Everyday Life.

Game Time.

Here is a shot of Jack this past weekend prior to his first hockey game. He actually said to me in the locker room, "Mom, this is my first hockey game. Ever." He might as well have gulped. They ended up playing two games. 1 win. 1 loss. And as Henry would say, he was "whooped" afterwards... and happy.

health.

Henry has had a rough Fall. Three rounds of strep throat and antibiotics... was sick for 5 weeks. He is now on Day 6 of good health and he has been such a joy. Here he is painting this past weekend, fully equipped with glasses like Daddy, and playing the piano with his friend, Lucy. What a funny little man. We are happy to have you back!

Never a dull moment...

So, once I wrangled the boys this morning into clothes, coats, hats and separated them after their 865th fight.... I got them into the car, only to come back to the house to grab our bags and learn that I was locked out. It may have had something to do with the fact that their last spat happened to be over who went out the door first... many little hands fumbling over the very easy to lock door handle.

After getting out the ladder to check every window (up and down) to see if we happened to leave one unlocked – we hadn’t – so we trudged to our neighbors house. We are eternally grateful for our neighbors that DO leave their house open and that still have a home phone :) AND for a very, very friendly locksmith that takes a mom being locked out with two boys in the cold very seriously and arrived within 5 minutes!

My house never felt cozier!

2nd grade and preschool... first week complete!

A few more...

This last photo is my favorite.
Henry is playing the guitar with a buoy and has his (toothless) brother in giggles.

friends.

Henry and our neighbor Lucy. They are quite a pair.

maine.

Since our Maine trip Jack has constructed his Christmas list...

lobster trap
one buoy
rope
gloves
lobster man pants
boots
hat
oh, and another trip to Maine.

to say that it was his favorite trip EVER would be an understatement.

He will, one day, be a lobsterman.

I made him prove it to me by taking him out on an old lobster boat... he needed to show me that he wouldn't get sick (he gets horribly carsick). About halfway through the trip, many miles into the ocean, he yells to me, "Mom! Mom! I am okay!!"

Here we go.

I love Jack's obsessions. they are heartfelt. focused. I envy his focus.

in the middle of the night, if he wakes to use the bathroom, he is talking about it.

3 am: "Mom, can we get a really really long rope to throw my trap?"

In the car, "mom, are there lobsters in Lake Dunmore?"

At dinner: "Dad and I found a trap for $9. a crayfish trap for only $2."

I am sure we will be back, sooner, rather than later.

laid back.

I think Jack is amazed at his younger brother's ability to relax.

Henry often says, "I go 'lax' now."

And sure enough off to the couch he goes...

legs outstretched and crossed, hands behind his head.

it has been this way since he was a baby.

something I love.

jack's curiosity about his brother makes it all the more endearing.

on this day, we were in hanover, nh and had just stopped for milkshakes.

a bench of full bellies, on a hot hot day.

Summer. Oh how we'll miss it.

What has your favorite summer 2010 memory been?

A winter dream bloomed today...

good.

Henry has been begging for a new golf putter. And although he and his brother have a true set of of clubs in the garage, they still prefer the plastic sets from drugstores.

So, finally, I broke down and bought him a plastic set.

When Matt told him to thank Mommy, instead Henry looked up at me, with his sun tanned (newly freckled) cheeks, and said, "You're a good person."

that's all it took... he is mine, and he thinks I am good (albeit that it took cheap golf clubs)... I feel I scored high today.

Wrap it up tight, because it's a feeling I hope last forever.

Happy 4th!

A decade.

Thank you, Matt for an amazing 10 years and the beautiful life you have given me!! Love, Kelly

Full Circle.

The sexiest words ever spoken came from Matt's mouth this evening, "Why don't we hire someone to clean the house?"

He might as well have elevated off the floor.

this was post conversation about another upcoming work trip. "How will it all get done?", I thought.

Then he spoke those magic words... "hire someone..."

But wait, suddenly, all clean, down from their bath, Jack says, "mom, do you have any chores?" "maybe I could clean the floors? You go sit and relax."

this from a child that has grown to a point of being too self-conscious to even hug me goodbye at school this week, and unwilling to even snuggle before bed. My heart has been aching for his clutch. he is growing up.

So all of this. Before me. From them. My boys.

Clean the floors they did, and the bathroom... "MOM! I just wiped up pee!!" "anything more to do?"

So now, back to the question... to hire someone? or have my boys learn the power of appreciation for what we have by helping out Mom more?

What do you think?

A Quiet Place.

Where we (I) can think. Pause. Have a moment for me that is so brilliantly wrapped in a package for them.


They play, strategize, happily, quietly. Because golf is a very, very quiet game.


I sit. watch. daze. Watch the clouds roll over the mountains.

Tonight was splendid. Warm. Still.


Today is day 6, which means tomorrow is day 7.

Which means Daddy returns.

I love this game.

So far, so good.

Matt left at 3:50 am for China.

Boys slept until 7! (henry has been know to get up as early as 4:45)

Boys played cops and robbers until 9. indoor baseball until 10 (it's snowing outside).

I have only had to break up two fights.

And I just caught Henry walking through the house saying to himself, "be nice to mudder, be nice to mudder."

Not too shabby.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Evening Light.

One of the many favorite things that Matt and I share is the five minutes of evening light that streams through our backyard. We will miss Matt this week as he is headed to China for work. When he returns the yard will be a whole new shade of green, a deeper richer shade of forest. For now, we will savor the spring green that surrounds...and try our best not to wish the week away just to see him home again. Okay, so yes, I am a tad jealous.

quote of the day

Jack...

"Mom, Lukas, you know, my best friend Lukas... the one that spells his name l-u-k-a-s, not like the other Lucas, l-u-c-a-s. Well, anyway, Lukas always tells the truth. Really, he NEVER lies. Well, only sometimes. but anyway, he told me that I could buy a real emperor penguin for only $20,000, and a Gentoo penguin for $30. I could keep them in my room and make it really cold. i will take care of them and wear a parka (he said parka), a scarf, mittens, gloves and long johns. Mom, you know long johns are SO warm. Hey Mom, what time is my lacrosse scrimmage?"

Get well Mom.

We have been sick. The kind of I-can-make-it-through-the-day-but-want-to-go-to-bed-at-six-o'clock sick. Which is exactly what I did. Jack was thrilled that he got to stay up with Dad. He snuck into my room and left a little care package by my bed - all things "mommy."

A well-deserved pause.

In hindsight, I realize that last week I reached my full capacity - my brain was on overdrive, I could do no more. I was either forgetful or making ridiculous mistakes. Thankfully, my state of inadequate mom, wife and coworker was just in time for our little getaway to The Great Escape Indoor Water Park - as Henry would say, that place is "CRAZY!" Which in Henry's world equals awesome!

We soaked up every minute of no schedule and nothing to do but play... the kids, and Matt and I, were in heaven, Below are a few of our favorite shots.





This part of the park was magical - a bit like Willy Wonka's Factory.



Jack was so independent on this trip and so brave! He was willing to try anything - he even surfed - my heart about sank when I saw his little 60 pound body jump out on the board with high speeding water barreling at him. I thought for sure he was going to be thrown off, but sure enough he did amazing - never even fell once! Jack did spend a lot of time on the tube slides - up and down all day. Our kids have never been so tired!




Henry loved our water shoes... it's all he could talk about and he never wanted to take them off. He insisted on wearing them to dinner every night... as well as bring the coffee pot from our hotel room with him everywhere, but that's a different story.

I loved it...


every minute.


My kids are amazing.

Big boys, little boys. And barn sales.

Middlebury lacrosse games have always been a favorite of Jack's, but this year they have also become a favorite of Henry's. Oh, how much he wants to be like his big brother!





Henry and I went to a barn sale on Saturday in Orwell, VT. We found some great treasures... and met some interesting people along the way. Which got me thinking... we know so little about true Vermonters. One summer we should take a road trip to learn, and teach the boys, a little more about their own backyard.


This is a window salvaged from an old dairy farm that has been turned into a message board. They used slate from the barn roof for a chalkboard.


Henry's new wooden fire truck - with two ladders!