Holy month Batman! This month has been so insane I'm still trying to come to terms with the insanity. Yes, it is true, my life is basically in a constant state of insanity, but I feel like this month I have reached a new point on the spectrum. This is really not a good sign for my life going forward, since I usually regard the summer as a time of rest, relaxation and reflection, and during the months of July and August in particular I am the first one on the soapbox preaching the gospel of Ferris Bueller; "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."

So how could I have let this insanity happen? To answer that we will have to go back to June, to Belgrade, to the Tractor Festival. That isn't code. I know, those of you who haven't seen me since high school, or have never seen me, are thinking "What does she mean by tractor festival??" So I will explain, I mean a festival of tractors. Still confused? So am I. I married a "tractor enthusiast", or in layman's terms, my loving husband is freaking obsessed with all things tractor. The man doesn't watch sports, frequent strip clubs, or spend the weekend sitting in a lawn chair drinking beer, all behaviors my experience with ex-boyfriends had prepared me to take in stride. No, he loves, loves, loves tractors. So every June we drive up to Belgrade Maine, usually dragging a tractor behind us, and go to the Maine Antique Tractor festival where there are tons (I kid you not, TONS!) of people who brought their own tractors. Everyone looks at each other's tractors (some are for sale, most are not) and they have tractor pulling competitions (the tractors pull weight, the people don't pull tractors) and even a skillet throwing competition for the women (why they throw frying pans I really don't know, but it is damn fun to watch). The kids love it, my husband loves it, even our dog loved it this year (that's Jackson in the photo at the top, the only one without rain gear). It's a little crazy for a weekend, even if it isn't pouring rain, and the kids are beat when we get home Sunday night, but fine family fun nonetheless. The photos, in case you were wondering, are of the kids in the barrel train. This is literally a train made of barrels on wheels that is pulled by a tractor. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up.

And if that were it we would be in good shape, but no. On Monday Fraser started camp. Here he is at the Audubon Sanctuary getting ready to go in for his camp day. I'm sorry, but could he be any cuter? No, I don't think so. He went to camp from 9 to 3 for 5 days. This was a really long day for him, but he had a great time learning about snakes and birds and all kinds of stuff and hiking every day. Hammie and Eleanor and I had a great time going to Davis Farmland a few of the days while Fraser was at camp. Davis is a kind of farm-park place 15 minutes from Fraser's camp, and my parents were nice enough to get us a season pass. They have several playgrounds, tons of animals to feed and pet and a water park (which Eleanor loved the first time we went and is now terrified of). Since the camp is 45 minutes from our house though, the week was a frantic one of getting everyone out the door in time and rushing back to be on time for pickup too. It was also hot (not as hot as this week, but we'll get to that) so we went to the lake club after camp a few times. The first time we went Fraser ran down the beach and went bombing right into the water up to his chest, Eleanor went bombing into the water right after him. Unfortunately Fraser's chest is above Eleanor's head, so she went right under. Fraser fished her out, and after a few minutes of crying (and Mommy saying "What were you thinking Eleanor??) she was fine.

Fraser got out of camp Friday at 3, we drove home and packed the car and headed to Cushing Maine for the long weekend. Here are most of the cousins hanging in the bunkhouse preparing for the fourth of July parade in Roundpond (Hailey, the youngest cousin, had gone to Boston with her parents "Aunt Nise" and "Uncle Dustin." I don't know why Hammie can say "Dustin" but not "Denise") The kids had a great weekend together and it is really fun to see them all playing together. By far my favorite point was when Lily was dressed in a princess dress and Hammie was dressed as a firefighter and Lily announced "You are the firefighter I am your wife! Now let's go!" Hammie looked totally confused, but he took directions like any good husband!

Hammie was still excited to get back on the gators again (hands down his favorite thing from last summer) but they all really enjoyed the boat this year too. After we came home the boys used their beanbag to pretend they were on Catrina, stuck out in the ocean because the engine wasn't working (that pretend game is in fact based in reality, not that they were stuck in the ocean, but there was a "situation" our last day which I think it best not to dwell on.)

We got back from Cushing Tuesday night and Wednesday morning both Fraser and Hammie had camp. Fraser was excited to go back, but Hammie was almost beside himself with enthusiasm. At breakfast he asked "Am I going to camp with Fraser this week?" When I said yes he jumped out of his chair yelling "Fraser! I get to go to camp with you so I

won't miss you this week!" Totally priceless.

While the boys were at camp Eleanor and I headed back to Davis Farmland Wednesday and Thursday (by Friday Mommy was all Davis Farmlanded out). While Hammie really missed Fraser while he was at camp and was thrilled to have him home at the end of the day, Eleanor did not seem at all to mind being an only child. She really enjoyed being able to chose where we went and what we did and when she ate lunch (and probably also enjoyed not having anyone trying to steal her lunch, though she didn't mention it) She particularly loved the goats (surprising after he fear of g

oats last year). On Monday i didn't get any food for the animals and every time Eleanor saw a goat she would say "Goat! No food. sorry!" She apologized to every goat at the farm. That's a lot of goats.

Camp ended Friday and Saturday morning we packed up the car and I took the kids to New York to see my parents. They had a wonderful time with Keekey and Grandpa, as always, and were also thrilled to get to the beach and ride their scooters and the "motorcycle" down my parents' dead end street. I took a video of them coming down the hill, which turned out to be a video of Hammie's very first motorcycle crash, which was very graceful. We also were able to go see my cousin Leah and her three boys, which is why there are six children in this baby pool. My kids thought the Borzoni's were possibly the most fun ever, and when we went to dinner and Leah, Tommy and Johnny were going to join us Fraser made sure to save a seat next to him for Tommy. It was great to see them having so much together. We also went to see my cousin Micheal and his wife to drop off some baby toys for them since they are expecting twins! Oh yes, twin girls. It is hard to tread that fine line between appearing genuinely happy for them (which, of course, I am) and trying hard not give them that all knowing, been there done that, "Oh you are soooo screwed" smirk. My favorite part of that visit is when Micheal said 'I think it will be okay, I really just need 4 hours of sleep" and I answered "Oh you'll be fine! You can definitely get 4 hours....probably not in a row though." Funny, to me. On Wednesday I packed the kids and the dog (did I mention we are taking the dog on all these trips? Our giant dog? We had to take one of the seats out of the minivan to make room for him) back into the car and drove back home, where we stayed for whopping 26 hours before packing everyone back into the car and driving back to Maine on Thursday. (Are you getting the insanity feeling yet?) before we left I had to do laundry, weed the garden, at least generally straighten the house, and groom our sad neglected cats who must be wondering where the hell we have been going lately.

We had possibly the best weather imaginable at the lake for the weekend though, and for the first time I really felt that relaxation just on the edge of the horizon. I did get to read the rest of my book "The Accidental Farmers" and we took a boat cruise before dinner with cheese and crackers and alcoholic drinks for those of legal age. The kids road the gator, 4 wheeler and of course tractors with Andy, we swam in the lake and put our feet up a little. Can you feel that warm fuzzy glow of relaxed contentment? Don't get used to it. After dinner Sunday we drove home, and got stuck in traffic, surprise surprise. On Monday the kids were just toast so we unpacked and cleaned the house. Monday night Andy stayed up to put together Fraser's birthday present from Grammy Lynn, Grandpa don, Mommy and Daddy, a fancy new John Deere pedal tractor which he has been asking for for months. (It's tractor! Go figure!) On Tuesday we went grocery shopping and blueberry picking. While we were blueberry picking I asked the kids if they were going to raise on crop on their own farm what would it be? Hammie said blueberries, Fraser said Potatoes and Parsnips, Eleanor said animals, at which point Hammie wished to amend his answer and said he would have blueberries and animals on his farm. On Wednesday we went to Davis Farmland. On Thursday it was so ever loving hot here we just tried to make it through the day without killing each other, but last night Andy put the air conditioner in our bedroom window, and i figured we had turned a corner.

But no. At 6:00 I woke up because Jackson was barking, so I went down to let him out. He runs outside and I hear growling and yelping. I walk outside and there is a random dog in our yard. What follows is several hours of me leaving messages with animal control, posting the lost dog's photo on facebook in the hopes that someone will come get there unneutered male dog out of my yard (seriously, who doesn't neuter there pets???) deciding the dog is friendly, letting the kids play with the dog (Fraser names him "Stompy") letting Jackson play with Stompy (they are now good friends) getting the bad feeling my children are getting too attached to this random dog, taking the kids to the lake club in the hopes that Stompy will go home. Getting back and being greeted by Stompy. Leaving another message for animal control. And now. Now Hammie and Eleanor are sleeping, Fraser is watching a cartoon since I have ddecided it is just to hot to go outside, and I am sitting in the mudroom with Jackson and Stompy since Stompy was sitting at the door crying after Jackson came in and it is 105 degrees on my thermometer, which I think qualifies as weather not fit for a dog, wondering what on earth I am going to do with this random dog and hoping sincerely that some answer presents itself before Andy comes home from work, takes a look at our visitor and asks "And what is your plan now?" I guess I'll tell him my plan right now is to stop and look around awhile. Things move pretty fast after all.