Six, sweet, and sublime

My little prince,

Today you are six. You are full of energy and excitement, and your little face (which everyone tells me mirrors my own) is so expressive that I want to kiss your round cheeks every time I see you. 

Right now, you let me. 

Right now, you say, "Mama, you're my honey girl." 

Right now, you still curl up next to me in the mornings, even before I open my eyes, and say, "Hi Mama, I love you. Will you snuggle me?" 

Right now, you are fiercely loyal and loving, and I am incredibly lucky to see shades of the man you will become when you grow up: respectful, kind, and gentle.

You have your wild times too - you like to run around shrieking with laughter, and you want so much to keep up with your big sister. You have become a daredevil in the pool, and you vacillate between being my baby and a true little boy. You trotted off to camp for the first time and made new friends. You rode the current at the beach and your first roller coaster. You've grown so skinny and tall, and you will start first grade this fall. And even though I know you are growing up, I hold the memory of the first time I ever saw you so close to my heart. 

When I was pregnant with you, I had a little scare and I wanted to make sure you were all right. It was very early in my pregnancy, and I went to the doctor alone because your Daddy, Nanny and Papa were all away. I was nervous, but I thought to myself, "Okay, it's just you and me, kid. Hang on," so I packed Emerson into the car and prayed all the way to the doctor's office. When your sweet big sister (who was only 3) asked the ultrasound technician if her screen could play Dora cartoons, my worried face broke into a smile, and knew I had to be strong for both of you, no matter what. So I took a breath, said another prayer, and hoped you'd be in there. And suddenly there was a small scribble of your heartbeat, and I knew you were there, and you were mine.

You and me, kid. You completed our family and made my dreams come true. You and your sister are the greatest gifts I've ever known.

Happy sixth birthday, my sweet son.

Love, 

Mama

Escape to the Cape

I was never a South Shore girl. My summer vacations always included trips up north to New Hampshire or Maine, or super south to Florida.  My few visits to the Cape were anticlimactic at best - standing in a crowd at Clancy's or waiting in line for mini-golf, ice cream, batting cages, go-karts (or basically anything else) left me feeling lukewarm about Cape Cod. 

But when my dear friend K suggested we visit her at her summer home in West Dennis, the kids and I were so psyched. My kids and K's kids have gone to school together since kindergarten, and K is the perfect blend of smart and sarcastic. We've laughed through abysmal school years, innumerable nook reviews, and many bottles of Riesling together, so I knew spending time with her and her kids anywhere would be a blast, especially at her home-away-from-home on the Cape.

We headed to the beach much later than one would usually do so, but it was perfect. No crowds, no worries. The kids played for hours until hungry bellies made us leave in search of snacks. I usually hate restaurants with cutesy spellings, but I couldn't resist Kream n'Kone and I'm quite grateful. Not only did we dine in the finest beach style (you can walk in sandy and sweaty and still feel human in its open dining space) but the portions were terrific. Heaping piles of fried clams, lobster salad and chicken fingers later, we called it a night.

The next morning, I had a baptism - I shall never look at muffins the same way again after a trip to Woolfies Bakery in Dennis. The muffins were ENORMOUS and, even though we arrived later than the usual morning crowd (due to kids who were up until all hours watching episodes of Bunked), we still got some of their coveted chocolate chip muffins. And some blueberry muffins. And a cinnamon swirl croissant that looked like a massive danish and was worth every single calorie.

Though we had no business getting into bathing suits after that feast, we headed to the beach, where the weather was perfection. Our kids rode the warm currents (we were on he Nantucket side), sought out mussels, eels, and crabs, and enjoyed the sun and sand all day. We bumped into old friends, caught up on our favorite gossip, and had snacks and drinks until late afternoon.

Our final stop was The Summer Shanty, where the kids took over the Adirondack chairs on the lawn while my friends and I commandeered a perch overlooking both the kids and the boats docked behind them. I strongly suggest one of their haddock sandwiches, which came with a coleslaw that was both vinergary and sweet. I'm not a slaw fan, but this was excellent (it could have also been the amazing lemonade/Citron/Chambord dream drink I was sipping, interestingly named the "Wando"). Though the restaurant was packed by the time we were finishing up, an early afternoon visit yielded coveted seats and the perfect scenery. My Cape friends know all the tricks!

My quintessential summer experience was packed into just one full 24 period, but it was enough to make me fall in love with the Cape. Even the trafficky ride home didn't quell my joy and gratitude toward my pal and her family. Though the connotation of things "going south" is usually negative, I think I can join the summer folk who disagree; this North Shore girl will be on 93 South again soon!