Camping

The day after we were to arrive home from Key West, we planned to head out on a 3 day camping trip to Yogi Bear Campground.  Well, bad weather wreaked havoc on planes flying into Baltimore and a long story short, we got a bonus night of vacation in balmy Baltimore.  So that meant the day we flew home, we also were departing on a camping trip.  In hindsight, perhaps allowing 48 hrs. in between would have been wiser, but live and learn.  Borrowing my brother's awesome camper(w/potty and running water, and even air conditioning!) we braved the great outdoors.

Just what we all needed to re-bond together after our 5 day getaway.  The campground is great for kids.  Water park, boats, pedal carts, pool, miniature golf, all in a not-too-big but not-too-small campground.

Plus, we got to go with another awesome family.  Rylie and Adalyn just happened to be born on the same day and here they sit on the docks looking for fish.

The older 2 girls loved playing with their good friend Camryn.

And I loved playing with my very good friend, Kerrianne.

Cody(aka:  Doo-Doo  I'm not kidding, that's what Rylie started calling him one day and it stuck), now 16(!), was such a help with the little ones and such a cool guy to hang out with.  It made me want to rent my own teenager, though I have heard that if they belong to you, they are not always so helpful.

Daily we went on Heyrides(seriously loud person leading camp songs as they drive a large trailer full of overtired kids and underslept parents).

And to keep the whining to a minimum, we even rented a golf cart to ferry all our little tired legs to and from the water park back to our campsite.

It was a perfectly relaxed enjoyable weekend with some great friends.(Notice that all of the Bader's children seem to love getting close to Yogi.  Not so for the Kelly crew, who barely got within touching distance before turning tail and running.)  It was full of S'mores, and campfires, and no schedules, and easy conversation.

Sadly, a day after we returned from our camping adventure, Kerrianne's father, at age 64, had a major heart attack.  After a 4 day coma, he passed away.  I have known their family all my life and remember her Father with a big smile on his face and a booming voice.  It is so hard the way life can be so simply wonderful one minute and so devastating the next.  But I suppose without our lows, we would never be able to truly appreciate the highs.  My heart goes out to my dear friend and her family.  I feel like we are too young to lose any of our parents, but I suppose life does not hand out any guarantees.  I know they will all miss him terribly and that the days and months ahead will be so challenging.  But their family is full of strength and their attachment to each other is palpable.  I wish them peace as they go forward from here.

Key West

Last week Wayne and I took off for a four day getaway to Key West, sans kids.  I hate leaving my kids and I swore to him as we left for the airport and Denver was crying that I wouldn't be doing this for at least another 6 years.  But once there, I could see how much a trip without our little darlings was needed.  Conversations uninterrupted.  Energy to focus on each other.  Activities not even remotely possible with wee ones along.  Like our marriage had been a long distance runner and had stopped on an enjoyable run, to take a drink of water.  

 Key West was lovely and had a few quirks that made it feel unique.  First, the island has a ton of free roaming chickens.  We started counting and got up to 54.  They do not, however, know how to tell time as proved by their excessive crowing.  While eating at a restaurant(outside of course, like so many tropical places, everything happened outside), it was not unusual to have a chicken pass under your table.  There is even a stiff penalty in Key West for harm caused to the little creatures.

Every night in Mallory Square there is a Sunset Festival.  Street performers, craft people, and tourists all gather to watch the Sunset and get a little entertainment as well.  Including this crazy dude known as the Catman.  Seriously had a few marbles loose but has trained his little herd of cats to perform.  

 We took a day trip out to the Dry Tortugas National Park.  Leaving very early in the morning on a high speed ferry we motored for 2 hours 70 miles West of Key West.  My stomach was not a fan of the boat ride but the trip was still a big highlight.  While there we went snorkeling off the island and saw some very cool fish.  The fort was very interesting to walk around and although there was heavy cloud cover and rain throughout much of the day, we still ended up a little sunburned.

 The pylons you see sticking out of the water were where we saw the coolest fish.  A couple hundred year old, they have started to turn into a reef of sorts.  I think the biggest fish we saw was about a 4 foot tarpon.

 This boat held 22 Cubans seeking asylum in the US.  If they can reach the Tortugas, they have made it. It was said that they even knew the Rangers name when they arrived.

 Our last morning we spent on this little scooter touring the island, which is really not that big.  Wayne is now convinced we should buy one.  We drove past Hemingway's house, but did not go in.  It was just too fun on the scooter.

Then home, sort of.  We ended up getting a bonus night in Baltimore due to weather and missing our connection by 20 minutes.  Maybe waiting 6 more years to do this again might be too long.  The girls missed us, Denver in particular had a hard time, and we missed them but it was magical to be away with the love of my life.

Barnard Fireman's Parade and Carnival 2011

I know it's Summer when it's time to drag our chairs a few streets over for the annual Barnard Fireman's Parade and Carnival.  Luckily the rain stayed away for our annual fun-filled night.

 

2 must be the best age to watch a parade because Adalyn was so animated the whole night.  The joy you get from watching your kids be happy is a benefit from parenting that always surprises me.

We brought out new 'neighbors' too!  Shawn(Wayne's youngest brother) and his lovely wife Lesley bought a house one street over from ours.  I think there may be 5 houses between ours.  They have 3 kids too, close to the ages of ours.  It's been another great thing about our evolving neighborhood to have family so close.  Our back yards are nearly kiddie corner and well within walking distance.

The next night we headed down to partake of the carnival pleasures.  Only that night the rain didn't hold off and there was about a 20 min downpour during which we stayed under the beer tent and ate really-bad-for-you carnival food.

My parents joined us and my Mom and I got a couple dozen clams so of course the girls had to play with the shells.  Who knew clam shells in the rain could be so fun?

Then it was time for rides.  With all the rain keeping people away, the girls had the whole thing practically to themselves.  We learned one important piece of  information:  1 ride on the swings for Willa is fun, 2 rides back to back is very, very bad:(  But I will say she recovered quickly.  Adalyn could only go on a few rides, but she did those in repetitious bliss while the other 2 ran around on the rides they were tall enough for.  Denver and Willa knew more people than we did.  And of course we had to visit the Duck Pond where Adalyn kept trying to get more and more ducks till we had to drag her away from the game all together.  Actually, every game we played seemed to follow that same pattern.  Maybe 2 year olds are not quite so ready for carnival games.  But a great time was had by all and 3 very tired girls were tucked in that night with carousel horses dancing in their dreams.

Springdale Farm

Willa's Kindergarten class had a field trip to Spingdale Farm last week and I happily accompanied them.  What could be more perfect; 72 degrees, sunny, and farm animals as far as the eyes could see and smell.  Well, maybe not that far but animals were seen and touched a plenty!

We also got to watch an automated milking machine at work.  It was remarkable to say the least.  As was the automated manure sweeper.  I wonder if they make such a thing for dog pooh in back yards...

This goat took a liking to Willa and nuzzled her for a while.

The kids all got to listen to the heartbeat of one very patient rabbit.  Then they all got to pet a kid, a chick, a ferret, and a duckling.

There was even a little time left to play in the petting area.

Canine Diversions

It seems life is going faster than I can keep up with.  The next 2 weeks don't seem to be slowing down any either.  But here is one of our current diversions...

Last Tuesday morning, Wayne was opening up work at 4:30am when he heard a clickity clack and turned to see a pitbull running toward him.  After determining it was a nice dog it proceeded to curl up in his lap and fall asleep.  He was rail thin with far too many bones showing.  A coworker took it temporarily, but her dog did not care for that so we took it on Thursday.

I don't want two dogs.  The poop to grass ratio gets a little off kilter and now that he is feeling better, he is starting to reveal his young age with some destructive chewing and eating inappropriate things.(Willa's sock, which he later horked up)  But he is one sweetie-pie of a dog.  Really affectionate and good with the kids and Possum.





Hopefully we will find a forever home for him, but if we can't I have a feeling he may join our household.

Sigh.

Here he is after a long day of partying on Father's Day.  Turn up the volume so you can hear him snore!

Oakwood Rd, North 1st Annual Block Party

Consuming much of my active brain space this Spring was the planning for our 1st ever block party.  Wayne and I really wanted to do this last year but time got away from us.   So we started our planning in April, got our permit, barricades, and bounce houses and with a lot of help from our neighbors, we enjoyed the event Saturday.  The rain held off, sprinkling only occasionally and almost everyone who was home came out for the day to mingle, meet, and laugh.  A few area businesses made modest donations(thank you Wegmans for the gift card, Wise Guys Diner for the hot sauce, and Dunkin Donuts for the donut holes).

 We wanted to make a community of our little slice of Greece but people did not know each other.  Nothing to do but to have a big party!  Our local fire station sent over a fire truck and rescue truck and the Monroe County Sheriffs Department sent over 2 horses and officers.  The kids were able to climb in the firetruck and pet the horses.  While adults mingled and BBQed, the kids ran between 2 bounce houses and enjoyed the thrill of riding up and down the middle of the street.

Adalyn played till she just about fell over, enjoying every ounce she could squeeze out of the day.  She found a deep love of orange drink and sported an orange mustache for a good portion of the day.

The difference in the feel of our street is already tangible.  It is hopefully the start of a great tradition.