Here's video from Steve's first race of the weekend.
The pace lap, leading the pack out behind the pace car.
Getting the green flag! Steve's in the silver car. Lee (in the red car) got the jump on him at the start line, but Steve got him back by the next turn.
Lastly, here's Steve in 2nd place going through Turn 3. Randy (in the white car) kept the lead and ended up winning all 3 races.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Pole!
Steve had his first race of the year this weekend - a triple event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was also a first in another way - he got the POLE! He qualified fastest in his group for the first race!!!! He ended the races with two 3rd places and one 4th out of 23 cars.
Getting belted in and ready to lead his group out at the polesitter!
The grid sheet - showing him with the fastest time overall.
This was also our first weekend using the new enclosed trailer. We got to the track Thursday night and didn't leave until Sun night - so we spent 3 nights sleeping in the trailer. It couldn't have worked better! Everyone slept well, were warm and cozy at night - and the a/c worked great during the day. It was perfect for Z&E to take naps in, the fridge and everything else we installed all worked just as planned. We couldn't have been happier.
Sleeping arrangements for the first night.
Our friends brought their inflatable trampoline. Izzy pretty much lived in it during the weekend.
Getting belted in and ready to lead his group out at the polesitter!
The grid sheet - showing him with the fastest time overall.
This was also our first weekend using the new enclosed trailer. We got to the track Thursday night and didn't leave until Sun night - so we spent 3 nights sleeping in the trailer. It couldn't have worked better! Everyone slept well, were warm and cozy at night - and the a/c worked great during the day. It was perfect for Z&E to take naps in, the fridge and everything else we installed all worked just as planned. We couldn't have been happier.
Sleeping arrangements for the first night.
Our friends brought their inflatable trampoline. Izzy pretty much lived in it during the weekend.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Taj-Ma-Hauler... our new trailer
This year, our plan is to go back to camping at the racetrack for all of our race events. Before kids, Steve and I would just pitch a tent - but since adding 3 rugrats, we needed something a little more kid friendly. Last fall, we bought a 24-foot enclosed trailer. It came unfinished on the inside. Over the last couple weeks, we've put a lot of work into making this blank canvas into our new "home away from home".
BEFORE: It had 2 lights, and A/C-heat pre-installed.
AFTER:
We painted the entire inside, added 2 more overhead lights, but moved them all to the sides, rather then at the top where Steve would have to duck around them. The floor was covered in an epoxy and the front had carpet installed.
Our make-shift walls to separate "bedrooms". Zach and Emily get the section at the back, Izzy the middle, and Mom and Dad at the front. It'll still be camp-like in that we'll be sleeping on air mattresses with sleeping bags.
BEFORE: It had 2 lights, and A/C-heat pre-installed.
AFTER:
We painted the entire inside, added 2 more overhead lights, but moved them all to the sides, rather then at the top where Steve would have to duck around them. The floor was covered in an epoxy and the front had carpet installed.
Our make-shift walls to separate "bedrooms". Zach and Emily get the section at the back, Izzy the middle, and Mom and Dad at the front. It'll still be camp-like in that we'll be sleeping on air mattresses with sleeping bags.
Lots of cabinets and shelving - we still have a few more to add along the sides. At the front to the left is a microwave and refridgerator - below those is the new generator so we have power wherever we go.
One of the nicest additions is this "add-a-wall". It hangs from the back of the trailer, and is attached on the top and both sides. It zips apart in the middle and along the edges to get in-and-out. It allows us to have light and with the screens, keep bugs out. Or on nice days, we just roll the whole thing up and it's totally open - also necessary to get the racecar in and out.
With it totally closed and the "windows" velcroed down, it's a pretty secure seal, which is great to keep the rain out, or the a/c in.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Reading
My little readers! They're really getting into books these days - especially Izzy and Emily. Hopefully they'll grow up loving to read!
Don't ask why the blankets are on their heads. I don't know. But this is how they prefer to sit on the couch and read.
Another favorite reading spot... inside the tent.
Pretty much every night, after dinner and before PJs get put on, Emily will grab books and sit by herself on the couch reading them. Zach and Izzy can be busy playing, but she always spends some time alone with a book on the couch.
Don't ask why the blankets are on their heads. I don't know. But this is how they prefer to sit on the couch and read.
Another favorite reading spot... inside the tent.
Pretty much every night, after dinner and before PJs get put on, Emily will grab books and sit by herself on the couch reading them. Zach and Izzy can be busy playing, but she always spends some time alone with a book on the couch.
Kids
Some new pics of the kids. Here's Emily playing/dancing with a doll Izzy got a few years ago. It's just now the size of both of them - before it was way too big to play with.
Zach has this habit of running his hands through his hair after meals - so all the dirt, grease and grime from eating gets all messed into it. This is after one particularly bad meal where I basically had to scrub his head with a washcloth after dinner.
With the weather getting nicer, we spend a lot of time outdoors. On this day, they decided my planter made a great "dirt box". Izzy's filling that chip bag with dirt.
Zach has this habit of running his hands through his hair after meals - so all the dirt, grease and grime from eating gets all messed into it. This is after one particularly bad meal where I basically had to scrub his head with a washcloth after dinner.
With the weather getting nicer, we spend a lot of time outdoors. On this day, they decided my planter made a great "dirt box". Izzy's filling that chip bag with dirt.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
New York City!
This weekend, a group of Melissa's friends met in New York City. There were 5 of us, with our kids (7 of them, including one due in June) and husbands in tow. You can imagine the fun of exploring the city with all of us and our strollers. =)
This is how WE started the day - Zach and Izzy collided in the hotel, leaving her with a lovely shiner.
My wonderful group of friends - from left to right, with where they're from:
Cheryl (London, UK), Jen (WI), Robyn (NJ), Nicole (Staten Island), Melissa (MA)
4 of the kids - Jack, Izzy, Riley and Frank. Our first adventure was a 90-minute boat tour of NYC from the water. It was overcast, but still a lot of fun.
The boat took us right up to the Statue of Liberty. Zach and Emily getting their first view.
Jen on the boat with Z&E. It became the running joke about how much those two eat. Literally, they just ate all day. I had a backpack that had 2 diapers (which were never used) and the rest was full of food, which was empty by the end of the day.
Nicole (who's due in June with a baby girl - though you could never tell by this picture!) and Melissa.
Mommy and Izzy.
After the cruise tour, we took a bus downtown. Emily was fascinated watching all the sights and sounds on the street through the window .
This is how Zach enjoyed the bus ride.
Our next stop was the Empire State Building. We lucked out and had no lines! Here's the whole group.
The family at the top of the Empire State Building.
Steve and Melissa with the city in the background.
You might think Izzy's looking at the view - but it's really the pigeons. That's what she loved - the pigeons. She fed them her pretzel, chased them on the street, watched them on the ledges at the top of the ESB - all day, all we heard about were the pigeons.
We did a "food tour" of NYC street food. Scott impressed Steve and downed 4 hot dogs, before adding pizza and ice cream later on, finished with a full dinner.
Izzy was the only one without a stroller. She did EXCELLENT with all the walking, but towards the end, hopped a ride with Jack.
Our next stop was Times Square.
After that, it was time to head back to the hotel and get dinner. Here's Izzy waiting for our ferry to take us back across the river to the hotel.
How Zach and Emily finally ended the day as we made our way to the hotel.
We had to wait for a table to seat 15 people at the restaurant, so the kids took over the entryway to the mall. Everyone who walked in the doors commented with something along the lines of "whoa, that's a lot of kids!" But amazingly, there were no meltdowns and everyone enjoyed their dinner - even with no naps and a VERY full day. It was an organized chaos, but still a lot of fun.
The day ended with a surprise baby shower for Nicole, after the kids were put to bed, and then the girls got to go out for a few drinks on our own.
And all that was just on Saturday! Sunday - we got up and went swimming in the hotel pool together, before catching lunch and then going our separate ways to head home.
This is how WE started the day - Zach and Izzy collided in the hotel, leaving her with a lovely shiner.
My wonderful group of friends - from left to right, with where they're from:
Cheryl (London, UK), Jen (WI), Robyn (NJ), Nicole (Staten Island), Melissa (MA)
4 of the kids - Jack, Izzy, Riley and Frank. Our first adventure was a 90-minute boat tour of NYC from the water. It was overcast, but still a lot of fun.
The boat took us right up to the Statue of Liberty. Zach and Emily getting their first view.
Jen on the boat with Z&E. It became the running joke about how much those two eat. Literally, they just ate all day. I had a backpack that had 2 diapers (which were never used) and the rest was full of food, which was empty by the end of the day.
Nicole (who's due in June with a baby girl - though you could never tell by this picture!) and Melissa.
Mommy and Izzy.
After the cruise tour, we took a bus downtown. Emily was fascinated watching all the sights and sounds on the street through the window .
This is how Zach enjoyed the bus ride.
Our next stop was the Empire State Building. We lucked out and had no lines! Here's the whole group.
The family at the top of the Empire State Building.
Steve and Melissa with the city in the background.
You might think Izzy's looking at the view - but it's really the pigeons. That's what she loved - the pigeons. She fed them her pretzel, chased them on the street, watched them on the ledges at the top of the ESB - all day, all we heard about were the pigeons.
We did a "food tour" of NYC street food. Scott impressed Steve and downed 4 hot dogs, before adding pizza and ice cream later on, finished with a full dinner.
Izzy was the only one without a stroller. She did EXCELLENT with all the walking, but towards the end, hopped a ride with Jack.
Our next stop was Times Square.
After that, it was time to head back to the hotel and get dinner. Here's Izzy waiting for our ferry to take us back across the river to the hotel.
How Zach and Emily finally ended the day as we made our way to the hotel.
We had to wait for a table to seat 15 people at the restaurant, so the kids took over the entryway to the mall. Everyone who walked in the doors commented with something along the lines of "whoa, that's a lot of kids!" But amazingly, there were no meltdowns and everyone enjoyed their dinner - even with no naps and a VERY full day. It was an organized chaos, but still a lot of fun.
The day ended with a surprise baby shower for Nicole, after the kids were put to bed, and then the girls got to go out for a few drinks on our own.
And all that was just on Saturday! Sunday - we got up and went swimming in the hotel pool together, before catching lunch and then going our separate ways to head home.
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