Fireman Peter

Recently, on Netflix, which my kids call "Flit-nix" I found a show called "Fireman Sam." There are only 4 episodes of it available, but Peter has become obsessed with it. Fitting, since last weekend was the Fire Truck Parade here in Danville. There were trucks and firemen from 4 counties (maybe more) and even some from Jersey. It was hot and muggy, but Peter insisted on wearing his raincoat that says FIRE CHIEF on it. The drivers of the trucks pointed down and him and yelled, "Hey buddy! I like your coat!" The only problem with that was Peter was less than enthusiastic about their praise since none of them were throwing candy. Apparently we missed the memo that the firemen were not allowed to throw candy this year since kids were getting too close to the wheels last year and it became dangerous. Sure. That makes a lot of sense. Safety first! It cost us about $2 since we ended up going to the corner market do buy our disappointed little fire boy some skittles. A small price to pay for his smile the rest of the parade. 

He referred to himself as "fire boy" the rest of the day and didn't take off that coat until he realized how badly he was sweating under his hat (given to him by our neighbor). I love how whatever he is wearing is who he is for that day. That gives me an idea...maybe I will make him a halo! He can be "angel boy" and we will all be happy! HA! 

Thumbs up for the fire truck parade!

Think they are related?

Sydney (neighbor's daughter), John and Ella watching the trucks.

We really enjoy seeing all the old trucks. They have kept lots of them really nice.

Always need a family picture even if we look like misfits today :)

I think the parades are one of the best things about this little town. I mean people set out their lawn chairs along the road by 9am the morning of to save their spot for viewing. It brings out all kids of people and it never fails, when I hear the bagpipes and see the volunteers and the men dressed in Civil War costume (that will be later this month), I choke up and nearly cry. I picture myself as a mom watching her son march of to war, not sure why, I'm too sentimental. So thankful for all those who serve this country. Glad we can honor them with parades: It's such a great tradition. 

And the kids love it. Bonus.

So it begins...

It's dig-through-other-people's-junk-to-see-if-there-is-anything-you-want/need-season!!

Ever since I was small, I have enjoyed yard sales. I even tried to have a few of my own on my driveway selling slap bracelets, journals, and old toys. There was once I tried lemonade. That was a flop. I helped at the church sale some years ago and hardly anything sold, so I loaded up what was left and had my own sale in my parent's driveway the next weekend. I made $200. On other people's stuff. They didn't want the money or their things back, so I had to pack it up myself and get rid of it, but $200! Don't worry, I gave some back to church. Last summer I didn't yard sale. John was small, we were gone for 5 weeks, and Andrew was super busy. This summer I have a new motto, "If you can see me, and I can see you, you are staying in the car." (With the AC on). I had to lug them out to 2 'can't see you from the driveway' yard sales, but it was worth it. Not pictured is the great vintage jewelry one family was selling and 2 antique chairs that grace my front porch now. Below are my finds from last weekend. Don't judge me, I have garbage bags of stuff going out my door this week. I don't have a lot of seasonal decor, so yard sales are great for that. I'm tossing the idea of having a yard sale of my own since "tis the season" but I have a hard time watching people rifle through my things that I once thought had value. You know, like when one kid has a toy and suddenly another wants it for no reason? That's how it is, when you see someone looking at your things, you think, "oh shoot, maybe I should keep that, but no, they might love it, but wait, I love it too! oh no!" Of course while you're waging an inner battle in your mind, you hear, "Can I have this for 50 cents?" WHAT!!?? I spent like 20 bucks on that thing lady! Oh well, you see why I'm having trouble. I'm actually trying to find some lucky size sixer who could wear my old pants, shorts and skirts. My hips don't allow for them anymore. You know Andrew actually said to me the other night, "I'm starting to understand the concept of 'mom jeans.'" Oh wow, he's sure lucky I'm embracing the hips knowing my 3 children are the reason and looking forward to getting some new "wider banded" pants. Rabbit trail! Back to my new things...

A few lovely ladies were selling this great spring decor.
 I think by spring the ducks will have names, I'm just not sure what yet. 

Victorian, pretty, simple, I'm really liking these eggs in a vase.
 Funny that I'm looking forward to Easter already!

The lady who I bought the decor from actually painted this and the two ducks.
I'm going to group all the vintage stuff on my mantle, just you wait.

More vintage! Old Christmas ornaments. And look, "the unbreakable kind!"

Ella is loving her new set of books I got for $1.50. Yay for books.

This nice, big, weekender bag was $3. Sturdy with a removable strap and all!

Who doesn't love purses? Well, maybe Andrew. Maybe your husband. Anyway I do. Fossil purse $3. 

This is the loot I found the kids, be assured, they have toys leaving the house this week too.
Dolls $2, Lego princess horse thingy $3, Buzz Lightyear $1 (it works too!), a tractor and a bucket for free. 

We had fun. John had enough by the end, but it's a good way to kill time when Daddy has worked every day since June 5th. Not exaggerating. Happy yard sailing. Out here it even starts on Thursday! 2 more days until we're on the hunt!

The best Playground by far...

When we were in Talkeetna, AK for a few days, the kids got to enjoy playing at this playground. It is one of the neatest places I've ever taken them to. It was free, it was outdoors, it was artsy, it was great. The whole community helped with this project. You can read more about it: http://www.talkeetnaplayground.org/

I got some great pictures of each of the kids there, but I'll have to post those later, there were enough of just the park that I don't want to overwhelm. If you're ever looking for a day trip or a great camp out with a funny/quirky Alaskan experience, go to Talkeetna. Good food, amazing food actually, the water, the playground, a bike path for miles, the train within a stones throw, fun gift shops, and historical homes and cabins all around. Oh and I forgot to mention that you can see Mt. McKinley from there, which is what we hoped for, but it was fogged in. Never the less, a fun few days had by all.

A log cabin playhouse.

Every piece of equipment had art on it.
Something having to do with Alaska.

Tiles painted by the locals.

The rock wall with a mural. 

The hippie bus.

Resembling a totem pole, a Native Alaskan artform.

Rock pillars for climbing, they're all solid.

A Birch branch fort. 

Anyway, you get the idea. 

I had fun looking at all the details while the kids played. 

To the "Tows"

Dear large milk-making animal whom my kids adore,

       I spend my drives with my three children in the back constantly searching for you. Upon sightings, they yell loudly, "Cows! Slow down!" If I am not being followed, I do just that. Slow down. That's when the baby spots you and yells, "Tows! Tows! Tows!" The other day, I slowed down so much so, that you lingered over to my van as if expecting a handout or something. Nope, I just busted out my old phone and snapped a shot of all of you. Sorry, the only snacks in this van are precious and used for those times when absolutely needed. Maybe I blew it, maybe next time you won't come closer to appease us, but today I thank you because it made our drive home lovely. Even though secretly, I think you smell bad and all the flies that cover your back like a black shawl gross me out, my children love you.
Hope to see you again soon,

One smiling mommy.

Only Farewell for Now

I hate goodbyes. Anyone who knows me well knows this. 

My friend Kasey and I have lived only an hour apart for 3 years now, she has shared my Pennsylvania experience and now her family is moving to Ohio. Yes, only a state away, but it will take much more planning to visit in the coming year. 

A task I am willing to tackle! 

Here is a snippet of her visit with us this week, she leaves in a few days. While here, my kids attacked and wanted to hold Hope the whole time. Peter couldn't get enough of her and said, "We should have a sister like this, one with big chubby cheeks!" (as he poked her face). He also asked Kasey if "Hope still had a raisin her her belly," and called himself a "crazy pot head" while stacking pots on his head to make the baby laugh. He loves babies, but needs to learn a little more about giving space. 

It was a nice day and we got some fun pictures to prove it.

John thinks he's found his life long love I think.

Peter is insisting on being close even though it's Ella's turn.

What I love about these pictures is that Kasey got them to smile
this big almost effortlessly. Why can't I do that?

Always love holding babies!! 

Just a couple posed pictures, I can't help it.

Oh she's as pretty as her mama

Since Andrew wasn't home, we did timer pictures to get us all in.

This goes down as one of my favs.
 I said, "Lets do a silly picture!"
Kasey told the kids to pull their ears.
Hope thought she said punch yourself in the face.
Love it.

The Kellers will be missed in PA. I'm already scheming my C-town road trip.

300.

Bragging may not bring happiness, but no man having caught a large fish goes home through an alley.  

~Author Unknown

Memorial Day was made super special in many ways. It may have been the very most memorable for my parents who spent the whole day with 6 grandchildren, age 4 and under. 3 potty trained, 3 in diapers and all requiring much attention. The text I received upon cell phone reception seas was "will not do this again until all kids are potty trained." I laughed out loud in the boat. I guess they didn't grab the extra diapers before driving from Seward to Anchorage meaning that both our 25lb boys were wearing their 5 month old cousins' diapers to bed. At any rate, mom and dad have some funny stories from that day.

The rest of us, Andrew and I, John and Renee, & Bill and Jenna got to wake up early, enjoy a walk into the docks where we were geared up to spend a day on the water. We had been excited about this for a long time. My friend Kevin http://www.profish-n-sea.com/captains_and_crew.asp who I've known since 7th grade became a boat captain and was the one to take us out. Saying that we had fun would be an understatement. We had a blast. Each of us caught our 2-halibut limit and I don't recall more than 30 minutes to pass before someone hooked into something. Whether we kept it or not doesn't matter, there was constant excitement. Sharks, Ling Cod, Rockfish, and 2 Salmon were just a mixture of the things we reeled up. The other not-so-funny at the time thing was that at some point, every one of us felt terrible. Sea sickness came and went, but we all overcame it and brought in the fish. The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and the waves just rolled, there was no wind for making choppy seas. I think the rolling waves was what made our stomachs turn, but I wouldn't trade that for wind on the water. 

We saw Sea Lions, Puffin, a whale (I actually didn't see it, the others did, I think I was sick at that point), and some of the most amazing mountains around.

Did I tell you it was great yet?

See for yourself.

Renee's little shark.

She set the bar pretty high with the first halibut pulled in!

Pretty nice!

Andrew caught a few Ling Cod but they weren't in season, so back they went.

Kevin had to shoot Andrew's first halibut. It was huge! 80 lbs 

Here it is!

My first fish wasn't tiny, the biggest one I've ever caught for sure.

John's first catch. None of our fish were under 45 lbs.  

Bill's shark friend. 

Jenna got 2 big ones, this was her first.

Working on my second.

This was me done fishing :).

Jenna's second fish also had to be shot. This time with the "bang stick" it scared all of us!

Holding it from this side since its eyeball is totally shot out!

John's giant Cod.

The look of disgust on my brother's face tells you how most Alaskans feel about Pink Salmon.
We gave it back to the ocean. 

Andrew got his first King Salmon!
 He was a happy man for the entire rest of our time, so proud of this fish for sure. 

Bill's catch!

The ride back, at the bottom of the cliff, you can see the
Sea Lions.

Kevin loading our fish into the wagons.

There you go! 

Not sure which one of the extras in this picture Andrew was more
proud of that day. His fish or his wife. :)

Such a good time. Everyone should catch fish at some time in their life.
Oh and the 300? That's how many pounds of halibut we had once it was all processed.