There really is no place like home, is there? Our vacation was fun. Our vacation was perfect really -- As perfect as one can be when children are involved! The weather was magnificent and we took advantage of our numerous beach days where the kids were able to hang out with their 12 cousins and play on the sand and in the water all day long while the grown-ups read and ate and went for long walks along the shore. We all have come home a little blonder and a whole lot tanner. The fresh air did us wonders. While it was hot, there was a constant ocean breeze and all we needed was a quick dip in the ocean, which was uncharacteristically warm this year, to cool off. When the kids felt "beached out" we took little excursions to Cape Elizabeth, Portland, a local water park, amusement park and to miniature golf. On the only rainy day I took the kids to the movies.
Our two week adventure has now come to an end. While the children miss their cousins and built-in play mates, we are all happy to be home in our own surroundings... with our own comforts.
Almost everything has been unpacked. Last night, after dinner, I took a long and luxurious soak. I missed my bath most of all. How nice it was to crawl into my comfortable bed with my pillows, my clean sheets and downy duvets. I slept like a baby last night. The air conditioning hummed soothingly in the background. (We had no AC in Maine, and while it was never too hot, everything always felt damp!) At midnight the thunder rolled and the lightning lit up the skies. All were safely tucked into bed, and I went back to sleep.
When I could no longer sleep at 5:00am, I got up and crawled onto my couch in my living room with my cappuccino. There is nothing like a morning coffee in the comforts of one's own home while everyone else is asleep. That was the problem with Maine. Our place was small and the kids were up late at night and up at the crack of dawn. There was no quiet time without them. (I love them dearly, but sometimes I want them as far away from me as possible!)
I'm so happy to be home. I've been ready for a few days. I will miss, however, the sweet Maine breezes that smell of sea salt and pine... I will miss the joy on the children's faces as they play with their cousins or lick their ice cream cones or pick out penny candy... I will miss my long walks on the beach with the girls... I will miss my wonderful nieces and nephews who are growing up to be amazing people... I will miss the endless hours of chit chat and laughter on the beach... I will miss the hours of reading I had... and despite all the work vacations are -- breaking up sibling fights, making breakfasts, lunches, packing and unpacking and cleaning up after a day on the beach and the mounds of laundry created by the hour -- our summers in Maine will always hold a special place in our hearts.
But we are eager to move on... I have to get a new cell phone! I have many wonderful and exciting projects ahead of me... The children have a full summer yet with soccer and tennis camps, more beach and trips to Newport to visit Moo and Popsy... in 6 weeks my Littlest One turns 5 and he could not be more excited. In 6 weeks school starts and I could not be more excited!
I had the privilege of reading a lot over my 2 week vacation. The last book I read while relaxing on the sunny beaches of Maine was The Girls from Ames. It was especially touching; a story about a close-knit group of women and their 40 year friendships. The girls shared a bond that brought them from childhood, through their teenage years and into adulthood. Together they shared laughter and tears... Good times and bad... They got married, had children, and some survived divorce, others cancer and the loss of loved ones.
