Mother's Day

Here's to all the Mother's in the world. I never ever imagined I would be so proud to be able to call myself a mom.  I consider my job as a mom and all it's associated duties to be the greatest gift I've ever been given (just a hair ahead of my commitment to John).  Hazen and Cally give me reason to smile and laugh everyday.  They make me proud and allow me to feel as if I'm finally doing something that is so right.  Not to sounds too sappy, but I cherish every moment of being a mom-- the hugs, the questions, the snuggles, the walks, the imagining.  I even love the exhaustion from lack of sleep, the endless laundry, and having to rack my brain for something a little different to prepare for dinner each night.  This is, by far, the greatest adventure I've ever been on.  It trumps a semester in Africa, climbing big mountains, running marathons, ski trips, and leading trips in exotic places.  I really am happier than I've ever been. 

That said, being a working mom is hard.  I struggle with it on a daily basis.  I love teaching and feel so fortunate to feel both satisfaction and challenge in what I do.  I love that I live so close to where I work, have a husband who stays home with the kids once a week, have summers and vacations off,  have a great deal of flexibility with my time at work, and have the worlds most amazing day care provider.  Even so, I wonder if I'm missing out on a part of my kids life that I'll regret later.  I worry that the kids aren't getting the same benefits that I got by having a stay-at-home mom-- being able to take my kids to art and dance classes, meeting other mom's who have kids the same age and live in the area, etc. 

But, it doesn't do me any good to lament on what I might be missing and instead focus on what I'm gaining everyday because these two gingers showed up in my life. 

To celebrate Mother's Day, John deserves serious accolades-- because 1 & 3 year olds can't pull off a day as perfect as he just did.  It all started with Mom getting to sleep until 8:45am?!?!?  Then a coffee was delivered to my bed (with the paper and a few cards).  Then I came downstairs to eggs benedict, flowers, various gifts, and lots of hugs and love.  We had a great morning of family time and then I got to go for a bike ride with Ryan before getting our families together for a BBQ.  Cal and Isaac have such a ball together and Hazey and Oliver are working on developing the same kind of bond.  So far, there has been some shovel hitting and tears shed, but it should all be good by the time we gather for a joint family camping trip in July.

 

A little video footage of what Hazey is up to these days.  He's still not walking, but he certainly gets around:

 

April Break

This  year, we decided to go for it and do a familiar trip for John and myself.  With the teasing warm spell in March, we got fired up to hit the mountains of North Carolina for some camping, mountain biking, hiking, and music.  With the new sleeping bag and head lamp that Cal got for X-mas, she couldn't stop talking about going camping.  We were all very excited.

First stop was Darien, CT to see Bumpa and Grandma.  Our short visit turned into a bit of a whirlwind.  Poor Hazey had had a fever for a few days, so a visit to the walk-in became necessary.  The new/used car needed new tires, and I needed to squeeze in a ten mile run.  Fortunately, Bumpa & Cal had some quality time to bond while John and I "divided and conquered".

By noon, we were off for Baltimore for a visit with the Niquettes.  It was great to get the cousins together.  Cal even had a sleep over in Will's room.

 

On Sunday, the rain began, but not before John and Rob got out for a mountain bike ride.  Aunt Nif took us to their climbing gym for her regular Sunday morning workout and Cal took to the wall like a spider!

We took a spin through Washington, DC on our way to Middleburg, VA to visit my great friend, Hess.

 

From the moment we arrived, Cal was transfixed by Hester's daughters, Flora and Olivia.  They took to her like a bee to nectar-- dressing up the dog, reading stories, etc. Cal even slept in the same bed as her new friend Foofie (a.k.a. Flora).

On Monday, we did the 8 hour stint from Middleburg, VA to Asheville, NC.  It was rainy and cold, so we were happy to be in the car.  Realizing that we weren't equipped for cold weather camping, we used the "secret deal" app on Travelocity to book a room at a cheap hotel where we stayed after dinner at one of our favorite brew pubs.

But on Tuesday morning, we drove 20 minutes to the Davidson River Campground and parked it for the next four days.  Upon setting up camp, we realized that the feeding chair that we had brought, wouldn't clip onto to the six inch thick picnic table (I guess picnic table theft isn't an issue).  In any case, we didn't have anywhere for Hazen to eat....... not for long, John popped over to the Good Will and picked up an Exersaucer with a tray for $4 and we were set for the duration of our visit (we did return it before leaving town).

We got out for some bike rides (individually & as a family), made smores, visited waterfalls, and just relaxed.  The kids napped well, ate well, and handled the rain like it was nothing.

On Friday, we headed to Wilkesboro, NC to hit Merlefest for a few days.  This was our 4th visit to the festival.

The music was super and the kids were great-- they have crafts and games for the kids and a diverse array of food-- including all that stuff like funnel cake that you try to only eat a few times a year. 

On Saturday, we met up with my good friend, Sarah, from graduate school and her family.  Cal, again, took to the other kids immediately.  She particularly liked hanging with Lucy (age 5), but John (age 8) and Henry (age 3) were pretty fun to hang out with too.

By 8pm on Saturday, we had to hit the road.  With 16 hours of driving to do, we needed to make some headway.  The kids slept for the four hours of driving on Saturday night.  And Sunday, they amazed us.  We were in the car for over 12 hours and they never cried and  never asked to watch the iPad (which we had ready and waiting if the need came up).  Cal did a lot of drawing-- even wrote a book about a pregnant ladybug and spent a lot of time playing with her stuffed animals in her car seat.  When I'd turn around and ask what she was doing, she'd look embarrassed and say, "Nothing, mom!  Turn around, I'm playing with my friends".

 

This road trip went so, so much better than I thought it would.  The kids took to the camping, visiting, car travel, and being on the move like it was second nature.  That said, it wasn't an easy trip.  John and I must have packed or unpacked the car a dozen times.  We certainly didn't get to go on as many mountain bike rides as we once did, and our nights were cut short at Merlefest, subsequently missing the star line ups.  Even so, I have no complaints.  We went for it.  We saw a lot of people and bonded as a family.  And most importantly, we were really proud to have these flexible little characters with us.

Easter Bunnies

 

 I'm such a sucker for holidays.  I couldn't resist warming Cal up for the festivities by partaking in a large scale egg hunt in Burlington the weekend before Easter.  Having only hunted for eggs with small groups of people, she had no idea what to think about this event-- where they "hide" 10,000 eggs over the course of an hour.  The 2-3 year olds went first:

There was an Easter Bunny, a Moose, and a Beaver all ready and willing to give high fives or hugs.  Cal wasn't really sure what to think about that either.

And it wouldn't be proper to go into the Easter holiday without what has become our annual visit to the lambs at Shelburne Farms.  And this year, our special guests were Nana and Grandpa, who came down to see the kids for a quick visit.

It was fun to see Hazey fired up about the little critters.  Cal even got to feed a few with a bottle.

And a visit from Nana wouldn't be complete without a new "shrug" and a hat:

Because I have such fond memories of great Easter Egg Hunts with family and friends, I felt the need to organize an event for our friends this year.  John, having thrown me a fantastic 40th birthday, was a little too burnt out on the entertainment thing, so I threw it out to the Wombats for a volunteer to host.  Mary G jumped at the opportunity to host, but made it clear that she was/is not into dyeing Easter Eggs, hiding plastic eggs, and wanted nothing to do with "fake grass".  Accordingly, Medora, Jen and I boiled and/or dyed over 40 eggs and E bought dozens of foil wrapped local chocolates that we hid for the kids.  Because most of this motley crew is old enough to really care about getting loot, Jen had the great idea of "pooling the finds" and then distributing equal "Easter Goody Bags" to each of the 10 kids involved. 

So the day before Easter, my sous chefs, stood on the adored Learning Tower and helped me boil eggs, make a carrot cake (and lick the batter), and put together an egg strata for the Easter Brunch at Mary's.  We then moved on to dyeing the eggs.

 The Easter Egg Hunt was a huge success.  Addy and Claire took Cally under their wings and spent the whole time helping her find eggs.

 Hazen wasn't sure what to think of this whole ritual:



But he clearly did get smiley about finding an egg:

 And after egg hunting, we ate an amazing brunch and watched Cally get herself involved in the latest dramatic production by Addy and Claire.

I can't end the entry without a photo of the Easter Bunny Carrot Cake that John and I created for the gathering.  Now we are in trouble..... such a cake will be expected:

But the day wasn't over!  Our dear friends Adam and Colleen came over to hide more eggs (filled with more high fructose corn syrup).  Here's a shot of Cally being introduced to Peeps for her first time!?!?!?

Here's to a happy spring with blue skies and maple cremees!

Lordy, Lordy Look Who's 40!

Last week the unthinkable happened. And to think it began as a day like most others in our house...

Hazen woke up early as usual, standing in his crib yelling, "Mahmah!"and was soon whisked into her clutches. Soon after, Cally came into the room to show off her latest fashion disaster and she enthusiastically told her beautiful she looked and what great taste she has. A few days before, we spent a glorious day in the early spring sunshine, skiing the fading snow ribbons on the flanks of Madonna & Sterling, with and afternoon detour to Sterling Pond.

Who is this incredible woman you may wonder?

 On this morning Katy, our dear friend, extraordinary mother and my partner in life adventures gracefully, positively and energetically turned 40!  After adventures in Africa, years in the mountains of Montana and a glorious return to Vermont, it happened without fanfare. Hazen shoveling eggs with his hands, Cally talking about the upcoming day between dropped bites of breakfast and a couple candles on specially prepared cinnamon rolls... Katy's 40th year ended and she seems to be happier than ever!

Happy birthday Kate! We love you. Welcome to the good life of your forties...

Summer in March

Who'd of thought it would reach 85 degrees in March!  Yep, it's been downright summery here in Vermont for the past five days.  While it's wonderful to be able to go outside without jackets or socks, it's also weird.  For those of us that live in Vermont, we expect gray or snowy days throughout March.  We assume our ski passes will be utilized through early April.  In fact, we usually plan on a spring skiing day on Easter!  I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the end of the gray and snow, but I do think the days of skiing this season are numbered.  For that reason, we seized the opportunity and made some fun turns on Saturday. While Cal and I skied the sweet corn, John and Hazey offered some great encouragement.  Mom and Dad even got to ski some turns together because of a wonderful posse of friends (Thanks Anton, Amy, Colleen, and Adam!)

 

 On Sunday, we opted from some sidewalk time on the scooter and some fun in the sun up at High Meadow. 

 Since the naps never really happened on Saturday, we decided to make that a priority on Sunday.  And while the kids snoozed, I picked up two grocery bags full of dog poop, John raked, and then we cleaned the cars.  A little friend came down to join us for the car cleaning part when he woke up:

A day in the sun is not complete without a stop at the Country store for our first Maple Cremee of the season.

Since we didn't ski on Sunday, the kids and I decided to join John and a group of Outing Club students to honor Avi on Monday afternoon at Bolton.  After loading the kids and ski gear, it turns out Bolton is closed for the season and the chairlift wasn't running.  Cal had her heart set of skiing, so being the committed ski/adventure parents that we are, we hiked up the mountain.... Hazen on John's back, Cally on my shoulders, skis in hand (I decided to forego my skis), we hiked half way up the Timberline lift.  The snow was soft and not easy to turn upon, but Cal was gung ho to go for it.  Dressed in her new favorite dress, she was off-- even skiing through grass to get to the next span of snow.  Who's going to deny a gung ho 3 year old from a skiing adventure,especially when she feels so at home with any conditions.

 But, these warm days don't come without their draw backs........ Folks who rely on sugaring (maple syrup) are finding the takings much lower than normal and the dirt roads around here are horrendous!  Below is a picture from a friends road in Lincoln, VT..........

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to take part in an absolutely beautiful event.  UVM had a memorial service for Avi Kurgonoff.  John spent the day with his family, driving them to the places that Avi loved (the Mad River in Waitsfield for kayaking and Bolton Mountain for snowboarding).  John bonded with Avi's Argentinian grandmother, aunt, and cousins.  He couldn't wait to introduce them to our children (because they have a bunch of red heads in their family).  After a truly amazing service, I felt like I got to know a truly amazing 20 year old.  A guy who was generous in so many ways, wise beyond his years, and lived life to it's absolute fullest.  After the ceremony we all gathered together in the sunshine, with amazing views of Lake Champlain, where his family played music and celebrated Avi's life.  The family truly solace in playing music together-- and Hazen seemed pretty into it too.  Below he is enthralled by Avi's dad's harmonica playing!