Camping, Beaches, and Check Ups

Nate is getting the hang of this pool business

A little mini golf lesson

We learned about how caterpillars change into butterflies- pretty cool stuff!

nature's playground!

Winslow Park, Freeport, ME

Nate's got the right idea- snoozing on the beach

Me and my buddy

Nate loved hanging in the beach chairs, snacking and taking in the scenery

Marshall, Ethan, Maddie, and Nate- cousins!

setting up our campsite

dinner!

check out the rainbow over our campsite after a big rainstorm

building the fire

loved this little tree- the views from our site were beautiful

No surprise here, Ethan and his big John Deere

precious cargo

Nate gets in on the action

lounging

My big boy at his 15 month check up

I'm so proud to say that I think I have blossoming campers on my hands!  For the Fourth of July weekend, we headed up to ME to camp at our one of our favorite parks called Winslow Park in Freeport.  Our waterfront campsite was gorgeous.  We knew the scenery would be amazing, and the daytime activities would be fun, but we were very unsure of how our little guys would fair at actually camping.  They were outstanding!  Nate loved being in his play pen thingy (thanks Ken and Melissa) and Ethan had a blast just being outside running his trucks around the site, building campfires, and toasting marshmallows.  And they both slept like champs!  Now, if you know anything about my kids, they never and I mean never sleep through the night- even Ethan at nearly four, often wakes up and needs to be resettled.  These guys slept, big time!  Nate spent the entirety of his nights in his pack and play, and Ethan, some mornings would lie there and say, "Mama, can't I just sleep a little more?"  It really was lovely to have children that slept.  I'm considering pitching a tent in the backyard if this is the result!

Our days were spent on the beach, or walking around downtown Freeport.  Now I'm not going to lie.  Pete and I went into the weekend with our camping stove and grill in tow, thinking we'd cook every meal.  The reality of camping with two children quickly seeped in, and we decided that "camping light" was just fine with us.  So, we'd get our favorite doughnuts in town and make sure that Ethan and Nate ate something healthy enough to enjoy said doughnuts.  We'd snack while we were on the beach, and then bring dinners back to the site.  This was just fine with us.  We'll have many camping years ahead where we'll have the opportunity to be "rugged."

The bottom line was that it was so much fun to be a family for four uninterrupted days straight.  With all of the craziness of buying a new house, trying to rent the old house, moving out of a house that is five hours away, and working to pay for it all, we've not had the luxury of time.  And I know, maybe more than most, that time is fleeting.  It was so very nice to be able to sit (okay, let's be honest, stand, chase, run, corral) and watch my boys (Pete included) just relax and have fun.  My hope is that as we settle into our new chapter, this time together won't be such a rarity- it will become the norm.  We had an amazing time in our beloved Maine.

In other news, Nate had his 15 month check up.  He is now 31 inches tall, and 24.4 pounds, putting him in the 50% and his little head is 45 and 1/4 putting him in the 10-25% Nate is adorable and becoming quite outspoken when he wants something.  Whenever we come home, he yells, "ball, ball, ball" because he wants me to put him down in the driveway so he can't shoot hoops.  He has mastered the art of screaming, and often times lying on the floor when he can't express what he needs.  He gives hugs and kisses, waves bye bye, and blows kisses as well.  He'll pat your chest or back as though he's trying to comfort you.  And he thinks that everything Ethan does is hysterical.  He's added "Bar" to his repertoire (Barley) and says this whenever he sees any dog.  He now says, "Papa" and is trying to say "Grandma."  He also says, "choo choo", "car", "hi", "boom" whenever he falls, and "be be" for belly button. Not sure if I mentioned, but the kid loves his belly button!

Ethan is totally cute too.  The other day we were discussing macaroni and cheese as he was eating shells.  He said, "Mama, before I knowed that there were shells in the world, I only ever eated arms (elbow macaroni)"  Deep thoughts from my almost four year old.  While we were away, we were in a toy store and Ethan and Pete were discussing which vehicle (of course) we should get.  Pete voted for one, Ethan voted for another.  As they were debating, Ethan patted Pete on the back and in a very reassuring voice said, "Now Daddy, calm down.  We can get the toy that you want on another day"  This kid is too much!  I'm eager to see how he does with preschool.  He was Mr. Social all over the beaches in Maine making friends wherever he went.  I'm so happy to see this.  I'm thinking at this point, preschool may be harder for me than for Ethan!

We're headed out for camping trip #2 this weekend in VT- I'll hopefully have lots more positive reporting to do- if nothing else, at least some amusing stories!! Thanks for reading!