I do nothing all day...

Emma: Mama! Guess what? Tadia and I are going to be firemen when we grow up!
Acadia: Mama, I'm NOT going to be a fireman when I grow up.
Me: Well, what do you want to do when you grow up?
Acadia: Nothing. I want to do nothing.
Me: Honey, you can't do nothing, you have to do something.
Acadia: No, mama! I want to be you when I grow up. I want to do nothing. I just want to have a baby in my belly and then play with them....
Sigh.

Grandpa G.

I took the girls to a Memorial Day service giving by the students at Hiawatha school. It was very cute and educational, on a 5-8 year old level. The principal talked about how Memorial Day comes from remembering people who have served for this country and how we should respect the people who have served. During the ceremony, I mentioned a couple times that Great Grandpa had served in WWII and how proud I was of him. 

I have been to his grave only twice since he has left us. Once for the funeral and once because I felt like I should. Both time were tough. I decided that I wanted to take the girls to visit him and bring a flag on Memorial Day. They were both amazingly respectful and Acadia asked to put the flag up herself. We asked if there was anything she wanted to say to Grandpa and she said, I miss you, Grandpa. 

We all do, Grandpa.

Miche's Announcement

My amazing and beautiful sister just announced her pregnancy! Michelle is due on December 10th and is feeling great. I can't wait to meet her baby - my niece or nephew - I am counting down the days!! It feels like a dream - I couldn't be happier for them!

My five year old actually ASKED me to take a shower today. Although she enjoys baths, I think she's ready to take "the next step" and start taking showers. Why does this make me feel like she's getting so much bigger?? She's growing up before my eyes....

The Amazing Park Challenge

We have found that everyone in our new town are huge outdoor lovers. We thought we were an outdoor family, until we moved here and realized that we spent time outside about half the time as our neighbors do! And we spend a LOT of time outside enjoying Vermont :)

So many of our friends have signed up for the Amazing Park Challenge. It is a passport you buy for $25 with 12 difference challenges in 12 different Vermont park locations, and you have to complete 11 of them. For example, one of the challenges is to visit Sand Hill pool and have 1 team member swim a lap while being timed. Write down your time and have your passport stamped and you have completed that challenge. You show your passport at the front desk and are given free admission to the park/pool, etc. This is all geared towards children and families to encourage Vermonters to get outside and visit a park you normally wouldn't.

We went on our first challenge with our neighbors, the Moyers and had a blast! We went to Mills Riverside Park in Jericho and were given a poem to follow. We hiked for about a mile or so following the clues. The question was, What did you find? And the poem led us to a really cool teepee which the people from the Amazing Park Challenge had built. The girls had a great time playing in the teepee, then we hiked back to the river to let them swim!

Emma Sleeps

Audubon Center

 I haven't been to the Audubon Center since I was a child, so it was so fun to be able to take my children there on a school trip. The girls had so much fun!! We went on a hike, searched for birds (they were stuffed animal birds) and built a bird's nest. Yet another reminder that children don't need lap tops and ipads to be happy - just bring them into the woods so they can use their imaginations and they'll be happy!

Emma's first hair cut

 Ok. So after THREE years of life, we decided that Emma needed a haircut. And as cute as she looked before, she looks even cuter now! I didn't think that was possible :)

Preschool picture

Where's Emma?

Easter, part 2

After the Paradees left, we went to Yellow Grandma's house to visit with the Gutchells. The girls and I visited while Matt did a 10 mile run, his training that day, for the Vermont City Marathon. Go Matt!!

Easter

We had an amazing Easter! The kids were at such a fun age and we were especially lucky that The Peters were able to join us this year. We really missed Matt's uncle and aunt and thought about them the whole time. Matt's uncle is going through chemo and was unable to be around a lot of people that day. The girls woke up to their Easter baskets, then we had brunch with the Paradees and had an Easter egg hunt for the kids :)