There is surely no better place in the world to live than New England. After our August week at the Cape, Tim and I are certain we couldn’t love a state more than Massachusetts. This trip came together thanks to diligent planning on the part of three good friends who traveled — with husbands and children — to our state from New York and Texas.
We left Boston Saturday morning, anticipating loads of Cape Cod traffic, but we were pleasantly surprised to have no more than 15 minutes of stop and go on the bridge. Soren played with his new construction felt board for nearly the whole drive (thanks Lauren!), but we did catch a little bit of talking on video.
Once across the bridge, we stopped for breakfast then found our friends at the local Trader Joe’s. We all ventured together to our neighborhood-for-the-week to await check in at our house-for-the-week. It just so happened that our house was next door to a great wildlife sanctuary where we picnicked for the afternoon.
Once we got into the house, we put Soren down for a nap, unpacked, and then found that our sweet, lovable, even-tempered baby had turned into a monster during his slumber. No joke — he had been acting completely regular all day then woke up as the saddest, crankiest, and craziest boy alive. And it lasted for two days. After the first four hours of crying (from nap wake-up to bedtime that night) I thought I was going to lose it. I hoped and prayed he’d wake up on Sunday and be back to his usual self. No go — Sunday was the same story. We lasted an hour at church, which I spent on my phone Googling his symptoms — excessive drool (which used to be regular for Soren but had resurfaced in the previous weeks), screaming each time he yawned, fingers in his mouth non-stop, and crying every time he attempted to eat or drink. My conclusion was teething — two-year molars to be exact. I’ve never noticed any change in temperament with the other 16 teeth he’s acquired. When other parents blame their babies’ fussiness on teething I’m usually rolling my eyes. But the two-year molar thing is REAL. And it’s AWFUL. I called the doctor 24 hours in to our disaster and he suggested either teething or hand, foot, and mouth disease. My mother’s intuition felt it was teething, and it turns out I was right. The pain and misery (for Soren, me, and Tim) lasted about 48 hours, and then life was good. I mainly document this so if I have other children who turn into demons for seemingly no reason, I can refer back to this and remember that teething is a real thing.
But back to our trip. Sunday was a wash, between church and crying and our family’s dinner night. We did squeeze in a visit to CVS for baby Tylenol and teething tablets (both of which seemed to do nothing) and Trader Joe’s for applesauce pouches (which he declined to eat, for the first time in his life). But thanks to the mini shopping carts at TJ’s, we had a few minutes of no crying!
The next day we stayed mostly close to home since we’d been awake a lot the night before and Soren was still a sad little hellion. We spent the morning at Gray’s Beach, near Yarmouth Port and about 15 minutes from our house. It’s a pretty, sort of marshy little spot, but great for kids.
The sand proved to be enough of a distraction that Soren forgot about his woes for a little while.
His ghostly sunscreened face kind of creeps me out a little bit. That’s zinc oxide for ya.
The sand at Gray’s is a little rocky, but the lovely vistas and free parking made it a great spot for a half day.
Tim and Soren caught lots of “big guys” (Soren’s term). Tim dug many holes and tunnels for his finds.
After pooping in his swimsuit, we decided to turn Gray’s into a nude beach. Cutest cheeks ever.
After naps (for all), Tim and Soren rode bikes to the end of our street, and I met them at the lovely Bone Hill Beach, which is part of the Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary. Like Gray’s Beach, this one isn’t exactly a real beach, but it did have sand and it did have water, so Soren was OK with it. And the miles of tidal flats were a sight to behold.
The tide was low, which made for yards and yards of wet sand and puddles to tromp in to get to the shallow water. It also meant that each time Soren wanted to fill his bucket he and Tim had to make a ten-minute trek.
And then Soren would dump the precious water.
And then ask for more.
On Tuesday morning Soren woke up cured and ate plate after plate of eggs courtesy of Lucas. He had been feeling pretty light after two days of no food, so I was thrilled to get my good-eater boy back. We celebrated with a trip to Corporation Beach in Dennis.
Corporation Beach is a bay-side beach, so no big waves here. Perfect for tiny wading children.
It couldn’t get any more perfect!
Tim and Soren.
Hiking the dunes.
Sand castles require water. Off we go to load up.
Soren shows me how it’s done.
After lunch and naps at home, we spent the evening hours at Gray’s Beach again, this time to partake of the low tide perks:
Wet sand for digging and building.
Shallow water for treasure-finding.
On the hunt for a crab.
Found some!
And an incredible adventure through the cold, cold water (couldn’t bring my camera, since we were immersed above our waists) out to the sand bars. So neat.
Wednesday was our one not-sunny day, so we spent the morning exploring the trails at the nature preserve.
The paths took us to the beach, where we inspected the oyster beds.
And ran in the sand.
This kid loves a good beach run.
Our walk home took us to the visitor’s center, where we watched baby turtles in a tank and checked out other local wildlife. And then we stumbled upon an apple tree that was begging for little hands to pick the fruit.
Then Cynthia, who uses part of the sanctuary’s land for farming, brought us and a bucket of apples over to the animals. Time to feed the pigs! (Don’t worry, the electric fence was off!)
Those piggies were fed well that day.
And then back to the house, just before the rain drops began to fall.
What a sight — freshly folded laundry, and two boys getting themselves ready for nap time.
We made our way to Barnes & Noble that afternoon to find some rainy day fun. The place was packed, but Soren knew just which nook to hide out in.
And a train table! The only way we were able to get Soren to leave was by promising him a pizza for dinner.
Thursday was one of my favorite beach days. Cold Storage Beach was the spot of choice, and it was the first day our entire crew ended up at the same place at the same time.
Surveying the surroundings.
Buddies. (Soren still mentions Ruby, or “Yoobee,” every now and then.)
Time for a swim.
Look at these BFFs!
Soren looks like he’s ready to dive right in.
And then the trench-digging began.
Soren got stuck a few times.
Planking.
Maybe this meal is the reason I loved this beach day the most. Lobster roll, clam cakes, fries, and cole slaw from Captain Frosty’s.
A few minutes of peace for the shaded ladies.
We ALMOST got a full group shot. The kind teenager who took this photo chopped half the group off in most of the pictures he took. In this one, everyone made it in but Ruby.
Airing out.
And then a little swimming before Soren expired for nap time. Tim went to go fetch the car while I got Soren ready to go. Soren asked for milk; I started nursing him, then looked down to find him asleep! Guess the beach really takes it out of you.
On our last full day we ventured to Mayflower Beach, which might have been my favorite if not for the tricky parking situation (we made it into the lot, but the others in our group had to wait in a long line for a spot to open up), the wind, and the cool temps (low 70s should be nothing to complain about, but it was chilly in the shade!).
This beach was another dream spot for kids — awesome tidal pools and sand bars.
Beach and wading pool, all in one spot.
The last beach day is always a very hard thing for me. I’ll be looking at these pictures throughout the winter to remind myself that there will be warmth and swimsuits again.
Other highlights from the trip include:
A beautiful back yard for playing, eating, reading, art projects, and napping.
The backyard was also the perfect spot for the blow-up pool we brought. Unfortunately, the water from the hose was freezing, but Brian rigged up a hot shower solution.
And a few visits to the Cape Cod Creamery. The Dennis Double Chocolate (with a hint of cinnamon!) is still in my dreams. Other foodie fun to remember: The Common Ground Cafe, which was the most bizarre restaurant experience ever , and Pain D’Avignon, a lovely French spot with amazing breads and baked oysters (with bacon, leeks, and Parm).
Until next year, Cape Cod. Who’s in this time?
Tagged: Barnstable, Bone Hill Beach, Cape Cod, Cape Cod Creamery, Cold Storage Beach, Common Ground Cafe, Corporation Beach, Dennis, Gray's Beach, Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Mayflower Beach, Pain D'Avignon
Hey! i want/need that picture of the entire group together at the beach!!!!
love this post. makes me want to cry i miss everyone/the beach/ cape cod/ the east coast like every second of every day.