Field Trip

Week 3 is in the books, and it felt like we were in a good routine. Unfortunately Hudson doesn't have tumbling class for two weeks due to teacher illness, but we took advantage of the day off to get some housework done and play with friends at the park. Then on Friday Henri had her first field trip and I "chaperoned". Saturday morning I went to a friends and we made waffles and sipped coffee and just reveled in a lazy morning. It was wonderful. Church today and over to friends for lunch (lamb curry and naan, soooo good!), then replacing the windshield blades. Exciting!

Spent the week begging Steve to let us go get Stache. It didn't happen :/

Apple Picking!

Hay Ride. Hudson was allowed to come this time, and he loved being part of the class. Lined up with the kindergarteners, followed every rule with deep concentration, was very sad he didn't get to go back to school at the end. Might have to look in to K4 for him after all. 

Our row. We got to pick galas.

Honey Pot Hill is a major tourist attraction for all the city folk, but they have this school group thing down to a science. Spent just the right amount of time at each activity to not feel rushed but not give the kids time to get bored/in trouble

Their loot

Cider and cider donuts for a snack

Special surprise, they each got a pumpkin to bring home. The kids were all well behaved (well, except a fist fight I broke up between 2 boys over a lost tooth...), the parents fun to talk with, the teachers sweet and organized. Gave me a better feeling about the school than I was having, and I can see that Henri is fitting in well, feels comfortable there. 

Friday night I babysat our neighbor. Perfect set up. L came over for supper and played until bedtime (she's Huds age), then my kids went to bed with Steve supervising, and I put L to bed at her house. There was a little settling to be done for the first 15 minutes, then she was sound asleep and I had the rest of the night to lounge on their couch with Brubeck (the puppy), read books, browse on my phone.....basically bliss. Steve was across the backyard if I got nervous (other people's houses late at night, eeks) and then going home I just walked up the driveway. Really a wonderful evening. Plus the mom made us an awesome cheesecake.

 Looks to be another busy week. And the weather is finally fall!!!!!

Routines

I'm sure this will jinx it all, but today it feels like this whole school routine might possibly work out. The commute still sucks, but now that I know all the routes I don't have my GPS up, and not having the "time to beat arrive" showing greatly reduces the anxiety. We got all the chores done, grocery shopping completed, Hudson's hair cut (he likes his stylist AND he gets a lollypop so it's a super easy task), and Hudson to nap at noon. I'm knocking out the to-do list for stuff coming up in a few weeks.....it's all good. That might be because we took it easy on Saturday and I was able to sleep, plus I've had 2 cups of coffee today instead of the usual 1. Either way, nice to feel on top of stuff.
Friday Henri had a half day so we went up to Ogunquit to meet my folks/hang on the beach. SUPER windy and cold but the kids didn't mind in the least (as always). We stayed until dark and got to see a gorgeous moon rise. Saturday was just hanging at home, going for runs, going to play at the park. Then yesterday after church we went to the Family Day at Steve's work. They have this every 5 years, and this is the first time I've been since visitors aren't routinely allowed in. So for 10 years I've just imagined what the place looks like. Truthfully, it was a little more depressing than I'd imagined (no windows) plus the clutter....I might have done some rearranging and organizing while I was there, just little stuff like pens and paper clips, but arggghhhh!!!! The kids got to write all over a huge whiteboard, and go for rides on the utility cart, and pop packing bubbles. There was also a nice lunch served, plus tons of demonstrations and games. We finished it off touring the flight test hangar, and walking through some radar testing stuff. Some of the rooms were sound deadeners (is that a word?) and even with the doors open the lack-of-sound level was wonderful. They could make a ton of money allowing moms to sit in there for 5 minute increments. I know I'd pay well. This week is packed with the usual stuff, although I think Saturday is still unscheduled.

Hudson started tumbling class. The teacher was hardcore and Hudson did great. Listened and participated and was utterly adorable.

He might have inherited his fathers "flexibility" unfortunately.

Most of the gang

Mom and Papa treated us to ice cream for supper

Of course it looks tiny in the picture, but the moon was huge and gorgeous

Henri "reading" to Hudson

Let the phonetic spelling begin! Can you interpret that first word? (It's "curly"; krle. Obviously. )

Modeling the shark boots he got for his birthday from Aunt Payte. We're finally getting rain so he was thrilled to put them on.

Getting in to the swing of things

People keep asking me how Henri is doing with school; she's fine. The one not doing so great/having a rough time would be me. And Hudson to a small degree. I just can't figure out how to get stuff done! I know it's not rocket science, but by the time I get home from dropping Hen off (so, 1.5 hours in the car) Hudson desperately needs to run outside, and I can't just shoo a 3 year old outside alone. So, I go out and play ball and tennis and whatever. Then it's lunch time because I want him to get a decent nap which mean bed by 12. Then dishes and cleaning the house but not vacuuming because I want him to sleep, and starting supper, and trying to get going on my CE's to maintain my license, and laundry, and Children's Church prep, and playgroup prep (and I know everyone does this stuff, it's just my schedule has been moved a lot). And then this week we've started up the various playgroups Hudson will be attending (though todays was a nightmare of craziness, we'll give it one more shot but will probably drop it) and he starts "gymnastics" tomorrow, and there's the usual weekly stuff like grocery shopping and library and seeing to church duties. Then we leave the house by 2:45 to go get Henri, and get home around 3:30 (better commute in the afternoon thankfully) and hopefully she's gotten most of her homework done in the car but not always, then it's outside play and then supper and then walk and bath and reading and bed and going out for a run and packing a lunch for the next day and filling out school paperwork. And the vacuuming still isn't done (huge love to Steve, he picked up the house for me this morning after we had a rough start and had to tear out of here leaving it in shambles).
 Then I read the verse this afternoon about how when there are no oxen, the stable stays clean, and it was a good reminder that this mountain of chores exists only because we have the tremendous blessings of children and a house and a car (eeks, just remembered I'm almost out of gas....), and a great school opportunity, and that we live in a highly desirable part of the country (hence the insane traffic). So; Henri is fine. She likes school. Hudson is ok, he likes having undivided attention but he misses his sister a ton. I am getting to be ok, coffee has played a major role in my life lately. Maybe third week will be the charm.

Thursdays are chapel days

Hudson writing "X's" on the pitchers mound

Hen did my hair for me

Last Friday Hud and I met up with friends at Houghton Pond for a day of sand and swimming. Love that place. 

Saturday we had a race and Meg and Nate graciously offered were guilted in to watching the kids while we ran. They found a segment of dirt and didn't stray until it poured.

Before the race. Still optimistic I'd run the whole thing (this was straight up Wachussett Mountain).

Walking up the ski hill to get to the start.

At least we got to take the lift back down!

Finished! Steve came in 4th, but 1st in his age group. Very proud of him. David did great too, especially since running isn't his thing. I came in last. Yup, dead last. 18:18. Someone has to have the honor, I guess. Motivation to get back out there and train harder. Ha. I did hit my goal time though (which obviously wasn't anything blistering).

Henri went to a birthday party on Saturday and got her face painted for the first time ever.

And then Sunday we spent the day in various Urgent Cares and finally ended up at Mass Eye and Ear ER for Hudson. Something in his eye. But not scratched. Just tons of pain. Numbing drops, erythromycin ointment, and organic lollypops later, he's on the mend. 

New favorite for Henri, it's on weekly rotation.

Then Monday he fell out of a tree. I did not take him to the ER as we'd been there enough. I think his ribs are intact,  he just has an impressive-looking wound. 

She's getting pretty good at this! She can start herself off now, and gets scary close to our cars but hasn't taken any paint off yet. 

Well, the terror is awake now, and the car needs filling before we can get Hen so I think we need to leave....like 10 minutes ago. Fingers crossed for a break in road construction so we get there on time!

First Day

We did it! First day of school is under our belts. Henri, from all she's told me, had a great time. Biggest impression was playing with a slinky. Hudson decided to get up at 4 so I was pretty brain dead and overly emotional all day. Add in spending 2.3 hours in the car (20 of those minutes just waiting in the pick up line, argggghhhh!!!!), finding out that she really should know how to read (the other kids in her class can), and that she's been put in the "B" group and, well, I don't want her to go back ever again. But I guess she is, and maybe if we cram hard we can get her up to speed by next week. I'm pretty sure when I was in kindergarten you didn't even need to know your ABC's until December...

All her essentials. Glad she doesn't have a long walk, because that bag was pretty heavy today!

She's very excited about her new Crocs

Hudson chopped up all my bananas for me so we could have smoothies for the week

Henri's Yumbox. Love this thing. Lunch for tomorrow includes her current favorite tomato and cucumber salad. 

The final countdown

This week has been all the lasts until life as we know it changes irrevocably.....Henri starts school next week. And honestly I was totally fine and very excited for her. Until Tuesday when I could not stop crying every time I looked at her. How could this be over already? Will she still talk to me? Will her little brother still be her best buddy and the one that makes her laugh the most? Is Hudson going to drive me nuts without his adoring favorite around to entertain him? (spoiler alert: absolutely). Anyway, much agonizing. And maybe it was because I was nervous, but Henri suddenly got apprehensive...and started to clean. Hurray, the kid does take after me! When facing the unknown, we organize something completely unrelated. In consequence, our house currently looks fantastic, and the next two years worth of clothes for the kids has been sorted and binned and labeled.  She also reorganized my junk drawer, so now I can't find anything....Then last night we had the new family orientation at school, and though we'd been there two other times, this was exactly what Hen and I needed. I met a bunch of other parents I genuinely liked (also met a few spazzes, but you'll get that anywhere), and Hen got to spend an hour in her classroom with her teacher and familiarize herself with everything as it will be for her. She'd gone last year for a visit, but now she got to see her cubby, sit at her desk, play with her supplies. She went in last night nervous and withdrawn, and came out bubbling over with excitement (and with way more information than I need. Like, the entire history of the 3rd grade parrot who's name is Sampson). So, this week has been mostly preparing. We have first day outfit picked out and ironed (not difficult considering there's a uniform and dress code), backpack packed, lunch menus written up. Then, we just spent as much time outside playing as possible. My one big concern with this school is that there is only one (1!) 20 minute recess. Visions of childhood obesity and a lifetime of sedentary-induced illness haunt my dreams, but I'm sure we can work around it somehow, and I think all the other offerings (they start both computer programming and Spanish in Kindergarten, then Latin in 3rd) will more than balance that worry out.
No big plans for the weekend, just cherishing our last, relatively unscheduled day for a long time.

Last Saturday we went to Hammond Castle to experience the Medieval lifestyle

Well, the 1920's actually

The outside gardens were my favorite. Inside was pretty gloomy and musty.

Huge 800+ pipe experimental organ 

The Great Hall

Mr. Hammond had commissioned a nude statue of himself that horribly embarrassed his wife, and that his guests used to steal the grape leaf from, haha. 

My pirates digging for gold

Gram S got them shovels which is making it easier for them to completely ruin what's left of my yard. Craters everywhere.

Playing Rapunzel

Anna sent me a link to folding napkins, it adds a touch of fun to the dining experience.

Not paying attention, then realized I was head to toe purple. Looked like an expiring grape on my run. 

Dental appointments! She did fantastic

Don't be fooled, he did not. Clinging, crying, barely cooperative. I had to sit in the chair with him on me. But we got a full cleaning in and there were no cavities. 

Hen at school with her rest mat in front of her cubby . She was pretty excited that the teacher gave her a pink mat :)