Traditional Shoot Weekend 2009

This weekend was the Green Mountain Traditional Bowhunters shoot. Mike ran it again this year and it was a lot of fun. We didn't end up camping out as it was just too much for this year, but we shot the course both days and had a great time climbing up and down mountains and tromping through rivers. Tanner and I (Jill) both won awards this year. Tan got an award for his shooting in the Cub Division, and with my new longbow (which I won at last year's shoot) I won the Women's Longbow Division, which was really cool. Mike shot amazingly too, but his class is really competitive. All in all it was a really great but tiring weekend.

Together pictures...

It's so hard to get pictures of everyone smiling - or even looking...but here are a few recent attempts one of the boys and then one Mike took of the boys and me:)

Some cute shots of Cam....

Here are some ongoing cute shots of Cam. He gets so proud and smiley lately when we get all excited about something he's doing or has figured out. That kid has determination. We were at our fitness class recently (it's a Mommy Baby class)...I was working on something and he was on the mat in front of me. He was getting fussy and I was just trying to finish something I was working on. He wanted to get to me, and the next thing I knew he was doing a series of rolls and body thrusts until he could touch my ankle. It was very cute.

Fairbanks Museum...

We decided to take a trip up to the Fairbanks Museum on a rainy day recently. We'd always wanted to go and had a quiet day. We were nervous about the car...but it actually worked out ok...we drove on naps mostly and stopped a few times to get out and move around. Here's Tan with that crazy twinkle in his eye that means I'm all about trouble! He was trying to suck me up in a vacuum that teaches about wind current.

Finger painting....

I've been trying to figure out a way to get Cam more involved with our art projects. The finger painting with his feet has been fun and he likes playdough for a short time too. I've been wanting to get the edible paint thing going so Cam could use his hands. I wasn't sure how to do it with Cam's diet still being so limited...but his 6 mo. birthday marked the introduction of a new food - yogurt. This opened a new world of painting possibilities! I made Cammy's paint out of his baby vanilla yogurt mixed with food coloring, and Tan's was pudding mixed with food coloring and we went to town! It was really fun. Here are some pictures.

First Day of Summer Cookout...

We had our first cookout of the season last weekend, to celebrate the first day of summer. Even though the weather wasn't great and we were getting over an intense round of colds, we had fun roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and playing in the kiddie pool.

Strawberry picking....

We ended up getting out strawberry picking last weekend when the weather cleared, and had a great time. During the walk in Tanner kept saying: "I love this Momma. This is so much fun." It was so cute. Cammy desperately wanted to taste one...he kept trying to sneak one in his mouth...poor little guy. Next year. But he did love digging in the dirt and hay. All the dfifferent sensations...

Cammy Jumping...

Cam is just loving the jumper lately. It makes him so happy and he loves it when we get bouncing and dancing alongside him (we love it too!). Here he is...

Tan's hiking...

We didn't get any photos, but Tan hiked the whole way up Bristol Notch by himself last weekend. We were really proud of him...he did such a great job and was so positive about the whole thing, just chatting away about all he was seeing on the way up.

Lost photos:(

I am mourning the loss of a whole set of amazing photos I took over the past couple of weeks. They got accidentally deleted. I took the boys to the Pirate Festival at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum a few weeks back and it was really fun. The highlight was the amazing music, and Tanner was dancing up a storm. It reminded me of all the dancing he was doing when we were in Barbados in March 2008...he would get up on the dance floor when the music would start and just keep going and going til finally we'd decide it was bed time. Same sort of thing at the pirate festival....we just hung out by the musicians forever it seemed and Tanner danced and Cammy was smiling like crazy. It was great. There was also a guy juggling and doing all sorts of crazy tricks, and he was absolutely mesmorized. It takes a lot to silence Tanner...he's usually a chatterbox...but this guy had him captivated for at least half an hour.

Last day of swimming....

Here's a picture of us at Tan's last swim class of the season. Tan still loves his swimming...and we've been making it work since Cam was born. Cam is usually really patient at the beginning of class and watches from his stroller as I play with Tan in the pool (and we'll surprise him with a peek-a-boo or toy here and there). Then Cam and I play games with Tan from the pool side. Come the fall, Cam will be able to join us in the pool which will be fun too:)

Tanner Momma date....

Tan and I went on a date last weekend to see the new 3D kids movie "Up." It was really fun and a great movie. It was really nice for me to have some quality one on one time with Tan....though lately when I've mentioned one on one time to him he says "well I think we should invite Cammy too, because he would be lonely." Very sweet. I had to take the requisite self-portrait date shot...a bad picture but a momento of our date! Tan kept telling everyone that we were one a date: "Hey guy, guy (everyone's guy still)...I'm on a date with my Momma."

Memorial Day parade 2009....

The memorial day parade in Vergennes was SO fun again this year....each year it seems to get better and better. It's always a big deal. Mike's office is on the parade route, and they always have a cookout beforehand and lots of friends and clients drop by. Then we watch the parade from the front lawn. Our good friends the Frizzell's and the Gallivan's joined us this year and it was so fun to share this day with them. It made it that much more wonderful for us.

Some cute shots of Cam...

Here are a couple of cute shots of Cam that I took recently...

Art Day....

I usually try and do art with Tan each week and often try and integrate Cam in when he wakes up from his nap - fingerpainting with his feet usually as hands just go right in the mouth at this age....but yesterday we tried playdough for the first time in a while (and Cam's first time ever) which was a fun switch. I have trouble getting pictures of the painting we do as it's just so darn messy and hands on, but I snapped a couple of playdough...

Tanner's unbirthday party....

We've been reading Alice in Wonderland (one of the books I have from my childhood, which Mom brought down to me recently), which Tanner really enjoys. Mike and I both agree that we had forgotten how crazy that story is (or at least the Disney version). I actually think the original is better - we have that one too (a gift from my Grannie) but it's more wordy and has less pictures so I think we'll have to save that one til he's a bit older. In any event, Tanner loves his birthday, and loved the idea of an unbirthday too (and that you get 364 unbirthdays a year!), so during one of Cam's naps I held an Unbirthday Party for Tanner. He also loves Tea parties in general and one with candles was a hit:) Cam woke up at the end and enjoyed being with us too of course.

Books...

Both boys have always enjoyed storytime, but what's interesting is that Tan was always very interested in the pictures and we'd read the books lying down together so that he could kick his feet while we'd look at them together. Cam prefers me to be sitting up (and often prefers to sit himself too) - he's much more interested in watching me and my facial expressions and how I read the book than the book itself.

Chef Fiesta

Tanner comes up with these creative food combinations he wants to try. Recently his request was for Lasagna and grapes. I thought he wanted his grapes on the side, but turns out (silly me) he wanted them all mixed up together....

When he makes his pretend food he always comes up with creative ideas too....I've written some of them down on the "menu" for his restaurant "Boutilini" (he made up the name himself) - he calls himself Chef Fiesta (he's also Dr. Fiesta when someone has an accident). Some of his culinary ideas include hot orange juice, and cookie soup.

Chef Fiesta also likes to cook for real, so we made a pretend Chef's hat before our last baking adventure which he was very pleased with.

Crazy musician....

Cam really likes music, and lately when we do music he plunks on the keys of his little piano like a mad pianist. He is very intense with it and it is very cute.