buds

My friend Trish took this picture of Cooper and Ethan a couple of weeks ago at Soccer. Cooper's been having a great time at soccer, but he does have a little trouble keeping the sillies at bay durring practice.

riding

Kestrel is riding a horse named Kelly at our riding lesson this morning.

Kestrel's been riding Kelly the past two weeks. I've been riding Toes the past three weeks. Last week right after I got on him, he started jumping a few times. It scared me! I guess I must have done something he didn't like. No jumping this week, thankfully. We did "barrel racing" at the end of our lesson today, where we trotted around barrels. I thought it was fun, and Toes seemed to enjoy it. Kestrel had a little trouble steering Kelly, who didn't seem to want to trot, around the barrels. We all had fun, though, and everyone laughed when I knocked over one of the barrels. Kestrel loves taking care of the horses, and keeps talking about how she wants to live on a farm when she's grown and ride horses everywhere instead of driving.
I snapped this picture at the end of our lesson with my phone. It's pretty blurry, but I still couldn't resist posting it here.

splashing summer fun

After camp we decided to go play at a park with a sprinkler area. I'm enjoying these lazy summer days of playing all afternoon, deciding spur-of-the-moment what we want to do, and not having to worry about getting homework done or hurrying off to dance or gymnastics class (oh alright, we did have soccer but that wasn't until much later, and I only felt a teeny bit rushed...).

OK, I know its not technically summer yet, but it feels like it. Seems like we've had mid-summer for the past month. It's been so hot. I know, after all my whining this past winter I shouldn't complain.

happy father's day

We decided to have a picnic lunch at Allerton Park today for Father's Day. It's become a tradition for us. We've been the past several years.
Last year, we brought Huxley and while walking in the woods, Huxley decided to jump into the river. Unfortunately, the riverbank was too steep for him to climb out, so Paul had to go in to get him out. The next day Paul discovered he was covered with Poison Ivy. The poor guy was really sick and uncomfortable for over a week!
This year Huxley stayed home, but mostly because it was just way too hot today. Because of the heat, we didn't spend long at the park. We ate lunch by the lake and enjoyed watching the snake, crayfish, turtles and fish that were in the lake. Then we played a little frisbee and headed back to town to see a movie (Nancy Drew).

Daddy and Cooper after the movie

summer soccer

Kestrel and Cooper had soccer this morning, with the Summer Soccer Club in a nearby town. Soccer started last Saturday, and meets twice a week through July. Kestrel participated in this last year and loved it. It was one of the things she was looking forward to this summer. This is Cooper's first time playing soccer. He was a bit nervous last week before he started, and kept saying "but I don't know how to play soccer!" However, once he got out there with his buddy Ethan he loved it, and now is all excited when he finds out it's soccer day.

I know it's too small to see, but that is Ethan kicking a ball behind Cooper.

recital (again)

Here is a video I took of her ballet class dancing "Rumpelstiltskin" last night. The quality isn't great because I just took it with my digital camera (we actually weren't supposed to be videotaping, but no one could tell I was taking video instead of just still pictures).

I know its hard to tell the girls apart, but if you look closely, Kestrel is always 4th girl from the left whenever the whole group is lined up across the stage. When they come out in smaller groups to dance, Kestrel is in the 2nd group (lined up behind each other bowing to Goldilocks), and she is the 2nd in line -- the 2nd to greet goldilocks. Kestrel said a few times she wished she was the last one, so that she could hug Goldilocks.

And why is Goldilocks in Rumpelstiltskin, you ask? Well, she's lost actually. She's traveling through the land of fairytales, trying to find the 3 Bear's house.

Kestrel's already planning to be in the recital next year. Right now she's very excited about dance.

dance recital

This week Kestrel is performing in the big dance recital her dance school puts on every year. She has two dances in the recital, "Bedrock Twitch", her tap routine, and "Rumpelstiltskin", with her ballet class. It has been a busy week, with dress rehearsals Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings, and performances Thursday, tonight (Friday) and Saturday evenings. We are both really tired, but she is loving it! All the waiting is hard though, and the show is really long. This evening when we arrived at the theater, she was acting and complaining of being sooo tired. However, after her dance she was talking a mile a minute and claiming she wasn't tired at all!

She is dancing the ballet dance all three performances, but Tap was only the first night. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera last night, so the only pictures I have in her tap costume are from my phone (except for the professional photos we'll get back next month).

Can you tell how proud I am of her? She's been working hard, putting up with late nights and long wait times, and doing a great job on stage.

The recital was held at an historic old theater downtown.

Kestrel in the theater entrance way when we were arriving yesterday for the first show. She's wearing her tap costume. She's been so excited that she gets to wear makeup, and we're having fun going overboard with glitter.

Yesterday, sitting with a couple of kids from her tap class, she's waiting for their turn to go backstage.

I took this in front of the theater this evening when we were on our way in.

Her ballet class is performing "Rumpelstiltskin". Kestrel is the 4th from the left.

a close up of the same picture above

Tonight after her dance with the roses I gave her. Did you know ruby red roses are her favorite flower?

dinner at the farm

Yesterday the kids wanted to go to Prairie Farm, now that it is open. First visit this year! Kestrel had a dress rehearsal last night, and I needed to get them dinner early. So, we decided to pack a light picnic and eat at the farm. Kestrel was excited to see the horses, but got a little upset later when she thought one of the horses tried to bite her. I asked Cooper to pick out an animal he wanted a picture with, and he chose the peacock! They enjoyed the petting zoo, although the deer were at it again this year trying to eat our clothes. Anyway, we are glad the farm is open again for the season.

50 years!

I flew into Boston last weekend to help my parents celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. After a little travel snag (I was supposed to go Friday night, but flight got cancelled so I didn't go until Saturday morning), I arrived in Boston Saturday afternoon. We went to the Wayside Inn in Sudburry for the anniversary dinner. 50 years, can you believe it? I hope Paul and I are so lucky to get to celebrate our 50th.

After 50 years, my Dad lost his wedding ring on the day of their anniversary, and he noticed it just as we were heading out for the dinner. How ironic is that? Don't worry though, he found it the next day!

The dinner was nice and it was great to see everyone. I wish Paul and the kids could have been there, but we will hopefully all be traveling to Boston this summer.

I had to fly out Sunday morning, so it really was a quick trip. But, thankfully I got home in time to help Kestrel get ready for her recital pictures.

lounging by the pool

When we got back from our trip out of town to the hot zoo, we went to pick up Cooper at a friend's house and we, friends and all, headed over to the pool for the rest of the afternoon. Here is Cooper taking a break lounging in a chaise!

we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...and the museum, too

Kestrel's class had a field trip to a zoo and children's museum about an hour drive from here. I went along as a chaperone, and because Kestrel begged me not to make her take the hot steaming bus with no air conditioning where they aren't allowed to talk or bring anything to do! So, she got to drive in my car, and we had a good time with her school friends visiting the zoo, playing in the playground, eating lunch and exploring the museum. It sure was hot, though!

just like a couple of cowgirls

Kestrel and I started horseback riding lessons this morning. Kestrel has been asking to take lessons for a while. When I was looking into it I decided I'd like to try it too, and thought it would be a fun thing for us to do together. The lessons include riding and horsemanship (grooming & saddling). My horse was an Appaloosa named Dice, and Kestrel's was a Paint named Minnie. I was a little nervous in the beginning as I've never been on a horse before, but it was really fun. I don't think Kestrel was a bit nervous. She's been talking about the lesson all day. She says the most exciting part was that she got to ride all by herself without the instructor even close to her! Unfortunately, we have to miss next week's lesson, but we're looking forward to going back in two weeks.

Hopefully soon we'll get some pictures. I did not take the picture above, by the way. I took it off of the stable's website.

learning about music

Yesterday Cooper's school invited parents in for their music project culminating event. Cooper had been looking forward to it for a couple of weeks as the class prepared. All week he kept talking about it, and he sounded so cute every time he'd say "culminating event". The parents were invited in to see what all the kids had done related to the project. We were treated to a video of the kids in each of their individual project groups, including Cooper's "musical performers" small group performing in the "Rainbow Rose Rock Band". Cooper played the guitar. The kids had also made a variety of frozen treats to share with parents: Popsicles, watermelon and strawberry slush's.

Cooper with Amanda (definitely one of his favorite teachers), and his head teacher Gillian (whom he loves as well, of course). Everyday when we walk in, Cooper always calls out loudly "Amaaanda!" (Then he often calls out "Elise!" or "Mia!" - two of his good friends in school, and also members of the Rainbow Rose Rock Band). We're sad Gillian won't be back next year as she's having another baby.

rockford weekend

This past weekend we went up to Rockford. Paul and I attended a benefit Saturday night, and Sunday we spent some time in the city with the kids. We stayed at a hotel right on the river. In the picture below, our hotel is on the other side of the river behind Kestrel and Cooper. After walking around by the river, we ate lunch downtown and then visiting the children's museum which Kestrel and Cooper really enjoyed. They had some young farm animals outside in the play area that the children were invited to pet and hold. Notice Cooper checking out some cute chicks!

rolling home

Friday Cooper and I decided to walk/bike when we went to pick Kestrel up from school, as it was such a nice day and we weren't in a hurry for once. Cooper wanted to ride his new bike he got a few weeks ago. He fell in love with this specific bike at the store, which he calls a racing bike. Kestrel got a new bike too, but since I can't ride her bike and certainly didn't want to carry it, I brought her scooter along instead.

makeover

Kestrel's class held a "Mother's Day Makeover" Monday morning. They invited Moms in to the classroom, and the kids did their mother's hair, nail and makeup. Kestrel put makeup on me, gave me braids, and painted my nails. Kestrel is showing me the selection of nail polish from which to choose.

Post makeover. Sorry we didn't get a before picture.

happy mother's day

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

Kestrel's plan for the day was that I get to do whatever I want. Paul went out and got bagels this morning, which we ate along with strawberries and bananas with yogurt for dipping. Afterwards I went out rollerblading around the neighborhood, and then we headed south to amish country for the afternoon. We stopped at a Hen House for lunch, and went on to Rockome Gardens, where we walked around the gardens, played at the tree house, watched the model trains, took a horse and buggy ride, played in some bounce houses, and watched an old fashioned circus show. Kestrel visited the "haunted house" but Cooper decided to pass. The kids got ice cream, too!

Paul gave me a bunch of beautiful tulips this morning.

gone fishing

Kestrel finally got to go fishing! Paul took her fishing in the afternoon while Cooper and I were at a birthday party. They didn't bring any fish home, but Kestrel will tell you about the big one that got away.

making friends

There are some horses, that belong to the university I think, in a field near Cooper's school. Usually they are far back in the field, but today they were grazing up close to the fence, so Cooper asked if we could stop to see them. They were quite friendly and came right up to us, sticking their heads over the fence to be petted.

dinner by the lake

Right before dinner time Kestrel was begging me to take her fishing. Well, I wasn't about to do that, especially without Paul, but I agreed we could have a dinner picnic by the lake instead. SO, we quickly packed up some turkey sandwiches, hummus, bread and sugar snap peas and went over to the "fishing lake". We sat on the dock eating, and had a nice surprise when Paul stopped by unexpectedly. The kids were excited about the baby goslings, and Kestrel was having fun feeding the goslings her bread. After we ate they were trying to feed all the geese (there were a lot there), but then they started getting scared when the geese got aggressive, running at them honking and hissing for more bread. That's when we went home. It was a nice little impromptu dinner, though.

I've got to admit, I'm thankful for my camera phone. Even though it doesn't take the greatest pictures, it's always there for me for these spur-of-the-moment times.