the beach...the glorious beach!

aahhhh....the beach
took a little trip to a wonderful place called Ogunquit Beach in Maine
our new favorite place!

when caroline was little we stopped through this little town...and vowed to come back.

this year we stayed for 3 nights at the Beachmere Inn.....we are booking for next year!
gramma and shener came too!

First day.....blue sky and sun

lots of wave jumping!

little did we know this would be the last time that we would see the sun for the next 3 days.....more pictures tomorrow....need to tackle the laundry and catch up on blog reading!

origami boxes

teacher gifts....this year i decided to give Caroline's preschool teachers a gift certificate to the local coffee shop/bakery....what teacher doesn't need a cup of coffee and a chocolate peanut butter brownie?!

i thought it might be cute to give them in handmade boxes so i tried my hand at making origami boxes using this easy tutorial

i used 12X 12 Amy Butler specialty paper....i used the whole sheet for the top of the box and then used 11.5 X 11.5 for the bottom. the first box i made was crap so i cut that one up and crinkled the paper for the inside.

Tomorrow is Caroline's last day of preschool......we had so many snow days the kids are in school almost till July!

after the show

after the show....we are not worried about the tights, tutu and hair.

not a care in the world....the recital was a success Sunday dinner at the cousins house.....time to play!

back to tormenting coop

wiffle ball anyone?

the cousins have the best toys!

recital....done

recitals are a bit stressful to me
growing up my family was in to sports
not ballet
but i have a girl who loves to dance

and loves to be up on stage

costume ordered

tights with no holes

hair in a bun

don't forget the camera

oh wait...its Father's Day!

don't forget the flowers

organize fans...i mean family

don't forget the tickets

wait in line to get the best seat

carting around 2 year old brother

in the rain

and be on time!

hopping bunny show......about 5 minutes...i am the proudest mommy ever! click on the above photo to get a closer look....not one bunny is doing the same step...the show was hilarious.

caroline's biggest fan....but littlest in size....bypassed his usual 3 hour nap...to watch the show....no need for a seat....he'll take the aisle.

tag sale....done

crazy weekend......great fun.....glad its over.

Friday night, the garage was full and all set for the tag sale....praying that it wouldn't rain.we had 13 tables and probably could have used more
all set up
Caroline sold her toys....so proud of the 5 quarters she made (she kept counting them over and over)...although she would get distracted and leave them there. she has since reclaimed the pink grass skirt even though its 3 sizes too small....she just can't give up anything pink.

tag sales are exhausting! and that was only the beginning of our day. We were off to a 5 year old's birthday party and our nephew's 18th birthday party.
we stayed in our pjs a little longer than usual on Sunday morning.

a girl can change her mind right?

so...we are getting ready for a tag sale....going through years of junk...cleaning house! When we married Rob tried to incorporate his stuff with mine...i say try because we have very different taste. Comfy chairs that he could not part with...i covered them. Wooden statues his grandfather gave him....i banished to the workroom. 10 years ago when he showed me these plates i said "no way." he couldn't part with them....so after 10 years, 3 moves....he boxed them up and saved them. Until 2 weeks ago...i don't know what came over me....I said, "where are those plates?" and for 2 weeks we have been searching for them and do you know that we couldn't find them...i think he thought i secretly got rid of them....not me! well....in the last box, in the creepy corner of our creepy attic.....we found the dishes.....and i L.O.V.E them!

so...the tag sale hasn't even started and i am already excited! my mother-in-law and her husband came over this morning with 2 cars full of junk....and looky what i found!

vintage linens i can't resist....a beautiful mirror and a glass jar.
my mom and her husband are driving over tonight to set up their stuff...oh goody goody.

RAIN....go away!

enough already...i can't take it anymore!

non stop rain around here.....and hail. my poor garden! it survived the hail but I won't have to water it for awhile....because the forecast says RAIN all week!

i can't even enjoy the flowers that are growing outside...so i am bringing them in as they bloom.

so i am getting our tag sale ready.....inside the garage.

parties, picnics and barbecues planned for this weekend......all inside.

and i can't even use the garage because it is filled with junk....and why do kids slow down in the rain? Cooper walks like he has bricks for feet....and then cries because he is all wet.....aghhhh!

handmedowns

i just got a letter from the preschool that says the daily rate is going from $32 a day to $35, on top of that we provide snack once a month for the class, we pay for snow days, AND they took away a free vacation week so now when we go away to the beach for a week we have to pay the preschool a weeks worth, even though Caroline is not attending.

it seems like we get less for more these days....i can't seem to go the the grocery store for milk and bread without spending $50. Even when i do a "big" grocery shopping for the week...i spend a gazillion but leave with just the basics.

Don't get me wrong....we are very blessed....Rob has a good job that allows me to stay at home with the kids....but we do live frugally. Rob brings leftovers for lunch, we may be the only ones in town who have "basic" cable, i avoid the mall, and we couldn't survive without Hand-Me-Downs! This is the latest stash from my sister-in-law who has 3 boys....its like Christmas at our house when the bins come through the door.

and "the machines" came from friends whose kids outgrew them, the batteries have about 30 minutes of riding....slow riding at that.....but my kids are so pleased with themselves......its the first thing Cooper wants to do when he wakes up in the morning...and when we are away from the house for any amount of time all he wants to do is..."go home and ride my machine."

Getting ready

seems like we are in "getting ready" mode this time of year....getting ready for a tag sale,

a ballet recital,

preschool graduation,

birthday parties, vacation

short post today....i need to go get ready!

Pesto

Pesto

1 cup of loosely packed basil

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of walnuts or pine nuts

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1. blend in food processor basil, nuts and garlic

2. add cheese

3. add oil

keep fresh in fridge or freeze

endless possibilities with pesto, the kids like it with pasta, I like it on an Italian sub, Rob puts it on everything! And on vacation we had a pizza with pesto instead of red sauce...going to try that the next time we make pizza. My first batch of basil that i planted in the garden didn't quite make it....so i am off to the garden center to buy more plants. Once the plants get big I usually make a batch of pesto once a week all summer and freeze it.

other random thoughts:
braces tighten today...ughhhhhh.
sleepless nights...not able to turn my thoughts off.
potty training Cooper...lots of time in the bathroom.
and still no sign of the contractor to finish this house.

"To Do" list and spring cleaning

trying to get things done around the house is "mission impossible" with kids around. we rushed to get the garden bed built....but the weather has been rainy and dreary....so nothing is really growing. Hopefully by August it will be overflowing with eggplant, lettuce, carrots and cucumbers.....we have been waiting to landscape this side of the house until the driveway was finished....hence the dirt and stones.

Rob finished the barn doors......way better than the plywood!!!! the driveway was finally finished on Monday!!! Yippeee! the kids set up camp in the garage to watch the crew....at one point one of the guys saw the kids eating lunch and mentioned to cooper that if he ate the crusts of his sandwich he would be "big and strong"......i now have a 2 year old who eats his whole sandwich!Please tell me everyone has a room like this?! this is our sunroom on the second floor....that door goes to Caroline's room and there is another door that goes to our room....but this has been our dumping ground for junk.....my project for the next two weeks....to clear this room out and get all of this junk tagged for a garage sale.

Secret garden

this doesn't look like much...a tall hedge that divides two of our neighbors' yards....its bamboo that starts out as nothing every spring but grows like crazy in a matter of weeks.

and there is an opening to a secret garden....

where little children turn into....

hunters...and pirates.....and peter pan


they could of played all day...if we didn't have anywhere to go...i sat on the bench and listened to their imaginations! Cooper got really into it! you know where to find us this summer......the kids will be in NeverLand...and I'll be sitting on that bench with a book....and a glass of wine.

Blueberry Buckle

summer means.....blueberries are on sale......and blueberry buckle! I think as a toddler Caroline had one soar blueberry so she won't eat them...unless i make buckle.

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks of butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 cups of blueberries

topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

1. combine flour, baking powder and salt. set aside.

2. in mixer bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. add egg and beat.

3. add flour mix and milk alternately to mixer bowl, continue mixing until smooth.

4. spoon batter into greased 9X9 pan, top with blueberries.

5. combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over blueberries

6. bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

yes, this recipe is not the healthiest but it is so darn good i didn't want to mess with it.

Enjoy!

a couple of surprises

we have been living in our house for over 4 years now.....and i have never seen this many irises before! but it seems they took over the lupines which were always glorious but now we have none....i have no control over anything these days!and apparently Caroline learned how to ride her bike while we were gone.....no more training wheels! she is so proud of herself....and can't wait to impress her cousins.

our escape

in the middle of the night we made our escape......grandparents in place, lists made, bags packed, fridge stocked.....a few tears as I left the quiet house with sleeping children....darn mother's guilt! Hubby and I had 2 nights...3 days all to ourselves.....AND college friends AND a wedding on the agenda!we stayed at the Hotel Indigo....where the hotel dog Miles met us at check in!! a fun hotel.....modern, earthy....


3 days.....eating
drinking
staying up late
sleeping in
telling stories of college days
laughing ourselves to tears!
realizing we can't party like we use to
dressing up and wearing heels
dancing all night


there wasn't a dry eye in the church except for the bride who was glowing and smiling with joy as the groom tried to hold back tears during their vows. It was one of those weddings that brings back your faith in love...true love.

no matter how far apart we live.....or how long we go without seeing each other...our time together is priceless. college friends are definitely LIFELONG friends. I miss them already.

traveling back home.....rough flights....lots of waiting around at airports...eager to get back to the kids.....back to reality....tantrums and meltdowns, playgroups and naps, laundry and dishes....but smiling today.....great trip, fun memories, realizing its good to get away with the hubby and be normal again....even if its only for a few days.