Miscellany (or why my iPhone killed the blog)

Liam got gymnastics rings for his birthday and has taken to hanging to watch TV. At first we loved them but between Chris smacking his head on them and the fact that Liam has tried to make the entire family room into a jumpy house. We may have to rethink this installation.

Last night of summer vacation at the Bass Harbor Light House, Maine.

Colin's Lego birthday cake!

Colin dressed as J.R.R. Tolkien for his third grade oral presentation. He was TERRIFIED but practiced so many times that he finally did it! The only part he even remotely enjoyed was me dumping baby powder into his hair to transform him into a graying English professor. 

Eamon had to have a brief overnight to surgically drain an infection on his belly from one of his glucose sensors. Unfortunately this fell ON his birthday and we took to celebrating at midnight while we were still in the ER. Not to be outdone, Sadie showed the nurse a small pimple under her arm and got her to lance it, so she got a johnny too. God forbid she let her brother get all the attention!

All gowned up for Eamon's OTHER surgery this year. He made it through his endoscopy with flying colors, but then we had to break it to him that he's going gluten-free. As usual, he took it well and told his siblings that he has his "own aisle" in the grocery store and they "can't eat anything on his new shelf" in the pantry. Thank God he is the coolest kid on the planet. 

Little Miss gets her hair chopped off. 

Sadie not only learned to swim without floats this summer, she LOVED the beach!

Colin body-surfing at Salisbury beach.

The boys' favorite game at the bus stop: catch the falling leaves!

Sadie's 3rd birthday cake! She's a little teapot, short and stout. And boy does she know how to shout!

Eamon can always be counted on to find wildlife at the beach.

Eamon had a vampire phase for a while. It started when he began licking the blood off his finger after every blood sugar check, and continued on to every possible variation of vampire teeth he could dream up.

Beach comber.

Beach digger.

Beach builder.

Eamon had his eyes dilated for his eye exam and LOVED the glasses he got to wear home. He keeps saying he is going to be a doctor, and he surely loves any medical equipment, tests, appointments or procedures he can find. Unfortunately, he has found a lot this year.

Can you find the hidden oldest in the branches? Hiking Mt. Wachusett

Sadie loves her cleats. I hope they let her wear a skirt on the soccer team because she refuses to wear anything else.

I compromised all of my parenting ideals and let Sadie get a Pinkalicious trike. But she loves it and pairs it with any sparkly tutu she can find.

Late night chess match. A common occurrence here. 

This kid collects hospital johnnies and prefers them to all of the rest of his clothes. I hate seeing him in them, but no matter how many times I try to throw them away, he salvages them.

First tooth gone! 

Thanksgiving 2012

The birthday girl and her many expressions. Happy 3rd!

Eamon and I BEFORE the Color Me Rad 5K. When we were still pristine.

It is a constant issue trying to put the kids in the car. No matter which two sit together, some kind of argument ensues. We told Colin a number of times to leave his brother Eamon alone and then the little guy just hauled off and elbowed him. It looks worse than it is; Colin gets a nose-bleed if you look at him too hard.

Sadie and I got our hair and nails done. Or a "makeover" as she likes to say.

More frolicking at Salisbury beach.

The kids are CONSTANTLY trying to change beds. For months Sadie would play her brothers against each other, choosing to sleep with one or another every night.

Bass Harbor Light house on the right. Would have been an amazing hike if the mosquitoes weren't so thick everyone else stayed in the car!

The day Sadie learned to pump a swing on her own. I feel like soon I won't need to parent at all.

Colin and his best buddies at the Lego Store for his 9th birthday!

Eamon cheering on the New England Revolution. Sadie was TERRIFIED of the gun salute they do after the home team scores a goal. 

Colin's turn to do his thing on the rings. Provided his brother actually lets anyone else touch his precious gymnastics apparatus.

Very first swim at Grammy and Grampy's this summer.

Hiding from the sun on a beach day.

Happy girl.

All four of the kids took swim lessons this summer. Sadie let Colin help her practice her frog kick. 

Just hanging out on the trail at Mt. Wachusett.

Always some ridiculous get-up particularly with her rat's nest hair.

She got sick of playing tennis and decided to go "swimming" in a puddle she found on the courts.

Liam checking out the new compass at the summit of Wachusett Mountain

Eamon and I AFTER getting color bombed at the Color Me Rad 5K

Pile o'brothers.

Diva on display. Strutting her stuff in MaryKate's dance clothes.

Made it to the summit. Eamon somehow managed it without whining even though he vomited at the bottom and had to snack on glucose tabs all the way up. Colin kindly kept pace with me while Liam ran up.

The Tooth Fairy found this under Liam's pillow. He was afraid he wouldn't get loot since he had no tooth to show for it.

Always underground.

Eamon just before going under for his endoscopy. Taking a hit from the strawberry scented anesthesia mask like a little addict.

Colin has become quite the film-maker. He casts his siblings but Little Miss tends to ad-lib too much for the director's liking. After her scenes got cut, we found her in the playroom covering her body in blue paint. Personal statement or casting call for Avatar 2?

Liam ensuring that he will float. 

Never one to shy away from a camera lens.

A very colorful boy.

Colin and his "best" cousin.

Shaking his booty at the beach.

I'm three and I don't use floats anymore!

On top of Cadillac mountain. Best little hiker girl around. No more backpack for this one!

Poking her head out of the loft on our late summer camping trip.

The night before we left for camping, I took the kids on our yearly Six Flags outing. Colin was desperate to win this squid hat. Lots of Whack-a-mole accomplished it and made him happy.