The hurricane itself was pretty much nothing on the Cape. There was some wind, but no rain. At one point the sun was even shining!
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| Benjamin's hair blowing in the hurricane wind |
We lost power around 4 pm on Sunday. We didn't think the power would be out for long since the wind didn't seem too awful. We went out to dinner on Sunday night, and the boys were wonderfully well-behaved. No one seemed too worried about the storm, and as we drove home from the restaurant, we could see lights on almost all the way to our house.
We had a great time playing trivia in the candlelight, and we even got my mom to play with us, which is incredible, since she has a general rule that she won't play games. We laughed so hard, and it was so nice to be engaged with each other, not each involved in our own books, computers, or the TV. The power flickered once while we were playing the game, and then came on for a few minutes around 11. I really thought the power would be on by the time we woke up.
But no such luck, the next day there was no power and not a flicker of anything. My dad managed to get a generator going, so we had the fridge on and running water, which made the situation easy to tolerate. That night we grilled food for dinner, and then played Uno by candlelight (we couldn't get my mom to play games two nights in a row, though!).
The next morning Eric and my dad took the boys on a bike ride to the donut shop and left the ladies in peace and quiet. It was a beautiful day, and we were sitting outside in the sunshine when the power came on! We celebrated by making coffee, we were all in wonderful moods. And then the power went out. My mom, sister and I took the boys to the pond to swim, and while we were out, the power came back on, this time for good.
The week was busy, and it just flew by. We went to the pond, and to the beach. The boys didn't love the water, and swimming, but they did love running around, and would always go up to other families and children and stand there until they were noticed. They borrowed lots of toys, and made new friends wherever we went. I admit that I did look at the adults who didn't have children, who were lying out and reading with some envy, but I wouldn't trade my boys for anything. I loved watching and experiencing the world through their eyes.
The biggest problem on our trip was sleep. Things started out just fine, but then Asher remembered that he knew how to get out of the pack n play, and it went downhill from there. Naps consisted of Asher jumping out, running around the room, occasionally throwing things at Benjamin while was trying to sleep, climbing in Benjamin's pack in play with him, and pulling over furniture. Oy! So we went down to 1 nap a day, and would stay busy all morning, then drive home and hope they boys would fall asleep in the car. Nights were another issue altogether, and by the end of the trip I really was ready to come home and get the boys back in their cribs.
My parents and my sister all commented that my boys are exhausting, and that they were eager to get home and have some rest. My sister has not always been understanding of what my life is like with children, and I think this vacation gave her some perspective.
At the end of the trip, Eric had planned to drive up to Maine to visit his family and help his brother. On Sunday morning he asked how I would feel if he took one of the boys up with him. My initial reaction was "No way!", but everyone else thought it was a good idea, so I acquiesced. In the end, I think it was a good idea- Eric's family doesn't get to see the boys frequently enough, and it is much, much easier to be a single parent to one toddler than to two!
On the way home from the Cape we went through Providence and got some dinner. Asher walked around Brown, and we went by my freshman dorm. Asher loved it! He loved all the different people he saw, the musicians in the street, and especially all the young ladies. Asher is quite the ladies' man already- while we walked he would cross the sidewalk to smile at and approach all the college girls! They all seemed quite taken with him, too. Being back on my college campus, watching all the students come back for the school year and happily greet their friends made me nostalgic for my college years. And yet it was surreal to walk past the door I used to enter my freshman dorm all those years ago holding the hand of my beautiful son. I know I never imagined what my life would be like at this point, and while I miss the excitement of a new school year, I am more than content with the life I live now.
In the car on the way home, I watched Asher sleep and thought about how perfect and beautiful he is. Some people are blessed to have one perfect child, and I have two! How can I be so lucky?
Today was also an exciting day- my cousin went into labor and delivered her first child, a baby boy! We went to the hospital tonight hoping to meet him, but he was in the nursery getting a bath. He is small and very cute. Asher raced up and down the hallway while we waited. It felt like just yesterday that I was there after delivering my two boys. We saw one of the residents who helped with the delivery and said hello- she said that both Asher and I look great!
My day of being a single mom is over, and Eric and Benjamin should get home tomorrow afternoon while I'm at work. It is so quiet with just half the family, and I miss my other half so much. I can't wait to hug and kiss Benjamin (and Eric, too!).
I will post some pictures from our trip once Eric gets home with the camera, I haven't even seen the photos we took but I'm hoping they're cute!
Asher started saying "na, na," which he used first just to nurse, but now just means "give me a drink!" They are imitating sounds and words more now, which is good. Benjamin is also starting to say "more" when he wants more food.
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