Artistic Geniuses, I Tell You!

While Mark and I were abroad, Frances and Chandler both went to an art day camp.  Frances went last year, but this was Chandler's first all-day-without-mom experience.  Thank all things holy, it was a success!

I was home in time for the closing art show.  Frances made these first pieces with the rest of her group.

And Chandler made this her own self:

Guess how many pompons are now all over my house.

Even More Fun

My mom stayed with the girls while Mark and I were out of town.  When we got home, I thought it would be fun to show the girls the house Mimi grew up in with Mimi in tow.  To put it simply, I was the only one who thought it would be fun, but off we went regardless.

The children currently living in the house were very interested in the strangers posing on their front lawn.  The girls themselves were less interested.  Oh, well.  The morning was saved with some pastry.  When in doubt, add sugar.  A1 parenting.

Getting out of town

Then the girls got lice, so Mark and I fled town.  (There may also have been a tenth anniversary involved.)

We went to the Czech Republic...

...and Austria to ride bikes.

It rained almost as much as it didn't, the hills were no joke, and we were in absolute heaven.

All we had to do was bike, eat and not manage smallish children for the first time in almost eight years.  Absolute Heaven, no matter how much it rained.

If we can still manage it on our twentieth anniversary, I will consider myself a blessed woman.

Home Again, Home Again

Just a bit tired from her two weeks in Maine...

Still in her clothes, lights on, surrounded by stuffties, legs crossed, asleep.  Vacationing done right.  Wear them into the ground, that's what I always say.

Ah, yes, swimming in Maine in July

That's Frances in the white and Chandler in the blue.

And just so we're clear, that's a lake behind them, not the ocean.

Also, I didn't get in at all.

Looong Day

After reading and hiking all day long, the kids treated themselves to some homemade ice cream sandwiches, made with homemade ice cream and homemade chocolate cookies.  (It may have been my suggestion, but Jocelyn made it happen.)

And then the kids collapsed, in their clothes with the lights on.

Just a wee bit tired.

Best Playground Ever

We decided to give Beech a rest.  We got super creative and went to Ships.  (I really need to make a goal of one new trail per year.)  Frances was her speedy self with the cousins, so Chandler and I had the rocks to ourselves.

Chandler was so happy.

Tide pools are just the best.

Seaweed's not bad either.

Oh, to have this in our backyard.