Lobster Picnic Day

We had gorgeous weather for the Lobster Picnic at the sanctuary (and unfortunately the last sunny weather for the rest of the week). It was hot and everyone pigged out. The boys were very curious to try my lobster, but chickened out when it came to eating any. I think Eli's dislike of seafood is unintentionally rubbing off on them. He doesn't ever badmouth it, but he doesn't help "set an example".

After the picnic we drove over to Ellsworth to visit the L.L. Bean factory outlet and bought new backpacks for school. We also stopped at the Grasshopper shop for t-shirts and other assorted purchases. It's a great store for browsing and impulse purchases.

Pebble Beach Memories

Ames Cove Beach

Leah and I have been catching naps in the morning in here. I feel so much more rested than I do at home, and I even get a chance to read a little. Eli usually takes the boys exploring around the camp or over to Betsy and Ed's cottage to play with Evan and Will. The weather has been perfect, warm but not hot like it was last year.

Several times this year we went to Ames Cove, a few minutes drive from camp. The walk down through the pine forest is beautiful and alien at the same time. The beach feels hidden from the rest of the world; so peaceful and almost always deserted.

We took the kids' fishing poles so they could play cast while Eli and I collected rocks. Leah crawled around when we let her, usually getting all sandy and necessetating a dip in the cold water. She didn't complain much about the temperature so Eli has high hopes that she inherited his Polar Bear gene.

On our last day we took one last trip over to Ames but mis-timed the tide and arrived an hour after low tide. It was drizzly and overcast, and the whole cove was filled with a dense fog. Eli said it gave him a pleasant melancholy funk that was appropriate for the last day of vacation.

Picking Blueberries on Blueberry Hill

Today before lunch we all walked up Blueberry Hill and picked about three cups of blueberries. I love the tiny sweet blueberries that grow in Maine, and this year there was a bumper crop. I had Leah riding in the carrier, and she ate about every 5th berry I picked.

Avery and Zachary remembered picking blueberries from last year and were super excited to do it again. They went straight to work when we got to the top. Most went in their mouths, but they surprised us both with the number that made it into their measuring cups and then into the communal pot. Afterwards, Zach wanted to make blueberry pie. Maybe next year we will bring the necessary ingredients.

Lunch was late but worth the wait. Everything tastes better when you are tired and hungry and have that warm glow that comes from enjoying the world. We had pesto and cold cut sandwiches and cheese and crackers and pickles and blueberries. Leah's rice cereal missed a connecting flight so she ate the same stuff we did. I know there is a schedule for introducing new foods, but she does so well with everything that we don't pay it much mind.

Hiram Blake Camp 2008

This year we broke our Maine drive up over three days. We drove to my parent's house on Thursday after getting the car all packed. Our gifts to them: a bag of fresh CSA produce and Nutmeg ktty.

On Friday we drove to a hotel in Andover, Massachusetts. There, Eli took us to "The Museum of Printing" which was mildly interesting, but mostly just for Eli. :-) After dinner we swam at the hotel pool, an activity that is getting more fun as the kids learn to swim (hotel pools don't usually have a shallow end).

On Saturday we had our usual stop in Freeport, ME. The outlet stores are the same as they are everywhere else, but something in Eli's brain shuts off when we go on vacation. He temporarily ceases to be quite as much of a cheapskate. Our best find was predictably at the last store we went to, the toy store. The kids found "pop tubes"; simple plastic tubes with accordion pleats that could bend and expand like a giant version of a bendy straw. These somehow managed to amuse them for the entire rest of the car ride and for all week long.

I Love Our Backyard

Lately Leah has had a more consistent nap schedule. This is great for planning, but has its ripple effects. One of her naps is in the afternoon, which interferes with our afternoon pool visits. When this happens we turn to the backyard for water fun.

The backyard faces east and we get afternoon shade from the house. That means Avery and Zachary can play with the water table and the sprinklers and I don't need to apply sunblock. Today they were content for more than 45 minutes, the baby got an awesome nap, and I got to relax on the lounger with a magazine.

New Parenting Skills

Eli bought a book recently called "The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child". Among other things it stresses how, in the long term, punishment is an ineffective tool for changing a child's behavior.

This book argues that the most effective way to mold kids' behavior is to praise them when they behave the way you want. For example, if your kids fight all the time, you need to make an effort to point it out when they are sharing, cooperating, playing quietly. And that doesn't mean saying "Why can't you play nicely all the time?!", it means saying something like, "Wow I really love it when you guys play so nicely!"

So we have been trying to be positive and praise the kids when they are being good. Eli has noticed that Avery gets a huge proud grin on his face when we tell him how well he is behaving (for example: when they get dressed in the morning and put their clothes in the hamper).

It may be the placebo effect, but I feel like it is paying off. It seems like we are yelling at the boys less, and they are behaving better. And really, the worst that could come of it is that we pay closer attention to our children.

Bathing the Babes

When Avery and Zach take a bath I usually start it out with just an inch or two of water. I put Leah in and let her splash around a couple of minutes. Then I wash her, take her out, and fill up the tub for Avery and Zachary.

Leah loves bath time like you wouldn't believe. Any water at all, in fact. Yesterday I was washing some stains off the back porch. Leah was sitting nearby and when I poured the water onto the porch she crawled over and went nuts splashing it around. She got soaked of course, but she had so much fun I couldn't stop her.

Mojitos, Pesto, Blueberry Juice, and Grilled Endive

This year we are trying a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. It's like a farm share or a food co-op. Each week we will pick up a big bag of vegetables, herbs, and a bundle of flowers. It should interesting coming up with ways to use ingredients that are outside our vegetable "comfort zone".

This Wednesday we received our first share. We got a huge bundle of mint, so Eli figured out how to muddle it and made Mojitos for the 4th of July. They were really good, though it was easy to end up with bits of mint all over your teeth. We also got a big bundle of basil so I made yummy pesto.

Last night we tried to cook curly endive, which is quite bitter. Eli tried brushing it with oil and grilling-- that had mixed results Some parts were crispy and delicious, but others just tasted burned. I sauteed some with sweet yellow onion and garlic and thought it was quite good.

On Friday morning we had Swiss chard and endive omelets. We still have some yellow squash, garlic scapes, cabbage, and more endive. So far I've enjoyed the variety and had fun finding different things to make. Tomorrow we're going to try sweet and sour cabbage soup with flank steak.

One last note: berry season is in full swing at Costco. After coming home with 4 lbs of berries we had blueberry milk, smoothies, and I boiled half of them down to a syrup to add to various dishes. This was a technique from a cookbook I've been trying on how to sneak healthy ingredients into food that kids will actually enjoy eating.

Leah Starts Crawling

Leah started crawling for 100%-no-fooling-real yesterday. She moves in a straight line and log rolls to redirect herself where she wants to go. She isn't fast yet, but it's enough that I now have to be concerned about what is on the floor in the room all around her. We will have to start on the boys about the importance of picking up their small toys and Legos.

Avery and Zachary Fly Up

In Golden Pond School parlance, "Fly Up" is pretty much the same as "graduate". I think they use the alternate term because it can be easily explained to the children. The boys each got a cap and a pin during a short ceremony, followed by refreshments and goodbye hugs with the teachers.

I had mixed emotions about the boys being out of school. I'm really happy that I don't have to drive them back and forth twice a day, but sad that I won't have alternating alone time with each of them. So far we have been busy and tired; summer is great for going to the park and meeting up with friends, and I have managed to go to the grocery store a few times with all three kids.

In the morning we usually hang out at home so Leah can nap and I can work on the never-ending piles of laundry, clean up after breakfast, and occasionally write on the blog. After lunch we go to the pool or to the park. Home for dinner and to meet Eli, then back to the pool or out for a walk or to play in the driveway. Tiring, but far preferable to being cooped up with Avery and Zachary bickering all day.

Leah Hits Seven Months

At seven months, Leah is still working on trying to crawl. She pushes up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth, sometimes getting a few inches forward but just as often moving backward. She doesn't get far, which is good for me because I can leave her in the family room while I cook and clean up in the kitchen.

She is also working on pulling up. She hasn't quite made it all the way, but if we stand her up, especially against a toy or the sofa with toys on it, she will stay up playing for a minute or two. The excitement of watching her brothers hasn't worn off either. Now she tries to get their attention by screaming at them. For every time the two of them are annoying, there is another time where they help out by keeping Leah entertained.

Food-wise, Leah is eating more solids. She loves Cheerios and still isn't a big fan of bananas, but I put some on her tray most mornings because they keep her occupied (easy to push around, hard to pick up). I love that she can feed herself now because it is very time consuming to feed Leah, feed myself, and feed the boys. It is not uncommon for the boys to eat separately for breakfast and lunch, though we nearly always make it a point to sit down together for dinner.