HOCR.2016

The fall institution around our house came and went this weekend. The 52nd year of the rowing of the Head of the Charles regatta. Every year Matt's crews compete on Saturday (go CRI!) and then on Sunday we all head down as a family where we watch a bit of racing, run into people that we (or let's be honest, Matt knows) and take in the festive air.

It's amazing to me that my wonderful husband has taken a passion and turned it into a unique, thriving career. Not only does he get to work on the Charles River but he gets to work at one of the most creative and forward thinking boathouses in the country, if not the world. Community Rowing Inc. truly is a special place and I am beyond proud that Matt has taken every opportunity that knocks on his door.

And side note, rowing is how we met. I was a coxswain in high school and was not expecting to row in college but upon arrival at Denison University, I was pleasantly surprised to find a small, inviting rowing program. So I signed up and met some truly wonderful people, of course my favourite being Matt. So although crew is a sport that not everyone knows much about it is a small piece of the foundation that helped to build our relationship and I have been along for the ride to watch Matt grow and change in the sport. So it's a treat to be able to have my boys see the their dad doing what he loves day in and day out. It makes those early mornings and weekend rowing events all worthwhile.





 Just call me sherpa mama.
 watching from Eliot Bridge.

 checking out the trophies.

 Matt's gold medal winning crew.
 testing out the medal stand.
 finally free from the backpack!


 he *almost* fell in!


 crazy mini man.

 last year, Ollie was too short to do the Gentle Giant run/slide thing. this year, just right!


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Post-flu shot ice cream trips and pre-nap trips to the boathouse. This week we have had hot days (we wore shorts and flip flops) and then back to the cooler, fall temps.  This weekend is the Head of the Charles Regatta and with that the boathouse is a buzz with excitement and a little bit of drama. We always hope that the weather will be spectacular but this year it seems that it will be a bit grey and windy. Oh the wind. Pretty sure most rowers would rather have a little bit of rain rather than gusty wind. 

In other news we are packing...or trying to pack. For our amazing adventure down under. I am staring down the gauntlet of approximately 20 hours of plane travel with two kiddos. We first fly to L.A. and then onward to Auckland, New Zealand. Does anyone have and pearls of travel wisdom? How to get kids to sleep on a long haul flight? Any and all information would be grand!

a walk in the woods.



A walk in the woods on a beautiful fall day. The crunch of leaves underfoot and the warm sunshine on your back. This is why I love autumn in New England. A couple of weeks ago there was no school mid week and it was an epic, bluebird sky kind of day that was beckoning you to go outside. So outside we went. We explored the Ward Reservation in Andover, MA just a quick drive north of the city. Armed with snacks and our good friends; Rebecca and Benjamin we trotted off into the woods. One of the reasons why I picked this destination was because it seemed to be manageable for little legs and at the top of Holt Hill there is a view of the Boston skyline as well as a compass rose of sorts made our of granite stones, aptly named the "Solstice Stones". 

We had a lovely day filled with telling stories (a lot of Star Wars from the boys), spotting unique trees and colorful leaves, and navigating the trail as it rambled through the woods. The big boys enjoyed each others company greatly and Huck was a trooper well past his naptime. And of course Rebecca and I had a delightful time chatting and taking full advantage of both being shutterbugs and taking a whole mess of pictures. 

 A cascading ombre of autumnal leaves.


 unique twisting trees.

 there was an amazing light green hue to the bark.

 smooth and worn, this fallen tree was beautiful.




The "Solstice Stones" mark the summit of Holt Hill. The arrangement of the stones indicates the cardinal points on the compass, the points of the summer and winter solstices, and the points of the spring and autumnal equinoxes. 







 touching and exploring and asking questions.



a perfect, tiny leaf (they are my favourite, thanks Rebecca).

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Playing some massive catchup here. Tired has been the name of the game around here lately. Huck had been getting up super early and I have found that the few minutes that I have to myself are filled with eating some lunch, consuming too much coffee or frankly just sitting and trying to stop the wheels in my head from spinning out of control. 

Two boys. Two brothers. Two different kids. Two lovely human beings. Two hearts. Two men. Lucky me to watch them grow and shift and change together. Lucky them to have each other. 

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Playgrounds. Crisp leaves. Knit hats. Fleece jackets. Welcome Fall, my very favourite season of them all.

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Our annual trip to go apple picking. This is such a wonderful day out as a family, especially when you get an amazing bluebird sky day like we did. 

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