Exploring the Maine-land

I've wanted to take a trip to Maine ever since my mom would read "Blueberries for Sal" to me as a little girl.  I just never realized I'd live THIS. FAR. NORTH.  Who knew the Maine/New Hampshire border was just an hour away?

It's not exactly blueberry picking season anymore, but there's still plenty else to do in Maine.  I planned a day trip to Ogunquit, ME & Portsmouth, NH - and am so glad I did.

Ogunquit, ME

Ogunquit means "beautiful place by the sea" and it couldn't ring more true.  Although it's still taking me some time to understand the point of going to a beach that isn't sandy, sunny and WARM...well, Ogunquit makes this trend a little bit easier to comprehend.  Plus, we landed some mid-70's sunshine.  Win!

Marginal Way

This little town seemed quiet and quaint, but as the morning hours neared noon it was bustling with people.  Tourists out to see the sights, locals chatting at corner coffee shops, artists sketching along the seashore, runners making their way up/down the coastline trails - so picturesque.  We walked Marginal Way and I was absolutely blown away with the views.  The trail itself wasn't long; 1.25 miles in it's entirety.  However, we spent our whole morning strolling along the pavement, climbing down the rocky hillside and gazing out into the horizon.  Unequivocal coastal New England.

The world is your oyster, buddy. 

Skipping rocks. 

As the saying goes...Maine is all about the 3 L's - lobster, lighthouses and LL Bean (that's actually 4 L's for anybody who's counting).  Believe it or not, I'd never had a lobster roll - and neither had Bryon.  When in Maine...  For now I'll just say it was worth a try.  And I'll probably be a good sport and try it one more place in the Northeast before I give my final verdict.

For all those wondering - yes, Bryon is wearing pants.

Next stop was the beach.  It was a quick stop, too.  Actually, I was the only person who got out of the car.  Beautiful beach, but the weather was just too cool and windy.  Everybody relaxing in the sand was wearing hoodies and sitting in lawn chairs!  That'll take some getting used to.  The salty air was nice and there's just something so satisfying about being on the water - I'd have brought a good book and parked it for the afternoon if I didn't have my littles in tow.  But the truth is, my boys wouldn't quite understand a trip to the beach without board shorts & boogie boards!  We'll try it again in the peak of next summer's heat!

There's something about this kid and sailboats.

On the lookout.

A short drive to Portsmouth and we were back to playing tourists.  Maksim and Deklan spent a good hour riding their bikes around Prescott Park.  We made our way through the massive flower gardens and just wasted time.  Then we were off to watch the tugboats and grab an afternoon snack & flight of sampler beers at a local brewery.  Bonus: we were back home by dinnertime.

Northeast or Southeast, you can't keep these kids from the salty shores.

BUT...what's a day of adventure without a trip to the ER?  Seriously, we made it 4.5 years into parenthood with 2 rambunctious boys before our first stitches episode.  Deklan was running around the kitchen table and took a corner a bit too tightly, clipping it just above his brow line.

Assessing the situation. 

All smiles at triage.

Relaxing.

Dek was such a trooper.  He cried a bit when he hit his head, but it was a blunt force cut that folded back upon itself, so the bleeding was pretty minor for a head wound.  He calmly ate the dinner we'd been preparing before we all loaded up in the car to head to the hospital.  Bryon was going to take Deklan singlehandedly (I'm ok with most things, but when it comes to my own children my stomach is a bit less cast-iron), but Maksim was surprisingly concerned about the wellbeing of his little brother.  In all honestly, I'm grateful that this happened on a Saturday evening when Bryon was in town.  I'd rather not have tackled the ER with both children solo.  So, we all went.  I had Maksim step out of the room when they came in to numb and stitch the wound.  Partly for Maksim's best interest, partly for Deklan's best interest, and partly for mine.  Maks doesn't have any negative association with hospitals to date (actually, he has no association whatsoever).  Deklan would fare much better with the sting of the lidocaine if he didn't see me unable to console him throughout the discomfort.  And me?  Well, I volunTOLD Bryon for the job.  From what I hear, after the initial shot, it was smooth sailing for Deklan.  The detour made for a long night, but 2 hours and 4 stitches later everybody was tucked in bed and fast asleep.

Bruiser.

I vote for a quiet day at home tomorrow!  Or at the very least, a day with NO RUNNING IN THE HOUSE!  Will they ever learn?!