Autumn in the Enchanted Kingdom

I can hardly believe how fast the Fall has come and gone. What a glorious fall it was: The weather was beautiful, the leaves gorgeous and our royal engagements plenty! The kids settled into school and our normal routines but not without making life interesting. Of course the paparazzi captured every moment of the royal family's special moments on camera.

Since the weather was so wonderful, we took advantage of every moment we could spend out side. Renee mastered jumping rope and the monkey bars at school while Chloe spent a lot of time trying to skate. Sir Dominic quietly watched from the stroller while his big sisters tired themselves out before diner and homework each night. Inside, he toddled around in his walker eventually learning he could also push things around with him often against the protests of his big sisters.


In September Princess Chloe took her first trip to the dentist. No cavities! She was such a good little patient. The girls were side by side and although their mouths were full of instruments, they still were able to talk to each other and kept the hygentists very entertained! As you can see, Princess Renee has lost more teeth and her new ones are beginning to arrive.
Dominic changed a lot this fall. He began toddling around in his walker quite well. He has also learned to pull himself up and walk holding on to things. He is a master of standing in his crib and in no time will be walking. He also has had 4 double ear infections to date and is in the process of cutting 5 new teeth (one poked through already). He is also not sleeping well, thus neither are the king and queen! He is all smiles and his eyes are full of mischief. Dominic claps, squeals, and waves. Mama, dada and hi are some of his words. He still loves to cuddle but prefers to be on the move. Such a royal love...

On the school front lots of interesting and fun adventures are happening. Renee has become a reading maniac. She so enjoys to read! She reads to her sister, she reads to her brother, she will read to whom ever will listen. It is truly amazing to see her progress! She recently finished a whole chapter book.
Chloe continues to enjoy Pre-School and dazzle them with her boundless energy and spirited personality. On her Brigance screening she scored very well. She would have done even better except the teacher is only allowed to ask questions a certain way and she must take the child's first response. When asked "What does Miss Kimmie call you?" Chloe promptly answered "Little Meatball" which is true but the answer the test wanted was Chloe Carbonneau. So Kimmie could not give her credit for knowing her name! Hah! She also shortened her teacher's life by a few years by pulling one of her breath holding spells. Chloe came to before Kimmie was able to dial 911 but she left quite an impression on all, including her classmates! Later that afternoon at lunch one of her little chums leaned over and asked her "So, were you really dead or just playing?" to which Chloe responded "I was just playing."

The king and queen continue to be busy not only taking care of the royal subjects but in their work endeavors as well. The king continues to travel when not working from his home office. He is missed terribly. The queen is as always behind in correcting and tired at the end of a teaching day. She has also taken on becoming an independent consultant with Discovery Toys. Hopefully it will give her an outlet and a chance to have something out side of work and her kids. Visit her site for more info!
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/STEPHANIECARBONNEAU


The fall also brings crisp Macintosh apples to New England. We are fortunate enough to live just 2 miles from a small farm and orchard. Uncle Gary joined us for our annual trip. His muscles and patience were much appreciated! Of course the kids did more eating than picking but isn't that what it is all about? Dominic even joined in the taste testing by sucking on the cores of the apples everyone else had finished. Yum! The kids took advantage of the old farm equipment and decorations posing for the royal photographer as often as they were asked. It was a successful trip and lots of apple sauce and apple pies were made later that weekend.







Another weekend we joined friends Lisa and Skyler for a trip to Pumpkin Land. Yet again, the weather was beautiful, the scenery gorgeous and the experience delightful. Pumpkin Land had so much to do and the kids truly enjoyed themselves. There were huge slides, jumpy houses, bales of hay to climb, zip lines, a corn maze, decorations, fair type food, hay rides and pumpkins to pick. We spent the whole day and left very tired. We will definitely go there again!




We took our pumpkins home and carved them. The king helped his royal daughters trace designs onto the pumpkins. Renee picked an intricate cat while Chloe chose a look a like face. Daddy then spent a good portion of an hour cutting out the girls designs while mommy scooped out the guts and roasted the seeds. When all was said and done, the pumpkins were lit and to our delight they were fantastic. Next year we will do this again but we will certainly allow more time, have more patience and be prepared for some work. The girls were so pleased with their Jack-0-Lanterns!

The fall festivities continued with Halloween and trick or treating. There was no shortage of magic or super powers in our enchanted kingdom. Renee was Wonder Woman, Chloe Super Girl and Dominic was Yoda. Although the girls were the ones to get candy, Dominic got caught with his hands in goods! Too cute!

As the fall comes to an end and the Christmas season approaches. We wish you a warm holiday season full of God's wonder and love. We certainly will be blessed and busy! We can't wait to share our holiday with you....

The week of firsts

It has been a week of firsts for us here in the royal kingdom: For the princesses, the first day of school has come and gone, as well as the start of dance, gymnastics, and Brownie meetings. Although there is no "first tooth," Prince Dominic is doing his fair share of new things. He is now going effortlessly from sitting to belly or his knees. He will be crawling in no time! He has also begun to flip himself over from his back to belly while sleeping, waking himself in the process. Needles to say the King and Queen are tired!



This picture was taken at the Bus stop on Renee's first day of first grade. She was a bit nervous as it was a new teacher and a new set of classmates. Renee had such a great kindergarten year with Mrs. Robinson that she was uncertain how she was going to enjoy Mrs. McPherson. Also, her best school chum was not going to be in her class and she was certain that Meredith was going to forget about her. The night before school started they called each other and decided to meet the next day at recess in front of the slide. Too cute! I'm happy to report that the week went well and Meredith HAS NOT forgotten about Renee. In fact, they meet every recess in front of the slide and have been calling each other almost every night on the phone. Mrs. McPherson has also turned out to be a delight. Renee comes home each day with something exciting to share. She has also had homework each night. Something else we've had to work into our schedule. So far it really has not been too difficult and she seems to enjoy doing it, especially when it involves glue!


Chloe also started school. She is going to Laugh and Learn Pre-school every Tuesday and Thursday with Ms. Kimmie. It is the same place Renee attended and thus, Chloe was well aware of what was awaiting her. She was SOOOOO excited. On the first day, Chloe charged right in as if she owned the place. She sat right down next to Kimmie and dug right in to the snacks in front of her with out hesitation.


When Michael picked her up Kimmie's first words were "Well, she's full of P and V. I can't wait to see what she's like when she's comfortable!" Needless to say, Chloe had a great first day and was accident free! However, trouble lied ahead when she returned to day care. She had such a good time at school that she didn't want to leave and spent the rest of the afternoon crying and giving Jen a bit of grief. We are helping Chloe to see both places are fun and full of loving people and good friends. The transition between school and day care is going to be more of a challenge than originally anticipated. By week's end, she found her niche in both spots.

The girls also started their extra-curricular activities. They have returned to Gymnation in Kennebunk to do an hour of gymnastics and tumbling each week. Chloe is now in "big girl" gymnastics and no longer needs mommy or daddy to be part of class. She is very enthusiastic and is the first to do what is asked of her and can usually do it well after having spent many years watch big sister Renee do the same skills and drills. She is a powerhouse and a bit of a bull in a china shop. Watch out! Most of the other kids stand back and just let her go ahead. Is it a surprise that her name is the one called out the most????!!! Both girls are also signed up for a weekly dance class. After quite an ordeal of trying to get tap shoes to fit Chloe's small but rather wide feet, she has found her happy feet! Mommy kept all of Renee's old tap shoes in hopes of using them again but Chloe's feet just wouldn't fit into any of them so they had to be special ordered. She also got a new leotard out of the deal as her build is also not the same as Renee's and the one Renee used at this age was just a tad bit too loved.


Renee had her first meeting as a Brownie. We are now busy learning the Promise, Pledge and a few songs. We had to order her a vest and go shopping for the materials for her first badge, sewing. She will be making a "sit upon." Mommy was proud to be the only parent to know what that was! We had fun this weekend digging up mommy's sash and badges and pictures. Renee is very excited to sell cookies and go "camping" in her leader's back yard.



The prince has also had an exciting few days. He moved up to Chloe's old car seat and seems quite comfortable in it. This means Chloe got a big girl seat. Unfortunately she can now unbuckle herself. We've had to threaten that if she does that again with out asking, we will have to move her back to her old seat and go get Dominic a new one. That seems to have worked!

Dominic is sitting quite well and is transitioning well from butt to belly to knees. His smile and giggles are infectious and in no time we will be chasing his little "behind" around.


He rocks on his knees but has not got the crawling motion going yet. He spins around on his belly and moves backward well. He has also started to pull himself up to a "squat" but has not figured out how to stand. I'm sure this is only a matter of time as well...Here he is watching Chloe splash around in the tub anxiously awaiting his turn.

Ah, our kingdom is full of enchantment!

All I want for Christmas....

Is my FOUR front teeth! Renee lost her two bottom teeth this spring and her two top teeth this summer. Let's hope by school picture time, she'll have found her new ones!

Nos vacances d'ete-Our summer vacation

Yeah, it took longer than a week for me to post another blog! I told you time would be an issue. So I've decided maybe I will post every few weeks or once a month or it may even come down to being seasonally! hah! Well in any case, here is how our summer went, now that it is almost over...

We started off our summer by adding two kittens to our home. We all went to the shelter one Sunday afternoon in late June to pick out kittens. Our criteria was firmly decided: we wanted litter mates who were friendly, loving and would tolerate our children. We let them pick us as well. We took our time-as much time as we could with three children-to play and hold them and to see if they were a good match for us. Chloe and Renee couldn't have been happier and we believe we made the right choice. Renee's kitten is gray and Chloe's kitten is black. Their original names were Ash and Coal. We liked them, but they were not fitting names according to the girls. We talked them out of some interesting names such as "playful" and settled on Smokey and Diego. Renee chose "Smokey" as it seemed appropriate for his color while Diego came from Chloe's recent obsession with the Dora and Diego shows. They have provided us with much enjoyment and have given the girls a bit of responsibility. Chloe feeds them in the morning and Renee in the evening. Now, if I can only get them to clean the litter box! The girls have to be reminded they are not toys and need to handle them gently. Just tonight, Renee was pushing Smokey around in her shopping cart and Chloe was pulling Diego's tail. Dominic will even screech when they come into contact with him. He grabs their fur and laughs. Millie has come to tolerate them and she has been seen bathing them. However, she will bat them if need be. She certainly has let them know who is boss. Here are some pictures of our new friends. They are growing fast!






Despite not so perfect summer weather, we made the most of our summer. Living in a coastal community has provided us many opportunities to spend the day at the beach. The girls are definitely beach babes. They both dug in the sand and played in the water for hours. Even Dominic enjoyed his time! He spent a good amount of time napping under the tent while the girls were at play. He loved grabbing the sand and letting it go. His favorite activity was playing in the wet sand and leaving hand prints. He didn't even mind the cold water! Dominic discovered sand tastes just as good wet as it does dry. He also enjoyed dunking his hand in the salt water and then sucking on it. By the end of the day we had very soggy diapers and sand in places it took days to get rid of. They all are very brown despite the 50 SPF and I believe my car has more sand in it now then there is left on Wells Beach.





We also were fortunate enough to spend some time in Grandma Jean's pool. The girls have become quite the water bugs. Renee will jump in over and over. She is also pretty good at swimming under water. Chloe started the swim season a bit timid wearing every floating device she could but by the end has learned to trust herself and doggie paddle around. She too has gone under water but not by choice. We hope to enroll both of them in swim lessons next year. Dominic spent his fair share of time in the pool as well, usually in the arms of mommy or in his baby float. After the initial surprise of the water temperature, he would enjoy his water play. We are so lucky to have Grandma Jean and her family to help us in the pool!







There was also a good amount of rainy days this summer. We tried to make the best of it but you can only color, make cookies and play "movie theater" so often. One day I could not stand it any more and sent Chloe out to play in the rain. She had a ball. She was soaking wet when she was done but she sure did burn off a lot of energy stomping and dancing around in the rain!



This summer we have also been working on potty training. It has been a trying experience. Renee was so easy and Chloe has been a bit more challenging. Can you say control? Check out Chloe's potty time adventures!

Since Dominic is such a big boy now, we began experimenting with food this summer. At first it did not go well at all. He would clamp his mouth shut and shake his head no. He ended up wearing more of it than actually eating it. Now he will at least let a few spoonfuls cross his lips. The girls really want to help feed him but it is still a task for patient adults!

And the "I've had enough" picture.

If you look at him, his lack of eating food is not hurting him. He seems pretty content with mama's milk and his pudgy body agrees. At 6 months he was the size of the girls at a year. He is now at least 20 lbs of solid boy. He is fun and all smiles. He has also been working on finding his voice. Still no teeth but we have hopes they will be there soon. Dominic LOVES his Johnny Jump up! He jumped so much that he actually got a blister on his toe! It didn't stop him and it eventually turned to a callous.
Also, he is now sitting up quite well and does a bit of rocking on his knees. We are glad he hasn't learned to crawl yet. The house certainly is not ready for him and the beach trips would have been more difficult with a crawling munchkin!



We did get a chance to take a few trips this summer. We spent the 4th of July with Michael's family in Rockport. It was the first time we were able to meet Tante's fiance Ross and his little pumpkin Addison. The girls hit it off well. What fun we will have in the future! Here is the happy couple with Addison and Renee in tow.


Our next trip wast to CT to visit my grandparents for their 60th wedding anniversary party. Mom and dad joined us for a fun filled 4 hour car ride to my cousin Corrie's house on a hot humid day. Thank God for AC and portable DVD players! We had a wonderful time visiting with family and it was extra special as it was the first time many of them got to meet Dominic.






Our last big trip was the most memorable. On a last minute decision to take a vacation, we were fortunate to come across a resort in the Vermont Mountains called Smugglers' Notch (www.smuggs.com). We had such a great time we have decided to become part of the Smuggs' family and return year after year. The resort's website describes itself as " Nestled in the heart of Vermont's Green Mountains, featuring mountainside lodging, 8 pools and 4 waterslides, award winning children's programing, daily guided mountain walks and hikes with spectacular mountain vistas, you'll find America's Family Resort. It's the perfect playground in which to recreate, regenerate and relax in a family-friendly atmosphere where you'll feel at ease." And that we did! We hope our pictures express the fun and memorable time we had. We can't wait to go back! Many of you should find information about Smuggs arriving in your mailbox....Feel free to ask us any questions or join us next year!
Here is the view from our porch.

Dominic spent a lot of the trip on Mommy's back.


There was a lot of time spent in the Resort's various pools.


Chloe takes a pony ride.


More water adventures!










Mini golf in the woods. Believe it or not, Chloe got a hole in one! Daddy was quite proud and Renee was a wee bit jealous.


Life size games played as a family. Can you say Kerplunk? Daddy and Renee disagreed on which stick to pull out. Needless to say, they should have stuck with the one Renee picked as 25 balls came spilling out leaving our team in the bottom three.


We will spend our final weekend of summer preparing for a new school year. Renee will be going into first grade and Chloe will be attending pre-school two days a week if we can get the potty training mastered. Dominic will be at Lots of Tots daycare and I will return for my 12th year of teaching. Michael will continue to work from home and travel as need be.

Enjoy the rest of summer and check in with us in the fall!