Wife Mother Runner #summeroffun2015 Archives

Our Vacation To New Hampshire

August 23, 2015

This past week was our last vacation of the summer. It was also the last full week of the kids’ summer vacation. Like we had done last year, we went up to New Hampshire and stayed at Newfound Lake. It was a beautiful week for this vacation. The weather was very hot; which makes for perfect vacationing on a lake of course!

We arrived on Saturday afternoon by 5 p.m. unloaded the car, and made a journey over to Wal-Mart to get the groceries we would need for the week. Last year I thought I was going to have a meltdown in that store. So I warned the kids to help me get through the dirty deed and to be on their best behavior so I don’t have a wig out. Mission accomplished! We were out of there relatively quickly and got back to the house and made an awesome taco dinner!

Since it was too late to go swimming, we chilled out at the house for the night watching Teen Beach 2! It was so fun watching that with my parents and they recognized the resemblance to the earlier days of Annette Funicello.

After a good night’s sleep I lazily took my time getting moving in the morning and eventually hit the road for a run around 10:30. Bad move. It was really hot out and the sun was very strong. But I successfully got in a 3 mile run. The kids and my husband and my mother were at the beach so after my shower I joined them. A great day of fun at the beach and then we wrapped up the night with a great dinner at home with burgers on the grill, followed by some American Ninja Warrior on demand to wrap up the night.

On Monday we designed our #summeroffun2015 T-shirts for the whole family. It was quite a production but the overall results were great! After designing our shirts, we had lunch and went to the beach again on a very hot and humid day with temps close to 90 degrees. The kids were in the water almost the entire day. Even Poppa got in the water!

We went out to dinner at a Seafood and BBQ joint in Plymouth and then when we got home we had poppa and Kevin drop us off at the top of or street and we walked from there to the beach to get out steps in. The night was beautiful and we could hear the kids at Camp Berea singing. We stood on the dock and looked out at the beautiful view in the evening and then walked back to the house to watch American Ninja Warrior again (see a theme here?).

Tuesday was yet again another very very hot day and we were in no rush to get moving so we decided we’d like to spend the afternoon at the Sculptured Rocks in Bristol. That was so much fun! Mimi made her way down the river with her new knee; yet last year she was barely able to walk through the woods on the walking trails! Poppa keep guard on us from the path in the woods and protected our phones when we were getting into areas that were too deep or slippery. God forbid we have anything happen to our phones; but we were using then to take pictures of our adventure. The water was ice-cold but the temps outside were so hot that it felt wonderful, even when you slipped into a deeper section than you were anticipating.

Everyone was disappointed to leave so I made the suggestion that we all go get ice cream! No arguments there! We went to Shackette’s and enjoyed some ice cream cones to cool off with and then made our way back to the house to ride bikes and play at the beach yard.

We made pizzas on the grill for dinner that night and then watched America’s Got Talent. We were excited to be watching it live so that we could vote for who we liked.

Wednesday was already upon us and it was still warm again so we decided to take a journey across the lake to a bakery that had a gift shop. After that we went back to the house and had lunch and went to the beach for the afternoon. Some storms started to roll in and I decided that I wanted to get a run in before dinner so I checked the radar, changed quickly and took my chances to get in a short run. The air was starting to move when I first was out there; but then the sun came back out and it was a sauna again. I got in a 3 mile run; took a quick shower and helped make dinner.

Steak and chicken on the grill with fresh squash from our garden and corn on the cob. It was delicious and it was so nice to have these delicious meals at home each night with everyone. After dinner we had to watch the results show of America’s Got Talent! It was fun to vote live and see if our votes made a difference (in the end our contestant did not make it in, but we tried!)

On Thursday we were going to visit Kevin’s family on Lake Winnipesaukee so when I got up I headed out quick for a run, showered and we went over to their house to visit. It was wonderful. There was a strong breeze and the kids were so excited to play with Sofia and meet their new cousin Penny. Kevin was so attached to the baby. I had the chance to hold her and was able to get her to sleep and had the pleasure of snuggling with her while she napped for an hour! It was so relaxing to hold a 3 month old and she was such a little sweetie. These are special times. We don’t get to see Jen and Greg and their kids as often and Kevin and Adrienne were so sad when they had to leave. I had to bribe them with ice cream after dinner so they wouldn’t be so sad!

When we got back to the house the kids and I took a walk before dinner and my mom made spaghetti and meatballs. It was delicious and we were able to eat it outside without being chewed alive by the bugs. Adrienne put on a little fashion show for us with some new outfits Mimi bought her that day and then we went out for ice cream. On the way home I hijacked my dad’s truck and Kevin got to take his first ride in the front seat of a car and Adrienne sat in the jump seat in the back! They got a kick out of the “old-fashioned car” with crank windows and a stick shift. These are the memories.

After we got back I taught Kevin how to play War with cards. He got a kick out of the game and Adrienne was playing tick tack toe with poppa. We were having a fun time playing games and chilling out at the house. This is what vacation is all about.

During the night that night we lost power at 2 a.m. and the night was blacker than black. I was up the minute it happened and was worried that the kids were going to freak out. Then about 10 minutes later they were up. So I laid with them in bed but it was hard for us to fall back asleep with out the fans on and the dead silence. The power came back on around 5:00 a.m. and we all got a few more hours of sleep.

Friday was a rainy morning so we stayed at the house, played cards, fought a little about the cards, I did some work and then we made plans to take a walk to the beach. Just as we were about to go, the skies opened up again. So we waited and then went out, while the kids rode bikes. That night we made dinner reservations to go to the Homestead Restaurant in Bristol. It was so much fun. My favorite part was when my son was asking about funny family stories after we ate, so we were all sitting around reminiscing about many funny things that happened when I was a kid. The food was so delicious there, and the kids were so well-behaved, it was a great time.

When we got back, I told the kids we should grab some flashlights and head down to the beach for a walk. So the whole family gathered up and we went down to the lake and admired the still water, the bright stars in the sky and the peace and quiet that you see at the lake at night! The kids thought that was the greatest thing going for an adventure walk at 10:30 at night!

This vacation was all about making memories and the best part was when my son wanted to relive some memories. Tonight when we get home my parents will be coming over to make s’mores on our back deck so we can continue the stories of memories for the kids to enjoy.

They are growing up way too fast and as much as I usually cry when we leave New Hampshire I felt ok leaving this time. I was dreading them going back to school next week, I needed to do a 17 mile run Sunday and then I had to drive to Boston at 5 a.m. on Monday for a conference. But all in all, that’s life and I will be with friends at the conference, and the kids are looking forward to going back to school. So hearing them tell me that made it easier for me.

Now to plan our next little family outing so we can have something else to look forward to together!

What I Didn’t Know About The Last Day Of School

June 22, 2015

Isn’t that supposed to be one of the happiest days of the school year?! Well why was I a blubbering mess when the kids took their last day of school pictures and climbed onto the bus and drove off? I knew I was going to see them in a few hours as I go to school to celebrate their last day of school festivities.

Fast forward a few hours and my husband and I went to our son’s class first to take part in their last day of school party. As always, my son’s face lit up when he saw us. I could practically see his heart skip a beat in his chest. The kids participated in different stations throughout the class and I had to restrain myself from kissing him all over. I am so proud of his accomplishments. He showed us that he received an awards for Best Bus Behavior. Then we watched a slide show his teacher made of all the activities they took part in throughout the year. Cue in the sappy music and adorable pictures and the lump in my throat was getting larger. The kids had frozen yogurt sundaes during the slide show, which was a big hit.

Moving On To A New School

While Kevin watched the show, my husband and I went up to have lunch with our daughter. She was full of smiles and her friends were also happy. There was definitely the feeling of the last day of school in the air. All the teachers were smiling; but I was choking back tears. I’m sure if I were a teacher I’d be smiling too! I just feel sad that I will be working all summer and I want to spend time with them. We wait all winter for this time of year and the weather so I am going to maximize my time with them the best that I can during the daylight and evening hours.

We had lunch with Adrienne and then went back downstairs to finish up the party with Kevin. He sat on my lap while we watched the end of the slides and my lap was almost not big enough for him! I was smothering him with love and didn’t care that he was already 8 years old and I was loving all over him in front of his classmates. Soon enough I won’t be able to do that anymore in school. Or he won’t want me to embarrass him in front of his friends. But I needed to hold on to him and keep him small in my arms.

Kevin’s Growth

Mrs. Bannon presented the class with some gifts and a copy of the DVD that we all watched. She got me good when she presented us with the photo collage with the kids’ pictures on it holding up the word that they chose to describe the year. It was when she said Lyla’s word was “bad” which really does sum it up well for her. Battling her third round of chemo during the beginning of the school year was bad. It was hard, the kids missed her and she fought hard and successfully beat it again! What I noticed the most about this class was how much they loved and missed Lyla. When they all saw her picture in the slide show everyone said her name out loud! Then when they saw a picture of her towards the end they all commented that her hair was growing back.

My son told me that his class received an award during their assembly this morning. It was the Community Award. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate award for such a caring class. The children were a community. They reached out to our community to help one of their own classmates who was battling a fight of her life. They all rallied from the beginning of the year when they learned that Lyla had cancer and had to miss a lot of school to get treatment.

There was a Love For Lyla football game, fundraisers, raffles, spirit day, St. Baldrick’s cut-a-thon, hat day, they had a mascot, Spot which was Lyla’s favorite stuffed animal. Spot sat in Lyla’s seat when she wasn’t in school. I am going to miss their class. It was a special group of children. I hope they always remember that bond they had as a community during a time one of their fellow classmates struggled. Thank you Mrs. Bannon for teaching and fostering the children to care. Your giving spirit is contagious.

Adrienne’s Growth

My daughter was emotional the day before the last day of school. She was a timid, quiet girl in the beginning of the year. But by the end of the year, I noticed her hold her head up high and stand up tall when she was around her friends and in school. She had difficulty in preschool with leaving me. There were tears many times. But this year she became so independent and confident. We always worried about her not wanting to get on the bus without her brother; but after one time when he has chorus and she wanted to go by herself, that was it. She didn’t mind going alone. In fact, she looked forward to it.

She told me this morning that she didn’t want school to end. She was going to miss her teacher. That is music to my ears. She has really blossomed. I am so proud of the little girl she is becoming. But, no one told me how much it would hurt seeing her grow up. When we were with her in the cafeteria at lunch today I couldn’t stop staring at her. Her sparkling eyes that smile when she smiles. Her little ears exposed because she had her hair in a french braid. Her muscular little arms in her tank top. I love her so much I wanted to scoop her up and run downstairs and get Kevin and run out of there with them. But I let them stay in school until the end to enjoy the last few hours of their school day with their friends and teachers.

I felt like today I saw them grow up before my eyes. My son will be going into a new school, for the older kids, and my baby girl is going into first grade. I keep telling them to stay little, but they keep reminding me that they can’t. I wish I could freeze time at their ages. I know people say the years fly by; but I didn’t think it would feel this fast. I try to savor every minute and make as many memories, take as many pictures and have as many laughs as we can.

Enjoy The Summer!

Sure, this is the beginning of summer vacation, I give it about a day before the kids start complaining about being bored, or fighting with each other and I’ll be wishing they are going back to school and a normal routine again; but I don’t want to rush our summer away. Kids will be kids. Tonight when we got ready for bed my son came up to me and gave me a huge hug and told me I was the greatest mom in the whole world. I needed to hear that. I LOVE SUMMER and can’t wait to spend it with my family! Summer of Fun 2015 officially begins today!