On the Eve of First Grade

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

My “not so” little Ethan,

I just came downstairs after snuggling in your bed for a bit until you fell asleep.  You are especially squirrely tonight, as you are incredibly excited to start first grade tomorrow morning.  For the past few mornings, you’ve woke me up to ask, “Is today the day I go to first grade?”  I cannot even begin to tell you how much this adorable enthusiasm warms my heart.  You are legitimately thrilled to be starting first grade.

And I am legitimately thrilled, too.  It will be an adjustment for us all to have you gone all day, every day, but I am anticipating big hugs when you get out of school and lots of stories about what new things you are learning.  You LOVE learning new things, so first grade – with science and math and history and reading – will nourish your brain with so much new information.  Selfishly, too, I’m excited for you to have more homework so that I can walk you through it, satisfying this teacher’s love of helping students come to new understandings.  

You had a wonderful year in Kindergarten, surrounded by close friends and a teacher with whom you were more than a little in love. I think, now, you are ready for more of a challenge, and Daddy has made sure you will be more than ready academically, keeping up with your math website and your daily reading/writing.  It has been so much fun to watch you learn to read and put letters together to spell out what you want.  Today, when you couldn’t get on the  computer, you sent Eleanor upstairs with a note that read, “I cant get pebscis.”  I knew right away that it said, “I can’t get PBS kids” because I knew you were trying to get to that website.  Your inventive spelling is getting more and more accurate, and it will only get better this year. 

What stands out to me the most with you this year is the friendship you have forged with Eleanor.  Last year, it was in the budding stages, but you two are now full-fledged playmates.  In fact, through most of your Kindergarten year, I didn’t feel the need to make a lot of play dates for you because you and Eleanor played so well together.  You will not always get along so well together, as your interests start to diverge, so I want to get the most out of these years.  Watching, and listening, to you two play Legos, Batman and Robin, Star Wars, et cetera, is typically the highlight of my day.

Also, one beautiful thing I’ve noticed about you, Ethan, is what a great teacher you are with Eleanor.  I cannot tell you how often I catch you patiently explaining some new concept to Eleanor.  I see a lot of other kids get frustrated with younger siblings who don’t know as much as they do, but you seem to relish teaching her.  You even teach me more patience with Eleanor.  The other day, I was frustrated with Eleanor and I scolded her using a bigger word (can’t remember what).  You called out from the other room, “Mom, it’s because she doesn’t know what _______ means.  You should say ________ instead.”  Getting schooled by your son is not always good, but I had to chuckle at his pretty adult observation.  

I love you so very, very much, Ethan.  You will do great things in first grade and beyond.  I will miss you, as will Eleanor.  Three o’clock will be a fun time of day, reuniting with you!  Wishing you a year filled with kindness, wonder, and knowledge.  

Love,

Mommy

Homeward Bound

Day 14

We survived our night at the Bates Motel...barely.  It was fine, just a late night.  I went for a run this morning (my first the whole trip...my legs have been soooooo restless) and discovered that the town we were in, Lee, is really jus beautiful.  Tons of great Victorian homes with big porches, mountains in the distance, hills everywhere.  Very picturesque.  

Anyway, not a lot of energy to write but just a quick note to say we drove on to Cleveland today instead of stopping after only a few hours of driving today.  We hit some bad traffic in the end due to a lane closure, but other than that, it was not too bad.  Just a long day...left at 8am and got to Marj and Carolyn's at 6:30.  They kids had a great time, then, playing with really cool bubble gizmos they got and also got a great meal and ice cream cake for dessert.  

Thanks to Marj and Carolyn for putting us up not one but two days early.  We kept changing out plans!  But we are all glad to be LaGrange bound tomorrow.  Woohoo!

Great trip, but we are ready to be back in our own beds...

Done

Day 13

After a very nice day of driving, our trip took a turn for the worse around 4:30.  At 8:30, nearly 12 hours after we left MDI, we stopped for the night.  We are in a disgusting roadside motel that smells like funeral home and stinky feet.  We are in the Berkshires, too, which means we are paying way more than we should to stay in a complete dump.  Everything I wanted to avoid by planning ahead and booking in advance went out the window when it was decided that we would roll the dice and find a place on the road since we made it to our planned destination  of Worcester by 3:30.  Unfortunately, the next large town of Springfield, Ma had all kinds of sports tournaments nearby and every single hotel in a 20 mile radius was booked. Every. Single. One. I would know because I called them all. And we drove around the area for two hours.

After dinner at Panera, we got back on I90 and drove to the first town with lodging options.  Will pulled into the first place with a vacancy sign.  Morning cannot come soon enough.

Haiku of the day:

Pleasant day turned yuck
You suck Springfield, Mass. You suck
Sunshine Inn? No thanks.

Last Day

Day 12
Last day! Definitely bittersweet, as we had an awesome time here. We will leave a piece of us in Maine.
Ethan and I went for a mommy son hike this morning. We went to Flying Mountain, which was a short hike to the summit, maybe 20 minutes, but probably one of the best views from the top. It was all water looking down in three directions, and with the sun shining, the water was glittering. It was absolutely gorgeous. Loved it.

We came home and got ready to go to Sand Beach, which was where would spent the afternoon. It was pretty crowded, but we tried the lot even though the sign said it was full. As has been the case this whole trip, we completely lucked out with parking and got a spot. This meant we did not have to park up on the road and walk all of our beach stuff like all the other schmucks.

It was almost 90 today, and the sun was hot! The water was still pretty cold, but it sure did feel good. We spent most of the afternoon there, playing in the sand and water, taking pictures for Asian tourists, and protecting our sandwiches from seagulls. Will had three quarters of his sandwich stolen by a gull. Swooped right down and grabbed it. I didn't see it, but another woman did. Pretty entertaining. The kids would have stayed all day, but, alas, we had to go.

We came home for much needed showers and then our last dinner out. I forced Ethan in to his one nicer outfit and we walked down our driveway and into downtown Southwest Harbor for dinner. We ended up at the Drydock Inn and restaurant, our only sit down place. I got a lobster roll, which was tasty, and Will got a crusted haddock. The kids got kids meals. We walked home and made a quick fire for our s'more dessert. Then it was bedtime so we could pack. We got our clothes mostly set, so tomorrow shouldn't be too bad.

Farewell, Acadia National Park.  We hope to return to you someday!

Haiku of the day:
Early morning hike
A day at the beach-our last
Farewell MDI

Happy Birthday America!

Day 11

Will, always the comedian, is roasting broccoli here.  

Happy 4th of July!  Another great day, another night by the fire...this time with the kids.  This morning, when Ethan got up, Will took him for a hike.  They went up Acadia Mountain, which he said was a similar hike to Beech.  Since they didn't have Eleanor with them, they felt like it was okay to do.  I'm glad they took the camera to capture some views. Looked awesome!

Once night owl Eleanor was up and the boys were home, we went in search of Wonderland trail, a flat, easy hike to the coast.  Once on the ocean, we walked all over the rocky sea all, exploring the tide pools.  Mostly, we saw hundreds of snails.  They are fun to watch as they inch along the rocks slowly.  We were hoping to see a sea star or urchin but no such luck. Then, when we were getting ready to leave, a family showed us some small crabs, so Ethan loved that.  While Will headed back to the car with Eleanor, I chatted with this family for a bit.  The one guy was from Southwest Harbor but his wife had only been there four years.  Her parents were visiting from Ohio and had done a similar road trip to get there, so we talked for a while.  They were very nice.  Ethan, who seems to have a bit of a new attitude at six, was getting a bit whine-y on the way back to the car, and then he tripped and fell, making things worse, so we came home for lunch and a rest.  

The kids ended up watching Shrek on tv.  They've been listening to the book on tape on this trip so they were excited, though our book is much different from the movie.  When it was over, we got our suits on and took off for Echo Lake Beach.  Being the fourth, it was pretty busy, but not bad.  And, since it was close to 90 degrees today and sunny, the water felt great.  We stayed for a couple of hours, soaking in the sun.  Highlights include Ethan trying to catch a frog near the shaded shore and Eleanor going underwater on purpose and being so very proud of herself.

Funny/horrifying side story...while we were waiting to rinse off our feet in these little showers, we noticed Eleanor, who was just in her bathing suit, spread her legs wide and start to pee.  Just right there with her suit on in front of a ton of people.  We noticed right away, as did several others, most of whom seemed amused and not completely horrified like we were.  I whisked her off to the bathroom right away. Hopefully, her little incident isn't on YouTube.  

Returning home for showers and burgers, the kids were quick to remind us that s'mores were promised.  Doug had left a nice little pagoda of kindling in our fire pit, likely after watching me struggle to get and keep a fire going last night.  The kindling sure made easy work of it tonight and we had a good fire going quickly.  Ethan roasted his own mallows, while Eleanor was perfectly content to have us do hers or simply eat the marshmallows plain.  Both kids went to bed with bellies full of s'mores.  

We opted not to go into Bar Harbor for the fireworks because we knew it would be a madhouse and they didn't start until 9.   It can take us 45 minutes to get there, so we just assume get the kids down and enjoy our evening.  After a day of hiking, sun, and water, the last thing we wanted was to navigate the crowds in Bar Harbor. A local business in Southwest Harbor plans to have fireworks, so maybe we will be able to see those with our view of the harbor.

We are sad that tomorrow is our last day.  It has been a pretty awesome vacation. But, as is usually the case, we are ready to get home to our own beds and normal routine.  Tomorrow will bring at least one more hike, a trip to Sand Beach, and one more night out to eat.  Stay tuned.

Haiku of the day:

Tide pool fun with snails

More beach time fun for us all

July 4th s'mores-yum!

Addendum...there are literally fireworks happening between the pine trees in our back yard, over the water. It could not be a more perfect view.

Sunny Skies

Day 10

I'm typing this by a fire I built in the pit in the backyard.  Finally, the wood dried out enough.  I started it after the kids went to bed because by the time we got home from dinner, it was too late to start the whole fire/s'mores thing.  We are eating in tomorrow night for the fourth, though, so we will definitely do s'mores with the kids for dessert.  Will only lasted about five minutes out here before heading inside to watch tv, but I've been enjoying the fire outside on a beautiful night.

Beautiful night followed by a beautiful day...finally!  We've seen some amazing things all week, but today was extra special with blue skies.  This truly is such a beautiful part of the country.  Eleanor slept in this morning, so Will took Ethan out to fish at long last.  They did not catch a thing, of course, but at least he got to try.  A fisherman coming in gave them some herring and said to try that as bait instead of the lures.  They may try again tomorrow.

Eleanor and I spent the first part of the morning cleaning up, having breakfast, and packing up a lunch for the rest of our day.  Actually, she spent it in her pajamas watching the Disney channel while I did those other things.  When Will and Ethan got back, about 10:30, we hit the road, and drove to the other side of the island to the Park Loop Road so we could drive up to the summit of Mt. Cadillac.  The views were pretty awesome, with Bar Harbor down below, and we stopped a couple of times on the way up for pictures.  Mt. Cadillac is the highest peak on the eastern seaboard, apparently, which made us think this drive would've similar to that of Pikes Peak.  Not so much.  It was really only 15 to 20 minutes, which was okay by us.  We hiked around at the top for a bit before driving down to find a place for a picnic.  We ended up at site with tables and we ate our sandwiches (side note...pretty sure I am listening to some coyote howl right now...don't worry, they don't sound close) and then Ethan and I did a short hike around the picnic site.  

From there, we hit the Park Loop Road again and drove a little ways to Sand Beach.  This is the only sand beach along the ocean here, and one of two public beaches.  The other, Echo Lake, is near our cottage, and we were there our first full day.  That one is obviously freshwater.  Sand beach is salt water, has waves, and is supposedly very cold.  It was cold, no doubt, but it really didn't feel any worse than Lake Michigan.  All the guidebooks make it seem like it was such an accomplishment to swim in it, but there were plenty of brave souls today.  Will and I didn't put our suits on, but the kids did and had an absolute blast.  Ethan got right to work building a city, and Eleanor ran back and forth from the waves and back.  She was undeterred by the frigid water.  Ethan, right before we left, discovered the water as well.  The cold was enough to keep them from going in too far, which was fine by us because we had no desire to venture after them.  And we loved sitting there watching them with the jagged cliffs and rocks off to either side.  We stayed for at least an hour and a half before deciding it was time to go.  

On the way out, we saw a helicopter hovering near the mountain, and we used binoculars to see rescuers on the cliffs.  It would seem someone fell or had some kind of  accident.  This was on a section that could only be climbed with ropes and equipment.  Scary.  We moved on, sending good thoughts to the hiker(s), and stopped at our last stop of the day, Thunder Hole.  This is a spot where, at high tide, the water rushes in to this alcove type thing and produces huge waves and a thunderous sound.  Unfortunately, you need to be there at the right time, but we were not.  Oh well.  We snapped some pics and moved on.  

After missing another turn (it can get confusing...), we took a bit longer than expected to get back to our side of the island.  The kids really needed a shower, but we decided to go right to dinner and the shower before bed since we were not going anywhere fancy.  We went to yet another lobster pound, this time Beal's, owned by our cottage owners family.  I intended to get a lobster roll, but Eleanor announced she wanted to eat lobster with me, so she picked one out for us to share.  Ethan got a hot dog and Will a haddock burger, which he enjoyed.  The lobster we got was okay.  I felt much more confident with this one.  But, sadly, Eleanor took a big bite of the tail, chewed for a while, and the decided she didn't like it so spit it out. I was enjoying mine until a got a bit of the yucky liver stuff that's in the body.  I told Will it tasted like taking a bite out of the ocean, but not in a good way.  Just like salt water fishiness.  And that taste didn't leave my mouth.  Bottom line, I wished mid gotten the lobster roll.  

We came home to showers and bed, and now you're all caught up.  

Haiku of the day:

Sunny skies at last

Cadillac, Sand Beach, and more

Fire to end the day

Beech Mountain Hike

Day 9

We slept to the sound of drizzle last night and woke up to some rain, too.  I decided it was a great day to make a big breakfast, so we ate pancakes and bacon.  Will had gotten some yummy strawberry syrup yesterday, so we used that.  The rain let up eventually and we decided to find another hike on our side of the island. 

 We went to Long Pond and saw a few trailheads there.  A group was heading down a steep section and pointed us in the direction of what they described as a much more kid friendly hike.  Well, the hike started off fine, as it wound around the lake a bit.  Lots of natural bridges over little creeks running down the mountain.  Very pretty.  The trail started to get a little more steep, which Ethan was loving because he's been dying to climb an actual mountain.  I turns out that is just what we did.  We climbed just about to the top of Beech Mountain.  Let me tell you, there were several times we almost turned around, as we realized it was not an appropriate hike for small children-at all. We felt pretty irresponsible.  It wasn't super dangerous, but as we got higher and higher, we knew coming down was going to be scary.  But the kids were doing well and were so excited, so we pressed on.  

What made us nervous were several sections of rocky, uneven stairs, and-even scarier-many large,flat stone sections with slippery rocks. Going up was easy enough but going down was going to be tricky.  Alas, we trekked on, literally into the clouds. We got .1 miles from the summit but decided that was close enough. We'd already had some amazing views, and with the clouds we knew we wouldn't see much from the top.  Thankfully, we had brought the backpack for Eleanor, which I used part of the time on the way up.  Will put her in it for the way down.  He went first, followed by me and Ethan.  I had to hold Ethan's hand for a good portion of the way down.  There were no sheer drop-offs or anything, but we knew if he lost his footing and tumbled down, we'd be visiting the MDI emergency room.  Thankfully, we all made it out scrape free and with the bragging rights that we climbed a mountain!  Can't wait to share some pictures.  It was a pretty crazy at one point to see our tiny car in the parking lot from way up high.  Ethan claims he wants to come back to Maine sometime and climb even more mountains.  His favorite thing is to be the leader and find the best route.  Quite sure not many 3 and 6 year olds have done that hike...and probably shouldn't. ;)

The hike took us about 2 hours, and it was way beyond lunch time when we got done, so we went home for sandwiches and some relaxation time.  We hung out around the cottage for most of the afternoon.  Will picked up some lures at the town hardware store for Ethan's fishing pole.  He's dying to fish, and Will found out we don't need a permit to fish in the ocean on a public pier and that people fish for mackerel.  They fish with a specific lure and no bait.  Will You tubed how to fish for mackerel last night.  We thought we might try tonight but the tide was too low after dinner.  

Dinner, by the way, was at Thurston's Lobster Pound, an iconic place on the island.  I was a little nervous but I went for it and ordered my lobster (they pick it up live and weigh it right there) and hoped I could figure out how to eat it.  In the cottage, there are trays that list directions on how to eat a lobster, and I'd studied it a bit before we left.  :) But when it actually came, I was a bit at a loss.  Thankfully, the people there were very nice, and a young girl came by to help when I asked.  Her boyfriend and father are both lobster men, and she answered a lot of questions we had and made us feel right at home.  And she helped me get the most out of it.  And it was really good!  I'm not a lobster aficionado, but I know that this lobster is uber-fresh, caught that morning, and the meat has a delightful sweetness.  I'm the only one who got lobster.  Eleanor said she wanted to share mine but once she saw the live one she changed her mind.  She was interested in the claw crackers, though, so maybe she will try next time.  She ate my corn on the cob and potato chips for dinner.  Will had a burger (likely from an IL or WI cow),  and Ethan got pb and j.  I'm trying!

Now, with a belly full of fresh Maine lobster, it's time to relax!

Haiku of the day:

Rain means big breakfast

Beech Mountain-climbed to the top

My first whole lobster

Lobstah...

Day 8

Long day of adventuring over here.  Will started off with a run, which is adventure enough around here.  The hill that is essentially our driveway is quite steep.  When he was home, I walked into the small downtown here and did a little shopping.  I bought a scarf at a boutique.  It was a bargain at $12, the cheapest thing in the store by about $50!

We left the house in search of the Acadia National Park visitor center.  We accidentally took the longer, scenic route.  The park is surrounded by a large park loop drive, but part of it is one way, and since we missed a turn, we ended up I driving through touristy Bar Harbor.  We made it to the visitors enter eventually, where we watched a short film about Acadia and talked to someone about the junior ranger program for Ethan.  

Since it was close to lunch time, and it was on my list of definite stops for the week, we drove to the Jordan Pond House, the only restaurant located in national park territory.  It is famous for its popovers, and you can either just get tea and popovers (served with butter and strawberry jam) or a full lunch.  We waited about twenty minutes and ate outside at a rustic wood table with an umbrella.  We had an awesome view of Jordan Pond and the surrounding mountains.  Best al fresco dining view I've ever had.  

Eleanor got the soup de jour, which was a sausage vegetable soup, Ethan got the grilled cheese, Will got a cranberry walnut chicken salad, and I got the lobster stew.  My meal came with two popovers, and the others' just one.  Ha ha.  They are quite stingy with the popovers...there's no unlimited bread basket kind of thing there.  And it is easy to see why.  They are freaking delicious.  Yummy!  And my lobster stew...basically lobster pieces floating in a butter and sherry broth, was delicious, too.  

After lunch, we hit the tourist shop (Will bought a hat and shirt) then we walked down by the pond.  Ethan and I watched a frog hop over a tourist's foot and jump right into the pond, which was fun.  Then, we took a short walk down a little carriage road.  Within the park are miles of carriage roads, which are only accessible to hikers, bikers, and carriages.  Rockefeller had them made in response to more and more automobiles on the island.  He wanted the park to be auto free, but when he realized that was not going to happen, he had all thee carriage roads built.  All along the carriage trails are beautiful stone bridges as well as very pretty carriage houses, meant to blend nicely with the surroundings.  

Well, we saw a little foot bridge off one of the carriage roads that led to a trail. We thought we'd take a look and go a bit down the trail, but we ended up hiking the whole thing, which was over a mile each way.  Once again, we did not have the backpack for Eleanor, who ended up being held.  This trail was worth it, as it was completely magical.  On either side, the ground was covered in bright green moss, and it really gave it an otherworldly feel.  I told Will I felt like I was in some kind of J.R. Tolkien enchanted forest or something.  It really was so cool.  And the trail went up a really steep hill, or mountain I suppose, so we had quite a few stairs to climb.  The only bad thing was that the Mosquitos started to get bad and we were without our spray.  Again, I think it was worth it. 

We eventually made it back to the car and decided to head into Bar Harbor once more and look in the shops.  It is all the same touristy stuff, but fun to look at nonetheless.  We ended up buying a wooden lobster after Ethan dropped it, breaking one of the claws off.  We were thinking of getting it anyway, and we plan to glue it, paint it red (all the wood in the shop was unfinished),  and use it as an ornament momento of our trip.  But we left the store quickly before Ethan or Eleanor dropped a much pricier piece of wood.  

The weather cooled down quite a bit by the  water, and we left around 5:30,  deciding to do dinner at home since we ate out at lunch. The kids had hot dogs and Will and I are having grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, and asparagus on the grill. It's cooking now.  

One random thing of note is that Eleanor locked herself in her bedroom after dinner.  There is a childproof door knob cover on her knob, and she must have locked it then shut the door.  We tried telling her what to do to get the door open, but she couldn't do it.  Will went around the house to a window to help, but he said she was more interested in reading books.  At least she wasn't panicking.  Will eventually had to run over to Doug's to get the key to open it up from our side.  Thank goodness he's our neighbor and was home.  He also told us where he keeps the key in our cottage for future reference.  :)

Haiku of the day:

Dreams of popovers

Lobster at last for Michelle

Running tomorrow

View from our backyard

We have some sun poking through...this is the view from our backyard.  The house you see is Doug's.

Cloudy Skies

Day 7

I just woke up from being asleep in Eleanor's bed and really want to crawl right into bed so this may be short!

Our first full day in Maine was very nice, albeit a bit foggy.  We didn't have any rain today, but it was still cloudy, hampering some of the views.  Now, it's still definitely beautiful, but we can tell it would be breathtaking with sunny skies.  Right now, the forecast is calling for isolated storms the next two days, too, so we are trying not be be discouraged.  It would be awfully disappointing to come all this way and not have the views we know are there behind the clouds.  If there's one thing we know about living in Chicago, though, is how quickly the weather can change.  Also, that the weatherman is often wrong!  Lets hope so.  Doug said it is never foggy like this until late August and September....highly unusual.  Super.

So, after an okay night (Eleanor slept alone all night but fell out once and needed the bathrooms a couple of times), and one in which we both stayed up far too late, we were a bit tired in the morning.  Once we were all up, we headed out for our first family adventure.  We stopped at some shoreline, first, and the kids had a blast climbing all over the rocky shore.  It was low tide, so many of the rocks were covered in seaweed, etc.  It was a bit nerve-wracking for us parents, as we worried that the kids would fall, but they loved it.  The air was thick with salt, and the waves crashing over the rocks was a sight.  

Next, we ventured over to a relatively short trail.  Will convinced me we did not need the backpack for Eleanor, but less than halfway in, I regretted not taking it.  The hike was not steep, but it was pretty long.  At the mid-point, we were on another piece of shoreline, and Eleanor fell.  After that, she only wanted to be held.  And guess who she wanted to be held by?  Will was quick to admit that we should have taken the carrier.  I told  him maybe he could owe me a back rub, but I've yet to see it.  :)  Ethan was in love with the hike and all about getting through "obstacles."  He ran ahead the whole time, super excited.  I got a lot of great pictures, including a better M for my last name picture collage, but so many landscape pictures are not as majestic as we know they could be.  Fingers crossed for sunny skies.  

Following the hike, we took a quick look at a lighthouse before arriving back at the cottage for lunch.  Lunch was followed by some rest time (read: attempt to nap for mommy and daddy...think daddy succeeded).  Doug stopped by in the afternoon with a trail map for us and stayed to show us some good ones for families.  He's an interesting character and not at all what Will and I expected. Deeply tanned and looking like a total hippy, you just know this man has some great stories to tell.  

We left the cottage again at 3 or so, thinking we would go to the Acadia welcome center, but we stopped by echo lake beach to check it out.  Once the kids saw the sand, that was it, and we were all too happy to lay out a blanket and let them play.  Sand toys were in the car.  The water here is swimable, though  not for me on this cooler day.  Ethan was content in the sand, but Eleanor was eventually wet in her clothes, and we found a mismatched bathing suit for her to put on.  Like only a kid can, she ran right into the water completely unfazed but the temperature.  We simply enjoyed watching them frolic (literally) with jagged tree lined cliffs on either side and sailboats in the distance.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.  

When we got home, it was definitely shower time.  Then, I made a quick pasta e olio dinner with veggies, and we ate then the kids and I made a fire, or attempted to, while Will cleaned up and watched the Tour de France.  The wood was still damp, and with very little kindling, I didn't quite get the fire I was hoping for.  I did put in my best effort, though, and the kids got their s'mores and made memories nonetheless.  

Tomorrow will hopefully bring some sunny skies and more hiking.  We will also likely hit a lobster pound or another island restaurant for dinner.  Hoping to expose the kids to new kinds of seafood. Hoping...

Haiku of the day:

Rocky shores, trails galore

Cloudy skies we hope will clear

More s'mores on the way

We made it!

Day 6

Leaving Gorham at 9:30. Great hotel with pretty views, and a good value, too! Will got to sleep in a regular bed, and Ethan got to flop around all he wanted.  

Within 15 minutes, we are in Maine! The top of New Hampshire is pretty small across. :). This part of the drive was probably our most unpleasant, at least for me.  It was rough road, and extremely curvy, and this mommy was getting bit green.  It didn't help that Eleanor wanted me to read her a few stories.  Ugh.  The kids seemed fine, though, and I was fine once we got to the major highway.

And might I take a second to brag about how awesome the kids did with all our driving?  Each day, which start to finish was always at least 6-8 hours, they only watched an hour of cartoons, and the typically didn't even start watching until the last part of our trip, with a couple of hours to go.  They might ask early on, but we always said no and they didn't really pursue it.  They kept busy with drawing, tanagrams (thanks, mom!), books on CD, playing with superhero figures, and just pretending and talking.  They had their moments, but, overall, it was definitely Will and I that were more travel weary.  Granted, they were total animals in the hotels and so hyper, but that's to be expected with so much time cooped up, I suppose. 

Anyway, so we finally got to the major highway that would take us to Bangor.  We stopped for sandwiches at a travel stop and then drove through Bangor and on to Ellsworth, right before the island.  The drive itself took longer than expected given what we were told, or maybe we were just so anxious.  In Ellsworth, we hit a grocery store to load up on things for the week and then drove on to the island. We found our place easily and were immediately impressed.  

The man we are renting from, Doug Beal, is fifth generation on the island. His grandfather started Beals lobster pound, which is one of two major lobster pounds on the island and featured in guidebooks.  His brother is a fisherman.  He mentioned if I want any lobster to cook here, if I give him a hours notice, he will get me some for 5 dollars a pound. I've never cooked my own lobster and have only really had a whole one once, but he told me exactly how to do it.  We will see.  Not sure Will will eat one, and the kids might be traumatized if the watch me kill our meal!  Anyway, Doug and his wife Vicki live in a house about 30 yards away (it's beautiful) and there's another cottage like ours just a stone's throw from ours.  I will post a link to the pictures of the cabin. Doug build his own house, these two cottages, and another house (now his neighbor).  Clearly, he's handy.  

The grounds are very pretty, and we have an outdoor fireplace with adirondack chairs, a picnic table, and a grill in the back with views of the bay.  Foggy today, but still pretty. Will and I will sleep in the loft, which faces four large windows that face the water, too.  The cabin is new and all wood.  Very tasteful and comfortable.  And, I have to laugh because I brought my own knives, thinking there would just be crappy old ones here.  Well, he has the same knives as I do, as well as really nice stainless pots and pans, and all kinds of other nice  kitchen things.  I am pleasantly surprised! 

The kids have claimed a cave-like half closet in the loft  as their bat cave.  It blends right into the wood  but there's a small knob to open it. They think its the coolest and have pushed all my clothes to one side, meaning I will have to crawl in to get them.  But at least they are entertained.  Oh,and we already had two deer sightings in the yard.  The second time it was a mom and a fawn.  So cute! Nabbed a picture before they went off to eat Vicki's garden.  

The one negative we have so far is that we've noticed some large ants.  I've killed several and Will has saved a few.  They are carpenter ants and some are pretty big!  We will talk to Doug about it tomorrow, and he will hopefully have some answers.  We expect bugs and moths and such where we are at, but these ants are not cool. 

Right now, we are enjoying some peace and quiet in the living room, watching cable, and loving the fact that we can watch tv or read after the kids are asleep because we have our own space.  Hooray! No sure what our plans are for tomorrow. Probably do at least part of the park loop, some short hikes (Doug gave us the names of some easy ones for the kids), and check out the beach at Echo Lake near our place.  

Here's the link to where we are staying:

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3498716

Haiku:

Twenty hour drive

We rocked this road trip to Maine

So glad to arrive

I heart Vermont

Day 5

Today was our shortest day of mileage, but we also took the longest to get from point A to point B.  That being said, it was also maybe my favorite day of traveling.  And here is why...I looooooooooove Vermont.  Like, I want to live there.  For real.  It's so beautiful. But let's back up.

We left Lake Placid in rain at 9am.  For breakfast, since our craptastic hotel didn't serve any, the kids ate some of the popcorn we'd gotten the night before at a cute popcorn shop.  We drove a ways then found someplace with donuts and juice.  Breakfast of champions.  It took us about an hour to get to Lake Champlain, where we were taking a ferry into Burlington, VT.  We had to wait about 25 minutes for the ferry.  Then the ferry ride, on a double decker, was about an hour.  We imagine it would have been beautiful, had it not been rainy and cool.  But the kids still thought it was neat that we got to drive our van on to a big boat.  We sat outside on the top deck under an awning for a bit but then sat inside for most of it.  There was a little snack bar and gift shop.  

As we got closer to Burlington, you could see some of the mountains through the fog, and, despite the weather, it was picturesque.  We ate lunch at a hipster, Whole Foods-esque co-op grocery then headed on our way.  The weather cleared up, and thus began my love affair with Vermont.  Seriously...it was so freaking pretty.

We had decided to try to take a tour of the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory on our way, which was not too far away from Burlington and on our way to NH.  We stopped, but since we were going to have to wait 30 minutes for a tour that was another30 minutes, we opted to skip the tour and just eat some ice cream.  Ethan got strawberry, Eleanor got cherry Garcia, and I got Chunky Monkey.  You can all likely guess what Will got.  It was all yummy!  

Back on the road, and I was so glad Will did all the driving.  I would have surely driven off the road looking around.  It was different from being in the Adirondacks because it was not as claustrophobic.   We were still driving through mountains but with space and so much green.  Contrasted with the red of well kept farm buildings, it was all one big post card.  I've been to a lot of beautiful places, but I honestly think this was the prettiest drive I've ever been on.  I'm excited to see how Maine will compare because I think it will. 

My favorite part of the day was having the windows open and driving with the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack on in the background.  Pure heaven.  And I even got to see a couple of covered bridges.  If we don't come back from Maine, check Vermont.  

Or New Hampshire, which so far seems just as lovely.  After several emergency potty breaks for Eleanor, we made it to our final hotel before Maine.  It's pretty great - two bedrooms and a small living area for less than our terrible Lake Placid hotel.  There is a heated outdoor pool (hopefully try it out in the morning) a little jumpy house, and gorgeous views of Mount Madison from our outdoor patio.  We ordered take out from a restaurant in town and the kids had a date in the room while Will and I ate outside facing the mountain.  Not a bad way to end the day.

We are looking forward to getting to our actual vacation destination tomorrow.  Laundry will be a first priority, as will unpacking for more than a night.  Stay tuned.

Wills quote of the day, after Eleanor yelled," So...shut up!" Will then said to me, "Anytime she gets sent to the principal, I will believe the principal."  She's going to be a slippery one, no doubt.

Haiku:

Foggy ferry ride

Vermont will be our new home

Syrup everywhere

Lake Placid

Day 4

On the road at 9:45

We stopped in Utica for a few supplies and then headed for the adirondacks.  The scenery on the drive was pretty incredible.  We saw a couple of deer crossing the road, which Ethan loved.  Our lunch stop today was in Old Forge, super cute, quaint and touristy town.  We set up our picnic on a huge lake with beautiful mountain views.  By far, our best picnic stop yet.  The kids played at a neat pirate ship park while I looked at some of the shops on Main Street.  I bought the kids a black and white cookie for the next leg in the car.

After the cookie and some winding roads, Ethan started to feel a bit car sick.  It didn't last too long, though , and we opened the windows and breathed in the fresh mountain air.  We stopped at a little parking area about 45 minutes from Lake Placid.  The kids picked wild flowers while I took a lot of pictures.  A state trooper (very McMountainman) then pulled in, and we were a little worried, until we realized he s just bored.  He and Will talked a while (Will was full of questions...). We made it to Lake Placid around 4.

Our hotel, as the reviews had warned, was in dire need of a face lift, but the location was pretty awesome.  We walked to the public beach so the kids could have a quick swim.  The water was surprisingly warm, though with cooler weather due to a storm rolling in, I decided just to play photographer.  It was later that Will learned that the kids were not actually in Lake Placid but Mirror Lake, which is weird because we were on Main Street in Lake Placid.  But, apparently the actual Lake Placid is all private and there is no public beach on it.  Bottom line: we stayed in Lake Placid but never actually laid eyes on it.  A storm at night that continued with heavy rain in the morning prevented us even from going back to the beach.  Oh well.  

After a quick shower, we headed back out to Main Street to find a place for dinner.  We settled on a small pizza/Italian place.  It was forgettable but fine.  Bedtime was a bit rough with one overtired little girl, and both Will and I were feeling the effects of a long day of travel.  But, all in all, we are having a good time, making memories, and not killing each other...all pluses.  

Ethan's quote of the day: "Hugs are way better than kisses.  Because they are bigger.  A hug is like a thousand kisses."

Haiku of the day:

Adirondack bound

Great mountain views-winding roads

Lake Placid...guess not

Syracuse

Day 3

Left Cleveland, after multiple hug sessions, around 9:30.  We will be back through on our way home, thankfully.  What great hosts we had! Ethan asked as we pulled away, "are we going to be staying in that hotel on our way home from Maine?" Yes, yes we are, whether they like it or not...though we are fairly sure they like it.  :) 

10:40 We crossed into PA! Just passing through the northwest corner of the state before hitting New York.  Plan to wave to Erie in honor my my good friend Emma's hometown.  

11:20 New York! Very pretty drive so far.  Hilly, lots of vineyards. 

Stopped at a cool travel stop near buffalo for a potty break and lunch.  Covered walkway over the road to get to everything.  Will taught Ethan how to get truckers to honk their horns.  Great.  Unfortunately, there was no picnic area for our lunch so we are driving a bit further to try and find a good picnic stop. 

Lunch in a dilapidated park...Eleanor pooped on her portable potty twice, likely to the delight of the summer campers there.  Not to the delight of Will, who is responsible for the disposal/clean up.  We definitely are glad we brought that thing, though.  

We arrived at our hotel right around 4 o'clock and went swimming at the pool.  Ethan "chillaxed" a bit in the hot tub, and then we got dressed to head to Ethan's Embassy Suites birthday party.  They have a nighty reception in the atrium with free drinks and hors devours, so the kids and I went to that for a bit while daddy showered.  They feasted on cheese, crackers, pickles, and kiddy cocktails.  

Then we took restaurant recommendations from a nicotine addicted waitress and headed out with directions to this presumably close restaurant.  45 minutes and one wrong turn later, we arrived at Friendly's.  Friendly, yes, but not the best food.  Fine for kids, I guess, and your typical greasy fare.  Ethan, who downed his chocolate milk in 10 seconds, didn't even want the sliders he ordered, and ate the apples that came with the meal instead.  We even headed out before the kids got their ice cream that came with their meal.  We will try to find a nicer place tonight that will bring him some cake. Not that he really cared.  Between Marj and Carolyn's and his kids birthday party, he's been celebrated enough.  Plus, we brought some presents into the restaurant with us, so he was happy.  

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was well past bedtime.  Eleanor hung on until 9:45 before finally giving in.  I had plans to work out in the fitness center after they were in bed.  But after dozing in bed while I waited for Eleanor to stop telling stories and drift off to dreamland, that was definitely not happening.  It was bedtime for us all...

Haiku of the day:

Birthday in the car

Chillaxing in the hot tub

Lost in Syracuse