Wellesley Island State Park

Holly and Christine invited me to join them on a nature jaunt up to Wellesley Island State Park. What a great place. The shot to the left is of a section of the St. Lawrence called the Narrows.
We had some good girl talk and did not run into another human being until we returned to the Nature Center. We did see a couple herons, lots of chirping frogs, a beaver lodge, but no beavers and a snake. After we went and did a little shopping and had some lunch. What a fun day.
Highly recommend a visit to Wellesley Island State Park if you are ever in Northern NY.

Trip to the cottage-best pics

We have returned from our second trip to the lake. This time was much more laid back and we had some good family time. Time by the lake, a trip to Old MacDonald's farm, a hike with Holly and Christine, a visit with Grandma Roe and a trip to Claire's. Ella did not want to leave and Molly finally made peace with Banner as we are getting ready to hop in the car. By the way, Banner's new name is Bah-haahhaa (said with a wimper). Can't believe that we will not be going back again for many cold, dark months...

Meme is a good sport
Look at this family...that is one happy bunch
The cutest!
Moo Cow is a moo cow!

I am a Violet What Flower Are You?

Today was a beautiful day. The girls and I went to the Park to meet up with the M-Cs. We enjoyed our visit with them and looking at all the amazing flowers. Molly did not pick one flower. She just looked and patted. I love that place. Sadly I think that was the first time this summer we have visited that awesome spot. Ella says she wishes we could live there. Sometimes I wish we could too. I used to go once a week it seemed.

Molly got doubly banged up with scrapes on her knee and chin. All night she has pointed at her knee and said "Oweee".
Overall, a good day.

Check out this cool news flash

Maine is so cool...we have a mystery beast

Some of my favorite things

• Steve's hugs
• hearing Molly say "love you momma"
• Cuddles with Ella
• blueberry banana pancakes and bacon
• the smell of the cottage and the lake
• our house
• a song that I can listen to at least three times in a row and sing loudly
  
• mint chocolate chip ice cream
• watching my kids sleep
• taking walks with Meepers
• A really good gin and tonic on a hot day with Dad and Steve
• Watching the Gilmore Girls-with Ally but that is no longer so that makes me sad
• Drop ins and knowing that you have a friend you can drop in on. IF only Moultonborough was a little closer
• Sleeping in
• Pedicures
• Back rubs from Steve-I don't get them from anyone else
• listening to my girls giggle together-that is new
• Sunsets on the lake
• getting an email from a friend
• getting mail that is not bills-that is not often
  
• sending someone mail-don't do that often but I love when I do it

Hmmm fun to think about...

LADYBUGS

Ella and I had some fun with this recent project. It was supposed to be lady bugs but as usual Ella kicked it up a notch. You can see the traditional ladybug in the pack. But other than that it is a pretty ecletic bunch. Contact paper, cellophane, glitter, sequins and glitter glue make for a good time.

Finally

I finally have some plants I can be proud to say I grew. Not much to some but I am so happy to look out my window and see the simple beauty of these black eyed susans.











Check it out my lavender even has flowers. This was a teeny tiny plant and now it is flourishing. Yippie!

I miss River Phoenix. I watched Dogfight tonight. He could have done so much more.

Connection

So I have come to the realization that cleaning and exercise are the same for me in my brain. I love when I do it, but I can not get in the habit of doing it regularly. Now, let me just say folks that I am on a strong excercise swing. Three weeks of regular walks/jogs, I have even started to throw in some sit-ups. Got to start seeing my toes again. So is there hope for the house?
Today I spent a beautiful day doing laundry, PUTTING AWAY clean clothes, putting clean sheets on beds, vacuuming and even washing out the diaper pail. But the beauty being that the girls and I still spent time outside coloring, going for a dual-y walk for me, going for a walk for them and playing a game Ella made up. Plus all the time they played together with the stuff in my trunk in my room, on the bed, in the pack-n-play, dancing. SO what is my point...
All the time my excuse for not cleaning is not wanting to miss out on good things with the girls but today was a good day and I cleaned. Both girls fell asleep quickly always a sign of a good day. What will my excuse be now? Guess I have no excuses. Oh hell who am I kidding?
But it sure was a good day!

Milky Spore Disease

We are having a problem with Japanese Beatles. And it is not crummy translations of such hits as Eight days a week...Couldn't resist.
So anyway I was investigating what to do organically to stop these pests from eating every plant on our property. And the answer I have come up with and am totally intriqued by is MILKY SPORE DISEASE. I have heard this term tossed around before by garden and lawn people, but never really knew what exactly it is, but now I know. So basically you inject this disease into your lawn and the grubs (larvae of the Japanese Beatle) ingest the spores. In 7-21 days the disease causes the grubs to start to decay and thus releasing thousands of new spores into the ground for other grubs to eat and continue the cycle. Supposedly after a treatment three times a year for two years your lawn will be grub free for 15-20 years. The most effective method is to get a community to commit to Milky Spore disease. But even after a while the spores will start moving into other lawns as well. I don't how well that would go out here in the woods...but... Interestingly enough, at the Parks and Rec meeting the other night we were saying that we need to stop using pesticides on our playing fields and one member recommended Milky Spore Disease.
Check out milkysporedisease.com.
Very interesting stuff.

The not so itsy bitsy spider

After the kids ate a dessert of brownie, ice cream and whipped cream, we took a walk across the road to the farmhouse and pond. Ella and I ran up the driveway so we got to this grape arbor first. We were checking out the grapes when we spotted this spider and it's web which looked just like the picture to the left. After Steve and Molly caught up with us we were all checking it out and then proceeded to find at least 10 more of them in this raspberry/blackberry patch by the grape arbor. All of their webs looked like this with different designs. I got home and googled it. Two names, the Black and Yellow Garden Spider and I also saw the name Writer Spider because of the designs they do on their webs. Supposedly they look scary and have claws on their two front legs, but they are extremely beneficial to gardens because they eat all sorts of pests. Steve wants to go capture a couple and bring them to our yard. I am sure I could not capture it. They were really cool though.

Ella's Pics

Ella took pictures during our dinner out the other night. A beautiful night on the decks followed by a walk, playground and ice cream. Perfect Night.
Doesn't that picture of the beer make you thirsty?

Blackberries

Picked these from our neighbors yard. Ella says "We hit the motherload!"

My Molly

Tonight I have had a couple examples of what a creative, funny, little soul my youngest daughter is and I am thrilled and a little scared (haha). Dinner degraded into a pea popping fest when she discovered that peas do that when you squeeze them. After I lay her down to sleep, I came back into check on her an hour later and I didn't see her in her crib. After a hundred things flashed through my brain from she fell out to how the heck did someone break in and steal her..so scary, I walked closer and saw her sitting up in the corner of her crib fast asleep. She had put her blanket back over her and was surrounded by her stuffed animals. I took many pictures and giggled at the sight.

She is a wonderful goof ball.