Green Eggs but No Ham and more Maine enjoying

We got our first egg from one of our new chickens. It is from one of the Araucanas that lay green eggs!

Pics of Asa's week in Maine!

There was an undertow and it was pulling his bathing suit off! That's why there are two hands holding him up or otherwise he would of been eating sand...

Beat Grammy at Slap Jack!

Last fire of the week, he ate two smores!

Finally home, little brother missed him!

 

Midsummer enjoying

Asa has been in Maine all week with Grammy and cousins Derrick and Ashleigh. It's been strange only having one child again! But the groove is definitely off without him home. I miss my munchkin! He'll be home Sunday then off to day camp for another 2 weeks, then back to Maine :)

We have been chillin', a good midsummer chill.

Enjoying evening sunsets

 

Unedited photos taken from living room window - it was a gorgeous sunset!

 

Curly humidity hair! Playing with shaving cream at Daycare helped the curl situation...

Ooo, la, la...

 

And hangin' with the chicks! Oh the pretty girls...

 

In a month the trees are going to start turning color, we'll soak up the remainder of summertime while it lasts!

 

The Pearce Family

I have written about the Pearce Family before. It was in 2010 when their youngest son Kevin (center) who at the time was a professional snowboarder, while training for the Winter Olympics crashed on the half pipe in Park City, UT. The result was a traumatic brain injury and in critical condition.

 

I know the Pearce Family because I used to work for them at their Glass Blowing facility in Quechee, VT. I watched their 4 boys grow up. I saw Kevin and his older brother David a lot more than Adam and Andrew because David and Kevin were the youngest. I saw David the most because he would come hang out at the mill to watch videos in the apartment that they still had there, though it was more a function room for the restaurant at the time, with a bedroom and bath. David, who was about 8 or 9 then would come and ask for my help putting videos in the VCR (yes this was some time ago) which he knew how to do and I would make him show me how rather then doing it for him :)  David was my first experience of knowing and interacting with someone who was born with Down syndrome and for that Pearce Family I will always be grateful. Who knew 10 years later that experience would help me with the little boy I gave birth to. Because of David I knew life had no limitations, David did EVERYTHING, he played guitar, he acted and he had the largest posse of friends ever.

 

Most recently a documentary called The Crash Reel http://thecrashreel.com/ has been made about Kevin's Rise and Fall in the sport of Snowboarding and most important, his recovery from his injury. The entire Pearce family is in the film, including David who plays a vital role and I know first hand how much he loves his brother Kevin because when they were little they were always together.

 

Here is a snip-it of the story from an article in the Vermont Standard, but what I really wanted to share was David's words in the article - tissue warning, nuff said.

http://www.thevermontstandard.com/2013/06/kevin-pearce-snowboarder-focus-of-hbo-documentary-archive/

One Extreme to Another

We have gone from one extreme, flooding torrential rains to another,  hazy, hot and humid. It's summertime in New England :) Thankfully the rain has subsided. We really don't need anymore.

Asa finally made it back to camp today. Last Thursday he was a miserable, crying, emotional, wreck which only happens when he is over tired or doesn't feel good and well he had them both going on! He spiked a fever Thursday evening and kept it rolling until about Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning he woke up with a rash around his mouth and nose, but nothing anywhere else. He was still pretty down and out but no more fever so he didn't go to camp yesterday either. He was bummed when he got there this morning, he missed tie dye day yesterday! Next week he is off to the beach with Grammy and then back to camp for another 2 weeks after that. I hope he has a much better week this week! It's Circus Week :)

Hanging on the Ranger watching the chickens roam.

We have some beggars... The older Barred Rocks now come up on the deck looking for a treat.

The Inland Beach Party

It has been so hot and humid that there hasn't been a day when we were home that the boys weren't getting wet. So on Sunday they wanted me to put the water table beside their little pool and the umbrella to make their own beach. I'm not sure why this section of the yard Asa always considers the beach, it may be because of the large area of bark mulch - who knows! They also were mixing drinks and making lemonade. Nothing like a couple cups and some water to entertain :)

Asa started summer camp this week. As you Mommies out there with special need kiddos know any new environment, experience, people ( I could go on ) is tough for our children. They are creatures of habit and love routine and things they are familiar with and people they feel comfortable with. Well, this transition hasn't been easy either. For the past two days Asa has had wet pants at one time or another. They are bringing him to the potty but I think the new environment is intimidating Ace a little bit. He never had an accident all year at school! I think he is confused with who, what, where, when and how. There are bigger kids there too and they are doing LOTS of activities. Yesterday they took a bus and went to a minor league baseball game 2 hours away. I had some anxiety about this I won't lie! But knew he would enjoy it and have a good time and experience. 2 hours is a long ride and of course Asa had an accident before they could get to the bathrooms, but another factor is that Asa is petrified of big, scary, noisy, public bathrooms! To make a long story short, the male counselor that brought him to the bathroom to change (and try to use) put his soiled shorts back in the zip lock bag with all his other clean clothes! GRRRRR.... I also did not get to his back pack until 9:30 last night! So needless to say the bag was a little ripe and I was doing a load of laundry when I was ready to go to bed... I dearly hope and pray that he gets used to the new routine in the next couple days. The Camp Director has voiced her concerns of not having the time to potty train kids, well Asa doesn't need potty training he just needs to make it to the bathroom before he wets his pants. He knows how to use the potty he just needs help getting there... It's been a lot of work and worry with him this week and it's only Wednesday! On top of the camp drama he had Speech this morning and his has faltered immensely over the last 3 weeks. He hasn't been wearing his hearing aid because I'm afraid with all the outdoor play, water and him chewing on it I just haven't put it in, but it certainly helps... What to do? It's definitely not a win, win situation.

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times....

We made some good memories too! The beginning of last week we were in Maine with my cousin Kylie, her daughter Morgan and son Tucker and my bestie Beck from high school came to join us with her daughter Anna and son Sean. We were a little crazy being 3 adults with 6 kids under 7, but we had fun! Monday was a FOGGY day at the beach, but you know what? You can still get some sun :) Like I burned my forehead and Kylie burned the backs of her knees...

 

We rode the Trolley...

 

and went to Perkin's Cove...

The Crew - Oh Lordy!

 

 

We ate some good seafood! Thank you Oarweed's for waiting on three crazy women with 6 kids... Sorry for the bowl of macaroni and cheese on the floor too...

Wow Gray that is a big beer you're drinking...

Love the Beck...

Our last day at the beach was a nice one. So nice Gracyn fell asleep...

 

We came home for Fireworks but got rained out. We had so much rain at home while we were gone that our basement flooded again. Brian was home staying up all night to suck water up as it came in. We have a trailer packed with stuff we had to move out, but the bright side. We have now tiled our bedroom and will move on to the boys bedroom as time and energy comes. Pics are pre-grout, this ceramic tile rocks and really does look like hardwood!