Rebels and Redcoats

We love a good weekend event at Sturbridge Village.  This year's choice? Rebels and Redcoats. Not only did we see the British and their allies in full regalia (in 90+ degree heat), we saw a battle, and got to learn about life in the late 1700's thanks to the efforts of the Acton and Littleton Minutemen who camped out nearby.

Lots of fun for everyone!

Russian cousins

MLD's cousins visited the USA this summer and came to visit us one afternoon.  I'm always amazed at watching children play:  they may not share a spoken language, but they always find a way to play together.  Makes me wish adults could do the same.

Best part of all of this?  It only took us three summers to figure out how to get these kids to really slip down the slide without our help.  I remember the summers of pushing them down the slide and boy!  That took a lot of effort.  This "hose 'em down" approach is so much easier!

Daily Dalwin

Got another update from the photographers at preschool.  Tate is learning and engaging with others.  Hooray!

Polar Caves

Without air conditioning in our home and with no end to the heat wave in sight, we looked for places to cool off.

You can understand why a local New Hampshire attraction called "Polar Caves" would catch our attention.

We had so much fun!  We even saw ice in one of the caves!

No polar bears were harmed in the filming of this episode.  I promise.

We Miss You!

Earlier this summer, Laura finished her au pair term with us and returned to her family in Colombia.  We miss her so much!

Here are some photos from our last week together.  First there was the fun sleepover in her room:

Then the house air conditioning broke, so the kids spent a few more nights sleeping in the basement because it was almost 8 degrees cooler down there than in our bedrooms:

Finally the day came when we had to say goodbye.

Even thought it was only 5:30 AM, the kids woke up to give her one last hug goodbye. 

We sent Laura off with a surprise in her suitcase to discover when she landed at home:

To some it might seem strange, but after almost two years of living with my cooking, Laura developed a fondness for matzoh balls.  Matzo meal may be common in our grocery stores, but it's not in Laura's, so this will be a special treat for her family.

We miss you Laura!  Next time you make chicken soup, make sure to add some noodles and matzoh balls.  Eat mamaleh, eat!

Don't be a Turkey

Take a stand for democracy!

Look closely at the top of the sign -- that's where the turkey is perched.

Life is a Highway

Life is a highway...and we were riding it all summer long.  

So long in fact, that the Honda rolled over mile 100,000 on the Mass Pike not too long ago.  We couldn't get out of the car to dance around it, so we did the next best thing:

Dance around in it!

Here's to another 100,000 miles with the Honda, looking forward to the next odyssey we can dream up for it.

Why Bother?

I keep telling the grandparents not to buy expensive toys, but they don't listen.  So I'll post another video of the kids pushing themselves around the table to prove that it's the little things in life that entertain kids.  And guess what I learned the other day?  Tate fits perfectly into a size 5 diaper box -- no kidding.

And in this next clip, the push toy they are using stopped making noises or lighting up roughly 2 months after it was given to us as a gift, which happened to be about 5 years ago.  Did that stop anyone from playing with it?  Nope!  It was one of their favorites for a long (long!) time.

Fishin'

This year it's our gal who racked up the big fish stats over the summer.  Here they are with their summer catches:

Seaside Trolley Museum

Q: Where old trolleys go when they're finally too old to be rehabilitated for the T?

A: Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine.

It's also a place where the MBTA can probably scavenge for spare parts to get the Red Line signals working again, but that's an editorial comment, right?  Back to the kiddos:

Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area!

I Swear

To uphold my duties to the Commonwealth as a member of the DSB. And the fun part is that I get to swear on the portico at the State House!

Mr T's favorite part of the day? Wearing a big hat.