Friday, August 31, 2007

What is Blog To Me

I am so enjoying "peaking" into my friends lives.
  • Learning more about the daily rituals that make each family.
  • Learning that normal is in a constant state of flux for everyone.
  • Learning that life is in the little pieces of a day, a conversation, an unexpected "I love you, mama", and in the kisses that come from all those you love.

I have taken my "cnn" time each day and now devote it to my friends blogs and their friends blogs. This news about life and love and family is so much more motivating and uplifting then what is on cnn these days. I love going to my own blog to see who has left a comment - a note that says - I hear you and I relate - how nice that is to know that you are reaching out and so are your friends.

I want everyone to blog! It is selfish of me but I do! SO BLOG, and COMMENT, and enjoy the news of life - the REAL news of real lives.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Tattoo

Saturday morning Aubrey and I sat patiently at the Hair Cuttery. She needed a quick trim. We played some games, sang some songs, and were generally very silly.

A man walked in and Aubrey pointed to his ankle and we had the following conversation:
  • Aubrey: Mama, what's that?
  • Mama: Those are the man's shorts
  • Aubrey: No, Mama, what's THAT (pointing again)?
  • Mama: Oh, sorry honey, those are the man's socks and shoes.
  • Aubrey (at this point if she knew how to roll her eyes she would have): NO, Mama, what's THAT, on the man's ankle?
  • Mama: That is paint.
  • Aubrey: Why did he paint his leg?
  • Mama: Do you want a lollipop?

I have no idea how to address these types of questions from my daughter. It is becoming harder to distract her with shiney objects when she sees or hears something I want to pretend doesn't exist in the world she is growing up in.

Before I get yelled at from friends and family: I am not saying there is anything WRONG with tattoos... I just don't know if I need to have that conversation with my daughter before she turns 3!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Molly Dress Up


Molly LOVES to play dress up. She is constantly trying to put different clothes and hats on and bringing stuff over for Doug and I to put on her...
HA, I caught you... it wasn't easy :)

Super Mom...

Who is Super Mom and why can I NEVER live up to her?
Super Mom is the mom who:
  • bakes, has blueberry pancakes ready for breakfast before everyone wakes up
  • does crafts and has all the supplies available - and knows where they are
  • never has her kid leave the house with peanut butter all over her face
  • has scrap books UP TO DATE
  • knits - hats, socks, sweaters
  • always has the perfect gift ready for any occassion
  • does the laundry, irons, and everyone always matches
  • never hands their kids a bag of goldfish as a snack (I mean the original packaging bag)
  • remembers vitamins EVERY day
  • always serves vegetables for dinner
  • bathes her kids every night
  • gets her kids to keep bows and bands in their hair - with no knots
  • makes mac n cheese from scratch, not the cheap generic box
  • kitchen floor is clean
  • house is dusted, no clutter

And don't get me started on the Super Wife list...

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Bath Time

The original "Baby Einstein"
My swimmer girl, practicing.
"I did it, Mama"

Sunday, August 19, 2007

To Top It All Off


We had a great day at the pool and beach with family. This is the end of the day and the babies are all dressed, even hats :) Thank you everyone for a great weekend!

Boots

Can you believe I am still posting... I am even getting tired. But how could I not share this picture? We got these boots at a yard sale and Aubrey has had them on since...

Here she is bee bopping to her own song... using my baby shoes to make the beat.

Crab Feast

More family :) Don and Randi and the girls came up from NC and we got to see them and enjoy some crabs!
Aubrey found a sucker pretty quick to pick crabs for her :)



And Nanny spent her evening in the foyer... THANK YOU NANNY!

Mrs. Potato Head



Aubrey asked me to take these pictures...

AUBREY!


More Birthday Party!

The Pool/Boat Pictures and these pictures are all part of the same fun day. We had a great time spending time with family on the water, in the water and then at the house.


This was quite the production. Dora had to be in the picture...
Presents! We celebrated Nanny's Birthday, Uncle Steve's Birthday, Molly's Birthday and Todd's Birthday... thank goodness it was a big cake!
Molly's I SPY blanket! We love it!
"Uck, ack ack". Molly for Duck, Quack, Quack

Pool/Boat Day

Arley!
Molly!
Sideways GTaw and Molly
THE BOAT! We had a BLAST
my HERO!

Molly's Birthday Present


Nana and GTaw's Birthday Present for Molly

I think she likes it.

Back and Forth, Back and Forth

The Blogs are Coming, The Blogs are Coming

We have had a very busy few weeks - and with getting the new camera I have TONS of pictures to share. So please stay with me as I try to get everything posted. I am hoping to be more "timely" but we shall see...

We are enjoying a lovely rainy day today. Ran tons of errands, the girls are sleeping and I am baking oatmeal raisin cookies - I know everyone is shocked at how domestic that all sounds.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Little Swimmer Girl

I stand (OK sit) here before you as a VERY proud mama. My daughter - MY DAUGHTER - is a swimmer! No wings, big pool, face in the water, feet kicking, arms going - she did it! All on her own, her choice. We were swimming with wings and Aubrey realized she could touch her feet to the bottom. So she asked to take off her wings. She said she needed to use her arms not her wings... OK.

And then she just did it. She kept putting her face in and popping back up. Then she kicked her feet behind her, face in and DID IT! I was yelling and screaming and jumping and she was SOOO proud of herself.

It was such a wonderful thing and we spent an hour - just the two of us playing and splashing and jumping together.

My heart is full and my eyes well up as I continue to think about her face and her accomplishments.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

The City

We had a fun morning. We headed into the Inner Harbor for a couple of hours to see some friends from NH. It was hot and we walked and Doug found a street vendor that had such great italian sausage he had to go back for another one about an hour after the first one.
The Inner Harbor was PACKED with people with Boston Red Sox fans. I mean every single person had red on!
Aubrey and Morgan
Aubrey and Daddy
Dylan and Brian

We are SOOO in Trouble



B's In Town

Thursday evening we were excited to have our good friends from NH in town. The boys are CUTE!
Dylan Chillin'

Owen
Owen - SO CUTE!
Defintely a Daddy's Boy!

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

HOW?

How do my kids get to be so cute?

Aubrey says to me tonight, "Mama, pretend I ate a good dinner and get me some chocolate ice cream in the kitchen to eat".

She also explained to me on the way home from school that bees need honey and make honey and butterflies do too but that, "butterflies and bees need peanut butter sandwiches and I need one for dinner".

Sunday, August 5, 2007

The Re-entry Blues

First day back in the swing of things... the girls did great - I was a little sad (OK, a lot sad).

It is hard to go from 5 weeks of every minute with them - even in the same bedroom to... NOT.

But we did it! We got the girls dressed and breakfasted to LA's, then cooked a healthy dinner, baths, books, and bed time. Aubrey even let me blow dry her hair. I was shocked at how long her hair is when it is straightened out.

Doug and I are in our leather recliners with our laptops catching up on life.

The news from Maine is this:
1) No fish (and I quote, "I am bummed for Roy, I was hoping he would have some fun and catch some fish". )
2) Grandy and Grandad are headed out to get (direct quote from Grandy), "Drunk and Disorderly"
3) Apparently there is a hard core Monopoly game going on between Grand and Royal
4) Everyone misses Max up there... we would be happy to ship him up.

Home!

So my hero is Doug. This picture does not do justice what was done today. All of this stuff, PLUS a dog, 2 kids, a bike, a double kid bike carrier, a double jogging stroller, the plastic jail we got at a yard sale, and a HUGE fish, fit into the car - BARELY! We did not have room to move and the kids had their knees at their ears - luckily they are VERY flexible at this age.

There was tons of traffic but we still made good time - about 10 hours.

While we are happy to be home, it is very strange this evening. We are missing Cape Elizabeth and our family. It was a most wonderful month.

Lobster Fest 07


Every year after the Beach to Beacon race, we have a party where the guest of honor is local lobster! It is alwasy fun and A LOT OF WORK - thank you Grandy and Granddad!
The kids got to see and touch live lobster - except that they wouldn't touch the lobsters while they were alive - but enjoyed touching them once cooked. Aubrey ate an entire lobster - MINE!


Kids table! We had syncronized color coded eating. Aunt Emily was trying to be creative - it is hard to get kids to eat with all the distractions and excitement.



What, she's my daughter! I had to put this one in!
Roman and the Lobster


Race Day!

Picnic Breafast at the finish line!
We had a great view of the all the finishers! It was cool to see the wheelchairs and the top men and women finishers! We didn't get to see everyone because we had to get to the kids race! We did get to see and yell to Keith who finished the race in 43:08... and his goal was to beat his age - which he did by 4 minutes!
Daddy and Aubrey in the kids race! I believe Daddy is PULLING Aubrey - and her "bib" is on the back because she didn't want to wear it at all so I had to sneak it on...
If you look closely... under the S in the "Kids Fun Run" race you can see Daddy giving Aubrey a high five for finishing... on his shoulders. She did get a medal to wear and a certificate. It was a zoo if you couldn't tell.
Some of our runners!
Craig Finishers in Order
(I don't remember the exact times so these are all approximations)
Keith Craig - 43:08
Roy Craig - 57:58
Doug Craig - 1:00:09
Stacie Craig - 1:00:25
Sarah Craig - 1:00:50
Mark Craig- 1:03
Royal Craig-1:07
Debi Craig - 1:15
Alan Craig - 1:28