2nd Birthday- Spoiler Alert!

I am sure you can guess what our theme will be this year...and boy is Mummy having fun with this one!!! Stay tuned...

More Summer Fun!

We have been enjoying family dinners at home with summer favorites like corn on the cob and chicken on the grill! Our boy turned 15 and although most of the house was struck with a virus, we all crawled to the table for Zack's requested ice cream cake :)

Diana and I got to visit with Mon Ami Sharon who was home from France with her precious daughter Maya...the girls had so much fun in the little pool AND the big pool! Then later on, Diana tried to take all of Maya's toys as Elmo was entertaining them. It was such a special visit...hurry back Mon Cheri.

We hit the Winchester Farmer's Market and got some WONDERFUl veggies and fruit...zucchini....patty pan squash....butter sugar corn...big red tomatoes and baby yellow tomatoes...and blueberries!!! On the way home, we stopped at a roadside stand and loaded up on fresh strawberries and bing bing cherries!!!

WE LOVE SUMMER IN NEW ENGLAND!

Dear Diana (at almost 2!)

Dear Diana,

You are almost 2! When I go through the pictures and the blog memories I have recorded, I cannot believe how much you have changed. You continue to add more and more joy to our lives and magic to our family.

You are gaining quite a vocabulary; more and more words (in fact almost every word as you are mimicking all of us now! You say "Anna" for Diana which is priceless but you can say most words so you guessed it, we have to be VERY careful with what we say now...no more potty mouths!

You have a typical toddler appetite- fussy but pretty good. We can still get ample portions of chicken, sweet potatoes, squash, apple sauce and apples and bananas into you. Some of your new favorites include corn on the cob, bagels, cheerios, eggs, Delmonte canned green beans, gold fish and oatmeal. Like all kids, too, you love “treats”- cookies, cake, ice cream, popsicles, hot dogs and mama’s homemade fruit smoothies.

Socially, you are a ham! You are very outgoing and well- adjusted (thanks Little Sprouts). You still go grocery shopping with Mimi and Papa every Thursday and you have the whole store doing tricks for you. One woman told Papa that your picture should be up in the store- you are an All-Star and you and the manager Colleen have quite the relationship!

You have an aggressive streak but we are glad…you are a child of the modern world…a survivor and you are not afraid to share your voice. You still have a maternal instinct..you love babies and you always get worried when a baby is crying.
Two of your new favorite babies are Alana and Ben. Alana is Alexis’ little baby sister and you are so enamored by her as she sleeps in her infant seat. You also thought that Baby Ben (Alice’s baby brother) is the coolest although you were a little annoyed when Mama was holding him for so long one day.

Not only are you walking with ease, you run run run AND you are a climber- fearless. We don’t know where you came from. You actually climbed out of the crib and scared Mama to death. I ran to Walmart to get a gate for your room and daddy installed it. When we see you on the monitor now, try to put your leg over, we stop you in your tracks. It is working for now but time will tell.

You are also obsessed with climbing Mimi and Papa’s porch steps…Mimi says you go up and down a million times and when she says “wait” when you are at the top, you listen to her. Now you imitate Mimi and say “wait!” too…hysterical.

We had a major "poop episode" recently too. What I will remember most is when Zack said, "if this wasn't so much effort to clean up, I would be laughing much harder right now." So what happened? You proceeded to strip all of your clothes off in the crib and you didn't stop there. You then pealed the pampers and went "commando". Well, then you had to poop apparently. I heard you crying and it sounded like a scared cry and by the time we got to your room, you had smeared poop everywhere. I rushed you into the bath while Daddy and Zack cleaned up your room. I felt so bad for you- you were so scared but it was gross and kind of funny too. I think you really learned your lesson- you haven't done that since!

You artwork is just precious. You always come home with wonderful paintings from school…we have quite the collection and you are not even 2! Mimi has also started to do crafts and artwork with you. She bought you an art smock….priceless….stickers…crayons…etc and it does keep you occupied…for a few minutes anyway ;)

Sesame Street and Elmo continue to be your favorite but some new favorite shows include Ni Hao Kai-Lan, The Fresh Beats, Olivia, Yo Gabba Yo Gabba and Max & Ruby.

The biggest change this summer is your love of the ocean. We have had such a beautiful spring and early summer…the best weather-wise I can remember. We started going to the beach early, Memorial Day Weekend! You were not afraid at all this year. You stepped right into the water, got obsessed with collecting rocks and jumping at the waves squealing. Over 4th of July weekend, we visited Long Beach in Gloucester and you loved the water even more- you screamed every time we got out (God you are so like me!)

Looks wise? You are a little Rob…or as we like to say “Roberta.” You look just like daddy…you are a beautiful version…unfortunately you did get Mama’s hair but we know how to work with it now…and you will know how to work it and use what you have.

We have had some very special trips to both Griffin Park and Wonderland Park this summer…you love the swings but get bored after a few minutes..then you love to just run, run, run…I keep asking myself why I am not losing weight chasing after you!!

You have had some special visits with Papa and Grammy too…you love just running in their family room…and going up to Scottie and just staring at him.

What I have noticed over the more recent months, is that you are understanding so much. Even when you cannot say the words, you are comprehending so much and will often nod when we ask you questions. You are becoming more and more fun…my little pal and you make me so happy.

It is true what they say. It is hard to remember life before you ….I do though but I also remember not being as happy…you have filled such a big void and my goal in life is to give you the best that I can…I want you to be happy always…I want you to have an easy life…I want everything for you my baby bird.

I love you,
Mama

Guest Post- "Hubbo" weighs in on "clamming" :)

Whenever we go on an overnight, long weekend, or vacation, things just seem to happen to us. It’s especially true when the kids are with us. At the time things are happening, we can’t believe it and wonder how we got into this mess. I can’t tell you how many times I wondered if we were starring in the next National Lampoon’s Vacation movie. The great thing is, after all is said and done, the memories from these excursions will last a lifetime.

What a classic "Breton/Griswold" adventure this one was.....it all started with good intentions, though. Holly has "clam digging" on her bucket list, and asked me if I would ever do it. I said of course, thinking that maybe it might not ever happen. But I'm a pretty good husband, so....when she came to me and said "Let's go clamming as a family on the 4th of July weekend in Gloucester" (first of all, it just sounded disturbing) , I agreed. The next thing I knew, she'd done her research (shocker!) and gotten the low down on where and when to get the shell fishing license for the day. Then this big box arrives via UPS, and inside it is a clam digging rake baskety thing, followed the next day by a metal clam basket. I was starting to wonder if we were going to do a fun family activity, or start a business......

I happened to tell my parents in passing what we were planning to do, and got a call back from my Dad two days later, asking if he and my mother could go also. Turns out my Mom has always wanted to dig her own clams, too (is this a woman thing, or just the women my Dad and I are married to thing?). We decided it would be best if Holly and I checked it out first on Saturday, and then we could all go back on Monday (a second one-day license was required, but it was Mom’s birthday—what a great gift idea. I can’t take credit for that idea—it was all Holly’s). Suddenly, we were going to go clamming as an extended family. Incidentally, is “clamming” even a word? Anyway……..I digress.

When the day arrived, we went to Gloucester early, to get a couple of hours of clamming in, using the clam digging rake baskety thing to fill that bushel basket with clams. That way, we could have a family clam bake at home the next day. Then we’d go back on Monday and grab another bushel full with my parents. As it turned out, my Mom, ever the meteorologist, checked her charts and decided that it would be far too hot to go on Monday. Holly and I decided that we would go back without them Monday and get their clams for them. We’d be professional clammers by then, and surely would have more than enough between the two days for a huge clambake, Breton style!

EXCEPT....it took us 2 hours, 1 map, a GPS, and 2 old Gloucester fisherman/auto mechanics to find a river bed at low tide to start digging. Why we had the map, I don’t know. Maps are a guide to get from one place to another—this map was so confusing; we had no idea which end was up or where these clam beds were located. When we found a couple, there were signs posted that said “No Shell Fishing--$300 fine”. Then why the hell were they on the map? Driving in circles around Gloucester, we finally happened upon this industrial building all by itself surrounded by trees (insert Deliverance music here). There were two old men, wearing suspenders, sitting in the office in the dark. This was some sort of auto body shop—probably a chop shop, and I was concerned when they saw me looking in the window and waved at me to come in that I might get chopped….
After what seemed like an eternity waiting for Old Man Fisherman Mechanic #1 to get his computer fired up (he literally asked the other guy, Old Man Fisherman Mechanic #2, “how do you fire up this computer?” and the answer he got was, “You gotta shake it a bit!”), I was ready to leave when he said that the river bed just across the highway had the best clam beds around. He offered to Google to see when low tide was, and I was starting to think that he did know what he was talking about after all. He said, “Come around here”, motioning me to come around the counter between us and look over his shoulder for the tide charts. I almost tripped over part of the carburetor from a ’77 Impala. I looked and the computer was indeed headed for www.tide.com, albeit very slowly, on what looked like the oldest computer in the universe. Sure enough, the site did come up…and right there on the screen was a bottle of laundry detergent! Old Man Fisherman Mechanic #2 laughed, which seemed to annoy Old Man Fisherman Mechanic #1, and I was concerned that they might actually fight. If not for the fact that neither of them seemed capable of getting up out of the desk chairs they were sitting in, it might have come to blows. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Finally, www.TIDES.com came up and low tide was right now—perfect! Old Man #2 was now drawing me a map that looked like something my two year old could have done, and suddenly my phone is ringing. It was Holly, and I just answered and said, “I’m almost done—be right out” and hung right up, not wanting to prolong my stay at the chop shop. Now both old Men are trying to direct me to the river bed, telling me that if I stood on the roof of the building, I could see it. At this point, if I HAD been on the roof, I would have jumped, and then…..my phone rang again. Guess who? I hit ignore (sorry, Sweetheart) and thanked the men for their help, mumbling something about “my wife keeps calling, you know how it is”, with a nervous laugh that suggested I was a little creeped out by the dark, dingy chop shop office and the two old choppers (actually between them, they might have had one complete set of choppers, but I digress yet again). As I walked out the door, my phone started to ring again, and I looked to my left and, in an open bay door with an old truck sticking half way out of it, I see Holly on her phone, looking all scared, trying to find me before Dueling Banjos starts playing. I love that woman.

Surprisingly, the 3 kids waited in the car through the whole search as well as the ordeal at the chop shop, and none of them complained—not even the two year old. Now that I had some stellar directions to the best clam bed in Gloucester, just a “stone’s throw” (Old Man Fisherman Mechanic speak) from where we were, I was ready to get on with this family fun. We drove down the road, got back on the highway we had been using to circle the entire North Shore, and got off just after the first exit. The Old Men weren’t kidding when they told me to ride the breakdown lane or risk missing it. There was an opening in the guard rail we had to drive through, and we were 20 feet from the clam bed. I got a little excited because I could see, due to low tide, that there were pieces of clam shell all over the place. This was going to be quite a harvest! We all hopped out of the SUV, and while Holly and the kids got their water shoes/Crocs on to protect our feet from the mud we’d be stepping in, I assembled the clam digging rake baskety thing and pulled out the bushel basket, ready to dig me some steamers! I could see myself later at home, pouring some beer into a pot and steaming those bad boys and melting some real butter. Then we’d all eat them with great pride, knowing that we could live off the land and sea if we had to. (You should see the tomatoes, basil, and mint we grow on the deck every year).
Sometimes the youngest children have wisdom well beyond their years. The two year old was in a small stroller art the edge of the clam beds as we prepared to walk down the little hill. The look on her face said “What are you doing? What are you hoping to accomplish here? Look around you!” The look didn’t register with any of us, and as a result, we all found ourselves at various points unable to pull our feet out of the mud (except when our shoes stuck in the mud and our feet came out, then we would stumble and find ourselves stepping in the mud with our bare feet). The mud that held virtually NO CLAMS! With the specially made and ordered clam digging rake baskety thing, we harvested a bunch of rocks, empty clam shells, and a lot of mud. We did a little better with a spoon and our bare hands, and managed to snag a whopping 8 shellfish (3 clams and 5 mussels). We decided to throw them in a bag with ice (which leaked all over the back of the SUV within minutes), and call it a morning. We headed for a nearby beach, and enjoyed the sun and surf until early afternoon. We all enjoyed grilled hot dogs, cooked at the edge of the beach. They tasted like heaven, and made us forget the clam fiasco. We had dinner on the waterfront in Boston that night, and none of us ordered seafood……………..

We got home and the next day I steamed the 8 shellfish, in beer. The 3 clam shells were filled with mud, and there were no clams inside, which left us with only the mussels. I had to rinse them off with hot water after cooking them, to get rid of the mud still inside them. Despite that, they were still a little gritty. We all ate one (all right, I had two, but there were four of us and we had five mussels. Someone had to eat the last one). They were……not great. But it was symbolic. We ate what we dug, and realized that we would NEVER be able to live off the land if we had to. I went right to the supermarket and bought enough steamers for us and my parents (Happy Birthday, Mom). I contemplated concocting a big lie about how hard we had worked to dig these clams for her birthday, and even told the rest of the family that they were required to be on board with the story. In the end we told the truth, because the whole experience is so much more interesting than any lie. Hell, it was probably more interesting than if we’d actually had a successful day digging clams.
I am afraid to see what else is on Holly’s bucket list………………….