paint me a song

Just a few photos to savor a beautiful afternoon we had... just the girl and I... painting to music outside in the wind.

8 Years (+ father's day too)

Birthday week was a blur of friends and fun and sailing and such. It started off with a weekend trip for Father's Day and birthday celebrations to Wye Island. Both father and son had a wish to fish and that's just what they did.

And sweet Naia did her toddler thing... jibber jabbering and causing general sweet mayhem.

kjsndfkjsndfkjsf  Then back at the marina for his actual birthday day, things were small and low key as we celebrated this beautiful boy and his 8th trip around the sun.

out at home

Out and about and out again.

We have been taking advantage of every minute of this lovely June weather to take the boat out. It's been unseasonably cool (which we love) and perfect 10-20 knot breezes, how can we resist?

Last week we played hookie mid-week to chase the tall ships coming up the Bay for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. Around here it's a big deal because the major action took place right here on the Chesapeake Bay. (For some great education resources on tall ships and the War of 1812 check out this web site here and also this documentary.)

The day was really windy and of course the wind was blowing right from the direction we were trying to go which made for a wicked bumpy, super wet ride. Miss Naia took it like a champ, stating the obvious, "Wet. I wet mama," with every wave that showered over the cabin top. Eventually I brought her inside where she could be dry and watch the antics of her crazy big brother and his friend on deck.

(this day out was her 20  month birthday. almost time to stop counting in months, she's getting so big!)

(These photos are not actually from the kids out there during the rough part but rather later when we turned downwind and then the weather settled. I was too busy toddler minding and protecting my camera to go out and photograph them when we were beating to weather.)

The big kids, Z and his friend Z, jumped around on the bows like it was the best amusement park ride ever! When it was all said and done we were barely able to catch up to the tall ships as we hoped. This is about as close as we came.

The kids loved the adventure anyhow, and I was more than happy to finally head downwind (which makes the boat sail much smoother and dryer) and softly sail my floating home back wing and wing. With Z's mama there to hold Naia and keep her entertained and out of trouble, I was able to have a long stretch at the helm. Finally.  

The day was SO lovely we decided to bypass home and keep sailing south down the Bay. It was just one of those idyllic sailing days with friends and a sleeping toddler (finally) and sunshine and cool breezes. In the end it was truly hard to convince ourselves to turn around and tack back home.

Because... ya know... we were home.

may the force

"When will I be old enough to see Star Wars mama?" My answer was always, "When you're 8." I am not sure  how 8 crept up on us so quickly! But needless to say he didn't forget. So a week before his actual birthday we gathered a small group of Star Wars rookies and did a movie night outside under the stars so they could take in the movie for the very first time together.

I didn't take many photos because I was busy trying to get a certain little lady to sleep and managing this and that. But to see their little faces as they saw that 70's iconic flick completely anew was so sweet. Mouths were literally gaping open, eyes so wide and bright, and hands waving in the air and cheering. 

We kept it low key as possible with just some sandwiches and watermelon and sweets and a HUGE dock cart full of home popped popcorn. The real treat was the batch of amazing cupcakes SuperJen made from scratch. I would say I made them with her, but I am not sure licking the frosting spoons and washing the bowls really counts.

 (The Star Wars templates for the cupcakes came from Williams Sonoma online. we also did sandwiches shaped like these but I never got a photo.)

And before the movie started we did a little photo booth set up, which in reality was just a piece of fabric stapled to the marina shed.

The kids went home sugared up, sticky, exhausted, and happy with a small parting token.

(dark chocolate Millenium Falcons from a mold I got here, stamped jedi washer necklaces, and decoupaged little notebooks + name tag-trading card on the bag)

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.

quiet corners

(to some folks who asked, even on a rough passage like the one we had out today, this stuff doesn't move. yes one of the joys of a catamaran.)

(ok so this drawing fell over today while we were sailing and I put the goose egg and lavender away so as to not tempt fate and create a huge mess)

(baskets of toys waiting to be upturned {again} by a busy toddler)

("dollies sleeping, dollies sleeping." just like a real mommy she's always trying to get them down for a nap.)

We've been sailing and going and sailing and going this week... oh and a birthday party and other upcoming birthday boy happenings. Phew! I'll share some quiet corners of our boat today while we whiz through this busy time.

play kitchen

Two slices of wood from the branch trimming of the marina oak tree. A handful of corks dug up from the cork recycling bin at Whole Foods. Rocks and seashells collected over the years. And few pots and pans from Goodwill all for a dollar or so each. And our collection of orphaned jar lids. Put it all together and you have the perfect play kitchen for under $10.

And at the end of the day it fits into a cloth grocery bag and stores away neatly.

There is a happy middle ground between a $400 "heirloom" wooden kitchen and going without. Play is what you do, not what you have.

a day trip

It's not often that we get to untie the docklines on a random weekday and head out for a sail. With my husband's job, we're usually out on long weekends or planned holidays during the high season along with a million or so of our closest boat loving brethren here on the Chesapeake.  But on this unusually chilly June day we set off with friends for trip about 3 hours north to the boat yard for a "short haul", meaning a haul out of the water for only a few hours to do a little work under the waterline. And then back in the water for a leisurely sail home.

(Zach takes the helm. )

Without needing to concentrate on dodging sailboat races or stinkpots or weekenders it was amazing to fall in love with our home waters all over again. We were able to slowly savor the familiar watery sights as they were dipped in golden late day light. The silhouette of our wee town, the channel markers we pass all the time but rarely slow to notice, that osprey we know so well because earlier in the spring we watched him swoop into the marina after a wind storm and collect those sticks one by one all day to build that nest.

And the bridge. These waters, this town, this state is so defined by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. After going under it once, nice and slow Naia needed "More! More bridge, more trucks, more!" She loves trucks, that girl. And she loves that bridge.

Of course the slow rhythm gave way to sweet sleep. Same old settee, different view for this nap.

(Naia asleep on the settee, Zach spies a familiar landmark out on the bow.)

(The Annapolis skyline reflected in our salon windows.)

What a lovely kick off to the official season. Cool, quiet, magical. I feel quite lucky to be able to savor the beauty of the world and our own little neighborhood under sail, such a special perspective.