Camping!

Our company all left on Sunday, Gabe was back at work Monday, but was leaving that Thursday for the Civiello Invitational, then things are going to get busy again, so instead of taking a break and relaxing at home, the kids and I left on a camping trip for two nights.  Normally we would have left when Gabe was gone, but we still have the meat birds and someone really needs to tend them and Gabe was just working a lot anyway, so we went on an adventure.  I google searched for a campground in the general area of the mid coast and found something cheap, on a lake and available.  

Up to this point I had never camped as one adult with 4 kids solo so, naturally, I had low expectations and figured I could abort and go home at any point.  Maybe it was my low expectations, but we had a wonderful time!  They are all finally at an age where I don't have to watch their every move, they can help with things and they can be more than an arms length from me around water.  Our tent site was right on the lake across from the playground which couldn't have been more perfect.  I even think I got to read two pages of my book this trip... just two and not consecutively, because, well, there are 4 of them and someone ALWAYS needs something... never the same thing and never at the same time;)  But still... two pages:)  

On the second day of our trip it was cooler and overcast for most of the day so we did the Owl's Head Transportation Museum which is always impressive.  We grabbed an impromptu lunch at the Owl's Head General Store on our way to the lighthouse.  As it turns out, their 7 Napkin Burger has won/been voted "Best in Maine" by several different media outlets more than once.  Of course that is what I ordered and it was so good, but the kids would like it recorded that I only used 5 napkins, not 7.  James took a surprising detour and ordered the "Peanut Butter and Jelly Burger".  Yes, it was a layer of peanut butter, burger, cheese, and bacon, all topped with grape jelly.  He loved it and I too thought it was way better than it sounded... I mean, who doesn't love warm melted peanut butter, cheese and bacon!

We did some exploring and tide pooling after visiting the lighthouse.  It was great to "get away" for a few days and explore our beautiful state in the summer!

Soccer and Theater

This week we didn't exactly slow down.  We hosted Coach Luke from Challenger soccer camp and had so much fun with him.  He was outgoing and super tolerant of our chaos.  They kids all loved soccer camp, James especially, who has gone from picking dandelions and twirling on the field to really getting into going after the ball, against way bigger kids, paying attention to what is going on around him and trying/caring if his team scores!  

We took Luke on a few boat adventures, tried to rid him of his fear of chickens, golfed, had a campfire, climbed Bald Mountain and got a roof on the shed.  And, he attended opening night of Noah's play with me.  

Noah and his peers did an amazing job with the play Spamalot.  I was hesitant about how this particular play would go, but in just three weeks they put together something funny, well done and really quite impressive.  All of the kids loved the whole play when we took them on Sunday too.  It was a great experience for Noah too to give up a good chunk of his summer to experience something he loves to do.

Summer Shenanigans

This week starts soccer camp and we get to meet the coaches tonight, but let me back track a bit to all of the fun we have had enjoying summer over the last week.  The kids turned our playset into a water park with their friends.  We spent an afternoon at Webb Lake where Ben held his breath for longer than I thought possible just so he could dig up this rock from the bottom that was, as he put it, "completely buried"... he isn't allowed to bring his goggles to the beach anymore... He was totally fine, I wasn't impressed;)  Our new chicks are free ranging nicely and have made themselves at home pooping on everything in our garage we are storing until the shed is done... We even got a chance to golf, swim, put a bit more siding on the shed and fatten up the meat birds.

Fourth of July 2017

We celebrated the 4th of July over two days this year!  On the 3rd Farmington had their fireworks at UMF's athletic fields.  It never disappoints:)

On the actual 4th, Gabe, Ben, James, Audrey and I watched the parade in Farmington and Noah got to march in it with the Sandy River Summer Theater Program group.  Noah is taking part in a 3 week summer theater camp with a final play of Monty Python's Spamalot later this month.  They had a blast walking through the streets of Farmington singing their show tunes.  On a side note, Gabe personally met the juggling group he has been eyeing every year at this parade and the Chester Greenwood Day parade... maybe he will get up the courage to join them next year;)  

We enjoyed the rest of the day BBQing with friends.  We even brought Noel in the pool for his first pool experience and I got a great photo for the baby book... The water wasn't exactly like bath water;)