Pineland Farms

We spent such a beautiful day at Pineland Farms today. Look for more pictures tomorrow.

Grace's Picture Appears In The Addison Independent Newspaper!

Grace Performs in Front of Hundreds at Middlebury's Festival On The Green!

Our Amazing Grace performed at nearly every Brown Bag Series at Middlebury's Festival on the Green while we were in Vermont. Between 300 to 500 people attended the noontime performances in Middlebury's green each day. Grace volunteered to sing on stage that first day. She walked up onto the stage with complete confidence. The performer asked Grace if she wanted to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Grace asked him if she could sing, "You're A Grand Old Flag" instead, much to the surprise of the performer! Grace held the microphone and without any hesitation she stood up so tall and sung every word loud and clear. Once Grace was finished the performer told Grace she "could rock!" He asked Grace to remain on stage to sing several more songs and to sing with him in the finale.

The director of the Festival on the Green told told the other performers who played later in the week all about Grace. They were anxious to meet her so they too invited her up on stage to sing!

Grace has become very well known around Middlebury because of her performances at the Festival! Grace was stopped many times by people in Middlebury so they could personally meet and talk to her. Several people wanted to know if Grace's performances were recorded because they wanted to buy a copy! We are so proud of Grace. This was a week I will never forget. My family and I have been attending the Festival on the Green for twenty-five years now and this one was the most special by far!

Our Trip To Vermont: The Ilsley Public Library

Jack enjoyed playing with all of the trains at the library!

Grace loved making a treasure map at one of the activity tables.

One of our favorite things about going to Middlebury, Vermont is visiting the Ilsley Public Library. I can't say enough wonderful things about the Children's Department and their librarian. There are activities and groups planned for every day of the week! While we were there Grace and Jack took part in story times, an Itsy Bitsy yoga class, a music group and they even attended two play productions! In addition to the group activities, the librarian always has projects that the children can independently work on at tables located around the library. There is also a great play space for children to learn, socialize and play together!

Our Trip To Vermont: Flying High!

Grace and Jack loved their time at the many playgrounds near Maddy and Poppy's house while we were in Vermont!

Day 2 Of Our Trip To Vermont: Lake Champlain

Once we departed the Ferry boat we arrived at Fort Ticonderoga, New York. Maddy, Poppy, Grace, Jack and I carefully climbed down a small grassy hill to find a private beach area along Lake Champlain. Grace and Jack immediately showed Maddy and Poppy their love of water - they both went right into the lake! Grace enjoyed swimming and building fairy houses using sticks, rocks and flowers along the beach. Jack enjoyed finding the perfect sticks for splashing and going deeper and deeper into Lake Champlain! It was such a beautiful day. We ended our stay in New York with a picnic lunch under a weeping willow tree followed by another ferry boat ride back to Vermont!

My plan to post pictures all this week of our trip to Vermont hasn't exactly gone as planned. We had a series of severe thunderstorms complete with tornado watches in our little town yesterday. Fortunately, the tornadoes did not come near our home but we definitely got hit quite hard with some mighty thunderstorms! We ended up losing electricity for nearly 24 hours, which is why I have not posted! I'll get back to posting more pictures tomorrow. :)

Day 2 Of Our Trip To Vermont: Taking A Ferry Boat Ride To Fort Ticonderoga, New York

Grace & Jack taking in all of the sites on their first ferry boat ride

Grace & Maddy

Jack & Poppy

On Sunday Grace and Jack took their very first ferry boat ride from Vermont to New York state! The bridge that previously connected the two states is in the process of being rebuilt. Until the new bridge is complete there are ferry boats to transport cars and passengers between the two states. Grace and Jack loved their first ferry boat ride. It was fascinating for them to watch cars drive onto the boat, seeing the new bridge being built and being out in the middle of Lake Champlain!

Day 1 Of Our Trip To Vermont: Visiting Middlebury's Boardwalk Path Along the Otter Creek

Poppy, Grace & Jack

Maddy & Jack searching for frogs

We arrived in Vermont last Saturday afternoon (July 10). We were all so very excited to see Maddy and Poppy and after many, many hours in the car we couldn't wait to revisit a favorite place of both Grace and Jack to kick off our fun-filled week -- a boardwalk path along Middlebury's Otter Creek. We were amazed how tall everything had grown since our last visit there in late May of this year. We enjoyed searching for frogs, bird watching, picking wildflowers and cattails and watching Grace and Jack dance and perform for us at the end of the boardwalk. This was the perfect start to our wonderful week in Vermont!

We're Back!

We are back from our trip to Vermont. All this week I will be posting pictures of all the fun times we had in Vermont with Maddy & Poppy!

Heat Wave!

Our week has consisted of many trips to our lake beach, visits to Long Pond, wading in a little pool in our front lawn, running through sprinklers and spraying hoses to stay cool! My, how very hot it has been this week. We put aside all of our activities and projects for the week and we have been spending all of our days outside in and around water! Here is one of our trips to Long Pond that we took this week where Grace and Jack enjoyed swimming and playing along the shoreline.

A Dump Truck at Our Home!!!!!!!

For those of you who know Jack and Grace you can only imagine their excitement as a DUMP TRUCK came up our driveway early this morning to deliver loam onto our yard. We are doing some landscaping in the front of our home but even more exciting than that -- a real live DUMP TRUCK came to our home! :)

Bravo, Bravo!

There is a long wooden board on the side of our lawn that we use during the winter to store wood for our stove. This spot has become Jack and Grace's favorite place outside. Each day this ordinary wooden board magically transforms into a stage that Jack and Grace use to put on elaborate shows and recitals for me. Sometimes they ask that I play Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker music to dance to for a ballet performance. Jack and Grace always get ready "backstage," which is a tree stump to the left of their stage. They proudly walk "onstage" to perform for me. Most of the time Grace makes up a song while she and Jack dance away! Props are usually always involved. These include sticks for wands, pine needles or leaves. Jack and Grace sometimes bring costumes outside from their dress up box too. After every performance I clap loudly and yell, "Bravo, bravo!" Their performances are so very sweet and special to me. I remember my brother Adam and I putting on similar performances when we were younger. I hope Jack and Grace's performances continue for so many years to come.

Celebrating the Fourth of July

Every Fourth of July weekend we head to Bath, Maine to participate in Heritage Days. Events are held throughout the city's downtown area and it is the largest Independence Day celebration in the state of Maine! We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park while watching boats along the Kennebec river, watching Maine's largest parade, and going on Ferris Wheel rides. This was Jack's very first Ferris Wheel ride and he loved it as much as Grace. It was a great (and a VERY HOT!) Fourth of July celebration for us.

* hand & footprint flag made by Grace and Jack *

Flashback Friday

Grace's first Fourth of July 2007
Seven months old

Grace's second Fourth of July 2008
1 year, 7 months old

Jack's first Fourth of July 2009

Six months old

Fourth of July 2009
Grace -- 2 years, 7 months old
Jack -- 6 months old

A Red, White and Blue Sensory Rice Bin!

To celebrate the Fourth of July on Sunday, we added the American flag colors to our sensory rice bin. Grace and Jack dyed rice red and blue and mixed the colored rice together with white rice. The result was an extra fun and a patriotic sensory activity! Grace and Jack had such a great time measuring, pouring, pretending and sitting in (!) their red, white and blue rice bin.