On Martha's Vineyard

Here we are, out for the annual ride-for-MS bikeathon on Martha's Vineyard! It is a sadly miserable day out there, and I can't say I'm sad to be stuck indoors with Gabe. Chris is braving the weather right now for the two of us. He graciously downgraded from the 100- to the 50-k this year so as not to leave me stuck with Gabe ever weekend while he both built the bunny fence and bicycled; and seeing the weather today, I'm thinking it worked out for the best. This is not casual bicycling weather. It's wet, and cold, and if their route takes them along a beach, it will be a grinding wet slog against the wind.

I had expected some fussiness from Gabe on the trip, what with this being a break from his routine. But Gabe has surpassed my wildest hopes: he is napping well and often. (He is sawing logs as we speak, in fact.) He didn't fuss once on the drive and ferry ride over. Chris reports that Gabe charmed a group of twenty-something men on the ferry, and babies are usually a repellant for that social group! And since arrival he has been mister social butterfly, flapping, clapping, and flirting with anyone and everyone. He has only fussed when I have taken him away for diaper changes and other solitary activities.

Last night, when I kept him up late at the party and he should have been getting fussy, he just got mellow. He was content to sit and watch. We seem to have a real socialite on out hands. This pleases me, because of all the things I could teach Gabe, good social skills is not one of them.