More Fishing

Well, based on the last few posts, it seems our lives are all about biking and fishing these days.  I have to confess that mine has been about writing lately too.  I am putting in yet another push to finish that darned dissertation that I keep putting on the back burner.  To give me weekend time for clam shrimp study, Sean has been whisking the kiddos away for fishing with Uncle Jonny.  From what I can glean, this is quite the adventure with 4 kids, 4 and under, and a labrador on a pontoon boat with poles and hooks and hilarity. 

Trickster

Finn still rides his bike several times a day and has begun to experiment with some tricks.  He surprised me the other day by zooming past me saying, "Check out my skills, Mama."  And then he was riding by with one foot under his bottom on the saddle.  The really funny part about this is that to the best of my knowledge he has never been around anyone or seen anyone doing bike tricks, so he is just completely inventing his own.  Here is a photo of that trick I caught today on our ride:

 A little more free styling:

 "Coming to get you, Mama":

 Oops!  Me:  "Finn, are you okay?", Finn looks around and glances at his knees, "I amn't (Finn's contraction) bleeding." and then he pops back up and keeps going

 No problems standing up and riding up hills now:

You Are My Sunshine

Finn still loves the chickens and is happy to check on them multiple times of day to feed and water them and, of course, cuddle them.  Chickens are big cuddlers, you know!  Luckily, these chickens are actually very tame and tolerate a bit of cuddling.  In particular, the one that Finn named Sunshine will stand to be held and Finn-handled. 

We have been keeping the chickens in their coop and their run for the time being.  A couple of our books don't recommend free-ranging until the chickens are around 6 months-old.  Although, it isn't fully clear why, we think the idea is to wait until they have established good laying habits in their nesting boxes (instead of choosing part of the yard).  I do know plenty of people who let them free range earlier.  For now, I haven't wanted them to decimate the garden until most of the harvest is done.  We may let them free range later in the fall.  At any rate, on occasion, the chickens choose to make a break for the greater outdoors, and crazy chicken wrangling ensues.  One day when Sean opened the door to the run, Remi the rooster, and another chicken ran out.  Sean called us to help encourage them back to the run.  I opted for the video camera instead:

Watermelon Kids

Tower Hill Biking and Fishing Adventure

Having had his bike a full week now, Finn  has been interested in expanding his riding horizons, if you will.  We go down our little side road at least once a day and we have ventured a bit on our main road, but that still gives me anxiety attacks.  So, this morning, on a bit of a whim we went on a biking adventure to a place not far from us where a lot of folks bike and run and fish.  Finn had his new red bike and Sean had his fishing pole and Josette had her snacks and all was well in the world as you will see!

And, we are off:

 Over the dam:

 Stop for some fishing:

 Josette is happy snacking and chillin in the "packpack":

 And, a stop for more snacks:

 Finn getting the hang of the rough terrain and the hills:

 Speed demon:

 Hmm, all that snacking and Josette opts for a nap:

 Another fishing break:

 Caught one:

 Josette had a nice nap:

We easily went over 3 miles, maybe close to 4.  It wasn't until the very end that Finn tuckered out and he still kept cranking on his bike.  In the afternoon, Sean was mowing the lawn and Finn and Josette and I were just hanging out in the lawn.  Finn looks at me and says, "Can we go bike riding again?"  So, after that full ride, we still went out again and he was riding around like crazy.  We are having some fun!

Tomato Canning Days

The tomatoes have been coming in at about 10 lb increments every other day lately.  It is a wonderful mix of romas, heirlooms, beefsteak, and sungolds.  The sungolds often get eaten right out in the garden or they are put straight in the dehydrator for "sun-dried" tomatoes.  The rest have contributed to our first batch of homemade ketchup.  It isn't as thick as I would have liked, but it is oh, so tasty!  We are also pumping out the pasta sauce like crazy.  Finn is a huge helper these days, and Josette is really excited to get in on the fun.

A Pedal Bike

After a few months of balance biking, Finn got a new pedal bike.  He was more than ready.  I had heard great success stories from people whose kids went from a balance bike straight to a pedal bike, but I was still amazed at just how quickly he jumped on that bike with almost no hesitation or difficulties.  The first video is him after just one day of riding and he can already brake and turn quite well and pedal up hills.  The second video is after 3 days of having the bike and he is literally riding circles around me and then you will notice he  stands up to pedal at the end of it, and yes, we are out in the rain because the first thing he asks to do everyday is go bike riding!  I am amazed at his abilities.

Deerfield Newscaster Finn

Finnbar is quite the conveyer of news these days.  When something out of the norm happens, he is quick to want to be the first to relay the info to family, friends, or the random landscapers in the neighborhood.  For instance, this past week, we had a water pump failure and a stroller mishap.  He called as many people as he could think of and relayed the stories to everyone in his path.  Aunt Carrie was laughing when he called and relayed on of these stories to her and two of his cousins in almost the exact same words.  She mentioned that I ought to capture it on video and I am glad I did because the expressions and hand gestures really make it.  So, here is the first of hopefully many future installments of Deerfield News by Finnbar!

Bubble Art

Take bubbles and mix in food coloring for different colors.  Blow onto white paper.  Voila!  Fun and pretty!

Wells Beach Vacation, Smiles

Here is my last beach post.  Just some fun family smiles on the beach....

Wells Beach, Boogie Boarding

While the mighty Atlantic is not known for its giant waves, we had a couple of days with some really nice, "biggish" waves that were perfect for boogie boarding.  What fun, we had!  I could have spent the entire day riding the waves, and boogie boarding is great because it doesn't actually take that much skill - fun for all ages and abilities!

Sometimes, it is still best to practice on shore:

 Sean, Carrie, and Jon catching a big one:

 Riding it all the way in:

 Liam and Jon on a tandem ride:

 Me and Carrie scouting for the big one:

 Here I come:

 Josette moves a little closer to the action:

 Finnbar gives it a try:

 Whew, that one is a doozy:

 Kicking it in: