Back from New England

Yah, we're back! Home is nice, crap weather and all.

So, I seemed to make a lot of work for myself this holiday but i do love Cape Cod and New England. I did everything backwards and we seemed to do so many different things that I am completely exhausted now that I am back.


I thought it would be a great idea to touch base with my dad in upstate Connecticut on his farm to start the holiday. I traveled over with just the chicks and the Rooster was meeting us in Cape Cod. It has been a long time since the chicks have been there and they couldn't really remember what it was like. 4 1/2 hours drive later, in the rain and jet lagged, we got there and in truth, had a lovely 3 days and the drive was only that long because of really bad traffic on the Mass Pike. So I would do that again. My dad raises Belted Galloway cows and the family are Big Meat eaters but he was very kind and didn't feed us a big meal when we arrived. We had that the next night, steaks the size of a Belties' head! We were very well looked after and didn't have to ask for anything. Comfy beds, a beautiful setting, great food and he planned something for us to do each day. 

Kayaking on the river up there, berry picking, walks round the farm. It was lovely. My dad is only 71 but years of outdoor farming has taken it's tool and aged his limbs. He moves slower these days then a normal 70+ year old and I am now trying to convince him to start taking cod liver oil and the likes. We'll see. I'm really happy that we visited him at his place though.


The next stop was not so great. I love my brother and his family but they are un-organised and their life is a whirl wind of one not knowing what the other is doing. The children all get along well and I adore them but we didn't actually see them all as a family until they came up to the Cape a few days later. My brother bought the 'family' estate a few years back and has recently modernised the whole house.  I was really interested to see what they had done. It looks fab and I am pleased for them. He works hard and deserves to have a lovely home to come home to. I was tired after I left there and looked forwards to a couple of days with just my chicks in the Cape before the family all came to me.


That happened sooner rather then later but it was all fun once we got to our house. We have two closets full of our own stuff that we immediately pull out to make us feel more at home. Our own sheets, towels, pillows, bikes, candles, stereo, toys, kayaks, you know, stuff.  I don't sleep from jet lag and seem to toss and turn from about 2am the whole holiday. I look pretty grim by the time we get back to the UK but it has been that way for several years so why change now. The chicks adapt pretty quickly though and are much more fun. We usually see all my family at the end of our holiday but this year, because school got out so late, we changed things round a bit. They came first and then some friends from the UK came over after them for the rest of the holiday. My family all pitch in while they are with us which is great. 


We eat really well and play hard while we are there. 


This year we tried stand up paddle boarding.I think next year we might have to buy a board. It was really fun. 

We had amazing stripper fishing and WHALES were a mile off shore. 

Storms had changed the beach out at the Cut once again and the seals were a bit close for comfort, only because they are so loud and the fact that they draw in the Great White Sharks. Beaches were closed in Chatham several times because of the sharks too close to the beaches. 
While out fishing, a large 9 foot blue shark head butted our boat but we were so engrossed in actually seeing the thing 2 feet a way from us that we didn't think of the danger! Then there were the whales. In all the years on the Cape, this is the first time that I have seen them without having to pay a fortune to a man driving a floating bus full of tourists out of Boston. The pod was so big that it actually interrupted our fishing!


While the family were still with us, Girl Chick mentioned that her teeth hurt. As this was not a normal, 'my throat hurts' or 'I have an ear ache', the good mother in me ignored it for the day and told her to stop chewing so much gum. With in four hours, she spiked a 105 fever and her neck swelled. Who am I kidding, she had no neck. It swelled up from her shoulders to her ears. Nice as this was Saturday and no doctors. Ice packs and Advil/Tylenol on off for two days. The diagnoses- ear infection and throat infection due to her bloody molars impacting.
She grew cysts on the two lower back tooth slots and then her mouth broke out in horrible soars and ulsers from the really strong 'Z' Pack anti-b's that we got from the hospital. Poor thing. Actually, while she was sick and couldn't go out and play, I actually had the most rest sitting around taking care of her!


Family left, and friends arrived and finally Chick Girl could come out and play. she couldn't eat and could only drink plain drinks through a straw but she was determined to be a trooper. More fishing, more WHALES, more food, more playing, more beach and sharks and seals, though that didn't keep us out of the water. We are die hards when it comes to cool New England waters and boogie boarded till dusk. It was all great. 

By our last night together, we could all just about manage pizza on Nauset beach and a bit of shooting star watching before packing up and heading back to England. 


Now the rest of the summer begins. 
We picked up Acadia, our new puppy yesterday and the chicks start hockey this weekend and I will be carting them around for the next few days to friend's houses and V Festival and school shopping. And I still won't get any sleep now that Cadi is here. Oh well. I have the perfect opportunity to catch up with all you lot and check in with all the blogging news that I have missed out on!