vitamin sea

Ahhh... summertime in New York. I know many people look at me a little funny when I tell them we are going to New York for a beach vacation, but Montauk is truly a perfect little beach town. (Seriously - take a look at it on a map.) How lucky are we to have more than one reason to visit here in the summer as it is great time spent with family and friends as well. This year Ben is getting into action on the beach, and, well, it's hard to know what to do with him. Back home when we would head to the park with friends I would have to keep him out of the sandbox due to his strange desire to eat the sand. Here on the beach it is a dilemma! We can't exactly take the sand away, so we just have to go with the flow and try to do what we can to keep him from getting too carried away.

Here he is putting his face in it to take a big bite! Ugh.

Bree is a total water baby. She is so at home on the beach and in the water and would stay there all day if she could. Mommy was impressed with how she could read the waves. She knew when she could jump them, and when to dive into them. She has no problem making friends, either. She ran straight up to a little girl and said, "Hi - do you want to be my friend?" Alex and Bree enjoyed a day of fun in the sun together at Ditch Plains Beach. Ditch Plains is about a ten minute walk for us and is, not surprisingly, our favorite Montauk beach! (It is also a very popular spot for the surfers - including Jimmy Buffet.)

digging in the sand

want some seaweed, mom?

Alex and Bree

We also spent some time with our friends Sue, Noah, and Ben at Ditch Plains. Another bonus with being so close is Dan is able to walk "home" with Ben and leave him with Joe for his nap, which gives the rest of us more time to play and works well for Ben, too.

Since Bree wouldn't dream of leaving the beach to take a nap, this is what happens when she does get home:

Little brother loves her so much, he decided to get as close as possible. First he sat on her, then he found a better way.  

pool time!

Bree and I have sure enjoyed our summer days at the pool! It is even better when joined by good friends.

Ho Ho Happy Times

Something really wonderful happened in our family. My cousin Alison, my cousin's wife Julie, and I all welcomed little girls into our lives at about the same time. Now these girls are able to share experiences as they grow up together - and us mommies are able to enjoy watching it all! We plan a summer trip to the North Pole and are making it a yearly tradition.

 The North Pole does, in fact, have a pole. I discovered something new about this pole this year - it is made of ice! I'd seen the pole during previous visits but had never touched it. Much to my surprise the white part of the pole is all ice. How do they do that? It is a great way to cool down on a hot day like this one, the girls even put their bellies on it!

Thank you to Julie for sharing her pictures!

bang!

These are the little moments that make up parenting. With children, the days are long and the years are short.

Independence Day weekend, 2011

What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys? How about this...

Corinne, Mindi, Erin 

Our friends Mindi and Kelly sure know how to throw a barbecue! Our whole family stopped by to enjoy some delicious food and spend time with friends we love. It was a perfect day.

a boy and a dog

apple pie on the 4th of July tastes even better when you share it with a friend

Mindi and Kelly live in a beautiful place. 

The only picture I managed to take on July 4th at Grammie's house was this one. The photo didn't turn out great, but the food was sure yummy! I'm going to learn how to do this.

something to remember

Babies Don’t Keep
By Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Lullabye, rockaby, lullabye loo.
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo,
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo,
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs;
Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

our favorite park

We have a favorite park in town. It is a short drive from our house and is just beautiful. There is a small playground area, but the best part is the water.

in the car and on the way

Our friends Jack and Marika told us about this park and we've been meeting them there since the boys were first born. The sidewalk is perfect for two strollers. 

Another friend!

snack time

miscellaneous summer fun

Our summer has been full of fun so far, with each day getting better and better! Why stay home and try (in vain) to keep the house clean when there are so many other options? We are living it up this summer, making the most of each day. 

Mommy and Bree headed out to the theater to see Mr. Popper's Penguins. On the way out the door she just couldn't resist a trip through the fountains. Of course, a trip to Bree means a serious drenching! I'm thinking about keeping a change of clothes in the car for her from now on...

Daddy took Bree to the toy store to get him her something to play with. 

We manage to get to our public library once in awhile. Bree has discovered the magazine section. Aquarium Life is her favorite.

Planting flowers in the garden is especially fun when you can dig up worms. Bree loves worms. 

SWIMMING! As much as we can we head over to the pool. Bree taught herself how to do a somersault in the water. 

CLIMBING! Ben has that one figured out! He now pushes chairs around to climb on when he can't reach something that catches his eye. Never a dull moment when he's roaming the house.

tea time!

 This summer Bree and I were invited to a special tea party in honor of our friend Addison. It was a treat to enjoy yummy delicacies with such good company!