St. Peter, Nascar and The Horribles Parade

What do these three things have in common? Absolutely nothing except that that they happened all within a matter of days keeping us very busy.

Viva San Pedro!





St. Peter's Fiesta is a celebration in Gloucester, Ma. ( and I believe several other places) in which St. Peter is celebrated as the saint who watches over the fisherman. There are many days of celebration that begin with a parade where St. Peter is paraded through town and is brought to St. Peter's square where he is set on a altar. At the square there is also a big carnival set up with games and rides for the kids and of course food and traditional Italian music can be heard all day long.
Other festivities include the blessing of the fleet, seine boat races, a parade and the greasy pole.




I will try to explain the greasy pole but you really have to see it to get the full effect. The greasy pole is a long pole set out across the harbor that is greased up with some sort of environmentally safe grease. (It usually thick and black but this year it was white and looked suspiciously like Crisco.) At the end of the pole is a flag. The object is to walk across the pole and grab the flag before tumbling into the freezing water below. Depending on wether it is high tide or not you may have an incredible long and potentially painful fall depending on if you hit the pole on your way down. Many of these guys risk ever becoming fathers as they do the old splitsville on the pole. The walkers are dressed in crazy costumes and are usually pretty well liquored up by the time they start walking.



I included a picture hours before the greasy pole. We didn't actually watch the greasy pole this year. In the middle of the picture is a large structure which is where the walkers wait for their turn. Coming off the structure on the right is a long pole parallel to the water and at the end you can see the flag. As you can see it is a long walk and a long drop into the water!






NASCAR

As many of you you know Dom and I are Nascar fans and really enjoy going to the races at NHIS. Last year for the July race it was about 98 degrees and humid and it felt like you were melting sitting in the sun up in the bleachers. We ended up leaving 1/2 way through because it was just too hot. This year the weather was a perfect 70 degrees, breezy and overcast.

The girls were in Gloucester still with Dom's parents and we were lucky enough to have a reserved parking spot waiting for us so we took our time getting there. Normally we head to the race from my parents house and we end up spending a lot of time sitting in traffic getting to the track. We had no idea how close we were to the track coming from our house. We used the trusty GPS to guide us and after cruisin down some back roads came out a mile from where we were going to park. It only took us 35 mins. and barely any traffic! It was only 35 mins getting home too, thanks to the back roads! We still left the race a little early to beat the mad crush of the crowds back to the car. Unfortunately our driver, Carl Edwards had a bad pit stop that cost him the race but it was still a fun day!

For some reason blogger won't let me post any of my pictures from the race!

The Horribles Parade

On July 3rd we were back in Gloucester for the Fishtown Horribles Parade. No one has ever been able to tell me exactly what a horrible is, but it seems to refer to the people who dress up to be in the parade. Anyone can participate and as well as many different characters, there are bands,(the steele drum band is my favorite.) floats and lots of other fun stuff. Prizes are given out in different catergories. This picture is a fine example of a "horrible" and she/he even jiggled as she/he walked!

Becca, Dom and I ended the evening watching fireworks over the harbor. Kenzie doesn't like loud noises and stayed home with Nonna and Nonno.

Our adventures ended at Ma and Pa Sizemores where we were treated to Steak on the grill!

Techinal difficulties!!

Been having trouble posting pics. Hope to have something up in the next day or two so check back soon!

Recital

The girls recital was Sunday and both did a great job! Both sets of grandparents were able to attend and we had a cookout and cake after the show.

First Day of Summer!

The last day of school was Tuesday and today is the first official day of summer! Becca came home with lots of goodies from school. Including a journal she kept during the year and a friendship book that is super cute. Becca's report card was excellent. She is reading at a late third grade level and exceeds expectations in every subject except penmanship which is satisfactory. She is excited about going to second grade but is really going to miss her teacher from this year who was really great.

I thought our schedule was going to slow down with the last day of school but it hasn't happened yet. Yesterday I watched two kids for a friend and in the evening was the dress rehearsal for the girls recital. Today I am watching a child for another friend. Tomorrow I will have to play catch-up on all the things I didn't get done for the past two days due to an extra busy house.

Saturday Becca has a birthday party to attend and Sunday afternoon is the recital. Then things will slow down....at least until July 1st when Dom and I will be off to the Nascar race at NHIS!

Dancing Divas

Since most of you won't be able to see the girls at thier recital here is a sneak peek at their costumes. Both girls are in the opening number which is "You've got a friend in me." from Toy Story. Becca is all 70's funk in her purple tie-dye bell bottoms. She is dancing to "Keep on" by the Brady Bunch. I am sure any of you that watched the Brady Bunch remembers their short lives musical career. I believe it was just a lame attempt to compete with the Partridge family. But anyway it is a super cute outfit. Kenzie is the prima ballerina in her sparkly tutu. She is dancing to a song called "The Magic Garden" and I have no idea who sings it. Being the true diva that Kenzie is she declared her costume the most beautiful. Also in true diva fashion she has been having an attitude about actually performing. So I have my fingers crossed that all will go smoothly. You will of course get the full review after their performance on the 24th!

Counting down

Only 12 days left of school. Yes I am the one counting down the days, not my daughter. I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer with no schedule to adhere to. So there are 12 days of school two more dance classes for each girl and the recital, then we are free for the beach, the boat and playdates whenever we want!!

Memorial day weekend was the end of the wedding circuit for Dom and I. Dom's cousin Liz got married. It was a beautiful day and a traditonal Italian wedding, meaning lots of people, lots of food and lots of fun! It was also like a class reunion for Dom, who graduated from high school with the groom. The kids(and the dogs) spent two nights at Grammie's leaving Dom and I an empty house to enjoy. Actually we weren't even home long enough to enjoy it. By the time I got home from dropping the girls off at my parents after getting Becca from school and getting stuck in all the tourist traffic for the long weekend, it was dinner time. Dom and I did got out to dinner, which was nice. We attempted to sleep late the next morning but we are so used to getting up early that didn't really work. It was just nice to lay in bed and not have to worry about anyone elses needs. By mid-morning we were off to Gloucester for the wedding and to visit with Dom's sister Lisa and her husband Chuck who flew in the for the wedding from Colorado. We spent the night in Gloucester and on Sunday morning suprised Dom's parents with brunch out at a local restaurant. Then we all headed back to our house so Lisa and Chuck could visit with the girls.
Monday was a day to regroup after all the festivities of the weekend. Somehow, despite all that went on I didn't manage to take one picture all weekend!

Here comes the sun!

We had several days of rainy weather that, though good for the grass and flowers, was not so fun for those of us wanting to spend time outdoors. Of course nice weather in May means black flies.
Last weekend Dom was off for a night for his annual hockey game with his friends.
Whenever Dom is gone for the night or home late the girls and I have 'girls night' with junk food, movies and doing our nails and hair. This time was even more special because we invited our friends Annie and Audrey to join us. The girls had a blast dressing up and doing their nails and the moms had a great time too.
Dom has been busy working on the room downstairs. Electric and plumbing are hooked up and next on the agenda in heat and sheetrock. The girls have found the new toilet downstairs a novelty and think it is fun to use it because there are no walls or doors yet.
Yesterday, Kenzie and I went and bought some flowers so we can begin sprucing up the flower gardens outside. All we need is some mulch and a few more flowers and we'll be all set!
This weekend Dom and I have one more wedding to attend. Then I hope that is it for awhile. Weddings are beautiful and all but three in a month is crazy! We will be getting a chance to see Dom's sister and her husband which is always fun. Becca and Kenzie will spend two nights with Grammy and Grampy which they are excited about. The dogs are going to Grammy and Grampy's too. I am not so sure that Grammy and Grampy are excited about having the dogs but it is very much appreciated by us!! Dom and I are just hoping to get a morning to sleep in and not be woken up by dogs or kids!

Kenzie quote of the day

I wish that I was better at writing down and remebering quotes from the girls but here is a cute one from Kenzie today.

"Popsicles make my heart feel like Christmas."

How sweet is that??

Road Trip!

On May 3rd we took off from Farmington, NH on our road trip to Milford MI to witness the wedding of my niece Jill and her finace Miles. We left early Thursday morning with only a few moans and groans from the peanut gallery. We were even on the road a whole hour before someone needed a bathroom break. All kidding aside the girls did awesome. We made a quick stop at Niagara Falls on our way through New York then headed up into Canada to spend the night. It is quicker to go through Canada by about two hours and when traveling with kids saving two hours is major. Early Friday morning we were on the road again and after about five hours we arrived at Mark and Ellen's house in Michigan. It was great to see everyone again and get a peek at the pre-wedding activities. The girls weren't shy at all and quickly made themselves at home. They really loved Sadie, Mark and Ellen's dog.

Friday evening was the wedding. The weather was beautiful and the bride and groom look like they stepped right out of the pages of Bride magazine. The wedding was simple and elegant and the girls enjoyed bopping around the dance floor, especially Mackenzie.

Saturday we celebrated several birthdays, including Mark, Dad, Mom, Ellen's dad and her Aunt Joan. After spending so much time in the car it was very nice to just hang out and catch up with everyone. As with many Sizemore gatherings there was soon talk of a whiffle ball game and we were seperating into teams. Due to contract disputes Rebecca and Mackenzie refused to play and the game was cut short when Dom threw out his back after being hip-checked by Ellen.

After a lengthy time out, Mark got out the golf clubs for a friendly competition to see who could hit the ball closest to the pin. Just for the record, despite my brothers golf expertise he has yet to beat my dad whenever we play. Friday was no exception. Dad won and Mark came in second. I am proud to say that I came in fourth which is a big step up from my usual last place!

Unfortunately being the winner isn't always that great. The prize is usually something very unappetizing. One year it was a dead chipmunk, this year it was a used pooper scooper. We really should put someone else in charge of prizes but it is always funny to see what Mark will come up with every time he loses!

Early Sunday we were on the road again headed for home. On the way we headed back into Canada and stopped at the Toronto Zoo. It is the third largest zoo in the world and though we didn't see all of it, it was lots of fun. I included a picture of the girls checking out some elephant tusks. After the zoo we were back in the car again and headed towards the border. We decided since this was our last night of our mini vacation we would splurge on a really nice hotel room overlooking Niagara Falls on the Canadian side this time. It was so great. One whole side of our room was all windows overlooking the falls. Our room even had a little kitchenette and nice big jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. We let the girls stay up to see the falls all lit up a night.(It gets darker later up there.) It was really cool to see. The falls change colors all night long.

Penguins!

Every since seeing the movie Happy Feet, the girls have been acting and dancing like penguins. Mackenzie was especially fascinated by them. So after going to the library and getting books about penguins we decided the next thing to do was to go visit some real penguins at the New England Aquarium in Boston. I convinced Dom to take a day off from work (It is school vacation week) and we invited our good friends the Beikmans to join us. Unfortunately Tom couldn't get the day off from work but Annie and Audrey joined us. We had a great time and learned lots of stuff too!

Just outside the aquarium is a huge tank with Harbor seals and we arrived just at feeding time, so the seals were very active. Several kept swimming right in front of us upside down! We later learned they do that so that they can see whats underneath them. We also saw a interesting presentation on starfish. Did you know that starfish can actually throw up their stomachs to eat something and then swallow them again? Or that not only can they grow back an arm if they lose one but they can grow back an eye too?? Very cool! Then there was of course the penguins which were a big hit. Some of the penguins were very noisy and one kinda sounded like a donkey! There were rockhopper penguins like Lovelace, if you've seen the movie he's the one that has the funny feathers sticking out of his head. An several other kinds of penguins. The touch tank was a big hit too. The girls got to pick up starfish, sea urchins and snails. It was lots of fun!

Riders on the Storm

So it has been a crazy couple of days here. It was very much like the Mother's day floods of last year but I think it was actually worse. It started out with about 3-4 inches of snow on Sunday and then during the night turned to torrential downpours which turned into major flooding. Our road is washed out in both directions though with four wheel drive it is passable. Dom had gone out with the Focus yesterday morning and couldn't drive it back home because the roads were that bad. They had school yesterday, but I kept Becca home because the road was bad in the morning and I knew it was only going to get worse. They ended up closing school early and today there is no school. The National Guard was called in too. Many, many roads and bridges are closed in Farmington as well as all over the state. These pictures are the road in front of the house.

We did lose electricity for a short time. Our phone was out for several hours too, as well as cable and internet, so for a short time we felt a bit isolated. No cellpone reception out here either.

The snow did cause the water to back up in front of the garage and begin to leak inside but once we cleared the snow out of the way the water was able to drain.

Easter & stuff

The Easter bunny was very generous this year and the girls enjoyed hunting for eggs and candy. The Easter bunny hid everything inside because outside it was reaally chilly! After having our easter fun at home we headed to Gloucester to have dinner with Dom's folks. The girls hunted for more goodies and got big baskets with lots of goodies and new clothes. It was lots of fun. This weekend we will head to Grammy and Grampy's for more Easter fun!

In other news we have begun some home improvements. We are finally finishing the room behind the garage. I never know what to call this room. We tend to refer to it as a basement but it isn't below ground. Our house is a t-ranch with an upstairs and a garage underneath. Behind the garage is a room that we never finished. Once it is officially finished it will be a family room. We intend to do most of the work ourselves and we are off to a good start. Dom has framed in a room for the furnace/water heater and also a place for a closet and 1/2 bath. We also decided to put down some dri-core on the floor as added insulation rather than just lying carpet over the cement. The next phase will be electrical and heat.

On the top you can see where the furnace will have it's own little room. That little corner with the window will be my little craft nook when the girls decide they don't want to share a room anymore and I get kicked out of the extra bedroom. In the bottom picture the closet will be where that chair is. To the left of that will be a little bathroom. It will be a cozy room when it is done. The girls are having a blast right now with it just being a big open space. Especially since we got more snow yesterday!

Thanks

Thanks to all of you who made a case for the best place to live in the comments section of the previous post. We are really feeling the love but have no plans to move. We have everything we love here- mountains,ocean, lakes,rivers and the change of the seasons. We'll have to be content with visiting!

Also a big thanks to Aunts and Uncles who sent Easter goodies to the kids everything was a huge hit!

April showers bring....

SNOW BUNNIES!

April snow showers that is. Yes we woke up to 10 inches of snow this morning. School was cancelled and we made the best of it by making a big snow bunny. Isn't it cute?

Muddy March Madness

I have discovered a new idea for a video game called Muddy March Madness.
First you have to manuever your car, either a Focus or Expedition in and out of the driveway without getting stuck in the mud. You have to make sure that you don't get sucked in by the mud and accidently hit any other vehicles/boat that may be parked in the driveway. For more of a challenge you have to find a non-muddy spot to park your vehicle and then walk from your vehicle to the house without stepping in the super sticky mud that pulls off your boot, stepping in a puddle that is actually a foot deep when it only appears to be 1/2 inch, tromping through the snow and of course avoiding the random piles of dog poo. On the next level you must avoid all these things with the added challenge of two spastic springer spaniels who have the potential to knock you into the puddles/mud/snow/dog poo while covering you with muddy pawprints. For more of challenge you must avoid all those things while carrying in an armload of groceries and for a super-duper challenge you must do all of these while also carrying a sleeping four year old.
Of course as soon as I sell this concept to a video game company I plan on paving the driveway!

I'm Back!

Been a little distracted lately so I apologize, but I am back now.

My biggest distraction of the past few weeks was that a week ago on Thursday Dom had surgery. It was nothing major luckily. He had a lymph node is his neck that was slightly enlarged and had been for several months so the doctor wanted to remove it and have it tested just to be certain that nothing more serious was going on. It was outpatient surgery and I am very thankful to my parents for making an early morning trek over to stay with the girls. There was no school due to teacher conferences. I am also thankful to my friend Audrey who took the girls in the afternoon for a playdate.
The surgery was quick and I played nurse for several days while Dom took it easy. This included attempting to snowblow the driveway when we got a foot of snow two days after his surgery. I say attempted because, though I had never used the snowblower before, I had to deal another obstacle. The week before the storm the weather was warm-40s and 50s which was great except it turned our dirt driveway into a mess of muddy ruts that froze and then became snow covered which made it nearly impossible to drive a snowblower through because it got stuck in the ruts. I did the best I could and at least we were able to get out of the driveway.

So everything is settling back to normal. Dom is feeling good. The weather is getting warmer and the snow is melting. The driveway is still a mess but it is just a matter of time before it dries out and then I can get my carpets cleaned. You can just imagine what two dogs, two kids and a muddy driveway can do to a carpet. Despite it all I wouldn't trade the change of seasons for anything!

Sunrise

What better way to start the week than a beautiful sunrise?

A little kiss

I love Hershey kisses. Just regular Hershey kisses are yummy, but then they started making all these new flavors and combinations and limited editions. My favorites are the kisses with the cherry cordial creme inside. But a very close second is kisses filled with coconut creme. I had heard about them and could never find any until Monday. I of course should have walked away but had to try them. They are yummy. I think the Easter Bunny will have to add these to his list of goodies!

Wagon Hill

After getting about a foot of snow on Friday. Saturday was a beautiful day. The kids did some snowshoeing in the yard. After lunch we met up with friends and headed to Wagon Hill in Durham. We intended to do some snowshoeing and sledding but as we headed east we realized that they got a lot less snow than we did. So we left our snowshoes in the car and took a short little hike down to The Great Bay. The girls had fun in the snow and when we got to the ocean they enjoyed throwing rocks in the water and we even found some mussels still alive! After hiking back to the car we a had a little snack then headed over to check out the sledding. Not too great but worthy of a few runs. It started misting a little bit so we headed back to the car and over to the UNH horse barns to visit the horses. By this time it was getting late and we were hungry so we stopped at Dante's which has excellent italian food. They were very accomadating to the three girls and we ended up with our own cozy little room. It was a very busy and fun day spent with friends!

Snow Day!

It's snowing again. No school today. It is really coming down hard and has been for several hours now. It is supposed to last most of the day but at some point turn to sleet. I think we are supposed to get 6-10 inches depending on if it turns to sleet or not. We already have about four and it is only 9:30 in the morning. Picture is not so great( Boomer was jumping on me and trying to chew on my boot!) I will try to post more later or tomorrow when we go out to play in it.