Staycation 2013

We didn't do the OBX this year for a number of reasons but as the summer was going along Jason and I realized we needed a week off and last week was it.  Overall, it was a good week but the weather was CRAPPY.  But then, this summer has been overly disappointing in terms of weather.  We had a few good weeks of sun and heat but mostly it seemed to have started late and now we're in what seems like a monsoon season.  I should have known when there were days in May where it was chilly that it wasn't boding well for a hot summer.  The only really good thing about it is that our sod has had plenty of moisture to get nice and established and we've hardly had to get the sprinklers out.

Anyway we started the week last Friday night at the O's game:

It was the girls' first game and they were all so excited.  We were treated to a Chris Davis home run along with a Nate McLouth grand slam!!  (Although Bryce, Piper and I missed the Crush HR because they wanted to fill up their water bottles.....classic!)  It was a slug fest which is fun for kids and the O's won so a good night was had by all!

Saturday we went to my parents to celebrate our friend Oliver's 6th birthday.  Unfortunately, the pool party didn't go as well as hoped because of the rain.  But it was a nice afternoon and we went home in the early evening.

Sunday was a beautiful day - sunny and not too hot!  Because some of our neighbors had been away and others were getting ready to leave, we had a Sunday Funday get together.  We all brought food, the kids played and we sat around just enjoying summer.  A really fun day!  We didn't stay out too late though because we had an early start planned to Hershey Park!

The park didn't open until 10am so we figured leaving by 8am would be plenty of time.  Nope.  Somehow we didn't really factor Baltimore rush hour traffic into the equation (because you know, I ride in it every.single.day) and we ended up taking the worst way possible around the beltway (but it did teach me how NOT to go to work when I start dropping the kids off at before-care in two weeks).  It took an hour to get to I-83 and then once we got past Harrisburg, we sat in traffic.  We didn't arrive at Hershey Park until 11am!  Needless to say, this is NOT how I like to do theme parks given our Disney success.  But, there wasn't anything we could do at that point so we scarfed down the lunch we brought a little earlier than planned and went to the park.  Bryce and I went to ride some roller coasters since he was jonesing for one and the girls went to ride a tamer ride with Jason.  However, once that was done they were dead set on getting wet.  Mind you it was sunny but only like 75 degrees.  I took one for the team and rode slides and played in the splash zones with them. They had a great time even if it was a little chilly.  They just loved the tubing slides.  After an afternoon in the wet zone, we dried off and had an early dinner and then went on the little motor cars.  Caroline drove her first car by herself.  She was so nervous but we assured her she would be fine and she was.  (This was the first ride we rode at Disney last year and she was so grumpy about it but driving her own car was exciting for her this year.)  Then we rode a bunch of rides together as a family although Bryce and I squeezed in the Super Dooper Looper - his first upside down coaster.  Caroline is not a coaster girl (just like her dad) but she likes the carnival type rides.  They were so happy to ride the swings and tilt a whirl again.  Although I was surprised that Piper couldn't ride the bumper cars (seriously?) or the regular swings (she had to ride the kiddie ones).  And while they didn't really want to, I made them ride the carousel.  (It was my first chance to take some photos):

It really was a great day.  The kids went all day and there was virtually no complaining.  This was very different from Disney where Caroline complained every other step.  The weather was perfect - we couldn't have picked a better day that week.  Thank goodness!!

Tuesday - we were exhausted from the day before and we kind of just laid around until we had dinner with our neighbors who were leaving for Disney the next day.  I ran an errand in the morning with my other neighbor and had lunch so I was very glad to have gotten out of the house for a bit.

Wednesday we went to Annapolis.  We wanted to do something historic/educational and since Jason had never been, we thought it would be a good day.  Thankfully, it stopped raining when we got there and the day was overcast and not too hot during the whole 2 1/2 hour walking tour.  The kids were really good and patient.  We even had some other people on the tour tell us which was appreciated since we didn't feel like they were being that good but honestly, no one melted down and complaining was also minimal.  Caroline got the most out of it, I think.  They liked seeing the state house and the Naval Academy the best.

At the state house

State Senate Chambers

USNA Chapel

Crypt of John Paul Jones - they loved it!

Bryce and Herndon

Bancroft Hall - largest dorm in the US!

A sample midshipman room

Inside Bancroft Hall

On the city dock in Annapolis at Pusser's for lunch

Had to let them do a crazy shot

Thursday was probably our toughest day of the week since it rained (AGAIN!) and we didn't have any plans as a result. We had hoped to fit some pool days in during the week but they never panned out.  We ended the day watching the original Willy Wonka movie and the kids loved it.  There's just something about that room where everything is candy that is so enchanting to kids.  Glad we watched it together!

On Friday, Caroline was picked up by her friend, Sophia's mom, and went to spend the day/night at her house.  I was glad because I knew Caroline needed some older kids to play with.  So Bryce, Jason, Piper and I headed to Marshy Point Nature Center for a while and then were headed to Honeygo Park for more outdoor time when we noticed how dark the sky was.  Shocking, it was going to rain again.  Mid-drive, we decided to go another route.  Piper and I would get pedicures and Bryce and Jason would go to run an errand at Home Depot.  Obviously, Piper and I were on the winning end of this decision!  Piper got her first pedicure!

Then we had an early dinner at Ledo's and dessert at Yogi Castle.  All in all, a good afternoon & evening, if you ask me!

Saturday morning, I took Piper to Build a Bear Workshop because she had some gift cards from her birthday.  This is probably a place I would never take my kids any other time since they don't need any other stuffed animals and it's at Towson mall (which I loathe).  But we had the gift cards so we got there right as they opened.  She really enjoyed it though so it was a very special treat:

Filling up her bear with stuffing

Putting a wish inside the bear's heart

Giving her bear a bath

Introducing Rosey the zebra striped bear!

We made it home by 11am!  Then a little while later, Lily and Harper came to visit us!  I hadn't seen them in a few weeks and they are getting so big - they were 6 months old yesterday:

Then we headed up to Fallston to see our old neighbors who also just moved and to pick up Caroline.  Bryce was a trooper with all the girls and it was really nice to spend time with Joe and Chrisie.  They were great neighbors and I'm glad we're staying in touch:

Caroline & Sophia

Sunday was a sunny day so after we did our normal Sunday chores, Jason took the kids to my mom's to swim since I had a bridal shower to attend for one of our neighbors.  I really would have rather gone to the pool since it was one of the only truly sunny days but I was glad to have been invited to the shower too and spend some time sans children with a few of my other neighbor moms.  

It was a good week, all in all, I just wish it had been more summer like.  But we made it work and I'm glad we took the time out of our schedule to do it.  We'll definitely be resuming our OBX visits next summer though.  Staycations are hard because it's hard to NOT get into your usual routines and habits when you're still in your house.  (I have a hard time not cleaning and doing chores, as does Jason.)

Great Week!

We had a wonderful week at the beach!  We were so busy, I didn't have much time other than to throw some photos up on Facebook.   Here are a smattering of photos from the week:


Day 1 (Saturday):  We left just before 5am and made it to the NC line just before 10am!  No traffic!  (We ate breakfast in the car and only stopped twice to use the bathroom.) But after that we hit some slow spots on 158 approaching the bridge but still made it to Goombays for lunch at 11:30.  We then went and wasted some time at Scarborough Faire in Duck until we could get into the house.  Once we were in the house we unpacked, made a grocery list and took the kids to the beach.  Here's Caroline on the afternoon we arrived

The house had a great pool area complete with hot tub and covered cabana.

Day 2 (Sunday):  We didn't sleep late at the beach - I was mostly up before 7am every day hearing little feet pattering above my head on the main level.  My mom, Jay and I took the kids to the beach and it was great until it rained!  Poured!  But it passed and we ended up spending the rest of the day on the beach.  The kids are all three in love with the ocean and Caroline and Bryce have no fear.  They had a great time riding the waves with Mark's help.  Chrissa arrived later in the evening just in time for dinner.  Here's Caroline riding with Zoe and Taki:

Bryce rode a few later on:

Day 3 (Monday): My dad, Jim and Jason played golf that morning while the rest of us went to the beach.  It was another perfect beach day.  Piper was a bit tired though and my mom took her back to the house for lunch and a nap.  They returned later only to have Piper go back with me because she wanted to swim in the pool.  Here she is chilling with my dad in the hot tub:

We had a major wine and dance party at the house on Monday night.  Lots of dancing, laughing and fun.  Good memories!

Day 4 (Tuesday):  It was sunny when we woke up but soon after it got cloudy.  I had gotten all sunscreened up and then it rained.  I showered it up and then the sun came out after lunch.  (I willed it to come out!)  It wasn't a perfect beach day but it was still nice out on the beach for a few hours.

Day 5 (Wednesday):  Woke up to more clouds and RAIN RAIN RAIN.  Piper kept singing the "Rain Rain Go Away" song.  We quickly regrouped and Mark, Sara, Jason and I took the kids to see the latest 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' movie - it was actually pretty funny.  It was still sprinkling when we came out so we had a quick lunch at The Rundown Cafe.  We made it back to the house and it looked like the sun was about to come out so Sara and I took the kids out to play on the beach not thinking it would be very warm.....it was!  So we all ended up in the water and having a nice afternoon.  My dad and Jim came out to fish when they got back from their lunch and Bryce caught his first fish!!!

That evening, Sara, Mark, Chrissa, Jason and I went out to dinner at The Brine and Bottle in Nags Head.   We were already excited about the menu but upon finding out that Guy Fieri had just been there to tape an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Jay and I were particularly interested. We stopped at the OBX Brewing Station on the way down since our reservations were so late and had some brews and snacks.  The B&B was really good!  The scallops I had were perfect along with the peach/green tomato salad I started with.  A really nice evening out without the kids.

Day 6 (Thursday):  Finally, another perfect beach day!  We didn't waste time getting out on the beach although Jason and I had dinner duty that night so we had a few things to do before we went out but the kids went out with my mom just after 9am.  The kids had a great day, Bryce caught another fish and we just enjoyed the sand and sun.

Day 7 (Friday) - Last day at the beach!  It started out ominously with a pouring rain overnight and VERY dark skies in the morning so our spirits were a little dampened.  But when we looked at radar there was nothing coming so we hoped it meant it would clear off....it did!  By 8:30 it was sunny!  We quickly got out to the beach!  I love the way the ocean looks early in the morning:

We even managed a (squinty) family photo:

We almost got chased off the beach mid-day when another storm threatened and it got super cloudy but we watched the radar on our phones (one of the great things about smart phones at the beach) and we managed not to get any rain.  We used the cloudy time though to run in and get lunch.  After lunch it was smooth sailing until about 4:30 when a storm was looming and we weren't going to escape the rain again.

But in true OBX form, the storm cleared and gave us a full rainbow over the ocean - a double rainbow even if you look close.  (Double rainbow?  What does it mean?)   I've never seen a whole rainbow before where you can see where it starts and stops - really cool!!!  The kids were ecstatic!

Day 8 (Saturday):  Going home.  We didn't rush in the morning and left about 8:40.  Traffic was slow off and on and it took us a full 8 hours to get home.  We stopped for a bathroom break, picked up some Subway subs for later and then stopped and ate them at a rest stop which helped to break the ride up.

Here's our house - we really liked it.  The Snail Shell in Southern Shores.  Great location!

So with that our annual OBX vacation is behind us full of good memories.  I'm always sad when we return but know we'll be back again.  It's funny how much it feels like home down there to me even though we don't stay in the same house twice.  I can't express how much I love it and how much I love the fact that my kids and Jason love it too.  Many thanks to my parents for helping to coordinate it all and for being able to vacation with such wonderful people.

Beached

OBX 2011

It was a wonderful trip!  We pulled out of the driveway at 5am on Saturday and were eating lunch in the Outer Banks at 12:30 that afternoon.  Beat the heck out of having an 11 hour journey last year.  (We left 2 hours earlier, didn't stop for breakfast, and we only had to sit in some traffic on the southern side of the NC line for an hour or so.)  We caravaned down with my parents who also had my brother, Kevin with them.  We made such good time and cleared Williamsburg by 8am!  The traffic on 158 was a bit frustrating though because we know how bad it can be in the later part of the day and didn't expect it to be that heavy that "early."  But, like I said, eating lunch at Goombay's on the Outer Banks (and having tasty adult beverages) was a fantastic reward.  And then, thanks to my mom, we had an early check-in so we were in the house before 2pm!  (Normal check in isn't until 4pm.)  I just realized now I really didn't take any photos of the house or inside the house - I took them all either at the beach or by the pool.

Anyhow, the house was nice - not the nicest we've stayed in but it certainly fit the bill.  The kids shared a room (a pyramid bunk) and that was a lot of fun for them.  My parents were in the master suite and it had a huge jacuzzi tub that the kids took many a bath in.  My brother had his own room since his wife, Kelly, is in Chicago for a few weeks, and then when my sister arrived on Monday morning, she took the trundle from the kids' bedroom and pulled it out into the extra large foyer as her makeshift room.  (Thanks to Chrissa for being so flexible.)

The house also had an outdoor hot tub that the kids loved getting in (especially with my brother) and a little in-ground pool.  It was actually smaller than my parents' above ground pool at home, but it certainly served its purpose and we were glad to have it with as hot as it got at the end of the week.   In the afternoon it was completely shaded too and that was especially great!  It was about 4 feet deep at the far end with little steps at the other end.  All 3 kids loved it and it even got Piper swimming!  It was amazing.  She's been doing so well this year with her swimmies and putting her face in the water so one morning, Chrissa suggested that she try without the swimmies, and you know what?  She just started swimming!  So basically, she put together what she was doing last year with what she was doing with the swimmies and just swam!  (Video to follow)  That pool was perfect since she could swim the entire length in one breath.  She's not great about stopping for a breath yet but she's getting there.

Sunday and Monday were picture perfect beach days.  It was warm (but not hot), the ocean water was in the mid-70's, and it was just beautiful.  The kids officially spent an entire day on the beach!

On Tuesday, we ventured on a day long trip down to Ocracoke.  It's an island that is part of the Outer Banks, but you can only get to it by ferry and it's just beautiful.  Most of it is protected, national seashore and completely untouched. 

It took well over an hour to get down there and then we had to wait in line to get on the ferry, but aside from that (and the older two fighting like cats and dogs in the car), once we pulled our cars onto the ferry, the trip steadily improved.  The kids loved the ferry ride and then once we got on the island, we headed down to the village for lunch at Jason's. We then headed back to the north end of the island and used my dad's 4 wheel drive to go out onto the beach.  And what a beach it was!

The water was over 80 degrees, was shallow, gentle, and clear!  Perfect for little kids!  It wasn't truly hot that day either (although I know it was at home) and the steady breeze almost made it chilly if you were in the shade.   Ocracoke is known for it's wide, beautiful beaches and for being able to go way out and it still be pretty shallow.  I went several times as a kid but hadn't been down since I was in college.  Jason and the kids had never been.

We stayed until a little after 5pm and then headed back to the ferry to go home.  We found out later that on the other end of the island at 5pm, Ocracoke reported it's first shark attack in 35 years!  A 6 year old girl in 18 inches of water was bitten by a shark.  She was airlifted to the mainland and is said to be in good condition although apparently it was pretty serious when it happened.  After the fact we remembered seeing that helicopter overhead as we waited for the ferry.  Scary!

The next day we laid kind of low while Jason and my dad played golf.  Turned out too that the ocean water had gotten super cold too while the air temperature was starting to rise.  The kids swam all day and we just relaxed.  That night we went and played mini-golf with Bryce and Piper.  (Caroline doesn't have any interest!)  Of course as we stood in line for the first hole, Bryce dropped his ball in the "river" snaking through the course.  But Kevin and I managed to find it and fish it out.  We had a good laugh about that.  Piper got her $5 worth of golf by putting her PURPLE ball 3 inches from the hole and putting it in and then running on each hole's obstacles.  Bryce also took a tumble down one of sides of one of the holes and then Piper fell and yelled out that she "fell on my butt cheeks!"  But the funniest moment of the evening came as we waited to go onto the 18th hole.  I looked over and there was Piper standing with her golf ball between her legs and bouncing up and down.  I asked her what she was doing and she yelled, "I've got a purple penis! I've got a purple penis!"  Ha!  Clearly we use that word at home and it's not a big deal, so we just kind of ignored it and had a giggle.  I heard the people behind us laughing too.  Good thing she's cute!  The funny thing to me was that I don't think I'd ever heard her say that word before.

Thursday and Friday were SUPER hot days - the water was frigid too.  On Thursday evening though, we went down to Coquina Beach in South Nags Head for what we thought was a campfire, but it ended up not happening.  Instead, we took advantage of the beautiful beach and good light and took lots of pictures. It was hard keeping the kids out of the water (even in their clothes) but after hearing of the shark attack 2 days before, we knew that dusk was a BAD time to be in the water.  My mom even told another woman who brought her kids down at that time.  (Anyone goes swimming in the ocean at 8pm is crazy, if you ask me!)  We even managed to get a decent family photo although we were missing my brother's wife (again!).

I have a better version I need to upload  where C and B aren't making funny faces.

And so ends another NC vacation.  No idea if we'll make it back next year or not because we're planning a Disney vacation in the spring.  I'm always pretty sad on the day we leave the beach because I just love it so much down there and it seems that I'm not the only one.  A few minutes after we got home on Saturday evening, I found Bryce sobbing.  When I asked him why, he sputtered out, "I miss the beach!  I wish we could go for 10 weeks!"  I know buddy, I know.  I've been going to the Outer Banks since I was 6 years old and my kids have been going all their lives, so I guess it makes sense why we love it so much.  We've taken a year off here and there but it's hard to imagine a summer without a trip down there.

A big thanks to my brother for playing with my kids so patiently all week and to my parents for getting this whole trip together to begin with.  I think that's a big part of why I love going down there - spending time with my family on the beach....kind of like we always have.