TROUBLE

That's all I can say.  This wonderful boy is 100% pure, adorable TROUBLE!

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Mazes make me sleepy...

For the last two weeks I've attempted to get us back onto a decent schedule; but it has, obviously failed.  My efforts have been thwarted by days of vomit, diarrhea, teething, and the pure exhaustion (in us all) that accompanies such.  Some beautiful summer days have been spent inside working to get Oliver to nap, him finally napping, and then Isabella falling asleep about the time he wakes up.  And I'm plain worn out!  I'm dreaming of more than 3 hours of sleep tonight!

A Step Back in Time

Last week we had a car in New York City.  It was fun and we tried to take advantage of cool stuff that is hard to get to via public transportation.  On Wednesday we went and explored Fosterfields Living Historical Farm.  It was better than I expected; not just another trip to see farm animals, but an actual working farm.  Men in denim and straw hats harvesting oats from the field with horse and wagon.  Okay, it did feel a bit like Amish Country.  But the kids were encouraged to participate in feeding the chickens, gathering eggs, watch the cows being milk, learn to wash laundry, etc.  We really loved it.

One thing is I wished I had planned a bit better.  It was about lunch time when we arrived and we weren't allowed to bring any food onto the farm (for the safety of the animals) so we didn't last long before the kids were super grouchy.  And it was a deadly hot day, so that only exacerbated the grumpiness.  A lot of the hands on demos and hands on activities were scheduled 2:30-5pm and we just didn't last that long.  So, I hope to go back again, maybe in the fall and be more prepared, so we can enjoy it even longer.

Swimming @ Summer Streets

Earlier today we enjoyed Summer Streets. It's when the city closes
Park Ave to cars for 7 miles (Central Park to Brooklyn Bridge) and
they set up all sorts of fun activities along the way. This year (it's
3rd year) they had large, never used, dumpsters set up as swimming
pools. It was fun, clean, well organized, and a little chilly.

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Enjoying The Doughnut Plant. Yum! Yum!

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Awesome new LEGO store.

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At the Queens County Farm Museum.

Lobster Love

I've only eaten lobster a couple of times before going to Maine.  And, as delicious as it was, I think I've had my fill for the rest of the year.  We ate a lot of lobster.  On our way back from Acadia (the first time) we stopped by the Trenton Bridge Lobster Shack (just off of Desert Island).  Brian's dad recommended it and we loved it.  Supposedly the lobster is so good because they cook it in ocean water.

Acadia: Day 1

We just got back from our week long trip to paradise...I mean, Maine.  It was beyond wonderful.  The timeshare apartment (thank you to Brian's aunt!!!) was about the same size as our New York apartment (with a lot less stuff in it) and sat with a view of the ocean.

To sum up our trip in a handful of words: lobster, wild blueberries, ice cream, water, green, beautiful, and relaxing!

I'll be posting a lot of photos for the next few posts.  It was hard to pick just a few favorites, so I hope you like them!!!

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We spend two days in Acadia National Park and loved it.  It was almost two hours north of where we were staying or else we probably would have been there more.

 First beautiful vista on our way in:

Jordan Pond:

We were doing our "windy dance," if you were wondering!

wild Maine blueberries

Bubble Pond:

Cadillac Mountain:

 

Isabella was a "turtle" and wouldn't take her head and arms out of her
sweatshirt because of the chilly wind.

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We just climbed up that "steep grade" on our bikes!!! Taking a
breather now and drinking tons of water. In Acadia.

Maine: Breakwater Lighthouse

Our first day in Maine I took the kids to Breakwater Lighthouse while Brian got a little r&r.  It was a mile each way down the granite breakwater that was constructed in the late 1800's.  Oliver slept in the ergo on my back and Isabella was as energetic as ever.

While traveling on the breakwater we saw lobster boats pulling up their traps, individuals fishing for mackerel off the breakwater, sailboat races and a whole lot of other people taking the journey.

For a bit of perspective: this is at the beginning of our walk; the lighthouse is in the background.  Can you see it?

Maine: McLaughlin's Lobster Shack

Our first Maine lobster was from McLaughlins Lobster Shack in Lincolnville.  The gal behind the counter taught us all about large vs. small vs. soft shell lobsters.  And she pointed to "Mike's boat" in the small harbor just outside the shack.  Mike is the fisherman who brought in the lobster earlier that day.  That's what I call fresh fish!

Below is a photo of my handsome boys in front of "Mike's boat".

Maine: L.L. Bean

Visiting the huge L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine almost convinced us that we could possibly live outdoors for the rest of our lives...almost...

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Atop Cadillac Mountain

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Laundry room jungle gym.