Feeling a lot like fall

It is still summer but it is starting to feel like fall. The weather is perfect for playing at the playground. Violet got afternoon kindergarten and at first I was disappointed because my preferrence was mornings. So far though I am finding that it is working out well for us because now Marina has someone to play with in the mornings and mommy get a "little bit" of quiet time in the afternoon when Gavin and Marina are napping/resting.

Playdate with AJ

Millie and AJ came over for lunch and to play today. What happened to our little babies. This was the two of them just two short years ago!

Last Swims of the season

Gavin is finally big enough to fit in the pool float but unfortunatly our pool days are numbered. It has been holding around 80 degrees but with the forcast of colder nights coming up I don't expect that to last long. Gavin went for his 6 month appointment and is 26" and 16lbs even.

Latisha and Ed's Wedding

Annual Block Party

We had a great time at the block party this weekend. The weather could not have been better and it was fun to spend time with neighborhood friends!

Barbie Girl

Marina's favorite song by Aqua.

Another milestone

We started Gavin on solid foods for the first time this week. He was not overly impressed with the soupy mix of breastmilk and rice cereal. He does seem more interested in our food but he will have to master the baby food first.

Back to School

Violet is starting kindergarten and Zoe is heading to middle school on Thursday. I am going to miss the freedom we have to spend the day here and there but welcome getting back into a routine. I am looking forward to getting back to the gym more and putting more time into my online store, The Nautical Shop. When the baby came I cut way back on my marketing campaign but lately sales from organic web searches have picked up and it has inspired me to get back in the game with SEO (search engine optimization). I am planning to launch two new blogs one about nautical and beach wedding planning and one on New Enland sea life. I am also in a "spring/fall" cleaning mode and trying to organize my house and stuff. It is so liberating to get rid of things I no longer need. I am going room to room and grouping things in four catagories: throw away, e-bay, donate and save. My goal is to have myself and my home organized for the new year.

Weekend Fun

Weather was great this weekend for some end of the summer fun.

Jet Skiing on Lake Zoar


I went jet skiing with my best childhood friend Jody and her husband Tom. We spent the early afternoon jumping wakes, chatting, swimming and checking out the lakeside real estate. Tom teased us about old lady driving because we were often caught drifting and chatting. His mom showed up later in the afternoon for a ride and Tom decided to show us how to ride NO FEAR style. The three of us piled on the three seater and went off looking for some big wakes. All I can say is that it was a fun ride, at least while we were able to stay on the jet ski. Tom and his style of riding put all three of us in the water on two occasions. Luckily we didn't land on top of each other and the water was warm. Thanks for a fun filled day.

Pilot Pen Tournament

While mommy was having a day off, daddy and all the kids went to the Pilot pen tournament. DJ had been given some great seats right near the court and decided that it would be fun to bring the kids. I cautioned him against this due to his inexperience handling the bunch of them out by himself. He did not heed my warning and ventured out anyway. He put Gavin in the front carrier and from what I gather had the two older girls help with Marina. I got little details here and there about the outing but mostly heard about the food and the free stuff they got. DJ also said that they were not able to sit in their seats too long and that he moved back away from the courts because Marina would not stop talking. I guess I am just thankful that they are all back safely and accounted for.

Church Picnic at the Owenego

Sunday our church had a picnic at the Owenego club. It was BBQ style complete with a make your own sundae station. Yum! Luckily it didn't rain but it was still hot and humid and there was hardly any breeze coming off the water. The tide was coming in but still fairly low so Zoe and Violet could touch all the way out to the float. Marina spent her time wading and looking for shells and special rocks in the sand that she could throw! Zoe went off with a friend to play tennis while Violet and Marina played in the clifford bounce house. My camera battery was dead so I didn't get to take pictures today.

New York for the Day

On Saturday, I went to New York for my birthday with my friend Maya,her mom,and my mom. I woke up early and we picked up Maya and her mom and drove to the train station. Then we spent about 2 hours on the train. When we arrived at New York, we walked to American Girl and I bought some stuff and so did Maya. When we got outside we decided to get something to eat and go to the huge Toys R Us. So when we got near Toys R Us we saw a T.G.I. Friday. We went to eat there. The food was yummy. We ate at the 4th floor. Then, we went to Toys R Us. They had a huge Candyland and I bought 4 candys. Then, we walked and saw the Empire State Building. It was HUGE. After that, we walked back to the train station and boarded our train to go home. It was an awesome birthday celebration!

Girls night at the beach

Girls night out is always fun but the beach nights are my favorite! We went to get pedicures and then we headed down to Jacob's beach to sink our newly painted toes in the sand. Gracie brought leftovers from the party, a bucket of some sweet frozen drink and we grabbed a bottle of wine. We got there a little before sunset and didn't leave until close to midnight. Things were really quiet with the exception of a few teens passing through and a skunk that walked the beach several times. I tried to get his picture but I kept my distance and the flash was not powerful enough to catch him. I hope the weather holds up so we can do one more beach night this year before it gets too cold.

Lazy days of summer

August is the perfect month to spend time by the water with family, friends and neighbors. It does not matter whether it is the pool, sea or a lake. It is all GOOD!
I will continue to add to this post through the rest of the month. I hope the weather holds up and we can have a lot more fun in the sun!

We went to visit friends that were vacationing at Camp Harkness. We brought bikes for our two older girls and Zoe and Hua Wen biked all over the campground while Violet learned how to ride her bike without the training wheels. She surprised us all by getting the hang of it so fast. She needs a little more practice before she can ride on the roads with cars but it won't be long. We had a picnic at the beach and then went for a swim. The weather was perfect, the sky was clear and the wind was strong so the waves where high. We then took the kite out and were able to get it up without any effort. It was a long day and the kids were exhausted on the ride home but we all had a great time and hope visit again next year.

Fred's 40th Birthday Luau. Grace-Ann threw her husband a birthday party Jimmy Buffet style. As soon as we got there the girls found the cheese doodles and within minutes Marina was covered in orange cheese.











The weather was perfect for a splash in the pool. I think Zoe would have liked to spend the whole time in the pool!





















Brittany helped to take care of the kids. Marina sure kept her busy. Thanks Brittany!
















Fireworks and smokebombs... oh my! I didn't get the excitement over those stinky smoke bombs but Fred and the kids enjoyed them. I think maybe they helped to keep the mosquitos away though!




Violet had a fall while trying to skateboard. Ouch!



























Zoe went to work with Daddy and the rest of us headed up to Litchfield county for a day at Bantom Lake with Lori and Sydney. Zoe would have loved the waterslide but she will have to wait till next time! Dave joined us at dinner and then we headed back to the coast. We look forward to Lori's visit at the end of the month.







The kids were not very hungry at dinner because the snacked ALL day long!











A day at Hammonasset with the "Beach Girls" Denine didn't have her kids this day because she left them in Maine with their Grandparents and Lisa didn't make it because she was still vacationing in Maine. (poor excuse!) I am really looking forward to our beach girls night out!









Marina and Zoe trying to stay cool.















Zoe, Violet, Kyle and Justin smashing beach shells with rocks.

Gracie holding Gavin. Thanks for all the help girls!

Mermaid Zoe





Gavin chillin' with Daddy














Night swims are the best! The pool was up to almost 9o degrees. A little too warm for the hot days but perfect for a night dip.

Going to Work with Daddy

This Thursday, I went to work with my dad for take your child to work day. My dad works at Aquarion Company. He does financial stuff. First, when we arrived at work, I did a little reading and daddy set up his computer. Then he introdced me to some people and he got some coffee. Then daddy worked on his work and I went to help do some filing and worked on some math problems and read. Next we got in the car and drove to Easton to take a tour of the waterworks. It was very fun. We got to see how they clean the water. After the tour we ate lunch there and all the kids got a goody bag. After lunch, we went back to the building where daddy works in Bridgeport for him to work some more. At 2 o'clock, we drove to another Aquarion building and daddy had a conference call while I had some snacks. When we got back, I did some more filing, and then some more math while daddy worked. Sometimes, he needed to hep me with my math. I also had a lot of questions so he answered them. Then we went and PDF'd a map to another Aquarion worker. Then we went home. It was a fun day.

Growing up and moving out!

Gavin is moving out of our room. I thought we would have moved him out of the bassinet before 5 months but as it turned out both Marina and I were not ready and are still not! Gavin however is growing out of the bassinet and is ready to move away from my bedside and into his own crib/room. We put it off because Marina was still using the crib and does not want to move into her "big girl" bed that we have had set up for over 6 months. The other day we talked again about Gavin moving into the crib and she told me "Gavin is big girl, sleep in bed... Marina's crib" I feel badly for her because I was hoping she would be ready to move on but I don't see it happening without us pushing the issue. I hope the transition goes smoothly!


What a big boy! He is getting too big for this little bed.


Last nap in his bassinet... how did he get so big so fast?

Gavin's crib in the deep blue sea.

Pandora Bracelet

Today I got a beautiful Pandora bracelet. As you can see in the picture I also got my first charm. It's a musical note. I also got two clips for it. It's very special to me and I will wear it most of the time. I hope to collect more charms in the future. Actually, my mom liked my bracelet so much she decided to get herself one. She got the same bracelet as me but a different charm. She got a shell charm that has gold starfish on it. Today I went to get my bracelet with my mom and sister Violet. I saved up my money to buy one of these treasurable and beautiful bracelets. They have all different charms of every color,shape, and size. Each charm has a special meaning. I can't wait to see how my bracelet and I grow.

Maine Trip 2007

In Maine my Uncle Bobby and I had a birthday party. This is a picture of us lighting the candles. I had lots of fun with my younger cousins and younger sisters. We had blueberry pie and rasberry pie instead of cake. (Picture above Left to Right Back Row Violet,Uncle Willy,Uncle Bobby,Me.Front Row Mrs.McClure,Aunt Heather,Marina.)

We had lots of fun in Maine. I loved swimming in Long Pond. I went down to the trail to my special bench with Violet numerous times because it was sooo fun. We went to mommy and daddy's favorite restaurant, The Chart Room, twice. I got a pair of blueberry earrings at Jordan Pond House. We went to Jordan's Pond House twice. But I was annoyed by the bees constantly coming into my jam cup while I was trying to get jam from it. I had 1 rootbeer float, which was very good. I went to Echo Lake once, and it was warmer than Long pond which surprised me because Echo Lake is usually freezing. Violet and I went to see Surf's Up with daddy at the Reel Pizza movie theather. We also went to see the band 3 times, which I really enjoyed because when the music plays all the kids go and run around where the band plays and it's lots of fun.We went hiking at Ship's Harbor and Beech Mtn. We also stopped at Funtown/Splashtown on the way back, but we only went to Funtown because it was to late to go to Splashtown Mommy told us. But I had an awesome trip anyway.

Maine Vacation

My first trip to Bar Harbor with Heather was in 1996. We have had many wonderful times together. We have gone on sunset sailboat cruises, glider rides, deep-sea fishing, hiking, biking, and many comedy shows. This was Gavin's first trip to Maine. It was nice to spend time with the family after having a very busy time at work. I look at Zoë at how much she's grown and think back to when she was as small as Gavin. Time really goes by so quickly. Zoë was just over a month old when we first brought her up to Maine in August 1997. Along with Violet and Marina we have our complete family and I enjoy watching them interact with each other. I really had fun doing our hikes and trips to the beach. Sand Beach was a great deal of fun. The waves were as tall as I am and knocked me over a few times.

Maine 2007

Maine was fun as always but way too short. We were there for over two weeks but it just flew by. This year because of Marina and Gavin being so young, we decided to make it a two day trip both up and back. On Saturday we had Edyta's wedding but Violet was not feeling well, so we just stopped in at the reception for a short time on our way to Freeport ME where we spent the first night. We arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's Hall Quarry house the following day and settled in. Bob, Heather, Harrison and CJ stayed at the Beech Hill house and the Newly weds. Kim, Will and the new inlaws settled into Southwest Harbor. The first few days were hot and we did a few hikes and swimming in long pond. The middle of the trip was a little colder, followed by a really hot spell the last few days. Zoe really enjoyed reading the old guest books from when I was a teenager and Jody would come up with us. She also liked to read all the silly things that Kevin and Chris wrote on their visits when she was younger. I think it is hard for her to believe that there was life before her!
Some highlights of our trip:
This is a picture looking down at sand beach. Brrr... the water was really cold there but we did manage to brave it out long enough for a swim and some body surfing.
One of the hikes we took off the park loop road. This is looking out at the fog from the trail near thunder hole. We also hiked Beech Mountain, Ships Harbor trail and shore path off the village of Bar Harbor. We did not get in as many hikes as we normally do because of the heat and the fact that we had two kids to carry this time.

Grandma and the girls play at the boat launch in Seal Cove.
Gavin hanging out at the lake.
We went to Jordon's Pond house for tea and popovers twice. The second day was nice weather and we got to sit outside and get the full view of the pond. (pictured here)
Seal Cove
Mommy helped Zoe catch a big crab during our picnic at Seal cove. We also caught a shrimp and lots and lots of snails.
We dinned twice at our favorite restuarant, The Chart Room in Hulls Cove.
We went three times to see the band on the green at night in Bar Harbor. The kids had lots of fun running around the bandstand with the other children while the music played. Marina got to try the drums out.
Exploring the coast for treasures with daddy!
DJ and Marina inspect the crab.

Mommy wearing Gavin in the sling searching for some sea creatures.
On the way home we stopped in Saco at FunTown/SpashTown for some family fun. Here is Violet on the bumper boats. She was a mad woman behind the controls!


Zoe on the bumper boats

Violet and Marina on the kiddie canoe ride... heading for the teepee. Doesn't Violet look like she is having so much fun.
Marina had to go on the baby bumper boats, unfortunatly she was the only one there. :-(
We purchased this shirt because we felt it summed up Marina. It says "I am two years old and there is nothing you can do about it!"
We decided to keep the tradition alive and go up to Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise. It is the highest point on the eastern seaboard and is the first place you can see the sunrise in the continental US. If it was less cloudy we would have had a great view of the islands below but instead we were looking out at a "sea" of low lying clouds.
We got up at 3:45 and made it up there before the sun rose at 5:07. (and that was without coffee!)
I kept Gavin in the sling to keep him warm but even though it was windy it was warmer then in years past. Kim's parents joined the tradition... (will we see them again for sunrise next year?? (left to right, Will, Violet, DJ, Marina and Zoe)We then went down for blueberry pancakes at Jordons.
We made the mistake of having "date" night on the same day as our sunrise adventure. We ate at Getty's and then went down for a couple drinks overlooking the water on the terrace of the Bar Harbor Inn.
All I can say is Aaargh! (inside joke) Here is Pirate Willy and his "Wench" :-) He got a few comments and snickers walking down the road with his paper hat on! We then headed over to the comedy Improv, where they did a dream sequence of Will's day. Too funny! I decided the following morning that I am too old for such a long dayand night! I also had the opportunity to go out without the kids one night to see the comedian Tim Sample while DJ did babysitting duty. It was a great trip, great company and a wonderful location.... I just wish it could have lasted a little longer.

Mommy helping Marina off the raft at Long Pond. We also went swimming at Echo Lake. The big boys and kids later tried to sink the corner of the raft. I wish I had the video camera with me for that one.

Will Kayaking at Long Pond, We brought one of the canoes this day too.

Zoe and Gavin on the green at night.