a little summer fun

A little picnic in the park...

A little being left in the dust...

A little spinning...

A little more...

A little beach time with the Manharts...

A little snail catching...

A little sprinkler action...

A little dribbling practice...

And a little good 'ol fashion inner child fun...

And, finally, gratefully, a whole lotta sunshine!!

mimic

I blame Ella for this...

ahh...vacation

It is hard to fully describe the magic that is Schoodic Lake, and specifically the little corner of heaven that belongs to Sandi's family and that we took over in full fashion for the week of our vacation.

We'll try to capture it in images, rather than words that will fall ridiculously short of description...

Sister Mary Mackenna, as Patti calls her...

Just a touch of rain... actually magnificent across the lake, especially since it was sunny and warm for hours of each day we were there.

This picture just has one word that speaks when I look at it: honest

Mochy even had to go for a swim...yes, she is wearing a life-jacket. Yes, she is a wuss.

And this was one of Maya's last days with her pacifier. It is officially only for sleep now and she will no longer be sporting it 18 hours a day.

Ella loved to give rides and pull us around on this tube. Here is the am picture with Sandi drinking a cup of tea...

And this is the pm picture. Note the beverage change...

We planned to stay for four days and stayed for seven. We just couldn't seem to leave. Can you understand why?

Tell me why...

Why is it that Maya decided to get up at 3:57 a.m. for the day today?



Why is it that Ella had to model her clothing obsession for Maya who now goes into her dresser and pulls out shirts, pants and sweatshirts and brings them out to the living room and cries because she can't pull them on over her already existing clothes? She literally pulls at the loops of her jeans until her hands shake and her face gets red as she tries to haul them up over her fleece pants...



Why it is that we paid $400 to have our wheel barrings replaced only to have the car still making the noise that prompted the trip to the mechanic?



Why it is that when you begin your day BEFORE 4 a.m. (even if only by 3 minutes- there is something about waking up in the 3 a.m. hour) it is also the day your older child completely SOAKS the bed with pee? And then your 20 month-old dumps a vase of flowers all over you cookbook organization project?



Better yet, why is it that I think I can complete said cookbook organization project when my kids are awake?

Why does coffee stop working after three cups? And how are jitters going to help me at all?

ah... sunday

Sundays that Sandi works are the hardest. Everyone has plans with their families and there is nothing going on.

What to do, what to do?

Why, make parade drums of course!

I was sitting at parade rest. Taking pictures.

the celts

After visiting baby Mackenna, we headed to Belfast for the Celtic festival for a bit of culture, but mostly to watch our friend Matt play with his rockin' band the Napper Tandies. As in THE Napper Tandies. I say this only with some jest. Last fall, we went to Paddy Murphy's downtown with Matt and Ange and their friend Randy from the band and when we entered it was as though the sea of people parted to make way for the celebrity to enter. And then in the crowd we hear, "It's the Napper Tandies!!" (imagine shrieking volume only rivaled by "It's the Beatles!") and then "Oh my goodness! They are my favorite band!!"

I was like, wow, our friend Matt is a total rock star, like in the Irish band sort of way...

Matt jamming on his banjo. Yeah, I know. But it's true. You CAN jam on a banjo.

Anna watching her dad with idolization. Or maybe she is thinking about the box of Chedder Bunnies her mom just pulled out.




Maya, making general entertainment everywhere she goes...





decides that she would like to climb Mt. Stroller-manjaro...

and go down the other side.

A little chasing...

And some showing of the love for the band. Who needs a lighter when you have a belly?

I didn't get a great picture of the girls together, but did anyone notice that the girls are matching? Ella, of course, picked out this shirt for Maya because it matches her new summer "uniform" - her "colorful" dress as she calls it. She wears it EVERY day. Turns out is a perfect strategy to have your kids wearing matching, over the top colors. You can pick 'em out amongst all the other scrambling, popcorn and snow-cone eating children.

welcome to the world

We got "the" call last Friday morning at 2:45 a.m. Head to Ellsworth. The baby is coming.

Or not.

Better yet, go out to breakfast at Denny's since you aren't progressing. Come back at 8 a.m.

Yeeeeah... still no progress. You could go home. Okay, okay, you don't want to. Jeash! Well, you can stay here if you really want to...

Go check into a hotel room at the Holiday Inn? Perfect! You can go wait for the contractions to pick up...

Don't sit too much, though, since every time you sit down they stop. We know you've been up since midnight. Like we said, you could drive the hour home...

The waiting parents...

The girls and I went to Ellsworth for the day late morning, thinking for sure that we would see the baby. Ella was beside herself with excitement...

But lunch came and went. We had a swim in the pool, a walk around some stores, some bouncing off the walls in the hotel room, and before we knew it it was 5 p.m. No baby but some very tired girls.

So we head home, minus one baby sighting...plus one very disappointed Ella.

And then, finally, at 10:41 p.m. MacKenna Brielle Carver Kenney was born, weighing in at 8 lb. 6 oz.

We officially dubbed Ella the "baby hog." All she wanted to do was have that baby on her lap. I think she was marvelling at a baby that stays still.

Proud mom...