It's been too long...

The last couple of months have simply flown by - October was a whirl of over 35 shows, November I spent sick, and December is slipping by quickly. I am not ready for Christmas, but at least the house is mostly clean. And we had a dinner party Saturday. That was so nice. I love to do things like that. Good times, good food, good friends.

This is the winteriest winter we have had in recent years. Lots of snow, and more predicted tonight and tomorrow. The kids love it - I don't mind, although I miss having the time to go out and play in it! I don't even own snowpants anymore.

Pippa and Johann are both on their tummies in their room, feet kicked up in the air, making a train layout with the wooden tracks. Johann is getting so big. He is our silliest kid yet, with a great sense of humor and a great big temper. He cracked Phil up the other night by interrupting a telling of SkippyJon Jones and when Phil looked at him he just shrugged with this look of "what?" Pippa loves Kindergarten. I'm not sure she really learns anything, but she is the social butterfly of her class, always checking on her classmates to see how they are and ready to help when she sees one struggling. Juliet's teacher commented on this smae trait in her class.

Juliet is having a rough year. She feels like she has no friends, but we talked to her teacher, and we all agreed it is in Julie's head. She is following in Glady's footprints, and that doesn't help. Glady has been officially labeled gifted, which was no surprise to us. Juliet is as smart, just not as passionate about perfection as our drama queen is. So Phil and I have been subtly trying to give her a little boost of confidence, which makes her blossom.

Glady is currently devouring the Harry Potter series, having just finished off the Narnia series... the last Potter book she read in threee days, leaving Phil to look at me and say "She's YOUR daughter!" She's just ended a Math Club afterschool program which she loved, getting to stay after and play games with 4th and 5th grades. She has been put into 5th grade spelling and vocabulary. So she is happy in school, and at home is struggling with having sisters - she'd rather be an only child right now, most of the time!

I must go and do some laundry - Johann has developed an art form we call Poo-casso (three guesses, and the first two don't count!). Hopefully I will get back to updating this blog every week - hey, It's almost a New Year's Resolution! Hah!

It's almost October..

Busy little guy - that's his sister's Picture!Glady doing homework - she's reading Raold Dahl's autobiography.
Pippa and Johann... She's ready to head off to school!
Gosh, isn't she cute

It's beginning to feel like Fall

The view from our Gig Saturday!Ribfest cooking going on!
I don't want to know what's going on out here!
Big boy britches!
And this was back on the first day of school!

We haven't yet had a good frost, but Dad slept out in his tent the other night and came up in the morning saying there had been a patchy frost. The asters are in full fling - I have a few in the garden I have been encouraging gently. They are wild, and I am never sure whether they will stay where I want them! The trees are beginning to show a little color in places.

We had Ribfest on Labor Day, as is our tradition, and it was a success. We split the time between hanging outside near the grill and ate indoors, away from the bugs. The ribs were perfect, the company was good, and we had a long and rich day. The perfect capper to a very busy summer.

Johann has started to go on the potty chair - he walked in last Saturday, took off his diaper and sat down and went! All very casual, like he had been doing it forever. We still have a few more months of diapers, I think, but then he will officially be a Big Boy.

Phil ad I were the entertainment yesterday at a wedding reception - it was a lovely day, on an island out on Lake Winnepesaukee. He did balloons, and I painted - I knew it was going to be a good gig when the father of the groom, who was ferrying us across to the island, told me he wanted me to paint him first! It was a day of firsts - for him, at 70, having his face painted for the first time, and for Phil and I, going to a gig on a boat!

Summer's end

Glady as the Moon Princess
Glady Facepainting for the very first time.
Pippa eating a donut the hard way - we went with Papa to the Wilmot Old Home Day and played games while he performed.
Johann and Juliet swordfight with Papa - Johann shouts "Ching! Ching!" as they clash blades.

A busy week!

Let's see - long and busy week, not too much to share because it's all been business or housecleaning! I have a picture of Glady to add - she made dessert for all one night. Fruit, chocolate fondue and koolaide cake - she was so proud. She loves to cook and gets very disappointed when she can't.

Phil, Johann, and I all went to one of Phil's shows in Manchester last night. Johann and I had a blast - He was dancing with the other kids before the show, and even Phil got in on the act.

Juliet's Seven now!

My apologies for the upside down pictures - I scanned these in and didn't take the time to check orientation! I'll try to fix and replace them later - In the mean time...

Juliet, weighing in at 8lbs even on the fish scale! In Labor on the porch - I did make it indoors to have her.
A Very new Juliet with her wonderful midwife, Sherry.
Seven Years later... Juliet on her birthday with sister!

It's hard to believe it's been that long since that warm August day when I went into labor with her. She was born around 6pm if I recall correctly - Phil and I had been walking around the block in Hillsboro to get the labor moving again after it stalled out, and I went into transition on the deck before I got back inside. The midwife brought the birthing stool outside - everyone thought Juliet would be born out there! Years later we met the people who had been our neighbors and they remembered seeing me -they told us they thought I had had the baby out there! We did eventually get me inside, though. Juliet came out pink and cranky shortly after. She started to nurse before we even had a chance to cut the umbilical, and she stayed latched on for a year! Well, I exaggerate a little, but only a little. She's my big girl. She had to be weighted with a fish scale, because the digital scale the midwife brought along broke. Somewhere I have a cute picture of a little bundle in a receiving blanket hanging from a scale.

Storyland!

The kids are ready for some Fried Dough! (and a little tired. This was taken about half-way through our time at the park)Cedar and Glady take a spin in the teacups. Glady loved it, but Johann, riding with sisters and Papa, was not happy. He was clinging to Phil saying, "No, Papa! No! Out!"
On the other hand, Johann loved the train. He did get to ride it - here he is just happily watching it go by.
Juliet got to drive! Glady's riding behind her. (pouting a little that she didn't get to drive)
And Pippa drove Grandpa! (If you are wondering - Phil, Johann ad I sat this ride out.)
Gee-Up, Burro! Muchos Nachos!
Mwaaa-Ha-Ha-Ha! I have them all in Jail, off to do something on my own!
Princess Pippa in her Pumpkin Coach.
Phil and Dad have a... contest... with the water cannons.
Three generations on the carousel. That's Pippa with the hair over her face - she was getting into riding her horsie!

The girls first visit to an amusement park - We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day - Dad went along - the last time I was there, I must have been almost 8. The only thing I remember from that trip is riding the teacups with Grandma! Glady and I rode in one, Phil and the rest of the kids in another, to make all new memories for the next generation!

Oh, and I took about a hundred pictures! I'm putting up a few, and there will be more in a week or so when I develop film. The long lens on my film camera was perfect for taking pictures of the girls on the roller coaster, for instance!

A New Car!

We got a PT Cruiser last week! It's used, of course, but low mileage for being an '03. It will be so nice to have a much more fuel-efficient vehicle. It won't hold the whole family, of course, but it is mostly going to be for the business, and running errands. The day after Phil brought it home Pippa was at Nana's so we were able to all jump in the car and take it out for a spin. We decided to get breakfast out and ended up at Heritage Farm. Phil works up there every year at the Scarecrow festival, but we'd never been to the Pancake House. We had a yummy meal, more food than we could shake a stick at, and finished off with the kids going into the petting farm and playground. A very full and satisfying morning.

Yes, He's man enough for it to be Pink!

I'm so excited! We got Ukeleles! Mine is a soprano and his is a tenor. It's pink because it was on clearance - and you know me, I'm cheap!

He's tuning it now and it sounds really good.

Playing Games

Phil and Glady and I stayed up late last night playing a game. The idea was to play earlier, but Juliet and Pippa lost their chance, so we played after they had gone to bed, and Johann. But it was fun to play with Glady, who 'got' the concept of Spy Alley very quickly and kept up with us nicely. The game itself is a cross between Clue and Monopoly, only a lot quicker and more fun. We had to try and guess each other's secret identities, while buying disguises and codebooks and what-not to win the game. Glady had a fit of the giggles about half way through, and was all but falling off her chair laughing. That was contagious, too! All in all it, was loads of fun, and reminded Phil ad I why we like to play games, especially as the kids are getting old enough to join in and enjoy.

a new Pal

Look what Dad brought home when he'd gone out to get some propane! He named her "Propane", go figure...

Johann calls her "kitty-kiy" to be different than Bear, whom he calls "kitty"

July Journeys

Johann catches a quick snooze between trips.
The girls wait for someone to let us in where we need to set up a show.
Mr. Phil and Co.! she even has her own weskit.

Let's see... we went to see Jean, our family's doctor, yesterday. All the kids were due for their annual check-ups and Pippa had her school physical. It was a crowded, happy morning, as most of our doctor visits are. We had all the appointments lumped together, so for two hours the girls played with the nurses, and Johan was doted on by all, since he's been seeing them since before he was born. All are healthy, Pippa got the shots she has been looking forward to. She's known since this spring she would have to have shots before school, so they were a milestone for her.

After we went home for lunch and naps, the whole family went with Phil to his Summer Reading Show in Sunapee. Glady is his official stagehand this summer. Pippa ad Julie were great - sat quietly through the show all by themselves, since Johan was noisy and I went out to the van, and missed all but the very beginning and the end.

Home today - but tomorrow Phil and I are off to have an adventure!

Happy Birthday, Johann!

He's two already! So hard to believe he's such a big boy already. He's having a good day, though. Playing quietly right now. We won't have a celebration today - Nana wants to have the kids up to see Uncle Austin and Aunt Bobbi today. And Phil and I are up to our elbows in projects once he comes home from the Hobo RR. So we'll celebrate on Wednesday.

Hard to believe Glady's that big, too... Phil picked her up to show her how much she's grown since she was a baby who just fit onto his forearm. Good thing I was there with the Camera!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

What an exciting Family Day! We have three planned this summer, and the first one we spent taking the trip down to Manchester to see the FisherCats play. The girls did much better than I had hoped, sitting quietly and at least trying to watch the game. Juliet and Pippa had their little foam baseballs they were given on the way in the stadium autographed by a New Britain RockCats player (they are a Minnesota Twins feeder team). We were sitting just three rows of the field and right behind the bullpen for the away team. Everyone got a souvenier and lots of food, which I think meant more to them than the game itself :)

Phil was very tickled to be able to do this, he has fond childhood memories of going to ballgames with his Dad when he was a boy. The park was pretty, clean, and very friendly staff. Dad came down and joined us, too. He wasn't able to be there for the beginning of the game, but we stayed to the end of the first game together and then started for home about 8:30. It was a doubleheader, and even thought the girls really wanted to see the fireworks, it would have been at least midnight - no way we were going to stay that late!

This morning the girls were playing baseball in the driveway with their foam balls ad a stick, so I guess the game must have left some impression, anyway!

I must rush off - still working on the costume for Hobo Phil. I'm off to dissect a swallowtail tux jacket!

Phil lost a Pippa!

We've been measuring how much weight Phil's losing against the weight of the children. His first goal was to lose a Johann, and he got there about a month ago, and this morning he called after his weigh-in to tell me he'd lost 16 pounds! He's lost a Pippa and almost a Juliet! Yay! His goal is to lose me, but I'm not telling how much weight that is :)

Well, back to the little details for today's show - tomorrow I'll catch my breath and get the house in order, but I just had to brag on my (skinnier) guy.

Rushing into summer

The last few days before a Summer Reading Show launch are always busy. It doesn't help that I've got a sinus infection. The first one in 3 months, which is good, but still!

The kids are great - playing outside most of the time, as it has been lovely weather except for the nasty thunderstorm a couple of days ago. They have been picking lots and lots of strawberries, both wild and domestic. Dad put in a good patch of everbearing this year. Johann has been running about and learning lots of words. His latest is "book!" At the moment I have cookies in the oven for their snack.

Boot boy

He loves his sister's boots - he has boots, too, but he likes the big ones. And, of course, with potty training comes a certain lack of being dressed....! But he's so gosh-darned cute.

Spring Haiku by Glady

Birds making chicks warm.


Here is Dad, he has food. Yum!


Cozy little chicks.

(Mr Phil's note: That's a chick not an egg)