Last Full Month in RI -so sad!!

I made a promise to myself to get on the May edition "right away", mainly due to the fact that I would not have a lot of time to work on it in the month of June. Apparently I have some readers who wait around with twiddling thumbs to see how the Wellons' fared each month.  HA HA HA Even if that is true (if it is true, you guys need a HOBBY), then I feel obligated to let you know that not only isn't your life this crazy but also you aren't as bad a parent as you think you are.  So if I have validated your feelings, You are welcome.

Soooo, May, our last full month in Rhode Island.  I am not ashamed to admit that this teeny tiny state has really grown on me.  Now, I am not saying I want to spend the rest of my life here, BUT if we were to come back, I would not be sorry.  Hear that Marine Corps? Go ahead and take it off the list.  Why on earth would you ever send me somewhere I WANT TO GO!  Where is the fun in that?

But enough ranting, you came here to laugh so let's get on with it.

May started out just like April went out - CRAZY!!!  I would like for some of you to see our weekly calendar.  It is completely over-booked.  Jim laughs at me.  He says I do this on purpose.  Actually it is true.  I enjoy the constant rushing here and there.  It keeps the children busy and it gives me a break to play Scrabble with friends, or READ a book for PLEASURE - what?!  No seriously, the first week in May we find ourselves at another Gymnastics meet for the girls.  For being on "Pre-Team" (whatever that means), we seem to be doing quite of bit of meets.  Not for free mind you - there is a charge to compete and then an admission charge to watch.  So basically you are paying for your medal.  The girls did really well.  For the life of me I can't get them to salute the judges at the beginning or end of their event, but all in all, I was happy with their performance.  

girls with their Coach - thank goodness she has a sense of humor!

Up next was an unscheduled visit from Daddy! Thank goodness it happened on Baseball Opening Ceremonies weekend, because I really needed an extra set of arms and eyes to keep up with everyone!!  Last year Ben got to ride on the fire trucks because he was the only one who wanted to play baseball but in the end everyone ended up playing.  The girls really wanted to have the same experience this year.  Unfortunately for Lilly she had "aged out" of that opportunity and instead got the "privilege" of walking in the parade.  Yes, I said parade.  It isn't really a parade, but they did shut down one of the main streets in Jamestown so the kids and their parents could walk from the Fire Station to the baseball fields.

Lucy and Ben with their team the Indians

The T-ball and Rookie crew

Lilly walking with her team the Hot Rods

It so happened that not only was it Opening Ceremonies but it was also the weekend before Daddy's Birthday!! Of course we HAD to celebrate that as well.  Unfortunately we had to have the cake right after we got home from baseball because Lilly had a birthday party to attend later that evening.  Not that the children cared.  They had been eying that cake ever since I pulled it out of the oven!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

 Somehow or another the kids got it into their heads that Daddy was taking them camping later that night.  Never mind that Lilly wasn't getting home until almost 8:00pm AND oh yeah, by the way it is still COLD at night.  I thought we had talked them out of it, but shortly after Lilly got back from her party this showed up in the back yard.

I watched them all pile in it and surprisingly they settled down fairly quickly.  Or at least I couldn't hear them anymore from MY BED.  Yes, that is right.  I did not darken the door of that tent.  I am a fair weather camper at best and sleeping outside in the cold when my BED is less then 10 feet away was not going to happen.  Ben was the first to give it up.  He came barging in through the door like a herd of elephants about 1:00am.  He did not even attempt to go to his own bed.  Instead he came into my room, teeth chattering and feet FREEZING!!  Jim and the girls followed shortly thereafter.  So much for spring camping.  

We decided to run over to Newport and have lunch and go to the Cliff walk one more time on Sunday.  There are lots of "for the last time" talks going on these days.  Too soon it was time to take Daddy to the airport.  No tears this time - he is coming back for Memorial Day Weekend!!

Daddy Sandwich!!

The children didn't have time to be sad, because the very next day NANNY came!!!  She wanted to squeeze in one final visit to Jamestown too!  We drug her around to gymnastics, baseball and tutoring.  I swear she will need a vacation to recover from this visit.  Last thing we subjected her too was the spring sheep shearing at Watson Farm.  We attended it last year on a lark and couldn't wait to go again this year.  How much fun can it be to watch sheep get sheared?  You might be surprised!  Most of the sheep were compliant, but there were a few newbies who were NOT happy to be there.  In addition to the shearing, there is lots of food, music, crafts and displays to visit.  Also animals to see: chickens, ducks cows, horses, and of course sheep.  We even got to pet some ewes that were only 4 days old!  Of course the weather didn't really cooperate, but Nanny was a trooper once we got her in the right clothes!

Think it is time to cut that grass!

 

 I mentioned previously that I was feeling the pressure to get Lilly in the local paper.  She actually made the paper the week after opening ceremonies, but she said it didn't count because it was a wide angle group shot - of her back!  The teams were facing the flag during the National Anthem.  Picky picky picky!  So I was back to square one.  After a conversation with the photographer, I decided to take some shots of my own and submit them to the paper, to increase the odds of getting her in.  Well this is the one that made it!!!  Lilly was super excited!  She didn't even notice that I was credited with the photo - Shhhhh it can be our little secret!!

Lilly working the loom

This guy wanted to come home with me - real bad!

Suddenly it was Sunday and Nanny was off to the airport!  Oh no!!  Where did our week go?  I still had two more weeks until Memorial Day Weekend when my reinforcement (Daddy) would arrive. 

She said she was going to wear this on her next visit. Think she is trying to tell me something?

Absolutely NOTHING happened in the two weeks between Mother's Day and Memorial Day.  Well nothing except we had an uninvited guest spend a few nights with us.  Oscar began exhibiting lots of heavy breathing.  I figured he had either suddenly developed asthma or there was a critter around.  Then he started darting from room to room and I broke out the mousetraps.  Typically I am all for letting creatures live IF I can get them out of my house without harming myself.  Spiders, moths, flies, all get a free pass.  I will TRY to get you outside where you belong, but if all else fails I have no problem squishing you.  Sorry, those are the house rules.  Same can be said for bigger crawly things.  Especially crawly things that will smell if you can't get them out.  I choose the live traps solely based on the fact that I was the one who would have to clean up any "messes".  YUCK!  So I baited the traps and within an hour I had caught him! 

Tagged with Orange nail polish to see if he returns

And released in a destination that will forever remain a secret but not that close to my house!

Recently there has been a push in our house for pierced ears, Lilly especially is leading the charge.  While I don't have a problem with the girls doing it, Daddy disagrees.  When I broached the subject several years ago, he proclaimed they had to wait until they were 16!  HA HA HA Good luck making that stick!  Of course they asked when I had mine pierced and when I told them I was 5 years old, they nearly freaked out!!  "NO FAIR!!" I told them that was a fight they were going to have to have with Daddy - not me.  I hate to throw him under the bus like that, but he is the one with the problem not me.  Jim asked how many girls in the second grade had their ears pierced.  So Lilly found out.  16 out of the 20 girls in second grade had pierced ears.  Our school is that tiny - there are only 20 girls in the whole second grade!!!  Until they can wear Daddy down, and there is zero doubt it will happen, they have taken to wearing barrettes on their ears.

Even Ben got in on the action - but not for real Mommy.

YEAH!!  It is Memorial Day Weekend!!! I know it is a time for reflection and to honor those who have died preserving our freedom.  Believe me I don't go a day without thinking of that, I don't need a four day weekend to remind me.  But I am thankful that Jim has a four day weekend to spend with us!!!  We have it JAM packed with activities too, but did you expect anything less?  I mean really, have you been keeping up?  Friday we kick off the weekend with Baseball!!  I have to leave Lilly at the field under the close supervision of her coach (and my good friend Christine) so I can drive up to Providence with Ben and Lucy to pick up Daddy!!  We do a quick turn around to catch the last bit of Lilly's game and then it is SPEEDY QUICK shower and costume change so the Daddy can take the girls to the Father/Daughter dance the local Girl Scout Troops put on.  This changeover happened in about thirty minutes.  With Jim and the girls out for the evening, Ben and I decided to visit with the Monclovas for games and adult conversation!!  SCORE!

The happy trio!  Off to the dance!!

For any normal family that would be enough excitement for one weekend, but we were only just warming up.  We had promised Lucy she could have a birthday party before we left Jamestown.  Her actual birthday isn't until July, but we usually are either out of town or in the process of moving in the summer months, so she rarely gets to have an actual party with her friends.  I had lobbied HARD to do a skating party the last weekend we were in town.  Quick, easy, built in entertainment - done.  However the failed camping attempt earlier in the month had started the ball rolling for this:

Since Jim was going to be home for Memorial Day Weekend, he was on the hook to actually sleep outside in the tent with the girls.  Luckily for him, the weather did not support outside camping, not to mention that only one of our guests was crazy brave enough to spend the night.  Soooo plan B.  We set up the tent in the basement, hung some lights, rigged up a TV/DVD and we were back in action.

 The girls immediately went for the costume box and decided to play dress up, which was not really part of the plan, but who cares, they were happy and not yelling.  We finally did get them back on task to do a scavenger hunt outside, along with a balloon relay race.  Lilly helped me fill balloons with candy so everyone got to pop their balloon to get the candy out.  Big hit - lots of giggles.  Then it was inside for dinner of hot dogs, watermelon and chips.  So far I am liking this whole camping theme party.  Too bad the weather didn't cooperate!  

I had stumbled onto a S'more's ice cream cake that I thought would be perfect.  It was a cinch to put together, but unfortunately it did not turn out AT ALL like the picture.  I can't blame it on Pinterest.  My oven was too hot and the top layer of marshmallows caught ON FIRE - TWICE!  Fail.  It was tasty though.  Girls didn't complain.  I don't even think they noticed.  Oh well, this isn't her real birthday, so I can't dwell.  Letting it go.

presentation grade = F!

taste grade = A+

Tired? Do you need to take a break?  Catch your breath cause we aren't finished yet.  On Sunday we drove to Boston to the Museum of Science to meet up with Jim's first cousin and her family.  The kids love that place!  We have been once before and had high hopes of seeing a different part of the museum, but the kids went back to their favorite spot and who were we to meddle.  It was a great afternoon with family and the kids were excited to see some familiar sights AND to ride the "T" one last time.  

Monday of course was Memorial Day!  The girls were walking in the parade (yes, another one) with their Brownie and Daisy troops.  Ben hung out with his good buddies while we waited for the girls to march by.  There was a short ceremony at the Memorial Cemetery and then the parade continued down the main street to the water where there was another short ceremony amidst a field of flags.  It was spectacular!  This town sure knows how to make you feel special! 

The ever present Jamestown Community Band

Amazing that thing still runs

More kids riding the fire trucks!

Ok, only thing left to do was celebrate the rest of the day with friends at a BBQ that is until it is time to take Daddy to the airport.  He had a hellish return trip full of delays and deplaning and re-boardings.   Just think in 21 days he gets to fly back up to help us load up the U-Haul and turn this crazy crew south!