Langosta!

Here's our first attempt at a home-cooked lobster. I hope you follow these same steps if you decide to try it yourself:

1. Let the critters out of the bag to crawl around for a while.

2. Don't le the lobsters get too close to mom or she'll scream and scare the kids.

(I think Haley thought we had just found the biggest cockroaches in the world and were crazy to keep them in the house.)

3. Show off those big claws!

4. Drop into the big pot of boiling water...

5. Ta da! A delicious, home-cooked lobster dinner.

(I think this might be our last attempt. The mess inside the lobster was a little much for me. I'll just order a tail at a restaurant the next time I'm feeling a little fancy. They can take care of the dissection.)

Everyone Needs Someone Nice

I haven't been the "new guy" very often in my life. I lived in the same city until going away to college and have lived in Tucson since then with many of the same friends when I was single and married.

In the few weeks we've been away from home, it's made me realize how important it is to stop and be friendly. Even if you think you have nothing in common with a person you meet, maybe they just need someone to talk to. That sounds like we've been over here crying in our apartment because we're so lonely, which isn't true, but the people who have welcomed us I've been so grateful for.

Our first week here was rough as we got settled: sick kids, driving back and forth to Boston to figure out our rental car, adjusting bedtimes and naps to time changes and a few cold and rainy days. When we left for church that first Sunday I prayed that we would find friends--someone to talk to and someone for our kids to play with.

We met several families who were also working at the hospital. Some were attending doctors who had been in Portland for years and others had moved there recently for residency. When one family invited us over for dinner that night, I was so relieved! It was nice that we did have some things in common, but I wouldn't have cared if it had been otherwise.

Birch's sister was also so helpful when we first arrived. She picked us up from the airport in Boston and took us to her house where a hot dinner was ready. We borrowed her car for that night until our rental was ready and she sent us away with a bag of breakfast food for the morning and snacks for the kids. We didn't tell her what we needed and she didn't ask--she just decided to help.

I hope that I can be better about welcoming people and inviting them to do things without worrying about details. I usually run through my list of excuses: we have kids and they don't, our kids aren't the same age or gender, the food I made isn't my best, our house isn't clean enough to have people over, etc. And if I see someone who could use some help I have excuses for that too--usually wondering if what I have to offer isn't what they really need.

Now I can see that these things don't matter. Even though the gestures were helpful to us, I mostly appreciated people taking time from their "busy" lives to think about someone else.

Back to the Homeland

We always tell people that Birch and I grew up in Flagstaff, but his family didn't move there until he was 8. Before that he lived in Maine, which was one of the reasons we decided to do a rotation here.

Here he is with his namesake--Birch trees. I'll admit, I didn't even know what a Birch tree looked like until this trip.

This weekend Birch's parents came to visit us and went to see his sister Marie and her family in Boston. We took a mini road trip around Maine on Saturday, visiting the places they knew when they lived here.

At Bar Harbor, we found the trail where they would hike as a family--a perfect .3 mile hike that was quite a climb! It was nice and short (great for kids) but you felt like you had done some work to get to the top.

At the top of the trail overlooking the ocean--gorgeous!

We made it to Orono to see their old house, which Birch's dad built himself. There have been some changes but it's pretty much the same.

I was surprised at the fun things Birch could remember about playing at this house as we walked around the yard. Even though I've known him since we were kids, I don't know much about when he lived in Maine. I feel like I learned another piece about him this weekend and I understand better why he loves this area.

Spice-Free Cooking

I'm trying to buy as few groceries as possible while we're here. I hate throwing away food and we won't have the space to take home very many leftovers from the pantry. I thought about bringing some spices when I was packing but didn't get to it. So I'm trying to think of dinner recipes that require as few ingredients as possible.

Here's what we've had so far. Any other ideas?

BBQ chicken

Spaghetti

Canned soup & cornbread/grilled cheese

Fajitas

Hawaiian Haystacks

Teriyaki Chicken

Sites for Parents and Sites for Kids

This weekend we got out to see a few sights around Portland. It's funny how your list of things to see changes with kids.

Our first stop was a lighthouse. This one, Head Light, claims to be the most photographed lighthouse in the US. Does it look familiar? I was a little jealous when I saw how many people were running past this lighthouse on their morning run. Wouldn't it be amazing to have a view like this when you're working out?

The kids are doing SO well with the cold. They think mittens are the coolest thing!

On Friday we made it to the Children's Museum for their Free Friday Night. After watching the families there I feel like this town is very granola. My perception is also skewed because the closest grocery store to our apartment is Whole Foods. It makes me feel like I need to be Super Mom all the time. If anyone saw me giving my kids an Oreo we'd probably be kicked out of town.

One day we needed to get out of the house but didn't want to brave the cold again. Birch's idea was Cabela's, which I was a little skeptical about. It turned out to be perfect for the kids! As long as you don't have any major reservations with hunting, it's pretty much a free zoo. I've been in a Cabela's before but I don't remember the displays being this impressive. Haley walked around roaring at all the animals.

Settling

Our first few days here were a little rough. What I hadn't prepared for was the time zone change. I don't think we were really used to a new schedule until after three days. And that's only with a 3-hour time difference! I don't know how people do it who travel to a different part of the world with kids. Trevor has been very loyal to the new time--he wakes up at 6am no matter what. Haley, on the other hand, wouldn't move until at least 9am (6am Arizona time, can you blame her?) She's slowly adapting.

We're also getting used to having one car. When planning this trip we pictured the kids and I dropping Birch off in the morning and doing whatever we wanted until it was time to pick him up. But since we have been needing more sleep, we haven't been up to take him yet. So instead we've been busy exploring the neighborhood. Luckily I love our apartment and the part of town we're in. We're right on the coast, with only a park between us and the water. There's a path that goes by our apartment called the Eastern Promenade (I don't think I'm fancy enough to run on a promenade, but I've gone out anyway). And we're on the edge of downtown so we can get to shops or the library when we want to on foot.

Here's a picture of the view from our place:

Trevor with a stick--his favorite toy in Maine. They're great for fighting bad guys and poking leaves.

At first Haley kept pointing out the window to show me the mess outside. Maybe we'll get that girl a leaf-blower and put her to work!

My favorite place in the neighborhood--the bakery. It's not cheap, but sooo worth it!