A Strong Start to Summer

 Summer has begun, but first school had to wrap up for Maggie (last final was on Monday), Declan and Brendan (last day was Tuesday), and Phil (teacher's last day was on Wednesday).

Maggie took D + B to The Cottage for lunch and a treat on their last day, as one does:

Declan and Brendan both had really lovely teachers this year and had amazing years all around, academically, socially, physically, mentally... you name it and they grew leaps and bounds.  We are very thankful for our Catholic schools!

Apparently they call him Decky?  Who knew? We typically shorten to Dex at home.

Brendan's teacher comments from his last report card:

Brendan has a natural curiosity and is always eager to explore new ideas and concepts,
making him a wonderful contributor to our classroom environment.
He always put in his best effort and faces every challenge with confidence.
I would encourage him to continue putting his best effort into all that he does
 and to continue to love learning.
Brendan will do great things!

Not to be left out, Phil was June's Faculty Spotlight at the high school:

They also made a nice video of him here.

And then the weather took note that summer had started and we had some nice beach and pool days with friends over the long weekend (Juneteenth was off and then I took Friday off as well!).  

This beach day was a little crazy, as I was trying to meet my friend and her cuties at a new-to-me beach but I got lost, didn't have cell service for a while, and then it ended up being the longest walk and windiest day ever.  Thank God I had Maggie with me.  But in the end, it was still so fun!!

Summer Martins and Summer Not

When the days end of "Hey Mom! Look what I found!" I will be sad for sure.  This was a hermit crab.

An Expensive Trim, A Quick Getaway, and A Father's Day Race

So maybe I shouldn't have scheduled a haircut on Friday the 13th after all.  It's not super awful, but it's not what I was going for.  It's a little shorter and no real style, just a long bang chopped straight across before I asked her to try to angle it a bit.  Basically I now have a shoulder length cut with some short pieces in front that annoy me and I keep re-tucking behind my ears all day.  No bangs.  Oh and did I mention that I scheduled a Wash + Cut Only, so I went in, waited a few minutes, got my hair washed and cut and was done in 21 minutes for FIFTY DOLLARS?  What the what now?  Of course, I left a $10 tip for the stylist as well, so I was out $60.  No real styling, no hair drying...I can't even imagine what it costs to get one's hair colored or any extra services added on.

Moving on.

Phil booked us a 24 hour getaway to Newport to a little Bed + Breakfast place we like, and we stayed overnight on Friday.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  We ate, we walked, we slept in, we ate some more, we shopped, we picked up groceries on the way home and still made it to the Vigil Mass on Saturday.  We have absolutely no photos but it was the start of a nice Father's Day weekend for Phil which he deserved!

On Sunday morning, Phil and five kids ran the 5k race in our town.  The Ice Cream Cottage is a sponsor and it's a fun event plus we can just walk over to the start line.

Happy Father's Day to their favorite!

It was Brendan's (age 8) first time running a 5k race and he did great!  Phil ran with him and said he ran the whole time and had a good attitude. 

Eamon

Declan (Andrew and Xander too)

Andrew and Xander

Week in Review: Undergraduate Awards, Retro Meals and Haircut Hopes

Happy Friday the 13th!  I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious so I always recognize the date, look out for black cats and that's about it.  I do not watch horror movies so I don't really know what is supposed to be feared on Friday the 13th and as they say "ignorance is bliss".

Let's look back at the week...an almost uneventful week after having a high school and an 8th grade graduation...yet in this big family, there is literally always something going on with someone.  I wouldn't know how else to live life, honestly.  Like what do people DO when they aren't being scheduled and planned by their kids activities and events?  Will I be bored once all of this is over?  Will Phil and I just stare at each other and reminisce about the good old days or will we love having the freedom to choose the activities?  Or maybe there will be grandbabies to love and it never ends, just changes a bit.  

OK Colleen, let's get on with it already.

Yes ma'am!

Maggie had undergraduate awards after the Closing Mass for the school year, and I was able to take my lunch break early to pop over and attend.  Look at these beautiful door greeters:

Maggie, Maggie and Maggie, jk that's my niece Abby

  Maggie did the first reading and the Prayers of the Faithful:

She also won three awards!  She is in the Top Ten of the Junior Class, received the St. Julie Billiart Award for having over 150 hours of community service this year, and won the book award from St. Bonaventure's College (where my brother attended for one year - ha!).  When she won her last award, I leaned over to Phil and said "we have peaked as parents...it's all downhill from here".  Maggie is just such a wonderful daughter, easy to parent, is virtuous and hard-working, and takes initiative.  Unlike my boys, she needs no nudging at all, and seeks service hours and shadowing opportunities all on her own while playing sports and getting all her school work done.  One might say she is my favorite girl!  One would be correct!

Cousins both in the Top Ten of their grades

The Maggies

The Maggies doing the Maggie Face

The Fifth (Child) Graduates Eighth (Grade)

Right after we got through Eamon's high school graduation, Alexander Blaise said "Hey don't forget about me!" and went ahead and graduated from 8th Grade at the Catholic school he's been in since he was three years old!

Preschool Graduation:

Kindergarten Graduation:

8th Grade Graduation:

It's true what they say:

 "The tie may be long, but the pants are short."

Also, that thing about the years passing quickly!

Senior Week: Awards Night, Baccalaureate Mass and A High School Graduation

What a week!  We have another high school graduate in the Martin family...

3 down and 4 to go :)

Monday night was Senior Awards and Eamon certainly took home a lot, as he should for all of his hard work academically, dedication to service, and being one of those kids that kind of flew under the radar but was also well loved and respected by his peers and the faculty and staff.  

The high school gives out two big awards each year - The President's Award and the Spartan Award - and Eamon won the Spartan Award!  His name will now be on a plaque at the high school forever.

Tommy and Eamon, classmates and cousins!

Eamon has also received $6700 from five outside scholarships that he applied for (with some not so gentle nudging and nagging from his mother).  Worth it.

Week in Review: Spring Concert, Spoiled Dog, Socks Hidden, Smarty Pants and Spiritual Guidance

Happy Last Friday in May!  Did you all survive that crazy month?  This week was like the eye of the hurricane for us, with lots of events the week before and next week too.  We enjoyed the relative calm while it lasted.

It was a big movie weekend, and The Cottage got in on the action:

The little guys had their Spring Concert/Art Show on Wednesday night, and let's just say it is one event I think could be pulled from the school calendar.  Having yet another event at the end of May with all the graduations going on does not seem like the best idea.  They have a Christmas concert that features singing, and the kids art projects could be put up at the benefit dinner in April.  

(These are the moments I think I am a curmudgeon because other parents and extended family members go to these events and seem to enjoy themselves.  Maybe it's because it's my 11th year of attending? Perhaps it's because the kids need a lot more practice to sound impressive? Or maybe it's because singing and art aren't exactly my children's talents?)

  In any case, Declan and Brendan were happy to have us there, they got ice cream after, and that made it worth it.

Declan's turtle

Brendan's sloth

This was Declan's 5th Grade class project and I could tell right away which hands were his because he always wears a watch:

2025 Prom and a Graduation Party

Eamon's Senior Prom was on Friday, so we had to take the traditional lighthouse photo, like I did with JP and Andrew:

We bought JP and Andrew each a suit for the prom (hardly anybody here wears tuxes anymore) as their graduation gift.  They both went to college and outgrew the suit, so when it came time to buy Eamon his suit, I told him if he could wear one of his brother's old suits to the prom, then I would give him money towards a new laptop instead.  He was psyched and squeezed himself into JP's old suit!

After he posed for a few photos for me, he went to meet up with a bunch of friends at a senior's house near the high school:

Week in Review: Last Day of High School, Kind Students, Babe Ruth and Socks with Sandals

Happy Friday!  Does it feel like winter where you are?  Brrrr it's been unusually cold (and terribly rainy yesterday) around these parts.  Normally I would love the cooler weather but it's bad for ice cream, so knock it off Mother Nature m'kay?

Last Friday was Eamon's last day of high school!  He was supposed to take his last AP Exam (Psych) but there was an issue with the exam and he has to retake it next week.  His grades were excellent so he didn't have to take any finals, and he's just been working and having fun since.  Tonight is the Prom and I will be sure to get some photos of my meatball.  I can't believe his high school career is over!

Signing yearbooks

Phil teaches only seniors, so it was his last day of classes as well!  He had to give finals to the students who weren't exempt this week, and the school will use him as a sub for the rest of the year but it certainly feels remarkable to finish his 22nd year of teaching.  This senior class is a great group and Phil's received some lovely notes from his students (name removed for privacy):

23 and We

 Saturday was our 23rd wedding anniversary!

I admit, I can never remember things like my age of how many years we've been married.  I used to always just add a year to JP's age, but now I first have to do the math to remember JP's age so it's all going downhill fast. Luckily, Phil loves me in spite of the way my brain works, and so here we are!

Our first dance - "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

I was 23 when we got married, so half of my life has now officially been married to my bestie, and I am so grateful.  When Phil and I met, studying abroad in Austria in January 2000, I was in a serious relationship.  Phil and I became instant friends, and it didn't take me long to confess to my roommate that I "wanted to marry somebody like Phil." So then what was I doing dating somebody so unlike Phil?  I broke up with the boyfriend, told Phil I was single, and he asked me on a date very soon after.

What attracted me to Phil was his GOODNESS.  He was so kind and attentive, a friend to everyone, loved to laugh but not be the center of attention, made me feel safe, was a prayerful and chaste young man, led by quiet example, and was willing to put up with me!  I knew he would be a wonderful husband and father and he has proven that time and time again.

What I didn't know was how hard of a worker and partner he would be.

Phil has held down multiple jobs, gotten two Masters degrees, and even opened a business to support his family as best he can.  I'll give you last Thursday as an example.  Phil went to work (teaching high school theology) all day, came home and made dinner, went for a run, walked the dog with me and the littles, helped Xander edit his paper for an hour, went to the ice cream shop when it closed at 9:30 to clean the soft serve machines and leave them to dry overnight, came home and ordered ice cream and got bank deposits ready, went to bed at 12:30 am only to wake up at 5:30 am to go back to the shop to put the soft serve machines back together and fill them, then off to his teaching job for the day.  He then worked at the shop right after school until well into the evening.

But that's just his work-work.

He also does so much home-work.

Phil is the parent who meal plans and shops and mostly cooks dinner all school year because I get home from work much later than he does.  Phil was the parent who changed all the diapers if he was home.  Phil would get up at the baby's crying and bring them to me for a feeding, then burp and rock them back to sleep. "Dad" is the name that the kids would call for over the baby monitors because he was the one who would get up to see what they needed.  He picks the kids up from school each day, cleans the showers and does the dusting, mows the lawn and takes out the trash, does the dishes most nights, plays with the kids, and well, the list goes on and on.

Phil scheduled workers at the shop so that we could spend the day together on our anniversary.  He asked me what I would like to do...go to the Cape for the day?  Shop and eat and walk around a new town?  

Instead of planning a romantic day away, I said "Honestly, if I can have you to myself for the whole day, I would like to workout together and then really clean and organize the house together."

So that's what we did.  We went to our favorite circuit class at the gym, worked on the house for a couple hours, ran some errands, Declan had a soccer game, then went to Mass and out to dinner and for ice cream, and were asleep by 9:30.  It was very productive and just a little romantic, and after 23 years, that was exactly perfect.

All this to say, I picked the best one for me and our kiddos and we all love you so much!  No regerts :)  I don't think I could do this life without you by my side, and I pray I never have to find out.  Happy 23rd Anniversary and many, many more.

The night before our wedding

The night before our 23rd anniversary

Week in Review: I Keep Reminding Myself That It's Not Me, It's May (and a good recipe!)

This week was very May-ish with lots going on.  

Monday evening was spent at the Cathedral for Eamon's award, then Tuesday was an 8th Grade fieldtrip to the same cathedral for Xander and an NHS Induction that night.  We didn't have anybody getting inducted but Maggie had to help run the show as the incoming NHS Secretary.

~

On Wednesday afternoon, the girl's tennis team came for ice cream after a game in our town:

This is our current Battle of the Tips question at the shop.  Maggie and I think 100 men would win, but all the men and boys around us said the gorilla definitely would.  It's been a tight race and a great conversation starter with our customers:

Mother's Day Weekend and An Honor for Eamon

Mother's Day was the perfect weather here in southcoast Massachusetts - sunny and just about 70 degrees.  Due to work schedules and Mass attendance, we celebrated on Saturday morning with a breakfast out and only have this low-level selfie to prove it:

But I don't care because all my kids were there!  We then drove to The Cottage to take our annual family photo:

Wow has Xander grown!

Later on Saturday, Eamon had one soccer game, and Declan had two soccer games (one was a makeup for a cancelled game) and the sky decided to lightly drizzle while we were on the field.  This is why I prefer volleyball and basketball spectating to soccer spectating:

But the rain cleared out (is this a weather blog now?) and I took some kids to the vigil Mass with me where Father gave a beautiful blessing for Mother's Day:

It was hard not to cry through that blessing!

Week in Review: Another Pope, Another Season, Another Acceptance

Happy Friday!  

We have a new American Pope!

I got 21 texts within a few minutes once he was named, so even though I don't watch the news, I know the important things :)  Also, went on a deep dive to find out more about him:

Not only did we get a new Pope yesterday, but we also opened The Ice Cream Cottage for Season 3, and my brain is fried from *waves hands around wildly* everything.  But it's pretty much all GOOD things, just BUSY things, just LOTS of things.  Y'all can relate.

Opening Night!

Once we got back from Spring Break, it was time to really buckle down and get The Cottage ready to open, order inventory, shop, clean, organize, create social media content, etc.  To be honest, Phil runs the front end of the shop, and I keep it running in the background, where introverts thrive.  The kids are really great about helping out when they are not busy with school/friends/events/studying and somehow it all comes together by God's grace.  We have lots of new updates for this season, including a second soft serve machine that will house coffee soft serve and Dole Whip, plus an extended sidewalk with outdoor seating and umbrellas for our customer's comfort.

There are a few weeks of overlap between the ice cream shop and our "second jobs" - Phil is the DRE at our parish (his first job is a full-time high school Theology teacher) and I teach two accounting classes online at Franciscan University (my first job is a full-time District Accountant for a town's public schools) - so once Religious Ed classes/sacraments are over for Phil, and once I can submit my final grades at the end of this semester, things should hopefully be less stressful.

Muahahaha.

Why do I always believe that lie?

Our parish's First Communion last Sunday - Xander and Declan served

Anyway, life isn't all work, there have been lots of family things happening as well.