you can take the child to the country...

You would think that with nearly 4 weeks in a remote place with few plans, one would get a lot of blogging done. Or more than usual, at least. But you would also have to factor in supervising a 16 month old, the endless preparation of meals and washing of dishes (oh, for a dishwasher!), the diaper changes and laundry. Somehow the day just slips by.

It has been really nice to relax into a more laid back lifestyle. Eamon has adjusted well to living in the country, and I will miss having a yard. More than once we have found ourselves doing the dishes and watching him play happily outside. We can't do that in Brooklyn.

Other things that Eamon likes about Maine:

The riding lawnmower. Here he is with my father.

Power tools.

My father's tractor.
Yes, you can see that he is turning into quite a little BOY.

Accessories.

Of course, Eamon will have plenty of opportunities to accessorize after we return to New York, but doubt he will find many pairs of ear muffs. He loves wearing hearing protection, which makes me proud. (I am a stickler for working with safety equipment.)

Animals.

Our neighbors have chickens, pigs and ducklings. And this morning a snapping turtle came right up to our porch, looking for a place to lay her eggs. In Brooklyn, we see pigeons, rats and squirrels. And lots of dogs.

I guess I should say that there are things that we miss about New York. Easy access to everything, for one. We miss having a playground, library and museum across the street, the multitudes of neighbors and other families that we bump into where ever we go, and a grocery store around the corner. There is a social quality to living in Brooklyn that I miss, an ease in making impromptu plans and common issues that I discuss with other parents (like, what is the deal with pre-school admissions???!)

It is hard to let go and think about going back though. It seems like we have been here forever...