It's crazy how the start of school is just like another day now that I'm not teaching. September used to be the start of a new year, but now I'm just following the regular calendar like every other person that isn't a teacher. Although there were parts of teaching that I loved, I'm grateful to have work life balance.
We started the month with an epic weekend with the Perrines and Benns. Although the Perrine's may have been slightly overwhelmed at the craziness of all our families together, I couldn't have been more comfortable! I love huge family get togethers and the craziness of a million kids at our house having a great time! A pizza party on the beach with my mom and Mark was definitely not my idea, but fun none the less.We enjoyed the beautiful views on the Cliff Walk in Scarborough, had fun making fairy houses on Mackworth Island and enjoyed the beach! The guys paddle boarded at Willard Beach and kayaked in Cape. We had a birthday party for Hudson that also included the Butlers and Cotes. A barbecue with my dad and Kelly finished the weekend off. Now if we can only get the Perrine's to move to Maine, all would be right in the world. ;)
School started well for all the girls. We're representing in South Portland High School, Mahoney Middle School and Small Elementary School. And don't forget Lincoln in daycare. We've really got them spread out this year! Corinne is enjoying the high school in her own, quiet, "it's ok" way. She's talked mostly about her wood working class, where she's already passed the table saw and scroll test. Watch out, Uncle Justin, we might have another wood whisperer!
You know you've moved too many times when your second grader tells you school is boring because she already knows all the kids! Oh, Sophie....She's enjoying gymnastics and Girl Scouts. She also spends every day after school at the Boys and Girls Club. Although she claims "it's boring", every day I pick her up she is laughing and playing with friends.
Lincoln had the time of his life at Dre's fifth birthday party. Dre is his best friend at daycare and they are pretty darn cute playing together! His birthday party was at a bounce house and Lincoln loved every minute of it.
All three girls started piano lessons. We found a great teacher that comes to the house and gives them all a half hour lesson. It's so nice to hear them playing! Ayla and Corinne are already excelling since they both play other instruments and read music well. It's all new for Sophie, but she's enjoying the lessons.
Corinne has started again practicing with her band at Maine Academy of Modern Music. They have a new singer in the band and are looking forward to their next show!
I had a fun girls night out at Saltwater Grille. A bunch of ladies all with second graders got together for dinner and drinks. I didn't know anyone and had a great time meeting everyone. We've found South Portland and our neighborhood specifically to be very community oriented. We've already made friends and are feeling more at home here than any other place we've lived.
Trevor was in a partner CrossFit competition. Although they didn't do as well as they had hoped, they"{+ had a great time! We're signed up for one together in a couple of weeks. It'll be my first competition and should be really fun!
Trevor spent a weekend at an Athletic Movement Assessment seminar. He is excited to start implementing some of what he learned to take even better care of his patients. That same weekend I spent the day with all the kids and the Cote clan at Fort Williams. There is a new amazing kids garden that has a frog pond, tree house, tunnels and a fish pond. The kids had fun at the playground and the fort there as well.
I took the kids apple picking with Mary and we are on an apple diet!! Apples for snacks, apple sauce, apple crisp and we STILL have more apples. It's one of the things I love about fall!
Trevor and I went to the Old Crow Medicine Show concert with the Luchies and Mary Moran. It was an awesome show. They're a great band to listen to, but it is a SHOW when you see them live!
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
End of Summer Fun!
We started August with a quiet house. I drove the three girls to Boston on the 2nd of August so we would be ready to go for their 6am flight the following morning. They did great flying on their own (direct flight with no connection) and Grandma Connie and Grandpa Bob met them at their gate. They packed a lot of fun into one week with them! Some of the fun included a water balloon fight with 700 water balloons, Colby Water Park, flying drones, riding four wheelers, a demolition derby and hanging out at the farm. The best part was obviously spending time with their aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents!
It was definitely weird being home for a week and half with only me and the two men. Lincoln loved all the attention! We had a fun Beacon to Beach day- which was a bunch of the Beacon CrossFit crew hanging out at the beach. The workout we did in the sand was more fun than it sounds!
Trevor, Lincoln and I met the girls out in Kansas at Grandpa Dave's house. Grandma Gay met us there and stayed with us for the week. We loved being able to spend some time with Torrey, Lindsay and their kiddos. We went to a water park, where even Bode and Lincoln went on the big water slides! We had fun at a playground riding a train and a carousel as well.
We were able to go to Wichita for a day and visit with Trevor's cousins and aunt.We finished the week back at Grandpa Dave's with lawn mower rides, target practice, a trip to the zoo and we even made a pretty awesome slip 'n slide. We played Pie Face and it's as entertaining as the commercials make it out to be!
There's never enough time to see everyone and we wish we could get out there more often! We're very grateful to Grandpa Dave who made the trip happen for us!
The girls have all started school and had lots to share for the first two days. It looks like it's going to be a great year! I've had said it to almost everyone, but am grateful on a daily basis that our path, even though it's been a little curvy, has brought us to this beautiful place in Maine surrounded by much of our family.
It was definitely weird being home for a week and half with only me and the two men. Lincoln loved all the attention! We had a fun Beacon to Beach day- which was a bunch of the Beacon CrossFit crew hanging out at the beach. The workout we did in the sand was more fun than it sounds!
Trevor, Lincoln and I met the girls out in Kansas at Grandpa Dave's house. Grandma Gay met us there and stayed with us for the week. We loved being able to spend some time with Torrey, Lindsay and their kiddos. We went to a water park, where even Bode and Lincoln went on the big water slides! We had fun at a playground riding a train and a carousel as well.
We were able to go to Wichita for a day and visit with Trevor's cousins and aunt.We finished the week back at Grandpa Dave's with lawn mower rides, target practice, a trip to the zoo and we even made a pretty awesome slip 'n slide. We played Pie Face and it's as entertaining as the commercials make it out to be!
There's never enough time to see everyone and we wish we could get out there more often! We're very grateful to Grandpa Dave who made the trip happen for us!
The girls have all started school and had lots to share for the first two days. It looks like it's going to be a great year! I've had said it to almost everyone, but am grateful on a daily basis that our path, even though it's been a little curvy, has brought us to this beautiful place in Maine surrounded by much of our family.
Monday, August 1, 2016
We are SO excited to be updating the blog this month from our new house! We are loving all the space in the house and all the space OUTside! Corinne has her own room again, as does Lincoln. Sophie and Ayla are enjoying having the third floor to themselves. We have a room just for the piano and we even have a separate playroom and office. The best thing is the location though. We are the last house on a dead end street with lots of other families. The kids are outside riding bikes and playing in the street with all the neighborhood kids every day. Because playing in the street is so much fun, we haven't used the huge, fenced in backyard too much, but it's nice to know that it's there. It's less than a mile from our previous house and we're still within the Small school lines, so all the girls can stay at their current schools. We couldn't be happier! :)
Even though we spent the first weekend in July moving, we took a break on the fourth so spend the day at the beach with Grammy and PopPop. Boogie boarding was fun and then we enjoyed a bbq at our house afterward. A weekend of moving had us pretty tired, so we skipped the fireworks this year.
I had the rest of the week off and although Trevor had to work, the kids and I had fun. We spent one day at Sebago Lake and none of us got out of the water (except to eat) for five hours. Even though we love the ocean, warm lake water is so fun to swim in!
We went to York's Wild Animal Kingdom. I read the forecast wrong and it was pretty cold. We weren't dressed properly and definitely wished we had sweatshirts and pants! The animals were neat, but the girls have been spoiled with some pretty awesome zoos, so this one didn't impress them. We did get to hold a boa constrictor and have our picture taken. All the kids were brave and Lincoln even held it's head!
Sophie and Lincoln had a ton of fun at Bounce Zone for Chase's 5th birthday! It's definitely a great place to take kids to burn off some energy. Lincoln looked like he had been sprayed with a hose by the time we left because he was so sweaty!
Trevor and I celebrated our fourth anniversary in luxury at the Inn by the Sea spa. We had a couples massage and went out to lunch. It was a very relaxing afternoon!
Trevor went striper fishing on the Kennebec River near Bath with Mark, Jeremy and Justin Stewart. They didn't catch anything, but still had a great time! The same day the guys were all fishing, Amanda, my mom and I took the kids to the beach and met the Cote's there. All the kids had fun swimming and playing on the playground at Willard.
Amanda and I competed in the Tri for a Cure and despite the pouring rain I met all my goals! I finished 9th in my division and 68th out of over 1000 women. The run was definitely my least favorite part, but the biking made me want to bike more. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing more sprint tri's in the future. Amanda and I enjoyed much deserved margarita's with our families and the Wellman's after the race!
Ayla and Sophie spent three weeks at rec camp. Ayla's highlights were a trip to FunTown/SplashTown, Water Country and an overnight white water rafting trip. She made some great friends and really enjoyed all the trips. Sophie's camp went to StoryLand, Sebago Lake and a few parks. Both camps also took the kids bowling, roller skating, to the rock climbing gym and the rec swimming pool. They both want to go back again next year and Ayla said she wants to be a camp counselor for the little kids when she's old enough.
Corinne spent two weeks at Ultimate Rock Camp. She formed a band with five other girls and over the two weeks they learned six songs, one of which was an original they wrote together. They had two performances that I was unable to attend, but Trevor and Ayla went to both. We're getting a recording of the last one from a parent, so I'm eager to see it and share it with those who would like to to see it. She loved the camp, the teachers and the girls in her band.
Trevor surprised me with a birthday party! The Benn Family and the Cote's came over for a bbq, cake and ice cream. It was great to celebrate with family and friends!
Because we had so much fun at Sebago Lake while I was on vacation, we decided to head back for the day with Trevor. We forgot the first time we went it was during the week, so we were not huge fans of the hour long wait in the car to get in to the park. The wait turned out to be worth it because the girls spent the whole day swimming! Sophie had a friend with her, so they played with each other leaving Corinne and Ayla to hang together.
Sophie is officially riding her two wheel bike!! She finally learned how on Lincoln's new two wheeler, which gave her the confidence she needed to ride her bigger bike. She's been asking to go on daily bike rides in addition to riding every day up and down our street with the neighborhood kids.We took a trip last weekend to the library with all six of us then went out to lunch and rode our bikes back home. Family fun!
Our last day in July was an epic one! We spent the day with Raymonds at Long Pond. The water was really warm- I don't think Sophie got out of the water the entire day. They caught frogs, went sailing, paddle-boarding, played on the float and enjoyed two bbqs and a fire. Great company makes for great times!
The girls are flying out to Kansas this week to visit Grandma Connie and Grandpa Bob for a week. Then they go with Grandma Gay and Grandpa Dave where Trevor, Lincoln and I will meet them for the last week. We're excited to visit with our family and get caught up with everyone!
Even though we spent the first weekend in July moving, we took a break on the fourth so spend the day at the beach with Grammy and PopPop. Boogie boarding was fun and then we enjoyed a bbq at our house afterward. A weekend of moving had us pretty tired, so we skipped the fireworks this year.
I had the rest of the week off and although Trevor had to work, the kids and I had fun. We spent one day at Sebago Lake and none of us got out of the water (except to eat) for five hours. Even though we love the ocean, warm lake water is so fun to swim in!
We went to York's Wild Animal Kingdom. I read the forecast wrong and it was pretty cold. We weren't dressed properly and definitely wished we had sweatshirts and pants! The animals were neat, but the girls have been spoiled with some pretty awesome zoos, so this one didn't impress them. We did get to hold a boa constrictor and have our picture taken. All the kids were brave and Lincoln even held it's head!
Sophie and Lincoln had a ton of fun at Bounce Zone for Chase's 5th birthday! It's definitely a great place to take kids to burn off some energy. Lincoln looked like he had been sprayed with a hose by the time we left because he was so sweaty!
Trevor and I celebrated our fourth anniversary in luxury at the Inn by the Sea spa. We had a couples massage and went out to lunch. It was a very relaxing afternoon!
Trevor went striper fishing on the Kennebec River near Bath with Mark, Jeremy and Justin Stewart. They didn't catch anything, but still had a great time! The same day the guys were all fishing, Amanda, my mom and I took the kids to the beach and met the Cote's there. All the kids had fun swimming and playing on the playground at Willard.
Amanda and I competed in the Tri for a Cure and despite the pouring rain I met all my goals! I finished 9th in my division and 68th out of over 1000 women. The run was definitely my least favorite part, but the biking made me want to bike more. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing more sprint tri's in the future. Amanda and I enjoyed much deserved margarita's with our families and the Wellman's after the race!
Ayla and Sophie spent three weeks at rec camp. Ayla's highlights were a trip to FunTown/SplashTown, Water Country and an overnight white water rafting trip. She made some great friends and really enjoyed all the trips. Sophie's camp went to StoryLand, Sebago Lake and a few parks. Both camps also took the kids bowling, roller skating, to the rock climbing gym and the rec swimming pool. They both want to go back again next year and Ayla said she wants to be a camp counselor for the little kids when she's old enough.
Corinne spent two weeks at Ultimate Rock Camp. She formed a band with five other girls and over the two weeks they learned six songs, one of which was an original they wrote together. They had two performances that I was unable to attend, but Trevor and Ayla went to both. We're getting a recording of the last one from a parent, so I'm eager to see it and share it with those who would like to to see it. She loved the camp, the teachers and the girls in her band.
Trevor surprised me with a birthday party! The Benn Family and the Cote's came over for a bbq, cake and ice cream. It was great to celebrate with family and friends!
Because we had so much fun at Sebago Lake while I was on vacation, we decided to head back for the day with Trevor. We forgot the first time we went it was during the week, so we were not huge fans of the hour long wait in the car to get in to the park. The wait turned out to be worth it because the girls spent the whole day swimming! Sophie had a friend with her, so they played with each other leaving Corinne and Ayla to hang together.
Sophie is officially riding her two wheel bike!! She finally learned how on Lincoln's new two wheeler, which gave her the confidence she needed to ride her bigger bike. She's been asking to go on daily bike rides in addition to riding every day up and down our street with the neighborhood kids.We took a trip last weekend to the library with all six of us then went out to lunch and rode our bikes back home. Family fun!
Our last day in July was an epic one! We spent the day with Raymonds at Long Pond. The water was really warm- I don't think Sophie got out of the water the entire day. They caught frogs, went sailing, paddle-boarding, played on the float and enjoyed two bbqs and a fire. Great company makes for great times!
The girls are flying out to Kansas this week to visit Grandma Connie and Grandpa Bob for a week. Then they go with Grandma Gay and Grandpa Dave where Trevor, Lincoln and I will meet them for the last week. We're excited to visit with our family and get caught up with everyone!
Monday, July 11, 2016
June Flew By!
Woah! June was a whirlwind for sure! The kids were super busy with all their activities, not to mention we packed up our lives and moved (again!)! We are loving our new house and neighborhood!
Our first weekend started out with Beacon Cross Fit Kids Day. We brought six kids with us and we met the Cote kids there. They all did an awesome job and enjoyed making their own fruit skewers afterward and the 3D Health Alliance concert!
Ayla's softball team finished the season as the champions! She loved playing and improved immensely! She's looking forward to pick up games every week this summer.
Kids Day at the gym and a softball game didn't hold Ayla back from running the Girls on the Run 5k the next day! Her and I ran with her friend Ellis and both girls did awesome! They cheered each other on and finished strong!
Trevor and I ran in the Twilight 5k, which is the same course as the running portion of the Tri for a Cure. It was a fun run and we enjoyed the Mallet Brother's concert afterward.
Corinne impressed everyone, including herself, with all the awards she won at her 8th grade graduation. She was slightly annoyed at the principal mispronouncing her name each time, but was excited to win the awards none the less.
Sophie's birthday party was a little crazy to say the least. I'm not sure what I was thinking inviting 8 seven year-olds over for four hours to our tiny house! All in all, the girls had a ton of fun, but I think next time it'll be a little shorter! They had a water balloon fight, made their own pizzas and played at the neighborhood park.
Corinne's band, Inside Joke, played at the Old Port Festival. It was their biggest gig yet and they did really well. It was a great day to be outside enjoying music and people watching. Corinne was nervous and said she messed up a few times, but it was nothing the untrained ear would have noticed. She is excited to be attending two weeks of Ultimate Rock camp through the music school her band practices at.
We spent Father's Day in Bangor with my dad. It was fun to be outside playing croquet and the kids even went in the ice cold pool. We also celebrated Sophie and Jeremy's birthdays and Ava's half birthday at my mom's house.
Lincoln and I drove to Pennsylvania to meet baby Sydney at the Perrine household. I was slightly nervous about the 7 hour drive with Lincoln, but he did awesome. He watched a Raffi concert several times, played on his doodle board and enjoyed a fireman app on the iPad. We stopped several times to use the restroom and stretch our legs, but still made it in decent time. We went to a playground and community pool the first day. It was great to see mine and Ashley's redheads playing together! We also took the boys to a car show and enjoyed another park and playground. Maybe someday the Perrine's will move to Maine so we can play with them all the time!!!
Corinne competed in her first Brazilian Jujitsu tournament. She lost three matches to points, but was happy that she never submitted. She did very well for her first time and is already signed up for another tournament this month.
We're looking forward to camp for the girls in July, as well as some other family fun on the weekends!
Our first weekend started out with Beacon Cross Fit Kids Day. We brought six kids with us and we met the Cote kids there. They all did an awesome job and enjoyed making their own fruit skewers afterward and the 3D Health Alliance concert!
Ayla's softball team finished the season as the champions! She loved playing and improved immensely! She's looking forward to pick up games every week this summer.
Kids Day at the gym and a softball game didn't hold Ayla back from running the Girls on the Run 5k the next day! Her and I ran with her friend Ellis and both girls did awesome! They cheered each other on and finished strong!
Trevor and I ran in the Twilight 5k, which is the same course as the running portion of the Tri for a Cure. It was a fun run and we enjoyed the Mallet Brother's concert afterward.
Corinne impressed everyone, including herself, with all the awards she won at her 8th grade graduation. She was slightly annoyed at the principal mispronouncing her name each time, but was excited to win the awards none the less.
Sophie's birthday party was a little crazy to say the least. I'm not sure what I was thinking inviting 8 seven year-olds over for four hours to our tiny house! All in all, the girls had a ton of fun, but I think next time it'll be a little shorter! They had a water balloon fight, made their own pizzas and played at the neighborhood park.
Corinne's band, Inside Joke, played at the Old Port Festival. It was their biggest gig yet and they did really well. It was a great day to be outside enjoying music and people watching. Corinne was nervous and said she messed up a few times, but it was nothing the untrained ear would have noticed. She is excited to be attending two weeks of Ultimate Rock camp through the music school her band practices at.
We spent Father's Day in Bangor with my dad. It was fun to be outside playing croquet and the kids even went in the ice cold pool. We also celebrated Sophie and Jeremy's birthdays and Ava's half birthday at my mom's house.
Lincoln and I drove to Pennsylvania to meet baby Sydney at the Perrine household. I was slightly nervous about the 7 hour drive with Lincoln, but he did awesome. He watched a Raffi concert several times, played on his doodle board and enjoyed a fireman app on the iPad. We stopped several times to use the restroom and stretch our legs, but still made it in decent time. We went to a playground and community pool the first day. It was great to see mine and Ashley's redheads playing together! We also took the boys to a car show and enjoyed another park and playground. Maybe someday the Perrine's will move to Maine so we can play with them all the time!!!
Corinne competed in her first Brazilian Jujitsu tournament. She lost three matches to points, but was happy that she never submitted. She did very well for her first time and is already signed up for another tournament this month.
We're looking forward to camp for the girls in July, as well as some other family fun on the weekends!
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Almost Summer!
We spent our first weekend of May in Bangor celebrating Mother's Day. All the kids enjoyed riding the four wheelers and playing outside. I also had a great afternoon celebrating a long time friend's pregnancy.
Another weekend was spent in western Massachusetts camping for Trevor to race in the Bone Frog Challenge (a Navy Seal obstacle course race). Our site was on a river and our first s'mores of the season were delicious! When I put Lincoln in the tent for the night he asked me to turn off the light that was on outside. I left the tent and realized that the "light" was the full moon!
Corinne's band, Inside Joke, played at Bayside Bowl and did a great job. Their teacher wasn't there so Corinne was in charge of starting each song. She said she was really nervous, but she did great! We're looking forward to seeing her band play at Old Port Festival in June!
I took my four kids and the Cote kids to a running festival on the hottest day in May. The little kids had fun in the bounce maze and spray tent. Trevor was at the festival promoting Raymond Chiropractic and was able to meet lots of new people.
We had a great time barbecuing several times with different friends and family over Memorial Day weekend. It's great to be able to be outdoors and enjoy the weather! We're looking forward to an awesome summer at the beach!
We have signed a lease on a house less than a mile from our house now. We are super excited because it has a huge fenced in back yard, it's the last house on a dead end street, the girls will be able to stay at their current schools, Corinne and Lincoln will go back to having their own rooms and there's extra rooms for the piano AND an office! Not to mention, we already met several neighbors who are really friendly. There are all kinds of kids playing in the street and block bbqs happening. We're hoping to eventually buy the house and finally have roots put down!
This summer Corinne will be going to two weeks of Ultimate Rock Camp through the school she takes guitar lessons and where her band is. Ayla and Sophie are going to three weeks of rec camp where they'll be taking field trips to the beach, the lake, the bowling alley and the rock gym, just to name a few. Ayla will be with 7th and 8th graders and Sophie is with 1st and 2nd graders. Sophie has a few friends going that she knows and Ayla will know some of the kids from her school as well.
We're very excited to have booked our trip to Kansas! The girls are spending a week with Grandma Connie, then several days with Grandma Gay and Grandpa Dave before Trevor, Lincoln and I get there to stay for a week before all six of us head back together. We're looking forward to visiting with Trevor's mom and dad, whom we haven't seen in a while and the rest of Trevor's family.
Cheers to a great summer!!!
Another weekend was spent in western Massachusetts camping for Trevor to race in the Bone Frog Challenge (a Navy Seal obstacle course race). Our site was on a river and our first s'mores of the season were delicious! When I put Lincoln in the tent for the night he asked me to turn off the light that was on outside. I left the tent and realized that the "light" was the full moon!
Corinne's band, Inside Joke, played at Bayside Bowl and did a great job. Their teacher wasn't there so Corinne was in charge of starting each song. She said she was really nervous, but she did great! We're looking forward to seeing her band play at Old Port Festival in June!
I took my four kids and the Cote kids to a running festival on the hottest day in May. The little kids had fun in the bounce maze and spray tent. Trevor was at the festival promoting Raymond Chiropractic and was able to meet lots of new people.
We had a great time barbecuing several times with different friends and family over Memorial Day weekend. It's great to be able to be outdoors and enjoy the weather! We're looking forward to an awesome summer at the beach!
We have signed a lease on a house less than a mile from our house now. We are super excited because it has a huge fenced in back yard, it's the last house on a dead end street, the girls will be able to stay at their current schools, Corinne and Lincoln will go back to having their own rooms and there's extra rooms for the piano AND an office! Not to mention, we already met several neighbors who are really friendly. There are all kinds of kids playing in the street and block bbqs happening. We're hoping to eventually buy the house and finally have roots put down!
This summer Corinne will be going to two weeks of Ultimate Rock Camp through the school she takes guitar lessons and where her band is. Ayla and Sophie are going to three weeks of rec camp where they'll be taking field trips to the beach, the lake, the bowling alley and the rock gym, just to name a few. Ayla will be with 7th and 8th graders and Sophie is with 1st and 2nd graders. Sophie has a few friends going that she knows and Ayla will know some of the kids from her school as well.
We're very excited to have booked our trip to Kansas! The girls are spending a week with Grandma Connie, then several days with Grandma Gay and Grandpa Dave before Trevor, Lincoln and I get there to stay for a week before all six of us head back together. We're looking forward to visiting with Trevor's mom and dad, whom we haven't seen in a while and the rest of Trevor's family.
Cheers to a great summer!!!
Monday, May 9, 2016
April Update
After re-reading March's post, I think April was rather quiet.
Corinne is continuing to love jujitsu and is signing up for a competition in June. There is a friend in her class who lives close by and attends classes every day, so Corinne is looking forward to going to more classes (and I'm excited she has a ride!). She's also really been enjoying playing with her band and is looking forward to a few gigs coming up. The biggest one is Old Port Festival in June. If you know anything about it, you know it draws a huge crowd and there are multiple stages with many talented musicians.
Ayla is loving both softball and Girls on the Run. She got her first hit the other night and was so excited! Both coaches on her team have told Trevor and I what a joy she is to have. It's definitely a much higher level than she's ever played before and she has already made great improvements. She has enjoyed running twice a week with Girls on the Run and is looking forward to the 5k at the end of the season in June.
Sophie is wishing she signed up for softball now that she's seeing Ayla play. We've been playing a lot of wiffleball with both her and Lincoln. She'll be ready for softball next year! She's enjoying spending time at the Boys and Girls Club every day after school. She had her first sleepover (that wasn't a relative) and it went well! We went to the Small School movie night and they played great together at our house.
Lincoln continues to keep us all laughing. His impersonations are hilarious and he loves to wrestle. He's come out of his shell at school and had to go to timeout for the first time for refusing to put all four legs of his chair on the floor. I'm glad he's comfortable there. :)
Trevor and I took the youngest three to a Pirates hockey game with the Cotes and had a great time! Lincoln is mesmerized by hockey and can't wait to play himself! All of the kids had fun meeting the mascot and watching the game.
Trevor and I had a great weekend kid-free at Sugarloaf with Jeremy and Amanda. The skiing was way better than we were expecting- there's something about skiing without a jacket that is really nice! Big thanks to both my mom and dad who each took a kiddo. Sophie and Lincoln had lots of fun with them. Corinne and Ayla had a great time with friends. Weekends like that one remind Trevor and I how lucky we are to be surrounded by friends and family.
We are looking forward to a fun-filled May!
Corinne is continuing to love jujitsu and is signing up for a competition in June. There is a friend in her class who lives close by and attends classes every day, so Corinne is looking forward to going to more classes (and I'm excited she has a ride!). She's also really been enjoying playing with her band and is looking forward to a few gigs coming up. The biggest one is Old Port Festival in June. If you know anything about it, you know it draws a huge crowd and there are multiple stages with many talented musicians.
Ayla is loving both softball and Girls on the Run. She got her first hit the other night and was so excited! Both coaches on her team have told Trevor and I what a joy she is to have. It's definitely a much higher level than she's ever played before and she has already made great improvements. She has enjoyed running twice a week with Girls on the Run and is looking forward to the 5k at the end of the season in June.
Sophie is wishing she signed up for softball now that she's seeing Ayla play. We've been playing a lot of wiffleball with both her and Lincoln. She'll be ready for softball next year! She's enjoying spending time at the Boys and Girls Club every day after school. She had her first sleepover (that wasn't a relative) and it went well! We went to the Small School movie night and they played great together at our house.
Lincoln continues to keep us all laughing. His impersonations are hilarious and he loves to wrestle. He's come out of his shell at school and had to go to timeout for the first time for refusing to put all four legs of his chair on the floor. I'm glad he's comfortable there. :)
Trevor and I took the youngest three to a Pirates hockey game with the Cotes and had a great time! Lincoln is mesmerized by hockey and can't wait to play himself! All of the kids had fun meeting the mascot and watching the game.
Trevor and I had a great weekend kid-free at Sugarloaf with Jeremy and Amanda. The skiing was way better than we were expecting- there's something about skiing without a jacket that is really nice! Big thanks to both my mom and dad who each took a kiddo. Sophie and Lincoln had lots of fun with them. Corinne and Ayla had a great time with friends. Weekends like that one remind Trevor and I how lucky we are to be surrounded by friends and family.
We are looking forward to a fun-filled May!
Sunday, April 10, 2016
March Madness
No, not basketball. Just the every day life of two full-time working adults raising four children. Living the dream one day at a time!
We are feeling very settled in South Portland and are so grateful to be in a beautiful state surrounded by my family (and in a place where his family loves to visit). Trevor's job is going very well and he's really enjoying it. I just accepted a new position at Maine Medical Center and am super excited to be the supervisor at the Access Center, which is a call center taking calls for 14 primary care practices.
March started off with lots of musical excitement. Corinne played her first gig at Port City Music Hall with her band. They're still working on their name, so we'll hopefully be able to share that in my next post. Her and her bandmates did a great job with the two songs they performed- Xs and O's by Elle King and Let It Be by The Beatles. Being on stage for the first time ever was also a pretty cool way for Corinne to spend her 14th birthday!!
Continuing the music theme, Trevor and I took Corinne to a concert to celebrate her birthday the week after her own concert. We saw Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and they were awesome!!! They're a very high energy band with a great brass section. We even went to a fancy restaurant before the show for some cocktails. (Virgin for Corinne of course!) Even though Trevor and I danced more than Corinne, we all had a great time and hopefully didn't embarrass Corinne too much!
Transition night at South Portland High School went pretty well considering Corinne really had her heart set on Baxter Academy. She is still on the wait list, so we're holding out some hope she still gets in. With that said, we're focusing on some of the cool electives that South Portland offers. Corinne seems somewhat excited and by somewhat excited, I mean she's moving away from the end of the spectrum labeled, "I absolutely will hate South Portland High School." :)
Sophie participated in a fun after school event for the month of March. They practiced Frozen songs and dance moves. I went to the performance on the last afternoon and was very impressed with how loudly and clearly Sophie spoke her lines. She wasn't as in to the singing and dancing, but she said she had lots of fun at the practices!
Lincoln had an absolute blast at his 3rd birthday party. We had his friends from school come to the Scarborough Fire Department. They had so much fun climbing all over the fire trucks, shooting the hose at "fire" and seeing all the tricks the trucks could do. I think the parents had as much as the kids, too! Lincoln still talks about the fire trucks and every time he sees one he says "That's from my birthday!" I also have to give a shout out to the amazing fire fighters at the Scarborough Fire Department who made the party super fun and stress-free!!
Ayla started Girls on The Run, which is an after school program two days a week. They say it best on their website: "The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness." In true Ayla fashion, when I asked her if she wanted to do it, she replied, "Sure!" After the first week she said, "I didn't actually think it would be that fun, but it really is!" I love her positive attitude! She's had several practices and even though the weather hasn't been ideal, they run outside every meeting.
Ayla also started softball through the rec department in South Portland. She is really enjoying it and it's great to see her making friends! There are four teams in South Portland, so they'll play each other and there are also surrounding towns that have teams, who they'll play as well.
We enjoyed the first grade concert in March. It was fun being able to see not only Sophie, but her cousin Ava in the show. We are really enjoying having family less than a mile away! We had a blast bowling with not only our family of six, but my brother's family of four and the Cote gang. The kids enjoyed bowling, but even more so, being able to roast s'mores there! We all came back to our house for lunch and play time for the kids. We're all looking forward to hanging out more as the weather gets nicer.
We have a new addition to our family! Don't worry- it's not alive, but it is pretty amazing. Grandma Connie sent us her baby grand piano!!! Although our house is pretty small, where there's a will, there's a way! All of the girls love playing it and Ayla especially has an ear for being able hear a song on the radio and then play it on the piano- it's pretty amazing. I'm looking for a teacher to come to our house to give lessons. Our schedules are pretty crazy, but we're determined to figure something out. I have a few more teachers to call, so I'm sure something will work!
We finished the month with a really fun Easter weekend at my moms. Our kids and their cousins loved playing outside in the mud, on the four wheeler, the go-cart and the tractor. Even though we love our "city" life, it's really nice to be able to go to the country and have good old fashion fun outdoors! The easter egg hunt was a big hit- all of the kids enjoyed looking for their own eggs.
The girls are looking forward to April vacation and we're already making plans for the summer!! Time flies when you're having fun!
We are feeling very settled in South Portland and are so grateful to be in a beautiful state surrounded by my family (and in a place where his family loves to visit). Trevor's job is going very well and he's really enjoying it. I just accepted a new position at Maine Medical Center and am super excited to be the supervisor at the Access Center, which is a call center taking calls for 14 primary care practices.
March started off with lots of musical excitement. Corinne played her first gig at Port City Music Hall with her band. They're still working on their name, so we'll hopefully be able to share that in my next post. Her and her bandmates did a great job with the two songs they performed- Xs and O's by Elle King and Let It Be by The Beatles. Being on stage for the first time ever was also a pretty cool way for Corinne to spend her 14th birthday!!
Continuing the music theme, Trevor and I took Corinne to a concert to celebrate her birthday the week after her own concert. We saw Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and they were awesome!!! They're a very high energy band with a great brass section. We even went to a fancy restaurant before the show for some cocktails. (Virgin for Corinne of course!) Even though Trevor and I danced more than Corinne, we all had a great time and hopefully didn't embarrass Corinne too much!
Transition night at South Portland High School went pretty well considering Corinne really had her heart set on Baxter Academy. She is still on the wait list, so we're holding out some hope she still gets in. With that said, we're focusing on some of the cool electives that South Portland offers. Corinne seems somewhat excited and by somewhat excited, I mean she's moving away from the end of the spectrum labeled, "I absolutely will hate South Portland High School." :)
Sophie participated in a fun after school event for the month of March. They practiced Frozen songs and dance moves. I went to the performance on the last afternoon and was very impressed with how loudly and clearly Sophie spoke her lines. She wasn't as in to the singing and dancing, but she said she had lots of fun at the practices!
Lincoln had an absolute blast at his 3rd birthday party. We had his friends from school come to the Scarborough Fire Department. They had so much fun climbing all over the fire trucks, shooting the hose at "fire" and seeing all the tricks the trucks could do. I think the parents had as much as the kids, too! Lincoln still talks about the fire trucks and every time he sees one he says "That's from my birthday!" I also have to give a shout out to the amazing fire fighters at the Scarborough Fire Department who made the party super fun and stress-free!!
Ayla started Girls on The Run, which is an after school program two days a week. They say it best on their website: "The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness." In true Ayla fashion, when I asked her if she wanted to do it, she replied, "Sure!" After the first week she said, "I didn't actually think it would be that fun, but it really is!" I love her positive attitude! She's had several practices and even though the weather hasn't been ideal, they run outside every meeting.
Ayla also started softball through the rec department in South Portland. She is really enjoying it and it's great to see her making friends! There are four teams in South Portland, so they'll play each other and there are also surrounding towns that have teams, who they'll play as well.
We enjoyed the first grade concert in March. It was fun being able to see not only Sophie, but her cousin Ava in the show. We are really enjoying having family less than a mile away! We had a blast bowling with not only our family of six, but my brother's family of four and the Cote gang. The kids enjoyed bowling, but even more so, being able to roast s'mores there! We all came back to our house for lunch and play time for the kids. We're all looking forward to hanging out more as the weather gets nicer.
We have a new addition to our family! Don't worry- it's not alive, but it is pretty amazing. Grandma Connie sent us her baby grand piano!!! Although our house is pretty small, where there's a will, there's a way! All of the girls love playing it and Ayla especially has an ear for being able hear a song on the radio and then play it on the piano- it's pretty amazing. I'm looking for a teacher to come to our house to give lessons. Our schedules are pretty crazy, but we're determined to figure something out. I have a few more teachers to call, so I'm sure something will work!
We finished the month with a really fun Easter weekend at my moms. Our kids and their cousins loved playing outside in the mud, on the four wheeler, the go-cart and the tractor. Even though we love our "city" life, it's really nice to be able to go to the country and have good old fashion fun outdoors! The easter egg hunt was a big hit- all of the kids enjoyed looking for their own eggs.
The girls are looking forward to April vacation and we're already making plans for the summer!! Time flies when you're having fun!
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
February Update!
February was a short, uneventful month! I'm a little late writing this and was thinking I had all kinds of things to include, but technically they all happened in March, so you'll have to wait for that!
Corinne and Ayla joined ski club and had fun at Shawnee Peak on Tuesday afternoons/evenings. We went skiing as a family one time at Black Mountain. Sophie didn't enjoy it- she did one run and ended up sitting in the lodge for the day. Corinne's legs were hurting from a ski trip earlier that week, so she was also in the lodge. We're thinking next time Sophie should have a lesson- this is the first time she's skied on her own without the harness.
Trevor and I took turns skiing with Ayla and Lincoln. I'm sure you all saw the video on posted on FaceBook of Lincoln skiing. He was awesome!!! The first several runs I was holding up his deadweight, which is what I figured it would be like for the first few ski trips. He actually fell asleep on the lift with Trevor and after we switched off, I assumed I'd get in one run with him and he'd be done for the day.
Apparently, the nap was just what he needed for his second wind, because he immediately pushed away the straps and said, "Mumma, I do it myself!" I held on to the straps for the rest of the afternoon only as the brakes since he doesn't know how to stop (or slow down for that matter!)
We went to a jujitsu competition so Corinne could watch her classmates and decide whether she might want to be in the next one. We all enjoyed watching and Corinne is excited to compete in the future. She is really enjoying the three classes a week that she takes.
Ayla and Sophie are continuing to do gymnastics until the end of March. They've both received ribbons for various things. (Various things = I can't remember what for)
I bought a road bike and have been on a few rides. I'm looking forward to start training in April for the Tri for Cure in July. We're all looking forward to warm weather and getting everyone on bikes!
That's all for now, but looking forward to reporting lots of exciting things in March!!!
Corinne and Ayla joined ski club and had fun at Shawnee Peak on Tuesday afternoons/evenings. We went skiing as a family one time at Black Mountain. Sophie didn't enjoy it- she did one run and ended up sitting in the lodge for the day. Corinne's legs were hurting from a ski trip earlier that week, so she was also in the lodge. We're thinking next time Sophie should have a lesson- this is the first time she's skied on her own without the harness.
Trevor and I took turns skiing with Ayla and Lincoln. I'm sure you all saw the video on posted on FaceBook of Lincoln skiing. He was awesome!!! The first several runs I was holding up his deadweight, which is what I figured it would be like for the first few ski trips. He actually fell asleep on the lift with Trevor and after we switched off, I assumed I'd get in one run with him and he'd be done for the day.
Apparently, the nap was just what he needed for his second wind, because he immediately pushed away the straps and said, "Mumma, I do it myself!" I held on to the straps for the rest of the afternoon only as the brakes since he doesn't know how to stop (or slow down for that matter!)
We went to a jujitsu competition so Corinne could watch her classmates and decide whether she might want to be in the next one. We all enjoyed watching and Corinne is excited to compete in the future. She is really enjoying the three classes a week that she takes.
Ayla and Sophie are continuing to do gymnastics until the end of March. They've both received ribbons for various things. (Various things = I can't remember what for)
I bought a road bike and have been on a few rides. I'm looking forward to start training in April for the Tri for Cure in July. We're all looking forward to warm weather and getting everyone on bikes!
That's all for now, but looking forward to reporting lots of exciting things in March!!!
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Happy Holidays!
We wrapped up 2015 with much loved family and friends.
Ayla spent a weekend with the Files Family, whom she hadn't seen in a long time! They enjoyed an ugly sweater parade and a live radio show. They're looking forward to spending a weekend with Corinne in January.
We enjoyed Ayla and Corinne's winter concert with Ayla playing the saxophone in the sixth grade band and Corinne playing the clarinet in the eighth grade band. We were impressed with how professional they sounded and appreciated the theater seating!
Trevor and I had an awesome night with friends at our house for dinner and then a concert followed by a night in the Old Port. We are grateful to Grammy Robin and Pop Pop for taking the kids and allowing us a reunion with great friends.
This was one of our favorite Christmas' because we were able to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas day and the day after with family and we only traveled a mile! Spending time with uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents is priceless.
It seemed weird to be working through Christmas vacation, but my work/life balance is great with my new position in Human Resources at Maine Medical Center. I'm enjoying leaving all of my work at work and enjoying the time I have at home.
The last night of the year was spent celebrating my cousin, Keegan's, wedding. Dropping it like it's hot on the dance floor with my brother, sister and the rest of my family couldn't have been a better way to finish 2015.
Here's to a great 2016!
Ayla spent a weekend with the Files Family, whom she hadn't seen in a long time! They enjoyed an ugly sweater parade and a live radio show. They're looking forward to spending a weekend with Corinne in January.
We enjoyed Ayla and Corinne's winter concert with Ayla playing the saxophone in the sixth grade band and Corinne playing the clarinet in the eighth grade band. We were impressed with how professional they sounded and appreciated the theater seating!
Trevor and I had an awesome night with friends at our house for dinner and then a concert followed by a night in the Old Port. We are grateful to Grammy Robin and Pop Pop for taking the kids and allowing us a reunion with great friends.
This was one of our favorite Christmas' because we were able to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas day and the day after with family and we only traveled a mile! Spending time with uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents is priceless.
It seemed weird to be working through Christmas vacation, but my work/life balance is great with my new position in Human Resources at Maine Medical Center. I'm enjoying leaving all of my work at work and enjoying the time I have at home.
The last night of the year was spent celebrating my cousin, Keegan's, wedding. Dropping it like it's hot on the dance floor with my brother, sister and the rest of my family couldn't have been a better way to finish 2015.
Here's to a great 2016!
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