Weekend

Today will be a long hay day, but luckily, I have the weekend off for once so we got plenty of fun in too.  A couple of lovely days with the family.  Kids all slept out in the tent last night, under our open bedroom window, giggling and whispering until the wee hours, but of course were bright eyed and perky again at 6AM.  

                                     

Don't Move!

A friend of mine, who teaches amazing art classes out of her home studio, hired me to sit for her last portrait session.  I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle not moving (at all, including my eyes staying focused on the same point even!) for several hours, but I gave it my best shot.  With the six women's lively conversation and good music, time passed pretty quickly.  And I was allowed a couple of breaks after they taped my outline on the chair I was sitting in, so I could more easily get back into position.  It was really intriguing to see how different people who don't know me, but all accomplished artists, perceive me.  I had a range of personalities in each piece, from scared, to demure, to sassy, to proud, as in this one.  Although somewhat strange and initially uncomfortable to have a circle of people staring at you and picking apart your facial features to better capture your likeness, I understand more and more lately, what's on the inside shows up on the outside and the actual physical make-up of your face should be the least of your cares.    

Joseph William

I woke to the phone ringing early yesterday morning, "It's time!" So I rushed to the hospital to watch my sister give birth to my newest nephew, Joseph.  A big, beautiful, healthy boy!  Mom & Dad now have seven grandchildren, six boys and Princess Avry still reigns supreme!    

Road Rally

Every spring Will Gilman, owner of Will's Store (our favorite Creamee spot!) thinks up a scavenger hunt that lasts all day and takes you halfway around the state as a fundraiser for the Little League program.  As a young man, Will was in a terrible motorcycle accident that left him a paraplegic but has never stopped him from being involved in town organizations, collecting the coolest local memorabelia, owning a successful business, being a history buff, card shark, bee liner and all-around amazing person.    

After picking up our first sheet of clues and joining the long line of nearly eighty different vehicles trying their luck, we were let out of the parking lot 2 minutes apart and off on a six hour journey that twisted us up on every back road we'd never seen before!  

The point was to get the least mileage while following the clues and looking for the bonus objects.  At every intersection there would be a clue on our sheet telling us which way to go.  Some were in code, some were limericks, some required knowledge of people, places and things from long ago.  We brought with us: a dictionary, encyclopedia, gazetteer and lots of snacks.

We ended up only making one tiny, two mile mistake and had a terrific day, clocking in a total of 74 miles, which wasn't too shabby.  We met up with friends part-way through and worked together to decipher the instructions.  Every single one of us either spotted a clue or figured out a tricky riddle.  We spent a lot of time standing around at road forks, arguing about Johnny Appleseed's real name or something of that nature.  Teamwork was the necessary component and all the kids LOVED it!  After a wonderful time for a good cause, we're looking forward to making the Road Rally an annual family tradition.

Sleepyhead

Spring Concert

Ira and Av, resplendent in seersucker suit and salwar kameez, ready to take the stage and sing songs about wacky animals.  I always look forward to these concerts for the laughter we doting parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles try to suppress as we watch our kids perform.  The first grader's numbers had lots of delayed hand motions and off-key shouting and was so adorable you could hardly stand it.  Even though my parents were seated a good distance behind us, I could hear my father choke down a belly laugh.  Ridiculously cute, these little people. 

                                                       

These guys are such good buds.  Eli, of course, was really annoyed when he saw his best friend was not forced by HIS evil mother to wear a tie.

The rest of my photos aren't sharp because I decided that for once, I wouldn't be that obnoxious mother  crawling around up front, trying to get the perfect shot and driving everyone bonkers, the way I usually do at these things.  No, I actually made myself stay in my chair and take blurry pictures from there, like a normal person.

                                       
We are counting down the days until vacation!  Less than a month to go and everybody has a full-blown case of Summeritis already!  The Spring Concert always benchmarks the beginning of the end, a signal that the school years is starting to wrap up.
                                       
                                     

Baby Maeve

It's been about a year since we lost our beloved Captain Burdock and the boys have asked for another dog if not daily, weekly.  My friend, Amy, fosters rescue dogs and her family test drives them for issues before they are placed in homes.  I always see the pictures of adult dogs available on her facebook page and lately, we have been considering them, weighing the pros and cons of each dog that comes through the program.  It wasn't until this week though, that the perfect fit for us came through.  Maeve is a Newfie/Great Pyrenees cross and will be big as a house.  (Not sure if THAT is a great idea, but with all her other wonderful attributes, we'll take it!)  She's already, at not even ten weeks old, the most intelligent, beautiful and affectionate dog I've ever seen.  She's full of sassy personality when you want to play and when you're working, she's mellow and resting under your feet.  She's coming when called, fetching, almost totally housebroken, sleeps all night without a peep, and she bonded with the boys immediately.  We are smitten.  Eli is overjoyed and Ira might be a wee bit jealous of the attention she's getting, but loves her anyway.  So, here we go again - another round of puppy adventures.  And then the ducklings arrive next week.