Portland, Maine

The afterglow of a delicious meal.



Quinny girl's hair is forever flopping around. With her crazy cowlicks she must have a clip in or she becomes "shaggy." She's sans a clip for naps so whenever we go get her after a nap, her shaggy hair covers her eyes. She's the cutest little two-toothed "shaggy" girl you've ever seen.



After checking out the city, Sean had a great idea. We got fresh Maine lobster, delicious bread, and some garden grown corn and headed to Deering Oaks park. It was a beautiful sprawling park with a pond in the middle. Em rode his bike around while Quinn attempted to keep up although she's still crawling. It was pretty cute to watch them both squeal and giggle about each other. And the lobster...the best I've ever had. We decided then that we had to come back.

Portland, Maine

Our first stop in Portland was at the East Promenade park. The kids got to run and crawl around after being cooped up in the car for a couple of hours. There was a great trail that ran alongside the water where Emerson rode his bike and Eli swam in the Atlantic.


After the park we headed to the observatory. Although the climb up was only about 65 feet, the day was spectacularly clear and we could see all the way to Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The guide said it was only the third time he'd seen it since April. We picked a great weekend to see the city.

Yeah we're all looking in the same direction. Oh nuts, my eyes are closed.

That boy finds the darnedest things. He's always got his eyes open that's for sure.

And to attest to those open eyes...

Kennebunkport, Maine

A quick stop at this beautiful beach on our way up to Portland last weekend

Bigelow Hollow State Park

I took the kids to this beautiful lake on a very hot and humid Wednesday. It was so spectacularly clear and such a perfect temperature that we had to bring Sean back the following weekend. One of his co-workers loaned us a canoe and Sean paddled us out to a picturesque little island where we spent the day. By the weekend the humidity decreased a lot and the weather was ideal. Quinn got to experience wearing a life jacket for the first time and we got to hear an intense and rare episode for her. Luckily it was a short trip to the island.

While we were on the island, Emerson wanted to pretend we were superheroes (I don't know how this new phase began, we don't even have a t.v.) So, we searched the island for injured animals and attempted to rescue them. Glad to say all the "animals" made it. After rescue operations ceased Quinn's dirt eating habits resumed. She just can't get enough of the brown stuff. The moment after saying, "Yuck!" and wiping her off, she's back at it. Maybe she knows something we don't.

All in all it was another memorable day here on the east coast.

Blueberry Pickin'

We've gone blueberry picking a couple of times now and I think we found the best tasting berries and best priced place around. Big, plump berries for $1/pound. Emerson eats constantly while we're there and usually leaves with an empty bag and a full tummy. I usually have to check my teeth before I buy them. I'm a little guilty too. It's funny how the simple things end up to be so memorable. I think we'll all remember these picking outings. This last picture was taken after we called for Emerson for a couple of minutes. After a bit, he came running out of a blueberry bush with this sly little look on his face. Hide and seek is a new favorite.

Rhode Island Beaches

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Here we are in Rhode Island on a beautiful summer day. We left the house early hoping to get to a popular beach before the crowds. Everyone else had the same idea because at 9am on a Saturday morning there was miles of stopped traffic on the way to our intended destination. So, our plans changed and we drove, albeit aimlessly, for about an hour. We thought all was lost, until we ran into some locals who, although apprehensive, shared a secret beach with us. After a little more searching we found this tranquil little secluded beach just off the beaten path. Emerson and Sean hunted in the water for blue crabs. "They're creepy little critters," according to Emerson. Quinn and I chilled on the beach just eating sand. I don't know how I've lived without it so long, it may be gritty, but mmmm it's good.

Little old Quinnie is on the move these days. She does not like to be held back either. Go, Quinnie, Go crawling all over the beach. This was a great day.