Friday, December 10, 2010

Random cleaning and organizing

My kids have been helping out so much lately.... 

A few days ago Katie spontaneously reorganized the pantry in the kitchen!  She even alphabetized the spices! (Katie was chatting with Jim as she was doing the organizing and he mentioned that it might be easier to find the spices if they were alphabetized rather than in order according to size.  She liked that idea and tried it out.) 

Earlier the same day Makana organized the play kitchen.  We took a picture of it to remember it before Kanoa played with it as he would move things around. 

A day or so later we went grocery shopping. When we returned home, Katie helped put the groceries away taking care to keep the kitchen cabinet organized.


Yesterday Makana made her bed taking care to make it look smooth and decorate with her pillows and stuffed special bears.  She made sure it still looked just as good when Daddy came home so she could show him.  She was so proud of herself!

Today Makana had a rip in her black stretchy pants.  I was busy with Kanoa and Makana wanted to mend the pants right away.  Katie offerred to help, got out a needle and thread and sewed them!  Voila!  Wow!!

Makana has recently been combing her hair, using cream rinse to keep it tangle free, taking extra notice as to how she looks with regard to her hair. 

She also wanted to clean the bathtub/shower and did so drying every last drop of water and admiring how nice it looked to her. 

She and Kanoa have been enjoying using wipes (Kanoa's bottom wipes) to clean the windows or the glass sliding doors. 

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Embracing Mommyhood


Tonight I went for a walk with the baby in the jogger with Li and Kana.  We brought pails with us to  collect acorns to feed the squirrels.  We stopped at a place that was plentiful with acorns and met a friend/neighbor and son walking their dog.  While chatting, I mentioned that I would be teaching ballet again beginning next week.  My friend mentioned that she thought I would feel like a real person again by teaching ballet.  She meant this in a good way, but it is what started this whole thought process.  I explained that I was always a person, but by teaching ballet again, I'd be sharing a passion of mine....doing something that I love to do.  And that Jim was willing to come along with Kanoa so that  Kanoa could touch base with me if he needed to.  Or, if we all seemed comfortable, Kanoa and Daddy would stay home...I will have to wait and see how we all feel in the morning of the class.  But I would make sure that if they stay home that Jim could bring baby to me if he feels upset.  The dance class is held only a few minutes away and I am teaching the young children so that I can still do what I love to do, but do it in much less time than when teaching an advanced class or an adult class.  

I do many things -  ballet teacher, dancer, writer, reader, photographer, friend, neighbor, thinker, analyzer, house executive as well as wife and mother.  All of them reflect me at one time or another and no matter what I do, I am always a person.  I am a person choosing what to do with each moment.  How do you choose to spend your time?  What do you deem most important?  Does it change with the circumstances of your life? 

You can go through your children's childhoods feeling resentment and trying to get "your time" and complaining if there is not enough of it.  Or you can feel gratitude that you have your children and life and enjoy your precious moments together and find creative and maybe even satisfying alternative ways to do things you enjoy doing that fill your soul and give you strength and energy.  If you can't think of enough ideas, ask others! 


My oldest, now 13 yrs old!  Where did the time go?!

Kids grow up.  Babies and toddlers don't stay babies and toddlers forever.  It will be easy to do things for yourself in time.  At some point, the kids will likely not mind at all if you go out to do something.  In fact, you might be wishing they'd want to come along!  Enjoy it now that they want you.  Feel good to be wanted.  And when or if it comes time for them to be okay with letting you go, go and enjoy that too!  There are so many stages and phases in life to experience!

There are many parents of grown-up children to tell you how fast the time went and although it seemed like it was going slowly when they were in it, it did pass...and fast!  And they might even lament that they wished they could go back and relive some of those moments with young children.  This makes me relish the now I am living in.  To remember how good it is to be in this stage of my life!  How I know I'll miss it!  So I practice enjoying it now and am grateful for us all to be living the lives we lead. 

Tragically, there are families that have lost a child or parent.  This helps me prioritize my values and cherish our lives even more.  Time is precious.  I want to know I met as many needs and wants of my children as possible.  I can still meet mine because I am creative enough to find a myriad of ways to do so.  And it is kind of ironic that the more I fully meet my kids needs, the more their cups are full and I can meet my own!

Often mom's wonder how they can get some "me" time.  They may wonder when they get to be (insert first name) again.  Or may ask, "When do I get to be a real person again?"

First of all, we are always real people!  We all are at every moment.  It doesn't take being away from our children to suddenly become a real person again.  Nor do we have to find some sort of outlet or job in order to validate the importance of our existence and how we live our lives.  We are important just as we are.  And there is a huge, unquantifiable amount of importance in being available and there for our families! 

It is almost as if many people think our lives somehow go on hold while we are a parent, especially of young children.  Well, our lives don't go on hold.  They shift and change and we reprioritize what is importance to us.  Naturally, our babies are important to us!  And we are important to them.  In fact, they need us to survive!  Their physical and mental well-being depends on how we respond to and love them! 

Makanalani Rose in 2005 - photo by Pat McLean

Trust your instinct and your baby's cues!  And think about how your baby might feel in every circumstance.  Does baby want to be held by others or does baby seem happiest in mom's or dad's arms?  Do mom and baby sleep best together or are you pressured by the idea that you need to put your helpless, brand-new baby who is completely dependent on you in a cage in another room?  Does it really make sense to stick plastic things in baby's mouth to shut him up or soothe him when a real breast is meant to do this?  Isn't Mama better than a plug?  Oh...well....yes, that does mean that even during times when it seems inconvenient for mom she would nurse her needy baby.  Get the idea of babies being on any kind of schedule out of your head.  Follow baby's cues.  Meeting their needs quickly builds trust.  Baby learns to trust that mom or dad will take care of them: pick them up when they cry (and even if baby can't be helped, at least they know that they are cared for and mom and dad are trying....that counts for something!), change their diaper, change their clothing, help them get warmer or cooler or put them to the breast (almost always a winner!).  Think about how baby feels being put in a car seat.  If baby is uncomfortable, can the trip wait?  Can someone else go?  Can baby be put to sleep first?  Rather than consider leaving baby home, even for a short outing, take baby with you.  Baby needs to be with mom and has no understanding of time.  You may know you will be back in ten minutes, but to a baby, when mom is gone, she is Gone...maybe forever.  They don't yet understand mom will be back soon.   Do yourself and your baby a favor and keep the baby with you!  Mom and baby are meant to be together.  If it is a quick trip, then why wouldn't you take baby with you?  It can be a nice short trip out that will help you get used to longer ones.  i.e. a jaunt to the local market.  If it will be a long shopping trip, then baby needs to come because baby will surely miss mom or need to nurse or simply be with her.  Don't think of leaving baby with a pacifier or a bottle....it is not natural and if your baby could talk, imagine what they would tell you of how much they want and need to be with you?  Keep your baby with you.  It feels good and right!  Take the shopping slow.  Stop and nurse!  How wonderful it is to nourish your baby wherever you are whenever you need to!  You are a powerful mother...creating life and now sustaining life with breastmilk.

I think we as moms need to begin feeling good about mommyhood and realizing how important it is for ourselves and our kids and society in general.  If mom felt good about being able to meet her child's wants and needs, then taking care of and being there for baby would feel empowering!  It would feel good and right!  She would want to do it!  It would be something to look up to, something to aspire to - to be a mom and take care of her family!

Our culture does us injustice though.  It implies that mom's need some time away from their infant or young child so she can regroup and reenergize and have some time to herself.  Oh, and some people will bring up the idea that it takes a village to raise a child and that in tribal communities, work was shared by all and everyone helped with child care.  Well, ain't no other mama gonna nurse my baby.  I want to be the one to take care of my children.  I don't need my neighbor doing that.  I mean, heck, if she wants to come over and vacuum or something, I'm all for it.  If she wants to read a book to my child, that's sweet (as long as my child likes that too).  However, I would never expect nor think that it is anyone else's  responsibility to bring up my child other than my husband and myself.  Why would I? 

One of the reason's we moved back from Hawaii to NJ was because I was pregnant and we thought it would be beneficial to be closer to our family (and it was wonderful being close in proximity for many reasons).  I likely thought about my mom possibly watching our future kids if we wanted to go out.  However, once our child was born, I rethought that idea and liked it less and less.  I only felt comfortable with my daughter being in the care of my husband or myself.  Being apart didn't feel right to either me or Katie!   I underestimated the bond that would form and how much we would want to be together.  How would someone else understand her cues when I am the one who knows her well and I am the only one who nurses her?  She depends on me!   She and I had built up alot of trust in our relationship where I had met her needs and we were in sync!  We had a great relationship going!  Wouldn't she feel abandoned by me not being there for her?  How could she possibly understand?  All she could do is cry to communicate.  And that she did the one time I left her as an infant.  When my tiny daughter was four months old, I succumbed to pressure to leave her home with my mom while I went to see the play Scrooge in a nearby town with my husband.  I know not whether the pressure was from my husband to relive old times or from my mother who thought it would be good for me to get out (I think she was looking forward to being with her granddaughter alone too - her friends sometimes watched their grandchildren.) or from me thinking that maybe I should give it a try.  I do remember feeling ambivalent about leaving her.  I nursed her just before we left.  I called partway through the first half of the play to check on little Katie and my mom said that she was crying.  We decided to nix the play and go home!

Well, you'd think I'd have learned from this experience not to leave infants.  But when Keli'i was born I thought it would be good for Katie to have some Mommy time with just her.  That is what I read was so important.  And I didn't want her to think I loved her any less now that we had a new baby.  I left Li with Jim and went to the grocery store for about 20 minutes.  I didn't have a cell phone at the time.  So I was probably a little anxious about getting back in case Li needed me (cried).  Not a pleasant set up....an outing to the grocery store (what was I thinking?!  How about the park?!), an anxious, hormonal mom, and no way for Daddy to call if baby cried.  When I returned I found that Li had cried...hard.  Jim felt helpless.  I regretted leaving him so much!  I soothed him, nursed him, and promised him I'd never leave him again for a long, long time!  I kept my word too!  And I let go of the idea of having to give the firstborn children time away from the baby with just mommy so they don't feel left out.  We were all a family and I could love them all.  Loving them all means caring for everyone and meeting baby's needs first (usually).  There would be plenty of time when baby was sleeping or hanging out when Katie could still have some connection time with me.  It didn't even have to be just me.  But she still did need connection time. 

Li was so happy to be a big brother!  He truly loves babies!

So how can a mom incorporate some time to do something she would like to do while still caring for her child or infant?  By finding small moments in the day to fill her cup, she can fill energized and refreshed and good about caring for herself physically and emotionally.  Recharging oneself is different for all.  One person might enjoy a shower, another a cup of coffee or herbal tea.  Another might enjoy exercising and yet another might enjoy reading or writing or photography.  Whatever floats your boat, it IS possible to find ways to nourish your body and spirit and still be with your baby.  Many things can be accomplished either before baby wakes up, after baby goes to bed or during a nap.  Mom and dad can tag team so they each have a chunk of time to do something enjoyable - and you don't have to leave home to do this in case baby wants you!  If you think you need to get out to an exercise class in order to motivate yourself to exercise, then rethink how important the exercise is to you.  I mean, if you REALLY wanted to exercise, you would do it.  And you can.  It might look different than what you thought.  But heck, for a few years, you can be creative enough to find ways to get some sort of exercise and still be available for your child.  It might be a brisk walk with baby in a sling or a run with baby in a jogger, it might be doing a yoga or other fitness tape while baby naps or plays or lays nearby or is in Daddy's arms, it might be raking the leaves and doing garden or yard work while baby hangs out in the stroller (as long as baby is content), it might be putting on your favorite music and dancing around with the kids or doing aerobics or calisthenics.  Writing and reading can be done even while baby nurses or lays next to you in bed.  And photography....well, a camera can fit into a diaper bag, cellphones have cameras and many lovely moments can be captured even while baby is in your arms or nearby!



In early labor with Makana in 2005

Pregnancy: As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, she often feels her priorities shift into living a healthier lifestyle that protects herself and her growing baby.  Society is cool with that.  However, once a baby is born and mom gets a little initial rest, mom is often expected to have "recovered" (as if it was an illness!) and rejoin the rest of the world by doing most of the things she did before, either with baby in 
tow or left with a babysitter.  Mom's often hear comments about their weight and shape, lack of sleep, not fitting in their "regular" clothes, how taking care of their new baby must be so tiring and draining, or someone surprised that they "look so good."  And don't forget comments about wearing a good support bra!  Or not nursing too long or your teeth will fall out because the baby will suck the calcium from your bones!  We are led to believe that this early motherhood is a state of terribleness and it will all luckily pass and our life will someday right itself again.  It is not at all like that!  It is a blessing!  A miracle!  A time to cherish! 



Makana fell asleep nursing....I did love to gaze at her! 
This is one of those moments I will remember!
 Once a mom has a baby, there is no greater joy than sleeping with your infant curled up at your side, both getting extra needed rest.  Or gazing at your baby's sweet face as he lay across your lap and fell asleep nursing.  Or the feeling of snuggling your infant over your shoulder, especially when they are so relaxed (and trusting) and seem to fit there so perfectly.  There is so much comfort for that baby to know mom will always be there ready to breastfeed and hold and comfort when needed.  That must be one of the reasons that baby does fall into those deep slumbers over moms or dads shoulders.  Initially, the baby prefers mama.  Dad's ARE important and can hold baby and get things for mommy. 
All the help Dads can provide for mom (meals, drinks, pillows, blankets, caring for other kids so mom can nap, holding baby so mom can shower or do other things) makes it easier for mom to take care of baby.  But, they are not mom and can not replace mom.  Mom is the one with the feeders.  Mom is the one who bore the baby and the one the baby needs to be close to and held by for the majority of the time.  Sure, Dad can hold baby too, but often babies prefer mom.  And if you are trusting your baby, listen to him!  And holding a baby is important for mom too (skin to skin is best)...physically and mentally.  All that closeness is important and plays a role in emotional and physical health for both mom and babe. 
We loved this family afternoon adventure of apple picking!
Missed our oldest kids as they were off having their own adventures!
But glad they were doing something they loved!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Lincolnville Beach Fall Festival

Pictures from the Lincolnville Beach Fall Festival - When we got there, there were two huge bouncy inflatables to climb and slide on and the beach to roam.  Some pics from our day....










Trusting Babies and Pondering Expectations

This morning I woke up earlier than my kids (that is why I have time to type right now!!) and looked over to my two sleeping boys.  They were both facing me with their mouths open and two teeth sticking out.  Kanoa was blowing warm, sweet smelling breastmilk breath on me.  I began thinking of how fast they are growing and how I am now looking at my 21 month old and my 9 year old, but someday I could be looking at an 11 year old and a 17 year old.  I imagined baby, boy, teen, young adult, adult with kids, adult with grown kids, old man who lived a full life.  Whatever point you are at in life, the past seems to have passed by so fast!  I started thinking of how truly enjoying our moments makes our life lived full of good times and thoughts.  Li woke up for a brief moment, caught my eye (as I was staring at him and Kanoa still), smiled and turned over.  Sweet!

I thought about how we are all born "big" and important and  that babies have preferences and should be taken seriously right from the start.  People should not have to wait until adulthood to have opinions, to be taken seriously, or to be treated like what they say or want matters. 

Babies are small people and as parents we can help them to do as many things as we can as they learn and figure things out for themselves in our world.  If our children don't want to be social while out and about, we can help them feel protected and safe.  If our children don't want to wear socks and sneakers, they can go barefoot, wear slippers, or boots with no socks.  If our children want to press the button on the thermostat so it makes a blue light, we can hold them so they can press it or spot them as they stand on a chair.  If our kids want to see the doggie, but not get too close, we can hold them and read their body language so that we do our best to help them feel comfortable while they "see" the dog.  If our baby wants to pet the dog, we can be next to him while he pets the dog.  If our kids want to swing, we can push them in the swing.  If our child doesn't want pasta, we can offer other foods.  If they want to nurse and read and snuggle under the soft blanket on and off during the day, we can do that with them.  We grow to know our children so well that we understand their cues and they learn to trust that we'll acknowledge them and respond to their cues.  By letting our children lead and by exploring the world with our babies, we are their partners and trustworthy friends.  This, to me, is the beginning of a beautiful, joyful relationship.  A relationship that I wouldn't trade.  A life in which my kids feel safe in and are happy in.  A life in which I am truly happy and satisfied because I want to have that kind of life with my kids.  I like it!! 

Something puzzles me.  You know how in our culture people love babies?  Most people seem to.  I do.  When you have a baby, you meet many other people who are excited to see and look at and touch your baby.  Some babies get to a point where they don't seem to like this.  Some mothers let their babies get passed around, plug up the baby's mouth with a pacifier and say in a sweet voice while dismissing the child's obvious signs of distress, "Awww.  Shhhh.  There's nothing to fuss about!" as baby goes from one stranger to the next.  What would happen if those mothers took their baby's feelings seriously?  Their mamas would likely appreciate the love people have for their child, but they would protect their little one from overbearing and excited baby lovers.  Their child would trust their mother to keep them feeling safe even in a midst of strangers. 

Our culture also thinks children shouldn't be shy, or that this is something children should grow out of.  What if a person is shy their whole life?  Are they then a failure or less than?  Are they defective?  Does that mean an extroverted person is better or more important or will be more successful?  What kind of messages do we give to kids at such a young age about how we think they should be?

When kids are growing up, they are told to respect other people's boundaries.  That it is important to treat others the way they would want to be treated.  To be kind and patient and gentle.  How are kids expected to learn this if adults don't begin to treat kids that way?  We need - right from the getgo - to respect our kids boundaries, to be kind and gentle with them, to treat them the way we would like to be treated....or the way they want to be treated. 

In our culture, kids are expected to go along with what others want them to do when they are told to do so.  Often they are expected to answer when they don't want to speak, or they may be told not to speak when others have expectations that they should be quiet.  They may be told to look at things they may not want to look at, or look away from things that others deem inappropriate, to go out of their comfort zone and not be "shy," to be more reserved when others think a situation calls for it,  to talk more quietly so no one is disturbed, or to speak louder so they can be heard.

There certainly are lots of expectations that humans have for one another.  Some of these behaviors are expected because they are out of consideration for others (and we usually learn this by others being considerate of us and through life experiences) and others are cultural expectations of children based upon what others think children or adults should behave like - perhaps because they grew up with those same expectations and pressures put upon them or because they want their child to fit in with our society. 

Often children are encouraged to think about things, not to follow what everyone else is doing - ie. "If Sally jumps off a cliff, are you going to do it too," to be an individual thinker and to think outside the box.  Yet kids are often simultaneously told to "listen" and follow instructions and do what they are told to do.  Kind of ironic, huh?  Confusing too.  Should they question then?  Or just question every authority but ours when it is convienent for us?  How will they learn to follow their own inner voice?  How will they learn to trust themselves? 

Have you ever heard a parent shame their child by saying, "If only you had done what I told you to do!  Then this wouldn't have happenned!"  Do we give them room to make mistakes...or er..."learning takes?"  What about ourselves?  Do we give our own selves room to make mistakes and learn from them?  What would happen if we chilled out when we made mistakes and felt okay or even grateful for the learning experience?

Pondering all of these things and questioning everything myself helps me make more thoughtful choices.  I love my children and will do the best I can for them.  All life is full of different pathways of different lengths.  I hope I choose a long, windy one full of adventure!  And I hope to support my beautiful children's paths no matter where they may lead!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Slowing Down to a Child's Pace

One day when my now 13 year old daughter Katie was about 1 or 2 years old, we often took walks to the park.  I remember thinking how long it was taking to get there and how I wished she would go along a bit faster to get to the park so we could play there.  And yet another voice inside my head thankfully noticed that she was having such fun collecting rocks along the way and that this was important to her.  I realized that having fun along the way mattered.  It certainly wouldn't have been much fun if I rushed her impatiently to get to the park and then expected us both to instantaneously have fun.  Why couldn't we have fun along the way?  What if we just kept along collecting rocks and never made it to the park, but we enjoyed doing so?  Well, we did it all...we collected our rocks, pet dogs, looked at birds and trees and whatever else we saw and talked about it all on the way.  We had our fun at the park and then did the same thing back home.  Having moments like that helped me to realize that old adage of stopping to smell the roses.  Another similar adage I now keep in mind is that life is made up of all the little moments.  Make all those little moments count and enjoy them, then your life and those around you will have many joyful moments to remember and build upon. 


A couple of weeks ago, we visited the beach and boardwalk.  Makana tried to climb up to the boardwalk from the sand.  She was almost up when big brother Li helped her.  Well, she didn't want that help.  She was very upset that he assisted her at all.  She got right back down on the sand determined to do it again.  She had trouble and although I offerred to build her a mound of sand to see if that would boost her up, she declined.  Eventually, with her permission, she and I built a pile of sand for her to stand on and she climbed up on her own. 


After that we played a bit more and then left peacefully.  It is so satisfying to me to help her do what is so important to her.  This meant something to her and I could tell.  She must have felt like she accomplished something big.  I would imagine that this helps her build her self-esteem.  What a shame it would be if I had rushed her along and said we have to go now and then became upset at her tears and frustration.  What would that have done to her self-esteem?  What is important to her means more to me than sticking to a schedule or following through with intentions.  Being flexible allows for the most important things to be done and for other things to be rescheduled or even canceled.

Playing on the sand before we left the beach.


Makana wanted her picture taken by the slide.









I love living my life - our lives - this way!  I would imagine that it seems like I am catering to my children's wants much of the time.  Yes, that is exactly what I try to do!  I try to meet as many wants (including mine and Wolf's) that I can!  I am so grateful to be able to think deeply about this and to meet many of our desires.  Awesome!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Visit to Massachusetts for the Lighthouse Cruise out of Scituate


6/25 - Headed to Rockland, Mass so that Jim and Li could take a special lighthouse cruise out of Scituate this weekend.  Hotel was nice and even had a pool with saline instead of chlorine.  Perhaps that is why frogs and even ducklings visited it!  We especially had fun with the frog in the pool the first night! 

 

Katie  (Love this pic of her)  Kanoa in the background.



There's our guy!



The Wolf..


Kana and Li..


Kanoa fell asleep...


And then Kan and Li fell asleep too...


Katie entertained herself taking pics.....



Kana brought along her two new dolls she got for her birthday....a Barbie doll that bends and a Ken doll that bends.  She calls the Ken doll "Hottie" because it said that on the box.  We all cracked up!  Everytime she looks for Hottie we laugh!


What else do we do on long trips?  Eat of course!  Lots of food and snacks and water.  A DVD player, a backpack of special things for Kana, Nintendo DS's, books, crayons and paper...we're all set!


Another Katie pic


A bathroom stop for most of us and a diaper change and nursing stop for Kanoa.  Kanoa liked seeing all the birds by the place we stopped.


6/26 - Saying bye to Daddy and Li who were very excited to go on the cruise!




Look at all the people waiting to board! 


We all liked the shop right next to the pier!  Very interesting as it had lots of rocks and minerals, cool clothing, interesting trinkets and Kana bought a see through rock shaped like a heart for Daddy.  We walked around Scituate town a bit, lost the camera lens that goes under the cap (darn!) and then headed to Rexhame Beach to meet Jon and Rowan Kream!  So nice to do something fun while Jim and Li were off doing their lighthouse thing!



Katie and Rowan and Kana


 

So nice to dig and play on a real sand beach! 


Jon introduced Kanoa (who likes to line things up) to a new game of putting rocks on his legs which he dug..



It was a hot day in spite of being at the ocean!



Rocks rock! 


After a long day, Kan and Kanoa took a rest!  Isn't it great to be able to do that whenever you need to?! 


The next day (Sunday), we met the Dorsey's at Plymouth, Mass.  So glad to see them before we headed home!  It was another hot day in Massachusetts, even by the water! 


Katie, Maeve and Drue


Jean and Mauve


We climbed aboard one of the tall ships visiting the harbor.








And here are some Lighthouse Pics from Jim and Li's trip on Saturday:



Scituate Lighthouse


Minot's Ledge Light - Many years ago, I surprised Jim by hiring a boat to take us out to Minot's Ledge Light.  What a cool trip it was!  It was a small boat and a guy named Mike McDevitt took us out.  Mike lived on Peddock's Island and his mom made the boat he took us out in.  We still fondly recall Mike's use of the word "Buddy" when he talked on his cell phone and in general conversation.  He seemed like a really nice guy. 


Nantucket Lightship


Boston Light - We also visited this light when we were with Mike McDevitt.  Got to meet the lighthouse keeper who worked for the coast guard (Liutenant Hair) and he gave us a private tour of the tower! 





(insert photo of Lt. Hair when I have time to scan it)




This is the original Minots Ledge lantern.  Nearby is a pattern for carving blocks for the tower. 






We walked up to this bridge hoping to watch people jumping off the other side.  Missed it.  When Jim and I were here years ago, we got to watch people jump.  It is really high!  Higher than it looks in this photo.



On Sunday coming home, we needed a bathroom break and a rest for Kanoa as well...so...visited the Museum of Science in Boston.  Because we have reciprocal membership with our local museum, we were allowed four free tickets!  A good stop...



Finally, a moose!  (Still haven't seen one in Maine!  Yet...)









The kids, esp Li and Kana, LOVE this contraption and remembered it from last time!  It was a must see!


How many Wolfrum's can you fit in a dinosaur fossil?

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