Swinging into Summer

Two years ago, we invested in a great swing set for our backyard and it was one of the smartest things we ever did.  The girls use it 12 months a year - sliding, swinging, playing, climbing - anything goes.  The last few months have been no exception.  Here are a few pictures of them, just swinging.

Planting the Garden

We always wait until Memorial Day weekend to plant so last weekend, Lee turned over the garden one final time and we got to planting.  While we always plant our staples - tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and yellow beans - this year we added carrots at Elizabeth's request.  We also planted sunflowers, which the girls really love when they come in.  Both Elizabeth and Emily are enthusiastic planters so we tried really hard to let them plant seeds with us, but some of the seeds are so tiny that they either didn't make it or there are about 15 seeds in one tiny spot!

Elizabeth plants her carrot seeds.

Emily plants some cucumber seeds.

Elizabeth helps Lee with the tomato plants.

It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it!

Memorial Day Parade

On Monday, I took the girls to our local Memorial Day Parade.  It was the first parade they had ever attended and although it was not particularly memorable, they LOVED it.  From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, they enthusiastically waved their little flags, cheered and clapped.  Local parades have the added benefit of familiar faces and they were thrilled to see their babysitter, one of our neighbors and a few friends from dance class.  I am already trying to find a good 4th of July parade to take them to, it was so much fun.  More pictures here .

Checking to see if the parade started yet.

The girls' babysitter, Taylor.

Emily is so frantically waving her flag that her tongue is sticking out from the effort!

Our neighbor Debby marched with the Historical Society.

Emily jumps with excitement.

Photo of the Week

The girls strike a pose before we head out to watch the Memorial Day parade.

Fenway Fever

Saturday night, Lee and I were lucky enough to go to Fenway to catch a Red Sox/Mets game with two close friends. It was a great game, until the top of the ninth, when Jonathan Papelbon, our scarily-solid-closer, gave up a two run homer after striking out two consecutive batters. Regardless of the outcome, we had a lot of fun and the game was very exciting.

Big Papi takes a swing.

Jacoby Ellsbury heads for third.

Jonathan Papelbon is intense. This pitch was 98 mph.

Lowell and Sheffield chat during the instant replay.

Click the arrows in the corner to maximize; turn up the volume for sound.

Aunt Denise and the Newts

Okay, Aunt Denise didn't actually have newts, but Auntie Kathy and Uncle Peter did.....We spent the rest of last Saturday visiting with Aunt Denise and almost my entire family.  The girls loved visiting with Aunt Denise - in addition to feeding their faces (cheese, pepperoni, crackers, rice cakes, cookies and popsicles), she let them help her feed the fish and pick amazingly beautiful lilacs.  And, because the girls have boundless energy, we even went on a walk!  After leaving Aunt Denise's house, we headed to Auntie Kathy and Uncle Peter's house, where we feasted on pizza with Grammy, Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Auntie Karen, Katie, Jillian, and "little Emily " (as Elizabeth started calling her) and her parents.  While there, the girls made repeat trips to the backyard to inspect the newts, as well as into the basement, to check out Uncle Peter's animal collection, including his bear .  They were completely exhausted but totally happy when we left.

Feeding the fish with Aunt Denise

I love this picture of Emily, taking time to smell the flowers (because that is the kind of thing that Emily does....)

Why does Elizabeth love all creepy, crawly things?

Pizza for dinner = silence

Grandpa's Gardens

As much as the girls love fishing with Lee's parents, they love being in the yard at my parents' house. They usually raid the blueberry bushes and inspect my dad's gardens. At this time of year, my dad usually doesn't have much planted, but they inspected what he did have and questioned him on what he intended to plant over the Memorial Day weekend. My father can pretty much get the girls to do anything and this time around, he convinced (with little effort, I might add!) Elizabeth to try rhubarb, straight out of the garden. As you can see from the photos below, she didn't acquire an immediate taste for it!!

They love running around my parents' wide open yard - it was exhausting to watch them!

Inspecting the plants and asking all sorts of questions of Grandpa.

Grandpa picked this rhubarb about 5 seconds before he offered it to Elizabeth....

...she didn't like it.

May Visit to the Lake

Last weekend, the girls and I traveled to New Hampshire to visit our family and friends.  On Saturday afternoon, we spent a few hours at the Lake with Grammy and Grampy where the girls engaged in one of their favorite outdoor activities - fishing.  For three years now, Elizabeth practically demands to fish every time we visit the Lake and, weather permitting, Grammy and Grampy are always prepared with fishing rods and night crawlers.  Emily enjoys watching Elizabeth and the fishing process more than she enjoys the actual fishing itself, but they both have a great time.  This time, Elizabeth caught a pretty good sized bass right off and then followed that up with three or four sunfish.  She even pulled one in herself!

Photo of the Week

Loving Lambie.

Things Heard On or Near Clover Street....

The first one is straight from Emily, but the rest are all Elizabeth.

- "Mommy, you the best mommy in the whole world." And all I did was give Emily a piece of bread made by someone else (thanks Seth!).
- "No wonder he forgot his pajamas. Boys don't wear pajamas! That's a silly book." After reading Pajama Day.
- "911!! 911!!" Because Aunt Denise was hugging her too tight and that's what you say when you need help....
- "Daddy's job is helping people exercise. Mommy's job is helping people work. Daddy's good at exercising. Mommy's good at working." Sad, but true.
- "You call your mommy 'Ma' and you call Daddy's mommy 'Cheryl.' Why do I call them both 'Grammy'?" Good question.
- "When do the 4 year olds dance?" While excited to see Taylor dance at a competition, she wondered why there were no performances by girls her age.
- "Recycle it!" After learning about recycling at preschool, Elizabeth is our social conscience.
- "Why did you and Daddy get married in the middle of the road?" This one came after she saw one of wedding pictures, in which we are standing in front of our limo.....

Weekend In Review

On Saturday morning, the girls and I headed to New Hampshire so that Lee could get some work done around the house (read: get a much needed break from the women in his life!).  We had a packed itinerary, although the only one exhausted tonight seems to be me!  First, we visited with Grammy and Grandpa; then out to the lake to see Grammy and Grampy; then back into town to see Aunt Denise; then to Auntie Kathy's and Uncle Peter's for a pizza party with our cousins and Emily from New Hampshire . After a short, but restful night's sleep, we had a play date with Ethan and Owen before heading back to Connecticut (so that Elizabeth and I could watch a dance competition).  It will take me a while to get through all of the photos, but here is a brief review of our 30 hour roundtrip:

Emily, Elizabeth and Grandpa inspect his planting to date.

Fishing with Grammy and Grampy.

Picking lilacs with Aunt Denise

Checking out some newts that Uncle Peter found while hunting.

Posing for the usual group photo-after-play date are Ethan, Owen, Elizabeth and Emily.