As it's raining outside for the bazillionth day in a row, and I'm sitting here sipping from my Life is Good coffee mug, I figured it was a good time to tell you about our last day at the beach. Because who's not dreaming of the beach right now? It also might be a little about procrastination. I might have a huge grocery run to do and get ready for father's day. There are weeds littering my beds and still a pile of school stuff from Laura's book bag on the counter. Ugg...reality. So let's slip back into vacation mode for just a minute and avoid reality, shall we?
As you might remember, the kids basically wanted to do everything on the last day of vacation. They wanted to go to the beach, take bike rides, go swimming, eat ice cream, etc. We did almost everything in some form. Mom, the girls and I went down to the sound beach in the morning. We didn't put anyone in swim suits. We went down to play Frisbee. I didn't think that Frisbee would last that long, as I thought the kids would get frustrated quickly. But I was wrong about that. They were actually pretty good at it, and we played for quite a while. Matt went on an 11 mile bike ride and took pictures around the island.
We decided to head to the pool after lunch. My parents were taking off and heading home. They wanted to split the drive into two days. We spent a very relaxing, lazy afternoon at the pool. I didn't get in much. I mostly laid in the pool lounge chair and read my book. Matt stayed in the water and played with the kids. The kids played games and practiced their jumps into the pool. They proudly showed Matt their moves. It was one of the those afternoons where the pool wasn't too crowded, the afternoon sun was warm, and time stood still. I wished we could stay in that moment forever.
At about 3:30ish we went back to the house to get ready for our evening plans. Matt let Laura and Hannah ride their bikes down to the Salty Dog (which is like 2 blocks away), and that counted as their bike ride. Laura would have liked to take a longer bike ride, but we bribed her with a surprise later. We ate a fairly early last dinner at the Salty Dog. I had this delicious seafood pot pie. I really didn't have high expectations, but can I just say....it was awesome! Matt even thought that it was exquisite. So that was fun. Matt and I got dessert there, and the kids got ice cream later that evening. After dinner we did a little last minute shopping. I wanted these Life is Good mugs. We always drink from them at the beach, and it is one of my favorite activities. We always choose a special, yummy flavored creamer, and coffee in the morning is one of the relaxing, perfect ways to start each morning. This year we had Cinnabon creamer. (Yes, I could purchase this kind at home, but I'm cheap. And it's not the same. I have to put my coffee at home in a traveler during the week as I'm rushing off to work. Not. the. same.) So I thought I could dream of the beach at home on the weekends with these mugs. And today is the first day I'm using them doing just that - dreaming.
We also made one other last minute purchase. We already had a surprise for the older two back at the house, so we let Emma get Jake, the Salty Dog before we left. She has been begging all week. So she was quite excited to bring him home. She kept saying, "he wants me!" You see, the girls have Matt wrapped around their little fingers. They had also been begging Matt all week for a specific toy. Mommy had already told them no, but they knew there was hope in Daddy. They just kept working on him, and when he was out and about without Mommy, he caved. So their surprises were at the beach house waiting. The kids had some ice cream, and then we headed back to the house to begin the arduous task of packing up to go home.
Matt gave the kids their surprises, a horse sketch pad for Hannah and a magic kit for Laura. That kept them busy while we packed. We didn't finish until about 10:30, and we had a 6:00am departure time the next morning. So we hit the sack, and so ends vacation.
It was a really amazing vacation again this year, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to take it. It kicked off our summer perfectly. Now we have so many things to look forward to the rest of the summer. It will be over before we know it, so we want to bask in each weekend and event. I hope you all are having a great summer too!
P.S I didn't take any pictures on the last day. Sorry about that :(
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Vacation Day 8
It was Beach Mania yesterday. We started by going down to the sound beach in the morning to explore and build sand castles. The kids really wanted to go to the shark beach, but we held them off awhile by taking them to the sound beach while Matt and Dad took the bike that lost the chain to be fixed. The tide was out, so there were hundreds of shells everywhere with hermit crabs in them. The kids hunted them and threw them back into the water. The coolest thing I saw was a blue crab that found a dead jellyfish and grabbed it and started eating it. Next the girls, Laura, Hannah, and Grammy, decided to build sand castles. Laura wanted to build one that had a pool in the middle with structures around it. Grammy's and Hannah's was the traditional type that had structures set in a square with the mote around it. Emma was the destructor. They had to work hard to keep her at bay. She gets great enjoyment out of smashing structures. Imagine that!
When Matt and Dad got back, we ate lunch and then packed up for the shark beach. We decided to ride bikes there, which is a 35 minute ride. So we packed the beach bag and the cooler, and they had to be set in the trailer with Emma. She was none to pleased about that, but it actually worked out, since Emma fell asleep both on the ride to the beach and on the way back from the beach. At the shark beach, we were pretty much in the waves the entire time. Laura loved to jump with the waves and ride them towards the beach. Hannah and Emma loved the waves too, but they are just not strong enough to handle them, which means that someone has to hold them. But Hannah likes to bounce up and down in the waves. And Emma clings to us, but she loves it when we can "ride" a wave. Emma doesn't love it when she gets smacked in the face with a wave. We took one short break and then back into the waves we went. After a while a front was blowing colder air, so we decided to start the trek back. After we got back, we were beat!
Matt and I got ready to go out for the evening, and Dad took the older two to the store. Apparently the store was quite the adventure. Dad said the girls had him walk all the way around it three times trying to make selections for the evening. It took them a long time! They have Papa wrapped around their little fingers! He let them pick something out for fun, and they each picked something totally different, very reflective of their individuality. Laura picked a snack. Hannah picked a pair of white socks with sparkles on them. And they chose a plastic dolphin toy for Emma, which was perfect. They had frozen pizza and watched Rio.
Matt and I ate dinner at The Old Oyster Factory, which is a really neat place. It is built on the site of an actual Oyster Factory, and they still raise about 300 acres of oysters there. The view is beautiful, and the food is delicious. We had some Savannah style oysters, which are topped in crab, bacon, and cheese. They were so awesome! Then we had some shrimp gumbo. It was even better than the batch we had at the Crazy Crab. Then I had crab cakes, and Matt had mahi mahi. We were stuffed ,and it was so good! We were exhausted after a full day, and we didn't stay out too late. We listened to a little music at the Salty Dog and then headed home.
Only one more day....Man, time has just flown by fast! It has been an awesome vacation. We asked the kids what they wanted to do today. You can guess that they listed just about everything! They want to take a bike ride, go swimming, go to a restaurant for dinner, go to the beach for sunset, and have ice cream. We will see how much we can fit in today! We will be off early in the morning to head north.
When Matt and Dad got back, we ate lunch and then packed up for the shark beach. We decided to ride bikes there, which is a 35 minute ride. So we packed the beach bag and the cooler, and they had to be set in the trailer with Emma. She was none to pleased about that, but it actually worked out, since Emma fell asleep both on the ride to the beach and on the way back from the beach. At the shark beach, we were pretty much in the waves the entire time. Laura loved to jump with the waves and ride them towards the beach. Hannah and Emma loved the waves too, but they are just not strong enough to handle them, which means that someone has to hold them. But Hannah likes to bounce up and down in the waves. And Emma clings to us, but she loves it when we can "ride" a wave. Emma doesn't love it when she gets smacked in the face with a wave. We took one short break and then back into the waves we went. After a while a front was blowing colder air, so we decided to start the trek back. After we got back, we were beat!
Matt and I got ready to go out for the evening, and Dad took the older two to the store. Apparently the store was quite the adventure. Dad said the girls had him walk all the way around it three times trying to make selections for the evening. It took them a long time! They have Papa wrapped around their little fingers! He let them pick something out for fun, and they each picked something totally different, very reflective of their individuality. Laura picked a snack. Hannah picked a pair of white socks with sparkles on them. And they chose a plastic dolphin toy for Emma, which was perfect. They had frozen pizza and watched Rio.
Matt and I ate dinner at The Old Oyster Factory, which is a really neat place. It is built on the site of an actual Oyster Factory, and they still raise about 300 acres of oysters there. The view is beautiful, and the food is delicious. We had some Savannah style oysters, which are topped in crab, bacon, and cheese. They were so awesome! Then we had some shrimp gumbo. It was even better than the batch we had at the Crazy Crab. Then I had crab cakes, and Matt had mahi mahi. We were stuffed ,and it was so good! We were exhausted after a full day, and we didn't stay out too late. We listened to a little music at the Salty Dog and then headed home.
Only one more day....Man, time has just flown by fast! It has been an awesome vacation. We asked the kids what they wanted to do today. You can guess that they listed just about everything! They want to take a bike ride, go swimming, go to a restaurant for dinner, go to the beach for sunset, and have ice cream. We will see how much we can fit in today! We will be off early in the morning to head north.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Vacation Day 7
Laura and Matt started the morning with watercolors. They did it inside this morning, since the deck was wet from the night's rain. We didn't let the little kids paint in the house to prevent the mess/destruction. They were just a little miffed. We sat on the front porch and enjoyed the morning with conversation and coffee.
Matt and Dad golfed yesterday, and so Mom and I took the kids to the pool for the afternoon. It was a very lazy, comfortable, relaxing day. The kids made friends at the pool and had a blast. Hannah has taken great pride in her jumps. She does twisty ones and backward ones and all kinds, and she likes to show other kids. I like to see Hannah have confidence in something, as she often is in the shadow of Laura. Mom taught Laura how to dive, and she did pretty well. Emma was her usual self - ornery. She likes to ride on my back and hold onto my straps. Then I swim her back and forth across the pool, and she yells, "ya, ya horsey!"
Both Laura and Hannah have loose teeth. Laura has two top teeth that are loose, and Hannah has her very first loose tooth. It's on the bottom. She is very excited about it. The tooth fairy had better save up for some payouts!
We are in full on vacation - relaxation mode. It is wonderful. We only have two more days, and I'm dreading coming back to reality. I could live this way, as could most. But alas, it is not reality, and I am extremely grateful to have had this break and family time.
The evening brought pirate adventures and searches for treasure! The kids absolutely loved it. Once Emma had a turn on the water cannons, she was a precision shooter. She was very determined to knock Stinky Pete off of his boat and not happy when another kid got the opportunity. Hannah and Laura got into the story and yelled "Aye Aye" back at the pirate leaders. The Captain chose Matt to "steal" the treasure map. Well, he could not have chosen a better thief! Matt played the part perfectly and messed with the kids as they tried to find it. Of course, they quickly betrayed him and turned him over to the Captain. The kids got to beat on him with a foam sword. Emma really enjoyed that! After Stinky Pete was conquered and the treasure was secured, we headed back to shore for some ice cream and music. Greg Russell was playing. He was pretty funny. He picks on Ohioans since they make up about 40 percent of the tourists down here. When a kid came up to the stage, he would ask, " Where are you from?" The kid would say, "Ohio." Greg - "What color is your mini van?" If the kid responded that we don't have a mini van, he would say, "Aww, it's Ok. All Ohioans have mini vans." He was really funny, and he played a lot of great sing-a-long tunes.
While we enjoyed our pirate cruise, Mom and Dad had an evening out and went to a great restaurant called The Poseidon. They sat outside, and they said the food was amazing. Mom had blackened Mahi Mahi, and Dad had grilled cod. I think everyone had a great night.
Matt and Dad golfed yesterday, and so Mom and I took the kids to the pool for the afternoon. It was a very lazy, comfortable, relaxing day. The kids made friends at the pool and had a blast. Hannah has taken great pride in her jumps. She does twisty ones and backward ones and all kinds, and she likes to show other kids. I like to see Hannah have confidence in something, as she often is in the shadow of Laura. Mom taught Laura how to dive, and she did pretty well. Emma was her usual self - ornery. She likes to ride on my back and hold onto my straps. Then I swim her back and forth across the pool, and she yells, "ya, ya horsey!"
Both Laura and Hannah have loose teeth. Laura has two top teeth that are loose, and Hannah has her very first loose tooth. It's on the bottom. She is very excited about it. The tooth fairy had better save up for some payouts!
We are in full on vacation - relaxation mode. It is wonderful. We only have two more days, and I'm dreading coming back to reality. I could live this way, as could most. But alas, it is not reality, and I am extremely grateful to have had this break and family time.
The evening brought pirate adventures and searches for treasure! The kids absolutely loved it. Once Emma had a turn on the water cannons, she was a precision shooter. She was very determined to knock Stinky Pete off of his boat and not happy when another kid got the opportunity. Hannah and Laura got into the story and yelled "Aye Aye" back at the pirate leaders. The Captain chose Matt to "steal" the treasure map. Well, he could not have chosen a better thief! Matt played the part perfectly and messed with the kids as they tried to find it. Of course, they quickly betrayed him and turned him over to the Captain. The kids got to beat on him with a foam sword. Emma really enjoyed that! After Stinky Pete was conquered and the treasure was secured, we headed back to shore for some ice cream and music. Greg Russell was playing. He was pretty funny. He picks on Ohioans since they make up about 40 percent of the tourists down here. When a kid came up to the stage, he would ask, " Where are you from?" The kid would say, "Ohio." Greg - "What color is your mini van?" If the kid responded that we don't have a mini van, he would say, "Aww, it's Ok. All Ohioans have mini vans." He was really funny, and he played a lot of great sing-a-long tunes.
While we enjoyed our pirate cruise, Mom and Dad had an evening out and went to a great restaurant called The Poseidon. They sat outside, and they said the food was amazing. Mom had blackened Mahi Mahi, and Dad had grilled cod. I think everyone had a great night.
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| The Captain enjoying what is most likely a "Jolly Pirate" Donut before the cruise. |
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| Reading the Pirate's Treasure Map. |
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| TREASURE!!!! |
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| The punishment for Treasure Map thievery is a foam swording to the face |
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| "Ahoy Captain! Legendary Laura has spotted 'Stinky Pete's' boat of the Port Bow!!!" |
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| Sharing the found Treasure! |
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| The girls enjoying their pirate grog! |
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| Laura's share of the treasure |
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| Listening to the "rules" of the ship. Or...Emma is plotting her mutiny. |
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| Aren't they fierce? |
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| Beautiful sunset |
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| Their battle with Stinky Pete. |
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Vacation Day 6
Art again this morning. Everybody - meaning Matt and the girls sat and did some watercolors. The two littles attention span isn't quite as long, so they left and started hunting geckos and playing in the yard. About mid-morning we decided to head over to Harbor Town. There are a bunch of shops and restaurants and other things to do there. We wanted to ride bikes, but the bikes needed a little work to get ready. Matt had to get the trailer hooked up for Emma, and seats needed raised. We eventually set off on the 3 miles over to Harbor Town. About 1/3 of the way there, Dad's bike chain fell off. So he had to walk back to the house and then drive to Harbor Town. At Harbor Town we looked through the shops, even the toy store. We managed to get out of there without buying a toy! And we ate lunch at the Crazy Crab. We had spicy shrimp gumbo, soft shell crab sandwiches and some other fish. Emma ate her favorite food - Mac and Cheese. She devoured it. Everything was delicious once again. The kids played on the playground. They made quick friends with a little girl from Greensboro, NC. I heard Laura telling the little girl that we have the number 1 football team. Matt should be so proud! When it was time for us to leave the playground, Laura said, "Well, you will have to come to Ohio." And she gave her our address! Funny - I doubt they will be making the trip. We also did one other important thing at Harbor Town; we made our reservation for the pirate cruise! The girls are very excited for their re-match with Stinky Pete, their favorite pirate.
On the bike ride home, we stopped at the Baynard Plantation ruins. They were pretty cool. They are what is left of the structures that were the main house, the slave quarters, and the kitchen. Matt was trying to explain the slave quarters to Hannah, and her response was "that sounds like a good idea." Umm, no. I don't think she understood completely. Emma mostly liked the moss that was hanging from the trees. It was set back in a wooded area. Emma thought the moss was witches hair. When Matt grabbed some and put it on his head, Emma's eyes got wide, and she said, "WOW." On the second half of the bike ride home, Emma fell asleep in the trailer. Hannah and Laura did great. They never complained of getting tired on their way home.
As soon as we got back, the kids wanted to hit the pool. It was really hot and sticky yesterday, like 90 degrees. So we didn't argue too much, even though we were pretty tired. We changed and headed to the pool to cool down.
Mom cooked us a yummy dinner of pork chops, baked beans, and salad. It's one of the kids' favorite dinners. They all ate well.
We sat on the deck after dinner and watched a thunder storm roll into the area. It had a ton of lightening. There were some crazy people on boats looking at dolphins. That wouldn't have been my choice of activities. They apparently live on the wild side. The kids were giving us concerts. They were having a singing competition where Matt was the judge. They had four of five rounds that were torturous....I mean wonderful! The lyrics they came up with were hilarious, but they were just a wee bit pitchy.
Once the storm reached us, we settled in for a movie. The kids picked Night at the Museum The Battle of the Smithsonian. Emma and Hannah fell asleep, but Laura watched the whole thing.
Day 6 is over. Vacation is going a little too fast!!
Tomorrow we hunt treasure and battle pirates!
On the bike ride home, we stopped at the Baynard Plantation ruins. They were pretty cool. They are what is left of the structures that were the main house, the slave quarters, and the kitchen. Matt was trying to explain the slave quarters to Hannah, and her response was "that sounds like a good idea." Umm, no. I don't think she understood completely. Emma mostly liked the moss that was hanging from the trees. It was set back in a wooded area. Emma thought the moss was witches hair. When Matt grabbed some and put it on his head, Emma's eyes got wide, and she said, "WOW." On the second half of the bike ride home, Emma fell asleep in the trailer. Hannah and Laura did great. They never complained of getting tired on their way home.
As soon as we got back, the kids wanted to hit the pool. It was really hot and sticky yesterday, like 90 degrees. So we didn't argue too much, even though we were pretty tired. We changed and headed to the pool to cool down.
Mom cooked us a yummy dinner of pork chops, baked beans, and salad. It's one of the kids' favorite dinners. They all ate well.
We sat on the deck after dinner and watched a thunder storm roll into the area. It had a ton of lightening. There were some crazy people on boats looking at dolphins. That wouldn't have been my choice of activities. They apparently live on the wild side. The kids were giving us concerts. They were having a singing competition where Matt was the judge. They had four of five rounds that were torturous....I mean wonderful! The lyrics they came up with were hilarious, but they were just a wee bit pitchy.
Once the storm reached us, we settled in for a movie. The kids picked Night at the Museum The Battle of the Smithsonian. Emma and Hannah fell asleep, but Laura watched the whole thing.
Day 6 is over. Vacation is going a little too fast!!
Tomorrow we hunt treasure and battle pirates!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Vacation Day 5
We started the morning outside on the deck with some watercolor painting - not me of course. Matt had a small watercolor set that he brought from home, and he was painting with it the first day. So don't ya know, the kids were quickly whining that they wanted to paint too. Matt went into Walmart one day and brought them each a watercolor set. They definitely don't get this "art" gene from me. You will notice that none of them want to sit and write stories...
Next we decided to do some kayaking. In the several years that we have been coming here, I have never attempted kayaking. Matt has tried it a couple of times. I'm not sure why it has intimidated me in the past - probably the sharks. I have seen shark week one too many times. Anyway, I was feeling adventurous, and Matt and Dad went out first and came back alive. So I figured it must be fairly safe. If they could do it, I could do it. The kids were super excited and wanted to kayak too. We gathered the life vests and headed to the beach. Like I mentioned Dad and Matt went out first, to test the shark appetite. When they came back, they gave the kids some quick rides. Then Mom and I went out with low expectations. Our goal was simply not to tip over. Well as it turns out, it was really fun and fairly easy. We traveled way down the shore line and ended up out in the boat lanes. We had to make our way closer to shore to avoid some of the wakes. We saw some fish jumping and some birds fishing. Thankfully we didn't see any gators or sharks. You think I'm paranoid? Well people fish right off the shore and pull in sharks everyday. Yesterday someone saw a four footer from the shore. Uh huh...you see, I don't want to be mistaken for a yummy meal. And last year they pulled a 12 foot alligator from the sound. So I'm a justifiably paranoid. Ok back to our vacation adventures.
After a morning of kayaking and the kids playing at the beach, we headed back for some lunch. Hannah and Emma took naps, and then we biked down to the marina do some shopping. The kids got to pick a prize for good behavior. Yes, we believe all good parenting includes bribery. Hannah always picks out one of the cheap little rings every year, and she wanted one again this year. Laura and Emma wanted one this year too. Laura also picked a shark tooth necklace, and Hannah picked....wait for it....another stuffed animal. Of course you are completely shocked. Do you see why the stuffed animals are over taking me? I'll have to secretly get rid of a few when we get home.
We grilled out for dinner. Matt made his near famous smoked brats, which did not disappoint again. He also made us grilled vegetables, and we had salad fresh from Dad's garden. It was all delicious!
The girls have been trying to catch a gecko since we've been here. Last night Laura and I led a gecko hunting expedition with Emma wielding the net. Hannah and Emma started ahead of us, and we started quietly searching the bushes and the edges of the house. We spotted one that we couldn't catch down in the bushes. Then we found a fairly large one on the front of the house. I grabbed the net from Emma and tried to get him with it. Laura circled to the front of the porch and grabbed him. Victory!
At sunset we headed down to the beach for a walk. It was extremely windy but yet so scenic. We took some good pictures and enjoyed the evening.
I wonder what kind of adventures we will get into today....
Next we decided to do some kayaking. In the several years that we have been coming here, I have never attempted kayaking. Matt has tried it a couple of times. I'm not sure why it has intimidated me in the past - probably the sharks. I have seen shark week one too many times. Anyway, I was feeling adventurous, and Matt and Dad went out first and came back alive. So I figured it must be fairly safe. If they could do it, I could do it. The kids were super excited and wanted to kayak too. We gathered the life vests and headed to the beach. Like I mentioned Dad and Matt went out first, to test the shark appetite. When they came back, they gave the kids some quick rides. Then Mom and I went out with low expectations. Our goal was simply not to tip over. Well as it turns out, it was really fun and fairly easy. We traveled way down the shore line and ended up out in the boat lanes. We had to make our way closer to shore to avoid some of the wakes. We saw some fish jumping and some birds fishing. Thankfully we didn't see any gators or sharks. You think I'm paranoid? Well people fish right off the shore and pull in sharks everyday. Yesterday someone saw a four footer from the shore. Uh huh...you see, I don't want to be mistaken for a yummy meal. And last year they pulled a 12 foot alligator from the sound. So I'm a justifiably paranoid. Ok back to our vacation adventures.
After a morning of kayaking and the kids playing at the beach, we headed back for some lunch. Hannah and Emma took naps, and then we biked down to the marina do some shopping. The kids got to pick a prize for good behavior. Yes, we believe all good parenting includes bribery. Hannah always picks out one of the cheap little rings every year, and she wanted one again this year. Laura and Emma wanted one this year too. Laura also picked a shark tooth necklace, and Hannah picked....wait for it....another stuffed animal. Of course you are completely shocked. Do you see why the stuffed animals are over taking me? I'll have to secretly get rid of a few when we get home.
We grilled out for dinner. Matt made his near famous smoked brats, which did not disappoint again. He also made us grilled vegetables, and we had salad fresh from Dad's garden. It was all delicious!
The girls have been trying to catch a gecko since we've been here. Last night Laura and I led a gecko hunting expedition with Emma wielding the net. Hannah and Emma started ahead of us, and we started quietly searching the bushes and the edges of the house. We spotted one that we couldn't catch down in the bushes. Then we found a fairly large one on the front of the house. I grabbed the net from Emma and tried to get him with it. Laura circled to the front of the porch and grabbed him. Victory!
At sunset we headed down to the beach for a walk. It was extremely windy but yet so scenic. We took some good pictures and enjoyed the evening.
I wonder what kind of adventures we will get into today....
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