Oh, the mystery!

Guess where?!

Guess with whom?!

Yes, it was our gazillionth trip to Sawyer's Cove (not that I'm complaining).  This year we overlapped with the Cowens and the cousins got along!   Mind you, they've never not gotten along, but it was such a revelation to turn Frances loose for hours at a time outside and not have to worry about her.  All of a sudden large families started to make sense: the kids entertain each other!  Of course, there was that small mountain of laundry to conquer every day, but somehow even that wasn't painful.  Maybe because Josh made drinks/dinner every night and Jocelyn handled bedtime books.

Economy of scale, family style.

Sweet Rockport

I realize we've visited Rockport before, but can you blame us?

Rockport provides the gorgeous, and Frances provides the goof.

This one turns out to like hot dogs.  

Thank goodness, since hot dogs seem to be Frances's food of choice this summer.  I can't believe I used to wish Frances would start liking hot dogs.

After our scrumptious hot dogs, we clambered around on the breakwater.

This will sound sanctimonious.  Please forgive me.  Other families seemed very afraid to allow their kids out onto the rocks, but we love it when Frances is adventurous.  The more climbing, the better. 

We were very proud that day.

And now I will set about finding new activities for us to do, as I seem to be repeating myself from last summer.

Sixteen Months of Toddler Chandler

This was all her idea.

She'll do anything to be like her big sister, like wear Frances's helmet while Frances is at school.

Sixteen Months Fun Facts:

• Language: Chandler sort of says "uh-oh" and "da-da," but she says "hi!" clearly, frequently and loudly, especially when she'd like to get out of her crib now, please and thank you very much. She has said something that resembles "ma-ma," but she gets the opportunity to make the sign for siren every day.  Big fan of sirens.
• Motion: Impressive running skills for a kiddo her age.
• Teeth: Those four to six teeth are still coming through.  Is this normal?  She seems to have the slowest teeth in Christendom.
• Favorite book: I Went Walking, written by Sue Williams and illustrated by Julie Vivas, though she still likes Dear Zoo as well.  That's what she's reading in the picture.  The lion is her favorite.  "Roar!"
• Sleep:  Still somewhat ridiculous for a sixteen month old, but improving.

Fifty-Five Months of Preschooler Frances

Hey, look, Kealakai was with us for another of Frances's month birthdays!  And we made sugar cookies!  And Frances found an excuse to take off her shirt!  All so shocking.

Fifty-Five Month Fun Facts:

• Swimming:  We decided we needed to get serious about Frances's swimming skills, especially if we're going to be in Maine, next to the ocean, a couple weeks a year.  We signed her up for Swim Tots, which was really about getting comfortable in the water.  Frances loved her teacher, Mike, mostly because he goofed around with her and gave her a lot of high fives.  Now she's moved on to Level 1; she's getting more comfortable and working up to diving in.  We'll make a fish of her yet!  Good ol' Frances.
• Humor: Frances has discovered knock-knock jokes, except she doesn't know any knock-knock jokes or understand their logic so she makes up her own really bad knock-knock jokes, which in itself is hilarious.  Here's an example: Frances, "Knock-knock, mom."  Me, "Who's there, Frances?" Frances, "A cat." Me, "A cat, who?" Frances: "Meow.  Get it, mom?  'Meow,' 'cause that's what cats say."  I tried the "Orange you glad I didn't say banana" joke on her and she thought I was super dumb.  Oh, well.

Yay for Mark!

Mark did something not related to work or childcare!!  Can you guess what?

That's right!  It was the Best Buddies Challenge, Hyannis Port.  He rode his bike 20 miles to help raise money for Best Buddies and he really, really enjoyed himself.

Here he is at the end of the race:

Why no pictures of him crossing the finish line?  Because the race took much less time than he expected, so the photographer (me) was hanging out in a distant playground parking lot while Chandler napped and Frances watched Lion King.  The photographer (still me) will have another chance next year, though.  Mark is already signed up to ride again, but 50 miles instead of a measly 20.  We're very pleased that he has found something that makes him so happy.

Prepare to be hit up for money.

As close as we get to Laura Ingalls Wilder

Auntie Jocelyn gave Frances a kite awhile ago, maybe two years ago?  It seemed time to try it out.  We found a lovely field and gave it a whirl.  (Be sure to ignore glimpses of I-93 and buildings.)

It started with a lot of this:

...so Chandler entertained herself, being a second child and all.

Imagine this picture without the blankety-blank paci:

The days of the paci are numbered, I tell you.  (Unfortunately, if she goes too long without a paci, she starts wandering around looking for it and crying, like a miniature cigarette-quitter.  It is very sad.)

Chandler did try to help with the kite flying.

And there you have it, one flying kite.  It just required a lot of running.

We'll give it another go on a day with wind.  And Chandler's bonnet, of course.

Frozen. Heard of it?

Frances has seen the movie twice and listened to the book oh-so-many times.  So she needed an outfit.

Mimi (and Etsy) to the rescue with an Elsa-inspired get-up!

Oh, it was hard waiting for this package to arrive.  But arrive it did, much to Big Girl's delight.  Little Girl needed an outfit, too, so she got a hand-me-down tutu from Frances.

And peace reigned in the land.