Saturday, July 10, 2010

Father's Day 2010


What a guy Patrick is.

Everyone who reads this already knows that though, right? Anyway, I asked him what he wanted to do for Father's Day this year. It's busy with 3 kids as young as ours, so I thought he might want some time on his own--perhaps to golf or sit and read a book (!?). Instead he chose something he knew the kids would really be excited about--a boat ride. Actually, it was a Ferry ride to a nearby island called Peaks Island. Perfect for kids, as the Ferry departs from the Old Port in Portland and 15 minutes later you dock at Peaks Island. It has the feel of the Vineyard in that it's definitely a destination and a place where people go with a purpose. You don't just end up on Peaks. That said, there's also not a ton to do and the weather was so, so. After a really great Ferry ride, we walked up and down the main street and waited until 10AM ( for the local ice cream shop to open) so the kids could indulge. Hmmmm, father's day or kids day? The kids were super excited to indulge in ice cream that early in the day (and "Smurf" ice cream that tasted like cotton candy).

Ferry going over to Peaks Island






Smurf Ice cream








I almost forgot that we kicked off the day with breakfast in bed for Patrick - our tradition on special days for parents. I asked Lexi what she thought we should make Patrick for breakfast and she said, "Well we just made him pancakes for breakfast in bed on his birthday so we shouldn't do that. I know, let's do something he really loves. Let's make cereal!" She couldn't have been more excited. We delivered a huge bowl of cereal to Patrick in bed. He was, indeed, very happy. It just feels funny to serve cereal for a "special" breakfast.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Pure, Simple, Fun

We went up to Hallowell to visit Jen, Jess and Sam on Memorial Day.  It was a beautiful day and the kids enjoyed every moment.We did not know it would be a pool day, so the birthday suits were all we had...



I love this one since you can see Lexi in the background going down the water slide.















Thanks to Jen, Jess and Sam for an awesome day and for some delicious lobster and steamers!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sundae Bar

Memorial Day weekend consisted of many dinners with friends for us.  The first was with the Porada family.
After a yummy grilled dinner we indulged in a Sundae Bar.


Have you ever done a Sundae Bar?  The kids were the excuse to do it, but I think it's actually the adults who appreciate it.  Yum!  Words cannot describe what ensued when Heath discovered this delight.  Heath previously did not like ice cream.  I think this experience changed that.   Luckily this was all outside and we have nice friends who didn't mind that their deck got a bit messy. (Note the results of the haircut from the last post.)








He was completely disgusting when he was through, but it was entirely worth it!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Buzz

We had a great long weekend kicked-off on Friday.  Patrick got off work early for the holiday weekend (thank you LL Bean) and I took the opportunity to sneak away and grocery shop without kids in tow. When I returned, Patrick said, "Please don't be mad at me."
"What happened?" I replied.
"Well, I cut Heath's hair like you asked...and...it was hard, so I just gave him a buzz cut."
"You didn't!" I said a bit shocked, having a fear of buzz cuts on kids (not sure why).
" I did.  And it looks kind of good," he said.
Heath was already in bed at this point so I ran up wondering what I would see.  Luckily he wasn't in a full slumber so I didn't startle him entirely when I swooped him up from his crib to check out his hair.

Well.... let's just say he looked entirely different.  Almost like a different kid.  While Patrick did do a good job, there were still some longer pieces making it look like his hair fell out instead of being shaved on purpose.  (All things Patrick was able to fix the next day after a little prodding from me.) Below are some recent pics from before his buzz cut.  Patrick likes to say his hair looked like a greasy teenager.  Sad, but true.  You'll see shots of the buzz in the next post.





Friday, June 4, 2010

Camp Porada

We call it Camp Porada and it's actually our friend's house. 

Background: In early September we were lucky enough to meet the Porada family.  Betsy (mom), Mark (dad), Carolyn (big sis), and James (little brother). They've become a part of our weekly (heck daily most of the time) routine. As coincidence has it, Betsy also went to Colby, but we did not overlap during our undergrad years. Carolyn and Lex attended preschool together this year and became fast friends.  James and Finn are just 8 months or so apart in age and are also connected at the hip.  Heath is clamoring to become part of the boys crew.  Without the Porada family Maine just wouldn't be the same. This post is a big thank you to them for helping our adjustment to Maine go smoothly.  As the kids would say..... "Hooray for the Poradas!" and then, "What's a Porada?"

Here are some photos from some of our adventures with the Porada family.

Peek-A-Boo indoor play space - Lex and Carolyn


James and Finn at Greenlight - another indoor play space


Buddy James


Carolyn hanging at our house


Pensive Carolyn


End of Year School Party - Carolyn and Lex



The Real Camp Porada - Fun in the backyard







Thank you Porada family for welcoming us to Maine!