~Here's to moving...~

Well tomorrow will be our last day in Ludlow....our first landing spot on our little adventure! Ludlow is sweet, cute little town! This village house has been nice and very comfortable for us....I will always remember the VAST trail hikes and our walks to the mountainside! (I can always come back to visit) My flowers Hillary and I planted are coming up...so I am glad I got to see them bloom. We went to the library (maybe for our last time) to make Kaleidoscopes this week. It's the librarian's last week and ours too.....different paths, but ours did cross momentarily.

I've posted a picture of the house we will be moving to.....it will be close to everything and has a bike path....we can run, bike, or walk....close by. That will be nice!

Another piece of news? I got a wonderful job today!!!! I will serve the Riverside Middle School in being the support math teacher! Interventionist.....I am really excited about this!!! The staff alone would make this endeavor seem worthwhile. I had to call Reading, though, and tell them I had to decline the job there.....it was great too with wonderful people. (Just not the exact fit)

Funny thing.....Fall of 2010, Gary and I visited Riverside (little did I know I would one day work there :) for an Apple Festival. I imagined what it might be like to live here....but never in my wildest dreams did I envision such a surreal moment as returning as a parent, teacher, and spectator of sports! It is.

We had dinner last night with the Browns (Morgan, Joe, Ava, & Giles) - at 371 at our regular table...lol.....It was such great company and camaraderie. Our girls did a marathon of art work as usual when they get together.....the boys....well, they tried to teach Giles 'spit wads' yeah...not good. Had to convene on that situation rather quickly....and YES, we were the loudest table in the place!

It's been cold and rainy lately.....Hillary and I spent some time exercising and floating homemade boats down river to one another today.....Ever read this book? (One of my favorite of all times) !!!



Here are some pictures as of lately:

Here's the pretty creek/river that branches off two ways behind the house- we used our boats here....

This is to show off her pretty pink pearl necklace & bracelet. Ava and Hillary received matching sets of these from Ava's Nonny.

We can credit all this bracelet making to Kyle, Cooper's best friend....he's helped Hillary to stay rather constructive. Here she has managed to make handcuffs to assist her in detaining her brothers.....

Our river boat messages we sailed...

~Jamiaica, Yankee Candle, & Butterfly Conservatory~

Trips!

Saturday was fun-filled with Old Home Days in Jamaica, Vermont. Complete with a parade of course! Sunday we (Morgan, Ava, Giles, Hillary, and I) got up on a stormy morning and headed to Massachusetts to Yankee Candle Company and the Butterfly Conservatory. Butterflies get to land on you.....Hillary, Ava, and Giles had a great time....although the butterflies were not gravitating toward Giles.....(and he was SAD :(.....we found this injured one ....and did the 'motherly' thing and put it on Giles so he now knows the butterflies do love him equally :)

Here are some pictures of the latest little adventures!

~Living in Vermont~

When you live in Vermont a dehumidifier is part of everyday life.....my hair has never been so curly! I climb these old stairs into what Tennessee people would think was the entrance to exorcist (dungeon or cellar).....anyway, the air is full of moisture here and if you don't have this dehumidifier then mold will grow! Sooo, I brave up!

Hillary has been busy lately with all her art work drawing butterflies and such! We spent some time at the creek today and she made nature creatures and built boats and sailed them downstream.....:) We ate some wild raspberries too on our bike ride. We gathered interesting rocks, too!

Today was around 70 and tonight it will get down to 50! Can we say COLD FRONT.....but I like it....yes, remind me of this as it gets colder!

Several weeks ago around the first of June I met a father with his six year old daughter at a nearby playground.....His daughter, the same age as Hillary, attended a school called New England Classical School and the weirdest thing....we received an email from him about a position opening at NECS in New Hampshire....wow. It was very kind of this family to take time to find us and reach out to give us this information.....something else!

So, this weekend I have in store a Jamaica (Jamaic-er)Street Festival....I'm hoping for some quirky, educational entertainment with fun laughs! Pictures soon!

Hillary and Ava have been missing one another.....last night Hillary did some art while Ava sang via Facetime! So cute!
(Nana just sent this via a BOX in the MAIL!!)

picnic at Ludlow park...visited that giant tree by river today

Picture of Cosmos....SHS team....practice.....

~Lazy Day~

Sunday was a bit of a lazy day......but we did enjoy a nice trip to Weston......saw a concert, not what we thought.....we had lawn chairs and snacks and turns out .....it was in a church and everyone was so quiet....it was real serious business!!!!

Today we went swimming in Chester...it got up to 85 degrees today, but the nights still get cool around 50.

Below are some of the historic pictures of Weston.....

Ludlow library project today!

~Ideas (and other stuff :)

I had this great idea for football this year......


Every week I try to read over The Vermont Journal "The Message" part delivers this little thing called the "Street Corner" where they casually pose a question to townspeople and they answer it .....Like celebrity citizen for really no reason....but it's fun! So, my idea is for the Cosmos to have "Players' Corner" on the inside of each game program. A question is asked each week....and a grade level player from 9, 10, 11, & 12 answer in their unique perspective  (picture will also be taken). (This would be a great task for the video/ media student at the games or manager). For instance, a coach might pose a question...."What's your favorite drill at practice?" or "play".......This is kind of what it might look like......(Stealing ideas here from the local paper.......and of course, I have to write my idea down or I will forget!)

Brock against Coach Eno, oops, I mean, Captain America!

Pappy calls out of the blue going down the interstate to play Cooper "Free Bird" (9 min. 10 sec. of remembering riding in that red Chevy with his Pappy......Love it!

Sunset hike up to the mountain side....

...and this little school may be my future workplace......K-6 (multi-grade levels)
Reading, Vermont
(kind of like that one-room feel of an education)
 

Well, this man doesn't know it....but we snapped this pic of him.....lol - we have a family thing going .....about look-a-likes when we spot them up here (everyone has a double).....We think this looks like Uncle Larry Rosson....What do ya think? (Just the side profile :)

 

Here's what the example might look like :) (except football for programs)



 

~Golf & Fun~

Sunset golfing - check out the background....love it....

In case you missed it on Facebook....:) Cooper, Brock, and Hillary spent the night over at the Browns....They sure loved it!!!

~Picking & Playing~

Yesterday I had moments of missing, remembering, thinking.........thankfulness.......appreciation......these places that are all part of who I am (at some point):

My Grandmother's house .....front porch steps...I've set there on those steps a many a day! This was taken just a few days before we ventured.....

click on song:  http://youtu.be/ixOdgv8FdbQ

The Barn.....at Memo & Pepo's.....great memories!

 

 

 

 

 

That road....I love......

Family picture with a goat...sure!

 

 

 

Today was much better......I went to one of the most beautiful places atop Springfield: Cherry Hill Farm- red wing black birds and robins were our music as we picked on this hillside. So pretty...I was lucky to have had this beauty around me!

Morgan introduced me to the place....and of course, Hillary and Ava were along with us for the adventure. Hillary almost ate most of the raspberries before we made it home for the day. Ava spent the night over last night, and the girls have been busy swimming, drawing, and exploring.

The boys have been busy the last two days, too! They have had basketball camp at Riverside Middle School. Cooper's class starts at 9:00 and Brock's starts at 10:30 until 12. After basketball yesterday, Brock joined Giles yesterday and went swimming at Giles' grandmother's house, then to football workouts...he was tired yesterday!! Cooper had a dentist appointment after his basketball practice yesterday.

I put the kids in time out - outside with water.....yep, the arguing got too much....I've always understood what Muir had to say about nature was utterly true....I hope it is for my kids...."In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." You believe it too, no? I do!

Cooper giving a sly look - being silly!

Matching hats from Grammy!!! Thank you, Grammy!!!

Cooper on VAST trail...I ride with him a lot on this trail! (Heebie  Jeebies when we jump this one spot!)

No rain, but added "kick leg" and umbrella for pose ;)

This picture hardly does it justice...but this was our view while picking raspberries this morning...so pretty.