Summer 2012 - At the Lake

I'm starting to catch up on things that happened during the summer. At the beginning of July the family and I packed up our stuff and boarded a plane for the Michigan. It was there we began our 5-week journey away from home, visiting the Camajs, and eventually the Forrelli clan in Boston. There is nothing like summer on the east cost (in my opinion). The smells, the light, the sounds.....nothing can compare. We spent the late afternoons sitting on Nan's deck around her table feeding the baby and watching the kids play. I have to admit it was bloody HOT when we first arrived, with temperatures reaching near 100 degrees. But when the sun started retreating a bit around 4pm we were able to let the kids loose in the yard and relish the experience.

One of the evenings we were invited to spend some time at the family lake house that belonged to family friends of ours, the Knapps. Lake living is something I've always been intrigued by, maybe because I was fortunate enough to get a taste back in high school when my friends, Julie and Jodie, would invite me to spend some time with their family on Lake Winipesakee. Anyway, I've always held a special place in my heart for lake living and hope to one day have a small house of our own to share with the boys. The boats, the waters, the activity.....it all feels so familiar and adventurous at the same time. 

Here's a small glimpse into our evening there:

Contax 645; FujiPro 400H; Indie Film Lab

Preschool 2012

Both my older boys are officially in preschool! George started as a "Bear" a little over a week ago and it has been pretty touch-and-go with the drop-off situation. The first two days I took him he cried every time I tried to leave. On the third day Fran took him to school and he had no issue whatsoever. Today we were on day five and when I went to pick him up I found George crying with his teacher about how he "missed his mama." Sweet boy. He was so excited to finally start to go to school as a Bear with James but it's obvious his little mind didn't grasp what that meant exactly. Every time I show up for him he eagerly grabs his lunchbox declaring "it's time to go home!" Then he walks over to James and tells him he has two minutes before we leave. So funny, that George. Send him positive vibes over the next couple of weeks with this transition period please!

Below are some polaroids I took of the boys on the first day back of the 2012-2013 school year. Pardon the scans as I didn't remove the negative from the print in a timely manner and got a lot of spots of the prints. Plus, I don't have the time or energy to dedicate to cleaning them up right now. Now that the boys are in school a few days a week I plan on doing a lot of catching up!

Thirteen Months

Currently this sweet child is covered in bumps and bruises on his face from learning to do something. Can you guess what it might be?

Yep, if you guessed "walking" you score. Seriously, I don't remember my other boys being so beat up looking, even though you cannot tell in these photos. He's doing a great job and is quite proud of himself. He'll be roaming this world assistance-free in no time at all. 

Contax 645 (first two) and Canon 1V; TriX400; Fromex, MDR

George Turns 3

George turned three-years-old this past week and had been talking about "his birthday party" six-months beforehand. I, on the other hand, had been dreading the potential planning of a party. In fact, it wasn't until about a week or so beforehand that I finally sent a few emails out inviting some families George was familiar with. It was supposed to be super-small, mostly because I am a stressed-out and terrible party-planner. But, it started growing, and I don't really know how. For the sake of my George and his birthday party dreams, I went ahead and followed through. (If you weren't invited, please don't take it personally....I really only invited a few people).
On to the party: I'll let you take a guess at what theme he had. After trying desperately to talk him into dinosaur them (trip to the Museum of Natural History, lots of tyrannosaurus rex talk), he insisted on Batman, though swayed back and forth between the Masked Crusader and Spiderman. And, if you have ever wondered what my dear husband Fran might look like dressed up as Batman, the photos below will make it painfully obvious. ADD ON: The first thing George said when he said Batman appear: "Papa, can I wear that costume?" Can't fool that kid!
George had a great time. His favorite part? The cake.

 Contax 645; TriX 400; Fromex, MDR

Little Water Rascal

Yesterday I took my boy James swimming at a friend's house. Since he doesn't know yet how to swim, he spent the entire time with a lifejacket on while his friend Jackson swam free. Near the end of our visit he claimed he was finally hungry, so I took off the jacket and he lingered beside me. As I turned to pull the items out of his lunchbox, he ran to the far end of the pool and jumped in. Solo. No lifejacket. No nuthin'. His little face popped up from the water and he began paddling hard toward the side. I was shocked, frightened, and happy for him all rolled into one. He definitely needed some help near the end, and I was so thankful I was there to lend him a hand. He spent the next 10 minutes jumping in and moving his arms and legs as fast as he possibly could as he practiced his new-found skill. He was so very proud of himself.
If there is one thing this kid has got, it's an immense amount of determination. And believe me, I will be on high alert every time there is a body of water around until my fish perfects his paddling.

Contax 645; FIND Lab

Tree

A favorite spot during our stay on Martha's Vineyard.

Mamiya 7ii; TriX400; FIND Lab