Back for more...

Farley's is treating us well so far.

 We're back at home in the little cottage, settling in for our two week stay.  The point has been packed this holiday weekend, in that so good to see you, let's stand in the road and chat sort of way.  It's been long enough now that I am finally feeling more at ease with this, slipping more comfortably into the Farley's small talk.  I am genuinely happy to see these neighbors and friends, this little summer family.  We wander about in our swimsuits, we congregate at picnic tables, we watch the children and sip our coffee or beer.  We eat donuts.  Life is easy and good and we don't have a lick of privacy and while I know this will wear on me, for this weekend at least, it feels right.

The full complement of cousins has been around this weekend, a luxury we've been sure to enjoy as it won't last for too long this trip.  Our kids have been entertained and worn out well by their wonderful friends. Jack in particular is high on the cousin-time-- and withdrawl hits him each time they go in to the house for a bit.  "I'll just wait here for Sarah....," is an oft-whined phrase about the cottage this weekend.  The flip side to the moping?  Watching my boy play, deeply engrossed in a Playmobil drama, for hours; seeing him giggle and run off to play a game with the group; hearing him tell his cousins what he can do, what he loves, so confident and fully present with them.  I love these relationships he is building and I just want to freeze and bottle these moments up, they make my heart so happy.

Ivy, too, is loving the cousins. David in particular.  While sunshine girl does not take their absence to heart in the same way as her brother (thank the lord!) she does light up when they are around, and truly goes moon-eyed for David, who for his part tolerates her hugs and nose bopping with a slightly bemused smile.

Tonight our usual troupe was joined by Nat's cousin Ashley and her family, bringing the total cousins-in-residence to 13 and the dinner total to 29.

It was grand.

The children ran and played with water balloons and set off bottle rockets with Nat and we got rained on twice and dinner was delicious and the evening lingered and lingered and the kids didn't get to bed til ten.  And that is OK.

Ivy and Riley (Ashley's 4 year old daughter) became fast friends this evening, pushing each other in the porch swing, sharing a chair to eat their ice cream, and finally being "mermaids" together when all the children spontaneously went for a sunset swim.  The two girls were happy to hop in the shallows in their undies and regaled us with tales of what mermaids eat (Riley insisted seaweed, Ivy disagreed and suggested lipstick) and what they are named (all, apparently, share one name.  Ariel.  Ivy is the Ariel with red hair and a red body while Riley has red hair and a pink body, so there you go).  

Ivy appeared to pick up her feet and paddle a little tonight, and was so very proud of herself for swimming.  She has taken to the lake like a fish this trip, truly.  In fact the other day she spent all her swimming time pretending to be a "sunshine fish" with her two hands carefully in front of her like little flippers.  She has been, as ever, a laugh riot.  Perhaps even more than normal, its hard to tell.  She's been a dynamo, a dervish, a flirt.  We can't keep clothes on her or keep track of where she is, little miss independent.  Earlier today she did not want to go to the store with me.  I asked her what I should do with her instead, and she answered (as she sashayed away from me on the dock, hands at a jaunty angle from her hips) "You can just leave me here, I don't care...!"   She is the only child I know who can make an attitude like that, delightful.   Oh we are in for it with this girl...

Here are a few more pictures for you... swimming, boat rides, sunsets.  You know, just the usual Farley's stuff.  Wish you were here...

After bottle rockets we all ran down to watch the sunset.  It was worth it.

Moments after this photo was taken, the sun would be down and all these children would be in the water.  The sort of magic that makes keeping them up past bedtime so very very worth it...

Bottle rockets.  "Remember kids, uncle Nat says...."

Waiting anxiously for the fireworks last night...

After our boat ride yesterday morning we plopped the kids overboard to swim with Randy and Hannah, and went out for more boat ride.  Man, I love this place. 

This one went to the park like this.  Somehow, she manages  to make an impression everywhere she goes...

Ivy and Reese, nieghbor Barb's granddaughter who is 6 days older than Ive.   Sadly they've gone home already... but Ivy and Reese will get up to many adventures in summers to come, I can tell...

Boat girl.  Sorry for the dearth of photos of the boy.  He's either been mopey or he's disappeared playing; either way there haven't been as many photo ops for him these past few days...

They just loved those fireworks...