Friendly Farm, Dublin, NH

Last week Pat and I took the girls to the Friendly Farm...a Maynard family favorite! The girls loved it, especially Anna who was absolutely FEARLESS with the animals.

BOOM!

This year I planned my east coast trip right...we were actually in New Hampshire for the Jaffrey Fireworks. This is honestly one of my favorite things to do EVER. If you haven't been, plan on it (happens every August). It's worth any trouble you have to go to to see the show (that's a lot of to's, but they make sense). It's SPECTACULAR. I need to go to bed (yeah, it's after 2 am!)...but this picture is just too freakin' awesome. My mom doesn't like me to use the word freakin', but I'm sorry Mom, it just needs to be used.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Cate went with us...while she got a little sleepy halfway through the 45 minute show, she loved the fireworks. When they started she was absolutely transfixed. She would see a firework she liked and say to me, "That one was magic." Magic indeed.

(more pictures of the fireworks on my food blog)

Kids at the Cape 2009

I should be working...so just a few quick shots of the kiddos at the Cape.

Abby and Cate spent a lot of time crabbing this year. Nate took them out for their first crabbing experience. It was adorable. And fun to watch childhood memories being created.


Can't decide which of these pictures of Abby is my favorite. Ahhh, those freckles. Cate was pointing out to Mimi/Pat that she has little freckles on her face, after which she said, "I wish my freckles were bigger." She really admires her cousin Abby!

Colby, post-stitches. Pat said that curl right there is Colby's "sticky spot." Gotta love this kid. No matter how tired he makes you. What a cutie. Ah, those eyes.
Don't think I have to say much about this picture...
...or this one.
This is what happens when the adults disappear. Peace, harmony and sharing. So sweet.

The Little Mermaids

I bought these swimming suits so the girls could match on our Cape Cod trip...but it never happened. In fact, we've had two weeks of swimming and yesterday was the first time they wore these swimming suits at the same time! So, of course I had to get a few pictures.

Check out those cute little tooshies.

This is Cate plugging her nose because she could smell horse poop. We've been smelling a lot of that lately seeing as how my parents are living on a horse farm. I have probably 4 pictures of her with her nose plugged before I realized what she was doing. So funny.

Cora has been hanging out with us a lot this week. We went swimming with her a few times and Cate's favorite game to play with her was mermaids. Cora made up this "la-la-la-la-la" song (the Mermaid Song) that she and cate would sing over. Anna picked up on it too, so everyone was singing it. It got to where if Cora even just said one or two "las" both girls would launch into the Mermaid Song. Cora doesn't even remember the song anymore, which is funny since it's BURNED into the girls' heads.

A few pics

I still haven't even posted our pictures from Cape Cod LAST summer, so do you really expect me to be caught up this summer? But since Nate is lonely out in California while we party here on the east coast, I'm going to try REALLY hard to get some pictures up over the next week. Right now everyone else is working hard cleaning the house while I sit here and type...Cora is preparing for her own baby shower. That makes me a bad sister-in-law, so I am just going to throw three pictures up here quickly before I get in trouble!

We went to New York City on Thursday to meet up with Hannah and Norman (whom I've been calling Norma and Hannan all week...it just comes out! I can't help it, it's WEIRD). Cora and I took the girls in on a train then took two subways before we found Han and Norm in the East Village...then we walked around, then back on the subway and train. We were sweaty, hot, exhausted. Felt like we ran a marathon. And we both decided we are NEVER living in NYC with kids. But it was FUN! Cate was a TROOPER. She walked FAR and FAST the whole day. Tia Hannah decided to help her out...so cute.

I took this picture of Cate at lunch in NYC. It's just such a classic Cate face. Love it.

Now that Anna's hair is getting longer and curlier, she is becoming a bedhead master. I think this morning was the best one yet. The bedhead defied gravity.

Postscript: I just showed Cate this post. When she saw the piggy back picture she started to say, "Who is carrying that girl?" Then she remembered what it is, after which she said, "It's Hannah. (pause) I love Hannah. (pause) Oooo, my hair looks pretty there!" So cute.

Aunt Cora's Summer Prep Course

My brother's wife Cora just sent us this email after spending the last two weeks with us. She is 37 weeks pregnant and, despite her great-with-childness, has been a very fun and energetic aunt for the girls! It's been really fun. Anyway, she just sent this email out, and I love it so much. And it's full of memories from this summer that I just don't want to forget, so I'm putting it up here on the blog for posterity.

*********
This summer, due to some employment "changes", I've had a chance to hang out a fair amount with one of my nephews and both of my nieces. It has been such a great blessing for so many reasons. Namely, it's been a great mini prep course for the arrival of our soon to be expected son. I thought I would quickly share just a couple of my insights (which I realize all of you already know).

1. IF YOU'RE CLUMSY, SMALL PEOPLE AROUND YOU WILL SUFFER.

2. IF YOU EVER NEED AN EGO CHECK, HANG OUT WITH A FOUR YEAR OLD.
-Cate to Cora, "Why are your teeth yellow?"
-After spending about a week and a half hanging out with my nieces, I straightened my hair and put on some make-up for our big trip into New York City. After walking out of the bathroom, Cate wonders "Cora, how come your voice sounds like you, but your face doesn't look like you?"

3. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW PREGNANT YOU ARE, THE LITTLE ONES STILL THINK YOU SHOULD SHARE YOUR ICE CREAM.

4. ADORABLE ONE YEAR OLDS CAN MAKE A ROOM OF 20+ "MATURE" ADULTS DANCE AROUND LIKE "A GIANT OAK TREE".

5. EVERYONE APPRECIATES A LITTLE BEYONCE.

6. "NO" CAN MEAN ANYTHING DEPENDING ON THE INFLECTION.

7. THERE IS A MEDICAL PHENOMENON, IN WHICH ONE'S BONES PUDDLE ONTO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE BODY TO INSTANTLY COLLAPSE, THAT ALL CHILDREN SUFFER FROM UPON CERTAIN REFUSALS OR REPRIMANDS.

May all your prayers be with me....

-cora

Our Grown Up Girl

Anna started going to nursery at church today! I can't believe she's going to be 18 months old on Tuesday!! Here's our growing girl.
I took a few pictures of her this morning to mark the big day, and she was quite the little picture poser. Held still, smiled, looked straight that the camera. It was really cute.

Captain Anna

Sad. I'm averaging two posts her month. That makes me mad. THIS is the blog I should be updating, this is the one I really care about. I'm going to really really try to make it a priority.

We have so many fun pictures to share. Last weekend we got to stay on a houseboat in Napa...it was a blast. More on that later. Here is the boat.


And here is Anna driving the boat...in fact, it looks like she drove us right into the shore. Woops. Okay, we promise Anna didn't do any driving, just pretend driving when we parked for the night. :)
It was pretty funny watching an unsteady toddler walking around on a rocking boat. It was pretty cute.

Nate and Cate are on a daddy daughter camp out tonight...Cate sounded very happy and excited on the phone when I called to say goodnight. It's her first camping experience, I'm glad it's going well! I told Nate to take lots of pictures, so hopefully they remember to!

Well, I need to go to bed. Here's to me actually staying on top of the family blog. Everyone cross your fingers. I think maybe I just need to do short little posts here and there, instead of overwhelming myself with big huge-mongous posts. We'll see...

In case you were looking, Jesus is in New Hampshire

Conversation with Cate at lunch today:

Cate: Do you know where Jesus lives?

Mom: Heaven?

Cate: No, Heaven is when you're dead. Jesus lives in the different New Hampshire.

I thought she was always on Mom's side...

the scene: jane, cate and anna have just picked nate up at work. nate and jane are discussing where they should go for dinner. jane does not want Indian food b/c she'll be making it the next night. nate wants Indian food anyway. jane is whining b/c she wants to keep things simple, just go to one place, spend less money, wondering why nate is so picky. enter cute little voice from the back seat...

cate: just get Indian food, Dad. don't worry about her.