I sat across the couch from Owen and read a book.
Everyone else played many hands of Buck Euchre (Katie learned it and loved it), Tonk, Kings Corners and others I’m surely forgetting. Katie was a card-playin fiend.
It rained all damn day
Category Archives: Owen
Lesson learned and Pemaquid Point
Last night we had asked Owen to take out the lobster waste and set the bucket inside the garbage bins (because it was too dark to go too the beach and dump in the water—but it couldn’t stay in the house or be left out where animals could get it.
Never underestimate the non-listening power of a teen brain. This is what we found in the morning. He somehow missed that we said to put the lobster shells IN the garbage bin and just left it on the porch. So then he got the glorious job of cleaning it all up! We all had a good laugh.
Then it was off on another adventure—to my mom’s favorite spot: Pemaquid Point!
You’ve seen the lobster dinner, now see our dessert! Everyone loves strawberry shortcake!
Lobster, lobster, lobster!
When in Rome…
When vacationing in Maine, fresh lobsters straight from the dock are mandatory. You’re looking at nine lobsters coming in at 18-ish pounds!
Our beach, Mount Battie & food!
There were LOTS of rocks between us and the beach.
Heading back up to the house to get ready for the day’s adventure!
On top of Mount Battie.
Then it was off to the surprise for the kids—Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe. They each got $10 to spend there ($5 from Grauntie Rose and $5 from me) and Katie spent all of it plus some of her own while Owen didn’t spend a penny and saved it instead.
This was one of the things she got—fruit flavored if you were wondering.
And this was what I got—it was interesting.
Then we went to mom’s favorite place for dinner—The Happy Clam. And of course I had to try their infamous Blueberry margarita!
Katie was enthralled with the old school playground so she spent most of her time out there! After dinner we took pictures!
Then Owen got involved!
Michigan State game day!
Owen has mentioned more than once he’d like to attend MSU and today he said he really liked it (but to be fair, it’s the first real campus he’s been on and he didn’t see much of it). I then asked if he wanted a pic on the campus of his future alma mater…and he obliged. Unbelievably it’s just 3.5 years away.
We got free tickets from Vettix and Grannie went with us!
We got some souvenirs—and Tom got a Sparty Party beer!
We had a cool view.
Right in front of the scoreboard!
This cute little one was in front of us!
Unfortunately they didn’t play too well and lost so that was a bummer. But we still had a good time!
And on the way back to the hotel, we took a mini detour and drove by the capitol.
WTHS Fill the drum ’23
A slice of life
WTHS Halftime show
Subtitled: The things we do for our kids….
We arrived early and stayed for an entire football game just to see him perform for 3 minutes at halftime.
Tell me you have kids without telling me you have kids.
This was in the cheese drawer. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
First baseball game at a new field!
Owen is finally in the oldest league so they’re playing on the biggest field. This also puts them by the concessions…and the league photo banner (which I’d never seen) from spring ball.
I got my Monopoly’s money’s worth.
I begrudgingly let Katie buy electronic Monopoly (we already have two other versions) at a garage sale…but oh man did these three have fun with it! They were laughing and giggling and screaming for over two hours! I guess I got my $6 worth.
Dear High School Football Fans
My sentiments, added emojis, and photo—but not my words…
Signed, Band Mom
🚌 A Friendly Seasonal PSA 🚌
🏈 Dear High School Football Fans,
Another season of Friday night lights is upon us. We’re all looking forward to seeing our kids play and perform. We know you’re so excited to see the football team take the field. As marching band fans, we’re excited to see our team take the field, too.
🥁 We’re all here for the same reason: to cheer on our kids and and support our schools and communities. We understand that you’re probably not in the stadium to see the marching band. But when they’re on the field for their halftime show, we ask that you kindly show respect for the band fan sitting next to you and let them listen.
🎵 Music is an auditory experience. They’re probably trying to hear their son or granddaughter or niece or friend play. Talking while that happens is like standing directly and intentionally in the line of vision of a football parent while their child is making a game-winning play.
👏🏻 On the other hand, please DO cheer for the band: clap and yell when they take the field and between songs in their show and after a soloist finishes playing and pretty much anytime they do a formation that looks particularly tricky. These are the band’s equivalent of touchdowns.
💖 Football players work incredibly hard; so do our band kids. They march and practice and play and learn drill and give up summer free time in 90-degree heat to get their “game” ready, too. There’s no “marching band madness” coverage to balance out “football frenzy” on the 11 o’clock news, and the local newspaper probably didn’t give a run-down of their show and who’s on their roster and what they’re expecting from the season. The halftime show IS their big moment.
💯 And all those formations the football team puts together on the field? The marching band has them, too. But instead of trying to make them work with eleven team members at one time, the band has to do it with 50 or 100 or more players all at once. This sounds tricky because it is.
At most high schools, members of the football team are lauded and applauded and respected and admired, which is great for them. But at a lot of those same schools, members of the marching band are made fun of. They do marching band anyway because they love it and want to be part of something bigger than themselves. The halftime show is their chance, for a few minutes, to be encouraged and cheered on.
And one more thing: if you see a marching band member after the game, tell them, “Great show tonight.”
🥰 Appreciatively,
Marching Band Fans Everywhere
(Written by Elizabeth Spencer/Guilty Chocoholic Mama)
Checking in on our most popular video…
It’s not anything crazy viral but for a little video of ours?
Freshman orientation!
Let’s just say this morning was a challenge (because KIDS). Thankfully it was just freshman orientation (half day, no Jazz Lab at 7:25) and we still managed to have smiles on our faces and Owen didn’t miss his bus!
And Owen told me they all went to the field to make their graduation year… And the school posted the photo!
Do I look awake? I don’t feel awake.
First, it’s a gray rainy day so my natural light is…meh.
Second, I’ve been up since 4:30am when I rolled over and had to pee…and then couldn’t stop thinking about Owen and his new high school schedule. Let’s just say his love of all things band is throwing a wrench in things and I’m going to have to be up early to get him to school 4x/week by 7:20(ish) unless he wants to walk .7 miles to school.
Third, it’s a Monday.
Fourth, thank heavens for makeup that will last all day.
Good morning!
Band camp performance!
For only having practiced together for five days, I think they did amazing!
After the performances they called friends and family on the field to practice marching steps! We opted to stay in the bleachers to watch!
Band camp!
WTHS Band Boosters have been posting band camp pics on Facebook this week. Can you see Owen?
They hadn’t seen him all day!
This is what happened when he came home from band camp!
A friend’s birthday at Hurricane Harbor
Brandon (left) was one of Owen’s first friends in third grade. He’s so awesome—he wanted to go to Six Flags for his birthday but since he knows Owen doesn’t like rides, they went to the water park instead!
Goodbye Agate Harbor!
Our annual “Oh crap we forgot to take a group picture all week so let’s do it as we’re getting ready to leave” group photo! Under the porch because it was pouring!
And our ride home…
Agate Day 4
ESRAY PARK OUTING — The kids love coming here—climbing the rocks, playing in the water, finding creatures…
Agate Day 2
Gramma’s Grandparent camp pics!
The Len Christmas in July is over!
It’s now just a gathering with food (lots of food!) and catching up…and euchre!
Plus we get the chance to get the kids together for comparison pics!! (They were all really good sports about it, too!)
Road trip pit stop
Stopping at Tasty Treat in Lake City…
Calgon, take me away!
Owen’s baseball stuff is in Tom’s truck BECAUSE OF COURSE IT IS.
I don’t have enough time to go get his stuff and make it back to pick him up from strength training and then get to baseball camp.
Owen doesn’t want to go to baseball camp anyway because his arm hurts.
Oh, and he doesn’t want to go to baseball camp at all anymore because “he knows everything already” — forget that we spent $200 on it.
Tom isn’t answering his texts.
I checked Owen’s summer health class scores and they are not where they should be.
The housekeepers come tomorrow, and I just want to burn the house down.
And the new swipe keyboard I’m testing is a disaster.
Stalemate!
Y’all remember my first chess game against Owen when he checkmated me in like three moves?
Well let me just say… Our second game ended in a stalemate!
His response? “Aw man that was the worst game I’ve ever played!”
Gee thanks buddy.
I told him I’m definitely not as good as he is but I can play.
No pic of the board because he packed that ish up right away. 😂
Revisiting Scream
Omg y’all. We watched the original 1996 Scream tonight because Katie has been saying she wants to watch horror movies.
This was the first movie Tom and I saw together in the theater so we wanted to see how it held up. Of course we didn’t remember how bloody it really was… Owen bowed out after the first few scenes saying he didn’t like scary movies. Katie freaking loved it and now wants to watch the rest of the series. (I hadn’t kept track and there are six!)
I’m not a fan of horror/slasher films (I’ve never had any desire to see any of the Freddy/Jason franchises) so we’ll see what happens next.
A thank you for Owen
