This is T.
Hello. says T.
It’s the last week befor Kindergarten starts.
T’s family is going to Maine.
What’s in Maine? says T.
Mommy is very excited.
Chowder and Lobsters
and Fried Clams are in Maine!
What’s that?
Food! says Mommy.
The best food in the whole wide world.
T is not so sure. T likes pasta and chicken
and french fries.
I like Rice Krispie Treats, too!
Maine also has a really big beach
where you can make sand castles
and we can fly the kite.
Like the lake?
Much bigger than the lake.
When we go to the lake, you can see the other side,
but you can’t see the other side of the Ocean.
The Ocean? The Ocean? says T.
Mommy gets their globe out.
She shows T where they are,
where Maine is,
and The Ocean.
It’s the big blue part that goes on and on and on.
T likes the sound of that.
She helps Mommy pack her special red suitcase with her bathing suit, her water shoes, her special beach towel and lots of shorts and T shirts.
And underpants and some socks and…
…
…what is that?
That’s a sundress. says Mommy.
What do I need a dress for?
Mommy sighs.
T, we may go out to a nice restaurant
and if we do, Daddy and I will want you to wear a dress.
I do not want to wear that. says T.
Tough. says Mommy.
T pouts.
Mommy sighs again.
Look, T. she says.
We’re only going to a fancy restaurant once,
the whole week we’re there.
T pouts.
You don’t have to wear dressy shoes.
You can wear your water shoes if you wear the dress.
As soon as we get home, you can change.
says Mommy.
Mommy says this last part in her
Mommy Means Business Voice.
T thinks.
Okay.
Mommy packs the dress.
The next morning T
and Mommy
and Daddy get in the car
and drive for hours and hours and hours.
Why don’t we live close to anything?
When they got to Maine, T’s sleeping, so
Daddy carries her in to the house and puts her
in her room while Mommy unpacks the car.
Where am I? says T when she wakes up.
We’re in Maine, T. says Daddy.
T smells the air.
The air smells funny.
T smells it again.
Funny but good!
That’s the ocean.
Daddy takes T out of the cottage and she can
see
The
Ocean!
Wow. says T.
For dinner, Mommy goes
to the fish market and brings back
Fried clams,
Lobster rolls,
and a big container of
Clam Clowder.
T looks at the chowder.
It’s fishy soup? asks T.
Yes, T. Fishy soup.
T sniffs at the chowder.
T takes her spoon and pokes at the chowder.
Then…
T takes a little spoonful of the chowder and puts it
in her mouth.
T’s eyes get very very big.
T swallows the chowder.
Wow! says T.
I love chowder! says T, between
big slurps of chowder.
T, slow down! says Mommy.
T is done with her chowder very quickly.
Can I have some more? Please?
T has so much fun at the beach
the next day with Daddy and Mommy.
Daddy tries many times to get the
stripey beach umbrella to stay up.
It’s funny to watch at first, then it gets boring.
Hit it with a rock, Daddy! says T.
Big Sister and Eric
and Baby Sam arrive for lunch.
Daddy and Eric
and T make a sand castle,
then they build a whole sand kingdom around it.
It’s huge! says T.
When the ocean comes in
and tries to wreck their kingdom,
T runs to the ocean with her sand shovel
and tries to get the water to turn around.
It does not work.
They build another sand kingdom further up the beach.
T and Big Sister go for a walk and collect
shells in a bucket.
T picks up one shell
and
there is
a crab still
living in it.
Plomp
the shell with the crab, back onto the sand.
Wow, can T run! says Big Sister.
T runs all the way back to Mommy at the
stripey beach umbrella.
The wind picks up after a while, and Daddy gets the kite out.
T helps Daddy with the kite.
Daddy showed me how to make it do
loop dee loops. says T.
When the sun starts to go down,
Mommy packs up the the blankets
and her chair.
Eric and T pick up her shells
and shovels and buckets.
Big Sister carries Sleepy Baby Sam
and his Baby Bag.
Daddy tries to get the stripey beach umbrella
to come down.
Maybe if I hit it with a rock… says Daddy.
Everyone walks back to the cottage.
There is more chowder for dinner.
Yay! says T.
After dinner,
T sits on the porch and plays board games
with Big Sister
until Mommy says
T, it’s bed time.
T is pretty tired.
I had a busy day. says T.
You did have a busy day, T.
Tomorrow, we’ll try to have dinner at
the fancy restaurant. Mommy whispers
to Big Sister.
Good night, T.