Rhode Island – Foxwoods And Mystic Seaport

I’m sitting here with socks on and a hoodie over my head. It’s cold! Two days of dreary weather is exactly what I needed to fully appreciate the sunshine that is coming our way today.

Monday morning we got out of the house as early as we could to avoid the impending stir-crazyness. We headed to Foxwoods as the rain pelted against the windows. M is thrilled.

Foxwoods a gargantuan casino and resort (and outlets, restaurants, etc.,) tucked away in the woods in Ledyard, Connecticut, about 20 minute from where we are in Shelter Harbor. It’s owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Indians. There is a lot of history there but I have yet to explore it. We plan to go to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum on the next rainy day. Which will be soon I hear. (frowny-face.)

The kids were so excited to see this out of the car window!

We wandered around the mall and walked through the casino. Well, not “through” because the minimum age is 21, but we walked around the exterior of the casino floor where we could see all the lights and games which was fun.

They loved the escalators! Huge.

We said “yes” to a milkshake at the Sugar Factory (when a cookie from anywhere would have sufficed, when will we ever learn??) and it turned out to be not one of our proudest parent moments.

I never thought it would be ME sitting at a table with my two darling children, about to order a delicious milkshake only to have one of them throw a massive tantrum because: “I don’t want to shaarrrrrre!” M had a little pep talk with daddy away from the table (and away from the other humans trying to enjoy their lives) and then things were happy again.
The kids settled on a milkshake topped with cotton candy and a candy necklace. They could also have chosen a milkshake with an entire bacon cheeseburger atop it, or even an entire piece of cheesecake!

The waitress asked if I wanted her to split the shake into two glasses and I said yes please. So we got two full-sized milkshakes that were in reality the size of a gallon of milk each. I’m not going to lie, as dairy-free as I try to be, I was very much enjoying the size discrepancy between those huge glasses and their tiny tummies. Yum yum.
I wanted to eat the face off everything on the menu, and everything that walked past our table on a tray. The stuff that was coming out of that kitchen… Just wow.

We left the Sugar Factory feeling a little sick but unwilling to admit it because Brenden warned us that we would… We are fine, thank you very much!

Next stop, the kitchen store for a new meat thermometer for Brenden’s smoker. The utensil shelf was a favorite… M loved to pretend to be a crab with the tongs.

Then we went to get socks for the kids (because, brrrrrr) and a new swim shirt for me which I found at 75% off at the Gap Factory Outlet! I can’t wait to use it in the sun today.

We left the resort and headed home for naps. Of course that turned into car naps, which turned into us parked outside the house with me napping in the front seat and M napping in his carseat for about two hours. At one point a cousin came by and saw me sprawled out in the front seat, the car running and everything looking very unusual. She ran flustered to my MIL who assured her I wasn’t dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. In fact, I was very happy indeed.

The remmy sized brisket was ready in time for dinner and we had it with some veggies and pinto cowboy beans, which I’d never had before and loved. Brenden knows how to bring it!

Nothing like a little comfort food to end a cold wet day.

Tuesday morning was more of the same: Dark clouds and no sign of sunshine. Time to smile and make a happy day regardless!

The kids had their Rhode Island breakfast usual: Corn cakes. They only get these when we are up here so they make sure to eat their fill.

Then we were on the road again! This time to Mystic Seaport, also in Connecticut, but super close and full of fun things for the kids to see and do! And us too.

Daddy helping M get onto the anchor to use it as a slide, of course.

Brielle seeing something fun happening without her and RUNNING.

Beautiful boats and ships in the harbor.

And on dry land.

Grampy tried his hand at some of the old sailor’s knots.

Grammy snapped this:)

This was at the children’s museum in building 10. M fitting the tiny sails to the toy sailboats! He loved it.

The little kitchen area was their favorite in the children’s museum. I wanted to play in it too! But I contented myself with sitting at the table waiting for my breakfast. And wait I did.

The inn keeper was very chatty. She talked about her children as she swept while my food was cooking. She said she has a son who is very “un-naughty and goes to bed after just one bedtime story.” Sounds like I need to sit for a while and get some parenting advice from her. 🙂

Three little boat playgrounds in a row. The kids could have played in this one area all day.

Brenden got a really cute video of this little fisherman steering the boat, he recorded it swaaaayyying back and forth ever so slightly so it feels and looks like M really is on a boat. 😀

Grammy and Grampy.

Us.

We got to board a real old-timey whaling ship! The Charles W. Morgan. It was crazy to see how the sailors used to work, live and eat. We went down below and saw all their *tiny* beds, and their kitchen and the captains quarters.

My handsome sailors

There was a cool area where the sailors would go to relax and read and play games, and we went to do the same. Brenden and Brielle put on a puppet show and it was so cute because Brielle’s little doll was always in the fireman’s face. “Yes, I’ll smell your hair lady.” Said Fireman Mike. Then when it was Michael’s turn to play his first line with his puppet was “Let me smell your hair.” I love how much they listen and pick up on.

Playing Tic Tac Toe with Grammy!

Art!

Barrel making!

More interesting toys!

Time to go!

But we couldn’t leave without a taste of the fudge. M gladly carried it to the car for us.

We came back home and all of us had naps. Much needed after little sleep the night before.

Then Grammy made a delicious stir fry wth shrimp and we went on a walk to the dock after dinner.

Brielle was so excited to show me this “dead white crab.” Which came on the tails of Saturday’s “dead white squid.” I love how adventerous she is getting. She used to be grossed out by these kinds of things. Now she saves dead worms from ants and she picks up anything and everything.

I snuck up on them having the cutest conversation.

Brielle found the little gadget the neighborhood kids use to catch crabs. They put hotdogs on the end of a screw attached to a string attached to a stick and they catch buckets of crabs that way. I think they just throw them back in, but it’s fun!

Looking for another crab crawling up the wall like they saw yesterday.

“Mommy, Grammy, I’ll take a picture of you, I’m a great photographer.” Thanks Brielle! Next time we’ll get our stuff together. 🙂

Fishing bait-less for crabs.

I’m so thankful for a new day and some SUN. Okay, I’m off for more coffee.