Skipping School...

When temptation becomes irresistible, because the weather is perfect, and the canoe is already packed on the car, and it seems like there's more to learn from the woods then the classroom, we skip school. And if we measure the success of the day by the weariness of the children at the end of it, we succeeded wildly!

At least they're local, all natural potato chips.....

I am a strong believer that any meal can be improved by fresh bread, and I am lucky that my husband makes a killer baguette. If dinner is particularly soppy, the four of us can easily gobble up a whole loaf, but sometimes there is a little stub leftover.

I know that the pigeons and gulls do not draw nutritional value from our morsels, and that they probably laze around after our feeding frenzy asking themselves "Why did I just do that? I feel so bloated...", like I do after overindulging in potato chips, but I can justify it. Simon lures them in with the crumbs and then darts off like a maniac trying to catch one. I am hopeful that Simon will learn that his chase is moot before the pigeons start recognizing him as a potential threat.

Car light lunch...

In between a lot to do, and many people to see today, we had just enough time to gather delicious treats for lunch on bike, and just enough room for them in my basket.

Projects...

Adam can whip up a loaf of bread like it's his instinct. He can tell by smelling a soup that it needs cumin. But carpentry is not his comfort zone. Thankfully, he is willing to tiptoe outside of his domain in order to make his little boy a happier, sandier little boy.

Around here...

I overheard some parents complaining that there weren't enough eggs, or that it was too muddy, but I thought it was perfect. One egg each and covered with mud was the way it was supposed to end.

She apologized that the quilt that she made us for our wedding gift wasn't finished sooner. I couldn't believe that something this intricate and beautiful could be delivered with an apology. It's already all crumpled and slept in and smells like us. It was right on time.

We had lobster sandwiches for lunch, and homemade chocolate cake (from scratch) for dessert. In between we visited the local children's museum, and bought pansies for my planters. It was fun for me to think about her planning birthday parties for my husband when he was a child. So much thought put into the little details. She must have been really good at it.

It had been two years since we last saw her. She came bearing stories of her life in Arizona, her job, her boyfriend, and his Mother. We were all captivated, but especially Greta. And of course no visit would feel complete without a couple of games of Parcheesi. There is comfort in that.

I have no pictures that do her first birthday party justice. I took hundreds, but all of them with my sister's camera. I got to experience the "Aunts Perspective" through the lens. It is like we get to shuffle our roles around now that we are both parents. But believe me, it was everything that a first birthday party should be and more.

He took them to his Mom's house for two nights during school vacation week. I had open ended alone time. I saw a movie, and did errands on bicycle. I went to the Farnsworth Museum, did a crossword puzzle in a coffee shop, and got a massage. I worked a long day too, but it was with friends and in the kitchen, so even that was relaxing.

Greta had been speculating for weeks about the color of the tulips in our dooryard. She even peeled back the bud leaves a little to peek. They bloomed in time to welcome her home. We had fiddleheads for dinner, and fresh picked dandelions as our centerpiece. Yup, it's spring.

My Benefits Package...

Our weekday morning before school hustle and bustle has shifted to include two more children to the mix. Their Mother was offered a temporary teaching position which left our little friends needing a table on which to eat their breakfast, and some friendly faces to share it with. Minimal missteps have led us to tweaking our routine slightly (it really does require a lot more time to get four, rather than two children herded out the door), but overall the addition has been seamless, and has taught us all a lesson in flexibility. When Greta was a baby, a wise veteran Mom told me that if you can treat your first child as if they are your fourth, everyone benefits. I watch as the children help each other out without prompting, and feel deeply grateful for the lessons in letting go. The girls feel empowered when they brush and braid each others hair, and I have to let go of the urge to redo it, because there just isn't enough time to. But I think those loose lopsided braids, worn by proud and competent young ladies are examples of the benefits.

Cat and mouse games...

We've been suffering all winter from the kind of rodent infestation that leaky, old houses in Maine invite. Between the baiting, trapping, and constant disinfecting, we researched ways to permanently evict our messy little freeloaders, and came up with only one tried and true long term solution. So here she is, Izzie Juniper Knox Dority Bishop, it takes major compromise to agree on a single name, so we gave her many. Our solution: