Stories of Spring & Summer 2004

        Today's adventure starts with Easter (April 11) when Aileen, Alec, & Caroline looked for eggs in our backyard.  Soon thereafter we traveled to Kansas City for Steve's wedding.  Daddy got dressed up (April 17) for the event.  Aileen read herself to sleep, proving that she was a weary traveler.  We then traveled to Arkansas where we had a brief meeting with grammy & grandad (April 19).  Uncle Erik was ready to play with the kids as Arkansas turned green.  The kids loved playing with Uncle Erik, and sometimes we had a hard time finding finding him.  Alec & Caroline ate apples (April 20)  on Uncle Erik's kitchen floor.  They were so cute.  The kids had fun on the couch (April 22), another cute one huh?  Daddy was engrossed by Uncle Erik's latest E'tar. 

        We then flew back home.  Here  is a picture of the whole family one morning (May 8).  Carly is hard to find, but she is there somewhere.  Mother's Day was special, as Grammy was with us too.  Here is mommy with Alec (May 9), as well with all the Kids, and with Carly.  The day Grammy left, we buried M&M and Little Miss America, as we remembered our lost hermit crabs (May 22). 
        We will not forget the day of May summer fun (May 27).  It was an unusually warm afternoon for May, and the kids started playing with the hose in the back yard.  Carly got a cool shock from the cold hose.  Carly had fun playing in a new mud hole in our back yard.  During this, Carly got a "little" dirty, and all three kids required a "little" bath. 
       It was amazing to find Alec one morning wearing a Cherios box, we called him "Box Boy" (June 13).  Much of June was colder, and Aileen & Alec had to snuggle (June 30) to stay warm. 

       In July, we flew to Chicago, visited Great Grandma Rose, & then drove to central Wisconsin, to Papa & Grandma's cabin.  We had a great week, with many activities including swimming, beaching, tubing, puzzles, boating, games, water parks, biking, camping out, and fishing.  Aileen & Daddy rode with bikes 25 Miles on the Sparta Elroy Rails-to-Trail (July ??).   Mommy, Daddy & Carly headed back home, while Aileen & Alec stayed one more week in Wisconsin.  They visited Devil's Lake (July ??)  with Papa & Grandma, before all flew back to Massachusetts.  Once here, we all hiked the "Red Dot Trail" (July 25), where Alec can be seen climbing in the background.  Aileen also went climbing.

        August was busy as well.  Alec's preschool class to a field trip to the Southwick Zoo (Aug 12).  Carly was happy to be a jungle girl.  Aileen performed in three plays, as MooShoo in Mulan, Turkina (Aug 13) in Tarzan, & Mary Pip in Mary Poppins.  We had a weekend trip to Storyland, where we saw "Swordlec" (Aug 14).  It was a warm day, and the kids cooled down in the mist tent.  We then camped in nearby Maine, where Carly found a rock (Aug 15).  It is always fun for kids to be river explorers.  Daddy eventually cooked some good food on this campfire.   We then climbed East Royce mountain once again, having climbed it two years ago as well.   We came to a waterfall on the way up.  Alec & Aileen climbed the whole way on their own power to the top.  Cecilia carried Carly most of the way.  Aileen & Alec had enough reserve energy to "Fight" while on top of the mountain.  It was a wet, treacherous trail as can be seen on the way down.  This kids had a lot of fun crossing the many creeks.   Here is MaryPip & her brother (Aug 20) after the last play of the summer.  In late August, Alec was so pleased when he suddenly learned to ride a bike. 

        We then traveled to New Mexico to see Grandad & Grammy.  Carly had fun with Grandad (Aug 29) on the back porch.  Grandad also showed the kids a family heirloom stove.  Of course, Alec & Aileen had fun in Grandad's house.  The kids got to go to the Albuquerque Biological Park, where they saw flamingoes (Aug 31).  Carly had a llama Encounter, while Aileen & Alec got to ride atop a camel.  Daddy talked to his bro' in the sunset (Sep 1).  We got to go hiking (Sep 2) as a family to a nearby overlook.   It was a fun trip in the sun, but we were hot by the time we were almost back to the house.  The same day we met Cecilia's uncle, as well as his grandson Wyatt.  These guys are second cousins?  Alec got a cool flyer (Sep 3), and had olympic form blowing out his candles for an early birthday celebration.  Carly got a token present to, and exclaimed her first four word sentence "I Got A Book!" (Sep 3) . 

        Soon we were back home in Massachusetts.  It was exciting time, as Alec started kindergarten & Aileen started 2nd grade.  On the first morning, just before school they came up with a song with motions: "We're excited but a little nervous inside" (Sep 7).  Here they are out on front yard about to head off for their first days.  We were pleased to both get to walk Alec to his first day. 
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