Soccer

Wayne and Cole have started the local summer soccer program. Wayne has been doing it for several years now, since he was four. This is Cole's first time. I wasn't sure how he would do. I mean whether or not he would like it, be cooperative, that kind of thing. Wayne was a little difficult about it back when he first started. Funny how kids from the same gene pool can be so different. Cole just went out there on the field, paid close attention to the coach and followed directions. I think he's going to be a pretty good soccer player someday.

Now that Wayne is a little older, he's also doing a great job. And of course, his long legs carry him around the field a lot faster than the other kids.





Just had to include this picture of the superheros that have been protecting our house from bad guys lately. That's Cole's friend, Fintan, in the Spiderman costume.

Thank You, Julie

No one dives into a project like an Alexander.


Wes's sister Julie came to Vermont from France for two weeks, and spent the better part of her time here getting our household ready to move. She called me a few weeks ago and said,"When I'm in Vermont, I'm going to avail myself to you to and do whatever needs to be done to get you guys ready to move, because I won't be able to be there when the BIG move really happens." I figured she'd spend a couple of afternoons here helping box things up, and maybe watch the kids once in awhile so I could go through things and pack things away. That wasn't exactly how it went.

It was a dusty, unglamorous job, but Julie threw herself into it like no one else could. She shoveled her way into every closet in the house and sorted through 10 years worth of memories. The advantage of having someone besides me do this is that it offers perspective and objectivity. She's hold up a drawing Cole made when he was three and say, "Do you need to keep this?" I'd say, "Yes." She'd put it in the "keep" pile. She'd hold up the tattered Goodnight Moon board book that Wayne had chewed apart when he was 9 months and say, "C'mon. You really need to keep this?" I'd say, "Yes. Look at those little teeth marks." She'd put it in the throw away pile.

Eyes watering, and sneezing Julie would haul things out from under beds. She found lots of socks that had been missing. Books, clothes and baby toys to be sorted, donated and packed. She bravely spent a day in Wayne and Cole's room discarding broken toys and convincing Wayne that she could pack the pumpkin carving kit because he wouldn't need it for several more months. She somehow convinced them to pare down their overflowing toy box and decide which things they really wanted to keep and which things they could donate to Salvation Army or the local library. She even bulldozed through the dumptrucks, tractors, wiffle balls, fishing poles, water toys, and God only knows what else in the garage.

Our house looks so good now, I almost want to stay here. (Just kidding)

Thank you, Julie. I couldn't have done any of this without you.

Caitrin and Michael's Wedding

Just thought I'd share some photos that Wes and Wayne took at Caitrin and Michael's wedding last weekend. It looks like it was beatiful event and everyone was having a great time.

Congratulations to the newly married couple. You look very happy.

As I was, regretably, not at the wedding, please all feel free to add your own comments about what may or may not have been happening in the pictures.

Cole and Fintan

The other day you met Wayne's friend Dante. Well, here is one of Dante's younger brothers, Fintan. He's about the same age as Cole. This afternoon, we brought him home with us after swimming lessons (Dante also takes swimming lessons) so that he and Cole could play.


They had a little time to play outside before the rain and thunder started. Then they moved inside and dressed up as pirates and superheroes.

Heather had her 18 month doctor appointment this morning. She's doing great they said. healthy as a horse. At 33 inches and 25 pounds she's in the 95th percentile for height and 15 percentile for weight. Tall and thin, just like her brothers.

A Day at the Beach

Wayne has started taking swimming lessons this week. They are five days a week for two weeks and last about an hour each session. He's in a beginner group of about 18 kids, but there are two instructors and they divide the group into two smaller groups when they get in the water.

Anyway, we dicided to pack up some snacks and beach toys and go to the lake about an hour early for some fun before the busloads of kids took over the beach for lessons.

Wayne was fascinated to discover that if he dug a hole deep enough in the sand, water would come up from underneath.

So there was lots of hole digging.

There was another 18 month old toddler at the beach when we got there. I always think of Heather as dainty little girl, but then I see her next to other kids her age and she looks like a giant next to them. Heather was much bigger than the other toddler, and even taller than a 3 year old we saw there.

Look at Heather's long legs.

Taking a break for snack time.



The Titanic visits new waters.

More last minute digging before swimmig lessons start.


Wayne did a great job at swimming lessons. He's getting a lot more comfortable with putting his head under water and is able to float on his back.

Tomorrow rain, I think. Not such a nice day at the beach.

Meet Wayne's Friends

The summer doldrums are kicking in. The fact that Wes is busy working on the shed, and I've been packing up our things (actually, Julie has been doing most of that) leaves the kids on their own to twiddle their thumbs and wonder, "What can we do, Mommy?" It's a question I don't have much patience for, even on my best days. After all, they live in a place filled with things to do: big front yard for running and riding bikes, play set for swinging, sliding, and sand box digging, lots of grass and trees for bug hunting. But like Evan Perron said to me the other day, they probably won't know how lucky they are for another 30 years.

So in the meantime, to get us through for a while, Wayne had some friends over.

This is Ben. He and Wayne just graduated from kindergarten and will enter first grade together in the fall.


This is Dante, a.k.a. Batman. He's home-schooled, but he and Wayne have practically grown up together, attending library storytimes and playgroups since they were toddlers.


There was lots of splashing in the pool.


And water gun fights.


They didn't mess with Machine Gun Heather, though.


And of course snacks.


Luckily, it was a beautiful day, and they could be outside most of the time.

Next week - Cole's 3 and 4 year old friends.

July 4th Festivities

As mentioned in the previous post, in the morning Julie took Wayne and Cole to the tractor pull. Wayne took lots of pictures. Maybe I'll have him do a blog entry with his pictures tomorrow.

In the afternoon we went to the parade. Wayne and Wes were walking in the parade with the t-ball team and throwing candy. Martha ( Grammie) came, Cecile, Julie, and Ernest. You've met Ernest and Cecile in an earlier post.

Joanie came and helped keep Heather out of trouble.




Cole stands ready and waiting for all the candy people will throw at him. He was very excited to get to the parade, not to see Daddy and Wayne, not to see the fire engines or tractors, but for the candy. And no, he's not listening to music. Those are ear muffs to protect his ears from the loud noises of the sirens and bands. Cole hates loud noises. By the time the parade was over, that bag was full of candy.



There was plenty to see. Horses...




Clowns...


Wes, Wayne and the t-ball teams...

Some crazy Bread and Puppet characters making their usual political statement...



Bread and Puppet cow kissing Cole...

Cole was so cute standing there waving this little flag as everything went by. Let's just put this little American boy on a stamp or something!

After the parade we went to Wes's brother's house for a barbecue. This is one of Wes's other brothers, Paul. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of Peter and Jeanne, our hosts.

Why do I have so many pictures of Cole?



Wayne enjoys their little pool.



And Grammie even gets into the hot tub.


It was a long fun day. On the way home from the barbecue, Cole looked through his bag of candy, taking inventory of everything he'd gotten. He fell asleep after a few minutes. Heather stayed wide awake.

Whe we dorve into the yard, Cole woke up and said sleepily, "I love my candy."

Hope you all had a great 4th.

Happy July 4th

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Last night Wayne enjoyed some sparklers.



This morning, Julie came to take Wayne and Cole to the tractor pull at the fairgrounds. She got them all decked out in patriotic colors. Later Wes and Wayne will walk in the parade with the the t-ball teams. Then we go to Peter and Jeanne's for a barbecue. Be sure to check in tomorrow for pictures of it all.

Have a fun and safe holiday everyone!

Fun From Some of our Favorite Aunts

Wes and his sister Julie, who is visiting for two weeks from France, went to visit their Aunt Elaine and Uncle Bernard yesterday afternoon. Elaine always sends everyone home with armloads of gifts.

Here are a couple of things Wayne and Cole have been having fun with.

A fort made by Bernard himself. The perfect setting for little action figures.

And a bike that Elaine bought for one dollar at a church sale. It's in perfect working order. We just put on a pair of training wheels and haven't been able to get Cole off of it since.



Cole got some birthday money a while ago from Auntie Di and Uncle Dale and Aunt Ellie and Uncle Jake. I took him shopping the other day and this is what he picked out to buy for himself - a lawn mower that blows bubbles! If you look closely, or enlarge the picture by clicking with your left mouse button, you can see some bubbles.


Not much else going on around here lately, except for a lot of packing. It's going slowly, but we're doing a little every day, and Julie is helping a lot.

Thank you Aunts and Uncles for all the fun things!