Learning to Ride

The next rite of passage in childhood?  Learning to ride a bicycle!  You'll note that Daddy is there for confidence, not for balancing support.  

OK, Daddy's there for some critical support at the end.

The next kid gave it her all:

While Adam cruised around on the scooter:

And in a final moment of triumph:

She did it!  How exciting!  Kudos to Daddy, his patience and the balance bikes we've been using.

Apple Picking 2015

It was a little earlier than our usual apple picking trip, but it was a nice change of pace to have warm instead of chilly weather as we walked through the orchard.

This year we tried a different spot, Carver Hill.  It was a success!  No crowds!

Still photos to follow in another post.

New Book

A new book for the new year.  Very exciting!

Soccer Sundays

About six months after A+A were born, their Aunt informed me that soccer was key to meeting other kids before kindergarten.  This would secure life long friendships and be the general secret to happiness in the public school district.

So I did my duty.  I signed the kids up.  Although it was drizzling and chilly, A+A valiantly marched on to the field, ready to become the newest Soccer Stars on their team.

What happened?  The photos tell one story:

Ooof!  Shin guards.  Gotta get 'em.

Watch out big guy, here I come!

The videos tell another.  Look for Adam in the yellow jacket.  Ashley is in a pink jacket, no hood.  They're working on basic skills...

Best we can do is brew up some coffee, throw it into travel mugs, pack a portable chair or two, sit back and enjoy the entertainment.

Ballet Saturdays

The magical age of 4 brings so much with it including weekend activities.  Ashley has campaigned for ballet lessons for over 4 months, so with the start of fall, our little ballerina is overjoyed when it's a Saturday:

And she showed me her plie skills:

I sat patiently in the small waiting area, caught up with a neighbor, and managed to catch a quick clip through a window, which is why you hear parents chatting and no music.  Ashley's verdict when they emerged from the class?  It's great but it's not real ballet!  They played with scarves, hula hoops and other toys.  Ashley was hoping to improve her plie skills.  Maybe this weekend?  

Hint:  Look for the girl in pink.  OK, that wasn't helpful.  Look for the girl in pink to the left of your screen with "Anna" braids.  And quit'sher laughing.  Those were the best French braids I could muster on a squirmy kid!

Cleaned Up Good

These kids clean up good, if you put in enough effort:

Labor Day Celebration with Cousins

Our cousins from Brooklyn and Boston came to visit!  Yahoo!

And they also know how to let loose too:

35th Annual Spindles Car Show

At our last vintage car show, Adam correctly identified Hudson Hornets ("Doc" Hudson) and 1959 Chevy Impalas ("Ramone").  Thank you Pixar for teaching my children something about car design and history!

This time we embarked on a trip to Marshfield, MA, to check out cars of all vintages.  But it wasn't the oldies that caught Adam's eye.  This time it was much newer cars that were inspiring.  This photo says it all:

But I assure you, he wasn't the only one having fun:

Feeding Lambie

Every (day and) night Grandma struggles to feed Lambie.  Grandma invents a new game every few weeks to "trick" Lambie into eating.  Who trained who, eh?  At any rate, Lambie seems to love eating right from preschooler hands.  Go figure.

Got Da Crazies

Every now and then the A-team likes to let off a bit of steam.  Here's the latest installment: