endless summer days

I was relying on my sister to provide good pics but she is now blogging so I will have to come up with my own.  So I am trying to upload a video - it was taken sideways and I have no idea how to change it.

We have entered the endless summer days.  All day we hang out go to the canoe club, swim and snack.  I ran today 3.5 and yesterday 3.5 miles both at the gym.  It is too hot for me outside.

blur

bounce house blur.

Tanta Di has a cold.

B and I went to the canoe club today after cleaning all morning.  It was a lovely summer day.

Bennett cried this morning wishing Momo could be with us - she clung to me today.   I made soup for dinner hoping to help Di feel better.

No running today - love this picture Di took of Avy and B in the bounce house!

Big Weekend

We are still recovering.

What a weekend mostly great!  We had a bit of a hard time at the graduation.  Bennett and I both had a difficult time.  I struggled with how to support her and myself.  One of the parents came to me and said we were doing what we needed to do - which was crying and hanging on.  That was wonderful to hear and helped me just continue.

Aunt Ruth and Tanta Di were there steadfast and supportive.  Tanta got a video of the kid next to B hitting her which sent her off.  I cannot blame him since he ended up leaving to go to the er with low blood pressure.  This is just pre-school!

The trip to NYC was great.  Bennett loved seeing the babies and I felt like we did the right thing seeing her with them.  Dori was the co-pilot which was great she was wonderfully social after a glass of wine and was able to keep up with B after the party.  I think we jogged a mile or so after B in Manhattan.

B getting grad certificate

Next day was the big b-day bounce house in the park.  We did it!  Bennett was mostly great - having fun with her friends.  I loved all the people who came - they were wonderful!  Bennett had more presents than she could open in a day.

Aunties and Sisters made it happen- thank you!   

Monday Estelle came to hang out with us - she is such a great kid.  At one point in the day B and Estelle were walking through the house and B was telling the story of when Momo died.  Estelle just listened to B it was incredible to watch.

Dori and I went to the gym  and ran 3.5 miles.  Today I ran with Zeus 3 miles .  We did not do much today -sadly said goodbye to dori and then cleaned.  Tanta Di shopped and we just relaxed.   

Hot days

Summer has arrived here in New England.  It was at least 90 with high humidity today.

Di and I went to Trader Joe's to buy stuff for B's party and the graduation party.  We will be partied out by the end of the weekend.  Friday is the grand preschool graduation followed by a party at the canoe club.  Saturday we drive to NYC for the twins christening party.  Sunday we will be creating chaos at our local park with a bounce house for B's birthday.

Bennett woke up at 5:30 am today to tell me she did not want a bounce house.  I wanted to say too bad your having one, but instead I rolled over and told her to go back to sleep.  She may be a bit excited about the upcoming events.

Zues and I ran yesterday 3 miles.  Today I went to the gym and ran 3.5 miles in the air conditioning.

Tanta Di is here!

Bennett and I are very happy to have Tanta here.  B is currently telling Di a very detailed story with many characters.

Z and I ran 2.5 miles - more tomorrow of everything.

The dingo ate your baby

Aunt Ruth C came over today.  She played with Bennett and chatted with me.  Zeus and I jogged up to Scott's tower 3 miles.  Ruth helped me figure out which of Ruth's handmade sweaters should go to which close friends.  Ruth C is my sounding board now - it is hard I am not good at several friends.  I rely heavily on one or two- I have always been this way.

Ruth C also taught B to say "the dingo ate your baby!"  She is saying it now while playing on the ipad.

crazy projects

ipad obsession

I seem to be keeping myself busy lately.  Between jogging with Zeus in the woods, house projects and getting B to school my time disappears.

Sandy picked Bennett up yesterday from school so I could finish up one of my crazy projects.  I have recently had three kind of bizarre ideas that have taken over my brain.  Two are just about done.  First was to take apart the old piano left in the dance studio downstairs and install the harp in the wall.  Second finish a metal gate I had started a while ago.  Third create an armature to hang a cow skeleton from the ceiling.

metal junk gate

None of these things actually make money or get me further along on my construction work.  Most people would just throw this stuff out.  They do get things out of the way and keep me from sitting around and crying.

B and I went to the farm today after school.  We met Sandy and Avy.  Bennett was tired when we arrived and had a small melt down over the fact that Avy picked the same type of treat that she did.  She seemed to recover after sitting in the shade and eating her ice treat.  For the most part B had a great time playing with Avy.

Sandy watched them for a bit while I obssesively picked peas.

Tired puppy 3 miles yesterday and 2 today.

plans and tp

We are here.

Bennett did not want to get out of bed or go to school today - I said ok.  We did alot for a stay at home day.  She went to the gym play place so I could work out - 3.5 miles today.  B did not want to leave.

We walked Zeus in the rain then went to city hall to check on our bounce house paper work.  Bennett wanted to go to open swim at the y so we did and then to Walmart to get paper, cleaning and plastic stuff ( we really needed tp).  

My plan for the day was to finish a project in the studio but hey - this is life with a 4 almost 5 year old.

Zeus and I ran 2.5 miles yesterday

Life goes on until it is over

This is it life goes on until its over.                              Grab on while it lasts.  Live, live until you cannot.  

My friend Sandy was unusually uncommunicative and I thought she might be mad at me but she was occupied by the fact that her niece is critically ill with cystic fibrosis and may be dying.  Her niece  is not very old in her twenties - life is not fair. 

A good Friend Gail stopped by to visit us tonight - she is a delight and always in the midst of living(really!).  I am happy to hear her daughters are doing well.  Her husband has had a recent fight with cancer and is struggling with his physical limitations put on him by this disease.  All I can say is go Michael go!- find anything that can be yours and have it.  I want to hunt mushrooms with you in the fall and talk of politics and the natural world and how they should be seperate but are not.

Zues and I ran 3 miles in the woods - sometimes I think this is what I am meant to do all day.  All else falls away when we run!  

cookouts and playdates

Another busy day - the oncoming summer seems to bring cookouts and playdates.

Aunt Ruth came over for pancakes this morning.  She and B went to the park while I ran 3 miles with Zues and went shopping.  

Bennett and I then went to a party at Amy and Zan's (prelude parents).  There were wonderful kids, parents and food at the party.  I do feel like a bit of an oddity at these gatherings.  At one point the conversation turned to asking me what it was like to be a single parent - luckily Lisa was there (I think she may be the only other single parent at Prelude) and chimed in. 

Bennett did well sticking with her friend Estelle.  She is a sweet and incredibly mature kid -  Lisa her mom (the single parent) is great and very social - hopefully we will see them this summer.  We got home late, had a bath and went to bed.

dreams and days

Last night I woke up to dreams of Ruth.  We were talking about the future she said she would not be there  but I would.  I just wanted her to hold me and she did.

We went to the farm yesterday first time this spring.  Bennett and Avy ran around barefoot playing in the dirt while Sandy and I picked peas.   I was a bit stern with the girls toward the end I was tired and did not want to chase them down.  Bennett has gotten into the habit of running.  She ran out of a park today while visiting our new friends in Longmeadow.  Her new friend, Letha  got a talking too and I tried to tell B how important it was not to run off.

Letha and her family were very sweet - they had a present for B and one for Letha to share.  We had a lovely time with Letha and her little cute brother Robbie at the park.  Thanks to Lynne who called Megan (mom of family) and introduced us.

I should have had the camera today but did take a pic of last nights dinner - peas, tofu, greens and toasted pumpkin seeds, thanks to the farm.

Liz who is the mother of the farm gave me her condolences yesterday.  She said she would miss Ruth's face and her gracious ways.

These are the days - ran 3.5 miles yesterday nothing today other than running after B.

birthday invites

Some days I am just lost.  I cannot find my way - tried to work on the house but just could not get far today.  Projects seem to big and I am unable to stay focussed.

I did get B to school and ran with Zues 2.5 miles.  We started the invites to B's party - its a bit involved having Bennett write everyones names on the envelopes.  She does not want to write the boys names and I am not sure how to direct people to our park.  We call it the Sargeant St park but its on the town map as the Rohan Park (I have never heard anyone call it that).  I will just do the best I can and give my email for more direction.

Whatever happens will be good - we will have a bouncehouse,  a dog cake(made by Bev!), Avy and Aunties!

clean and fed

Zues is back - we ran 3 miles on Mnt Tom.  It was a beautiful day sunny and rainy, cloudy and cool all in one day like only new england has.

I cleaned the basement studio and cried.

Avy hung out with me and B after school - she is a sweetie and B cried when she left and said that they loved each other!  Sandy reminded me I need to get some invites for Bennett's party out this week - ugh.  I have so much to do but only seem to manage keeping us clean and fed.

Days go by

So much happens in a day.   A possible grant for welding equipment for the race st place- now we need to wait till spring to apply.  I met with Lori and Vteck and they are encouraging about developing the welding studio.   I will invest myself in July building work spaces and hopefully having some mini classes.

Bennett is developing and consuming me - she is incredible!  My sister is coming soon! Then I will look for Mary Poppins to move in with us in the fall.

Ran 3.5 miles today - need to up it - Met a mother of 7 this weekend who looked incredible! hope to keep moving!

may miles

May's miles - not as many as I thought I ran.

◄ April	~ May 2012 ~					June ►
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1   3.5 miles	2	3  3.5 miles	4	5  3.5 miles
6  3. miles	7   2.5 miles	8   3.5 miles	9  3.5 miles	10  2 miles	11	12
13  3 miles	14  3.5 miles	15  2.5 miles	16	17  3 miles	18  3 miles	19
20	21	22  3.5 miles	23  2 miles	24  2 miles	25  3.5 miles	26
27	28  3 miles	29  3.5 miles	30  3 miles	31  2.5 miles	Notes: Total 63 miles

Taught at SF today to a wonderful group of cyclists.  Both Karen and Steve love to bike so they put together a weekend of biking and art making.  Welding came easily to the group because they were very in tune with their bodies.

Tired

Tired - that is what I am.  I fall asleep when Bennett goes to bed maybe even before she falls asleep.  Somehow this is what I need.

Bennnett woke up at 5 am today she tried to get me out of bed.  We stayed in bed snacking on bannanas and chatting eventually she fell back to sleep around 9 am.  I had to get her up to go to a performance at her school at 10 am.  For the first time in two years she wanted to go and she got on stage and performed. These performances were kind of torturous before she would go but not want to be on stage without mom.  Today she did it!  It was the last one -she played violen and guitar (little exercises) it was amazing.

I did not have a camera - I did not invite Aunties.  Hopefully we may get some pics from other parents.  Estelle's mom took pictures of them and Estelle told Bennett she did a wonderful job!  Estelle is a great  little friend.  I am sad that we are leaving Prelude.

I did not run today but ran 3.5 miles yesterday and 2.5 the day before with Z - I know I ran wednesday 3 miles.