Sakonnet Saunter

Let's just say I had been looking forward to June 24th for about two months and Chris, for about 1 week. As a Father's Day gift to Chris, I purchased two tickets to the "Great Food, Wines and Beers of Rhode Island" festival at Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, RI. A portion of the proceeds helped benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank so I felt like it was a somewhat noble thing to do, even though in reality, my taste buds were the driving force behind the purchase! The weather was perfect and Maeve wasn't anywhere in sight (insert a very small "yipee" here). We sampled beers from local breweries (my favorite being from the Coddington Brewery out of Portsmouth, RI) and foods from close to 25 different restaurants around the Ocean State. Our samplings were accompaned by live music and we worked at a comfortable pace as we navigated our way around the huge tent. We left with full, happy bellies and the promise of returning in 2008!

Aquarium Adventure

We decided to say goodbye to June and usher in July with a trip to the New England Aquarium. A Beantown fixture that I haven't visited in a solid 15-20 years. Thanks to Scott's Aunt Marge all six adults (Mom, Dad, Eileen, Scott, Chris and myself) had free admission and of course, you-know-who is under age 3 so she was free. The Aquarium was pretty much how I remember it to be and fortunately for it (we had heard it was having some financial difficulties), there were plenty of people who had the same idea that we did that day. Maeve was pretty much wowed by everything she saw including the little "petting" tank which was packed with kids. Here are some shots from our visit:














Then came the burning question: Where should we grab lunch? The answer was pretty easy considering we had all parked in the same pay garage right next to the aquarium. So we headed across the street to Legal Sea Foods and enjoyed lots of fresh sea food and some spirits. Dad and I got kind of fancy and ordered a couple of Mojitos which we enjoyed. And you'll see below, that someone else found satisfaction in the decorative stick of sugar cane from Dad's drink:





A shot of the budding marine biologist before we even hit Route 93 South...

Jump Start Your Day!

There's nothing like a good hearty breakfast to start you off on the right foot in the morning. And for Maeve, there's nothing like mooching her Dad's entire bowl of cereal off of him...

The Bond Between Mother and Child...

OK, so to clue everyone in, I couldn't be more facetious than I am right now in titling this blog. Getting any 15-month-old child to sit still on my lap is a challenge but it's a real killer when your own 15-month-old child doesn't want to be there. I decided to endure the wrath of Maeve for this brief photo shoot and although I abhor such close-ups of myself, I'm indulging you for the (I think) priceless expressions on my daughter's face:

Quiet Time With Gramp

At some point during almost every visit to her Grandparents' Home (Providence OR Hanson), Maeve begins to "crank out" as I like to call it and exhibit signs of needing to slow down and, in most cases, take a nap. In Hanson, we employ the old Pack-N-Play set up in my parents' bedroom. But in Providence, Maeve likes to employ her Grandfather who has a 100% success rate of either pacifying her beyond our wildest dreams or rocking her to sleep completely. During our latest visits to Providence, Maeve and Gramp like to steal away to the back porch. And on Father's Day, I stole away to the back porch as well...

Great Expectations

Sunday, June 10th marked the opportunity for family and friends to shower both Brian and Michelle and their baby (still in utero, of course) who is expected to captivate all of us in late September. The event was beautifully organized by Michelle's mother and sister and the atmosphere was warm and charged with big love for the couple of the hour. Michelle played the part of a svelt pregnant woman better than anyone and Brian had a continuous smile on his face as he slowly began to drown in pink, pink and more pink. Here are some shots of the day for you to enjoy. We wish Bri and Michelle smooth sailing all the way through and can't wait for them to realize that the love they will experience for each other on the day their child is born will far exceed the love shared by them on their wedding day. Ah, life is beautiful!

A Graber Social Call and a Chow Down Show-Down

Two weeks ago, Maeve and I indulged in a visit with the Grabers (minus hard-working Dad, Steve who was on a business trip in NY). We had hoped to incorporate a nice walk on the Boulevard in Providence, but mother nature wasn't in on the plan and instead, we watched the rain drops from our table for five at the Garden Grille, where the sun shone bright inside. A lovely dinner was had by all and then it was back to Seekonk to unwind a bit. Much earlier that day, at about 7:30 AM to be more precise, I had carefully and lovingly prepared some fresh strawberries for Maeve to round out her shredded mini wheat breakfast. I thought, as I rinsed and cored them, "what kid doesn't like strawberries?" Apparently, my kid doesn't like them. She put one piece in her mouth and made the most god-awful gagging sound as it came sliding out. And I figured, that was the end of that. Fast forward twelve hours later. Enter Josie and TJ Graber. Two kids with an insatiable appetite for ANYTHING that is good for you. I placed my tupperware of prepared strawberries in the middle of the coffee table. I watched Josie and TJ lunge for the gorgeous red berries and sat in awe as they began to devour them with sheer delight. Then I looked to my right to find Maeve carefully surveying the feeding frenzy, the wheels of her mind picking up speed. No sooner had I acknowledged her examining the kids enjoying the fruit, when she marched over to the table, selected the largest strawberry in the bunch and shoved it whole, right into her mouth. Then she whipped around to shoot me a look realizing she had barely any room to actually chew the fruit. It took her a minute or two but she downed the strawberry in triumph. And wouldn't you know? She hasn't had a strawberry since.