Memorial Day Weekend

We had a great Memorial Day weekend on the Schoodic Peninsula. We were fighting off black flies and mosquitoes, but the weather was perfect and we had good company with the Ellis family. The Schoodic Woods campground in Acadia by far has some of the cleanest camping facilities I've used. And, per usual, the kids all slept relatively well. Amity slept very well, especially since she had just slid into a streak of waking up in the middle of the night multiple nights in a row. Madie brought her friend Anna as well. 

The kids favorite camping dinner is hot dogs, chips, followed by s'mores. Without fail.

Amity was a good little camper and actually did not get very many bug bites. 

Madie and Anna got along very well, and it was Madie's first 'sleepover' with a friend. We don't usually allow sleepovers of any type. But this was sort of a special circumstance. Anna was pretty excited for Madie to have her first sleepover, while Madie was excited for Anna to have home cooked meals. Anna has convinced Madie that she suffers by never eating home cooked meals, so they kept saying "Anna has to take advantage of this while she can." Hope those hot dogs with factory processed chips were an impressive home cooked meal!

We hadn't been to Schoodic for a couple of years, so we decided to tour the sites we had previously visited, such as playing on the rocks at the peninsula, seeing the Schoodic Institute. We also decided to hit a trail to explore the woods a bit, something we didn't do the last time we visited. 

The rocks were a huge hit. The waves were fun to watch, and the kids had different games in their heads as their imaginations ran wild. Finn found this little slot canyon to climb around in. 

Amity was a good little hiker and enjoys being outside. Especially when she can be attached to Mumma. 

Oh yeah, and Elvis came with us. It cracks me up because Madie had been complaining that "Elvis always sleeps on my sleeping bag!" Which is true for the most part. At about 2am, I woke up to hearing Anna whispering to Madie to wake up because she was rolling into her during the night. In an effort to prevent everyone from waking up, I tried to help Anna get situated. Then I saw what had transpired in the last 4 hours of sleep: Elvis had taken over Finn's sleeping bag, Fin was now perpendicular to where he was sleeping with his feet on Petya's pillow, Petya was sharing Madie's pillow, and Madie had been squished between Anna and Petya. It was quite the scene, but funny to see how these little critters move when they are all sleeping next to each other. 

It was a successful trip, particularly since we found a Taqueria in Milbridge. It was literally the most authentic Mexican food in Maine we had found so far. Good salsa, decent Horchata, good carne asada. It's good to know it's there when we need it. A great way to kick off summer along the coast of Maine!

Sunny forecast...what could go wrong?

Sometimes, I entice the kids to go on hikes or go rock climbing during less than ideal conditions with snacks or sweets. If I took them without snacks, I worry they will have a bad experience and will shy away from that activity in the future. Even though there's a 20 degree windchill with (40mph gusts) on the side of Mount Champlain, we can always say "Hey, at least Dad brought donuts." And yes, I was packing on this blistering morning. Even Amity was phased. I carried her up in my arms the whole way because I couldn't get the carrier to work. Probably best that I did, she was extra warm inside my jacket. The kids had good attitudes. At the very end, Petya began to break down because it was so chilly. We found a warm area touched by the sun and sheltered by the wind and enjoyed our hard-earned donuts. I know the kids won't remember all of these experiences, but I'm hoping it will make them tougher over the long haul.

Also, look who made the front page of the Mount Desert Islander!

Temple Run

I'm torn. There are so many great things about living in Maine. Even having to drive 5 hours to go to the temple is a blessing. Anything that requires you to lay something on the alter and sacrifice time or money (arguably two of the most valued things in todays world) is going to bring great significance to your life. Although I may seem a bit optimistic about having a temple 5 hours away, I certainly will not murmur if one was built close to us. In the meantime, we will enjoy our excuses to visit Boston and the great history that area offers. 

Mal booked an entire home through AirBnB in Ipswich, MA for Friday night. I think she has had it with me booking cheap hotels that house people on edge (see our Portland Motel 6 experience from summer 2017 trip out west). It was awesome to have an entire home to ourselves. We headed for the temple first thing in the morning. We went with Richie & Candice Roberts so that we could take turns watching each others kids. 

Afterward, we found a legit taqueria that filled my soul and stomach, and took our time driving back home. Boston is such a cool place, I can't wait to explore more areas. The kids did great traveling. A road trip with our van (built in TV/DVD player) is so awesome. We only use it for drives >2 hours, but it's so nice to lean on for those drives. 

Winter: That's a Wrap

Old man winter is loosening his grip over the state of Maine, and warmer days are ahead. Those moments where you look forward to a 40 degree day! Here are a few highlights from our winter:

The kids have been hanging upside down on the bunk bed a lot lately. Somehow, I was able to convince all of them to turn their face toward me for a quick photo. Madie usually resists any sort of paparazzi-type of treatment. 

We went for a fun hike and explored the ice. Finn has been very curious about peregrine falcons and birds of prey, so he is geared up for some wildlife. 

 Always good to check the guide book!

One highlight was building an igloo and taking the three older kids camping in it. I had been waiting for a good dump of snow, and it finally came! Conditions were perfect for making it, but I only had one night to do it. The following day, temps were going to drop significantly. Unfortunately, I didn't get a roof on the igloo during that narrow time slot. I threw a tarp over the top and called it good. Temps got down to 13 degrees that night. With windchill, it must have been close to zero. Being in that shelter made all the difference, though! Great experience for the kids.  

That's what survival looks like.  

 Mal and I got out to xc ski 2-3 times. It's probably my favorite winter sport, and makes for a great date night. My favorite type of ski date is under the dark night sky that is littered with stars and no head lamp. 

And hey, I was even able to get Madie out on skis. Her first time out, she went a whopping 4 miles! She is tough when she chooses to be, and I'm glad she chose to be tough around Eagle Lake this day. Way to go, Madie!

Basketball

Mike and I decided we wouldn't both coach simultaneously again until our younger kids are significantly older. It was just crazy. But we did want the kids in basketball and we wanted to support the program (like soccer) so I volunteered as a coach. I asked for an older team, but for lack of enough 5-grade participants, I was put with the 4-5 year olds. Again.

Finn passes the ball.

It's not that I don't like this age--they're hilarious--it's that I really didn't know if I would be able to explain a game with as many moving parts as basketball effectively. And when I first got there, I was the only coach, with about 15 kids. Thankfully, two men decided to join the coaching team after the first week.

Finn's age group played on 6-ft rims, full-court on half a gym. Finn and a couple of the other kindergarteners actually really started getting the pace of the game by the last few meets and their dribbling and shooting noticeably improved.

Madie really didn't want to do basketball. The first day of practices sounded kind of like this (minus the screaming and crying and flopping of bodies onto the floor),

M: I don't WANT to play basketball!

Me: Okay, you don't have to. You do have to try it today though. And if you don't try, you'll end up just sitting around looking ridiculous and then I'll make you try it next week.

M: But basketball is so boring!

Me thinking, "oh, maybe she has tried it at school?": Where did you play basketball?

M: I haven't.

Me: Oh, well, then you don't know what it's like at all, do you?

M: Yes I do. You've told me what it's like and it sounds boring.

After her first practice she said something like, "Actually, Mom, I do like basketball. A little bit." Her team really struggled, but they struggled hard and ended up winning their very last game!

Madie is naturally very competitive and losing as many games as they did was hard for her, but really, really good.

Last Friday

We got letters from cousins last Friday. Madie and Sadie have been pen-paling for almost a year now and Madie got a not from Sadie. Even though she had a card she'd made already written and addressed and ready to send out the next day, she said she needed to write a new one because Sadie had asked questions and Madie needed to answer them! So a second letter will be in the mail shortly, Sadie.

On a side note, here's Madie sporting cat ears and a mustache from Aunt Alexa.

She kind of looks like a guy I went to high school with.

But that was not all! Finn and Killian sometimes send each other pictures. Well, in the mail I found a large manilla envelope addressed to Finn. Inside was an awesome Killian original and a cool shark-sticker poster. (It was like color-by-number but with stickers.) Finn immediately started working on the shark, pausing only to have dinner. At the very end--the last five stickers or so--he started to weary and asked for help. I sat next to him and did a couple of them for him, but mostly I think he just needed someone to talk to while he did it. He is not a quiet boy, and spending so much consecutive time on his own doing the poster was, I think, taxing on his brain.

I mean, that makes it sound like he was doing this for five hours or something. It was more like two, including supper and setting the table. But two hours of quiet activity for Finn is similar to two hours of listening to death metal music for other people.

The shark now hangs on his wall by his bed.

Sugar Cookies

For Family Night last night Madie had the treat. I think every Family Night of the summer that Mike or I weren't in charge of treats we had ice cream. Finally, half-way through October, when Finn said that he wanted ice cream for Family Night and Mike rolled his eyes at me, I realized we had achieved the previously-thought unachievable: Mike had grown tired of ice cream. I mean, he still ate it, but he took to listing all the other treats we were missing out on:

"Pie, short cake, brownies, blondies, pudding, clouds, cheesecake--come on man! You could have anything you want!"

But Finn wanted ice cream, so ice cream we had.

Last night though, Madie finally broke and chose sugar cookies she saw in the Hannaford food magazine. She asked Petya if she wanted to frost them for the activity (which was Petya's choice this week) and she agreed, which was great for me!

Chores

Madie broke into tears on Tuesday when I pulled out the pair of snow pants a friend of mine gave us when they moved. They didn't fit last year but this year--like a glove. 

"What is wrong with these?" 

"I want snow bibs!"

"Okay, but that's not something to cry about. These are in great condition, no tears, a cute pattern--patterned snow pants!"

"They're ugly! I hate them!"

"Madie, why are these ugly?" 

"They just are!" 

Oh.

"Listen, we are not going to buy new snow pants just because you don't like the ones we already have. If you want different ones that badly, you need to buy them yourself."

"I can't! They're too much! They were $10 at Marden's and I only have $3." 

"You only have $3 because you never do any money chores. We are literally trying to give you money for things we can just do ourselves and you guys won't take it!" 

"By the time I earn enough they probably won't even be at Marden's." 

"You could earn $7 in a couple hours. Stop whining and do something useful."

And thus ended my pep talk for the week.

Fast forward to Friday. Here we are on a day off from school with a whole afternoon and nothing to do. I suggest after lunch that anyone who doesn't want a traditional quiet time (reading a book, taking a nap, drawing, etc.) can do some money chores. Finn opts for setting up a "desk" and writing out phrases like, "Madie is farty." (Thanks, Ms. P, for teaching my son to write.) Madie decides to pick a task from the money-chore list on the fridge. 

Now my windows are clean, my door knobs and switch panels are disinfected, my heaters and dining chairs are dusted, the garage is swept, and Madie is $7 richer.

We had a high today of 35, in the sun. And the wind was bitter.

But my garage is clean.

Here's hoping Marden's still has $10 snow pants.

Soccer

Soccer is such a great sport, particularly for little kids. It is so good for developing motor skills, and is a good introduction to team sports. Mal and I were probably overly ambitious in attempting to both coach different teams (Mal with Finn and myself with Madie), along with a new born, and a 3 year old. It was complicated, but we made it work. Our biggest worry was ensuring that the kids had a good experience with a consistent coach. I'm glad we did because we were the most consistent ones of all the ages groups! 

Finn loves sports, and immediately warmed up to soccer. He was excited to play, and would typically score 1-2 goals per game. His friends were on the team, and it was a smashing success. Great work, buddy!

Madie was reluctant about soccer at first. She wasn't interested in team sports because "...they are dumb." We told her she had to try it and see how it goes. Guess what happened? Guess what typically happens? Say...I like team sports, Sam I am! She was getting more and more aggressive as the season went on, and at the very end was eagerly contributing to her team. After the season, she admitted that she loves soccer! She wants to keep playing to get better and better. I think we'll work on some more basics indoors this winter and keep that flame lit. Very proud of Madie's change of attitude and newfound love. 

It was fun to coach my team. They are all very bright kids, and have a lot of potential. This was the first year the YMCA in Bar Harbor decided to participate in a soccer league, so there were a lot of first-time soccer players. It will only get better, and we will win more games as time passes. Great introductory season to soccer for everyone. Plus, the parents all chipped in to get me a Geddy's gift card. Very kind of those that contributed! We went out to Geddy's that night and took the night off cooking and cleaning. 

First Backpacking Trip

Earlier in the spring, I had been talking to the kids about backpacking and potential backpacking trips that I'd like to take them on. I love backpacking because you can visit some very remote places, away from roads and cars. Places that few people are willing to visit, or ever see. I wanted to take them on a trip that would be fun, but give them a taste of what backpacking is all about. The Daddy & Kids Canoe campout was the perfect opportunity. We paddled in last year, but decided to mix things up this year with backpacking in. 

On our way to the trailhead at Great Pond Mountain Preserve, we stopped by McDonalds to load up on provisions. We got to the trailhead by sunset, and began our hike. It got dark very quickly, and found ourselves hiking under the milky way. The kids clung closer to me, particularly Finn. Questions about wild animals, and Bigfoot came up. Finn's curiosity kept him asking questions, while Madie was on the other side of the coin saying "Okay, you can stop talking about that now!" Though she wouldn't admit it, she was a little scared too. 

We had a map, and knew where we were going...until we missed the fork. We must have overshot it by a half a mile, but figured out we were a bit off, then got back on the correct path. The kids were a little concerned that we had turned around, and thought we were lost. I tried to calm them down by saying, "That's the great thing about backpacking, we have everything we need right on our backs!" An hour later, we arrived at camp and had s'mores. We set up our hammocks to avoid a blood clot from sleeping on a 30 degree slope. Why this spot was chosen, I have no idea! It works, but tent camping with 25+ people is quite rough. We wised up this year with the hammocks, but I'm still trying to figure out how to sleep in a hammock (I usually only manage 2-3 hours of sleep per night). 

At the start...

The previous photo was too serious...let's spice things up. 

Everyone else canoed in, including a family that used ours. It was nice, because we still took it out for a canoe ride. The morning was gorgeous. 

Poor Finn woke up with some sort of rash. Not sure what it was, but it seemed to be connected to stress or anxiety, because it was gone after 24 hours. He seemed to have fun though!

The colors were incredible. 

It's always fun to walk back the next day in the light so you can see all of the things you walked by. There were a few swamps where beavers lived along the trail. When we walked by in the dark, they would slap their tails against the water to warn us away. It was alarming in the dark when you least expected it. 

These Happy Meal cameras were a huge hit at the campout. 

Madie didn't want to look at the camera, at all. 

Both kids had a good experience, overall. I think we have more trips in the future!