USA Vacay Throwback | Candlepin Bowling

photo circa 2011, at our first Red Sox game

Little known fact: though New York State and Massachusetts are neighbors, they have a surprising amount of quirky differences.

You would think that growing up 7 hours apart would mean J and I would pretty much get each other.

But my husband says things like "Oh crap there's a Statey" or "I need to find a bubbler" or "is it big ball bowling or little ball bowling?"

Say what? 

Early in our marriage I thought he was nuts. Or that he was just making up words to mess with me. I mean, for the love! He doesn't even have a Boston accent!

Come to find out, even though our states are right next to each other... we grew up a little different. And most earth-shatteringly of all, we were used to different kinds of bowling when we got married. In fact, he was used to a kind of bowling I'd never even heard of before!

And it wasn't until this past trip to the Cape that he finally took me to prove that he is not, in fact, making this up.

BEHOLD, I give you...

"Little Ball Bowling"... aka Candlepin Bowling. #photographicevidence

Apparently it really is a thing. I think I can rest in peace now knowing that we cleared this up. Thanks wikipedia.

We had such a great time. I think I might even like it even better than "Normal Bowling" (<-- my not so subtle way of reminding everyone that NY is better than Mass) 

It was especially cool that the girls could hold the balls so much easier. And I was able to rest in the fact that if they dropped one on their foot, it probably wouldn't lead to an ER visit. Unlike Normal Bowling, where I have mini-mom-heart-attacks every time it's their turn. 

So the moral of the story is Candlepin Bowling is not made up and it's really fun!

If you're in New England and you want to try something different, search for a lane near you!

Definitely a fun family adventure.

Also, for the record: I beat My Love at his own game. Just sayin ;-) 

Let It Snow | Poor Cape Cod

 

I have so many snow pics from this trip, but unfortunately my "Real" photos are going to be stuck on my camera till we get home, since my computer decided it also needed an [indefinite] vacation. May it rest in peace.

So here's a brief snow update and random smattering of photos from my iPad. 

1. I did not pack enough snow cloths and definitely packed too many girly boots and not enough practical ones ;-)

2. It's hard to take artistic snow photos when you are too much of a pansy to really go any further into the snow than the front porch.

3. Being snowed in and eating comfort food is not helping my battle against the vacation muffin top ;-)

4. I haven't seen this much snow since I was a kid. Some of the banks are halfway up people's houses!

5. The kids are in heaven.

6. I did go out and play with them a few times, and I definitely counted "helping dig a snow fort in a snow bank" as exercise on more than one occassion.

7. The pellet stove and Sam Adams are extra comforting after playing in the snow.

8. I remember Cape Cod being much sunnier than this. But it's also been super fun to be snowed in with three generations of our family, including five kids under the age of 6, enjoying the warmth of the new living room addition.

 

These pictures are all a week or so old... Cass & Mike and the kids are home and Grandma and Grandpa flew back earlier this week. But as we hunker down for some more snow-ice-rain-junk tonight and tomorrow, here are some shot of last week's Aiduk/Logue/Williams reunion! 

 

 

 

Stay warm everyone!

 

 

My First Baby Niece! (And Second Shot at Birth Photography)

If there's anything more magical than being a support, encouragement, and photographer at the birth of a baby then it's being able to do it for a member of your family.  

Not only was I honored and super excited (a dream come true!) that my sister-in-law Cassie would be interested in my birth photography, but I was honored and super excited (thank you Lord!) to actually be able to make it there in time!

You wouldn't think it'd be that hard to make it on time... but it was considering the girls and I were with Aunt Tanya visiting Gram and Pa in Cape Cod when she started labor.  (Oh, and the fact that I usually live half a world away!)  But anyways, I had "a plan" for if she went into labor while I was in Corning... which obviously wasn't going to work out!

Thankfully, I have a wonderful set of old friends in the Philly area and with just a few facebook contacts and phone calls I was able to find someone who was free to babysit the girls over night while I *fingers crossed* got to watch my niece's birth.

So though she "interrupted our weekend" Harper actually came at just the perfect time for Tanya and I to attend.  And she even waited the 9 hours it took us to pack the cars and drive from Wareham, Ma to West Chester, Pa... Cassie met us at the door shortly after we arrived at the apartment to tell us that she was pretty sure her water had broken! So I went into my nephew's room to catch a short nap... which really ended up being 15 minutes of me being too excited to even shut my eyes before Cass decided it was time to drop Xavier off at his babysitter and head over to the birth center after all.

Cassie doesn't mess around with this whole giving birth thing.  She was truly an inspiration!  I could tell by how she was breathing through contractions as we loaded the car that she was definitely feeling pain... but she was delivering naturally (girl after my own heart!) so onward she went!

It wasn't an easy labor for her.  She'd been having strong contractions most of the day and by the time we got to the birth center at almost midnight she was already 6cm!  (For those non-Mommies among us that means she only had four more cm to go... though that can sometimes take hours!)  In just about two hours, she rocked through some really tough contractions and started pushing that beautiful baby right out!  It was incredible to me how fast she went!  

Little Miss Harper Mae Logue was whooshed into the world by her rockstar Momma at 1:50am and I was SO PROUD of Cassie for how AWESOME she did!  (6lbs 10oz, 20 inches for those of you who like baby stats)

I wish you guys could have seen it.  *cringe*  Okay never mind that would have been awkward and rather distracting. What I mean to say is, watching a woman like Cassie at work reaffirms my strong belief that labor and deliver is usually a perfectly normal thing that doesn't need a hospital or pain meds.  It's magical.

[Insert my statement about the obvious need for medical intervention in certain situations.  Like how I'm so thankful that the doctor was able to perform an emergency c-section on my friend's second twin (hi Hilary!) which likely avoided a life-threatening situation for that little peanut!  Doctor's are great.  Surgery is necessary at times.  But let's move on to my hippie-love for when natural labor works out just great...]

It was such a treat to watch Cassie and Mike work as a team.  Childbirth is a team sport, people!  You definitely need people around you who can offer you support.  And if not a doula, then a loving husband, mother, sister, and wanna-be-doula-sister-in-law work just great!

Mike was the primary arm/shoulder/chest to lean on for Cass.  I was just snapping my camera in her face every five minutes... shooting up a prayer... offering a word of encouragement... trying to make her laugh... reminding her to inhale (hey, it's important)... and at times holding her hand.

As kind of a side-note: I've heard of the fact that, if left alone, most babies who are born naturally and left with Mom will gradually nurse on their own.  And I saw it in action!  Harper was crying and started to root around and BOOM.  Found exactly what she wanted and nursed happily for about half an hour!  Even Harper makes this whole birth thing look easy!

Cassie, I can't thank you enough for allowing me into such an intimate moment in your life.  I will treasure this memory forever!  I've said it once and I'll say it five million more times... you did awesome and it was an honor to watch and take pictures!

She makes mighty beautiful babies, doesn't she? 

I'm Being Spoiled with a Vacation Before My Vacation

I forget how selfless my sister-in-law Cassie is.  This picture is a perfect example.  Here she is, balancing my kid on top of her little baby belly while also taking pictures... just because I asked her if she could hang onto Sam so I could play with my new lens.

I haven't cleaned up the toys in our living room since she got here on Monday.  And I haven't had a screaming child clinging to my legs while cooking dinner either.  I wasn't expecting having family visit before our getaway to be stressful per se.  But I didn't expect it to feel like such a mini-vacation, you know?  I already feel refreshed and I haven't even left on our trip, yet!

It's also be rocking our socks that the kids have been sleeping in till almost 8:30 every morning this week.  Zave's adjusting to the time change still and my kids are exhausted from lack of naps.  So everyone gets a nice lazy late start to the day and then we get to go out for an afternoon of sight-seeing or shopping.

It's been a great week so far :o)

Thanks for All the Goodies Gram!!!

Enjoying your most recent care package just makes me us so excited for your upcoming visit!  

Hurry here Gram!!!!!!

Visiting With Elmo (And Gram and Pa)

So Toni has a "Tickle Me Elmo" that she brilliantly uses to keep her three grandchildren interested in Skype dates.  Lily and Sam were especially excited to visit with our dear friend Elmo this weekend.

Elmo giggles and laughs and tells you to stop "tickling" him...

...then Lily begs for MORE!

I think poor Elmo (and all the adults in hearing distance) were worn out by the end ;o)

Parting Really IS Such Sweet Sorrow

Well I don't know why Juliet thought parting was such sweet sorrow exactly... all I know is why I think it's both sweet and sad...

Sweet because you love these people.

Sad because you can't stay with them always. 

Can't Leave the Cape without a Visit to the Beach

Samantha was pretty much born on the beach in Mississippi.  Okay, two blocks away.

But we didn't play there a whole lot.  I was too lazy to take them alone cause of all the "cleaning sand out of everything" that has to take place after... and J was way too busy learning how to be a weatherman for regular beach outings.

But with two grandparents in tow, it's much less intimidating.  Plus... I think I've become a much more chill Momma since Sam was born.  I think it has to do with Lily becoming more of a true toddler... I now understand just how much dirt and grime are going to be a part of my life for the next uh, ten years! ;o)  And I'm a lot less squeamish about it.

Lily's favorite things to do at the beach include crushing Grandpa's sandcastles, chasing birds, and trying to get into the water.  (Oh, and crying when she doesn't get her way... but that's not new)

Sam's activities included ignoring the sand, delicately touching the sand, and eating the sand.  And yes, I let her.  I know, I'm gross.  But it was funny and you know it ;o)  Besides, the girl's gotta learn somehow, right?

Can we talk about how cooperative and angelic my girls are when I want a cute Momma-and-her-girls photo?  Jerks.

My favorite part about going to Onset Beach is that it takes about 2.5 seconds to drive there from the Aiduk Casa.  And it's also a spot of many a family memory.  I mean, I've only been in this family for a little over four years... but I've walked on this beach and climbed that rock and worked on my tan and picked up shells.  I brought my itty bitty baby Lily here on her first Thanksgiving! 

And I know the Aiduks love this beach.  They speak fondly of it.  It makes me love it even more!