Mayflower II

K and AJ in front of the Mayflower II

During our trip to Plymouth last summer, the Mayflower II was out of commission. Some of the
wood had rotted, and the ship was in need of repair. I was disappointed, but I still held hope that could get out there to see it before we left New England.

When Timo took H and S on a trip recently, my opportunity to visit the replica of the famous vessel arose. Working around my kids' activities, we planned a day trip out to see the ship and to show my mother (who was visiting) parts of Plymouth.

I was somewhat apprehensive about the trip since I was not sure how A would handle that much time in the car, but she did beautifully. We made it out to Plymouth by about lunch time, and we headed to the Mayflower II after eating.

The ship is unbelievably small for having to hold 102 passengers. I could see maybe eight families fitting in there and still getting in each other's way. I cannot imagine how they handled the 66-day voyage and the three months afterwards while waiting for all of the houses to be completed. It gave me a new appreciation for the sacrifices the pilgrims made for a cause in which they so deeply believed.

The shallop they had brought over had been recreated as well, and it was floating next to the Mayflower II to give us an idea of what that would have looked like. I learned they had dismantled it and stored it below deck with the 102 passengers and animals. In fact, some people slept in the pieces, making use of every space they had down there.

I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to visit this fabulous piece of history and share it with my mom,  K, and AJ. (A slept through the whole thing, but I figured that she would not remember it, anyway.) Seeing the historical places in New England really helps bring to life the people and places I would otherwise only know through books.

Baby Number Five

Just born

Easter morning, I awoke after another uncomfortable night's sleep. I was three days overdue in my pregnancy, and I was more than ready to have my baby. I got up, got to church with the family, and came home afterwards for lunch.




Around 1:30pm, I started feeling contractions. Since I had experienced a lot of false labor during the latter half of my pregnancy, I didn't say anything about it. I wanted to make sure this was the real deal. Around 2pm, I mentioned it to Timo. The contractions were coming regularly and definitely getting stronger. We left the house at about 2:30pm, but after we started driving, the contractions stopped. I waited, and I finally had another one. Whew!

When we arrived, we walked up to the Labor and Delivery wing, and we checked in. It is a good thing I went earlier rather than later since they were dealing with a new computer system, and I was still at a point when I could handle the delays and questions. Timo and I walked around the L&D wing until I was too uncomfortable. Then, I asked for a labor ball, shortly followed by a request for an epidural. (I am a wimp.) The anesthesiologist arrived rather quickly, and I was happy when the pain subsided.

First snuggles with Mommy

When I was at about a 9, they broke my water, and it was not long afterwards that I was pushing. After a couple of small pushes to get her to turn her head the right way, a change of scrubs for the doctor (amniotic fluid), and pushing through two more contractions, she was out. I was so thrilled to have another baby girl that I cried with joy. I had not allowed myself to admit I wanted a girl after three boys, but, once she was born, I could freely say it.

A was born at 7:33pm, weighing a solid 8 lbs. 6 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches. She is a wonderful baby, and a perfect addition to our family.

Grandma and K holding baby girl

Daddy and H with A

Maple Days

Yesterday, we took the kids to Old Sturbridge Village to experience their Maple Days events. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and it was too cold for the sap to flow. However, we did still learn a little about the sugaring process and how maple products were used in the 1830s.

The first stop once we arrived was a small house where a man showed us how they would boil down the sap and pour it into a mold for the sugar and liquid syrup to separate. While there, we got to taste some maple sugar candy. K really enjoyed it, but AJ refused a piece.

Next, we walked over to the sugaring camp, where they were boiling melted snow over an open fire since the sap was not running. The man working there had put a wooden spile into a nearby maple tree, but nothing was coming out. He explained that the tree keeps the water down in the roots when the temperature dips below freezing. Once it warms up a bit, the tree sends the water up to the crown of the tree. This is what makes the sap flow perfectly for maple syrup. Once the weather warms up, the tree doesn't need to send the water back down to the roots at night anymore. Then the sap available turns bitter and useless to anyone but the tree.

Once we left the camp, we walked to the farm where they were demonstrating how the people in the 1830s used maple sugar in their baking. Saturday is "Bake Day" so they don't have to bake on the sabbath. Maple sugar can be used with a one-to-one ratio, and it doesn't leave a maple aftertaste. The ladies in the kitchen explained how to tell if the oven is the right temperature for the various baked goods. They stick their arms in the hot oven and start to count. When the temperature gets too hot to bear, they stop counting. That is what they call their "pie count".  Everyone has his/her own pie count, and the best way to learn is by someone testing the oven right before you. Then you stick your arm in and start to count. Whatever number you stop at is your own pie count, and you know that is what to aim for when baking without a thermometer in the oven. I found that fascinating.

After leaving the warm kitchen, we headed out to the barn, where we were privileged to see two calves. One was a little more than a week old, but the other had been born the night before. Both of them were so cute, and their fur looked wonderfully silky.

People were starting to get hungry, so we ambled over to the tavern for a meal, pausing at the carding mill, grist mill, and saw mill on the way. After lunch, K wanted to make a craft. She had saved her money to pay for it herself, so she made a punch tin ornament, and Timo took the boys to the indoor kids place to play. H had been looking forward to playing there since we left the house, so I know he enjoyed himself.

K hammering a pattern in her tin ornament

Once K was finished with her ornament, she wanted to design her own decoration on a tin tray. Then, we joined the boys. I heard that they would be milking one of the cows, and I wanted to witness that. I learned a lot about cattle and milking during this event, and I have already had a chance to share some of the knowledge with others.

K's pattern

Watching the milking of the cow

After the milking, it was time to go. S had fallen asleep in Timo's arms, and we needed to get home.

Although I did not really get to witness a true sugar camp, I did learn a lot, and I hope the kids did, too. I will miss the educational opportunities of OSV after we move.

Snow Day = Chocolate Day

We have experienced a lot of snowy weather recently, and it has occasionally resulted in the kids' activities being cancelled. This was true last Tuesday, when both karate and ballet were cancelled. I have to admit I was somewhat relieved. I look forward to the days when we don't have to hurry around to various activities.

Faced with an unexpected evening of free time, the kids and I decided to make it an evening of chocolate. First, we mixed together the ingredients for the center of some chocolate truffles. Then, we made the dough for chocolate cookies. Both needed to be refrigerated for two hours before finishing them.

When the two hours were up, K and I rolled out balls of truffle filling, stuck them in the freezer for several minutes, and commenced dipping them in white chocolate. The whole process was somewhat tedious, but we were very happy with the (tasty) results.

Unfortunately, we did not have time to finish both the truffles and the cookies on the first night, so we baked and dipped the cookies the following evening. S, H, AJ, and K all helped cut the cookies out, and K helped me roll out the dough. Once they were baked, the kids took turns dipping the cookies in melted chocolate and various extras.  The kids chose mini-chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, and crushed peppermint candy.

During the whole process, I told myself that I would never again attempt something as involved with all four children by myself. However, looking back, it was not so bad. It means so much for them all to be involved. Sometimes, the memories are more important than a perfect outcome.

Recycled Robot

My sweet H loves robots. For months, he has been requesting to save various boxes from our recycling pile so he could build his robot. The pile had been growing in his closet for a while, and he finally got around to completing this much-anticipated project.

H also loves tape, and he found three rolls of tape in his stocking for Christmas. For any other kid, this might seem strange, but he was thrilled. The rolls included Batman duct tape, Superman duct tape, and some road tape that was made to look like streets once rolled out and taped down. Now, H was armed with tape for his robot.

H came down the other evening announcing that he had finished his robot. I was interested to see what he had done, and I found he had built a well-thought-out creature. He used empty diaper boxes for the legs, a Pellegrino box for the body, and a Lego box and electric toothbrush box for the arms. The head was made from a pizza box, and, although it is not evident in the photo, there are eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the front of the pizza box for the face. He also added a couple of extra boxes for compartments. After I took this photo, he reinforced the back of the head with an egg carton so the head could stand up better. He used his Superman tape to hold it all together, and he even cut the strips in half lengthwise to make it go further.

Now his robot is in the recycling bin. He and his brothers "battled" the robot with Legos and other various toys and objects. I found holes in the boxes, and the "robot" was badly maimed. I love little boys. They really are a boatload of fun and creativity.

H Haircut

H's self-cut hairdo

My sweet four-year-old is obsessed with scissors. He has been for as long as I can remember. If there are scissors to be found within his reach, he will find them and use them. On his clothes. On his sheets. On his hair. For the second time within the past year, my darling H gave himself a haircut.

His hair had finally grown out after his last encounter with scissors when he decided to help himself again. He found the hair-cutting scissors I keep in my bathroom drawer for trimming my bangs, and he gave his own bangs a bit of a trim. Okay, more than a bit. He whacked them completely off.

After his buzz cut. I couldn't get him to smile.
He wanted to growl.

I should have been paying more attention. He mentioned earlier in the day that he thought he needed a haircut. I told him that his hair was fine and dismissed the whole thing from my mind. Until I saw him looking like this.

Needless to say, we opened our barber shop and fixed his hair the best we could. He will be sporting a buzz cut for the next several weeks. I am just glad he is not a girl.

AJ's First Lost Tooth

AJ lost his first tooth today. It was rather unexpected as I did not even know his tooth was loose until dinnertime. He complained about it hurting when he bit into his food, and toward the end of the meal,  it came out. He was rather disturbed about how it felt at first, walking away from his unfinished dinner. When it was time to brush his teeth, he also complained that he did not know how to brush his teeth with a tooth missing. My poor boy has never liked change, and I guess that goes for lost teeth as well.