Well, it was a small one, but Lauren had her first birthday party today. We had a few people over, including Uncle Peter, Aunt Tracey, and Lauren's cousins, and Grandma and Grampa Mazgelis. Lauren enjoyed everything about the day, especially the cake, which Max 
helped decorate. 
On Lauren's birthday we had a little family celebration with cupcakes and a couple presents. (We would have the "birthday party" that following weekend.) Big brother Max helped Lauren open the paper and untie the bow on the big book she got. He also helped her "read" it the first couple times right there at the table. The book, BTW, became an instant favorite for Lauren. 
This year we attended the Common Grounds Fair put on by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. In the kid's area there was an apple tent with all kinds of fun things to do. They had taste tests (Lauren's favorite), science experiments, and old-fashioned food-making demonstrations. Lauren ate and ran around; her two favorite things to do. Max played with the balance-beam scales that were laid out to weigh the kid's favorite apples in terms of fava beans. (His apple weighed the same as 37 fava beans, and its circumference was about 11 fava in length.) (OK, I did the science, Max just played with the scale.) They also had fun with the apple press making apple cider, though it looks like Mom did most of the work.
Not only do Max and Lauren each have their own unique dance moves, but sometimes they also like to dance together. These pictures don't need much of an explanation other than that Dorothy took them one morning after I left for work. Lauren had picked out her favorite dress and Max is in his favorite (and ours) Hawaiian shirt. The first photo is the action shot, and in the second shot they posed for the camera. In the third shot I can't tell if Max is helping Lauren up after a fall, or if this their attempt at one of those fancy sock-hop slide-your-date maneuvers.
These three pictures are of our little man practicing his dance moves wearing his new cool hat. (I know one of these photos was already posted on Max's blog, but I couldn't resist posting it again here.) Max loves to dance to music and has a number of, uhm, interesting moves. He's actually quite good and has a style all his own. Well, that is until Lauren started stealing his moves! I'll have to get some pictures of her busting a move as well.
Seems that I need to keep these posts to four pictures or less, but there was too much to share from the Canobie trip to fit in just one post. So, this is part two of the day at the park, and we pick up just after lunch...
Finally we have a picture of Lauren doing one of her favorite things... running free! All hopped up on sugar from the Hoodsie ice cream desert nonetheless. The catered lunch was good, or at least as good as you would hope for given the nature of amusement park catering. But hey... what kid wouldn't be happy with hot dogs and ice cream?
Next up is another picture of Max smiling. It looks like he's enjoying the "hang on Mommy's leg" ride, so it's easy for him to be happy. He is also all hopped up on Hoodsies.
The third photo is one of the few I got of the two kids together. I think Max is explaining to Lauren why he needs to be the one to ring the bell in the boat. I guess that's part of the captain's responsibility.
In the last photo we again see Max smiling on the helicopter ride. This time I know the ride hasn't start yet. He looked much more concerned once it started moving, and even more so when it went up in the air. It didn't help any that the centrifugal force was making him slide to the outside and towards the open side of the ride. I guess that strappy thing they call a safety belt wasn't as comforting as the five-point harness he gets in his car seat.
There were many other rides that both kids enjoyed that I didn't get photos of. We all went on the Sky Ride, where Mom and Lauren mostly looked nervous. We all rode on the "kiddy" Dragon roller coaster too and that was a lot of fun. (The "kiddy" designation must mean no big drops, loops, or inversions, but it still moved fast and slammed us through some tight spirals. Yee Haa!)
I think we are all looking forward to going back next year when each of the kids a little bit bigger. I know I am!
This is post is a little bigger than most, but then again, the trip to Canobie was a little bigger than most events. (Well, at least I took more pictures than I usually have the opportunity to do.) This fall my company sponsored a family trip to Canobie Lake Park. This was really special for me, for as a child I would go to this park when my father's company sponsored family trips here. Much of the park has changed, and has been greatly expanded, but most of what I remember is still in place today.
Anyway, this isn't about me as a kid, it is about our kids being kids. Max really enjoyed going on a lot of rides at the park. Lauren is still too small for many of the rides and spent a lot of time in the carrier on Mommy or Daddy's back. Max took the rides very seriously, though I did catch him smiling on a few occasions. Mommy got to go on some rides too while I wore Lauren and chased Max. It really was a great time for everyone.
First up we see Max on the ferris wheel. He was nervous about being up so high, but he felt much better when I moved to sit next to him instead of across from him. Still, he looks a little concerned despite his efforts to look cool.
The next photo has him smiling, and I think this is one of the only pictures of him smiling while the ride is actually moving. At least I think the ride was moving when I took this.
In the third photo we an see that he is taking this plane flying task very seriously. There are a lot of other kids on this ride, after all, and he doesn't want to accidentally fly into anyone.
Lastly we have Max driving a model car, again taking the task very seriously. He's doing a great job though, always watching where is steering and keeping both hands on the wheel. The car is a two-seater, and he did offer to give Lauren a ride, but she decided at the last minute that she wanted nothing to do with this.
We had our last weekend of the season at the lake in Maine not long ago. The weather was nice and there was the usual array of activities... swimming, fishing, eating, sleeping, and of course, RC racing! It was past the official racing season, so we ended up with the whole track to ourselves. Max took a few moments to show Lauren how the remote works before following his monster truck around the track for a few laps. Even Dorothy took her turn behind the wheel of one of the nitro RC trucks.
Not far from where we live is the Minuteman National Historical Park. 
After driving through the park for over two years we finally made a family trip to actually visit the sites. (Yes, it took visitors from out-of-town to prompt us to do the local tourist stuff.) These pictures were all taken up near the Old North Bridge and the visitor center. I think the historical significance was lost on the kids at this age, but the climbing trees and hidden gardens were right up their alley! The first time Max asked to be placed on a "high" branch I think he was a little more nervous than he expected to be. (Hence the very serious 
expression.) The old oaks were very accommodating though and he had a great time climbing the thick branches. Lauren, of course, just loves to run every chance she gets.
Last month we took the family for a walk at the local cranberry bogs. Max loves running around, of course, and the dogs love swimming in the ponds. (Though poor Diamond got stuck in the much this time and needed to be rescued.) I even tried my hand at propping my camera up on the grass and shooting Max and myself using the 
remote before we left.
Posts
All Comments
