Kyle on the attack in the backyard. Jeanine, at a weak moment, allowed the boys to purchase pellet guns. They are now all the rage in the neighborhood, and our backyard is the scene of frequent battles.

Maya showing off her reading skills to Sophia and Maria.

This weekend, we are visited by Swedish cousin Sophia and her friend Maria. Working with Maya to prepare an apple pie after a day full of sightseeing in downtown Boston despite the torrential rains.

Sunrise over fog this morning.

Kyle enjoyed, for the first time, playing in a soccer stadium today. I can remember my first game in a proper stadium and I could see the same look of excitement in his face as we drove up. His team won a hard fought match 4-2. My team also enjoyed a win this morning and I was thrilled to be back in the line-up after more than a month of recovery from a muscle injury.

Child liberates parachute seeds, father spreads fertilizer with weed control, mother plucks dandelions from her garden. Is this what they mean by the cycle of life?

Nicolai drives through a gaggle of defenders and gets a nice pass off despite the fact that one of his crutches has come off. His team enjoyed a 1-0 victory. Kyle also played today, and his team won 4-1. Not to be outdone, Maya scored a goal to help her team to a win.

Helen’s is our local breakfast hangout. It is OK, but the pancakes do not measure up to Jeanine’s.

I took the boys to the Concord-Carlisle High School football game this evening. After separating me from my money for the entrance fee, I was left to watch the game alone while they cavorted beneath the bleachers.

Maya playing after school pauses for a moment.

Today I turned 47. I have decided that I will not officially feel old until I reach 50. The family had a special dinner with my favorites, and I am seen here sporting one of my birthday presents. Maya performed a small piano concert in my honor, and Nicolai received his flute today and already has achieved a pretty good tone.

This is either prisoner #2662 or a freshly minted brownie.

On the way home, we stopped for lunch at a seaside lobster shack where Jeanine enjoyed a traditional lobster roll. We also stopped to do a little antique shopping and briefly detoured into Kennybunkport, where we found a quiet ocean overlook on which to renew our wedding vows to each other.

We really enjoyed the group we were hiking with. Each member was fascinating in their own right, and we got a chance to know them well over the many miles of conversation. When we arrived at the B&B, they had arranged a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of chilled champagne in our room in honor of our wedding anniversary.