Skiing

We successfully skied this week although some were more successful than others. I believe I may be sore sore weeks.

Vacay

Before we could leave for the beach, Andy had his last day at Kindercare. Here he is with his teachers Mr. Jerrell and Ms. Clydie. I teared up a little, but he was fine.

Tor and Ryan on the boogie boards.

Nicole with her shadow Mia.

Trying to convince Meg this was fun. She didn't buy it.

Poor awkward port-wine sunburn.

Day two with the hat and shirt. That's Mia behind him. They did variations of this for five and six hours at a time. It was remarkable.

We did it! We took a vacation that wasn't to see family, go to a wedding or a graduation of some kind. Through a Theta friend, we got a great deal on a four bedroom house in Rehoboth, Delaware, about 3 1/2 hours away. After trying for months to pin down a date with friends, we finally just booked the house and were fortunately that folks could join us. Andy had the time of his life. Minus the seriously red sunburn (poor kid has my features, sadly) he had the best time. He played with Mia and Liam and loved the beach, just running into the surf and making piles of sand and water entertained him for like six hours at a stretch with no complaining. It was remarkable really.

Meggie Meg, however, was not so keen on the beach. In fact, with such a willing audience, she spent a lot of time whining. Her new trick is to get others to read her books, which is both adorable and annoying. She also loves to take us by the hand and take us to whatever it is she wants to do next, like go outside, eat sometime. It's not talking, but she's getting started on that. I imagine next year she'll be more interested. I think my friend would let us rent it again next spring (it's cheaper in the off season and right now we don't have to worry about school schedules). I also think next year she'll be entertained with the DVD for three hours. As it was, she was a pretty good whiner about the ride as well.

We loved seeing our friends with the bonus of them having friends in town. Bjorn's brother and his kids were there, too, so it was really nice and social while relaxing. I want to go back tomorrow. Well, except for the driving and sunburn parts. Poor Andy is so sunburned awkwardly on his face due to my poor sunblock application is looks like a bad port wine stain. For the second day, I made him wear an "aqua" shirt which in this case was just a microfiber shirt and a hat.

In other big news, Andy starts his new school tomorrow. He's starting at the George Mason University Preschool/Daycare. I really liked the program. It's slightly less convenient, but I liked it better and it's marginally cheaper. Score! And as if things weren't busy enough, I've decided to take a graduate school class at George Mason myself in health communications. One class in and I'm already a little daunted.

Social media

It's weird, with the fun stuff like Facebook and Twitter (which I now am using a lot for work, thank you very much), I find I'm neglecting my blog. It's a shame, too, since this is my excuse for not really doing a baby book to record what my kids are doing. It's just that I'm finding it's more fun and immediate to post little things here and there rathering to really think about a post. Plus, there is all the fun of stalking high school and college friends to see what they're up to. It's like the best reunion I've never been to in that I get to see what everyone is doing, send some e-mails, view some pictures but not have to endure the awkward half drunk conversation at the Marriott over a $5 Bud light.

In other news, the kids are almost playing with each other right now. And I say almost because she wants to do what he's doing, but his initial interest in that wanes quickly and he whines and cries that she's taking something/breaking his fort/doing something else clearly evil and wrong. I've even witnessed him give her that a little too hard push or smack her almost testing to see what happens. I can see a future of "S/he's touching me."

Meanwhile, we're trying to plan an August get-away to Lewes, Delaware. I've been corresponding with a realtor about rentals, but I don't know the area. Anybody have a clue? I'm just afraid what looks fine in pictures is really in Dowistrepla or something.

Birthday!

We drove to Cape May, New Jersey, yesterday for a 20 hour visit to surprise our friend who turns 40 next month. It was so great to see them after they abandoned us for New Jersey last year so it was great fun when her mother invited us and some other friends up during their family vacation to surprise her. We had a blast catching up with friends, but Andy had the most fun riding bikes with Mia and Liam, playing emergency and jumping on the air mattresses. It was so great to see them playing together like no time had past. Meg was also lapping up all the extra attention of all the additional family ready to hold her, play ball and tell her she was so beautiful and perfect.

Meg had a hard time settling into sleep in the pack and play and probably wailed for about 45 minutes before finally going to see. Andy finally conked out on the air mattress around 9:30. The big kids were exhausted. After an exhaustive reading of Texts from Last Night over many glasses of beer and wine and lots and lots of laughs, I finally turned in around midnight. Just in time for the town air raid noise to go off for the town's volunteer fire department. Meg then woke up and refused to go back to sleep for anything. I tried to hold her in bed, I gave her water, I tried putting her back down, I tried feeding her, I tried a bottle of milk, I tried driving her around. Nothing. With a house full of 15 other people, I couldn't really just let her cry like I might have at home. Instead, Bjorn took her into the car and she finally conked out and so did Bjorn. What a hero, seriously, sleeping in the car. We were all exhausted today.

We are planning another trip to the beach with friends later this summer and I'm a little worried that she hates the pack and play so much that we're doomed. I have thought about letting her sleep in it in her room a few nights to get her used to it. Any other ideas?

She walks! Mostly!

On her 15-month-birthday, Bjorn and I watched her walk six or seven steps, stop to look at something and reload, and then walk four or five more steps. That's walking, right? We were so proud we both sort of teared up. Precious darling angel baby is now a walker. Well, some of the time. When she feels like it.

Bjorn is out of town again tonight. I sure hope he lands some of these deals. Fortunately, Jennifer is coming by to help. It's very convenient with her eight minute commute. Plus, it's nice catching up with her and hearing what's going on. It's hard to believe the biggest of the angel babies (Jennifer) starts her first real job on Monday after moving into her first real apartment last week. And to think I knew her when.

It's funny, Bjorn and I were dating back when I was her age. In retrospect, I can only imagine what the other parents at the soccer and basketball games must have thought of me barely in my 20s standing on the sidelines with a bunch of parents in their 40s. Bjorn was young for the crowd in his early 30s, but they probably didn't know that. I imagine I really did look like some chippie/trophy wife.

I am in need of a vacation and this 90 degree heat has me dreaming of the beach. If you have ideas for beach spots on the east coast, let me know.

In-cation

Bjorn starts a new job on Monday so he is taking this week off before he starts. After working long days in Boston for a week, I am taking a couple of days off as well. We initially planned to get away for a few days, but the stars just didn't align quite right to get it done. I'm not quite sure exactly what we're doing, but I know we won't be working and we will be together. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm still tired and I've been back a week now. It's not a vacation necessarily (or an in-cation as Andy calls it), but it will do.

I leave you with some darling pictures. Andy is adorable, usually, although he's going through a terrible phase of screaming when he's really tired/unhappy. Last Sunday, he was so tired, but didn't want to take a nap. He was quite ornery so I finally put him in his room where he proceeded to scream, "I'M NOT TIRED" for a solid 15 minutes before falling asleep for three hours. I don't believe in spanking except in times of danger (i.e. spanking for running in the street), but in times like that, I do briefly rethink things.

Meg is figuring out how to pull up and is very excited about it. Now when I sit in front of her on the floor, all she wants to do is reach for my hands to pull her up. She's not sure what to do once she's standing except look around, all proud of herself.