Stay-at-Home Days

One of the reasons I love working part-time is that the boys and I get to go adventuring on days when everyone else is working (we call these our "stay-at-home days", as opposed to our "school days").  Unlike weekend plans, which often require advance planning and thus feel somewhat set-in-stone, weekday fun can be more spontaneous, less crowded, and cheaper!  Now that fall is here and activities are back in full swing, we are a little more scheduled and a little less able to go where our moods take us and the weather allows.  But with the threat of a more binding school calendar in the not-so-distant future, I am going to make a concerted effort in the coming year to resist over-planning and allow for one last year (for Ethan, at least) of footloose and fancy-free (weekday) living.  

Some tales of recent weekday adventures...  A few Mondays ago, the boys and I took the Casco Bay ferry out to Peaks Island.  I had been wanting to do this for quite some time, and when we caught a perfect September day that held the last gasps of summer warmth, we snatched it up and off we went.  

In the true spirit of spontaneity, I hadn't done ANY research on what exactly there is to do on Peaks Island (postscript: not much).  I suspected the ferry ride itself would be thrill enough for my boys, and I was right.  They loved getting their tickets, walking on board and finding seats, and spotting lots of exciting sights (including seals!) on the way out.  When we landed on Peaks, we grabbed warm cinnamon buns from a bakery up the hill, walked around a bit, and settled on a stretch of beach with some very convenient ship-wrecked boats to climb on.

We played there for an hour or so, until we spotted our ferry returning to take us back to Portland.  To round out the morning, we had a picnic on the ferry dock, watching all the waterfront activity as we ate.  Long naps were had after all that morning excitement!  Such a simple adventure has turned into fodder for one of the boys' most-told stories.

Then, just this past Friday, we spent the morning at the Cumberland Fair.  I will preface this discussion by saying I am a fair junkie.  I love all things fall fair, and have been to a bunch of these New England treasures.  But the Cumberland Fair is by far my favorite.  We could not have asked for a better day - a little gem sandwiched between rain, rain, and more rain.  I thought the single day of sunshine would bring out the crowds, but we didn't wait in one line and covered pretty much the whole fair in three or so hours.  There was pony-riding,

To be honest, I really wasn't so sure about the idea of Adam on a pony more than an arms-length away, but he did great, complete with shouts of "Yee haw, yee haw!" throughout.

 pancake-eating (and syrup-tasting),

farm equipment to climb,

 and of course, rides!

The roller coaster was a HUGE hit...

the ferris wheel...we're not so sure.

As you can see from the above, there was also face-painting...in the bible tent!  I had no idea it was the bible tent until the kids were cheek-deep in face paint and ear-deep in the story of Adam and Eve.  We've been fielding some interesting questions since!

I have no idea what I'll do with my work schedule once Ethan starts school next fall.  I'm mulling over many different options and ideas (despite my attempts at footloose living, I am, admittedly, a true Type A at heart).  But I will certainly miss this flexibility.  When we came home from the fair on Friday, I told Ben that we should all go as a family one Friday next fall, and then I remembered that Ethan will be in school!  It made me sad.  There is lots to do this year.  Lots of fun to be had before school calendars and the unavoidable pull of endless activities interfere.  I do of course realize that life will not end when school begins, but there is no denying that it will be different.  So in the meantime, I will embrace these pre-school days, striving to make every last one count.