More family fun

Doesn't everyone go canoeing at 7am? 

 

And eat her cereal in the canoe?

Before school? In February?

In the backyard?

We have had a lot of rain in the past couple days. Coupled with the frozen ground it made for some flooding the likes of which we have not seen since mother's day of 2005. 

There was plenty of wind as well. The power went out last night, and the fire department was busy in the condo complex behind our house.

Our grill actually toppled over, and that sucker isn't light. My mom lost several panels of her privacy fence, and we lost our lattice. You can see it in the background.

Oh, in the foreground ? No, that's not snow. While out canoeing with the kids it started to hail. My pictures got a little crazy at that point.

Hail is much more fun when you are inside playing with it than when you are being pelted with it as you eat your cereal.

Violet waited out the hail, which only lasted a few minutes, sedately canoeing around the yard. It seems Violet has no aversion to any kind of weather. She finally came inside, but not until she was good and ready. And when she took her boots off, I had to pour the water out of them. 

And then she was so darn cute I just had to let her play hookey from school. we've had such a nice, relaxing day.

L.L.Bean

Once upon a time I had a pair of boots. Then, one day I saw they had a rip in them. And it got bigger, and bigger, and it was joined by a couple of buddies. Whaaat? These bean boots are only 2 years old! Heigh Ho! To Freeport we go! I avoid LL Bean like the plague, but at 9 am on a Sunday morning it isn't bad.And really, every couple years it's kind of fun. At least as fun as the Children's Museum. They have a really big boot (but for our safety we may not climb on it).

And a very cool fish exhibit, which is fun for children and adults.

Around every corner there is another surprise. There are dogs to be sorted by sex: boys over here, girls over here. Or lined up to take a walk with mama dog.

And the large bear - well - the large bear was electrifying.

I tell ya - someone from Beans must have taken a trip to Ikea. Used to be there was just a dinky little trout pond.

I had a hard time believing Jason when he said it was a little boring. Seriously. How often do you get to watch your kids lick their palms to leave their mark on a big, germ laden chalkboard?

I'm pretty sure Violet's favorite part was the little houses with the wiggly bridge between. She helped every single baby across. Every. Baby. Regardless of how much they wanted or needed her help.

 

And yeah, Stella had fun, too.

And just when we thought there could be no more excitement?

There were sled dogs outside. All incredibly tame and patient.

And the Outward Bound guys were there advertising with free hot cocoa. Letting little girls help stoke the fire.

We did make a little side trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, which wasn't nearly as much fun. In fact, it left me reeling. Can anyone say "Last day of winter vacation"? Gah. But Violet wanted to go, so we went. Now we've been there and we don't need to go again.

All in all it was a nice day. I sure do like my family.

Oh, and my boots? Yeah, they don't make those anymore. But I came home with a new pair of Keens. Isn't that just... wait for it... Keen?

Swimming

In case I haven't mentioned it, Violet and Stella LOVE swimming lessons. Their teacher is a recreational therapist and has a very unusual and effective way of teaching swimming. In short, she's aMAZing.

It is really hard to take pictures at the pool. Bright sunlight at one end of the pool, dim florescent at the other. This set came out better than my first set though and I actually don't mind the graininess. That last picture is my favorite. The kids were told to pull themselves up the 'mountain' using only their arms. Violet was working *hard* in that picture. After thirty minutes of swim, they both come home exhausted.

A Visitor

Did I promise you pictures of Stella's birthday? Yeah, I'll get right on that. But for now, today we had an unexpected visitor in our living room. Stella said "Look, Mama, it's a butterfly!" and by golly, she was right!

See, I know that is a butterfly because he is resting with his wings up. (Thanks, Jerry Pallotta and your Icky Bug Counting Book that I have read approximately 3,754 times.) I am not so sure, however, that he is not a she. But in either case, it was thrilling to have him visit.

Please don't look at how dirty my window is. A butterfly beating itself to death on the window is not the time to break out the windex. Just snap a picture and help the poor critter. Stella thought he really wanted a snack. We found lettuce and celery leaves in the fridge. Erm, I don't actually know what butterflies eat. For all I know they turn carnivorous after they emerge from their cocoons.

And this little guy didn't want a thing to do with the little snack we prepared. Might have been the stress of the occasion, though. But Stella was dismayed. She probably would have set out some tea in a little silver service if he had wanted it.

Stella then decided he wanted to be outside. I wasn't so sure, seeing as how it was snowing out, but I carefully lifted him up and put him in Stella's hands.

and she brought him outside.

And left his snack on the step for him in case he changed his mind.

She was really sad when he left. We hoped to see him flying around, but he completely disappeared.

It is hard to be three and have to let your pet go free.

But wait!

Maybe he's flying in the backyard!

Oh, my sweet girl. I see a lot of heartbreak in your future. You look just like your Dad, but your heart is as vulnerable as your Mom's.

After she was done looking out the back window Stella told me "Wow, that was a really fun time."  I agree, though I'm not sure she knows that it was more fun to watch her than it was to watch the butterfly.