Bryson in Asia: Breakfast Out and a Hike

I know I didn't mention this on here - or Facebook, for that matter - but my husband went to Asia for 12 days starting on September 30th.  He has been away for business before but never for this long, so I had no idea what to expect from his time away.  The first day was decidedly rockier than I had anticipated; Baylor, who had been fine up until this point, got upset when we dropped Bryson off at the airport and said our goodbyes.  I had been also doing fine, but seeing my son upset put me over the edge and we were all a bit of a mess as we made our way home.  Hoping to change the mood of the beginning of our adventure, I decided to take the kids out for breakfast.  We went to a little local diner called Real Food Cafe, and the kids were delighted, and seemingly relieved, at the distraction.

I even let them have things they don't usually have ... like apple juice for Mollie

... and chocolate milk for Baylor!

They both got the "kids" order of pancakes.  I asked for them to be blueberry pancakes, but apparently the cook we got was new and didn't put them on, not in, the pancakes.  The kids didn't care.  I should have just ordered one pancake for the both of them, though, as Baylor ate all but one ear and Mollie essentially ate only one ear.

After breakfast, we made plans with my dad to go to Provin Trails for a little hike.  Mollie insisted on bringing along her pretend cell phone.  *sigh*

As we hiked, Dad told the kids all about trees and lumber ... I just love it when fun outings turn into learning experiences!

At one point, Dad decided to show the kids how to climb a tree.

I'm not too worried about either kid trying it anytime soon, though; Baylor begged Dad to get down after the picture above was taken, and Mollie ran over to spot him in case he fell.

As we continued on our walk, Mollie kept up her phone conversation as much as possible.

Of course, when she saw a photo op, she just had to take it.

We came upon a hollowed-out tree, and Dad told the kids about termites while I snapped pictures.

Oh, and so did Mollie.  Say "Cheese!", Mommy!

Though the morning was rough, we turned the day around and managed to have a really good first day without Bryson.  Knowing that the good days make the time move much faster, I was excited to have such a great start.

Cape Cod: Last Day in Chatham

Our last full day in Cape Cod was spent seeing the sights and relaxing in Chatham. We spent most of our time shopping up and down Main Street, searching for the perfect candy, necklaces, pies, etc.

Yup, that's me nursing my son on a park bench without my nursing apron. I could feel the breeze on my bare back, shirt hiked up, my son peeking up at me every so often before he fell asleep. It was a humbling moment, let me tell you.

Ah, Chatham Candy Manor ... how you tempt us! This was a delectable little store filled with delectable little treats. Yes, we picked up a few. Jealous? You should be.

Turtles, carmels, and peppermint patties ... oh my!

And some of the most delicious saltwater taffy I've ever had.

We ate at the Wild Goose Tavern for dinner that night. Incidentally, it was one of the few restaurants we ran into that actually had a changing table in the ladies' room.

These kids were playing music on the sidewalk. I speculated that the kid with the bongos got them for his birthday, decided he wanted to start a band, and this was what he could scrape up. They had a nice beat going, but apparently they only knew one "song". And, personally, I would lose the flannel shirt ... way too 90's Seattle, if you ask me.

All week, Little B had a thing going for the carbon monoxide detector. He'd crawl from all the way across the room just to try to play with it, only to be met with a big fat, "No!" from whichever adult happened to be nearby. Thwarted again, little man!

One must have one's tongue sticking out while inspecting fine woodwork.

Trying on Daddy's Cape League hat ... a little too big, but I'm sure he'll grow into it.

Cute family photo, courtesy of the tripod and timer.

All I wanted was a picture with my sister ... check out the middle left window. Sneaky little man!

We took a trip to the park nearby to check out the playground. Here's the little man on one of those things that bobs back and forth. He seemed to enjoy it enough.

The baby swings were definitely where it was at, though. He loved them, as usual, and I loved that they had straight bars near the seat so he wouldn't pinch his fingers in the chain!

My sister and I went to Marion's Pie Shop in the morning to pick up some treats to have in the evening.

My favorite dessert we picked up was the shop's specialty, Bailey Berry Pie (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries).

It was probably the best non-homemade pie I've ever had. And it wasn't even at the perfect temperature, but it was sooooo good!

Memorial Day 2009

Ah, it was gorgeous weather this Memorial Day, albeit a little windy. We had a lovely, relaxing day and got to spend a little time outside at the park. It was my husband's first trip to the park with us (and I love me some pictures) so I documented it! Surprise, surprise.

Ah, father and son enjoying the swings!

In truth, my son wasn't all that interested in swinging yesterday. He just wanted to look at the other kids at the park. Isn't he cute, though?

His first time down the slide, with help of course. My husband hates static, though, so it was my son's only trip down the slide yesterday.

Trees in blossom against the blue sky ... gorgeous!

My husband put my son in his walker and made a dessert for us (it didn't turn out that well, but I think his next attempt will be delicious). While cruising around the kitchen, my son pushed the rooster mat under the stove ... this is what I found when I pulled it out. About a foot of the former owners' dog's hair all woven together in a horrific nightmare of fur. And this is why we probably won't ever have a dog. Just my opinion.

Hope you all had a lovely day!

Swing With Me

Yesterday my son had his first official playdate with his new gal pal, Ellie. She is about two months older than him and completely adorable! Her mom Lisa is an old friend of mine from high school/elementary school; we reconnected through Facebook during our pregnancies.

We all met at Wahlfield Park for a little trail hiking and swinging. It was a gorgeous day and the park was a dream. Take a peek!

Smiling from the get-go! My son loved the swings! Score!

His new gal pal, Ellie, in her super cute Oshkosh jumper. She's an old pro at the swings and really showed him how to do things properly.

Clearly my son marches to the beat of his own drummer ... check out his unconventional swinging style.

Gorgeous day, fun with kids, swinging ... can't be beat!

Just in case you wanted to catch a little of the action ...