Friends

After coming home from NH to some very unpleasant drama from someone who we had thought of as a really good friend, I had just about given up on having "real world" friends. I never really have had many anyway, a few good ones along the way but usually end up growing apart with them as our lives and (usually jobs) change throughout the years. Most of the people I feel closest too I only talk to online and some I have never in met in "real life".

I was happy when Nicole texted me and asked if the girls and I wanted to get together. We met at Sandy Point Beach for a few hours. Pie, Sammie and Cadence had fun playing in the sand and water (which actually wasn't too cold after all the hot weather we've had.) Nicole and I had a nice time talking and catching up after being gone for the summer.

It was nice to have my faith in friendship restored and look forward to spending time with them again soon. 

17

Seventeen years ago, I was getting ready to walk down the asile to marry my best friend.

We've been through a lot together and end up closer and stronger everytime. Sadly, we don't get to spend the day together, as always when work calls he's gotta go but it's ok.

We will have many, many more times to share together.

I couldn't ask for a better husband or father to our girls. I feel so lucky and very blessed.

Part of the village

Someone I know recently got herself in a lot of legal trouble and most of the comments I've heard people say is that it was expected. "She's a sociopath just like her mother." "She was a bad seed from the beginning."

While I don't condone what she did and completely agree that she needs to be accountable for her actions I feel like the "village it takes to raise a child" let her down.

So many members of her family could have stepped up and been a positive influence instead of spreading rumors and looking down their noses at her and her mother. She could have had a very special relationship with her aunt who shared some of her interests but that didn't happen, they virtually have no relationship at all.

I feel responsible too. I could have stepped up and been a bigger part of her life. After all I lived right next to her for a large portion of her childhood. But I didn't do it, and now I wonder if everyone who was part of her village had done something to influence her in a positive way maybe she wouldn't be in so much trouble now. I very strongly believe that when a child is told they will never amount to anything never think they are worth more than that.

Already?

When we were outside this morning playing in the big puddle after all the rain last night, I noticed how many of the leave are changing already. Sigh.

I guess I can't complain too much. We did have an awesome summer but I am not at all ready to see winter. Hopefully we will have a nice long autum and the snow will hold off until next year. I for one, couldn't care less if we have a white Chrismas - unless it was on a white sandy beach somewhere!

We had 2 more sunflowers open up this morning too. I guess there might be a little bit of summer left to hang on to afterall.

Back at it.

It's been about a month since I've updated. I just didn't have much of a chance to write while we were in NH. The girls had a hard time napping in the hotel room and that's usually when I have enough quiet time to blog.

It's been nice to be home. Our house was still standing, dogs still alive but the yard and garden was a mess. I've been working on trying to get things back in order before winter, which feels like is right on our heels. Our sunflowers look like they could touch the sky!

 We have picked some tomatoes, squash, carrots, onions, and have 6 pumpkins and 3 butternut squash still growing. Hopefully next summer we will be able to give a garden more attention, although with two little helpers around wanting to pick everything they see, maybe the garden was better off with us gone!

The dogs were happy to see us. Tig has done really well with the girls but seems to have forgotten how to walk on a leash. We attempted to walk on the waterfront on Monday and he just about drug me down the path. He also seems to have an issue with other women, makes me wonder why. He's fine with me but didn't like anyone else. Guess we will just have to keep working on socialization with him. I really have my hands full with him and the girls though.

Ink!

It's been awhile since either Chris or I have gotten any new tattoos. If money weren't an issue we both would have a whole lot more than we do now! But until we win the lotto we can only get one every so often.

We had debated what to do on Sunday since it was once of our last few days in New Hampshire. We were sitting at supper on Saturday night and Chris overheard a guy talking about the Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo that was going on in Manchester this weekend. So Sunday morning we headed out to see another new city and see a whole lot of ink! There were defiantly a lot of very uh, interesting people to look at and some really awesome artists showcasing their work.

I had been wanted to have Sam's name tattooed and Chris wanted to have the "good" skull tattooed on his left hand. So we found someone who had a couple openings and got now ink!

Jesse Rix was our artist and he was AWESOME!

Chris's "evil" skull on the left and his new "good" skull on the right.

Sammabean posing by her name.

I am also really excited because I think I've figured out how to finish up my arm piece so it will become an awesome sleeve!

Summer Fun

This has been one of the funnest summers I can remember. I am so glad that we decided to come to New Hampshire with Chris, it would have been  a long and depressing summer if we'd have stayed home.

We have done pretty well living in a hotel, most everyone leaves during the day so we don't really bother anyone when we are here. We've tried to get out and do something every day anyway.

Alton elementary school has the best playgorund.

We've been to the beach at Alton Bay, Carry beach and Brewster beach in Wolfeboro, Weirs beach, near laconia and to York beach in York, Maine. The girls have had fun playing in the sand and have gotten a lot more comfortable with the water.

We went to York's Wild Kingdom where the girls saw all kinds of animals, fed deer and goats, rode an elephant and a pony, had fun in the jumping castle and rode some rides.

We spent a Sunday at Clark's Trading Post in the White Mountains where we saw a bear show and rode on a train that was ambushed by a wolfman. Pie is now obsessed with trains!

We found the best play-group/story-time in New Durham where the girls get to sing songs, listen to stories and play with a parachute. The lady who puts it on does such an excellent job. We also saw a magic show at the library.

We went shopping at the outlet mall in Tilton a couple times. We got some killer deals at The Children's Place and bought Chris some new shirts at the Harley outlet.

My Rockstars in their new glasses!

We visited the New Hampshire Farm Museum a couple times and had fun seeing the chickens, pigs, goats, sheep and the last time we were there, milking a "cow". The girls got to grind corn to feed the chickens and washed clothes and hung them in the sun on the drying rack, they also got to pump water from the well.

 

We also visited the Kings Highway Alpaca Farm where we learned everything there is to know about alpacas from the nicest man who owned the farm. After seeing them up close, petting "Kisses" the friendliest female alpaca and seeing the most adorable babies, I am determined that I want some too! I guess I will just add them to my "if I win the lotto" list!

Holiday Weekend

Chris had Friday through Monday off of work for the 4th of July. We Spent Friday at the York Wild Kingdom where we saw several types of monkeys, kangaroos, tigers and many other animals.

The girls had a great time but especially enjoyed riding the elephant and pony.

They also loved feeding the goats, deer and ducks.

Afterwards we went to the York beach. Pie and Daddy walked out quite a ways into the water but Sam wasn't interested in getting more than her feet wet. I don't blame her, the water was cold!

We headed home and spent Saturday mowing the lawn and doing laundry. On the 4th we spent the day with a good friend watching movies then headed to Sandy Point beach too cool off before we went to the fireworks in Bangor.

Monday we got packed up and headed back to New Hampshire. It's going to be hot and humid this week so I expect to spend alot of time at the local beaches.

A fine line

One of the things I struggle with as a parent is how to keep my girls safe without being too over protective. My girls are still very young but are starting to learn some independence both physically and emotionally. I am finding it hard to go from newborns who depend on me to take care of their every need to toddlers who want to do things on their own and can run off at the speed of lightening. Pie wants to walk when we go to the store now "No cart, Mommy, no cart" she tells me, even though she concedes and rides in the cart when we are getting groceries. Sammie still rides on my back in the Ergo but is starting to fight me when I try and put her in, once she's there she's content to ride along.

I bought both girls the backpack harnesses last week so that they can walk around when we are places that where they could run into the street or get lost in a crowd. Pie really likes hers and we've gotten both looks of disgust and support from other parents who realize that I just want my girls to be safe.

Every time I start to let my guard down a little and get comfortable with my girls gaining independence I hear of something that has me scared to death. In this last week there was a 10 year old boy stabbed to death, along with his father and his friend in northern Maine, and also an attempted kidnapping of a young boy at Old Orchard Beach, while his parents were having a picnic. Luckily the boys father saw what happened and rescued his son in time.

Even though we live in the "safest" state in the country, and I usually don't worry too much about random crime, I still feel the need to never let my girls out of my sight and I'm not sure that feeling will ever go away.

Blessed

Yesterday we went to the local elementary school to play on the playground for a while in the morning. Sammie decided she wanted to climb the ladder to get to the twisty slide but was distracted by two little boys playing near her. I was right there trying to make sure she kept her hands and feet on the bars but she missed the last one, hit her head and fell to the ground before I could even react fast enough to try and catch her. She screamed. I picked her up and looked for blood. Thank God there was none, so we headed over by the parking lot where we found a private place to nurse. Hugs and Kisses are enough for some owies but boobie usually helps when my girls are really upset, scared or hurt. I am so grateful that as a mother I have the ability to offer my children comfort, natural pain relief, a sense of calmness that helps them recover from a traumatic event like she had.

Years before I ever had kids, I'd never gave breastfeeding a second thought. My sister and I grew up during a time when breastfeeding wasn't so popular and being the youngest I never was around very many babies. Bottle feeding formula was what seemed normal to me. When my sister had her children, she (like always) did a lot of research and made very educated decisions as to how she and her husband raised their kids. This was my first exposure to breastfeeding and I saw what a natural beautiful thing it was.

When I was pregnant with Pie, Chris and I knew that we wanted to breastfeed her but everywhere we turned we received negative comments and a serious lack of support. Very few people seemed to have anything positive to say and only gave excuse after excuse as to why they couldn't breastfeed their child and tried to justify why they fed formula. Now I believe every parent has the right to make their own choices when raising their children but I also believe in encouragement and supporting other people even when they choose something different than what I would choose.

Two and a half years later I am still nursing both my girls and intend to let them decide when they are ready to end this part of their childhood. At times I am touched out and it can be frustrating when they fight over who gets which boobie but when they hold hands and giggle so hard they they loose their latch, it makes it all worth it.

I love my girls and this special time we have been blessed with. I am so thankful that my sister showed me how beautiful breastfeeding in and am grateful that I have such an awesome supportive husband who helped me struggle though the rough spots to be able to enjoy this journey with my girls.

New Hampshire

Chris got called to work in New Hampshire for the rest of the summer. We talked about how much we didn't want to spend that much time away from each other and decided that we all would go and have an adventure. So here we are in Farmington, New Hampshire. It's actually been a nice change and we have been able to spend more time with Chris than we have in a long time. Without having to drive so many miles to work each day, we can spend some time with him in the mornings and have 3-4 hours with him at night. It's been a nice change.

On Monday, the girls and I drove to Alton Bay and played at the beach and on Tuesday we found a local elementary school and played on their playground. Both girls amazed me with their monkey climbing skills and their lack of fear. Tonight we are planning on driving to Laconia where they hold a bike rally every year. Unfortunately we missed the rally by only a week. Thursday is supposed to really hot and humid so we will probably find ourselves back at the beach again to try and stay cool, then head  towards home for the weekend to spend some time with Tig and get laundry done. We are supposed to get rain at home today, that will be good for the garden, as long as the rabbit hasn't eaten everything yet.

Ages and Stages

Pie didn't really start talking until she was about 21 months old. I think being a first child and that fact that I just seemed to know what she needed and wanted contributed to her not needing to be verbal. At about 23 months she really started learning more works and now at almost 30 months old is talking in complete sentences and usually using correct grammar, even if she does refer to herself in 3rd person (and as Pie).

I was was a little bit worried about her when hearing other mother's talk about their younger children talking so well. I thought that maybe they were just bragging and counting every little noise their kids made as real words. But she is such a jabber box now, I know there is nothing to worry about at all!

Sammie has really shocked me with how well and how young she has picked up language. I guess having an older sister to keep up with (and tattle on!) has encouraged her to want to communicate. She isn't even 18 months old yet and already speaking in 2 word sentences. She can answer most questions that she's asked and always wants to know where ____ is at. Especially Papa (Grandma and Grandpa!)

It just amazes me at how well and how quickly children learn, even when they learn things you don't want them too.

Little Miss Independent

Pulling her wagon down the driveway, Pie looks over her shoulder and says, "Bye Mom, going shopping. Be back soon."

Blue

When my mom  and dad were here they'd ask Pie and Sam what color is this or that and every time they would say blue. Pie knows most of her colors but blue must be her favorite color.

Last Saturday, Chris built the girls a nice big sandbox. We needed to get it painted this week so it would be all ready for sand next weekend. Chris asked the girls what color they wanted to paint it. Of course they said "Blue!"

So a blue sandbox is what we have. (And blue fingers and toes and hair and....)

Who designs these things anyway?

We have visited quite a few playgrounds in the last couple years and have been surprised at how poorly some of them are designed. When my mom and dad where here visiting we stopped at an older playground that was not very safe for little kids, it had lots of places they they could fall off or fall through. Yesterday we went to one that we had driven by in the past and thought it looked like a really nice playground. It was modern and seemed like it had a lot to do to keep the girls entertained. Pie and Sam both really enjoyed the little kid area. Sam was able to master everything all by herself and was even able to go down the slides without needing anyone to catch her. This jungle gym was made well and seemed safe except for one thing: there was no way for one parent to watch two kids if they were at each end. There also was a bigger kids jungle gym that was about 30 feet from the smaller one. Several older girls tried to lure Pie over to play with them. The was no chance of being able to watch a big kid and a little kid too. I guess some people might think I'm over protective or am a helicopter parent but I don't care. My girls are still really little and it's my job to make sure they are safe no matter where we are. I guess we'll stick to the playgrounds that are parent friendly as well as fun for the kids too.