Hey guys! I'm still alive!
Sorry I haven't blogged much for the past couple of weeks... as you can imagine, it's been pretty hectic here, trying to get settled in and all. This is has been exacerbated by the fact that Todd went to work the day after we got to Maine and both of his parents work, so I'm home alone with the kids a lot, and juggling two kids is chaotic enough as it is without also trying to unpack, organize, clean out old closets, move furniture, walk, and cook dinners. Oh yeah, and blog. Sometimes I have to sleep! Believe it or not!
When I'm not doing all of the above, I'm out and about here in Central Maine. There is so much to do, which is awesome. Having "so much to do" is one of the reasons we moved to New England, anyway. For example, our town just had its yearly Octoberfest, dubbed the "Swine & Stein", which is basically a street festival involving - shocker - lots of pork and beer. Which is, obviously, AWESOME.
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| Me and my father-in-law/drinking companion :-). Oh, and Catherine is in there too |
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| BBQ, baby! One of many. Nice to stand by on a frigid day! |
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| Yep. |
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| I am trying my absolute darnedest to turn Max into a farmboy, but to no avail... here he is apprehensively maintaining a safe distance from the terrifying danger that is the pigs and goats in the petting zoo. I'm pretty sure he nearly fainted when I fed the pig some grain. I spent my childhood practically and happily swimming in livestock - where did this child come from?? He rode his first horse at six weeks' old, for goodness' sake! |
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A local brewing supplies shop/brewery on the main drag in Gardiner. Free Octoberfest samples!! Yeah!
Also, feel privileged that you get to witness a rare glimpse of my toe thumb, which I normally keep hidden from the world, unless of course I've had a few beer samplers on an empty stomach. Never speak of it again. |
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| Prost! |
A few days after that, the Gardiner fire department hosted an open house and barbecue. It was technically to promote fire prevention and safety, but Max was far more interested in the fire trucks than the pamphlets. Luckily, there were plenty of the former, including visiting trucks and firemen from the surrounding towns.
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| This isn't a mirror, it's the inside of a fire truck door! So shiny! |
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| Baby C enjoyed the fire trucks as well |
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| Climbing something like this is preeeetty much my worse nightmare. |
Of course, when there aren't any interesting festivities or village gatherings afoot, there are plenty of walks to be taken! I am SO enjoying exploring the area around our home and our little township. I have been so busy at home (and so stranded without a car while everyone else is at work, most days) that I haven't had a ton of opportunities to do much of this yet, but I have loved what I have been able to do so far. I just got a wonderful BOB Revolution double stroller and adoooore it. It has made walk-taking an absolute joy!
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| I love New England - it's so picturesque! The building in the front here is the library, where Todd's mom is a librarian. |
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| Ivy on a building |
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| Lots of steeples poking through lots of trees in these parts! |
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| Old buildings and stone walls abound |
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| A new park for Max to play in! This is a small section of the Gardiner town common. |
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| Church across the street from the common |
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| Todd's grandma's house in Farmingdale, Maine |
Now that we've gotten most of our stuff unpacked and gotten some semblance of order established in our lives, I should be able to find time for more posts. Stick with me, friends!
