Acadia 08

A bit of this: Some of that:

Lots of this:
= happiness.

Hard Work

This week, I've had to go here:

and here (the pond is up in the saddle to the left of the high peak):

Hard work, but someone has to do it.

Lunch at the lake

Today was one of those perfect June days: warm, sunny, a little bit breezy. The perfect day to pack lunch up and take it to the lake. Eating between splashing, jumping, and digging, the girls had a grand time and I was able to get my first outdoor swim of the year in.

Rain, rain go away

We'll get our boots on to stomp in the puddles, but we're looking forward to running in the sunshine again soon.

Crazies

With the end of the school year, we have to say goodbye to a great friend. Claire was a fantastic caregiver for the girls and their buddy Carson this year. The girls looked forward to each and every visit with her, and she made sure that she brought plenty of crazies with her to share! She's left behind some other funny little expressions that pop up in conversation.

We feel so fortunate to have such great people spending time with the girls. The students that they interact with at nursery school, playgroup, and especially at home are all fantastic, but Claire has really been outstanding. We wish her good luck in the coming year, and hope that she can come back for a quick visit in the fall!

When the Cat's Away

While Doug was having a grand time in Newfoundland, the girls and I treated ourselves to all kinds of field trips closer to home. Last week, a friend called to let me know that there were brand-new twins at her place. Twin kids. Goats, that is. We don't have any pictures of the new arrivals, whom we visited the next day, but the girls loved seeing them walk a bit inside the barn. Outside, they intently watched the chicks, hens, and older goats.

Asking for a smile is rewarded with this:

Make Way for Ducklings

A springtime classic! As enormous fans of the book, today was a very special trip to Boston. Can you find us on the swanboat ride?

With the duck statues:

Watching the swanboat tour and the REAL ducklings and Mr. and Mrs. Mallard! This is the best time of year to visit - the story comes absolutely alive.

Bridget, Then and Now

Bridget, 1.5 years:

Bridget, 3.5 years, her "happy face:


Bridget, 3.5 years, more naturally happy:

Moriah, Then and Now

About 1.5 years

About 3.5 years

Sprung

We've been too busy running around the yard to add any new photos. Spring is definitely here!

Portrait of the Artists as Young Girls

Self-portraits are all the rage around here these days. Bridget has been working on lots at home with crayons, carefully picking out the proper colors for hair and eyes.

The Last Sled Ride

These pictures are from a trip through our neighbor's woods a few weeks ago (Moriah top, Bridget second). These woods are owned by some neighbors, and are part of a woodlot program to encourage public use of the trails through them. We always see lots of people out snowshoeing, skiing, or walking their dogs. This was our last trip over there this winter. Today, we have large patches clear of snow in the yard. The girls are starting to look for signs of spring in earnest!

Sappy

We're still collecting several gallons a day from the sugar maples in the yard, and are able to get a good bit processed into syrup. Most of it is getting consumed within a few days, though! I love the taste - it's much more buttery than even the real syrup you can buy at the store.

When we go out to collect the sap in the afternoon, the girls love to try it straight from the bucket. You can see them getting their fingers in there (above), and getting every last bit off (below).

There is still a good bit of snow on the ground. We like to take walks to the little stream along the back end of the yard, and taking a break in the woods on a sunny day is really pleasant. Below are Bridget, then Moriah (bottom) showing off their smiles!

...out like a lion

Good thing we love winter! Bridget and Moriah are making the most of our extended snow season. We're especially enjoying all the tracks in the yard. Many are our own, but there are lots of animal tracks too.

If you're Irish...

...come into the parlor! The girls had such a good time on St. Patrick's Day that we didn't get the photos up till now.

Tenured and tapping

Moriah and Bridget are both devoted fans of maple syrup, so we decided to take a few of the trees in our yard and try making a little bit of our own. Doug is drilling into the tree above, and below you can just make out some of the first sap we collected.

Bridget is eagerly awaiting the finished product!

I received the letter confirming my tenure this week, and celebrated by grading! St. Patrick's Day pictures to come soon.

Play dresses

They girls have been really interested in wearing dresses as a top layer the past few weeks. From sleeveless summer dresses that were gifts from John and Joy (above) to long sleeve play dresses from our hand-me-downs stash, they've both picked one out almost every day for the past few weeks.

It makes it feel a little bit like summer! The blinding white on the right side of the photo is a result of all the snow outside.

In like a lion...

There's been a bit of snow lately, to understate things. Fortunately, we've been able to keep up with the sled/toboggan run that now extends all the way from our front yard across our neighbor's yard. The girls love to ride by themselves, with each other, or with one of us. A bumpy ride is a plus! Some days, they will even pull their own sleds back.

Below is a recent invention at our house, the twins-in-a-box! Something that was mildly amusing with just one person is hilarious with two.

My Funny Valentines

Even though they opened and enjoyed all their Valentine's treats a week ago, they continue to give hugs and kisses unprompted!