2 weeks of time down at the coast!!! I've been wanting to have a big chunk of untouched time at the coast for a long time and we finally took it! We had such an exciting two weeks, full of lots of adventures, family time and exploring the area. The kids are learning so much and enjoying it all, me too!
Golfing at Blue Hill CC - I took Tuck and Brookie out with Mickey and Buck for a few holes. The course was super wet but we did the first three holes. Tuck drove, chipped and putted and Brookie even took a few strokes and then enjoyed the free ride on Mommy's cart. We definitely need to spend some more time at the farm getting familiar with the clubs but it sure was fun getting out!
Strawberry picking in Blue Hill with Mimi, Nahne and the twins - I'm pretty sure we all ate more than we picked!
Trains, legos, trains - we brought some trains down and Tuck spent a ton of time making some very elaborate layouts. The twins and Brookie tried to help and the big guy got a nice lesson in patience. He eventually found some alone time to build and play but was very thoughtful about trying to include the others too!
Crafts - painting the boat, gluing shells and googly eyes on rocks and making creatures, making necklaces and more
Throwing rocks and swimming at the pier - still a personal favorite of mine! Kids just love to throw rocks and sticks to dogs of course too! With so much hot weather, we swam a bunch at the shore. Tucky did fare so well with the cold but Brookles loved it and swam all the way out to the big rock with me!
Boating - Mckinley's first boat ride at the coast! We took all three kids out to the islands and around to the Eagle's nest and in search of seals. She didn't even seem to mind the lifejacket and breeze! Captain Tuck gave us a nice tour!
Seafood - Lobster dinner, eating crabs caught off the pier, fried clams, steamed mussels, scallops and lots of crabmeat! Yes, we were spoiled and I've got two seafood loving littles! Especially the Tuckman, he ate everything in sight and shared the best plate of mussels with me at Dennett's!
Sunsets - Lots of "Nighty night Mr. Sun." Annie and Deeda would be proud! The kids love sunsets and getting the whole family (and anyone else in sight) to sing with them! Such a tradition
Exploring - while everyone else headed home, the kids and I took off in the mini van around the Blue Hill Peninsula. We checked out Holbrook Island Sanctuary and loved it. We want to go back and hike next time. We drove around Cape Rosier and found a wonderful beach out on Harborside Road that looks out at Pond Island. We had a great time there and I was able to park on the shore and let the kids out to play while Mckinley slept. We'll be hitting this place again! Oh and we had to drive through the town of Brooklin so that Brooklyn could go to Brooklin!
Stonington Lobster Boat races - our first time and such a scene. We loved watching the races and just took in the sights.
4th of July festivities - more of a weeklong extravaganza again! Lots of fun with sparklers, big family dinners and lots of fun on the coast with family and friends. We got in a lot of cousins time!
Penobscot Days parade and fireworks - super fun small parade in town! We had front row seats and the kids enjoyed chasing after the candy thrown at them. There were some cute floats and it just had a nice, small town feel. Nahne and I took Tuck to the 9pm fireworks in town and they were really good, right up over Bagaduce Bay.
Crabbing of the pier - while Daddy was down with us, this is what Tuck and Brooke wanted to do the whole time. They caught hundreds of crabs and just had a ball. Tuck enjoyed catching a bunch then letting them go on the dock and having crab races! cheap entertainment!
Outside time - totally a given when you're down here in the summer! We created a fairy house village and will be adding fairy houses all summer. The kids were really into this project and we even made rock creatures to put in there too. We walked the shoreline, easier said than done, and found a lobster buoy! We then tried to walk back the old shoreline path I remember help clear when I was younger. Each year we'll be able to walk longer and explore more, so much fun!
It was just an awesome couple weeks and we can't wait to come back down for me and Kamp Kimball. I also felt good because it was our first time with just the kids and I for a week without Daddy. Luckily, Mckinley is such a good baby and great sleeper! I'm thinking all this fresh, salty air is good for her!
And over the weekend, we had an absolute blast out boating with friends! We met Tya and Kristen's gang out at Boaters Beach and it just happened to be Kid's Day. They had tons of games like tug-o-war, a treasure hot, water balloons and a huge BBQ. It was so much fun! Mckins did great on the boat, loved lying in the shade on the beach and even had a dip in the lake. She was so good and we were able to spend a good chunk of the day out there. The kids swam nonstop and it was just a blast!
We also spend a lot of time in our little pool. The kids love it and we even jumped in for a bit. Plus, we didn't even have to drive anywhere:) Then on Sunday we spent the afternoon on the lake at the Dunn's for Sage and Sam's birthday party! We spent the whole afternoon in the water paddleboarding, swimming, jumping off the float and just hanging out. Their friend took out the boat and Tuck and Sage tubed together. It was Tuck's first real tubing experience and they both loved the "bumpies." We stayed well into the evening watching the sun set and then crashed on the way home. It was a great week home and the kids' journals are filling up with so many fun adventures!
