tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20719751215588999682024-03-13T16:12:37.797-07:00The Ferrie GirlsA blog about raising small children who are close in age. Living with and beating cervical incompetence during pregnancies. And other life challenges.....Military life. Pulmonary Hypertension. And lifes gifts.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-10043490304852122282013-11-04T18:56:00.000-08:002013-11-04T18:56:44.063-08:00Almost a year...to the day.It's been almost a year, to the day, since I've blogged. I've thought many times about blogging again, but then, I get distracted, and it never happens.<br />
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How can I sum up an entire year? Well, with four kids, hell, with any amount of children, that's almost impossible. So many wonderful days with some bleak ones thrown in there, too. The kids are growing up, faster than I would like. I dream about having another baby, but know that probably isn't the smartest thing. After four high risk pregnancies and a rough start for Callum, I'm afraid to do it again - lucky for Kevin, because I think he knows I'd be barking down his tree!<br />
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Kevin and I (married 8 years in September) are still living in Maine - he commutes to Virginia every Monday and for the last year, has been able to come home every Thursday. It works. It's definitely not an ideal situation, but still the best one for us in our current situation and definitely not indefinite. Our children are thriving here in Maine, and we have enjoyed being back here again. All three girls were on skis last year and we rocked it all winter long. Clara did amazing and even learned to ride a two wheeler this spring, too. We spent a lot of time at the beach this summer, took a vacation with friends on a lake house and have spent a lot of time with family and friends!<br />
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Kevin put in for an early transfer for 2014 and we are hoping for Hawaii, Maine (again), Boston or Providence. We want to be together again, so hopefully by the new year, we will know if we will continue this, or be moving.<br />
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I am still a running machine - I think running has taken over blogging. I am running about 20-25 miles/week. I have run three half marathons and my first 10K in 2013. I ran my last half marathon in 2:01:58 - 10 minutes faster than my fastest time before that (and 13 minutes faster than my first one a year ago)! It's been a great outlet for me since I am alone with the kids midweek. I never thought I would be so in love with running, but it really has done me good! And I love challenging myself!<br />
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Mairead (turned 7) continued half days last year at school, and thrived. It was the best thing we could have done. She was happy again. She had a great year last year, and did her first season of cross country. She loved it! This fall, she started 2nd grade, half days, but by the end of September, Kevin and I were wondering if public school was really what we wanted for our children. Not that our schools here in Maine are bad, because they aren't - it's just a lot - and we want our kids to be kids, and want to spend as much fun times with them as possible while they are little. So, on September 26th, we officially began homeschooling our children again. And so far. So good - but more on this later!<br />
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Lilah is Lilah (now almost 6). She is silly and a go-getter. She started Kindergarten this year, and had a great teacher, but like Mairead, we pulled her out and began homeschooling. Lilah practiced this fall with the cross country team and hopefully next spring they will open it up to Kindergarteners! She is beginning to read, which is pretty awesome. I am super excited that I will be able to teach her to read just like I was able to with Mairead. She's growing her hair out for locks of love...<br />
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Clara (just turned 4) is growing up and changing. She is still a bit more reserved and shy than her sisters, but we are seeing strides with her. She started preschool at Our School this year and has been loving it. We are so lucky to have such amazing teachers there who truly love our children. She is definitely grown up a lot in the last year.<br />
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Callum has changed the most out of all the kids. He is 2.5 years old now and an animal. He's a lot like Lilah - all or nothing. He's either super chill and happy or he's pissed and whacking the shit out of people. His speech is getting loads better and talks a ton. He is an active boy who loves the color pink, loves to dress up in tutus and slam his trucks into things. We are not so sure he knows he is a boy yet, but he definitely has testosterone!<br />
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All 3 girls are dancing again this year and we are just enjoying our days together. Clara is still doing preschool three days/week, so it is nice to have some quiet time with the big girls while she is there.<br />
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I hope to continue this blog and journal about our homeschool adventure!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-67177141043435751052012-11-06T18:13:00.002-08:002012-11-06T18:13:47.243-08:00Making a change... I've written a lot about our troubles and frustrations with Mairead since she has started school. We've tried troubleshooting and trying to get in contact with Mairead's teacher, but things just weren't getting any better, and in actuality, they were getting worse.<br />
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We were watching our little girl, who absolutely loves to learn, stop loving to learn. Slowly withdrawing, giving us troubles about reading, not wanting to practice spelling words and asking daily to stay home. So very frustrating. As I had written before, Mairead was actually starting to have separation anxiety from us, which is a pretty significant personality change for her.<br />
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Since Kevin was home for the week last week we were able to meet with her teacher and with the principal of the elementary school, which is K-2. Both were very surprised to hear of our continued troubles, and claimed Mairead was very happy and appeared well adjusted while in school - but at home, it is a completely different story.<br />
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We told them we were close to pulling her out of school if things didn't improve, so thankfully they were willing to work with us, and thankfully Maine has pretty great homeschooling laws. Maireads teacher and principal said Mairead could try going to school half days, so she will get her specials (art, music, PE, etc), math, spelling, lunch and recess, then she will come home. We will work on science, social studies and math (which she is having a little trouble with???) at home. Mairead at first was not happy because she would miss her 2nd recess, but I think she will like her new schedule.<br />
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I am very happy to try this out and see what happens. I only hope this will lead to Mairead loving school, and loving and being excited to learn again...no matter where that is.<br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-66365671307344657542012-10-27T13:13:00.001-07:002012-10-27T13:13:47.650-07:00The wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Like I've said - we like excitement around here! I've talked in the past about trying to make a small(er) house functional with four small children. With three bedrooms and four children, we have our three girls share a room. We recently built the coolest <a href="http://theferriegirls.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-hanging-bed.html" target="_blank">hanging bed</a> for Mairead, and it's great! It totally saves a ton of space and gives the girls plenty of room to play.</div>
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So, what about the downstairs? Well, it's a tiny bit more functional than the bedroom situation, but in all reality, it doesn't work very well. During one of my long runs, I thought about tearing down the wall between our eat-in kitchen and our family room/playroom/office. Kevin hates when I think during my runs because I come up with crazy ideas and thoughts - remember when I came up with the idea to pull the kids out of school after Kevin retires, buy a sailboat/yacht and sail the caribbean for a year? Yeah. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixn-sDe1wy1nqvJ7tl8EpujUBGxoVHzY9fnteICOem1-YaoINksR8yXzifnyu5gC4V6uODWMqEgaK4pKf2dJJqyI0gZpCsz5yuP2Pjlj2wjKrurJAEIx_UBsO3CjYA0W43Y058q1UXN34/s640/blogger-image--699749004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixn-sDe1wy1nqvJ7tl8EpujUBGxoVHzY9fnteICOem1-YaoINksR8yXzifnyu5gC4V6uODWMqEgaK4pKf2dJJqyI0gZpCsz5yuP2Pjlj2wjKrurJAEIx_UBsO3CjYA0W43Y058q1UXN34/s320/blogger-image--699749004.jpg" width="320" /></a>Anyways, our dining room is really dysfunctional. It is small, and our dining room table only seats 6, which leaves ummmmmm......no seats for houseguests. Yeah, we could get a bigger table, but our dining room is on the small side, so a bigger table would really not be feasible. Our family room is also long and narrow, and a bit dysfunctional, too. Well, it has a lot of functions - it's our "office/computer room", our TV room and our playroom. Lately when the kids want to play on the computer, they get distracted by the TV or the others playing, or when Mairead has schoolwork to do, she has to do it at the eat-in kitchen table, which is also distracting. </div>
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So, my idea is to take down the wall in between the eat-in kitchen and family room. Build a DIY farm table that would seat at least 10, and use the dining room as our school room/office/playroom. Our family room would become a <i>real</i> inviting family room with a sectional couch that would scream cozy! </div>
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Thankfully my idea wasn't crazy enough for Kevin to laugh at me.....he tried, but as he thought about it, he realized it was a really good idea! He's so lucky to have a wife with such great ideas :)</div>
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And after 4 years of owning this house and gutting it with our own two hands, we've gotten smart and decided to hire someone to make the mess, do what we want and clean up after themselves! Can't wait to share the finish project with you! </div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-64856766990397243012012-10-21T13:12:00.002-07:002012-10-21T17:51:10.702-07:00My response to society... I read this afternoon on the Frog & Turtles facebook page that a patron who was there Friday night said Callum was being annoying? Seriously, dude? Get a grip! He also mentioned I should have also brought him outside (in the cold, rain) or brought him into the bathroom - seriously? I bet he also thinks mothers should nurse their baby in the bathroom, too. So, here's my response to society as a whole. Frankly, this really pisses me off. I really hope he is speaking up because he's friends with the owner, and really doesn't think this, because this could be a pretty pathetic glimpse into society and what some people truly think about children. I wonder how high his expectations were for his 1 year old.....he claims he has "two children".....Poor kids.<br />
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<i>I don't think enough people take their children out to dinner. Sure, it can</i></div>
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<i>be expensive, or daunting, but I feel if more people brought their children</i></div>
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<i>to "real" restaurants, society would be more accepting of children in</i></div>
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<i>restaurants. We are thankful to have had only welcoming and positive</i></div>
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<i>outcomes when it comes to eating out. Sure, when we walk in with our four</i></div>
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<i>children, they look scared, but when they realize, they are well behaved,</i></div>
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<i>they relax, and usually comment on how well behaved they have been. Of</i></div>
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<i>course, there have been times when my husband and I look at each other and</i></div>
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<i>wonder why we decided to go out, but that is not the norm. And I appreciate</i></div>
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<i>those members of society who are accepting of families who choose to bring</i></div>
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<i>their children out.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Last week, we met friends out with their children for our first try at the</i></div>
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<i>Frog & Turtle...A Gastro Pub in Westbrook. We had heard fairly decent</i></div>
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<i>reviews of the place, and since we were in Westbrook, we wanted to give it a</i></div>
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<i>try. I wish we hadn't. We walked out of there without having dinner or even</i></div>
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<i>appetizers because the patrons of the restaurant were complaining about our</i></div>
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<i>18 month old. They say he was being "annoying" but he was not screaming, nor</i></div>
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<i>crying. The other 5 children were behaving. Do some people forget they were</i></div>
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<i>children? While I realize some people want a quiet night dinner, maybe</i></div>
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<i>without their children, don't people realize that asking a mother to go</i></div>
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<i>outside on a cold, wind-driven rain evening is just as ridiculous? If the</i></div>
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<i>patrons of this restaurant do not want to hear any sounds of a child, then</i></div>
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<i>maybe it is the wrong restaurant, or maybe the restaurant should change</i></div>
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<i>their requirements? If the restaurant has highchairs, doesn't that generally</i></div>
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<i>welcome the smaller aged children, and even infants? Those who sit in high</i></div>
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<i>chairs are generally not at an age to know how to control their emotions,</i></div>
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<i>behavior or feelings. How do they know how to be quiet? If the patrons only</i></div>
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<i>knew I was trying to find our waitress to get us more bread to hold my son</i></div>
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<i>over until our dinner came, maybe they would understand. I was being</i></div>
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<i>attentive to my son. I was trying, but the patrons that night were singling</i></div>
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<i>out a family because we had a large party, and 6 children. The 5 older</i></div>
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<i>children, ranging from 3 to 8 were well behaved, coloring at the time, I</i></div>
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<i>could see people being annoyed by the older children screaming or having</i></div>
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<i>fits or running around as if they were at a zoo, but they were not. They</i></div>
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<i>were all extremely well behaved.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Do people with older children forget what it was like to have a one year</i></div>
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<i>old? If not, maybe they chose never to bring their children out into public,</i></div>
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<i>but we do or maybe their children are perfect, I don't know. If you are</i></div>
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<i>looking for a quiet dinner, maybes seek out a place that does not have high</i></div>
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<i>chairs. I find this situation completely unfortunate and sad. We were all</i></div>
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<i>young once. I feel bad for those people, not angry, because they must've had</i></div>
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<i>miserable childhoods and must be miserable in general to prompt such a</i></div>
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<i>negative response simply because a child is hungry. And if society expects</i></div>
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<i>an 18 month old to sit quietly and still in a high chair, you are wrong. And</i></div>
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<i>if you think a mother or father should bring their hungry 1 year old into a</i></div>
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<i>dirty bathroom to play while waiting for dinner to be served is acceptable,</i></div>
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<i>you are wrong. And if you think I am going to bring my young child outside</i></div>
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<i>in the cold, wind-driven rain on a Friday night, you are also wrong. Our</i></div>
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<i>family will continue to bring our children in and around Portland</i></div>
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<i>restaurants, and forego leaving them at home. And when we do leave them at</i></div>
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<i>home, and come into contact with a family who has a fussy infant, I don't</i></div>
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<i>patronize, or complain, I sympathize. The owner who asked me to take my son</i></div>
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<i>outside should have looked at the whole picture. Asked me if there was</i></div>
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<i>anything we needed to help my son until dinner was served, instead, he asked</i></div>
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<i>me to leave and go outside, or have my son "get it together".</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Those in society that complain about an infant fussing need to get a grip.</i></div>
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<i>We were all young once. And if you are looking for a night out without the</i></div>
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<i>sounds of children, be sure they don't have highchairs, or else you may be</i></div>
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<i>greatly disappointed.</i></div>
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** I can add that I did file a complaint with the BBB - but unfortunately, the restaurant is not a member, and not sure what they can do, if anything.</div>
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<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-55447859599815308702012-10-19T19:11:00.000-07:002012-10-19T19:11:20.517-07:00 First - The Frog & Turtle: A Review....kindaI have been a mom now for 6 years, 5 months and 9 days. I will never forget the first time Kevin and I took Mairead to a restaurant. She was maybe a week or two old, and I had to nurse her in public. It was a horrendous experience, but I didn't let that experience haunt me forever and from that moment on, we continued to bring our child to restaurants, and still do, quite frequently, in fact.<br />
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We have always been <i>that </i>family who walks into restaurants confidently with our crew, attracting attention from all over, because there is high probability for big problems - you know, temper tantrums, spills, accidents, whatever - but, most often, we walk out feeling great about our experiences especially after other customers will comment on the behavior of our children, but things quite didn't go like that this evening....<br />
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I had made plans with my girlfriend, Kate and her family for tonight. We were heading to watch her husband sing in a barbershop quartet then head to dinner. We had both wanted to try a local restaurant in Westbrook called <i>The Frog & Turtle</i>. We had both heard many good things about it, so we thought we'd head over since we were close by. Kate is like us, she has raised her children going to restaurants since they were newborns.<br />
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Kevin and I walked in with our kids first. It was a rainy, windy night. People kind of looked at us a bit weird with our crew, but nothing out of the usual. I didn't get the most welcoming vibe either. We were early for our reservation for 11 people, and the hostess didn't seem accommodating at all at first. Kate walked in with her family and assured me the person she had spoken with on the phone while making the reservation was seeming very accommodating with our larger party, and our party consisting of 6 children, ages 8 and under. Within a few minutes, they had a table ready for us and we all sat down. They even had a baby highchair all ready for Callum at the table.<br />
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It took several minutes to get a menu and even longer to get our drinks ordered. The kids ordered chocolate milks and shirley temples. The adults ordered beers. When the drinks arrived for the children, they were in small plastic <i>cocktail </i>cups.....yes, without lids. Callum was getting a bit ansy, so I had to request bread. It took several minutes at least for the bread to come, and for a party of 11, the bread arrived to table with about 8 slices. Barely enough for the kids, and definitely not enough for the entire party. Callum ate the bread as did the other children. Then, the waitress returned and finally took our food orders. We ordered from the childrens menu for the kids - macaroni & cheese and chicken fingers. Perfect, I thought. Callum continued to get a bit more fussy, and I pulled a fruit leather from our diaper bag. He sat quietly for a while eating it....<i>until it was gone. </i>I saw him get more ansy, and tried to look for our waitress to get her to bring more bread to the table to get us through dinner. Well, before I was able to talk to our waitress, the head chef (or a chef) came over to my right side, in between Callum and I, and said there had been "quite a few complaints" about Callum and that I would either need to take him outside (in the cold, rain) or "tell him to get it together" - WHAT!!!! For one, he's 18 months old.<br />
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For the first time since being a mother, I was being asked to leave a restaurant because my 18 month old son fussed (if you even want to call it that - I think he was just voicing his opinion, but not even in a loud manner). My face started to boil, and I was embarrassed. Kate and her family supported us and offered to get up and leave. I got up, and walked outside. I was fuming mad. I tried to pull myself together, but I had to walk back in. As the rest of our party was following us, I walked back in to talk to the Chef who spoke with us. I told him if children were not welcome, they should not have high chairs. They should not have a children's menu. And they should not have coloring materials for the children. At that time, I had no idea that he had told Kate that the restaurant was not a place for children or else I am pretty sure I would have really been blowing up. The Chef asked me not to make a scene - and I didn't - and wasn't trying to. I was just upset because I felt as though we were being punished for something that we didn't deserve.<br />
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After I got the last word in, we all walked out. All 11 of us, and they lost our business. We walked across the street to Portland Pie for Pizza where we were welcomed with smiles. A nice couple offered to move seats so we could all sit together and our waiter was so very nice to all of us - including our children. He even brought Callum chips to get him to settle down. You see, all the waitress had to do was recognize Callum was getting ansy - offer more bread? Could she get him anything to settle down? Hey! What about take the children's food order first while she was getting the drink order? If there were people complaining about our child, then they should have offered things to help settle Callum, not belittle us, and force us to leave or take our child out in the rain! You see, if they don't want to attract families with children, then don't have highchairs available. And don't have childrens menus or crayons. Make it absolutely miserable for these parents to bring their kids, and believe me, we won't.<br />
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Too many parents are afraid of taking their children out to dinner for fear of this very thing happening. As a somewhat experienced mamma to small children, I can totally see how this experience can ruin you. Taking an 18 month old out to dinner isn't always fun. They are work. They don't want to sit in a highchair. They want to run around. BUT, how else are they going to learn to behave in a restaurant, out in public, if they are never brought up going out?<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-90524712864693953592012-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:002012-10-17T05:00:17.704-07:00A firstWhen Kevin and I made the decision to move our family back to Maine, we didn't think twice about putting our kids in public school. Not even for a second. Mairead was also adamant about going, she wanted to be with her friends and she wanted to experience real school. The thought of my kids being in school did excite me, though I love having them home with me, too. We figured when school started, we'd have two very tired kiddos. While Mairead was in preschool, she'd crash every night, and Lilah requires a lot of sleep. Well, since starting school, you've read about the adjustments we are all having to make like most families with kids starting school - you know, with our schedule, bedtimes, frazzled mornings,less flexibility, and just more structure to our day. <br />
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Six weeks into the school year and we're still adjusting. It hasn't been easy. I am trying to be patient, but when I see the effects it has on Mairead, it makes me second guess what is best for her and our family. Mairead continues to ask almost daily if she can stay home from school. I try to reassure her that she is not missing anything at home, but she tells me she wants to stay home so she can have some mommy time. Kevin and I questioned this <i>excuse </i>and wondered if this was just her way of making us cave and let her stay home. The other night, she asked if she could stay up late with me to watch a movie - I had to say no. It was a school night and she has been coming home from school completely out of control....I'll explain later. She really needs her sleep, so I said no, even though, deep down inside, I wanted to let her. I really, really did. Because I <i>miss her, too... </i><br />
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Over the weekend, my parents babysat the kiddos while we went to a Scarborough Education fundraiser nearby. About an hour before we left, all of us went outside to play, but Mairead was missing. Kevin found her in her bedroom sobbing. At first he thought she was upset because we wouldn't let her wear her snowsuit in the dirt, but after talking to her, she sobbed saying she didn't want us to go out. She wanted us to stay and be with her. <i>WHAT? </i>My heart sank. All these times she asks about staying home and wanting mommy or daddy time is for real - she is craving it, and it's not her way of getting us to cave. This seriously broke my heart. I honestly cannot remember a time that Mairead has ever cried out when we were leaving to go out on a date.....we were just saying a few weeks ago how lucky we are to have kids who don't scream and cry when we walk out to door.<br />
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Not only did we experience her out of character behavior last night, we've also been noticing more crying, outbursts, and hyper behavior. She never gets in trouble at school, and does very well, but the minute she comes home, it is as if she cannot control her behavior anymore. She runs around like a chicken with her head cut off, screaming and just completely crazy. Trying to discipline her is very difficult - she actually told me one evening "You don't mean that. You'll just forget" when I told her she would not be having any play dates for the remainder of the week. She has been saying mean things to her siblings, for example, she told Lilah that next year when she's in school, she will not sit or play with her while in school. What???? I was so angry. She and Lilah are generally very close and it just breaks my heart to see talk to her sisters like this. Yeah, they certainly can be mean to each other, I expect that, but the things she is saying is just so out of the norm...When I pick Mairead up at school, she looks so unhappy to see me, while I see all the other children running with excitement and smiles to their parents. It makes me kind of sad. I wish she looked excited to see me at the end of the day. While I am so incredibly grateful that she is such a good student in school, I can't help but be a little frustrated that I get her sloppy leftovers - the child who cannot keep it in anymore, or thinks it's funny to be mean, or cannot listen or follow directions. Most mornings, we are still struggling with eating. It took her 42 minutes one morning to eat breakfast, and she didn't even eat a half yogurt. I was forced to send her to school without breakfast. She then came home with nothing drank all day and uneaten food. The kid is not eating enough. I know she's busy talking - but she has to eat, <i>right</i>???<br />
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We are unsure what to do and are trying to be so very patient. If things do not improve soon, I am thinking maybe a parent-teacher conference may help? I need reassurance that she is actually doing okay in school...the lack of eating, drinking and her behavioral changes at home really have us concerned!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-71678755652828496782012-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:002012-10-16T08:00:03.435-07:00All or nothing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi39CBWbNF5AfKrnhUN-v7DPx3LHIISi2TPFoDS14fOReSiS0pGBY5CFvdpxeEejFgyJhwFPW1gPv5Vj2Zu-g3XSp9PVKR0wFkgQbllKne3yLFHhr-Mn6dcoVrz_u5rEcA1ecfIWv8iw/s1600/IMG_7711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi39CBWbNF5AfKrnhUN-v7DPx3LHIISi2TPFoDS14fOReSiS0pGBY5CFvdpxeEejFgyJhwFPW1gPv5Vj2Zu-g3XSp9PVKR0wFkgQbllKne3yLFHhr-Mn6dcoVrz_u5rEcA1ecfIWv8iw/s320/IMG_7711.jpg" width="213" /></a>I've spoken before about how Lilah is an "All or Nothing" kind of kid. She has been like this ever since the day she was born. When she was an infant, she would either be sleeping heavily or screaming because she wanted to be fed <i>yesterday</i>. Anyone who knows Lilah, knows she doesn't fool around. She gives everything 200% and that includes her attitude, her temper and the bratty faces she makes. Most often, Lilah is so easy going, she is so happy and generally the one I have to worry least about when it comes to behavior - but when her behavior hits her threshold, <i>watch out </i>because she goes from 0-60 in about 5 seconds flat. In the photo to the left, you see her throwing leaves. Look at her face, she is seriously putting any and all energy she has into throwing those leaves all over the place. Another word we use for her is <i>dramatic</i> - wow! Is she ever....sometimes you just have to laugh because she really does exaggerate things to the max sometimes! </div>
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Then there was this evening. We were eating dinner, and I caught her playing & throwing her food. That's a no-no in this house. I spoke with her twice, and then the third time I told her she would not get a special treat after dinner. She went back to the table and started throwing food again, so I took her dinner away. She then went into her "All" attitude - started yelling at me, hitting, kicking and going crazy! I put her plate into the sink and she was attempting to climb the cabinets to get to her food. SHE.WAS.ANGRY! </div>
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I picked her up, and brought her to her bedroom. Before I closed the door, I removed any dangerous objects she could throw and shut the door. For about 15 minutes, I heard books being thrown about the room. Once she stopped for a few minutes, I went upstairs, opened her door to give her the okay to come out. She came out and was happy as a clam.</div>
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That's Lilah. She throws a fit and she's done. She doesn't carry things on for hours and hours! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuMb5AfLpDDGcrgeQUkCFZYr-LNpRh9wsfyKFugEQL_QUMasgrmGak5p0d0YCQ9bep445w1sXQwAFs7vsAUKKfJEQCjpiS85Iofs3ngqU2FvP1LFjCRPkD1rKBy8FRf1nTSoMz5DZcQ8/s640/blogger-image--549947945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuMb5AfLpDDGcrgeQUkCFZYr-LNpRh9wsfyKFugEQL_QUMasgrmGak5p0d0YCQ9bep445w1sXQwAFs7vsAUKKfJEQCjpiS85Iofs3ngqU2FvP1LFjCRPkD1rKBy8FRf1nTSoMz5DZcQ8/s640/blogger-image--549947945.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Lilah's room when she was done with her fit. Mind you, I had this room all picked up beforehand, and what you cannot see are the books all to the left, and slid under the bedroom door, too! </td></tr>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-44129635006876932912012-10-15T17:50:00.000-07:002012-10-15T17:50:19.700-07:00Thinking of you all today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thinking of all those in my life who are holding their Angels in their heart and to whose who read my blog looking for hope to one day have a baby to bring home....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpBnr5w1cNs9VbSB8nGOxjlkoAyRAyDWLIMg7qhsVHyKta_VDZKUpLHUvBJQGSU-qOGieHOH3IuHwsFgwe2_h1awOlRpptbTb2a35X_gIWuYh0rc9qqlBXiI3Qcd0dIxQn92bjN2Yz2k/s1600/RibbonMagnet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpBnr5w1cNs9VbSB8nGOxjlkoAyRAyDWLIMg7qhsVHyKta_VDZKUpLHUvBJQGSU-qOGieHOH3IuHwsFgwe2_h1awOlRpptbTb2a35X_gIWuYh0rc9qqlBXiI3Qcd0dIxQn92bjN2Yz2k/s320/RibbonMagnet.jpeg" width="197" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-26082717106031384902012-10-14T18:16:00.001-07:002012-10-14T18:16:33.152-07:00Small Town on a Saturday NightOn Saturday night, Kevin and I, along with some friends, attended The Scarborough Education Foundation 1st annual Harvest Festival. It was a blast! We met at a friends house where we consumed a few too many adult beverages, chatted over a warm fire and then headed over to the actual festival! The party was outside, but under a tent with heaters. It was a little chilly, but no problem, we just danced the night away! I don't think I have drank that much in a while! It was a lot of fun!<br />
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And when we got home, this mamma needed a snack! So, I broke into the kids special cereal - lucky charms and broke open the bag a little too rough, and they spilled all over the place! Ooops! They sure did taste good though :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-84816517063637546092012-10-11T18:48:00.001-07:002012-10-11T18:48:21.128-07:00Fall is here! Fall is here! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhap-CYY3gMJrWyW3pxF3FKHIaN0KUc9ec_6tvmfCvX5gKmnLpofZ-bXxWkJFXf7CSxxDTfKNwu3PzVVhZkl3CRZ3lxnse5LzHmEwf1BGMY7hYubN3sdyABQv-Io3wZvkOXL86gbombUK0/s1600/IMG_7676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhap-CYY3gMJrWyW3pxF3FKHIaN0KUc9ec_6tvmfCvX5gKmnLpofZ-bXxWkJFXf7CSxxDTfKNwu3PzVVhZkl3CRZ3lxnse5LzHmEwf1BGMY7hYubN3sdyABQv-Io3wZvkOXL86gbombUK0/s320/IMG_7676.jpg" width="320" /></a>Ah, the leaves are changing colors, the air is crisp the sun lowering and it is getting dark way too early! Add this all in with leave jumping, and you have fall in full swing here in Maine!<br />
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Last week we started decorating our house for Halloween and fall and the kids are choosing their halloween costumes. It looks as though I will be spared from any homemade costumes this year!<br />
Kevin borrowed our neighbors gas leaf blower and made some leaf piles for the kids. They had a blast. While the girls talk about missing the beach, they sure are having fun enjoying the falling leaves!<br />
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The girls enjoyed having a friend over while they all played in the yard together!<br />
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Clara was in heaven! She was throwing leaves everywhere and enjoyed every second of it!<br />
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And Lilah.....well, as I've said before - she's an all or nothing kind of gal, and as you can see, she is putting her "all" into throwing those leaves!<br />
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And sweet Callum....he's having fun with all the pumpkinds, too!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-76956178065483889722012-10-02T11:26:00.000-07:002012-10-02T11:26:26.598-07:00My first half marathon<br />
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Never in a million years did I ever think I would run a half marathon. I think back to where I was 2.5 years ago, twenty pounds heavier, in horrible shape and struggling to run for 60 seconds straight. I thought I was going to die, but I kept going. 60 seconds turning into 90 seconds......and kept going and going and going until this past Sunday when I ran continuously for 2 hours and 14 minutes, finishing my very first half marathon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderfully supportive group of running mammas I trained with all summer!</td></tr>
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I worked my ass off, anyone who knows me will tell you. I was committed to doing this. And I have to admit, I enjoyed every second of it. I loved the feeling of being able to do more. And More.....and even more. Pushing myself to places I never thought possible. Who knew I'd feel like this about running? Remember, me? The anti-runner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86qy-5mHTLNXmpFd8YjT81oSqlk_VQyCuILsvq7i9udvMilE36toMgB7kGnwBsICADlJh_uEd4Xul569idDoPz9kZBBgdf7YS_bIwtwg3f4viPaVkyMGNLHvcPk0EYBEJNm7aJRA7GqE/s640/blogger-image--701710388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86qy-5mHTLNXmpFd8YjT81oSqlk_VQyCuILsvq7i9udvMilE36toMgB7kGnwBsICADlJh_uEd4Xul569idDoPz9kZBBgdf7YS_bIwtwg3f4viPaVkyMGNLHvcPk0EYBEJNm7aJRA7GqE/s320/blogger-image--701710388.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kiddos and their cousins having a carb dinner! Two of my cousins also ran the half marathon with me! </td></tr>
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For the last few weeks, I actually started to dread the race, and not because I was afraid of <i>it</i> but because I was afraid of no longer having any motivation to continue running. If I didn't have anything to work for, why would I want to go out and run 10 miles? What would make me want to push myself? A few of my running friends are heading to Jacksonville, Florida to run their first marathon in December........and, I am considering it. There's a lot involved, so I just can't say if I will be able to commit to such a feat, but, there's a half option, so I may do that, too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVaNcPofhBGIF9oILx5B0bSsDfJ0M8-UpctAtW0oLDvaWq6dWuTrepAtilx6BtjGjOQI5sY1k1Xr_IJkPmByyJ-Asp-9HBT8QKYid2uHbIjyWL79lcSXeqNanV-1rBelSeid_wEl5jz8/s640/blogger-image-2144629265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVaNcPofhBGIF9oILx5B0bSsDfJ0M8-UpctAtW0oLDvaWq6dWuTrepAtilx6BtjGjOQI5sY1k1Xr_IJkPmByyJ-Asp-9HBT8QKYid2uHbIjyWL79lcSXeqNanV-1rBelSeid_wEl5jz8/s320/blogger-image-2144629265.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cousin Brooke (left - also her first half!) and Kelly (right)</td></tr>
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So, about the half. It was amazing and even the rain didn't stop me. It was about 55 degrees and misting at the start. Perfect conditions, actually. Around halfway, the rain picked up for a while, and it was wet, but manageable! I was able to maintain a 9:45 pace for 10 miles until my IT band issues came back to haunt me with a vengeance. I was stopped dead in my tracks. My group pushed on ahead while I was left practically in tears wondering <i>how </i>I was going to do this and <i>why </i>this was happening <i>today. </i>I'd run, then have to stop because the pain was just so severe. I'd try to stretch, but couldn't release the tension. A paramedic on the course saw me and told me I should stop, but I told him no way! <i>I refused to give up. </i>I continued on trying and met up with another group of ladies from our running group. They supported me, and even offered to help me in any way, but I tried to continue with them. They inspired me to keep going. And I did...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS7VBeMZ0xqoIAU3OEDPPHIQH-UYqfkcTCYxllDSpGn9ogDQF2_J14fTPJbFqge0975pa-iiEG_igJ83EU5UYzX0qXkRJlqnPekzT_cO5JyAar5XYW2xi_cYX0q427x_a-RFEpoE1fOw/s640/blogger-image-2103435141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS7VBeMZ0xqoIAU3OEDPPHIQH-UYqfkcTCYxllDSpGn9ogDQF2_J14fTPJbFqge0975pa-iiEG_igJ83EU5UYzX0qXkRJlqnPekzT_cO5JyAar5XYW2xi_cYX0q427x_a-RFEpoE1fOw/s320/blogger-image-2103435141.jpg" width="320" /></a>Around mile 11.5 we encountered this house full of college aged guys. One came up running aside us offering us a beer. In good fun, I grabbed it, took a few swigs and yelled "Moms love beer, too!" - it was a great laugh, and a definite motivator! A few minutes later, I mentioned to my friends that I'd probably end up with herpes :) -- by then, my leg was feeling better enough to spring ahead and finish what I started. I thanked my ladies and went ahead. I finished my very first half marathon in 2:14. My original goal was under 2:15, but a few weeks back, I knew I could do it in under 2:10.....unfortunately, my body had other plans, and that's okay. I finished what I started.<br />
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It was so awesome seeing Kevin and the kiddos at mile 6 and at the finish line. It brought me to shed a few tears at mile 6 - there they were, standing in the rain, <i>for me</i>. I was just in awe of everything. I was actually proud of myself and I was so glad to see my sweet girls there watching their mamma set out to do something she worked so hard to do. At the end, I saw my family cheering me on and it was just awesome. I am so lucky to have a husband who supports me in these crazy things. When the girls saw my medal, they said "You won!!!? You got a medal!" - It was the perfect lesson for them...."No, mommy didn't win, I finished the race, and anyone who finishes, gets a medal" - it wasn't about winning. Winning isn't everything, I tell them. Even if I came in last, that is better than never finishing at all.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-90405204002444288782012-09-30T18:00:00.000-07:002012-10-01T11:26:12.533-07:00THE Hanging Bed! From the moment we made the decision to move back home to Maine, we started planning how we will fit four children into two bedrooms, one of which is fairly small. We decided it would be best to keep the three girls together and let Prince Callum have his own room. When we moved back, we had a crib, one full bed and two twin beds each with a trundle drawer. We went back and forth about <i>how </i>to successfully fit three girls into one room without sacrificing a lot of floor space and making the room feel cramped. Kevin and I came up with a lot of different ideas, including building a triple bunk, but after each different idea, we would come up with too many negatives.<br />
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I don't know about you, but I love pinterest. Sometimes I wish I had all the time, money, talent and resources in the world to do all the cool things on there! We came up with an idea for a "hanging bed" - and headed over to <a href="http://ana-white.com/" target="_blank">Ana-White</a> Homemaker, a resource for building homemade furniture, etc. It is a great website! We found a family who built something very similar to what we wanted to do on this <a href="http://www.iwantbdphotography.com/archives/2661" target="_blank">blog</a>. We used these <a href="http://ana-white.com/2012/04/easiest-daybed-turned-floating-twin-beds" target="_blank">plans</a> roughly, but will give you a pretty good idea of what you need to do. We also attached it to the wall a little differently, too.<br />
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The coolest thing about the bed - the cost! After paint & materials, the total cost was just around $100! Not too shabby! It took us about a weekend to build - the longest part was prepping the wood - sanding, priming, painting, etc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQsO58XYYLFSrMXJPp-V6qRC67V3H2Nq76IQRy6wOdU1cjMtk5zuGSlX0wM49C9DfnK-Wm-sNVNuf9oyfJmKx8EU59FGFiAABGQAsSetge8wzzEwtB2OQi_mhgfmePpsWXiLn-eIKQZc/s1600/IMG_5589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQsO58XYYLFSrMXJPp-V6qRC67V3H2Nq76IQRy6wOdU1cjMtk5zuGSlX0wM49C9DfnK-Wm-sNVNuf9oyfJmKx8EU59FGFiAABGQAsSetge8wzzEwtB2OQi_mhgfmePpsWXiLn-eIKQZc/s320/IMG_5589.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First, Kevin built the frame. This was pretty easy! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjDlLKIpXEjDZ3wIcg1RfhFfX5B1Li2o5eQmlR62ChCWI77T9DSAeCPKoH8FM-oP7AwPcEGShcDZ1fPlrZC4UoQq4H2inbiT8O7hc5qBgj4b1nrZYtft4hASPgsoBBpWgjJs1SbQ2vVc/s1600/IMG_5592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjDlLKIpXEjDZ3wIcg1RfhFfX5B1Li2o5eQmlR62ChCWI77T9DSAeCPKoH8FM-oP7AwPcEGShcDZ1fPlrZC4UoQq4H2inbiT8O7hc5qBgj4b1nrZYtft4hASPgsoBBpWgjJs1SbQ2vVc/s320/IMG_5592.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He screwed all the pieces together - with the help of Clara, of course! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2Ncd6YOs3I_Sk0anbDSeaUYg9WD6dW4-fFwbhnq1U_NuTzGZtbA-QTix3dRvwrdy7bZ6HVXaNPrinKR8p-s2tbhcMysiLG14c4Lx5vxVGex2TaOFYnZWuGLWgiPjVOq2n8oeDgd8gZM/s1600/IMG_5602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2Ncd6YOs3I_Sk0anbDSeaUYg9WD6dW4-fFwbhnq1U_NuTzGZtbA-QTix3dRvwrdy7bZ6HVXaNPrinKR8p-s2tbhcMysiLG14c4Lx5vxVGex2TaOFYnZWuGLWgiPjVOq2n8oeDgd8gZM/s320/IMG_5602.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">......and a little help from Callum, too! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijY_hA2H7ws8z01M3gVGWfRga4IJra4_VmH_AyzS1d6t_64xFNcF4cEiqHmAd0-PSTT5TrhWPm2BRtLueuwy85O9Q25Tn-HZCdXj-ZGvhTtK1Zg2_l1Wh8uggBbfpQNLsxIpTdwE7QIbY/s1600/IMG_5607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijY_hA2H7ws8z01M3gVGWfRga4IJra4_VmH_AyzS1d6t_64xFNcF4cEiqHmAd0-PSTT5TrhWPm2BRtLueuwy85O9Q25Tn-HZCdXj-ZGvhTtK1Zg2_l1Wh8uggBbfpQNLsxIpTdwE7QIbY/s320/IMG_5607.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was very intrigued! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP57DsKzhuEhobXBVYx5YPiQj0YjvA2QKj3T2TrexY-rq7UP3iMjk7XvP_Rty27_dmEArkJmeCFgPPApHePjhyphenhyphenUlZfq00IuQIKNUonuz6ZnBLbAOunq7IjuOlkeTt3meNGWIwG55zibU/s1600/IMG_5611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP57DsKzhuEhobXBVYx5YPiQj0YjvA2QKj3T2TrexY-rq7UP3iMjk7XvP_Rty27_dmEArkJmeCFgPPApHePjhyphenhyphenUlZfq00IuQIKNUonuz6ZnBLbAOunq7IjuOlkeTt3meNGWIwG55zibU/s320/IMG_5611.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used Bin for all of the knots in the wood, then used a Benjamin Moore Primer before sanding down the frame.<br />
After it was all sanded, it was time for some Impervo White from Benjamin Moore.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17e4lzDAxbKHC30JVGHTvA002GwJU0HFRiMuwxBNdt2jFo7hn8iuseZS1ak3lh-P7NvatY6SNtQw5hsb4BxyQfuzOOR5C3ygXSMJQj_OnSXfD_vlmZw3f3iVb8mT1fkY9F8oITANK9vs/s1600/IMG_5623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17e4lzDAxbKHC30JVGHTvA002GwJU0HFRiMuwxBNdt2jFo7hn8iuseZS1ak3lh-P7NvatY6SNtQw5hsb4BxyQfuzOOR5C3ygXSMJQj_OnSXfD_vlmZw3f3iVb8mT1fkY9F8oITANK9vs/s320/IMG_5623.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did the same to the planks as I did the frame. I used bin for the wood knots, then used the primer , sanded with a very fine piece of sand paper and then put two coats of paint on. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidauiRkce7OgteOGZG967v3fqybIQ94Ur-4yf3jrK261GxlZZUFfskAZj4qdhzv_Xd7ZlsYyntZpc86755cI3nPUwjU3iKxZV8xFuvXC7qysdd1tBV2FJKTtQhnlNHriqyTzzXvzD3JVU/s1600/IMG_6052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidauiRkce7OgteOGZG967v3fqybIQ94Ur-4yf3jrK261GxlZZUFfskAZj4qdhzv_Xd7ZlsYyntZpc86755cI3nPUwjU3iKxZV8xFuvXC7qysdd1tBV2FJKTtQhnlNHriqyTzzXvzD3JVU/s320/IMG_6052.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is Mairead (top) and Lilah's (bottom) bed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOV5V25mnylzB-r-I30XbGJ_rLQu7C1bB55tfprvOeC-fwzeRSAZRoYZzdd1OHpXYELKVjLzukDkgHbqHOn-oaq-8c0ucCn4GAO8CQrGmOl-a631BXd5pQYz-X0UDmzF7BAGBOQK8i1pc/s1600/photo+4-796570.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5794138070604114386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOV5V25mnylzB-r-I30XbGJ_rLQu7C1bB55tfprvOeC-fwzeRSAZRoYZzdd1OHpXYELKVjLzukDkgHbqHOn-oaq-8c0ucCn4GAO8CQrGmOl-a631BXd5pQYz-X0UDmzF7BAGBOQK8i1pc/s320/photo+4-796570.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clara's bed </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoA_MDURC6U3c05kHy0ugiP7MS93vJULIGNaOC9pcqxJNlH4sQZBMG2ICGyobHW0F75vGNhhnOe4DvVaYuEHxdyzlzl15G5JKUqOhSsX3GD_3Zn39f99FKkj3NJ3UCG9MOruVfck74mE/s1600/IMG_6054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoA_MDURC6U3c05kHy0ugiP7MS93vJULIGNaOC9pcqxJNlH4sQZBMG2ICGyobHW0F75vGNhhnOe4DvVaYuEHxdyzlzl15G5JKUqOhSsX3GD_3Zn39f99FKkj3NJ3UCG9MOruVfck74mE/s320/IMG_6054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mairead's bedding from Garnet Hill </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs5-FMXe4IK63hUWjFPFIEyaAxMBRNXFLLXlNmzf2wTSJH9cZvblp5lrn0rqorwpy8GFUYB87_h7KmwGqFvuS9l-qlvsBtZkjutKu_vVDNne7eZLBaws2Dz-DQ4KEOv8O3x9OhVFmLMc/s1600/IMG_6064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs5-FMXe4IK63hUWjFPFIEyaAxMBRNXFLLXlNmzf2wTSJH9cZvblp5lrn0rqorwpy8GFUYB87_h7KmwGqFvuS9l-qlvsBtZkjutKu_vVDNne7eZLBaws2Dz-DQ4KEOv8O3x9OhVFmLMc/s320/IMG_6064.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls room </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ea3v9Ic8iB8zVgaj6OYN6FZfhAvkNDPY95d5HZh3sOsUrRF8iwlmp3g7KAV20ydQ5ZMJG862YxLJY0GAkWGFFf49LRpwXTsxFO8c0J_T6Z6sqF4rernw224rNHv9jU0zBvL2uXQB7cY/s1600/photo+1-729134.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5794138214517591186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ea3v9Ic8iB8zVgaj6OYN6FZfhAvkNDPY95d5HZh3sOsUrRF8iwlmp3g7KAV20ydQ5ZMJG862YxLJY0GAkWGFFf49LRpwXTsxFO8c0J_T6Z6sqF4rernw224rNHv9jU0zBvL2uXQB7cY/s320/photo+1-729134.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So, we noticed some stretching of the rope, so Kevin placed a small cable to prevent any sagging of the bed, and then replaced the rope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFUWR0XoQmyLk_8WVFCep0JIvvVFxo0BngjfsRLGUIwWGB-g-vHgKaj4E9wQZ8rttOV3VZTTtoyZc24z9qGxhQU0M7X-nUkpD4Wa_pgCVvZiR9ElVZ-Nle8emgd7mCs0Lv6RyLKeIvhI/s1600/photo+2-731069.JPG" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5794138220858028274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFUWR0XoQmyLk_8WVFCep0JIvvVFxo0BngjfsRLGUIwWGB-g-vHgKaj4E9wQZ8rttOV3VZTTtoyZc24z9qGxhQU0M7X-nUkpD4Wa_pgCVvZiR9ElVZ-Nle8emgd7mCs0Lv6RyLKeIvhI/s320/photo+2-731069.JPG" /></a><br />
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All in all, a very successful and fun project that looks uber cool! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br />
<br />Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-74969564817120066442012-09-24T18:39:00.000-07:002012-09-27T18:39:59.517-07:00Celebrations!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past weekend, we celebrated Clara and Kevin's birthday. It is kind of fun having their birthdays so close together! Because Clara's birthday fell on a Thursday, Kevin came home a day early to be home on Clara's actual birthday.<br />
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On Clara's 3rd birthday, she and I went out together in the morning for our traditional "Mommy & Birthday girl" date. We went shopping for all of her party decorations, shopping at the mall for her perfect birthday dress, rode the carousel at the mall together and then she chose lunch at Panera! It was a great morning together. It amazes me how much she has grown in the last year! She is really getting this whole birthday thing and it is so much fun seeing her so excited about it all!<br />
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When we got home, she put her new outfit on and I took some photographs of her. You wouldn't know it, but about 5 minutes before these photographs were taken, she was throwing a fit because she didn't want me to take any photos - let's just say she changed her mind, real quick!<br />
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On Friday, we let Mairead stay home from school so we could all have a family day together. We spent the morning apple picking and had an absolute blast! Of course we indulged in some apple cider donuts, too! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!<br />
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On Saturday, we threw a party for Clara and Callum. She and I made and then decorated her birthday cake together - once again, another little tradition for my birthday kiddos! We invited our friends for a great celebration later in the day! We had fajitas and let the kids (all 20 of them) run amuck! It was so great. Clara cried when we sang happy birthday to her - not sure what that is all about, but she cried.....Then, we sang happy birthday to Kevin, too!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorating Daddy's football cake :)</td></tr>
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Overall, it was a fantastic weekend filled with lots of fun!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-57574810849702717912012-09-20T10:44:00.000-07:002012-09-20T10:44:26.909-07:00Our sweet Clara Belly is 3... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIvtszwEFj8/S0EDh9zHg4I/AAAAAAAAAVg/FuqbwWwKkLo/s1600/ry%25253D400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIvtszwEFj8/S0EDh9zHg4I/AAAAAAAAAVg/FuqbwWwKkLo/s320/ry%25253D400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Happy Birthday to our sweet Clara Belly. Three years ago today you entered our little family on a beautifully clear September day. Your name perfectly fit the day and the meaning of the name has fit you just perfectly - clear and bright - I will never forget your birthday because it was just so perfect in every way.<br />
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The last year you have grown up so much. You have started to come out of your shell and show others the contagious smile and bright personality you show us at home. You definitely play hardball with others and it has been difficult for you to let them into your space. Sometimes you shut down, not talk, and just aren't yourself - I hate to use the word shy, because you so aren't shy, but you definitely acted that way. Thankfully, those times are becoming few and far between and when it does, it doesn't take you long to open up to others and show them your seriously silly and sweet, lovable side. You do things in your own time that's for sure. You don't take any crap from anyone, and if you don't want to do something, you ain't gonna do it.<br />
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In the last four months, you have really started to blossom. You will now talk to people who talk to you, you are taking dance class and loving it and actually participating, you are finally asking for swim lessons, and having play dates with your very own friend! You got your ears pierced, though mommy had to bribe you a little, but it actually worked! You finally decided that the trail-a-bike is a lot of fun and you should try it and now you love it! You are such a big girl now! Daddy and I just look at you and can't believe how big you are getting right before our very eyes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 year birthday photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-LfA6puIjlohLTkejpM5nWH5g6Nb5Xk5OYnyHPNifvOcXmfNRKN1p1mZE2LtQfcsVKQxDPGrPfzDurwRFyUXkni4GEV_7th0htWAtXfutMuAQx4OqeK7urhElSGm9YWbkZYFnVH4Mu0/s1600/IMG_6453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-LfA6puIjlohLTkejpM5nWH5g6Nb5Xk5OYnyHPNifvOcXmfNRKN1p1mZE2LtQfcsVKQxDPGrPfzDurwRFyUXkni4GEV_7th0htWAtXfutMuAQx4OqeK7urhElSGm9YWbkZYFnVH4Mu0/s320/IMG_6453.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">August 2012</td></tr>
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You are so very smart, too. Yesterday you were watching a musical show while the big girls were at school, I peeked around the corner and you were copying the dancers on TV perfectly. I love hearing you sing. I love your big belly button. I love your blonde curls and your glowing blue eyes. I love hearing you talk. I love hearing you mimic mamma when you talk to Callum. And your temper tantrums make me laugh on the inside. I love how you figured out how to pump on the swing all by yourself. I love your drive to be independent. I love your strength. I love how tight you hug. I love when you snuggle next to me in the middle of the night. I could go on and on...<i>and on.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September 2009 - she looks like she's in heaven... </td></tr>
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The one last piece of baby left in you is your desire to nurse before bed. While you don't nurse every night, you do nurse the majority of nights before bed. It's quick but seriously sweet. Last night you asked to nurse, and I made a comment about you being three tomorrow and maybe being too big to nurse, and your response "but I two!" - You were right, so mommy let you have it :) - it's hard to deny such a beautifully sweet little girl who asks in a way that just melts my heart. I know your days of nursing are limited, so I try to take in the sweetness each time because I never know when it will be your last.<br />
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Ah, Clara...how can you be 3? Time just goes by so fast and no matter how much I try to slow down and enjoy every piece of our life with little ones, time keeps moving. I love watching you grow and change and explore, but I just love your sweetness when you are little and innocent. I have a feeling 3 is going to be a good year for you! I see you blossoming before my eyes, wanting to do things you have never wanted to do before, and it is just awesome.<br />
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Here is to another beautiful year of change for our beautifully bright Clara....Happy 3rd birthday sweet girl. Mommy and Daddy look forward to celebrating you. Hugs & Kisses. xoxo<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-86868576719524553652012-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:002012-09-17T09:00:00.909-07:0012 Miles.Two weeks from yesterday I will be running in my first ever half marathon! I can't believe it's so close. On Saturday, I ran my first ever 12 miles. Straight. No stopping (except for a quick pee break and another quick one to help a fellow runner struggling). I averaged about 10:20min/mile. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be able to do such a thing. Each and every week I continue to amaze myself with distances I never thought possible and paces I never though I would ever achieve without dying. I remember when I first started running. I could barely make it to my mailbox without getting winded. I remember wanting to die after running for a mere 60 seconds. And now, I am running 12 miles. Two hours. Straight. And feeling good!<br />
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I have really, really, <i>really </i>enjoyed this training. It forces me to get out of my house. Take 30 or 40 or even longer minute breaks all to myself. I enjoy training with my friends. I feel so energized. I feel like I can do anything and it's a glorious feeling. I even got up willingly at sunrise to run 12 miles on Saturday morning with my running group. Yeah. I told you I was sick!<br />
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Not only am I running this half marathon for myself, but I decided to run the Maine Half Marathon for a purpose. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. I set out in July to raise $250 for the <a href="http://www.mmc.org/mmc_body.cfm?id=2193" target="_blank">Maine Children's Cancer Program</a>. I wanted to help local children and families fighting cancer. After the death of my dear friend, Jolenne, I wanted to do something. I had to. As of today, I have raised $385 with the help of my awesome family and friends! I have had many generous donations and am so proud of all of them and their support! Every time someone donates money, that is more of a reason to push myself to run.<br />
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I would love to raise my goal to $500 by my race on the 30th. So if any of you reading are compelled to help a mom of 4 to run her first half marathon and help support the Maine Children's Cancer Program, please visit my personal fundraising <a href="http://fundraising.mmc.org/stephanieferrie" target="_blank">page</a>!<br />
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Every dollar counts. Money is tight for everyone. Please help me support this amazing program! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-17800970053382009302012-09-16T17:55:00.000-07:002012-09-16T17:55:13.339-07:00Add another to the list?... or maybe not? Friday morning we finally had a fairly "successful" morning with Mairead. She ate her breakfast so well she made the morning bus! I have to admit, I enjoyed Friday morning. I put my baby girl on the school bus and continued to have a gloriously lazy morning since no one else had to go to school. It was great! There hadn't been any morning fits about breakfast, though Mairead did ask if she could stay home. Again. She knew what my answer would be.<br />
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After she asked, I asked her why she didn't want to go to school. She claimed she enjoyed homeschooling better (I am beginning to realize just how great it really was). I asked her why and she said that she was bored in school and there were a lot of distractions. She said when she was homeschooled, I taught her, she did her work, then it was time to play, but at school, the kids don't listen, and the teacher has to stop frequently to address the class, etc. She's a smart kid. Mairead is really looking to be challenged more at school, I keep telling her to be patient, but it is frustrating!<br />
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So our friends left at 215 that afternoon, and I couldn't wait for Mairead to be gone. Seven hours is way too long for my girl to be gone from home each and everyday. I miss her. Her sisters miss her. Since Mairead did so well and made the morning bus, I told her she could take the bus home if she wanted. 3 o'clock rolled around and instead of me leaving to go grab her at school, I had to wait at least another 45 minutes to see her. Those 45 minutes went forever. Lilah continued to ask when her sister would be home. That didn't make time go any faster either. About 345 we headed outside to greet Mairead on the bus. As each minute past, I became more and more impatient. Where was my girl? Finally at 410pm I was really impatient. Then the phone rang. It was the school. They had Mairead.<br />
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<i>WHAT???</i><br />
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The bus driver claimed she didn't see me outside and didn't drop her off. While I respect her choice to keep our daughter safe, I was annoyed. I just wanted to see my little girl! Our neighbor watched the kids and I ran to get Mairead at school. Thankfully it's close by! I ran inside and Mairead greeted me with a great, big hug. No tears. Nothing. Phew! As we walked out, Mairead asked if she could be a "pick up" from now on. Of course, I said!<br />
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But then over the weekend, Mairead said she was writing her teacher a note:<br />
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Mairead's first forged signature.<br />
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Guess she wasn't too broken up over the bus mishap. I am glad. I was worried that was just another strike against school.<br />
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Don't worry! I placed the note in the bag for her teacher to see! ;)<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-10651258146029532932012-09-11T11:27:00.001-07:002012-09-11T11:27:36.633-07:00AdjustmentsSchool has officially be in session here in Maine for one week. How is it going?<br />
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<i>It's going.</i><br />
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I always thought Mairead would come home everyday for the first few months of school loving life, but I guess I was a bit wrong. Last Thursday, on school day numero dos she says "I cannot wait until it is a no school day". Um, really? <i>Already?</i><br />
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I keep having to remind myself (and others) that this year is almost like her "Kindergarten" year. She didn't go to school last year. She didn't even go to preschool. We enjoyed our leisurely, mostly unstructured days, learned the things we wanted to learn, and learned by doing. A bit different this year.<br />
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It's been an adjustment for Mairead having to get up and at 'em without any time to "relax" in the morning. It's immediately out of bed. Get dressed. Brush teeth. Make bed. Do hair. Eat breakfast - which is the hardest thing for her to do as she claims she is <i>not </i>hungry. She's whiny. She even cried this morning over nothing.<br />
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This morning in the shower with Lilah and Mairead, I asked Lilah if she was excited for her first day of preschool. She exclaimed a big "YESS!" and then I asked Mairead the same.....but there wasn't any exclamatory sentences, just a big downer "NO." - I asked why. She said there is no playtime at school. She's right. Schools are just different than they used to be. Kids learn by sitting the vast majority of the day. Recess and lunch are for socializing and playing, but that is it, every other minute must be accounted for. So from preschool to homeschool to a structured 6 hour day of 1st grade, it's been a big adjustment for her.<br />
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I often question our decision to put Mairead back in school, but she was adamant about going. She likes it when she is there (loves all her friends!), but when she is home she says she misses me and her sisters (<i>and I miss her, too!)</i>. She also claims she is "bored" - which I think will change once the teacher grasps levels of the other children. I know homeschooling the kids with Kevin gone midweek isn't the best option now, it just wouldn't be easy. I know that she will adjust like all the other kids do, it's just going to take time. I will continue to encourage her to enjoy school and hope someday we will be a homeschooling family again - even if it is just for another year here and there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-6231850983540857492012-09-05T18:58:00.000-07:002012-09-05T18:58:08.902-07:00I am not ready for this...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCYnUZNnH2glP6Mfo-zzxGbQC3egvNcEkAbeKo1tYtDnNWhu1Jdx_qss20uDAIUv1GQKtBuTXIgGDDkIIwicZs0pta-satLtSUQatIMKPSHQOoDCiHGU6RMP1-Cnm4diN_KLoCZfxrPg/s1600/IMG_4552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCYnUZNnH2glP6Mfo-zzxGbQC3egvNcEkAbeKo1tYtDnNWhu1Jdx_qss20uDAIUv1GQKtBuTXIgGDDkIIwicZs0pta-satLtSUQatIMKPSHQOoDCiHGU6RMP1-Cnm4diN_KLoCZfxrPg/s320/IMG_4552.jpg" width="213" /></a>You never think when you give birth to a child time will fly by and you will soon be putting that baby on a school bus. In the beginning the days and nights seem to mix together, and you just want sleep. You just want them to sleep more, eat more, do whatever it takes for them to sleep. The first year as parents you are just so eager to see them meet all those milestones, and then with the next years there are stages you just want to <i>end. </i>Quick. But as hard as those stages were, I never once wished them away. I tried my damned hardest to embrace them because I didn't want my babies to grow up. I love me some babies...<br />
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Last year when we moved to Virginia and made the decision to homeschool Mairead for Kindergarten, it was bittersweet. I felt at times I was "robbing" her of that "Kindergarten" experience, but then I quickly reminded myself that Kindergarten was not like it used to be. I was thankful to not be putting her on that bus and keeping her "little" for just a little while longer. For the most part, I enjoyed homeschooling the older girls. I loved that satisfaction of seeing our children learn and grow and succeed in new things. I loved being able to experience things that children in school couldn't experience. I loved the fact we were able bake cookies together yet make it into a math problem, or reading recipes. It worked. And somedays I do miss it.<br />
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When Mairead learned we'd be moving back to Maine, she asked if she'd be going back to school. She was adamant, so we agreed, and said we would let her try going to school. Not sure why I ever thought that it would be a great idea.<br />
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Today is that day. I thought I'd be ready. But how could my sweet little Mairead be ready to go to 1st grade? Starting today, she will be away from me all day, Monday through Friday. I am not like most parents at the end of summer - I am <i>dreading </i>this. I want her to stay little. I love having her home with me. All of our children bring something so special to our family that when one of them isn't here, it feels like something...someone is missing. I secretly wanted her to tell me she wanted to stay home and be with us, but that isn't what she wants. She is ready to fly from our nest, at least for now, and try new things. Be adventurous. Ready to make new friends. Learn a new way of life. Be a big kid riding the bus. And going to a "real" school. It makes me feel good knowing that we've tried homeschooling our children, and it works and that our children will <i>always </i>have that option of being homeschooled. Kevin and I have dreams of sailing the caribbean with our children, and homeschooling them on a boat when he retires from the Coast Guard or living in Hawaii for Kevin's last tour with the Coast Guard before retirement. I hope our children can experience all different environments of learning, and that the traditional classroom setting isn't the only option today. I love how homeschooling promotes family life, and being together, working together.<br />
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I know Mairead is ready to be in school and she is such an eager learner. She impressed her new teacher yesterday during her assessment of what an amazing reader she is, and I know she will continue to show her teacher all of the amazing things she has to offer - her eagerness to learn, make new friends, make people feel good, her sweetness and her love. I am ready for her to be independent, and learn that her mommy and daddy aren't the only ones who ask things of her, ask her to follow rules and expect her to follow our rules. I have no doubt Mairead will be a great student and her teacher is so very lucky to have her - just as lucky as I was to have had Mairead for her Kindergarten.<br />
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And just as I thought, Mairead stepped on that bus with so much confidence, barely looking back. Kevin and I kept calling her name to remind her that we were still there, wanting her to say good-bye. The day went on, with that puzzle piece feeling misplaced, realizing just how much we enjoyed homeschooling Mairead. The last hour before she came home just dragged on. Lilah kept asking when her big sister would be coming home. Lilah missed her. And so did I. We all left for school to pick her up, and she came running to us with a smile on her face. She said she had a good day. She told us a little bit about it - though she doesn't get into specifics. She played with her friends and ate lunch with them, too. She likes her teacher. And wants to go back again tomorrow.<br />
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...and tomorrow Lilah starts preschool. I can handle three mornings a week....I wish Mairead went three mornings a week, too.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-21832115442163054882012-09-04T17:58:00.002-07:002012-09-04T17:58:47.600-07:00Seven year itch? Happy 7th anniversary to the most amazing husband and daddy ever. I love Kevin for all that he is, and all that he does for me and our family. And he does a lot! And sacrifices a lot, too. But, that's what it is all about, right? You have to give a little to get a little, and I guess I am lucky, because I got a lot - and he puts up with a lot of shit from me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoSc_MYy3sI00Po4IdlHJXAGkS58QSaqPy7LTVLoXvebWsvZzlSlU-40mMF-Q83UvQTYYQmiXi9jYeOI7cwca6Ws3_2NH1qWYRYy5d8MHObhmFIbCnzXzWHsYRoPFcrQ-KQVNzxlmIRk/s1600/IMG_5767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoSc_MYy3sI00Po4IdlHJXAGkS58QSaqPy7LTVLoXvebWsvZzlSlU-40mMF-Q83UvQTYYQmiXi9jYeOI7cwca6Ws3_2NH1qWYRYy5d8MHObhmFIbCnzXzWHsYRoPFcrQ-KQVNzxlmIRk/s400/IMG_5767.jpg" width="266" /></a>I never thought 7 years ago I would be as lucky and as happy as I am today. And I sure never thought we'd have four beautiful children in such a short amount of time, but it just shows how much love Kevin and I have for each other. We have a beautifully small house near the water. We're raising our children in a place we believe in and love. We are so lucky!<br />
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We're at 7 years, and I can honestly say I don't have a single itch in my body, I love Kevin with all of my heart. Each year we say "when life slows down"...but, it never does. Kevin and I thrive on adventure, craziness, change and non-conformity. That's what makes us tick. We have the same crazy dreams. And the same crazy thoughts. It's hard grounding each other. But it works for us. We aren't afraid to be spontaneous and have far out ambitions and desires.<br />
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Once again, the last year has been full of change. A move to Virginia. A somewhat unhappy life there. A job change. And a move back to Maine. Life so far is good. It's been an adjustment, but when is there not something in life to adjust to? We are making this big lifestyle change work and hope it can continue. What will the next year bring?<br />
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The one thing I know is that life will throw curveballs as it always does - year in and year out, but it will also provide more memories and dreams fulfilled.<br />
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Here's to another beautiful year full of love and laughter...<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-34247380530642701172012-09-03T17:42:00.000-07:002012-09-04T17:43:17.829-07:00A Dancing Soccer Player....This year Lilah has been dying to play soccer. We signed her up for our fall community league. The day of soccer practice came and Lilah asked if she could wear her tutu to practice. At first I thought she was joking, but then I remembered who I was talking to - Lilah. She <i>was </i>serious. At first I questioned whether or not she should actually wear a tutu to soccer practice, was it appropriate...then I reminded myself that I was talking about preschool & kindergarten level soccer. <i>Of course she could wear her tutu to practice. </i>And she did...<br />
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She put on her shin pads. Then her socks. And her cleats. All paired with a pretty black tutu. She looked so dainty and cute, but little did people know she was ready to <i>pounce! </i><br />
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At the ripe old age of 4 she had absolutely no fear. She hustled right onto the field and took charge right on the field, just like we thought she would. You see, Lilah is an all or nothing kind of girl, and when she wants something, she sprints ahead and goes for it with 200% effort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjItCYxQDpBYszwmVK5NhBtE3y2rkI-grLwE6J3B2mdXPIMB54fSVB3V2yNPUMRKj_gKMJwzLJm9INIAIiEHgEUrpYov6nzoJ_tA89LVSVhpnYqnWQUdoCwNBPOXn8kMYbm4HYaWzo5dA/s1600/IMG_6606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjItCYxQDpBYszwmVK5NhBtE3y2rkI-grLwE6J3B2mdXPIMB54fSVB3V2yNPUMRKj_gKMJwzLJm9INIAIiEHgEUrpYov6nzoJ_tA89LVSVhpnYqnWQUdoCwNBPOXn8kMYbm4HYaWzo5dA/s320/IMG_6606.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Lilah with her gal pal Lily talking about their game plan :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A graceful soccer player......</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put me in coach, I'm ready to play! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXDxlFVI0R31IzKqJieaj2me7dpWFgkV67I11ekIs81rI1Gtqws30uX6_32vgP2jcpLSNFBoSUyf7lAPEF-_snKERu2aKeFw2YHKcha4R7SMMKfr1YfB6InQRcfLFYlGRs7e6abHyseM/s1600/IMG_6635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXDxlFVI0R31IzKqJieaj2me7dpWFgkV67I11ekIs81rI1Gtqws30uX6_32vgP2jcpLSNFBoSUyf7lAPEF-_snKERu2aKeFw2YHKcha4R7SMMKfr1YfB6InQRcfLFYlGRs7e6abHyseM/s320/IMG_6635.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seriously. She was right in the front almost the entire practice. She was so fun to watch. And she can't wait for her first game. It should be pretty interesting :)<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-77442102611717033502012-08-29T19:33:00.000-07:002012-08-29T19:36:15.215-07:00AWOLI admit. This is probably one of the longest times I've gone without blogging. One month. Where have I been?! Well, I've sat down many a times with the intentions to blog, but I get so caught up with the day, or talking to Kevin or running or cleaning or.....well, relaxing, that I forget.<br />
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I don't even know where to start! The last month has been awesome. We've continued our amazing Maine summer extravaganza. We've entertained friends from Louisiana earlier in the month, had sleepovers with friends and Nanas & Papas, enjoyed wiping lots of sandy toes, loving salty kisses, went to the Sea Dogs game, built a hanging bed (thank you, pinterest), visited water parks, moved Callum to a big boy bed, drank lots of beer, harvested veggies from our garden, went on sunset cruises, went lobstering, dinners out, waterskiing, tubing, first fish caught, late nights in our backyard, Kevin's parents here from Florida, daddy was home for a weeks vacation, tons of beach time and exploring, new friends visiting from Quebec and training for my very first half marathon have had us supah busy having lots of fun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGflhvXlQ7WSFlCxV-xG6e7hMg6YaOdR5XRiCxRV_tYEAUlmMPfx9qkxP6MImZc163G9GArfYyurBzH3tRJgQDQtZTivlIdnneKVJUJei5O9xt0a-_UWnoECNPjJEjicQmDk8_B1NqQk/s1600/IMG_5331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGflhvXlQ7WSFlCxV-xG6e7hMg6YaOdR5XRiCxRV_tYEAUlmMPfx9qkxP6MImZc163G9GArfYyurBzH3tRJgQDQtZTivlIdnneKVJUJei5O9xt0a-_UWnoECNPjJEjicQmDk8_B1NqQk/s320/IMG_5331.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Coast Guard friends from Louisiana came to visit for a long weekend! We had so much fun showing<br />
them the Maine way of life! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG31dhUKefes8FT3h70WagUK6e6Mm2e2tIdb5ku-w8VSnUrtm1lxq5hAhZXkKvaFTi78GVeyayQMntkF5Fs9fYJXpkpmXN7dQrAWhVzZ11_i3H-Rs3hQcRULONwSq3EWtUC1E0dP_xOgQ/s1600/IMG_5349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG31dhUKefes8FT3h70WagUK6e6Mm2e2tIdb5ku-w8VSnUrtm1lxq5hAhZXkKvaFTi78GVeyayQMntkF5Fs9fYJXpkpmXN7dQrAWhVzZ11_i3H-Rs3hQcRULONwSq3EWtUC1E0dP_xOgQ/s320/IMG_5349.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cool tide pool finds! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Higgins Beach - one of my favorite spots this summer! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bcvn-pLYp08yubf7hzA9HYG9GHpE4IBkStW_b_GyJGI86x60AI8UsNTfo3On6lS0EJwQxd2ku0G7r3aBAKzT6da2rDXV7TIOVb8NJvFswOXAVSNkaqdRx5x-KRxxdzMbp6l3CTsgFo0/s1600/IMG_5543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bcvn-pLYp08yubf7hzA9HYG9GHpE4IBkStW_b_GyJGI86x60AI8UsNTfo3On6lS0EJwQxd2ku0G7r3aBAKzT6da2rDXV7TIOVb8NJvFswOXAVSNkaqdRx5x-KRxxdzMbp6l3CTsgFo0/s320/IMG_5543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you think Callum enjoys the water? He just rolls around in the tide pools on the shore! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mairead showing off our first harvests from our garden - cucumbers & zucchini! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstlUi75iYRBiL38lme3W2OSj1t-p3dlVMj_ccG2LEOG0Hykhy4MSuXvpmQcKgp-F9CLTq0D6qlzdOflLd_PZ6mfaE9DZg_9swKWWPw88PLoicZ4Siy-pg73n1Ipt0hqiYxTULpukEBME/s1600/IMG_5587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstlUi75iYRBiL38lme3W2OSj1t-p3dlVMj_ccG2LEOG0Hykhy4MSuXvpmQcKgp-F9CLTq0D6qlzdOflLd_PZ6mfaE9DZg_9swKWWPw88PLoicZ4Siy-pg73n1Ipt0hqiYxTULpukEBME/s320/IMG_5587.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilah & Clara all excited for a sleepover at my parents. <br />
This was Clara's very first sleepover - she absolutely LOVED it! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0_Y490E4AD3qFZfKjO_tGNxLMus3ahzDopjhw8XeQGQDPKB-mqifiOWgcjwJ6MyBopMrZ0ZdQTGQbEXE4XkjJLXWelEQCgeZUXieCj-YspB3X5XMR0oplyTEMyb1LJwh87B-ftc3PS8/s1600/IMG_5656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0_Y490E4AD3qFZfKjO_tGNxLMus3ahzDopjhw8XeQGQDPKB-mqifiOWgcjwJ6MyBopMrZ0ZdQTGQbEXE4XkjJLXWelEQCgeZUXieCj-YspB3X5XMR0oplyTEMyb1LJwh87B-ftc3PS8/s320/IMG_5656.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our niece Olivia's Baptism</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobstering on the Lucky Catch! One of our favorite things to do in the summer! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3enEpV4zGJ3wdTeDYKom01yYJeuwe9Us3FE1Paiab8EWBLGzUBOJ8ujMvPf7-67iMnVaLRVdR8omaDI9tXZEfAb_smlY1ygJoTZmCf4iFxPM4hF6-ZQQc_iRZxKxlaM6DsLxCOurORKU/s1600/IMG_5902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3enEpV4zGJ3wdTeDYKom01yYJeuwe9Us3FE1Paiab8EWBLGzUBOJ8ujMvPf7-67iMnVaLRVdR8omaDI9tXZEfAb_smlY1ygJoTZmCf4iFxPM4hF6-ZQQc_iRZxKxlaM6DsLxCOurORKU/s320/IMG_5902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's amazing to think when we started Lobstering how little our girls were...they're so grown up... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY3OpyTepxW-JYk6M8YPaErs5dFQafd3dcZj902onpx5sGIj3FyOi0aNbDjgpJe5f-lPR8nVDknvzNjo0VvIM4aRoZBw9dSbozQmpZSXh1Tf8BehJw9shkDkNbTjoOSRcu1v0YCYzZXs/s1600/IMG_5957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY3OpyTepxW-JYk6M8YPaErs5dFQafd3dcZj902onpx5sGIj3FyOi0aNbDjgpJe5f-lPR8nVDknvzNjo0VvIM4aRoZBw9dSbozQmpZSXh1Tf8BehJw9shkDkNbTjoOSRcu1v0YCYzZXs/s320/IMG_5957.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not quite a keeper, but he sure wanted to stay :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHNaZoPDjSxEGD8e_acQ0BIm4holO48gL8ls-OLMv9oKx1ZZ6vPushAvYCgN9qWTar0JvRTDqak6qaiiKjTkN3mLH1XYC3nENfDHB9S44sasSGb0J-aCrNGB52FyN6ykU-gUAA5bxh7Q/s1600/IMG_5994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHNaZoPDjSxEGD8e_acQ0BIm4holO48gL8ls-OLMv9oKx1ZZ6vPushAvYCgN9qWTar0JvRTDqak6qaiiKjTkN3mLH1XYC3nENfDHB9S44sasSGb0J-aCrNGB52FyN6ykU-gUAA5bxh7Q/s320/IMG_5994.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bug Light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdoHo9sav4DzUHcoHwX67dJRmYgpSXulb6drZrq7LElrFThEaUYxAzSy4zYQtmsFv4_yP3qXhApMBq6V41K8bLUew2s2kRYFdkXZRlgcCbVig9cvqRQI739vKpOTSfHkD_1pNqowv0oQ/s1600/IMG_6064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdoHo9sav4DzUHcoHwX67dJRmYgpSXulb6drZrq7LElrFThEaUYxAzSy4zYQtmsFv4_yP3qXhApMBq6V41K8bLUew2s2kRYFdkXZRlgcCbVig9cvqRQI739vKpOTSfHkD_1pNqowv0oQ/s320/IMG_6064.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mairead and her new hanging bed - I promise I'll do a post on the hows.......whys.......and the coolness of this thing! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkI4b7njejzuL-JD_0bFC6-naTjKGSKKDkNBk50b0r9SalgJBTdjEiawTXXvtiptIirfDjsR9rZUnumy90CSY9Zz-_5pQ6MspO__-qOjXfllhubLENLf43oT2C4vIe1kwo9k4Sbzcnrc/s1600/IMG_6092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkI4b7njejzuL-JD_0bFC6-naTjKGSKKDkNBk50b0r9SalgJBTdjEiawTXXvtiptIirfDjsR9rZUnumy90CSY9Zz-_5pQ6MspO__-qOjXfllhubLENLf43oT2C4vIe1kwo9k4Sbzcnrc/s320/IMG_6092.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhh.....felt like I was 21 again! Hadn't waterskied in years, but pretended I was back on the team....and boy, did I pay<br />
for it the next few days! I was SORE! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH10J5BtheIeP-_8lthTVkJT8AsR5Q7GC_BuUIGxKnIs293ievJpzE2utqYMvfLkYl1W9x1zcMC4CmgZBlfBuxqJp3O4fn-sDZCWZILcsxnjkxeMveJX_t8XluQQhigG_DsOaJhkCEu4/s1600/IMG_6116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH10J5BtheIeP-_8lthTVkJT8AsR5Q7GC_BuUIGxKnIs293ievJpzE2utqYMvfLkYl1W9x1zcMC4CmgZBlfBuxqJp3O4fn-sDZCWZILcsxnjkxeMveJX_t8XluQQhigG_DsOaJhkCEu4/s320/IMG_6116.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mairead and her friend out for Mairead's first tubing experience! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTM2HcUuMMQcQ5HaRDMAlHCMWN59loPPKip1bIScFCmjk8vsyAriQGXX07z7t1LzT92cWWchIkUoIvIZCyn88o199YVc46HU70c00TAYlvo1QBA_bpifEnScC9-dv7MW_hfjJ9CEXKWKU/s1600/IMG_6148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTM2HcUuMMQcQ5HaRDMAlHCMWN59loPPKip1bIScFCmjk8vsyAriQGXX07z7t1LzT92cWWchIkUoIvIZCyn88o199YVc46HU70c00TAYlvo1QBA_bpifEnScC9-dv7MW_hfjJ9CEXKWKU/s320/IMG_6148.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was so shocked Clara wanted to go on the tube! The girls had a blast! We're so lucky to have such<br />
great friends who let us in on all the fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxRFTZJhsj0XokyrGCdQRv82CDkFxAAPIfsy9yMeBhrxGlVjgJrlyLmeQU-kuzKGGjkjBtfAhyphenhyphenrMzwK623OGJYGNFnoXeUmtj7PL4esaWgZIONIMqL3bNbm8pYvCbsViSGobNnE2Ly20/s1600/IMG_6341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxRFTZJhsj0XokyrGCdQRv82CDkFxAAPIfsy9yMeBhrxGlVjgJrlyLmeQU-kuzKGGjkjBtfAhyphenhyphenrMzwK623OGJYGNFnoXeUmtj7PL4esaWgZIONIMqL3bNbm8pYvCbsViSGobNnE2Ly20/s320/IMG_6341.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pretty much sums up my life...and boy, is it fantastic! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvd522fjsJixRoaavlCwVO3d8hb_6JsgSgzxC3gvDgFEuCQjoaFydE53pkx33ZedCjGC8hoY1qyvUVXxwJ8JYlk8Nr02h50W5jgxD0nJwRMB2xiYf5l0jaA6OzyT6WAC4rZkIbZeT9b0/s1600/IMG_6377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvd522fjsJixRoaavlCwVO3d8hb_6JsgSgzxC3gvDgFEuCQjoaFydE53pkx33ZedCjGC8hoY1qyvUVXxwJ8JYlk8Nr02h50W5jgxD0nJwRMB2xiYf5l0jaA6OzyT6WAC4rZkIbZeT9b0/s320/IMG_6377.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously. Can it get any more beautiful? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VKDy0wPMKeowoPCAhrR9EW3uuqvxKXW5bygCMmnSE0nU7L4tAZwStCbeChDoeUN8gjw5V23IBWOYHzjNlXCo8P6_1aUW7ZOEM8Eeo7Ji4olpPvf5p8UXDK-bd91nhTp7qYd6Dnlrc3Q/s1600/IMG_6392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VKDy0wPMKeowoPCAhrR9EW3uuqvxKXW5bygCMmnSE0nU7L4tAZwStCbeChDoeUN8gjw5V23IBWOYHzjNlXCo8P6_1aUW7ZOEM8Eeo7Ji4olpPvf5p8UXDK-bd91nhTp7qYd6Dnlrc3Q/s320/IMG_6392.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I say sandy toes above? I think I meant wrinkly ones... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvw4-AlpyW6yJmhRV8UbJGSBwiv91DVFpcwYk9i1HiN_LY3-RjlUkyNm9_BAxkF1Rm2bgZE3txcxYrN1-Q99JAw5KKav_-KIZcVeJHkxY9netsuTc47i7fOsNHVrAfxpBU_gSmDdkiFQ/s1600/IMG_6425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvw4-AlpyW6yJmhRV8UbJGSBwiv91DVFpcwYk9i1HiN_LY3-RjlUkyNm9_BAxkF1Rm2bgZE3txcxYrN1-Q99JAw5KKav_-KIZcVeJHkxY9netsuTc47i7fOsNHVrAfxpBU_gSmDdkiFQ/s320/IMG_6425.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not too often our kids get to have all four grandparents together....so it was a special treat to have all of them<br />
together for a sunset cruise out on Casco Bay! It was a beautiful night... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQX2t84qclefV85qT29OG3fPB-8VUPMLqJ9z3oleapGDfqdZhdsgzssGvffygWkDxudSRRPqaw8Tct00MBIo5mDKhjA0dh0Yp_O9ihNzy69i5O2GlEn6eXA558fVWq5Q_O1zOHravWr0/s1600/IMG_6431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQX2t84qclefV85qT29OG3fPB-8VUPMLqJ9z3oleapGDfqdZhdsgzssGvffygWkDxudSRRPqaw8Tct00MBIo5mDKhjA0dh0Yp_O9ihNzy69i5O2GlEn6eXA558fVWq5Q_O1zOHravWr0/s320/IMG_6431.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, so when did he lose his baby-ness????? I am not ready for him to<br />
grow up....someone, please stop time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7a_TlMe0umE5lY5ole-ZzsVwmyinmuXeAHS50wO7bJWOv7UsdiKubK11OZI7NKKMQ2cmc_YjayBgVS8YfLIIazl_q72JZAS9cFS4ek83EUUD8H6SI0121F3NKxnwiy2eM4hB76LVwbE/s1600/IMG_6440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7a_TlMe0umE5lY5ole-ZzsVwmyinmuXeAHS50wO7bJWOv7UsdiKubK11OZI7NKKMQ2cmc_YjayBgVS8YfLIIazl_q72JZAS9cFS4ek83EUUD8H6SI0121F3NKxnwiy2eM4hB76LVwbE/s320/IMG_6440.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful Mairead...thankfully her personality has been a lot more beautiful, too! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEBdIJFm6CmENRfx5-eZQMEqbfyR3nPJ-kQmG9_eKvsvxRmnGU4Cc2IwD-dOjhwHJkr2hzd26dTJBvczGJa8KRnQx2QFPhoApIheXkMfnaS-m1O_cuLU21TYEt8-55DDd6flDVLZGi_I/s1600/IMG_6442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEBdIJFm6CmENRfx5-eZQMEqbfyR3nPJ-kQmG9_eKvsvxRmnGU4Cc2IwD-dOjhwHJkr2hzd26dTJBvczGJa8KRnQx2QFPhoApIheXkMfnaS-m1O_cuLU21TYEt8-55DDd6flDVLZGi_I/s320/IMG_6442.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin's shot of me....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwG-igFYupLWuCMMnBT9q38VT-WGvWlQlBoEIo8G7zPjtNhvYXtypfo9zn483kIdpK7gEQOqbBrkBptkRzds2WD96J0PQE51yW1K8u2saECHggZDx8zsRA-BSBx81iz5cEaAubulFn6c0/s1600/IMG_6443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwG-igFYupLWuCMMnBT9q38VT-WGvWlQlBoEIo8G7zPjtNhvYXtypfo9zn483kIdpK7gEQOqbBrkBptkRzds2WD96J0PQE51yW1K8u2saECHggZDx8zsRA-BSBx81iz5cEaAubulFn6c0/s320/IMG_6443.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And my cheesy Lilah Loo....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-LfA6puIjlohLTkejpM5nWH5g6Nb5Xk5OYnyHPNifvOcXmfNRKN1p1mZE2LtQfcsVKQxDPGrPfzDurwRFyUXkni4GEV_7th0htWAtXfutMuAQx4OqeK7urhElSGm9YWbkZYFnVH4Mu0/s1600/IMG_6453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-LfA6puIjlohLTkejpM5nWH5g6Nb5Xk5OYnyHPNifvOcXmfNRKN1p1mZE2LtQfcsVKQxDPGrPfzDurwRFyUXkni4GEV_7th0htWAtXfutMuAQx4OqeK7urhElSGm9YWbkZYFnVH4Mu0/s320/IMG_6453.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most genuine smiles you'll see from Clara...<br />
Love her!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQINlgZ-yByfXvhT-uVAolCnuGQ3vyTX5fQ0lS5YxTsmshF7h4_yNgBXQY6cp-O58ff4Xd9uAhnX2oKqe1_ZA7-EISUewFr6yjywqAA5ioKvX5X2g3YMtp018cC66VjLkpUA0GO3vm_c/s1600/IMG_6481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQINlgZ-yByfXvhT-uVAolCnuGQ3vyTX5fQ0lS5YxTsmshF7h4_yNgBXQY6cp-O58ff4Xd9uAhnX2oKqe1_ZA7-EISUewFr6yjywqAA5ioKvX5X2g3YMtp018cC66VjLkpUA0GO3vm_c/s320/IMG_6481.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portland Head Lighthouse - view from Casco Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFlEJ2bGT9GgOpPYu5x3ZtiSwSnbe_uDmBVldm9t8dFhJyk-L0AlVGp0qjSvDHsRR2Ocs24kLdRyT0Zmi0QWOJaFpArwx1_tbOdMvgIW2iEVTGjaFCpq9gOS2XvzSnGaBEPUjX5DqSEo/s1600/IMG_6487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFlEJ2bGT9GgOpPYu5x3ZtiSwSnbe_uDmBVldm9t8dFhJyk-L0AlVGp0qjSvDHsRR2Ocs24kLdRyT0Zmi0QWOJaFpArwx1_tbOdMvgIW2iEVTGjaFCpq9gOS2XvzSnGaBEPUjX5DqSEo/s320/IMG_6487.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and a perfect night it was...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCZmKrL2gxZ5q1HKTY0Zh8MYjho-PJPQdSPDPDkcjG5a3zR7KQCE2x-I5Ufdi0LdKFDuKF6oOinho5SATI7ABHBKF7HB7fORAUMQLm_ZA_ZWh8usjxpkOZNCQoMlK4zjreLG1jVDsXB4/s1600/IMG_6535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCZmKrL2gxZ5q1HKTY0Zh8MYjho-PJPQdSPDPDkcjG5a3zR7KQCE2x-I5Ufdi0LdKFDuKF6oOinho5SATI7ABHBKF7HB7fORAUMQLm_ZA_ZWh8usjxpkOZNCQoMlK4zjreLG1jVDsXB4/s320/IMG_6535.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A moment with Papa Steve</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJIpKCxbUYoGtrxfV0GGa4Brsz9AujXWP1QjYT4-yICziky1ydK4mKcbgMgQ-OWFFGB1ZhFAOiQfEYgN16bLRw-xBRaz-yK8oD1cCOZGy8O4WU1ZsYEbahoBrJ9rZ6nA1DU-HG72EOoQ/s1600/IMG_6554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJIpKCxbUYoGtrxfV0GGa4Brsz9AujXWP1QjYT4-yICziky1ydK4mKcbgMgQ-OWFFGB1ZhFAOiQfEYgN16bLRw-xBRaz-yK8oD1cCOZGy8O4WU1ZsYEbahoBrJ9rZ6nA1DU-HG72EOoQ/s320/IMG_6554.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just moments after sunset</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeSFnXcq7uTFIyXGKqowniHTcQk_PS4hn9d5IM97zpl-MiEvO6DSNCVxfCy_foK1U119I7lWKSuFg-ZwVFpE4EiJt3hQusJjdhOX4tGv5vlwO5pJ2aKGHvKdvprghrKhOJvtLJcr2Y5Y/s1600/IMG_6576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeSFnXcq7uTFIyXGKqowniHTcQk_PS4hn9d5IM97zpl-MiEvO6DSNCVxfCy_foK1U119I7lWKSuFg-ZwVFpE4EiJt3hQusJjdhOX4tGv5vlwO5pJ2aKGHvKdvprghrKhOJvtLJcr2Y5Y/s320/IMG_6576.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mimi & Papa! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdym8SgyqKRYyGlPb85qsobdrmJ3b8iN1yZF5cHBXiOrdytrFxraqOiIeKn0nZ_XVD46JZ4Bl3RIY75CiBgA2Sgo4q36QAlYQMMHo2nt7uaRk9ti2jHfXpHIzqTzgXVa6NbOwHEVApr0Y/s1600/IMG_6592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdym8SgyqKRYyGlPb85qsobdrmJ3b8iN1yZF5cHBXiOrdytrFxraqOiIeKn0nZ_XVD46JZ4Bl3RIY75CiBgA2Sgo4q36QAlYQMMHo2nt7uaRk9ti2jHfXpHIzqTzgXVa6NbOwHEVApr0Y/s320/IMG_6592.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Want a flower mamma?" </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZA2ehwzTiPhV7-wK_wSj9pUpmXJ1KAT9xd7grJ1wmSp6ClfUiEthRNttgezqXKOOGUXrv1uKfpDnn-2O68UiKpQ5-CyObC2Q6zerxNt484M-uy6y7y9OfAPEYDIzkqqbL11KcfJ0aODQ/s1600/IMG_6611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZA2ehwzTiPhV7-wK_wSj9pUpmXJ1KAT9xd7grJ1wmSp6ClfUiEthRNttgezqXKOOGUXrv1uKfpDnn-2O68UiKpQ5-CyObC2Q6zerxNt484M-uy6y7y9OfAPEYDIzkqqbL11KcfJ0aODQ/s320/IMG_6611.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and well, this will need a blog post of its own, but yes, this is Lilah, playing soccer...in a tutu.</td></tr>
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As you can see, we have had an amazing month. It was so difficult choosing which photographs to show, but, it's been fun. It's hard to believe school starts next week. And well, I am not quite ready for this next chapter. I've really enjoyed (for the most part) having my kiddos home with me...enjoying time together and learning new things. I guess all good things must come to an end sometime, right?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-49690836285976374662012-07-26T19:15:00.002-07:002012-07-26T19:15:32.554-07:00The Terrible 6s???Everyone always talks about the terrible 2s! It's everywhere. And it's to the point where most parents are afraid of what demons will be possessing their sweet little babe. For me, the 2s in any of the girls were not bad. Yeah, there were those stages where they were climbing everything, frustrated verbally, and just exerting a little bit of independence.<br />
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But what I want to know is why the hell are people not talking about the Terrible 6s??? No, seriously, I want to know, because this one is hitting me like a ton of bricks. And I am praying that my daughter isn't the only one who is making me sweat profusely on most days.<br />
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And do you know what??? I hope she reads this when she is older. I hope I hear the phrase "I never acted like that when I was 6......" and then I can show her this post. In all seriousness, I can run circles around newborns.....infants.....toddlers, but this attitude crap is scaring the hell out of me. No, really, I am scared. The kid hasn't even been in school yet, and she is striking the diva attitude pretty impressively.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSee7E85jcJpvnJDH5UVUoDM1xz9OxB6pwVI8EFkYgrqrO3Sxn_0pIdZSNqZg-IZS5KRovBQ6O48Y8ndHsK3bkU22GHYbdiyH59_81aOsC-NYM2G0Fm3vF7XuCXJKLb2jjERShaU1o_ag/s1600/IMG_5254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSee7E85jcJpvnJDH5UVUoDM1xz9OxB6pwVI8EFkYgrqrO3Sxn_0pIdZSNqZg-IZS5KRovBQ6O48Y8ndHsK3bkU22GHYbdiyH59_81aOsC-NYM2G0Fm3vF7XuCXJKLb2jjERShaU1o_ag/s320/IMG_5254.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'd like to think these <i>personality changes </i>are occurring because of our move, or because of daddy working in Virginia, but the truth is, they started back in April, but I just need to know <i>what the heck is going on</i>. Over the past few months, the attitude has just gotten out of control. We've tried all sorts of different ways to teach her to use her words, but no matter what I do, I feel as though it just isn't working. When she isn't striking an attitude, she's spitting, or more like blowing raspberries in my face or her sisters face, or she's whining, screaming, yelling, stomping her feet......please, someone tell me my daughter isn't the only 6 year old acting like this! Please.....<br />
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I've taken more things away or cancelled special trips, events, activities and playdates, than I have ever had to before. It breaks my heart. I don't want to.....and I have even praised all the good she does, by late nights up with me, trips to a water park, sleepovers with friends, but sometimes I feel as though no matter what I do for her, it just isn't good enough. I just want my easygoing, happy-go-lucky girl back! I hate having to send her to her room, or taking things away, but she has to realize she isn't the boss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfPxlaGgxHPGugbtCN0Vs5t-zoXfklgUfI__XdSw39VGu6G22e_Di75ifl9aj2-nXCPZepIbITIn110BWIYqfz-uw1Yy_xApaxT1qEO8Ub3pOXnypq1uA5BW4TmJwDhkRDXcNXyaosH0/s1600/IMG_5081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfPxlaGgxHPGugbtCN0Vs5t-zoXfklgUfI__XdSw39VGu6G22e_Di75ifl9aj2-nXCPZepIbITIn110BWIYqfz-uw1Yy_xApaxT1qEO8Ub3pOXnypq1uA5BW4TmJwDhkRDXcNXyaosH0/s320/IMG_5081.jpg" width="213" /></a>Today was a tough day for her. She woke up whining, and right then, knew it would be a tough day, not to mention, she woke up about an hour earlier than usual. Great. Before 9am, she was already in time out in her room. She came down, and had a good remainder of the morning. When it was time for her and the girls to pick up from having a friend here this morning, she started throwing an attitude. I gave her several chances, and then took away her American Girl doll. We ran to Trader Joe's for a quick grocery order, the girls did well, but by the time we came home, and it was time to pick up the toy room, the attitude started soaring after about 10 minutes. She then screamed "I hate picking up! I am going to my room!"all while Clara and Lilah stayed and helped me finish. So, I put a movie on for them, then of course, Mairead came downstairs, but I told her she wasn't done. She came into the kitchen with me, emptied the dishwasher, washed windows, cabinets, tables and chairs, then we headed out to run errands. She once again pulled herself to together, but by our 2nd stop, she was becoming defiant and egging the other girls on. By the time we were back in the car, she was spitting at Lilah, kicking her, and screaming. She went immediately to her room until dinner once we got home. She came down for dinner, and went back to her room afterwards. Once she realized her sisters were watching a show in my bed, she lost it. I went into her room and read to her. I bought the American Girl book "Feelings" hoping that this might help her understand what may be going on in that pretty little head of hers....I am at a loss.<br />
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Once I got the other kids to bed, she continued to cry. I'd go in every few minutes, reassure her, tell her I love her and tell her that tomorrow is a new day to try again, and to learn from her bad choices today. It was a really tough mommy day, finishing the day completely defeated and deflated. I know my sweet, fun, funny, caring, loving baby girl is in there, I just have to find a way to show her that it is more fun to make good choices, and not so much fun to make bad ones...Ugh.<br />
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I just hope I am doing her right...Being a parent sucks sometimes!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-21440901279304067872012-07-24T18:23:00.003-07:002012-07-24T18:23:51.912-07:00The Lazy Mammas Dinner - in less than 25 minutes!<div class="mobile-photo">
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Having midweek dinners apart from Kevin makes meal planning a little more difficult. I tend to save the "better" meals for when daddy is home. Since we are not a family that eats fast food (<i>our children have never had McDonalds)</i> and eating out at a restaurant frequently midweek is impractical and not to mention, expensive, I've come up with one fall back meal that I try to always have available for those nights where I just don't feel like cooking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBUqzvbGm4I6qGVsWU_fcs70RBTikYDlOUkCEwFYDrVjmXe4-0ZQRerb7LgdOtdXoODrCFOq8XWagldg2UJxK887gdr589p0wBKyfMXc2Ua5vlEw73Czzimas0yfwquYb9Lbn5m4atkQ/s1600/photo+2-700161.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768909019954328674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBUqzvbGm4I6qGVsWU_fcs70RBTikYDlOUkCEwFYDrVjmXe4-0ZQRerb7LgdOtdXoODrCFOq8XWagldg2UJxK887gdr589p0wBKyfMXc2Ua5vlEw73Czzimas0yfwquYb9Lbn5m4atkQ/s320/photo+2-700161.JPG" /></a>Here in Maine, we are very lucky to have a Trader Joe's very close to our house, about 10 minutes. I don't know about you, but I love me some Trader Joe's! One of our family favorites is their Mandarin Orange chicken. It is SO yummy. And the best part?! The kids are obsessed! So, I decided to make one of their favorite things into a dinner, and do you know what is even better? You can have this dinner ready in under 25 minutes while you are pretty much sitting pretty, <strike>swigging</strike> sipping a glass of wine, or breaking up some fights. </div>
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How the heck you are saying, right? It's pretty difficult, so pay attention.....</div>
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What do you need?</div>
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1. One package of Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken.</div>
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2. One package of Trader Joe's Organic Jasmine Rice</div>
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3. One package of vegetables - we like cauliflower and broccoli mix</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaT4CK6ISxeWBlaIL4O4zXaZ8SyYRyIhCJPpV9VdS0KwXeM0AaSUqIsJLKW_fsFMNmDiGheX5dSD3UNcA4LNHLAuVgvnJhE__mT70_TfcFJOyINi_oDtpIqpc-Wyj9Gnm9aXk50R81GQ/s1600/photo+1-797370.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768909012902131218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaT4CK6ISxeWBlaIL4O4zXaZ8SyYRyIhCJPpV9VdS0KwXeM0AaSUqIsJLKW_fsFMNmDiGheX5dSD3UNcA4LNHLAuVgvnJhE__mT70_TfcFJOyINi_oDtpIqpc-Wyj9Gnm9aXk50R81GQ/s320/photo+1-797370.JPG" /></a></div>
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How do you do it? </div>
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1. Dump the chicken on a cookie sheet. Follow the directions. Takes about 18 minutes to cook at 400.</div>
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2. When the chicken is close to being done, microwave the package of rice for 3 minutes. Yes, 3 minutes.</div>
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3. When the rice is done, steam the veggies in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. </div>
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4. Mix the orange sauce in the chicken.</div>
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DONE. It is SO GOOD!!! AND SO EASY! I love that the only thing I have to do is literally dump chicken on a pan, and prepare the plates for my kids. That is it my friends! </div>
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</div>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-50571893078991062222012-07-22T17:51:00.000-07:002012-07-22T17:51:33.606-07:00Better late than never!4 months after I set out to run a 5 mile race, I finally conquered it!<br />
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I had intended to run the Washington DC St. Patricks Day 8K in March, but unfortunately, my body had other plans!<br />
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Well, now that I have things under control and I finally feel as though I am on a better track to success with my running! Since I have been back in Maine, I've slowly been upping my mileage. I have joined a friend of mines running group. I figured this will help keep me running, limit the amount of times I can keep putting off a run I know I need to accomplish! Even though they meet at 7am on Saturday mornings, I've been making an honest effort to wake up early and join them! I've been very proud of myself!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwZ8KhzWPZ_SVh4vfjwkdPydbelG-tRTF6REow2_RWnJbNkUh89_RjkjM78s9QKxUz64_t80iaQw7H1JumhTr-ARFp0N_W6P3UG0e2RjZguTn-I6xNAbbvAoWGhV2ed8dOD6RT7CSvvQ/s640/blogger-image-665410989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwZ8KhzWPZ_SVh4vfjwkdPydbelG-tRTF6REow2_RWnJbNkUh89_RjkjM78s9QKxUz64_t80iaQw7H1JumhTr-ARFp0N_W6P3UG0e2RjZguTn-I6xNAbbvAoWGhV2ed8dOD6RT7CSvvQ/s640/blogger-image-665410989.jpg" /></a></div>
So last week, I decided to join a few ladies from the running group and run my very first 5 mile race. The weather looked good. I had been feeling good. It was time! I had two really good runs in the week, and had been able to keep my pace under 10 minutes/mile. Pretty good for me when I usually average about 10-11+/mile.<br />
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I made the mistake of telling my girlfriend that I'd love to run it in under 50 minutes. I started the race off slow, and increased my pace slowly. I was feeling great and avoiding the morning side stitches, but by mile 4, I was really starting to feel it in my quads and just overall tiredness, OK, I won't lie...I wanted to die.....but, my kick ass friend kept kicking my ass, doing a little yelling, and keeping me on track....without her help, there is no way I would have been able to achieve my goal of 5 miles in under 50 minutes! I finished with a 9:48min/mile pace! Yeah!<br />
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Do you know I have planned next!? I have officially signed up for my VERY FIRST half marathon! That's right! On September 30th, I will be running in the Maine Half Marathon!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071975121558899968.post-55748873146530015732012-07-20T18:18:00.002-07:002012-07-20T18:19:51.315-07:00Making time for me...With Kevin being gone, and having to be with the four kiddos proves to be quite tough on somedays - some are surely worse than others. I wake up with them, and put them to bed. Sometimes days run into each other and by the time the kids go to bed, I am fried. It's easy to get caught up in the kids 24/7 and leave my needs unattended to, but there is only so long one can go on that way before truly being miserable. Though, I have to say, I am quite thankful for those in my life who help me stay sane!<br />
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Since having Callum, I've tried getting back into running. Every few months, I'd hit some sort of road block, like moving...or extreme heat & humidity in Virginia and then fall came, and running in the evening was impossible because it was dark so early. So, I stopped running. Then again in February, I started up again, I signed up for a 5 mile St. Patricks Day race and ended up having some pretty significant IT band issues, and had to forfeit the race and not run. It was several weeks before I was up and running without pain again. It was a long, frustrating road. Then, we headed off to Mexico for a week and ended up getting a foreign object stuck in my foot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0ROQs5kfj6sY2WB-h4oeFQSO-UyJMKP_Yai3HLRH6vXTW37aV9iRqLLcOSjXDlqK-HwOPsyRetcwZ_YJlA8FRdcIUyFwnBWmiJY8s1iVpRc6vO0mHISrP3cx-75eLd21o03ztVpm27Q/s1600/IMG_5900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0ROQs5kfj6sY2WB-h4oeFQSO-UyJMKP_Yai3HLRH6vXTW37aV9iRqLLcOSjXDlqK-HwOPsyRetcwZ_YJlA8FRdcIUyFwnBWmiJY8s1iVpRc6vO0mHISrP3cx-75eLd21o03ztVpm27Q/s200/IMG_5900.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was immediately after coming home from the food doctor.<br />
He had tried digging<br />
the object out of my foot without any luck...<br />
Believe me, it did NOT look like that when I walked<br />
into his office - it was MUCH less impressive! </td></tr>
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--about "that" foreign object - I never blogged about or even mentioned it, but I guess I'll have to share all the fun I went through during the last few weeks of our time in Virginia. You may want to close your eyes in a few! So, anyways, our last full day in Mexico and Lilah wants to run down to the beach. So we RUN...and all of a sudden I feel something impale my foot. I wanted to scream. I looked down and it was a small puncture wound. I would have bet a million dollars that my foot was sliced open, but no, a small measly puncture wound. I hobble into the water with Lilah trying to ignore the pain, but I couldn't ignore it any longer. I hopped out of the water, sat down, and looked at my foot. There was surely something black embedded inside of my foot. Fast forward a few days - we couldn't get the object out in Mexico, so I ended up in the ER in Virginia. I had a foot doc try to dig the object out of my foot, but every time he tried, the piece of what we think was roof thatching would break off. It was then decided that if I didn't have pain, I should see if the wound will heal on its own. By the time we left for Maine, it still hadn't healed, but it was healing <i>very slowly. </i>Soon enough, I tried running and didn't experience any IT Band pain or foot pain, so I continued. At that point, you could still see black in my foot, but after several days at the beach and salt water, it appears as though the object has escaped my foot! It was a long road, but I finally feel as though my foot is truly healing! Who says the beach isn't healing!?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GLahctd-5chlvlSr0oduPiF0wuv85efVVy6EgvoWNcrDY6W0udm8gcG72uHG99zm69GMXOJMeBnA6bVOhCbLnRc210pagNDqHY9WrydVhOrg94wrOAmJ2ajYDK375b7KnvMgL5A_gls/s1600/IMG_5906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GLahctd-5chlvlSr0oduPiF0wuv85efVVy6EgvoWNcrDY6W0udm8gcG72uHG99zm69GMXOJMeBnA6bVOhCbLnRc210pagNDqHY9WrydVhOrg94wrOAmJ2ajYDK375b7KnvMgL5A_gls/s320/IMG_5906.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was about 10 days or so after the procedure. After days and days of<br />
soaks, it never came out...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-x6o-EG3QHwcL4cVoYd3BSpjylp1Rdo6wP9UT7OqNOk5dtMGuLrVYDgmKIxDyQJrEocuM4HjJcSvJovPgpikuuK1p1nFM-WR449PZnc4ezKJlC45E8oqCZhGTYXzTnXn2FtzCQMj1Uc/s1600/IMG_5984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-x6o-EG3QHwcL4cVoYd3BSpjylp1Rdo6wP9UT7OqNOk5dtMGuLrVYDgmKIxDyQJrEocuM4HjJcSvJovPgpikuuK1p1nFM-WR449PZnc4ezKJlC45E8oqCZhGTYXzTnXn2FtzCQMj1Uc/s320/IMG_5984.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is when we decided to let it heal and see what happens. It didn't heal<br />
too much after that until daily trips to the beach helped expel the object!<br />
By mid-July you can almost not even tell where the area was! It took FOREVER!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, after that whole foot ordeal, I was just ready to run. Once the pain subsided, I started running a little at a time. I was afraid to start too fast after my IT Band issue, so I took it slow. Real slow. I joined a running group that a friend of mine had started, and signed up for my first half Marathon! On September 30th, I will be running in the Maine Half Marathon. I have never run more than 7 miles at one time, and have only done that once in my life.<br />
<br />
Why you ask? I need to do it for me. It will force me to make time for me. While I don't love running, I love how it makes me feel when I am done. I love that I have a group of friends I can run with weekly, and I love that we can help each other out to run.<br />
<br />
I guess I should start blogging on my muffin top blog again!? (http://stephs90daychallenge.blogspot.com)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/306/9ABF9D58AC9DCD42CCE6CE798DF37AA4.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05002937604723118447noreply@blogger.com0