The last week of August we had doctor and dentist appointments.  We also found time for a pirate party at the library and we did a drop-in painting session at Creative Corner, where we will be having Sarah’s birthday party in October.

On Sunday, 8/19, we left for our weeklong vacation in Chatham, at the elbow of Cape Cod.  The drive went fine, and we stopped for lunch at Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock, where I enjoyed my first lobster roll of the vacation.  The lobster was fresh and buttery.

After we arrived at our house and settled in, we walked into town and sat down for an early dinner at the Chatham Squire.  It was here that had my second lobster roll of the trip!  This one was mayo-based with some slightly strange seasoning.

Monday was cloudy so we decided to check out the Monomoy wildlife refuge.  The kids enjoyed the backpack they were able to borrow with binoculars, a net, and a magnifying glass.

After that we went for lunch at the fishing pier.  There weren’t any fish coming in, but we still managed to see a bunch of seals hanging around.  Andrew and I split a fried scallop roll and lobster roll #3.

That afternoon we drove over to Orleans and played mini-golf at the Cape Escape course.

The course was really crowded due to the weather so it ended up trying our patience at times.  Sarah had a very lucky hole-in-one which was much admired by the people waiting behind us.

That night Andrew cooked a delicious dinner at home.  Tuesday morning while brushing teeth Blaine lost his second tooth!

Tuesday was still cloudy, but it was supposed to rain on Wednesday, so we decided to hit the beach!  It was a little chilly and we were the only ones there, but we still had a great time.

That night we walked into town again for dinner at the Goose Tavern, and I had lobster roll #4.  I think this might have been my favorite lobster roll of the trip, all things considered.  It was delicious and it was such a nice setting, sitting outside on the porch watching the people go by.

Wednesday morning was rainy as predicted, so we decided to check out a strange breakfast spot at the local airport, called Hanger B.  It was tasty, and the kids loved looking at the airplanes.

After breakfast we went to the Chatham Railroad Museum.  The kids loved climbing around on this old caboose.

We went back to the house for lunch, and finished our first puzzle (500 pieces).

Then we went back out to see the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center.

Both kids enjoyed this display where they learned about morse code.

On the way back we stopped for ice cream at Buffy’s Ice Cream shop.

That night Andrew cooked up some bluefish he’d bought that day.

Here is a selfie Blaine took of his missing teeth.

Thursday we got some sun and headed to the beach.  Sarah was in a rare mood and actually wanted to be photographed!

I could be mistaken, but I think this was the day we did a takeout lunch from Chatham Fish and Lobster and I enjoyed lobster roll #5.  That night we got a babysitter and Andrew and I went out to dinner at the Impudent Oyster.  On the walk there we came across this poor squashed turtle; I am not sure why I took a picture.  But it does remind me of the other gruesome event of our trip: we had to clean up the remains of a rabbit from our yard one day.  We suspect it was the victim of a fox or a coyote, both of which we heard are often seen in the area.

And now for more wildlife!  On Friday morning we took a boat trip out to see some seals.  Our boat driver / tour guide taught us quite a bit about seals.  The seals we saw are all apparently pregnant, and will give birth in January.  They hang out here to avoid sharks.  He assured us seals are quite smart but do not get as much attention as sea lions because they can’t move around as much on land.  He also advised us to never touch a seal, even a dead one, because they carry a flesh-eating bacteria!  Yuck!

We spent Friday afternoon back at the beach.

That night Andrew grilled some steaks for a tasty dinner at home.  We also finished our second puzzle, this one with 1000 pieces.

Saturday was our last day, and in the morning we drove back into Orleans for some doughnuts from Hole in One, and ate them by this windmill.

Then we returned to Cape Escape for another round of mini-golf, and this time we stopped at the end to feed the koi.

On the way back we checked out the Chatham lighthouse.

Then we went to the beach for our last afternoon.  I took a few pics of the house, called “White Foam”.

That night we went out for our last dinner at Chatham Fish and Chips, and I finally remembered to take a picture of my sixth and final lobster roll of the trip before I ate it.

Sunday morning we packed up and headed back to NY.  We took a longer route through CT to avoid the traffic along the coast, and stopped for lunch at a well-known hot dog place called “Frankies”.  My hot dog had baked potato, chili, and bacon on it.  I had regrets after placing my order, but it was surprisingly good!

It was a wonderful week and we all hope to make it back to Chatham soon!

On August 18, while I was reading the kids their bedtime stories, Blaine excitedly interrupted to announce that he’d just lost his first tooth!  I can’t believe my little baby is old enough to be losing teeth.  We put it in a red envelope addressed to the tooth fairy and left it under his pillow.

One day Blaine and Andrew got to talking about oil and water.

A firefighter themed birthday party at our neighbors’ house.

One day I was able to convince Sarah to watch the Wizard of Oz with me!  Up until then the kids had refused because they thought it would be “too scary”.  Blaine still holds this opinion.

Another day we checked out the new Wednesday farmers’ market, with a special performance by the Groove band.  It was nice to see Leslie and Tom again and catch up.

I took the kids to Rye Playland for the first time on 8/14.  We had a great time!  I loved that the kids’ rides included mini versions of grown-up rides, like the scrambler, carousel, swings, and ferris wheel.  The kids’ favorite was the mini-whip (video below).

We paused mid-day for some lunch — Sarah had pizza, and Blaine opted for his first Nathan’s hot dog experience.

After some more rides, we stopped for a cold treat — Carvel soft serve for Blaine and a red icee for Sarah.

Blaine was nervous about the talent show at his camp, so I was very proud of him when he got up there with his group to dance to the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”.  He’s on the far left in the pics below.

On the penultimate day of camp (8/9), there was a graduation of sorts where the “purple shirts” (1st graders) were given certificates and promoted to “green shirt” status (which is what the 2nd-5th graders wear).  It was very sweet.

On 8/8, Sarah and I spent the morning at the Stepping Stones Children’s Museum in Norwalk.  We explored, made some crafts, and meticulously organized a giant light bright board.

Then we went to lunch at El Segundo.

We took a day trip into the city on August 4 to go to the top of One World Trade Center.  We rode the train to Grand Central and then stopped in to the Vanderbilt food hall for lunch.  Andrew and I had tasty lobster rolls and the kids had burgers and fries.

Then we took the subway to the Fulton Center.

Andrew pointed out the view of his office building looking uptown.

Here’s the East River with the Brooklyn Bridge on the right side, next to that stranger’s arm.

And here we are with the statue of liberty.

On the walk back to the subway we stopped to take in the 9-11 Memorial.

After our train ride back out to Larchmont we decided to eat dinner out at a Japanese restaurant, and Sarah tried using chopsticks for the first time.