The raising of the late Grandpa Smith’s flag.

Matt’s mom (the boys call her Nannie) and her husband Mike come to meet us in Milford, CT. The plan is for me to have some work time while everyone else does some sightseeing. We are secretly thrilled at the thought of some time off from around-the-clock parenting. The highlights include the Trolley Museum, the Nathan Hale Park (Matt’s great-great-great …. uncle), the Pez Museum, and the Nathan Hale House. One afternoon the boys run to me and say Nannie invited them for a sleepover. They beg to be allowed to go. I act like I have to think about it. She brings them an origami set and art materials and teaches Joshua some new painting techniques. They have a wonderful time. We get some work done on the dinghy motor  and Matt and one of the guys do some prep work on the connection between the engine and the fridge. I become intimately acquainted with the local coffee house and overdose on caffeine.

I use some of the time off to get a much-needed haircut and wander into a shop looking for an inexpensive shirt that can withstand the wear-and-tear of boat living. It’s a cute but pricey boutique and has a happy feel to it. The owner recommends a $100 white shirt emblazoned with blue anchors. I love the tag on it and say so. She says some people buy the shirt just for the tag but that the brand also has napkins. For $6, I’ll take the napkins. I explain that I currently live on a boat and there’s no way I’m going to wear a nautically-themed shirt. She agrees it’s a bit much and asks where we are headed. I say Cape Cod. It can be crowded, she says, but Chatham, MA is an adorable town. It has seals and an abundance of the seals’ predators – great white sharks (cue Jaws music here). I make a mental note of it.