Pulled

(A few fall pictures from long ago mixed in here just for fun)

Around this time every year it seems my neat little 'plan for the school year' sort of feels like it's unraveling. Scott and I carefully chose the 'extras' our girls would be allowed to do. And yes, they do a lot outside of school. We are both okay with 'a lot' outside of school. It means for sure that the TV is hardly on in our house and that when were are home we soak it all in. But, when I scheduled viola, group viola, Irish step, church school, art school, and tennis lessons I wasn't counting on before school fifth grade orchestra and after school Monday school instrument lessons. Some days I feel like it's the straw that broke the camels back. All I can say is thank goodness that I'm still 'home' to be able to handle everything else for our family. I really don't think I could do it any other way.


(Anna age 2 September)

Still missing my girls during the day. I'm super busy but once in a while I get that ache. Like when I'm in the supermarket shopping and I wish that Abigail was in that cart seat right there with me. Sure, I can go a lot faster with them in school, but I miss their voices.


(Anna age 4 apple picking)

And then this morning. I was sitting reading books to Abigail outside the auditorium at their school. Anna was having her school lesson (before school). We were frazzled and rushed getting there but I felt oh so blessed to be able to bring Anna that morning, to wait and read to Abigail in the hallway. So glad that I can do that because I'm not working.  Sitting there in the hallway reading fall books to Abigail was wonderful. 


(Abigail age 5 months pumpkin hay ride)

But the sweet moments are so mixed with the hurried ones, aren't they? When Anna came out I took her viola, handed her her lunch box and reminded her to walk Abigail all the way to her kindergarten room. "Mommy, I have a tummy ache... I have to use the bathroom right now! I have sharp pains" (sorry for the details) But the bell was ringing and Abigail wanted to start walking to her classroom. It happened so fast but somehow Anna said something like, "come on Abigail, I'll walk you and then I'll go after."

I didn't really think about it until I was grocery shopping and then I worried about Anna and her tummy.  I know she's a fourth grader and quite capable but I wished I scooped her up and let her hang out at home with me all day in cozy clothes.  Instead she was taking care of her sister, dealing with an upset tummy, rushing off to class, and holding a million things.  Gee, I'm glad I put a lot of love into that lunch box! 


(Abigail visiting Anna in Kindergarten... the same classroom that Abigail is in today!)

Life is busy;  Life is sweet.  Life is all of that mixed in. It's all good. 

Dinners are all planned out for the weekend.  Looking forward to some good cooking, a stay at home date night with Scott, cuddling with my girls, and lots of family time.  (mixed in with the weekend crazyness too) 

Just some pictures from my purse camera. 

Love Is the Maine Ingredient

(I started my Maine pictures back here.)

Isn't that a clever title?  I stole it.. right off the tees that the waiters were wearing in our favorite breakfast place! 

I think one of the best parts of getting away is seeing moments like these. Best friends just holding hands all of the time!





Cute little town.  Great scenery, great shops, great food!













Little tea shop by the sea.  Anna is showing her magic trick she bought at a little toy store. 



While Scott and I sat a little bistro table... not a bad view!



Later that afternoon we headed to play on the beach.  And it was COLD!  I kept trying to get more and more layers on the girls. 



But they didn't seem to mind the cold. 



And when Scott took them around the corner to a little low tide area they took their dresses off and played in the water in bathing suits.  Burr! 







An evening in town. 



Anna loves shopping with me!



While Abigail feel asleep in an umbrella stroller that is way too small for a 5 year old but were happy to have it. 



As soon as she falls asleep Anna knows she has the 'green light' for ice cream!  What will I do when Abigail doesn't crash on our vacations? 



On our last day Grandma treated us all to a boat ride.  It was perfect weather.  And as soon as the motor started this was Abigail... for about an hour and a half. 



My Mom holding her for the entire trip. 



And this was Anna the whole time!











The scenery was spectacular but the best part for me was sitting next to my girl!  (getting windy and chilly)



It was only two nights but it felt like longer.  Memories we'll hang onto all winter long!  Abigail will remember cookies by the heated outdoor pool, sleeping with Anna, Grandma holding her while she slept, digging on the sand, and Grandpa's 'make up stories'. 





Anna will remember the special breakfast restaurant, Grandma buying her the lobster that she saw when we went to Maine in August, playing make believe with Abigail ever single second, good food, the little patio at our hotel, the indoor pool. 



I'll remember the sweet moments mixed in with the ones that are hard for me when I travel.  Food/restaurants/Anna's issues are always front and center when we travel but I'm getting better. 



Sweet memories with my parents and brother who traveled with us. 



Love is the Maine ingredient. 

Quotes of the Day

I can't tell which one is better so I think I'll write both.

This one is funny.  Abigail on her way to school yesterday, "mommy, don't sign me up for school next time."  (as if it's an extracurricular activity I sign her up for.  I actually said, "okay" just to get through the morning. 

This one is sweet.  Anna this morning (no school today) having a snack with Abigail... Anna was eating a yogurt stick that I froze.  I explained to Abigail that it wasn't a treat or a dessert but that it was yogurt even though it looked like an ice pop.  Abigail said she wanted one and Anna said, "maybe the miracle this family will have won't be the miracle of another baby or a third child but a miracle that one day you won't have your allergies."   I'll take it Anna, I surely will. 

The Sun is Setting

We headed to Maine and my new favorite town this past weekend. We had perfect weather... the last hurray of summer. It was chilly in the morning; just perfect for a sweater and warm in the sunny afternoons. Ahh!

An evening photo shoot with the girls on the beach was the only thing of my agenda. We walked along 'Marginal Way' (cliffs with ocean below) to the beach. At one point the girls were a bit ahead of us and we saw them climb down some stairs toward the ocean. There was a railing and all looked okay. Scott headed down with them and all of a sudden I noticed that the last bottom stairs were all wet. The moment it registered to me that the waves were hitting the stairs the girls were on a pretty big wave came up to the step and knocked Abigail off her feet! Luckily Scott was in reach and grabbed her quickly. I'll have to say that my heart was pounding. It all happened so fast and all was well but I was shaken up and Abigail was crying. Mostly because her shoes and socks were soaked along with her dress and underwear.

With the shoes too wet to wear I carried her about almost a mile down the rest of the walk, through town, and down to the beach. Luckily we had these dresses in my bag for the photo shoot and were able to change Abigail.

But by the time I started taking these I was a bit worn out. But the girls didn't mind. Once their feet hit the sand they were oh so happy, silly, and having fun!




(love her hands here.  I can tell she's singing)























(watch how Anna does this thing with flicking the sand in her foot and then Abigail coppies her... love that)







I'm feeling a bit behind everthing around here so this post has all of the pictures from that beach photo shoot but I realize that the writing is not that interesting...  better next time :)



Perfect way to start our weekend... more to come!