Homeowners, Once Again

We bought a house today! All of you are invited to come visit the new Dyer-Payne homestead in Cape Elizabeth.

Optimus Prime

Our little guy transformed into Optimus Prime this afternoon thanks to a gift from Auntie Amanda.

Autumnal Aqualad

Oure Junior Lifeguard made a late-season appearance as Maine enjoyed record setting warmth this weekend. Yesterday we splashed in the ocean at Popham Beach and today Ace legitimately swam in Maranacook Lake right here in Winthrop.

Dump Run

Ace is quickly re-establishing himself as a true Mainer. Today he helped with our trip to the Winthrop Transfer Station and thoroughly enjoyed watching the trash compactor for at least 15 minutes. Around here, that's called a "cultural outing."

Seaworthy

As parents (and educators) we are not above relying on the resources of the school system to do the job we should be responsible for. So, in that spirit, we present a Chase-a-Day photo taken by one of Ace's teachers at some point today, as the Kid and a few of his classmates constructed a mighty ship (use your imagination, Dear Readers, they are pre-schoolers!).

Word on the street is that you-know-who asserted himself, in no uncertain terms, as The Captain.

The Chips are Down

The Critter's been having a lot of fun getting in some extra playtime at Breakwater after school each day.

It's a Long Story

Ace takes a laid-back approach to listening to Nanna's dinner-time stories. He was quite attentive to her account of dialogue, interrupting multiple times to clarify who said what. She didn't hesitate to fill in the details!

Poser

Ace strikes a frozen pose each time Mommy says, "Just Do It!"

We're not sure why!

Slide Slide Slippity Slide

Chase had some time on Breakwater's fantastic playground today after school.

Home Inspector

With Papa and Daddy's high school friend Jerry looking on, the Little Engineer does a quality control inspection on the improvements we worked on in Nanna and Papa's garage this weekend.

Secret Dinner

Ace whispers secrets to Mommy during dinner.

Flower Boy

Ace dove into Papa's flower patch as summer quickly fades away.

Finger Food

Chase loves rigatoni.

Green Goblin

We suppose we should be thankful that Ace has been having a hard time going to and staying in bed. The extended process gives us plenty of time to realize we've forgotten to take a picture all day.

The glowing green cube illuminates the fact that he's still wide awake - but doesn't show off that he's got a Spider-Man glove on his left hand. No wonder falling asleep is a challenge.

Naps

Chase has been battling a bit of a head cold and fell asleep in the car ride home. Mommy was able to move him from the car to the couch without him waking up. Unfortunately, this nap led to Ace fooling around in his room until 9:20 when Mommy and Daddy came up to bed.

Hiding in the Bushes

Chase and a friend from school hide from Mommy.

Ant Hunters

After building a fort for Transformers and before enjoying their picnic lunch, The Critter and Nanna hunted for ants in the driveway on a beautiful Maine Sunday.

High & Mighty

The Critter suddenly found himself walking on the ceiling, thanks to Papa. And then he wanted to do it again. And again. And again...

Who is that masked man?

Mommy went to visit Auntie Amanda for the weekend, prompting us to try and video-call her after dinner. While the call didn't quite work, on this end we discovered that Google Hangouts allows you to create clip art masks that move on the screen as you move in front of the camera. It goes without saying that Ace found this thoroughly entertaining.

By the Light of the Ice Cube

After wandering around the house post-bed, Chase finally hunkers down with his glowing ice cube from Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Chase and Mommy created a "maze" this afternoon in the driveway. He enjoyed walking the lines.

Up in the Clouds

Ace shows off his climbing skills at the end of another school day.

Sgt. Dyer-Payne Reporting for Duty

Chase got a haircut and rode a fancy fire truck in the process.

Got His Bell Rung?

We ventured to Boothbay Harbor for a visit to the Maine State Aquarium this morning, where, among other things, Ace petted a (very small) shark.

On the way out of town we swung by the church where Auntie Amanda and Uncle Johnny were married. Chase liked the bell.

The Fun Never Stops

Ace enjoys playing with a working school bus stop sign at the Children's Discovery Museum in Augusta this afternoon.

Sally the Camel

Chase sings for Mommy one of the songs he learned this week at school. "Sally the Camel" is a catchy tune.

Zippy!

Ace had quite a night during an office BBQ at the home of one of Daddy's colleagues.

Not only did he get to swim in the pool, splash in the hot tub, and jump on their trampoline, but he also took multiple rides down this speedy zip line. Daddy's new job is pretty cool!

Breakwater Baby!

First day of PreK!

Flatbread Photo-Bomb

After a long morning waiting for Mommy and Daddy to finish with a house inspection (hey - we might not be homeless for much longer!) Ace was excited to have lunch at one of Portland's best restaurants, Flatbread Pizza.

One of the chefs was clearly excited to be part of Chase-a-Day, too!

Gone Fishin'

The Critter comes face-to-face with an underwater friend at L.L.Bean.