Jackie lost her tooth!

On September 3, the second say of first grade, Jackie lost her first tooth! She beamed with pride! She put it in a box to show her Daddy when he got home from his business trip. He came home a few days later and she was ready to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy. The tooth fairy delivered $5.00! Now a new tooth is coming in and two more teeth are loose. Zac is a bit envious of all the fuss. He will have a ways to wait before a tooth is lost as he shows no signs of his 6 year molars popping out yet. Jackie has had all 4 adult molars for some time now. Look at that beautiful smile.

Back to School

The kids have settled into first grade. Here they are on the first day of school. They are now in separate classrooms. This milestone feels like the beginning of them discovering their own identities. They will have to make buddies in their own classrooms. They will discover their own strengths and weaknesses. They will find their individual interests.

Both of them were excited to return to school. We have a busy fall ahead of us. The kids are taking karate, soccer and swim. Jackie is a great swimmer and really enjoys drawing and coloring. She has shown great strides in her reading skills and seems to enjoy math. Zac is still very passionate about golf. He would play sports on the Wii all day if I let him, but of course we don't! He is an advanced reader, taking on chapter books. He is a competitive boy and hope he not only uses this quality in sports, but also with academics. I do wonder who they will become, what they will feel passionate about and I hope for good things to come to both of them.

Mini-Maine Trip, The Kid's First Camping Trip

My good friend Susan and her husband Scott invited us to come up to their campsite in Belgrade Maine to go fishing and camping this past August. We spent a long weekend at their house in South Portland and a night at their campsite at the Belgrade stream. There were many firsts for the kids; sleeping in a tent, hauling wood for the fire, trying to paddle a kayak, playing bacce ball, catching a fish and even using a porta-potty. Zac caught a pike and sunfish. Chuck got some nibbles and Jackie caught 'salad'. The boys went out on the boat a second time while the girls went off for a swim and a ride to town for an ice cream. I loved the scenery of the country roads of this area. It reminded me of my childhood days when my parents had a lakeside camp. The night sky was full of stars that you just can't see back home. The photos of the pool were back at Susan's house. On the way home, we took the coastal route home to stop at Marginal Way in Ogunquit Maine. Thank you to my friends for a great experience!

Sea Glass Hunts

We live a short drive from Cape Ann where there are many coves and small beaches to explore. One thing I've found to be a simple pleasure of living near the coast is beachcombing. I have a collection of seaglass from the days when I lived in Manchester. Chuck has become fond of seaglass hunts and this summer we introduced our kids to the relaxing pleasures of combing the coastline for treasure. Along the way we enjoy the vistas of the harbors and coastline. Collectively, we found enough to almost fill a vase.

Reflections of summer on Labor Day

The weather has definately shifted towards fall here in New England. The morning chill is so refreshing and welcomed. At the height of the day it is warm and toasty. The light in the fall is golden and the air is clear of haze and humidity. As much as I love the fall, and in my opinion it absolutely trumps summer, I am feeling summer was fleeting. We only got to the beach once. We usually plan our beach visit in the late afternoon to avoid high sun and enjoy the beach at a less crowded time. Rather than packing a lunch, we pack a dinner and stay until sunset. It is the best time to be at the beach.

We had a lovely family day, even if I was chasing the back sides of running and playing children to sneak some pictures. At the end of the trip, we have two tired kids expecting to stop for ice cream on the ride home and once their bellies are full, they're dunked in the tub to wash away the salt and sand and put to bed for a restful night's sleep.