Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood
With all of the summer fun and craziness that's been going on, I seem to have neglected the garden a bit. I was aware that there were many, many weeds, but I was not aware that there were actual vegetables that were ready to be harvested. Imagine my surprise today when I found not one, but TWO huge zucchinis (and a couple of cucumbers). Grace was equally impressed:
I have gone canoeing since I was Grace's age, sitting on a tackle box in the middle of the canoe. I would get bored and uncomfortable after a while, but I did grow to love canoeing. What a peaceful way to be out in nature, sitting quietly, looking for wildlife, and enjoying the sights. And I felt really lucky to be able to canoe several times with my girls last week — even if we only lasted for thirty minutes each time. (And even though they kept shifting around so much that I thought, more than once, that we might fall in.) For them, the best part was at the end, when we'd hand them the paddles. Pretty soon, I'm going to be relegated to the middle of the canoe again.
We're headed off to spend a week at a cabin on a lake (check out the dock! and the canoe!). It will be just the four of us, and no television! Of course, I'll have my camera, so you can expect a full report when we return…
Last week we went strawberry picking. Fortunately, my sweet girls generally greet any activity with enthusiasm, and this was no different. But when they realized they could eat strawberries as they picked them, they really got into it!
We started our 4th of July at the beach. After all, this is summer in Maine, right?!
Later, we headed to a barbecue with friends. But this wasn't just any barbecue — this one had smore's, sparklers, AND an awesome view of the Portland fireworks. Perfect.
It is no secret that I have hesitated to let my girls “help” me in the kitchen. It has always seemed like more trouble than it’s
worth, with poorly measured ingredients, big spills, and squabbles about who
gets to do what. The other day, however, something magical happened: I changed my mind.
I realized that in order to survive this long summer at home, I’m going to have to give them jobs beyond setting the
table and feeding the dog. And, who knows? They just might be ready to handle
it.
This afternoon, after having her hose off our very sandy
beach shoes, I let Grace help put away the groceries. She did this
very well, and she felt proud. Buoyed by a surge of self-confidence, she then
decided to fix herself a snack. First, she put yogurt in a carefully chosen
bowl (she spilled some, but cleaned it up without any prompting), and spooned
some granola over the top. Then, she asked me to teach her how to fix the
fresh, local strawberries we had just brought home. I helped her choose a
colander and explained about only rinsing as many as she needed right then. She
removed the stems herself, and carefully placed the berries on top of the
granola layer. Next came grapes, and then a single raspberry as a garnish.
Grace smiled as she worked, and at one point she exclaimed, “I can’t believe
I’m cooking!” It was priceless. Of course, she ate the entire concoction, and
excitedly recounted the entire “cooking” process to her dad when he arrived
home.
Later, Grace asked me if I would teach her how to cook this
summer. “It would be a really fun project to do together,” she explained, as if
I needed any convincing. Her first request? She’d like to learn how to fix a
frozen waffle, so that she can cook breakfast for her little sister. Who could
say no to that?
We are lucky enough to have friends that own a boat — and that are nice enough to invite us out with them on occasion. We got to join them last weekend, on a hot, muggy day that was perfect for spending on the open seas. We anchored off an (uninhabited) island with a beautiful beach that was perfect for picnicking and exploring. Grace caught a couple of crabs, and a starfish. And on the way back, we even saw a few seals!! It was perfect. (Of course, now I want a boat. But Adam says having friends with boats is just as good. I suppose I agree.)
Wow — summer is really throwing me for a loop! Having both, non-napping kids with me all day is a new experience, and I am starting to find my footing, but our days aren't really allowing for any "me" time (and thus, no blogging). I'll try to do better, I promise!
So, back to Father's Day… We headed to Boothbay and started with a walk at the Botanical Gardens. We hadn't been there in a couple of years and my goodness! It's even lovelier than before. Besides taking a long walk, the girls each contributed to the village of fairy houses.
Next, we headed to Ocean Point, which was our favorite spot to walk and explore when we lived in Boothbay for the summer (that one magical, memorable summer!). Grace remembered visiting there last year, and had been asking to return to look for sea glass. Tess enjoyed playing follow-the-leader on the rocks with Adam.
Nestled between the two big events was a lunch stop at King Eider's Pub, where our special daddy got to enjoy a Guiness and fresh, local oysters. Not a bad day for the big guy!
Travelingjenny 