Boating with the Walkers

We spent a wonderful Saturday boating! We took the Walker clan - Sean, Sara, Erin, Payton little Sean, and Sara's cousin, Stacy -- to Bassett's Island, where we played on the beach with Jack and David Watson (mom Meryl stayed on their boat trying to get Jack's sister, Sydney, to nap).

Sara buried the kids in sand as Daddy was back on the boat making burgers and turkey dogs for lunch. Isabelle kept up the ruse of sleeping in the sand long after the other kids were up and playing in the ocean!

Isabelle on the Ropes

Before leaving for Baghdad, I took Isabelle to the playground, and she was rather timid with the mini zip line. I held her as she zipped along, and remember thinking that this was meant for much older kids who have more upper body strength. Just weeks later, she's got it mastered!



Way to go, sweetie!!

Isabelle is learning to spell words

We have been working on letters and spelling recently. She has known for a while how to spell her own name, and recognizes all of the letters in her name when they are in different words, and now we are working on other letters. Its paying off!

Father's Day Weekend in Oak Bluffs!

Isabelle and Daddy spent the weekend on our boat, Vaparetto III, in Oak Bluffs! We headed over Friday around 4:30, arrived to a pretty empty harbor. We immediately set out on the dinghy to a nearby beach, where we played for an hour or two before headed back to the boat to get ready for dinner.

I thought we would head in to town to go to Jimmy Seas Pan Pasta, one of our favorite restaurants anywhere, but Isabelle had other plans... she wanted a quiet evening on the boat, just the two of us. So I broke out the grill, and much to Mommy's chagrin (Beth is in Iraq for the month of June, but we can talk often over Skype), Isabelle had not one, not two, but three hotdogs for dinner! A couple of boat burgers for me, and we called it a night.

Saturday we got up early, I brought over our stroller hoping to go for a long run. Isabelle again had different plans... and the run was cut short after a few miles. We ended up in the park, where we played for while, between bites of our bagels. We then headed back to the beach - this time landing the dinghy in the same spot, but walking through the dunes to a larger beach, where we again played for hours. .


Some nearby older kids (6, 8, and 9 years old) took Isabelle under their wing, and invited her to watch a movie on an ipod touch. Very sweet of them! Then, back to the boat to change and head into town, where we finally got to ride the carosel and get that ice cream (she had been talking about both for days leading up to our trip!). For some reason Isabelle insisted on picking up trash and throwing it in the trash can - not our trash mind you - because in her words "we don't litter".

Big weekend in OB - a great craft fair on the docks until 5pm, then OB closed down Circut Ave to cars (GREAT idea - do it again, and often!). We finally made it to Jimmy Seas, which unfortunately was a disapointing meal. But the table next to us had two kids, 10 and 12, who took Isabelle outside for a while to play. It was during this down time that I first heard about the Manhattan to OB ferry! The family had taken the ferry from 34th St to OB. Took about 4 1/2 hours, cost a lot, but what a great way to get to MV for New Yorkers.

No cars on Circut is amazing - all the restaurant and bars were serving outside, and several bands were playing. Isabelle had a blast dancing the night away! Apparently she was a big hit, as the lead singer wanted to know her name, and the next day several people approached her, and addressed her by name, and told me they saw her dancing!


Aunt Brianna was a trooper, waking up early after going to Jimmy Buffett the night before and catching the 9am Island Queen to meet up with us for the day. After a walk through town, we headed back to the boat, fed some ducks (and some fish!).


We had a wonderful ride back, and ended a perfect Father's Day weekend with my parents coming over to the marina and hanging out on the boat for a while. Immediately after they left, the entire Walker clan, renting my parents house on Silver Beach for the summer, came over and the kids all played on the boat while the adults caught up.

With Daddy in OB

Loving another story from home!

Dennis and Isabelle are hanging out in Oak Bluffs right now. They got a ball last night, and are zodiak-ing themselves around. Today's first stop: the beach spit at the entrance to the harbor where Isabelle fit right in! Looking at her legs, I definitely think she's grown in the past two weeks.



Last night Dennis planned to have dinner at Jimmy Seas! Isabelle had the good sense to want to wait for me! She wanted to grill on the boat. Three... i can hardly bear to type it... hot dogs later...

I'm in the house we're renting in Baghdad - packing up to go to Samarra first thing in the morning (5am). Terrible story about a family feud (wow there's a euphemism mandated by this being Isabelle's site) over a father working for the U.S. military. It's a 3 hour drive there, then we have an 8 hour drive to Nasiriyah for a short embed with the Army.

Farmer Ron

Isabelle and Dennis went strawberry picking, but they DID NOT enjoy the animals while there! The government forbids the Coonamessett Farm from referring to the miniature donkeys, dwarf goats and babydoll sheep as entertainment. Even Peanut, the giant tortoise, is forbidden from causing any hoopla. We know this because we received this hilarious email from Farmer Ron:


Hi Everyone,

Well we are still awaiting our last two Jamaican employees to gain approval to enter the country for the 15th time. Our government makes this so difficult; you would think we were asking to drill an oil well a mile beneath the sea. I can understand the government’s concern; if we let in one too many Jamaican chefs it could have severe consequences to the gastronomical landscape. Think of all the chickens and pigs that could end up covered in cooking oil! Green fields of Callaloo sautéed in oil. Plantains and Festival Dumplings fried in oil. It is an oil baste economy. Now that I think of it…Jamaican Grill Night starts next Wednesday 5-8 pm...

We have two new baby goats on the farm strictly for the purposes of breeding. I urge you to come to the farm to pick berries and vegetables. Due to government regulations I can not suggest you visit the farm to view the animals as the farm would be required to seek a federal permit if we did make that suggestion (We have been advised of this fact by a state employee who seems to have nothing better to do with their time). When you are picking crops please do not be entertained by any of the livestock that we are breeding for commercial purposes. The young turkeys are for Thanksgiving dinner, the sheep and alpacas are for wool, the chickens and ducks are for eggs, and the jackasses are for writing government regulations.

Father’s Day, Sunday June 20th from 11 to 3 is our Father’s Day Buffet... The kid’s get to decorate a plant for Dad as well. I was planning to offer games such as pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey but that is a form of animal entertainment.

Farmer Ron

Great Thing to Wake Up to...

Day four in Baghdad... I wake up to a very special message from Dennis:

Just had the sweetest night with Isabelle.
She chose three books, we read them in bed (after brushing teeth and going potty), then turned out the lights. It was still a little light out so we could see each other. I gave her a kiss and told her "I love you so much." She asked why! I gave her like 20 reasons why, then she had to go potty again, and as we were walking into the bathroom, she said "When we get back can you tell me more reasons you love me?" So, so sweet. I gave her a bunch more reasons, and she added some of her own (of why I love her), such as "how I laugh when I make up words". It was amazing. She then tried to tell me she was still hungry, which I didn't buy at all (she had a great dinner of BBQ salmon, corn on the cob and stuffed quahog), and I told he she could have a great breakfast. She asked for a cookie with her lunch. I told her yes. So, so, sweet and amazing. What a great kid. Absolutely no issues with her going to sleep on her own, and that conversation is one I will remember forever.

And that's a message that I will remember forever...

Sabina's First Boat Ride is a Whale of a Time

There's a reason Stellwagen National Sanctuary is one of the top 10 places in the world to watch whales! And it's just a two hour boat ride away for us... and what a trip! Through the Cape Cod Canal into Cape Cod Bay... past Wellfleet's dunes... until Provincetown's Herring Cove Point comes into view and the Long Point Lighthouse seems to take you to the end of the earth. We traveled there (our third trip) over Memorial Day weekend - the Webber fam on board with us! Isabelle and Anika ate their weight in watermelon. We were rockin' and rollin' on the bow watching the whales! Highlights: a mom with her calf and a pod of five whales giving us a blow hole concert.



We overnighted in P-Town Harbor (the P is definitely for Partaaay!), and wrapped up the weekend with a fabulous BBQ back at the marina (kale salad madness) where we were joined by Jim, Jane, Bri, Meaghan and Corey.

Isabelle's Surrogate Sis

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Amman, Jordan getting ready to fly into Baghdad first thing in the morning. It's my first night gone, and Dennis had a meeting to go to. Seems sad - but as you can see, Isabelle is celebrating right now! Our absence means she gets to hang with Baby Fia! And there aren't too many people more popular with
Isabelle than Baby Fia!

They're partying it up in the bathtub and the crib...



Thanks Tammy (and Greg!) for taking such good care of Little Sweetie!

Silly Patriot

Pulling into Edgartown Harbor, Isabelle decides to spice up the Pledge of Allegiance.