Sylvia's Journal

This is Tessa’s week. She turned 28 yesterday which we celebrated with the family – Faro was being watched by two of his many grandparents at our house, allowing Sita and Jim to join us. A friend had flown in all the way from LA for the occasion and for her first taste of the East Coast. After unpacking a bag of presents, mostly kitchen and cocktail making stuff, we walked to a local restaurant and had a feast of a dinner at 224 Boston Street. Tessa had reserved us seats on the patio surrounded by trumpet vines and other lush summer greenery.

The lobster traps went in yesterday, with the help of friends. It is now one year after Axel’s rotator cuff operation and we realize that hauling in lobster traps may not be advised quite yet. The same friends who put the traps in will come back on Thursday to hail them up – we keep our fingers crossed for an abundant harvest. They would be the first lobsters of the year. We have a grocery back up plan, just in case the lobsters were grazing elsewhere.

Faro is with us the whole week but so far I haven’t seen much of him. On Monday we drove into town for a potluck to say goodbye to a dear friend and longtime colleague who is moving west. We overlapped for more than a year in Afghanistan which makes for many good stories. Yesterday I left before anyone woke up and came home long after Faro’s (and my) bedtime and today I left again at daybreak. I hope we can play tonight and have some hours together. It is the first time I see him walking. The joy on his face, when he realizes that he can now reach more kitchen drawers with interesting stuff in them, is priceless.

He is learning about ‘No, you can’t have that!’ and things being taken away. His forehead wrinkles into a V and he doesn’t like it. It is still charming and quite cute to watch him express these new emotions but I know it won’t be charming for long. Luckily, he is mostly smiles.

He is having his first sea experience. Sita took him into the water, wearing his tiny crocs. He now has a life preserver as well so he can go into the boat. No swimming quite yet, but the beach is endlessly fascinating with lots of stuff to explore, still mostly with his mouth. Sita is learning to be a mom on the beach. It is a lot of work, the sun screen, the watchful eye – but seeing him explore this new world makes it all worth it; I can’t wait to be part of that. And then there is the small town 4th of July parade and the fireworks, he has no idea what’s coming.