Winter Break

Now back to that February vacation.  We have definitely found it challenging to adjust to the public school calendar this year.  Previously spoiled by childcare that is always available, we are realizing that we cannot possibly take a day off every day that Ethan has a day off.  Then there are late starts and snow days and sick days...not to mention 12 weeks of summer vacation!  Needless to say, it presents a scheduling challenge for working parents.  That being said, Ethan looks forward to his vacations with so much excitement and it's clear he really needs that downtime.  As much as he is loving kindergarten, all that learning and growing is exhausting, and a break is welcome and needed for our little guy.  So we have been very lucky to have been able to rely on ready and willing grandparents to jump in and invite Ethan to sleepovers so Mom and Dad can work, thereby avoiding daycare vacation camps (for now) and giving Ethan a chance to relax and enjoy his vacations. 

So while we had to work last week, Ethan got to spend some quality time over at Grandma and Grandpa's, where he skated and snowshoed and skated and did puzzles and skated and watched movies and skated.  Can you tell that our Ethan is loving skating these days?  And while we wish we could have spent the whole week having fun like he did, we were able to bookend the vacation week with two fabulous weekend getaways.  President's Day weekend was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's, where we participated in every winter sport imaginable (including fine dining and hot tubbing - those count as winter sports too, right?) and enjoyed lots of cousin time with Caz and Ella. 

Rub-a-dub-dub, three men (and a little lady) in the tub

Our timing was perfect, as our trip coincided with a winter festival at Five Fields Farm, just down the road.  We were about the only people there on a gorgeous snowy day, which meant we got to hog the outdoor firepit and have the s'more supplies all to ourselves.

In addition to tasty treats, there was sledding and snowshoeing, including a fun "run" for the kids who were interested (all three of them).

Fuzzy but cute picture of two of my favorite boys

Riding backwards makes sledding even more thrilling!

Back at the house, there were snow forts to be built...


snow piles to slide down...

and many, many stories to be read in the "Kids' Korner".

The weekend was chock full of fun and food and family and left us jonesing for some more cousin time at the lake this summer.

Fast forward to the following weekend, and a 180 degree change of scenery.  From snowy Maine to the streets of the Big Apple!

Adam practicing his pose for New York's Fashion Week?

I like to call this "airport TV".  It amazes me how much entertainment can be had watching planes land, be serviced, and take off again.

The boys love packing for any trip that involves an airplane (or any old trip really).  This year, they were excited to bring their new cameras to capture their trip to the big city.  On Saturday morning, I awoke to Ethan snapping photos out our hotel window and he was attached to that camera all weekend long.  He did get a couple of cute shots that he brought to "show and tell" at school yesterday.  This is one of them:

When we are in Central Park, the boys' Maine roots come out - they run, run, run...

and climb the nearest mountain they can find.

When planning our Manhattan adventure this year, we presented the boys with several potential activities.  The idea of visiting a for-real live battleship got big thumbs up all around, so after brunch at Uncle Pauly's apartment on Saturday, off to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum we went.

Future fighter pilots

On the bridge

Another thing that the boys really wanted to do was to visit the Empire State Building.  We substituted Top of the Rock, a closer, less crowded, and cheaper option, with what I would argue to be an even more spectacular view.

Though I love my country life, this skyline thrills me every time

I think it may be time to give up on family portraits...

Between our two adventures, we also squeezed in a trip to Peter Pan Day at the Childrens' Museum and a couple of playdates with friends we hadn't seen in awhile.  When all was said and done, I think Ethan had a great vacation week.  Thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa for our winter getaway and childcare coverage, and to Noni and Papi for our Manhattan adventures!