.

In hindsight, we readily admit that our afternoon plan of exploring the gardens and Insectarium was too ambitious, but you couldn't buy a ticket for just one or the other. It was a package deal, which we hadn't known going into it. Considering the temperaments of the girls as well as the weather, we were lucky if we had time for one, let alone both of them!

We could have spent an entire day here, especially once we found out that the Botanical Garden alone covers 185 acres and is among the largest in the world! With the hope of fending off potential meltdowns, we chose to start with the kid-friendly Insectarium and see how far we could get.

The girls enjoyed the bee exhibits more than anything else. We must have spent nearly 10 minutes at one particular exhibit, watching one bee attempt to carry the carcass of his dead friends (or relatives?) to another location. Each time he tried to pick up a dead bee, he dropped it and made his way to a different one. We watched him repeatedly cycle through the dead bees, with the same failed result every time. The girls thought this was the most entertaining thing they had seen all day!

Before we were even halfway through the Insectarium, the girls began pleading to go on the insect-themed playground. We spent more time there than anything, partly because of the sprinkler misting area. If only we had known, we could have saved the $40 and gone to a regular old playground! Oh well, live and learn. (Now I know how my parents felt when they drove us all the way to Disney World, and all we wanted to do was go back to the hotel to swim! Sorry, Mom and Dad!)

After the playground, we hopped on the Tram and rode through the entire Botanical Garden. The key word here is rode. At no point did we get out and walk around the gardens. At the end of the day, the only thing we had seen was the Japanese Garden, and that's only because it happened to be on the way to our parked car.

A bonsai forest - approximately 100 years old

When we got back to the hotel, Dave and the girls went for a quick swim while Liam and I stayed in the room. Because it was getting late, Dave volunteered to walk with Liam to get Chinese take-out while the girls and I rested in the room. They watched cartoons in French, all the while seeming intrigued by the French language.

Around 9:00 pm (yes, our strict bedtime routine went out the window while we were on vacation!), Dave finally returned with food. Unfortunately he opted for Indian rather then Chinese, much to the girls' disappointment. To their credit, they tried the food, but everything other than the rice was just too spicy for them. Dave headed out for the second time that night, in search of a plain, old cheese pizza.

After polishing off their pizza, the girls fell asleep relatively quickly, completed exhausted from the day. It had been a very long day for all of us, but we felt good knowing that we had accomplished a lot.

Eva's Mini Olympics

To say that Eva enjoys her weekly Tumblefun Gymnastics class would be a huge understatement. It is actually the highlight of her week, always asking,"Is today Tumblefun?"

The instructors there do a great job and each week, they have the gym decorated with a different theme. Some of the past themes have been zoo animals, Peter Pan, Outer Space, Toy Story, Spiderman, and Dora the Explorer. Next week for their final class, they will be celebrating with a carnival theme.

Eva demonstrates a "Bell Hang."

This week, the theme was Mini Olympics. Parents, grandparents and friends were invited to attend and watch.


The kids performed all of the skills they had learned throughout the year. Eva's favorite thing each week is the circuit, or "obstacle course" as Dave calls it. Most kids get through the course one time, and then they're off and running for free play. Eva, on the other hand, will usually do the entire circuit at least three times before she's ready to venture over to the trampolines or balance beam.

They have a system of shapes and diagrams to help the kids remember which skill they're supposed to do. For example, every time the kids see a star on the ground, they put their arms in the air and say,"Ta-Dah!" A triangle means do a scale; a square means do a V-seat, etc.

I tried to get some video of her doing the circuit yesterday but for some reason, she was in a real hurry to get through it. It was like she was in 'fast forward' motion, practically running through the whole course as if it were a race.

At the end of the class, all of the children and their parents went into a separate room for the Awards Ceremony.

The Olympic March was played while the kids marched (I use that word loosely. Meandered might be a better word.) behind the main instructor. Then one by one, the children were called to the front where they were each awarded with a medal.

Eva was really shy when it came time to stand in front of so many people.

Eva thought it was pretty special to have her very own medal. Here she is with her best friend, Colleen.

Getting tired of posing for pictures!

Since Amanda was at Preschool and Liam was home with Dave, I was able to have some rare one-on-one time with Eva. I decided to treat her to a cookie at the Sweetcakes.

Appropriately enough, they had star cookies! I don't know which made Eva happier, the medal or the cookie!

A cookie for the star.

The best part was when Amanda's reaction when Eva showed her the medal later in the day.

Amanda threw her arms around Eva and said,"Eva!! You got the SILVER medal!!" She was so proud of her little sister!

Eva wore the medal around her neck the entire day... until it broke. (Well, maybe not broke - but the medal has become separated from its accompanying ribbon.)

Liam's Update: 4 months old

How about some new shots of Liam?


Hard to believe, but he is now 4 months old. At his well-baby check-up last Friday, he weighed 14 lbs. 10 oz! In two months, he grew 2 1/2 inches and gained 2 pounds. He has officially doubled his birth weight!


Every time a stranger asks how old he is, they respond with,"Wow, he's a big baby!"

But according to our pediatrician's statistics, he's only in the 50th percentile for weight. He is in the 76th percentile for height.


Coming soon... solid foods!!!! The kids are really looking forward to this. They think it's a sign that he's going to be a "big boy" soon.

He sure is a talker though, as you can see in this video.

Montreal: Language Barrier

I am able to decipher a decent amount of the written French here, like road signs or menus, because the roots are very similar to Spanish. But hearing spoken French is another story completely.

Montreal is the largest French speaking city outside of France. However, if you don't happen to speak French, the people here seem more than willing to help out by switching to English, and they don't even look down upon you for not knowing their main language.

Each time someone here realizes that we can't understand French, they immediately flip a switch and begin speaking in perfect English. Every time this happens, I feel embarrassed. Why should they have to make this accommodation for us? If we're in their country, we should be prepared with a 'French to English dictionary' and stumble through to the best of our ability.

Most of the restaurants here have menus with a French side and an English side. If an English translation has not been provided, as was the case at our Jamaican restaurant on night #1, the waitress will politely and patiently describe each entree to you. I simply cannot imagine this happening in the U.S., or at least not in Massachusetts.

The other day at the park, a woman wearing a fanny pack type belt filled with sunscreen approached me and began speaking in French. I had absolutely no idea what she was asking. Did she need directions? Did she want to sell me something? Had we parked in an illegal zone?

Like a dummy, I simply said,"Umm, I don't speak French."

She just smiled and said in perfect English,"Did you remember to apply sunscreen today?"

To which I responded,"Yes, we're all covered." (Literally.) "Thank you."

(Ugh! I could have at least remembered to say "Merci!!!")

As it turns out, she was merely giving out free samples of sunscreen and coupons.

Also interesting is that they will accept either American or Canadian money. I can't imagine the U.S. taking Canadian money, even just across the border into Vermont!

Canada seems like such a smart and friendly place. So inviting and so accommodating. We could learn a thing or two from them.

Home Again

We made it back to Marshfield this afternoon after a rather stressful ride home.

Throughout the entire vacation, Amanda and I had been fighting a cold. Last night, Eva started coughing and it continued through the night. I had a bad feeling.

This morning we got up early and checked out of the hotel at 6:45 am. Things were looking good, kids were in fine spirits and we were making really good time.

We were fighting the clock, as Dave had a 2:30 pm meeting. He either needed to be in the office or at his home computer. We figured we could get home in time for him to call in.

As the hours passed, the girls appeared more and more miserable. The combination of sickness, a lack of sleep and a six hour car ride do not make for happy children.

A few hours into the trip, Eva threw up. Luckily we got her out of the carseat just in time. She seemed to be better so we thought maybe she had just gotten car sick.

Just about halfway home, I said to Dave,"Did you remember the activity mat?" This is Liam's favorite toy, a simple cloth mat with hanging toys overhead. He is just starting to master the grab and pull motion and get great delight when he captures one of dangling toys. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal to have the hotel ship the left behind item, but this is an awkward shaped thing with 2 bendable cross-arms... and of course, it is more expensive to ship things across the border. I try to push the thought out of my head and keep going.

We managed to abort a few potential meltdowns with the girls, through the wonders of music and audio stories. Finally, in the last hour of the trip, I pulled out a bag of gummy bears that I had been saving for emergencies.

I should have known something was up when Eva said she refused her share. In a last ditch effort to make her feel better, I queued up one of Eva's favorite songs, Raffi's "Apples and Bananas." She began to sing along and I relaxed a bit.

But about 30 seconds into the song, she suddenly started to cry, complaining that she couldn't breathe!

Just as we had before, Dave pulled over on the side of the freeway. But unlike last time, it was not in time. Poor Eva. It was like a scene from "The Exorcist."

We immediately sprang into action, with me getting Eva undressed and dressed in new (previously worn, dirty) clothes while Dave did his best to clean the carseat with Wet Wipes.

All the time we're getting more and more worried, wondering if we were really going to make it home by the 2:30 deadline.

Thankfully, we pulled into the driveway with no more than two minutes to spare.

To think that in three months, we will do this all over again as we make our way to Wisconsin is a little bit daunting. I need to put a little more time behind me before I think about it.

Night #1 in Montreal

We arrived at our hotel at 4:00 pm on the dot. Unfortunately it took a LOT longer to check into the hotel than it did to get through Customs!

When we pulled up to the main entrance the hotel, there were cars scattered all around as if no one knew what they were doing. Dave and the girls hopped out to check-in while I stayed with Liam in the (hot) car.

A full hour later, they finally emerged from the hotel with key cards! When we walked in with our luggage, there must have been at least 30 people lined up in the lobby, all trying to check in at the same time. I hoped we (and by "we", I really mean "me", since I was the one who chose the place and made the reservation) hadn't made a mistake by choosing this hotel!

But when we opened the door to our room, a corner room on the 10th floor, we were very pleased. The view was fantastic!


The room was very spacious, clean and the location couldn't have been better. Whew!

As Dave unloaded the van, I turned on the TV in hopes that the girls would rest a little before dinner. I warned them that there might not be any programs in English.

Of all the programs we could have found, you'll never guess what I landed on. I'll give you a hint. The girls screamed in delight.

Yes, "Little House on the Prairie" - - in French!!!

It didn't even matter that it wasn't in English. I told them it was an exercise in reading body language.

Around 6:00 pm, we ventured out to find some dinner.

Unfortunately the folding mechanism on our double stroller broke a few weeks ago, so we weren't able to bring that on the trip. Instead we brought a stroller that Liam's car seat snaps into, which can also be used without the car seat for either of the girls. We also brought the Snugli carrier for Liam to ride in on Dave's chest, and the smaller umbrella stroller. We thought we were covered. In hindsight, we should have tried harder to repair the double stroller.

This is directly across the street from our hotel.
Montreal is full of old, gorgeous buildings!

We walked a few short blocks to the Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter.) It was an international dream in terms of restaurants. On one street, there was every type of cuisine imaginable: Indian, Viatnamese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, sushi, pizza, sub/salad joints, you name it.

Riding on Daddy's shoulders become a fourth option of child transportation.
Whenver Liam didn't want to be restricted in the Snugli, he got to ride in the stroller!

After walking for quite a while and reviewing our options, we doubled back and ended up at what Dave thought was a "Biergarten." There were several outdoor tables under a large canopy of vines, so we figured this was our best option considering we had three kids and a cumbersome stroller.

When our waitress asked for our order in French, she quickly realized that we hadn't understood a word she said. She immediately switched to English and was very friendly.

As it turns out, the place we had chosen was not even close to a "biergarten." It was a Jamaican restaurant. (It wasn't until we left that we realized the name of the restaurant was Maison du Reggae, or Reggae House.)

While we waited for our food, the kids entertained themselves by taking pictures.
Amanda took this one.

We ended up ordering Jerk chicken wings, some type of Jamaican nachos, chicken curry with rice, fried plantains and a spicy coleslaw. I was very proud of Amanda and Eva for trying a little of everything, even though their favorites were clearly the rice and plantains. It was a so-so meal, but I was glad to have had the chance to try something new.

Bedtime was a challenge, as it always in when we're in a hotel. We let the girls sleep in one bed together and it took a good hour before they finally settled down. Dave and I had to share a double bed, and when you're used to a king, a double makes for a very restless night of sleeping.

All in all, it was a very good first day of travel!

Montreal or Bust!

The weather forecast looked like it was going to be a nice weekend in Montreal! Thank goodness!

Dave loaded up the mini-van on Friday night so we could get an early start on Saturday morning. Equipped with a "breakfast on the go" of trail mix and juice, we left the house right at 7:00 am. We were off to a good start!

All packed and ready for our trip!

As we pulled out of the driveway, Dave said,"Did you notice that I cleaned the car?"

"Yeah," I said. "It looks really good." I should have known right then and there that this could mean trouble, but at the time thought nothing of it.

I took the first driving shift, which meant Dave had full reign of the music. We listened to a mix of Kirsten Hirsch, David Bowie and Stone Temple Pilots as we made our way out of Massachusetts.

I should say that Dave and I don't really share the same taste in music. As we learned, the kids don't share Dave's taste either. By the time we entered New Hampshire an hour later, the kids were getting restless and asking for "kids' music."

Ahhh... As we heard the first strains of "Ring Around the Rosie" and Raffi's "Brush Your Teeth", the car ride began peaceful once again.

We made our first pit stop at a McDonald's in Hooksett, NH to use the facilities, feed Liam and stretch our legs. As soon as Dave turned the engine out, Amanda bolted out of her seat. "Do you have to go potty?" I asked.

She replied,"No. I thought we were having lunch!"

It was 8:45 am. Vacation for the girls is all about restaurants and swimming pools!

Liam was not very interested in the scenery.

He slept peacefully, blowing so many bubbles in his sleep that he looked like a soap factory! (By the way, when I look at this picture, all I see is Jared! Can anyone else can see the resemblance?)

While Dave played outside with the girls, I rummaged around looking for something I had packed in the van the day before. Uh oh. Where was the bag with the bug spray and sunscreen?

"Oh," Dave said. "I took it out of the car when I cleaned."

Meaning, took it out and didn't put it back in. Ugh. (This became a recurring theme, I'm afraid.)

After a quick stop to CVS for said missing items, we were back on the road again.

In New Hampshire, we began to see signs for "Moose Crossing." The landscape became more hilly and green.

As soon as we entered Vermont, the signs warned of "Bear Crossing", in addition to "Moose Crossing."

Unfortunately we didn't see either of these animals, much to Amanda's relief. When I said,"Keep your eyes open for bears," a look of terror crossed Amanda's face. Eva, on the other hand, became wide eyed with a huge grin. That's Eva, always the thrill seeker.

We decided to stop for lunch about 12 miles from Burlington in Richmond, VT. We found a great playground near the river so while I fed Liam, Dave and the girls played. I noticed a family had some yummy looking pizza, and when I asked where they had gotten it, they pointed to this building.


Dave left on a mission to bring lunch over for us and came back with some assorted pizza slices (the spinach/mushroom combination was fantastic!) and a hummus/veggie sandwich. Normally a hummus sandwich wouldn't sound that appealing, but this was full of crisp cucumbers, tomatos, and lettuce all on homemade pinwheel bread.

This "bakery" turned out to be a great find! After a leisurely picnic and more playground fun, we all walked over to the bakery to choose a cookie. What a menu! Unique sandwiches, wraps, beer, wine and an amazing display of baked goods.


The girls decided on a raspberry scone (probably because of the pink frosting) while Dave and I shared a delectable peanut butter cookie. (At $2.10 per cookie, it had better be delectable!!)


We were back on the road by 1:00 pm and decided to take a side trip to see the islands of Lake Champlain. Dave thought there were bridges to go between the islands and estimated that it might add an hour to our trip.

As we entered Burlington, we were both smitten. What a great place! It is the home of the University of Vermont and it was graduation day for them. This is a place we definitely want to return to some weekend.

We ended up getting a bit lost, probably because we were so awestruck with all that was going on around us. We managed to get back on track after a while, but not before Liam had an all-out crying fit. Around the same time, the girls began to get very antsy. They had exhausted the use of their TAG readers and laptops.

When we were stopped, I reached into the seat pockets for all of the books I had packed the night before. Wait... the seat pockets are empty! Where are the books?

"Oh," Dave said.

Ugh, for the second time.

Luckily I had a few CD's worth of audio books for the kids, so in went the stories of Kevin Henkes. What a lifesaver that was!

Due to the majority of the passengers being cranky, we realized that we were going to have to scratch the Lake Champlain idea. But as I reasoned, it's an excuse to come back to Vermont for a weekend some other time.

At 3:00, we crossed the border into Canada. We were the only ones in the Customs line so we made it through in less than a minute.

Hello Quebec!

(To be continued... We are on our way down to the pool for a morning swim!)

Happy Birthday, Grandma Jo!

Happy __th Birthday, Mom!

The girls sure had a fun time making crafty cards for you. You should be receiving a package today, so make sure you check outside the front door when you get home from school!

In the meantime, here's Amanda's card, along with a video birthday greeting:



Here's Eva's version:



And finally, a little video from Liam, who had surprisingly little to say:



Hope you have a fantastic day!

We all miss you and love you very much!

Montreal Bound!

For as long as I've know Dave, he's always talked about wanting to take me to Montreal.

And now, we are finally making it happen... with the whole family!

We'll be leaving on Saturday, making the 6 hour drive to Montreal, Quebec, and will return on Tuesday.

Three nights away in a French speaking province! Ahhh!!! I can't wait!

I booked three nights at the Grand Plaza Montreal, which looks like a beautiful place. Added bonuses are the indoor pool, 24 hour fitness center, and on-site babysitting!

This will be a test... a trial run, if you will... for our big Wisconsin trip in August. We know that Amanda and Eva will be fine, so I guess it's more of a question of how Liam will do.

I need to start researching and see if I can find some family-friendly things for us to do. Hopefully the weather will be good so we can do a lot of walking and outdoor things.

Monday is Victoria Day, a 3-day weekend which apparently kicks off the start of tourist season. But since I have not yet had time to read the Wikipedia link from Dave, I have no idea what happens on that day, other than fireworks.

Let's see... do I remember any French from my middle school days?

Yes. "Le chien die woof, woof."

I'm sure that will be incredibly useful.

Our First Beach Day of the Year

Facing the dunes at Rexhame Beach - Marshfield, MA

Sunday was a beautiful day - warm, sunny and blue skies overhead.

We decided to make it a family day at the beach. The girls ran around gathering all of their beach toys and swimming suits, although we warned them that it wouldn't be warm enough to swim.

You'd think we'd have learned by now that kids have a higher tolerance for cold! I got as far as sticking my toes in the water before letting out a yelp and retreated back to the warm sand, but the girls were much braver.

Amanda made a beeline for the water right away, while Eva was content just digging a "pond" in the sand.

Ready, set, go!

Cheeeeese!

Eva eventually went into the water, but was shocked by a wave that soaked her. She came running out of the water, crying about the water that got in her mouth. She then curled up with a blanket and laid in the sand for a while, soaking up the sun.

Amanda, on the other hand, showed extreme bravery, and went in all the way up to her neck. A-ma-zing!!! I wouldn't have even done that on a dare.



Dave had Liam tucked safely in the Snugli, as they spent some "boy time" together. While this wasn't Liam's first trip to the beach, it was the closest he had ever been to the water and he really seemed to like the sound of the waves.

Daddy and son

It sure was nice to have the beach to ourselves, because in just a few weeks when the tourists arrive, it will be an entirely different story.

New Skills

Eva is quite the little climber. Whenever they have free-play time in her Tumblefun class, she always goes to the rock climbing wall first.

On Saturday, we went to Gaffield Park in Norwell... and what do you know? After we were finished with our picnic, the first thing Eva ran to was the rock climbing wall. I think she was disappointed with how easy it was though. She's at that borderling age where the toddler playground is "too babyish" but the big kid area is still a little scary for her. (Well, actually, not too scary for her, just for us!)



Amanda's greatest accomplishment last week was learning how to pump on the swings.

All last week, she told us stories about how she went on the swings at Preschool and couldn't wait to go back and do it again. (This was very surprising to me, because she ALWAYS plays "Little House on the Prairie" during recess time!! Swings were at the bottom of her priority list.)

But sure enough, she can pump now! This is a really big deal, because it's just never "clicked" before.



Next up, learning how to ride a bike. We are planning to get her a bike with training wheels for her birthday in August!

Pat-a-Cake

Here are a few videos of Liam, taken yesterday.

He's growing up so fast! He has his 4 month Well Baby Check-up on Friday. Yes, hard to believe he'll be 4 months old on the 28th!!

The new skill he learned this week is how to "blow bubbles." He continues to become more and more vocal with each day. And look at how much his hair has grown!



His favorite thing lately is Pat-a-Cake. I have never seen anyone so excited about this simple game! As soon as I grab his chubby little hands and start reciting the rhyme, his entire face lights up in anticipation.



I could just eat this little guy up!

Junior Book Club

Yesterday I hosted Book Club at our house, our first meeting since early January.

Because two out of the four of us have infants (3 months and 2 months), our book choice this time around was "Mothershock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It" by Andrea J. Buchanan. One of our other friends has a 6 year old son, and the other friend has 13 month old twin sons. We thought it would be interesting to hear all the different perspectives, since we were each in unique situations.

I also decided to invite all of the children to this month's meeting, partly due to feeding and nap schedules. So it was actually more of a group playdate than a book club, but we all agreed that it was a welcome change and no one complained. We might even start holding monthly playdates.

My friend, Kim, brought a cute sleeper for Liam - and none too soon, because I was literally changing him out of a soaked outfit as she arrived on my doorstep. My friend Jill gave Liam a Bumbo seat, which I have been looking forward to for months.

Here he is, dressed in the outfit and enjoying being upright in his new seat.

We have learned that now it is possible for all three kids to sit on the floor for StoryTime! This Bumbo is going to be a lifesaver, I can tell already.

This morning I walked into the room to find Eva conducting her own young person's version of Book Club.


So you think a 3 month old is too young for books?


Nope. I have shot after shot like this, where Liam is listening and watching intently as Eva describes scene after scene.


With any luck, we'll have another little bookworm in our family.

Mother's Day

It's been a very nice and relaxing Mother's Day!

My homemade card: Scenery by Daddy; Family by Amanda

We celebrated last night by going out for Mexican food and shopping for a new TV. The tiny barn TV we had with the built-in VCR finally bit the dust, so we entered the 21st century and got a flat panel, wall-mountable television. It's the first TV Dave and I have ever purchased together, so I guess it was about time for a new one!

This morning, I was jolted awake at 5:00 am by Amanda and Eva, saying,"Open my present, Mama!!"


Amanda made this plate for me in Preschool: a portrait of she and I together. (I think I look good as a blonde, although is it just me or do we look cross with each other?)

Eva was very excited about the hat she was going to "give" to me. (I had actually picked it out earlier in the week and asked if she would give it to me for Mother's Day.) She consulted with her brother saying,"Liam, do you want to get Mama a hat for Mother's Day? You can help me wrap it! But don't tell Mama - it's a SEEEEE-cret!" Very cute.

Happy Mother's Day to my own mom, who thankfully received her flowers in perfect condition, despite finding them a whole 24 hours after they had been delivered!

And a happy Mother's Day to the rest of my "Mom friends." Hope you all spent a great family day together!

Eva, The Trendsetter

Eva definitely has a mind of her own.

Once she gets an idea in her head, there is no way you can change her mind or talk her out of it, no matter how hard you try. She really knows how to stand her ground. (I keep telling myself that someday I will be thankful for this "stick up for what you believe in" attribute.)

Enter the sunglasses.


She ALWAYS wears them upside down. Not by accident either. This is the way she likes them, so this is the way she wears them.

If you tell her they're upside down and put them on the right way, she will take them off and put them right back on... upside down. Every time.

I don't know how they stay on her little nose, but where there's a will, there's a way.

Then again, who am I to say what's fashionable in the world of two year olds?

Cuddle Bunny

This is Liam's favorite stuffed animal, a blue bunny from Kim and Eliana, given to him on Easter.

Whenever he seems sleepy, I give him the soft rabbit and before long, he's sound asleep.

It's the softest little thing and he loves having it snuggled up to his cheek. I wouldn't have thought a 3 month old would have much interest in a "lovey", since the girls never did... but Liam is much more of a cuddler than they were.

Give him something soft and warm to snuggle up next to and he's a happy little guy.

For Sale

It's official.

After seven years of living here and fixing up the property, the time has come to try and sell.

It is bittersweet.

Dave and I both love the location - within walking distance of preschool, Kindergarten, grocery store, post office, playgrounds, library, etc.

We also love the convenience of being able to work from home in our own separate areas. Perhaps the biggest bonus for Dave is having a designated area for 'band practice.' This is something that will be hard to find when looking for a new home.

But the time has come for us to finally have a place of our own. A space that is just ours. We long for our privacy and all that comes with that.

Today was our first Open House. It was just for the realtors, so they could get to know the property and be informed for potential clients. We don't yet know if a public Open House will happen, but we shall see. We'll try another Realtors' Open House next Friday.

We hope to stay in Marshfield, if the selling price is right. Specifically, it would be nice to stay within the boundaries of Amanda's school, but one of the other five elementary schools in the district would be okay too.

There are so many unknowns. Will it sell? If so, how much will it sell for? Can we stay in this school district? If it doesn't sell, what are our options?

It is a very stressful time for us. It is testing us emotionally and physically, but I am certain we'll make it through. So far, the kids don't seem to be that affected by it so there's something to be thankful for. In fact, this morning as we prepared for the Open House, Eva happily shouted,"We're moving today!!!" Amanda has decided that moving could be a good thing too, because maybe then she and Eva could have bunk beds. (With our low eaves, that's not an option now.)

We've been though a lot since moving here seven years ago, but if there's one thing I'm sure about, it's that Dave and I are stronger together than we are alone. We make a good team when we combine our efforts.

Even so, please keep us in your thoughts. There may be a long road ahead of us.

Kindergarten Screening

So ready for Kindergarten!
Sorry, Olivia (aka Velveteen Rabbit). You have to stay home.

(Note: This post was written and deleted several times, not knowing whether I wanted to publish this. Call it venting... or thinking out loud... but either way, I decided that I want a written record of it.)

Earlier this week, we had Amanda's Kindergarten screening. Both she and I were both excited about this. For all these years, she had only seen the outside of the school, namely the two playgrounds. Finally she would get to see the inside of the school... the classrooms, the library, the whole deal.

So we walked around the corner to the school and waited for our turn. She was called into the room, along with a little boy we recognized from her preschool. As I waited patiently on a bench in the hallway, Amanda was taken into the library to meet with three different faculty members.

When she emerged from the library, she was rubbing her watery eyes and sniffling. Uh oh, I thought. The teacher said that Amanda began having allergy symptoms as soon as the screening started. Of all the things that could happen, apparently Amanda was allergic to something in the room! Oh, the irony. Here's a girl who LOVES school, yet she might be allergic to something IN the school! Despite that, she said it was really fun. "We played lots of games!" she exclaimed.

One teacher (the occupational therapist, a former member of my book club) asked her to draw a picture, so she drew a portrait of Eva. Another teacher asked her to hop on one foot and Amanda said she made it past five hops! Apparently she also remembered her birthdate and could stack blocks to make a tall tower. And that was the extent of what she told me. They sent her home with a canvas bag filled with blocks, Playdough, bean seeds, a book and some parent material.

She'll start in September in the afternoon session, and then halfway through the year, she'll switch to mornings. Can't wait!

Work, work, work!

This weekend flew by! It was a good mixture of work and leisure, but we wish the days were a bit longer. (And a clone of each of us would be helpful as well.)

We only put in a half day's work yesterday and then spent the afternoon "playing." Dave had band practice with the guys so I took the girls to the Cape Relay Race to cheer on the participating runners. I had a friend running in it so we met up with her there. In the evening, the guys got the grill going and we had some delicious chicken, sausages, etc. while enjoying everyone's company.

Weatherwise, it was just perfect... and today we really could have used the air conditioners! I'll bet it was close to 90*. All in all, we got a lot of yardwork and general clean up done. But the biggest accomplishment was the front porch/deck. This project has taken several weeks, due to hold-ups at Town Hall with permits and the like. Tonight it looks like it will finally be finished. I can hear Dave pounding in the last few deck boards now. Hallelujah!! Thankfully our babysitters were available both yesterday and today so the kids were entertained and occupied. We never could have accomplished all of this without them!

We met with our realtor this morning and worked out some of the last minute details as far as listing the property. The plan is to put up the sign and publish the MLS listing on Wednesday, followed by a Realtor's Open House on Friday.

I am very stressed out by the thought of having to be ready for showings on short notice. Keeping two houses (well, a house and a barn) clean is exhausting! I feel like I spend most of my time following people around and cleaning up after them. Fingerprints on the freshly washed windows... Crumbs on the just vacuumed floor... Dishes in the sink immediately after I finished washing a load... Dirt, squished raspberries, and spilled milk on the freshly mopped floor... And don't even get me started on the amount of dirty laundry this family of five produces in a typical week. How will I keep up with all of this?

Dave and I have both complained to each other about feeling mentally, physically and emotionally drained but there's no option other than to keep pushing forward. We're not the first family to go through this, and I know we'll manage.

But now I must get back to folding this mountain of laundry, my least favorite household chore!!