This week's flowers

The Pony Game

Larry's teenage son, Matthew, returned with us from NJ (where he lives) - he'll be spending the month of August with us in Liverpool. Alana got everyone involved in this adorable board game that she got from Gma Jeannie and Gpa Jerry last year.

Weekend photos

I took the kids and drove down to NJ on Friday night, so we could spend the weekend with Gma and Gpa, and help Gpa celebrate his 70th BD on Sunday. The weather was fine on Saturday (despite a rainy forecast) so we went to the local pool (see separate entry of Caleb jumping into the pool). I gave Alana a piggyback ride around the pool and then Caleb wanted to do it too. After about an hour, Alana was beat, but Caleb stayed in the water for another hour+.















Alana spent some time playing the piano at Gma and Gpa's house. Maybe she'll get lessons when she gets a little older.
And Caleb enjoyed a game of chess with Gma Bobbie's sister, Karen (Caleb won!)

Caleb into the pool in Old Bridge

YMCA Sweetheart Daycare Anniversary

Alana's daycare celebrated their 10-year anniversary this week, so today they had a little ceremony and the kids sang a couple of songs. Here the kids in the classroom wait to go "on" and below, they get ready to sing.

Beach day

Wonderful day at our favorite beach (Oneida Shores), and I actually remembered to bring the camera.

A family near us buried one of their kids in the sand like a mermaid so Alana wanted that too - complete with accurate anatomy, and then Caleb wanted to be buried too.

Next to Alana the mermaid is her sand castle, decorated with seagull feathers.

Caleb found a dead fish and carried it around for ages; of course Alana wanted one too and, miracle of miracles, I actually found a tiny one floating nearby, so there's a photo of them with these trophies (they were a lot more excited than they appear in this photo). Despite dead fish, it was a great day.

Liverpool wildflowers

At least once a week, I pick a new bouquet of the wildflowers that grow in Clay Park Central, where I take the dog for a walk. Here's the latest batch:

Another great weekend

We went to my Department's annual (catered!) picnic. The weather was perfect and the picnic was held at a gorgeous county park - Jamesville Beach. The kids had a great time - Caleb buddied around with several other boys and Alana had fun too. Caleb said it was the best picnic he ever went to. (He and the boys spent at least some time throwing rocks at, and poking sticks into, a bee's nest. Luckily the bees went about their business, but we had a serious conversation about the foolishness of that activity.)

Renaissance Festival

We had such a great day! Larry was off, the first weekend day in quite awhile. On a local friend's recommendation, we drove over to Sterling, on Lake Ontario, for the Renaissance Festival. It started raining as we got there, but it was o.k. - we got a little damp, but it kept the crowds away and was cooler than it would have been, and the kids didn't care. The rain cleared out eventually. We saw jousting, which Caleb just loved, and Alana got to pet one of the horses (she was completely enthralled). We played a few games, had some food, and bought souvenirs - a wooden sword for Caleb and a pink princess hat for Alana. The only glitch was that we forgot the camera, which is a real shame, since there were some great shots that were missed - Alana riding the "carousel" (with swings instead of horses) and Caleb doing archery and throwing tomatoes at a "prisoner." And Larry was on his best behavior, not cranky and not talking on the phone (most of the time that we were watching fireworks on the 4th he was texting his boss, so he was making a special effort this weekend!) The festival was really nice - classy crafts, fun games, appropriate food, tons of people in costumes - all very authentic and not a tacky plastic piece of crap to be seen. We're already planning for next year: http://www.sterlingfestival.com/

Our neighbors (behind us) had promised their wooden play structure to us awhile ago (their kids don't use it anymore and they got a trampoline this spring), and when we got home on Sunday, there it was in our yard! Playing with Alana and Caleb are (other) neighbors (and constant playmates) - Phillip (from across the street) and (siblings) Jake and Maddie (from right next door) - I think of them as The Gang of Five.

Fourth of July, 2007

Spent a damp 4th with some friends who live near Lake Ontario (on the Tug Hill plateau, where they enjoyed three feet of snow this past winter). It rained on and off, but we still managed to grill steaks and hotdogs, and roast marshmallows. Here's Caleb, enjoying the bonfire with two of our friend's three kids, Emmy and Tommy. (Caleb managed to burn his thumb while roasting marshmallows, but he's o.k., and obviously it didn't keep him away from the fire.)