tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218962672024-03-05T14:51:04.737-05:00Zach AboardTwo Kids. A Boat. A Life Afloat.boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.comBlogger996125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-25320512804215976112016-05-21T22:43:00.000-04:002016-05-21T22:43:20.685-04:00Hamilton WeekendAnother month gone by, photos still on my camera, nothing written down. We've been busy in that nice kind of way, the way filled with friends and visits and wine and laughter and outings. But there has been one constant in our hectic month. Whenever I ask either kid, hey what music do you want me to play (I usually let them choose), they always say... HAMILTON!<br />
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Broadway show tunes are one of those things that Zach and Naia and I can always agree on. But this one caught us all like a mad virus. For Zach, he loves all things history. He's always been<a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-old-timey-boy.html"> my old timey boy</a>. And the Revolutionary War era is one of his favorite periods of US history to study and read about. Living in the DC area, we have been lucky enough to immerse ourselves in places like Mt. Vernon and Yorktown, we've seen the Constitution first hand, we've been in the "room where it happened"more than once. So to have a whole musical all about our surroundings and his favorite time in US history was instant love for him. What's funny is that he's NOT a fan of rap or hiphop music. He's more of a classical and show tunes and classic rock guy. But suddenly, I am catching this tween rapping, so cute! Lin Manuel Miranda's genius got my old fashioned kid to like hiphop!<br />
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For me, I majored in US Government and Constitutional Law in college. Even though it has nothing do to with the career path I followed, it was something I was interested in and... it got me out with a degree in 3 years. So hearing them rap about the Federalist Papers and the founding of our government hits all my happy geek spots.<br />
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And Naia, well she just loves music. All music. Any music. She can't quite rap up to speed with the pros, but she knows the words better than all of us put together and it's about the cutest thing ever hearing her sing it all with her two front teeth missing.<br />
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I figured there was no way I'd ever get a chance to see the show. It's sold out for the next 18 months or so, and the tickets being sold by scalpers start at around $800 each and go up from there. We have the cast album, we have our imaginations and a few YouTube clips, we can work with that.<br />
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Until I got a message from an old friend. She was offering me a ticket to the show on Broadway. For Free. She said to meet her and her daughter and her daughter's best friend in NYC in 2 weeks for a Hamilton weekend for her daughter's 17th birthday. There was no way I could tell my kids about this. They would divorce me if they knew I was seeing the show without them. It was the longest 2 weeks of my life. I am terrible at keeping happy news a secret.<br />
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Instead I told the kids I was meeting a friend in NYC, and we were just going to hang out. And then I would tell them afterwards that I saw the show, but it was a surprise from my friend and I didn't know about ahead of time. Seems like they bought that story. Until they read this one day. Sorry guys!<br />
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(The view from our hotel room in Times Square!)<br />
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As I rolled down the New Jersey Turnpike on my way to NYC, it hit me that I was going on a little trip alone without the kids. I don't think I realized that until I was sitting on the bus able to read a book. Gasp! It was such a treat to spend the weekend with an old friend, doing something I LOVE. The girls were awesome, and we had fun stalking the stage door for autographs and talking all about the show.<br />
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And yes, it totally lived up to the hype. It was spectacular. It was brilliant. Lin Manuel Miranda is a genius. Period. The entire ensemble was so jaw dropping fabulous. I would say if I had to pick a favorite though, Daveed Diggs who plays Lafayette and Jefferson, was off the hook amazing to see live. If there is any opportunity to see the show with the original cast, do it. I would see it every week if I could.<br />
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I brought home some swag for the kids. Zach was a little peeved about me getting to see the show without him. A bit of pouting, but also lots of curious questions and smiles when I regaled him with stories about his favorite numbers and what they were like live. Naia was happy to have all the goodies from the show. And I have an amazing memory that will stick with me forever.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-2101558304578569262016-04-11T00:17:00.001-04:002016-04-11T00:17:14.674-04:00colors and more colorsEaster is one of those holidays I am never really sure about. It's not something I grew up celebrating, so I always feel a little lost about the non-Christian, Americana way to approach it. Naia said she wanted to hunt for eggs, so I made that happen. We hid some along the Tidal Basin while checking out the cherry blossoms (<a href="http://www.zachaboard.blogspot.com/2016/03/springing-forward.html">http://www.zachaboard.blogspot.com/2016/03/springing-forward.html</a>) And then we hid some on the boat too. <br />
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(See the toothless smile? I wish I could freeze that little toothless grin forever and ever. She lost her first tooth in Hawaii, and the second one came out while Zach and I were in New York City.)<br />
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Zach mostly decided he'd outgrown hunting for anything. But he was still willing to steal his sister's candy when she wasn't looking.<br />
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One quirky tradition we've adopted is having a "color war", in the spirit of the Indian Holi festival. It's much more fun to color each other than color eggs. And it's not something the big kids feel they are "too cool" for yet.<br />
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You can buy Indian Holi powder through Amazon.<br />
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My dear friend Kathryn reading the story behind the Holi festival to her girls and Naia.<br />
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Believe it or not, the powder pretty much washes right out. So wearing white makes it all the more fun.<br />
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Daddy was just watching from the sidelines, but the kids clobbered him. Of course!<br />
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Our dear friend and boat neighbor kid Maddy, who isn't really a kid anymore because she's 18 now. How did that happen? Naia is going to be heart broken when she realizes that Maddy will be leaving for college soon.<br />
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Happy boat kids covered in colors.<br />
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Mother nature joined the act too.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-37340107647976023322016-04-05T22:39:00.000-04:002016-04-05T22:39:07.944-04:00and February on a rock in the middle of the PacificWe knew we wanted to take a trip somewhere this winter to break up the inside season, but where to go was up in the air. A complicated tango of schedules and budgets and planning and we ended up flying to Hawaii to see my parents.<br />
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We spent the month of February at my dad's farm in Hawaii. I really meant to blog about it, and take more photos, and write more, but I didn't.<br />
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I slept. Oh yeah, I remember sleep.<br />
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I spent long lazy afternoons on the beach. I wandered around with the kids exploring. I chatted with my step-mom over cocktails long into the evening. I chased geckos and spiders out of our bed. I sat, face to the sun, soaking up the much needed vitamin D.<br />
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My dad also doesn't have constant internet. They live off the grid, they live small, and connectivity is not a huge priority. So, here we are a month or so after returning and I am just getting around to thinking back on the time we had there.<br />
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Naia is finally at the age where she is easier to travel with, especially if there is a lot of free space for her to run around in and ice cream along the side of the road. Hawaii is a perfect place for little kids. It's safe, easy to navigate, not really hung up on mainland rules and regulations, and a culture that really reveres and cares for little ones. Living in an area (Washington DC) where every rock has a sign saying "no climbing", it was very freeing for her to have every boulder, tree, and wall to scramble around on.<br />
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For Zach, he's at the age where he's been there so many times the Big Island is sort of ingrained in him now. He will look back one day when he's an adult and realize what a privilege it is to get to go to Hawaii time and time again, for a minimum of a month or so each time. He knows which beach is good for what reason, what little back road leads to the path that has the turtle place, where the good ice cream is, how to get to the little grocery store, where the awesome Thai food is on the other side of the island, where to snorkel, where to hike, where to swim. He even has local friends there who welcome him with open arms even when it's been years between visits. Lucky kid.<br />
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The kids were determined to earn all 4 Junior Ranger badges offered on the Big Island. We managed to hit all four national parks and historic sites, and as always it was so worth the trips. Volcanoes National Park we'd been to many times, always an other worldly treat. We've also been to "place of refuge" many times, one of the prettiest spots on the island to me. Once again in both spots the park rangers were spectacular. I have yet to meet a park ranger anywhere who didn't blow me away with kindness, knowledge, and passion for their job.<br />
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Naia took her job and pledge as junior ranger to "protect the honu" very seriously. Once she learned first hand from the ranger that nobody was to touch sea turtles or go any closer than about 20 feet, she declared herself the honu police and firmly and clearly told any and all tourists who dared go near a sleeping turtle exactly why they needed to back off.<br />
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Hanging out in my parent's funky little town is always sweet. It's a great place to people watch and catch the true local scene.<br />
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Seeing the grandparents and spending time on their farm was the best of all for the kids. They crave that time with family, and love the polar opposite life on the farm, giant spiders and all.<br />
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So I don't have a detailed report about visiting the volcano with kids, or long flights with small children, or best places for families on the Big Island, or local hang outs. We just have a lot of happy memories, too many photos, and a wish to return again soon for some more aloha.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-42779540260866559462016-03-30T23:06:00.001-04:002016-03-30T23:06:19.695-04:00springing forwardI was looking back at posts from past years, and although I know I don't really post to real time I am pretty sure that the cherry blossoms and other flowers are out a full month or so earlier than normal.<br />
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We decided to face the loads of tourists and meander down to the Tidal Basin in Washington DC to see the cherry blossoms in peak bloom. There are flowering trees and cherry blossoms all over the place in our area, but seeing them with the Jefferson Memorial and the water and the Washington Monument is something special.<br />
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I had a strategy. I thought if we got up early-ish on Easter Sunday morning and went down, it would be empty because everyone would be at church. It would just be us and a handful Jews and that's it. Brilliant right? Wrong. I forgot to take into account the thousands and thousands of Hindus in the metropolitan area who apparently all had the same idea. There was even a stage with Bollywood dancers, it was pretty awesome even though it was quite crowded.<br />
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The kids wanted to hunt for Easter eggs, so we brought some with and Doug stayed a few paces ahead along the way hiding little plastic candy filled eggs as we walked. This kept the kids enthusiastic and happily sugared up walking a long way through the throngs of people.<br />
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Lately Zach and Naia and I have been obsessed with listening to Hamilton the Musical. If you're not familiar with it, it's a truly brilliant blend of Broadway, hip hop, and US history that is mind bogglingly addicting. We've studied the Revolutionary War a lot this year. We visited Yorktown. We've climbed aboard Lafayette's replica ship when it came to Annapolis. It's been a part of our conversation for months, so hearing it all so perfectly blended into music and verse has been a treat. And it's now put a new view in the monuments we know so well. It sparked so many new questions and conversations with the kids about Jefferson and Washington and the like. It's rather funny and sort of fabulous hearing Naia get wrapped up in it as well, breaking the stories down into 5 year old chunks of good guys and and bad kings and winning and losing. We really live in an extraordinary place, full of stories both written and those yet to be told.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-42354179364163249782016-03-18T23:22:00.003-04:002016-03-18T23:22:55.461-04:00Two On The TownBeing an only child for a long time and then getting a sibling can be tough. 6/12 years in Zach's case. I think he may still be in shock from Miss Naia's entrance stage left. I promised myself once she was old enough, I would take him away on a mom-and-Zach-only vacation for some much needed one on one time. He's always been a fabulous travel buddy, even when he was small, so I was looking forward to the ease of roaming about with just one kid. One place he's always wanted to go and I just didn't have the energy to do with Little Force Of Nature is New York City. It's just an easy bus trip away for us, and we have lots of friends in "the city" we could visit and crash with. So away we went.<br />
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I was blown away by how easy it is to travel with just one kid. How easy it was to do anything and everything with just one kid. Of course, parents of many would never send the other kids back into the womb, we love them all madly in their own ways. But whoa. So. Much. Easier. Of course part of that is that Naia is still so little. Being on the town with just the <i>big</i> kid meant lovely uninterrupted conversations, no arguments, the amazing freedom of being spontaneous, and we covered so much ground so very quickly.<br />
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The NYC subway was a little intimidating at first, especially just glancing at it and comparing it visually to the Candy Land map that is the Washington DC metro. But once I got the 30 second lesson on how it works, it was a snap. Fares are half that of DC Metro, it's super fast, and very safe and easy to use. We were zipping all over Manhattan.<br />
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NYC has a reputation for being super expensive, which of course it totally can be. Crashing with friends took care of lodging. Eating simple street food with a lot of pizzas and hot dogs not only made the little boy child happy but kept food pretty cheap. Taking the subway everywhere keeps getting around affordable, and lots of walking of course. And we only did one outing that required pricey tickets. Everything else was just walking and looking and taking it all in.<br />
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Zach was impressed by the tall buildings. I grew up in Chicago, so tall buildings are old news for me. But for a kid who's grown up in wee little Annapolis, with Washington DC being the closest big town which also happens to have height restrictions on the buildings... it was quite awe inspiring. He wanted more than anything to go to the top of the Empire State Building, so up we went. 102 floors up, 1250 feet up in the air.<br />
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He loved that you could just walk a few blocks in any direction and buy pretty much anything you could ever think of. He loved seeing the swarms of yellow taxis buzzing the endless city blocks. We both loved the people watching and the little street scenes playing out all over the place.<br />
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I loved seeing my old friends. There's nothing like old friend to warm your soul. No matter how long it's been between visits, we fall back into that old pattern, comfortable and laughing. These people who know you sometimes better than you know yourself, who you can say anything to, who you can effortlessly travel and eat and wrangle kids with.<br />
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My <a href="http://www.stevegreenberg.tv/">old friend Steve</a> and I worked together many moons ago, he and I traveled the country when I was his producer on HGTV. He has a heart of gold and the best sense of humor ever. Zach had met him a couple of time when he was younger, but this time they got to hang out and chat more. Steve was infinitely patient with Zach's endless questions and tween-ager sass. Hanging out with Steve and his friends was such a treat, they spoiled us rotten.<br />
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Jeremy is one of my oldest friends. We were friends in high school, stayed close through college at different universities, remained friends after college when he moved out east, and<a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2010/06/notes-on-wedding.html"> I was even a groomsman in his wedding back when I was very pregnant </a>with Naia. He had a solo weekend with his kids, and was kind enough to let us invade his beautiful apartment just off Washington Square Park. It was so heart warming seeing my old pal fall into his role as super dad. And I loved how comfortable we were wrangling our kids tag team, laughing about parenthood and adulthood and how funny this would all seem to our 16 year old selves.<br />
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The things that struck me the most about NYC were the energy and spirit of the city. I have always been biased towards Chicago because that's my hometown, but I think I get it now with New York. I get why people are drawn here. Watching guys in a park play a pick up game of basketball, watching kids interact with street performers, seeing the ebb and flow of the subway crowds, people always offering seats to older folks and those who looked like they needed it more. Talking to the folks in a corner store or cafe, hearing their passion so clearly for whatever it is they're doing. Listening to buskers perform an insane variety of music so beautifully it would bring you to tears. Glancing at iconic pieces of pop culture in real life all around you. I get it. There is such an amazing soul to this place. And while I may be too much of a nature girl to ever call NYC home, I think I feel a part of me wanting to go back again and again.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-82061849913817202432016-03-08T23:03:00.000-05:002016-03-08T23:03:57.590-05:00winteringIt's been 2 months, give or take, and I wondered whether I should bother to come back to this space at all and try to catch up. Then I realized that I need to do this for the very reason I started this and kept it up this long as it is. This is for my children. This is their story, their images, their memories for someday. So I will do my best to catch up for them.<br />
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Winter has been kind. I guess we were due a mild one after many harsh long winters. The beginning of January was mild and lovely.<br />
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Then there was the end of the month when a big blizzard came knocking. Three long days cooped up on the boat with record snowfalls and strong winds. I was worried about losing power, but thankfully it stayed on and we all did fine. The kids played and watched movies and we baked. And in the middle of the storm I carefully made my way off the boat and walked in thigh deep snow to a room left unlocked by the marina for liveaboards to gather. It ended up being a warm and wonderful gathering with surprisingly good food and music and laughter. I even met some new people I didn't realize were living here. Just the thing for a blizzard night, making grateful once again for this little community we have.<br />
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The kids bundled up and enjoyed the snow to the fullest. A perfect, fluffy, deep snow.<br />
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It was good to get one gratuitous snowfall. That's really all winter needs to be, right?boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-61798576030048832772015-12-28T11:16:00.003-05:002015-12-28T12:56:06.115-05:00merry and brightSo many gifts this season, but none the type with a bow or wrapping paper. I got to take a long, hot shower all by myself. Up in the marina facilities, I just let the hot water run and run and run, conditioning my hair over and over for the heck of it. For a boat mom, long hot showers without kids is a sweet gift indeed. I had time to sit in the sunny cockpit and practice guitar. We had meals with friends with laughter and music and kids happily playing. And of course the weather.<br />
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Temperatures in the 50's-60's and even 70's have made us all feel like spring is in the air while Christmas carols are playing. Birds are singing, flowers are popping up, and even the geese and ducks seems joyfully confused. Wet and warm, I'll take it. We've been short sleeved and barefoot and soaking it all in. Christmas Eve on the beach is a good thing.<br />
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Holidays home on the boat were mellow as always with just the 4 of us plus Choo Choo. We baked and made treats for friends and neighbors, we read our favorite holiday stories and watched some classic Christmas movies. And we made the boat cheerful for the season.<br />
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(Notice nearly all of the decorations are right on the bottom of the tree on one side. I would never dream of rearranging the 5 year old hanging scheme. Authenticity says so much more than a perfectly coiffed tree.)<br />
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(cell phone pic!)<br />
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Naia was very swept up in the magic of it all, such a perfect age at 5. And Zach was a dutiful big brother who played along and didn't spoil her fun. It's sweet seeing him teeter between rolling his eyes at some of the same old family traditions but also fiercely guard them if I forgot or did something wrong, reminding me of how we do it and wanting things to be just right for Naia.<br />
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I'm often asked "how" we celebrate the holidays on board the boat. It's not in the how though. Each family has their own traditions and special touches that make holidays special whether your home floats or not. Boat families all over the globe deck the halls in different ways (check out great write up by my friends on Totem <a href="http://www.sailingtotem.com/2013/12/how-do-you-decorate-cruising-boat-for.html">http://www.sailingtotem.com/2013/12/how-do-you-decorate-cruising-boat-for.html</a>) There is no right or wrong or must-do approach. For us it's just the doing itself. Being together, sharing sweetness, creating joy and magic, and bringing light into the darkness. <br />
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These two are my sweetness and light.boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-70797358850419231222015-12-20T22:54:00.000-05:002015-12-20T22:54:05.895-05:00wrapped for the seasonIt was difficult to get the motivation to shrink wrap the boat for the season. We've had the odd cold day here and there. And by cold I mean normal, average winter 40-something degrees. But on the whole it's been spring like and lovely and not at all like almost-Christmas.<br />
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But we finally made the call, and the local shrink wrap crew swooped in and got it done within a couple of hours.<br />
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Naia kept skipping around while they worked. She chirped, "Thank you!" over and over, so excited to see them close up our cockpit and salon with opaque thick plastic to help insulate for winter. It creates an extra sun room in the cockpit, and protects from heavy snows.<br />
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Choo Choo likes heading out there in peak sun to find the softest spot to have a dog nap. I kind of want his life some days.<br />
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Zach loves climbing up under the boom (we took the mainsail off for the winter and stowed it in the bow locker) and creating a little hang out.<br />
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I think back to the many, many winters Doug and I have gone through on our old boat and this boat before we were savvy to the benefits of shrink wrapping and I shiver. There was a lot of cold and wet and cabin fever. I wrote about living aboard our old boat in winter without shrink wrap several years back... you can read about it here... <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/01/winter-time-live-aboard-blues.html">http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/01/winter-time-live-aboard-blues.html</a><br />
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<i>(photos above are of our first liveaboard/ cruising boat which was a PDQ36. Side note: PDQ's are fabulous boats and our friends happen to be selling one right now... check it out here <a href="http://www.zerotocruising.com/pdq-32-for-sale/">http://www.zerotocruising.com/pdq-32-for-sale/</a>)</i><br />
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We still get cold if the sun isn't shining. And cabin fever is always possible. But "the bubble" allows a whole different level of comfort. It's still a boat... in winter. Which for most people is like camping with running water. But we love our shrink wrap bubble and we're ready for real winter now. Ok, not really. That was a lie. Real winter can stay far away and never come back. But should it come our way, I'll be hiding in the bubble.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-90853623832259636772015-12-07T23:34:00.000-05:002015-12-07T23:34:01.102-05:00because december<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Winter and I have a rocky relationship. There’s a lot of name calling, resentment, cold stares, and chilly silences between us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> But maybe, just maybe she’s trying to to offer an olive branch. It’s firmly mid-December and we’re still not wrapped in shrink wrap for the season. We’re still keeping hatches open. We’re still only in jackets some of the time, and even brave bare feet here and there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The 10 day forecast calls for mild with a chance of lovely.
So why not? Why not accept the meteorological peace offering and take the boat out, even while I am writing holiday cards. Why not put a hat on and with those sunglasses and make the most of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> We gathered whoever was walking by on the dock and some old, dear friends and pointed the bows towards the sunshine.
Everyone else has run away to southern latitudes or gone into shrink wrapped hibernation, but we’re saying let’s do this. Let’s keep going until winter has a change of heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">(Sparkles on the water, nature's tinsel.)</span><br />
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(Zach and Choo Choo hiding under a quilt.)<br />
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(These two have been friends for 9 years. Always warms my heart when they are together.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-41599976660147702712015-11-18T22:01:00.000-05:002015-11-18T22:03:56.469-05:00and life goes onDid you hear that exhale? That was me, finally able to breathe again when my tech whiz hubby said those magical 8 words. "I recovered your photos from the dead laptop."<br />
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It was all of 2015. All of it. Yeah, I should have been backing up. I get that. Lesson learned.<br />
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When I went to the past months of photos I was a little overwhelmed. Where do I start, how do I pick up where I left off? There was the annual camping trip with <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/">Joy and her fabulous family</a> to Shenandoah National Park back in early September...<br />
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And then much of September and October was spent with boat friends from all over. Two boats from Europe both with boys Zach's age hung out for about 6 weeks. It was non-stop fun with the kids making constant mischief (both the good kind and the not so good kind at times.) And the moms all drinking wine together and marveling at the universal antics of the pre-teen boy. We had such fun showing them our crazy but colorful country and hoped they came away realizing we're all quite friendly here and not nearly as plastic as we may seem.<br />
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There was a lot of late nights, and laughing, and wine, and playing music. My little ukulele and friends with guitars and ukes made for many happy memories late summer and fall. There is nothing like music (and wine) to bring people together and create connections. Of course there aren't many photos of those wonderful moments, or any that are for public consumption.<br />
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And we got in our last chilly sails on the Bay before winter hibernation. Sunny crisp and beautiful as always.<br />
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And of course Halloween at the marina is always a treat (haha!) It's such a sweet little tribe of kids, both boat kids and local kids who merge into the tribe for the experience of dock trick-or-treating. Our neighbors as always got really into it making it fun for the kids.<br />
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And finally earlier this month I got to hop on a friend's boat for a delivery down the Bay for a few days. Sailing other people's boats is always fun... it's all new and exciting, but when something breaks it's not your worry! It was a beautiful little trip, a nice mama break from the daily homeschool grind. Though just after the trip I got sick sick sick. Still recovering slowly. Glad I stayed well enough to make the little get away. It really made me appreciate just how beautiful our Chesapeake Bay is, with sunsets and pelicans and dolphins and boats from all over the world.<br />
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There is no way to go back and truly rehash all of the living that's happened in the last 3 months since my laptop up and died. But that's ok. I have all of the precious moments etched in my heart and mind, making me smile and remember. Documented or not, life goes on, and how sweet it is.boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-39730311189941525142015-11-08T01:15:00.002-05:002015-11-08T01:27:39.565-05:00Five Times Around The Sun~~~I am way behind here with photos and writing about what we've been up to. Partially it's because sometimes when life is so full and so fabulous you just have to soak it all in before you can reflect on it all. And mostly it's because we had a laptop crash, and I lost all of my photos from 2015 (ouch). Then we lost internet for about a month and I swear I became common law married to the Comcast tech guy who was on the boat nearly every day sorting out the issue. Back in the saddle and catching up now. ~~~<br />
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This fiery little soul is 5 years old now. She waits for the signs each year, watching the trees closely, waiting for them to change. As leaves fade from green to yellow and red and orange and brown, she starts asking... "Is this the day? Is it my happy birthday now? The leaves are showing me it's my birthday!"<br />
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Her big day was small but sweet. A little cake with friends, some celebrating with our immediate family. And walk with her birthday silk umbrella.<br />
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This girl is full of spark and love and curiosity and she is tough and tender all at once. She loves music and animals and little things and pushing her brother's buttons whenever she can. She is my muse and my teacher and the one who makes me laugh each and every day. Happy 5th Birthday my sweet Naia.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-68483366819255207002015-09-20T23:47:00.002-04:002015-09-20T23:47:49.675-04:00Hootin'So much goodness has been squeezed into our last month or so of summer. I've just been having too much fun to even go through photos, let alone sort them and post them and such. It's been a whirlwind of friends old and new, late nights of laughter and wine, dockside jam sessions, BBQ's, road trips, and so many happy memories.<br />
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Last month we traveled up to Woodstock, NY to attend the <a href="http://www.homeofthehoot.com/">Summer Hoot music festival</a> again. It was as <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2014/08/summer-hoot-2014.html">magical and musical</a> as the <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2013/08/summer-hoot.html">last 2 years</a>. This year was especially sweet for me because I finally had a chance to attend some of the later at night music acts and events while the kiddos hung back with other adults at the camp site. Pure fabulous listening to beautiful music under the stars with friends.<br />
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(Naia liked standing right up by the stage and talking to the performers between songs. She normally would say something along the lines of, "Excuse me, that was really beautiful. Will you play more music?")<br />
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(There was a fabulous bluegrass performance of Peter and the Wolf, which had a surprise guest narrator... Kate Pierson from the B-52's!)<br />
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(<a href="http://www.mikeandruthy.com/">Mike and Ruthy</a> not only host this entire festival, but they rock out too!)<br />
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(Once again the big kids were off on their own adventures, and we mostly only saw them from afar or when they ran out of spending money.)<br />
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Oh yes, another brilliant performance by <a href="http://youaremyflower.org/">Elizabeth Mitchell and You Are My Flower</a>. Naia was once again up at the edge of the stage, mostly telling Elizabeth and Dan's daughter Storey how beautiful she was. Then there was the part where I lost track of Naia after the set, and it ends up she was stalking Elizabeth and Storey back in the performers area. But we won't go there. After a set of sweet sing along songs, they were ready to walk off stage when a little girl started crying. "Oh no, we don't want any tears," Elizabeth sweetly said from the stage. Then she offered that she and Dan would meet any little fans who didn't hear songs they loved and sing for them over in a shady area.<br />
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Naia went and waited for them to sing to the 3 or 4 other kids who had requests. Including the little girl above who wanted to hear John The Rabbit. Such a beautiful and telling moment, seeing the way they gave this special girl such special attention.<br />
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Then Naia requested the song <a href="https://youtu.be/LBSM8WgAyf4">Blue Clouds</a>. They sang it just for her, and she was in complete awe. It's a beautiful song that they wrote for their daughter when she was little, and I often sing it for Naia at bed time. When they were finished Naia asked, "Do you know any songs by Madonna?" Hilarious because I am not sure where she'd ever heard of Madonna. I asked them if they were going to publish more chords and lyrics on their <a href="http://youaremyflower.org/">web page</a> because I like playing their songs on my ukulele for Naia. She asked which song I wanted to learn, I told her, and she said, "Ok, I'll teach you how to play it now." I was floored and a touch nervous since I've only been playing for about 6 months. She grabbed a uke, gave me a little lesson, and then said, "Ok, now you sing and play it for me." Uh... I am not singing in front of you guys. But I'll play and you can sing it. So that's what we did. It all ended in a big grateful hug and many heartfelt thanks. Seriously, such a warm, fabulous family making awesome music together.<br />
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That really personifies the whole vibe. So very giving and genuine and inspiring.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-53149304262352000672015-09-10T21:27:00.000-04:002015-09-10T21:27:07.683-04:00the perfect poseMy kids don't know how to pose for photos. Once in a blue moon I get a looking into the lens, smile nice for grandma, sitting still like the people who come with the picture frame kind of shot. The fact is, they haven't been trained to pose. I have seen and heard people bribe, cajole, order, beg, and even threaten their kids to pose for the camera. What kind of message are we sending kids when we tell them that they aren't good enough for a photo unless they act or look a certain way?<br />
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I take LOADS of photos of my kids. Too many one might rightly say. But I always try to disappear when I am taking pictures. The camera is just part of my hand, bionic shutter mom. When I take pictures of the kids I don't stop what's happening to get the shot. I keep talking. I allow them to keep moving and laughing and running and chatting. Or I get completely out of the way and hang back and just watch and capture.<br />
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Posing is mostly static and phony and doesn't really tell you much about who this soul is that you're trying to portray, especially when it comes to kids.<br />
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Children have so much magic in their nature that there's no need to force them to strike a pose in a dull and conventional way. Just stop and study their movement and the images will come. The way their arms express everything they say, the way they leap and skip everywhere they go, they way their wee faces reflect their inner self so truthfully.<br />
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It's the tilt of the head, the wrinkly of the nose, the concentration on a little face, the easy way they squat down anywhere. Pure, purposeful, beautiful little people just doing their thing. When I look back on photos of their childhood, that's what I want to see. I don't need to see a perfect smile, or adoring siblings, or coiffed hair, or clean fingernails (have yet to see those around here). I'd rather capture a moment and share a glimpse into a real person. Because as I tell my kids all the time, you're perfect just the way you are.<br />
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(This is how Zach hangs out often these days. Laying still. Contemplating. Or just shutting out the noise of his little sister. Not a pose with dimples and sparkling eyes, but very telling of where he is in this tween stage of life.)<br />
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(I could tell her not to swim in her clothes. Or I could just sit up the beach a little and watch. Even without a camera, the watching is so sweet. Pure joy, Exploring and discovering with every sense, every cell. This is what being 4 is all about.)<br />
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(More swimming in her clothes. Plus a friend who we have known since she was a baby. Seeing them together, little and big. Each stance so telling of who they are in that moment. Little is care free, uninhibited, silly. Big is changing, growing, hand on hip not sure what to make of the little crazy one, caught between big and little and not sure which way to go.)<br />
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(Another big and little moment. 4 year old little sisters running up and down the steps. 10 year old big siblings sit and chat.)<br />
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(Why stop a beautiful contemplative moment like the ones above for a posed smile? There is so much beauty in the quiet pauses.)<br />
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(None of these kids are looking at the camera and posing, and that's why I love it.)<br />
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(Looking right at the camera, but just happened to turn my way. Regal, tiny, real.)<br />
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(The look on her face, the way he's looking out at the water while holding her tight. It's a moment for sure. Stormy rough passage, seasick little girl, protective yet worried big brother.)<br />
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(Story of friends. And childhood. And the joy of a beautiful day. A pose can't give you that.)<br />
<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-59453803946170234902015-08-20T22:55:00.001-04:002015-08-20T22:55:40.476-04:00Up and OutIt's been 18 days. We hauled the boat out with a check list and a budget and a time line, but of course all of those things were washed away. Four times the cost, four times the time, check list growing. The boat is not merely getting a pedicure, she's having an extended spa vacation.<br />
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It's always puts a little knot in my stomach to watch the travel life haul the boat up and out of the water. So awkward and unnatural, I often speak for her and decide she feels gawky and exposed when she's lifted out of the water.<br />
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<i>(all of these are cell phone pics... sorry!)</i><br />
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I feel the same way when off the boat, unnatural and lost. We had a house and critter sitting gig at a friend's house for 2 weeks, we thought that would be more than enough time to cover the haul out. We were wrong. Our friends were extremely gracious to let us stay in the house even after they came home. We are crazy grateful. There are chickens and bunnies and a garden and friends who are like family. It's all good.<br />
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For the time when we were just house sitting here though it was... weird. This may have been our longest stint just hanging out and living in the suburbs. And yes, the endless hot showers and free laundry was fabulous. There is no denying that. But I found myself going a little stir crazy. I was lonely. I realized that I am so very used to being able to head to the marina pool, or sit under the oak tree, or hang out in the cockpit playing music, and there will always be someone walking by who comes and has a chat. Or a glass of wine. Or hey let's have a group meal. I need that. A lot. We would go back to the marina just to say hi to people and hang out. And stare despondently at our empty patch of water.<br />
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So we head to the boat yard to check on progress. Slow going. Weather hasn't been agreeable. We breathe deeply, climb a ladder to get on board and grab some personal belongings, and hope that she'll be ready. Soon.<br />
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<i>(This is Steve. Our fates are in his capable hands.)</i><br />
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(sorry, all of these are cell phone pics!)<br />
<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-83201706149788812222015-08-15T23:43:00.000-04:002015-08-15T23:43:25.425-04:00settling inChoo Choo is finally seeming to find his sea legs now, all four of them. The first few trips out on the boat he was visibly unsure about what was happening. Before we adopted him, he lived on a ranch in Texas, so all of this boating stuff is brand new to him. He would usually cower as close to a human body as possible and look nervously about. If I was at the helm, he'd wedge himself between my legs and hide. Our o<a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/12/salty-dog.html">ld dog Schooner</a> used to do that, but since he was 3 times Choo Choo's size it was a little more difficult to manage.<br />
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The last trip out though Choo Choo seemed fine. He was laying relaxed on the aft deck, head pointed towards the wind, watching the waves churn by. He actually seemed... content.<br />
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Which is a relief.<br />
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And it's a relief to see Naia getting more and more independent each time out this season too. I have to remember <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/05/free.html">Zach at this age</a>, fearless and free. She's no different.<br />
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And I have to remember that even though I have extra protective instincts since she is "the baby", she needs to feel that freedom too. She needs to learn how to use every muscle to navigate herself around the boat underway. She needs to find her own balance without my worried hands guiding her. She needs to face plant and knee skid a few times to learn how to predict the motion of the sea. She may not remember this sail, or this summer, but her body and heart are memorizing the feeling of sailing and the ocean and the feeling of freedom. <br />
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As for Choo, well... I am just glad he's managed to not to fall in the drink... so far.<br />
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These two little stinkers are such a joy to have around. A constant reminder to find magic in the little things, to point your face into the breeze and let the sunshine wash over you. They a comic little team, and I am proud of them both each day.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-21434285142869752142015-08-09T00:00:00.001-04:002015-08-09T00:00:17.101-04:00roadtripping northWe took a rather last minute road trip last month to hang out with friends up north. Normally this time of year finds us pointing our wheels west, towards Michigan and Chicago to see my family. But the kids had never been to New England and we were long overdue for visits with friends up that way, so away we went.<br />
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First stop was Connecticut, where we crashed in with our friends Rich and Liia and their sweet daughter Aili. They gave us the royal treatment complete with wine and sushi and hot showers and lots of laughs. And they welcomes Choo Choo into their home too. That was extra generous.<br />
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Then we journeyed further north to Belfast, Maine to see our friends Tig and Serena. We first met them when they were cruising south and they stopped in Annapolis for a bit. We all clicked and we've tried to make a point to see each other when we can, the last time was in <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2015/04/pony-run.html">Chincoteague for the pony run this spring</a>. They are land based now in Maine, and were kind enough to let us invade, even with the dog.<br />
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I haven't been to Maine in a long time, since I was working for HGTV way back when. It was still as magical as I remember. Serena and I walked all over Belfast one evening, just us mamas all alone. I was telling her that the town seemed so adorable, and so clean, and so wholesome that I felt like I was on a movie set.<br />
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The kids were impressed by the huge tidal range up there. On the Chesapeake we have tiny (a few inches) of lunar tide, and mostly a wind driven tidal flow. So to start out the morning playing on a small rocky strip of beach, and throughout the afternoon watch the water slink back and reveal more and more rocks and treasures was a trip for Zach and Naia. There were boat rides and cook outs and crabs and friends who are like family.<br />
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n the way back south again, we dropped in on some old cruising friends who live in Kittery Point, Maine right near the New Hampshire border. We met David Virtue and his fabulous wife Shara while cruising down the east coast in 2001. Here's the longer story behind that meeting...<br />
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Doug and I were married in Bali, Indonesia in May 2001. We ordered our wedding rings online from David Virtue, not knowing who he was but just loving his beautiful work. It turns out I am allergic to gold, so later that year when we were sitting in the Florida Keys on our first boat I started emailing David asking if there was anything we could do to the ring to lessen my skin reaction to it. He was emailing back with all kinds of suggestions, but the truth was he wasn't at his studio in Maine. He was anchored with Shara just a few boats down from us. We ended up meeting and realizing who each other was, and struck up a life long friendship from there, buddy boating throughout the Bahamas.<br />
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We had such a beautiful day with them, boating from their home dock in Kittery to Portsmouth, NH for lunch. Then Shara took Naia and Doug and Choo Choo and I to the local beach while David was kind enough to take Zach to his studio for a little working tour. Zach was in complete awe. Not only is David one of the nicest guys ever, I think the two artsy introverts had a connection that Zach will remember for a long time. He came back regaling us with information about lost wax and gold engraving and gems. And he was even gifted some precious stones to bring home, which immediately inspired a jewelry making spree.<br />
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The list of girls he was making for was long, mom was somewhere around #5 on the list. ;)<br />
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We will definitely be returning up that was someday soon, hopefully under sail next time.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-16074910805361171752015-07-21T00:06:00.000-04:002015-07-21T00:06:17.393-04:00Zach's Cabin MakeoverZach and Doug went off for a few days camping with the Boy Scouts recently and so Naia and I had some quality girl time. We ate green things. We danced, a lot. And we ripped apart Zach's cabin.<br />
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Now, about a year ago we moved Zach out of his little cabin in the aft section of the starboard hull and into the port side "guest room". And <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2014/04/hew-new-cabin.html">we transformed the little aft cabin into a room for Naia</a> who had been sleeping with us and didn't have a room for her first 3 years. At the time we concentrated solely on making Naia's new cabin awesome so that Naia would sleep there. We succeeded in the awesome part, but failed on the sleeping. She still sleeps with us. Every single night. And we're cool with that. She's the last kid, and she's my teddy bear, so it's all good. But we never did anything more than unceremoniously dump Zach and all of his belongings into the guest cabin.<br />
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Until now.<br />
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Naia and I took apart the room completely. every book, every cubby, every single item in the room came out.<br />
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Oh so many books. Even though he has a library card and a Kindle paperwhite FILLED with books, we still have way too many books on board. And I fear we always will. My boy is not only a voracious reader, he's also a lover of vintage things, so he's a sucker (and so am I) for vintage books. You can't transfer those to digital.<br />
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Aside from culling and organizing books, there was just too much stuff. And garbage. Actual literal garbage. Mind you his bedroom door is like 4 feet from our galley trash can. Sigh, boys. Five huge trash bags later, we started organizing things back into the room... and then started to decorate. And here's what it looks like now!<br />
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<i>(Friends, keep in mind that even though our space is "large" by everyday boat standards, this was all photographed with a wide angle lens. Never believe totally what you see!)</i><br />
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My boy is a certified Britofile. His taste in movies, literature, humor, and history all lean very English. So a huge Union Jack to cover the bland beige head board seemed to suit the room perfectly. Then I sewed a Doctor Who pillow (my first time sewing piping, don't look too close, it's a little rough around the edges.) And added a small Union Jack fabric panel to cover the Lego cubby.<br />
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Oh the Lego cubby. That was like a whole day of organizing. My kid falls in the free form build from your imagination school of Lego. If he gets a set as a gift, he might build it once, but then it goes into what I call "the heap". Inevitably he ends up not being able to find "the piece" needed to create whatever is blooming in his head. Not surprising since the Lego cubby was a swirling mass or chaos. We bought some plastic bins and I took advantage of my girl who LOVES to sort little things, and got to work. Minifigs in one bin, random pieces in another two bins, accessories in another. Eventually the fabric will be held in with bungees and eye bolts to make the cubby secure, right now it's just a touch of velcro to hold it in place and cover the Lego mess.<br />
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Other cubbies have oversized books with his extra quilt for cold nights.<br />
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And magazines along with his natural treasures in a special bin, things like rocks and feathers and shells and bits.<br />
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On the wall by his bed I put up some hoops with embroidery and fabric of favorite things, a Harry Potter quote, Star Trek, and a Tardis.<br />
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And then there's the closets. Oh man that was a chore. I bought some hanging things that I think are to store pantyhose and jewelry, but I put his odds and ends in there. Works perfectly! And his clothing, well I organized as best I could knowing it would be undone the first time he got dressed.<br />
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His door, well... he did his own decor job on that when he took over the room. Duct tape. Yeah, it's trashed, but it's his. One day if we ever sell this boat, we'll have to seriously refinish or replace that door.<br />
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And finally there is the head, or bathroom. I added a Doctor Who tardis shower curtain, and a friend gave Zach the tardis mug which is perfect for tooth brushing items. Behind the shower curtain is a small bath tub, which is where we store some off season items and also where we throw our dirty laundry. The tardis makes the perfect cover.<br />
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Zach came home and was thrilled with his room, and frankly quite surprised. He couldn't believe how easy it was to function in an organized space. He told me his favorite part was the Union Jack flag. Of course.<br />
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Now I just hope he can keep it this neat and tidy. Please.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-83982161385808592642015-07-11T10:07:00.000-04:002015-07-11T10:07:03.971-04:0070's SummerIt seems to be the trendy thing to reminisce about the good old days when kids would run free in packs around the neighborhood all summer having unplugged fun during unscheduled days.<br />
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Every year I get a little nagging feeling, the little voice whispers "Camp. Classes. Make some plans!" But then when I research it never seems worth it. Why would I pay someone else to play with my kids? Why would I pay (and pay a lot mind you) for someone to take my kid out kayaking or hiking? We do that all the time as part of our every day. I then realized that we sort of live at day camp. Plenty of arts and crafts, pool, water sports, hiking, wilderness, and with better food.<br />
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So that's what's been happening the last month or so. Creative free time...<br />
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<i>(upstairs/ downstairs boat style)</i><br />
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Spontaneous water and bubble fun...<br />
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Fishing, of course. Always fishing with my sweet boy. And monkey see, monkey do wants in on the fish action too. This year she is coordinated enough to handle a real hook. And she's learning to deal with the disappointment of not catching anything too. That's all part of that 70's summer thing, right? Letting kids fail, experience disappointment, not making everything ok all the time.<br />
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We've been hanging out in the woods as much as the ticks let us. Picking wineberries, following deer tracks, and having little fairy picnics.<br />
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And of course sailing when we can. Choo Choo had his first sail. He was a little... worried. He spent most of the time glued to me, right between my legs at the helm. I am getting the feeling lately that Naia is prone to sea sickness. She's never complained about it or lost her stomach, but she tends to go right to sleep once we get underway. No complaints about a nap from my energizer bunny.<br />
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To me it's not a 70's summer throw back thing. It's just summer. Just living life to the fullest and chalking up experiences over accomplishments. I am not sure I could do it any other way.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-58066600807414088672015-07-02T00:56:00.000-04:002015-07-02T00:56:19.492-04:00birthday, camping, and catching upWe are all together again and so there has been less time on the computer and more just hanging out, enjoying the summer, and doing loads of boat work.<br />
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And of course June was special not just because we got <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2015/06/183-24-7.html">Doug back from the Middle East</a>, but also it was Zach's 11th birthday. ELEVEN. That's very big and still so very little at the same time.</div>
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Celebrating was a low key gathering of friends for what was supposed to be a pool party at the marina. But thunder and lightening were threatening a storm, so they closed the pool. Not a worry, the kids made themselves happy with a big water fight, staying cool in the sweltering humidity.</div>
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(<i>Zach is holding a plastic fake dog poo. This is one of his favorite birthday gifts.)</i></div>
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We had a little family celebration at home on the boat...</div>
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And then per the wishes of the birthday boy, we went camping up at Shenandoah National Park. It was our first time camping with Choo Choo, so we weren't sure what to expect with him. Thankfully Shenandoah is a very dog friendly park. But we found out that Choo is a bit of a prima donna.</div>
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We went to a local cave, did a little hiking, and checked out a bizarre local museum with old parade floats.<br />
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My baby boy is eleven, really? Sigh.<br />
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boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-40299559182141416322015-06-08T22:57:00.003-04:002015-06-08T22:57:40.462-04:00183/ 24/ 7I've been keeping a tiny secret. Since the week after Thanksgiving I have been solo with the kids. My husband was deployed to Qatar for work... for 6 months. I haven't mentioned it except to close friends because it didn't seem prudent to let anyone and everyone know I was alone with the kids on the boat. So from the first week in December, through the winter holidays, during the trip to Nicaragua, into the winter from hell, and on forward into spring and the start of summer it's just been the kids and me. Because we homeschool it's been a non-stop party of three for 6 months. 183 days, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No help from grandparents. No babysitters. No breaks. At all. Not even for an hour.<br />
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I now pause to bow down and pay respects to parents who are solo all the time for whatever reason. Holy guacamole!<br />
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Was it hard? Hell yeah, but not in the ways I anticipated. Boat chores and maintenance, daily grind, and traveling with the kids was all perfectly manageable. What was the most difficult was the loneliness. Night after night having to get dinner on the table, things cleaned up, activities and such prepped for the next day and no adult conversation was crazy making. No adult company save for the passing chats of marina folks walking around or talking long distance with friends on Facebook. I experienced 2 deaths of people dear to me. I juggled medical issues, mechanical issues, technical issues, and all of the everyday. All alone. Manageable, but lonely.<br />
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I learned a lot from the experience. First and foremost, when somebody is struggling or going through a rough patch don't ever, ever say... "Let me know if I can help." Because people who need help don't have the strength to come up for air and ask for it. They can't let you know because they are treading water and out of breath. Just show up. Bring coffee. Bring wine. Tell (don't ask) the person you are picking up the kids for the afternoon and they can have some time off. Invite them to dinner on a specific night. Drop off a lasagna. Include them in potlucks and cook outs and get togethers. Having gone without all that and needing just a little of it so desperately, I realize how I can be a better helper to others when they are down and out and alone. Facebook doesn't count. Make the time. Show up.<br />
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As for the kids, it was difficult on them in different ways. I was grateful for Facetime which made it possible for them to have a video chat with daddy just about once a day. Virtual parents are no substitute for the real thing, but it's so much better than I imagine it was "back in the day", when kids just waited for a letter in the mailbox and stay at home parents lived in total isolation while the other was deployed. Thank you technology!<br />
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I noticed when we were around other adult men, the kids would gravitate to them. Our cousin in DC, friend's dads, dock neighbors, whoever it was they seemed to crave that daddy figure time. For Naia it was all very confusing. She knew Daddy was at work, and could point to Qatar on a map and drag her little finger back to Maryland. She knew he was coming back, but when? At age 4 they basically have zero grasp on time. To her, 6 months meant counting to 6 and daddy was supposed to appear. Zach understood fully. He can do math and understands time and calendars and time zones and all. Most days he was a big helper, and steady as can be. But once and a while he would crack. He would have a good cry and wish daddy was back sooner and say how unfair it was and hug a lot and then be ok.<br />
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It was of course hard on Doug too. He worked non-stop, 12 hours days, every single day for the 6 months. It was a grind. And being away from the kids was tough on him too.<br />
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This is why the blogging has been slow and infrequent. By this last month I was crawling to the finish line. Trying to meet deadlines, keeping it together, getting end of year homeschool review together, so tired... so very tired.<br />
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<i>(Tracking his flight online with FlightAware. The kids loved watching the little plane icon move across the globe in real time.)</i><br />
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Getting Doug at the airport yesterday was sort of hilarious. We got there way too early, so excited about seeing him. Then the long wait started. The kids ran in circles, whined a lot, played games, spilled snacks, whined some more, ran some more. So many people steadily streaming out of customs, none of them were daddy. I started a joke to keep them going, I'd see a person who was clearly not daddy and say, "Look there's daddy. He's really short and bald now." Or, "Look there's daddy, he's got long blonde hair and wears red dresses now." It would make Zach roll his eyes and Naia collapse into laughter.<br />
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When he did finally come out, little Naia was so hopped up on anticipation she fell to the floor and wept. Yes, my sweet, we all feel it.<br />
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Despite the long haul, at the end of it all... we did it. It truly made us all stronger. It made us realize how important it is to stay strong as a family, working together and getting through the rough spots. It made me extra grateful on those long lonely days to climb into bed late at night and see my babies sleeping there, holding each other like little monkeys. Grateful to climb in next to them and snuggle all night long. And now so grateful that we're all together, home. Because home is not where you are, but who you're with.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-23062370670164395522015-05-13T23:48:00.000-04:002015-05-13T23:50:52.549-04:00evenings on deckWe've settled into a new pattern with the warmer, longer evenings. No longer are we scurrying indoors and hiding from the cold and dark. We're all having a hard time coming inside at all until the sun is far below the horizon and the first three stars are out.<br />
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The new evening entertainment is just hanging out on the foredeck. Swinging, jumping, spoiling the dog, tackling, giggling, reading, playing ukulele, anything as long as it's out in the fresh fabulous spring air. We're savoring each sunset. Sometimes we blow the conch horn. Other times we snap a dozen photos, and still other times we just stare silently in gratitude for another beautiful day.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-29381942041347705012015-05-06T17:06:00.001-04:002015-05-06T17:06:47.458-04:00girls weekendRecently Naia and I had a weekend all to ourselves. She was so excited to have a "only girls weekend", yet neither of us really knew what that was going to mean. Of course, when guys have a weekend to themselves, they sit around and eat junky food and watch bad movies, right? We ladies do things a little differently.<br />
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This is the disgusting goop that falls under our cockpit floor tiles all winter long. We decided it was warm enough to tackle cleaning the boat cockpit.<br />
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Yeah, we know how to party, scrub brushes and a hose. Look out world! Sorry I don't have an after photo, just imagine it all white and clean.<br />
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Naia also wanted to plant a garden. We have a long history of neglecting and killing plants in our family, she hasn't caught on to that yet. So I let her plop some tomato seeds into some soil. I am not sure why I bother getting organic everything when nothing will ever sprout up from our dirt box. Ever hopeful, maybe she holds the green thumb in the family.<br />
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The best part of girls weekend was just having the undivided attention to spend with my wee girl. We spoiled the dog (even though he is a boy, he was allowed), we played loud music, we looked for water snakes, and I got her hooked on Enid Blyton books. She is such a great little buddy to have around. I can't wait to have more weekends like this with her.<br />
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<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-2086359887354121692015-05-02T23:50:00.000-04:002015-05-02T23:50:02.124-04:00wild edibles walkI can safely say it now. No more chance of a freeze. It's finally spring. Finally. I know this because Naia said so. And I make it a point not to argue with 4 year olds.<br />
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We were chatting in a friend's front yard, kids playing and parents hanging out. The dad of these friends gathered a bouquet of violets and handed it to Naia. She smiled and accepted, then without missing a beat she stuffed the bouquet in her mouth. The look on that dad's face was priceless. He said, "I've never given flowers to a lady before and had her eat them."<br />
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I love that Naia knows her wild edibles pretty well for a 4 year old. She gets that clover, onion grass, dandelion, red bud, various mints, and of course violets are all good to munch on.<br />
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We proceeded to pick (with permission) all of the violets from their yard, and went home to make violet simple syrup (though it looked more pink than violet/purple.) And from that you can then make lemonade or spritzers for a spring time drink.<br />
Zach invited some friends over to have violet lemonade and red bud ice cubes.<br />
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There was quite a bit of sugar in these drinks. Herbal, but sugary. Things got a little silly. Because it's spring.boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-81258061456604309422015-04-24T22:45:00.000-04:002015-04-24T22:49:50.571-04:00KittyThis week a little girl shaped hole formed in my heart. My friend <a href="http://theceolmors.blogspot.com/">Cidnie's</a> daughter Kitty drowned in the blink of an eye in a tragic accident. I have held this beautiful child in my arms, I have looked into her sparkling eyes, and her mama and I share how our babies are so alike (and so much more) as often as we can. I literally have no words. I barely have breath.<br />
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Please read my friend Behan's post, for she beautifully explains what's going on in a way I could never hope to mirror.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sailingtotem.com/2015/04/some-good-must-come-from-this-tragedy.html">http://www.sailingtotem.com/2015/04/some-good-must-come-from-this-tragedy.html</a><br />
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And my friend Laureen perfectly states how I feel, how we all feel, if you are so inclined to make any negative statements in my space about this tragedy. <br />
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<a href="http://theexcellentadventure.com/ea/2015/04/23/sheltering-from-the-wind/">http://theexcellentadventure.com/ea/2015/04/23/sheltering-from-the-wind/</a><br />
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And Anne beautifully describes trying to make sense of it. <a href="http://frompinetopalm.com/">http://frompinetopalm.com/</a><br />
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And Brittany bares the grief we all feel so raw and close to the surface. <a href="http://www.windtraveler.net/2015/04/the-world-lost-bright-light.html">http://www.windtraveler.net/2015/04/the-world-lost-bright-light.html</a><br />
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I am grateful my boat mama tribe is strong enough to create words and thoughts. All I can manage right now are expletives and sobs.<br />
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Cidnie, baby Naia, and baby Kitty.<br />
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Please help them get through this difficult time by donating here. <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/sqr4a4">http://www.gofundme.com/sqr4a4</a><br />
<br />boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21896267.post-65388063545707485812015-04-18T01:22:00.000-04:002015-04-18T01:22:50.646-04:00pony runIf you've ever read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Misty-Chincoteague-Marguerite-Henry/dp/1416927832/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">Misty of Chincoteague</a> you probably have romantic notions about the wild ponies of Assateague Island. It's only about 2 hours from us, so with my horse loving boy we go about once a year. The big deal out there is the annual pony run in July. They round up the wild ponies from the island and swim them across to the other island where some are sold, and then the remaining ones are swum back to roam free another year. You can watch all of this, if you want to stand around in the mosquito infested heat and humidity with 10-thousand other human beings.<br />
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No thank you. That's why we have YouTube.<br />
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However, my friend <a href="http://www.tigandserena.com/">Serena</a> called and told me there was a spring and fall pony run, and did we want to meet them there? It was on a weekend with cool wet weather, during the school year, and before the heat and mozzies set in. Sounds like a winner.<br />
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(6 year old horse loving V with her daddy Tig.)<br />
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(Naia and O are the same age. She used to scare him when they were little, now they adore each other.)<br />
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So we packed the car, drove over the Chesapeake Bay bridge, and headed east to the barrier islands that rim Virginia and Maryland in the Atlantic ocean. Overall, the trip was fabulous and low key. Of course any time we hang out with <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2012/09/tig-and-serena.html">Tig and Serena</a> it's all good, but this time our horse loving big kids got to bask in the glow of pony run on a cool misty day with only about 100 other people. I did get separated from Zach during the actual action of the event, but he's old enough that I didn't worry about it. Naia was a trooper, especially considering she could really care less about horses. She was a bit cold, and a bit bored, until she figure out the mud bank we were standing in had wee crabs and snails to play with and then all was right in her world. The ponies were rounded up by the local saltwater cowboys (who are all part of the volunteer fire department) into a pen where they spend the next day getting vet checks before being led back into the wild.<br />
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(My horse photos are a little blurry because a little monkey girl insisted on being on my back.)<br />
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So this is going to be our little secret, if you want to see the ponies without the crowds, go in spring or fall. But don't tell the other 10-thousand people, ok?<br />
<br />
(Check out our other trips to Chincoteague and Assateague in <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2011/06/of-ponies-and-sunshine.html">2011</a>, <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2012/07/standing-by.html">2012</a>, and <a href="http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2013/07/postcards-from-summer.html">2013</a>)boatbabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497671329115915673noreply@blogger.com0