Cherry Brooke Open house

Its the cherry brook open house and a great excuse for a date night.  The 2 nights previous, Chris was in RI - staying with my sister and the next morning I was leaving at 6am for a flight to Austin - so....we got a babysitter and headed to 'meet the teacher'

Love walking through the halls thinking about Shane and Nick wandering around.  So surreal almost to sit in they chairs and listen to their teachers.  Shane's was first  - she is a mom of 3 boys herself (yes, I already love her  - her youngest is a senior in high school)  She is strict, loud and will love on the kiddos!  Next up is Nick's teacher - she is single, soft spoken and has a natural yoga type vibe.  The seriously couldn't be more different.  Love the notes the kiddos left, but the best part of the evening was opening Nick's locker and finding this......  

Its a magnet that Farrah got us and put on our fridge - Nick swiped it and made it his own. 

Yup, he loves football! - really just Tom Brady.

Kids are doing just fine - I truly just hope right now they are kind and helpful to others. work hard and be proud of what they can achieve.

It goes both ways

Yes, living my my folks means they are a big part of my life and the lives of my kiddos - it also means I get to help them out with their lives.  They travel - A LOT - and I think that is wonderful!  However the list of instructions I receive when they are gone is often LONGER than the one I offer up for my 3 kiddos!!  Plants, hang out with the cats, etc...  

Well my folks went to Boston and my mom had a premonition that Hoover wasn't feeling well.  I APPLAUD them for not paying a fish doctor to verify this premonition.  So they went on vacation - 

As my mom was starting to worry, guess who got to go check on him (can i insert, I am leaving TOMORROW for my R+F convention and to stay with my BFF in Austin?? - My own list was rather lengthy) After scooping up Drew - we headed to the Pond.  

Premonition confirmed.  Hoover had passed.

Yes, i am thankful I could help - that is EXACTLY why I am here.  My mom had a BEAUTIFUL pond with BEAUTIFUL fish that she cares so well for.  I know having this fish for over 10 years means so much to them.  It is time for Hoover to be fertilizer.

he was just making room for the other.

In Drew's words - Poor Hoover.

Back to a life with Jewish Holidays

Yup, Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year - 

Its a holiday for us, right at the beginning of school.  The kiddos woke up on Monday and I was having SUMMER flashbacks - feed me, entertain me, make me stop fighting my brother - EEK!!  I packed lunches and took them on a hike with buddies - 

 ah

a 3 hour hike at sessions forest in Burlington

Kiddos loved it - there were LOTS of them.

can you see ALL the water lilies - TONS!

And since Dad was traveling - I thought it would be fun to have ICE CREAM before dinner - of course it was well received.  Wonder why the one that needs to cup the most refuses the cup the most.  SHOCKING

Happy Jewish New Year!

Here He goes! Children's Center - Orange Room

He is 3 almost 4 and headed to the Orange room at the Children's center.  He is SO excited (not gang lie - MOM TOO!)

Love this place and love the teachers - very social learning for all.  

Drew is turning a corner and I CANNOT wait.  

Love his smile.

o.k. ONE last time - Saranac with Cousins

Labor day weekend and what is our plan??  We really didn't have a plan.  Liz and Tam are planning their move to San Antonio Texas so we wanted to be available to them - did they need to escape?  Did they need us to take the kids, were they crazy enough to want visitors??  

Here we come! - We arrived late on Friday night and stuck the kiddos in bed so we could catch up on life and what its life to buy a house - inspections and all.  The next morning Tam had to roll out to deliver a bed to Brooke and Check in with his folks - so WE got to enjoy time with Liz and the Kiddos. 

Here we are at their school playground - Well, here Drew is at the school playground.

Next stop - the Farm to Table festival - 

YUM!

The new Bar - Bitters and Bones - 

WE asked them to put on Tom and Jerry (in honor of Drew's Shirt) and the kiddos were mesmerized for a bit.

The beer was good - that is a good thing!

Apparently it was too good.  Someone got over served.

Later that evening we hit their BEAUTIFUL lake that is literally walking distance.  They pretty much live in a coveted resort area.

An amazing dinner that Liz orchestrated

And a canoe ride with kiddos

See what I mean about BEAUTIFUL!

the kids JUST figured out the awesomeness of life jackets.  We never really introduced them since we wanted them SWIMMING - they were totally fascinated on how they could just float - actually mine loved how they could DIVE in and POP back up.

ONE, TWO, THREE - JUMP!!

This guy is NOT a life jacket believer yet - he needed more convincing.

Somehow my sunglasses made it into the water, rescued them AND the beer - fast work if I do say so myself.  Since the kids were all with life jackets, my lifeguarding skills were re-allocated.

BEA-U-TIFUL

I call this..... man on a canoe... with beer

Make you not want to go back home - if even just for bed.

Here we all are smelling wonderful, sand free and snuggling up for book from Liz's extensive library

All listening - all exhausted.

The next morning Liz had plans to head to a music festival in Saranac - but the kids wanted to go to the lake - can you blame them??  not a hard decision to make.  This photo is for Barbara - I can see you navigating this!

one group photo before we roll out on Sunday

In 20 years wonder which one will be the keeper - nice smiles or totally goofy - 

Thank you Liz and Tam for letting us invade your home for a long weekend when you should or could be packing up.  We have truly treasured how close you were in proximity and will miss this!  We all took advantage of it as much as we could.  We wish you THE BEST and enjoy the journey as you transition to life in Texas - one awesome state!!  You might be able to leave some of that cold weather gear behind =)

My Folks -

Not sure what more I can say - we all moved here for MANY reasons - and 2 of the biggest ones are these guys.  

Being miles apart for the last 20 years we have always kept in great contact, phone calls, texts, trips whatever.  I was never too far (o.k. maybe Kosovo was too far) to visit or make the effort.  Now its just SO much easier and more everyday.  My kiddos know them (and often prefer them!) and I get to be apart of THEIR daily lives.  I appreciate and treasure the ease of our relationship everyday.  

The final week of Drew -

So where does that leave us?  With Just Drew - 

He is about to turn 4 - there is something amazing about that number.  I love the ages of 4 and 5 - so sweet, smart, independent an loving - each child has shown me that and we are starting to see glimpses of that come through with Drew - Come on buddy - leave 3 behind!!

Love the relationship these 2 have

indulged myself in a BEAUTIFUL photo of my mom's garden - she amazes me with the ease

We were called over to entertain this beautiful dog - the boys were happy to oblige

our friends Amy and Rick with they daughter Elise were able to stay with us Monday night as they had just dropped of Darion and Berkley school of music in Boston.  The first of my friends to have kiddos in COLLEGE!  I remember hosting him as a teen while in Germany - what a talented kiddo.  Elise is as well.  Nice of them to make it a point to spot and stay with us.  Here is the flag to bring them in as a beacon!

Doctor's appointment what??

Yep - according to the X-rays he is healing - it still looks broken to me - but no more sling - the Doc just asked that he refrain from Tackle football - 

o.k. we will try!

These are the times I want to remember.  I saw lots of grand kids at the Stratton forest pond today - I hope to bring my grandkids here.  I also saw a great group of women dive in and tread water out in the center of the pond just catching up on life.  I reminded me of a classic book - the yaya sisterhood or something - so cool

Great shot buddy

love from Texas is always appreciated - Checly thank you for packing such a FUN box of treasures for all!!