oinkers and chickens and sheep, oh my!

csa line up for last week.  are ya jealous?

so the farm has definitely captured eric's heart, but jamin and cora love it almost as much.  the only downside is that they have their farm adventures without me.  after everyone is freshly rested from quiet time, eric takes the squids over to the farm to explore and play while he harvests his day's pay.  we are eating lots of kale salad these days, much to my enjoyment.  strawberries have slowed down, but jamin and cora got to try some gooseberries (cora loved 'em).  eric's proud moment of the week was teaching his co-pickers how to hackysack.  jamin is learning, too, so as not to disappoint when he goes off to WWOOF somewhere at 17.

the horse trailer is a chicken coop!  might need to talk to the redbud ladies about those empty ones in the meadow...  :)

"BOOB JUICE!" cora yells out as soon as she sees this guy in action.

 pigs just arrived at the farm this week.  they are currently clearing brush.  kids named a couple : snorter and porter were my favorite ones.  it's a great chance to see what we might like to have on our own little farmstead someday.  although I doubt we will ever have 70 chickens at a time.  or that nancy will ever agree to eight pigs. I think 2 pigs is more than plenty.

took the kids canoeing, their first boat ride besides the ferry.  jamin's lifevest came from the "goody pile" at the shelter island dump.  it's like goodwill except it is free and it all comes from rich people.  life jacket is in almost perfect condition.  it must have been last season's color scheme or something, who knows.

in the background you can see the bike eric swears he is going to start riding to the farm soon.  if I call him out publicly, it might happen even sooner :)

water balloons from nonna!

we're having a wonderful time, in case you couldn't tell.  camp life starting to pick up with staff trickling in from all over the globe.  I'm leading some staff training activities and some devotions, stuff I love love love doing.  this week is family camp and more staff training and our kids start day camp.  they can go all day, but my guess is that eric will pull them out most afternoons just so he can have them all to himself.  and show them off at the farm.  he's a pretty proud papa that way.

thanks to those that have sent mail.  it is a big highlight for sure, and we have tried to be good about sending replies, so be watching your mailboxes as well!

ask jamin and cora to sing you the "pizza man song" next time you see them.  it's their newest campfire fav.

All ticked off

This post should suggest that our family has been slowed down a bit by the summer heat, and I think we've learned our lesson on NY traffic off the island, too.  With that being said, we have chosen to commute less by car.  But, no rules have been put into place on others transporting us in their air conditioned spacious rides.  On Sunday, Wendy and the squids ventured off into East Hampton with Lauren and Zoey to swim at their friend's uninhabited pool.  Wendy was intentional about not bringing a camera in order to connect, instruct, and enjoy the experience first hand.  Jamin progressed in his aquatic skills by relinquishing the foam noodle and refining his freestyle swim.  Not sure on the exact details, but initial reports from the pool included a baby diaper full of dookie being tossed into a bag resulting in messy laughter and cleanup.  Upon returning from the pool, Eric was cooking supper with our first guest from outside camp--Megan, from the farm.  Megan arrived on bike with a basket full of freshly picked salad fixins, and a small bouquet of flowers to brighten our day.  Jamin was determined to flex his memory game skills, and challenged Megan to a game before delving into our stir-fried veggies, quinoa, and salad.  After supper, Jamin and Cora invited our guest to play memory again before transitioning into our bedtime routine.  With irresistible cuteness, Cora poked her head out of her bedroom door and projected into a room full of conversation, "Eric, can you ask Megan if she will read to me?"  Now, don't we all wait for this moment of opportunity and seize it will immediacy?  True.  And Megan had no trouble following suit.  Cora rambled and chatted and explained the intricacies of her day for nearly a half hour before pulling the covers up over her waist and rolling over for the night.  Such a fluid, relaxing, and effortless day.

  Monday arrived with debilitating heat.  Eric typically works alone at the farm since the co-pickers take Sunday and Monday as their weekend reprieve.  Decked out in a sun hat and overalls to protect from the the sun already high in the sky, Eric cut his shift short by an hour and a half.  Upon returning home early, Eric was noticeably beat down by the sun and negotiated a nap from the kids.  The agreement--they both stay in their bedroom, use quiet voices, let papa sleep, be kind to each other, and they will be rewarded with ICE CREAM!  Eric set the alarm clock on his phone with a fun ring to initiate a dance party wake-up, and unbelievably.....it all worked.

Roller derby socks, b-ball shorts, NC State gear, and Keens. Nice.

The drive to Tuck Shop, the local ice creamery, is about 4 minutes from our cottage.  Upon arrival, Jamin and Eric had to wake Cora up.  Inside, the ice cream options were many.  But remember, this is Jamin and Cora, practically virgins in their ice cream exploration.  "Would you like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry," Eric inquired.  "What?, you offered us chocolate, papa," Jamin replied.  "Chocolate is for grown ups." Yes, this has been the most effective ploy in avoiding the chocolate mustached craze that potentially ensues when little people indulge in cheap sugary goodness. (side note: Jamin awoke on Tuesday morning and said, "Did we brush our teeth last night?" "Nope, we forgot," Eric said with a raised eyebrow.  "We had ice cream yesterday, oh man!," Jamin responsibly retorted.)  Well, they earned it.  Eric, Jamin, and Cora shared a medium sized cup of rich creamy chocolate ice cream, a timely solution to the summer sweats.  Surprisingly, The Bean Machine zonked as soon as she got back in the car, foaming at the mouth and rockin' a chocolate mustache.

  Later in the evening, Eric decided to join his buddy, Ralph, for a swim across the bay.  What Eric failed to account for was his lack of endurance and stamina.  After a quick 200 yard swim with barely any current, Eric conceded, admitting he had some conditioning to do before entering a triathlon.  BTDubs, Eric has no desire to enter a triathlon.  Eric hurried home on his newly borrowed bike so that Wendy could head off to lead her first staff devotional at camp.....and she totally rocked it!  High fives and follow-up inquiries left her both inspired and proud.

  Prior to easing the squiddos into their bedroom for the evening, we had to do our daily tick check.  The deer population is notoriously large as they migrate across the bay and chow on everything and anything on the island, except geraniums.  Some deer are tagged with bling and necklaces and ear tags to assist in tracking their migratory habits and patterns.  Still rather alarming is the number of ticks pulled off our family since we have arrived.  Yes, we have a running tally.  In eleven days, Wendy 4, Jamin 11, Cora 8, and Eric 6.  Now you understand why we're all ticked off.

                          

Redefining "class"

Notice Eric's large cup of coffee.  A bit of foreshadowing for you.

 Friday, June 21st....the Summer Solstice!  Unbeknownst to us, the kids had collaborated to prepare breakfast in bed for their mama and papa, and were dressed for the day when they arrived at the top of the stairs to deliver the "bales of hay," otherwise known as shredded wheat.  Eric proceeded to work and picked garlic scapes, strawberries, cilantro, scallions, carrots, and peas. On Fridays, everyone is in action preparing CSA boxes for pick-up on Saturday.  Eric was all smiles upon arriving home.  He and the others at the farm parted ways for lunch with a giant group hug.  Frickin' hippies.

As Eric was easing Jamin and Cora into their midday nap/quiet time, Wendy called with exiting news.  We were all heading to the Hamptons to see where the hospital was located (in case of emergency at camp), and would continue on to the Mecox Bay Dairy Farm for an insider look at the udder side of cheese making.  So, foregoing the naps, we headed south on the ferry and drove toward South Hampton.  Ill equipped without snacks and books to entertain, we stopped for coffee and juice bars.  Hard to tell in the picture above, but Cora is topless.  That's how we roll....and the Manners were just getting started.  Oh man, it was all down hill from here...and let the hilarity ensue.  After locating the hospital and heading back toward Sag Harbor to the dairy farm, the kids were restless and cranky.  Just as we pulled into the driveway of the farm, we had no other choice but to call it a day.  The napless critters were provoking each other and whining incessantly.  En route to the ferry with everyone's nerves running thin, our dearest Cora announced she was peeing in her seat. Jamin was being a big brother and encouraging her to continue as we frantically tried to pull into a gas station that had no bathroom.  Continuing on our search and sensing the urgency in Cora's whine, we had no choice but to pull over on the side of the road and drop Cora's pants in a Hamptonite's  front yard.  Oh yes, and then we got lost on our way to the ferry.  And remember the cup of coffee Eric slammed earlier in the day?  While waiting in line to drive onto the ferry, there was no other option but to refill that cup.   And Eric promptly poured the cup full of urine into the street. A train wreck of an afternoon, but the picture to the right was the closest we came to throwing them out the window.

  It is hard to believe it is still Friday, but Eric pressed on to complete an herb bed assignment at camp while Wendy put the kids down for the night.  As the evening lingered into the horizon, our friend Ralph invited Eric to go paddle boarding into the sunset.  While Eric had never tried paddle boarding, he broke through the hesitation and accepted Ralph's invite.  The two of them paddled into the sunset below, and turned around once the sun was out of view to discover a waxing moon high in the sky reflecting in the calm evening waters of the bay.

Just a little side note, Aunt Denise was buried today, and our thoughts were with her and our family throughout the day.  She was good people, always working in a helping profession, and adored Jamin and Cora.  As this sun sets, we hope she was looking down on us today and laughing at how adventurous and classy we were as we strolled in and out of South Hampton.  A Mannerific day. 

On Saturday, we eased into our morning and prepared for a trip to Greenport.  Having never boarded the ferry without our trusty and beloved Iggy (the Honda Fit), we parked the car and boarded the ferry on foot.  Wendy and Cora were excited to see the carousel as we approached the mainland and prepared for a morning of fun in the sun.  Upon arrival, we headed straight for the carousel, and proceeded to the toy store in town (departed without purchase, success!).  We spotted our first banjo street performer while strolling through town, and made our way to the health food store and across the street for Italian ice.  Making our way back to camp around noon, we remained low key until supper time.  We walked to our friend's house here at camp (Lauren, Ralph, and Zoey Ruiz) and enjoyed the kids splashing in the pool while we munched on stank cheese and crackers.  We've been fortunate to establish an instant connection with the Ruiz family, which have provided comfort, intimacy and simplicity in a friendship.   We are looking forward to a summer of new experiences and memories with our Shelter Island tribe.

Manners at the Manor

 Eric continues to work the morning shift at the farm from 8:30 to 12:00.  Tuesday's duties included picking more strawberries and weeding the sweet potato beds with the crew.  Upon arriving back at camp, he met Wendy and the squids in the dining hall for NY style pizza!  While we waited, we received an urgent call to come outside.  Embraced with excitement and childhood awe, Jamin and Cora welcomed the newest addition to Camp Quinipet--a pirate ship.  We have already enjoyed barnacle stew, dolphin pie?, and of course some Manhattan clam chowder (pirate style) courtesy of Capt. Hook and Smee.  I happen to enjoy the perhaps unintentional crucifix mounted on the deck.

  After a sunny Wednesday morning weeding the parsnip beds, Eric arrived home with yet more strawberries (and kale, chard, lettuce, scapes, dill, and some stank cheese from a local farm).  And apparently, Shelter Island has yet to hop on the tempeh train.  Grocery clerks and attendants only offered blank stares of confusion and questioned its use as a culinary medium.  Soon after arriving home at our cottage, Eric received his first real assignment as a paid employee of Camp Quinipet.  Create and herb bed near the dining hall outside the kitchen, and it must include at least five rosemary plants.  Sounds like a job for Farmer Eric, and he wasted no time before heading off to a local nursery to procure these tender perennials.

  Across the street from the nursery is the Sylvester Manor Farm. Excited at the opportunity to explore the farm and meet Eric's co-pickers, the Manner went to the Manor.  Jamin and Cora said hello to a few before making a bee line to the strawberry patch.  As Eric searched for his daily produce pay (with the critters following close behind), he discovered Susan embarking on a farm responsibility of cleaning the eggs to be sold at market.  She welcomed Jamin and Cora to assist her in dunking a golf ball basket full of eggs in a five gallon bucket, drying the eggs she cleaned, and then gently placing them in a plastic tub.  And you know there are child labor laws in NY, so they were graciously paid with a dozen eggs.  Cora likes the white ones.  While the kids flexed their professional poultry prowess, Eric scored another block of Mecox Bay "stank" cheese, and then invited Jamin and Cora to harvest chard and lettuce.  Rows and rows of radiant green roughage reflected in the eyes of the junior co-pickers. BTDubs, co-pickers could totally be a bluegrass band back in WNC.

  Eric asked Jamin and Cora to carefully assess the lettuce bed and choose the one that belonged on our table for supper.  They agreed on a head of red lettuce, which Jamin proceeded to hold over Cora's head to symbolize a "head of lettuce."  Moving on to the chard bed, the junior co-pickers, seeming strategic in their selection, chose a handful of rainbow chard each.  Yep, we are happy, healthy, and living the dream......and still eating strawberries and stank cheese.

nothing says father's day like seaweed and booty

Happy Father's Day, Eric! Well, it was.  Our family explored the island, and admired the lavishly manicured yards and homes of Shelter Island.  As we cruised and perused the streets, it quickly occurred to us that the homes we were rubbernecking at were in fact just the guest houses, or for the hired help.  Yep, in the backdrop we discovered the actual homeowner's residence with a subtle glimmering of the bay on the backside.  Most were empty since they are vacation homes.  We continued on to the coffee shop and stopped by Eric's farm to explore, pick a few strawberries, and introduce the kids to the work space.

 When we returned home to camp, the kids put on their swimming gear and proceeded to the waterfront.  Activities included making a seaweed cake for papa, a few unsolicited yoga poses on the shoreline by Cora, some waist high trips into the water, and a bit of trash pick-up (which often evolves into pirate booty and treasure, arrrrrgh.)

  On Monday, Eric went to work at the farm early in the day.  Since most volunteers and interns take Sunday and Monday off, Eric had the whole farm plot to himself.  The sun rises at about 5:00 a.m., so the morning shift is when most of the work is done.  Barefooted and topless, Eric picked strawberries (about 2 gallons) for CSA shareholders and the market stand.  Again, he was rewarded with a surplus of berries and greens.


When Eric came home from the farm, Jamin and Cora were eagerly awaiting his arrival to pick up trash at camp.  Since Eric's job description has yet to be defined, he and the kids took some initiative as the grounds crew.  Jamin and Cora earned a penny for every piece of trash they picked up on the grand venture.  How much did they earn you ask? $.79 each.  But picking up other people's garbage is exhausting (allow your eyes to wander to the left.) Eric had a hard time waking Cora up and had no choice but to lure her out of bed with juicy strawberries.

The days are long here.  I often forget about sunsets since the tree line holds my last glimpse of the sun back home in the mountains.  Camp attracts many people with varying sunsets from all over the globe.  Wendy invited Martina, a camp counselor from Slovakia, to join her in watching the sunset across the bay.  Gotta say, what a way to cap off a day.
 

farmer eric

it's been a little chilly here at night, so every morning we get to wake up to this cuteness.  I am not sure when jamin crawls into bed with cora, but this has been the morning scene since we've been here.  he says he just whispers, "cora, scoot over and I will keep you warm" and then snuggles right in.  they sleep in plenty late this way, so you won't hear me complaining.  

 cora has more sundresses than I care to admit.  thankfully, as long as we let her accessorize herself, she is game to wear them all on a rotating basis.  the first summer I worked here, jcrew came out and did a photo shoot in the barn where they keep the sailboats.  I think jcrew's kid line might need to know cora is here to model for them.  we can do the shoot right in our cottage.

this one shows a little more of our living room IF you can pry your eyes away from that cutie on the couch :)

this is how they paid eric for two hours of work picking strawberries.  

today was eric's first day on the farm. (here's a link if you want to check out where he is working: http://sylvestermanor.org/ )  he met a kid that just graduated from app state, got to tell his "how I met my wife story", and picked strawberries barefoot for two hours.  his life is pretty perfect. so far his is the only beard we have seen on island and today at the farm some one told him "I saw you in your carhartt overalls at the store yesterday and could not figure out why someone would be on shelter island in overalls.  makes sense to see you here."

we had a picnic supper with all the goodies he brought home (strawberries were gone well before supper was ready).  later tonight we saw a big fat raccoon under that picnic table enjoying our leftovers.  that's local beer in eric's glass.  life is so stinkin' good.

we have arrived!

oh, summer camp, how I have missed you!

on the ferry!

we are here, we're here!  after five days on the road, many nights in various guest rooms and air mattresses, kids are now cozy in their summer nests.  it is windy and cold and rainy, but it is CAMP! and we are going to enjoy it, by golly.  jamin's goal was to swim ever day and we are already behind schedule due to the weather, but there have been enough adventures in other realms to make up for it all.



y'all.  our cottage is beyond adorable.  it is almost too cute to live in.  if you have a chance to come up, you should because we are living the good life here and would love to share it with you.  we got in today and there was mail waiting for us, hip hip hooray.  a card from nancy and sue (with strict orders to come home at the end of the summer) and a care package from nonna, eric's mom.  kids wasted no time ripping into that one and getting to know our new back yard.



















last night we stayed with eric's aunt in wappinger's falls.  she is an animal lover, to put it mildly, so kids were in high heaven with dogs and cats and parakeets and a talking parrot and a tortoise.  so cora was able to fulfill a lifelong dream and play with a real turtle.

we stopped for breakfast in katonah, a little town where eric's dad ran a jewelry shop years ago.  we ate at a diner right across the street from the shop, a spot where eric remembered having egg sandwiches and coffee with his dad and andrew.  it meant a lot to be able to do the same with jamin and cora.

tanglehood

a year ago tomorrow, we got to meet baby eliza.  she looked a lot different back then.  and in fact, jamin and cora didn't get to meet her until almost a whole month after her official birthday, since she was in the hospital for a while.  but when you look at this fantastic trio today, you'd never know that one of these amigos weighed just over two pounds at birth.  

so of course the first stop on our summer adventure had to be a visit to our best friend baby eliza.  jamin and cora had an exciting adventure day with jtrent as well.  it involved a trip to the mall to ride the train, a chikfila pit stop for some waffle fries, and a run to the dump (everyone's childhood dream, I know).  while our kids were making memories with their grandad, eric and I went to see the great gatsby so we could see what our summer on long island will really be like.  thank goodness we aren't rich so we won't have all those problems.

(please pardon the view of cora's undies.  and yes, these lovely ladies ARE wearing matching dresses, thanks very much to the wonderfully talented heather manner!)

so glad moments like these are what will send us into our summer far away.  and that a family as great as this one will be one of the draws to remind me how much north carolina really is home.

happy birthday, baby eliza!