While at the Flea Market yesterday, someone had road signs for sale (I'm sure obtained legally?!) and I saw a cute one that said "Watch Children" I asked Tucker what he thought and he said "I don't want a child watching me!" Tucker did manage to score a pretty nice GI Joe box (like a small locker) FILLED with Army men (and a stray dinosaur and scuba driver).
A special thank you to Gra Doyle who came down early this morning to take Tucker to summer school because Michael had to work at 8 AM (normally she would pick him up at 11:30 (Tucker, that is) or be at the house then for Michael to be at work by noon). The report from school today was that his teacher said he (again Tucker)was a "very good boy" and a "good artist". Cassandra also came down and they had a good time playing Nerf darts, among other things, I'm told.
I'm not even sure that last paragraph makes sense but I don't have the energy to correct it.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Happy Birthday, Gramma Bilts
Today is my Gramma Bilts birthday---she would have been 84. She passed away May 27th, 2007. She had some medical issues for the past few years and then was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of 2007. It was a fast-spreading cancer and when they followed up after initially finding it, they recommended not treating it due her age and other medical conditions. These pictures were taken (from L-R), on her 80th in 2004 and in 2006 when we surprised her with a cake on the 4th of July. My mom and usually took her to Leventi's for Fish and Chips and then we shared a strawberry shortcake cake between the 3 of us.
I had a very special relationship with my grandmother and in a lot of ways, she was like a "third parent". I called her almost every day when I was growing up and spent every Saturday night with her from when I was a baby to about the age of 12 (My mom says that it initially started because she and my dad would have a "date night"). Who wouldn't want to go there, I slept on her fold-out couch and got to watch "Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island". (Okay so I never actually made it through "Fantasy Island" but I could have watched it if I wanted to!) Even now I often reach for the phone to tell her something Tucker said or did and have to remind myself that she's gone. She could be a stubborn woman at times but she always wanted what was best for her family and worked hard to take care of everyone. I think I miss her smile the most. In honor of her I have added "ko-ko-mo" to my playlist because when ever I hear it, I think of her singing it while eating an ice cream cone.
This was a picture of her and Tucker on 2005 that I put in a greatgrandmother frame for her.
I miss you, Gram! Happy birthday!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Family Fun Day/Observations
Today we headed out to complete our usual array of Saturday errands (Target, the post office, the library) but we also went to the 1st Summer Family Fun Day in Old Lyme , which was held in the parking lot of the plaza where Michael works (truthfully, if he didn't work there we probably wouldn't have known about/even gone in the first place). We went around 2 because that was when he was going to be outside at it. It consisted mainly of 4 or 5 bouncers/obstacle courses and a poor pony that was giving rides under a tent (which still must have been pretty hot for him). Apparently before we arrived, there was food and water being sold by the Lions Club. The kids "running" it were volunteer high schoolers who were pretty much just listening to their ipods or texting each other. There was one kid on the bungee cord thing that Michael tried that actually did seem to be enjoying himself and playing with the kids. It wasn't really that crowded and for some reason, they had it spread across the top of the entire parking lot. I think everyone must have been at the beach; we drove by Rocky Heck to get there and they had the entrance closed with a sign that said Park Full. Here are some pictures of Michael hanging out with Tucker, getting paid to man the bouncer 
Tucker enjoying a bouncer
Tucker and Michael competing in the bungee cord "race"
Tucker climbing and then sliding down a bouncer
(For some reason there's an extra picture of Michael and Tucker and I can't figure out how to make it go way---sorry about that!)
Some observations by Tucker today:
-When making cookies this morning (don't be too impressed, they were the break-apart ones from Nestle, he asked me if bees like eat chocolate chip cookies. I told them that they might because the chocolate might be sweet like nectar. His response was that they can only suck the nectar out of flowers and they MUST (his emphasis) bring it back to the Queen and besides they don't have teeth. (Sometimes I think he just asks questions to let let me know that he knows the correct answer!)
-I pulled up to a red light and apparently he didn't like that I went over the white line so I had to back up (he is quite the little back-seat driver!) Then the car next to me did the same thing and he told me "I think they want to race, Mommy. You better pull back up, we can't let them have a head start!"
-We drove by York in Niantic (the women's prison; or rather the "correctional facility") and he asked me why it was just for women and I said because they have to keep the men and women separated. His response: "Yes because otherwise they might fight and someone could get hurt". (out of the mouths of babes, I tell you).
-He asked me to read a banner to him that said "white elephant sale". When I read to him, he laughed and said "that's silly, Mommy, there's no such thing as a white elephant and if there was why would someone want to buy it?"
My favorite observation of the day was that "And We Danced" by The Hooters apparently makes Star Wars and Indiana Jones figures stop fighting and start dancing (actually anything by The Hooters apparently will work but "And We Danced" really gets it going, which I guess would be appropriate!
I guess this makes me realize (not for the first time) that sometimes it really is just the simple things around you that are important which is actually pretty relevant today considering it is Simplicity Day named in honor of Henry David Thoreau's birthday to remind us to simplify our lives. (before I go to the library each week, I try to find out what "holidays" there are that week and try to get books around those themes; in doing so, I discovered it is Simplicity Day!)
Tonight we are off to my friend Annie's house in Groton for a barbeque and then to Fort Griswold to watch the Sailfest fireworks (it's much easier to watch from the "Gronton-side" so you don't have to deal with the crowds). After the fireworks we'll probably go back to Annie's while the traffic settles down.
Tucker enjoying a bouncer
Tucker and Michael competing in the bungee cord "race"
Tucker climbing and then sliding down a bouncer
(For some reason there's an extra picture of Michael and Tucker and I can't figure out how to make it go way---sorry about that!)
Some observations by Tucker today:
-When making cookies this morning (don't be too impressed, they were the break-apart ones from Nestle, he asked me if bees like eat chocolate chip cookies. I told them that they might because the chocolate might be sweet like nectar. His response was that they can only suck the nectar out of flowers and they MUST (his emphasis) bring it back to the Queen and besides they don't have teeth. (Sometimes I think he just asks questions to let let me know that he knows the correct answer!)
-I pulled up to a red light and apparently he didn't like that I went over the white line so I had to back up (he is quite the little back-seat driver!) Then the car next to me did the same thing and he told me "I think they want to race, Mommy. You better pull back up, we can't let them have a head start!"
-We drove by York in Niantic (the women's prison; or rather the "correctional facility") and he asked me why it was just for women and I said because they have to keep the men and women separated. His response: "Yes because otherwise they might fight and someone could get hurt". (out of the mouths of babes, I tell you).
-He asked me to read a banner to him that said "white elephant sale". When I read to him, he laughed and said "that's silly, Mommy, there's no such thing as a white elephant and if there was why would someone want to buy it?"
My favorite observation of the day was that "And We Danced" by The Hooters apparently makes Star Wars and Indiana Jones figures stop fighting and start dancing (actually anything by The Hooters apparently will work but "And We Danced" really gets it going, which I guess would be appropriate!
I guess this makes me realize (not for the first time) that sometimes it really is just the simple things around you that are important which is actually pretty relevant today considering it is Simplicity Day named in honor of Henry David Thoreau's birthday to remind us to simplify our lives. (before I go to the library each week, I try to find out what "holidays" there are that week and try to get books around those themes; in doing so, I discovered it is Simplicity Day!)
Tonight we are off to my friend Annie's house in Groton for a barbeque and then to Fort Griswold to watch the Sailfest fireworks (it's much easier to watch from the "Gronton-side" so you don't have to deal with the crowds). After the fireworks we'll probably go back to Annie's while the traffic settles down.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
BANZAI!!!
It has been crazy-humid and hot here lately (I know it's July in CT, What AM I thinking?!) so Tucker and I headed out Saturday amongst our other errands to get a water slide. We went to Walmart and Toys r us and alas, no water slides plus a major detour for a 20 inch water pipe break that caused a 15 ft sinkhole in the road , thankfully at 1 am because this is a major road; It ended up being closed through the weekend and opened again last night around 7). So we came home and went on-line and found an awesome water slide on eBay express (no surprise there, I am the eBay QUEEN after all!!). It came today and Michael attempted to get it going so Tucker could try it out after swim lessons tonight (and then he had a bath so he was a little water-logged). Anyway, I think we got it going enough so Tucker could play a little but Michael was trying to also cook chicken on the grill and I was making Mac & cheese and peas for dinner. Michael will work more on it on Thursday, his day off. Here Michael is blowing up the "inflatable body board" that came with it and Tucker is directing...To be continued
I also wanted to mention the exciting news that I actually own a coffee table in my living room! For as long as I can remember, or at least as long as Tucker's been alive, the coffee table has been sort of a plethora (always like to use that word when I can) of toy parts, books, crayons, etc. Well, Eileen (my mother-in-law) cleaned off when she was here yesterday. I don't think I've seen it cleaned off since we got it when we got the house in 2000! Coincidentally, or maybe not, Eileen and Louie (Michael's grandfather who died in 2001, gave us the table!
Tucker started summer school Monday and was happy to see a couple of familiar faces in his class. He's been having a hard time mastering the sight words and demonstrating confidence in what he does know; he's always concerned that he will give the wrong answer. We continue to read to him every night and try to encourage him to read out loud to us. His writing has come along through the year and his best subject seems to be math; he's always counting EVERYTHING and we just read a book last night called "One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab" where you count the number of feet/legs to count to one hundred (for example, 100 could be 10 crabs or 5 crabs and 25 people-crabs have 10 legs, including their claws and people have two legs). It's a really great book!
I will update with some pictures of the water slide once Michael gets it working better. By the way, the reason the title of this post is Banzai is because the name of the water slide is "Banzai something, something water slide".
I also wanted to mention the exciting news that I actually own a coffee table in my living room! For as long as I can remember, or at least as long as Tucker's been alive, the coffee table has been sort of a plethora (always like to use that word when I can) of toy parts, books, crayons, etc. Well, Eileen (my mother-in-law) cleaned off when she was here yesterday. I don't think I've seen it cleaned off since we got it when we got the house in 2000! Coincidentally, or maybe not, Eileen and Louie (Michael's grandfather who died in 2001, gave us the table!
Tucker started summer school Monday and was happy to see a couple of familiar faces in his class. He's been having a hard time mastering the sight words and demonstrating confidence in what he does know; he's always concerned that he will give the wrong answer. We continue to read to him every night and try to encourage him to read out loud to us. His writing has come along through the year and his best subject seems to be math; he's always counting EVERYTHING and we just read a book last night called "One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab" where you count the number of feet/legs to count to one hundred (for example, 100 could be 10 crabs or 5 crabs and 25 people-crabs have 10 legs, including their claws and people have two legs). It's a really great book!
I will update with some pictures of the water slide once Michael gets it working better. By the way, the reason the title of this post is Banzai is because the name of the water slide is "Banzai something, something water slide".
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The Parade
Okay so I'm a day behind getting to this post...
We went to the Columbia parade this year versus the Boom Box Parade in Willimantic. We decided we needed a change of pace from the political organizations. It was a great parade complete with firetrucks...
This Columbia one was only the first of many. they came from Lebanon, Mansfield, North Windham and South Windham, Windham Center, Scotland, North Coventry, and Bolton. (These are the ones I can remember!) Of course they were ALL ready to aim their hoses at the crowds, particularly anyone with squirtguns (there was 1 group of 4 kids across from us that couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 not to mention the group of teenage guys who went by with literally an arsenal of squirt guns!!) At least the umbrellas we all had did come in handy! When we got there it was sprinkling pretty steadily if that makes any sense and at one point the sun did try to come out.
There were a lot of interesting groups--motorcycles, the shriners in their little cars, clowns (I think they were another group of Shriners), 2 fife and drum corps (both complete with rifle shooting-the first all at once and the second one at a time which was actually a lot cooler!) There were even two different bagpipers groups!
Before the parade even started ( we got there at 8:30 to find parking for the 10 am parade), Michael and I walked with Tucker to the playground at Porter (where I went; it was and still is K-8 but it has tripled in size). In fact what I remember as the playground is where the addition of the building went in a number of years ago and there's also a baseball diamond and soccer field. (for at least two of you who may be reading this, the stone wall and tree line is gone, they extended back into the field that was there. Also the "junior high wing" is not as prominent. The trees are all gone on the side and there's a path leading to the track and around to the front. Also for the two of you, I went onto the Porter website and Mrs. Campbell is still teaching 2nd grade, and Mrs. Bouchain (I think she was Zaglio for you, Jenn) is still there and is back to Ms. Zaglio. Anyway it was kind of surreal to see how much everything had changed; you know how you picture things from the past and then you go back and it looks nothing like you remember because they changed everything!?
So the parade was great and we will be going back again next year, though probably not as early! We then went to my mom's for a picnic and to celebrate her birthday (it's actually June 28th). The sun never really came out but at least it didn't rain so Tucker, our niece Cassandra and her boyfriend Eric spent a lot of time in the pool and we even got a few games of croquet in!
Doreen gave us some sparklers but because I was the only one still AWAKE at 8:30 when it got dark, I didn't think it would be much fun by myself. So that was our fun day...what was your day like?
We went to the Columbia parade this year versus the Boom Box Parade in Willimantic. We decided we needed a change of pace from the political organizations. It was a great parade complete with firetrucks...
This Columbia one was only the first of many. they came from Lebanon, Mansfield, North Windham and South Windham, Windham Center, Scotland, North Coventry, and Bolton. (These are the ones I can remember!) Of course they were ALL ready to aim their hoses at the crowds, particularly anyone with squirtguns (there was 1 group of 4 kids across from us that couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 not to mention the group of teenage guys who went by with literally an arsenal of squirt guns!!) At least the umbrellas we all had did come in handy! When we got there it was sprinkling pretty steadily if that makes any sense and at one point the sun did try to come out.
There were a lot of interesting groups--motorcycles, the shriners in their little cars, clowns (I think they were another group of Shriners), 2 fife and drum corps (both complete with rifle shooting-the first all at once and the second one at a time which was actually a lot cooler!) There were even two different bagpipers groups!
Before the parade even started ( we got there at 8:30 to find parking for the 10 am parade), Michael and I walked with Tucker to the playground at Porter (where I went; it was and still is K-8 but it has tripled in size). In fact what I remember as the playground is where the addition of the building went in a number of years ago and there's also a baseball diamond and soccer field. (for at least two of you who may be reading this, the stone wall and tree line is gone, they extended back into the field that was there. Also the "junior high wing" is not as prominent. The trees are all gone on the side and there's a path leading to the track and around to the front. Also for the two of you, I went onto the Porter website and Mrs. Campbell is still teaching 2nd grade, and Mrs. Bouchain (I think she was Zaglio for you, Jenn) is still there and is back to Ms. Zaglio. Anyway it was kind of surreal to see how much everything had changed; you know how you picture things from the past and then you go back and it looks nothing like you remember because they changed everything!?
So the parade was great and we will be going back again next year, though probably not as early! We then went to my mom's for a picnic and to celebrate her birthday (it's actually June 28th). The sun never really came out but at least it didn't rain so Tucker, our niece Cassandra and her boyfriend Eric spent a lot of time in the pool and we even got a few games of croquet in!
Doreen gave us some sparklers but because I was the only one still AWAKE at 8:30 when it got dark, I didn't think it would be much fun by myself. So that was our fun day...what was your day like?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy Fourth of July!
I'm doing this tonight because we have to leave early tomorrow morning to get to my mom's for the parade in Columbia.
Gra Doyle has resumed watching Tucker on Mondays for the summer. This past Monday, they drew flags. I think I like Tucker's version so much it should be the "new" flag!
I hope you all have a safe, fun holiday (and weekend)!
Gra Doyle has resumed watching Tucker on Mondays for the summer. This past Monday, they drew flags. I think I like Tucker's version so much it should be the "new" flag!
I hope you all have a safe, fun holiday (and weekend)!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Beginning swimming and ending tee-ball
Tonight was a busy night!!! Tucker had his first swimming lesson of the summer and he did pretty good! He's so excited to get back in the pool. He is heading to Gra Tucker's tomorrow night (our daycare is off on Thursday; he'll stay over until the 4th) and besides the expected pizza for dinner, is looking forward to going in the pool.
From swimming lessons, we sped across town to our tee-ball pizza party. We went to the picnic area in town. We split the cost of pizzas with the other coach and had 2 pizzas too much! But the kids had a good time running around and were thrilled with their trophies and certificates! The kids all signed a baseball for Michael and the other coach which was so nice!!! Most of them will play soccer in the fall and also move up to the minor leagues next spring. They are a really great group of kids so the season ending is bittersweet! Michael enjoyed his first season coaching and I my first experience as the "Team Mom" but also at the same time glad the season is over!
I'm still having trouble getting this available on the web...hopefully it will be soon!!!
From swimming lessons, we sped across town to our tee-ball pizza party. We went to the picnic area in town. We split the cost of pizzas with the other coach and had 2 pizzas too much! But the kids had a good time running around and were thrilled with their trophies and certificates! The kids all signed a baseball for Michael and the other coach which was so nice!!! Most of them will play soccer in the fall and also move up to the minor leagues next spring. They are a really great group of kids so the season ending is bittersweet! Michael enjoyed his first season coaching and I my first experience as the "Team Mom" but also at the same time glad the season is over!
I'm still having trouble getting this available on the web...hopefully it will be soon!!!
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