Finn the Photog

A few weeks ago Gigi (Rob's mom - f/k/a Gail) let Finn take some pictures with her camera. He is now like a moth to a flame as soon as the camera comes out of the case. Can I take a picture? Can I see the camera? Can I? Can I? When is it my turn?

Today was no different - between the two camera-ready bus endeavors and downloading the shots. So I passed the camera over to Finn this afternoon to see what he would come up with. SURPRISE! A few shots of his favorite subject. Anyone sensing a trend here? :)

Yes - he was laying on floor for these shots. Camera in hand, shifting slightly.


Taking it over to the flip side. If you don't know finger boards, then you might not realize this is one of Finn's super-special skateboards. Collector's Edition Teck Deck. Yeah, he has a real one too, but the finger boards are more portable.

And for some reason I really liked this one. Great composition for a 3 yr old.

Then he took it outside for some new light and shook it up a bit.




And here is one I took of the photographer this morning post-bus. The light is so nice at 8:15 in the morning. We might have to do this again!

Have fun? No. It was boring.

That sums it up. Keelin said there are two girls from camp in her class - and she was sitting with some blondies on the bus, so I think she found a friend or two. She also said they had Spanish today, but that's on the schedule for Mondays and Tuesdays - so that may be Kindergarten fib #1.

The whole concept of going back is just setting in (Ann - you totally called it!). "Mom, when do I graduate?" came about 15 minutes after we got home from the bus stop.

Anyway the boys liked Keelin's first day. We all went to the toy store and got little commemorative gifts - Finn a... SKATEBOARD, Loch...two little plastic horses, and Keelin... jewelry. Here they all are walking back from the bus stop - with our nanny Stephanie.

When I pushed for clarification on the boring stuff, Keelin said they were teaching her how to play on the playground - and she "knows all that stuff". Pfft. So THERE!

Dusted!

True to form, Keelin was jumping out of her skin today to GET ON THAT BUS! She started at about 6:30 saying "Finn, I'm leaving in 40 minutes to get on the bus". (No, the bus doesn't come at 7:10). She cleaned up her room, brushed her teeth, and got dressed in the clothes I chose without a single gripe. This girl was focused!

As you can see from this series of backyard shots, Keelin could barely stand still as we walked out the door. Lauren - the 8 yr old neighbor she shares a bus stop with - was already on her tree swing so Keelin screamed across "LAUREN! I'M COMING TO YOUR HOUSE NOW!". Here she is dancing and squirming with anticipation about the bus. I can't say it's about school because she really was only thinking about the bus. Hopefully she's not in a panic right now AT school. That part may not have occurred to her!




So we made it over to the Thomson's driveway and waited anxiously for the bus with Lauren and her mom. The boys were swinging on the tree swing and Keelin was hopping around in anticipation.

Then it happened.

Bus # 42 rumbled up the hill. The scramble began.

Chaos ensued. Keelin ran into the street, ran back to the driveway. Lochlan took a digger on the road and scraped his knee. I tried to get the camera in position. Bus stops. Door opens. The bus guy (what do you call them? Monitors?) got off in a flash and Lauren stepped up. Keelin was on her heels.


I took one shot. Then another.

This is the only one that actually has Keelin in the frame without the doofus bus guy blocking her. It was over in a flash. I tried to get her walking down the bus aisle, but you really can't see her.

Then it hit me. Keelin was ON THE BUS. She never hesitated or looked back.

She never said goodbye. She never waved.

I was the LAST thing on her mind as she stared at that big yellow bus packed with kids on their way to CES. Man oh man. Maybe I'll get her as she sits down... Hmm. I did see her and she saw me. That was one of my proudest moments. Not a glimmer of fear or concern as she was headed off alone to a new school with no real friends. Nope. The look in Keelin's eye was pure joy. She had made it. She was ON THE BUS.

Met The Teacher

Step 1. Today Rob and I brought Keelin to her new school to meet her Kindergarten teacher. Ms Tischler seems like a good draw - big smiles and wide eyes. Of course I forgot to take HER picture, but did get a few of Keelin. It was pretty loosey goosey, which was perfect for easing into the space.

Keelin was a little shy with the other kids, barely spoke to Quinn - the one BOY she knows from her preschool Earthplace, got snubbed by another shy girl, and skipped out of the building proclaiming her enthusiasm for taking the bus. Tomorrow. God help me. Until then...

Loch-ness

Someone emailed me about the lack of Loch. Here he is - gathering his thoughts - at yesterday's picnic. This is a rare shot that doesn't reveal the insane amount of drool that drenches his neckline these days. I mean really - he's not 12 months old! WHAT is going on here??? Monster teeth?

Loch has become increasingly rambunctious, but he is still the same charming, hearty-laughing boy he has always been. Boys will be boys, but Loch instinctively hugs you and says he's sorry after bonking you on the head with something. Or he'll kiss your freckles because he thinks they are boo-boos. Heart breaker alert.

East or West, Home is Best

As nice as it was to get away to Portland for the weekend, with a few hours in Hafa, it is always a relief to be home. As much as I hate to admit it, and foolishly will probably never give in to it, a routine for the kids usually means the difference between borderline and adorable children. Finn is the bellwether Wolter. After Finn goes nutty, the others always follow closely behind.

Luckily today he jumped into the aforementioned "new" Barbie Jeep and took time to reconnoiter the back yard. Finn played Big Brother and proudly drove Loch around for about an hour or so (with intervals of questionable behavior). That was after Rob took them to the fish market for a break.

Keelin napped while I read Vanity Fair in the backyard. (1000+ page Book Club book DONE a month early! Didn't want to read it, but have to say World Without End was engaging)

Now that we are within days of Keelin starting Kindergarten, she is looking very grown up and mature. Or as she would say, "BERY grown up and mature". I can't believe she's going to step up, alone, onto a bus headed for school in about 60 hours. With 10 yr olds. Yipes. I never took a bus, so I don't even have personal experience to relate this to. "The bus" is ALL new territory for me. Hmm - maybe that is a good thing.

Tuesday we go to meet Mrs Tischler - Keelin's teacher for the year. Our first first teacher ever. I can't even imagine how much I'll know and think about Mrs Tischler 9 months from now. Today I know nothing and in a few weeks she'll be one of the most important people in Keelin's life. Heavy. For now I am just going to focus on her two last days of summer...

Round and Round

Yesterday the kids and I went to Hartford to hang out with Sue, her nieces and the BF. We took the quick walk over to Bushnell Park from Sue's apartment, rode the carousel, then laid out the blankies and had a picnic. You may not realize it, but Margaret (in the plaid dress) is OLDER than Loch - she's just a little peanut. Sue described it well - when you pick her up, Margaret feels like she's made of feathers! She is totally Lesley Jr - pigtails and all. And while the Gustafson girls were really well behaved, they both jumped right in to the Wolter gang's antics.

The kids had a great time between the carousel, the big grassy lawn, the yummy picnic (care of Sue) and the bricks and sticks. Nothing like a pile of bricks to entertain five kids between five and two years old! Luckily we all avoided serious injury - even Keelin when she pulled a dead branch down from one of the trees. Right on her head.

The vintage carousel in Bushnell Park is nearly 100 years old and one of the last few Stein and Goldstein carousels left operating in the country. It has 48 unique horses with real horsehair tails, carved flowers, a band organ and gives a good long whirl for $1. Good old fashioned fun for kids and adults alike...

Here is a shot of Sue and Riz going around and around, up and down. It was great to meet Sue's man - who breezed through an afternoon with five kids with no visible cringing. He must be incredibly patient - or incredibly polite. Either way - Riz gets two thumbs up. He even contributed pennies for wishes in the impressive park fountain. Finn wished for a skateboard, Keelin for Barbies and Loch? I'm sure it had something to do with "BASEBALL" but he'll never tell.

Here is one last carousel shot of the full crew - anxiously waiting for another ride on the horses! Loch can't even turn around because he is afraid he might miss something. We had a great time - thanks for the picnic Sue!

Got the Vineyard Booked...

Woo Hoo. I have finally completed my annual hunt for the perfect rental in Edgartown for late September/early October. I put in >30 hours of work finding houses online, talking to realtors, negotiating with owners, then arbitrating family requirements. We pine for our house on Pierce Lane. The one we stayed in for several years in a row - for A MONTH - until the kids came along. That place is decidedly NOT childproof. I thought I had a good shot of the house, but here is one of us in the backyard in 2003. Man, have we aged since Keelin was 2 months old! Actually, I have that "I'm on maternity leave and don't have to go back to work for a few months" glow and Rob has the "I caught 3 Albies (False Albacore) on Chappy this morning" grin. And we still included Marley in pictures. Scratch that - we still BROUGHT Marley on vacation. Now he stays at the Townhouse for Dogs in Westport for the week. Poor poor Marley.


We think we can go back to Pierce Lane now that the kids are bigger - and tried for this year - but our shangri-la was booked. Anyway - you can check out our house for 2008 if you are really bored. Fingers crossed that there are no dead mice in the couch cushions like last year. Yeah - gross. The place looked great online, and could have been perfect if it wasn't naxty. Well, we did have Brendan, Marine and Ameline with us, so it was great anyway.

So I'm happy. House booked. Vacation planned. Oh - now I should go get ferry reservations and book our anniversary dinner at L'Etoile! Bon soir...

Flashback

I just love this picture so I have to do a post about last weekend - when The F's came to visit! I promise, no detailed recap, maybe just a few pics to document it. And some words to describe it. Plus perhaps some details :)

This is a shot of Caroline with a sparkler on Saturday night. It was GREAT to have them in town for three days, we really enjoyed every minute of it. Well maybe not that minute when we got ousted from our picnic tables at Compo!

I won't post the picture of Betsy sneering in the dark at Ted while he was lighting another sparkler, but here is one of her smiling with Sweet Little Addison. Could Betsy possibly look any happier? What a lucky little girl Addie is. She's just become part of a very special family and I can't wait to watch her grow up.

It looks like we spent the weekend at the trailer park - but this is the grassy knoll above Burying Hill Beach. We got booted from Compo. Oh yeah, said that already.

We had a super yummy BBQ at the beach care of Robby. Clams with the spicy sauce, swordfish, watermelon salad and veggies steamed in foil packs on the grill...scrump.

One last picture of all four of the big kids. Well, you can only see three, but Loch's legs are there off to the side. Promise! Caroline has that super cute smile. Finn looks just like I feel when the sun is low in the sky and I'm with great friends, chilling out after dinner and playing (aka drinking wine). Total relaxation... And Keelin is torturing a crab.

Day Two

It's really only been 27 hours, but I'll call it Day Two of the weekend with us sharing AMK's kids with Ann & Pat. We had a great night last night with limited drama. The kids were late to bed, but we had fun making blueberry muffins this morning, then went off to our final swimming lessons for the summer at Longshore.

Loch & I completed the Parent/Child course - our last one, FOREVER - with success. He can blow bubbles, grab ducks, and kick while scooping. Life is good. Finn was the master diver of his "level 1" class - leaping from the edge of the pool today with no abandon! Over his head and all... Oh to be three and discovering what you can do in a pool. He's got almost no visible fear left - but since he is Finn, that's not a bad thing. He's pretty sensible at the end of the day.

Then there is Keelin. This is year two in "level 1" and she has mastered all the other skills, but she will NOT get her face wet or fully submerge. I could sense her instructor Emily's growing disappointment that she just couldn't get Keelin to do it. Maybe they'll pass her - because she wasn't the only one who wouldn't go under. I guess we'll find out in March! It may mean year three in "level 1" for Keelin - which is gonna hurt when Finn moves ahead. Oh Man. But as you can see, we ended Summer 08 Swimming Lessons with smiles all around.


Then we brought AMK's kids back together (two have been at Ann's, one at ours) for a BBQ tonight at our house. Everything went fairly smoothly with the only fights over the "new" Barbie Jeep our neighbors donated to our plastic farm this afternoon. The kids LOVE that Jeep - it cruises ALL over the yard and even handles the ledge pretty well! Unfortunately it only seats two, and we've got three. Alas.


I made the kids pose for this photo on our "new" swingset (Thanks Cathy!) after they had their gooooooey brownies. The real purpose of the photo shoot was to prove to AMK that her kiddies were perfectly happy being deserted with Ann & I! Hope she doesn't look close enough to notice Keara's and Neala's lips are both blue! Or the bruises and cuts on Liam. Or the... NAH!

So now I'm going to corral the last of the Mohegans to bed for the night. Keelin loves having a sleepover in her room. Finn hates to be left out but he also knows his bed is way more comfy than the aerobed with three kids on it!

Let's get it started...

Here goes. It's been said that I have something to say about everything. While that is true, it may be an understatement. I usually have ALOT to say about everything. Unfortunately I don't always have someone to listen to me, ergo, me blog.

I plan to use this space to ramble to the ether about whatever strikes my fancy - but I'll try to stick to my family, friends and our hectic way of life. Oh yeah, this photo IS from last year, but if you know me well enough to be reading this blog, then you already know that the likelihood of doing this again anytime soon is low. Really low. I'll have to line up our friend Jay Fleming to take another family shot one day. But don't hold your breath - when I get a new one, I'll post it. You'll see more photos of the kids than me. I'm the family photographer.

Thank you for your time and your interest. May this blog bring you heavenly joy, raucous laughter and enormous wealth. And me too...