the woods are lovely, dark, and deep

Dylan and I have been enjoying some one-on-one time while Alexa gets used to her new home daycare (which is conveniently located in our neighborhood). Today, we took a stroll up Sleeping Giant, where Dylan showed his penchant for hiking (and trail running). We did have a lot of rest stops, though, because Dylan wanted to try out all of the natural furniture. Maybe a bed like this one would improve his sleeping habits?

gathering of the vibes

Spent Sunday afternoon at the Treats' (Bryan's cousins)
friendly abode in Hampstead, NH. The festive occasion was
fourfold: Jamie and Emma Treat were visiting from Seattle, and
Dave, Kylie, and Melissa (Treat) were all celebrating recent
birthdays. Here's Laura looking on as Edie carries her not-so-little
anymore cousin across the yard.
Bryan and Dave spent much of the day making music in the
living room.
Alexa tried her hand at cards.
She shuffles a mean deck!

Nico comes to play

Paul and Meredith, our dear friends from Burlington, VT,
came to visit with their 2-year-old son, Nico of the Golden Locks.
Here are Alexa and Nico chasing after Dylan, who is being raced around
in his car by Mom.
Tricia, soaking up the last rays of summer.
Who says pools are just for swimming?

rub-a-dub-dub

After a mini-pizza party at Sarah and Angelo's place, we decided to try
to answer the age-old question, "How many toddlers can you squeeze
into a bathtub?" Answer: four. We tried for five, but this caused a bit
of controversy among the bathers.
Mathew Leone, squeaky clean.

belay's on!

Back on the rock at last! Our friends Tim and Stephanie invited us to
go rock climbing at Chatfield Hollow in Killingworth. Tim proved a worthy
climbing instructor to Dylan, who was so excited to climb "way way up high."
Here, Dylan's making his way up a respectable 5.4.
Dylan seemed to be a natural (no sewing-machine knee or Elvis syndrome--I guess three-year-olds aren't aware enough of their natural surroundings to
be afraid). Rappelling was a bit more of a challenge, but Dylan made two
successful ascents, while Alexa and friend Morgan cheered him on.

Alexa wanted in on the action, as usual. She's more of a free-climber, though,
so she was less excited about the harness and rope.
Even Mom got to have a turn.
After a tough workout, the kids enjoyed a post-climb snack on their
camp chairs. (Much to the chagrin of Dylan and Morgan, Alexa had
systematically eaten all of the chocolate from the trail mix while they
had been looking for lizards and running from giants.)

We punctuated the day with pizza (and beer for the parents), and a renewed desire to be on the rock again. All we need is a leash for Alexa, whose fearless desire to explore her surroundings can be a bit unsettling at times. . . .

sweet rewards

Dylan has spent the last two weeks earning (in his terms) the bike of his dreams.
He saw the bike in at Zane's in Branford and immediately fell under its spell.
As you can see, he's pretty excited to reap the fruits of his labor.
"This is the bike I've been looking for!" he exclaimed, as if he'd been
searching all his life. The proud new Trek owner is ready to hit the
bike trail, in spite of the dark clouds that are gathering outside. We're
off!

back in the House (photo not available)

It would have made sense, now that I've been photographing everything and documenting (to some extent) our magic moments on this blog, to remember to bring a camera to the Crowded House show in Northampton last night.
That would have made sense.
But, true to form, the camera was left in the diaper bag, which was left at my parents' house in Waltham. And I felt the absence of my camera quite deeply as I chatted briefly with my favorite musician, Neil Finn, outside the Calvin Theatre. No photographic evidence. Just a rather dull anecdote.
Well, it's not like I've been waiting fifteen or so years to say hello to Mr. Finn, now, is it?
"What's the big deal?" Bryan asked. "I'm sure we'll see another show, and then you'll have your chance."
Fifteen years.
Maybe next time.
(P.S. The show was great!)

and the livin's easy

Spent a week in Falmouth, Cape Cod, with my parents and the Joneses
(my aunt, uncle, and cousin Pete). On Tuesday, we took the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard and rented bikes, which we rode to a most
beautiful and idyllic beach called Katama. Heading back to the ferry,
Alexa opted for for the free-spirited San Francisco look: helmet and birthday suit.
Mom and Dylan on the beach in Falmouth.
Alexa spent hours making sand castles.
Dylan, Grammy, Alexa, and Dad playing in the sand.
Dylan and Grammy, running on the beach.