July 21 - 27: The Tedfords Visit

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, Chris' family is visiting.  And they are all staying with us.  It certainly made things a bit chaotic, but it also was nice to be able to spend so much time with them.  Plus having extra people to entertain and watch Bennett was certainly helpful. 

So how exactly did we fit 8 extra people in the house?  Well 3 of them (Michael, Rebecca, and Elizabeth) were sleeping outside in a tent.  Chris' parents were on an air mattress in the living room.  Bennett was on his old crib mattress in our room so that Suzanne could have his bed.  Rosaline and Dekota were on an air mattress on the floor in his room.  Having Bennett in our room was a bit entertaining for us because we could see how much he moves around in his sleep, rolls off the bed (he doesn't normally do this), sleeps with his hands down his pants, gets up to use the potty, etc. 

For meals we ate what we could outside so it wouldn't be quite so cramped.  Adults were around either the porch table or the dining room table, and the kids were at a card table, either on the porch or in the kitchen, depending on where we were.  Food was set up buffet style on a counter in the kitchen.


On Monday we headed off bright and early to Battleship Cove.  For some reason we had to get there right when it opened.  As much as I thought this was silly, after we had been there for a few hours and more people were around, I was glad that we had been there when it was a little more quiet.

Storming the beaches of Fall River

Getting 4 kids to look at the camera at the same time is challenging!

Getting Bennett to pretend to sleep is also challenging.

Hugs from Grandpa

We finished up around lunch time, but decided to head home for a late lunch rather than pay the inflated prices for food on the ship.  Bennett took a nap in the car and woke up just as we were turning onto our street.

After lunch, we played the first (of what would be many) game of croquet for the week.  Growing up when we played croquet we always set the wickets up wherever we wanted and I'm not sure we had well defined rules.  This was NOT the case in the Tedford family! Given the space available in the yard we had some obstacles around the garden and the slide, but I think that just added to the fun.

On Tuesday we started off at home.  Chris had a dentist appointment so the rest of us just hung out.  After lunch we went bowling.  You're probably wondering why bowling is so special, but Candlepin Bowling isn't something generally found outside of New England.  Bennett was a bit antsy because he was overdue for a nap, but getting him to sit and relax with so much activity going on around him is next to impossible.

This next picture probably doesn't mean much of anything to most people who read this blog, but I was surprised to see it, and when I texted it to Andrew he was surprised as well.  This character is Dennis the Menace, from the comic book, Beano.  When we lived in England we read Beano.  Not sure why he was on a gumball machine style game that distributed bouncy balls.  None of the other graphics on the machine were related to the comic at all.

Bennett fell asleep on the way home and then he was successfully transferred to his bed so that he could continue his nap.  In the afternoon there was more croquet and also some ladderball after dinner.

We had nothing planned for during the day on Wednesday, but there was a request for some shopping, so we headed off to Shopper's World to hit of AC Moore and Barnes & Noble.  We also took the opportunity to go to the baby/kids resale shop to try to sell a couple of things.  While we were there we picked up a birthday present for Bennett as well as a few bags of Legos.

In the evening we went to a Lowell Spinner's game.  We had great seats- 2nd and 3rd row- right on the 1st base line.

Bennett did about as well as expected at sitting still and watching the game, which is to say, not great.  However, we did go to SwampLand, the kids play area, and he had a blast on the inflatable slides and obstacle (octopus) course.  He tried the bounce house but wasn't a fan of that.

 

 

Being forced to meet the mascot.  He wasn't a fan.

We made it until the 7th inning when a thunderstorm came through.  We got to our car right before the rain really started.  The game was slow moving though, so it's probably a good thing that we had to leave early.  I'm not sure how much longer Bennett would have lasted.  Plus Thursday was going to be a long day so we were all happy to get home.

Like I said, Thursday was a long (but fun) day.  Chris and I had to be at OSV at 7:30 for a secret activity that I alluded to back in March.  I wish I could say more, but this was definitely special treatment that we were getting, and it's not an activity that they want to open up to the general public.  As such, it was requested that I not broadcast what we were able to do.  Anyway, it was really neat being in the Village before it opened and seeing some places that most people don't get to see.  Plus it was a nice chance to chat in a more relaxed fashion with some of the interpreters.  We asked what they thought of us coming every week and they quickly replied that they didn't think it was crazy.  I wonder if they were just being nice, but based on the fact that they volunteered to do this activity with us, plus some other things, leads me to believe that maybe they were being truthful. 

We met up with everyone else just before the Village opened.  Between the pass that I got from the library (thanks Andrew!) plus a deal that OSV is offering for kids to get in free with a paying adult, we definitely were able to save some money.  For the 8 extra people, they only paid the equivalent of 3 adults, rather than what would have been 5 adults and 3 children.

It was a rather disjointed visit due to wanting to see different things at specific times in opposite sides of the Village, so we started the day off walking back and forth a bit.  When we got in we went to the Small House, Friends Meeting House, Fenno barn and house, and then quickly made our way to the Sawmill to watch that demo and also to try fishing.

Chatting with one of the interpreters.  We don't know his name, but a month or so ago we saw him at BJ's and Wegmans.

Then it was up to the Craft Center so that people could forge iron hooks.  Unfortunately the forge was broken, but Derek decided they could use the Blacksmith shop instead, so we all trudged back to where we had just been.

Michael was up first making his hook, followed by Dekota, Elizabeth, and Grandpa. What was nice was when the other blacksmith who was working saw me at the side door taking pictures, he told me I could come inside (on the opposite side of the chain).  Knowing the interpreters definitely has its advantages, but I think he likely only did this because he trusted me enough to leave if other visitors came near.  Later on I wanted more pictures so I let myself back in.  :)

While the blacksmithing was going on, back at the Craft Canter Rosaline and Suzanne were working on some yarn sewing.

They came back and joined us at the farm and everyone showed off their completed hooks.

We hung out by the farm for a while, collecting eggs (Bennett and Dekota), helping to split rails (Dekota), feeding the pigs (Rosaline), learning about making raspberry shrub (which we will be able to sample on Friends' Day), and watching Victoria get ready to start some ironing.  Rosaline and I were enjoying watching that, but everyone else was waiting for us to go get lunch, so we had to leave.  This was definitely the downside of visiting with so many people- trying to appease everyone's interests.

At the Fitch House Rosaline and Dekota got dressed up.  I think they need to get a few more costumes in a variety of sizes.  Dekota's waistcoat is a bit too small.

We also rode the stagecoach.  Not everyone wanted to ride, but we did squeeze eight of us in.  I also discovered that some of the design choices that I had been making on my Derby car weren't quite accurate.  Oops.

Waiting for the stagecoach.

By this time we'd seen most of what we were going to see so we headed out, stopping on the way so that some people could dip candles, and of course hitting up the gift shop.

But remember how I said it was a long day?  Yup, we weren't headed home.  We headed off to Kimball Farm.  My work was having its summer outing which meant that Chris, Bennett, and I got to go for free.  We arrived a little before the party so sat in the car to let Bennett nap a little longer.  Then we went to get food at the party while everyone else got dinner.  After eating we coincidentally met up for mini golf.  We lucked out and were able to play right behind everyone else.

Next up? Bumper boats!  Bennett loved them.  He rode with me, with Chris, with Grandpa, and then with me again.  The other kids really liked them as well.

Then it was time for an ice cream break.  Chris, Bennett, and I went back to the corporate area for sundaes and everyone else got the "small" ice cream that they could get with their bracelets.  (Pay $35 for a bracelet which allows you 5 activities/ice cream.)

Yes, this is a "small".

Then Michael came over and joined us at the driving range.  But Bennett and I didn't last that long as the mosquitoes were pretty bad and he was also getting antsy.  So we headed back to the car.  Chris and Michael finished up, Chris joined me to head home, and Michael joined everyone else at the arcade.

Friday was supposed to be a day for relaxing a little, but it didn't really turn out that way.  I started off by going for a run and then mowing the lawn.  Big mistake since I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.  This set me back and I was exhausted for most of the day.  After I ate and showered we went shopping to buy food for the Derby.  While we were gone the remaining adults were in charge of lunch and putting Bennett down for a nap.  He wasn't settling well, but after Uncle Michael threatened him with a time out if he didn't nap, Bennett quieted down and went to sleep.  (Really?  How exactly does a time out during nap work? :) )

After the grocery shoppers were back and had eaten lunch, Michael, Chris and Dad Tedford headed off to get the tents for the Derby from the Doucettes.  I took a much needed nap.  When they got back it was time to finish up our Derby cars (which we'd been working on all week in spare moments during the day and when others were going to bed).  We also realized we needed to make Blast Cars still.  Chris cut out wedges and they got some quick paint. 

 

Saturday- It's Derby Day!  After getting dressed we went into the basement to make final touches on our cars.  Yup, this is pretty typical, but I was done with about 3 hours to spare.  :)

By now we've fallen into a bit of a rhythm which makes Derby set up seem as if it went much more smoothly than usual.  Plus having the extra helpers didn't hurt, especially since Chris' parents have been around for the past few Derbies so they are used to what needs to be done.  Also I don't think we had as much food prep this year as we sometimes have had.  So we got the tents set up, tables, etc.  I made an ice run and picked up a few things we'd forgotten.  And before I knew it everything was set up and there was time to spare.  This never happens!  Of course some people were late to arrive, but that's also to be expected.

Rather than add even more photos to this post, I will direct you here to see all of the Derby related photos.

After the races when things were starting to quiet down a bit we took some time to take a family photo.  Getting 11 people to look at the camera, smile, etc can be a bit tricky.  Not to mention finding a space to squeeze 11 people into is a challenge.  I think we need wider stairs!

And then that brings us to Sunday.  It was a pretty low-key day at home.  Dekota had requested that I make him a costume for a birthday or Christmas gift.  So the night before I ran out to JoAnn's to get fabric and I spent Sunday morning sewing.  I'm glad I got it done because otherwise it would have been one of those projects that I would put off for a long time.  Plus it was handy having Dekota there so that I could fit it on him.

It rained most of the day so we were cooped up inside, but by late afternoon the rain stopped and we were able to go outside for some croquet.


And that pretty much sums up the week.  I did ask everyone what their favorite activity had been.  It was interesting to hear what each person enjoyed.

Rosaline- bumper boats
Elizabeth- arcade
Dekota- OSV
Mom - OSV
Dad- OSV, specifically making a hook
Michael- Kimball's
Rebecca - Mini golf
Suzanne - OSV
Boy Chris - coming in 2nd at the Derby
Girl Chris - OSV, specifically the secret activity
Bennett - Kimball's/ Swampland

July 14 - 20

What's been interesting the past few days is how much Bennett remembers from things that happened a while ago.   The other day we were in the car and he started talking about going swimming at Auntie Mel's and how we had to bring our towels with us, and that there were stairs going in and out of the pool.  He's also been talking about how we set up the tables in the backyard for the Derby, which tables go where, etc.  And today, he mentioned Santa at Sturbridge and that we had to go back to see him.  I asked if he remembered what he asked Santa for and he correctly remembered, "a red present".

And speaking of the Derby, I showed him my car in progress and asked him what he thought.  His response was that it wasn't done yet because it doesn't have sides.  If only that was all it needed!

On Tuesday I was finally able to see a doctor about my knees.  Of course by this time they didn't really hurt any more.  However, when I explained where the pain was, etc and based on my stance, I've been given a diagnosis of  patellofemoral syndrome.  Also I have somewhat flat feet.  She wants me to not run until completely pain free (maybe another week or so?) and then when I do start running again, get into it more gradually.  I should take more time off, initially, between runs, and I should do the first week of my C25K program twice to get myself more acclimated.  Also, new shoes, Advil, some stretching exercises, and ice would all be beneficial.  If after all of that I still have problems, we can look into physical therapy, or maybe I just need to decide that I'm not cut out to be a runner.

Yay, Bennett took a nap on Wednesday!  In preparation for family visiting we took apart the Lego Firestation.  First off this cleared off the table a bit, but secondly, we thought it might be a good set for Dekota to put together when he visits.  However, seeing how Bennett plays with it regularly we weren't sure how he would react.  He surprised us by being totally cool with it, and commenting that it was ok to take it down because "It's not Christmas."  Huh?  The only thing we can think of is that this was our explanation for taking apart the Lego Winter Village that we set up at Christmastime.  He also asked if we could make cookies at Christmastime.

On Thursday we were back to not napping.  He played in the backyard for a while after school doing some weeding.  He did pull out weeds, but his "compost pile" was a mulched bed, not exactly where I want weeds put.  After dinner we put together a Lego car.  He needs a little bit of help making sure he has the right pieces, but he does pretty well with them.


On Friday Chris stayed home and started redoing our front stairs.  When Bennett and I got home he was very excited to help Daddy.  He went into the basement to get his toolbox, safety glasses, and earmuffs (which he didn't really need) and was ready to go.  Too bad there wasn't much for him to do.  Luckily there was one area that still had the old wood and Bennett happily hammered nails in.

Saturday was Fire and Ice at OSV.  It didn't seem as well attended or as well organized as last year. It seemed as if there were fewer teams competing in the bucket brigade competition, and there were only two contestants (one of which was OSV) in the chili contest.  Bennett was still excited to see the parade (small procession of villagers and fire trucks) and he did try out carrying buckets of water after the competition.

Down at the farm they were harvesting rye.  We watched for a while, talked to Dave, and Bennett remembered that the rye would need to be taken to the gristmill to be turned into flour.

After nap we went food shopping, trying to make sure that we had everything for the Tedfords arrival on Sunday.


On Sunday afternoon all of Chris' family came to visit- 8 extra people staying with us for the week.  Bennett didn't nap, so he was nice and wound up when they arrived.  Rosaline and Dekota chased him around the backyard.  Later Rosaline commented that he was tired- keeping up with a three-year-old, plus running up and down stairs (something she doesn't normally have to do), will do that to you!

July 7 - 13

On Sunday night I was looking on Facebook and saw a post from OSV that they would be at a local baseball game on Monday to throw out the first pitch for "Historic Baseball Night".  Sure, we thought.  So we bought tickets for the Worcester Bravehearts, which is part of a collegiate baseball league.

Unfortunately due to timing we just missed the first pitch (photo below was snagged from Facebook) but we did run into Rhys, Dan, and Jan later.  Bennett wasn't much into watching the game, but he did like seeing Jake, the mascot.  But by "seeing" I mean watching him from a distance.  I tried taking Bennett to say hi to Jake, but he wanted nothing to do with that!

We also caught a foul ball.  Well, not exactly.  A foul ball was hit over the net and got stuck on the dugout.  One of the players tried reaching through the net and tossing it up to us, but that didn't work.  Some other kids tried reaching through a fence to get the ball but they couldn't reach.  So at the end of the inning the player climbed onto the dugout, got the ball, and handed it to us.  I don't think the other kids were too happy about that.

After school on Tuesday Bennett was all about books.  He kept running up and down the stairs to get more books from his room.  Then after dinner he helped me water the garden and then went for a bike ride with Daddy.

More books after school on Wednesday, but this time he wasn't happy to read them himself.  Instead Daddy read about three different Skippy John Jones books.  Since Bennett hadn't taken a nap (this is becoming quite the trend!) he was looking very tired during dinner so went up to bed early.

On Thursday we played outside for a while before dinner, and then after Bennett went to bed I went for a walk (my knees still aren't recovered enough to try running again) and then when I got back Chris went out for a bike ride.   As you may have noticed, we're trying to be a bit more active.  We'll see how long this lasts as it gets colder and darker.

Ugh!  When I picked Bennett up from school on Friday he was not listening at all.  I had to put him in a time out that ended up lasting far longer than it should have because he kept getting up again.  We went home, picked up Daddy, and headed off to Michael's.  It's a good thing Chris came along with us because Bennett fell asleep on the way there.  So Chris stayed with Bennett while I went into the store.  Unfortunately they didn't have what I was looking for- something for my Derby car.

Yup.  I took a picture of my kid as he was crying while in time out.

On Saturday we went to Sturbridge.  For a day without anything special on the schedule it still felt like there was a lot going on.  Victoria was in the Parsonage making currant pie.  She confirmed that we're still on for the secret activity.  Of course!  At the farm they were making an herb pie.  We also found a few eggs in the barn that Bennett brought in to the ladies in the kitchen.  Our timing was right to see the gristmill in action and we also went into the carding mill, which is a building we normally skip.

Justin working in the cooper shop

Bennett was also excited to play French and English (Tug o war).  However, it wasn't being run well, because Katie wasn't running it.  Katie rocks!  Anyway, it was in groups based on age, with 8 and up playing first, and then 8 and under playing second.  Ok, I kind of get this from a safety point.  However, with the 8 and under, it was all little kids on one side, and those closer to 8 on the other.  This doesn't work well.

Also, a funny story about French and English.  On the 4th of July we were trying to explain what it meant to Bennett.  And we mentioned England, and people from England were English.  He pipes, up, "I play that at Sturbridge- English".  Yup.  It's a little shocking how much he can relate to things from Sturbridge.

We also got to meet the "progressive farmer" a talk that they have later in the afternoon that we usually miss.  The small garden/field area by the Towne House is growing a few crops right now to show things that most general farmers wouldn't grow.  They've got teasel, mangle wurtzel, and they are conducting a potato experiment.  They planted potatoes in three different ways- whole, halves, and quarters and of those, they added compost to half of them.  This way they can see which way grows the best.  It looks as if whole potatoes with compost are the best, but as Rhys commented, that's based only on what we can see above ground.  We won't know the real results until they are harvested and we see what was actually produced.


On Sunday we visited Mimi and then went to Lowes to pick up some materials for redoing our front stairs.  We also got Bennett a toolbox and his own set of real tools.  He was very excited about this.  Now we need to find a project for him.

After nap we tried getting Bennett to play in the sprinkler, but he wasn't a fan of getting sprayed and wouldn't run through it.

We then played inside for a little while before I took Bennett and went to Ikea to get a couple more shelves for the basement organization.  Chris stayed at home to watch the final World Cup match and do some cleaning.

After dinner we all went on a family bike ride.

June 30 - July 6

And just like that, my running days may be over.  In the past I've had a bit of knee pain while hiking, mostly caused by descents.  Not sure what the ultimate cause is, but the pain would normally go away in a couple of days.  It seems that running is also bad for my knees.  I had some pain over the weekend but was still able to go running.  On Monday, it was too much.  I had to stop.  As I'm writing this over a week later, I still have knee pain.  [note- I started writing this about a week before I actually got around to finishing and publishing.] I'm torn between trying to run again or just giving up.  My stubborn side doesn't want to give up.  Part of me wonders if new shoes would help, but I'm hesitant to spend the money on them if it doesn't help and I still need to stop running.  Advil and knee braces kind of help, but not completely.  Hopefully I'll be able to get in to see a doctor soon to get some actual medical advice.

In other Monday news, Bennett started watching Peter Pan after school.  We had tacos for dinner, which he normally likes.  Unfortunately he wasn't a fan of the salsa (that he requested) so he took forever and didn't finish eating. 

Tuesday was a no nap day at school.  When we got home Bennett finished watching Peter Pan and then played with his Duplos for a while.  We also finally got around to putting the air conditioners in.


On Wednesday morning there was much excitement as we were driving to school and witnessed an accident.  I was waiting at a green light for the oncoming car to go through the intersection so that I could turn.  However, the car on the cross street ran the red light hitting the car coming towards me.  I'm amazed that my car was spared, because the other cars came to rest just a few inches from my car.  We pulled over and Chris called 911.  Ultimately 3 police cars came (1 to direct traffic, 1 to take statements, and I think the last one might have helped with some translating), a firetruck, an ambulance, and a tow truck.  Ultimately it's probably a good thing that we stuck around because both drivers were claiming that they had a green light.  Bennett was full of so many questions about everything!  Two weeks later and he's still mentioning it.  And I'm also much more cautious going through that intersection now.

On Thursday we decided to head of to Ikea after school.  I wanted to get some shelves for the basement and for the shed.  Since Bennett hadn't napped at school he fell asleep on the way there.

We got home really late (at least by Bennett standards) but unfortunately he didn't sleep in the car.  I also did some purging and organizing of Bennett's toys.  I can't seem to do this when he's around, but he handles it pretty well when he asks where things are and we tell him they got put in the basement, etc.  And hopefully, if he isn't missing them, in a little while I can take them to the second hand store.

For the 4th of July (Friday) we had originally planned on going to Sturbridge but the forecast called for rain.  It was clear in the morning so we went to Tougas Farm and picked strawberries, blueberries, and cherries.  I think we'll have to go back again for more blueberries because we don't have nearly enough.  The rain started just as we were leaving.  After nap we baked cookies, went to Target, and then came home and Bennett put together his very first Lego (not Duplo) set!  Daddy helped him read the book with the instructions.  Bennett loves playing with his little police station.

On Saturday, after a late start, we went to Sturbridge.  We got there around noon and we weren't sure if this would mess things up since we've developed a bit of a routine.  However, after some snacks Bennett did well with a late lunch.  As we were driving we asked what he wanted to see.  His answer?  The fish! Since we had a late start and Bennett was in a good mood (not always the case in the afternoon) we were able to stick around to see the sawmill operating in the afternoon. 

a completely unrelated photo from the blacksmith shop

We also spoke with Victoria and were able to schedule a day for my special activity.  (You may or may not recall me mentioning this back in March.)  We also learned that Victoria requested Bennett's birthday party off as soon as she learned the date.  She will likely be coming to do a special project.

While at the farmhouse Bennett went to work filling the woodbox.

After nap we went food shopping and as we were driving home we were discussing if we would be able to make it to any fireworks.  We found out the Millbury had them at 9:30, so we quickly went home, put the groceries away, cooked some food to eat later, and got back in the car.  We weren't sure how Bennett would do with the fireworks, but he did great.  He even did a pretty good job of not squirming around too much while we waited for them to start, which was our main concern.  And now he keeps asking when it will be the 4th of July again so that we can go see fireworks at Sturbridge.


On Sunday we cleaned out the shed.  I know, not very exciting.  But it was a big jumbled mess and it was hard to get to anything.  So we pulled everything out, set up the new shelves that we got, and put things back in a more cohesive fashion.  We also added a few screws so that Bennett could hang up some of his tools.


While we were doing that Grandpa came over to hang out for a bit, and also to dry out his tent.  He'd been in Maine and got rained on so he needed some space to spread out.  Bennett helped a bit with setting up the tent, sweeping it out, bringing things in and out of the shed, etc.



The rest of the day was spent at home doing not much of anything.  It's not that often that we have a whole day at home!

June 23 - 29

On Monday Bennett was coughing a lot and wasn't interested in dinner.  He ended up having an early bed time.

On Tuesday he woke up feeling warm but didn't have a fever.  However, by late morning we got the call from school that his temperature was up to 101 and we had to pick him up.  After lunch he napped and then spent the afternoon watching movies.

By Wednesday, of course, he was better but still had to stay home from school.  Due to work commitments Chris and I split coverage.  However, due to how we coordinated things Bennett ended up only getting about a 10 minute car nap.  I tried getting him to rest longer at home, but no luck.  Instead we went outside to play.  Here his is making "pancakes" on his slide.

We also went on a pretend trip to Sturbridge.  We got our stickers at the ticket window, went to the tin shop (where Phil was working making lanterns) and then Bennett realized he'd forgotten his backpack.  So he went back to the car to get that.  Down at the farm Dave was plowing with Lance and Henry.

On Thursday Bennett's listening ears stopped working, and I think they stayed off through the weekend!  He watched Curious George while Daddy made dinner and I went out for a run.  When I got back we all ate and then Daddy went back to work for a few hours.  Due to the lack of listening Bennett didn't get to play during his bath, no book at bedtime, and he even lost his stuffies (a last resort for us) before the lights were even turned off.  Normally they get taken away if he spends too long talking to himself after the lights go out.

I think the lack of naps caught up to Bennett on Friday.  He fell asleep in the car on the way home from school at 5:30.  He woke up a couple of hours later pretty disoriented, but he then went back to sleep and was fine until morning.

On Saturday we had our weekly OSV trip.

As we arrived right at opening we were able to see the sawmill running.

Victoria was cutting profiles again, so this time I had one done.  Now Chris just needs to have a turn.  :)

After Sturbridge we headed off to a birthday party and then when we went got home Bennett started working on her Derby car.

Waiting for Daddy to get everything ready.

Cutting out his car.  He got bored after the first cut.

Sanding

On Sunday we went food shopping and then Bennett started painting his car.  At least someone in the family isn't going to be working at the last minute!

Next we went to Uncle Andrew and Aunt Gentry's for a housewarming cookout. They recently got chicks and Bennett was giving naming rights for one of them.  In the past he had suggested "chicken" but then when we asked again he started saying nonsensical two syllable names.  When listing off names he happened to say "yummy".  I think that's a fun name for a chicken!

After a late nap he played in the pool for a while and then we went for a bike ride.  Oh and those listening ears?  Still not working!

June 16 - 23

I think I only took two or three pictures all week and they weren't that exciting. Consider yourself warned.  Also, sorry that once again I've gotten behind and need to play catch-up.


On Monday we went for another bike ride after dinner.  Bennett was doing much better with only pedaling forwards, but he did try going backwards a few times.  Although the bike path by our house is mostly flat, it does have a slight slope so I had to jog to keep up with Bennett as he was riding.


On Tuesday things changed with the bike riding.  We decided it was time to teach him how to stop.  You would think that with all of the backpedaling he had been doing this would be easy.  Nope.  He either takes his hands off the handlebars as he reaches to us for help, he turns and looks at us, thus turning the bike, or he just doesn't listen.  At one point when he was turning he was going a bit too fast and he fell and scraped his knee.

This has been a week without many naps, and on Wednesday we could tell he was tired.  Normally he still runs around going a mile a minute, but he was sluggish during dinner so we decided an early bedtime was in order.


I guess the lack of a nap on Thursday, combined with the fact that he'd been running around all day at school, meant that he was rather tired.  We were about five minutes from the house on the way home from school when I thought Bennett might be asleep.  He then moved his head and started talking, so I figured he was just closing his eyes against the sun.  We looked again and his eyes were closed again.  When we got home I took him out of his car seat.  He woke up a little.  I asked him if he wanted to go to bed.  "No." I asked if he was tired and he said, "yes".  He then started to cry for a few moments before quieting again, closing his eyes, and snuggling into my neck.  I rocked him for a few minutes and then brought him up to bed.  He woke up a few times overnight, but always went back to sleep, and then we had to wake him up at seven the next morning to go to school.

On Friday Bennett was getting very frustrated with his bike.  We were working on stopping again and he just wasn't getting it.  And somehow that frustration morphed into being afraid of falling again.  

On Saturday we went to OSV.  In the nicer months you can try fishing.  Normally we don't do this, but decided to give it a try.  Chris caught a fish.  It's very skinny and sideways and you can barely see it.  I also need to work on my photography skills a bit more since I cut Katie in half.  Oops.

After Sturbridge (and nap) Bennett went to Nana's house for an overnight.  He was very excited when we told him and eagerly packed his suitcase.

What did we do with out free time?  We went to a movie.

In other news, I started a Couch to 5K program.  More on this in a later post.  In looking to find a 5K to run I found on at OSV, but since it's in mid-July I doubt I'll be ready in time.

Our Sunday was pretty low-key.  We did yard work- mowed the lawn, etc.  Bennett was pretty excited to be able to watch Daddy from the porch.

After Bennett's nap we went food shopping and then all went out for a bike ride.  Bennett didn't want to ride his bike (he's now afraid to ride his bike because he can't stop and doesn't want to fall) so he went in the trailer.


And that pretty much sums up the week.

June 9 - 15

When Bennett woke up in the morning on Monday he felt a bit warm adn said his ear hurt.  He often complains about his ear so we didn't think too much of that.  We took his temperature and he was fine, so off to school he went.
When we picked him up he had a 101 fever, so that meant no school the next day.  When we got home he watched Monsters, Inc and didn't eat much in the way of dinner, even though I tried one of his favorite foods.

On Tuesday Bennett had to stay home from school, even though his fever was gone.  He started off the day with Daddy since I had a dentist appointment.  When I got home he played nicely in my craft room while I did some ironing and some cleaning.  (There's still a LOT more cleaning to do!)

After lunch it was nap time.  He did not want to take his nap.  After a few minutes he came out of his room saying, "I rested.  Now I'm all better."  He repeated this quite a few times before finally settling down and going to sleep. After nap we watched Peter Pan and then made a Father's Day card.

After dinner we walked to the post office to mail a birthday card to Aunt Rebecca.

On Wednesday Bennett had his last week of speech for the school year.  And surprisingly, even though it was Daddy's turn, Bennett didn't sleep late.

School pictures (taken in April) finally came in!  We liked both poses and couldn't decide which to get, so we just ordered both of them.

On Thursday Bennett got his report card.  Not a surprise, but he's doing great.  I had to sign it, and he couldn't understand why he couldn't write his name on it.  We also got his class picture (they hadn't come in the day before with the rest of the pictures.)  None of the class pictures turned out well- just another reason why this wasn't a good photographer.


On Friday  evening we had a Father's Day cookout at school.  It's a nice chance to socialize with the other parents, and definitely a different vibe from the past couple of years as enrollment increases.

We got home a bit late and then let Bennett play a little while longer, so it was pretty late when he finally went to bed.



Saturday was Bennett's last soccer class.  Being the last class the parents got to join the kids on the field, so Daddy went and played some soccer.  For now we're going to hold off on signing him up for any sports.  He just doesn't seem to be all that interested in participating.

After soccer we went strawberry picking.  It's still pretty early in the season so we'll see how much jam I make from these (I need to actually work on that) and then who knows, maybe we'll go again.  Bennett was much better this year about picking ripe berries, but he still needs to work a little harder to get the bright red ones.

After strawberry picking we went to visit Mimi and were surprised to run into Uncle Andrew and Aunt Gentry while we were there.  They had also brought their new dog along with them so we all sat outside for a while.

Next up was bike shopping.  Well, we tried.  Turns out they didn't have the one I'd seen online (even though they said it could be picked up in the store), but Bennett's behavior was also less than stellar so we ended up leaving.  I guess he may have just been tired, because he fell asleep in the car on the way home.

When he woke up I asked him if he wanted lunch and he told me that he couldn't have lunch after rest.  Luckily he agreed that it was ok to have a big snack, which shockingly consisted of foods very similar to what he would have had for lunch.

He also had fun playing in the basement with Daddy, checking out the vise on his new workbench.

We rounded out the day by trying bike shopping again at a different store, this time ordering it online before we left and arranging for in store pickup.


Sunday was Father's Day. 

As I mentioned earlier, Bennett and I made a card for Daddy and it included a quiz.  I asked Bennett a few questions and wrote down his answers.

My Daddy's name is Daddy Breecher.
His is 10 years old.
He has grey hair and blue eyes.
At his job, my Daddy does work.
Daddy's favorite food is hot dogs.
Daddy always tells me to cut this paper.
I love to play and make cards for Mummy with Daddy.


We headed off to Sturbridge.  The first 200 dads got a mug with a lid, much nicer than the mugs we've gotten from our DCVs.  It was also Music and Art Weekend so there were a few extra things to see and do, such as listening to some fife and drum music.

While in the tinshop Phil introduced us to another interpreter, Walter, and commented that we came every week.  "No really, they do.  They have nothing better to do."  I don't think Walter believed him because he then started asking if we had seen various things.  Phil then commented that Bennett really does know all about this place and he could tell Walter all about everything.

In the afternoon Victoria was cutting profiles.  Luckily we got there a few minutes early so that we could be first in line.  Bennett was extremely wiggly and I'm not sure how much longer he would have been willing to stick around if we would have had to wait.  In fact, he was so wiggly that Daddy ended up having to hold him.

After nap Bennett played in the pool for a while, Grandpa came over to get his Father's Day gift, and after dinner we went for a bike ride.  Bennett did pretty well, but he kept trying to pedal backwards which meant that he was braking.  We'll have to work on that a bit more.