Saturday, April 26, 2008

April 26, 2008 Saturday

Mike took Marley to New Hampshire today. She's still not in heat but the weather is nice and Mike doesn't have any plans, so it's a good day to get some work done.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

April 24, 2008









We woke up this morning and it was beautiful. Emily had the day off so I asked her what she'd rather do, go to Boston or go to P-town. She chose P-town and within 20 minutes we were packed up and on our way. There are a pod of right whales feeding off the beach at Race Point, so that was our first stop. It was amazing to sit on the beach and see whales, what a treat.
Then we parked and walked Commercial street. There were many people sprucing up, as the season hadn't really started yet, but it was quiet and warm...a perfect day for a little sightseeing. We picked up some food at an at the window cafe. I had a salad, and Dan had a slice of Hawaiian pizza. Emily decided to wait to eat at the Portuguese bakery, she had a huge apple turnover and Danny had his first cannoli.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

April 23, 2008


Today is a day of change that set the events of the next few weeks in motion. I realized today that Emily will do ok, no matter what she decides to do. It's spring break and Emily is working nearly full time. She gets up, dresses, makes a lunch and off to works she goes. At the end of the day, she's tired but happy and no signs of the headaches that plague her at school. Could it just be coincidence ? I've tried for the past year to push Emily into getting a job, driven her around, helped her fill out applications with absolutely no enthusiasm from her at all. This past spring she asked our neighbor Janni about working with her, she filled out the application, set up an interview and was hired all without my help. Emily showed me early on that she wasn't ever going to do anything until she was ready, seems I forgot because when she was ready to get a job, she did. She's also been coming home from school and asking to be homeschooled for the last 6 months or so. I've always considered homeschooling Dan but didn't feel like I was qualified to teach this 9th grader, who probably knew more then I did. They make the "new math" sound very intimidating.
Emily was scheduled to work 9am - 4pm so Dan and I dropped her of at work, then went to Green Briar where Danny has a two hour class called Froggy frolic. On the way in I got stuck in line and noticed a woman I hadn't seen since Dan was a baby, I said Hi, asked about her little one, and if he was doing the same class. She said he was and mentioned that she wished they did class for older kids during the week. Curiousity got the best of me and I asked why. She said she'd recently started homeschooling her 13 year old. Hmmmm.....I had lots of questions, I'd never considered homeschooling Em, could it really be a possiblitity ?

I dropped Dan off at his class and decided I'd hike the trails around Green Briar and hunt for that elusive garter snake. I didn't find a snake but I did get to spy a very happy little boy with a net on the edge of a bog trying to catch frogs. Dan was having a great time and I suddenly felt happy and sad at the same time. He's been with me nearly every moment for 4 years so I was thrilled that he felt comfortable enough to be without me and sad for the very same reason. I enjoyed the next two hours with nothing to do. Motherhood is funny, there was a time when I knew what I liked, now I always do kid things and don't even think about it...of course we'll go to the playground on Wednesday, we'll always be at the library on Thursday, Saturday T-ball, Church Sunday. With two hours and only myself to please I forget what it was that I used to like to do.

Monday, April 21, 2008

April 21,2008

Today is Sampson's 13th Birthday. Mom, Aunt Fran, Susie and Holly came for a visit, and Emily had the day off so she got to spend the day with us. They arrived at about 10am and we immediately piled everybody into the van and went down to Green Briar to show them the Jam kitchen. http://www.thorntonburgess.org/Jam%20Kitchem.htm. We also noticed that the swans have 10 cygnets, their very small and we're guessing that they are probably only a couple of days old. Afterwards we went to Seafood Sam's http://www.seafoodsams.com/ for lunch, then to Twin Acres Ice Cream Shoppe in Sandwich. Dan had Orange Sherbet, and although Emily declined ice cream she sampled each of ours.
Our propane tank bird has 5 eggs now and the female sits on the nearly constantly. We've also had several more visits from the swans. I wonder if they'll make our pond their home. Dan and I planted three rows of sunflowers, bush beans and cucumbers today...I hope the weather continues to stay warm. We already have peas, radishes and lettuce sprouting.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

April 20, 2008



All winter we've looked at this ugly oil tank in the grove across the street from our house. Since we've had some trouble with the officials about burning in our half tank, the boys thought that if we had a lid on it that it would be nothing more then a glorified chimnea and they couldn't bother us about it. They're also hoping that because there's a chimney on it we might be spared the smoke in our faces if we're sitting down wind. They finished cutting the windows but there was an inch or so of oil left in the bottom. After lots of thought and some discussion the boys decided it would be fun just to burn it off.....boys will be boys !

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

April 15, 2008




Tax day today- Happily our taxes are paid by this date and more happily we won the abatement to our property taxes that I filed. Our 2007 property taxes were asssessed at 237,000 our 2008 property taxes were assessed at 330,000. After the abatement we were reassessed at 225,000. 12,000 less then 2007. Hurray !

Our propane man came today, and I quickly ran out to ask him about the birds nest that I found inside. He said he'd noticed, said it was ok and asked if there were any eggs. There weren't any the last time I checked. This time there were two small red speckled eggs. Initially I thought it was a tufted titmouse, but after some researched I discovered it was a house wren nest. I decided to record it with Cornell university and look forward to seeing this new little family be born. http://www.nestwatch.org/

Marley still hasn't come into season and still no luck catching a garter snake, even though Dan and I have we've spent substantial time and effort looking for one.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

April 13, 2008

Danny's feeling better today we went up to Cochran's to say goodbye to Chris again. He gave us a heather plant, that we'll plant under Emily's peach tree, to thank us for taking care of Bricky, it was a sweet gesture.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

April 12, 2008

We woke up this morning and Danny had thrown up during the night. Somehow he managed to fall back to sleep afterwards and didn't wake us up. He was sick for most of the day and spent most of it on the couch watching Dad play Zelda. At 8am we had a wild thunderstorm with marble sized hail. We felt bad for the poor guys in the row boat on the pond. We did make sure they made it through safely and not long after the clouds blew away and the sun came out.

Friday, April 11, 2008

April 11, 2008

It's Friday and we went to Critter Capers at Green Briar and asked Ms. Mary about the swans. She said she thought Peter's pond must be on their migration path. They are very beautiful. Darter the garter snake died but Dan and I are actively looking for another.
Men's night is at our house this week because the Cochran's went to Georgia for Chris' graduation from FBI police training. He'll be working in DC for the next two years. We'll miss him but hope he enjoys his new job.
Marley hasn't come into heat yet and the weekend supposed to be wet so Mike will take her up on another weekend when he can get more work done on Nettie's house.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

April 10, 2008


It finally feels like spring ! 70 degrees today and remembered the sunscreen so I don't get burned like I did yesterday at the playground. Headed to Mr. Parson's wild story time at the library, the whole library is unbelievable fun http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Ju3z-EtFQE We got home at about 2pm and I was just about ready to lay you down for a nap when I noticed two swans coming this way...scratch the nap...we grabbed some stale bread and the camera and headed for the beach. The swans ate then hung around for the next few hours. Last year they came on April 1st...I wonder what they're doing ?

Sunday, April 6, 2008

April 6, 2008


It's Sunday so normally we'd go to church today but it is Emily's first Sunday working at Mahoney's and I found out today that I'm going to have to be ready for church before taking her to work or we won't make it in time. Daddy took Danny to swim yesterday since your both due in different places at the same time. Two more weeks of swim lessons then hopefully it'll be time for the pond. Afterwards we went to Green Briar for story time. We were early so Ms. Mary asked Danny to help her upstairs with the puppets. He was very eager to help. I keep hoping that all the exposure to animals will help him to be more gentle with our pets at home. Marley will be going to Nettie's this coming weekend to be inseminated...Puppies...we're all very excited.

Emily
Your almost 16 years old, just started your first job and getting ready to get your permit. So many changes all at once. I can't help but think I should have started writing this so long ago, all that you've done and all the small things I'll never now remember. You asked me not to write about you anymore, but I hope years and years from now you'll both find comfort in these pages.
The things I wrote in your baby book and the things I write here are my way of showing you how much I love you, and how much you mean to me everyday. In many ways you and I have grown up together. I look back and think how young I was and how little I knew. You become, everyday, a more amazing young woman and I'm very proud of your strength of morals, and values, in your love of animals and the (mostly) tenderness you show towards your brother. Your a great big sister. One of my greatest fears when you were little was who would take care of you if something happened to me. With him I don't have that fear, I know you'll always take care of him...not because I told you too, just because you would. Puppies !

Thursday, April 3, 2008

April 3, 2008

In the spirit of there's no time like the present, I'll start this blog today. I've written to my children in their baby books from time to time, but not on a regular basis. So many fun things happen and I think, "I really should write that down" before you know it, the day has past and the deed forgotten. I hope to remedy that here and provide my children Emily and Danny a window to what life is like here and now.

Today is the 5th Anniversary of the day I quit smoking, it's also very close to the 5th Anniversary of the day Danny was conceived, since his birthday is exactly 9 months from today.
Danny is sitting at the kitchen table watching yet another episode of Curious George and eating strawberry O's with strawberries and green juice. He's waiting for Magic School bus to come on. The day is beautiful, early spring...crisp and cool, but calm with the promise of warmth as the day progresses.

Yesterday we went to Rhode Island to visit Mom and Mo who had just returned from Florida, and to take Danny to have 6 teeth sealed. Apparently he has deep crevices in his teeth like I did as a child, so he's very prone to cavities. Danny behaved very well for Dr. Durudogan and said during the procedure that it sounded like somebody was playing pinball in his mouth. Dr. Durudogan said that was the first time he'd heard that and wrote it down in his book of "things my patients say". Dan picked a lip gloss cell phone out of the basket and was thrilled. Afterwards Gogie agreed to share a Hawaiian pizza with Dan which made him very happy. No rush to get home tonight because Dad had a wood turners meeting , so it was a late ride home and Danny was more then ready for bed by the time we got there.