Happy Halloween!

From my guys to yours.

Maine and Lobsters

Last weekend we packed up the car and drove to Maine for the Lobsterman Triathalon and some sightseeing.  I will admit that the three things I was most excited to see in Maine were,

1.  Prince Edwards Island (not in Maine)
2.  Cabot Cove Maine (home of Jessica Fletcher and resident murder she wroter - not a real city in Maine)
3.  The sight of the Perfect Storm (not in Maine)

That being said, I still had never been to Maine and was excited to see what was in Maine since I had a lengthy list of things that weren't!

Here are some things Maine is known for...

Lighthouses!

Maine lighthouses are closed to the public except on Lighthouse Day, which happened to be the Saturday we were in town.  On this one day a year, people can climb the lighthouse stairs, walk to the top and walk around the balcony.  It closed at 3:30 and we showed up at 4.  They were still breathtaking to see from the ground.

Pretty much this picture captures Jack's impression of Maine.  

Maybe Jack was disappointed because he thought Maine was home to other cool things like I did and couldn't get over it our entire stay but Jack was not impressed with Maine.  I will cut him a bit of slack because he had been sick the week before we left, in fact he threw up the morning we left, but we decided not to let that make us miss out on Maine.

He did take a few pictures which seemed to make him happy, including this one which we look like we are glowing in...

The real motivating force behind our trip to Maine was so Zack could swim, bike, and run the Lobsterman Triathalon.  He swam a mile in the ocean, biked 27 miles and ran 6.2 miles in about 3 hours.  Jack and I almost missed him because we didn't get the memo that if we wanted to see him at the finish line we had to be there by 9am because the road was going to be blocked off.  We hoped into a taxi at 11:30 which dropped us off 3 miles from the finish line.  Then a curtosy shuttle took pity on us and took us to the end of the roadblock where a kind police man took pity on us and let the shuttle drive us the rest of the way there.  We were lucky enough to see this guy on his last mile!

We are so proud of Zack for doing such an awesome job!   He is a testament to endurance and follow through and we are crazy about him!!

After the race we checked out a local Lobster dive the Harraseeket Inn where Zack enjoyed his first ever Maine Lobster roll and clam chowder.   Neither Jack nor I were interested in sharing...

So although I don't recommend anyone go to Maine to see Anne Shirley's, Jessica Fletcher's, or the Andrea Gail's homeland, Maine is beautiful and well worth the trip, even with a moody 4 year old in tow.

Good News!

A few weeks ago Zack received a text from a friend who told him really good news was coming his way but he was going to make him "sweat it out for a bit." 

Let's be honest, anyone who knows Zack and me knows which one of us did the sweating it out part and which waited patiently, even forgetting he was supposed to be sweating something out!

Last week the mystery was finally solved when Zack found out he received first year honors! 


We are so proud of him and excited to see what comes next!

Apple picking

On the Charles

The Bowen Family.  Jonathan was such a trooper rowing that boat.    Let's just say there are times when only have one older child makes life easier, like when choosing between one person rowing a row boat, and two people rowing a canoe!

The kids were thrilled to be floating down the river with this beautiful bird!

The Zackrisons.  I only mildly freaked out getting into the canoe for the first time.   

It was a super hot day, and I splashed Jack with my paddle and he said, " Oh, how refreshing!!"
I love that kid.

The Acks swimming in the Charles, until a passerby told me her friend's dog got sick the previous week after swimming in this water.
We had a fantastic time, and Jack was thrilled to finally be out on the Charles.  Jonathan and Zack were heaven sent and left the wives and kids at the park while they rowed themselves back and picked us up in the air conditioned car.  What good guys we have!!

Rockport, MA with the Bowens

Jack loved these pictures because he is currently obsessed with Mary Poppins and they reminded him of Bert's sidewalk pictures that they jumped into.  Needless to say, we jumped into every sidewalk picture in Rockport.

 

Jack and Penelope riding the frog.  Penelope is one of Jack's best buds in Boston.  She also introduced Jack to the Chipmuck soundtrack, which we have been rocking out to ALL internship.  Thank you to the Bowens...I promise to find some way to return the favor!!

Jack and Pops pose for a scenic picture

Zack poses pretty for the camera.  15 years and this guys still cracks me up like no one else can!

Summer Internship 2010 pictures

Jack discovered Animal Fries.  After years of ignoring them, he suddenly looked over and asked, "Hey, what are you guys eating over there??"   End of an era...

Jack is OBSESSED with maps.  In other news, check out Jack's rainbows sans back straps.  He practiced for a week in San Diego to be able to surprise Zack on Father's Day with mini-"papa" shoes. (Aunt Christine, your's are coming...I am a total loser...sorry!!!)

Beach time!

Visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Z

ma

Jack Mads  and Mads Jack

These guys are the best of friends and have a blast together!

Sea World with Rachel and Ken.  It was great to be close enough to drive down for a last minute visit!

.Jack's after swimming lesson treats.  Ice cream sandwiches require serious concentration!

Swimming Lessons

What?!!  Mads had never been to CEC before?  We took care of that!

Jack and Zack at Toy Story 3 Family day at the office.

Jack in Zack's cube.  I promise he wore other shirts this summer besides this one!!

Surfer chick

Zack won an Oscar

Jack ate marshmallows. (Momma ate SMORES.)

Jack and Mom at Sea World. (sorry for the sideways pictures.  I am lost without our mac)...

 

 

Los Angeles

The other night I was standing in my Dad and Karen's kitchen, making dinner for my family, listening to Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar playing on the radio and my catching snip-its of my Dad and Jack's conversation upstairs about basketball and I felt peace and happiness.

There is so much change for us right now, but so much of it is good and familiar.  While there are so many reasons why couch-surfing with a family for ten weeks is difficult, I wouldn't give up this experience for a summer mansion of our own.  A few weeks ago I saw my dad and Jack become real buddies.  Soccer buddies, basketball buddies, reading buddies, talking buddies, Deda and Grandson.  It made me remember my Deda, who although he had no real family of his own, alongside Baba, created an amazing life centered around family.

Last week we are at Baba's house.  The house that I spent so many afternoons in growing up.  Learning to subtract by eating french fries, watching movies and reading books, me on one sofa, Dani on the other, and Tai in the recliner in between the two of us.  Everything is so familiar to me, and I love that this summer, it has the chance to become familiar...home...to Jack.

Baba has an amazing ability to patiently play whatever cockamaney game Jack can conjure up, and boy does he love her for it!  One morning while sitting at breakfast, he looked up and declared that he loved it here.

Right now, Tai is playing the piano and Jack is running around like a maniac shaking maraccas.  She has taught him how to find all of the Cs on the piano and to play a scale.  Now Jack has found a little stool to stand on and is conducting Tai on the piano with a baton.  These two make the perfect play mates!

Last night Zack told he how amazing my family is.  

Other then that, we spend our days running around LA, playing, visiting, and swimming.

If our apple hadn't finally given up and died thanks to Jack falling on it during a rousing game of Super Mario Brothers on Wii with Zack and Jonathan, I'd have picture proof of our summer madness.  I'm going to see  if I can't find a way to upload pictures off my iphone soon...

...oh and I turned 30.

Yikes...

Grandma came to visit

I love my mom.  I love how she will drop everything in her life to be there for me and Dani, and now for our children.  When the doctor called and gave me the option of converting to IVF or walking away from 16 eggs, I immediately called my mom and asked her if she would fly out to watch Jack during the surgery and help me recover while Zack went to San Diego for an interview.  There was not even a second of hesitation.  Even though things didn't turn out as we had prayed, she was there to play Monopoly with Jack and to help comfort me through my heartache.  Jack was sad to have her leave, but the thought of having Grandma back in only 10 days made the separation a lot easier (a trip she had planned before all the IVF drama).

So 10 days later, Grandma came back, this time I was determined to make it more fun (her previous trip having been a dud, and the one before that Jack threw up through and she helped us do 10 loads of laundry).  Here are some highlights from her trip.

We finally rode the Duck Boats!  If you are ever in the Boston area these are a must!!  Aunt Rachel had told Jack the story of her getting to drive the Duck Boat in the Charles River, so he was totally thrilled when he got to drive them too!

 We went to Boston Public Gardens and rode on the swan boats.  Grandma was in this photo, but her eyes were shut so I cropped her out...

 Jack the photographer took a picture of the Mallard's Island.

Jack takes us on a photographic journey of the Gardens.

We visited Walden Pond, where Henry David Thoreau spent two years living in isolation.  This is a replica of the house he built. 

Walden Pond was beautiful.  I could see the draw, although it's ironic that he lived here in isolation, but now it is so much of a huge tourist location that no one can get a taste what that isolation would have been like.

We "hiked" around the trails, and despite the bugs, it was glorious.  Jack kept asking to be carried (he is so my child), but promises of fresh baked cookies back home kept him on his feet.  I told him my story of being tricked up a mountain with the promise of a cookie that turned out to be raisin and not chocolate chip.  Since then, I am always unreasonably disgusted when I am offered a raisin cookie. 

Grandma played Ice Cream Shop tirelessly with Jack, was awakened every morning at 7am and let us sleep in, and was the best. 

This time when Grandma left, Jack asked if she was coming back in 10 days. 

I wish she was.

Ant Rachel came to visit

 A few weeks ago Rachel came out to Boston to visit.  It was a great trip and we loved having her around.  It was particularly awesome because she lived here for a summer so she was able to introduce us to some Boston treasures, such as Anna's Taqueria.  

We stopped at Flour, a local bakery that Bobby Flay lost a Cinnamon Roll Throwdown with, loaded up on cinnamon rolls, Boston Cream Pie and a number of other goodies, and headed over to Louisburg Square (pronounced with the s by locals and cool people in the know) to have a picnic.  You need a special key to get into this garden, but we were lucky and found it unlocked.  The Make Way for Ducklings book was the first thing that got Jack excited about moving to Boston and he literally has been asking to find Louisburg Square all year.  Thank you Aunt Rachel for going on a Ducklings adventure with us!

We think this must be Louis

We had fun shopping on Newbury Street, where I may or may not have fallen asleep on the floor of Borders like a hobo (I blame the anaesthesia from earlier in the week).  And then found our way over to the North End where Rachel introduced us to a delicious Italian restaurant.  Our food was fantastic, but that night all of Boston's water became contaminated.  For three or four days we had to boil all water to even wash dishes.  Thank heavens for our water storage because within hours of news of the contamination, every store for miles was sold out of water.  Yikes!

Jack convinced Rachel and Zack to play Monopoly with him, and was even a gracious loser (Jack not Zack :)).  He even filled out the Trophy for "Ant Rachel."

We love you Rachel and hope you come visit us again soon!