Travelingjenny

Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood

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  • Happy June

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    Today, we were playing outside in the beautiful weather when Grace announced that she and Tess were going inside to the bathroom. They emerged a few minutes later with their swimsuits on, carrying their beach towels. Grace then turned on the hose and dragged it over to the swingset, creating her own water slide. Hilarious. Tess took a few turns, too, landing on her bottom with a big splat, and a big smile. Unfortunately, this fun didn't last for too long, since it was only 68 degrees, and the water from the well is cold. But I love the fact the girls can come up with their own fun plan, and execute it themselves. June is going to be good.

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  • Phone photo Sunday!!: Bridge sisters

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  • Phone photo Friday: School entrance

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    After school today, we stuck around for a very cool "empty vessel ice cream sundae" service learning event. Then we came back a couple of hours later for the last potluck of the year. I'm sad that school is ending just when the island finally seems to be coming alive — and green — again!

  • Poppy goes outside

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    I recently purchased a special playpen for Poppy, so that she and Grace can play in the grass together. Grace loves this, and has deemed me "the best mom ever!" Poppy was definitely nervous at first, but has very quickly grown to like being outside. It's much more exciting than being in a cage in Grace's room — after all, there are chickens to look at!

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  • Gardening with Grace

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    Have I mentioned lately how wonderful it is to have a five-year old? Fives like to help, and they especially enjoy being asked to participate in grown-up activities like gardening. About ten days ago, Grace helped me plant the seeds for spinach, buttercrunch lettuce, and carrots. (Rosie supervised, probably because the the week before, when we turned the soil, we let her join us to have an earthworm snack.) Grace did a great job sprinkling the seeds and covering them with dirt. She was really into it, and she did a good job. I like having a helper. (Happy 5 1/2 Birthday, Grace!)

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  • A day in Boothbay

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    We spent all day Saturday in Boothbay Harbor, reminiscing about the wonderful summer we spent there four (!!) years ago when we first moved to Maine. It was fun to point out places to Grace that she once loved but no longer remembers.

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    We rode the little train, fed the goats, and climbed on the antique tractors at the Railway Village. We ate lunch at our favorite little spot on the water and walked around town. We visited the Maine State Aquarium, where Grace petted a shark and Tess held a starfish.

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    Best of all was climbing around on the rocks at Ocean Point, where we used to walk with little Grace several times each week. We all looked for sea glass and rocks for painting and made jokes and laughed together. It was a very good day.

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  • Scenes from a Maine weekend

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    {Credit to Adam for the first photo.}

  • Phone photo Friday: Lambs

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    We kicked off the long weekend with an ice cream date at Toots with a friend. We even got to meet the newest additions to their farm — five lambs, who were very enthusiastic about mealtime. I didn't let them anywhere near my ice cream cone.

  • It’s official…

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    We now have 10,008 pets, as Grace likes to say. Yes, that's Adam in the funny suit, becoming a beekeeper right before my very eyes. And yes, he had to move the bees from the little box they arrived in (see below) into the hive he built himself, with a little help from our "bee lady" friend. Now everyone, please keep your fingers crossed that our new pets decide to stick around.

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  • Horseback riding

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    A couple of weeks ago, I asked Grace if she'd like to play soccer this summer. She said no. Then I asked if she'd like to play t-ball. Another no. When I asked why, she explained, "I don't want to do any sports." Apparently those sports are different than gymnastics and swimming, both of which she is currently enrolled in, and both of which she loves. I have a feeling that she is just not into the team dynamic right now, and prefers those sports in which she can do her own thing without coming under scrutiny from her peers. Horseback riding fits perfectly with this requirement, and it involves another, very attractive element: horses. 

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    At the silent auction fundraiser for Grace's school last month, we won two riding lessons at a local barn. Needless to say, Grace was thrilled. She had a few lessons last summer, but nothing like this. At her first lesson, the teacher didn't even lead the horse, and Grace learned how to properly hold the reins (English style!) and steer the horse. This time, she learned how to trot the horse, and practiced keeping her balance without holding on. Now she's hooked. I suppose soccer can wait.

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