The school and the recess

I messed up this year. I did not take a single picture of any of my children's first day in school. Not of Zuzia's in the third grade and not of Kiki's in seventh. No picture of Kubus in his very private, truck theme based, preschool.

Nevertheless school has started for them. So far Zuzia had more days off than in, and with Kiki I am getting used to to picking her up. That is my new routine, and I am glad that Kubus does not nap anymore; the picking up would be very uncomfortable for him and for me.

And because with school comes this thing call recess, I am joining today Cari, for her challenging theme Thursday photo edition - recess.

I don't think I will be able to spy what Kiki is doing during that time. Firstly, because her school is too far, secondly, because the seventh graders don't have recess.

Zuzia on the other hand has plenty of free time. She has two days off due to certain holidays that we don't celebrate, yet we enjoy the time off:)

A sneak peak here at her five minute break from having fun!

 



Kinga:)

The last long weekend of the summer:(

 

 

 

 

 

 

The end of summer is upon us; we just had enjoyed the long Labor Day weekend, the girls are back in school and the greenish pool is being drained. We kept it until this week to take the last swim but instead the nature decided to splurge us with the water from above. Who needs a pool!

Our Prudence Island visiting plans were postponed once again. And I mean year after year, not week after week. I do not think that hiking around the island in the pouring rain and flashing lighting would had been fun.

Regardless of the weather we had managed to spend quite a nice long weekend.

Zuzia had skipped half of the school day on Friday and yet again was lucky to have daddy/daughter time. They went to the Plymouth Plantation. It was a last Free Fun Friday activity.

On Sunday we decided to use all of the coupons and groupons that we have accumulated and go to Newport. I have to admit, it is the nicest city in Rhode Island, so whoever comes visiting us, ends up going there and liking it too!

We went to the Newport Winery, where the adults wined and the kids whined! OK, not all of them. Kubus was actually happy to visit few resting trucks.

I have to confess that despite living in RI for over eleven years, we have never visited the famous mansions of Newport, particularly The Breakers. I take that back; we visited The Rosecliff for Andrzej's company Christmas party, but honestly, we were not really allowed to see the whole place.

This time we took advantage of the coupons that kids received as a reward for participating in Summer Reading game. We were very nicely surprised how big, and rich that place is. Even the girls stopped complaining about the trip, and for us ( me and Andrzej ) it right away reminded of Downton Abbey. I could almost see the "lordship" and "ladyship" Grantham in that mansion. I could see Mrs Patmore in the kitchen, Carson giving orders, the footmen serving dinner, and Branson driving the car. Quite funny on one hand, on the other, I had learnt that, that was how the wealthy led their lives regardless on which side of the ocean...

Zuzia, I must say, was more impressed with the snail that was crawling on the wall, and she had a hard time leaving it behind.

Andrzej and girls finished the weekend with fishing. They managed to catch eleven fish, between all of the downpours and thundering.
I had a less pleasant job of shopping and the driving home in the downpour; and I must say, that St. Christopher truly was intervening to God on my behalf this Monday:)

Kinga.

The last but not least...

As I am coming to the end of rewinding time and posting the memories and pictures from our NH vacation, I will not pass the actual time spent in the lake.
Beside the fishing, and despite of cool week, the kids and Andrzej enjoyed the water. I preferred just to wet my toes and watch from a chair:)

 



 

Kinga:) 



Geocaching in {phfr} edition

I won't let it go easily. As I mentioned before, too many pictures:)

Some few years ago we started the fun outdoor activity called - geocaching. I have to admit that this year we did not participate until out NH vacation. Andrzej usually is in charge of finding interesting spots. There were plenty of places around the area of our vacationing. All together we have found seven geocaches, if I am not mistaken. One was very well "blended" in. We gave up. But here are some of the geocaches that did not get away:)

{pretty}

 

 

 

While Andrzej and the kids were looking, I decided to go on mushroom-caching. The mushrooms were much easier to find.

 

 

This pretty, green frog was guarding one of the geocaches.

 

{happy}
 

 

 

 

It is always a happy moment, when the geocache is discovered. Checking what is inside it is the next step.

 

{funny}
 

 

In one of the beautiful places while geocaching I decided to take a picture of the four of us ( Kiki was at the camp ). Unfortunately I cut off Andrzej's head! Sorry !!!

 

{real}

 

 

Hazard of geocaching in the woods? The mosquitoes!!! Poor Kubus was bitten in the ear, which tripled in its size. The swelling went down after few days.

 

 As I share another activity from our vacation, I join Like Mother, Like Daughter, for capturing the context of contentment in everyday life!

 

Kinga:)



Theme Thursday and the Pennywise Platter

I am going to take a break from the week long vacation theme today. But I will be back. I took too many pictures to let them just lie around:)

It is funny that the Theme Thursday at Cari is food, since today I have decided to use all of my ripe tomatoes and make spaghetti  sauce.

 

Obviously I did not use the cucumbers, I just like this colorful photo:) 

 



I am indeed proud of my creation, since the tomatoes and basil came from my garden. The abundance of it is tremendous, the only pity is that probably be next week I will be missing them a lot. Too bad the can't ripen one or two per day.

Since it is a food theme it made it easier for me to join the long forgotten Pennywise Platter link up.
Here is the recipe.

- four pounds of tomatoes
- one carrot
- one clove of garlic
- one onion
- fresh basil, parsley, oregano
- salt and black pepper
- olive oil

Basically, the ingredients have to be chopped up and saute in the olive oil until tender and tasty , I would say for about two hours? I am still cooking so I guess I will find out later.

When the sauce is ready I will let it cool down and blend until smooth. For my very picky eaters. As long as they don't taste the piece of a vegetable, they are OK with it.

The recipe is not mine, but modified according to the ingredients found in my house:)
I hope you can enjoy it too, or send me an old, fail proofed, family recipe.

Kinga:)

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

Kinga:)



The fish that didn't get away

Zuzia loves everything that has something to do with water creatures. It can be whale in the ocean and a tadpole in a pond. She has already tried fishing a little, but nothing serious. Maybe except for squid fishing. Andrzej took her last year to Newport to the annual squid fishing. This year they were ready too, but for some reason the squids never came, so they did not have a chance to enjoy the after dark activity. She was disappointed.
But going to the lake she had a lot of hopes, fishing rod and a box of worms.

 



 From the first day Zuzia was begging Andrzej to take her fishing. And they did but without any luck on the beginning:(

 

 

After few days they decided to get acquainted with more serious fishermen. And indeed just few tips more, change of the docks ( maybe 30 yards in between ), and the fish started on biting.

 

 

 

Zuzia fished in the morning, she fished in the evening. She even fished right before we were leaving the place. All together she caught twenty nine fish. She had her fishing guide and tried to name the fish. Mostly it was the same just in different life stages.

The girl left happy, she just wished she could catch an even number thirty!

 

 

Kinga:)