strawberry picking

Everyone has a different method - be it to crouch down, kneel or sit down, one-handed or two-handed, fast or slow. What you ask? Picking strawberries.

The Blaise method: crouch down, head down (no one else is around, right?), pick the biggest strawberry you can find, remove top (each green leaf individually) and then purposefully place in quart container.

The Ambrose method: crouch down in one spot of row pick only the absolute best strawberries, comment 'Mommy, there are better ones down there' and proceed further down the row. Pick a couple more fantastic ones and proceed further down the row. Then once your mother reminds you to stay close, come back, showcase all said 'perfect' strawberries and say 'I'm going to pick a lot more'.

A bit of sampling must happen while picking . . .

The Mommy method: while two boys are entertained pick as quickly as possible, the goal is 8 quarts (and then you get the 9th free!)

And finally, more sampling . . . and then disappointment as the strawberries that were picked are headed for the car and not your stomach. boo hoo, mommy.

summer camp has started!

Camp Mom started yesterday with a construction day (as if there is any other way to start with two boys!) We wore our construction gear in order to head out and look for orange barrels and big machinery. One does not have to drive too far in the summertime in Rochester to find construction (after all there are 2 seasons here: winter and construction).

We made trips to the library to stock up on construction books and a visit to the DOT to size up the machinery. We ran into our neighbor who works at the DOT and he answered all of Ambrose's questions:

-why are there 2 tires side by side on the dump truck? (double axle)

-why are there numbers with a letter on this part of the truck? (id for the wing on the snow plow, number refers to a specific truck)

-why are these trucks parked here and not inside? (there is only so much room inside. All of the vehicles are here to be fixed)

-and on and on

Ambrose checking out the steamroller

Today began our 'neighborhood' summer camp. 5 families (total of 12 kids) meet every Tuesday during the summer and rotate homes so everyone has a turn to host. We hosted today's session with six kids attending and had a great time! We read Not a Box by Antoinette Portis and then played in and painted boxes. By the end of camp we were covered in paint (see video for more proof), wet from the rain (we even took a walk to splash in the puddles), full of Popsicles and giddy from all the fun.

Mary Grace, Ambrose, Iain and Lexie

project with Aunt Sarah

Aunt Sarah, Elijah, Tobias and Margaret Rose are traveling around for a month or so visiting family and last week one of the stops was Rochester.

The boys were very excited their cousins were coming to visit - in fact Blaise has been saying toe-bee (for cousin Toby) for awhile.

One day we went to the zoo and the kids ran around looking at the animals. Another day we went out to Macedon to visit and dyed silk scarfs with kool-aid. Aunt Sarah these are a hit - we use them for capes, hats, hiding under and so many other things. We all can't wait for your next visit!

dyeing silk scarves with kool-aid

Blaise excited to see his scarf

Margaret Rose, Toby, Ambrose, Blaise and Elijah

can't stand up

We attended a surprise birthday party for a friend and they have a trampoline . . .

count how many seconds Blaise stood up . . .

imagination

One gently used toy (handed down from friends) provides hours of entertainment. One day it is a Zamboni as we play hockey we need to 'clean the ice'. The next it is a hot dog cart where we can buy hot dogs (made from pine cones wrapped in leaves) while we play baseball. Or when we are out doing yard work it becomes the 'garbage' truck as we dump our weeds into the garbage can.

Our latest version found us cruising down the driveway in this stylish fashion. Luckily we weren't 'picking up chicks' . . . after all they are only 2 & 4 -right?

visiting family

Over Memorial Day weekend we visited family in South Carolina; including our two newest nephews. Here are some of the highlights:

Building with Grandpa (with his 'antique' American Plastic Bricks) . . .

A trip to Lake Hartwell (and jetskiing for the adults) . . .

Meeting Samuel . . .

Meeting Victor . . .

Playing with boxes (who needs toys?) . . .

On the docks of Edisto Island . . .

Working at Uncle Greg & Aunt Betsy's farm market . . .

The big red chair at the market . . .

Ground grits and cornmeal in the 1945 mill at the market . . .

Spent a lot of time looking at airplanes at the airport (due to 'mechanical' issues) . . .

And of course our visit was too short, we can't wait to go back!