Staycation: Part 2

Staycation Part Two began with a trip to Sebago Lake on the Wednesday. It's a bit of a drive out there but always worth it as Raf, especially, can swim and swim and swim as the water is generally calm and clear (no pesky seaweed for our seaweed disliking 6 year old). It was difficult to coax him out...

Charlie also enjoyed it, but he's not a fan of being cold, even mildly so, so he was especially happy about the picnic. Living the dream, these two.

Yummy, yummy!

Hatts enjoyed the shade offered by the trees... 

And we also hit the park there, along with an entire camp of children. Rich took the littlest two for a drive as we were there long after nap time, and this meant I could have some swimming fun with Rafi. It was just beautiful. Pity we don't live closer nowadays.

But we did manage to hit the beach for some evening fun.

Raf is loving his boogie board and I wish I'd gotten him into a surf camp this year... next year, for sure.

Yep, not a fan of the cold!

Here I go...

Our cool dude.

This is more like it, Charlie.

On Thursday we lay low for most of the day so I could get some work done. That evening, though, we headed into Portland to buy some takeaway Thai food from our favourite vegetarian restaurant, The Green Elephant. Thanks to Amy and Jen who gave us voucher for our anniversary last year! Raf surprised us by eating things with spinach in them (hurrah!), and we took our Thai picnic to Bug Light Park to watch the evening movie in the park. It was such a lovely event. We ate, played football, enjoyed the views and ice treats and just about made it through most of the film (though I couldn't tell you what it was about.. Tangled, I think).

We live in such a beautiful part of the world.

Goodnight, Portland.

On the Friday we took a boat out to Peaks Island with my friend Rob and his lovely children, Penelope and Javi. Next year Hatts will be old enough for us to bring our bikes, but on this trip we just headed to the beach there for a picnic.

The crew.

And back to Portland.

We enjoyed a lie in on the Saturday (you know, past 6am).

And a final staycation trip to the train station with Rich (we usually have to go without him). We treated the boys to new museum trolley shirts and we boarded the trolley for a family ride.

On the Saturday Raf had a very high fever of 104, but I put the tent up (and Rich helped to finish it off) and bless the boys they all went camping in the garden (not a good way for Rich to begin the work week!). Raf and Rich made it until morning but at 3am I could hear Charlie crying, I want mama, I want mama', and Rich brought him to me upstairs.

Good luck!

 A really wonderful, busy, exhausting staycation (I could do with another holiday after that). Lots of things to tick off on our summer wish list, too!

Staycation Part One

A couple of weeks ago Rich took a week off from work for a family staycation. We have a long list of things we want to do this summer, and we planned to tick a few off the docket during this week. We started the week off with a very busy weekend, beginning with a baby shower for our friend and lovely neighbour, Shannon, who is having a baby girl! It was at her inlaws house and they have a lovely pool that the boys enjoyed very much. 

A relaxing evening on the deck..

And on the Sunday a Teddy Bears' picnic at Rafi's friend Gideon's home. It was such a lovely morning (and Gideon's mum is just brilliant so it was fun for me, too).

A quick evening trip to the beach with some neighbourhood friends rounded out a busy weekend.

Here's Hatts being all sweet in the midst of it all.

The next day, along with almost all of Maine, we took advantage of half price Mondays at Aquaboggan, a local water park. Raf has been desperate to go but I can't take all three on my own so this was high on our list. Raf is like a little fish and he loves to swim around so he was happy to spend a lot of time in the wave pool. Charlie liked the toddler pool, too.

Raf went on a couple of slides, but we really do need to go back so he can spend more time exploring the bigger kid slides. 

Aw, relaxing.

Hatts and I look on as the boys play in the big pool.

Charlie must have worked up an appetite as here he's eating an apple and a banana simultaneously.

On the Tuesday we decided to do a little hike around Mackworth Island. This is another place we've been meaning to take the boys. It was a beautiful afternoon for it.

A little break on well placed benches along the way.

Stopping to build a fairy house.

Leaves for a roof.

We were lucky to miss an incoming storm and en route home we stopped off at Sweet Frog, which sells a number of dairy free 'ice creams'. So delicious!

And then a cuddle for the oldest and youngest when we arrived home.

And then a morning cuddle before we headed out on our next adventure to the lake..