law internship

Gramps holds court... or at least a trial.

Gramps shows Schuyler a picture of Mama during the awkward years.

Schuyler shows Gramps how to use Outlook.

 

 

Charlie roams the halls of justice.

christmas in july

 

Serendipity.  It's a happy accident, kids.  Sometimes the biggest problems you encounter in life can turn into the biggest pleasures.  And sometimes the other way around.  But for now, appreciate the times when it goes the right way.  In December, your gramps and nan tried desperately to send you Christmas presents.  They wrapped them all up and sent them to Bermuda where they eventually arrived safely.  Unfortunately, Bermuda taxes everything that comes into the island and to do this they need an invoice.  Well, it is incredibly impolite to send an invoice with a gift and so there was no invoice included.  Bermuda Customs Officers are not trained in tact or expediency so they refused to release the presents without an invoice.  Your presents were duly closed up, resealed, and returned to sender which made everyone involved (except the customs officer) feel really awful and awkward.  But the fact is that you still had an amazing Christmas.  And, on this trip in July, you got a special Summer Christmas and opened up all your gifts from Gramps and Nan that had been sent back.  And it was like spending Christmas with Gramps and Nan all over again and what could be better than that?  So, sometimes when things go wrong, something unexpected and better happens.  And delaying good things makes them sweeter.  Thank you, Gramps and Nan!

almost there

So we made the familiar journey from Boston up to Vermont with one new twist: Daddy was driving.  That's right, Daddy was behind the wheel for the first time (at least in a long drive capacity) in the US of A.  Sure, I'd driven in the States before and even on long hauls but this was the first time I'd done it in over a decade so it was a bit nerve wracking.  I learned a lot about things like 4 way stops that I never knew and I was constantly tense for the first hour of the three hour drive but it was pretty cool after that.  So, kids, don't let intimidating things stop you from getting in the driver's seat.

It was a beautiful drive ridged with the green mountains the State is named for and roads fringed with rivers gurgling over river rocks and the kids saw almost none of it.  They passed out around the Mass State border and stayed conked out for most of it.

ready for takeoff

 

Schuyler finds her niche.

Who knew the Bermuda airport was so much fun?

 

 

On de plane to Vermont, apple juice and Apple products make the time zip by.

Class Photo - "say cheese!"

Charlie Young - playground Casanova and all around cheeky monkey

Dimacio, Charlie, Dallas, Cameron Porter, Bella Kathryn, Trystan... and, of course, Miss Tina Kendall.
This is Charlie's gang.  He pals around with Dimacio and Cameron Porter but Dallas and he have something going on too in the way they talk about one another.

bonding (finally)

 Magic was excited when we brought Schuyler home from the hospital.  He couldn't stop himself from licking her face, jumping jauntily on her stomach, and still demands to sleep in her room most nights.  The ensuing neglect by his former pack leaders in favour of the new hairless puppy was more than compensated by the rain of snacks that appeared each dinner time.  Things were different with Charlie.  From the beginning, Charlie was a much different child - rambunctious, mischievous, and often awake and crying.  This led to a totally different interaction with Magic.  Instead of hugs and kisses, Magic was subjected to tail pulling, tackles, pushing and other brotherly love.  Recently though, things have changed.  Recently, they've become buddies... or rather, Charlie has started being pretty darn nice to Magic and Magic has, if not forgiven then, learned to tolerate this little boy's boyness. 

welcome to the neighborhood

 

 

 

 

Well, few things get these kids more excited than a visit from Cousin Walker and Auntie Ardleigh and today was no exception.  With our pool, we were lucky enough to give back a little to a family that has given us so much to us for so long (and who are our newest neighbours - only 5 mins away!).   Welcome to our 'hood.

father's day portrait

by Schuyler Young

There was a father's day breakfast in Schuyler's classroom.  It was one a busy Friday morning between 8 and 9am and the week had been pretty packed as I tried to tie off loose ends before heading out to see Gramps, Nan, and Grandma.  It was going to be hard to fit in but I didn't want to miss it either.  So I show up and we grab some muffins and sit down and she disappears and reappears with the above "framed" portrait of her dad.  She's beaming.  And I start tearing up.  I really did.  Right there at the the little tiny table for two in her classroom in front of the other dads.  I think it was probably lack of sleep (a thunderstorm last night meant Magic kept me up all night until 5am) but I was kind of overwhelmed by the simple gift.  Just getting a glimpse of how she sees me was a hoot.  But there were other dads in the room and I didn't want to embarrass myself by being the only dad sobbing over a doodle so i just hugged my little girl for a long, long time until she looked up at me with love in her eyes and said "Daddy... I love cupcakes".

our lookout

We still have a dog.  I know he is vastly under-represented in this blog but he is still here.  And he is often the subject of way too much uninvited attention and rough affection from our son.  And this canine has a lovely new habit of getting up several times a night and wanting to go outside.   But mostly he's content to keep watch on our family from his perch on the rim of porch and identify potential threats like tree frogs and stray cats.  Thanks for putting up with us, Magic,  At least you still get to go for walks with Mummy.

ready set go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

These kids love to leap and the looks on their faces after they take off is something that I want to keep in my heart forever.  It is what happens when an entire face smiles.  Charlie always waits for the count of trois.  Schuyler just leaps recklessly and happily into the water.  Occasionally, she will want to jump in beyond The Blue Line that signifies the beginning of the deep end.  I'll be there in the water, giving her enough room to jump and she'll look at me, face taut with joy, and wag a finger at me and say "Don't catch me, Daddy - let me do it myself.  But if I get in trouble, come get me".  Always.