Raising Maine

Jumping off a boat in Sebago Lake

Our friends took us out on Sebago in their motor boat for our annual afternoon ride on the lake on a beautiful summer day. The adults did a little swimming and a lot of relaxing while the kids were thrilled with swimming and jumping off the boat.

Of course L. is never without at least a couple of Webkinz. I was told CheChe the monkey and Patti the googles LOVE boat rides.

Pulling out of the marina onto Sebago.

A large sailboat was beached and it looked like it had a problem. We found it being towed out when we returned to the area later.

The water is always a little rough in the afternoon.

The kids had fun hanging out below deck.

The highlight of the day was jumping off the back of the boat.

The kids did it over and over again.

And A. found belly flops not too painful in a life vest.

And they jumped in every combination.

Fun on Sebago

We all LOVE Sebago!

See more photos from our day on the lake

And share some of your own!

Reid State Park - not for the faint of heart

Yesterday we decided to go on an adventure to a place we'd never been. So after some discussion about what we were in the mood to do (kids wanted to go to a new beach) we settled on Reid State Park in Georgetown.

I had heard of the park but didn't know much about it so when we arrived at the park gate and paid our fee ($4.50/adults, $1/kids under 12), I asked for a map.

We had two options, take the road on the right to Mile Beach and Todd's Point or take a left to Griffith Head, Mile Beach and The Lagoon.

The kids didn't like the sounds of The Lagoon (they thought it sounded "yucky and weedy" - which was not the case as we later found out) so we opted to go right.

There was ample parking at Todd's Point but as soon as we stepped out of the car, we were bombarded with mosquitoes and horse flies.

They are no joke here!

G. was in charge of packing bug spray and she did. But bless her 11-year-old heart, she packed the bottle that had less than a 1/4" of liquid left. So after the girls got a good spraying from head to toe, I was left with a less than I needed (and yes, I am full of bites today).

The point offered a beautiful view of the ocean but the waves crashing against the rocks gave me pause. After walking around the rocks (at a safe distance from the water) and spotting the sandy shore of Mile Beach, we decided to climb over the rocks (there was an easier path in the grass to take but the girls liked the challenge of climbing better) to get over to the swimming area.

The kids immediately ran toward the water. The waves were bigger and stronger than I expected so I called them back and gave them the lay of the land (i.e., mom's rules) -- don't go in further than your knees.

But within a few minutes L. had a wave crash over her head, found her footing after a few seconds to stand up only to be knocked off her feet a moment later by a riptide.

This is not a beach for the faint of heart parent.

Needless to say I amended my instructions to the girls not to go above their shins.

L. is 9 and a pretty good swimmer but with barely 60 pounds on her, she had a hard time staying on her feet with these waves. But my 11-year-old is about 90 pounds and did not have the same trouble.

There were a couple of attentive life guards on duty and I stayed by the water the entire time the kids were in it. But I admit to being one of those annoying mothers yelling at her kids to get closer to shore when they wandered more than 10 feet past me.

All the while being bitten relentlessly by horse flies.

I lasted nearly an hour and half, which I felt was a generous amount of time for the girls to have their fun (which they did), because the water made me nervous. And that's not typical for me, I was a certified swim instructor once upon a time and truly love to be around water ... (But if the kids were older and stronger swimmers and we all had boogie boards, I'd have a totally different take on things - it's a great surfing spot!)

After I called it quits, we found the bath house showers to rinse off and change. THAT was really nice.

Before leaving the park, I drove to The Lagoon to check it out and found it packed with people (and no parking spots) but clearly it was the place for swimming in calmer waters. We saw lots of young children playing there.

When I got home I called a friend to ask if she'd ever been to the park. She recalled that she had but it wasn't a favorite spot. Apparently her son was pulled under by a riptide on the Mile Beach and needed a life guard to help him out.

I should have called her first. It would have saved me from the few gray hairs I see this morning.

Playing in the Waves

Noddle chairs easy to trek to beach

Our beach toy policy - you want it, you carry it - is easier this year with a recent purchase.

Noodle chairs.

The mesh material has straps that slip on to form a chair so the kids can float around.

Of course, they're kids so they're not typically 'floating' for long.

The thing I like about them is that they're easy to carry and break down to drag to and from the beach (the noodle itself is a bit of a hassle because of its length but it is light-weight and easy for the kids to carry).

And the mesh chairs still keep the regular noodle options open.

What do your kids drag to the beach?

Everyone had fun on Sticky River

After several years of borrowing canoes from friends, we FINALLY have our own now!

We thank all of our friends for their loaners throughout the years! But now it's great to have our own at-the-ready for whenever we want to go out for a paddle.

The first outing with our new toy was to the Sticky River in Standish.

With my sister-in-law and her family still visiting, we had a large group (10 of us altogether) so everyone had to take turns on our new ride.

The younger girls really enjoyed paddling by the lily pads out on the river to pick flowers. The activity did require a few reminders about not tipping the boat to lean over the edge to pick one.

While the other kids were waiting on the shore for their turn in the canoe, they each managed to find something else fun to do...

... like catching frogs

... sitting on the 'mermaid rock'

... and catching fish

C. was more than pleased to have caught the largest fish of the day from our group! And actually, C. has caught more fish than any of her siblings or parents on this trip to Maine. Way to go C.!

And boy was it nice simply to kick back and enjoy the day by the water.

You can see more photos from our canoe/fishing adventure.

And you can post your own photos on MaineToday.com too!

Hanging out on the Sticky River

Camping on Pleasant Pond in Richmond

Earlier this week my friend and I took our girls camping in Richmond on Pleasant Pond. The kids had a blast (and the moms had fun too).

The beach was really muddy where we were staying but the kids didn't mind.

The mud was shin-deep in places and by the end of the trip each one of the girls had painted themselves - intentionally - with it.

It was however a bit tricky with the mud and all the fresh water clams (or whatever kind of shellfish they were) in it. The kids, L. in particular, had little razor-like slices all over her feet. It was hard to predict where the clams would be when you stepped into the mud so they were hard to avoid.

The kids loved sleeping in the tent and settled down at a reasonable hour. But even after the kids were asleep the moms kept chatting into the night so we were more tired than the kids the next morning.

When I first saw this buzzing around, I thought it was a butterfly. I wouldn't have guessed it was a dragon fly without this one staying still so I could zoom in with my camera.

The girls planned and prepared shish ka bobs for dinner our first night. They were tasty!


Cooking shish ka bobs was easy for the girls on the grill and it was great to eat so well on the trip.

The kids have built camp fires before but got a few pointers from their friends' mom.

No camping trip is complete without roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.

L. wasn't the only one setting her marshmallows on fire. They all thought that was the best way to 'roast' them - well, it certainly was the quickest way to melt them.

But L. got a little carried away 'roasting' several marshmallows at a time on her stick and ended up wearing some.

She had it streaked through her hair and all over her face.

We saw a beautiful sunset our first night and the kids couldn't resist doing another silly photo.

The second day was rainy and foggy but we decided to keep to our plans of canoeing. The girls just stayed closer to shore and didn't paddle too far down the pond.

It may have been a short camping trip (just 2 nights) but the kids won't forget all the fun they had on the pond!

You can see more of our camping vacation photos

And be sure to share your own Maine vacation pics!

The 3 H's required some trips to the river

This week was so Hazy, Hot and Humid we had to cool off. Earlier in the week we took a day trip back to the Merrimack River in Massachusetts for some fun on the Tree House boat again with my mom and her friend.

Captain L. got in some driving but needed some assistance navigating under one of the bridges from the real captain of the boat. She likes to swerve around and laugh while driving and that makes her steering less-than-accurate.

L. drives the boat, sort of

On this trip though the kids spent more time in the water playing with Grandma than riding in the big boat.

But with a rocky bottom and muck (the Saco River by our house has a lot less of both), the girls decided to borrow some swim shoes from Grandma. It was a tricky fit for L's little feet.

Her finger on the end of her big toe indicates they were more than a few sizes too big. But it kept her feet comfortable so she didn't complain.

And between dips, of course L. had to explore every little space on the boat.

The next day we were still boiling hot back in Maine so I took the girls and a couple of their friends to the Saco River.

What did you and your kids do to stay cool this past week?

Diana's Bath in New Hampshire

A rainy afternoon yesterday did not stop us from exploring a new hiking trail. We really wanted to check out Diana's Bath in the White Mountains National Forest that several friends have told us about over the years. They also warned us about the crowds that the area attracts so we thought a rainy day was just the time to explore the trails and waterfall and find some geocaches.

Since we had never been to Diana's Bath before, I wasn't sure how to get there. But thanks to my geocaching friends, locating the trail head was easy. [From North Conway take Route 302 through the downtown area. Take a Left onto River Road and then bear Right onto West Side Road.]

Diana's Bath is in the White Mountains National Forest so there is a $3 fee to park at the trail head.

Under the tree cover the rain wasn't so bad. I thought the real bonus of the day was the fact that neither of the girls complained about the rain. They really wanted to see a waterfall and find some new geocaches.

We found three caches in the area (but there were actually a lot more!) and each was a different shape and size.

G. spotted this one first and loved the hiding spot.

The trail to Diana's Bath was an easy .6 miles and after getting sidetracked with looking for geocache's that by the time we got to the bath area, the rain had stopped for a while which was great.

Not only was it a rainy afternoon, it was pretty chilly so the kids opted to climb around the rocks to explore the area rather than jump in for a swim (which I was grateful for as I thought the current was too strong for them that day anyway).

Then the girls and Fino found some interesting puddle shapes and I was directed to take pictures of them.

A heart with an arrow going through it.

A chocolate bunny.

Then there was a dispute in the ranks because L. thought that if you turned sideways the bunny turned into a skeleton mouth. Yeah, I could see it.

A ghost.

Then as we made our way back to the trail head we spotted a bunch of pink lady slippers and that was a nice bonus.

The pink lady slipper we later discovered, is New Hampshire's state wildflower.

During the warm summer months I'm told Diana's Bath is crazy busy. But if you don't mind that (or you go on a rainy day like we did), it's a beautiful place to explore with the kids. And the geocaches are aplenty and easy to find for novice players.

The only flaw with our afternoon plans was that although we were prepared for the rain, we didn't pack a change of clothes for shopping. We were quite soggy at the outlet stores afterwards.

Video of Diana's Bath

Swimming hair fun

The Almeida females have hair style problems (i.e., none of us like to take the time to brush our hair), which I've mentioned before and been caught in lots of places putting up a quick ponytail.

At the Arboretum in Augusta

At the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia

But yesterday the girls decided they could let their hair down - and stay down - while swimming because they've got a new swimming game now - Hair Flipping.

Hey, I guess when you've got as much hair as they do (which they did NOT inherit from me) you might as well find a way to enjoy it.

Swimming and Hair Flipping
The early June air was muggy and warm but the water was chilly!

Great day on the Merrimack

Yesterday the kids and I meandered down the Merrimack River in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with my mother and her friend on a houseboat-type craft.

The boat, dubbed "The Treehouse," on the public dock in Newburyport.

It was a little chilly for a swim but it didn't matter. The kids were enamored with The Treehouse and found plenty to do aboard.

What kid doesn't love the singing fish plaque? Every time L. passed by this one hanging in the galley, she had to hit the button to play a song and stick her finger in its mouth.

Taking pictures always keeps the girls busy. We have about 20 pictures - no exaggeration - that G. took from the sleeping quarters below deck like this one.

L. enjoyed driving The Treehouse and even the first reluctant G. enjoyed her chance to do it too. Actually G. was driving the boat on our approach to the public dock and it was suggested she turn over the wheel because the boat traffic was heavier and the buoys much closer together.

"No I got it," she said.

It took a little more convincing from the real captain of the boat to turn over the controls.

Captain L.

We did a little window shopping once we docked and the kids found a shop that sold tons of fairy stuff. They've already put in their Christmas present orders with Grandma.

And of course we had to stop at an ice cream shop for a frozen treat. Since we can't find a good Italian Ice in Maine, we opted for some in Newburyport.

Note to self: Lament about being land-locked in June next year in hopes that all our family and friends offer to take us out on their boats to cruise Sebago, Casco Bay and the Merrimack River again next summer.

Cruising Casco Bay

Fino, being the land-lover that he is, wasn't so keen on the idea of cruising Casco Bay on his friend's new sailboat at first. I jumped at the chance and coaxed him into it. I love boats and being on the water and this was an opportunity the girls and I didn't want to miss.

The afternoon was fabulous and we all had a great time.


The kids have been asking us for years to buy a "house car" and have a fixation on any cars or boats with sleeping quarters. So during our 3-hour boat ride, they spent a lot of time below deck playing house. Once I evenutally coaxed them above deck, they enjoyed sitting up front and checking out the sights.

Unfortunately we only spotted birds on seal rock yesterday.

The girls and I were highly amused at this seagull's perch. Our friend said it wouldn't be so funny if it were our radar. My car knows the mess a seagull can make first-hand.

The kids enjoyed the new perspective on their favorite rollerblading trail at Bug Light.

L. enjoyed the lighthouses and pointed out that they were in order of height - Portland Headlight, Portland Breakwater and Bug Light - when we spotted them all along the shore. My camera's lens wasn't wide enough to capture them all in a single shot.

The girls and I decided we were going to take a ferry ride to explore Fort Georges another day.

Our friend said that this water taxi was making a larger-than-acceptable wake while passing us. The kids asked, "what's a taxi?" Yup, they're growing up in Maine.

River tragedy redux, redux

I caved in, I didn't ban flip flops after G. lost one in the river last summer.

And as much as this pains me to say, I need to learn - and re-learn - some lessons just like the kids.

My re-learning scenario:

Crossing the river that was flowing much faster than usual to get to our favorite place to swim (recent thunderstorms in NH made the river flow faster yesterday).

This was the crossing last week. This week it was about a foot higher and flowing faster - but not unmanagable for us to cross.

"Mom, my flip flop. It's floating away!"

"Holy crap! What are you doing wearing flip flops here AGAIN?" (I hadn't noticed she even had them on.)

"Mom!!"

"OK, go swim and get it. You're going to get wet anyway."

"Mom!!"

"Then let it go. Whatever. I'm not chasing it honey. You knew better because you lost a flip flop last year."

After thinking it over for a minute she swam, caught the errant thing and with a big smile on her face, got out of the water on the other side of the rocks.

Then while at the same crossing on our way back to the car L. yelled, "Mom, my sandal! It fell off!"

I managed to grab her jelly sandal off the rocks near my feet before it floated away.

Note to self: Ban ALL Almeida footwear from crossing the Saco River. I think I got it this time.

Oh yeah, it was a good time!

It was another water-logged Saturday morning for us and our friends. Last week we were swimming in Sebago together, this week we were having a ball on the waterslides at Aquaboggan.

The water slides were great and the kids went down, and climbed back up, those slides at least a few dozen times in the four hours we were at the park.

And the wave pool was just as much fun as the slides.

And if you asked me who had more fun at the park - the kids or the adults - I'd have to say it was real toss up.

You go Tina!

Sebago Lake is awesome

It doesn't matter what toys you bring to the beach, it's the random item that captures a child's attention. Our friends invited us for a dinnertime boat ride and picnic on Sebago Lake and packed a bunch of toys to keep all our kids entertained so the adults could relax.

But even with all the careful planning of my friend, it was a paper plate that her 19-month-old found fascinating -- and threw like an ultimate frisbee pro.

I have loved spending time on Sebago Lake since I was a teenager. It was great to spend some time on a boat with my kids and now watch them enjoy it. We don't have a boat right now but I'm working on Fino to get one.

The kids loved the boat ride around the lake and letting their hair "blow dry" in the wind. Then when we anchored at the Sand Bar, they spent nearly all their time in the water swimming and playing with barbies.

We eventually dragged the kids out of the water for dinner. And then dads built a small campfire afterwards and asked the kids if they wanted to toast marshmallows. As usual, the kids definition of "toasting" meant lighting marshmallows on fire. I can't say how many times I've tried to show the girls how to get the marshmallows golden brown but they don't care. They want them hot any way they can get them - and as soon as possible.

Here's a few more photos from our Sebago Lake boat trip. Did I mention how much I love Sebago?

We drove around Frye Island.

The Sand Bar has a couple of fire pits and was a perfect dinner picnic spot.

Yeah, nothing better than enjoying a sunset on the lake.

Creative way to warm up

Yesterday was a long day for the kids and I. We had a lot to do but I won't bore you with the mundane details. The highlight of the day for me was the geocaching event at Mt. Agamenticus. I really enjoyed putting some faces to screen names I've chatted with from both the geocaching.com and geocachingmaine.org sites.

The kids didn't want to hang around at the geocaching event; they were a bit on the grouchy side due to lack of sleep. But a side trip to the beach at Cape Neddick perked them up.

We haven't been to the beach since last fall so the novelty of jumping around in freezing cold water was fun for them. Just for curiosity's sake, this morning I looked up how cold the Gulf of Maine waters are right now.

45 degrees

After 15 minutes of running through the water and getting nearly every part of themselves wet, L. came running over to me (yes, I chose the dry sand to enjoy instead). She then started burying her feet with some urgency. I asked her what she was doing.

"I have to get my feet inside the sand. It's so toasty warm and my feet are so cold!"

"Did it work? Are your feet warm?"

"Yup."

Good to know...

A little white lie

We met up with some friends yesterday afternoon at Old Orchard Beach. The day was sunny but temperatures were a little cool for swimming. That didn't stop the kids from getting into their bathing suits and jumping in the water. Clearly the kids are products of their Maine upbringing when frolicking in 55 degree water is fun.

As with all our beach trips, the kids collect shells. L. always seems to have a fairy house construction project going in our backyard and needs shells. Old Orchard had plenty of shells as well as a couple of other random items. The large, very human-like bone G. found was creepy. That didn't make it into the bag - I buried that in the sand when the kids weren't looking. But the broken pocketbook handle was re-found and brought home. What they plan to do with that I have no idea.

After examining the finds on the kitchen table last night, G. noticed the bone was missing. Oops, I said, it must have fallen out.

We all need our little white lies.....