20120430 - Same Old Same Old

20110430 - Up in the am and to the desk all day... Had a quick dinner then DJ&I to Scouts. J&I hosted our LAST WOLF DEN MEETING :-) Then we went up to get D and a bit disappointed he got nothing signed off in his book... Home, all boys to bed, I got Doc and out for a fun Bible Bangers meeting.

20120429 + FOOTBALL

20120429 + Up and we made the attempt to go to Sunday school, but with no child care we couldn't do it. So we grabbed Samer and came home for some play time in the backyard. I warmed J up with his football skills and then off to the big game. J got to
Carry the ball a couple times and I think he really liked it. I thought he did GREAT! Gma&PaW down for the game and then out for dinner. All home and to bed.

20120428 - Busy Day

20120428 - Up and Everyone out: L to Zumba, D to bfast w/ Scout leader, JG&I to the bank, bfast @ McD's, Home Depot for glass and Blockbuster to return a movie. Home and replaced the glass in the backdoor J broke out last night... We hung out an the boys made some bday cards.

L home for lunch and then all back out: L&D to a bday party, DJ&I to gather pipestone wood for D's summer camp until time I take J to a bday party and D to baseball practice. All home and D over to a friends for the night, J melting down, G&I ran and got food. We watched 'Dadddy Daycare'.

20120427 - Dad's Turn

20120427 - Up way to early, L left the house at 6:30 for a mammogram, so I had to get the boys off to school and take G to school. Today was parents day at school so I got to stay with G and do activities. We made this cool picture together and othe fun stuff :-)

Back to the desk for a busy day. All home an then we went to Logan's for dinner and had the worse service we have had in a long time... After dinner we stopped at Staples and Blockbuster. Home, boys cleaned up and to bed. D&I stayed up and watched the new Mission Impossible.

20120426 + Fly, Work, IceCream

20120426 + Up super early and drove to BOS for early morning flight. Got home and L&G happy to see me. At the desk and finished the day. Had dinner with the fam, L off to Zumba, D to practice, JG&I out and about. JG&I picked up D and we headed to DQ for a treat. Home, all to bed, long day.

20120425 - UK Cashing

20120425 - Up and in to the office for a busy and exciting day, well Larry did lose his wallet... I had a review today and it went VERY WELL!!! The day ended and I headed out to eat with some coworkers from CA and the UK. We had habatchi and over dinner conversation they discovered geocaching, so we gave it a try. The UK guys were quiet good and after finding the first one they wanted to do more, so we did 3! What a good end to a good trip.

20120424 - Meetings

20120424 - Up and into the office for an all day meeting. The meeting was pretty good, especially The presentation Larry and I did :-) We finished our meeting in the evening and then headed out for a big company dinner. After dinner we took some of the new guys and introduced them to geocaching.

20120423 - Aliens

20120423 - Up and on a jet to Boston/Chelmsford for a quick trip. I got there, pick up a nice fellow that just started working with us an headed in to the office. Made my rounds and said 'Hi!' to everyone, got some work done and then headed out for a nice dinner with Larry an some exploring/geocaching afterwards.

20120422 + Fridgid Recovery

20120422 + Up most of the night COLD and checking on boys. Then up early with the noise of the camp and had breakfast. J&G were frozen and did not want to go on any hikes or do anything but 'GO HOME'! So we packed up and headed out. We did stop for hot chocolate :-) Home and L&D home soo, D was frozen too. We all took HOT showers and DJ&I recovered quietly in the living room in and in and out of conscientiousness... G took a nap on the way home so he was up and out playing with the neighbor kid while L mowed the yard and cleaned up the camping gear (Oh how I love her :-) Once I got mobilized I finished cleaning up the camping stuff and helped D with some homework. We ate and then relaxed in our nice warm house until bed time. I'm up getting things ready for a trip to Boston starting tomorrow.

20120421 - Rainy Camping

20120421 - Up and JG&I made final preparations and headed out leaving L at home for a day of shopping and an evening with Barry Manilo. The boys and I got gas, stopped at mcD's for bfast and then headed south through the rain to Hocking Hills to meet the Cub Scouts. Our first adventure was a hike at Old Mans Cave.

We then made our way back to the camp site where we got our tent up, fire started, wood gathered, scavenger hunt and playing underway!




The rain did eventually stop and we got dinner, everything cleaned up and the evening campfire program rolling.

 
 J and the other Wolves gave their Den Cheer
and there was singing and corny skits and jokes.
 
At the end we had a very solemn flag retirement ceremony where we burned a tattered and torn American Flag. All boys to bed. Up late chatting by the fire.

20120420 + Noodlin

20120420 + Up and a super fast day at work. G was home sick from school again (not really sick...) and was glued to the TV as I was buried... Buddy stopped by to pick up some camping supplies, the day ended, the fam went to the Noodle restaurant where we spent $32 on $3.20 worth of food: BRILLIANT! Then L took D to meet the scouts for their camp out tonight and then headed to Zumba. JG&I hit OfficeMax, BestBuy and Staples to find an iPad cover and other supplies. We hit the DQ on the way home :-) Home for some scooter tricks and agility training Rocky style says G. Boys to bed excited about going camping tomorrow.

20120419 - Watching

20120419 - UP work, D home sick he was good. L home other boys home early. I came out for dinner and then D out to baseball practice. The rest of us headed back to watch and play. One of the boys came home with D until his folks could pick him up and we all played in the back. In for the night and I helpd D pack for camping tomorrow night. All boys to bed, up late updating the blog.

20120418 + Banished

20120418 + Up and at the desk all day. L&G home, G not feeling well so they went to the Dr. to discover he has strep throat... J home and we fitted his mouthpiece for football that starts next Wednesday, see the Buccaneers schedule to the right -> D got home got his homework done. L banished us from the house (except sick G who was banished to the bedroom) for a food party with her girly friends; so we went to CiCi's for dinner, walked around the shopping center and then went to see 'Lock Out' the movie, it was just ok... Home and all boys to bed.

20120417 - Playing

20120417 - Up in the am at the desk. Picked up G from the sitter and got lunch together with Lilly. Home and back to work. Took a break and J helped me clip The bird wings. Finished the day and we all had dinner before we split for this evenings activities: L to Zumba, D to baseball practice, and J&I took G to Tball practice. Later JG&I went to watch the end of D's practice and D was hitting like crazy. J&G played with Mr. Wright a bit and then all home for snack, bath and bed.

20120416 + CA Friends

20120416 + Worked all am to get things tied off.  Lee and Lori here from CA for a visit and to meet my family they have heard much about through our years of working together.  I gave them a tour of the house and then L&G got home.  We all went to lunch at Creekside and then walked around.  We returned home to meet up with J and then out for a long awaited kickball game between Lee and G.  It was a good game and all had a good time.  Soon D was home and too excited about setting up the iPad he won at school to socialize much.  Soon Lee and Lori had to get back on the road, too short of a visit but oh so nice to see them again.  Homework got done, we rested up a bit and then rode our bikes to get dinner.  Not enough time to eat at home, D&I off to Scouts and then home for a quick stop before out the door to Bible bangers.

20120415 - 1 More

20120415 - Up and the boys boy at the barn. GpaW and I got some things returned we had borrowed for the syrup day and then finished cleaning stuff up. D&I ran and got an iPad for Paulette while everyone else went out to the field to get the fence ready to let the cows out to pasture. We brought lunch home and everyone gathered to eat. After lunch I set up the iPad while everyone went back to the barn for one more swing on the rope and adventurous rent before we headed home.






Home and unpacked everything. We hung out in the backyard and enjoyed the beautiful day. G&I ran and got dinner and a movie. Boys cleaned up and off to bed. L&I watched the movie and planned for the upcoming week.

20120414 - Maple Syrup Day at the Farm

20120414 - Up at the crack of dawn, but the boys already up. Roger had the fire going an we all met up at the boiling pot of sap. The rain sputtered and stopped and came back harder and then ceased, this would happen throughout the day. Soon those brave enough to see the fond memories that would be made today through the rain started showing up an the Farm was filled with the steam of the sap, the smoke of the fire, laughter of children and stories of 'when we were kids'... The French toast was cooked and syrup slurped in the morning hours and then a grand lunch made from loving hands from all over. Friends old and new chatted and explored the Farmhouse, the Barn an woods. The young folks took some time to plant some red oak saplings that they can show their grandchildren when they come back. The Boy Scouts led a 5 mile hike that ended up at Camp Mowana where a hay wagon full met the hikers for a trek to the falls. All back to the farm and the syrup done. Another successful year surrounded by the people we love.



No matter where you travel from.
When you get to the Farm, 
you know you're home.

Thanks to all who helped prepare, those who came to share, those that came to play.  
Because of all of you, it was a wonderful day.  
See you next year!

See all our Maple Syrup related activities. 

As the visitors left we cleaned up and made our way up to Gma&paW's house where we a got cleaned up and collapsed. What a wonderful day.

20120413 - Not Much Longer

20120413 - Up early and everything packed and ready. Heading into my office I notice G's blanket over the chair. It hangs there tattered from 5 years of love and protection. He is growing out of it and it is sad.


At the desk and flew through the morning. Picked up J and then D from school and headed up to the farm. We got things ready and then rested for the big event tomorrow.

20120412 - Double Team

20120412 - Up, working. The Dr. called, G's blood is good, J's finger is broken... Ray over for help with his Eagle Scouts project. All boys home, dinner, D can't eat applesauce, it feels funny in his mouth... L to Zumba, D to baseball, JG&I packing the car, checked on D and got cleaned up. All boys home and up for a good fight. The little ones against the big :-) Up late getting things done.

20120411 - Up at desk all day.  Lilly was chasing the bird around...  L had a meeting today and then picked J up from school and tool J&G to the Dr. for a check up.  D home with me and got most of his homework done.  All had dinner, L off to Zumba, The boys and I got their iDevices cleaned up and added their favorite songs.

20120410 - Goose Egg & 1st Tball

20120410 - Up and G had his baseball sock on at first light. I worked all day and out of the office for dinner. D back to bb practice and while G was getting his gear together he dropped a helmet on his head, and pop a huge goose egg appeared!


Even with his lump we got G to practice in the freezing cold... I left for Troop 98 Committee Meeting / Scout Board of Review for an Eagle project.






20120409 - Up and worked, very busy.  Got my quarterly backups done.  Dinner with the fam then with D to Scouts and then to home to picked up Doc and headed to Bible Bangers where we celebrated his 71st birthday.

20120408 - Eggs

20120408 - Kids too excited... Made it to church, where our pastor compared Steve Jobs to Jesus? REALLY??? L&I to the Marriage Class. A quick stop at home and then to lunch @ the Cole's. I finished reading the Hunger Games.


Home tried to nap, D mowed a bit, then D&I to Hunger Games the movie. LJ&G back to playground.

20120407 + Sore Eggs

20120407 + Up slow and sore... L to Zumba and DJ&I cleaned out the car and then the shop. L home with groceries and we all had lunch. Then G took a nap and D&I headed out to buy mousetraps,beer and donate to the poor. Back home and D back to the school and I put a hammock and hung out with Sam (Adams). Soon J was home with Gma&paW and G was up. We all headed to Creekside for dinner. Back home and boys all cleaned up. Somehow L had enough energy to color eggs with the boys. I stay up all night and started reading 'The Hunger Games', what a great book, as I put it down with only 30 pages to go at 6am...

20120406 - Hard Labor

20120406 - Up and D helped me get ladders on the car. Then a couple of his friends arrived, Connor & Matt, and we all loaded up an headed to the Farm. We got there, got our stuff unloaded and got to work.  The Loughmans arrived and helped poly all the picnic tables and rip the east side roof off the smokehouse.






Then the kids scraped the paint on the smokehouse while Dave and I put new wood on the roof. An old friend, Lee, stopped by for a beer and ended up staying: 25 years ago Lee and I put a new roof on the woodhouse.



The Woods' stopped by to lend a hand and play too. The kids did some painting, mostly playing, and the smokehouse ended the day with a new paint job, a new roof and a bunch of tired workers.














20120405 - Up and sent D to school with instructions to find 2 friends to go to the farm and help tomorrow. To the desk and worked, made some plans for the work tomorrow. Had a quick dinner and L&J to zumba, D to baseball practice and G&I to Home Depot to get the supplies. Home, all boys to bed and I was up late packing the car full ready for an early departure.

20120404 + Family Walk

20120404 + Up at desk all day... Helped J&G get their new cleats on and play a bit of ball. All in for dinner and then everyone for a chilly walk at Academy park. Home basketball till bed watched American Idol with L up doing some planning.

20120403 - Twilight Boys

20120403 - Up at desk, had a couple of calls. L had meeting so I picked G up from sitter and we had McD's. Back to desk, more calls, etc... L to Zumba and I took the boys out to burn some energy on a new trail in our town with a cool bridge.

20120402 - Fast Through It

20120402 - Up, work, ran out for an Aquatics meeting, ran home to see D's first baseball practice, ran to Bible bangers, ran home and watched the end of NCAA Final. The only slow part of the day was the walk I got to take with J&G where we raced twigs and dandelion heads.

20120401 - Finally Even

20120401 - Up and everyone to church. Today L is 41 so I am not old any more :-) We took her to Olive garden for lunch. Home and she got her gift (iPad 3) and we hung out on the back porch on a perfect day as J serenaded us mowing the law 'this is the way we mow the lawn, mow the lawn, mow the lawn...'. I went put and got dinner too so the old girl didn't have to cook.