Meeting Burke

We drove over to Keene on Friday to meet Ethan and Adam's newest little buddy, Burke Indigo Donovan. Burke is adorable, and about the chillest baby I have ever met (she must get it from her parents). Ethan and Adam thought she was a little boring, but Ben and I really enjoyed snuggling with someone who was willing to cuddle for more than 5 seconds before wanting to climb and wrestle. Jeremy and Jessica were gracious hosts, keeping us fed and entertained (poor Jeremy did not have a minute to himself once Ethan remembered that he is just one giant toy). We even got out for a little field trip to the local farm on Saturday morning, where we saw animals and tractors galore.

Congratulations to the whole Densmore/Donovan family!

Anticipation

One of the many side benefits of parenthood is getting a front row seat in witnessing your children's development. This process continues to amaze me. Once you get past that first flurry of "firsts", however, development becomes more subtle and nuanced. Milestones happen quietly, and you often realize that your kid is now doing something he didn't do before, but you can't pinpoint when he started doing it.

A recent example of these slight shifts in being is Ethan's improved understanding of time. He is very interested in the days of the week (asking every morning "What day is it?"), understands the concept of yesterday and tomorrow, and realizes he sometimes has to wait (or make others wait - I can't tell you how often I hear "Just one minute Mommy"). With this understanding comes the added benefit of being able to both anticipate and reminisce. Anticipation is fun because it gives each event a lot more mileage. We talk about upcoming activities for days beforehand, and I watch those little brown eyes grow huge with excitement and wonder. When we got into the routine of going to the lake many weekends this summer, Ethan would bound out of bed on a Friday morning shouting "I'm ready to go to the lake!!". It made the experience all the more special, for all of us.

Similarly, reminiscing also extends the life of any one activity, because we can talk about it for days (or weeks or months) afterwards. It's always interesting to see which experiences truly have an impact. This week, we're all about mowing the lawn. Although he did a lot of cool stuff over the last week or so, all that Ethan wants to talk about at the moment is how he mowed the lawn, on the tractor, with "a little help from Daddy". He has recounted that story to anyone who will listen, more times than I can possibly count (there are some drawbacks to said development...).

We are all eagerly anticipating Daddy's arrival home tonight after a few nights in DC. I am sure Ethan will have stories to tell him tomorrow - maybe we'll move on from mowing the lawn?

Mom Appreciation Weekend

I just got back from what I like to call "Mom Appreciation Weekend". Last year, my mom and I began what will now be an annual event - a weekend away at the Cliff House in Ogunquit. It is lovely on all accounts - great food, long walks on the beach, uninterrupted conversation, and some spa treatments to boot. This year we had unbelievable weather, which was just icing on the cake. I call it "Mom Appreciation Weekend" for a couple of reasons. First, because it is a really nice reminder of how much I love my mom and enjoy spending time with her. Although we talk on the phone almost every day, this weekend away allows us to have conversations that last longer than 5 minutes and aren't competing with "Mommy, can I please have some (fill in the blank)?". The second reason is that I always come home to a nice chorus of appreciation for my day-to-day efforts in mothering. It's amazing how skipping town for a few days will do that. Although I missed my little cherubs (and the big one too) terribly, it was so so so rejuvenating to have a break.

Big thanks to Ben, who stepped up and fathered like a champ this weekend (not that he isn't always a fantastic dad, but he did great solo). I can tell from Ethan's stories and Adam's adoring smiles that they worship their Dad and that this weekend was a big bonding experience for all of them. Thanks also to Grandma and Grandpa for coming to help out, and for these great pictures. As you can see, it appears that the boys were kept very busy with hikes in the woods, yardwork, riding bikes/trikes/cars around the lawn, and enjoying the incredible September weather. I don't think they had time to miss their Mom with all that fun!

I've Been Working on the Railroad

Ethan, Adam, and I took a ride on the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad today. I had no idea this treasure existed until I read about it on fellow Mainer Erin's blog, and I'm sure glad I did. As you can imagine, Ethan (who is all about anything with wheels and an engine) LOVED this attraction, and Adam seemed pretty entertained too. We packed a picnic lunch and had a whole car to ourselves as we ambled along the Portland coast. It was quite scenic, and we even got to stop and enjoy the view at one point.

Here Ethan is waiting to "drive" the big engine, which was a huge hit. And yes, he is wearing very short shorts. We are in a big dressing-ourselves stage, and despite Mommy's attempts to dress both boys in overalls this morning (yes, cliched, but how cute would that have been for the train pictures?), we ended up with short shorts, blue socks, and white sneakers. Oh well - I wasn't really able to get any prize-winning photos anyway. I was reminded that a field trip with two boys under three plus great photos to document is really too much to ask. I guess if I have to choose between a smooth day and some good pictures, I'll take the smooth day, and settle for this:

And He's Off

Adam's been on the move for a few months now, but recently all he seems to want to do is go, go, go! Much like his older brother, the kid is not a big fan of the sitting still stuff. (Yet again, I find myself wondering how you order one of those kiddos who sits and plays quietly with his/her toys...but I digress.) It's fun to watch him master his new tricks, and now that Adam's on two feet (with help), Ethan finds him all the more interesting to play with/knock down. Here's what the little mover's been up to:

Climbing. Thankfully he has not quite figured out the stairs, although he is quite interested in them.
Pulling up on any and everything. A near-toddler does not require a stationary object to pull up on - cats and people work too. Adam especially likes it when Daddy wears shorts so he can grab hold of some leg hair to help with his ascent.
Playing chase/hide and seek/peekaboo. Now that he is one speedy crawler, Adam loves chasing anyone who will play. Again, cats will do, and Luna is often an unwilling participant in this game. Here's the little hunter sneaking around the corner to find his Mommy.
Cruising/walking with help. Since he got a taste of being bipedal, Adam is eager to "walk" with the help of anyone who is willing to offer a couple hands. Soon he and Ethan will be chasing each other around the yard (or our living room...awesome).

The Flirt and Mr. Helpful

All the books I've read on sibling dynamics warn parents against casting kids into certain roles within the family. Labeling kids as "The Athletic One" or "The Smart One" or worse yet, "The Naughty One" is apparently a recipe for disaster when it comes to sibling relations. So I try try try not to go there, although I am often tempted to do so. As Adam rapidly approaches his first birthday, his personality emerges, and he becomes less "The Mini-Munch" (little brother to "Munchkin") and more his own person. It's fun to observe how the boys are so similar in some ways, and so different in others. One of Adam's unique personality traits is his downright flirtatious nature. He has this way of turning his head just so, batting his long eyelashes, and melting hearts. I'm not sure where he learned it (his Dad isn't exactly Don Juan...sorry Ben), but he's got it down.

And that hair! It's no wonder the ladies can't keep their paws off him. :) Here is the little love flirting with Great-Grandma Jane on the dock this weekend:

Ethan, on the other hand, wins friends and fans in a different way. When you need something done, anything at all, he is ready. He has always been this way. Here he is Opening Weekend 2008 (at about 16 months), helping to clean the cottages:

And this past weekend, helping Grandpa build a fire:

Although sometimes challenging (like when the little man insists that he unpack ALL the groceries BY HIMSELF and the ice cream is melting all over the back of the car), I love that Ethan genuinely wants to lend a hand to anyone who needs it. He shows empathy and sympathy beyond what I would expect from a 2 1/2 year old, and I am proud and grateful.

Hello Fall

With the turn of the calendar month, fall is suddenly upon us. Septembers in Maine cannot be beat, but there is a crispness in the air, lower light in the sky, and other telltale signs that autumn is just around the corner. Scarborough kids have gone back to school, which provides for lots of "Schoolbus Mommy!" spottings in the morning over breakfast. Fall is my most favorite season, but I have to say that its return seems too early this year. I feel like summer just got started!

We really enjoyed our "staycation" week. This picture about sums it up:

We relaxed. A whole lot. We also, apparently, felt the need to channel our inner youth. When I reflect on last week's activities, the list looks a bit like a teenager's summer vacation:

• Saw The Hangover
• Slid down water slides at the Aquaboggin (Ben even convinced me to do the super-scary death-drop one, which we both regretted afterwards. I guess we are too old for some things...)
• Played mini-golf
• Went out for ice cream (more than once)
• Sunbathed and caught up on celebrity news at the beach
• Played drinking games with friends in the Wreck Hall

We even hosted a Mini-Monster Mash at the lake at the tail end of our staycation. For those of you familiar with Mashes of old, they've changed a bit. Let's just say two kids ex-utero and two kids in-utero make everyone a little less excited about partying until the wee hours of the morning. Danny made his grand appearance on Saturday, but we were blessed with sunny blue skies on both Friday and Sunday. It was perfect hiking weather Friday morning, so we took the kids up Mt. Tir'em. It still looked very much like summer at the top, but it won't be long before the leaves turn and this view is quite different, but equally spectacular.