It's pathetic, really

We had such a great time at the Crab Fest in Maryland, I can't believe we left there with only five pictures in the camera. That's what you get when you're busy making sure the kids don't jump off the pier, put a spicy crab in their mouth, steal your beer, beat up on Lucy, pull Ada's braids, break the antiques in the big house, or sneak even MORE of the chocolate coffee cake Annie brought.

Our Weekend Adventures

We spent the weekend at the delightful Hotel Moco in lovely Scituate, Massachusetts. Nonna, our activities director, kept us hopping. After the traditional bacon-heavy breakfast on Saturday, we went blueberry picking:


Chava seriously ate her weight in blueberries (she pooped blue for days). Maddox was in hog heaven wearing his berry bucket.

























After lunch, Nonna and Al took Maddox bowling while Chava and Grumps had a nap (I finally got a shower). Maddox shows off his skill - he is able to bowl while simultaneously showing you the candy Nonna got for him:


























Then it was off to Starland for some mini-golf and go carts.

I couldn't get any pictures of the mini-golf because I was too busy trying to keep Chava from stealing other people's balls.
Finally, the kids enjoyed some down time on Saturday night. Then Maddox ate three helpings of steak and broccoli and Chava ate salsa and cocktail sauce (that's a balance meal, right?!). I didn't get any pictures of our beach time on Sunday, either, but it involved finding some crabs, building sand castles and waterways, and walking on the rocks. I took two very tired and happy kids home on Sunday afternoon.

Ruh Roh

Last night Maddox asked me if he could go out on the porch off our bedroom. I said no, because the second floor windows have no screens on them and they are all wide open in the heat of August. So, while I was on the phone, he carried his stool from the bathroom to the porch door so he could reach the hook and eye closure and undo it. Then he let himself and Chava out on the porch. Luckily, Chava had her new leopard skin pocketbook which I'm sure could have saved them in a pinch.

History repeats itself

In 1988, my friends (perhaps fueled by a shot or two of cheap vodka) snuck out of their dorm rooms in the middle of the night to paint the cannon for my birthday. Yesterday, in the light of day, Maddox's class took a field trip to paint the cannon. I think they were fueled by apple juice.

Maddox takes his popsicle eating very seriously

A few last straggler pictures

The "Pirate Ship" (Maddox's name for it).











Chava shares her ice cream truck popsicle with Daddy.














Maddox, Madeleine and Chava raid Grandma's lolipop supply.





























Three kids in a boat.

Ummmm......

Is it bad for children to eat ice cream once a day for a week?

Chava

Doing vacation right

I think this was Tuesday: started off with donuts at the beach -


















Then moved on to a different beach. We weren't cold, what makes you ask that?

horrible, terrible, no good, very bad cold

I have been super lax about taking pictures this week. Mainly because I have been sick with a fever, sore throat, and now snot fest since about Saturday. Did you know the active ingredient in Tylenol PM is benadryl? Still, one tablet won't let you sleep comfortably with a cold.

We've had big happenings this week. Chava's language has taken off (mainly she says, "Ah WAN dis," meaning "I want this right now and if you don't give it to me, I'll screw up my face and cry alligator tears and all the people around us with think you are a terrible parent"). She also has started to say water (wah-dah), heavy, yes (before it was only NO!!), cookie, doggie (for her lovey), and a whole bunch of other things.

This is also the summer that Maddox has found his groove at the beach. He's very comfortable playing in the water, and loves to float in the inflatable crab we found at the house. Chava absolutely LOVES the water and plunges in without a second thought if we are not watching her carefully.

This also seems to be the breaking point where Chava is increasingly unwilling to put up with Maddox's shit, and she's also figuring out how to use him to her advantage. Now when he takes something away from her she'll hit him, or grab it back, or (if we're looking), pull out the alligator tears.

More pictures soon, I swear. I'm almost over my Nyquil hangover from last night so tomorrow I should be in tip-top shape.

On vacation

Days on vacation: 2
Ice cream visits: 2
Trampoline: 2
Beach: 2
Sore throat that's killing me: only 1 (thankfully)