Maine

Oh, what a wonderful family vacation in Maine! We stayed with my old friend Molly and her lovely family in Portland. Jeremy loved having sympatico adults to talk with and Ethan loved Molly's little boy Declan and his toys. I loved having a week to just be with my family, have small adventures, and rest.

Other excitements:

• Beach. Ethan shuttled sea water to the moat he built with Jeremy many dozens of times.

• Tools. We visited one of my oldest friends, Jessica, and her hubby Christian. Jess does preservation carpentry and she showed us her home woodworking shop. Ethan loves tools and therefore LOVED Jessica's shop.

• Zoo. On our way out of town we visited a park that houses Maine wildlife that is unfit for the wild life (think albino porcupine and three-legged bobcat). We saw bear and deer and moose and a mountain lion.
  

• Quiet. Ethan napped. Jeremy napped. Mama napped. We read a little. We didn't go to school or work. The quiet of vacation restores us.
  

• Ferry Ride to Peak's Island. Ethan's first boat ride! On the island we rented bikes and explored the rocky beaches. Ethan was totally focused on climbing boulders, chucking rocks into the ocean, collecting snails, and pretending his little nook amongst the rocks was a car and then a rocket. We ate lunch by the shore and Ethan napped in the bike trailer while Jeremy and I biked back and forth by the water.
  

Refreshed and restored, we are back to the busy busy life a being a toddler, a med student, and a stay-at-home papa.