Two Weeks Back East

In Virginia, we started our week out by getting new shoes.  The kids had been complaining their shoes were too small for the past month, so I kept encouraging them to wait for Virginia, wait for the outlets.  They each went up at least one size and they found shoes in the colors they wanted.  The boys wore theirs immediately.  Josiah opted for Spiderman colors while Henry went solid blue.  Caroline wanted hers to stay nice and clean.  The boys didn't care about dirt (or sand).  

At Grandad and Nana's house, the bikes were taken for a spin whenever the weather permitted.    Baseball was played quite often as well.  We started the week playing baseball the regular way.  When all three kids played, we would rotate batter to pitcher to outfielder.  Towards the end of the week, Henry and I came up with a fun duo game. We each had a bat and we would hit the ball to each other.  It was way more fun than him hitting and me fielding.  Whenever we were hot and sweaty from the baseball, we would cool off at the pool table.  Josiah and I played pool the official way a few times, but then he taught me carpet ball.  It is a game they played at camp that is similar to pool but the real game has a much narrower table.  Instead of cue sticks, you use your hand.  So he would set up the solid colors on his side, I would set up the stripes on my side, he used the 8 ball as his hitter and I used the white ball as mine.  We would see who could get each other's balls in the pockets first.  I think Josiah beat me nearly every time.     

The kids had a list of places they were hoping to eat with Grandad and Nana and we hit them all.  The first stop was Golden Corral.  During one round, Henry said he was going to get a plate of things that Todd has made him try in the past.  He came back to the table with a stack of beets on his plate (along with other things).  Upon eating them, he said he thought it was the cranberry sauce we get at Thanksgiving.  He still ate the whole stack.  

The kids were also treated to Burger King.  They have been singing the BK jingle for weeks upon weeks, so this was a high priority dining experience for them.  They loved it.  Unfortunately we don't have a Burger King close to our house in Texas, so it'll have to be a Virginia thing for us...  

The Chinese buffet was also very high on the list.  We do love us some Chinese food.  During one of Henry's many rounds at the buffet, he came back with a plate of mussels and clams.  They were spicy, but he liked them.  And when he was done, he could make his mussel shells talk.  Caroline was very excited that they had sushi.  She stacked them on her plate first thing.  She also really enjoyed the sticky rice.  She loves sticky rice.  Josiah went straight for the Chinese Mac & Cheese and Chinese French fries.  

One evening we all played Bingo.  We switched up the caller each round that first night.  When it got to Henry's turn, he misunderstood the job and thought he was at an auction house.  He kept us on our toes keeping up with the numbers.  Caroline called after him and kept it very official.  B15.  B. 15.

Another night we did the gamblin' Bingo.  Nana and Grandad had set out 9 cups.  3 had money underneath.  6 were empty.  Grandad was the caller for all the rounds this time.  The kids were forewarned not to brag if they won and not to sulk if they lost.  Josiah used just one board the entire time.  He won zero games.  The rest of us played two boards each round.  Caroline won four games total, but picked empty cups each time.  She was a very good sport.  Henry won four games as well, and he found all the money.  His first money round, he won $1.00.  He then folded the dollar bill so George's head was facing forward and he used George to play his game boards for him.  Bragging?  Then the next time he won money,  it was a five dollar bill.  He brought it to his area and said, "Welcome to the family, Abe.  Meet George."  Josiah was a good sport, but later said that he probably should have used two boards each round.  

We did not get to do all the things we had planned because it did rain a lot during our Virginia week.  We were really hoping to take family pictures, but they had to be put off til next year.  

We did meet up with some friends at a trampoline park one afternoon.  The kids jumped for two hours and had a good time.  This place has an American Ninja Warrior course as part of it, so they enjoyed those obstacles.  Towards the end of our time, Caroline wanted to try this cylindrical column walk.  She got all harnessed up and started climbing.  There was a little fear and hesitation her first round, but she made it to the top.  The hardest part at that point was jumping off.  It was made to let her down slowly, but she had to trust that would happen from two flights up.  Once she did it the first time, she got right back in line.  Caroline went up much faster her second round.  Josiah and Henry tried it as well.  

Caroline:

Josiah:

Henry:

We got pictures with Grandad and Nana before we headed to the beach.  

The kids are always torn - they want to stay with Grandad and Nana, but they also want to go see their other grandparents and cousins.  

The afternoon we arrived at the beach, we took a walk with Aunt Claire.  We made it to the end of the boardwalk and then walked back to the house on the street.  Josiah spotted a well-painted crosswalk and made note of it.  Later in the week we revisited it.

The kids woke up early our first morning, so we got down to the beach at 8:30 a.m.  It was empty.  We set up camp near the giant sand-replenishing pipes and the kids dipped their toes in the water.  The clouds this morning were crazy, so we got some neat pictures.  

Caroline buried herself standing up.  

Josiah buried himself, and once buried, Henry decided to give him a body.  It was all going fine until the giggling started and Henry tried to make him anatomically correct.  I had to make sure he was in Ken doll form.  

Cousin Charlie was awesome and took Henry and Caroline out in the water nearly every day.  To keep it interesting, they had a few run-ins with the lifeguards.  The beach was being replenished with sand, so every day we got down to it, different areas were closed off.  One day, we set up our chairs with the construction area just to our left.  The kids went in the water towards the right, but it was a strong current that kept pulling them left.  There was a lifeguard stationed at the entrance to the construction zone to warn the swimmers to stay out of it.  Our kids knew this, of course, but the current was strong and despite clearly trying to not cross that line, they did, and the lifeguard walked out to them.  I got a shot for fun of it.  -->

A different day, the surf was still rough.  Charlie and Caroline were out in the water and doing just fine.  We were casually watching them and then all of a sudden, they just went backwards.  Charlie knew immediately they were in a rip current and even though he knew how to get out, he couldn't right away.  Before I could look from the camera to the ocean, a lifeguard was already in the water swimming out to them.  By the time the lifeguard reached them, they were out of the rip and all three swam back to shore on their own.  Caroline had not even realized anything was wrong.  Charlie was very good at protecting her.  

Josiah got on the boogie board a bit, too.

                                                

Our kids were very happy to spend time with their older cousins.  They played baseball, putt-putt, and hide-and-seek.  They were able to see the new Spiderman movie together, too.  My kids just wanted to be with them - always walking over to Grandma & Grandpa's house to hang out. 

One evening, they set off fire poppers and threw pop-its.

Another night they lit sparklers and threw more pop-its.

Another highlight was when the younger cousins arrived.  Our kids were so incredibly excited to play with the little ones.  Just watching them have fun and explore the beach was the best entertainment.  

                                   

The kids had a list of places to eat at the beach as well and we checked them off.  There was Grotto pizza and Five Guys burgers.  Boardwalk fries and ice cream every night.  Of course, Josiah had to try the chicken fingers from the boardwalk.  He rated them in his top four.  

We made sure to get family pictures in, too.  Grandma & Grandpa with all the grandchildren.

I made our kids dress up one night for some sunset pictures.  I always tell them, if you smile, this will only take 5 minutes.  It works very well for us.  

                        

Caroline was ready to spend a second week at the beach, but alas our time was up.  We headed back to Grandad and Nana's for dinner and a short sleep before it was time to head to the airport.  We arrived at the airport around 4:15a.m., returned the rental car without issue, checked our one bag easily, then headed to security.  The luggage, the backpacks, the shoes and purses all made it through.  All except one item that got sent down the second conveyor belt to the TSA agent.  

Whose bag is this?  

I pointed at Caroline and said it was hers.  

Is there anything in here that will harm me?  

Uh, no.  

And then they unzipped the top and found her kinetic sand.  They separated the kinetic sand from the bag and ran it through the x-ray again.  

Ma'am, I'm going to have to test this.  

Okay.  So they got the drug testing TSA agent who carefully unwrapped her kinetic sand.  We were glued to the process as they pulled out their test strips and everything.  In my head, I was thinking, What if some drug dealer put crack in this particular container thinking another drug dealer would pick it up and they picked up the wrong one and ours has crack in it?  I was intensely watching the testing.

Ours came back crack-free.  They handed the sand to Caroline.  

At 5:00 a.m., I gave Caroline a different type of motion sickness medicine to see if that would work better than the thrown-up Dramamine from our previous trip.  She had it with a bit of toast.   45 minutes later we boarded the plane and before the plane even moved, she had thrown it up.  Shortly into the flight, she gave her throw-up bag a matching twin.  Meanwhile, Henry was blowing his nose constantly.  He went through his entire roll of toilet paper (redneck Kleenex) in the first hour and all I could think was, you have two more hours flight time and nothing to blow your nose with!?!! I was popping some throat lozenges myself, so we were quite the row.  The flight itself was really good and the kids were happy it had screens - most of our flights don't.  Todd picked us up and as soon as we got home, it became a day of naps.  I took two.  Henry and Caroline got good long ones in as well.   

Benson was happy to see us.  While we were gone, Todd sent us a video of Benson playing in the sprinkler.  We had to see it for ourselves, so we turned it on and watched him frolic until he exhausted himself.