And so it Begins...

School has started and we have yet to have a "normal routine" day. Yesterday, all was going as planned until I found out that my new computer for work was in - my new laptop computer! So, I stayed after class so the IT guy could get everything transferred over and get me all set up...I had to enter different passwords at different times and tell him some preferences, but it was sooo worth it because now I have my super-groovy new computer. In fact, I'm sitting on our couch, typing this blog entry on this groovy computer. I think they call this "incidental use".

When I got home, Mawmaw was here, so we all went out to eat! RJ tried to diagnose Mawmaw's car AC problems while the kids played in the pool. Speaking of pools...our final box is supposed to be here "on or before June 30" - JUNE 30?????!!!! AUGH!

Today, RJ had a meeting at 11:00, but I have class at 12, so we had a babysitter come over. Then, I had a hair appointment at 3:30, but RJ had a meeting, so we had another babysitter come over. I have to report that LJ loves having a babysitter. I'm sure they play with him for much longer than I play with him...because they don't have to think about things like grocery lists, laundry, the flithy bathroom, etc. They are so LUCKY! Ha!

After dinner, we went out for ice cream. On the way, LJ informed us that he was going to sing the until we got to the ice cream store...and he did. Over and Over and Over he sang, COUNT ON US TO LEND A HAND AND HELP IN HIGGLYTOWN...and I didn't tell him to stop one time...amazing.

Now RJ and I are looking forward to watching the episode of Design Star that we have on the DVR.

Father's Day, so far...

We let RJ sleep in while we went to the grocery store to buy some bacon...we had forgotten to buy it earlier in the week and we celebrate most special days by eating some bacon! We also picked up some flowers and some other of daddy's favorite things...a car magazine, some Ramen noodles, and a coffee mug with his name on it. When your kids are young, your gifts are interesting. We had already gotten some salt water taffy, some special sodas, and made him a photo book with pictures of each child at 1 month, 2 months, etc. so that he can see the similarities and differences. We arranged all of this loot on the table and started cooking the bacon, eggs, and sticky buns. I admit after watching the sticky bun episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network, *I* was really wanting some sticky buns. The recipe calls for making the bread - you know, with yeast and rising and all of that? I decided to buy cinnamon rolls in a can and just make the "goo" for the sticky buns. Needless to say, these did not turn out - they were messy, bubbling over, and half-raw by the time I thought the smoke detector might go off and surrendered. RJ put them in another pan and cooked them some more...which resulted in not-so-sticky sticky buns. But, the bacon was great! He read his magazine, I read the paper, the kids pretty much played together and then PJ went down for a nap. Now, I'm crashing from the sticky-bun sugar rush and RJ and LJ are outside taking the tractor off of the trailer. We are cooking brats and hot dogs for lunch and then, I imagine this afternoon will include naps for everyone - I really want to take a nap NOW!

WHAAAA

Only 2 of the 3 boxes for the pool were delivered today. I checked the tracking and the 3rd box weighs 118 pounds...so it contains significant parts for sure. This means - no putting up the pool this weekend.

:-(

YES!

WOO-HOO! We ordered an above-ground pool from Walmart...not the puffy kind, but the hard-side kind. We ordered it on Saturday and it was supposed to be delivered as early as the 18th and as late as July 2nd. I just found out it'll be here THIS Friday! Just as soon as RJ can get it all set up (it'll take days, I think) we'll have 15' of heavenly water to play in...YES!

Dr. Visit Regarding Vaccinations

Today we met with the Dr. regarding the alternative vaccination schedule. We think the dr. had been doing a bit of reading over the weekend...in preparation for our visit. We believe he was "relieved" when he saw that we are planning to get almost all of the vaccinations - just spaced...because we think he was afraid we were going to say "no" to all vaccinations. He seemed to have read that there is a form that we can sign to "excuse" him from liability that may come with an alternative schedule, but he'd also read that the form does not actual "excuse" him...so the fact that we are planning to get all (except Hep A and Varicella) relieved him. This is speculation on my part.

He said he'd have his nurse look into getting the separate Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccinations and let us know. From our research, we know the office will have to buy a lot of 10, so I'm sure he'll have to discuss with the other drs. if they want to do this. If they don't, I have a lead on a few pharmacies that have the individual doses. Worst case, we have to pay for all 10.

All-in-all, he is receptive and is going to work with us. He said that there is a practice in town that will deny to treat you if you don't follow the CDC schedule...I wonder how true that really is?

Cookie Chaos,Confrontation, and Crazy-fun!

This is long, so grab some coffee - or whatever, and settle in!

I was nervous on Saturday morning - I have no real idea why, but I suspect that it is because I know this cookie contest is really rather chaotic and unorganized. I am not cool with that - my mind just works in such a way (apparently, I'm a Fieldmarshal) and I have little tolerance for an obvious lack of structure. Couple this with the fact that this is a competition and you can begin to see my discomfort. As you may recall, last year the "rules" for the 2 and under age bracket were that they get credit for each bite of cookie they take. My question for LJ's judge was, "is it bites of the same cookie or bites of different cookies?" - this person had no idea, so LJ ended up taking bites out of 27 different cookies. I realize that this is for charity and for fun, so I don't want to get too crazy about the structure, but it is a contest - with kids who are at varying levels of understanding what I contest is, so I think *some* structure is warranted. Perhaps I'll suggest that a parent of a competitor sit in on some of the planning meetings as that perspective is probably really valuable and lacking. Ok, so on with the day...

Once again, as I suspected, the contest was rather disorganized and chaotic! It was better than last year, but this year there were WAY more competitors, so the relative chaos was the same, if not greater. PJ's competition went fine, overall. There were a few glitches such as: they didn't have high chairs ready to go (this is sponsored by a restaurant, so they have high chairs) and then they didn't have enough. This age bracket is 2 and under - they are going to need a high chair. The one lady who appeared to be the most in-charge said I could hold PJ in my lap. I kind of laughed and said we'd do that if needed, but I'd prefer a high chair. She asked why - as if she thought she had given me a better option than a high chair. I must conclude she does not have a child or it has been a long time since any of her children were 1...I told her PJ would want to climb all over the table and would probably try to grab other people's cookies...I don't think this is strange behaviour for a 1 year old, but correct me if I'm wrong! We did get a high chair, so it was all good. Once the competition was over, there was no declaration of the winners, there was no "fanfare"...the only thing we were told was to take our kids to get a picture...not even where to take them. So, I got PJ and we kind of walked over to where I think pictures were going to be and asked "who won?" One other parent said that they think PJ won...this is what I thought too. So, I told a lady with a clip board that I think PJ won, but she might want to check with someone "official"...she just wrote in on her clip board. I can't really remember how PJ got his medal - I think we saw a person with medals and said, "I think PJ won, but you might want to check with someone official" and they just handed me a medal. All rather anti-climactic, but PJ doesn't know the difference, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

Now it was time for LJ's bracket. I get LJ all settled in his assigned seat - number 16 out of 16, so he is at the end of a long banquet table. Then, a mom with her daughter, comes up to the lady who seems to be the most in-charge and says, "my daughter was put in the wrong age bracket, she's 6, so she should be in this group." - she wasn't too confrontational about it, but her choice of words wasn't "I think there might have been a mistake...can you help me out" - it was "she's going to be in this group". As an aside, this age bracket thing was also very confusing and it shouldn't be...the registration form says 3-6, but the list of competitors they made and passed out said 3-5 and had the 6 year-olds in the next bracket...see the problem?! So, "in-charge" lady puts this girl in a chair pulled up to the end of the table by LJ, so now LJ and this girl are sharing the same table space. This girl immediately stretches her arms across the table and lays on it...in LJ's space.

They passed out the plates of cookies - 4 cookies on each plate. When they put LJ's cookies in front of him...this girl takes them and pulls them in front of her (her mother is standing there and says nothing). LJ looks at me and starts to ask about the cookies and I say, "it is ok, they'll bring another plate and that one will be yours" - and they did. Then, the "in-charge" lady is having trouble getting enough judges - people who hold a flip chart showing how many cookies their assigned contestant has eaten. A person we know ended up being LJ's judge and the "in-charge" lady ended up being the little girl's judge. I don't know what was going on, but it took forever to start the clock - and these are 3 - 5 (or 6) year olds with cookies sitting in front of them!

Let the cookie eating begin! LJ did great right out of the gate...he ate great bites around the outside of his cookie - he ate his cookies in circles. He is funny that way - does this with sandwiches and toast...he eats the crust first. The little girl - well, I don't' know if someone had given her pointers or if she thought of it on her own, but she stacked 2 cookies on top of each other and started eating! This seemed a smart strategy, but she couldn't really master it and she had trouble with having too much in her mouth and crumbling the cookies in an attempt to hold onto them. Her mother almost immediately started telling her judge, "she's eaten one - flip over the 1...come on, THAT is 1 eaten...." Meanwhile, LJ finishes his first cookie and it is obvious - as it is when the other children have finished their cookies because they eat a whole cookie and there is no major mess of cookie parts all over their plate.

LJ and the boy next to him are pretty much pacing each other cookie for cookie, but I have no idea how the other kids are doing - this table is really long. But, LJ is doing great and seems to be enjoying himself. All is great - this is fun...except for hearing this mom bark at the little girl's judge to flip the next number. Then, it all goes crazy...

The "in-charge" lady says, "I have to go do something" and hands me the flip-chart, "you'll have to be the judge". OK, um...I don't want to be the judge. I'm watching my child. Plus, this lady has already demonstrated herself to be a bit...difficult. But, I'm stuck. So, I look at the girl's plate and it has 1 whole cookie on it and then enough cookies pieces to constitute a whole cookie if not almost 2. My flip-chart says 2 and the mother starts hounding me to flip it to 3. "She needs a 3 - she has eaten 3 cookies." I look down at her plate again and I'm seriously unable to come close to agreeing that she has eaten 3 cookies...she has eaten 2, if I'm being generous, and mangled 1. I say, "I don't know..." and the mom says, "yes, she has - you need to flip it." So, I say, "Maybe you need to get another judge" and I admit, I did not say this with sunshine in my voice! She says, "maybe so", but does nothing about it...but, keep on me about flipping it to 3. The little girl eats enough of the whole cookie that I go ahead and flip it to 3 - to get this lady off my back and so I can watch MY kid - which is what I *want* to be doing. Then, as you can guess, the lady starts hounding me some more. She says that her little girl started with 5 cookies (um, not true. They all started with 4, but someone did come around and put a 5th on their plates at sometime in the competition), so she has eaten 3 for sure. Ok, fine, she has 3 on her flip-chart, so let it go. Then, her little girl starts eating her pieces, but also starts spitting them out onto her plate (which totally distracted LJ) - so, she's not making any forward progress. LJ has finished his 3rd cookie - as has the boy next to him...and they are on their 4th. Time is announced as 30 seconds left, so I'm trying to encourage LJ to shove the last half of his cookie in his mouth! I'm kind of watching little girl, but she's still eating and spitting, so she's not getting anywhere. With a few seconds left, the boy next to LJ shoves the rest of his cookie in his mouth giving him 4 eaten...and LJ had 3 1/2. The boy next to LJ won! So, if LJ would have shoved that last part in, they would have tied! Instead, LJ came in 2nd - which made him happy!

Little girl had a mess of cookie pieces on her plate - some fresh, some rather moist - and the #3 showing on her flip-chart, I was done with her. A reporter came over and asked me if she could interview little girl. I told her that I was not with her - that her mother was (and I looked around)...over there. Her mother was huddled with some friends(?) a few feet away. Not congratulating her child - not even talking to her child...she'd left her child at the table.

I escorted LJ to get his picture taken and he gave a great big smile! His smiling for the camera is a hit-or-miss these days, so he clearly must have been happy! He is excited about his free pizza and is very happy that PJ is the new Cookie King!

The "in-charge" lady found me and asked me if everything is OK. I told her that I'm fine, but she might want to talk to little girl's mother because she might be discontent. The Cookie Queen ate 5 cookies!!! And the 2nd place girl ate 4 - this put little girl, with 3, somewhere out of 1st and 2nd I suppose.

I'm not gonna lie - I didn't want to see that lady anymore and I hoped that they were leaving, but they weren't. She just made me really uncomfortable. I didn't want to be a judge, I don't think I should have been a judge, but if I am a judge - respect my judgement! I think I handled it pretty well and that lady needs to get a grip. Later, I see little girl, and guess what she had around her neck? A medal. A medal! She *clearly* did not win 1st place (the only way you get a medal) - even if I'd have assessed her plate as though she had eaten 4 cookies...the most she could do is tie for 2nd. I have no idea what happened.

Now, we spent our time waiting around for the final competition - who can eat 4 cookies the fastest. RJ and Uncle B and four college students we know had entered. I did not enter this year - I just did not feel like eating that many cookies - I remember how yuck I felt and for how long I felt that way after last year's competition! Plus, last year there was only one winner - not a King and Queen. This year, no one we know came close to winning. The winner and 2nd place person were putting their cookies in a cup of water and then drinking it...may yield success, but is pretty disgusting! But...this year they crowned a King and a Queen - UGH! The 2 girls decided to stop at 3 cookies because neither of them wanted to eat all 4. WHAT????? If I had known there would be a Queen - I totally would have dominated that competition. So, once again - I'm kind of miffed about the "change from last year" that was not really communicated! Unorganized!

Overall, the kids had fun and that is all that really matters! Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle B came to share in the fun and MawMaw came over to hear the tale. Plus, we have a Cookie King in the house - which means we can enjoy getting a free cookie whenever we want...and sharing it as a family!

Cookie Contest Results

I have a major story to write about this year's experience because there was one doozy of a situation, but for now...

PJ won his age group (2 and under) as he ate 3 mini-cookies in 2 minutes...I helped him by shoving bites into his mouth (competition gets me going!) and breaking the cookies into bites. He is the Cookie King of this bracket and has a medal that gets him one free cookie a day for a year. LJ won this last year, so it is nice that PJ held the title in the family!

LJ came in 2nd in his age group (3-6) - this earned him a free pizza from this dining establishment. He was happy that PJ won and happy that he came in 2nd. He ate 3 1/2 cookies in 4 minutes and the winner ate 4, so it was close. Next year, I think LJ will be able to win - he came really close this time!

LJ's bracket is the one I have a major story about, but it'll take me some time to type it - it is along the lines of one major pushy mom of another contestant...(and her "confrontation(s)" with me)...

Mary Poppins and a Bloody Lip

Yesterday was rather uneventful - we walked in the AM again, but were a bit later as PJ slept until 7:30...so we ran into a little bit of going-to-work traffic. Breakfast was fruit smoothies and peanut butter toast (LJ eats peanut butter toast every morning...he requests it - boring, but he eats most of it) and then the kids played until PJ's nap time. LJ and I did a puzzle and played a little until I stopped to make a photo collage of our trip to the beach. RJ came home for lunch, I finished the laundry, the kids napped, I watched some of Top Chef, MawMaw stopped by to chat and then I made dinner...see, nothing too eventful - just regular, daily stuff.

Then, we went to the video store to rent a movie for LJ. I decided he might like Mary Poppins and it is really cute when he says "Ma-ry PoppINS"...he has yet to watch it, so the verdict is still out. When we pulled into the parking lot, I unbuckled LJ and waited for him to get out. The next thing I know, he's coming out head first instead of feet first. I caught him - mostly, so was surprised to see blood coming out of his mouth. Of course, he was crying. RJ and I wiggled each of his teeth and determined he bit his lower lip. He recovered quickly, but wanted to tell everyone we saw about how he got hurt. We rounded out the evening with a trip to the cookie-contest store for a cookie...the contest is this Saturday, so his reign as cookie king will be challenged and the free cookies may end...but, we hope he'll win again this year (but, we're doubtful...he's in the 3 - 6 year old bracket).

A Title that is not the Date

Day 1 of the normal grind...I was out of the house with both kids in the double jogger and we were home from our 2 mile walk before 8:00. Once summer school starts, I don't have to go to work until 11:30, so I think this "go for a walk first thing" routine will be fine. I got the kids breakfast and "worked" on the computer and ate my own breakfast. The kids played while I sorted laundry and put stuff away. PJ went down for his nap and I paid the bills and began sorting out our 403B stuff. It just so happens that the 2 vendors that RJ and I use are not complying with some information requirement that our employer requires, so beginning Dec, we cannot contribute through paycheck deduction and our employer will not match contributions to these vendors. Another vendor we'd like will not be an available vendor beginning Sept.1, but anyone currently with them can continue to contribute and our employer will continue to match...so I had to get the ball rolling to change our vendor to the new one. This required phone time and little LJ is a bit of a challenge these days.

I suppose it is typical 3 and 1/2 year old behavior?!?!, but he is a big boss and is in serious need of some manners, so we are going on a blitz with the manners. My tactic so far has been exasperation and snapping and yelling...and it isn't working (and I wonder where he gets this behavior), so I need to try that "I" language that a lady on my mommy board posted about..."I'll be happy to get you some goldfish after you ask me nicely" (the problem is, I'd like to say "I'll be happy to consider getting you some goldfish after you ask me nicely" - ok, who am I kidding, what I want to say is "I'll begrudgingly consider not being annoyed that you are asking me for goldfish after I just came from getting you some water...why can't you have asked for both of these things at the same time? - after you ask me nicely"). I seriously need to get a grip on how to handle this child's testing/learning about his place in this world (our family specifically) or else I'm going to be that mother who yells and gets crazy.

After PJ's nap, we went to the grocery store - I'm back to the serious South Beach...I feel so yucky and full of refined carbs it is disgusting. Even if I didn't need to lose another 20 pounds (30 would be super-terrific), I'd still want to eat "the South Beach" way more often than not...I just feel better when I do.

I think RJ and I have decided to get a pool...a smallish above ground pool...one that we adults can fit in...probably 3 feet deep and 12 feet in diameter...something like that. I envision our summer routine as: get up and walk, eat breakfast, play, put PJ down for a nap - I get ready for work, go to work, come home from work, kids get up from naps, we play in the pool, make dinner, play, bath, bed. The only thing missing is the pool, so we're looking into that.

Tuesday, June 3

PJ woke us up at 6:15 and we got up, got packed, ate breakfast and were on the road by 8:30. It was a rather uneventful day of driving, but we all cheered when we crossed the state line...there is nothing better than coming home to the best state in the USA! We had to get Jfer to the airport by 2:00 for her 4:00 flight to London. I just wanted to deliver her there in plenty of time so that, if she missed her flight, it was all on her. We got there by 1:30 and dropped her off. I immediately texted her that we already missed her...she's been such a big part of our lives the past 2 weeks.

The Js ate at Taco Bell and then took off on the last leg of our journey. We got home around 4:00 and the boys commenced getting out all of their toys - I suppose to check that they are all still here. R unloaded the car and I unpacked the suitcases. Tomorrow looks to be a day of laundry and grocery shopping. I ran to the store for the essential milk and bananas and picked up a pizza on the way home. The boys had their baths and were in bed by 7:30 - both of them clearly tired and LJ's behavior showing his exhaustion.

We had a WONDERFUL vacation, but were glad to be back and eager to have a most excellent summer. I suppose normal blogging will commence, but I'll try to update a little everyday since readership is up!

Monday, June 2

I'm not gonna lie - I wasn't looking forward to today. The getting home is the not-so-happy part of the vacation for me - and this is the middle day of the process. Plus, this day was 6 hours and 45 minutes of driving (Tallahassee to Baton Rouge), so once you factor in stopping for lunch, to go to the bathroom, etc. I'm thinking about an 8 hour day. I was excited to find out that there is a P.F. Chang's in Baton Rouge, so we had that to look forward to.

And, get this - PJ did not wake up until 7:40 this morning...and LJ not until 7:50! We got everything together, went down to eat breakfast, and were out the door and on the road by 9:30. PJ took a decent morning nap and LJ played pretty quietly in the AM. We ate at Cracker Barrel in Pensacola (the same CB we visited on our way to our beach house)...and we bought LJ a car kit with magnets and scenes you can create and he played with that during PJ's afternoon nap...until he eventually fell asleep himself.

One great surprise that happened (that I forgot would happen) was that we got back to central time! This netted us an hour gain...sweet! Even though the time in the car was the same, the fact that we picked up an hour really lifted my spirits.

Jfer woke up from her morning nap in kind of a grumpy mood - she alerted us to it and we are grateful and surprised that she mad it this far into our trip before getting grumpy!

We arrived at our Homewood Suites in Baton Rouge around 4:30 - which was great because we could take showers before our last super-meal of vacation. When we got to our room, we had our second great surprise today - we had a 2 bedroom suite! So, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths...this is a terrific surprise!

We did indeed shower and then went to eat dinner...it was Jfer's first time at P.F. Chang's and I think she liked it. The kids were pretty well-behaved considering their tired clocks were still on Eastern Time. Now we are performing our daily ritual of blogging, checking e-mail, and watching TV. Tomorrow we will drop Jfer off at the airport and then head for home...I think we'll all be glad to get there! I can only hope the boys continue to be great in the car!

Sunday, June 1

Interesting tidbits about our hotel (Portofino Bay at Universal Studios)...there is a TV speaker in the bathroom, they really do put mints by our bed when the come to turn down the covers for the night...they also fill our ice bucket, high speed internet is not free (at this fancy of a hotel, they would say "complimentary"), they print your name (and age if you are a child) on your room key - and you can use your room key as "fast pass" at Universal Studios.

I was a bit afraid that last night would be a nightmare with two kids who were extremely exhausted and sleep deprived, but they both slept just great. We started the sad day that begins our journey back home. In many ways, packing up the hotel rooms was a bit harder than the beach house...stuff was scattered everywhere. At the beach house, I actually unpacked, but in the hotel we lived out of suitcases. After we packed up, RJ called the bell hop to get our luggage and they held it for us while we got something to eat. We got on the road by 9:30 and PJ fell asleep by 9:37. He actually fell asleep while we were stopped at a gas station...to fall asleep with no movement means he is really tired. And, he slept all the way until we stopped for lunch (at Cracker Barrel) at 12:30. LJ even fell asleep before lunch...and, of course, Jfer napped as well.

Our destination for today was Tallahassee - which was only 4 hours from Orlando, so we arrived a little after 3:00 and were slightly deflated seeing this Homewood Suites...we've become spoiled by our super-nice accommodations, so nice accommodations seem paltry in comparison. RJ took a little snooze while Jfer and I played with the kids...we were all in a really silly mood, so there was lots of giggling. Around 5:30 we got ready to go out to eat - we went to Macaroni Grill and it was a bad enough experience that I completed an online complaint. After dinner, we drove down to see the capitol building and it was quite a disappointment so far as capitol buildings go...made us long for home. PJ fell asleep on the way back to our hotel and once we got in the door, we got the kids into bed.

Saturday, May 31

PJ woke up at 6:30 and we only laid in bed for about 15 minutes after that - then we got ready for our big day at the Magic Kingdom. We ended up bringing 2 back packs to carry a change of clothes for the kids, diapers, wipes, water bottles, cameras, sunscreen, hats, etc. We got in the car and headed toward Disney. We stopped at a Chick fil a for some chicken minis and LJ played at the play park they had...with some other kids who were also headed to Disney.

At 9:05 we pulled into a parking spot in "Pluto" on row 16 and were told several times to remember this...which we did. It was a short walk to the Tram that would take us to the Tickets & Transportation Hub. We bought our tickets after chit chatting with the ticket sales lady and then boarded the Monorail to Magic Kingdom. So far, everyone is excited and we've had a very easy time of it so far.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom and right as we entered, we rented a double stroller. They gave us a half-sheet cardstock with our name on it so we would know it was our stroller for the day. You can park your stroller anywhere off to the side throughout the park and come back to it when you are finished with your ride. We walked through Main Street USA - which is pretty much just dining and shopping and walked right through the center of the castle to get to Fantasyland.

The first ride we rode was Dumbo. We waited maybe 10 minutes and in that time we sun screened up and got acclimated. LJ and I rode Dumbo together - we got an orange one because orange is LJ's favorite color (although about 2 weeks ago he said, "I've changed my mind about orange, I think green is my favorite color today") and LJ liked that he could pull the lever up or down to make us go up or down. PJ, RJ, and Jfer seemed to enjoy the thrill of the ride too!

After Dumbo we rode Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. I strapped PJ onto a horse and stood next to him while RJ, LJ, and Jfer all got on their own horses. By this time, PJ was an hour past his normal naptime, so he was a bit cranky until the carrousel started - he liked going up and down.

Next, we stopped at the Mad Tea Party and rode the tea cups. We all got in one cup together and PJ and LJ both loves spinning round and round and round - I tried to keep my eyes on a spot so as not to trigger a dizzy spell. LJ wanted to ride again - and we could have - there was seriously no line...we walked right on, but PJ was tired and we wanted to see if he would go to sleep if he was in the moving stroller.

So, we headed to Mickey's Toontown Fair, but stopped at Tommorrowland's Indy Speedway so RJ and LJ could race around the track. Jfer got PJ to sleep by gliding his stroller in a shady spot and I poised myself to take a photo as RJ and LJ sped around my side of the track.

When they came off the race track, LJ said that he wanted to ride a roller coaster, so we headed into Toonstorwn and RJ, LJ and I rode The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm. Once again, we had virtually no wait - we practically walked right on the ride. I was anxious to see how LJ would react - RJ video taped him - LJ loved it...he was laughing and screaming with glee the whole time. We exited to the ride to find PJ still asleep and Jfer catching up on her texting! She was so great to stay with PJ so much.

Next, we caught the Walt Disney World Railroad Train and took a ride around the park - Jfer stayed with PJ who was still asleep...and no strollers allowed on the train. LJ liked the train and will likely tell you it was his favorite ride.

Right next to the train is Mickey's Country Home, so we took a tour and at the end - got to meet Mickey and Minnie. LJ loved them and talked and danced while we took picture. PJ warmed up to them and, according to RJ and Jfer - he said, "Mickey Minnie" after the meeting...I was walking ahead, so I didn't hear it, but the sound very convincing when they tell the story.

LJ wanted to go into the "house with the hearts" which is Minnie’s Country Home, so I went in the souvenir shop - I bought mouse ears with embroidered names for Jfer (in pink) and LJ and PJ (in white). We also bought a coffee mug (which we collect on trips) and a magnetic "story book" for LJ. They had this "Mr. Potato Head" outfitter and I wanted to by some mouse ears for Mr. Potato Head, but you couldn't buy them separately - you had to dress a potato head and then buy the whole thing...so forget it. On the way out of Toontown, we rode the Barnstormer roller coaster one more time.

Then we headed back to Fantasyland where we had our first encounter with a Fast Pass with Mickey's PhilharMagic - you can get a card that tells you when to come back and then, when you come back - you don't have to stand in line...the Fast Pass has its own line and it let's you get on rides quickly. While we waited for our time, we had lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus. LJ and PJ shared PB&J, grapes, applesauce, and milk. I had a cheese pizza and Jfer and RJ both got chicken nuggets or something like that.

After lunch, we headed over to Mickey's PhilharMagic, but the line was so short, we didn't need to use our Fast Pass. This is 3-D movie with many Disney characters and songs. You wear 3-D glasses and there are scents they release in the air - like cinnamon when there is a pie on the screen. They also spray water or puff air at you at appropriate times. LJ was a bit scared by the Lion King lions roaring out at him in 3-D. PJ was kind of scared and clung to me, but both boys did great.

Next was It's a Small World - we had to wait about 5 minutes before boarding the ride and it has not changed in the 30 years since I've been. LJ liked it and PJ sat pretty still.

Frontierland began with us collecting a Fast Pass to Splash Mountain and then heading over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster. You must be 40" to ride and LJ is over that, so RJ, LJ and I rode while Jfer thought she might be able to get PJ to take another nap. She was wrong, but they watched a parade go by while we rode our coaster. LJ kind of liked it, but this roller coaster spent a lot of time in the dark as it is supposed to be a runaway train in a mine. He didn't like being in the dark, but he likes the ride part of it.

When we got off the ride, we couldn't find Jfer and PJ (because they were watching the parade), so RJ looked for them while LJ and I got an ice cream bar shaped like Mickey's head. It was like an Eskimo Pie and once we found PJ, he loved eating it too - we got some pictures of the kids with ice cream all over their faces.

Once we finished our ice cream, it was time for RJ, LJ and I to use our Fast Pass for Splash Mountain. Once again, LJ liked the ride just fine - he just did not like being in the dark. We didn't get wet at all - and we were glad!

We stopped off to see the Country Bear Jamboree on our way to the Haunted Mansion. I remember the bears from my last visit - this time - they really just seem bizarre. Truly odd.

I didn't think we should go to the Haunted Mansion because LJ had not liked the dark...but RJ wanted to see how different it is now. We got right in (Jfer was acting a little scared herself) and LJ made RJ hold him and LJ buried his head in RJ's neck the whole time. The effects were pretty cool, but I hope these kids don't have nightmares!

Then we headed to Tomorrowland and picked up Fast Passes to Space Mountain. It is about 5:30 by now - we have some drinks and then head over to the ride. Jfer and RJ rode Space Mountain together first while I stayed with LJ and PJ. Then RJ and I rode while Jfer bought the boys some cotton candy and took them over to the train. Space Mountain is WAAAAAY cool - I could ride that a few more times.

We decided to end our day by taking the train around park ending at Main Street where we got off, to the Monorail to Tram and then the Tram to Pluto 16. LJ was still being very good...walking well and holding my hand with minimal complaining. PJ, who had been stellar despite his lack of sleep, was getting cranky. We weren't in the car 5 minutes when PJ was sound asleep...LJ was asleep within 10 minutes. When we got back to the hotel...around 8:00, we gave the kids quick baths and PB&J for dinner. PJ did not eat his - he just wanted to go to bed. LJ ate his, but he was so tired and when he went to bed he was asleep within 5 minutes. Jfer went to one of the restaurants on site and picked up a pizza for us. We also introduced her to canolli - I think she's a fan! RJ went to meet a work-friend and I'm finishing this entry. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to go to bed.

We are amazed at how well the day went - despite not napping, both boys behaved great and we only had to deal with crying as we were trying to get to our car. It wasn't crowded - we think the park closing at 7:00 discouraged a lot people from coming today - great for us! We could not have asked for a better "1 day at Disney" day!

Friday, May 30

PJ woke up at 6:00 - I guess he's adjusted to the time change and is now waking at his "normal" time. It was nice when he slept until 7:00 last week. We watched TV for a little while and then RJ and I got ready and Jfer got the kids ready for breakfast. I heard that she took the kids to a restaurant (on site) that has a buffet and the kids eat for free...she thought that sounded good - and the kids' section had a playground (LJ has been talking about going back there all night). I think she realized that it was going to be impossible for her to go through a buffet with two kids to watch, but I think there was some wait staff who helped her out. I'm pretty sure she's realizing that she surely does not want to have kids in the near future! They played at the pool and LJ made new friends. I think this trip has confirmed that LJ could stand to have a more healthy aversion to strangers...right now, he has no aversion at all.

Today was the last day of our conference and RJ and I spent the day talking to people and attending sessions. We ended the day by going to eat dinner with some friends from Clemson. PJ is in bed, LJ is watching Curious George and Jfer went to get dessert with the student leader we brought.

Last night, I looked to see what time Magic Kingdom opens and closes. Would you know that tomorrow it is closing early - at 7:00 pm - because they are having a "princess and pirate" treasure hunt special occasion from 7:00 pm - midnight...it is an extra cost $40.00 per person. Whatever. I'm telling you, Disney has figured out everything you *might* want to do and has built in a way to charge you for it. So, we are going to show up at 9:00 am and stay as long as PJ can take it (hey, maybe he'll nap in the stroller - right.) then come home for naps and go back until 7:00 - I hope it isn't insanely crowded, but I'm mentally preparing for it.

Thursday, May 29

This day did not start out nicely. PJ cried out at 5:15 - he couldn't find his paci in his swank crib. RJ went in and found it, gave it back and all was well...until LJ tried to turn on the light and Jfer said "no LJ, don't turn on the light" and then LJ started crying...so PJ started crying. I went in and got LJ and brought him into our room to try to keep his crying from bothering PJ. PJ kept crying, so RJ went to get him so he wouldn't bother Jfer. So...I had a crying LJ next to me...whimpering and flopping and sniffing...I don't think he ever went back to sleep. And, RJ had a woken up and flopping PJ who slept intermittently until 6:45 next to him. This is the long way to say...we pretty much woke up at 5:15...by far the worst night of sleep this whole vacation.

RJ and I got ready for the conference and Jfer got the kids dressed and went to find some breakfast. RJ and I spent the day networking and in concurrent sessions and we both got our concurrent sessions presented...successfully and with accolades. Jfer and the kids played at the pool, took naps and played. At 5:30 we met up with our friends from work and rode the water taxi to a Latin restaurant for dinner. We stopped and fed the ducks in our version of Lake Como - we are in an Italian-themed hotel. We met up with 2 of LJ's girlfriends from the pool...Helana and Caitlin - the are British and are both 5. Oh my - they are so cute and I loved asking them questions just so I could hear them talk...their accents and the way they phrase their sentences was precious (and I don't use that word much). The boys were tired and are now in bed. I think we're going to watch the Lost finale, but we are recording it at home.

We've decided to do one day at the Magic Kingdom, so we are going to go on Saturday...early in the morning - come home for afternoon naps and then go back until dark. We may have a horrible sleep/cranky issue Saturday night and Sunday, but we'll be on our way home and maybe the crankiness will make us excited to get home...because right now, we are still happy as can be on the work part of our vacation.

Wednesday, May 28

We wished it was raining when we woke up - so that we wouldn't feel so sad leaving our blissful house by the ocean. LJ woke us up by opening our door to check and see if it was ok to get up yet...we said no - and about 15 minutes later, PJ woke up and then LJ was back in our room. We goofed around a little and then got up to pack everything up. Our goal was to leave by PJ's nap time and we were out the door at 10:15. We waved goodbye to the beach and dropped of our keys...saying "see you next year" - and I really think we might...we loved it this much. On to Orlando...


The kids were pretty good in the car - really good actually. They napped and played. We ate lunch at Burger King in Perry - unfortunately it did not have a playground. LJ says some really funny stuff...like, "when we get to our house with my crib..." - I guess when you stay at another house for a week, he thinks his own home is "the house with his crib". He also calls hotels "show and tell" sometimes. What is really funny (and can be really annoying) is that LJ just says whatever his is thinking most of the time...we get a running stream of what he's thinking in his head.


We arrived at our hotel around 5:30 - really no traffic to speak of - got checked in...this hotel is super-nice, but kind of big and overwhelming. We would probably never stay here if our conference weren't here...I think it is pretty expensive otherwise. We ate pizza at a place "on-site" and then found the kid's playground and pool. We had the hotel bring a crib to the room - it is full-size, wooden, has a sheet, blanket and bumper pads and came with a complimentary CD of lullaby music. There is a DVD player in each room (we got 2 connected rooms), so LJ got to watch Curious George before bed. We put the kids in one room (and Jfer will sleep in there too), so that we could use the other room to hang out and watch TV after they are in bed. Tonight, Jfer is making phone calls since we now have cell reception again and RJ and I are looking over our presentations and making sure those are all good to go.

Tuesday, May 27

Ok, so today PJ woke up at 6:15...this time zone...which we've adjusted to, to I'll cease to act as though the time difference really matters. Except to say that PJ has totally adjusted...except in the morning waking...we've been really lucky in that he's slept until 7:00 while here - his usual waking time is somewhere in the 6:00 hour. Basically, PJ has been sleeping an hour later - great for vacation!

RJ let me sleep in a bit, but I was up by 7:00 because we were going to head to Money Bayou to catch crab. RJ hadn't fed the kids any breakfast, so we all had to subsist on some kind of cereal bars or - nothing at all. Fine for a little while, but we did not crab for just a little while. Everyone was happy and crabbing...and we actually caught one kind of quickly. Our goal was 6 - so that we could justify keeping them. Not much time passed before LJ says he has to go to the bathroom. It is hard to judge when he really needs to go vs. when he wants to stop doing something and knows going to the bathroom will shift the activity vs. when he wants to see a new bathroom. So, we told him to hold it - and he agreed to do so. Not too much longer passed when he informed us that he was going to have to go #2 in his pants if he didn't go to the bathroom. RJ took PJ and LJ and they left to find a bathroom. Jfer and I continued to crab and we were moderately successful - we netted another one. But, then we ran into a bit of a snag...we just couldn't coax the crabs we were getting into the net. It was like they knew just how far to come and then let go of the chicken. Plus, we had not yet perfected our net skills. So, we either could have had 8 crabs - or we could have caught the same crab 8 times...either way, we caught nothing. All the while, I'm started to get really hungry, the sun is starting to beat down on me, and I'm getting a headache from my lack of coffee this morning. RJ and the kids have been gone for over an hour, so I can't wait for them to get back so we can leave. When the finally get back, RJ wants to try to crab a bit longer...I'm not happy about it, but I can understand, so I go along...but, I didn't put PJ in his backpack because I didn't think we were staying too long. (also, it turns out they went to Burger King in the town 15 miles away - and ATE...grrr!) 45 minutes, 5 crabs and one spilled coke in the driver's seat of the car later - we left (to quote Jfer, "I'm not gonna lie" - I was in a bad mood.)

PJ fell asleep on the way home (it was past his naptime) and I stewed. When we got home, RJ transferred PJ to his crib and then he and Jfer went to the store to buy some more crab boil spices while I played "Don't Break the Ice" with LJ. LJ tries to break the ice, so this mean I have to put the ice back together a lot. Once they got home, we boiled the crabs and then ate the feast. Just between you and me...there isn't a lot of meat for all the work you have to do to get it...but, it was fun and it was an experience! I was exhausted, so I took a nap with LJ while RJ hung out with PJ until his naptime...and Jfer worked on her tan.

After naps, we headed to the beach for one last time this trip. RJ and LJ made yet another spectacular castle, PJ ate yet another pound of sand and Jfer and I added yet another layer of reddish tan to our skin. The ocean was super-clear and would you believe I saw a crab! The waves were not good for the boogie board - there really weren't any waves. PJ wanted to charge into the ocean, so he was a bit of a challenge.

We came home, got our showers and left for town by 6:40. We decided to eat out and then play at a park while RJ vacuumed out the car. We ate Chinese food and did just that. We didn't get home and get the kids to bed until 8:30 - this is an hour late, but they seemed ok. Now, we are doing the last loads of laundry so we can leave with clean clothes. We are planning to pack up in the morning and leave in time for PJ's morning nap...:-(

Here's to the next leg of our journey...!

Monday, May 26

Today started as a lazy day around the house. PJ woke up around 7:00 and then LJ arrived in our room. I took them downstairs, put on the coffee, gave them their milk and then looked on the internet to determine the "best time of day" to go crabbing. While I found nothing specific to the Gulf Coast, other crabbing locales suggested that an hour before and after high tide is the best time to crab from the shore. High tide is at 1:00 pm, so we planned to go crabbing in the Money Bayou (located here) - after PJ woke up from his nap.

We are to the part of our stay where we start eating and making plans to eat the perishable foods we bought - so this morning we had eggs, turkey sausage and biscuits for breakfast. The kids played inside up until PJ's nap time. RJ and I sat on the porch - RJ snoozed a bit under a blanket (it was kind of chilly) while I surfed the net to scope out possible houses for our next trip. We thought we might drive by and look at them while we are here this trip. Jfer and LJ went for a walk. When Jfer and LJ returned from their walk and RJ, LJ, and I went to buy some water and to scope out potential rentals for next summer. I think we've decided that this house is really the best price with the best convenience for us.

PJ was awake when we got home, so we hurried to get everything together to go crabbing. Down at Indian Pass, you can drive on the beach - with a permit...which we don't have. Permits can be bought at city hall Monday - Friday. Today is Monday, but I think it is Memorial Day...I'm sure city hall is closed...I'm lucky I know it is Monday - you could seriously lose all track of time here. We went ahead and drove on the beach without a permit - our brush with lawlessness. We parked and walked a few yards to Money Bayou and threw our chicken necks in. Jfer was by far the most successful - she caught a crab really quickly, but it was pretty small, so she threw it back. Then we waited and waited...got some nibbles, but nothing great. LJ actually caught the first "keeper"...he was so proud. We put it in our tub and kept going. All told, we only caught 2 keepers - and about 5 crabs total, so not a success, but WAY more successful than at the state park. We didn't stay more than about 45 minutes because we were late for lunch time and I hadn't put sunscreen on the kids. We threw the keepers back in the bayou and decided to go back tomorrow morning.

We got home, ate lunch and put the kids down for naps...they both went with no problem. Jfer and I went to the beach while RJ stayed home to work on his presentation for the conference (real life creeps back in). Jfer wins the prize for "she who is most dedicated to getting a tan". RJ wins the prize for "knowing how to relax and trying to teach me how". I win the prize for "getting a sun rash and being the best at planning to relax".

Jfer and I came home from our jaunt to the beach as the boys were waking from their naps. We got them all ready and headed back to the beach. I was feeling a bit "sunned out", so I stayed covered up and did not get in the water. Actually, Jfer didn't get in the water either. LJ and RJ made another great sand castle and PJ collected more shells and ate more sand.

We got home about 6:30, got showers and then jfer made the kids some quick dinner while RJ made a dinner of Italian sausage and spaghetti for us to eat after the kids got to bed. I applied lotion to my rash-y arms and legs. After dinner, Jfer and I raced to update our respective blogs and RJ went for a walk. Tonight, I plan to get to bed before 11:00, but I haven't checked out what is on tv yet!

Sunday, May 25

PJ let us all sleep until 7:30 this morning, but my eyes opened promptly at 7:00 - of course. I closed them though. About 5 seconds after PJ cried - LJ opened came out of his room to say good morning. I took them downstairs and let RJ sleep-in this morning...he made it to 8:30 before the kids could take no more time without him and went upstairs. We ate breakfast and played around the house until PJ's (and Jfer's...they seem to have the same nap schedule!) nap time. RJ, LJ and I went to the beach and really just played in the sand. RJ and LJ built one terrific sand castle, RJ played on the boogie board and I mostly got some sun. LJ did not want to go in the water...I'm not sure why, perhaps he didn't like getting in his eyes...he's given that as a reason or perhaps he doesn't like the sea weed...he's given that as a reason too? Whatever the reason - he isn't the water loving boy he was on the previous days. We came home right as PJ was waking up and we ate leftover hot dogs for lunch.

After lunch, we all headed back to the beach and the boys played in the sand while RJ, Jfer and I took turns on the boogie boards. The water was pretty calm, so we had to wait a bit longer for good waves to use. The water is still murky because of the dredging...this is a bit disappointing, but we could go up the beach if we really wanted to get to nicer water. This would entail getting in the car as it would be too far for LJ to walk, but that is a pain in and of itself, so we just deal with the dirty water. The water and the sand are still really nice - MUCH better than the TX coast. After about an hour and a half, we headed back, got showers and put the kids down for naps...RJ napped with LJ today - once again, to ensure that sleep happens. When LJ gets tired, he isn't too horrible, but he becomes less easy-going and less willing to try new things.

PJ woke up around 4:30 and was kind of cranky - I gave him a snack, but that didn't really help. At 5:00 we woke up RJ and LJ and got in the car to go buy some crab to cook. We didn't catch any, but we still wanted to have a crab boil. We bought some shrimp from a local fresh seafood place and the lady there told us about a man who caught 100 crabs in an hour using chicken and string...in Money Bayou. On the way home, we checked out and decided we'd give it a try tomorrow. We stopped at the convenience store on the cape to pick up some more milk and other necessities.

We got home and started our crab/shrimp boil - fed the kids PB&J and got them into bed before we started our feast. Dinner was finished and all cleaned up by 9:00 and I hope to get to bed before 11:00 tonight!

Jfer, RJ and I are kind of starting to be sad that our time is half-way over...we leave on Wednesday (morning) and we are just loving this lifestyle WAY too much to want it to end. RJ asked if we are going to do this every summer - and indicated that he wants to do it every summer. Jfer vigorously shook her head that she wants to come every summer. We agree that we seriously think we could stay for a month and not get tired of it at all.

Saturday, May 24

LJ came in our room around 7:00 and we told him to go back to bed until he heard PJ cry - which happened about 10 minutes later...and LJ promply returned. RJ and I tried to lay in bed a few minutes longer by letting the kids play in bed while we gave them various things to play with. One such thing was the Maglight flashlight - which PJ brougt down on the right side of my cheek bone...this got me out of bed and I promply put a package of frozen corn on my eye in an attempt to keep the swelling down. It is a little swollen, but not too bruised.

Today was the day we were going to catch a load of crabs! We got ready to go rather early - by 7:45 we were out the door and headed to the State Park (the entrance is about 1000 yards down the road from our house) as we'd read on the Internet that the crabbing was pretty good there. We paid our entrance fee and asked if we should try the bay or the ocean. The cashier said the bay side was the best - you could actually see the crabs, so we looked for a place to work our magic. We didn't want to have to walk through reeds or grass - we didn't want to have to worry about alligators or other critters sneaking up on use. We finally found a decent place - you could walk out pretty far and could see the bottom the whole way...we, of course, kept our shoes on. LJ loved being able to walk in the calm water and PJ loved being in the back pack - even though he was clearly tired for his nap.

RJ tied our chicken necks to our string and we cast our crab-catcher...and waited. Jfer and I often thought we had a bite, but it was just a mess of minnows chopping our chicken to shreds. We did this for about 30 minutes without a single crab. This was really disappointing - I went crabbing when I was about 13 and we caught crab after crab after crab, so what was up with this? When I went crabbing as a youngster we were on a pier and crabbing in deeper water - so maybe that was the problem. Whatever the problem, no one else out there as having any luck either...we packed up and headed home for the morning naps.

During naptime, RJ, LJ and I headed to the beach. It was close to high tide and the water was murky due to the dredging they are doing for a major "beach restoration" effort, so we were leary of getting in the water. LJ must have sensed that it didn't look right because he did not want to get in the water. We came home, changed clothes and headed to the fire station to pick up our sandwiches...this time we were successful! We arrived home to find PJ and Jfer awake and we all ate lunch. LJ was clearly tired and needing a nap, so I went upstairs with him to ensure napping (plus, this allowed me a nap too!). We slept for about 2 hours and when we woke up, PJ was down for his nap, RJ was on the computer and Jfer was laying on the porch. RJ decided to take a nap and LJ and I went outside to clean up the shells we collected the day before. We sorted them into big, medium, small, and broken and LJ decided which shells he wanted to give to who.

PJ woke up and we woke up RJ and all headed back to the state park (since we'd already paid our entrance fee for the day) to play on that beach. The state park beach is beautiful and was really not crowded at all, but more crowded than our "regular" beach. Jfer and I boogie-boarded and then RJ boogie-boarded. RJ and LJ made a sand castle and I walked with PJ as he collected shells. It was funny to see him pick up one and show it to me, then carry it around for a while until he found a different one he wanted. Then he'd throw down the one he had and carry the new one around for a while. We buried RJ in the sand and then Jfer - they seemed to like it!? After about an hour and a half, we showered off, changed LJ's clothes, but PJ rode home in the buff.

Once home, the adults showered and RJ cooked pork chops on the grill while Jfer and I fed the kids PB&J. As we were finishing eating, PJ kept climbing up the stairs and waving, which I took to mean he was ready for bed. As an aside - we were kind of worried about the stairs with PJ, but he figured them out really quickly. They have carpet and he crawls up them no problem. Coming down, he turns around and slides down - feet first - on his tummy. So funny to see! We put PJ to bed, then got LJ into bed and Jfer suggested that RJ and I go to the beach to watch the sunset. So, we did - but we didn't really want to get all sandy, so we sat at the top of the steps on the "private" pier. This was right by the current work they are doing to restore the beach, so we watch that - 3 bulldozers pushing sand up. A person staying at the house on the beach - with an entrance to the private boardwalk - came to ask if we wanted him to take a picture...so, he did and we chatted with him for a while. He is friends with the owner of the house - which he says was the first house built on the cape...in 1984. He told us about the restoration project and how the houses on the beach and the houses on the first row back are the only houses being taxed to pay for the project. They are, of course, not happy about that as the whole cape benefits, but only a few are paying. Plus, the general consensus seems to be that the project is a futile one. He pointed to the dunes around the house and said that used to be flat sand after a hurricane in the 90s, but "mother nature" replaced the dunes over time. The whole project is fascinating - they have pipes that go into the ocean and a big ship sits off shore and dredges the bottom of the ocean and shoots sand through those pipes up on the shore. Then, the bulldozers push the sand around.

When we got home from our chat, we watched a couple of episode of an apparent Iron Chef America marathon on the Food Network and, once again, did not get to bed until 11:00.

Friday, May 23

A big storm with lots of thunder and lightening came through around 1:30 am and lasted a good couple of hours. I figured we would hear from one of the kids during this fantastic display of light and sound in a somewhat unfamiliar place...and at 3:00ish LJ showed up in our room. I got up and we went back to his room and slept in his bed for the rest of the night. I awoke (I didn't know what time because my watch battery ran out the morning we left and we haven't really found a place to get it replaced - can you believe there is no Walmart here or anywhere near here? Kind of refreshing, but the Piggly Wiggly doesn't do watch batteries, so kind of annoying too) to LJ saying, "it is morning momma"...and as if on cue, PJ started crying.

We came downstairs and I made coffee and got their breakfast ready. It was still raining, so we were a bit bummed that our second day at the beach was marred with inclement weather. We used the rainy time to go into town to return some flip-flops that didn't really fit RJ - RJ, LJ and I went and Jfer and PJ stayed home and napped. After returning the flip-flops and buying a couple of other things - like more snacks...we are all really hungry at the beach...except PJ, he's just really tired at the beach - we went to the "Outrigger's" next door and commenced the 45 minute search for flip-flops for RJ. In the process, I found a pair of chocolate brown Crocs and then we left to partly cloudy skies on the way home. PJ and Jfer had just woken from their naps and we loaded up the car to go to the lighthouse to look for seashells.

We found some great shells and PJ really enjoyed riding in the back pack on RJ's back. The lighthouse has a locked chain link fence around it, so we guess this means we aren't supposed to actually go in it. There are a lot of tree stumps and fallen trees and the beach is very shallow...you can really tell that there has been a lot of erosion there. In fact, there are piers out in the water where building used to be. I'm glad it is not my job to have to worry about things like that. But, the seashells were great and we were not selective about picking them up, so we have quite a few. By this time the skies had cleared and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, so Jfer and I arranged for RJ to stay home during afternoon naps while we went to the beach.

On the way home from the lighthouse we stopped at the only store/rental shop on the cape and rented some boogie boards and bought some water. RJ grilled hot dogs for lunch and then Jfer and I took off for the beach. We had a terrific time riding the surf and laying in the sun, but then decided it looked like a storm was coming. We came home to find that PJ was sleeping just fine, but LJ was not napping...just "resting" and being a little trouble in his room. He was pretty quite, so we let it be. Jfer and I dried off by laying out on the porch - since we knew we would all be going to the beach later, we didn't want to change out of our suits.

Once naptime was over, we all got sunscreened up and headed to the beach. We can get to the beach by walking to the public beach access or by taking a "private" boardwalk over - the boardwalk is closest, but private...we figure pretty much everyone here is renting, so who would care/know if we are using a boardwalk we are not supposed to be using. Plus, every though most of the houses are filling up for the Memorial Day Weekend - there aren't THAT many houses AND we hardly see anyone on the beach. I think a lot people bring their boat to fish in the bay because we just don't see more than 3-4 groups of people (families) on the beach. We had a great time at the beach - LJ loved "surfing" and PJ loved playing in the sand and going out with me or LJ to let the "boofers" (waves) crash onto his legs. He didn't care for the boofers that crashed onto his face, so it was kind of a love/hate for him. Either way, the ocean wears these kids out!

We got home around 6:30 and got showers. I stayed home to feed PJ dinner and RJ, LJ, and Jfer went to the volunteer fire station to pick up pulled-pork sandwiches for dinner...they are having their annual "butt roast" fundraiser and we had seen signs that they had sandwiches for sale. Turns out, they were only selling them at lunch time on Saturday, so they went into town and came home with a pizza. This whole venture took an hour and a half, so by the time they got home PJ was in bed and it was past LJ's bedtime. We ate, got LJ into bed and then watched a Jesse Stone movie on the Hallmark channel while Jfer caught up on her computer time. She was smart and went to bed around 10:00 - RJ and I finished our movie and, once again, didn't get to bed until 11:00.

Thursday, May 22

We woke up around 7:00 - this is as long as PJ will let us sleep. I say PJ because we can make LJ go lay in his bed, but PJ just cries and there is no sleeping through that. The first order of business was to go to figure our what we want to eat this week and go to the grocery store to buy it. We had no food in the house, so really, the *first* order of business was to get some breakfast and then go to the grocery store. So, we all got in the car and drove the 2o minutes into town - ate at McDonald's and then shopped at a Piggly Wiggly.

Piggly Wiggly was not too big, but had most of what we wanted to buy - at slightly higher prices than we normally pay. Since it wasn't our store, my shopping list was not in the order in which we'd encounter the items, so it took a while to shop. Among the normal food-type items we also needed chicken necks, string, and a net for all of the crabbing we plan to do. They had the chicken necks, but we had to go to the "outfitter's" store next door for the string and net.


By the time we got home, it was time for PJ's nap - actually, he fell asleep in the car and RJ transported him to his crib. Jfer and I unpacked the groceries while RJ and LJ went exploring - namely, they needed to figure out where we have access to the beach. After we put away the groceries, Jfer decided to take a nap, so she stayed at the house with PJ and I went to find the boys. I found the beach access and saw them off in the distance - with LJ charging into the waves like he's been in the ocean every day of his life. The sand is white and the ocean is blue/green - just beautiful. There was one other group on the beach - a man, his son, and his 2-year-old granddaughter. LJ wanted her to go in the water, but she was more timid than he. After a little more playing, we headed home to find LJ still asleep.


Once he woke up, we ate lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches) and then all got ready to go back to the beach. PJ liked the surf too - and everyone had a great time playing in the ocean and in the sand. We came back for showers and naps...kind of late naps, but the kids were exhausted so they both slept until almost 5:00. We got in the car, explored a bit more and then ate cheeseburgers and popcorn shrimp at a local dive...one of the few here.


Cell phones have no reception, but we have wireless internet, so we are not totally cut-off. The kids went to be (it is still light out about 90 minutes past their bedtime, so this is a little tough) and we adults surfed the net and watched TV. I don't know how these east-coasters stay up until 11:00 to finish their shows. We would use the DVR at home, but here - it is just cable, so we have to stay up if we want to watch.

Wednesday, May 21

We woke up around 7:00 at "our's new place" (what LJ calls any hotel - this one was a Homewood Suites) and the Js went to eat the complimentary breakfast while Jfer took a shower. RJ took the kids to the kid's pool - which was really great for kids...1 foot deep with about 10 little fountains in it - while I packed up the insane amount of stuff we had to have just to spend one night. We loaded up and left the hotel by 9:15...and started the final day of the first leg of our drive. PJ feel asleep pretty quickly and slept all the way through Mississippi and Alabama. LJ did not sleep and seemed as though he might have been trying to be just naughty enough to wake up PJ...because I had told him he could have his sack-of-fun after PJ woke from his nap. We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel Pensacola and then figured we only had about 2.5 hours left before we reached our destination...

We were wrong...this was a case against the typical notion that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Do NOT drive on 98 if you don't have to. It is that simple. I cannot imagine what this road is like during Spring Break - we are talking insane traffic and you are never moving a highway speeds. We did this for about an hour before we bailed and headed north so we could move east. Once we did this...there was little traffic and we made much progress. We stopped at Subway for dinner and arrived at our beach house around 7:00 - which was now 8:00. We explored the house, unloaded the car, got LJ set up in his room and PJ set up in our room...and the kids went to bed. Jfer and I got out our computers to touch base with civilization...then I turned the computer over to RJ and Jfer and I watched Top Chef.

Tuesday, May 20th

We intended to leave by 8:30 and swing by to pick up Jfer on our way out of town...of course, this did not happen. It was around 8:00 that we finally decided to put our hands on the back-pack-that-you-carry-a-small-child-in and we could not find it. I determined it might be in the travel trailer -which is a 40 minute round trip...in the wrong direction for where we were headed. RJ packed up the car - complete with our new hitch carrier - and then went to get it. We left the house after checking everything off of my list and got to Jfer's around 10:15. PJ had already fallen asleep by the time we got there.

The trip in the car was somewhat uneventful. RJ was happy to have Jfer in the car because she actually called the 800 number to complain about a trucker blocking the lane so no one could pass prior to an impending merge...a major pet peeve we encounter on every road trip. I had packed lunch sack in which I put snacks, a juice box and a toy for each child. I decided that each child would get one on each leg of the trip...at a critical moment where none of us could take any more. These bags were an anticipated excitement for LJ and managed to keep everyone occupied for 30 minutes. Of course, we ate lunch at the Cracker Barrel and LJ had great fun looking at all of the toys and candy in the gift shop.

We arrived at our first destination - a hotel half-way to our final destination - around 7:00. PJ went to bed and LJ, Jfer and I explored the kid pool. Then LJ went to bed - in fact, we were all in bed by 9:45.

Egg-Cracker

I came home from work this morning to the smell of freshly baked chocolate cake. YUM! It is a nice smell to be sure. LJ says, "Oh Momma, I'm so glad you're home - we baked you a cake." Great - what a sweet boy. Turns out, there was a reason for baking a cake at 10:00 in the morning...RJ showed me the pictures of LJ perched ON a stool next to the counter ON which there was a bowl IN which there were 4 eggs that LJ had cracked. The shells were in the sink and the eggs didn't have a single shell in them. Turns out, LJ wanted to make cookies, so he helped himself to some eggs in the refrigerator, got himself a stool and a bowl and started. I have no idea how he knows that eggs might go in cookies and I have no idea how he decided on 4.

I applaud RJ for making a cake - I would have made scrambled eggs.

I asked RJ if he got onto LJ about it and he said that he didn't get onto him too hard because he did such a good job and RJ was actually pretty impressed. He did tell LJ that he shouldn't do that again. Hopefully, that will do the trick.

I'm sure when LJ is featured on Food Network after his successful training at the Culinary Institute of America and his meteoric rise to fame - we'll use the pictures and the story to illustrate how we knew he was headed for cooking greatness.

What I've Read About Varicella

One very big thing to consider with varicella (chicken pox) is that since the vaccine is given at such a young age, many of the kids who get the vaccine will have the vaccine "wear off" by the time they are in their late-teens/early 20s. This leaves them unprotected as adults - which is when getting chicken pox/shingles is most troublesome. Getting chicken pox as a young child isn't so bad, but getting it as an adult can be. "They" (some of the research I've read) indicate that there is an increase in adults getting chicken pox/shingles despite having had the vaccine. So, you'd have to be vigilant about getting the booster if you get the vaccine in the first place...otherwise, you are just setting yourself up to have a higher likelihood of getting the chicken pox/shingles at an older age.

Basically, having the vaccine won't prevent you from getting shingles as an adult and might actually increase the likelihood of getting full-blown chicken pox and/or shingles. Vaccines are not "forever" - you have to continue to get boosters and there is some debate as to how long vaccines last...I'm sure it isn't the same for every person, but there is a general range of 8 - 15ish years. The idea is to get your kids through their infancy and childhood with some level of protection.

Kathy's mom: I have read several sources that recommend that "older people" get a varicella vaccination/booster (it is different than the one for kids) for the exact reason you bring up...shingles isn't pleasant and is something to consider.

I enjoy the questions because they give me more to consider!

Vaccination Research

First - please read this statement: We are NOT anti-vaccination, so don't start worrying that our kids are going to get polio.

I've been reading about/hearing about delayed/spaced out vaccination schedules, but this whole issue of vaccinations is something I've been "meaning to research" for some time. I do have an emotional response when it is time to get these kids their shots - not because of the pain - they can handle that, but because of the "I-don't-really-know-what-is-going-on-here,-I-mean,-I-get-the-gist-of-vaccinations-and-how-they-work, but-what-are-all-of-these-and-what-else-is-in-there" nagging that my brain does. So, to heck with it - I need to figure this out so I "feel" like I'm making an informed decision and not just blindly following some schedule that the CDC recommends and the dr. will tell you is "absolutely the way to go".

This research is not as easy as it seems. First, what you might read on the internet will scare the fool out of you if you aren't careful. Second, there is a lot of stuff to read on the internet. Third, I HATE the part of research where I'm just gathering information...I need a plan...the plan doesn't have to be a decision about the thing I'm researching - it can be a decision for *how* I'm going to collect data...I just need some kind of plan because I get very uncomfortable just reading page after page and source after source...I need a plan. RJ does not need a plan - he is perfectly happy gathering information until we'd have to home school by default because the kids would not be current on their vaccines...ok, this is an exaggeration, but he *is* very comfortable gathering information. Usually, the plan just naturally falls into place for me. This time, it took some doing.

Once again, we are not "anti-vaccination" - but, there are some vaccines that we seriously question...like Hep B, for example. It is spread through sexual contact and shared needles. Hmmm...my 1 year old is at risk for this? I think not. The most common way for an infant to get Hep B is from being born to a mother who has Hep B...so, if I don't have Hep B things should be fine. Plus, these kids are not in daycare, so it is highly unlikely they will come in contact, at a young age, with someone who has Hep B. And, what's the deal with chicken pox? But, perhaps there will be more of this from me later.

I've finally found a book that I consider *reputable* and I'm digesting the information and mulling it over. "The Vaccine Book" by Robert Sears. I dig it because he attempts to give a balanced look at the pros and cons of vaccinations so that I can make an educated choice. He breaks it down with each vaccine receiving a chapter in his book. With each vaccine he discusses: What the disease is, How common the disease is, How serious the disease is, How treatable the disease is, When the vaccine is given, How the vaccine is made, What ingredients are in the vaccine and if those ingredients are controversial, What the side effects are, Reasons to get the vaccine, Reasons some people don't get the vaccine, Options to consider, and finally the way he sees it. He also gives the brand-name of the vaccine along with the manufacturer. He also suggests a schedule to follow if you choose to delay the vaccinations - that will have the child on-target for starting school.

RJ picked up the vaccinations records for LJ and PJ along with a list of the actual vaccinations (brand-name) their dr. uses . RJ and I have discussed it and I think we have a plan for the rest of the kids' vaccinations, but I'll leave it here for now...don't want to have too much to read at one time!

Happy Birthday PJ!

Where does the time go???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PJ - at this time last year, I was crying because I had the biggest sinus headache ever and I was tired of not being able to take any good meds! Then, I noticed my contractions were rather consistent...and the rest is history. PJ has a bit of a cold, but I remember that LJ had a cold on his first birthday too. We are having a small celebration (with my mom and my niece - I need to call and invite them over...) - by having breakfast for dinner (eggs, bacon, and waffles). LJ is going to help me make PJ's cake later today. We are giving PJ a pool (think small hard-plastic kids' pool) and I'm sure the kids will want to splash around in there after dinner.

Things You Never Thought You'd Say...

Last night, I heard myself tell LJ, "Don't put your head in the toilet."

I have more of these than I care to admit!

Anyone else?

6 1/2 Wide

I took the boys out after their naps on Friday - we went to buy shoes. I decided to buy LJ some Crocs...(RJ was not with us and, if we're lucky, he won't inquire regarding the price). Considering we will be spending some time at the beach this summer and LJ plays outside a lot - I think Crocs are a good choice. PJ - he needed his first pair of shoes. I was FLOORED when he was measured at 6.5 - W, of course...both the boys have wide feet. 6.5???? LJ wore a 4.5 when he was PJ's age. No joke - the 6.5 fit. Unbelievable. These boys are going to cost us a fortune when their teenage growth spurts hit.

Whew - Glad That's Over!

While I'm late in posting this, I wrote it on Monday of this week...

It is over - thank goodness - and I am tired, but I suppose it was a success?!

RJ and I are on the planning committee for a regional conference on college teaching. We've been on this planning committee for years (probably 8) and the committee meets once a month all year long. We tend to enjoy the other committee members and we enjoy planning the conference, but the conference itself is a beating.

First of all, it is very informal, even though there are a few "presentations" to the whole group (100 college faculty) and "resource sessions" where people choose what to talk about - these are more conversations than presentations...and the participants are the facilitators of conversation. It is held at a campy-resort on a lake in the hill country - the wildflowers are in bloom and the weather was beautiful. Those who attend are, for the most part, faculty who want to be better teachers...which is odd at the major research college campuses. Since I am not tenured, I don't have to do research - just teaching and service...so, I get to focus on being a great teacher all the time - and things like this conference are a part of my service.

RJ and I conducted a "community forum" on student development...this is not our background, but the nature of the course I teach and RJ's job is such that we observe student development and actually try to get students to develop more quickly, if you will. With some research we discovered the major theories that one would need to know to be somewhat educated on student development theory - considering there are entire graduate programs devoted to this, what can you really do in 1 hour? The general concept is - while no one would argue that you can see physical, cognitive, emotional, etc. development in children, these types of developments are also occurring during the college years...do you want to keep this in mind when teaching? What do you see as your role in the development of your students? Are you a person who is merely an evaluator of their cognitive development (for example, they earn a grade on their exam and it may not be a good one if they have not cognitively developed to the level you want them to)? Are you someone who facilitates their development? Or are you wholly unconcerned? I won't go into it in more detail because I doubt most people are interested. But, we did weave in a student survey by playing Family Feud - and I think this was wildly popular. I'm not going to toot my own horn, but I think (judging from the # of people who told us so all day long) that most people thought it great.

But, now I'm tired and I have to go to class - and while most conference participants are likely re-energized regarding their students...I am not particularly so. Of course, in general, I'm usually perfectly happy to see my students. I've just noticed we only have 4 weeks of school left...this makes me very happy!