City, State, Home
One of the best parts of summer is the constant parade of farmer’s markets in our area. If I put a little effort into it, I bet I could go to at least one a day (and two on most days). Unfortunately, just because food is fresh and local and organic and free-range doesn’t make it calorie-free. Which is totally, totally unfair. If I’m going to make an effort to eat natural, real food the payoff should be automatically fitting into my jeans. Why doesn’t science work like that?
The kids love the farmer’s market(s), although I’m sure that has more to do with the fact that the majority of the vendors we visit sell things like kettle corn and maple cotton candy. (Getting any ideas why my jeans don’t fit?) Plus our favorite – the Bozrah one on Friday nights – is like an automatic playdate. We always run into people we know, the vendors are all super nice, and there are tons of free samples. There’s a whole corner of cheese merchants, which might be Caroline’s idea of heaven. Who knew my 2 year old would go nuts for a fresh chevre with herbs de provence? Last week there was a barrel train pulled by ponies. PONY. TRAIN. It was almost too much, and I don’t mean for the kids. I might have actually squeed over the ponies.
There are a lot of disadvantages to living in a state we don’t technically have any connection to. We are not from here. We don’t have any family here. We’re transplants and no matter how many of my children are born here or how long I live here I will never actually think of myself as being “from Connecticut”. I don’t feel the same deep obsession and connection to this place that I did when I first set foot in Charleston during a college visit. But after 8 years in New England and 7 in this town, I do love it.
We live in Connecticut. It’s the only home my children know. It’s become a huge part of our daily family affirmations: “I’m Evan and you’re Mommy and sister is Caroline and we live in Norwich!” They can both tell me exactly how far down the road to school the town ends and are always asking if we’re back in Norwich yet any time we drive more than a few blocks.
I think home is a confusing thing when you’re little – you know your house is home, but what’s outside that? Your yard? Your street? Your town? Your county? I tried to explain America to Evan yesterday because he wanted to know why there were so many Captain America flags. (He called the American flag the “Captain America flag”, because obviously identifying superheros correctly is a more important skill to teach your children than real facts). I told him we lived in a town, in a state, in a country called America and sometimes people live in other towns in other states in other countries. He was fine with states, but didn’t like the idea of something bigger. I told him his Aunt Carolyn used to live in France, which is a country across the ocean. He said “I would be sad if I live in France.” I told him he didn’t have to move to France and could stay with me forever and I really truly meant it.
Although I’m sure if he knew he could have baguettes for dinner every day in France he’d get over it.
Tags: Caroline, Connecticut, evan, family, food, fun, home, kids, pictures, summer
Ha, I feel you on wanting sacrifice to immediately equal results. At one point, I was like “Ok, I can run 3 miles. Why do I still have cellulite on my legs???” Immediate results would be awesome.
I love a good farmer’s market too, but I haven’t seen any as cool as yours!
I really need to know where you get Caroline’s adorable little dresses
The brown dress was mine, someone made it for me (either my mom or grandma) when I was little. Caroline added the pink tutu.
A comment unrelated to this post– bear with me. :) Our favorite FAVORITE local (Minnesota) kids musicians, the Okee Dokee Brothers, are playing in Connecticut soon at a location that I thought I remembered you blogging about–Mystic Seaport (?). I noticed it on their calendar and thought I should stop by and demand that you attend. I legitimately like their music. Seriously. My kids legitimately love it. Anyway, have fun if you decide to go!
http://www.okeedokee.org/calendar.html
Thank you! They’re part of the Wednesday afternoon concerts at the aquarium. We’ve been meaning to check them out, so I’ll make sure we go to that one!
I had a dress very similar to that brown one when I was a kid, but it had an apron to go with it and bloomers instead of a petticoat/crinoline.
Looks like a lot of fun! We have similar conversations about house/street/neighborhood/town/state/country/etc with Niko. He doesn’t really get it yet, and his paternal grandparents are from Europe so there’s plenty of talk about it.
I’m guessing it had bloomers at some point, my tiny fashionista insisted on a tutu.
Is that a vintage dress on Caroline? It’s adorable :).
And I would TOTALLY MOVE TO FRANCE FOR THE FOOD. OMG. I went there in April 2012 and ate whatever I wanted AND lost 2 pounds because the people I went with wanted to go.go.go. all day long.
Wow, I wish our farmer’s market did stuff like that. The most kid-friendly thing they do is the sheep shearing on the first day of the spring season. Which rocks. But it’s only the one day and the market goes all year (it moves indoors in the winter).
I think the brown dress had and apron. Do not recall bloomers.
I left the fudge in my mom’s fridge! Oh man! That was good stuff. And Evan needs some goat cheese with that baguette.
Maple. Cotton. Candy.
YUM.