Just Your Average July 3rd

Take a deep breath.  Ready, set, July 3rd!

First, we climbed Beech, as one does.

Then, the girls went swimming.  Not the adults.  Are you crazy?  It was only July!  

In this picture, Frances was working on getting onto the float.  It was hard with three guys on the opposite side.  And Chandler was swimming back towards us.

Then Frances flew a kite off the porch, because that's possible in Maine.

I believe there was some grilling and s'mores, and then we moved down to the beach for sparklers.

Lots and lots of sparklers.

And then, on July 4th, we drove Mark back into Bangor to catch the bus home.  A short but sweet visit.

The girls and I didn't do much of anything to celebrate July 4th on our own.  I hear there's a big fireworks display on Somes Sound, but we're just not up to anything that starts at 9 p.m.  Give us a couple years, until the girls stop being afraid of loud booms and sleeping in after a late night.  When does that phase begin?

When in Bar Harbor...

...eat ice cream!

Yep, almost as soon as school ended, we headed to Maine with the girls.  We were blessed again this summer with three weeks in Maine.  Mark was able to come up for a few days in July (and then a few more days in September, but we'll get to that).  Day One consisted of a stop at the fireworks store and another at the ice cream parlor.  Not a bad day.

Tooth Two

Oh, the little miracles of our lives.

Old Sturbridge Village

One Saturday morning, I said to Mark, "I really want the kids to see Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village this summer."  He said, "Old Sturbridge is free for kids today."  That's all it took.  We checked in with some buddies and were Old-Sturbridge-bound.

The aforementioned buddies were the Linfoots, of course.

Here we go 'round the vine arch.  Frances, Peanut, Chandler, Darby and Adler in orange in the distance.

Pumping water was very popular, probably more with our brood than with actual colonial children.  But I'm just guessing.

After much water pumping, we watched a hot air balloon launch.  Apparently that was a popular pastime; setting the paper balloon on fire seemed to be an accepted risk.  Never mind your skirts.

Away it goes.

Then there was a wagon ride around the grounds, complete with draft horses.  Two horse-drawn wagon rides in one year for me - life is looking up!

Frances helped water the pigs.  We learned the colonials ate between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day.  That's a lot of pig.

And Chandler had a little lamb.

Now some pretty stuff, because I like pretty stuff.

See the rocks?  I like those rocks.  I'm going to have rock doorsteps, someday.

Fence with wheat.  Gorgeous.

Dyeing wool.

And bringing in the cows for the night.

I had to stop myself from asking too many questions about cow ovulation and reproduction during the milking demonstration, didn't want to scare the kiddies, or anyone else.  But it was fascinating.

The whole day was really interesting, but none too cheap, even with the free kids.  I think Plimoth Plantation will have to wait until next summer.  But one historical recreation per summer may be a saner pace.  If the kids start begging for more historical recreations, we can revisit that decision, but I don't see that happening soon.

The Very Last Day of Kindergarten

It was a half-day; the kids got to wear whatever they wanted.

Ms. Freeman was perfectly willing to have the kids come to school, as Frances insisted on doing, but she made no bones about the kids watching films while she packed up the room.  Fine.

And then summer was officially on.  We finished up the day at the sprinkler park.

So long, kindergarten.  You were very good to us!

My Sous Chef...

...ate my ingredients.

Thank the Lord she's cute.

Kindergarten is Over?

Kindergarten is over.  And there was a graduation ceremony, because that's what schools do these days.  The kids got to ditch their uniforms.  Frances was more than a little pleased.  She even added a headpiece.

Some of her buddies were Madison and...

...Gloria and...

...Salamata.

And I liked those kids, but this lady here is a keeper.

Ms. Freeman went out of her way to make sure Frances was challenged.  I know that's what teachers are supposed to do, but this lady gave Frances her own reading "group."  Then, to make sure Frances had peers with whom to discuss books, she found another classroom with kids on Frances's level and sent her there a couple times a week.  Frances was in heaven.  Ms. Freeman made her feel so special.  What a special lady.  The woman is on the ball. (It's possible I miss her more than Frances misses her; Frances has been blessed with such wonderful teachers, she doesn't know how good she's got it!)

Just Another Sunday

We don't make it to church much in the summer.  There's just so many things to do while the sun shines, things like sliding down big hills on giant pieces of cardboard with our stuffed gorillas.

That did not get old fast.

Eventually, we pried the girls away from the giant slides, and loaded them onto a giant boat to see a giant harbor.

George's Island - such an easy way to get away from the city.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

A lovely summer Sunday was had by all.

Our Last Ballet Recital?

Ah, Spring!  The time of recitals.

We had, I believe, our third annual ballet recital.  Frances was excited, as always.  She's shy in some ways, but doesn't mind being on a stage either.  

My funny girl.

Darby danced too, of course, she just happens to be much faster at changing than Frances is.  Maybe she was more motivated to get to the pizza restaurant we visited to celebrate their success.

Darby chose to move on to gymnastics, which spelled the end of Frances's interest in ballet.  I'm somewhat sad to see Frances's interest fade, but I never thought of ballet as a long-term plan.  I certainly won't miss entertaining Chandler during Frances's class.  We shall see what sparks her interest next.  I've suggested swimming and choir, but my ideas were vehemently rejected.  Can we skip classes altogether?  Is that allowed?