Bug Party

I can't believe my baby is about to turn two. We had his bug-themed birthday party on Saturday. The kids made these bug jars, then used them and their new 'bug tongs' to collect some wooden lady bugs that Josh hid around the yard. Then we watched him wolf down his cake and ice cream with gusto and tear into some pretty fun gifts. Thanks to everyone who came! Our little guy has grown into such a fun and adorable boy. We love him and love to watch him interact with his little group of friends. Happy Birthday, Wells!

Look-Alikes

Ever since Wells was born, everyone that we know (and even strangers) has told us that he looks exactly like Josh. I have never been quite as sure. When I look at Nora, I see Josh so much. When I look at Wells, I actually see myself. The other day I was going through some old photos and came across this picture of myself from July 17, 1982. I was exactly (to the day) the age that Wells is now. All I could see was a little girl Wells. What do you think? Also, here is an old picture of Josh and Nora at the approximate age. Case closed.

Kimball Farm

I knew I had to plan something really fun for Josh's birthday because he took me to a Red Sox game for mine (a little early, I'm not 30 yet!) On Saturday I stuck everyone in the car and I swept them away. New England's best ice cream combined with farm animals (and a couple of turtles), batting cages, and bumper boats!

The Ferry to Georges Island

Friday was another freebie, this time a trip on the ferry out of the Boston harbor to one of the harbor islands. I took what was available and we ended up going to Georges Island. What a fun day! The kids absolutely loved the 25 minute ferry ride there and back and almost couldn't stop dancing and laughing the whole way (when they weren't trying to climb the railing) Georges Island was really cool. There is an old military fort there (which is rumored to be haunted- I think that was Nora's favorite part) and tours going throughout. There is also a really cool visitors center and gorgeous beach that was littered with shells, smooth stones, and sea gulls- all of which my kids love. I loved the fact that the whole day cost less than $20. $6 for lunch (right on the beach!) and $11 to park.

Berry Picking

Last week was busy! I took the kids berry picking. Wow. I know this sounds weak, but I have never worked so hard. It was hot, sweaty and exhausting. Wells was not helpful at all and actually whined and asked to be carried most of the time (in his defense, I don't think he was feeling very well that day) but Nora was a champ and worked hard picking the whole time. We ended up picking a lot of raspberries mixed with a few blueberries. We've been enjoying fresh berries all week!

BB- Our Weekend Guest

Nora found this HUGE beetle on our patio when we got home from the beach on Friday night. Being the bug lover that she is, she ran and got her bug box and put him in it. She named him "BB" which stands for "Biggest Beetle". BB stayed in the bug box for the weekend along with some treasures that Nora was constantly sticking in to make him feel at home. By Sunday afternoon BB wasn't looking too well. We decided that his weekend stay with us had come to an end.
We took him into the woods across the street to release him into the wild.
The reality and gravity of the situation began to sink in....
and then hit with full force... Nora was so sad to see BB go that she cried for at least 20 minutes. I mean full on, wailing sobs. BB was so happy that he scampered away as fast as possible and never looked back.
Good thing Wells was around to comfort his sister. Parents are so mean.

p.s. can you see the size of him in that box? I feel the like 3rd and 4th pictures put him into proper context. I mean the thing was HUGE! (insert shudder)

Silly

Friday at the Beach

We met with some friends at the beach on Friday. The kids brought their buckets and collected shells, crabs and rocks the whole time we were there with a short break for some "surfing" lessons and feeding the ducks and seagulls our stale popcorn. It was fun to see the tide come in (we went in the late afternoon) and cover the rocky wildlife hiding places. I wasn't quite sure if Wells would have a great time at first because he kept asking me to carry him when we got there, but over time, he conquered his fears and "dove right in"... until a huge wave came up and smacked him in the face.

The Lemon Stop

Nora has been wanting to have her own lemonade stand for a while now so I let her go for it for a few hours the other afternoon. In the end she had a great time, made a lot of tips, charmed the neighborhood, drank more lemonade than any four year old should and learned a little thing or two about money. One thing is for sure- it was without a doubt the hardest $15 I have ever made- and it's not even mine!

The Fourth of July

We enjoyed spending Independence Day with our Rhode Island cousins this year. We had a barbeque complete with corn on the cob (that the kids helped to shuck) and festive red/white and blue ice cream sundaes. Later, we drove to a neighboring town to enjoy the sunset and fireworks over a beautiful lake. The only drawback was the 2+ mile trek to and from our parking spot.