I don’t even have a school-age child yet, but life is getting real busy, real fast.
Our little village put on a fireworks show on Saturday evening before Labor Day. We had a couple friends over and had a blast (ha!) watching from our front yard, just like we do on July 3. Maelle was initially a little hesitant, but soon sat transfixed in her daddy’s lap.
Andrew was off Monday, and we decided to take our new child-carrier on a test-drive before our trip to Lake Placid next month. We visited Kenneglenn, which is only an eight-minute drive from our house.
Thankfully, we have a plenty of friends who love to hike–with and without children–so we were able to enjoy our first foray into the woods with the backpack AND seasoned veterans of the trail.
One trail led to a small creek, and both little girls decided they needed to remove their shoes and socks and traverse to the other side. After some playtime in the water, which included ‘soaping’ their legs and arms with gravel, we walked back toward the parking lot.
Perhaps the best part of hiking (or glorified trail-walking, in this case) is the picnic lunch at the end.
And now, a list of what we’ve been up to lately.
- Playing Outside. Maelle loves both the park and her backyard, and enjoys swinging, the sand box and her sustainable sink. She’s very into water, and sand, and sometimes she mixes them together. I swear, if I have to dry out her sand box one more time…
2. Race-planning has picked up. We’re doing the 5th Annual Turk-EA Trot this year (we didn’t last year), and I couldn’t be more excited. We’re FINALLY in the big leagues, with a professional timing company. I’m excited and a little nervous at the same time. Our registration website is about to go live and we’ve already gotten almost $1,000 in donations, which is a big deal for our *little* race. Register here:
3. Maelle and I love to be twins! I know it’s a little silly, but having a daughter has been so fun and it’s such a short window of time in which she actually thinks this is fun. We have ‘matching jammies’ (as she likes to call them), as well as this shirt-and-dress combo from Petit Bateau. I got my shirt in Paris years ago, and when I found this dress at a consignment store, I had to get it.
4. Maelle also loves the library! While she’s a little young to truly appreciate sitting and reading, we’ve started making short visits and bringing books home. In fact, I’ve been picking up a book for myself each time as well!
5. We have a climber on our hands! Just before she was two, Maelle started attempting the ladders at the park playground. I never dreamed she’d be climbing them that early, but she quickly mastered them and continues to try bigger, more challenging activities. I love that she’s willing to try new things! She’s in a gym class this fall, and I know she’ll just love it.
6. I’m running a half-marathon in a couple weeks! A few months ago, some of the stroller-moms from our running group decided to train for the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon, which will take place Oct. 2. It will be the longest distance I’ve run since before I was pregnant. Back when we signed up, it seemed like it was eons away; a few weeks ago we all realized race day was coming up quickly and we better get some long runs in! Thankfully, I have a great group of running-momma friends, and we’ve been meeting early on Saturdays to get our double-digit miles in. This past week, I snuck in a short run with friends and the strollers!
7. Andrew, Maelle and I are back at church. (We’d gone back in fall of 2019 once Maelle was a few months old, then COVID happened, then we were back earlier this year, then potty training…then summer…) We’ve been attending Watermark Wesleyan off and on for the last ten years or so, and they just opened a campus here in East Aurora! While I’ll miss the ‘big church,’ I love being able to walk to church. I’ll still attend the women’s Bible study at the big church this fall, and hopefully I can help bring women’s ministry to this campus next year.
Last Sunday, our church hosted a Bills’ opening game watch party, and they had this bounce house outside for the kids. It was just Maelle’s size and she loved climbing up the wall.
8. Maelle and I popped into Vidler’s this week, and she rode ‘Sandy,’ the mechanical horse. (Apparently she’d been recently with her father, so she asked immediately to ride.) She loved it, and I loved watching her smile so big. We used a gift card she’d received her for her birthday (what a great idea!) to buy some craft supplies, such as little-kid scissors and glue sticks and stickers.
What have you been up to lately?
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