Back From The Shore!

As I mentioned previously, Malcolm and I joined Edward and The Ducklings in Shediac two weeks after they went out, and we all stayed an additional week.  We had a blast, and The Ducklings came back brimming with new-found freedom, confidence and enough stories to sustain them until next summer.  As you can see below, they ate at the table with placemats, bowls, plates, cups and cutlery - we had instituted a few of those big-kid privileges before we left, but the cottage is the perfect place to try out new skills.  You can bet that they wanted to do the same once they got home, and it was with great pleasure that we put away the feeding chair trays.

Unfortunately, I only took two pictures on our camera; but Aunt Jane, the family photographer extraordinaire who joined Edward for the first week, took lots of pictures and hopefully, a few of them will make their way onto the blog.

One of the best parts of being at the cottage is the entourage of caring people who trundled after our brood, and indulged their never-ending queries and demands with grace.  We had so much fun with Grammy and Grampy, Aunt Jane and Aunt Benny, Aunt Pinie, Uncle Ken, Norbert, Mary, Eric, Ashley, Molly, Tom, Sally and Brian (due any day with their first little boy!), Sarah, Sue, Bob, Derrick, Aunt Laura, Tim, KathAleen, Kathy, Linda and Frank... and they represent only part of the community of friends and family that make up life at the Shore.  Each and every one of them made time for The Ducklings.  There were trips to splash in the creek catching hermit crabs, ice cream cones at the Warf, sitting in the breezy porch at the Brown Cottage visiting with their cousins, playing with Roxy on the lawn, picnics under the Big Top... truly, all of the beautiful experiences that make even better memories.  

I am so glad my children have a place like The Shore; I strongly believe that the sense of belonging, community and identity that comes from having a magical place like that nourishes their soul.  I had a special place like that too, growing up, and even now, one day at "The Camp" spent listening to the wind whistling through the tall pines and watching it shimmer across the water gives me such a sense of peace and serenity.

Enjoying breakfast on the back porch of The Yellow Cottage

Our Sweet Beet and his Frenchy's hat - he's been indoctrinated!