By: Meghan ​
It’s almost April vacation and if you’re anything like me (i.e. you don’t have an exotic vacation coming
up), you are just now starting to plan for it. Well, I have a fun suggestion for a day trip to fill one of your
upcoming vacation days. Recently my girls and I discovered Beantown – no, not Boston – this Beantown is actually in Reading inside of … Jordan’s Furniture and is called BeanStalk Adventure Ropes Course. I have been sadly uneducated in the amazing offering that reside within Jordan’s Furniture. I always thought the only thing to be found there was, well, furniture. I was WRONG! Look at this place!

After our time was up on the course, we retired to Fuddruckers restaurant which is also right there at Beantown. So awesome! Did you know they have the World’s Greatest Hamburger? Well they say they do and we all thought so too. The kids also really liked the milkshakes! ​

After all that dancing we then got some yummy Sundays at Richardson’s Ice Cream Shop which is right next to the fountains inside the giant jelly bean banana split sundae. Yum!
There is one more cool feature that we didn’t get to experience, which is an 8 story Imax 3-D theater. It was showing a grown-up movie at the time, so we didn’t visit it, but if it was showing something else, how cool would that be to add in to the day?!
We were exhausted by the time we were done, luckily it was an easy drive back home to the Cape and it was such a fun, unexpected adventure. Our trip definitely made me excited to discover more awesome day trips we can do over vacation – stay tuned!
What do you have lined up for vacation? Any favorite day-trips that you recommend? Share for me and the other parents looking to fill our staycation or just our weekends. Thanks!

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By: Meghan 
​
One of the great joys of being a parent is seeing the world with the fresh perspective of your children’s vision. Things that were dull before become vibrant as they experience them for the first time. Holidays become sparklier, colors become brighter, trips become adventures. One of my favorite adventures that we take as a family is our annual time travel to King Richard’s Faire in Carvershire (Carver to those of us that live in the 21st century). 

Though the journey takes us back historically nearly 500 years, the easy drive from the Lower Cape is less than an hour.  This year’s visit was special because we introduced dear friends to the Faire and got to watch as they experienced the magic of the Faire for the first time. All summer my kids shared their excitement with their friends and by the time fall rolled around, they were on board for joining us on our visit this year. 

My kiddos are 5 and 7 and they LOVE the Faire. Beginning in July, they start asking if it’s time to go and begin planning their outfits. Yes, we dress up. All of us (stop laughing!).

It truly adds to the experience, bringing you into the realm as you interact in your role with the actual performers. It’s so fun for me … I mean the kids, yes the kids. 

We were lucky enough to be there for the opening ceremony this year, which is truly a treat. The King, Queen, and various other Royals and court members welcomed the crowd, introducing the characters and storyline that would be woven through the day. As the crowd moved in the Washing Well Wenches hung over the railing saying hello to handsome fellows and requesting cartwheels from men in kilts. My kids were thrilled to be met inside the village by the King, Queen, and the King’s mother. They curtsied beautifully and charmed the royal family with their princess manners.

My favorite moment of the day may have been when our 8-year-old friend stood staring in amazement at the Faire’s village and said “I never imagined it like this. It’s like someone took Chatham back to the middle ages!”

 There were several new acts this year that were truly wonderful! One of those was a fantastic new show at the Dance Stage which is set up among the picnic tables near the food stands. There were huge red strands of silk fabric hanging from the sky above the stage. As we sat eating our huge turkey legs we were thrilled to find out why – the aerial silk show Draiku began performing beautiful aerial acrobatics that took our breath away! The new Big Cat Show is a huge improvement over years past with a lot of educational

The jousting tournament was again amazing with gorgeous horses and talented knights showing their yeomanly skills. We love cheering for Sir Jeffrey and always sit in his section of the jousting field. 
After the afternoon’s jousting match it was time to visit the artisans of the realm. My kids have become enamored of dragon pets that they can only find at the Faire. Every year they add to their growing family and buy a dragon each. It is their special remembrance to get them through until the next year’s trip. Apparently they’re good for snuggling too. 

 It was another wonderful trip back in time and clearly I enjoyed it, but this year I decided that it was time to let my kids have a turn sharing their thoughts about King Richard’s Faire. So fair readers, here is an interview with my tiny time travelers Fiona (7) and Coco (5):

1.) Girls, how do you know that it’s time to go to King Richard’s Faire?

Coco: Because you just know!

Fiona: Because it’s fall and then we get our costumes and then we get our tickets!

2.) How many years have you two gone to King Richard’s Faire?

Coco: 3 years

3.)Can you think back to the first year we went and tell me what you thought it was going to be like? 
Fiona:  I didn’t know actually. I just thought it was someplace kingly and queenly and witchy. 

Coco: I thought it would be like it is

4.) What is your favorite memory about King Richard’s Faire?

Coco and Fiona: Getting our first dragons!

5.) Why do you want to go back to King Richards Faire?

Fiona: Because it’s really awesome!

Coco: Because it’s really nice!

6.) What makes it awesome and nice?

Coco: Because the whole thing is nice, I can’t describe it.

Fiona: It’s nice in a way that people want to go every year once they try it. If they go this year they’ll probably go again next year.

7.) What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at King Richard’s Faire? 

​Fiona: The tournament! PS – don’t be scared about what I’m about to tell you, but there is a bit of violence in the tournament. 

Coco: Yeah, it was crazy when the King said the tournament would be to the death. Yech.
(Mom note: There are three tournaments and they get progressively more intense, the 3rd joust is mortal combat. We have actually never attended that one as my kids are pretty sensitive.)

8.) What was you favorite thing about the Faire this year?

Fiona: The dragons!

9.) How did it feel to meet the king?

Fiona: Kind of weird an kind of nice and kind of freaky, because he’s a king and I never met a king before. 

10.) What was your favorite show this year? 

Fiona: The tournament

Coco: The cat show

11.) What was your favorite ride?

Fiona: The jousting horse ride, I actually speared the little ring out of the dragon’s mouth when I went riding down on the horse! 

Coco: The swan swing, it went so high and I almost fainted!

12.) Did you eat any food?

Coco: I ate at the kings feast, we had a giant ice cream

13.) What did you think about the acrobats on the silk 

Fiona: Cool but scary! 

Coco: I don’t think I could do that!

14.) What about the guy on the tight rope?

Fiona: He walked on it with high heels on! I don’t know how he walked on there!

Coco: I was freaked out for him!

15.) Did you see any interesting characters

Fiona: The Laundry Monster

Coco: The king’s mother was there this year!
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Fiona: I met Tree Fairies too and they can’t talk to grown ups but they did talk to me!
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16.) Anything else people should know?

​Coco: The horses are pretty!

17.) Would you go back?Fiona: Yes!
Coco: Even if we couldn’t bring our cat we’ll still go back!

So there you go! King Richard’s Faire is the place to be! The Faire runs weekends through October 25th in Carver. Check out more information at www.kingrichardsfaire.net. Huzzah! 

After I wrote my review last year, I did not anticipate how large the Faire would loom in their memories and how important that experience was to them. One of the wonderful aspects of being a parent is seeing the world from their perspective, and as they shared their memories and opinions about the Faire over the course of the year, I began to see King Richard’s Faire from their point of view. As they began to see signs for the Faire and repeatedly asked to return, I knew we would once again be going to “Carvershire.”  (picture courtesy of King Richard’s Faire).

I was curious to see if it would have the same effect on them now that they are another year older and my big girl especially is moving farther and farther away from magical thinking. However, as we walked through the gates and we were greeted by “whale spit” bubbles practically as large as they; the magic began to take hold. 

We spent the first hour walking around the grounds and taking in all the sights. And what sights there were! Princesses, fairies, lords and ladies, the king and queen themselves. There were warriors and knights, elves and jesters. We use this time to identify all the rides and games we may want to participate in and also start looking at the amazing wares for sale by the artisans. The girls are allowed to pick a certain number of rides and this time allows them to begin the decision making process on what rides/games they will do. 

We all love the jousts, they are truly the top attraction for our family, and my youngest has a special place in her heart for Sir Jeffery, drawing this picture after we had returned home. There he is, Sir Jeffrey and his happy horse.

After seeing the King’s Tournament we began taking in the shows and riding on the rides. There is just so much to do and see, I can understand why some people make this a two day affair. My girls were kind enough to rank the shows from their perspective and these are their top three shows:

TOP 3 SHOWS FOR KIDS BY FIONA AND COCO

1.       The Tale of The Tiger – Big Cat Show – this one ranks at the top of the list for them because they are real deal cat lovers (with an allergic dad, so no kitties at home) and these larger than life cats were amazing to see up close. Also, the girls were so excited that there was a young Liger in the show this year. One of the few disappointments last year was that the Liger was not well enough to travel. The cubs were ridiculously adorable!

2.       Vicious and Delicious – These two charming young acrobats put on such a great show that we had to stop and watch them whenever my girls caught sight of their act. Juggling, acrobatics, humor, contortionism, among other excitement kept the girls enthralled.

3.       Paolo Garbanzo – the fire breather and juggler, Coco said “that’s not safe mom” but they also couldn’t believe their eyes! He is an award winning entertainer and puts on a great show!

1.       Washing Well Wenches – These bawdy ladies have been a staple of the Faire for awhile now and it’s easy to see why. Their raucous humor and raunchy jokes are fun and great for grown-ups. Not for the kiddie crowd though as noted in the flyer you receive on entry, which identifies shows that are PG-13 or R so you don’t inadvertently expose the kiddos to topics they’re not quite ready for. Don’t sit in the front row though unless you’re looking to cool off, you’ll definitely end up with a good soaking!

2.       The Mud Show – This is another great show for the grown-ups, very silly and good fun with lots of laughter and audience participation. Physical humor such as muddy face plants and a finale where one of the performers has to actually eat mud kept the audience involved and hysterical. Watch out for muddy smooches from the “sturdy beggars”! 

3.       Jacques Ze Whipper – You may remember from last year my, ahem, enjoyment of this performer. Jacques puts on a great show with his whip skills and his personality adds to the fun (think Pepe Le Peu). He has a flaming whip people! 

A quick note on the shows, all of the performers ask for tips afterwards and though they’re certainly not required a small tip is a nice way to show your enjoyment of their skills and hard work as well as a great way for the kids to meet their favored performers and say thanks.

Between shows we went to the gaming glen where you can find games of skills and man-powered rides. The games included archery, throwing knives, canon shooting, and other games that you certainly won’t find at any typical carnival. The girls forego the games though to use their allotted money for the rides. The rides are just great and a real taste of history for them. They are all operated by people pushing them or by ropes and pulleys or other simple mechanical systems that the kids are likely learning about in school. They are fun to ride and let the kids feel like they were enjoying experiences that kids in the Renaissance would have enjoyed as well.

We all enjoyed a ride on the Nina (next to her sister ships, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, quite appropriate for Columbus Day weekend) and used our rope pulleys to swing higher and higher. 

Coco loved riding on the pony (no really, she did)! And yes, she is dressed up like a cat. They had those in the Renaissance too, right?

Fiona loved the Jacob’s Ladders which look simple but were twisting and twirling and, as far as I could tell, impossible to climb to the top.

All the rides are an additional cost around $2-4/ride, which brings me to an important point about the Faire, there are a lot of additional costs. The food, the rides, the tips, the souvenirs, it all adds up and you could easily spend a fortune. To avoid this we make a clear budget and share it with the girls in this way: this is what we are spending on food (this means you can get one snack and one treat), this is what we are spending on rides (that equals this specific number of rides), you can each get one small item at the end of the day to take home. Additionally we knew to bring change and dollar bills for tips during the day.

All of this is discussed beforehand with the kiddos so that there are no surprises and they can put thought into their choices while at the Faire. We eat a big lunch before we arrive and spend the food money on an afternoon snack and a treat. Which for me was hard cider served in a glass with sugar and cinnamon on the rim – why did I never think to do that?! It’s delicious!! While we are walking around we identify all the ride options and they can start narrowing down their choices. We also look at all the items that are for sale and they can think about their choice throughout the day. This preparation keeps the Faire affordable for us and reduces the likelihood of meltdowns throughout the day. I was shocked when this method worked last year and that it worked again this year, but miracles happen and we’ll keep using it until it stops working. 

There are gluten free, lactose free, and vegan food choices at the Faire, which is awesome and so helpful for food allergy families! But there are still lots of nuts around, “The King’s Nuts” are one of their big sellers, so if your kiddo has a nut allergy this is not the place to bring them. Maybe in future years the Faire will consider this and make it a safe environment, but as of this year that’s not the case. I saw the “king’s nuts” littered around the jousting area and I was sad that we would not be able to recommend the Faire to our Cape Cod Moms that have family members with nut allergies. I hope this changes because it seems short sighted to cut out an entire section of customers just to continue selling the “king’s nuts.”  

In any case, back to our adventure. This year the girls chose not to attend Princess Academy and Knight School, but they give them their strongest recommendation – “Do it, you have to do the schools!”  These schools are so fun for the kids and the kids get to meet the King, the Queen, the Princesses, and the knights. It is a great, interactive experience for the kids and they also get to go out onto the jousting field. These schools are held in the Kids’ Cove which is an enclosed area for families. In addition to these interactive activities, there are also quiet, individual activities kids can do if they need a bit of a break from so much going on around them. There is also a few little nooks in there that are good for solo hiding time for those kiddos that just need a break in the middle of all of the festivities.

The vendors were again amazing, the amount of work and skill that these people have is really remarkable. The girls both chose to buy dragons from Dragon Pets, a wonderful vendor who goes above and beyond for their customers. 

This is the final weekend of the Faire for the 2014 season. I hope you and your kiddos go and have a fantastic time! We will certainly be back to see what’s new in Carvershire in 2015!

For planning purposes:

The Faire is at 235 Main Street (Route 58) in Carver, MA

Pets and outside food and drinks are not allowed on Faire grounds

You can find more info about King Richard’s Faire at www.kingrichardsfaire.net or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

By: Meghan
Though I am lucky enough to call Cape Cod home these days, I was born in Providence and lived in Rhode Island until I was five. One of my earliest memories is of my uncle buying me a Del’s Lemonade at Roger Williams Park Zoo. I can still taste the cool lemon and remember the excitement at being with my very cool uncle and the amazement I felt at seeing so many animals. I’ve been looking forward to sharing a similar experience with my little ones and had been planning on taking them to Roger Williams Park Zoo all summer. The weeks went by and summer has flown, it is nearly the first week of school, and we still haven’t been to the zoo! It’s a zoo emergency! So this past weekend I decided to make it a priority and I’m so glad that I did! What an adventure we had. 

If you’ve been to the zoo previously, but haven’t been there in the past year you are in for a surprise! Donors such as Alex and Ani, Hasbro, CVS Caremark, Citizens Bank, and many others have given generous funding to update large portions of the zoo. It was such a treat to experience the upgrades that these donations have made possible! This year the zoo also offered special activities that are only available during the spring and summer. These activities end September 1st and if you can get there this week, then go! First was Butterflies in Bloom, which is an indoor sanctuary filled with a variety of species of butterflies and plants that attract and support them. The girls were thrilled with the close contact to these beauties and imagine my shock when my six year old said “Look! I can see his Proboscis!” apparently she was paying attention during camp at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History! 

The Zoo offers the special activities at an additional, but very affordable cost, and also has the option of purchasing an Explorer Pass which gives unlimited access to all of the activities for one price. This is the route we chose and I’m glad we did because the kids couldn’t get enough of them! The second activity brought us up close and personal with some of the zoo residents – the camels! The girls got to take a ride on a camel! They loved it and my four year old ended up going on multiple times by herself!  

My six year olds favorite activity came later in the day – rock climbing! This activity is a great way to get some big muscle activity going after all the walking of the zoo. A big climbing structure has been erected in the center of the zoo with harnesses and ropes. My girl loved trying to get to the top and the feeling of zipping down as she repelled back to solid ground. She might have chosen to spend all day doing this one activity, but in the end the draw of the animals was too much and she had to keep checking them out. 

There is a great variety of animals and the zoo is perfectly sized for children, you can visit all the animals in one trip and feel like you’ve seen a huge assortment of creatures. We loved the giraffes, elephants, and zebras that are nearest to the entrance and guarantee that you will see some beautiful animals right away. My kiddos also loved the seals, the snow leopard, and the red panda. We were lucky enough to be there when a wallaby joey was just leaving its mama’s pouch and exploring the world independently. In this area you are really close to the wallabies and kangaroos and they might cross right in front of you on the path, it was so cool to be so close to these guys! We also got to see a baby red crowned crane which I wouldn’t even have noticed if not for my six year olds keen eyes. The giant anteaters are also proud new parents, but they are not back on display yet as they are still bonding.  It’s such a treat for all of us to see this cycle of life in these animals we don’t get to see every day. 

For those that have been before, you may remember the farmyard area. This is one of the areas that has been completely renovated and improved! It is so fun! In the new Alex and Ani Farmyard, the kids get to practice collecting eggs and milking cows. They also get to go in and play with the goats. There are barn owls, alpacas, miniature donkeys, pigs, and other farm animals to visit. My kids loved brushing the little goats and the opportunity to spend time doing that provided some welcome quiet, calm moments in the middle of our exciting zoo day. All the goats are named and the zoo workers will teach them to you. 

We ended up getting a late lunch/early dinner there to boost our energy for the last portion of the day. They had lots of kid friendly food at affordable prices and yummy stuff for grownups too. And of course, we had to get our kid’s their first Del’s lemonade (and some for mama too)! 

It was a fantastic day and we all loved it! The kids can’t wait to go back and they’re asking to go in October for the annual Jack O’Lantern Spectacular when there will be over 5,000 carved pumpkins displayed. There were signs up around the park and they really captured the kids’ imaginations! They love the idea of Halloween at the Zoo and seeing so many jack-o-lanterns at once! Every year a new theme is chosen for this festival and this year’s theme is “Jack O’Lanterns A to Z” and the pumpkin art (many carved by professional artists) will be arranged in scenes in alphabetical order, such as D is for Dinosaur, F is for Fantasy, and so on. There’s even a section honoring inspirational individuals such as Nelson Mandela and Princess Diana. There is a grand finale called the Laughing Tree which has hundreds of glowing jack-o-lanterns on the ground and high up in the trees. The crew, Passion for Pumpkins, that creates the pumpkins works nearly around the clock for 32 nights keeping the pumpkins fresh for visitors, so crazy! It sounds so cool, and I’m excited to go see it this year for the first time with my little ones!

The show runs at the Zoo from October 2nd through November 2nd from 6-11pm and is a major fundraiser for the Zoo. I would suggest heading to the Zoo after lunch and visiting all the sites there and then enjoying the early hours of the show with your kiddos. Or you can have an early dinner at my awesome cousin Ed’s restaurant, Vanity Supper Club in Providence, which is delicious and a really cool spot!

Ok back to our day, we ended at “Our Big Back Yard”, which is an amazing play and exploration area for kids and families. There is an indoor activity space, a special place to trade nature items with other kids, an outdoor play space with “the Drip Drop Water Garden,” “The Sticks & Stones Building Zone,”  “Creativity Corner” where kids can make nature art, and the “CVS Caremark All Kids Can Treehouse” which has tons of hands on activities and cool corners to explore. With swings, climbing structures and tunnels carved out of the earth and made from trees, it is a great spot to end the day and get out wiggles before the ride back to the Cape. We brought a change of clothes and a bathing suit so the kids could play in the water area and the dirt without worrying about ruining their clothes for the ride home. 

We had a great time at the Roger Williams Park Zoo and loved all the activities; I heard rumors that the climbing wall may still be up in October, but no promises. If it is, definitely participate! If you miss the seasonal activities this year, I’ve been assured there will be some awesome ones starting next spring as well. It’s so fun to explore attractions that are a quick trip from the Cape; sometimes we do need to go over the bridge!

 Have you been to the Zoo? What did you think? What’s your favorite day trip from the Cape? 

Kids Academy - ABC alphabet Fun for my Four Year Old! I was looking for an app to help my little one improve her letter recognition when I came upon this great app. It has fun mazes that reward her with cute animations and letter tracing to aid in recognition and writing. In the free version only uppercase letters are included but for 2.99 you can add lower case or for 9.99 you can get that and a ton of awesome add ons that make the app a tremendous learning tool. The music and instructional voice is calm and helpful and my kiddo returns to this app again and again despite having other options on the phone. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/preschool-kindergarten-learning/id603393402?mt=8

Kids Academy - Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Kids Games Works to improve Number & Letter recognition
 This has been great for both my 4 & 6 year old. They are able to work at their own ability level thanks to the option to create separate profiles. My older girl likes to “teach” the little one and she often does it with this app, so cute! We’ve started using a stylus to make it easier to write the letters and numbers and that made it much easier to use (we had a hard time getting it right with just our fingers), this also better mimics using a pencil which is great! This has a great section that connects letters to words and that really helped my little one start connecting the letters themselves to the sounds she’s hearing around her. Numbers have also been tough for her, so this review has been great! 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/preschool-kids-games-kid-puzzles/id543851593?mt=8

Kids Academy – Best Kids Songs: Bingo 
Love this musical learning app This is one of my daughter’s favorite songs so when I saw the app, I knew she would it and she does! I was expecting simply some fun music time with my little one, but it provides even more than that! it is very interactive and helps teach her letters and animal sounds while singing her favorite song. She claps her hands and sings along. The graphics were cute and she loves exploring the farm and seeing what happens when you touch different areas of the screen. She enjoyed this one so much, we are going to try the other Kids Academy song apps now too! 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kids-academy-best-kids-songs/id675554527?mt=8

Disclosure: Reviewer received a copy of this e-book in order to facilitate an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are the author's own.

By: Meghan
I am a reader, always have been and always will be. When I was a kid, a book was always in my hands, my bag, or at least nearby. Reading was my escape, my way of visiting foreign ports, my chance at time travel, and a way to meet people facing choices I’d never imagined.

The best books are the books that stick with you, even when you put them down. They infect your conscious so that when you’re out doing every day activities you are thinking of the characters, seeing the world in a new way, or experiencing emotions that are a result of what you’ve read. These books change your view of the world.

I am in the midst of reading a series of books that are capturing my mind and my heart, they are based on Cape Cod and I thought I would share them with you mamas! This book is making me see the Cape in a new way, and feel the hope, grief, love, and excitement of the characters. I just completed the first book -  This Is The House by Deborah Hill. Set on Cape Cod, the story follows Molly Deems from age 18 months through adulthood.

Born during the American Revolution, she and her mother face tremendous struggles after the loss of her father during the war. Molly’s mother had nothing and no one to help her and is essentially bought by a mean, vicious man and she and Molly must move with him to Barnstable. There her mother is abused and used as he pleases. To help her daughter escape a similar awful fate, her mother finds Molly a place as a serving girl in the home of a wealthy sea captain’s family in Yarmouth.

Molly is blessed with a kind and loving mistress, Elizabeth Ward, who teaches her to read and write as well as the skills to run a fashionable household despite Molly’s lowly status as a servant. Molly is bright and kind and good. She is a hard worker and succeeds in her role serving Captain Ward, his wife, and two sons - though she aspires to more. A great beauty she begins to attract attention as she ages and she knows if she wants to advance her station in life, she must connect herself with a man on his way up in the world. On Cape Cod the upwardly mobile men were the sea captains.

In the Ward’s house, she meets a young man, Elijah Merrick, about to take command of his first ship. Using her natural charm, beauty, intellect, and a little manipulation, she quickly wins his heart. There are many obstacles to their marriage - she’s a servant girl, her reputation is in question thanks to her mother’s position, Elijah’s old Cape Cod family will not accept her, and worst of all is her attraction to the Ward’s irresponsible, handsome son, Isaac.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the story because it is a joy to read and root for Molly and Elijah, her good hearted, loving sea captain. They are both complicated characters faced with choices and difficulties true to their historical time period. Their story shows the social mobility that was available to Cape Codders in a time when Cape Cod men were the premier captains and sailors in the country and the world was theirs to explore and make their fortune. These captains and their wives changed the face of the Cape, leaving the old one story rambling Cape homes for the large Captain’s homes we see dotting Route 6A to this day.

As I drive down the road, it is easy to imagine Molly and Elijah walking down that road, riding in their carriage as their fortune grew, and finally building their own two story, double chimney house. It was a joy to learn more about Cape history, the story left me hungering to research the past. Find out the details of the towns and families described in the book. Many of you Cape Cod Mommies will recognize familiar names (maybe your name!) as you read this book. We meet members of the Sears, Snow, Mayo, and other families that are still living here today. Deborah Hill writes about old feuds and what caused them, the division of towns and how they came to be. It’s a fascinating read, especially for those of us lucky enough to live here, a land still populated by captains and their sailors.

The author lived on Cape Cod and married into a family with mariner roots. She read the memoir of her husband’s Revolutionary War-era ancestor (Elijah Cobb) and included many elements of his story and the Cape he described into the book. Read it and tell me what you think. I’m about to start The House of Kingsley Merrick the next book in the series and am so excited that Deborah Hill has just released the final book in this trilogy – The Heir. This is exciting because the other two books were released in the 1970’s and fans of the series have been waiting ever since for the third book and here it is, hurrah! I hope to find the next two books as engaging as this first book, I will definitely report back

If you enjoy historical fiction, if you want to learn about Cape Cod after the Revolutionary War and during the early 19th century, or if you are just looking for your next good read, then go check out This Is The House, you won’t regret it!

Check out more info on the books here: http://www.deborahhillbooks.com/

By: Meghan

Well it’s official; I heard a Christmas song at the store the other day. We are officially in the crazy, wonderful, maddening, holiday season. I love this time of year. The magic, the anticipation, the music, the movies, and the helping one another out community feeling this season brings.
 
I feel a little behind because I completely missed Halloween. My
youngest and I were both sick, sick, sick that week and missed all the festivities. Have you mamas ever had Pneumonia?! It was insanity. I could not get up out of bed. It’s been almost two weeks and I’m still not feeling 100%. The little one also had a respiratory infection, and the poor thing was so sick
she didn’t even care she was missing out on trick or treating. My big girl still got to go out that night and very kindly collected treats for her sister as well. So because I was so out of it that week, I feel like I’m just jumping straight to Thanksgiving. Which is fine, because if there’s one thing being sick made me feel, was gratitude. Weird, right?!
 
Grateful that I was only dealing with a short term sickness.  Grateful that my family is mostly healthy. Grateful that my friends brought me soup (and wine) until I was feeling better. Grateful that we have a roof over our heads, warm beds to sleep in, and love and friendship. I am so grateful, mamas. For you, for my family, for my friends, for health, and happiness. When = times are tough, I want to remember this feeling. Keep it stored in my heart like a little golden pool of refreshment that I can dip into when I’m feeling beaten down, anxious, lonely, and scared. Because those times come too, don’t  they mamas? They even come during this most wonderful time of the year. So,  mamas, let’s talk about what we can do for one another during the holidays, to help our mama friends that are needing some refreshment from that golden pool of gratitude. 
 
Are you a member of the Lower Cape Moms’ Group on Facebook? If not, go over there and join (even if you’re not living on the Lower Cape)! It’s a great resource and filled with mamas helping mamas. Last year the group members helped 12 Cape Cod families in need during the holiday with toys, clothes, and presents. We’re doing it again this year and hope to help even  more. Go join the page and if you want to help details will be posted soon on this year’s effort. 
 
Now, mamas that need some help this year (don’t be embarrassed many of us have needed help and more of us will need help in the future), here are a few resources that can help you;
 
Cape Cod Children’s Place –
This organization serves as hub for families on Cape Cod. They have Thanksgiving meals to offer and are a good place to get info on anything from fuel assistance to clothing help. 
 
Lower Cape Outreach Council -
The mission of the Lower Cape Outreach Council is to provide emergency assistance of food clothing and financial support to individuals and families in Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet which will lead to healthy, productive and self-sustaining lives as part of the Cape Cod
community.
 
Homeless Prevention Council –
The Homeless Prevention Council works to keep people in their homes and their communities. They provide one-on-one case management, use every resource available to create individual solutions to barriers for families in need. They are located in Orleans and they are accepting families in need, and there really isn't much to signing up. So contact them and get help! 
 
Cape Cod Times Needy Fund –
Provides assistance with basic needs based on real time financial status. Serves individuals from the Mid-Cape to Upper Cape area. Those in Falmouth should contact the Falmouth Service Center and those on the Lower Cape should contact Lower Cape Outreach. 
 
Falmouth Service Center
– Their mission is to ease stress, reduce hunger and improve the quality of life for our neighbors in need. The Falmouth Service Center assists in accessing basic needs for families.

Salvation Army – Located in Hyannis and provides a number of programs, including a Christmas assistance program, for families in need. 
 
Now, if you are feeling extra grateful and feeling like you want to help, go ahead and support any of these organizations with a donation this holiday season. Mamas, I am grateful for you and for the love you show one another. Thank you for living in this crazy community with me and helping one another whenever help is needed. 

Is there an assistance group that I missed? Put it out there, so that those in need can help! What are you grateful for mamas? 

By: Meghan

My five year old has been telling all our neighbors that we went back in time on Sunday. People laugh and
think she’s pretending, but they don’t understand that she believes this to be true. This weekend we went to King Richard’s Faire in Carver. Once you leave the parking lot and enter “Carvershire”, it feels as though you’ve stepped through time directly into an English Renaissance village. There are finely crafted cottages that serve as “shoppes” throughout the town, with charming details such as a roof in the shape of a dragon. It really was impressive! We visited on a cold and gray day, which meant there were not a ton of visitors and there were more actors interacting with just us. This really helped immerse us into the time period represented and made the girls feel like they were experiencing history. 
 
Of course we HAD to dress up! My big girl decided that she would not be a princess, but a knight instead!
A flurry of messages was sent off and another awesome Cape Cod mama helped me out by letting me borrow a knight costume for her. The little one, as she does most days, dressed as a princess. I dressed up too, my husband laughing at me as I added jewels and crowns all the while saying “It’s for the children!” Sure, sure!

In my preparation research for this trip, I kept reading how very expensive a day at the Faire could be,
since we are on a budget I wanted to try to minimize as many of the costs as possible. We packed a bag full of lunch and snacks for the girls and ourselves to decrease food costs. We also set limits with the girls on the number of rides they could go on and the number of purchases that could be made. 
 
The ride to Carver was an easy 1 hour trip from the Lower Cape and we arrived at 11:00am. We spent the
WHOLE day there, finally leaving at 5:30! Even though it was chilly, the girls never wanted to leave. 
 
Upon arrival we went straight to the costume rental shop, Seams Like A Dream, which is right by the entrance and all the costumes are made by an onsite seamstress. We rented a villager’s outfit for Matt (who clearly married above his station in his marriage to me, a princess). This can be a bit pricy ($30 is the least expensive men’s outfit rental) but it is really fun to feel like a part of the Faire and the quality of costume and service provided by the staff there made it worth it. They have costumes for men, women, and children (even babies!) that range from peasants to royalty. Very fun to explore!

After Matt was appropriately attired, we familiarized ourselves with the schedule for the day and talked
about which shows we really wanted to see and planned out our day. The girls were dying to see the horses and the knights, so we went to see the first joust of the day. One of the cast members, upon seeing that Fiona was a girl knight, explained that girl knights are called Dames instead of Sirs and told her about Joan of Arc and how she led a whole army. There is no charge for the jousts and they are amazing to watch. The skill of the knights is amazing, the horses are beautiful and their bond with the riders is very clear. It’s obvious how much training and work goes into learning the historic knightly skills that make these joust so exciting! Each quarter of the jousting field is represented by a different knight, and you cheer for the knight closest to you. Our knight won the joust and the girls LOVED it!

After the joust concluded, we went to see Jacques Ze Whipper’s show, which was really fun and I will let
you mommies know that many of the women in the audience enjoyed seeing Mr. Ze Whipper take his shirt off and perform his flaming whip finale. Everyone in the audience enjoyed seeing his skills with the whip as well, but maybe not quite as much as the ladies.

One thing to be aware of is that the performers in the Faire’s shows are not paid by the Faire, they instead
earn their living through the tips they make after the shows are finished. This means it’s very nice to put some money into the hat for these skilled performers. We never felt pressured by the performers but they did let you know that a tip was greatly appreciated. In truth we were happy to do that and the girls enjoyed meeting and thanking the performers afterwards. 
  
After that we brought Fiona to “Knight School” which is also free. There a “Grand Prince” and his knight
give some history about the knight’s roles and duties and gave some sword instruction to the students. All of the young knights were then brought to a stage where they were introduced to King Richard himself. The young knights were then knighted by King Richard and introduced on stage as Sir (or in Fiona’s case Dame). Coco and some of the other young princesses were also made “Ladies of the Realm” at that point and introduced as Lady to audience. The King and his court of nobles then invited the young knights and ladies to parade through the Faire with them, which both girls really enjoyed. Everyone bowed and clapped as the
parade went through. The parade ended on the jousting field and King Richard congratulated all the young knights and ladies and then invited them to stay for the next joust.

This was a real highlight of the day for them, Fiona has been telling everyone that she was knighted and it made the girls feel so special to be involved in the show in this way. The school, the knighting, the parade,
being on the jousting field – this was all free and simply a part of attending knight school. For those who have been scared off from attending the Faire because of cost, I am here to say that it is possible to have a great time at the Faire without going bankrupt!

We stayed and watched the second joust because the girls really couldn’t get enough of the horses and
knights. One thing to know is that there is a storyline to the jousts that I wasn’t aware of, the first joust ends with all four knights having won a different contest within the joust. The second joust ends with a final victory
by only one knight. One of the defeated knights ends up being a very sore loser and has one of the other knights shot by an arrow – which fortunately doesn’t hurt him because of his armor. However this sets up a challenge between the knights for a final joust at the end of the day which is to be fought “to the death”! Having two very sensitive kiddos, we purposely chose not to attend the final joust of the day, knowing that it would involve death and fighting. Of course this is all a show, but my two are still young enough that this feels
very real to them and I knew it would be too much for them to process. I’m sure other kids would LOVE that part of it, but that’s for you mamas to decide for your own families. 
 
After the second joust, we decided to have some lunch. We did end up buying $10 worth of food tickets – the
Faire choses to use this ticket system instead of cash which requires you to buy a minimum of $5 worth of tickets. With our $10 worth of tickets we were able to buy two big servings of French fries as a treat to supplement our food from home. Not terribly historic but warm and yummy on a chilly day. So, yes, food is
expensive there but you don’t have to buy it and there are some delicious options if you do chose to buy tickets. 
 
Princess Academy was held after lunch and was taught by three princesses of the royal court. They gave
some historical background on princesses and ladies and their roles at court. They taught the girls princess skills such as curtseying and how to rise up those curtseying too you. It was much shorter than knight school, but enjoyed very much by my three year old. 
 
We then went to see some of the amazing craftsmen who have shops at the Faire. Fiona was awestruck by the blacksmith and loved seeing him pound away at making a sword. She could have watched him work all day and would have LOVED to bring home one of the swords he made.

The girls were then allowed to pick two rides each (they all cost about $3/person). First they chose the pony ride, where they were able to ride a tiny pony (for Coco) and an actual large horse (for Fiona) along a wooded path, they really enjoyed themselves and said it was the best pony ride ever!

Next they picked a swinging boat ride where the riders sit in a large boat which has rope pulls hanging
inside of it and one person pulls one rope and the other pulls the other rope which makes it swing back and forth. There are also really large men there that help push the boats high and fast. The girls were shrieking with laughter. This ride also costs $3/person.

These were the only rides we went on as part of our cost containment system, though there were many others that the girls would have loved to have tried. After the rides we thought we would go see the Mud Show, but we didn’t last long as the raunchy humor was far above the girls’ heads and they were getting bored. The show was clearly hysterical for adults and I was bummed out not to watch it. Instead we went over
to see the Tale of the Tiger show. The girls were excited to see this as we had heard there is a Liger (a rare animal that is a combination of a Lion and a Tiger, which I had never heard of before I saw Napoleon Dynamite). 
 
Everything I had read, raved about this show and I was looking forward to it as well. However, the show itself was kind of a dud. Ladies wearing animal prints parade out animals on a leash, including a tiger cub (SO cute!)  and a few different tiger breeds, as well as a chimpanzee. They then put them on a table and fed them from a baby bottle. Two of the show’s performers spent the entirety of the show yelling at people that stood up or made any noise in the audience. It just felt weird, it doesn’t seem like the animals would be controlled simply by a leash as many of them are very large, and if it’s so dangerous that people can’t move or make noise in the environment surrounding the animals, it doesn’t seem like the safest choice having them at the Faire. At the end of the show, the performers noted that the liger has now been retired so we would not have the opportunity to see him anymore though they hope to bring some liger cubs to the Faire next year. Though I was disappointed in the shows, the girls enjoyed it and Coco even said it was her favorite part of the Faire. 

This was our last show of the day, as it was about time to head home at this point. Though we only caught
a few of the shows, there are many, many more. The shows are repeated through-out the day on different stages throughout the fairgrounds, so there are plenty of opportunities to catch the shows you’d like to see. I’m not sure how appropriate the other shows are for kids, as many of them seemed aimed towards adults. 
 
And this is my one critique of the Faire, it seems to have a bit of an identity crisis, not quite sure if it’s for adults or kids. A lot of it is aimed at adults, though they have created a few kid-specific options like the knight school and princess academy, but there is a lot more to the Faire that would best be enjoyed by adults. There
are tons of artisans there that I didn’t have the opportunity to appreciate and many shows that I would have loved to have seen if I was there without the kiddies. 
 
It was my first time at the Faire, I’ve always wanted to go and I’m so glad we did. The day was full of shows, jousts, lessons, rides, and great people watching. It seemed like there was always a show to be watched and never a lack of entertainment. The cast members were really kind and helpful throughout the day, and went out of their way to make my kids feel special. The kids are already asking to go back and we definitely will, though maybe when the kids are a little older and can enjoy even more of it.

King Richard’s Faire is open until October 20th, go check them out and let me know what you think! If you’ve been before, what was your favorite part? What did your kids like? 

By: Meghan
Mamas, I think I have made a terrible mistake. Do you remember when I lost my mind and succumbed to peer pressure and actually signed up for a race? And not just any race, but a 5K with obstacles thrown in, you know just for fun. The Diva Dash is describe as “A 5k course dotted with fun obstacles sure to challenge your agility, balance, strength and speed. Add in copious amounts of tutus, boas and bling, plus enthusiastic camaraderie, and you’ve got the SHAPE Diva Dash.”  Monkey bars, people, monkey bars,
aaahhh!!

When I signed up, I had great intentions; I would train, be in the best shape of my life, and totally rock this race. For a few months I did really well. Have you found the Couch to 5K app yet? Changed my life! It made
the transition from walking to running so much smoother than if I just got off the couch and tried running by myself. Well, at least it did for a little while. Then while my family was going through The Great Move of 2013, exercise fell by the wayside. I have not run in 6 weeks and am now terrified. Why?! Because the Diva Dash is THIS WEEKEND!!!! As in Saturday. Oh dear God, what have I gotten myself into?!

Well, in shape or not, I’m doing the race. Will I be utterly humiliated? Probably. But I’m counting on my friends (those exercise pushers  that made me sign up for this race in the first place) to push my butt over those walls, pull me over the tires, and hold my hand as we cross the finish  line. And to be honest, I hope this is the first of our many racing adventures together, because I do love these ladies. Also, when I was running regularly I  felt so good, about my body and my health. 

So wish me luck mamas, I will post all the victorious and possibly humiliating pictures afterward! If you feel like joining me on this adventure there are still some spots available and I have a discount code: BLOG to help reduce the registration fee. Sign up here! Let me know if you’ll be racing! Also, PLEASE, give me any tips you might have for getting through this race, or at least the monkey bars!

*Cape Cod Mommies received complimentary admission to Storyland and hotel stay at Red Jacket Inn in exchange for an honest review.

By: Meghan

Mamas, what happens when you have a vacation planned? Someone always gets sick or injured before you leave or during your trip, right?! Okay, maybe that’s just my family! We were about to head off on another family adventure (part of our continued quest to fill the 6 week gap between leaving our old house and moving into our new place) - but this adventure was almost derailed! The day before we were set to leave, my 5 year old slammed her head onto a stone counter top and needed to get stitches. Aaaahhh! She is a dare devil, risk taking, high-flying, tree climbing adventurer. However, she almost always lands on her feet and has never had stitches before. Instead, her downfall was a simple slip in the bathroom with no high risk maneuvers! The ER doc did an amazing job and Fiona was very brave (though the medical assistant
whose wrist she sprained while he was trying to hold her down, may not agree).

Fortunately we were cleared to move forward on our adventure and the next morning we piled into the car and drove over the bridge and up to North Conway, NH. Armed with fairy and pirate movies the nearly 4 hour ride was much easier than I expected, and my cave in to technology in the car was clearly for the best! 

Let me start this blog by first staying that Story Land and Red Jacket Mountain View Resort offered our website a free visit in exchange for an honest review. Now, I know what you’re thinking, every time I see that on a blog I’m like “Oh yeah, I’m sure this will be honest, bwahahaha!” But truly, I really, really am giving you my honest opinion on how this trip went and if there was anything bad to share I would share it, but there wasn’t - fortunately, because that might have been awkward, right?! 
 
So, we were thrilled to be staying at the Red Jacket Resorts Mountain View Resort. Davenport Companies who owns Red Jacket Resorts is one of the Cape’s largest employers and I have been to many of their local properties,  so I was excited to try out their North Conway hotel. 

As we pulled into town, we spotted the hotel perched high on a hill. The grounds were lovely and the hotel picturesque. We were greeted with  bottles of water and cookies and a warm welcome. The front desk staff also  provided us with a very long list of activities being held at the hotel during our stay (lawn Olympics, Wii competitions, Ice cream at the pool, marshmallow  roasting, and story time to name a few!). There is clearly no shortage of fun  to be had at the Mountain View!

Our room was nicely furnished and very comfortable, but best of all was a balcony with the most
tremendous view of the White Mountains. 

After quickly settling in, we hurried to Story Land which was right down the road, so convenient especially since the kiddos were not up for MORE time in the car. We arrived right at 3:00pm, this is important because
  Story Land allows guests who enter after 3:00pm to return for a full day anytime in the same season. We planned to use our return trip the very next  day! 

As we entered the park, the kids squealed in delight at the surroundings! My kids are 5 and 3 and they are at the absolutely PERFECT ages to enjoy Story Land. The rides are exciting to them, they loved meeting the
  characters, and the shows truly delighted them.

 Apparently Sundays are the slowest day for Story Land attendance, and this proved true during our visit. Seriously, there were NO lines, we walked right onto almost every ride.  Since we only had three hours on our first day (Story Land closes at 6:00pm) we  focused on riding the most popular rides that first day when there were so many  less people. Further down in this post, you will see my ideal Story Land itinerary brought to you through diligent research and personalized testing – you’re welcome. 

That first day was amazing; the girls met Mother Goose, rode most of the fast, hair-raising rides, and generally had the times of their lives. 

It was just enough time to leave them excited and exhilarated for the next day’s adventure. We returned to
the Mountain View and since we were all exhausted from our travel and adventure at Story Land, we grabbed dinner at the hotel’s Palmer’s Red Ridge Grille. It was very fast, yummy, and attached to a lounge with kids toys and children’s books, which was perfect for the kids to run around in and allow us to eat without feeling terrible that our kids weren’t sitting politely at the table. I have allergies to gluten and dairy, so dining out for me is always stressful and I don’t do it that often. Our waitress and the chef at the Red Ridge Grille were very informed and aware of allergies and cooked me up a big meal that I didn’t have to worry about.

We timed dinner perfectly because just as it ended, one of the hotel’s staff came into the lounge for Story Time with the kids. Sitting by the fireplace on couches, the staff brought cookies and the kids snuggled up to hear Curious George stories. After that we went back to our room for bedtime, where we all actually SLEPT, a true miracle for my kids! 
   
The next morning the kids popped up early, I had my coffee on the balcony while I admired the view, then
we dressed quickly and headed out for our second day at Story Land. Knowing that we had already done the most in-demand rides gave us a little breathing room in terms of planning our day at the park. We breezed through a very short line for return ticket holders, laughing at the suckers standing in line to buy their
tickets to get in! We turned left to go towards the bigger rides, instead of turning right to go towards the younger play area. Most people turn right when they enter the park, so turning left helps you go against the crowd and spend more time having fun, less time waiting in lines. 

Mondays, are also not as busy as other weekdays, but this Monday seemed to be more crowded than usual according to staff. The wait time for rides was still totally manageable and we spent the morning re-riding some of our favorites including the Antique Cars, the Bamboo Shoot (which you’ll see below my youngest just LOVED), and the Polar Coaster.

At 11:15 we had reservations to have tea with Cinderella. This costs a little extra money, I think it ended up being around $10 for each of them, but in addition to meeting Cinderella, it got the girls out of the sun for
about 20 minutes, let them have a snack, hear Cinderella read a story, and have some down time to refocus in the midst of the excitement that is Story Land.  Best of all, the girls felt so special having tea with a princess, I was really  glad we decided to spend the extra money. 

After tea time, we visited the Oceans of Fun section of Story Land, with rides on the Flying Fish, the Splash Battle, and other ocean/water themed rides. Nearing lunch time, we grabbed some food at the Food Fair and
World Pavilion, which is basically a cafeteria style dining area with kid friendly food, hot dogs and hamburgers and salads for the grown-ups. I was  pleasantly surprised to see gluten free food was available by special request, and I was able to enjoy a hamburger with my family, which was nice since I forgot to pack anything more significant than a Luna bar. 

With full bellies we decided to go catch the Circus show. I was not expecting much from Story Land’s resident circus but it really was a great, fun show! It was about 30 minutes which is about as long as my kids can sit still for a live show and they had a fantastic Argentine family of jugglers who really were first class. They had us all cheering and screaming! There was a cute dog act, a woman with tremendous hula hooping skills, and finished with the return of the Argentinian family for some amazing high risk balancing and acrobatics. The kids were thrilled, my youngest loved the sparkly dresses, and  my oldest found some new high risk maneuvers with which to freak me out. Again it was a nice break from the sun and the go, go, go of the park. 

After we left the circus, my eldest caught sight of two characters, Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in Wonderland, walking through the park. She wanted to catch up to them, so we did. They were heading to another show – Fairy Tale Follies. I thought we should go try some more rides, but Fiona was really excited to see it and I have to say I’m glad we stayed.  Because seriously, the show was one of the highlights of the trip! It starred  Alice, Little Red, and Peter Pan (who you may be surprised to learn is actually my daughter’s brother. One of those mysteries of childhood that she has  believed since she was about 4) So imagine her thrill when Peter Pan picked her  to come on stage with him to help decorate for Cinderella’s ball. At that
 moment the entire audience disappeared for her and it was only Peter and Fiona  in that room. Look at this:

She is floating, she is so happy! Anyways, the show was short and sweet and my daughters loved it. Go see it! We then spent the rest of the afternoon riding our favorite rides, visiting the Let’s Pretend Costume Shop
where the girls each picked out a special souvenir, and making our way through the fairy tale section of Story Land. We rode the Pirate Boat, the Carousel, and the Tea Cups. We stayed until the very last minute Story Land was open. Upon leaving the girls were still asking to go one more day. They just loved it SO much and I’m so glad we were able to bring them at these ages when the park was the right size with age appropriate rides and attractions.

After we left we grabbed pizza in town at the Flatbread Company which was awesome! The waiting room has kids toys, a chalkboard, and cozy couches. We didn’t wait long because we had called ahead to let them know we were on our way and put our name on the waiting list - this is a great tip I found on the internet and was super helpful – seriously do it – (603) 356-4470.  The restaurant is open and airy, with huge, stone pizza ovens that everyone can  see and pizza makers throwing dough in front of it. The kids loved watching the
chefs work and the food is cooked quickly. The food is organic and most of it  is local including the lemonade sweetened with local maple syrup – yum! To my delight, I ordered a gluten free, vegan pizza which probably sounds horrific to most of you, but to me was like manna from heaven. It tasted great and had delicious veggies. The rest of my fam had traditional pizza which they also enjoyed. 

Upon our return to the Mountain View we were excited to see that we were just in time for one of the hotel’s great activities – marshmallow  roasting! The campfire was near the hotel’s playground (yes that’s right, they
 have an awesome playground) which meant the kids could have their marshmallow desert and then run off the sugar and crazies in the playground before we headed in to get ready for bed.

The next morning we had planned to check out Mountain View’s amazing indoor water park – Kahuna Laguna, unfortunately because of the stitches the doctor said Fiona couldn’t go underwater for a week. So, the water park was out. I did sneak in to take a peek at it though and it looked amazing. We were sad not to be able to play in it but it gives us a great reason to come back next year!

Instead the girls decided to spend the morning rolling down the hill with Daddy, while I packed us up and got ready for check out. The hotel has an amazing rolling hill, check it out!

We had breakfast at the hotel’s Champney’s restaurant where they had a delicious breakfast buffet. There was a TON of food and the kids were so excited – I don’t think they’d ever seen so much food at once and they were like “We can just TAKE that?!”. The waiter and chef were awesome again about my food allergies and made sure I had plenty to eat and soy milk for my coffee. So appreciated! We then checked out and said goodbye to our awesome hotel. 
 
So often family vacations are not all I hoped they would be, kids end up fighting, activities that should be exciting just aren’t, and everyone ends up disappointed and grumpy. This trip was NOT like that, the entire trip was so much fun. The hotel was a perfect place for us to stay, so kid friendly and with so many activities for all ages. Story Land was even better than we expected. I felt like this was one of the first trips we took where it was all we had hoped for and even more. It was a great escape and we definitely plan to do it again next year! 

So, without further ado, here is my North Conway/Story Land Itinerary for your future trip pleasure. First a few notes, I suggest arriving on Sunday, but you go ahead and do what works best for your family, I’m not a schedule taskmaster or anything. Also, I suggest spending at least one night there, I felt like two nights was perfect, there are loads of affordable hotels  campgrounds, and condos to stay at in the area. I LOVED the Mountain View Resort because of the cleanliness, convenient location, friendly staff, and so many on site activities –I can’t recommend it enough. Another note – and this is an IMPORTANT one – most of the rides at Story Land (at least the fast, zippy ones) require you to be at least 36 inches tall. My 3 year old is 36 inches on the dot, she’s a very small 3 year old! If she had been a half an inch shorter, this trip would have been much less fun. Fair warning so you’ll know what you can and can’t ride on before you go, check out the list of attractions at Story Land.

Best North Conway Itinerary Ever!

Day 1:

3:00 – 6:00pm - Arrive at Story Land at 3 to enjoy the park right when you arrive and receive a free return pass for the next day. Hit all the rides that usually have the longest rides during early afternoons because the crowds have usually thinned out by 3pm  mainly the Antique Cars, the Polar Coaster, the Bamboo Shoots, and Dr. Geyser’s  Raft Ride. 

6:30pm – Grab dinner at your hotel/campsite/condo, or if you’re not too tired at Flatbread Company (remember to call them as you’re leaving Story Land so you can get your name right on the list to be seated – less waiting is always good).

 If your kids stay up later than feel free to grab ice cream at Trail’s End Ice Cream (conveniently across
the street from the Mountain View Resort on Rte 302). They have great ice cream and a playground too!

 Day 2: (Pack bathing suits in case your kids want to wear them for some of the water rides and splash areas )

7:30am – We went to the Glen Junction Restaurant for breakfast and I recommend it, it’s cute with trains running  around the ceiling and yummy food. It starts to get busy by 8, so if you can get there before hand (like we did because my kids wake up at the first, tiny hint of sunlight) you’ll have better luck getting a seat quickly. 
 
9:00am – Arrive at Story Land and go through the special passes line with your free return ticket. Go LEFT at the entrance and enjoy the popular rides first. There are lots of food options available in the park, but you are also allowed to bring food in and there are many spots to picnic. Take some breaks during the day by attending the Circus and other shows at the park. Spend the end of the day in the right-hand side of the park where the crowds are now gone, since most people start their day at that side of the park. Ride the Swan Boat, the Carousel, and the tea cups at your leisure. 

6:00pm – Story Land closes, head to dinner. Another suggestion that I didn’t have the chance to try is the
Red Fox Bar & Grille which is supposed to be very kid friendly. 

Day 3 (if you’re staying 2 nights):

8:00am – Breakfast, head into town to explore some of the cute restaurants and stores. Peaches comes
  highly recommended and the food looked delicious!

 9:30am – Head to Diana’s Bath, which are a series of small, shallow pools with waterfalls fed from Lucy
Brook which runs down from Big Attitash Mountain. It’s an easy 6/10th of a mile hike leading to this great spot to explore rocks, ledges, falls, and pools. The pools are a bit slippery, so if your kids have water shoes, this would be an  idea spot for them to wear them. Though we didn’t have them and we managed to have a good time without needing anymore stitches. Diana’s Baths are part of the US National Forest System and there is a $3.00 fee payable in the parking lot. We had a picnic lunch at the Baths, then hiked back down and changed out of our bathing suit into our traveling clothes.

12:00pm – Head home! Bring on the pirate and fairy movies!

So, I truly hope you go, it was so much fun and if you have questions or need advice please leave a comment and I’ll help if I can!

By: Meghan

With six weeks to fill between the time our family left our old
home and the date we can move into our new home, we are trying to manage the crazy and increase the fun. After spending a few weeks at my in-laws (who very kindly have taken us in for the summer), I was feeling like our relationship with our little ones was suffering. Every day I was telling them “No don’t touch
this!” “No running in the house!” “no, no, no”, it just felt like instead of parenting I was becoming an enforcer and it was horrible – for all of us. So a decision was made. Time to stop enforcing and time to start adventuring! 
 
For our first adventure we left the house and moved into the woods – Nickerson State Park to be exact. We
were lucky to be camping with our wonderful friends, who are experienced campers, and make setup easy and camp very comfortable. As soon as our tent was set up – the kids ran into the woods. They were soon catching frogs, finding wild blueberries, and building fairy houses. We all were starting to relax and the “no, no, no” refrain was quickly replaced with “yes!” One night turned into two and we couldn’t leave, we added on days to our stay. In fact, I’m still at camp at the moment!

My eldest especially is flourishing in the woods. I feel like there’s a certain breed of kid who was meant to survive in the wilderness. Her reflexes are highly tuned and her sensory perception is always on high. In a
domesticated environment this can prove challenging, but out in the woods she is in her element. Catching creatures, climbing trees, testing her strength and  endurance, it’s a joy to watch!

The little one is less certain but she is still having fun putting on “fairy dance shows” with her friend and singing us songs about nature. I am revisiting all of my camp past-times and passing them along. My
 daughter is finger knitting a scarf for her stuffed rabbit at the moment.

Spending all day together with all the time in the world to fill was at first a bit daunting but quickly became an amazing relationship  recharger. My kids have been craving time with their parents while we have been  in the middle of all the moving chaos and it seemed like it was so hard to make  happen with everything that needed to be done. Suddenly they have unending  access to us and it has made them relax and stop the frantic (though justified)  attention seeking. Instead, we spend the day swimming, exploring, reading,  building, S’more-ing, and enjoying one another’s company.

That’s not to say there haven’t been challenges! My kids can not
fall asleep when there’s any light in the sky. My friends’ children settled down beautifully at bedtime and quickly fell asleep exhausted from the days activities. My exhausted children screamed bloody murder and fought me tooth and nail to the point I almost drove us all home, as I was convinced the police
would show up at any minute to see who was torturing children in Nickerson. 

After finally collapsing into their sleeping bags well after 9:00pm, I knew we needed a different plan. The following nights, while our friends’ kiddos went to sleep, my husband and I took the girls for very long walks around the campground. By the time we arrived back at the camp, it was dark enough and they were tired enough to settle in and go to sleep. As a bonus, we’ve been having some very sweet, end of day conversations during that time. Questions that have been brewing during the day are asked and discussed, hands are held and the day ends on a much sweeter note.

So now we are in a nice routine and we have only one night left. I am not ready to return to civilization. I am not ready to return to the “no” routine. I am determined to find ways to say “yes” more and let my wild child spend more time in the woods. I am actually considering buying a pop-up camper and spending weeks in the woods next summer. Am I crazy? Sure, that’s already been determined. But I think this time I’m on to something.

Has anyone else spent extended time camping with kids? What do you think, should I get a camper? Where do you like to camp? What are your  favorite camping tips? Talk to me people, I need to convince some “non-crazy” family members that this is a good idea! 

We have another adventure coming up soon, we are heading to Story Land in New Hampshire next week and staying at the Mountain View Resort in North Conway. Not quite camping, but another fun escape from reality! If you have tips about Story Land, Mountain View Resort, or North Conway, I’ll take those too!

By: Meghan
Three years ago this June, I had a newborn baby girl and a 2 year old who was having a very hard time adjusting to her new status as a big sister. Heck, I was having a hard time adjusting to being a mother of two, and my poor husband was surrounded by overemotional ladies (granted only one of them was an adult). It was summer and it was hot and we were all starting to go a little crazy. We needed some fun and we needed to give each other some extra love. 
 
Despite my sleep deprived brain, I was able to recognize that my little 2 year old needed some special
attention. It was her half-birthday that day and I decided we would make the day all about her. My sweet older girl has a birthday very close to Christmas, so it tends to be one crazy month of birthday and Christmas getting rolled together and the idea of giving her a special day far away from holiday madness was appealing. So we spent the day making half of a birthday cake, decorating, dancing, and being silly. She LOVED it. During a difficult time for her, and for all of us, it was a moment of light and love. 

So, a tradition was born. We now celebrate both kids’ half- birthdays and shape the day to fit their needs at the moment. For my oldest who  always seems to struggle during those half year developmental periods, it is a  moment of relief and levity for all of us. A time to put a positive focus on her and give her some very special attention. For my youngest girl, it’s usually a simpler celebration with the most important thing for her, a lot of dancing and twirling in beautiful dresses. There are no presents at these occasions, and usually it’s just the four of us. 

Fiona’s most recent half-birthday celebration was a little different. We are in another crazy time. My husband is again, and I’m afraid always will be, surrounded by overemotional ladies (and still, only one of them is an adult) and we are again in need of some fun and extra love. We are moving from the only home my children have known, our path is not entirely set, it is a time of excitement, trepidation, and anxiety. 
 
My daughter decided that this year, she wanted all of our neighbors at her half-birthday celebration. She spent the morning making invitations and dropping them off. We baked a cake together while her little sister napped. She decorated the living room and her sister helped hang up streamers. It became clear that this party meant more to her than celebrating her new status as a 5.5 year old. She was beginning to say goodbye to her home and her neighbors in her own, special Fiona way.       
      
That night, after dinner, all the neighbors came over. Bearing smiles, hugs, and even (thank God!) wine.
The kids ate the cake and ran around like wild animals, the grown ups talked and laughed. We all stayed up too late, but it was a wonderful, impromptu party.

 I will forever be grateful that my 5.5 year old was able to recognize what we as a family needed just at that moment. She knew we needed our friends and she knew we needed a party. 

Does your family have any fun traditions? How did they start? I’d love to see the special ways your families celebrate one another or days that are important to you!

By: Meghan

I remember when my eldest daughter turned three, I was so happy and relieved – “Wow, the terrible twos are over and they weren’t even awful. Things will be so easy from now on!” I thought smugly as she blew out  her candles. The twos were actually a very sweet, snuggly time. There were some tantrums but nothing I, Super Mama, couldn’t handle. Then the reality of three started settling in. And the universe laughed at me and my smug birthday smile. 
 
I didn’t know this at the time, but apparently when a child turns three their brain connections go hay wire. They turn into insane dictators that expect you to telepathically understand their crazy world views (which change by the minute) and then anticipate their unspoken and unexplainable needs, desires, and judgments and act accordingly. Woe betides the parent unable to do this, or who dares, DARES, to set boundaries, rules, or go against the wishes of the tiny dictators. Hell hath no fury like a three year old scorned. 

After living through this once, you would think I would be well prepared for my youngest’s recent transition from two to three. However, much like childbirth, my brain expunged most of this traumatic time period. It’s all coming back to me now, the crazy demands, the hysteria, the epic tantrums, the rush of adrenaline I experience when her crazy kicks in and so does my fight or flight defense. Seriously, sometimes I think, maybe I should just go along with her crazy idea just so I don’t have to deal with the inevitable freak out. But really, there’s no avoiding it, the freak out is coming. So now, I’m just trying to ride the crazy wave, like the surfers at Coast Guard  Beach, and hope eventually we’ll land in calm waters again. 

Here is a short list of tonight’s freak outs, occurring in the small time period between dinner and bedtime: 
 
1)      She wasn’t able to slurp her spaghetti in exactly the same way as her sister. 
2)      She didn’t look beautiful in her pajamas. 
 3)     I wiped her after she went potty. 

What in the hell is a mama to do? We are living in crazy town and I know we’ll be here for at least a year. However,  there are moments that make our residence there worthwhile. When she asked her daddy upon his return home this evening “How was your day Daddy?” and really wanted to know. When she asked me today to buy red tights to wear with my red dress, just like she does, so we can match and be the “red girls.” The sweetness can make my heart ache and burst, especially when it’s in stark relief to the terror the rest of the day. It makes me see where we’re headed and it looks like a nice place. Now, we just need to get through the reign of the tiny insane empress!

Tell me your strategies to get through the Terrorizing Threes? What craziness has your three year old brought forth recently? Tell me your stories so I know I’m not alone!

By: Meghan

Mamas, it is the time of big changes for my family that I wrote about in one of my first posts. We are getting ready to move, we are trying to figure out where we are moving to, and it is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be to find the right spot.

Preschool graduation is fast approaching, kindergarten orientation has been attended. My very sensitive, very fiery, eldest daughter is having a tough time with so many changes and with integrating all the
sensations out in the big world into her tiny body. My youngest is about to turn 3.

These are all manageable issues, but sometimes it feels like a tidal wave of emotions and responsibilities. But in the midst of all this, I am appreciating just how lucky we are to make a life here on Cape Cod. Cape Cod Mommies (and daddies and grandparents), this is our kid’s childhood and it is glorious:

In the past two weeks, spring has started to appear after a very long winter. And it reminds us all why we are here. Our kids go to the beach in their tutus. They know the sound of the waves on the ocean side and the feeling of the cold, calm April water of the bay side. They bring home sand in their pockets and dig holes in the beach with the dog. Handstands are attempted in spite of the whipping wind and they swear that ocean breezes help them run faster. It can be a struggle to make a life here, but for those of us that do it, we know it is well worth it. So huzzah to spring, sunshine, spinning at the shore, and raising kids by the sea!

By: Meghan

Mamas, let me just tell you, you are doing a great job. You are loving your family, taking care of them, taking care of yourselves, and doing everything else that needs to get done. You should be proud of yourselves.
Seriously, just take a minute and feel good. Think only of the good things you are doing and have done. Remember those moments and put them in a treasure box in your mind and draw on them when you need strength, patience, and most of all, a reminder that YOU are a GOOD mom
    
There are days when this is so easy to forget. When I feel like I am failing. When the negative feedback
that is so freely passed along from strangers, friends, and family members can get overwhelming. Most of this advice is offered from a place of love, but it’s so easy to accept it as a point of failure. It also seems to come much more easily than words of praise and encouragement. And I also accept the criticisms much more easily than I do the commendations. 

So this is my mission for the month of April. I am going to spread some positivity among the mamas (and the papas). I am going to see the  good and show it to the parents for them to see. We all need reminding that we  are doing a good job.  
 
You know what else I’m going to do, I’m going to give myself a break. This parenting thing is a long, long, long journey and if I’m feeling  exhausted from the feedback I’m getting on my parenting of little kids, imagine
how I’ll feel by the time they’re teenagers?! 
 
So, take this post as a compliment – you are awesome. Great job! Keep up the good work! Also, you look really good today! 
 
And when I need a break and a good laugh, these are some of the other mamas I turn to lift my spirits and make me smile. Check them out when you need a time out:

Parenting: Illustrated With Crappy Pictures  – Amber Dusick does just what she says, illustrates hilarious parenting moments with crappy  pictures. I can’t even read these at work because I do that weird suppressing laugh out loud thing that sounds like a snort and cough and then everyone looks at me funny.

Brittany, Herself – Brittany Gibbons is a mom of 3 and a seriously funny, brave, and smart lady. She is super honest and has given one of the greatest TED talks, I’ve ever seen. She also makes me do the weird work laugh thing, apparently that’s the bar I set for picking my favorite blogs.

Scary Mommy – Jill Smokler is a mom of three and is hysterical and honest and makes me reframe my crazy days into funny memories. There are other great contributors and a fun, sarcastic community there as well. 

So, mamas, tell me, how do you remind yourself that you are a good parent on those days when you are feeling low? 

By: Meghan

So….St. Patrick’s Day…how’d that go for you?  Did you wear green? Did you drink Guiness? Did your kids get a visit from “Leppy the Leprechaun” ? Who, you may ask, is Leppy the Leprechaun? Well, I learned about good ol’ Leppy a few days before St. Patrick’s Day. Thank God,  because if I’d learned about him after St. Patrick’s Day, I can imagine that  there would have been two disappointed wee girls at my house on St. Patrick’s  Day morn. Luckily, a week earlier the girls came home from school full of tales of leprechauns and how, surely, Leppy would visit them during the night and  leave them gifts. GIFTS?! ?! Yes, mom, duh! Um, gifts on St. Patrick’s Day? Is  this something you mamas knew about? Because it was news to me! 
 
Now I am a full on lover of holidays. I do it up, because it gives me joy to have magic in my house and I
try to bring it in whenever I can. But this is something I do because it’s fun for me. In the end I am pleasing myself by doing my holiday celebration craziness and hoping that it also ends up bringing some joy to my little ones as well. But, even I, a holiday lover and proud member of the Irish Maguire clan, has never received gifts from a leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day, nor have my children. 

But, here’s the thing, my kids go to school now. In school they talk to other kids (I know, so weird) and they get IDEAS. They are learning how other families celebrate holidays and when something sounds awesome to them, they decide it must be a part of our holiday too. Sure, sure I throw out the old “every family is different, and celebrates holidays in their own way” line, but sometimes I end up folding. Which is how a
certain creepy elf ended up living at our house during the holiday season. It’s also why I put together these adorable little “gifts” from Leppy for my kids.

This project was small and manageable and brought some cheer to go along with our green pancakes and green milk. And to use up the sugar, we took a nice long St. Patrick’s Day bike and hike which really was the highlight of the day for all of us. 

The rainbow treat was fun and I imagine there will be similar gifts from Leppy in the years to come. However, I worry about holidays. And my worry is this, now that Pinterest has been introduced to our lives, there is an endless supply of ideas to do more, bigger, better. And some of these mamas are doing ALL of the ideas, and they are killing it, just hitting it out of the ball park. Which is awesome for them and their families, but guess how I feel when I look at those pictures on Pinterest and Facebook? I kind of feel like leprechaun poop. I worry that as my kids get bigger, they are going to expect more, bigger, better. I know it’s my job to
teach them gratitude and avoid entitlement, but I don’t want them to ever feel like they aren’t getting the same things because they are less deserving. Does that make sense? 
 
For example, with the creepy elf, my eldest was worried that she was on the naughty list because so many others in her class had an elf come stay with them and she didn’t. Did Santa not like her? I was all “Oh no, Santa KNOWS you’re so good you don’t need monitoring” HAHAHAHA! But when those elves went on clearance after Christmas that year, I surely snapped one up. And there he was right after Thanksgiving the next year, and she was SO happy. I think it wasn’t just that it was a piece of Christmas magic, but it was also something that she could talk about with her friends at  school, it gave her a commonality that wasn’t there the year before. And now we have Leppy, which as it turns out wasn’t a class-wide phenomenon but something  my girls came up with on their own. Which, honestly, makes me like him better. 
 
So I guess what I’m exploring in this post is how do we all balance holidays and magic with entitlement and the craziness that comes with the Pinterest-ization of these special days? Do you feel influenced by the way your kids’ peers celebrate? Do you feel pressure to live up to the Pinterest ideal? Or are you zen in the face of Facebook? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Which, let’s face it, is one of my specialties. Until next time, I wish you many magical days with your family!

By: Meghan Kemp

Mamas, I have to tell you something crazy. No wait, let’s start at the beginning.
 
I have these friends, they are completely insane. But I love them anyways, I told you about them in my last post. They’re fun, tell great stories, keep me grounded, hug me when I’m sad, tell me my kids are cute when they’re covered in snot and screeching at each other. You know the type, lovely people that you can have wine with and laugh for hours.
 
You might be saying, they sound great what makes them so insane? Wait for it… these ladies love to RUN. They run as often as they can. For exercise. Not, like to get away from lions or scary people. For fun. I keep trying to wrap my head around this, and I find it very hard. I can come up with a million and one reasons NOT to run: I have kids, I have to clean my house, I don’t have a babysitter, I have to work, I’m tired, and on and on and on. But guess what? These mamas have the same things going on in their lives and they are still running. And running. And running. One of them ran from her house to my house and met the rest of her family here (who had very sensibly driven in a car to my house) for breakfast. This wasn’t a few blocks. She lives a whole town away from me. 

So what is it? Why are these mamas running? What great mystery am I missing? So I asked and this is what they said:

·   “It helps clear my head.”
·   “I’m a happier, healthier and better mom to my kids when I run”
·    “I find it to be rewarding. Its time I get to zone out, focus on just me and better my health and spirit even, all at the same time!!”
·    “The challenge of mind over matter!”
·    “Pounding un-domestic-friendly frustration out on pavement, given that I'm not much of a bread maker... plus it is 45 minutes of time to myself with nothing but breath, movement, music and maybe a good view or
a breeze.”
·    “It’s quiet and I'm alone. Also my ass looks better when I do.”
·    "I run to be a better mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend. And so I can eat more cake."

So that all sounds nice. Especially the idea of a better looking ass and more cake! But I still wasn’t buying it. Then a bunch of these running mamas signed up for the SHAPE Diva Dash.

Have you heard of this race? This is how they describe it: “A 5k course dotted with fun obstacles sure to challenge  your agility, balance, strength and speed. Add in copious amounts of tutus, boas and bling, plus enthusiastic camaraderie, and you’ve got the SHAPE Diva Dash.”  Check it out here: www.divadash.com

And they REALLY want me to do this race with them. They keep saying how fun it will be. Who loves fun more than me?! They came up with a great team name. Don’t I want to join the team? What about the tutus, for pete’s sake, consider the tutus!  They know I love tutus, boas, and bling. So I buckled. I buckled big time. I signed up for the race. Oh my God. I signed up for a race!!!! I am now entering crazy-town!

So, mamas, I have from now until September 7th to train for the Diva Dash. It’s a 5k run with all sorts of obstacles thrown in. And we’ll be wearing capes and maybe tutus. Fortunately SHAPE has created a handy, dandy workout plan which I will be following and sharing with you in blogs to come. (oooooh the future!)

So, who wants to join me? Come on mamas, get off the couch and into a tutu. You know you want to! Here’s a discount code to sweeten the deal, type in BLOG on the registration page for $5 off the Boston Diva Dash. If you want to sign up for any of the other Diva Dash locations, use BLOG for $10 off.

Here are the particulars:

Date: September 07, 2013

Time: 9AM - 5PM

Location: Marshfield Fairgrounds,
140 Main Street, Marshfield, MA

 More info:http://divadash.com/city/boston/

What do you think? We’re going to rock it right? Or will I be this girl?

Though, in all fairness, she still looks like she’s going to get up and rock the rest of the Dash. Also, how
awesome is her friend? You know you would be laughing just as hard when one of your teammates fell face first into the mud! 
 
Now, please tell me, how exactly do you fit exercise into this life filled with kids, marriage, and a job? If you
have an answer let me know, I’m going to need all the help I can get! 
  
*All these awesome photos are from Adventure Fit! Thanks for the great shots!*

By: Meghan Kemp

Ten years ago, I moved to this little spit of land sticking out into the ocean. I fell in love with a Cape Codderand this became my home. The one problem – I had no friends! This can be an isolating place to live and I was certainly missing the comfort and support friendships can bring.  I didn’t realize quite how hard it would be to make friends here!  It’s a lot like dating, except you’re trying to pick up friends instead of a hot date.

I’d meet someone at work or elsewhere and try to build up a rapport. Nervously I would think, should I give her my number? Is that too forward? Am I moving too fast? I made a few friends this way, but I was still looking for those core, bosom friends (you Anne of Green Gables fans know what I’m talking about).

 A few years went by and I had my first baby. And mamas, I have to tell you this, one of my first thoughts after finding out I was pregnant was that I was totally going to use that baby to gain entrée to new friendships
among Cape Cod mommies.  

So I pop out this adorable baby and am ready to start making friends, but first I needed to get over my fear of leaving my house in the  height of winter with a new baby. Dude, I was completely freaked out. Would I put her in the car seat right, would I slide off the road, what if a snowflake  touched her precious baby skin?! Looking back it’s clear that there were some  post-partum depression issues going on here, but I didn’t have any mama friends  yet who would say gently but firmly, “Lady, you’ve got the crazies, time to deal with that.” When Fiona was four months old, all three of us came down with  a horrible, disgusting stomach bug. I really needed a mama friend to help, even  just to bring us some ginger ale. I felt very, very alone. And also very  vomit-y. 

At this point I decided come hell or high-water, I was going to make friends. I needed a support system and if it wasn’t going to magically show up on my doorstep, I was going to create it. I started attending every playgroup on the lower-Cape and through one of these I met my first bosom friends. And here’s the awesome part, they are the gift that keeps on giving. They have connected me to more friends, and they have connected me to even more. I love these ladies and together we comfort and support one another as we navigate parenting, jobs, relationships, and living on this crazy, awesome peninsula.  

When I had my second child, one of these mamas said “Lady, you’ve got the crazies, time to deal with that.” And she and my other mamas helped me deal with post-partum depression, get the care I needed, and supported me as I got better and better (and sometimes worse).  
 
Sometimes, as mamas, we are tired. We have given of ourselves all day to so many others. Sometimes it is hard to find a little additional energy to put towards building and maintaining a friendship. But please, do it. Do it for yourself, because you deserve a friend. You deserve someone that will bring you ginger ale when everyone is puking in your house. Who will take the kids for a few hours so you can go have your pap smear in peace. And return the favor, because it feels good to help out these ladies that you love. And you know what, I feel like the luckiest lady in the world to have these smart, wonderful, challenging, brave mamas supporting me, pushing me, and loving me.  
 
Do you have a mama support group? Tell me how you’ve met your best mama friends!  Do you need help connecting with other mamas? Let me know and I’ll point you in the right  direction. I can be a mama friend match-maker, woohoo! 

By: Meghan Kemp
Oh mamas! Guess where I was last night? At the fabulous“Kindergarten Readiness” information session presented by Cape Cod Children’s Place. If you guys haven’t connected with this organization, you need to, they are amazing – go check them out right now, www.capecodchildrensplace.com, go ahead I’ll wait for you here.

What’d you think? Pretty cool, right?! If you didn’t actually click the link (you non-conformist you) let me fill you in a little. The Cape Cod Children’s Place provides a number of support services to families on Cape Cod including educational sessions, support groups, child care, play groups, and resource information. The session  I attended last night was for parents to understand how their child will spend their day in kindergarten, ways to make the transition easier, and a chance for  us to ask questions of a kindergarten teacher, and calm our anxieties. They  also provided pizza and childcare for the kiddos – this is pretty much a hot  date for hubby and I! But the best part of the whole night was the fact that my daughter got to check out her new school. Cool sidebar here – this was also my  husband’s elementary school. Cue “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King and  mama’s tears.  

My daughter had no tears or fears. Excitement is not a strong enough word to describe her feelings about entering kindergarten. She is rearing to go. She was so pissed off when I brought her to pre-school this morning. “Mom, this is NOT kindergarten!” 

Me, I’m feeling bittersweet about this momentous occasion. At the start of last night’s session, Cindy Horgan (Cape Cod Children’s Place Family Support Coordinator) asked if we saw our children’s entrance to kindergarten as a challenge or a milestone? As I think about my sweet, gentle, special daughter, I certainly worry about the challenges that lay ahead of her. Will she make friends? Will she have fun? Will she enjoy herself? Will she make good decisions? Will she be able to stand up for herself and her beliefs? Will she eat food off the floor? (Is that just my kid?) But really, the more questions I ask about the challenges that lay ahead, the more I realize this is really a challenge for me, and not for her. Will I show confidence in her ability to do all these things and more? Will I rein in my anxiety so it won’t influence her perception of school? Will I believe in the school system’s ability to keep my precious girl safe? Because I know my girl will soar, if I step back and let her. I know I need to keep giving her the love, the boundaries, the belief that will help her. Will I be able to do all that? I hope so! But this will be a challenge, but for me, not for her. 

So I guess my answer to Cindy’s question is that this is a  milestone for my girl. A milestone that I can already tell she is ready to  meet. She is imagining the day that she will hang her back pack in her very own
 cubby, outside of the classroom where her daddy learned to read. She is jumping  to run around that gym and make that school her own. I know there will be hard  days and she will have her own challenges, but we will all help her meet them. So kindergarten, watch out! There’s a new girl in town and she can run like the wind, tell stories like Shakespeare, and enjoys a mean knock knock joke. Check  her out!

Me,  I’m planning to up my wine intake until I come to grips with the fact that I will very soon have a kindergartner. In the meantime, we will be reading these great books to help us both prepare for the

So mamas, how was the transition for you? Did your kid rock kindergarten or was it a tough entry? Was it a challenge or a milestone for you  and your kiddo? I’d love to hear stories, tips, and advice for this new adventure. Also, expect to hear more on this subject in September, when the school doors actually open!