Pumpkins

Chad planted seeds way back, which were from some prize-winning giant pumpkin stock. I don't know how giant our pumpkins will get, but the plant is certainly enormous. Since the vines were threatening to take over the yard, Chad and Handy Manny thought a little containment was in order.
Note to self: Pumpkins drink way too much water. Next year, we should try to grow a giant aloe vera or something.

Fauxhawk

Yet another soccer tournament weekend. I won't belabor the soccer aspect of things, other than to post this nice pic of Clara Hamm's throw-in:

The combination of Kindergarten and soccer has introduced Trevi to the idea that hair can be a fashion accessory. As he watched Clara play, his primary concern was maintaining a perfect "fauxhawk". In the absence of a mirror, he asked me to take a picture of him, so that he could look on the camera display and "see how cool" he looked. Yeesh.
He does, actually, look cool, though. And kissable. This boy is too much.

Back to School!

I could go off on a tirade about how school should not start until after Labor Day, but, truthfully, we all had a nice, looong summer, and we are ready to start a new year.

Clara is old hat at this school thing by now. 3rd Grade. She wouldn't let me buy her new clothes for the first day –"Seriously, Mummy, the clothes I have are just fine!"– but we had to get her feet in something more substantial than flip-flops, so check out the new Chuckie T.s:

For Trevi, this was his first day of Kindergarten. Big day. And a big, cheesy smile to mark the occasion:
I am so proud of these two. They are such amazing people. And, as always, it's my greatest hope that they will continue to love learning.

As for me, I met my new batch of Kindergartners today. They are bursting with enthusiasm and imagination. It's going to be a fabulous year.

A Manny in Uniform

Trevi had his very first game today.
Watching a bunch of 5-year-olds play soccer is possibly the funniest thing in the universe. This is especially true if your own 5-year-old seems oblivious to the position of the ball on the field, and no one on either team seems to know which way to kick. Clara was practically writhing in pain as she watched her brother and the Bad News Bears running around in circles, but I found it very entertaining. And cute.
I want to savor this, his first soccer season. No killer instinct. No need to win. And, apparently, no sense of direction. He's just a boy, running around a field, smiling.

The last Bonfante trip of the summer

We had to squeeze in one more trip to Bonfante Gardens before the end of the season! That place has been so perfect – such a fabulous tradition for the four of us – and we've probably only got another year or two before Clara outgrows it. We hope she'll still go along with us into her teens just for old time's sake...

This summer was a biggie for Trevor, as he became a roller-coaster rider. He doesn't look all that enthusiastic here, but we rode the thing about a million times, so it was definitely a hit:

I've photographed the kids on every single ride over the years, so I'll skip over the shots of spinning artichokes and duck paddle boats, in favor of a self-timer of the four of us (complete with camera strap):
¡Hasta junio, Bonfante!

My turn to turn 40

40 has sounded kind of creepy to me, but now that it's here, I don't see a dramatic increase in laugh lines or liver spots. I'm okay with it. I don't have any desire to shop at Forever 21 anyway.

After a summer of not getting around to inviting people over for a barbecue, we finally did it on the 15th – the day before B-day. Although it was not supposed to be a birthday-related gathering, Chad spread the word and our friends surprised me with cake, cards, wine, and other goodies. Our combined gaggle of 10 children kept each other entertained while we adults soaked in one of the last summer evenings. It was a lovely birthday. And Chad surprised me with this:
It's my very own maple tree! A little piece of Canada in the backyard. Yay!

PS: My list of 40 things to do before turning 40 has been woefully neglected. So far, I've only completed 5, 6, 7, 9, 15, 23, 24, 34, 35, 37, and 39. I'll keep working on it.

Chad turns 40! (but I'm still in my thirties...)

To celebrate the big 4-0, Chad had a weekend wilderness getaway with some of his buddies. We made sure to spoil him with chocolate upon his return.

Clara and Trevi took charge of the kitchen.

Ta da!

Trevi tried to sneak in a wish:

These are the happy faces of people who get to eat brownies mid-afternoon:
Happy birthday, Hun!

The smell of victory?

We made it back from Nova Scotia just in time for Clara to kick some serious ball in a big soccer tourney.
Postgame, both of our cats have a disturbing habit of nestling their faces into whatever smelly soccer footwear is lying around. Here you see Bernie, lulled to sleep by the sweet scent of sweaty shinguards.
What can you expect from a creature who never learns that grass makes him sick?

Farewell to Nova Scotia

I uploaded these pics right away upon our return from Nova Scotia, which was on August 5th. As I write this, it is October 4th. Yep, that's two entire months of unblogged stuff. A record, even for me and my procrastinating self. I suppose I could blow off these two months entirely –Blogland will be just fine without them – but I really feel the need to pay homage to August and September. Good months, both of them. They deserve some attention.
So, my plan today is to sit here while Clara convalesces on the couch (some sort of fluish thing going around here), and go back to fill in a few details. Here I go......

Let's start with Nova Scotia.
It was just the kids and me this trip. In-flight TV is a gift from the gods.
We haven't done summer in Nova Scotia since 2005, so we took full advantage of woods and water. The weather was gorgeous, cousinish kids abounded, and Nana and Papa showed us a fabulous time.

A highlight of the trip was the scavenger hunt that Papa set up in the woods. Here you see the kids ready to set out (a sea of blonde, yes):

Trevor discovers the "Bear Den":

The elusive "Golden Pineapple":

And, the aftermath of all of that time outdoors - scratching and welts:

It was like summer camp, with better food, and no outhouses. Thanks, Nana and Papa! :)