Batten down...

the hatches! I've been thinking of topics to write about since the end of last week. We had a great Fri. night evening cruise with some friends and then by Sat. am the weather began to change.
On Sat. morning we had planned to skip gymnastics (Marley's favorite activity!) for a Huggies baby contest at windreach which had pony rides (Marley's other favorite!).  We spent so long preparing the boat for the winds ahead, and then waiting for Mark to prepare everyone else in the marina that we were too late to make Windreach.  Instead we opted for the S.P.C.A. fair at the Botanical Gardens with for what it lacked in pony rides made up for with a dog parade with one dog as Marley's namesake.  When they called up "Marley Rose" to enter the ring Mark, Abbie, and I all thought that someone had played a trick and entered our child Marley into the parade! So there is a little terrier out there sharing the same name as my little terror LOL

We made it back Sat. afternoon to a blustery Dockyard! Marley kept commenting on the wind and the boat was really rocking. We were glad we put everything away and sorted out the lines before we left as it was really getting nasty.  We raced the rain and had an early dinner at Frog and Onion then went into hibernation for the night (all together in our bed!).  It was a sleepless night for most.  Jacob actually slept his first solid 7 hours (apparently he likes a lot of disturbance!), Marley tossed and turned and fought between Mark and I all night and Mark and I listened to every creak and moan in case something went. 

We were ok the next morning however there were a few slight casualties in the Marina.  The scariest was the large 55/ 60footer behind us Spellbound which had actually broken the finger dock it was tied onto in half!  Mark and the marina manager as well as the boat owners moved it to the hard dock but now we have the wind blowing straight up our stern without any protection.  Our little work horse the Scout also didn't make out well in the blow as one of the commercial boats broke a cleat and smashed into the bow of her but its only slight and the Scout actually made out better than the commerical boat!

Getting on and off the dock has been a bit tricky and requires both parents.  I put Jacob in the Baby Bijorn carrier and then Marley has to be carefully lifted onto the dock and hands held tightly.  Usually I can manage on my own with the two but the real trick it aligning the moving boat with the dock and making a graceful step down (or up)!

Both kids seem unbothered by the rough seas and weather and a little quiet time in our cozy little home was well deserved over the weekend however this is supposed to keep up all week and I'm not looking forward to that.  In the mean time I am connecting with some new mommy friends in the east end of the island while I hide out at Nana's doing laundry and waiting for Marley to be picked up from Nursery.