Time with Chris at the Darling Marine Center

Chris recently spent three weeks in a graduate program at the Darling Marine Center near Boothbay Harbor checking out how marine worms move through the mud by putting them through jello.

He found lots of cool things in his travels..

We went up after his second week to spend the weekend with him.
Checking out Chris's teeny-tiny room.....

The above was one of Chris' few neighbors. Mia has named him Alvadore.
We got to check out the touch tanks at the Marine Center. Lots of really cool stuff.

We got to see the most amazingly large starfish!!!


Even Scientists have a sense of humor:

Next we went to the Pemiquid Point Lighthouse. First we went into the lighthouse museum.

The lobster behind me was real...at one point in time. They figured him to be over 80 years old when he died.

Gotta love the self-timer...we actually got to get a family picture..so cute...

We headed down on the rocks to check things out while waiting for the lighthouse to open.

We got to see a lobsterman hauling traps....super-cool....

Finally, the lighthouse opened and we got to go up. Up the 36 (or so) steps up the circular staircase, then up the 7 steps on the ladder. The view was amazing!!

It was a very small space...

Finally down, we just had to go to the gift shop next door. I think that seeing the ocean from way up high made us a little giddy, and we could not help but take some silly pictures...

We went to Pemiquid State Beach before dinner to romp and play in the sand. Chris wanted to show us the moon jellyfish. We sure got to see them...they were all over the beach!

Mia found one....by stepping on it!!!! Luckily they are totally harmless!

Chris searching for sea glass for me...

This was the cute little cabin we stayed in..."Little" being the operative word.

The next day we headed to Jason and Hallie's, with a quick stop in Damarascotta to see the running of the Alewives. There was a whole festival going on around this. Here are some pictures of the really neat fish ladder that allows them to head from the ocean into fresh water.

Amelia, was that you?

Chris: Amelia, was that you?

Amelia: Hysterical, maniacal laughter

Nathan: Wow, Amelia! Your butt packs a powerful punch!

I love my mom

I love custard. I love my mom. I love that my mom knew that I needed custard today. I love you, mummy! Thanks!

Boothbay Harbor

So Chris headed out today for three weeks for a graduate-level condensed botany course in Boothbay Harbor. When he is done, he will have graduated from a five-year degree in FOUR YEARS!!!! I am so proud of him and I know that he will have so much fun. Of course once this is done, the job search will begin. He will probably end up with a job on the coast, so we might need to move to the Brunswick (twist MY arm!) area. That being said, I am in charge of the household for the next three weeks. Just call me "Big Mama"! Since I don't get home from work until 5:45 I had to do some fancy footwork to figure out how to get a good meal on the table fast (because we have been SSSSOOOOOO spoiled by Chris' cooking!). So, it is all planned out and kid approved. I made the lasagna this afternoon and that is in the fridge ready to be popped in the oven at 5:00 by the girl-child. The garlic bread is wrapped in foil and ready to be popped in when I get home from work. All I will have to do is make the salad and we are good to go! Then left-overs for Tuesday.
 But tonight! What are we having tonight that the kids are so excited about? Hmmmm....could it be grilled cheese pizza sandwiches? Ummm....I think it might be!  And breakfast tomorrow? Only strawberry pancakes (already made and in the fridge waiting to be microwaved up in the morning). 
I'm so good sometimes it scares me!

Friday night

Today was Amelia and Cady's dress rehearsal for ballet, so when I got home from work, I picked up the boy-child and gave him his dinner options: Subway, The Chuck Wagon, or Lunchables from the grocery store. He had a real difficult time choosing between The Chuck Wagon and a Lunchable (because, as he said, "Subway is right out").He finally decided on The Chuck Wagon. We got to sit in the "Gold Dust" room, so named for the "gold" bricks on the outside wall. Nathan was very disappointed to realize that they weren't real gold, but wood painted gold. He chose his favorite combination: Grilled Ham and Cheese with chips and an orange soda. After we ordered, he asked me if I had brought any cards for him to play with (the last time that Chris and I took him, Chris brought a deck of cards and did card tricks). Unfortunately, I had come straight from work to pick him up, so had not brought anything to keep him occupied. The conversation went something like this:
Nathan: Did you bring any cards to keep me entertained?
Amy: No, sorry bud, I didn't.
Nathan: Well, that's okay.
Amy: What do you think that we should do?
Nathan: Well, we could talk!
Amy: What should we talk about?
Nathan: I know! How was your day?
Amy: It was quite nice, thank you! I was very glad to be done with work, though.
Nathan: Why?
Amy: Because it is Friday, and I have the whole weekend away from work. And because I was looking forward to our dinner date together!
Nathan: I was looking forward to it too! I like eating out, even if they don't cook as well as you and Dad. 
Amy: How was your day?
Nathan: I got to have not one, but TWO chocolate pudding cups at Grammies.

The conversation went on like this for a while. He began to regret the two chocolate pudding cups (low-fat, he informed me, and made with real milk, so it is healthy!) when he could barely finish his sandwich. I knew that he was VERY full when he decided that he was too full for dessert. I felt his forehead to make sure he was okay. The kid who begs for dessert every night is too full for dessert? What? Okay...
It was a great night!

Sunday

Wow...did not get to do what we wanted to today (fishing). The washing machine finally bit the dust so we called up Uncle Jimmy and he came to our rescue. We now have an almost-new washer and dryer combo!!! Woo-hoo! It only takes 1 cycle to dry the towels!!! I didn't know that was possible! And the washing machine? Three words for you - extra large capacity. Wowsers!
 Unfortunately, Chris got stuck moving out the old ones and moving in the new ones. Then, once that was complete, we had to clean up. Then we decided to put in the air conditioner because....damn...it is hot!!! Then we had to got to the store because we were out of paper towels and toilet paper. Phew! I think that we will both be glad when this Sunday is over!!!

Ode to my Xterra...

Oh dear Xterra, how I loved thee....

You were big and green and handsome
With lovely swirlies on the side...

There willl never be another like you

you lovely gas-guzzling, cross-country traveling,
helping people move, head-turning Xterra, you.

Randomness

Randomness that I have been remiss in putting on the blog yet....
Christmas...Nathan or Spiderman?

Cute things that Nathan says

We went to pick up Nathan at Oma's today after we went fishing (he decided to go with them to get his hair cut) and Roni was laughing about something the little guy said: " Amy's been so kind to me. And Marybeth is just some friend I don't see"
 Awww! Thanks bud!

Fishing!!

It  was an Amy, Mia and Dad fishing day!

Chris caught two - one pickerel and one large perch. We only got a picture of the perch.

I caught one...(Chris took it off the hook for me (thanks baby!)

Mia got sleepy and took a nap....(she had a sleepover last night)

Then on the way back, I got sleepy and took a rest....

Ah! Summer is here!