Summer Fun

At the start of the week, we went back to the pool with a neighbor friend.  They were doing lifeguard testing or training behind us, so they took up a good portion of the pool for a while.  Lots of swimming tests and treading water tests.  I was watching them swim laps and there was one guy who wasn't quite making the distance.  He kept stopping to breathe, then he'd take a few steps during his breaths.  If he passed, hopefully he'd be assigned to the shallow end of the water.  

The kids had fun with their friend.  It was a little more rambunctious than usual, but the water still felt great.  

For most of the rest of the week, we were getting ready for our trip east.  We decided to fly this year, which makes packing a little easier - if it doesn't fit, it doesn't go.  Our flight out of Houston was at 5:00 a.m.  We got to the airport at 3:00 a.m. and then stood for nearly an hour with a hundred plus people waiting for United to open their kiosks so we could print our luggage tags and boarding passes.  This was only our second time at this particular airport and we had never done the kiosk thing before, so we were a little apprehensive at the start.  However, by the time we dropped off our big suitcase and made it through security, our flight was already boarding.  Not too shabby.  The first flight, the kids were able to sit three in a row and I was on the other side of the aisle.  I forewarned them that a 5 a.m. flight was going to be quiet.  Many would sleep.  Of course, the kids had been awake since 1:30 a.m. so they were hungry.  For half the flight I kept hearing crinkling as they ate all their Goldfish and Cheez-its and all the snacks.  Sorry fellow passengers.  

We had a short layover in Chicago because that's on the way...  Caroline was not feeling well from the first flight.  Planes really mess with her ears and stomach.  Though she likes roller coasters and all the amusement park things, airplanes do something special to her little body.  The second flight was bad for her.  This flight we all had aisle seats - we could see each other, but we didn't exactly sit together.  Caroline was diagonal in front of me and she kept looking back with a pained expression on her face.  It went from ears to belly, ears to belly.  We landed, made it to the gate, started to deboard, and it was at that point that she looked at me with big eyes and I quickly held out the bag they put behind every airplane seat.  She felt a bit better after that (but took a day to fully recover).  

The kids have loved the rental car and we cruised the Toyota Camry in style to see Grandaddy and Nana.  

Over the past few days they have soaked up their time with them.  One of the perks of staying with their grandparents is a hearty breakfast of waffles and bacon on the daily.  Josiah helped set up a badminton net and we've played that nearly every day.  On Day One we learned how to hit the birdie.  It was harder than expected.  

The next day, Grandaddy brought out cornhole and we had better success with that.  Henry learned how to play frisbee by himself.  He throws it up super high so that it comes back like a boomerang.  

Chalk art and bikes.  Wagon rides and climbing trees.  Billiard games throughout the days.  And lots and lots of food.  

They've walked the garden with Grandaddy and Nana.  They've helped water the flowers and tomatoes.  

It is the true summer experience - play hard, eat all the good stuff, then showers at night to clean off all the sweat and dirt.  And that was just the first few days.