Our Pace Has Changed

Our pace has changed. This photo says it all.
Talya, Ayelet and I returned to Cape Cod on Monday morning and immediately, upon arrival, calm set in. Our first weeks were filled with fun adventures. We did a lot and saw a lot of VERY special people. With our return to the Cape, we were alone and it was just the three of us, with no agenda and no plans for 4 days. For me, that was exactly what I needed, some time to play with the kids, some time to think and reflect and some time to rest. So, what did we do? Well, more of the same, the beach, ice cream, walking in the evening after dinner - looking for bunnies, of course, a visit to the library to replenish our supply of books... Our pace was just slower and we weren't tied to any schedule. Eric came over this morning so that I could go for a run and then we spent the rest of the day playing.

Here are some snaps from last weekend and the past couple of days.

The Tuesday Beach Club, on Friday, getting ready for birthday cake and ice cream.
All the kids - forced to pose.
We had a wonderful visit with a high school friend and his family. It was so special to reconnect as adults, with families! Here are all the kids together. R and Talya hit it off and became fast friends.
Brian's lovely wife photographed all of us, I just wish she was in the photo, she is a treasure!We had to escape the intense Boston heat, so what better than a trip to the Museum of Science. The water table at the Science Museum - Ayelet was so happy there, I thought we might spend the whole afternoon there.
Time with Nona and Nono in the Discovery Center.
Back on the beach, the Tuesday Beach Club, back in session.

A Boat Ride

Our dear friends from the Tuesday Beach Club so kindly invited us out on their boat on Thursday. It was such a sweet invitation, Thursday was the day that the heat wave was supposed to hit the east coast. There was a lot of talk of how to get relief from the potentially record breaking temperatures, so we were thrilled to be invited!

The morning of our scheduled excursion, the forecast had changed to include heavy winds off the Cape, but our host went to check the water and things looked peaceful and calm on the ocean and lots of boats were out, so we went ahead with our plans. It was SO wonderful, Sesuit Harbor is beautiful. Our plan was to take the boat out, anchor just off a secluded beach, swim in to shore, play, then swim back to the boat and return to the harbor.

We set out slowly through the harbor, then picked up speed as we went into the open water. I loved watching the different reactions that my girls had. Michaela sat quietly, apprehensive and not sure what to expect. Talya loved being out on the water. When we picked up speed as we left the harbor, she was thrilled. Ayelet hung on tight to me, but seemed to like it. However, we discovered how quickly things could change. The ride out was pretty quick, but as we approached the area that we were going to anchor, we could see that the wind had picked up. Instead of being calm, the ocean darkened and we could see white caps all around us.

Our hosts were phenomenal, quick thinking and sensitive. They quickly decided that we needed to turn back. They gave us instructions on what to do and prepared us for what to expect during the return trip. Thank goodness we had had a calm trip out to get us acclimated. The return was bumpy and wet and felt much like a roller coaster ride. Almost the same reactions from the kids though - Talya had the time of her life, Ayelet hung on for dear life and Michaela looked terrified.

Here is the boat.
Here we are, the crew, windblown but happy, after our adventure.
We spent the rest of the day at the beach!

Visiting with C, H, M and E

One big difference between this trip and other years is that this year we are doing more visiting than usual. We have done a lot of traveling which has been tiring, but it has also bee so special for us to spend such wonderful time with friends and family.

This particular excursion took us to Falmouth, MA. C & H were such wonderful hosts. The kids played so well and we had a chance to catch up. We went to the beach together, spent the day playing and then ate pizza on the beach!

Here is Ayelet with her new friend - she has discovered the art of finding playmates on the beach.
And here are our wonderful hosts.

Hanging Out With Nicky and Al

Nicky and Al joined us this weekend for some fun in the sun. We had such a great time with them and hated when they had to leave (I told them, work is so over-rated). My sisters are one of the biggest reasons I enjoy coming to Cape Cod so much, getting to know my sisters as adults is something that I truly treasure and spending time with their partners has been an added bonus.Clearly, my girls (at least Ayelet) feel the same way!

The Tuesday Beach Club Reunited

I don't think any of us realized how much we missed our friends until we saw them this past weekend. When we were here in the summer of 2008, we met Lisa and her family on the beach. The kids really hit it off, so we started meeting regularly and we called ourselves The Tuesday Beach Club. We had arranged to meet for ice cream and as soon as Talya and Ayelet saw Lisa, they ran right over and gave her big hugs, I guess they remembered. I very quickly remembered how kindly and lovingly Lisa and her family looked out for the me and the girls when we were on the Cape alone that summer, always helping me out when I had my hands full at the beach, inviting us to dinner, meeting us for ice cream, or simply calling us to check in. I suspect that we will see them frequently during our trip this summer, perhaps they will even meet Ron.
Here are the little girls, warming up to each other again.
All the kids, laughing together, falling back into their friendship like no time had passed.
Lisa and I joined in the fun too.

Blueberry Picking

Such a lovely morning for picking blueberries. and eating them!
So many blueberries, what to do!

Stargazing with Al

We are so lucky, Al, Nicky's boyfriend and astronomer extraordinaire brought his telescope with him this weekend. It was a full moon, and Saturn was in the house, so we had a chance to see and learn lots! Here, Al is setting up.
This is the moon as viewed with my camera alone.
The moon through the telescope.
Fun had by all!
Saturn, a fuzzy still shot.
And Saturn by video.

A Day In P-Town

On vacation is exactly how we felt as we set off on a day trip to Provincetown. Provincetown seems so close to the elbow of the Cape, but it really isn't... The highway quickly turned to road and the road slowly took us to the tip of the Cape.
We started our adventure with a visit to Pilgrim Monument, the location where the Pilgrims are said to have actually landed upon arrival to the New World. 116 steps and 60 ramps to the top, a manageable feat, even with a 30 lb 3 year old in my arms. The view from the top was worth it, a reminder of the beauty and magic of Cape Cod.

The monument itself was a fun climb as we wound our way up and then back down again.


After our visit to the monument, we wandered around, eating, visiting shops and playing...
...and the girls got airbrush tattoos.The pace was slow, there was no schedule, it was a wonderful and relaxing day.

Rebecca, Nana and Grandpa and The New Chair

What a wonderful day! Rebecca has arrived and we are so thrilled to have her with us for a whole week! She was tired today, but she rallied to spend every minute with us. She played with all three girls on the beach, holding Ayelet's hermit crab for her, played checkers with Talya, planned our day trip to P-Town with Michaela and experienced Sundae School for the first time.
Last night, we went to Christmas Tree Shop and I bought Ayelet this chair that is "just her size". She is SO excited about it, we even had the chance to sit, have a snack and chill out for a while this afternoon. Having the opportunity to *sit* on the beach made this purchase well worth the $5 it cost!
In the evening, Nana and Grandpa joined us at Sundae School, what a sweet surprise!

A Visit with Liz, Z and J!

Liz and co. came to visit us for a couple of days and we had a blast together! Liz and I had our hands full (2 adults, 5 kids...), but it was great to watch the kids play together and it was amazing to reconnect with my childhood friend!

Here, Michaela, Ayelet and Z are trying to get close to a bunny during our evening walk (you can see the bunny in the middle left of the photo).
This is my only photo of the four younger kids that turned out, they were playing at the park, but together, they suddenly sat down on the hill to watch the kites being flown below.Ayelet and J hanging out on the turtle.

Getting To Know Uncle Aaron

One of the most special things about this first weekend on the Cape, was that we had the opportunity to get to know Uncle Aaron, Audrey's husband. It was truly a treat to share special moments with him. I loved it and the kids loved it, we are so lucky to have him in our lives, as well as Audrey's. I managed to catch one of those moments when Aaron and Ayelet were playing together.

Our Favorite Things

It was so fun to settle in at Cape Cod and reacquaint with our favorite things. We spent the day visiting with family at the beach. Michaela and Talya got right to playing in the water and out of the water while Ayelet stayed close to me, apprehensive yet curious about everything. I played with her. Alot. That made my day.
Audrey and Aaron joined us for the weekend, it was so much fun to see the newlyweds and to initiate Aaron into his role as Uncle Aaron (I think he passed the test).
We went on a lovely walk/bunny hunt. The bunnies were out in full force, during our 45 minute walk, we saw 13!
And, of course, we finished our day with ice cream at Sundae School, aaahhh, that first taste of Sundae School ice cream was heavenly, it is going to be a fun summer.

Michaela Is 14!

What a way to kick off our summer vacation! We arrived at Cape Cod just in time for a late dinner and birthday celebration for Michaela. But honestly, how did this happen?
It sounds so cliche, but it is exactly how I feel - who knew I would be the Mom of a 14 year old, especially one like Michaela who has a heart of gold, who is loving and compassionate, who is poised and sophisticated, who is smart and creative and a world of other things. I know that she is only 14, a young teenager at best, yet more and more each day, I catch glimpses of the woman that she is becoming...
...and boy, do I like her! Happy birthday Michaela!