Duck day five

l




I've fallen behind on taking pictures, but here are some from the second- or third day we were here.
We are ANTSY to see Mike, but have enjoyed all there is to do here-- and the change of scenery and family. J and A have been in the pool or ocean every day. Wearing those babies out! Yesterday, we saw the second rainbow of our trip-- we've seen some neat thunderstorms, though apparently five people were struck by lightning up the coast (one here in Duck) on Monday night.
Also a shame-- Honey and Weegie had to leave this morning. It was nice having them visit for a few days.
Some of us just went to get ice cream and toddle around one of those everything kind of beach shops. Jack announced that he was "so tired" when we finally pulled back into the drive. I think they were both out in the sun too long today (Don't think they haven't been slathered with 70 spf waterproof block every day).
Off to play some games with the family (this place also has foosball and pool tables).

we're moving in

(but only if Mike and Rob and Zoe can join us too)

Jack was helping Uncle Tay put together a kite.

Pretty girl ensemble courtesy of Aunt Heather.








The kids were tuckered out their first full day at the beach, going into the ocean, riding in the house's golf cart (this house is ridiculously luxurious-- and beautiful), going up and down all of the steps. A wave did manage to swipe my newish glasses right off my face while I was cleaning Jack off in the ocean. So Mike will be sending a back-up pair tomorrow.
A little more than a week into our vacation, Abigail's sleep habits have regressed to straight-out-of-the-womb (and I don't mean sleep-all-the-time-- I'm talking the awakeness for a couple of hours during the night), so I put her and the extra pack 'n' play in the theater (yes, this house has a full, reclining chairs, stars-on-the-ceiling theater). She seemed to do a lot better in the dark.

Cousins

A few pictures from yesterday, when my cousin, Kenzie, and her son, Jet, came over for a visit.

getting wet

At first, he was determined not to go in the water past the second step, but after a lot of coaxing, I took him out and we went all around the pool (in the float with a life-vest on). Abigail was a little easier to convince.








Her twisted grandmother and great-aunt did this to her.

Welcome Carrigan Grace Ward!

We wish we could be there to meet her in person, but we were glad to get a message last night that "Baby Sprinkles" was on the way. This morning, we were excited to hear that a baby girl had arrived after an uncomplicated labor and delivery at 1:58 am, just shy of her due date. Welcome to the world, Carrigan Grace! We look forward to meeting you, hopefully soon!

Five on Friday

1. The other day, I was thrilled to find the first little vegetables emerging in our garden. That weasel (chipmunk) was kind enough to leave ONE of 20-or-so cucumber plants, and I'll pick a few tomorrow. The first ripe-for picking tomatoes will be ready just in time for me and the kids to be digging in the sand of an Outer Banks beach. Too bad Mike (won't be with us) doesn't like them.
The only other thing I planted this year was a bunch of green beans that'll be ready while we're gone as well. Next year, I'll expand.


2. My little hometown of Mount Airy, MD made it to #53 in the US for Money's Best places to live in the small towns category. Neat.

3. As I was putting the kids back in the car today after getting groceries, our full-of-groceries cart slipped away from the side of the van, where it was resting and rolled-- unfortunately, Kuhn's has a rather steep parking lot-- down the hill and into a newish looking cream-colored Cadillac. A bag full of yogurt and blueberries fell out and made a mess on the lot, but I was most concerned about the (tiny tiny) mark under the taillight. Hopefully, they won't care about something so minute, but I left a note with my phone number just in case. Bummer.

4. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning, and our sitter came to watch the kids for a couple of hours. When I go back, Jack thanked me for having Lauren come to play. Glad he was so thrilled about her coming because she came back three hours later so Mike and I could get out for a while by ourselves and enjoy a quiet and relaxing meal.

5. Jack told me he wanted to pack his own bag for our trip. I had a bunch of folded piles of clothes ready on the floor of our room. Jack found his nice, neat pile and commenced packing. He would shake each item of clothing, thoroughly ruffling it, then he would ball it up in a tight ball (very methodically though, by first wrapping it carefully around his hand) and stuff it into his bag. Once he got everything in, he mixed it all up as if he were stirring a big pot and then said, "All done! I gonna help pack Abigail's bag too. And Momma's."
Remind me to pack my iron.

Prepping for the beach

open studio 7

Rudi
10x8"
pencil

Two for Tuesday

1. I wish I'd had my camera today for our trip to the zoo this afternoon with our friends Michelle and Beatrix. Jack and Bea held hands for a lot of their walking around to see the different animals. At one point, he seemed like he was about to fall over, he was so tired, and he was lagging way behind. I tried to get him to get in the stroller or hold my hand, but he cried, "No, I wanna hold Bea's hand!" So away he would run to grab it. He awlked most of the way around the entire zoo though. I'm expecting nice long naps.

2. The kids and I are leaving on Saturday for an almost three week (gasp!) to Maryland and North Carolina. We wish Mike could join us and that we didn't have to be gone for soooo long, but that's just the way it worked ou-- and of course, it will be nice to see family. My mom was planning on taking my brother, Roma, down to North Carolina for football camp and staying for a week at my grandmother's, so we thought this would be a good opportunity to see her and the folks that way. Then, we'll be heading to the Outer Banks for a week with the whole family-- minus Rob and Mike :'( After that, Mike has to go to Portland, Oregon on business for a few days, so we figured we may as well stick around Maryland, where we'd be going back to after the beach anyway. I'm hoping my mom has room for me and the kids and all of our gear for that amount of time in her van!

New digs on the block

We stumbled upon the Jackpot a second year in a row at Ressi's Fun Flair tonight. Or Jack did. I saw them, all of the trucks and bulldozers and cranes and cement trucks and cars taking up the whole of one table top and the floor beneath it. It was as if a field drew in the little magnets in Jack's eyes. He ran to them and knelt on the floor, commencing the digging and lifting and rolling, and whatever it is that little boys do when they're getting lost with trucks. He was now on a construction site. But then his eyes rested on two familiar faces that he knew by name. "Shhcoop! Muck!"


The boy doesn't watch much TV, but I checked out Bob the Bulldozer-- I guess it's really Builder, but not in this house-- for him from the library once as a reward for something, and he had instant stars in his eyes. It was 1/2 off night, so we let him get both for $1. After paying, he went back to the construction site and unearthed a third friend. "Lofty!" Somehow we ended up with him as well. In the spirit of being fair- and supporting our parish's Fun Flair, we picked out a couple of little things for Abigail, but we figure that all of the trucks that Jack usually plays with (which she's always trying to grab) will be fair game to her now. Mike discovered when we came home that they make noise. They are now "sleeping" on his dresser.
Step aside, all other toys.

Five on Friday

1. We decided last minute yesterday to go to the member's only night at the zoo. They had free carousel and train rides, though we didn't make it on the train. Abigail insisted that she ride the carousel all by herself. She swatted my hands away and said, "New. New." (no.)

All of the other kids went up and gave the shark hugs. Not on Jack's life. This was as close as he would venture.

We only saw one of the two tigers in the tiger area. I guess Jack got to pet the other one.

Poor thing had to get shots in the morning, and unlike last time, she actually reacted when it was administered.


Since the lines for the $1 food weren't going to get us out of there before midnight tomorrow, we had ice cream at the Zebra Ice Cream Station right outside the zoo (thanks for telling us about this, Wards!). I think we broke a record for getting in and out of the zoo, too.

2. Not often does one threaten her child with "no trip to the dentist" if the child does not finish his breakfast. Worked for Jack. He was so excited to go, but as soon as we walked into the check-up room, he protested. Until the technician gave him her Pirates teddy bear to hold. He stood enthralled the entire time as the dentist drilled and filled a little fisher in the back of my mouth to prevent any cavities from forming. Perhaps not the best time to have as a spectator, as I was fighting back tears (mostly when they blew air on my sensitive teeth). Excruciating.

3. Funny that Jack's been going around the house saying, "Call nine one one one one, and the police they gonna come and help you," as that's just what I had to do, minus two ones, on Wednesday. After making a return at Kohl's, I buckled the kids in the car, and Jack complained of it being hot, so I stuck the keys in the ignition, MADE SURE THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED on the other side, ran the cart back and came back to find that I couldn't get into my van. I'm sure I saw with my very own eyes that the door was unlocked, but the locks on this van haven't done us any favors since we got it. So I flagged down an older couple and asked if they had a cell phone. Of course they did and were happy to be of help once I explained my predicament. I was giving the kids sympathetic looks the whole wait, just thankful that the AC was blowing full blast inside. One policeman showed up within minutes without any way of getting us in-- for moral support?-- but I was glad to have him to help occupy the kids. They were mesmerized by him making faces at them through the window. Then another guy showed up with a slim Jim and unlocked the door. Good thing.

4. Flies. Everywhere. They disgust me so much, and when I go into our kitchen or dining room, I can hear a loud swarm of them. I'm wondering exactly how they're getting in here or where they are coming from. Mike and I just grabbed some Better Homes and Gardens and killed about two dozen (yes, we're keeping track, and Mike is winning), after killing a bunch this morning, but that isn't nearly all of them. They seem to migrate toward the windows, so I keep trapping them between the glass and screen, then quickly pushing up the screen to let them outside.

5. The kids have been very sweet lately. They have their many moments, but Jack is finally showing signs of being a gentlemanly big-brother. "I wanna share with Abigail!" They take turns pushing each other around in Gail's doll baby stroller, with Gail laughing at Jack all the while. She thinks he is the funniest thing and will sometimes just laugh and laugh when he's merely talking- about anything, especially at dinnertime. Out-of-the-blue the other day, Jack spouted out this lovely little bit: "Mama loves Jack. Dada loves Jack. Mimi loves Jack. PopPop loves Jack. Gamma loves Jack. Gampa loves Jack. Tay loves Jack. Hevver loves Jack. Wiwwie loves Jack. Roma loves Jack. Madi loves Jack. Binny loves Jack. Kitty loves Jack. The Park loves Jack." Who doesn't?

Don't buy stuff you cannot afford

Obviously, some people are eluded by this simple concept...
I'm always flabbergasted when I hear radio commercials say, "If you are more than ten thousand dollars in debt..." I thought this SNL sketch humorously summed it up.

Have you taken the tags off your kids yet?

I know I've had a lot of Jack stories lately, but this blog is mainly for me- to look back on from years to come, and I want to remember these cute little sayings.

Jack came up to me yesterday, holding up his foot and said, "Can you take the tag off?" He had a little hangnail. So I removed it and he held out his hand and said, "Can you take this tag off?" Sure enough his thumb had one too.


We were about to head out to the park this morning, and I ran upstairs to get some socks for Abigail. When I came back down, Gail was sitting on the bottom step, holding out her foot for Jack as he attempted to put on her shoe.

All work and no play

Jack to Abigail today: "No Abigail. I not playing. I working."

Regatta

We thought about going to Dormont Park, which is close by, for their fourth activities, which included free train and carosel rides, face painting, a petting zoo, etc., in their flyer, but ended up taking the T Downtown to the Regatta at the Point instead.

Waiting for the T.

It was a nice experience, though there weren't really any little kid activities-- other than a shady-looking clown (what clown isn't?) with a beer belly who was making balloon...hats? I realized after we got in line that people were discreetly slipping him bills, so I gave Jack a dollar to give him, but he wasn't about to go near him. He was terrified. The clown didn't know how to make a monkey (?), so we settled on a doggie.



We went to the fountain at the Point and had our packed pbj and leftover pizza lunch. Some geese swam over, so we threw them some goldfish.


Some guy came around giving out brochures and said that their boat was giving free tours from 12-5 and that the kids might enjoy it. We automatically assumed it was one of those tour boats that makes little circuits right around the Point. And we agreed that would be fun, so we went over and got on, like everyone else. Alas, after a while the boat wasn't going anywhere, so I asked one of the crew, and he said that we weren't leaving the dock- that people could just look around-- a "boat tour." Okay.


Looking over the edge of a docked boat.



So we headed back to the T station with the kiddos.
Gail had ridden in the stroller most of the time- under the shade of the hood, so she was all smiles when we got there and kept giving kisses.




However, I think Jack was asleep at this point.



The train ride was worth the trip if nothing else. When he awoke from his nap, he kept saying, "Remember how we went on the choo choo train?"