Hot Coffee on a Cold Morning

Daddy used to say that if he could go back and relive any age, it would be three.  There's something particularly magical about this age-- Maia is old enough to enjoy the best parts of life-- play, adventure, friends and family, food, etc., and is still so sweet and innocent; and she's not yet burdened by homework, involuntary chores (if we ask her if she'd like to rake leaves, she's at the door dressed and demanding her rake before we've even left the couch), or an understanding of the stakes of tomorrow's election (please, please, please- go vote!!!).  She makes us laugh, in ways that only a delightful child can: she was sitting at the breakfast table this morning in her new bathrobe,  drinking "coffee milk" (I make cafe au laits for Daddy and me in the morning, and steam some extra soy milk for Maia to enjoy) out of a big girl cup, and she turned to me and said" Hot coffee on a cold morning is really the best, isn't it Mom?"

We had a wonderful Halloween last Friday.  Daddy made it particularly wonderful by taking the day off, woo woo!  We started it off with our first-ever parent teacher conference.  (I think we were both dumbstruck on the car ride over to think we were old enough to be the parents at one of these!)  We had a great time chatting with Maia's teachers.  She's doing wonderfully, and we were once again reminded of what an amazing school she attends.  

We spent the rest of the morning running errands, before heading home for lunch and pumpkin carving.  Check out the fabulous work of Daddy and Maia up above!  We were just getting ready to take photos of the girls in their costumes when the doorbell rang signaling our first trick-or-treaters of the night.  It was our neighborhood kids, and Maia begged us to abandon our camera and join them for the fun.  We did, and we had a blast.  Maia was truly one of the gang this year, hanging with Oliver, going up to the various houses without us, and reacting appropriately to the many different costumes we encountered.  Cec was a wee bit tired, but watched her big sis and the kids with rapt attention.  She'll be a trick-or-treating pro!

Saturday morning found us completing a mad dash around the house, getting ready for a very adventurous day.  Once we loaded up the car, our first stop was dropping Gritty off at the "pet hotel."  He didn't even glance in our direction as he was lead to his "room" and the promise of a day and a half of dog play.  Next we headed to the YMCA for Cecily's first swimming lesson and Maia's first ballet class!!!!  Both were a huge success!

Here are Daddy and Cec enjoying some qt in the pool (the class is very sweet, just a nice easy intro to the water for babies):  

Maia was in absolute heaven to finally be at a ballet class.  She watched her teacher with awe, soaking in every plie, arabesque, and pirouette.  (Mommy thought the class looked a little bit like herding cats...)  Here she is, dressed to impress: 
and showing off the hand stamps she received at the end:
After everyone was cleaned up and dressed, we made a quick stop for caffeine and snacks, and then hit the road for an adventure up to Maine!!!!  Some wonderful friends of ours recently moved back to Portland from Italy, so when Daddy found a fabulous deal on a fabulous hotel, we were thrilled to go visit them.  

After dropping our stuff at the hotel, we visited a few of our favorite shops (including the jewelry shop where Daddy got Mommy's engagement ring set; the diamond belonged to Grandma Dot) and then headed to Flatbread, the maker of the most delicious pizza ever.  Maia agreed, and we all delighted in munching through the yumminess.  Chad and Sooz met us there as we finished up, and we headed out into a gorgeous sun-filled afternoon.  Our first stop was a wine tasting at a gourmet kitchen store.  Maia was happy to examine the beautiful cookware while we tasted some delicious wines.  We also ventured to a local celebration for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).  There were many beautiful shrines to examine, though Maia and Cec seemed a bit overwhelmed.

We went back to Chad and Sooz's and relaxed while they made us a gourmet dinner.  The main feature of the meal... pumpkin soup.  When Sooz told this to Maia, she responded, "pumpkin soup?  No way!"  And yet, here's the proof:

Chad, the chef, and his masterpiece:
The men:
Mommy and Cec:
Daddy and Maia:
Unbelievably, we neglected to get a shot of Sooz and the pumpkin soup!  

To our amazement, Maia ate the soup right up.  It was accompanied by a wonderful spinach salad courtesy of Sooz, and some delicious bread from our favorite local bakery.  (We also enjoyed a tasty first pressing of a wine they brought back from Sardinia, and our favorite- Cline's Ancient Vines Zinfandel.)  The evening was capped off by Sooz's outstanding (and very crispy!) Apple Crisp.  Maia ate this right up too, proving once again that kids really do enjoy healthy and well prepared food.  We had such a great time chatting and catching up, both girls were completely exhausted.  Cec actually fell asleep in my arms at the dinner table (a feat we never thought either of our kids would perform!), and Maia was asleep in the stroller before we were a block from their house.  We slept fabulously in our king size bed (Cec was in the cosleeper), and woke up way too early courtesy of Daylight Savings Time.  While we waited for a reasonable hour to attempt breakfast, Maia "worked" and Cec played: 

We met up with Chad and Sooz for a delicious breakfast, and then walked back through the Old Port to our hotel.  Here's our family enjoying our mini-vacation:

Dad and Maia with Chad and Sooz:
We were sad to bid them goodbye, but we'll see them soon!  Our next adventure was the short drive up to Freeport, and some shopping and lunch.  L.L. Bean was always a favorite of ours, and as Mommy desperately needed a rain jacket, we made it our first stop.  It was crazy!!!!  It turned out to be parents' weekend at nearby Bowdoin College, partly explaining the 15 minute wait at every checkout line.  We got some great gear for Mom and the kids, making the wait worth it, and then headed to one of our favorite spots anywhere:  Gritty's!  Back when we were young and carefree, we lived about twenty minutes from this fine brew pub.  To say we frequented it, well... we did name our dog after it!  We were thrilled to be back, and to introduce Maia and Cec to the older (and tastier) Gritty.

Mommy and Cec, happy and full:
Maia, enjoying every bite of her grilled cheese and fries:
and Daddy, quite possibly the happiest you'll ever see him:
After lunch, it was time to start the long trek home.  Cec managed to stay awake for most of the ride, happily entertaining us with her delighted squeals and chatter.  Maia, however, was beyond exhausted and quickly settled into this magical sight:
No rest for the weary!  When we got home, Maia and Daddy immediately headed outside to rake some leaves.  Cec and I joined in, and our yard looked fabulous for about 12 hours or so, until some strong wind completely covered it once again.  
Our own handsome Gritty, returned from the "pet hotel:"
Maia and Cec reminding us how awesome our lives are:


It was a wonderful weekend for all of us.  Thanks Chad and Sooz!  So good to see you, and we can't wait to do it again!  Thanks Daddy- we know you work so hard, and we love to spend time with you and remind you why it is that you do work so hard!

Please go vote!!!!!