Max's 9th Birthday & May 2021

May 2021 brought Max's 9th birthday. My mother and Ian followed us up from East Hampton and we celebrated with our friends the Buddes, keeping things small. Other highlights included:

* More baseball and soccer

* More outdoor dining

* Mother's Day brunch at a local Italian restaurant. Luckily, we scored one of the few tables on their lovely patio, rather than the tent in the parking lot! The weather was so gorgeous, brunch was followed by a drive with the top down in Adrian's car.

* More Big Green Egg smoked beasts: salmon and pork shoulder

* Watching Jose's outdoor concert for Filipino Nurses!

* Veronica's end-of-the-year Woodwinds Concert. It was very much toned down and outdoors on the steps of the high school. I'm so glad the kids were able to showcase their talent. They worked hard all year to learn with the Covid restrictions.

* Veronica's spring dance recital (ballet & jazz). Again, toned down from the normal event, but indoors with masks. We really appreciated how hard the teachers worked last spring to make the normal events happen, albeit in toned down versions.

* Outdoor haircuts! Definitely our new normal in the pandemic.

* Red Sox game for the boys. Go Sox!

Click here to see the photos and videos from May 2021.

And here are photos that Gramps (Ian) took!

(Note: This blog is unlisted and is meant just for family, so please do not share any links to the blog or post any of these photos or videos elsewhere. Thank you!)

April Vacation 2021 in East Hampton

We spent the kids' April Vacation in East Hampton at Jose and Erik's place. The absolute highlight of the visit was a first-ever Facebook video chat with my Lola (grandmother) in Manila. It was fantastic to be able to video chat with her all together. Other highlights included:

* A blustery visit to the Montauk Lighthouse

* Eating outdoors, with lots of seafood! Thank goodness for propane heaters and tents.

* The kids cooking with their Lola: sushi, lumpia (Filipino eggrolls), and pork belly bao buns

* The kids' first time mini golfing. The kids are now obsessed. 

* Date night for Adrian and I

* Celebrating Max's birthday early with Jose and Erik.

Click here to see the photos and videos from April Vacation 2021 in East Hampton.

Click here to see Jose's photos.

Click here to see Gramps' photos.

(Note: This blog is unlisted and is meant just for family, so please do not share any links to the blog or post any of these photos or videos elsewhere. Thank you!)

April 2021

April brought change in several ways. The weather improved, thank goodness. We were definitely suffering from a bit of cabin fever so we were eager to get out of the house. Here are a few highlights from April 2021:
* Lots of Adrian's smoked salmon and smoked ribs. Adrian's Big Green Egg is definitely getting a lot of pandemic use.
* Veronica's April Fool's joke on Max

* Lunch in a yurt!
* After the yurt, we headed to the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. It was nice to be outside, enjoy the artwork, and give the kids a chance to run around

* The kids' return to full time in-person at school

* Adrian and I getting our COVID vaccinations. What a relief!

* The start of spring soccer and spring baseball for the kids

* Remote Filipino School: the kids learned a Filipino martial art called Arnis, that was shown in the new Disney movie Raya and the Last Dragon. It is amazing to have the Filipino culture represented in a Disney movie. 

* Veronica fluting

* More remote Filipino School, this time with an alumnus teaching the kids a hip hop routine!

* New furniture for the dining room and family room

Click here to see the photos and videos from April 2021.

(Note: This blog is unlisted and is meant just for family, so please do not share any links to the blog or post any of these photos or videos elsewhere. Thank you!)