After hearing so many people recommend it, we finally made it to Wolfe's Neck Farm! We met Cathy and Michael Kirby there on Sunday morning... before the heat was too oppressive. Leah certainly "fit" in this farm (see the "Fitting in the Farm" post below if this doesn't make sense). In fact, she was a bit intimidated by some of the animals - the sights and sounds are not quite like the books you read!

Checking out the goat.

Cathy and MK with a sheep.

Leah petting an Angora rabbit - so soft!

Dad might like the goats, but I couldn't be convienced to pet the Pigme. As you can see below, MK's used to furry, four-legged animals!

Walking with Dad, and headed for the puddle!

Cathy snapped this nice family photo!

Owen's Garden

Owen and Leah are good buddies from day care. Two weekends ago now (yikes... I'm a bit behind on blogging), we visited Owen, Katye, and John at their home for some play time. Fun was had by all exploring the gardens, eating some yummy banana bread and berries, and blowing bubbles!

Fitting in the Farm

Leah is REALLY into animal noises, so it is no surprise that she loves playing with this little farm and the animals that live there. She loves it so much that she wants to do what the animals can! In the first photo she's trying to fit inside the barn - she tried so intently and really felt frustrated that she couldn't fit in all the way. Part of the farm roof acts as a slide for the animals - what will Fisher Price come up with next? Anyway, Leah loves slides and she couldn't resist trying it herself. Again, it didn't occur to her that she was too big. We were really fascinated by her play and the way she related to the space and characters. That sounds very child-psychologist-like.... mostly we thought she was pretty darn cute and funny!

P.S. Don't worry.... the silo was designed to detach!

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

Our weather was beautiful for Memorial Day Weekend, and we took full advantage of it! We met the Plummers at our new favorite playground - Riverbank Park in Westbrook! Payson and Leah had lots of fun swinging, sliding, and exploring!

The tire swing made me nervous - I had visions of the girls being funneled through the middle to the wood chips below - but they did a great job holding on! In fact, Leah's "thrill seeker" side came through - she wiggled to rock the tire more, grinning all the while!

I was more relaxed with the "safer" swings.

The big slide was a blast - I don't know who liked it more!

As you'll see in the video, it whips you around at the bottom. Notice the BIG smile on Leah's face!

Leah and Payson were able to do this double slide on their own.

An adorable shot of Payson enjoying her blueberry muffin!

After a snack and a bit more play, we headed home for lunch. We're looking forward to seeing more of the Plummers this summer!

On Saturday afternoon, we headed up to camp to see Birdie, Mimi, Kristin, Emily, and Josh. Earlier in the week, my mom found a great climber / slide for sale and she picked it up for us. It was a HUGE hit - Leah loved sliding (all by herself, of course) and climbing on and under the platform. It's perfect for the beach - we can't wait to make a water slide out of it this summer!

The big chairs are fun for chatting.... and climbing, too.

Watching dad windsurf - brrrr!

Walking back to the slide with my big cousin Emily!

Wading with Mimi!

Reading Nursery Rhymes with Birdie and Dad.

Leah must read nursery rhymes at Kay's house. As she was listening, she consistently made some noises and gestures that we hadn't seen before and didn't recognize. It's so strange that Leah has a whole set of her very own experiences - I wonder how often they intersect in this way for her. It's a puzzle to us. Kay's been on vacation this week, but I can't wait to ask her what they have done reading nursery rhymes.

Watering the plants in the barrel at the top of the drive with Birdie.

Leah's infamous shrug. What she's really saying is, "Phew, what a long post. Who knows when mom will get around to it again?"

Lip Smackin'

Raspberry ice cream in a cone my size!



Blowing kisses - awwh. We snapped this one to put on a 'we'll miss you' card for Simon, Leah's buddy from day care. His last day was today.

Animal Sounds

Celebrating the Big 33!

The weekend of Erik's birthday was packed with activities. On Saturday morning I monitored a face painting booth (staffed by 6th graders) at Waynflete's Spring Fling. We all ended up going - Leah particularly liked looking through the children's books and playing on the Lower School playground! Upon returning home, we remembered that Hall Elementary School (just down the street from our house) was hosting it's 50th Anniversary festivities. We've been wanting to see the inside of the building for a while, so we headed over. We were actually more impressed than we thought we might be - the building is old and run down, but the hallways and classrooms were vibrant and inviting. We happened upon story time in the library where one of my Waynflete colleagues (a visiting teacher from China) was about to read a Chinese story. We also ran into three other couples we know - as the biggest city in Maine, Portland is a pretty small town!

Erik's birthday celebrations were really a treat for all of us! My mom came to Portland for the weekend, and Leah just LOVED playing with her Birdie (if you know my mom, you'll immediately understand why this name fits)! They played in the yard, walked around the neighborhood, went to a playground, and ate some exciting foods (my mom's casserole, jello, and a mini ice cream cone). Spoiled - yep! And so were we! Erik and I enjoyed a delicious sushi dinner in the Old Port and then went out for coffee drinks and dessert. The following morning, we hopped in the car to go on a mountain bike ride. On the way to the trail, we both thought, "Our weekends used to always be this carefree." We wouldn't want to change a thing, but it just makes you appreciate the time together even more.

I sort of surprised Erik with a Norske Lage Kake. Surprise or not, he was so excited about it that he had his first slice at breakfast!



Leah tried some, too. Don't worry, Erik salvaged all the crumbs!



On the Mountain Division Trail in Windham.

Bubbles

Mother's Day Weekend

It's been a while since I updated our blog. For what it's worth, I've thought about doing it on many occasions, but time has slipped away. We enjoyed Mother's Day weekend (now two weeks ago!) at camp with my mom. It's so peaceful and quiet this time of year at camp. Leah loved playing in the sand and watching the waves - just wait until we can jump in!! We visited two playgrounds over the course of the weekend - one behind the Wayne church. Noah's Ark was a big hit - not only were there lots of places "on deck" to explore, but also LOTS of toys just waiting to be discovered.

Here Leah's climbing on board and at the helm (or running away from it).

Loading and dumping the dump truck was a very serious endeavour!

Back at camp, trying to fill dada's shoes!

Sadly, our camera battery didn't make it past Saturday afternoon - I was kicking myself for not bringing the charger.

On Sunday morning, Leah, my mom, and I were treated to Eggs Benedict for breakfast. Chef Kramer even made his own hollandaise sauce! The meal was delicious - it was even made with free-range eggs that we receive weekly from a student of mine whose family raises chickens. There is such a noticeable difference in the color and taste of these eggs - YUM!

Leah got her outdoor fill at the Ladd Center playground and fields and the Mill Stream. It's so much fun to watch her play - she's becoming so independent, wanting to climb, walk across shaky bridges, and slip down slides all by herself. Her independence also comes through in her communication. She certainly knows what she wants - which shoes she wants to wear (yes, shoes are still a huge fascination), what and how she'd like to eat, and when she'd like to go outside (which is always). I love that she is growing into her own self, and that we are able to see and understand, through her actions and her "words," so much more of her thoughts and ideas. She's fiercely independent and stubborn, and I just need to keep reminding myself that these are good qualities.

Finally, our Mother's Day festivities ended with a late afternoon trip to Tubby's Ice Cream! For the second year in a row, we've taken advantage of their Mother's Day promo - free ice cream for ladies! Leah took part, too, with a sample-sized cone of blackberry ice cream - she loved it, ate every last bit, was wired for some of the ride home, and then crashed.

Cribnastics

I briefly panicked when I went to check on Leah and couldn't find her! When you're put to bed under the covers and oriented correctly, how, exactly, do you end up falling asleep horizontally, on top of the comforter, at the foot of the crib?!?

Pebbles

At the grocery store, of all places, I found a bag of 120 hair ties! I was drawn to them because they contained all sorts of different types - in particular, small and soft ones for Leah. She still doesn't have much hair - it's longer in the back than on top - but it will be getting into her eyes soon enough. She loved playing with the plastic, zippered bag and ALL the different bands while I tried out a few different dos. The Pebbles look is particularly cute! I should ask Payson's mom for some advice, as she's been wearing pigtails since she was just a few months old!

Rainy Weekend

We haven't had such a rainy weekend in a while. Saturday consisted of off-and-on showers, however Erik and I managed to accomplish some yard projects while my mom cared for Leah. Our biggest project was to move a bush from our front yard to a corner in the back yard. The bush was too big for the front yard, didn't really fit where it had been placed, and neither Erik nor I really like the it too much. This "good idea" turned into a major production that drew the attention of our neighbors - Craig from across the street showed up with shovel in hand saying, "you look like you could use some help!" We took him up on his offer (how could we not?), and it took all three of us to dig, shimmy, lift, slide, and re-plant this giant bush. In the end, it looks great in the back yard! Sadly, we don't have any pictures of the event.

Meanwhile, Leah was sometimes outside and sometimes inside having a great time with her Nannie (a.k.a. Birdie). Here are some cute photos of her "accessorizing" with rings from her stacking toy.



Sunday turned out to be really rainy. We had plans to go to a bakery and then playground with Kelly, Lynn, William and Charlotte. We made it to the bakery, and then Lynn, Charlotte, and I sat it the car drinking our lattes while the dads and older kids briefly ventured outside. They were determined! We returned to our house to play (inside) and have lunch before nap time!