Woah! Somehow a few months got away from me!! We've been very busy with school and lots of activities and can't believe it's almost December!!!
We had a really fun day in October with friends picking apples, making soup, making and more importantly, eating, apple crisp. Not to mention we also carved pumpkins! It was a delightful day spent with amazing people!
Ayla and Sophie spent a day with Aunt Karen, Grammy Robin and Amelia making really awesome fairy gardens. I had no idea how involved and intricate they could be! They were made in large bowls and are decorating our dining room and kitchen until the weather is warm enough to have them outside. Trevor, Corinne, Lincoln and I met up with them in Freeport for the annual Pumpkin Festival. The girls had their faces painted, carved more pumpkins, play games and marveled at the thousands of pumpkins all over the sidewalks.
Halloween this year was interesting now that Lincoln is walking. He is very independent and doesn't want to be carried anywhere. Chasing him around and scraping him off the pavement every time he fell, got old rather quickly. His night ended early with me nursing him in the car while Trevor followed the girls from house to house trick or treating. Corinne marched with the band in the Halloween parade and went trick or treating with a friend.
We just had conferences for all three girls and couldn't be happier. Corinne led hers by going through her portfolio with us. She has some great writing pieces that had me in awe (a science narrative) and made me laugh out loud (a story about sniffing cocoa powder). I was proud of her ability to show me her work and explain what she's been learning. She doesn't offer much at home, so it was a great insight into her world at school.
Ayla's teacher expressed her happiness at how Ayla's focus and attention have been right on target. She is completing her work and doing very well. Sophie is also doing great! She is solid across the board with academics and is also starting to open up more at school. She has been raising her hand to contribute to class discussions and making and playing with new friends.
Corinne is in the second round of her manga drawing class. She is working on finishing the writing for her graphic novel and putting final touches on the drawings. Her teacher has mentioned publishing to her on several occasions and she seems excited about the possibility. She started guitar lessons again, after a few weeks of her teacher being unavailable. She continues to do really well and enjoy it.
Ayla's Girl Scout troop put a ton of work into a celebration for veterans. She continues to enjoy Girl Scouts and also hip hop dance class. Both her and Corinne have their dance recital on the 18th. I'll see what I can do about recording it for all of you to see.
Corinne and Trevor have enjoyed time together hunting the past few weekends. They both love being out in the woods, in the quiet, observing. They have only seen one deer and are anxious to get one in the last few days up at my mom's.
Lincoln is getting funnier every day. I love this age and seeing his personality emerge. He loves running around the house and being chased by his sisters. He loves playing Ring Around the Rosies with Sophie and riding on Corinne's back. He has a contagious laugh and lots of energy!
We are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with family in Bangor this week. Not that I'm counting, but if I were, I would know there are only three weeks left of school before a two week winter vacation!! I have a great class this year and am trying hard to keep everything balanced, which is always a juggling act!
Another month and I'll be writing about the end of the year as 2015 begins! Happy Holidays!!!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
September
We all survived the first month of school and have settled into our routines! It's a little crazy with the girls all at different schools this year and different after school commitments each day, but it keeps us all on our toes!
Corinne has started a drawing class that is focused on graphic novel type art. It's exactly what she is into and she's been loving it. Her instructor has already told us she could be getting paid for what she's doing. It's about time she started pulling her weight around here, so I told her to get selling! It's an introductory course that runs 8 weeks. It's almost over, but she'll be continuing each Saturday for an hour and a half with the intermediate course. She also applied for GT Art at school, which means she completed a portfolio and if she gets in, will have studio art time during school.
Corinne is continuing with guitar lessons and has even written a song. She hasn't put it to music yet and says she won't sing it, but maybe Trevor can help her out with the vocals. I offered, but was shot down.
Ayla and Corinne are taking a hip hop dance class in Brunswick. They are both enjoying it, but have been very reluctant to show us any moves. A family dance off is in the near future!
Ayla started the month by celebrating her birthday (late because of other weekend commitments) with a sleepover. Five girls at our house in addition to our normal crew was pretty intense. (Or really "obnoxious and loud" as Corinne put it.) They ran around outside for most of the afternoon and enjoyed eating dinner at their own table in the kitchen. They all slept in our huge tent in the backyard and after Trevor and I both used our stern voices many times telling them to go to sleep, they finally did. Despite the late night, they were up early and still had plenty of energy left. Ayla had a great time and we enjoyed seeing her so happy with friends!
Can you believe Sophie is in Kindergarten?! It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was meeting her, not even two years old, learning to walk and talk!! Her teacher has told me that she is definitely coming out of her shell and has been raising her hand and interacting more with other kids. She is still very shy, but I was happy to hear her engaging in class. She said her favorite part of school is recess and her favorite special is P.E.
We really enjoyed all three open houses for each of the girls. Sophie showed us everything from the nurse's office and specials to the cafeteria and playgrounds. Ayla was also excited to show us her classroom and where all her specials are. Trevor went to Corinne's and completed all the paperwork for her to have her own Macbook Air that she takes to and from school. He enjoyed meeting her teachers and spending time one on one time with her.
Lincoln is finally walking, although he often doesn't choose to. We are finding out he has quite the temper and doesn't do anything unless he wants to. He must get that from Trevor. He is babbling and saying a fews words- mainly Mumma and more (referring to food), which are his two favorite things right now. Something else he got from Trevor.
Trevor and I had an awesome time with two other couples in Boston at a Paolo Nutini concert. He was AMAZING. It was by far the best concert I've ever been to. He couldn't possibly sing with more passion. We had an awesome time, although getting home at 2:30 in the morning is a lot longer recovery time than it used to be!
Trevor spent four days in Canada at a conference, while the kids and I had fun apple picking with friends. Corinne made a delicious apple crisp we all enjoyed. She said it was her first "fancy" thing she had ever made all by herself.
It's already the 10th of October and so you'll be hearing from me soon with another update at the end of the month!
Corinne has started a drawing class that is focused on graphic novel type art. It's exactly what she is into and she's been loving it. Her instructor has already told us she could be getting paid for what she's doing. It's about time she started pulling her weight around here, so I told her to get selling! It's an introductory course that runs 8 weeks. It's almost over, but she'll be continuing each Saturday for an hour and a half with the intermediate course. She also applied for GT Art at school, which means she completed a portfolio and if she gets in, will have studio art time during school.
Corinne is continuing with guitar lessons and has even written a song. She hasn't put it to music yet and says she won't sing it, but maybe Trevor can help her out with the vocals. I offered, but was shot down.
Ayla and Corinne are taking a hip hop dance class in Brunswick. They are both enjoying it, but have been very reluctant to show us any moves. A family dance off is in the near future!
Ayla started the month by celebrating her birthday (late because of other weekend commitments) with a sleepover. Five girls at our house in addition to our normal crew was pretty intense. (Or really "obnoxious and loud" as Corinne put it.) They ran around outside for most of the afternoon and enjoyed eating dinner at their own table in the kitchen. They all slept in our huge tent in the backyard and after Trevor and I both used our stern voices many times telling them to go to sleep, they finally did. Despite the late night, they were up early and still had plenty of energy left. Ayla had a great time and we enjoyed seeing her so happy with friends!
Can you believe Sophie is in Kindergarten?! It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was meeting her, not even two years old, learning to walk and talk!! Her teacher has told me that she is definitely coming out of her shell and has been raising her hand and interacting more with other kids. She is still very shy, but I was happy to hear her engaging in class. She said her favorite part of school is recess and her favorite special is P.E.
We really enjoyed all three open houses for each of the girls. Sophie showed us everything from the nurse's office and specials to the cafeteria and playgrounds. Ayla was also excited to show us her classroom and where all her specials are. Trevor went to Corinne's and completed all the paperwork for her to have her own Macbook Air that she takes to and from school. He enjoyed meeting her teachers and spending time one on one time with her.
Lincoln is finally walking, although he often doesn't choose to. We are finding out he has quite the temper and doesn't do anything unless he wants to. He must get that from Trevor. He is babbling and saying a fews words- mainly Mumma and more (referring to food), which are his two favorite things right now. Something else he got from Trevor.
Trevor and I had an awesome time with two other couples in Boston at a Paolo Nutini concert. He was AMAZING. It was by far the best concert I've ever been to. He couldn't possibly sing with more passion. We had an awesome time, although getting home at 2:30 in the morning is a lot longer recovery time than it used to be!
Trevor spent four days in Canada at a conference, while the kids and I had fun apple picking with friends. Corinne made a delicious apple crisp we all enjoyed. She said it was her first "fancy" thing she had ever made all by herself.
It's already the 10th of October and so you'll be hearing from me soon with another update at the end of the month!
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
July & August
July and August were packed with lots of summer fun!!
Corinne spent a week at the Maine Youth Fishing Game Association summer camp and loved it. She stayed with Grammy Robin for the first few days and then the last two nights were camping overnight there. She had fun with archery, shooting .22 rifles, fishing, learning how to start a fire, and how to flip over a capsized canoe. She had fun doing a ropes course as well. She made some great friends and enjoyed being outdoors.
Ayla went to LL Bean's day camp the same week Corinne was gone. She had a blast paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking and playing games. Her favorite was paddle boarding, although she said since all the water sports were in the ocean, it was a little cold!
Corinne also went to a writing camp, which obviously was absolutely PERFECT for her. Her only complaint was that it was too short. It was great for her to be surrounded by other young writers who are as passionate as her about writing. She loved her teachers and promised to keep in touch and publish her writing. She's been sharing a few pieces each night with Trevor and I and we are blown away. She writes with vivid description and has an amazing vocabulary. We've finally convinced her to start typing some of what she's written into google docs so that, one, she and anyone else can read it (handwriting isn't her strong suit) and, two she can share it with anyone who has an email address. She has been really excited to share her writing with us and it's been a great topic of discussion each night before bed.
In between camps we had a super action-packed week with Grandma Connie. We took her to Monkey-C-Monkey-Do for some fun on a ropes course and zip lines. We all had a lot of fun and definitely want to go back again. We also went to a water park and enjoyed the wave pool and water slides. We spent a day at the beach and enjoyed silly games in the pool. The week went by way too fast and we were sad to see her go, but glad that she was able to come for a full week and was always happy and excited to take on any adventure we threw at her!
Corinne has started guitar lessons with a local music teacher and is already pretty awesome. Her teacher is impressed by her ability and willingness to work hard. She practiced one day for 8 hours, no joke, only coming out to eat lunch. This is a good example of how being stubborn can be a positive! ;)
All three girls took swim lessons for two weeks. Corinne passed Level 3 Stroke Development and is at Level 4 Stroke Improvement. Ayla is on Level 3 and Sophie is on Level 1 Introduction to Water. Ayla was happy to participate, while Corinne was a little bored because her skill level was above most of the other kids. Sophie shed a few tears the first day, but tried everything the instructors asked of her, despite her trepidation.
I spent two days at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute at a science workshop for teachers. My partner teacher went as well and it was fun to mix up the summer routine with grown ups! I learned a lot and it was an added bonus that I even got paid to go!
We enjoyed a weekend with family at the beginning of August. The kids liked spending the night with Grampy Tim and Grammy Kelly while Trevor and I went to my cousin, Lindsay's wedding. It was nice for Trevor and I to have a night out and the kids were able to have fun with grandparents.
Trevor had a week of vacation near the end of August and we loved having him home with us! We spent the first few days getting things done around the house. We went to Sugarloaf and stayed at my brother's cabin for three days. We hiked to a waterfall, went on a few bike rides, (YES, Corinne learned how to ride a bike!!!!), and played in the river. Ayla and Trevor also went mountain biking and Ayla loved being able to use Corinne's mountain bike with gears.
Ayla was super excited to get a mountain bike for her birthday from Trevor and I. After our trip to Sugarloaf we decided her one speed wasn't cutting it and found a great deal on a nice bike. Her actual birthday is tomorrow, so she'll open her presents from grandparents then. She is looking forward to spending the day at a friends house, while I'm at school. She is having five girls over for a sleepover to celebrate her birthday the first weekend in September. They're planning to tent out in the backyard, so we'll see how much sleep they get.
Trevor, Jeremy and I completed the Tough Mudder, 10 mile, obstacle course along with other members of our gym. We had a ton of fun! The obstacles were awesome and we definitely got muddy. My personal favorite was the straight down water slide with fire at the bottom that you were catapulted through. Trevor enjoyed the human pyramid obstacle where we worked together to get over a high slanted wall. Jeremy found laughing at people falling face first into the mud after being shocked absolutely hysterical and commented that he could have watched them all day. All in all, we had a blast and would definitely do it again. A huge shout out to Emily Cote, who stepped up to the plate to watch three of our four children, when our babysitter cancelled the day before because of a family emergency. We couldn't have done the race with out her!
Lincoln didn't do swim lessons or go to any summer camps, but he was busy! He scoots around like nobody's business and keeps us all entertained with his hysterical faces and his continued fascination with playing the guitar and "singing". He can walk if he's pushing something in front of him, but we're thinking any day he'll be doing it on his own. It's hard to believe he's a year and a half in a few weeks.
Sophie is definitely the most excited for school to start next week. She has a good friend that she's played with several times this summer in her class, so I think that has helped with her excitement! Corinne and Ayla are neutral about summer ending and school starting. I'm always excited for school to start and get back into a routine.
Corinne spent a week at the Maine Youth Fishing Game Association summer camp and loved it. She stayed with Grammy Robin for the first few days and then the last two nights were camping overnight there. She had fun with archery, shooting .22 rifles, fishing, learning how to start a fire, and how to flip over a capsized canoe. She had fun doing a ropes course as well. She made some great friends and enjoyed being outdoors.
Ayla went to LL Bean's day camp the same week Corinne was gone. She had a blast paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking and playing games. Her favorite was paddle boarding, although she said since all the water sports were in the ocean, it was a little cold!
Corinne also went to a writing camp, which obviously was absolutely PERFECT for her. Her only complaint was that it was too short. It was great for her to be surrounded by other young writers who are as passionate as her about writing. She loved her teachers and promised to keep in touch and publish her writing. She's been sharing a few pieces each night with Trevor and I and we are blown away. She writes with vivid description and has an amazing vocabulary. We've finally convinced her to start typing some of what she's written into google docs so that, one, she and anyone else can read it (handwriting isn't her strong suit) and, two she can share it with anyone who has an email address. She has been really excited to share her writing with us and it's been a great topic of discussion each night before bed.
In between camps we had a super action-packed week with Grandma Connie. We took her to Monkey-C-Monkey-Do for some fun on a ropes course and zip lines. We all had a lot of fun and definitely want to go back again. We also went to a water park and enjoyed the wave pool and water slides. We spent a day at the beach and enjoyed silly games in the pool. The week went by way too fast and we were sad to see her go, but glad that she was able to come for a full week and was always happy and excited to take on any adventure we threw at her!
Corinne has started guitar lessons with a local music teacher and is already pretty awesome. Her teacher is impressed by her ability and willingness to work hard. She practiced one day for 8 hours, no joke, only coming out to eat lunch. This is a good example of how being stubborn can be a positive! ;)
All three girls took swim lessons for two weeks. Corinne passed Level 3 Stroke Development and is at Level 4 Stroke Improvement. Ayla is on Level 3 and Sophie is on Level 1 Introduction to Water. Ayla was happy to participate, while Corinne was a little bored because her skill level was above most of the other kids. Sophie shed a few tears the first day, but tried everything the instructors asked of her, despite her trepidation.
I spent two days at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute at a science workshop for teachers. My partner teacher went as well and it was fun to mix up the summer routine with grown ups! I learned a lot and it was an added bonus that I even got paid to go!
We enjoyed a weekend with family at the beginning of August. The kids liked spending the night with Grampy Tim and Grammy Kelly while Trevor and I went to my cousin, Lindsay's wedding. It was nice for Trevor and I to have a night out and the kids were able to have fun with grandparents.
Trevor had a week of vacation near the end of August and we loved having him home with us! We spent the first few days getting things done around the house. We went to Sugarloaf and stayed at my brother's cabin for three days. We hiked to a waterfall, went on a few bike rides, (YES, Corinne learned how to ride a bike!!!!), and played in the river. Ayla and Trevor also went mountain biking and Ayla loved being able to use Corinne's mountain bike with gears.
Ayla was super excited to get a mountain bike for her birthday from Trevor and I. After our trip to Sugarloaf we decided her one speed wasn't cutting it and found a great deal on a nice bike. Her actual birthday is tomorrow, so she'll open her presents from grandparents then. She is looking forward to spending the day at a friends house, while I'm at school. She is having five girls over for a sleepover to celebrate her birthday the first weekend in September. They're planning to tent out in the backyard, so we'll see how much sleep they get.
Trevor, Jeremy and I completed the Tough Mudder, 10 mile, obstacle course along with other members of our gym. We had a ton of fun! The obstacles were awesome and we definitely got muddy. My personal favorite was the straight down water slide with fire at the bottom that you were catapulted through. Trevor enjoyed the human pyramid obstacle where we worked together to get over a high slanted wall. Jeremy found laughing at people falling face first into the mud after being shocked absolutely hysterical and commented that he could have watched them all day. All in all, we had a blast and would definitely do it again. A huge shout out to Emily Cote, who stepped up to the plate to watch three of our four children, when our babysitter cancelled the day before because of a family emergency. We couldn't have done the race with out her!
Lincoln didn't do swim lessons or go to any summer camps, but he was busy! He scoots around like nobody's business and keeps us all entertained with his hysterical faces and his continued fascination with playing the guitar and "singing". He can walk if he's pushing something in front of him, but we're thinking any day he'll be doing it on his own. It's hard to believe he's a year and a half in a few weeks.
Sophie is definitely the most excited for school to start next week. She has a good friend that she's played with several times this summer in her class, so I think that has helped with her excitement! Corinne and Ayla are neutral about summer ending and school starting. I'm always excited for school to start and get back into a routine.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
June Update
July 2nd and here is your June update! I do love the summer!
We started June off by celebrating Ashley's baby shower. Ayla decided to have a sleepover at a friends house and attend her last softball game and end of year party instead of making the trek up to Levant for the party. Corinne and Sophie had a good time visiting with family, not to mention the tractor rides from PopPop.
Corinne had her last concert, which included the sixth, seventh and eighth grade choruses. The eighth graders were able to choose the theme, so it was fun to listen to music that I hear on the radio. They all did an amazing job and Corinne liked singing more new age music.
We visited Small Wonders Daycare and decided to start there in the fall. Ayla and Sophie will get on the bus there and Lincoln will stay for the day. It is close to our house and came highly recommended. Trevor and I are both looking forward to one drop off in the morning versus two to three.
Ayla had an overnight trip with her Girl Scout troop at a zoo in New Hampshire. She loved seeing all the animals and staying the night at the zoo. That same weekend Trevor and I spent celebrating Sarah and Colby's wedding at Sebago Lake. We loved the costume party Friday night (we were pirates) and the beautiful wedding and reception on Saturday. We brought Corinne, Sophie and Lincoln back on Sunday to enjoy the lake for the day with some of the wedding guests still hanging around.
Sophie had a blast at her gymnastics birthday party. She had friends from daycare and school come and since she hadn't seen most of them in a few weeks, she was excited to spend the afternoon with them. She loved all her presents from her grandparents and was super excited to spend a birthday weekend with Ava, Grammy Robin and PopPop. Aunt Lisa even made a guest appearance and the girls were able to attend Lindsay's bridal shower. When I was driving to meet my mom with Ava and Sophie, I couldn't help but love their giggling and singing in the backseat. I think we're in trouble when these two are teenagers!
Last weekend I participated in the Urban Raid, which is a 5k obstacle course through Portland. I was on a team with four other women in my neighborhood. The kids came to cheer me on with Trevor, but I think their favorite part was the snow cones. We spent that evening with next door neighbors for a bbq. We realized that the trails in our backyard connect to their house. They have a daughter close to Ayla's age and they have already met in the woods and run back and forth to each other's houses. We look forward to spending more time with them and having a friend of Ayla's within walking distance.
The past two weeks we've been loving the pool and have been to the beach twice. Lincoln loved the warm tidal pools at Popham. Sophie is loving swimming all over the pool with her water wings. Corinne and Ayla are both enjoying all the free time at home and being able to swim whenever they want. They're both excited for camp and Grandma Connie's visit coming up in July.
We're looking forward to a family bbq at Jeremy and Amanda's on the fourth and then camping in Camden that weekend. Sophie has reminded me at least four times in the past two days to remember to get the stuff for s'mores. We have one more week without plans before the rush of camp, grandma visits and camp again!
We started June off by celebrating Ashley's baby shower. Ayla decided to have a sleepover at a friends house and attend her last softball game and end of year party instead of making the trek up to Levant for the party. Corinne and Sophie had a good time visiting with family, not to mention the tractor rides from PopPop.
Corinne had her last concert, which included the sixth, seventh and eighth grade choruses. The eighth graders were able to choose the theme, so it was fun to listen to music that I hear on the radio. They all did an amazing job and Corinne liked singing more new age music.
We visited Small Wonders Daycare and decided to start there in the fall. Ayla and Sophie will get on the bus there and Lincoln will stay for the day. It is close to our house and came highly recommended. Trevor and I are both looking forward to one drop off in the morning versus two to three.
Ayla had an overnight trip with her Girl Scout troop at a zoo in New Hampshire. She loved seeing all the animals and staying the night at the zoo. That same weekend Trevor and I spent celebrating Sarah and Colby's wedding at Sebago Lake. We loved the costume party Friday night (we were pirates) and the beautiful wedding and reception on Saturday. We brought Corinne, Sophie and Lincoln back on Sunday to enjoy the lake for the day with some of the wedding guests still hanging around.
Sophie had a blast at her gymnastics birthday party. She had friends from daycare and school come and since she hadn't seen most of them in a few weeks, she was excited to spend the afternoon with them. She loved all her presents from her grandparents and was super excited to spend a birthday weekend with Ava, Grammy Robin and PopPop. Aunt Lisa even made a guest appearance and the girls were able to attend Lindsay's bridal shower. When I was driving to meet my mom with Ava and Sophie, I couldn't help but love their giggling and singing in the backseat. I think we're in trouble when these two are teenagers!
Last weekend I participated in the Urban Raid, which is a 5k obstacle course through Portland. I was on a team with four other women in my neighborhood. The kids came to cheer me on with Trevor, but I think their favorite part was the snow cones. We spent that evening with next door neighbors for a bbq. We realized that the trails in our backyard connect to their house. They have a daughter close to Ayla's age and they have already met in the woods and run back and forth to each other's houses. We look forward to spending more time with them and having a friend of Ayla's within walking distance.
The past two weeks we've been loving the pool and have been to the beach twice. Lincoln loved the warm tidal pools at Popham. Sophie is loving swimming all over the pool with her water wings. Corinne and Ayla are both enjoying all the free time at home and being able to swim whenever they want. They're both excited for camp and Grandma Connie's visit coming up in July.
We're looking forward to a family bbq at Jeremy and Amanda's on the fourth and then camping in Camden that weekend. Sophie has reminded me at least four times in the past two days to remember to get the stuff for s'mores. We have one more week without plans before the rush of camp, grandma visits and camp again!
Friday, June 6, 2014
May Update
Whew! It was an absolutely crazy month! Between softball and Girl Scouts for Ayla and track for Corinne, we had something almost every night of the week!
Ayla absolutely loved playing softball this season! Her last game and the end of the year party are both this weekend. She has played right field some, but mostly catcher. Her and Trevor have enjoyed playing catch and having batting practice in the front yard. She's improved a ton and is sad to see it coming to an end. One of the best things about softball is that Ayla's best friend Anna from her her class is also on the team. She's had a sleep over with her at our house and will be spending the night this weekend at her house. Anna is very sweet and they get along great!
Corinne finished track season last week. She competed in the race walk, 4x100 meter relay and pole vault. She enjoyed pole vault, but was really hard on herself because she wasn't as good as she wanted to be. Trevor and I were hoping she'd enjoy the time outdoors, physical activity and time with other kids, but she'd rather have been home reading or writing. In the end, it was great exercise and at least now she can say she's tried it.
We enjoyed the all town band concert, where Corinne played clarinet with the sixth grade band. It was amazing to hear the high school band and definitely excited Corinne about playing with them in a few years. She also marched and played with the band at the Memorial Day parade. It was a long morning, with a lot of walking and warm weather, but she enjoyed it!
Trevor competed in the Bone Frog Challenge again this year, but unfortunately, due to the four hour drive one way and weather forecast, didn't have the kids and I there to support him. He went with a friend from the gym. The weather actually turned out great and they both really enjoyed the obstacles and race course.
We had fun at an anniversary party and a going away party on the same day. Several people commented on how outgoing and friendly Sophie was. We're thinking she is coming out of her shell! She'll be our little social butterfly before we know it! She is finishing up pre-school and loves to write at home. She is looking forward to her fifth birthday party at a gymnastics place in a few weeks. It's hard to believe she'll be off to Kindergarten this fall!!
Lincoln continues to impress us with the massive amount of food he eats, even though it isn't apparent in his size! He is starting to stand up and scoots like a champ, but shows no interest in walking yet. He makes us all laugh with his funny faces and silly laugh. He is super loving with babies, both alive and fake. There was a baby at his daycare one day this week and he was all about hugging and touching her. It's so fun to see his personality emerging more and more.
We're all counting the days until summer vacation and looking forward to many fun things planned. Ayla is going to an outdoor activity camp through LL Bean. They'll spend time on the water and outdoors doing all sorts of different activities each day. Corinne is going to Maine Youth Fishing and Game camp for a week. The first three days are a day camp, then she'll spend the last two nights there. The camp is up near her Grammy Robin and PopPop, so she'll be staying with them. She is also going to a Maine Writers Camp, which should be awesome.
We're all looking forward to a visit from Grandma Connie in between camps. We've been brainstorming fun activities to do while she's here.
Besides camps and visits with family this summer, we're looking forward to three weddings, swim lessons, the beach and if there is time, some relaxing!
Ayla absolutely loved playing softball this season! Her last game and the end of the year party are both this weekend. She has played right field some, but mostly catcher. Her and Trevor have enjoyed playing catch and having batting practice in the front yard. She's improved a ton and is sad to see it coming to an end. One of the best things about softball is that Ayla's best friend Anna from her her class is also on the team. She's had a sleep over with her at our house and will be spending the night this weekend at her house. Anna is very sweet and they get along great!
Corinne finished track season last week. She competed in the race walk, 4x100 meter relay and pole vault. She enjoyed pole vault, but was really hard on herself because she wasn't as good as she wanted to be. Trevor and I were hoping she'd enjoy the time outdoors, physical activity and time with other kids, but she'd rather have been home reading or writing. In the end, it was great exercise and at least now she can say she's tried it.
We enjoyed the all town band concert, where Corinne played clarinet with the sixth grade band. It was amazing to hear the high school band and definitely excited Corinne about playing with them in a few years. She also marched and played with the band at the Memorial Day parade. It was a long morning, with a lot of walking and warm weather, but she enjoyed it!
Trevor competed in the Bone Frog Challenge again this year, but unfortunately, due to the four hour drive one way and weather forecast, didn't have the kids and I there to support him. He went with a friend from the gym. The weather actually turned out great and they both really enjoyed the obstacles and race course.
We had fun at an anniversary party and a going away party on the same day. Several people commented on how outgoing and friendly Sophie was. We're thinking she is coming out of her shell! She'll be our little social butterfly before we know it! She is finishing up pre-school and loves to write at home. She is looking forward to her fifth birthday party at a gymnastics place in a few weeks. It's hard to believe she'll be off to Kindergarten this fall!!
Lincoln continues to impress us with the massive amount of food he eats, even though it isn't apparent in his size! He is starting to stand up and scoots like a champ, but shows no interest in walking yet. He makes us all laugh with his funny faces and silly laugh. He is super loving with babies, both alive and fake. There was a baby at his daycare one day this week and he was all about hugging and touching her. It's so fun to see his personality emerging more and more.
We're all counting the days until summer vacation and looking forward to many fun things planned. Ayla is going to an outdoor activity camp through LL Bean. They'll spend time on the water and outdoors doing all sorts of different activities each day. Corinne is going to Maine Youth Fishing and Game camp for a week. The first three days are a day camp, then she'll spend the last two nights there. The camp is up near her Grammy Robin and PopPop, so she'll be staying with them. She is also going to a Maine Writers Camp, which should be awesome.
We're all looking forward to a visit from Grandma Connie in between camps. We've been brainstorming fun activities to do while she's here.
Besides camps and visits with family this summer, we're looking forward to three weddings, swim lessons, the beach and if there is time, some relaxing!
Saturday, May 10, 2014
April News!
At the beginning of April we were all excited to attend my Aunt Lisa's surprise birthday party in Bangor. Six of us were in the car (on time, I might add!) and on our way, when Trevor said, "We have a flat tire!" Long story short, my aunt and uncle came to pick up the girls from the side of the highway, while Trevor, Lincoln and I stayed behind. We ended up having to replace all four tires and we missed the party. The girls were happy to be able to represent the Bevans clan and had a great time! Trevor and I were happy to finally make it to Levant and spend the night with Grammy and PopPop. We had a fun Easter egg hunt the next morning in the snow and enjoyed our visit.
The following weekend we had planned to spend a long Easter weekend with Ashley and Justin, but Friday afternoon came and went. Lincoln had spent a few days at home that week because he wasn't feeling well and Ayla was running a temperature and had a sore throat too. We decided to postpone the trip until the following weekend. A weekend of rest and recuperating was exactly what we all needed. We also had a surprise visit from Grampy Tim and Grammy Kelly Sunday. We had fun hanging outside with them and enjoying the sunshine.
We headed to Pennsylvania Wednesday night after Trevor got out of work. Around 2:00 AM we finally reached the Perrine's. It was a LONG drive, but we were happy we were able to make the trip happen. Corinne, Trevor and Justin enjoyed a very cool tour of the Maritn guitar factory, while Ashley and I took the younger kids to the Crayola Factory. Ayla and Sophie loved all the crafts they got to do and loved being able to spend some of their own money in the gift shop.
We all spent a day in New York City and enjoyed ourselves despite the rain. We went to the Natural Museum of History and were overwhelmed at how huge the place was. We walked through Central Park and marveled at all the toys in FAO Schwarz. Corinne was intrigued by a performer working his magic finger lights. She bought the lights and is figuring out how to entertain us with them. Sophie loved the huge Hello Kitty section and found some Hello Kitty tape and a notepad to buy. Ayla, loved everything, but decided to save her money.
The kids loved going on their first ferry and subway ride. Corinne asked Ashley, "Do people actually live here?" It was neat to see her look of amazement at all the city sights. Sophie called the cabs, "the cars with hats on". Ayla liked the horse-drawn buggies.
At the beginning of the day, Trevor had mentioned how it would be cool to see someone we knew in NYC. On the ferry ride back to New Jersey, Trevor got a text telling him to look at the ferry behind him. We turned around to see Jeff Slocum waving frantically in the window!
We were able to spend time with the Ringhoff's and Mr. and Mrs. P, which was unfortunately too short. Ashley and Justin were great hosts and we'd love to go back and visit for longer. We headed back on Sunday and got ready for reality after a week of vacation.
Ayla has started softball and Corinne is participating in the race walk, pole vault and 400m relay events in track. More updates to come at the end of May on sports and fun science projects they're working on!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
February & March News
Skiing, skiing and more skiing. We loved being able to ski at Sugarloaf and Saddleback several times this winter because of the gift cards from grandparents. It was a huge help and the girls have memories that will stay with them forever. It's pretty amazing to see how much all three of the girls have improved since the beginning of last year. Both Ayla and Corinne will go down Black Diamonds and Sophie can ski down the bunny slope by herself.
We spent several weekends at "Oatmeal in a Bowl" which is Jeremy & Amanda's camp at Sugarloaf, named by Ava. It's definitely a good time when two families, totaling 10 people, get together for games, hot chocolate and outdoor fun!
We had a great time with Grandma Gay during her visit in February and March. We went to a Japanese drumming show and saw the Harlem Superstars while she was here. The girls and even Lincoln were captivated by the drumming and none of us could stop laughing at the basketball game. Trevor missed the drumming show, but had a great time with the "boys" ice fishing up north.
Trevor and I took a trip with just the two of us (Huge thank you to Gay for watching the kids!) to London, Ontario to visit one of Trevor's friends from college. We had a great time visiting his practice and hanging out.
Corinne celebrated her 12th birthday. Can you believe she only has one more year until she's a teenager?? She was excited to spend a day skiing with Grammy Robin to celebrate and unlike most kids, she was hesitant to miss school for it!
We celebrated Lincoln's first birthday in March, too. It's hard to believe it's already been a year since he was born! If you haven't seen the pictures of him enjoying the cake, please check them out on Facebook! We love seeing his personality coming out every day. He makes hilarious faces and is scooting around pretty fast. He loves to hug everyone thanks to Sophie teaching him how.
Ayla spent two nights camping with her Girl Scout troop at the end of March. They had lots of fun indoors and out. While she was gone, Sophie and I went to the Woolwich Central School 6th-8th grade chorus production of Beauty and the Beast. Sophie loved it! Trevor took Corinne skiing for one of the days while Ayla was away. They had a great Daddy/Daughter day!
Corinne has started track and is having fun learning and trying all the different events. She doesn't have to choose what she's going to compete in at meets for a while. Ayla is signed up for softball and looking forward to all of the snow being gone, so practice can start.
We're all super excited to be heading to Pennsylvania to visit Ashley and Justin over April vacation. She has a great itinerary planned for us, including a visit to NYC. I look forward to sharing our trip with all of you at the end of April!
We spent several weekends at "Oatmeal in a Bowl" which is Jeremy & Amanda's camp at Sugarloaf, named by Ava. It's definitely a good time when two families, totaling 10 people, get together for games, hot chocolate and outdoor fun!
We had a great time with Grandma Gay during her visit in February and March. We went to a Japanese drumming show and saw the Harlem Superstars while she was here. The girls and even Lincoln were captivated by the drumming and none of us could stop laughing at the basketball game. Trevor missed the drumming show, but had a great time with the "boys" ice fishing up north.
Trevor and I took a trip with just the two of us (Huge thank you to Gay for watching the kids!) to London, Ontario to visit one of Trevor's friends from college. We had a great time visiting his practice and hanging out.
Corinne celebrated her 12th birthday. Can you believe she only has one more year until she's a teenager?? She was excited to spend a day skiing with Grammy Robin to celebrate and unlike most kids, she was hesitant to miss school for it!
We celebrated Lincoln's first birthday in March, too. It's hard to believe it's already been a year since he was born! If you haven't seen the pictures of him enjoying the cake, please check them out on Facebook! We love seeing his personality coming out every day. He makes hilarious faces and is scooting around pretty fast. He loves to hug everyone thanks to Sophie teaching him how.
Ayla spent two nights camping with her Girl Scout troop at the end of March. They had lots of fun indoors and out. While she was gone, Sophie and I went to the Woolwich Central School 6th-8th grade chorus production of Beauty and the Beast. Sophie loved it! Trevor took Corinne skiing for one of the days while Ayla was away. They had a great Daddy/Daughter day!
Corinne has started track and is having fun learning and trying all the different events. She doesn't have to choose what she's going to compete in at meets for a while. Ayla is signed up for softball and looking forward to all of the snow being gone, so practice can start.
We're all super excited to be heading to Pennsylvania to visit Ashley and Justin over April vacation. She has a great itinerary planned for us, including a visit to NYC. I look forward to sharing our trip with all of you at the end of April!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
January Update!
I'm starting the year off on the right foot with the "monthly" blog post right on time! Hopefully I'll be able to take the quotes off the word monthly this year! :)
The weather hasn't been great this winter so far for skiing, but we have been once to one of the smaller mountains. Corinne and Ayla were surprised how easy the trails were compared to last year. It's great to see how much their confidence and skills have grown! They're cruising down the mountain and yelling for Trevor and I to hurry up! Sophie skied all by herself for the first time, too! Last year, I was pretty much holding her while I skied and she hung there. Literally. Now, she's ahead of me or Trevor on the harness and doing well. She still loves when I hold her so she can go fast. We both love hearing her yell, "I wanna do french fries! No more pizza!" For those of you who aren't familiar with those terms, french fries is when her skies are pointed down the mountain and pizza is when they're pointed together at the tip to slow her down or stop her.
Corinne and Ayla spent a few days with Grampy Tim and Grammy Kelly doing crafts, going to the movies and having lots of fun hanging out over winter vacation. They made a really neat scrapbook of our family! Grammy Kelly is way more creative than I'll ever be! They went to Grammy Robin's and PopPop's house after and had fun snowmobiling and baking. Finishing winter vacation with grandparents is a great way to start the new calendar year!
We're eager to spend this weekend at Sugarloaf with my brother's family. Grammy Robin is going to spend the day with Sophie and Lincoln while the rest of us ski. Corinne and Ayla are going to be in a small group lesson for most of the day and it will be fun to see how much they improve. They've never skied at a big mountain before, so I'm sure they'll be excited to ride a fast lift and ski down a trail that lasts more than five minutes! We're making it all happen with the generosity of grandparents at Christmas giving us gift cards to ski!
Hopefully you all saw the pictures of Corinne with her new short hair cut. She decided to donate her hair to locks of love and ended up with NINE ponytails! She also started a trend in our house because Ayla and Sophie also decided to cut their hair short. We now have three beautiful girls with bob hair cuts!
January seemed like a big month for birthdays! All three girls had at least one birthday party they went to and Corinne and Ayla both had sleepovers with friends.
Corinne made Honor Roll for the second quarter in a row at the junior high. She received a letter from our state Senator congratulating her and was invited to be an Honorary Page for the state Senate. If she decides to do it, she'll get to see what it's like to work on the floor of the Senate and be part of of a Legislative Session. Pages deliver messages to Senators and distribute Amendments in the Chamber.
Lincoln is developing into quite the little ham. He loves playing with toys that light up and make noise. He also likes to listen to Trevor play guitar and bob up and down to the music. He isn't crawling yet, but he can make his way around by rolling and pulling himself. It's hard to believe his first birthday is coming up so soon!
We're looking forward to a visit from Grandma Gay at the beginning of our February school break. The girls are excited to do projects and bake with her! She's always a huge help when she's here and it's nice to have an extended, relaxing visit.
Stay tuned for a February update that will hopefully include lots of skiing, fun with Grandma, and a birthday celebration!
The weather hasn't been great this winter so far for skiing, but we have been once to one of the smaller mountains. Corinne and Ayla were surprised how easy the trails were compared to last year. It's great to see how much their confidence and skills have grown! They're cruising down the mountain and yelling for Trevor and I to hurry up! Sophie skied all by herself for the first time, too! Last year, I was pretty much holding her while I skied and she hung there. Literally. Now, she's ahead of me or Trevor on the harness and doing well. She still loves when I hold her so she can go fast. We both love hearing her yell, "I wanna do french fries! No more pizza!" For those of you who aren't familiar with those terms, french fries is when her skies are pointed down the mountain and pizza is when they're pointed together at the tip to slow her down or stop her.
Corinne and Ayla spent a few days with Grampy Tim and Grammy Kelly doing crafts, going to the movies and having lots of fun hanging out over winter vacation. They made a really neat scrapbook of our family! Grammy Kelly is way more creative than I'll ever be! They went to Grammy Robin's and PopPop's house after and had fun snowmobiling and baking. Finishing winter vacation with grandparents is a great way to start the new calendar year!
We're eager to spend this weekend at Sugarloaf with my brother's family. Grammy Robin is going to spend the day with Sophie and Lincoln while the rest of us ski. Corinne and Ayla are going to be in a small group lesson for most of the day and it will be fun to see how much they improve. They've never skied at a big mountain before, so I'm sure they'll be excited to ride a fast lift and ski down a trail that lasts more than five minutes! We're making it all happen with the generosity of grandparents at Christmas giving us gift cards to ski!
Hopefully you all saw the pictures of Corinne with her new short hair cut. She decided to donate her hair to locks of love and ended up with NINE ponytails! She also started a trend in our house because Ayla and Sophie also decided to cut their hair short. We now have three beautiful girls with bob hair cuts!
January seemed like a big month for birthdays! All three girls had at least one birthday party they went to and Corinne and Ayla both had sleepovers with friends.
Corinne made Honor Roll for the second quarter in a row at the junior high. She received a letter from our state Senator congratulating her and was invited to be an Honorary Page for the state Senate. If she decides to do it, she'll get to see what it's like to work on the floor of the Senate and be part of of a Legislative Session. Pages deliver messages to Senators and distribute Amendments in the Chamber.
Lincoln is developing into quite the little ham. He loves playing with toys that light up and make noise. He also likes to listen to Trevor play guitar and bob up and down to the music. He isn't crawling yet, but he can make his way around by rolling and pulling himself. It's hard to believe his first birthday is coming up so soon!
We're looking forward to a visit from Grandma Gay at the beginning of our February school break. The girls are excited to do projects and bake with her! She's always a huge help when she's here and it's nice to have an extended, relaxing visit.
Stay tuned for a February update that will hopefully include lots of skiing, fun with Grandma, and a birthday celebration!
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