Feels Like Summer's Here!

The new bike path is amazing! We took our first bike ride of the season today, and feel like we're on vacation as we discover a whole new North Falmouth! There are hiking trails behind Bourne Farm - and as we neared them, Isabelle was ready to walk. The pack rat that she is, she clutched Abby Cadabra and her sip cup the whole way and enjoyed getting off the path even more than staying on it!




We were on the lookout for horse poop which we were lucky enough to spot - and then when nature called, Isabelle was excited to tinkle where the horses go. Daddy suggested using the fence as a makeshift potty seat, and it worked like a charm!

It's day three in underwear, and things are going great. We were worried yesterday when we decided to go to Boston to visit Briana, Matt and Anika that we were setting her up for failure. But she didn't really skip a beat. We think she actually held it so much on the ride up that she gave herself a little stomach ache. "My belly button!" she wailed at one point. Accidents do happen (with tinkle only) - but she catches herself early in them, and is definitely trying to "keep Elmo dry."

When we met Auntie Briana (four months pregnant!) and Anika at the Barking Crab (how have we never been there by boat??), Isabelle immediately lifted up her dress to show off her underpants. Uncle Matt skipped out of his conference a little early to join us - and he and Dennis had to order some hot dog rolls to supplement the crab leg/steamer menu! Isabelle supplemented later with all of Anika's orange slices. And we all supplemented even more with ice cream at Faneuil Hall!

My mint chocolate chip cone didn't last long in my hands! Isabelle is an MCC convert! This is the last time you'll see her in these shoes - on our walk to the swan boats (closed for another day-boo), she decided all shoes and socks must be abandoned. On the way home we stopped at Stride Rite to have her foot measured - sure enough, most of her shoes are a half size too small. She was ecstatic walking - bounding - out of the store in her new summer shoes.

This morning we made a quick trip to Target so that I could exchange an embarrassing number of shoes I'd gotten in the wrong size (when I bought them, Jane told the checkout lady I had triplets--it really was the only logical way to account for so many shoes!) While I was looking at some wrapping paper, Isabelle started playing with some items in the home goods section. Then she presented me with a scented candle she'd positioned on top of a pretty paper plate with an ocean scene, "Here you go, Mommy - for you." When I looked closely it was a Mother's Day candle with this poem written on it, "Roses are red, violets are blue, you're the best Mommy, and I love you." Of course I bought it, and I suspect 10 years from now that candle will still be on display somewhere in our home.

Dennis called from work as we were leaving the store - "I just want to be with you guys," he said. Love that. We decided to have a picnic lunch on the deck - with amazing Portugese bread grilled sandwiches from the Wild Harbor General Store. "Where have you been all winter?" the owner asked us. "Uh, nowhere... a quarter mile away." Why haven't we been there all winter??!! It doesn't even make sense to us... we're just like the tourists - we consider it a summer spot. No more!

We biked back to the General Store later to fill up our tires, but the air hose was missing. Paul had one in his trunk. Jim has one, too. "It's a Dad thing," Dennis says-as I shoot a glance toward Isabelle. "Yeah - time to get one," said Dennis smiling.

Back on the bike path (did I mention how awesome it is?) we can hardly go a tenth of a mile without stopping to talk to someone we know or get to know someone we don't. (Shout out to Windy, Lilly, Faye and Kate. We decided the dogs names weren't important to us - except I seem to remember something furry named Skippy.)

Isabelle had the right idea on the way home! She proceeded to sleep for two more hours, until 6PM. Dennis picked up dinner at Talk of the Town, and Let Isabelle "drive" from the neighbor's driveway into ours.

There are two opposing views about where we live:

The Optimist
We live in a prestigious section of Falmouth with a pretty, new home on one side and a lake to the other. Behind us is a scenic bike path that travels all the way to the world-reknowned Woods Hole. Nature trails, cranberry bogs, horses and wildlife... the new bike path is already changing our lives for the better.

The Pessimist
We live on a highway near a strip mall. Oh, and criminals might travel on the bike path.

Good thing we're both Os!