Lex is doing his IQP at Acadia National Park. He’s spending the summer living in a dorm at College of the Atlantic and doing a research project (with his group, not on his own) about the effectiveness of using QR codes for participant surveys.
Rosy, Eve, and I went up to visit him over the 4th of July weekend. We rented a cute little house on the “quiet side” of the island (Mt. Desert Island). We visited the National Park, drove up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, visited Thunder Hole twice, walked over the Bar Island, took a ghost tour of Bar Harbor, and watched fireworks over the water in South Harbor.
Cuties on the lawnDinner at the marinaLove the sun on the boatsWe stopped for some sunset picturesGolden hourRocks :)LighthouseEve, shutting downOne of Lex’s QR codesThunder HoleView from Cadillac MountainOn top of the mountain!FireworksThis whole thing is underwater for most of the day!Burning in the sun on the sandbarLooking back at Bar Harbor, from Bar Island
It was so beautiful and we took so many photos! I was going to share a link here to the photo album, but Rosy set it up and link sharing is disabled, so you’ll just have to imagine the beauty. :) Or Google it. We’re not the first people to take pictures of this beautiful place.
Eve and I had a fun drive home too. We stopped at a plant store and an antique mall kind of place and a diner for lunch. I was feeling like Grandma on the drive home. LOL. Stopping for all the whimsey we could.
For some reason I haven’t researched we have been getting some amazing rainbows this year! They frequently span the house across the street , which means great views for us!
Double? Triple?Even more? The other side of the sky
A few weeks ago I joined my college besties for our annual summer trip. They’ve been doing it for so many years that I always want to say “their” trip, but they kept reminding me that I’m in it now and it’s “our” trip. :)
This year we went to Atlanta, GA for a Braves game and other adventures.
The clouds were so tall!Look at those three towers. It was like cloud cairns.We were on the 14th floor and the view was great!
Thursday afternoon we all got to Georgia. In the cab ride to our hotel there was a huge storm. Thunder, lightening, pouring rain. It was powerful! We were all happy that it waited until after we all landed.
On Friday we visited the Coca-Cola Museum and went to the Braves game.
The Coca-Cola Museum is ridiculous. It starts with a 10 minute presentation while standing in a room full of old Coke memorabilia. The presenter was really funny and, honestly, that was the best part of the whole thing. We could have done that and left and been happy. Actually, then we would have missed the polar bear mascot and that had us dying laughing!
This is just a fun statue outside the children’s museum.A whole lotta memorabilia in one room.The real “secret formula” that made Coca-Cola so successful!OMG, this bear is HYSTERICAL!!All the money they have….and this is the best they can do. LOL
There was a super long line to get your picture taken with the iconic polar bear. The line went around the corner and out the door. We skipped the line and kept exploring the room. Imagine our surprise when we turned a corner and found the beginning of the line — with this bear!! LOL. Imagine waiting in a line like that and this is the bear you get. He shuffled out and leaned against the wall like a tired, old dude. Hysterical! We laughed so hard and just looking at these photos is cracking me up again.
That night we went to the Braves game. It was supposed to start at 7pm. They did the opening announcements, played the national anthem, then the skies opened up!!! Guys on the field were scurrying to cover the infield, people in the rows in front of us were scurrying to get out of the rain, and we just sat and enjoyed the whole thing because our seats were under the cover of the section above us! We watched an awesome storm roll through. The sky was SOOOO dark, except when it was lit up with lightening bolts. The field had a lake on it from all the rain. We thought for sure they would cancel the game. But they didn’t!
Before the gameThey had the Home Depot tools in attendance. So ridiculous.Bring on the tarps!!Soooo dark!It was after midnight before the game ended. Pushing 1am, if I recall.
They started playing a little after 9:30 and ended after midnight. It was a terrible game (Braves lost 14-0) but we had a great time!
The next day we explored Olympic Park and escaped from Mars!
The Quilt of Nations at Olympic ParkWe escaped the escape room — with time to spare!The coolest hotel lobby I’ve ever seen!Shriners bands
On the way home from the escape room we stopped for dinner. While we were eating, the skies opened up again! We could hear it beating down on the roof. It was weird to hang out in the restaurant for too long, since we were done eating and they had no bar, so when there was a slight break in the storm we made a run for the nearest bar (don’t judge) which happened to be in an amazingly huge and beautiful hotel lobby! I took so many photos and videos. On top of the beauty, there was also a Shriners conference going on in the lower level with some sort of jazz band play-off. It was awesome! I wanted to watch the whole thing, but my friends wanted to go to the lobby bar a floor above. After a few minutes, we all got what we wanted! We enjoyed delicious (expensive!) beverages and the three competing bands came together and performed in the main lobby area for like twenty minutes. It was awesome!!
The next day we all flew home. Just as I was boarding, the skies opened up again!! Fortunately we got off the ground before the thunder and lightening started! I didn’t want to be delayed in Atlanta when I had this cutie waiting on the other end. :)
I’m hanging out in Long Island for college stuff, but apparently I haven’t posted high school graduation stuff yet. Life is busy!
Last month sweet baby Eve graduated high school. Not sure how she went from a cuddly baldy to a high school graduate, but here we are. She graduated with honors, excellent grades, a solid friend group, and a plan for the future.
We had a beautiful evening for graduation. We hosted a party afterwards, that was a lot of fun, if you ignore the fact that it was very dark! I thought of everything except the fact that the sun would go down! LOL. We had fun anyway!
The next day we celebrated Mema’s birthday at the lake. :)
Happy Birthday to Mema! Happy Graduation to E! Happy summer to all! :)
The weeks leading up to graduation have been tumultuous for Miss E. She’s got all the feeling swirling inside (and sometimes outside), like many other seniors at this time of year. Her senior trip was rocky, senior “skip day” was chaotic, and the boys are home getting in her space. She’s excited to be done with high school, scared to move on, worried her friends don’t like her, worries she’s going to miss all her friends, etc. Anyone who’s ever graduated from high school has probably had these feelings. We also have several busy weekends coming up, so last weekend E and I took a little road trip.
Road Trip
We started with a quick No Kings protest, which was packed!! After doing our part as good citizens, we spent the rest of the day in the hinterlands of Vermont, enjoying the sunshine and lush scenery.
Visiting the Haskell Free Library in Derby, VT has been on our bucket list for a few years now. The Haskell library sits on the US/Canada border and has been in the news a lot lately. It’s a beautiful library and we were excited to visit. Apparently author Louse Penny lives nearby and her next book takes place, in part, in the Haskell library! Unfortunately we got there exactly at 4pm which is when they closed. :( We enjoyed the exterior anyway. It is beautiful and interesting to be so close to the border. We waved at a group of Canadians across the bolder line. :)
The borderThe board on the roadImagine having to show your library card to cross a national border.Channeling her inner lizard and basking in the sun
Then we had some sweet Sunday driving through the rolling hills, stopping only to charge up the car and our bellies, and headed to the Cold Hollow Sculpture Park, an outdoor sculpture park…. which closed hours before we actually got there. We got a great picture of the entrance sign though. :)
We thought about maybe sneaking in and checking out the sculptures anyway, but turns out its actually on a hill behind someone’s house, so we decided to be good and move on. We stopped for dinner and more charging, then drove home under a pink sunset.
We had a great day, she felt much better (nothing fills her bucket like car time with mom), and we fully intend to return another day… maybe a little earlier in the day. :)
Award Night
The following day we attended Senior Awards Night where we clapped for over two hours for kids we know and love and kids we’ve never even heard of before. It was a long ceremony, but E got a few awards (for science and good grades) and some grant money, and I got to chat with some old friends, so we considered it a good night all around.
My tiny baby boy entered a new decade last week! Years ago my grandpa made a comment about how we take so many more pictures of babies than of older people. That came back to me just now as I realized I only took two pictures of Lex on his 20th birthday, but probably a hundred on the actual day of his birth!
The pile was small, but high quality..The photos weren’t even good photos. Poor kid. I’ll have to do better on the 21st!
The weekend before, E and her friends went to Senior Prom. They took photos at the Powerhouse, had dinner at Panera, survived torrential rain to get there, then danced their hearts out at the Marriott.
We also attended the FRC wrap party on a recent weekend. E and her teammates designed trophies for the coaches and we 3D printed them. We had fun at the party and everyone enjoyed the awards.
G and E presenting the awards.The gold is their robot design. :)
I’m currently home alone, getting a tiny taste of the upcoming year. Lex and E drove to Worcester together to meet with Lex’s roommates and landlord for next year. They planned the trip, including extra time for whimsey, and seem to be having a great trip. They’ll be home soon. E sent me some photos while Lex and his roomies made plans. I can’t wait for the full update when they get home!
The living roomHis bedroom. Now to figure how to furnish it!
R spent the day sleeping, waking up at 4pm when I woke him!, then headed out to spend the evening with friends. I’ve been alone with the cat and dog for company.
We are skewing towards calm around here, but the chaos still rears up… usually around midnight! And I love it. <3
I want to write something deep and profound about motherhood, but the words never come to me when I want them to, so instead I’ll just say, it was a good day. I woke up to a clean kitchen and a cute card on the table.
We went out to brunch (organized and paid for by the kids and Alan), then the boys went home and cleaned my car while E and I got mani/pedis.
We watched a movie (that I napped through) then the L&A got pizza and we watched silly TV for awhile. It was a very wonderful day.
Each phase of life is unique and this one is no different. I now have three kids who are all legal adults with licenses and jobs. They make plans, they pay for things, and they still love me and show up for brunch. <3
Pretending to be short again so I can feel tall. LOL.
The one important thing I failed to do is call my own mother. So sorry, momma! I love you forever and am only the mom I am because of the mom you are! You modeled the way for me. Modeled kindness and acceptance and grace. Modeled handling the calm and the chaos. Modeled it all and for that I will be forever grateful.
We had an exciting weekend in Long Island recently. Eve and I drove down late Thursday night, met up with Rosy, then spent Friday at Hofstra University for an Admitted Students Day. We talked to a bunch of people at the resource fair, met Kate (one of the mascots), had lunch in the dining hall, and got a personal tour of the dorms. The dorms are awesome! We’ve visited a lot of dorms over the past few years and these are by far the best!
We had a fun moment while we waited for our dorm tour guide to arrive. We were standing at the welcome table with several “Pride Guides” (student tour guides) around. One of them asked Eve if we’ve been there before because she recognized King Gerald! She was excited to hear that it was the same shark! She told us she actually has the King Gerald pin on her bulletin board! She brought a bunch of her friends and they all oohed and aahed over sharks, Gerald, and E’s artwork.
After we got done on campus we drove down to Jones Beach to dip our toes in the Atlantic. It was super windy and cold though, so it was a very brief visit, but fun nonetheless.
Then we did a little shopping and headed back to the hotel. Rosy and Eve were going to go swimming in the hotel pool, but everyone was tired so we rested for a bit first. Eve was restless and grumpy a bit, until she finally said “Would it be wild and crazy of me to just make a decision now?” I laughed and reminded her that deposits are due in two weeks so she’s going to have to make a decision soon! She said “I’m just going to go to Hofstra.” We snuggled up in her bed and used her phone to accept the offer and put down our deposit. Afterwards she was full of energy and happily went swimming with Rosy.
She’s going to Hofstra!!!
The next day we took the LIRR into the city to visit the NYC Aquarium. It took us three trains and lots of time to get there because it’s on Coney Island, and the weather was wet and drizzly the whole time, but it was well worth the trip! We saw a sea lion performance, otters, fish, and sharks! Eve was thrilled!
She looks ready for college, right? :)Coney Island Boardwalk
When then went back to Times Square and braved the elements to get some dinner and make it to our show. Rosy wanted a diner and we ended up at the Westway Diner, which apparently is where Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld first came up with the idea for Seinfeld. Who knew?! It was pretty tasty diner food. :)
We rounded out our adventure with tickets to Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern, an interactive Dungeons & Dragons production at Studio 42. It was a ton of fun and absolutely hysterical. You use your phone for the interactivity part and they said photography is welcome, so we took some pictures! On the LIRR on the way back to the hotel, E posted a picture from the show and tagged the guy. Much to her surprise, he reposted it on his account! They ended up having a friendly back and forth for a little while. She loved it.
Sunday we said goodbye to Rosy over waffles then headed home. Eve wanted to take the ferry so we did a little exploration in Port Jeff while we waited for the ferry. Eve and I are very slow travelers, in a most whimsical way, so we got home late on Sunday, but it was a great weekend. Alan babysat Huxley for us and provided excellent pick-up and delivery service.
Gerald loves the sea!We let Gerald “drive” while we were on the ferry.
Now that Eve has made this big decision, we move on to the next thing….
I’m a little behind on the postings, but I can’t miss this big one! The last of my babies turned 18. We’re all grown-ups around here now! Kinda. LOL.
We celebrated with robotics, painting, muppets, and sushi. I took the birthday squad out for pottery painting and dinner. I thought we could go to a restaurant, but after much discussion they decided to get sushi take out and watch the Muppet Movie at home. They were all wound up after painting, so I drove to the local park and kicked them out to run around for a bit while we waited for our sushi order to be ready. They maybe be growing up, but they are still the goofy kids I know and love. <3
I felt like this year I got a bonus year of FIRST Robotics! Lex joined in 9th grade, R joined a year later, and E joined this year! She was a little up and down all season, but she stuck with it, had some new experiences, discovered some new skills, and formed some new friendships.
The team went to three events, as usual, but two of them were new events, one in Maine and the other in Vermont. Vermont’s first FRC event! Grasshoppers had to represent!
Cutie little grasshopperSmart little grasshopper!Alan and I went up to visit.Preparing for alliance selection.Team 95 invites…Captain E
The UVM event had a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream robot! Alan and I went up to spend the day with E on the last day. Our ice cream robot picture was photo bombed by the guy who took Eve’s senior pictures. He takes a lot of sports photography for the school and other events. He was there photographing a sporting event at UVM and stopped by to get a few pics of robotics too. :)
It was really cool to see how important she is on this team. The coaches were frequently asking for her input and advice on alliance selection and other teams. She helped with organization and was the brave one who led the alliance selection team at each event.
Big smiles! Lex was happy to be back for an event.R2D2 is a pin collector too.The alliance select team, heading to the field. I love this picture!
For the district championship Alan, Lex, and I all went down to spend the final day with Eve. Districts is a bigger, longer event and Eve rocked it the whole time. She made it her goal to collect swag from every single team (she made a spreadsheet!) and wore the swag the whole time. There was a Star Wars group there (not sure if they were a team or something else), so there were R2s and Storm Troopers and other Star Wars characters wandering around the event.
Despite the fact that she complained about practices, dreaded going to events, and fussed a lot, she ended each event on a total high and made lots of friends. The coaches and freshman boys love her. She spent the whole drive home from the final event sad that the season was over and thinking of ways she (we) could continue to be involved in the future. :)
One way may be to continue making buttons for the team and maintaining the teams website. I’ve been doing it for the past few years and Eve took over this year. In the past the team had a tradition of giving away Keebler Grasshopper cookies to the other teams, judged, volunteers, etc after each event. Sadly Keebler stopped making those cookies (or changed something, I forget) and one coach decided to make cookies instead. She asked for volunteers to help, so of course I volunteered!
The season is now over. They had their “unpack the truck” meeting tonight. There will be a few other “off-season” and recruiting events over the summer. Eve is excited for all of them. I’m excited that she found something she enjoys, people who respect here, and, I got an extra year of robotics fun! Yay!
